Mondesi

Raul Mondesi will like being a Pirate if Mac can bring back that family feeling in the clubhouse. Mondesi had a good point when Carlos Tosca benched him in late June 2002 for coming late to a meeting:

"He comes to me like, 'You're late again.' I told him, 'Why didn't you call me yesterday? I was sick. Nobody called me to see how I feel. Now I come in 10 minutes late and you don't play me?''' Mondesi said.

"I play this game too hard every day for this to happen to me. How come? Now he's trying to be too big. He only has two weeks being a manager in the big leagues. He never played professional. Why does he have to be like that with an everyday player for no reason. ... It's stupid."

Had Mondy had been a member of Willie Stargell's family, he could expect a little more love and comfort when he felt down and blue: some balloons, and maybe a singing clown to cheer him up. One of the old-timers should bring this up with Mac before the season starts. We don't want to do anything stupid.