Derrek Lee, Marlon Byrd, and Alfonso Soriano had three hits each to pace the Chicago Cubs in a series-ending 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. The Cubs win ended a seven-game losing streak to the Pirates dating back to 2009.
This one was all but a cakewalk for the much-maligned, well-compensated Cubbies on Sunday. Facing a 3-1 hole for much of the game, Chicago rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh against Pirate reliever Evan Meek, then went ahead in the bottom of the eighth on a Xavier Nady pinch-hit, go-ahead single off of DJ Carrasco. The blown lead wasted a solid effort from starter Ross Ohlendorf, who threw six innings of four-hit, two-run ball.
The Pirate bats were mostly quiet on Sunday, with only six hits off of Cubs starter Ted Lilly and none against the Chicago bullpen. Bobby Crosby had two singles for the Bucs, Ryan Doumit had the team's lone extra-base hit (a double) and Lastings Milledge drove in two.
The 16-21 Buccos now travel to Philadelphia for a two-game set against the defending NL Champs starting Monday. Charlie Morton will face Kyle Kendrick in that one, while Zach Duke now has the task of dueling with Roy Halladay on Tuesday.
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.
Yes, I'm aware that Steeler training camp started today, and as I reported earlier, I'm tremendously excited. Just look at that schedule: New England, Dallas, San Diego, Phildelphia, the Giants, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Washington...and we haven't even broached the subject of their AFC North rivals. It's going to be interesting.
Usually, the start of training camp marks the unofficial end of the Pirate season around these parts. Bay, Sanchez, and Wilson gets replaced by Ben, Santonio, and Willie in the daily headlines.
But the Pirates are doing their best to retain fan interest at least for a short while longer, despite the start of Camp Tomlin.
Friday night was a wild ride of rumors that finally ended up in the trade of OF Xavier Nady and LHP Damaso Marte to the New York Yankees. The return on the trade was originally reported as OF Jose Tabata, RHP Ross Ohlendorf, LHP George Kontos, and LHP Phil Coke.
Pirates Nation quickly broke out their Management Disapproval Rubber Stamp throughout the internet, comparing the new regime to the Littlefields and Bonifays that preceeded them. But there was one problem: that wasn't the actual trade.
No, the Pirates actually received Tabata, Ohlendorf, and pitchers Daniel McCutchen and Jeff Karstens as compensation for their part in trying to help the Yankees get to the 2008 World Series. Predictably, statements were revised (by most) who felt that this trade was an improvement over the previously-reported haul. Although Joe Buck and Buster Olney still think the Yankees ripped us off, for what that's worth.
What do I think? Well, this is kind of like evaluating the NFL draft the morning after. It's pretty much just a guess on anyone's part, because no one can see into the future and know how a player will pan out, with the possible exception of Billy Beane.
I'm not going to lie: I do not scour minor-league sites and message boards and have very little knowledge of these prospects outside of what I've recently read. As the proprietor of a website whose audience takes nearly as much satisfaction from bizarre off-the-field news as on-the-field reports, I can say that a player like Tabata could be absolutely fascinating. A high-upside player with a Manny Ramirez-esque mentality? Where do I sign up? The Pirates haven't seen a personality like this in a long time. We're more conditioned to the bland personas and lack of ego that result in 68-win seasons. It's nice to have a potential sign of life down the road.
And tell me the possibility of a lineup populated by Tabata, Pedro Alvarez, and Andrew McCutchen doesn't intrigue you at least somewhat?
In addition to Tabata, the Pirates are receiving not one, not two, but three potential major league starting pitchers. For a team that was trotting John Van Benschoten out every fifth day, that's a step in the right direction.
Tabata is like a high-risk, high-reward stock. He might have a screw loose and he's had some injury issues, but he was considered untouchable for a long time by the Yankee braintrust. It's a different take on the usual high-risk, no-reward players the Pirates targeted, and I think a step in the right direction for at least trying something different.
The three pitchers will probably never be confused with Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, but I'm hoping they won't be confused with Van Benschoten, Bryan Bullington, and Bobby Bradley either.
So life goes on for the Pirates and their fans. It was a bit surreal watching Nady and Marte immediately thrust into the heat of a Yankee-Red Sox matchup right off the bat on Saturday, but I guess that's something we'll get used to. We'll also be getting used to watching young OF Steve Pearce on a regular basis, which might be fun. And yes, with this move and others that may come, we'll be getting used to another losing season in pursuit of a winner sometime down the road.
