Wait 'Til Next Year: Optimism

Could the Pirates be a surprise team in 2007? Could they reach .500? Could they contend for the wild card? Could they make a run at the NL Central title? Could they be a threat in the postseason? Could they do the unthinkable?

Of course they could. They could do anything. The probability of any of this happening isn't very high, but anything is possible. That is why we keep watching. That is why we go to the Wednesday afternoon game against the Cubs in late August, even though we have to go by ourselves because all of our friends are busy or uninterested. We go because there's the potential of a 3-run 11th and a comeback victory. We don't want to miss something special. We attend every home-opener, because we want to be able to say years later that we were there on the first day of that magical season when our lives changed. The Pirates have lost countless casual fans since that fateful day that Sid Bream destroyed our dreams, but many of us hold on to those same dreams year after year. We can not contain our excitement as we read about Zach Duke throwing off a mound for the first time in Bradenton in February. This could be the year. Our world could completely change beginning on April 2, 2007. What if the stars align and every player on the roster plays to his full potential for the entire season? What if 2006 was not simply a dream season for Freddy Sanchez? What if in reality it was the beginning of a magnificent career? What if Jason Bay keeps getting better? What if the real Adam LaRoche is the player that we saw in the second half of 2006? What if Jose Castillo stops swinging for the fences every time he comes to the plate? Why not?

I am naturally an eternal optimist. I look for the good in life, and I always believe that the Pirates can be successful no matter what the circumstances. Since starting this site last September, I have attempted to be more objective and avoid that unfounded optimism as much as possible. A week or so ago, I was at work daydreaming about the Pirates. I don't know why, but for some reason I began feeling very good about the upcoming season. That's when I decided to do an optimistic look at the 2007 Pittsburgh Pirates. Look for this in the future. I will probably start with Chris Duffy soon and go right through the lineup, over to the bench, and on to pitching.

There is a certain type of Pirate fan that will be interested in this series. The fan that decides to finally get down to the ballpark for that LaRoche bobblehead in June, then leaves early to salvage what's left of his or her Saturday night will not want to read. This is not for Bob Smizik. This is for the Pirate fan that needs something to hope for. This is for the 12-year-old boy that loves Jack Wilson and constantly begs his parents to take him to PNC Park, despite the fact that he has never known the Pirates to be anything more than a Jay Leno joke. This is for the fan that keeps watching the Bucs even after the Steelers start their preseason schedule. This is for the fan that believed the Pirates could be competitive in 1997 despite a $9 million payroll.