Ogden Raptors

BRADENTON, Fla. — Russell Martin is not frightened by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ streak of 20 consecutive losing seasons.

After spending the past two years with the New York Yankees, Martin, a catcher, joined the Pirates in November. Tuesday, he worked out for the first time with his new teammates in spring training camp.

MILWAUKEE — The heavy-hitting Milwaukee Brewers offense is going to be missing a big bat when the season begins.

PITTSBURGH — A day after agreeing to the deal in principle, the Pirates signed free-agent catcher Russell Martin to a $17 million, two-year contract on Friday.

Martin, 29, a three-time All-Star, hit .211 with 21 homers and 53 RBIs in 133 games last year with the New York Yankees. Martin’s batting average has declined in each of the last five seasons after he hit .293 and made his first All-Star game while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2007.

OGDEN — The disappointment was palpable as Ogden Raptors players ambled into the clubhouse after their 10-0 loss last week to the Missoula Osprey in Game 3 of the Pioneer League Championship Series.

But amid the hung heads and somber chatter, Ross Stripling stood by his locker, brushing past the letdown of the lost title with an upbeat tone, and unfurled a timeworn platitude that in this case was true — it had still been a great season for the Raptors.

“We had a lot of guys do a lot of great things,” Stripling said. “We had a lot of good guys on the mound and at the plate. Overall, you can’t be disappointed. Right now it’s going to hurt, but we’re going to look back and know that we came that close to making it and that it was a good ride. It just ended not in our favor.”

If the sight of Lindquist Field doesn’t stir something in your soul, perhaps your soul needs to be shaken, not stirred.

Perhaps the words you’re about read won’t mean anything to you; perhaps ballparks are just concrete and steel, dirt and grass. And perhaps baseball is just a game.

If that’s you, that’s OK. But understand, there are people for whom ballparks are sanctuaries and baseball is both a sport and an experience.

OGDEN — Having just given up nearly as many runs in the first inning as he had in all of the regular season, Ross Stripling walked off the mound, head lowered, glove in hand. The Ogden Raptors’ title hopes had just taken a critical blow under his care.

The Missoula Osprey scored five off Stripling in the first, which proved to be the death knell for the Raptors in a 10-0 loss in Game 3 of the Pioneer League Championship Series on Friday night at Lindquist Field.