BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pirates pitchers call it a "vacuum." They throw a pitch down in the zone, maybe even just under the zone, and Francisco Cervelli's gloved left hand sucks it up.
Cervelli has a knack for receiving and presenting pitches -- for pitch framing, as it's known around the game. That ability wasn't lost on the Pirates, who acquired him two years ago to replace Russell Martin and signed him last year to a three-year, $31 million contract extension that kicks in this season.
Nor is it lost on the young Pittsburgh pitchers who began working with Cervelli last season.