At This Time Last Year.....

The Pirates arrived at the All-Star Break this afternoon with a 47-43 record and, at worst, will be one game out of first place in the NL Central at the end of the day. This is what I wrote in this blog at a comparable point last season:

As for the Pirates, wow, what a road trip to lead into the All-Star Break. They now sit at 30-58, and only one game ahead of the Orioles for the worst record in baseball and the chance for the #1 pick in next year's entry draft. They are on pace to finish at 55-107. No one expected this crew to be a .500 team, but, be honest now, did you ever think that they would be THIS bad?For the remaining 78 games, they need to go....-- 51-23 to finish at .500 (OK, stop laughing now!)-- 33-41 to avoid 100 losses-- 21-53 to avoid the 112 loss season of the awful 1952 team.

As for the "second season" of 84 games that began on July 1 (see my earlier post on this), the team now stands at 3-7, thanks to that abomination of a road trip to Houston and Milwaukee.

Talk about what a difference a year makes? When he was hired, I said that if Clint Hurdle could coax 70 wins out of this team, he should be Manager of the Year, and here we stand with the Pirates in contention for the Division title.

A very long, very hard 72 games lie ahead, but I'll say right now that this season sure has been a blast so far.

Let's Go Bucs!!!

Bombs Bursting In Air

With apologies to Francis Scott Key, but how appropriate to use his words after the dramatic home run struck by Mike "Fort" McKenry last night? I have sat through a lot of dreadful and meaningless games over the past 18 years at Three Rivers Stadium and PNC Park, and I have often stated that I'd absolutely love to see the Pirates play a meaningful game at PNC in September some year.

Well, it's not September yet, but they played a VERY meaningful game in July last night and what a treat. The Pirates trailed, were tied, led, and then trailed again, only to win it with a three run blast in the bottom of the eighth from the most unlikely of offensive heroes. That was great, great stuff that made a game that lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes seem to pass in the blink of an eye.

And is there anything cooler in Pittsburgh sports right now that watching Joel Hanrahan come in from the bullpen to put the hammer down for the Bucs in the ninth? He is amazing, and for those of you have not been at PNC Park to see this phenomenon, here is what plays on the scoreboard as Hanrahan enters the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AnVBz80VaM

Being in the crowd walking over the Clemente Bridge after that game was fabulous. A real playoff atmosphere. I'm not sure how the rest of this Pirates season will progress, but so far, it has been an absolute blast!!

On the Radio.....

The Grandstander went Old School tonight and chose to bypass the HD flatscreen and listen to the Pirates game while sitting on the back deck with a cold brew and a transistor radio. It was rather pleasant to do so, and it brought back a lot of memories of simpler times while sitting on the front porch at 4224 Saline Street. If I closed my eyes, I could almost hear the bell ringing on Artie's Ice Cream truck.

OK, so now, in addition to going Old School, I have also gone Rick "Things That Aren't there Anymore" Sebak on you.

As for the game itself, Steve Blass made the comment that it is amazing how quickly a ball game can change. Charlie Morton cruises through five innings with a 1-0 lead, and in the sixth inning, in the space of about three minutes and a dozen pitches, it all unraveled. Oh, well, that's baseball.

The good news is that the Cardinals are also getting drubbed as I type this, and the Bucs should still be 1 and 1/2 games out of first place by the end of the night (albeit in third and not second place, as the Hated Brewers won this afternoon).

Three with the Cubs coming up, and another series win is certainly obtainable.

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Commenting on the Blogs

I am not sure what caused it, but it seems that folks were unable to post comments on the blog posts in recent weeks. I am also not sure what happened to resolve it, but it now appears that the problem has resolved itself.

That being the case, please fire away with your comments.

The Grandstander looks forward to having people, in the words of Myron Cope, back in the store!!

Who's Being Stupid Here?

Let me get this straight, free agent Jaromir Jagr spurns the Penguins' contract offer in favor of an offer that pays him MORE MONEY, and the team is "shocked" and "livid" over Jagr's decision. The Penguins had faith that Jagr would accept their offer because of his loyalty and admiration for Mario Lemieux, his wanting to make things right with the fans of Pittsburgh, and the desire to see his #68 jersey (er, sorry, "sweater") raised to the Consol Energy Center's rafters.

Really?

This is a pro athlete, guys. It's all about the money. It is always about the money. That the Pens brain trust is surprised over this tells me that perhaps they are not as sharp and astute as everyone always credits them. What is even more surprising is that Mario Lemieux, who knows a thing or two about collecting all of his money, is playing the victim here.

