BRADENTON, Fla. -- Garth Brooks was mobbed by approximately 100 autograph seekers before pitchers and catchers worked out Friday at Pirate City. The country music legend patiently kept signing and posing for photos.
One fan couldn’t resist poking fun at the Pirates.
“Hey Garth, do you think the Pirates will send you to Indianapolis at the start of the season so they can manipulate your service time?” the fan said.
Ironically, classic rock played over the sound system while Brooks was signing rather than county music. One of the selections was by Rush, whose lead singer Geddy Lee is also a big baseball fan and memorabilia collector.
However, some of Brooks’ greatest hits could be heard coming from the indoor batting cages during the latter stages of the workout.
Brooks will be in camp through next Thursday and won't participate in any games, unlike his previous spring training stints with the Royals, Mets and Padres. He has impressed former Pirates left-hander John Candelaria, who is in camp as a special instructor.
“He has a nice swing, he really does,” Candelaria said of the 57-year-old Brooks. “Now I’m not saying he should quit his day job …”
While Brooks was signing autographs, Steve Blass walked past the crowd completely unnoticed. Blass is also in camp as a special instructor before joining the Pirates’ broadcast crew when the exhibition games begin on Feb. 23.
Blass, of course, pitched a four-hitter to lead the Pirates over the Orioles in Game 7 of the 1971 World Series.
“I guess that’s the way the world is now. What have you done for me lately?” he said with a laugh.
• The Pirates’ defense bordered on atrocious last season and they are trying to find new ways to rectify that this spring. On Friday, pitchers fielded tennis balls hit off a racket during drills.
“It’s something we’ve had in our minor-league program from time to time,” Clint Hurdle said. “It’s just to promote some athleticism, some hand-eye because you’re grabbing the ball with one hand, then we’re moving our feet and shuffling our feet in a wider space. It’s just to develop some athleticism, develop some agility, first-step quickness.”
The pitching staff had 23 errors in 2018. Ivan Nova had the most with five but was traded to the White Sox in December.
“We need a lot of work off the mound fielding our position,” Hurdle said. “There’s all kinds of opportunities to improve categorically whether it be fielding, whether it be throwing, whether it be holding runners, whether it be pickoffs, so there’s a lot of work to be done this spring.”
• Francisco Liriano was wearing his familiar No. 47 for Friday’s workout. He had been forced to wear No. 99 the first two days because the Pirates were waiting for his spring training jersey to be shipped from Pittsburgh.
No. 99 has long had negative connotations in spring training. It is the extra jersey the Pirates take along to Grapefruit League road games because, invariably, it seems some player will forget to pack his uniform top.
• Top third base prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes checked into camp Friday. The full squad is not required to report until Sunday but most of the infielders and outfielders have already joined the pitchers and catchers.
Hayes will likely begin the season at Indianapolis.
• Blass is primarily observing the workouts. He is also willing to give out pointers to any pitcher who asks.
“I’ve been observing so much that I’m exhausted,” he cracked. “It’s hard work.”
