Category: Pirates

By: Caitlin Miller

When Jim Leyland was a young boy, one of five boys in his family, his dad a semi-pro ball player, would come home from work and play catch with him and his brothers in the yard until his mother would call them in for supper.

He used those daily sessions to learn the game he’d be involved in all his life, but especially remembers lessons on life that his parents instilled in him.

“My parents were the biggest influence in my life, I think that’s a good thing, that’s where your roots start, where you learn right from wrong, and family values,” says Jim Leyland.

Now 68 years old, having spent all of his adult life in the game of baseball where he won two World Series as a manager and coached some of the legends of the sport. He says how it’s great to have major athletes and stars as your heroes and role models but to him his parents were his and that was what was really important to him.

Leyland was raised in Perryburg, Ohio, he was signed out of high school and was signed as a minor league catcher for six seasons in the Tigers organization in September of 1963. While he was an adequate defensive catcher, his inability to hit professional pitching doomed his playing career at level AA, with a career bating average of .222 in all his minor league games.

Leyland didn’t set out to be a manager or even a coach, but when he realized he was not going to make it as a player, he changed his paths.

“I had no intentions of being a big time coach, even a manager,” he said.

That chance occurred in 1970 after he played just two games for the Montgomery Rebels, then made his debut as a coach for the rest of that season.

In 1982, Leyland left the Tigers organization when he got his first shot to coach in the Big Leagues when he became a third base coach for Tony La Russa with the Chicago White Sox for four seasons. Leyland said that La Russa had a great effect on his career. He said La Russa gave him his first big chance as his third base coach. He said that walking onto a Big League field for the first time was unbelievable; he never thought he would have the chance to do that. He said that it was an Easter Sunday and they weren’t supposed to play because it was snowing. But they did and they won both games.

His career as a Big League coach blossomed until 1985 when he got his first opportunity to manage a Major League team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

While his father was from Butler, and he had heard a lot about the city but he had never been here until he became the 33rd manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates. This was a thrill he said, even though the Pirates were in dismal shape.

General Manager Syd Thrift, who gave him his first shot, famously said about the moribund franchise at the time, “It ain’t easy resurrecting the dead.”

But that’s exactly what Leyland did during his ten years of skippering the Pirates.

Starting with a team that lost 98 game in 1986, he and Thrift built a team that included Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke and among others, Doug Drabek. which took them to the National League Championship Series, first in 1990, then in 1991 and 1992. Even though they lost all three years, this was still a turning point in baseball for not only for the Pirates but Leyland as well.

Leyland’s favorite memory during his eleven seasons with the Pirates, he said his favorite moment was when they clinched the division championship by beating the St. Louis Cardinals in 1990 on a Sunday afternoon.

“That was the best celebration I was ever involved in because we worked so hard. We were so bad when I first got here, we came so far and it was so satisfying.” He talked about how this was the first step; he took the Pirates to win their first championship. He said it was hard work though. At the time the Mets were very good, and they were the hardest team to get by.  He mentioned that it was very rewarding.

Coming from a middle class family that instilled a work ethic in him as a child, Leyland diligently paid attention to every detail of his job. He soon realized that no matter how hard he worked, if he did nor have quality players, there was little he could do. He still loved his job, but when the mass exodus of talent occurred after his eleventh season, he saw the end of his tenure with the buccos had come.

Leyland’s tenure with the Pittsburgh Pirates ended the last game in 1996.

Martin Daniel, A long time Pirates fan, was there.

“As soon as he walked out everyone stood up and cheered for him, for a long time,” Daniel said.

While Daniel and almost everyone present were upset about losing Leyland as a manager, just about everyone knew his time to leave had come.

“It was an emotional game, we were playing the St. Louis Cardinals and Tony La Russa, who was one of my best friends, was managing the Cardinals. It was a long day; I had met with some fans, and neighbors. Some media people came out to my house that day and followed me to the ballpark and everything. Ill never forget it, the only problem was we lost the game, which was a heartbreak. I didn’t want to go out that way, but it was a very emotional day.”

Many people were very sad and angry with Leyland for leaving the Pirates.

Ryan Douglass, a former Washington Wild Things player, realized the inevitable.

“Leyland leaving the Pirates was just part of the business in baseball. I know that since I play professionally, but it was a bittersweet moment when he left,” he said.

Leyland took the intense feeling of the fans as a compliment.

“That made me feel like they must of thought I was a good manager if they were mad about me leaving. But the other thing behind that, I was also upset about is that I thought that it was totally unfair. I could see where the Pirates were going at that time, and I think now people realize that proved out to be right. It was 20 years before they won again. I would have been fired about four times before that so that hurt me a little bit.”

Not only were people upset with the fact that Leyland was leaving the Pirates at the time, but they were also afraid of they might leave town.

“So this was just a bad and awkward time for the city,” says John Meyer, former sportscaster for WTAE.

While the team would not leave, Leyland was right about the franchise’s fortunes, as it had losing records for the next twenty years.

“I mean you had to be a fool to think I wanted to leave Pittsburgh,” he said.

This was the place him and his family called home, his wife and children were here. Leyland says, “I met my wife here and we fell in love with Pittsburgh, and she was a Pittsburgh girl. I loved it here and I couldn’t find any reason not to stay here.”

But alas, he soon found a new job as manager for the Florida Marlins, a team that had traded or acquired a wealth of talent through spending millions.

His first season with the Marlins in 1997, Leyland led his team to a record of 92-70 and won his first World Series.

