He was trying to get back to the bag and he slid a little late.

In retrospect, it was a mistake. If I had it to do all over again, we certainly wouldn't have (not protected Shelton). As we are now seeing it, the power is obviously there with him.

I think there's probably more enthusiasm, energy and excitement about where we're at. I think there's more hope and enthusiasm with regards to where we're at and where we'll be in the next two to four years.

The Pirates are extremely pleased to have Jim Tracy manage our club for the next three years. With his experience and winning record as a major-league manager, we feel he is the perfect fit to manage our team.

Lloyd's a long-time Pirate and an upstanding guy. He's done a great job for us through the years as a player, as a coach. We certainly appreciate his efforts.

Obviously, we've got limited time, and it takes timing to be major-league ready. You don't go from zero to 100.