Record Setting Ineptitude

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17-Years and Counting




Year W/L Attendance Rank

1993: 75-87 1,650,593 (12 of 14)
1994: 53-61 1,222,520 (13 of 14)
1995: 58-86 905,517 (14 of 14)
1996: 73-89 1,332,150 (14 of 14)
1997: 79-83 1,654,022 (12 of 16)
1998: 69-93 1,560,950 (15 of 16)
1999: 78-83 1,638,023 (14 of 16)
2000: 69-93 1,748,908 (12 of 16)
2001: 62-100 2,464,870 (11 of 16)
2002: 72-89 1,784,988 (13 of 16)
2003: 75-87 1,636,751 (14 of 16)
2004: 72-89 1,580,031 (15 of 16)
2005: 67-95 1,817,245 (16 of 16)
2006: 67-95 1,861,549 (15 of 16)
2007: 68-94 1,749,142 (15 of 16)
2008: 67-95 1,609,076 (15 of 16)
2009: 62-99 1,577,853 (15 of 16)


In Joe DiMaggio’s day the streak meant his fabled hitting streak, but nowadays, when people think of the streak, they think of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over the past 17 years, the Pirates have built the most impressive streak in Professional American sports history. That streak however is not nearly as positive as Joe D’s. The Pirates have not had a winning season since 1992 when they last won the National League Eastern Division title. In that time a lot has changed. There are more teams in Major League Baseball and the Pirates even switched divisions. One thing has remained constant in the MLB since 1993, the Pirates finishing under .500.



How did it get this bad?

Once upon a time, the Pirates were one of the elite teams in Major League Baseball. They had the best young outfield in the National League; featuring All Stars, Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla. People around baseball knew it as the outfield of dreams. After a down period in the 1980s, the Pirates drafted well and won three consecutive NL East titles in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Each other those seasons, however, ended in heartbreak and disappointment. All three years, the Pirates lost in very dramatic fashion, especially in 1992.

The Heartbreak

“The two-one. Swung, line drive left field! One run is in! Here comes Bream! Here's the throw to the plate! He is...SAFE! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN!”
That’s probably the most heartbreaking call in the history of Pro Sports in Pittsburgh. With that famous call by Skip Caray came not only an end of the 1992 National League Championship Series, but also the Pirates winning. Since October 14, 1992, the Pirates haven’t even flirted with post-season baseball, much less played in it. It wasn’t just that the Pirates lost the series, in that offseason, they also lost Barry Bonds and plenty of other talented players. The Pirates run was over and since then, it’s been rebuilding time for the Bucs. 17 years of a “5-year-plan.” Not only have the Pirates been losing, they have been losing a lot.

Einstein’s Theory of Insanity

The Pirates have continually tried basically the same thing to find their winning ways again. Draft and hope the young players develop into all-stars. However, baseball players are expensive, and often the prime young players are traded away, because the Pirates cannot afford them. It’s the life and times of the modern MLB. The Pirates have put plenty of players on the field since 1992, but the results have been the same by October; the Pirates are under .500 and have been out of the playoff race since about July.

Glimmers of Hope

As the final out was recorded to end the 2009 Professional baseball season, the Pirates once again found themselves under .500. It was also their 17th consecutive losing season; the most ever in the history of North American professional sports. The Pirates could call themselves the worst ever. Yet in that losing season there was hope. Hope’s name was Andrew McCutchen. Not since Barry Bonds have the Pirates had such a dynamic outfielder. He was amazing in his rookie year, and many fans hope that he continues to improve to give the Pirates hope.

For the thousands in attendance

If a team stinks in an empty stadium do they make a sound? Judging by the attendance numbers, year in, year out, not too many people are coming to watch the Pirates. Since 1993, the Pirates have finished on average, 14th in the National League in attendance. They have finished dead last 3 times, and have finished second to last 6 times. They have ranked no higher than 11th out of 16 teams and that was in the opening season of PNC Park.

Linco Interview sound bite

Record Attendance

Why is it that a team with one of the newest and most beautiful ballparks in America cannot draw a crowd? The Pirates losing is the most likely culprit. Since 1993, the Pirates have lost 1518 games; an average of 89 losses per season. “The streak” has not only prevented the Pirates from being relevant in pennant races, but also from being relevant in their own city. It doesn’t help that since 1993, the Pens have won a Stanley Cup and the Steelers have won two Super Bowls. Quite simply, not many in Pittsburgh want to support the losing team. Charles Evans, 23, Pittsburgh says, “Baseball has never really mattered to me, I’ve never really seen the Pirates win anything. My dad used to be really big into it, but now I only go to games when other people have tickets. It’s not that I find baseball boring, but I don’t feel the need to support a team that loses all the time.”

Dawn is coming

With the current core of players, many insides the Pirates’ organization feel that the dark days are gone and the winning will return soon. Whether, Andrew McCutchen, Ross Ohlendorf, Lastings Milledge and Garrett Jones can lead the Pirates back to prominence has yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure. As long as the Pirates continue losing, not a lot of people will be watching.

The Bullpen!!

I am going to preface this entry with one thing; I know it’s only 12 games into 2010. I just have to say I am very much enjoying the way this bullpen is playing. They aren’t perfect by any means, but they really seem to do a great job of battling. Other than Duke and Maholm, the starting pitcher has been so lackluster, that the bullpen has had to do the brunt of the work. I am hoping the starters do come around, because that is the only way this team is going to have any success, but really, I am enjoying the intensity of this bullpen. It seems like every close game; they do well in. I am not calling them the best in the Majors by any means, but I am enjoying their start.

