Glasnow named MLB.com's Pitching Prospect of the Year

The awards keep piling up for Tyler Glasnow.
Stellar during this year with the Marauders, Glasnow, 21, was named Pitching Prospect of the Year by MLB.com.
Glasnow was also received pitcher of the year honors from the Florida State League and the Pittsburgh Pirates, the high Single-A Marauders' parent club.
Glasnow limited hitters to a .174 clip, best in the minors, while going 12-5 with a 1.74 ERA in 23 starts. He struck out 154 in 127 1/3 innings and allowed three home runs while pitching the Marauders into the Florida State League playoffs.
Not bad, considering Glasnow missed nearly a month with a back injury and dropped his first three decisions.
"I'm definitely proud of what happened," Glasnow told MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. "I think I got a lot better, especially from the beginning of the year to the end. The injury was a good lesson. I was just rehabbing. That was frustrating. I'm glad I went through that at the beginning of the year. I learned a ton and I'm definitely a better pitcher now."
The Pirates' fifth-round pick in 2011, Glasnow is 21-11 with a 1.94 ERA in 59 professional appearances, including 58 starts. He has 365 strikeouts in 274 innings.
Glasnow's next stop is with the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League.
Chicago Cubs' prospect Kris Bryant was named the Hitting Prospect of the Year. He lead the minors in home runs (43) and slugging (.661).

Marauders-Miracle playoff preview

The Bradenton Marauders are back in the Florida State League playoffs for the first time in 2011 and host the Fort Myers Miracle in Game 1 of the South Division Championship Series 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Here is some  info on the the best-of-3 series. The winners meets the North Division champ - either Daytona or Dunedin - for the league championship beginning Saturday.

Records: Fort Myers 82-57; Bradenton 78-61.
Head to head: The Miracle won the season series 13-5 and went 8-1 at home. The teams played all their first-half meetings in Fort Myers and their second-half games in Bradenton.
Projected Game 1 starters: Brett Lee (Fort Myers) 10-5, 2.45 ERA vs. Tyler Glasnow (Bradenton) 12-5, 1.74 ERA.
Players to watch for Fort Myers:  
- Adam Brett Walker II paced the league in home runs (24) and RBIs (94) and stole the show at the All-Star Game at McKechnie by winning the home run derby and MVP award. He struggled against the Marauders, however, hitting .152 in 66 at-bats while striking out 22 times.
- Brett Lee has a 2.71 ERA in 266 innings and has lost just nine times in 60 professional games, including 42 starts. The Marauders hit .366 against him this season with Adam Frazier (5-for-9), Max Moroff (5-for-6) and Jose Osuna (5-for-8) doing the most damage. 
- Stuart Turner hit .249 this season but slugged .481 against Bradenton and went 6-for-10 with five RBIs during an Aug.25-27 series at McKechnie Field. He made just three errors in 92 games while throwing 32 percent of runners trying to steal this season.
Players to watch for Bradenton:
- Jose Osuna gave Bradenton a huge jolt during the second half and wound up leading the league in slugging (.458) while finishing fourth in batting (.296). Osuna hit .500 over the last 10 games of the year to help the Marauders pass Palm Beach. Four of his 10 home runs came against the Miracle.
- Tyler Glasnow rolled to the league's pitcher of the year award while striking out 157 in 124 1/3 innings. He went 5-0 in August. Glasnow lost both of his starts against Fort Myers despite allowing three hits in seven innings, though he walked eight. Glasnow has not seen the Miracle since May.
- Jacob Stallings may be the Marauder with the hottest bat, a bit of a surprise considering he is a career .230 hitter. But he hit .429 with 16 RBIs in August and .278 after the All-Star break. A catcher, Stallings greatest asset is his defense, and he threw out 32 percent of runners trying to steal and committed four errors in 68 games. Thanks to Stallings and fellow catcher Jin-De Jhnag, the Marauders caught 63 runners trying to steal, tops in the league.