“To win a World Series is the ultimate memory,” Leyland said, adding it’s always great to know your team is the last one standing.

Steve Bates, former National Football League player for the Indianapolis Colts and the Orlando Thunder, says, “I think he did a good job as a manager. He did what he needed to do. He won a World Series.”

In 1998, Leyland left the Marlins with a record of 54-108. He was hired as the manger for the Colorado Rockies in 1999, but soon walked away from a two-year contract. Later that year, he became a Pittsburgh based scout for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Leyland says that the key to being a good manager is communication. He talks about how you have to be able to communicate with all people. He says this because in baseball there are people from all over the world, and you have to learn to communicate with all of them.

“You have to be able to communicate with people from all walks of life and all different cultures, and I think that’s the biggest thing to being a manager,” he said.

Jason Cannon is a long time fan of the Pirates and Leyland.

“He was the definition of what a manager should be. His players loved and respected him, and he was tough on his players when he needed to be. ”

Over the past years Leyland has been known to hire some of his former players as coaches. Counted among them are former Pirate manager and current Seattle Skipper, Lloyd McClendon and Andy Van Slyke.

“They have a good pulse for the game, and they normally know how tough this game is to play so they understand players pretty good because they’ve been though it. They know what its like to succeed, and they know what its like to fail,” he said

He says a manager must have a good relationship with each of his players. He says how you have to just use common sense with them and talk to them like they are real people.

“The only guys you have a problem with are the guys who don’t have any reasoning power, and fortunately most of the players do, theY’RE good guys.” Leyland also talks about how he just let the players play. He said, “The manager is not the show, the players are the show.”

Leyland always wore his intensity and emotions on his sleeve. He would stand up to recalcitrant stars, laugh with them, and cry with them. The worn look he acquired by the end of each season was legendary, even though he suggests his motives were otherwise.

“Don’t get to emotionally high or low, you have to stay even keel.” He says you are going to win some and lose some. You just have to be careful not to wear yourself out.

Throughout Leyland’s baseball career there have been many changes. He says the thing that has changed the most since he started has been the relief pitching. Leyland says, “It used to be that the starts went mostly all the game and the relievers were really the guys that weren’t good enough to be starts, but nowadays the relievers are specialist.” This has really changed the game of baseball for Leyland over the years of his career in baseball.

Managing the Pittsburgh Pirates was a great start for Leyland, but he says he would never go back to work for them. He says that the Pirates have a new direction, a good direction and are under good management. He doesn’t feel the need to be a hanger on just because he managed them for 11 years. Leyland says, “The Pirates don’t owe me anything, they gave me my first opportunity to manage in the big leagues and I’ll never forget that.” That was a big start for him, but he says they don’t need older people like him hanging around.

Leyland goes on to say that though he retired from managing that doesn’t mean he totally retired form baseball. He says that he will still do some work the Tiger’s and some work with the Commissioner of baseball. He says, “I feel real good about it and I have no second thoughts, its time to start a new chapter.”

Fan, Barb Herington, says, “I was happy for him, he did his job, it was his time to go and he knows he did what he needed to do.”

Leyland’s son, Patrick Leyland, is now taking a shot and following his father’s footsteps in a career in baseball. He currently plays for Detroit’s Minor League Baseball team as a catcher. Leyland says, “It’s probably unlikely that he will make it, but it was a dream to take a shot at it and why not.” Patrick Leyland is taking online classes and playing professional baseball. Jim Leyland says, “I’m proud of him!”

Doug Croft, a fan of the Pirates and Leyland, says, “He was a great manager; he was a positive force anywhere he went.”

Though being a manager for the Tiger’s may be over for Leyland, he was still known as one of the best and always will be. No matter where life takes the Leyland family now, Jim Leyland will always be known and missed as one of the best baseball managers in his time. Steve Flaven, fan of Leyland, says, “He was fantastic, he treated everyone great. He will be in the hall of Fame some day, you all just wait and see.”

“I’m just getting to old to manage,” Leyland says.

First, can you let readers know about your coverage and what they should expect in 2014?

I have daily Pirates notebooks in the Altoona Mirror, plus two columns per week there. My Sunday column is in the Beaver County Times.

What do you say to those that feel so much went right for the Pirates last season – banner seasons from Alvarez, McCutchen, Liraiano, etc. –  that duplicating the team’s success of last season seems unlikely?

I agree with the first part of the premise. A lot of things fell into place for the Pirates in 2013. I used the expression more than once that the season seemed to be sprinkled with magic dust. But there were also things that didn’t work out — Wandy Rodriguez was done on June 5, Neil Walker had a home run surge in the last month but otherwise disappointed offensively, Garrett Jones added very little, right field was never very productive, Jeff Locke wasn’t very effective in the second half. Some of what happened last year wasn’t a fluke. Alvarez is a legitimate home run hitter. McCutchen is capable of MVP-worthy numbers.

Winning can produce pressure. Now the Pirates are a “team to beat”. Do you get an early sense that this team can handle that pressure and who are the “locker room leaders” on this team?

I don’t think that’s an issue. They played important games last year and were fine. They finally shook the two consecutive late-season collapses. I’m not big on leadership. Sometimes guys who are cited as leaders don’t do much more than lead guys to a great bar on the road. AJ Burnett was perceived as a leader for the pitchers, but he set a bad example by complaining about defensive shifts and throwing a fit when he found out he wasn’t pitching Game Five in the playoffs.

The 2013 team was always prepared and almost always gave its best effort. Between Clint Hurdle and self-policing, I don’t think attitude was ever a problem.

