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!

I Still Can't Believe My Eyes

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!

Rinku & Dinesh Go To Pirate City

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!