Sitting in the North Shore Notch

MLB 10:The Show Predictions - Game #2: Dodgers @ Pirates

2010-04-06T22:13:00.006-04:00

As with the last game, I understand that some of the players currently on the real 25-man rosters are not on the MLB 10:The Show rosters or vise versa. And this isn't completely accurate because of the lack of live roster updates for the PSP. Frankly, I dont have a desire or the time to update and make everything accurate, so deal with it. On to the game...

Lineups:
Dodgers
1. Kemp CF
2. Loney 1B
3. Ramirez LF
4. Ethier RF
5. Belliard 2B
6. Blake 3B
7. Martin C
8. Furcal SS
9. Kuroda P

Pirates
1. Iwamura 2B
2. McCutchen CF
3. Jones RF
4. Doumit C
5. LaRoche 3B
6. Clement 1B
7. Milledge LF
8. Ohlendorf P
9. Crosby SS

First Inning: On the 5th pitch, Kemp singles into left field. Loney fouls out to LaRoche. 1 out. With Ramirez up to bat, Kemp is picked off on a pitch out. 2 outs. Manny singles. Ethier doubles, moving Manny to third. Belliard ends an early threat as he fouls out to Clement. 0-0 after 1/2 inning.

Iwamura and McCutchen each hit their first pitch into an out. Iwamura flies to center while McCutchen grounds out to a 4-3 play. With a 1-2 count, Jones is HBP. Doumit grounds out to first base. End of the inning, 0-0.

Second Inning: Ohlendorf strikes out Blake. Martin singles, followed by Furcal. Pitcher, Kuroda hits into a 5-6-3 double play to end the inning.

A quick 1-2-3 second inning for the Buccos. LaRoche grounds into a 3-1 out. Clement fouls out to the catcher. And finally, Milledge grounds out to Loney. 0-0 after two innings.

Third Inning: Top of the order starting off for the Dodgers in the 3rd. Kemp hits a deep fly to center field for the first out. Loney singles. 1 on and 1 out. Ramirez strikes out swinging on 3 pitches from Ohlendorf. Ethier grounds out to a 6-4 fielders choice to end the inning. After 2.5 innings it's still 0-0.

Ohlendorf leads off in the bottom of the third for the Pirates. He goes down 0-2 before drilling a shot up the middle for a base hit. Crosby grounds out to a 4-3 double play. With 2 out, Iwamura hits a single. McCutchen will strike out on 3 pitches to end the inning. Through 3 and it's still 0-0.

Fourth Inning: A good AB by Belliard started the fourth inning for the Dodgers. He worked a deep 6 pitch AB before a 5-3 groundout. Blake flies out to centerfield. Martin flies out to right. 1-2-3, still 0-0.

In the bottom of the inning, Jones leads off with an 0-2 single. Jones is able to steal 2nd base on the first pitch to Doumit. Following that pitch, Doumit flies out to left field. Jones stays at second. LaRoche has a 5 pitch plate appearance which results in a walk. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out, Clement grounds into a 5 unassisted fields choice type of play. Jones is out at 3rd, LaRoche advances to 2nd and Clement is on 1st. Kuroda gets out of the inning with a 3 pitch strikeout to Milledge. Despite the threat, no runs are scored and after 4 it's 0-0.

Fifth Inning: Furcal leads off with a fly out to left field. Kuroda pops-up to Ohlendorf. 2 outs. Kemp singles. Loney grounds into a 5-4 fielders choice to end the inning. Kuroda saw the most pitches in that inning with 4. 0-0.

Ohlendorf leads off and grounds out 4-3. Crosby strikes out looking. Iwamura singles with two outs. McCutchen has a great AB. With a full count, he drills a ball into center field for a base hit. Iwamura is able to advance all the way to 3rd on the hit. With runners on the corners, Jones grounds out 4-3 to end the inning and any sort of rally or run potential. Through 5 innings neither offense is able to do much with opportunities. 0-0.

Sixth Inning: Ramirez leads off with a big double to left center. Ethier hits into a 1-3 ground out. Ramirez stays at second. Belliard hits the first pitch he sees this inning to LaRoche, holding Ramirez at 2nd. 5-3 on Ethier for the second out. Blake grounds out to end the inning. Ramirez stays trapped at second after a big lead-off hit. 0-0

Doumit leads off the 6th with a single. That is followed by a LaRoche single. With runners on first and second and no one out, Clement goes to a 1-1 count before delivering a sac bunt. Doumit moves to 3rd and LaRoche is on second with just 1 out. Milledge singles into the outfield, allowing Doumit and LaRoche to finally score. It's now 2-0 Pirates with 1 out and 1 on. Kuroda is lifted and replaced with Wade. With Ohlendorf up to bat, Milledge attempts a steal and gets caught. Ohlendorf ends up striking out looking to end the inning. But it's productive as 2 runs cross home for the Pirates. The score is now 2-0.

Seventh Inning: Martin leads off for the Dodgers grounding out 5-3. Furcal hits a huge triple into deep right center. Mientkiewicz is able to reach first after a 5-2 fielders choice. Furcal made a bad decision to head home for the first out. Kemp singles for the third time this evening, moving Mientkiewicz to second. Loney grounds out on the first pitch he sees this inning. 6-3 ends the inning. Pirates lead 2-0.

Troncoso comes in to pitch for the Dodgers in the bottom of the 7th. Crosby pops out to shallow right as Loney drifted back to make the catch. 1 out. Iwamura singles. McCutchen doubles to the right field corner. Iwamura advances to 3rd. Intentional walk to Jones laods the bases. Doumit hits a 2 strike single to allow Iwamura to score. 3-0 and bases still loaded. LaRoche grounds into a 4-6 fielders choice. McCutchen scores 4-0 Pirates with 2 outs. Church replaces Clement and singles. Another run scores. 5-0 Pirates. Milledge hits into a 4-3 groundout to end a big inning for the Pirates.

Eighth Inning: Ohlendorf pitches a pretty good inning. Ramirez leads off with a 3 pitch strikeout. Ethier also strikes out. Belliard gets a 1-0 base hit. Blake strikes out to end the inning. 5-0 Pirates.

As Ohlendorf approached 100 pitches, he was lifted this inning. Raynor pinch hit for him. The Rule 5 pick hit a single. Thanks to a wild pitch to Crosby, Raynor advances to 2nd. Crosby eventually strikes out. Iwamura doubles, allowing Raynor to score. McCutchen grounds out 4-3, Iwamura advances to 3rd base. Jones grounds out 6-3 to end the inning. 6-0 Pirates.

Ninth Inning: Taschner comes in to pitch and close out the game. Martin leads off with a triple. Furcal follows up with his second triple of the game. Martin scores 6-1 Pirates. Carroll pinch hits in the pitchers spot. A single from him allows Furcal to score. 6-2 Pirates. Kemp doubles, scoring another run. 6-3 Pirates. Loney looks at a 3rd pitch strike to sit down looking. 1 out 6-3 Pirates. Ramirez homers to left field. Two more runs score and it's now 6-5. Taschner is replaced by the closer, Dotel. Dotel gets Ethier to groundout on the first pitch he throws. Belliard grounds out 4-3 to end the game and end the scare.

Pirates win 6-5, but it shouldn't have ended that close.

W- Ohlendorf (1-0)
L- Kuroda (0-1)
S- Dotel (1)

Iwamura 4-5, 2B, RBI, R
McCutchen 2-5, 2B, K, R
Jones 1-3, HBP, BB, SB, R
Doumit 2-4, RBI, R
LaRoche 1-3, BB, RBI, R
Clement 0-2
Church 1-1, RBI
Milledge 1-4, 2 RBI, K, CS
Ohlendorf 1-3, K
Raynor 1-1, R
Crosby 0-4, 2K

MLB 10: The Show Predictions - Game #1: LA Dodgers @ Pirates

2010-04-05T07:02:00.002-04:00

With the start of a new season comes the MLB 10: The Show Predictions posts. I will attempt to complete every game on my PSP and post a game prediction. For this year, stupid Sony has eliminated the live roster updates via online postings. I had to make several roster changes myself, and despite my best efforts, the players will not be totally accurate. So, I apologize for that, but, I'll do the best I can do with what I have to work with. Besides, the only stats we should all be concerned about are the Pirates. So without further ado, Opening Day 2010 on MLB 10: The Show.

Lineups:
Dodgers
1. Matt Kemp
2. Rafael Furcal
3. Manny Ramirez
4. Andre Ethier
5. Ronnie Belliard
6. Casey Blake
7. Russell Martin
8. James Loney
9. Chad Billingsley (not the real starting pitcher)

Pirates
1. Akinori Iwamura
2. Andrew McCutchen
3. Garrett Jones
4. Ryan Doumit
5. Andy LaRoche
6. Jeff Clement
7. Lastings Milledge
8. Zach Duke
9. Ronny Cedeno

First Inning: Zach Duke starts off the 2010 campaign with a strong first inning. He was able to get Kemp to fly out to right field for the first out on 4 pitches. Furcal fouled out to the first base side for the second out. Manny struck out swinging to end a quick first inning. 10 pitches are all it took for Duke to retire the first 3 batters he faced.

Moving on to the bottom of the first. Aki leads off with a fly ball to left field on the first pitch. McCutchen is up next and has a great AB. After 8 pitches, McCutchen reaches first via walk. Jones strikes out swinging. Because of a passed ball, McCutchen is able to move all the way to third base. 2 out 1 on with Doumit at the plate. Following a first pitch strike, Doumit is hit, allowing him to go to first. Runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs. Andy LaRoche comes to the plate. With 2 balls and 2 strikes, LaRoche swings and misses. 3 outs, two runners left 0-0 after 1 inning.

Second Inning: Ethier grounds out to Clement on the first pitch. 1 out. Belliard knocks a shot deep into the North Side Notch on the second pitch of the inning. He easily reaches 2nd base. Casey Blake will get a base hit, moving Belliard to 3rd. Runners on the corner with 1 out. Martin strikes out swinging. 2 outs, runners on 1st and 3rd. Finally, Loney grounds out to Clement, ending any scoring threat. 0-0 after 1.5 innings of play.

Clement leads off the second for the Pirates. He flies out to left field on the second pitch. 1 out. Milledge is up next. He ends up striking out swinging after a 5 pitch AB. 2 outs. Duke grounds out to a 4-3 play, ending the inning. 0-0 after 2 innings of play.

Third Inning: The flood gates open in this inning. Billingsley grounded out in a similar fashion to Duke. 4-3 ground out, 1 out. Kemp's second AB ends with a fly out to left field. Furcal singles. Ramirez hits a shot into the North Side Notch, and a misplay by Milledge allows him to reach 3rd base. Furcal comes around to score. 1-0 Dodgers. Ethier singles, Manny scores. 2-0 Dodgers with 2 outs. Belliard singles and Ethier goes to 3rd. 2 on 2 out. Blake flies out to Iwamura for the 3rd out. 2-0 Dodgers after 2.5 innings.

Cedeno leads off the third inning. 3-1 groundout for the first out of the inning. Iwamura grounds into 6-3. 2 outs. McCutchen reaches with a single. Jones strikes out looking. 2-0 Dodgers through 3 innings.

Fourth Inning: Another big inning for the Dodgers. Martin leads off with a single. Loney does the same. Two on, none out, Billingsley grounds out into 1-3. Martin and Loney advance. 1 out with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Kemp knocks a 3 run homer into left field. 5-0 Dodgers with 1 out. Furcal singles. Ramirez flies out to right. Ethier singles and Furcal moves to 2nd. Belliard strikes out swinging for the 3rd out. Dodgers score 3 runs this inning and lead 5-0.

Doumit works the count full and hits a single to lead off the inning. LaRoche singles, Doumit to 2nd. Clement hits into a 6-4-3 double play. Doumit advances to 3rd on the play, 2 outs. Milledge hits a single, scoring Doumit in the process. 5-1 Dodgers. Duke hits a hard liner to third base for the final out of the inning. After 4 innings, Dodgers lead 5-1.

Fifth Inning: Blake flies out to right field on the second pitch of the inning. 1 out. Martin fouls out along the 1st base side. 2 outs. Loney hits into a 4-3 groundout. 3 outs, 5-1 Dodgers.

Cedeno leads off with a 4-3 groundout. Iwamura 5-3 groundout. McCutchen flies out to left. Dodgers still lead 5-1 after 5 innings.

Sixth Inning: Billingsley strikes out on 3 pitches. Kemp 4-3 groundout. Furcal strikes out on 5 pitches. All pitches in this inning were strikes. 5-1 Dodgers.

Jones leads off the 6th inning by fouling out to the catcher right behind home plate. 1 out. Doumit singles. LaRoche reaches on a 4-6 fielder's choice. Doumit out at 2nd, 2 outs. Clement singles, LaRoches to 2nd. Milledge singles, LaRoche scores and Clement to 2nd. 5-2 Dodgers with 2 outs. Duke strikes out to end the inning. After six full innings, Dodgers 5, Pirates 2.

Seventh Inning: Ramirez singles. Ethier reaches first on a fielder's choice. Ramirez out at 2nd. Belliard homers on a 3-1 count. Dodgers lead 7-2. Blake doubles. Martin grounds out 4-3, Blake advances to 3rd. Loney flies out to center field to end the inning. Dodgers lead 7-2 after 6.5 innings.

Cedeno flies out to the short stop. 1 out. Iwamura and McCutchen singles. 2 on 1 out. Hong-Chih Kuo (on the 15 day DL in the real world) comes in to pitch. Jones reaches 1st on a fielding error by Furcal. Bases loaded for the Pirates. Doumit and LaRoche both foul out to the 1st base side to end the inning. 3 left on, no runs scored. Dodgers 7 Pirates 2.

Eighth Inning: DJ Carrasco is now pitching for the Pirates. Doug Mientkewicz (recently released from Dodgers) was a defensive sub at first when Kuo comes in to pitch. This whole no live roster update thing is going to be annoying. Anyhow, he leads off grounding out 4-3. Kemp doubles. Furcal flies out to Iwamura. Ramirez 4-3 ground out. No runs 1 left on Dodgers still lead 7-2.

Clement has a decent AB. Strikes out swinging on the 5th pitch of the inning. 1 out. Milledge 4-3 ground out. 2 down. Bobby Crosby singles to right field on the first pitch he sees, as he bats for Carrasco. Cedeno ends the inning quickly with a 4-3 groundout. After 8 innings, Dodgers lead remains 7-2.

Ninth Inning: Evan Meek comes in to mop-up the ninth inning. Crosby replaces Cedeno at SS. Ethier ledas off for the Dodgers. He lines out to Crosby at short. 1 out. Belliard goes into a deep count with Meek. With a full count, he hits a grounder to Iwamura for a 4-3 ground out. 2 down in the inning. Blake hits into a 4-3 ground out. Pirates come to bat one last time and attempt to close the gap or take the lead.

Iwamura starts off the inning by taking the 4th pitch he sees into left field for a single. McCutchen follows up with a shot back up the middle for a basehit. iwamura moves to second. 2 on and no one out. Rally killer Ryan Doumit strikes out, LaRoche flies out to the second baseman. Clement hits a dribbler back to the mound and is thrown out at first. End of the game.

Dodgers win this one rather easily 7-2.

W - Billingsley 1-0
L - Duke 0-1
S - Kuo 1

Iwamura 2-5
McCutchen 3-4, 1BB
Jones 0-4, 3K
Doumit 1-3, 1 Run, 1HBP
LaRoche 1-4, 1K
Clement 1-4, 1K
Milledge 2-4, 2RBI, 1K
Duke 0-3, 1K
Crosby 1-1
Cedeno 0-4

Next Game: Wednesday April 7, 2010.

Greinke T-Shirt

2010-04-03T21:29:00.003-04:00

So, I decided to place a bid on this t-shirt today on ebay. Between this, and the Oakland A's hat I got for Christmas this past year, my non-Pirates related articles of clothing/accessories has increased to 2.

Long Overdue Updates

2010-04-03T09:05:00.002-04:00

Greetings loyal readers! It's been a long time since I've updated this blog. Thanks to a busy work schedule and several other personal matters (mostly lack of motivation to do anything) I have not been loyal to this blog.

But now that we are just 2 days away from Opening Day, it's time to rededicate myself to this blog. That's why I will be posting some new info here in the next couple of paragraphs.

First, with the start of the 2010 season, I will, once again, be doing a daily "MLB 10: The Show Prediction". I will be doing my best to blog every game played on my PSP version of MLB 10: The Show and match the results of that game to the real game. Now, for some reason, it doesn't seem like I can do live roster updates for the PSP this year, so I guess I'll have to make due with creating players. If anyone out there knows how I can get roster updates for the PSP, please let me know. The 25 man rosters will need to be set by 3pm tomorrow, so I expect a prediction to be posted by mid-morning Monday, using the expected line-up.

Second piece of business. Due to the overwhelming responsibility and effort it went into writing for the Ohlie's Orange Army blog, I am officially shutting it down. Over the coming week, I will transfer the Ross Ohlendorf: A Retrospective pieces already completed to this blog, and eventually continue to post that series throughout the season. The Orange Army Campaign will continue on this blog. I will detail that more tomorrow afternoon and press the issue during the rest of the week.

So, that's about all I have for now...enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend and have a wonderful Easter, if you celebrate.

Let's Go Bucs!

Bullpen Takes A Major Blow

2010-02-18T10:09:00.009-05:00

MLB.com's Pirates beat writer Jennifer Langosch announced on her blog today that relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan will likely miss part of the season due to right flexor-pronator strain. The strain will result in Hanrahan, who was one of four pitchers considered a lock going into Spring Training, missing a portion of the start of the regular season. The length is unknown at this time.