BRADENTON'S KEYS TO THE SERIES
- Win Game 1: The Marauders couldn't have dreamed a better scenario than giving the ball to Glasnow in Game 1 at McKechnie Field, where he went 7-1 with 0.85 ERA in 11 starts. It's a great opportunity Bradenton can't pass up, especially since winning two games in two days in Fort Myers may be a lot to ask considering the Marauders won one game there in nine tries during the season.
- Three outs an inning: Bradenton's defense had its moment and some lapses, too, as the Marauders placed sixth in the 12-team league in fielding (.975). The Miracle scored a league-high 712 runs this season, so giving them extra outs is not a good idea. Pitching is Bradenton's strength, but a porous defense could make things hard on the Marauders hurlers, especially against an offense as prolific as Fort Myers.'
- Jump ahead early: One thing the Marauders lack is power - they hit 50 home runs this season, second-lowest in the league to Jupiter's 49 - which makes it hard to play from behind. Bradenton's bullpen was one of the league's best, which is why the Marauders lost just five games when leading after seven innings. Bradenton's best course of action is to get a lead early and get the ball to their relievers.

Best Marauders staff ever?

 The Bradenton Marauders don't hit for a ton of power or average and they make their share of errors.

 

Tyler Glasnow has a 1.53 ERA in 19 starts.

So why did the Pirates' high Single-A affiliate wake up this morning sitting atop the Florida State League's South Division with a league-leading 30 second-half wins?

Jason Creasy has issued 15 walks in 124 2/3 innings.

 Arms. Plenty of them. Bradenton has seen its share of strong pitchers during its short history, which began in 2010. Future big-leaguers such as Jeff Locke, Bryan Morris and Gerrit Cole have toed the McKechnie Field rubber while donning Marauders colors, as did Jameson Taillon, ranked the Pirates' top pitching prospect this season before he underwent Tommy John surgery. No staffs, however, have matched the quality and depth of this group, which entered Monday with an ERA of 3.22 - third-best in the Florida State League. Why?

Chad Kuhl's 12 wins are a single-season franchise record.

1. Tyler Glasnow - Now the Pirates' top-ranked pitching prospect, Glasnow has been as good as advertised, pitching to a 1.53 ERA in 100 innings while posting a 9-5 record after missing about a month with a sore back. He's been lights out in 10 starts at McKechnie Field, going 6-1 with a 0.96 ERA, and was named Florida State League Pitcher of the Week after striking out 11 Jupiter Hammerheads in six innings last Thursday. Will Glasnow stick around to aid Bradenton's playoff push or will he get a promotion to Double-A Altoona prior to season's end?

2. The rest of the staff - Glasnow may be the well-known stud, currently ranked the Pirates' top prospect by MLB.com, but the guys behind him have been good, too. Chad Kuhl's 12 wins are the most in a season for a Marauders pitcher and his 131 1/3 innings are tops in the league; Jason Creasy is 6-8, but the owner of a 3.83 ERA who has walked just 15 in 124 2/3 innings; John Kuchno, who tossed five no-hit innings during Bradenton's home-opener, is second in the league in innings (129 1/3) and has a 3.34 ERA; and don't forget All-Star Orlando Castro, 6-4 in 15 starts with a 3.24 ERA before Altoona beckoned.

3. The bullpen - Unlike the majors, minor league baseball isn't all about results - it is about development. Managers rarely play to match-ups and late-inning bullpen roles aren't set in stone. But whomever manager Tom Prince has sent out to help sew up Marauders victories has worked - Bradenton is 47-2 when leading after innings and 29-1 at home when leading after seven innings. Josh Smith has been one of the most reliable, pacing the team in holds (6) while recording six saves and a 1.80 ERA in 30 appearances. Bryton Trepagnier struggled during the All-Star game, but his nine saves lead the team, and Jhondaniel Medina has a 0.87 ERA and a 3-0 record in 30 games.

