Pirates Break Camp

Even though it's 38 degrees outside, it is warm and sunny in Pittsburgh today.

Sixty-two men left their offseason homes six weeks ago, traveling from Iowa and Montreal and Washington and Venezuela to a seemingly random Florida city along U.S. 41. While we continued our quotidian obligations of bitching about weather and the economy and referees, these men were busy bunting, taking grounders, breaking in gloves, playing meaningless games in places like Fort Myers or Kissimmee - and most importantly forming a team: the 2011 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Grapefruit League results have long since ceased to interest much of anyone. Today's 4-3 loss to the Twins, the winning runs given up by a veteran of 3.2 major league innings, is no different. Spring training is for Anthony Claggetts and Starling Martes and fans who leave early to catch the early bird special at Shoney's. The Pirates closed the book today on that 100-level graduation requirement.

Twenty-five men broke camp today and headed north. This is the group that we will see 81 times this year from the upper deck above first base. This team will play nearly every day as cold April nights yield blazing hot summer days yield cold late September nights. On Friday all the impure sports, games decided by a flop in the lane or a flop at the blue line, careers and brains ruined for the sake of senseless violence, can take their rightful place in the order behind Baseball.

For the first time in six months, all the Pittsburgh Pirates will be in Pennsylvania tonight. There are two more meaningless games in South Philly, a flight to Chicago, then a real day game in Wrigley Friday. It's not a home opener, but it's a day game at the oldest park in the oldest league in baseball. Probable pitchers have been announced. It's on.

Pirates Treat Dodgers Like An Undefended Oil Tanker

PITTSBURGH, Pa. / April 5, 2010

In a result that stunned no one who has read this site, the Pirates began their championship season with an 11-5 dismantling of the favored Los Angeles Dodgers.

I took some pictures at the game but for now these girls in Jolly Roger flags will have to suffice.

The weather, sunny in the mid-seventies, was quite warm considering my Opening Day ensemble of black Pirates hat, black long sleeved shirt, black jeans, black socks and black shoes.

For me the highlights were:

1. Garrett Jones's first inning home run
One of the longest home runs I've seen at PNC, this hit was an absolute rocket that easily cleared the right field bleachers. Was 2009 actually an off year for Garrett? Also props to Iwamura for forcing a leadoff walk so Jones could hit with someone on base, as he did so few times last summer.

2. Ryan Church's bases clearing double
This was a pretty huge spot for Church's first Pirates at bat: bases loaded, two outs in the bottom of the fifth with a 4-2 lead. Showing why they named a whole Brew Works after him, Ryan cleared the bases with a double to make it 7-2 and chase Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla. It is really nice to have a legitimate pinch hitter off the bench, and actually with Delwyn Young the Pirates have one from either side of the plate.

3. Octavio Dotel's ninth inning
The outcome wasn't really in doubt, but it was nice to see Dotel come in, go right after hitters with confidence, and pitch a 1-2-3 ninth. I hope to see that many times this season. Matt Capps is a great guy and had some good years here, but I really prefer a power pitcher closing.

Honorable mention to the defense, which was solid all day in marked contrast to the Dodgers' sloppy play. Lastings Milledge in particular was impressive with both his range and his arm, and Garrett Jones had a good catch as well in right field.

And the lowlights:

1. The people next to me
In order to get tickets for the sold out Opening Day, this group had to plan at least several weeks ahead and navigate one of the worst traffic/parking situations of any given season. Yet after arriving in the middle of the second inning, they left for good after the fourth. I hope that their kids leave Take Your Daughter To Work Day at 9:15.

2. The batting order
I believe I mentioned on this very site that the problem with batting your pitcher eighth is the possibility of needing to pinch hit for him before you really want to take him out. Pinch hitting Church for Zach Duke worked in the fifth, but Church still would have pinch hit if Ronny Cedeno was batting in the eight hole. This forced Zach Duke out after five innings and 79 pitches when he could easily have thrown another inning.

3. The front end of the bullpen
I thought the Pirates would have an improved bullpen, but what happened today was not confidence-inspiring. With an 8-2 lead, D.J. Carrasco hit and walked his first two batters before giving up a two-run single to Manny Ramirez. Ramirez later scored to make it 8-5. Three runs allowed by Carrasco would have been fine if he pitched the final 3.1 to close it out, but instead the Pirates had to use three more men to finish the game. So really this complaint was just about Carrasco, but I didn't want his first bolded mention to be in a negative light.

Opening Day in Western PA

PITTSBURGH, Pa. / April 5, 2010

Curse the darkness, or light a candle.

The 2010 championship push begins today. One game at a time.

It's Opening Day in Western PA. This blog will be there 26 men (and women) strong, including a sizable contingent who will be wearing black Pirates hats, black shirts, black jeans and black shoes. At least one of us actually looks good in all black. Don't worry, we won't rob you of anything but your Pirates cynicism.

The Pirates have an advantageous pitching matchup with 2009 All-Star and 2010 NLCS MVP Zach Duke against Vicente "Ironically the Opening Day Starter" Padilla.

Here are the Buccos' final 25:
Starters: Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf, Paul Maholm, Charlie Morton, Daniel McCutchen.
Relievers: Octavio Dotel, Brendan Donnelly, Evan Meek, Javier Lopez, D.J. Carrasco, Jack Taschner, Hayden "William" Penn "Tavern."

I'm not pleased on the relief front - a couple of gas cans in Taschner and Penn.

Catchers: Ryan Doumit, Jason Jaramillo.
Infielders: Jeff Clement, Aki Iwamura, Ronny Cedeno, Andy LaRoche, Bobby Crosby, Delwyn Young.
Outfielders: Lastings Milledge, Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Ryan Church, John Raynor.

Has anyone noticed the way Iwamura has seamlessly made the transition from "Akinori" to "Aki"? And is it racist that I think Aki sounds a whole lot like a women's name?

Of course Pirates WFC Blog will have a full report Monday night, complete with our first ever "Pictures Not Stolen from Other Sites."

BRING IT ON

PITTSBURGH, Pa. / April 2, 2010

Opening Day is now three days away. I personally cannot wait.

Yeah, a lot of people have said the Pirates have no chance. They said that about the '69 Mets, '91 Twins, '08 Rays and many others. We are all 0-0 and we all have a chance.

Cy Duke, Cy Ohlendorf, and Cy Maholm anchor an all-Cy rotation. Cy Dotel closes it down. Our lineup includes Babe Iwamura, Babe McCutchen, Babe Jones and Babe Doumit and that is just the first four.

World F'ing Champions. Believe.

Padilla Announced For Opener

PITTSBURGH, Pa. / March 25, 2010

Obviously winning the first game is going to be key to the Pirates' World Championship. The Pirates took a big step toward that today as Dodgers manager Joe Torre named Vicente Padilla as the Opening Day Starter.

Padilla had a 4.46 ERA last year which was actually his best ERA of the past six seasons. Despite ESPN's claim that Padilla was "the last guy anybody expected to start the opener," I in fact named him yesterday as one of two guys with a chance.

Joe Torre on the decision:

We just had to pick somebody, and he was the one. Am I going to say he is better than the other guys? I can't do that. We just decided to line them up that way. Again, we have four guys where I think you can put their names in a hat and just take it out.

I've actually never seen a manager admit his Opening Day starter is terrible, but that's as close as ever.