Akinori Iwamura

The Pirates have a boatload of questions going into 2010 - Jeff Clement, a retooled bullpen, shortstop, Lastings Milledge/Garrett Jones as difference makers - but so far, second baseman Akinori Iwamura has evaded the microscope.

His pedigree is solid. Iwamura, a convert from the hot corner, has become a dependable middle infielder and sports a career .281 batting average and .354 OBP, certainly bona-fides strong enough to replace a banged-up Freddy Sanchez at second (.299/.334).

But as Jen Langosch of MLB.com reports, he is less than a year removed from ACL surgery, and plans to wear a brace during the season.

Is that reason for concern? Well, yes and no. Certainly wearing a brace doesn't mean that he's not healing. From the reports we've seen, he's participating in all the drills at Bradenton and showing no ill effects from his knifework.

But the Pirates have put all their eggs in his basket. There's already been talk about punching up the Bucco attack at some point by leading off with Iwamura, batting Andy LaRoche behind him (he did hit .289 from that spot in 2009, although his OBP was a pretty measly .319) and dropping Andrew McCutchen to third.

Additionally, he's a linchpin for the infield. Iwamura is the only infield guy that doesn't have a Plan B; his backups are Bobby Crosby and Ramon Vazquez. Even LaRoche has the shadow of Pedro Alvarez looming large over him.

So he's quietly become an integral part of the Pirates moving forward in 2010. And there's one question concerning Iwamura; can the Pirates get 145-150 games out of his knee?

If the answer is positive, the Pirates are a better team, and may ink him for another season or two while their young infield prospects dry off behind the ears. If not...well, remember the black hole that second base became after Steady Freddy left, both in the field and the lineup card?

The GW Realignment

It's a rainy day in Bradenton; the big news of the last couple of days has been the love-fest for old Bucco's Billy Maz, Bill Virdon, Manny Sanguillen, and Teke, along with Chuck Tanner, who is out of commission right now.

These torch-passers are partly coaching up the current crop of pups, but mostly reminding PNC fans of what once was. They invoke the warm and fuzzy days of Pirate baseball, when babushka power, The Lumber Company, and Sister Sledge ruled. Historic they are; newsy, they ain't.

So GW thought he'd throw his two cents worth in regarding realignment. We care not a twit what the AL does, but the gang brought up a couple of good points that are germane to NL switcheroos.

Mark In Dallas says "The DH-No DH question is too much of a hurdle to overcome," and The Doctor Is In adds "The Phillies were a HUGE rival of the Pirates. Put the Pirates, Phils, Nats and Mets in one division."

OK, we'll take both very valid points into consideration. With a minimum of disruption, how does this NL alignment sound...?

NL East: Mets, Pirates, Phils, Nats, and Reds.

NL Central: Brewers, Cards, Cubs, Braves, Marlins, and Astros.

NL West: D-Backs, Giants, Dodgers, Padres, and Rockies.

Pretty simple, no? Swap out the Braves and Marlins with the Bucs and Reds, leave the West be, and viola - no DH controversy, no traditional lore lost, and some regional rivalries restored, while the others continue on. What's not to like?

Realignment, Anyone?

Hey, the snow is flyin' in Pittsburgh and baseballs are flyin' in Bradenton. And that's about all the Bucco news you need to know today. So we thought we'd bring you some hot stove fodder - Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has a couple of radical realignment ideas for baseball, in the main to break up the Red Sox and Yankees and spread the wealth.

One plan was to break up the teams by geography and revenues; we'll ignore that one, because it's quite frankly weak. But the other two...

His simplest machination involves the Red Sox and Tigers switching divisions, with the Astros moving to the AL West to match up with their natural rivals, the Rangers. Each league would be balanced.

Ah, but his biggie - he mixes the leagues up, basing most of his alignment on geography. This shakeup results in these divisions:

AL Atlantic: Mets, Yankees, Jays, Orioles, and Nationals.

AL Great Lakes: Twins, Pirates, Indians, Tigers, and the Reds.

AL Pacific: Dodgers, Angels, Athletics, Giants, and Mariners.

NL East: Red Sox, Phillies, Braves, Marlins, and Rays.

NL Midwest: Cubs, Cards, White Sox, Brewers, and Royals.

NL Southwest: D-Backs, Rockies, Rangers, Astros, and Padres.

Hey, it does provide a lot of natural rivalries; it does a much nicer job of that than inter-league play ever could. And it balances the leagues, too.

Of course, it shatters the traditional NL/AL history, and MLB would probably have to finally figure out if it wants to keep the DH or not league-wide (and we know how the union would vote on that one!)

