Pirates add five former Marauders to 40-man roster

photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie
Catcher Tony Sanchez is a member of the Pirate's 40-man roster

The Pittsburghg Pirates added five former Bradenton Marauders to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
They are:

Victor Black, P: Black, 24, appeared in just five games with Bradenton in 2011 before his breakthrough last year at Double-A Altoona. Black led the Eastern League with 51 appearances in 2012, posting a 1.65 ERA and 13 saves. Black struck out 85 and walked 28 in 60 innings and was a mid-season Eastern League All-Star. Black was picked for the Rising Stars game while pitching in the Arizona Fall Leage.
Ramon Cabrera, C: The 23-year-old Cabrera won the Florida State League's batting title in 2011 when he hit .343 with the Marauders before spending all of last season in Altoona. Cabera hit .276 with with 50 RBIs in 112 games with the Curve before he was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sept. 2. Cabera appeared in one game with the Indians, going 2-for-5 with a double.
Phil Irwin, P: The 25-year-old righty went 5-0 with a 2.02 ERA in 10 starts with the Marauders in 2011 and won his lone start with the team last year. Irwin spent most of the last year in Altoona, where he went 4-7 despite a 2.93 ERA in 18 games (16 starts) while walking just 17 in 104 1/3 innings. He was the named the Curve's Pitcher of the Year, and found similar success in Indianapolis, where Irwin went 3-0 with 2.57 ERA in four starts.
Tony Sanchez, C: The Pirates' top catching prospect and the organization's first pick of the 2009 draft, the 24-year-old Miami native was a fan favoritete in Bradenton in 2010, when he hit .314 in 59 games before a pitch to the jaw ended his season. Sanchez hit .277 in 42 games last year with Altoona before a promotion to Triple-A, where Sanchez batted .233 with eight home runs in 60 games.
Hunter Strickland, P: After missing all of 2011 recovering from rotator cuff surgery, Strickland was 2-2 with a 2.98 ERA in 10 starts with the Marauders before a bump to Altoona. Strickland pitched out of the bullpen, making 23 relief appearances, going 2-2 with a 4.65 ERA.

Marauders release 2013 schedule

The Marauders have unveiled their schedule for their fourth season.
Bradenton opens 2013 on the road in Fort Myers on Thursday, April 4 before hosting the Miracle on April 5 in the home-opener at McKechnie Field.
That game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
All home games will begin at 6:30 with the exception of Sunday games, which begin at 5.
The regular season concludes Sept. 1.
The Marauders are the high Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Alex Dickerson named FSL Player of the Year



photo by Paul Videla

 Bradenton Marauders first baseman Alex Dickerson has been named the Player of the Year in the Florida State League.
The announcement came Monday from league president Chuck Murphy, who also unveiled the league's postseason All-Star team.
Dickerson is batting .299 with 12 home runs and 88 RBI in 124 games with Bradenton and is second in the league in RBIs, hits (141) and doubles (31).
The Marauders are in second place in the FSL South Division, 2 1/2 games back of first-place Jupiter. Their game Monday was postponed in anticipation of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Isaac.
They host Fort Myers in a doubleheader beginning 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Jameson Taillon earns another Pitcher of the Week award

photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

Jameson Taillon has been named the Florida State League's Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season.
The righty didn't allow an earned run in two starts from July 30-August 5, giving up four hits, striking out eight and walking three in 12 innings.
Taillon is 6-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 21 starts, and has 92 strikeouts and 34 walks in 115 innings. Taillon has allowed five earned runs in his 23 2/3 innings of work.

Getting to know Erik Turgeon

Consider this a homecoming of sorts for Erik Turgeon, the Marauders' newest pitcher.
The Pirates' signed the righty and assigned him to Bradenton, bringing Turgeon back to his roots - he was born in Palm Harbor and graduated from Dunedin High School.
Turgeon was a 49th-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2005, but he chose to play college ball at UCONN before the New York Mets drafted him during Turgeon's junior year.
Turgeon has spent last few seasons with the Mets' Double-A team in Binghamton, N.Y., and was 1-3 with a 7.40 ERA in 17 games while battling injuries this year. He has a career record of 15-13 with a 4.19 ERA in 164 professional appearances, all in relief.
He made 22 appearances in 2010 with the Mets' Florida State League team in St. Lucie.
"I want to thank the Pirates for this opportunity," Turgeon wrote on his Twitter page. "Excited to get goin!" [sic]
The Marauders also announced they added Jhonathan Ramos from Double-A Altoona. It is the second stint in Bradenton this season for the lefty, who was 4-1 with a 3.93 ERA with the Marauders and 2-1 and with a 2.61 ERA in 13 games with the Curve.

Alex Dickerson named FSL Player of the Week

photo by Paul Videla

Marauders first baseman Alex Dickerson has been named the Florida State League's Player of the Week for July 23-29 after batting .462 during that time with two home runs, seven RBIs, four doubles and 10 runs scored.
He currently leads the league in RBIs (77) and total bases (175),  is third in hits (113), fourth in doubles (26) and eighth in slugging (.461) and hitting (.297). Dickerson is also batting .330 in July and .311 since the All-Star break.
Dickerson was a third-round pick of the Pirates in 2011.

