Pittsburgh Pirates

So, how long do you think it'll take management to capitalize on this golden opportunity?  Crosby night.  Of course you'd see a couple thousand No. 87 Sidney Crosby jerseys in the stands, but what's the chance you'll see a BOBBY Crosby jersey in the stands?  Not likely. What are the chances Crosby wears the No. 87 with the Pirates?  Again, not likely.

The Pittsburgh Pirates bid to get a Single-A team in Bradenton, FL has been approved by the Florida State League’s upper echelon.

Approved is the purchase of the Cincinnati Reds Class A team in Sarasota, FL. Pittsburgh already has their Spring Training facility and Gulf Coast League team in Bradenton as part of Pirate City.

You (probably) can hold out for more than the $15 million a year Boston is reportedly offering you, Jason Bay.

Based on his hitting, Jason Bay would be a "five win" (above replacement, or WAR) player. At $4 million a WAR, (the going free agent rate), Bay should be worth something like $20 million a year, at least for the first two years. (Maybe with third and fourth year cuts to $18 and $15 million to reflect his aging.)

Donald Veal, acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2008 Rule V draft, may finally be displaying the talent that many have believed he possessed. 

He has struggled since being promoted to Double-A in 2007 (with the Cubs) to the point that the Pirates tried him out of the bullpen last season (with awful results).

In the Arizona Fall League, he appears to have rediscovered himself:

3 Wins
16.2 Innings
0.54 ERA
0.74 WHIP
17 Strikeouts (9.44 K/9)
2 Walks (1.11 BB/9)
.259 BABIP

Akinori Iwamura isn't going to make the Pirates a winning baseball team.

He's a nice player and a viable starting second baseman, provided he is healthy. His bat plays well at the position—his .354 career on-base percentage is actually significantly better than Freddy Sanchez', although he does not have as much gap power—and he has an average glove for a second baseman.

Reports out of Tampa late Tuesday afternoon are that the Rays have dealt second baseman Akinori Iwamura to the Pittsburgh Pirates. It is believed that the Rays will receive reliever Jesse Chavez in return, but the full details of the deal have not yet been released.

Iwamura was hurt early in 2009 and lost his job to surprising All-Star Ben Zobrist. The Rays had been rumored to be shopping Iwamura to a number of teams, including a deal that would have sent him to the Chicago Cubs with Pat Burrell in exchange for Milton Bradley.

Freddy Sanchez is a good "sport." The Pittsburgh Pirates' management is not.

Sanchez re-signed with the San Francisco Giants at a total of $12 million for two years, or $6 million per. This compares to the $10 million that FanGraphs values him at for 2009 alone.

My readers know that I would have gladly offered Sanchez $12 million for ONE year. Given a limping second half, after his strong first half, that may represent an overpayment for his baseball contributions. It would probably fairly values his baseball AND civic contributions to the city.

Mark Cuban is in Pittsburgh this week, and because of this, rumors are flying that he may be interested in purchasing the Pirates.

On the surface, people may ask why would he be interested in buying a team that has been so bad for so long? Simple, he is from Pittsburgh.

Last year, there were rumors that he was interested in purchasing the Steelers. The Rooney family was in the middle of having to sell part of the team, and Cuban wanted to be involved.

Things happened, and it did not work out. That does not mean he is not interested in rebuilding the Pirates.

Article originally posted on www.stadiumjourney.com

Pittsburgh’s beautiful PNC Park receives accolades as being one of the best of the 21st century ballparks.

There is no doubt that the Pirates did everything right. Location, scenery, and fitting tributes to the Pirates' rich history are all done just right. Unfortunately, what’s missing is the product and patrons.