To keep the theme as pitching; I am really liking the way Zach Duke is playing. Some people wanted him traded as earlier as the offseason, but I stand by that I see no reason to trade him. It isn’t like he is some old, aging pitcher. He’s still young and we have control of him. Why not see what he can do? He was our best pitcher last season, and so far this year, he is once again. I am not saying that he is the best in baseball, but he is definitely the ace of our rotation. Keep up the good work, Mr. Duke.

The veteran pitchers signed on the offseason are also paying off very well early on. Donnelly, Lopez and especially Dotel have all done good work for this team so far. It might not be the best pitching staff in the Majors, but it is a far improvement over our bullpen from this time last season.

The Pirates are bipolar

I feel the Pirates are an example of bipolar disorder. One game they look very solid and they seem to be turning the corner, then the next game, they allow 13 runs in a single inning.

What does this mean in terms of our chances this season? Honestly, I don’t know. No one does. There are going to be a lot of people guessing about what the Pirates have to do in order to become more consistent this season, but really it all comes down to pitching.

It seems like other than Zach Duke, no other starters are stepping up and I don’t think you can win 75-80 games with having one consistent pitcher.

The Pirates of course play tonight against the San Francisco Giants. Matt Cain goes up against Paul Maholm. I am hoping Maholm can play the role of stopper, much like Zach Duke. He needs to stop this losing streak. Everyone knew this season would be a grind, but in order to obtain that allusive winning season, you have to prevent prolonged losing streaks. Don’t let 2 games become 6 games, because it can happen, very easily.

Walka, walka, walk off!!

The game began with a massive HR from Garrett Jones and it ended with a walk-off single by Ronny Cedeno. The Pirates defeated the Dodgers by a score of 4 to 3 in very dramatic fashion.

The game began in powerful fashion as Garrett Jones hit his 3rd HR of the year to give the Pirates a very early 3-0 lead. The game remained that way until the 5th inning when Dodgers’ catcher Russell Martin hit a solo shot off of Pirates’ starter Ross Ohlendorf. Then the Dodgers struck again adding two more runs to tie the game after 5 innings.

The turning point of the game was the 9th inning when the Dodgers lead off the inning with a double and then a wild pitch by Octavio Dotel advanced the runner to third. Dotel battled and eventually got out of the jam by striking out a better and causing two weak groundouts. The bottom of the 9th was a near miss as the Pirates attempted a steal by Andrew McCutchen, but he was thrown out to end the inning.

The Dodgers went down quietly in the top of the 10th, and the Pirates did not let the game go past that point. The Pirates loaded the bases thanks to two base hits and a walk. Ronny Cedeno then battled for 12 pitches, fouling off several pitches after falling behind 0-2 in the count. He then took a 3-2 pitch and lined it to center field, scoring Lastings Milledge, giving the Pirates a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Pirates have taken the first two games of the season in very contrasting fashions. The first game was a blowout, and the second was full of drama. However, both had the same ending, the good guys in black and gold walking off the field winners. Let’s hope that is a trend that continues this season.

The sun is shining and Garrett Jones just gave the ball a tour of the river

Well, the Pirates home opener has came and went. It was one for the history books folks, as the Pirates scored 11 runs, the most by the Pirates on opening day. For at least one day, the Pirates looked fantastic, and completely outplayed the Dodgers in every facet of the game. It wasn’t a perfect game by any means, but any time you can defeat a team as good as the Dodgers, it’s a good day.

Game started out shakey as the Dodgers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but in the bottom of the first, Garrett Jones quickly tied the game with a mammoth 2-run HR that landed in the river, to tie the game. He also gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead, when he homered to opposite field in the 3rd inning. To put is simply, Garrett was a monster out there. He also made several fantastic plays in Right Field, including a catch that saved two runs. Zach Duke’s line may not have been the most dominant ever, he went 5 innings and gave up 2 runs, but he did his job well and kept the Dodgers in check.

In the middle innings, the Pirates pulled away on a Ryan Church pinch-hit, 3 run double to take an eventual 8-2 lead. The middle relief was a little shakey as they gave up 3 runs to let the Dodgers back into the game going into the 8th inning. Then Ryan Doumit came up to bat with 2-men on base and hit a towering HR to give the Pirates an 11-5 lead, that they never gave up. The Pirates defeated the Los Angelas Dodgers by a score of 11-5. A very dominant start to the 2010 season.

Overall, it was a very good opening day experience, and it’s always good to start the season with a win. Once again, the Pirates will host the Dodgers tonight, and I will once again be in attendance. You will get to see more live blogging, as I really enjoyed doing it, and hopefully, the updates were worthwhile. I look forward to seeing Ross Ohlendorf pitch for the first time this season, and I hope the Pirates continue to play well. The most beautiful thing to remember is, it’s baseball season folks, and it doesn’t get any better than that.

Hope Springs Eternal

End of Winter by Eve Merriam

"Bare-handed reach
to catch
April's
incoming curve.
Leap higher than you thought you could and
Hold:
Spring,
Solid,
Here."

It’s here! Opening Day, 2010. I cannot stress enough how excited I am for this day. I am considered by some to be a cynic, by other, an optimist, but as of today, I am just a baseball fan, following his favorite team. I don’t pretend to be an expert; I am just a man that loves his team. I am looking forward to tweeting during the game, and giving you, my loyal readers, a good experience while I am in attendance at PNC Park.

