Highmark's Ad, Pirates Thoughts, and a Super Bowl Halftime Suggestion

Cleaning out the Mental In-Box on a Sunday morning....

• I was both heartened and saddened to see the full page Highmark ad in the Post-Gazette this morning (presumably, it was also in the Trib) that carried a statement by new CEO Bob Baum.  Heartened to see that Highmark, in light if recent events, is re-emphasizing its mission in the community and will be highlighting many of it's employees in future ads for the work that they do and for their integrity.  Saddened that such and ad, also in light of recent events, was necessary.  A sarcastic "thanks a lot" go out to the former CEO for, as Yogi Berra once said, making this necessary.
• Someone in the Pirates PR Department got the good idea this week to put an article on the team's website that raved about the home run that Pedro Alvarez hit in batting practice -yes, BATTING PRACTICE - at Dodger Stadium this week. I hope that this genius didn't actually lose his or her job over this, but I also hope that either Frank Coonelly or Neal Huntington called this same genius on the carpet and reamed him or her a new one.
• I don't want to dwell a whole lot on this miserable road trip that the Pirates are experiencing right now, after all, what more can you say?  BUT, when they showed the starting lineup and their batting averages on the TV screen before the game, there were three players who were hitting BELOW .100, and at least two more that were between .100 and .200.  I can't ever remember seeing anything like that on a major league team.
• I keep telling myself that Bob Prince always said that it wasn't worth even talking about averages until everyone had accumulated at least 100 at bats.  Yes, that is what I keep telling myself.
• Saw an ad in the paper the other day for a September concert at Stage AE (aka, The House That Art Rooney II Built with State Funds) that would feature 1970's/1980's semi-stars Hall & Oates.  All I could think of was that THIS could be the answer for the Super Bowl Halftime show next year.
• At some point, probably some day this week, I will be giving in to my inner nine year old and going to see the new Three Stooges movie, which is, by the way, getting some surprisingly good reviews.
• Speaking of movies, we saw "The Iron Lady" yesterday on DVD.  No doubt Meryl Streep deserved her Oscar, but this was only  a so-so movie.
• The Pirates are lucky in that this god-awful road trip out west is being partially obscured by the fact that the games are being played late at night and by the Penguins melt-down against the Flyers.
• As I have long stated, I can't feel too authoritative in being critical of the Pens since I don't follow them or the NHL all that closely. Still, you don't have to be all that knowledgeable to know that blowing leads, as the Penguins have done in both games, is about as bad as it can get.  
• Also, in watching both games this week, it was apparent to this untrained eye who the better team was on the ice both nights, at least in these two given games, and it wasn't the Penguins.
• On Monday of this week, that's tomorrow, I will be spending all day, and I do mean all day, as in 8:00 AM until 9:00 PM, attending Continuing Education classes in order to maintain my Pennsylvania Insurance Agent's License "just in case" I need it between now and Social Security eligibility.  This is going to be one loooonnnngggggg day.  As the good School Sisters of Notre Dame would have told me, I will offer it up for the "souls in Purgatory."
• When the Pirates began this west coast swing, I would have killed for a 4-5 record on the trip.  They can still achieve that.  All they have to do is go 4-0 the rest of the way.  Whaddaya think?
• Because it follows the Masters every year, the Heritage Classic doesn't always have the strongest fields, but I always love watching it to see the Harbortown Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, one of my favorite places! 
• In case you Pirates fans are wondering...in 35 AB's at Indianapolis, Starling Marte is hitting .286 with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 SB and a .799 OPS.
• First baseman Jeff Clement, who flopped so spectacularly with the Bucs a few years  back, in 30 AB's is hitting .400 with no HR, 2 RBI, 6 doubles, and a 1.086 OPS.  Wonder when the clamor will begin to bring him up?