It's over! Last night, the Pittsburgh Pirates finally lifted the 13-month curse and defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 9-2. Admittedly, it was a rather strong curse as the Pirates had to play two-games to actually slay the dragon, but an exorcised demon is an exorcised demon, and I'll take it any way I can get it.
Like a lot of fans, I'm very superstitious when it comes to my favorite teams, and I believe my course of actions yesterday had a lot to do with the Pirates finally ending their Milwaukee woes.
Below is a timeline for my Monday activities:
9:23am: I visit Bob Smizik's blog and start following a pretty heated-discussion between "pro-Nuttings" and "anti-Nuttings."
9:25am: I doze-off and smack my face on my laptop. This really leaves a mark.
10:01am: I research Rickie Weeks' injury-status online and come upon the wikipedia page of former Doobie Brothers bassist, Willie Weeks, and that leads me to watch a Youtube video of the Doobie Brother hit, "Real Love." Michael Mcdonald was the best front-man for the Doobies. I don't care what anyone says. I never do find out if Rickie Weeks is off the disabled-list.
10:32am: I'm back on Smizik's blog arguing with a fan about the Pirates' spending in the draft and how that is the only way for a small-market team to possibly compete in the current MLB financial-climate. The fan tells me that the Pirates need to go out and sign a Clemente-type. I tell him that with today's baseball economics, a Clemente-type would never sign with a team like the Pirates because they couldn't afford him. The fan then tells me he witnessed Clemente's 3000th hit and says that I am just a young punk. I ask him what seeing Clemente's 3000-hit has to do with the current situation. He tells me to get a hair cut and calls me a no-good "pro-Nutter."
10:34am: I punch my laptop 21 times in-honor of Roberto Clemente.
11:00am: I leave for work, but not before placing a fresh-baked apple pie right outside my apartment door with the hopes that the aroma will reach PNC Park and distract Prince Fielder into having a poor performance in the double-header.
12pm-5pm: I log-onto Bucsdugout.com 215 times to see if anyone else has commented/rec'd my "I really hate the Milwaukee Brewers" and/or "the irrational expectations for Pedro Alvarez" posts from last week. I'm really self-absorbed.
6:16pm: I design a Ryan Braun voodoo doll, but instead of sticking it with a pin, I take a super ball and continuously pitch to the doll up-and-in.
7:15pm: Ryan Braun homers in the top of the 9th inning and the Brewers crush the Pirates, 8-1, in game-one of the double-header.
7:22pm: After Braun's homer, I decide I've had enough of this jerk and drill the Braun voodoo doll right in the backside. The Braun doll doesn't charge me, but later on, I see it bitching out my Barbie doll for not retaliating against me.
8:02pm: I arrive home from work to find my apple pie gone. Prince Fielder goes 0 for 5in game one. You draw your own conclusions.
8:40pm: I see that the Brewers are ahead, 2-0, in the top of the first-inning of game-two and decide I will never, ever care about the Pirates again.
10:30pm: I ask my girlfriend to check the score of the Pirates game on her cell-phone, and she gets annoyed and calls me a cheap SOB for not having the Internet on my phone.
11:06pm: I hear that the Pirates have defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 9-2, and I pump my fist, knowing that I believed in them all-along.
Well, there it is. My routine from yesterday. If you'd like, you can copy this list as it seems to have very powerful benefits for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
I plan on repeating Monday's routine anytime the Pirates play the Brewers the rest of this season.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
I read a book about the Raiders and lived to talk about it
Last week, I was at my local library, cruising the sports section (what else?), looking for something Steelers/football-related, when I stumbled upon a book written by Peter Richmond entitled: BADASSES: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, And John Madden's Oakland Raiders.
It's in my DNA to hate the Raiders, but I also really love 70's football, so I gave it a shot.
I was not disappointed.
The book chronicles the Raiders' inception in the old AFL (original name for the team was to be the Oakland Senors), their ascension to football powerhouse in the late 60's, and their many years of struggling to win the "Big One" before finally claiming their place atop the football-world with a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI.
The author goes into great detail, describing things such as Al Davis's rise from assistant coach for the Chargers all the way up to eventually becoming majority owner of the Oakland Raiders.
Richmond discusses the many unique characters on those Raiders teams. People like Phil "Foo" Villapiano, Ted "The Stork" Hendricks, Jack "The Assassin" Tatum, and Ken "The Snake" Stabler are just some of the featured characters discussed in the book.
