Are You Having Fun Yet?

By Richard A. Mathews

If you have been living in a cave the past four months, you will not believe how your Battling Bucco’s are playing.

No matter the results in Philly this weekend, your Pirates will begin the month of August with more wins than losses.

DeJa Vu, 97 Maybe Not!

By Richard A. Mathews

It is way past time to wake up.

Dreams are great but 2011 can’t be a Freak Show repeat can it?

Okay, I’ll agree that Karstens, Maholm, Morton, Correia and McDonald are pitching a great deal as did Lieber, Schmidt, Cordova, Loiaza and Cook.
Sure, it has been fun to watch this rotation post a 2-run per game drop in era from last year but really can it continue.

Did anyone see Jeff – nobody wants me in the rotation – Karstens suddenly throwing shutouts putting together a staff low 2.66 era?

Please Don’t Wake Me Up – I’m Enjoying this Dream

By Richard A. Mathews

Please don’t wake me up, I’m enjoying this dream.

A Pittsburgh Pirate team whose starting pitchers are leaving the game in the sixth, seventh, eighth or even ninth inning handing the baseball off with a lead.

A Pittsburgh Pirate team whose relief pitchers are giving the club a chance to come back and holding off late games rallies.

A Pittsburgh Pirate team whose closer is 10 for 10 in save attempts.

Foreword: Admittedly, I was sentenced to Pirate Prison for my 2010 Preseason Article, but what the heck Once a Bucco Fan Always a Bucco Fan as such I present my:

Pirate Preview 2011

By Richard A. Mathews

So let’s get the Old Guy Jokes out of the way first, yes I am now an AARP card carrier, I earned it.

But let me ask you how many remember the last Pirate Team to post a record almost as bad as the Bucs were in 2010?

To me that team seems like it was only playing yesterday finishing the season at 64-98.

For as bad as the 1986 club was on April Fool’s Day 1987, the few Bucco fans willing to admit as much, were shocked when Tony Pena was traded to the Cards for three guys named Van Slyke, Lavailliere and Dunn.

By Richard A. Mathews

Contrary to common belief, I really do listen to the men and women who cover MLB for a living.

Contrary to common belief, I don't pretend to be the personal friend let alone peer of these individuals who have spent their lives either playing, coaching, scouting or covering the game.

Maybe just maybe Mr. Bob Walk might recognize me if we met on a busy street. While I have heard Mr. Walk speak at fund raisers and Pirate public events, Bob Walk doesn't know me any more than he knows any other Pirate fan.

But if you want to hear Mr. Walk's thoughts on this 2010 Pirate season shared with a common fan during our time spent together on a snowy Saturday while our wives shopped, please consider reading on.

By Richard A. Mathews

Many brilliant message board posters contended, you cannot compare the 1997 Bucs Freak Show offense to the Bucs 2010 lineup.

Perhaps you are correct.

The cast of rookies, second year players and castoffs which Cam Bonifay put together in 1997 out scored what makes up the what will be largely a second audition by the 2009 club to prove they are true MLB worthy competitors by 89 runs.

The 1997 Freak Show offense scored 725 runs while our 2009 Bucco offense scored only a National League dead last total of 636.

For those Pirate fans who knew the 1997 Freak Show offense would out perform all expectations, you are welcome to right off the 2010 season.

For those who believe 2010 could be the Year of the Pirates Freak Show De Ja Vu, I hope you will read on.

By Richard A. Mathews

Nothing beats debating Pirates baseball with you the best Bucco fans in America.

After having been excellently challenged over my contention, the Bucs might surprise the experts as much in 2010 as they did in 1997, I wrote the 3-part follow up series to my front page story, De Ja Vu – Will 2010 be the Year of the Pirates.

Part One today deals briefly with how the 2010 club stacks up against the pitching staff of the 1997 club with Message Board emphasis of how this year’s club will be able to compete against the NL Central.

Part Two will look at how the 2010 Bucco bats compare against the 1997 squad and again how they will stack up in the N.L. Central.

As for Part Three, well, by then the Message Board will have probably have raised so many new questions I’ll use it as my last word.

Enjoy the read.

By Richard A. Mathews

Time Magazine called the 2000’s the Decade from Hell. While I hope Time’s assessment of the prior decade was not factual in your personal lives, as Pirate fans it might not be much of a stretch to agree with one of this country’s older magazines.

Like many, a New Year and a New Decade caused an attempt at removing the old baggage sitting around that the “Boss” somehow doesn’t understand is really good stuff to keep. Having turned 50, I really probably keep a little too much stuff and what the heck, you got to live with your wife anyway. So into my files I went throwing out what didn’t need kept but all too often stopping to read many of the thousands of articles I once wrote on our Pittsburgh Pirates.

I thought you might enjoy the following excerpts from a 1997 piece I wrote and how the 2010 Bucs rate against the original Freak Show.


“Can Cam,” remains the cry from crushed Pirate fans who will need to buy a program just to have a clue who is on the field in 1997.

Every sensible national baseball review of the Bucs chances in 1997 predict a 100+ loss season.

But then whoever said I had any common sense.

By Richard A. Mathews

In the after-glow of Bucco Ownership’s declaration, “I think we’ve proven we have the best management team in MLB,” this fan is left wondering,

“How stupid does Mr. Nothing think the Pirate Nation really is?”

Maybe Bob thinks Bucco fan were so thrilled with three nights of Sky Blast combined with the signing of Pedro that he really believes none of us can add or even subtract.

It doesn’t take much research to understand even $10,000,000 spent signing 2008 draft picks with that total to be paid basically over three years excluding bonus money and or college tuition perks, represent basically what the team threw away on the Matt Morris contract this year alone.

By Richard A. Mathews

While calmer viewpoints have been exhibited throughout the Pirate Nation among multiple Message Boards, the number of e-mails I received requesting my out of touch view on the recent trade moving Nady and Marte to the Yankees for four prospects carried the tone of those who might wish to consider the following as evidence only time will tell if this transaction becomes a long-term benefit to the team;

“Was anybody excited to see Giles moved for three guys named Perez, Bay and Stewart?”