What's a Baby Bobble?



photo courtesy of Bradenton Marauders

 It's been six months since Trevor Gooby delivered a memorable moment at McKechnie Field.
The Marauders plan on celebrating in style.
The team will host Babies on Deck Night on Tuesday, Aug. 28, six months to the day after Gooby, the Pirates director of Florida operations, delivered a baby boy outside the gates of the venerable ballpark during a Spring Training kickoff event.
The baby, a boy aptly named McKechnie, is the first one to be delivered at McKechnie Field, which opened in 1923 and has served as the Pirates' spring home since '69.
The first 1,000 fans that night receive a Baby Bobble figure of Gooby holding McKechnie. The night will also include baby-themed activties including a stroller obstacle course and a diaper changing relay.
The Marauders meet the Fort Myers Miracle at 6:30 p.m. Gates open at 5:30.

Pirates intend to promote Starling Marte

One of the original Marauders is going to be a Pirate.
The Pirates announced they will call up outfielder Starling Marte for Thursday's game in Houston.
Marte was rated baseball's 73rd-best prospect heading into the season by Baseball America and was batting .286 with 12 home runs, 61 RBIs and 21 steals in 98 games with the Pirates' Triple-A team in Indianapolis.
Marte hit .315 with 22 stolen bases and 70 hits in 60 games with the Marauders in 2010 before suffering a season-ending wrist injury.
He is a career .304 hitter in six professional seasons

Cain, Grossman dealt to Astros

photo by John Lembo

A current Marauder and a former one are on the way to Houston.
The Pirates announced Tuesday they have dealt Colton Cain and Robbie Grossman to the Astros in exchange for pitcher Wandy Rodriguez.
Cain is 3-5 with a 4.20 ERA in 16 starts with the Marauders. He was an eighth-round pick of the Pirates in 2009.
Grossman, above, earned the organization's Minor League Player of the Year award last summer with the Marauders and was invited to his first big-league camp in the spring. He began this season with Double-A Altoona, where he was batting .262 and was fourth in the Eastern League with 58 runs scored.
Pitcher Rudy Owens was also traded to Houston. Owens was never a Marauder but made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Pirates in 2007.
This is the second straight year a Marauder was dealt at the deadline: First baseman Aaron Baker was traded to Baltimore last year for Derrick Lee.

Joba Rules at McKechnie Field

photo by John Lembo

Joba Chamberlain's cameo at McKechnie Field is over.
The New York Yankees rehabbing reliever, who is working his way back from elbow and ankle injuries, allowed two runs on two hits in two innings and signed autographs at the visitors' bullpen on his way back to the clubhouse.
Chamberlain threw 32 pitches, 19 for strikes, while walking one and striking out one.
Marauders' outfielder Dan Grovatt, the first batter Chamberlain faced, homered on a 1-2 pitch.

Studs aplenty at McKechnie Field

Jameson Taillon, Gary Sanchez and Slade Heathcott are the headliners today as the Marauders welcome the Tampa Yankees for the first of a four-game set at muggy McKechnie Field.
Sanchez and Heathcott are two of the Yankees' prized prospects, and we all know about Taillon.
Lineups:

YANKEES
Mason Williams, cf
Ramon Flores, rf
Adonis Garcia, dh
Slade Heathcott, lf
Gary Sanchez, c
Kyle Roller, 1b
Zachary Wilson, 3b
Anderson Feliz, 2b
Jose Mojica, ss
Shane Greene, p

MARAUDERS
Dan Grovatt, lf
Gift Ngoepe, ss
Mel Rojas Jr., cf
Alex Dickerson, 1b
Carlos Paulino, c
Justin Howard, dh
Elevys Gonzalez, 3b
Andy Vasquez, rf
Benji Gonzalez, 2b
Jameson Taillon, p

They'll play two tomorrow

Tonight's game was postponed.
The Marauders and Manatees will meet in a doubleheader beginning 5 p.m. Saturday.

Looks like we're playing ball...

photo by John Lembo

If the saddest sight in baseball is a field covered with soggy tarp, then one of best sights is said tarp being removed.
Tonight's game against Brevard County will be delayed, but it looks it will be played, as the Marauders will try and pad their two-game lead in the South Division.
We are still awaiting an official start time, but here are the lineups:

MANATEES
Reggie Keen, cf
Nick Shaw, ss
Mike Walker, 3b
Brock Kjeldgaard, lf
Hector Gomez, dh
Shea Vucinich, 2b
Joey Paciorek, c
John Dishon, rf
Brooks Hall, p
MARAUDERS
Dan Grovatt, lf
Gift Ngoepe, ss
Mej Rojas Jr., cf
Alex Dickerson, 1b
Carlos Paulino, c
Justin Howard, dh
Kirk Singer, 3b
Andy Vasquez, rf
Benji Gonzalez, 2b
Matt Benedict, p

Mets vs. Marauders: A playoff preview?

The Marauders host the St. Lucie Mets tonight in about 25 minutes, and it's a matchup we may see again in the fall.
Bradenton (11-7) leads the FSL's South Division by a game while the Mets cruised to a division title in the first half. If the Marauders win the second half for a third consecutive season, they meet the Mets in the South Divsision championship series.
But let's not get too ahead of ourselves, shall we?

