Year of Pittsburgh Pirates Rebirth? I’ll Believe It When I See It

The calendar reads early July, which means there’s plenty of season left in baseball. At any giving time now, the emerging Pittsburgh Pirates can stumble, go astray, and, well, drop out of first place in the NL Central, given the team’s prior history to only dominate their division for a few days before it becomes a total loss, in which they were inhibited from clinching an eventual playoff berth that was never plausible.

Friday night, the home crowd stood, and not one fan in the stands was wearing a paper bag over their head and protesting against a hapless franchise. And as much as there is reason to have firm conviction in Pittsburgh, nine games over .500 for the first time since 1992 with the fourth-best record in baseball, there is a sense that they may not last very long in October. As you probably know, when the Pirates were pertinent and inherited a winning season, Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke and longtime skipper Jim Leyland anchored Pittsburgh. If you can recall the mediocrity and unflattering criticism, which wasn’t too long ago, then you know fans in the Steel City used to relentlessly attack the Pirates and had turned their heart and soul to the Steelers. It will always be a football territory, but now the Pirates bask in an unvanquished season, finally returning to the very top and giving the fans every reason to boast about their baseball team.

A long time ago, Pittsburgh was so horrific, it was painful to stomach — not even Captain Jack Sparrow could spare the Pirates' lives. Fans felt they were robbed and viewed it as fraud, a marketing sham they thought was run brilliantly by owner Robert Nutting. And nothing was more startling than documents being obtained by the Associated Press that showed Nutting, like a bandit robbing a bank, pocketing a massive amount of money as fans endorsed the franchise. The saddest part of this charade, an inevitable crossroads that demolished the tenor of a once respected major league team and yet was close to falling into debt from a financial disaster, is that the Pirates earned $29.4 million in profits during a span of the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

There will forever be talk of the Pirates’ blockheaded decisions, which they shipped All-Stars Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Nate McLouth and Jack Wilson away in trades, leaving every fan suspicious as no one quite understood their intentions. About 10 players, such as Tom Gorzelanny, Ian Snell, John Grabow, Xavier Nady, Adam LaRoche, Damaso Marte, Nyjer Morgan, Ronny Paulino and Sean Burnett, were arbitration-eligible before leaving Pittsburgh under free agency. The question as to why the Pirates traded slugger Jose Bautista comes back to haunt them, I’m sure, now that he has swung the bats exceptionally well since his arrival to Toronto. Today, I’m sure, the Pirates regret dealing a slugger with a home-run swing to drive in runs. The idea of them cleaning house was a bit fishy and strange when Pittsburgh had considerably possessed star power and almost eased into postseason mode. It was historic. Moves no one had ever seen in professional sports.

In fairness, aware of the mischances and bad decisions that set the franchise back — dismantling one of the hallmark franchises of baseball — it’s morally wrong to accuse a man of fraud when his organization encountered an economic disaster amid a wicked recession. What sure looks like a promising season happened sooner than expected, but winning or salvaging a division title is no guarantee in Pittsburgh. It’s a mentality to have as the Pirates so often blew division leads when fans actually felt it was their year, their moment to seize control and their moment to advance to the postseason, but the masses spoke too fast and Pittsburgh rapidly fell out of the pennant race. That could happen this season, as well, as you never know about the Pirates — you just never know — and yet the Pittsburgh population is building confidence in a team that relapsed a year ago.

The truth is, unless one believes the Pirates are capable of holding on to convince a long-suffering fan base that they are finally unwavering and strong, no one won’t take Pittsburgh seriously, ignoring the likes of Andrew McCutchen, Clint Barmes, A.J. Burnett, James McDonald and Jeff Karstens. It remains to be seen if the Pirates can keep riding the ship in the right direction and continue to be the best story in baseball, but Pittsburgh is know for captivating an audience and then eventually collapsing to miss the postseason. The crowd was behind the Pirates all the way last season, wishing for the very best considering the team’s fiascoes and struggles in the past, but it lasted no time.

It’s similar, to put it simply, to what the Pirates experienced last July, at a moment when winning seemed logical until Pittsburgh stumbled and lost a seven-game lead. So again, the Pirates have a chance to redeem themselves and erase the dreadful memories of a late-season collapse. There’s no reason for the Pirates to fall apart, but knowing them they probably will find a way to blow it and falter in the next few months, even if they have signed elite players and accumulated talent.

Burnett, who was acquired in a trade from New York for two inferior prospects after he struggled for three seasons in the Bronx, arrived from nowhere and has flourished in one of his best seasons since his days spent in Toronto. It’s been an incredible turning point for the right-handed pitcher, improving his mechanics and returning to form, with much more velocity on his fastball.

