http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/players/andy_vasquez/142804 Recent articles about Andy Vasquez en-us TOP OF THE SYSTEM A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today.  Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup can be found by clicking the player names below. Players who weren’t in the original top 20 are linked to their player page on the site. 1. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Indianapolis (2-1, 2.23) - DNP 2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Altoona (2-4, 3.26) - DNP 3. Gregory Polanco, CF, Bradenton (.303) - DNP 4. Alen Hanson, SS, Bradenton (.259) – 2-for-4 5. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training 6. Josh Bell, RF, West Virginia (.291) - 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB 7. Barrett Barnes, CF, West Virginia (.220) - Low-A DL 8. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, West Virginia (2-0, 1.80) - DNP 9. Kyle McPherson, RHP, Indianapolis (0-1, 19.29) – Triple-A DL 10. Nick Sun, 12 May 2013 01:53:08 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_bell_homers_oliver_wins_despite_command_issues/13599509 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_bell_homers_oliver_wins_despite_command_issues/13599509 Prospect Watch: Bell Homers, Oliver Wins Despite Command Issues http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/prospect_watch_bell_homers_oliver_wins_despite_command_issues/13599509 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png TOP OF THE SYSTEM A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today.  Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup can be found by clicking the player names below. Players who weren’t in the original top 20 are linked to their player page on the site. 1. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Indianapolis (2-1, 2.31) - DNP 2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Altoona (2-3, 3.03) - DNP 3. Gregory Polanco, CF, Bradenton (.306) - 2-for-3, BB 4. Alen Hanson, SS, Bradenton (.242) – 0-for-2, BB 5. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training 6. Josh Bell, RF, West Virginia (.266) - 1-for-3 7. Barrett Barnes, CF, West Virginia (.220) - Low-A DL 8. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, West Virginia (1-0, 1.80) - DNP 9. Kyle McPherson, RHP, Indianapolis (0-1, 19.29) - Triple-A DL 10. Nick Kingham, Sat, 04 May 2013 01:59:05 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_nick_kingham_and_orlando_castro_continue_strong_starts/13548308 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_nick_kingham_and_orlando_castro_continue_strong_starts/13548308 Prospect Watch: Nick Kingham and Orlando Castro Continue Strong Starts http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/prospect_watch_nick_kingham_and_orlando_castro_continue_strong_starts/13548308 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Andy Vasquez has been a surprising bright spot in the Altoona offense. The Curve lost their best hitter when Adalberto Santos went down with a hip injury April 15, and the offense has struggled for noticeable spells in the early season.  Santos returned Tuesday night, so there is some optimism he’ll be able to pick up where he left off prior to his injury. Andy Vasquez has been the team’s best hitter over the past ten games putting up a .417/.432/.556 line, followed by Matt Curry’s .316/.381/.500.  Vasquez is a bit old at 25 and has never been all that highly regarded as a prospect, signing out of the Dominican Republic at age 20.  His major problem has been plate discipline, so even at points when he’s hit well, his low walk rate and high strikeout rate have made it difficult to project him as anything other than an organizational player. In a small sample size in 2013, Vasquez has a 6.8% walk-rate about double what it was 2010-2012, and he’s already striking out less so far.  There’s not a l Wed, 01 May 2013 10:00:07 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_notebook_vasquez_curry_and_lambo_leading_the_altoona_offense/13527350 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_notebook_vasquez_curry_and_lambo_leading_the_altoona_offense/13527350 Prospect Notebook: Vasquez, Curry, and Lambo leading the Altoona offense http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/prospect_notebook_vasquez_curry_and_lambo_leading_the_altoona_offense/13527350 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Altoona Curve fell to the Akron Aeros tonight 5-0 at People’s Natural Gas field.  For the second night in a row, the team struggled at the plate, registering only four hits, all singles.  Right-hander David Bromberg got the start, giving up three earned runs over six innings, and the Curve ran themselves out of potential run scoring situations by getting pick off three times.  The few highlights were defensive, including some good throws from catcher Carlos Paulino and an outfield assist from right fielder Alex Dickerson. David Bromberg allowed three runs in six innings. Bromberg flashes good curveball in the loss David Bromberg got his second start for Altoona tonight and took the loss, pitching six innings and giving up three earned runs on eight hits with no walks and four strikeouts.  All three of the Aeros runs came on homers, a solo blast by third baseman Gregory Urshela in the 2nd inning and a two-run shot by left fielder Bo Greenwell in the fifth. “I left a fastball up and middle-in [to Ur Wed, 01 May 2013 01:55:27 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/curve_shutout_by_aeros_as_bats_go_quiet/13525499 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/curve_shutout_by_aeros_as_bats_go_quiet/13525499 Curve shutout by Aeros as bats go quiet http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/curve_shutout_by_aeros_as_bats_go_quiet/13525499 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png TOP OF THE SYSTEM A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today.  Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup can be found by clicking the player names below. Players who weren’t in the original top 20 are linked to their player page on the site. 1. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Indianapolis (2-1, 2.31) - DNP 2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Altoona (2-2, 3.03) - DNP 3. Gregory Polanco, CF, Bradenton (.318) - 0-for-3 4. Alen Hanson, SS, Bradenton (.247) - 0-for-3 5. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training 6. Josh Bell, RF, West Virginia (.277) - 2-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI 7. Barrett Barnes, CF, West Virginia (.237) - 3-for-5, SB 8. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, West Virginia (1-0, 1.80) - 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 0 HR 9. Kyle McPherson, RHP, Indianapolis ( Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:46:57 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_stetson_allie_homers_twice_strong_starts_from_pimentel_glasnow_oliver/13516424 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_stetson_allie_homers_twice_strong_starts_from_pimentel_glasnow_oliver/13516424 Prospect Watch: Stetson Allie Homers Twice; Strong Starts From Pimentel, Glasnow, Oliver http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/prospect_watch_stetson_allie_homers_twice_strong_starts_from_pimentel_glasnow_oliver/13516424 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Below are the top Runs Created* totals in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system from the last week. The rankings include every hitter who had an at-bat for a Pirates’ minor league affiliate, not including DSL teams, and with no limitations on whether the hitter has prospect eligibility. Players who spent time at different levels are counted multiple times, once for each level, rather than combining their stats. Notes on the top ten players from the last week can be found below the chart. *Runs Created is a stat created by Bill James used to estimate how many runs an individual contributes to his team. There are many formulas for runs created. For these purposes the basic formula is used. That formula is ((H + BB) * (1B + (2*2B) + (3*3B) + (4*HR))) / (AB + BB). Jose Osuna has a .417/.476/.528 line over his last ten games. Jose Osuna started the 2013 season slow for the Bradenton Marauders. He wasn’t making much hard contact, and wasn’t hitting for average. In the last few weeks he’s started to hit Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:21:41 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/top_performers_jose_osunas_bat_is_starting_to_come_alive/13513307 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/top_performers_jose_osunas_bat_is_starting_to_come_alive/13513307 Top Performers: Jose Osuna’s Bat is Starting to Come Alive http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/top_performers_jose_osunas_bat_is_starting_to_come_alive/13513307 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png TOP OF THE SYSTEM A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today.  Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup can be found by clicking the player names below. Players who weren’t in the original top 20 are linked to their player page on the site. 1. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Indianapolis (2-1, 2.31) - DNP 2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Altoona (2-2, 3.03) - DNP 3. Gregory Polanco, CF, Bradenton (.329) - 0-for-4 4. Alen Hanson, SS, Bradenton (.256) - 0-for-4 5. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training 6. Josh Bell, RF, West Virginia (.268) - 2-for-4 7. Barrett Barnes, CF, West Virginia (.182) – DNP 8. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, West Virginia (0-0, 2.40) - DNP 9. Kyle McPherson, RHP, Indianapolis (0-1, 19.29) - Triple-A DL 10. Nick Kingham, RHP, Bradent Sun, 28 Apr 2013 20:54:58 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_kingham_strikes_out_13_morton_goes_six_in_rehab_start/13507709 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_kingham_strikes_out_13_morton_goes_six_in_rehab_start/13507709 Prospect Watch: Kingham Strikes Out 13, Morton Goes Six in Rehab Start http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/prospect_watch_kingham_strikes_out_13_morton_goes_six_in_rehab_start/13507709 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/e/dea87277e30c5cc53d672cff33889d3aaa748a97/mini/MLB_Pirates_vs_160f.jpg TOP OF THE SYSTEM A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today.  Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup can be found by clicking the player names below. Players who weren’t in the original top 20 are linked to their player page on the site. 1. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Indianapolis (1-1, 2.76) - DNP 2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Altoona (2-1, 2.63) - DNP 3. Gregory Polanco, CF, Bradenton (.338) -  0-for-4 4. Alen Hanson, SS, Bradenton (.243) - 0-for-4 5. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training 6. Josh Bell, RF, West Virginia (.289) - 1-for-3, 2B, BB 7. Barrett Barnes, CF, West Virginia (.200) - 2-for-3, BB 8. