The Pittsburgh Pirates battled again in the National League Division in 2013. The Houston Astros’ division will be less than the team moved to the American West. This will probably be a negative for the Bucs, because they won 12 of 17 games against the Astros last year.
The Pirates have the dubious distinction of consecutive losing seasons in major league professional sports history. The streak now stands at 20 years as the team suffered through a postseason collapse in 2012 to finish with a 79-83 record.
However, a winning season could be on the cards for 2013, as the team not only completed a strong core of young position players and veteran pitchers, but also a deep, talented farm.
The team’s renewed emphasis is to acquire and develop amateur talent in each of its minor league leagues. He takes chances to watch the fans. The following list includes brief information on all six of those franchises;
Indianapolis (AAA): The Pirates AAA team plays at Victory Field in the beautiful city of Indianapolis. The Victoria campus opened in 1996 and has a capacity of 12,200. The Indians, who play in the International League, should have the Pirates’ #1 draft pick and the first overall pick in 2011 in right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole. Cole’s stay in Indianapolis may be short, however, as the Pirates expect him to join their rotation midseason.
Altoona Curve (AA): The Altoona Curve will once again represent the Pirates in the Eastern League. The team hosts league foe People’s Natural Gas Field, a 7,200-seat facility. The Pirates’ selection in the 2010 draft, hard-throwing righty Jameson Taillon, should suit up for the Curve for at least the first part of next season.
Bradenton Marauders (A-Advanced): Bradenton, Florida-the spring training the home of the Pirates is also home to the club’s parent entry in Florida State. The home field is historic McKechnie Field—a 6,500 stadium seating. The team’s roster this year is expected to include two top talents from the Dominican Republic in shortstop Alen Hanson and outfielder Gregorius Polanco.
West Virginia Power (A): The state of West Virginia served as the capital of Charleston. home of the Pirates’ representative in the South Atlantic League since 2009. The club’s stadium is Park Power West Virginia, a 4,500-seat facility in the center of the city. The team should expect Josh Bell to start the 2013 campaign. Bell, a power forward with major potential, missed most of his 2012 season with a knee injury.
Jamestown Jammers (Short Season A): The Jammers short season team will be moving from State College, PA to Jamestown, NY this year. The season begins in mid-June after the amateur draft. The team plays its home games at Russell Diethrick Park, which has a seating capacity of approximately 3,000. The park has existed for more than 70 years, but extensive renovations in recent years have made the company’s facility a little more top-notch.
GCL Pirates (Rookie): The GCL Pirates also start their season in mid-June. The team’s first goal is to give players and some graduates experience on the Pirates teams in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. They play summer games at the Pirate City in Bradenton and play complex.
Patrick Hattman is a long-suffering Pittsburgh Pirates fan and longs for the return of the Pirates’ youth when they put some of the city’s best baseball teams on the carpet at Three Rivers Stadium. .
