Around The Diamond- Left Field

Ok, call me crazy, but left field is one position I'm very excited about looking at the 2010 season.  I love the Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan trade.  Give me Milledge anyday over Nyjer Morgan.  The guy seems committed and is in great shape and is having a solid spring.

The attitude is no longer in question and the ability has never been questioned.  If I have to pick one guy on the Pirates team to have a breakout season, the answer is easy- Lastings Milledge.

I feel he will have a solid season with the bat.  I'm looking at a .290/25/90 type of season.  I'm not worried about this guy at all.  A good start out of the gate would be even better for him and Pirates fans would hopefully come around to the guy.  He is a hit around all of his teammates.  He has won the organization over in the locker room, now he has to win everyone else over by producing.

I really think he will.  I liked this acquisition from the get go and I feel it will pan out well.  One thing i need to see better out of Milledge is better base running.  Not only does he need to steal some bags, he needs to eliminate some base running blunders he has made in spring games already.

Can he play left field?  He's going to have to.  It's a big left field to cover and he has to make the plays.  Criticize the guy all you want, but in the end, he will be a productive player.  I can see him batting fifth all season and producing.

In the event that Milledge blows his probable last shot, look for Brandon Moss (who's in a similar situation) and Ryan Church to see time in left field.  If John Raynor makes the roster as a Rule 5 guy then he may see some rare time in left field. 

Position Grade Compared to the Rest of the League- C -  I wanted to go B or B+ here because I'm confident Milledge has a good season, but fact is up to this point he hasn't

Joel Hanrahan Shut Down

It didn't take long for the Bucco's to make some news after pitchers and catchers reported to Bradenton.  Neil Huntington announced today that set up man Joel Hanrahan will be shut down due to elbow tightness.

Early reports say their is no structural damage and he will just be shutdown for the time being.  However, if Hanrahan is still feeling discomfort in the next two to three weeks, then it's the three words no pitcher ever wants to hear- Dr. James Andrews.

Even if Hanrahan can pitch through the pain, he should be considered doubtful to open the season with the Bucs.  Hanrahan was the Bucs most effective reliever after being acquired from the Nats in the Nyjer Morgan deal.  Opposing hitters batted only .160 off Hanrahan in August and September.  During that span he had a 0.42 ERA.

I liked the back end of the pen, with Hanrahan and Evan Meek setting up Octavio Dotel.  I expect Brenden Donelley to move into Hanrahan's role and DJ Carrasco to get a bigger workload as well.

Since he will likely begin the season on the DL, there is one more job availbale.  I don't expect NH to attempt to sign anyone else, he will just go with the guys he has.  While not big names, the Pirates do have a little depth in the bullpen this season.

New Look Buccos Debut with Success

Before I get into last night's game, I have to address the comments made by former Bucco Sean Burnett. He said, "We (Nyjer and him) saw this coming. They are the laughing stock of baseball." My initial reaction was "Who the F@#K are you."

Reality check to Mr. Burnett. YOU were part of the problem and the losing culture here as well. YOU were the guy that was a first round pick that never realized his potential. While not a huge part, you were still part of the problems which initiated all the moves to begin with. I will give credit when credit is due, you have become a decent lefty out of the pen, but you did nothing here except under achieve.

As far as the laughing stock comment, another reality check. Look at the name on YOUR jersey, that is if it is even spelled right. Yeah buddy, you play for the 30 win Nats and you have the balls to call out other franchises. Right now you are as low as you can be. At least the Bucs are taking the right steps to TRY and have a winning future. What have the Nats done, other than drafting Steven Strausberg, who they probably won't even sign. The future is alot brighter here then it is in Washington so you should probably keep your mouth shut.

By no means am I saying this franchise is in good shape. We will be a laughing stock until we start winning. However, for a guy like Burnett to criticize the Bucs, when he is in a far worse situation is ridiculous. He Sean, I will give you something to laugh at...........your career.

