North Shore Notes
On The Farm: Stephen Pearce
By Joe Giardina

A lot of talk this season has been focused on what the Pirates don't have in their minor leagues. But Altoona Curve first baseman Steven Pearce is doing his best to turn the attention on to what they do have.

Starting off the season in Class A Lynchburg, Pearce struggled early, collecting only six hits in his first 30 at bats. But as he got more comfortable at the plate, opposing pitchers became more uncomfortable on the mound. In a 10 game stretch in April, Pearce went 18-41 with 10 home runs and 22 RBI. By the end of the month he led all of the minor leagues in homeruns with 11. It came as no surprise that on May 1st he was promoted to double A Altoona.

After homering in his first at bat with the Curve, Pearce struggled again, hitting just two more home runs while batting .250 through May.

"When you get called up, you're sitting there playing with better talent and you try to do too much," Pearce said. "That's one of the reasons why when you get promoted you start off slow. You have to get comfortable and back to the basics of baseball."

When Pearce did find his comfort zone, it became apparent why Baseball America rates him the No. 6 prospect in the Pirates' minor leagues. He hit six home runs in June while batting at a near .400 clip. That month also included an 11 game stretch in which he drove in 21 runs. For the year in Altoona, Pearce is batting .320 with nine home runs and 40 RBI. His combined totals from single and double A are .328 with 20 homers and 64 runs batted in.

"I'm swinging the bat well," he said. "I'm really confident right now."

And according to Jason Dambach, the Curve radio announcer, what Pearce is doing is no fluke.

"The guy can flat out hit," said Dambach. "He is on an absolute tear."

Major League Baseball has noticed as well, which is why Pearce was one of 30 minor leaguers to be selected to participate in the 2007 Futures Game during All-Star week in San Francisco.

However, his success at the plate should not come as a surprise. Before being drafted by the Pirates in the eight round of the 2005 draft, the 24-year-old led his University of South Carolina team in batting average, home runs and RBI in both years he played there.

In 2006 the 5'11", 209 pound native of Lakeland, Fl. also led all the Pirates' minor leaguers in home runs (26) and was second in RBI (96) while splitting time between Hickory and Lynchburg.

Pearce believes he is about a year-and-half away from cracking the big league lineup. And while he still has the daunting task of making the jump from double A to triple A in front of him, he is ready to have his name included with the likes of Neil Walker, Brian Bixler and Andrew McCutchen as prospects that will help turn around the Pirates 14 consecutive losing seasons.

"If I keep my head up good things will happen."