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News Roundup

By Charlie Wilmoth

Lots of interesting stuff today:

-P- Dejan Kovacevic grades the Bucs. They aren't so hot. One wonders if those much-deserved "F"s for Dave Littlefield and Jim Tracy is going to cause trouble next time Kovacevic wants to interview them.

On Tracy:

Moreover, Tracy has shown little leadership. Time and again, he has taken credit for players' successes while never assuming blame for their shortcomings, something that has not resonated well in the clubhouse. He also has shown little emotion, a trait that seems to have been assumed by the team, which has called one players-only meeting all year.

-P- Speaking of Tracy:

Craig Wilson has a "pretty good" bruise and some swelling near his left elbow, Tracy said, but nothing more. Wilson was injured Wednesday when Chicago's Tadahito Iguchi ran into him at first base, bending his left arm backward violently, but tests yesterday showed no interior damage.

"When I saw it, I thought a month to six weeks," Tracy said.

"I deeply regret that I was wrong about that," Tracy continued. "Hell, if Dave and I had our way, Craig would be injured all season. Let's just say that we've thought about positioning laundry carts all over the clubhouse and then stealing Craig's Pepsi, but we're scared of the legal bills."*

-P- I realize I'm linking the Post-Gazette a lot, but... wow:

I have not heard that the Pirates are paying people on their staff specifically to [vote for Pirates' players for the All-Star team], though I have heard that employees, interns and the like are being encouraged to do so on company time.

Is that the same? You be the judge.

Of course it's the same! Jeez, that's just pathetic. Be sure to read the rest of Kovacevic's answer, which goes on to mention some strange new sort of message control going on in the Pirates' front office. It's bizarre.

-P- One out of town paper tells Orioles fans, "At least you're not the Pirates."

*Tracy never actually said this.

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