BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates repeatedly have stated their hope, and their intent, to defy the tepid expectations of the 2018 squad. If there’s anybody in the Pirates clubhouse at LECOM Park that can attest to such a possibility, it’s Ryan Lavarnway.
Lavarnway, a 30-year-old catcher and non-roster invitee to spring training, played for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Team Israel didn’t even qualify for the 2013 tournament, and it was ranked No. 41 in the world going into the 16-team tournament a year ago.
Nevertheless, the team defeated Korea, Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands to advance to the second round.