The Pirates' Ship is Listing

Day by day now, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are getting increasingly concerned the Pirates might finish below .500 for the season.  

Yesterday's listless loss to the forlorn, woebegone Houston Astros before a nice Labor Day crowd at PNC Park did nothing to encourage hope that a turnaround is in the works. 

The watch continues:

• Right  now, for the season, with a record of 70-64, the Bucs are six games over .500. 
• As of today, they would have to go 11-17 to finish the season at .500.
• In August, they were 11-17, six games under .500.
• They've lost 10 of their last 13 games. They've lost four in a row and are 0-3 in September.
• So, at this pace, with 28 games to go, yes, it appears they could finish below .500 for the season -- yet again -- and what an ignominious, disappointing  and humiliating finish that would be.

C'mon, Buccos, right the ship, for crying out loud!  This team is still in the Wild-Card Race!

Labor Day

Reprising last year's Labor Day post, since it still seems apropos ...

The following is from an editorial in The New York Times:

"... change the emphasis from labor to jobs and you come upon a subject that is very much on the minds of Americans, and not merely among the 14 million officially unemployed people in this country, a number equivalent to the population of Illinois, Wyoming and Vermont.

"Perhaps Labor Day should be a day to consider the struggles of so many Americans eager to work but unable to find jobs.  Perhaps it should be a day for parades of the unemployed, to remind us of the dignity of work and the indignity of being out of it."

Could the Pirates Finish Below .500?

With the month having just started, the Pirates' September Swoon appears to have started.  Already.  Yesterday, James McDonald  ("J-Mac") was Beyond Awful.

First inning:  After surrendering a four-pitch, lead-off walk and watching Pedro Alvarez botch a potential double-pay ball, MacDonald served up a honeydew that Ryan Braun launched on an arc that play-by-play announcer Greg Brown described as a "Moo-oo--ooon Shot!"  The Brewers poured it on from there to hand the Pirates a 12-8 shellacking.

Is it possible the Pirates will finish the season under .500? ... as unthinkable as that seemed at the All-Star break?  With 29 games to play, could they possibly blow a seven game lead (on .500)?   As the cattlemen say, let's take stock:

• Right  now, for the season, with a record of 70-63, they are seven games over .500.  
• For the month of August, with a record of 11-17, they were six games under .500.  
• As of today, they would have to go 11-18 to finish the season at .500.  
• They've lost nine of their last 12 games.  
• At this pace, with 29 games to go, yes, they could finish below .500 for the season -- yet again -- and what an ignominious, disappointing  and humiliating finish that would be.

C'mon, Buccos, right the ship, for crying out loud!

As Tim Williams over at Pirates Prospects says, "The Tme to Start Playing Like Contenders is Now."

Enough of that Preseason Stuff ...

Back in the prehistoric days when the NFL still called them "exhibition games," Joey Porter's Pit Bulls loved NFL preseason games.  They were fun.  They showcased new and emerging players, highlighted how your team's roster was shaping up, and offered a glimpse of new coaching strategies. They whetted your taste for NFL football.

These days?  Not so much.  Nobody seems to want these games.  Not the (veteran) players, not the (incumbent) coaches and not empty seats in stadiums around the nation (and Dublin).  The veterans hardly play, the coaches don't game-plan, and the fans stay home or give their tickets away to their college-age kids.

A lot of us fans watching (or not watching) the games on TV grit our teeth, cross our fingers and merely hope nobody gets hurt, and maybe, just maybe, some heretofore obscure guy off the street will flash something worth watching.

Inevitably, it seems, somebody valuable does get hurt.  Last year, it was Byron Leftwich in the third exhibition game.  This year, it's prized first-rounder David DeCastro, projected to start at guard; and then, on Thursday, third-rounder Sean Spence, projected to get a lot of playing time at inside linebacker, where the Steelers are thin with the retirement of James Farrior and the injury to Stevenson Sylvester.  DeCastro will miss at least half the season, and Spence, on the injured reserve list, will miss the entire season, as will veteran fullback/tight end David Johnson, who was injured in an earlier pre-season game.

