Don't Stop Believing Pirates Fans

Is this really happening? The Pirates are three games over .500? The Buccos are flying solo in second place? They're one and a half games behind the Albert Pujols-less Cardinals? This is early July? Somebody pinch- no, punch me! Hell, hit me with a damn dropkick off the top rope!

This is exciting, oh. . . wait. I've seen this movie before. The Pirates flirt with a winning season & tank towards the end. Not just tank, rather they explode into a fine dust of what used to be a baseball team. They're just waiting later than May to do so this year. Right? Wrong. I've been a Pirates fan for most of my life, and 2011 feels vastly different. These guys are playing the best baseball the three rivers has seen in nearly a decade. And here's why:

The Bullpen: The Pirates, even when they sucked, have always had a pretty stout bullpen. Getting no run support and no quality starting pitching will force a team to work hard on making a good relief core. This year, the Pirates bullpen is as mighty as Thor. Guys like Daniel McCutchen, Chris Resop, Jose Veras, & newcomer Tony Watson are money. Especially Veras, whose K/IP ratio makes me drool. Think about the upgrade they'll download when Evan Meek returns.

Replacing Injured Players: There are currently ten Pirates placed on either the 15-day or 60-day disabled. Contributing players like Pedro Alvarez, Ryan Doumit, Ronny Cedeno, Jose Tabata, and the before-mentioned Meek are licking their wounds or being taped up like a mummy in the dugout (Tabata. . . hilarious!).

Certainly the team misses these guys, but they're not feeling the pain. The production the Pirates are getting with replacement players is envied by the entire league. Chase d'Arnaud, Brandon Wood, & call-up Alex Presley have admirably filled the gaps. No position as suffered the most lost than catcher, but every new backstop we use plays well.

Infield Defense: That's right, I said defense. Pirates fans are used to having only one standout defensive player posed in the dirt (Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez), but not anymore. Gold Glove candidate Neil Walker at second base is accompanied by strong shortstop play by Cedeno to make a potent double-play threat. Wood & d'Arnaud split time at third base, but are equal in ability. Garrett Jones as been a surprise manning first base & will challenge Overbay for the everyday spot there.

Road Warriors: The Pirates have twenty-four victories away from majestic PNC Park. What? Come again. The biggest Achilles heal to any Pirates team in the last eighteen years has been road play. The team's winningturnaround relies on the ability to win while staying at Motel 6s & DaysInns. Kevin Correia leads the majors with nine wins while pitching from a mound not located in Pittsburgh and the offense averages 4.2 runs a game on foreign soil. This trend has to continue for the Pirates to be successful. This one worries me the most.

Clint Hurdle: What kindness has not been said about Clint Hurdle this year? The man is more popular than Wiz Khalifa was in February. Unlike McClendon, Tracy, & Russell (all inept), Hurdle talks to his guys and makes them better players. When the camera goes to the dugout, odds are you'll see Hurdle's arm around a guy, giving him advice. He's played professional baseball & managed a team to the World Series. I was spectacle of his hiring at first, but Clint's made me eat my words. He gives the Pirates the best chance to win.

The 1979 World Champion Pirates had a theme sound and, if you are worth a grain of salt as a sports fan, you know it was Sister Sledge's 'We Are Family'. Pittsburgh, I recommend we give the 2011 Pirates their own immortal theme song. If I may, I'd suggest Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing'. Cliche, yes, but its the mind-set we fans need to adopt.Something special is happening.




Written by, Andrew Brown