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There are a bunch of different ways to dissect the growing differences between the Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers, who were brethren not all that long ago.

You could start, of course, with ownership's outright and obvious commitment in Milwaukee, something that is evident in Pittsburgh only in the form of pledges and promises.

You could continue with all kinds of very good baseball decisions that have resulted in a deep and talented roster. And, as the proud, glowing folks in Milwaukee will tell you, there is more on the way, thanks to a fine minor-league system.

For right now, though, the difference boils down to these two words:

Prince Fielder.

When your Pittsburgh Baseball Club gets an everyday player capable of doing the stuff Fielder did yesterday, tangibly and intangibly, you will see something akin to what is going on now with the Brewers. Setting aside those two home runs and even the leadoff single that started the winning rally, the sheer, raw emotion he showed at home plate after making a very nice slide ... it was scintillating stuff. It was watching a star take another significant step in a promising career and, more important for Milwaukee, carrying his team with him.

And, with our first Q, we will broach the subject of why the Pirates do not have such a player ...

Q: Dejan, a whole lot of attention is being paid to Adam LaRoche's problems at the plate but at what other position are the Pirates getting the offensive production they were expecting?

As I look over the stats, I don't see anyone approaching league average production. Sure seems like one player is taking the brunt of the blame for a team whose offensive shortcomings are widespread and run deep through out the organization.

Paul Galvanek of Shaler

KOVACEVIC: Well put on all counts, Paul. This is no longer a poor hitting team. It is a terrible hitting team.

Sure, they have spurts, such as when Ned Yost leaves his starter out there too long, as happened Thursday and again yesterday. And it is possible they could improve at some point, given individual track records. But it is an undeniable fact through 30 games that this team as a unit is terrible offensively. And you could throw in much of last season, too.

It is not just that the team batting average or on-base percentage rank last or close to last in the majors. Nor is it just the lack of walks, abundance of strikeouts, or even the .200 average with runners in scoring position. It goes beyond that: Their approaches to individual at-bats are, on the whole though not universally, abysmal. How many times did you see, in the past weekend alone, batters look at called third strikes? (I will save you the trouble: It was 11.) How about watching perfectly good pitches go by with men on base? (Too many to tabulate, but one example came in the sixth yesterday: Xavier Nady watched Ben Sheets' opening two fastballs for an 0-2 count with men at second and third and two outs, then grounded out when Sheets could have his way with him.)

Put it another way: Other than Ryan Doumit and Jack Wilson, who do you see going to the plate right now that makes you feel there is even a remote chance of a hit? (Yeah, Adam LaRoche hit better over the weekend, but feeling good about him at the plate probably will take a while.)

And it does, as you put it, run deep through the organization. Look at the minor-league statistics or even the minor-league report I put together daily that runs with the Notebook. What do you see there that stands out?

Here is what I see: Steve Pearce had an extraordinary burst of home runs in Lynchburg - one level lower than where he probably should have started the season -- and no one else of prospect age has stood out for any team. Nyjer Morgan has done a decent job of reaching base and making stuff happen in Indianapolis, as has Brian Bixler. Neil Walker has had a fine little run of late, and Andrew McCutchen is waking up in Altoona. I have cause for confidence that three of those four -- we will see about Morgan -- will make it to the majors.

Beyond that? Look at the power numbers. Look at the on-base percentages. Look at the walk totals to try to measure sound approaches. Not much there. Even the most rudimentary examination shows that hitting is a deficiency from the Gulf Coast League and upward in this organization.

My view, as I have stated previously, is that this has much less to do with a lack of instruction than it does a lack of talent. Too many first-round draft choices were invested in pitchers who wound up under the knife, and too few hitters of any pedigree were found in later rounds.

But it is too simple to blame it on the draft when the team also could have been acquiring hitters through trades or by signing Latin American talent. As I type this, the number of potential impact hitters in the minors who fall under the latter two categories, by my count, is zero.

Jamie Romak? We will see.

I appreciate that the Pirates' approach long has been on building through pitching. Few would dispute it. But there are 29 examples out there that such an approach did not have to come at the near-total expense of the hitting.

Q: Not that I want to chase him out of Indy, but don't you think it's time the Pirates give Bryan Bullington a look? He's 5-0, ERA under 1.00, gone seven innings in three of his past four starts, and opposing hitters are batting .214. Send Paul Maholm down so he can get his confidence back and find his stuff.

Kevin Gray of Indianapolis

KOVACEVIC: Bullington has been exceptional, Kevin, and it is reaching the point -- if it has not already -- where the worries about his recovery from shoulder surgery need to be buried and that his performance be judged on its merits alone. The most encouraging sign beyond the numbers you cited, Kevin, was his pitch count of 92 achieved Saturday night. That was his highest of the season, and the line shows he did not exactly wane as he went along.

For the Pirates to capitalize on their pitching depth, obviously, they need to take advantage of it. If someone is struggling in Pittsburgh, Bullington clearly is ready to take his place.

The one who appears on the shortest leash is Maholm, judging by recent remarks from management.

But let me throw this in, too, on this subject: This team's problem is not the pitching. It is all hitting. You could add Johan Santana and Brandon Webb to this rotation, and this team's record right now would be ... well, 13-17.

Q: I usually have very little positive to say about Jim Tracy, but I really like his decision to get Doumit some at-bats and playing time. I still think Doumit has the bat to be a an everyday player and still has a decent ceiling.

If Doumit keeps hitting like this (or at least close to this), can he seize the right field job from Xavier Nady permanently?

Jon Shelly of Highland Park, Pittsburgh

KOVACEVIC: With all due respect, Jon, there should be no reason why this discussion still should be taking place. There should be no struggle, no dilemma, not even a passing thought given to Doumit playing everyday.

He could be at right field, catcher, first base ... let him pitch if it means his bat is somewhere in the lineup.

This is not to suggest Doumit is Gary Sheffield, but it is to underscore the urgency of needing offense. When nobody other than Doumit and Wilson even looks like they want to get into the box right now, there is no option but to play him.

Go back to Friday here, if you will: Getting Nady back into the lineup at Doumit's expense that night might make sense for a team that has other answers offensively. Or a team that is not in a borderline dire situation to stay close to a team pulling away in first place. Or a team that is not playing that same first-place team that very night.

Until tomorrow, here is a reminder that there will be a live chat at 1 p.m. today. All are welcome except those with ideas for package deals ...