Indians And Pirates Sign PDC Extension
"We are very pleased to be able to extend our relationship with the Indians organization and the City of Indianapolis", said Pittsburgh Pirates Director of Minor League Operations Larry Broadway. "This is truly a Major League city and operation. We are excited to call Indianapolis our Triple-A home for another two years and look forward to continuing to strengthen our bond with this great city for years to come."
Since the Indians began their affiliation with the Pirates in 2005, they have posted a 509-495 regular season record, entering the 2012 season. The Tribe has also never had a losing record at Victory Field during the affiliation, going 266-239 overall at home from 2005 through 2011.
Indianapolis has also seen a multitude of players receive big league promotions during the affiliation. Such star players as Andrew McCutchen, Jose Bautista, Neil Walker and Jose Tabata have all made stops in Indianapolis on their way to the Major Leagues.
This season the Indians are off to a fantastic start as they have a 30-22 record and have a six-game lead for first place in the International League West Division. The Pirates, whose current active roster features 14 players who have spent time with Indianapolis, are also off to a good start with a 25-25 record, sitting just three games out of first place in the National League Central Division.
"The Pirates commitment to a deep and talented farm system has furnished us with good teams, and our ball clubs the last two years have been strong ones," said Indians Vice President & General Manager Cal Burleson. "We are in first place with a real chance to win the Division this year, and we had the best record in the International League the last four months of the season last year. The Pirates recognize that the Indians are in a very competitive environment in regards to sports and family entertainment in Indianapolis, and that the Indians' organization places a high priority on providing our fans with the best Baseball we possibly can."