Pirates continue to strive for excellence

02/13/2006
Dear Pirates fans, As Spring Training approaches, the Pirates organization is looking forward to an exciting 2006 season. It's a great time to be in the city of Pittsburgh. First, I want to congratulate the entire Steelers organization on their amazing Super Bowl winning season. Like this region, they have proven to be a strong team that, against many challenges, has prevailed. I would also like to give my personal congratulations to the best owners in the NFL, Dan and Art Rooney. In an open letter to all Pirates fans this past October, I outlined the goals that we needed to accomplish this offseason in order to improve our organization. As we prepare for the opening of Spring Training, I am proud to say that we have accomplished what we set out to do. Our first goal was to hire the best manager possible to ensure that our core group of talented, young players continues to develop. In late October, we hired Jim Tracy. Despite numerous openings throughout Major League Baseball, Jim chose to manage the Pirates because he recognizes our potential. His hiring set the tone for the rest of the offseason. I also stated that, because of your support and the difficult decisions we've made in the past, we have gained the financial flexibility to grow our payroll by more than 30 percent this offseason. This provided the resources for Dave Littlefield and his staff to improve the team ... and we did just that. Many exciting changes occurred during the offseason including signing Jason Bay to a multiyear agreement, completing the trade for Sean Casey, adding Roberto Hernandez and Damaso Marte to our bullpen, and signing Joe Randa and Jeromy Burnitz. These changes will complement our core group of talented, young players that Dave and his staff have already assembled. As a result, we have witnessed a reenergized fan base and have already sold more season tickets to date this year than all of last season. We have also experienced record attendances at this year's PirateFest and Caravan stops. We are excited about the current momentum as we move into the 2006 season. Going forward, we are proud to host the 2006 MLB All-Star Game, where the finest players in the game will be showcased in the best ballpark in America, PNC Park. The All-Star Game will make a positive impact on the community and will give all of us the opportunity to showcase our region to a national and international audience. In addition, we value the deep-rooted relationships that we have within the community. We are in the process of refocusing our charitable efforts, which we feel will make an even greater impact in meeting the needs of this region. Through perseverance and hard work, the Pittsburgh Pirates are turning the corner and will continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of our organization. We have achieved greater financial stability, improved our team, and are strengthening our commitment to the community. On behalf of all of us in the Pirates organization, thank you for the tremendous support you have demonstrated last season and throughout the offseason. I look forward to seeing you at the Best Ballpark in America this summer. Best wishes, Kevin McClatchy CEO & managing general partner

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