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Piratefest Q&A sessions: Players, then management
Original at post-gazette.com
• Sat, Jan 30
By Chuck Finder A sampling of Pirates players, whose Q&A session was far kinder and gentler than the management discussion that followed. . . LaRoche on his brother, Adam: "I haven't talked to him since the day he was traded" last July. Such a kidder.
Mario Lemieux offers to buy the Pirates
Original at Raise the Jolly Roger
• Sat, Jan 30
By Brian …and Bob Nutting insists the team is not for sale. This certainly is one crazy development that came out of NOWHERE, especially in the middle of PirateFest. Can you imagine the questions at the Q&A session this afternoon? WHYGAVS and Bucs Dugout already have their thoughts posted. Pat:...
Individual Tickets On Sale For 2010 Pirates Season
Original at KDKA
• Sat, Jan 30
Individual game tickets to the 2010 Pittsburgh Pirates season went on sale Saturday morning.
Opinion: PENS OFFER TO BUY THE PIRATES
Original at cbslocalblogs.prospero.com
• Sat, Jan 30
Forbes magazine estimated the Pirates' value last year at $288 million, with only the Florida Marlins below them. The Pirates have acknowledged being profitable the past six years, and have one of the most lauded stadiums in sports in 9-year-old PNC Park.
Statue of a legend: Maz will join the greats outside PNC Park
Original at post-gazette.com
• Sat, Jan 30
By Susan Mannella So good for the Pirates, good for Bill Mazeroski and good for Pittsburgh. The legend will be made solid. Now if someone can only erect a statue to another Pittsburgh icon, Gene Kelly. Baseball players come inside when it rains; Gene Kelly danced in it.
Opinion: LEMIEUX INTERESTED IN OWNING THE PIRATES? YES, PLEASE.
Original at Mondesi's House
• Sat, Jan 30
By mondesishouse(noreply@blogger.com) If anyone has proven to know what they're doing in the field of pro sports ownership, it's the Lemieux/Burkle group. What they've done with the Penguins did take a matter of some luck in the draft, but also needed the right touch to finish what the lottery Gods gave them. That's hiring Ray Sher...
Bucs' Huntington: Frustrated by Sano deal
Original at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
• Sat, Jan 30
On a bitter cold Friday, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington and president Frank Coonelly were on the hot seat.
Morning links: Lemieux bids for Pirates
Original at post-gazette.com
• Fri, Jan 29
By Dejan Kovacevic gt;PirateFest: Bill Mazeroski somehow gets through his speech. Also, Neal Huntington talks about payroll, Frank Coonelly and the players talk about playoffs, and three more players are invited to spring training. gt;Video: Mazeroski and his statue.
MLB Top 30 Prospects: Not One NY Met Listed
Original at Bleacher Report
• Fri, Jan 29
By FRANK The wound, in this case, is poor scouting, that only drafted eight major league players out of nearly 100 picks in '05 and '06. The eight major league players drafted are back of the end pitchers, middle relievers, and bottom-of-the-lineup type hitters.
Report: Lemieux, Burkle Make Offer For Pirates
Original at KDKA
• Fri, Jan 29
The Pittsburgh Pirates have reportedly received an offer from a fellow Pittsburgh sports franchise owner.
Plans Officially Announced For Mazeroski Statue
Original at KDKA
• Fri, Jan 29
The Pittsburgh Pirates have officially announced plans to build a statue in honor of Bill Mazeroski at PNC Park.
Q&A: The real youth movement
Original at post-gazette.com
• Fri, Jan 29
By Dejan Kovacevic Q: Hey, Dejan, I read the blog every day and a huge Pirates fan. But, at 16 years old, I've never been alive during a winning season. It seems every year is a disappointment, and kids my age see the Pirates as being a joke compared to the Steelers and Penguins. Out of my friends, I very well may be th...
PirateFest: Mazeroski's statue model
Original at post-gazette.com
• Fri, Jan 29
By Dejan Kovacevic Mazeroski, shortly after being introduced by Pirates owner Bob Nutting, grew predictably emotional in speaking at the podium. Interestingly, he appeared to address his brief remarks in the direction of the current players, seated just below where this photo shows.
The Hangover: How Lack of Urgency Has Destroyed the New York Mets
Original at Bleacher Report
• Wed, Jan 27
By Michael Cohen The Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles seem to come to mind, unfortunately, every spring as teams that will have no shot at competing for a .500 record during the season, let alone a wild card. There was John Garland. He signed with the San Diego Padres.