Any thoughts?

Another Day At Camp Bradenton

Sorry, guys, no sex or steroid scandals, no blockbuster trades or season-ending injuries; no breakout performances. It's just another day at camp.

First, what the beat gang is reporting:

-- Octavio Dotel is day-to-day with a sore left side; the Bucs don't believe it's anything serious, and we sure hope it's not his oblique. Evan Meek can tell OD all about those.

-- Joel Hanrahan should be ready sooner rather than later. The swelling is going down, according to his MRI, and Dr. McAndrews seconded the strained elbow opinion. He's on track to be ready for Opening Day or thereabouts.

-- Neil Walker is working out at first, third, second, and right. Think the suits are trying to tell him something? We think his glove is fine; he needs to pick up his bat.

-- The docs checked out Jose Ascanio's labrum; he's looking like he'll be back in the last couple weeks of June.

-- Jen Langosch of MLB.com wrote that Bucco minor-league guru Kyle Stark says a pair of touted minor-league arms will be down for the start of the season: Colton Cain (8th round, 2009) has a back injury, but has been cleared to begin workouts. Brett Lorin, acquired in the Seattle trade, will miss the start of the season because of a hip injury.

-- Chuck Finder of the Post Gazette reports on a wonderful problem; where are the Pirates gonna place all their pitchers? The Bucs have a load of arms trying to make their way up from High A and AA. That's one area the new crew addressed in a hurry.

-- According to Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 30 year-old JR House was given a premature burial by GW; he landed on his feet and signed with the Braves for another minor-league go around. In 10 minor league seasons, House has a .302 career average, 117 homers and a .838 OPS. He’s had just 10 hits in 60 MLB at-bats with Pittsburgh, Houston and Baltimore.

House spent the 2009 season with the Royals’ AAA Omaha club, batting .251 with nine homers and 53 RBIs in 505 at-bats. Ouch.

-- Speaking of signings, GM Neal Huntington's contract is up this year and manager John Russell is working on the first of two team options. Bob Nutting isn't extending either one quite yet, though he did give the management gang a vote of confidence.

-- The MLB Network will televise four of the Pirates' Spring games: March 3 at 1 pm (Pirates/Yankees), March 10 at 7 pm (Orioles/Pirates), March 13 at 7 pm (Pirates/Red Sox), March 14 at 9 pm (Yankees/Pirates).

-- And for those of you bemoaning the popularity of baseball, Maury Brown of the Business of Baseball wrote that though attendance was down 7%, MLB set a revenue record. He explains how in his article.

The Coonelly Dynasty Begins...

Chuck Finder in the Post Gazette reports that Bucco prez Frank Coonelly said "2010 is the beginning of the next dynasty of the Pirates..." Woohoo! About time, we say.

But hey, every dynasty needs its warriors. The Pirates have Andrew McCutchen as a fairly sure thing to be an above average MLB player, maybe even a difference maker in time. The rest of the gang? Well, they're on the way.

Here's how the baseball world sees the up-and-coming Pirate pups, who are supposed to lead the bumbling Bucs to the promised land:

-- JJ Cooper of Baseball America picks his Top 100 Prospects. Out of those hot-shots, he includes two Pirates-to-be: Pedro Alvavrez, #8, and Tony Sanchez, #79.

-- Keith Law of ESPN also compiled a list of the Top 100 prospects; he likes Alvarez, but at #35, Jose Tabata at #57, and Sanchez, #82.

-- MLB.com selects a Top 50 with vids; the only Bucco baby they rank is Alvarez, at #8. To add a little insult to injury, they select Tanner Sheppers, the pitcher the suits didn't sign, as #39.

As you can see, the pundits don't think there's a lot of Grade A help on the horizon; that makes the dynasty talk a bit premature.

But hey, if the Pirates continue to overdraft - remember, as their payroll increases, their draft budget will shrink - and guys like Brad Lincoln, Chase d'Arnaud and Jarek Cunningham continue to mature, along with the rest of the gang, there should be a light at the end of what's been a very long tunnel.

The Curious Cases of Zach Duke and Paul Maholm

Hmmmm...Joe Kerrigan says that they overworked Zach Duke and threw Paul Maholm out while injured, according to Chuck Finder of the Post Gazette. Are the inmates running the asylum?

The more worrisome case is regarding Maholm. Kerrigan as much as admitted that his knee was never really OK in 2009, and they sent him out with a brace for a couple of starts.

