Notebook: Meadows happy to be with Bucs
By Joe Rutter
PITTSBURG TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, August 1, 2002
Brian Meadows could be pitching for one of the best teams in baseball, but he doesn't second-guess his decision to leave the Minnesota Twins this past spring.
Meadows, a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher who will make his Pirates debut tonight against the Colorado Rockies, was a late-March cut by the Twins after failing to make the team as a reliever.
The Twins offered Meadows a job as a reliever in the minor leagues. Meadows, who wanted to start, asked for his unconditional release and signed with the Pirates two days later. He was 9-8 with a 4.27 ERA in 23 games with Class AAA Nashville before the Pirates purchased his contract Tuesday night.
"I realize that if I had stayed with the Twins, I'd probably be with them right now because of all the injuries they had," Meadows said. "But things have worked out for me. I'm glad everything has happened the way it has."
Meadows signed with the Pirates simply because they were the first team to call with an offer to start. He got into a groove at Nashville, winning seven consecutive decisions at one point before dropping his final two. He allowed only one walk in his final four minor-league starts.
"I'm happy with the way I've thrown the past couple of months," he said. "I knew I could be called up at any time, but I didn't think about it because I didn't want to get frustrated."
The Pirates decided to give Meadows a shot and put left-hander Joe Beimel back in the bullpen.
"Our scouts and developmental people say he's our best option," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "For now, he's in the rotation."
Meadows was an 11-game winner for the Florida Marlins in the 1998-99 seasons.
He won a combined 13 games with the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals in 2000 and started the Royals' home opener last season.
But Meadows found himself back in the minor leagues after starting the season 1-6 with a 6.97 ERA following 10 starts. He was granted free agency and signed a minor-league contract with the Twins in January.
"It's all about confidence," Meadows said. "After a rough year, I needed to get my confidence back. That has made all the difference."
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from sportsnetwork preview:
....Brian Meadows counters for the hosts. Meadows will be making his first start of the season after being recalled from Triple-A Nashville, where he was 9-8 with a 4.27 earned run average in 22 starts.
The 26-year-old righthander spent the 2001 season with the Kansas City Royals organization, going 1-6 with a 6.97 ERA for the parent club. He spent a good portion of the season in the minors and decided to sign as a free agent with the Minnesota Twins in the offseason. However, Minnesota released him in late March. Meadows then signed with the Pirates, who promised him a chance to start.
For his career, Meadows is 36-44 with a 5.45 earned run average in 105 games. He is 3-0 lifetime versus Colorado.
Pittsburgh is 25-29 this year at home, including 2-0 on a current six-game stand. The Rockies, on the other hand, are 0-8 on a current 12-game road trip and 16-39 in 2002 as the guest.
Colorado, which swept the Pirates at Coors Field earlier this year, leads the season series by a 3-2 margin. It is 12-8 in this matchup since the start of the 2000 campaign and 2-3 all-time at PNC Park.
By Joe Rutter
PITTSBURG TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, August 1, 2002
Brian Meadows could be pitching for one of the best teams in baseball, but he doesn't second-guess his decision to leave the Minnesota Twins this past spring.
Meadows, a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher who will make his Pirates debut tonight against the Colorado Rockies, was a late-March cut by the Twins after failing to make the team as a reliever.
The Twins offered Meadows a job as a reliever in the minor leagues. Meadows, who wanted to start, asked for his unconditional release and signed with the Pirates two days later. He was 9-8 with a 4.27 ERA in 23 games with Class AAA Nashville before the Pirates purchased his contract Tuesday night.
"I realize that if I had stayed with the Twins, I'd probably be with them right now because of all the injuries they had," Meadows said. "But things have worked out for me. I'm glad everything has happened the way it has."
Meadows signed with the Pirates simply because they were the first team to call with an offer to start. He got into a groove at Nashville, winning seven consecutive decisions at one point before dropping his final two. He allowed only one walk in his final four minor-league starts.
"I'm happy with the way I've thrown the past couple of months," he said. "I knew I could be called up at any time, but I didn't think about it because I didn't want to get frustrated."
The Pirates decided to give Meadows a shot and put left-hander Joe Beimel back in the bullpen.
"Our scouts and developmental people say he's our best option," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "For now, he's in the rotation."
Meadows was an 11-game winner for the Florida Marlins in the 1998-99 seasons.
He won a combined 13 games with the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals in 2000 and started the Royals' home opener last season.
But Meadows found himself back in the minor leagues after starting the season 1-6 with a 6.97 ERA following 10 starts. He was granted free agency and signed a minor-league contract with the Twins in January.
"It's all about confidence," Meadows said. "After a rough year, I needed to get my confidence back. That has made all the difference."
.................................................................................................................
from sportsnetwork preview:
....Brian Meadows counters for the hosts. Meadows will be making his first start of the season after being recalled from Triple-A Nashville, where he was 9-8 with a 4.27 earned run average in 22 starts.
The 26-year-old righthander spent the 2001 season with the Kansas City Royals organization, going 1-6 with a 6.97 ERA for the parent club. He spent a good portion of the season in the minors and decided to sign as a free agent with the Minnesota Twins in the offseason. However, Minnesota released him in late March. Meadows then signed with the Pirates, who promised him a chance to start.
For his career, Meadows is 36-44 with a 5.45 earned run average in 105 games. He is 3-0 lifetime versus Colorado.
Pittsburgh is 25-29 this year at home, including 2-0 on a current six-game stand. The Rockies, on the other hand, are 0-8 on a current 12-game road trip and 16-39 in 2002 as the guest.
Colorado, which swept the Pirates at Coors Field earlier this year, leads the season series by a 3-2 margin. It is 12-8 in this matchup since the start of the 2000 campaign and 2-3 all-time at PNC Park.
