Notes: Snell feeling more comfortable

03/22/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Now that Ian Snell has earned a spot in the rotation, he said he's not working on anything specific. Well, maybe just one little thing.
"We've all got different things we need to work on; mine's to get hitters out," said Snell, after his second loss of the spring. "Last year, I didn't have such success with that, so this year I just want to work on that."
It was a simple plan that worked, some times better than others, on Wednesday. Snell allowed a home run on an 0-2 pitch in the first; it was center fielder Vernon Wells' first of the spring. He responded by inducing six straight outs before left fielder Frank Catalanotto doubled in the Blue Jays' second run.
Snell said knowing he has a definite place on the team has helped his confidence, which in turn contributed to him responding well to the few hard hits he allowed Wednesday.
"I actually keep the ball down a lot more now," Snell said, referring to his development. "And I can elevate when I need to, and keep it down. I can actually throw my changeup for strikes, and breaking balls behind in the count."
Snell was solid after Catalanotto as well, holding his ground until the fifth inning, when second baseman Aaron Hill drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left. It was the final batter Snell faced, and he finished with two strikeouts and four runs on five hits. Of his 65 pitches, 47 went for strikes.
Snell admits to having rushed his pitches a bit in the past, but said added experience coupled with MAP (Mental And Physical) sessions with the Pirates have helped him immensely when dealing with situations such as Wednesday, when it wasn't all smooth sailing.
"This year, I get the ball, and I take a deep breath, get calm, look around, focus on the mitt and just calm myself down a lot," he said. "In your childhood, you always dreamed of facing these hitters. But then, as they foul off pitches, now you just start worrying about getting them out, bearing down and throwing the right pitch."
Perez glad for honor: In the first time he'd spoken since being named Pittsburgh's Opening Day starter, Oliver Perez played the perfect part, standing proud in his Hines Ward jersey while fielding questions and downplaying manager Jim Tracy's selection.
"I'm happy for that opportunity, and I'm going to try to do my best, obviously," Perez said. "I was a little bit surprised. Not surprised because you want to be on the team, and I knew I was. But I thought there were other guys."
Still, Perez said he wasn't putting too much on the decision.
"When you do that, you put too much pressure on yourself and you don't throw good. Don't think too much, just play baseball, that's what I'm going to do."
Tracy remains mum: Tracy said he wasn't leaning one way or the other in regard to deciding on the rotation's final pitcher, but that the decision will be made soon, as early as Thursday. Tracy announced on Tuesday that right-hander Ryan Vogelsong was out of contention for a starting job, leaving right-handers Brandon Duckworth and Victor Santos to vie for the last opening.
Bay swamped: As the Pirates stretched near the dugout before the game, Toronto fans clamored for space along the fence in left field, eager to toss out encouragement and grab an autograph from All-Star left fielder Jason Bay. A native of Trail, British Columbia who played for Team Canada in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, Bay hung back after batting practice to interact with the crowd.
"It was really nice to see all the snowbirds and Blue Jays fans; it's the whole Canadian aspect," he said. "Canadians are very welcoming people in general, and not a lot of Canadians come through the Major Leagues in general, so they celebrate it."
Bay hit .455 (5-for-11) with a double and three walks in three games for the Canadians, who were eliminated in the first round with a 2-1 record following a 9-1 loss to Mexico. In Wednesday's 7-1 loss to the Toronto, Bay went 0-for-2 with a walk.
Still, it didn't dampen the mood, or keep the crowd from rooting for its native son.
"I don't get home very much any more, so it's a good feeling to see all the [Canadians] around," said Bay, who now lives with his wife in Phoenix. "A lot of people came up to me just to say, 'Hey, I'm from Canada, too,' and it was great."
Quotable: "Baseball's not hockey, I'm not going to lie. But it's still a pretty big deal up there, too." -- Bay, on sports in Canada

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

Bucs silenced by Blue Jays

03/22/2006
Blue Jays at the plate: In the first inning, Vernon Wells sent an 0-2 pitch from Pittsburgh's Ian Snell over the left-field wall for a solo home run -- his first shot of Spring Training. Russ Adams singled and stole second in the third inning, then scored on an RBI double by Frank Catalanotto. Adams added an RBI single in the seventh. Bengie Molina had an RBI single in the fourth and Aaron Hill hit his first homer of Spring Training in the fifth.
Pirates at the plate: Ryan Doumit and Jose Bautista each doubled against Toronto -- the only two hits for Pittsburgh. Bautista's hit came in the eighth inning and he later scored when Ray Sadler reached first base on an error by Jason Phillips, who was playing third base for the Jays.
Blue Jays on the mound: In his first start of the spring, Gustavo Chacin allowed one hit in three scoreless innings. Chacin, who missed part of Spring Training while playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, struck out three and walked three.
Pirates on the mound: Starter Ian Snell threw 65 pitches -- 47 strikes -- in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out two and gave up four runs on five hits, including the homers to Wells and Hill.

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

Bucs downed by Reds

03/23/2006
Reds at the plate: Tony Womack's two-run homer capped a four-run fourth inning for the Reds.
Pirates at the plate: Freddy Sanchez's sacrifice fly scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning. The Pirates did not bat in the bottom of the ninth because of rain.
Reds on the mound: Left-hander Dave Williams faced his former teammates and handled them well. In a rain-aborted outing, Williams pitched three innings and gave up one run on two hits. He did not return after a 38-minute rain delay following the top of the fourth inning. Veteran Rick White pitched a scoreless fifth for the Reds. And fresh from pitching for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic, left-hander Jung Keun Bong worked a 1-2-3 sixth.
Pirates on the mound: Left-hander Paul Maholm made his fourth start of Spring Training and had a rocky go of things. The Reds knocked Maholm around in the fourth for four runs. In all, he gave up six runs on six hits.
Grapefruit League records: Pirates 13-10-1; Reds 14-10