Hanrahan is scheduled to meet with Dr. Patrick DeMeo of the West Penn Allegheny Health System and Pirates Medical Director today. An exam with Dr. James Andrews sometime next week.

Hanrahan stated he had some discomfort towards the end of last season and experienced a flare-up during the Pirates mini-camp last month.

Hanrahan came to the Pirates on June 30th last year, along with left fielder Lastings Milledge, from the Washington Nationals, in a trade for relieve pitcher Sean Burnett and outfielder Nyjer Morgan. on July 9, 2009 Hanrahan probably became the first pitcher to win a professional ball game while at home when he won a game for the Nationals, while being a member of the Pirates roster. All of this was thanks to a delayed game from May 5 where Hanrahan was the pitcher of record, as the Nationals played the Astros and made it up on that July afternoon.

Let's Go Bucs!

Pitchers & Catchers Report, Excitement Builds Within Fan Base

2010-02-17T07:52:00.008-05:00

Today marks the unofficial, but maybe official (???), start of the 2010 Spring Training season. In a little over 4 hours, Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers and catchers report to camp in Bradenton.

According to a player's poll done by Chuck Finder of the Post-Gazette, it looks like Paul Maholm will get the nod as the Opening Day starter when the Pirates host the LA Dodgers on April 5. The line-up also looks a little different compared to my prediction from yesterday's post. As a reminder my prediction is on the left, the player's on the right:

Opening Day - April 5, 2010 @ PNC Park vs. Dodgers

1. Andrew McCutchen - CF Andrew McCutchen - CF

2. Akinori Iwamura - 2B Akinori Iwamura - 2B

3. Andy LaRoche - 3B Garrett Jones - RF

4. Garrett Jones - RF Ryan Doumit - C

5. Ryan Doumit - C Andy LaRoche - 3B

6. Jeff Clement - 1B Lastings Milledge - LF

7. Lastings Milledge - LF Jeff Clement - 1B

8. Ronny Cedeno - SS Ronny Cedeno - SS

9. Ross Ohlendorf - P Paul Maholm - P

It'll be interesting to see how this spring will play out compared to years past. This is actually the first year that I can remember, off the top of my head, in quite some time where veteran players have been added to the team to complement and back-up younger players.

Lets Go Bucs!

Rosters: April 5, August 1, October 3

2010-02-16T08:08:00.004-05:00

In about 27 hours from me writing this very sentence, pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Pirate City in Bradenton, Florida to begin a highly anticipated Spring Training 2010. For the first time in the 5 years I've been a season ticket holder, there seems to be a wealth of competition for several different positions, not just the rotation, third base, or the bullpen.

It's around this time of the year that bloggers and message board readers love to write their predictions for Opening Day rosters. So, why not jump on the bandwagon and list my predictions for Opening Day, the day following the trade deadline, and the last day of the regular season.

Opening Day - April 5, 2010 @ PNC Park vs. Dodgers

Starting Nine Batting Order:

1. Andrew McCutchen - CF

2. Akinori Iwamura - 2B

3. Andy LaRoche - 3B

4. Garrett Jones - RF

5. Ryan Doumit - C

6. Jeff Clement - 1B

7. Lastings Milledge - LF

8. Ronny Cedeno - SS

9. Ross Ohlendorf - P

Rest of the Rotation:

10. Paul Maholm

11. Zach Duke

12. Charlie Morton

13. Daniel McCutchen

Bullpen:

14. Kevin Hart

15. Brenden Donnelly

16. Evan Meek

17. Joel Hanrahan

18. Chris Jakubauskas

19. Javier Lopez

20. Octavio Dotel - Closer

Bench:

21. Ryan Church

22. Bobby Crosby

23. Delwyn Young

24. John Raynor

25. Brandon Jones

I expect little selling to be done by the Pirates this year. There will be little change in the roster between April and August, however, several injuries will pop up and here is what I expect the roster to look like after some trades and injury moves.

Day After the Trade Deadline - August 1, 2010 @ Busch Stadium vs. Cardnials

Starting Nine Batting Order:

1. Lastings Milledge - LF

2. Akinori Iwamura - 2B

3. Andrew McCutchen - CF

4. Pedro Alvarez - 1B

5. Andy LaRoche - 3B

6. Ryan Church - RF

7. Neil Walker - C

8. Bobby Crosby - SS

9. Daniel McCutchen - P

Rest of the Rotation:

10. Donnie Veal

11. Ross Ohlendorf

12. Paul Maholm

13. Charlie Morton

Bullpen:

14. Kevin Hart

15. Brenden Donnelly

16. Evan Meek

17. Joel Hanrahan

18. D.J. Carrasco

19. Javier Lopez

20. Octavio Dotel - Closer

Bench:

21. Garrett Jones

22. Ronny Cedeno

23. Jeff Clement

24. John Raynor

25. Brandon Jones

Ryan Doumit is out, again, with an injury. As is Zach Duke. Delwyn Young gets traded for some cash. Jaka is traded as well for a minor league lefty bullpen arm. Clement struggles through May and June, resulting in Alvarez learning to play first base in Indy. Neil Walker is converted back to a catcher in AAA and does some emergency duties while Doumit is out. Most of the starters are sitting as this is a Sunday afternoon game.

The regular season will come to an end on October 3 in Florida, again a Sunday. This time though, most of the starters will be playing this game. Of course, the roster is expanded at this point. I expect about 38 players to be in the locker room.

Last Game of the Regular Season - October 3, 2010 @ Land Shark Stadium vs. Marlins

Starting Nine Batting Order:

1. Akinori Iwamura - 2B

2. Andy LaRoche - 3B

3. Andrew McCutchen - CF

4. Garrett Jones - 1B

5. Ryan Church - RF

6. Ryan Doumit - C

7. Lastings Milledge - LF

8. Ronny Cedeno - SS

9. Paul Maholm - P

Rest of the Rotation:

10. Charlie Morton

11. Daniel McCutchen

12. Brad Lincoln

13. Ross Ohlendorf

14. Donnie Veal

Bullpen:

15. Kevin Hart

16. D.J. Carrasco

17. Evan Meek

18. Joel Hanrahan

19. Brenden Donnelly

20. Jeff Karstens

21. Javier Lopez

22. Jose Ascanio

23. Steven Jackson

24. Tyler Yates

25. Virgil Vasquez

26. Craig Hansen

27. Octavio Dotel - Closer

Bench:

28. Pedro Alvarez

29. Jose Tabata

30. Erik Kratz

31. John Raynor

32. Neil Walker

33. Brandon Moss

34. Steve Pearce

35. Jeff Clement

36. Bobby Crosby

37. Brandon Jones

38. Gorkys Hernandez

Let's see how this will pan out...

Let's Go Bucs!

More on the Lemieux Bid

2010-01-31T08:54:00.002-05:00

It has been the talk of the town for the past 24-hours. Ever since Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-gazette broke the news of a meeting that occurred four months ago between Mario Lemieux, Ron Burkle, and Bob Nutting to have the Lemieux Group to buy the Pittsburgh Pirates, fans have been buzzing and demanding that the Buccos be sold.

To their credit, management, sans Nutting, went in front of what could only be described as a hostile crowd, Saturday afternoon at PirateFest and addressed the rumors of selling the franchise, the potential for the lowest payroll for the start of the 2010 season, and of course, Nutting and other management types, pocketing money made by the franchise. As mentioned yesterday, the Pirates are taking the stance that the meeting was nothing more than an opportunity to discuss other things. This morning on WTAE-TV, they said that despite being at the Penguins practice yesterday, Lemieux did not comment on the meeting or the offer to buy the Pirates.

I had a lengthly discussion this morning with a friend of mine who is a die-hard and dedicated Penguins fan. So much so, he nearly cried when they won the Stanley Cup last year. He was also a season ticket holder in the early years of PNC Park, and a dedicated Pirates fan. He made the point that this sell needs to happen, and that not only would it benefit the Pirates, but there would also be benefits for the Penguins.

One of the biggest potential benefits for both teams would be the fact that they could, esentially, leave FSN after their respective contracts expires and create their own sports network, taking in 100% of the profit for each team during their respective seasons, with some obvious overlap during the end of the NHL season and start of the MLB season.

The Pirates benefit with the Lemieux Group heading the franchise and seeing season ticket sales instantly skyrocket. Given his history with the city of Pittsburgh and with a blueprint similar to what happened with the Penguins, fans are going to jump on board. Instantly, the Pirates will have a license to basically print their own money and sign whom ever they feel would bring championships to the team.

But, as it was mentioned at PirateFest and has been said several times over the past few years, the Pittsburgh Pirates are not for sale.

Will all the hype be over nothing though? I highly doubt it. My prediction is that in the near future, you will NOT see the Nuttings sell the Pirates to the Lemieux Group. Instead, I foresee a business deal being struck between the two team owners, creating their own TV network for their respective franchises.

Let's Go Bucs!

Lemieux Mixes Up Crosbys and Offers To Buy Pirates

2010-01-30T08:37:00.013-05:00

It was announced this morning in the Post-Gazette that Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, co-owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins, made an offer to Bob Nutting in a closed door meeting four month ago, to purchase the Pittsburgh Pirates. If this were to be the case, as both sides have very different stories to tell, it would probably be the biggest Pittsburgh sports news story since Lemieux and investors bought and saved the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1999.

According to the article on the PG's website, the Lemieux and Burkle invited Nutting to their offices in Chatham Center to discuss the possibility of purchasing the team. It even went as far as Burkle making a financial offer to Nutting.

On the flip side, the Pirates claim that the meeting was to discuss other business, was informal, and nothing about selling the team was discussed.

This huge news story should make for an interesting day today at PirateFest. If you are free this afternoon, I'd suggest going down to the Convention Center and seeing if you have the opportunity to bump into Nutting, Frank Coonelly, or Neal Huntington to discuss the matter.

Let's Go Bucs!

Photos: A homo-erotic Sidney Crosby on the right, easily confused with short stop Bobby Crosby, on the left.

PirateFest 2010: Day One

2010-01-29T22:31:00.003-05:00

I became a season ticket holder in 2006. I attended my first PirateFest in 2007, and have gone at least twice a year for every year since. It is sort of my kick-off to the new baseball season. Last year, I documented my experience on this very blog. And while I was able to get some cool things such as a Bobby Hill BP jersey and the scorecard from the night my wife and I had a wedding rehearsal party at PNC Park, there really wasn't a lot of excitement in the air or for me personally.

This year was totally different. Maybe it was the appearances of members of the 1960 World Series Championship team. Maybe it was the recent acquisitions and trades of the front office, bringing legitimate talent on to the team. Who knows for sure what it was that electrified and brought out thousands to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for the kick-off of the 2010 PirateFest.

I arrived to the Convention Center around 3pm, one hour before doors were to open to season ticket holders. Already there were probably 75-125 people in line. So I waited and had the opportunity to strike up some small talk with the folks around me. As soon as I walked into the main hall of the Convention Center, I got myself in line for the opportunity to meet and get an autograph from the legendary Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski......and Steve Peacre and Joel Hanranhan??? Not exactly sure why these two were paired with Maz. Why not stick a Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutchen, or Ross Ohlendorf with Maz? Or, even better, how about guys like Dick Groat, Bob Friend, or Elroy Face, all of who were in attendance for the day. I mean, I like Hanrahan and all, but maybe the Pirates assumed he and Pearce, who will be lucky to even make it on the 25 man roster this year, would only draw autographs if paired with Maz. To shake the hand of Bill Mazeroski was great. I can tell, that despite it being 50 years since his historic home run, Maz is still strong like an ox.

Anyhow, after getting those autographs, I headed over to the Lost Treasures booth to look for a Ross Ohlendorf jersey. No such luck. However, I did find a Jason Bay jersey going for about half of his recent contract with the Mets.

After my brief stay in the Lost Treasures booth, I walked around a bit, checking out Collector's Row, and then heading into the MVP Section for season ticket holders. It would be here that I spend a majority of my day. I basically got in line, got my baseball signed by members of the current roster, then looped back around to get in line again for the next set of players. While doing this, I had the opportunity to talk briefly with Paul Maholm, whom my wife and I bowled with last year at Bowling with the Bucs. He autographed a picture the three of us took together, as well as my team ball.

The night would end in some disappointment. As I was sporting my orange Princeton t-shirt, I was hoping to get the opportunity to meet Ross Ohlendorf, get a few pictures signed, and get my ball signed. No such luck. I'm hoping to go up tomorrow or Sunday and to have a little more luck. For now, the countdown is on to Monday, April 5, 2010.

Let's Go Bucs!

The Ohlendorf Blog

2010-01-28T21:04:00.002-05:00

I am working on a rather large task right now for the Ross Ohlendorf blog. That means, over the next couple of days, I'm probably going to be neglecting this blog. But, please make sure you check out the Ohlie's Orange Army blog for, what I feel at least, will be an interesting series.

Mazeroski to Get a Statue Outside PNC Park

2010-01-27T19:43:00.005-05:00

It was announced earlier today, by the Pirates, that a statue dedicated to Bill Mazeroski will be constructed and placed outside PNC Park. Maz will join the likes of Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Honus Wagner. There is no doubt in my mind that while Maz may not be considered the top player of all time in the organization by some fans, he surely has the greatest moment of all time. Who can forget the historic walk-off home run in the 1960 World Series, beating the heavely favored Yankees?

Kevin Hart Stole My Pen

2010-01-25T21:14:00.005-05:00

Baseball season has officially started for me. I am officially pumped for the start of the 2010 season! I attended the Pirates Caravan stop at the Uniontown Mall this evening. Broadcasters Greg Brown and Bob Walk were on hand, joining Andrew McCutchen, Evan Meek, John Russell, and Kevin Hart to sign autographs for the estimated 250-300 people in line.

I arrived to the mall shortly after 5pm. This was after enjoying a 20 piece chicken McNugget and medium fries from the local McDonald's (one of 3 within a 3 mile trek down 119 South). I was able to enjoy this delicious meal thanks to the buy one get one free offer for the 10 piece McNugget. I also have slowly become more disgusted with the county seat of Fayette County, but that's another story for another day.

So as I'm standing in line, I get to talking with several of the people around me. I got to speak with two younger guys who were from Greene County. Nice guys who where there to basically meet McCutchen and get his autograph. They could really care less about the other players. In front of me were three ladies, two of which were teachers at a local school district. One of the ladies look very familiar, however, I couldn't place a finger on it. We assumed that we've just passed each other several times while at PNC Park. As I mentioned yesterday, I have an official baseball that I'd like to get signed by as many players as possible of the 2010 team. Well this isn't a typical thing for me to do, so I told this one lady in front of me that "I hate being one of tho

se fans." Well, that was all she needed to hear. She turned around and said "I am one of those

fans" and proceeded to not speak with me the rest of the evening. As it turns out, after I offended this lady, I'm about 99% sure she was an admissions counselor or worked within the Admissions Department where I went to college.

Well I did get the autographs I was seeking. McCutchen, Meek, Russell, and Hart all signed my ball. Hart was the last one in line to sign. I had a blue Bic ballpoint pen that I was using to have the players sign because I read online that blue ink doesn't fade like black ink.

So I get to Kevin Hart, and he keeps my pen! I thought he was going to give it back, but he never did. I suppose I could have said something to him there, but I was too gracious for him and the others on the panel to take a week of their free time to sign autographs and travel around for slobs like me. Plus, I respect Kevin Hart for coming out to the old Hart Foundation/Bret Hart theme, even though he probably didn't pick it.

Let's Go Bucs!

Ohlie's Orange Army Campaign

2010-01-24T18:47:00.005-05:00

I told you earlier that this week was going to be a busy week. Tonight begins yet another campaign to start the 2010 baseball season. I've decided to begin the Ohlie's Orange Army campaign.

Why orange, when Pittsburgh's colors are black and gold? Well, the color orange, one of the official colors of Princeton, was chosen as a way to recognize Ohlendorf's intelligence and hard work that has allowed him to be where he is today. Unlike the Vote for Romulo campaign of last year, I will not be tracking this campaign on this blog. Instead, I'd like to reveal the OFFICIAL Ohlie's Orange Army blog. This blog will track Ohlendorf throughout the 2010 season, as well as the success, or failure, of the campaign. The goal of my campaign is simple. I want to see PNC Park filled with fans in orange shirts every time Ross Ohlendorf pitches in 2010, especially on Opening Day, when Ohlendorf will be the pitcher that day.

So, with as much fanfare as 2009's Vote for Romulo campaign, this is the beginning of the Ohlie's Orange Army campaign. A Facebook group will soon follow.

Let's Go Bucs!

Firing Up the Ol' Blog

2010-01-24T11:49:00.006-05:00

As we come to a close on the first month of 2010 already, I am coming off of my winter break and ready to begin posting again.

A few things happening this week in this blog's world:

I will be attending the Pirates Caravan stop at the Uniontown Mall on Monday evening. I am planning on taking my game used-Adam LaRoche-ground rule double ball with me and get it signed by the players that will be appearing there (Andrew "Clutch" McCutchen, Kevin "Hitman" Hart, Evan "Rule 5" Meek, and John "Monotone" Russell). For those of you out there who know more about this autograph thing more than I do, is it better to be on a new ball, a game used ball, or does it really matter that much?

