Raise the Jolly Roger - A Pittsburgh Pirates Road to Redemption

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Jay Bell on Returning as Pirates Hitting Coach

Former Pirates infielder Jay Bell talks about taking over as the hitting coach and the huge future that lies ahead for Andrew McCutchen.

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Russell Martin a Good Fit for Pirates

Catcher Russell Martin talks about signing with the Pirates as a free agent, his veteran leadership and working with the team's pitchers

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by Tom Singer / MLB.com

Pirates Poised to Push Back Past, Break Through

PITTSBURGH -- You will often hear the Pirates' generation-long plight put into this sobering context: Those born the day they last finished a season with a winning record will be able to (legally) drink at the end of this 2013 season.

The question becomes: Will they be raising their glasses in toast, or crying in their beers? As did their fathers through those kids' teeth-cutting, kindergarten, junior high prom, high school graduation, college orientation.

Never has mediocrity been as celebrated as it will be when the Pirates win an 82nd game to put an end to a string of losing unmatched in the annals of North American professional team sports, which stands at 20 consecutive seasons. That must be why no one around the team will speak of .500 being a target; who wants to obsess over mediocrity?

The Bucs aim higher, and they feel higher is within their reach. Pittsburgh is the classic finish-the-deal team, after two years of taunting. In 2011, the Pirates spent 45 days above .500. Last season, it was 100 days.

In his third season as their manager, Clint Hurdle guarantees that the Bucs will be even better. He can't guarantee they will be winners, because the 20 teams on their schedule will have a say in that -- chief among them the defending NL Central-champion Reds, who have moved the target.

"But we've improved across the board," Hurdle said. "Our internal people have another year of experience, and we'll have the two pitchers [A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez] for the full year. So we're in a much better position to contend. We have to prove we are a better team, but we have a much stronger club than we've had in the past."

The team that will take a bow Monday at 1:35 p.m. ET in PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs certainly is different. The Pirates' Opening Day roster has undergone a 48 percent turnover from last year's, and the 12 departed include pre-2012 acquisitions left-hander Erik Bedard and catcher Rod Barajas.

They have been replaced by Rodriguez, who came aboard late last July, and Russell Martin, the new catcher whose blood type is W.

The starting rotation, the calling card of any team, has undergone an even more complete transformation, with James McDonald the only holdover from the quintet that opened last season.

Of course, it did not take Burnett long to merge in. Once he recovered from the eye orbital bone fracture he sustained early in Spring Training, he set course for his 16-win season.

Burnett, a Pirate reincarnate if there ever was one, sets sail at the outset this time, with the first Opening Day assignment of his long career. He takes on the Cubs' Jeff Samardzija, meaning both clubs could be playing for one run from the initial cry of "Play Ball!"

Burnett tendered his best '12 start on July 31 against the Cubs, holding them hitless for 7 2/3 innings in Wrigley Field. Samardzija was repeatedly as tough on the Bucs, holding them to five hits and two earned runs across 17 innings in two starts.

The optimism fueled by this team is stronger than it was a year ago, which turned out to be quite a good year, anyway. So the potential ceiling has been raised. Also different is the blend sourcing the good vibes.

The Pirates entered last season with multiple uncertainties about their lineup and anchored by a strong, veteran pitching rotation. Now the statuses have been reversed.

The core of the lineup is firm, with center fielder Andrew McCutchen, third baseman Pedro Alvarez, second baseman Neil Walker and two-way Garrett Jones coming off definitive seasons. Gaby Sanchez seems primed for a huge comeback season, and Martin will swing a much heavier bat than did Barajas.

One of the centerpieces could be Starling Marte, who many see capable of a Mike Trout-like breakthrough. Marte does have same skill set and, as he sets out on his first full season, had a better opening act. Consider these sets of numbers:

• .220 average in 123 at-bats, with five homers and 16 RBIs and an OPS of .672.

• .257 average in 167 at-bats, with five homers and 17 RBIs and an OPS of .737.

