Crosscutters News

Pearce Claims Spink Award as Top Player
Was Cutters MVP in '05
courtesy MiLB.com/Michael Avallone
October 30 - If Steven Pearce moves any faster, he might get stopped for speeding.

Pearce, who began his pro career with the Crosscutters in 2005, tore through three Minor League levels en route to winning the 2007 J.G. Taylor Spink Award as the Topps/Minor League Player of the Year.

The 24-year-old first baseman punctuated his breakout campaign with a month in Pittsburgh after starting the season with Class A Advanced Lynchburg and progressing through Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. The native of Lakeland, Fla., combined to hit .333 with 31 home runs and 113 RBIs in 134 games, barely missing an organizational Triple Crown, but garnering MiLB.com's Offensive Player of the Year honors.

After batting safely in 16 of his first 19 games with Lynchburg, Pearce was promoted to Altoona. After a slow start, he launched an offensive onslaught, batting .404 with eight homers and 34 RBIs in June. He followed that up by hitting .352 with three more roundtrippers and 24 RBIs before being promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis. Pearce hit .320 with six long balls and 17 RBIs in 34 games with the Indians, earning himself a promotion to the Major Leagues, where he batted .294 in 23 games in September for the Pirates.

An eighth-round selection by Pittsburgh in the 2005 draft, Pearce placed third in the Minor Leagues in total bases (303), tied for third in RBIs, was fifth in extra-base hits (75) and slugging percentage (.622) and tied for fifth in home runs.

The J.G. Taylor Spink Award is the latest addition to a substantial list of accolades for Pearce.

As a freshman in 2004, Pearce earned spots on both the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team and the College World Series All-Tournament Team. He led South Carolina in batting average, home runs and RBIs during his two seasons there (2004-05) and set a school record with 50 error-free games in 2004. A member of the U.S. Team at the 2007 All-Star Futures Game, Pearce was also named by USA Baseball to the roster for the team that will compete in the 2007 IBAF World Cup in early November in Taipei.