Bob Pompiani

We started the day after the opener.

If the Pirates got a tradeoff for Fronio Cruz, we all said we would take it.

This is why you can't.

Because you're not going to get a player in a trade who is capable of doing what O'Neal Cruz is if he reaches his potential.

So why not just wait and see?

You know what I mean?

Why not just wait and see if he can finally put it all together and become the guy that we all know he can be?

And...

I do think that sometimes there's a lack of focus in the field, but it's hard to say the guy didn't care or the guy didn't work hard.

Right, and it showed.

It showed.

I mean, he pays a left-handed batting practice guy, and he's out here hitting taters 150 miles an hour, 444 feet off of left-handers.

Okay, but hold on.

I thought it would roll into the... So did I. So did I. My thesis was we've been told he shouldn't prove in center field because he's worked this hard at it, and then he clearly hadn't.

So why would we assume that the hard work...

that he put in as a hitter would pay off when the guy hit 200 last year.

But Harry, you said you'd bench the guy after two weeks.

And what I was saying was you can't get rid of this guy, although I said for a trade I would.

I didn't say trade him.

You said you'd bench him after two weeks.