The Deals that Built the Bucs

Famed author C.S. Lewis once said, “With the possible exception of the equator, everything begins somewhere.” For Pirates fans, it’s very easy to identify where they Pirates two decades of failure began (Thanks, Sid Bream). But these are the new Pirates, a group of players to whom losing a game has seemed foreign for the past two months. But as Lewis stated, these Pirates had to begin somewhere.



July 26, 2008

Pirates send Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady to the Yankees for Jose Tabata, Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen

This was perhaps the best trade of the Huntington era in terms of total value. Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady never truly caught on in New York. Nady played admirably for the remainder of the 2008 season, while Marte starred in the 2009 playoffs, but never much beyond that.

The Pirates ended up having all four of their minor leaguers in the deal spend time with the club. Ohlendorf has moved on, and McCutchen is in AAA this year after spending most of last year in the Pirates bullpen. Tabata has had decent success as the Pirates leadoff hitter, but is struggling to regain his form.

The biggest catch of that group was perhaps the one least likely, Jeff Karstens. He has been one of pitching coach Ray Searage’s biggest successes. While not having an overpowering fastball (90-92 mph), he exhibits tremendous control over his breaking pitches. If the Pirates are going to make a run in the playoffs, you can bet that Karstens will play a key role.



June 30, 2009

Pirates send Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett to the Washington Nationals for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan

Nyjer Morgan has admittedly had more success in the major leagues than I ever thought he would. For a former hockey player with an eclectic personality, he’s done quite well for himself.

But this trade has been instrumental in the Pirates success. Milledge may have fizzled out, but Joel Hanrahan is a two-time All-Star who has become an elite closer in the majors. Back in 2009, the Pirates didn’t have to worry about that too often. Now that they’ve started their winning ways, we see how important it is to have a shutdown guy in the bottom of the 9th. Another great deal for Neal.



July 31, 2010

Pirates send Octavio Dotel to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andrew Lambo and James McDonald

Given what we know now, this trade is laughable. Dotel pitched in all of 19 games for LA, and was dealt in September of 2010 to the Rockies. James McDonald, in turn, has become one of the elite pitchers in the National League. But it’s very easy to forget that he essentially was a toss-in. The one that the Pirates were particularly interested in was Lambo, who was one of the darlings of the Dodgers organization, until he got into issues with PED use. Here in Pittsburgh, he’s become a forgotten man in the Pirates minor league system. Seriously, totally forgotten. Like, I don’t know where he is. Remember that kid from The Sandlot that got really into the 60s, and no one ever saw him again? That’s Andrew Lambo.



June 13, 2011

Pirates acquire Michael McKenry from the Red Sox in exchange for a Primanti’s Capicola and Egg sandwich or something like that.

McKenry may not be tall enough to ride everything at Kennywood, but his value to this team has been beyond measure. Right now he’s averaging a home run every 15 at-bats. That’s just insane for a player like him.



July 21, 2011

Pirates sign Jason Grilli to a minor league deal.

Why the hell didn’t anybody want this guy?



February 18, 2012

Pirates trade Exicardo Cayones and Diego Moreno to the Yankees for A.J. Burnett

If you had to Google search Exicardo Cayones and Diego Moreno, you’re not alone. I still don’t know who they are. Nor do I care.

Before the season, I said I thought Burnett was a mediocre pitcher, and I think I even compared him to Matt Morris at one point. That shows you how much I know. If the Pirates 2012 season were a human body, Burnett would be the spine. Even if you excuse his outstanding performance on the mound (you shouldn’t anyways), what he’s given to the clubhouse is the knowledge of a veteran guy who has been around the block. He’s helped James McDonald reach his full potential. He keeps the guys loose. Along with Rod Barajas, he’s helped the entire team gel with one another. After Andrew McCutchen of course, Burnett should be the MVP of this team.

Above all else, Bucco fans, enjoy this. Wherever this team goes in August, September and (potentially) October; never forget where you came from. The heartbreak of the past 20 years is gone, even if it’s only temporary. Love this team as it is, right here and right now.

Even if they like crappy movies.

He Called Him Safe?

It was 1:50 AM on July 27th, 2011.

Just in case you wanted to document the worst call in baseball history.



With all due respect to the Jim Joyce/Armando Galarraga perfect game debacle, when it comes to the ease of the call, umpire Jerry Meals rendition of what really happened between Mike McKenry and Julio Lugo borders on the hallucinogenic.

Before I post a link to a YouTube video that Major League Baseball will take down in the next thirty seconds, let me set the scene for those who drifted off to peaceful slumber.

Bottom of the 19th. Braves runners on second and third. One out. Relief pitcher Scott Proctor takes the plate for only the second time since 2007. Immediately goes down 0-2 to Pirates workhorse reliever Daniel McCutchen. McCutchen delivers, Proctor grounds to a charging Pedro Alvarez at third base. 850 year old Atlanta Brave Julio Lugo makes a beeline for home plate. Alvarez comes with a strong and accurate throw. McKenry receives it and swipes at Julio Lugo. Then all hell breaks loose.



Now okay, there's a lot going on in this 1 minute, 48 second video:

1. Most importantly, you can see the angles of the tag. The definitive one is at about 1:30 of the video. You can see McKenry making the swipe, and Julio Lugo's pantleg reverberating from the contact of McKenry's mitt. If ANYONE felt as if Lugo actually was safe, that angle puts the axe to that idea.

2. Clint Hurdle turned a color that I didn't know a human being could. It was almost a blackish purple hue. Even in my stunned disbelief at what I had just seen, I was readying myself to call an ambulance for him.

