Kuzul

Pittsburgh Pirate fans are sick of hearing about Francisco Cabrera. They are tired of being reminded that their team has not put a winning product on the field since Sid Bream slid past Mike LaValliere’s tag to end the 1992 National League Championship Series. And they do not need to be reminded of the awful trades and blown draft picks that led to decades of futility.

Pirate fans can look up and see Kyle Drabek and Scott Van Slyke in the major leagues. The children of the 1992 Pirates made the majors before they could put a winning product on the field.

That can all end this year. A culmination of good picks, a smart trade or two and the emergence of the team’s first legitimate superstar since Barry Bonds might put a winner in PNC Park for the first time.

Last night, the Pirates trailed the Cardinals early and then stormed back for an impressive 14-5 win against the defending World Champs. They did it with the long ball. They did it with four runs batted in from Pedro Alvarez. And, of course, they did it with another offensive outburst from the amazing Andrew McCutchen.

This win was significant for a specific reason: It was win No. 41. They are officially halfway to 82 wins, which has been the Everest the team could not scale since 1992.

The Pirates are a mere game out of first place and are on pace to win 87 games. And they have recently raised their run differential to plus-3 after being in the negative column for much of the year.

They have 86 games to win 41 more games. In other words, they need only go 41-45 to forever put the last two decades in their rear-view mirror.

Now, of course, they were in a similar situation last year. In 2011, as with this year, the Pirates entered July with a winning record. And for a few days in late July, they were in first place by themselves. But a disastrous August started them on a 21-46 finish to the season and another 90-loss campaign.

But this team feels different. The Pirates suddenly contending was a shock to the 2011 club. They were sub-.500 heading into June and then slumped at the end of July.

The 2012 team has been more consistent and so far seems to have learned from what happened last year. There is a swagger on the team led by McCutchen‘s MVP-caliber performance.

And do not discount the arrival of a relaxed A.J. Burnett. Remember, before Burnett’s subpar 2010 and 2011 campaigns in the Bronx, he was credited with relaxing a very tense clubhouse and being a positive figure. Maybe that influence is benefiting the Pirates.

Either way, a great relief might soon be felt in Pittsburgh. They are halfway there already with more than half the season left to play.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

2012 has been filled with interesting storylines for the Pittsburgh Pirates. There has been the emergence of James McDonald, the resurgence of A.J. Burnett and the power display of Pedro Alvarez.

Oh, and Andrew McCutchen‘s MVP-caliber season.

Over the next few slides, I will display how Andrew McCutchen compares to the other NL MVP candidates as he tries to become the Pirates’ first MVP since Barry Bonds.

Begin Slideshow

Pirates Prospects became the first major media outlet to update its top prospect rankings, reflecting both early-season performance and the results of this week’s entry draft. My take on key developments on the farm over the first two months of the season is below.

Huntington Holds a Set of Aces

Since taking over as general manager of the Pirates, Neal Huntington has focused on acquiring high-ceiling pitching talent through the draft. The Pirates’ selection of Stanford pitcher Mark Appel with the No. 8 pick in this week’s draft is a continuation of that philosophy.

If he signs, Appel will have elite pitching prospects Gerrit Cole (2011 No. 1 overall selection) and Jameson Taillon (2010 No. 2 overall selection) to form perhaps the best pitching trio in the minor leagues.

Appel is considered a cut below Cole and Taillon, viewed more as a likely No. 2 starter than a true ace, but given that the Pirates have two pitchers with pure ace ceilings in the system already (and potentially a third in Luis Heredia), a solid No. 2 starter would be a luxury. It is no surprise that Pirates Prospects ranks all three pitchers as tier-one prospects and as the top three prospects in the organization.

The Bucs Continue to Build Pitching Depth

In addition to the Pirates’ five everyday starters, injured Jeff Karstens and spot starter Brad Lincoln, the Pirates have further starting pitching depth in the form of Jeff Locke and Rudy Owens, who are both off to strong starts in Triple-A this year.

It is interesting that Pirates fans have focused more on Owens than Locke this year. While Owens sports the flashy 2.35 ERA, Locke’s peripherals have been far superior, as he owns a strikeout rate of over 20 percent and an FIP almost a full run better than that of Owens. In fact, Locke’s 3.00 FIP is best in the International League among qualified pitchers. Pirates Prospects ranks both pitchers in its third tier and slots Owens one spot ahead of Locke, at No. 8.

