Those of you who know me, know I have one major flaw to my otherwise normal personal character….I am a diehard Pirates fan. Typically, after hearing that for the first time, most people throw in some kind of jab like, “Baseball’s so boring…” or, “The Pirates suck!” or (my personal favorite), “The ownership is making a bundle on the mindless sheep like you who continue to go to Pirate games season after season.”
My purpose with this post is not to change the minds of all you who agree with these statements, my purpose with this post is simply to celebrate the fact that tomorrow marks the beginning of yet another season to one of the greatest American past games ever created! I love baseball, more specifically, I love Pirates baseball. Yes, I know the Buccos have suffered through 18 losing seasons. Yes, I know there are sometimes more questions than answers when they make some managerial decisions. Yes, I know baseball is not as action-packed as say football or hockey. However, even with all that stated, there are so many reasons to be excited for the dawn of a new season. Here are my top five in ascending order.
5. It’s a fresh start! Very few sports teams have ended a season as poorly as the Pirates finished last season. Starting Friday, last season is long gone and every team can start anew. Even though it’s gone, the players surely haven’t forgotten last season and I expect Hurdle will push this club to learn from past mistakes and the value of fundamentals.
4. Everyone loves an underdog story. Every April a good friend of mine and I head to PNC Park for Opening Day with a hope within us that this is the year that we’ll remember our entire lives. Sure we’ve been let down in numerous ways over the years, but how much more amazing will that victory feel once it finally happens.
3. This young core group of players WILL be the stars of baseball in the very near future. The likes of Jose Tabata, Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen, and Neil Walker will, unless they suffer an unforeseen injury or problem, be names we tell our kids and grandkids about someday. The past season or two have been quite exciting for these young players and this season will most likely be a breakout year for them and others.
2. Clint Hurdle, the new skipper, will bring some much needed passion and fire to this organization. I like John Russell. He’s a good coach and overall great man, but he wasn’t the right person to push this young squad to their greatest potential. Hurdle on the other hand has proven his capabilities as a manager, coach, and leader. He’s been to the Series in the past and has the necessary drive to bring the pennant to Pittsburgh once again.
1. There’s simply nothing better than spring/summer day at the ballpark! The sights, sounds, smells, and overall surrounding of the park is like a sanctuary to me. I find such relaxation watching a ball game, chowing down on a hot dog or pretzel, and sipping on a ridiculously overpriced beer. The crack of the bat, the art of the perfect pitch, and the rhythm of a well tuned team is like poetry to mind. Win or lose, even if the Pirates crash and burn to a worse season than last year, I will enjoy every game of the 2011 season. The dawn of the Pirates season is about 12 hours away from the time of writing this post and I couldn’t be more excited.
