Thursday, April 1, 2010

Cleaning out the Inbox

We start with a pre-Opening Day or opening day inbox cleaning with a tip to my favorite fan of the wrestling game-Rachel.
Rachel out picked Scott Bowden over at my favorite grappling page Kentucky Fried Wrestling at predictions for Wrestlemania.
I entered her (since I wouldn't have the slightest idea) and she earned a mention by the Colonel himself at KFR.
Rachel has become quite skilled at mat wrestling as she demonstrated during a recent visit to our home by the Masked Superstar in the picture shown.
Congratulations, Rachel!!

Time for a few Pirate notes as the Pirates added pitcher Hayden Penn off waivers from Florida and then designated Brandon Moss for assignment.
Moss would have to clear waivers to be assigned to AAA Indianapolis.
I can see Moss being claimed (and then the claiming team would have to make a deal with Pittsburgh) as he still could be looked at as having potential, but it would not surprise me if he made it through at this time of year as teams may not want to acerbate roster problems as they are down to their final few cuts.
Moss has been quite a disappointment as a Pirate and it could as simple as a player failing to handle the pressure of being (along with Andy LaRoche) the most visible part of the Jason Bay trade.
Perhaps a new city could turn things around for Moss.

Penn was a former highly touted arm from the Oriole system and was rocketed through the minors and made his Baltimore debut at 20, but the Orioles seemingly ruined him with the hurried move as his numbers were bad and arm injuries piled up as well.
Penn was one of a few that Baltimore ripped off the vine far too soon around the same period, zapping their young pitching in the process.
Penn spent last year split between Florida and AAA New Orleans and was primarily a reliever in Miami.
Penn is still only 25, so perhaps a comeback is not out of the question and these are the types of gambles that Pittsburgh should take occasionally.

The Pirates hammered out an extension with Fox Sports Pittsburgh for televised coverage of Pirate games and although I doubt they were battling any other bidders for the rights, one thing is a positive for Bucco fans.
FSN will increase its coverage from the 120s to a minimum of 150 games and add a winter "Hot Stove " show to the network as well.
This also should end the monthly Thursday afternoon home game that no one is ever able to see on TV and even though the Pirates are usually long out of the race, the days of next to no games being aired in September are history as well.
Maybe one year down the road, the Bucs could be good enough for FSN to show a baseball game instead of one of those wonderful Steeler pre-season scrimmages.
I won't hold my breath waiting for that one.

The Pirates have also added some new menu items at PNC Park.
Some of the additions seem pretty good, others are not as much.
Check out the new arrivals here.

I realize the Hagerstown Suns home opener is one week from today and the weather over the next few days is projected to be positively fantastic, but guess which day in the ten-day forecast is scheduled to have rain?
Yep, you guessed it-opening day.
One can hope the forecasters are wrong, considering the lengthy time for things to change, but such is a baseball fan's luck...

The end of the Super Six bout between Andre Dirrell and Arthur Abraham ended in controversy when Dirrell slipped to the canvas and Abraham knocked him cold in the eleventh round, giving Dirrell the win by disqualification.

Dirrell was far ahead on my scorecard, so the right guy won, but Abraham seemed to be coming on with a knockdown in the tenth (which was not scored as one by referee Lawrence Cole) and Dirrell seemed to be running out of gas.
The DQ and Dirrell being unable to continue seemed legit to me, but I do think Abraham's decision might have cost him a dramatic come from behind knockout.

One new mail arrival as former Brave pitcher Preston Hanna signed four cards.

Finally, check out the usually hilarious Bill "the sports guy" Simmons take on Wrestlemania.
Simmons's commentary is often great (his top 50 NBA draft moments is an all-time classic) and he delivers again as he looks at the circus that is Wrestlemania...

Photo Credits
Rachel-Cherie Heimberger
Penn-Baltimore Sun

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