Big Lead Sports Bar

8/16/2007

Raul's Week Off: Day IV

Believe it or not there are still people that actually enjoy watching the Pirates on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, I happen to be one of them and it is a trait that constantly draws venom from those around me, most notably the author of this fine blog. With that said, here's my recap from last night's game.

The Phillies and Braves would love nothing more than the Pirates stealing a game or two against the Mets. The Pirates had different plans however as they drop yet another game at PNC Park. In the top of the first, Moises Alou urinated on his hands, and then took a dump on a Matt Morris curveball to cap off a five run inning that sealed the Pirates fate on this August evening. The Schmuccos made it a game by trimming the score to 5-4, however they quickly assisted the Mets in getting five insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Jason Bay got two of his typical non-clutch RBIs in the bottom of the ninth after the game was all but decided. After the feeble attempt at a comeback, Billy Wagner came in and recorded the final two outs.

The story of this game wasn't the 10-8 outcome so much as it was the performance of Matt Morris. Based on the homerun in his first Pirate start and the RBI double last night, I get the feeling that Dave Littlefield acquired him to be the big bat the Pirates sorely lacked.

A few links to get you through the morning:

Pacman is trying his had at rap. One can only hope that he discusses that fateful evening in Las Vegas one one of those tracks.

Epic Carnival brings us their in season MLB Awards. There's a glaring omission as Jason Bay isn't anywhere near the top of the NL MVP Award. All kidding aside, the NL MVP is going to be a tough call this year.

Post Game Heroes brings an interesting list to the forefront. The Top 10 Virtual Collegiate Athletes Who Didn't Pan Out as Real Life Pros

Sticking to the video sports theme, Our Book of Scrap recalls a day where ambulances plowed through healthy players to get to the injured ones. Click for the video of Madden from 1992.

If you haven't seen it already, the Smoking Gun obtained a copy of the Steelers Hotel Requirements. I think it's pretty cool how the equipment staff gets a pregame meal consisting of bacon, hashbrowns and filet mignon.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Pirates are a total an utter embarrassment. I propose a motion that the Buccos remove "Pittsburgh" from their jerseys when they play on the road so as to bring less shame upon their home city.

I watched Wednesday night's game on SNY, the Mets' home network, and it was hilarious listening to Keith Hernandez laugh at the Buccos in the top of the 9th.

I'm sure Mr. Nutting would tell Keith that it is completely inappropriate to laugh at his team's play or question his desire to field a winning team.

AJ said...

Cecil - Sorry, I must disagree with you. Removing Pittsburgh from the jerseys would be a very Cleveland fan thing to do. It conjures up memories from last season when after another Steelers ass whooping, Browns fans adopted the "these aren't the real Cleveland Browns" defense in an effort to save embarrassment.

Sorry, we are stuck with the Buccos for better or worse. Consider them that uncle that drinks too much at family weddings and usually ends up tripping into the cake while trying to dance to "Shout". Sure, he's a disgrace to the whole family... but he's still your uncle.

gatorB8 said...

Please stop caring about the pirates. Stop buying tickets, stop watching it on tv, stop listening to it on the radio, stop buying hats/shirts/etc. If you bought a product that didn't work, would you continue to buy that product? Until people realize this, there will be no change. From the owners perspective, IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT. Well my friends, its time the old wagon loses an axle or two.

Adam said...

You know what? I really, REALLY don't like people like you gatorb8. I don't. You sound like just the kind of person that said "Who cares if the Pens leave, they suck" before Sidney Crosby showed up., but now, you're a season ticket holder.

Theres a line between despair as a fanbase, and shear bandwagonism, and you sound like a bandwagon fan, and THAT disgusts me. I may give Pitt fans a hard time around here, but I have a helluva lot more respect for them than I do for you, because they'll stick up for they're team when they suck.

