The Crystal Ball Same Old Same Old No More

I’m sick of the same old same old when it comes to my beloved Pirates. Just as a point of full disclosure, I have a Pirates jersey with no player name on the back. It’s circa the early 90’s, with the old logo that has the Pirate in the logo still with the three pointed hat. It’s old school. I still sport it to show my allegiances to this historically fantastic team go way back. So like many other Pirate fans, I’ve suffered mightily over the last 15 years.

But I chime in today with a rare baseball entry not to pimp my own Pirate supporting roots, but because I’m sick of the same old same old status quo attitude when it comes to my team.

Usually when I check out the typically asinine team rankings, I skip to the high 20s when looking for a review of the Pirates. If anything, I’m a realist. I know my boys, no matter how hard they try, will be ranked in the lowest percentile of the MLB. I never kid myself, and neither does any other Pirate fan. My dad, who’s been a Bucco fan longer than I’ve been alive which is impressive since he grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, is the same way. Each week we discuss the current state of the Burgh, and while always hopeful and optimistic, we’re still realistic. We know the team does not have the monetary ammunition to compete with the Yankees or Red Sox, but we always hope the raw talent on display could make a surprising run, or at least a stab at the long hoped for over .500 season.

Well, here we are at the beginning of June, and the Pirates are flirting with .500. Not quite as rare as Halley’s Comet, but just as thrilling to us die hards. It may not last; I’ve seen this in the recent past and watched it dissipate faster than ice in the desert. But it still provides hope, especially with the new regime in place that has been working to turn around the losing culture that has taken hold in this storied organization.

So, with this current, if not stellar considering Jerk Sox standards, success rolling I peeped a recent ranking of MLB teams. And wouldn’t you know it, my hometown boys have clawed all the way up to 20th. Considering their history over the past 15 seasons, that’s not too shabby. I felt pretty good about that ranking. Until I read what the jackass who scribbled the article in crayon had to say.

The twit responsible for the drivel stated he was unsure of how the Pirates had pulled within 2 games of .500. So right off the bat he revealed he does about as much research when it comes to baseball as I do when it comes to nuclear physics. If you watched any Pirate game this season, you’d see a sea change in their attitude. They never quit and never say die. They may not have as much talent as the team they face, but they do not let that deter them. They still scrap, claw and scramble for any run, catch, throw or edge they can get. They know they are not the most talented team in the league. But their play may show they are one of the most determined.

The twit goes on to make the obligatory dig saying in not so many words that it is very impressive they’ve achieved this feat considering the fact that they are the Pirates. Sure an annoyingly wicked burn, but a deserved one nonetheless. I’ll concede that; after all, I’ve followed this team even if from the periphery at times for the past 20+ years. I do know the truth behind his statement.

But then he continues into a realm I cannot follow. He states that if the Pirates can continue in this fashion, playing close to .500 ball, they should use it to their advantage. I agree. But his suggestion to this point is to not think about competing but instead trade Jason Bay, Xavier Nady and whomever else from which they can get value. Sell high on their talent, basically, for prospects and future players.

What? Really? Trade the players they’ve trained, nurtured, took an opportunity and chance on for young blood that they can once again train, teach and mold? And what happens in a few years with this new blood? What happens in 2010 or 2011 when these prospects show some promise? Trade them too? Give them up for 50 cents on the dollar as well?

No, no more. None of that. I’m tired of giving away the hints of hope for a better future for magic beans and to seed, again, the few big spending powerhouses of the MLB. Believe me, every time I see Tim Wakefield take the mound for those jerk off Red Sox it burns me to know he learned how to be a major league pitcher in Pittsburgh, but we never were able to see him reach his full potential.

Why the hell should the Pirates, or the Royals Twins or Rockies for that matter, trade their potential present for an uncertain future anymore? Why should we give up on a few good players that could make the next 2-4 years really exciting for the fan bases just to acquire players that MIGHT make the next 4-8 years exciting? Why should we trade away good players that we have taken the time to teach, train and mold only to watch them succeed elsewhere? Why should we, as fans and organizations, settle as being nothing more than a minor league training facility for the likes of the Red Sox, Yankees and the 2-4 other at the moment prominent teams in MLB? No, no more.

I personally am tired of being a training team for the elite 4 teams in MLB. I’m tired of watching good players work their way through our system to the point they become overpriced by MLB standards for the Pirates, only to become high priced great players elsewhere. I’m tired of the me first; pay me now attitude of players, and more pointedly their agents, that care nothing for tradition and only about the green. I’m tired of being a doormat because my team cannot outspend the two biggest jerk bullies on the block.

