Once Proud Pirates Look To Climb Out Of the Rubble
Team On Verge Of Establishing Dubious Marks
By John E. Sacco

Woe are the Pirates.

Not much has gone right for one of baseball proudest franchises during the past 10 years.

Last year, they sunk to depths rarely seen before, losing 100 games for the first time since 1985 and only the second time since 1954.

And while many figure the torment and losing will continue again in 2002, the most optimistic note that surely the Pirates cannot be a bad as they were in 2001 when little things like running the bases properly, catching fly balls and simply executing the fundamentals of the game seemed as foreign as a winning season.

They finished 31 games out of first place and four games out of fifth place in a division that could have been considered the weakest overall of the six in the major leagues.

Manager Lloyd McClendon found out what dealing with injuries and adversity was all about.

Two weeks into spring training he was feeling pretty good about his team because his top three starters Jason Schmidt, Francisco Cordova and Kris Benson formed a solid nucleus for the starting staff. Three days later, all three were out with injuries. Cordova and Benson would not return. Schmidt did return but was then traded to San Francisco for pitcher Ryan Vogelsong and outfielder Armando Rios, both of whom were injured and knocked out for the season in only their second games with the Pirates.

Several other Pirates suffered injuries. Utility infielder Mike Benjamin missed the entire season, joining Benson, Cordova and Vogelsong in having "Tommy John" surgery. Catcher Jason Kendall played with a thumb injury the entire 2001 campaign and then had off-season surgery. Outfielder Derek Bell continued to slump and then limped out of sight with leg injuries. Second baseman Pat Meares continued to be plagued by a wrist injury. Center fielder Adrian Brown played in just eight games before retiring for the season with a right shoulder problem and surgery.

"Certainly, it was a tough year," McClendon said. "I really believe we'll be better this year because of the adversity and trials we faced.

"After last year, I don't take anything for granted. To say I'm cautiously optimistic is an understatement.

"On paper, yes we could be better. But I'm cautious about the health of our club."

Losing their top three starters in spring training paralyzed the Pirates. They were a condemned team from that point forward. A lack of quality talent in the starting lineup and poor depth made it impossible to overcome the injuries.

The Pirates could not recover and now are on the verge of establishing some dubious marks as a franchise—a franchise that at one time could walk proud and boast of tradition and excellence as much as any with the exception of the New York Yankees.

How far have the Pirates sunk? Consider the following:

o   The team hasn't enjoyed back-to-back winning months since July and August of 1997 when they went 16-12 and 15-14, respectively.

o   The Pirates haven't enjoyed a winning April since going 12-10 in 1994.

o   In 2001, the Pirates ranked 29th out of 30 teams in the major leagues in runs scored. They were 30th in run production at first base and shortstop and 29th in right field and second base. When you add the pitcher's spot, that's five of nine spots in the order that are pretty much automatic outs.

o   The team ranked 28th in the majors in earned run average (5.05) and tied for 28th in fielding percentage.

o   The Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers both have a chance to post their 10th consecutive losing seasons. That would be the first time since 1967 a franchise posted double-digit losing seasons - excluding the expansion Seattle Mariners, which went their first 14 seasons under. 500, and the expansion Montreal Expos, which went their initial 10 seasons under .500 before pushing the 1979 Pirates to the limit in the NL East.

Through all the bad, there does seem to be a ray of hope.

General Manager Dave Littlefield, hired in the middle of last season to replace Cam Bonifay, has made some deals and signed free agents that should help the team.

Littlefield shook up the front office, re-shaped the scouting system, shuffled minor-league coaching staffs and hired a number of highly-respected executives from the Florida Marlins' franchise to assist him in reviving the Pirates.

Aside from trading for Vogelsong and Rios, Littlefield's biggest deals came during the offseason when he traded veteran pitcher Todd Ritchie to the Chicago White Sox for talented Kip Wells, veteran Sean Lower and an intriguing youngster in Josh Fogg. Those three pitchers gave the staff immediate depth.

Littlefield's other key move was to sign free agent second baseman Pokey Reese to fill a void in the middle of the infield.

The Pirates also invited a number of established major-league veteran players to spring training - mostly relief pitchers - to give them a more experienced presence on the major league roster and to allow younger talent - rushed to the big leagues out of necessity in previous years - to further develop in the minor leagues.

"I definitely feel we've made progress," Littlefield said. "In some ways, I feel we're stronger offensively. Our defense certainly is stronger, our bullpen is stronger and we have more options as far as starting pitching goes. The area I'm most concerned with is the youth of our starting pitching and lack of experience there."

The most interesting battles during spring training will be on the pitching staff.

Wells, Lowe and Fogg join holdover lefties Jimmy Anderson, and Dave Williams and right-handers Bronson Arroyo and Tony McKnight, as well as veteran free agents Ron Villone, a lefty, and Pat Rapp, a righty, and left-handed reliever Scott Sauerbeck in the fight for five starting jobs.

Anderson, Wells, Williams and Lowe seem solid bets to claim four of the spots. The Pirates' feeling that left-handers are best suited for success in PNC Park would seem to give Villone, a well-traveled, ground-ball type pitcher, an advantage.

In the bullpen, Mike Williams was signed as a free agent and will close. Right-handers Mike Lincoln and Mike Fetters will have to pitch their way out of jobs during spring training. Sauerbeck, unless he wins a starting spot, will be the top lefty.

That leaves lefties Joe Biemel and Damaso Marte fighting with those who do not make the rotation and a bunch of veteran righties that includes Brian Boehringer, Wayne Gomes, Gregg Olson and Al Reyes.

Rookie left-handers Adrian Burnside, acquired with Fetter from Los Angeles last year for Terry Mulholland, and Mike Gonzalez are worth keeping an eye on.

Reese, Jack Wilson and Aramis Ramirez, who emerged as one of the NL's top hitters in 2001, seem set at second, short and third. Young will have to stave off a challenge from Craig Wilson at first base. Abraham Nunez, Mike Benjamin and Meares will vie for reserve jobs in the infield.

Kendall and Keith Osik will be the catchers with Giles in left, Brown in center, and the winner of Rios, Bell, Hermansen and Rob Mackowiak in right. Veteran Luis Polonia is a candidate for the fifth outfielder spot.