The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed Australian pitcher Jarryd Sullivan, according to Dejan Kovacevic on the PBC Blog. The 2009 International Signing Tracker has been updated.
Sullivan played in the MLBAAP (MLB Australian Academy Program) 19 and under league in 2009, posting the second best ERA in the league with a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings pitched. He also posted a 21:6 K/BB ratio with no homers allowed. Here is a listing of all of the stats for the 19 and under league. He’s 6’0″, 172 pounds, and right handed.
About Tim Williams
Tim is the owner and editor in chief of Pirates Prospects. He started the site in January 2009, and turned it into his full time job during the 2011 season. Prior to starting Pirates Prospects, Tim worked with AccuScore.com, providing MLB, NHL, and NFL coverage to various national media outlets, including ESPN Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Sports, and the Wall Street Journal. He also writes the annual Prospect Guide, which is sold through the site. Tim moved to Bradenton in 2013, and will be providing live coverage all year of the Bradenton Marauders, GCL Pirates, instructs, mini camp, Spring Training, and lunches at Mixon's Fruit Farms.
April 28, 2012 at 10:44 pm
It’s only been in the last 20 or so years that teams completely abandoned this practice. If you read any of the diary books from the 1960s (Ball Four comes to mind), you’ll hear about players griping about a mid-season exhibitions. The Reds and Tigers played an exhibition to benefit the Kid Glove Foundation (called the Kid Glove Game) every year when I was a kid. Not sure when the Detroit/Cincy match ups stopped, but the Kid Glove Game is now a multi-game event held during regular season contests at GABP.
I think they even finally stopped playing the Hall of Fame game in Cooperstown.
April 28, 2012 at 11:01 pm
Not long ago, teams used to play their minor league teams in season. The Pirates played in Altoona in May of 2000. That game was on a Monday after a Sunday day game and before a Tuesday night game that was in Cincinnati. They also used eight minor leaguers on the Pirates roster and two coaches played in the game so it wasn’t quite the real Pirates playing. Now there is a rule in the CBA against in season exhibition games