Pirates
Perrotto: Latter Days of Season Meaningful to Pirates Rookie Billy Cook
The Pittsburgh Pirates, despite winning on Thursday night, are limping to the finish line of another disappointing season.
The 3-2 victory over the Cardinals in St. Louis was just the Pirates’ second in the last seven games. The Pirates have lost 27 of 43 since Aug. 4 to fall to 72-81. They must win their last nine games to avoid their 28th losing season in 32 years.
The Pirates look like a team that can’t wait for the season to end. They have been playing listlessly through much of the last week.
However, Billy Cook has been an exception. The rookie outfielder/first baseman brings energy to a team in need.
“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Cook said. “I’m excited to be part of this organization. I couldn’t be happier to be here.”
Cook’s excitement of being with the Pirates is understandable. The 25-year-old is getting his first opportunity to play in the major leagues after being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sept. 8 and making his debut that afternoon against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.
Cook has appeared in eight games and is hitting .208/208/.375 with one home run, which he hit Wednesday night off Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore. While Cook’s statistics don’t jump off the page, he has made an impression on the Pirates, who acquired him on July 30 from the Baltimore Orioles in a trade for pitching prospect Patrick Reilly.
“Really athletic. That’s first and foremost,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Cook. “He plays the game fast. We’re seeing the athleticism we really liked when we acquired him.”
Cook is a high-energy presence in the clubhouse. He is personable, upbeat and has a good sense of humor, all welcome attributes on a team that doesn’t have many big personalities.
Of course, it helps, that Cook gets a chance to play in the big leagues. He was seemingly buried in the Orioles’ deep farm system, not ranked among their top 30 prospects when the season began.
“The Orioles have a lot of really good young players, both in the major leagues and in the minor leagues,” Cook said. “They’ve had a lot of guys stuck at Triple-A who are capable of playing in the major leagues, but are blocked.
“I wasn’t looking to be traded. I was happy with the Orioles. They gave me a chance to play professional baseball, but I think getting traded has already helped my career. I’m not so sure I’d be in the big leagues if I were still the Orioles.”
The Orioles selected Cook in the 10th round of the 2021 amateur draft from Pepperdine. Though he grew up in Colorado Springs, Colo., and is the son of two Air Force Academy graduates, Cook was hooked when he visited Pepperdine’s oceanfront campus in Malibu, Calif.
Cook began this season at Double-A Bowie before being promoted to Triple-A Norfolk on April 25. After the trade, Cook batted .276/.389/.486 in 30 games with five homers and nine stolen bases with Indianapolis.
“Everybody was hearing the same rumors (at Norfolk) leading up to the deadline and we knew some of us were probably going to be traded,” Cook said. “You never know how those things are going to turn out, but I was surprised when I got called off the field (in Norfolk) and told I had been traded. It was a little tough at first but then I realized that it was going to be a good thing for me – and it has been.”
It is easy to see how Cook could fit into the Pirates’ lineup next season at first base or right field.
However, there are still 10 days left in the season. While they don’t mean much to the Pirates, Cook doesn’t look like someone playing out the string.
