Joe Starkey: Gentle Jim

Joe Starkey
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Jim Tracy just can't bring himself to criticize his veteran players, even when their lack of execution or effort warrants a good ripping.

The latest example occurred Sunday, when Jose Hernandez's blown sacrifice cost the Pirates dearly in a 3-2 loss at Cleveland.

Tracy pinch hit Hernandez for Craig Wilson in the top of the ninth of a 2-2 game, with runners on first and second and nobody out. It's not clear why Tracy thought Hernandez could move the runners with a bunt, as Hernandez had zero sacrifice bunts for Tracy's 2004 L.A. Dodgers.

That was Hernandez's third consecutive season without a sacrifice bunt, though he did manage to strike out an impressive 426 times during that span. Then again, he had three sacrifice bunts with Cleveland last year, and, as a 36-year-old major leaguer, should be able to execute such a simple play, correct?

No way, Jose.

Hernandez put the ball in the worst possible spot -- hard down the first-base line -- and Jeromy Burnitz was thrown out at third. Jose Castillo promptly hit into a double play.

Television analyst John Wehner and radio analyst Bob Walk both emphatically said the ball should have been bunted down the third-base line in that situation, seeing as the third baseman was covering the bag.

Walk said it's something you learn in high school.

"How can we bunt the ball right at the first baseman?" Walk said on the air.

Here's what Tracy said: "You can't fault him for not getting the bunt down. It was just that the bunt was firm. It was fair and to the first-base side, but it was firm."

Wow.

Why is Hernandez here, anyway?

Only the Pirates would willingly bring back a living reminder of one of the worst trades in franchise history. What's next, a spot in the rotation for Matt Bruback?

You probably don't need to be reminded that Aramis Ramirez was shipped to the Cubs on July 22, 2003, in exchange for Bobby Hill, Bruback and Hernandez, who was hitting .149 before last night's game.

Hernandez was brought back because Tracy wanted him. Criticism of Hernandez would imply that Tracy messed up, and we all know that Don't Blame Him Jim never messes up.

Which brings us to Tracy's defense of the infamous "Burnitz Quits" sequence May 10 at PNC Park. Burnitz led off the eighth, with the Pirates trailing, 6-3, and lazily jogged out a grounder to second -- one that was fielded by Arizona's Orlando Hudson several feet onto the outfield grass.

Remember, this is a franchise that has only one thing to sell, besides its ballpark. It's called effort.

We Will. Try Hard.

The Burnitz stall was a flagrant violation of that pledge. Tracy should have been on the top step of the dugout, waiting to ream him out the way he yelled at Castillo in the dugout the other day.

At least, Tracy should have admitted that Burnitz -- who makes $6 million -- hurt the team by dogging it.

Instead, we got this little gem from the manager: "Obviously, he hit a ground ball to the second baseman. I don't know ... do you think he's going to be safe?"

Well, maybe, if there's a glitch on the throw or catch. Do you think a younger player -- say, Chris Duffy -- would have gotten away without retribution on a play like that?

No way, Jose.

Joe Starkey is a sports writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at jstarkey@tribweb.com