On the Wagon, Off the Wagon

The Buccos were swept by the Phillies this weekend in a three-game series. When we lost a series to St. Louis last weekend, 2-1, people began to fall over the sides of the bandwagon by the end of Saturday night, only to be welcomed back with the win on Sunday.

Understandably, Buccos fans are a bit frustrated after what can only be described as two decades of torture for baseball fans in the greater Pittsburgh region. Our pitching this year has been superb and is the main reason tha the Pirates have performed so well. With Jeff Karstens, Kevin Correia, Paul Maholm, Tony Watson and Joel Hanrahan, among others, on the mound, the team hasn’t had to be overly dependent on offensive prowess from our other position players.

However, we are severely lacking in big hitters despite the production of Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and rookie sensations Alex Presley and Michael McKenry. Cutch’s batting has lagged since the All-Star Break. He is currently batting about .247 with 15 homeruns on the season, but this is hardly enough when our current biggest batter was Presley at .333 before going on the 15-day disabled list with a left thumb contusion.

The trade deadline was Sunday at 4 p.m. As we drew closer and closer to the deadline, Pirates fans like myself were completely on edge. Let’s face it: Lyle Overbay was No. 1 on our hit list. On a team that desperately needs big production at the plate and running the bases, Overbay’s performance has been a complete disaster. There is nothing worse than watching a guy at bat who hasn’t had a hit in so long that he needs a GPS to find his way around the bases. (And of course, on the last trade day, he parks one in Philadelphia. I swear he planned that.)

The biggest issue I have as a reformed Pirates fan is my faith in ownership and management to do the right thing when it comes to the acquisition and departure of talent. I have to say, I am stunned that one of our stars hasn’t been deleted from the roster in exchange for some guy barely ready to come out of AAA. We have been rebuilding for over a decade, but we cannot keep tearing the whole place down to start from scratch year after a painful year.

Most people sat around with fingers crossed as rumors flew around that the Pirates might acquire Hunter Pence and/or Carlos Beltran, but we drew closer and closer to the deadline with only grabbing up relief pitcher Jason Grilli from the Philadelphia system. Finally, on Saturday, Pirates fans were excited to have a first baseman when we grabbed up Derrek Lee from Baltimore. Overbay-problem solved, as Lee is batting .246 to Lyle’s .227. Pretty much right at the deadline, the Pirates announced that outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the Padres will be wearing black and gold, as well.

The best news here is that now the Pirates have a problem similar to the Pens’: depth. Not a bad issue to have, all things considered. When Ryan Doumit, Jose Tabata, Presley and others begin to roll back into the lineup, the Pirates are in a position where they need to decide which of their best players will to sit. Presley and McKenry have contributed both offensively and defensively in a far greater capacity than many of our veterans.

The three losses to Philly were rough, but today, the Buccos showed signs of life. Stay on the bandwagon. You won’t forgive yourself if you miss this ending.