Potential Marauders' All-Stars

The Florida State League All-Star Game will be played at McKechnie Field in a little over two weeks. And since the FSL doesn't publish a running total of all-star votes, we can only speculate which Marauders will get to represent the South Division in front of their hometown fans.
So let the speculation begin. Here is a list of Marauders who may have a chance to play in the game, scheduled for Saturday, June 14.

Josh Bell, RF: Bell, pictured above, has performed well despite having to anchor a lineup ranked near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. Bell is hitting .303 following today's 3-0 win over the Tampa Yankees with 29 RBIs and 11 doubles, and though he has hit just four home runs, his three triples have helped him to a .462 slugging percentage, good for ninth in the league. A switch hitter, Bell has found success against lefties (.288) and righties (.312). Plus, it wouldn't hurt the All-Star game to have the host team's best player on one of the rosters.

Orlando Castro, P: Forget the modest record (3-2) and look at what the lefty has done for Bradenton this season, beginning with the 2.91 ERA in 55 2/3 innings. He has walked just seven while striking out 41, and opposing batters are hitting .229 off of him. He's really been impressive at hitter-friendly McKechnie Field, where Castro is 2-1 with 2.80 ERA in six starts. Opponents are hitting .190 against him in Bradenton.

Jonathan Schwind, OF: He has only logged 106 at-bats in 31 games, making Schwind ineligible for the batting race. Too bad, because his .330 clip would have him right near the pack. His late start will also deter some voters, too, even though Schwind is slugging .453 and has an on-base percentage (.395) hovering around .400. Schwind is hitting .375 over his last 10 games, so he is getting hot at the right time. Consequently, he could be a selected as an alternate if an All-Star gets promoted to Double-A prior to the game.

Opening night

That cursive yellow B can only mean one thing:
The Marauders are back in Bradenton.
The high Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates opens its fifth season in a half four against the Charlotte Stone Crabs, aka the Baby Rays, after the teams split their first two games at Charlotte Sports Park.
A little twist this season: The Marauders will be on the visiting side of the field (third-base side) and will be utilizing the visiting teams' bullpen and dugout. Construction of the home clubhouse, perhaps? We'll see.
Here are the lineups:

STONE CRABS
Andrew Toles, cf
Tyler Goeddel, 3b
Leonardo Reginatto, ss
Kes Carter, rf
Justin O'Connor, c
Hector Guevara, 2b
Marty Gantt, lf
Josh Sale, dh
Jonathan Quinonez, 1b
Jeffrey Ames, p

MARAUDERS
Jeff Roy, cf
Jonathan Schwind, lf
Adam Frazier, ss
Josh Bell, rf
Jose Osuna, dh
Max Moroff, 2b
Jordan Steranka, 1b
Jacob Stallings, c
D.J. Crumlluch, 3b
John Kuchno, p

Players use Twitter to mourn the loss of Evan Chambers

Evan Chambers appeared in 395 games in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization, 186 of those as a Bradenton Marauder in 2011 and '12.
That was enough time for him to make a positive impact on his teammates.
Chambers, 24, died in his sleep over the weekend, and current and former members of the Pirates' organization took to Twitter to express their grief.
"RIP Evan Chambers," wrote Pirates prospect Austin Meadows. "Great guy, God bless his family and friends."
"Completely heartbroken," added Brock Holt, a former Pirates farmhand who was dealt to the Boston Red Sox last year. "Evan Chambers was as good as they come. Can't believe you're gone. Love you brother, always."
Tony Sanchez, the Pirates' first-round pick in 2009 who made his pro debut last year, wrote that news of Chambers' passing "makes me sick", and former Pirate/current Baltimore Oriole prospect Aaron Baker lamented the loss of his former roommate.
"I love you man," Baker tweeted, "and I will miss ya..."
Neal Huntington, the Pirates' general manager, issued a statement on behalf of the team.
“All of us at the Pittsburgh Pirates are shocked and saddened by Evan’s sudden passing in his sleep this past weekend," Huntington wrote. "Beyond being just a talented ballplayer, Evan was a great teammate and a quiet leader who went about his craft as a professional every day.  Off the field, Evan loved making a difference in the community, and often dedicated a lot of his time working with children in the communities in which he played.  Our heartfelt sympathies and prayers go out to his family for this unimaginable loss.  He was far too young.  He will be missed.”
Chambers graduated from Lakeland High School and was drafted by the Pirates out of Hillsborough Community College in 2009.

