3-9-06
‘Weird’ day for former Red Casey
New Pirate manager Tracy determined to trade for 1st baseman
SARASOTA, Fla. — He walked into camp like royalty, and well, Sean Casey was treated like visiting royalty, receiving more hugs than a favorite teddy bear from his former Cincinnati Reds teammates.
Casey used the word “weird” over and over and over as he described his feelings about returning in a black and gold Pittsburgh Pirates uniform.
“I’ve gotten over the trade, but I miss these guys,” he said. “My whole Major League Baseball life was with the Reds. It was so weird — one phone call, and it was, ‘See you later,’ and my whole life changed.”
New Pittsburgh manager Jim Tracy, a Badin High graduate, said the first thing he did when he was hired was to ask general manager Dave Littlefield to “call the Reds and see if they’ll give up Casey.”
It was quickly done, and Casey was traded for left-handed pitcher Dave Williams.
When Tracy arrived Wednesday morning, the habitually late-arriving Casey already was there, and Tracy said, “Did you make the clubhouse coffee?”
Casey batted third in a game won by the Pirates 5-0 as the Reds had only four hits.
In his first exhibition game for the Pirates, Casey doubled down the right-field line, “And I did a whale flop, head-first slide into second base. All my teammates got on me about the ugly slide, and I said, ‘Get used to it; that’s how they all are.’ ”
Casey put a massive hug on massive Reds first baseman Adam Dunn, who later said, “There’s one guy you can say never used steroids. He is old-man strong, like your father always was when you were a kid. They always criticize him for not hitting home runs, and I say that’s because his swing is too pretty to hit homers — after he does all those gyrations when he gets into the box.”
Before slipping into Pirates uniform No. 25, Casey stood outside the Reds clubhouse, taking grief from Reds players for wearing black and gold training shoes.
“I don’t know how to act,” he said. “I miss these guys and I ain’t lying. I’m glad I’m playing today to get this step out of the way. It’s weird playing against Cincinnati and these guys, but it is the nature of the beast.”
Now, though, he is a Pirate and said, “A good bunch of guys who have made it easy on me. Plus, Joe Randa is there, and that made it easier for me.”
Randa, traded by the Reds to San Diego last July, signed with the Pirates as a free agent in the off-season. He’ll be at third base and Casey at first.
“Our corner defense has been upgraded with those two,” Tracy said. “It’s only six or seven games, but I can see we’re going to catch the ball. You can’t win without catching the ball.”
The hugs and chats finished early, and Casey retreated to the visiting clubhouse, a place he never saw during his years with the Reds.
“That’s the thing about baseball, he said. “When you cross the lines, it is baseball competition. You never forget the friendships and relationships you made, and all those Reds guys always will be my friends, but now it’s time to do something to beat them for the Pirates.”
Casey received the biggest applause of any player on either side when he came to bat in the first inning and flied to left field.
When he stepped in the box for his second at-bat, a female fan wearing a Reds jersey yelled, “We still love you, Casey. We don’t like that shirt, though. Wrong color.”
Then Reds pitcher Mike Gosling hit him above the eyebrow with a pitch. Casey went down, but got up quickly and took first base, finishing the third inning before coming out.
Hal McCoy covers the Cincinnati Reds for Cox News Service. He can be reached by e-mail at
hmccoy@DaytonDailyNews.com.
http://www.journal-news.com/sports/c...asey_tweb.html
Originally Posted by FlyingPig
Sure does. I had colleagues stopping by my desk after his trade to give me their condolences. 
I didn't even know these people knew I followed baseball. 
