Coming into the 2013 season, the Pirates had the all-time worst mark in interleague play, with a record of 91-138, dating back to 1997--the first year the AL and NL began to play one another on an annual basis. In fact, Pittsburgh was the only team not to reach triple digits in victories.
A trip to New York, Boston, or even Detroit, Minnesota and Cleveland was often met with less than stellar results. And a trip out West was an even bigger exercise in futility, as your average series against the Angels or A's was way less than competitive.
Of course, this went hand-in-hand with the Pirates, themselves, being way less than competitive for the majority of years since interleague play's inception--for example, the 2010 Pirates (57-105) were 2-13 against the Junior circuit.
However, much like the Pirates, themselves, their level of success in interleague play during the previous two seasons was a bit more respectable, as the team combined to go 18-15 in 2011 and 2012.
The 2013 season has been a watershed one for the Buccos, complete with a winning season and one of the best records in baseball at 84-61. And ironically enough, they may owe a good portion of their lofty status to their stellar play against the American League.
Pittsburgh concluded its 2013 interleague schedule this week by sweeping the Rangers in Arlington, which gave the team a phenomenal final record of 15-5 against the American League. Included in the 15 victories was a total road sweep of the AL West, as the Pirates went 8-0 in Anaheim, Seattle and Arlington.
Let's say the Pirates' record in interleague play this year was more reflective of their previous two seasons, and they were 10-10.
Instead of being only a game back of the Cardinals in the NL Central, Pittsburgh would be six games back, with 17 to play and all but mathematically eliminated. In addition to that, the Pirates would only be three games up on the Nationals and in a dog fight for that second NL Wild Card spot.
Finally, after all these years, interleague baseball has some redeeming qualities.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Pirates sweep Rangers in Arlington, reduce magic No. to 10 for playoff berth
Is it possible to finally let out a sigh of relief that the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates are officially out of the woods? Probably not, but they are nearing the part of the wilderness where they can probably see signs of civilization.
After getting swept in St. Louis over the weekend in a series that was barely competitive, the Pirates traveled to Arlington, Monday night, to begin a three-game interleague series against the Rangers that had most fans fearing the worst. And, once again, like I've said many times this season, who could really blame them?
Funny how things begin to turn around when you least expect them.
While the Bucs didn't dominate Texas, they did just enough in every game to walk away with a very impressive three game sweep over a team that came into the series in the same kind of divisional dogfight, but without the similar eight game cushion in the wild card race--the Rangers entered the day two games back of the A's for first place in the AL West and just four games up on Baltimore for the second wild card.
On Wednesday, A.J. Burnett took the mound and was dominate, early on, striking out six the first time through the Rangers' order and retiring the first 13 men he faced.
The Pirates offense gave Burnett a 4-0 cushion through 5 1/2 innings, but he began to struggle a bit in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out. Fortunately, he was able to induce a double-play and a fly out to end the inning.
After Pittsburgh added two more runs in the top of the seventh to make it 6-2, Burnett couldn't make it out of the bottom of the inning, as the Rangers scored three runs to make it a tight 6-5 game.
But shortstop Clint Barmes, who apparently had words with Burnett after Texas' two run sixth inning, added insurance with a solo blast in the top of the eighth for the game's final run, as the Pirates held out for a very satisfying 7-5 victory.
With the Nationals, the closest non-NL Central team in the wild card race, on a bit of a roll and winners of four straight, things could have gotten very shaky in a hurry for Pittsburgh, this week.
But now the Pirates will have no worse than an eight game lead over Washington with just 17 left in the season.
Perhaps, more importantly, Pittsburgh moves to within half a game of the Cardinals for first place in the Central, pending Wednesday night's action.
The Pirates reduced their magic number for a playof spot to 10 games and will be coming back home for their final homestand of the season.
After getting swept in St. Louis over the weekend in a series that was barely competitive, the Pirates traveled to Arlington, Monday night, to begin a three-game interleague series against the Rangers that had most fans fearing the worst. And, once again, like I've said many times this season, who could really blame them?
Funny how things begin to turn around when you least expect them.