First base is still a bit of a hole for this team, especially with Jones’ departure. How do you see that position shaking out, ultimately, and can Andrew Lambo become a big part of the solution?

I still think they’ll get a lefthanded hitter who can play first base. As other teams start to shape their rosters, some players who aren’t available now might become available. There’s definitely an opportunity for Lambo if he can take advantage of it. But it appears he’s just learning the basics of first base, so I don’t think they’re going to feel comfortable with him there.

People think first base is easy, but that’s not necessarily the case. The Pirates tried to put Dave Parker at first early in his career, but he couldn’t do it.

Who are some of the biggest characters on the team? Any examples of team hijinks/humor you’ve seen?

Gerrit Cole has an interesting way of looking at things. As he settles in and gets more comfortable, I believe more of that personality will show itself. Sports in general have fewer characters than they did in the past. There’s so much money involved now that I think players take things more seriously.

I guess Jason Grilli and Mark Melancon were behind getting that shark tank in the clubhouse last year. That was about as wacky as it got unless you consider the shaving cream pie wild and crazy.

Lots of opinions on the lack of substantial moves by the front office so far this offseason. Especially after the comments on the success of their tv rights deal. Any thoughts on why the front office has made few moves so far?

Let’s start with the idea that this is not the typical Pirates offseason. They’re not looking to get past 75 wins, as they have been forever. They won 94 games last season, which means they must have some pretty decent talent. That said, they needed to add to the starting staff even if Burnett came back. They’re taking a shot in the dark with Edinson Volquez. It’s doubtful they’ll hit the jackpot they way they did with Liriano.

A Jonathan Sanchez scenario is more likely when you take a chance on guys who have been failing elsewhere. They apparently made competitive offers to a couple of free agents (Josh Johnson, James Loney) who went elsewhere. They won’t ever say this, but I think they’re counting on the in-season additions of Jameson Taillon and Gregory Polanco to upgrade the roster.

Who were some of the unsung heroes on this team last season. And who do you see stepping up this season and contributing more?

Tony Watson got a lot of big outs and helped them get to the Melancon-Grilli final two innings. Vin Mazzaro and Jeanmar Gomez were two pitchers who exceeded expectations. The biggest thing in 2014 is seeing younger players continue to develop. I’d put Marte and Cole at the top of that list.

The front office has placed a great deal of emphasis on defense – seemingly more so than most other teams do. Is that accurate, first of all, and is that due to the stadium dynamics or other issues?

They do emphasize defense, but I don’t know how the value they place on it compares to other teams. It’s important, and often overlooked. The Pirates showed last year you can win games with good pitching and so-so offense. Part of good pitching is good defense. One of the underrated aspects of the winning teams in the early 1990s was the defense. Jay Bell and Jose Lind were solid in the middle of the infield. Van Slyke and Bonds were better than most in the outfield. Mike LaValliere won a Gold Glove. Jeff King and Sid Bream were above-average defenders.

Last year Russell Martin was huge. His ability to throw out base stealers not only took runners off the bases, it made teams reconsider whether they wanted to attempt to run. Teams ran almost at will the year before. There are aspects to defense that aren’t always readily apparent but they have an impact — hits that could have been outs with a better defensive player, double plays that should have been made.

How much can we realistically expect from prospects like Tailllon and Polanco this season? And any other prospects you feel will be ready to contribute this season?

Jim Leyland used to say, “A prospect is someone who hasn’t done anything yet.” Barry Bonds was as good a player as the Pirates have had, but he hit .223 as a rookie. There are always hopes, but the reality is inexperienced players almost always need time to adjust to a better level of competition.

This front office has invested a good deal in international talent/players. Why has it done so and how successful has this approach been, to date?

You need to look everywhere for talent. The Pirates used to be successful in Latin America, but that was a different era. You don’t sign players for $500 and a plane ticket any more. They’ve gotten Marte and Polanco from the Dominican Republic, as well as Alen Hanson, who’s one of their better prospects. If you’re adding players of that caliber outside of the draft, it’s worth the effort.

What will surprise fans most about this upcoming season. do you think, and why?

They’re going to need some surprises, especially on the pitching staff. I’m always a Charlie Morton booster, so I’ll say that he steps up and settles in as a reliable starter.

Any last thoughts for readers?

Keep your shirt and shoes on at the ballpark, please. Stop spitting on the sidewalks. Remember that it’s a very long season, with plenty of changing plots along the way.

First, can you let readers know about the Bucsdugout.com website and what they should expect in terms of coverage and new features in 2014?

David Manel and I plan to cover games from PNC Park this year, Wilbur Miller will cover the minor-league system, and David Todd and I will continue to run the Bucs Dugout Podcast. My book about Pirates fans will be out this spring. That’s my main focus right now.

 What do you say to those that feel so much went right for the Pirates last season – banner seasons from Alvarez, McCutchen, Liraiano, etc. –  that duplicating the team’s success of last season seems unlikely?

I don’t agree that Alvarez had a banner season, but in general, I agree with those people, whoever they are. The tendency of teams who win as many games as the Pirates did last year is to regress to the mean, particularly when they don’t upgrade. Losing A.J. Burnett’s 2013 production — assuming the Pirates actually do lose him — will really hurt.

Where are the greatest opportunities for “upside” for this team in 2014, and do you see those actually happening?

