Commentary
Current Bucs’ road trip could determine McClendon’s fate PITTSBURGH – The Pirates started a 10-game western trip that may go a long way toward determining if Lloyd McClendon finishes this season as their manager.
If they have a bad trip – say 3-7 in the 10 games – after a 3-9 homestand, it will greatly increase the pressure to make a change.
It wouldn’t necessarily be the correct reaction but it would be the expedient one.
McClendon is on the last year of his original three-year contract. The Pirates would be obligated to pay him whatever portion of his $600,000 salary that’s left. That’s no more than $500,000 at this point. It isn’t a negligible amount but it’s also not an obstacle to making a move if one is deemed necessary.
General Manager Dave Littlefield didn’t hire McClendon. Cam Bonifay did and Littlefield inherited McClendon when he took over for Bonifay in 2001.
Littlefield and McClendon don’t seem to have any problem working together but there’s no great bond between them, either. Surely the names of other managerial candidates have crossed Littlefield’s mind in the almost two years he’s been on the job.
Fans seem to be in an uproar over McClendon’s work, mostly for reasons that are largely irrational.
All managers – not just McClendon – are at the mercy of their players’ performances.
Aside from an opening week in which they beat up on a bad Cincinnati staff, the Pirates’ offense has been horrible.
Do not minimize the importance of Brian Giles’ prolonged absence due to a knee injury. Giles is one of the few Pirates players with a track record of success. He is the one player opponents plot to avoid. The injury has taken care of that responsibility.
Minus Giles, the Pirates suffer greatly. Others are called upon to take a bigger share of the offense and they haven’t been capable of that.
Those who foolishly complain about the lack of a “set lineup” fail to recognize that the Pirates don’t have the talent for that kind of commitment. The good teams with the set lineups have them because the players have earned their time.
The Atlanta Braves start an outfield of Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones and Gary Sheffield because they’re three proven players.
When your choices include untested, inconsistent players like Craig Wilson and Rob Mackowiak and veterans who have seen better days like Reggie Sanders, Kenny Lofton and Matt Stairs, it’s a daily decision about who plays. That’s just the reality the talent gap creates.
McClendon pushes the same buttons in the bullpen that he did last year when the Pirates had one of the National League’s most effective relief corps.
Case in point was in last Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lefthander Scott Sauerbeck gave up a tiebreaking home run to Shawn Green. Previously, Green had been 0-for-7 with four strikeouts against Sauerbeck.
Sauerbeck hung a breaking ball and a good hitter took advantage of the mistake. The match-up was correct. The fault was in Sauerbeck’s execution.
But in some circles, the blame inexplicably falls to McClendon instead of Sauerbeck.
Anyone who thinks a managerial change correlates to a miracle cure is sadly mistaken. There is one move that would have a huge difference but it doesn’t have anything to do with the manager.
The cure would be a return by Giles, provided he produces at his usual level. That would be the tonic for the offense. The bullpen would be better when it could pitch in games with a lead of more than one run.
The Pirates don’t expect Giles to be ready until the team returns home in 10 days. That’s at the earliest.
If the Pirates don’t at least tread water on this trip, a new manager may be making out the lineup card the next time Giles’ name appears on it.
– n –
Everyone seems to have a letter grade to offer on the Steelers draft but it’s all guesswork at this point.
They got the player they had to have, Southern California safety Troy Polamalu, and are counting on him to be an instant starter.
He was considered the best safety in the draft and the finest to come from USC since Ronnie Lott. But he hasn’t even measured for a helmet yet by the Steelers, so let’s wait and see – at least until he’s had a practice or a scrimmage against NFL-caliber players.
Because of their first-round trade, the Steelers wound up with only five picks in the draft.
Every team needs depth, especially at low prices, so this would be a great year to go to camp as a free agent who can help on special teams.
Sports columnist John Mehno can be reached on line at jmehno@lycos.com.