LINEUPS:
Mets
Alonzo Harris, lf
T.J. Rivera, ss
Zach Lutz, 3b
Cory Vaughn, rf
Blake Forsythe, c
Travis Taijeron, dh
Richard Lucas, 1b
Ryan Sandoval, 2b
Cesar Puello, cf
Yohan Almonte, p

Marauders
Dan Grovatt, lf
Gift Ngoepe, ss
Mel Rojas Jr., cf
Alex Dickerson, 1b
Elevys Gonzalez, 2b
Justin Howard, dh
Kirk Singer, 3b
Kawika Emsley-Pai, c
Junior Sosa, rf
Casey Sadler, p

Three former Marauders named to Eastern League All-Star Game

Brock Holt, Ramon Cabrera and Brandon Crumpton will represent the Double-A Altoona Curve during the Eastern League All-Star Game on July 11.
All three played with the Marauders at some point.
Holt, a shortstop, is batting .318 with 29 RBIs in 69 games with the Curve. He batted .351 in 47 games with Bradenton in 2010 before his season was cut short by an injury.
Cabrera, a catcher, is hitting .236 with two home runs and 31 RBIs with the Curve after he won the Florida State League batting title (.343) last year with the Marauders.
Cumpton is 8-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 15 starts with Altoona. He made 13 starts last year with the Marauders.

Marauders vs. Cardinals, starting lineups

The Marauders look to bounce back tonight against the Palm Beach Cardinals after Thursday's six-run defeat.

The lineups:

CARDINALS
Starlin Rodriguez, 2b
Ronny Gil, ss
Chris Edmondson, lf
Geoffrey Klein, 1b
Nick Longmire, cf
Raniel Rosario, rf
Luis De La Cruz, c
Tyler Rahmatulla, 3b
Bradley Watson, p

MARAUDERS
Dan Grovatt, lf
Gift Ngoepe, ss
Mel Rojas Jr, cf
Alex Dickerson, 1b
Kirk Singer, 3b
Elevys Gonzalez, dh
Carlos Paulino, c
Junior Sosa, rf
Benji Gonzalez, 2b
Casey Sadler, p

Back in town

Will there be another championship t-shirt on sale next season inside the Marauders team store?
Bradenton takes a half game lead in the South Division into tonight's game with the Palm Beach Cardinals, even though we're just six games into the 70-game second half.
But hey, first place is first place, right?
St. Petersburg native Matt Benedict makes the start tonight for Bradenton, and here is a look at how the lineups shake out.

CARDINALS
Mike O'Neill, lf
Ronny Gil, ss
Starlin Rodriguez, 2b
Chris Edmonson, rf
Nick Longmire, cf
Geoffrey Klein, 1b
Luis De La Cruz, c
Jeremy Patton, dh
Vance Albitz, 3b
Chris Corrigan, p

MARAUDERS
Dan Grovatt, lf
Gift Ngoepe, ss
Mel Rojas Jr., cf
Alex Dickerson, 1b
Elevys Gonzalez, 2b
Justin Howard, dh
Kirk Singer, 3b
Andy Vasquez, rf
Kawika Emsley-Pai, c
Matt Benedict, p

Cole OK after taking line drive to neck

photo by Grant Jefferies

A night after taking a line drive off his neck, former Marauders pitcher Gerrit Cole is OK and resumed baseball activities Wednesday, according to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Cole was struck by a ball off the bat of Harrisburg's Destin Hood on Tuesday while pitching for Double-A Altoona and left after one inning.
The Pirates said Cole had a contusion on his jaw but no signs of a concussion.
Cole allowed three on five hits and struck out two in the Curve's 8-3 loss. It was his first loss since he was promoted to Double-A earlier this month.

Kirk Singer named Player of the Week

photo by Paul Videla

Kirk Singer's fast start with the Marauders has caught the eye of the folks of the Florida State League.
Singer, an infielder promoted to Bradenton earlier this month, has been named the FSL Player of the Week after batting .474 with nine hits in five games. Singer has eight RBIs, two home runs, slugged .789 and had a .545 on-base percentage during that span.
The Marauders are 3-1 in the second half heading into tonight's game at Dunedin.

Bryan Morris promoted to Pirates

Another former Marauder is now a Pittsburgh Pirate.
The Pirates called up pitcher Bryan Morris from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, making him the fourth Marauder to make a major-league roster and third to play for the Pirates.
A starter throughout most of his pro career, Morris has adjusted well to a switch to the bullpen and posted a 2.28 ERA in 23 games with the Indians. He was 1-2 with five saves while striking out 44 in 43 1/3 innings.
Morris started the first game in Marauders history in 2010 and went 3-0 with a 0.60 ERA in eight starts that summer in Bradenton.
A third-round pick by the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005, Morris was a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers the following season. He was traded to Pittsburgh in July 2008 as part of the deal that sent Jason Bay to the Boston Red Sox and Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers.
Former Marauders Jeff Locke and Eric Fryer were promoted to Pittsburgh last year, and Nathan Adcock made the Kansas City Royals Opening Day roster in 2011 after the Royals picked him during the Rule 5 draft.

Opening Night, Part II

The second season begins tonight for the Marauders, who open the second half of the Florida State League season against the Charlotte Stone Crabs, aka The Baby Rays.