As far as the performance last night, I was excited. The lineup wasn't bad. it was no worse than it was before the deals, in fact I may like it better. Nice debut for Milledge and Cedeno. Also good for Pearce, starting to hit the ball with authority. maybe getting Clement lit a fire under him. A nice start by Ohlendorff as well. The only guy that was disappointing was Hanrahan. I think some of it was due to playing his former team.

The thing I noticed is that there was an extra step to these guys last night. A lot more energy out of the guys and they were having fun. They are definitely a more athletic team and will be fun to watch the rest of the season.

NOTES

-Andy Laroche is quietly becoming an excellent defensive third baseman.

- Fine job by Evan meek and Jessie Chavez getting big outs in big spots.

-Funny that Garrett Jones is the team leader in homers with 10, despite only being up for a month. The RBI leader is Andy Laroche with 38.

-Newly acquired Jeff Clement homered in his first two AB's at Indy.

-Tim Alderson goes tonight for Altoona

-Virgil Vasquez goes tonight for the Bucs, but expect it to be the last time. Kevin Hart will pitch on Wed.

-If you noticed, Nyjer Morgan is still a lousy base runner, getting picked off AGAIN by a right handed pitcher

A look at Garrett Jones

If you got to watch all 14 innings of last nights Pirates game, I hope you walked away saying the same thing I did. "What a great ballgame." I love watching pitching and last night was a treat. Maholm is always good at PNC Park and Lincecum is tremendous. As many games as I see, Lincecum is probably the pitcher I've enjoyed watching the most the last four or five seasons. He is flat out has filthy stuff. Maholm, was up for the challenge, and matched him pitch for pitch. Had it not been for Freddy Sanchez's bonehead play, the Bucs probably win 1-0. No problem though, Garret Jones to the rescue.

Jones has been a life preserver to a Bucco lineup that was drowning slowly. He has homered in four straight games, with a total of five in that span; including his two solo shots yesterday, accounting for both Bucco runs. No Pirate has homered in 5 straight games since......Wait for it.......Jose Castillo. Yes, that Jose Castillo. many want to know where Jones came from and why he wasn't on the opening day roster.

Jones is filled with power, but never had the opportunity to play regularly in the big leagues. He was drafted by Atlanta in the 14th round in 1999. Injuries slowed him there and he was signed by the Twins in 2002. He has played over 1,000 games in the minors, homering 158 times. not exactly numbers that jump off the page. In addition, he was only a career .258 hitter in the minors. The thing that worked to his disadvantage the most was he was stuck behind Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer with the Twins.

Jones isn't exactly a prospect, being he already 28. However, there have been guys who didn't get the call until closer to 30 and have become good major leaguers. Most notably Casey Blake, now with the Dodgers, didn't make his major league debut until age 29. Closer to home, Pirates fans will remember Mike Easler didn't get called up til he was 28 or 29 and preformed well.

Given the opportunity, Bucco manager John Russell pushed hard to sign Jones this past winter. Jones used to preform very well against teams Russell managed in the minors. Jones responded by having an outstanding spring, opening many eyes. Problem being he was blocked by Adam Laroche and there wasn't much available playing time in the outfield, so the Bucs elected to keep Craig Monroe and send Jones to Indy.

Since his recall, Jones has wasted no time showing he belongs. In only 12 games, Jones has hit .315 with 7 Hr and 9rbis. He moves real well for a big guy, with 3 steals already and is above average defensively. Russell said he will be the everyday left fielder, while Young and Moss will continue to platoon in right. Jones shows patience at the plate and has shown the ability to hit lefties as well as righties. Four of his 7 homers have come off lefties. It's funny, no one seems to be bitching about the Nyjer Morgan trade now.

I expect Jones to keep producing. The true test will come when teams figure out how to pitch him and the scouting report gets out. We will see how Jones reacts when he goes through a slump. While he's doing well in left, I still he him as the first baseman of the immediate future. Once Laroche is dealt, I see no reason not to move him to first for a couple of years. If things work out, it's a real nice big bat to have in the middle of an order that has no power otherwise.

