ITT Ed learns about America's Pastime by following the LOL Pirates this season

I am going to my first game next week. Given the hype I will be disappointed if the opening batsman fails to club himself round the head with his first swing.

School me.

i think i am going to try and do the same w/the LOL Twins

"opening batsman" = leadoff hitter or batter

Hype? For the Pirates?

"running Pierogis between innings"= hilarity

anti-hype

Hype - the free weekly going woe is us can we avoid a 17th straight loosing season?

no

worst team in beisbol by far

i guess maybs the nats

One of the best stadiums! My rustbelt heart beats as one with you Ed in Pittsburgh.

batsman

Batsman

everything you need to know about baseball is contained in this video

nats at least have some semblance of an offense to go with their shit pitching

http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/images/like/like_off.gif David G00blar likes this.

Seriously though, baseball is the best! If you're patient and learn the game you totally won't regret it.

Also I'd bet the Pirates will do better than the Padres this year so there's that.

i think they could even avoid last place in the central at the expense of the astros

http://pittpeas.mlblogs.com/nyjer-catch.jpg

nyjer seems cool. black guy from cali who played hockey!

At least they ditched the shitty vests for their unis. So they got that going for them...

was it the padres I saw wearing some camouflage atrocity the other day? easily the worst jerseys I have ever seen.

They wear those all the time. Very very ugly.

ugh those camos

I liked these hats-

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45092000/jpg/_45092684_pittsburgh_416_get.jpg

Nice work Ed! I started supporting a no-hope team 2 seasons ago and they got to the World Fuckin Series. It's the best.

LaRoches

There should be a 3rd bro. named Scuzze.

We don't give out our stat lines,
And we don't give out our phone numbers
(give out our phone numbers)
Sometimes our greenies give out,
But not our stat lines or our phone numbers
etc

http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/pbc/archive/2009/06/06/laroche-mets-beltran-has-zero-class.aspx

HOUSTON -- Adam LaRoche responded in kind to New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran's comments Thursday that he was "embarrassed" at being swept in three games by the Pirates.

"I think it shows zero class and zero professionalism," the Pirates' first baseman said yesterday at Minute Maid Park. "When somebody says that, they know what they're saying, and they know it's going to get out. He knows we're not going to be real happy about it. If you go and say that to your buddies, it's one thing. If you go to the media and make that public for us to hear? Yeah, that's no class."

LaRoche paused.

"You know, if we're as bad as he says we are and we swept them, then what's that make them?"

(OOOH, BURN)

LaRoche, the players and the coaching staff read about the remark on PDAs just before their flight took off from Pittsburgh for Houston Thursday night, and it apparently was the hot topic.

If I had the resources, I'd pay someone in Houston to go to the Astros-Pirates game today and hold a sign with a drawing of patch that says "CB" with "'Carlos Beltran' or... 'CRY BABIES'" written beneath it.

Bold text above from me, unfortunately not the columnist.

"I don't want to take any credit away from the other pitcher, but we've faced a lot of guys who seem to get well against us," Russell said.

LOL

And Porcello, who never had swung a bat in the majors before last night, hooked a two-out RBI single into left in the second, another two-out RBI single into right in the sixth. The latter came after a 2-0 count.

Anything to the pitcher thing?

"Nope," Snell replied to that question. "Just one of those things."

Snell took issue with the Pirates intentionally walking .287-hitting shortstop Ramon Santiago to get to Porcello in the second instance. Immediately upon returning to the dugout after that inning, he slammed his fist into a wall.

"I was a little upset that we walked the guy to get to the pitcher," Snell said. "I didn't see any reason to do that, but ... oh, well, then, he got a hit. Karma."

Uh, LOL.

http://insidepittsburghsports.com/story/colorado-rockies-are-shaping-up-as-the-most-likely-trade-partner-for-ian-snell/12665/

Snell has been anything but accountable this season as he has blamed his losses on such factors as teams stealing the catcher’s signs, the umpires having inconsistent strike zones, the catchers calling the wrong pitches and the pitcher’s mound not being well-maintained.

nyjer morgan catch holy shiizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ian Snell has found a new home.

Snell Fans 13 Straight In Triple-A
29th June, 2009 - 4:35 pm

MLB.com - Ian Snell struck out 13 straight batters on Sunday in a start for the Indianapolis Indians.

He had a total of 17 strikeouts, a Minor League season-high over seven innings. Snell was assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis after struggling with the Pirates.

"I haven't felt like that all year. It's just amazing," Snell said. "These guys are great and these guys are a bunch of goofballs. It makes you want to be here and pitch well here."

carlos marmol has walked more than a batter an inning this year.

the pirates are down two in the eighth. adam larouche leads off and swings at the first pitch, a ball that nearly hit him in the feet.

well done.

Can someone photoshop an image of Lastings dressed as a pirate? Thx.

ugh

Which organization am I supposed to laugh at? Both?

ck out tnite's Milledge catch! also he wears #85.

What have you learned from following the LOLPirates this season, Ed?

