Pirates notebook
Tracy compares Snell to Martinez PITTSBURGH (AP) – Ian Snell appears to be developing into one of the NL’s better right-handed starters, as evidenced by his 14-8 record last season on a Pirates team that won only 67 games. Snell has been better than that this season, going 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA that is the fourth-best in the league.
Maybe that’s why Pirates manager Jim Tracy was dropping a few names Tuesday in reference to the 25-year-old Snell – like that of Pedro Martinez, who has a 206-92 record in 15 seasons with the Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox and Mets. Martinez is currently recovering from a torn rotator cuff.
Size-wise, the two are similar: Martinez is 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds; Snell is 5-11 and 190. To Tracy, they also share an attitude of confidence and a bit of an edge, the kind of demeanor possessed over time by some of baseball’s best pitchers.
“He strongly gives you the impression of being a guy that is very interested in becoming a stopper, a mainstay of the rotation, a foundational guy,” Tracy said Tuesday. “He has the chance of being very, very special in our industry. He has devastating stuff, and that is going to make it very, very tough for the opposition to have to deal with.”
Snell pitches Wednesday against the Cubs, his first start since pitching seven shutout innings in a 3-1 decision Friday over Houston.
As for those Martinez comparisons, Tracy was an Expos coach under manager Felipe Alou when Martinez pitched there in the mid 1990s, so he speaks with more than a little knowledge of the subject.
“Similar arm speed, similar type body, the determination he has each and every time he goes out there, all of that is becoming very reminiscent in what I see in this guy,” Tracy said.
BAY-LING THEM OUT: Jonah Bayliss wasn’t certain of making the 25-man roster when spring training. Now, he’s become a go-to pitcher in the late innings.
Bayliss retired Aramis Ramirez on a fly ball out Monday to end the Cubs’ seventh inning after they loaded the bases with two out against starter Zach Duke – the key out of what later became a 3-2 Pirates victory. While he faced only one batter, it was a performance typical of Bayliss as he didn’t allow any of the 10 runners he inherited last month to score.
“What he’s proving to us is he’s a strike thrower,” Tracy said. “He has a fearless approach.”
NOT MANY Es IN WILSON: Another first-month stat that stood out to Tracy was the “1” in the error column for shortstop Jack Wilson.
Over the winter, Wilson told Tracy he was unhappy with his defensive play last season and was working out with an emphasis on improving himself in the field. A more-than-adequate defensive shortstop when he came up from the minors in 2001, Wilson has made at least 14 errors in every season, but his 18 last season were a career high.
Wilson has been so consistent defensively this season, he and third baseman Jose Bautista had only one error between them in April.
“He wanted to make a statement that “Hey, I’m still the shortstop everybody thought I was a couple of years ago. I did not have a good year defensively and I want to improve,’ ” Tracy said. “This guy’s made every play. It’s real difficult to get a ball through the left side of the infield.”
THE NADY WATCH: OF Xavier Nady remained out of the lineup Tuesday because of his hamstring injury, the ninth consecutive game he has failed to start. There is no definite date for Nady’s return.
“He continues to have good strength in the hamstring, but as he goes through some of the workouts he still experiences some weakness toward the latter part of the workout,” Tracy said. “To me, that’s still a little bit of a red flag.”
Nady had three homers and 12 RBIs in 18 games before being injured.
NOTING THE OPPOSITION: The Cubs were 10-14 in April, disappointing the fans who thought a $300 million offseason infusion of players would significantly improve the team. Still, manager Lou Piniella wasn’t unhappy with his team’s effort, even though he was displeased with the results.
“The team is playing hard. I’ve got no complaints,” he said. “We’ve been in probably 22 or 23 games. The kids are playing hard, but we’re just not getting any key hits. … Our bullpen doesn’t have a win yet. Who would have thought that? All of these things invariably will improve and come together.”
The Cubs were the only team in the majors that didn’t win a one-run game in April. They were 0-6.