You may be enticed to know that there are plenty of stories involving the Steelers and their legendary rivalry with those Raiders teams.
To nobody's surprise, the Raiders players and coaches are still bitter about the Immaculate Reception and insist to this day that the play was illegal and should have gone in Oakland's favor.
According to the book, Frenchy Fuqua came into the Raiders' locker room after the controversial ending to say hello to an old college teammate and told the player that he did, indeed, touch the ball on the legendary play.
That's the first time I ever heard that in all these years, and who knows if it's true, but it's a fun little tidbit and only adds to the legend of that day.
Obviously, there are ample sections devoted to the Raiders many playoff battles with Pittsburgh. In particular, the Steelers/Raiders trifecta in the AFC Championship game and how Oakland's quest to defeat the Steelers in that game, after losing to the Black and Gold in '74 and '75, became an obsession. And when they finally got over the hump and knocked off Pittsburgh in '76, it was almost on par with winning the actual Super Bowl two weeks later.
I know this might be blasphemous for me to say as a Steelers fan, but reading the Raiders' struggles, and their many near-misses in the playoffs from the late 60's all the way up to Super Bowl XI, I sort of became sympathetic with their plight and couldn't wait to get to the part where they finally won it all.
Additional observations:
-Obviously, this was a very unique team that somehow managed to befriend the Hell's Angels AND The Black Panthers.
-Like a lot of teams back in the day, the Raiders somehow managed to party hard stay disciplined enough to be one of the most-consistent teams of their era.
-Things that were discussed in this book--players staying out until 3am the night before games, Skip "Dr. Death" Thomas refusing to wear a helmet in practice because he didn't want to mess his hair up and John Madden going along with it, a lineman firing his gun in the dorm room during training camp, Fred Biletnikoff chain-smoking during games and at half-time--certainly illustrates the differences between then and now. Can you imagine the fallout of these kinds of things happening today?
-The book managed to humanize this team for me, a Steelers fan, who always looked at those Raiders teams as almost demonic. I'll give you an example: John Madden was so bothered by the Jack Tatum hit on Darryl Stingley in 1978 that left him permanently paralyzed, he visited Stingley in the hospital frequently and invited his wife over for dinner on a number of occasions in the weeks after the tragic event.
If you're a fan of 70's football like me and can stomach reading about one of Steeler Nation's all-time fiercest rivals, I'd certainly give this book a try.
It's in my DNA to hate the Raiders, but I also really love 70's football, so I gave it a shot.
I was not disappointed.
The book chronicles the Raiders' inception in the old AFL (original name for the team was to be the Oakland Senors), their ascension to football powerhouse in the late 60's, and their many years of struggling to win the "Big One" before finally claiming their place atop the football-world with a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI.
The author goes into great detail, describing things such as Al Davis's rise from assistant coach for the Chargers all the way up to eventually becoming majority owner of the Oakland Raiders.
Richmond discusses the many unique characters on those Raiders teams. People like Phil "Foo" Villapiano, Ted "The Stork" Hendricks, Jack "The Assassin" Tatum, and Ken "The Snake" Stabler are just some of the featured characters discussed in the book.
You may be enticed to know that there are plenty of stories involving the Steelers and their legendary rivalry with those Raiders teams.
To nobody's surprise, the Raiders players and coaches are still bitter about the Immaculate Reception and insist to this day that the play was illegal and should have gone in Oakland's favor.
According to the book, Frenchy Fuqua came into the Raiders' locker room after the controversial ending to say hello to an old college teammate and told the player that he did, indeed, touch the ball on the legendary play.
That's the first time I ever heard that in all these years, and who knows if it's true, but it's a fun little tidbit and only adds to the legend of that day.
Obviously, there are ample sections devoted to the Raiders many playoff battles with Pittsburgh. In particular, the Steelers/Raiders trifecta in the AFC Championship game and how Oakland's quest to defeat the Steelers in that game, after losing to the Black and Gold in '74 and '75, became an obsession. And when they finally got over the hump and knocked off Pittsburgh in '76, it was almost on par with winning the actual Super Bowl two weeks later.
I know this might be blasphemous for me to say as a Steelers fan, but reading the Raiders' struggles, and their many near-misses in the playoffs from the late 60's all the way up to Super Bowl XI, I sort of became sympathetic with their plight and couldn't wait to get to the part where they finally won it all.
Additional observations:
-Obviously, this was a very unique team that somehow managed to befriend the Hell's Angels AND The Black Panthers.