I could see Gregory Polanco joining the team in June and upgrading the Pirates’ outfield defense even more. Wandy Rodriguez was a very solid pitcher fairly recently, and he seems to be a forgotten man. I’m not sure how optimistic to be about his health, however. I’m also interested to see how Stolmy Pimentel will do out of the bullpen. Probably the Pirates’ best shot at a big upside season, though, is Gerrit Cole pitching all year like he did down the stretch in 2013.

How do you see first base ultimately shaking out this season? Can Lambo be a al part of the solution?

Maybe, but I still think they’ll acquire someone, perhaps shortly before spring training opens. If I had to bet on someone, it would be Ike Davis.

What are your thoughts on the starting rotation?  In a recent article (//www.bucsdugout.com/2014/1/13/5304568/a-guess-at-the-pirates-25-man-roster), You projected that to be Cole, Liriano, Rodriguez, Morton and Volquez. Will Rodrguez be healthy, and how successful do you see Morton and Volquez being?

Morton will go as far as the Pirates’ infield defense will take him. As for Volquez, your guess is as good as mine. The Pirates must have thought they could fix him. If they can, Ray Searage will have pretty firmly established himself as one of baseball’s best pitching coaches.

Currently, there are no left-handed SP’s after 2014. How do you see the Pirates addressing this issue?

They’ll have Gerrit Cole switch pitching hands. No problemo! Well, either that, or maybe they’ll just have Jeff Locke pitch a few innings.

How much does this team lean on statistical analysis compared to other MLB teams? And how exactly does it do so, from your perspective?

Most teams lean on statistical analysis to some degree, and the Pirates are no exception. Their main stats guy, Dan Fox, helped design the last season’s very successful approach defensive shifts.

At this stage in the offseason, what realistic moves would you like to see this team make to help this team contend in 2014, taking into account the team’s payroll, free agents left, and potential trade prospects?

Oh man, I don’t know. There isn’t much left on the free agent market, especially offensively. Re-signing Burnett would probably be the single best thing they could do. There are still some pitchers available. I expect a lot of them will sign soon now that the Yankees have signed Masahiro Tanaka, but maybe someone will come cheaply.

Any fear that we are overhyping Polanco? And outside of Polanco, what other prospects do you see contributing substantially to this team in 2014, and how so?

You never know for sure how a prospect will perform until he actually does it, but Polanco is worthy of the hype. He’s always had a million tools, and he’s done a great job turning them into skills these past two years.

 Any last thoughts for readers?

Thanks!

First, can you let readers know about Pirates Prospects – and what they should expect in terms of coverage and new features in 2014?

Pirates Prospects has been covering the Pirates for five years, with a focus on the minor league system. The past year has been exciting in that regard because we’re now starting to see top prospects arriving in Pittsburgh and helping the Pirates to become contenders. The 2014 season will see two big arrivals in Gregory Polanco and Jameson Taillon. We will be providing daily updates for both players during their time in Triple-A, along with live reports on those two and every other player in the system. I don’t know yet what kind of new features we will have, but we will continue our usual coverage of every level of the system, including the majors.

What do you say to those that feel so much went right for the Pirates last season – banner seasons from Alvarez, McCutchen, Liraiano, etc. –  that duplicating the team’s success of last season seems unlikely?

When it comes to young players like Alvarez and McCutchen, I don’t buy into the theory that a good season can only be a career year. A lot of people said that McCutchen wouldn’t repeat his 2012 season in 2013, and the Pirates would struggle as a result. McCutchen actually had a better season in 2013. Does that mean I expect him to match his 2013 numbers, or improve on them? No. But I don’t think it’s a given that all of the players who had good seasons last year will see their numbers decline this year. A lot of the projection systems that have come out are giving favorable numbers to the top performers in 2013, which is an encouraging sign that says the numbers for these players won’t decline.

First base is still a bit of a hole for this team, especially with Jones’ departure. How do you see that position shaking out, ultimately, and can Andrew Lambo become a big part if the solution?

I think Andrew Lambo can be a short-term solution. It’s definitely not as comfortable of a situation as adding a “name” player at first base. But Lambo combined for 33 home runs last year in his age 24 season. The Pirates are always going to be a team that has to give chances to guys like him with those types of numbers. It looks like they’ll be going with Lambo and Gaby Sanchez in a platoon, with Chris McGuiness as a Plan B to Lambo. Long-term, I think that Josh Bell could be the answer at first base. He still needs to realize his potential with the bat, but once that happens, he could arrive in the majors quickly, after getting some work at first base.

How much does this team lean on statistical analysis compared to other MLB teams? And how exactly does it do so, from your perspective?

I’m not sure how they compare to other teams. I know the Pirates do rely on stats in a big way, and you can see that on the field. Last year the defensive shifts were a big part of the success the team had, and those shifts were largely due to the stats department. The fact that they have an entire department for statistical analysis shows that this is a big part of their decision making process.

Are fans and the media too unappreciative of the job Mercer has done at SS. He seems to be a solid player there and a position that’s not easy to fill. Thoughts?

I don’t know if anyone is being unappreciative of Mercer. If anything, I think that people don’t realize just how thin shortstop is across the league. That’s not just in the majors, but in the minors. It’s hard to find a shortstop who can hit and play good defense. Most teams are choosing between a guy who can do one of those things. Mercer doesn’t bring a lot to the table defensively, but he does have a good bat for the position. His defensive skills are also good enough that he won’t be a liability at the position. I don’t think he’s the long-term solution, but I do think that a lot of teams would like to have a guy like him as a short-term solution.

Is the media overhyping OF Polanco and his potential impact for this team when he joins the roster this season? And when do you expect that to happen?

