All Aboard the Pirate Ship?

As you may know, last year (2012) I bought season tickets for the second half after the Pirates showed they could compete. This blog -- Season Tickets, Baby -- documents a new, changing experience at PNC, a shift in perspective. It hopes to follow a fan base refocusing -- from fireworks and free t-shirts to pennant races and trade acquisitions; from dippin' dots to developing prospects.

I felt satisfied with my purchase last year. I got about a month and a half of good, meaningful games, and I sold enough tickets to make back most of my original cost. But the late season collapse (twice) -- coupled with increased ticket prices this year (seriously?) -- left me convinced I shouldn't re-up my package. My thinking leveled out over the off season, feeling good about Russell Martin, a full year of Wandy, etc, but still didn't think it wise to purchase a package at the beginning of the new year. Why not wait again like last year and see if they demonstrate the ability to compete at a high level consistently?

Now ticket prices have settled down a little bit. No, I'll never get outfield box seats for 12$ a ticket again -- tremendous deal last year -- but it came down from 24$ to 21$. Last year I bought the remaining 45 games -- every home game left -- but right now the full season prorated package only gives you 30 games. I don't know why they don't give the full package, but I actually like it better this way, given the price increase. In other words, I can pay closer to the same overall price, and just get two thirds as many games -- rather than getting the same number of games at a significantly higher cost.

Approaching the midway point this year it sure looks like the Buccos will stay in it. (All of the "Are the Pirates for real this year?" talk started in May, and the team has only improved since.) Of course, it looked that way last year, didn't it? But you can see the obvious differences in this year's team: Russell Martin and Starling Marte; a legitimately powerful Pedro; lock-down, playoff caliber bullpen; an incredibly deep starting rotation; and Andrew McCutchen hasn't fully heated up yet.

The Pirates, on June 28, 2013, reached first place in the NL Central, passing the Cardinals for the best record in all of Major League Baseball, nearing the halfway point in the season. That certainly bodes well. Ruhl well, as we say in the 'Burgh.

Let me consider a few reasons not to buy, though. One, if Tricia starts grad school in the Fall she probably won't attend games with me in September :-(. Two, the Pirates pitching can not sustain this level of run prevention. Three, it's the freakin' Pirates. Three solid reasons, to be sure, but not enough to make the risk outweigh the reward at this point...Let's buy! I think. What do you think?

Pirates Strengthen Roster with Wandy and Starling

Things are going so well for the Pirates they were able to move a guy who has won a career best 6 straight starts to the bullpen.

Starling Marte homers
on the first pitch of his major league career

So well, in fact, that top hitting prospect Starling Marte, promoted to the Big Leagues Thursday, hit a homerun on the first pitch he saw as a Pirate.  The first pitch!  You'd think a 23 year old whose never played in the major leagues before, leading off the game no less -- the very first batter of the game -- you'd think he might take a pitch.  Get a feel for things.  Relax for a moment.  Maybe take a deep breath.  Work the count a little.  But if there's one thing Pirates lead off hitters don't do, it's show patience.  Marte took a whack at the first pitch and sent it sailing over the left field wall.  Magical.  You can watch the homerun here.

Speaking of magic, the day before Marte was promoted, General Manager Neal Huntington waved his magic wand and acquired one of the best left handed pitchers in the National League, Wandy Rodriguez, from the Houston Astros.  No, I didn't say Ryan Ludwick.  I said Wandy Rodriguez, a guy who has totaled 10 wins above replacement in the last 2 and a half seasons.  The Pirates already have a right handed, 35 year old starting pitcher making over 10 million dollars, most of which is being paid by a larger revenue club.  Now they have a left handed, 35 year old starting pitcher making over 10 million dollars and being paid mostly by his former team.  

Yes, the Pittsburgh Pirates, who, by the way, have now hit more homeruns this year than all of last year, the Pixburgh Pirates, redheaded step-brother of the Penguins and Steelers, the Pirates currently employ two starting pitchers who make over 10 million dollars.  Earlier this year they signed their best player to a contract that runs through 2018.  They've spent more money on the draft than any other team since 2007.  Should we have seen this on field turnaround coming?  Well, no.  It's not like they have been dumping money into the team for years.  Yes, they did add rather than subtract last year at the deadline, but still, other than the draft spending, this is all new.  This will take some getting used to.  I need to say it again. The Pirates added a good, expensive player at the trade deadline.  And this:  The Pirates top hitting prospect came up and made an immediate impact on the big league club.

And let's not overlook the timing of both of these events.  All season fans and pundits have wondered when Marte, a youngster from the Dominican Republic, would be called up from the minors.  Now, with the acquisition of Rodriguez, also a native of the Dominican, the timing is perfect -- and perhaps not coincidental.  "I'm happy to have another Dominican in the clubhouse," Marte said. "He's a veteran guy and I hope to be able to pick his brain. He can lead me in the right direction." -- reports Tom Singer for MLB.com

So not only are they 14 games over .500, have the third best record in the National League and a 77% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN.  It's not just that they have the leading NL MVP candidate and the best pitching staff in the division.  They're doing it all the right way.  They've acquired and developed talent -- McCutchen, Alvarez, Walker, McDonald.  They've added some of the right veterans -- Burnett, Barajas, Hanrahan, and now Wandy Rodriguez.  They have more players on the way or chips to trade -- Taillon, Cole, Marte, Heredia.  

I made it to 4 games on the last homestand and easily sold the other 2 games.  All is well in Season Ticket Land and I'm looking forward to more home games starting August 6th, a long homestand against the western division...