Impressed With McCutch Not So Impressed With Parking

I made sure I kept my ticket in perfect condition. I didn't sit on it and I barely had it in my pocket the entire day. I wanted to make sure that I kept this particular game ticket in good condition. I believe that today's game has marked the beginning of the turn around for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Say what you want about last year's trades. Say what you want about the hiring of Frank Coonley and Neal Huntington. This, my friends and loyal readers, marks the beginning of the oh so bright future for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Andrew McCutchen couldn't have asked for a better start to his MLB career. He went 2-4, walked, scored a couple of runs, stole a base, and batted in a run. It seems like this trade had less of a defeating impact opn the clubhouse than the trades of Nady, Marte, and Bay last year.

I do not see this team slowing down any time soon.

Granted, the power is not there. But, you don't necessarly need power to win games. How many times this year have we seen the Pirates win simply by getting hits when it mattered and by hitting to where the defenders are not located? I saw it happen with Colorado, it happened several times today as well. These Pirates are a better team than they were last year, and will only continue to get better as difficult trades are made, and prospects are brought up.

As I was coming home from the game today, I was listening to Extra Innings with Rocco. This guy is such a stats geek. He has crunched the numbers and has proven that despite the All-Star nomination and Gold Glove, McLouth wasn't that great of a player. I really like this trade, and I really like where the Pirates are heading.

Now, I must report that I missed the first four innings of today's game. Why? Well I drove around for nearly 2 hours trying to find some place to park. Every lot I went to was "Lease Only". I eventually found a space in a garage in downtown. From here on out, I will be using a bus to make my way to weekday afternoon Pirates games.