Preseason?  We've had enough of it.  Let the real games begin.  We're ready.

NCAAFootball?  Yeccch.
As for the cesspool that is today's NCAA College Football, it started swirling yesterday.  If there is any lingering sentiment for a renewal of the storied but long-dormant Pitt-Penn State rivalry, well ... after yesterday, fans everywhere are clamoring for a match-up of the new titans of college football, Ohio U. vs. Youngstown State.  The Bobcats vs. the Penguins.  Exciting, eh?

Buccos?  Hanging in there, by a thread.

With a week to go before the NFL season kicks off in earnest, we still have the Pirates in a pennant race, believe it or not.

And they are indeed in a pennant race, despite their bitter, ninth-inning loss in Milwaukee yesterday, and notwithstanding their performance in August:  An 11-17 record, a staff ERA of 4.39, and a team batting average of .253.  For the Pirates, the dog days of August were not so hot.

Let's hope that September doesn't trumpet their swan song, but the month is off to an inauspicious start.

Good to be Home

Welcome Home, Neil Walker & Co.

Now that the harrowing but invigorating series in Cincinnati is behind us, the Pirates are back in Pittsburgh for an 11-game homestand beginning tonight vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks.

With yet another game just hours away, maybe it's just as well there is little time to reflect on what transpired in Cincinnati.

What did we learn there?  That Charlie Sheen is a lifelong Reds fan?  That Bob Davidson's umpiring crew is all touchy-feely?  That umpire Brian Gorman is old-school incompetent?

That the Pirates can play toe-to-toe with the larger-payroll Reds, who have the best record in baseball after winning 18 of 22 games since the All-Star break?  Yeah, that's the one.

Despite Cincinnati's gaudy record; despite the recent absence of high-priced stars Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips; despite the Reds' incredible bullpen; despite the talented young players like Zack Cozart, Todd Frazier and Drew Stubbs; despite four Pirate hit-batsmen this series; despite all that, the Pirates have the look of a team that's going to dog the Reds for the remaining 55 games.

Erik Bedard (5-12) takes the mound vs. Arizona's Miley Cyrus Wade Miley (12-6), starting at 7:05 p.m., at PNC Park.  With Bedard pitching, the first three innings will probably take about three hours.

Just Win, Baby

"What did I say?"

A.J. Burnett leads the Pirates today, as he takes the mound vs. Homer Bailey and the Reds in Cincinnati.  "Leads" is the operative word in that sentence, and Burnett's leadership has been key to the Pirates' success this year.  Burnett has been the "stopper" of modest losing streaks all season, and, if the Pirates ever needed veteran leadership to right the ship, today's the day.


A word of advice to Pirates' hitters today:  You might as well crowd the plate.  Take away the inside pitch.  If you get hit by a pitch, the ump should eject the Red's' pitcher.  That, essentially, was the message from last night's home plate umpire, Brian Gorman.

We all know what happened Friday night: Reds' flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman nearly decapitated Andrew McCutchen with a 101-mph rising fastball accelerating toward McCutchen's head, only to be interrupted by his shoulder, thank heaven.  After which, the following happened on Saturday:

After the ejection.

1. Pittsburgh sports-talkers clamored for retaliation
2. The umpires neglected to issue pre-game warnings to both teams
3. The Reds jumped to a 2-0 first-inning lead, aan-n-nd ... 
4. With two outs in the top of the second, Reds starter Mike Leake apparently decided (or was prompted by manager Dusty Baker) to preempt any retaliation that might come from the Pirates -- by deliberately drilling Bucs' shortstop Josh Harrison with a hip-level fastball.
5. An unhappy Harrison glared briefly at Locke, who immediately lurched off the mound aggressively, tauntingly, in Harrison's direction, as if to say, "Hey, you want a piece of me?  At least I didn't throw at your head!  I got the first shot in tonight.  What're you gonna do about it?" 
6. Umpire Gorman warned both dugouts that any more hit-batsmen would lead to ejections.
7. Pittsburgh manager Cint Hurdle approached Gorman, reasonably enough, to ask about the warning and to plead his case.  At first, Hurdle appeared calm and seemed to be saying, "What did we do?"  It was a brief discussion.
8. Hurdle didn't appear particularly confrontational or overly agitated, but after, oh, 30 seconds, Hurdle shrugged, peaceably enough (so far as we could tell).  That was it.
9. Gorman erupted with the classic heave-ho.  At which point, Hurdle did get in his say-so, and he did become vociferously confrontational and finger-pointingly agitated, and understandably so.  Not that it did him or the Pirates any good, but at least he said his piece before treading to the clubhouse and leaving bench coach Jeff Bannister in charge.

