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First stop

Tonight: Altoona Curve at Erie SeaWolves, 6:35 p.m.

Pitchers: Curve LHP Tony Watson vs. SeaWolves RHP Jonah Nickerson

Covering the bases: Page B3

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The announcement was made before Curve media day even started: Jose Tabata would not be answering any questions about his wife's legal problems because he has been advised legally not to do so.

Baseball questions only, please, the media was told.

The 20-year-old Curve center fielder then did his best to assure everyone his only concern right now is his job.

"I've got nothing to think about besides baseball," Tabata said through his interpreter, catcher Miguel Perez. "It's all baseball right now."

Baseball is all Tabata, the Pirates' No. 3 prospect, should be thinking about on opening day. He should have enough on his mind simply trying to get ready for his second season in Double-A.

Tabata has other things going on in his personal life, though, that would make it tough for almost anyone in any profession to concentrate on their job.

Tabata's wife, Amalia Tabata Pereira, was arrested two weeks ago in Florida for allegedly kidnapping a 2-month-old girl. She told Tabata the baby was his and is currently in prison awaiting her fate in the legal system.

News reports from Tampa on Tuesday revealed the prosecution seeks to upgrade the main charge against Tabata's wife from false imprisonment to kidnapping. The latter is a first-degree felony that is punishable by life in prison.

The lawyer for Pereira, who at 43 is 23 years older than her husband, claimed in court Tuesday that his client was trying to adopt the baby. No evidence was presented proving the adoption claim, and the judge in the case denied a motion to lower Pereira's $750,000 bail.

Tabata, meanwhile, spent Tuesday 1,100 miles away from his wife talking about taking another step toward his lifelong dream.

"Every baseball player makes the goal," he said. "I would like to be in the big leagues this year, and I'm going to continue to work hard to do it because I think I'm going to make it this year."

Perez, a veteran minor leaguer who like Tabata hails from Venezuela, likely will be a confidant for the young outfielder this season. It can only help having a fellow countryman around to talk to, and anything the Pirates can do to help Tabata from a mental standpoint also should help him on the field.

"I'm concentrating 100 percent," Tabata said. "This is my job, this is what I love to do and I'm going to continue to work hard and focus on the game."

Weather watch

The Curve are scheduled to open the season tonight at Erie at 6:35, but poor weather may postpone the game.

The latest forecast for Erie was calling for light rain and snow but with little accumulation. That's better than previous forecasts, which had predicted several inches of snow for today.

The Curve bus is slated to leave at 9 a.m., but the team may stay in town if early indications call for heavy snow.

Altoona was to have opened the 2007 season in Erie but had the three-game series snowed out. New Curve skipper Matt Walbeck was managing that SeaWolves team, which had its first six games postponed by snow.

"We're not going to worry about it," Walbeck said of the weather. "We're going to wait to hear from [Erie general manager] John Frye. We'll be here in the morning. The bus gets here at 8, and either we leave here at 9 or we don't."

If they don't, the players will work out at Blair County Ballpark today and go through the weather-waiting process again Thursday.

Good comparison

Left-hander Tony Watson, the Curve's opening-day starter, only throws in the mid-to-upper 80s, leading catcher Steve Lerud to this comparison:

"He's like Jamie Moyer," Lerud said. "He's not going to wow you on the radar gun, he's not going to do any of that. But he knows how to pitch, and that's something that I think a lot of the other guys on the staff can actually learn a lot from him."

Rotation set

Watson will be followed in the rotation by Brad Lincoln, Jared Hughes, Michael Crotta and Daniel Moskos. The setup means the Curve will throw back-to-back lefties when Moskos pitches and the rotation turns back over to Watson.

Walbeck said he had not yet decided on his batting order.

Cory Giger can be reached at 949-7031 and cgsports12@aol.com.