-Like a lot of teams back in the day, the Raiders somehow managed to party hard stay disciplined enough to be one of the most-consistent teams of their era.
-Things that were discussed in this book--players staying out until 3am the night before games, Skip "Dr. Death" Thomas refusing to wear a helmet in practice because he didn't want to mess his hair up and John Madden going along with it, a lineman firing his gun in the dorm room during training camp, Fred Biletnikoff chain-smoking during games and at half-time--certainly illustrates the differences between then and now. Can you imagine the fallout of these kinds of things happening today?
-The book managed to humanize this team for me, a Steelers fan, who always looked at those Raiders teams as almost demonic. I'll give you an example: John Madden was so bothered by the Jack Tatum hit on Darryl Stingley in 1978 that left him permanently paralyzed, he visited Stingley in the hospital frequently and invited his wife over for dinner on a number of occasions in the weeks after the tragic event.
If you're a fan of 70's football like me and can stomach reading about one of Steeler Nation's all-time fiercest rivals, I'd certainly give this book a try.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I really hate the Milwaukee Brewers
The Pirates got swept again this weekend by the Milwaukee Brewers. How many losses in a row is that to that team now? I've lost track. I suppose I could go research it, but does it really make any difference what the exact number is at this point?
I cannot stand the Brewers. There isn't a team in baseball I hate more than them. They have arrogant players like Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun--two guys who like to show-off and rub it in their opponents faces. And when they're not showing off, they're whining. Especially Braun. "Oh, I got hit by a pitch. Please do something about it!"
Anyway, this kind of dominance reminds me of how the New York Mets used to own the Pirates in the mid-to-late 80's. At the height of the dominance, 1986, the Mets won 17 out of 18 games against the lowly, last-place Buccos.
The Mets had jerk-faces on their team like Darryl Strawberry, Len Dykstra and Dwight Gooden. Gooden showed such disrespect for the Pirates in 1987, he called them a little league team.
As I said, the Brewers dominance over the Pirates is starting to become downright disgusting.
It wasn't long-ago that the Brewers were no-better than the Pirates and had a long-streak of losing seasons in their own right. They were a fellow small-market team that Pirates fans could point to and say, "well, at least we're not the Brewers." Boy have times changed.
Now that the Brewers have righted their ship and have started to put some winning seasons together, to repeat, they're pretty unbearable.
The Brewers remind me of those neighbors that live down the street. They're not really rich, but they're slightly more well-off than the rest of the neighborhood, and this has totally gone to their heads and has made them the snobs of the block.
They're always inviting everyone over to see their new pool just to show-off. They think they're so cool because they can have pool parties. Big deal, their pool isn't that great; it's an above-ground pool for God's sake. And there are always dead June-bugs floating around in the water. Yuck!
They see you on the street and ask you how you're doing, but they don't really care how you're doing. They just want to show-off their latest triumph. And when you tell them your struggles, they pat you on the shoulder and tell you "you'll get there!"
Get where? Screw you, snooty neighbors!
What the slightly more well-off neighbors down the street need to realize is they're only a lay-off away from being in the same boat as the working-class folks on their street.
The Brewers have been riding-high for a while now and totally flaunting it in the Pirates' faces. Soon, they will realize the pitfalls of life in a small-market when guys like Fielder start leaving for the Yankees or Red Sox. Once Fielder sees that New York has an in-ground pool complete with a diving-board, he'll totally forget about small-market Milwaukee and their above-ground swimming pool.
I can't wait for the day when the Pirates turn the tide on the Fielder-less Brewers. It's going to happen, don't you worry.
Those "little league" Pirates of the late 80's eventually overtook the Mets for supremacy in the National League East. And when these current Pirates do the same to the Brew Crew, I hope they pull their shirts out(or whatever the hell the Brewers like to do to show-up their opponents after a big win), light up a cigar on the pitchers mound, and make Braun fetch them a nice, cool glass of lemonade.
I really hate the Brewers.
I cannot stand the Brewers. There isn't a team in baseball I hate more than them. They have arrogant players like Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun--two guys who like to show-off and rub it in their opponents faces. And when they're not showing off, they're whining. Especially Braun. "Oh, I got hit by a pitch. Please do something about it!"
Anyway, this kind of dominance reminds me of how the New York Mets used to own the Pirates in the mid-to-late 80's. At the height of the dominance, 1986, the Mets won 17 out of 18 games against the lowly, last-place Buccos.
