Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, I'm sure Josh Harrison received many great presents on Christmas morning over the years. However, I wonder if he ever received $1 million in his stocking.
The Pirates are currently in Cincinnati to open up the 2015 MLB season against the Reds in a three-game series, so perhaps it's fitting that Harrison's hometown is where it was announced on Wednesday that the club and its starting third baseman reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension.
Harrison, 27, first started appearing in Major League games for the Pirates in 2011, after being acquired in a 2009 trade. Harrison wasn't considered one of the brighter young prospects in the organization, as he was mainly a utility guy who could fill in at various positions.
Last year, however, when injuries plagued the team, Harrison started several positions and played so well, he was hard to keep out of the lineup. And when third baseman Pedro Alvarez failed to overcome his throwing and injury problems, Harrison found a permanent home at third.
Harrison appeared in 143 games in 2014, batting .315 for a Pirates team that made its second straight trip to the postseason. Harrison was also named to his first All-Star Game and finished ninth in NL MVP voting. As for that .315 batting average, it was good enough to finish second in the National League batting race to Justin Morneau.
A $1 million signing bonus was part of Harrison's extension that is reportedly worth $27.3 million and will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2018 season, with club options for both 2019 and 2020.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Steelers ship Timmons to Miami for 2015 first round pick
It looks like the Steelers may get their shot at a top cornerback after all.
It is being reported by various outlets that Pittsburgh has shipped starting inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons to the Dolphins for Miami's first round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft (14th, overall).
In-addition to the Dolphins' first round pick, Pittsburgh will also get a conditional pick in next year's draft (fourth or fifth round). Also, Miami will get the Steelers first round pick in 2015 (22nd, overall) and a third round pick in 2016.
It is a rather bold move by an organization that normally shies away from such things as it pertains to trades and the NFL Draft, but it does open up avenues for Ryan Shazier (a first round pick in 2014), Sean Spence (a third round pick in 2012, who came back from a horrific knee injury in his rookie year to play a significant amount of time last season), and Vince Williams (a sixth round pick in 2013, who has started several games early in his career and looks to be improving).
Here's a quote regarding the decision to trade Timmons from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin:
"Lawrence was the first player drafted under my tenure, so it's been a little extra special to see him grow and develop on a daily basis. Since then, he's earned my utmost respect both as a player and as a person. When you consider what he's put on tape, we obviously did not make the decision to move on lightly. But we live in our hopes, not in our fears, and Vince, Sean and Ryan now have their own record on tape, we're obviously more than confident about how we stand at the inside linebacker position. Obviously, we're excited at the doors we open with this trade. I wish Lawrence nothing but the best in Miami."
Timmons, 28, made his first Pro Bowl a year ago after being drafted in the first round out of Florida State in 2007. He's started 94 games in the NFL, many for Steelers defenses which finished first, overall.
For the always cap compromised Steelers, Timmons's cap number is over $12.5 million for 2015, so maybe that factored in to the move. Nevertheless, now with a much more appetizing first round pick in the draft at the end of this month, Pittsburgh is making a statement and obviously looks to be a major player.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Pirates should be applauded for their late-season surge to the playoffs
In politics, the media gives each side (usually republicans and democrats) equal time during such things as election campaigns.
The same thing doesn't always hold true in sports, where the awesome moments are often glossed over or just expected, while the bad moments are scrutinized, analyzed and really never forgotten.
Such is the case when it comes to the Pittsburgh Pirates and their back-to-back melt-downs at the tail-end of the 2011 and 2012 seasons that not only prevented them from making the postseason, but assured them their 19th and 20th consecutive losing campaigns.
Around mid-August of this just concluded 2014 regular season, the Pirates were in the throes of a seven-game losing streak that would ultimately leave them only two games over .500 on August 20.
Perhaps understandably, there was a palpable fear among fans that their Buccos would make it three collapses in four years and begin maybe a new string of losing seasons after having such a magical 2013.
But the Pirates righted their ship (pun intended) and stayed afloat long enough to actually go on a hot streak, a streak that included a stretch of 17 victories in 21 games that ultimately led to them clinching the top wild card in the National League, and a home date against San Francisco Wednesday night at PNC Park.
After the Pirates collapse in 2012 that was even more disappointing than the previous year, owner Bob Nutting did a complete evaluation of his franchise from top to bottom to try and figure out why this was becoming a trend.
Will he do a similar audit of his organization this year to try and determine why it was able to keep things together despite so many injuries--including stints on the disabled list for Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano--as well as the season-long problems for slugger Pedro Alvarez?
If Nutting doesn't do that, he should at least offer pats on the back to gm Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle because they deserve much credit for keeping things together and getting his Buccos back to the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
The same thing doesn't always hold true in sports, where the awesome moments are often glossed over or just expected, while the bad moments are scrutinized, analyzed and really never forgotten.
Such is the case when it comes to the Pittsburgh Pirates and their back-to-back melt-downs at the tail-end of the 2011 and 2012 seasons that not only prevented them from making the postseason, but assured them their 19th and 20th consecutive losing campaigns.
Around mid-August of this just concluded 2014 regular season, the Pirates were in the throes of a seven-game losing streak that would ultimately leave them only two games over .500 on August 20.
Perhaps understandably, there was a palpable fear among fans that their Buccos would make it three collapses in four years and begin maybe a new string of losing seasons after having such a magical 2013.
But the Pirates righted their ship (pun intended) and stayed afloat long enough to actually go on a hot streak, a streak that included a stretch of 17 victories in 21 games that ultimately led to them clinching the top wild card in the National League, and a home date against San Francisco Wednesday night at PNC Park.
After the Pirates collapse in 2012 that was even more disappointing than the previous year, owner Bob Nutting did a complete evaluation of his franchise from top to bottom to try and figure out why this was becoming a trend.
Will he do a similar audit of his organization this year to try and determine why it was able to keep things together despite so many injuries--including stints on the disabled list for Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano--as well as the season-long problems for slugger Pedro Alvarez?
If Nutting doesn't do that, he should at least offer pats on the back to gm Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle because they deserve much credit for keeping things together and getting his Buccos back to the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
The Pirates didn't do anything at the trade deadline, but they didn't get worse
Things like NFL free agency and MLB's non-waiver trade deadline have become events, events that, well, if something doesn't happen for the home team, fans feel deflated.
I won't lie, I felt a little deflated when I turned on my car radio around 4:30 pm on Thursday to discover that the Pirates didn't acquire the services of Tampa ace David Price (I had already learned that Jon Lester would be leaving the Red Sox, but he would be going to Oakland--and not the neighborhood located in Pittsburgh, the city located in Northern California).
It's natural to want to see a result after days and days of speculation that usually accompanies baseball's trade deadline each and every late July.
My cousin texted me that he was "so frustrated." My brother texted me way too much for my tastes, telling me that the Pirates didn't get better, while the Cardinals, with their acquisitions of pitchers John Lackey and Justin Masterson; and the Brewers (the other NL Central team Pittsburgh will have to duke it out with down the stretch in 2014), with their acquisition of Gerardo Parra.......an outfielder with six home runs and 30 RBI, did.
Maybe St. Louis and Milwaukee did improve their respective squads with the pieces they added, but the Pirates didn't get worse simply by standing pat.
Whether it be hockey's or baseball's, I always find the trade deadline intriguing because we've become conditioned to think that if our team doesn't do something, it's a disservice to the fans.
Why is that?
If your team was good enough to make it to the trade deadline as a contender, why, suddenly, is it going to go downhill if no major moves are made?
The Pirates are still the same team that's 57-50 overall and 47-32 since early May (as of this writing).
Of course, our expectations rose over the past few days amid the rumors that Pittsburgh was suddenly a serious contender for Lester, and that a deal was believed to be imminent by many people "in the know."
But the Red Sox weren't just willing to accept a top prospect or two for Lester, a free agent at the end of the year who would be damn-near impossible for a team like the Pirates to sign to a long-term deal, they wanted a major league player........from a contending team.
You know who that major league player turned out to be? The A's Yoenis Cespedes, a 28 year old outfielder with 17 home runs and 67 RBI, and he won't be a free agent until after next season.
Now, the A's will be the team that will have no chance to re-sign Lester after this season, while Boston will certainly have the resources to lock up Cespedes AND maybe even Lester, who seemed to love playing with the Red Sox.
Can you imagine the Pirates parting ways with Starling Marte? If you can't, you shouldn't be crying that Lester didn't come to town, because there is no way he would have, otherwise.
And considering Marte is having a bit of a down year thanks to injuries, unlike Oakland, who also had to give up a draft pick, fellow outfielder Josh Bell or Austin Meadows may have also been part of a deal for Lester.
What about Pedro Alvarez? After all, he's having a down year. Forget the fact that he'll be in Pittsburgh until after the 2016 season and he hit 36 home runs last year (oh yeah, he's probably the only one in the organization with that kind of power), just throw him into a deal for Lester. After all, we gotta go for it!
It has been said that the only way for a team like the Pirates to acquire the services of a power hitter with the pedigree of an Alvarez would be to trade for him or draft him, which they did with the second overall pick in 2008.
Now that he's on the roster, you're just going to throw him into a deal for a rent-a-player simply because of a bad year?
If Alvarez can somehow get it together over these last two months, he would represent value that Pittsburgh simply couldn't bring back in any trade--at least from a hitting standpoint--and he could be the missing piece to the puzzle that gets the Pirates back to the postseason.
The A's did acquire outfielder Jonny Gomes, a 30something with only six home runs this year in the deal along with Lester, but how would that guy look in left field at PNC Park? Might as well just stick Travis Snider out there.
As for the trade of Rays' prized ace pitcher David Price to the Tigers for basically nothing note-worthy (Drew Smyly, a 25 year old starting pitcher who has made 17 starts and 23 year old infield prospect, Nick Franklin), I guess Pirates gm Neal Huntington doesn't have the fleecing chops of Detroit's gm because I'm sure had he been able to land Price, 28 and not a free agent until after next season, for, say, Jeff Locke and Jose Tabata, I'd like to think he would have driven both of them to Tampa himself.
In any event, the Pirates didn't get worse at the deadline, they just stayed the same. So far, that hasn't been too bad.
And if Gerrit Cole can also get it together down the stretch.................
I won't lie, I felt a little deflated when I turned on my car radio around 4:30 pm on Thursday to discover that the Pirates didn't acquire the services of Tampa ace David Price (I had already learned that Jon Lester would be leaving the Red Sox, but he would be going to Oakland--and not the neighborhood located in Pittsburgh, the city located in Northern California).
It's natural to want to see a result after days and days of speculation that usually accompanies baseball's trade deadline each and every late July.
My cousin texted me that he was "so frustrated." My brother texted me way too much for my tastes, telling me that the Pirates didn't get better, while the Cardinals, with their acquisitions of pitchers John Lackey and Justin Masterson; and the Brewers (the other NL Central team Pittsburgh will have to duke it out with down the stretch in 2014), with their acquisition of Gerardo Parra.......an outfielder with six home runs and 30 RBI, did.
Maybe St. Louis and Milwaukee did improve their respective squads with the pieces they added, but the Pirates didn't get worse simply by standing pat.
Whether it be hockey's or baseball's, I always find the trade deadline intriguing because we've become conditioned to think that if our team doesn't do something, it's a disservice to the fans.
Why is that?
If your team was good enough to make it to the trade deadline as a contender, why, suddenly, is it going to go downhill if no major moves are made?
The Pirates are still the same team that's 57-50 overall and 47-32 since early May (as of this writing).
Of course, our expectations rose over the past few days amid the rumors that Pittsburgh was suddenly a serious contender for Lester, and that a deal was believed to be imminent by many people "in the know."
But the Red Sox weren't just willing to accept a top prospect or two for Lester, a free agent at the end of the year who would be damn-near impossible for a team like the Pirates to sign to a long-term deal, they wanted a major league player........from a contending team.
You know who that major league player turned out to be? The A's Yoenis Cespedes, a 28 year old outfielder with 17 home runs and 67 RBI, and he won't be a free agent until after next season.
Now, the A's will be the team that will have no chance to re-sign Lester after this season, while Boston will certainly have the resources to lock up Cespedes AND maybe even Lester, who seemed to love playing with the Red Sox.