If the rotation holds up (which it should) and the Pirates look to upgrade their offense (and they should), Locke and Owens would be potential trade chips. Given the hype surrounding Owens’ start to 2012 compared to Locke’s superior performance and strikeout potential, the Bucs would be wise to offer Owens to potential suitors first.

The Search for High-Ceiling Hitting Prospects Continues

While the Pirates have acquired a stable of potential future aces, their collection of potential All-Star hitters remains slim. Aside from Starling Marte, an injured Josh Bell, a currently breaking-out Alen Hanson and a potentially breaking-out Gregory Polanco, the Pirates do not have many hitters in the system who scream “top-of-the-order bat.”

But there is some good news on the hitting front. Marte, the only hitter to rank in Pirates Prospects‘ top tier and the No. 4 prospect in the organization, remains a fascinating talent who will likely be in Pittsburgh by September. Furthermore, Hanson may be the biggest breakout story not just in the Pirates’ organization, but also in all of baseball this year.

The Bucs are also starting to build some sorely needed hitting depth, with the addition of draftees such as Wyatt Mathisen, Barrett Barnes (both ranked in Pirates Prospects‘ top 20) and Brandon Thomas to the Robbie Grossmans and Alex Dickersons of the world.

Yet despite this growth, the Pirates are still lacking in exciting hitting prospects. Spending first-round picks on potential aces for three years in a row can have that effect, though it is not an excuse. Josh Bell’s return from injury is much anticipated.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s been 20 long years since the Pittsburgh Pirates have finished a regular season with a winning percentage of over .500. However, after the first 51 games in the 2012 regular season, the Pirates are one game over that magical number with a record of 26-25.

Could this be the year that Pirates fans have been dreaming of, the year that a once proud franchise finally finishes with a winning season? 

On the latest episode of the “T.J. McAloon and the Sports Half Hour,” my guest and I talked about this year’s team, and if they have what it takes to erase 20 years of bad teams, players, coaches, front office staff and memories. 

Last year, Pirates fans thought their nightmare of horrible baseball was going to come to an end. The team was in first place in late July, they were buyers at the trade deadline and they were playing great baseball. 

But then, in the early hours at Turner Field on July 26th, home plate umpire Jerry Meals made one bad call that tanked the 2011 Pirates season. 

The end result of what was a promising season was another season where the team finished with a sub-.500 record of 72-90. 

Now as the baseball season enters its third month, these Pirates have the pitching that can not only carry the team to a winning record, but a division title. The pitching staff ranks second in the National League with an ERA of 3.21. 

The staff is led by offseason acquisition A.J. Burnett. His presence has helped this Pirates team to lead the NL Central in: ERA, earned runs, saves and batting average. Plus, Burnett has had a dominating presence over young pitcher James McDonald. 

Before this season, McDonald was a good pitcher but he didn’t have “Ace” type material. However, since Burnett joined the Pirates, McDonald is now the third-best pitcher in the National League with a 2.20 ERA.

He may be third in the National League in ERA, but he leads the NL Central in that category plus WHIP with a low 0.96. 

However, with the Pirates’ great pitching staff, they lack hitting. If this team can find any hitting to support Andrew McCutchen they will have a great chance to finish the season with a winning record and contend with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds for the division title. 

So with the team having a great pitching staff, but terrible hitting, the question is: Can this Pirates team somehow find some hitting to match the pitching staff to give this fan base a winning baseball team in September and October?

For more and instant downloaded episodes, click this link and then subscribe on the iTunes page.

Follow @tjmcaloon

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Pittsburgh Pirates started 2012 with a record of 3-7. This does not reflect the progress they have made in one important department of the game. It does, unfortunately, speak to the lack of progress made in the other major department.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Pirates were the first team since the 1988 Rangers NOT to have scored or allowed more than five runs in any of their first ten games. Their tally of runs allowed is near the bottom of Major League Baseball. But they were also DEAD last in runs scored.

Pittsburgh had five quality starts in those first ten games. That’s not a superlative total, but it’s better than what the Bucs have been used to.

More to the point, the five non-quality starts featured at least FIVE innings with no more than three runs, which is to say that they were all “near misses,” or what I call “quasi quality starts.” With this level of pitching, some other team might be 7-3 instead of 3-7.