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

Notes: Pirates come away injury free

03/23/2006
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Manager Jim Tracy could exhale finally. He'd gotten his Pirates through a game where rain made keeping his players on the field too long a dicey proposition.
So Tracy wasn't disappointed Thursday one bit that the Pirates didn't bat in the ninth inning of a 6-2 loss to the Reds.
"Nobody got hurt -- bottom line," he said. "I feel bad about the fact that you have to take players out of the game in the fourth inning, but, you know, there are so many things when you get moisture like that, and you leave other people [hanging] around and [playing] and somebody ends up pulling a groin.
"That's the last thing you want to see."
As Tracy tries to shape his 25-man roster, he doesn't want to see players end up on the disabled list with Opening Day two weeks away. He says he can't afford that, not with the progress the ballclub has made this spring.
"The last thing you wanna do is lose somebody to an injury you could have prevented by simply taking 'em off the field, which is what I did," Tracy said.
He wasn't saying that he'd rather not have restarted the game after the rain delay in the fourth inning. Far from it, Tracy said. In continuing to play, he saw a couple of things that pleased him.
One thing that stood out, he said, was the play of Jose Bautista in center field. Put in to replace Chris Duffy, the 25-year-old Bautista displayed the kind of glove that drew raves from Tracy.
"He went and got a ball out there toward the wall in deep left-center field and made it look easy," Tracy said. "Effortless -- pretty intriguing to me."
Rough showing: Left-hander Paul Maholm used an appropriate word for his outing Thursday against the Reds. As he put it, the outing was "rough."
It's hard to quarrel with his critique. For in four innings, Maholm gave up six runs on six hits, including Tony Womack's two-run homer.
"I made some good pitches," he said. "Womack, I threw it where I wanted to and he hit it out. So, it's just one of those days, and I can put it in the back of my mind and just carry on toward the season."
No doubt he can, because his task isn't so much to impress Tracy as it is to get his stuff sharp for the season. Maholm (2-2, 8.50 ERA) has made the team, a situation that was so unlike what he faced last Spring Training.
As camp winds down, his plans are to work on command and get his pitch count up. He hopes to reach the 90-pitch mark before the team leaves for Pittsburgh.
He's back: Tracy put third baseman Freddy Sanchez back in the starting lineup Thursday. Sanchez had sat out the last few games with tightness in his groin.
Tracy also had plenty to say about Sanchez, who went 0-for-1.
"He's a very headies player," Tracy said of Sanchez. "He's got talent, and he knows the game. He understands the game. He understands offensive situations as a hitter. He has a terrific glove. ... a winning player."
The question is: Who holds the Pirates record for most hits in his rookie season?
Quote 'em: "One night in Pittsburgh, thirty-thousand fans gave me a standing ovation when I caught a hot dog wrapper on the fly." -- Pirates first baseman Dick Stuart, whose shaky glove earned him the nickname "Dr. Strangeglove".
Did you know: Triples remain a rare hit in the Major Leagues, but did you know that a Pirate holds the Major League record for the most triples in a season? In 1912, Chief Wilson collected a whopping 36. The next highest total in a season is 26, held by three (Sam Crawford, Kiki Cuyler and Shoeless Joe Jackson).
Numbers game: For the first time since Feb. 26, the Pirates saw rain here. That's a span of 25 days.
Grand expectations: Maholm didn't want to share what his goals were for 2006. He called them "personal."
"I'm not gonna throw any crazy numbers out there," he said.
Pushed to do so anyway, Maholm did.
"Thirty wins," he said, smiling.
Trade bait: If utilityman Craig Wilson is headed elsewhere, elsewhere isn't likely to be Baltimore.
The Orioles like the 29-year-old Wilson, who can catch. But they aren't interested in Wilson's $3.3 million salary, unless the Pirates develop an interest in catcher Javy Lopez, whose contract is an even bigger contract than Wilson's.
Odds and ends: With a double Thursday, Jody Gerut has five hits in his last 10 at-bats. ... Going into the game against the Reds, Nate McLough ranked second in the Grapefruit League in stolen bases (five). ... Ian Snell ranked sixth among pitchers in the league in innings pitched (17 1/3), and Zach Day was tied for third in strikeouts (14). ... Marty McLeary leads the Pirates in wins with three. He has a 3.00 ERA to complement his five appearances this season. ... Right-hander Ryan Vogelsong, who seemed destined for a long-relief role, worked two scoreless innings against the Reds.
And the answer: In 1927, Lloyd Waner, brother of Hall of Famer Paul Waner, collected 223 hits as a rookie, a Major League record that stood until 2001 when Ichiro Suzuki collected 242 hits in his rookie season.

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

McLouth homers as Bucs fall to Phils

03/24/2006
Phillies at the plate: Chris Coste continued his torrid spring with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh to put the Phillies ahead, 5-4. He's hitting .500 this spring. Aaron Rowand reached base safely in four at-bats. The center fielder went 3-for-3 with a single, double, home run and a walk. He also stole a base and scored three runs. Chase Utley added a single and a sacrifice fly. Mike Lieberthal went 2-for-3 and scored a run.
Pirates at the plate: Center fielder Nate McLouth hit his third home run of the spring. Jody Gerut went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Shortstop Jack Wilson went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Jose Bautista had a double and scored a run. First baseman Paul Chiaffredo reached base safely three times, with a single and two walks. Chiaffredo also scored once.
Phillies on the mound: Starter Eude Brito had an outing to forget. Brito, battling for a spot in middle relief, gave up a home run to the first batter he faced and allowed four runs in two innings. Arthur Rhodes pitched one scoreless inning, allowing one hit. Ricardo Rodriguez pitched three innings in relief, allowing no runs and no hits with two strikeouts.
Pirates on the mound: Starter Oliver Perez made his second start of the spring, allowing two earned runs in four innings pitched. Perez, who pitched for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, gave up six hits and had five strikeouts.
Grapefruit League records: Philadelphia 15-7-1, Pittsburgh 13-11

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

Notes: Perez feeling stronger

03/24/2006
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The end result was another no-decision, but Pittsburgh Opening Day starter Oliver Perez was still satisfied with his performance.
"I feel real good, I feel like I'm stronger," said Perez, who missed the first half of Spring Training while representing Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.
Perez didn't see much action in the tournament -- a combined four innings in two games -- and so he said above getting the win lies the task of stretching himself out, growing stronger and solidifying his pitches for Opening Day.
According to Perez, he's right on task.
"Right now, I felt like I was throwing in the first game," he said after working four-plus innings in Friday's 5-4 loss to Philadelphia.
There were a few rough spots -- Phillies center fielder Aaron Rowand homered off Perez in the first inning and doubled in his next at-bat -- but Perez remained unruffled, scattering six hits and walking two while notching five strikeouts. He threw 67 pitches, 38 of them for strikes.
"I was trying not to think too much, just throw the ball and not try to be too perfect," he said. "I'm still working on my mechanics."
Pirates manager Jim Tracy was duly impressed with Perez, who was making just his second spring appearance. The first time out, the 24-year-old southpaw surrendered two runs on one hit and a walk, and faced nine batters in the two innings he worked of a 9-7 win over Toronto.
This time, the results were much better.
"I thought he did a nice job; he battled and made some good pitches when he had to," Tracy said, and added that he also liked the increased life he saw in Perez's fastball on Friday, a sure sign the pitcher is finding his rhythm.
"I thought he had a very good workout. ... I think it's a good one to build on," Tracy said. "His next time out, you get him out there a little bit further, he's set up to go for Opening Day."
McLouth persists: Nate McLouth continues to make a statement for himself in the battle with Chris Duffy for the starting spot in center field.
Already tied with second baseman Jose Castillo for the second-most hits on the club with 14, the 24-year-old McLouth added to his sales pitch in his first at-bat, driving a 1-1 pitch onto the grass above the wall in right-center on Friday night. It was his third home run of the spring, tying him for most on the team and earning Tracy's seal of approval. McLouth has reached base safely 11 times in his last 24 plate appearances, a .458 average.
"No question, he's making a strong case for himself and everybody is paying very close attention to it," Tracy said. "We see what's going on."
Coming into the season, it was believed the center-field spot would belong to Duffy, a sophomore who was up and down with the club last season and has impressed coaches with his stellar defense and big bat. Like McLouth, Duffy bats left-handed, so the challenge for McLouth is giving the Pirates something different.
Even their careers are alike -- Duffy saw action in 39 Major League games during his rookie year, McLouth, 41. Duffy boasted a higher batting average with the Pirates in 2005 -- .341 (43-for-126) to McLouth's .257 (20-for-109) -- but now things have reversed, with McLouth's spring average of .309 trumping Duffy's .206.
Tracy said the two are comparable in size, speed and defense and added that with all the similarities between the contenders, it was difficult to choose an area where one outshined the other. Finally, he hedged, McLouth "maybe has a little more power."
"It's a pretty close call. I think we have to wait a few more days and see where the situation's going to take us before I get overly into expounding on it," Tracy said. "We still don't know the 25 we are going into the season with and we have another week.
"But is Nate McLouth still in the mix? Very much so."
Coming soon: The Pirates will work out at 4 p.m. ET on April 2 at Miller Park, home of the Brewers. Pittsburgh opens the season against Milwaukee at 2:05 p.m. ET on April 3. ... With Friday's loss at Clearwater, the Pirates now are 0-3 in night games this spring.