Can you imagine the Pirates parting ways with Starling Marte? If you can't, you shouldn't be crying that Lester didn't come to town, because there is no way he would have, otherwise.
And considering Marte is having a bit of a down year thanks to injuries, unlike Oakland, who also had to give up a draft pick, fellow outfielder Josh Bell or Austin Meadows may have also been part of a deal for Lester.
What about Pedro Alvarez? After all, he's having a down year. Forget the fact that he'll be in Pittsburgh until after the 2016 season and he hit 36 home runs last year (oh yeah, he's probably the only one in the organization with that kind of power), just throw him into a deal for Lester. After all, we gotta go for it!
It has been said that the only way for a team like the Pirates to acquire the services of a power hitter with the pedigree of an Alvarez would be to trade for him or draft him, which they did with the second overall pick in 2008.
Now that he's on the roster, you're just going to throw him into a deal for a rent-a-player simply because of a bad year?
If Alvarez can somehow get it together over these last two months, he would represent value that Pittsburgh simply couldn't bring back in any trade--at least from a hitting standpoint--and he could be the missing piece to the puzzle that gets the Pirates back to the postseason.
The A's did acquire outfielder Jonny Gomes, a 30something with only six home runs this year in the deal along with Lester, but how would that guy look in left field at PNC Park? Might as well just stick Travis Snider out there.
As for the trade of Rays' prized ace pitcher David Price to the Tigers for basically nothing note-worthy (Drew Smyly, a 25 year old starting pitcher who has made 17 starts and 23 year old infield prospect, Nick Franklin), I guess Pirates gm Neal Huntington doesn't have the fleecing chops of Detroit's gm because I'm sure had he been able to land Price, 28 and not a free agent until after next season, for, say, Jeff Locke and Jose Tabata, I'd like to think he would have driven both of them to Tampa himself.
In any event, the Pirates didn't get worse at the deadline, they just stayed the same. So far, that hasn't been too bad.
And if Gerrit Cole can also get it together down the stretch.................
Friday, March 21, 2014
Pitt finally beats a higher seed
The Pitt Men's basketball team achieved something in its second round NCAA tournament game on Thursday that it hadn't accomplished since 1981--a victory over a higher seed.
In fairness, it was only a victory over an eight seed, as the Panthers, seeded ninth in the South region, easily disposed of Colorado, 77-48, in a game that Pitt was favored to win by six points.
But for a program that hasn't had much to hang its hat on with regards to the Big Dance, at least it was something. And that 29 point victory also marked the largest tournament win in program history. (A fairly remarkable and surprising feat, when you consider the many high seeds the basketball program has enjoyed since I started following it back in 1987 as a 14 year old.)
The impressive win sets up a date with Florida Saturday afternoon at 12:15 ET. The Gators aren't just the number one seed in the South bracket, they're the number one seed, overall, so, obviously, Pitt will have its hands full.
Can the Panthers win? This remains to be seen, but they've been on the other side of this kind of equation many times over the years and failed.
Why not Pitt? Why not now?
In fairness, it was only a victory over an eight seed, as the Panthers, seeded ninth in the South region, easily disposed of Colorado, 77-48, in a game that Pitt was favored to win by six points.
But for a program that hasn't had much to hang its hat on with regards to the Big Dance, at least it was something. And that 29 point victory also marked the largest tournament win in program history. (A fairly remarkable and surprising feat, when you consider the many high seeds the basketball program has enjoyed since I started following it back in 1987 as a 14 year old.)
The impressive win sets up a date with Florida Saturday afternoon at 12:15 ET. The Gators aren't just the number one seed in the South bracket, they're the number one seed, overall, so, obviously, Pitt will have its hands full.
Can the Panthers win? This remains to be seen, but they've been on the other side of this kind of equation many times over the years and failed.
Why not Pitt? Why not now?
Monday, March 17, 2014
Maybe we've been too hard on Pitt for its failure to reach the Final Four
Like a lot of Pitt basketball fans, I've had many dreams over the years of watching my favorite team cut down the nets in some gym somewhere after reaching the Promised Land of collegiate basketball--the Final Four.
Unfortunately, despite making it to the NCAA Tournament in 11 of the previous 12 seasons, dating back to the 2001/2002 campaign, the closest the Panthers have come is the Elite 8, which they lost in agonizing fashion to Scottie Reynolds and Villanova.
Speaking of which, the Wildcats obviously advanced to the Final Four after dispatching Pitt, and as it turns out, that occurrence wasn't exactly the exception to the rule.
Six of the 11 teams that knocked the Panthers out of the tournament since 2002 actually went on to reach the Final Four.
In 2003, behind future NBA legend Dwyane Wade, Marquette defeated the Panthers in the regional semi-finals before reaching the Final Four.
A season later, Oklahoma St. did the exact same thing and then went on to defeat St. Joseph's in the regional finals to reach the Final Four.
Three seasons later, Jamie Dixon's Panthers faced off against the team with the coach that resurrected the program in the early 00s--Ben Howland--who led his new team--UCLA--to the Final Four after knocking off his old team in the, you guessed it, regional semi-finals.
Then there was the aforementioned agony in 2009.
After that, came a loss to Butler in the round of 32 in 2011, which Pitt entered as a number one seed. Butler then went on to make its second straight appearance in the National Championship game (and suffer its second straight loss), falling to Connecticut.
And finally, a season ago, the Panthers, a number eight seed, were simply dismantled by number nine seed Wichita St., who then went on to, again, you guessed it, reach the Final Four.
Kind of amazing when you think about it. Maybe the Panthers just need to get a better draw.
Unfortunately, despite making it to the NCAA Tournament in 11 of the previous 12 seasons, dating back to the 2001/2002 campaign, the closest the Panthers have come is the Elite 8, which they lost in agonizing fashion to Scottie Reynolds and Villanova.
Speaking of which, the Wildcats obviously advanced to the Final Four after dispatching Pitt, and as it turns out, that occurrence wasn't exactly the exception to the rule.
Six of the 11 teams that knocked the Panthers out of the tournament since 2002 actually went on to reach the Final Four.
In 2003, behind future NBA legend Dwyane Wade, Marquette defeated the Panthers in the regional semi-finals before reaching the Final Four.
A season later, Oklahoma St. did the exact same thing and then went on to defeat St. Joseph's in the regional finals to reach the Final Four.
Three seasons later, Jamie Dixon's Panthers faced off against the team with the coach that resurrected the program in the early 00s--Ben Howland--who led his new team--UCLA--to the Final Four after knocking off his old team in the, you guessed it, regional semi-finals.
Then there was the aforementioned agony in 2009.
After that, came a loss to Butler in the round of 32 in 2011, which Pitt entered as a number one seed. Butler then went on to make its second straight appearance in the National Championship game (and suffer its second straight loss), falling to Connecticut.
And finally, a season ago, the Panthers, a number eight seed, were simply dismantled by number nine seed Wichita St., who then went on to, again, you guessed it, reach the Final Four.
Kind of amazing when you think about it. Maybe the Panthers just need to get a better draw.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Pitt gets No. 9 seed and will face No. 8 Colorado on Thursday afternoon in Orlando
What a difference a Newkirk makes. It wasn't long ago that I, along with many other Panthers fans, expressed angst and worry that the team's chances of making the NCAA tournament were quickly dwindling away.
And there was good reason for such concern.
After starting the year 18-2, and after starting out 6-1 in its first year in the ACC, Pitt stumbled, starting with a bad home loss to the Blue Devils in late-January, and lost six of 10 games.
At 22-8, following an improbable home loss to NC State, the Panthers RPI was a very dreadful 53; for a team hoping for an at-large bid, that ranking didn't bode well.
With only one regular season game remaining at Clemson, it was time to put up or shut up. And just when it looked like Pitt would be shut up, once and for all, the team erased a five point deficit in the final 2.4 seconds and tied the game on a Josh Newkirk buzzer beater following a turnover by the Tigers while trying to inbound the basketball.
Pitt would go on to win, 83-78, in overtime, and the consensus was that it would be enough to secure the at-large bid.
I don't know if that was the case or not, but the Panthers put any remaining fears to rest by advancing to the semi-finals of their first ACC tournament after impressive victories over Wake Forest and North Carolina.
The latest RPI rankings had Pitt at 38, and true to form they earned the number nine seed in the South region and will face the eighth seeded Buffaloes of Colorado this Thursday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.
The Panthers have never defeated a higher seeded team in the NCAA tournament, so a win over Colorado would at least be a milestone moment for the program. Unfortunately, after that, it will most likely be a match-up against Florida, the number one over all seed, in its own backyard.
Seems like an impossible task, but the Panthers did almost knock off Syracuse twice and Virginia twice, so it wouldn't totally shock me if Pitt at least made a game of it against the Gators.
I guess we'll soon find out. At any rate, the Panthers are going dancing.
And there was good reason for such concern.
After starting the year 18-2, and after starting out 6-1 in its first year in the ACC, Pitt stumbled, starting with a bad home loss to the Blue Devils in late-January, and lost six of 10 games.
At 22-8, following an improbable home loss to NC State, the Panthers RPI was a very dreadful 53; for a team hoping for an at-large bid, that ranking didn't bode well.
With only one regular season game remaining at Clemson, it was time to put up or shut up. And just when it looked like Pitt would be shut up, once and for all, the team erased a five point deficit in the final 2.4 seconds and tied the game on a Josh Newkirk buzzer beater following a turnover by the Tigers while trying to inbound the basketball.
Pitt would go on to win, 83-78, in overtime, and the consensus was that it would be enough to secure the at-large bid.
I don't know if that was the case or not, but the Panthers put any remaining fears to rest by advancing to the semi-finals of their first ACC tournament after impressive victories over Wake Forest and North Carolina.
The latest RPI rankings had Pitt at 38, and true to form they earned the number nine seed in the South region and will face the eighth seeded Buffaloes of Colorado this Thursday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.
The Panthers have never defeated a higher seeded team in the NCAA tournament, so a win over Colorado would at least be a milestone moment for the program. Unfortunately, after that, it will most likely be a match-up against Florida, the number one over all seed, in its own backyard.
Seems like an impossible task, but the Panthers did almost knock off Syracuse twice and Virginia twice, so it wouldn't totally shock me if Pitt at least made a game of it against the Gators.
I guess we'll soon find out. At any rate, the Panthers are going dancing.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The 2013/2014 Panthers Men's basketball team: defending and rebounding its way to the NIT
I haven't posted an entry in this blog for quite some time. It wasn't intentional, in the very least, but over the course of the summer, I picked up two more football writing gigs, which, added to my original football writing gig, gave me three football writing gigs.
For a man whose writing gigs don't really pay the bills, that's a lot of writing gigs.
Therefore, you'll have to excuse me for my prolonged absence from all things "Pittsburgh's Best Sports Blog."
However, I would like to rectify that (if ever so briefly) by talking about the Pitt Panthers Men's basketball team.
For a sports lover like Yours truly, March is one of the most awesome times of the year. And it wasn't so long ago, when the Panthers were a very surprising 18-2 and 6-1 in their first year as a member of the ACC, that I took for granted being able to irrationally pick my favorite college basketball team to advance further in the NCAA Tournament than I had any right to.
Heading into their January 27 game against Duke at the Peterson Events Center, fans were discussing the possibility of the Panthers actually winning the regular season ACC title,with only highly ranked Syracuse (a fellow former member of the old Big East) standing in the way.
Unfortunately, the Blue Devils proved that talent trumps everything (yes, Coach Dixon, even rebounding and defense), as they pulled away from Pitt in what would be the beginning of a prolonged slump that has yet to see its end--and time is running out.
If you research the Panthers' offensive numbers, you'll see they've averaged 72.3 ppg (points per game), so far this season. However, that's a bit misleading. Over the past 10 games, dating back to that 80-65 loss to Duke in late January, Pitt has averaged 64.2 ppg and have lost six of 10.
During that span the Panthers also lost to Virginia, Syracuse and North Carolina (certainly no shame in losses to those teams, all ranked in the top 20). The real shame may come from the fact that Pitt needed overtime to beat a lowly Miami team, double overtime to beat an even lower Virginia Tech team and also didn't look very sharp in victories over Boston College and Notre Dame (also in OT).
