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Q: Based on your experience at minicamp and your other connections with the new coaching staff, in what ways are the teaching techniques of the new coaches and their interactions with the players different from (better than?) the Lloyd McClendon staff?
Paul Schneider of East Setauket, N.Y.
KOVACEVIC: Glad you raised this subject, Paul. I wanted to bring it up last week, but the format did not allow it.
The most striking difference between this staff and the previous one -- strictly within the very limited confines of minicamp -- was twofold:
One, drills were being stopped so that mistakes could be corrected. And it did not matter who the players were, from established major-leaguers to Class A wannabes. I saw this very rarely last year, almost never with veterans.
Two, the tone was very upbeat. Encouragement was being shouted from all corners of all three fields being used. Both of those were in stark contrast to the passive approach taken by most of the previous staff, with Rusty Kuntz and Bruce Tanner being the exceptions in this regard.
But I repeat: My observations of this staff are based on five days of minicamp workouts. Nothing more. It remains to be seen how that translates into games, or even into spring training.
On a related matter, a handful of you wrote to ask why criticisms of the teaching style of McClendon's staff -- by me or by players being quoted -- are coming out now and did not last season.
I will take the two issues separately ...
When I took this beat at the opening of last year, I often was asked what I thought of the staff and its work. And my response invariably was that I did not know enough about the business of Major League Baseball to feel qualified to address it. I know some people do not like such answers, but I try to be as open as possible. As the year went on and I became more comfortable with many facets of the game, I also grew comfortable offering analysis in more areas.
That staff was the first and only one I had covered in this sport, so I did not know: Were they passive? Or was it just the baseball way to not push things too hard because of the 162-game grind? In eight years of covering the NHL, I saw both styles, and I saw both of them work and both of them fail. Which was right for baseball?
I will say this much at this point: I was impressed with what I saw of Jim Tracy and his staff in minicamp, and I was even more impressed with the way players very clearly responded to what they were being shown. It looked to me like a marked improvement.
Is it the right way? That will show up in the standings or, at least, in the progress of individual players.
Now, as to why the players' criticisms of the previous staff did not come up last season, this one is easy: There were none. Zero. Over the full calendar year, the only players to utter a negative word about McClendon or his staff were one who was demoted (sour grapes) and another who wished he could return from an injury sooner than he was allowed (big deal). That was it.
This is common throughout sports. Players know they look terrible when they criticize their manager or coach to any reporter, so they simply do not do it (unless their name is Terrell Owens). A few years back, when the Penguins fired disciplinarian Kevin Constantine as coach, I remember being blown away by the vitriol coming from the players that day and, simultaneously, the unbridled joy in his being deposed. I had a pretty good idea the guy was not exactly beloved, but I was not provided the slightest clue he was so reviled.
There are certain things that stay inside the clubhouse, and criticism of management generally is atop that list.
What was spoken by these Pirates over minicamp, of course, did not come close to that level of nastiness. Mostly, the players' view was that they preferred what they saw of the new staff.
Bear in mind, too, that many of these players are so young, so new to the majors that they might not have formed a negative opinion about the previous staff until they saw another one they liked better.
Q: Can you realistically see this team going into the regular season with three lefties in the pen?
I may be able to justify it if Mike Gonzalez solidifies himself as the closer. But, if the save opportunities are going to be split between him, Salomon Torres and perhaps Roberto Hernandez, I believe there is a good possibility that one of the southpaws -- most likely Grabow -- will be dealt in spring training. Lefties are always a premium commodity, and a nice return would likely occur.
George Carter of Munhall
KOVACEVIC: The day Rob Mackowiak was traded for Damaso Marte to give the Pirates three left-handed relievers, I wrote that it looked like the type of deal that leads to another deal. Little that I have heard since then has changed my mind about that. I believe that Marte could be had and that he is a likely candidate to be moved if and when the right offer comes along.
Remember, that offer does not have to come before the season. Injuries often create greater need than those that exist in the offseason. The Pirates would be prudent, I think, to wait before making any such move.
The same holds true, I believe, for Craig Wilson. He is another player I am confident could be dealt once the season gets going and he shows his hand is fully recovered from the two injuries he had last year. The Pirates already tried to move him early this offseason but found little interest, certainly nothing that would approach what they might get if he resumes hitting like he can.
Grabow? Very unlikely. He is still in a 0-to-3 contract, meaning he will make close to the minimum again this year, and the Pirates retain his rights for at least three more years. And, as he showed last year, he can be quite good if he is not overused, as was the case in September. Trading him makes little sense.
So, yes, I think there will be three lefties going into the season, but it is hard to say how long that will last.
Q: Dejan, I just wanted to say I hope Mike Johnston's elbow is completely healed, because I know he is going to have a great season coming up. Also wanted to say good luck to all the Pirates for the upcoming season.
Evan Ingram of Plum
KOVACEVIC: I spoke with Johnston twice at minicamp, and he pronounced himself completely healthy. He had tendonitis in his left elbow that shut him down for the final six weeks of last season, but he pitched in the Florida Instructional League and was not held back at minicamp.
You can expect to see him back at Class AAA Indianapolis to start next season, but management does not seem to have put him off the radar for the major-league team.
Yes, another left-hander for the bullpen ...
