http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Pirates infielder Pedro Alvarez eyes up a ball during fielding drills Friday at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla.
Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review
BRADENTON, Fla. -- As he watched third baseman Pedro Alvarez take batting practice Friday morning, Manny Sanguillen saw the ghost of an old friend.
"He reminds me of Willie Stargell," Sanguillen said, as Alvarez settled in at the plate. "He's going to be something very special for a very long time. He's gonna be something else."
Sanguillen, a special instructor in spring training camp, played with Stargell during the Pirates' glory days in the 1970s. Alvarez's left-handed batting stance -- feet spread, a one-handed windmill, bat cocked behind his head, eyes focused with murderous intent -- is similar to Stargell's.
There is another attribute Alvarez shares with the Pirates' all-time home run king.
"Loud, hard contact," hitting coach Don Long said.
Even with a stiff, cold wind blowing in, Alvarez launched ball after ball over the right-field fence. One blast crashed halfway up the giant green batter's eye behind center field.
"Look at that!" Sanguillen marveled. "By this time next year, he's going to be hitting them over that wall, just like Willie."
Stargell's uniform number was 8, which the Pirates retired in 1987. This spring, Alvarez is wearing No. 53.
Five plus three equals ... eight, of course. Fate?
"Fifty-three just seemed like a good number," said equipment manager Scott Bonnett, who usually assigns numbers to rookies and other new arrivals. "It wasn't too high, wasn't too low."
Sort of like Alvarez's disposition. He arrived at camp with all the hype that comes with being the second overall draft pick and a future cleanup hitter. Yet, he made a rapid, smooth transition from nervous newbie to calm professional.
"I was a little nervous a few days ago, when everybody was out there," Alvarez said. "It's a little bit overwhelming. But the guys here are very welcoming, very accepting, and they've made it easy on me to come in and feel comfortable from the start."
Sanguillen is impressed to see Alvarez arrive first for practically every team meeting. Long likes the way Alvarez approaches each workout.
"When he goes into the cage, he has a plan for what he wants to do, what he needs to do and how he'll get it done," Long said.
That work ethic was honed at Vanderbilt, where Alvarez blossomed as the top college hitter in the country. Vandy also produced Tampa Bay left-hander David Price, one of the game's top pitching prospects.
"Pedro's very advanced and a very smart hitter," said Price, who is a year older than Alvarez. "He trusts his hands, uses the whole field. He can hit the ball everywhere. He's just special."
Price got an idea of Alvarez's potential two year ago, when they squared off in an intrasquad scrimmage at Vandy.
"It was one of the last times I pitched against him, and until then he hadn't gotten a hit -- ever -- off me," Price said. "I fed him a good slider, and he just crushed it, center field, line-drive single.
"His next at-bat, I threw him a fastball. He just turned on it and hit it out of the park. I was just like, 'Wow.' I was very upset."
Price is expected to win a spot in Rays' rotation this year. Alvarez will begin the season in the minors, but is not considered to be far from major-league ready.
The Pirates and Rays will play each other five times during the Grapefruit League season. Price is eager to see his friend ... but not on the field.
"I don't really want to face Pedro, to be honest," Price said. "I love facing lefties, but I don't want to face him. He's good -- very good."
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