PITTSBURGH PIRATES--Adam Ulrey

With the Pirates moving into their new ballpark, they hope that their fortunes will improve like those of the Indians. After the Indians moved into their new ballpark, they started a run of success that they hadn't seen for years. The Pirates are hoping for a similar type of success.

Kevin Young is looking to redeem himself after a disappointing 2000 season. He still hit 20 homers and drove in 88 runs, but that's a far cry from his 1999 season. In '99 he hit 26 homers and drove in 106 runs while hitting .298. He also had 22 steals, showing his overall talent. Second baseman Warren Morris is also coming off a down year. He went from 15 home runs to 3 and from 73 RBIs to 43, so heís also looking forward to getting back his 1999 form.

Pat Meares comes back as the starting shortstop, but the Pirates would like to see Enrique Wilson wrestle the job away from him. Wilson batted near .300 last year and has a little better glove. Aramis Ramirez will once again try to reach his immense talent as the third baseman. It seems like every year they are sending him back to the minors to get his swing back. The catching position is manned by one of the best in the business, Jason Kendall. He's batted over .300 in four of his five years and has also used his speed, with over 20 steals three years in a row. If all his Pirate teammates would play the game with the same fire that Kendall shows every day, the Pirates would be a successful team.

The outfield is manned by one of the bright young stars of the game, Brian Giles. Giles, who received a new contract before last year, didn't let the money go to his head as he hit .315 with 35 homers and 123 RBIs. He can play all three outfield positions, but will play left field. Adrian Brown played center field over the last half of the season and hit .315 with 13 steals in 14 attempts He has the ability to be a great center fielder. The right field spot is the hot topic among fans and the media. John Vander Wal had a breakout year and thought with 24 homers and 94 RBI's that he had won the job. Yet the Pirates went out and signed Derek Bell to a free agent contract. This makes no sense to me as Bell has been a bust for most of his career and is now on the downside. Vander Wal should still be the right fielder and come spring, unless there's a trade, he'll be nothing more than a backup.

The starting pitching should be much better this year with Francisco Cordova and Jason Schmidt back from injuries. Kris Benson emerged as the staff ace with his 3.85 ERA and 10 wins, but it was his 217 innings that showed the Pirates that this kid could be the man. The other starters will be Todd Ritchie ( 9-8, 4.81) and Jimmy Anderson who is a left hander that the Pirates desperately want to be the fifth starter. He was only 5-11 with a very high ERA of 5.25.

The bullpen has Mike Williams back as its closer, but don't look for him to be there by the end of the season. The Pirates are not happy with him as he blew five saves last year in only 29 attempts. They added Terry Mulholland to give them a solid left handed veteran in the pen. Rich Loiselle, Scott Sauerbeck and Jose Manzanillo make up the rest of bullpen. The Pirates have a couple of openings in the bullpen and spring training will sort them out.

The Pirates will open their new ballpark this year. That could be the only bright spot for them this year.