Pitching Key To Pirates Long-Term Future
By John E. Sacco

If championship teams are indeed built on the strength of their pitching- particularly starting pitching - the Pirates have much work to do with a number of arms to nurse back to health and others to develop. But Dave Littlefield, in his first full season as the Pirates' general manager, believes that pitching is the key in rebuilding the Pirates, pointing them to respectability and ultimately back into championship contention.

That is why three of the most important Pirates for the long-term are pitchers Kris Benson, Ryan Vogelsong and Kip Wells. Obviously, left fielder Brian Giles and catcher Jason Kendall are key figures. But they established themselves as all-star, major league caliber players some time ago.

The Pirates know what they have in Giles and Kendall. One would figure that Giles would continue to be one of the best hitters in the National League and that Kendall was dogged with an injured thumb in 2001 causing a subpar performance. The Pirates are counting on that being an aberration.

In addition to Benson, Vogelsong and Wells, third baseman Aramis Ramirez looms large in the Pirates' plan to begin the climb up in the NL Central Division standings.

Ramirez was rushed to the big leagues and struggled for a few years. But he blossomed in 2001 and the expectations are that he could become one of the game's most explosive offensive talents and gain superstar status. He must prove that, however, with a series of strong seasons. "Definitely, with some of them you have more of a level of confidence than others," Littlefield said. "Aramis was dynamite last season. You have to be able to do that over the long term.

"But pitching is the key. That's how I think you build a championship team. Starting pitching is the key. It's something I always have my eyes on.

"I'm certainly rooting for all these guys. I'm hoping for it to happen for them all. But you also realize that over time, everything doesn't always come out 100 percent the way you want it to." Benson and Vogelsong both made solid progress in attempting to comeback from Tommy John surgery.

Benson's rehabilitation was amazingly successful heading into the final week of spring training while Vogelsong also was making good strides. Benson, 27, is expected to return to the Pirates' staff sometime in May while Vogelsong, 24, thinks he can return in August or September. Benson is considered a potential ace. Vogelsong, acquired from San Francisco, is an unproven big-league performer but seems to have the makeup and stuff to be at least a No. 3 starter at some point. Wells, who turns 25-years-old this month, also is held in high regard. Most baseball people think he has a huge upside and agree that he has the physical and mental presence to be a big-time winner in the major leagues.

Littlefield insisted the Chicago White Sox include Wells in the deal that sent Todd Ritchie to the American League. "I think he's further along than people think," Pirates' manager Lloyd McClendon said of Wells. "Some young pitchers, all they know how to do is throw hard, hard, hard. But he uses his breaking ball and his sinker, and that's part of growing up as a pitcher.

"Some pitchers, they try to muscle up to the hitters and all that happens is the ball gets hit harder. He's shown me he can stay patient and get people out even when he's not throwing hard. He has a physical presence about him as well."

Even 23-year-old Dave Williams, who performed well in 2001, can't be discounted as a pitcher who could make a big impact for the Pirates. "I think we're a little different than in the past," Benson said. "I think we're a little like the (Florida) Marlins or (Chicago) Cubs. We have a number of quality young guys who could help us out. "If I can get back and Ryan can get back, we could have a real good staff. We could end up with something like Seattle or Oakland has now. We're probably a couple years behind that."

Vogelsong has been heartened in his rehab by Benson's amazing recovery and work ethic. It has inspired Vogelsong and taught him much. He shares Benson's optimism that Littlefield is putting together a potentially strong pitching staff.

"We need people with positive attitudes," Vogelsong said. "I think a lot of us have the attitude that if you don't think we're going to be good, we don't need you here. I really think if we can get healthy, pitch together for awhile and reach our abilities, we'll shock a lot of people in the baseball world.

"If we can stay together, build a nucleus, we could be together for a long time to come."

Getting healthy is most important right now, though. "I'm anxious to get back, but I want to be there for this team in the long run, too," Benson said.

Others On The Horizon

The other pitchers - or at least some combination of them - who figure to play major roles in helping the Pirates regain respectability a ways down the road don't have the big-league experience of the previously mentioned players. But they might only be a tad less vital to the future viability of the franchise.

First-round draft picks Bobby Bradley (1999), Sean Burnett (2000) and John VanBenschoten (2001), along with Chris Young, a third-round pick in 2000, are all top pitching prospects.

