Snell: Tracy and Colborn not to blame for losing

The Pirates pitcher defended former manager Jim Tracy and pitching coach Jim
Colborn.

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Those 95 losses in 2005 and 94 losses in 2006 are evidence that the Pittsburgh Pirates weren’t a very good team under former manager Jim Tracy.

Pirates right-hander Ian Snell wants something on the record before their season begins under new manager John Russell: The Pirates’ 14th and 15th consecutive losing seasons weren’t totally the fault of Tracy and former pitching coach Jim Colborn.

Maybe Tracy didn’t carry through with his promise to upgrade the Pirates’ quality of instruction, to bring more accountability to a team that has drowned in losses since 1993, to ask more of players who seemingly are career underachievers.

Colborn had a contentious relationship with some players, and some pitchers clearly didn’t like all the suggestions he made or the mechanical alterations he designed.

But blame Tracy for all that was wrong the last two seasons? Blame Colborn? Don’t do it when Snell is around.

“I loved Colby,” said Snell, whose combined 23 victories over the last two seasons were the most of any Pirates pitcher.

“Sure, we had our differences, but it was like a father-son relationship. You’re going to have your fights, you’re going to have your arguments, but you put your differences aside.”

Snell thinks he grew up considerably in the last two seasons under Tracy and Colborn, both of whom were fired.

Snell argued at times with both but said he appreciates the considerable time they spent trying to transform him from a raw but promising talent who wasn’t considered a top high school prospect in Delaware into a major leaguer.

Snell was 14-11 with a 4.74 ERA in 2006 after making only 18 previous career appearances — numbers that look better in light of the fact that the Pirates won only 67 games.

He was one of the NL’s best starting pitchers before the All-Star break last season, going 6-5 with a 2.90 ERA, but slumped during the second half and finished 9-12 with a 3.76 ERA.

There’s no doubt that the 26-year-old Snell was one of the players that the Pirates’ new management was pointing to when they said the club badly underachieved last season and has a lot more to give.

But there is no questioning Snell’s desire to win.

His dislike of the Pirates’ persistent losing, and his on-the-mound approach to trying to avoid it, led to some of his run-ins with Colborn and Tracy.

The arguments helped ease Snell through a difficult season in which he won only twice in his last 15 starts.

“That’s what Colby and me did — we had a lot of fights, but then again he talked to me a lot, about life, and Tracy was the same way,” Snell said.

“I sat and talked to him a lot in his office. I took the time to talk to him and get to know him a little bit better. You found out how great as people they are and what they can teach you, and they taught me a lot.”

Colborn, who worked previously with Tracy as the Dodgers’ pitching coach, is now the director of Pacific Rim scouting for the Seattle Mariners.

Tracy is not working in baseball after managing the Dodgers for five seasons and the Pirates for two.

The right-handed Snell figures to start the Pirates’ second game of the season in Atlanta April 2 and their home opener against the Cubs five days later.

He has a new pitching coach, Jeff Andrews, he likes very much, but says he won’t forget much of what Colborn taught him.

“He was like a father to me,” Snell said.