A couple of years ago, Neal Huntington talked about planning a parade and waking up the day after a World Series championship.

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Today the San Francisco Giants are waking up World Champions. The last time the Giants won the World Series they were called the NY Giants and a television show titled ‘I Love Lucy’ was number one in the country.

Congratulations San Francisco. You finally got that World Series victory. I bet it feels great.  1989 sucked.  Your team got close in 2002. Screw L.A.   Torture never felt so good. 

Maybe Pirates fans are spoiled.  The Giants and the longest tenured GM in baseball, Brian Sabean, waited a long time for their title.    When I was in the Army, we were able to take in numerous games, its an electic town with some die hard baseball fans. 

Today the list of most tortured baseball fans has one less city.  Of course, Chicago fans have waited the longest, 102 seasons is a long time since a World Series title.  The Tribe have waited 62 seasons, and Texas fans have truly been in pain with the Rangers and Astros never winning the WS.

What’s left to say? Major League baseball is over for another year, but somewhere in America Freddy Sanchez is still dancing.  Still smiling.  He’s a winner.  Good for you Freddy, good for you.

Of course back in Pittsburgh, Pirates fans are still waiting to get back on the dance floor.  It’s been since 1979.  Let’s just trust the song won’t be ‘Heartache Tonight,’ which was number one this week 31 years ago. 

Hope will spring eternal in a little over 100 days, heh, start finalizing those plans Neal. 

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Check out Hardball Talk for the FOX Graphic from last night that said a baseball team didn’t exist west of the Mississippi…St. Louis who?   We remember when FOX was a hybrid network that did crazy shit like introduce the world to the Simpsons.  Now they’re working on reinventing history.  Sweet.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training schedule was released today. More details are at the Pirates site.  Working out how I can swing a trip now.  Pittsburgh Pirates

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The Mesa Solar Sox are destroying baseballs.   The team scored 15 runs on 20 hits and still left 12 men on base.   

Andrew Lambo hit his third homerun of the year, a solo shot in the fourth inning off Reds pitcher Philippe-Alexandre Valiquette.  The guy has a name like a winger for the Maple Leafs and has allowed 11 earned runs in seven innings this fall in Arizona.  Way to make him pay.

Lambo also was responsible for leaving three of those Solar Sox runners on base.

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Ron Wotus? Clint Hurdle?  Make me a believer.