Reality Creeps In; Bucs Suffer First Spring Loss

The Pirates lost their first game of the Spring today, 5-2 against the Atlanta Braves. The pitching was poor and the offense was almost non-existent. Jason Davis, Zach Duke and Daniel McCutchen all struggled in their respective one inning appearances. Tom Gorzelanny, however, pitched fairly well, save back-to-back walks to start the second. He allowed just those two walks, with no runs or hits, in two innings of work. And Donnie Veal threw a perfect seventh, with a strikeout. The Pirate's offense managed just six hits, though Pedro Alvarez, in his first professional start, singled and walked in four plate appearances and Neil Walker added a double and an RBI. The Bucs take on the Astros on Saturday.

Eric Hinske missed Friday's game due to a left ribcage bruise. He could miss up to a week, though the injury is not considered to be serious. Alvarez got the start in his place.

8 days until the Pirates are the featured team on MLB Network's 30 Clubs in 30 Days series. I've been watching bits and pieces of some episodes on other teams and these shows are much more casual than I expected. It's mostly one of the Matt Vasgersian types chatting with a couple of the lesser MLB talking heads and John Hart, former GM and currently advisor for the Texas Rangers, interspersed with some Spring workout footage and a couple interviews. Now I know the Pirates are no marquee team, and I'm sure the MLB Network is not about to go out of its way to make sure their best and brightest are on hand for the Pirates episode, but I really hope we don't get Dan Pleasac or Sean Casey or Mitch Williams for our show. I don't think Pleasac takes it very seriously, Casey seems too awkward and Williams, well, I just don't think he's that bright. I'm crossing my fingers that we luck out and up with Harold Reynolds and Al Leiter. Or maybe I've just put too much thought into this. Hmm.

Bucs Win Again!

The Mighty Pirates improved to 2-0 in Spring Training today by rallying for 3 runs in the ninth to pull off a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. The Pirate's future looked good in doing so, as Pedro Alvarez doubled home Neil Walker with the first run in the ninth. Jose Tabata scored soon after and Alvarez himself then came home as the decisive run. Ian Snell overcame a rough first inning (exacerbated by a Brian Bixler error) and struck out the side in the second. Ross Ohlendorf, Jimmy Barthmaier, Denny Bautista and Sean Burnett each were perfect in relief. Okay okay, I know it's Spring Training, but good pitching and clutch hitting really makes me happy. Up next, the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

Dirty Doug officially moves on. Today, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Mientkiewicz to a minor league contract with an invite to their Spring camp. We all knew at this point that Doug Mientkiewicz was not coming back to Pittsburgh, so this is not shocking news by any means. Mientkiewicz played well for the Pirates last year and was a fan favorite, but Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette can't help but wonder if management just didn't want him around any longer. If that's the case, I'm going to have to support the Pirate's brass here. Though I don't expect the major league ball club to be very good this year, I haven't felt so optimistic about the near future of the Pirates in quite some time.

Pirates Thump Phillies; and Other News

One game into Spring Training and the Pirates are over .500! Enjoy it while you can, people. In the exhibition opener today in Bradenton, FL, our Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies 8-2. Obviously, you cannot judge a team, or even individual players, based on one Spring Training game. But it does feel nice to start off with a win. Some notable performances include Shelby Ford hitting a 3-run home run, Freddy Sanchez with 2 hits and an RBI and Craig Hansen not walking a batter in his inning of work. Three of our top prospects made appearances as well: Andrew McCutchen went 0 for 2, Neil Walker 0 for 2 with an RBI, and Pedro Alvarez struck out in his only at-bat. The Bucs take on the Red Sox tomorrow. Can they knock off the '07 champs too?

The official rosters for the World Baseball Classic were announced yesterday. 9 Pirates made it, including 2 who are sure to make the '09 Pirate's team: Ian Snell and Ramon Vasquez (both Puerto Rico). The others are all minor leaguers (though pitcher Dave Davidson [Canada] is on the 40-man roster). The rest are: Ray Chang (China), Chi-Hung Cheng (Chinese Taipei), Joshua Hill (Australia), Paul Mildren (Australia), Eliecer Navarro (Panama), and Gift Ngoepe (South Africa). If you don't recognize too many names there (or any names), don't feel bad. You're not alone. There has been some concern that the WBC could lead to injuries or poorer performances, since Jake Peavy and Pedro Martinez, among others, suffered, at least statistically, in 2006, following the previous WBC. That concern is just, so keep an eye on Ian Snell. The Pirates really need a healthy and productive Snell to scratch respectability this year.

