A Trip to Wrigley Field

There are places we hope to travel to in our lifetime. For an historian, the Pyramids or Stonehenge might be a destination. For sports fans, traveling to a place like Fenway Park or Wrigley Field and seeing a baseball game is one we all put on our bucket list. With the old stadiums like Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds have recently or have been gone for a long time, leaving only two relics of baseball's golden age to remain amongst the 21st Century architecture of stadiums today.

My dad and I have always wanted to visit Wrigley and Fenway for a baseball game. This summer, we thought we would mark one off the list. To see a stadium like Wrigley takes you back to a simpler time of the early days of baseball with only minor alterations for the new century. As Notre Dame football fans, we see Wrigley Field as another stadium in the Midwest that displays the traditional days of sports, like Notre Dame Stadium still does for college football. As a friend of mine said, "it's like you traveled back in time."

The area around the neighborhood of Wrigleyville seems to always be abuzz when the Cubs play a home game. Regardless of the sub-par season the team is having, attendance out-does other cities with winning ball clubs. To think it has been over a century since this team has won a World Series title and the Cubs still bring out the large numbers for their games.

The view of the old-time scoreboard and the ivy wall are even more amazing than when you see it on television. The rooftop seating is a unique feature you don't see in other cities. The sound of organ music is a far cry from the recorded music you hear in most ballparks today. It reminds me of the days when Pittsburgh's Vince Lascheid would play before Pirate games at Three Rivers Stadium. The flags to display the division standings of the National League remind you of a time when the National League was the only thing that mattered to Cubs fans before Interleague came into play.

There were many people like us from out of town that wanted to see one of baseball's remaining shrines to the old days. For most of us, we hope that Wrigley and Fenway remain forever and long after we're gone. To remind those of the future about the history of this century old game.

It Was Only Two Weeks Ago...

You ever find yourself saying "it seems like only yesterday" and then you go into your story. For me it only feels like yesterday that the Pittsburgh Pirates were above .500 and in first place in the National League Central. I wake up this morning to see the Pirates 10 games out of first, and in fourth place. As a Bucs fan, you have to be asking yourself "how the hell did this happen?!"

Since late June, the Pirates have found a way to compete with the rag-tag team they had. Especially with all the injuries and call ups that they have dealt with since June. There seemed to be a feeling that this would not only be the year that the Pirates not only got over .500, but they had a chance to compete with the Brewers and Cardinals for the division title. It brought out fans in record numbers and made people reformed baseball fans. To hear people telling Neil Walker that he and the team made them love baseball again had to be inspirational for a group of guys playing roulette and winning most of the night. It seems that they finally caught the bullet back during the 19 inning game against the Braves in the early morning of July 27th. Since then, the Pirates are 1-11 in their last 12 games. Going from 54-48 to 54-58 in 10 days. It's almost like we woke up from a beautiful dream and we are now dealing with a realistic nightmare.

OK. I know we weren't dreaming. But think about it. Last month, the Pirates had us all convinced they could could compete with their roster and the Steeler's season was in jeopardy with no CBA in the works. So with no football in the future, and the Bucs showing they could compete, you had to feel like you are dreaming. All you would need to top off that dream would be a NCAA title for both Pitt football and basketball.

Now with the NFL back at work, the normal script is back in action. Perhaps Christopher Nolan got his "Dark Knight Rises" script notes mixed with the normal script we have been used to for almost 20 years.

I hate talking like this, but this losing stream of 10 games is like getting punched in the face on regular daily basis. Especially when you get swept by the Cubs and Padres at home. With the implosion of the pitching staff and bullpen, it shows the harsh consquenses when you rely on your puffing to bail you out when your offense is struggling. At least Neil Huntington didn't give away the future when getting Ludwig and Lee.

SIDE NOTE: I wrote this article on my iPhone while in the car going to Chicago. Currently passing Cleveland.

Four Days in Atlanta We Won't Forget

As I begin to write this post, the Pirates are in Philadelphia down by 7 after the Phillies went up 8-0 in the first two innings, lighting up starting pitcher Charlie Morton like the liberty bell in the outfield at Citizens Bank Park. While the Phillies series is a different story, let's return to the four days in Atlanta. If the Pirates wanted to leave any town any sooner, it had to be Atlanta.

