The Pirates kicked off Spring Training action today with their Black and Gold intrasquad game. Team Black beat Team Gold 2-1, thanks to a fourth inning RBI single from Andrew Lambo, followed shortly by a sacrifice fly from Jose Tabata to bring home the eventual winning run. Nick Kingham threw a scoreless inning to start the game, and Gregory Polanco picked up two hits, including a double down the first base line.
There were two changes to the lineup before the game. Both first basemen were removed from the lineup, with Pedro Alvarez and Corey Hart both getting a day off. Alvarez took batting and fielding practice before the game, and is fine. He just had his schedule re-arranged, and will start and play the next two days. Hart is out for a few days after cutting his foot on Sunday getting into a whirlpool. The cut required three stitches. The absence of both players gave Brent Morel and Andrew Lambo time at first base.
One other big event from today was Jung-ho Kang getting his first at-bat in a live game. He grounded out to shortstop on four pitches, and didn’t see another at-bat. The full at-bat can be seen below.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
So, is this the freak accident for this spring training?? If so, glad that it happened early and was minor. Certainly better than a bunted ball hitting you in the eye, or something.
Whatever happened to good ol’ atheletes foot, a little tough actin tenactin and poof your fine. Now it’s cuts, sprains,pains and the ever present turf toe. I mean shesh what is he a hobbit cutting his foot in the water. : )
I wonder if he thought it was a hot tub time machine and had it dialed to 2007?
Hopefully, he dialed it to 1909, 1925, 1960, 1971 or 1979.
Tim, did you see the Rossi article in the trib about the players not welcoming Kang because they view him as Walker’s eventual replacement. I’m wondering if you’re buying that or if you’ve seen anything that has indicated that to you.
Sounds like he’s just trying to stir up trouble but perhaps there’s a bit of truth to it.
Rob rossi is a joke, read his penguin articles the guy just makes stuff up, the pittsburgh sport media in general is putrid
I read that Rossi article about where he said the Pirates should prematurely extend McCutchen to make him a Pirate for life. I’m all about extending McCutchen at some point. He has become the face of the team on a national level. I do think it would be wise, though, for the Pirates to be a little further along (say in 2 years) where they know where they stand with some of their other outfield prospects and they also know where they will be as far a renegotiating a local television rights contract with ROOT Sports or any other entity that bids for the broadcasts.
Could not agree more, stirring up trouble is what they love to do.
I think Rossi’s also the one that just wrote a long, meandering article about how it was important for Andrew McCutchen to be a Pirate for life, so his picture can be on the wall (or something.) It was like he fell asleep 40 years ago, and didn’t realize free agency has happened and guys don’t stay with the same team anymore (except in rare circumstances.)
And then it was either Rossi or in the comments below that talked about how the Pirates would collapse if McCutchen was allowed to walk at the end of his contract. Made me think of how the Cardinals collapsed when they let the greatest hitter in baseball (Pujols) leave. Oh, wait, they went to the NLCS that first year he was gone. Oh, so baseball teams aren’t just ONE player after all?? Hmmm….
Is’nt rossi from st.louis?
I don’t have time to read anyone else during Spring Training, so I haven’t seen it. But from what I’ve seen over the last month, the players have been welcoming, and I’ve been watching Kang interact with the players since before Spring Training started. I posted a picture a week ago with Polanco greeting Kang with a bow. I’ve been in the locker room when players have asked his translator how to say simple Korean phrases like “See you tomorrow”. So I don’t know where this is coming from.
I wear my sunglasses…in the whirlpool…at night. No wonder he cut his foot. Gotta watch where you step, Corey Hart, with those sunglasses on.
And we were worried about catchers getting hurt.
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Nah, everyone knew Hart would get hurt. Not everyone knew it would be a hot tub incident. At least it wasn’t his knees!.