More Pirate news:
--Despite the absence of Nady and Marte, the show must go on. Unfortunately, the Padres took another one with a 3-1 victory over Paul Maholm and the Pirates on Sunday. Jake Peavy struck out 10 and limited the Pirates to just four hits; Maholm pitched an equally strong seven innings, allowing four hits and one run while whiffing nine. Unfortunately, John Grabow offered up two gopherballs [Scott Hairston and Josh Bard], which left the Pirates at 48-57.
--I said it Friday, and I'll say it again: if you haven't checked out Dejan Kovacevic's new blog, you're doing yourself a great disservice. He's been all over the trade and everything else Pirate since its inception.
--Barney Dreyfuss, former owner of the Pirates who paid for the construction of Forbes Field out of his own pocket at a cost of $2 million, was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Dreyfuss ran the Buccos from 1900-1932 and oversaw six NL pennants, two World Series titles, and just five losing seasons. If you ask me, his legacy has been greatly overshadowed in Pittsburgh sports history.
--The Pirates rank 20th in Paul Meyer's latest Power Rankings.
--The Pirates Charities auction on Saturday night was a huge success and will assist in the building of the region's first Miracle League Field, a baseball field designed to accommodate children with special needs.
--The PG had quite the Penguins blowout today, capped off with their own Indiana Jones-themed section. Lots of goodies through that link.
--The Trib reminds us that the Pens can't afford the whole roster. Unless Ray Shero convinces every one of them to give a hometown discount. Which means the Penguins can't afford the whole roster.
--JoePa appeared in Pittsburgh and said that he backs a playoff system. OK, so I agreed with Bob Smizik and Joe Paterno in the same week. I must be getting old.
--Ever heard the ads for LifeLock where the CEO gives out his social security number? Might've been a bad idea.
--A 1961 Ferrari California Spyder sold for $10,894,900 at an auction in Maranello, Italy, Saturday--the highest price ever paid for a vintage car at auction.
--Heard the rumors about Mike Tyson vs. Kimbo Slice? Don't think that's going to happen, for the sole reason that Tyson looks like he ate Kimbo Slice.
As Bob Smizik recently noted, May can be too early to get wrapped up in "Pirates Nearing-.500 Fever". After realizing that I was actually agreeing with something Smizik wrote, I immediately looked out the window to make sure pigs weren't flying. Luckily, I saw only a few examples of airborne bacon. But Smize's point was not lost.
The Pirates recently had a nice little run that led them within a game of .500 on several occasions. Unfortunately, that hump has proven to be somewhat insurmountable, as they failed on each instance to reach that sweet .500 ground. They're like a team that has three wins in a best-of-seven series and just can't get the fourth.
But now the tables seem to have turned on their good fortunes, as the Pirates have found themselves back on the losing end for three in a row. On Wednesday night, it was Milwaukee and Ben Sheets taking their shots at the Buccos, and they left PNC Park with a 4-1 victory in front of 8,805 ticket buyers.
It was the typical recipe for a Pirate loss: the lack of a timely hit (nine runners left on base), a defensive screw-up (an Adam LaRoche error), and an uninspiring starting pitching performance (Ian Snell: six innings, nine hits, four runs).
While the Pirates actually matched the Brewers' 11 hits, they merely couldn't cash them in. The Pirates had four extra-base knocks, including doubles by Nate McLouth, Ronny Paulino, and LaRoche, as well as Xavier Nady's sixth home run. And 11 hits against Ben Sheets is nothing to hang your head over.
The Pirates' rotation is sporting a 5.51 ERA, worst in the majors, and it is in no small part due to Snell, who has admittedly performed below expectations. But Snell has not given up hope.
"Regardless what anybody says about me ... they can say I stink, whatever, I don't care. I'm determined to win. And yeah, I want to be that guy."
I'm a Snell fan. I think he plays the game hard and with emotion and truly wants to be part of the solution. But if he doesn't get straightened out soon, even the fans' lowly expectation of a .500 season will be a pipe dream.
Tonight's matchup: LHP Tom Gorzelanny (3-4, 6.64) vs. RHP Dave Bush (1-4, 6.05) 7:05 PM start. Hopefully the inspiration for the middle-finger-flipping bobblehead can turn his 2008 campaign around.
Oh, those generous Pirates. I know they want to please the fans, but we could've really done without the free baseball they provided last night.
So we're cruising along in the 9th inning. The Pirates have such a lead that Bob Walk is actually suggesting that they're running up the score. I say to myself, "Might as well get a start on my recap." After 15 years, I don't know how I could've made such a mistake.