No, no more. As a fan, I’m putting my foot down to this method of running a team. This attitude of the MLB and this acceptance to everyone who considers themselves a fan such as this twit from SI.com who wrote the article that a lesser team must give up any player it hopes to be good one day in order to stockpile questionable prospects. No, no more. If you want these players, develop them your damn selves. These are ours. You cannot have them. If you want them, give up something of equal or greater value in return. Otherwise, go spend your money on facelifts, therapy or tiddlywinks. I care not.

If the MLB really cared about overcoming the NFL as the nation’s top sport, they’d agree. But I know they don’t, and I can tell they don’t care. If they did, they’d make efforts to make sure old school teams like the Pirates could keep up. Instead, they prefer to pimp yet ANOTHER Yankees/Red Sox series that NO ONE outside of New England and New York gives two hoots about. But for some asinine reason, Bud Selig thinks everyone in the world stops in their tracks whenever the Sox and Yanks play.

Hey Bud, guess what? We DON’T CARE! Is that emphatic enough for you? We want to watch our own teams play, succeed and win. Once you get that through your nerdy, thick skull, you might find a way to turn around this mess called Major League Baseball.

Look, if a current Pirate at the end of his contract would rather chase an insane payday than stick with the team that believed in him from the start, fine let him go. I have no time or patience for someone that values the fleeting dollar over the long term glory of a winning squad. Mind you I don’t blame them. They are merely taking advantage of a climate in which they can benefit financially. The current screwed up economics of baseball reward that sort of attitude. But I’d rather have a team stocked with hungry, if not supernaturally talented, players who would rather be part of something special than cash a check they’d never be able to spend in their life times. Perhaps I’m naïve, or perhaps I just still believe in the dream born from the Elysian Fields once roamed by players of yore. Either way, I prefer my vision of baseball over the twisted Dali-esque scene played out before fans nowadays.

And to the nimrod at SI.com who tows the company line and feels the Pirates, and I’m sure other teams in their financial and talent bracket, should trade in their handful of gems for two mules and a calf, shame on you. How can you call yourself a true baseball fan and support a system that rewards guns for hire and overblown sporting corporations and buries the little guy? That certainly is not the American way in what was once considered the ultimate American sport.

The Crystal Ball The Curtain Comes Down

Just a small note of major import that needs to be mentioned to one and all who are fans of Pittsburgh sports. I found out today that one of the original members of the Steel Curtain, Dwight White, passed away yesterday.

Dwight White, affectionately known as Mad Dog, passed away at age 58 due to complications that arose from a recent back surgery. White was one of the key members of the original Steel Curtain, which included L.C. Greenwood, “Mean” Joe Greene, and Ernie Holmes.

Holmes passed away this January, the cause being a single car accident in his home state of Texas.

The passing of White now brings an end to the storied and larger than life lives of two members of the Steel Curtain. White, a great quote an interview (if you doubt this catch any episode of America’s Game or any Steelers retrospective in which he is involved) was a ferocious competitor. White played in his first Super Bowl while suffering from pneumonia and a lung infection. In the week preceding the game, White lost 18 pounds yet played the entire game and scored the first points of Super Bowl IX on a safety.

Like many former Steelers, White remained in the Pittsburgh area to build a life for himself after his playing days ended, becoming a part of the rich tapestry that makes up western Pennsylvania.

I was watching an NFL Films showing of Greatest Games in the NFL, this episode featuring the Steelers/Cowboys clash in Super Bowl XIII, when I found out about White’s passing. Not long before the news broke on the screen, I saw White defiantly speaking about how he had no apologies toward beating the Cowboys, again, in the Super Bowl and the best team obviously won. This made the news of his death all the more poignant to me.

Mad Dog, Steeler Nation will miss you fiercely. Thank you for the joy, thrills and pride you have given us while you played and in the years after your retirement. Our condolences go out to your family. Say hello to the Ranger, Ernie, Webby and Myron for us. We miss you all.

The Crystal Ball Let's Go Penguins

My original idea for this column was very different. Feeling my oats after watching the Pens demolish team after team in the Eastern Conference, I felt the same type of elation I did in 1992 when the Pens captured their second Stanley Cup. With this vibe running through me, I figured I would do a comparison between the 92 and 08 teams, with the one uniting thread being they both walked away with the Cup. But after the first two games of the series, I knew that was not to be. Not that I gave up hope, but watching their performance I knew they were not quite there; not quite ready to overcome and defeat a Cup seasoned team. It did not take the sting away, but helped prep me for the inevitable conclusion.

