Pirates map route to become another small-market treasure

Sporting News, The, Nov 27, 2000 by Ken Rosenthal

Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and Doug Drabek left the Pirates as free agents. Not Brian Giles.

Denny Neagle, Jay Bell and John Smiley left the Pirates in cost-cutting trades. Not Jason Kendall.

It isn't often that the little guys win in baseball or that low-revenue teams keep their high-profile stars. The Pirates did it twice within a span of six months, signing Giles in May through 2005 and signing Kendall last Friday through 2007. Maybe club officials should erect a sign at the team's new 38,000-seat ballpark: "The Bucs stopped here."

"We're slamming the door," owner Kevin McClatchy said. "We're not going to be a farm dub for all the big-market clubs."

Bold words--maybe too bold, considering how difficult it will be for the Pirates to compete even alter they open PNC Park.

The Kendall signing was a rare feel-good, small-market story, with the player viewing the grass as green enough and the club adding extra seeds to keep him rooted.

Yes, for every Kendall who stays there's a Johnny Damon waiting to go, but just once, let's hold the angst.

The Pirates will use next year's projected increase in ballpark revenue to boost their payroll from $32 million to $50 million--a presentable sum in the relatively low-budget N.L. Central.

Their new manager, Lloyd McClendon, is hungry and dynamic. And McClatchy compares Giles and Kendall to the Astros' signature duo, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. Including deferred money, the Giles and Kendall extensions are worth a combined $105 million--or $10 million more than McClatchy and his investors paid for the Pirates in 1996.

"The year before we took over, we were last in the league in revenue, last in attendance and we had the worst record in the National League," McClatchy says. "There was all this talk about the team moving to northern Virginia.

"We've come a long way. We're going to set all-time records in attendance and everything else next season. We look at Cleveland as a very similar situation. They were last in the league in all those categories. But they got their new ballpark, and they've spent pretty well. We're moving in that direction."

Judging strictly by the cold, hard numbers, Kendall's six-year, $60 million extension might not appear to be a wise investment. Kendall, 26, has averaged only nine homers and 53 RBIs in five seasons. He also suffered a season-ending ankle injury in July 1999 that could haunt him in the future.

Still, the Pirates had to sign him--especially coming off eight straight losing seasons, especially now that they're moving into a new park.

Kendall is a .314 lifetime hitter with excellent speed for a catcher. He vowed to increase his run production the day his contract was announced. And as McClatchy says, "Every Little League parent in the country would like to see their child play the game the way Jason Kendall does."

McClatchy, who says he received letters from children begging him to keep Kendall, asked himself: "If I don't re-sign a homegrown three-time All-Star, how will I convince other free agents to play for my club?"

The Pirates probably won't contend in 2001, not with two physical questions (righthanders Jason Schmidt and Francisco Cordova) in their rotation. They might never scale the small-market mountain as successfully as the A's did last season. But at least they're trying to go about this correctly.

Give Kendall credit, too. Even though his value probably was greatest in Pittsburgh, he could have become a free agent. Instead, he spoke of his love for the city and the appeal of spending his entire career with one team. The day the Pirates closed Three Rivers Stadium, everything hit him.

"That final game to me, it was something special," Kendall says. "Seeing all those guys come out, seeing Pops (Willie Stargell) come out for the last pitch, that was kind of the icing on the cake. I've always known I wanted to stay here. But that was like, `You ain't getting out, you're staying.'"

The Bucs stop here.

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FRONT OFFICE RUMBLINGS AND LOCKER ROOM WHISPERS BY KEN ROSENTHAL

Cubs president Andy MacPhail is playing it smart by refusing to trade 2001 free agent OF Sammy Sosa. The number of teams with the resources to sign Sosa will dwindle after the major free agents sign this winter. Come next year, one American League G.M. said, "He could be a free agent negotiating with mid-market teams." By using his leverage, MacPhail could force Sosa to lower his demand for a six-year extension worth approximately $100 million.... The Reds were one of the teams privately rooting for the Braves to sign LHP Mike Hampton, figuring that RHP Kevin Millwood might then become available. The problem is that the Braves have emerged as the leading contender for free-agent SS Alex Rodriguez, and if they signed him, they almost certainly would keep Millwood and not sign Hampton.... Free-agent 1 B/DH David Segui, 34, is likely to command a four-year deal. The Tigers are among the teams interested. Segui, a line-drive hitter who uses the whole field, would be a perfect fit for spacious Comerica Park.... It will be interesting to see if free-agent C Charles Johnson exceeds Jason Kendall's new $10 million average salary in Pittsburgh. Johnson offers three advantages over Kendall: He hits for more power. He won three of his four Gold Gloves when both played in the National League. And he twice has led pitching staffs to the postseason. On the other hand, several scouts believe Johnson is overrated as a receiver.... Now that they've locked up Kendall, the Pirates' principal needs are a right fielder who can at least platoon with John Vander Wal and relievers to complement lefthanded setup man Scott Sauerbeck and closer Mike Williams. Look for them to trade one or more of their infielders. Enrique Wilson likely will draw the most interest.