Lineups:

STONE CRABS
Hector Guevara, 2b
Robbie Price, dh
Mikie Mahtook, cf
Derek Dietrich, ss
Riccio Torrez, 3b
Phil Wunderlich, 1b
Stephen Tinoco, rf
David Wendt, c
Cody Rogers, lf
Kyle Farnsworth, p

MARAUDERS
Gift Ngoepe, ss
Kirk Singer, 3b
Mel Rojas Jr., cf
Alex Dickerson, 1b
Elevys Gonzalez, 2b
Justin Howard, dh
Carlos Mesa, rf
Kawia Emsley-Pai, c
Dan Grovatt, lf
Tyler Waldron, p

Cole a winner in Curve debut

photo by Grant Jefferies

A new league, a new level and a new uniform did little to dim Gerrit Cole's first season of professional baseball.
Cole pitched the Altoona Curve to a 9-4 win over the New Britian Rock Cats on Wednesday in his first start woih the Pirates' Double-A affiliate. Cole began the season with Marauders before he was promoted earlier this month.
The first overall pick of the 2011 draft, Cole allowed two earned runs on five hits in five innings, striking out six and not issuing a walk. A pair of former Marauders helped him out - Robbie Grossman and Quincy Latimore hit three-run home runs.
Cole went 5-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 13 starts with the Marauders.

Stefan Welch added to South's All-Star Team

One more Bradenton Marauder is headed to the Florida State League All-Star Game.
Corner infielder Stefan Welch was added to the South Division's team as a replacement today, giving the Marauders three representatives in the game, which will be played Saturday at Charlotte Sports Park.
A native of Australia, Welch is batting .261 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs in 60 games with the Marauders. He signed with the New York Mets as a non-drafted free agent in 2005 and spent the last three seasons with the Mets' FSL affiliate in Port St. Lucie.
Welch also played for Austrailia during with World Baseball Classic and Baseball World Cup in 2009.
Pitchers Jameson Taillon and Gerrit Cole were the other Marauders chosen for the All-Star Game.

A night for the dogs

It's Bark At The Park Night at McKechnie Field, mixing two of my favorite things of the world - baseball and dogs.
So I attached a picture of a our dog, Rosie, chilling on our living room couch.
Yeah, she rocks.
This is John Lembo and here are the lineups for tonight's game against the Jupiter Hammerheads.

HAMMERHEADS
Danny Black, ss
Alfredo Lopez, lf
Mark Canha, 1b
Marcell Ozuna, cf
J.T. Realmuto, c
Noah Perio, 2b
Taylor Krick, dh
Danny Pertusati, rf
Ryan Fisher, 3b
Rob Rasmussen, p

MARAUDERS
Gift Ngoepe, ss
Drew Maggi, 2b
Mej Rojas Jr., cf
Alex Dickerson, 1b
Carlos Paulino, c
Stefan Welch, dh
Evan Chambers, rf
Wes Freeman, lf
Benji Gonzalez, 3b
Eliecer Navarro, p

Marauders looking for strong second half

Once again, the Marauders are playing for the future.
Bradenton takes a 25-34 record into today's doubleheader in Daytona before heading home Saturday to start a three-game series with Jupiter. St. Lucie (46-14) has already locked up the South Division title for the first half, so the Marauders have nothing more to do than play out the first half strong.
Counting tonight's doubleheader, the Marauders have 11 first-half games remaining. Following this weekend's series against the Hammerheads, the Marauders head to Fort Myers for three before taking three days off for the All-Star break.
There is one more first-half series after the break - three home games against St. Lucie - before the Marauders open the second half at home June 21 against Charlotte.
Of course, this isn't new ground for Bradenton - the Marauders have won the South Division's second half the past two seasons, taking advantage of minor-league baseball's two-seasons-in-one quirk.
The question is who will be on Bradenton's roster when the second half begins. The buzz around spring training was that pitcher Gerrit Cole (4-1, 2.53 ERA in 11 starts) would be in Bradenton until the weather warmed in Altoona, home to the Pirates' Double-A team.
Cole, the first overall pick of last year's draft who turns 22 in September, is headed to the FSL All-Star Game. The team's other All-Star pick, pitcher Jameson Taillon, may stick around Bradenton a little longer.
Unlike Cole, who pitched three seasons with UCLA before signing a pro contract, Taillon (3-5, 3.57) was drafted out of high school. He won't turn 21 until November, and the Pirates may bring him along slower than Cole.
This, of course, is all speculation. Time will tell who will be a Marauder once the second half and whether the team can make another late surge to the playoffs.

Pirates take pitcher Mark Appel with first pick

Another big-time arm could be headed to McKechnie Field next year.
The Pirates took Mark Appel, a junior out of Stanford, with the eighth overall pick tonight during the first day of the amateur player draft.
Appel went 10-1 with a 2.27 ERA for Stanford, striking out 127 in 119 innings. He threw five complete games and a shutout, and was named the most outstanding player of the Stanford Regional during the NCAA Division I tournament.
Appel allowed 92 hits, but only 23 went for extra bases.
The Pirates' first-round pick last year, pitcher Gerrit Cole, made his professional debut in April with the Marauders after a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League. Cole had finished his junior year at UCLA before the Pirates picked him.
Will Appel follow in Cole's footsteps?
We'll know for sure this time year.

