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.