20062006 ALTOONA CURVE MEDIA & INFORMATION GUIDE FILLER INDEX TABLE OF CONTENTS All-Time Curve Record vs. E.L. Opponents.................... 69 2006 EASTERN LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME...... 2 Baseball America 2006 Best Tools, Pirates System....... 27 CURVE BASEBALL LP.................................... 3 Baseball America Pirates 2006 Top 30 Prospects........ 38 CURVE DIRECTORY........................................ 4 Curve 5th Anniversary Team............................................... 26 Did You Know? (Jason Alfaro)........................................... 12 EXECUTIVE BIOS............................................ 5 Did You Know? (Only Triple Play in Curve History)....... 28 2006 ALTOONA CURVE............................. 7-71 Did You Know? (First Game at Blair Co. Ballpark).......... 34 Coaching Staff Profiles............................ 8-9 Did You Know? (Curve in Playoffs)................................... 86 Player Bios.......................................... 10-71 Eastern League Cities, All-Time......................................... 111 Grand Slams in Curve History............................................. 45 2005 SEASON IN REVIEW..................... 73-81 Longest Game in Curve History......................................... 57 Day-by-Day Results............................... 74-75 Longest Hitting Streaks in Curve History......................... 54 Individual Statistics..................................... 77 Lowest Round Draft Selections with 2005 Pirates....... 117 Major League Rehab Assignments with Curve............. 99 Transactions........................................ 78-79 Pirates Affiliates in the Eastern League.......................... 16 CURVE HISTORY & RECORDS................. 81-98 Pirates Spring Training Camp Sites.................................. 29 Franchise History.................................. 82-83 Top Single-Game Performances, Curve History............. 97 Year-by-Year Results.................................. 84 Western PA Natives in Pirates’ Organization................. 33 Year-by-Year Team Leaders........................ 85 The 2006 Altoona Curve Media & Information Guide is a All-Time Roster..................................... 86-87 publication of the Curve Baseball LP Media Relations Altoona to “The Show”............................. 88 Department. All information current as of March 27, 2006. Retired Number: Adam Hyzdu..................... 89 This publication was researched and written by Jason All-Time Records.................................. 90-95 Dambach, Billy Harner and Joe Moore of the Curve Single-Season Top 5 Category Leaders........ 96 Baseball LP Media Relations Department. Layout, design and editing by Jason Dambach. Front cover Career Top 5 Category Leaders.................. 97 design by Bill Edevane. Back cover design by Nathan Opening Day Lineups/All-Stars/MVPs.......... 98 Wygonik of Gazette Printers. THE EASTERN LEAGUE........................... 99-109 Photos used in this publication provided by Pittsburgh Eastern League Information............... 100-101 Pirates’ Team Photographer Dave Arrigo and J.D. Cavrich. 2005 Eastern League Review.............. 102-103 Statistical information provided in part by Major League 2005 Curve Opponents..................... 104-109 Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), 75 Ninth Avenue, PIRATES ORGANIZATION.................... 111-125 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011. Pirates Directory...................................... 112 Printed by Gazette Printers, 775 Indian Springs Road, 2006 Pirates 40-man Roster....................... 113 Indiana, PA 15701, (724) 349-3434. 2005 Organizational Leaders...................... 114 Special thanks to Jim Trdinich and Dan Hart of the Recent Top 10 Draft Selections.................. 115 Pittsburgh Pirates’ PR Department, Bryan Minniti and Diane DePasquale of the Pirates’ Baseball Operations Pirates Affiliates................................ 116-125 staff, Jon Schaeffer of the Lynchburg Hillcats, Cory Giger GENERAL INFORMATION..................... 127-134 of the Altoona Mirror, John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times and Baseball America and Dan Lutz. Blair County Ballpark................................. 128 Curve Ticket Information.......................... 129 Further information on the 2006 Altoona Curve is Curve Attendance............................. 130-131 available through the Curve Media Relations Department by calling (814) 943-5400 x194 or by visiting Directions/Pre-Game Schedule/Etc............. 132 www.altoonacurve.com. 2006 Curve Radio Network........................ 133 © 2006 Curve Baseball LP Medical Glossary................................ 