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

Pirates top Phillies

03/25/2006
Phillies at the plate: Bobby Abreu drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right field to give the Phillies their first run. Abreu's homer also tied the game. Jimmy Rollins broke the tie with his solo homer in the fifth.
Pirates at the plate: Jeromy Burnitz knocked in the game's first run with a solo homer in the bottom of the second. In the seventh, Jose Hernandez poked a bases-loaded single to right field that gave the Pirates a 5-2 lead. Nate McLouth's sacrifice fly scored a third run.
Phillies on the mound: Right-hander Brett Myers looked ready for the season in a six-inning outing that yielded three runs -- just two earned. He allowed seven hits. Right-hander Robinson Tedeja allowed three runs on two hits.
Pirates on the mound: Right-hander Victor Santos went 4 2/3 innings, gave up four hits and two solo homers.
Grapefruit League records: Phillies 15-8-1; Pirates 14-11-1.

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

Notes: Wells just happy to be back

03/25/2006
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Kip Wells called himself an optimist, which helps after the kind of misfortune that Well experienced earlier this Spring Training.
Wells underwent surgery on a blocked artery on March 6, and nobody, including Wells himself, knew with certainty what the prognosis for his return would be.
So, for the 28-year-old Wells, who returned to camp on Saturday morning, to speak optimistically about pitching is as good as the news can be, all things considered.
"It's good to get back here and be around your teammates and be around the game," Wells said. "Again, [these are] the steps of trying to recover from something like this that's gone on. So it's a fun day for me."
The fun quickly gave way to work, because Wells faces a recovery process that will take time, general manager Dave Littlefield said.
Littlefield outlined Wells' recovery program like this: long toss, sideline bullpen sessions, simulated games, extended Spring Training outings, periodic checkups in Pittsburgh and rehab outings in Triple-A. Throw all of that into a time frame, and a return to the Majors won't happen quickly.
"The sense is, with where we sit right now, that he's gonna be back and throwing for us in July," Littlefield said. "So we prepare in that way."
July is better than not at all, for the surgery Wells underwent is not insignificant. He's got three ugly scars on his body to prove it.
"A lot of these guys are looking forward to leaving in four or five days, and I'm just now showing up," said Well, who stated that he's ahead of where he thought he'd be. "So it's just kinda bittersweet. At the same time, it's the first stage of a process that hopefully won't take, you know, too terribly long."
Cut to 25? With the Pirates roster still at 40 players, Littlefield and manager Jim Tracy have decisions to make before camp breaks next week.
And the decisions will come when?
"I don't know, exactly," Littlefield said. "But that's something we'll have be doing at some point here soon."
No worry: If Victor Santos is worried about his head-to-head duel with Brandon Duckworth for a spot in the Pirates rotation, Santos didn't show it on Saturday.
After his 4 2/3-inning outing, he sounded like a man who is content with however the duel comes out.
"Whenever I go out there to pitch, I just want to throw the ball as good as I can, regardless of everything else," Santos said. "I don't think about anything else when I'm out there."
That's the same approach he's taken in his fight for a roster spot. He's not fretting it one bit -- or so it seems. Nor is the 29-year-old Santos overly concerned about when the Pirates will make their decision.
"It could be today, or it could be the last day of camp," said Santos, who went 4-13 with a 4.57 ERA for the Brewers. "It doesn't make a difference when they make it."
Maybe not to him, but Tracy is very interested in Santos and his performance. The race between Santos and Duckworth, who also worked against the Phillies, for the one open spot in the rotation is down to the home stretch.
"I thought they both did a great job," Tracy said of Saturday's efforts. "I thought they both did exactly what you wanted to see. ... Both guys passed today."
The question is: In 1952, Harry Heilmann, a star with the Tigers and the Reds in the first half of the 1900s, went into the Hall of Fame with one other person. That person was a Pirates star, but who was he?
Quote 'em: "I have an Alka Seltzer bat. You know -- plop plop, fizz fizz. When the pitcher sees me walking up there, they say, 'Oh what a relief it is.'" -- Former Pirates outfielder Andy van Slake, now a coach with the Tigers
Did you know: Jack Chesbro, who holds the Major League record for the most wins in a season, started his Hall of Fame career with Pittsburgh in 1899-1902. He went to the Yankees in 1903, and in '04, he won a record 41 games. Inducted into the Hall in 1946, Chesbro also set the all-time record with 48 complete games that season.
Numbers: On a brisk, sunny Saturday here, the Pirates drew 5,943 fans to McKechnie Field. The figure pushed the team's attendance total for Spring Training to 67,542.
Odds and ends: The Pirates will hold a 4 p.m. workout on April 2 at Miller Park, where they will open the season April 3 against the Brewers. ... The Pirates have sold 10,822 season-ticket packages, a figure that represents a 20-percent increase over the 8,880 the team sold last season. ... The Pirates will announce on April 28 the price and availability of tickets to the All-Star Game this summer in PNC Park. It will be the fifth time the All-Star Game has been held in "The Steel City" -- twice at Forbes Field (1944 and '59) and twice in Three Rivers Stadium (1974 and '94).
And the answer: It was outfielder Paul Waner who joined Heilmann in that two-man Hall of Fame class. Waner, nicknamed "Big Poison," got 83.3 percent of the votes cast, more than enough to get into Cooperstown. With his lifetime .333 average and 3,152 hits, some have to wonder why it took voters so long to select Waner.

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

Pirates play home run derby in loss

03/26/2006
Blue Jays at the plate: Vernon Wells had three hits, including an RBI single in the second inning and an RBI double in the fourth. Eric Hinske hit his sixth home run of the spring in the sixth inning. Shea Hillenbrand, Bengie Molina, Aaron Hill, Alex Rios and Lyle Overbay chipped in RBIs.
Pirates at the plate: Jason Bay and Craig Wilson hit back-to-back solo home runs twice off Toronto starter Ted Lilly. The first set of consecutive shots came with two outs in the first inning and Bay and Wilson hit the second pair of long balls off the left-hander in the fifth. Chris Duffy added a two-run homer off Lilly in the fourth. Ryan Doumit hit a solo shot off Blue Jays reliever Scott Schoeneweis in the seventh.
Blue Jays on the mound: Lilly struggled in his latest outing. He gave up seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits, including five home runs, in five innings. Lilly struck out six, but he hit two batters, walked another and threw one wild pitch. The lefty threw 95 pitches, including 64 strikes.
Pirates on the mound: Left-hander Zach Duke threw 74 pitches, including 48 strikes, in four innings. He allowed eight runs -- six earned -- on 11 hits with one walk.
Grapefruit League records: Blue Jays 10-16; Pirates 14-12.

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

Snell gives up four runs in loss

03/27/2006
Reds at the plate: In his fourth game back from the World Baseball Classic where he hit .524 with three homers, Ken Griffey Jr. continued his superb spring. Griffey was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a two-run homer to center field in the third inning. He scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth on catch Ronny Paulino's passed ball. The center fielder is 7-for-15 (.467) with two homers for Cincinnati this spring. Adam Dunn had an RBI double with two outs in the fifth. Edwin Encarnacion was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. David Ross added a two-run single in the eighth.
Pirates at the plate: Jose Hernandez kicked off the scoring with a three-run homer to center field. Craig Wilson added a two-out solo homer in the third. Ryan Doumit was 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
Reds on the mound: Eric Milton made his third start and pitched five innings. He allowed three earned runs on five hits, including a pair of homers. He walked two and struck out four while throwing 88 pitches. Mike Burns gave up one run and two hits over two innings in relief.
Pirates on the mound: Pirates starter Ian Snell gave up four runs and five hits over five innings. Snell walked two and struck out four. C.J. Nitkowski faced one batter in the sixth. Salomon Torres pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out two.
Grapefruit League records: Reds 17-11; Pirates 14-13-1.