Bucco Notebook- Halfway Report

Well as we get ready to resume the second half of the season, I have some thoughts on what to expect. The team has hit a low water mark at 12 games under .500. A record of 38-50 is even worse than last season at the same point. We expected this though, so no panic. Flat out , it looks like the team has given up.

We saw Nate Mclouth dealt. Are they a worse team without him? Absolutely not. They may not be better, but they are no worse. That trade opened up a spot for Andrew McCutchen in the lineup and added Charlie Morton to the rotation. I will take that.

We saw Nyjer Morgan traded. Are they worse off? Again, absolutely not. Garrett Jones now gets playing time and he has a big bat. They are worse off defensively, but I'm willing to take a gamble on Lastings Milledge. The team is not worse off talent wise at all.

The roster will continue to change, both by trades and call-ups for the remainder of the season. Let's take a look at what has happened and what to look forward to the rest of the season.

Catcher- Ryan Doumit gets hurt (AGAIN) and the Bucs do a fine job behind the plate. Jason Jaramillo and Robinson Diaz filled in admirably. Diaz hit .295 before he got sent down and JJ hit .255. He seemed to be getting worn down as he hit in the .280's for most of the season. The Bucs must decide on weather Doumit is going to be the player they want him to be, or even if he can be counted on to be healthy, or trade him and get something for him. My guess is he sticks around and preforms pretty well. First half grade for the position - C+

First base- Adam Laroche didn't get off to that horrible a start, but still has experienced several long rough patches. He is hitting only .250 with 12 HR's. Ignoring the numbers, he has become a tremendous defensive first baseman. With Mclouth gone and Doumit hurt, he has been counted on to carry the offense, something he is incapable of doing. His home and road numbers are insane. He is hitting .357 at PNC Park and only .159 on the road. Here is hoping Laroche gets hot, right on cue. He should be dealt, but with his 7.5 mil salary, don't expect the Bucs to get a big return. If anything, he should be dealt to move Jones to first base. First half position grade- C-.

Second Base- Freddy Sanchez has been performing like... well, Freddy Sanchez. The guy is a hitter. An ideal guy to bat in the 2 hole, but here, he is in a run producing spot. It looks like all the Freddy trade rumors have silenced. It's not that team don't want him, it's that they don't want that ridiculous $8.5 mil option that will kick in next season. Sanchez isn't exactly young, so dealing him makes sense, if they get a good return. If not, there is nothing wrong with having Freddy Sanchez open 2010 at second base. My guess is he gets dealt, but not until the off season. Position grade- B+

Third Base- Andy Laroche has been a surprise, especially after his struggles last season. he has been slumping of late and is down to .269, but I have liked the performance. His defense has improved tremendously as well. I would like to see him start showing some power and run production in the second half, as 4Hr and 34 RBI, just won't do it at a corner infield spot. Position Grade- C+

Shortstop- Jack Wilson has been his usual self in the field and has chipped in a little with the bat. It's his nightly web gems and his mouth that people will remember in the first half though. It's also that mouth that will likely get him shipped out of town. I am not a Jack Wilson fan, but if the Bucs can somehow get him and Freddy to renegotiate their deals and get them at a better number (I have heard this was an option), then I love the up the middle defense. If not, Wilson will be gone. Position Grade - C

Left Field- Nyjer Morgan was a first half surprise and Jones looks like he has a big bat. While Morgan was great defensively and no one else will be nearly as good, I still like Jones a lot. his 5HR in 11 games is double the amount of any other Bucco outfielder. I still see Jones playing first and getting a look at Milledge before the end of July. Position grade C+

Center field- The transition from Mclouth to McCutchen has been a smooth one. Cutch is definitely the guy this team is going to be built around. He is a superstar in the making. His .292 and 23 RBI out of the lead off spot has been fun to watch. In only 36 games, we can see what the hype was about. He is a perfect 7 for 7 swiping bags, something I'd like to see him do more. Position Grade B+

