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Where have all the pinch hitters gone? Pirates' Joyce mastering vanishing craft

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When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Matt Joyce to a minor league contract in February, they were buying a penny stock.

Once a productive regular and 2011 All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays, Joyce had nearly whiffed his way out of baseball last season, hitting a woeful .174/.272/.291. So when the Buccos took a flyer on him on the eve of spring training, they were guaranteeing nothing more than a minor league contract, with a chance to make $1 million if he made the big league roster.