The Mets had jerk-faces on their team like Darryl Strawberry, Len Dykstra and Dwight Gooden. Gooden showed such disrespect for the Pirates in 1987, he called them a little league team.
As I said, the Brewers dominance over the Pirates is starting to become downright disgusting.
It wasn't long-ago that the Brewers were no-better than the Pirates and had a long-streak of losing seasons in their own right. They were a fellow small-market team that Pirates fans could point to and say, "well, at least we're not the Brewers." Boy have times changed.
Now that the Brewers have righted their ship and have started to put some winning seasons together, to repeat, they're pretty unbearable.
The Brewers remind me of those neighbors that live down the street. They're not really rich, but they're slightly more well-off than the rest of the neighborhood, and this has totally gone to their heads and has made them the snobs of the block.
They're always inviting everyone over to see their new pool just to show-off. They think they're so cool because they can have pool parties. Big deal, their pool isn't that great; it's an above-ground pool for God's sake. And there are always dead June-bugs floating around in the water. Yuck!
They see you on the street and ask you how you're doing, but they don't really care how you're doing. They just want to show-off their latest triumph. And when you tell them your struggles, they pat you on the shoulder and tell you "you'll get there!"
Get where? Screw you, snooty neighbors!
What the slightly more well-off neighbors down the street need to realize is they're only a lay-off away from being in the same boat as the working-class folks on their street.
The Brewers have been riding-high for a while now and totally flaunting it in the Pirates' faces. Soon, they will realize the pitfalls of life in a small-market when guys like Fielder start leaving for the Yankees or Red Sox. Once Fielder sees that New York has an in-ground pool complete with a diving-board, he'll totally forget about small-market Milwaukee and their above-ground swimming pool.
I can't wait for the day when the Pirates turn the tide on the Fielder-less Brewers. It's going to happen, don't you worry.
Those "little league" Pirates of the late 80's eventually overtook the Mets for supremacy in the National League East. And when these current Pirates do the same to the Brew Crew, I hope they pull their shirts out(or whatever the hell the Brewers like to do to show-up their opponents after a big win), light up a cigar on the pitchers mound, and make Braun fetch them a nice, cool glass of lemonade.
I really hate the Brewers.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The irrational expectations for Pedro Alvarez
What does an unexpected flirtation with .500, combined with a farm-system that's almost completely void of power-hitting talent add up to?
Irrational expectations for Pedro Alvarez,the young slugger of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who is almost singularly responsible for me placing "almost" in-front of "completely" in the paragraph above.
Pedro Alvarez pretty much possesses the only power-bat in the Pirates' entire organization capable of putting-up Ryan Howard-like numbers. Sure, guys like Mccutchen, Walker and Tabata will probably improve their power numbers as they mature (Cutch already has with 16 dingers this season), but their bats don't pack the potential wallop that Pedro's does.
But, Alvarez is struggling. In 534 at-bats, his career batting-average is .238, with 19 home runs, 79 RBI and a whopping 184 strike-outs.
You might think that it's normal for a young power-hitter to struggle early-on in his career, and you'd be right. Power-hitters are supposed to have holes in their swings, they're supposed to strike-out a lot (especially as youngins'), and they're generally an "all-or-nothing" proposition when they step in the batters box. Howard struggled early in his career. Heck, Ryan Howard holds the NL record for most strikeouts in a single-season by a lefty, and he accomplished it twice!
Even as they mature into Hall-of-Fame players, power sluggers have a tendency to whiff a great deal. Reggie Jackson is the all-time leader in strike-outs; I'd say he had a pretty decent career.
Alvarez struggling should come as no surprise. He barely has a year's experience in the big leagues. However, in today's day-and-age of 24/7 sports coverage, it's almost impossible for a young player with the pedigree of a Pedro Alvarez to struggle without facing boat-loads of scrutiny and ridicule.
On his blog the other day, John Steigerwald compared Alvarez at his age to players like Clemente, Stargell and Bonds, and how they were light-years ahead of where Alvarez is at the same age.
Of course, those players had much more experience at 24 than Alvarez does now.
On Smizik's blog, the Pirates' faithful mercilessly refer to Alvarez as "Kdro," a bit mean-spirited, but a perfect example of the high-expectations of an impatient fan base.
Alvarez is in a tough-spot being the lone mega-bat in the Pirates' organization. The front office made a huge-splash in '08 when they drafted him 2nd-overall out of Vanderbilt. It was a sign that the Pirates were going for the best player available and not the easiest to sign as they had done in the past.
