Friday, May 12
By Bob Brookover
Special to ESPN.com
Their history is one of the best in baseball and another chapter is about to close.
This is the Pirates' final season in Three Rivers Stadium, one of those cookie-cutter multipurpose playing fields that has less charm than a Marine Corps drill sergeant.
What Three Rivers did have was personalities who could manage and play.
From Danny Murtaugh to Chuck Tanner to Jim Leyland.
From Roberto Clemente to Willie Stargell to Barry Bonds.
From a decade of dominance (the 1970s) to a decade without a division
title (the 1980s) to a decade of heartbreaking disappointments and financial despair (1990s).
The Pirates won two World Championships and nine division titles during their days at Three Rivers Stadium and on Sept. 1, 1971, Murtaugh penciled in the first and, to this day, only all minority lineup.
"When it comes to making out the lineup, I'm color blind," the manager
said.
Yes, the Pirates have had quite a run on the artificial turf and it's
possible they could have one final magical season in the ugly ballpark that got outdated before it got old.
After seven straight losing seasons, the Pirates appear to have reached the point where they should win more than they lose. It's clear that owner Kevin McClatchy feels that way. In fact, he has publicly stated that he thinks this Pirates team can win 90 games.
The owner also declined to give manager Gene Lamont a contract extension, which was a huge mistake. Lamont has done a terrific job during his three-year tenure, but now the pressure is on the manager and his young team. Lamont is understandably upset about it.
| |
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| 1999 STATISTICS |
| G |
HR |
RBI |
AVG |
Hits |
Runs |
| 141 |
39 | 115 |
.315 | 164 |
109 | |
|
Asked about the owner's 90-win projection, he said, "I'm not into
predictions."
At the very least, the Pirates have the foundation for a prosperous
future in PNC Park, a baseball-only stadium that will offer a wonderful view of downtown Pittsburgh when it opens next season. In Brian Giles, 29, and Jason Kendall, 25, they have two of the brightest young stars in the game.
Playing in the same division as Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr. and Jeff Bagwell, Giles qualifies as the forgotten power hitter. But he's quite capable of hitting 50 homers and driving in more runs than any of the above players.
"When we got Brian from Cleveland last year, we thought he was a pretty good player who could blossom with a chance to play every day," Lamont said. "He was even better than I think anyone imagined. He's really a good all-around player.
"Everyone looks at his power numbers and they were impressive, but he
does other things well, too. He played a good center field for us and I'm sure he'll be fine in right field this year. I don't see any reason why he can't have as good a year or better than last year."
Kendall was on his way to an incredible season, a third All-Star Game and a possible first Gold Glove last year before being sidelined by a gruesome ankle injury. If there were any questions about his ability to return from that injury, he has answered them this spring.
"Maybe I was being too optimistic, but I never thought he wouldn't
come back," Lamont said. "I knew he would work hard. I knew how much the game means to him. He's looked fine and done everything we've asked. He looks ready to catch 145 games. I expect him to pick up right where he left off before he got hurt and that's pretty darn good."
The Pirates' greatest strength may be their starting pitching. Kris
Benson, the first overall selection in the 1996 draft out of Clemson, is coming off a solid rookie season and could be ready to win between 15 and 20 games as the Pirates' ace. Todd Ritchie was the surprising staff ace last season, winning 15 games after being signed as a minor-league free agent who had two career wins with the Twins.
Jason Schmidt has been solid, but unspectacular since being traded by the Braves for Denny Neagle in 1996 and Francisco Cordova is capable of winning 15 games. Not one of those four starters is over 28 years old.
"We have four guys with real good arms," Kendall said. "They're all still pretty young and they all should get better. I think all four of them have a chance to win big."
The Pirates' 4.33 ERA was the sixth best in the league last season and
the five teams ahead of them all played beyond the 162-game schedule.
"Starting pitching should obviously be one of our strengths," Lamont
said. "We have the type of pitching that should keep us in a lot of games."
The bullpen isn't nearly as strong. Lamont has no true closer and will
start the season with Mike Williams and Jose Silva sharing that vital role. Williams had a 14.41 ERA after Aug. 11 last season and Silva had shoulder surgery in November.
Another weakness is defense. The Pirates finished next to last in team
fielding percentage last season and they've handed the job at third base to 21-year-old Aramis Ramirez, who made 42 errors at Triple-A Nashville.
There's no question the Pirates have an abundance of young talent, but
they find themselves in baseball's most brutal division.
"It's tough playing in this division," Schmidt said.
If realignment goes through in time for next season, the Pirates could
find themselves in an entirely new division with the Mets, Phillies and Expos. At this point, it appears as if the Bucs will have a better chance to fulfill their owner's 90-win goal in that new division and new ballpark next season.
Around the Senior Circuit
Greg's cup of coffee: Greg Vaughn, who left Cincinnati as a free agent after last season, is mad at Reds manager Jack McKeon and general manager Jim Bowden, but neither man is sure why.
"The only bitterness I had is that after I left, the stuff that Jack and Bowden came out and said -- I was demanding, I was this, I was that ... I think that was unfair," Vaughn said. "That's unprofessional. So I'm not going to lash back at them. You (reporters) know the truth. Ask the players."
Neither McKeon nor Bowden ever remember saying anything negative about
Vaughn, who was considered a leader in the Reds' clubhouse last season.
"I never said that," McKeon said. "I just got done on radio saying he was a gamer. I said (he) gives you 100 percent. If you see him, tell him I said that. Tell him I was upset to hear that."
