Russell Martin opts out of World Baseball Classic

photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie

Russell Martin is staying in Bradenton.

The Pirates' newly-acquired catcher has decided not to play for Team Canada for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

"The Pirate organization wasn't comfortable with me playing shortstop, and I don't think Team Canada was comfortable with me playing shortstop," said Martin, who was born in Ontario and resides in Quebec, "and I didn't want to have put my body in a position where I was going to catch however many innings of baseball during the tournament."

Wait. Did he say shortstop?

Drafted as in infielder in 2002 by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Martin was all about going to the WBC as  long he didn't have to catch. And he wanted to play short.

So the 30-year-old figured if he was going to catch, why not catch the guys who he'll be working with for the next five months.

"I'm not catching every day here," Martin said prior to Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves, "but staying here and catching their bullpens, catching them in a game every once in a while, it'll help accelerate the process of chemistry and just comfort."

Braves vs. Pirates: Lineups

Like that view?
It's from the new, oft-admired boardwalk in McKechnie Field. The ballpark, fresh off a massive renovation, hosts its first Grapefruit League game of the spring today when the Atlanta Braves visit the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Here are the lineups. One note: Tyler Pastornicky, a graduate of The Pendleton School, is on the Braves' travel roster.

BRAVES
Reed Johnson, cf
Jason Heyward, rf
Justin Upton, lf
Juan Francisco, 3b
B.J. Upton, dh
Blake DeWitt, 2b
Gerald Laird, c
Ernesto Mejia, 1b
Ramiro Pena, ss
Julio Teheran, p

PIRATES
Starling Marte, lf
Russell Martin, c
Andrew McCutchen, cf
Pedro Alvarez, 3b
Neil Walker, 2b
Gaby Sanchez, 1b
Brandon Inge, dh
Jose Tabata, rf
Clint Barmes, ss
James McDonald, p

Game over

By JOHN LEMBO

jlembo@bradenton.com

BRADENTON – Shutout innings from Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon, and a long home run off the bat of Starling Marte.

The Pittsburgh Pirates hope such scenarios play out during future summers and falls at PNC Park.

Friday, they had to settle for watching three of their prized prospects perform well in the Black And Gold Game, an intrasquad affair that lasted 5 ½ innings in front of 2,131 fans at McKechnie Field.

In the first game at McKechnie since the ballpark underwent a $10 million overhaul, Team Gold and Team Black played to a 2-2 tie.

Marte, who homered on the first pitch he saw as a Pirate last year, swatted at another first pitch Friday and launched it over McKechnie’s new left-field bleachers to give Team Gold a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

He wound up hitting .257 with 17 RBIs and 12 steals in 47 games with Pittsburg.

A pair of former first-round draft picks, Cole and Taillon started and threw two shutout innings apiece.

Cole allowed a hit and struck out one for Team Black, while Taillon struck out three and surrendered two hit.

“It felt good,” Taillon said. “Nothing out of the ordinary…still some things I want to iron out, like timing. But overall, it felt real good.”

Neither pitcher issued a walk.

“I thought they were very, very good with their pace,” said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. “And obviously they both pitched very well (Friday).”

Lucas May and Alex Presley each drove in a run for Team Black.

The Pirates open Grapefruit League play Saturday when they head to Port Charlotte to face the Tampa Bay Rays, and play their home-opener 1 p.m. Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.

Let the games begin!

Major league baseball is back in Bradenton, and it has never looked better.
This is John Lembo, blogging live from McKechnie Field, which is looking sharp following a $10 million facelift.
Today is the Pirates' Black and Gold Game, an intrasquad affair that will last 5 1/2 innings.
Here are the lineups:

BLACK
Alex Presley, cf
Chase d'Arnaud, ss
Jerry Sands, rf
Clint Robinson, 1b
Brandon Inge, dh
Jared Goedert, 3b
Josh Harrison, 2b
Michael McKenry, c
Felix Pie, lf
Jameson Taillon, p

GOLD
Starling Marte,lf
Jose Tabata, rf
Matt Hague, 3b
Gaby Sanchez, 1b
Brad Hawpe, dh
Jordy Mercer, ss
Tony Sanchez, c
Iva De Jesus, jr., 2b
Darren Ford, cf
Gerrit Cole, p

Pirates announce Clint Hurdle's contract extension

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Tuesday they have given a contract extension to manager Clint Hurdle, exercising the club option for 2014 and adding another club option for 2015.
News of the extension was originally reported Monday by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Hurdle, 55, is 151-173 in two seasons with the Pirates. Pittsburgh has started out strong under Hurdle but is a combined 36-76 in August and September.
"From the first day I took the job, (my goal) was to reconnect and rebond the city with its baseball team. We've taken some steps and appropriate steps in that direction," Hurdle said Monday, "but there's still unfinished business.
"I think we have re-ignited the fan base to some degree. We have gotten our team mentality and our environment in place where it needs to be, but again, you're always working to fulfill a dream, and the dream of every man out here right now is to be part of a championship team and a championship organization."

SCF leads Orioles through five innings

The State College of Florida Manatees lead the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 after five innings.

However, the Orioles are using their own pitchers against their hitters.

They've also used catcher Ronny Paulino in multiple spots in SCF's batting order, and the fifth also featured starter Tsuyoshi Wada recording five outs in what looked like an effort to stretch his pitch count out.

The Manatees plated two runs in the fourth inning after three hits, a groundout and wild pitch.

State College of Florida at Baltimore Orioles

This is Jason Dill, blogging from Ed Smith Stadium as the State College of Florida Manatees square off against the Baltimore Orioles in the O's final game of the 2012 spring season in Sarasota.

SCF isn't using any pitchers after winning a 12-inning Suncoast Conference game last night against Polk State, having another conference game on Wednesday and with six players injured.

SCF

1. Danny Bodziak CF
2. Ronny Paulino C (catching for Baltimore pitchers)
3. Orlando Rivera 2B
4. Tyler Rocklein RF
5. Conner Hale 3B
6. Andrew McNett LF
7. Devon Raftery DH
8. Kory Britton 1B
9. Dalton Busby SS

LHP Tsuyoshi Wada

Baltimore

1. Robert Andino 2B
2. J.J. Hardy SS
3. Nick Johnson 1B
4. Adam Jones CF
5. Matt Wieters C
6. Mark Reynolds DH
7. Nolan Reimold LF
8. Wilson Betemit 3B
9. Endy Chavez RF

RHP Jason Hammel