Pirates converting Stetson Allie to hitter

photo by milb.com

Don't expect Stetson Allie to join the Marauders' pitching roation any time soon.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that the Pirates are converting Allie, their second-round pick in 2010, into a hitter.

“Stetson was one of the few athletes in each draft to be considered a prospect as a pitcher and as a hitter,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington told the Tribune-Review. “We believed his highest upside was as a pitcher. We obviously were very pleased to sign him as a pitcher. Since then, we’ve faced some challenges with him as a pitcher.”

In 15 appearances last year for the Pirates' short-season New York-Penn League team in State College, Allie posted a 6.58 ERA and walked 29 in 26 innings. He also struck out 28, showing shades of the player the Pirates hoped they were getting when they signed him for over $2 million out of high school.

His control problems followed him this season to West Virginia, home to the Pirates' low Single-A team, where Allie issued eight walks and allowed four earned runs in 2/3 of an inning. According the Tribune-Review, Allie, who made two appearances and a start, was shut down so he could work on his delivery.

The Pirates' first pick of the 2010 draft, James Taillon, is currently with the Marauders and was selected to play in the Florida State League's All-Star Game on June 16 in Port Charlotte.

Cole, Taillon picked for FSL All-Star game

Gerrit Cole is headed to the Florida State League All-Star Game. Photo by Grant Jefferies

Pitching has been the Bradenton Marauders’ strength this season.
So it’s no surprise two of their starters are headed to the Florida State League All-Star Game.
Jameson Taillon and Gerrit Cole will represent Bradenton during the game, scheduled for Saturday, June 16 at Charlotte Sports Park.
Taillon, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first pick of the 2010 draft, is 3-4 with a 3.29 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 52 innings. He is second in the league in opponents’ bating average (.214), fifth in WHIP (1.08) and 10th in strikeouts.
It’s the second All-Star selection for Taillon, who was picked for the South Atlantic League’s game last year while pitching for the Pirates’ low Single-A team in West Virginia.
Cole is 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA in his first season of professional baseball. The Pirates took him with first overall pick last season out of UCLA. He is first in the league in opponents’ batting average (.208), second in the league in ERA and second in WHIP (1.04).
He has 50 strikeouts and is 4-0 with a 1.32 ERA in his last six starts.
The Marauders entered play Friday ranked second in the league in team ERA (3.34).

Can Cole keep rolling?

Marauders starter Gerrit Cole takes the hill tonight against the Fort Myers Miracle at McKechnie Field, trying to keep his fine season intact.
The first overall pick of last year's draft, Cole is 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Cole is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA over his last five starts and is second in the league in opposing batting average (.200) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.2) and ninth in ERA.
Here are tonight's lineups:

MIRACLE
Daniel Santana, ss
Danny Ortiz, cf
Jairo Perez, dh
Oswaldo Arcia, rf
Dan Rohlfing, c
Lance Ray, lf
Anderson Hidalgo, 3b
Michael Gonzales, 1b
Levi Michael, 2b
Madison Boer, p

MARAUDERS
Gift Ngoepe, ss
Drew Maggi, 2b
Mel Rojas Jr., cf
Alex Dickerson, 1b
Stefan Welch, 3b
Evan Chambers, rf
Dan Grovatt, lf
Carlos Paulino, c
Wes Freeman, dh
Gerrit Cole, p

Starting lineups for 70s Night

photo by John Lembo

Cool hat, huh?
Consider a tip of the cap (pun intended) to the 1970s Pittsburgh Pirates, who made the pillbox look during their run to the 1979 World Championship.
The Marauders will be wearing those hats tonight for 70s Night here at McKechnie Field, where Bradenton faces Clearwater.
The lineups:

THRESHERS
Edgar Duran, ss
Carlos Alonso, 2b
Brandon Tripp, lf
James Murphy, 1b
Cody Asche, 3b
Anthony Hewitt, rf
Chris Duffy, dh
Miguel Alvarez, cf
Chace Numata, c
Brody Colvin, p

MARAUDERS
Gift Ngoepe, ss
Drew Maggi, 2b
Mel Rojas jr., cf
Alex Dickerson, 1b
Carlos Paulino, c
Stefan Welch, 3b
Wes Freeman, lf
Dan Grovatt, rf
Justin Howard, dh
Jameson Taillon, p

Irwin, Poytress off to Altoona

Pitchers Josh Poytress and Philip Irwin have been promoted to Double-A Altoona.
Poytress, 21, a lefty, wasn't scored upon in 16 2/3 innings spread over six games.He allowed 10 hits, struck out 11 and limited opposing hitters to a .175 average.
He tossed six shutout innings Sunday to earn the win in the Marauders' 18-inning win over Tampa. An 18th-round pick last year, Poytress was 2-0 with Bradenton.
Irwin, 25, won his lone start with the Marauders, tossing five innings in Saturday's win over the Yankees. He went 13-4 last year when he split time between Altoona and Bradenton.
The Marauders also added Rick VandenHurk from extended spring training, and he pitched six innings Monday to help beat the Tampa Yankees 10-5.
The 26-year-old VandenHurk hails from the Netherlands was signed as an amateur free agent by the Florida Marlins in 2002. The righty is 8-10 with a 5.97 ERA in 46 games (35 starts) with the Marlins and Baltimore Orioles
The Pirates signed VandenHurk on April 9.

