Home >  Sports >  Notebooks

Sunday, February 17, 2002

By Robert Dvorchak, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Jason Kendall was excused from drills yesterday because of muscle spasms in his back but is expected to return to practice today.

Back stiffness is something new to Kendall, who thinks it might be linked to running the mile after the first day of workouts Friday.

Kendall, coming off thumb surgery, took a muscle relaxant yesterday after his back tightened up in the morning. Manager Lloyd McClendon said the pill caused drowsiness, and Kendall wanted to be out on the field.

"After what happened to us last year, we held him out as a precaution. He'll be fine," McClendon said.

Armando Rios, rehabbing from surgery on his left knee, felt some stiffness in the knee on awindy, rainy day but was able to do all the drills. He fielded fly balls and took batting practice as normal. Although he was favoring the surgically repaired knee, doctors said that is to be expected as he strengthens the muscles in his leg, which is 20 percent weaker than his right leg.

Mike Benjamin, who is behind schedule in his rehab from reconstructive elbow surgery that forced him to sit out all last season, fielded ground balls and took batting practice yesterday.

"He did everything everybody else did," McClendon said. "It's good to see him back on the field."

Bunt, bunt, bunt

First-base coach Tommy Sandt held his annual bunting clinic yesterday and encouraged pitchers competing for starting jobs to work on their bunting skills every day in camp.

"If you want to be good at it, you have to work at it. They should bunt every day," Sandt said.

Ticket sales drop

Season ticket holders will be receiving an eight-minute videotape, featuring Kevin McClatchy and General Manager Dave Littlefield, that asks fans to renew their packages. There is one bonus: Anyone who buys season tickets will be guaranteed a price freeze for next season.

Although specific numbers are not available, ticket sales are down after a 100-loss season and a price increase announced a week after the season ended. The Pirates set a franchise record for attendance last year, but they expected ticket sales to slump, just as they did in Houston and Detroit a year after those cities opened new ballparks.

Sunday, February 17, 2002