PIRATES TRADE VASQUEZ TO TAMPA

The Pirates made a minor move today, sending pitcher Virgil Vasquez to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for a player to be named later. I'm going out on a limb and guessing that player will not turn out to be Evan Longoria. But seriously, the return should be very minimal for Vasquez.

The 27-year old hurler, signed in 2009 off waivers from San Diego, went 2-5 with a 8.64 ERA in 14 games (seven starts) last season for the Pirates. He was slated to start the 2010 campaign as a starter at Triple-A Indianapolis, but his departure may open a spot for Jeff Karstens in the Indianapolis rotation.

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In other news that Pirate fans will find very interesting, it was recently announced that Dejan Kovacevic's PBC Blog on the Post-Gazette website will be moving to the PG-Plus pay site on May 1. 

Kovacevic's blog has been tremendously popular from day one, and for good reason: it mixes news, insight, opinion, and access in a way few other newspaper-driven blogs can or have done. The initial reaction from his readers gives the predictable mixed bag of those who will pay, those who will protest, and those who refuse to pay for a blog considering they already pay for a newspaper subscription. The PG- Plus runs $2.99 per month on an annual subscription ($35.88 total) or $3.99 going month to month (here is the introductory page). In comparison, a one-year subscription to the PG newspaper will run you $182.

Kovacevic has to be looked at as a huge asset to the PG, and his bosses have identified his blog as a potential source of revenue in an industry that continues to bleed money. Whether that was the right or the wrong decision will be known in time, but apparently it was a move they thought was worth making at this point.

TODAY'S HEADLINES

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in action tonight, with a home contest against the Lightning at 7:30. Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar are both officially listed as day-to-day with their respective ailments. Win or lose, Kris Letang is treating everyone to ice cream after the game. [PittsburghPenguins.com]

Jamie Dixon has already privately passed on the Oregon job, according to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports. But after yesterday, I'm not proclaiming anything official in the field of Dixon rumors. [CBSSports.com]

THINGS THAT I MISSED

I was away from the net for the better part of Tuesday, which meant people had an entire day to spend with a story about a 17-year-old Penguins publication that I found in a random box of junk. That's some quality blogging. I'm sure you were thrilled with that option in lieu of breaking news about the Steelers signing Max Starks to a long-term deal, but I promise to make it up with a giant segment of The News later this week (which reminds me to remind you: please send in your pics, links, emails, thoughts, and stories for this week's installment). So with that as the backdrop, let me try and do a little catch-up.

--Max Starks got paid. Again. His new deal runs through 2012, a four-year, $26.3 million deal with a $10 million signing bonus. He's taken some criticism for accepting an extra $1.55 million in guaranteed money in lieu of free agency during an uncapped year, but the deal must have made sense to him. And it's a good deal for the team, as it frees up cap space. Basically, we should all put on our black-and-gold goggles and clap in approval.

--Fernando Bryant, who played in all of two games as a Steeler, retired this week. He was inactive for all of the playoff games, but he filled a need after the secondary began dropping like flies in November. No one expected him back for 2009, and besides, we've got William Gay to liven things up in the secondary now. We won't even miss Bryant.

--Dejan Kovacevic gave a list of 10 reasons to get excited about the Pirates-Indians series. Dejan's a tremendously talented guy who's written some fantastic stuff, but I'm going to have to agree with Mark Madden's Tuesday thought on this one: this was just an unnecessary article, even though it was done "in fun". I'm sorry, but as a fan, I don't consider this matchup a rivalry. At all. In fact, I don't know how anybody could consider it a rivalry. And I could care less about the "city of Cleveland" angle at this point. We get Hammer vs. Nail twice a year in football, and that's been a dead rivalry for years now. So what's the point of this article? Is the PG trying to help sell Pirate tickets? I'm lost.

--As for the first game of this compelling series between two teams that are a combined 20 games under .500, the Pirates dropped it, due in great part to a starting pitcher who couldn't get past the third inning.

Ian Snell gave up four hits, three walks, and four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings of work, running his record to an unfathomable 2-8. The Pirates got two hits each from Adam LaRoche, Robinson Diaz, and Jack Wilson, but it was a lost cause. The Tribe took Game One, 5-4, behind two RBI from Grady Sizemore and three from Jhonny Peralta. And attendance was 19,109 (49.8% full). So I guess Pittsburgh doesn't care after all.
On Wednesday, the matchup is Carl Pavano (that Carl Pavano?) (5.73, 6-5) against Zach Duke (3.18. 7-5). Good tickets still available.

--Don't forget, "The Pittsburgh Kid", sometimes-troubled Paul Spadafora (41-0-1) will fight Ivan Bustos (27-12-3), of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a 10-round junior welterweight bout on Wednesday night at the Amphitheatre at Station Square.

--6'6", 266 pound DE T.J. Clemmings chose the Pitt Panthers over Penn State, Notre Dame, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Rutgers and Miami. He joins safety Jeff Knox, another recent commit, who chose Pitt over Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa. So things are looking up in Wannyville.

