Pirates Earn Another Notch in the Win Column

Who is this team, what did they do with the fairly lackluster assembly that's shown up all season, and why didn't they show up sooner?

If the Bucs could have played this well all season, I'm fairly certain that it wouldn't have been such a fiasco of a year. Don't get me wrong, I love them regardless of their record, but it's really, really wonderful to be able to say that they're winning, and that they're doing it in a really amazing way.

Thanks in part to home runs from third baseman Pedro Alvarez and right fielder John Bowker, the Bucs claimed their fifth game in a row, their second over the Cardinals, in an 11-6 match that looked like it was going to be a rout until the 8th and 9th innings when the bullpen got a little shaky.

I'll take a win no matter how it comes.

And I'm pretty sure Charlie Morton feels the same way; I'm so glad to see him get the win, because I think this is definitely the kind of outing he needed to boost the confidence that's undoubtedly been shaky since his disastrous outings in the early part of the season and demotion to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Congratulations, boys. Three of the next four, and you've got yourselves a winning season.

At home, at least.

Bucs Ground the Redbirds

Somehow, at some point during the course of this season, the Pirates found the Cardinals' number, and they've kept it.

True, their record right now is 6-10 against the St. Louis team, but still. Considering how badly the Pirates have fared this season, that's basically spectacular. When one considers that, apart from one game during the last Pirates/Cards series, Albert Pujols has been kept under control and hasn't wreaked too much havoc on the beleaguered Bucs, it's pretty darn impressive that the Pirates have somehow managed to win against the Redbirds.

Last night's game was no different. Thanks once again to solid starting pitching, this time in the form of Paul Maholm, the Pirates' winning streak extended to four games - the longest since August '09 - and the crowd was treated to an all-around good game. The bats were awake, the defense was fairly solid, and the team continued to look as though it wanted to prove itself to be a little better than its record would indicate.

Which it is. A little. Mostly it's just unlucky.

But finishing .500 at home would be nice, and an okay end to a dismal season.

In other notes. The people sitting behind me wouldn't shut up the whole game, talked about completely irrelevant things, and, as my mother said, sounded "just like Frances McDormand in Fargo." I think I would have taken the idiot woman who thought that just because the ball landed in "the brown" it was foul over this gaggle of goobers any day. It didn't help that the one was a Brewers fan.

Sorry to break it to you sister, but you're at a Pirates game in which the Brewers aren't even involved, and no one cares that you want to go down Bernie Brewer's slide into a pool. No one. At all.

Saw Frank Coonelly at the end of the game though. Said hi. Should have just asked for a job right then and there, considering this is the second time this season we've run into him. Next time.

A Pair of Home Runs, a Pair of Walks, and a Cedeno Single Lift the Bucs to a Walk-Off Win

It's been awhile since I've actually been totally exhausted after a game. Of course, part of it is probably because of getting home from the Renee Fleming concert at midnightish last night and waking up at 8:30 this morning, but I think it's mostly from the excitement of the game.

But excitement aside I'm basically falling asleep as I type this, which means I'm going to have to keep this short for now, and just hit the main points of discussion.

As far as I'm concerned, Neil Walker's first-inning home run set the stage for tonight's game against the Diamondbacks, and even though the lead changed hands after that, and the Bucs found themselves deadlocked with the D'Backs twice, the fact of the matter is that there was something almost tangible in PNC Park tonight.

The Pirates wanted this win. And they weren't going to stop until they got it.

And that feeling is what's been missing from PNC Park for most of this season. And because the fans could feel that the Bucs wanted it, there was no way they weren't going to help them get it by proving that they were behind them one-hundred percent. It was a pretty small crowd, but a rambunctious one. It was more than happy to cheer when things were going the Pirates' way, boo when they weren't, and it was thrilled to see some gems of both offensive and defensive displays.

Despite Neil's home run, and the home run provided by Ryan Doumit, it was really Ronny Cedeno who was tonight's hero: first, with a stellar catch that was almost a double-play (G.J. was unable to handle it at 1B), and then with the game-winning single that scored Andrew McCutchen, who had come into the game as a pinch-hitter for Evan Meek (and received the loudest ovation of the night) from 2B.