Now Maholm will never be mistaken for Sandy Koufax. But the lefty is a bulldog, and when he's on, he's capable of being a perfectly acceptable mid-rotation arm, and that's a valuable MLB commodity that should be handled with care.

No player, especially one with Maholm's demeanor, passes up an opportunity to take the ball. That's why teams have docs, trainers, and coaches - someone has to be the grownup and be willing to say "no" when the situation calls for it.

But in this case, it appears the Pirates would rather risk their talent than show the due diligence most clubs would exercise. Instead of shutting him down until his knee recovered, they sent him out to the mound 31 times, and he logged 194-1/3 innings on one leg.

We understand that Maholm downplayed his injury; he's a pro. We'd hate to think that a paper-thin rotation and the threat of 100 losses had anything to do with the decision to keep trotting him out to the mound.

Duke is a surprise. He went deep into games, as befitting his recent MO; he threw 3 complete games and should have had a fourth. He's worked 398 frames in the past two seasons, making 63 starts.

Most teams would be pleased as punch with that kind of performance. But Kerrigan thinks maybe they left him on the hill too long, citing his second-half meltdown.

He did toss 28 more innings in 2009 than he did in 2008, but that's just a 13% increase, pretty much within the limits. Actually, he should have imploded in 2008, when he jumped from 107 injury-plagued innings to 185 (and he did).

Hey, we thought the point was to get seven good innings out of a guy. His woes from August on had more to do with a bullpen that couldn't hold a lead and the trades of Jack Wilson and Steady Freddy, a major blow to a ground ball pitcher that doesn't miss many bats.

It seems to us that the answer is to cut down on his off-day regimen during the dog days (which the team says it did), strengthen the middle infield (which they did, too, to a degree), and put together a bullpen that he can hand the ball to in the seventh or eighth inning without fear of an impeding train wreck. That's yet to be seen.

Telling the media that a guy is gonna have his innings cut back isn't up there with the diatribes that the suits launched against Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny, we admit. But it does devalue a pitcher whose claim to fame is as a dependable inning-eater, and a little nagging voice wonders if it has something to do with contract leverage rather than effectiveness.

We'd like at least to see some more consistency in the way they handle pitchers; some are shut down and others are given the ball every fifth day. Ditto with the injured guys, like Tyler Yates, Craig Hansen, and Jose Ascanio, who pitched until it was time for the knife.

We're hoping that there's no management favoritism (or ineptitude) involved, especially with Littlefield-inherited pitchers, just a young coaching staff feeling its way around. But one can't help but wonder...

Competition Ain't Nothin'

You may recall that in 2009, despite all the lip service to accountability, the rotation and opening day lineup were pretty much etched in stone.

Zach Duke, Ian Snell, Paul Maholm, and Tom Gorzelanny were set in the rotation, while Jeff Karstens took the fifth spot. Ryan Doumit, Adam LaRoche, Freddie Sanchez, Jack Wilson, Andy LaRoche, Brandon Moss, Nate McLouth and Nyjer Morgan owned their starting jobs from the first day of camp.

Don't expect much difference this year. Oh, the cast of characters have changed, but the competition level hasn't.

Ross Ohlendorf, Paul Maholm, Zach Duke and Charlie Morton are locks to start this season, and from the reports of the beat guys, the Pirate brass think the fifth spot is Kevin Hart's to lose; we'll see what Daniel McCutchen has to say about that. But again, the only competition is for the fifth spot.

The 2010 lineup is fairly well set, too. Ryan Doumit, Andy LaRoche, Akinori Iwamura, Lastings Milledge, Andrew McCutchen, and Garrett Jones are guaranteed positions.

And the rest of the competition isn't really that heated. The Bucs expect Ronny Cedeno to start at short over Bobby Crosby, so the only burning question is whether Jeff Clement can transition to first base; if not, Ryan Church goes to right and Jones to first.

That's not to say there hasn't been drastic change. Only two starters, Duke and Maholm, remain in the retooled rotation (nary a soul is left from the original 2009 bullpen), and Doumit and LaRoche are the only pair of everyday players left among the regulars.

It will only get more confused in the future. Pedro Alvarez and possibly Jose Tabata and Brad Lincoln loom large in the near future. And while there may not be much more talent joining them soon (maybe Gorkys Hernandez), by 2012 there will be a steady stream of pups ready to join the pack - Sterling Marte, Tim Alderson, Chase d'Arnaud, Jarek Cunningham and maybe Rudy Owens, among others.

So don't get hung up on the current position battles, or lack thereof. This team is still one that's in transition. Wait until late season 2011 and camp 2012; that's when it'll get interesting.

