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!

What's a Sports Fan to Do?

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.

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

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

Pirates Drop First Game...Possible Live Coverage Today

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

Countdown to Opening Day...Sort Of

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!

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

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.

As Expected, Pirates Hinske/Maholm Inks Deal

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

McLouth & Maholm Arbitration

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!

There's Something About Paul

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