Then promptly got mobbed by his teammates. Doumit actually rushed over from 2B and picked Ronny up.

Hilarious. Adorable. Really, really exciting.  I thoroughly enjoy walk-off wins, because I love seeing the players act like Little Leaguers who just won their first game. Those kinds of displays prove to me that they still love the sport, they love playing it, and they love celebrating good work done by teammates and friends.

All in all, it was a good night for baseball in Pittsburgh.

And Brian Burres, despite not getting the win, pitched a heck of a game, and continues to make a strong argument for why he should be considered as part of the competition for the starting rotation in spring training.

Extra Innings Don't Hold a Happy Ending for the Bucs

For the second night in a row, the Pirates/Reds game went into extra innings.

For the second night in a row, the Pirates lost as the Reds earned walk-off wins.

The only thing that made it slightly better than last night was that tonight, at least the loss came off a bomb of a home run hit by NL MVP candidate Joey Votto, instead of a bumbling not-catch that allowed the winning run to slide across the plate.

I've got to feel bad for Charlie Morton though - he pitched a spectacular game (especially in comparison to his last outing), and while he didn't get the loss, still. It was a great game pitched, and he didn't get anything to show for it.

I'm not even sure what else I feel like saying, other than the fact that while it is, as always, extremely frustrating to see them lose in extra innings, at least tonight's wasn't a cheap victory for the Reds. Votto's a heck of a player, and there was nothing cheap about that laserbeam home run.

Oh. And.

Congratulations to Neil Walker, whose hitting streak continues. Happy belated birthday. :]

Bucs Play Spoilers Again

I'm really pretty terrible at this updating thing, huh?

Anyway.

Much like they did when the Cardinals were in town, the Bucs are playing a small role in the upcoming playoff race. No, they're not making some kind of miraculous surge to sneak up on anyone, but they are beating teams who have their sights legitimately set on securing a berth in the playoffs. With wins yesterday afternoon and tonight over the formerly-NL East-leading Atlanta, the Bucs have enabled the Phillies to take a half-game lead over Bobby Cox's Braves in the NL East race.

And oh, how they did it tonight.

Once again, starting pitching - this time in the form of James "J-Mac" McDonald - set the tone for the game, and both defense and offense fell into step. Although Tim Hudson, Atlanta's starting pitcher, was cruising along just as easily, the Bucs' offensive surge in the 7th inning spelled the end of his night, and an eventual victory for J-Mac and the Pirates. When the surge was capped by a Delwyn Young pinch-hit, two-run home run, bringing the score to 5-0, in the Pirates' favor, the small-but-feisty crowd of just over 11,000 fans erupted into cheers...

...and the sky decided to open up.

What started out as a light rain occasionally punctuated by a few claps of thunder and a weak flash of lightning turned into a downpour in the top of the eighth inning. Reliever (and 2010 All-Star) Evan Meek set the Braves down in order, and the Pirates' half ot the inning moved almost as quickly - but featured a double by second baseman Neil Walker, which extended his hitting streak to fourteen games. As the teams left the field to regroup for the ninth inning, the crew chief called a rain delay, which lasted for forty-three minutes.

When the teams finally came back out to finish up the game, Joel Hanrahan quickly dispatched the first batter, walked catcher Brian McCann, and then struck out the final two batters to close the game and give J-Mac the win. There's really nothing more exciting than to see the Bucs play like they have the last two days, because this is the kind of play that fans have been hoping for all season, and this is proof that they can actually do it.

Bucs' Bad Luck at Miller Park Continues

I don't even have anything else to say other than last night's game was about as disappointing as disappointing can be.

And Garrett Jones needs to remember how to throw a ball to second base.

That's it.

Pirates/Cardinals Series Finale a Gem

Yet again, the Pirates act as spoilers in the Cardinals' pursuit of the N.L. Wild Card slot, and I (along with the rest of the baseball world) am a little shocked. Again, however, I am absolutely not complaining, because this is the kind of stuff I've been hoping to see from this team all summer. Not to mention, they kept Albert Pujols under control, and "Prince Albert" wasn't able to get a hit. A little sad, because again, I like the guy. But it's also nice to know that the Bucs are capable of putting a guy like Pujols on ice, even if it's just for one game. What else do I have to say?