And It Begins

-- Chuck Finder of the Post Gazette reports that "With three off days scattered among the opening 12 games of the season, Pirates management is considering the possibility of using just four starting pitchers until late April.

'Maybe we do carry an extra bench player early,' Neal Huntington suggested. For the time being, the Pirates aim to head north with a roster of 12 pitchers and 13 position players."

Wonder what Daniel McCutchen and Kevin Hart think of that? The advantage is that the pair each pick up a start or two at Indy - both have options - and come out of the gate running; the drawback is burning up player moves so early in the year.

-- Even though the full squad isn't due until Tuesday, all but seven players are in camp now. The handful that haven't arrived yet are Andrew McCutchen, Lastings Milledge, Ronny Cedeno, Delwyn Young, Jonathan Van Every, Gorkys Hernandez and Argenis Diaz, according to Jen Langosch of MLB.com.

-- She also noted that Neil Walker caught Zach Duke's side session at the start of camp, and took some balls at second yesterday. Every little bit of versatility helps when you're a bubble player.

-- Jeff Clement continues to get a crash course in the art of picking a ball at first. Carlos Garcia now knows how Perry Hill felt when he took Delwyn Young under his wing last season.

-- Jean Machi, minor-league reliever who was held back from pitching after his physical, was cleared for action and threw a side session today.

-- You think it's easy to put up a statue? Not so, says Jeremy Boren of the Tribune Review. The Sports & Exhibition Authority's board of directors had to approve the proposed Maz statue by PNC park; they're the owners of the field. Next, the city's Art Commission has to review and OK the piece.

The Pirates are paying $450,000 to build the statute on Mazeroski Way. Sculptor Susan Wagner will do the honors; she's already created the Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell statues. Construction should begin in June and be finished by September 5th, Maz's birthday.

-- The Nationals have won their arbitration case with LHP Sean Burnett, who will make $775,000 in 2010 instead of the $925,000 he sought, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. "It was interesting," Burnett told Ladson. "I learned a lesson. I don't want to deal with it again."

Last season, Burnett went a combined 2-3 with a 3.12 ERA for the Pirates and Nationals.

Bucs Already Battered

Hey, we knew going into camp that a couple of pitchers had bum wings - Jose Ascanio, Tyler Yates, newly-inked Neal Cotts, and Craig Hansen. Well, John Russell announced to the beat gang that another pair can be added to the list - reserve infielder Ramon Vazquez and heavily counted-upon reliever Joel Hanrahan.

Vazquez had his knee scoped in November after injuring it in August and playing through the pain. He should be good to go by the time the team breaks camp.

Hanrahan may be another story. The righty had some pain towards the end of last season, and it returned during mini-camp. The official diagnosis is a flexor pronator strain in his right elbow; a tendinitis-type injury. He could be gone for a couple of weeks; he could, on the outside, face the knife.

"The reality is that Joel probably won't be ready for Opening Day," GM Neal Huntington told Jen Langosch of MLB.com. "Is it May 1? Is it June 1? We'll know more as we get more doctor information."

He visited sawbone Dr. Patrick DeMeo in Bradenton today, and will get another MRI Tuesday; the first test showed no structural damage. Orthopedist Dr. James Andrews will poke and probe him next Thursday in Pensacola.

So it's gonna be treading water for the next few weeks. The Pirates plan to replace him internally - they have a small horde of relievers on hand - although a long-term injury could make them look over the remaining market.

They don't have a likely top-four reliever among their many pick-ups, unless one of the young guys stands out. Ramon Aguero, Jean Machi, Jeff Sues, and Ronald Uviedo may get longer looks now. Kevin Hart may get a nod, too, if he doesn't take the final rotation spot.

As far as the rest of the bruise crew, here's their anticipated return to action:

Jose Ascanio (right shoulder surgery): He's looking at an early June return.

Tyler Yates (right elbow TJ surgery): He's on track to return in July, which will be a year after the original surgery. It's his second time under the scalpel, so that could be a wishful recovery date.

Neal Cotts (left elbow TJ surgery): The Pirates hope for a mid-June to early-July come-back for the lefty, who went under the knife last July. It's an aggressive date, though by all reports he's recovering well.

Craig Hansen (upper, mid-back nerve damage): Hansen has begun throwing, but there's no timetable for his return to action.

Jimmy Barthmaier (right elbow TJ surgery): After missing almost all of the 2009 season, he's hoping for a mid-May clearance, which would be a full year after his surgery.

Cotts and Barthmaier are throwing soft side sessions; Yates and Hansen are long-tossing.