McKechnie Field's renovations considered the year's best

McKechnie Field's $10 million overhaul was named as the Best Ballpark Renovation (over $1 million) for 2013 by Ballpark Digest.
"There is so much history at McKechnie Field," Kevin Reichard, the publisher of Ballpark Digest, said in a statement. "But historically, it's not been one of the most inviting venues in the Grapefruit League. The renovations really added to the fan comfort - and the fans responded by coming out in droves."
The upgrades included a 360-degree, 19,000-square foot boardwalk featuring a tiki bar, concession stand, party deck and bleachers.
An additional 2,000 seats and new flip-up chairs were installed, along with an old-time scoreboard, and a new fan plaza with palm trees and more concessions stands was built along the concourse.
A record 93,433 fans flocked to McKechnie last spring to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have called Bradenton their spring home since 1969. And the Bradenton Marauders, the Pirates' Single-A affiliate who have been playing Florida State League games at McKechnie since 2010, also set an attendance record by drawing 109,845 in 62 openings during the summer.
“The renovations kept the best parts of McKechnie Field – the intimate atmosphere – while adding more comfort and accessibility,” Reichard said. “It a great day when a historic venue like McKechnie Field can get a substantial upgrade and still retain its unique nature. That’s the very nature of a successful ballpark renovation.”

Marauders release 2014 schedule

The Bradenton Marauders released the schedule for the 2014 season, which marks the franchise's fifth anniversary serving as the high Single-A affiliate for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Marauders open the season 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 3 at Charlotte Sports Park against the Charlotte Stone Crabs.
Their home-opener is 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5 at McKechnie Field, also against the Stone Crabs, the high-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Marauders host the Florida State League All-Star Game 7:05 p.m. Saturday, June 14. It is the first time the game will be played at McKechnie Field.
All non-Sunday home games will be played 6:30 p.m.  Sunday home games begin 1 p.m. in April and May and 5 p.m. in June, July and August.

