Today was my 22nd game I've attended so far.:pirate-steer: Yeah baby, love my Bucco's. And These tickets were bought last year. Who ever guessed they'd be winning like this.

OK, So I survived the 95 degree heat, I drank five, 20oz. bottles of water @ $3.75 each....is that insane or what?....anyhow, I knew I had to drink water because if I didn't, I'd get that nasty ass headache and the dizzy stuff.

Loyal fan that I am, I am proud to report, I did not once go inside the club for A/C. I sat in my box seat and baked better than a lay's potato chip. Yes, I wore sunscreen, and yes I wore an ugly hat.....but it was not enough. I just took a precautionary motrin and am currently chugging IRONMAN PERFORM (GNC's version of gatorade),

Now for some base ball news. Pirates lost. Errors! Once again we had our short stop and third baseman backing up the play crawling around on their hands and knees to get the ball......three errors.

Overpaid did nothing today, but leave two runners on base twice....and got booed for it. (yes, I was one who was very vocal) We gave away the game. I hate when we do that.

It's anybodys division. The reds, the cardinals, the brewers or the pirates....a slump right now, will put any of the four mentioned teams into the basement as we are all tied for first as I type this.

Enjoy your evening games! I have a feeling I'll be in bed earlier than usual.

LOL- no takers, eh?

Damn, the Dodgers beat us 1-0- no score until the 7th (homerun by Navarro)! Lincecum was great as usual (love the "Freak"), but Kershaw was better- hell of a pitcher (12 strikeouts, Lincecum had 7). sad loss for our Timmy!

Again, our offense just didn't get the job done! Keppinger had his SF debut after flying in from Houston in the AM! Had a delayed flight to boot- but he did nothing with the bat just like everyone else.

We play the brewers at home on Thursday evening.

I think SF will take the division- but unless we start hitting consistently, we won't get much further.

pirates vs cardnials
 

Good morning!

Finally the game got going, but the cardnials scored four runs in the first inning.....and we couldn't mount the big come back....6 to 5....with more rain, not enough to cool it off, only made it worse.

Now, the Giants are playing the brewers and we need the giants to pick it up. The brewers have a great offense and can kill you with those bats.
I hope you can watch it on TV Atlast. It should be good games. Both first place teams in the division...(well, pirates are hanging on by half a game)thats how insanely close this race is........

LOL... you bet I am watching my guys against the Brewers! We got 'em yesterday! Great game. yes, those bats! Our bullpen is the solution to those bats. Damn, though, SF has got to get hot on offense or no way will we do well in the play-offs.

After dropping two straight to the Cards, (remember I said they play baseball close to perfect) Clint Hurdle (Our Manager) decided it was time to force them to make errors. We played recklessly aggressive on those basepads, and it worked. They made throwing errors and mental errors, and we eeeked out a win to avoid a sweep and thanks to your Giants beating the Brew Crew, we hold first place by % points.

Pittsburghers raised the Jolly Rogers!.........(smile)

National television last night....the Pirates are getting some attention! It was blacked out here. So, 100 games have been played, 62 to go. And here we are in first place. We beat the braves who threw Tim Hudson at us. To get a win, on a Nationally televised game, from a really good team is a confidence booster. I really like Ryan Doumit, our Catcher, who is rehabbing a broken ankle, but this Micheal Mchenry is a keeper. A catcher who can play defense, I don't remember the last one....don't say Kendall, many base runners ran successfully off of him. They don't mess with Mchenry's accurate arm. He'll catch them at first too. His hitting has to pick up some, and more time in the majors should help him. I say this alot and I'll say it again, baseball to me, is mostly pitching and catching~the battery~....I'm loving on you Mike!

So, no one has asked me what a jolly roger is? I'm guessing you've all googled it, or IGNORED it!:shocking:

[QUOTE=Kobi;386040]

Jolly Roger the pirate flag right?

LOL, it's quickly becoming the Pirate flag.....it's a skull and cross bones
on a black flag.....

On the last last home stand (the cardninals) I saw 4 guys in a canoe paddling towards PNC park dressed as Pirates .....3 were actually paddeling
(they wern't even rowing) and one PIRATE if you will, was standing up
holding the Jolly Roger into the breeze.........those were fan's. In that heat, to be dressed like that. It was good to see......canoe was junk, I hope it didn't sink on them.

:hamactor: I just heard the news.......the Pirates RELEASED Overbay!

Admitted he was *overpaid* batting 217 with 17 errors....for 5 million dollars. Personally, I thought they should have sent him to the minors to finish out the year, but I'm sure the contract had some kind of language that prohibited it.

Welcome Derrick Lee. We also got some one from The Giants???

