By Rob Biertempfel

Published: Saturday, September 26, 2009

On Friday, the Pirates named third baseman Pedro Alvarez their Minor League Player of the Year and Rudy Owens their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Alvarez hit a combined .288 with 27 homers and 95 RBI for Class A Lynchburg and Double-A Altoona.

Owens went a combined 11-2 with a 2.10 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 25 starts for low-A West Virginia and Lynchburg.

• Alvarez went 2 for 4 with a run scored in Team USA's 8-2 victory over the Netherlands in the World Cup. The Americans have won 13 games in a row and will face Cuba on Sunday in the gold-medal game.

• Right-hander Anthony Claggett, who Thursday was claimed off waivers from the Yankees, went to the Instructional League in Bradenton, Fla. General manager Neal Huntington has not yet decided whether Claggett will join the Pirates or just begin an offseason conditioning program.

"He's been down 10 days (without throwing in a game)," Huntington said. "We have to get a feel for where he is."

One reason the Pirates claimed Claggett: He is not out of minor-league options.

• Shortstop Ronny Cedeno is out of the lineup for the second day in a row due to a tight hamstring, according to manager John Russell.

• Catcher Ryan Doumit received the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association's Heart & Hustle Award. The awards are given each season to one member of each major-league team, with one member of that group chosen as the final Heart & Hustle winner.

• Russell said Doumit's wrist, which he broke in late April, still hasn't fully healed.

"it's going to take most of the winter for that to completely come back," Russell said.

Doumit hit .429 with seven RBI in the first 18 games this month.

• Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama threw out the first pitch last night.

• Center fielder Andrew McCutchen will sign autographs 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. today at PNC Bank in Oakmont.

DIGITS

4 — Home runs leading off the first inning by McCutchen

20 — Pirates record for leadoff homers, set by Barry Bonds.

1. Pirates notebook: Penguins jerseys in fashion for road trip
2. Improved depth could drive Pirates’ fortunes deep into season
3. Pirates minor league notebook: Former 5th-round pick Glasnow shining in rotation
4. Pirates notebook: McCutchen scratched with soreness in right knee
5. Pirates notebook: Botched popup shocks Martin
6. Former Pirates prospect Grossman now starting in center for Houston
7. Improved roster depth could drive Pirates’ fortunes deep into season
8. McCutchen homer in 12th gives Pirates rare victory vs. Brewers
9. Pirates notebook: Injuries can leave roster in limbo
10. Pirates notebook: Alvarez sits against righty Gallardo
11. Pirates get the bats going, knock off Brewers to take 4-game series

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