The Pirates were just two and a half games out of first place going into the All Star Break. Make that five and half games out after a horrible weekend in Chicago. The Buccos were swept by the Cubs. They dropped a tough game on Friday, but were blown out on Saturday and Sunday. The pitching staff surrendered 18 runs over the last two games. It’s tough to win games when you get such horrible pitching like that. Things don’t get any easier as the Buccos next head to St. Louis.
• Pirates’ GM Neal Huntington has made it sound like he’d like to add to his roster before the trade deadline at the end of the month. That sounds great, but a lot of things come into play before that might happen. If the Pirates fall out of the race over the next few weeks it really makes no sense to make any trades. Also, according to most baseball sources, the price tags for players on the market are sky-high right now and just aren’t worth it. The Pirates went all in last year when they made the deal for Chris Archer. That trade hasn’t looked very good so far. Who knows what Huntington can or will do this year.
• Archer was terrific in the Pirates’ series opener at Chicago. He was dominating on the mound and looked like the player Huntington sought when he gave up so much for him last year. If Archer can pitch like that over the second half the Pirates might be in the playoff race. I believe Archer is one of the keys to the Pirates having a chance in the second half. He was great against the Cubs, but can he pitch like that every time he takes the mound? That’s the multi-million dollar question.
• It was nice to see Josh Bell in the All Star Game and Home Run Derby. Even though Bell didn’t get out of the Derby’s first round, he sure belonged there. He was able to flash the power in Cleveland that Pittsburgh fans have enjoyed this season. Bell is on his way to becoming a star. It would be great to see him as a regular in baseball’s showcase event for years to come.
• Kudos to the US Women’s soccer team for winning the World Cup. I’m glad they came out on top. What I didn’t enjoy watching was some of the questionable antics they displayed on the field. I thought they displayed very poor sportsmanship at times. I also didn’t like how they were slamming the idea of going to the White House even before they won the World Cup. I even read some stories that said some Americans were rooting for our own team to lose. Think about that for a minute.
• It’s hard to believe the Steelers open training camp in less than two weeks. Latrobe will become the center of the universe for fans of the Black and Gold. It’s going to be a very interesting camp this year minus some former stars who have moved on. This camp will also offer some younger guys a chance to make a name for themselves. It’s going to be very interesting.
• I don’t think tennis is nearly as popular as it was decades ago. Back in day Breakfast at Wimbledon was must-see television. I did manage to watch this year’s finals over the weekend. Count me among those who were shocked to see Serena Williams blown out by Simona Halep in the women’s final. Who saw that coming? The men’s final was one of the best ever. Novak Djokovic’s win in the fifth set tiebreaker, the first ever fifth set tiebreaker in any men’s major final, was simply incredible. I was pulling for Federer, and thought he would do it when he had two match points in the fifth set. He couldn’t get the one point he needed. What a match! One of the things on my bucket list is to see a match at Wimbledon. I hope to get there in the next few years.
• RIP Jim Bouton. I was in junior high when I read his best-selling book, Ball Four. The book revealed a lot of what really goes on and off the field in major league baseball. It was ground breaking, and shocking. Bouton was despised by so many in the game for years after Ball Four. If you haven’t read Ball Four, I would highly recommend it. I still have it and will probably read it again. It might be the best sports book ever written.