3. How bad do you feel for Mike McKenry? To catch 19 innings and over 300 pitches to have it end like that? Ouch.

4. If Lyle Overbay doesn't hold back Daniel McCutchen, he probably eats Jerry Meals.

5. This isn't in the video, but I had seen it last night (and had it confirmed through a billion tweets), that Neil Walker was actually signing autographs for fans immediately after the game. That's insane. Neil Walker, you are without a doubt a better person than I am. I would have been punching holes in anything I could. What a class act.

6. Scott Proctor does the world's most inexplicable belly flop, absolutely ensuring that if Meals calls out Lugo, McKenry can lob the ball to Overbay at first to complete the double play and get out of the inning.


We should have a bit of perspective here. Yes, the Pirates lost. If Meals ends up making the right call, maybe the Pirates win, maybe they don't. But the fact is that they deserved to find out. While the Pirates lost the game, the true losers were MLB fans as a whole. It was an instant classic. a six-and-a-half hour epic that featured game-saving plays and two of the best bullpen showings in baseball history. It didn't deserve to end that way. Fans should have either been treated to Joel Hanrahan closing out a Pirates win, or a dramatic walk-off hit by Atlanta. Not this. Major League Baseball owes the Pirates an apology, and the Pirates owe Major League Baseball a tongue-lashing.

Just as an additional note, shame on Jerry Meals for the way that he has reacted to his call. Within 30 minutes of Jim Joyce's awful call, he released a statement of contrition, saying that he had simply blown the call. His regretful demeanor and sheer humanness endeared him to fans, and to Armando Galarraga himself. While he still has a chance to do something similar, Jerry Meals is showing no signs of it.

Given the surroundings and circumstance, we will likely look back on this as a turning point in the Pirates season. The Buccos will either harness the "Us vs. Them" mentality and use it to their advantage, or crumble under the weight of fatigue and difficulty of schedule. Only time will tell.

And in just over 8 hours, the Buccos will continue the fight.

If the Pirates weren't "America's Team" at 1:49 AM this morning, they sure are now.

The Silence is Broken

It's been way to hot to post anything.



Somehow, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been hotter.

In what seems like a two-month fever dream, the Pirates have re-kindled a passion for baseball that hasn't existed for a long time in Pittsburgh. Since Memorial Day, the Pirates are 27-17. Their 51st win of the season came on July 19th. Last year, their 51st win came on September 19th. There are more mind-boggling statistics, but as the great Dodgers Announcer Vin Scully once said, "Statistics are used like a drunk uses a lamp post, for support, not illumination".

So allow me to waylay statistics, and tell you why I really think the Pirates are winning.



^This guy.

Hurdle isn't running away with the Manager of the Year award. He's taking what we used to know as the Manager of the Year, and kicking it in the balls. Hurdle and his staff (Pitching coach Ray Searage deserves his own award for making Jeff Karstens look like Greg Maddux) have marched their way into Pittsburgh and completely changed the atmosphere and attitude of this organization. Ever since Jim Leyland, every manager from Gene Lamont to John Russell looked as if they would rather be managing a Taco Bell. Simply going through the motions like a 16 year old doing chores.

Not Clint Hurdle though.

He's been the breath of fresh air that hasn't existed in Pittsburgh since the early 90s. He's an intense, yet jovial and portly guy who talks fast and chews his gum with such tenacity that you become legitimately concerned about his well-being. Hurdle is exactly the tonic that a young team needs: wielding an incessantly positive attitude while also refusing to except failure. Seriously, when was the last time you remember a Pirate team that has been so fundamentally sound? Talent is one thing, but fundamentals are directly derived from good coaching.

Hurdle is the sole reason why I don't buy into people that say that the Pirates will fade as the season goes on. Yes, the schedule is tough. We play the Brewers about 8,000 times. We play Atlanta, we play Philly, whatever. This is a team that will succeed because Hurdle has them believing that they should. The Buccos see no reason why they can't go up to Miller Park now and take 2 of 3 games. They couldn't care less about how good the Phillies pitching staff is. They only care about playing the best baseball they can.

And in 2011, their best may be good enough.

The Milwaukee Brewers are the Bane of my Existence

I honestly have no clue why we can't beat this team. No clue at all. We're something like 3-33 in our last few years at Miller Park. Milwaukee is apparently where my dreams go to die. This is what a Buffalo Bills fan would have felt in the 90s if they had to play the Cowboys every game. The Brewers aren't even that good. Prince Fielder is so big now it looks like he swallowed his dad (Note: if you're under 20, google Cecil Fielder). Ryan Braun only shows up for Pirates games, and then goes home to have a bug-eyed staring contest with Brooks Orpik.




I seriously hate the Brewers so badly.


This made me feel better though.



Go ahead and take a few minutes to digest how awesome that was. I have no idea how he finds pants to fit over his giant cojones. This guy actually made it out of the stadium, but was caught soon thereafter. And here I thought James Harrison spearing a Browns fan was the greatest consequence of any on-field dash. Guess I was wrong. Happy Monday all.

Pirates Keep on Truckin, Pittsburgh Loses a Legend

You know you live in a special city when the loss of a vendor is front page news. But long-time Pirates/Steelers/Penguins vendor Kenny Geidel was no ordinary stadium employee. Anyone who has been to a sporting event in Pittsburgh in the past 30 years knew Kenny. A shrill, throaty "Cotton Candy Heeee!" became as much of a tradition as the national anthem, and at times more melodic. He was the embodiment of our sports teams and our city, approaching his job with a tenacious work ethic and unbreakable spirit.

The grass will still be green and the ice will still be pure, but a small part of the Pittsburgh sports experience is lost forever. We'll miss you, Kenny.



