Pirates’ special instructors help current players in spring training

The wood was carved into a walking stick to help his knees, a body part that often aches long past the playing days for former major league catchers.

This particular cane, though, isn’t your standard design.

The handle is shaped to give the entire thing a giant, “P,” look.

Manny Sanguillen is a Pittsburgh Pirate through and through.

So are Bill Mazeroski, Bill Virdon, Mike LaValliere, Steve Blass, John Candelaria, Rennie Stennett, Kent Tekulve and Omar Moreno.

They are special instructors during the six-week spring in Bradenton, imparting their veteran wisdom through stories and anecdotal tidbits for the current generation donning Pittsburgh’s black-and-gold jerseys.

“They all add value,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “They all bring something. There’s little satellite conversations that happen throughout the spring with these men and certain players that I can’t give them that. And I do know that they appreciate, not being honored but, being a part of it.”

LaValliere and Blass didn’t have to go far to become special instructors as both have ties to Manatee County.

When LaValliere was Saint Stephen’s head baseball coach, he picked Virdon’s brain for some outfield drills for the Falcons to use in practice.

But when LaValliere played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1987-93, he didn’t recall a regular showing of special instructors during the spring.

“We’re basically older computers,” LaValliere said. “We were involved before all of the new technologies. It’s a different perspective that we bring. Basically, you can look and break down everything now. But it’s hard to go ahead and apply that to a player. Sometimes, you need somebody’s different viewpoint. Somebody’s different idea of how this is something we did.”

LaValliere first became an instructor in the early 2000s during the tenure of manager Lloyd McClendon, a former teammate.

Then, later, Hurdle made it an official regular thing. Because tradition was important.

“I’m a big fan of honoring tradition, of honoring those that have come before us, those that really helped establish the Pirates’ culture: pride and passion,” Hurdle said.

Getting guys like Mazeroski, who hit a walk-off homer in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees, and Virdon, who was the starting center fielder for the 1960 Pirates, just adds to the mystique surrounding the franchise’s storied tradition.

“Out of the 27 world championships that the Yankees have, they remember the one they didn’t get and that’s Maz,” LaValliere said. “And that’s really cool.”

Current players soak it up, too.

Left-handed pitcher Steven Brault said he enjoys talking with Tekulve and Blass a lot.

He’s also discussed things with Candelaria, who is in his first season as a Pirates spring special instructor.

“It’s kind of like being in a fraternity or going to a college, where you kind of have that bond because they’re really proud to be Pirates,” Brault said.

There’s no secret formula for the relationships between certain special instructors and the players that gravitate toward them.

Obviously, catchers look to Sanguillen and LaValliere while pitchers are soaking up stories from Tekulve, Blass and Candelaria.

There’s more, too, which makes the spring a truly unique experience. Players aren’t going through the regular season grind just yet, and while they’re finding their footing this spring, they’ve got a former big leaguer with some experience showing them the way.

“Effort. I think that’s the one thing you’ve got to get through to them,” Virdon said. “And I don’t know if there’s any special way to do that or not.”

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Pirates’ special instructors help current players in spring training."