Pirates president Frank Coonelly might turn out to be the best thing to happen to the Pittsburgh Baseball Club, but he has said a couple of outrageous things in his first few months on the job that makes you wonder if the organizational accountability he has been preaching is a crock and that he and his new management team already are accepting the mediocrity that has doomed the franchise for going on 16 years.

The first came three-plus weeks into the season when Coonelly was asked about the depressingly small crowds at Pirates games. He explained that April isn't a fair gauge of fan interest and talked up the team's advanced ticket sales, then said, "Nevertheless, it is a shame that more fans have not been able to enjoy Pirates baseball at PNC Park to date."

Outrageous doesn't even begin to describe that observation. The Pirates had just lost six consecutive games and were 7-12 after 15 consecutive losing seasons. They were lucky anyone was showing up at the ballpark.

Coonelly's second baffling pronouncement came last week after the Pirates split two home games with the New York Yankees, winning the first game in a blowout and getting blown out in the second.

"We've seen how these guys compete," Coonelly said. "We keep competing against the best teams in baseball."

If Coonelly were a player, he would be headed to the disabled list for recklessly and excessively patting his team on the back.

I guess Coonelly's definition of competing differs a bit from mine.

Apparently, he sees it as playing hard, which -- let's be honest -- is about all any losing team has to hold on to. Our guys battled hard for nine innings. They might have lost, but they battled hard ...

What?

Professional athletes aren't supposed to play hard?

I see competing successfully as winning more than you lose. There's nothing easier to judge than a pro sports team. The won-loss record is in this newspaper every day. The Pirates were 38-43 going into their game at Cincinnati last night, trailed the first-place Chicago Cubs by 10¹/₂ games in the National League Central Division and were in danger of falling into last place in the division with a loss.

Even worse is the Pirates' record against those best teams in baseball that Coonelly mentioned. They have gone 15-27 against teams currently in first or second place, winning two series, losing eight and tying four. Their 5-4 record against the St. Louis Cardinals is their only winning record against those clubs. They are 3-9 against the Cubs.

The Pirates have a long way to go to become one of the elite.

That's why it's critical that first-year general manager Neal Huntington is aggressive as the trade deadline approaches at the end of the month. The Pirates aren't nearly good enough to compete. There should be no untouchables on the roster other than catcher Ryan Doumit.

What's frightening, though, is that there seems to be a feeling in the Pirates organization, from Coonelly on down, that the team has accomplished something even if the record says otherwise. That's how far the standard has fallen. It's to be expected, I guess. The Pirates' 38 wins at the season's halfway point are their most since 1999 when they were 40-41.

Yes, the Pirates are better than last season but only by three games at the halfway mark. Their offense is significantly better; their 394 runs going into last night ranked third in the National League. They also have been better in one-run games, going 15-12.

But almost all of the progress has been sabotaged by the worst pitching staff in the big leagues. The starters' earned run average of 5.45 was a run worse than the league average before last night, the relievers' 4.56 mark nearly three-quarters of a run worse.

The paying customers know the truth even if Coonelly doesn't want to admit it publicly. July is a long way from April and Pirates attendance is way off from the same point last season, down more than 2,300 a game after 43 home dates. Despite the two sellouts against the Yankees, the team's average attendance of 18,528 ranks next-to-last in the big leagues. Only the Florida Marlins, playing in a lousy stadium, are drawing worse.

Coonelly might think the Pirates are doing a nice job of competing.

The fans are saying otherwise.