Back after a few crazy days-Pirates edition

It took a while,but I am back after a few crazy,but fun days.
Lots of personal things going on (all good) that have kept me hopping!
I'll attempt to catch up sometime today,but fair warning-I haven't seen the last three Pirate games,so not sure how much I bring to the table on that.

I did see the Pittsburgh debut of James McDonald,who was very impressive.
I really liked McDonald's overhand curve,which you don't see from righthanders nearly as much as you used to.
It seems to me that righties favor the slider more than the curveball in today's game.

I also saw the Pedro Alvarez walkoff homer game and that had to be the most excitement that I had seen in PNC Park in quite a while.
It is evenings like that one that give Pirate fans hope for the Huntington plan working out and showing that Pittsburgh fans can care about the Bucs just as much as they support the Steelers and Penguins.

I should be in good shape to see tonight's game (last before I return to work) and tomorrow's (thanks to San Diego for scheduling a late afternoon game) before missing Friday's game in Houston before seeing the final two games against the Astros.

The Pirates fired pitching coach Joe Kerrigan and bench coach Gary Varsho,both supposedly for disloyalty to John Russell,who apparently has entrenched himself into the organization as a stalwart as he claimed the firings were "His call".
Don't look for this to change much on the field much in either a positive or negative fashion.

The Pirates did make a few roster moves as Ryan Doumit returned from a rehab assignment,which meant that Erik Kratz was returned to Indianapolis.
Indianapolis backup Luke Carlin was then sent to the Indians as the past considerations for Brian Bixler,Bixler was traded to the Nationals last week in return for cash considerations.
Whew!

We mentioned the Pirates had come to an agreement with 4th round pick Nick Kingham before we left,but Kingham signed for a bonus of 480,000.
The Bucs also signed Brandon Cumpton a Georgia Tech righthander and ninth rounder as well as seventeenth rounder Ryan Hafner.
Cumpton is headed to State College with Kingham and Hafner headed to the GCL.


The Pirates are still in talks with Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie.
The deadline is midnight next Monday and I look for things to go down to the wire,but I am encouraged that both sides have been quiet about the discussions.
That is usually a very good sign.

Pittsburgh is currently 39-73 on the season and with the latest Baltimore win streak have moved to just a half game behind the Orioles for the leagues worst record and therefore first pick in next year's draft.

I hope to be back later with more news on the Hagerstown Suns move for a new ballpark and the Devils having to try to sign Ilya Kovalchuk all over again after his contract being voided.