Got a bunch of mail from readers accusing me of forecasting doom with the ending to the game story yesterday, noting that the Pirates really should have an easy time with Jeff Weaver. Some even referred to it as a curse or jinx, noting similar references made to Kameron Loe and countless others.

Oh, well ...

Q: Why is Jim Tracy treating Tom Gorzelanny like a rented mule? His pitch counts have been consistently in the 115-120 range. Does he want to ruin his career the same way that Dusty Baker ruined Mark Prior's career?

Mark Bancroft of Hickory, N.C.

KOVACEVIC: The 123 mark was a high for Gorzelanny, Mark, and you are correct that it does not stand out. He has thrown 110, 118, 120, 97, 117 and 97 in his past six starts. All year, he has not been below 90, which is somewhat unusual in and of itself.

On top of that, remember that he was pitching a day earlier than expected Tuesday because of Ian Snell's cooking mishap.

Cause for concern? Maybe. It might be somewhat alarming to hear Gorzelanny say he has "absolutely zero" left when he made his final pitch to strike out Jose Guillen Tuesday. Or it might just be the natural order of things for a healthy young man to be throwing as he is. And it might be that Gorzelanny's high pitch counts are balanced by the fact that he very rarely has a laborious inning, so his pitches get spread out evenly over the course of an evening.

Whoever it is that comes up with reliable answers for this stuff is going to become a very wealthy person. It gets studied and studied and studied, but every case is different.

Q: DK, with Neil Walker having a great season in Altoona, what are your thoughts on his future for the remainder of this year as well as the near future? Could he be called up to the majors in September?

Also, would there be any thought about moving him back behind the plate despite his past history of poor defensive play? It seems the team is losing confidence in any catching that they have in the organization and, for whatever reason they claim, they failed to draft a stud catching prospect earlier this month.

Jason Hoover of Crafton

KOVACEVIC: Walker is not moving. We have been over that one in the Q&A and in the Monday chat, each of which is still available online.

As to whether or not he might be in Pittsburgh by season's end, that is not something I have heard ruled in or out, Jason. But I would be surprised if it happened for two reasons: One, starting his major-league clock seems a mistake at this stage of his development and the team's going-nowhere status. Two, he needs to play third base and play lots of it. That is not going to happen in Pittsburgh.

At the same time, you are correct that Walker's bat is coming alive in Altoona, particularly from the power standpoint. By the time 2007 is done, there might not be anything more important that happens at any level of the organization -- with the exception of Ian Snell and Gorzelanny blossoming -- than Walker blooming into a bone fide bopper from both sides.

Q: Why are the Pirates carrying 13 pitchers right now?

Rob Jacobson of Philadelphia

KOVACEVIC: Two reasons, Rob:

1. There is less need for an active bench in American League parks because of the DH rule.

2. Quite bluntly, Tracy does not trust two or three of the relievers he has right now. So why, you ask, are they there? Not for me to answer.

Q: Dejan, Tuesday night in the third inning, I believe, Ronny Paulino was on second base with two outs and Jack Wilson hit a fly ball to right field. Can of corn, routine out, but Paulino was standing on second the whole time as if to tag up. Yet another complete lapse of baserunning and another example of a Pirate just not mentally in the game.

If I were the manager, Paulino would have been pulled immediately.

Do you think Jim Tracy addresses this? And do you think it's the manager's responsibility to ensure that his players are focused with every pitch in every game?

Brian Boyce of Erie

KOVACEVIC: You correctly summarize the play, Brian, other than that it came in the fourth inning.

I saw the matter getting addressed as soon as Paulino came off the field, but I can also tell you that, if Paulino gets benched there, they reduce their number of catchers in play to one. Ryan Doumit was in right field largely so that he could be used as an emergency catcher if needed -- a DH can move into that role, but then the pitcher must bat -- and removing Paulino would have forced Doumit behind the plate with no backup.

That said ... wow, the baserunning on this team ...

Thing No. 39 that makes Pittsburgh great: The top floor of the U.S. Steel Tower, or whatever they are planning to rename our tallest building sometime soon.

Knowing the tourist attraction that the Space Needle is here, I cannot help but recall the many, many trips I used to make to the 62nd floor of the Steel Building (Can we just agree to call it that in perpetuity?) to take visitors or newcomers to the city up to the old Top of the Triangle restaurant, where one could perform the most incredible scan of an area any human can imagine. Favorite time was around 2 p.m. because the lunch crowd was gone, and you pretty much had the whole place to yourself for the cost of a Coke and some fries. And it was just as easy as walking into the lobby, pressing the button on the elevator and picking a seat.

Everyone understands why that access was diminished after Sept. 11, but it remains a great shame that the Triangle folded and nothing has replaced it from the civic-treasure standpoint.

David Bear, our newspaper's travel writer (who actually writes about places he visits on his travels, unlike the baseball writer), has called upon UPMC, the building's new primary tenant, to open that floor - or even just part of that floor -- to the public. I cannot express the sentiment better than he did, so I will not try.

Until tomorrow ...