At which point we, as Pirates fans, would have expected Bannister to rally the troops and exhort his hitters to crowd the plate. Crowd the plate!  Force Leake to throw way off the outside part of the plate, if that's the direction he was going to go.

As it turned out, Leake worked the outside part of the plate all through his six innings, consistently nibbling the outside corner, especially against left-handers (Alex Presley, Garrett Jones, Pedro Alvarez, Travis Snider).  While Presley and Jones did just fine -- both went two-four -- Alvarez and Snider had putrid at-bats, swung early in the count at outside pitches, and seemed to play directly into Leake's hands.  They should have stepped right over the plate and dared Leake to challenge them.

It's time to rally the team.

Today's game is crucial. The Pirates have a number of young players in key roles.  It's the perfect time for a steady veteran presence, and leadership.  Win, and the Pirates leave Cincinnati on a winning note, four-and-a-half games back of the first-place Reds and still within striking distance.  Lose, and the Pirates drop to six-and-a-half back, scrabbling for purchase in the wild-card race.


It's a big game today.  A.J. Burnett, the Pirates' nation turns its eyes to you.


 

Apocalypse Now in the Heart of Darkness (Cincinnati)

"The horror.  The horror!" 

Joseph Conrad wouldn't have blinked, but we wonder how Martin and Charlie Sheen reacted when Andrew McCutchen took a 101-mph-caliber bullet of  fastball from Aroldis Chapman last night at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.  Not cool.

Yes, those Sheens, the father-son Hollywood duo who, according to Pirates' announcer Tim Nevrette, flew to Cincinnati expressly for the weekend series between the Reds and Pirates.

"They were in the hotel lobby," said Nevrette.  "I rode up in the elevator with Martin Sheen.  We talked baseball, a little bit, but what do you say to Martin Sheen?"  

Fellow announcer John Wehner, the "color man" who is about as colorful as charcoal ash, responded, predictably, by mumbling incoherently and sounding bewildered, but that's beside the point.

Back to the game:  Starling Marte misplayed a Chris Heisey drive into an inside-the-park home run, Mat Latos dominated with shutdown pitching, hit a two-run homer for good measure, the Reds turned three double-plays, and then Chapman capped the evening by capping McCutchen.  Insult to injury, and all that.  All in all, an ugly game for the Pirates.

Quelle horreur, indeed.

Tonight's another game, another opportunity.  James McDonald takes the mound tonight for the Bucs.  Let's hope for the best.

Afterthoughts
There's not much we can do, really, about that pitch from Aroldis Chapman, the loopy Cuban defector (expatriate? exile? refugee?) and hotel-robbery "victim" who generally has good control (of his pitches -- 77Ks vs14 BB for the season), but flings danger with every 100-mph pitch.  One of which, as we say, nailed McCutchen -- a rising fastball interrupted by McCutchen's left should on its way to his head.  Not cool.

Unable to dodge the bullet, McCutchen reacted, well, remarkably stoically.  At first.  It's amazing he was able to walk, but he more or less dusted himself off, glared briefly at Chapman and trotted to first base.  A few minutes later, after Chapman closed out the Reds' 3-0 win, the TV camera caught McCutchen in the dugout, yelling angrily, and understandably so.  "No human deserves that," said the guy on the MLB Network after the game.