This is also happening when McDonald, who ranks sixth in the NL with a 2.45 ERA, is a young player emerging into an ace in the Pirates pitching lineup. Sometimes you have to play behind a veteran because of his expertise and flair, for which McDonald can grasp a better sense of the game and find out what it takes to pitch in the majors. And now, he serves an apprenticeship as a strikeout pitcher with his team, who can build a sound pitching rotation around him. There are turning points in the Pirates’ bullpen with the likes of Juan Cruz and Jason Grilli, who has been a lights-out reliever, managing the setup role. And, no less surprisingly, McCutchen is having an MVP type season and had three hits for the Pirates to lift his batting average to a National League-leading .360 in a 6-5 loss to the Giants in San Francisco that snapped Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak. The play of the 25-year-old McCutchen is flawless, riding a wave of dominant hitting and compiling monster numbers in his breakout campaign.

It’s funny how this is one of the hottest teams in baseball, and how we are so fast to jump onto the bandwagon, failing to realize this is a team that disappears and cannot ever salvage a lead to qualify for the postseason. Then again, maybe this is their year, thanks to the expansion of Major League Baseball’s playoffs with the extra wild card round. This season, unlike last summer, Pittsburgh is hopeful and reigns as the favorite to dominate the NL central. My first instinct — beyond the realm of possibility — is to believe it when I see it.

The Pirates can make it to the postseason with the addition of a few veterans in Erik Bedard and Rod Barajas. It’s hard to buy into the hype, but as of now Pittsburgh is atop the standings in its division, under the direction of manager Clint Hurdle. The fact that he was part of an improbable run the Colorado Rookies had in 2007 is amazing, as the Pirates are on a tear after Hurdle changed the disposition and gave them optimism. The question, as the Pirates have a reputation for faltering late in the season, is can the Pirates keep a commanding lead and surge in September?

They have been here before, with a chance to make it to the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, the last time Pittsburgh finished above .500 and nearly won Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series at Fulton-County Stadium in Atlanta. And through it all, the Pirates led the Braves 2-0, but then went on to lose 3-2 and Atlanta advanced to the World Series and lost to Toronto. I know. I can recall everything that happened on that night. I was a seven-year-old kid and remember watching that game with my late father. And ever since, I was immersed into America’s Pastime, the great game of baseball, just by watching an instant classic between the Pirates and Braves.

These Pirates are back, certainly, but can we truly believe in them? These Pirates are winning, but how long can it last and will it last? These Pirates are good, but just how good?

If they are still in this current state and winning by September, I’ll start believing.

Justin Verlander Wasn't Great, but Is the Beast of Fall

The readings of the radar gun, wildly indicating the velocities on the scoreboard in Comerica Park, were vicious and nasty delivered from Justin Verlander. He likes velocity. He studies the batters. And eventually, he throws 95-96 mph fastballs, pitching by far at his best in the postseason, a terrifying ace to face in the moment of hot streaks, especially when he finds a groove.

Back at home in Detroit, he was saluted by the waving towels of the feverous Tigers' fans, and heard the cheers of "M-V-P!" repeatedly. The struggles in the first inning, which Verlander couldn't track the speed or find the location of his pitches, troubled the Cy Young candidate as he allowed two runs and had to find his command.

There were times in his career, such as Monday night when he had a remarkable performance and had thrown his fastball that traveled faster than a car pursuit, that he was the strikeout machine. This was not his greatest outing but he had the meanest fastball, despite his inability to produce from the start in the Division Series, knowing his capabilities when he dominated the majors all season.

It was a spectacle, the undaunted pitches we all waited to see, throwing an array of fastballs and seen by spectators striking out the sides. In the town where fans have seen misfortune and not enough triumph -- including the economic downturns as the automakers crippled, as the unemployment rate increasingly rose and as the outcome of the text-messaging sex scandal involving the mayor turned uglier -- Verlander and the Detroit Tigers are the most enjoyable story for the community.

The early demise of the greatest pitcher in baseball never lasted long -- and in response to his blunders -- he stayed ahead in the pitch counts, found his location and attacked the strike zone.

The pitches were thrown well and traveled as fast as a Ferrari driving 100 mph, and when he had the ability to retire hitters, he had more confidence and he had plenty of discipline. Has there ever been a consistent star in this town that everyone adores? Absolutely. But the city has not seen a prodigal athlete in quite some time.

What we have here, mind you, is a pitcher as advertised, a spectacular panorama for baseball. Maybe he is fittingly what was needed for the sport with the reality of the situation. Because he has saved the sport from itself, and doesn’t seem to be a hoax in the majors, he is gladly admired and he is the primary sports figure in a town that witnessed him strike out Nick Swisher to end the fourth.