Pirates vs The Cubs for three games.

[QUOTE=Kobi;390496]

They released Overbay? Wow, I'm surprised. I hope they are not eating his contract in the process. Apparently they ate it....

Pirates also got Ludwick from the Padres. I like this guy. He can hit. His average stinks but he has power and was languishing away in San Diego. Is the stadium a hitters park? Yes, PNC Park RT.Field wall 247 ft......left field 377

I dont think you got anyone from the Giants, Yellow. The Giants did pick up quite a few people tho - Beltran, Cabrara, and a couple of others I cant remember. No you were correct, it was the Padres....

Aside from the utility infielder who cant hit, we picked up Bedard, a left handed pitcher who spends more time on the disabled list than active. He is supposed to bolster our injured staff. :twitch: Sometimes, I have to wonder what Theo Epstein is thinking when he makes these moves. lol, I saw that wink, is the manager still at the corner begging for pitchers?

The Phillies showed our true colors, they had batting practice with us. So we had to buy the bat's. It was so refreshing to see our management spending instead of selling....and the players are stoked......I think we got this far on a dream and adrenaline......I'm hoping for a play off berth....World series...still too soon to say. I know I've enjoyed baseball in a very different way this year.:cigar2:

[quote=Yellow band;390501]

Francona is making due with washed up, often injured, reclamation projects LOL. But, so far, its working ok.

Yeah, baseball takes on a whole different meaning when you are winning and in the thick of things. I would love to see the Pirates in the world series. I still remember Mazeroski winning the title for them back in 1960, rounding the bases with his hat off after hitting that home run. Some things you never forget.

Keep up the good work and maybe, come October, we will be friendly rivals :)

And Keppenger is with SF now. neither have done much for us yet. In fact, we just lost 3 in a row- last night to the D-backs and now they are 1 game behind SF.

I'm sure that our trades will start contributing, but, we really have a problem with our bats overall. Lately, even our fantastic bullpen has been a bit off. Guess it could be the trade changes and adjusting.

Second in a home series against AZ tonight- I hope the hell SF gets it done! I have never thought we would repeat in the WS, but would take our division at least. Some of the younger players like Crawford will be blooming over the next couple of seasons, so I know good ball will prevail, but, SF has some work to do to get back up there.

It seems like other teams are just jelling more together than we are right now. Actually, I think we need to make a change with the batting coach.

It was *I* who said a slump, by any team in this division would sink them to the basement. Well, unfortunately...it's the pirates who are in a slump.

It's beyond awful. (on both sides of the ball) I've been a fan of the game long enough to know that baseball is streaky. I still say there is alot of baseball to be played, get the slump out of the way and get back to winning and being a contender.

It's been sell outs the last two nights. Who knows why, unless these tickets were bought way in advance. I call them bandwagon fans. They were booing loudly, and then laughing. After long innings, they'd give standing ovations for the third out and the same behavior for a third strike.

Last night the attraction was post game fireworks and a concert by Train (Trane?) so much for responsible drinking.
True, we played poorly, but the behavior of the people in the seats was boorish. I was embarrassed to be a real fan.

I still believe. Go Pirates!:pirate-steer:

SF is in a slump, too! We beat the Phillies yesterday, but after losing 8 straight!

Hummm... tonight we play your Pirates! I guess if SF loses to them, I can be a little happy that I know a Pirates fan that will be happy.

Betran has started to hit for us- so has Keppinger. But my favorite rookie (Crawford) is back at the minors because Fontenot is back from his injury and Keppinger is at 2nd and then there is Belt. Phooey!! But that's baseball! he'll be back!

Ugh, Beltran hurt his wrist yesterday and Huff pulled something. He has been in a hitting slump anyway- so maybe he ought to take a rest. And Nate the Great, usually very consistent has been really terrible with hitting.

Lincecum was brilliant yesterday against the Phillies- and I loved it as their manager put he and Cain down at the start of the series. Jerk. Timmy is a 2 time Cy Young winner and hit over a 1000 strike outs last month.

The game against the Pirates starts at 7.... I'll be watching!!

And looks like the BoSox are doing great! kewl!

Thats 10p here. I'll be sound asleep by then. The Pirates need a pick me up in the worst of ways. They had a mini come back going yesterday in the bottom of the 8th, with no outs....two runners on board and Brandon Wood connected for I think his first home run of the season, making it 7 to 3. The meat of the line up was due up.....and three consecutive outs. They could hardly get themselves back onto the field. The game ended, and they had to leave to come to California and they just sat in the dug out...:confused:. The treatment they recieved from the fans, no one deserved. I guess we forgot they are people. I don't mean me, I never once booed, or stood and ovated an inning ending out. People screaming same old Buc's.
Pedro Alveres left 11 batters on base on friday with 4 inning ending double plays and every time he came up to bat (currently batting 198) they screamed you suck you suck. Imagine what that does to your confidence.

