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PrintIt could be that Craig Wilson's frustration with the Pirates is on the verge of bubbling over.
Quiet and respectful for months after management stripped away his starting status, he spoke bluntly yesterday about how unhappy he will be if returned to the bench when first baseman Sean Casey rejoins the lineup. That could be as soon as tomorrow.
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"I'm not real excited about it," Wilson said. "I think everyone here wants to play, and sitting on the bench is not really an opportunity to play. You want to go in there and play. Not one at-bat. The whole game. You want to play."
Wilson's other positions, left and right field, are taken by Jason Bay and Jeromy Burnitz, so he seems to see little chance of that happening.
"Obviously, if I wasn't starting when everybody was healthy, I won't be starting again. Am I happy about it? No, not at all."
Major League Baseball's trading deadline is July 31, and the Pirates surely will shop Wilson, given that he can be a free agent after this season and that the team rebuffed attempts by Wilson and agent Steve Hilliard to discuss a contract extension this past winter.
Wilson could try to accelerate that process, of course, by demanding a trade.
Asked what options he might have to address his situation, Wilson replied flatly: "That's a very good question."
The Pirates should have no difficulty finding suitors.
Wilson, 29, is on a 9-for-18 roll that has boosted his offensive totals to .299 with nine home runs -- second to Bay on the team -- and 24 RBIs. Just as important, he has had no health issues coming off a 2005 in which he was limited to 59 games because of hand injuries.
Manager Jim Tracy yesterday strongly suggested Wilson will return to the bench upon Casey's return.
"Is Craig Wilson going to get at-bats? Sure, he's going to get some at-bats," Tracy said. "Is he going to play? Sure, he's going to play. One of those things that we had that was pretty good early in the season is that we were doing some good things off our bench in the latter part of games. Unfortunately, that got taken away from us because we had a couple players hurt and had to place other people in the lineup."
Doumit behind plate
Ryan Doumit, whose season has been derailed by a strained left hamstring and an ongoing experiment at first base, caught last night for the first time since April 11.
Tracy decided to use Doumit -- even though he acknowledged the hamstring is not 100 percent -- because he wanted to keep Ronny Paulino fresh to catch Oliver Perez this afternoon. Tracy has given credit to Paulino for Perez's recent turnaround.
The coaching staff has spent extra time with Doumit on his defense, including three bullpen sessions on the recent six-game road trip. The focus was on receiving the ball deeper in the pitch's movement and presenting that to the umpire consistently.
"I give Ryan Doumit all the credit in the world," Tracy said. "He's worked very hard."
Buried treasure
Starter Kip Wells took another stride yesterday, pitching a three-inning simulated game in Bradenton, Fla. He mixed all four pitches and threw 28 of 48 for strikes. Tracy said reports indicated his velocity waned somewhat after the second inning. Wells' next game will be a real one, Wednesday in extended spring training.
Casey homered to right field last night in the first inning of the second game of his rehabilitation stint with Class AA Altoona in Erie. He went 1 for 4 with two groundouts and a flyout, and he played all nine innings at first base. He will be the designated hitter today.
