Tracy sings the blues

Alan Robinson reports on what sounds like a Lloyd McClendon moment for the manager.

"I've got two guys with bad legs, so don't ask me any more questions about how long I'm going to go with this guy or that guy and make it seem like I have a plethora of choices here," Tracy said Thursday, his voice rising during a meeting with reporters. "We're trying to make this group go as best we can. You don't have a multitude of options."

I would say that Bay should hit third, period, to get more at-bats in the early innings while our young starters might still be in the game. But yesterday's trio started 6 for 6 at the top of the lineup, and all I care about is the early innings, so I would run them out there again and see what happens.

Robinson also reports:

The 10-25 record is not the worst in club history after 35 games _ the 1952 Pirates were 6-29 en route to going 42-112, the worst record in club history. But each of the last four Pirates teams to lose 100 or more games, those of 1953, 1954, 1985 and 2001, had better records after 35 games.

They won't lose 100 games this year, I'm pretty sure. They aren't that bad. I expect some hot runs, some 12 of 15 passages, will make up some ground. Teams will ease off, and the Bucs will catch them by surprise. Like last year, the year before, etc. They could lose 90, though. They often look like a 90-loss team out there.

As for Tracy vs. McClendon: Tracy has not impressed. I gave up on Joe Liggins last year, when it was clear everyone had given up on him. Would the Pirates have a better record now, had they kept him? I don't know, but it seems pretty unlikely any re-run of the season would produce fewer losses.

...by "McClendon moment," I don't mean the agitation. Mac never got nervous; he got angry. Or so it seems from the newspaper quotes. There's no indication in any of the stories quoting today's speech that Tracy swore like a sailor, up and down, forward and backward. I definitely miss that. If you are going to go out like this - 10 and 25 - you might as well swear yourself silly in the press conferences.

The McClendon moment is the "I got no other options" line. Tracy's quotes remind me of Mac defending Tike in the three-hole. He has lots of other options, of course. Burnitz in center, for example, batting eighth.