A week that started with a two hour rain delay during a national television broadcast on ESPN Monday Night Baseball, and resulted in a win before the clock struck midnight. The next day, the weather was better, but dark clouds soon formed as the game went into extra innings. A late night affair that became the longest game in the history of both teams, and ended in the ugliest way possible. It was already enough the Pirates has no runs in the last 18 innings of that game, but umpire Jerry Meals, who became a top trend on Twitter and also received a special tagged trend #jerrymealssaysitssafe, which I and many had fun with, made one of the worst calls in the history of baseball, making Jim Joyce's safe call to ruin a no-hitter in Detroit look bleak to Meals' blunder in the 19 inning marathon.

While I and the rest of the baseball loving world blasted Jerry Meals on television, radio and social media sites, the Pirates went back to work to stay close with Milwaukee and St. Louis in the NL Central. Much to our dismay, the game went into extra innings once again. Upon this, I tweeted Pittsburgh sports columnist and 93.7 The Fan's Joe Starkey jokingly asking him the name of the home plate umpire that night, which he retweeted. Of course, the game didn't go any longer as the Braves made the bottom of the 10th batting practice working with Leroux on the mound and Joel Hanrahan for the second straight night not being used in key situations. I guess you could say that Sid Bream was laughing wherever he is now.

Although the Bucs couldn't win the rubber match the night before, the Pirates got help from Andrew McCutchen and saw Kevin Correia beat Derek Lowe in the pitching match-up, while picking up an RBI early in the game.

After that recap, we can now look at what we learned from our long visit in the deep South.

1) Lyle Overbay is Useless: For all the free passes Overbay has received by many in the media, his performance finally made people realize that he flat out sucks. 1 for 8 in the 19 inning game on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning made you react to him stepping up to the plate like you would a pitcher (NL fans only feel this, sorry AL fans).

2) Pedro was Average: Wasn't expecting the world from Alvarez, but he did OK. Good defense, despite the routine ground-out that ended in a ground-rule double. He came up big in different situations. The Bucs need more from him if they wanna stay toward the top of the Central.

3) Is Steve Pierce Even There? Pierce has been as productive as Lyle Overbay. Not much of a comment, but many would take him over Overbay at first in a heart beat.

4) Daniel McCutchen: The 6th starter?: OK, I know he won't be the 6th pitcher in the rotation the Pirates would add, but his 5+ innings in extra's on Tuesday was impressive. It took Jerry Meals to spoil the effort. May I add that he lasted as long as James McDonald and Charlie Morton have in their past few starts.



5) THE PIRATES NEED A BAT!: This road trip is a challenge for this team. What seems to be a bigger challenge is the Pirates front office having to actually make a move and pick up a hitter to spark a Pirates offense that is more cold than warm. The only thing standing between GM Neil Huntington and a trade to keep the Pirates relevant through September is the black sheep of Pittsburgh sports, Bob Nutting. This would be a great moment for the C. Montgomery Burns of Pittsburgh to share his wealth with the fan base by picking up a bat in exchange for some measly prospects. God forbid, we give away a prospect. If the Pirates do, they only risk having a more productive offense. Then again, that's my opinion, and I don't work the books for the Pirates. If the Pirates make a move by Sunday, get a player like Derek Lee and make a run at the division title but come up a game or two short, I think Pirates fans would be content with that. But I think everyone would like that division title to go along with a winning season, which is what we've really wanted for 18 years.

Pittsburgh is Experiencing a Baseball Revival.

July 20, 2010. I think the city of Pittsburgh was counting down the days until the Pittsburgh Steelers hit training camp at St. Vincent College. One year later, the city sees its long-time lowly baseball team, the Pirates in first place with a game on Milwaukee in the NL Central. That’s right! The Pirates are in first place and Pittsburgh sports fans, regardless of the Pirates record, are not counting the days down to Steelers camp. Instead they are being drawn to the Bucco bandwagon that is filling up faster than the Titanic filled up with water and sank. Of course the NFL is still in a lockout that may come to an end within days, but the Pirates could have fans watching games through September and possibly into October.

OK, some are thinking that most Pirates fans and I are looking too far into the future, like we are running the Steelers and Penguins championship parade route in our heads already. Yes, we may be in over our heads with the Pirates right now. But come on, can you blame us? Especially fans like myself who were not old enough or alive to see the 1992 season. Then again, maybe we didn’t want to be there to see Sid Bream send the Braves to the World Series that year. Think about all the things that have happened since then. We’ve had three different Presidents, gas was a lot cheaper, and Bill Cowher was just starting out as the new Steelers head coach. So the steel city has suffered with America’s pastime for more than a while. A team that used to be the dominate sport of Pittsburgh, long before the Steelers turned the corner in the 1970’s and the Penguins drafted a young French-Canadian named Mario.