Jameson Taillon named FSL Pitcher of the Week



photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

Marauders starting pitcher Jameson Taillon has been named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 23 through 29.
Taillon, the Pirates' first pick in 2010, went 1-0 and didn't allow a run in 11 innings of work stretched over two starts. He struck out 10, walked two and allowed six hits

Taillon limited Jupiter to just three hits over five innings on Apri 24, striking out six batters. He faced the Hammerheads five days later in Jupiter, where he tossed six shutout innings and struck out four. 

Taillon is seventh in the league with a 1.46 ERA

Marauders in 10

Benji Gonzalez led off the 10th inning with a double and scored on a throwing error by pitcher Caleb Thielbar as the Marauders beat the Fort Myers Miracle 3-2 in 10 innings in front of 1,215 fans at McKechnie Field.
Thielbar made the error after fielding Gift Ngoepe's sacrifice bunt.
In danger of being shut out for the second straight night, the Marauders (3-5) tied the score at 2 on Drew Maggi's two-run single in the eighth.
Jhontahan Ramos threw two hitless innings of relief to earn the win, raising his record to 2-1 and lowering his ERA to 1.17.
Jameson Taillon struck out six in five innings while allowing a run on three hits in his first start at McKechnie Field.

STAR OF THE GAME: Gonzalez scored two runs and walked twice to go along with his double.

UP NEXT: The Marauders and Miracle close out their set tonight in Fort Myers. The Marauders return home Sunday to start a three-game series with the Palm Beach Cardinals. Sunday's game starts at 5 p.m.

It's Taillon Time...

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)

Jameson Taillon, wearing No. 19 in the above picture, makes his Bradenton debut tonight when the Marauders host the Fort Myers Miracle.

The 20-year-old Taillon is considered one of the Pirates' top-two prospects and one of the best in baseball. He allowed two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings during his first start last week in St. Lucie while striking out six and walking two.

Here is a look at tonight's lineups:

MIRACLE

Daniel Santana ss

Jairo Perez 3b

Angel Morales cf

Josmil Pinto dh

Dan Rolfhing c

Lance Ray rf

Danny Rams lf

Michael Gonzales 1b

Andy Leer 2b

B.J. Hermsen p

MARAUDERS

Gift Ngoepe 2b

Drew Maggi ss

Mel Rojas Jr. cf

Alex Dickerson 1b

Carlos Paulino c

Dan Grovatt dh

Wesley Freeman lf

Justin Howard rf

Benji Gonzalez 3b

Jameson Taillon p

They have the arms, where's the hammer?

(photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie)

Given the number of power arms in their rotation, including Gerrit Cole (above), the Bradenton Marauders were thought to be a team reliant on its pitching.

Thus far, the hurlers have been as good as advertised.

The hitters, however?

Not so much.

The Marauders are batting .185 heading into tonight's game in Palm Beach against Cardinals, ranking them last in the 12-team Florida State League.

The team ERA (2.70) is ranked fifth.

Consequently, the Marauders have lost three straight games and have been outscored 11-4 during the skid.

Nine Marauders have appeared in at least three of the team's four games thus far, but only two are hitting above .235 - Mel Rojas Jr. (.313) and Drew Maggi (.286). Bradenton is the only team in the league without a home run and only six of the Marauders' 23 hits have gone for extra bases.

They are last in the league in RBIs (six), runs (seven), total bases (31) and slugging, and 11th in on-base percentage (.271). After scoring three runs during Thursday's season-opener against St. Lucie, the Marauders have scored four since.

On the flip side, Bradenton's pitchers are fifth in WHIP (1.28), fourth in strikeouts (37) and are tied for fourth for fewest earned runs allowed (11).

Of course, the season is still very early. Heck, so is the first half.

But if they want to see a third straight trip to playoffs, the Marauders need their offense to catch up to their pitching.

A.J. The Marauder

(photo by John Lembo)

It's less than hour before A.J. Burnett takes the hill for the Marauders, who play their second game of the season tonight against the St. Lucie Mets.

This is John Lembo, and I will be here blogging and Tweeting (@JohnLembo1878) from the proceedings at McKechnie Field.

Here are the lineups:

METS

Daniel Muno, 2b

Darrell Ceciliani, cf

Cory Vaughn, lf

Wilmer Flores, 3b

Richard Lucas, 1b

Cesar Puello, rf

Rafael Fernandez, dh

Francisco Pena, c

Wilfredo Tovar, ss

Gonzalez German, p

MARAUDERS

Gift Ngoepe, ss

Mel Rojas jr. rf

Evan Chambers, cf

Alex Dickersom, 1b

Stefan Welch, 3b

Carlos Paulino, c

Dan Grovatt, lf

Wesley Freeman, dh

Andy Vazquez, 2b

A.J. Burnett, p

Marauders win

(photo by John Lembo)
Stefan Welch was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Gift Ngoepe and give the Marauders a 3-2, 11-inning win over the St. Lucie Mets in front of 4,256 fans at McKechnie Field.
Ngoepe had three hits and scored two runs for Bradenton (1-0), which improved to 3-0 in home-openers.
Mej Rojas Jr., Welch and Carlos Paulino had hits for the Marauders.