Amen.  Let's hope McCutchen is okay, and that the Pirates bounce back and right the ship.

He hits to all fields, and then some

Entering last night's game, Neil Walker, the switch-hitting second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates, had 99 hits for the 2012 season.  So?  Of those 99 hits:

• 33 went to right field 
• 33 went to center field
• 33 went to left field

Last night, in his first at-bat, Walker smacked a single up the middle for his 100th hit.  Then, in the sixth inning, as if he couldn't make up his mind, he hit one out of the park for the winning run in the Pirates' 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins at PNC Park.  For the season, Walker is batting .301 with eight home runs and 45 RBIs.  After 92 games, the Pirates are 52-40 and a half-game out of first place.

Hometown Hero
It's too easy to call Walker "a hometown hero."   The 26-year-old Walker, a Pittsburgh native who grew up a Pirates fan and quarterbacked his Pine-Richland High School football team to the state championship game,  has lived the kind of dream that lots of kids aspire to while playing wiffle ball in the backyard: Play, and be a star player, for his hometown major league team.

Having just concluded a 17-game hitting streak -- and being robbed of a hit in his final at-bat that 18th game -- Walker has played nearly every game this year.  He's steady, not particularly flashy, providing rock-solid defense and quiet leadership.  He is reliable.  Solid.  He is excellent at turning the double-play (having been tutored by none other than the all-time great, Bill Mazeroski).  He is exactly what you want in a second baseman.  He is exactly what the Pirates need.

Hometown hero?  Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would rather call him "signed to a long-term contract."

What's up with J-Up?

Should the Pirates trade Starling Marte and Jameson Taillon for Justin Upton?  It's tantalizing, but no thanks. 

First of all, what is the reason behind Arizona's supposed interest in dealing him?  He's only 24, for crying out loud. That's hard to believe. Why would they want to deal him?

Is Upton healthy?  Why is he having a bad season?  Why is he unhappy?  And why, oh WHY, would Arizona be shopping this guy, a 24-year-old All-Star-caliber outfielder who is under contract for the next three years?  

What's going on out there?  He's getting booed, his defense is brutal, and he's having a lousy season, but he was in the running for the National League MVP last year.  Does Arizona's management team know something we don't?   It doesn't make sense. Buyer beware, caveat emptor, e pluribus unum and all that.

It also runs contrary to the message we hear all the time from Neal Huntington when he talks about "the player being under control" for the next six years or whatever.  Granted, Justin Upton is signed to a contract through the 2015 season, BUT Starling Marte and Jameson Taillon are "under team control" for at least the next six years AFTER they join the big-league club and their service-time clock starts tickling on eligibility for arbitration.  For that period of time, they will be under team control at relatively bargain rates.

A Peaceable Kingdom

We are also leery of upsetting the chemistry on this Pirates team.  The enthusiasm and joie de vivre on this team right now is something we haven't seen since 1979.  It's authentic, it's organic, and it's catching.

 

Not that adding more talent would be unwelcome, but IF Pirates management believes Marte is ready, they should bring him up -- although there's every likelihood he will take time to develop into a fully developed major leaguer.  Also, it would be tough to give up on Taillon.  The Pirates have invested a lot in him, and premium pitchers -- if that's what he is -- premium pitchers are hard to come by.

Bottom Line: We don't see it happening.  And, no, Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls wouldn't do it. We are hoarding our top young prospects.

Footnote: Isn't it amazing how fast Jose Tabata has fallen off the radar screen?

Fallen Appel, Part Two

As for yesterday's deadline to sign picks from this year's MLB amateur draft, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not at all upset that the Pirates didn't sign their first-round draft pick, Mark Appel.

Almost as soon as they drafted him, it seemed Scott Boras and Appel had no interest in doing anything other than pushing the boundaries of the new rules and trying to maneuver the Pirates into over-spending.  

Scott Boras with an agenda?  Shocking!  After being drafted, Appel promptly declined to speak to the media -- it all seemed very calculated -- and then he stunk up the College World Series. 