I view Polanco’s arrival in the same way that I viewed Andrew McCutchen’s arrival back in 2009. He’s a potential impact player who could immediately start to produce when he arrives in the majors. A big difference between the two is that McCutchen was a first round pick and spent many years as the top prospect in the system. Polanco was signed for $150,000 and has only been a top prospect for the last two seasons. So people were anticipating McCutchen’s debut for a lot longer. If you look at where they both were right before arriving in the majors, you’ll see that they both profiled as potential impact guys. I think Polanco could arrive in mid-June.

The front office has placed a great deal of emphasis on defense – seemingly more so than most other teams do. Is that accurate, first of all, and is that due to the stadium dynamics or other issues?

Just like the stats question, I can’t really speak to the strategies of other teams. But I would agree that the Pirates place a big emphasis on defense. I think that the stadium dynamics create a need for a good defensive outfield. You pretty much need two center fielders due to the spacious left field at PNC. However, the infield has the same dimensions in every park, and the Pirates have placed a big emphasis on infield defense. They signed Clint Barmes for two years, then brought him back. They’ve signed a lot of guys off the bench who have no value other than defense. Then there’s the defensive shifts and the focus on ground ball heavy pitchers. Add in the focus throughout the entire system on catcher defense and pitch framing and you can see that they’re placing a big focus on defense all over the field.

Will Taillon, as you’ve written, be this season’ s Cole? Can he contribute that much to this team this season?

As far as a top young pitcher who could arrive in mid-June and provide a boost to the rotation, I think Taillon is comparable. Cole came up and had immediate success, and looked like an ace by September. I think Taillon could have the immediate success, but expecting him to reach his upside by the end of the year might be a bit much. If the Pirates only get “Gerrit Cole June-August” numbers from Taillon, that would be a good thing.

This front office has invested a good deal in international talent/players. Why has it done so and how successful has this approach been, to date?

The approach is just starting to show success, which makes sense as they didn’t really start investing until 2008/2009. Last year Starling Marte made an impact in the majors. Gregory Polanco is next. Alen Hanson won’t be too far behind. They also added Dominican left-hander Joely Rodriguez to the 40-man roster this off-season, and have Colombian outfielder Harold Ramirez breaking into the top ten prospects this year. I think a big part of the success hasn’t been the spending, as much as the scouting in areas where teams don’t usually scout for players. That is why four of the five players I just mentioned received $150,000 or less when they signed. As for why they’re taking this approach, all you have to do is look at the production from Marte, and imagine the future production from Polanco to answer that question. Those two cost a combined $235,000 to sign, and could make up two-thirds of the best outfield in baseball over the next several years.

Many look at the teams’ poor performances as an excuse for the team’s solid drafts, as they were able to pick high up in the draft. But you’ve shown that many of their big successes were not top picks. Can you shed more light/detail on this?

The Pirates have the top farm system this year, but it’s not a product of high draft picks. In the top ten, they have some first round picks (Jameson Taillon, Austin Meadows, and Reese McGuire). They have just as many picks after the first round (Tyler Glasnow, Nick Kingham, Josh Bell). They also have several international prospects in the group (Gregory Polanco, Alen Hanson, Luis Heredia, Harold Ramirez). If you take away the first round picks, they still have a lot of impact talent. Gregory Polanco, Tyler Glasnow, and Alen Hanson would be top five prospects in almost any system, and could challenge for the top spot in most systems (especially Polanco). Guys like Kingham and McGuire aren’t top five prospects in the system, but would be top five prospects in a lot of other systems. The Pirates are getting talent from all avenues. It’s not just first round picks.

What will surprise fans most about this upcoming season do you think, and why?

After the 2013 season, I don’t think it will be as surprising if the team contends in 2014. But there have been some feelings that the 2013 season was a fluke and they could revert back to losing in 2014. Or there have been feelings that they didn’t “act like a contender” this off-season and didn’t spend the money needed to contend. I see this team as a group that could make the playoffs once again. It’s basically the same team, minus A.J. Burnett, and plus an extra half a season of Gerrit Cole, Charlie Morton, and an extra month of Francisco Liriano. Add the mid-season arrivals of Taillon and Polanco, and this team can definitely contend. Anyone expecting the Pirates to go back to losing might end up surprised.

Steve Blass deserves the kind of season  the Pirates are providing these days

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

This has been the best of summers and the best of seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steve Blass.

During last Saturday’s game, Blass said to his sidekick Greg Brown during the telecast, “This is great.  This is even gooder than good.”

I had to smile.  I knew Blass knew there is no such word as “gooder,” but he simply wanted to emphasize his joy over the way the Pirates were playing and winning games.  I felt good for Steve Blass.  His vocabulary is full of positive words.

We share some bonds.  We are both 71, and we live a mile apart in Upper St. Clair, and we both love to talk about our two kids – David and Chris in his case – and our grandkids.  He frequently refers to his wife, Karen Lamb, whom he married in 1964, and I am guilty of the same with my wife Kathie.

I visited with Blass in the press box before last Sunday afternoon’s game with the Chicago Cubs, which the Pirates would win 2-1 to remain tied with the St. Louis Cardinals and 3 1/2 games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central race.  As always, he was easy and casual company.  He wore a baseball cap so I was tipped off that this would be his day on the radio and he didn’t have to wear a tie to the ballpark.

They would be playing the San Diego Padres and the Reds in the remaining games on their home schedule, and then go to Chicago and Cincinnati to close out this season of all seasons.

