Former and Future Curve Players Excelling in Winter Leagues
Published on November 4, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
CURVE, Pa. - While snow fell on the ground in northeastern part of the United States this past weekend, baseball was still being played across the globe as the various winter leagues are now underway. Many former Curve players as well as some potential Curve for 2012 and beyond are continuing to develop and hone their skills in these various winter leagues and we've put together a breakdown of what everyone has been up to. Stats are current through games played on Thursday, November 3rd.
Arizona Fall League
Nathan Baker (RHP) - A Ole' Miss product, Baker spent all of 2011 with the Bradenton Marauders where he finished the year 10-8 with a 3.34 ERA in 29 games (25 starts) while fanning 105 batters. He had a splendid second half of the season for Bradenton, posting a 7-4 record with a 2.62 ERA in his last 14 games (13 starts). In the Fall League, Baker has been predominantly been used as a reliever while making just one start for the Solar Sox. In his eight games (one start), Baker is 1-1 with a 7.94 ERA.
Gerrit Cole (RHP) - The first overall pick in this year's draft, Cole shook off a rough first outing and has been superb ever since. Since giving up three earned runs in his professional debut, the UCLA product has given up just one earned run on five hits in his last 9.2 innings. Overall, Cole is 2-0 with an ERA of 3.00. He's walked just three batters in his 12 innings of work while averaging a strikeout per inning. In addition, opposing hitters are batting .178 off the flame-throwing right hander. He will be starting Saturday's Arizona Fall League Rising Stars game for the East Division.
Mike Colla (RHP) - A University of Arizona product, Colla has returned to the Grand Canyon State for his first taste of the Arizona Fall League in 2011. Despite spending most of his 2011 campaign in Altoona as a starter, Colla has been used as a reliever throughout his first AFL stint. The Fresno, Calif. native has not allowed a run in six of his nine appearances and boasts an ERA of 4.85. He's also registered one save and has struck out nine batters in 13.0 innings of work.
Jarek Cunningham (2B/INF) - An 18th round pick by the Pirates in 2008 out of Mt. Spokane (Wash.) HS, Cunningham played in 80 games for Bradenton in 2011 and belted 15 home runs while driving in 51. His season was cut short as he hit the disabled list in mid-July and only played in two rehab games for the GCL Pirates afterwards. In 19 games so far in the AFL, Cunningham is batting .243 with three home runs and 15 RBI.
Robbie Grossman (OF) - After garnering Pirates' Minor League Player of the Year honors for his performance with the Bradenton Marauders in 2011, Grossman has taken his 'A' game to the Arizona Fall League this offseason. Entering play on Friday, Grossman leads the league in games played (24), at bats (96), hits (36), total bases (59) and walks (19). He is also among the league leaders in batting average (.375, 5th), RBI (21, 4th), home runs (6, T-2nd) on-base percentage (.474, 3rd) and runs scored (17, T-5th). Grossman, along with Cole, will represent the East Division in Saturday's AFL Rising Stars game.
Brock Holt (2B/SS) - Holt had a solid campaign for Altoona in 2011, batting .288 with 30 doubles and 18 steals in 132 games. The Fort Worth, Texas native has played sparingly in the Fall League, playing just five games as of Friday due to a tweaked hamstring to start the AFL campaign. He's 3-for-16 with five runs scored and five walks in his five games played.
Phillip Irwin (RHP) - Another Ole' Miss product, Irwin was solid for the Curve after being promoted in mid-June. The right hander racked up 13 wins between Bradenton and Altoona in 2011, which was the highest total for any pitcher in the Pirates' minor league chain. Irwin made only one start in the AFL before leaving due to right forearm tightness.
Dominican Winter League
Chase d'Arnaud (INF) - One of the nine former Curve players to make their debut with the Pirates in 2011, d'Arnaud has played in three games so far in the DWL. The 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game MVP is currently 0-for-10.
Matt Hague (1B) - The Bellevue, Wash. native followed up his solid Altoona season in 2010 with another for the Indianapolis Indians in 2011. Hague hit .309 in 141 games for Indy while hitting 12 home runs to go along with 37 doubles and 75 RBI. He was named to the Triple-A All Star Game and was also the Indians' Team MVP in 2011. A consistent hitter at the plate, Hague has been just that since starting in the Dominican Winter League. In 13 games played so far, Hague is batting .327 with two home runs and eight RBI.
Chris Leroux (RHP) - Leroux, who spent a few weeks with the Curve during 2011, went on to flourish in Pittsburgh during his time with the big club. In 23 games out of the bullpen, Leroux was 1-1 with a 2.88 ERA while nearly registering a strikeout-per-inning (24 strikeouts in 25.0 innings pitched). He's taken that success and ran with it so far this winter, posting a crisp 0.60 ERA in three starts with 13 strikeouts in 15 innings.
Starling Marte (OF) - A 2011 season that saw Marte garner Eastern League Rookie of the Year honors and take home the batting title in his first year in Double-A is tough to follow but Marte is trying to do just that in the DWL. Marte, like Hague, has also played in 13 games and is hitting .340 with three doubles, one home run and five RBI. He's also been able to steal five bases (caught once) in his 13 games.
Aaron Thompson (LHP) - Another one of the nine former Curve players to make his debut with the Pirates in 2011, Thompson is also participating in the Dominican Winter League. The Beaumont, Texas native has made two starts for Toros del Este and is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA.
Venezuelan Winter League
Anthony Claggett (RHP) - Claggett spent a majority of his 2011 season with Altoona except for a short stint in Indianapolis where he posted a 1.42 ERA In four games. With the Curve, Claggett went 5-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 42 games while holding opponents to a .213 batting average. In his four games (all starts) in the VWL, Claggett is 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA.
Gorkys Hernandez (OF) - A member of the Curve in 2009 and in 2010, Hernandez spent all of 2011 in an Indianapolis Indians uniform where he batted a solid .283 with 25 doubles and 21 steals in 126 games. Through 18 games in the VWL, the Venezuelan native is hitting .195 with three doubles.
Diego Moreno (RHP) - The hard-throwing right hander has spent a short amount of time with the Curve over the past two seasons while has spending a majority of that time with Bradenton. In his five appearances out of the bullpen this fall, Moreno has an ERA of 6.23.
Eastern League Stories from November 4, 2011
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- Former and Future Curve Players Excelling in Winter Leagues - Altoona Curve
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