It was a long winter, and I am so glad that it’s over and spring is here, and regular season baseball is back. Other sports have opening days, but baseball does it better than everyone else. Opening Day is where hope springs eternal, everyone is optimistic, and for maybe just one day, you can think, hey, maybe we can surprise people this season.

I am so excited to have this blog for the upcoming season. I think it is going to get really interesting as the season progresses, especially as I live blog/tweet updates during the game. It’s an exciting time to be a baseball fan, and hopefully, it will be an exciting time to be a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.

The offense is...offensive!

The 9th Spot Blues...

It was announced yesterday that the Pirates will bat, Ronny Cedeno in the 9th spot of the order, and bat the pitchers spot, 8th. I am very much against this move. I have never been a fan of the pitcher batting anywhere, but 9th in the batting order. I understand that Tony LaRussa did it, in St. Louis, so a lot of managers have to follow suit, but I do not think the Pirates have the personnel to do this move, and have it be successful.

The overall point is the odds of the situation. You’re more likely to have the 8th spot end an inning than the 9th, and some people would like to have the 9th spot, be some one that can lead-off an inning better than the pitcher. My concern is, are you limiting Ronny Cedeno’s at-bats by doing this? If it works, and the Pirates get a few more runs as a result, I will be thrilled, but unfortunately, I see this being pretty short-term, as I’d imagine, the pitcher will be back in the 9th spot, before mid-season.

I am not saying Ronny is some kind of all-star waiting to happen, but I just don’t like the pitcher at 8. It just doesn’t make sense to me, and personally, I hope it doesn’t last that long. We’ll see, maybe Russell is a genius in waiting and he knows something we all don’t. I hope that is the case, but it isn’t that likely.

1 2 3 4 FIFTH!!!!!!

Daniel McCutchen named 5th starter


Well, the Pirates finally named their 5th starter. Why does it seem like every team has a competition for their 5th starter? Anyway, after Kevin Hart basically did everything in his power to assure himself a spot in Triple-A, Daniel McCutchen was given the job. He definitely earned it this spring, and I am thrilled to see him in the starting rotation. You’re only as strong as your weakest link, and I think he will do an amazing job as starter number five.

I am hopeful that Hart can work out his control problems in Triple-A; otherwise, he will be considered a major trade bust. He’s young enough that he can get better, but it will be an uphill battle for the young man. D. McCutchen was the best choice for the job, and I think he will surprise a lot of people this year with his performance.

I am glad that there was an actual battle for the 5th spot; one thing I hate on teams like the Pirates is when some people are just given jobs. Yeah, it’s a given that Andrew McCutchen is going to be the CFer and lead-off hitter, but other than him and a few other people, every job could be up for grabs, especially the bottom spot of the rotation. D. McCutchen earned the 5th starters role; it was not given to him. Most people had Hart penciled in, but D. McCutchen proved that he was the much better option, by completely out-pitching Hart the entire spring. Many people might not realize the importance of a 5th starter, but when you’re a young team like the Pirates, every spot in the rotation is valuable, and he might not be the 5th starter the entire season. Depending on how other players perform, he could move up, and if he plays poorly, he could be in the bullpen. I am hoping everyone in the staff plays up to their potential. Because, you’re only as good as your days starting pitcher, and the Pirates need their 1-5 pitchers to consistently keep them in games.

Tease...

Well, it is 70 degrees today, grass is green and the birds are singing. Naturally my mind thinks there has to be a baseball game today, but alas, there is not...yet. Soon I will be sitting in left field in PNC Park, cheering on the Buccos. I am not at my computer right now, but I did want to update, so I am writing this from my phone. Isn't technology great?

To the point of this entry, the recent streak of warm weather has gotten me more excited for the 2010 baseball season. Just being outside in warm weather makes me giddy for the dog days of summer where I'm sitting in PNC Park, hot dog in hand. I truly do not believe there is a better way to spend a summer day than watching a ball game. I just love how the warm weather makes me think baseball. No other sport has that. Football is all about bitter and cold weather. Hockey and basketball are both played in arenas, so you can't really link them to a specific temperature. That's what makes baseball wonderful. If it's 70 degrees and sunny outside, that's baseball weather. Yeah, night games are played where it's cooler outside and the playoffs stretch to the cooler days of October, but baseball brings one thing, and that's the boys of summer.

The Pirates have been doing moderately well in Spring Training. Delwynn Young is trying to prove why he deserves a roster spot. He has been swinging the bat extremely well lately, and has hit 5 Homeruns in the past 6 games. He will be an off the bench player, but he's trying to win the primary Pinch Hitting job, and with the way he is swinging the bat, it's his to lose. I've been extremely impressed with the pitching so far as well. The key to any winning baseball team is pitching and so far, I don't think anyone can be disappointed. Duke, Maholm, Ohlendorf and D. McCutchen have all looked very, very good. They're definitely trying to show people that they will be part of a very young and upcoming pitching staff. I am disappointed in Kevin Hart. He was competing for the 5th starters job, but right now, he is way behind of D. McCucthen and will probably get a Bullpen job, and no one should be able to argue against it. Hart has walked too many people during Spring Training, and at times has looked very erratic. Hopefully, coming out of the Bullpen will help him gain some of his control back, because right now, he just doesn't have it.

The offense has been steadily getting better over the course of Spring Training, as it usually does. I like the way Milledge has been swinging the bat, and of course I love the way Andrew McCutchen has been playing. He is the centerpiece of the Pirates and needs to have a big season, and judging by his play during Spring Training, it appears 2010 is going to be a good season for Andrew.