Hard to say why, but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls never had a good feeling about Appel.  He seems like a prima donna.  And, not that we know anything, but for some reason, the gut feeling says he's got future arm-elbow-shoulder problems written all over him.  And, looking at his college stats, he didn't really dominate the competition in college.  Feel free to argue.

Maybe Appel will eventually turn into a great pitcher, but we're glad the Pirates held their ground and didn't give in to the demands of Boras, which would have cost the Pirates their first-round pick in next year's draft and other penalties, as well.  Caving in would have set a bad precedent for future years.  Now, because the Pirates did not sign Appel, they will get the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft in addition to their regular allotted first-round pick.  It's supposed to be a deep draft, too.

We don't pay a whole lot of attention to this stuff, or spend a lot of time on it -- really, we don't, honest -- but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls took a few minutes this morning to look at a couple or news reports and blogs, and it was interesting to see what the Pirates paid to some of their later draft picks.  It seems they had a contingency plan, which was to take the money that would have gone to Appel and use it to sign lower-round picks that would otherwise have gone to big-time college programs.  

The amounts paid to two of these guys caught the eye: The Pirates gave $300,000 to their 16th-round pick, a high-school shortstop named Max Moroff, who had made a commitment to play at the University of Central Florida.  Supposedly, this amount is approximately equivalent to slot money for a fifth-round pick.

Also, and more interestingly, the Pirates paid $400,000 to their 17th-round pick, Hayden Hurst, a high-school pitcher from Florida who is a lifelong Pirates fan and whose father hails from Monroeville.  That sounds like a lot of money for a 17th-round pick and, in fact, it is reported to be the second-highest amount paid to any player taken after the top 10 rounds.  Hurst is 6'5, 235 pounds and had an offer to play at Florida State. 

Hurst had Tommy John surgery as an eighth-grader.  Think about that for a second.  And the surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews, the top surgeon in the world for this procedure.  I don't know about you, but when I was an eighth-grader, well ... 

It will be interesting to watch how the respective careers of Mark Appel and Hayden Hurst play out over the years. It would be ironic if Hurst becomes a top-of-the-rotation starter in the big leagues.

The Jacksonville Times-Union had the following article about the Hurst signing:

Two high school baseball players from the First Coast beat the signing deadline on Friday and reached deals with the Major League Baseball teams that drafted them last month.

Menendez infielder Avery Romero, a third-round pick of the Miami Marlins, signed a contract for $700,000 with just seconds to spare  before the 5 p.m. deadline. Bolles right-handed pitcher Hayden Hurst pulled the day’s biggest surprise when the 17th round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates reached a $400,000 deal to play for his favorite team.

Baseball America said that Hurst’s deal was the second most for a player taken after the 10th round.

Hurst said that he was prepared to forgo his scholarship to Florida State and play junior college baseball for a year so that he could be eligible again for the 2013 draft. The Pirates initially offered Hurst $200,000 last month and then increased their offer to $250,000. At 11:30 Wednesday night, the team called back with the offer that Hurst wanted.

He flew up to Pittsburgh on Thursday and signed at 3:50 p.m., just over an hour before the signing deadline. Hurst’s father is from Monroeville, Pa., less than an hour from the ballpark.

“I’m so blessed to be given this opportunity,” Hurst said. “When we first had this conversation [with Pittsburgh] I thought I was headed to college. The money wasn’t there. My dad was in tears when he first heard [the final offer]. He wanted nothing more than for me to be a Pirate. My mom was the same way.”

---------------------------------------------

Here an excerpt from the following article from a Florida paper about the shortstop, Max Moroff. This was written after he was drafted but before hie signed ...

http://www.seminolechronicle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/4fd9defe8a81f

Trinity Prep’s Moroff drafted by Pirates

By Chris Boyle | June 14, 2012

For Max Moroff, Trinity Prep's standout everyday shortstop, the 2012 MLB Draft was a whirlwind of emotions.