To the business of baseball:

18-18. Basically the exact definition of mediocre. But for Pirate fans, this is as good as we've had it for a while. And here's the kicker: it seems as if we have nowhere to go but up. The Pirates are in every game, and are managing to pull out wins when their young star offensive players are putting up numbers like this:

Andrew McCutchen- .242 BA, 7 HR, 19 RBI
Jose Tabata- .226 BA, 3 HR, 6 RBI
Pedro Alvarez- .202 BA, 1 HR, 7 RBI

If someone would have said to me in March that the Pirates would be at .500 in May with Andrew McCutchen batting under .250, I'd have kicked them in the groin for being so dumb.



Truly, the surprise of the season to this point has been the starting pitching. The Pirates boast four current starters with ERA's in the three's. Consider that in 2010, the Pirates didn't even have one starter (at least 15 games started) below four. Coupling consistent starting pitching with a solid bullpen (currently minus the young set up man, Evan Meek) is going to keep you in games. If the Pirates can keep getting this type of pitching performance and get their young hitters on track, they all of a sudden become a division contender.

Dear Lord, did I just type that? A division contender? The numbers back me up here. In 2010, in the largest division in baseball, there were only two winning teams. 2009 was the same story. The Pirates are currently 9-6 within the division. If they can continue to beat the teams below them (Milwaukee-a HUGE if-, Houston and Chicago), while occasionally stealing a series with St. Louis or Cincinnati, then it's not a preposterous thought.

A guy can dream, right?

Pens Win. Pirates Win. Pittsburgh Wins.

Before this series started, I proclaimed that there was a good chance that the Penguins would put up 6 or more goals in one of these games. I gave the statistics, blah blah, whatever.

Pretty sure I'm going to be wrong on that. The Lightning are not in awe of the playoffs at all.

If any game was going to be that 6-0 or 7-1 rout, it would have been Game three. Pens came out strong, and then all hell broke loose. Not surprisingly, it was longtime Pens hater Steve Downie that provided the fireworks. Just so you remember...





...exactly what Steve Downie is about. Also remember that Downie was suspended for 20 games early in his career for a flying cheapshot to Dean McAmmond. Here's video of the hit:



Ouch. Of course, Talbot gets pissed off about the hit and roofs one on Roloson.

While we were all crying for a major penalty, Bylsma sends the fourth line out there. Oh, fourth line. Mike Rupp carries, kinda whiffs on the puck, but then makes a sweet little backhand pass to Asham who has apparently decided to start playing hockey. You start to think that this game COULD be that blowout game.

And then you remembered the Lightning have Martin St. Louis. That guy is a termite. You forget he even exists, then he chews a giant hole in your wall. He buries a power play goal and stops the momentum in its tracks.


Not sure who made this. Pretty sure it's awesome.

The second period happened. That was about it.

The third starts, St. Louis scores again, and you begin to wonder exactly how much Zbynek Michalek's stick in Game 1 pissed him off.

Side note: Zbynek Michalek may be the MVP of this series right now.

Anyway, after St. Louis scored for the millionth time, it starts to feel like a major meltdown could be coming. Cue Tyler Kennedy.



Just go to the net.

The last 15 minutes of this game lasted longer than a JAG marathon. Craig Adams' Mohawk blocks a shot to end it.


Other crap:

Downie and Chris Kunitz each will be receiving some sort of discipline from the league today. Don't know how I forgot to mention the Kunitz elbow. While not nearly as dangerous as the Downie play, it was equally as mindless.



No idea what Kunitz is thinking here. This is about as easy as it gets. It's a pretty delicate elbow, but it's still an elbow, and it's still ridiculously blatant.

Jesus, I've put like a billion YouTube videos in this post.


Gotta mention the fact that the Pirates won another road series. This is a damn impressive habit to get into. Bucs travel to Florida tonight. Let's go.

Tax Day Update.

Pay your taxes, slackers. Yeah, even you, Wesley Snipes.

Pens lost 5-1 on Friday night. Big deal. Nobody goes 16-0 in the playoffs. Fleury had a rough outing, but he's approximately 100000-0 in rebound games, so I'm sure he'll be fine. The game actually wasn't as lopsided as the score would indicate. Outside of the first half of the first period, the Pens played a decent game.


The fourth line pretty much deserve Purple Hearts at this point in the series.

Cassie Campbell from CBC posted a speculative tweet saying that she thought Crosby was missing practice because he was at the doctor's and may be cleared to play. She's cool, don't know why she just started making stuff up, but whatever. I wasn't paying attention, and it ended up being a crap report (probably).

Per Rob Rossi, Crosby hasn't skated since Friday. Can't be good news there. He's in Tampa though, so Coach Crosby will probably be donning the headset again.


The Pirates are still playing baseball. It's now the opposite of last year: they suck balls at home, but keep winning road series. Impressive stuff on the road if they can keep it up.


We'll end with some love to the Pittsburgh Power, who are coming up with some respectable performances in their inaugural season.

How About a Kiss for Your Cousin Dupuis? Pens Win; Close on Flyers

I swear to God this is the only time I start a blog post with a Steely Dan joke (I'm probably lying).

This was clearly the highest scoring Pens-Devils game ever, and it was actually interesting to watch. Jordan Staal went berserk. Versus was effusive in their praise for Staal. I didn't realize he played 29 minutes in a game. That's beyond insane. Nice to see him get some well-deserved kudos. And by the way, Craig Adams' Mohawk is now 2-0. This could be the start of something fun.


For the first 30 minutes, MAF was just ridiculous. Pretty sure I wouldn't want any other goalie between the pipes right now. He's bound to steal a game or two in the playoffs, circa 2009. Pascal Dupuis netted two, including an empty netter. Dupes has very quietly put up 16 goals. What a player. He should totally change the spelling of his name to the pronunciation on ESPN.com--paz KAL doo PWEE

No matter, It's just nice to beat the Devils.