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

Notes: Duke down after defeat

03/26/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Zach Duke didn't have quite the outing he was looking for in Sunday's 9-8 loss to the Blue Jays. The southpaw scattered 11 hits and allowed eight runs, six earned, over four rocky innings for his third loss of the spring.
"I never accept an outing like this as something that is good -- it's just not in my character," Duke said. "I expect the best, and if I don't get the results, I get upset."
Still, Pirates manager Jim Tracy said he was impressed with the 22-year-old's composure, particularly the grit the youngster showed after Toronto put three runs on the board in the first inning.
"[I saw] a kid that was still battling, never broke down, kept making pitches ... a few ground balls found their way right down the third-base line, that's what you look for," Tracy said. "When things aren't exactly unfolding the way you'd like to see them, you like to observe the body language of the individual and see how he's handling it.
"I saw a very young, mature pitcher who was out there still making pitches. ... That tells me something about that guy. And what that tells me is, he's going to have a lot more good days than bad days, because he gets it."
To his credit, all three runs in the first scored after second baseman Jose Castillo bobbled a double-play ball. Toronto also hit a few screamers right up the third-base line, resulting in base hits. Add in two broken-bat singles, and Duke was saddled with the hard-luck loss.
But Tracy seemed more positive than anything about the outing, and he was quick to come to Duke's defense, cautioning that one outing doesn't make a pitcher.
"That'll happen to the best of them, at any point in time in their career," Tracy said. "When they see [his toughness] on the other side of the field, there's no intonation whatsoever that, 'We got him,' because he's not backing off, and he's not going to back off. He's going to be a terrific Major League pitcher, sooner than later.
"He's already pretty good."
Bautista makes infield rounds: In two years of Major League baseball, Jose Bautista had never played shortstop.
Tracy decided there was no time like the present, and introduced Bautista to the position in the bottom of the seventh. It wasn't completely cold-turkey -- Tracy said Bautista had been taking infield at shortstop during practices. The result was an error-free two innings and a few snazzy stops.
"[The ball] found him a few times today, and a couple times of which were going to be very interesting plays to see what happened," Tracy said. "He made one up the middle, one deep in the hole to his backhand. ... He pretty much made every play you would ask a shortstop to make.
"He's shown us a lot this spring."
Bautista has now seen action at each of the outfield spots, second base and shortstop for the Pirates.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday: During a time when many choose to kick back and relax, Jason Bay has been turning it up a notch at the end of the week.
The All-Star left fielder hit two home runs in three at-bats on Sunday to double his spring total. Each of his long bombs have come on the week's final day. All told, Bay is hitting 6-for-8 with eight RBIs on Sundays.
Bay denied feeling any different on Sundays, but he paused for a minute to reflect on the statistics, before brushing them off with a shrug.
"That's interesting," he laughed. "I thought it's usually that I do better on Fridays, but hey, any day is good."
Even more interesting, perhaps, was the piggybacking first baseman Craig Wilson did. Following Bay in the lineup, Wilson mirrored his performance in each of his three at-bats, resulting in back-to-back homers in the first inning, back-to-back strikeouts at the end of the second and start of the third, and another pair of homers in the fifth.
"He was following everything I did ... it was kind of neat," Bay said. "I've never done that before, exhibition or not."
Whittling down the numbers: The Pirates cut five players on Sunday morning before the team traveled to Dunedin to face the Blue Jays. Non-roster invitees Marty McLeary, J.J. Furmaniak, Ray Sadler, Jorge Vasquez and Paul Chiaffredo all were reassigned to Minor League camp, bringing the total active roster number down to 35.
Of the five, Sadler appeared to be having the best spring. The outfielder hit .364 (16-for-44) with two doubles, three home runs and six RBIs. Pittsburgh needs to trim the roster to 25 before it breaks camp next week.
Long ball battle: In addition to Bay and Wilson's two homers, center fielder Chris Duffy and designated hitter Ryan Doumit each went deep to bring the Pirates' spring total to 42 homers, second in the Majors and eight behind league-leading Detroit.
He said it: "If we were going to venture into that, we'd probably do that over at Pirate City first, just to kind of let him ease into that." -- Tracy, jokingly responding to an inquiry about when fans could expect to see Bautista pitch

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

Mailbag: When will Burnett be back?

03/27/2006
With Sean Burnett being demoted to the Minors, how long do you think it will be before he is called back up to the Bucs?-- Luke P., Johnstown, Pa.
Burnett has been extremely focused this spring, and he's very determined to get back to the big leagues as soon as possible. He was, understandably, quite disappointed to be sent to Triple-A Indianapolis.
The organization probably had its mind set on sending Burnett back to the Minors for at least the first month of the season, regardless of how well he pitched this spring -- short of him tossing a shutout every time he took the mound. The Pirates want to make sure that he has time to build up his stamina and regain the touch and feel of his pitches after such a long layoff. Burnett, 23, spent the entire 2005 season on the disabled list while recovering from left elbow and left shoulder surgeries. He is still a prized prospect and they don't want to risk rushing him back too soon.
Another factor that will play a role in Burnett's recall is team need. If the five guys in the big-league starting rotation are all pitching well, the Pirates won't oust one of them simply to bring Burnett back to Pittsburgh.
My best bet is that Burnett will rejoin the Bucs at some point in May.
Regarding Craig Wilson, why won't the Pirates use him as their Opening Day catcher? He'll have the best bat out of the bunch.-- Dave B., Toronto
I think that ship sailed long ago, Dave.
The Pirates have never shown much faith in Wilson's defensive skills behind the plate. He's been seen as an emergency catcher rather than a legitimate option as a starter there. Wilson made just 20 starts behind the plate during his first five seasons in the big leagues, with the last coming in 2004, when he made a grand total of four appearances there.
If Wilson was ever going to get his shot to play there regularly, it would have been in 2005, when the aging Benito Santiago clearly was on his last leg, while Humberto Cota was hampered by an oblique strain that forced him to begin the season on the disabled list. But rather than go with Wilson as the everyday catcher, the Pirates traded for David Ross.
With Ryan Doumit and Cota healthy and ready for the start of the season, and Ronny Paulino waiting in the wings at Indianapolis, Wilson is the fourth option, at best, for the Pirates behind the plate.
Who will be the Pirates announcers for Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh for the coming season? -- Janice M., Waynesboro, Pa.
Lanny Frattare, Steve Blass, Greg Brown, Bob Walk and John Wehner will all be back for another season with FSN Pittsburgh and the Pirates radio network.
Do you think that Jason Bay is going to hit 40 home runs for Pirates this season? -- Luis C., Las Vegas
If Bay played in just about any other home park in the National League, I'd say he'd have a decent shot at 40 home runs. But PNC Park is a notoriously difficult place for right-handed power hitters because of the deep dimensions in left-center field.
Of Bay's 32 home runs last season, only nine came at home. Bay did hit 15 long balls at PNC Park in 2004, but even if he matches that total this year, he'd need to hit 25 more on the road. That's a tough chore, even with the improved talent that Bay should have surrounding him in the lineup.
As an historical aside, the last Pirate to club at least 40 home runs in a season was Willie Stargell, who went deep 44 times in 1973. The last right-handed Bucs hitter to have 40 or more home runs was Ralph Kiner, who wowed the crowds at Forbes Field with 42 homers way back in 1951.
Who do you think will be in the bullpen on Opening Day? -- Steve D., Clearfield, Pa.
Mike Gonzalez is locked in at closer. Right-handers Salomon Torres and Roberto Hernandez and southpaws Damaso Marte and John Grabow will also pitch in the late innings, assuming Marte's sore left shoulder is sound. Ryan Vogelsong will reprise his role as the long reliever.
The seventh spot in the bullpen will be up for grabs between Giovanni Carrara and the loser of the Brandon Duckworth/Victor Santos competition for the final spot in the starting rotation.

