Tyler Gaffney Back to Stanford

Human Beanball Magnet and Pirates 2012 draftee Tyler Gaffney has decided to hang up his baseball spikes for a pair football cleats.  The former Division-I football player will be re-enrolling at Stanford University, the school the Pirates drafted him out of in the 24th round last year.  That will put his professional baseball career officially on hold.

31+ Mini Series

Currently, I'm working on my top 30 Pirates prospect list. As I write this, I'm one-sixth of the way through with prospects 26-30 finished.  What's most exciting is that a list of 30 actually includes 30 intriguing prospects.  In years past, finding 20 players in the Pirates system worth writing about was often difficult.  That's finally changed, and even 30 may not be enough. 

 In the past, I've written articles about several players that didn't make my top 30. Below is the current list.  They will start a new mini-series "31+" that will feature spotlights on other players in thefarm systems in a more narrative writing style.  Make sure to check back regularly as this will be updated regularly.  Enjoy!

The Human Beanball Magnet

Gaffney might need a football helmet.

Tyler Gaffney is used to violent contact.  Before being drafted and subsequently signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the outfielder played as the backup running back for the Stanford Cardinals, one of the better college football programs of the last half decade.  However, this past summer, Gaffney - who also played for the Stanford baseball team - traded in his pads for a glove and bat.  Despite leaving the game of football, Gaffney has been unable to leave behind a penchant for violent contact.