The Pirates blew a 2-0 first inning lead to the Cardinals last night, losing 3-2, bringing their record to that number as well. Though I must say, through the first full rotation of the five starters, their numbers have been ridiculously impressive:

3-0, 2.85 ERA, with 3 Quality Starts.

If they pitch anywhere in the same stratosphere as this for most of the season (which may be the biggest assumption in the history of the world), this could be the start of something very interesting for the Pirates. I never would have pinpointed Evan Meek-whose ERA currently stands at about three touchdowns, 21.60-as the weak part of our pitching staff. Though the smart money is that Meek will turn it around.

Regardless, one has to be quite surprised by the early season Pirates. However, I've smelled this ass before. The April Pirates are usually fun to watch, it's once we get into June-July that we initiate Operation Shutdown (props to Derek Bell on that).

In another Pirates note, Huey Lewis and the News will play a postgame concert on June 11th. Huey deserves more respect. Show the love, Pittsburgh.

100th Post-Pens Fall to Tampa, and Holy Christmas, the Pirates are Playing!

Pens lost. Totally dominated the game, except for Grandpa Roloson hopped himself off of his hemorrhoid donut and decided to play some hockey. Great performance.


Roloson in his younger days. Does anyone even remember who that #71 character is?

The Alexei Kovalev experiment is failing. James Neal, while not scoring as much, has been the far superior acquisition.

Oh, and Ben Lovejoy apparently thinks he's Bobby Orr now. He wasn't even this good in Wilkes-Barre.


Pirate season always sneaks up on me. It never fails. I'm not going to act like I think we're playoff bound, but...



Wiz Khalifa is a believer.

Here's the thing about the 2011 Pirates though. It IS a little bit different this year. Looking up and down the lineup, it's actually (almost) impressive:

1. Jose Tabata
2. Neil Walker
3. Andrew McCutchen
4. Pedro Alvarez
5. Lyle Overbay
6. Matt Diaz/Garrett Jones
7. Snyder/Doumit/Jaramillo/Whoever
8. Ronny Cedeno
9. Pitcher #1-5

That's not bad. In fact, that's probably the best opening day lineup the Pirates have fielded in the past few years.

But the big issue that still hasn't been addressed is the complete and utter lack of starting pitching. Until the Pirates can at least have one guy that they can count on in the rotation, we can forget about a winning season. No matter how decent the bullpen may be, it's not going to be effective if it has to pitch 4-5 innings a game. I'm pretty sure if I were to show up at PNC Park on any random day, I'd probably be the fourth starter.

In fairness to the other pitchers though, I do throw a 65 mph fastball. Unhittable.

I could list more reasons why I don't think the Pirates can be a .500 team this year, but you know what? Hope springs eternal. And I'll always back my Buccos.

Let's go Bucs/Pens/Power

The Five Most Important People EVER (And by ever, I mean in Pittsburgh Sports history)

Let's face it, the Internet loves countdowns. Pittsburgh loves sports. This list was just bound to happen.

So lets eschew the superfluous adjectives and get right to it.


5. Barney Dreyfuss



Don't be ashamed if you had to Wikipedia Barney Dreyfuss. In case you didn't know, there are quite a few reasons why Dreyfuss appears on this list.

1. He brokered the deal that sent Honus Wagner, Rube Waddell and others from Louisville to Pittsburgh, permanently altering the course of baseball in Pittsburgh. It was quite a badass move. The Louisville team was about to fall victim to league contraction, so Dreyfuss purchased the Pirates, then proceeded to trade four relative no-names to Louisville for Wagner, etc., all while knowing full well that the Louisville team was about to fall into oblivion. Awesome.

2. He pretty much came up with the idea for the World Series.

3. He oversaw the construction of Forbes Field, which forever changed the layout of the city, and in particular Oakland and the University of Pittsburgh. Forbes was also the first three-tiered steel stadium in the US. Prior to the first game at Forbes Field, Dreyfuss stood at the gate, shaking hands with all who entered.

4. The hat. Seriously.



4. Chuck Noll



Frankly, it was harder to put Noll on this list than I thought it would be. Not that it's Noll's fault, it's just because Pittsburgh is that awesome.

But seriously, remember how good the Steelers were before Noll came along? You don't? Oh yeah, that's because they SUCKED. The Steelers of the 1930s-1960s were pretty much how the Pirates are now: Jokes. The first decision Emporer Chaz made as head coach was to draft Joe Greene, one of the only people in NFL history who has 6 Super Bowl Rings (all with the Steelers).

Perhaps his most telling statistic (other than his four Super Bowl Titles): From 1969 to 1974, Noll drafted NINE Hall of Famers. That's not a typo. Noll almost AVERAGED drafting two Hall of Famers a year over that span. That's completely insane. Okay, fine, maybe it wasn't too difficult to put him here.



3. Roberto Clemente



Definitely the most heartbreaking figure in Pittsburgh sports history. And who knows exactly what baseball in Pittsburgh would be like now had Clemente not left us at such a young age.

Much is made about Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, and deservedly so. However, I'd argue that Clemente was more important in regards to the ethnic makeup of the sport. Clemente was not the first Latin player in the league (that distinction belongs to Esteban Bellán), but he was the game's greatest Latino ambassador. Clemente's success, along with his unmatched off-the-field work, changed the landscape of the game. Baseball has become the Latin American pastime, in great part due to Clemente's impact on his native Puerto Rico and the rest of the region.

I haven't even mentioned the fact that Clemente is regarded as one of the greatest all-around players in the history of baseball, but yeah, the stats and championships speak for themselves.





