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| Tuesday, October 23 Updated: October 24, 5:48 PM ET  By Marty Bernoski ESPN.com |
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 Manager Lloyd McClendon promised the fans they wouldn't be embarrassed by the 2001 Pirates. But that didn't hold true as the Pirates endured their ninth straight losing season. Forget about the 2001 disaster for a moment. Let's jump in the time machine and revisit 1992, the Pirates' last winning season. Here's the Opening Day lineup: Kirk Gibson, RF; Jay Bell, SS; Andy Van Slyke, CF, Barry Bonds, LF; Orlando Merced, 1B; Steve Buechele, 3B; Mike LaValliere, C; Jose Lind, 2B; and starter Doug Drabek. The Pirates won 96 games that year. It's seems like such a long, long time ago. Pirates fans deserve better than this.
Best Pitcher: At the start of the season everyone in the organization hoped it would be Kris Benson, but he had season-ending elbow surgery. It could have been reliever Mike Williams or starter Jason Schmidt but both were traded by the July 31 deadline. The only pitcher with double-digits in the win column was Todd Ritchie. Does that make him the best pitcher? Well, it does this year. Ritchie, who started the season 0-6, went 11-15 with a 4.47 ERA in 33 starts. He had a team-high 124 strikeouts in 207 1/3 innings, while walking only 52. If the Pirates could have given him more run support (3.7), maybe he could have finished .500. Best Position Player: Brian Giles or Aramis Ramirez? A tough choice but we'll take Giles. Maybe Ramirez will unseat Giles in 2002. The gritty 30-year-old outfielder continued to crush the ball, hitting .309 with a team-high 37 homers. He fell five RBI short of the century mark and scored 116 runs, the most since Ralph Kiner scored 124 in 1951. Giles' numbers have been remarkably consistent since joining the Pirates in 1999. He also had 10 outfield assists -- seven in left field, three in center.
Most Improved: Aramis Ramirez. Entering the 2001 season, Ramirez had a .239 career average with 12 homers and 66 RBI in 163 major-league games. The 23-year-old third baseman surpassed all expectations, hitting .300 with 34 homers. He led the team in hits (181), doubles (40) and RBI (112). How did he put up those astronomical numbers in his first full major-league season? If Ramirez can improve his fielding (25 errors), he could be among the best third basemen in the league. Biggest Weakness: The Pirates' offensive production was simply dreadful. Pittsburgh hit a major-league worst .247 with a former hitting coach as manager. They scored just 657 runs, the second-lowest total in the majors. Much like Kris Benson's elbow, the starting rotation needs to be reconstructed. But where do you start? There are so many problems with this team, prioritizing them and figuring out how this team can improve without breaking the bank will be a daunting task for new general manager Dave Littlefield. Kicked Off the Island:The Pirates can't unload outfielder Derek Bell , first baseman Kevin Young and second baseman Pat Meares fast enough. Signing Bell to a two-year, $9 million contract proved to be a major mistake. The 32-year-old outfielder appeared in only 46 games, hitting .173 with five homers and 13 RBI. Young hit .232 and struck out a team-high 119 times and Meares hit .211 in 87 games. The Pirates have a lot of money invested in veterans who aren't producing. Jason Kendall or Brian Giles, cornerstones of the franchise, might be traded to get some quality players in return. |
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