But when both the Baltimore Orioles and the St. Louis Cardinals failed to agree to terms with Moroff, he slipped into the third day of the draft.

"I was a bit disappointed. I got calls in the fifth round, but I turned it down because of the money factor. I got calls in the seventh round, but it just wasn't enough money for me. That's definitely why I slipped," Moroff said.

His disappointment finally turned to relief when the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the 16th round, pick No. 496 overall.

Moroff admitted that he hoped to be a Pirate after working out for them in a pre-draft combine, citing top-notch facilities and a bond with the coaching staff.

"The fields, where the players stay, the cafeteria, the locker room - it's really the nicest thing I've ever seen," Moroff said. "I talked to some of the coaches down there and they really seemed like good guys. They definitely know what they're talking about. It just seems like an overall great organization."

A prized recruit for the Knights, Moroff hit .397 with five home runs, 23 RBIs and 37 runs scored during his senior season at Trinity Prep. He reached base in nearly 60 percent of his at-bats, walking a team-high 30 times.

The Fallen Appel

Just a little observation about the Pirates' first round pick from this year's amateur draft, who, by the way, stunk up the College World Series shortly after being drafted by the Pirates and haughtily refused to talk to the media or show any enthusiasm (let alone interest) for the opportunity to play for the Pirates:

Stanford right-hander Mark Appel reportedly plans to return to college? 

Good.  Let him.  If he does, the Pirates will get a compensatory pick, ninth overall, in addition to their other first-round pick -- which, the way things are going, might well be, oh, about No. 32 overall.  At this point, we'd rather have next year's No. 9 pick instead of Appel, who "fell" to No. 8 this year.

Here at Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, we've seen all of about four video clips of Appel pitching at Stanford, and our instant analysis says his pitching motion is forced, mechanical and sloppy, and that he falls off the mound way too far toward first base in his delivery follow-through.  There.  That's it. 

But when he refused to speak to the press after being selected, instead issuing a prepared statement (no doubt crafted by agent Scott Boras) to the effect that he "needs to concentrate on his studies at Stanford."  Puh-leeeze.  We don't want him.

On the positive side, in stark contrast to the attitude shown by Appel ...

Mark Appel could learn a thing or two from A.J. Burnett. He likes it here, and the fans love him.

There's A.J. Burnett, a winner.  

Contrast Appel's reluctance with the enthusiasm shown by other draftees that evening, but more to the point, with the love that longtime veteran A.J. Burnett has shown Pittsburgh and his pride in being a Pittsburgh Pirate, as described on Monday by Dejan Kovacevic in the Tribune-Review:

A.J. Burnett walked off the PNC Park mound, the ball now in Clint Hurdle's hand, his work done. The 28,954 on hand, clearly aware that this is The Man on this team, stood and roared, loudly and lovingly.

In turn, Burnett raised his right arm.  Not for a tip of the cap.  Not even for a fist-pump.  No, that fist stayed up, triumphantly, dramatically.

"I don't know what got into me," Burnett told me afterward. "I looked around ... the fans cheering for me, for us ... they brought it out. I'm proud to take the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I'm proud, man. I'm proud to pitch for these players, these fans. I could ..."

He paused.

"I'm not really going to do a good job of putting this into words. I'm just happy to be a Pittsburgh Pirate."

The Pittsburgh Pirates: In First Place at the All-Star Break

Say it loud, say it proud:  "The Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place at the All-Star Break."  

And that's the first time in 20 years we've been able to say that.

We're going to enjoy it while we can.  And you know what?  It's fun.  Feeling good about this team.  We're going to enjoy this special moment of a season and be grateful for it.  It's great to believe, to wake up in the morning and have something good to look forward to -- to see what miracles will unfold next and see what the path ahead has to show us.

And this is a fun, exciting team, one that is having truly starting to believe in itself, and one that is actually proud to be the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Twenty years?  That's done.  Done and gone, and it's not about how far you've fallen or how long you were gone.  It's about how you pick yourself up. 