Said Bowden: "I never said Greg Vaughn was selfish. You all heard what I said about Greg Vaughn and that's how I feel. He was one of the most
important reasons why we won 96 games last year."
As far as anyone can tell, the only minor annoyance was Vaughn's
insistence on bringing an espresso machine into the clubhouse.
"If I want coffee, I want the kind of coffee I want," Vaughn said. "But that makes me a problem child? That's the first time I ever heard that one."
Rocker remains a Brave: Headlines across the country had John Rocker, a.k.a. the Mouth of the South, being traded to Montreal and Cleveland. Both teams strongly denied the rumors and Braves GM John Schuerholz will not comment directly on any deals involving Rocker.
Schuerholz said earlier this spring that he didn't plan to trade Rocker if he remains a "good teammate." Reports have been favorable in that regard.
"He's been a model teammate," pitcher Tom Glavine said. "No problems at all. Everything has been quiet and very normal."
Third baseman Chipper Jones agreed.
"Rocker has been fine," Jones said. "I'm not his best friend, I don't
hang around him every day, but he's been fine. He's been very quiet. He's avoided a lot of attention."
No trip for you: After hitting .426 with four home runs and 14 RBIs, Julio Zuleta thought he had earned a spot on the Cubs' opening-day roster in Japan. Manager Don Baylor thought so, too. But when Zuleta, a native of Panama, tried to get through U.S. Customs in San Francisco, he was detained because of passport problems.
Baylor said there will be a roster spot waiting for Zuleta when the Cubs get to St. Louis this weekend."He deserved to make this club," Baylor said. "Once things are resolved, he'll meet us in St. Louis."
Let them play: Rockies manager Buddy Bell managed Team USA last summer in the Pan Am Games and was recently consulted by Bob Watson about who should manage the national team that will go to the Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Tommy Lasorda, Terry Collins and Jim Lefebvre are all candidates.
The team will consist of minor-league players and Bell thinks big-league teams should allow players on their 40-man rosters to be included, which is a controversial issue.
"It would be a tremendous experience, probably a better experience than getting called up in September," Bell said. "It's very intense, very result-oriented. It's high stakes."
Dusty and the Dodgers: A story in Monday's Los Angeles Times suggested that Dusty Baker would be the top candidate to manage the Dodgers if Davey Johnson is fired after this season.
"How am I going to say anything about that when I'm here and living in
Northern California?" Baker said. "People have been saying that (he'll
eventually manage the Dodgers) for a long time. None of that came out of my mouth. Until it comes out of my mouth, it's speculation, and that's not what I need right now. Right now I need to get my team ready to play."
When asked if he could envision managing the Dodgers in the future, Baker said, "I don't see it. A lot of stuff happened when I left there."
Although Baker rejected the rumor about the Dodgers, his situation with the Giants isn't clear. He is in the final year of a two-year contract extension and the Giants have offered another two-year deal worth $2.4 million. Baker, however, is in no hurry to sign an extension because he wants to see if Pacific Bell Park will bring an increased payroll.
A plea for Cook: Before dealing ageless wonder Jesse Orosco to the Cardinals for Joe McEwing, the Mets considered making the deal for Dennis Cook. After hearing that the team was willing to part with Cook, third baseman Robin Ventura made a passionate plea to general manager Steve Phillips.
"He holds this clubhouse together," Ventura told Phillips, noting that Cook is respected by younger and older players alike, and has made friends with players from every ethnic background.
Phillips was so moved by Ventura's words that he decided to trade Orosco instead of Cook.
Message from management: Fearful that Marlon Anderson's turbulent spring in the field would translate into some costly errors and losses during the regular season, the Phillies brought back Mickey Morandini by purchasing the second baseman's contract from the Expos.
"Two years ago or a year ago, that move wouldn't have been made," staff ace Curt Schilling said. "By bringing Mickey back, management is telling us we're going to give you every chance to win now."
Stats and stuff
The Padres will play Ryan Klesko at first base full time this season even though he has a .208 career average against lefties. Klesko batted .102 (5-for-49) against left-handers last season. ... Steve Woodard and the Brewers will face Ken Griffey Jr. and the Reds on opening day. History would seem to favor Griffey in this matchup. He's faced Woodard four times and homered twice. ... Left-hander Kimiyasu Kudo, who won the equivalent of the Cy Young
award in Japan's Pacific League last year, was the starting pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants in their combined 6-0 blanking of the Cubs Tuesday. Agent Alan Nero unsuccessfully shopped Kudo to major-league teams, including the Cubs, before taking a deal with the Giants. ... Having already lost his first-base job to Erubiel Durazo, it now appears as if the Diamondback's Travis Lee will be platooned in right field with Bernard Gilkey. ... If there's any where the Rockies should be better this season, it's the fifth spot in their starting
rotation. Of course, it would be difficult for Scott Karl to do any worse than the collection of fifth starters the Rockies used in 1999. The Rockies didn't get a win out of their No. 5 man until July 3 of last season and through Aug. 15, the team's fifth starters were 1-11 with six no-decisions. ... After batting third all spring and going hitless in his final 15 exhibition at-bats, Sammy Sosa moved from third to fourth in manager Don Baylor's lineup and opened the season with a single and double against the Mets in Tokyo. Baylor said Sosa will continue to hit fourth. "I thought all winter long about this," Baylor said. "I don't do anything last minute."
Bob Brookover, who covers the Phillies for the Delaware County (Pa.) Times, writes on the National League for ESPN.com. |  |
