PPG:  Kovacevic:  200 and bust for many starters

The evils of Bakerism…

Nineteen National League pitchers logged 200-plus innings in 2007, with Snell tied for ninth at 208 and Gorzelanny 17th with 201 2/3. The list included most of the league’s top overall performers, with Brandon Webb, Jake Peavy, Aaron Harang, Carlos Zambrano, Roy Oswalt, John Smoltz, Brad Penny, Jeff Francis, Dontrelle Willis ...

Hey, seeing a pattern yet?

By any standard, but especially with a 21-year-old, that is extraordinary handling of a pitcher, and there is a widely held view within the industry that this example and others reflect poorly on Fresno State’s sixth-year coach, Mike Batesole, despite his team having won the NCAA championship two weeks ago.

Gerrymandering…

On its surface, it might appear the Pirates are intent on stocking all their Latin American signings on one minor-league affiliate, that being Bradenton of the rookie-level Gulf Coast League: Bradenton’s 33-man roster includes 20 players in that category, most freshly arrived from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

By contrast, State College, the next level up in the short-season New York-Penn League, has a 31-man roster with eight players in that category.

and conspiracy theory.

The numbers will show the Pirates have been lousy in the first inning, getting outscored, 62-35. But that discrepancy is not so great at home, where they have been outscored, 30-20.

There might be something to that.

Ask the players, and they will attest that, for a standard 7:05 p.m. game at PNC Park, any lingering sunshine during the first inning can create a dazzling glare off certain Downtown buildings that makes life miserable for hitters, especially visitors unaccustomed to it.

Trifecta!