Friday, January 15, 2010

NORTHERN LEAGUE VET'S NEWEST OPPORTUNITY IS WITH PIRATES

Brian Myrow never seems to have a clear path to a major league job despite his 11-year .307 minor league batting average with decent power (115 homers in 3,181 at-bats). We can mark down 2010 as more of the same, though there seems to be some wiggle room for the 33-year-old, whose first two and a half professional seasons (1999-2001) were in the Northern League (Winnipeg).

Myrow moved within Triple-A ranks from the White Sox to Pittsburgh mid-way in 2009, and he made the most of his 62 games for the Pirates in Indianapolis, hitting .330-8-34 with an exceptional .448 on-base percentage. Someone obviously took notice.

This Fort Worth, TX resident's latest major league spring training invitation is with the Pirates where the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said at the time of Myrow's recent signing his experience at first base (more than 400 games) is "an area where the Pirates might have a reserve need".

Pittsburgh's current look at first base has Jeff Clement and Garrett Jones, lefty hitters like Myrow, with the inside track for the new season. Still, Clement has hit only .237 in his first 75 major league games (none of them were last season), and Jones, .293-21-44 in 82 games last season, has been more of an outfielder than a first baseman. The newest signee, veteran outfielder Ryan Church, could become part of the first base solution.

Myrow's 52 games of major league experience have been divided into three seasons with San Diego and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he was largely a pinch hitter in those cases.

JAY GIBBONS NOW IN DODGERS' ORGANIZATION

Veteran major league outfielder Jay Gibbons, who logged some time with both Long Island, NY (2008) and Newark, NJ (2009) in the Atlantic League, has signed on with the Los Angeles Dodgers although his name does not yet show up on the Dodgers' non-roster list for spring training. Gibbons, 33 by the time the new season starts, hit .233 in 163 at-bats at Newark.


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