Right Field- I'm a little torn in right field. What a great acquisition Delwyn Young was. The guy can hit, as he stood at .313 going into the break. He is a liability defensively though. I really like Brandon Moss as a player, but have to start seeing production soon. This guy is so streaky. Two prolonged slumps, followed by two torrid streaks. He looks like a guy that will only play vs. righties now. Similar to Andy Laroche, I have to start seeing some power and run production. Only 3Hr and 23 RBI and the break for Moss. Only 6 Homers out of the right fielders isn't good. Position Grade- C

Starting Pitching- Paul Maholm has been ok, especially at home and Zach Duke has taken big strides to become his former self. It's the same old story with the Bucs though. Every time a pitcher takes a step forward, another one or two take a giant step back. Ian Snell was awful before his demotion. Ross Ohlendorf has been good at times, but he is your typical 4 starter. Jeff Karstens and Virgil Vasquez have been up and down as well. Morton was a nice acquisition, I love his stuff. When these guys have pitched well, the offense has tanked it for them. Especially Duke, who in his 8 losses, the team has scored a combined 7 runs.

The problem with the Pirates staff is that they just don't have that true power arm. They also are without a horse that is going to give the team a chance to win every time he takes the ball. I know the pitching has been better, but it's no where near where it needs to be. Expect to see Brad Lincoln in September and for Huntington to keep adding arms through deals. Position Grade- C

Middle Relief- These guys haven't been bad as a group. I like Chavez and Meek's arms, and the acquisition of Hanrahan was great to me. This guy has a cannon for an arm and should get it figured out under Kerrigan. Grabow has been iffy at times, but still gets the job done. I don't like having only one lefty, but that will probably change. Overall, not a bad first half for the middle guys. Position grade- C+

Closer- Matt Capps has not been good. The save numbers don't look bad, 19 of 21, but the way he is pitching just isn't very good. His fastball has been flat and he's not throwing strikes with his other pitches. The velocity is up and down as well. It's rumored teams have been interested and Huntington says he wants a power arm in a Capps deal. My guess is he stays and stays in the closers role, no matter how painful that may be. Position Grade- D-.

Overall, there have been some good things and some bad things. The good, is that some of the younger guys are getting a look and we are seeing a few surprises. The bad, this team has no power, can't win on the road and has an awful record in one run games. I hope Huntington sticks to the plan the rest of the season. I'm interested to see what the product will look like when he's done.

Breaking down the Nyjer Morgan-Lastings Milledge Trade

Ok, here we go. I can hear you Pirate fans ripping the team again, but stop. This is really not a bad trade at all for the Bucs. In fact, it's another win for Neil Huntington and his staff. The particulars in the deal are Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett in exchange for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan.

First of all, Morgan really grew on me and they will miss his glove in left field. Reality is though he is a 29 year old outfielder with no power. He is also a guy who has never proven he can perform over an extended period of time He lacks fundamentals, especially on the base paths, where he could be the worst base runner in the game.

Had you told me before the season, we could get a five tool talent in Milledge and Hanrahan for Morgan, I would have laughed at you. To me, Burnett is the bigger loss. He had settled down in his role and really became a valuable lefty out of the pen.

Morgan, on the season was hitting .273 with 18steals in 28 attempts. Not a very good percentage, but he was great in the clubhouse. Burnett's ERA was sitting at 3.03 and in 32 innings of work had allowed only 37 base runners while fanning 27 batters.

While we mill miss Nyjer's smile and personality. Personality doesn't win titles, talent does. Is Milledge a head case? Yeah. Does he have an attitude? Yeah. Is he a gifted athlete with every tool in the book? Yeah. Is this trade a risk? Yes it is, but I think it's a risk the Pirates had to take.

Milledge, still considered one of the best young talents in the game, may just benefit from a fresh start. He knows he won't get too many more opportunities. He brings power and speed and a rocket for an arm. He didn't perform for the Nationals and was sent to AAA, but it's been so long since we have acquired this much raw talent in the organization. Too much talent is a great problem to have. Milledge could very well become a Milton Bradley kind of player, both on and off the field, but he realistically could become even better. Milledge is currently recovering from a thumb injury and should be up to the big club in about 10 days. He's just 24, and the Bucs hold his rights til 2013. Another positive is that if Milledge works out, there is no rush to get Tabata or Hernandez to the majors.

