Baseball 2011: Pirates' young face first grind
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Pirates second baseman Neil Walker throws to first after fielding an RBI grounder by the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins, who was out at first, in the sixth inning of an exhibition game Tuesday in Philadelphia.
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BRADENTON, Fla. -- Jose Tabata woke up sleepy-eyed one morning in the second half of last season in a West Coast hotel room.
Or was it still the middle of the night?
Or was this New York and not San Diego?
"I woke up and looked at my watch and it was 4 in the morning. I thought it was at least 10 or something," said Tabata, the Pirates left fielder. "Then I had to think: Where are we? What city is this? It's hard to stay consistent in this baseball life."
It is this Major League Baseball life that three of the most important pieces of the Pirates' future got a taste of last season. When the Pirates open the 2011 season Friday against the Chicago Cubs, these three, for the first time, will attempt to withstand the grind of a 162-game regular season.
Tabata played 102 games last season with the Pirates, second baseman Neil Walker played 110 and third baseman Pedro Alvarez played 95. None of the three made the team out of spring training, as they have this season.
Walker recalls a moment from last season akin to Tabata's middle-of-the night confusion.
"I remember playing a night game in San Diego and it felt like one in the morning and it was the sixth inning," Walker said. "That is something I'm better prepared for now this season. When it is time to rest, I have to rest."
That understanding is part of the maturation process for Walker, 25, who is one year older than Alvarez and two years older than Tabata. There are many such signs for these three, including this: Alvarez and Tabata each were married in the offseason; Walker was engaged and plans to wed in December.
Pirates bench coach Jeff Banister understands the tedium of a major league season. He will begin his first full season as the major league bench coach, but has previously been a minor league manager and the organization's minor league field coordinator. In that role, part of his job was to weigh if prospects were ready to withstand the monotonous major league routine.
First Published March 31, 2011 12:00 am