While critics may see this as a phase in the Pirates season that could soon disappear as quickly as it began, it has made those who believed that the Pirates would someday turn the corner feeling like prophets and reeling those fans who were getting away back to PNC Park this summer. In mid-June, the Pirates began to show signs of a .500 team, even after being swept by Cleveland. Pittsburgher’s believed that this team may have something going for them. It’s almost like in the film Major League when an Indian’s fan thinks, “Maybe they aren’t so f*#king bad.” Pirate merchandise has been flying off the shelves. McCutchen jerseys, “hammer time” shirts for Joel Hanrahan and Neil “the Pittsburgh Kid” Walker shirts are seen all over town along with caps and other t-shirts. Then there is attendance. The Pirates have shattered attendance records (with a little help from Phillies and Red Sox fans) in June and July. 26,000 + fans came to PNC Park tonight against the Cincinnati Reds on a hot, humid Tuesday night, and there were no bobblehead or t-shirt giveaways. There were no fireworks or .38 Special after the game. People came to see and support a young group of players who are making this town remember why they love baseball. The close division race, the scoreboard watching, the tight late-inning games, and the feeling that every game matters. Pittsburgh can only hope that the Pirates continue their success as the hot days of summer soon become the early days of fall. For now, baseball is back in the steel city and it has those old enough to remember a good Pirate team thinking back to those gold old days. For those who have never seen a winning Pirate team, this may be the year, and hopefully, a new chapter in a 125 year-old story.

Jagr's Choice Shows the True Colors Pittsburgh Forgot

For Pittsburgh Penguin fans, they have to be slapping themselves for not realizing that Jarimor Jagr was capable of making the move he did on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the week, the Steel City was abuzz about the idea that Jagr was very interested in signing with the Pens in his return to the NHL. On Wednesday, Pittsburgh expected Jagr to make a flight into New York City, hop on a plane to Pittsburgh, and agree to a one year, $2 Million deal. To top it all off, all the Pittsburgh affiliates would have had coverage of the live broadcast of Jarimor receiving his "68" jersey on a jersey different from the one he wore a decade ago with the team, and shaking Mario Lemieux's hand and possibly a "bro-hug."

For all of us, our alarm clocks awoke us from that wonderful dream while Jagr's whereabouts remained unknown from Wednesday night into Friday afternoon. The Penguins and Red Wings both patiently waiting to hear on his decision, finally pulled their deals an hour before free agency began. Pens fans showed some disappointment, which turned into anger once the afternoon rolled around. The news that Jagr not only turned Pittsburgh down, but then the news that he took $1.3 million more to play for the Philadelphia Flyers.

For those of you who have never watched hockey or followed it, the Penguins and Flyers hate each other. There was more love between Biggie and 2Pac than there is between these two teams. So you can see why your friend the Penguin fan may have had steam coming out of their ears yesterday.

Well, unless Jagr doesn't know the Flyers schedule, he will have to face the crowd that once loved him long ago three times, and maybe even in a playoff series in the spring. So it is going to be interesting to see the fans reaction to Jagr when he takes the ice on December 29 at CONSOL Energy Center. Hopefully for him, the fans are still in the Christmas spirit, and the Pens are at the top of the Atlantic and East. While it won't be like Lebron James' return to Cleveland, it will be a hostile environment, especially since Pittsburgh is still pulling the knife out of their back which Jagr dug deeper this time.

So what did we learn from all of this? Jarimor Jagr is in it for the money. OK,  lesson learned, but to go to an arch rival that the Penguins despise with a passion leaves fans feeling that this was the nail in the coffin for any reconciliation of Jagr and the Penguins. This may not bother Ray Shero as much, but what about a guy like Mario? A man who reached out to him when he could have said "sorry, but we're not interested in your services anymore." So put your Jagr jersey back in the closet or into your bonfire this 4th of July weekend, it'll be a collectors item down the road or good firewood. 

Jagr's Interest in Penguins Creating Buzz, Questions

For many Penguins fans, we can all remember the amazing play of the Czech born Jarimor Jagr, a man whose name could be arranged to say "MARIO JR." He dangled the puck and scored a goal to tie Chicago in the historical comeback in Game 1 of the 1992 Stanley Cup Final. He became the leader of the Penguins after Mario Lemieux retired for the first time. We can all say that Jagr will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame and he is worthy of having his number 68 retired and raised to the rafters at Consol Energy Center along with Mario and Briere (66, 21). If Jagr's story with the Penguins was as simple as this, Hollywood would pass on the simple storyline. But Jarimor's story took him from being the town hero and became an outlaw a decade ago.