I don't even know what else to say other than tonight's game clearly belonged to Daniel McCutchen. Great to see Neil Walker smash that three-run triple - which I was so hoping was going to end up being a grand slam - but all in all, the win truly does get chalked up to an incredible performance by McCutchen. For a guy who hasn't had the best luck during his previous opportunities to have a night like tonight was terrific to see, and hopefully indicative of what he can do.

Maybe we'll even see him in the starting rotation come spring

At any rate, tonight definitely gave me a reason to smile, and I can only imagine it has the rest of the Pirates' faithful smiling, too. Garrett Jones snapping out of his funk with that laser beam of a home run was nice to see, and with Walker's triple and D. McCutchen's sparkling show, well, it's just nice to know that the Bucs can legitimately play against a team like the Cardinals.  There's no salvaging this season, but if they can have a good September, who knows what they can do if they take that feeling into winter and Spring Training '11? This is, after all,  a team that seems to have a chance if they stick together. That is, if management lets them stick together.

But I'll choose not to think about that for now, because there's still a month left. Maybe they'll hit 60 wins.

Oh, and JR sort of argued. It was a good night.

People Say the Darndest Things

People say ridiculous things. That's sort of common knowledge. But there seems to be something special about being at a baseball game that makes people say even weirder things than usual. Some of these weird things have ended up inspiring me to write them down and share them with others - this isn't even close to being a complete list, but it's some of the best.

Some that didn't make it onto the list are --

1. "What do you mean it's fair? It's FOUL. It landed in the brown out there!" (re: the dirt in left field, on the fair side of the foul pole)
2. "You know, Mason, like Dissick. Like Kourtney Kardashian's son!" "...oh, thank God. I thought you were trying to say Mason-Dixon Line and failing. I should have known you were talking about the Kardashians."
3. "They should let him make a new painting. He isn't number 24 anymore." (re: Nate McLouth's painting of the '24' logo as his nameplate on the scoreboard. Nate never wore number 24 as a Pirate.)
4. "Is there like, halftime?" "Well, no, but there's the seventh inning stretch." "...oh my God, how long do we have to wait for that?!"
5. "Who's this guy?" "That's Delwyn Young, JR put him in for Milledge in right field." "No, this guy is definitely a pinch-hitter, he's in the ninth spot."
6. "Wait, who's playing?"
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The atmosphere at PNC Park is one of the most unique experiences in the world. Sitting in the park, it’s easy to feel like you’re in a baseball stadium from years past, but as you stare out at an unmistakably modern skyline, you know that you are very much a part of the 21^st Century. PNC, which Pittsburghers profess is the best ballpark in the country, is rightfully also considered the Jewel of the North Shore. People who try to say that they aren’t impressed by the structure are kidding themselves.

There’s something special about being at a baseball game, about seeing the game play out right in front of your eyes, of having to be aware of foul balls that might come careening towards you at any moment, of smelling the freshly-cut grass and the hot dogs that are being enjoyed. There’s also something special about listening to the people around you; some are deeply intense, deadly serious about the game going on. Some are there for the atmosphere only, and to enjoy some fresh air with friends while occasionally paying attention to the game.

And then there are the people who make you wonder if they have any idea where they are, what they’re doing there, and what the heck is going on.

PNC Park – like the rest of Pittsburgh, and I’m sure many other cities – is chock-full of entertaining snippets of conversation. Although some of them are really disturbing if only because you have to wonder if you should be concerned for your safety due to extreme stupidity surrounding you, they are also side-splittingly funny. They definitely make you feel better about yourself, if there was ever any inkling of self-doubt on your part. The following is a list of five of the weirdest, funniest, and most ridiculous things that I have overheard at PNC Park while taking in games. I have no doubt that this list will probably grow and change, but for the moment, this is a pretty good overview of the kinds of things that people say; sometimes you can’t help but listen.

