Pittsburgh Pirates

As the Reds said goodbye to Ed Smith Stadium Pittsburgh sent the away with another loss to end their spring in Sarasota Florida.

All-Star pitcher Edinson Volquez struggled as he gave up three runs (two earned runs) and walked three and gave up five hits in 3.2 innings pitched. Volquez had four K's.

Pedro Alvarez is perhaps one of the best prospects in baseball.

Undeniably, he is the single most important prospect for the future of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Understandably, it makes sports writers a bit peeved that he and agent Scott Boras, already not exactly a media darling, held out during contract negotiations and caused a big stir last season.

However, can we please get over articles expressing sentiments like this one?

The Pirates organization has been on a downfall since they lost Barry Bonds. Over the past five years, their highest win total was 72, and that was in 2004. Least year they only managed to grab 67 wins. This organization is getting pathetic but there is hope to those who wait.

Players like Nate McLouth, Andrew McCutchen, and Andy LaRoche are coming into their own and soon enough, if they don't get traded them and pitchers Ian Snell, Zach Duke, and Tom Gorzelanny will blossom. This year is not the year though.

Keep an eye on: Steve Pearce, of

I just returned from visiting the Hoard Museum in Fort Atkinson, Wis., where today was the last day that the Roberto Clemente exhibit would be there, and I didn't want to miss it.  I called my friend Nick up and we drove over.

When we arrived we were met by a nice older couple who ran the place.  They gave us a bit of information and showed us the way to a small hall where a video from the PBS series American Experience would be shown about Clemente's life. 

Here are the lineups:

YANKEES
Jorge Posada C
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Hideki Matsui DH
Xavier Nady RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Cody Ransom 3B
Ramiro Pena 2B
Eduardo Nunez SS

This could quite possibly be the most fascinating time in Pittsburgh sports history.

The Steelers have just won their second Super Bowl in four years and the Penguins flirted with the Stanley Cup last season featuring the dynamic duo of Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.

The Pitt Panthers men's basketball team drifted in and out of the No. 1 ranking while the university's football team saw a 9-3 resurgence and a trip to the Sun Bowl.

The one thing missing from this picture is Pittsburgh's oldest and most tradition-soaked team—the Pirates.

PIRATES 6, PHILLIES 5
at Clearwater, Fla.
Friday, March 13

Pirates on the mound

Left-hander Zach Duke threw the ball well in 3.2 innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk and struck out two. He got into a bases-loaded jam in the fourth after a leadoff single to Eric Bruntlett, a two-out walk to Ryan Howard, and an error from third baseman Andy LaRoche to load the bases, but left-hander David Davidson took over and got out of the inning without a run scoring. Daniel McCutchen allowed five runs in 1.1 innings.

The Disciples of Doom have much less to talk about these days when it comes to the Pittsburgh Pirates. While the vultures have already begun their descent on the Houston Astros, fun in the sun seems to be the rule in Pirates camp. 

The long-maligned franchise may have finally begun to see that glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Pittsburgh is, by no means, looking ready to thrash the New York Yankees in the World Series, but they might be ready to push a few teams behind them in the NL Central race.