ALTOONA, Pa. -- Austin Meadows' locker in the Altoona Curve clubhouse has long been cleared out. Last week, across the room, first baseman/outfielder José Osuna sifted through his belongings and excitedly packed his bags. too.
Osuna's promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis made for a moment player and manager say they won’t soon forget. The Venezuelan walked through the clubhouse and the adjoining weight room, calling family members while his Altoona teammates gave him a round of applause.
“What he’s done, especially the past few weeks playing right, left and first, not too many people can do that,” Curve manager Joey Cora said. “We’re looking forward to those moments. So far I haven’t had a moment where I had to tell a guy that he’s going down, so that’s nice. That’s fun to tell the guys that they’re going up, especially the guys like Meadows and Osuna, they’re going up because they earned it and they’re going to stay there.”
The Curve outfield continues to change as the season progresses. With the promotion of his former Double-A teammates, center fielder Harold Ramírez is settling in at the plate. The 21-year-old from Cartegena, Colombia, spent the 2015 season with Class A Bradenton and struggled with the adjustment to Double-A ball earlier this season.
Ramírez said the cold weather in the spring was part of his adjustment, while Cora said he figured Ramirez would start a little “rough” at the plate after 306 at bats last year with Bradenton. Two weeks into the season, Ramirez was slashing .149/.184/.234.
Now, after some adjustments to his swing -- Ramírez took the staff’s advice and moved his hands down closer to his body while also focusing on using his legs more -- he’s fifth in the Eastern League with a batting average of .299. Through 291 at bats he has an OPS of .753 and a slugging percentage of .402. He is one of four Curve players selected for the July 13 All-Star game in Akron, joining Tyler Eppler, Edwin Espinal and Jared Lakind.
“(The Pirates) tell me (to) just be consistent,” Ramírez said. “If I do everything here the way they tell me — and they say that they want me to play every outfield position because you never know — maybe we’ll need you at one position one day.”
With Meadows gone, Ramírez returns to his most natural position in centerfield and Cora is curious to see how Ramírez plays the second half of the season. Trying to consistently win games, despite who was promoted, is part of the challenge for any minor league manager.
“We don’t want to run him into the ground," Cora said. "We’re only halfway through, so he has a long way to go, and he’s never played a full season, so it’s going to be a challenge for him the second half to play out there every day, especially playing center field every day. Looking ahead, it’s going to be very interesting to see how he develops and how he performs the second half.”
SPECIAL VISITOR
José Reyes’ return with the Mets -- coupled with his return following a suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy -- was on center stage last week in Altoona.
Reyes, who played third base for Double-A Binghamton, sat on a couch in Cora’s office prior to a game last week. Reyes, who knew Cora since 2001, mingled with Curve players before the game, many of whom grew up watching the big leaguer.
“He’s a superstar in the game," Cora said. "He’s been good playing-wise. The guys, I think all of them, probably grew up watching him play, being an All-Star and being a good player obviously. Even though he’s going through what he’s going through, as far as baseball goes they look up to him. Baseball-wise.”
Ramirez hit a triple last week and when he pulled up at third Reyes had some words for him.
“It’s very exciting when we play with some big leaguers because we learn something about the game,” Ramirez said. “I felt excited when I saw him right here. When I hit a triple he talked to me and he said, ‘Hey, good hit.’ I felt really good.”
HOLMES IN A ‘GOOD SPOT’
Pitcher Clay Holmes, the Pirates’ ninth-round pick in the 2011 draft, is 7-4 with a 4.40 ERA, 1.44 WHIP through 86 innings.
Holmes tied a season best with nine strikeouts during his victory on July 2. It was also the second time this season he pitched seven innings.
“I feel like I'm in a good spot.,” said Holmes, a 6-5, 230-pound righty who had Tommy John surgery in 2014. “I think the biggest thing is staying healthy, so I’m able to go out and pitch every fifth day. I’m learning something new every time I go out. I’m in the routine of things and being out there pitching and getting the experience has been the best part. Being able to do that, I’m learning a lot of things that I’ve needed to develop.”
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