Hanrahan, has struggled in Washington, but I really like him. He pitched very well in the WBC. Manager Davey Johnson used him more than any other reliever in tough spots. Many feel the WBC hurt him this season as it has many pitchers. He has an inflated ERA, but his strikeout rate is up and his walk rate is down from last season. He has an explosive fastball and mixes in a slider and change as well. It never hurts to have power arms in the pen. He has closed for the Nats and could be insurance for Matt Capps if he has problems or is dealt. Like Milledge, the Bucs have Hanrahan's rights through 2013.

Many baseball experts agree and say its a win for the Bucs. If Milledge realizes his potential and cuts down the attitude, he has the talent to be a star and basically the Bucs get Hanrahan for free. I don't like the deal for the Nats but like it for the Bucs. It's the kind of trade the Pirates would have been on the other end of during the Littlefield regime. Finally the Bucs are selling high and getting talent in return, instead of just bodies.

It breaks down simply like this. The Pirates add two pieces to their future while giving up two guys that were not part of their plans. You have to like the risk and hope Milledge realizes his full potential.

This deal to me just isn't about the major league roster. By dealing Hinske, Morgan and Burnett, the Bucs were able to free up even more money for the international signing period, which begins Thursday. Now if they sign super prospect Miguel Angel Sano (they better) then everything makes sense. It looks as if the Bucs and Twins are the two main suitors for Sano, with the Orioles possibly sneaking in. This could be a long process though, so don't expect Sano to sign right away. This is a race the Bucs must win. Give the guy the money and make him a Pirate.

Jack Wilson spoke out against the trade and believe me if the Bucs had any alternative at short, he may be on his way out the door sooner than later. I really do feel bad for the current players, but their job is to perform and not try and play GM. As it is, I can see Wilson, Capps and Adam Laroche moving before the deadline. I have a feeling Grabow may stick around now, being the only lefty in the pen. I also don't see Freddy Sanchez being moved with so little middle infield depth in the organization. That's the next area Huntington needs to look at acquiring. I still target Brandon Wood as I wrote in a previous thread.

Back off of Huntington. Again it's a risk, but this trade could very well be a steal for the Bucs. Even if Milledge blows up and becomes a bust, the Pirates really didn't give up much to take a chance on the guy.

Bucs Notebook 6-29

I like what I have seen the last week from the Buccos. Getting ready to roll into July, the Bucs sit just five games out of both the division and the Wild Card races. Laugh all you want, but while being still four games under .500 still, the Bucs have caused some excitement. Tough loss on Sunday, but Grienke was dominant and they battled.

The pitching has been good enough to keep them in games and they have gotten just enough offense to win some games. Now as July comes, everyone will stop paying attention to the team as always, when Steelers camp begins, but Neil Huntington will have some difficult decisions to make. My advice to Neil is....... STICK TO THE PLAN. eighty percent of the young talent in the organization has been acquired within the last calender year, either by draft or trades.

I like to play GM from time to time and there is one move I would like to see the Bucs pursue. Although the Angels have been playing very well of late, here is a team that needs to make a few moves to seriously contend for the title. They're top four starters from last season have combined to make only 16 starts. They could use an arm, either a starter or bullpen arm and probably another bat.

I ship the Halos Matt Capps and Adam Laroche right now. In return, the Angeles have made known that shortstop Brandon Wood can be had. Two years ago, Wood was hands down the best prospect in the majors. The Angels just haven't found the room for Wood and Mike Scoscia just isn't gonna give a youngster major playing time on a team that's contending. Wood is a five tool talent that the Bucs should take a run at.