The Pirates have picked themselves up.  And it's just a start.  No anvils are going to fall this time.  That's not going to happen.  There's no reason to think this good vibe, this karma, this collective goodness is going away.  And all of that -- believing, enjoying the moment, having fun, finding affirmations, visualizing success, looking forward -- is more important than the seamhead minutiae of over-analyzed details involving stats, Sabremetics, WAR,  Zone ratings, BABIP, etcetera, ad nauseaum.  Forget the naysayers.

We'll take what we've got, and what we've got is first place.  At the All-Star Break. It's fun again.  Keep it going.

Happy Birthday to Bob Prince, The Gunner

A hearty birthday salute to Bob Prince, "The Gunner," legendary voice of the Pirates and a one-of-a-kind Hall of Fame baseball announcer. 

And a big Thank You to whomever compiled this collection of Gunnerisms.

The word "Colorful" doesn't even begin to describe Bob Prince and his larger-than-life persona.  He lived large: He was the walking, talking, living embodiment of incisive commentary, laser-sharp wit, encyclopedic baseball knowledge, kindness and generosity.

"He'd a needed an oar to hit that one."  Here's to ya, Gunner.

Summertime, and the Living is Easy

Three months of the baseball season done; three to go.

It's June 30, the Pirates have 42 wins and are just a game out of first place.  We haven't been able to say that for the past 20 years.  Although they played well in 2011 and actually were in first place in mid-July, this season feels more solid than last year.  It feels like they're in this thing to stay.

This year, the Pirates not only averted the June swoon, which has plagued them in past years, but they closed out the month with four wins on the the road, two victories over the Cardinals and breathing down the necks of the first place Reds.  The Bucs are 22-11 in their past 33 games and posted back-to-back winning months for the first time in 15 years.  They got to 42 wins faster than at any time since their last winning season (1992).  Good for the Pirates, and good for their long-suffering fans.

Packing weapons.

The pitching's been solid all season, but for the past month, the hitting has been among the best in the majors.

In June, the Bucs led the majors in runs scored and the National League in home runs, punctuated emphatically today by Pedro Alvarez's first-inning grand slam in sultry St. Louis.

Let's hope Andrew McCutchen is okay.  He injured his wrist making a clutch, great catch of a sinking liner off the bat of Carlos Beltran, and let's hope it's not serious.  No revelation here, but McCutchen is definitely the team's MVP and best player, by far. Clint Hurdle says McCutchen will get the day off tomorrow, and hopefully his wrist heals quickly with no long-term ill effects.

 

For real?

For the Bucs, it was a solid win today, with Alvarez's grand slam in the first inning, an extremely encouraging start by starting pitcher Jeff Karstens and a very good showing from reliever Jared Hughes, who appears to be back on track.  Catcher Mike McKenry's been playing well, too, in place of the injured Rod Barajas. 

Having won the first two games of their series in St. Louis, they've already won this three-game series.  Entering this series, the Cardinals probably figured they'd bury the Pirates, but the Bucs have gained two games on them in the standings, with the Cardinals now three-and-a-half back, in third place. 

Better yet, the Bucs are 9-1-1 in their last 11 series, and they're on a roll.  It makes for a good, fun summer. Laissez les bon temps roulez.

Finding Ways to Win

We'll say it again:  Clint Hurdle is the right manager for this Pittsburgh Pirates ballclub, the best manager by far this franchise has had since Jim Leyland, and a guy who merits being in the conversation for recognition as Manager of the Year, at least for the first third of the season.

How is Clint Hurdle making this ragtag team legitimately competitive?  This ragtag collection of misfits, castoffs, never-wases, semi-prospects, fledgling major leaguers, and one legitimate star position player (Andrew McCutchen) -- how is Clint Hurdle  pulling this team together, herding cats and actually putting them ahead of bigger-payroll teams like the Cardinals, Brewers and Cubs?