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

Notes: Three decisions left for Bucs

03/27/2006
SARASOTA, Fla. -- With less than a week remaining in Spring Training, the Pittsburgh Pirates have the majority of their Opening Day roster set for their April 3 lid-lifter against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
The starting lineup -- including the platoon of catchers Ryan Doumit and Humberto Cota, three of the four bench jobs, four of the five starting rotation spots and six of the seven bullpen slots have likely already been locked up. This would leave three big-league jobs remaining for 13 players.
The most intriguing position battles left would seem to be between Brandon Duckworth and Victor Santos for the final starting rotation spot, Jose Hernandez and Jose Bautista for the utility infielder/outfielder job, and Giovanni Carrara and perhaps the loser of the fifth starter competition for the last spot in the bullpen. Nate McLouth, who has had a sensational spring, is also making a push as an extra outfielder.
Duckworth (1-1, 2.08 ERA) has posted better statistics than Santos (0-1, 5.02) thus far this spring, but numbers alone won't necessarily be the determining factor in who makes the team. Santos was selected in the Rule 5 Draft from the Kansas City Royals and he would have to be offered back to Kansas City if he does not remain on the 25-man roster throughout the season. The Pirates could choose to have Duckworth begin the season at Triple-A Indianapolis and bring him up later in the season should another starter falter.
Pirates manager Jim Tracy was asked about the final opening in his starting rotation prior to the Bucs' exhibition game Monday night against the Reds.
"There are things that play in to that that I am not going to get overly involved in at this time," said Tracy. "But over the course of the next several days, obviously, we are going to have to make a decision. We are going to make a decision that is in the best interest of this organization. That's the decision that we have to make. That's the prudent thing to do."
While the veteran Hernandez would seem to have the inside track on the utility job because of his experience, Tracy was not ready to count Bautista out of the mix. Bautista has been one of the Pirates' most productive hitters this spring, and he's shown tremendous versatility by playing third base, shortstop, second base and all three outfield positions during Grapefruit League action.
"If Jose Bautista was not still a candidate to be a part of this club, then I don't know that on March 27th he would still be out here participating," said Tracy.
With the next round of cuts expected to occur early this week, the Opening Day roster should become much clearer in the coming days. The Pirates currently have 35 active players in camp, not including injured pitchers Kip Wells, John Van Benschoten and Bryan Bullington.
Snell tuneup: Knowing that he would be facing the Cincinnati Reds again on April 6 in his regular-season debut, Pirates right-hander Ian Snell was careful not to unveil his entire bag of tricks Monday night.
Snell intentionally kept his game plan and pitch selection as simple as possible.
"I didn't show them too much today. I just kept everything away, away, away," Snell explained. "I didn't show my changeup or slider much, it was mostly my curveball."
Snell was charged with four runs on five hits and two walks in five innings in his penultimate outing of the spring. The big blow was a towering two-run home run by Ken Griffey Jr. in the third inning.
All in all, Snell was pleased with his outing, even if the final results weren't all that sparkling.
"Unfortunately, Griffey hits the home run. But it doesn't really matter. I got my work in. There were some hits here and there. I think I had a pretty good outing."
As he had predicted prior to the game, Snell was able to deliver a base hit at the plate when he singled up the middle in the second inning.
Strikeout pitchers? Tracy, when discussing the need for his starting staff to make use of the defense behind them, singled out Snell as the only starter who could rely upon strikeouts to shut down the opposition.
"We don't have strikeout pitchers. We have one guy that possibly could. Ian Snell, on a given day with his good stuff going, he can strike some people out," said Tracy. "The other guys, that's not their mission. Those three left-handers [Zach Duke, Oliver Perez and Paul Maholm], their mission on any given day when they are going to be really, really good will not be to go out there and strike out 12 or 13 guys. That's not the kind of pitchers that they are."
Tracy's omission of Perez as a "strikeout pitcher" was curious in that Perez led all Major League starters in strikeouts per nine innings in 2004 while fanning 239 batters in 196 innings.
However, Tracy's comments do fall in line with pitching coach Jim Colborn's insistence that Perez does not have to pile up the strikeouts in order to be successful.
Perez, whose fastball regularly reached 96 mph in 2004 but has topped out in the high-80 mph range this spring, saw his strikeout rate decline along with his velocity in 2005. Perez fanned 10.97 batters per nine innings in 2004 and 8.48 per nine innings last season. He has six strikeouts in six Grapefruit League innings thus far this spring.
Bucs bits: Maholm, who won't make a regular-season start until April 7, will stay behind in Bradenton to pitch in a Minor League game at Pirate City on Sunday. He'll rejoin the Pirates in Milwaukee on Monday. ... Southpaw reliever Damaso Marte, who has been sidelined by a sore left shoulder since returning from the World Baseball Classic, will likely see his first Grapefruit League action Tuesday against the Devil Rays. Marte expects to be ready to for the start of the regular season. "I feel good. I'm ready to go," said Marte. ... Pittsburgh's 7-4 loss Monday was its sixth in the last seven games. The Pirates are 0-4 in night games this spring.

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

Bay helps lead Bucs past Rays

03/28/2006
Pirates at the plate: Cleanup hitter Jason Bay went 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI to improve his Grapefruit League batting average to .464. Nate McLouth, Craig Wilson and Jose Castillo had two hits apiece in helping to lead the Bucs to their second win in the last nine games.
Devil Rays at the plate: Carl Crawford put Tampa Bay on the board with a two-run double to left field in the sixth inning. Jorge Cantu followed with a two-run home run to center field, his first of the spring.
Pirates on the mound: Southpaw Paul Maholm blanked the Devil Rays on one hit through the first five innings. However, he struggled with his command in the sixth. After walking the first two batters of the frame on nine pitches, Maholm surrendered a two-run double to Crawford and was lifted from the game. Closer Mike Gonzalez tossed a scoreless ninth for his first save.
Devil Rays on the mound: Opening Day starter Scott Kazmir struggled in his final outing of the spring. The hard-throwing southpaw allowed seven runs (four earned) on 11 hits and two walks and struck out six in 4 1/3 innings. In his final three Grapefruit League starts, Kazmir was charged with 15 runs (12 earned) in 7 2/3 innings.
Grapefruit League records: Pirates 15-13-1; Devil Rays 11-13