In addition to the Caravan, I'll be going to PiratesFest this upcoming weekend. Last year's PiratesFest was a success in that I was able to acquire the dugout scorecard from the night of my wife and I had our wedding rehearsal party there AND I found a nice "Amazing Jesus" Bobby Hill BP jersey. This year, I'm just looking to collect some decent autographs and maybe find a jersey.

If you haven't done so, check out the Pirates WFC Blog. Last week they did a live blog of Game 1 from the 1979 World Series. Game 2 should be posted sometime this week.

And lastly, if you recall, the Pirates had a Fan Vote Bobblehead contest on

their website. Paul Maholm ended up winning the contest. In January, I started the Vote for Romulo

campaign on this blog, urging you people, my readers, to stuff the ballot box, partially as a joke, for relief pitcher Romulo Sanchez. Sidenote: it's interesting to me how this year, there is only one bobblehead on the promotion schedule. Anyways, I have a new campaign idea, and this one will hopefully bring some solidarity to Pirate Nation and PNC Park. Details on the new campaign will be coming up this week as well.

Let's Go Bucs!

Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Pirates

New Bucco Blog

2010-01-10T13:34:00.002-05:00

For the few of you out there that read my minimally updated blog, I'd like to direct you towards a new, and probably more entertaining, Pittsburgh Pirates blog. My friend and big baseball fan, Schwartz has created a new blog entitled Pirates WFC.

He has already posted on numerous topics including how nice PNC Park will look in World Series highlights, Bert Blyleven, Lastings Milledge, and Kevin Elster.

Check it out and enjoy. I'll probably be back to update sometime later this month.

Let's Go Bucs!

Looking Ahead to 2010

2009-11-22T07:30:00.002-05:00

This will probably be one of my rare off-season posts for quite some time...probably until PiratesFest in January. I don't find much to be excited about early in the off-season, especially nothing that would excite me enough to sit down and write on this wretched blog. If I'm going to waste hours upon hours of time in front of my desktop computer, I'd rather waste it ripping CDs and organizing my digital music (legal and illegal) collection.

Only two really noteworthy things have happened, in my opinion, this off-season: 1. Jesse Chavez was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for Akinori Iwamura, a second baseman and 2. Jeff Karstens was designated for assignment and replaced by Seattle Mariners pitcher Chris Jakubauskas, whom I will be referring to as "Jaku" from here on out.

For as much as I was a mark for Jesse Chavez, the trade with the Rays was good for the Pirates, only because the team was in dire need of a second baseman. I felt Delwyn Young was decent at second, but he's much better as a bench player. There is no way Andy LaRoche, who finally was coming into his own this past season at third, would have been good enough for second. I predict 2010 will be LaRoche's big break out year. He will be our third baseman of the future too.

I was also disappointed to see Karstens go. I understand the reasoning behind it, and from what I've read, Jaku will be a suitable replacement for him.

Well...there really isn't much else for me to say right now. I suppose I'll be back in 2010, unless something huuuuuuuuuge happens between now and then. Have a great holiday season!

Let's Go Bucs!

Top 10 Moments for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009

2009-10-04T20:27:00.006-04:00

Here are some of the most memorable moments from the 2009 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I’d like to know what you think of these. You could even add your own top moments in the comments section. I’d like to see what your opinion is. All of these events are in chronological order. Without further ado…

4/12/09 - Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, and Adam LaRoche – Triple Play vs. Cincinnati Reds
For the first time since 1993, the Pirates turned a triple play. The last time the rare feat occurred for the Buccos, Jay Bell, Carlos Garcia, and Kevin Young completed the feat against the St. Louis Cardinals at Three Rivers Stadium. The last time this feat was completed on the road for the Buccos was in 1968, against the Reds. It was the bottom of the 8th inning on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Great American Ballpark. Down 2-0, the Pirates were looking for some late heroics to make an attempt at a comeback. Jesse Chavez had already walked Brandon Phillips and gave up an infield single to Jay Bruce to put runners at first and second with no one out. Edwin Encarnacion steps up to the plate, looking to drive in a couple of insurance runs. Phillips and Bruce ran on contact, a line drive to short stop Jack Wilson. Wilson gloved the liner, tossed on to Freddy Sanchez, who threw it on to Adam Laroche at first to complete the 6-4-3 triple play. Sadly, the defensive gem would not be able to motivate the offense, as the Pirates went on to lose to the Reds 2-0.

4/13/09 - Zach Duke throws a 4-hit complete game shutout in Home Opener vs. Houston Astros What a fitting way to open the 2009 campaign at PNC Park. It was a beautiful Monday afternoon, perfect for a sold out crowd of 38,411. Zach Duke took to the mound, wearing Pittsburgh Police caps, honoring the three police officers who were killed 9 days earlier in a shootout in a Pittsburgh neighborhood. The emotional pre-game ceremony gave way to an exciting afternoon of baseball as Zach Duke, with some offensive assistance from Adam LaRoche and Freddy Sanchez, defeated the Houston Astros 7-0. Duke pitched a 4-hit 120 pitch shutout, the fourth of his career. The fourth complete game in 100 starts. This outing would be a foreshadowing of the rest of ’09 for Zach Duke.

Winning records in April and June
With a line-up that looked completely different from the line-up posted on the final day of the year, the Pittsburgh Pirates gave their fan base a slight glimmer of hope by posting an 11-10 record in April. The Opening Day line up looked like this: Nyjer Morgan, LF; Freddy Sanchez, 2B; Nate McLouth (remember him??), CF; Ryan Doumit, C; Adam LaRoche, 1B; Andy LaRoche, 3B; Brandon Moss, RF; Jack Wilson, SS. April included an opening 4 game split with the Cardinals, a rain shortened 2 game series split against the Reds, an emotional and exciting Home Opener against the Astros, and a huge 3 game sweep against the Florida Marlins, which some felt would define the Pirates season. The Pirates ended April one game over .500.

June was another one game above .500 month. They started off sweeping the Mets in a-what should have been 4 game but instead was-3 game series. There was a 7-5 record against American League teams in June, and an appearance by the Penguins and Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Pirates ended June 14-13 and 36-41 overall, a mere 5 games below .500. Oh, the line up at the end of June: Andrew McCutchen, CF; Sanchez, 2B; Delwyn Young, RF; Ad. LaRoche, 1B; An. LaRoche 3B; Moss, LF; Robizon Diaz, C; Wilson, SS.

6/4/09 – Andrew McCutchen’s debut vs. New York Mets
As the school year was winding down, I had some vacation time left. What a better way to use some vacation time than by spending an afternoon watching the Buccos playing some meaningful baseball at the beginning of June. Just one day after the blockbuster trade that sent keystone player Nate McLouth to the Atlanta Braves, I was excited about seeing what the much hyped Andrew McCutchen could do. It was obvious from day one that McCutchen was gearing for Rookie of the Year honors. McCutchen wowed 20,683 in attendance, which I believe included something like 5,000 walk-up ticket buyers just that morning. As they say…Cutch happens. And it happened that day. McCutchen went 2-4 with two singles, a stolen base, three runs, and a walk. Not a bad start for Cutch.

7/17/09 – Maholm v. Lincecum vs. San Francisco Giants
This game is by far my favorite game of the entire season. I was excited to get the opportunity to see Tim Lincecum pitch. I was even more excited when I saw that Paul Maholm would be the Pirates hurler to face off against one of the best pitchers in the majors. This was also the first game back since the All-Star Game. Lincecum would end up going seven innings. Maholm went eight. The Giants starter gave up 5 hits, one run, one walk, and struck out ten. Maholm had four hits, one run, zero walks, and seven strike outs in his eight innings of work.

7/17/09 – Garret Jones hits two homeruns vs. San Francisco Giants
I have been a season ticket holder since 2006, and I have had the opportunity to see some exciting games at PNC Park. One game I will always remember will be this one. And this list features the two reasons why I will always remember this game. It’s also one of my favorite games of all time. Garret Jones, in addition to Paul Maholm, were the heroes for this game. As detailed above, Maholm pitched eight solid innings. Jones hit his first homerun of the game in the first inning off of Tim Lincecum with no one on and two outs. In the seventh inning, the Giants tied the game as Randy Winn crossed the plate. The score would remain 1-1 until the bottom of the 14th inning, when Jones stepped to the plate. With an 0-1 count, Jones launched an 82mph pitch from Bob Howry onto the Riverwalk and into the Allegheny River. Walk off homerun. Awesome game.

8/1/09 – McCutchen’s 3 HR Night vs. Washington Nationals
Just about two months into his MLB career, Andrew McCutchen was already proving himself to be a worthy replacement to Nate McLouth. By this time, I know I found myself often saying “Nate who?” Andrew McCutchen solidified himself as the real deal this night. He would go 4-5 with 3 homeruns and a single. Cutch scored 4 runs and had 6 RBIs on this evening. Two homeruns would have been amazing. Three required a curtain call from the fans at PNC Park. This game resulted in a lot of Rookie of the Year talk for “Cutch”.

9/5/09 – Ohlendorf Ks 11 vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Ross Ohlendorf was the best and most consistent starting pitcher for the Pirates in 2009. On this September night, Ross would end up having one of his best games of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ohlendorf pitched eight solid innings of baseball, taking a 1-1 tie into the ninth inning. Let’s not forget the top of the seventh inning. Ohlendorf struck out the side 1-2-3. Khalil Greene sat down after three pitches. Julio Lugo sat down after three pitches. Jason LaRue sat down after three pitches. Nine, count ‘em, NINE pitches. This was called “The Perfect Inning”. Nine pitches and three strike outs. Too bad Matt Capps blew it in the 10th.

9/28/09 – Andy LaRoche goes 5-5 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Andy LaRoche lived up to some of the hype that followed him when he came to Pittsburgh from the Dodgers in the 2008 trade that sent Jason Bay to Boston and Manny Ramirez to LA. After a disappointing 2008, Andy really stepped up and proved that he should be considered a legitimate third baseman in the majors. This Monday afternoon proved to be a career game for the younger LaRoche brother. Andy went 5-5 with two homeruns, two doubles, and a single. LaRoche was a triple away from the cycle when he hit a double into center field. You can tell Andy really wanted that triple too, as he was about half way to third when he realized that he wouldn’t have made it there safely. LaRoche’s first homerun was a wind blown shot to dead center. The second was a shot high off the left field foul pole, which would have gone about 3 or 4 rows up the rotunda if it didn’t hit the foul pole. LaRoche ended up going 10-18 (.555) against his former club. What a way to end the season at PNC Park.

9/28/09 – Zach Duke pitches 8 2/3 innings vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
I feel like Zach Duke was in a unique situation. He pitched a complete game shutout against the Houston Astros on April 13th in the Home Opener. Now, in the season finale at PNC Park, Zach Duke once again had the opportunity to bookend his season. Zach Duke was a lot better in 2009 than his record indicated. If he had the offensive support, Zach Duke, as well as Ross Ohlendorf, could have easily had 15 wins this year. Duke got all the run support he would need in the second inning when the Pirates scored five runs. The Pirates would go on to score 11 runs in this game. As the ninth inning got under way, Zach retired Juan Pierre on a groundout. Orlando Hudson hit a triple to center field. Duke got Chin-lung Hu to fly out to center field, allowing Orlando Hudson to score from third. That hit summoned John Russell to come out from the dugout. Russell takes the ball from Duke to a chorus of boos that could probably be heard in LA. Donnie Veal comes in and strikes out Blake DeWitt to end the game. Russell’s explination for pulling Duke…he wanted Zach to get his proper applause from the fans for his performance. Break out the toilet paper because Russell needs to wipe his mouth of all the crap.

As I was doing this, I felt like I should give some honorable mentions to other things that stuck out this year, in no particular order:
9/21-9/22/09 - Pirates defeat Reds while celebrating 1979 World Series Championship team
9/17-9/19/09 - Pirates sweep the hated Brewers
7/12/09 – Zach Duke replaces Matt Cain on All-Star Team roster
6/14/09 – Pirates celebrate 1909 World Series championship with throwback style game and the Penguins are honored at PNC Park
5/17/09 – Pirates score 10 in the 7th inning against the Rockies

End of the year...what a fine time to start posting again

2009-10-04T16:56:00.003-04:00

Much like the Pirates, I've really fallen off during the second half of the season. And now that the 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates season is over, I really won't have much to post about over the next few months. I'm sure I'll try to log on in order to just keep in bloging form through the winter. Hopefully I'll have a better 2010 season posting rate too. The Pirates open at home in 2010 against the LA Dodgers. The first game will be on Monday April 5th.

I'll be posting my First Annual Top 10 Moments of the Season in the coming days. I promise that will be a good read.

The Adam LaRoche Trade

2009-07-23T13:26:00.001-04:00

I posted this note on my Facebook this morning, in response to numerous posts about people quitting on the Pirates because of the LaRoche trade. Enjoy:

Much to my surprise, the trade of Adam LaRoche has brought quite the mixed reaction from the Pirates fans. Some fans, my self included, like the trade. Others, however, hate it. And I don't understand why people would hate this trade.

First off, Adam LaRoche was going to become a free agent at the end of this year. He was making just over 7 million dollars this year. There is no way that this current management team was going to resign him. If the Pirates had held on to him, they would have gotten nothing for this guy...NOTHING. By trading him, the Pirates at least got two prospects from the Red Sox. They aren't the best prospects, however, what can you expect to get for a guy who is currently hitting .247 with 12 HRs and 40 RBIs and was something like 7 for his last 70 at bats?

We all know the song and dance for Adam LaRoche. He'll end up with 25 HRs and somewhere around .265 for his batting average. His power numbers are not good enough to be our clean up hitter. He never should have been given that responsibility. On a team with a legitimate power guy, LaRoche may end up being a 6 or 7 hitter.

As far as defense goes, I feel like we lost a lot. He was very good defensively at first base. Much like Jack Wilson, if you're going to waste a bat on good defense, this would be the guy to waste it on. In that regard, I'm going to miss having Adam LaRoche as our first baseman.

"This management team has traded away all of our good players!" Ok...let's run with that.

Trade #1: Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte to the Yankees for Ross Ohlendorf/Jeff Karstens/Jose Tabata/Daniel McCutchen

Nady was having a career year in 2008. Marte was a solid lefty specialist. Nady was a part of the most productive outfield, along with Jason Bay and Nate McLouth. Karstens and Ohlendorf were placed into the starting rotation right away. Remember Karstens pitching 16 or so scoreless innings in his first two games? How about the fact that he was about 5 outs away from a perfect game? Ohlendorf has proven that he's a solid 3 or 4 starter.

McCutchen is currently in AAA. He is pitching with a 9-5 record, 4.19 ERA, 3:1 K/BB ratio, and a 1.27 WHIP. He is leading Indy with innings pitched as well.

Tabata is in AA with Altoona. He currently has a .291 average, 2 home runs, .746 OPS.

Ohlendorf is with the Pirates, as a 4th starter. He is 8-7 with a 4.59 ERA. He has a 2:1 K/BB ratio and a 1.32 WHIP.

Karstens, who was moved to the bullpen when Charlie Morton was acquired, has been solid since going to the bullpen at the beginning of June. He has pitched 10.2 innings since July 5 without giving up a run. He has also just given up 2 hits and 2 walks.

Nady and Marte...they have both been on the DL. Nady is going for Tommy John surgery. I'd say the first trade, so far, has panned out to be the best trade for the Pirates. Winner: Pirates

Trade #2: Jason Bay/Josh Wilson to the Red Sox for Andy LaRoche/Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and Brandon Moss/Craig Hansen

There is no denying that this trade at the deadline last year hurt. Bay was our only legitimate power hitter. He excelled at Boston last year, and continues to do so this year. He leads the Red Sox with home runs, and as of last night, was 2nd in the AL in RBIs.

In return, the Pirates got Andy LaRoche, who is projected to have some power. We haven't seen much of that power, however, he has hit a lot of line drives. His defense is also improving at third.

Bryan Morris is projected to be a 2 or 3 starter. He's currently in High-A Lynchburg. He is not pitching very well. He has a 2-5 record, 5.89 ERA, 1:1 K/BB ratio, and a 1.61 WHIP.

Brandon Moss is projected to be a power bat, however, we have yet to see it...despite a lovely walk-off yesterday afternoon. July has been a good month for him power-wise, as he's hit 4 of his 5 homers this month. He's currently platooning right field with Delwyn Young and occassionally left field with Garret Jones. He's still young...25 years old.

Craig Hansen was ok last year when playing for the Pirates. I believe he is currently on the DL.

This trade has been a tough one for the Pirates so far. LaRoche and Moss have not lived up to their potential yet, but give them another year to determine the value of this trade. Winner: Red Sox/Dodgers

Trade #3: Nate McLouth to the Braves for Charlie Morton/Gorkeys Hernandez/Jeff Locke

A shocking trade. After a breakout 2008, McLouth was seen as the keystone for the future Pirates teams. He was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner. Fact of the matter is, if you look at his numbers, Nate McLouth was very average as a center fielder. His offensive numbers were above average for a center fielder, however, if the Pirates moved him to a corner position in order to make room for Andrew McCutchen, he would have been average, at best. He was the leader in home runs and maybe RBIs when he was traded.

In return, we got Charlie Morton, who many people project to be a legitimate 1 or 2 starter. He has the "stuff" to be a very good starting pitcher. He is currently 2-2 with a 3.21 ERA and a 2:1 K/BB ratio. This is a very small sample size. If he does as well as projected, Morton alone will make this trade worthwhile.

Gorkys Hernandez is an outfielder project to be a similar player to Nyjer Morgan. He's younger than Morgan, and along with Tabata, he is expected to be a part of the future Pirates outfield.