Alvarez was labeled the "savior" of the struggling organization, and that would weigh heavily on any young player.
Last year, it looked like the Pirates had the real deal as Alvarez hit 16 home runs and looked really great down the stretch.
Unfortunately, as often is the case, Alvarez has struggled in his 2nd season and is completely lost at the plate.
Now people are starting to call Alvarez a bust, and I think that's way premature. I think it's pretty easy to forget how inexperienced Alvarez is. 534 at-bats is less than what most full-time players get in one-season, let alone two.
I don't know if Pedro Alvarez will ever have a bust in Cooperstown like Clemente and Stargell, but my gut tells me he won't be on any "all-time biggest busts" list any time soon.
Pedro Alvarez should still be in Indianapolis right now, but when your organization lacks a lot of muscle, sometimes you're called-upon to do some serious lifting even if you are still trying to find all of your strength.
Irrational expectations for Pedro Alvarez,the young slugger of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who is almost singularly responsible for me placing "almost" in-front of "completely" in the paragraph above.
Pedro Alvarez pretty much possesses the only power-bat in the Pirates' entire organization capable of putting-up Ryan Howard-like numbers. Sure, guys like Mccutchen, Walker and Tabata will probably improve their power numbers as they mature (Cutch already has with 16 dingers this season), but their bats don't pack the potential wallop that Pedro's does.
But, Alvarez is struggling. In 534 at-bats, his career batting-average is .238, with 19 home runs, 79 RBI and a whopping 184 strike-outs.
You might think that it's normal for a young power-hitter to struggle early-on in his career, and you'd be right. Power-hitters are supposed to have holes in their swings, they're supposed to strike-out a lot (especially as youngins'), and they're generally an "all-or-nothing" proposition when they step in the batters box. Howard struggled early in his career. Heck, Ryan Howard holds the NL record for most strikeouts in a single-season by a lefty, and he accomplished it twice!
Even as they mature into Hall-of-Fame players, power sluggers have a tendency to whiff a great deal. Reggie Jackson is the all-time leader in strike-outs; I'd say he had a pretty decent career.
Alvarez struggling should come as no surprise. He barely has a year's experience in the big leagues. However, in today's day-and-age of 24/7 sports coverage, it's almost impossible for a young player with the pedigree of a Pedro Alvarez to struggle without facing boat-loads of scrutiny and ridicule.
On his blog the other day, John Steigerwald compared Alvarez at his age to players like Clemente, Stargell and Bonds, and how they were light-years ahead of where Alvarez is at the same age.
Of course, those players had much more experience at 24 than Alvarez does now.
On Smizik's blog, the Pirates' faithful mercilessly refer to Alvarez as "Kdro," a bit mean-spirited, but a perfect example of the high-expectations of an impatient fan base.
Alvarez is in a tough-spot being the lone mega-bat in the Pirates' organization. The front office made a huge-splash in '08 when they drafted him 2nd-overall out of Vanderbilt. It was a sign that the Pirates were going for the best player available and not the easiest to sign as they had done in the past.
Alvarez was labeled the "savior" of the struggling organization, and that would weigh heavily on any young player.
Last year, it looked like the Pirates had the real deal as Alvarez hit 16 home runs and looked really great down the stretch.
Unfortunately, as often is the case, Alvarez has struggled in his 2nd season and is completely lost at the plate.
Now people are starting to call Alvarez a bust, and I think that's way premature. I think it's pretty easy to forget how inexperienced Alvarez is. 534 at-bats is less than what most full-time players get in one-season, let alone two.
I don't know if Pedro Alvarez will ever have a bust in Cooperstown like Clemente and Stargell, but my gut tells me he won't be on any "all-time biggest busts" list any time soon.
Pedro Alvarez should still be in Indianapolis right now, but when your organization lacks a lot of muscle, sometimes you're called-upon to do some serious lifting even if you are still trying to find all of your strength.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Pirates and Steelers
First the Pirates.
I guess the end is near. Last week, I thought the Pirates would do much damage and make up some ground this week with the Cubs and Padres coming to PNC Park for a seven-game homestand. Well, I was half-right. The Pirates did do a lot of damage, but not in a good way. Instead of gaining ground in the NL Central race, the Buccos have fallen 8-games behind the Milwaukee Brewers and three-games below .500. At a time when the city was really starting to get behind the young Pirates, they have answered the bell by losing 8-games in a row. The once-promising pitching staff is now getting smacked around--the latest being a 15-run debacle Friday night to the San Diego Padres.
