The Pirates are pushing to regain the Cleveland Indians as an interleague opponent.

Team president Frank Coonelly has made a formal request to Major League Baseball, where he previously was chief labor counsel, to restore a rivalry that has not been annually active since its initial run of 1997-2001.

The Pirates visited Cleveland two years ago, and the Indians were at PNC Park for a memorable set in 2003 -- consecutive 15-inning victories for the home side -- but those meetings happened because each league's Central Divisions were matched in interleague play those years.

"I would like to see us playing the Indians on a regular basis," Coonelly said. "The rivalry between Pittsburgh and Cleveland is as heated as any other interleague rivalry in baseball, and the fans in both cities would love to see the Pirates and Indians battle one another on a regular basis. I am making sure that the Pirates' scheduling preferences are understood by Major League Baseball."

It promises to be an uphill climb.

The Pirates have not been assigned what MLB calls a "natural rival." Teams carrying such a designation, including those sharing the New York, Chicago and Los Angeles markets, face each other in two series per year, one in each team's venue.

Cleveland's "natural rival" is Cincinnati, thanks in large part to heavy lobbying by the Reds to create what now is being called the "Buckeye Series" by some. Those teams are playing the first of their two series this weekend in Cincinnati.

The Indians' public stance has been that they are satisfied with having Cincinnati as a "natural rival," but that they would not object to playing three games with the Reds and three with the Pirates to satisfy each team. But, according to one informed source outside the Pirates, the Indians never have pressed for such an arrangement behind the scenes.

The Pirates are 11-10 all time against the Indians.