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

Notes: Perez focused on team goals

03/28/2006
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Oliver Perez earned his reputation as one of the dominant left-handed pitchers in the big leagues in 2004 by leading all starters in strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
Now, two years, later, Perez says he prefers complete games over strikeouts, and team wins over gaudy personal statistics.
"Maybe I can strike out guys. The more important thing in the game is to throw as many innings as you can," said Perez. "You don't try to strike out [everyone]. You just have to throw the most innings you can. If you strike out 15 or strike out two, it's no problem."
Perhaps the new approach is a sign of maturity for Perez, 24, who in the past seemed to feed off of the adrenaline rush he received when the home fans stood on their feet and cheered every time he got two strikes on an opposing hitter.
"When you have opportunities to get strikeouts, you feel good. I always was a strikeout guy," said Perez. "Now, I just have to go in trying to help the team. That's the most important.
"You don't think about you. You think about the team. Strikeouts are for yourself. The game is more important."
Perez also doesn't seem to be all that concerned about his velocity dropping from 95-96 mph in 2004 to the 86-89 range over the last two seasons.
"Last year, I was thinking too much about my mechanics and my velocity," said Perez. "This year, I am just working on my mechanics. My arm is good, stronger.
"I'm feeling good."
Perez will have his final spring tuneup on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox before taking the hill for his second consecutive Opening Day start against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 3. The Pirates are hopeful that Perez, who spent two weeks with Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic, will have built up his pitch count to 90 by Opening Day.
Maholm encouraged by outing: For five innings on Tuesday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, starter Paul Maholm looked a lot like the rookie left-hander who dazzled Bucs management late last season with his combination of poise and command.
Maholm, in what would be his final Grapefruit League appearance of the spring, retired 15 of the first 17 hitters he faced, and he walked off the field with a one-hitter intact after fanning the final two batters of the fifth. Opposing starter Scott Kazmir's two-out single in the third inning and a walk to Aubrey Huff after two outs in the fourth were his only blemishes.
After a long bottom of the fifth inning during which the Pirates sent seven batters to the plate, including Maholm, and the Devil Rays made a mid-inning pitching change, Maholm had a tough time loosening up for his return to the hill in the sixth. His command suddenly left him and he walked the first two batters before being lifted after surrendering a two-run double to Carl Crawford.
"I couldn't get as loose as I was the first five," Maholm said. "I lost my arm slot a few times and I walked a couple of guys. It's something that really can't happen.
"I felt good the last inning. It's just one of those innings where you lose it for a few guys. It's something going into the season that I just need to get my strength up and make sure I can go through all six, seven, eight [innings] or whatever they want me to go through."
All in all, considering that Maholm had posted an 8.50 ERA in his previous five appearances, the young lefty was encouraged by his performance Tuesday even if it didn't end as good as it started.
"Getting so close to the season, I needed to step it up and have a good outing," said Maholm. "Everything went my way today. The [sixth] inning, I fell out of rhythm and gave up some walks. That's something I need to correct going into my next outing.
"It's always good to go out on a good [note]. If I would have finished the sixth like I did the fifth I would have felt a lot better. The two walks kind of leaves a sour taste in my mouth. It's something I'll work on this next week."
Maholm will remain in Bradenton on Sunday to pitch in a Minor League game before joining his teammates Monday in Milwaukee for Opening Day. He is scheduled to make his first regular-season start on April 7 against the Cincinnati Reds.
Home opener festivities: The Pirates on Tuesday unveiled their plans for the April 10 home opener pregame festivities at PNC Park.
Highlights of the activities, which will have an All-Star theme in recognition of the 2006 Midsummer Classic being held at PNC Park, will include:
• Actor and Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
• Recording artist and American Idol star Kimberley Locke will perform the National Anthem.
• "God Bless America" will be performed on trumpet by an active member of the United States Army Field Band. The colors will be presented by representatives from all five branches of the military in honor of the servicemen and women serving the United States around the world.
• Pirates CEO and managing general partner Kevin McClatchy will present the 17th annual "Pride of the Pirates Award" in recognition of a member of the organization who has demonstrated the qualities of sportsmanship, dedication and outstanding character during a lifetime of service.
• Longtime Bucs broadcaster Lanny Frattare will host the pregame ceremonies and introduce the 2006 Pirates team to the home crowd.
Bucs bits: The Pirates management team is expected to meet Tuesday night to deliberate over the final roster decisions. The Bucs have 35 active players remaining in camp. They must trim that number down to 25 before Opening Day. The next round of cuts could come as early as Wednesday morning. ... Left-handed reliever Damaso Marte, who returned early from the World Baseball Classic because of a sore left shoulder, developed a stiff neck while playing catch Tuesday morning and was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League debut. Although no timetable has yet been set for Marte's return to game action, manager Jim Tracy said Tuesday that there is still enough time left for Marte to be ready for the start of the regular season.

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

Pirates announce plans for festive home opener

03/28/2006
The Pittsburgh Pirates have slated a series of events to celebrate the 2006 regular season home opener on Monday, April 10, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game, presented by PNC Bank, is scheduled to start at 1:35 p.m. and will mark the home debut of new manager Jim Tracy, his coaching staff and the newest Pirates players. Lefthander Zach Duke is scheduled to be the starting pitcher for the Home Opener. Presented by PNC Bank, the All-Star themed festivities celebrating the Pirates 2006 home opener will include:
Master of ceremonies and "Voice of the Pirates" Lanny Frattare will host the pregame activities and introduce the 2006 Pittsburgh Pirates. The 2006 season marks Frattare's 31st behind the microphone, making him the longest tenured broadcaster in Pirates history.
The Pirates will salute their own "All-Star" when Kevin McClatchy, Pirates CEO and Managing General Partner, presents the annual "Pride of the Pirates" award. The award was created in 1990 to recognize members of the Pirates family who have demonstrated the qualities of sportsmanship, dedication and outstanding character during a lifetime of service. Last year's winner was the team's longtime organist, Vince Lascheid.
In honor of the servicemen and women who are serving our country around the world, the colors will be presented by representatives from all five branches of the military.
God Bless America will be performed by a solo trumpeter and active serviceman from the Washington D.C.-based United States Army Field Band.
Star of the hit television show, "American Idol," and Curb Recording Artist Kimberley Locke will perform the National Anthem. Locke's single, "8th World Wonder" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts at No. 1. Her second album is due out this May.
Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor, and Pittsburgh native, Michael Keaton will throw out the game's ceremonial first pitch. In addition, all fans will receive a 2006 Pittsburgh Pirates magnetic schedule, courtesy of PNC Bank, a Pirates eye patch, as well as a commemorative Major League Baseball 2006 Opening Day poster and Opening Day Trading Card packs. The Home Opener also marks the kick-off to the Pirates new aggressive promotional schedule with everybody wins McDonald's Scratch n' Win Mondays, where everyone in the ballpark receives a scratch card and is guaranteed to win a prize. Nine lucky fans will receive autographed Pirates jerseys. All fans can also enter to win a customized special All-Star edition Pirates Harley Davidson motorcycle. A limited number of tickets are still available for the Home Opener and can be purchased by calling 1-800-BUY-BUCS, on the Pirates website at www.pirates.com, or at the PNC Park box office. The PNC Park box office is open Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The following is a schedule of events for the afternoon:
Federal Street closes to traffic at 10 a.m. marking the start of the festivities
The Boilermaker Jazz Band will perform live on Federal Street starting at approximately 11 a.m.
Scouting for Food representatives will be accepting non-perishable food donations on Federal Street beginning at 11 a.m.
Gates open at 11:30 a.m.
All fans will receive a 2006 Pirates magnetic schedule, courtesy of PNC Bank and a Pirates eye patch upon entering the ballpark
Fans can also pick up a free commemorative Major League Baseball 2006 Opening Day poster and Opening Day Trading Card packs at guest relations kiosks
Introduction of the 2006 Pittsburgh Pirates
Presentation of the 2006 "Pride of the Pirates" Award
Colors presented by representatives from all five branches of the U.S. military
God Bless America performed by US Army Field Band trumpeter
National Anthem performed by American Idol star Kimberley Locke
Ceremonial first pitch by actor and Pittsburgh native, Michael Keaton

