Opening Day
Breaking Down the Bucs Line-Up Card
By Joe Giardina

C - Ronny Paulino

It was difficult to decide what Paulino had more trouble with last season, hitting the outside pitch or catching balls thrown to the plate. But for as bad as he was, he still managed a .263 average to end the year. He will be pushed by Ryan Doumit.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - Paulino batted .296 after the All-Star break, second best among all MLB catchers.

1B - Adam LaRoche

The lefty will look to build off the strong second half he had at the plate last season. After batting .239 before the All-Star break-including a pitiful .133 through April-LaRoche hit at a .312 clip after the break to finish with a more respectful .272 average.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - LaRoche had a significantly higher batting average against southpaws (.299) than against righty's (.262).

2B - Freddy Sanchez

With Sanchez the Pirates get consistency. In his three full seasons with the Bucs, Sanchez has hit at a .315 average. The only concern is his durability, as his surgically repaired throwing shoulder will limit his play to open the season.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - Sanchez had nearly identical numbers on the road as he did at home:
Home - .306, 21 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 40 RBI
Away - .303, 21 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR, 41 RBI

SS - Jack Wilson

Wilson's blue-collar style of play is the type that Pittsburgh usually falls in love with. But not in his case. Wilson has been haunted by his 2004 season in which he tallied 201 hits. He overachieved that year, and it is unfair to expect those types of numbers every season. But Wilson still manages to play above-average defense, and he did hit .296 last year.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - Wilson finished the season strong, hitting .460 with five homeruns, eight doubles and 16 RBI over the last 19 games.

3B - Jose Bautista

While Bautista was average at the plate in his first full season as a starter, hitting .254, the Pirates are hoping he can add a little more pop to his bat. After belting 16 homers in 2006, he hit 15 last season in 132 more at-bats. He also committed 17 errors.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - When Bautista came to the plate with a runner on first base, he hit .348.

LF - Jason Bay

Bay had his worst season as a big leaguer last year, having career lows in batting average (.244), homeruns (21), OBP (.327) and slugging percentage (.418). If the Pirates want to have any chance of competing this year, Bay has to show up offensively.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - Bay had a .353 batting average in extra innings.

CF -Nate McLouth

While Nyjer Morgan makes highlight reel catches, McLouth is no slouch defensively either. He is just as quick, too (22 steals in 23 attempts). He has the upper hand on Morgan because of his solid spring, and the fact that he has more big league experience.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - Ten percent of the fly balls McLouth hit into play were homeruns.

RF - Xavier Nady

There is no doubt Nady can be a consistent power bat in the middle of the Pirates lineup. But there IS doubt as to if he can stay healthy enough to consistently BE in the lineup. He hit 20 HR and knocked in 72 runs while playing in 125 injury-plagued games. If he can stay healthy and off the DL, 30 HR/100 RBI isn't out of the question.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - In 115 at-bats with runners in scoring position, Nady batted .313.

SP - Ian Snell

Fresh off signing a contract extension, Snell looks to be the leader of not only the rotation, but of the whole team. That is why manager John Russell selected him to throw on Opening Day in Atlanta. But he will have to forget his second half of last season which saw him go 2-7 with a 4.83 ERA.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - In four starts against the Cardinals, Snell posted a 2.00 ERA in 27 innings.

SP - Tom Gorzelanny

Gorzo had a break-out season in 2007, going 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA. But he tired down the stretch collecting an ERA of 5.10 after the All-Star break. With a year of experience under his belt and an understanding of what it takes to be ready for a 162-game season, don't be surprised to see his wins creep above 16.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - Gorzelanny didn't give up one HR to an opposing team's short stop all season.

SP - Matt Morris

Morris, the highest paid Pirate in team history, had a less than impressive spring. But he is a solid veteran who has been on a winning team and can help the young pitchers in the rotation. Hopefully it will be before he and his hefty contract likely get moved at the trading deadline.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - As a Pirate he hit .316 with a .526 slugging percentage.

SP - Zach Duke

Duke's 2005 rookie season was too good to write off as a fluke. That year he went 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA. Since then he has posted a 13-23 record while giving up 416 hits in 322.2 innings. With a new pitching coach and a fresh outlook on his pitching style, look for Duke to rebound and become a .500 pitcher again.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - Duke failed to make it past the 4th inning five times in 20 starts.

SP - Paul Maholm

Maholm has regressed the last two years. Right-handers have a .305 batting average against him. But just like Duke, Maholm has too much talent and is too young to give up on.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - His two complete games tied for fourth most in the NL.

CL - Matt Capps

His best attribute could also be his worst enemy. The 24-year-old Capps fears no one, which leads him to challenge hitters early in the count with his 95 mph fastball. He converted 18 of 21 save opportunities last season, and once he learns that it is OK to mix a ball in every once in a while, he has the potential to be even better.

Hidden Stat of 2007 - Capps gave up only two earned runs in 26 appearances in day games (0.68 ERA).