Happy Opening Day Pittsburgh Pirates Fans!

HOPE SWINGS ETERNAL

Thursday, April 5, 2012 1:35PM | PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

It’s a brand new season with a shiny new born-on date for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  We tried to write a poem, but it didn’t turn out very well….so here are ten hopeiums for the 2012 season.

We hope that the team is blessed with strong, vibrant health, and should injuries occur–let them be few.

We hope that Andrew McCutchen becomes the next phenom, all shiny and new.

We hope that Neil Walker grows into the most productive cleanup hitter his hometown has seen in over thirty years.

We hope that Pedro Alvarez gets off to a wicked hot start and he carries it through the season.

We hope that Jose Tabata enjoys a breakout season as he roams right field, the one position he has always envisioned himself playing.

We hope that the Pirates improve dramatically on defense led by veterans Clint Barmes and Rod Barajas.

We hope that the pitching staff can work quickly and effectively by commanding the strike zone for a full season- striking out all the big names.

We hope that the bullpen provides the relief we all seek with Hanrahan closing out fifty plus games.

We hope that the bunts are few.

We hope the wins are many, but we’d settle for 82.