Q: Dejan, I would appreciate any insight you can provide on how the World Baseball Classic will impact the Pirates in terms of evaluating talent and determining the major-league roster. If our guys are off playing in another tournament, rather than playing in spring training, will that impact Jim Tracy's ability to try out different lineups? Or will it provide opportunities for other players to prove themselves?
Anthony Markovich of Allison Park
KOVACEVIC: I asked Dave Littlefield about this at minicamp, and I used Yurendell DeCaster as the example because DeCaster is a guy who, it would appear, is in a position to win a major-league job in spring training but who also has been asked to represent the Netherlands in the WBC.
Littlefield's no-hesitation answer was that he would prefer to see how DeCaster and other WBC participants fare against more intense and more talented competition in this type of tournament than how they would do in spring-training exhibitions.
Will it affect DeCaster and other players? One would hope not, as the Pirates should take care to have scouts watching these games first-hand to deliver detailed reports on players of interest. But there are some players who do not want to take the chance. Ron Chiavacci, a minor-league pitcher, was invited to play for Italy but turned it down because he did not want anything to take away from being in spring training.
Q: What is the future for the catching position?
Will Neil Walker play some or all third this summer? I believe Jeromy Burnitz was signed to a one-year deal for a reason. Ronny Paulino seems to be the best defensive catcher and has shown he comes with a stick. Will he be the primary catcher in 2007 after this year in Indy and continued progress? Will Ryan Doumit eventually be moved to right field when Paulino is ready? Could this occur later in 2006?
Paul Newmeyer of Wheeling, W.Va.
KOVACEVIC: I think you are taking a whole bunch of unrelated things -- erroneous, in one case -- and going too far here, Paul.
The immediate future is this on all the fronts you cited: Doumit and Humberto Cota will be the Pirates' catchers this season, barring injury. Neither has been designated starter, but there is ample cause to believe the default man will be Doumit, with Cota pushing him. Paulino will start out in Indianapolis and probably remain there unless his performance is so strong that he dictates a personnel move of some sort, including maybe a trade. (Teams need catchers.) Walker will remain a catcher, though he is of the belief that he will continue to take grounders at third on the side. And Doumit showed the team enough defensively that the idea of having him in right field no longer even gets whispered.
Now, the erroneous part: Paulino is not the organization's best defensive catcher. Cota is. Paulino has a live arm, but there is not a better receiver or game-caller on the Pirates' roster than Cota at this time.
Not sure why you left him completely out of your question, but I can say I think it would be premature to write him off. No, his .242 average was nothing to get excited about, but he did hit seven home runs and had 43 RBIs in only 297 at-bats. And many of those came in important situations for the team, as some will recall. Moreover, although he has been around a while, it should be remembered he is only 27 and has yet to hit his first arbitration year.
Q: Dejan, now that Russell Branyan has been released by the Brewers, do you think the Pirates would be interested in maybe bringing him into camp this spring to see if he might fit somewhere? He has good pop off the bench and is a third base backup.
Kevin Cerny of Millvale
KOVACEVIC: I never have heard Branyan's name in connection with the Pirates, Kevin. And I do not expect to.
As you state, he has pretty much reduced himself to a bench-type player, and his all-or-nothing production does not lend itself to that role. When a manager uses a guy as a pinch-hitter, yes, there are times he wants to see a home run, and Branyan is capable of delivering those in majestic fashion. But there are more occasions where he just wants to see a hit or a walk. In 202 at-bats last season for Milwaukee, Branyan had 12 home runs, 39 walks and 80 strikeouts. You can live with the first two -- and his .378 on-base percentage -- but that third number is tough. That is more than a whiff every three at-bats.
In closing ...
On this extraordinary week for sports in Pittsburgh (PirateFest!), I feel I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the retirement of Mario Lemieux and at least one question I had on the matter that might be of interest to fans of the baseball club:
Was there any greater athlete in the city's history?
My answer is no.
The only one who comes close, in my view, is Honus Wagner, both in terms of individual performance within a league-wide scope (eight batting titles), team championships (remember the Pirates won three National League titles before there the World Series was born), and the great intangible of having spent so much of his career in one city (all but his first three years in Louisville).
Roberto Clemente? No, with all due respect. One MVP award, four batting titles and two World Series championships is impressive, as are his many intangibles. But there are few accounts I have read that describe him as the greatest player of his era. The same cannot be said for Lemieux and Wagner.
The Super Steelers of the 1970s? Maybe the best team in NFL history, but who among them stands out? Terry Bradshaw? Joe Greene? Was either one of them the best player of his era?
And what about Ben Roethlisberger? Well, if he keeps going as he has, he might be the greatest athlete in the history of civilization. At the least, he could be viewed that way in our corner of the world within 11 days.
To date, there has been no one like Lemieux. Not in our town. He is seen by many as the most talented player to ever play his sport -- though Wayne Gretzky still gets most of those nods -- and no other athlete with a firm stake in Pittsburgh can make that claim. Not even Wagner.
And just imagine if Lemieux been healthy for even half of his 20 years since being drafted.
The city will not be the same without him on the ice.
Until next week, when I will be offering an informal count from PirateFest as to how many Roethlisberger jerseys I see, compared to the Jason Bay models ...
Or will those raggedy, old freebie Brian Giles and Jason Kendall T-shirts continue to carry the day? Does anyone ever throw stuff away around here?