The Pirates have signed 26 year old infielder Ruben Gotay to a minor league contract. Gotay has played in parts of five seasons for the Royals, Mets and Braves. Though primarily a second baseman, he has played some third and short in the majors. Gotay doesn't have much pop, or speed, or plate discipline even, so he appears to be in camp as an insurance policy. With Ramon Vasquez signed as the team's primary reserve infielder, there would appear to be little need for an inferior reserve infielder with little to no upside. The only way Gotay makes the team will be if Sanchez or Wilson goes down with a significant injury, or if none of the young kids impress. Well, based on Brian Bixler's performance last year, maybe Gotay does have a chance. But even so, I would rather see Bixler as the 6th infielder, or better yet, Luis Cruz, than Gotay. The Pirates will not reach the postseason this year, so let's see what the younger players can do.

Bucs Pick Up Option for Manager Russell

Though the team finished with a very Jim Tracy like record of 67-95 in 2008, Pirates' manager John Russell had his 2010 option picked up today, ESPN.com reports. Actually, Tracy averaged 67.5 wins in his two years as the Bucs' skipper. I'm kidding a bit because Jim Tracy actually did a pretty horrible job and John Russell has seemed much more capable. Tracy had Jason Bay, Damaso Marte and, for most of his tenure, Xavier Nady. Russell had those three for only about 2/3 of the year, and the teams' win/loss record for '08 suffered considerably once those three were traded. Russell seems much more even-handed and competent than his predecessor, though part of this perception is due to team president Frank Coonelly and GM Neal Huntington. I'm not sure, if under Tracy and former GM Dave Littlefield, we would have seen Matt Morris, and his ginormous salary, released a month into the season. I also have doubts that Ronny Paulino and Tom Gorzelanny would have been sent to the minors after their disappointing performances. The only real instance last year of a player getting more chances than he earned would be with Andy LaRoche, but since he was a key component of the Jason Bay trade, and the Pirates were out of contention, I can understand it. Well I guess the continued use of John Van Benschoten was a little dubious too, but that really had more to do with pitching depth than anything else. So as we move into year two of the Russell era, I feel confident in our skipper. Hopefully we will see an increase in major league talent over the next two years to justify my faith in him.

In ex-Pirate news, former can't-miss-savior-pitcher Kris Benson has signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers. Benson has not pitched in a majors since 2006, and he has not pitched well since 2000. Well, he did alright for the Mets in '05, but 2000 was really his only season of much quality. I have no hard feelings for him; it's not his fault that he failed to become a perennial Cy Young candidate. He just symbolizes the Pirates' failures in the Bonifay/Littlefield era. I wish him luck though.

Also, Pirate single game tickets went on sale today. Now that I live within a day's drive of PNC Park, I really have no excuse not to go. The prices are not too bad either. Okay, I have a new goal: One game this season. And at least one game each year we're in Indiana. That's doable.

History Will Be Made on March 7

Ladies and gentlemen, mark your calendars. On Saturday March 7, at 11:30 pm, the MLB Network will premiere it's season preview of the Pittsburgh Pirates. 60 minutes of programming, including commercials, on a national network, devoted to the Pirates. I cannot recall the last time that happened. I'm pretty sure it's been years since ESPN televised a Pirate game on their Sunday night telecast. They may have slipped one in on a Wednesday night or something, but even that I'm not sure about. Okay, WGN is a national network and they do end up showing maybe half a dozen Pirate games per year, but I'm not counting that. They're televising Cubs games, and ESPN, if they happened to show a Pirate's game in recent year, were airing the Pirate's opponent primarily. But this folks, MLB Network's Pirate themed episode of their 30 Clubs in 30 Days series, is truly historic. And yes, I did notice that the Pirate episode premieres on a Saturday night at nearly midnight. The Red Sox and Yankee episodes, for example, initially air at 8 pm on their respective dates. But I'm okay with that. I'll take our Jericho or Firefly-esque scheduling. I know the Pirates are ratings poison. But just being included is a nice enough feeling for me.

It's Official: McLouth Signs Multi-Year Deal

Hours before their scheduled arbitration hearing today, the Pittsburgh Pirates and center fielder Nate McLouth agreed to terms on a three year contract, which includes a club option for a fourth year. The deal includes a signing bonus of $1.5 million and salaries of $2 million for this year, $4.5 million for 2010, $6.5 million for 2011 and $10.65 million for 2012, the option year, with a $1.25 million buyout. The minimum total value for the deal is $15.75 million. There are also escalator clauses in the contract that could increase McLouth's salary in 2010 through 2012. The escalators are based on All-Star appearances and Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards won. The total maximum value of the deal is $27 million.