The Pirates aren't a product. They're a baseball team that sucks. I hate people who refer to sports as a "marketplace" where you pick and choose who to like and when. I'm from Pittsburgh. I was raised to love the Pirates, Steelers, Penguins, and Penn State Football. I'm not gonna turn on them, as esy as it would be for a 17 year old, who can't remember a winning team, because its not right, no matter who is running the team.

And Cecil-I just want the all gray uniforms for the late 3 rivers days back

Anonymous said...

AJ:

Nice analogy, but you're off the mark a little.

These Buccos have become far worse than the drunken annoying uncle at a wedding.

They're the wacko cousin who's been in and out of rehab for the last 15 years.

Yeah, there's always hope when he vows to stay clean (competitive), but you know deep down that its just talk and that before long (by the All-Star Break), he'll be headed right back down the same old, familiar path to the rehab clinic (last place).

At least there are fireworks and a concert at this rehab clinic.

Thanks for making us proud, McNuttingfield.

Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...

Somehow, someway, Adam STILL managed to work a "Pitt/Penn State" reference into his comment.

But I agree, I still care about the Buccos. However, that's not to be confused with me having hope for them!

And besides, the drunken Uncle that aj described kinda reminded me of me a little bit!

vinnie said...

I too care about the Pirates, but I prefer to treat them as that drunken uncle mentioned earlier who happens to end up spending a nickel in the state pen. I still love him and want him to get paroled, but there's no way in hell I'm sending him any money while he's there just so he can buy cigarettes.

Unknown said...

Dammit Louis Lipps, I wanted to be the first to point that out about Adam.

Could it be fair to say that Adam is Mondesi's House's version of John Madden, in the sense that Madden will go out of his way and bend over backwards to refer to Brett Favre's greatness on a conversation completely unrelated, only to act like it had total relevance to the topic at hand?

Anonymous said...

Guys, it's been SO LONG since I last watched a baseball game that TRULY mattered to me as a Bucco fan that I no longer remember what it's like to hang on every pitch hoping that our team can pull out a big victory.

That's f'n sad, McNuttingfield.

And, one more thing...

Let me work in a Pitt-Penn St. reference of my own:

12-0

gatorB8 said...

Adam my problem is with the current ownership not the franchise itself. They being the owners have turned it into business/marketplace by sucking the life out of the team to make a buck. Therefore you have to treat it like a product because they made it a product...Fireworks night, bobblehead night, etc. Its no longer about baseball. Go ahead and keep spending your money and they'll keep putting laughable teams out in front of you. Hey a couple nights ago a Styx concert happened and a baseball game broke out. You can't possibly defend what they are doing.

So no I will not support the people who sucked the life out of the franchise and sucked money from the taxpayers because they needed a new home to be "competitive" aka losing seasons.

Once and for all, who gives a crap about Pitt vs. Penn State or who's better? I grew up here and I just don't see the rivalry. IT'S A DEAD ISSUE, THE TEAMS DON'T EVEN PLAY EACH OTHER. If you want a true in state rivalry look up UF vs. FSU....now you've figured out the screenname.

You've got it all wrong regarding the Penguins my friend. This is the kid who wanted nothing more than to go to a Pens game when he was a child in the early nineties but didn't have the means to get a ticket so instead he went to every autograph signing he could. This is the grown man that still has a picture of Lemieux and Jagr on his bedroom wall with the cup. Yep, I just jumped on the Penguins/Steelers/whateverthehellelse bandwagon. Glad I could quench your thirst for disgust.

Adam said...

Are you refering to our record, this year, 2007? I must say, its a little optimistic coming from a Pitt fan, but I'm glad you think so highly of us.

I must say, the two games I attended at Yankee Stadium had me hanging on every pitch, even though the game really meant nothing for us. It was more about how much it mattered to Yankee fans, therefore making it matter to us. Do you get what I'm saying?

If there was just a winning atmosphenre around here, where the fans treated everey pitch like their life, maybe we'd have a bit of a homefield advantage, but instead, PNC Park is a party zone, where people hang out, and smatter in some baseball.

Adam said...