Here's how far I got:
Following a typical Pirate first inning in which Nate McLouth walked and promptly got picked off of first base, the Buccos settled down behind pitcher Ian Snell, who opened his 2008 campaign with a six-inning, seven-hit, four-run, three-K performance.
The Pittsburgh version of Murderer's Row chased future HOFer Tom Glavine by the fifth inning, as his 52-year-old arm (OK, 42 year old) had thrown 97 pitches.
Jason Bay, fresh off a rather outspoken offseason, promptly picked up where he left off last season, with an 0-5 showing.
And then, in the midst of my article, I paused. The Pirates were imploding before my very eyes.
It started with a walk by Damaso Marte. Then, another walk. Insert Matt Capps. Another walk. Bases loaded. Another walk. The Pirates lead shrinks to 9-5. Chipper Jones singles. 9-7. Mark Teixeira pops out. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
OK, there's two outs, two guys on, we can still get out of this. Brian McCann hits a weak pop fly to left-center. Game, set, matc...IT DROPS IN! Jason "E"Bay and Nate McLouth are staring at each other in disbelief, apparently still unable to translate thoughts like, "I got it" into words. It was one of the most embarrassing plays in Pirate history. Never before have I seen a ball so poorly misplayed, at any level. 9-9.
A Jeff Francouer flyout sent the game into extra frames. Oh joy.
Freddy Sanchez, one of the few Pirates who I feel has an actual pulse, doubled to lead off. Jason Bay continued his fantastic start with a line-out to second. Hans Klopek was intentionally walked, Professor X struck out, and Ryan Doumit popped out to third. Yes, it was your typical, "two runners left on" Pirate inning.
New Pirate Franquelis Osoria came on in the bottom of the 10th, and nothing against Franquelis, but part of me was hoping that Mark Kotsay would plant the first pitch he saw into the seats and get the inevitable crushing opening-day loss over with.
But Osoria actually had a productive inning of work, and he came back in the bottom of the 11th (yes, that means the combo of Bautista/Wilson/Osoria failed to win it in the top of the frame). Three up, three down. On to the 12th.
With Everybody Get Nated and E-bay on board, Xavier Nady crushed a home run to right field. 12-9, Bucs lead. Break out the champagne. Only three outs to go.
In the bottom 12th, with Osoria still pitching, Teixeira and McCann were disposed of in quick order. Francouer then sent a pitch into the seats, making the score 12-10. In the midst of Bob Walk trying to explain why giving up a home run is better than giving up a walk, Kotsay doubled and was singled in by Matt Diaz. 12-11, Pirates.
But you've never heard of pinch hitter Corky Miller for a reason, and he didn't make a name for himself on this night either. His fly-out to center put the final nail in the coffin. Congratulations, John Russell. Hope you realize what you've gotten into. Thanks for the free entertainment, Pirates.
A few quick notes:
--The Braves were announced one-by-one, while the Pirates got only a "Manager John Russell and the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates..." intro. Lanny Frattare delivered a strong lecture to the Braves on the radio end, and it was also noted on the TV side.
--Turner Field attendance was 45,269, or just 90.4% full. Not too hot for a home opener.
--Xavier Nady was 4-7 with 2 HR, 4 RBI, and 4 runs. On Opening Day last year, he hit the game-winning home run off of Brad Lidge in Houston, lifting the Pirates to a 4-2 victory in 10 innings. In 2006 with the Mets, he was 4-4. We need to convince him that every day is Opening Day, much like my plan to convince the Pitt Panthers that they're always playing in Madison Square Garden.
--The final line on E-Bay: 0-6, 3 left on base, a strikeout, a walk, a run scored, and that memorable play in the 9th. He's pretty much like Xavier Nady on Opening Day, only the total opposite.
Today is the unofficial Mondesi's House in-person recap day. First, we were treated to the in--person account of the big Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland women's football playoff game courtesy of Andy at Bugs and Cranks. And now, sit back and enjoy a true rarity - a recap of a Pirate game I actually attended:
Sunday afternoon was my first Pirate game of the year, and it couldn't have come on a hotter afternoon. It was approximately 122 degrees when "Sugar Shane" Youman threw the first pitch, and 120 degrees when Matt Capps recorded the last out. It was so hot, you could smell the plastic seats of PNC Park burning in the Sunday sun. But enough about the temperature. Since I can no longer enjoy a game without writing about it the next day, I took over 70 photos and two pages of notes. So let's get into it.