I'll leave it to the hockey experts to decide whether or not signing a 40 year old maybe-not-over-the-hill-but-clearly-on-the-downside-of-his-career player was the right move, but please don't act hurt over Jagr's spurning of Saint Mario, or being surprised that he would sign with - gasp! - the Flyers just because they offered him more money.

First Half Thoughts and a "Name to Remember"

The Pirates are now one game short of the actual half-way mark of the season, and with their 41st win last night, they are assured of finishing the first 81 games of the season with a +.500 mark. Raise your hand if you predicted that back on Opening Day. I sure didn't.

Some thoughts, questions, and comments on the first half of the '11 campaign.

• Obvioulsy, the pitching on this team has been beyond anyone's expectations. Kevin Correia has already given the team something it lacked all of last season - a pitcher with double digit wins.


• The bullpen has also been lights out, and there are not enough superlatives to describe Joel Hanarahan.


• Looking at the performances of the eight man, everyday line-up and you ask yourself "how is this team over .500 at this point?" The performance and output at catcher, first base, third base, and right field has can be described as anywhere from "underachieving" to "downright lousy."


• Notice I left short stop off of the list above? Ronny Cedeno is no all-star, to be sure, but as of this morning he is hitting .252 and has been playing solid, if unspectacular, defense. Who saw that coming?


• When you consider the offensive holes in this line-up, plus the injuries (seven catchers used so far!), let's give Clint Hurdle huge props for the smoke and mirrors act that has this team where it is today.


• You hear talk that the Pirates should approach the trade deadline as "buyers" to get "a bat" to help them out "down the stretch." Paul Maholm's name has often been mentioned as the guy to trade. I have some problems with that:


• First off, do you REALLY think the Pirates can be a championship contender to the point that you trade a guy who has, won-loss record aside, pitched so well for you?


• Second, unless you would get a player or players, quality players, who can help the Pirates, now, in 2011, trading Maholm will be viewed as another penny-pinching salary dump and would be yet another PR disaster for the team.


• Third, the "bat" that so many are clamoring to obtain could very well be Pedro Alvarez, currently rehabbing in Bradenton. Yes, we know that Alvarez was lousy in the first month and a half of the season, but he is still the guy that the Pirates MUST have be the power hitter that he showed he could be last season.


• Fourth, Ryan Doumit is another "bat" that will return before the month of July is done. True, Doumit is no Johnny Bench, but he is damn sight better than Mike McKenry.

The Pirates Coonelly/Huntington Brain Trust has said for years that ".500 is not the goal; winning championships is the goal" and now that the team has played half a season of .500 ball, I have to agree with them. Yes, getting the losing seasons streak monkey off their back is important, certainly to the fans, but I sit this morning a lot more excited that they are only two games out of first place in the NL Central. Do I really think that they can make the playoffs? For some of the reasons listed above, no I do not, but I have to say that I see progress for the first time since I can remember. I expect that they will flirt with the .500 mark for the balance of the season, and maybe, given the injuries to the Cardinals, they might be in the hunt for the Division, stranger things have happened. First, though, they have to start beating the Hated Brewers in Miller Park. When THAT happens, then I will say that anything is possible.

Let me veer into different Bucco area to close out. I am going to go "Joe L. Brown Show" on you and give you a "Name to Remember." Two summers ago, I attended a State College Spikes game, and saw pitcher name Phillip Irwin pitch for the Spikes. Irwin had just been drafted in the 21st round by the Pirates a few weeks before, and this could well have been his first ever professional game. I remember that the Spikes won that game, and while I don't have his numbers from that game, I can recall that Irwin looked very good in that game. Since that time, this has been Irwin's career path.

• He finished that '09 Spikes season with a 1-2 record, a 2.12 ERA with 32K and 6BB in 29.2 IP. He made the New York-Penn League All-Star team.


• In 2010, he pitched a full season in West Virginia and went 6-3, 3.35, 111K, 20BB in 113 IP.


• He started 2011 in Bradenton and went 5-0, 2.03, 40K, 12BB in 53.1 IP.


• He was promoted to Altoona where after two starts he is 1-1, 2.45, 8K, 1BB in 11 IP

Pretty impressive numbers, yet in all the talk about all of the "young arms" in the Pirates system, you never hear Irwin's name mentioned. Well, if and when this guy comes to the Bucs and becomes a star, remember that you heard it here first.