Starling Marte Added to Altoona's Caravan Stop

CURVE, Pa. - Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder and 2011 Eastern League Rookie of the Year Starling Marte has been added to the Altoona leg of the Pirates Winter Caravan, the Pirates announced today.  Marte joins Michael McKenry, Jose Tabata, Nick Leyva and Bob Walk for the event being held this Wednesday, Dec. 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Peoples Natural Gas Field.  Fans are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the toy drive that will take place in conjunction with the local Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

Marte sets foot inside the confines of Curve, Pa. for the first time since a remarkable 2011 season that saw the Santo Domingo, D.R. native become the first active Curve player to win the Eastern League Batting Title outright as well as the first Curve player to win the E.L. Rookie of the Year award.  The 2011 Curve team MVP began his 2012 season with Triple-A Indianapolis before bursting on to the scene in Pittsburgh with a home run to lead off the game in Houston versus the Astros on July 26 in his first professional at bat.  The 24-year-old went on to hit .257 with five homers in 47 games for Pittsburgh in his rookie season. 

Fans are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the toy drive that will take place in conjunction with the local Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

The Altoona Curve Holiday Store is open now at Peoples Natural Gas Field Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. , Fridays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Fans can stop in and pick up the latest Curve merchandise for the holiday season including 2013 McDonald's Flex Books, which are on sale now. 

-CURVE-