While the Bucs didn't dominate Texas, they did just enough in every game to walk away with a very impressive three game sweep over a team that came into the series in the same kind of divisional dogfight, but without the similar eight game cushion in the wild card race--the Rangers entered the day two games back of the A's for first place in the AL West and just four games up on Baltimore for the second wild card.
On Wednesday, A.J. Burnett took the mound and was dominate, early on, striking out six the first time through the Rangers' order and retiring the first 13 men he faced.
The Pirates offense gave Burnett a 4-0 cushion through 5 1/2 innings, but he began to struggle a bit in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out. Fortunately, he was able to induce a double-play and a fly out to end the inning.
After Pittsburgh added two more runs in the top of the seventh to make it 6-2, Burnett couldn't make it out of the bottom of the inning, as the Rangers scored three runs to make it a tight 6-5 game.
But shortstop Clint Barmes, who apparently had words with Burnett after Texas' two run sixth inning, added insurance with a solo blast in the top of the eighth for the game's final run, as the Pirates held out for a very satisfying 7-5 victory.
With the Nationals, the closest non-NL Central team in the wild card race, on a bit of a roll and winners of four straight, things could have gotten very shaky in a hurry for Pittsburgh, this week.
But now the Pirates will have no worse than an eight game lead over Washington with just 17 left in the season.
Perhaps, more importantly, Pittsburgh moves to within half a game of the Cardinals for first place in the Central, pending Wednesday night's action.
The Pirates reduced their magic number for a playof spot to 10 games and will be coming back home for their final homestand of the season.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Pittsburgh's Best Sports Blog with your host Tony Defeo: 20 years of futility is finally over: Pirates are ...
Pittsburgh's Best Sports Blog with your host Tony Defeo: 20 years of futility is finally over: Pirates are ...: Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz said of his Game 7 performance against Pittsburgh in the 1991 NLCS, "When you picture yourself taking...
20 years of futility is finally over: Pirates are losers no more
Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz said of his Game 7 performance against Pittsburgh in the 1991 NLCS, "When you picture yourself taking the mound in a Game 7, you never imagine having an early lead."
Sort of along those same lines (or not), I often envisioned what it would be like when the Pirates finally broke their long losing streak and ended the years of jokes they and their fans had to endure. Since my favorite baseball team has given me many years to think about it--two decades worth--I've imagined several scenarios. However, most all of them had the team reaching the magical 81 win mark (or 82, for those of you who want to be contrarians about the whole streak-breaking deal) near the end of the regular season, preferably at home, and with a wild celebration ensuing, both in the stands and on the field.
I never pictured it happening on a Tuesday night in Milwaukee on September 3rd. And I never imagined it being just a stepping stone along the way to maybe a championship season. But that's exactly what happened, Tuesday night, after the almost forgotten Travis Snider led off the top of the ninth inning with a home run that broke a 3-3 tie.
Mark Melancon pitched the bottom of the ninth to get his 11th save, and more importantly, set off pockets of celebrations everywhere in Bucco Nation.
It's probably fitting that it happened against the Brewers, a team with a similar small-market resume and a long losing streak of their own that was recently broken, because Milwaukee simply tortured the Pirates for a number of years.
The Brewers went 63-18 against Pittsburgh from 2008-2012--including a 20-0 thrashing one afternoon at PNC Park a few years ago--and if there was ever a sweeter baseball park to end the streak (other than PNC), I can't think of one.
But this isn't a day for vengeance or for rubbing it in the face of your favorite team's most hated rivals.
This is a day (and actually a season) where, as a fan, you can actually believe in baseball again.
Believe me when I tell you, for many years, I simply didn't think the Pirates would ever be relevant again. And it wasn't necessarily because of the losing and the often inept performances by the front office and team management. A lot of it had to do with the economic structure of Major League Baseball and how local TV and radio revenue gave such a huge advantage to the large market teams sans a salary cap.
Teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Angels were winning simply because they could spend the most money. Yes, they did a decent enough job of building up their farm systems, but make no mistake, they were going after the big stars in free agency, and that was the biggest reason they were winning.
