We are family? Pirates find new use for music at spring training.

At 11:09 a.m. on Thursday, the familiar opening riff of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” rings through Pirate City.

Clint Hurdle is standing behind the batting-practice cage on one of the four main fields at Pittsburgh’s spring training complex, watching his non-roster invitee catchers take cuts on the final day before the Pirates move across town to prepare for Grapefruit League action at LECOM Park.

To Hurdle’s right is Kyle Stark, the Pittsburgh assistant general manager who has a particularly important role in what the Pirates call “mental conditioning.”

“Good song,” Hurdle quips to Stark, and the two resume discussing other baseball matters. A few moments later, catcher Jacob Stallings steps out of the cage and walks toward the backstop, muttering the chorus in sync with Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler.

Sing with me, sing for the years.

Stark believes there’s more to the full-time addition of music at Pittsburgh’s workouts this season than the brief sing-along sessions that pop up when players find tiny crevices of downtime in Bradenton. Studies tracing back more than a decade link learning and music, and for the Pirates the addition is another way they hope to gain every possible edge, no matter how slight.

“Whether it be from rhythm, whether it be from energy, whether it be from engaging a different part of your brain,” Stark said, “I think we’re seeing that play out.”

Pittsburgh became one of the first organizations to focus intensely on non-traditional mental-conditioning tactics. In 2010, the Pirates hired Bernie Holliday, a former mental trainer for the United States Army, to become the club’s first director of mental conditioning. He still holds the role. The latest change he brought is probably one of his smallest, but it may be his most noticeable.

Portions of Pirates’ workouts used to be carried out in silence, only a bat cracking or ball smacking leather serving as the soundtrack for spectators too far away to eavesdrop on chatter between players or coaches.

This year, the music began blasting at 8 a.m. when the first groups of minor leaguers were out on the field for some long toss or batting practice.

“We’ve been doing it for a few years at different points,” Stark said as The Black Crowes’ “Hard to Handle” blasted over the speaker system.

Players have taken notice of the small change, as well, even if they’re not completely versed on the reasons for the new addition.

Relief pitcher Jared Hughes sees some of the extra energy that comes with music playing during the early mornings of spring training. As for the benefits on other parts of the brain, Hughes defers to the higher-ups who he figures know better than he does.

“It makes it more enjoyable and you get more out of it probably,” Hughes said. “I’ll trust what they have to say in that regard. They’re the ones that have done the studies on that kind of stuff, so as a player I’m just going to listen.”

While he said he hasn’t had an addition to the playlist yet — he’s not sure how people will feel about the metalcore music that fills his personal playlists — it’s clear the input is coming from all over the organization. Spanish-language music fits seamlessly between classic rock and modern electronic dance music hits. Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” has popped up more than a few times in the almost two weeks since Pittsburgh reported.

The sort of music doesn’t matter, though. The small change is just emblematic of the marginal edges the Pirates are always seeking. This one just happens to please everyone from the players in the batter’s box to the fans wandering the grounds at Pirate City hoping for a peek at their favorite players.

“We’ve got a talented group of guys, staff, that have continued to sharpen us,” Stark said, “and challenge us to be a little bit better.”

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 7:02 PM with the headline "We are family? Pirates find new use for music at spring training.."