So for another season, I quietly adjourned to my bathroom to grab my clippers and shed myself of my symbolic playoff beard; grown in support and conjunction with the fierce competitors that don the Penguin sweater. And I have put away my Lemieux jersey, hanging it neatly in my closet next to my Steelers and Pirates jerseys. But this year, it was much more painful and poignant than before.

They had no more miracles, no more luck and no more magic. The Igloo, home to so many triumphs, held no more mystiques in its aging but hallowed halls. Despite their best efforts, the unstoppable force of the Red Wings was just that, unstoppable.

Like all Penguin fans, I hated to see a Finals loss. It was nothing I had ever seen from our Penguins. And I loved this team. They really did put forth something special. But I do not find myself mad or upset. They were young, and at times it showed. But they gave everything they had and it produced a magical run that started last season. And while it may not have produced a Cup, it ultimately helped keep the team in the Burgh long term. If the team had not been as successful, would the stadium deal have gotten done? Would the team be around? Would they be packing for KC right now? Who knows? But I know one thing, now having a resurgent, and financially stable, team certainly helped.

It also helped bring a city together. Pittsburgh is a great city for supporting its sports teams, in good times and bad. No matter what, the fans are always behind their teams. If you doubt that, look at the support the unfortunately long woeful Pirates receive from the fan base. But when the times are oh so good, the way the fans rally rivals any other fan base. Wednesday night, when they handed out the playoffs MVP trophy after the game, the fans chanted Fleury. It’s no wonder either. Pittsburgh, and all hockey fans, got to watch the magic of Flower bloom before our eyes. Oh, and what a beautiful bloom it was. He stood tall before the onslaught of Red Wings and never backed down, no matter the odds.

Crosby showed the world the future of the NHL. And from what the numbers are showing, people want more than a taste of that dish; they want much more. They want to see this young, exciting team led by their uber talented captain for years to come. I’m sure the team would be happy to oblige that.

The entire team showed so much heart, spirit and grit, from the 1st line to the 4th. They found out early that they were in uncharted waters against a foe far stronger, deeper and deadlier than any they had faced before. But they never backed down, they never shied away, they never got scared, or ran for cover. They stood up in the face of the red storm and poured their hearts, souls and bodies into taking on the giant. In the end, David had no stones left for his slingshot.

This may seem odd, but I think this actually may be good for this team in the long term. Sure, knowing the sting of losing the finals will be a motivational tool for all involved. And yes, the experience will show them what they really need to do to win it all. But more importantly, it might keep them intact.

The team is ripe with lots of free agents. If the Pens had won it all, many of them might have hit the road looking for the proverbial fat payday. But the loss might motivate more than a few to stick around, at a discount, because they know this group has not peaked, there is much more they can do and there is a bunch of unfinished business left on the table. First and foremost is that none of them were able to drink the winning draught from the Cup. It might influence a few who would have run out looking to get paid to stick around and see what might happen. If there is something good about losing the Cup finals, that may be the only thing. Of course, only if it does happen. Only the summer will tell.

Malone, Hossa and Orpik might be gone. The team should, which seems a no brainer, make sure they get Fleury, Staal and Malkin under long term contracts. Fleury, well duh we’ve all seen why. Staal, we have yet to see how much this young man can produce. And Malkin, it should be obvious. Sure, he didn’t have the best finals, but chalk that up to injury and illness as we all learned about after the fact. Credit this young man the cajones for even attempting to play in the biggest games of his life while battling the flu. And something tells me that fire we saw all season was just muted, and it will rage once again. I’d love to see Malone back again; he’s a true Burgh guy. But you cannot have everyone.

But it’s too early to think of such things. The last loss is still too fresh. For now, I’ll leave the fears, worries and hopes of who will come back and the hopes, wishes and dreams of what is to come in future seasons for another day. For now, I just want to say thank you Penguins for a magical run. Thank you for making us all believe in the magic of Penguins hockey, and a true team again. Thank you for making hockey relevant in the Burgh again. Thank you for lighting the fires of interest amongst the casual sports fans in the great sport of hockey and the NHL. And most of all thank you for being the Pittsburgh Penguins, and showing everyone a true team filled with spirit, heart and soul. Next year I hope to be writing again at this time of year. But I hope to be shaving my symbolic playoff beard as I think about how sweet it must be to hoist that Cup. And then perhaps I’ll have to put away my Fleury jersey for another season.