Checking in From the Bronx

The Bucs are currently battling the Million-Dollar-A-Start Man in Yankee Stadium (and holding their own through 4) in the second game of the highly anticipated series with the Yanks.

Longtime reader "Cecil from Cecil" gives us an in-person report from last night's Bucco extra inning loss against the Yankees:

"My observations from a hot and sticky night in the South Bronx:

1. Low turnout from the Pittsburgh fans! I've never been to a Pittsburgh road game (Steelers, Pirates, Pens, or Pitt) where I've seen fewer Pittsburgh fans than at Yankee Stadium on Friday night. I saw a few Clemente jerseys, a Jason Kendall, and finally a Jason Bay as we boarded the subway after the game. Shockingly, very little Steeler gear. I was sure I'd see a Greg Lloyd jersey, but maybe those will be out in force later in the weekend.

2. I can't relate to people who take baseball as seriously as the Yankee fans do. I live in NYC and I'm very fond of looking astonished when people get all worked up at a Yankee or Met game. I like to remind people that "It's only baseball. It's not like it's a football game. You guys need to relax." They look at you like you're nuts, of course. Then I ask them how many World Series titles it takes to equal one Super Bowl. I say 3....but that's just me.

3. Salomon Torres' beaning of A-Rod would have been embarrassing if it weren't so funny. In one petrified pitch, he exemplified 14 year of pathetic Pirates baseball. (Of course, I was rooting for A-Rod to hit into a double play to hear the stripper taunts rain down from the Yankee faithful. Maybe on Saturday.)

4. The loud-mouthed Yankee fan loser from Jersey or Long Island who was seated two rows in front of me stood up to taunt after the Yanks tied it at four by offering the following line: "Hey, Pittsburgh...I got two words for you: OLIVER PEREZ!" To which I responded, " I got two more....ARAMIS RAMIREZ. JASON SCHMIDT. BARRY BONDS. JIM LEYLAND. I CAN GO ON ALL NIGHT." Save it, guy. No one cares.

5. The Duffy inside-the-park HR was pure comedy. The people around us were about to cry. Again, I can't relate to this. It's just baseball, after all. No need to dump trash on Melky Cabrera's lawn tomorrow, right?

6. Another guy near my seats was a native New Yorker who went to college at CMU. As the Bucs held on tightly to their 4-3 lead, he uttered the following, "I saw 9 games at PNC while I was in college, and the Pirates lost all 9 games I attended, despite the fact that I always rooted for them. If they win at Yankee Stadium, I'm going to demand a refund."

7. So Jeter hits a little dribbler and the Yankees win, then place goes absolutely nuts. I don't understand this. You guys have beaten the Pirates. THE PIRATES. It should count as half a win. But oh no, people are running around as though they've just won the Super Bowl, except that it's just a regular season game against the lowly Buccos. I haven't seen a group of people this happy about beating the Pirates since Dave Justice dry-humped Sid Bream in October of 1992. Please....get some perspective.

In closing, it was a very entertaining game. Adding to the excitement, I saw a Bucco fan get kicked out of the stadium in the 8th inning. He didn't appear to do all that much, aside from being drunk and refusing to sit down. Nonetheless, he strutted out with his arms in the air and his #21 Clemente jersey in tow to a round of applause from the Yankee fans. Here's hoping he made it home alive."

--Cecil from Cecil (on location in the Bronx)