Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Outfielder Jeromy Burnitz has a career batting average of .227 against the Pirates, so maybe it's a good thing he'll be playing for them this season. Click photo for larger image. Pirates Notebook: Pirates Notebook: Capps making a run at roster spot

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Jeromy Burnitz got it right this winter. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

After an 11 1/2-year major-league career in which he hit .227 against the Pirates -- and batted just .174 at PNC Park -- Burnitz signed with the Pirates as a free agent Jan. 4.

Perhaps, at the time, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Last season, as a member of the Chicago Cubs, he batted just .213 against the Pirates. In 61 at-bats, he hit two home runs.

The Pirates are counting on Burnitz to supply a lot more than that offensively now that he's on their side. And Burnitz feels he can accommodate them.

At least now, he doesn't have to face the Pirates' pitching.

"The Pirate teams have played the teams I've been on the last two or three years really well -- for sure," said Burnitz, who in the previous three seasons spent time with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies and the Cubs. "They had some good pitching performances.

"I remember [Kip] Wells over the last two or three years probably pitching four or five great games against me. [Zach] Duke pitched two great games [against the Cubs] last year.

"So there's more to it than [PNC Park]. I feel fine at the park. They just pitched good games against the teams I was on."

Burnitz, 37, now will feel good walking into PNC Park and dressing in the home team's clubhouse.

"It's a real nice stadium," he said. "I'm looking forward to playing there. I've played in a lot of places that weren't that great to show up to work at, but this is a good one. I'm very happy to show up at a facility like that every day."

Burnitz probably will do more than simply "show up" at PNC Park every day. He most likely will play right field at PNC Park every day. Last season with the Cubs, he started 153 games and appeared in five others.

He's likely to bat fifth in a lineup that will have Sean Casey batting third, Jason Bay in the cleanup spot and Joe Randa in the six-hole.

That's a pretty fair collection of professional hitters.

"If all the young players we have want to see what professionalism is all about, they should keep their eyes on those guys," manager Jim Tracy said. "They should snuggle up next to guys like that."

Burnitz played for Tracy with the Dodgers in 2003.

"He's just like any other manager," Burnitz said. "As long as he puts me in the lineup, he's fine. That's all I'm asking from him."

Burnitz signed with the Pirates after spurning an offer from the Baltimore Orioles.

He mentioned Baltimore's location and the American League schedule as reasons for that spurn. And he also cited the Pirates' offseason moves as reasons for picking the Pirates.

"I think the moves that were made with this team contributed to the positive aspect of signing here because they got some good players," Burnitz said. "I think there are a lot of quality at-bats here. When you have a collection of guys -- more than one or two -- who can put up quality at-bats, those are the good teams.

"Any team that's productive and usually wins -- or competes -- has a lot of guys in the lineup putting up good at-bats."

That would include the signing of utility infielder Jose Hernandez, who was a teammate of Burnitz with Milwaukee in 2000-2001.

"I think he's going to bring a lot to this team," Hernandez said. "He's a player. He likes to play every day no matter who's pitching -- lefty, righty. He's funny once in a while. He's one of those guys you want to be around.

"Sometimes he's kind of cranky, but that's just the way he is. He'll come in all serious. But he likes to joke around, too. But when it's time to play, he gets ready to play."

"He's as loose as they come," Casey said. "He's a carefree personality. That's how I'd describe 'Burny.' "

"I'm pretty loose, for sure," Burnitz said. "I'm probably moody, too, you know. Aren't we all? I'm certainly not even close to perfect, don't pretend to be and don't really care. I try to be the best guy I can be to everybody every day. And just like everybody else, I'll [mess] up a lot."

But still influence people.

"He works hard," center fielder Chris Duffy said. "A lot of guys who have been around for 11 years, they just kind of go through the motions in spring training, but that guy works hard."

It's even more impressive that Burnitz works hard as he nears the end of his career. He has made his mark. He has made his money. He has begun moving around the big leagues.

After what could have been a home in Milwaukee -- he played for the Brewers from 1996 through 2001 -- he has been with five teams (counting the Pirates) since.

"It hasn't been very hard -- really," said Burnitz, who lives in Westminster, Calif. "The hard part is from a personal standpoint. The locations have been far from home. I'm a family guy, and I would rather be with them than here. That's just me. That's been the only hard part.

"The actual transition to new teams is really easy. Ballplayers are just good guys."

Might he finish his career with a West Coast team?

"I have no idea," he said. "For me to make it through one day at a time and focus and stay healthy at this point is all I'm asking. I wanted to work [on the West Coast]. It didn't work out. So what? That's all over. Doesn't mean anything. I'm here and it's on."