The deal provides security, and a hefty raise, for McLouth. It also allows the Pirates to have one of their top players under contract, at a reasonable rate, for the next 3 years. Come 2012, the Pirates can then decide if the team is in good enough shape to shell out a pretty hefty salary for one player. I would imagine if the team is playing well, and making a little more money, retaining McLouth at that price might be reasonable. Of course that is 3 years off, and who knows how well McLouth will continue to play over the next few seasons. But for now, I'm pleased.

Pirates Offer Contract to Reliever Ohman

ESPN.com reported today that the Pirates are one of three teams to have offered left-handed relief pitcher Will Ohman a major league contract for the coming season. The other two teams are the Florida Marlins and the San Diego Padres. It is speculated that the potential offers are in the neighborhood of $1 million for one year. Ohman is taking his time deciding since he has also been in contact with, though yet to receive official offers from, three good teams: the Phillies, Mets and Dodgers. Clearly if offers do come from one of those three teams, the dollar amount cannot possibly be much less than what is currently being offered, so I can't blame him for waiting this out a bit.

Ohman is coming off a career year with Atlanta, posting a 3.68 ERA in 83 relief appearances. He struck out 53 in 58 2/3 innings and had a WHIP of 1.24. If the Pirates do sign Ohman, it would give the team two very capable late inning left handers, along with John Grabow. Tyler Yates remains the most prominent right handed pitcher, aside from closer Matt Capps, in the prospective Pirate bullpen. It might also mean Donnie Veal would not make the team. In addition to Capps, Grabow and Yates, Sean Burnett and Craig Hansen will most likely be on the Opening Day roster. And Phil Dumatrait, if healthy, will most likely be the long man. Ohman would be the seventh and final reliever. This is, of course, barring injury or trades.

The MLB Network, Livan Correction, and the Clock Winds Down for McLouth

I am still quite impressed with the fledgling MLB Network. Though the season has yet to begin, and I believe they will only air one game per week, their mini retrospectives of seasons and World Series past keep me entertained enough. From around 1999 through 2004 I worked full time in retail, with varying hours, sometimes lasting until midnight. That prevented me from being able to see the vast majority of post-season games during that time. Though I was able to see highlights after the fact, and read about these games in the paper and online, being able to relive them, even in truncated form, is enough to satisfy. In the past few weeks, I have watched the specials on the 2001 and 2002 World Series. Two thrilling match ups that I was only able to see snippets of at the time. I even remember listening to bits of both series on my car radio while on lunch break. I'm pretty sure my break ended, during Game 7 in '01, in the top of the ninth, with the Yankees leading by a run. I was probably told by a customer later that evening about Arizona's stunning comeback. While watching these recaps now is not the same thing, it does allow me to recapture the moments, at least a little bit.

In my diatribe against Livan Hernandez the other day, I mentioned that he shared his World Series MVP with his good friend Eric Gregg. That was not the case. (I just watched MLB's 1997 World Series special, and have been put in my place.) Hernandez was MVP of that World Series, but the honor that Gregg was partially responsible for was the '97 NLCS. My apologies to Hernandez and to the Gregg family. Though I liked Gregg and he was one of the more affable umpires, his idea of the strike zone in Game 7 of that NLCS did not resemble a 'normal' strike zone, by any stretch of the imagination.

The clock is ticking, Mr. McLouth. Tomorrow your arbitration hearing is scheduled to take place. The results of which should be announced on Wednesday. There is still time to settle, of course. Perhaps you should do just that, since the decision might not be to your liking.

Livan Signs with Mets; I Breathe Sigh of Relief

Because the Pirates have reportedly inquired as to the availability of free agent starting pitchers Braden Looper and Pedro Martinez, I have assumed that the team is looking for a veteran starter (and I support that). However, with most free agent starters remaining being retired or injured, the one that is neither had me worried. Yes, a veteran starting pitcher would be good for the team. No, a veteran starting pitcher named Livan Hernandez would not be good. Fortunately, today the Mets have signed Livan to a minor-league contract. I know Livan has had some good years, particularly for the Giants and Expos earlier this decade, and I know he was the co-MVP (along with umpire Eric Gregg) of the 1997 World Series, but he is nothing more than Zach Duke on a bad day. Maybe a slightly more resilient bad day Duke. Hernandez gave up 4 or more earned runs 18 times last season. Duke, actually, only had 13 such starts. Paul Maholm had 11!, though a bad May contained a disproportionate amount of them. Anyway, I'm probably making a big deal out of nothing here, since I had not heard the Pirates were interested in Hernandez at all. I just couldn't help but worry.

