(always thrifty, the Pirates have McClendon doubling as manager and groundskeeper)

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interviews Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon this morning. “Baseball purists” will be relieved to know that the Pirates aren’t on the juice. And members of the Pittsburgh squad seeking to reverse vasectomies and get a good bite to eat afterwards, have many options in the Bradenton area.

Q: So much of this spring and the coming season, here and around baseball, is sure to be dominated by discussion of steroids. What will it take for baseball to get past it?

A: It’s going to take winning the fans’ trust. And that will take time. Time heals all and, hopefully, that’s going to be the case here.

We need to do our business in the fashion we’re supposed to do it and show our fans that we appreciate them. Hopefully, we’ll win them back.

Q: With more suspicion circling now than ever, with all the accusations about who knew what and when, would you change anything about the way you do your job in terms of keeping a close eye on players?

A: Not at all. My club is squeaky clean, and I’m very grateful for that. I appreciate my players for working as hard as they have.

Whew, that’s Ty Wigginton off the hook, then.