2. The Rooney Family



I know, I know. I can't believe I put them here either. The family that is often pegged as the greatest owners in NFL history. And without the Steelers and the Rooney family, Pittsburgh would look much different. The Steelers have the most Super Bowl Championships, and are often regarded as the greatest franchise in the NFL.

....But they weren't always. The Rooneys are often put up on a pedestal by Pittsburgh fans, however, the first 35 plus years of the franchise's existence were a complete disaster. What changed the fortune of the franchise was the hiring of the fourth most influential person in Pittsburgh sports history, Chuck Noll. It's very difficult to gauge where the Rooney's influence ends and Noll's begins.

And unfortunately, in recent years, the image of the Rooney's has taken a hit. The Ben Roethlisberger saga, among other team issues, has somewhat tarnished the way that people (mostly those outside of Pittsburgh) look at the Rooney family.

All that being said, they are undoubtedly the patriarchal family of Pittsburgh, and likely will be for the decades to come.



1. Mario Lemieux



In sports history, it is a rarity for one person to single-handedly save a franchise.

Mario Lemieux has done it.

Three times.

In 1983, the Penguins were flirting with bankruptcy for the second time in the past 10 years. Many observers thought the end was near for the Penguins. Cue Le Magnifique. Super Mario was there for the taking (since the Pens tanked the end of the 1983 season), and Pittsburgh had a new favorite son. It didn't take long for Lemieux to endear himself the Pittsburgh faithful, scoring on his first NHL shot, and more importantly to the team, putting fans in the seats.

Lemieux had perhaps the most turbulent playing career that any major sports star has ever had. He battled severe back issues (so severe he couldn't put his own skates on) and a bout of Hodgkin's disease, which could have cost him his life. No matter the injury issues, many experts put Lemieux in the same category as Wayne Gretzky, some even saying Lemieux was the better of the two. Super Mario lead the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1990-91 and 1991-92.

That was the first time Lemieux saved the team.

Late in Mario's career, he was faced with one of the strangest circumstances that a professional player has ever fallen into. By the end of the 1990s, the Penguins were almost $100 million in the red. They declared bankruptcy (again) in 1998, after asking Lemieux and other players to defer their salaries (which they had been doing for quite some time). By the time the Penguins filed for bankruptcy, Mario was the team's largest creditor. Rather than demand his money, Lemieux turned the $30 million he was owed into equity and bought a controlling stake in the organization, becoming the majority owner, President and CEO of the Penguins.

And by the way, Lemieux ended up repaying everyone whom the previous owners had not.

Then came the third and (hopefully) final time in which Lemieux propped up the Pens. After several years of struggles and declining attendance, along with a failed sale of the team, Lemieux managed to fight off the pressures to move the team elsewhere, bartering for the agreement that inevitably gave us the Consol Energy Center. At the time, Lemieux was widely criticized for visiting with Kansas City, though it has since come out that Lemieux's reason for the visit was to put pressure on Pennsylvania to authorize the new arena.

For all of these reasons, it's hard to argue that Mario Lemieux ISN'T the most influential and important sports figure that Pittsburgh has ever had. When you analyze the totality of what Lemieux has done, it's nearly mind-boggling.

We love you, 66.

The Kids Are Alright

This will probably be my next to last post about the 2010 Pirates, and I don't want to end things on a bad note. Given the Buccos 46-91 record, viewing things in a positive light is difficult, nearly impossible. Watching Pirate games is akin to watching an antelope evading a lion. The effort put forth by the antelope is both heart-wrenching and admirable, but the natural order is such that the story seldom ends well. That's the way it's been for the 2010 Pirates, loads of heart, but a dearth of victories. That dichotomy makes Pirates games difficult to stomach. Watching things like Ryan Doumit pumping his fist and pointing at Pedro Alvarez after Alvarez made a great defensive play are images that we, as fans, grasp on to. The talent on this team has yet to catch up to their heart.

But the times, they are a' changing. The youthful infusion is starting to pay dividends for the Pirates. Three players that weren't in Pittsburgh on Opening Day have become staples of the team. Can Jose Tabata, Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker alone save the Pirates? Of course not. But along with Andrew McCutchen, they are certainly proving to be a step in a different direction. Guys who didn't come to the major leagues to toil in mediocrity, but rather to lift each other to levels unseen. There seems to be a tomorrow for this team, and from the looks of it; Tabata, Alvarez and Walker certainly want their say.

Jose Tabata

The youngster that was the key cog in the Marte-Nady deal with the Yankees (side note: that deal looks much better than it did 2 years ago) started hitting right from his call-up, and hasn't stopped since. Tabata has kept his average above .300 for the majority of his time in the Bigs, and has shown glimpses of what he can offer the Pirates on the basepaths. His patience, speed and effectiveness as a contact hitter help label him as a potential star leadoff man, something the Pirates have lacked since their playoff days.


Pedro Alvarez

Of the three players mentioned in this article, the one who came in with the most fanfare was undoubtedly Alvarez. Early on, Alvarez showed signs of a player who was tremendously burdened by the expectations of a city; constantly swinging for the fences, and having defensive lapses. However, as his season has progressed, Alvarez has begun to grow into himself offensively and defensively. He's shown a flare for the dramatic, saving his best for when the game is on the line (basically Adam LaRoche's complete opposite). Alvarez has also displayed his range at third, making some absolute gems. Pedro will probably never be a consistent .300 hitter, but he gives the Pirates significant power at a corner infield spot, just one of the tonics the Pirates have so desperately needed.


Neil Walker

If you watch any Pirate games at all, and you HAVEN'T fallen in love with Neil Walker, then you may not have a heartbeat. A year ago, many wondered how and if Walker had a place on this team. After showing tremendous versatility in the entire infield, he finally found a home at second base (.986 fielding percentage). His recent offensive burst has put him in NL Rookie of the Year conversations with a .312 average, 10 HR and 51 RBIs in 85 games, alongside 25 doubles. If the Pirates were to get that type of offensive production by a middle infielder, it gives them an advantage over almost every team in the National League.

