Let's get one thing straight: The Pirates' youth movement is a good thing, like it or not.

The team and organization were headed nowhere until general manager Neal Huntington and the new management team had the guts to dismantle the major league team in favor of building a farm system with high-level talent.

This plan might not work and the Pirates still might not win.

Had this plan not been enacted, the Pirates

definitely weren't going to win.Better to take a shot than to settle simply for avoiding the pro sports record of 17 consecutive losing seasons."We're trying to create a winning cycle here, not a winning season," Huntington said.Agreed.But let's get something else straight.This current stretch of Pirates baseball — losing 17 of 19 games heading into Friday night's game — is unacceptable.The disparity between the team's 36-34 record at home and the mark of 19-55 on the road is unacceptable.And somebody, somewhere, must be held accountable.No one expects these so-called Baby Bucs to play winning baseball at this point. That would be unrealistic and unfair.But every team — even a first-year expansion team — wins every once in a while.During these last 19 games, the Pirates went into Cincinnati and got swept four straight by a lineup consisting basically of Reds minor leaguers.They lost to the Dodgers Thursday with L.A. playing only three of its regulars.Phil Dumatrait, a left-handed pitcher, gave up a two-run game-winning homer to left-handed hitting Andre Ethier the other night on his first pitch. Dumatrait came into the game the following day and allowed a home run to Ronnie Belliard — again on the first pitch.Kevin Hart allowed a two-run homer to the Dodgers' Matt Kemp Thursday on an 0-2 pitch.Catcher Jason Jaramillo allowed St. Louis to score a run at PNC Park by flipping the ball over the pitcher's head between pitches.That kind of stuff simply can't be tolerated.While the Pirates are trying to build a talented baseball team, they have to play smart baseball in the process.It's imperative, because the 2010 Pirates primarily will consist of who's on the field right now.Andrew McCutcheon, Lastings Milledge and Ryan Doumit probably will play better next year. Ronny Cedeno, Garrett Jones and Delwyn Young probably will play worse.The jury's still out on Andy LaRoche and Brandon Moss.Time and time again, starting pitchers Ross Ohlendorf, Zach Duke and Paul Maholm have kept the Pirates in games. With a decent offense, each could have 15 wins. They've pitched that well.Playing smart baseball — moving runners over, being selective at the plate, etc. — could win a few more games. Only the Giants and Astros have walked fewer times than the Pirates. Only the Giants have a worse walk-to-strikeout ratio at the plate than the Pirates.Regardless of talent or youth, this team has to learn to play the game right.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.