Sunday's game was a belated Father's Day present for my dad, and why he wanted to go to the Pirate game, I still can't figure out. So we hopped in the car and took a trip to the House That McClatchy Built. On the way to the game, we listened to 104.7 and the Dave Littlefield pregame show. Littlefield took calls, and not surprisingly, all were pro-Pirate. He flawlessly gave non-answer answers to question after question, even making up words such as "spottingly" when describing Nate McLouth's playing time this season. After listening to about 20 minutes of Pirates propaganda, I was ready to order playoff tickets. I mean, you have homer announcers, and then you have the Pirates. They've raised the bar for the rest of the sporting world. Listen to Greg Brown and Littlefield for a few minutes and you'll think the Buccos are sitting on a 15-game lead at this point. As I told my dad and brother, heaven help us if the Pirates ever actually get good. Their broadcasters' heads may explode with enthusiasm.
We actually had pretty good seats right behind the Cubs dugout, so you know what that meant...plenty of Aramis Ramirez-bashing from my brother, an outspoken Ramirez hater. At one point, I asked him why Pirates fans boo Ramirez when he returns to Pittsburgh. If I remember correctly, he was traded, which means he did not leave as a free agent. The Pirates simply could not pay him fair market value for his services. And this trade that I speak of, it was, how shall I put it...somewhat controversial. In fact, it's looked at by many Pirate fans as one of the worst trades in franchise history. So Pirate fans want to have him on their team...yet they still boo him like he was Ray Lewis in a baseball uniform. But they'll cheer Jim Leyland, who managed three ultimately underacheiving playoff teams and left on his own free will, as if he's won 10 championships. I don't get it.
Well, we're at the Pirate game, and you know what that means: promotions. And lots of them.
Young Pirate Customers can see the game through Pirate-colored glasses
Unfortunately, the only freebie today was a pair of kid's sunglasses, so that means no Tony Armas bobblehead for my collection. It was also Irish Day and Kids Day. Funny, I don't ever remember the Penguins or Steelers ever running promos like this. And why not? Oh, I don't know...they're too busy worrying about putting a winning team on the field.
As for the in-game entertainment...you know, besides baseball...there was plenty:
The first inning gave us some lame trivia game where the guy was playing for tickets to the Chicago Live! show at Heinz Hall. Because Pirate fans are usually such big Broadway buffs.
Next came the second inning, where you could vote for the Pirates Performance of the Day via a text message. I ask, in all honesty: who's sitting around voting for Pirates plays on their cell phone?
The third inning came quickly, and you know what was next: The Stitches T-Shirt Toss. Nothing riles up true baseball fans more than a free t-shirt flung from a slingshot. People go after these like they're wrapped in $100 bills.
Listen up, investors: it's the fourth inning, so that can only mean one thing: the PNC Stock Market Report. Maybe it's just me, but I think if there are really some serious players in the stock market attending a Pirate game on a Sunday, they'll know the price of a share of Alcoa when it closed two days ago.
We then move to the fifth inning, and it's time for the game show that's sweeping the nation: BUCCO! Basically, some guy drops a game piece onto a Plinko-style board and wins a Pirates t-shirt. Trust me, it was riveting.
Next on the agenda, it's the always important Great Pittsburgh Pierogi Race N'At. I'll spare you the sarcasm, because my prayers go out to the poor people who had to wear pierogi outfits on a scorching day like Sunday.
The next baseball distraction was a vote for the song you want to hear in the 7th inning.
Your choices: The Twist, Life is a Highway, or a YouTube video of a Monkey Washing a Cat. What did Pirates fans choose? You'll have a to wait an inning...
...and here's their choice of the "Monkey Washing Cat" video. Notice that today wasn't Mensa Day at the ballpark.
7th inning stretch: the Pirate cheerleaders are here for your amusement. Watch as their moves hypnotize slack-jawed yokuls who arrived in the 6th inning (I'm not kidding about that...they really did get an usher and sit down in the 6th).
The 8th inning (at least I think it was the 8th, as my brain was fully melted by then), was the inevitable hot dog gun. You know the drill by now: a member of the Bucco Brigade jams hot dogs into a gun shot by an Adam LaRoche-lookalike.
Obsessed with guns...just like LaRoche
Who wants an airborne weiner? You?
So is that bag filled with hot dogs? Does David Wells know about this, and could it lure him to Pittsburgh someday?
Any chance of shooting Armas at close range by "mistake"?