Now, with a tough road-trip coming up next week in San Fransisco and Milwaukee, not only are the Pirates' chances at a division title all but done, but their shot at ending their record losing-streak may also be in serious, serious danger.
It's a real shame the Pirates have picked this time to really hit their low-point of the year. The only consolation now is the fact that they're still within striking-distance of .500. As excited as I was for a possible pennant-run, deep-down, I knew Pittsburgh wasn't as talented as the Brewers or Cardinals, but I held out strong hope for a winning season. I still hold out that hope only because I don't think things could get any worse. In my heart of hearts, I do not think that this is the beginning of an irreversable collapse.
I don't know how long this losing-streak will last, but if they can nip it in the bud sometime this weekend, the Pirates still have a chance to salvage the season.
In year's past, an 8 or 9-game losing streak would have buried the team and put them 15 or 20 games below .500. But given that they were seven-games over .500 just a couple of weeks ago, if the Pirates can right the ship and regain their fragile confidence, I believe they can still make a serious run at .500 or slightly better.
One last thing about the Pirates. The other morning, I was listening to 93.7 The Fan, and a regular caller to their station, Lilly from North Versailles, called in crying her heart out. She was distraught over the team's six-game (now eight game) losing-streak and said that she put her whole heart and soul into the Pirates this season. I felt bad for her. Lilly is an older lady, and it kind of broke my heart to hear her so upset over what had become of the team. But at the same time, it was also endearing. I always thought it was just idiots like me who worried about sports and maybe got a little too emotional over the outcome of a game. Some people say that sports aren't really important, and maybe they aren't life or death, but being a diehard sports fan means a little more than some people would like to think.
I hope the Pirates pull through this funk and regain their footing. I think it would mean a great deal to a lot of people.
Some thoughts on the Steelers.
-My man, Keith Thomas from Steel Curtain Rising wrote an excellent piece for Behind The Steel Curtain about the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching-legacy and how awesome it would be for their three Super Bowl-winning coaches--Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin--to pose for a photograph in-front of the team's record six Lombardi Trophies. It would certainly be a powerful image, that's for sure. Keith is urging Steeler Nation to contact the team and request this event. You can find all the Steelers contact information in Keith's BTSC article. I think it's a great idea.
-I had a great time at training camp on Wednesday with my girlfriend and brother. I had never made the trip to Latrobe before dating my girlfriend, but it has become somewhat of a tradition of ours the past three summers. You might be wondering why an intense sports fan such as myself needed his girlfriend to drag him to the Holy Land of his favorite team, but I never said I was perfect.
-I was happy to see the Steelers ink deals with cornerback Ike Taylor and outside linebacker Lamarr Woodley. With the Steelers having to cut some veteran players last week in-order to get under the salary cap, I didn't think there was any way the team would be able to sign both key players, but surprisingly, they did.
-I can't believe the Steelers are less than a week away from their first preseason game. Where does the time go? Here's to another great season of Steeler football!
I guess the end is near. Last week, I thought the Pirates would do much damage and make up some ground this week with the Cubs and Padres coming to PNC Park for a seven-game homestand. Well, I was half-right. The Pirates did do a lot of damage, but not in a good way. Instead of gaining ground in the NL Central race, the Buccos have fallen 8-games behind the Milwaukee Brewers and three-games below .500. At a time when the city was really starting to get behind the young Pirates, they have answered the bell by losing 8-games in a row. The once-promising pitching staff is now getting smacked around--the latest being a 15-run debacle Friday night to the San Diego Padres.
Now, with a tough road-trip coming up next week in San Fransisco and Milwaukee, not only are the Pirates' chances at a division title all but done, but their shot at ending their record losing-streak may also be in serious, serious danger.
It's a real shame the Pirates have picked this time to really hit their low-point of the year. The only consolation now is the fact that they're still within striking-distance of .500. As excited as I was for a possible pennant-run, deep-down, I knew Pittsburgh wasn't as talented as the Brewers or Cardinals, but I held out strong hope for a winning season. I still hold out that hope only because I don't think things could get any worse. In my heart of hearts, I do not think that this is the beginning of an irreversable collapse.
I don't know how long this losing-streak will last, but if they can nip it in the bud sometime this weekend, the Pirates still have a chance to salvage the season.