And in addition to the four losses to the aforementioned ranked teams, the Panthers also lost recent home games to Florida State and NC State, two teams that aren't even on the NCAA bubble.
Speaking of the bubble, Pitt is now firmly entrenched on it. There are no wins against ranked teams on the season's resume, and as of this writing, the Panthers RPI--maybe the most important ranking in determining if and where a team will be seeded in the tournament--is 53.
With only one game remaining before the ACC tournament, things don't look good for Pitt. You would think a 22-8 record and a 10-7 conference mark would all but secure an at-large bid, but this is a bit of a down year for the ACC, and the Panthers have done very little to help their cause.
Of course, this is a tired old song. I mentioned the 64.2 ppg over the past 10, but even that seems kind of high, considering how awful the Panthers offense has been at the end of games.
Head coach Jamie Dixon always preaches rebounding and defense, but just once, one time, I'd like to see him emphasize offense, and recruit top-end scorers into the program. Easier said than done, of course, as most of your top-notch scorers tend to go to the traditional powerhouses, which Pitt might actually be right now with the help of an appearance or two in the Final Four in previous years.
Most Panthers fans feel as if their team gets screwed most Selection Sundays (a claim that I certainly can't dispute, considering some of the questionable seeds in recent years), and this year, because of the above-mentioned statistics, the NIT might be all we have to hope for in a couple weeks.
For a man whose writing gigs don't really pay the bills, that's a lot of writing gigs.
Therefore, you'll have to excuse me for my prolonged absence from all things "Pittsburgh's Best Sports Blog."
However, I would like to rectify that (if ever so briefly) by talking about the Pitt Panthers Men's basketball team.
For a sports lover like Yours truly, March is one of the most awesome times of the year. And it wasn't so long ago, when the Panthers were a very surprising 18-2 and 6-1 in their first year as a member of the ACC, that I took for granted being able to irrationally pick my favorite college basketball team to advance further in the NCAA Tournament than I had any right to.
Heading into their January 27 game against Duke at the Peterson Events Center, fans were discussing the possibility of the Panthers actually winning the regular season ACC title,with only highly ranked Syracuse (a fellow former member of the old Big East) standing in the way.
Unfortunately, the Blue Devils proved that talent trumps everything (yes, Coach Dixon, even rebounding and defense), as they pulled away from Pitt in what would be the beginning of a prolonged slump that has yet to see its end--and time is running out.
If you research the Panthers' offensive numbers, you'll see they've averaged 72.3 ppg (points per game), so far this season. However, that's a bit misleading. Over the past 10 games, dating back to that 80-65 loss to Duke in late January, Pitt has averaged 64.2 ppg and have lost six of 10.
During that span the Panthers also lost to Virginia, Syracuse and North Carolina (certainly no shame in losses to those teams, all ranked in the top 20). The real shame may come from the fact that Pitt needed overtime to beat a lowly Miami team, double overtime to beat an even lower Virginia Tech team and also didn't look very sharp in victories over Boston College and Notre Dame (also in OT).
And in addition to the four losses to the aforementioned ranked teams, the Panthers also lost recent home games to Florida State and NC State, two teams that aren't even on the NCAA bubble.
Speaking of the bubble, Pitt is now firmly entrenched on it. There are no wins against ranked teams on the season's resume, and as of this writing, the Panthers RPI--maybe the most important ranking in determining if and where a team will be seeded in the tournament--is 53.
With only one game remaining before the ACC tournament, things don't look good for Pitt. You would think a 22-8 record and a 10-7 conference mark would all but secure an at-large bid, but this is a bit of a down year for the ACC, and the Panthers have done very little to help their cause.
Of course, this is a tired old song. I mentioned the 64.2 ppg over the past 10, but even that seems kind of high, considering how awful the Panthers offense has been at the end of games.
Head coach Jamie Dixon always preaches rebounding and defense, but just once, one time, I'd like to see him emphasize offense, and recruit top-end scorers into the program. Easier said than done, of course, as most of your top-notch scorers tend to go to the traditional powerhouses, which Pitt might actually be right now with the help of an appearance or two in the Final Four in previous years.
Most Panthers fans feel as if their team gets screwed most Selection Sundays (a claim that I certainly can't dispute, considering some of the questionable seeds in recent years), and this year, because of the above-mentioned statistics, the NIT might be all we have to hope for in a couple weeks.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Jim Leyland retires from baseball
If there was a Mt. Rushmore for important Pirates figures during the franchise's long and illustrious history, one could make a strong case for Jim Leyland, who managed the club from 1986-1996.
Leyland announced his retirement from baseball on Monday, and he left behind a legacy that included 1700 victories, several postseason appearances, three World Series appearances, and a World Series victory in 1997 while managing the Florida Marlins.
As a Pirates fan, the legacy he left behind in Pittsburgh is the one I'd like to write about today.
Leyland was an unknown who coached under Tony LaRussa with the Chicago White Sox before being hired for the job in Pittsburgh.
Leyland spent 13 seasons in the minors and never even had a cup of coffee in the big leagues as a player, but his true calling was as a big league manager.
He took over a Pirates franchise that had just gone through the notorious baseball drug trials, had threatened to move to another city, had just gone through a high profile ownership change, and maybe more importantly, from a budding new manager's perspective, had just finished in last place the previous two seasons.
Long-gone were the glory days of the 70s, complete with a system from the majors to the minors that was stacked with talent, and in their place was an era where the Pirates were a laughing-stock, who lost over 100 games in 1985 and drew just 700,000 fans to old Three Rivers Stadium.
The talented players were few and far between, but thankfully, Syd Thrift, the Pirates gm from 1985-1988, and the man who actually hired Leyland, was fairly adept at player procurement and player development and soon would re-stock the organization with much-needed talent.
The Pirates would finish in last place again in 1986, but players such as future home run king Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and John Smiley were on the roster. And in 1987, just before the start of the season, Thrift traded the team's most popular player, catcher Tony Pena, to the Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Andy Van Slyke, catcher Mike Lavalliere and pitcher Mike Dunne. Van Slyke and Lavalliere would cement a core group of players that would resurrect the franchise and restore its once proud heritage.
Leyland was able to mold these players, like most athletes, diverse and often egotistical, into a cohesive unit.
In 1988, after three straight last place finishes and a tie for fourth place the year before, the Pirates actually clinched second place in the National League East, and Leyland cried like a baby. Some might laugh at such a response, but Leyland knew where the franchise had been and how close it had been to leaving town.
Two years later, in September of 1990, there were more tears of joy as the Pirates won their first division title in 11 seasons.
There would be two more division titles in ensuing seasons, along with those tears from Leyland, who admittedly, has always worn his emotions on his sleeves.
Whether he was crying about a watershed victory or chewing a player out for not performing well, there were no secrets about how Leyland was feeling.
In some specials I watched about the early 90s Pirates teams, Leyland's former players gushed over his communication skills. Bob Walk, a Pirates starting pitcher during the glory years of the early 90s and a current broadcaster for the team, said that regardless of Leyland's relationship with a player, that player always knew where he stood. I'm sure any athlete on the planet could appreciate that. Heck, anyone who has ever had a boss will tell you that, more than anything, they want to know where they stand.
A lot of people in Pittsburgh praise Leyland for a confrontation he had with Bonds in spring training of 1991, but Leyland has gone on record as saying he doesn't want that to be his legacy as manager of the Pirates.
According to Leyland, he had many disagreements with players over the years, and the one he had with Bonds just happened to be out in the open.
Speaking of Bonds, he certainly had a reputation as being quite difficult all throughout his major league career. However, he always showed great respect and admiration for Leyland, and if that doesn't speak volumes for the man, I don't know what does.
Former Pirates Jay Bell and Gary Redus have said that Leyland's ability to communicate and get the most out of his reserve players and his bullpen may have been his greatest attribute.
Finally, I mentioned Leyland's emotional side and how he would cry after important victories. During that special about the early 90s Pirates teams, Leyland, who at that point was managing the Tigers and 15 years removed from his days in Pittsburgh, got emotional when discussing things such as the 1990 division title and the depressing Game 7 loss in the 1992 NLCS.
Forget great manager. Jim Leyland is a great man.
Thanks for everything, Skipper.
Leyland announced his retirement from baseball on Monday, and he left behind a legacy that included 1700 victories, several postseason appearances, three World Series appearances, and a World Series victory in 1997 while managing the Florida Marlins.
As a Pirates fan, the legacy he left behind in Pittsburgh is the one I'd like to write about today.
Leyland was an unknown who coached under Tony LaRussa with the Chicago White Sox before being hired for the job in Pittsburgh.
Leyland spent 13 seasons in the minors and never even had a cup of coffee in the big leagues as a player, but his true calling was as a big league manager.
He took over a Pirates franchise that had just gone through the notorious baseball drug trials, had threatened to move to another city, had just gone through a high profile ownership change, and maybe more importantly, from a budding new manager's perspective, had just finished in last place the previous two seasons.
Long-gone were the glory days of the 70s, complete with a system from the majors to the minors that was stacked with talent, and in their place was an era where the Pirates were a laughing-stock, who lost over 100 games in 1985 and drew just 700,000 fans to old Three Rivers Stadium.
The talented players were few and far between, but thankfully, Syd Thrift, the Pirates gm from 1985-1988, and the man who actually hired Leyland, was fairly adept at player procurement and player development and soon would re-stock the organization with much-needed talent.
The Pirates would finish in last place again in 1986, but players such as future home run king Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and John Smiley were on the roster. And in 1987, just before the start of the season, Thrift traded the team's most popular player, catcher Tony Pena, to the Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Andy Van Slyke, catcher Mike Lavalliere and pitcher Mike Dunne. Van Slyke and Lavalliere would cement a core group of players that would resurrect the franchise and restore its once proud heritage.
Leyland was able to mold these players, like most athletes, diverse and often egotistical, into a cohesive unit.
In 1988, after three straight last place finishes and a tie for fourth place the year before, the Pirates actually clinched second place in the National League East, and Leyland cried like a baby. Some might laugh at such a response, but Leyland knew where the franchise had been and how close it had been to leaving town.
Two years later, in September of 1990, there were more tears of joy as the Pirates won their first division title in 11 seasons.
There would be two more division titles in ensuing seasons, along with those tears from Leyland, who admittedly, has always worn his emotions on his sleeves.
Whether he was crying about a watershed victory or chewing a player out for not performing well, there were no secrets about how Leyland was feeling.
In some specials I watched about the early 90s Pirates teams, Leyland's former players gushed over his communication skills. Bob Walk, a Pirates starting pitcher during the glory years of the early 90s and a current broadcaster for the team, said that regardless of Leyland's relationship with a player, that player always knew where he stood. I'm sure any athlete on the planet could appreciate that. Heck, anyone who has ever had a boss will tell you that, more than anything, they want to know where they stand.
A lot of people in Pittsburgh praise Leyland for a confrontation he had with Bonds in spring training of 1991, but Leyland has gone on record as saying he doesn't want that to be his legacy as manager of the Pirates.
According to Leyland, he had many disagreements with players over the years, and the one he had with Bonds just happened to be out in the open.
Speaking of Bonds, he certainly had a reputation as being quite difficult all throughout his major league career. However, he always showed great respect and admiration for Leyland, and if that doesn't speak volumes for the man, I don't know what does.
Former Pirates Jay Bell and Gary Redus have said that Leyland's ability to communicate and get the most out of his reserve players and his bullpen may have been his greatest attribute.
Finally, I mentioned Leyland's emotional side and how he would cry after important victories. During that special about the early 90s Pirates teams, Leyland, who at that point was managing the Tigers and 15 years removed from his days in Pittsburgh, got emotional when discussing things such as the 1990 division title and the depressing Game 7 loss in the 1992 NLCS.
Forget great manager. Jim Leyland is a great man.
