Diary of a once sane man, nearly broken by 14 years of pain

Mentally exhausted after a long, tedious day, I emerged from a meeting and began strolling toward my car. It was almost 9:00 PM and the April air was crisp, yet comfortable. Staring aimlessly into the distance as I walked, I contemplated how far man might travel into space in the future the merits of sacrificing a runner to second with no outs late in a close game. I entered my vehicle and began the short drive back to my home. Knowing the Pirates were playing in Milwaukee, I tuned the radio to 104.7 and relaxed, as the soothing sounds of baseball engulfed my car. As if the broadcast was being put together for my ears only, I was immediately given an update to the game situation. 3-1 Brewers, top of the 4th inning, Adam LaRoche at the plate, one man on (Freddy Sanchez with a single), and nobody out. Jason Bay had homered for the Pirates lone run, and was waiting anxiously on-deck. Things began falling into place. LaRoche walked. Claudio Vargas, apparently timid after serving up a tater to Bay earlier, gave him nothing to hit and the bases were loaded with no outs. My enthusiasm began to rise, and the heartbeat that had been nearly undetectable 25 minutes earlier was now steady. Xavier Nady was coming to the plate, and he had produced clutch hits with runners on base in each of the previous two games. My thoughts filled with possibilities. We should tie the game this inning. A couple of things go our way, we could bust out a big inning. One or two clutch hits, we could have firm control of this game.

Nady strikes out. If he puts the ball in play, we almost definitely get a run. Painful images of Jeromy Burnitz, the Diamondbacks, and a hot June afternoon flash through my head. I can not decipher exactly what these visions signify, only that my head throbs as I see them. I shake myself out of it and tune back into the game. We are still in a good situation, as Ronny Paulino is stepping in with one out. He has struggled early in 2007, but has been productive with runners on in his young career. Paulino strikes out. I can not keep my eyes open, as an even more painful visualization of Freddy Sanchez and those same Diamondbacks moves clearly into my mind. What the hell was that?? According to Sanchez’s career stats, he has struck out 108 times in the Major Leagues (EDIT: This was written before he struck out four times this afternoon. Maybe I jinxed him). But I don’t recall seeing it happen once with my own eyes, especially looking as bad as he did in this vision. Several seconds pass before this flash of pain subsides.

Jose Bautista is our final chance now, as the Pirates are no longer in control of this inning. Minutes earlier, a big inning seemed likely. Now, scoring even one run seems remote. I also feel nauseous now, and my mind is cloudy. I am nearly home, yet I have no idea where I am. I don’t even realize that I am still in control of my car. Somehow I follow the road, despite the fact that my forehead rests on the steering wheel in dismay.

As expected, a resounding cheer explodes from the car’s speakers. The Milwaukee faithful commend their pitcher for striking out three consecutive Pirates. I pull into my garage and turn the key. The car falls completely silent and I do not move for several seconds. My mind is completely blank. My head no longer hurts, and my stomach has settled. I feel strangely calm. Maybe it is the fatigue. Maybe it is the fact that the Pirates still have 5½ innings to even the score. More likely, I am numb. I am numb from seeing this same situation repeated over and over for the past 14 years. Hope remains for a positive outcome each day, and failure causes tremendous pain. But that failure is expected. I have known nothing else since I was eight years old.

The rest of the game is a blur, as if I am watching it without wearing my contact lenses. I know the Brewers are letting Chris Duffy run around at will. I know that Jason Bay mildly threatens to hit for the cycle. I know that we lose 7-3. Most of all, I know that this game will be burned into my subconscious forever. It will flash before my eyes the next time this same situation arrives.

Pirates complete sweep behind Gorzelanny

This is the starting pitching that the Pirates dreamed about as they entered the 2007 season. For one game, the rest of the team helped out also. Tom Gorzelanny allowed 1 run on 4 hits in 8.1 innings and Adam LaRoche led the offense with a three-run homerun as the Bucs finished off a two-game sweep of the Cardindals with a 6-1 victory yesterday afternoon.

The offense finally woke up, "exploding" for six runs. With the success the pitching has had, this team will win the majority of games in which six runners cross home plate. Adam LaRoche is showing small signs of breaking out of his year-long slump. His 3rd inning home run was his lone hit of the game, but any positive sign is welcome at this point. He has been taking relatively better at-bats recently, so it is not something that I am tremendously worried about. Although I wasn't able to watch this game, it also sounds as if the defense played well. Furthermore, the Bucs doubled their season total of stolen bases when they swiped two. This is the way this team must consistently play if they are going to have any success in 2007.

Snell snipes Cards

It wasn't pretty, but the Pirates finally pulled one out for Ian Snell last night. Snell was dominant again, as he breezed through six innings against the Cardinals. Snell finally ran into some trouble in the 7th, and after allowing one run, faced a bases loaded, one out situation. It seemed obvious that Jim Tracy would go to the bullpen, and television cameras watched him as he stood at the dugout steps. But Tracy sat back down and allowed Snell to face left-handed Skip Schumaker. You can definitely make the argument that this was a poor decision, but I will not argue with results. Snell bore down, induced a pop-up, then retired Dave Eckstein on a groundout to end the threat. Snell's final line: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 6 K, 4 BB. It appeared to be the ultimate escape, but would be surpassed by what transpired in the 9th.

Torres came on to try to nail down a 3-2 victory. An error, a sacrifice, a bad bounce off the 3rd base bag, and a hit batsman left Sully and the Pirates in a dangerous situation. Chris Duncan, who won a game with a long ball against Torres in Pittsburgh last week, was at the plate with the tying run at 3rd, winning run at 2nd and one out. But ice water poured through Torres' veins, and Duncan popped to shallow left. The Cardinals chose not to test the weak arm of Jason Bay, because Mr. Albert Pujols was coming to the plate with the game on the line. I just checked, and it turns out that Pujols has a career Success with the Game on the Line Rate of 1,251.82%. For those of you that are not up to date on your Sabermetrics, that is very good. But Torres now had liquid nitrogen running through his veins, and Pujols popped his second offering to Jose Bautista. Game, set, match.

The Pirates' offense continued to struggle despite the win. They were able to push three runs across in the 3rd, but continued to waste opportunities the rest of the game. In the 2nd, a pop-up and a double play quickly erased a lead off single from Ian Snell. In the 3rd, a lead off triple produced nothing. In the 5th, a one-out triple netted zero runs. With the lack of firepower in the lineup, the Pirates must take advantage of these opportunities. One positive was that Adam LaRoche seemed a bit more comfortbal at the plate. He only had one hit, but at this point I am encouraged if he simply looks decent swinging the bat. UPDATE: LaRoche added a three-run homerun today. The Pirates lead the Cards 5-1 in the 7th.

