The confusing case of Matt Walbeck, the Eastern League Manager of the Year, now jobless since the Pirates have declined to renew his contract....� I have no direct knowledge, not being in or around Altoona.

From Corey Giger of the Altoona Mirror:� "It's simple and complicated",�� and� it's going to give Walbeck the opportunity to find a AAA position elsewhere.�� And, "it was a communication issue", and maybe even a personality issue, with some players really liking Walbeck, and others not liking him at all.

From Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:� "not following the prescribed development programs and a lack of communication".

There are two sides to every story -- and there may even be more than two in this instance.� It does seem like there's more to this than we're going to hear about.

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Brad Lincoln needed 15 pitches (11 strikes) to strike out the side in the bottom of the 7th in last night's Pirates' game against the Marlins.� Joe Martinez pitched 2 innings in relief for Pittsburgh.� He gave up a 2-out double in the 5th, but left the runner on base.� Then he gave up another double and an RBI single in the 6th.

Brandon Moss was 1-for-19 when he entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the 8th, but he added 2 hits in the game -- a slow dribbler down the third base line for an infield single to load the bases.� He came around to score in that inning, then doubled in the 9th, scoring again on Pedro Alvarez's homer.� John Bowker played both right field and first base, and went 1-for-4, with a walk in the 8th to force in a run.� Argenis Diaz also walked to force in the next run in the inning.� Alex Presley came in to play center field in the bottom of the 7th, but he struck out in the both of his plate appearances.� Pedro Ciriaco had a pinch-hit single in the 5th inning.

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Team USA begins their first game in the Pan American Games/World Cup Qualifying Tournament tomorrow at 7:30 pm in Ponce, Puerto Rico, facing the Puerto Rican team.

The Arizona Fall League, with the Pirates' farmhands playing with the Mesa Solar Sox, begins play in 11 days.

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Pirates' minor leaguers C Erik Kratz and INF Chase d'Arnaud are off to Puerto Rico with Team USA for the Pan American Games Tournament.� The tournament is run by COPABE (Confederacion Panamericana de Beisbol) and is a World Cup qualifying tournament.� Team USA will be practicing at Roberto Clemente Stadium (a good omen for Pirates' minor leaguers) in Carolina, PR today, then at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan tomorrow (Friday).� Their first tournament game will be on Oct 2nd (Sat.), as the Americans face Puerto Rico in Ponce.� Team USA is also scheduled to play Aruba, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Panama in the first round of the tournament.

D'Arnaud was a recent addition to the Team USA roster, just this week, as Andrew Romine joined the Angels' active roster.� Kratz was also not on the original team, but joined last week when Brian Jeroloman (Blue Jays) was removed from the roster.

Former Pirate Brad Eldred, now in the Rockies' organization, is also a member of Team USA, as well as former Pirate farmhand Todd Redmond, now with the Braves.

Team Canada has been working out with Team USA in North Carolina, though the Canadians are in a different group for the first round of the tournament.� Pirate farmhand RHP Tom Boleska (Altoona) will be pitching for Canada.� Two former Pirates farmhands will join him -- LHP Dave Davidson and OF Jamie Romak.� Another familiar face will be in the third base coaching box:� former Altoona manager Tim Leiper.

Catching up on the past week:

More than 90 of the Pirates' minor league players and newly acquired draft picks who have yet to play their first pro games are busy in Bradenton with the Instructional League.� There is rarely any news about the goings-on at Instrux, though.� There are about a dozen games played, beginning in the next week or so.� Players who have already been through most of the regular season will be at camp through the first week of October, and those who had less playing time (or none at all) will continue to work for another couple of weeks.

The Arizona Fall League begins play in just under two weeks (Oct 12th).� The Pirates are sending seven players to the AFL, and they will be playing for the Mesa Solar Sox:� pitchers Justin Wilson, Aaron Pribanic, and Brian Leach; catcher Tony Sanchez; infielders Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer; outfielder Andrew Lambo.

The Pirates announced their organizational (minor league) awards:

Alex Presley (photo) was named the Minor League Hitter of the Year.� He split the season between the AA Altoona Curve and the AAA Indianapolis Indians, who named him Rookie of the Year.� In 67 games with the Curve, Presley hit .350 with 86 hits, 13 doubles, 7 triples, 6 homers, and 47 RBI.� In 69 games for the Tribe, Presley hit "only" .294, with another 80 hits, 15 doubles, 6 triples, 6 moer homers, and 38 RBI.� His combined 166 hits and .320 batting average lead all Pirates' minor leaguers for the 2010 season, and he was second in runs scored with 86.� Presley had a 19-game hitting streak while with the Curve.� On May 24th, Presley nearly hit for the cycle, with a double, a triple, and two homers and 8 RBI for the Curve.� Then, in his third game with the Indians, Presley did hit for the cycle, going 5-for-6, and becoming the first Indian player to do so at Victory Field (which is now 15 years old).

LHP Rudy Owens was named the Minor League Pitcher of the Year.� Owens spent the entire season with the Altoona Curve, as he won this award for the second season in a row.� He led the Eastern League with a 2.46 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, and earned a 12-6 record in the regular season.� In 150 innings, Owens allowed 124 hits and 41 earned runs, with 132 strikeouts and only 23 walks.� Opposing batters managed to hit only .226 against him.� Owens was named to the Eastern League's mid-season and post-season All-Star teams.� In the playoffs, Owens started the Curve's first game of the first round against the Harrisburg Senators, but got into trouble in the 2nd inning, and was charged with the loss.� He was the starter in the first game of the Curve's championship series against the Trenton Thunder, though he did not factor into the decision of that game, which the Thunder won in the 10th inning.

Both Presley and Owens (wearing his Curve jersey) were presented with their awards prior to last Sunday's game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

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