PITTSBURGH - Jose Guillen recently enjoyed a productive three-game series at PNC Park, collecting eight hits in 13 at bats, including four home runs.

The former Pirate outfielder only wishes he could have stayed here.

Now 29 and with the Washington Nationals, Guillen was the Pirates' opening day right fielder in 1997, a kid of 20 with a rifle arm who had never played a game above Class A.

The sky was the limit in terms of his potential.

But that sky became cloudy before long.

Just 40 games into the 1999 season, after collecting 28 home runs, 154 RBI and 25 outfield assists in his first two years with the Pirates, Guillen was sent to Class AAA Nashville.

He never returned to the Pirates, who traded him to Tampa Bay that July 23 for catchers Joe Oliver and Humberto Cota.

"I don't look at the past too much, but I've always loved Pittsburgh," Guillen said. "They treated me right, they treated my family right. I still have family living here.

"I'll never say anything bad about the Pirates. I have too much respect for Kevin McClatchy, Lloyd McClendon, the entire organization."

Pirates manager McClendon was the team's batting coach when Guillen first reached the major leagues.

"He's still a good friend of mine," Guillen said.

So why isn't Guillen a Pirate? An outfielder with 68 career assists would look good in right field at PNC Park right now.

A free agent this past off-season, Guillen and his agent did talk to the Pirates, but those talks never got serious.

"It didn't work out," Guillen said. "This is a business, after all. Nobody knows that more than me."

The Nationals are Guillen's seventh big league club since 1999. Besides the Pirates and Devil Rays, he's been with Arizona, Cincinnati, Oakland and Anaheim.

He's been traded three times, joined organizations as a minor league free agent three times and signed with organizations - including Washington - as a major league free agent twice.

Labeled as a malcontent elsewhere, those days are apparently behind him.

"I love playing for Frank Robinson," Guillen said. "I finally found a manager who knows what Jose Guillen is all about.

"I just want to go on the field and play hard every day. He lets me do that."

And Guillen has been playing well. His batting average is hovering around .300 and he leads the Nationals with 15 home runs. No other player on the team is in double figures in homers.

Only one of Guillen's homers has been hit at Washington's RFK Stadium.

"They say it's 405 feet to center field there," he said. "I think it's more like 415 or 420. Playing in that park, my power numbers are going to be down.

"I don't care - as long as we keep winning."

The Nationals are in first place in the National League East. Guillen is a big reason why. If the team wins the division, he is a viable candidate for National League MVP.

"He supplies us with power we really need," said Nationals bench coach Eddie Rodriguez. "Jose has gotten us an early lead plenty of times."

Guillen wouldn't mind doing the same for the Pirates some day.

"My father got sick while I was playing for Pittsburgh and the Pirates really took care of him and me," Guillen said. "Kevin McClatchy bent over backwards for us. I'll never forget that."

Guillen's father eventually died of prostate cancer.

"I'm very happy in Washington, but you never know. I'm still a young player. Sometimes these things have a way of working themselves out," Guillen said.

"Pittsburgh is a great city with some great fans. I'd love to play there again at some point. We'll see."