I haven't heard a lot of great things about Jeff Locke to this point, so I'm not going to waste more time looking up his info right now.

Finally, I feel like one of the best pieces of this trade came from within. Andrew McCutchen has the potential to be a rookie of the year. He is exciting to watch and just has been a great spark to the line-up so far. Winner: Pirates

Trade #4 Nyjer Morgan/Sean Burnett to Nationals for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan

Nyjer Morgan was a popular player. All reports indicate that he was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. He was a lot of fun and a spark of energy to the clubhouse. Sean Burnett was a lefty specialist and continued to pitch well following his breakout from last year. This was a great loss for the Pirates. However, Morgan is older and does not come close to the power that a corner outfielder should have. With Gorkys Hernandez coming up, it is pointless to have two similar guys in the outfield, especially when one of them will be 31 or 32 by the time the new Pirates outfield was constructed.

Lastings Milledge was a top prospect for the Mets, however, he openly admitted that there was a lack of structure in that organization and in the Nationals. That has lead to some of his crazy behaviors in those organizations. He will be a very good upgrade to the outfield and will provide some decent power for the outfield.

Joel Hanrahan is ok. He's having difficulties right now with pitching, but in working with Joe Kerrigan, I believe he will come around and end up being a decent bullpen pitcher.

Winner: Pirates

There you have it. In 3 out of the 4 trades that the Pirates management has made over the past year, not including the Adam LaRoche trade, the Pirates have been widely viewed as winners in these trades. So, please do yourself a favor before hating on the Pirates now and eventually jumping on the bandwagon if they become winners with these players acquired, do a little research. You don't even have to look things up. Listen to Extra Innings after Pirates games on 104.7. Rocco DeMaro will do the research for you and can provide you with evidence that most of these trades have been wins for the Pirates.

Why the Pirates Should (Or Shouldn't) Give Up On Donnie Veal

2009-07-06T18:49:00.003-04:00

The GM of the Pittsburgh Pirates will be facing a difficult decision in the next few days. According to Dejan Kovacevic's Pirates Notebook in the PG today, Donnie Veal needs to be placed back on the 25-man roster in the next couple of days in order to keep him through Rule 5 Draft rules.

There is no denying that he has been bad. Through 5 games, Donnie Veal has posted a 4.26 ERA, 10 walks, 6 strikeouts, and an astronomical WHIP of 2.37. I'm sure his placement on the DL at the end of May had more to do with his horrible performance opposed to his groin injury. Is it time for the Pirates to give up on this guy and cut him from the 25-man roster? Or should they struggle through the rest of the season with this guy sitting in the bullpen and rarely picking up a ball?

Well, the Pirates faced a similar situation with Evan Meek last year. He, much like Veal, had a high ERA (6.92), a 1.77 WHIP, and had a 2:1 BB/K ratio. I can remember moaning and groaning when Meek was called in to pitch. The guy lacked control and gave up a lot of hits and home runs in his short 2008 stint with the Pirates. He was offered back to the Rays, who declined to take Meek back, and who could blame them? Anyhow, the Pirates took him back, assigned him to the minors, and look at him now. What a difference a year makes. While he still has some control issues, Meek is doing a whole heck of a lot better than last year.

Maybe the Pirates should take a similar route with Veal. I say, take the risk of losing him back to the Cubs. The Pirates, I believe, have a good shot of being able to resign him. Put Donnie in the minors and hopefully he'll have the same success as Evan Meek.

If Veal doesn't stick, no big loss. Hanrahan will come around a be a soild bullpen pitcher.

Game 83: Pirates vs Astros - July 6, 2009

2009-07-06T13:20:00.007-04:00

I am back once again with my game day predictions via MLB 09 The Show. Sorry that these have become so sporadic this year...it's extremely time consuming to play the game and then post a report on here. It's even more difficult when I wait until just a couple of house before the game to play with the actual line-ups for the day's game. So, much like today, I will play and post when it's most convenient for me, use an assumed line-up and hope that it's pretty close to being accurate.

I realized one mistake already for today's game prediction. I believe Freddy Sanchez is going to be sitting out today's real life game due to a tweak in his back. I accidentally left him on today's roster. Anyhow, the Pirates haven't fared well at all against the real life Mike Hampton, so let's see if they can break the streak of losses against him in tonight's game.

Here's the MLB 09 The Show Recap:

The Pirates started off to a great start against the difficult Mike Hampton early. After McCutchen and Wilson flied out, Freddy Sanchez singled, followed by an Adam LaRoche home run. Pirates are ahead 2-0 after 1 inning.

More scoring in the third for the Buccos as Sanchez scores on an Adam LaRoche double. 3-0 Pirates after 3.

In the 4th, Steve Pearce scores after a Virgil Vasquez sac bunt. 4-0 after 4 innings of play.

Two more Pirate runs in the 5th as Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez score on an Andy LaRoche trip-trip-triple. 6-0 Pirates after 5 innings.

Houston scores in the 6th off a Miguel Tejada solo home run. 6-1 after 6 innings.

The Pirates tack on 3 more runs in the 7th as Garret Jones, batting 7th in the order, hits a bases loaded triple, scoring Adam and Andy LaRoche and Steve Pearce. 9-1 after 7 innings.

The final run came in the bottom of the 9th inning as Michael Bourn hits a 1 out solo home run.

Final Score: PIT 9 HOU 2

Stats of the Game:
PIT - Vasquez 8.0 innings - 1 run - 8 hits - 0 BB - 4 Ks; Ad. LaRoche 4-5 - 2B - HR - 4 RBIs
HOU - Hampton 4+ innings - 6 runs - 9 hits - 1 K; Tejada 3-4 - HR - 1 RBI

Game 70: Cleveland Indians (29-42) v. Pittsburgh Pirates (31-38) MLB 09 Prediction

2009-06-23T08:43:00.008-04:00

Now that my summer vacation from work is in full swing, it is time I get back into the habit of posting my MLB 09 The Show Game Predictions. This will be the first one in quite sometime. I apologize for not getting more up, but whatever, it's not like people read this blog anyhow.

Tonight, the Pittsburgh Pirates will host the Cleveland Indians in Interleague play. The Pirates have not done well in Interleague play (67-108 if I count correctly). They are 4-5 this year in Interleague play. However, this year, they have done well at home (17-12). They are also coming off a 4 game losing streak, which includes a 3-game sweep by the red hot Colorado Rockies.

The Indians are not faring much better than the Pirates. They have a wrose record, are coming in on a 6 game losing streak, and have done worse than the Pirates this year in Interleague play (3-6). Overall, they are 111-108. The Indians are on a 6 game losing streak. Both teams are due of some wins.

Based on the game I played this morning, the Indians will win tonight's game. I've gone supergeek with this and printed off scorecards for each team. It'll save a lot of typing time.

Click images to read them.

Lets Go Bucs!

Two Disappointing Losses & A Look At Pitching

2009-06-10T12:48:00.003-04:00

The Pirates seem to have continued their downward trend from last year after trading a big name player in the franchise. The last two losses to the Braves have really had to be tough pills to swallow for the Buccos.

First, to come back in such a manner as they did on Monday night, only to lose ini 15 innings is heartbreaking. Jeff Karstens, welcome to the world of Ryan Vogelsong. You will forever be a mop-up guy in the bullpen. It's a shame you cannot recapture that dominating presence you had back when you were first traded here.

Last night was another disappointing loss. Ross Ohlendorf pitched a good game. Poor thinking by Delwyn Young (still like this guy though) and awful pitching by Sean Burnett cost the Pirates this game. Why Russell would choose to go with Burnett is beyond me. In a situation like this, you need to bring in your best pitcher in the bullpen. I think leaving Gorzo out there for another inning wouldn't have hurt either. He may have been up in the batting order so maybe that's why he didn't stay in.

To be honest I didn't watch too much of the game. I was too busy watching the Pens game.

Moving on to pitching. I'm glad to see that the pitching rotation has been shaken up a bit. More needs to be done though. Neal Huntington and John Russell take note, this is what your pitching rotation and bullpen should look like by the end of the trade deadline or next year.

First, the rotation
1. Maholm - He's been a little shaky recently, but still a solid #1 or #2 guy for this team.
2. Duke - Has been the most consistant and, in my opinion, best pitcher all year. He is in the same boat as Maholm.
3. Morton - If he is as good for the Pirates as he has been in AAA, he will show everyone that the McLouth deal was well worth it.
4. Ohlendorf - Just a solid 3/4 guy.
5. Karstens - A typical #5 guy. Could easily be swapped out at any point for guys like Gorzo, McCutchen, Dumatrait.

Now the bullpen
1. Gorzo - easily the best option for long relief/spot starts. He has been really good out of the pen.
2. Snell - If he's not in AAA starting, he could be a good bullpen option. He's good enough to give you 1 or 2 innings of work. Possibly a SUPERSTAR closer.
3. Meek - Hard thrower, good enough to be a set up man, not quite closer material.
4. Capps - Closer for now, unless he develops another pitch or gets some movement on his fastballs, he's not the long-term solution for this position.
5. Chavez - He has been a solid pitcher all year. A great middle guy.
6. Jackson - Big sinker ball pitcher. I haven't seen him do too many dumb things to really be down on him.
7. Burnett - He's been better this year than some of the games he's recently played in. I feel her could be a good specialist pitcher.

I made this list without seeing some of the other options we have currently in AAA. I'm sure that once call-ups happen in September, I could end up making some changes on this list.

Impressed With McCutch Not So Impressed With Parking

2009-06-04T17:30:00.002-04:00

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.

My Official Stance on the Nate McLouth Trade

2009-06-04T09:30:00.003-04:00

It was almost like a dream last night. I logged onto Facebook and saw one of my friends posting something about the Pirates trading Nate McLouth. I quickly went to my source for news and comments on the Pirates and within 2 hours, the message board topic was 10 pages long and growing ever so quickly. I never expected to be reading news like this...at least not at this point in time.

This morning, it has sunk in that Nate McLouth, the new face of the franchise, is gone. An autographed baseball, an All-Star Bobblehead, autographed bat, and signed painting. All will now be collectors items of one of the core players signed to a long term contract earlier this year. Will Paul Maholm and Ryan Doumit face a similar fate?

While I'm disappointed that McLouth is gone, I have to agree with a lot of comments I've read. He is not, and should not, be the type of player you build a team around. Pedro Alvarez is (hopefully). Nate McLouth, while very good, is at best a complimentary piece to a successful club.

This very well could be the final straw though for fans. They are sick of seeing the same thing happen over and over again. Good players traded for unproved prospects. I really believe that attendance will take a serious blow from this, in the long term.

Fans will be excited to see Andrew McCutchen get his first MLB start today. I hope, for his sake and the sake of the front office, that he does well today. I will be there and I hope to have pictures to post on here later tonight. Once the initial excitment of McCutchen wears off, the attendance will drop off and anger will grow. Unless, of course, the Buccos win. In which case, this will be viewed by the casual fan as a good thing.

As was said last year so many times...only time will tell.

I'll be at the game, sitting in 138. As with Jason Bay, I hope Nate tears it up in ATL, unless they are playing the Pirates of course.

Lets Go Bucs. Lets Go McCutch.

I'm Sorry...

2009-06-01T08:36:00.003-04:00

It's been over 1 month since I have last updated this thing. For loyal followers, I apologize, as I have been extremely busy with work. It's the end of the school year and I have been trying to wrap some things up at work. Now that the end of the year is quickly coming, I hope to get back to several of my regular features, including MLB The Show game predictions, commentary on current Bucco and baseball news, and whatever else may come up.

I'm expecting two posts today. Check back later for some updates.

Let's Go Bucs!

Make or Break

2009-04-27T17:28:00.002-04:00

The upcoming 3 game series against the Brewers really doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of 162 games. In fact, 3 games, in April no less, have little impact on the rest of a teams season.

However, this will be different. This series against the Brewers will make or break the Pirates this year. If the Pirates can win this series and avoid a loss or sweep, they will continue to do well during the first half of the year. If they fail in this series, I am sure it will deflate the spirits of this team and it will be difficult for the team to rebound from the losses.

Never Thought I'd See The Day...

2009-04-20T19:46:00.005-04:00

I debated all day as to whether (weather) or not I was going to head down to PNC Park tonight for the game against the Marlins. I decided against it and, instead, did work at home. Much to my amazement, I saw this:

Yeah...a Pirates game on ESPN. The end times are upon us.

Lets Go Bucs!

P.S. I also signed my wife and myself up for Bowling with the Bucs on May 31st.

The Young Quote Controversy

2009-04-18T05:11:00.005-04:00

"There are a lot of good players over there, and there's a road block every which way you look," Young said. "You come over here, and you have opportunity everywhere you look. So, it's a good thing to come over here and be a part of that." --Delwyn Young 4.17.09 Post-Gazette interview

It seems that the recently acquired Delwyn Young has stirred some up some controversy based on a statement he made the other day during an interview to discuss his trade from the Dodgers to the Pirates.

I don't see what the issue is about this. It's obvious that this team is not one that is set to go out and win championships. The Pirates are lacking many of their top prospects on their 25 man roster. And until those prospects start to come up, they are still in a rebuilding mode. Considering that guys Adam LaRoche, Jack Wilson, Nyger Morgan, and possibly Brandon Moss will probably be gone by the end of the year to make way for the prospects, I feel like Young's statement was pretty accurate. There are at least two outfield positions and probably one or two positions in the infield that are not necessarly secured by one particular player for the next two to three years. He does have a lot of opportunities to play here.

There is nothing wrong with saying that there are pleantly of opportunities to play here in Pittsburgh. Give the kid a break and let us see what he can do. And if you want to crucify someone, start looking at our third baseman.

Don't forget to vote for Romulo

Let's Go Bucs!

------
photo credit: Delwyn Young, from MLB.com

Just A Reminder...Vote for Romulo

2009-04-17T20:50:00.002-04:00

Write in Romulo!

Voting ends April 30th.

Saturday afternoon baseball returns tomorrow. Check back for updates and pictures from the game.

Several Home Opener pictures are here.

What's a Sports Fan to Do?

2009-04-13T20:41:00.002-04:00

This coming Wednesday and Friday presents quite a delima for myself and sports fans all around Pittsburgh. The Buccos are offering Buc Night, with $1 hotdogs, popcorn, soda, and tickets on Wednesday. Then on Friday, its $1 hotdogs. Add to that the fact that the Pirates have actually been playing decent baseball (at least on every other day), what is a sports fan to do on these days when the Penguins host the hated Flyers?

Well, for most, the choice should be obvious. If you've got the cash, plunk down the money on Stubhub or eBay and buy yourself some playoff tickets. Or, the better option, sit on the lawn with thousands of Pens fans. There is no doubt in my mind that aside from Mikey and Big Bob flapping their lips, sitting in the lawn is so much better than being in the arena. It's a completely different atmosphere on the lawn. It's lawless and fun. Despite the lawlessness, it still is much calmer than what you'd expect.

But what about those great offers from the Pirates? $1 tickets...$1 sodas...$1 hotdogs...what a great deal. Well, don't worry, because every Friday night the Pirates are selling $1 hotdogs. Well if the pattern holds true, the Pirates will suffer a crushing defeat following an awesome offensive performance. So, based on today's 7-0 win, the Pirates should lose on Wednesday. Which means, get your tickets for Wednesday or get ready to sit in the lawn, watching the Pens game on the large screen. On Friday, go for the Bucco game. You're bound to see a pitching clinic on Friday night as Paul Maholm takes on Jair Jurrjens.

As someone who spent $1,300 on Pirates tickets, its likely I'll still go to PNC over Mellon...unless I have a crowd of friends going to the Pens game to watch it. Then, and only then, would I choose the Pens over the Bucs.

Game #8 Prediction: HOU 7 PIT 8

2009-04-13T06:28:00.002-04:00

Pirates home opener is today and here is the prediction for the opener thanks to MLB: The Show. Bottom of the 13th, bases loaded, Freddy blasts a 2 run, game winning double to CF to cap off an exciting extra innings game.

Click here for the box score

Even though I haven't posted predictions for a couple of days, the fantasy Pirates record is 3-5.

Slacker

2009-04-10T09:55:00.003-04:00

So I've been slacking a bit on my game predictions this week. It has been busy at work the past few days and this weekend looks to be no different. Since I'm on break for a few days though, I will probably play a couple of games over the weekend and post results on game day. That means rosters may not be accurate...but we only care about the outcome. I would also expect a complete and accurate roster following the Home Opener on Monday. Jason Jaramillo will have played his first game by then.

It's too bad Evan Meek isn't on the real life roster. He's been doing well so far in the game. Now, in the real world of baseball...

2-2 coming out of St. Louie isn't too bad. I expect the Buccos to take 2 out of 3 in Cincy this weekend. The momentum will be lacking on Monday though. Snell is pitching against Aaron Harang Sunday and I'm expecting a repeat performance of Tuesday's game against the Cards.

Game #2 Prediction PIT 3 STL 4

2009-04-06T16:55:00.004-04:00

It was another thriller between the Pirates and Cardinals in the second game of the season. Ian Snell had a bit of a rough start allowing 4 runs in the first three innings. He was able to settle down and keep the Cards from scoring. The Pirates scored a run in the 3rd, 7th, and 8th. In an attempt to rally the Buccos loaded the bases in the top of the 9th with 2 outs, however, Pearce struck out and was thrown out as the pitch went wild. Good game, check out the stats below.