Speaking of starting pitchers, here are some free agents remaining: Paul Byrd, Scott Elarton, Chuck James, Orlando Hernandez, Pedro Martinez, Mark Mulder, Sidney Ponson, Curt Schilling, Ben Sheets. Byrd has said he'll wait until later in the season to sign with someone and everyone else has injury concerns. A one-year, incentive based deal, with an option for 2010 might be intriguing for Sheets, but other than that, meh.

Looper is Out; Plus More Arbitration News

Ignoring my pleas for an upgrade to the starting rotation, the Pittsburgh Pirates failed to sign Braden Looper. Today Looper agreed to a one-year deal (with an option for 2010) with the Milwaukee Brewers. Though it turned out that Looper is older than I thought (he's 34), I still feel that he would have made a nice addition to the Pirates. I am perfectly okay with keeping Ohlendorf or Karstens in the minors if they're not ready, or sending Duke to the bullpen (or minors, even) if it means a pitcher of Looper's caliber was in the mix. Even if Pittsburgh does sign a veteran starter to a major league contract and the young pitchers exceed expectations, a trade could always be made. But with Spring Training beginning on Saturday, the addition of a veteran starter now seems unlikely.

Also today, Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla won his arbitration hearing. He was awarded $5.35 million, rather than the Marlin's offer of $4.4 million. This might make my prediction that Nate McLouth will lose his arbitration case seem a little shaky. Uggla, though, has been a starter for the Marlins for the past three seasons, and the power he provides is especially great for his position. But I'm afraid Uggla's victory might make McLouth's people a little overconfident. They should also take a look at Rick Ankiel, outfielder for the Cardinals, as well. Ankiel is an odd case, since he began earning major league service time in 2000 as a pitcher, but he has basically been a starting outfielder for just as long as McLouth has. Some of their numbers are actually fairly similar from the past two seasons. Well, Ankiel today avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal with St. Louis for $2.825 million, which is just a hair more than the Pirate's offer for McLouth. Nate is a more well-rounded player than Ankiel, so I would think he and the Pirates could reach a settlement of around $3.25 million or so. If that's on the table, McLouth should take it.

Pre-Spring Training Musings

Pitchers and catchers report to camp this Saturday and I am very excited about that. Even though the Pirates will most assuredly be just shy of mediocre, I cannot help but be filled with optimism. Even with a losing record (making it 17 consecutive losing seasons) looming, I am anxious to see how the season unfolds for the Pirate's players, in the majors and minors both. Can Nate McLouth produce as well as last year? Will Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny bounce back from horrid seasons? How will Pedro Alvarez perform? And of course, when will we see the Holy One, Andrew McCutchen, in Pittsburgh? Though a poor record seems inevitable, the answers to these questions could portend to how things will unfold for the Pirates in 2010 and beyond.

Every February I buy a baseball magazine or two. My primary focus is on Fantasy Baseball prep, but I can never resist picking up Athlon Sports magazine for its more general baseball season preview. Though they picked the Bucs to finish sixth this year, they did toss their name in when discussing who could be this year's surprise team, like Tampa was last year and Colorado and Detroit were the previous two years. Perhaps they wanted to pick the least likely team, you know, for shock value. Anyway, even after mentioning Pittsburgh they immediately recanted and said "Maybe in 2011." See that? Only two more years until the Pirates might be the team no one suspects will be good and that actually turns out to be good. Take that, haters.

Which Team is the Local Team, Part 2: I am determined to figure out the local team, or at least most commonly liked team, here in Bloomington. I plan to do this without asking anyone though. So anyway, I was at a store at the mall yesterday (though I won't say which one) and I noticed clothing for the following four MLB teams: Cubs, White Sox, Reds, Cardinals. We live pretty much in the center of those three cities, so perhaps the loyalties of the locals are evenly divided, and this particular store wants to appeal to as many customers as possible with their little bear outfits.

Another sign I spotted was the cover of the aforementioned Athlon baseball magazine. While living in the Bay Area, this magazine always featured A's and Giants players on the cover, so I assumed the covers varied based on the different geographical regions. This particular issue, bought here in Bloomington, featured Derrek Lee of the Cubs and Carlos Quentin of the White Sox on the cover. Either that means the locals here root for the Chicago teams, or the makers of Athlon Sports assume they do. This does put the Chicago teams in the lead, followed closely by the Reds. The Cardinals are a distant fourth at this point.

