I know most of you on here don't think Bob Smizik is all that great, but he really does make an excellenct point in his blog talking about the all-too-much resting of Freddy Sanchez. I tend to agree with him, but I'll let ya'll form your own opinions. Ignore the rest of this because this post has to be 75 words long and I'm just trying to write a lot of words so I can get to 75. This information is irrelevant.

Here's the piece

Well, Ryan Braun does it again. Braun hit a go-ahead  two-run HR in the bottom of the eighth inning Friday night to put the Beermakers ahead for good in a 3-2 win over the Cubs at Miller Park. In the midst of watching the ball fly into the seats, Braun, once again, acted like he had never hit a HR before and promplty showed up the Cubs and relief pitcher Aaron Heilman by using what is becoming his trademark slow walk out of the batter's box, extending his arms to the side like an airplane and sticking out his tongue as he began his trot around the bases. Coming as no surprise, during Braun's first at-bat during Saturday night's game, Cubs starter Ryan Dempster promptly threw at Braun, grazing the bill of Braun's batting helmet. This incident came on the heels of another altercation of the exact same type. Braun hit a HR off of Pirates starter Jeff Karstens during last week's series between the two teams and showed up Karstens by using that slow walk once again, flipping his bat, and staring into his own dugout before starting his jog around the bases. Braun came up to bat two innings later and as everyody could have predicted, Karstens wasted no time in plunking Braun in the back. Braun started these showboating tactics last year. Maybe one day, Braun will get it and fully understand. It just might take a pitcher hitting him in the back of the helmet and knocking him unconscious for him to do so. This guy is a very cocky youngster and frankly, he's a punk on the field. I've seen some videos of him off the field doing interviews and signing autographs for fans and he seems like a really nice guy in those environments. But on the field, he acts like he's bigger than the game. The reaction he has to a home run just screams, "I'm the best in baseball. I'm definitely better than you, and if you pitch to me, that is what will happen every time." He shows no respect for the game right now, and it is beyond me why one of his teammates won't pull him to the side and say enough is enough. Of course, that probably hints to the kind of leadership that the Brewers have on their team. You don't like people throwing at your head? You want pitchers to stop? Then, quit taunting the other team and acting like you're the first person to ever hit a home run! These pitchers obviously pitch in the big leagues and are going to get a lot of home runs hit off of them in their career. It's not going to faze them if Braun hits a home run against them, and he needs to quit acting like it's going to. He's a very good young player and is one of the best home run hitters in today's game. He doesn't need to kill his relationship with fans and become hated by every other team with his bush league tactics and his taunting. He's hit a lot of home runs, and he needs to act like it. Just hit the home run and get around the bases. No need to flip bats, wave arms, stick out tongues, take a slow walk and become the most hated player in your division and maybe all of baseball. Braun has a lot of growing up to do to say the least.

Simple question: How much time do they give JR? I don't mean this year (only his second year), but it's going to happen eventually because the Pirates aren't going to win anytime soon. The Pirates are going to put the blame on somebody, and it's going to be Russell. Of course, it's not his fault that the Pirates have been hit with a rash of injuries early on, and that Moss is putrid and Adam LaRoche goes on extreme hot and cold streaks. He can only play the players that he has available to him. Do I think it's fair? No, because let me put it this way: If Joe Torre came to Pittsburgh, he would lose just as many games as Russell, and if Russell went to L.A., he would win just as many games as Torre is right now. You have to have players to compete and win. It's safe to say the Pirates don't have a lot them. Nevertheless, it's about winning, and the Pirates haven't had a lot of it in 16 years. So his firing really is inevitable. But when is it going to be? How many years does he get? Give me your opinions.

Matt Stafford is now employed by the Detroit Lions. Everybody knows that Jevan Snead and Tim Tebow are current stars in the SEC (Lord, if you don't know about Tebow, you've been living under a rock for the past 3 years). Who is the up-and-comer or the freshly-signed signal caller that will be on campus this fall that is going to be the next great SEC quarterback in a year or two? Who is your pick, or picks, and what are your thoughts? 

