Pirates, Fans Start Fresh As Pitchers And Catchers Report to Bradenton

The boys of spring are back in Bradenton, and so are their fans.

Under a picture-perfect blue sky and with temperatures holding steady in the low 70s, the Pittsburgh Pirates observed the annual rite of spring training Monday as pitchers and catchers held their first workout at .

More than 40 players turned out to take physicals and then hit the practice fields for soft tossing, fielding drills and batting practice.

"It's always refreshing to be out here," said third baseman Pedro Alvarez, the Pirates' top draft pick in 2008, who hit 16 home runs in 95 games with the big-league club last year. "It's nice to finally get in the swing of things."

The team donned its new yellow workout jerseys, adding even more color to the already sun-splashed fields that matched the bright outlook of a fresh season.

"The guys are excited," said general manager Neal Huntington. "There's an air of positivity. We've got a lot of guys looking forward to what's going to happen this year."

The hope around Pirates camp is that what happens this year doesn't match what happened in any of the previous 18, as the once-proud franchise has piled up an ugly string of losing seasons.

Part of the optimism this year revolves around new manager Clint Hurdle, the onetime Colorado Rockies manager who was hired away from the Texas Rangers' coaching staff in the offseason. Hurdle has brought a  to the workouts, which will continue daily leading up to the Feb. 25 exhibition game against . ( for Patch's complete fan's guide to Pirates spring training.)

It's been a tough two decades for players and fans alike, but hope still lingered in the concrete walkways between Pirate City's practice fields, where a few dozen fans were taking photos and collecting autographs Monday.

Mary Ross, 67, who lives with her husband, Mel, on Anna Maria Island about two months out of the year, never misses the Pirates' workouts or spring games at . The couple, who reside the rest of the year in Rochester, N.Y., spent two stints living in Pittsburgh in the late '70s -- "for all the big wins in baseball and football" -- and hope the Pirates can soon enjoy the same success as the Steelers.

"I got my husband a Charlie Brown figurine that says, 'Happiness is the start of a new season,' " Ross said. "We're Pirates fans, so you've got to be optimistic."

Bob Desmett and Heather Olson, in town this week to visit Desmett's daughter, Ashley, came by Pirate City on Monday just to check out the facility, not realizing they'd be allowed in for free to watch the players work out.

The couple hasn't endeared themselves to friends and family back home in chilly Curwensville, Pa., by sending photos and updates on the weather and bragging about their baseball experiences.

"I called my dad and was like, 'Guess where I'm at?' " Desmett said.

Olson said they try to make it to a few games at PNC Park in Pittsburgh each year but mostly go to watch the club's Double-A affiliate in Altoona, where Olson will be auditioning to sing the national anthem this year. The chance to see big leaguers up close and personal at spring training has been a thrill.

"This is awesome," Olson said.

For 33-year-old Bradenton resident John Gardner, the appeal of having spring training in your own backyard never gets old.

"When I came to live here, I knew I was in heaven," Gardner said.

Gardner, who works on the grounds crew for the Tampa Bay Rays, brought his 3-year-old daughter, Savannah, to check out Monday's action and pulled her stroller up for a front-row seat as Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was taking some swings. She was more interested in throwing her stuffed animal to the ground, however -- though she did show off a decent arm on one toss.

"You might get their attention," Gardner told her. "They might want to sign you up!"