The story of Jarimor Jagr has been written and re-written by people based on their attitude toward the man who Pittsburgh once called a hero. Most of remember how his time ended in the Steel City and the rumors that spread about him. Of course, rumors are rumors and like my hockey coach always said "what is said in the locker room, stays in the locker room." Of course, the Pittsburgh and national media never wanted a sound bite after our junior varsity games. This has lead to divided feelings towards him.

Fans of the Penguins will acknowledge that Jagr was a big part of the success the Pens had in the 90's. That may be, but some fans remember how the break-up went and many would say that Jagr got the better of the divorce settlement. I have attended hundreds of Penguin games over the past 15 years. I have been to several games that Jagr has played in as a Capital and a Ranger. Boos seemed to outshine the cheers from the fans, especially during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2008, Jagr's then final games in the NHL.

Now onto the main part of this article. Everyone in Pittsburgh and the hockey world is buzzing about Jagr's interest in coming back to the NHL, and seems to be looking at Pittsburgh. It's been reported that he has talked to Mario and maybe even Ray Shero. The Penguins had extended an invite to a charity golf outing which would be a 20 year reunion for the 1991 Stanley Cup team.

When it comes to coming back to the NHL and possibly signing with the Pens, it should seem reasonable that fans have put aside their grudges with Jagr. They are now analyzing it based on how much he can contribute to this team that is still a Stanley Cup contender.

It's obvious that his age sticks out. He's 39. He is not the young Jagr that blew us all away in the 90's. Then again, the Penguins did bring back Alexei Kovalev halfway through this past season to add some reinforcement to a battered squad. In his three years in the KHL, Jagr had 82 goals and 102 assists. Not bad stats for a guy his age. The Penguins also need some help at Right Wing. Keep that in mind.

The Penguins also have to look at who they will resign and have to let go once July 1 rolls around. Shero should look at signing Tyler Kennedy to a 3 year contract, and will have to make a tough choice that may involve saying goodbye to fan favorite Max Talbot or Dupuis. The Penguins will have $5 Million added to their salary cap this year. If they are serious about Jagr, they need to negotiate a one year deal worth at most $2 million. Jagr may not get what he wants, but the Pens need to think about the core of their team.

One reason that I think Jagr could be resigned is to finish his career in the city where he became a star. By saying that, I would expect Jagr to play an important role in the Penguins lineup. He will have a chance to play with Malkin, who plays like a young Jagr and Crosby, the reincarnation of Mario Lemieux according to many. If he thinks he can coast through the season and just pick up his paycheck and call it quits, the fans will not tolerate that and will let him hear it.

Pirates in the American League? Good Idea, But No

The Pittsburgh Pirates are making their plea with Major League Baseball to escape the NL Central and move back into the East. Although one person I heard on Pittsburgh 93.7 FM The Fan had a different idea that involved ending a Pirates tradition that has been around for 125 years.

Joe Starkey, who co-hosts a radio show weekdays 2-6pm on WFAN in Pittsburgh, suggested that the Pirates make the dramatic move and leave the National League for the American League. For me this sounded surreal. I have to say I don't agree with Starkey, but I listened to his argument and saw that he did make a good one.

One reason was the idea of a fresh start for the Bucs. The Pirates have been terrible for almost 20 years, and especially since they were thrown into the NL Central in 1994. With a change in scenery in what would be the AL Central, with the Royals moving to the AL West, the Pirates could stretch their legs out in a whole new atmosphere. Starkey cited the Steelers move to the AFL after the NFL merged with its rival in the early 1970's and the success the Steelers had in the 1970's, and this Pirate team right now is playing .500 and above .500 ball right now.

The second argument was the drivable games for fans who wanna see the Bucs play. The Pirates could create a rival in the Cleveland Indians and even the Detroit Tigers, a team the Pirates played for the title 102 years ago. Even the Chicago White Sox could be a good weekend getaway for Pirates fans, and Minnesota is the exception with driving.  Better than Houston, St. Louis and Milwaukee though.

The third reason would be who the Pirates would see more of on their schedule. Names like the Yankees and Red Sox are bound to bring big crowds to PNC Park. The Bucs could see a spike in attendance, and the Indians rivalry would bring Tribe fans and Pirate fans out more.

Starkey, after hearing your argument I can say it is a well thought-out idea that would make sense. Although I think you would lose the argument for this one reason, TRADITION. The Pirates have been in the National League since they were established in 1887. To move a team like the Bucs from 125 years of National League baseball and start them in the American League might cause a backlash by Pirates fans and some may choose to separate themselves from the team due to the loss of tradition. I hope a move to the NL East comes in the future, but I don't see them being an AL Team.