The first set is Trout, in his 40-game introduction during the 2011 season. The second is Marte's introduction last season, after his late-July promotion from Triple-A.

"He's a game-changer," Hurdle said of Marte.

The rotation may not be as deep, but it is top heavy.

"We think it is versatile -- everyone gives you different looks -- and deep," said general manager Neal Huntington. "All the guys do different things, which will make it more difficult to advance [scout] us. They'll give us the innings to give us legitimate shots to win every day."

But it isn't even the front line that most encourages the Pirates, but what waits behind it. If one was to draw a simple analogy between the collapses of 2011 and last year, it was the lack of organizational depth to overcome the unavoidable fatigues and injuries of August and September.

The Bucs think they have that cured. Veteran utility men John McDonald and Brandon Inge will serve dual purposes: Hurdle will confidently play them to give regulars breaks, and being on the Major League bench will allow high-end prospects such as Jordy Mercer to play regularly in Indianapolis -- kept sharp in case they are needed.

As for the pitching staff, a genuine revolving door may be needed for the clubhouse. If the Bucs go through the entire season with the dozen pitchers they will start with, or even a baker's dozen, great, it will mean all the arms are healthy and dealing.

But that is unlikely, and when help is needed, the source will be bountiful. Waiting in the wings will be pitchers, both starters and relievers, caught in the Spring Training numbers crunch despite, in many cases, terrific exhibition showings.

Then, there are The Three Amigos in reserve: Charlie Morton and Jose Contreras, hitting the stretch of their rehabs from Tommy John surgeries, and Francisco Liriano, the left-hander with the fractured right arm. They are all on track and, barring setbacks, the Bucs expect them to be ready to check in about the time summer does.

And there is Jeff Karstens, whose prognosis for his biceps tendinitis is still unclear, and Gerrit Cole, who spent Spring Training knocking on a door he may be ready to kick down in mid-June.

If you don't see Cole in a Pirates uniform this season, it will be a very good thing, because it will mean the other pitchers are performing so well, he is not needed to come to the rescue.

And you could drink to that.

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Locke Closes Spring With Scoreless Start vs. Yanks

Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Yankees
Mar 28, 2013	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh (13-18-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	4	0
New York (13-18)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	7	1
W: Locke (3-1, 2.63) L: Logan (0-1, 6.75) S: Hollingsworth

TAMPA, Fla. -- Pirates left-hander Jeff Locke hurled six scoreless innings, and the Bucs used a two-run seventh to get by the Yankees, 2-1, in the final Grapefruit League game for both clubs at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Thursday.

In the seventh, Yankees reliever David Aardsma uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Travis Snider to score from third base, and Jeff Larish added a pinch-hit RBI single off Aardsma later in the frame.

One of the runs was charged to left-hander Boone Logan, who was struck by a line drive off the bat of Jose Tabata earlier in the frame and was forced to leave the game.

Logan, who is considered a lock to be in the Yankees' bullpen, was hit in his left hip, but he said he's fine and expects to pitch again Friday.

Hiroki Kuroda spun six innings of scoreless, one-hit ball in his final start of the spring. Slotted to be New York's No. 2 starter, Kuroda walked none and struck out five in the outing.

Locke, who was informed that he will begin the season as the Bucs' fifth starter, allowed four hits over six scoreless innings. Locke walked none and struck out three.

Up next: The Pirates' Grapefruit League season ended Thursday at George M. Steinbrenner Field, but they will play one more game before Sunday's pre-Opening Day workout and Monday's season opener against the Cubs at PNC Park. Pittsburgh will play its Double-A affiliate in Altoona on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. ET.

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Adam Berry / MLB.com

Locke Heads Into Season With Confidence High

TAMPA, Fla. -- Jeff Locke took the mound Thursday afternoon with all the confidence in the world, having been named the Pirates' fifth starter a day earlier.

But after tossing six shutout innings against the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field with his best fastball-changeup combination all spring, he can head north feeling that much better.

