Alford looks at bigger picture, gets promoted again after giant surge

CINCINNATI — For Anthony Alford, the focus was never solely about getting backto the big leagues.

Designated for assignment in April when he struggled mightily out of the gate, Alford shifted his mindset while playing for Class AAA Indianapolis. Instead of mentally charting a path back to the Pirates, Alford thought of himself only as an Indianapolis Indian. He also took stock of the bigger picture, realizing that even if he couldn’t return to Pittsburgh, perhaps a scout or executive from another team might see him and give him an opportunity.

Because of that line of thinking, and the monster run that Alford has been on since June 1, his path did eventually lead back to the Pirates, as they selected his contract Saturday and started him in left field for a game against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

“When I was down there, I told myself, ‘I’m playing for the Indians, and I’m gonna do what I can to help this team win. And once I do become a Pirate again, I’ll do what I can to help them win.’ It’s kind of just living in the moment.”

On the physical side of things, Alford enjoyed working with hitting coach Jon Nunnally, the two making mechanical and approach based adjustments that allowed the 27-year-old outfielder to discover even more power.

Just one small example: Nunnally was able to clean up some of the wasted motion in Alford’s swing, allowing him to drive with power pitches heused to barely touch.

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“This is probably the best I’ve hit in my career,” Alford said. “I was able to elevate fastballs to the pull side better than I have ever done. A lot of it was because I was putting myself in a certain position. I wasn’t putting myself in that position in the past.”

Alford was hitting .307 with 12 doubles, 14 home runs, 41 RBIs, a .420 on-base percentage, a .593 slugging percentage and a 1.013 OPS in 56 games with Class AAA Indianapolis.The OPS and slugging were second in the Class AAA East, while the on-base percentage was third, the batting average seventh.

In 38 games since June 1, Alford hit .356 with 11 doubles, 12 home runs, 31 RBIs, a .456 on-base percentage, a .704 slugging percentage and 1.160 OPS.

With Ben Gamel on the 10day injured list because of a right hamstring strain, Alford should get a chance to play every day, as the Pirates evaluate what they have in the talented outfielder.

Alford, of course, won the starting center field job out of spring training but was sent out when he hit just .083 through 11 games, striking out 16 times in 29 plate appearances.

“When you send guys out and you give them challenges and they perform, you end up getting an opportunity to come back,” manager Derek Shelton said. “He deserves that with the adjustments he’s made. We’re looking for himto continue those.”

Alford laughed when prodded about what those are, arguing that he didn’t want to tip anyone off. But the biggest thing that changed isn’t exactly proprietary.

It’s more a mindset shift, starting with a simple thought.

That helped Alford get his body in position to do some damage, as opposed to simply reacting. Nunnally obviously play eda big part.

“He talked to me in ways that nobody else has ever talked to me my whole career,” Alford said. “He simplified a lot of stuff and made it funto work with him.”

Roster surprises

To make room for Alford on the active roster, the Pirates optioned Phillip Evans to Class AAA Indianapolis. No surprise there considering Evans had hit just .167 over his past 24 games, with a .521 OPS and one extra-base hit.

“He needs to get more consistent at-bats,” Shelton said of Evans. “The biggest thing is I think he’s gotten a little tentative. We’d like him to be a little bit more aggressive in his swings.”

Because the Pirates also needed to clear a 40-man roster spot, they also brought Erik Gonzalez back from his rehab assignment with Class AAA Indianapolis and designated him for assignment.

As Shelton explained, those reps are likely to go to younger players such as Hoy Park and Rodolfo Castro, and Gonzalez was caught up in a roster crunch. The versatile infielder was hitting .232 with a .558 OPS this season, the worst of his three-year career with the Pirates.

“That was a challenging one, especially with the kind of person Erik is,” Shelton said.