Opinion: Link Roundup: Steven Jackson and Anthony Claggett Head to Minors
Original at Bucs Dugout
• Wed, Jan 27
By Charlie 5 months ago: Pittsburgh Pirates losing pitcher Steven Jackson sits in the corner of the dugout after giving up five runs to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 12th inning of the baseball game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009. The Pirates lost 11-6. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Podcast: Pirates adding Mazeroski statue
Original at post-gazette.com
• Tue, Jan 26
By Dejan Kovacevic The three current statues honor Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Honus Wagner. There also is a Ralph Kiner memorial inside the stadium of just his hands gripping a bat, as well as several smaller monuments to players who were part of the city's Negro Leagues teams.
Why Not Pursue a Shortstop?
Original at Bucs Dugout
• Mon, Jan 25
• 3 related articles
By Charlie 5 months ago: Pittsburgh Pirates' Ronny Cedeno, right, is greeted by third base coach Rich Donnelly after hitting a two-run homer against the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth inning of the baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009. The Pirates lost 5-3 .(AP Photo/Keit...
Related articles from post-gazette.com and more.
Is Bob Nutting Bluffing?
Original at Bucs Dugout
• Mon, Jan 25
By Charlie When Nutting tells the story of what he's doing with the Pirates, it is indeed mostly coherent--the Bucs will build a core of young talent and then raise payroll when those players become costly, and when a few extra players could be the difference between a pennant winner and an also-ra...
Podcast: Morning links: Dotel vs. Capps
Original at post-gazette.com
• Thu, Jan 21
By Dejan Kovacevic gt;Sidebar: Dotel is signed, sealed and smiling. Chose to focus this on his strikeouts and how that type of closer has been surprisingly rare for the Pirates over many years. gt;Q&A: More on Dotel's Ks. gt;Someone at Sports Illustrated predicts a Pirates-Royals World Series ... in in 2014.
Schedule Released For 20th Annual PirateFest
Original at KDKA
• Thu, Jan 21
There may be a few months left before baseball season gets underway, but the Pittsburgh Pirates are gearing up for their annual PirateFest.
Opinion: Are Two Brandons in the Outfield Too Many?
Original at Bucs Dugout
• Wed, Jan 20
By Charlie UPDATE: The Post-Gazette, linked above, now reports that Jones may not be a Pirate for long--since the Pirates were second in the waiver queue, they might have claimed him for another team who wanted him, and may now be trying to work out a deal where they send Jones and another player to tha...
New York Mets Star-Signing Is Still the Wrong Move
Original at Bleacher Report
• Tue, Jan 5
By Sam Fogelgaren Congratulations to the Mets. After all those other teams' offseason signings where Omar Minaya appeared to be sleeping (literally), the Mets finally made a move, signing former Pittsburgh Pirate and Boston Red Sock (is that the singular?), Jason Bay.
Opinion: Pirates Q&A: Walker, Bixler, Pearce
Original at post-gazette.com
• Wed, Dec 30
By Dejan Kovacevic The reason I mention Bixler and Pearce is because they are still on the 40-man roster instead of Neal Huntington-acquired players such as Robinzon Diaz and Jeff Karstens. These moves fly in the face of Huntington's nearly complete purge of the 40-man. Would Bixler and Pearce do the same?
2009 Pirates Year in Review, Part 1
Original at Raise the Jolly Roger
• Mon, Dec 28
By Brian Eric Hinske was signed…well, we liked it at the time! Paul Maholm got a nice contract extension. This was also around the time when it became very evident that Doug Mientkiewicz wouldn’t be back, making a lot of fans very angry. It was a sad day in Pittsburgh when PNC Park organist Vince Lasche...
Starkey: What will next decade bring?
Original at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
• Sat, Dec 26
The Pirates, coming off their 27th consecutive losing season, have hired Josh Bonifay as their new GM. Bonifay requests patience from the fan base, ... and more »
Forgettable decade for Pirates
Original at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
• Sun, Dec 20
April 9, 2001: Pirates christen new home, PNC Park, only hours after franchise icon Willie Stargell dies of complications from stroke. ... and more »
What Would You Have Done as GM? (2001 Season)
Original at Bucs Dugout
• Sun, Nov 29
By Trogluddite As a long-suffering Pirates fan, I have to constantly defend my loyalty to the team – usually, I claim insanity and let it go at that. I’m currently trapped in New York. When I point out that the Yankees buy championships, the locals respond, “The Pirates have had good players – if they had ju...