Locke allowed four hits and struck out three in six efficient innings on both clubs' getaway day. Sure, the Yankees were swinging early and often as they prepared to break camp, but Locke still looked at the outing as a confidence-booster.

"It's easy to feel good about today's outing, especially when it's the last one, heading out today," Locke said. "I'll be in Pittsburgh tonight at some point, and you feel a lot better about that outing when you're in Pittsburgh. I'm excited, ready to get roaring."

Locke finished the spring with a 3-1 record and 2.63 ERA, leading the Pirates with three wins over his seven games (six starts). He felt like he was getting ahead of hitters better than he had all spring, and he worked in his changeup more often and more effectively than in his previous Grapefruit League starts.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle added that Locke was throwing all his pitches well, but the changeup was an "equalizer" for him. And pitching with the comfort that his next start would be in the Majors didn't hurt, either.

"Time will tell. I've seen it happen, and that's one of the best things you get to enjoy as a manager," Hurdle said. "As hard as the day is in some areas, there's equally a lot of opportunities that you're bestowing upon guys and being the one at least to share the good news with them first. He cut his teeth twice at the Major League level and took some hard lessons. He didn't get his first win until his last start, and he had a few starts."

Locke will have to pitch somewhere between now and his first turn in the rotation, but he didn't know exactly when or where that will come. He did know that he will be with the Pirates at PNC Park for Opening Day -- his first in a Major League uniform.

"It's super exciting, just talking to the veteran guys around here saying all the time that Opening Day doesn't get old. It's never the same. It's always exciting," Locke said. "It's going to be like a playoff-type, World Series-type environment just because everyone's so happy to be out there again playing in front of the home crowd. So it's going to be a lot of fun, I'm sure, for me because I've never been a part of a big league Opening Day before.

"I can only speak to Triple-A Opening Days. I was so excited for that one, so I can only imagine that this one will definitely hold a candle to it."

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by Adam Berry / MLB.com

Pirates Set to Play Double-A Affiliate in Altoona

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Pirates' Grapefruit League schedule is over, and they've headed north for the summer. They have one last game to play before they start counting toward the final standings and statistics, but it's more than just a tuneup to them.

The Pirates will host a game against their Double-A affiliate in Altoona, Pa., on Saturday. Right-hander James McDonald will get the start for Pittsburgh, and right-hander Mark Melancon is also scheduled to pitch.

In an attempt to get their pitchers more work before the regular season, Pittsburgh will also supply the Altoona Curve's pitching staff. Left-hander Tony Watson, right-hander Jared Hughes and lefty Justin Wilson are scheduled to pitch, and closer Jason Grilli will start.

"Back in the day, he said he can start, so we'll throw him one more bone," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said, smiling. "One more thing off his bucket list."

Hurdle said the Pirates will "throw a starting lineup out there that's going to be one of our best" while playing everyone on the roster. That's the other important part of this exhibition, to Hurdle: putting on a big league show for the loyal fans in the Minor League city.

"They're amped up in Altoona. This is one of the things that doesn't get done a lot anymore, where the Major League team plays an affiliate," Hurdle said. "There can be some challenges with it. I've done it in Colorado. We did it in Texas the year I was there. I just see a lot of value in it, because they came to me and asked, and I just said, 'Let's do it whenever it makes sense.' You can't do two of them in the spring, but you can take a shot. Maybe it's an opportunity for somebody else next year.

"It's great for the fans. It is great for that affiliate. It's sold out. It'll be pretty much packed for BP. ... I'm all for stuff like that."

Hurdle laughed that the sold-out stadium will be a "madhouse" for the Pirates considering the fact that everyone in attendance will be there just to see them, get their autographs and take a rare in-person look at the big league club before the season begins.

Hurdle also praised the Double-A club's work as part of the Pirates' player development system, saying, "There's nothing they won't do for these players."