Remembering the night Jeff Locke ruined my dinner plans

Few places in Bradenton are more aptly named than Ball Park Deli & Sub Shop, located a short fly ball away from McKechnie Field, which is the spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the summer home of the Bradenton Marauders, the Pirates' high Single-A team.
Ball Park became a haven for me of sorts during the summer of 2010, when I started chronicling the Marauders' inaugural season.
My routine went like this: I'd head to the Marauders clubhouse at around 5, get my interviews, grab a spot in the press box, grab a sub from Ball Park (which closed at 6) and spend the rest of the night working on a feature while working my way through a scrumptious sub the length and width of a baseball bat.
It was a good plan. It worked.
Then along came Jeff Locke.
I was covering the Marauders the night after Armando Galarraga, pitching for the Detroit Tigers at the time, came within an out of tossing a perfect game before he was done in on a blown call by first-base umpire Jim Joyce.
As galling as it was for fans to watch Galarraga's quest for greatness get snatched away so unfairly, I figured it was more so for a fellow pitcher, who knows how hard it is to get three professional hitters out in a row, let alone 27.
It was about 5:30 or so when the Marauders' pitchers finished their stretching and tossing and began making their way back into the clubhouse to grab some dinner.
The first guy I saw was Locke, which was good, because not only was he one of the better pitchers on the staff (he went 9-3 that year before a promotion to Double-A Altoona), but he was one of the few guys I hadn't talked to.
So I made my way over and we started chatting. Off the bat, he was one of the nicest and most articulate people I have interviewed.
Lots of eye contact, lots of good answers. This wasn't a guy spouting out a bunch of yes and no answers - he and his teammates watched Galaragga's shot at history get wiped away by a mistake, and Locke, who had never met Galaragga, was hurting for him.
“It’s sad, it’s shocking,” Locke told me that night. “Honestly, as a pitcher, you’re speechless.”
Turns out, Locke lost two no-hitters in the seventh inning twice the season before against the Salem Red Sox, but considered himself lucky because he lost them on clean hits rather than close calls.
“It’s wacky how you can do that — 27 up, 27 down,” Locke said. “Especially because the major-league strike zone is like a postage stamp. It’s tough to throw strikes over that plate and not have professional baseball players hit them.”
We spoke for awhile, after which I thanked Locked for his time and made my way out of the clubhouse. Then I noticed the time: It was 5:55. No way I'd make it to Ball Park in time. Jeff Locke had been such a good interview he forced me to alter my dinner plans.
But I really didn't care. I got a pretty decent column out of it, and, most importantly, a better understanding of Locke.
As I write this, the Pirates are 51-30 and owners of baseball's best record. And Locke, who won a spot in the rotation this spring, has been a revelation, posting a 7-1 record and 2.06 ERA in 16 starts.
Maybe the Pirates will ride this wave all the way into the postseason for the first time since 1992. And maybe Locke will get to pitch in a playoff game. If he does, I'll be sure to watch. And while my diet is much better now than it was three years ago, I may have to celebrate the moment with a sub from Ball Park.
I just have to remember to get there before 6.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2010/06/04/2335350/pitchers-from-bradenton-to-detroit.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2010/06/04/2335350/pitchers-from-bradenton-to-detroit.html#storylink=cpy

Gregory Polanco selected for Futures Game

Gregory Polanco is headed to New York City.
The former Bradenton Marauder and one of the Pirates' top prospects, Polanco has been selected to play in the 15th All-Star Futures Game, scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, July 14, at New York's Citi Field.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Polanco will play for the World Team.
Polanco, 21, began this season with the Marauders. He hit .312 with 30 RBIs and 24 steals in 57 games before he was bumped to Double-A Altoona, where he is batting .313 with six RBIs and a home run in eight games.
Entering this season, Polanco was ranked the 51st-best prospect by Baseball America and 65th by MLB.com.
Dilson Herrera, 19, an infielder, will also represent the Pirates in the Futures Game. He was named the Gulf Coast League's Player of the Year in 2012 while with the GCL Pirates and is currently with low Single-A West Virginia.

David Price talks about his rehab start vs. Marauders

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price threw 2 1/3 innings at McKechnie Field as he works his way back from a triceps strain.

Stetson Allie coming to Bradenton

When the Pirates selected him during the second round of 2010 draft, Stetson Allie was figured to be another piece of the team's pitching resurgence.
Now it's his bat leading Allie up the organization's ladder.
Allie has been promoted to Bradenton after hitting .324 with 17 home runs with 61 RBIs in 66 games with low-A West Virginia.
Not bad for a guy drafted as a pitcher.
Allie struggled with control during his pitching days, as he walked 37 in 26 2/3 innings with the Pirates' New York-Penn League in State College, and the Power. He was converted into a first baseman/designated hitter in 2011 and is a career .282 hitter in 125 games.
The Marauders open the second half of the season at home Thursday against the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Three Marauders off to FSL All-Star Game

