Pittsburgh Pirates pin hopes on their pitching – MLB News
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ general manager Neal Huntington stated on Tuesday, January 31, that the club is pleased to have Erik Bedard and is looking forward to have a quality season. The player was plagued by injuries the last season.
Having served the Baltimore Orioles for years, the ace pitcher will be an invaluable addition to the Pittsburgh Pirates which had the likes of Kevin Correia available to them last season. Correia became an All-Star last season with victories that were resplendent
and morale-boosting for the Pirates.
But as injury took Correia away from the game, his reincarnation is what the Pirates are looking for in Bedard. While Correia won 11 majestic games for the Pirates, injury thwarted the player and the team simultaneously.
Bedard naturally comes as a good choice for the club at this point in time.
"We're pleased to have him. I look for him to have a quality bounce-back season," said Huntington.
The 32-year-old pitcher is expected to bolster the team’s defence although his record does not read as something satisfactory for him and the team as a whole. Nonetheless, the starting pitcher will be of great assistance to the rotation, helping the team
fence in against the otherwise invincible offences in the League.
Bedard could only appear in 24 games last season with a 3.62 ERA that he maintained throughout. Having had 125 strike-outs in 129.1 innings that he pitched, the player managed to win five games, giving up a total of 63 runs.
However, it is his fitness that will be crucial for the Pittsburgh Pirates now. "We expect him to be the guy he was in the first half with a healthy hip," Huntington said.
With the pitchers turning out to be a force to rely upon, the Pirates will be looking at a number of factors prior to the commencement of the season. Having a strong rotation, which remains active and fit, will surely be key to the team’s success.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a lot of things to set in order once they enter into the new season. From the offence that had left a lot to be desired to the pitching, the Pirates will want to develop their talent and experience together to have a favourable
result this year.
Although they could not quite get to their goal of making their way into the playoffs, a refreshing new push for the win as the pitchers start playing their due role was evident. If the Pirates’ pitchers succeed in building up a strong defence, there is
a likelihood of a strong show in 2012. The Pirates are desperate for any type of success in the upcoming regular season. The team will be looking to their pitching rotation to help them overcome the top tier clubs in the league.
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