BRADENTON, Fla. - Remember last summer and how the Philadelphia Phillies constantly were reminded that they were approaching the ignominious distinction of becoming the first professional sports franchise to reach 10,000 losses?

Now it's the Pittsburgh Pirates' turn to deal with the friendly reminders that they have suffered more than a few losses, especially recently.

The Pirates are riding a streak of 15 consecutive losing seasons. One more and they will tie the major-league record set by, you guessed it, the Phillies from 1933 to 1948.

Last season, as the 10,000th loss approached, members of the Phillies organization, from the front office to the field, did their best to ignore all talk of the inglorious milestone. The loss came July 15 and quickly was forgotten as the team surged down the stretch to win the National League East for the first time in 14 years.

New Pirates president Frank Coonelly wants his team to take a similar approach in dealing with its streak of losing seasons.

"In my first meeting with the team, I told the players they don't own it, it's not their streak," Coonelly said last week. "They are the '08 Pittsburgh Pirates. The streak will be mentioned in newspapers, but they should not feel they are defined by it."

That said, breaking the streak of losing seasons is not necessarily the Pirates' goal this season.

"We want to build and sustain a championship-caliber team," Coonelly said Friday. "Winning 82 games is not going to make you a championship-caliber team. We're optimistic we can be a winning team this year, but our long-term goals are more important than simply snapping the streak this season."

Coonelly, 47, joined the Pirates late last season after nine years as Major League Baseball's senior vice president and general counsel of labor. From day one, the former high school hockey player has said he intends to change the culture of losing that has grabbed hold of one of baseball's oldest and most storied franchises.

It's a big job, and Coonelly intends to start at the bottom, by focusing on a farm system that was ranked 26th among 30 teams by Baseball America. Coonelly's seriousness about the farm system showed in his first hire. First-year general manager Neal Huntington has an extensive background in scouting and player development after spending a decade in the Cleveland Indians' front office.

"Building and sustaining a championship-caliber team starts with developing a broader and deeper farm system," he said. "There's no question it's not as broad as it needs to be."
Coonelly believes that his club can contend in the NL Central this season. If the Pirates don't, veterans such as outfielder Jason Bay could be dealt for young players who will help in the rebuilding. Otherwise, the Pirates will be reconstructed through the draft.

That raises a fascinating issue.

During his time in the commissioner's office, Coonelly regularly doled out economic advice to clubs, particularly when it came to player contracts and signing bonuses for drafted players.
Several years ago, in an effort to curb escalating draft costs, the commissioner's office instituted guidelines for signing bonuses. Each pick in the draft was assigned a value, and teams were encouraged to follow the guidelines, which became known as the slotting system. Coonelly and former MLB executive Sandy Alderson are the founding fathers of the slotting system.

While some teams, such as the Phillies, follow the slotting system religiously, others, such as the Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers, aren't afraid to bust slot if it means signing a premium talent.
It will be interesting to monitor the Pirates' economic approach to the draft under Coonelly. They have the second overall pick in June. Would they bust slot?

"We'll pay attention to the slot, but we'll take the best available player that we believe we have a chance to sign," Coonelly said. "If we think a player's value is over the slot, we'd certainly consider it."

Coonelly was such a star and important cog in the commissioner's office that he occasionally was mentioned as a possible successor to commissioner Bud Selig, when and if he ever retires.
Why would Coonelly leave such a high-ranking baseball position to run a team that hasn't had a winning season since 1992, Barry Bonds' last season with the club?

"With the commissioner's office, I advised and serviced 30 teams," he said. "I thought it was time to join one club and try to help the Pirates become a winner. Pittsburgh is a great sports town. It's a great opportunity to have a positive impact."

And after 15 straight losing seasons, the Pirates are ready for something positive.