I was down at the ballpark on Monday, enjoying the wonderful Opening Day festivities. Here are a few photos that I snapped from my upper deck seat, as well as a short video of the game's final out. As usual, check the Flickr feed for additional photos.

Who's who in the coaching box for the Pirates' minor league affiliates: � (part one)

Indianapolis Indians (AAA)

Manager Frank Kremblas

• second season as Indians' manager
• had four seasons as manager of AAA Nashville (Brewers)
• former catcher and infielder in the Reds' organization
• played for the Indians (mostly infield) in 1993 - 96, and hit .227 with 9 home runs and 68 RBI

Hitting Coach Jeff Branson

• second season as Indians' hitting coach
• spent two seasons as manager at Lynchburg and 4 seasons coaching in the Pirates' organization
• played as an infielder for the Indians in 1997 and 1999, and in the major leagues for the Reds, Indians, and Dodgers

Pitching Coach Dean Traynor

• first season as the Indians' pitching coach, replacing Ray Searage
• Curve pitching coach in 2009
• has been manager and pitching coach for 23 seasons in the minor leagues for the Marlins, Dodgers, Expos, Padres, and Cleveland Indians
• 5 seasons as a minor league pitcher in the Reds' organization

Altoona Curve (AA)

Manager Matt Walbeck

• second season as Curve manager
• managed in the Detroit Tigers' minor league season for 4 seasons
• Texas Rangers' third base coach in 2008
• 11 years as a major league catcher �with the Cubs, Twins, Tigers, Angels, and Phillies

Tim Williams of Bucco Fans reports that the Pirates have released pitching prospect Nelson Pereira. Pereira, 21, posted a 3.74 FIP in 49.2 innings...

The Pirates stretched their Opening Day winning streak to four games. Garrett Jones hit two homers and knocked in three and the Pirates also got three RBI from Ryan Doumit and newcomer Ryan Church. That outburst supported Zach Duke, who earned the win with five innings pitched.

Two more players for the Indy Indians, who open (along with the rest of the minors) on Thursday:

Steve Pearce was the Pirates' 8th round pick in the 2005 draft. �He exploded onto the Pirates' radar with an amazing 2007 season, during which he hit .347 with 11 homers and 24 RBI in 19 games at A+ Lynchburg, .334 with 14 homers and 72 RBI in 81 games at AA Altoona, and .320 with 6 homers and 17 RBI in 34 games at AAA Indianapolis. �He made his major league debut on Sept 1st of that year, and hit .294 in 23 games with the Pirates, though without any homers. �The 2008 season was more of a struggle for Pearce. �He was busy learning how to play the outfield while in Indianapolis, and he hit better when he played first base than when he was stationed in right field. �He hit .251 overall for the Indians, with 12 homers and 60 RBI, and earned a call up to the Pirates, but also struggled more there, hitting .248 with 4 homers and 15 RBI in 37 games.

Pearce returned to Indianapolis to begin the 2009 season. �He got off to a very slow start, with just 3 hits in his first 9 games. �He got on a roll in the last 8 games of the month, going 13-for- 33, including ging 4-for-5 with a double and a home run on April 23rd. �That slid into more hitting in the first half of May, when Pearce hit .333. �After another slow week, he had 9 hits in 5 games at the end of the month, including another 4-for-5 game on May 29th. �That gave him a .288 average for the month of May, with 3 homers and 15 RBI.

Rob Biertempfel tweets that the Pirates will likely trade Brandon Moss for a prospect today.

If you have been following PLC’s 2009 vs. 2010 series closely, you may have noticed some things that did not add up. The offense, defense and pitching is all projected to be close to average. That would seem to indicate a season around .500. However, when compared to the 2009 numbers, the team only projects to improve by about five wins, which would be a win total of 67. Something’s off.

Two bullpen additions to the Indianapolis Indians for the 2010 season.... only a few days until Opening Day!

Steven Jackson is a right-hander from South Carolina, who was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 10th round of the 2004 draft. �After three seasons in their organization, almost entirely as a starting pitcher, Jackson (along with Ross Ohlendorf) was traded to the Yankees in the deal for Randy Johnson. �The Yankees put Jackson into the starting lineup to begin the 2007 at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but found that he did much better working out of the bullpen. �Jackson also split the 2008 season between AAA and AA in the Yankees' organization. �He started in Trenton, where he made 15 relief appearances, for 31.1 innings, earning a 1-3 record and 2 saves, with a 5.74 ERA and 37 strikeouts. �He got better when he moved up to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. �In one start and 33 relief appearances, Jackson had a 3-0 record and 4 saves, with a 3.17 ERA over 48.1 innings, including 54 strikeouts. �Jackson began the 2009 season back at S/W-B, and had pitched in 7 games, earning one save, in 14.1 innings. �He had a 1.88 ERA but had allowed 16 hits with 3 earned runs, 3 walks, and 8 strikeouts. �But the Yankees needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster, so Jackson was designated for assignment, and the Pirates claimed him off waivers on May 18th. �He was optioned to AAA Indianapolis, where he made 4 relief appearances over the rest of May: �one scoreless 1-inning performance, two scoreless 2-inning performance, and one inning in which he gave up 4 earned runs on 3 hits and a walk.

