That grand and uniquely American celebration, Opening Day of the Baseball Season, takes place here in Pittsburgh tomorrow afternoon when the Pirates take on the Cubs at PNC Park. (By the way, I know that this "uniquely American" celebration actually occurred in Australia last week, but that's marketing in the 21st Century.) Up until last week, I had no plans on attending the Opener, but thanks to buddy, David Cicotello, I will be there tomorrow. Not sure how many home openers I have attended over the years, but there have been a few. I can recall one in Forbes Field when my Dad wrote the absence note to the good Brothers at Central stating that I was sick. My mother refused to lie and write it, but my Dad had no such qualms under the circumstances. I can also remember being at several openers at Three Rivers, one in particular when the 1979 World Series banner was raised. I was also at the 2001 Opener, the first ever at PNC Park. Anyway, all that aside, I look forward to being there tomorrow with Fred Shugars and David, where we will attempt to repeat the success we had when attending Game Three of last year's NLDS, a Bucco victory over the Cardinals.
I have opined extensively on Facebook about the Pirates rather curious decision to bring Barry Bonds back to Pittsburgh to, along with 1960 MVP Dick Groat, present Andrew McCutchen his MVP Award for 2013, so I am not going to go on and on about it here, other than to quote SABR friend Joe Guzzardi who stated to me, "That strikes me as a bad idea." I'll just leave it at that.
Anyway, in attempt to do a pre-season prediction write-up a little differently, here are some things and people to watch in 2014:
Andrew McCutchen. After a torrid spring training, and, yes, we know that spring training stats are meaningless, it is almost frightening to think that he might actually be better than he has been in the last two seasons. Not since the days of Barry Bonds, and perhaps even the days of Dave Parker, have the Pirates had a player who is in the legitimate discussion as to who is the best player in the game.
Travis Snider. Yes, he has been the definition of mediocre since his arrival here, but if management is to be believed, injuries played a role in that underachieving performance, and he is now said to be healthy, and he did rip it up in Florida. If that can continue, perhaps the Pirates don't have as big a problem in RF as is believed.
Russell Martin. Other than McCutchen, this is the position player the Pirates can least afford to lose to injury.
A.J. Burnett, or rather the absence of A.J. Burnett. He was at worst the number two starter on the staff, and he is being replaced by a combination of Edinson Volquez, the coming-off-of-injury Wandy Rodriguez, Jeff Locke, and Jameson Taillon, who is now nursing a tender elbow of his own. How this plays out could be the key to the Pirates season.
Gerrit Cole. I just think that this guy to be the best pitcher to come up through the Pirates farm system since Bob Friend. He's big, he's mean, and in the last month of 2013 he was easily the team's best pitcher. I just can't wait to watch him pitch every fifth day.
Neal Huntington. I am certain that no one is more aware of the Pirates most glaring weakness, the hole at first base, than is the GM. How NH goes about addressing that as the season wears on will be interesting to watch. I've long been critical of Huntington, and his ability to spread the b.s. in some of his statements to the public continue to drive me nuts, but he bought himself, and his "Plan", a lot of credibility last year, and his maneuverings at the trade deadlines were textbook. How he does around July 31 and August 31 this year if the team is in the same position will be, again, critical to the success of the team.
OK, so how will they do? Last year they won 94 games, which is a lot of wins for even really good teams. To think that they will do this again is asking a lot. Winning less than that in 2014 is not necessarily a step backwards. So, I am going to predict that we will raise this guy....
....89 times in 2014. Eighty-nine wins will not be enough to overtake the Cardinals in the NL Central, but it will be enough to be in the race for a Wild Card spot, so what the the hell, I'll predict that Pirates will once again nail down one of the two wild card spots in the National League. Once you make the Playoffs, according to Billy Bean, it's a crap shoot, and I'll worry about those predictions come October.
Enjoy the season, and LET'S GO BUCS!!!!!