Ian Snell continues to impress me. I mentioned during the Astros series that I wasn't as high on him after last season as many others were. I am looking forward to shoving my foot deep into my mouth all season because of those feelings. He has looked phenomenal since the beginning of spring training.

Rain, rain, go away

The Pirates battled San Fran on Friday and Mother Nature the rest of the weekend

It appears as if I chose a good weekend to be away from Pirates baseball. Two of the three games were postponed, and I might not have been able to stomach Friday's game. I actually vomited twice just while reading the recap. I commented last week on the fact that both offenses had been terrible early in 2007. While the Giants make Zach Duke look like Jimmy Anderson, the Pirates followed the script, as Russ Ortiz made his case for the 2007 Cy Young award. It sounds like it was a good game to miss.

The Bucs are in St. Louis tonight to open a two-game series with the Cardinals. Ian Snell takes the hill and will face Anthony Reyes. Maybe the couple of days off will be what the Pirates' offense needed to break out of their ridiculous early season slump. Coverage will resume on this site beginning with tonight's game.

This is off the topic, but please pray for the folks at Virginia Tech. They were struck with a terrible tragedy today, and I can not even begin to imagine what the university is going through right now.

Giants

The Giants' offense has struggled early in 2007

The Pirates welcome the San Francisco Giants to town this weekend for three games. It is quite possible that neither team will score a single run in this series. The Giants have already been shut out three times this season, including twice in their three-game series with San Diego earlier this week. The Pirates are fresh off three games with St. Louis in which they produced only four runs in 30 innings. If you're someone who watches baseball mostly for the offense, you might want to avoid the Pirates for a few days.

I will be out of town with no access to the internet for the weekend, and most likely will not provide any posts during this series. So if you're one of the four people that check this site for recaps and analysis, try out some of the more interesting Pirates blogs linked in the sidebar. I will be back in a few days.

Let's bring home three wins.

Cardinals complete sweep

The Pirates were defeated 3-2 this afternoon, finishing off a series sweep at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. Overall, the Pirates scored four runs in 30 innings in this series. The success or failure of Salomon Torres is totally irrelevant if this lack of offense continues.

We hoped to see a deeper and more dangerous lineup this season, one that could provide Jason Bay with some protection. With Adam LaRoche struggling and out of the lineup today, the Cardinals showed their complete lack of respect for any hitter that was not Canadian-born. Bay walked three times, and saw only one strike after the 5th inning. It's not too surprising that the Pirates only pushed across two runs.

Extra painful

The Pirates fell to the Cardinals 3-2 tonight when they were unable to hold a late lead. Salomon Torres blew his first save of the season and a sacrifice fly in the 12th inning gave the Cardinals the win.

I only saw the last inning of this game due to opening day for my softball team, so I will only comment on that final inning. From what the broadcast booth was saying after the game, this was a pretty sloppy game throughout for the Bucs. But there was enough garbage in just the 12th inning to put a short, negative post together.

Jason Bay's throw to the plate in the 12th inning was in time, and Ronny Paulino needs to make that tag. But this could have been a much easier out. In three plus years, I have not once seen Bay use a crow-hop when making a throw. He is flat-footed everytime, and rarely gets any power behind him. There is no reason he should throw a two-hopper to the plate from that distance. Maybe if someone would take a second and show Bay how to throw, pop-ups would not turn into sacrifice flies.

In the bottom of the inning, Chris Duffy led off with a walk. Trailing by one run with two right-handed contact hitters due up, this was a perfect time for a stolen base. Molina is tough to run on, and maybe hindsight is 20/20. But having Duffy in scoring position was the goal, and wasting an out trying to sacrifice is not the answer. If you're not going to run in that situation, why is Duffy even batting leadoff?

Now for our new daily segment entitled "Beat the Dead Horse." Why is John Wasdin pitching in the 12th inning of a tie game?? I will add one question mark at the end of that question each time I am forced to ask it.

Maybe it's better that I only caught one inning of this game. Tom Gorzelanny's strong start was wasted, much like Ian Snell's one day earlier. Tomorrow brings a 12:35 radio only game, as the Pirates try to avoid being swept by the Cardinals. Also, the Penguins begin their playoff run at 7:00 PM. It should be a nice full day.

Opening day woes

It was a rough day at the plate for Jason Bay and the Pirates

The Pirates lost another home opener yesterday, as Ian Snell's solid performance was wasted by the team's lackluster offensive performance. I was upset while watching the game, but softened a bit when I heard some insider news from a friend of mine. Apparently, some of the Pirates' luggage was lost while returning from Cincinnati on Sunday. The only equipment missing was the bat bag, although there was a bit of a scare when Adam LaRoche's confidence was briefly misplaced in the bullpen. Because of this, the team was forced to use only their fists to swing against Braden Looper. The end result: only 3 hits and 6 players were lost with broken hands.

Seriously though, that's three straight depressing home openers I have attended. Snell continued his excellent start to the season, and each day I am becoming more and more convinced that he and Duke are the real deal. He allowed only 1 run in 7 innings and deserved a victory. We are seeing a much more mature Ian Snell than we have in the past, and he seems to have a perfect balance of relaxation and that "Snell doesn't do that" attitude. I like what I am seeing from him.

The Pirates' offense was completely shut down, as Looper played the role of Chris Carpenter for the day. The pre-game festivities were enjoyable, with awards given to Lanny and Freddy and some well-deserved recognition for members of our armed forces. There was even a flyover. (I had never witnessed a flyover before, so maybe I'm wrong. But aren't they usually faster and more exciting? Were those just commercial flights heading to Ohio? Oh well.) However, that was about where the fun ended. The most noise from the crowd for the rest of the game came when the sun peeked out and briefly warmed the crowd in the 7th, and after Nate McLouth registered a pinch-hit infield single in the 8th. Just your typical home opener.

John Wasdin replaced Snell in the 8th and promptly was charged with 2 runs in ⅔ innings. Why is Wasdin pitching in a 1-0 game in the 8th? I have nothing else to say about that.

One more thing: If I have to hear a bunch of idiot fans cheering for the scoreboard to show a virtual fireplace, or a fish tank, or that damn squirrel on water skis one more time, I'm going to lose my mind and start giving myself paper cuts on my eyelids. I am embarrassed to be from Pittsburgh during those moments. I officially hate the Highmark jukebox as much as the Pierogi Race. Yes, it's that bad.

Home opener

PNC Park gets prepared for her big day

Today is the big day, the home opener. Ian Snell (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will go to the mound for the Pirates and will face Braden Looper (0-1, 4.50 ERA). The Bucs started the season with a 4-2 road trip and will look to continue their winning ways in Pittsburgh. The atmosphere figures to be much more positive than it was at last year's home opener, when the Pirates arrived after starting the season 1-6. Expect a big day from Snell, who was very sharp in his first start of the season. It will be a cold one, so bundle up if you're going down to the park.

