Text Size:
A|
A|
A
Email
Print |
 |
|
Matt Freed, Post-Gazette American Idol star Kimberley Locke sings the National Anthem at PNC Park for the Pirates home opener against the Dodgers yesterday. Click photo for larger image. |
Most of Ryan Doumit's catching for the near future will happen in the bullpen.
Pirates manager Jim Tracy made clear yesterday he was not satisfied with Doumit's defense and, as a result, plans to start Humberto Cota more often than not. Cota has started five of the first eight games, including the past three.
"I think it's very safe to say that Ryan is not a finished product defensively," Tracy said. "I also feel that, when you look at a major-league baseball team that has 25 active members and half of that is your pitching staff, it's pretty imperative that that stuff back there behind the plate gets taken care of."
The problem the Pirates have identified, one that dogged Doumit throughout the minors, is his failure to present a consistent target when receiving the ball. In Doumit's three starts, he has two passed balls, although reliever Ryan Vogelsong took responsibility for one of those because he threw the incorrect pitch.
Bench coach Jim Lett, who instructs the catchers, said Doumit is "improving" in that regard, a view echoed by Tracy. But the team wants Doumit to get extra work outside games -- bullpen sessions, warm-up throws -- to improve further.
There will be a special emphasis, Tracy added, on Doumit working with relievers Roberto Hernandez and Damaso Marte, newcomers to the team who have late breaks to their pitches.
"I don't think that you force-feed Ryan Doumit to the point where you feel like you've got him overmatched with certain pitchers," Tracy said. "I think you bring him along slowly. And then, eventually, over time, I'm hopeful that this guy is catching a lot and taking an awful lot of at-bats."
Last year, Doumit often responded defiantly when asked about his defense. Yesterday, he seemed to take no issue with the staff's assessment.
 |
|||
|
|||
|
|||
"You always want to get better," he said. "Obviously, there are some things I need to work on. I know that. And there are two pitchers I'm still getting to know. But I'm going to continue to go out there and do that. I think I'm very capable of being back there. I can only get better."
Doumit's defense otherwise has been more than adequate. He has no errors, he threw out the only runner attempting to take an extra base on him, and he blocked eight Victor Santos pitches in the dirt in a game last week.
Each catcher has struggled at the plate: Cota is 2 for 16, Doumit 2 for 13.
Snell seeks sequel
Ian Snell will take the PNC Park mound tonight for the first time since besting Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros Sept. 19. He pitched eight scoreless innings for his first career victory.
"You know what? That's the game I'm still feeding off," Snell said. "That was probably the best game I pitched all year other than my no-hitter in the minors. Yeah, it will be good to be back in front of the home crowd and have that memory with me."
Buried treasure
Small consolation yesterday: Vogelsong turned in his second consecutive strong relief outing, holding Los Angeles scoreless in two innings.
Jack Wilson's stolen base in the first inning was the Pirates' first of the season.
The crowd of 39,129 was the second-largest in PNC Park's history. The largest was 39,392 Aug. 11, 2001.
The Pirates are 70-50 in home openers, 2-4 at PNC Park.
Snell switched his uniform number to 45.
The annual Pride of the Pirates award was given to Greg Johnson, the team's traveling secretary since 1989.
