And no, I'm not talking about Willie "Pops" Stargell and the We Are Family days, nor am I going back to the Andy Van Slyke/Barry Bonds/Bobby Bonilla era. I'm talking about the 2004 Pirates, a team that is single-handedly giving fantasy owners the unexpected offensive boost that wins championships.

As president-elect of the Jack Wilson Fan Club, I have to start with the Pirates' amazing shortstop. After being projected to hit around .250 with a couple of homers in 2004, Wilson's hot start led some desperate owners - myself included - to take a flyer on him in early April. Two months later, he's hitting .339 with four home runs, 20 RBI, four triples and five steals. What I love most is that for the past two months all I've been hearing is, "This won't last, this won't last," and then Wilson goes out and gets another three hits.

The better-known Wilson coming into 2004 was the Pirates' Craig Wilson. He's coveted for his versatility because he can qualify for outfield, first base and catcher in most leagues. Craig Wilson has paid off so far, hitting .360 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI. For good measure he's added a pair of triples and 18 walks. Not bad for a guy most projected to hit around .275 with 15-20 homers in 2004.

Want more bargains at the plate? How about the sizzling Daryle Ward, who turned a mid-May promotion from the minors into a starting job. In 21 games, he's hitting .341 with seven homers and 20 RBI. Ward hit for the cycle and knocked in six runs on May 26 against the Cubs, and he hasn't shown any signs of letting up.

Another guy not on anybody's radar coming into 2004 was Rob Mackowiak, who stepped in during Jason Bay's long absence and hit .277 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI with six steals while playing solid outfield.

Lost in all this is that Pittsburgh regulars like Bay, Randall Simon and Jason Kendall (.313 average, six steals) have gone virtually unnoticed for much of the year.

The surprises continue in the bullpen, where closer Jose Mesa has been lights out, racking up 14 saves and a 1.16 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. Safe to say the streaky veteran wasn't at the top of anybody's draft board this spring, but chances are good he's long gone by now.

If the Pirates do have a weakness (and they do) it's the starting rotation. Kris Benson (4-4, 5.64 ERA), Kip Wells (3-4, 4.14) and company aren't going to make anybody's day, and I wouldn't recommend picking any of them up right now.

But you can't go wrong with the Pittsburgh offense. And while the doubters keep saying that guys like Jack Wilson and Ward can't keep this up, owners like me keep right on smiling.

HOT BOX

Pick him up: Rodrigo Lopez, SP, Orioles. A solid start this week against Boston is making it look like Lopez (4-2, 2.76 ERA) will get his wish - for now - staying in Baltimore's starting rotation. With the way the Orioles can hit, he might make sense as a fill-in starter in fantasy leagues.

Sit him down: Ryan Vogelsong, SP, Pirates. Another reason why Pittsburgh remains in the cellar of the NL Central is Vogelsong, whose loss Tuesday dropped him to 1-5 with an 8.08 ERA and 1.90 WHIP. Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon said he won't sit down Vogelsong yet, but you should have a long time ago.

Keep an eye on: Michael Barrett, C, Cubs. At .319, Barrett is hitting about 120 points higher than he did last year, and he's also on pace for around 25 homers and 100 RBI. If you're desperate behind the plate he certainly merits a look.

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John Nemo can be reached at nemofreelance@yahoo.com

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