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

Notes: Pirates trim five from roster

03/29/2006
BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pittsburgh Pirates trimmed their active roster to 30 on Wednesday by sending out five players, including top prospect Jose Bautista.
Bautista and catcher Ronny Paulino were optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Pitchers Scott Strickland and Britt Reames and utility player Mike Edwards were reassigned to Minor League camp.
Bautista, 25, was one of the Bucs' most productive players this spring. He batted .345 with four home runs and nine RBIs in 24 games while seeing action in the field at third base, second base, shortstop and all three outfield positions.
"He had an outstanding spring," said Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield. "It's one of those good news, bad news things. The bad news is you obviously hate to send a guy to the Minor Leagues, because he's performed well. The good news is I'm sure he'll be back soon.
"He's a guy who has made improvements, he's matured. He certainly gives you the look that he's Major League ready."
Bautista was in contention for Pittsburgh's final reserve spot off the bench. However, the Pirates ultimately decided that Bautista, who spent most of last season at Double-A Altoona after losing a year of development while riding the bench in the big leagues in 2004 as a Rule 5 Draft selection, would benefit more by playing third base every day in the Minor Leagues than he would as a reserve in the big leagues.
"We need to try to continue to get him at-bats," said Littlefield. "Because of his path the last couple of years, he hasn't had the normal number of at-bats that your prospects have. I think it's important that we get him a lot of playing time at third base. ... We want to exhaust the opportunity for him to play third base, because we are looking at our future."
Although Bautista, with pillow in hand, was ready to board the team bus for the road trip to Ft. Myers on Wednesday morning, he said he wasn't surprised by the demotion.
"I would rather be up here [in the big leagues], but I do understand the picture," said Bautista. "I had a clue when they went out and signed [Joe] Randa this year. It's not a big shock to me. I know I performed well in the spring, but I didn't really think that was going to matter coming in, either.
"Like [Littlefield] said, I just have to go down, get some more at-bats, continue to improve on the things I need to keep working on and hopefully I'll get the callup soon when the spot's open."
Final audition: Even with the moves Wednesday morning, the Pirates have several decisions to make before whittling the roster down to 25 for Opening Day.
The competition for the second spot in the starting rotation should become clearer Thursday when right-handers Brandon Duckworth and Victor Santos make their final appearances of the spring in an exhibition game against the Minnesota Twins. However, Littlefield said that their performances Thursday would not be the determining factor in deciding who gets the job.
"I wouldn't evaluate it that way," said Littlefield. "It just gives us more information and another outing to look at the guys.
"They obviously have played a long time in Minor League and Major League baseball. Those things count, as well. I don't want anybody to think that one four-inning outing in Spring Training ... is going to determine whether you make it or not. There are many factors that go into it, part of which includes the makeup of the 12-man staff that we have and how those other pieces fit."
Santos, 29, has a career record of 17-33 with a 5.00 ERA in 125 big-leagues games, including 65 starts. Duckworth, 30, is 16-21 lifetime with a 5.34 ERA in 91 career Major League appearances, including 66 starts.
Even if Santos does not earn a job as a starter, he could still make the team as a long reliever. Santos was selected from Kansas City in the Rule 5 Draft in December, and the Pirates would be obligated to offer him back to the Royals if he is not placed on the 25-man roster.
As of Wednesday morning, the Pirates had not disclosed which of the two right-handers would start the game Thursday against the Twins.
Marte optimistic about return: The availability of left-handed reliever Damaso Marte for the start of the regular season will also play a role in the team's decision-making in the coming days.
Marte, who returned early from the World Baseball Classic because of a sore left shoulder, developed stiffness on the right side of his neck Tuesday after taking batting practice. He was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League debut later that day.
"It feels much better today," Marte said Wednesday. "It locked up [during batting practice]. Maybe I didn't sleep good [Monday night]."
According to Littlefield, no decision has yet been made on whether Marte will have to begin the season on the disabled list.
"We have to consider that he hasn't pitched much up to this point, and he's had some bumps and bruises," said Littlefield. "But we haven't made any determination."
Despite the setbacks, Marte is optimistic that he'll be able to open the season with the club.
"I have to pitch two or three times here. But we have three more games. I think I can pitch in two or three games," he said.
If Marte is unavailable, non-roster invitee C.J. Nitkowski could earn a spot on the Opening Day roster as the third left-hander in the bullpen, along with John Grabow and closer Mike Gonzalez. Nitkowski pitched in four of the previous five games before Wednesday.
Bucs bits: Littlefield said Wednesday that Chris Duffy is still in line to be the Opening Day starter in center field, despite the emergence of Nate McLouth this spring. "Right now, Chris Duffy is the starting center fielder and we're going to go in that direction," said Littlefield. "I don't think either guy has a solid position on a job. Both of them have got to continue to work hard to establish themselves as big leaguers. Neither one is an established big leaguer, but we have very high hopes for both of them." ... Edwards was left with a black eye after an indoor batting practice session Tuesday. A ball Edwards hit in the McKechnie Field batting cage bounced up and hit him in the face. He is not expected to miss any action. ... Right-handers Kip Wells, Bryan Bullington and John Van Benschoten will begin the season on the disabled list, although it has not yet been decided if all three will be placed on the 60-day DL.

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

Perez impressive, but Pirates fall

03/29/2006
Red Sox at the plate: Wily Mo Pena, who started in center field, went 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Trot Nixon, making a rare start in the leadoff spot, belted a two-run single.
Pirates at the plate: Pittsburgh put together a two-run rally against Curt Schilling in the fourth, with Jose Castillo (RBI single) and Chris Duffy (fielder's choice RBI) accounting for the scoring output. Jody Gerut produced two hits and scored a run.
Red Sox on the mound: Schilling, making his final tuneup before Opening Day, surrendered six hits and two runs over four innings, walking one and striking out two. Closer Keith Foulke was sharp again, allowing one hit in a scoreless inning.
Pirates on the mound: Left-hander Oliver Perez was impressive, allowing three hits and one run over 5 2/3 innings while striking out seven. Perez will next pitch Monday on the road against the Brewers in the season opener.
Grapefruit League records: Red Sox 9-17-1; Pirates 15-14.

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

Santos struggles in loss to Twins

03/30/2006
Twins at the plate: Minnesota benefited from a ball lost in the sun to push across a run in the first inning on Justin Morneau's RBI double. Matt Moses, who singled in his first at-bat, hit his first homer to open the fourth, an inning that featured Luis Rodriguez's RBI single.
Pirates at the plate: Joe Randa's single in the bottom of the first tied the game. Nate McLouth's RBI single in the next inning gave the Pirates their second run, but they would not score again until the sixth. Nate McLouth had three hits.
Twins on the mound: Left-hander Johan Santana didn't dominate the Pirates in his five-inning outing, but the former Cy Young winner was efficient in holding them to a pair of runs on five hits. Right-hander Willie Eyre followed Santana and got knocked around. In one-third of an inning, Eyre gave up three runs on four hits.
Pirates on the mound: Right-hander Victor Santos didn't pitch like a man who was trying to nail down a rotation spot. The 29-year-old went 4 1/3 innings and gave up seven runs on 12 hits.
Grapefruit League records: Twins 17-13; Pirates 15-15-1.