People around here are so used to complaining about the Pirates -- rightfully so -- that many fans may not appreciate how good a manager Hurdle is right now.   Just some of the things we like about him, totally apart from his baseball acumen: He's genuine, down-to-earth and it shows.  He communicates well.  He keeps it real, giving credit to the other team when they play well.  He's steady.  He reads books.  He goes against the book -- like issuing an intentional walk to Jay Bruce, the winning run, in the bottom of the 10th inning the other night in Cincinnati, just because it felt right -- and it was. The Pirates then closed the deal to register probably their best win in years.

Thanks, Lucinda Williams, for the picture.

They won again last night, at home before a sell-out crowd in the first game of interleague play this year.  Somehow, we get the feeling they are going to keep winning at a pace that will keep them competitive for much of the summer.  It's good to see.

Some fans, seam-heads and stat geeks often get so wrapped up in statistics, Sabremetrics and wins-and-losses that we forget the people in uniform are people, too.  Clint Hurdle is a good baseball man, yes, but we get the impression he is a good person, too.  We appreciate that Hurdle has a life outside of baseball, that he has a special-needs kid, and that he contributes a lot of time off the field to the Children's Institute in Squirrel Hill and other worthwhile organizations.

Clint Hurdle is an easy guy to root for, never mind the dangling prepositon.  It's good to see the Pirates competitive again, and playing like the scrappy, hustling team that Pittsburgh desires and deserves.  It's fun to have baseball back.

Gratuitous Music Note

Tons of good free concerts in the city this summer ... just this past week, People of The Burgh were treated to free concerts by Joan Osborne, the Average White Band,  Dawes, the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, plus a multitude of other free concerts courtesy of the Three Rivers Arts Festival, the County Parks Free Concert Series and JazzLive.

Tonight, another real treat, with a free concert by the Del McCourey Band.  If you've never seen a living music legend, now's your chance.  Even if you don't think you'd like bluegrass, go check it out.  Good bluegrass music played live is as good as it gets.

Memorial Day Thoughts, Small Ball ... and Clint Hurdle for Manager of the Year?

With gratitude and never forgetting: Every one with a name; from a family.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend. 

Last night vs. the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park, the Pirates had 30 at-bats and scored three runs.

During those 30 at-bats, the Bucs struck out seven times but scratched out: 

• Six hits (all singles) 
• Eight walks (two intentional)
• Three stolen bases (two by Andrew McCutchen, one by Neil Walker), 
• Two sacrifice flies, and 
• Two hit batsmen (Jose Tabata and, the game-winner, rookie newcomer Matt Hague in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded).

Small ball. Epitomized. Walks, singles, stolen bases, sacrifice flies, solid defense, opportunistic baserunning, hit batsmen.  Base-to-base, station-to-station baseball.  Not many runs, but somehow, with consistently good pitching, somehow, the Pirates carry a 22-24 record into today's game vs. the woeful Cubs, who are 15-31 with an 11-game losing streak.

Clint Hurdle for Manager of the Year?  On the eve of Memorial Day, it's early, but if the vote were held today, he deserves to be in the conversation.

We'll see a Sunday lineup today -- hold your breath -- but with another win this afternoon, the Pirates could sweep the holiday weekend's three-game series with the Cubs -- and the two teams will have another 13 games this season.

Then, it's the Reds in town tomorrow afternoon for a Memorial Day game.  Hopefully, you get the day off work, just as national holidays are intended, or at least were intended in concept.  

In any case, let's remember what this particular holiday is all about.  Take a moment to reflect upon the fallen dead who perished in service, in uniform, mostly in war, for the United States of America.  

Originally known as Decoration Day, Monday's holiday should be a day for refection, even if only for a few moments.  The people buried in those graves across the nation and around the world -- they are why we have this holiday for picnics, cook-outs, fireworks, discount sales, parades and, yes, afternoon ballgames in the sun.  
  
Enjoy all the holiday has to offer, but take a moment to offer thanks, too.

Memorial Day Links 

• John Farmer, The New Jersey Star-Ledger: "Remembering the nation's vets, even as Memorial Day importance seems to fade"

• Memorial Day History

• Wikipedia Entry on Memorial Day