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, West Virginia (0-0, 1.54) - DNP 9. Kyle McPherson, RHP, Indianapolis (0-1, 19.29) - Triple-A DL 10. Nick Kin Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:54:27 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_morton_throws_four_shutout_innings_bad_night_for_offense/13469680 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_morton_throws_four_shutout_innings_bad_night_for_offense/13469680 Prospect Watch: Morton Throws Four Shutout Innings, Bad Night For Offense http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/prospect_watch_morton_throws_four_shutout_innings_bad_night_for_offense/13469680 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/e/ee65327d9135efe6a34ba1fc35893bf211d05184/mini/mlb-pirates-giants-apr.jpg TOP OF THE SYSTEM A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today.  Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup can be found by clicking the player names below. Players who weren’t in the original top 20 are linked to their player page on the site. 1. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Indianapolis (0-1, 6.00) - DNP 2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Altoona (1-1, 1.64) - DNP 3. Gregory Polanco, CF, Bradenton (.268) - 0-for-5, SB 4. Alen Hanson, SS, Bradenton (.191) - 0-for-4, 3 K 5. Luis Heredia, RHP, Extended Spring Training 6. Josh Bell, RF, West Virginia (.293) - DNP 7. Barrett Barnes, CF, Extended Spring Training 8. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, West Virginia (0-0, 0.00) - DNP 9. Kyle McPherson, RHP, Indianapolis (0-0, 9.00) - Triple-A DL 10. Nick Kingham, RHP, Bradent Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:26:07 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_tony_sanchez_shows_some_offense_stetson_allie_keeps_hitting/13398640 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_watch_tony_sanchez_shows_some_offense_stetson_allie_keeps_hitting/13398640 Prospect Watch: Tony Sanchez Shows Some Offense, Stetson Allie Keeps Hitting http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/prospect_watch_tony_sanchez_shows_some_offense_stetson_allie_keeps_hitting/13398640 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Nick Kingham was sitting 93-95 MPH through two innings today. Nick Kingham pitched his first game today against the New York Yankees minor league system. Kingham started the Double-A game, going two innings while allowing three runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts. The right-hander ran into some trouble in the first inning, getting hit around and having some trouble with his fastball command. After a visit to the mound from pitching coach Justin Meccage, Kingham responded with two quick outs, including striking out the last batter of the inning. “He just said attack,” Kingham said of what Meccage told him. “Go get the hitter, don’t try to trick him, or do anything, or falling behind and trying to use too much off-speed. Just go ahead and get the fastball, attack with that, and establish that, and work off that.” The right-hander noted that he had some trouble locating his fastball today, which made it harder to establish the pitch and use his other offerings. One thing that did stand out Fri, 15 Mar 2013 22:40:06 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_notebook_a_look_at_nick_kinghams_constantly_increasing_velocity/13156666 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/prospect_notebook_a_look_at_nick_kinghams_constantly_increasing_velocity/13156666 Prospect Notebook: A Look at Nick Kingham’s Constantly Increasing Velocity http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/prospect_notebook_a_look_at_nick_kinghams_constantly_increasing_velocity/13156666 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png For the most part, a player getting no minutes in an NBA game means one of three things.  He is either injured, he is getting rested, or he is suspended.  None of those three things were the case for Kris Humphries of the Brooklyn Nets.  He was simply benched for basketball reasons says coach Avery Johnson. Andy Vasquez of The Record reports that Johnson benched Humphries as a way of shaking things up and trying out a new lineup.  It seemed to have worked as the Nets won 95-92 over the Philadelphia 76ers.  But Humphries' benching was surprising nonetheless. With no injury involved, Humphries would normally be called upon to play some minutes.  He is averaging 23.2 minutes per game.  That's not a small chunk.  When he is playing, Humphries averages 7.1 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game.While Avery Johnson said the move was a basketball decision, there was still suspicion that Humphiries had done something wrong.  Johnson said that wasn't the case after the game. Avery on Humphri Mon, 24 Dec 2012 07:24:00 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kris_humphries_benched_for_non_injury_reasons_in_nets_win/12503062 http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/kris_humphries_benched_for_non_injury_reasons_in_nets_win/12503062 Kris Humphries Benched for Non-Injury Reasons in Nets' Win http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/kris_humphries_benched_for_non_injury_reasons_in_nets_win/12503062 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/5/6/56d10fe79e041bd2a8f81c3e1c2685eda152f1d0/mini/nba-shop-shop.jpg In Winter League action yesterday, Starling Marte went 2-for-4, with two singles and a stolen base. He has a .321/.400/.509 line through 14 games and has been successful on all three stolen base attempts. In other action in the Dominican, Anderson Hernandez went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He has a .256/.333/.366 line in 23 games. Andy Vasquez made a rare appearance yesterday playing in just