Community Projection Review: Left Field
Original at Bucs Dugout
• Fri, Oct 16
By Charlie 19 days ago: Pittsburgh Pirates' Lastings Milledge (85) leaps into the arms of teammate Zach Duke, left, after hitting a base clearing, three-run walk-off double off Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton in the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. T...
Opinion: The Record Breaking Season
Original at Bucs Dugout
• Fri, Oct 16
By chrisiu10 The draft this year has really helped Neal Huntington’s cause. Tony Sanchez was projected as a good hitting catcher on the fast track to the big leagues. Now Huntington took a lot of heat for drafting Sanchez so high, but I think a lot that was unwarranted. In his first 3 months of profession...
Community Projection Review: Ryan Doumit
Original at Bucs Dugout
• Wed, Oct 7
By Charlie As bad as Doumit's season felt, the difference between what he did in 2008 and what he did this year mostly just stems from his batting average being 68 points lower, which mostly just shows what a fickle little finger batting average can be. He still hit for good power, and he pounded the ball...
Pirates Top 30 Prospects: October 2009 Edition
Original at Bucs Dugout
• Mon, Oct 5
By Charlie 1. Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Altoona. Grade: A-. Previous ranking: 1. If there's anything to worry about here, it's that Alvarez won't hit for a high average in the majors; he batted only .259 in 54 at bats for the USA's World Cup team. He did, however, slug .574, and he's only just now finishing his first pr...
Podcast: Morning links: Capps as closer?
Original at post-gazette.com
• Sun, Sep 27
By Dejan Kovacevic Neal Huntington said yesterday that Capps will be the closer next spring. gt;Notebook: Why is Frank Coonelly the only one vocally upset by the season? Huntington addresses the question. Also, Pedro Alvarez and Brad Lincoln win gold medals.
Podcast: Morning links: Huntington, on players
Original at post-gazette.com
• Fri, Sep 25
By Dejan Kovacevic gt;Game story: Pirates 3, Dodgers 1. From Jeff Karstens to Matt Capps, the bullpen was terrific. The players also had some unusual motivation. Box score gt;Audio: Karstens. gt;Opponent: The Dodgers, by the Los Angeles Times' Dylan Hernandez.
Podcast: Morning links: Coonelly's takes
Original at post-gazette.com
• Thu, Sep 24
By Dejan Kovacevic In the game story, you will find rather strong language from Frank Coonelly about the performance of some players, as well as how the team might respond to those players' performance this winter. gt;Next: The Dodgers, by the Los Angeles Times' Dylan Hernandez.
Podcast: Morning links: The Hacker clapper
Original at post-gazette.com
• Wed, Sep 23
By Dejan Kovacevic gt;Pittsburgh stuff: Finally, all the Pittsburgh entries into one online volume. gt;Brian Sabean, the Giants' general manager, gets quite defensive about the Freddy Sanchez trade. Sure sounds like his club option will not be picked up.
PIRATES SIGN 5 DRAFT PICKS
Original at cbslocalblogs.prospero.com
• Wed, Jun 17
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed the following five players, selected in this year's First-Year Player Draft. Jose Hernandez - 23rd round - OF from the University of Texas/San Antonio Hit .360 (76-for-211) with 25 doubles, 17 home runs and 61 RBI in 55 games as a senior this year…Led t...
Podcast: Morning links: Luck bound to change?
Original at post-gazette.com
• Sun, May 3
By Dejan Kovacevic gt;Today's Sports poll question asks if you want Karstens out of the rotation. gt;Chris Duffy will come to town with a smile. gt;Another old friend, Damaso Marte, goes on the DL. Seems there might be a reason why he has not thrown as hard as he did while in Pittsburgh.
Podcast: Morning links: Doumit sticking around
Original at post-gazette.com
• Tue, Apr 21
By Dejan Kovacevic In that context, then, it is absolutely zero surprise that a) Ryan Doumit asked the Pirates if he could rehabilitate in Pittsburgh and b) that management easily agreed. gt;Bob Smizik wants to see the Pirates follow Florida's model. gt;USA Today praises the Pirates' rotation.
