With the NCAA Tournament at an end and spring fever rushing over people everywhere, it is time… With the NCAA Tournament at an end and spring fever rushing over people everywhere, it is time to start paying attention to America’s favorite pastime. That’s right, it’s finally baseball season.

Well, it’s actually been baseball season, but the attention of most sports fans has been focused on basketball. While the Gators were winning the tournament, our hometown team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, was busy preparing for its regular season to begin.

Maybe it’s because the Pirates have not had a winning season in the past 13 straight years, or maybe it’s because their opening series with Milwaukee started out badly, but it feels like not enough people are very enthusiastic about the Pirates this year.

Despite these facts, I feel that there are actually quite a few reasons to get excited about the Bucs in the 2006 season, once you forget about this bad 0-3 start.

The team has made some major changes in preparation for its 120th season. The team is under new management and is a considerably younger team, with the addition of a few veterans. With these new players, the pitching and hitting should improve this season. Plus, Pittsburgh has the All-Star game to look forward to.

First off, let’s talk about management.

In early September, the Pirates fired team manager Lloyd McClendon, whose record was 336-446 in nearly five seasons. McClendon was replaced with Jim Tracy, who went 427-383 with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the past five years. He led the Dodgers to a first-place finish in 2004 and because of his efforts in 2004, was third in the Manager-of-the-Year poll.

Along with Tracy comes a fresh staff of coaches in every department. These coaches do not focus on yelling when the players do something wrong, but rather they take the time to re-teach the game. This style of mentoring the younger players will help and should lift the spirits of many of the players. With a better relationship with their coaches, there is no doubt that their will to win will increase as well.

Next, the young talent making up the Pirates’ starting rotation is noteworthy. Although some people are skeptical about their lack of experience, the team definitely has the potential to have a star rotation if it can pull it together this season.

Oliver Perez, 24, returns this season as a strong starting pitcher who led the National League in 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings in 2004.

Left-handed pitcher Zach Duke, only 22, will be the Pirates’ most-watched starter. In 2005, he was named Most Valuable Pitcher of the International League and selected to the league’s All-Star Team. As a rookie last fall, he went 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA over 14 starts. He will start in the home opener on Monday.

Paul Maholm, 23, should also be an asset this year. As another left-handed pitcher, he held opposing hitters to a .209 average in six starts with the Pirates last season.

Ian Snell, 24, may only have six major-league starts, but his experience in the minors should not be overlooked. He’s claimed 10 or more victories on four different occasions. As a right-hander known for his hard throws, he will be pitching between Duke and Maholm.

Then there is always the Pirates’ new closer, Mike Gonzalez, 27, who throws his fastball at 95-96 mph and has a lethal slider.

Supporting the starting rotation are free agents Brandon Duckworth, who pitched for the Astros and Phillies, and Victor Santos, formerly of Milwaukee. They are both veteran right-handed pitchers who should add some variety to the rotation.

Also, if you remember the starting lineup last year, you know that it was not too productive. Aside from outfielder Jason Bay, there was not much hope for a big play. The Pirates finished 14th in the 16-team National League in runs scored. This year they addressed this problem by signing a few veteran power hitters.

At the winter meetings, the Pirates traded for first baseman Sean Casey. Formerly of the Cincinnati Reds, he has only averaged 13 home runs in the past five seasons, but he does have an impressive .305 lifetime batting average.

Veteran third baseman Joe Randa was added to the back to the roster after being traded after the 1997 season. Last year, he hit 17 home runs and 43 doubles, both career highs, with the Reds and the Padres. Hopefully this season we will see more of the same.

Power hitter and former Milwaukee Brewer Jeromy Burnitz was also be picked up as a free agent this season. With 299 homers in his 13-year career, he should be able to add some punch to the lineup and help take some of the pressure off Bay.

Bay, Casey, Randa and Burnitz give the Pirates four guys capable of hitting more than 20 home runs. The veterans provide experience and a nice complement to the handful of young players with raw talent. These latest additions may be just what the Bucs need to shake things up this season.

On top of all this, the All-Star game is coming to Pittsburgh this July. This means a lot of publicity for the Pirates and the city itself. This game will put the spotlight on Pittsburgh baseball, giving the Bucs a chance to show the rest of MLB that they are no joke.

Overall, there are quite a few new reasons to head out to PNC Park in support of our Pirates. I am not suggesting that the Pirates are going all the way to win the World Series this year, but I am optimistic that the changes made will at least give them the ability to improve upon last season and put on a better show for the fans.

Erin Castellano is a staff writer for The Pitt News.