I Just Can't Stop Blogging About the Pittsburgh Pirates

As you can probably tell by looking at my most recent blog posts, they've been quite plentiful, and they've mostly been about the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the Buccos doing so well so far this season, they've been pretty easy to write about. From the awesome first half of Andrew McCutchen to the incredible performance by the pitching staff to the phenomenon that is ZOLTAN, it's been a pretty fun time.

I think the most amazing thing to see is the excitement around the City of Pittsburgh. There are literally generations of younger fans who have no idea what it's like to watch a competitive Pirates team. And then there are the older fans who remember what it was like when the Pirates were considered one of the elite teams in baseball and fielded some of the premiere names the game has ever seen--players such as Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Dave Parker--and I'm sure the resurgence is something for them to behold.

And then there are people like me who grew up in-between both eras. I started following the Pirates in the early 80's, just when their great run of the 70's was over, and I endured a lot of down times by the franchise in a short period of time before they finally started to build a successful team starting in the late 80's. The success the team had in the early 90's with three straight division titles was pretty special, and some of the best times I've ever had following sports.

The Pirates never did make it all the way over the top, but they did give me something to look forward to each and every summer for three straight seasons. With the exception of the "Freak Show" of 1997, I haven't had quite that same feeling since, at least until this season.

Yes, last year was fun for a few months, and I really got into it. But looking back on it (and hindsight is always 20/20), there was just no way they were going to be able to sustain their run. They were young and inexperienced, and they just didn't have the punch on offense.

This season just feels different. I think the surge that Pedro Alvarez has been on since mid-June has benefited this club greatly--including McCutchen--and everything just seems to be falling into place offensively. Garrett Jones and Casey McGehee have been on impressive runs, and what can you say about Neil Walker? He might be the most under-appreciated guy on the team. People forget that he was a top 10 draft choice back in 2004. Since his call-up two seasons ago, he's been a steady presence in the middle of the line-up, and his play at second base just seems to be getting better and better.

And then there's the pitching staff. I was pretty critical about the offseason trade for A.J. Burnett, but man has he made a world of difference. Not only has he been a consistent pitcher start in and start out, he's been a tremendous leader in the clubhouse and a really helpful mentor to James McDonald. And if the bullpen isn't the best in baseball, I'd love to see which team has the best. The starters have pitched the second-lowest amount of innings in the National League, but the bullpen has been so rock-solid, the starters just have to get them into the 6th inning. From there, it's usually been lights out once guys like Brad Lincoln, Tony Watson, Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan come into the game.

And Clint Hurdle is the right guy to be leading this team. His enthusiasm and easy-going manner is infectious, and if the Pirates do become a serious contender, Hurdle will be the biggest thing in town since the days of Jim Leyland.

Yes, as I said, I just can't stop blogging about the Pirates. It sort of reminds me of how easy it is to write about the Steelers in December and January. I could write four or five entries a day, and that's basically what I've been doing the past couple of weeks with regards to the Buccos.

Let's hope they keep it going in the second half. It would be nice to write some posts about a pennant race and winning season.

Let's Go Bucs!