Pirates manager John Russell plans to begin the season with his pitcher hitting eighth, a move that will shift Andrew McCutchen from leadoff to second in the batting order. When the Pirates start the season April 5 against Los Angeles, Russell plans to hit shortstop Ronny Cedeno ninth, followed by second baseman and lead-off hitter Akinori Iwamura and McCutchen.
McCutchen will occasionally lead off, the spot where he batted .286 after being recalled from the minors in June. Iwamura has experience as a leadoff hitter, batting .275 with a .350 on-base percentage for AL champion Tampa Bay in 2008.
The Pirates had a 13-20 record in 2008 and a 2-4 mark last season when Russell batted his pitcher eighth.And is it any wonder why the Pirates have been in the gutter for almost 20 years straight?
Second thought, maybe it's time to just call the Pirates AAA and let some other farm team get a shot to play in a nice stadium?
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