Duke shines in 5-3 victory

The Pirates avoided a sweep today by defeating the Reds 6-3. Freddy Sanchez returned from the disabled list and looked exactly like the hitter we saw in 2006. He went 2 for 4 with a double and was also hit by a pitch. Brad Eldred also made his first start of the season and knocked in two runs with a homerun and a double. Jason Bay added a 9th inning insurance run with a solo homerun.

Zach Duke was dominant through 6 innings, shutting out the Reds on only 3 hits. He tired a bit in the 7th, and finished with a line of 3 ER in 6+ innings. He added 5 K's and did not walk a batter. The Pirates finished their opening road trip at 4-2 and will return home Monday in a tie for first place in the NL Central.

My thoughts:

• It was nice to have Freddy back in the lineup. Through 4 at-bats, he still looks like a batting champ. His RBI double in the 6th was vintage Freddy Sanchez. Milton placed a perfect pitch on the outside corner, and Freddy drove it right into the gap. It just looks so easy for him.
• I was shocked when I saw the starting lineup. Freddy leading off? Bautista hitting 8th? Nady in center??? And that's not even considering Eldred making his first start in the outfield. Sometimes I think I know what Jim Tracy is thinking. Sometimes he surprises the hell out of me.
• Zach Duke looked very sharp. He and Snell might be a very nice duo this year.
• I have always been a big fan of Ken Griffey Jr. I dream of a different world in which he is taking a run at Aaron's record instead of Bonds. But he disappointed me in this game. My little sister could have been at 2nd on the ball he hit off the leftfield fence in the 7th inning. Of course, my sister is a hustler. She wouldn't be caught dead watching a flyball instead of running. He also seemed to be running in quicksand while roaming rightfield. That makes me sad.
• I had this to say on March 26th: "I don't think Eldred is ready to hit Major League pitching." It was only one game, but I often say things that are wrong.
• I had the game on the radio when Bay homered, so I didn't get a chance to see it. But I was glad to hear he hit one to right. In the 5th, I nearly threw my shoe at the TV when he rolled one to short after attempting to pull an outside pitch. He has plenty of power to the opposite field, and should attempt to utilize it more often.
• Salomon Torres is quietly having a very strong start as the closer.
• Last year, at least deep in my subconscious, I was already depressed as I approached PNC Park for the home opener. I feel a bit better this season. Nice road trip to get things going.
• 4-2

Baby it's cold outside

I made the trek to Cincinnati on Friday to take in a Pirates-Reds game played in bitter cold weather. That was two days ago, so I will avoid the basic recap that you've probably already read. I will just give you a few of the thoughts that came to mind as I huddled under a blanket in section 112:

• Great American Ballpark is a joke. Brandon Phillips hit a lazy flyball in the 1st inning that just carried into the right field bleachers. Also, it almost killed Xavier Nady. While Phillips' homerun was pretty cheap, Jeff Conine's blast in the 3rd was very legitimate.
• In the top of the 2nd, Jose Bautista led off with a double. That brought up Jose Castillo. He quickly struck out on three pitches. With Freddy Sanchez returning today, there is little chance of Castillo getting back a starting spot.
• The defense was terrible in this game. Maybe it was the cold weather. Maybe it was the players on the team. Either way, it was difficult to watch. Bautista made a sweet stop to save a run in the 1st, and apparently Chris Duffy made a nice catch in the 5th (I missed this play and have been unable to find a replay of it anywhere). Other than those two instances, it was like watching my church softball team chase the ball around. And if any of my teammates happen to be reading, please don't take offense to that remark. I am including myself when I say that.
• I felt the same depressing feeling during this game that I often felt last season. Embarrassing defense and zero hits over the final seven innings gave us very little to cheer for while sitting in an opponent's stadium. Hopefully we can have a bit more success during the Yankee Stadium visit in June.
• Josh Hamilton is clearly a fan favorite in Cincinnati. The former top pick received a nice ovation when he entered the game as a late-inning defensive replacement, and the crowd was on its feet when he came to the plate in the 8th inning. It was nice to see the city get behind this young man who has gone through some very difficult times in recent years. This was my fifth trip to a Reds game, and from what I've seen during my limited time there, it is a very classy city. That goes for Reds' fans anyway. I can't really speak for the rest of the city.
• As I stood in front of my seat after the final out, staring blankly across the Ohio River, I glanced to my left. A young man that had noticed my Pirates jersey held up a sign he was holding so that I could see. It read, "Jason Bay kicks puppies." Priceless. I could only laugh.
• This last point has nothing to do with Friday's game. Freddy Sanchez is playing today, and he looks exactly like the Freddy Sanchez of 2006. I like what I see.
• Happy Easter to you all.

Cincinnati

The Pirates will travel to Cincinnati and open a three-game series with the Reds tomorrow night. Paul Maholm will make his first start of the season, and will look to continue the Pirates' current winning streak. Hopefully Great American Ballpark will help break the Pirates' offense out of its slow start. I will be driving to Cincy to attend the game tomorrow, so expect a first-hand report sometime this weekend.

The good, the bad and the ugly - Houston edition

The Pirates are off today after sweeping the Astros in Houston to start 2007. Let's take a look at some of their performances during the series.

Good

• Xavier Nady - Nady went 4 for 12 with a double and two homeruns in Houston. His 9th innning homerun on Monday saved the game for the Pirates, and he was most of the offense on Tuesday as well.
• Jose Bautista - Bautista has looked sharp at 3rd base, and he has been hot at the plate as well. He was 6 for 13 with two doubles in the series, and provided most of the team's offense last night. If Nady and Bautista can produce for this team, good things can come about.
• Starting Pitching - Duke, Snell and Gorzelanny each allowed two earned runs, and each kept the Pirates close long enough for the offense to come alive and produce a win. Look for more of this success throughout the season.
• Bullpen - The bullpen was a bit of a question mark entering the season after the departure of closer Mike Gonzalez. However, they allowed only one run in the series and did not walk a batter. Hopefully this unit can continue this success.
• Jack Wilson - Wilson was 6 for 13 in the series, and he looked like the two-hitter that Jim Tracy thinks he is. A decent offensive season from Jack would do wonders for the offense.

Bad

• Chris Duffy - Duffy was 3 for 14 in the series, and was not very exciting on the bases. He did not attempt to steal a base and did not score a run. He is a large part of this offense and will need to produce for the team to have any success.
• Jason Bay - Bay was the hero in the opener, with a game-winning homerun in the 10th inning. However, he has done very little other than that hit. He is 3 for 13, and is hitting the ball on the ground often. That is a clear sign that he is not comfortable at the plate.
• Ronny Paulino - Paulino is just 2 for 14 thus far, and has looked nothing like the hitter that was terrorizing the Grapefruit League recently. Both of his hits have driven in runs, but he will need to reach base more often for this offense to survive.

