Bucs get Reds' Casey for Williams

12/08/2005
DALLAS -- As a kid, Pittsburgh native Sean Casey grew up idolizing his hometown Buccos.
On Thursday, the three-time All-Star fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a Pirate himself.
Pittsburgh general manager Dave Littlefield officially exposed the worst-kept secret of the Winter Meetings early Thursday by announcing that the Pirates had acquired Casey and cash considerations from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for left-handed pitcher Dave Williams. The deal, which first came to light Tuesday afternoon, was consummated when Casey and Williams passed their physicals Wednesday night.
After spending nearly a decade in Cincinnati, where he was affectionately dubbed "The Mayor" because of his popularity in that city, Casey admitted that he had mixed emotions upon learning that he'd be leaving the Queen City.
"It's been an emotional roller coaster, it really has," said Casey. "I think the first time I got the news, I didn't know what to think. Then [Wednesday], I went up to Pittsburgh [for the physical] and it just kind of hit me.
"The thing I'm going to miss -- I love Cincinnati. It pains me a little bit. I thought I was going to be that guy who plays his whole career in Cincinnati, in one place. I loved it there. I loved the fans there. I loved the city there."
However, Casey couldn't hide the excitement he felt knowing that he'd have the opportunity to play in front of family and friends at PNC Park as a member of the home team.
"I told my dad when we were sitting in Three Rivers Stadium when I was 15 years old that one day I would play for the Pirates," said Casey. "It's funny because now I can fulfill that dream and start a new life there."
And Casey's parents couldn't be happier to have their son return home.
"I think my mom and dad are besides themselves they are so excited," Casey said. "They are excited that I'll be back there and they'll be able to see their grandkids. They are fired up."
In obtaining Casey, the Pirates have filled their top offseason priority at first base. The left-handed hitting Casey, 31, has posted a .305 career batting average in nine big league seasons, eight of those with Cincinnati. He has batted .300 or better five times, he's had three seasons with 20-plus home runs and he's driven in more than 80 runs on five separate occasions.
"We have been looking for a first baseman and it seemed to be a fit," said Littlefield. "Obviously Sean Casey has had a fine career and has been a productive player. He does a lot of things that we need, including getting on base and having a high batting average. I think he'll fit in well with our lineup."
According to new Pirates manager Jim Tracy, Casey could bat anywhere from third through fifth in the lineup depending upon whether or not the Pirates are able to add another established run-producer this offseason.
Regardless of where Casey hits, he'll be a welcome addition to an offense that finished near the bottom of National League rankings in most significant statistical categories last season.
"Obviously I am thrilled that we got Sean Casey," said Pirates All-Star Jason Bay. "He's a proven run-producer, a run-scoring guy in the middle of the lineup and that's one of the needs that we were trying to address.
"He's always kind of killed us in the past and it's nice to have him on our team."
Casey's success at PNC Park has been well-documented. His home run against Todd Ritchie on April 9, 2001, was the first hit in the stadium's history. In 29 games overall at PNC Park, Casey has batted .355 with five home runs and 24 RBIs.
"I love hitting in PNC Park," said Casey. "It's one of the better parks design-wise, and I feel like I've had some success there. I'm looking forward to hitting there 81 times."
Casey was quick to point out that he hadn't always been so successful playing in Pittsburgh, particularly when he came back to Three Rivers Stadium early in his career.
"At Three Rivers, I'd be sitting in the dugout thinking, 'How did I get these seats? I must know somebody to be in the dugout,'" Casey said, laughing. "When we played in Pittsburgh, I always looked at it from the fan's point of view. I was still that little kid. It was tough to imagine that I was at Three Rivers Stadium as a player."
With his quick wit and laid-back style, Casey is also widely regarded as one of most popular players among his peers. His contributions to the team should extend well beyond his play on the field.
"Getting Sean is really big for us," said Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson, who considers Casey one of his best friends in the game. "If you look at our team, we already had a lot of talented players. This gives us an experienced guy in the middle of the lineup who is also one of the best clubhouse guys in the big leagues."
Bay and Wilson viewed Casey's addition as a sign that the team is committed to investing a considerable amount of its payroll to improve the offense. Just as encouraging to Bay and Wilson is the fact that the Pirates aren't done shopping. Although the Pirates will be on the hook the majority of Casey's $8.5 million contract for 2006, the team offset the financial hit somewhat by unloading Williams ($1.4 million) and left-hander Mark Redman ($4.5 million) this week during the Winter Meetings.
"Hopefully that still leaves us some room to go out and get some other guys that we need," said Bay. "This trade made a lot of sense for us."
Even with the addition of Casey, the Pirates still have between $13-14 million to spend on additional acquisitions.
"It would be great if we would be able to go out and get some of the other pieces of the puzzle," said Wilson.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/