It's hard to completely judge anything based on Spring Training, but as of now, it isn't wrong to be a bit cautiously optimistic about the Pirates in 2010. I don't think we're looking at a World Series team, but I truly don't think we're looking at a 100 loss team either. As long as the young players continue to develop and improve, I will be pleased with the season. Plus, it's baseball, anything can happen. Who knows, maybe the Pirates will surprise a lot of people this season? Weirder things have happened.

Cut that rant!!!

Several cuts were made today, and I am not surprised by any of them. Brad Lincoln may have ace-like potential, but he isn’t quite major league ready, yet. I do not think that anyone too shocking will be cut. I think for the first Spring Training in a long time, the Pirates are entering, pretty set on the team they’re taking into the season. Which is probably a good thing. I honestly think this team has potential, and could surprise some people this year.

Which brings to my point of this entry. It seems like anytime I bring up the Pirates to anyone, I get the same condescending response, “Oh, well the Pirates never win, LOL.” Listen, I understand the Pirates have been bad for 17 straight years, but this is new management, and they can’t be held accountable for what previous management teams have done. I guess I am just frustrated with people consistently making fun of the Pirates, and my association, something I love. I think bright days are honestly ahead, and I look forward to seeing the people that made fun of the Pirates, all of a sudden becoming bandwagon fans.

I’m not as optimistic as Neal Huntington, I don’t think a dynasty is ahead, but I do truly believe, that the Pirates are heading back towards respectability. I know I am usually negative, but it’s my time of the year for optimism. Heck, I may end up crushed as I tend to be every year, but as of right now, I want to think that the Pirates are going to win this season. I’ve been a negative fan for a long time, and for the first time, I want to be optimistic. I want my Pirates glass to be half full of delicious coca-cola, not half empty!

One-on-One with the fans. Part One

Well, folks, here it is. Steve Kubitz gets his first interview with a Pirates fan. Though, this one, Paul Hunter is pretty casual. He does discuss his views on PNC Park and a select few other items. I hope you enjoy this short video.

PAH exclusive sound bite

Pirates vs. Yankees...again?!?!

It seems like every single time I turn on a Pirates Spring Training game, they are playing the Yankees. Why is this? To be honest, I am tired of seeing us go up against the Yankees. I know they draw crowds in Bradenton, and I am sure that’s the reason it’s always Pirates vs. Yankees, but what good is it, seeing the exact same team 5-6 times in Spring Training? Yeah, it feels amazing when we crush the Yankees like we did today, but it doesn’t actually matter. I just wish that we’d play some other team during Spring Training. Call me old fashioned, but I like a little diversity in the Pirates’ opponents. It’s probably all about attendance and money, as those are the name of the game, but as a devout fan of the Pirates, I am annoyed with seeing every single day, Pirates vs. Yankees.

This is pretty much just a rant, and really isn’t ranting another word for musing? That’s what this blog is all about, and I feel like I have gotten away from that, but it is time to realize, that this isn’t a column. These are the angry, dejected words of a devout Pittsburgh Pirates fan. No more attempts at columns. It’s all about the rants, baby. With a series of hopeful interviews with fellow depressed Pirates fans on the way. This is the dawn of a new day for 17 and counting. Get ready folks!

30 in 30!

After numerous delays, I was finally able to sit down and watch the MLB Network, Pirates 30 Clubs in 30 Days special. It wasn’t anything too special, a lot of focus on our young players and our minor league development. I will say, I enjoyed that they talked up most of our recent draft picks, especially Pedro Alvarez and Tony Sanchez. Those two players are definitely part of our future core, and need to be developed properly. I think Pedro will definitely be Big League ready this season, as he has looked very good in Spring Training. I doubt strongly, he’ll start the season on the MLB opening day roster, but he will be in AAA and I assume that we will be seeing Pedro in a Pirates uniform around June.

Most years, when I watch coverage of the Pirates, I get very angry at how negative all the coverage is. Even though the past few, oh, almost 2 decades, it has been justified. The national talk about the Pirates has been pretty optimistic. They don’t see us competing this year, but they see us making 9-10 game improvement over 2009 and building towards competitive baseball in 2011-2012. Building a successful small market team is a challenge, and it takes a lot of drafting and player developing. Which is exactly what the Pirates are doing.

In other news, the Pirates may or may not play a game today against the Braves. They did make the 2-hour drive from Bradenton to Orlando, but it has been raining all over Florida, all day today, and most suspect that the game, if it starts, will last more than a few innings. After a few more games are played with the regulars, I plan on doing a semi-comprehensive analysis of how I feel the starters have looked during Spring Training. I think the one thing we should be very happy with so far, has been the main starting and relief pitchers have for the most part all looked pretty solid. Don’t focus on the wins and losses, because in Spring Training, they do not matter. It’s all about players getting playing time and coming together as a team. Which is exactly what the Pirates have done so far this spring.

What Do You Call Cheese, That Isn't Yours?

A stolen base?



03/08/10 5:42 PM EST
McCutchen out to swipe more bases
Speedy Pirates outfielder plans to run whenever he can

By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pirates fans, get ready to watch Andrew McCutchen run.

Those in attendance at McKechnie Field on Saturday got a glimpse of McCutchen's intent to become even more aggressive on the basepaths this year. McCutchen reached first three times against the Phillies on Saturday, and twice, he took off to steal second.

The fact that McCutchen was only successful in one of the two attempts is a moot point. The key is that he's running. And he's planning on doing more of it all year.