The Pirates’ problem still lies with their hitting. Andy McCutchen, remains, well, Andy McCutchen. But most of the rest of the team is far behind him.

The main competitor to McCutchen in the batting sweepstakes, after ten games, is Michael McKenry, a backup catcher whose on base percentage actually exceeds McCutchen’s. Alex Presley and Casey McGhee are also hitting well (although their on base percentages are below league average because they don’t walk much).

Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, Matt Hague, Josh Harrison, Clint Barnes, Rod Barajas and Nate McLouth are ALL below the Mendoza line, with Garrett Jones barely above it. With the notable  exception of McLouth, none of these batters make up for it by walking more than the league average. 

It’s sad but true that pitchers such as Erik Bedard, Kevin Correia and James McDonald have been at least as productive offensively (so far) than  these position players.

Pirate batting has always been near the bottom of the league since the mid-summer 2008 trades of Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, followed by the 2009 exchanges of then-stars Nate McLouth and Nyjer Morgan, in most cases, to get pitchers (Craig Hanson, Bryan Morris, Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf, Dan McCutchen, Charlie Morton, Gorkys Hernandez and Joel Hanrahan).

This pro-pitching bias also reflects in recent drafts. Admittedly, the Pirates got outfielder Josh Bell along with Gerrit Cole in the first two rounds (the ones most likely to be meaningful) of the 2011 draft.

But they drafted hurlers Jameson Taillion and Stetson Allie with their 2010 picks, two pitchers (counting a compensation pick) along with catcher Tony Sanchez in 2009, Tanner Schepper (who didn’t sign) and the lackluster Pedro Alvarez in 2008, Dan Moskos and another pitcher in 2007 and Brad Lincoln and another pitcher in 2006.

Pitching is genuinely important, and the Pirates have worked hard to solve this problem, signing veterans Erik Bedard and AJ Burnett in 2012 (plus Kevin Correia, last year). But in so doing, they have neglected their hitting. With only one of the two elements working for them, the Bucs will struggle to even hit the .500 mark.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The 20,000 fans in attendance at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh 57 years ago today likely didn’t know how much baseball history they would be witness to.

During the first game of a double-header against the Brooklyn Dodgers, right fielder Roberto Clemente took the field for the first time, kicking off a storied career that he spent entirely in a Pirates uniform.

That career was tragically cut short, however, when Clemente was killed on New Year’s Eve 1972 during a flight to deliver aid packages from his native Puerto Rico to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua.

In honor of Clemente’s professional debut, here are 21 facts about his life and baseball legacy that you might not have known: 

1. Roberto Clemente Walker was the youngest of seven children born to Don Melchor Clemente and Luisa Walker. He was born on Aug. 18, 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico—the same town boxers Esteban De Jesus and Alfredo Escalera called home.

2. Clemente rode the bench during his first year as a teenager with the Santurce Cangrejeros (“Crabbers”) in the Puerto Rico Baseball League. By the next year, he was a starter and the team’s leadoff hitter.

3. The Brooklyn Dodgers signed Clemente in 1952 to its Triple-A team in Montreal with a $10,000 bonus, but he was used as a bench player. An MLB rule stated that any player given a bonus of more than $4,000 had to be on a major league roster for his entire first season or be eligible for the annual rookie draft, and the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him first overall in 1954.

4. During his first professional game (ironically against the Dodgers), Clemente went 1-for-4 and scored a run. He hit 2-for-4 with a double and a run in the second game, but the Bucs lost both games by scores of 10-3 and 3-2, respectively.

5. Pirates center fielder Earl Smith wore No. 21 until he parted ways with the team in April 1955. Clemente wore No. 13 until then. 

6. He was in a car accident during his rookie season and missed several games due to a lower back injury. Clemente played in 124 games and finished the season with a .255 average.

7. On July 25, 1956, he became the only player ever to hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam. He did it in a 9-8 win over the Cubs at Forbes field.

8. Clemente enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve after the 1958 season and spent six months on active duty at Parris Island, South Carolina and Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. He served until 1964 and was inducted into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

9. Although many media organizations and the Topps baseball card company often referred to him as “Bob,” Clemente adamantly rejected those names and repeatedly insisted he be called Roberto.

10. Except for 1968, Clemente batted over .300 and was named to the National League All-Star team each year during the 1960s. 

11. Clemente won a Gold Glove award every year from 1961 until his final season in 1972. He shares the record for most Gold Glove Awards by outfielders (12) with Willie Mays.