If you would look at a Yankees batting lineup from the early-to-mid 2000s, you couldn't tell if it was their lineup, or the starting lineup of the American League All-Star team.
It was quite discouraging.
But, thankfully, the parity that has gripped every other major sport in America (except for maybe LeBron's Miami Heat) has taken hold in baseball. Now, while large market teams are still spending huge amounts of cash, perhaps the smaller market teams have finally figured out how to stay in the race, and that's by developing their own players and refusing to part with their top prospects and younger stars.
The Reds, Brewers, Rays and Orioles have all made their mark in the postseason in recent years, and now it looks like the Pirates are about to do the same.
Again, though, this isn't a day for discussing farm systems, economic structures and winning formulas. This is a day for celebrating.
Tonight could be another milestone moment if the Pirates win No. 82. After that, there's the matter of clinching a playoff spot and then, maybe the division title.
And after that...........dare I dream any more than I already have?
Sure, why not?
Let's Go Bucs!
Sort of along those same lines (or not), I often envisioned what it would be like when the Pirates finally broke their long losing streak and ended the years of jokes they and their fans had to endure. Since my favorite baseball team has given me many years to think about it--two decades worth--I've imagined several scenarios. However, most all of them had the team reaching the magical 81 win mark (or 82, for those of you who want to be contrarians about the whole streak-breaking deal) near the end of the regular season, preferably at home, and with a wild celebration ensuing, both in the stands and on the field.
I never pictured it happening on a Tuesday night in Milwaukee on September 3rd. And I never imagined it being just a stepping stone along the way to maybe a championship season. But that's exactly what happened, Tuesday night, after the almost forgotten Travis Snider led off the top of the ninth inning with a home run that broke a 3-3 tie.
Mark Melancon pitched the bottom of the ninth to get his 11th save, and more importantly, set off pockets of celebrations everywhere in Bucco Nation.
It's probably fitting that it happened against the Brewers, a team with a similar small-market resume and a long losing streak of their own that was recently broken, because Milwaukee simply tortured the Pirates for a number of years.
The Brewers went 63-18 against Pittsburgh from 2008-2012--including a 20-0 thrashing one afternoon at PNC Park a few years ago--and if there was ever a sweeter baseball park to end the streak (other than PNC), I can't think of one.
But this isn't a day for vengeance or for rubbing it in the face of your favorite team's most hated rivals.
This is a day (and actually a season) where, as a fan, you can actually believe in baseball again.
Believe me when I tell you, for many years, I simply didn't think the Pirates would ever be relevant again. And it wasn't necessarily because of the losing and the often inept performances by the front office and team management. A lot of it had to do with the economic structure of Major League Baseball and how local TV and radio revenue gave such a huge advantage to the large market teams sans a salary cap.
Teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Angels were winning simply because they could spend the most money. Yes, they did a decent enough job of building up their farm systems, but make no mistake, they were going after the big stars in free agency, and that was the biggest reason they were winning.
If you would look at a Yankees batting lineup from the early-to-mid 2000s, you couldn't tell if it was their lineup, or the starting lineup of the American League All-Star team.
It was quite discouraging.
But, thankfully, the parity that has gripped every other major sport in America (except for maybe LeBron's Miami Heat) has taken hold in baseball. Now, while large market teams are still spending huge amounts of cash, perhaps the smaller market teams have finally figured out how to stay in the race, and that's by developing their own players and refusing to part with their top prospects and younger stars.
The Reds, Brewers, Rays and Orioles have all made their mark in the postseason in recent years, and now it looks like the Pirates are about to do the same.
Again, though, this isn't a day for discussing farm systems, economic structures and winning formulas. This is a day for celebrating.
Tonight could be another milestone moment if the Pirates win No. 82. After that, there's the matter of clinching a playoff spot and then, maybe the division title.
And after that...........dare I dream any more than I already have?
Sure, why not?
Let's Go Bucs!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Pirates back in first place after 5-2 victory in Milwaukee
One day after getting beaten up by St. Louis in the final game of a three game weekend series at PNC Park, the Pirates came back on Monday afternoon and won a Labor Day matinee in Milwaukee, 5-2. Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, the Cardinals were getting clobbered by the Reds.
