View From The Crow's Nest
By Jim Lachimia

*  Baseball as an industry does not find smallish guys enticing. That's at least part of the reason Freddy Sanchez and Nate McLouth weren't initially viewed as front-line players by the Pirates. It's also why there were rumblings a few years back that Ian Snell might not be able to handle a 200-inning load in the major leagues. All three of those guys are a shade below six feet tall, but so what. They're among the team's top performers anyway.

*  Tons of players are motivated by hearing and reading what people DON'T THINK they'll be able to do. It drives them to work even harder to achieve their goals. With that in mind, here's an idea: Since a lot IS expected of former first-round draft picks, maybe Pirates GM Neal Huntington should jump on Interstate 70 headed for Indianapolis, and go tell budding third baseman Neil Walker the ballclub doesn't think he'll ever amount to a hill of beans. A little reverse psychology, eh? With Jose Bautista struggling to show he can be the long-term solution at that position, a big year from Walker at Triple-A would be key.

*  The Pirates should insist that a former player -- someone like Bob Walk or John Wehner, for instance -- be added to the mix for their postgame show called "Extra Innings" that airs on FM News Talk 104.7. The show's current host, Rocco DeMaro, is a baseball fan and not a baseball expert. There is a difference. DeMaro is enthusiastic and hard-working, but he's like listening to your next-door neighbor. He gets some things right, but doesn't know nearly as much as he thinks he does -- way too much pontificating from a non-expert.

*  Good news for the Pirates: Jason Bay has his wheels underneath him again. During spring training, the two-time All-Star noted that this year was the first time in three years he wasn't rehabbing from knee surgery. That allowed him to work out and prepare "normally" for the baseball season. Bay was never a speed burner, but in the outfield he's moving much better again and taking those familiar short, quick steps to get to the ball. He's also been looking to steal bases again. Don't forget, he swiped a career-high 21 bags in 2005.

*  Bill Mazeroski's famous home run that beat the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series was recently voted the best moment in Pittsburgh sports history, and recognized as such at last month's Dapper Dan Dinner and Sports Auction. In fan balloting that was conducted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Maz beat out Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception, and that was probably the right call. Harris' magic moment launched an era of great Steelers football, but it happened in a first-round playoff game. Maz's blast won a World Championship and remains the only Game 7 "walk-off" home run in baseball history.