So now that Spring Training has started...

[81omar]

....how many people have renewed their hatred of the hated Lancers from Manatee Community College or do you hate them so much that you try to put them out of your mind and right now youre mad at me for starting this topic a whole 12 days before we crush them? My cousins girlfriend visits family every year in Bradenton and I always ask her to go past the school and shake her fist at it for me,but shes a small girl so I dont think the anger really comes across go enough....one day i will make it to spring training in time for the annual crushing of the hated Lancers and I will shake my own fist at the school before the game and then point and laugh afterwards.

   If you go to their website,first make sure theres no small children around that will hear the cursing or that could get injured by the fists of hatred,then go to their schedule. Right after Pittsburgh Pirates it says (EXH) which i can only assume means "extra hatred"....theyve obviously fired the first shot.   

[MaineBucs]

With the state of the team, maybe the hated Lancers actually have a chance at winning.

Better go with Gorzeleany, Snell and Capps right up front and play the regulars to provide the best chance of getting the season off on a good start.

[Jimbo21]

I actually like Manatees... can't we just beat them and then thank them for not winning? Seems like they have taken us to the mat in the past, so I don't want to rile them up any...

[81omar]

  Have they got to you already Jimbo? I think youre so filled with hatred towards them like every good Pirates fan should be that youve surpassed the highest level of hatred and now youre back at the beginning,just content to beat them no matter what the score and if they win oh well,its just an exhibition....I think its time for an intervention Jimbo,meet me in the secret moderator lair

[TBird]

I think the Squirrels from the Message Boards past has corrupted poor Jimbo's mind already..

Boid

[Jimbo21]

Let's just say that I will be breathing a sigh of relief when that game is behind us.

I played college ball at a (then) NAIA school in Oklahoma. Early every year, Oklahoma University would play us a double header at their place, giving them some wins to fatten their record and some real action for their players to get in some work. Not unlike the Pirates/Manatee set up.

Only problem was, for 3 straight springs we split or swept that little tune-up... finally causing them to reconsider scheduling us. I remember in '72 or '73, not sure, we split with a team that went on to finish 3rd in the college world series. They had less than a handful of losses, and one of them was to us!

Manatee must be licking their chops...

[81omar]

   ITS ON!!!!

  I woke up this morning already with a fist made and went over to my calendar and punched right on todays date where it says "Lancers are going down!". Im going to work soon and i have my "I root for 2 team,the Pirates and whoever is playing the hated Manatee Community College Lancers" shirt on.

  BTW,the pitchers for today are Herrera for 2 innings followed by everyones favorite minor leaguer Daniel "quick route to the majors" Moskos,Belisario,Marino Salas who they got in the Torres trade,Sharpless,Davidson,Bayliss,and Brian Rogers. I predict Pirates will win 12-3 with Herrera giving up 1 run and Moskos 2

[magnumo]

Strange as it may seem, I believe today's game will be an important test for the pitchers selected to participate..... in the sense that all are likely to be early cuts. 

None of those guys (Herrera, Moskos, Belisario, Salas, Sharpless, Davidson, Bayliss, and Rogers) has much of a chance to make the team anyway.  It appears they're in a "no win" situation.  Any pitcher who looks bad against this kind of competition will likely be sent to minor league camp as soon as it opens.  On the other hand, if a pitcher looks sharp, it's not likely to gain him many points.