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Q: Dejan, it's been rehashed over and over. It's time for a symbolic gesture. This team and organization are an embarrassment to Pittsburgh. I can no longer watch this mess.
I suggest the fans insist that "Pittsburgh" be removed from the road jerseys. Make this collection of stink earn the right to have it across their chest.
Bitter? frustrated? You betcha!
David Sullivan of Fallston, Md.
KOVACEVIC: Tough crowd this week.
I can tell you, David, that watching the Pirates and Royals playing this week ...
Well, never mind the outcome of the actual games. The unspeakably awful atmosphere of the games, the sense -- correct, I presume -- that these teams are playing on an island somewhere off the coast of Major League Baseball, the same sense of hopelessness here that there is in Pittsburgh ... suffice it to say it all served as a stark reminder of how far outside the mainstream of the game this once-proud franchise has plummeted.
Somehow, this is Pittsburgh's fault, we are told, time and again by those who erroneously cite small-market this and small-market that.
Q: What is your assessment of the idea that the Pirates are "this close" to being a competitive team? I have watched this team for almost the last 40 years, and I wonder how they can continue to play so poorly. Certainly, the likes of Jose Castillo, Jason Bay, Jack Wilson, Sean Casey and the emergence such young players as Freddy Sanchez, Zach Duke, Ian Snell, Paul Maholm, Ronny Paulino, Oliver Perez and Mike Gonzalez should allow for at least a .500 record.
I have always been a die-hard fan but, as of late, I am starting to become a little impatient. Is there any hope for this group that always seems to do just enough to lose?
Mark Proch of Copper Center, Alaska
KOVACEVIC: I happen not to be a believer in the this-close line of thinking, Mark. While it obviously is a more encouraging sign to be close in most games rather than getting mopped up -- as is the case with most teams that have such terrible records -- that is not necessarily a sign that swell stuff is just around the corner.
In all sports, winning is, in large part, a mindset. It is a feeling of confidence, collectively and individually, that leads to good things happening rather than bad.
What guarantee is there that this group will develop that? None.
The collective aspect must come from the manager and coaching staff. Very, very obviously, that has not happened to this point in the season.
The individual aspect must come, of course, from the players as they are placed in challenging circumstances. Just as obviously, very few players have shown an ability to succeed when needed most.
Until both of those change, what you are going to see is more close losses, perhaps in perpetuity. Or -- and this is the worst-case scenario -- you will see frustration on both counts lead to a total unraveling, in which case the losses surely would disintegrate into blowouts much more often.
Oh, one last point here: I noticed you included Castillo with your veteran group rather than your youngsters. This happens quite a bit in the feedback I get, but it should not be forgotten that Castillo is only 25 even though it is his third year in the majors.
Q: Is it just me or does it seem like Jim Tracy doesn't believe he's in the same boat as his players? Laying the blame squarely on the players earlier in the season, and then criticizing supposed missed plays Sunday vs. the Twins ... maybe I'm reading a little too much into it, but it appears to me that Tracy doesn't have the we're-all-in-this-together attitude, which is an essential leadership quality.
Am I the only one detecting this?
Nathan Esau of Las Vegas, Nev.
KOVACEVIC: You are not, Nathan, as the next couple of missives will show ...
Q: Dejan, based on your story Monday, Jim Tracy seemed quick to blame Jack Wilson for Sunday's loss because Jack didn't make what I consider to be a difficult play in the eighth inning.
I was wondering if Tracy commented on why he seemed so unprepared to remove Oliver Perez if he started to struggle in the eighth. Perez was having a great day. However, he had given up a home run in the seventh and hasn't been pitching late into games consistently this season. The pitcher's spot was due up second in the Pirates' half of the eighth, which opened the opportunity for a double-switch when he put Nate McLouth in right field.
Conceding that he may have wanted to give Perez the chance to continue, why not have someone warming up as the inning started just in case? For instance, it would have been nice to have had someone ready to bring in to face Mike Redmond. Based on my observations at the game, I don't think that option was available.
Finally, once the second run scored, it was imperative to stop the Twins right there to give the offense a chance. Justin Morneau has some pretty big platoon splits. That situation screams for John Grabow or Damaso Marte. Tracy left the right-hander Salomon Torres in to face Morneau, who delivered the bases-clearing double.
