Pirates
Since 2015, many things have happened: 4 elections, 4 presidents (3 people), 2 impeachments (same guy), a former president almost got assassinated (still the same dude), the world shut down, the pope died, wars have started, protests have happened, Tiger Woods won another major, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup twice, many trends have risen and fallen, the queen died, the Middle East is cooked, Mike Tomlin was replaced by Mike McCarthy, Andrew McCutchen left, came back, and then left again, Fortnite happened, 2 women have run for president, and a whole lot I probably forgot, and yet, since the year I gained consciousness, Pittsburgh Pirates fans haven’t experienced Buctober in almost 11 years.
Last year, The Pirates finished yet another mediocre season, going 71–91 and finishing last once again in the worst division in baseball, the NL Central. There weren’t many highlights this year, but I’ll go over a few. They fired manager Derek Shelton after a 12–26 start. They promoted bench coach and Butler/Mt. Lebanon native Don Kelly to manager. Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne carried the season, with Skenes starting the All-Star Game and finishing with a unanimous Cy Young win. They also traded Gold Glove third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes for a bag of chips, two Skittles, an apple, and a Primanti’s sandwich. Thanks, GM Ben Cherington.
Other than that, it was like any other year for the Buccos over the past decade. Fans and all people in baseball knew it had to change, so the front office decided to spend some money and try to improve the team, much to the dislike of Bob Nutting. What felt like a completely different Cherington, went out and got All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe, former All-Star DH Marcell Ozuna, former All-Star reliever Gregory Soto, and All-Star first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn. This is the first multi-year contract the Pirates have given a free agent since 2016. In fact, it was 10 years ago to the day that O’Hearn signed.
On paper, this team should be in the playoff race, but on the other hand, it’s the Pirates. Every year, when I get my hopes up, they let me down. The lineup is pretty good, but we’ll see how it shapes up during the long days of July and August.
The Pirates also have the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Konnor Griffin. The 6’3”, 225-pound shortstop from Mississippi is 19 years old, already married, and made his MLB debut at the home opener against the O’s. Jared Jones is also coming back from injury in May, and some reports suggest he might transition from a starter to a closer due to injuries to his elbow.
When this team is at full strength, it should be great to watch and be a fan of.
WBC
Before the MLB regular season, teams have spring training in either Florida or Arizona. However, every four years, countries come together to play in the World Baseball Classic. This year was one of those years, and Venezuela overcame the odds to win it all.
The U.S. lost two games in the WBC—Italy (who finished third) beat them 8–6 in pool play, and Venezuela defeated them 3–2 to take the title. A large majority of team Italy’s players are from the United States, while Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro is awaiting trial in New York after being prosecuted for war crimes. So, who really won this tournament?
Anyway, it was a rough tournament for the U.S. overall. Cal Raleigh, who hit 60 home runs last year, didn’t get a single hit all tournament. Aaron Judge, the MVP, struggled as well. The U.S. should have dominated, but they couldn’t put it together and lost to teams they should have beaten.
Manager Mark DeRosa could have changed the outcome if he hadn’t respected MLB teams’ wishes so much and instead focused on winning. He didn’t put in Mason Miller because his MLB team wanted him used only in a save situation. Since the game was tied in the 9th, it wasn’t a save opportunity, so they didn’t use him. Instead, the pitcher they used gave up the winning run, ending the American’s tournament.
If the WBC is any indication of how the MLB season will play out, it should be fun. Lesser-known players are making names for themselves, while stars struggle to deliver in big moments. This summer should be exciting. Go Bucs.
