Cleats and call-ups: Today’s Pirates earned their stripes with the Curve
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ALTOONA — Over the years, Altoona Curve fans have gotten a chance to see talent like Gerrit Cole, Andrew McCutchen, Endy Rodriguez and, recently, Oneil Cruz before they got called up to play for the Pirates.
Henry Davis, who began the season with Altoona before moving on to the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, played his first MLB game June 19, firing a double down the left-field line in his first plate appearance.
“We also just celebrated our 200th alumni to get called up to the majors,” said Jon Mozes, communication director for the Double-A Curve. “So far we’ve had 205 players get called up.”
In the locker room, pitcher Brad Case is thinking about tonight’s game, but his potential future is never far from his mind.
Case, 26, a New York native from just outside the Big Apple, is in his third year with the Curve after being drafted by the Pirates in 2018. He played briefly with the Pirates’ former minor-league affiliate the West Virginia Black Bears, as well as the Greensboro and Bradenton affiliates, before joining the Curve.
“It’s pretty wild showing up at a baseball field every day,” Case said.
In an office just down the hall, Curve manager Callix Crabbe is munching on Goldfish crackers that were probably intended for his young sons, who are kicking a soccer ball around his office.
Crabbe played a decade of professional baseball with the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays after being drafted in 2002 by the Milwaukee Brewers. He is in his first year as Curve manager after coming from the High-A Greensboro affiliate.
But unlike an MLB manager’s lineup, Crabbe’s roster changes on a regular basis. By September, it could be almost completely different. In addition, Pirates front-office staff provide input on which players they’d like to see in the lineup and how often they’d like them to play.
“You have to have an overarching goal — winning — but you’re also unpacking what each player brings to the clubhouse,” said Crabbe, a native of the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Ultimately, you want to focus on developing players.”
Crabbe said one of his biggest assets is experience.
“As a former player and MLB coach, it’s important to know what the day-to-day grind is,” he said. “You try to help players develop a long-term view, and you try to create an environment that makes people want to come back every day, even though it’s sometimes difficult.”
In the offseason, Case will look to earn extra income with a job at a local restaurant or bar. He said the day-to-day grind of minor-league ball can sometimes be frustrating.
“Sometimes you see a guy get called up and you go, ‘Him?’ ” Case said with a laugh. “With other guys, you can’t believe that they aren’t already in MLB.”
One thing is for sure: There’s nothing like seeing a teammate get the good news.
“I love seeing guys go to the big leagues,” he said. “Watching someone cry when they find out they’re going to The Show is awesome every time.”