Don't Jump Ship Yet, Pirates

Telling Pittsburgh Pirates players and fans to be patient is like telling West Germany to wait another year before knocking down the Berlin Wall. Put it this way: The Pirates never had a winning season during Jay Leno's entire stretch on the Tonight Show. And after the Pirates traded star outfielder Nate McClouth this week, players and fans have reached their breaking point.

First baseman Adam LaRoche compared losing McClouth to losing a soldier in battle. Second baseman Freddy Sanchez just kept saying "wow." As for the few remaining fans, well, I'm sure there were a lot of expletives. Who can blame them? Especially since ex-Pirate Jason Bay leads Major League Baseball in runs batted in and McClouth homered for the Braves in his first appearance against his former team.

McClouth and Bay aren't the only stars Pittsburgh let slip away recently. Aramis Ramirez, Brian Giles, Jason Kendall, Joe Beimal and Jeff Suppan have all parted ways with the Bucs since 2003.

Even more disturbing to a Pirate follower might be the players they have brought in. Worn out sluggers such as Matt Stairs, Sean Casey and Jeromy Burnitz have done little to move the needle from freezing cold to luke warm. The 2007 trade-deadline deal for pitcher Matt Morris was the most puzzling. Morris made $10 Million to go 3-4 with a 6.10 era.

Credit should be given to LaRoche and Sanchez for keeping quiet this long, but they may have picked the wrong time to talk mutiny.

Chairman of the Board Bob Nutting took power in January of 2007 and hired General Manager Neil Huntington eight months later. Cleaning up former GM Dave Littlefield's mess is the equivalent of trying to sweep up the sand off the bottom of the Allegheny River. Trading McClouth was step one in getting out the squeegees.

McClouth was an all-star and gold glove winner last season. He hit 26 home runs, stole 23 bases and led the NL in doubles with 46. But, McClouth's career on-base percentage is only .339 and he strikes out almost twice as much as he walks.

Losing an all-star is always tough, but the other side of the coin, the players the Pirates received for McClouth, should ease the pain in time. Pitcher Charlie Morton will be Neosporin. The 26-year old right-hander is 7-2 with a 2.26 ERA in 11 starts in Triple-A. Morton has allowed just 56 hits in 71 innings, only giving up three home runs in that span. In his first start for the Indianapolis Indians, the Pirates minor league affiliate, he threw seven shutout innings.

Even more exciting is McClouth's replacement in centerfield Andrew McCutchen. I was able to watch McCutchen play in the minors a few games before his call up. He is similar to B.J. Upton without the baggage or swinging strikes.

LaRoche and Sanchez may have changed their tune after seeing McCutchen play. Since he got the call, he has 10 hits in five games including two triples and five runs batted in.


He was rated number 12 on the top 50 prospects list. In 49 games in Triple-A, McCutchen hit .303 with eight triples and 10 stolen bases.


McCutchen's attitude impressed the Pirates as well. In an interview after the 2008 season, he said of the year, "I'm not satisfied with it, but I'm pleased with it. I know I can improve, and I know I can do better. I just need to crisp it up a little more and be ready."

When making their comments, Bucs vets also may not have considered the young talented bullpen Huntington has put together. Three right handed relievers, Sean Burnett, Evan Meek and Jesse Chavez, are all under 30-years old and have ERA's under four this season.

When phenom Morton is placed in the Pirates rotation - which should be soon - he will join a pair of lefty projects, Zach Duke and Paul Malholm that are finally showing signs of fulfilling their potential. They are 10-6 combined this season, both with ERA's under four and have only allowed 11 home runs in 24 starts.

Young pitching, young hitting, this is Huntington plan, the Nate McCloth trade was his first step in executing that plan. Build from within and a few key additions will bring them closer to being a serious contender from in the NL Central.

In 2009, the Pirates will still finish last. And though players and fans are saying, "Huntington, tear down that wall," the new Buc management is committed to building from the bottom up just as teams like Minnesota, Oakland and Cleveland do. If LaRoche and Sanchez don't jump ship, they will, in the Conan O'Brian era, see the playoffs.