(0-1) Pittsburgh Pirates 3
(1-0) St. Louis Cardinals 4
Final

Pitching Stats

Pittsburgh Pirates
Ian Snell 6.0 innings/8 H/4 R/4 ER/1 BB/8 K/6.00 ERA
Evan Meek 1.0 innings/1 H/0 R/0 ER/0 BB/0 K/0.00 ERA
Tyler Yates 1.0 innings/0 H/0 R/0 ER/0 BB/1 K/0.00 ERA

St. Louis Cardinals
Chris Carpenter 7.1 innings/7 H/3 R/3 ER/0 BB/2 K/3.68 ERA
Dennys Reyes 0.2 innings/1 H/0 R/0 ER/0 BB/1 K/3.38 ERA
Chris Perez 1 inning/2 H/0 R/0 ER/0 BB/1 K/0.00 ERA

Hitting Stats

Pittsburgh Pirates
Nyjer Morgan 4 AB/1 R/1 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.200
Nate McLouth 4 AB/0 R/3 H/1 RBI/0 BB/1 K/.700 (two doubles)
Freddy Sanchez 4 AB/0 R/1 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.100
Ryan Doumit 4 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/2 K/.333
Adam LaRoche 4 AB/1 R/1 H/1 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.222 (home run)
Andy LaRoche 4 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.222
Brandon Moss 4 AB/0 R/2 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.444 (one double)
Jack Wilson 3 AB/1 R/1 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.250 (one double)
b-Eric Hinske 1 AB/0 R/1 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/1.000
Ian Snell 1 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.000
Evan Meek 0 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.000
a-Ramon Vasquez 1 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.000
Tyler Yates 0 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.000
c-Steve Pearce 1 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/1 K/.000
a-Batted for Meek in the 8th
b-Batted for Wilson in the 9th
c-Batted for Yates in the 9th

St. Louis Cardinals
Scott Schumaker 4 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/1 K/.000
Chris Duncan 4 AB/1 R/3 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.600
Albert Pujols 4 AB/1 R/1 H/0 RBI/0 BB/2 K/.400 (double)
Ryan Ludwick 4 AB/2 R/3 H/3 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.444 (double, triple, home run)
Rick Ankiel 4 AB/0 R/1 H/1 RBI/0 BB/1 K/.333
Khalil Greene 3 AB/0 R/1 H/0 RBI/1 BB/1 K/.250 (double)
Yadier Molina 4 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/2 K/.000
Joe Mather 3 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/1 K/.167
Chris Carpenter 3 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/1 K/.000
Dennys Reyes 0 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.000
Chris Perez 0 AB/0 R/0 H/0 RBI/0 BB/0 K/.000

Opening Day

2009-04-06T16:10:00.003-04:00

It's finally here. It'll be exciting to see what all of the clubhouse buzz translates into on the field. First pitch is moments away. We'll see how well my MLB: The Show prediction holds against the real deal. Look for tomorrow's prediction here later tonight.

Let's Go Bucs!

Opening Day Prediction: PIT 4 STL 7

2009-04-05T19:01:00.005-04:00

Once again, I've purchased MLB The Show for my PSP. I love this game. I think it's the best baseball game out there right now. One day, when I get some money and can afford a PS3, I'll get it for that. Anyhow, I'm going to attempt to play the Buccos scheduled game prior to the real world game. I played the Opener on Saturday and here are the results:

Pittsburgh Pirates 4
St. Louis Cardinals 7
Final 12 innings

Pitching Stats
Paul Maholm 6.1 innings/6 H/4 R/2 ER/5 K/0 BB/oHR/27 BF/2.84 ERA
Evan Meek 1.2 innings/2 H/0 R/0 ER/1 K/0 BB/0 HR/ 6 BF/0.00 ERA
John Grabow 2.0 innings/2 H/0 R/0 ER/2 K/0 BB/0 HR/8 BF/0.00 ERA
Jesse Chavez 1.1 innings/1 H/2 R/2 ER/1 K/1 BB/0 HR/6 BF/13.50 ERA (0-1)

Adam Wainwright 5.0 innings/10 H/3 R/3 ER/1 K/0 BB/0 HR/22 BF/5.40 ERA
Trever Miller 2.0 innings/2 H/0 R/0 ER/3 K/0 BB/0 HR/8 BF/0.00 ERA
Dennys Reyes 2.0 innings/3 H/1 R/1 ER/2 K/0 BB/1 HR/9 BF/4.50 ERA
Ryan Franklin 3.0 innings/0 H/0 R/0 ER/1 K/0 BB/0 HR/9 BF/0.00 ERA (1-0)

Hitting Stats
Nyjer Morgan 6 AB/1 H/1 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.167
Freddy Sanchez 6 AB/0 H/0 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.000
Nate McLouth 6 AB/4 H/0 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.667
Adam LaRoche 5 AB/1 H/2 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.200
Ryan Doumit 5 AB/3 H/0 K/0 BB/2 R/1 RBI/1 HR/.600
Andy LaRoche 5 AB/2 H/0 K/0 BB/1 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.400
Brandon Moss 5 AB/2 H/2 K/0 BB/1 R/1 RBI/0 HR/.400 (two doubles)
Jack Wilson 5 AB/1 H/1 K/0 BB/0 R/1 RBI/0 HR/.200
Paul Maholm 2 AB/0 H/1 K/0 BB/0 R/1 RBI/0 HR/.000
Eric Hinske 1 AB/1 H/0 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/1.000 (one double)
Robinson Diaz 1 AB/0 H/0 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.000

Albert Pujols 6 AB/3 H/1 K/0 BB/1 R/3 RBI/1 HR/.500
Brian Barton 6 AB/1 H/1 K/0 BB/1 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.200
Rick Ankiel 5 AB/2 H/1 K/1 BB/3 R/1 RBI/0 HR/.400
Yadier Molina 5 AB/0 H/1 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.000
Ryan Ludwick 5 AB/1 H/2 K/0 BB/0 R/1 RBI/0 HR/.200
Khalil Greene 5 AB/1 H/0 K/0 BB/1 R/1 RBI/0 HR/.200
Brenden Ryan 5 AB/2 H/2 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.400
Joe Mather 3 AB/1 H/1 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.333
Adam Wainwright 2 AB/0 H/0 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.000
Scott Schumaker 0 AB/0 H/0 K/0 BB/0 R/1 RBI/0 HR/.000 (sacrifice fly)
Jason LaRue 1 AB/1 H/0 K/0 BB/1 R/0 RBI/0 HR/1.000
Joe Thurston 1 AB/0 H/0 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.000
Brian Barden 0 AB/0 H/0 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.000 (sacrafice hit)
Chris Duncan 1 AB/0 H/0 K/0 BB/0 R/0 RBI/0 HR/.000

Obviously the rosters aren't completely accurate. That should change once some players get some MLB playing time. Once that happens, I will be able to download the accurate rosters from the MLB: The Show internet thing and have, hopefully, more accurate rosters. Looks like we could be in for a nice game tomorrow in St. Louis.

Update 4:14pm 4.6.09: The Pirates had three throwing errors in this game. Andy LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez, and Jack Wilson all had throwing errors on routine grounders.

Lets Go Bucs!

The Top 10 Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2009

2009-04-05T07:48:00.002-04:00

It is finally here. The start of the 2009 season means that hope will again spring for the Pirates faithful. And for at least one day, PNC Park will be sold out. Fans will be cheering, celebrating yet another "New Pirates Generation". After April 13th, minimal crowds will fill the stadium, unless there are fireworks, bobbleheads, or musical acts. Oh, and maybe if the Pirates are a winning team, some people may come down for a game or two.

A lot of people are not looking forward to the 2009 season to be much different from the past 16. However, here are the top 10 things I will be looking forward to, as a season ticket holder, to the 2009 season.

10. Attending more games. I work as a behavior specialist for an alternative education program. That means I have the sweet teacher schedule without the hassle of a teaching certification. I will be able to attend more games this year than I have been able to in the previous 3 years as a STH. I just hope that they'll win more games to keep me interested in attending those games.

9. Vendor Guy, Beer Lady and the rest of Section 138. Vendor Guy is the first person I see on my journey across the Clemente Bridge to PNC Park. This guy's personality and conversation abilities have made me a faithful customer for 3 years. I will continue to honor his presence on the corner of 6th and Ft. Duquesne by purchasing $1 water and, if he has them, sun flower seeds. Beer Lady is just wonderful. It doesn't matter if she's working at her beer stand behind section 137 or over at Manny's BBQ, she's always happy, but always bitter at the same time. And of course, there is the wonderful people of Section 138 and those who wish they were in Section 138. Capps Crew, Sweater Girl, Pappy Where's My Wang, Cinderella Castle and his wife and kid are all regulars in the section. Then there are those who sit in the GA bleachers...Andreade's Girl, T-Rex, and the Mullet Family. If I were really creative, I could probably write a story about all of these people.

8. SoHo. The official post-game bar/restaurant for the past 3 years. Great nachos and chicken strips. There is also a pretty good steak sandwich. The only bad thing...it's really dark in there.

7. Saturday Afternoon Games. The good thing is that my Saturday nights will now be freed up at least twice this year so that I could have a life outside of sitting at PNC Park. The bad thing is that it'll be just like going to a Sunday game, only starting a hour earlier. Did I ever mention that I hate Sunday games?

6. Paul Maholm. I've had the opportunity to watch him slowly rise from an end of the rotation guy to the staff ace this year. I can't wait to see if he can handle the success and pressure that seems to go with being the ace, or if he'll implode like those before him (Perez, Gorzelanny, Snell).

5. Romulo! We are in the last month of the Fan Voted Bobblehead. While the vote for Romulo campaign has died down recently, I believe another campaign blitz will be necessary over the next couple of weeks. Vote early and often for this poor guy who was optioned to the minors, despite the wide spread popularity of the Romulo Sanchez bobblehead campaign. See you in September buddy.

4. Road Trip. I haven't decided if it's financially feasable, but I'd like to visit at least one other stadium this year when the Pirates are on a road trip. Ideally I'd like to be in Chicago at the end of May, but I don't think the odds of that happening are going to be that good. Maybe the new Yankees Stadium or Citi Field? Let me start writing my letter to Artie Lange now begging for tickets.

3. My Birthday. The Pirates will be home for my birthday this year. I'd like to celebrate it by sitting somewhere else during that game. Maybe right behind homeplate. Donations will be accepted and appreciated to make this come true.

2. McCutchen & Tabata. After years of hype and a breakout Spring Training, a lot of people are disappointed that Andrew McCutchen has not been promoted to the Pirates for the start of the season. It'll be ok, because he will be called up soon and we will all get to see the first of the 3 Messiahs for the Pirates. Jose Tabata will be here in September, sans a wife at that point.

1. September 28, 2009. That will be the end of another long, and I'm sure, losing season. The last game at PNC Park will be a Monday afternoon competition against the Dodgers. I will be more than ready for the season to be over at this point. But, thanks to the WBC, the Pirates will get to play some October ball!

There they are. The top 10 things I'll be looking forward to this season. With the exception of #1 and maybe #10, they really aren't in any particular order...the beauty of stream of conscious writing.

Lets Go Bucs!

A Long Long Time Ago - Catching Up On What I've Missed

2009-03-29T09:38:00.009-04:00

The title explains my feelings. It's been quite some time since I've posted on here. A lot has happened since then. Here's a bit of a recap to get caught up on everything...

Gorzo Sent Down
(3.18.09) - Tom Gorzelanny was sent down to Triple-A Indy following a seven run in nine inning performance in Spring Training. Gorzo is just two years removed from being a 14 game winner and a staff ace for the Buccos. Some were shocked that he was sent down so early in the season. Many thought that Gorzo would get to spend more time in camp to work with the Pitching Messiah Joe Kerrigan. Will he forever be cursed from the 6.66 ERA? I like Gorzo and I hope he can regain that 2007 form.

Jaramillo Named Back Up
(3.28.09) - I don't know why, but I like this guy. Jason has great defense, but is lacking offense. Robinson Diaz has great offense, but not as good defense. It seems like it'd make more sense for the Pirates to go with someone who has a better bat, since that is something the Pirates will probably be lacking this year. However, I think that when you get a guy that can call a good game behind the plate and is able to throw out runners, as Jaramillo did in the game yesterday, that is way more valueable in a catcher than the offense he produces. I may be eating those words at some point this season, but as of right now I like this decision.

Tabata Has Some Personal Issues
(3.25.09) - One of the top Pirates prospects faced some personal issues. Jose Tabata's 43-year old wife was arrested and accused of kidnapping. Tabata, 20, has been cleared of any ties to his wife's actions. Something shocked to many Pirates fans was not the crime that was committed by Tabata's wife, but it was the fact that she was 23 years older than him. What was he thinking? Is she a gold digger? Or was she just that good in the sack that he couldn't resist?

Cutch's Amazing Performance
(3.28.09) - Andrew McCutchen is making it very difficult for the Pirate's brass to decide what to do with him. In yesterday's game against the defending World Series champion Phillies, Cutch went 5 for 5 with two doubles, three runs, two RBIs and an absolute bomb of a homerun. Will he or won't he come north with the team? As much as I'd like to see him come up to St. Louis, I think a May call-up will do him well.

Rotation Spots Being Locked Up
(3.28.09) - To the surprise of no one, Paul Maholm was named the Opening Day starter. Following an impressive end to 2008 and an amazing Spring Training, Maholm got the official nod from management as the starter against the Cardinals on April 6th. So far, it'll be Maholm, Ian Snell, Zach Duke, and Ross Ohlendorf in the rotation. Jeff Karstens and Virgil Vasquez will be awarded the final spot. Neither is tearing up Spring Training, still leaving many to hope for some outside help in the rotation *cough*Pedro Martinez*cough*.

Bullpen Needs Help
I can remember it like it was yesterday. The Pittsburgh Pirates had one of the most dominant bullpens in all of baseball. Matt Capps, John Grabow, Damaso Marte, and Tyler Yates owned the majors. Now three of the previously mentioned guys are locks for the '09 bullpen. Capps, Grabow, and Yates will be in the pen. It doesn't seem like too many other pitchers are making an effort to win a spot in the bullpen. The Pirates have reported made an offer to Will Ohman. Neal Huntington even was quoted as being disappointed in the bullpen and will more than likely be looking for outside help to complete it.

Lascheid Passes Away
(3.19.09) - Long time Pirates organist Vince Lascheid passed away at the age of 85. Lascheid was remembered by many for his wit and ability to match a song to pretty much any batter or situation. His talents will live on, as the Pirates will be using digital recordings to play over the PA system this year.

That's about it for the mjor happenings. I'm sure that I've missed something, but that'll happen when you are busy and can't keep up with the happenings. Only 8 days until Oening Day. 15 days until the PNC Park opener. The blog will probably be pretty quite for the next week, unless something huge happens and I feel like I need to post about it.

I will be live blogging on Opening Day. Following the home opener, I will be posting a photo blog and game report. Until then...

Let's Go Bucs!

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photo credit: Amalia Tabata Pereira is lead out of Child Protection Investigation Division office on Tuesday. Pereira is accused impersonating an immigration official and taking the child from her mother. Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Good, Bad, and Ugly All In One Game

2009-03-09T20:07:00.004-04:00

It looked like the Pirates were going to get rocked today. Turns out that it was only Tom Gorzelanny and Chris Bootcheck that were rocked. The Buccos put up a decent effort, but lost to the Red Sox 15-14 in 10 innings.

Gorzo is starting to look a lot like Gorzo of 2008. Horrible. With the numbers he currently has, it'll be a miracle if he makes the starting rotation on April 6th. He currently has a 7.50 ERA and leads the team in walks. Definately not the 14-10 pitcher of 2007 that everyone was hoping for.

It looks like Tyler Yates, Craig Hansen, and Sean Burnett all pitched well. Jose Tabata went 3 for 3 and hit a game tying double.

Indeed it was a tale of two stories today.

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It looks like Brandon Moss will be able to start on Opening Day. His thumb injury doesn't seem to be as serious as first thought.

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Romulo Sanchez was the biggest name of the first cuts for the spring. This is an obvious attempt by Pirates management to keep the Vote for Romulo campaign down! We will not back down and we will not stop. A Vote for Romulo update and campaign push will begin when I start to post some serious posts and not these half-assed posts.

Offense Does It Again

2009-03-08T16:07:00.003-04:00

Well the bats have once again come alive for our beloved Pittsburgh Pirates. They are currently winding down what should be, at most, a 7-run victory over the Houston Astros. The win will push the Pirates record to 8-3 in Grapefruit League play.

Ross Ohlendorf started off going 3 1/3 innings, giving up 2 runs, 1 of which was earned, on 6 hits. He had 2 strike outs and no walks. Not a bad outing except for the number of hits. I can almost guarantee that numbers like that during the regular season will yield about 4 runs. Donnie Veal gets the blown save and win in this one. Evan Meek and Matt Capps both looked solid, as did most of the Pirates pitchers.

Another encouraging game, which I know really means nothing when it comes down to it. It'll all only matter once April 6th rolls around. 30 days until Opening Day in St. Louie.

Let's Go Bucs!

I Still Can't Believe My Eyes

2009-03-08T07:30:00.003-04:00

I still cannot believe what I am seeing the the Grapefruit League standings. Ten games into Spring Training games, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are tied for first with a 7-3 record. Their offense has also scored 55 runs this season (5.5 RPG). Opponents have scored 43 runs (4.3 RPG). The fact that the Pirates have been scoring 1.2 runs more per game COULD be a good sign for the upcoming season. It's only 10 games, a very small sample size, but still encouraging.

