In the words of Mars Blackmon, it’s gotta be the shoes.
Over the last half-decade or so, Tyler Beede has eschewed the traditional models of baseball cleats, instead electing to rock sneakers-turned-spikes. The trend is a relatively new one in baseball, and Beede is one of many who’s riding the wave.
“I love the comfort of a basketball shoe more than a baseball shoe,” Beede said. “I just feel like I have more room in the shoe, and it’s a little more comfortable.”
The transition occurred in 2016 when Beede pitched for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Double-A affiliate of the Giants. Beede began by modifying two pairs of Kobes -- an all-black pair and a black-and-red pair, the latter of which matched Richmond’s color scheme. When the value of Kobes skyrocketed following the passing of the NBA legend, Beede converted to Kyries.
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The process is pretty straightforward. Beede begins, shockingly, by purchasing a pair of kicks. These days, he uses Wil Crowe’s Nike account to customize the shoes to his liking. Beede then sends them to Custom Cleats, and a week later, the company sends the shoes back with the spikes installed. In his estimation, Beede has about six or seven pairs currently in his rotation.
The sneakers-turned-spikes trend has become increasingly popular over the last several years, but sneakers aren’t the only types of footwear that ballplayers have converted into spikes. Michael Lorenzen gained popularity for wearing Vans converted into spikes. Beede recalled a friend who put cleats on wrestling shoes. Tyler Matzek has gone so far as to convert a pair of Christian Louboutins -- yes, red bottoms -- into cleats. Would Beede go that far?
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“I don’t think I would,” Beede said. “I’ve never been a designer shoe guy, so I don’t know the comfort of them. But man, hey, if it’s comfortable for you and you want to throw some [spikes] on them, go ahead.” |
PIRATES ADD INTRIGUING BULLPEN ARM TO MIX |
The Pirates have added an intriguing arm to the bullpen, claiming right-handed pitcher Robert Stephenson off waivers from the Rockies this past Saturday. Stephenson has had a rough season thus far, but given his résumé, the former first-round pick is worth an extended look down the stretch.
“I’m excited for a new opportunity to come out here,” Stephenson said. “Hopefully these guys can help me out and get things straightened out so I can help this team win.”
The right-hander’s numbers from this year -- 6.04 ERA, 4.67 FIP, -0.6 bWAR -- don’t jump off the page, but dig deeper and the rationale for taking a flier on Stephenson, the 27th overall pick in the 2011 Draft, comes into sight.
In 2021, he posted a 3.13 ERA and 3.63 FIP with 52 strikeouts across 46 innings. In 2019, his first season as a full-time reliever, Stephenson posted a 3.76 ERA and 3.63 FIP with 81 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings. Let’s further examine that season with Cincinnati. Stephenson’s Baseball Savant page, first and foremost, is littered with red. Here’s the visual:
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Stephenson’s slider played an invaluable role in his breakout season. Stephenson’s slider had a Run Value of -17 (for those unfamiliar with the stat, Run Value is like golf: the lower, the better). By that metric, Stephenson’s slider was the eighth-best in the league. Who finished above him? In ascending order, Jon Gray (-18), Jacob deGrom (-22), Marcus Stroman (-22), Max Scherzer (-23), Masahiro Tanaka (-25), Patrick Corbin (-26) and Justin Verlander (-27).
Like strikeouts or home runs, Run Value is a cumulative stat, not a rate stat, so for Stephenson to be featured among starting pitchers tells just how good that pitch was for him.
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TRIVIA
Of the Pirates’ five World Series victories, how many required a winner-take-all Game 7?
A.) 0
B.) 1
C.) 3
D.) 5
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JACK SUWINSKI TALKS TIME WITH TRIPLE-A INDIANAPOLIS |
Following a month-and-a-half long stint with Triple-A Indianapolis, Jack Suwinski is once again a Pirate, having been recalled by the club on Monday.
“It feels good,” Suwinski said. “I’m excited.”
The demotion, which occurred in mid-July, provided Suwinski with a chance to, in a sense, catch his breath.
Suwinski burst onto the scene in May and June. In those two months, Suwinski hit 13 home runs and posted a 124 wRC+. He had not one, but two walk-off home runs, one of which capped off a three-homer game to stun the Giants on Father’s Day.
For as well as Suwinski, who still leads all National League rookies in home runs, performed early on, he struggled hard in July. In 14 games, Suwinski hit .108/.250/.243 with three extra-base hits. Suwinski didn’t record a single hit in the final 10 games before being optioned.
“I understood everything that was going on,” Suwinski said. “We talked and when I got there, we talked some more. So, everything was very transparent and right when I got there we just got to work. It was a good transition.”
With Indianapolis, Suwinski didn’t match his production output from the season’s first three months. In 31 games, Suwinski hit .214/.285/.410 with an 81 wRC+. In recent games, however, the club has been encouraged by his progress.
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“The last few days we saw the swing that we wanted to see and the ability to impact the ball,” said manager Derek Shelton. “We knew he was going to come back at some point anyways and I think we just decided over the last three or four days, it was the right time to get him back into our lineup.” |
DOWN ON THE FARM: HENRY DAVIS RETURNS TO ALTOONA |
Following a brief rehab stint with Single-A Bradenton, Henry Davis is back with Double-A Altoona, having been activated by the Curve on Tuesday.
“It’s exciting,” said Altoona manager Kieran Mattison. “You want guys to be able to stay healthy and stay on the field and continue to master their craft. He’s worked hard to get his way back here, and it’s good that he’s able to be back with us and get some games and get some experience.”
The Pirates' top-ranked prospect missed a little under two months of time due to a left wrist ailment. Given how long Davis was on the injured list, Mattison said the team will monitor Davis’s workload.
With catcher Endy Rodriguez up with the Curve as well, Davis could see a bit of time in the outfield. Davis is, unmistakably, a full-time catcher -- that hasn’t changed. But Rodriguez, who has posted a 1.239 OPS with seven home runs in 18 games with Altoona, needs reps behind the plate as well. By occasionally starting in the outfield, Davis can get his bat in the lineup on a day that he’s not starting behind the dish.
“That’s a good problem to have where you’re trying to expand guys’ versatility so you can find ways to get more guys in the lineup to help the team that night,” Mattison said.
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THE VAULT
Sept. 30, 1979: Stargell becomes Pirates all-time RBI leader
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This Saturday, the Pirates will unveil their inaugural, 19-player Hall of Fame class. The cohort will feature several of the most important figures in Pittsburgh baseball history, from Josh Gibson to Roberto Clemente to Steve Blass. Ahead of the ceremony, let’s highlight one of the best pure sluggers of this group: Willie Stargell. In the final game of the regular season, Stargell pulled a home run just over the right-field fence of Three Rivers Stadium, eclipsing Honus Wagner as the franchise’s all-time RBI leader. Stargell, of course, would go on to win not just the National League MVP, but the World Series MVP.
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