Pirates' McLouth strives for consistency

By Tricia Lafferty, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Wednesday, March 18, 2009


TAMPA, Fla. — Pirates center fielder Nate McLouth isn't striving for an encore following his breakout season.

He has a different mindset heading into his second year as a starting outfielder for the Pirates.

"(I'm) not thinking about last season and not worrying about last season and not trying to top it," McLouth said. "I'll just go out and do the things I did last year and let the numbers worry about themselves."

McLouth set career highs in every offensive category, including a .276 batting average, 94 RBI, 165 hits and 26 home runs. He was named to the National League All-Star team and won a Gold Glove.

His career year led to the three-year, $15.75 million contract — with an option for 2012 — he signed in February.

"He wants to be better than last year, but I don't think he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders to do better than last year," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "It's just to continue to do the things he did a year ago and continue to play within his abilities and not try to do more than he's capable of doing."

The key to McLouth's success last season, he said, was opportunity. He started 151 games as opposed to 66 the year before.

"They let me play everyday," McLouth said. "I had never done that before at the big-league level. They kind of let me go out do my thing."

McLouth says he didn't do anything special to spark the career-best season. He credits doubling his home run total from 13 in 2007 to 26 last year to "getting a little older and stronger." The 28-year old has always been a doubles guy — 46 last year — because he's a solid hitter and a good runner, but the power took over last season.

Still, there's room to improve, such as on his baserunning, according to McLouth. He said he'd like to steal more bases than the team-high 23 he did last year.

McLouth led the Pirates in practically every offensive category and made just one error in center field last year.

So the pressure mounts after a stellar performance like that, right?

"Not really, because I feel quite the opposite," McLouth said. "Having done it before, having that comfort level and that confidence of having done it before takes the pressure off."

His general manager is on the same page. The expectations for McLouth aren't too high. They're realistic.

"He's such a down-to-earth guy that I think he recognizes that it would be a negative for him to do more than he's capable of, and I think he understands what he's capable of," Huntington said.

McLouth — batting .357 this spring with two homers and five RBI in 28 at bats before the game Tuesday night — knows his 2008 act will be hard to follow.

"That's what separates good players from great players, by doing it on a consistent basis, year-in and year-out," McLouth said. "I know a lot of people that wanted to do it, but being able to do it on a consistent basis is a completely different thing."