By Jason Kendall For The Tribune-Review Sunday, March 10, 2002 BRADENTON, Fla. — I don't have much to smile about as I'm doing this column Friday morning. Last night, part of my front tooth fell out, and I have to go to the dentist to get it fixed. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to that. We were playing the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday when it happened. I was behind the plate catching, and someone hit me in the mask with a back-swing. It hurt right away, but I didn't think much of it at the time. That night, I had a headache and would feel a cold sensation in my tooth whenever I took a drink of water. One time, I went to bite my fingernail. I looked down and part of my tooth was on the nail. I look like a hockey player now; the Pirates made an appointment with the dentist. I'm going to miss batting practice, but I'll be back for the game. I also didn't have much to smile about Thursday when our game against the Cincinnati Reds was rained out. Don't get me wrong, you appreciate the occasional rainout down here because you're going at it seven days a week and the days are long. It's good to get rained out if they bang (cancel) the game quick. If not, it's kind of a lost day. The hardest part is not knowing what's going on. You just sit in the clubhouse, play cards or hang out and wonder if the game is going to get played. The disappointing thing is we had no idea it was going to rain Thursday. The forecast was for a nice day, which just goes to show you how accurate weathermen are. Anyone can say it's going to rain or be sunny. Getting it right is another story. That's one of my biggest pet peeves. These guys go to school and it's their job to know the weather, but it seems like they rarely get it right. Thursday, it wasn't supposed to rain. Then, all of a sudden, we're sitting around in the clubhouse wondering if we're going to have a game. Some weatherman along the way screwed up. In my mind, it's a ridiculous job because anybody can do it and be as accurate as they are. I know this might not go over well with the weathermen in Pittsburgh, but that's the way I feel. Now, let's talk about a few things that are worth smiling about. I like what the new veteran pitchers we've acquired have been doing in camp. I'm talking about Ron Villone, Pat Rapp, Salomon Torres, Scott Service, Brian Boehringer, Gregg Olson, Wayne Gomes and Al Reyes. I apologize if I left somebody out. Baseball is baseball, and the game will always be the same except for the different names on the back of the uniforms. Still, it feels like the veterans we've brought in have been here for 15 years. They are professionals with experience, and that's what this team needs. They've been around the game long enough to know what they've got to do. And the younger players have been looking up to them and learning, which is good. We haven't had that kind of atmosphere since I've been here. It makes for strong competition. The front office and the coaching staff, for the first time since I've been here, are going to have some tough decisions to make when it comes time to cut down the roster. That's a good thing. They have their work cut out for them. I'm also excited about the way the three former White Sox players have pitched. I think it was an outstanding trade. They all know what they're doing when they stand on the rubber. The cool part is they all want to learn and get better. It's fun to catch someone who wants to get better and will sit there and listen to your opinion. Kip Wells has outstanding stuff. I've really been impressed with him. Not many people back in Pittsburgh know about Josh Fogg, but he doesn't miss. He doesn't throw many balls. He hits the glove and has great control. Someone told me that after working with me for the first time, Sean Lowe said that it was like I had been catching him his whole life. That's a great compliment for a catcher to have. It's one of those things that puts a smile on your face. Pirates catcher Jason Kendall will write a column every Sunday this spring exclusively for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.