Hey everybody. I know I'm going to catch some flak for posting this because I have been wanting Craig Monroe, or really anybody else, to get some starts in RF over putrid Brandon Moss for over two weeks now and most people on here don't agree with me, but I really don't care anymore. Here's a piece by Post-Gazette sportswriter Bob Smizik about giving Monroe a chance to start in right field with Moss' struggles persisting. Smizik basically repeats everything that I have been saying for two weeks now. Enjoy.

Nate McLouth is apparently healthy enough to go as he is back in his usual 3-hole in the lineup for tonight's game against the Cincinnati Reds. John Russell said he was going to put McLouth through batting practice and certain drills to make sure he was pain free, and although I don't think they have taken batting practice yet, I guess he went through Russell's drills with no pain. Hopefully, BP will go smoothly for him, he won't feel any pain or tightness, and he will be able to go tonight for sure. This is a much needed boost to the Pirates' lineup as the Pirates look to get back in the win column after being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this week.

I was reading the Pirates' page on the Post-Gazette website today. I came across today's (Thursday) Q&A transcript with Dejan Kovacevic. I have been saying for over a week now that it's ridiculous to continue to play Brandon Moss when he's an automatic 0-for-4 in the middle of the lineup. Well, a question was posed to Kovacevic concerning Moss' situation. Here's the question with Kovacevic's answer:

Q: How long is Brandon Moss' leash?

With our injury situation he has been batting third even though he has put up abysmal numbers all year. I see Delwyn Young with more upside and would like to see him get a shot. Also, from what I understand he was regarded more highly as a prospect.

Josh Johnson of Auburn, Ala.

KOVACEVIC: His leash apparently is shorter than most had expected, Josh, given that he already has been benched multiple times in favor of Craig Monroe or Eric Hinske, and that it took a rash of injuries to get him into the top part of the order.

The Pirates are adamant that they like Moss, in particular because of his power potential. But it is awfully hard to miss, under any circumstance, that he has only one RBI this year, and that coming on a groundout. And that is no accidental stat: Moss is a .297 hitter with nobody on base, but he is 1 for 19 with a runner on, 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

That is simply terrible.

I raised the issue of Moss' struggles with men on base after a glaring such effort in Houston last September, and it drew some criticisms from readers who thought I was being premature and unfair. Moss is not exactly throwing that concept back in anyone's face.-

Excuse me for a minute while I laugh. Apparently, me and the Pirates' beat writer are on the same page while people who don't know a whole lot about baseball want Russell to keep him in the starting lineup! Why? I have no idea. The stats in the answer Kovacevic gave don't lie. The guy can hit a little bit when nobody is on base, but he is the definition of choke when there's an opportunity to drive in runs. 1 for 19 with a runner on base?!? 0 for 11 with RISP?!?! Are you kidding me? And you people insist that he should start everyday?? Unbelievable. Yes, he's young and he has some potential, but he shown so far this year--and in his time here last year--that he can't come through in the clutch. With Doumit and McLouth out right now, we have to have someone else step up and drive in big runs (in addition to LaRoche), and the answer to that is not Moss. To quote Kovacevic, continuing to play Moss right now is "simply terrible."

Pedro Alvarez continues to make the dramatics a large part of his game early on in his professional baseball career. Alvarez led off the seventh inning of a tie game with a solo HR to put the Hillcats on top for good in a 5-4 win on Monday night. His average is not that great right now, but it will come; and honestly, I would be a lot more concerned if he wasn't showing any power rather than the average, which is definitely not the case. He does, however, show the ability early in his career to come through time and time again in the most crucial situations when his team needs him the most. Walk-off HRs, go-ahead HRs, and clutch RBI hits are what he is providing right now, and those are signs of a great clutch player. He does not have the average right now that people would like for him to have, including, of course, himself. That will come! He started off the first couple of games on a tear and don't kid yourself, those single A teams are well aware of who Pedro Alvarez is and what kind of damage he can do with his lumber. Teams simply haven't given him anything to hit since the first week of the season, and just like any young player coming into the pros, Alvarez is getting frustrated and chasing some bad pitches. Once he starts seeing the ball a little bit better and realizing it's okay to take a walk and let the hitter behind him make the pitcher pay, the average and OBP will start to slowly climb upward. I can not wait to see this kid in the 'Burgh in 2010!