The Pirates victory combined with the loss by the Cardinals gives Pittsburgh sole possession of first place in the National League Central Division.
Speaking of the division, three and a half games separate the Pirates, Cardinals and Reds, so with just over three weeks left in the regular season, things are still very much up for grabs.
However, thanks to the mostly awesome play by those three teams, combined with the mediocre play of every other team in the National League not named the Braves or Dodgers, there is no doubt that the second and third place finishers in the Central will square off in the National League Wild Card game, held shortly after the end of the regular season.
This is all but a certainty, thanks to the closest team in the race in recent weeks, the Diamondbacks, failing to capitalize on the struggles of Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
The Pirates, for example, reached their high-water mark of 26 games over .500 (70-44) on August 8th, thanks to a victory over Miami. Not only was Pittsburgh in first place in the division, it had a whopping 11.5 game lead over the Diamondbacks for the second wild card spot. From that point forward, though, the Pirates began a slide that would see them lose four in a row, seven of nine and eventually 11 of 16.
Meanwhile, instead of getting hot and maybe putting some pressure on the Bucs, Arizona basically played .500 ball and only gained a few games in the standings.
Now that Pittsburgh has regained its footing, winning four of six, the D'Backs are floundering and have lost four of five, and are not only 10.5 games behind Pittsburgh, they're seven games back of the Reds for the second wild card spot.
With 25 games remaining, if the Pirates go 13-12 to finish the year, Arizona and/or Washington (also 10.5 back of the Bucs) would have to go 24-2 just to tie--probably not going to happen.
Pittsburgh's magic number for a postseason berth is now 16, and it's not so much a question of if it will happen, but when.
As for that division race? The Pirates play Cincinnati six more times and St. Louis three more games, while the Reds and Cardinals will finish their season series with three more games this week.
The magic number for the winner of the NL Central may not reach 0 until the last day of the regular season.
What a race.......thank God for that second wild card. Other wise, along with the Jolly Roger, my blood pressure may be raised a lot higher.
Let's Go Bucs!
The Pirates victory combined with the loss by the Cardinals gives Pittsburgh sole possession of first place in the National League Central Division.
Speaking of the division, three and a half games separate the Pirates, Cardinals and Reds, so with just over three weeks left in the regular season, things are still very much up for grabs.
However, thanks to the mostly awesome play by those three teams, combined with the mediocre play of every other team in the National League not named the Braves or Dodgers, there is no doubt that the second and third place finishers in the Central will square off in the National League Wild Card game, held shortly after the end of the regular season.
This is all but a certainty, thanks to the closest team in the race in recent weeks, the Diamondbacks, failing to capitalize on the struggles of Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
The Pirates, for example, reached their high-water mark of 26 games over .500 (70-44) on August 8th, thanks to a victory over Miami. Not only was Pittsburgh in first place in the division, it had a whopping 11.5 game lead over the Diamondbacks for the second wild card spot. From that point forward, though, the Pirates began a slide that would see them lose four in a row, seven of nine and eventually 11 of 16.
Meanwhile, instead of getting hot and maybe putting some pressure on the Bucs, Arizona basically played .500 ball and only gained a few games in the standings.
Now that Pittsburgh has regained its footing, winning four of six, the D'Backs are floundering and have lost four of five, and are not only 10.5 games behind Pittsburgh, they're seven games back of the Reds for the second wild card spot.
With 25 games remaining, if the Pirates go 13-12 to finish the year, Arizona and/or Washington (also 10.5 back of the Bucs) would have to go 24-2 just to tie--probably not going to happen.
Pittsburgh's magic number for a postseason berth is now 16, and it's not so much a question of if it will happen, but when.
As for that division race? The Pirates play Cincinnati six more times and St. Louis three more games, while the Reds and Cardinals will finish their season series with three more games this week.
The magic number for the winner of the NL Central may not reach 0 until the last day of the regular season.
What a race.......thank God for that second wild card. Other wise, along with the Jolly Roger, my blood pressure may be raised a lot higher.
