The fact that the Pittsburgh Pirates have fans is weird, isn’t it? Think about this for a minute; fanhood is an investment. You pour hours of your day into following the team, and the majority of fans invest monetarily in the team as well, buying tickets and merchandise to prove their interest in the team is legitimate. So what’s the possible return on this investment? Pride, enjoyment and some extent of happiness. Everyone has a different view on the value of time, money, pride, enjoyment and ... Read More
McKenry jumps at the chance to give back to the community
When you think about athletes, some of the words that you'll associate with them right away are rich, gifted and celebrities. I think all three are accurate, fair assessments. There is one major one, though, that I have to disagree with. Too often, the word hero gets thrown around when an athlete hits a game-winning home run or scores the winning goal. With the recent events that took place in Boston, the true heroes are the first responders and the police of the city. True heroes are the ... Read More
Pirates are proving to be a contender
The Major League Baseball Season is only 25 games old, but the Pirates are showing that they are good enough to battle with the elites of the National League. So far this season they have faced some pretty stiff competition, such as the Dodgers, Braves, and Reds. Last week they had a ten-game home-stand when the Reds, Cardinals, and the Braves came into town. Those 10 games were shortened to nine because of a rainout, but in those nine games the Buccos went 7-2. That’s pretty legit if you ... Read More
Pirates rally late to beat Phillies 5-3
MLB.com PHILADELPHIA -- On a night Wandy Rodriguez did just enough to keep his team in the game, the Pirates did just enough to secure a win on Wednesday. Rodriguez allowed three runs, including solo home runs by Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, on nine hits, but Pittsburgh rallied against the Phillies' bullpen for a 5-3 win at Citizens Bank Park. Roy Halladay had a third straight solid outing before the relief corps surrendered three runs over the seventh and eighth ... Read More
A.J. Burnett showing dominance through the strikeout
So far throughout the 2013 season, Pittsburgh Pirates ace A.J. Burnett has pitched well enough to have more than one win. Despite his less than spectacular start Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, Burnett has posted a 2.79 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with an opponent’s batting average of only .208. In his five starts this season, Burnett is certainly looking like he can build off what was a very good 2012 campaign. But even though he has only started 1-2 and has strong number across the ... Read More
Pirates answer questions en route to 3-1 victory
Oh how the storylines were in abundance Saturday night in PNC Park. Former Pirates starter, Paul Maholm, returned to Pittsburgh as one of the best pitchers in baseball this year. No, really. Maholm sported a record of 3-0 and had yet to give up a run. Then you have Mr. Jekyll and Hyde (on the field that is) in James McDonald for the Pirates. In some instances, he looks brilliant, but at other times, he's a disaster. "There's two guys. There's the guy that everyone wants to play behind," ... Read More
Pirates have a solid one-two punch with Burnett and Rodriguez
Over the past two seasons, the Pirates have made some moves to bolster their starting rotation. Before last season started, they acquired A.J. Burnett from the New York Yankees. Then half way through last season, they picked up Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros. So far this season, those two have combined to be one of the best one-two punches in all of baseball. A.J. Burnett has a phenomenal season last year as he went 16-10 with a 3.51 earned run average. So far this season he has ... Read More
Martin’s start at third isn’t foreign territory
The Pirates knew that they were getting a sure-handed catcher when they signed Russell Martin to a two-year deal in the offseason. While Martin has done a great job on the receiving end of a relatively shaky pitching staff, his defensive prowess stretches past the catcher position. Martin will get the start tonight at third base, which is a position that Martin said he has a lot of experience at. "It’s [confidence] pretty high. Fielding ground balls and making throws across the diamond, it’s ... Read More
Marte’s living up to his potential
For years now Starling Marte has been seen as the best Pirates’s prospect. His potential is through the roof, and now he is finally showcasing his skill at the Major League level. Last season there was much speculation that he was possible trade bait and could be shipped off for a proven talent such as Justin Upton. Luckily, that wasn’t the case and he stayed right here where he belonged. Marte was signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Pirates in 2007, and up until 2010 he never ... Read More
MLB Power Rankings: Pirates crack top 20 in opening rankings
Now that we are two weeks into the 2013 MLB season, it’s time for my first installment of my 2013 MLB Power Rankings. There have been some surprises early on and some teams have disappointed coming out of the gates. Where does your favorite team rank? Let’s not waste any time and find out. 30. Miami Marlins (2-11): The Marlins offense is worse than expected and that says a lot. Through 13 games they have MLB worst marks in runs scored (23), batting average (.203), on-base percentage ... Read More