Pirates keeping an eye on hot-hitting Alvarez

ALTOONA — Looking for a can't-miss slugger in the Pirates' organization• You might as well look for a snowman in Miami.

The once-feared Lumber Company has, over the years, morphed into the Slumber Company. As of Monday, the Pirates were last in the major leagues in runs and last in the National League in batting average and home runs — and one of their best outfield prospects is a Double-A player who wasn't even drafted.

Altoona Curve center fielder Tony Alvarez, who was signed as a free agent in 1995, is as close to a real hitting prospect as you'll find in the Pirates' system. If Alvarez continues to produce at his recent pace, he might force the Pirates to find a place for him before too long. He might only be a year or two away.

"He's certainly a guy we have our eyes on," Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said. "He's a talented, aggressive outfielder who had a good showing in spring training."

Alvarez had the best batting average (.326) in the Pirates' system last season. He's batting .294 through 42 games with the Class AA Curve this season and recently had a 12-game hitting streak.

Littlefield loves the fact that Alvarez plays every inning like Game 7 of the World Series. But sometimes the flashy Alvarez goes overboard. On nearly every swing, for example, he appears to be aiming for the parking garage behind the left-field fence at Blair County Ballpark.

"As much as controlled aggressiveness is good, it's about knowing when to turn it on and when to back off," Littlefield said. "That's tied into maturity. From a management standpoint, it's a good problem to have. It's a lot easier to try to tone it down than the other way around."

Alvarez, 23, acknowledges that he "needs to be smarter." He also likes to entertain the fans. He wears a thick chain around his neck and has quite a flair for the dramatic. After getting brushed back in one game, he fell flat on his back and stayed there for a full five seconds.

In a game against Norwich last June, Alvarez played until he collapsed of dehydration after doubling in the ninth inning.

"I love the fans," Alvarez said. "I play for the fans. I play for the people. They pay for a good show. They don't pay to watch people walk the bases or throw their helmet. They pay a lot of money to see great catches, great throws, homers. I feel great when those people are talking about me in a good way. It makes me feel like I've been doing good."

A native of Miranda, Venezuela, Alvarez was rated the Pirates' sixth-best prospect by Baseball America prior to this season. He proved in spring training this year and in the Venezuelan Winter League two years ago that he can hit high-quality pitching. He led the Venezuelan Winter League in batting in 2000 with a .358 average, going against the likes of major-leaguers Omar Daal (Dodgers) and Freddy Garcia (Mariners).

Chris Chambliss, the Pirates' roving hitting instructor, got a good look at Alvarez recently. Like Littlefield, Chambliss thought Alvarez was a bit too aggressive in his approach.

But Chambliss liked what he saw.

"He's certainly someone we're looking for big things from," Chambliss said. "(Being overaggressive) is part of being young a little bit. It's something we can work with. He's a good kid. He learns very quickly."

Alvarez still strikes out too much for a leadoff man (21 times in his first 160 at-bats). He has good speed — he was successful on 19 of his first 24 steal attempts — and hits an occasional home run (eight last season, two this season).

Alvarez hopes that someday his father, Antonio, will watch him play at PNC Park. Alvarez missed several weeks last season because he traveled home to Venezuela to be with his father, who nearly died of leukemia.

Several of Alvarez's major-league friends — including New York Mets outfielder Roger Cedeno — stepped to the plate with significant donations to help the elder Alvarez.

Their efforts paid off. Antonio Alvarez is recovering nicely. His next goal is to see his son play a major-league game.

"It cost a lot of money for the treatment, and those guys helped a lot," Tony Alvarez said. "Now, I'm just trying to do my job and make my own money to help my family."

By that, Alvarez meant earning his way to the major leagues — and he probably knows that the Pirates have openings for hitters.