Pirates hope new faces are help

Pittsburgh brought in four players who have been to the World Series.

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — The new management of the Pittsburgh Pirates is hoping that adding winners to the team, on and off the field, will help the franchise snap a string of 15 losing seasons.

On the field, that includes four players who have been to the World Series: Doug Mientkiewicz, Jaret Wright, Matt Morris and Byung-Hyun Kim. Also, Masumi Kuwata was part of championship teams in his native Japan.

“These guys have played in postseason games, and those experiences can only help,” general manager Neal Huntington said. “They’ve been where we want to go as an organization, and they can help these players understand how to get there, too.”

Mientkiewicz, who caught the final out for the Boston Red Sox in 2004, said he thinks such experience can make a difference.

“Even on a younger team, you need to have guys in your clubhouse who have been there, who know how to get it done,” Mientkiewicz said. “You might have guys who want to win, but they have to be shown the right way.”

Off the field, the Pirates have invited to camp prominent alumni such as Bill Mazeroski, Kent Tekulve, Manny Sanguillen and Bill Virdon — all members of Pirates’ championship teams in 1960, 1971 or 1979. Chuck Tanner, manager of the 1979 “We are Family” team, was hired in the offseason as a special assistant.

All except Tanner were mainstays at previous camps, but the difference is they are more directly involved in instruction this camp. In particular, Sanguillen has worked closely with the catchers, Tekulve with the relievers.

Steve Blass, who pitched a complete Game 7 to clinch the Pirates’ 1971 championship, was asked to address the players last week and was deeply emotional when speaking about the franchise’s history. Reliever John Grabow called it “probably the best speech I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s a great franchise, and you need to know what your heritage is. I’m still living it,” said Blass, now a broadcaster for the Pirates. “I’ve got loyalty to this team that I can’t even begin to describe to you.”

At one point, he motioned to the other alumni in the room and told the players, “That professionalism, that Pirates pride ... it’s written all over those guys. Shame on you if you don’t go to them. They’ve been there. They’re champions.”

The plan is to extend this nostalgia beyond spring training. Kyle Stark, the Pirates’ new director of player development, has asked Blass and Tanner to speak to minor-league players throughout the summer. Blass and Tanner say that 15 losing seasons shouldn’t erase a 122-year history that has included Hall of Famers such as Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell.

“There’s a lot to be proud of here,” Tanner said. “We’ve had great teams, great players and great fans over the years. You can’t lose sight of that. You’ve got to have some pride when you put on that uniform.”