Moreover, Walker seems to be the type of player that Pittsburgh needs on the Pirates: A hometown kid who barely remembers Sid Bream crossing the plate in 1992, but who knows exactly how things have been for the team since. Someone who the city can wrap their arms around. We all have dreams as a kid of hitting that decisive home run in the bottom of the ninth for your hometown team: a scene that plays out in schoolyards and backyards every summer. Walker gets to live his. That should be motivation enough for anybody.

There's a lot of work left to do, but the Pirates focus on youth over the past couple of years is starting to come to fruition.

The world is cyclical. The downtrodden don't stay down forever. Empires rise and fall.

And sometimes the antelope becomes the lion.

Pirates' Ship Sailing Another Direction?

First off, my apologies for the lack of updates. Real world stuff happens, what can you do?



The Buccos have officially made it 18 straight losing seasons. And I think I'm the only one who's impressed. But really, where else in sports do you get that type of consistency? It's a true rarity.

But all good things must come to an end, right?

Right.

For the better part of two decades, the Pirates' ship has been lost at sea; waves crashing up over the deck, holes torn in the sails. But there have been signs of the chaos relenting, moving into calmer waters.

So what is it about the currently 41-83 Pirates that has me seeing blue skies? At the major league level, not much. We all know what we have in Andrew McCutchen. Jose Tabata and Neil Walker have both proven that they can play at a major league level, and do it well. Pedro Alvarez has struggled at times, but has shown flashes of how much of a game-changer he can become.

The pitching sucks. The team ERA is over 5.00, I can't say anything positive.

But.

Let me defend my (very) cautious optimism.

The Buccos are spending some money. Not on players like Jeromy Burnitz and Matt Morris, rather on young talent like Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie. They took $2.6 million and gave it to 16 year old pitching phenom Luis Heredia. They've spent more money on their past two drafts than they ever have before. They've broken their Scott Boras boycott and are simply trying to draft the best possible players, rather than their old practice of drafting someone they thought they could afford.

At the trade deadline, the Pirates did their yearly salary dump. However, this year was different. There was no Nate McLouth, Jason Bay or Freddy Sanchez departing Pittsburgh. The Pirates only got rid of overpaid players that truly didn't have a place with the future of this franchise. Of the five players that left Pittsburgh July 31st, the youngest was Bobby Crosby at age 30.

Admittedly, former GM Dave Littlefield, for all of his lack of wisdom, was handcuffed behind his back by ownership. Coonelly and Huntington may be cuffed as well, but the key may be within reach.

The fortunes of the Pirates won't turn on a dime, but there are signals that they may at least start making that turn. The true test will be, when these players come to fruition (and we'll see the first batch with McCutchen, Tabata, Walker, Alvarez), will ownership be willing to shell out the money to keep these guys around? Or is this truly a vicious cycle with profit being the sole motive for the owners?

Time will tell. But the crew is on the deck, making a push for home.

Pittsburgh Pirates Annual Fire Sale This Weekend!

In honor of the 18th annual Pittsburgh Pirates fire sale (or as some call it, the MLB trade deadline), I've decided to take a closer look at who may soon be former Pirates...



Starting Pitchers:

Paul Maholm: Paul’s making $5 million this year, which equates to nearly 1/6th of the Pirates entire payroll. Given the Pirates past nature of contract dumping, Maholm will be high on the list. It’s unfortunate. He’s a bit of a fan favorite, and at least offers some kind of stabilizing force in the rotation. Dodgers have shown interest, and other teams will likely follow suit before Saturday’s deadline. I’d expect him to be gone shortly.

Zach Duke: Haven’t heard about anyone knocking down the door to make a deal for Duke. No doubt that Duke hasn’t turned out quite like the organization had hoped.

Ross Ohlendorf: Too much raw talent. He’ll stay.

Jeff Karstens: Inconsistent, yet still serviceable. Just the type of pitcher the Pirates love. He’ll be here.



Bullpen:

One of the few bright spots for the Buccos, the bullpen has been sensational at times…which means it should be ripe for the picking for big-money organizations.

Evan Meek: The star of the bullpen. Meek has developed into an excellent reliever, and I would have to believe the Pirates would someday give him the opportunity to start. How that will play out? Who knows. But rest assured, the Pirates asking price on Evan Meek will be scoffed at by his potential suitors, which is fine by me. Meek stays a Bucco, no doubt.

Octavio Dotel: With the exception of some early season struggles, Dotel has been a solid closer for the Pirates (on the rare occasions they’ve had save opportunities). Dotel is actively being shopped, and remains the most likely Pirates reliever to end up on another team by next week. Dotel is making $3.5 million. He’s in his mid-thirties, so he doesn’t truly fit into the Pirates future anyhow.

D.J. Carrasco: The second most likely pitcher to be sent packing. Carrasco, who has been a steady cog in the ‘pen since coming to Pittsburgh, is considered one of the better options in a relatively weak reliever market.

Joel Hanrahan: They better not. That’s all I’m going to say.

Javier Lopez: Pretty valuable guy. Could go either way, but I think he’ll stick around.



Position Players:

Ryan Doumit: Probably the most intriguing of the trade possibilities. I don’t think many Pirate fans want to see Doumit gone (myself included), but given the fact that he’s very injury prone, and is due a sizable raise – by Pirates standards - in 2010. Offensively minded catchers are a rare breed, and Doumit is one of them, which makes him look awfully interesting to contending teams looking for a power bat behind the plate. He won’t dazzle you with his defense, but he’s serviceable. I would think some team may make an offer for Doumit that the Pirates can’t refuse

Garrett Jones: Nope, he’s cheap and the asking price is too high for other teams. Jones won’t be jumping ship.