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by Jim Lachimia / Special to MLB.com

Pirates to Offer Fans Exciting New Food, Drink Options

Although winter seems reluctant to release Pittsburgh from its snowy grip, the Pirates are forging ahead with plans to open their 2013 season with a 1:35 p.m. ET game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on Monday. And while fans won't notice any substantial changes to the ballpark itself, they will discover many new and exciting choices when they stroll about in search of something good to eat and drink.

"While the team has been down in Bradenton [Florida] working hard and getting ready for the season, we've been back here in Pittsburgh working hard and getting the food ready," said Adam Holt, the executive chef for Levy Restaurants at PNC Park.

Levy Restaurants is introducing two new mini-restaurant concepts on the Pittsburgh Baseball Club level of PNC Park.

The first, Bridges Burger Company, is a made-to-order gourmet burger stand. Among its offerings are: a turkey burger topped with fresh mozzarella; a sirloin and chuck patty piled with barbecued pulled pork, smoked cheddar and onion rings; and a veggie burger with a house-made black bean and rice patty topped with cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce.

At the other, The Barbecue Pitt, fans can order up sandwiches that feature: braised pulled pork stacked with vinegar coleslaw, spiced pickles and barbecue sauce; smoked beef brisket topped with sweet onions and spiced pickles; and smoked pulled chicken heaped with sauteed mushrooms, bacon and mustard barbecue sauce -- among others.

The Pirates' other concessionaire at PNC Park, Aramark, will also offer fans several new menu items. Of particular interest is the Brunch Burger. Ready for this? It includes a patty that's 60 percent ground beef and 40 percent bacon topped with sharp cheddar cheese and a fried egg -- and held together by a glazed donut that's been cut in half and toasted on the grill.

"When you bite into this thing, the egg yolk is still a little soft in the center, so it coats the burger and it's absolutely amazing," said Rich Montini, the executive chef for Aramark.

When asked what the calorie count for such a monstrosity is, he smiled and said: "It's ridiculous. It's through the roof, but the first thing they tell you in culinary school is, 'Fat is flavor.' That thing is full of flavor."

In addition, the newly branded Rivertowne Brewing Hall of Fame Club out in left field -- which is open to all ticket holders before, during and after games -- will now offer six different Rivertowne Brewing craft beers.

"Beer should be fun," said Christian Fyke, the founder of Pittsburgh-based Rivertowne Brewing Company. "It's about bringing friends and family together and having an opportunity to relax and celebrate good times. That's one of the reasons we're so excited to be down here at PNC Park."

When it comes to food and beverages or even promotional giveaway items and postgame concerts, the Pirates put a lot of time into pleasing their fans and improving the PNC Park experience.

"There's a science that goes into everything we do here," Pirates executive vice president & chief marketing officer Lou DePaoli said. "We try to keep it fresh and we really do think things through. Every year we try for a little different mix so we appeal to more fans, and it's worked. There are some really exciting things going on at PNC Park this year that our fans are going to enjoy."

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by Tim Williams / Piratesprospects.com

Garrett Jones as a Number Two Hitter?

Garrett Jones hit in the number two spot today. Tomorrow he will do the same thing. When people have been thinking about possible lineups for the 2013 season, I don’t think that many had Jones as an option to bat second. However, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is considering it.

“What I like about Garrett is he’s got a lifetime [.852] OPS against right-handed pitching,” Hurdle said. “His numbers against right-handers are what they are. So do I get him an extra at-bat [in the number two spot]? No matter what we do it’s not going to be prototypical.”

Hurdle used Jones in the number two spot during the 2011 season. The left-hander had 104 plate appearances batting second. The only spot where he appeared more frequently was the number three spot, where he had 113 plate appearances. He had 94 in number five, and 89 in the number six spot. His line as the number two hitter was .286/.356/.538, which was his best performance out of any of those spots.

Hurdle mentioned that Travis Snider, Russell Martin, and Neil Walker could also be options. Despite multiple options, he prefers to have a consistent lineup once the season starts.

“I’m trying to set something up that once we set it up, I think there could be some minor routine there,” Hurdle said. “It’s hard to do in Spring.”