STAR OF THE GAME: Ngoepe had a big night, but three Bradenton relievers - Eliecer Navarro, Casey Sadler and winning pitching Jhonathan Ramos - teamed for 7 1/3 innings of shutout work. They allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked two.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It was a heart-pumping win." - Welch.
UP NEXT: The Marauders and Mets return to McKechnie tonight for a 6:30 p.m. start. A.J. Burnett, recovering from eye surgery he underwent in early March, will make a rehab start for the Marauders.

Tied after four...

(photo by John Lembo)

- The Marauders and Mets are tied 2-2 after four innings.

- Marauders starter Colton Cain struck out four, walked four and allowed two runs on three hits in 3 2/3 innings. The lefty 21-year-old lefty has good stuff, and could be special once he gets better control. Then again, he only walked 31 in 106 1/3 innings last year, so tonight may have been a fluke.

- The Mets have swiped three bases, but don't blame it all on M's catcher Carlos Paulino. Twice Cain had a runner picked off, but first baseman Alex Dickerson's throw as late to second. And Paulino nearly nabbed a runner stealing third, but his throw glanced off the glove of third baseman Stefan Welch.

- Expected a bigger crowd tonight. Don't have a total yet, but the bleachers are nearly empty and there a plenty of green seats to be had. And tonight was free admission to any fan showing their Bright House Network billing statement.

Live from Opening Night...

(photo by John Lembo)

The black and yellow B painted behind home plate means only one thing:

McKechnie Field once again belongs to the Marauders.

This is John Lembo, blogging live from the locals' home-opener tonight against the St. Lucie Mets.

Here are the lineups:

METS

Daniel Muno, 2b

Darrell Ceciliani, cf

Cory Vaughn, lf

Wilmer Flores, 3b

Richard Lucas, 1b

Cesar Puello, rf

Rafael Fernandez, dh

Francisco Pena, c

Wilfredo Tovar, ss

Cory Mazzoni, p

MARAUDERS

Gift Ngoepe, ss

Drew Maggi, 2b

Evan Chambers, cf

Alex Dickerson, 1b

Stefan Welch, 3b

Mel Rojas Jr. rf

Daniel Grovatt, lf

Carlos Paulino, c

Wes Freeman, dh

Colton Cain, p

Double-A Altoona's roster packed with 2011 Marauders

(photo by John Lembo) Outfielder Robbie Grossman is one of 12 players now with Double-A Altoona who spent at least part of last season with the Marauders.
The rest are listed below:

PITCHERS
Nathan Baker
Ryan Beckman
Vic Black
Brandon Cumpton
Matt McSwain
Duke Welker

INFIELDERS
Kelson Brown
Jarek Cunningham
Elevys Gonzalez

OUTFIELDERS
Robbie Grossman
Aldaberto Santos

CATCHERS
Ramon Cabrera

2012 Bradenton Marauders roster

PITCHERS
Name No. Last year’s team Acquired
Colton Cain 48 West Virginia 8th-round pick in ‘09
Gerrit Cole 28 UCLA 1st-round pick in ‘11
Zach Foster 17 West Virginia/Bradenton 49th-round pick in ‘08
Porfirio Lopez 34 West Virginia/Bradenton free agent
Quinton Miller 45 Bradenton 20th-round pick in ‘08
Elecier Navarro 23 West Virginia/Bradenton free agent
Jhonathan Ramos 44 West Virginia/Bradenton free agent
Casey Sadler 36 West Virginia 25th-round pick in ‘10
Hunter Strickland 27 Injured 18th-round pick in ‘07
Jameson Taillon 19 West Virginia 1st-round pick in ‘10
Jason Townsend 47 West Virginia 31st-round pick in ‘10
Tyler Walrdon 25 West Virginia/Bradenton 5th-round pick in ‘10
CATCHERS
Fransisco Diaz 26 Williamsport Rule 5 pick in ‘11
Carlos Paulino 24 Bradenton via trade in ‘11
INFIELDERS
Alex Dickerson 32 State College 3rd-round pick in ‘11
Benji Gonzalez 7 West Virginia/Bradenton 7th-round pick in ‘08
Justin Howard 18 West Virginia 24th-round pick in ‘10
Drew Maggi 15 West Virginia/Bradenton 15th-round pick in ‘10
Gift Ngoepe 5 West Virginia/GCL Pirates free agent
Andy Vasquez 2 West Virginia free agent
Stefan Welch 16 St. Lucie free agent
OUTFIELDERS
Evan Chambers 53 Bradenton 3rd-round pick in ‘09
Wes Freeman 39 State College/West Virginia 16th-round pick in ‘08
Daniel Grovatt 14 West Virginia 11th-round pick in ‘10
Mel Rojas Jr. 3 West Virginia 3rd-round pick in ‘10

Colton Cain to start Thursday's opener

Colton Cain will start Opening Night against the St. Lucie Mets on Thursday at McKechnie Field.
Cain, 21, was drafted in the eighth round by the Pirates in 2009. He went 6-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 24 games (19 start) last year with the Pirates' low Single-A team in West Virginia, striking out 81 and walking 31 in 106 1/3 innings.
Cain allowed more than three earned runs in just one of his starts last year.
Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett, who is working his way back from eye surgery, will make a rehab start Friday against the Mets at McKechnie Field and will be relieved by Tyler Waldron.

