Spring Scorecard: 3/19/06

Notes and quotes from the week in Bradenton

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette photos

Jose Hernandez -- Experience gives him the edge for spot on the bench

By Paul Meyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On the bubble

Starting rotation: Right-hander Ian Snell took a huge step toward nailing down one of the final two spots with four scoreless innings Friday vs. Cleveland. He might look pretty good in the second slot in the rotation between left-handers Zach Duke and Paul Maholm. As for the other spot, young left-handers Sean Burnett and Tom Gorzelanny have pitched well but it is looking more as if they'll wind up at Class AAA Indianapolis. That probably gives the edge to right-hander Victor Santos.

Advantage: Snell, Santos.

Bullpen: Right-hander Giovanni Carrara, back from pitching for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, now can begin locking up a spot. That leaves one spot, which at this point probably belongs to Ryan Vogelsong, who seems to have pitched his way out of the starting rotation tussle and landed in the middle-relief role again.

Advantage: Vogelsong.

Utility player: Despite the fact that Mike Edwards continues to put up better numbers, Jose Hernandez maintains the edge based on his experience and his success in this role with Jim Tracy in Los Angeles in 2004 (.289, 13 HRs, 29 RBIs in 211 at-bats). Edwards is positioning himself to be the on-call utility guy with Class AAA Indianapolis. Yurendell DeCaster also will be with Indianapolis, where he'll continue to pile up at-bats -- primarily at second base -- and learn this useful craft.

Advantage: Hernandez.

On the spot

Three questions for Bradenton manager Turner Ward

Q. What tipped the scales for you accepting this job?

A. The Pirates were so cooperative. That's the only way I think this could have happened for me at this point. They were overly concerned about me leaving my family at this point and being away [from Alabama]. They've given me the flexibility to go back home if my family needs me or if they miss me. The Pirates have really gone out of their way to make it an easy transition. My family is the biggest part of my life.

Q. Your younger son is named Olin Turner Ward. Where does the Olin come from?

A. When I was in the Cleveland organization, I was friends with Steve Olin [the pitcher killed in a boating accident in spring training, 1993]. He said that if he had a son he was going to name him Ward. I said, "Well, if we ever have another son, we're going to name him Olin." That name just kind of stuck.

Q. You will be the first manager most of your players have as professionals. How do you feel about that responsibility?

A. I think that's more exciting than anything. I think about my first year. Buck Showalter was my manager the very first time I stepped onto a professional field. I think about the influence he had on my career. I hope I can do the same thing. Man, I'm fired up."

On the way up

Josh Sharpless, a Beaver native and Freedom resident, might be on the fast track to a summer home at PNC Park.

Drafted by the Pirates in the 24th round in the 2003 draft out of Allegheny College, he will begin this season at Class AA Altoona and might progress to Class AAA Indianapolis before the season ends.

And if all really goes well, he might be a September call-up this year.

"It's [only] a matter of time before we're talking strongly about him coming [to the Pirates] to start," manager Jim Tracy said.

For Sharpless, 25, being a starter would be something new. He has been exclusively a reliever in his first three professional seasons. Last season, he allowed only three earned runs in 36 innings split between Class A Lynchburg and Altoona before elbow inflammation ended his season June 30.

In 90 professional games, he has averaged 13¹/₂ strikeouts per nine innings and held batters to a .149 average. "His numbers are mind-boggling," Tracy said. "Absolutely astounding."

On deck

The week ahead: The Pirates have four trips across the Sunshine Skyway, including two where they'll make the return trip at night. The Skyway is a majestic bridge connecting St. Petersburg with the Bradenton area, and the crossing can be a bit imposing in high winds. But on a clear day or night, there's not a prettier trip in Florida -- unless one includes driving from Miami to Key West. The toll is $1 each way, but that's a pittance compared to the view the Skyway offers of Tampa Bay and the distant Gulf of Mexico, which in reality is priceless.

On the record

To try to create in the Grapefruit League the environment that they were involved in, I'm sorry, you can't do it. You [just] can't do it.

-- Jim Tracy, Pirates manager, on the players who played in the World Baseball Classic