Neil Walker: Fat chance.

Andy LaRoche: Damnit. I don’t want to see LaRoche go. At all. I don’t think the Pirates want to either, he’s an excellent locker room guy, and great insurance if Pedro Alvarez decides to go into Derek Bell mode for some reason. Please stay, Andy.

Andrew McCutchen: If the Pirates were to trade McCutchen, an angry mob would storm across the street from Finnegan’s Wake and Mullen’s to burn PNC Park to the ground. They would then Google Map the homes of Frank Coonelly, Neal Huntingdon and Bob Nutting, and through tear-soaked eyes and wretched beer breath, would proceed to throw Molotov Cocktails through the windows, killing all inside.

Delwyn Young: When was the last time we had a bench player who was this valuable? He continues to wear the black and gold.

Bobby Crosby: We pay him over a million and he sucks, why keep him? He stays.

Ronny Cedeno: We just don’t have anyone else, he’ll stick around.

Lastings Milledge: Oh, Lastings. Why can’t you quite live up to that potential? Sometimes you look like Willie Mays, sometimes you look like Chad Hermansen. Just pick one and play like them. Stop toying with my emotions.

Pedro Alvarez: See Andrew McCutchen.

Ryan Church: Who cares?

Jose Tabata: Unless his estranged wife kidnaps him too, he remains in Pittsburgh.


If the Pirates trade Andrew McCutchen, you know where to find me this weekend.

Free Agency Looms; The Great Ham-bino's Decision Waits

Ray Shero is a beast. Somehow, he’s juggling talks with Dan Hamhuis and Sergei Gonchar, while also holding contract discussions with Mark Eaton and Bill Guerin. Still, the most likely scenario has Gonchar leaving town, as he likely won’t budge on his desire for a three year deal. Hamhuis would likely cost the Pens about $4-4.5 million per year for the duration of his deal. Even though the Pens main focus of the offseason has been on defense, they’re likely still in the market for a winger. They’ve got about $12 million to work with this year, but will probably leave $1 mil to play around with during the season.

In regards to the Hamhuis talks, as time goes on, it looks worse and worse. Hamhuis truly seems to want to play near his home (western Canada), and doesn’t seem overly interested in playing for the GM that drafted him. Today is the day however, and we all know that sometimes deals get done when it seems least likely.


In Rejean we trust.

Willie Colon tore his Achilles, making a bad offensive line even worse. The Steelers are exploring free agency, and yesterday brought in former Pro Bowler Flozell Adams for a workout.

Pro Bowler is an odd term. I want Jerome Bettis and his bowling skill to go pro, that way he’ll be the first Pro Bowler Pro Bowler. It’s weird where my mind will go when I let it.






The Buccos are on track for one of the worst months in the history of the franchise. It’s not shocking, but still upsetting as a fan. It always hurts to watch good people, which I think most fans would agree that the Pirates players are, go through hard times. Especially when they’re 110% constrained by management. The Pirates are so bad, that I think they should just let Andrew McCutchen go to a team that can actually utilize his massive amounts of talent. It will be very interesting to see what the Pirates will do before the trade deadline next month.

What a beautiful Wednesday in Pittsburgh. In honor of it, let’s have a look at (hopefully) a future Pens D-Man.




Edit: Sad news just coming out. The two year old son of former Eagles QB Randall Cunningham drowned in the family hot tub. Condolences go out to Randall and his family. It's a shame to see such tragedy befall a good person.

They Couldn't Take it From U.S.

For the better part of ninety minutes, it unfolded like a nightmare for United States soccer. England beats Slovenia, and the toxic mix of horrid officiating and missed opportunities had the U.S. on their deathbed as penalty time approached. Most newsmen were already writing their stories; the pundits preparing their condemnation of the referees. As it often does, it happened quickly. An Algerian odd man break denied by U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard, who launched a rush the other way. The next few seconds prove to be a blur, Jozy Altidore throws it in front. The ball squirts away from the Algerian goalie out to the waiting right foot of U.S. star Landon Donovan. What followed was perhaps the most dramatic moment in U.S. World Cup history:



What a moment for the United States. The U.S. wins their group for the first time since 1930, and advance to the round of 16.

On to other things. That Stephen Strasburg card is still through the roof.



Great read from Dejan Kovacevic at the Post-Gazette, chronicling the rise of Pirates reliever Evan Meek, who continues to have an outstanding season for the Buccos.

Rumors are continuing to swirl about the Penguins trading away the rights to defenseman Sergei Gonchar. If the Pens and Gonchar are as far away on contract talks as they seem to be, this would be a move that would definitely make sense for the Penguins. We're probably seeing the last moments of Sergei Gonchar as a Pittsburgh Penguin.

I give you part three of the Pittsburgh Sports-gasm. Raise a beer to U.S. soccer tonight.

Late June: Where Sports Go to Die

In what can only be described as a tournament in which almost nobody deserved to win, Graeme McDowell became the first Northern Irishman to win the U.S. Open, besting the ultimate underdog, Gregory Havret by one stroke. McDowell held the lead for most of the final round, as 54 hole leader Dustin Johnson collapsed early, going 6 over through his first 4 holes. Three of the big guns were lurking all day: Els, Woods and Mickelson, but none could match the poise and consistency shown by McDowell. Hard not to root for the guy, he has become one of the most well-liked golfers on the PGA Tour with his calm demeanor and wonderful Irish sense of humor. Congrats to the new U.S. Open champ.

In unrelated news, Guinness sales rocketed up 113% yesterday.