Thanks for everything, Skipper.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Pirates magical campaign: Part two
--Unlike 1992, when I practically needed a therapist to get me through the Pirates' Game 7 loss in the NLCS, I was over Pittsburgh's loss in the NLDS fairly quickly. I mean, I was disappointed for a night (when you spend a whole day "knowing" your team is going to win, it's a little hard to deal with when it doesn't happen), but, like a lot of Pirates fans who walked through the desert of losing baseball for two decades , it was hard to feel too disappointed. What the team gave its faithful this year was something that, quite honestly, I never thought I'd see again. And that's not hyperbole, it's a fact. I've been talking about the disparity between large and small market baseball teams for a reason, and that's because it's a big deal. It was a big enough deal that, if it hadn't been for the front office sticking to a true rebuilding plan and doing so aggressively, we may have never had a Game 5 loss to be sad about. Much kudos goes to majority owner Bob Nutting, team president Frank Coonelly and general manager Neal Huntington for the work they did over the past six seasons and the slings and arrows they had to put up with from the fans and media. I'm not saying a lot of those slings and arrows weren't justified (many were), but whatever wrongs there were in previous seasons, they were mostly righted once the current regime took over. It would have been easy to deviate from the plan in the face of public outrage, but there was never going to be a true championship-level baseball team in Pittsburgh again unless a true small market plan was adhered to. That's exactly what happened, and now the Pirates have an organization, from top to bottom, that's on the rise and probably won't be enduring much public outrage anytime soon.
--If the postseason taught me anything it's the importance of winning a division. Prior to 2012, when there was only one wild card team per league, if a team had a fairly sizable lead in the WC standings coming down the stretch, that team's manager could organize his pitching staff and have it aligned just the way he wanted it for the LDS. But after an extra team was added to the wild card mix in each league, which created a one game playoff, that changed the strategy substantially. Instead of one wild card team having its ace ready for Game 1 of an LDS, two wild card combatants were now forced to use their aces in the "single elimination game"--and rightfully so. If you don't win the wild card game, it won't matter how your pitching staff is aligned. Because the Cardinals won the National League Central over Pittsburgh, they had time to set their starting rotation for the NLDS, meaning ace Adam Wainwright got the nod in Game 1 and Game 5, while Pittsburgh was forced to use ace Francisco Liriano in the Wild Card round, which meant he was only available for Game 3 of the NLDS. Wainwright was masterful in Game 1, shutting the Pirates down in a 9-1 victory. Six days later, with the series tied at two games a piece, Pittsburgh was forced to choose between A.J. Burnett, an outstanding veteran pitcher but with terrible numbers at Busch Stadium, and rookie Gerrit Cole who was awesome down the stretch--including in the Pirates 7-1 victory in Game 2--but only had four months of major league experience. Cole got the nod and did a decent enough job in Game 5, only yielding three runs in five innings, but Wainwright is an ace for a reason, and he shut the Pirates hitters down, again, in a 6-1 complete came series clinching victory. Had Pittsburgh been able to outlast the Cardinals for the division title, the reverse would have happened and Wainwright would have been forced to pitch the Wild Card game, while Liriano would have pitched Games 1 and 5. Lance Lynn, who the Pirates had great success against in the regular season, only had to pitch one game of the NLDS, and it was the only game in which the Pirates batters had great success. Had Lynn been forced to pitch two games, the outcome could have been different. While it sucked for the Pirates purposes, kudos to MLB for strengthening the importance of winning a division.
--"Can the Pirates win again next season?" has been asked countless times since Wednesday. While it's certainly impossible to predict, I see no reason why they can't win again. Will they make the playoffs? Obviously, that's also impossible to predict. I do know one thing, though, Pittsburgh has a legitimate core group of guys on the roster. Like the Penguins in the NHL, the key for continued success is a core group of players. Heading into 2014, the Pirates will have Andrew McCutchen, the current favorite for NL MVP, Pedro Alvarez, the NL co-leader in home runs with 36, who added another three during the playoffs, Starling Marte, coming off his first full major league season, second baseman Neil Walker, catcher Russell Martin, and a pitching staff that will be deep and talented, regardless of what happens with the free agent Burnett. Like the Penguins have done each offseason since becoming true contenders, the Pirates face the prospects of losing several key role players this season, especially veteran right fielder Marlon Byrd, who they acquired in late August. But Pittsburgh still had a successful team prior to Byrd's arrival, and to me, that's why I'm so optimistic for the future. There will always be the Marlon Byrds of the world available at the trade deadline. The key for a gm is to find the right ones and pay the right price. Huntington did that with Byrd, and man was he exceptional. However, without that key core group of players, Byrd wouldn't have been nearly as valuable because he would have been a 36 year old outfielder on a team going nowhere. Right now, the prospects of Pittsburgh winning 94 games again seems rather daunting, but if the players are in place, 94 wins is more than possible, because that's what good baseball teams do.
--I was predicting all summer that the Pirates would kind of bring history back around again and duplicate what the Penguins did in 2008 by losing to a Detroit team in the championship round. Five years ago, the Penguins lost the Stanley Cup Finals to the Red Wings in six games, and I was hoping the Pirates would at least make it as far as the World Series this year before losing to the Tigers. Turns out I was still kind of right. The Red Wings were the class of the NHL back in 2008, winners of the Stanley Cup in '97, '98 and '02 and showed Pittsburgh's young hockey team what championship success looked like, by winning the Cup again at the old Civic Arena. The Cardinals have been the gold standard in the majors for many years, capturing eight division titles since 2000, appearing in three World Series since '04 and winning two since '06. The Pirates might have had St. Louis on the ropes after Game 3, but the Cardinals simply never blinked, and instead of wilting in the face of adversity, they shut Pittsburgh down over the final two games to advance to the NLCS. It's rare for a young team like the Pirates that isn't used to playing in the postseason to have a very successful run in its first year. The young and inexperienced Buccos may have been taught a valuable lesson by a St. Louis team that knows what it takes to win on baseball's biggest stage. It's a lesson that could pay dividends sooner rather than later--the '09 Pens came back and won the Stanley Cup by defeating Detroit in seven games.
--After Wednesday night's 6-1 loss in St. Louis, the Pirates have now scored a total of four runs in their last five games in which they had a chance to clinch a series, dating back to Game 6 of the 1991 NLCS--pretty interesting.
--Along those same lines, the Pirates' main weakness during the regular season was an offense that struggled with scoring runs and driving in runs with men in scoring position, and in the postseason, that caught up with them. Regardless of the sport, once the postseason rolls around, a team's weaknesses during the regular season will probably be exposed. I remember how awesome the 2001 Steelers were, as they rolled to a 13-3 regular season record and had the number one seed in the playoffs. But perhaps lost in the euphoria of such a great season was the team's deficiencies in special teams where Pittsburgh's unit gave up several kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns. Sure enough, in the divisional round against Baltimore, the Steelers gave up a punt return for a touchdown that made the game closer than it should have been. And then in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots scored three touchdowns, but two of them were on special teams plays--a punt return for a TD and a blocked field goal that was returned for a TD--and this proved to be the difference in a 24-17 loss.......I don't necessarily think the Pirates are a horrible hitting team. I just think their preparation and approach to hitting can be improved. During the course of the latter part of the season, after Byrd and first baseman Justin Morneau were acquired for the stretch run, coaches and media types would go on and on about the two veterans and their "professional" approach to hitting. Maybe a more professional approach is what the Pirates young hitters need to take that next step--let's hope they learned a thing or two from the two veteran rent-a-players, if their time in Pittsburgh was as brief as I suspect it might be.
--I can't tell you how excited I am about the young pitcher Cole, who was drafted number one overall in the 2011 baseball draft. Cole was fairly consistent all year long, once being called up in June, but down the stretch, after a bit of a tweak with his delivery, he was simply dominant. For as hard as he throws, many wondered why he didn't get that many strikeouts, but whatever change that was made to his delivery in early September (I'm no pitching coach) made all the difference, as Cole's K's picked up greatly. When Cole got the nod for Game 5, I didn't bat an eye because I think the kid is the real deal, and he might be something the Pirates haven't had in my lifetime, and maybe ever, an ace. And I'm not talking about an ace of the staff (every team has an "ace"), I'm talking about an ace of baseball, on par with a Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden, Randy Johnson, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, etc., etc. If you ask any Pirates expert who the greatest pitchers are in team history, they'll rattle off a list, but most of the players on the list would be from between WWI and WWII. Over the past 40 years, other than Steve Blass, Doug Drabek and John Smiley, it's hard to find a Pirates starting pitcher that was even all-star caliber. Cole, with his 100 mph fastball, has a chance to be something special, and the kind of pitcher fans will actually come out to see.
That's all I have for now. The Pirates magical run was so awesome, I'm sure I'll be writing much more about it in the near future.
Let's Go Bucs!
--If the postseason taught me anything it's the importance of winning a division. Prior to 2012, when there was only one wild card team per league, if a team had a fairly sizable lead in the WC standings coming down the stretch, that team's manager could organize his pitching staff and have it aligned just the way he wanted it for the LDS. But after an extra team was added to the wild card mix in each league, which created a one game playoff, that changed the strategy substantially. Instead of one wild card team having its ace ready for Game 1 of an LDS, two wild card combatants were now forced to use their aces in the "single elimination game"--and rightfully so. If you don't win the wild card game, it won't matter how your pitching staff is aligned. Because the Cardinals won the National League Central over Pittsburgh, they had time to set their starting rotation for the NLDS, meaning ace Adam Wainwright got the nod in Game 1 and Game 5, while Pittsburgh was forced to use ace Francisco Liriano in the Wild Card round, which meant he was only available for Game 3 of the NLDS. Wainwright was masterful in Game 1, shutting the Pirates down in a 9-1 victory. Six days later, with the series tied at two games a piece, Pittsburgh was forced to choose between A.J. Burnett, an outstanding veteran pitcher but with terrible numbers at Busch Stadium, and rookie Gerrit Cole who was awesome down the stretch--including in the Pirates 7-1 victory in Game 2--but only had four months of major league experience. Cole got the nod and did a decent enough job in Game 5, only yielding three runs in five innings, but Wainwright is an ace for a reason, and he shut the Pirates hitters down, again, in a 6-1 complete came series clinching victory. Had Pittsburgh been able to outlast the Cardinals for the division title, the reverse would have happened and Wainwright would have been forced to pitch the Wild Card game, while Liriano would have pitched Games 1 and 5. Lance Lynn, who the Pirates had great success against in the regular season, only had to pitch one game of the NLDS, and it was the only game in which the Pirates batters had great success. Had Lynn been forced to pitch two games, the outcome could have been different. While it sucked for the Pirates purposes, kudos to MLB for strengthening the importance of winning a division.
--"Can the Pirates win again next season?" has been asked countless times since Wednesday. While it's certainly impossible to predict, I see no reason why they can't win again. Will they make the playoffs? Obviously, that's also impossible to predict. I do know one thing, though, Pittsburgh has a legitimate core group of guys on the roster. Like the Penguins in the NHL, the key for continued success is a core group of players. Heading into 2014, the Pirates will have Andrew McCutchen, the current favorite for NL MVP, Pedro Alvarez, the NL co-leader in home runs with 36, who added another three during the playoffs, Starling Marte, coming off his first full major league season, second baseman Neil Walker, catcher Russell Martin, and a pitching staff that will be deep and talented, regardless of what happens with the free agent Burnett. Like the Penguins have done each offseason since becoming true contenders, the Pirates face the prospects of losing several key role players this season, especially veteran right fielder Marlon Byrd, who they acquired in late August. But Pittsburgh still had a successful team prior to Byrd's arrival, and to me, that's why I'm so optimistic for the future. There will always be the Marlon Byrds of the world available at the trade deadline. The key for a gm is to find the right ones and pay the right price. Huntington did that with Byrd, and man was he exceptional. However, without that key core group of players, Byrd wouldn't have been nearly as valuable because he would have been a 36 year old outfielder on a team going nowhere. Right now, the prospects of Pittsburgh winning 94 games again seems rather daunting, but if the players are in place, 94 wins is more than possible, because that's what good baseball teams do.