This is the 30^th season Blass has been in the broadcast booth for the Bucs.  He’s been there for 20 consecutive losing seasons prior to this one, a record in futility for major pro sports teams in North America.

They showed a fan in the stands with a sign that read: “LET’S GO, BUCKS!”  I told my wife that this was not a Pirates’ fan, but somebody who was jumping on the bandwagon and wanted to be seen on television.  You had to live in a cave the past 60 years to think they were the BUCKS and not the BUCS.

This is Pittsburgh and not Milwaukee, where the pro basketball team is called the Bucks.  There are a lot of people at PNC Park these days who just want to be part of the crowd, but it’s a great scene and great atmosphere anyhow.

Blass never complained about the 20 years of losing.  I knew he would say he enjoyed those 20 seasons, and that’s exactly what he said on Sunday.  “Hey, you’re still coming to the ballpark,” he said in the way of a Blass understatement.

“I love to drive here from my home, knowing I’m coming to the ballpark, knowing I’m going to be watching a baseball game.  I’m still living the dream.”

He also likes to say, “I’ve had a good life: one wife, one house and one team.”

He signed on with the Pirates out of high school in Connecticut in 1960, when the Pirates won the World Series thanks to Bill Mazeroski’s home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in the seventh game at Forbes Field.

Maz and Blass are both familiar figures in the Steel Valley as they frequently are celebrity participants in the Homestead Lions Club Golf Outing at Westwood and Blass has been a regular at the annual Sports Night dinner at the Thompson Club in West Mifflin.

Blass was the recipient of the Bob Prince Award for media excellence along the way and he will be one of the winners of that award who will be honored at the club on Tuesday, October 8.  I was similarly honored years ago and plan to attend the dinner coordinated by fellow Valley Mirror columnist Darrell Hess.

Blass has known the best and the worst of Pirates seasons on a personal level.  He had a 10-year career as a pitcher for the Pirates and pitched two complete games in the 1971 World Series, giving up only seven hits and two runs in 18 innings while posting two victories.  Think about the enormity of that feat.  No one pitches complete games these days, let alone in a World Series.

Back in 2009, at a golf outing featuring former Pirates, Blass had two holes-in-one over 18 holes at the Greensburg Country Club.  The odds against doing that are infinitesimal.  And he didn’t do it playing with a cousin somewhere out in the Poconos.

Blass is a friend of professional golfer Jim Furyk and when he heard that Furyk had scored a 59 in the second round of the BMW Championship at Lake Forest, Illinois, Blass called Furyk and left a message congratulating him for being only the sixth golfer in PGA history to score that low.

Blass also mentioned that it was almost as terrific a feat as his two holes-in-one in the same round.

Furyk left a message for Blass that night saying while he never had two holes-in-one the same day he didn’t want to hear from Blass again until he had a 59 in a golf outing.

Blass enjoyed the exchange. On Saturday, Blass was mentioned in similar byplay by Ken Dryden, a Hall of Fame goalie with the Montreal Canadiens, who was in the stands at PNC Park.

During a televised interview with Robby Incmikoski, Dryden mentioned how he beat out Steve Blass by one vote for the Lifesaver Award in 1971.  Dryden won an expensive foreign sports car and Blass said he ended up with a record player.  “But it was a nice record player,” said Blass, “and I couldn’t pronounce the name of the car anyway.”

“Or spell it,” added Dryden, with a final dig.

Dryden had come from Toronto with his wife and had caught a baseball game in Cleveland, then Pittsburgh and would be going to Detroit.  “I’m a big baseball fan, and it’s a chance to see three contenders in one swoop,” said Dryden, whom I remembered as always being a cerebral and thoughtful interview when I covered the National Hockey League back in the ‘70s.  He’s like Blass in that regard, and was a reminder of how good some guys are in the business.

Blass has been with the Pirates for 54 years.  “I’ve run my race,” he said when we spoke last Sunday.  “I can stand back and be happy for these guys.

“I am happy for the fans —especially that core of 8,000 to 10,000 fans who stuck with the Pirates through the toughest of times – and I’m happy for the city.

“This was a baseball town before it was a football town or a hockey town.  Hey, I’m a fan of the Steelers and I’m a fan of the Penguins.  I pull for them, too.  People are up on the Pirates now and down on the Steelers.

“I see people in the super market and I tell them, ‘Stick with the Steelers; they are still our Pittsburgh Steelers.  You have to stay loyal.”

Blass has been loyal to the Pirates and they have been loyal to him.  “I’m a lifer,” he says proudly.  He has not traveled on the road with the team for the past nine seasons, but he attends many functions and luncheons and dinners and golf outings on behalf of the Bucs to promote the team while the Pirates are on the road.

Anyone who gets to play golf with Blass has a blast. He is a funny guy.  And a good contributor to the score for any foursome.

“My bucket list includes wanting to play golf with Jim Furyk in Jacksonville, where he lives, on the way to spring training this year.”  Blass goes to Bradenton, Florida at the beginning of each year and spends the winter there.

Turning to baseball, Blass said, “I’ve experienced the best and the worst seasons, I survived 1973 and that was no fun.”

That was the next to the last season for Blass as a pitcher for the Pirates.  He could no longer control his pitches and couldn’t find the plate.  His ratio of walks to strikeouts is the worst in the game since 1901.  His sudden loss of his ability to command his pitches became known in baseball as “the Steve Blass disease.”

