By Sam Ross Jr.
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, May 12, 2004


Raul Mondesi and Plaxico Burress have joined the area's out-migration
trend, but with a significant twist.
While others tend to leave because they have no jobs, Mondesi and
Burress have jobs, but little interest in showing up to work.

Mondesi, who bolted the Pirates last week, offered a classic defense
through an Associated Press reporter: "I've played 20 straight years
of baseball all year round. I deserve a rest, even if it's only a few
months."

Tell that to someone who worked in a steel mill or coal mine for 20
years and as a reward got to work 10 or 20 more years.

The explanation for Mondesi's absence from the Pirates falls into the
catch-all of "personal reasons." There has been a legal flap that
relegated a couple of Mondesi paychecks to an escrow account. He's
getting paid again, but it has been reported -- vaguely -- that
Mondesi returned to the Dominican Republic because his lawsuit
antagonist had been harassing Mondesi's family.

Then there's Burress, the out-sized Steelers wide receiver who at
least had the courtesy not to skip out on the regular season, but
rather an offseason workout, mandatory as it was. The cynics see
Burress about to enter the final year of his contract -- the Steelers
being slow to offer an extension -- and theorize Burress and his
agent were trying to put some heat on the team to open the vault.

The agent said it's a personal matter -- there's that catch-all
again -- which has been interpreted to mean Burress was upset on a
Mother's Day weekend because his mother had died two years
previously.

Burress has yet to come forward with his own explanation.

Mondesi's dedication to his family might elicit fewer doubts if the
Pirates weren't his fifth different team in six seasons.

The New York Yankees paid the Arizona Diamondbacks $2 million to take
Mondesi off their hands last July, when he left the team after being
pulled for a pinch hitter. Mondesi previously had worn out welcomes
in Los Angeles and Toronto.

Because of his track record, the best Mondesi could do contractually
this season was a $1.15 million deal with the Pirates. That's a lot
of money, true, but not in the baseball world.

Meanwhile, Burress is scheduled to make less than $600,000 this year,
but he did get that $6 million signing bonus after being drafted in
the first round in 2000.

Some teams considered Burress an attitude risk at the time, but the
Steelers downplayed that. Their faith has been proved correct at
times. It is at other times, like Plax's odd brush with the law, his
difficulty remembering not to spike a live football, his tendency to
play only in spurts, that the fears of immaturity have looked to be
well-founded.

Many expect the Steelers and Burress to kiss and make up, if only for
their mutual benefit this season.

The Pirates had a tougher call on Mondesi. If a guy who needs a
strong season to re-establish himself as a star player can't find the
motivation to play, the situation is near hopeless.

The popgun Pirates could use Mondesi, but, to paraphrase a familiar
assessment, they can finish last with him or without him.

Mondesi's absence led to the Pirates twice needing to use pitchers as
pinch hitters Sunday in a 14-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Pirates finally acted Tuesday, putting Mondesi on the restricted
list and calling up Daryle Ward from Nashville to take his place on
the 25-man roster.

Mondesi could return this season, and we can expect to see Burress in
Steelers livery come July. But can their teams really depend on
either of them?