...that he should have followed the penguins or steelers instead

Need only 2 wins to avoid 100 losses!

what's up with garrett jones? came out of nowhere to hit like .300/.370/.580 over half a season so far, is this a giant fluke or could he actually be an above average corner outfielder next year?

probably something of a fluke, but he was a first-round pick -- maybe he finally figured it out

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/The_Baseline/entry/view/36939/deshawn_stevensons_new_ink_a_national_treasure

garrett jones: leading the majors in homers

now tied with poo-holes

is this the year milledge is officially declared a bust?

i think that was two years ago, actually

there are some diehards out there

i guess he can still hit vicente padilla tho

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AiZgwPguBc40Z7jVlminWc4RvLYF?slug=jp-passan_pirates_braves_blown_call_replay_072711

meals ready to cheat

i now want the Pirates to take this division.

a split, with a bad call, and they split with the ATL.

*edit

this is gonna be ugly

alright guys

should i buy this

http://mlb.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pMLB2-10568161dt.jpg

or does it look too much like a shirt depicting hulk hogan or something

wau

saw two guys on the subway tonight wearing pirates hats

one was neon lime green and matched his t-shirt

smdh

christ

god forbid that hanrahan could ever be used in a fucking tie game

That shirt should not be purchased.

Welp.

Did Derrek Lee ever make it to Philadelphia?

not that i heard

three extra-inning losses on the 2-5 road trip; hanrahan used in none of them (not that he's so overwhelming but jeez)

Is Ludwick even an upgrade? He's been terrible all season.

He has a ton of RBIs somehow. I'm not saying that's going to continue, just that I'm not sure how it happened.

well he was hitting in the middle of a lineup, wasn't he? and his numbers aren't that horrible for petco, i don't think you even need a .700 OPS to be an average hiter there anymore

That assumes that the guys in front of the middle of the lineup are likely to be on base.

He has been just as bad on the road as he has at home.

i think the acquisition of ludwick and lee is more of a sop to the fans than anything else.

there's been excitement in july for the first time in forever, so they had to look like they were doing *something* . . . but after a disastrous road trip against actually good teams they're 4.5 back and only two games over .500.

they gave up almost nothing to get them and lee *is* probably an upgrade over overbay at first. but the first part is more key than the second.

Yeah it just seems like a ploy to make it look like they're doing something rather than actually doing something

They've got a bunch of games vs. STL and MIL so they can still run hot and win the division but they're definitely not a better team than either. The Reds still aren't really out of it either. Not sure how their minor league system looks but I was sure they'd swing at least one major deal.

they've got some pitchers that might be useful, but the only really kickass one is 19 years old and in single a

hitting prospects aren't too impressive. matt curry looks decent, but one might want a little more out of a first baseman. tony sanchez has regressed hardcore at double-a -- not at all what you want to see out of a guy taken fourth overall.

in a week or so, this guy robbie grossman is going to become the first minor leaguer with 100 walks and 100 runs since nick swisher did it in like 2004. but he also strikes out way too much and i can't imagine that he would walk like that against real pitching.

hanrahan has pitched 3 1/3 innings in the last 13 days, during which the pirates are 3-9 with three extra-inning losses

http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Jeff+Karstens+Los+Angeles+Dodgers+v+Pittsburgh+rhjPvprupyDl.jpg

back to .500

:-(

one under, despite another unreasonably good performance from charlie morton

mccutchen is .194/.316/.313 since the all-star break

hanrahan has pitched 3 1/3 innings in the last 13 days, during which the pirates are 3-9 with three extra-inning losses

This is really unforgivable.

has anyone, uh, asked Clint why he's such an idiot in this regard?

Clint's not an idiot moreso than any other major league manager. That's pretty much the way all "closers" are used. It is really stupid and like 90% tied into the "save" stat but I wouldn't go so hard on him.

sorry, there are a number of mgrs who wd use the closer in an extra-inning tie.

well, that game aside - I mean McCutchen was doing pretty well

castrovince Anthony Castrovince
The Pirates are quickly fading from feel-good status. They're 6.5 games back after dropping 8 of 10. BP gives them 0.4% chance at playoffs.

still can have first winning record since Timberlake was on The Mickey Mouse Club.

they're not even going to make .500 are they

three under shortly, with the pitching exploding and five straight losses against 'bad' teams and eight overall

karstens' era just went up 0.56

now 1-9 since the jerry meals debacle

Yikes, the padres?

Ten in a row. This was fun while it lasted.

outscored 35-10 by the padres in three home games

RIP

next inning, runner on third no outs... gets thrown out at home.

(wrong thread)

According to @STATS_MLB, no 1st place team has ever lost 10 games in the standings in a 13-day span ... until the #Pirates did.

well the Brewers have gone 11-1 in that span too
lets face it Karstens was never that good

for the record, the pirates have won exactly two of their last 36 games in milwaukee

send those fuckers back to the american league

I couldn't help feeling bad for them too. That was such a flukish loss and I don't blame Hanharan for losing his shit

it's a small wonder hurdle actually *used* hanrahan in a tie game, but then there haven't been too many save situations in a while.

when a pirate is on third with fewer than two outs, that pirate *never* scores.

http://cgi.ebay.com/PITTSBURGH-PIRATES-1979-FULL-SIZE-WORLD-SERIES-TROPHY-/170682005275?pt=Vintage_Sports_Memorabilia&hash=item27bd70b71b

on july 25, the pirates were tied for first (with the cardinals)

37 days later they are 18 1/2 out

they need to go 20-6 to finish above .500 and are only 3 1/2 games up on the cubs

19th straight losing season

I'm a Reds fan, but I am sad for how the Pirates have played out. Both are historically classic clubs along with the O's and Royals that have had a couple bad decades.

It will be sad if McCutchen moves on to the Sox or Yanks, that dude is a ball player.