I know that it's only Spring Training and that most of the pitchers we are facing late in the games are more than likely career minor league pitchers, but who knows. There are a lot of people on this team now that have that "winning culture" attitude them. And that is something the team so badly needed. And if it does not pan out this year, as most people expect, surely the Pirates will be looking forward to the 2010 or 2011 seasons. That's when a lot of these younger guys will be making their presence known at PNC Park. However, I feel that this is finally the year in which the team will make a turn for the better and improve on their 67 wins from last year.

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It looks like Eric Hinske will be getting a lot of playing time this April. Brandon Moss, who was a lock to be a starting right fielder, injured his right thumb yesterday against the Twins. A MRI and all of that good stuff will be done to determine the extent of the injury. here's to hoping that Moss can get through this with some R&R and not have surgery. A major injury like this would be a huge blow to the Pirates upcoming season. I am confident though having Hinske as a back-up.

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I am trying to decide whether or not I want to purchase one of the new jerseys for the upcoming season. If I do get one, I know it'll probably end up being either the home or away jersey. Then, I don't know whether I should get #55 or #58 on it. Or, should I just wear the Bobby Hill BP jersey I bought a few years back at PirateFest?

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A lot of debate over the decision as to whether or not the Buccos should bring in Pedro Martinez as a back of the rotation guy. Sure he'd bring in some more fans and he could end up regaining some of his form from previous years, but is it worth the financial risk? Would he even sign with the Pirates? It was said that Pedro could go for 2-3 million. The Pirates could pay slightly higher than that to try and get him. I don't know if it is worth the risk. A good discussion can be found on the Unofficial Pirates Message Board.

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Japan is going to mow through the WBC. No doubt in my mind. Expect the Netherlands to be a surprise.

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All is quiet now, but expect another large push for the Vote for Romulo campaign in the upcoming weeks. The deadline to vote is April 30th.

Let's Go Bucs
Vote for Romulo!

Pirates v. Tigers

2009-03-01T08:45:00.002-05:00

The Pirates will head back to Bradenton today and kick off a 4-game home stand this afternoon against the Detroit Tigers. Game time is 1:05pm and can be heard on 104.7 in The 'Burgh. I will not be doing a live blog today due to having to do a lot of stuff for work. The Buccos will attempt to go 4-1 in the Grapefruit League. The Tigers are currently 2-2. Jimmy Barthmaier will start off the game for the Pirates.

I am planning on doing my next live blog during the Pirates/Rays game that will air on FSN on March 16th.

Let's Go Bucs.

Bucs v. Astros --Live Coverage

2009-02-28T13:01:00.048-05:00

Here we go...the first live blog of the season. I'll try this out a couple of times during Spring Training and then possibly during season road games. Home game recaps should be full of pictures...with a view from where else, but Section 138. With just a few minutes to go until opening pitch...I'll be back.

1:06pm: Tim Neverett reading the line-ups. Astros take to the field. My first time hearing Bob Walk doing some color comentating.

1:08pm: Nyjer leading off. First pitch strike. After a 1-2 count, looks at strike 3. One away. Andrew McCutchen next up. First pitch ball, second one a strike. Cutch takes strike two. Hit to SS, ball in the dirt and Cutch is safe. One on, one out. Scored as an error.

1:12pm: Ramon Vasquez up to bat. Vazquez pops up to behind the pitchers mound. Caught by Berkman. 2 gone.

1:14pm: Adam LaRoche batting clean-up. Looks at strike one. Looks at strike two. Cutch runs on 2-2 count and gets a stolen base. Low throw. 3-2 runner on second.

1:17pm: LaRoche strikes out. Moehler pitches good inning. Staff ace Paul Maholm coming to the mound.

1:20pm: Matsui leads off. First pitch is a ball high and outside. Bixler makes a play without an error! One down.

1:22pm: Hunter Pence. 2-2 count. Strike three on Pence. Lance Berkman up next.

1:24pm: Berkman has a 2-2 count. No one on. Count worked full on a close ball three. Pop up to shallow right, Moss makes the catch. 0-0 after one inning.

1:28pm: Craig Monroe batting DH leads off the second inning. Walk hates that a DH is used when National League teams play each other. I would have to agree with him on this. Why not make Spring Training as similar to the regular season as possible? Monroe grounds out to the third baseman 5-3 ground out.

1:30pm: Brandon Moss up to bat. Crushed a pitch that was over the plate just over the wall. 1-0 Buccos. LaRoche Jr, pops out to CF. Two gone.

1:31pm: Bixler to bat. some little kid yelling for his mommy. Gotta love ST ball. Bixler hits it deep into the CF gap. Two out double. Robinson Diaz up to bat.

1:32pm: Diaz grounder to third base. Thrown out. Pirates lead 1-0 off Moss' homer.

1:35pm: Carlos Lee up to bat against Maholm in his final inning of work. Bounces first pitch to Bixler for a 6-3 ground out.

1:36pm: Tejada up next. Two hopper to short. Two gone.

1:37pm: Blum up now. 0-2 count following a hard hit foul ball along third base. Swing and a miss for the final out. Maholm pitches well and sits down all 6 batters he faces. Jeff Karstens coming to the mound next for the Pirates.

1:40pm: Back to the top of the order. Morgan puts down a bunt that rolls foul. Morgan grounds out to second.

1:42pm: Cutch up to bat. Draws the walk thanks to an odd call on the pitcher.

1:43pm: Vasquez hits to second. 4-6-3 double play. Inning over. I'll be cutting down on how much I'm writing now as I try to make myself something to eat for lunch.

1:45pm: Jeff Karstens on the mound. One hit on a slight miscommunication between Bixler and LaRoche, Jr. All is forgiven as Quintero hits into a double play, to who else, but Bixler.

1:55pm: Craig Monroe hits what should have been a 2-run homer. Thanks to LaRoche barely running down the line on a hit back to the mound, it's only a solo shot. More on that coming up at the break.

2:00pm: LaRoche, Jr drills a ball up the middle for a two out base hit. Bixler flies out to right field for the final out. Buccos lead 2-0 after Monroe's homer.

A lot has been said about Doug Mientkiewicz and his attitude in the clubhouse. Check out any of the major Pirates blogs or messageboards and you can see that this guy had a huge fan following in Pittsburgh. He had passion. Part of that passion was making sure you run out every ground ball and put forth your best effort. Adam LaRoche did not do this in his last at bat. Adam is in the hotseat this year and he needs to put forth some effort to make sure he is ready to be traded to a contender come the end of July.

2:07pm: Bottom of the 4th. Matsui on. A hit past Bixler at short results in an error and two men on. Matsui tags and scores on a sac fly for Berkman. 2-1 Pirates. Lee flies out to Moss two down. Tejada is out. Karstens wraps up his pitching duties. Sounds like Evan Meek will be coming in to pitch the next inning.

2:13pm: Robinson Diaz hits a deep shot to left center off of Jose Valverde. Third homer for the Pirates. 3-1. Lots of muscle being flexed today.

2:16pm: Nyjer hits a ball to the outfield. Base hit and is on first. One on, none out and one run has already crossed the plate. Morgan gets a stolen base. Momentum is all on the Pirates side now it seems.

2:18pm: McCutchen strikes out. First guy down. Vasquez up to bat. Vasquez hits a shot up the middle. Morgan scores from second beating the throw from the outfield. 4-1 Pirates.

2:20pm: Adam LaRoche back up to bat. Meek has sat down in the bullpen, Capps up and pitching. LaRoche works the count to 3-0. Now 3-1. Strike out, throw up double play.

2:27pm: Capps in to pitch. First batter flies out to left fielder Jeff Salazar. Capps strikes out the second batter. Two gone. Seems to be pitching a much better game compared to his first outing. Bixler unable to come up with the next batter's hit. One on, two outs.

2:29pm: Hit back to Bixler. Flips to second baseman Shelby Ford. Third and final out of this inning. Pirates still lead 4-1.

2:34pm: Top of the 6th. First two Pirate batters have sat down. Frank Coonelly in the booth with John Wehner and Tim Neverett. Not too much action on the field. Coonelly, Neverett, and Wehner talking about the starting pitching and how they have gone through 4 ST games without giving up an earned run (Snell gave up two runs the other day, both were unearned thanks to a Bixler error). We go to the bottom of the 6th with the Pirates ahead 4-1. Frank Coonelly will be joining the broadcasters again.

2:41pm: Jesse Chavez strikes out Matsui. Coonelly, Neverett, and Wehner talking about renovations made to Pirate City. Neil Walker unable to get Bourn out after a bunt. One on, one out. Coonelly now marks out for Walker. Former Pirate Jason Michaels up to bat.

2:48pm: Gall RBI double. Former Pirate Matt Kata hits a RBI triple. Kata ripped the ball deep to center field. 4-3 Pirates. Two out.

2:50pm: Phillips flipps a grounder behind first to Chavez covering the bag. End of the 6th. Pirates lead 4-3.

2:54pm: Bixler up first and gets out. Wehner says Bixler seems more comfortable at the plate this year compared to last year. Diaz up now and walks. Jeff Salazar up to bat.

2:57pm: Jeff Salazr hits a two run shot. 4th homer for the Pirates today. They double their lead to 6-3. McCutchen up to bat.

2:59pm: McCutchen gets his second strike out. Shelby Ford up next to bat. Shelby grounds out to third. Heading into the stretch, it's Pittsburgh 6 Houston 3.

3:09pm: Craig Hansen comes in to pitch the 7th inning. Hits the first batter he faces. Neverett and Wehner talking about control issues from last year and Hensen having an advantage for the bullpen as he is out of options for this year. Hensen proceeded to get the next three batters out. We go to the 8th inning. Pirates doubling the Astros, 6-3.

3:14pm: Not too much going on in the top of the 8th. Wehner and Neverett talking about Pedro Alvarez being on the "fast track" to the majors. Garrett Jones gets a basehit. He'll be replacing Moss in right field. Neil Walker hits to Matt Kata for the final out of this half of the 8th.

3:22pm: Denny Bautista gives up a hit and then a RBI triple to Bourn. 6-4 Pirates. Jason Michaels back up to bat. Salazar makes a great catch. Bourn scored from third. 6-5. Game is getting interesting once again. Bautista not having such a great outing right now. Evan Meek is once again warming up in the bullpen.

3:36pm: Joe Kerrigan comes to the mound. Bautista walks the go ahead run. Garrett Jones saves Bautista as he catches a shallow pop-up. Going to the 9th, Pirates lead 6-5. Rough outing for Bautista.

3:46pm: No runs for the Pirates in the top of the 9th. 6-5 as they attempt to get their third win of the Spring Training season.

3:47pm: Evan Meek looking to pick up a save today. Reggie Abercrombie leads off. The bunt from Reggie catches Neil Walker off-guard. He reaches base to represent the tying run for the Astros. Abercrombine steals second. No one out and the tying run on second.

3:49pm: Juan Mateo warming up in the pen. Meek strikes out Towles. Smith grounds out as Ford throws it to Phillips. Abercrombine to third. Two down.

3:53pm: Meek throws a strike to Bourn, 0-1. Bourn fouls off the second pitch, 0-2. High pitch, 1-2. Bourn lines the ball foul. A ball nearly hits a kid on the concourse. Broken bat looper to Lopez. Third out. Pirates win Pirates win! 6-5.

Pirates pick up their 3rd win of the Spring Training season as they beat the Astros 6-5. 4 home runs, 3 of them solo shots, by the Pirates helped them win this game. The starters continue to post a 0.00 ERA through 4 games this season as Maholm and Karstens combine for 4 innings and 1 unearned run. Paul Maholm gets the win. Moehler gets the loss. Evan Meek picks up the save. Another radio only broadcast tomorrow at 1:05pm.

Lets Go Bucs.

Pirates Drop First Game...Possible Live Coverage Today

2009-02-28T06:43:00.002-05:00

So the Pirates lost to the Braves yesterday afternoon 5-2. The headline of yesterday's game seems to be that Tom Gorzelanny pitched two decent innings without yielding a run. He had two walks in his outing, however, everyone seems to be more impressed with the no runs allowed. Without hearing or seeing Gorzo's performance, it's hard for me to get excited about what he did (unless he went out and threw an 18-pitch 6 strikeout outing).

Today, the Pirates will square off against the Houston Astros. Paul Maholm will lead the Buccos against their NL Central Division rivals at 1:05pm. The game will be broadcast on 104.7 FM in Pittsburgh. I will make an attempt to listen to the game and provide live updates as the game goes on.

Check back in to see whats what.

Lets Go Bucs

Pirates Improve to 2-0

2009-02-26T18:57:00.003-05:00

What do the Pittsburgh Pirates have in common with the Twins, Yankees, and Mets? They are all tied atop the Grapefruit League with a 2-0 record. That comes after the Buccos pulled off a nineth inning come from behind 2008-style victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Ian Snell gave up two unearned runs in the bottom of the first. Boston pitching looked solid until the top of the nineth as prospects Neil Walker, Jose Tabata, and Pedro Alvarez all came across the plate to place the Pirates in the lead 3-2.

Former Red Sox minor leauger Daniel Haigwood came in for the save. It took only 9 pitches for this kid to get out 3 Red Sox players. Not too bad of an outing by the Pirates pitching staff. Clutch hitting in the 9th by some prospects should put them in a more positive light with fans...especially that Pedro guy.

Lets Go Bucs

Spring Training Game 1: Phillies @ Pirates

2009-02-25T20:35:00.003-05:00

The Pirates hosted the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon in Bradenton. Buccos topped the Phils 8-2 in a rather impressive pitching and offensive showing. I know, it was a lot of minor league players and relief pitchers...no superstars batting 3-4 times a game, so on and so on.

Mind you, I only listened to the game from the 8th inning on, so most of my opinions will be based off of what I read on the box score.

Chris Bootcheck seemed to pitch well. That's about it.

Matt Capps had some difficulties and was the only pitcher of the 9 Pirates that went out on the mound to walk batters. It was like a flashback to Opening Day last year in Atlanta. He'll get his control issues figured out though.

Romulo allowed the first run of the day for the Pirates. Still no real harm as the Pirates would come back to score in the bottom of the 3rd.

Shelby Ford. Remember that name, because one day, I think he's going to be a GREAT baseball player. He cracked a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 4th, the first and only of the game. Plus, doesn't Shelby Ford sound like such a great baseball name?

Evan Meek sounded solid today. Jesse Chavez...not so much.

I know this is a very small sample size, however, I do feel pretty encouraged by what I have seen and heard today.

Tim Neverett sounds like a stereotypical baseball/sports broadcaster. I think he fills Lanny's shoes rather nicely...except for he doesn't quite have the passion that Lanny had.

It'll be interesting to see how the extended ST plays out.

Pirates improve to 1-0 on the season.

Let's Go Bucs!
Vote for Romulo

Countdown to Opening Day...Sort Of

2009-02-22T17:38:00.004-05:00

We are just 2 days away from the first game of the 2009 campaign. Well, sort of. The Pirates open up Spring Training play this Wednesday against the world champion Philadelphia Phillies. This is when I start to get excited about the upcoming season. It'll be exciting to see so many different options playing for the Pirates this spring. It'll be interesting to see who the real surprises are this year.

Phil Dumatrait is still being looked at as a starter, instead of a bullpen pitcher. I liked Dumatrait a lot last year. Until his injury, I feel like he was one of the most solid pitchers in the rotation. I will be excited to see him come back this year. At least management hasn't ruled this guy out yet.

I was looking at pictures of Gorzelanny this week on the PG website. He looks a lot thinner than last year and looks to be in great shape. I'm hoping that he is going to pitch the same way he did two years ago. If we can get Snell, Gorzo, and Maholm pitching well, I feel like there are good odds of the Pirates improving on their 67-95 record of last year.

Let's Go Bucs!

Oh Man!

2009-02-17T19:41:00.002-05:00

I'm not trying to read too much into this, but it seems like the Pirates may be adding some security and depth to their bullpen this year when a certain super Jew may no longer be on the team.

It was reported on ESPN.com that the Pirates are in talks with Will Ohman, formally of the Atlanta Braves. According to the report, Ohman is also in talks with the Marlins and Padres. Add on to that list some possible contention teams (which aren't all teams in contention at this time of the year?) and it seems like there really isn't a good chance of Ohman coming to the Pirates so I'm pretty much done wasting my time writing on him.

Bring in Joe Beimel. At least last year Beimel had a drunken fan that sat in the bleachers and was quite amusing. He also had sideburns that reminded me of John Popper from Blues Traveler.

On a side note...I have two goals for this season:

1. Have Romulo Sanchez voted as the Fan Voted Bobblehead
2. Have John Grabow sign something "Top Jewish Pitcher of 2008"

That would make 2009 the best season yet for me.

Let's Go Bucs!
Vote for Romulo!

The Great Nate Contract

2009-02-17T19:18:00.005-05:00

Well well well....

It came down to the eleventh hour today, but Nate McLouth and the Pittsburgh Pirates reached a very nice three-year deal, with a club option for a fourth year. Knowing that McLouth was going to be a necessary center-piece to the future of this team...maybe keystone would have been a better term...or corner stone.

Anyhow, McLouth will be vital to this team's success in the upcoming years, as long as he can put up similar or better numbers to those of last year. I think most fans would be pleased with a .276/25+ HR/90+ RBI season which included a Gold Glove and All-Star appearance. And for a guaranteed $15.75 million over three years, it could be a worthwhile expense. With bonuses, there is the potential for $27 million over three years. As with some of the other players recently signed to long-term deals, I hope McLouth doesn't crap the bed and go on the DL for three months.

