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Pirates make annual winter stop at Butler
YOUNGSTOWN
Ten days ago, Sean Rodriguez was living in Florida as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.
On Wednesday, the 29-year-old utility player was at The Butler Institute of American Art as part of the annual Pittsburgh Pirates “Care-a-van” stop in Youngstown.
“I have to say, when it happened I was kinda shocked,” the Miami, Fla., native said about being traded. “But I think I was more excited than anything else.
“Everything I’ve seen and come to know about the Pirates, especially with what they’ve been doing lately, is definitely something I can find myself getting into and enjoying a whole lot.”
This year’s event partnered with the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center in Boardman to create awareness. Members of the organization spent the morning with breast cancer survivors from the JACBCC.
“We’re really happy to host the Pirates here again this year,” said Butler director Lou Zona. “It’s always a very special event in the community and I think this year we’re supporting a great cause.”
While Rodriguez was the newest member of the organization that made the trip up I-76, the biggest buzz surrounded a couple of players who will be making a return to Pittsburgh this season. Pitchers A.J. Burnett and Francisco Liriano have both re-signed with the Pirates this offseason, meaning Christmas came early for pitching coach Ray Searage.
“I was really happy that we got them both back and A.J. is going to help out tremendously, as is Liriano with their experience,” Searage said. “I got the best of both worlds in both of those guys.”
Searage has built a reputation during his time in Pittsburgh as a coach who can fix pitchers. Some of his best work came with Burnett and Liriano, who were both thought to be beyond repair when they arrived in Pittsburgh. Burnett became a key component to the franchises turnaround in 2012 and Liriano won baseball’s comeback player of the year award in 2013.
“All the credit shouldn’t be [given to] me,” Searage said. “I have some people behind me that really do a heck of a job and help me and also the pitchers themselves.
“No. 1, you’ve got to build a trust factor first before they’re going to believe everything you say. I give them all the credit in the world for trusting me.”
One of his ongoing projects is starter Charlie Morton. Traded to the Pirates in 2009, Morton has had a difficult time staying healthy and, to a large degree, staying consistent. The 6-foot-5 right-hander has had three surgeries since 2011 and is most recently rehabbing from hip surgery.
It’s been a up-and-down road for Morton, with the one constant being Searage.
“I had the worst season of my career in 2010 and Ray was always there and he’s always been there,” Morton said. “He has a very strong personality, but I don’t mean that in the sense that he’s outspoken, I just mean that he’s convictive — and he’s a good man.”
With Gerrit Cole, Burnett and Liriano locks for the opening day rotation, that leaves two spots available for a handful of pitchers. One that likely won’t be in Pittsburgh to start the season is the 2010 second overall pick Jameson Taillon.
The 23-year-old was on the verge of joining the major league team last year, before it was discovered that he needed Tommy John surgery sidelining him for the year. Ranked as the Pirates No. 2 prospect heading into this season, Taillon could find himself in Pittsburgh by midseason.
“That’s the ultimate goal — to get up in Pittsburgh and help out,” Taillon said. “I’m on Twitter so every time I see guys mention me, and are certainly excited, that definitely lights a little fire.
“But throughout this process I’ve just been kind of self-motivated. My attitude’s been really good about it.”
The attitude around the entire organization has been nothing but positive after two consecutive playoff appearances. Now the goal is to maintain that success, which is something Searage understands well.
“Consistency is what they want,” he said. “Consistency is what we need as an organization.
“That consistency becomes their discipline. Now they know what to expect from the organization.”