Perhaps you aren't and Penguin bandwagon fan per say, but you seem like the kind of person that would be one.

The Buccos have been around for 120 years. They've had stretches like this. THe Pirates will outlast the Nuttings, and God willing they'll outlast you and I. I'm not gonna treat them like a product, because they're a baseball team. The bobbleheads that sit on my entertainment center aren't why I go to the games. I go to watch baseball.

Now, on to the Pitt-Penn State rivalry. If you think two groups of fans can live harmoniously in the same area without breaking out into fights over which team is better, and whos fault it is the teams don't play, you must have been born yesterday. Of couse there is still a rivalry. I'm not afraid to say that.

When when you say "in state rivalry" I think most of us are more interested in one that is actually IN OUR STATE. If you're from Pittsburgh, you grew up rooting for Pitt or Penn State (or if you were really unfortunate, WVU). Whether or not they are playing right now is irrelevent. They're are deep passions for both schools, and genuine disdain of the other side. That is a rivalry.

Now, why don't you lose to Auburn again, and have Urban cry you some croco...I mean gator tears to get you into a game you didn't belong in. And I know, I know, you creamed OSU. It was 1 game, and I think PSU and Wisconsin proved the SEC isn't all its cracked up to be. You lost. Boise and OSU didn't. You freaking cheated the system you whining SOBs.

Go State.

Free Pacman said...

I agree with gator. If you go to Pirates games or buy Pirate merchandise, you're allowing the Nuttings to continue to make money. If we don't go to games or buy hats, they can't make money. If they don't make money, they won't want the team anymore. The only way to stop the losing is to boycott the team.

Adam said...

Then poo on you too. Boycotting a team will do NOTHING. The Nuttings will still get enough money from TV to make things worth while, even if no one shows up at any game all season. You can't boycott the team you supposedly love. If you do, it fair weather fan to a T.

gatorB8 said...

Did we cheat the system in basketball as well? Should I not touch the subject?

I don't like the system as much as the next guy but the champion is the champion regardless of your Big 10 love. Just because you grew up here doesn't mean you have to absolutely be fanatical about Pitt or Penn State. Also, since when does where you grew up solidify what teams you can root for or be a fan of?

I don't see the general disdain that you talk about as much as I saw it in Florida. Thats all i'm saying. If attacking Florida makes you feel better, go ahead, we still have all the hardware to backup talk.

You know Adam, you're attitude is right about the Pirates. Maybe you should buy them. Although I wouldn't want you to change the uni's to Blue and White.

Let's Go Bucs! (minus McNuttingfield)

Free Pacman said...

Adam,

It's impossible to be a fair weather Pirates fan.

Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...

Florida schools just recruit thugs... I live there, I should know!

But wait... so does WVU.


And Adam's right (god did I just say that?)

In Western PA, Pitt, Penn State, and WVU are our UF, FSU, and Miami.

Adam said...

I won't go after the basketball team, as much as I hated Noah, they did it fair, and wern't handed a championship by the writers and coaches.

Urban Meyer is a whiner. You heard Lloyd Carr before the final BCS tally didn't you? He said he wouldn't get into politics and begging people to get into the championship game. So go ahead, enjoy the "hardware".

"University of Florida, BCS Champs, and Whiners of the Year"

And if you don't see the disdain, you must not be a frequent visitor to this site.

Free Pacman said...

Boycotting the organization doesn't mean you have to stop following the team. I still watch the games and root for the team, I just don't go to PNC Park or buy any Pirates product.

Anonymous said...

Adam:

You're putting the cart before the horse by saying its up to Pirate fans to create and atmosphere of excitement and anticipation at PNC Park.

The only reason Yankee Stadium is a mad house is b/c the team has made the play-offs for the last 12 seasons and the fans have come to expect excellence.

Trust me, Yankee Stadium was a very different place circa 1991 in the days of Hensley Muelens and Danny Tartabull.

"Uncle Rico is an IDIOT!"