Tracy is probably right that there hasn't been enough accountability with the Pirates the last several years. That accountability should extend to the manager, as well.
Let's just say I've seen these moves be made.
Dave McClintock of Upper St. Clair
KOVACEVIC: Valid points all, Dave.
Even though right-handed hitting Torii Hunter -- who looked very comfortable at the plate all day Sunday -- was on deck behind Morneau, there was no cause to leave in the right-handed pitcher with the situation right there with Morneau being the critical one. And, on top of Morneau's splits, he also was torrid all week and had beaten the Pirates the previous night with a home run.
Also, you are correct that no reliever was ready to face Redmond, a right-handed hitter who was the last batter Perez would see. Redmond's single loaded the bases.
We also have, as the next submission shows, readers who believe Tracy is the one in the right ...
Q: Dejan, it's almost uncanny how my beloved Pirates are almost inventing new ways to lose close games. Bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with no outs, and we can't score one run? Come on!
I think the players need to accept responsibility for their play and not be satisfied with mediocrity. Somebody needs to get upset about losing and not accept it so readily. This team will never change until that happens.
Jim Tracy is trying his hardest to get that point across. I'm just not sure the players are getting it yet. There's plenty of talent on the team to get it done. I think they just lack the right mental attitude.
What's your take?
Tim Lehrian of Marion, Ind.
KOVACEVIC: As I wrote above, Tim, it has to happen collectively and individually. And that involves everyone.
Q: Have you observed signs of maturity and the team growing and coming into a unit as a group?
I watch the young Florida Marlins come together under Joe Girardi's leadership and expectations and demands. They are there for each other and learning to do the necessary things to win baseball games. Working the pitch count, moving runners, aggressive baserunning, courageous pitches under pressure, etc. They are fun to watch.
Rick Osvick of Delray Beach, Fla.
KOVACEVIC: As I observed quite a while ago in this space, nothing the Marlins do this season will surprise me, not even their current roll. The talent was acquired with a plan, and the group was assembled in such a fashion that it could grow together with a common purpose.
To answer your question, I do see signs of the Pirates improving individually. Not collectively.
Q: Same old Kip Wells. Is it that he can't throw strikes or won't throw strikes?
Chris Hilf of Jefferson Hills
KOVACEVIC: It would have to be the latter, Chris. How else to explain it? Seriously here, if a pitcher can routinely run up 0-2 counts, why not a third? We are not talking about a mechanical flaw or anything of the type. It is mindset. It has to be.
Try to find some other way to interpret this assessment from Wells after the game the other night: "You get ahead with strike pitches, and you try to make a better pitch when it's 0-2 or 1-2. Then, you look up, and the count's full. There will be times when you can make those pitches, but, obviously, when you're turning those counts into 3-2, you're letting each hitter see six or seven pitches. That's a tough assignment."
Q: Dejan, I am a longtime reader, but this is my first question posed to the Q&A. My question is: Does Kip Wells have any chance of being with the Pirates long-term, or is he destined to be trade bait or gone to free agency at the end of the season?
I've always been a Kip Wells fan, and I think he has a lot of promise if he eventually figures himself out on the mound. On top of that, my mom met him at a church -organized mission project at a food shelter a year or two back and said he was a very nice guy. I think Kip Wells could be a very strong asset to our team and our city.
Mike Duran of Forest Hills
KOVACEVIC: I have much cause to believe Wells will not be back in 2007, mostly because my understanding is that he has every intention of trying free agency after this season. From there, it is almost unimaginable that the Pirates would want to be a bidder for his services when that type of money might be more prudently spent on another right-handed starter.
But bear this in mind: The Pirates are highly likely to need another right-handed starter going into this season. Even if Ian Snell continues to shine and Victor Santos were to buck his history and keep pitching as he did in five of his last six starts, a horse in this department seems mandatory.
Q: Dejan, can you please tell me why the team keeps Ryan Vogelsong around? I mean, the club's confidence level in him is such that he's used primarily as a mop-up pitcher, and he's typically awful even in that role.