Ugly

• Adam LaRoche - LaRoche struck out four times in the opener, and was 1 for 12 with 7 K's overall in the series. He has looked bad almost every time at the plate. It's amazing that the Pirates swept the Astros with almost zero production from Duffy, Sanchez, Bay, LaRoche and Paulino. I would expect LaRoche to get more comfortable at the plate as he gets more at-bats. Another series like that, however, may have those that have been here for the past 14 years calling for Dave Littlefield's head.
• Jose Castillo - Castillo was hoping to have a fresh start to this season. However, he has looked awful at the plate, with that same clueless approach that we grew accustomed to seeing in 2006. With Freddy on the DL, this was his chance to earn his way back into the lineup. He has not succeeded.

Break out the brooms

The Pirates party again in Houston

Tonight the Pirates finished off a sweep of the Houston Astros, their first in Houston since 1991. The 5-4 victory was fueled by Jose Bautista, who was 3-5 with 3 RBI's. The Astros led 3-1 through four innings, but with the help of some miscues by Houston's defense, the Bucs rallied in the 5th. After Ronny Paulino hit a 600 foot RBI double to center, Xavier Nady lifted another fly ball to center. Chris Burke misplayed it, leaving runners at 2nd and 3rd. Bautista, who had plated a run with a double in the 2nd, followed with a single to center. Paulino and Nady scored, and the Pirates took a 4-3 lead. After Tom Gorzelanny walked, more errors burnt the Astros. Adam Everett booted a Chris Duffy groundball, then kicked it even farther away for a second error, allowing Bautista to score. The Pirates' bullpen again was dominant, holding the Astros scoreless until Craig Biggio's two-out homerun in the 9th.

Game Notes

• I was encouraged by Gorzelanny's outing. He was hurt by some cheesy hits and shoddy defense, which allowed a couple runs to come across. Also, he appeared to have Carlos Lee struck out in the 1st. The pitch was called a ball, and Lee followed with an RBI single. All in all, he looked good.
• That was a very sloppy game tonight. Five errors, fly balls dropping in all over the place, Gorzelanny was hit on an 0-2 pitch and later walked, and nothing seemed like a sure out. Oh well, it worked out in the end.
• Jose Castillo is thinner. His defense looks better. But he still has the same lousy approach at the plate. It seems that every time he bats, he swings and misses on a first pitch breaking ball. Because he's trying to yank it over the leftfield fence. I think Jose Bautista's job is safe when Freddy returns.
• Speaking of Bautista, he played a great game tonight. He had an excellent day at the plate, and also turned in a stellar defensive play on a rocket off the bat of Carlos Lee in the 5th inning. It would be nice to have that kind of production continue throughout the season.
• This game turned in the bottom of the 4th inning. Gorzelanny nearly escaped a bases loaded, no out situation unscathed. He did allow one run to cross with a bases loaded hit-batsman, but this inning could have been far worse.
• Early on, this team is looking suspiciously like the one we saw after the All-Star break in 2006. There's nothing spectacular happening, just solid pitching and situational hitting. And that is translating into wins. Let's hear from Jim Tracy on this topic: "37-35, 37-35, 37-35, 37-35, 37-35, 37-35, I'm awesome, 37-35, 37-35, 37-35, 37-35, 37-35, I am 3-0 so far, 37-35, 37-35, 37-35, you see what happens when people listen to me? 37-35!" Thanks for the input, Jim.
• I wish someone would have focused the lens on FSN's centerfield camera.
• That's another comeback victory.
• It only took a few days for ESPN to notice the Pirates. Suddenly we're on our way up?
• This is more fun than the start to 2006.
• 3-0

Bucs go for the sweep

Tom Gorzelanny vs. Woody Williams

Tonight the Pirates will attempt to sweep the Astros in Houston for the first time since May 1991. Tom Gorzelanny will be on the hill and will attempt to carry over some success from his final start in the Grapefruit League. That was his only decent start of the spring. His mound opponent will be 40 year-old Woody Williams, who will make his first start for the Astros. Hopefully the Pirates' offense can put up some runs against an Astros' starter tonight. We can't rely on their bullpen falling apart every game.

Tommy John for Lincoln

Brad Lincoln, the Pirates' top draft pick in 2006, has undergone elbow ligament surgery and will miss all of 2007. The operation, commonly referred to as "Tommy John" surgery, will require a recovery period of 10-12 months. The Pirates hope to have Lincoln back by the beginning of 2008.

This news could be described as being somewhere between utterly amazing and totally expected. In the past ten years, the team has drafted seven pitchers in the first round. Lincoln is now the sixth to have major arm surgery before reaching the Major Leagues. Paul Maholm is the only one to avoid this curse.

They called him X-Man

Xavier Nady goes deep again

Xavier Nady continued his hot start to 2007 and Ian Snell set a career high with 11 strikeouts as the Pirates improved to 2-0 with another come-from-behind victory last night.

Nady's 2nd inning homerun landed near New Mexico and his bloop single in the 8th brought Jason Bay home with the eventual winning run. It's nice to see Nady start the season strong, especially after a discouraging spring in which he missed time to a stomach ailment and did not produce an extra-base hit or an RBI.

Ian Snell looked very sharp, striking out Astros batters almost at will. However, due to a Pirates' offense that continues to struggle, he left the game after six innings, trailing 2-1. The bullpen took over and, for the second consecutive night, shut down the Astros.

With one gone in the 8th, Jack Wilson alertly pushed a bunt past Dan Wheeler and was safe without a throw. Two batters later, Ronny Paulino worked the count full with two outs and the tying run at 2nd. As the runners broke with the pitch, Paulino was able to yank a flare over Adam Everett and into left-center to tie the game. Nady followed with his pop-up into no man's land and the Pirates had taken the lead. Capps and Torres quietly finished off the final two innings and the Pirates won again.