Include a young starter and maybe a first base prospect, the Angels have a wealth of both and this is a move the Bucs should try and pursue. The halos, might not want to take on a ton of salary, but it would make sense for both teams. Deal Capps while his value is high again and it's getting hot out, so that means so is Laroche. Adding Wood, gives the team more options to deal Jack Wilson as well.

OTHER NOTES
- Speaking of trades, Nyjer Morgan's name has been out there in a deal with the Nats. Main components of the deal was Morgan for Lastings Milledge. The deal apparently fell apart when the Bucs also asked for pitching prospect Craig Stamen. As much fun as Morgan is to watch, he is a 29 year old outfielder with no power and also is not part of the Bucs future. I'm not a big Milledge fan, mostly due to his attitude, but if the opportunity is there to acquire a five tool guy like Milledge, it would be hard to pass up.

- Matt Wieters is hitting around .270 with a couple of bombs. Here is an interesting note on the should be Pirates catcher. Wieters reached the majors after only 150 games in the minors. That's 75 games quicker than any other catcher in major league history.

-Andrew McCutchen went 0-4 his last 2 games of the KC series. The scouting report is out now. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts. My feeling is he will be fine. Don't panic, he wasn't going to hit .370 for his whole career. He is young and will experience several 2-20 stretches. Now it is up to him to adjust.

-Speaking of scouting reports, Virgil Vasquez was very good in his Bucco debut. he threw strikes and got a win. Part of that was due to there not being a scouting report out on him as well. We will see how he is throwing after 5 starts. Guys who come up from the minors generally have success their first couple of starts. Even JVB went six strong innings his first call up start against the Braves a few years back.

-Ryan Doumit will be back soon. It will be interesting to see which catcher stays up, Jaramillo or Diaz. Both have their positives and negatives to look at. My guess is JJ stays.

-Brandon Moss has heated up again. hitting close to .600 the last 10 days. Boy is he streaky. JR is using him well though and putting him in situations to succeed. it looks like it has become a straight platoon, with Delwyn Young playing against lefties. Either way, Moss is up around .270 after a horrid start. Whoever plays, they are getting production out of right field.

- Speaking of Moss, we got to start seeing some power and run production out of both he and Andy Laroche.

-Charlie Morton's first home start went well. Key stat NO WALKS. he should have gotten a win, but not too many guys get wins against Grienke.

-Ian Snell walked the first batter in his first AAA start and proceeded to strike out the next 13 in a row. Seventeen overall. This guy makes we want to puke. All of the sudden he is "Having Fun". After checking it out further, I discovered that the team he faced, the Toledo MudHens lead all professional baseball in strikeouts by a large margin. Even Tom Gorzelanny struck out 12 Mudhens the night before. So I'm not quite impressed just yet. Or yet maybe it was all that negativity in Pittsburgh. Hey Ian, if you strike out 17 in a Pittsburgh uniform, there won't be any negativity left for you.

- Big series vs. the Cubs. That's the 2 games under .500 Cubs. Since they can't win on the road, it would be nice to take this series at home. Nice match up tonight in Duke vs. Harden.

-I'm doing my Bucco farm report now so that should be posted later in the week. Let's go Bucs.

Bucco Notebook 6-14

This comes only days after the last notebook, but hopefully I will have the time to get back to a weekly report. With a 6-3 win over Detroit today, the Bucs completed a 17 day grind without a day off at 9-7 (with one rain out). That's not bad baseball folks.

At 30-33, the Pirates have played good baseball for the better part of the season. If you eliminate the only horrid stretch of the season, an eleven game span where they went 1-10, then this is a team that's over .500. I'm not one of these guys that sees .500 as a successful season, but this team just has a different feel to it.

This team can compete, night in and night out. They get good starting pitching on most night's (anyone not named Ian Snell will do) and they bullpen has bounced back and can be counted on most nights. The main reason why this team can compete though is their defense. These guys catch everything hit at them. They are currently third in the NL in fielding percentage. for as many runs that the Bucco offense leaves on base, the defense has saved just as many.

