HOUSTON -- When PNC Park was opened, one of its many points of pride was that the Pirates could stockpile left-handed sluggers to attack the nearby Clemente Wall.

To date, they have had exactly two such players: Brian Giles and Adam LaRoche.

The current management speaks often of seeking them out. General manager Dave Littlefield mentioned it again last Sunday, saying, "We're always looking for left-handed power."

If so, where is it?

The somewhat astonishing answer is that not only have the Pirates failed at finding such players for the major-league level -- does Jeromy Burnitz count? -- but they also have failed at attempting to find them.

Consider the draft ...

In June, they waited until the 19th round to select their first left-handed hitter of any type. That was third baseman Robert Spain, fresh off a 20-home-run season for Oklahoma City University of the NAIA. But it would be easy to question his power pedigree: His team had a combined .672 slugging percentage, a clear sign he was facing inferior competition, and Baseball America listed four of Spain's teammates as superior prospects.

The first bona fide left-handed power prospect the Pirates drafted was Matt Clark, a corner infielder out of California, taken in the 28th round. They did not sign him, and he will re-enter the draft next year.

None of this is a new development. Since Littlefield and scouting director Ed Creech took over the drafts, this is what they have to show in terms of left-handed power-hitters:

From the class of 2002, outfielder Bobby Kingsbury, the eighth-rounder, is 26 years old and still stuck with Class A Hickory.

From 2003, catcher Steve Lerud held the Nevada high school record for home runs. He is 22 and batting .205 with Class A Lynchburg. He has 26 home runs in four professional seasons.

From 2004, switch-hitter Neil Walker, the top pick, still is on track to make an impact in the majors. Few see him as a home-run type just yet.

From 2005, outfielder James Boone, the third-rounder and a switch-hitter, has had a modestly promising start to his career derailed by injuries. He remains with Lynchburg at age 24.

From last year, second baseman Shelby Ford, another switch-hitter in the third round, has five home runs for Lynchburg.

Moreover, the Pirates have had no such players acquired through international signings, trades involving prospects or, with the exception of LaRoche, trades at the major-league level.

Broadcast bullies

Give Littlefield credit for this: His skin is even thicker than the Pirates' ledger of losses under his watch.

Each Sunday afternoon, he honors the franchise's long-standing tradition of the general manager doing a radio show. And this year, a new wrinkle was added with one segment of questions for Littlefield directly from callers.

Suffice it to say, given the public's palpable anger over the state of the team, most of them have been plenty unkind.

A sampling from last week:

"Dave, since you've been there, the team has gotten worse. We have the worst record in the National League, and things aren't getting better. What's your explanation for all this failure?"

"Dave, when will you do the right thing and resign?"

"I can only hope that Bob Nutting evaluates the situation, picks a good CEO and cleans house, everybody from the front office down to the coaching staff, and gives us Pirates fans a break someday."

Who said anything about interim?

After Pete Mackanin served as the Pirates' interim manager for the final 26 games of the 2005 season, Littlefield thought so little of him that he offered him the managerial post with Bradenton of the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, the lowest rung of the organization.

Now, Mackanin, interim manager in Cincinnati, is making a bold statement that the interim tag could be dropped: The Reds were 20 games under .500 when he replaced Jerry Narron July 1, and are 28-19 under Mackanin.

Fairly dramatic turnaround.

Mackanin, true to a fun-loving personality, is not the type to bear a grudge.

"I have nothing but good memories and good thoughts about the Pittsburgh Pirates," he said. "I'm just glad to be managing again."

On a related note, and just for fun: Mackanin's .462 winning percentage with the Pirates -- he went 12-14 down the stretch -- was the best of any Pirates manager since Jim Leyland's .496. The last above .500 was Chuck Tanner at .509.

Even Matt Morris has one

No one brought cake into the clubhouse or anything, but almost two weeks ago marked the one-year anniversary of Jose Castillo's last home run.

It is stunning to many in the organization, given the natural power he has, that he has not simply run into a ball in the 312 at-bats he has taken since Aug. 14, 2006, when he took Milwaukee's Dave Bush deep at PNC Park.

And, as the numbers will show, he is not even coming close: His hit chart for 2007 shows that only eight of his 46 hits have reached the warning track or wall.

"It's hard when you only play sometimes," Castillo said. "Right now, I'm coming off the bench, and I concentrate on line drives, not home runs. But I know my power. I hit 14 home runs last year. They'll come again."