NOTEBOOK

Spikes balanced behind the plate

Guy Cipriano

UNIVERSITY PARK — The State College Spikes feature an egalitarian situation at catcher. Miguel Mendez and Craig Parry entered Tuesday's series opener against Aberdeen with identical statistics in three key categories.

View larger

Through 45 games, both catchers were batting .182 with 12 hits in 66 at-bats.

The numbers stunned manager Gary Robinson, who learned of the matching statistics after batting practice.

“It’s the best developmental process that I know,” he

said. “Nobody in the organization has put any pressure on me to make one of them a No. 1 and one of them a No. 2. The dictate I have from the organization is to make sure they are getting their playing time and to make sure they are getting their at-bats.”

Robinson said Mendez and Parry possess complimentary attributes.

Mendez bats right-handed. Parry bats left-handed.

Mendez has caught his entire professional career. Parry moved to catcher are playing the outfield last season.

“We need to develop both of those guys because we need to develop catching in our organization,” Robinson said. “We started playing them both and it seemed to work. We will probably continue to do that unless one gets super hot with the bat or super hot throwing people out or catches what we call a perfect game.”

Mendez and Parry are the only players who have caught for the Spikes since the Pittsburgh Pirates promoted first-round draft pick Tony Sanchez to full-season West Virginia in late June.

Infielder Carlos Silva catches bullpen sessions and serves as the team’s emergency catcher.

State College and Batavia are the only Pinckney Division teams with two catchers. A roster with just two catchers, instead of three, makes some of Robinson’s playing time decisions easier.

“Getting a third catcher into a game enough for him to develop is almost impossible,” he said.

Honoring the champs

The Spikes will relive one of the best moments in their parent’s club’s history tonight.

The team is conducting a tribute to the 30th anniversary of the Pirates’ 1979 World Series championship. The event’s highlight is an appearance by John Candelaria, who won Game 6 to force a Game 7.

Candelaria will throw out tonight’s first pitch and sign autographs from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Spikes are playing the Aberdeen Iron- Birds, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, the team the Pirates defeated in the ‘79 series. The Pirates have not appeared in a World Series game since defeating the Orioles.

Other events include video tributes honoring the team, a buy three get one ticket free family promotion and plenty of Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family.”

“It was really this simple: We are a Pirates affiliate, we are Pirates fans around here, it’s the 30th anniversary and we felt like we want to dedicate a night to honoring the 1979 Pirates,” Spikes general manager Jason Dambach said.

Adams reaches New York-Penn League

Former Philipsburg- Osceola star Matt Adams has reached the New York- Penn League.

The St. Louis Cardinals promoted Adams from rookie Johnson City to Batavia, and he went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in his NY-PL debut Monday against Williamsport. Adams, a 23rd-round pick out of Slippery Rock, forced the promotion by hitting .378 with six homers and 24 RBIs at Johnson City.

Adams’ manager at Batavia is former Spikes skipper Mark DeJohn. Former Spikes position coach Mike Shildt managed Adams in Johnson City.

The Muckdogs don’t play at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park again this season. The Spikes play at Batavia five times in their final 16 games.

Triple threat

Pat Irvine is taking advantage of Medlar Field’s spacious outfield gaps.

Irvine entered Tuesday tied for the NY-PL lead with five triples. Irvine recorded his most recent triple during the sixth inning of Monday’s victory over Jamestown. He belted his first five professional triples during home games.

Irvine already has tied Chase D’Arnaud and Quincy Latimore for the Spikes’ single-season record.

“Pat has a lot of pop in his bat and he’s going to find more,” Robinson said. “He runs better than you think he does and he does have an advantage that he plays in a big park. When a ball gets in the gap, you’re looking at least two, probably three. But he’s also very aggressive. He’s not afraid to try it.”

Irvine belted nine triples, including five this past spring, during his four-year career at Elon University.

Baker time

Left-hander Nathan Baker, a fifth-round pick out of Ole Miss, is expected to make his professional debut tonight. Baker went 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA this past spring and stayed active during contract negotiations by pitching in the Cape Cod League.

Phil Irwin, one of Baker’s best friends and college teammates, will start tonight’s game.

Guy Cipriano can be reached at 231-4643.