Game Notes

• The pitching is looking good so far. The bullpen has quietly gone about its business, while Duke and Snell were both impressive. This will be an exciting season if that continues.
• On the other hand, the offense has done very little. There have been some crucial hits, and a few clutch long-balls, but the team could use some more guys on base throughout the game.
• Jack Wilson's bunt single in the 8th was beautiful. As unproductive as he has been at the plate the past two seasons, he still plays some brilliant small ball. It reminded me of a game last season when he knocked in a run with a two-out bunt single. That's just exciting. I am desperately rooting for him to have a decent season with the bat.
• Adam LaRoche will be okay in the long run. Maybe he will come alive at about the point Freddy Sanchez returns from the DL. That would be a nice lift to the lineup.
• I'll be honest, I wasn't as high on Snell at the end of 2006 as most people seemed to be. I thought he was getting a bit too much credit for his win total from a year ago. But he has been dominant since the very beginning of spring training. I am definitely a believer after watching him throw last night.
• Xavier Nady was called a platoon player by many people this offseason. Most didn't think he had the power to hold down a corner outfield position. We are only two games into the season, but he seems determined to show a bit more pop than he did upon joining the Bucs in 2006. If that continues, the Pirates' offense might surprise some people.
• From ESPN.com: "In the 132-year history of Major League Baseball, the Pirates' win marks only the second time that a team has started a season with a pair of road wins in which it trailed going into the eighth inning." We are making history, folks.
• 2-0

04/02/2007 Pirates 4 - Astros 2

Xavier Nady after his game-tying 9th inning homerun last night

The Pirates desperately wanted to start 2007 off on a good note, and they did just that, with an exciting come-from-behind victory in Houston last night. Jason Bay's 2-run homerun in the top of the 10th inning put the Bucs ahead to stay.

The beginning of the game was encouraging, as Chris Duffy drew a walk without swinging. Jack Wilson also seemed focused at the plate, patiently fouling off several pitches before finally flying out. Not unexpectedly, the inning produced zero runs.

In the bottom of the 2nd, the Pirates' defense began flexing its muscles. After two outs, Luke Scott singled to center. When he attempted to stretch his hit into two bases, Chris Duffy fired a dart and nailed him for the third out. The next inning, the defense showed up again. With two on and one out, Jose Bautista picked a tough hop out of the dirt and teamed with Jose Castillo to turn a slick 5-4-3 double play to end the threat. After a Luke Scott homerun gave the Astros a 2-0 lead in the 5th, Chris Burke attempted to score from second base on a one-out single by Roy Oswalt. Again, a Chris Duffy laser beam cut down the runner. In the 6th, with two on and nobody out, Jose Castillo showed a flash of his potential. He laid out to snare a shot off the bat of Carlos Lee, and made the easy flip to Jack Wilson for the double play. The Pirates' defense saved a few runs in this game.

All of this time, the Pirates' offense was being completely shut down by Oswalt. The highlight through seven innings was a rally-killing double play off the bat of Jason Bay. In the top of the 8th, Nate McLouth stepped to the plate. He was pinch-hitting for Zach Duke, who had pitched a solid game. McLouth came up big, with a legitimate bomb over the left-center field fence.

Brad Lidge came in to shut the door in the 9th. After two easy outs, Xavier Nady came to the plate. With the Houston faithful ready to celebrate a victory, Nady launched the first pitch into the leftfield seats to tie the game. The crowd was immediately silenced, as the Pirates' dugout erupted into euphoria.

In the 10th, Jack Wilson reached on his 18th infield single of the game. Jason Bay followed with his first jack of the season. Carlos Lee could only watch. Salomon Torres came on and pitched a routine 1-2-3 inning for his first save of the season.

Game Notes

• The defense looked sharp last night. The success of the team defense could be a large factor in whether the Pirates have any success in 2007. The starting pitchers' BABIP was far too high in 2006. I was encouraged with the first game.


• How about McLouth and Nady coming up big? It was assumed throughout the offseason that neither would hit for much power. They are both looking to silence some critics this season.


• The offense looked feeble against Oswalt. It will be interesting to see whether it was a case of Oswalt being that good or the Pirates being that bad. It was nice to see the team come up big in some crucial situations, though.


• That's a nice start to the season. Hopefully, the team can get on a little roll early on.


• 1-0

Opening Day

Today is the day. Opening day. Every team is tied for first place. Every team controls its own destiny. This is the day of the clean slate, in which hope is alive for every player and every fan. Today the world changes.

The most beautiful image ever seen by man

Tonight the Pittsburgh Pirates open the 2007 season in Houston against the Astros. Zach Duke will be on the hill for the Bucs, and he will be opposed by right-hander Roy Oswalt. There has been a countdown in the corner of this website for several months, counting down the days, hours and minutes leading up to that first pitch by Oswalt. We are no longer using days, as our destination is nearly here. The phrase "wait 'til next year" was first uttered in April 2006. It first officially appeared on this site in September. However, those words no longer have any meaning. This year is all that matters. The last time the Pirates were successful, I was eight years old. I turn 23 today. It is time for a change. That change begins right now.

LET'S GO BUCS

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Friday news

Tom Gorzelanny has struggled mightily this spring and many believe he should have been sent back to AAA. Today, he made his final start before the team breaks camp. It is difficult to get a grasp on how someone is throwing in Bradenton when you are stuck in an office near Pittsburgh most of the day, but Gorzelanny's final line was encouraging. He allowed 2 earned runs on 4 hits in 6 innings and, much more significantly, walked only 1 while striking out 8. In addition, Dejan states that, "...he rarely was hit hard. Even Chris Heintz's solo home run in the second inning needed a healthy gust of wind to land beyond the left-field fence." All spring, we have been hearing that Gorzo was struggling with his command, but was close. That is why his K/BB of 8/1 today was so encouraging. The Pirates rallied for five runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to win, 5-3.

In other news, the final 25-man roster is nearly complete. Relievers Jonah Bayliss, John Wasdin and Juan Perez have officially joined the bullpen, while John Grabow was added to the 15-day disabled list as expected. Jose Castillo, Nate McLouth and Don Kelly have been named to the Pirates' bench, while Ryan Doumit, Brad Eldred and Humberto Cota will continue to battle for the two remaining spots. Jose Hernandez, Luis Matos and Dan Kolb all lost out on possible jobs. Three weeks ago, I was convinced that all three of these players would break camp with the team. Wasdin and Kelly are surprises to make the roster. Wasdin pitched a perfect 7th inning today to lower his spring ERA to 0.79. Kelly walked and scored in the deciding 8th inning. He is hitting .257 this spring.

Pirates marketing

Pirates advertisements are terrible. They have been terrible for many years, and that will be no different this season. The trend of many quick highlights and a popular song in the background does nothing for me, and I am someone who rarely watches a Pirates' replay without breaking out into goosebumps. These commercials are cheasy and make the team look like a joke. I have always felt that the team should focus more on the emotional aspects of the game. Watch the Penguins game tonight. Watch one of their commercials. Those are done very well. I can only wish the Pirates' marketing department is watching.