The Pirates made the last moves needed this morning to get their roster ready for Opening Day:

Infielder Ramon Vasquez was designated for assignment. �The Pirates have 10 days to release him, trade him, or waive him. �He's owed a $2 million contract, but the Pirates have said that they would pay that out if they need to. �Vasquez's spot on the 40-man roster opens up....

Pitcher�Jose Ascanio was placed on the 60-day disabled list. �He had shoulder surgery and isn't expected to be back for quite some time yet. �That opens another spot on the 40-man roster.

Pitcher Joel Hanrahan was placed on the 15-day disabled list. �His right elbow strain is expected to be rested and ready to go within another week or so. �Still, another roster spot opens.

Relief pitchers DJ Carrasco and Jack Taschner, who were in camp as non-roster invitees on minor league contracts, both made the major league team. �They were added to the 40-man roster, filling in two of those vacated spots.

Reliever Hayden Penn, who was claimed off waivers this past week, has made the major league team. �He's also on the 40-man roster. �Management has indicated that they will want to see some consistency in his pitching.

Outfielder John Raynor, the team's Rule 5 Draft Pick, has made the major league team. �He was already on the 40-man roster. �He'll also have to remain on the 25-man roster, unless he's on the Disabled List, for the entire season, or else be offered back to the Marlins.

1B/OF Steve Pearce has been optioned to AAA Indianapolis. �This is not unexpected, especially with Raynor making the team. �Pearce has this option year left, which others did not have, so this avoids exposing another player to waivers.

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Minor league rosters should be finalized within the next couple of days. �The Indy Indians usually arrive in town by Tuesday and have a couple of workouts. �The minor league season will begin the on Thursday, with the Indians and the West Virginia Power on the road, and the Altoona Curve and the Bradenton Marauders opening at home.

Dejan Kovacevic reports that Hayden Penn has likely made the opening day roster. UPDATE (12:40 PM): From the same link, Dejan adds that Ramon Vazquez...

Phillies (Reading Phillies) �4, �Pirates (Altoona Curve) �3 � (box)

The Pirates' spring training schedule ended this afternoon with another game at Citizens' Bank Park in Philadelphia. �The starters got things going, and the Philadelphia starters did all of their scoring, but by the end of the game, it was mostly the AA level players who were on the field -- and they scored two of the Pirates' three runs.

Starter Paul Maholm pitched 3 innings, and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits -- and apparently was not feeling well most of the day. �He gave up a double followed by an RBI single in the 2nd inning, and two singles for the second run in the 3rd inning.

Hayden Penn, who was acquired by the Pirates off waivers from the Marlins this week, made his second appearance in a Pirates' uniform. �He had pitched 1.2 innings and gave up 2 hits (one brought in a run) on Thursday. �Today, he entered the game in the 4th inning, and it was not the inning he wanted to show off to Pirates' management. �Jayson Werth sent Penn's 2-1 pitch over the left field wall for a solo home run. �A double and a single put runners on the corners with no outs. �A double play let the runner from third base score, before Penn struck out the next batter to end the inning.

Brendan Donnelly, Octavio Dotel, Jack Taschner, and Michael Dubee each pitched a 1-2-3 inning to wrap it up for the Pirates. �Dubee, up from the Curve, had the experience of pitching in front of his father, Phillies' pitching coach Rich Dubee, and a host of family and friends -- in the stadium where he hung out with his dad as a teen and a college student.

The Pirates' regulars got the first run on the board, in the 2nd inning. �1B Jeff Clement led off with a single, 3B Andy LaRoche walked, and SS Ronny Cedeno singled to load the bases with no outs. �C Jason Jaramillo popped into an unusual double play: �he popped up to short left field, and the runners held up because it looked like Phillies' shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who was going backwards, was going to catch it. �But at the last second, the ball popped out of his glove. �Clement scored from third, with an RBI going to Jaramillo. �Rollins was able to pick up the ball and fire in to second, to force out Cedeno, and then the relay to third beat LaRoche, for a double play.

The Curve players started entering the game in the 4th inning: �RF Miles Durham, SS Chase d'Arnaud, and 3B Jordy Mercer, with Steve Pearce at first base. �RF�Alex Presley and 2B Josh Harrison came in for the 5th, and C Hector Gimenez in the 7th. �Jim Negrych and Kris Watts each got a pinch-hitting appearance. �D'Arnaud singled in the 6th, but was left on base. �Negrych, Durham, and Pearce led off the 8th inning with consecutive singles, and Negrych came around from second to score easily on Pearce's RBI single. �Presley singled with one out in the 9th, and Watts moved him to third base with a line drive into right field. �Durham's RBI single brought in Presley, but Watts and Durham were left stranded on base when Pearce struck out to end the inning and the game.

That's it for the spring. �The Pirates headed right to Pittsburgh after the game. �They will have a workout tomorrow, and the final roster decisions must be made by 3 pm.

The Indianapolis Indians were also scheduled to play their last spring training game today, against the Phillies' AAA team, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. �No word about the results. �Minor league rosters should be announced within a couple more days.

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