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

C - Ryan Doumit
Doumit established himself as one of the top offensive catchers in baseball last year, posting career highs in nearly every offensive category while stamping Ronny Paulino's ticket out of town. The one concern is his durability, as he still only played in 116 games last season. But when healthy, he will be a potent bat in the middle of the order for years to come. Hidden Stat of 2008 - Doumit hit .407 with runners in scoring position (108 at bats), with a .602 slugging percentage.

1B - Adam LaRoche
LaRoche put his 2007 numbers (.133 April; .239 before the All-Star Break) behind him in 2008, improving to a .163 average in April and a .251 average before the break. At this rate of improvement, his April numbers will be above the Mendoza Line by 2010. Hidden Stat of 2008 - In games the Pirates won, LaRoche hit .311. In games they lost, he hit .240.

2B - Freddy Sanchez
What do you take from Sanchez's forgettable 2008 campaign - his first half average of .226, or his second half average of .346? He deserves a mulligan, as his history shows he is a consistent hitter - if healthy. If he can fight off the injury bug, there is no reason why he can't approach his 2007 form. Hidden Stat of 2008 - Sanchez hit .329 when putting the first pitch in play.

SS - Jack Wilson
When Wilson comes to the plate at PNC Park this summer, his intro music should be The Clash's 1982 hit, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" Well, that's not entirely true, as the shortstop has expressed that he wants to stay, but the decision is ultimately out of his hands. The Bucs' front office tried feverishly to move him this summer, but to no avail. PSR's advice? Make a few trips the North Shore in the first couple months of the season to pay him his respect, because Pittsburgh will miss him once he is gone. Hidden Stat of 2008 - Wilson hit .282 against right-handed pitchers, while hitting only .228 against southpaws.

3B - Andy LaRoche
Of the many question marks entering the 2009 season, the one surrounding the younger LaRoche is the most intriguing. Once one of the top prospects in all of baseball, LaRoche looked more like a low-A ball player than an everyday major leaguer last season. But the 25-year-old has looked sharp at the plate this spring, hitting close to .400, earning a starting spot when the Bucs come north. Still, he will be pushed by Eric Hinske and Ramon Vazquez for at-bats. Hidden Stat of 2008 - LaRoche hit only .150 with runners in scoring position (9 for 60).

LF - Nyjer Morgan
One year ago Morgan was close to being penciled in as the starting center fielder and an important piece in the Pirates' outfield, but Nate McLouth wouldn't allow it. Now he is being penciled in as the starting left fielder, but the question remains for how long? Once Brandon Moss gets healthy, Hinske will steal some at-bats, and the young star Andrew McCutchen has little more to prove in the minors and is waiting in the wings. Hidden Stat of 2008 - When leading off an inning, Morgan hit .364.

CF - Nate McLouth
The Pirates have been searching for a center fielder like McLouth ever since Andy Van Slyke left in the early 90s. His reward for hitting 26 home runs and driving in 94, while winning a Gold Glove? A possible position switch if McCutchen gets the expected call-up later in the season. Either way, McLouth has proven he can field and hit anywhere in the lineup. And if Morgan can hold down the leadoff spot, McLouth will team up with Doumit to provide a surprisingly productive middle of the order. Hidden Stat of 2008 - When putting the first pitch in play, McLouth hit .459.

RF - Brandon Moss
The jury isn't out on Moss yet. He showed some pop coming over from Boston in the Jason Bay deal, but the Pirates want to see what he can do with a full season's worth of at bats. The lefty should benefit from the short porch in right, but if he shows that he can't produce consistently, he will likely platoon with Steve Pearce. Hidden Stat of 2008 - With two outs and a runner in scoring position, Moss hit .308.

SP - Paul Maholm
After regressing in 2006 and 2007, Maholm took a huge leap forward last season, locking himself in as the ace of the staff in 2009. The Pirates just hope he doesn't follow in the footsteps of Zach Duke and Ian Snell - the last two pitchers to have similar success while earning similar honors, only to have less-than impressive follow-up seasons. Hidden Stat of 2008 - Maholm held lefties to a .183 batting average.

SP - Ian Snell
Snell certainly has the makeup to be a top of the rotation starter, as he proved in 2007. But he proved in 2008 that he may not be as consistent as some had hoped, as he went 7-12 with a 5.42 ERA to go with a trip to the disabled list due to an injury to his pitching elbow. If you ask him, he will say his problems were all due to mechanical issues that new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan has fixed; his World Baseball Classic numbers (2.25 ERA; 10 strikeouts in 8 innings) have backed that up. But the real test will come in April. Hidden Stat of 2008 - He walked 4.87 batters per nine innings in 2008, compared to 2.94 the year prior.

SP - Zach Duke
For the past few seasons, Pirates' management was hoping Duke could regain his rookie-year form that saw him post an 8-2 record with a 1.81 ERA. Now they will be delighted if he can come anywhere near those numbers - but he is running out of chances. It's hard to imagine him staying on the Major League roster for the entire season if he continues to give up hits at a record pace. Hidden Stat of 2008 - He gave up 230 hits, second most in the majors. In 2006 he gave up 255 hits, most in the majors.

SP - Jeff Karstens
He doesn't have an overpowering fastball or a devastating curve, but last season Karstens brought to the staff something that was lacking all year - the ability to throw strikes. It sounds simple enough, but it was the number one issue with Pirates' pitching last year. His near perfect game in Arizona aside, Karstens should be an average starter at the bottom of the Pirates rotation. Hidden Stat of 2008 - When pitching on only four days rest, Karstens had a 2.40 ERA.

SP - Ross Ohlendorf
Ohlendorf spent his time in the Pirates' minor leagues converting himself from a reliever to a starter last season. He has been impressive this spring, with an ERA below one and zero walks in his few appearances. He is a hard thrower who can eat up innings and, with the demotion of Tom Gorzelanny, has a good chance of locking up the final spot in the rotation. Hidden Stat of 2008 - Ohlendorf walked only eight while striking out 40 in his seven starts with triple-A Indianapolis.

CL - Matt Capps
Capps, who missed nearly two months last season rehabbing a sore arm, didn't blow a save until mid-June last year, converting his first 15 successfully. But as we wrote in last year's preview, Capps needs to learn that it is OK to throw a fastball out of the zone once in awhile, as opposed to challenging hitters to put the ball in play. Too often he works the middle of the plate instead of picking at the corners. Hidden Stat of 2008 - Capps had a 0.68 ERA in day games.