All-Star countdown
Just a month to go before Major League Baseball's All-Star Game at PNC Park.
A bit of Pirates' All-Star trivia:
- The first Pirate to hit a home run in the All-Star Game was Hall of Fame shortstop Arky Vaughan in 1941. He actually hit two that game, becoming the first All-Star to homer twice in one contest.
- The next time a Pirate belted an All-Star round-tripper was in 1943, a guy named DiMaggio. In this case, the DiMaggio in question was Vince, Joe's older brother. posted at 4:48 PM by Harry Funk | Click to comment (0)
6/11/2006
Select company
You may remember Reggie Sanders from the season he played in Pittsburgh. He was one of the more productive of the Pirates' parade of stopgap veterans, hitting 31 home runs in 2003 during his only season here.
He now plays for Kansas City, his eighth team and one that might challenge the modern single-season record for losses this year. Reggie has put up so-so numbers for the Royals, but he has reached one milestone that deserves more attention than it's getting.
Sanders' home run on Saturday gives him 300 for his career. He also has stolen 302 bases, which puts him among select company in the history of Major League Baseball. The only other members of the "300-300" club are Willie Mays, the late Bobby Bonds, Andre Dawson and another guy named Bonds.
I'm guessing his accomplishment will be one of the few baseball highlights to come out of Kansas City this summer. posted at 10:56 AM by Harry Funk | Click to comment (0)
6/9/2006
Losing ugly
I missed it - staying up late for West Coast games is too much to ask anymore - but the end of last night's Pirates game apparently was a real doozy. Our sports editor, Chris Dugan, said the bottom of the ninth against the Giants was the worst half inning of baseball he's seen.
The Pirates led 3-0 at one point and still were up by a run when I dozed off. But I knew where this was headed. Pittsburgh had squandered too many opportunities - many of them a result of Jeremy "The Second Coming of Derek Bell" Burnitz stranding seven runners on base in his first three plate appearances - for this one to have a happy ending.
Indeed, the Giants scored the winning run in the ninth, basically on a couple of pop-ups that should have been outs (Burnitz was involved in one) and a wild pitch.
Counting the Super Bowl, the Steelers won almost as many road games in the postseason (four) as the Pirates have so far in the regular season (five). And it's getting to be the middle of June.
Don't wait up. posted at 5:41 PM by Harry Funk | Click to comment (0)
6/7/2006
More Roger
Members of the Lexington Legends, a Class A baseball team in Kentucky, were used to the rather spartan appearance of their clubhouse: old couch, older TV, not much else.
A new teammate rectified that situation. The clubhouse now house brand new couches, big-screen televisions, microwave ovens and a few other odds and ends to make life in the minor leagues a bit more enjoyable.
The teammate played only one game with the Legends, a three-inning appearance Tuesday on the pitcher's mound. He's moving on to bigger and better things.
That pitcher, of course, is Roger Clemens, the 43-year-old legend who did a stint with the Legends as the first step toward pitching with the Houston Astros, who re-signed him for a little more than half a season's work in 2006 at a cool $22 million, according to the Associated Press.
His gift to the team in Lexington is something he certainly can afford, but it's good to see, nonetheless. Clemens has gotten the reputation over the years as kind of a difficult sort, and maybe this is a sign that he's a nice guy, after all.
Remember, though, that Rog's son Koby is a third baseman on the Legends, so the family connection might have had something to do with the generosity. posted at 10:33 AM by Harry Funk | Click to comment (0)
6/4/2006
Baseball & politics
It's an election year, so politicans are getting exposure everywhere they can.
While listening to the Pirates' game on the radio today, the broacasters suddenly announced that "a bunch of Santorums" had entered their booth. That, of course, would be U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and members of his family.
What this particular elected official has to do with the broadcast of a baseball game, I have no idea. And I didn't stick around to find out, opting instead to turn on some music.
Opportunities being equal, I guess Santorum's November opponent, Bob Casey (or "Bobby," as he's referred to on the Santorum Web site), will be dropping by the broadcast booth next time he's at PNC Park.
And I'll be ready to switch to music then, too. posted at 3:25 PM by Harry Funk | Click to comment (0)
6/3/2006
Playin' in the rain
If there ever was a good night for a rainout, Friday at PNC Park was it. The Pirates and San Diego Padres played through a steady downpour, finally calling it quits after six innings.
Unfortunately, by the time common sense prevailed, the Pirates' four-game winning streak was over on the wrong end of a 7-0 score.
True common sense would have had the game rained out and rescheduled as part of a Sunday doubleheader. That's how they would've done it in, if you'll pardon the expression, the old days.
Of course, that would have meant a whole night's worth of revenue down the drain. Better to put money in certain pockets than a quality baseball game on the field.
Just when things were looking up for the Pirates ... posted at 1:40 PM by Harry Funk | Click to comment (0)
6/2/2006
Clemente exhibit
Something for "old school" baseball fans (back when players had to take a second job over the winter because they weren't paid very much):
The Sen. John Heinz Regional History Center will house a Roberto Clemente exhibit starting tomorrow (June 3) and running through Dec. 31. Sixty photos by former Pirates team photographer Les Banos will be on display, as well as Clemente memorabilia such as his 1971 World Series Most Valuable Player trophy. posted at 11:23 AM by Harry Funk | Click to comment (0)