--I was predicting all summer that the Pirates would kind of bring history back around again and duplicate what the Penguins did in 2008 by losing to a Detroit team in the championship round. Five years ago, the Penguins lost the Stanley Cup Finals to the Red Wings in six games, and I was hoping the Pirates would at least make it as far as the World Series this year before losing to the Tigers. Turns out I was still kind of right. The Red Wings were the class of the NHL back in 2008, winners of the Stanley Cup in '97, '98 and '02 and showed Pittsburgh's young hockey team what championship success looked like, by winning the Cup again at the old Civic Arena. The Cardinals have been the gold standard in the majors for many years, capturing eight division titles since 2000, appearing in three World Series since '04 and winning two since '06. The Pirates might have had St. Louis on the ropes after Game 3, but the Cardinals simply never blinked, and instead of wilting in the face of adversity, they shut Pittsburgh down over the final two games to advance to the NLCS. It's rare for a young team like the Pirates that isn't used to playing in the postseason to have a very successful run in its first year. The young and inexperienced Buccos may have been taught a valuable lesson by a St. Louis team that knows what it takes to win on baseball's biggest stage. It's a lesson that could pay dividends sooner rather than later--the '09 Pens came back and won the Stanley Cup by defeating Detroit in seven games.
--After Wednesday night's 6-1 loss in St. Louis, the Pirates have now scored a total of four runs in their last five games in which they had a chance to clinch a series, dating back to Game 6 of the 1991 NLCS--pretty interesting.
--Along those same lines, the Pirates' main weakness during the regular season was an offense that struggled with scoring runs and driving in runs with men in scoring position, and in the postseason, that caught up with them. Regardless of the sport, once the postseason rolls around, a team's weaknesses during the regular season will probably be exposed. I remember how awesome the 2001 Steelers were, as they rolled to a 13-3 regular season record and had the number one seed in the playoffs. But perhaps lost in the euphoria of such a great season was the team's deficiencies in special teams where Pittsburgh's unit gave up several kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns. Sure enough, in the divisional round against Baltimore, the Steelers gave up a punt return for a touchdown that made the game closer than it should have been. And then in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots scored three touchdowns, but two of them were on special teams plays--a punt return for a TD and a blocked field goal that was returned for a TD--and this proved to be the difference in a 24-17 loss.......I don't necessarily think the Pirates are a horrible hitting team. I just think their preparation and approach to hitting can be improved. During the course of the latter part of the season, after Byrd and first baseman Justin Morneau were acquired for the stretch run, coaches and media types would go on and on about the two veterans and their "professional" approach to hitting. Maybe a more professional approach is what the Pirates young hitters need to take that next step--let's hope they learned a thing or two from the two veteran rent-a-players, if their time in Pittsburgh was as brief as I suspect it might be.
--I can't tell you how excited I am about the young pitcher Cole, who was drafted number one overall in the 2011 baseball draft. Cole was fairly consistent all year long, once being called up in June, but down the stretch, after a bit of a tweak with his delivery, he was simply dominant. For as hard as he throws, many wondered why he didn't get that many strikeouts, but whatever change that was made to his delivery in early September (I'm no pitching coach) made all the difference, as Cole's K's picked up greatly. When Cole got the nod for Game 5, I didn't bat an eye because I think the kid is the real deal, and he might be something the Pirates haven't had in my lifetime, and maybe ever, an ace. And I'm not talking about an ace of the staff (every team has an "ace"), I'm talking about an ace of baseball, on par with a Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden, Randy Johnson, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, etc., etc. If you ask any Pirates expert who the greatest pitchers are in team history, they'll rattle off a list, but most of the players on the list would be from between WWI and WWII. Over the past 40 years, other than Steve Blass, Doug Drabek and John Smiley, it's hard to find a Pirates starting pitcher that was even all-star caliber. Cole, with his 100 mph fastball, has a chance to be something special, and the kind of pitcher fans will actually come out to see.
That's all I have for now. The Pirates magical run was so awesome, I'm sure I'll be writing much more about it in the near future.
Let's Go Bucs!
Friday, October 11, 2013
2013 Pittsburgh Pirates: A re-birth of a franchise
The 2013 season was a great one for the Pirates, as they enjoyed their first winning campaign since 1992, their first postseason berth since 1992, and technically, won their first postseason "series" since 1979, after defeating Cincinnati in the National League Wild Card game at PNC Park on Tuesday, October 1. Pittsburgh didn't get it done in the NLDS, falling to the mighty Cardinals in a deciding fifth game, but this was a season I, and thousands upon thousands of other Pirates faithful, will certainly never forget.
Below, I'd like to share some thoughts about the magical ride:
--If you've ever seen the movie The Natural, starring Robert Redford, you're probably familiar with the scene toward the beginning of the film where the struggling and last place New York Knights are playing before a sparse home crowd, as Roy Hobbs, Redford's character in the movie, quietly arrives to change things forever. The final scene of the movie has the red hot Knights playing on the same home field, before a packed and excited crowd, as they take on a fictional Pirates team in a one-game playoff for the right to go to the World Series. As I think about the real Pirates 2013 season, I can't help but think of that movie. On April 7, while bowling in my local league, I watched Pittsburgh fall to 1-5 after a loss at Dodgers Stadium. The lanes my team bowled on that night were situated right next to the TV, but it was hardly a distraction for me, and certainly not for most of the bowlers at the alley. It was just your typical Pirates loss. And while I certainly didn't expect a last place finish, especially after two straight late summer flirtations with contention in the previous two seasons, I couldn't have envisioned in my wildest dreams that Pittsburgh's fledgling baseball team would improve upon its 79-83 record from 2012 by a whopping 15 games and make the postseason for the first time since before Bill Clinton was in office. But that's exactly what happened. In between was a magical ride, as the Pirates flirted with, not only first place in the National League Central Division, but with the major's best record, as they battled the tough and talented Cardinals and Reds for divisional supremacy. The Pirates missed out on the division by three games, as St. Louis captured the crown, as well as, the top seed in the National League. But Pittsburgh did make its way to the NLDS, thanks to one of the most memorable nights in team history. On October 1, the Pirates defeated Cincinnati in the National League "single-elimination" Wild Card Game, before a raucous and baseball starved crowd at PNC Park, that came dressed in black and was alive and loud the entire night. To finish my "Natural" narrative, five nights later, on October 6 (almost exactly six months to the day after that apathetic baseball night in April), I was back at that same bowling alley, and on the exact same lanes next to the exact same TV, as I tried to concentrate on my bowling match while I watched the Pirates defeat St. Louis in Game 3 of the NLDS to go up 2-1 in the series. PNC Park was electric that night, as were most of the people at the alley. Believe me when I tell you, it was the most alive I've ever felt watching a Pirates game. When Pedro Alvarez drove in Josh Harrison with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning, and Jason Grilli slammed the door in the ninth, it was the single greatest feeling I ever had after watching a Pirates game. Unfortunately, it was the last great feeling of the season, as the Cardinals came back and won the next two. However, I'll never forget everything that transpired between April 7 and October 6, and how this city was transformed and transfixed by its often forgotten baseball team. After 20 years, it was great to be in-love with baseball again.
--Fortunately, there are enough wise Pirates fans who didn't forget about the history of the team. While 2013 certainly seemed like the "birth" of the franchise, it was actually just a "re-birth." Many people might not know this, but the Pirates are one of the most successful teams in the history of baseball. Pittsburgh actually played in the very first modern World Series, back in 1903. All-in-all, the Pirates have nine National League pennants, and five World Series titles. Furthermore, the Bucs won nine Eastern Division titles from 1969- 1992 (including six division titles in the 1970s).
--The great on-field success over the years is obviously due to the many greats who have donned Pirates black and gold. From Honus Wagner to Roberto Clemente to Willie Stargell, Bill Mazeroski, Ralph Kiner Barry Bonds and the Waner Brothers, the Pirates are certainly more than well-represented in Cooperstown.
--But while the Pirates may be the most glaring example of a once proud franchise that suffered a dark period, they're certainly not alone. I suppose someone had to suffer the longest losing streak of all the small market teams, but what about other once great and successful baseball organizations that got lost in the wake of free agency and the disparity between big and small baseball markets?
-Cincinnati Reds. The Reds have had a big resurgence in recent years, but they also endured a lengthy postseason drought of their own, missing the playoffs for 15 straight years, before finally capturing the NL Central crown in 2010. While Cincinnati has enjoyed postseason success three of the past four seasons, it hasn't been back to the Fall Classic since 1990--a 4-0 sweep of the A's. Like Pittsburgh, the Reds enjoyed a great deal of success in the 70s, winning six NL West titles, four NL pennants, and back-to-back World Championships in '75 and '76. The Reds also have nine total pennants and five World Series rings.
-Baltimore Orioles. From 1966-1983, the Orioles captured six American League pennants and won the World Series three times. However, the O's haven't been back to the Fall Classic since '83 and have only made three appearances in the postseason--including just once since 1997.
-Kansas City Royals. From 1976-1985, the Royals captured six American League West titles, advanced to the World Series twice and won it after defeating St. Louis in 1985. Unfortunately, Kansas City hasn't been back to the postseason since, with only a handful of winning seasons to brag about.
--The Pirates have been criticized for having an inept front office and frugal owners for the better part of the past 21 seasons (and rightfully so), but can we honestly assume that all the above mentioned teams were just as inept? We're talking about a group of small market franchises that appeared in 14 World Series from 1966-1985 and won seven titles. Isn't it a little coincidental that, of the four franchises, only one has been to and won a World Series since '85? Is the main source of the lengthy struggles ineptitude, or is the core of the problem the growth of local TV revenue for large market teams, which, in turn, drastically increased the amount of money those teams could spend on top of the line free agents? I'm leaning toward the latter.
Whoa, this is longer than I thought it would be. I think I'll share more thoughts at a later time. Enjoy this one for now, though!
Go Bucs in 2014 and beyond!
Below, I'd like to share some thoughts about the magical ride:
--If you've ever seen the movie The Natural, starring Robert Redford, you're probably familiar with the scene toward the beginning of the film where the struggling and last place New York Knights are playing before a sparse home crowd, as Roy Hobbs, Redford's character in the movie, quietly arrives to change things forever. The final scene of the movie has the red hot Knights playing on the same home field, before a packed and excited crowd, as they take on a fictional Pirates team in a one-game playoff for the right to go to the World Series. As I think about the real Pirates 2013 season, I can't help but think of that movie. On April 7, while bowling in my local league, I watched Pittsburgh fall to 1-5 after a loss at Dodgers Stadium. The lanes my team bowled on that night were situated right next to the TV, but it was hardly a distraction for me, and certainly not for most of the bowlers at the alley. It was just your typical Pirates loss. And while I certainly didn't expect a last place finish, especially after two straight late summer flirtations with contention in the previous two seasons, I couldn't have envisioned in my wildest dreams that Pittsburgh's fledgling baseball team would improve upon its 79-83 record from 2012 by a whopping 15 games and make the postseason for the first time since before Bill Clinton was in office. But that's exactly what happened. In between was a magical ride, as the Pirates flirted with, not only first place in the National League Central Division, but with the major's best record, as they battled the tough and talented Cardinals and Reds for divisional supremacy. The Pirates missed out on the division by three games, as St. Louis captured the crown, as well as, the top seed in the National League. But Pittsburgh did make its way to the NLDS, thanks to one of the most memorable nights in team history. On October 1, the Pirates defeated Cincinnati in the National League "single-elimination" Wild Card Game, before a raucous and baseball starved crowd at PNC Park, that came dressed in black and was alive and loud the entire night. To finish my "Natural" narrative, five nights later, on October 6 (almost exactly six months to the day after that apathetic baseball night in April), I was back at that same bowling alley, and on the exact same lanes next to the exact same TV, as I tried to concentrate on my bowling match while I watched the Pirates defeat St. Louis in Game 3 of the NLDS to go up 2-1 in the series. PNC Park was electric that night, as were most of the people at the alley. Believe me when I tell you, it was the most alive I've ever felt watching a Pirates game. When Pedro Alvarez drove in Josh Harrison with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning, and Jason Grilli slammed the door in the ninth, it was the single greatest feeling I ever had after watching a Pirates game. Unfortunately, it was the last great feeling of the season, as the Cardinals came back and won the next two. However, I'll never forget everything that transpired between April 7 and October 6, and how this city was transformed and transfixed by its often forgotten baseball team. After 20 years, it was great to be in-love with baseball again.