Let's Go Bucs!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Pirates add Justin Morneau at August dead-line to complete surreal week of trades by the front office
If you're a Pirates fan, and someone told you your favorite team would trade for either a 36 year old outfielder who has 21 home runs and 71 RBI, a 33 year old catcher with 15 home runs and 60 RBI or a 32 year old first baseman with 17 home runs and 74 RBI who was a former American League MVP, you'd probably take any of those three trades, individually, right?
By grabbing the outfielder, the Pirates would finally have a power bat to put in right field and add protection for both Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez. By grabbing the veteran catcher, Pittsburgh would have a bona fide backup to Russell Martin and a huge upgrade from both Michael Mckenry and rookie Tony Sanchez. Or by getting the first baseman, the Pirates would finally have someone to take the place of both Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez, two players who would probably be better served coming off the bench.
Well, how about landing all three of those guys in a span of five days? That's what team gm Neal Huntington did, when he picked up outfielder Marlon Byrd and catcher John Buck on Tuesday from the Mets in exchange for minor league second baseman Dilson Herrera, who represented the Pirates in the Futures All-Star Game in July, and reliever Vic Black, who made two appearances for Pittsburgh this season out of its highly touted "Shark Tank" bullpen.
On Saturday, the Pirates shipped utility outfielder Alex Presley and a player to be named later (believed to be another reliever) to Minnesota in exchange for first baseman Justin Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP.
So, in less than a week, pitching rich Pittsburgh has added 53 home runs and 205 RBI to a roster that has struggled to produce hits and runs on a regular basis in 2013.
The Tuesday trade immediately paid huge dividends on Wednesday, when Byrd, making his Pirates debut, hit a three run homer against the Brewers in a 7-1 victory that brought everyone at PNC Park (including Yours truly) to their feet.
It's amazing how cyclical sports can be. When Huntington took over as Pirates general manager in late 2007, there were anonymous baseball executives who said they felt sorry for him because Pittsburgh's farm system was about as barren as any in all of MLB.
Within the span of a few years, Huntington dealt All-Star outfielders Jason Bay and Nate McLouth, productive veteran outfielder Xavier Nady and team favorites second baseman Freddy Sanchez and shortstop Jack Wilson in order to begin replenishing the minor league system.
People were particularly upset about the Bay trade. Up through the time of the deal in the summer of 2008, he was the organization's best commodity with multiple All-Star appearances. In fact, Bay, Nady and McLouth comprised one of baseball's most productive outfields five seasons ago. Bay and Nady combined for 35 home runs and 121 RBI leading up to being traded away, while McLouth would go on to finish his final full season in Pittsburgh with 26 home runs and 94 RBI.
I remember informing my friend Todd of the Bay trade, and he was pretty disappointed, simply saying, "Bad trade."
His sentiment was expressed universally by Pirates fans who couldn't understand why the team would break up such a productive outfield.
It was simple: If Huntington has proven one thing, it's that he's been in it for the long haul. Despite the productivity of the outfield in 2008, the Pirates were still below .500 and struggling to stay out of last place. What good is all that production if it still leads to a last place finish?
Now, in the summer of 2013, with the Pirates currently in first place in the National League Central Division, it's the right time to add that kind of production to the team for the stretch run.
If you click on the link to the story about the Byrd/Buck trade, you'll see that fans and teammates were a bit distraught over losing so much productivity from a Mets team that was struggling in the first place.
And a fan of the Twins said in the comments section of a Yahoo story regarding the Morneau trade: "Twins always acting like a farm team for the rest of MLB."
My how times have changed for the Pirates.
By grabbing the outfielder, the Pirates would finally have a power bat to put in right field and add protection for both Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez. By grabbing the veteran catcher, Pittsburgh would have a bona fide backup to Russell Martin and a huge upgrade from both Michael Mckenry and rookie Tony Sanchez. Or by getting the first baseman, the Pirates would finally have someone to take the place of both Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez, two players who would probably be better served coming off the bench.
