By Kevin Winter SportsTicker Staff Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Young players who are flashy run the risk of being called arrogant. Sometimes it is not a true indication of what type of player one is dealing with. Other times it is.

Pittsburgh Pirates Class AA outfielder Tony Alvarez is about as flashy as they come -- or at least he used to be. But one thing he is not is cocky.

"He means no harm to anybody," said Pirates director of player development Brian Graham, who is in his first season with the club. "It's not flashy in a bad way but in a good way. He loves to play the game."

Alvarez was signed by the Pittsburgh organization as a non-drafted free agent in 1995. He spent one season in each the Dominican Summer League and Venezuelan Summer League before joining the Pirates rookie league club in the Gulf Coast League.

After arriving in Bradenton, Florida back in 1998, Alvarez hit just .247 with four homers and 29 RBI. Hardly numbers that would warrant prospect status or allow a player to be flashy.

The following season, all of Alvarez's flair was backed by his play on the field for the first time in his career.

The native of Venezuela earned MVP honors in the Class A New York-Penn League, hitting .321 with seven homers, 45 RBI and 38 stolen bases in 47 attempts over 58 games with Williamsport.

Since his breakout season with the Crosscutters, Alvarez has not looked back. He moved up to Hickory in the low Class A South Atlantic League in 2000 and hit .285 with a career-high 15 homers and 77 RBI. He stole 52 bases in 73 attempts.

Last season, Alvarez opened with Lynchburg in the Class A Carolina League and hit .344 with two homers and 11 RBI in just 25 games. He was not in Virginia for long. Alvarez was promoted to the Altoona Curve on May 14 and finished the season in the Class AA Eastern League, hitting .319 with six homers and 25 RBI.

The 24-year-old Alvarez, who was found to be a year older than his original birth certificate indicated, returned to Altoona this season and owned a .315 batting average. He has hit 19 homers and collected 45 RBI in 94 games with the Curve.

"He's matured," said Altoona manager Dale Sveum, who has managed Alvarez for the past two seasons. "He's learning to hit with more power and to drive the ball to different parts of the ball park."

According to Sveum, Alvarez's maturity is not limited to his athletic ability. Alvarez is a high energy kind that loves to play the game and is excited about the opportunity he has. It can, however, be a dangerous reputation to carry around.

"He likes the limelight," Sveum said. "It got a little irritating for other pitchers and teams last season but he's more professional now."

Alvarez's return to the Curve this season was no surprise at all to Sveum. He liked the idea that Alvarez could return to a bigger ballpark where he could roam center field and learn more more about his approach at the plate.

"I think it was very positive for him to come back," Sveum said. "I don't think Triple-A would have been good."

Graham said the biggest task at hand for Alvarez is for him to become more disciplined, which is why he returned to Class AA. During the course of his career, Alvarez has always been a free swinger at the plate and a free wheeler on the base paths. Since joining the Pirates organization, he has drawn 130 walks and struck out 275 times in six-plus seasons. He also swiped 166 bases but has been caught 64 times.

"He's a stallion," Graham said. "It's like trying to tame a wild horse. He wants to do everything. He's exactly the kind of player that you want to develop. I'd rather have to tame a wild horse than kick a mule in the butt."

Transitional phases are usually difficult for younger players to experience because of the struggles they endure while adjusting to their new style. But for Alvarez, this season appears to be in line with his previous years. His strikeouts are up a bit (59 SO, 375 AB) but that is be expected when power numbers increase. On the base paths, he has 24 steals and has been caught 13 times.

"You can't hold Tony down or it takes away from his game," Sveum said. "He's come a long way, believe me."

Further illustrating his power, Alvarez had his second multi-homer game during a five-game span in a 14-3 win over Erie on July 28. He had a pair of homers against Harrisburg on July 24 before a three-run blast and a solo shot versus the SeaWolves, capping his third career multi-homer game.

Graham, who spent 14 years in the Indians organization and has seen the development of players like Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome, thoroughly enjoys watching Alvarez play and considers him to be a big league player someday.

Just think, if Alvarez is this excited and "flashy" now, what will happen when he makes his debut in the major leagues? The Pirates might be thankful that PNC Park was not built with a roof.