Sunday, March 30, 2008 B5
BASEBALL
PIRATES
’
SEASON PREVIEW 08
— Compiled by Rob Biertempfel, Tribune-Review
1.
MEET THE BOSSES; new management sees a lot to like Q&A 4.
WHAT WAS YOUR
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON? IMPRESSION OF THE
FRANCHISE BEFORE YOU
WERE HIRED, AND HAS
COONELLY
RUSSELL
I’m very enthusiastic about what I I don’t really set expectations or goals, per se. It’s more about what we
see. The organization, the work tried to accomplish this spring, telling these guys to give themselves a THAT IMPRESSION
effort of John (Russell) and his chance to win each night. We can’t worry about a quick start. We can’t CHANGED?
staff has been incredible. And the worry about where we are in the standings at the end of July or August.
work ethic of the players has been We’ve got to concentrate on where we are each night and prepare for that
COONELLY
outstanding as well. The enthusi- game. To sit here and say, ‘Well, .500 is our goal or this or that is our My impression was that there
asm level is different. I wasn’t goal,’ we can’t put that on these guys. That’s not the important thing right are a lot of good people here,
here much last year, only at the now. What’s important is to make sure we prepare them to play each night some extraordinarily profession-
end of the season, but everybody I and give ourselves a chance a win. If we do that, good things will happen al people, particularly on the
talk to — players, staff, front during the season. But right now, we can’t look that far ahead. baseball operations side. I found
office people — the enthusiasm that to be the case. In terms of
and optimism on the field is much the vision of the organization, I
different than it has been in the saw instances in which a good
HUNTINGTON
past. I’m very enthusiastic to get The expectation is we’ll be better. plan was in place but we veered
started. I’m optimistic. I’m not We’ll play the game the right way. off from the plan in order to
going to put any number of We’re going to improve individual- satisfy some certain goals that
(wins) on it, though. Our goal is ly and as a group. We’re going to weren’t consistent with the
to build a sustainable champi- be a more entertaining product on plan. Of the people who have
onship-caliber teams, it’s not to the field and we’re going to give remained in the organization,
win 82 games. We want to ourselves a chance to win every we have some top-notch base-
compete for championships in night. ball people, both in the front
TEAM MANAGER
johnRUSSELL
2008 and in the long term. office and on the field. I didn’t
know Jeff Andrews at all before
coming here. I was extraordinar-
ily impressed by him during
meetings. I came out of those
meetings and said to Neal,
‘Who’s that guy who seems to
know everything about pitch-
ing?’ So I was really very happy
to hear that John Russell felt
the same about him and wanted
him on his staff. I didn’t know
nealHUNTINGTON Tony Beasley before I came here
frankCOONELLY
— I didn’t know him personally,
TEAM PRESIDENT
GENERAL MANAGER although I knew of him. I was
very impressed with Tony
during meetings and follow-up
conversations. There were some
very good people here who have
stayed here. And with the new
people whom we’ve added, I
feel that we have a very
exciting team.
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My impression was that it was
a franchise that had a tremen-
dous history, one that deserves
to be among the better organi-
zations in baseball. It’s a mid-
(sized) market, and there’s no
avoiding that. But in this day
and age, with the payroll struc-
tures the way they are, if you
can manage your resources effi-
ciently, you can win. The pas-
sion of the fans is greater than
I anticipated. You see that
1.7 million and you say, Wow,
that’s a great (attendance)
number for a team that hasn’t
3. done very well recently. But I
hear the passion of the fans —
WHAT ARE THE FRANCHISE'S and believe me, we’ve heard it
SHORTCOMINGS? a lot — and I realize that’s
something I underestimated.
That’s our best attribute we
2.
COONELLY
I don’t think we’ll be able to gauge have going forward.
that until we get into the season.
We need to find more ways to get
RUSSELL
WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN THAT I’m not going to comment on
on base. I’ve been encouraged by what’s happened here in the
MAKES YOU OPTIMISTIC THE both (Nate) McLouth and (Nyjer) past. Everybody talks about the
TEAM CAN REACH ITS GOALS? Morgan, in terms of their ability 15 losing years. You can’t put
to take pitches when they should that on these guys’ shoulders. I
and get on base. I’ve been do think there is a change in
extremely encouraged by our
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We felt that, on paper, we had an the way guys are going about it
outstanding staff. We’ve seen it be ability to move over runners. But now. I think they are actually
an outstanding staff. They’re hold- we need to get on base at a far very interested and very excited
ing these players accountable, they higher level than we did last year. about what we’re doing. I think
have a tremendous attention to And we need to make sure that the structure and the constant
detail, they’re great teachers and we have some pop in the lineup. teaching is something they’re
communicators. There may be That means that (Jason) Bay,
RUSSELL
One of the biggest things is our excited about. We won’t change
some bumps along the way, but I (Adam) LaRoche, (Xavier) Nady, as a staff. We’ll be consistent,
pitching staff seems to be coming (Ronny) Paulino and (Jose)
think that over time our staff together. We’ve got guys who can whether we’re winning or los-
instruction ability and attention to Bautista need to provide some ing. That’s one of the things
swing the bat. We’re not a mon- more pop and run production.
detail is going to pay dividends on ster power team, but we can do people are starting to realize,
the field with our players. I think some things in situations. We’re that we’re not going to change
our players have understood that preaching “give ourselves a what we’re trying to do.
Overall, we need to keep improv-
RUSSELL
the environment’s different. chance,” and I know we didn’t win
Almost every player came to camp ing in all phases. We’ve got some
a ton of games down here, but we guys who are pretty solid defen-
in the best shape he’s been in in a are doing that. We’ve been in a lot
long time. We’re hearing from the sively, but we need to work on
of games. In almost every game making sure we’re in the right
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players that they understand that We’ve made tremendous strides
we lost, we’ve been in it right until position, that we’re throwing to in scouting and development, both
the level and focus is different. the end. That’s all we can ask. If the right bases. We need to be
Those are the two big indicators: personnel- and systems-wise. The
you keep doing that night after better baserunners. We need to fact remains, though, that we
our staff has followed through on night, eventually games start turn- work on our approach at the plate
what it said it was going to do, don’t have as much talent as we
ing in your favor. We’ve given our- of trying to work the opposing need in the farm system to be a
and I think our players are showing selves opportunities to win games. pitcher, get a good ball to hit. It’s sustainable championship-caliber
the results of that. going to be a constant progression organization. That’s going to come
for us. We can’t get complacent through the draft, it’s going to
and say, ‘We’ve got it now.’ We come through Latin America.
can’t afford to get in a position Unfortunately, there is going to
COONELLY
In addition to the enthusiasm level from the players — the buy-in level from the
players — to what John and his staff are teaching, I see a lot of good things, where things are going pretty come a point in time when some
good so we just ride the wave. of it will come through those dif-
particularly with the pitching. In this game, it all starts with pitching. I’ve been There’s always going to be areas
very happy about the efforts that our starting pitchers have given. I know there ficult decisions that result in
of concern. That’s why we had the trades of popular players. But in
was a lot of concern about the bullpen, but I think we’ve seen some good things. philosophy this spring of attention
Matt Capps looks to be in midseason form. Damaso Marte had a little illness order to replenish this farm sys-
to detail so we can avoid those tem, we need to do it in a variety
issue, but it doesn’t seem to have affected him. (John) Grabow looks terrific. shortcomings.
On the right-handed side, Frankie Osoria looks very good. of ways.