LaRoche Watch

The Tribune's Web site, www.fstribune.com, updates the statistics of Fort Scott's professional baseball playing brothers at least once a week --twice most weeks. So if you haven't seen an update in the print edition for a while, click on the "Scoreboard" link on the sports page of our Web site. You can also get daily updates at www.pittsburghpirates.com for Adam LaRoche and www.lv51.com for Andy LaRoche.

Andy: On TV Thursday night

Each season, the Royals Sports Television Network broadcasts two games from one of Kansas City's minor-league affiliates. Thursday night, it just so happens that RSTN will show the Omaha Royals, the triple-A affiliate in the minor-league system, against Andy LaRoche's Las Vegas 51s. The game will be available in Fort Scott on Fox Sports Net, which is cable channel 31, starting at 7 p.m. Those of you who own a dish may need to check your listings to find out on what channel the game will be shown (depending on if your service uses the RSTN or FSN feed).

The four-game series at Omaha begins tonight. LaRoche goes into tonight's game with a .317 batting average, 17 doubles, 15 home runs and 41 runs batted in in 61 games. When you look at those numbers, remember that he spent about a month up withe the parent club, the Los Angeles Dodgers, earlier in the season. Because of that time in the majors, LaRoche isn't eligible for the Pacific Coast League's batting title, even though his average would put him in the top 10 if he had enough at-bats.

If Andy can keep up the pace, he could earn another chance for major league playing time in September. The Dodgers traded third baseman Wilson Betemit to the New York Yankees Tuesday afternoon, which leaves only veteran Normar Garciaparra at third base. Garciaparra volunteered to switch to third base from first base after the Dodgers grew tired of Betemit's inconsistency and decided LaRoche needed more seasoning despite some early success when he was called up (Olmedo Saenz is listed as Garciaparra. LaRoche may even get a chance at shortstop as the Dodgers don't have any backup middle infielders at the moment.

Adam: The numbers continue to rise

The numbers Adam LaRoche has put up in June and July are the reasons the Pittsburgh Pirates made the deal with the Atlanta Braves to bring the Fort Scott High graduate to the Steel City over the winter.

As you may remember, LaRoche began the season in a terrible slump. He struggled early on to get his batting average over the .200 mark and had trouble generating the power he's come to be known for.

But he began to show signs of breaking out in late May and LaRoche posted a batting average over .300 in the months of June and July. There was even one 10-day stretch where he was batting over .400.

LaRoche was brought over for left-handed power and to provide some extra clout in the lineup along with outfielder Jason Bay. If LaRoche can begin the season strong next year, the Pirates just might have enough pieces in place to become the Milwaukee Brewers of 2008 -- a team with average expectations that suddenly rises into pennant contention.

The Pirates won't be on local TV any time soon but the Tribune will note any such appearances on our Web site.