AA to MLB: Littlefield vs. Mac

Compare Littlefield on rushing prospects to the big leagues (third blockquote) and Mac on the same subject.

The Pirates jumped Jack Wilson from Class AA to the major leagues at the start of the 2002 season. After a brief detour to Class AAA during his rookie year, Wilson established himself as the starting shortstop and still holds the job.

Past history strengthens McClendon's belief that Castillo can make the same jump.

"It can be done," McClendon said. "A lot of people say you might ruin a guy if he fails initially. If that's the type of guy he is, you probably don't want him on the team to begin with. Jose is a sharp kid."

This gives us a sense of what they talk about in those meetings they hold to discuss roster cuts. Good reporting by John Perrotto for the Beaver County Times & Allegheny Times.

If Mac gets his way, we can also credit this argument that he's making to the press, here as reported by Joe Rutter at the Tribune-Review:

"He has played in the major leagues," McClendon said. "In Venezuela."

Perrotto has what might have been Mac's next sentence:

"That's a good caliber of ball down there," McClendon said. "Even though he hasn't played in the big leagues, he has faced major-league pitchers before."