Fantasy Baseball 2009 - Pittsburgh Pirates

PNC Park- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team is a member of Major League Baseball’s National League Central Division. The Pirates play their home games at PNC Park, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

History
In 1903, the Pittsburgh Pirates played and lost (to Boston) in what has been recognized as the first Modern World Series. During this period, Honus Wagner played shortstop for the Pirates, known to be the best shortstop of his time; he helped lead the team to many successful seasons and its first World Series title in 1909. The Pirates had a slump before reaching their second World Series and winning their first World Series title in 1925, defeating the Washington Senators. The Pirates made it to their third World Series just two years later, but got sweeped by the New York Yankees in the 1927 World Series.

The 1970’s was a proud decade for the Pittsburgh Pirates. During this period, the Pirates won five division titles and the 1971 World Series. The stars of the team were Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente. Clemente was drafted by the Pirates in 1954, and grew to be known as one of the best baseball players of all time. He was awarded the National League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1966, and won 12 golden glove awards throughout his career. The Pirates finished the 1970’s decade defeating the Baltimore Orioles in seven games in the 1979 World Series. In 1979, the stars of the team included Willie Stargell and Dave Parker.

From the 1980’s going forward, the Pirates have struggled to be competitive in MLB. They began the 80’s recognized as the worst teams in baseball, despite adding popular names to their roster, such as Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds. Infielder Jay Bell and pitchers John Smiley and Doug Drabek were other new additions to the roster. In 1988, the Pirates finished the season above .500 (85-75), for their best record in years. Two years later in 1990, the Pirates won the division title, stamping an end to being one of the worst teams in baseball. The Pirates would go on to win two more Divison titles, in 1991 and 1992.
Pittsburgh Pirates of the 2000’s

Since 2000, the Pirates have largely been in a period of rebuilding, searching for a winning season. The 2009 losing season for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team marks the longest losing streak (17 years) in any professional sport in North America.

In 2007, Pittsburgh hired Neal Huntington to be the new general manager and bring in a new strategy to succeed. Huntington made splashes upon his arrival, trading away many of the star players for the Pirates. In 2008, Huntington traded away All-Star Jason Bay, and in 2009, traded away Nate McClouth. He argues that the trades build a strong Pirates team, beginning with their minor league program.

Prior to the 2010 MLB season, the Pirates made a few personnel changes. They released relief pitcher Matt Capps, and signed four relievers, Octavio Dotel, Brendan, Donnelly, Javier Lopez, and D. J. Carrasco. To bolster the infield, the Pirates signed second baseman Akinori Iwamura, and shortstop Bobby Crosby, the 2004 American League Rookie of the Year. Heading into the 2010 season, the Pirates’ bats are led by outfielder Andrew McCutchen, and the Pirates pitching are led by ace Paul Maholm.

Active Roster
Pitchers
Ramon Aguero
Jose Ascanio
Brendan Donnelly
Octavio Dotel
Zach Duke
Joel Hanrahan
Kevin Hart
Chris Jakubauskas
Brad Lincoln
Javier Lopez
Paul Maholm
Daniel McCutchen
Evan Meek
Bryan Morris
Charlie Morton
Ross Ohlendorf
Ronald Uviedo
Donnie Veal
Catchers
Ryan Doumit
Jason Jaramillo
Infielders
Pedro Alvarez
Ronny Cedeno
Jeff Clement
Bobby Crosby
Argenis Diaz
Akinori Iwamura
Andy LaRoche
Steve Pearce
Ramon Vasquez
Neil Walker
Outfielders
Ryan Church
Gorkys Hernandez
Brandon Jones
Garrett Jones
Andrew McCutchen
Lastings Milledge
Brandon Moss
John Raynor
Jose Tabata
Delwyn Young