Apr 3, 2006 3 min read

MILWAUKEE (AP) – The Milwaukee Brewers go into 2006 hoping to become baseball’s next small-market success story. The Pittsburgh Pirates? They’d simply like to become the next Milwaukee Brewers by ending a long streak of losing seasons.

The Brewers finished last season with a .500 record, the team’s first non-losing season since 1992. With a core of promising young infielders, slugging veteran outfielders and a solid pitching staff, high expectations have taken hold in Milwaukee.

The team’s players and management are embracing them.

“Everybody in this clubhouse has high expectations for themselves and the team,” said utility player Bill Hall. “And we’re all on the same page with those expectations – we’re going from day one to playing well into October and playing in the World Series.”

That’s big talk from a team that hasn’t won since the Clinton administration, but it’s being backed up by action from the Brewers’ front office.

On the eve of opening day, the Brewers took another step toward long-term success by locking up promising closer Derrick Turnbow to a $6.5 million, three-year deal.

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin says with a cash infusion from second-year owner Mark Attanasio, the team expects to keep the team’s core of young players together for the foreseeable future.

Melvin has praised fans for showing patience during the team’s rebuilding process, and believes that patience will be rewarded with a winner this year.

Melvin knows fans are sick of losing – because he’s sick of it, too.

“It required patience by our fans, by our ownership, by ourselves,” Melvin said. “There’s a tendency to say, ‘Jeez, how much we lose and lose?’ But it’s worked out well. The plans worked out well last year.”

The Pirates aren’t making bold playoff pronouncements going into this season, but have a more optimistic outlook after ditching several bad long-term contracts – a first step toward rebuilding.

“We’re in a position where we can look years down the road and plug in other things,” general manager Dave Littlefield told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I think that gives us hope for a stronger future. Now, they’ve got to win and perform well and all that stuff, but you’ve got to get yourself to that point where we are now.”

The Pirates also are hoping for patience.

Their opening-day starter is left-hander Oliver Perez, who went 7-5 with a 5.85 ERA last season. They have another promising young left-hander in Zach Duke.

On offense, Pirates have 2004 NL Rookie of the Year Jason Bay, but will need some of their other lesser-known position players to have success.

“You see building blocks,” manager Jim Tracy told the Post-Gazette. “There’s an immediacy in that we want to win right away, but there’s also a foundation, I think, for this team to be pretty special for a number of years. When you can build something to the point it’s very good, then step back and watch it perform collectively? Trust me, that’s a special feeling.”