The infield is tremendous. After a rough first week, Andy Laroche has turned into a solid defensive third basemen. Jack Wilson is playing at a high level and while I don't really like Freddy Sanchez's range at second, he catches everything he gets to and the Bucs are very good up the middle. Adam Laroche is also a very underrated defensive first basemen.

The outfield has been just as good. Nyjer Morgan doesn't have much of an arm but has been a huge surprise in left. The addition of Andrew McCutchen gives the team two legit center fielders again and take away most shots in the gaps at PNC Park. He can cover a ton of ground in center and after 11 games, it seems as if he is already taking better routes to balls. McCutchen adds a rifle in center and in right Brandon Moss has figured it out defensively.

Add all that up and good pitching and good defense should win games. Hey, I like the offense as well, but this team is better off when they prevent runs as much as when they can score them (which isn't often). Remember that even he best offensive players are expected to fail 7 out of 10 times. Great defensive players are expected to succeed 10 out of 10 times.

Other Notes
- It's time to get Delwyn Young regular at bats at the expense of Brandon Moss. I know I am the guy that said stick with Moss no matter what, but in the last 30 days, Young is hitting .339. All he does is hit and John Russell should stick with the hot bat. In the same time frame, Moss is hitting .268 and that is only helped by a torrid 2 week stretch. Moss has all the tools to be good, but he has to start driving runs in soon.

-Could the Pirates have 2 all-stars? A case can be made for both Sanchez and Zach Duke. Sanchez is hitting a solid .315 and should make it at a weak second base position. Chase Utley is a lock as could be the case with Orlando Hudson. Right now I would probably give Sanchez the nod over Brandon Phillips.

I will make the case for Duke as well. He has 7 wins, and a great ERA at 3.10. He should have 9 wins already at this point. If he gets to 9 or 10 wins before the all-star game, he should also be picked.

-Give Huntington credit for some of the minor moves he has made in his 2 seasons. Ryan Doumit has missed 50 games now and the Jaramillo/Diaz combination has held it's own hitting .296 combined. Another guy that he took a shot on is Steven Jackson. he will get the ball more often as he gets ground balls in key spots. I always wondered why the Yankees never gave him a shot, especially with their pen. Jackson has good stuff.

-Speaking of the pen, Gorzo did a good job down there while he was up. i was just scanning the bullpen ERA's and they were impressive, other than Capps (Meek 3.48, Chavez 2.63, Burnett 2.93, Grabow 3.72). Those are encouraging numbers.

-Charlie Morton's second start has been pushed back a couple days until the team heads to Colorado. I still don't like young guys having to pitch there, but even though it was only 1 inning, I liked what i saw from Morton. The guy hits his spots. fastball was 93-95, pitched inside and his curve ball breaks a ton. let's see what he can do over the next month, but I think he has a good make up about him.

Bucs Notebook- A Winning April

With April almost winding down, one thing is assured, the Pittsburgh Pirates will have a winning month of April. yeah, I know its early, but it's worth noting because it doesn't happen often. Taking a look at this team, even with three of their best players injured, these guys aren't so bad.

After losing Ryan Doumit and Jack Wilson to the disabled list and Nate McClouth to an injury, all the Pirates did was take 5 of 6 from two first place teams in the Marlins and Padres. I know that's not the same as beating maybe the Phillies, Mets or Dodgers, but this same Bucco team a year ago would have been lucky to split the 6 games.

Now if they could only find out a way to beat the Brewers and Cubs, then we may have something bigger to talk about.

Bucco's Notes
- The starting pitching has been excellent. Maholm, Duke, Snell and Ohlendorf have given quality starts almost every time out. Karstens got roughed up a bit last night, but if he can win 10 games, then the pitching should be fine.

- Other than last night, the bullpen has been even better. The Bucs have the best team ERA in the majors and the bullpen has been good. What I like most is the development of Evan Meek and Jessie Chavez. It has been a really long time since the Bucs have had a couple power arms like these guys in the pen. Once they learn a bit more, the pen could become a strength for the team.