I'm not going to pass judgment on whether or not this was a great signing until I see some results from McLouth. I know that I am personally hoping that he puts up some great numbers so the baseball and bat that I have signed by him will be worth something some day.

I would also like to add that, from a PR standpoint, this was a great move by the front office.

In other news...

There was a package on some ABC News show tonight featuring Rinku and Dinesh being the first ever India baseball players signed to a contract by a major league team. It was a good piece even though its all stuff we already know. I don't know if I'm just buying into the hype, but I feel like at least one of these guys will make it big.

I honestly don't find too much exciting about the start of Spring Training, so for the next 7-8 days, my posts may be limited. Once we get into more game action, then I'll be excited.

Lets Go Bucs!
Vote for Romulo!

Back to Baseball

2009-02-14T07:06:00.003-05:00

There is no question in my mind that Pedro Alvarez is going to be the most watched player in Spring Training.

Is it because he was the big name first round draft pick from last year? No.

Is it because he is the future of the Pittsburgh Pirates? No.

It's because "El Gordo", as some have come to refer to him as, showed up to mini-camp last month large and in charge. Alvarez irked many in Pirate nation when he showed up out of shape and obviously packing a few extra pounds. And given the contract fiasco of last summer, it's going to take a lot of time Alvarez to fall into the good graces of fans here. There is no doubt in my mind that when he does finally make it to PNC Park, there will be a smattering of boos from the fans when his name is first announced. Many will call him a "cancer". Ol' Pedro has been tagged as a stand-up kid from humble beginnings. Alvarez will need to prove himself as a leader in the clubhouse. He will need to put up ridiculous numbers in his rookie year just to win fans over. Even then, the most cynical of fans will say it was beginners luck. I would not want to be in Pedro Alvarez's shoes the first time he walks onto the field at PNC Park. The magnifying glass will be on him so intensely that he may end up burning like an ant under the hot summer sun.

Moving on...

In an article posted on pirates.com yesterday, Nate McLouth believes that as his agent and the Pirates talk, it is possible for arbitration hearings to be avoided before the scheduled date of February 17th, which is this coming Tuesday. It's not going to happen. Nate McLouth will be the only one of the six Pirates players that will head into his arbitration hearing. McLouth's performance last year was just too good for his agent to agree to what the Pirates have offered Nate the Great. Unlike some players (Jack Wilson & Adam LaRoche) who have fallen out of good graces with many Pirate fans, McLouth is seen as a vital part of the future of this team. He will not be hated by the fans for this sort of thing. With McLouth ready to play an entire season in CF this year, don't expect his numbers to fall off like they did at the end of last season. I'll predict a 30 HR year and another All-Star game for Nate.

Let's Go Bucs!
Vote for Romulo!

A Non-Baseball Post and Some Other Things

2009-02-13T17:39:00.003-05:00

So I know that today is the first day for pitchers & catchers to report to Spring Training and I should probably be posting on that topic. And I will here at some point tonight. However, I wanted to make a non-baseball related post about something that has been irking me for some time now.

That thing...Jon & Kate Plus 8 (from here on out to be referred to as JAKP8). A staple of the TLC Network. Easily the most popular show on the network and probably one of the most aired programs. It seems like everyday of every week, there is a mini-marathon of JAKP8. I will list some of the most annoying things about this show.

The Never Ending Show

TLC needs to just make a special channel dedicated only to JAKP8. Just about anytime I turn on TLC, JAKP8 is on. And it's either the new episode that aired on Monday, some older show from when the sextuplets were just born, or some clips and best of show. It's time for TLC to give the Gosselins their own channel. Then, they could just air their lives live and unedited.

Kate Gosselin

Probably the most annoying part of the show. I feel like this list is going to be endless. First, I can't decide if Kate is a semi-hot mom or an annoying cooter. The more I watch the show, the more I am leaning towards the later. Second, I hate how Kate makes it seem like she is supermom taking care of 8 kids on her own. No you dont you annoying anal witch. You have hired help, which is more than likely paid by the sponsors and advertisers of the show. Third, clean freak. How can you expect to be a clean freak with 8 kids? They are going to get dirty and want to try and explore things. Get over it Kate that they are going to get dirty and poop in their pants. It's natural and isn't the worst disaster in the entire world. Clean it up and move on with your life. Fourth, the belittling of Jon. I tend to view Jon and myself as having similar personalities. Very easy-going and indecisive. When you mix someone like Jon and an Anal Annie like Kate, there are going to be differences on how your house should be run. Leave him alone and let him live life. He's made it this far in life with that personality. It's not likely going to change either, no matter how much nagging you do. To quote Jon..."When are you going to pull the stick out?"

Influence on Society

Thanks to the Gosselins, it seems like there is a rise on people wanting to have multiple births. Doc Octo Mom is the latest example of this. Multiple births and the attention whores of families they create is so annoying. I dare you to watch 5 minutes of coverage on Octo Mom and not be annoyed with her by the end of the time limit.

I literally feel better getting this off my chest. My hate for the Gosselins is weird. Despite the venom I just spewed about the show, I still find myself watching the show when it is on. And, I always feel annoyed and angry after watching this show.

Back to sports...

Daniel Sepulveda, punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be speaking at the Jubilee conference at the convention center tomorrow. I will be going down to check out his speaking and perhaps I will post an update on here sometime tomorrow.

"The Flying Dutchman" Endorses Romulo

2009-02-07T17:20:00.003-05:00

Not as good as the previous post, however, seeing that inspired me.

More Propaganda

2009-02-07T16:06:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Pirate Revolution & WHYGAVS.

Rinku & Dinesh Go To Pirate City

2009-02-07T09:54:00.003-05:00

That's it. I'm calling the movie rights to these two guys right now. The story writes itself. Someone places a casting call for a reality TV show in India to find the most powerful and accurate arm in the entire country. The prize: a trip to the United States of America to pitch infront of major league scouts and the opportunity to sign a contract to a baseball team. And then, to the amazement of many, two men, who don't even have the slightest clue of what a baseball is or what the rules of baseball are, are signed to a contract. Yankees? No. Red Sox? No. Dodgers? Nope. The Pittsburgh Pirates. Ding ding ding! Already a laughing stock of the American sports world, the Pirates, of all teams, take a chance on two guys that never picked up a bat., ball, or glove.

I'm seeing a mixture of Slumdog Millionaire, Rudy, and Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle.

Well, everyone's favorite Indians have arrived in Bradenton, FL for Spring Training. They are so egar to pitch, but they must wait one more week. I'm hoping the best for these two guys. I'd love to see at least one of them be successful so the movie can be made.

I believe that the best writers in Hollywood couldn't even write stuff like this:

"We also going American Doctor. this is first time we ever going doctor like this. He having many things he testing us with. They hit knee with rubber hammer. He looking in our nose and ears even. He also checking us for hernia. We not saying how he checking, but we happy JB Sir telling us Doctor doing this thing. If he not telling us, being big surprise."

Let's Go Bucs!

Catching Up

2009-02-07T05:55:00.002-05:00

I've been pretty busy with work the past few days, so I haven't really had the time to sit down, review Pirates news, and write. So I'm going to go through some news and get caught up with what has been going on.

TJ Beam Claimed Off Waivers By Blue Jays
-- Just as I predicted, Beam was picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. No big surprise because I think Beam has the potential to be a decent pitcher. Nothing spectacular, however, nothing horrible either. Best of luck to TJ Beam

Andy LaRoche Tweaks Swing
--According to pirates.com, Andy LaRoche went to hitting coach Don Long's place in the winter to work on some swing mechanics. LaRoche had an awful August and September last season after coming over the the Pirates from the Dodgers. If this kid is going to be our everyday 3rd baseman, he really needs to step it up and live up to that top tier prospect tag he had while in the Dodgers system. Unless Ramon Vasquez or Neil Walker have a great Spring Training, LaRoche will be on 3rd.

Just over 6 days until pitchers and catchers report.

Lets Go Bucs!
Vote for Romulo!

A Vote for Romulo Campaign update

2009-02-04T17:18:00.005-05:00

Over the past few days, I have been feeling really down. Not because I hate my job sometimes or because my wife has been really busy. No, those things don't get me down, because I know that once summer comes, I will be on vacation for 3 months and in a few weeks, my wife will be done with the conference she is planning.

You see, the reason why I'm down is because of the sudden lack of support from the Vote for Romulo campaign. The VFR campaign began as a joke back on Sunday January 25, 2009 while I was at PirateFest. I made a visit to the Trib kiosk to place my vote for the Pirates fan voted bobblehead and to lie through my teeth to the Trib representative about how I occasionally buy the Trib on Sundays and eventually shoot down his "special offer" for a subscription. I put Romulo Sanchez down on the line, simply as a joke. As I walked around PirateFest for another hour or so, I was thinking to myself, "Wouldn't it be awesome to start a campaign to get a Romulo Sanchez bobblehead and see how many people would buy into it." And, I had recently had an interest in starting a blog about the Pirates...as I was inspired by various other Pirates blogs, and my good friend, The Unemployed Asshole. And so it started with a little post that evening.

That Monday, BucDugout.com picked up the story on the campaign.

On Tuesday, it was The Green Weenie.

Wednesday, WHYGAVS.

And then...much to my delight...Thursday morning on the PBC Blog on the Post-Gazette website, Dejan linked to WHYGAVS and the story of the Vote for Romulo bobblehead. I emailed Dejan the day before about getting this blog on the list of blogs on that site, but couldn't due to missing one key qualification...I wasn't a year old in blogger.

Then, as quickly as the momentum built up, it seemed to come crashing down. All of a sudden, people on the PBC blog started to post "Why vote for Romulo? We should be voting for any of the '90-'92 Pirates." Then it just got worse from there.

Honus Wagner.

One of the greatest players, not only in Pittsburgh Pirates history, but in all of Major League Baseball history. I mean, Dejan clearly laid out Honus' track record:

3,415 hits
.391 OBP
.327 average
.857 OPS

Plus, numerous other accolades. He is honored with a statue outside the home plate rotunda at PNC Park. He's in the Hall of Fame. His baseball card is worth HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars.

Why disgrace...yes I said DISGRACE such an important ball player with a freaking bobblehead? last year, Tom Gorzelanny had a bobblehead that was giving the middle finger!

You know what will happen with a Honus Wagner bobblehead? Every 9-15 year old kid at that ballpark will say "This isn't (insert popular or current Pirates or other player name here). I'm breaking this thing apart!" I can guarantee there will be hundreds of Honus Wagner pieces laying around PNC Park by the time Matt Capps throws his final pitch against the Dodgers and picks up his 60th save of the year.

What worth is a Manny Sanguillen signature going to have on a Honus Wagner bobblehead? NONE.

What worth will a Romulo Sanchez signature have on a Romulo Sanchez bobblehead? Well...a little more than nothing.

Maybe, just maybe with the love and support of Pirate Nation, Romulo Sanchez will have a year like none other. Maybe, just maybe, we can make him the most sought after reliever after the 2009 season.

Honor the players that DESERVE to be honored with a bobblehead...the current ones.

Honor the greats where they deserve to be honored...in the Hall of Fame, as a retired number, as a statue towering over fans as they enter or walk around the ballpark. Not as a goofy looking bobblehead.

All of that being said, I must thank all of my continued supporters in the Vote for Romulo campaign. Including my two newest supporters, Raise the Jolly Roger and Bucs Trade Winds.

It seems that the battle lines have been drawn in the sand. You have until April 30th to make it happen.

Now, more than ever, Lets Go Bucs...Lets Go Romulo!

Coup d'état

2009-02-03T18:38:00.003-05:00

And so it begins. Posters on the PBC blog have started to resist the Vote for Romulo campaign. Dejan has even joined the bandwagon to have a Honus Wagner bobblehead as the fan vote bobblehead.

Why would you take a man who had one of the gretest careers in baseball history and honor him with a goofy looking bobblehead? I don't feel as if a bobblehead is the best way to honor such a historic player. Bobbleheads should be reserved for current players. Historic and important players should be saved for retired numbers and statues.

I encourage you to continue to vote for Romulo.

Let's Go Bucs

Goin' 2 Da Ship

2009-02-01T15:24:00.001-05:00

Breaking News: Pirates Third Most Popular Professional Team In Pittsburgh

2009-02-01T05:17:00.006-05:00

Obviously, there isn't too much going on in the world of PNC Park today. Dejan has a couple of interesting reports in his weekly Hot Stove article. Andy LaRoche needs to work on building up morale, the Pirates will field trade offers for Adam LaRoche later in the season, more scouts have been added around the world, Neil Walker talks about pressure from the top and bottom at third, John Grabow has elbow chips, the Pirates have changed the way they set up conditioning programs, and yes...more on Eric Hinske.

Steelers...DO IT!
I'll be sure to post more on the headline at some point today.
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photo credit: Hines Ward leaps his way into the end zone and is well on his way to Super Bowl XL MVP - Dan Powers, The Post-Cresscent

Beam Me Up (Down) Hunty

2009-01-30T21:29:00.004-05:00

Reliever TJ Beam was designated for assignment to make room for Eric Hinske on the 40-man roster. The Pirates will look to place him on waivers and have Beam clear them so he can be assigned to AAA Indy.

I don't think Beam will clear, and thus, will be picked up by some other team. His 4.14 ERA over 32 games (45.2 innings) isn't horrible. However, he will need to work on his K:BB ratio for better success. He had 24 Ks against 20 BBs last season.

Beam, I feel, would be a decent low risk, high potential pick up for some team out there.

Crap...I just realized that I made another Hinske related post.

Lets Go Bucs!

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photo credit: TJ Beam as a Yankee - 316sports

Maholm\Hinske\Mientkiewicz...Are We Done Yet?

2009-01-30T18:28:00.003-05:00

I'm not in much of a blogging mood. And if you've lived under a rock for a majority of the day, then you should just smash your head off of said rock. The Pirates have officially signed Paul Mahom and Eric Hinske to their contracts.

Maholm, signed a 4 year deal worth a guaranteed 14.5 million Bucs. Actually, the contract is for 3 years, and a club option for the 4th year, Maholm's first in free agency. Given the track record of management and long-term contracts, I would expect to see Maholm on the DL by mid-May and pitching in Indy around August 15th.

Eric Hinske was signed as a free agent from the AL Champion Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. Hinske's contract could total 2.5 million Bucs (1.5 million base pay and 1 million in bonuses). The 31 year old Hinske was signed over the widely popular Doug Mientkiewicz, and the ancient Luis Gonzalez. Hinske will be able to play the corners of the in and out fields. He is another left-handed power bat, which I think will workout well in PNC Park. Just as Maholm is leaving for the DL, I expect Hinske to be getting regular playing time at first base. That'll last until mid-June when Adam LaRoche will decide to hit well.

Now that these contracts are signed, I do not want to have to make another post featuring the names Paul Maholm, Eric Hinske, or Doug Mientkiewicz for a long, long time.

More Blogs on Hinske

2009-01-29T20:42:00.002-05:00

Mike from The Unemployed Asshole took a bit of a Hugh Morris spin on the Hinske signing.

As Expected, Pirates Hinske/Maholm Inks Deal

2009-01-29T18:02:00.006-05:00

As I predicted, Paul Maholm and the Pirates have agreed to a multi-year deal earlier this morning. According to Dejan, this is a three year deal, with a club option for a fourth year. This will secure Maholm through all three years of arbitration plus his first year of free agency. No monetary figures have been released as of tonight. Those should be available following a physical and the official contract signing. I'm still predicting that Nate McLouth will head to an arbitration hearing on the 17th of February.

Also, as expected, Eric Hinske was signed this morning to a one year deal. As with Maholm, Hinske will need to complete a physical before the t's are crossed and i's are dotted. A total cost has not been released, however the base salary is believed to be around $1.5 million. There could be as much as $1 million in performance bonuses.

In my opinion, these were two pretty important signings today.

Good bye Doug.

Let's Go Bucs!

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photo credits: Eric Hinske - www.soxnest.com, Paul Maholm - AP Photo/Pat Sullivan

We've Made It to The Show

2009-01-29T06:36:00.003-05:00

It has taken less than a week for the Vote for Romulo campaing to reach the big time. We have made it to the OFFICIAL PBC Blog on the website of the Post-Gazette. In his daily Morning Links post, Dejan posted a link to the WHYGAVS post featuring the Vote for Romulo Campaign.

I know you must be asking yourself, why didn't DK link to your site, Eron? Well I can answer that for you. I emailed Dejan the other day asking for the requirements to have this blog listed on the PG website. I met all but one of the requirements...I haven't been posting for at least one year. At some point today, I will post those email conversations.

Anyhow, I have to thank Pete from WHYGAVS for picking up this story. I'd also like to thank The Green Weenie, The Unemployed Asshole, and any other bloggers or message board writers that may have picked up this story and are helping to spread the word.

Of course, spreading the word isn't good enough. The Pirates faithful NEED to vote several times a day, everyday.

Lets Go Bucs!
Lets Go Romulo!

Capps Crew Represent

2009-01-28T20:06:00.006-05:00

Twice in the past year, members of the Original Capps Crew have been published in the Post-Gazette. Perhaps its just coincidence that our seats are located right in the Notch. Anyhow, here are the two photos.

Let's Go Bucs!

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photo credits: Jay-Bay (6.11.08) and Luis Gonzalez (1.28.09) - postgazette.com

Bobble Bobble Bobble

2009-01-28T16:15:00.003-05:00

WHYGAVS has joined the campaign trail to vote for the Romulo Sanchez bobblehead. This is one of the more popular blogs that follow the Pittsburgh Pirates. Thanks to Pete for helping to spread the word!