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

Notes: Pirates to make tough decisions

03/30/2006
BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pittsburgh Pirates hope to have most, if not all, of their roster decisions made by Friday morning.
However, the team's brain trust might need to burn the midnight oil at their meeting Thursday night to get it all done.
Victor Santos and Brandon Duckworth didn't make the decision-making process any easier on their employers with their performances Thursday. Both competitors for the final starting rotation spot struggled in their spring finales.
Santos lasted 4 2/3 innings against the Twins and allowed seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits, seven of which went for extra bases. Duckworth, who pitched in a Minor League game at Pirate City, was charged with five runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings.
Pirates manager Jim Tracy and general manager Dave Littlefield downplayed the importance of the pitchers' performances Thursday in determining which of the two players would ultimately get the ball on April 4 against the Brewers.
"I didn't want either guy to go out there and feel that the weight of the world is on their shoulders," said Tracy. "We don't base decisions on 4 2/3 [innings]. You don't look at today and say, 'He won.' There are a lot of other things that come into play."
"You take into account a lot of things, not just one outing," said Littlefield. "We'll certainly take into account everything."
An overriding factor could be Santos' status as a Rule 5 Draft pick. If Santos does not remain on the Pirates' 25-man roster throughout the season, he must be offered back to his former team, the Kansas City Royals.
According to Littlefield, Santos and Duckworth are both also in consideration for a position as a long reliever in the bullpen.
Centers of attention: Perhaps Chris Duffy is not a lock to be the Pirates' regular center fielder, after all.
Wednesday, Littlefield told reporters, "Right now, Chris Duffy is the starting center fielder and we're going to go in that direction."
The Bucs' GM backed off of those comments somewhat Thursday.
"We have some tough decisions in center field and with our extra outfielders," said Littlefield. "We continue to talk about those things. Nothing is a lock.
"We have some decisions to make. We play 162 games. One game doesn't determine some guy being the everyday center fielder or the everyday catcher. We've got to kind of weed through some of these younger guys and see how they do."
Duffy batted .341 and played outstanding defense in 39 games with the Pirates as a rookie last season. He's had a tougher go of it this spring. Slowed by a sore shoulder and a concussion that occurred after he was hit in the head by a pitch, Duffy has hit .222 with one home run, five RBIs and two steals in 16 games.
"With the shoulder stuff, I come back and I feel like I have to show something," Duffy admitted. "I got really antsy, really eager to try to do too much. Then I get hit, I miss a week and I feel like I'm playing catchup. I'm not just relaxed and playing the game."
McLouth, who batted .257 in 41 games as a rookie in 2005, has been one of Pittsburgh's best players this spring. He's hit .352 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and six steals to make a legitimate push for a reserve spot in the outfield, if not the starting center field job.
"It shows that a lot of the hard work has been paying off and that things can improve," said McLouth. "As far as whether or not I end up here at the beginning of the season, who knows? At the beginning, it looked as if I definitely would not. But I think that's changed a little bit now."
"The way I've played, if you look at all-around what I've done, I think it deserves a shot," McLouth added. "But it's not my call, your call or anybody besides people in the [manager's] office's call. We'll let them do their job, because I think I've done mine."
11 or 12 in the 'pen?: McLouth's chances of at least making the team might have been helped by, of all things, starter Oliver Perez's dominating performance Wednesday against the Red Sox.
Tracy revealed Thursday that the Pirates are now considering beginning the season with 11 pitchers and 14 position players. But this might be difficult to pull off because of the lack of overall experience in the Pittsburgh starting rotation and a brutal schedule that has the Pirates playing 17 consecutive games before their first off-day of the season.
"This is one variable that we have to continue to discuss," said Tracy. "What's the best alternative for us? Is it 11? Do we take 12? As a result of that, a number of different areas of the ballclub with the decisions that you make become affected."
Carrara reassigned: The Pirates trimmed their active roster to 29 on Thursday by reassigning veteran right-hander Giovanni Carrara to the Minor League camp.
Prior to Spring Training, Carrara, 38, was considered a strong candidate to earn a spot in the bullpen because of his experience, his ability to work multiple innings, and his past success under Tracy with the Dodgers. However, the Venezuelan native Carrara reported late to camp because of difficulties attaining a work visa and missed time while playing in the World Baseball Classic. In his six Grapefruit League appearances, Carrara went 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in five innings.
"At this point, he just isn't ready, performance-wise," said Littlefield. "He needs some time in the Minor Leagues to get things back together where he feels and we would feel he could compete at the Major League level."
Carrara refused to use his participation in the Classic as an excuse for his struggles with the Pirates.
"When I came back, they told me they would give me a chance to pitch," said Carrara. "I wasn't myself. I was leaving every single pitch high. I've got to work on it."
With Carrara no longer in the mix, the loser of the Duckworth/Santos competition, Ryan Vogelsong, Terry Adams and Matt Capps remain in competition for the one or two long-relief spots in the Pirates bullpen. Vogelsong, who has posted a 7.71 ERA this spring, is no longer a lock for a job.
"There are a lot of guys out there fighting for jobs," said Littlefield, "and Ryan's one of them."
Marte returns to the mound: Southpaw Damaso Marte, who injured his throwing shoulder during the World Baseball Classic and was bothered by a stiff neck earlier this week, pitched a perfect inning of relief Thursday in a Minor League game at Pirate City.
Marte will likely have to pitch in at least one big-league exhibition game before the Pirates break camp for the team to consider him for the 25-man Opening Day roster.
"We'll see how he feels tomorrow when he comes in," said Littlefield, "and we'll talk about that more [Thursday]."

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

Duke flat in loss to Twins

03/31/2006
Pirates at the plate: Humberto Cota hit a solo homer in the fifth. The homer was Cota's first of the Grapefruit League season. Chris Duffy had a pair of hits, including a double.
Twins at the plate: Tony Batista hit his fourth homer of the spring, a solo shot in the bottom of the second inning that tied the game at 1. Lew Ford then broke the tie with a solo homer in the same inning. In the third, Batista's single knocked in two more runs for the Twins. Joe Mauer had three hits.
Pirates on the mound: Left-hander Zach Duke didn't necessarily have the kind of outing he'd have liked. His five innings against the Twins looked like this: five runs on 10 hits. Two of those five runs came on solo homers.
Twins on the mound: Right-hander Brad Radke looked ready for the season. In his last outing of Spring Training, Radke worked five innings and gave up two runs. He allowed six hits and fanned three.
Grapefruit League records: Twins 18-13; Pirates 15-16-1.

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

Notes: Good news, bad news for some

03/31/2006
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Manager Jim Tracy had good news for a couple of players Friday, but he had bad news for a couple as well.
The good news went to outfielder Nate McLouth and pitcher Matt Capps. The bad news went to outfielder Jody Gerut and pitcher Brandon Duckworth, two of several players that Tracy has had to give bad news to in the past few days.
The news to Gerut and Duckworth: They didn't make the Pirates. The news to McLouth and Capps: They did make the team.
It was a bittersweet day for Tracy.
"For in the case of a few of them -- several of them -- they didn't do anything to not make the team," he said. "It's just what I've been talking to you guys about since [Thursday] is when you team-build, you team-build for a season, not for Opening Day."
In trying to put a team together for 162 games, Tracy said he looked at whether he had resources to reach for when bumps in the season hit a ballclub. He's been mindful of that fact as he's made decisions.
"You have to be," Tracy said. "Or you get burnt. Badly."
Joy to the world: The 24-year-old McLouth can exhale now. He'd been holding his breath, figuratively, as he waited to find out if he'd made the team.
He found out that he had before the Pirates lost to the Twins, 5-3, on Friday.
"I guess it was a little bit of a relief along with excitement," he said, his face aglow. "It's the first time I've made a team out of Spring Training. More excitement than anything."
McLouth, who called his mother and girlfriend immediately, said he never felt he had a roster spot locked up. He looked around the Pirates clubhouse and saw plenty of veterans in competition for jobs on the Major League club.
"As it is every year, there's more people than there are spots," he said. "So it happened this year that there were a lot of good players for those spots, and until I heard the words, I was never sure."
McLouth's tough, hustling play caught Tracy's eye early in Spring Training, and as Opening Day neared, McLouth continued to play like somebody who deserved to make the team.
Tracy made it clear that McLouth, indeed, had earned his spot.
"We feel good about some of the decisions that we've made that involve people that have earned the right to be strongly considered," Tracy said. "They haven't been given anything. ... There's nothing that's been given to any of them."
Numbers games: The Pirates optioned Gerut, who joined the team last summer in a trade with the Cubs, to Triple-A. He went 10-for-22 this spring with a pair of walks.
Besides the Gerut move, the Pirates re-assigned Duckworth, who'd come to camp as a non-roster invitee.
Those moves leave the club at 27 players.
The question is: What was Hall of Famer Paul Waner's nickname?
Quote 'em: "On the road, I liked to be booed, I really did. Because if they boo you on the road, it's either because you're a sorehead or because you're hurting them." -- Waner
Did you know: Paul Waner and Lloyd Waner, who also played for the Pirates, are the only two brothers who played in the big leagues that are both members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
And the answer: Paul Waner, a speedy, line-drive-hitting right-fielder who batted .300 or better for 12 consecutive seasons, was tagged with the nickname "Big Poison." And what was Lloyd's nickname? It was "Little Poison," of course.
Odds and ends: In the offseason, the Pirates picked up veteran Jose Hernandez for his versatility, and Hernandez, who played with the Indians last season, has proved as versatile as anybody in camp. He's played all four infield positions, plus left field and right field. ... Catcher Humberto Cota's solo homer in the fifth inning Friday gave the Pirates 45 homers this spring, a total that breaks the team record (44 in 2003) for the most since formal records began in 1986. ... The Pirates are 2-9 in their last 11 games.

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