A.J. Burnett to start Friday for the Marauders

(photo by John Lembo)

Pitcher A.J. Burnett will make his first rehab start of the season for the Marauders on Friday against the St. Lucie Mets at McKechnie Field.

Game time is 6:30 p.m.

The Pirates acquired Burnett in a February a trade with the New York Yankees. But the 35-year-old righty fractured a bone near his right eye while participating in a bunting tournament later that month and underwent surgery in early March.

He didn't make a start for the Pirates during Grapefruit League play, but threw a simulated game and bullpen sessions.

Burnett has a record of 121-111 and a 4.10 ERA in his career. He won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009 and threw a no-hitter in 2001 while with the Florida Marlins.

The Marauders open their third season 6:30 p.m. Thursday at McKechnie Field against the Mets.

Baker provides a blast from the past

(photo by John Lembo)Remember Aaron Baker?
He patrolled first base most of last season for the Bradenton Marauders before he was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles for the Derrek Lee.
Well, Baker returned to McKechnie Field on Saturday and promptly hit his first home run of the spring, a no-doubter over the wall in right to tie the score at 6 during the top of the eighth.
Baker his .282 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs in 103 games in Bradenton last season before the trade. He hit .386 in 12 games with the Orioles' high Single-A team in Frederick last year before he was bumped to Double-A Bowie, where he hit .196 in 15 games.

Four of the Pirates' top prospects expected to be Marauders

Four of the Pittsburgh Pirates' top-20 prospects are expected to be on the Marauders' roster, according to this story on MLB.com.
Pitchers Jameson Taillon and Gerritt Cole, the team's No. 1 and 2 prospects, respecitvely, are expected to front the starting rotation. Pitcher Colton Cain (17th) and first baseman Alex Dickerson (14th) are also slated to start the year in Bradenton.
Taillon, 20, was the Pirates' first pick in 2010. He went 2-3 with a 3.98 ERA in 23 starts last season with the Pirates' low Single-A team in West Virginia.
The Pirates made Cole, 21, the first overall pick of last year's draft after his three seasons at UCLA. Cole was a first-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2008, but he didn't sign.
Cain, 21, was the Pirates' eighth-round pick in '09. He went 6-8 with a 3.64 ERA last year in West Virginia and is 7-10 with a 3.96 ERA in 39 professional games and 32 starts.
Dickerson, 21, was picked by the Pirates last year in the third round, and batted .313 in 41 games last year with the Pirates' New York-Penn League team in State College.
Dickerson was orginally drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 48th round in '08.
The story also says that Robbie Grossman (8th), named the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year last year while with the Marauders, and second baseman Jarek Cunningham (20th) will begin the year with Double-A Altoona.
The entire Marauders roster will be unveiled Tuesday morning at Pirate City.

Former Marauder Diego Moreno part of deal for A.J. Burnett

(bradentonmarauders.com)

Former Marauders reliever Diego Moreno is part of the package being sent to the New York Yankees in exchange for pitcher A.J. Burnett, according to this story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Moreno, 25, had two separate stints with the Marauders beginning in 2010, when he posted a 1.17 ERA in 28 games and limited opponents to a .105 batting average. He was promoted to Double-A Altoona midway through the year.

He spent seven games with the Curve in 2010 and seven with them again in '11 before returning to the Bradenton, where he went 2-4 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 games.

The Yankees will get Moreno and another Pirates' prospect, outfielder Exicardo Cayones, in exchange for Burnett, according to the Tribune-Review. The Pirates also agreed to pay $13 million of the $33 million Burnett is owed over the next two seasons, the story says.

Because the deal involves money, it has to approved by commissioner Bud Selig, according to the Tribune-Review.

Marauders announce new broadcaster

The Bradenton Marauders announced the hire of Nate March as the team's new coordinator of communications and radio broadcaster.

He replaces Joel Goddett, who served as the voice of the Marauders the past two years and is now the broadcaster for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

March is a 2011 graduate of Ithaca College and was the sports director for the college’s student-run radio station. His prior experience includes doing play-by-play for collegiate baseball and working as the news director for the Central New York Radio Group in Oneonta, N.Y.

The Marauders kick off their third season 6:30 Thursday, April 5 at home against the St. Lucie Mets.

Marte, Cole and Tallion among top 50 prospects in baseball

(mlb.com)

One former Bradenton Marauder and two potential future Marauders are three of the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to MLB.com.

Pitcher Jameson Tallion, the Pittsburgh Pirates' first pick of the 2010 draft who may start the season with the Marauders, is ranked eighth on the list. The righty went 2-3 with 3.98 ERA in 23 starts with 97 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings for the Pirates' low Single-A team in West Virginia last season.

Another power arm expected to start the year in Bradenton, pitcher Gerrit Cole, is ranked 11th. The Pirates took Cole with the first overall pick last year out of UCLA.

Former Marauders outfielder Starling Marte is ranked 40th. Marte was with the Marauders in 2009 and spent all of last season with the Pirates' Double-A affiliate in Altoona, where he hit .332 in 129 games. Marte scored 91 runs, swiped 24 bases, had 58 extra-base hits and slugged .500.