Well, I still believe. My Jolly Roger is just waiting for me to hang off of my balcony and wave it to passer by's. Even if it's just a dream.

Derreck Lee is feeling better. He'll be in the line up. Ryan Doumit is back too.

early prediction
 

if the Phillies and the Giants can be just a little better than the Cardnials


I think it will be the Phillies and the Bo Sox in the world series.....

I like to see the :pirate-steer:get into the play offs......thats all.

I should be in San Francisco!
----

Pirates beat the Giants last night. 5 to Nothing. Much better. Garrett Jones had a great Game. I was reading the re cap in the sports section.
---

Did you stay up all for the entire game At Last? Did Micheal McHenry
(our little 5'7 catcher) catch any of the Giants standing too far from the bag? I get so psyched up when he nails them with that rifle arm of his. At home, when he does that, and he does it alot....the organ player plays the theme from pink panther.....

Hey talk about a Cinderella story....that would be Micheal. He gets an opportunity to play in the majors because both of our catchers went down with injuries with in two days of each other, at the same time our WONDERFUL minor league prospect catcher got beaned and broke his jaw....and the Sox gave us Micheal...and he gets to play every day, and turns into something special....

sending some more good ju ju to San Fran, since I couldn't be there!

I believe.

Yes, damn it, you should be here! Oh, yes, I watched the entire game- I really am a baseball fanatic and even while losing, I'm thinking about what needs to happen during the next game.

Yes, Micheal is very special- have to agree. Wish we had him after Posey got hurt. Whiteside makes some awful mental errors while catching (although last night, he made some great defensive plays) and other than Stewart's arm, I don't see him as great catcher material.

Actually, Pittsburgh has some fantastic talent.

OK, I will admit that it did feel pretty good to see the Pirates break their 10 game losing streak- but damn, SF had just broken our 8 game losing streak!!! Both Colorado and Az lost, so we are OK. But, SF has got to get going offensively.

Greetings from Pittsburgh At Last....are you at the game? WE should be there

The very last thing I heard before I went to sleep last night was Bumgarner was pitching for the Giants. I had a sinking feeling. Woke up this morning, after dreaming about snow....only to here 15 seconds of baseball on the news, (i/e we've fallen off the radar, we lost again)
------

I arrive at work a few hours later, after i worked out and stuff.....and my Boss said to me "Oh, I thought you took today off to go to a Pirate game....what time is the game?" [me] 3:00p our time..........> right over her head. [her] Good!, you can help me draft this discovery until it's time to go. [me] Discovery? will that be before dark? [her] before Labor day I hope..... DAMN WORKAHOLIC!

As I am typing this, she just had a significant interruption, so I am keeping myself occupied and I tapped in on her smart phone to see we are winning 4 to 1. She has sports tap as an app on her phone! (mmm, thinking maybe I loaded that). I'm still in my bicycle to work clothes...no sense in changing, when she is writing Discovery, NO ONE see's me.....It's like theater. She always she didn't become an attorney to be an actress :vigil:
uugh, 4 to 2....you're clawing your way back.......
___

FINAL SCORE
 

Pirates take two out of three from the Giants 9 to 2....

i'm going home now.

UGH... SF stunk!! Lately, it is like watching a whole different team! Frankly, we were winning more when some of the guys that were hurt were out and replaced by rookies.

Now, Beltran is out. So is Burrell and Freddie.. and Posey...


I want a new batting coach.....

The Pirates played somr great ball during this series- I think they will take their conference and then some! Nice to see actually- been a long time for them. Andrew McCutchin is one ball player!

Ugh..... just ugh....

GO Giants!!!

Well, we are still loosing to the Brewers, and we need to be beating them. I think they've given up on the dream team....as I said we are getting 15 seconds of sports coverage. Also, the ball park is selling specials again to get fan's in......and they already announced an increase in ticket prices. But realistically, can you go to any major league game and sit in the cheap seats for $8.00, a little better for $10.00 and not too bad for $12.00?

I sit in club seats and they sell for $58.00.....but I don't pay $58.....huge discount to season ticket holders, but really.....isn't that extremely affordable and I don't care if we've been the worst team in baseball for 18 years.....(hell, parking can be $25.00) of course, we ride bicycles. FREE!

I always find August to be crazy in baseball. The post-trade struggles to jell together and the (hopefully) injured players getting back always seem to have August in a mess. Teams know that the race to the play-offs is on for real.