--Fortunately, there are enough wise Pirates fans who didn't forget about the history of the team. While 2013 certainly seemed like the "birth" of the franchise, it was actually just a "re-birth." Many people might not know this, but the Pirates are one of the most successful teams in the history of baseball. Pittsburgh actually played in the very first modern World Series, back in 1903. All-in-all, the Pirates have nine National League pennants, and five World Series titles. Furthermore, the Bucs won nine Eastern Division titles from 1969- 1992 (including six division titles in the 1970s).
--The great on-field success over the years is obviously due to the many greats who have donned Pirates black and gold. From Honus Wagner to Roberto Clemente to Willie Stargell, Bill Mazeroski, Ralph Kiner Barry Bonds and the Waner Brothers, the Pirates are certainly more than well-represented in Cooperstown.
--But while the Pirates may be the most glaring example of a once proud franchise that suffered a dark period, they're certainly not alone. I suppose someone had to suffer the longest losing streak of all the small market teams, but what about other once great and successful baseball organizations that got lost in the wake of free agency and the disparity between big and small baseball markets?
-Cincinnati Reds. The Reds have had a big resurgence in recent years, but they also endured a lengthy postseason drought of their own, missing the playoffs for 15 straight years, before finally capturing the NL Central crown in 2010. While Cincinnati has enjoyed postseason success three of the past four seasons, it hasn't been back to the Fall Classic since 1990--a 4-0 sweep of the A's. Like Pittsburgh, the Reds enjoyed a great deal of success in the 70s, winning six NL West titles, four NL pennants, and back-to-back World Championships in '75 and '76. The Reds also have nine total pennants and five World Series rings.
-Baltimore Orioles. From 1966-1983, the Orioles captured six American League pennants and won the World Series three times. However, the O's haven't been back to the Fall Classic since '83 and have only made three appearances in the postseason--including just once since 1997.
-Kansas City Royals. From 1976-1985, the Royals captured six American League West titles, advanced to the World Series twice and won it after defeating St. Louis in 1985. Unfortunately, Kansas City hasn't been back to the postseason since, with only a handful of winning seasons to brag about.
--The Pirates have been criticized for having an inept front office and frugal owners for the better part of the past 21 seasons (and rightfully so), but can we honestly assume that all the above mentioned teams were just as inept? We're talking about a group of small market franchises that appeared in 14 World Series from 1966-1985 and won seven titles. Isn't it a little coincidental that, of the four franchises, only one has been to and won a World Series since '85? Is the main source of the lengthy struggles ineptitude, or is the core of the problem the growth of local TV revenue for large market teams, which, in turn, drastically increased the amount of money those teams could spend on top of the line free agents? I'm leaning toward the latter.
Whoa, this is longer than I thought it would be. I think I'll share more thoughts at a later time. Enjoy this one for now, though!
Go Bucs in 2014 and beyond!
Monday, October 7, 2013
Pirates lose Game 4 of NLDS, off to St. Louis for epic Game 5 on Wednesday
I'm always preaching about the awesomeness of the NFL playoffs and how a game is such an emotional roller coaster because of the lack of "tomorrows."
Today, on Monday, October 7, 2013, I'm glad there will be an October 9, because the Pirates will still be playing baseball, despite a 2-1 to St. Louis in Game 4 of the NLDS at PNC Park.
Like most Pittsburgh fans, I just assumed business would be taken care of in front of the home folks, but the Cardinals are not the Cardinals for nothing, and they usually have something up their sleeve, elimination game or no elimination game.
That something was rookie pitching sensation Michael Wacha, who pitched 7 1/3 hitless innings before yielding a one out home run to Pedro Alvarez in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull the Pirates to within a run, at 2-1.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, Josh Harrison was caught stealing later in the inning on a hit and run. And in the bottom of the ninth inning, after Neil Walker drew a two-out walk, Andrew McCutchen popped out to end the game and send the series back to Busch Stadium on Wednesday.
I'm obviously very disappointed in Monday's results, and I know a lot of people are already chalking up a win for the Cardinals, but I have a feeling Wednesday will be a special day for Bucco Nation.
You see, manager Clint Hurdle named rookie phenom Gerrit Cole as the Game 5 starter. It was a gutsy move by Hurdle, because if Cole struggles, and the Pirates lose, he'll be second-guessed by people who will say he should have gone with the veteran A.J. Burnett.
But like I said, it is a gutsy move, and maybe it's just the eternal optimist in me, but my gut tells me Cole will show the baseball world just what kind of phenom he truly is.
As for the Cardinals starter, they'll be trotting out Adam Wainwright, their ace and the man who shut down Pittsburgh in Game 1. However, no man is perfect, and I have the feeling that Wainwright's curve ball won't be curving as much as it did last Thursday, and the Pirates are going to get them some.
Not only am I predicting a Pirates victory, I'm predicting an easy win.
Regardless of what happens, though, I think it's important to remember just how magical this season has already been. I hate to be like one of "those" fans that I always argue with online, but there was no sin in how the Pirates lost Game 4.
The Cardinals are tough, and like most great teams, they know how to win when their backs are against the wall. If Pittsburgh falls on Wednesday, hey, it wouldn't be the first team to lose to the Cardinals.
World Series or not, I honestly think this is just the beginning for these Pirates. They don't look like a team that's going to struggle for respectability in the ensuing seasons. If I had to make a wager, I'd say they have a really good chance of being the Tampa Rays of the National League and competing for many more years to come.
Big picture, I remember the days when anticipating a Game 5 was nothing more than a fantasy. Now, it's a reality. And in terms of the emotions I felt while watching Game 3, Sunday afternoon and into evening? It was by far the most fun I've ever had watching a Pirates game.
Nothing will take away how that game made me feel, and I just hope Wednesday is another great chapter in an already remarkable story.
Ah yes, there is still one more tomorrow for these Pirates, and I actually wish it was tomorrow and not Wednesday.
I shouldn't be pumped up, but I am.
Let's Go Bucs!
Today, on Monday, October 7, 2013, I'm glad there will be an October 9, because the Pirates will still be playing baseball, despite a 2-1 to St. Louis in Game 4 of the NLDS at PNC Park.
Like most Pittsburgh fans, I just assumed business would be taken care of in front of the home folks, but the Cardinals are not the Cardinals for nothing, and they usually have something up their sleeve, elimination game or no elimination game.
That something was rookie pitching sensation Michael Wacha, who pitched 7 1/3 hitless innings before yielding a one out home run to Pedro Alvarez in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull the Pirates to within a run, at 2-1.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, Josh Harrison was caught stealing later in the inning on a hit and run. And in the bottom of the ninth inning, after Neil Walker drew a two-out walk, Andrew McCutchen popped out to end the game and send the series back to Busch Stadium on Wednesday.
I'm obviously very disappointed in Monday's results, and I know a lot of people are already chalking up a win for the Cardinals, but I have a feeling Wednesday will be a special day for Bucco Nation.
You see, manager Clint Hurdle named rookie phenom Gerrit Cole as the Game 5 starter. It was a gutsy move by Hurdle, because if Cole struggles, and the Pirates lose, he'll be second-guessed by people who will say he should have gone with the veteran A.J. Burnett.
But like I said, it is a gutsy move, and maybe it's just the eternal optimist in me, but my gut tells me Cole will show the baseball world just what kind of phenom he truly is.
As for the Cardinals starter, they'll be trotting out Adam Wainwright, their ace and the man who shut down Pittsburgh in Game 1. However, no man is perfect, and I have the feeling that Wainwright's curve ball won't be curving as much as it did last Thursday, and the Pirates are going to get them some.
Not only am I predicting a Pirates victory, I'm predicting an easy win.
Regardless of what happens, though, I think it's important to remember just how magical this season has already been. I hate to be like one of "those" fans that I always argue with online, but there was no sin in how the Pirates lost Game 4.
The Cardinals are tough, and like most great teams, they know how to win when their backs are against the wall. If Pittsburgh falls on Wednesday, hey, it wouldn't be the first team to lose to the Cardinals.
World Series or not, I honestly think this is just the beginning for these Pirates. They don't look like a team that's going to struggle for respectability in the ensuing seasons. If I had to make a wager, I'd say they have a really good chance of being the Tampa Rays of the National League and competing for many more years to come.
Big picture, I remember the days when anticipating a Game 5 was nothing more than a fantasy. Now, it's a reality. And in terms of the emotions I felt while watching Game 3, Sunday afternoon and into evening? It was by far the most fun I've ever had watching a Pirates game.
Nothing will take away how that game made me feel, and I just hope Wednesday is another great chapter in an already remarkable story.
Ah yes, there is still one more tomorrow for these Pirates, and I actually wish it was tomorrow and not Wednesday.
I shouldn't be pumped up, but I am.
Let's Go Bucs!
Pirates playoff intensity: Get some!
After not having much to be intense about over the past 20 years, the Pirates are sure making up for lost time in 2013.
After a thrilling, 5-3, victory over the Cardinals at PNC Park in Game 3 of the NLDS on Sunday, Pittsburgh can clinch a trip to the NLCS with a Game 4 win at PNC on Monday afternoon, and it's going to be intense and emotional.
How do I know this? Because that's how the entire season has been for me since about late June. On a Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, when the Pirates came back from three runs down in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game and then won it in the 10th inning to complete a sweep of the Angels, I became emotionally invested, and my emotions continued to be heightened the rest of the summer.
It's funny that I was so intense all summer, because, really, with regards to at least a wild card berth, Pittsburgh didn't have a ton to worry about once a 7.5 game lead was established, following that previously mentioned exciting win in California.
But when all you're used to is NFL intensity, it gets kind of hard to not think of every baseball game as do or die. I remember pacing the floors of my apartment during the Pirates 16 inning loss to Arizona, and that was all the way back in August--a loss that shaved the Pirates wild card lead to 7.5 games with 39 to go.
Two weeks ago, when the Pirates blew that 5-2 lead against Cincinnati in the top of the ninth inning, it felt like the end of the world. I seriously woke up the next morning feeling like I did after that infamous Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS.
Of course, the Pirates would eventually be OK in the "making the playoffs" department, and actually clinched their first postseason berth with a win at Wrigley Field on September 23, and it did relax me a little.
Instead of worrying about if and when Pittsburgh would clinch a postseason berth, I used that week as a chance to celebrate, even though the Pirates still had a relatively realistic shot at winning the NL Central. Of course, the Cardinals still had a two game lead with six to play, and I knew the chances of catching St. Louis were pretty slim.
Therefore, I slowly began to anticipate the probable Wild Card play-in match-up against the Reds to be played on the Tuesday after the regular season finale. The only question would be where the game would be played. Both the Pirates and Cincinnati clinched a wild card berth on the same day, and when the two teams met for the final regular season series of the year at Great American Ballpark, the Pirates were a game ahead, and if they took two of three, they would host the game. If the reverse happened, the Reds would host the game.
Truthfully, I was only mildly concerned about where the game would be played. I mean, it's baseball, and home-field advantage (at least for one game) probably isn't that important. However, I still desired a game at PNC Park, simply because I knew just how awesome of an atmosphere it would be.
Thankfully, Pittsburgh actually swept the Reds to clinch home-field, and much like I had anticipated, the fans were JACKED for the game. Thanks to Twitter suggestions from several Pirates players, there was a black-out, as the fans donned black shirts for the game, which made PNC Park look at awful lot like the Oakland Coliseum during an old Raiders game from the 70s--kind of fitting, I suppose, cause, you know, Pirates/Raiders.
Anyway, back to the dreading part for Yours truly. I'm not going to lie. Despite the sweep in Cincinnati, I kind of felt like the Reds were just lying in wait for Pittsburgh and wanted to show the Pirates what postseason baseball was all about.
I thought about it, and I thought about it, and I thought about it for days--this kind of thing is normally reserved for playoff football.
When the moment finally arrived last Tuesday evening, at 8:07, I was very nervous. In fact, I didn't want to watch or listen to the game. I simply wanted it to be over with.
I had to pick my mom up from church, right after work, and the route took me right past PNC Park during the "win or go home" battle. I was simply amazed at all the boats that were parked in the river, just outside the park, as well as, all the people sitting and watching the events unfold as they stood along the shore, across the river--it was quite the sight to behold.
Still, though, I couldn't turn the radio on, and I didn't want anyone to give me any updates (after all that build up, the last thing I wanted to hear was something like "Reds 4, Pirates 0, top of the third").