Well, how about landing all three of those guys in a span of five days? That's what team gm Neal Huntington did, when he picked up outfielder Marlon Byrd and catcher John Buck on Tuesday from the Mets in exchange for minor league second baseman Dilson Herrera, who represented the Pirates in the Futures All-Star Game in July, and reliever Vic Black, who made two appearances for Pittsburgh this season out of its highly touted "Shark Tank" bullpen.
On Saturday, the Pirates shipped utility outfielder Alex Presley and a player to be named later (believed to be another reliever) to Minnesota in exchange for first baseman Justin Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP.
So, in less than a week, pitching rich Pittsburgh has added 53 home runs and 205 RBI to a roster that has struggled to produce hits and runs on a regular basis in 2013.
The Tuesday trade immediately paid huge dividends on Wednesday, when Byrd, making his Pirates debut, hit a three run homer against the Brewers in a 7-1 victory that brought everyone at PNC Park (including Yours truly) to their feet.
It's amazing how cyclical sports can be. When Huntington took over as Pirates general manager in late 2007, there were anonymous baseball executives who said they felt sorry for him because Pittsburgh's farm system was about as barren as any in all of MLB.
Within the span of a few years, Huntington dealt All-Star outfielders Jason Bay and Nate McLouth, productive veteran outfielder Xavier Nady and team favorites second baseman Freddy Sanchez and shortstop Jack Wilson in order to begin replenishing the minor league system.
People were particularly upset about the Bay trade. Up through the time of the deal in the summer of 2008, he was the organization's best commodity with multiple All-Star appearances. In fact, Bay, Nady and McLouth comprised one of baseball's most productive outfields five seasons ago. Bay and Nady combined for 35 home runs and 121 RBI leading up to being traded away, while McLouth would go on to finish his final full season in Pittsburgh with 26 home runs and 94 RBI.
I remember informing my friend Todd of the Bay trade, and he was pretty disappointed, simply saying, "Bad trade."
His sentiment was expressed universally by Pirates fans who couldn't understand why the team would break up such a productive outfield.
It was simple: If Huntington has proven one thing, it's that he's been in it for the long haul. Despite the productivity of the outfield in 2008, the Pirates were still below .500 and struggling to stay out of last place. What good is all that production if it still leads to a last place finish?
Now, in the summer of 2013, with the Pirates currently in first place in the National League Central Division, it's the right time to add that kind of production to the team for the stretch run.
If you click on the link to the story about the Byrd/Buck trade, you'll see that fans and teammates were a bit distraught over losing so much productivity from a Mets team that was struggling in the first place.
And a fan of the Twins said in the comments section of a Yahoo story regarding the Morneau trade: "Twins always acting like a farm team for the rest of MLB."
My how times have changed for the Pirates.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Liriano continues mastery of the Cardinals, as Pirates move into tie for first place
The Pirates moved into a tie for first place with St. Louis, Friday night, thanks to another masterful performance by Francisco Liriano, who pitched eight shut-out innings in a 5-0 victory the Cardinals at PNC Park.
Liriano improved to 15-6--including 4-0 against the Cardinals--and continues to make a strong case for himself as a National League Cy Young candidate.
Pirates first baseman Garrett Jones was the offensive star, going three for four--including a home run and a double--and drove in four runs. Jones came into the game batting just .119 in August, and if he can get hot down the stretch, it could bode well for Pittsburgh's chances in the tight National League Central race.
The Pirates are now just four wins shy of clinching their first winning season since 1992. Also, with just 28 games remaining in the regular and an 8.5 game lead for the NL's second wild card spot, they're also closing in hard on their first playoff berth since that same season.
Liriano improved to 15-6--including 4-0 against the Cardinals--and continues to make a strong case for himself as a National League Cy Young candidate.
Pirates first baseman Garrett Jones was the offensive star, going three for four--including a home run and a double--and drove in four runs. Jones came into the game batting just .119 in August, and if he can get hot down the stretch, it could bode well for Pittsburgh's chances in the tight National League Central race.
The Pirates are now just four wins shy of clinching their first winning season since 1992. Also, with just 28 games remaining in the regular and an 8.5 game lead for the NL's second wild card spot, they're also closing in hard on their first playoff berth since that same season.
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