PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- When Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle put together his Opening Day lineup for Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs, there were several interesting placements regarding the order. Garrett Jones was hitting in the two spot, where he spent the final two Grapefruit League games, as well as in the exhibition game on Saturday against the Double-A Altoona Curve. Also, Pedro Alvarez batting cleanup, a spot Pittsburgh has envisioned him hitting in since they drafted him in the first ... Read More
Pirates lose second straight Opening Day contest
Despite the snowfall two hours before the game, the sun came out and Opening Day went as planned. On this day, April 5, 2012, the Pirates hosted the Philadelphia Phillies. Wait, that's not right. While it is 361 days later than their opener last year, the Pirates looked the same as they did against Roy Halladay and the Phillies. The Pirates lost its last year's Opening Day contest to the Phillies by a score of 1-0. They were able to muster just two hits in the game and wasted a seven ... Read More
Pirates embrace Opening Day, give fans a reason to believe this year
Despite the snowfall, it is Opening Day for the 2013 Major League Baseball season. While the last two seasons are well documented -- they'll forever be known as the Collapse Part 1 and the Collapse Part 2 -- the Pirates are focused on this year only. After a longer than usual Spring Training in Bradenton, Fl., the Pirates are back to Pittsburgh and are set to take on the Cubs for a three-game set. While the season is a marathon, not a sprint, Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle didn't want to take ... Read More
2013 Pirates predictions
Can you smell it? No, it's not the leftover ham from Easter, it's baseball season. Despite the shady forecast for Opening Day, baseball is actually here. Fans in Pittsburgh know baseball. Don't let them fool you. Despite 20 straight losing seasons, the fans are passionate. They wouldn't rip the team, call into talk shows or say 'they are done' if they didn't care about the game or the team. They've also seen what success can look like. Now I'm not going to go into it, but you know about the ... Read More
Pirates Notebook: Hurdle Confident in McDonald Despite Shaky Outing
ALTOONA, Pa. -- Right-hander James McDonald took the mound at People's Natural Gas Field on Saturday afternoon to get some final work in of the spring before the season kicks off on Monday against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Facing the Pirates Double-A affiliate the Altoona Curve, McDonald had a rough first inning --allowing four runs-- but was able to finish off the lengthy frame with a scoreless second to end his outing. "I think at times, James just tries to feel his way through things," ... Read More
Pirates set roster in preparation for Opening Day
The buses are packed up and the Pirates are going to be on their way back to Pittsburgh before you know it. With its scrimmage against Altoona on Saturday and Opening Day on Monday, the Pirates have all but finalized its Opening Day roster. Roster moves were made earlier today that put the roster at 26 men. Kyle McPherson, Jordy Mercer and Alex Presley were all optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Felix Pie, Vin Mazzaro, Lucas May, Ryan Reid, Carlos Paulino and Mike Zagurski were all ... Read More
Snedden’s Take: Potpourri Madness
Due to circumstances beyond my control – a confluence of the flu, work, and late night World Baseball Classic games – Snedden’s Take took a brief one week hiatus last week. I appreciate all of the encouraging letters and email I received from my worldwide fan base, asking about my health and general wellness. Being the generous humanitarian I am, I sent every single one of those fans a personalized fruit basket. I hope you both received them and didn’t get sick from the spoiled mangos. In ... Read More
Taillon, Sands among first cuts for Pirates
With opening day just a few weeks away, it's time for the Pirates roster to start taking shape. This morning, the Pirates made their first cuts of spring training. The most notable cuts were their No. 2 prospect Jameson Taillon and one of the players in the Joel Hanrahan deal, Jerry Sands. Taillon arrived back in Bradenton yesterday after pitching for Team Canada in the WBC. Taillon was assigned to minor league camp. Along with Taillon, Matt Hague, Darren Ford, Anderson Hernandez and Erik ... Read More
Is Clint Barmes the next Paul Martin?
As Sidney Crosby is once again putting any doubt aside that he's the best player in the world, there are a slew of Pens players that are making a name for themselves this year as well. James Neal has eight power play goals and is showing that last season was no fluke. The most shocking surprise - in hockey, not just Pittsburgh - is the play of Chris Kunitz. He currently leads the league in +/- at 22, is third in points with 37 and second in goals with18. Chris Kunitz people. On a team with ... Read More
Top 5 Games in Three Rivers Stadium History
Surrounded by the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers, Three Rivers Stadium is a big part of Pittsburgh's history. The stadium hosted a World Series, many All Star games, and housed the Pirates, Steelers, Pitt Panthers, and the Pittsburgh Maulers. Three Rivers Stadium opened in 1970 and closed in 2001. For 31 years, it was one of the most celebrated stadiums in the country. With that, I wanted to take a look at the top 5 games in the history of Three Rivers Stadium. Here they are: #5 – ... Read More