"It's something you've got to work on if you're going to bring it in the season," McCutchen said. "Spring Training is the time to do it. I'm going to go out there and every opportunity I get, I'm going to go."

McCutchen swiped 22 bases in 27 attempts during his four months in Pittsburgh last season. Asked if he had a number in mind for his first full year in the Majors, McCutchen declined to offer one. He just plans for it to be significantly more.

"We'd like for him to be able to run more and get himself in scoring position," manager John Russell said. "The guys we have in the middle of our lineup now, we feel real confident that we can get some baserunners moving."

Though no one has questioned his speed, McCutchen wasn't as active on the bases in the Minors as some might have expected. His career high in steals came in 2008, when he was success in 34 of 53 attempts. It was an aspect of his game that management cited as needing refinement.

McCutchen has dedicated himself to studying more film of opposing pitchers to pick up on delivery nuances that he might be able to use to his advantage. He is also being particularly cognizant of his first step this spring and taking slightly bigger leads.

"I know it's something that I can do," he said. "I know I can steal more bags. It's just going and getting more comfortable with myself and knowing when I can steal and when I can't. It's just working."

---

I am very hopeful that McCutchen will steal more bases in 2010. If he wants to become the best leadoff hitter in baseball, which in my opinion, he has the potential to be, then he has to steal more bases. We’re not in an era where stolen bases are considered that important, like say in the 1980’s. We’re not in a super power era either, but a hybrid. So Cutch doesn’t have to steal 100 bases to have a successful season. If he can steal somewhere between 40-50 bases in 45-55 attempts, then I will be more than happy.

We’re obviously in the full swing of Spring Training, and so far, the Pirates are not doing too badly. You can’t put any stock in Spring Training wins and losses; the key is to see how the team does in situations. So far, the pitching has been very good and I think that is something you have to enjoy seeing. Pirates pitching and more specifically, the bullpen cost them a lot of games in 2009. It is pivotal that the bullpen improves, if this team is going to win in 2010.

The offense has been a typical Spring Training offense. Some games it looks dominant, 15 runs against the Twins, and sometimes it looks anemic, 0 runs against the Yankees. That’s the nature of Spring Training. Batters are still adjusting to seeing pitches again, and honestly up until near the end of Spring Training, pitchers usually have a large advantage over the hitters. For the most part, I like what I am seeing from the Pirates in Spring Training. We do look better than we did last season, and I remain cautiously optimistic for the 2010 season.

Yankees: 6 - Pirates: 3

The Pirates and Yankees knocked heads today in the Grapefruit League opener. The Pirates starters kept even with the Yankees until the high number players made their entrance into the game. Yankees hit a walk-off 3-run HR in the 9th inning to win the game 6-3.

The Pirates two top starters, Paul Maholm and Ross Ohlendorf looked outstanding in their 1 innings of work. Giving up no runs and no hits. The young Bucs kept pase with the defending World Champions and for the most part, out pitched them. You can’t worry about wins and losses in Spring Training, you just want the starters to look good and not get injured.

The offense wasn’t fantastic today, but early in Spring Training, the pitching always has the advantage as the batters are still adjusting to seeing pitching again. I really liked how Andrew McCutchen looked. He got a solid in field single and took second on a bad pick-off attempt. He didn’t score as a result, but it was still encouraging to see him playing well in the opening game.

I look forward to seeing how the Pirates do the rest of Spring Training, because it is indeed a very exciting time to be a Pirates fan. Optimism among the fan base seems higher than years past, and because the first Spring Training game has been played, that means one thing: it’s baseball season! No more suffering through the long offseason, you can now rest easy, knowing that in about one months, the Pirates will be opening the 2010 regular season. I know, I am thrilled, and I am sure many other fans are as well. I look forward to live-tweeting the games I attend and hopefully live-blogging. It should be an exciting time for this blog. There are plenty more Spring Training games left, and I will do a more comprehensive analysis of the players when there is a larger sample size. For now, though, let’s just focus on the awesome fact that baseball season is back, and soon, the warm weather will return!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Some people hear this classic song and they think of Christmas, but if you’re a baseball fan, you should instantly think of the four greatest words in the English language: pitchers and catchers report. There might be 4 inches of snow on the ground, but as of right now, spring is just around the corner. To a lot of people, there isn’t a lot to be optimistic about for Pirates fans, but right now is the best time to be optimistic. There’s just something about the start of Spring Training that just makes baseball fans feel good. Maybe it’s because it will soon be warm, and all that awful snow will be melted soon. All I know is, that soon the Pirates will be playing ball at PNC Park again really soon.

I tend to be very cynical when it comes to the Pirates, but even I get caught up in the optimism. Usually it leads to a massively disappointing crash by about June, but I am hoping this year that we see competitive baseball in Pittsburgh. There isn’t too much in the way of Pirates news as of right now, just because it’s the calm before the proverbial storm that is Spring Training begins. I am really looking forward to seeing how pitcher Ross Ohlendorf looks early in ST. He is probably the potential ace of the Pirates rotation, and many are optimistic about his potential.

Despite it being the official start of Spring Training, a lot of the Pittsburgh media are not discussing the Pirates. The big news is obviously the Olympics, but the Pittsburgh media is still discussing the Steelers. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Steelers, but I am tired of them. Football season is over; lets move on and talk about the more pressing issue, and that is the Pittsburgh Pirates. I understand, that they’ve had 17 straight losing seasons, but it is a pretty exciting time to be a Pirates fan. We have one of the most exciting young players in the National League in Andrew McCutchen and I feel like some of our other young players should continue to develop and do well. I can’t guarantee that we’re going to have a winning season in 2010, but some media outlets such as MLB Network actually believes the Pirates have a chance to do well this season. I am curious as to what you, my awesome readers think.