Is it a salary issue?
Is it in hopes of someday making the Jason Schmidt trade look more palatable? (Too late! That ship sailed long ago.)
Eric Ries of Bethesda, Md.
KOVACEVIC: The organization's position on Vogelsong stems from its organizational depth chart, where Vogelsong currently ranks eighth among starters. Already in the past few months, the Pirates have sent away Dave Williams, Mark Redman and Brandon Duckworth, while also losing Wells for half the season. As a result, as I have been told, Vogelsong's standing has been secure.
But that could change, of course, when Santos returns if his his performance does not improve. Santos could be a long reliever (or just fill the role until Wells is traded), and do not let it slip under the radar that the Pirates abruptly changed Josh Sharpless' role in Indianapolis from late relief to long relief three weeks ago. That move was made, quite specifically, because the team wants to find a way to slot him into the major-league bullpen.
Q: Dejan, first-time writer, painfully separated from PNC Park for now, love the coverage of the Pirates. I see that Jonah Bayliss has a 1.94 ERA at Class AAA. I was a little surprised last year that the Royals would give up a young MLB-experienced pitcher to get Mark Redman, who hadn't exactly set the league on fire down the stretch.
What does the front office think of Bayliss?
The bullpen seems pretty crowded this year, but is there a spot waiting for him in 2007?
Ross Golowicz of Somerville, Mass.
KOVACEVIC: The Pirates have been quite happy with Bayliss, and I do not think you will have to wait until 2007 to see him. More likely, he will be up in September if he continues to go as he has.
Bayliss, who turns 26 in two months, has 10 saves as Indianapolis' closer, has 37 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings. He is not the most versatile of pitchers, offering only two pitches, but his velocity is quite good, and he has shown to have the temperament for late innings, much the same way Matt Capps did in his final years in the minors. The final piece might be polished command, as his walk total of 20 is too high.
Q: Dejan, I find the recent push by the Pirates and local media to stuff the All-Star ballot box with votes for Jason Bay to be bewildering and disturbing.
Wednesday night at the game, fans were harangued repeatedly into voting up to 25 times for Bay. Indeed, the guy next to me spent the entire game dutifully completing ballot after ballot with Bay's name on it rather than watching the action on the field.
In any other election, encouraging the stuffing of a ballot box called voter fraud. What is your take? Demeaning or delightful?
Porter Bessinger of Highland Park, Pittsburgh
KOVACEVIC: I find myself not getting moved much by anything related to the All-Star Game selection process, Porter.
It is an exhibition game that, once the actual event is going on, I tend to ask myself what all the fuss was about in terms of a player getting chosen or ignored. When Bay made the team last year, it was treated as a really big deal. But he never even played. Others who are picked are out there for one at-bat.
I am sure I am in the minority on this, but I just marvel at the attention that is paid to this stuff in general.
As for the Pirates pushing for the vote, so long as they are not doing anything outside the rules (they are not), I see nothing wrong with it. If MLB sets up the rules so that people can vote 25 times, then that is there to be taken.
I can understand, though, that some folks might be getting a bit tired of the incessant campaigning.
In closing ...
What a wonderful ballpark Kansas City has. It is amazing to me that more folks do not mention it routinely when citing some of the best in the country. The architecture is so striking, so unusual, and the inside is about as warm and inviting as any in the game. On TV (well, however often they show the Royals), all that stands out is the waterfalls, but that is only a small part of it.
Maybe most impressive is that the place was built 30 years ago and still has, partially as the result of a recent renovation, every capability that the newer places enjoy.
The only drawback? It followed the old model of putting these places out in the middle of nowhere, the better to surround them with seas of surface parking. Imagining how much better this place would be with an actual backdrop ... it would be outstanding.
So far, this is my non-PNC list of the best ...
New: Coors Field
Old: Fenway Park
Indoor: Minute Maid Park
I must say this, too: I remain taken aback, through all of this ballpark touring, at the degree to which Pittsburgh's place is better than all the rest. That has surprised me. I genuinely thought there might be others that are better or even close. That is not the case.
Until next week, by which time the Pirates might take solace in facing some of the American League's best teams ...