Hello everyone. It's me again, thelumberco. I've been pondering this for a while and I have to ask it: Is Steve Pearce's time in the Pirates' organization all but done? This guy won Minor League Player of the Year back in 2007, but has regressed significantly since then. He had a cup of coffee with the big league club at the end of '07 and '08 and stunk up the joint both years. This year, he had been hitting in the .100's in Triple-A until this week when he finally showed up and he is sitting just above the Mendoza line. With studs like Tabata and McCutchen waiting in the wings (Cutch will obviously be up at some point this year), there's no room for him in Pittsburgh. The Pirates STILL haven't seen him translate his minor league power to the majors, and he's not going to hit for average. How long do the Pirates wait on him? Should they wait on him? What do they do? Post your thoughts and comments.

Haha! This is hilarious. The Nationals, who are off to a dismal 1-10 start to begin the young season, are so desperate that they are calling up Kip Wells, the former Bucco pitcher, from Triple-A Syracuse to pitch! Wow, now that is the definition of desperate! Kip Wells couldn't even make the Nationals starting rotation, and now he's getting a shot out of need basically. Look, I know the Pirates aren't anything to write home about, but it would suck to be a Nationals fan right now. They are terrible! Good luck to them, and to Kip Wells. They need it.

Pedro Alvarez continues to do what Alvarez does: hit and impress! With Lynchburg trailing by a run in the top of the 9th against Wilmington, Pedro hit a solo HR to send the game to extra innings today. I think the game is still in progress right now, but this guy just continues to impress. Get him to Pittsburgh at the end of this year, and get LaRoche out of town! I don't know if he will play 1B or 3B, but regardless, one of the LaRoche's is going to lose a job. You know, I hate to say it, but I hope it's Adam.

Pedro Alvarez, the Pirates' prized prospect and No. 1 draft pick in 2008, hit a walk-off HR in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Hillcats over the Winston-Salem Dash on Thursday night. He snapped a 0-for-18 skid on Wednesday night with a hit and then promptly went 2-for-4 on Thursday night with a 2-RBI single in addition to the walk-off bomb. In all, he had six RBI's on Thursday night. This guy's legendary status is continuing to grow and grow, and Pirate fans are drooling over this guy. I really believe he will be the closest thing that baseball has seen to Albert Pujols in a while when he finally does make it to the majors. This kid has it all. Warning to Andy LaRoche: You better start hitting because the experiment may be over before it even got started.  Here's another interesting tidbit: I was watching the Pirates' 2009 preview on ESPN.com and Buster Olney was talking about the Pirates. This came out of his mouth: Pedro Alvarez will be in Pittsburgh sometime in 2009. Look, I don't know where he got his information (he didn't say in the piece I watched), but if anybody has the inside scoop, Buster Olney does. Very interesting, and I wish they would bring him up right now (haha, not really but...).