Lets Go Bucs! Lets Go Romulo!

More on Hinske

2009-01-28T06:06:00.006-05:00

Dejan is running a piece today in the Post-Gazette that makes it sound like Eric Hinske will most likely be signing a contract with Pittsburgh later this week. As I mentioned before, Hinske would be the best of the three free agent choices we have out there right now. He's younger than Luis Gonzalez and Doug Mientkiewicz and he has more power than the ever so popular Mientkiewicz.

Hinske isn't the right-handed power bat that the Pirates were looking for, however, his power from the left could prove to be an advantage to him at PNC Park, all thanks to the 321' Clemente Wall in right field.

I've linked the three free agent outfielders career stats that have been the topic of discussion for the Pirates this off season so that you may compare numbers and make a decision for yourself who would be the better player for this team. Hinske Gonzalez Mientkiewicz

A Mientkiewicz mutiny ahoy!

Let's Go Bucs!

PS: I can pretty much spell Mientkiewicz now without looking it up.
PSS: Dejan also has a great write-up as to why it's worth it to go cheap when signing bench players

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photo credit: Right field and the Clemente Wall. baseball-reference.com

Campaign Update

2009-01-27T21:13:00.002-05:00

The Green Weenie has thrown its hat in the race to support the Vote for Romulo Campaign. Be sure to check out the blog.

Lets Go Bucs!

Hinske in the Free Agent Outfield Mix

2009-01-27T20:36:00.006-05:00

Earlier today it was announced that the Pirates were looking at Luis Gonzalez as a potential 4th outfielder and veteran leader. He is a guy with decent numbers, however, his age (41) is an issues with me. He's also seems to be limited to the positions in which he could play. Dejan mentioned that the Pirates were looking at several other free agents. Turns out one of those free agents will be Eric Hinske formally of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Hinske's numbers aren't quite where Gonzalez's numbers are at, however, he is a decade younger. And, unlike Gonzalez, he can play the corner spots of the outfield and first and third base. According to the article on pirateball.com, it sounds like Hinske is a priority for the Pirates and he could be in town as soon as the end of this week. It's looking less and less likely that Meintkiewicz will be back in Pittsburgh.

Because I'm lazy, check out link to the article above for all of the details on Hinske and Gonzalez.

Lets Go Bucs!

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photo credit: Eric Hinske strikes out during Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. daylife.com

Did you hear that the Pirates signed two pitchers from India?

2009-01-27T17:56:00.001-05:00

Just thought I'd pass this along.

Huntington Admits He'll Take It From Either Side

2009-01-27T16:37:00.010-05:00

As reported on the PG today, the Pirates are in talks with free-agent left-handed outfielder Luis Gonzalez. The primary role of Gonzalez, 41, will be to serve as a leader, a la Doug Mientkiewicz. Which means, if Gonzalez gets signed, it looks like ol' "Dirty Doug" won't be coming back to Pittsburgh.

I would welcome a guy like Gonzalez into the organization. However, he is not the right-handed power-bat that the Pirates were looking for. Neal Huntington recently admitted that they are open to getting power from wither side of the plate. Last year, Gonzalez had

341 at-bats with the Florida Marlins, batting a respectable .261 with 8 homers and 47 RBIs. He has a career .283 batting average and .845 OPS. Decent numbers, however, would his age be an issue?

Let's Go Bucs!

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photo credit: Luis Gonzalez with the Diamondbacks. USAToday.com

McLouth & Maholm Arbitration

2009-01-27T11:53:00.005-05:00

It was announced yesterday that Paul Maholm and Nate McLouth will head to arbitration hearings in February on the 10th and 17th respectively.

Given Maholm's strong performances over the past year and a half, I expect him to win his case, if the two sides don't reach an agreement by then. However, I expect that these two sides will come to some sort of agreement prior to that. I'm expecting a multi-year deal worth somewhere between 9-13 million dollars. Maholm is the kind of pitcher that will be a leader, through his actions more so than his words, and will be important to the stability of the pitching rotation in the next couple of years.

I expect Nate McLouth to head to his hearing on the 17th. The fact that McLouth is a Gold Glove All-Star, I don't expect to see these two sides reach an agreement. As several others have stated on message boards and blogs, McLouth will probably be offered a standard 1 year deal for the 3.8 million he is asking for.

If that is the case for McLouth, look for guys like Brandon Moss, Jose Tabata, Nyjer Morgan, and Steve Pearce to be front runners in filling out the outfield in 2010.

Let's Go Bucs!

Propaganda

2009-01-26T19:23:00.004-05:00

I know that it's a little outdated but if it worked of Obama, then it'll have to work for Romulo.

Let's Go Bucs!

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photo credit: obamaicon.me

Virgil Is A Pirate

2009-01-26T17:29:00.002-05:00

The Pirates have finally filled out their 40-man roster with the signing of Virgil. The right-handed pitcher had a 12-12 record with 4.81 ERA and 115 K's compared to 37 walks. Over his six year minor-league career, Virgil has gone 54-48 with a 4.25 ERA, 610 K's and 185 walks.

Those seem to be some great minor league numbers. However, it doesn't seem like these numbers have been able to translate to The Show. In 2007, he made 5 appearances for the Tigers, including 3 starts. His final numbers there? An 8.64 ERA, 16.2 innings pitched, 16 runs, 7 homeruns, 5 walks and 7 strikeouts.

Does John Van Benschoten ring a bell? Great minor league pitcher that was never able to translate it into major league success. But hey, good luck to the guy!

Let's Go Bucs

Word is Spreading

2009-01-26T09:46:00.004-05:00

Thanks to the fine folks at Bucs Dugout.com. The word about my Vote for Romulo campaign is spreading. It's also in the comments section of this morning's PBC Blog.

Let's Go Bucs!

There's Something About Paul

2009-01-25T21:30:00.006-05:00

The Pirates have apparently made a vital step towards ensuring they build the foundation of their starting rotation. According to MLBTradeRumors.com (by way of the Tribune-Review) the Pirates have made an offer to Paul Maholm.

The article states that a multi-year contract is being negoiated between the two parties. Maholm stated that they continue to exchange numbers and that the numbers are not too far apart. Although Maholm finished 2008 with a 9-9 record, it was the best record of the starting rotation. He was, without doubt, the most consistent pitcher on their rotation.

Of the starters, he led in ERA (3.71), Innings Pitched (206.1), and Strikeouts (139). I'm sure there may be more stats where he was leading the team, but I'm too lazy to look them up. Point is, if this guy is healthy, he has shown the potential over the past year and a half to be an ace...at least a Pirates or Royals ace. Many people are predicting, including yours truely, that he will be the Opening Day starter.

The Pirates need to come to a multi-year agreement and have this guy under their control as long as possible. Hey, if he can get his face smashed up by a line drive and come back to play and pitch well, then you know that there has to be something about him.

Let's Go Bucs!

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photo credit: Billy Crystal & Paul Maholm. NY Daily News

Final Numbers

2009-01-25T21:22:00.002-05:00

Hope springs eternal in PirateNation. This year's PirateFest had the thrid highest attendance since the 3-day festival moved to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. 15,127 faithful packed into the Convention Center these past 3 days. I guess it's a good thing the event was moved to the larger of the two exhibit halls.

Let's Go Bucs!

VOTE ROMULO!!!

2009-01-25T17:26:00.006-05:00

Bobbleheads...they are a staple at PNC Park. Any season where less than12 bobbleheads are given away is considered a bad PR season and almost a guarantee to have record low attendance at the ballpark.

However, this year, I expect the largest turn out EVER for a bobblehead night. On Friday, September 25, the Pirates will be giving away a bobblehead that the fans get to choose.

My shelf is full of bobbleheads featuring well known and respected players. It's time to give the no name bullpen pitchers some credit. That is why I am beginning my grassroots campaign right here, right now to have the Romulo Sanchez bobblehead.

Click here to write in Romulo Sanchez as the 2009 Fans Vote Bobblehead. You have until April 30th.

Let's Go Bucs!

Edit: I've created a Facebook Group. Join and spread the word!
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photo credit: Romulo Sanchez - pirates.com

PirateFest 2009

2009-01-24T22:12:00.004-05:00

I will be heading off to PirateFest 2009 in about 12-hours. Watch for an update to this post sometime later tomorrow.

Edit: There seemed to be a rather large crowd at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for the third and final day of PirateFest 2009. By the time my wife and I got to the convention center, which was shortly after 10am, there was already a long line of Season Ticket Holders and VIPs to get in 1 hour early. In fact, there was a decent line of "regular people" waiting for the doors to open to them at 11am.

I really only had two things I wanted to do while at PirateFest, get a Freddy Sanchez autograph and to see Matt Capps to say "hi" and see how life has been for him.

What's so important about Freddy Sanchez that I needed to get his autograph? Last year, the Pirates sent out these two prints of artwork to Season Ticket Holders. One was of Jason Bay, the other of Sanchez. They are actually pretty nice, so I always thought it would be cool to get them signed and framed and hang them with some of my other sports memorabilia. Thanks to J-Bay being traded to the Red Sox last season, I won't be able to get his print signed until I visit some American League stadium where they will be playing. Anyhow, my wife and I stood in line from 10:30 until 12:15 just to get this print signed. I mentioned how stupid people are to wait in line that long to get things signed by human beings that really are no different than you or I, they just have an above normal athletic ability. However, I took my dumb self and stood in line for nearly two hours and got the print signed.

We didn't hang out long enough to go check out some of the game shows that fans can play with the players. We did, however, checkout one of my favorite places to go during PirateFest, the Lost Treasures game used items store. This is the place where I bought my holy "Amazing Jesus" Bobby Hill BP jersey. Before I mention what I bought there today I suppose I should take a quick journey with you down memory lane...

About a year and a half ago, my wife and I got married. Since we are both huge baseball fans, we decided that following our rehearsal and dinner, we were going to take about 40 family members and friends to the game at PNC Park. My wife is a huge fireworks fan as well, so it all worked out with it being Fireworks Night. That was on September 28, 2007. So, since that time, I always thought that it would be cool to have something, besides the ticket stub, from that game as a memento. The lineup card was one of the better things that I could think of. For the past two years, I have gone to PirateFest and to the store at PNC Park, looking for this specific card. Well, after several years of exhaustive searching, we finally found the card, in of all places, the last stack of cards we looked though. Great success!

We had the opportunity to see Capps prior to his autograph session. It was good to see him and see that he is enjoying married life. My wife and I were a little caught off guard however, when she went to shake his hand and he went in for the hug. It's been a rather cool experience seeing him go from someone the fans hardly knew to one of the more popular players on the team. Plus, he's just an all around swell guy.

Let's Go Bucs!

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photo credits: Me with the 1979 World Series trophy & Freddy Sanchez signing a print exclusive to season ticket holders - my wife. The lineup card from the night of our rehearsal dinner - me.

Opening Day Roster

2009-01-24T15:00:00.001-05:00

With less than 3 weeks until the start of Spring Training, there has been pleanty of talk on the blogs and message boards on who will be brought north to St. Louis once April 6th rolls around. Assuming there aren't any major injuries in Spring Training, here is who I expect will be coming to Busch Stadium.

Opening Day Lineup
Nyjer Morgan - LF
Freddy Sanchez - 2B
Ryan Doumit - C
Nate McLouth - CF
Adam LaRoche - 1B
Brandon Moss - RF
Andy LaRoche - 3B
Jack Wilson - SS
Paul Maholm - P

Pitching Rotation
Paul Maholm
Ian Snell
Tom Gorzelanny
Ross Ohlendorf
Zack Duke

Bullpen
Matt Capps
Tyler Yates
John Grabow
Sean Burnett
TJ Beam
Jeff Karstens
Jimmy Barthmaier
Evan Meek

Bench
Jason Jaramillo
Luis Cruz
Steve Pierce
Ramon Vazquez

There you have it. My Opening Day lineup and roster for the 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates. I'm sure there will be a lot of disappointed Pirates fans because of the lack of a Doug Mientkiewicz. That's ok, disappointment is an emotion that you are required to be able to withstand when you cross into the gates of PNC Park.

Let's Go Bucs

More Uniforms, PiratesFest & Braden Looper

2009-01-24T06:25:00.007-05:00

I took the opportunity to check out some other Pirates blogs and message boards regarding the new uniforms. It seems like a majority of people are happy to see the red jersey gone. More people seem to be happy that the sleeves are back as well. I don't get this. I think the vest look was great. Whatev. The sleeves aren't bad...except for the new solid black one. To those of you that don't like them...kudos to you.

It sounds like fans were pretty harsh this year when it came to the management Q&A session at PirateFest Friday night. A lot of people were disappointed with the rather quiet off season. Even more people were disappointed with the fact that Doug Mientkiewicz has not been signed yet. I really feel that if "Dirty Doug" isn't signed back to the team to sit on the bench and play the occassional corner infield or right field, you will see a mutiny at PNC Park. He is easily the most popular player on this team.

Of course some little kid asked about whether or not Jack Wilson will be traded. Jack is a hero to the kids. I'll be glad to see him come back simply because the only reasonable shortstop back up that we had last year was Luis Cruz.

There is talk of the Pirates showing some interest in reliever turned started Braden Looper. I don't really see him as being someone who will greatly improve the starting rotation. Then again, I'm not expecting much to come from these rumors.

Let's Go Bucs

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photo credit: Braden Looper - NY Times.
photoshop: Braden Looper in the new Pirates Alternative Jersey - Me

New Uniforms and More

2009-01-23T17:14:00.010-05:00

The much anticipated new jerseys were revealed today at PiratesFest, and I must say that I am meeting them with mixed emotions. Let's take a look at this picture, and I will simply move from left to right with commentary on each jersey.

I'll start with last year's lone Pirate All-Star, Nate McLouth. Nate was able to shine on the national stage in last year's All-Star game. Unfortuniately, he seems to be lacking an All-Star look in this new solid black jersey. The button up jersey features a gold "P" over the left chest and the player number on the lower right side of the jersey. HATE IT! I say get ride of these things and bring back the red jerseys.

Moving on. Our next model is Matt Capps, superstar closer and all around swell guy. He is wearing the pin stripes with the vest jersey and t-shirt under it. This is the look the Pirates have had for the past several years. Since I've had season tickets, I've seen these jerseys worn mostly on Sunday afternoon games. I like it, it's in.

Next is Mr. Nyjer Morgan. As you can see, Nyjer is sporting a solid gray away uniform. It's a mix of the old unis from around 1990 which had the cursive "Pittsburgh" across the chest and the recent away jeresys. They have had the gray look for about two decades now, but the 1990's is the most recent I can remember. I like it, it's in.

Finally, there is the 2006 NL Batting Champion Freddy Sanchez. He is sporting a uniform simlar to that of Nyjer, only in white, and it says "Pirates" across the chest. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail, but I'll end the uniform discussion with an I like it, it's in.

It looks like "Mr. Almost Perfect" Jeff Karstens will be sitting out the first week or so of Spring Training. Due to some elbow soreness from minicamp a few weeks back, Karstens was shut down for a few days, and it looks like the Pirates will be taking it easy on him for the start of training. All the better in my opinion. There is no need to rush him. We've seen that he has potential to be good (held opponents scoreless through his first 15 innings last year). I'm looking forward to big things from this kid in the upcoming season.

I'll be back tomorrow with more musings. Look for my PiratesFest update on Sunday.

Let's Go Bucs

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photo credit: Players modeling new uniforms. pirates.com

The First...The Last???

2009-01-22T22:01:00.005-05:00

Let me start by saying that I feel as if I am a horrible writer. Let me also say, that aside from physical comedy and the occasional one liners, I'm horrible at keeping people's attention and making things exciting.

Now that I've shared all of that information, thus discrediting anything I say on here and scaring off just about everyone from reading this blog, let me share some of my hopes and dreams for this thing.

I'm hoping to update this on a regular basis, starting tonight, on the woeful Pittsburgh Pirates. Inspired by Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke and Dejan Kovacevic's posts on the Post-Gazette web site, I want to be able to share with the world the views of a season ticket holder who isn't obsessed with the Pirates or baseball in general, but into them enough, and loyal enough to drop $1600 a year for the past 4 years to be considered a die-hard fan by most people I know.

I'm looking forward to what, without doubt, will be another long season on this journey to the number 17. No doubt, there will be nights where I feel like sticking a screwdriver into my temple, or Sunday afternoons in July and August where I am asking myself, "Why the hell am I sitting on these hot metal bleachers sweating my balls off", as the Pirates will more than likely be losing yet another Sunday afternoon game.

We will see how long this lasts. Does anyone want to place an over/under on the number of games I'll make it through? Will I even make it to Spring Training? Time will tell.

The annual PiratesFest convention will be going on this weekend at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. For the second time in about 3 years, the Pirates will be announcing a new alternate jersey, ending the reign of terror of the red jersey. A lot of people, players included, HATED, these things. Initially, I wasn't a fan of the red jersey, however, over the past year or so, they started to grow on me. Not to worry though...these red jerseys will forever be immortalized on an Adam LaRoche bobble head. I am sure that many fans will be dancing in the streets knowing that by the end of the 2009 campaign, Adam LaRoche and the red jerseys will be gone from the organization.

I am going to try to update this blog over the next few days to share my opinions about some of the things that have happened with the team recently, including my outlook for the '09 season. I may even post pictures from my trip to PiratesFest on Sunday.

Let's Go Bucs!

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photo credit: Romulo Sanchez flanked by David Davidson walking to the bullpen. Me.