It doesn’t cost----Ron Chiavacci’s Curve teammates anything to laugh and joke around, but it sure has made a difference to the pitcher’s life

“It’s brought the fun back in the game for me here” said Chiavacci, who joined Altoona from Triple-A on June 11
“Here, the guys get along well with each other
In Indianapolis, you see them in the clubhouse and when the game is over, that’s it
There’s no going out to eat
There’s no hanging out during the day
That’s not fun
The days drag”

The brawny 28-year-old also has enjoyed a fair amount of success on the mound this season
Chiavacci is 0-1 with a 4.18 ERA in four starts with the Curve, but he has done enough to impress his new team
Chiavacci has two quality starts so far, his best outing coming on June 17 when he blanked Reading on two hits over seven dominant innings

“It’s just the quality of his pitches” Curve manager Tim Leiper said
“His fastball command, first and foremost, has been really good
He works both sides of the plate really well, and he just hits his spots”

Chiavacci prefers working out of the bullpen, however, because he believes he has a better chance of making it to the majors that way

“Quite honestly, no, I don’t want to be a starter” he said
“I’ve heard from many other scouts, many other big league teams, ‘You know, we see you as a projected reliever in the bullpen’”

Still, Chiavacci has taken his new role with the Curve in stride, an attitude Leiper appreciates

“A lot of guys in his position would not be happy and sulk and not go out and pitch well, but this guy’s been the opposite” Leiper said
“He’s been real positive
He fits into the clubhouse great, and he goes about his business in a professional way and pitches well
We’ve been lucky to have him”

Chiavacci led the Eastern League with 161 strikeouts as a Harrisburg Senator in 2001, but he owns a 5.10 ERA in 70 career Triple-A appearances
He was 2-3 with a 5.34 ERA at Indianapolis before joining Altoona this season

Despite those unflattering Triple-A numbers, Curve pitching coach Ray Searage believes Chiavacci has proven in his time in Altoona that he has what it takes to pitch at a higher level

“He’s done a good job, and he would always get my recommendation” Searage said
“You can still go to the big leagues from Double-A as easy as you can go from Triple-A”

In any case, Chiavacci is much happier playing with the Curve than he has been for some time

Brett Roneberg, who played with Chiavacci in Harrisburg in 2001, isn’t surprised the pitcher attributed some of his success to Altoona’s clubhouse atmosphere

“There wasn’t much camaraderie in Harrisburg” Roneberg said
“We had to be friends and tolerate each other, but it was hard just to get a chance to relax and hang out
Here, it’s just more relaxing
We’ve got a good bunch of guys
We’ve got music playing and stuff, and it does make it easier to play well”