Doumit's bat key to year

Thursday, April 09, 2009
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

ST. LOUIS -- This was before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals last night, at the exact moment catcher Ryan Doumit took offense to the suggestion that the Pirates' offense just might be offensive this season.

You know, offensive in the worst kind of way.

"I'm not worried about us scoring runs," Doumit fairly growled. "Absolutely, we're going to score runs."

So they did.

Seven of 'em in a 7-4 win.

First, the Pirates did it with small ball -- tiny ball, actually. They needed just about all of their 10 singles, 2 doubles and 2 walks in the first five innings to scratch out their first five runs. Then in the sixth inning, center fielder Nate McLouth finally provided a little pop with a two-run home run, his first hit of the season in his 13th plate appearance.

You ask me, that big fly was the best part of the night.

I'm thinking we might not see enough of those from the Pirates over the long haul.

Anyhow, those seven runs made for some fun at Busch Stadium for the visiting club, particularly for second baseman Freddy Sanchez and shortstop Jack Wilson, who each had four hits, for right fielder Brandon Moss, who had three, and for Doumit, whose single and double were his first two hits of the year. Don't look now, but the Pirates are off to a better start than just about anyone could have imagined. If I hadn't watched with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that they took two of three from the Cardinals. And here's even better news: They have a chance to turn it into a really wonderful opening trip by making it three of four this afternoon.

Oh, for seven runs again.

I'm not holding my breath, though.

I don't quite share Doumit's belief than the Pirates' hitters can do that sort of thing on a consistent basis. I look at the lineup -- without Jason Bay and Xavier Nady from a year ago -- and see very little thump, at least not enough to carry a weak pitching staff that figures to give up a lot of runs.

No team can win consistently with the kind of bloops and infield hits that the Pirates had last night.

Of course, Doumit disagreed.

The offense won't be a problem, he promised. He mentioned McLouth's great year last season and sees no reason why he can't repeat it. (Nor do I). He talked about getting the normal production from first baseman Adam LaRoche. (It would be nice if some came before June). He spoke of Moss and third baseman Andy LaRoche "getting better and doing what they did in the minor leagues." (Hey, Moss had three hits last night, didn't he?). And he said Wilson and Sanchez "always are going to be Jack and Freddy." (No argument here).

What?

You expected Doumit to say the Pirates are going to stink again?

That's my line.

I'm not quite prepared to go there this morning -- not after this sweet win -- but I will tell you this: The Pirates are going to be offensively challenged in a frightful way if their big catcher doesn't have a big, big year.

A monster year, actually.

That seems like too much to ask, doesn't it?

Nate McLouth is congratulated by third base coach Tony Beasley while rounding the bases on a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, in St. Louis.(AP)

Don't get me wrong. I'm a huge Doumit fan. Pirates management has made a lot of boneheaded personnel decisions during the 16 years of losing, but it made a good one when it signed him to a contract that could keep him in Pittsburgh at least through the 2013 season and will pay him a guaranteed $11.5 million and as much as $27 million. Switch-hitting catchers with pop are so rare.

If Doumit stays healthy -- he did last season for the first time in his big-league career and responded nicely with a .318 average, 15 home runs and 69 RBIs -- he will give the Pirates their money's worth.

But a monster year?

Maybe that wouldn't be too much to expect if Doumit played first base or in the outfield. But he's the catcher and, as such, he not only has to take the daily beating that goes with that difficult defensive job, but he also has to spend a lot of energy trying to coax what appears to be a shaky rotation -- Paul Maholm aside -- and a worse front end of the bullpen through six or seven innings every night.

Good luck to Doumit with that.

Good luck to him having anything left to hit with after a while.

Good luck to the Pirates if Doumit doesn't hold up and put up huge numbers.

Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com. More articles by this author
First published on April 9, 2009 at 12:00 am