See, here's what happens with all of the distractions going on throughout the game: on the rare occasion when the Pirates are playing well, it's lost in the shuffle. They won by a 6-2 count on Sunday, and they actually played a pretty solid game.
Notes from the scene of the crime:
--22,470 in the house today, with a ton of Cubs fans. But what was up with right field? Did that guy forget his Axe body spray?
--Ever wonder what $136 million looks like in person? Let me fulfill your curiosity with this pic of Alfonso Soriano.
--Here's a scary sight: the always-crazy Carlos Zambrano with a bat in his hands.
--Nice performance by Shane Youman today, but we have to stop Greg Brown's "Sugar Shane" nickname before it catches on. Sorry Greg, that name's been taken. And given that his name is pronounced "YOU man" and not "YO man", I suggest we steal the name of Sirius DJ Human Numan and call him Human Youman.
--If there's a Beerman Hall of Fame, T.C. has to be the first inductee. The guy is a Pittsburgh icon. Today he was belting out "Party Like a Rock Star" to anyone who bought one of his lemonades.
--According to the scoreboard, the Pirates Will Inspire. Just curious...who has been inspired by the Pirates this year? Could I get an example?
--I thought LaRoche's usual "Babe Ruth Called Shot" pose was going to get him plunked by Zambrano. Luckily for LaRoche, he struck out twice.
--Look, LaRoche makes yet another gun reference on his scoreboard photo!
--Xavier Nady, who comes out to Xzibit's "X", actually drops the X a la Carl Krauser on his scoreboard intro. Thought this was worth mentioning.
--From the "Never Thought I'd See THIS" category...Jason Bay touching 'em all today
--This would've been a great shot of Zambrano if a Cubs fan didn't stick his finger up in front of me.
--Not a lot of activity for the Kennametal K Club today. Human Youman was putting them to sleep.
--Here's Etch-a-Sketch LaRoche, and for once, no reference to firearms. What a looker.
--Dropping 2 of 3 to the Pirates surely had Lou Piniella second-guessing his decision to leave Tampa Bay.
--The number 21. A tragic number in Pittsburgh sports history. Roberto Clemente...Michel Briere...Amos Zereoue...
--After the game ended, a somber Ryan Theriot stared at the field for a good five minutes. Someone took a midseason loss to the Pirates pretty hard.
--To close the first-half of this year's Pirate season, I leave you with this lasting image of Xavier Nady.
Well, I'm glad that's over. In yet another horrible display of the game of baseball, the Pirates dropped a 13-6 decision to the Yankees on Sunday, getting swept and falling to 11 games under .500 in the process.
I could write about the game, but really, what's the point? The Pirates are awful, they were embarrassed, and worst of all, they're showing more and more that they don't even care, on the field and off.
"For all the frustration accompanying Zach Duke's opening third of the season, for all the exasperation that comes from seeing Oliver Perez highlights on TV, it might be going completely undetected that four-fifths of the Pirates' rotation appears to be benefiting from the influence of pitching coach Jim Colborn."
Whah...whah...what? Credit for the starters? Let's recap: Sunday's starter, former Yankee Shawn Chacon, was pounded for seven runs in 3 1/3 innings. He replaced Tony Armas in the rotation, who was sporting an ERA of 8.46 when he finally lost his starting role. Zach Duke is 2-6 with a 5.75 ERA and looks like he would be better suited pitching for the Washington Wild Things, although that would be insulting to the Wild Things. Paul Maholm is 2-9 with a 5.33 ERA. The bullpen is in absolute shambles.
That's the problem with the Pirates. Their pitching staff is in complete disarray, and we're told that Jim Colborn is worthy of praise. Yes, two starters (Snell and Gorzelanny) have performed well this season. But if Colborn is worthy of praise for those two, then he is also worthy of criticism for the poor performances of Armas, Maholm, Duke, and Chacon. And as I said, he certainly hasn't made anyone better in the 'pen.
What angers me the most is the lack of intensity throughout the entire organization. So many of these guys look like they're going through the motions. I ask you one question: "WHY DO WE CARE?"
The ownership certainly doesn't care about a winner. They proved that for the 1,214,387th time last week when they passed on "once in a generation" catcher Matt Wieters in favor of a signable pitcher. They can't spend the $8-10 million that it would take to sign Wieters, but they'll gladly throw away $3.8 mil on Chacon, $3 mil on Armas, or $11 mil last year on Joe Randa and Jeromy Burnitz.
