Hope supposedly springs eternal this time of year.  Pitcher and catchers report for a majority of clubs today, as baseball could desperately use any headlines that do not involve the names Roger Clemens or Brian McNammee.  Today officially opens the 2008 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The season represents a new era for the club, as the Pirates as an entirely new regime on and off the field.  But as much change as there has been behind the scenes, there has been very little on the field.  The starting rotation has already been announced, and there is only one everyday position up for grabs.  There is already naysayers pronouncing a 16th consectutive losing season is a mere fomality.  The Pirates say that this year will be different, and that things are going to change.  Hardened, cyanical Pirates fans like myself have heard this song and dance routine many times before, but at the very least there appears to be some early signs that things have changed.  How things play out for the Bucs this year could be formualated in Spring Training.  Here are the most pressing questions for this coming spring training and season beyond it.

1. Center of Attention-  The only position that the Pirates have opened for competition has been a franchise weak spot ever since Andy Van Slyke stopped protrolling it over a decade ago.  Whether it has been Adrian Brown, Jacob Brumfield, Jermaine Allensworth, Mike Kingery, or Tike Redman, the Pirates have been long on decent fielding light litting center fielders.  Last year's starter out of spring training Chris Duffy has already been committed to start the season at AAA Indianapolis.  The battle for the starting centerfielder will between steady bench player who saw a good deal of time last year, Nate McLouth, and late season call-up that caught fire Nayjar Morgan.  Morgan may still be a bit too raw at the plate, but the man can move on the basepaths and plays solid defense.  McLouth has much of the same package, but he is a bit more consistent at the plate.  McLouth does have a bit of power, where as Morgan is almost strictly a single and doubles hitter.  Since both haver pretty good gloves, the winner of the contest will be whoever can get on base with the most consistency.  The Pirates have long struggled to find a leadoff man who can get on base with frequency, and then make an impact on the bases when they got on.  With the Pirates offensive struggles over recent years, a steady leadoff man who can get on base is a must.  If the Pirates can't fix this problem, don't expect much change from the Pirates offense this year.

2. Attitude-  A very damning article was written the day after the Pirates fired Jim Tracy on clubhouse happenings during the season.  The article quoted an unnamed source that painted the Pirates as anywhere from apathetic to downright lazy when it came to approaching their profession.  Stories of certain players more concerned about ping pong tournaments and card games rather then on the field play fit how the Pirates played on the field last year.  There are no two ways about it, the effort and attitude in which the Pirates played baseball under Jim Tracy was nothing short of emberassing.  Now Jim Tracy mananged his club with great apathy, but the Pirate players are paid professionals and the stories shamed them greatly.  Ronnie Paulino was the greatest culprit of this, as he regulary jogged out groundballs, and looked like a lost child behind the plate.  He may be the franchises' biggest name player, but Jason Bay was just disgusting to watch last year.  Struggles at the plate will happen, but by the way he played defense was inexcuseable,  The fact that the couldn't remember what base to throw to in key situtions would just bewildering.  New GM Neal Huntington made contact with all of his players, and told them what is expected out of them.  New mananger John Russel has talked a lot of creating a winning atomsphere.  That has to start with the players themselves.  Word is that Ronnie Paulino is slimmed down and has looked better in primilary workouts.  Mananagment got rid of malecontents Jose Castillo(that should have happened a long time ago) and Soloman Torres, but they were far from the only ones in the clubhouse.  The attitude must change, and it is long overdue.  Players must be held accountable for sloppy play, no matter who they are.  A change in the players' attitude and focus could really help the Pirates.

3. Set Rotation?-  As much as the Pirates starters struggled last year outside of Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelany, it is a big question why the Pirates have already announced their starting five for the coming season.  Along with Snell and Gorzo, there will be Matt Morris, Zach Duke, and Paul Maholm.  Duke continued his fall from rookie grace, as he was injured for most of the season and never was on track when he wasn't.  The departing of Jim Colburn will undoubtably help Duke who needlessly had his mechanics messed up by Colburn, and hasn't been the same since.  Paul Maholm was hit or miss in the early part of the season, as he would diasterous outings, but also threw two of the three complete games for the Bucs.  Maholm got better as the season went on, but couldn't get any run support.  He has to make a big stride this year for the Bucs to do anything this year.  Matt Morris has already blasted the Pirates as a team that can't compete.  And while he may be trying to buy his ticket out of Pittsburgh, there are simply nobody that will be as stupid as David Littlefield was to take on that contract with how Morris is performing.  Morris is staying for the time being, and the best way to get out of town is to make somebody want you.  Tom Gorzelany was the best starter on the staff last year, but must avoid a sophomore downturn.  Ian Snell started out great, but withered in the second half.  A more complete season out of Snell could help the Bucs.

4. Relief?-  The Pirates made a good move in off-season by signing new closer Matt Capps to a multi-year deal.  Capps was extraordinary, first as a set-up man, and then taking over as the closer in June.  John Grabow had a down year, but had elbow trouble much of the year,  Grabow is reported as healthy and ready to go.  Demarso Marte was lights out against lefties, as good as a sitution left-hander as there is in the league.  Beyond that though, the Pirates bullpen is a very unclear picture.  Much of what made up the bullpen last year is gone or in the minors to startout, and that is probably a good thing.  But, as it stands right now, the Pirates have little bridge to Capps.  How the Pirates don't have a go-to righty or clear set-up man is a big problem.  A bullpen must be fleshed out quickly, or the Pirates are going to have to ask a lot from their starters this year.

5. Offensive Offense-   The Pirates biggest problem has been offense.  Or, more appropiately, a lack their of.  Supposed savior Adam LaRoache got off to a dreadful start and didn't recover to mid-season.  He was ok after that, but he wasn't the power hitter that he had been sold as.  Jason Bay took a nosedive in June and never recovered at the plate.  Xavier Nady and Freddy Sanchez were about the only consistant bats, and Jack Wilson came on late.  But still, the Pirates suffer from a lack of power,  Nady and Bay can hit home runs, but neither is a consistent power threat.  LaRoache has already started hitting this year in an attempt to stay out of his traditional early season slumps.  The Pirates won't have much pop coming off of the bench, so the starting players really have to pick things up.  The Pirates have proven they can do two things well when it comes to offense: hit singles and strike out.  Power numbers have to rise, but clearly the Pirates really don't have the personall right now to do that.  Bay was floated in the off-season, and could be again if he finds his previous form.  Stephen Pearce and Bryan Bixler are waiting in the wings, and a slip at the plate could mean losing a starting job.