Roster updates

The Pirates' roster is becoming more and more clear each day. This is what we know at this point:

C - Ronny Paulino
1B - Adam LaRoche
2B - Freddy Sanchez (Jose Castillo)
3B - Jose Bautista
SS - Jack Wilson
LF - Jason Bay
CF - Chris Duffy
RF - Xavier Nady

SP - Zach Duke
SP - Ian Snell
SP - Tom Gorzelanny
SP - Paul Maholm
SP - Tony Armas Jr.

RP - Salomon Torres
RP - Matt Capps
RP - Damaso Marte
RP - John Grabow (Juan Perez)
RP - Shawn Chacon



That leaves seven open spots. Two will go to relievers, with Dan Kolb, Josh Sharpless, and Jonah Bayliss still in the hunt. I would expect Kolb and Sharpless to prevail, mostly because Bayliss lost some of his spring to an injury. The other five roster spots will make up the Pirates' bench. The only sure thing at this point is Jose Castillo. Other than that, there are many different directions that Jim Tracy could go. Luis Matos, Nate McLouth, Jose Hernandez, Michael Ryan, Ryan Doumit, Don Kelly, Humberto Cota and Brad Eldred all still have a chance. I would like to see Castillo, Matos, McLouth, Doumit and Kelly head north. I don't think Eldred is ready to hit Major League pitching, though he may find his way to Pittsburgh if LaRoche struggles against left-handers early in the season. Doumit should pinch-hit as well as back up catcher, first base and right field, allowing him to play a few times a week. Matos and McLouth should back up in the outfield, with Ryan waiting in Indy should one of those two falter early on. At this point, I would rather see Don Kelly play the role of Jose Hernandez this season. I don't think either are any good; I just like Kelly better. The fact that he is left-handed doesn't hurt either. This is a pretty sad bench.

Outside of Gorzelanny, the starting pitching has been a pleasant surprise this spring. Sean Burnett looks like he is ready to pitch in Pittsburgh again, and I would not be worried if Shane Youman had to make a spot start. Also, Bryan Bullington looked solid during limited action. I was concerned with the lack of starting depth coming into the season. I am feeling much better about that right now. The Pirates should have a few insurance options in the Indianapolis rotation.

NOTES: Juan Perez will likely make the roster out of camp due to John Grabow's injury. Assuming Freddy Sanchez starts the season on the disabled list, Jose Castillo will fill in at second base. Because of this, both Don Kelly and Jose Hernandez might come north at the beginning of April. That is a very scary thought.

ONE WEEK

Jose Bautista

In somewhat of a surprise move, the Pirates have named Jose Bautista as their starting third baseman. This appears to push Jose Castillo to the bench after being the Pirates' starting second baseman the past three years. It is fairly interesting to consider what we might learn from this move. Is Pirates management finally fed up with mediocrity and taking a stand against it, as Jim Tracy claims? Maybe Pat has this decision all figured out. Maybe Freddy Sanchez will not be ready for opening day. Keep your eye on this situation.

Jose Castillo "congratulates" Jose Bautista after having his job stolen

SI

I have recently read some opinons around the blogosphere about the fact that the Baseball Prospectus Team of Experts knows less about the Pirates than they seem to think. Most of these opinions are valid, but maybe we should be discussing Sports Illustrated also. I picked up my SI Baseball Preview issue this evening and opened it to the Pirates scouting report. I was expecting some bashing, probably most of it legitimate bashing. I was not expecting some of the ridiculous statements that I found. Here is an excerpt that comes at the conclusion of the article, one that had focused entirely to this point on Adam LaRoche and the Pirates offense:

This will likely be another long year at PNC Park because Pittsburgh doesn't have the pitching to contend. Projected ace Zach Duke allowed 40 more hits than innings pitched last year and finished 10-15; the rest of the rotation is a mess. The addition of LaRoche means the Pirates at least have the offensive firepower now to put up eight runs from time to time, and the Pirates will have to win a bunch of 8-6 games to be playing meaningful games after the All-Star break.

What lineup is this guy looking at? The Pirates offense was pathetic last season and, despite the addition of Adam LaRoche, will likely struggle to score runs in 2007 as well. The only real strength this team has is a young pitching staff that could turn out to be pretty decent. The offense will be the last thing that carries the Pirates to victories this season. The only real chance of the team being competitive is a healthy season and progression from its entire rotation. If I was Jim Tracy, I would march this magazine right into the locker room and show Ian Snell the above quote. Then I would sit back and watch him strike out 25 batters in his next start. Anybody who thinks the Pirates pitching staff is Zach Duke and a bunch of scrubs clearly does not watch much Pirates' baseball. I don't mind bashing the Pirates correctly, but don't just make things up without doing any research at all.

03/17/2007 Twins 7 - Pirates 3

I finally got the chance to view some Pirates spring baseball this afternoon. Here are some of my observations while watching the game:

• Green baseball caps are dumb.
• Regardless of whether he's any good or not, I like Don Kelly.
• It took a whole 6 pitches before we were told that Don Kelly is Neil Walker's brother-in-law.
• Boof Bonser kind of reminds me of Jimmy Anderson. Except he's a much better pitcher than Jimmy was.
• Why aren't the Pirates wearing green helmets? That must have been too costly. Or maybe after the hats were made, they realized how stupid it was.
• I was thinking Armas was looking pretty good early on. Then Torii Hunter came to the plate.
• Don Kelly could use a sandwich. Or maybe several sandwiches.
• The Pirates' bottom of the 2nd inning started like this: leadoff single, high chopper over the third baseman's head for a single, a pop up that is misplayed and drops in, groundball off the pitcher goes for an infield single. Final result: zero runs. What is this, April 2006?
• Here's a quote from Bob Walk. "Brian Graham has done a heck of a job." Sigh.
• Jack Wilson actually looked like a good number two hitter today. 2-2, 1 BB
• Don Kelly will play the role of Jose Hernandez/Mike Edwards at Jim Tracy's next job.
• With all the Don Kelly references, you might think you are watching/listening to a Pirates broadcast.
• The middle of the order looked very shaky today.
• Masumi Kuwata looks like a guy that was a star in Japan. Five years ago.
• Ronny Paulino looks like he's ready to make the trip to Houston.
• Someone should have told Jason Bay about the "spontaneous" green hat/8-pack promotion. He probably didn't help the cause much during his interview when he said something along the lines of, "I get to keep the hat, I don't know that I will though."
• That looked like a high school game. I think the Twins misplayed 31 flyballs. But the Pirates were kind enough to run the bases poorly so as not to take advantage,
• Brad Eldred is still really big.
• This looked like the same old Pirates game. Waste early opportunities, fall behind 7-1, start to rally in the 9th, bring the tying run to the plate, leave the bases loaded, lose 7-3.

