MLB-best Pittsburgh Pirates are buoyed by plenty of Yankees swagger

It remains to be seen if that swagger can get the Pirates, who currently have the best 

record in the majors, to the playoffs for the first time since 1992.




By John Harper

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports

July 6, 2013




Russell Martin (.249, 8 HR, 32 RBI) has thrown out 49% of base runners attempting to 

steal this season.

If the 2013 Pirates finally end two decades of futility, after second-half collapses the last 

two seasons, catcher Russell Martin won’t be the only reason. But he’ll likely be a 

significant one.

Stronger pitching, both starting and relieving, might turn out to be the biggest factor if the

Pirates prove to have more staying power this season, as their National League-best 3.14

team ERA suggests.

But Martin, the ex-Yankee, surely has something to do with that. He has thrown out a

career-best 49 percent of base-stealers this season through Friday, a huge improvement

over Rod Barajas last season.

And the Pirates say he has brought the type of toughness the Yankees loved during his

two seasons in the Bronx, a day-to-day intensity that may be critical in getting the young

Bucs over the hump.

“Russell is doing a lot of tangible things for us on the field,’’ GM Neal Huntington said by

phone on Friday, but we’re also benefiting from his intangibles — the intensity, the

passion. He brings an edge that we felt was a good thing to add to our clubhouse.’’

Do the Yankees miss Martin? Maybe not so much if Francisco Cervelli hadn’t broken a

bone in his hand in May, but as it is, they do. Martin is hitting .251 with eight home runs

and 32 RBIs, and scouts say his overall defense has improved significantly.

“His throwing is better, his receiving is smoother,’’ one NL scout said. “The biggest thing

for this team is the way he carries himself, with that Yankee swagger. After the last couple

of years, the Pirates probably needed that.’’

It remains to be seen if that swagger can get the Pirates, who currently have the best

record in the majors, to the playoffs for the first time since 1992. If so they have Yankee

connections beyond Martin that would add to the sting if there is no October baseball in

the Bronx this season:

- A.J. Burnett, part of whose salary the Yankees are still paying, with a 3.12 ERA is fronting

a starting rotation that includes a rejuvenated Francisco Liriano and one of the big

surprises of the season, lefthander Jeff Locke.

- Mark Melancon, once considered a possible successor to Mariano Rivera as Yankee

closer, has finally found his footing at age 28. With a 0.87 ERA in 41 1 ⁄ 3 innings, he is

having a brilliant season as the set-up man for dominant closer Jason Grilli.

- Gerrit Cole, the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, is 4-1 after his first five major-league starts,

and figures only to get better. The Yankees, remember, gambled by taking him with first-

round pick in 2008, but couldn’t convince him to sign rather than attend UCLA.

- Jose Tabata, the 24-year old outfielder the Yankees traded as part of the deal for Xavier

Nady in 2008, is contributing with a .290 average as a backup outfielder.

As for Martin, his departure remains curious. The Yankees liked Martin yet GM Brian

Cashman wasn’t prepared to keep him from signing with the Pirates, apparently needing

to know how much he had to spend on pitching, namely re-signing Hiroki Kuroda and

Andy Pettitte.

“Cashman was up front about everything,’’ Martin’s agent, Matt Colleran, said on Friday.

“He had to lock down his pitching. He said, ‘maybe in a few weeks we’ll be there — if

you’re going in another direction, let me know.’ ‘’

The Pirates, determined to improve their catching, forced the issue by going after Martin

hard and early in the off-season, and demanding a quick answer to their two-year, $17

million offer.

“We identified Russ as the guy who could make the biggest impact for us in the off-

season,’’ Huntington said. “But if he wanted to wait (for the Yankees), we were going to go

in another direction. We were dead-set on getting the best available catcher.’’

When Colleran told Cashman of the urgency, the Yankee GM said he wasn’t ready to pull

the trigger on Martin.

Suffice to say the Pirates are grateful.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/harper-bucs-buoyed-plenty-

yankee-swagger-article-1.1391884#ixzz2YRoXm8i

S