That’s well behind him now.  “I love good pitching and we have some good pitchers,” said Blass.  “Our bullpen has been lights out most of the season.  I think Mark Melancon could give Andrew McCutcheon a run for MVP on this team.”

Melancon would go on that Sunday to pitch a perfect ninth inning and, for the second day in a row, preserve a one-run lead for his 16^th save of the season. “I think Neal Huntington, our general manager, should be the executive of the year,” said Blass.  “That was a gutsy move in trading Joel Hanrahan to the Red Sox; he’d been so great as a closer for us, and going with Jason Grilli and now Melancon in that role.  He got us the players we need for the stretch run.”

Blass believed that the Pirates would not be overmatched or overwhelmed if they met either the Cardinals or the Reds in the playoffs.  “They have shown they can play with these guys during the season,” he said.

“I tell these guys to make sure they don’t try to be better than they have been during the season.  I made that mistake in 1971. I thought I had to be better. You just have to be yourself and play the way you have played all year.

“I love seeing the young kids in the stands.  We’re going to make baseball fans out of these kids, and this is the first time in a long time we can say that.  I’m happy about that. I’m happy just to be able to come to the ballpark.

“I’m happy to be reminded of how great a game baseball is.”

During Saturday’s game, Blass quoted Roger Angell, one of the best authors ever on the subject of baseball. It goes like this:

“Since baseball time is measured only in outs, all you have to do is succeed utterly, keep hitting, keep the rally alive and you have defeated time.  You remain forever young.”

I asked Blass if he kept a note on that quote in the broadcast booth to pull out when he needed it.  He pointed to a mural on the wall nearby that contained the Angell quote.  “No, I memorized that.”  To prove it, Blass repeated the quote just for my sake.  And smiled like a student who knew the answer to the test question.

Angell had written a lengthy piece on Blass for The New Yorker when Blass was experiencing his control problems in 1973.

Blass said he had a good feeling that they could stay the course as far back as July 21 when the Pirates pulled out a victory on a Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati.  That feeling was reinforced when the Bucs bounced back from being swept in St. Louis to sweeping the Rangers in Texas that they could do it.

“Just be yourself.  That’s good enough,” he said.  “Clint Hurdle has done a fine job of keeping everyone involved and giving everyone a chance to contribute.  That’s a real juggling act.  This is an exciting time to be a Bucs fan.  I’m enjoying the ride.”

 

Jim O’Brien has a new book “Chuck Noll – A Winning Way” available at his website.  www:jimobriensportsauthor.com or by Googling Pittsburgh sports author Jim O’Brien.

Jim O’Brien: Pirates have provided us with a wonderful summer

Pittsburgh sports author and Valley Mirror columnist Jim O’Brien

It was well past midnight on Monday and I was still up.  I had planned to go to bed around ten o’clock because I had to get up early on Tuesday.  I am putting a new book to bed this week, and I have had my foot to the printing pedal all week to meet my own deadlines.

         The Pirates were deadlocked with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, and the game was well into extra innings.

         I had checked out bits and pieces of the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament during the day and the men’s championship final had lasted a record five hours, so I could handle a marathon baseball game as well.

         The U.S. Open ended the way I wanted it to, with Andrew Murray, a Scot who won the gold medal at the Olympic Games, outlasting No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

         I have come to like Djokovic, but I was rooting for Murray, who looks like a kid at his first summer sleep-away camp, say CampFalcon or something like that, and he came through.  I also was glad to see Serena Williams beat Victoria Azarenka in a close match for her 15^th Grand Slam title.

         But back to the Bucs.  I’m pulling for the Pirates to pull this one out.  I remain interested because of the kind of thrills and spills they have provided us this summer.  People in Pittsburgh actually care about the Pirates again.  I had dozed off earlier and been told to go to bed, but I rallied and stayed with the Bucs.

         The Pirates posted the longest string of losing seasons – 19 – than any other team in any professional sport in America – and there was evidence that they could have a winning team.  There were even overzealous fans talking about a wild-card spot in the playoffs and complaining about the price of playoff and World Series tickets.

         I’m sitting there and I’m wondering just who it is that I am rooting for.  Wandy Rodriguez was the starting pitcher for the Pirates, and he actually pitched well for a change.   He was obtained in a trade that was supposed to help us in the stretch run.

         A pitcher named Chris Leroux looked terrific in one of the relief efforts, and now a Dutchman, yes, he grew up in The Netherlands, is pitching for the Pirates.  His name is Rick van den Kirk.  The name VANDENKIRK is across the back of his uniform and I am thinking it is the longest name in Pittsburgh sports these days this side of ROETHLISBERGER.

         The shortstop is a guy named Chase d’Arnaud, the second baseman is named Brock Holt – or is that Tim Holt, the old cowboy? – the left-fielder is named Starling Marte, and the Pirates have had pinch-hitters in the game named Travis Snider and Gaby Sanchez.

         Who are these guys?  Where have you gone, Neil Walk?

         This was a season when my wife Kathie could tell you the Pirates’ starting lineup for the first time in 20 years.  I could tell you the starting lineup for the first time since 1979, and something about each of the players.  And then they bring in the Indianapolis team from Triple A to turn things around and, so far, it ain’t happening.

         The Pirates loaded the bases in the top of the 14^th inning with no outs.  And they couldn’t score a run.  Pedro Alvarez grounds out to the first baseman, hitting a bad pitch to do so, and fails to advance any runners.  Jose Tabata grounds out to end the threat.  He also swung at a bad pitch.

