Despite losing all-stars Dennis Ulacia and Joe Valentine — along with innings-eater Kris McWhirter — to high Class A Winston-Salem, the Kannapolis pitching staff remains in good hands.

“We’re here to compete and that’s what we intend to do,” Shines said after Friday’s scheduled game against Greensboro was rained out. “The guys here understand that. We feel that winning helps development and that’s the approach we’re taking.”

They’ll take it without three of their best pitchers, each of whom earned a mid-season promotion. Ulacia, the 20-year-old left-hander who opened and closed the season’s first half, was 8-1 with a 2.43 ERA. Valentine (2-2, 2.93) made a league-high 30 appearances and saved 14 games. And McWhirter (7-6, 3.09) gave the team 14 starts and 90-plus innings.

“It’s a little like leaving home,” Shines admitted. “Those guys were family members to me. I love every one of them and I’m gonna miss them tremendously. After the all-star game Valentine came up to me and gave me a great big hug. It was kind of emotional. But those guys came here with specific instructions, things they needed to work on. They did what they were supposed to do and they moved up.”

Replacing them are pitchers Alec Hollifield, Curtis Young and Heath Phillips.

Hollifield, a 6-foot-3 right-hander, will slide into the Kannapolis starting rotation. An 11th-round draft pick in 1999, he began this season in extended spring training before joining Winston-Salem in May.

He’s a control pitcher who averaged only two walks per nine innings in rookie ball last year, but struggled with his breaking pitch this season.

“He has to develop his curveball. That’s the reason he’s here,” said Shines. “We’ve got a guy in (pitching coach) J.R. Perdew who is pretty good at doing that. I’m sure that’s why the White Sox sent Alec Hollifield to us.”

Right-handed reliever Young comes to Kannapolis from extended spring training. His fastball has been clocked in the high 80s and he relies on location. “I don’t know Curtis that well,” said Shines. “But I’ve heard some people say that he’s willing to take the ball in tough situations. I hope that’s the case.”

Recently signed reliever Phillips joined the team earlier this month. A southpaw out of junior college, he made his first appearance Thursday night and collected three strikeouts in 11

“His ball has exploding movement,” said Shines. “We’re gonna try to keep him in the middle of the plate, his ball moves that much. And he’s got a good little slider. I think he’ll be real effective for us.”

There remains one available roster spot. Shines reports the organization is negotiating with pitcher Wyatt Allen, a right-hander selected out of the University of Tennessee with the 39th overall pick in the amateur draft held earlier this month. Allen went 10-3 with 110 strikeouts in 1041

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