Deep Impact!

I am not talking about the absolutely fantastic movie staring, Morgan Freeman, no this deep impact is about which Pirates player is going to have the most positive impact in 2010? I am going to rule out two of the more obvious choices in Garrett Jones and Andrew McCutchen, since I am pretty sure most people would vote for them. So let’s take a look at the nominees:

3B – Andy LaRoche: After a very weak start to the 2009 season, Andy really came on strong towards the end of the season, and many people think he is finally clicking at the Major League level. It remains to be seen if he can sustain success for an entire season, but many are optimistic about Andy’s future.

LF – Lastings Milledge: A lot of fans were pretty upset when fan favorite Nyjer Morgan was traded and replaced by a guy many perceived as a “head case” but Lastings really did good work for the Pirates in his brief time in the city. There has also been a lot of talk that he’s finally grown up and is ready to be a mature ballplayer. There’s no questioning his talent, but can Lastings keep his head on straight for an entire season?

2B - Akinori Iwamura: Many fans are very excited about having Aki in the line-up for 2010 as he has shown to be a very good ballplayer. He did very good work during his time in Tampa Bay and many are hopeful that he’ll bring the same strong work ethic to the Pirates that he brought to the Rays.

1B – Jeff Clement: Clement is a big question mark entering 2010 and many fans do not know if he is going to be a solid 1B for the Pirates. He hasn’t had a lot of exposure to MLB pitching, but he’s looked okay in his brief runs in the Big Leagues before. He has potential, but right now that’s all he is.

SP - Ross Ohlendorf: The Pirates need their pitching staff to produce if they have any hope of winning in 2010, but other than Duke and Maholm, there aren’t any proven pitchers in the rotation. One that it seems many people are excited about is Ross Ohlendorf. He looked pretty solid in 2009 and right now, he’d be penciled in as the third starter.

Soup or Bowl? Psh! Give me a pitcher!!

“Manning back to pass and it’s intercepted!” Well, the Super Bowl has come and gone, which means that it is now officially baseball season. Super Bowl is okay and all, but we all know that Pitchers and Catchers is the real American National Holiday. This entry is going to be an overview of how I feel the Pirates stack up entering Spring Training compared to last season’s team.

C: Ryan Doumit – I say this is obviously a push, but the biggest question will be, can Ryan Doumit stay healthy and catch over 110 games?

1B: Adam LaRoche vs Jeff Clement – Jeff Clement hasn’t done a lot at the Major League level so until he does, I say advantage Adam LaRoche. However, many are hopeful the Clement can live up to his potential.

2B: Freddy Sanchez vs. Akinori Iwamura-- Freddy has the better bat, Iwamura has the better glove. Freddy was on the down side and starting to get injury prone. This is pretty close, but because of how weak Freddy’s arm was, I am going to give the slight edge to Iwamura

SS: Jack Wilson vs. Ronny Cedeno- Edge, Wilson. This one is pretty easy; Jack was established as one of the best defensive SS in the game of baseball, and even though he didn’t deliver with the bat, he always played a pretty solid game of baseball. Ronny is definitely an unknown, but we’ll see how he does in his first full season in Pittsburgh.

3B: Andy LaRoche – After a very rough start to the 2009 season, Andy really came on towards the end of last season. He showed a pretty decent amount of pop in his bat, and a lot more patience at the plate. So because of that I have to give the edge to 2010. I feel like Andy is going to surprise a lot of people this season.

LF: Nyjer Morgan vs. Lastings Milledge –Edge, Milledge. Nyjer was a very popular player in Pittsburgh and with good reason. He was scrappy and a very hard worker, but he was also 29-years-old and a very sloppy base runner. Lastings was very solid in his time in Pittsburgh last year, hitting .291. He has much more power than Nyjer, and is much younger.

CF: Nate McLouth vs. Andrew McCutchen- Cutch is more well-rounded player than Nate, with better plate discipline and much better outfield range. Nate was a popular player, but for the most part is a 4^th outfielder. Cutch is future all-star, and the cornerstone of the franchise.

RF: Brandon Moss vs. Garrett Jones- Huge Edge, Jones. There’s no question that Brandon Moss was one of the worst players on the team last season, and I am very grateful that he won’t be starting come 2010. Jones showed an insane amount of power last season, and while I doubt he hits 40 homeruns, I would not be surprised to see him hit maybe 25 or so in 2010.

Staring Pitching 2009 vs. 2010 – Our 2010 pitching staff has the edge here. I don’t think it’s going to be a dominant staff by any means, but I believe it will be much better than 2009. Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, Kevin Hart, Ross Ohlendorf, and Charlie Morton should be much better than the staff entering last season. I really am excited to see what Hart and Ohlendorf can do in 2010 as they showed a pretty fair amount of potential towards the end of 2009.

Bullpen – When Matt Capps was non-tendered it looked pretty bleak for this bullpen, but Neal Huntington has done a very good job of brining in some solid veteran arms. Octavio Dotel, Javier Lopez, and Brendan Donnelly should be much better than the arms we had last season, and I am excited about seeing Joel Hanrahan get a lot work in 2010, as he was brilliant towards the end of 2009.