134-135 WWW.ALTOONACURVE.COM 1 2006 E.L. ALL-STAR GAME THE STARS WILL SHINE IN ALTOONA THIS SUMMER! On July 9, 2005 the Altoona Curve and Blair County Ballpark were officially selected as the hosts for the 2006 Eastern League All-Star Game and surrounding events. The announcement was made by league President Joe McEacharn in front of a packed crowd prior to that night’s Curve home game. The E.L. Midsummer Classic will take place on Wednesday, July 12th with other ballpark and community events scheduled for Tuesday, July 11th and Wednesday the 12th. The 2006 UPMC Health Plan Eastern League All-Star Game will feature the stars of the Southern Division (Altoona, Akron, Bowie, Erie, Harrisburg and Reading) against the top players from the Northern Division (Binghamton, Connecticut, New Britain, New Hampshire, Portland and Trenton). Each team will be comprised of 24 players, with every league club being represented by at least one pitcher and one position player. The teams will be selected through a combination of fan balloting and selections from managers, coaches, media and team personnel. THE ALL-STAR WEEK EXPERIENCE! In addition to the 2006 UPMC Health Plan Eastern League All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 12th, the Curve have several ballpark and community events scheduled for both Tuesday, July 11th and Wednesday the 12th. The signature event surrounding the E.L. All-Star Game will be the All-Star Gala Event, which will take place at Blair County Ballpark on the evening of July 11th. Highlighting the evening will be a concert by rock ‘n roll icon Eddie Money. Money will be performing several of his hit songs from his 30-year career, including his 1977 debut hit “Two Tickets to Paradise” and his most famous hit song, “Take Me Home Tonight”. Other Gala Event highlights include elegant dining in a casual ballpark atmosphere with hors d’oeuvres, pasta, seafood, prime rib, vegetables, desserts, autographs and interaction with All-Star players, coaches and Eastern League executives and a spectacular fireworks display to cap the evening. Also, fans will be able to view the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game from PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Blair County Ballpark’s large 1,000 square foot videoboard. Limited tickets are available to this unique and exclusive event for $100 each. SHOWCASING BLAIR COUNTY BALLPARK AND ALTOONA! For the first time in franchise history, the Eastern League All-Star Game is coming to Altoona, giving out-of-town visitors an opportunity to enjoy the state-of-the-art amenities and overall beauty that Blair County Ballpark offers while also giving visitors the chance to enjoy Altoona-area attractions such as the famous Horseshoe Curve and historic Lakemont Park. Altoona and the entire Central Pennsylvania region will be in full view of regional and national media who will be covering the event. 2 2006 ALTOONA CURVE MEDIA & INFORMATION GUIDE CURVE BASEBALL LP The Altoona Curve’s ownership group, Curve Baseball LP, was formed by Chuck Greenberg and a group of investors who agreed to purchase the Double-A Eastern League club from Robert F. Lozinak and Tate DeWeese on October 17, 2001. The final sale of the club was approved in March 2002 and Greenberg became President and Managing Partner. Curve Baseball LP’s limited partners include prominent local businessmen Steve Sheetz and Donald Devorris as well as well-known Pittsburgh sports icons, Jerome Bettis and Mario Lemieux. Bettis and Lemieux have each embraced their involvement with the Curve, having each made trips to Blair County Ballpark and having their likenesses used by the club on popular giveaway items, such as bobblehead dolls. Ironically, both Bettis and Lemieux announced their retirements from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins, respectively, within a one-week span in February 2006. Since taking over ownership of the Curve in 2002, the group has invested heavily in capital improve- ments to Blair County Ballpark, which already was considered one of the finest minor league baseball facilities in the country. In 2003, Curve Baseball LP spent over $1 million on the addition of a new third-base Picnic Pavilion, left-field Party Deck and an outfield bleacher section to increase the seating capacity of the ballpark from 6,176 to 7,210. For the 2006 season, the group spent another $1 million in private money to add a brand-new 1,000 square foot video scoreboard, which is one of the largest in all of minor league baseball. In 2005, Curve Baseball LP announced plans to purchase a second affiliated minor league club in State College, PA and that the team would play in a brand-new facility on the campus of Penn State University, which it would share with the Nittany Lions’ varsity baseball team. Groundbreaking ceremonies at the future site of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park (pictured left) took place on May 18, 2005 with Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell