First Split-Squad For Pirates Yields Split Results Against Orioles, Rays

Photo Credit: Elaine Litherland (Herald-Tribune)

The Pittsburgh Pirates participated in their first of two split-squad scrimmages of the spring training season.  While half of the squad was off to Port Charlotte to take on the Tampa Bay Rays, the other half stayed in Bradenton for a game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Pirates Vs. Orioles

Paul Maholm was given the opportunity to be the first pitcher the O’s faced in t heir spring training opener.  Unfortunately for the Buccos, the Orioles would win their opening game of the spring by the score of 6-4.

Maholm was able to get through the two innings he was scheduled to pitch, even though he gave up two runs.  The potential opening day starter for the Pirates allowed four hits and struck out two.

“I felt pretty comfortable,” Maholm said after the game. “I didn’t throw any breaking balls.  I was a little jumpy and left some over the plate, but the first time in spring, that happens.”

Two potential bullpen candidates for the Pirates, Jeff Karstens and Tyler Yates, did not allow a run while on the mound for the Buccos.

Pittsburgh batters were unable to produce against Orioles’ starter Brad Bergesen, who in two innings of work, only allowed one base runner and struck out two.  It wouldn’t be until the fifth inning that the Buccos were able to score a run on Lyle Overbay’s first home run of the spring.  The two teams then traded runs in the sixth inning, as the O’s Craig Tatum singled ina  run off Jeff Locke, while Jose Tabata scored on an error by Baltimore second baseman Brendan Harris.

Pirates Vs. Rays

The Pirates only managed six hits against the Rays on Monday, but it proved to still be enough as timely hitting and impressive pitching down the stretch earned the Buccos their second victory of the spring, 6-5. 

Garrett Atkins, starting at first base for the Pirates, shined on Monday, going 1-3 with 1 HR and 3 RBI.  While not one Pirates’ player had a multi-hit game, Josh Fields made his one base hit count, driving in a run in the 4^th inning.

Buccos’ starter Bryan Morris pitched adequately, giving up one run on two hits, while striking out one through two innings of work.  Unfortunately, the same could not be said about Fernando Nieve, who was lit up in his single inning of work on Monday, giving up three runs on five hits. 

After getting behind early 4-0, the Pirates’ offense exploded in the 4^th inning.  Fields’ RBI single started things off, driving home Neil Walker to get the Buccos on the board.  Then, with Fields and Matt Diaz on base, Atkins hammered the ball to left field and out, tying the game 4-4.  The inning’s festivities concluded with a passed ball by John Jaso, allowing Alex Presley to scamper home, giving the Pirates the lead.

Despite a 6^th inning RBI double by the Rays’ Justin Ruggiano, the Pirates came back again the very next inning.  With Gorkys Hernandez batting, a wild pitch by the Ray’s Jake McGee allowed Chris Snyder to score.

Again, while the offensive firepower wasn’t there for the Pirates on Monday, they did enough to win the ballgame.  Whether it’s hitting the ball out of the yard five times or taking advantage of the other team’s mistakes, which was the case against the Rays today, the Pirates found a way to win.  Even though it’s a Spring Training contest, these are important lessons to learn, especially for a young club like the Buccos.

Pittsburgh will host the New York Yankees on Tuesday at 1:05pm.  James McDonald will make his first start of the spring and is scheduled to throw two innings.  Many of the Pirates’ regular position players will have the day off, which will give players such as Atkins, Andy Marte, and Josh Rodriguez more opportunities to show the coaches they deserve to make the trip to Pittsburgh for the start of the regular season.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

McCutchen Leads Pirates To First Win Of Spring

Andrew McCutchen led the Pirates to their first victory in Spring Training 2011, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays by a final score of 10-3 on Sunday.

The Pirates’ centerfielder went 3-3 with 1 HR and 2 RBI, looking sharp at the plate and in the field.  Garrett Jones, starting in right field on Sunday, also went 3-3 with an RBI.

Unfortunately, the pitching didn’t start out quite as the hitting for the Buccos.  Starter Kevin Correia gave up 2 runs on 2 hits while walking 2 in 1.1 inning of work.  Scoreless innings pitched by Ryan Beckman, Brian Burres, Joel Hanrahan, Jose Veras and Tony Watson kept the Rays in check throughout much of the ballgame.

After surrendering the lead in the top of the inning, The Pirates tied the game in the bottom of the 1^st on McCutchen’s first homerun of the spring.  The scoring continued in the 4^th when Jones doubled in McCutchen to tie the game at the time, 2-2.  Later in the inning, Ryan Doumit doubled Jones home to give the Pirates the lead for the first time in the game.

The Pirates extended their lead in the bottom of the 5^th on doubles by McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez, and following Jason Jaramillo’s solo blast in the 8^th inning, the Rays were all but buried.

It’s always nice to see the younger Buccos get into the scoring action and that’s exactly what happened in the late innings on Sunday.  Chase d’Arnaud had an RBI single and Andy Marte smashed an RBI double, scoring Josh Rodriguez and Corey Wimberly.

Despite giving up a run in the final frame, Chris Leroux did eventually shut down the game for the Pirates, earning them their first victory of the spring.

The Buccos will continue their Spring Training schedule on Monday, engaging in two split squad battles against the Rays as well as the Baltimore Orioles.

Be sure to check back here daily for all the latest updates on the Pirates’ Spring Training results!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Open Up Spring Training With Loss To The Rays

Charlie Morton Pitched Wel On Saturday (Courtesy Of Pirates.com)

The Pittsburgh Pirates began their 2011 Spring Training schedule on Saturday in Port Charlotte, Florida against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Unfortunately for the Buccos this game ended like many did in 2010, with a loss. This time, it was the Rays who out-hit the Pirates, 9-5. 

The Pirates started the scoring for the day in the bottom of the 2^nd when Lyle Overbay scored on a force out by Ronny Cedeno.  Later in that inning, Jose Tabata would single in Ryan Doumit to make the score 2-0 going into the bottom of the 2^nd.  The Rays would be the next to strike in the bottom of the 4^th on a solo home run from Evan Longoria, this would be followed up in the bottom of the 5^th with a home run from Rays second baseman Sean Rodriguez.  

The score remained tied until the bottom of the seventh when Robinson Chirinos would hit a bases loaded double to give the Rays a 5-2 lead.  The Pirates would cut into the deficit when Gorkys Hernandez grounded into a bases loaded double play scoring Pedro Ciriaco.  Tampa Bay would then blow the game open in the bottom of the 8^th by scoring four runs to make it a 9-3 lead.  Pittsburgh then got two more runs in the top of the 9^th off of a Garrett Atkins ground rule double, which scored Garrett Jones.  Atkins would later score when Doumit grounded out to second.

The battle for the fifth spot in the rotation began today as Charlie Morton started for the Pirates, pitching two innings for the Buccos while giving up one hit, walking one and allowing no runs.  He was followed by the man he is competing with for this spot, Brad Lincoln.  Lincoln would also pitch two innings allowing one run on three hits, with no walks and one strikeout.  The pitcher who was dealt with the loss was Daniel McCutchen as he would pitch one inning allowing three runs on two hits and two walks. 

The Buccos will be back in action Sunday afternoon when they host the Rays at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida.  Kevin Correia will make his Pirates debut and will be followed on the mound by Brian Burres, Joel Hanrahan, and Joe Beimel.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Destroy Manatees In Spring Training Opener

In the first organized competitive contest of 2011, the Pirates demolished the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota on Friday, 21-1. 

Steve Pearce led the Buccos with two doubles, Garrett Atkins blasted a 3-run homerun and a double, and Brian Friday had a solo homerun. 

Bucco left-hander Aaron Thompson had an impressive first inning, striking out the side on only 11 pitches.  Mike Crotta also struck out the side in his one inning of work.

Tomorrow, the Pirates face their first Major League competition of this young season as they travel to Port Charlotte, Fla., home of the Rays, for a 1:05 PM start.  Both Charlie Morton and Brad Lincoln, battling for the fifth spot in the pitching rotation come opening day, are expected to be the first pitchers on the mound on Saturday.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates' Management Expects More From Fans

While all Pirates’ fans feared this was true, we certainly didn’t expect for it to be admitted openly in passing during an interview. 

In an interview with piratesprospects.com, Pirates’ President Frank Coonelly was asked if the team would be able to afford a $70 million-$80 million payroll, in present-day worth, if this current group of players were competitive enough to merit additional outside free agents.

Here was Coonelly’s response:

“Today, no, but we will be able to support that payroll very soon if our fans believe that we now have a group of players in Pittsburgh and on its way here in the near future that is competitive.  We need to take a meaningful step forward in terms of attendance to reach that payroll number while continuing to invest heavily in our future, but I am convinced that the attendance will move quickly once we convince our fans that we are on the right track.”

This is incredible…almost unbelievable.  Pirates’ fans have wanted to know the answer to this question for years.  Will ownership upgrade payroll to support a winning team?  Pirates’ management has neglected to respond to questions similar to this over the years, including Coonelly as well as owner Bob Nutting.  Finally, fans got an answer from the Buccos’ President…and it’s utterly disappointing.

James Krug of isports.com had a response to Coonelly’s statement that accurately puts the situation into an appropriate perspective:

“Sadly, Coonelly does not place the immediate onus on the Pirates themselves to build a better, more competitive team that fans would WANT to see.  Rather, as he has been a consistent message from Pirates’ ownership, they desire to see a significant increase in attendance PRIOR to the team actually getting good!  It’s maddening.  From a purely business perspective, it is a backwards approach.  You could liken it to a car company telling its customers:

‘We really want to build better cars for you.  But before we do, we need you to start buying our lower-quality, underperforming cars in a much higher volume.’”

Major League Baseball is a multi-million dollar business.  Many aspects of corporate businesses are highly complex, but appeasing a fan base is not.  Offer the fans a consistently competitive team, and they will be in their seats come first pitch.  This is especially true for Pittsburgh fans, a die-hard, loyal group of sports-lovers who will follow their team to the end, as long as the feeling is mutual.  With comments like this from the Pirates’ president, it appears as though there’s no such relationship. 

Coonelly has basically said that the team’s payroll, which is usually at or near the bottom among the 30 MLB franchises, will remain there until more fans start coming to games.  Instead of being grateful for the fine support fans give the worst team in baseball, Coonelly is telling them they need to do more.  If they don’t, the not-so subtle message is that there will be more years of low payrolls and more-than-likely, losing teams.

Pirates’ fans don’t need to show their loyalty to the team by showing up to baseball games.  The ownership and management of the Pirates need to show their respect and appreciation for the fans by giving them a competitive team to cheer for on a consistent basis.

Have an opinion on the article?  Send us an email at fansfromthestands@yahoo.com and let us know what you think!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blast From The Past: Rob Mackowiak

For this edition of Bucco Blast From The Past, we look at Rob Mackowiak.  

Mackowiak played eight Major League seasons for four teams.  His longest stint was from 2001-05 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Rob was a utility-man for the Buccos as fans could see him play the outfield, second base, or third base on game days.

Rob Mackowiak was a 53^rd round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1996.  He made his MLB debut on May 19, 2001 for the Pirates against the Milwaukee Brewers.  Eleven days later he would record his first major league home run against the Florida Marlins off of right-hander Braden Looper.  Mackowiak would contine to be a member on the Pirates roster for the next four seasons. His best season as a Bucco was 2004 when he had a career high of 17 home runs and 75 RBI.  Pirates fans may best remember Rob for his heroics on May 28, 2004 against the Chicago Cubs.  During game one of a double header Mackowiak hit a walk-off grand slam, he would follow this up by hitting the game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth in game two.  What made this an even more memorable, was that it was on the day his son was born.

After 2005, Rob would continue his career with the Chicago White Sox where he continued to be a utility man along with being a designated hitter.  In 2007 he was traded to the San Diego Padres.  His final appearance in the Major Leagues came in 2008 with the Washington Nationals.  He would be released by the team in June and finished his career playing at the AAA level with the Louisville Bats of the Cincinnati Reds organization and the Columbus Clippers who are an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.

Currently, Rob is getting ready to begin is second season as hitting coach for the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League. While Rob Mackowiak may not have had a Hall of Fame career, his hard work and play on the field in a Pirates uniform will always be remembered by battlin bucco fans.

Comments on Bucco Blast From The Past?  We'd love to hear from you!  Send us an email at fansfromthestands@yahoo.com

Be sure to check back for our weekly recognition of a former or current Pirate in our Bucco Blast From The Past!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Nutting Echoes Hurdle and Coonelly, Announces A Change In Expectations

First Hurdle.  Then Coonelly.  Finally, today it was Bob Nutting who spoke to the staff and players of the 2011 Pirates behind closed doors prior to the day’s morning workout.

“The real message was a change in level of expectations,” the Pirates owner said.  “It is critically important that they understand, and we understand, that 2011 is not going to be a year where small bits of incremental progress are going to be adequate.”

Mr. Nutting doesn’t stop there:  “Until we win a National League championship, we are not going to be satisfied with incremental progress.  It is critically important they understand that right up front.”

While initially these comments are quite uplifting from a Pirates’ fan standpoint, they also sound quite familiar to previous seasons.  His address to players certainly wasn’t out of his normal mode of operation in spring training, as for the past few seasons he has addressed players and staff early in camp.

Again, these comments about expectations are inspiring, and they would be VERY encouraging if we hadn’t heard them before, year after losing year.  Personally, I find it strange that the Pirates are coming off a season in which they won the fewest games in a year since 1952, yet their owner is speaking of a National League championship being the only outcome with which he will be satisfied.  That seems like quite an unreasonable expectation for improvement.

One comment that Mr. Nutting did make today that I felt was correct and appropriate was his response to the question of what happens if there isn’t progress this season:

“I think today is the first day I have addressed the group and we have our first spring training game coming up Saturday,” he said.  “It is not the right time to start speculating on ‘what if we fail?’ What we need to do is be focused on what the goal is, what the target is, and be committed to achieve it.”

Well done, sir.  It’s true, too.  The future of Neal Huntington and the questions surrounding his contract extension (or lack thereof) really shouldn’t be at the forefront of the media’s inquiries with less than a week before the club’s opening game of spring training.  But I guess that’s what happens when the team has lost so many games for so many years.  The focus is no longer on the field; it’s now in the offices and behind the desks.

Of course, there’s always that one media representative to ask about the fans and the criticism they have openly remarked towards the team and the management.  Mr. Nutting, of course, responded professionally and courteously:

“I absolutely listen to it (criticism), it makes a huge difference.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for and appreciation for the fans, that’s the reason the franchise exists.  That’s one of the reasons Pittsburgh is such a tremendous baseball town and sports town.  We owe our fans every opportunity to listen.”

If they put a good team that is well coached on the field on Opening Day 2011 and throughout the year, they’ll be hearing the fans cheering all across the North Shore.

What do you think of Bob Nutting’s comments?  Write to us at fansfromthestands@yahoo.com and let us know what you think! 

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

***Special Thanks To Colin Dunlap Of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette For Contributions To This Article***

Hurdle Speaks To Players About Expectations

On Saturday morning, minutes before holding his first official full-squad workout, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle delivered a motivating speech to his players, addressing his expectations for the upcoming season.

In summary, Hurdle spoke to his team about on-field improvement as well as trust. 

“There will be a group of men that turns this thing around here.  It will happen.  So why can’t we?  Why can’t we be the start?  We need to set our bar at the championship level, staring with the execution and a mindset.  We’ve got to think that way.  We’ve got to act that way.”

For the full story, check out the article at the Pirates Official Website:

Hurdle to team: This is the year to turn it around

 

So what should we, the fans, take away from comments like this?  First of all, it is always inspiring and uplifting to hear comments like these from Pirates’ management, especially considering the fact they are coming off one of the worst seasons in club history (57-105).  Pirates’ president Frank Coonelly shared the same enthusiasm as Hurdle, with expectations at an all-time high, considering the circumstances.

 

“I expect to see us compete,” Coonelly said.  “We’re all about doing.  As Clint said to the guys in there today, trying hard isn’t good enough.  This is a doing league and it’s time for us to start doing.”

 

Well first of all, both Hurdle and Coonelly are correct.  It is time to turn things around.  With talents like Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez, to name a couple, it seems as though the stage is set for the team’s situation to change. 

 

However, if we look a little closer at these comments, it seems a bit confusing to the fans. Hurdle speaks to championship level expectations, while Coonelly is content with competing.  The casual baseball fan, oblivious to the reality of the Pirates’ situation, would set the bar high, at a championship level.  But to the majority of Pirates’ fans, those of us who have endured one disappointing season after another, we know this isn’t going to get turned around overnight.  We realize that change will occur over a series of steps, and the first is being able to compete on a daily basis.  The Pirates haven’t been able to do that for quite some time, but again, with the talent that is present in the locker room in 2011, this appears to be an achievable goal.  With better coaching and some motivation, this team can bring respect back to Pittsburgh baseball.

 

On the contrary, we can’t ignore the fact that we, as fans, have heard these uplifting comments before.  Yes, before Hurdle, we were told that the days of consistently losing were soon by the likes of former managers, Jim Tracey, Gene Lamont, and John Russell.  That being said, it’s not fair to criticize Hurdle because his predecessors weren’t able to live up to their comments.  As we are now exactly one week away from the Bucs’ first spring training game of 2011, all we can do is hope that the players believe in the comments of their manager and president as much as the fans wants to believe it. 

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bradenton Welcomes Buccos With Sunny Skies

Credit: Jason Bartolone

The Buccos arrived in Bradenton, Florida earlier this week to beautiful sunny skies with temperatures in the low 70's.  Our friends at The Patch in Bradenton were in Pirate City and have been covering the Buccos' Spring Training experience thus far.

While pitchers and catchers were the only "required" to report at the beginning of the week, all of the Bucco top names, including Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, and Jose Tabata were in Bradenton when Spring Training began.

Take a look at the link below for all the coverage from Bradenton.

Bradenton Patch

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Bucco Blast From The Past!

Each week, we at Fans From The Stands will be recognizing a Pirate, former or current, at random, acknowledging his accomplishments while also giving us Bucco fans a blast from the past and a trip down memory lane.

For the inaugural Bucco Blast From The Past segment, we recognize Jay Bell.  Bell played in the Major Leagues from 1986-2003, which included a seven year stint with the Pirates.  He won a Gold Glove Award in 1993, snapping Ozzie Smith’s streak of 13 straight awards.  Additionally, it was the first Gold Glove by a Pirate shortstop since 1966-67, when Gene Alley won the award in back-to-back seasons.

Jay began his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians from 1986-1988, and following his run with our Buccos, he jumped from the Kansas City Royals (1997) to the Arizona Diamondbacks (1998-2002) to the New York Mets (2003).  Throughout his career, he maintained the reputation as one of the top shortstops in the game, due to his high baseball IQ and phenomenal anticipation on both the offensive and defensive ends.

While he initially entered the league as a singles and doubles hitter, Bell added diversity to his offense, becoming a superb bunter while also showcasing his power by hammering over 20 homeruns in two consecutive seasons (1997-98).  He was a career .265 hitter, totaling 195 homeruns, 868 RBIs, 1123 runs scored, and 91 stolen bases.  In addition to being awarded the Gold Glove in 1993, he was also selected to the All-Star Game that same year as well as in 1999.

Currently, Bell serves as a member of the advisory board of the Baseball Assistance Team, an organization devoted to helping former players through financial and medical difficulties.  While he was a member of five different teams throughout his productive career, we all consider Jay Bell a Pittsburgh Pirate, now and forever.

Be sure to check back for our weekly recognition of a former or current Pirate in our Bucco Blast From The Past!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

The Wait Is Over: Spring Training 2011 Is Here!

For all those Pittsburgh fans out there who are still heartbroken over the Steelers' Super Bowl loss and are discouraged by the injuries to the Penguins' Crosby and Malkin, our very own Buccos officially kick off Spring Training tomorrow when pitchers and catchers report to Bradenton, Florida.