The Pirates couldn't muster anything against journeyman Mike Hampton tonight as the Buccos fell 4-1 to the Houston Astros. Not all was lost, however, as Adam LaRoche went 2-for-4 with a HR. His average sits at .264 here very early in the season. This 2-hit night come on the heels of a 3-for-4 outing Monday afternoon with a 2-run HR. I have given Adam LaRoche the biggest earfull for his woeful hitting in the past two seasons with Pittsburgh and have been his biggest critic, but rightfully so. He has done absolutely nothing the past two seasons in the first half. I can only hope that LaRoche is going to make me eat my words about him this year! I hope I am totally wrong about him, and he goes off the first half. I will stand up proudly and be the first one to say I was wrong about him in 2009. He still has a lot of work to do, but his start is encouraging. I don't know if he had 3 HRs by the time June got here in 2007 and 2008, and Lord knows he was never close to seeing a .200 batting average in April or May. He has 3 HRs and a .264 average. It's still a bit early, but this is a lot better than seeing his average below .100. Pirate fans can only hope he finally has a good first half this year! Oh yeah, I would like to win some games, too.

I'm ready for the Pirates to bust out the new black tops. We just had a 7-game road trip and wore gray on gray everyday. What's up with that? Bust out the black! It looks sharp! What are they waiting on? Are they going to wear them only on the road or at home, too? I was just wondering. Also, do the Pirates still have their Sunday pinstripes, or do they have another new alternate home uniform? Regardless, I'm ready for them to don the black! It will look great!

I'm not going to look too much into it (who are we, Yankee fans?), but Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit have combined for three hits in the first four games of the season. Not exactly the start that I, nor any other Pirates' fan, was looking for from the two players that are going to have to carry the team this year at the plate, but it is still VERY, VERY early. Do they just need a few more games to get going, or are there legit concerns?

Ok, I've had enough of watching this guy! He went 0-5 tonight. Four of those at-bats, he had runners in scoring position. This guy can't deliver a big hit the first half of the year to save his life. Put Hinske at 1B! Somebody, anybody but LaRoche! I know there's somebody out there that can get at least one hit with runners in scoring position. It's sickening to watch him do the same old crap over and over! You know exactly what he is going to do. One of three things: Strike out, ground out to 2B, or ground out to 1B! Every time! If I'm wrong, somebody tell me.  

Why in the world was Yates pitching the 9th? We've got a 4-run lead. Capps pitches the 9th, not Yates! Yates doesn't get an out and finally, Capps gets in and closes it out. I have to wonder what the heck Russell was thinkin' right there. Hey, a win's a win, and I'm happy, but geez. Don't take any chances like that. That was a weird move by Russell. Capps hadn't pitched since Monday, so fatigue wasn't an issue.

How do ya'll think Zach Duke will fare against Albert and Co. tonight? My prediction: Duke has looked better this spring, but I just don't see it carrying over to the regular season. He's way too hittable. He has to keep the ball LOW if wants any chance to be successful tonight. With Pujols and Ludwick and the rest of that lineup, I see another long night for the Buccos. 8-4 Redbirds.

What in the world has Morgan done to deserve a starting spot?!? If I'm missing something on him, please tell me. I've heard people say, "Well, he has been a pretty good minor league player his entire career and he has waited his turn so he deserves to start." Excuse me while I roll on the floor and laugh hysterically!  He's hitting in the .100s this spring (McCutchen by the way, .308). He is a one-tool player while McCutchen is a four-tool player right now (still waiting on the power to show up, but it's starting to come around). All Morgan can do is run! That's it! He cannot hit for average or power and he has a weak arm. I don't want to hear about how he's been in the system for a long time and has done decent in the minor leagues. You should make the team based on what you do during that specific spring training! The fact that Morgan has been a decent minor league player IN THE PAST and has waited his turn doesn't mean he deserves to be the starting LF. YOU EARN YOUR STARTING JOB THAT YEAR! What in the world has Morgan done this spring to warrant a starting job?!? Nothing! McCutchen needs to be starting! He's been "on the fence" for the past two years as far as making the team goes. He is a five-tool player, and one of the best prospects in baseball right now. Let him start this year! What's the worst that is going to happen?? We lose? Hahaha! We will have the same record with or without him. Let him go ahead and get a year of big-league experience under his belt! Morgan is a career minor-leaguer and is in his late 20s. McCutchen is 22 and will be the be one of the elite players for the Pirates for a long time to come. I just don't understand it.