In year's past, an 8 or 9-game losing streak would have buried the team and put them 15 or 20 games below .500. But given that they were seven-games over .500 just a couple of weeks ago, if the Pirates can right the ship and regain their fragile confidence, I believe they can still make a serious run at .500 or slightly better.
One last thing about the Pirates. The other morning, I was listening to 93.7 The Fan, and a regular caller to their station, Lilly from North Versailles, called in crying her heart out. She was distraught over the team's six-game (now eight game) losing-streak and said that she put her whole heart and soul into the Pirates this season. I felt bad for her. Lilly is an older lady, and it kind of broke my heart to hear her so upset over what had become of the team. But at the same time, it was also endearing. I always thought it was just idiots like me who worried about sports and maybe got a little too emotional over the outcome of a game. Some people say that sports aren't really important, and maybe they aren't life or death, but being a diehard sports fan means a little more than some people would like to think.
I hope the Pirates pull through this funk and regain their footing. I think it would mean a great deal to a lot of people.
Some thoughts on the Steelers.
-My man, Keith Thomas from Steel Curtain Rising wrote an excellent piece for Behind The Steel Curtain about the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching-legacy and how awesome it would be for their three Super Bowl-winning coaches--Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin--to pose for a photograph in-front of the team's record six Lombardi Trophies. It would certainly be a powerful image, that's for sure. Keith is urging Steeler Nation to contact the team and request this event. You can find all the Steelers contact information in Keith's BTSC article. I think it's a great idea.
-I had a great time at training camp on Wednesday with my girlfriend and brother. I had never made the trip to Latrobe before dating my girlfriend, but it has become somewhat of a tradition of ours the past three summers. You might be wondering why an intense sports fan such as myself needed his girlfriend to drag him to the Holy Land of his favorite team, but I never said I was perfect.
-I was happy to see the Steelers ink deals with cornerback Ike Taylor and outside linebacker Lamarr Woodley. With the Steelers having to cut some veteran players last week in-order to get under the salary cap, I didn't think there was any way the team would be able to sign both key players, but surprisingly, they did.
-I can't believe the Steelers are less than a week away from their first preseason game. Where does the time go? Here's to another great season of Steeler football!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
I'm very much afraid of flying insects
Anyone who knows me is well aware of my very real fear of bees/wasps. However, my fears go even further. I fear most flying insects. When I say "fear", I don't mean that I will run from a Lady Bug or moth, but I'll damn sure look twice and go into my "fighting-stance" whenever one catches my vision just in-case it's a bee that really looks like a Lady Bug.
I've only been on vacation for three days and already have experienced three traumatizing incidents involving scary flying insects.
Saturday evening, I was just chilling, hanging out and enjoying the beginning moments of what I hope will be a glorious week off. However, instead of relaxing right out of the gate, I decided to do my laundry, so I could get it out of the way.
When I entered the small laundry-room in my building, I noticed a creature of some kind fall and hit the ground. When I turned the light on, I saw a spider crawling into the drain located in the middle of the floor. I figured that must have been what fell when I opened the door. I didn't care. Spiders don't scare me, neither do thousand leggers. Whenever one of those multi-legged creatures is in my way, I just flick them into the air like a paper football.
Tragically, it wasn't that spider that fell from the ceiling when I opened the door, it was some huge, black flying thing. I don't know if it was a big moth, a huge wasp or a dragon fly, but I immediately panicked. The insect was flying-low, so I began trying to smash it with my laundry basket filled with my dirty clothes. I must have taken about three whacks at the thing as it flew near the ground, but I don't think I got it. Defeated, I immediately began to retreat back to my apartment. I had lost sight of the flying insect and kept stopping to make sure it wasn't stuck to the bottom of my basket or had made its way into my pile of laundry. Once I made it safely back into my apartment, I still wasn't convinced that the insect hadn't hitched a ride in my basket, so I began to frantically throw my clothes around my kitchen, inspecting every inch of them to make sure I didn't have another resident in my apartment.
I was paranoid the rest of the evening, constantly looking around to see if any big, black furry looking insect was cruising around my apartment.
The next morning, it was playoff-time for my sand volleyball team out at Highland Park, and for whatever reason, there were dozens of bees boring into the sand around the court. I normally hate to rotate out of a volleyball game because I'm quite competitive, but I especially didn't want to on Sunday during the games because the bees were concentrated in the general area where players stand when they're not in the game. I don't know if my teammates noticed this, but I was standing way off to the side every time I had to go out. Let's just say I was always relieved to get back into the contest.
