And to those who didn't make it

Sean Burnett:

It would have been such a nice story if Burnett had made the team. The first round pick from 2000 has had quite an eventful seven plus years in the Pirate’s organization, from his flashes of brilliance in the Majors in 2004 to the multiple arm surgeries that followed and the last couple of years in the minors trying to get back to being the pitcher he once was. And then this spring, he switches from starting to relieving to better his odds of making the major league team. And he pitched phenomenally: 10 innings, I run allowed, 3 hits allowed, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts. Seriously, that’s fantastic. But management’s plan apparently was to see if Burnett could make the transition to the bullpen, in hopes of salvaging his career, which will continue in Triple-A. At first it seems harsh, to have Burnett pitch his heart out to prove himself all over again, and then send him to the minors the last couple days of Spring Training. What the Pirates actually did, in selecting Phil Dumatrait, another lefty with comparable major league experience but lesser results, over Burnett for the last bullpen spot, was keep two potential major league caliber pitchers in their organization. Burnett, not a member of the 40-man roster, has no choice but to report to the minors (unless he pulls a Duffy, and skips town). Dumatrait, an off-season waiver pickup from Cincinnati, could opt for free agency if he didn’t make the big league team. Though it certainly stings for Burnett, and for all the Bucs fans pulling for him, he’s made the short list in case the Pirates need another reliever, which I’m sure they will at some point before long.

Steve Pearce:

Pearce was sent to the Pirate’s Minor League camp weeks ago, and his chance of making the team out of Spring Training was never strong. This despite putting together a tremendous season a year ago. Pearce started in high-A ball (75 at-bats: .347 avg., 11 HRs, 24 RBIs) and advanced through AA (290 at-bats: .334, 14, 72), through AAA (122 at-bats: .320, 6, 17), all the way to Pittsburgh (68 at-bats: .294, 0, 6). An amazing run for a player we all have high hopes for. But I would much rather see him play every day in AAA this year than sit on the bench in the majors. Xavier Nady will most likely be traded by the end of July, and at that point, at least I hope, the glorious Steve Pearce era will begin.

Masumi Kuwata:

I’m usually not too sentimental (despite my obvious man-crush on Sean Burnett, and well, Freddy Sanchez and Ian Snell and…) but I couldn’t help but be moved by Kuwata’s story. Here’s a guy who was a superstar on the diamond for years in Japan. Back when he was still in his prime, he wanted strongly to play in the Major Leagues, but his team in Japan wouldn’t let him out of his contract. Years go by and now Kuwata, though with diminished skills, is finally granted the opportunity he long desired. And of all teams to sign with, he chooses Pittsburgh. So he suffers a bad ankle injury and doesn’t make the major league team in 2007, but he gladly rehabs and heads to the minors to continue his dream. Someone at the time asked him how he could go from being a superstar in Japan to riding buses across the Midwest as a minor leaguer. He responded, and I’m paraphrasing, that he was just happy to be playing baseball in America. This guy’s freakin’ awesome. Anyway, a few months pass and Kuwata gets called up to the majors. And he makes his first appearance at Yankee Stadium! He pitched fairly well for his the first few weeks, including his now infamous strikeout of Ichiro Suzuki on like a 62 MPH curveball. But then the struggles began. Hitters caught on to him and his stuff just wasn’t as good as it used to be. He ended up with some horrible statistics (which won’t be repeated here since this is a heart-warming story) by season’s end, and it looked like retirement was in store for him. But the Pirate’s offered him another contract and an invitation to Spring Training in 2008. Kuwata mulled it over and eventually accepted. Despite pitching fairly well this spring, Kuwata never really had a shot to make the team, which is understandable. But I’m glad he came back for another try. (Warning: I’m about to get extra sappy) Baseball needs more players like Masumi Kuwata. It’s refreshing to hear about a baseball player who loves the game so much he’s will to play for less money than he used and travel in worse conditions. Kuwata decided to officially retire this week. Though he made little difference in the team’s performance while he was here, it was an honor to have him nonetheless.