The Pirates started something called a “winning streak” this weekend, taking two of three from the lowly Cleveland Indians. The one sport Cleveland should be able to beat Pittsburgh at, and they still can’t. God, they suck. Pedro Alvarez’s struggles continued, going 0 for 3 with an RBI. He clearly feels as if there is a lot of pressure on him, and there is. But, everything in due time. Pedro is as talented as they come, and he’ll eventually start hitting.



The NHL draft begins on Friday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Penguins will draft players, I will talk about them.

Welcome to late June, the sports coma of the year. Nothing much happens.

Stay tuned this week or early next week, as I will be writing a 2010 fantasy football preview.

This week will also be the week of the Pittsburgh sports-gasm, so every post will end with an awesome moment in Pittsburgh sports history.

Is there a better way to start a Monday than with this? Nope.

Ron Artest is Awesome

The Lakers won some kind of championship last night. Nobody from Pittsburgh gives a crap. Ron Artest did give 2 epic interviews though. Not gonna lie, I don’t care that he beat the crap out of some fans a few years ago, I think I love the guy. Really incredible stuff here.




Absolutely awesome.

The Pirates lost their 11th straight game. It’s starting to get tough to watch. The Tribe come into town tonight for a three game set.

Somehow Mike Yeo leaving to take an AHL job evaded me. Penguins will have to find another bald guy to run the power play.

Here’s a suggestion:



The NHL Salary Cap is looking to go up by about 2 million, which bodes well for the re-signing of players like Matt Cooke and Mark Eaton. The Penguins are in talks with Cooke, and will look to ink him before July 1st.

Now do like I told you yesterday and go watch soccer and golf.

Alvarez Debut Ruined, but Hooray Golf!

The much heralded Pirates prospect Pedro Alvarez made his MLB debut last night, and apparently nobody cared, which shows how most Pittsburghers truly feel about the Pirates. Ticket sales to last night’s game experienced a mini-spike, but still were not out of the ordinary for a weekday night game. No matter the ticket sales, Pedro’s debut was all for naught, as the Pirates were soundly defeated by the White Sox 7-2, marking their 10th straight loss. Pedro went 0-2 with a walk and committed one of the Pirates SIX errors. Jose Tabata also hit his first major league home run last night.

I think now is the point that we can start talking about Manager John Russell’s job being in jeopardy.



The Buccos finish up their series against the White Sox tonight, with Ross Ohlendorf on the hill.



And holy sweet Touchdown Jesus! The U.S. Open starts today! The long bridge between the Masters and the Open has officially been crossed. Phil Mickelson will look to win his second major of the year while Tiger Woods looks to rekindle the magic that he experienced 10 years ago at Pebble Beach.

Even if you’re not an avid golf fan, this is a U.S. Open that should be watched, if for nothing else, the beauty that is Pebble Beach. The rocky shores and beautiful ocean view make Pebble Beach a sight to behold. What a wonderful, wonderful course.

So skip work tomorrow and flip back and forth between the U.S. Open and the US-Slovenia World Cup game. You won’t be sorry.

Pedro Alvarez Debuts Tonight

This was long overdue. More on how it went tonight after the game or tomorrow morning.

The Pirates Have Been Plundered

Even the Pittsburgh Pirate himself is pained by watching the games.

At some point, you have to feel bad for Pirates players. The recent eight game losing streak certainly hasn’t been for lack of trying on their part. It is merely a reflection of ownership’s unwillingness to spend the money it would take to make this team competitive on a yearly basis. Three years ago, when previous owner Kevin McClatchy left Pittsburgh, there was a sense that the new ownership may break the spell and begin to take the team in a different direction.

But in the words of the great author George Orwell, “This new version is the past, and no different past can ever have existed.”

New ownership, same tactics. You can tell how bad things are when you start to feel bad for players who are drafted by the Pirates (sorry, Jameson Taillon). It’s simply unfair. It’s unfair to the fans, those who knew better days for the Pirates, and those who didn’t. It’s unfair to the players, many of whom work extremely hard on the field and do many great things in the community. It’s not fair to the city of Pittsburgh, which deserves a baseball team worthy of the beautiful complex the city provided.

If you are fan enough to watch Bucco games with any consistency, I’m sure you feel the same. It’s one of those rare instances when players can’t truly be blamed for the team’s performance. They have been handcuffed and blindfolded by those above them. There are some good major league players on the Pirates, one of whom is a budding superstar. But the vast majority of the Pirates are players with more heart than talent. Having heart is valuable, I don’t want to take that away. But you don’t win baseball games without talent, and if you watch a Pirates win, you get the sense that it wasn’t because they were better than the opposition, it was because they just wanted it more.



It is to that point that leads us to wonder, where is Pedro Alvarez? I know that there are no quick fixes for this team; no saviors. But why bring up Lincoln and Tabata without Alvarez? It certainly wasn’t for lack of production, as Alvarez leads the Indianapolis Indians in home runs and RBI’s by far. At this point, every day that Alvarez spends in AAA ball hurts the Pirates. Alvarez is not a raw 19 or 20 year old (Note: Tabata, who is with the big squad, is merely 21), he’s a 23 year old who has spent significant time in both college ball and the minor leagues. Alvarez needs to be up sooner rather than later.

I’m not entirely pessimistic about the future of the Pirates. They have young talent with McCutchen, Brad Lincoln, Tabata and Alvarez. But until management ponies up the money to spend on these players, they will face the same fate as players such as Nate McLouth and Jason Bay, gone before their time.

The cards have been dealt. Will management ante up? Or will they fold once again?

A quick note to Pirates players:



Additional note: My good friend Pat has started a blog. He is an exemplary writer and human, and you would be doing your brain a disservice by not reading.