Colin Curtis pulls off his best Mazeroski impression

March 3, 2010

 

In a much more meaningless game, the Yankees defeated the Pirates 6-3. It was however game one of the 2010 Spring Training season.

Sitting in my Economics class I was antsy. I couldn’t listen to the lecture about unemployment, I just wanted to watch my Bucs. As soon as we got out I rushed to my buddy’s girlfriend’s apartment where MLB Network would be on the HD TV. I do not get it at my apartment so I really thank Alyssa for allowing me to crash at her place for a few hours and enjoy a real live baseball game.

The game started out nicely as Andrew McCutchen led off the contest ripping a single through the infield.

After that it was rather uneventful.

The Pirates only totaled three hits in the contest.

THREE HITS!

Now this wasn’t a game against Javier Vazquez, CC Sabathia or AJ Burnett. Rather it was Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Acceves. Now those are guys with major league time, but I would hope some of our young Bucs could sneak some hits in.

The Pirates used a pitcher an inning for nine frames. It was a unique move that made the YES network announcers ponder using that tactic in a regular season game. The unanimous decision, it couldn’t work.

The announcers brought up a good point also. It has to deal with the numbers of baseball.

 The picture on the right is McCutchen from a 2008 Spring Training game. Notice the astronomical number. 76? Andrew McCutch aint no 76! But players like him, back in 2008, are just marginal prospects with a long shot of making the MLB roster. Being handed a number that high may be a downgrade, but in his case I think it was just a motive to work harder. The TV announcers said anyone wearing over 60 in ST will not make the big leagues that year. No Wayne Gretzkys (99) here is how they put it. It’ll be an interesting stat to look back on come April.

Anyway, back to the game. The nine Pirate pitchers did not do a bad job containing the Yanks. Steven Jackson and Virgil Vazquez were the only ones giving up multiple hits and runs. I was never a big fan of this tandem and found more reason to not support them today.

The game was toed 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth until powerhouse Colin Curtis stepped to the plate.

 Curtis ripped the pitch to right field over the head of Jose Tabata and into the stands. A 3-run bomb by the former 4th round pick in the 2006 draft. Curtis was the hero for the day much like Bill Mazeroski was back in October of 1960. Maz’s walk off home run to beat the Yankees is still fondly remembered by baseball fans around the world today, it is doubtful Curtis’s homer will even be though of at the end of March. However, his wikipedia page already remembers the event.

“He hit a 3 run walk off homerun in the Yankees first 2010 spring training game against the Pirates.”

 

Maybe it will be forever etched in Yankeess lore. I doubt it.

The Braves are up next!

photo credit: mlb.com, buccobits.mlblogs.com, flickr.com, baseballprospectus.com    

Written by Matthew Peaslee Posted in Dailies Tagged with Andrew McCutchen, Bill Mazeroski, Colin Curtis, Pirates, Spring Training, Yankees