Now that the Stanley Cup finals are in the books and Steelers training camp is still more than a month away the Pirates are the only Pittsburgh sports team to pay attention to. And hey look at that, things aren't too bad. Right now they sit four games out of first place, and three games away from the blessed .500 mark. While everyone is still moaning about the McLouth trade, the Pirates have swept the Mets, lost a series to Houston, split a series with the Braves and took two out of three from Detroit. Next up, a trip to the Minnesota to play a three-game series with the Twins. The Twins are second in the AL Central but are two game below .500. Follow that up with a trip to play the red-hot Rockies. They won their 11th in a row today, but it was against Seattle so that may get an asterisk. My point is, things aren't so bad despite what you might read in the PG's special sports mailbag. Here's my favorite.
"My 9-year-old son plays baseball and just recently began following the Pirates. He loves them and gets up an hour early every day to watch SportsCenter to see what has happened with the Pirates. This morning, he asked me, "Mom, why would the Pirates trade Nate McLouth?" I could not answer. Mr. Nutting, could you please answer my son?"
Well, ma'am. I'll explain it for him. Anytime you can get three players for a guy who hits .250 you do it. Even though the cranky guy on the radio says the three guys stink. Because you never know. Besides baseball players are here one day and gone the next. I'll hook you up with a 9-year-old Rangers fan who loved Mark Texiera. He was traded to the Braves, then to the Angels, then cashed in big with the Yanks. It happens. This isn't 1958, guys get traded and sign with new teams all the time. Sometimes you think the deal stinks. If you don't like it, direct your anger towards a dead guy named Curt Flood. And son, you should be commended for sitting through SportsCenter to see 20 seconds of Pirates highlights after the "Who's More Now" segment.
"My 9-year-old son plays baseball and just recently began following the Pirates. He loves them and gets up an hour early every day to watch SportsCenter to see what has happened with the Pirates. This morning, he asked me, "Mom, why would the Pirates trade Nate McLouth?" I could not answer. Mr. Nutting, could you please answer my son?"
Well, ma'am. I'll explain it for him. Anytime you can get three players for a guy who hits .250 you do it. Even though the cranky guy on the radio says the three guys stink. Because you never know. Besides baseball players are here one day and gone the next. I'll hook you up with a 9-year-old Rangers fan who loved Mark Texiera. He was traded to the Braves, then to the Angels, then cashed in big with the Yanks. It happens. This isn't 1958, guys get traded and sign with new teams all the time. Sometimes you think the deal stinks. If you don't like it, direct your anger towards a dead guy named Curt Flood. And son, you should be commended for sitting through SportsCenter to see 20 seconds of Pirates highlights after the "Who's More Now" segment.
Curt Flood lost his case in the US Supreme Court, so you can't blame him for free agency. Look up "Seitz decision" on wikipedia to see how it really went down.
ReplyDeleteI was at the game yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty nice not having that jackass between inning guy talking.
It was really nice not having the stupid ass trivia, hot dog launch, pierogie race, player music intros, etc.
It was just pure baseball.
The only thing the announcer did was announce the batter as they came to the plate, with no music or anything.
There was a quiet hum all game from just 25K plus people talking.
roxtar,
ReplyDeleteRosa Parks didn't end segregation either, but she gets credit for getting the ball rolling. Same deal with Curt Flood.