And the players? I've seen Little League teams more intense. They have only a handful of true competitors and fiery guys, such as Sanchez, Snell, and Capps. The majority of the rest barely show signs of life. There is little visible leadership among the players, other than Jack Wilson calling out Castillo in the offseason. Guys are jogging out hits, booting balls, not positioned correctly, etc, etc, etc...their heads are simply not in the game.
Luckily for them, Jim Tracy manages the team like it's the reincarntion of the '27 Yankees. How much of that is Tracy and how much is orders from management is debatable. But much like Bill Cowher, Tracy and the Pirates are horrible at ever admitting a mistake. They would rather lose with their original choices than win with the correct ones. If not for Randa's injury last year, Sanchez would have never had a chance. Why? Because the Pirates paid Randa, and they didn't want to admit that they screwed up...again.
They have three starters with what I consider "acceptable" batting averages: Sanchez (.294), Nady (.287), and Bay (.289). Baustista (.265) and Wilson (.251) are mediocre at best, and the remainder of their regulars are what I would call "below average": Duffy (.240), Paulino (.224) and LaRoche (.214).
The real problem, though, is that there's not much to replace them with. The next Roberto Clemente is not sitting by the phone at Triple-A waiting for his shot. And therein lies the problem. The Pirates have officially lost their fans for the season, because, unlike in April, all hope has now officially been lost.
--First of all, thanks for all of the emails regarding yesterday's post. My inbox is already overflowing with mail for the next "mailbag". So it looks like that will be a regular feature.
--These nights with two games going on are tough. First I had the Pitt/Penguins combos to deal with. Now I'm faced with the Penguins/Pirates quandary. My channels were changing so often, I thought Xavier Nady was playing on Jordan Staal's line. It was confusing. And the Pirates ended up outscoring the Penguins.
--The Pirates started the season 2-0 after downing the Astros, 3-2, for a their second come-from-behind victory of the young season. We were treated to watching George H.W. Bush behind the plate the entire game, which may or may not be an upgrade from a view of Kevin McClatchy for three consecutive hours.
Adam LaRoche, in the words of Joe Namath, is struggggling. 0-for-8, 5 strikeouts, 5 runners left on. Of course, being a blogger, my job is to criticize Dave Littlefield if he were unable to trade for LaRoche, then criticize him after two games if the guy is off to a poor start. So direct your anger at the GM.
Even worse, I figured out who LaRoche looks like...the Klopek kid from one of my favorite movies of all time, The Burbs.
Other than Hans Klopek starting the year hitless and George Bush watching the game, the story of the night was Ian Snell's 11 strikeouts, including future HOFer Craig Biggio thrice. Good thing the Pirates didn't turn him into a reliever after all.
--Our daily Don Kelly news alert...Lanny and Wehner were discussing how "starting the season in Houston was a great thing for Don Kelly" because of all the distractions that await him in Pittsburgh. Honestly guys, was Don Kelly's psyche really a concern going into the season?
After yesterday's mention, I received a lot of pro-Kelly email. Local guy, Mt. Lebo/Point Park, hard worker...a nice story in the making.
--An update on "Club 21", the PNC Park bar to honor Roberto Clemente...it's been renamed "Club 3000", in honor of Bernie Mac's turn in the film Mr. 3000. Seriously though, it's named Club 3000 in honor of all of the Pirates who have 3000 hits. So do they plan on honoring Barry if he can manage 158 more hits in his career?
--Brad Lincoln continues the curse of Pirate 1st-round pitchers with the news that he's having Tommy John surgery, done (of course) by Dr. James Andrews. Lincoln becomes the 6th Pirate 1st-round pitcher to have major arm surgery, joining Bryan Bullington, Sean Burnett, John Van Benschoten, Bobby Bradley, and Clint Johnston.
--The Pens dropped a 4-1 decision to the Buffalo Sabres, in a loss that significantly raises the chance that they will finish second in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the conference. Just two more regular season games remain for the Pens: Thursday at Ottawa, and Saturday against the Rangers.
Going into the playoffs, my big question is whether or not Crosby, Malkin and Staal are capable of growing playoff beards.
--DJ Gallo, one of my favorite writers, gives us a 6-part "MLB 2007 Calendar" with his trademark style. Must-read material.
--Bucci takes a shot at his own employer as well as SI in this very pro-Penguins article
While we're in the mood for odes, here's regular commentor Steeltown Mike's "Ode to McNutting", a high-quality satire set to Daniel Powter's "Bad Day".
