BRADENTON, Fla. — Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Joe Randa charges a popped-up bunt attempt and lunges, but can't catch the ball. Sprawled on his backside halfway between third and home, he manages to make a strong throw to third, allowing shortstop Jack Wilson to start a double play.

This is the kind of improvised but intuitive play new manager Jim Tracy is promising from what has long been one of the NL's most deficient defenses — aggressive but consistent, one in which the routine play is always made and the above-average is expected, too.

"We will catch the ball," Tracy said.

It's the kind of defense the Pirates haven't played regularly since the early 1990s, when former manager Jim Leyland said his three-time division-winning club's ability to play exceptionally well in the field was as important to them as Barry Bonds' hitting and Doug Drabek's pitching.

The Pirates, who have unsuccessfully reshaped themselves numerous times over 13 consecutive losing seasons since 1992, are trying again to do so under Tracy, the first manager they've imported from outside the organization since Leyland in 1986.

They're doing so not only with the youngest starting pitching staff in the majors — three of their top four starters were in the minors on opening day a year ago — but also with a strong emphasis on defense. Invariably, how well — or poorly — his team played in the field that day is one of the first things Tracy mentions when he talks to reporters after each game.

He also promises this return to fundamentals will not be forgotten when the games start counting for real.

"You've got to be able to pitch and you've got to be able to catch the ball," said Tracy, who said he has seen progress since spring training began last month. "If you can't, you probably won't be very good."

Tracy's emphasis on defense — it might even be called an obsession — is part of the fundamentals-first style that became known as Tracyball during his five seasons as the Dodgers' manager. It's why the Pirates' bunting drills last a little longer than they once did, why drills as routine as the boring-but-necessary pitchers fielding practice run at an up-tempo pace.

Former Pirates catcher Jason Kendall's approach to hitting was simple: See the ball, hit the ball. Tracy's approach to defense is almost identical: See the ball, catch the ball.

"Can you teach a guy to have soft hands or can you teach somebody to be Jack Wilson or Jose Castillo? I think that's a little difficult," Tracy said. "But can you teach somebody the sense of awareness to help them be better prepared for defensive plays that may come your way? Yes, you can. You can do that by being in tune with what's going on around you."

Still, Tracy's challenge in turning a mostly mediocre Pirates defense into a championship-level one is as great as taking a team that lost 95 games last season and making it into a winner in the near future.

Major league statistics don't factor in the condition of playing fields, weather or a player's range, but the Pirates had the NL's next-to-worst defense last season and the fourth worst among all 30 teams. Three of their projected eight starters ranked in the top five at their position in the NL.

Sean Casey, who catches most anything he can get to but doesn't have exceptional range, was first among NL first basemen with a .998 fielding percentage, and he made only 46 errors in seven seasons with the Reds. Wilson was third among shortstops and Randa was fifth at third base. Humberto Cota was 12th among catchers with 75 or more games played and Jason Bay (No. 22) and Jeromy Burnitz (No. 28) were in the Top 30 among outfielders.

Center fielder Chris Duffy needed only a month to establish himself as one of the NL's better defensive outfielders, but his rookie season was cut short by a torn hamstring.

Of course, fielding percentages don't always reflect defensive excellence. Wilson and Castillo are one of the NL's best double-play combinations, yet Castillo ranked only 15th among NL second basemen in fielding. One reason is because Castillo has good range, and mishandles some grounders others might not reach.

"We will be strong up the middle," Tracy said.