Three Pirates prospects to play winter ball in Australia

Calvin Anderson, Ryan Beckman, and Rinku Singh are joining the Adelaide Bite of the Australian Baseball League. The Bite are managed by Pirates scout Tony Harris, and Quincy Latimore is already with the team, as well as former Pirates minor leaguers Adrian Burnside and Paul Mildren.

7 months ago Vlad 29 comments 0 recs |

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"Bite"?

Is that Australianese for something that makes sense? I gotta see the team logo and mascot …

I’ll be damned. It’s a big red A with teeth, biting through a bat.

by bucdaddy on Oct 19, 2011 11:33 AM EDT reply actions

by impliedi on Oct 19, 2011 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s a pun, referring to the Great Australian Bight, a body of water. Adelaide is a port city connected to the Bight.

by Vlad on Oct 19, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Or better yet...

by impliedi on Oct 19, 2011 11:36 AM EDT reply actions

GO RINKU

by ATribeCalledGreg on Oct 19, 2011 11:38 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Was reading

WTM’s profile page on Calvin Anderson and was wondering if Anderson has any kind of major league future ahead of him. I was intrigued by him when the Pirates signed him, strictly because he’s a big dude (and the assumption of power that goes with that size). But, the reviews don’t seem to be glowing, nor has his very slow rise through the organization.

by impliedi on Oct 19, 2011 11:42 AM EDT reply actions

I would tend to think not, at this point, but you never say never.

Some extra reps in winter ball certainly won’t hurt his chances.

by Vlad on Oct 19, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

They’re obviously sticking with him or they wouldn’t bother sending him to Aussieland.

I have to think they’ll give him a shot at AA in 2012. It’s not like them to leave a guy at one level for three years. It’s too bad he missed so much time this year.

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Oct 19, 2011 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Calvin F. Anderson?

I’ve only paid a bit of attention, but is he basically a Jones type who can’t play RF? That is, a guy with a ceiling of roughly MLB average hitter, but unable to play any positions where that’s adequate offense?

by JRoth95 on Oct 19, 2011 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions

They had him playing RF in camp last March. Even the gulls kept a safe distance.

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Oct 19, 2011 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions

So these players...

are doing it on their own and the Bite decides to take them for winter ball? or the Do the Pirates recommend this too?

Also where would the Australian baseball fit in, in comparison to say…the other fall leagues that the PBC sent/recommended the other players?

by lfhlaw on Oct 19, 2011 1:49 PM EDT reply actions

So where was Rinku this year?

Last I checked he had pitched really well in fewer than 10 appearances, then never played again after May.

Regardless, I’m glad he’s getting a chance this winter.

by JRoth95 on Oct 19, 2011 2:07 PM EDT reply actions

Rinku got in a dozen games at WV late in the year and did OK. Considering that a lot of draftees from US high schools and colleges don’t even make it out of short season ball, it really is amazing.

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Oct 19, 2011 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh, excellent

I wonder if there was a gap in that page being updated; according to their timeline, he played steadily (if not often) all summer, but I know that I looked in late July or mid August and there was nothing more recent than June.

Anyway, as you said, he did OK (hard to tell with such a SSS – one wild inning could take him from 3:1 SO/BB to 1.85), and they’re obviously going to keep giving him chances.

by JRoth95 on Oct 19, 2011 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh wait

It was Gift who didn’t play after mid-May, other than one DH appearance.

Anyone know what happened to him? He was OPSing .818 in almost 100 PAs in Bradenton.

by JRoth95 on Oct 19, 2011 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Hamate

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Oct 19, 2011 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh no!

There goes his power.

Seriously, that’s a shame, but he’s still a pretty young guy. And since power really isn’t his game, it shouldn’t hold up his development too much. They can see how his glove and plate discipline develop without worrying about whether he’ll recover power.

by JRoth95 on Oct 19, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions