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Wednesday, March 27, 2002

By Robert Dvorchak, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. -- Pat Meares, who finds himself battling for a roster spot four days before the deadline for the opening-day roster, had a 20-minute meeting with General Manager Dave Littlefield yesterday, but nothing has been decided on his future with the club.

Littlefield said there has been no new medical examination of Meares' left hand, which was surgically repaired two years ago between the time he hurt it swinging a bat in the final game of spring training and when former general manager Cam Bonifay gave him a four-year, $15 million guaranteed contract.

"We discussed with him kind of where he's at," Littlefield said. "There are a lot of issues that go into finalizing the roster in the last week -- options, status, performance, health. We're just trying to manage things as best as possible. I'm not trying to hide anything, but we're just caught up in the beginning stages of some different issues with different people. There are always difficult decisions."

The Pirates have 31 players in camp and must get down to 25 before midnight Saturday.

"Things aren't set in stone," Littlefield said.

The Pirates have had five weeks of spring training to evaluate Meares, who opted to try to rehabilitate his hand after receiving conflicting opinions on more surgery. They will weigh that along with how he performed last year. Meares hit .211 in 87 games last year and is hitting .219 with one extra-base hit in 32 at-bats in spring training. Medical examinations at the beginning of spring training showed that Meares had not regained any appreciable strength in his hand.

Meares, who is in competition with Mike Benjamin and Abraham Nunez for a utility infielder's job, hasn't started a game since St. Patrick's Day. Littlefield identified production at second base as a team priority before he signed free agent Pokey Reese.

Rough outing

Dave Williams gave up nine runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings and the Pirates lost to the New York Yankees, 11-5, last night.

Aramis Ramirez was a late scratch with a slight tightness in his right thigh, and Chad Hermansen left the game in the fourth inning after pulling a muscle while running the bases.

"We've been fortunate with injuries so far. I just want to get out of spring training as quickly as I possibly can," said Manager Lloyd McClendon.

Williams gave up three home runs to the defending American League champions -- two by Todd Greene.

"It was a tough night for him. But it's a night he can learn from," McClendon said. "There wasn't much to like about this game. Certainly, you don't want games like this down the stretch. But if you're going to have them, have them now."

Adam Hyzdu hit a solo home run, his fourth of the spring, for the Pirates.

The Pirates used Curtis Pride as their designated hitter, an unusual move this late in the spring because Pride has no chance of making the club.

Gen. Tommy Franks, who is commanding the war against terrorism in Afghanistan, threw out the first ball and a B-1 bomber made a flyover in pregame ceremonies.

Rios' left knee OK

While he was diagnosed with a bruise above his right knee after a collision Monday, right fielder Armando Rios said he took the brunt of the hit on his surgically repaired left knee. He was held out of drills yesterday.

"I'm a little banged up. But there's no fluid in the knee or no need for an MRI. The knee is stable," Rios said.

Mike Fetters (abdominal strain) remains day to day but is expected to play catch Friday. Mike Benjamin had back spasms Monday and did not play yesterday.

Benson update

Kris Benson threw 50 pitches in going 2 2/3 innings against Baltimore's Class AAA Rochester affiliate in a minor-league game at Pirate City. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out five.

Benson, who had reconstructive elbow surgery, will pitch in an intrasquad game Sunday, then report to Class AAA Nashville, where he will make two five-inning starts and a six-inning stint at Sacramento. He hopes to rejoin the Pirates in May.