Archive for May, 2009

PICTURE:  Getty Images   The Pirates flexed their muscle with three hits and two runs in the ninth inning against Sox closer Bobby Jenks after they banged 12 hits off starter Mark Buehrle. Jeff Karstens pitched a solid outing keeping the Pirates within striking distance.  He only gave up two runs.  His two seamer was especially effective today.   His curveball was hanging early and he paid for it.   The Pirates came into the game with 27 homers which ranked the Bucs 15th of 16 teams in the NL.  The Pirates showed they can drive it late in the game.  With two [...]

    This guy isn’t real impressed by John Daly.  [CNN] John Daly doesn’t look like he cares does he?   A warm Pirate welcome goes out to Steven Jackson.  Another steal by the Pirates brass.  I think we will see this righthander very soon in the black and gold.  The bullpen was dominant last night.  Jackson earned the victory and struck out two over two innings.  [AAA Indy] Five more years for the Curve.  [AA Curve]

JR, Thanks for getting 3B LaRoche back in the lineup.  His streak is now eight games, a shame it couldn’t be nine.  .328 batting average in his last 34 games. Rumbunter   Twenty innings no runs scored. 3B LaRoche looks like the complete player we all have heard about. Nyjmo is hitting .450 in the first inning?  Is that possible? It will be ok.  I am just not certain when.  Did something happen in the dugout that nobody is talking about?  Was the Pizza bad?  A team simply doesn’t turn off the switch like this.  W’sup?  Seriously what is happening? [...]

I looked at the lineup for the game and in SGT Hartman’s words said, ”you gotta be shittin me!?” *Enter   JR was frustrated with the Pirates offense?  [Post Gazette] Oh really?  Well you selfish man.  YOU are frustrated?  Well you’re not alone kid.  We are frustrated by your lineup.  And maybe the players are frustrated too..it certainly looked like it tonight. In case you pay attention to these things, body language was bad.  Maybe the players don’t understand the lineup either. JR, Explain again why Vazquez got the start at third last night over LaRoche who had a seven game [...]

JR, Why doesn’t Andy LaRoche get to hit when it counts? What is the fascination with Ramon Vazquez? 3-for-his last 5, sure, but come on…Andy and Adam carried it tonight! Why JR are we playing as deep as a slowpitch softball team on opening day in the eighth inning?  Tell Varsho to back up and move them where YOU want them. You can’t take your foot off the neck of a team like the Nats.  We did tonight. We don’t like it. Enjoy the weekend in Chicago. Respectfully, Rumbunter   All of these damn broken bat hits off losing pitcher [...]

The Pirates have talent.  [ESPN] A scouting trip prior to winning the Series?  Buc visit White House.  [Mondesi's House] Mark Zuckerman has the job of covering the Nats.  Sounds fun.  [Washington Times] How bad do we need Snell to pitch deep into the game today?  [Pirates.com] From DK at Post Gazette Q: What is Neal Huntington up to with the recent wave of minor league acquisitions? Organizational depth or diamonds in the rough? Dave Courtney of Nashville, Tenn. KOVACEVIC: One thing Huntington repeats regularly is his desire to hunt for pitching, all the time and everywhere. He has acknowledged, including just [...]

*Enter The Nats just found a way to lose tonight.  The Bucs didn’t help their cause stranding 13 runners.  A wild pitch allowed Freddy Sanchez to score the game winning run and an Adam Dunn throw into no man’s land led to the other Pirate run and their fifth victory. In a row Paul Maholm had a Houdini outing.  He threw 114 pitches, but just when one would think he couldn’t get out of it….he would escape.  His stuff was moving extremely well. Just when you thought it was going to be too much, Maholm would come up with the correct location, the right pitch, [...]

An Adam LaRoche two-out double into the right field corner stretched the Bucs win streak to four.  His hit saved a game that started with the Bucs jumping to a 3-0 lead that elicited emails and text that included the highlight by PJ who texted, ”who is this team?”  We always scream for timely hits at Rumbunter.  I want to be the first to formally thank the Pittburgh Pirates Baseball Club for delivering those timely hits this evening. I’m afraid the Pirates of years gone by could have easily let this game slip away.  It didn’t happen tonight.  1BLaRoche should be praised [...]

*Enter The Bill Mazeroski tournament returns to Nemacolin Resort in less than a month. It’s the can’t miss golf outing of the summer for die hard Pirates fans.  Our hats are off to you Ralph Terry. Check out just some of the list of attendees below and the complete list at the website. [Golf4Maz.com] Steve Blass – Pittsburgh Pirates Mel Blount – Pittsburgh Steelers John Candelaria – Pittsburgh Pirates Roberto Clemente Jr Robin Cole – Pittsburgh Steelers John Daly – PGA Professional Bobby DelGreco – Pittsburgh Pirates Elroy Face – Pittsburgh Pirates Bob Friend – Pittsburgh Pirates Dave Giusti – [...]

 *Enter Pyromania Video. As I listened to the broadcast tonight, Bob Walk and Greg Brown talked about a quote from Nats CF Willie Harris.  He felt confident about the Nats offense.  ‘We just have to avoid the leprechaun innings.’  Hmmm, ok whatever that means.  It fit into the circus storyline for me. Why any ML pitcher throws anything remotely straight to Craig Monroe baffles me. He drilled a three run homer to stake the Pirates to a three run lead off Nats rookie Ross Detwiler. The Nats sent eight men to the plate in the fifth and scored five runs [...]