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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.