Notes: Workouts to stress fundamentals

02/16/2006
BRADENTON -- For the Pittsburgh Pirates, the first few days of Spring Training will be a lot like a flashback to the team's minicamp in January.
When the workouts officially begin Friday afternoon following player physicals, new manager Jim Tracy and his staff will incorporate drills that emphasize the importance of the fundamentals of the game. Bunting exercises, fielding practice and conditioning drills will be every bit as critical as the bullpen sessions and batting practice.
"The first couple of days will be a little bit of a refresher," said Tracy. "From there, we'll begin to gradually add information leading ourselves into the full-squad workouts and eventually into some games that we are going to play."
While Tracy will be expecting his players to give their best effort at all times, he plans to caution his pitchers not to overthrow in an attempt to earn a roster spot in February.
"I want [the pitchers] to have the chance to completely re-acclimate themselves to their environments," said Tracy. "Until a guy is standing in front of them with a weapon in his hand and somebody is standing behind the catcher saying, 'Ball one' or 'Strike one,' let's allow them the opportunity to do the things they need to do. When that opportunity does occur, we will see the best of them come out."
According to pitching coach Jim Colborn, approximately half of the 31 pitchers in camp will throw bullpen sessions of 30-40 pitches on Friday. The remaining pitchers, with the exception of injured right-hander Bryan Bullington, will take the mound for the first time Saturday morning.
Early start: Although the official Spring Training workouts don't begin until Friday, a majority of the pitchers and several position players worked out on their own at Pirate City on Thursday morning.
Zach Duke, Oliver Perez, Kip Wells, Paul Maholm, Ian Snell, John Van Benschoten, Victor Santos, Mike Johnston and Damaso Marte were among the 20 or so hurlers who threw long toss and ran sprint drills on the practice fields. Outfielders Nate McLouth and Chris Duffy and catcher Ryan Doumit were among the position players who were on hand for batting practice.
"I came down a week early just to be around the atmosphere again and get acclimated to the weather," said Duke. "Just being around the guys again kinda gives me the butterflies again. It makes me just want to get out there and get on the ball again."
Duke admitted that he and his teammates were also trying to make a positive impression on the new coaching staff.
"We showed a little bit of what we could do in minicamp. Now it will be showing what we can do on a day-in and day-out basis," said Duke.
"I want to show them that I work hard and do what I am supposed to do. Hopefully, that's what everyone is trying to do. It's exciting for all of us to prove all over again what we can do."
Though Tracy was not on hand for the workouts because he spent Wednesday and Thursday mornings in meetings with the front office, scouting and Minor League staffs, the Bucs skipper was nonetheless impressed by the large early turnout.
"It's flattering," said Tracy. "All of us are obviously very anxious to get started."
Crowded house: The Pirates won't be the only team utilizing the Pirate City facilities this month.
The Hyundai Unicorns of the Korean League, as they have for more than a decade, are once again holding their Spring Training workouts in Bradenton. They will share the Pirate City fields, batting cages, locker rooms and workout facilities with the Pirates until their camp ends on March 24.
The Unicorns, who will receive occasional instruction from some of the Bucs' Minor League coaches, have also scheduled their first-ever exhibition games at Pirate City this spring. They will square off against a Korean League Kia Tigers club that holds its spring workouts in Port Charlotte, Fla.
The Pirate City campus will be even more crowded when Minor League members of the Dutch World Baseball Classic team begin their minicamp in Bradenton on Feb. 18. The Dutch team will work out at Pirate City for three weeks before heading to Orlando on March 3 for the start of their pre-tournament training camp.
"It will be like a United Nations in the locker room," joked Pirates director of Florida operations Trevor Gooby.
Gooby said that the Pirates' workouts won't be adversely affected by the two visiting clubs because the teams will be using the facilities during different times of the day. The Unicorns traditionally hold some of their practices and workouts at McKechnie Field while the Bucs use the Pirate City fields.
"The Pirates are always the priority," Gooby said. "We work around their schedule for the outside groups."
DeCaster honored: Versatile prospect Yurendell DeCaster, who will compete this spring for the final spot on the Pirates bench, has been selected by Baseball America as the Winter Player of the Year.
DeCaster, 26, batted .325 with 17 home runs and 47 RBIs for the Oriente club in the Venezuelan Winter League. He spent the entire 2005 season at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he compiled a .280 average with 11 home runs and 61 RBIs in 122 games with the Indians.

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