photo by Paul Videla

Nick Kingham is one of three Bradenton Marauders who will suit up for the South All-Stars during the Florida State League All-Star game, slated for 7:05 p.m. Saturday, June 15 at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin.
Joining Kingham will be fellow Marauders Alen Hanson and Gregory Polanco.
Ranked the Pittsburgh Pirates' 13th best prospect by MLB.com, Kingham is 6-2 with a 3.34 ERA in 11 starts. He leads the Florida State League with 68 strikeouts.
Hanson, a shortstop, is ranked third in the Pirates' system and is hitting .284 with 22 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He also has a .345 on-base percentage and is tied for second in the league in triples (five).
Polanco, ranked fourth, is an outfielder. He is sixth in the league in batting (.321), second in steals (23) and seventh in hits (62). Polanco has 30 RBIs and is slugging .497
The South team features players from Bradenton, Charlotte, Fort Myers, Jupiter, Palm Beach and St. Lucie.
The North features players from Brevard County, Clearwater, Daytona, Dunedin, Lakeland and Tampa. 
The North and South rosters can be found here.

Alen Hanson named FSL Player of the Week

Marauders shortstop Alen Hanson has been named the Florida State League Player of the Week for May 20-26.
Hanson, 20, batted .444 (11-for-25) with an RBI and five runs scored in six games against the Tampa Yankees and St. Lucie Mets.
Ranked the Pirates' third-best prospect by MLB.com and fifth-best by Baseball America, Hanson is hitting .290 with 20 RBIs, 11 steals, five triples, 10 doubles and 24 runs scored for the Marauders.

Nick Kingham, postgame

Marauders starter Nick Kingham won his first game of the season Monday, throwing five innings in a 5-3 win over Jupiter.
He talks about what worked,

The Marauders looked to end their seven-game season-opening losing streak tonight against the St. Lucie Mets here at McKechnie Field.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mets SP Jacob DeGrom is ranked the Mets' 12th-best prospect by MLB.com. He is 1-0 this year...3B Matt Reynolds is ranked 18th, and his batting .269 in seven games.

LINEUPS
Mets
T.J Rivera, 2b
Cam Maron, c
Matt Reynolds, ss
Aderlin Rodriguez, 3b
Brian Harrison, 1b
Charley Thurber, dh
Travis Taijeron, rf
Gilbert Gomez, cf
Jacob DeGrom, p

Marauders
Alen Hanson, ss
Dan Grovatt, lf
Gregory Polanco, cf
Jose Osuna, 1b
Dan Gamache, 2b
Willy Garcia, rf
Jacob Stallings, c
Carlos Mesa, dh
Chris Lashmet, 3b
Matt Bendict, p

Plenty of runs, hits and homers at McKechnie Field

A promotion - or demotion - to high Single-A Bradenton can inflate the ERAs of some of the pitchers in the Pirates' organization.
This according to Baseball America, which compiled park factors and run differentials for all of baseball's 120 full-season minor-league stadium.
McKechnie Field averaged 9.98 runs per game during the 2010-12 seasons, which was tops in the 12-team Florida State League, according to Baseball America.
McKechnie was second in the league in hits (17.59) and home runs (1.44) per game.
Appalachian Power Park, home to the Pirates' low-A team in West Virginia, averaged 9.76 runs, a differential of just 0.21 runs per game.
The biggest contrast, however, is when guys get a bump to Double-A. The Curve, the Pirates' Double-A squad, plays at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona, Pa., which averaged 8.15 runs per game, which ranks 11th  in the 12-team Eastern League.
It also averaged a league low-1.01 home runs per game, which was 104th overall.
The best place to pitch in the FSL? Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, home to the Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads. The park was last in the league in runs (7.5), hits (16.04) and homers (0.73, 118th overall). 
If home runs are your thing, head to Florida Exchange Stadium in Dunedin to catch the Blue Jays. That park served up a league-high 1.52 blasts per game over the past three years, ranking it 54th.