For those Pirates' fans who are making the trip down to Bradenton to get the first glimpse of the 2011 Pirates, Jason Bartolone, the editor of The Bradenton Patch created a Fan's Guide to Pirates' Spring Training.  Take a look.

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

ESPN's Jayson Stark Provides More Bulletin Board Material For Buccos As They Enter Spring Training

In a recent column posted yesterday, ESPN’s Jayson Stark revealed his lack of interest, and apparently his lack of knowledge, in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization.  In the category listed as “Least Recognizable Team,” here is what Mr. Stark had to say about our beloved Buccos:

“I might as well retire this category. What's the point? The Pirates seem to win it every year, anyway. Here's how I know exactly how faceless this team is: I cover baseball for a living. I kept a daily log book on every team's transactions all winter. And even I couldn't correctly identify the Pirates' entire prospective Opening Day lineup this week. So there's no telling how much money you could win if you walked into any tavern not located in the 412 area code and challenged your buddies to do it -- even if you gave them Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez free of charge. It's not a good sign when more Americans can name the lineup of the 1979 Pirates than the 2011 Pirates. But I'm betting that if I commissioned a Gallup poll, that's exactly how it would turn out.”

First of all, I am personally amazed that Mr. Stark is willing to admit that he isn’t able to do his job.  As he describes above, he covers baseball for a living.  How is he not able to identify the Pirates’ roster?  Above anything else, the answer to this question is that he’s not interested in what the Pirates are doing in the offseason.  At numerous times throughout his recent columns, he has drawn comparisons between the Red Sox and Yankees to clubs like the Pirates.  It doesn’t take an ESPN “expert” to realize that these organizations are in completely different situations, both on and off the field.

Furthermore, he mentions that other than Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez, the rest of the lineup is unrecognizable.  This team lost 105 games last year and hasn’t had a winning season in nearly two decades.  Given those facts, from a national standpoint, the lineup shouldn’t be the same as past years.  Clearly, changes need to be made, and they have been, little by little, year after year. 

I hope the Pirates’ management and players read these types of articles.  While most of the time, it is never recommended for players and coaches to pay attention to what they read/hear in the media, I don’t think this applies to the Pirates, given the current situation.  The bottom line is, people don’t recognize the Buccos because they’re not winning.  If the team is still in contention in the N.L. Central by June and July, this lineup will become much more recognizable, and not only the names of Alvarez and McCutchen. 

While articles like this are difficult to read, we can’t say they are totally underserved.  The only way to end these types of comments is to be competitive deep into the season and to make vast improvements from last year.  While the core group is there, it will take leadership from new manager Clint Hurdle as well as the veteran members of the club as well as considerate player improvement.  And it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Jayson Stark has his own section on the Pirates’ bulletin board on Opening Day.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs! 

Former Pirates' Manager Chuck Tanner Dies at 82

Chuck Tanner, the last Pirates’ manager to lead the team to a World Series championship, passed away on Friday.  The celebrated Bucs’ skipper led the 1979 “We Are Family” club to a come-from-behind World Series victory, but, as everyone close to the game and close to Tanner himself remembers, he was one of baseball’s nicest guys.

Tanner died of a long illness in his hometown of New Castle, PA after spending time in hospice care.  He was 82 years old.  Management, players, and fans of the Pirates and Major League Baseball in general are grieving the loss of one of the game’s good guys, both on and off the field.

He was known for his never-wavering confidence and an inherent belief that no deficit was too large to overcome.  Tanner managed the White Sox, Athletics, Pirates, and Braves, finishing with a record of 1,352-1,381 from 1970-88, winning one division title while finishing in second place five times. 

Of course, the most famous story displaying his irrepressible faith occurred on the day of Game 5 of the World Series in 1979 with the Pirates trailing 3-1 in the series.  He woke that morning to learn that his mother had died in a nursing home in New Castle.  Tanner stuck with the team, made some difficult decisions surrounding the pitching rotation and lineup, and saw his team, led by Willie Stargell, sweep the final three games and clinch the series.

Media outlets, fan sites, and blogs from all across the country are mourning the death and celebrating the life of Chuck Tanner.  For reactions to his passing from players, managers, and more, check out the Pirates Offical Website. 

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!