12. Clemente was the first Hispanic player to accomplish many feats in the majors. He was the first to win a World Series as a starter, be named league MVP, be named World Series MVP and be elected to the Hall of Fame.

13. Clemente finished his career with exactly 3,000 hits. His final one was a double off Jon Matlack of the New York Mets on Sept. 30, 1972.

14. Nearly as well-known for his humanitarian efforts as his baseball career, Clemente sent shipments of aid to Nicaragua after an earthquake ravaged the country in late 1972. Clemente decided to accompany the packages when he learned that three previous shipments had been diverted by corrupt Somoza government officials.

15. The four-engine DC-7 plane he chartered for a flight on New Year’s Eve reportedly had a history of mechanical problems and was overloaded by 4,200 pounds. The plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean immediately after takeoff from the coast of Isla Verde. Four others were killed.

16. Clemente’s teammate Manny Sanguillen was the only Pirate not to attend the memorial service. That’s because he instead traveled to Puerto Rico to dive into the waters where the plane crashed in an effort to recover Clemente’s body—which was never found.

17. At the time of his death, Clemente and Bill Mazeroski were the only remaining Pirates from the 1960 World Champion team.

18. Clemente was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 1973. It’s one of many honors bestowed on the outfielder for his humanitarian efforts following his death.

19. Clemente was the first and only Hall of Fame member for whom the mandatory five-year waiting period was waived. He was elected posthumously in 1973.

20. His plaque at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, read “Roberto Walker Clemente”—incorrectly placing his mother’s maiden name before his father’s surname until 2000, when it was recast to express his name in the proper Hispanic format.

21. When Pittsburgh’s PNC Park was being built, there were talks of naming it after Clemente. But the naming rights went to local PNC Financial Services and the nearby Sixth Street Bridge leading to the stadium was named after him instead. The right field wall at PNC Park is 21-feet high in honor of Clemente’s normal fielding position and uniform number.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Last season was a disappointing one for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Top prospect Pedro Alvarez fell apart.  Injuries knocked out key players, forcing the Pirates to dig deep into the minor leagues for replacements.  Overall, Pittsburgh scored fewer runs than nearly any team in the MLB.

A new calendar year grants the Buccos an opportunity to start fresh.  

Begin Slideshow

Opening Day is near and the Pittsburgh Pirates are finally making some moves to put a winning team on the field.

I was born in Pittsburgh in November of 1991. I was technically alive (though probably not conscious) when the Pirates finished the 1992 season with 96 wins and 66 losses and lost to the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series.

Since then, the Pirates have failed to win more games than they lost every season. My 17-year-old sister has never been alive for a winning season for the Pirates.

With one of the nicest ballparks in MLB, the Pirates still attract thousands of fans to home games despite poor performance on the field. Poor ownership, management and team chemistry have led to the longest winning season drought in ANY major professional league.

However, this year, the Pirates might finally hit the .500 mark. It is 2012 after all. 

Maybe this was part of the Mayans prediction.

The pitching is…not terrible. Kevin Correia was selected as an All-Star last year along with closer Joel Hanrahan.  The Pirates actually made a big splash in the offseason for the first time in a long time by acquiring A.J. Burnett, a starting pitcher in the 2009 World Series Champion New York Yankees‘ starting rotation. He is expected to be the team’s ace once he returns from an injury to his eye.

The Buccos showed a lot of potential last year. 

At the end of July, they were in first place in the NL Central and showing they could win. The season started to fall apart (as usual) after a blown call led to a Pirates’ loss to the Braves in a 19-inning game.

The Pirates are fairly young and still developing. 

Outfielders Andrew McCutchen (25), Jose Tabata (23), and Alex Presley (26), third basemen Pedro Alvarez (25), second baseman Neil Walker (26) are emerging as leaders for the Pirates and have a drive to win.

Lastly, the NL Central is a weak division. 

Albert Puljos no longer powers the Cardinals and Prince Fielder left Milwaukee—both of the NL Central’s playoff representatives in last year’s postseason. Both St. Louis and Milwaukee are still great teams, but maybe not quite as good as last season. 

A few wins here and there against the division leaders, and the Pirates might be able to pull off a winning record.

Picking the Pirates as a playoff contender is a stretch, but an above .500 season is not. 