- The Laroche brothers. It's April and Adam is hitting .300 with 5HR and 14 RBI, leading the team in both homers and RBI's. Andy on the other hand has rebounded with an 11 game hit streak after opening the season without a hit for the first two weeks. He is suddenly hitting a respectable .263. The key has been that Russell has kept him in the lineup everyday.

- The catching position suddenly isn't that bad. Jason Jaramillo and Robinson Diaz will do just fine until Doumit heals up.

-Freddy Sanchez may be healthy again. He's swinging the stick pretty well. I feel having Nyjer Morgan on base so much has helped Sanchez a ton. Sanchez hits the ball the other way better than anyone on the team. He has taken advantage of teams having to hold Morgan on.

- Speaking of Morgan, having a good leadoff hitter is very important to teams and as long as he keeps getting on base at this rate, the Pirates can score some runs without the threat of the long ball. I used to bash him in the past, but he has won me over.

A Look At The Pirates First Two Weeks

Let's take a look at the Bucco's first 2 weeks of the season. If you are a real baseball fan and not one of these guys predicting the Bucs to win the World Series, then you have to be happy. If you are a real baseball fan and not one of these guys that rip the organization; despite not knowing ten players in the organization, then you have to be real happy. I'm not saying the Pirates organization never deserves criticism, but this isn't one of those times.

The Pirates will likely be under .500 for a record seventeenth season and the first couple weeks of the season have offered up the proof, but it has also provided some glimpses that things may turn around. The last thing I wanted to have this season was HOPE, I'd prefer that Neil Hunnington stick to his plan and try to build a winner, but there is a glimpse of hope.

Reason number one the Bucs will struggle is the inconsistencies of the offense. They are a very light hitting team with very little power. Those types of teams struggle at times. It is very hard to manufacture runs every game, without the threat of the long ball. Taking a look at the first 12 games, this shows up a lot. The Bucs opened the season with an 11 hit attack in a win and then followed it up with only 5 hits in a loss. This trend pops up often so far: 17 in a win, then 1 in a loss, then 12 in a win , then 3 in a loss, then 14 in a win. Granted it's only 2 weeks, but this is something that could keep going for a while. Only ten homers through twelve games isn't awful, but mostly they have all come in wins.

Flip the coin and the Bucs have shown they can hit the ball at times. Nyjer Morgan has been a surprise at the top of the order. If he can continue to get on and use his legs, the Bucs don't need the long ball. Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson are off to decent starts and you can boo them all you want, but the Laroche brothers aren't doing that bad. Before the Braves series, Adam was swinging the bat well and after an awful start, Andy has picked it up. Keep him in the lineup and he should be fine. The bench is better and so is the team.

On the hill, what can you say about Paul Maholm except he has been terrific. He has always had guts on the mound, but credit new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan with making him more efficient. He's not flashy. He just pitches to contact and gets batters out. We have also seen Ian Snell, Zach Duke and Ross Ohlendorf give good outings. If those 3 can give the team quality starts every 2 out of 3 starts, then the rotation won't be that bad. That's a big IF though. We will know that answer at the end of May.

The weakness of this team is the bullpen, but even they haven't been that bad. Look, if I would have told you the Pirates would have the best ERA in the majors after 12 games, then you would have laughed. It's a very small sample, but it shows that they are doing something right. Kerrigan has had an impact, These guys are throwing inside more and getting people out. Can it continue? Probably no, but why not? If the Cubs and Cardinals don't pull away from the pack in the NL Central, then there is a chance that the Bucs can hang around.

One thing other than wins and losses that has impressed me the most, is the leadership that has suddenly shown up on this team. Maholm and Ryan Doumitt has taken on a leadership role that just hasn't been there lately.

There are way too many IF'S and too many questions in my mind for this team to compete this year, but I definitely thinks things are headed in the right direction. They do have some talent in the farm system and if Hunnington sticks to his guns and continues to add to it, we soon may see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So next time that you decide to take the easy route and bash the Pirates, try taking the time to actually watch them and maybe you will like what you see.