His manager, Jim Leyland, is not satisfied until the series is over, of course, but he is tense and Verlander relieved nerves when he struck the side in the fifth. In addition to that, he went after Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez in the sixth, with his 100 mph fastball that flew past the plate.

We can see the brilliance of Verlander, a legend on the rise before our very eyes. A star is certainly born in October. With talent comes greatness. And by virtue, with confidence comes diligence. It’s not bad for Verlander, who has become Mr. October, rising in autumn and regarded as the best pitching talent.

So while it wasn’t the best performance of his monumental career as a big-leaguer, he threw 120 pitches and stayed in the game most of the night. What we all know is, even when he struck out seven of the nine Yankees he faced, Verlander wasn’t dominant or impeccable as far as being unhittable.

And when he dealt with the flaws early, allowing a single to Derek Jeter on the first pitch, with no baseball pedigree to retire the side, Verlander rolled with it and rebounded. It’s one of the many reasons the Tigers are notoriously at a premium in Major League Baseball. No one ever doubted Verlander, but it’s indubitable he is ideally the untouchable ace in the fall and has beaten the Yankees.

There is, however, enough evidence to pinpoint that Verlander is exactly what baseball needs for a remedy, to finally jettison the fraud of poisoning baseball. So now, as the Tigers lead the best-of-five series 2-1 on the verge of dispatching the Yankees from the postseason, the storyline has been specifically on Verlander after throwing strikes in a 5-4 win in Game 3 on Monday night.

This was supposed to happen. This was not supposed to happen or what the Yankees had in mind, though, trailing the series with their season on the line. It doesn't seem to be getting better for the Yanks when manager Joe Girardi will hand the ball to A.J. Burnett for Game 4.

Really?

From the sound of this, the Yankees couldn't care less whether or not they lose, handing the ball to their worst pitcher in the lineup. The Yankees honestly believe they can pull it off with the lousy Burnett as the probable starter in the elimination game. Are the Yankees out of their damn minds? What is the franchise thinking?

But it is more than important to give credit where credit is due, and in reality, it is the Tigers, especially Verlander who potentially may have just won the series for Detroit. It has become known, with all the implications involved and when much is at stake for the right-hander, that Verlander capitalizes when it counts and certainly is cheered for delivering the hard-throwing fastball with every fiber in his vigorous arm.

So although he is dazzling, in the postseason from a far, Verlander, who has 24 wins and the pitching Triple Crown, is in pursuit to win the Cy Young award and could be named the MVP this year, the accolades won't be praiseworthy if the Tigers lose in the ALDS against the Yankees. It was only a matter of time that Verlander would take control in the second and breeze through the middle innings against one of the game's powerful lineups.

The obvious was that nothing was intriguing about the pitching duel, with CC Sabathia getting bullied by the Tigers, all while Verlander stunningly surrendered two runs that changed the dynamic of the game and quickly wiped away a 4-2 Detroit lead. Just like that, faster than Verlander's velocity, the Yankees tied it 4-4.

It was tense, giving Detroit fans the jitters, and even Leyland stood in the dugout nervously. Just as much as Lancelot gave loyalty to King Arthur, local fans in the stands believed in Verlander, a pitcher the team depends on greatly -- as, I presume, he elevates his intensity from the crowd. He has all the mechanics to be a legend, and he is recognized and simply peerless.

What fun to watch Verlander. He is easily, despite the ineffective pitching early on in the postseason, hitting 100 or 101 mph and reached it 15 times during the eighth-inning. But with two outs, he walked Jorge Posada and then hit Russell Martin in the ribs with a fastball.

Because he was a bit out of sync in the inning the Yankees scored two runs and tied it, but Delmon Young smashed a home run in the bottom of the seventh to erupt frenzy in the crowd. Leyland was confident in Verlander by staying with his ace for another inning. The plan was for him not to allow runners to score, and he certainly stopped it from happening by throwing fastballs to Alex Rodriguez on five pitches during the at-bat.

That's a good way to bounce back from Friday's poor performance. He was that good. In fact, he was unhittable from the second through the sixth, and thought he would attack the zone by releasing his fastballs and his curve balls that arched like a rainbow.

Falling in love with his fastballs, the motion he tends to go with frequently, the Yankees weren't hoping for Verlander to pull the string on his changeups but he certainly exercise the off-speed pitch.

And as a result, he fanned four in a row in the fourth and fifth that capped a ravishing night in the homeland of the Motor City.

Twins Believe In Wondrous Comebacks: No Mirage, It's an October Miracle

At last, a distressing night of madness came to a close, jolting relaxed Detroit fans who believed in Fang Power and pitches with roaring speed. Wouldn’t it have been nice for a town that has dealt with affliction the last few years to maintain a three-game lead with four games left?