Like Benson and Vogelsong, Bradley is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Burnett, the Pirates' Minor-League Pitcher of the Year in 2001, is coming off a fine season at Class A Hickory. He went 11-8 with a 2.62 earned run average and struck out 134 batters, walking just 33 in 161-1/3 innings.

Littlefield has decided to make VanBenschoten a full-time pitcher in the minor leagues. The Pirates were chided, not for selecting VanBenschoten last season but for using him as a pitcher and not a hitter. That pick was made before Littlefield joined the organization. But he and his staff like what VanBenschoten offers as a pitching prospect and that's what he'll focus on in 2002.

"He is only going to pitch moving forward from this point on," Littlefield said, during spring training. "This guy is a big, strong, athletic right-handed pitcher who has a way above average fastball with a good delivery. He has the ability to throw the ball in and around the strike zone. There are just not many of those guys out there." Young, a former Princeton basketball standout, stands 6-feet, 10-inches and weighs nearly 260 pounds. He won five of eight decisions for Hickory last year in 12 starts, had a 4.12 ERA and struck out 72 in 74-1/3 innings.

Since the Pirates hold the top pick in the June free agent draft, they could add another quality arm. At this point, the projected No. 1 pick is Rutgers right-hander Bobby Brownlie, a 21-year-old, 6-foot, 210-pound junior.

Brownlie has a $1 million insurance policy on his right arm. Littlefield has visited Brownlie at his parents' home in Edison, N.J. One pitfall, is that agent Scott Boras is serving as Brownlie's "legal adviser for the draft." That means Brownlie can maintain his eligibility and that when the Scarlet Knights' season ends, Boras will be his agent. The fact Brownlie's fastball is in the mid-90s and that he went 7-0 with a 0.84 ERA for Team USA last year makes him a prime choice for the Pirates.

"I've always figured that in order to get two prospects to become major leaguers, you need to have five pretty good ones," Littlefield said. "Obviously, you hope to hit on a higher percentage rate. But generally, that's my view."

Tony A Tiger?

The one younger player who received rave reviews during spring training was outfielder Tony Alvarez.

His name would not have been found on any top 100 minor-league prospects list prior to this spring, but Alvarez changed perception and impressed.

His star within the organization is on the rise. In past years , Alvarez may well have been rushed to the big leagues.

But Littlefield is committed to allowing younger players to get essential developmental time in the minor leagues. He wants the Pirates to get away from having to bring players who are not ready up to the major leagues out of necessity.

"You see his aggressiveness," Littlefield said. "He is big and strong. He can run and we think he'll have some power down the road." Alvarez caught the eyes of his teammates as well.

"He really impresses me," Vogelsong said. "I like the way Tony plays, so hard. He runs everything out and is very aggressive on the bases. I think he could be a big key for us one day."

In addition to the 22-year-old Alvarez, other youngsters who could be key in the future are pitchers Josh Fogg, a right-hander acquired with Wells and Sean Lowe from the Chicago White Sox this offseason, and lefty Adrian Burnside, acquired last summer from Los Angeles with pitcher Mike Fetters for Terry Mulholland. Fogg and Burnside, both 25, are close to making an impact with the Pirates. Fogg was named to the team's starting rotation to begin the season.

Catcher Humberto Cota impresses team brass because of the progress he has made each year in all phases and his coachability and attitude. He was a September recall in 2001, seemingly has moved ahead of J.R. House - considered the organization's top minor-league prospect - in the Pirates' catching pecking order and appears ready to takeover for Keith Osik in backing up Kendall.

"Cota has done a nice job," Littlefield said. "He's been very impressive so far."

As for House, he is rated by Spring Training magazine as the 25th best major league prospect, the only Pirate farmhand to be ranked in the publication's top 100. He has been bothered by injuries and missed spring training.

While Cota may be ahead of him now, baseball people think House is a surefire big-leaguer. If the Pirates' catching situation doesn't change dramatically, however, House may end up as a first baseman. "We're going to be cautious with some of these guys," Littlefield said. "I don't want them playing a half a season in Double-A and then have to come up to the majors.

"Part of our plan is to keep building this organization from good pitching. That's what we're going to do."