PITTSBURGH -- This offseason, the Pirates set out to replace two-fifths of their rotation and one-fifth of their broadcast booth.
Pittsburgh ultimately found a successor to play-by-play man Tim Neverett, who left to join the Red Sox broadcasting team, in former Brewers broadcaster Joe Block. A native of Michigan, Block has many ties to the Pittsburgh area -- his wife, Bethany, is a native of South Hills -- and had seen the Pirates' recent success from the other side of the field.
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Earlier this spring, he took some time to chat on camera with MLB.com about his thoughts on the team, the Bucs' offseason and getting used to a new organization.
"To see what the Pirates have done on the field and how they really meld the baseball operations with the team and the success and talent the players have, it's been really great," Block said.
Block went right to work after being hired in late January, getting to know the players and coaches during workouts, familiarizing himself with Pirate City and calling the Pirates' Grapefruit League action throughout the state of Florida.
Block will join current play-by-play man Greg Brown and color analysts Steve Blass, Bob Walk and John Wehner, rounding out the Pirates' five-man television and radio broadcast team.