For the past several years, as the Pirates piled one lousy season after another on top of each other, my mantra has been "All I want is to see some meaningful games played in September at PNC Park". Well, September is two days away, and it looks like I'm going to get my wish.
The week began with a grim outlook: four straight losses with the Cardinals coming into town. A sweep by the Cardinals would be almost disastrous, and when the series began with the Bucs going down meekly with their best pitcher losing Game One to the Cards, well, a lot of people weren't feeling too good. I myself noted on Facebook that the season seemed to be "rapidly circling the drain". And I had tickets to both the Tuesday and Wednesday games where the fading James McDonald and the so-far-not-so-good Wandy Rodriguez were scheduled to pitch.
You know what then transpired. The Pirates put together two of the best ballgames you could ask a team to play, 9-0 and 5-0 wins over the Cardinals. They are now right back in the thick of the wild card race, and it looks like we are indeed going to see some of those "meaningful games" after Labor Day, and how great is that? Hey, even last night's game was meaningful, because ti gave the Pirates an 8-7 edge over the Cardinals for the season, which would given them a home game if those two teams finish tied in the Wild Card race. How about that?
These last two games saw two excellent pitching performances by McDonald and Rodriguez, as well as 6 innings of excellent bullpen work, but all of that was overshadowed by those three absolutely monstrous home runs hit by Pedro Alvarez. If you care enough about this topic, you already know the details and have probably seen highlights (which you can find on the Pirates website if you have not). I remember once seeing Willie Stargell hit a home run into the fifth level at Three Rivers Stadium, and thought I'd never see anything like it again. Well, each of these three dingers by Pedro were reminiscent of that blast. I think that Alvarez is absolutely incapable of hitting a "cheap" home run. The power that he generates is just awesome.
And since we have invoked the name of Willie Stargell, here are some interesting observations and comparisons, courtesy of my friend, Dan Bonk:
Pedro Alvarez is closing in on 1000 career at-bats. He is currently for every 21 ABs and 1 strikeout for for every 3 ABs. Willie Stargell similarly after 1000 ABs averaged 1 HR per every 22 ABs and 1 strikeout for every 4 ABs. Stargell's stats are superior especially when you consider he played at cavernous Forbes Field versus PNC Park and he achieved 1000 ABs a full year younger than Pedro. Still Pedro's stats compare favorably to Willie's at this point. Just sayin'!
Thanks for that bit of research, Dan.
OK, a trip to Milwaukee against the Hated Brewers, then home against the DisAstros and the Cubs. I will be there on Monday afternoon, and can't wait!
LETS GO BUCS!!!!
By the way, I love the picture (from this morning's Post-Gazette) at the top here of Pedro watching last night's home run. Love the look in his eyes and the bat still in the air as he lets it go.
The title of this post is dedicated to my breakfast companions of yesterday morning.
Some sporting thoughts on a Sunday morning.....
- It is frustrating to see the Pirates just eaking out wins over the Astros, a team that they should be hammering into submission, this weekend, but, hey, they ARE winning those games, right? Just a sign, I suppose, about how far the Pirates have come this season.
- Those Astros, by the way, are really a bad ball club. As bad a team as I've seen since, oh, the 2010 Pirates. I'm watching these games, and I am unfamiliar with just about every player on that team. And is it a coincidence that Brad Mills makes you think of John Russell as he stands expressionless in the Houston dugout?
- For the record, I liked the trade for Wandy Rodriguez. Nolan Ryan, he ain't, but he will be an improvement over Kevin Correia, I think, in the long run, despite the fact that Correia has won his last six decisions.
- It should also be noted that Rodriguez is under contract, and not an inexpensive one, for, I believe, two more seasons after this one, so kudos to Nutting/Coonelly/Huntington for pulling the trigger on this one.
- If Colton Cain wins 20 games for the Astros in 2017, this will still have been a good deal, if the Pirates get to the post-season this year, or even if they stay in the hunt deep into September.
- I also like that Starling Marte is now here in Pittsburgh, and how can you not after that spectacular debut? True, he is hitless in his last two games, but I do believe he will be an improvement over what Pirates left fielders/lead off batters have given the team so far.
- Now the big question: Does GM Neal swing a deal to bring a hitter, or "a bat" as is now the lingo, to PNC Park for the stretch? I will not pay attention to anything Neal might say on the subject between now and Tuesday - he will never say anything significant on such a subject - but I anxiously await that July deadline.
- In case no one noticed, and it is definitely a secondary story line in Pittsburgh this summer - the Steelers opened training camp this week. The highlight for me was hearing my first Mike Tomlin soundbite of the season. I LOVE hearing those, and I am not being sarcastic.
- Mike Wallace learned a hard lesson this week: When you get into a contract hassle with the Steelers, you will lose. Every time. You think these guys would know that by now.
- One thing that guys like Wallace and their agents absolutely, positively need to remember: the Steelers released Franco Harris in a contract dispute back in 1983. They do that to one of the pre-eminent figures in franchise history, then guys like Wallace will never have a chance.
- It amazes me to hear that there are some folks in Pitt fandom who think that the Panthers should now forget about ever playing Penn State, even to the point of canceling the two games scheduled for '16 and '17. "Who needs THEM now?", they sniff. This makes those elements at Pitt guilty of the same arrogance and hubris that they have accused (and not without some justification, it should be noted) Penn State and Joe Paterno of having had ever since the series ended.
- My friend Dan Bonk, a major Pitt fan and supporter, has taken the opposite tack: AD Steve Pederson should be on the phone RIGHT NOW to whoever is in charge at Penn State these days negotiating a long term home-and-home deal with Penn State.
- Penn State has always been able to find a way to schedule teams like Ohio University. Pitt has always found a way to schedule teams like the University of Buffalo. They can find a way to make this happen, and don't forget, the one person who always prevented this series from continuing, is no longer on the scene.
- The NCAA and other college "spokesmen" have talked very loftily about how the College football culture needs to change after it was allowed to run amok at Penn State. Yet there were reports this week, the ink on the consent decree not even dry, of rival schools' coaches on the PSU campus recruiting the Lions' current scholarship athletes. Do you REALLY think that that culture is going to change?
- In spite of all that has fallen upon Penn State, I find myself really rooting for Bill O'Brien and those kids who will choose to stay at Penn State this coming season.
- I learned very quickly this week, that if you want to watch the Olympics and not know the results of a given event, stay off of Facebook, Twitter, or the entire Internet itself over the course of the next two weeks.