Bench - The 2010 bench should be much improved over last year. Ryan Church is a very solid player and should do a lot of good work off the bench. Brandon Moss may be a pretty terrible everyday starter, but as a bench player and a spot-starter, he should be at least passable. Delwyn Young did not do a very good job at the starting 2B job last year, but he was very good when he was coming off the bench, so I am excited to see him back at the job he is best at.

A lot of people like to point out how poor the Pirates record was in the 2^nd half after the trades, but with young players playing together for the first time there are going to be growing pains. The young core gained a lot of much needed experience in 2009, and the fact that the team has been training together all offseason, and they will be entering Spring Training together should be very beneficial. Now, I don’t think this team is going to the playoffs, but they should be a much better baseball team in 2010.

Tweet, tweet!!

For all of you lovely young people that have a twitter. Some of your favorite Pittsburgh Pirates ball players are tweeting for your entertainment. Here's a list of some of the Pirates I have found on twitter:

Paul Maholm

Daniel McCutchen

Joel Hanrahan

These are so far the only three I have found. I think it's really cool to see these young players on twitter as it gives you some good insight on their lives outside of baseball and it gives them a good opportunity to interact with their fans. If any of you have a twitter, follow these guys, especially Hanrahan, his tweets have been pretty funny, and he seems to interact with fans the most. I hope these three lead to a trend of more Pirates using twitter as a means to communicate with the fans, because like it or not, it appears twitter is here to stay.

Frank Coonley: "The dawn is coming."

PiratesFest 2010 has come and gone, and overall there was something strange in the air this year: optimism. I have gone to PiratesFest every year since I was 7-years-old and I have to say I have never seen such optimism in the air. A lot of people seem to be pretty happy with the direction the Pirates are going in, and I to found myself caught up in the good feeling.

I am not sure why people were so optimistic this year compared to years past, but it’s very refreshing. As a Pirates fan I am used to negativity, and to see other fans actually feeling excited for baseball warms my heart. Some say PiratesFest is just for children and for the most part, they are right, but it can definitely be fun for adults. I always enjoy watching the Pirates interacting with fans, and I love being around people that love this team as much as I do.

The biggest story out of PiratesFest had almost nothing to do with the event. The rumored offer by The Penguins Ownership Group to buy the Pittsburgh Pirates from Robert Nutting. A lot of fans despite being happy with the job Neal Huntington and Frank Coonley are doing strongly dislike owner Bob Nutting. They feel he is cheap, and unwilling to spend the money necessary to field a consistent winning ball club. When I first heard the rumor that Mario and company were interested in the Pirates I was obviously intrigued, and my mind went a lot of different places thinking about what Mario would do as owner of the Pirates. I don’t like Bob Nutting, but I don’t really hate him either. I feel like he’s a good businessman, but whether that makes him a good owner is a matter of debate. I doubt we’ll ever see Bob Nutting sell the Pirates anytime soon. He seems convinced that winning baseball is on the horizon and as a fan; I hope he is correct, because I cannot handle too many more losing seasons. When this new management team took over in 2007, they said building a winning team was a process. Well it’s been 3 years and the tools are in place. It’s put up or shut up time for the Pirates. Let’s hope 2010 is the beginning of a new era of winning baseball in Pittsburgh.

Oh please..Dotel

http://post-gazette.com/pg/10020/1029894-100.stm

I am very pleased with this move. He's a very good pitcher, and will definitely help with our bullpen. I don't know if he'll close, but he'll definitely be in the running for the 8th inning job. I don't think this move all of a sudden makes us a World Series contender, but it's a move a lot of people (including me) wanted. I am sure there will be a much more comprehensive write up in the near future.

Welcome back Duker!!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10019/1029393-100.stm

The Pittsburgh Pirates came to terms on a contract with pitcher Zach Duke. This contract helps Duke avoid arbitration and guarantees Duke's services for the 2010 season. This is a move that needed to happen as Duke was one of the Pirates' most consistent starters in 2010. He went 11-16 with a 4.06 ERA. Obviously not spectacular numbers, but for a team that was as bad as the 2009 Pirates, those numbers are solid. I am hoping Duke has another consistent season in 2010 as he hasn't shown to be consistent on a year-to-year basis since he came to the Majors in 2005. We'll see if lives up to his contract, and performs at a mid-to-high level. I also wonder if he is having a repeat performance in 2010, if he'll be traded come the 2010 trade deadline?

SALARY DUMP!!!!

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100118&content_id=7933158&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

The Pirates announced today that they have finalized a trade that sends IF Brian Bixler to the Cleveland Indians in an exchange for Jesus Brito. I wonder if there’s going to be public outcry for this one? Bixler never really clicked in the Major Leagues and he definitely won’t be missed on the Pirates. He was a career .178 hitter and really never recovered from his 2008 opening day blunder against the Cubs. I doubt too many people are going to care about this deal, but it was time to move on. Bixler will probably never really be a decent MLB player; he just didn’t analyze pitches well. Goodbye Brian Bixler, best of luck to you and your career with the Cleveland Indians.

This move was probably made to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for RP Brendan Donnell, who recently signed a contract for one season worth $1.5 million. A lot of people believe Donnell was the “mystery pitcher” that was referred to, and many are waiting for the signing of Octavio Dotel. Which is rumored to be happening in the next couple days.

DJ DJ!!!

Several sources have reported that the Pirates have inked former White Sox pitcher DJ Carrasco to a minor league deal. This is a very good signing for the Pirates who are trying to shore up their bullpen for the 2010 season.