NL Cental

There has been some debate recently on the strength/weakness of the NL Central and the realistic chances of the Pirates winning the division in 2007. I figured this would be a good time to make my predictions for the division this season. I have blatantly stolen an idea from Rob G. (from The Cub Reporter) from a past Roundtable to make my predictions. This is a completely unbiased projection approach; however, there is nothing scientific about it. Without further ado, here you go:

1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Pittsburgh Pirates
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Houston Astros
5. Chicago Cubs
6. Cincinnati Reds

I think that worked pretty well, though my method is not sophisticated enough to predict final win-loss records. Maybe it is time for the Pirates to "roll the dice."

Adam LaRoche - An Optimistic 2007

This is Part Four of an Optimistic Look at the 2007 Pittsburgh Pirates. Today’s section features Adam LaRoche. Keep in mind that these are not my realistic predictions for these players. This is a best-case scenario, something for the hopeful fan to dream about as we approach the upcoming season.

Adam LaRoche hits a baseball extremely hard.

Adam LaRoche was the most prized acquisition for Dave Littlefield and the Pirates this offseason. He is coming off a career season in which he went .285/.354/.561 with 32 homeruns. LaRoche started slowly in 2006, hitting .251/.325/.479 with 13 homeruns before the All-Star break. However, he was phenomenal in the second half, with a line of .323/.387/.655 and 19 homeruns.

There are a few different theories on what caused this dramatic turn around. One focuses on the fact that he began taking medication for Attention Deficit Disorder, a condition he has struggled with since high school. Even LaRoche himself, who generally prefers to keep his symptoms and play on the field separate, has admitted that he has felt a greater ability to focus at the plate since beginning treatment.

Another belief is that LaRoche simply needed a regular spot in the lineup to become comfortable. He had spent much of his career starting only against right-handed pitchers, mostly because of his anemic numbers against lefties. However, once given the full-time first base job during the 2006 season, he flourished. He improved greatly against left-handers, with a respectable OPS of .797.

Adam LaRoche had his breakout season in 2006, and will look to improve in his first season in Pittsburgh. He will be 27 years old, just entering his prime, and playing in a favorable environment this year. The right field seats at PNC Park are only 320 feet from home plate, and LaRoche seemed to enjoy depositing baseballs into these sections when visiting last season. It is not hard to dream of fly balls off of his bat sailing into the Allegheny River beyond right field. Expect LaRoche to be a major factor in the middle of the Pirates’ lineup in 2007

2007 Statistics: .301/.362/.584

I'm back

Hey folks, sorry for the hiatus. I had prepared all of my excuses about being busy and not having time to post anything, but I will spare you from my sob story.

I have missed some significant happenings during my time away. Most importantly, spring training has begun. As is usual for this time of year, my spirits are high and my smile is quick. Any moment that the sun peaks out from behind the clouds, I boldly proclaim that spring is here and it is time for some infield practice. Then I scoop up the nearest stone and try to play catch with whomever I might be with at that moment. After dodging this hurtling object, he or she must attempt to stay patient, while once again explaining to me that my mediocre high school baseball career ended almost five years ago and to please stop throwing rocks at people. Others may not enjoy this time of year as much I do, but thus far no serious incidents have occurred as a result.

Check back soon for more optimistic previews. Hopefully I will get through the starting lineup before the season begins.

Freddy Sanchez - An Optimistic 2007

This is Part Three of an Optimistic Look at the 2007 Pittsburgh Pirates. Today’s section features Freddy Sanchez. Keep in mind that these are not my realistic predictions for these players. This is a best-case scenario, something for the hopeful fan to dream about as we approach the upcoming season.

Freddy Sanchez does something amazing, as usual.

This one will be fun. Freddy Sanchez, as we all know, had a career season in 2006. He went from a utility infielder in April, to an All-Star in July, to the NL batting champion in October, delivering crucial hits on what seemed like a nightly basis. He posted a line of .344/.378/.473, and also led the league with 53 doubles. He notched his 200th hit on the final day of the season.

Many see the statistics dropping dramatically for Sanchez in 2007. I personally do not expect it to happen, as he is a model of consistency. He has always put up solid numbers in the minor leagues and he did not use a hot stretch to inflate his impressive 2006 stats. Those stats are broken down by month below:

April: .333/.347/.542 .889 OPS
May: .360/.397/.509 .906 OPS
June: .380/.421/.540 .961 OPS
July: .301/.342/.408 .750 OPS
August: .355/.395/.473 .868 OPS
September/October: .327/.351/.402 .753 OPS

You might be able to see where the nickname Steady Freddy comes from. Until Sanchez “slumped” to a .301 average and .750 OPS in July, he was absolutely dominating the league. He quickly responded by hitting .355 with an OPS of .868 in August. Freddy owned left-handed pitchers, with an average of .442. He posted a .386 average with RISP, .421 with RISP and two outs, .364 with men on, and .400 with men on and two outs. I might be going overboard with the splits here, but I can’t get enough of the numbers that Sanchez put up in 2006.

Freddy enters 2007 as a regular for the first time in his career. He will not have to fight for playing time, and he has successfully shed the tag of utility infielder. For the first time, he will have the luxury of relaxing and doing what he does best: spraying line drives all over the outfield. He may still be moved all over the infield on defense, but that did not seem to have an effect on him at the plate in 2006 (I will not bore you with those splits, but I assure you that there is quite a bit of consistency in them). Expect Freddy Sanchez to continue to be a force in the Pirates’ lineup in 2007.

2007 Statistics: .351/.393/.495

Jack Wilson - An Optimistic 2007

This is Part Two of an Optimistic Look at the 2007 Pittsburgh Pirates. Today’s section features Jack Wilson. Keep in mind that these are not my realistic predictions for these players. This is a best-case scenario, something for the hopeful fan to dream about as we approach the upcoming season.

Jack Wilson scores on an inside-the-park homerun on July 2, 2004

Jack Wilson had a breakout season in 2004, hitting .308/.335/.459. In the two seasons since, he has struggled with both injuries and an extreme lack of offensive production. In 2006, he put up another sub-.700 OPS while his excellent defense fell off to slightly above average. He attributed this to the extra weight he put on before the season in an effort to add more strength.

2007 will bring the return of the 2004 Jack Wilson. Jack’s biggest issue at the plate has always been confidence. He was confident in 2004 and hit just about everything because of it. He, along with many Pirates’ players, looks at the second half of 2006 and the addition of Adam LaRoche and truly believes that this team can play with the big boys in 2007. Any addition of confidence will dramatically help Jack Wilson produce at the plate. Don’t forget, this is a guy that had a career minor league line of .318/.375/.450 for an OPS of .825. He is capable of being a decent hitter.

As for Jack’s defense, expect to see it return to Gold Glove caliber this season. He is reportedly down to 185 pounds, or approximately 20 pounds lighter than he began 2006. This will improve his range and bring about the return of Jack Flash.