It was also reported that Jean Machi, a highly regarded minor-league reliever, was held out of practice after his physical; there's no announcement saying why, so he's a another wait-and-see arm. (EDIT - Machi is OK; he was cleared to pitch).

The healthy pitchers - and there are 30 of them cleared for camp - will throw side sessions for a week on alternating days, then some BP, as they slowly prepare for the March 3rd opening of the Grapefruit League. Here's knockin' on wood that they all get through it OK.

Jim Bibby

Jim Bibby, one of Chuck Tanner's starting arms when the Bucs took the crown in 1979, joined teammates Willie 'Pops' Stargell, John 'Hitman' Milner, Bill Robinson, Doc Ellis, and Dave Roberts on the Field of Dreams when he died from undisclosed causes today.

The big righty pitched in the show for 12 seasons, from 1972-84, spending five years with the Pirates, four with the Rangers, three with the Indians and two short stints with the Cardinals. He ran up 111 wins with a 3.76 ERA during his career.

A tall (6'-5"), intimidating flamethrower with overpowering stuff, Bibby averaged a trifle over 5-1/2 K's per nine, while walking almost four per game, tantalizing but never consistent. He was a Jekyll and Hyde guy, capable of great games followed by stinkers.

Bibby, 65 when he died, started his pro career in the New York Mets system in 1965 following three years with the Fayetteville State Broncos. After missing the 1966-1967 seasons when he was part of Uncle Sam's contingent in Vietnam, he returned to the Mets and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971 in an eight player deal of marginal talents.

He got the call in the show in 1972: his inability to throw strikes kept Bibby from becoming a big leaguer until he was 27 years old, when got a cup of coffee in St. Louis. After six very forgettable outings for the Cards in 1973, he was shipped to the Rangers for Mike Nagy and John Wockenfuss.

He showed his potential that season. Bibby tossed a no-hitter against the A's, a one-hitter, a two-hitter, two four-hitters, and four five-hitters in 1973. He struck out 15 in one game, and fanned at least 10 seven times. Still, he finished 9-12, though with a respectable 3.76 ERA.

In 1975, he was part of a trio the Rangers sent to the Tribe for Gaylord Perry, and the light went on in Cleveland. Bibby won 30 games there in 2-1/2 years, with ERAs of 3.20, 3.20, and 3.57.

Bibby joined the Bucs as a free agent in 1978, and would remain a Pirate until 1983. The team got its money's worth from Bibby. He went 50-32 for Pittsburgh, with a 3.53 ERA over that span (he lost 1982 to an elbow injury), and he went 19-6 with a 3.32 ERA to earn his only All-Star nod and finished third in the NL Cy Young voting in 1980.

Hey, so what if he came to Pittsburgh to replace Goose Gossage? Teke Tekulve took care of that after Bibby fizzled as a finisher and returned to the rotation.

He became a key member of that 1979 pitching staff. Bibby made 34 appearances, split between starting and the pen. The big guy put up a 12-4 record with a 2.81 ERA, and did even better in the playoffs and Series. He got three starts, including Game #7 against the O's during the post-season. Although earning no decisions, he pitched in 17-1/3 pressure cooker innings, with an ERA of 2.08.

After that brilliant 1980 season, he still had a highlight left in him. On May 19, 1981, at the age of 36, Bibby gave up a leadoff single to the Atlanta Braves' Terry Harper, then was perfect for the remainder of the game, retiring the next 27 batters for a 5-0 shutout. On top of that he went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, and drove in and scored a run.

But in 1982 he had arm woes, missing the year, and that put the nail in his MLB coffin. Bibby was a swingman in 1983, with a 6.69 ERA, and played briefly with the Rangers, where he was released and signed to a minor-league deal by St. Louis.

He retired in July of 1984 from his original club, the Cards, and Bibby served as pitching coach with the Lynchburg Mets, Red Sox and Hillcats for 15 years. After a season with the Pirates' Nashville club in 2000, Bibby's contract wasn't renewed, and he retired from baseball for good, getting two new knees in 2001.

There was one final recognition for Bibby. In 2002, Lynchburg retired his number 26 and held a bobblehead night for him. That's some kinda love for a pitching coach.

Bibby was the oldest brother of UCLA basketball player Henry Bibby and the uncle of NBA player Mike Bibby. He leaves behind his wife, Jackie (Jordan) Bibby, and two daughters, Tamara Bibby and Tanya (Bibby) McClain.

We know that somewhere tonight in baseball Vahalla, Jim Bibby is staring in for the sign, with a torrent of sweat washing over him, ready to unleash his wild heater once again.