Podcast: Morning links: Burnett stands up
Original at post-gazette.com
• Thu, Apr 16
By Dejan Kovacevic He could have complained about home plate umpire Randy Marsh's refusal to give him an outside strike the whole inning, but declined. gt;Xavier Nady is headed for the DL and Tommy John gt;Pirates Charities begins awarding its "Fields of Dreams."
Pirates to honor slain officers with caps, patch
Original at Philadelphia Inquirer
• Thu, Apr 9
AP PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Pirates plan to honor three slain city police officers at the team's home opener Monday against the Houston Astros. The Pirates will observe a moment of silence and taps will be played before the game to honor officers ...
Opinion: The Road to 17: 1997
Original at Where have you gone, Andy Van Slyke?
• Sun, Nov 30
By Pat(noreply@blogger.com) The Road to 17 is a longer-form look at each losing season that the Pirates have had since their last playoff appearance in 1992. The object is not to wallow in the misery of the Pirates, but instead remember just what it is that makes us Pirate fans in the first place. Every team has their great m...
In Search Of: Major League Pitching
Original at St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• Tue, Nov 25
By Jeff Gordon “The Pirates are committed to creatively adding talent to our organization,” general manager Neal Huntington said Monday. “By adding these two young men, the Pirates are pleased to not only add two prospects to our system but also hope to open a pathway to an untapped market. We are intrigu...
Podcast: Morning links: Turning the page
Original at post-gazette.com
• Sun, Sep 28
By Dejan Kovacevic By Dejan Kovacevic | 12:45 a.m. Monday Pirates 6, Padres 1: In addition to stuff about the Adam LaRoche and Steve Pearce home runs, some of the athletes and John Russell talked about how their season changed so dramatically on July 31. Video: Dunlap the detective tracks down Alvarez.
Podcast: Morning links: Two-thirds the size
Original at post-gazette.com
• Tue, Sep 23
By Dejan Kovacevic MILWAUKEE -- This city's metropolitan area is two-thirds the size of Pittsburgh, in terms of population, but here it is all energized about Major League Baseball in late September. Moving on, Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein analyzes the Alvarez matter further, but this, too, re...
Pirates Q&A: First-hand witnesses
Original at post-gazette.com
• Wed, Sep 17
By Dejan Kovacevic By Dejan Kovacevic | 11:20 a.m. Wednesday Greg Billman of New Philadelphia, Ohio Q: How come John Russell doesn't stick up for his players more? There have been some awful calls against the Pirates the past month -- the one at first Tuesday takes the cake -- and he doesn't move.
Podcast: Attacking accurate reporting with inaccurate “facts”
Original at Pittsburgh Lumber Co.
• Mon, Aug 18
By Matt Bandi On Friday night, as Pirates fans awaited word on No. 1 draft choice Pedro Alvarez, DeMaro tried on another hat: Reporter. Jim Callis of “Baseball America” is perhaps the leading authority in the country on the draft. He was on ESPN after midnight saying there was no word on Alvarez.
NLCD Starters vs Bucs; Two Pittsburgh Pirates arrested
Original at Bucco Blog
• Wed, Dec 26
By Pirate Blues Hopefully Freddy Sanchez is healthy this year or Jason Bay picks up his game because the lack of OBP from the #3 hitter last year killed us. Since the National League Central Division teams have pretty much set their rotations for 2008 other than a late big deal or two, I thought it was time to t...
Pirates’ 2007 in review - outfield defense
Original at Pittsburgh Lumber Co.
• Tue, Oct 9
By Matt Bandi Overall, the Pirates outfield simply looked bad in 2007. Balls were not caught, throws were feeble, and the players occasionally looked lost while roaming the grass. Jason Bay, an above average leftfielder when he joined the team, has seen his skills decline to the point that he is an occas...
Fic: Family Calling - SN/PoTC/TFs Xover. Rated PG13
Original at Supernaturalfic
• Sun, Sep 23
By supernaturalfic@gmail.com Summary/ A/N: More from the Pirate!Dean verse, now with killer robots. Just an average day in the life of the Flying Dutchman's two newest crewmembers, which is to say, not at all. Goes with the CoTFD curse as Bootstrap described it, and not as the writers have explained it. Also, I intend to X-...
Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End
Original at Blogcritics
• Tue, May 29
By Chris Beaumont Sheer entertainment. If nothing else, the movie is insanely entertaining, even at a near three-hour running time. It is addictively entertaining to the very end. This is a series that was large in scope and very ambitious in what it was trying to do, but on top of that, the creative team made su...