Like Pittsburgh itself, a crowd at PNC Park is often very, very diverse. But ridiculous comments know no bounds, and do not confine themselves to any particular category. Some of these comments have come from sources that absolutely lend themselves to a bit of stereotyping, and others have been completely shocking for more than one reason. But the night that I heard “…why is the grass two different colors? Did they dye it?” come from behind me, I realized that it doesn’t matter where the comment comes from. All that matters is that it was said. PNC Park’s field is painstakingly cared for by an incredible grounds crew, and that night, the outfield happened to be mowed in diagonal lines, two shades of green caused by the mowing pattern. Had the question been “Are there two kinds of grass on the field?” or “Is that fake grass?,” it might not have been as hilarious. In fact, it may even have been a semi-logical question. But the ability of mowing patterns to alter the color of the grass is, apparently, mind-boggling.

 

Speaking of things that boggle the mind, it’s true that over the course of the past few years, the Pirates’ lineup and roster have been a little bit of a revolving door. Players might be there one night, and halfway across the country the next. It is both a point of contention among die-hard Pirates fans, and a point of utter confusion for those who are only occasional spectators. But if the lineup had been cemented, then there would have been a great moment missing from this list. As center fielder Andrew McCutchen came up to bat only a month or two after making his Major League debut last June, a jubilant cheer came from behind me. It wasn’t surprising; the Pirate faithful had welcomed “Cutch” with open hearts and arms, and weren’t shy about expressing their feelings. Why should they? The kid had it all; he was fast, he had a great arm, and he could hit the ball as well as anyone. I didn’t really think about the display of excitement. I kind of just expected it. Until Cutch lined a ball into left field, and I heard what the man had to say. “He’s my boy,” came the shout. “…don’t know who he is, but he’s my boy!” Flava Flav? No, just a man most likely taking advantage of free tickets, and the bar that is available to ticketholders on the Pittsburgh Baseball Club level of the park.

When a group of college-age boys sits behind you, you just sort of assume that they know something about the sport. When one turns to his friend and says “…hey man, they have, like, another whole bench in the outfield,” it’s really, really hard not to look at the person next to you and roll your eyes. That bench, young man, happens to be called the bullpen. Congratulations. The six-year-old boy behind you knows more than you do. And everyone else around you now knows that you are a space cadet.

The weekend of May 21-23, the Atlanta Braves happened to be in town. I was there for two reasons: one, because I was obviously there to see the Pirates, and two, because I happen to be a Nate McLouth fan, and there was no way that I was going to miss his return to Pittsburgh. During the game, Bobby Cox took Chipper Jones out of the lineup, and let the veteran third baseman sit on the bench for the remainder of the game. When the replacement third baseman missed a line drive hit just inside the foul line, a ball that was able to drift into left field, an incensed Braves fan nearby shouted “Way to go, Larry!” (Larry being Chipper’s real name), his companion turned to him, looked at him, shook his head, and said “…dude, Larry isn’t even in there anymore!” Friends don’t let friends make fools of themselves.

Drunken fans aren’t really funny. They really aren’t funny when they come in the form of screaming women who don’t know when they should stop talking. They’re even less funny when they have no idea what they’re talking about. Despite that, there is something extremely funny about seeing a professional baseball player be taken aback by the screaming and just roll his eyes in a total snub of said screaming woman. On this particular evening, the screaming came from the left field bleachers, seats which are field-level and from which you have a great chance at getting a ball from an inning break. A woman – who had to be in her thirties, and therefore was no adorable small child hoping for a memento from a favorite player – was shrieking “Left fielder! Left fielder! Throw me a ball! Hey Jason Bay! Throw me a ball!” 

Perhaps this in and of itself isn’t all that funny. In fact, it’s fairly annoying when it happens for seven straight innings.

The funny part is that Jason Bay hadn’t played for the Pirates for nearly two years by then, and the left fielder in question happened to be Lastings Milledge.

Not. Even. Close.

Milledge’s response? He apparently could actually hear the woman, considering the proximity of the bleachers to the field - and the fact that the woman had a voice like a harpy – and after taking a second to look at her, instead of mollifying her and tossing her a ball, he tossed it to a little boy in a baseball cap who couldn’t have been happier to receive the token. I couldn’t have been happier because the screaming woman left in a huff after that.