McLouth v. The Pittsburgh Pirates: Nate McLouth's arbitration hearing is scheduled for February 17th, which is but one week away. I'm sure both sides have been trying to come to an agreement, but with each passing day the odds diminish that a contract will be agreed to without the need for the hearing. To compare to Dioner Navarro, catcher for Tampa, and his recently decided case seems a little inapt, but here goes. Navarro just lost his case and he will make $2.1 million this season. He had asked for $2.5 million. Navarro has been in the league for parts of 5 seasons and has spent the last two as Tampa's starting catcher. He also was selected to his very first All-Star game last season. Nate McLouth has been in the league for parts of 4 seasons and has really only been a starter, save a couple of months in '07, for one season, in which he was also an All-Star. McLouth did have a much more impressive season in '08 than Navarro, but Navarro plays at a more difficult position and his team reached the World Series last year. But a panel of arbitrators did not feel that Navarro was worth two and a half million dollars. Well, McLouth has asked for $3.8 million, with the team countering at $2.75 million. Once again, I do realize that McLouth's statistics far exceed those of Navarro, but Navarro's experience, position and team success make me think McLouth's asking price is a bit high for the arbitrators. Hopefully the Pirates and McLouth will settle. If they do not, I would expect the decision to favor Pittsburgh.

The Race for Fifth Place Heats Up

Not to be outdone by the Pirate's off-season acquisitions of Eric Hinske and Craig Monroe, the Cincinnati Reds have signed outfielder Jacques Jones and pinch-hitter extraordinaire (and former Buc) Daryle Ward to minor league contracts. Jones and Monroe could amount to a wash; both were once promising outfielders whose careers have taken a decided nosedive in recent years. And both were signed to minor league deals so there is a good chance that neither will make their respective club's rosters by the end of Spring Training. The Hinske/Ward showdown, however, does favor the Pirates. Hinske can play multiple positions and he's a pretty good hitter (as long as the pitchers he faces throw with their right hand). Ward is not more than a pinch hitter at this point, and based on his horrid .143 average last season as a pinch hitter, he's not much of that either. He can play first base, though he moves with the grace of a rhinoceros. With Joey Votto set as the Reds' first baseman, in order to keep Ward, Dusty Baker would have to use up a roster spot for someone who can only pinch hit.

Though the Pirates have done very little this off-season (aside from Hinske, the only other free agent they have signed to a major league deal is utility infielder Ramon Vasquez), the Reds have done nothing to pull further ahead. The acquisition of catcher Ramon Hernandez could help, though he is a bit past his prime. And they essentially replaced reliever Jeremy Affeldt for old-timer Arthur Rhodes. That is certainly a downgrade. The Pirates, on the other hand, have upgraded their backup infielder spot and possibly broken even on another bench spot (I'm okay with Hinske's power over Mientkiewicz's intangibles). The Reds do have a few very good young hitters and a couple of good starting pitchers, but I might have to favor the Pirates this off-season. They didn't do much, but maybe just enough to reclaim the coveted 5th Place in the National League Central crown from the hated Reds. Only 61 days until their first meeting. And then it's on.

The Calm After the Storm

It's been a very quiet week, in terms of Pirate news. After the flurry of activity last week (two signings), the lack of action this week feels eerily calm. Perhaps we were spoiled with actual news, and this week is like a typical off-season week for the Pirates. I almost don't know what to do with myself though.

Speaking of last week, one of the local papers (I can't remember if it was the Bloomington Times-Herald or the Indianapolis Star) printed, in their MLB news and notes, the Paul Maholm signing ahead of the Red Sox re-signing of Jason Varitek. This pleased me, a little too much maybe. Clearly the Red Sox are the bigger team, nationally. And Varitek is certainly a bigger name than Maholm. So either the Sox are hated in Indiana or there's a little love here for the Pirates. Or maybe they were printed alphabetically. Or I guess the Maholm piece might have came in first. Anyway, it was nice to see the Bucs get a more prominent spot in the news than usual.

We're thinking about taking a mini vacation to Cincinnati the second weekend of April. And yes, the Pirates do play the Reds there that weekend. Luckily, my wife does like baseball too, and she does have at least some interest in seeing different ballparks. I would like to visit each major league park at least once in my life. I've only been to 5 so far, and two of them are no longer hosts to their local teams. There are about seven parks within a day's drive from here. Hopefully I can cross those 7 off my list in the next few years. That's my goal at least.