2007 Statistics: .302/.342/.435

Chris Duffy - An Optimistic 2007

This is Part One of an Optimistic Look at the 2007 Pittsburgh Pirates. Today’s section features Chris Duffy. Keep in mind that these are not my realistic predictions for these players. This is a best-case scenario, something for the hopeful fan to dream about as we approach the upcoming season.

After leaving his feet, Chris Duffy realizes that home plate is surrounded by barbed wire and shards of broken glass

Chris Duffy went for a wild ride in 2006. After a successful 2005 campaign which saw Duffy catch fire in Pittsburgh late in the season, he entered spring training with firm control of the center field job. But he limped out of the gate with a line of .194/.255/.276 before being demoted to AAA in May. He refused the demotion and went home to Arizona as questions arose about his commitment to the game. However, he returned in July and declared himself ready to play. Duffy quickly showed that his focus was back, hitting .349/.415/.509 in Indianapolis before returning to Pittsburgh on August 1. He started slowly but rebounded to go .315/.380/.413 with 20 stolen bases in 21 attempts in his final 45 games.

Chris Duffy has had an unusual Major League career thus far, one that can be broken into three pretty distinct segments. He was red-hot during the last few months of 2005, terrible at the beginning of 2006, and very solid upon his return later in the season. The question is which player is the real Duffy? Everyone knows that he has tremendous speed and he plays defense spectacularly enough to bring up Andy Van Slyke’s name in Pittsburgh. But what will he consistently do at the plate? Remove the first month and a half of 2006, and you have a player who has been very successful at the Major League level. There was clearly something wrong in Duffy’s head during that rough stretch, but he seemed to put it behind him after spending a couple months away from the game. Now he is ready to be a force at the top of the Pirates’ lineup. In 2007, expect to see the player that we saw at the end of 2006. Be ready for the Chris Duffy that consistently gets on base, steals bases, scores runs, and is a spark for a rejuvenated Pirates’ offense.

2007 Statistics: .329/.386/.438 - 58 SB, 6 CS

One year anniversary

Exactly one year ago to the hour, Jeff Reed was kicking off at Ford Field. A few hours later, the Steelers had one for the thumb. So pour a glass of champagne, light up a cigar, sit back and daydream about the greatest postseason run in NFL history.

Roundtable

Today's Pirates Roundtable is up, with questions on the 2007 use of Salomon Torres and a franchise player for the Pirates. Take a look.

Somehow Salomon Torres has already made 12 appearances in 2007. I'm not sure how, other than the fact that he's really durable.

Kolb, Sanchez sign with Pirates

The Pirates have signed free agent relief pitcher Dan Kolb to a minor league deal. He will make $1.25 million if he makes the team out of spring training and can earn up to $1.3 million in performance bonuses. This move adds depth to the bullpen, which will be somewhat young this season.

Dan Kolb reacts to signing with the Pirates

The Pirates also signed Freddy Sanchez to a one-year deal at $2.75 million, avoiding arbitration with the 2006 batting champ.

Freddy Sanchez celebrates his new contract

Tony Armas Jr.

The Pirates have reportedly signed Tony Armas Jr. Financial terms have not been disclosed. He will likely be the Pirates' 5th starter in 2007.




Link via Bucs Dugout



UPDATE (02/03/2007, 12:45 AM): This contract will be worth $3 million in 2007 with a mutual option for 2008 at $5 million. If either the Pirates or Armas do not agree to the option, the Bucs must pay a $500,000 buyout.

Also the Pirates have avoided arbitration with Adam LaRoche and John Grabow by signing them to one-year deals. This leaves only Freddy Sanchez and Jose Castillo as unsigned players eligible for arbitration. Dejan reports that the team is unlikely to get as far as arbitration for either.

Finally, Dejan is reporting that the Pirates have made a contract offer to relief pitcher Dan Kolb. Kolb was an All-Star closer in 2004 with the Brewers before failing as the Braves closer in 2005. He returned to the Brewers in 2006 and, after struggling early in the year, had a strong second half. The Pirates could add some experienced depth to the bullpen by signing Kolb. We all know how much DL loves bullpen depth.

Pirates Roundtable

The newest Pirates Roundtable has been posted, with today's questions asking about the likelihood of Chris Duffy having a successful 2007 season and the organization's most pressing need. There are a variety of opinions on these matters, so take a look.

Pirates Roundtable has undergone a few changes recently. The first is that there will now be two new posts per week, with one on Monday and one on Thursday. Contributing writers have been split into two groups in an effort to keep posts shorter and fresher. So remember to check back frequently in the future. The second change is that the roundtable will now be using the Most Valuable Network. One improvement that results from this change is that comments can be left without requiring an MLB account. Hopefully this will allow for more discussion throughout the week.

Thanks again to Cory for all of his hard work organizing the roundtable project.

Wilson - Castillo

Jack Wilson and Jose Castillo celebrate a game-ending double play by making out in June, 2005

Over the weekend, Jack Wilson made the following comments on Jose Castillo's effort or lack thereof:

"I want whoever's going to make this a winning team. Right now, Freddy is my second baseman, in my mind. He's the guy I can trust to go 100 percent and get the job done. Castillo's got to show me something. You're going to see it in spring training. If he's slimmed down and ready to work, he's going to have a good year. But, if it's the other way around, we're going to have some problems."

I think that, as a veteran and leader of the team, this is something that Jack should have taken to Castillo in private and kept out of the media. That being said, I do not have a huge problem with these comments. Castillo arrived to camp last spring overweight and then went on to spend an entire season making mental mistakes in the field and showing a complete lack of focus at the plate. Something tells me that Jack may have already talked to Castillo in the past and nothing came of it. While I do not agree with Ron Cook's statement in this article that Wilson deserves the Dapper Dan award for this comments*, I do believe that this team desperately needs some emotion. There should be some pissed off people in that locker room that are tired of losing, and someone needs to take charge and make sure everyone on the team knows that failure will no longer be accepted. It is true that Jack isn't good enough of a player to call a teammate out for lack of production. But he is one of the more experienced guys on the team and he puts everything he has into helping the Pirates win. I would say that he does have a right to call out a player for a lack of effort and focus.

Jose Castillo drops a throw from Jose Hernandez in May, 2006

*Is this not the most ridiculous thing anyone has ever said?

UPDATE (01/30/2007, 12:30 PM): I assumed in this post that Jack Wilson spoke with Jose Castillo in the past before he brought his feelings to the media. Jack tells me in today's PG that I guessed correctly.

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.

Kevin Polcovich hit .273 for the surprising 1997 Pirates

Let's be honest. It's January 27th and you're reading a mediocre Pirates blog. You're desperate for something positive to dream about.