Infield of the future is closer
third base a couple of times in high school. This spring he has spent some time at second base.
“It gives you a little more appreciation for what your second baseman does, being a shortstop and having always been a shortstop, what they do to turn a double play, because now I’m trying to do it and it’s not the easiest thing,” Newman said. “It definitely adds a little layer of respect for them.”
Kramer, 24, whom the Pirates took one round after Newman in 2015, had played all but four professional games at second base before playing shortstop in the Arizona Fall League last year.
“You get on the other side of the diamond and you can play that position a little bit more to your personality, a little bit more creative,” Kramer said. “It’s not so black-and-white as far as second base, where you just catch it and throw it and just get him out.”
Kramer also hit better as the competition stiffened. He performed well offensively with Class A Bradenton in 2016 (.277/.352/.378) but increased his slugging percentage by 100 points when he reached Altoona. An organizational charge, during the 2016 fall instructional league, to increase aggression in hitter’s counts and get the ball in the air more paid off for the left-handed hitter.
“My mission is to hit a line drive, a driven fly ball,” Kramer said. “That’s what I want to do, and if I miss, I don’t want it to be on the ground. I want it to be a fly ball. Honestly, what I found last year was I was missing and I was still hitting line drives. That’s kind of what weaim for.”
An errant pitch broke two bones on the back of Kramer’s right hand in June. The bones were supposed to heal in six weeks. It took 12. His wife travels with him, so while he rehabbed at Pirate City, they would go to the beach or barbecue. For the month he spent in Altoona, he read: Arnold Palmer’s “A Life Well Played,” books on personal development and leadership, former All-Star Shawn Green’s “The Way of Baseball: Finding Stillness at 95 mph.” He really liked that one. Minor league catcher Christian Kelley is reading it now, on Kramer’s recommendation.
Tucker, 21, referred to himselfas the baby brother of the group. His locker location befits his youth; it’s basically in the bathroom in LECOM Park’s clubhouse. But it’s also next to David Freese, Sean Rodriguez, Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer, and Tucker has not missed the opportunity to absorb.
“Freese is competitive and as good a preparer as I’ve been around,” Tucker said. “Sean’s dealt with every bit of adversity the game’s thrown at him and handles it with grace and he’s a great teammate. He’s helped me so much with relationships and just being a pro. Jordy’s obviously who I want to be, the starting shortstop. I’m asking him questions during infield every day. J-Hay’s got a ton of energy.”
Like the other two, Tucker dealt with injuries last year (a cracked right thumb and broken left hand). A .790 on-base plus slugging percentage in Bradenton earned Tucker a promotion, and after going 8 for 42 in a 10-game adjustment period with Altoona in July, Tucker hit .280/.372/.440 the rest of the way.
“I don’t want this to sound bad, but getting away from high school [helped], because in high school you’re by far the most talented guy there and you can hit pitches all over the zone,” said the switch-hitting Tucker, whom the Pirates drafted 24th overall out of Mountain Pointe High in Phoenix in 2014. “You don’t have to have a lot of discipline because you can
hit can hit a ball the a ball at talent at your your isn’t shoe, face, what you because we’re facingThe Pirates here.” won’t fret about middle-infield what to prospects do with three and two spots to play them. Baseball has a way of working these things out. The Pirates also have switch-hitting Max Moroff, who can play both positions and has major league experience. The three of them get it. They’re good friends, have been for years. They frequently play Pluck, a card game similar to spades, in the clubhouse. Newman and Kramer, California natives, are moving to Arizona in the offseason. “So we’re going to hang out and work out even more, which will be cool,” Tucker said. Then he laughed, to show he was kidding. “Or make things really awkward.”