--Here's a great article about the "Yinzerfication" of Vladimir and Natalia Malkin, who, with son Geno, have become Pittsburgh's unofficial First Family. And the city's premier source for high-end Borscht.

--Former big-leaguer Matt Clement is the new hoops coach at Butler high. In addition to a nine-year career in MLB, Clement was the starting point guard on Butler's 1993 WPIAL Class AAAA finalist team and was recruited by some Division I schools for basketball. I'm going out on a limb to say he's got the biggest bank account of any WPIAL basketball coach past or present.

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67-95

The Pirates defeated the Padres 6-1 yesterday, thus ending Consecutive Losing Season XVI, one that had the Pirates at 50-58 before the break and 17-37 afterwards. Oh well, at least a few former Pirates were involved in important baseball yesterday.

Dejan Kovacevic put the wraps on the year that wasn't and offered a variety of statistics as ghastly as you could imagine given the circumstances, such as "The last-place finish -- 30 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs -- was the third in four years, the eighth in these 16 consecutive losing seasons."

No, not even the Buck Commander and his .166-hitting brother could've salvaged this season, one that began with a lineup featuring names like Bay and Nady and ended with names like Cruz, Chavez, and Pearce.

But that's about all I can write for now. We'll have more on the '08 Pirates, as well as Steeler stuff and some Pitt talk just as soon as I can get to the bottom of this bug that's been randomly pushing my text off of the page for some readers. I just love technical issues that I can't solve on a busy Monday morning.

NEWS AND NOTES

So much to cover, so little time. Like most of you, I'm still trying to get caught up from a few days off. Where to start?

--Lots of fallout from the Pitt game/debacle on Saturday. My personal favorite was Joe Starkey's article in which he rips the outdated Wanny/Cavanaugh offense. [Trib]

--A.J.'s article pitting Pittsburgh against Milwaukee gets mildly criticized by Dejan Kovacevic. [PG]

--Here's a pretty comprehensive Steeler preview from ESPN.com in which they pick the Steelers to win the AFC North. [ESPN.com]

--It's not often that I agree with Ron Cook, but I think he hit the nail on the head: why is there no blame being placed at Pedro Alvarez's doorstep? [PG]

--Yes, I know it's from last week, but I must mention: ESPN named Steeler fans as the best in the league. [ESPN.com]

--Anyone catch Norm MacDonald on the recent Saget roast? It was a risky and I think brilliant performance. Here's the outtakes. [Comedy Central Insider]

--That Santonio Holmes pick in 2006 is looking pretty good considering WR Chad Jackson just got cut from New England. [AOL]

--Big Ben is finally a Steeler captain. I think I speak for everyone when I say IT'S ABOUT TIME! [PFT]

--Breaking news: the Pirates' minor league system stinks. [PG]

--Jayson Stark on the Pirates:

The Buc stops: Pedro Alvarez's conscientious objection to signing his own contract isn't the Pirates' only issue. Scouts who have followed the Pirates have been buzzing about Andy LaRoche's lethargic play since he arrived from the Dodgers, who traded him because they had the same concerns.

"To see that effort level is really disappointing," one scout said. "I'm stunned that the effort level has been so poor. To see a kid hitting .170 and not running ground balls out, it's hard to fathom. This isn't the kind of player this team needs. They need more dirt balls and fire guys who scratch and claw."

[ESPN]

--My alma mater, THE Washington and Jefferson Presidents, are ranked second in the country. In Division III, of course. [Washjeff.edu]

--For list lovers: the worst box-office bombs of all time. [Yahoo!]

--Top 10 Bud Light "Real Men of Genius" Ads [Tremblant Realty Blog]

--10 Most Underrated Sidekicks Ever [Maxim]

--Why losing weight is so hard and gaining weight is so easy. [Yahoo!]

--The Disturbing Origins of 5 Common Nursery Rhymes [Cracked]

Got news? Email it to mondesishouse@gmail.com

WOW WOW WE WAA!

There's not much that inspires me to post on a Saturday morning at 8 AM, but the Pirates signing of Pedro Alvarez has done just that; it's also the first occasion that I chose to use a dated Borat quote as the title of a post.

As per Dejan Kovacevic, who never rests in his quest for Pirate news, the deal was reached at 11:59 PM last night by Scott Boras and Neal Hungtington, who both seem to enjoy using every last minute possible in negotations. I'm just glad Huntington has an accurate clock, because he also used a similar tactic in making Jason Bay a member of the Red Sox a few weeks ago.

If this signing doesn't indicate that the Pirates at least appear on the surface to be serious about winning in the future, you're a more jaded fan than I. The greatest part of the pick is that Alvarez is not a pitcher and doesn't have a pre-scheduled appointment with Dr. James Andrews, as per the agreement with previous Pirates first-round picks.

So here are the specs on the deal: Alvarez gets the largest bonus in team history ($6 million) plus the remainder of his college tuition, and a minor (not major) league contract. The Pirates spent nearly $10 million on this draft class, which was $2 million more than any team spent on the draft last year, the Yankees being the high at $7.655 million. Excuse me while I faint.