Lineups: Marauders vs. Miracle

Bradenton's boys of summer are back in town.
The Marauders play their fourth home-opener 6:30 p.m. tonight against the Fort Myers Miracle, who won last night's season-opener, 4-3, Thursday night in Fort Myers.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Miracle 3B Miguel Sano is the top-ranked prospect in Minnesota's organization, according to MLB.com, which ranks him 12th overall. Sano is ranked ninth overall by Baseball America. Sano hit 28 home runs and knocked in 100 runs last season with the Twins' low-A team in Beloit, and was named the Midwest League's Player of the Year...Miracle 2B Eddie Rosario is ranked eighth in Twins' chain by MLB...Marauders' CF Gregory Polanco was the Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year with low Single-A West Virginia last season and is ranked the team's fourth-best prospect. Ranked 65th overall by MLB and 51st by Baseball America, Polanco hit .325 with 85 RBIs last season...SS Alen Hanson is ranked third in the Pirates' organization, 54th by MLB and 61st by Baseball America...Pitcher Nick Kingham is ranked 17th in the Pirates' system.

LINEUPS
MIRACLE
Angel Morales, cf
Eddie Rosario, 2b
Miguel Sano, 3b
Michael Gonzalez, 1b
Kenny Vargas, dh
Lance Ray, rf
Jhon Goncalves, lf
Kyle Knudson, c
A.J. Petterson, ss
Jason Wheeler, p

MARAUDERS
Alen Hanson, ss
Taylor Lewis, lf
Gregory Polanco, cf
Jose Osuna, 1b
Dan Gamache, 2b
Willy Garcia, rf
Jacob Stallings, c
Eric Avila, 3b
Carlos Mesa, dh
Nick Kingham, p

2013 Bradenton Marauders

Here are the 2013 Bradenton Marauders, who were formally introduced this morning at Pirate City:

#     PITCHERS
23   Matthew Benedict
34   Zac Fuesser
35   Robbie Kilcrease
31   Nick Kingham
45   Quinton Miller
43    Joan Montero
26    Elecier Navarro
37    Jhonathan Ramos
50    Robby Rowland
39    Adrian Sampson
30    Zachary Thornton
32    Zack Von Rosenberg

#     CATCHERS
29   Elias Diaz
3     Jacob Stallings

#     INFIELDERS
15   Eric Avila
10   Dan Gamache
7     Benji Gonzalez
22   Alen Hanson
27   Chris Lashmet
36   Jose Osuna

#    OUTFIELDERS
24  Willy Garcia
14   Dan Grovatt
2     Taylor Lewis
41   Carlos Mesa
25   Gregory Polanco

MANAGER - Frank Kremblas
PITCHING COACH - Justin Meccage
HITTING COACH - Edgar Varela
 

Schedule for Marauders Opening Week

The roster for the Bradenton Marauders will be officially announced 7:30 a.m. Tuesday during the Manatee County Chamber's breakfast at Pirate City, and will be one of a number of events the team has scheduled for Opening Week.
The high Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Marauders open their fourth season Thursday when they head to Fort Myers to play the Miracle.
Following the roster unveiling, the entire team will be at the Walmart Supercenter, 5810 Ranch Lake Blvd., from 6 p.m. to 7:30 for a meet-and-greet with fans.
The home-opener is scheduled for Friday, when the Marauders play the Miracle at McKechnie Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and fans who bring their Bright House Networks statement receive free admission to the grandstand, left-field bleachers or boardwalk.
There will be a happy hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., sponsored by Pier 22 Restaurant, which will feature 500 free hot dogs at the outfield concession stand as well as drink specials at the Kona Bar, located on the boardwalk.
A fireworks show is scheduled for after the game, presented by Bright House and Budweiser, and groups of 10 or more who book a group outing at least 72 hours before the game will receive a wristband to watch the show on the field. Wristbands are also available with the Marauders Fireworks Package, which includes admission to all five Marauders games featuring a fireworks show. The cost is $35.
An Easter egg hunt is scheduled for Sunday, April 7 before the Marauders play the Miracle at 1 p.m. The hunt will go from 12:15 to 12:30 and is for children ages 13 and younger.
All Sundays games are Wendy's Family Fun Sundays, which feature $1 tickets and hot dogs. Children ages 13 and younger can run the bases after the game.