Sunday afternoon had another traumatizing insect encounter. I was over my mom's house, attempting to cut her grass, when these wasps kept dive-bombing my head. I tried to start the mower several times but was too paranoid to continue. Despite my mom's objections, I decided to leave and waited until it got dark before I finally mowed her lawn.
So, there you have it. It's only Tuesday. I have a long week to go. Hopefully, these menacing flying demons won't spoil it for me.
I've only been on vacation for three days and already have experienced three traumatizing incidents involving scary flying insects.
Saturday evening, I was just chilling, hanging out and enjoying the beginning moments of what I hope will be a glorious week off. However, instead of relaxing right out of the gate, I decided to do my laundry, so I could get it out of the way.
When I entered the small laundry-room in my building, I noticed a creature of some kind fall and hit the ground. When I turned the light on, I saw a spider crawling into the drain located in the middle of the floor. I figured that must have been what fell when I opened the door. I didn't care. Spiders don't scare me, neither do thousand leggers. Whenever one of those multi-legged creatures is in my way, I just flick them into the air like a paper football.
Tragically, it wasn't that spider that fell from the ceiling when I opened the door, it was some huge, black flying thing. I don't know if it was a big moth, a huge wasp or a dragon fly, but I immediately panicked. The insect was flying-low, so I began trying to smash it with my laundry basket filled with my dirty clothes. I must have taken about three whacks at the thing as it flew near the ground, but I don't think I got it. Defeated, I immediately began to retreat back to my apartment. I had lost sight of the flying insect and kept stopping to make sure it wasn't stuck to the bottom of my basket or had made its way into my pile of laundry. Once I made it safely back into my apartment, I still wasn't convinced that the insect hadn't hitched a ride in my basket, so I began to frantically throw my clothes around my kitchen, inspecting every inch of them to make sure I didn't have another resident in my apartment.
I was paranoid the rest of the evening, constantly looking around to see if any big, black furry looking insect was cruising around my apartment.
The next morning, it was playoff-time for my sand volleyball team out at Highland Park, and for whatever reason, there were dozens of bees boring into the sand around the court. I normally hate to rotate out of a volleyball game because I'm quite competitive, but I especially didn't want to on Sunday during the games because the bees were concentrated in the general area where players stand when they're not in the game. I don't know if my teammates noticed this, but I was standing way off to the side every time I had to go out. Let's just say I was always relieved to get back into the contest.
Sunday afternoon had another traumatizing insect encounter. I was over my mom's house, attempting to cut her grass, when these wasps kept dive-bombing my head. I tried to start the mower several times but was too paranoid to continue. Despite my mom's objections, I decided to leave and waited until it got dark before I finally mowed her lawn.
So, there you have it. It's only Tuesday. I have a long week to go. Hopefully, these menacing flying demons won't spoil it for me.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Pirates acquire Ludwick at the trade-deadline
Well, the Pirates appeased a large section of their fan base by acquiring two veteran bats for the last two months of the season as they try to stay in the race for the NL Central.
Saturday evening, Pittsburgh traded a low-A prospect for veteran first baseman Derrek Lee. And yesterday, right before the 4pm trade deadline, the team picked-up veteran outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later.
Like Lee, Ludwick is in the last months of his contract and probably just a two-month rental. And like a lot of his new teammates (Lee included), Ludwick comes to the Pirates sporting a very unimpressive batting average (.238). However, the thing I like about Ludwick is his number of RBI. With 64, he's already tied for the team lead in that category, and he probably doesn't even have his own uniform number yet.
Lee and Ludwick may not be the players they used to be, but they'll add some much-needed meat to a struggling lineup.
These trades may not be as sexy as most Buccos fans would like, but considering the position the team is in as a surprise contender, it was probably about as good as they could have done without severely derailing their immediate future.
After going 2-5 in their seven-game road-swing against two of the best teams in the National League, the Pirates have an important seven-game home stand against the Cubs and Padres.
Meanwhile, the Brewers and Cardinals play each other this week, so if the Pirates can take care of business against the struggling Cubs, they will gain some ground on at least one of the teams above them in the standings.
The Pirates just came out of a brutal thirteen-game stretch battered and bruised and sitting further back in the standings than they were two-weeks ago. Now, with some additions to their lineup and only 4 1/2 games back, the Pirates still have a fighting-chance with two-full months of baseball remaining.
Starting this week, we'll find-out if the 2011 Pirates still have some fight left in them.
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