Apr 23, 2002 4 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Maybe it’s the shock of seeing the Pittsburgh Pirates in first place that’s confusing their opponents. After watching the Pirates dribble a succession of well-placed hits and take advantage of nearly every scoring opportunity they had during a three-game weekend sweep, Phillies reliever Rheal Cormier didn’t seem very impressed.

“How many ground balls did the Pirates hit through the infield? What can you do when a team is hot like the Pirates? I know we’re a better team than the Pirates,” Cormier said.

Not right now, they’re not – and neither is any other NL team. Just one year removed from 100 losses and a ninth consecutive losing season, the Pirates have the league’s best record at 12-5 three weeks into the season.

Maybe, as Cormier alluded, it’s a result of the Pirates getting the good luck, the timely hitting and the good bounces they have rarely gotten since they last won a division title in 1992.

But even the Pirates are beginning to think this might not be a mirage, mostly because their pitching and defense have been extremely solid so far.

“We’re in first place, and it’s because we’re in every single game,” shortstop Jack Wilson said. “It’s not like we’re getting blown out in our losses. We’re coming back when we’re down. There’s no reason to think we can’t keep this going.”

Their horrid track record – an average of 90 losses over the last seven seasons – would indicate they can’t.

But, given that nearly every season lately has produced a team that unexpectedly plays far above projections – the Twins and Phillies did that a year ago – the Pirates see no reason why it can’t be them.

New general manager Dave Littlefield accelerated their rebuilding efforts by dealing for pitchers Josh Fogg, Kip Wells and Sean Lowe from the White Sox and signing two-time Gold Glove second baseman Pokey Reese.

But, perhaps most importantly, Littlefield has established a new mindset in a long-complacent organization. Rather than patiently coddling prospects, Littlefield is quietly but firmly pressing to see production, not just potential.

So far, the Pirates are off to their best start since 1992, even with little output from last year’s best run producer, Aramis Ramirez, who sprained an ankle last week, or staff ace Kris Benson, who should return next month from reconstructive elbow surgery.

“We feel good right now,” catcher Jason Kendall said as the Pirates carried a six-game winning streak into Tuesday’s game against Los Angeles. “We’re having fun, and we know when we go out there we’ve got a good chance to win. Last year, we knew we pretty much had to play a perfect game to win.”

Right fielder Armando Rios favorably compares the Pirates to his former club, the Giants, who just missed winning the NL West last season.

“The whole attitude, guys getting along with each other, guys going out to eat together on the road and staying around after a game is great,” Rios said. “I don’t know how it was last year, but the chemistry here is good. The attitude here might be even better than it was with the Giants.

“There, they’ve got a lot of All-Stars. Here, a lot of guys are coming together and having a good team. Everybody is coming through. And, mentally, we know we can win.”

Is this really the Pirates?

“It’s way too early to talk about being special,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “We’ve got a long way to go. We can’t lose sight of what we’re trying to do, and that’s get better every day.

“I’m not trying to fool anybody. We’re not a championship club. We’re not even close to being a championship club yet. But I said it when I was first hired, winning is a byproduct of doing the things you’re supposed to do right on a daily basis.”

“Sure, it’s early, and I keep saying that,” said reliever Mike Williams, who is 8-for-8 in save opportunities. “But I hope people are still saying that in July.”