I wish I could have been so creative to have made all of these up, but unfortunately, these comments are all courtesy of my fellow game-goers over the course of the past couple of summers. Were they not so hilarious, I think I would be highly concerned for the state of the human race. As it is, I have to admit that I have at least been more than entertained by the ridiculous things that people say, whether or not the Pirates are actually winning.

And to think, people say baseball is boring.

Pirates/Cardinals Game a Tension-Filled Thriller

Let's just take a second to ponder how it is that the Pirates can beat pitchers like Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Adam Wainwright, but lose to others who aren't even close to being on the same level. Not that I'm complaining, because watching tonight's game was incredible, but still. How does that happen? Anyway. On to the thoughts.

First of all, any game that starts with third base coach Tony Beasley belting out the National Anthem is going to give me at least one good thing to say about it. Beasley's the greatest. But as for the game itself?

I wasn't sure what I was really expecting going into tonight's game, but I can tell you I probably wasn't expecting a completely thrilling game that would make me an absolute nervous wreck. Perhaps that was partially thanks to knowing that the opponent would be the St. Louis Cardinals, who so completely outperformed the Bucs last night, and that Adam Wainwright would be taking the mound for them. Perhaps it was partially thanks to the fact that I saw a great game Sunday afternoon, and wasn't sure that my good luck would continue. After all, this season hasn't been like last season, when I saw good game after good game, ending up with a 6-4 personal record, with the four losses all coming in the last four games I attended. This year has been a mixed bag of results. I saw the incredible home opener, with Zach Duke pitching yet another brilliant opener, and I saw Pedro Alvarez hit his first walk-off home run against the Colorado Rockies in the bottom of the 10th on August 5th for Skyblast II.

I have also seen games like Saturday night's, and games like some of the ones they played against the Cleveland Indians and the San Diego Padres.

But no matter the "record" I'm currently amassing this season, tonight was a completely individual experience, and it was fantastic. Even though the Bucs were down early, displays of impressive offense from the young guns - namely Neil Walker and Jose Tabata, plus a nifty triple from Ronny Cedeno - eventually pulled the boys ahead of the Cardinals, who had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a Matt Holliday two-run home run into the Cardinals' bullpen, which also scored Albert Pujols.

And regardless of the fact that Pujols is, indeed, not a Pirate, I love the guy. He's a class act, and he plays the game hard. I'm still trying to figure out how anyone could hate him. Of course, it's entirely possible the boos resonating in some sections of the stands were results of jealousy that the Cardinals have him and the Pirates don't. Point is, he's incomparable, and it's always a delight to watch him play, even when he singlehandedly destroys us. Which didn't happen tonight, but still. He's done it before, and I haven't even been able to be mad about it on those occasions. I can only shake my head and go "...well, he's Albert Pujols."

I don't even know what else to say other than it was a great game, played well -- for the most part. There were a few pretty serious blunders, which all came in the top of the ninth inning when two chances at double plays were blown pretty spectacularly; first by Evan Meek, then by Ronny Cedeno. But still. The score ended up in the Bucs' favor, and there were a couple of great plays that made up for the missteps. Paul Maholm turned in a noteworthy performance, and it's a shame that he didn't get the win, but it has to be reassuring to have such a good outing nonetheless. Joel Hanrahan, too, came up with a great outing. Evan Meek faltered a little bit, but regained his footing in time to sit Pujols down when there was a huge Cardinals threat looming.

Thank God.

Seeing Pujols at bat with the bases loaded may have been one of the single most nauseating moments of my baseball-watching career.

All in all, it was a great night to be at the ballpark.

The Promise of Fireworks Sparks PNC Park

Each season of Pirates baseball is littered with post-game fireworks shows provided by Zambelli International, Pittsburgh’s “first family of fireworks.” While the “regular” fireworks shows are as spectacular as anyone could imagine, there are three shows during the season that really set the city alight. These three shows, called the “Skyblast” series, are often accompanied by post-game concerts by either local bands who have made it, or more well-known groups. For instance, last year featured performances by the Zac Brown Band, and the year before played host to REO Speedwagon, while Collective Soul appeared on Saturday, June 5th.

