It seemed like a good idea at the time. It seemed like the best way to get answers about the Pirates was to speak directly with Robert Nutting, who is the chairman of the board of the team.

People who know him say he's not as reclusive as his father, G. Ogden Nutting, who also is on the board.

Proof of that is Robert Nutting, or Bob as he is called by Pirates employees, allowed his picture to appear in the team's media guide this season along with a short biography. That might not seem like much, but in the Nutting family, where publicity is avoided at every turn, it was a major concession.

It has not been determined if Bob Nutting was disowned by his father for this blatant attempt to publicize himself. We'd ask him ourselves, but, like a true Nutting, he was not available to be interviewed for this column.

Not that we didn't try.

Monday, at the start of the Pirates' game with Arizona, a request was made through the team's public relations department for an interview with Nutting.

A few innings later, a member of the PR staff wanted to know what kind of questions we'd be asking. This is a bit unusual, but not totally so. Two questions were proposed:

What is the status of Kevin McClatchy, whose contract as CEO of the team is believed to expire at the end of the season?

Is there any truth to the reports ownership is taking excessive profits out of the team at the expense of the product on the field?

The request was noted.

One question that was not submitted but would have been asked is the one on the mind of every loyal Pirates fan:

Any plans to sell the team?

Tuesday, a higher up in the PR department requested further clarification about the interview. As we sit down to write this column Friday afternoon, that was our last communication with the Pirates. Apparently, Bob Nutting is not as reclusive as his father -- but not by much.

The interview with Nutting was desired because, contrary to popular belief, he is the man making the major business decision for the organization. McClatchy is the CEO and public face of the team, but not the major decision-maker. In a story about the Nutting family that appeared in this paper last year, and to which Bob Nutting granted a short telephone interview, he said, "Kevin is the clear, single voice of the team."

That is absolutely true and exactly the way the Nuttings want it. They want to be the voice of nothing, which means they get the blame for nothing. McClatchy is the fall guy in this story. He doesn't make the major decisions, but he gets the major blame.

The Nuttings own about 25 percent of the team and as such are the largest stockholder. They own about twice as much of the team as does McClatchy, which explains why he takes orders from the Nuttings.

Nutting does not have an obligation to speak to the media. But while the Pirates might be a private corporation, they are a very public commodity. They play in a stadium that was largely funded by taxpayer money. Like most businesses, they are supported by the public. But unlike grocery stores, clothing shops and utilities, the public supports a baseball team out of choice, not necessity. The Pirates should be interested in developing goodwill with their customers, and that should go beyond what the marketing department does.

The late Carl Barger, who was president of the Pirates in the early 1990s when the team last had success, was always available and, as such, a journalist's best friend. Call Barger at 10 a.m. Sunday morning and, while he could easily duck your call until at least Monday, he'd be in touch by that afternoon. Barger had nothing to hide. The Pirates of that era were attempting to put a competitive team on the field and toward that end were willing to commit to a payroll that was competitive.

Under the Nutting-McClatchy ownership, the Pirates seemingly have something to hide: Excessive profits.

Since Bob Nutting was not available to answer questions, we'll answer for him.

Although McClatchy serves as a perfect buffer between the public/fans/media and the Nutting family, he might have outlived his usefulness as CEO. Once he was the charming prince who saved the team, now he's the detested owner who provides bad PR. Nutting must measure his family's loyalty to McClatchy against the reality of the situation. The Pirates desperately need a baseball man, which neither McClatchy nor Nutting is, running the day-to-day operation of the team, and that means someone to oversee general manager Dave Littlefield.

(Late Friday afternoon, the Pirates e-mailed a response from Nutting that declined the interview request and commented on McClatchy's future. It read, "Kevin's contract is a non-issue. He has always, and continues to have the full support of the ownership group." The statement did not address the question asked.)

There appears to be great truth to the fact ownership is taking excessive profit from the team at the expense of the product on the field. The money the Pirates receive from MLB in revenue sharing and the Central Fund is almost enough to cover the payroll before a ticket is sold.

The team won't be sold. The Nuttings are bottom-line oriented. A smart businessman does not walk away from profit that is virtually guaranteed.

Excuse me, the phone is ringing. Maybe it's Bob Nutting.