After I dropped my mom off at her house, I drove to my place. As I walked by the other apartments to get to mine, I listened for cheers from my neighbors, and I heard nothing.
About an hour after arriving home, I finally started to check social media, and that's when I realized things might be going fairly well. In addition to that, I turned my cell phone on (had to shut it off. I didn't want any updates from anyone, via text), and that's when I saw a text from my uncle, "Where the hell are you?" (I was supposed to watch it over his house, but I was just too damn scared), and my brother "Are you nervous?"
I turned my phone off again, and I paced back and forth until maybe 11:30 or so, and that's when I finally knew the Pirates had won. It was such a great night, a night that I didn't get to experience live, but I sure felt like I played.
What felt so unnatural to me was the fact that the Pirates had to be in St. Louis to play Game 1 of the NLDS less than 48 hours later. I wanted like a week to celebrate such a great night--but this isn't the NFL playoffs we're talking about.
Speaking of the NLDS, you know what I discovered? It was quite hard to get my emotions back up for Game 1. I don't know if it was the fact that I had a volleyball match, or the fact that it wasn't "win or go home," but I just didn't have it. Don't get me wrong, I was pretty disappointed when I discovered that Pittsburgh was down, 7-0, fairly fast, but I guess I was just flat--much like the players, I suppose.
It's been an incredible ride, and after 21 years, a learning experience.
Baseball playoffs are intense, but even the most intense fan can't keep up the intensity every day.
But then there was Game 3 and sweating in the form of bullets--more on that in another post.
Let's Go Bucs!
After a thrilling, 5-3, victory over the Cardinals at PNC Park in Game 3 of the NLDS on Sunday, Pittsburgh can clinch a trip to the NLCS with a Game 4 win at PNC on Monday afternoon, and it's going to be intense and emotional.
How do I know this? Because that's how the entire season has been for me since about late June. On a Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, when the Pirates came back from three runs down in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game and then won it in the 10th inning to complete a sweep of the Angels, I became emotionally invested, and my emotions continued to be heightened the rest of the summer.
It's funny that I was so intense all summer, because, really, with regards to at least a wild card berth, Pittsburgh didn't have a ton to worry about once a 7.5 game lead was established, following that previously mentioned exciting win in California.
But when all you're used to is NFL intensity, it gets kind of hard to not think of every baseball game as do or die. I remember pacing the floors of my apartment during the Pirates 16 inning loss to Arizona, and that was all the way back in August--a loss that shaved the Pirates wild card lead to 7.5 games with 39 to go.
Two weeks ago, when the Pirates blew that 5-2 lead against Cincinnati in the top of the ninth inning, it felt like the end of the world. I seriously woke up the next morning feeling like I did after that infamous Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS.
Of course, the Pirates would eventually be OK in the "making the playoffs" department, and actually clinched their first postseason berth with a win at Wrigley Field on September 23, and it did relax me a little.
Instead of worrying about if and when Pittsburgh would clinch a postseason berth, I used that week as a chance to celebrate, even though the Pirates still had a relatively realistic shot at winning the NL Central. Of course, the Cardinals still had a two game lead with six to play, and I knew the chances of catching St. Louis were pretty slim.
Therefore, I slowly began to anticipate the probable Wild Card play-in match-up against the Reds to be played on the Tuesday after the regular season finale. The only question would be where the game would be played. Both the Pirates and Cincinnati clinched a wild card berth on the same day, and when the two teams met for the final regular season series of the year at Great American Ballpark, the Pirates were a game ahead, and if they took two of three, they would host the game. If the reverse happened, the Reds would host the game.
Truthfully, I was only mildly concerned about where the game would be played. I mean, it's baseball, and home-field advantage (at least for one game) probably isn't that important. However, I still desired a game at PNC Park, simply because I knew just how awesome of an atmosphere it would be.
Thankfully, Pittsburgh actually swept the Reds to clinch home-field, and much like I had anticipated, the fans were JACKED for the game. Thanks to Twitter suggestions from several Pirates players, there was a black-out, as the fans donned black shirts for the game, which made PNC Park look at awful lot like the Oakland Coliseum during an old Raiders game from the 70s--kind of fitting, I suppose, cause, you know, Pirates/Raiders.
Anyway, back to the dreading part for Yours truly. I'm not going to lie. Despite the sweep in Cincinnati, I kind of felt like the Reds were just lying in wait for Pittsburgh and wanted to show the Pirates what postseason baseball was all about.
I thought about it, and I thought about it, and I thought about it for days--this kind of thing is normally reserved for playoff football.
When the moment finally arrived last Tuesday evening, at 8:07, I was very nervous. In fact, I didn't want to watch or listen to the game. I simply wanted it to be over with.
I had to pick my mom up from church, right after work, and the route took me right past PNC Park during the "win or go home" battle. I was simply amazed at all the boats that were parked in the river, just outside the park, as well as, all the people sitting and watching the events unfold as they stood along the shore, across the river--it was quite the sight to behold.
Still, though, I couldn't turn the radio on, and I didn't want anyone to give me any updates (after all that build up, the last thing I wanted to hear was something like "Reds 4, Pirates 0, top of the third").
After I dropped my mom off at her house, I drove to my place. As I walked by the other apartments to get to mine, I listened for cheers from my neighbors, and I heard nothing.
About an hour after arriving home, I finally started to check social media, and that's when I realized things might be going fairly well. In addition to that, I turned my cell phone on (had to shut it off. I didn't want any updates from anyone, via text), and that's when I saw a text from my uncle, "Where the hell are you?" (I was supposed to watch it over his house, but I was just too damn scared), and my brother "Are you nervous?"
I turned my phone off again, and I paced back and forth until maybe 11:30 or so, and that's when I finally knew the Pirates had won. It was such a great night, a night that I didn't get to experience live, but I sure felt like I played.
What felt so unnatural to me was the fact that the Pirates had to be in St. Louis to play Game 1 of the NLDS less than 48 hours later. I wanted like a week to celebrate such a great night--but this isn't the NFL playoffs we're talking about.
Speaking of the NLDS, you know what I discovered? It was quite hard to get my emotions back up for Game 1. I don't know if it was the fact that I had a volleyball match, or the fact that it wasn't "win or go home," but I just didn't have it. Don't get me wrong, I was pretty disappointed when I discovered that Pittsburgh was down, 7-0, fairly fast, but I guess I was just flat--much like the players, I suppose.
It's been an incredible ride, and after 21 years, a learning experience.
Baseball playoffs are intense, but even the most intense fan can't keep up the intensity every day.
But then there was Game 3 and sweating in the form of bullets--more on that in another post.
Let's Go Bucs!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Here we are again, playoff baseball
You know those scenes in TV shows or movies, where past lovers unexpectedly run into one another? Usually, one person was left holding the bag in the relationship, and this is the person who may react more emotionally to the moment. Nevertheless, there is awkward tension between both parties, as they try to process this encounter and all those emotions that come flooding back.
Not to sound too dramatic, Pirates playoff baseball, but it's been a long time since I woke up with equal parts excitement and dread about a do-or-die baseball game. The last time I awoke to such a day, it was the morning of Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series, when you guys were about a half a day away from taking on the Braves for the right to go to the World Series.
After two heart-breaking exits in the previous two NLCS's, and after battling back from 3-1 down in '92, I was certain you were going to pull off the come back and give the City of Pittsburgh some awesome World Series moments.
I remember a lot about that day. My uncle was painting my grandmother's living room, and I can still recall the smell of paint as I walked into the house following a day of learning at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (I doubt I learned anything that day, since I was simply thinking of you, Pirates).
I remember talking to my brother on the phone, mere hours before Game 7, and the last thing he said to me was "Go Bucs."
Well, I think you and I both know what happened that night, how you ripped by heart out and then skipped town, leaving a vacuum that was filled with mediocre talent and results that were much, much worse than that.
Here we are after 21 years. I never thought I'd be having these feeling, again, Pirates. Feelings of postseason baseball. That day left a scar that still hurts when I touch it (You know I still can't watch the ninth inning of that dreadful Game 7?)
Others have come along to fill the void you left, but then again, the Steelers have always been No. 1 in my heart (you know I still cringe whenever someone says "Go Steelers" before a big game?), but you were special to me, too, Pirates. In fact, those memories of the early 90's were mostly special, and even though they left me feeling depressed after each season, I never thought you'd leave me for over 20 years.
It just feels so weird, so strange. Are you going to leave again, or are you here to stay? I guess that's the thing about love. The "unknowns" are so alluring, so enticing.
I don't know what's going to happen tonight, but I do know I'll never be the same again.
Go Bucs!
Not to sound too dramatic, Pirates playoff baseball, but it's been a long time since I woke up with equal parts excitement and dread about a do-or-die baseball game. The last time I awoke to such a day, it was the morning of Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series, when you guys were about a half a day away from taking on the Braves for the right to go to the World Series.
After two heart-breaking exits in the previous two NLCS's, and after battling back from 3-1 down in '92, I was certain you were going to pull off the come back and give the City of Pittsburgh some awesome World Series moments.
I remember a lot about that day. My uncle was painting my grandmother's living room, and I can still recall the smell of paint as I walked into the house following a day of learning at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (I doubt I learned anything that day, since I was simply thinking of you, Pirates).
I remember talking to my brother on the phone, mere hours before Game 7, and the last thing he said to me was "Go Bucs."
Well, I think you and I both know what happened that night, how you ripped by heart out and then skipped town, leaving a vacuum that was filled with mediocre talent and results that were much, much worse than that.
Here we are after 21 years. I never thought I'd be having these feeling, again, Pirates. Feelings of postseason baseball. That day left a scar that still hurts when I touch it (You know I still can't watch the ninth inning of that dreadful Game 7?)
Others have come along to fill the void you left, but then again, the Steelers have always been No. 1 in my heart (you know I still cringe whenever someone says "Go Steelers" before a big game?), but you were special to me, too, Pirates. In fact, those memories of the early 90's were mostly special, and even though they left me feeling depressed after each season, I never thought you'd leave me for over 20 years.
It just feels so weird, so strange. Are you going to leave again, or are you here to stay? I guess that's the thing about love. The "unknowns" are so alluring, so enticing.
I don't know what's going to happen tonight, but I do know I'll never be the same again.
Go Bucs!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Buctober for the first time in 21 years
It's been a long road, and mostly an empty feeling being a Pirates fan over the past 21 seasons. Instead of stress of a pennant race, there was just anger and frustration akin to how one would feel if they had to go into work everyday knowing they hated their job.
As you may or may not know, the Pirates ended the longest streak of losing seasons by a professional sports team this year (20), and to make it even doubly sweet, their 94-68 record was good enough for second place in the National League Central and qualified them for a one game wild card playoff showdown with Cincinnati on Tuesday night at PNC Park.
After the 20 years of losing as well as the previous two summers of late-season collapses, it was quite the anxious 2013 campaign, as I watched the Buccos climb to 21 games over .500 by late June and stay around that mark the rest of the way.
The main reason I was so nervous was that I obviously didn't want to see Pittsburgh collapse and clinch a 21st straight season of futility. But another reason why the highs were so high and the lows were so low was because the Pirates built a pretty substantial wild card lead fairly early, and any tick off that number was a source of angst for Yours truly. I continued to stress out about that number all the way until Pittsburgh finally clinched a spot in the postseason a week ago, Monday.
Since that day, I've been pretty relaxed and proud, proud to be a Pirates fan. I've fished out old VHS tapes of times when the local baseball team was once among the best in the sport and watched with great joy.
It's been a good feeling being this relaxed and content with my baseball team. After 21 years of feeling barely anything, and a few summers of the frustration and disappointment of what could have been, it's certainly welcome.
However, Tuesday night, I, and many other Pirates fans like me, get thrown from the frying pan straight into the fire. There's really no other way to describe the first postseason match-up in over two decades that will have the exact same "Game 7" consequences as the previous match-up in 1992, when former Bucco Sid Bream slid across home plate to win the National League pennant for the Braves and tear the heart out of the entire city of Pittsburgh--a wound that never fully healed until the boys got to whip out that champagne at Wrigley Field after wrapping up a postseason berth last week.