June 5th was the first Skyblast show of the season, and the promise of an evening of great pyrotechnic entertainment – and the return of former Pirate and fan favorite Freddy Sanchez, now as a member  of the team from the City by the Bay, the San Francisco Giants – was enough to fill the stadium to its capacity as the Buccos took on the Giants in front of a crowd of 36,000. While a lot of the cause for the sell-out was indeed Skyblast, the fans on hand were treated to two sparkling displays: not only would the fireworks light up the sky following the game, the Pirates played terrific baseball, and pulled out a 6-3 win over San Francisco for their twenty-third win of the season.

The offensive display was led by second-year center fielder Andrew McCutchen, just a day after the anniversary of his call-up from Triple-A Indianapolis following the Nate McLouth trade. McCutchen went 4-for-5, including a laser-beam home run that he launched into the left-field bleachers of the park. Notable performances were also turned in by Pittsburgh-born Neil Walker and catcher Ryan Doumit. Walker, a week-old call-up from Triple-A , has been incredible to watch since his arrival to the big league club. He not only turned in several sparkling defensive plays, but he also knocked a triple to right field as part of a 3-for-4 night. Doumit was responsible for a home-run into the stands above right field early in the game.

Pitcher Paul Maholm and his relievers – Evan Meek, Joel Hanrahan, and closer Octavio Dotel – collectively threw a game that kept the Giants to only three runs; Maholm allowed no runs, and for the most part, the bullpen pulled through despite allowing runs. Dotel, who replaces former closer Matt Capps (now fulfilling the same role with the Washington Nationals), struggled slightly in the top of the ninth, but was ultimately saved from giving up a bases-clearing double to none other than Freddy Sanchez by a diving Lastings Milledge, who snared the ball on the warning track in left field. 

The glittering efforts by the Pirates galvanized the crowd, and there was rarely a moment when anything but joy could be felt in the park. It’s a great feeling to see a crowd so engaged, and even better to see it first-hand. What made it really wonderful, however, was that the crowd assembled never felt like a group of “fair-weather” fans; even though many of them were probably there primarily for the post-game fireworks and concert, with the game serving as the opening act, once the game started and the Pirates took an early lead, there was genuine glee and excitement for seeing the hometown team playing well rippling throughout the stadium. 
 

Skyblast nights are special kinds of nights in Pittsburgh. No one does fireworks shows better than Zambelli, and when the shows are preceded by games like the one that was played between the Pirates and Giants, those fireworks fly even higher, sparkle even brighter, and sound distinctly more like celebrations instead of the explosions of the hopes of the team and their fans.

There’s nothing better.

Welcome to the Blog!

Hello there all, and welcome to the new blog!

This is the new version of the recently started blog on LiveJournal, but I decided to make the jump to Blogger just because. Anyway, I've decided that it's time for me to put all of my thoughts and musings and rantings about the Pittsburgh Pirates in one place.

Don't get me wrong, those of you who know me personally know that I could never turn my back on my boys of summer, but there are so many different levels of thought going on in my brain regarding them that I think it's going to be an extremely cathartic experience blogging about them. Mostly, I just wanted to do what I do best, which is talk about something I'm passionate about. I might not be the most savvy person in the world about the inner workings of a baseball organization, and I don't claim to be. What I do claim to be is a fan who cares about the team, and who just likes talking about them.

What you'll find here is a collection of news blurbs, thoughts on individual games, reviews of Pirates-related books and television specials, and overarching musings regarding anything that pops into my head. I hope it'll keep you entertained, informed, and keep you thinking that it's really okay to be a Pirates fan, even when there have been eighteen straight years of frustrating mediocrity. After all, the current generation of Pirates fans have never seen (or at least, don't remember) what it's like to have a winning baseball team in Pittsburgh, but they're fans nonetheless.

Maybe we're also the generation who will see the rebirth of the franchise.

One can hope.

Thanks so much for being here, and I hope you enjoy what's here!

Lots of love,
M.