his sixth game, all off the bench. He pinch ran in the eighth inning for former Pirates farmhand, Steve Lerud. In the Venezuelan League, Ramon Cabrera continued his Winter League difficulties, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and his second throwing error in as many games. Cabrera is hitting .115 after twelve games. His teammate Darren Ford went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. His 118 AB’s in Winter ball, are tops among all Pirates players. Ryan Reid picked up his fifth save, throwing a scoreless ninth inning to nail down the victory. He allowed one single and struck out a batter, lowering his ERA to 1.59 in the process. Sat, 17 Nov 2012 12:58:29 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/winter_leagues_recap_two_hits_for_marte/12235801 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/winter_leagues_recap_two_hits_for_marte/12235801 Winter Leagues Recap: Two Hits for Marte http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/winter_leagues_recap_two_hits_for_marte/12235801 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png In Winter League action yesterday, Starling Marte went 0-for-2 with two walks, pushing his off-season walk total to seven in just 11 games. He has a .333/.429/.571 line in 42 AB’s, with two homers and two stolen bases. He is playing for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican League. In other Dominican League action, Anderson Hernandez went 1-for-5 with a run scored. He has a .288 average and .762 OPS in 66 AB’s. Andy Vasquez went 0-for-1 playing in just his fifth game, all off the bench. He is 0-for-3 on the season. Darren Ford went 1-for-6 with two strikeouts in the leadoff spot for Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan League. In 92 AB’s, he has a .261/.352/.326 line. Catcher Ramon Cabrera is also with that team, though he did not play yesterday. Shortstop Benji Gonzalez made his Winter League debut yesterday playing for Leones de Ponce of the Puerto Rico Baseball League, which was renamed this off-season in honor of Pirates’ great, Roberto Clemente. Gonzalez walked in his only plate appearance. In the Sat, 10 Nov 2012 10:52:05 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/winter_leagues_recap_marte_shows_patience_fuesser_dominates/12175735 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/winter_leagues_recap_marte_shows_patience_fuesser_dominates/12175735 Winter Leagues Recap: Marte Shows Patience, Fuesser Dominates http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/winter_leagues_recap_marte_shows_patience_fuesser_dominates/12175735 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Last night, my buddy Andy Vasquez, New Jersey Brooklyn Nets beat writer for The Record, Tweeted the above picture from DeShawn Stevenson’s Instrgram account and yep, he has an ATM in his freaking kitchen. Once Darren Rovell eventually confirmed it, the Interwebs and Twitter had its fun with Stevenson’s accessory, and the Nets guard responded to the strange claims that he might be going broke: Mediatakout said Imma be Broke umm No! Please it’s a 5 dollar charge!! So there you have it – not only does Stevenson have an ATM in his kitchen, but he charges people $5 to use it. Now I’m no big city banker type with a monocle and a cane that I twirl as people bundle their money into big burlap sacks with dollar signs on them, but I do know a thing or two about the signs that someone is hosting cash gambling games in his home. I’m pretty sure an ATM is a great indicator of that, otherwise Stevenson must have friends who are incredibly forgetful, like, “Oh no, I forgot to pay that parking fi... Wed, 30 May 2012 15:15:52 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/deshawn_stevenson_has_an_atm_in_his_kitchen/10904786 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/deshawn_stevenson_has_an_atm_in_his_kitchen/10904786 DeShawn Stevenson Has An ATM In His Kitchen http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/deshawn_stevenson_has_an_atm_in_his_kitchen/10904786 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/3/43df0e31c9732e6989c3ef3ee263e47f35467749/mini/80496929.jpg Pirates’ players and friend in winter league competition: DOMINICAN LEAGUE Toros del Este  6,  Gigantes del Cibao  5 A 2-run homer in the top of the 8th gave Los Toros the come-from-behind win.  Pirate minor leaguer Andy Vasquez came in to pinch run, and he also scored on the home run.  Reliever Tim Wood pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning.  He gave up two singles, and had some help from his center fielder, who threw out the lead runner at the plate to end the inning.  DH Matt Hague went 0-for-3 for Los Toros.   Leones del Escogido  5,  Aguilas Cibaenas  3 LF Starling Marte was also hitless for Los Leones.  Los Aguilas scored 3 runs in the top of the 3rd.  Escogido answered with one run in the bottom of that inning, then 3 runs in the 5th.  They added one run more run in the 7th.  Andy Marte entered the game as a defensive replacement at third base in the 7th inning.  He singled in the 8th inning, and was replaced by a pinch runner, though that runner did not score.   VENEZUELAN LEAGUE Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:27:45 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/winter_leagues_1021_scoreless_inning_for_wood/7575475 http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/winter_leagues_1021_scoreless_inning_for_wood/7575475 Winter Leagues 10/21– Scoreless Inning For Wood http://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/winter_leagues_1021_scoreless_inning_for_wood/7575475 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png