I am not seeing the teamwork right now in SF. Just a lot of trying to figure a way to merge talent to try and make-up for deficits. What is making me nuts are the veteran players taking pitches like rookies!

SF won yesterday and drove in 5 runs- whew! But, we shall see............ today they start a series in Atlanta.

I was watching a sports talk show and they have mathmatically decided it's impossible for us now, and we will loose 90 to 95 games again. I keep meaning to look this up and figure out if that was inflamatory. The Brew Crew swept us too.

I, for one, will be very happy to see those minor league players get back up here. That's how we were winning. They played with the same fire Micheal McHenry plays with each night. He snagged two again last night. One trying to steal second on him, The Second baseman was actually waiting on the runner, the ball was so precisely thrown, and another one was someone taking too big of a lead at first.

We have the WORST hitting in baseball. I know I talked about that earlier in the season. I don't know why this hitting coach still has his job. Where we were, and where we are. Wow. Just wow. The basement Bucs.

I'll keep going to the games and cheering them on. I can't help but think how dissapointing this is for the players.

They come home today (to rain)....hopefully its better than the last homestand.

I know, August tears me up!! SF lost yesterday to Atlanta in the bottom of the 9th after holding a great lead. Brian Wilson just blew it.

Geez, the BoSox were on a roll last month! Yellow's Pirates are also having the "August" whackos.... Yeah, the White Sox?

Craziness abounds!!

Hey, I have been wanting the SF batting coach outta' there for a long time. Our respective teams must be the worst in the league offensively. Makes me crazy!!! But, I am forever a Giants fan- had many more years of them losing than winning and stuck with them. Right now, I don't recognize them! They have had a couple of games with much better hitting, but my gut says.. UGH!!!

:pirate-steer:are in a three game series with the Cardnials, then the Reds then the brewers. We have to win them all. Thats who is ahead of us in the division. Ryan Doumit caught the game last night, Micheal Mchenry is a better catcher, but Ryan has that bat, and he's good on both sides of the dish. He went four for four with a go ahead home run. I've always liked him because he's a scrapper. He's been on the trading block for two years now, and I wish they'd just trade him and let him get on with his career. He'd do well in the AL as a DH.....there is some talk of converting him to a firstbaseman. So Derek Lee, who was hit by a pitch in the second game he played for us, it's finally been determined he has a broken wrist. UUUGH.

I'm like you At Last, I cheer for what ever is on the field. Three more week end home series.....6 more weeks of regular play. Fast season when you're having fun. We are currently 56-63.....well, we only won 56 games all last season....so that comment by the sportscaster was inflamatory. Someday I'll learn, they are not fans. There job is to have viewers.:hamactor:

Oh, yeah... love scrappers!!

Pirates beat the Cards again in extra innings. Garrett Jones hit a walk off home run into the river!... Garrett has a good bat but for some reason, they kept playing Overpaid instead of Jones. Now Atlast, I know you got a sneak peak of Andrew McCutchen....we know how talented he is here in the Burgh. Apparently this is what the sports writers in St louis wanted to talk about.....In the top of the 11th, 2 outs and a runner on first, Albert Pujols comes up to bat, Pirates had a slight pull to the right on Pujols, and Pujols hits it to left center. McCutchen being McCutchen, got on his horse and ran the ball down, just shagged it as if it was a routine catch, no dive and ran it in. Pujols slammed his batting helmet to the ground.It wasn't a pretty win, we left runners on base in 9th and 10th innings and struck out 10 times.....but we've taken two of three from the cards...Maybe a sweep tonight......Not many balls have been hit into the river....this is the Pirate parrott waving the jolly roger:pirate-steer:

Love this! Yes, A. McCutchen was thrilling to watch! Pure athleticism and smarts!

Th Giants lost another heartbreaker last night again to Atlanta. over half of our starting team is out on injuries1 Both the trade players, Keppinger & Baltran are hurt. Burrill, Nate the Great, F Sanchez are out, too. I think Sandovol broke his foot now, too. I haven't been able to take a look yet.

I think SF is out, way out of contention for even our conference now. Damn!

Phooey! The Sox are my American League team!! Hummm... I could go watch them against the A's..... I want to go to one more SF game, too.

August is so tense!!!

Where the heck is Hack? Want to know from a Detroit fan about the Tigers.

Do you have winter there? Neil walker tweeted it was 72 degrees before one of the games and it was almost 100 here, yet we are the same latitude......September can have some cold nights, not that we've been in any play offs for 20 years, October can mirror April.....You know cold enough to snow! Please, lets not rush it, I'm not ready to put the kayaks away yet. I still say the Bo sox and the Giants in the World series.....Philly is starting to cool down some (but have you checked out Atlanta??? )