OK, I'm back. Smelling salts are a good thing. The only bad news about the draft class is that the Buccos couldn't sign 2nd-round pick Tanner Scheppers, but he and his torn labrum can go fly a kite for all I care. We need to make baby steps here. We're a year removed from drafting Danny Moskos over Matt Wieters and adding Matt Morris shortly thereafter. Pirates fans should be dancing in the streets. Sure, Scheppers would have been an intriguing player to have in the organization, but not at top-10 money. And guess what? Compensatory pick, baby! The Pirates' comp pick will be the third of the second round.

Thus concludes the drama of the 2008 Pedro Alvarez Saga. I'm thinking the Pirates may have at least one more really high pick in line next year, then I'm hoping that they go more in the Penguin direction of quickly moving down the draft order in subsequent years thereafter. With a nucleus of Alvarez, Jose Tabata, Andrew McCutchen, the Deadline Boys and surely some of the 31 other players the Pirates drafted this year, I'm hoping that happens sooner rather than later.

Pirates seal Alvarez deal at 11:59 p.m. [PG/ PBC Blog]

AS THE BAY TURNS

As trade deadlines go, this year's version has been pretty awesome. Look at all the big names changing teams: Ken Griffey Jr., Rich Harden, Ivan Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, and Mark Teixiera, to name a few.

But as a Pirate fan, we've become accustomed to Dave Littlefield having demands deemed by opposing GMs as way too high, followed by a price-slash panic near the deadline that brought us returns like Bobby Hill for Aramis Ramirez in the past. We are conditioned to dread this time of year.

Fortunately, Neil Huntington has been much more efficient (or so it appears) in his first trading deadline, so much to the point that Dejan Kovacevic said "...there seems to be this growing sense that it is the Pirates really dictating this process," when discussing the Bay deal. So that gives Pirate fans a small (*just a small) glimmer of hope for some better decision-making in the future.

The current buzz has ManRam approving the trade, coupled with the news of Peter Gammons suggesting the Marlins want the Sox to pony up as much as $9 million to cover more of Ramirez's salary. Of course, as I type this, I hear Jayson Stark at 1:44 PM on ESPN saying this is close to a dead deal.

Stay tuned for more updates, as we've got about two hours to go until the non-waiver deadline. Remember, trades do go down after the deadline, as witnessed by Brian Giles going to San Diego on August 26, 2003.

PBC Blog [PG]

WELCOME DEJAN

I've been remiss in not officially welcoming the Dejan Kovacevic to the Blogosphere with his new site, the PBC Blog, although if I were him I would've probably gone for a name like "The Honey Dejan Pirates Blog".

I assume since he is now a blogger he will be required to move into his parents' basement and post while in his pajamas, like all the rest of us do on a daily basis. But I somehow doubt that's going to happen.

So check out his blog; it's another great asset for Pirate fans, and he has the added advantage of being an insider. I know that Scott Boras is not calling me for a half-hour to chat.

PBC Blog [PG]

The Afternoon Killer

--The Post-Gazette's Empty Netters gives a game-by-game recap (with links AND video!) of the entire 2006-07 Penguins season.

--Is the criticism of Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Alexei Yashin unfair? The New York Times wants to know.

--Many readers sent in the story about the Browns' fan's last words before he was executed:

"When the Browns are in the Super Bowl in the next five years, you'll know I'm up there doing my magic."

--Firejoemorgan.com dissects an entire Dejan Kovacevic article about the Pirates. Intense.

--Looks like six Nittany Lions will face arrest for the apartment invasion/assault from earlier this month.

--Great lengthy article by Pat Forde about the Bengals and how Cincy is dealing with them. As our emailer pointed out, this quote leapt off the page:

"He lists all the ways the police and the Bengals front office have tried to help the players avoid trouble: a meeting with the chief; e-mails advising where sobriety checkpoints will be set up; free limousine service from owner Mike Brown. "

I don't know about you, but would you feel safe knowing that drunk guys with a checkpoint cheat sheet are driving around your town?

--You've heard of the garage league. Here's the garage dentist. Paging Dr. Bettman...

--The father of a local bride literally crashed her wedding...by driving a pickup truck into their wedding tent

--Howard Stern is giving listeners a free online preview of Howard TV through May 1

--80% of blogs have "offensive" content. If you could coverage of the Pirates, then throw my hat into the ring on that claim.

--Richard Gere may be arrested in India over a public display of affection

--Tough guy Hugh Grant unleashes rage on a photographer by throwing baked beans

--Here's the 10 worst movie blockbusters of all time. My personal highlight from #6 (Godzilla) was the Puff Daddy-Jimmy Page soundtrack collaboration.

--I'm a big Spiderman fan, going back to his Amazing Friends days, but I'm not on board with the upcoming Spiderman musical

--A London boy needed the help of firefighters to get a toilet seat off of his head. The best part of this article: Yahoo's file photo of the toilet

Don't forget to send your thoughts on anything or your interesting news bits/links to mondesishouse@gmail.com

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