The Pirates’ season just keeps getting worse by the week. The Buccos dropped another series to the New York Mets over the weekend. It seems like forever since they actually won a series. The Sunday finale pretty much summed up the season. The Pirates were already down after one inning and saw their much maligned pitching staff give up thirteen runs. The latest loss means the Bucs have dropped twelve out of their last fourteen games. I hope General Manager Neal Huntington doesn’t tell us the team is still mathematically in the race. That’s the last thing fans want to hear.
• So much for the Pirates helping themselves at the deadline. The two trades they executed were nothing to write home about. They couldn’t even trade guys like Francisco Liriano and Melky Cabrera, both of whom are on expiring contracts. I thought the team would at least get something in return for these players, but they didn’t. Huntington talked about the deadline on his Sunday radio show, but didn’t really say anything that will make fans of the club feel any better. I honestly believe the fan-base has zero confidence in the Pirates’ GM and the team’s management team.
• I thought there was a good chance Huntington would deal away star reliever Felipe Vasquez. There seemed to be legitimate interest from the Dodgers, as well as a few other clubs. I don’t blame Huntington if he felt the packages offered just weren’t worth what it would take to give up Vasquez, and that’s why he didn’t deal his closer. I was actually hoping the Pirates would get a significant package of prospects that would help the team in the long-run. That obviously didn’t happen. What bothers me is when I heard Huntington say that he envisions Vasquez being the closer for the next playoff game the Pirates play in. Seriously? Is there any reason to believe that’s going to happen anytime soon?
• Super-agent Scott Boras was talking up his client Josh Bell a lot at the All Star Game, and for good reason. Bell was one of the great stories in baseball up to that point. Bell has been horrible since. He’s been stuck on 27 home runs for weeks. Yet if you talk to Boras, I’m sure he’ll tell you that Josh Bell should receive a contract worth at least a couple hundred million.
• I happened to see the Pirates and Reds slug it out last week. The fight was one for the books. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team’s pitcher go challenge the entire opponent. It was pretty dramatic stuff. I knew suspensions would be coming, but can’t figure out the discipline handed out by Joe Torre. I thought they were ridiculous.
• The Steelers open the pre-season this coming Friday night. I’ll be anxious to see Devin Bush and this year’s rookie class perform for the first time. I’m also looking forward to seeing some of the new free agents the Steelers brought in. Even though most fans hate the pre-season games, those games do matter when it comes to winning jobs. That’s the only reason I watch them.
• Good luck to Chris Kunitz in retirement. The former Penguin has hung up his skates for good. Simply put, Kunitz was a winner. He was a part of four Stanley Cup championships, including three with the Penguins. He was also a member of Team Canada’s gold medal winning team. Kunitz won’t make it to the Hall of Fame, but his career surpassed what many Hall of Famers ever accomplished. Penguin fans should always be grateful that Chris Kunitz once wore the black and gold.
• It’s hard to believe that high school football kicks off in less than three weeks. Football season is the best time of the year, no matter where you live. I always enjoy seeing the games and being part of the broadcast team for Indiana High here at Renda Broadcasting. Once the season starts it seems like the season is over before you know it. Can’t wait.
• RIP Nick Buoniconti. The Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker was a force on the undefeated Miami Dolphins of 1972 and their “No Name Defense”. Nick will also be remembered for his work on The Miami Project, which raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fight paralysis, after his son Marc was injured in a college football game. He was a great football player and even better man off the field. He will be missed.