Carrasco put up some pretty solid numbers in Chicago last season out of the bullpen. He was 5-1 with a 3.76 ERA and striking out 62 batters. He isn't a dominant pitcher by any means, but he should hopefully be consistent as a middle reliever. The only major area of concern is his WHIP 1.414, that is definitely a little high, and hopefully it comes down to his 2008 number of 1.138.

A lot of people think this move signifies that Octavio Dotel will be signing with the Pirates fairly soon as he and Carrasco were teammates in Chicago and from what I've heard are pretty good friends. Obviously baseball is a business, but you never know. Dotel would be a very good signing for the Pirates and would definitely shore up the bullpen for 2010.

I have been critical of Neal Huntington in the past, but so far this offseason he has remained true to his word in trying to find decent, but low cost options for the bullpen. He isn't signing A-List relievers, but the players he is signing are definitely better than what we would have had if we just stuck to our internal options. Don't mistake me, I don't think we're going to all of a sudden be a 90-win team, but right now the Pirates should put a better team on the field in 2010 than the one that ended the 2009 season.

Big Mac admits to being on the special sauce.

I was going to write about the Pirates signing Ryan Church, but this seems like a bigger deal. Mark McGwire finally admitted that he did steroids during the course of his career. This may be the biggest news story of the offseason, and it probably isn't a surprise to many.

I am glad McGwire finally admitted the truth and revealed his steroid use. This probably ensures that he will never make the Hall of Fame, but this will definitely improve the way the general public views him. Baseball fans love to forgive people, and I think this revelation will make 'Big Mac' a beloved figure around baseball again. Some people are going to say he cheated the game, and in a way he did, but he certainly wasn't the only one. No one can take away him basically saving baseball in the summer of 1998, and personally I already forgive him.

McGwire probably decided to come clean because of him being the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, and I think that is very commendable of him. Coming clean because he doesn't want to disgrace his employer. I am sure a lot of people will give him flack, and he might be booed at many of St. Louis' stops during the course of the season, but as far as I am concerned him telling the truth makes it all okay. It didn't take him getting caught ala Alex Rodriguez for him to tell the truth. He openly revealed it. I personally think Major League Baseball should thank him for being the first slugger during the "steroid era" to willingly come clean. Hopefully this leads to others, such as Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro to come clean and admit any wrongdoing.

Thank you Mark McGwire, hopefully this leads to people finally forgiving you and you eventually take your rightful place in Cooperstown.

Pirates sign Ryan Church

http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100111&content_id=7898104&vkey=news_pit&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit

This honestly isn't a bad move by any means. It's a pretty quality major league signing. He's a better option than Rick Ankiel because he's willing to accept a role as a bench player if/when Jose Tabata gets the call up to the big leagues. I think this might mean Brandon Moss will be gone soon, as Ryan Church may see more time in right field than him. Honestly, Moss had plenty of opportunities to prove he deserves to be an everyday Right Fielder, and each time he failed. Though we'll see what happens with Moss come spring training.

Overall I like the shape of the 2010 team seems to be taking, I'd like to see some more bullpen help signed before spring training, but I feel like our offense will be at least better than it was towards the end of last season. I don't think we're seeing a winning season in 2010, but we should improve. I don't see this team losing 100 games. I think if they can get to 75+ wins then that would be a good indication that the Pirates are finally heading in the right direction.

Pirates add some pitching depth

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Brian Burres, Neal Cotts, and Tyler Yates to minor league contracts today. Burres and Cotts are both left handed, and we're all familiar with the right handed Yates.

Burres turns 29 in April, and has 265 career innings in the majors, with a 6.08 ERA, a 5.7 K/9, a 1.39 K/BB, and a 1.1 HR/9. Burres has mostly been a starter in his career, with 214 of his 251 innings in the rotation with Baltimore and Toronto. In his 51 innings as a reliever he's posted a 7.2 K/9 and a 1.32 K/BB ratio. He also hasn't had much of an advantage against left handers, with a .302 BAA and a .814 OPS versus lefties, compared to a .298 BAA and a .839 OPS versus right handers. In his career at AAA he has a 4.02 ERA in 261.2 innings, with a 7.2 K/9, a 2.36 K/BB, and a 0.9 HR/9, mostly as a starter.

Cotts turns 30 in March, and has a career 4.63 ERA in 256.1 innings pitched, with an 8.3 K/9, a 1.79 K/BB, and a 1.3 HR/9. He put up a decent season in 2008 with a 4.29 ERA in 35.2 innings, with a 10.9 K/9, a 3.31 K/BB, and a 1.8 HR/9, although he was mostly used in a LOOGY role, making 50 appearances. Left handers are a career .253/.335/.456 against Cotts, while right handers are a career .248/.353/.405, which doesn't really make Cotts a very effective LOOGY option.

Cotts was non-tendered by the Cubs after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July. He isn't expected to be ready until the middle of the 2010 season, at which point he could compete for any job openings.

Yates is the same as Cotts. He underwent Tommy John surgery in July, and won't be available until the middle of the season. Yates posted a 3.96 ERA in 50 innings out of the Braves' bullpen in 2006. In 2007 his ratios actually improved, with Yates cutting almost 1.5 BB/9 from his 2006 season, however his ERA jumped to 5.18. The Pirates traded Todd Redmond for Yates in 2008 and watched him put up a 4.66 ERA in 73.1 innings, although his control numbers fell back toward their 2006 totals. The big problem with Yates has always been control, as he only has one year out of the last four seasons with a BB/9 ratio under 5.0.