The Pirates won one in the ninth. Has the aura of “win” rubbed off the Steelers onto the hapless Pirates? Or is this just a statistical anomaly in a 160+ game season?
A New Day
by John Cole| 27 Comments
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A New Day
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ronin122
Meh, try being a Cubs fan. That’s all I have to say.
Leo v.2.0
Doesn’t hurt that the Cards seem to be taking their cues on rebuilding from the Republican party.
Sarcastro
Braves win. It’s been an age since I really gave two shakes though. They got way too pretty in the 90s. No more coke freaks like Otis Nixon nor Mark Lemke smoking in the dugout. I grew up with Phil Niekro for chrisake, I can’t handle a Braves squad with Chipper Jones on it.
Stannate
As a Cubs fan, I’m happy to see the Cardinals have carried forth last season’s horrid bullpen into 2009. It gives me hope that Saint Louis will have yet another mediocre season, causing their fans to retreat into nostalgia and count off their World Series rings–most of which were won over 40 years ago–as the present-day team struggles for relevance.
In other words, what Leo v.2.0 said.
HyperIon
Ichiro has a bleeding ulcer. That’s what playing for the Mariners gets you. Yet we are supposed to be thrilled that Griffey is back. I remember when lots of folks said he was a lock to break Aaron’s HR record. Then he went to Cincy and was injured for about 8 years.
Bostondreams
And the Yanks and their expensive investment got clobbered by the Orioles today. Sweet sweet suffering.
I’m so glad it’s baseball season at last!
joe from Lowell
LoL! So mean.
MikeJ
Mariners start as expected, three up, three down.
handy
Mariners? Wow, really?
Anyhoo…Cubs up on the Stros. Hopefully they can build off last year (well, the regular season anyway).
Who the hell am I kidding, it’s the Cubs I’m talking about here. I mean, for God’s sake, we’ve got a guy in the White House who’s a White Sux fan. Yep. Gonna be a long four years.
MikeJ
I understand he’s requiring Cubs fans to go to FEMA reëducation camps.
donovong
Yes, John, please get your hopes up! Please allow yourself to be fooled into giving a shit about the Pirates, and buy ino the promise of "What Could Be!"
So that I am not the only one crying in my beer at the end of the season when the Braves choke again. We can console each other.
JenJen
Game 1, John Cole, Game 1.
Put your fandom on ice. As much as I adore Opening Day, nothing shakes out in baseball until early-to-mid June.
(To be fair I had this same conversation with my Pirates-Loving Roberto-Clemente-Altar-Worshipping father this afternoon)
Tedlicious
I was rooting for the Bucs today. I hate the Cardinals almost as much as the Cubs. Most Brewers fans do. Pittsburgh has been the one team that has given the Brewers almost as much trouble as the other two, though, so my support of the Bucs will be limited to series against St. Louis, Chicago and Houston.
Anoniminous
More like a random fluctuation in a quantum universe.
apikoros
OK, reality time, go here and look at the worst. NO major league team since the 160 game season came in has won fewer than 40 games (Mets, 1962), so you can, in all probability, look forward to at least 40 happy evenings, probably more.
Personally, I am happy when (a) the Os win or (b) the damned Yankees lose…. tonight I got a twofer and am extremely pleased.
Ash Can
I can’t believe I’m actually happy to have a White Sox fan for president.
EriktheRed
No, John.
My Cubs are the ones who will take the division this year (again) so they can go on to choke badly in the first round of playoffs (again).
Ed in NJ
The Pirates won 67 games last time the Steelers won in 2006 after winning 67 the year before. Last year they won 67. I think it’s safe to project another 67 win season, although Nate Silver projects 68 wins. So there’s that.
Go Yankees
NonWonderDog
Stay classy, Toronto.
Tim
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.
burnspbesq
Some baseball genius once said that every team will win 50 and lose 50 every year, but what they do with the other 62 determines whether the team succeeds or fails. The problem is that it is impossible to identify the other 62 until after the season ends.
Except in the case of the Mets on Opening Day. Opening Day is one of the 50 that the Mets always win. Since 1970, the Mets are 31-9 on Opening Day.
Still, it was nice to see the pen (a) hold a lead and (b) make it look like holding the lead was not a fluke or the result of divine intervention.
I should know better, but I am cautiously optimistic about this year.
"Fair and Balanced" Dave
It’s just a statistical anomaly. The Pirates won the 2007 and 2008 season openers against, respectively, Atlanta and Houston. It didn’t make any difference as they then proceeded to suck for the remainders of those seasons.
Poopyman
Did he really? That Nate Silver is a wild man!
No no. This is going to be the Pirates’ breakout year. Fer real.
Did I spell "breakdown" right?
Rod Hoffman
The Bucs are in first place and the Yanks are in last.
I say we call it a season.
Sam Hutcheson
1. Totally random anomaly. The Bucs still suck. Badly.
2. The Braves are better than many realize, but they’ll be much better next year.
3. Given a standard aging curve – i.e. not the Dale Murphy, Andruw Jones "fall off a cliff" variety – Chipper Jones will likely end his career as the third best 3B to ever play the game.
Vlad
Who cares whether it’s a fluke. It’s still cool in and of itself.
Right up until Jack hit the double, I didn’t believe it’d really happen.
Sam Hutcheson
Who cares whether it’s a fluke.
No one with a heart. Me, on the other hand…
Honestly, if the Bucs shock the Central I have no problem with that. I remember Pittsburgh fondly. There’s that scene with Andy Van Slyke sitting in center, crying like a girl… Man, I love that scene.