There are 162 games in an MLB season, and for the first time in almost 20 years, the Pirates have a chance to contend (contend being the key word) for a playoff slot and finally end the depressing days for Pirates’ fans.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Pittsburgh Pirates offseason addition A.J. Burnett re-joined the team Saturday for spring training in Bradenton, Florida just a little over a week after surgery, according to the Associated Press. 

He made 50 throws in the bullpen and rode an exercise bike after getting the official okay to resume workouts.

“The first few (throws) were a little hairy, I’m not going to lie,” Burnett told AP. “But it went fine. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I’m glad to be back down here with the guys.”

The former New York Yankee went under the knife eight days ago to repair a fractured orbital bone around his right eye that the starting pitcher sustained during a now-infamous bunting drill on February 29.

Although it’s a positive sign, Burnett is still expected to miss two to three months. If he had opted not to have surgery, doctors told him he would be at risk of developing double-vision down the road.

“For what I do, my eyesight is pretty important, so why take a chance of it not healing the right way?,” said Burnett. “They could’ve let it heal, but there’s a chance it wouldn’t heal smooth, the eye wouldn’t move right and there’d be double vision.”

As for that fateful February day, Burnett said he won’t dwell on it.

There’s not much I could’ve done, other than pull the bat back. You can’t look back at it. I had my day of tears, lying in the hotel room wondering why it happened. I’m over that now. I want to move in a positive direction and get back on the field.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Last season, I had the privilege to meet and do a story on a young man who was attempting to make a difference.

That young man is 20-year-old and Point Park student Zac Weiss.

Weiss is one of those youngsters who has never seen a Pittsburgh Pirates‘ winning season, but that hasn’t stopped him from being a lifelong Bucco fan and doing something positive along the way.

Last summer I learned about Weiss and his cause, which was called Ballhawking 2011: Proudly Supporting the Children’s Institute.

Everyone has seen the guys at Major League Baseball games rushing around to collect balls in the stands. Weiss is one of those guys, but he doesn’t try and make a profit for himself by selling the souvenirs to the highest bidder.

Instead he does something else. Something admirable for anyone, especially someone only 20 years of age.

Weiss had decided to collect as many balls as he could during the season and then auction them off.  All the proceeds Weiss made would go directly to the Children’s Institute.

“I had to spend some time at the Children’s Institute as a child,” Weiss told me last summer. “I know what type of difference they can make in a child’s life. I’m a college kid with not much money in my pocket, but this is my way of trying to make a difference and help out.”

When we spoke at an Atlanta Braves game last season, Weiss was just getting his cause off the ground.

By the end of the 2011 Pirates season, Weiss had caught 137 baseballs and raised over $600 for the charity.

It doesn’t sound like a ton of money, but for a young man just doing what he can, it might as well be $600,000.

“I try and keep things very reasonable,” said Weiss. “I’m not trying to be an EBay type of thing.  I got a ball autographed by Kirk Gibson who hit one of the most memorable homers in baseball history and is one very good manager and only sold it for $20. I don’t think people should have to pay crazy prices.”

Weiss has goals for the 2012 season, but they are of a different variety.

“I want to continue raising money for charity, but I applied for an internship with the Pirates,” said Weiss. “My main goal is to get that, but if I don’t, I plan on being at about 50 games this season, assuming I stay in good health.”

If he’s out chasing baseballs in 2012, Weiss has some goals already set for himself.

“I’d like to get 206 this season,” added Weiss. “That’s about the number I’ve caught total in my life. If we don’t have 15 batting practices rained out like the Bucs did last year, I may have a chance.”

Several of the Pirates have been very supportive of what Weiss is doing, including manager Clint Hurdle and All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan.

“Hurdle is involved with the Children’s Institute as well,” said Weiss. “I got to meet and talk to him before a Saturday batting practice. The Pirates equipment manager gave me a Lyle Overbay autographed bat and I also received positive reactions from both Hanrahan and Daniel McCutchen.”

Anyone interested in checking on the progress Weiss is making or making a contribution to the Children’s Institute can contact him on Twitter @wewill1992 or by email at yngzc@yahoo.com.

These days there aren’t may positive stories in the world of sports, but what Weiss has been doing is certainly one of them. He thinks his efforts for charity could be joined by a winning season for the Pirates.

“That’s what I really want to see,” added Weiss. “I think they are close and on the verge of turning things around. I can’t wait for Opening Day. Let’s Go, Bucs.”

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com