         Before you know it, the Reds have runners on base in the bottom of the 14^th inning.  It’s 12:30 a.m.  Am I crazy or what for staying up, thinking the Pirates could pull it out?  The Reds win it when d’Arnaud fails to come up with the ball in deep short and the Reds are celebrating.  It was a good effort, but d’Arnaud, like so many of the Pirates, just isn’t good enough, especially with the game on the line.

         There were over 500 dogs in the ballpark as part of a special promotion – and I’m not counting any of these new Pirates – and there is howling in the stands.  Did you hear that howling?  It was scary stuff right out of one of those horror flicks.

At first, I was blaming it on teenagers who got bored in the late going, but then the camera focused on some dogs in the ballpark, the four-footed ones.  There were just over 16,500 people in the stands.  It was the smallest crowd of the season at Great American Ballpark.   The Pirates also drew the second-smallest crowd earlier this season.  Didn’t the Cincinnati baseball fans know a pennant race was going on and their team held the lead?

I believe we have better fans.  And Pittsburgh baseball fans are the best sports fans in town because they haven’t exactly been spoiled over the last two decades.      

         The Pirates couldn’t get a run in the top of the 14^th inning with the bases loaded and no outs, and now the Reds have won the game and are celebrating on the field.  The Pirates were now 12 games behind the first-place Reds in the National League Central Division.

         I think we can forget about the wild-card playoff spot and the World Series.  The Pirates had just lost for the 21^st time in their last 30 games, and you can add whatever has happened since to that total.  What a bummer!

         The Pirates were swept in three games at home over the weekend by the Chicago Cubs of all people.  They had lost to the Houston Astros in their last go-round in the National League before they jump to the American League next season.

         Bucs’ fans who don’t know any better had figured the Pirates would beat the Astros and Cubs, looking at them as soft spots in the schedule.  Listen in closely…there are no soft spots in the Pirates’ schedule.

         Like the Pitt and Penn State football teams this season, the Pirates are simply not good enough right now – maybe by next year – to be serious contenders.  Too many holes in the lineup, too many automatic outs, two reserve catchers do not make one full-time catcher, too many unreliable pitchers and catchers and hitters.

         No wonder the fans continue to hold on to Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente when it comes to buying a Bucs’ blouse.

         It’s 12:36 a.m. and I am getting into bed.

         I slept well. 

         I can’t forget the kind of summer the Pirates have delivered for the most part.  They had Pittsburgh interested in major league baseball again.  People were talking about the Pirates.  People were coming to PNCPark, people were watching the games on TV at record ratings numbers, and listening on the radio.  People cared about the Pirates.

         Alvarez had his great days, and so did Joel Hanrahan and A.J. Burnett, and Andrew McCutcheon and Garrett Jones.

         I would urge you to go to your nearest card shop and get a “thank you” card and send it to the Pirates’ players.  It was a good summer until it was time for the kids to go back to school.

         The Pirates frustrated us so much this summer because they proved they could win games most of the season, and that’s why it has hurt so much when they hit the same kind of season-ending slump that ruined last season.

         I had a fan come up to me a few weeks back and tell me he didn’t like the Pirates’ new pitcher, Wandy Rodriguez.  I asked him how well he knew Wandy Rodriguez to arrive at that position.

He said he didn’t like his body language.

         That made me realize that the Bucs’ do have bad body language in their lineup.  So many of them, starting with Rodriguez, Alvarez and Tabata and Correira, never show any emotion.  It’s like they all had face lifts at the same medical center as Joan Rivers.

         I love it when the new pitcher from Japan – Takahashi – puts a glove over his mouth so no one knows what he’s saying during mound sessions with his catcher.  No one knows what he’s saying anyhow.  He speaks little English.  Who’s going to pick up on anything he mutters to his catcher?

         Clint Hurdle has to be disappointed.  He looked like a candidate for Manager of the Year for such a long time, and now this.  “I’ve heard that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Hurdle said after this one, taking a break from blowing bubble gum in the dugout.  His jaw has to be tired for this stretch run.  His jaw has to be stretched to the limit.

         Hey, Hurdle has great body language otherwise, and he looks alive, something John Russell did not, so he’s a real improvement on his predecessor.

         I went to a high school game on Friday night to see my local team, the Upper St. Clair Panthers, play at Canon-McMillan in one of my favorite settings in Canonsburg.  I sat on the visitors’ side for a change, which was a mistake, because the temporary stands (the last five or six years) are so low you can’t see over the USC players standing on the sideline.

         Upper St. Clair, followed up a season-open victory over Woodland Hills (31-12) with a 50-0 victory over the not-so-mighty Macs.  They were up 43-0 at the half.

         Then I watched bits and pieces of Pitt and PennState losing their second games in as many outings.  Robert Morris lost.  Duquesne won and so did CMU.  I was so happy to see CMU win at AlleghenyCollege.

         The CMU coach, Rick Lackner, lost his wife Cindy to cancer a few weeks back, and I kept thinking about what he was saying about her mettle over the previous eight years.  “She could play for us,” I heard Lackner tell a man who was previously on his coaching staff at CMU.

         I love the Lackner family – Rich’s parents, Dan and Lois – are great people.  I didn’t know his wife, but I’ve heard great things about her spirit. 

         Some times it helps to think about what’s going on in the real world, and even in our own neighborhoods, to keep in mind that our sports teams are mere diversions in our daily lives.  We can’t always depend on them to make our day.    

      Pittsburgh author Jim O’Brien is working on a book called Immaculate Reflections, which will be out in late October.  His website is www.jimobriensportsauthor.com