The Pirates will be at home for the big showdown, and they'll be coming off a weekend sweep at Cincinnati that clinched the top wild card spot in the National league and gave the team a lot of momentum. And the fans, the ones who bought playoff tickets, will have the extra bonus of seeing the long playoff drought come to an end in person.
But, the difference between an ordinary "best of " playoff series and the single-elimination wild card format that MLB enacted last year means that someone will be going home tomorrow night a loser after 162 games of hard work, and a fan base will be depressed after months and months of cheering, praying and hoping.
It just seems so final....unless Pittsburgh wins, of course. Fortunately, as a huge Steelers fan, I'm used to the whole "single-elimination" playoff format, and really, because of the unique set-up, the build-up and anticipation, it actually feels like I'm getting ready to "endure" an NFL playoff game. It might not be natural in a baseball sense, but it's basically the same feeling.
Last week, I heard a radio personality say that baseball playoffs are torture. That's actually how the late Sparky Anderson once described them, and that makes me feel better, because I thought I was the only one who felt that way. There's no clock in baseball, and all it takes is a walk, a bloop and a blast to turn a five run lead into a nail-biter.
After tomorrow, if Pittsburgh wins, it'll be a day to celebrate before heading to St. Louis for the best of five NLDS.
Tuesday night around 11pm can't come fast enough.
Welcome to playoff torture, Pirates fans.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
As you may or may not know, the Pirates ended the longest streak of losing seasons by a professional sports team this year (20), and to make it even doubly sweet, their 94-68 record was good enough for second place in the National League Central and qualified them for a one game wild card playoff showdown with Cincinnati on Tuesday night at PNC Park.
After the 20 years of losing as well as the previous two summers of late-season collapses, it was quite the anxious 2013 campaign, as I watched the Buccos climb to 21 games over .500 by late June and stay around that mark the rest of the way.
The main reason I was so nervous was that I obviously didn't want to see Pittsburgh collapse and clinch a 21st straight season of futility. But another reason why the highs were so high and the lows were so low was because the Pirates built a pretty substantial wild card lead fairly early, and any tick off that number was a source of angst for Yours truly. I continued to stress out about that number all the way until Pittsburgh finally clinched a spot in the postseason a week ago, Monday.
Since that day, I've been pretty relaxed and proud, proud to be a Pirates fan. I've fished out old VHS tapes of times when the local baseball team was once among the best in the sport and watched with great joy.
It's been a good feeling being this relaxed and content with my baseball team. After 21 years of feeling barely anything, and a few summers of the frustration and disappointment of what could have been, it's certainly welcome.
However, Tuesday night, I, and many other Pirates fans like me, get thrown from the frying pan straight into the fire. There's really no other way to describe the first postseason match-up in over two decades that will have the exact same "Game 7" consequences as the previous match-up in 1992, when former Bucco Sid Bream slid across home plate to win the National League pennant for the Braves and tear the heart out of the entire city of Pittsburgh--a wound that never fully healed until the boys got to whip out that champagne at Wrigley Field after wrapping up a postseason berth last week.
The Pirates will be at home for the big showdown, and they'll be coming off a weekend sweep at Cincinnati that clinched the top wild card spot in the National league and gave the team a lot of momentum. And the fans, the ones who bought playoff tickets, will have the extra bonus of seeing the long playoff drought come to an end in person.
But, the difference between an ordinary "best of " playoff series and the single-elimination wild card format that MLB enacted last year means that someone will be going home tomorrow night a loser after 162 games of hard work, and a fan base will be depressed after months and months of cheering, praying and hoping.
It just seems so final....unless Pittsburgh wins, of course. Fortunately, as a huge Steelers fan, I'm used to the whole "single-elimination" playoff format, and really, because of the unique set-up, the build-up and anticipation, it actually feels like I'm getting ready to "endure" an NFL playoff game. It might not be natural in a baseball sense, but it's basically the same feeling.
Last week, I heard a radio personality say that baseball playoffs are torture. That's actually how the late Sparky Anderson once described them, and that makes me feel better, because I thought I was the only one who felt that way. There's no clock in baseball, and all it takes is a walk, a bloop and a blast to turn a five run lead into a nail-biter.
After tomorrow, if Pittsburgh wins, it'll be a day to celebrate before heading to St. Louis for the best of five NLDS.
Tuesday night around 11pm can't come fast enough.
Welcome to playoff torture, Pirates fans.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Pirates clinch first playoff spot in 21 years after thrilling victory at Wrigley Field
It's amazing how the times and technology (and a bad TV) can make something truly memorable.
On Monday night, I was following the Bucs Dugout gamethread on the Internet, when I noticed everyone reacting to the fact that Starling Marte hit a ninth inning home run to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
As soon as I read that, I immediately began to try to turn my TV on. Now the reason I wrote "try" is because my TV has been dysfunctional for a very long time, and instead of biting the bullet and getting a new one, I've just gotten used to the process of holding the "power" button on my remote and allowing the set to warm up and finally turn on--a process that takes about 10 minutes, give or take.
While I was doing this on Monday, I was also visiting the Cardinals official team website on my laptop computer because St. Louis was playing the Nationals (the only team left who could destroy Pittsburgh's postseason prospects), and I wanted to keep tabs on the score because a Washington loss combined with a Pirates win would give the Buccos their first postseason berth since before Bill Clinton was President.
Beings that the Pirates are currently chasing St. Louis for the NL Central crown, I suppose I had mixed feelings about a Cardinals win, but any postseason berth is wonderful, and since you don't get to see "clinches" everyday, I was rooting for St. Louis, at that moment.
Anyway, while continuing with the whole "trying to turn my TV on process," I heard people talking on my laptop. Turns out, a "live look-in" of the Pirates/Cubs game popped up on the Cardinals site, thanks to MLB.com, the flagship site that houses every team's official website, so as I was still trying to get my TV to turn on, I was standing in front of my laptop, watching Jason Grilli get the second out of the ninth inning, thanks to a force-play at second base.
There was a runner on first, and the count on the Cubs batter was 2-2. Just then, as I anticipated seeing closer Jason Grilli punch out the last batter, so Pittsburgh could clinch at least a tie for the second wild card, MLB.com stopped the feed (dirty play). In the meantime, my TV came on, so I quickly turned to WGN, Chicago's superstation that I get on my basic cable package (the Pirates cable station, Root Sports, isn't available on basic cable, so I was hoping the Cubs game would be on WGN). Turns out, after all that trouble, I realized the Cubs game wasn't on, so I turned the TV off and turned the radio on (why didn't I just check WGN's website for its tv listings? Shut up!).
Just as I turned the radio on, I heard the final play of the game. With Nate Schierholtz on first base, Ryan Sweeney hit a pop fly single to shallow right-center field, that right fielder Marlon Byrd misplayed. Schierholtz would have wound up at third, anyway, but because of the error by Byrd, Chicago's third base coach decided to send Schierholtz home. A split second after Byrd's error, Pirates all-world center and potential MVP Andrew McCutchen, who was backing Byrd up on the play, picked the ball up and threw it toward home plate, missing two cut-off men. First baseman Justin Morneau, like Byrd, a late August acquisition, grabbed the baseball, a la Derek Jeter, and threw to catcher Russell Martin who tagged Schierholtz for the game-ending out.
I reacted like I would normally react following a big Steelers win, because on September 23, with a playoff berth on the line, any baseball win by the home team is special.
About 20 minutes later, the Cardinals defeated Washington, and the goggles and champagne were plentiful in the Pirates clubhouse.
I'm glad the Pirates celebrated like they hadn't reached the postseason for 21 years, instead of maybe the business-like celebration a more postseason savvy team might have.
After six Presidential elections, the fans deserved as much.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Pirates magic No. down to two as the team has a decent shot to wrap up postseason bid, Monday night
What's the best tonic for a traumatic loss after your favorite baseball team gave up three runs in the top of the ninth inning to its biggest division rivals?
Winning the next night, of course, and it doesn't hurt when the magic number for a playoff spot gets reduced from four to two in a span of 36 hours.
The Pirates led Cincinnati, 5-2, through eight innings, Friday night at PNC Park. Yours truly had already all but penciled in a victory for the Buccos. Unfortunately, thanks to some less than stellar defensive play by shortstop Jordy Mercer and third baseman Pedro Alvarez, the Reds were able to tie the game at five in the ninth and went on to win in 10 innings.
The Nationals have rarely lost over the past four weeks, and their 8-0 thrashing of Miami on Friday night reduced Pittsburgh's lead for that second wild card to five with eight games remaining. Yes, the odds were still pretty long for another historic collapse by the Pirates, but man, that loss to Cincinnati was just so hard to deal with for many in a fan base that have seen mostly depressing, heartbreaking baseball over the past two decades.
Fortunately, A.J. Burnett pitched perhaps his most important game as a Pirate, Saturday night, going seven strong innings and striking out 12 along the way, as Pittsburgh bounced back to win 4-2 and reduce their magic number to three for clinching a wild card spot.
The Nationals game was rained out, Saturday, but they split their doubleheader with Miami on Sunday, and despite another less than ideal performance by former All Star Jeff Locke, who gave up five runs in the first inning on Sunday, as the Reds took the rubber game, 11-3, Sunday afternoon at PNC Park in the Bucs home finale, Pittsburgh's magic for a playoff spot was reduced to two.
With his ineffective performance, Locke may have also given away any shot of pitching in the postseason, as I don't see any way Clint Hurdle allows him to pitch in any meaningful October baseball games.
While Pittsburgh played its final regular season home game at PNC Park on Sunday, whether or not it plays a game there in the postseason will be determined by what happens over the final six games. By the Reds coming to PNC and taking two games, they now sit along side Pittsburgh, atop the Wild Card standings.
Not to be forgotten is that the Cardinals are still two games up with six to go in the NL Central, and a division title doesn't look good for Pittsburgh (making Friday night's loss all the more important in that regard).
However, a five game lead in the wild card standings with six remaining means that we're all but assured of watching at least one postseason game.
Hopefully, PNC Park will be lit up one more time before all is said and done.
Winning the next night, of course, and it doesn't hurt when the magic number for a playoff spot gets reduced from four to two in a span of 36 hours.
The Pirates led Cincinnati, 5-2, through eight innings, Friday night at PNC Park. Yours truly had already all but penciled in a victory for the Buccos. Unfortunately, thanks to some less than stellar defensive play by shortstop Jordy Mercer and third baseman Pedro Alvarez, the Reds were able to tie the game at five in the ninth and went on to win in 10 innings.
The Nationals have rarely lost over the past four weeks, and their 8-0 thrashing of Miami on Friday night reduced Pittsburgh's lead for that second wild card to five with eight games remaining. Yes, the odds were still pretty long for another historic collapse by the Pirates, but man, that loss to Cincinnati was just so hard to deal with for many in a fan base that have seen mostly depressing, heartbreaking baseball over the past two decades.
Fortunately, A.J. Burnett pitched perhaps his most important game as a Pirate, Saturday night, going seven strong innings and striking out 12 along the way, as Pittsburgh bounced back to win 4-2 and reduce their magic number to three for clinching a wild card spot.
The Nationals game was rained out, Saturday, but they split their doubleheader with Miami on Sunday, and despite another less than ideal performance by former All Star Jeff Locke, who gave up five runs in the first inning on Sunday, as the Reds took the rubber game, 11-3, Sunday afternoon at PNC Park in the Bucs home finale, Pittsburgh's magic for a playoff spot was reduced to two.
With his ineffective performance, Locke may have also given away any shot of pitching in the postseason, as I don't see any way Clint Hurdle allows him to pitch in any meaningful October baseball games.
While Pittsburgh played its final regular season home game at PNC Park on Sunday, whether or not it plays a game there in the postseason will be determined by what happens over the final six games. By the Reds coming to PNC and taking two games, they now sit along side Pittsburgh, atop the Wild Card standings.
Not to be forgotten is that the Cardinals are still two games up with six to go in the NL Central, and a division title doesn't look good for Pittsburgh (making Friday night's loss all the more important in that regard).
However, a five game lead in the wild card standings with six remaining means that we're all but assured of watching at least one postseason game.
Hopefully, PNC Park will be lit up one more time before all is said and done.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
The Pirates may owe their lofty status to their record in interleague play.......ironically enough
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.
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.
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...
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