Wouldn’t it have been nice for the Tigers to eschew a seven-game lead, including a divisional league that lasted four months before the Minnesota Twins exposed star power and reduced a lead forcing a final playoff game that decided a season?

Yes, the Tigers obviously collapsed, losing momentum at a time winning counts. Disappointed fans watched the Tigers relapsed a lead, which could’ve soothed an ailing town that has been battered with economic downturns.

Unemployment rates are high, jobs have crippled, and homicide rates have tripled in an environment that’s ultimately in disarray and could’ve profited with a victory in trouble times. If the Tigers had excelled and mastered a delightful postseason bid, at least for the next upcoming weeks it would’ve been enough to escape disastrous letdowns occurring.

But advancing to the postseason was mutual for the Twins, too. It’s their final season, playing inside the colossal Metrodome, a friendly environment that has engendered memories over the years. Just along in an epic turn-of-events, another memorable game was played inside a lively dome.

Mostly all Minnesotans are rambunctious these days, though some will suggest the noise factor was still from the Favre Ferve and Vikings hangover a night ago. But others will suggest that the Twins momentum and sudden intensity level is the difference in shifting attitudes.

I’ll honestly admit the noise factor was strictly centered on the Twins impressive winning streak. In recent weeks, they were the hottest and most appealing team in baseball, gradually moving into contention and rode a 17-4 record to pull even on the final weekend. It seemed things were slowly deteriorating, and those Tiger fangs were too brutal to match.

But the Twins refused to quit, withstanding a gusty clash with their divisional rivals. On a long night that suddenly finished charmingly, the Metrodome erupted in roars louder than the Tigers. Before you know it, a speedy Carlos Gomez raced home with the winning run off Alexi Casilla’s single to possess a 6-5 win in a 12 inning thriller, turning an uptight night into a towel-swinging, bumping, and fanfare frenzy.

It’s a bit surprising, but more so, it’s unbelievable that mostly everyone in America counted out the Twins. At the right time, they heated up, they never stopped believing and they stayed poised.

Since it took exactly 163 games to decide a winner, the last thing the Twins expected was a late night at the dome. Fatigued bodies could be a disadvantage, having to travel to New York immediately following their remarkable rally to win and awaken an entire community. Limited in time, the Twins had exactly 21 hours before they encounter an intriguing contest with the Yankees in Game One of the ALDS.

But now, the Twins are beloved by locals after a remarkable comeback earns our attention. That leaves us guessing if they’re an October Miracle this year. Let’s wait and see.

In the town itself, Joe Mauer is the beloved Twin, who greeted fans after clinching the division, and heard cheats “MVP, MVP, MVP!” They used to wear fake sideburns to praise the slugging catcher. Thus far, in his career, he has done incredible damage at the plate and won two batting titles.

As a team, the Twins played countless hours in an epic classic, but finally celebrated a hard-to-believe comeback. Lasting five hours, they were anxious to win after coming far and sensing joy as the innings prolonged. It’s not a mirage, winning 16 of their previous 20 games to catch the Tigers. It’s not an illusion, dominating a team with prominent pitching, without slugger Justin Morneau, the reigning American League MVP.

It’s not impossible beating a franchise that consisted of the league’s strikeout leader Justin Verlander or the 20-year old pitching sensation Rick Porcello, who pitched in the most important game of his lifetime. Of all places, he threw in a noisy environment and struggled with his command, yielding a run on a throwing error and surrendered a solo home run to Jason Kubel in the sixth inning.

It was a game that had much intensity and dramatic scoring. For much of the game, the scoreboard changed often. In a classical performance, Orlando Cabrera's two-run homer pumped the crowd in the seventh, which gave the Twins a 4-3 lead. That certainly wasn’t enough, when Magglio Ordonez tied it at 4-4 on his solo homer in the eighth. The unstoppable drama summarized how the game played out much of the night.

But at home plate, scoring runs were really intense. Detroit’s outfielder Ryan Raburn fired a cannon-arm throw to home, getting out Casilla to end the 10th. From there, momentum strictly shifted into the Twins favor, as Jim Leyland’s frequent mound visits and pitching chances weren’t enough to resolve issues.

Perhaps, it worked productively for Twins longtime skipper Ron Gardenhire, who has been successful as manager in Minnesota. The track record is impeccable, and they’ve won multiple of games in previous seasons. They have amassed their fifth AL title in eight seasons under Gardenhire, and during that span have found ways advancing to the postseason.

Most overlooked the Twins in recent weeks, failing to acknowledge the team’s history and underestimated players who’ve shocked the world in a matter of moments. All you have to do is believe.

They certainly believed.

Minnesota Twins Can Wave Goodbye as Tiger Fangs are Too Brutal

As the postseason looms, it brings back memories of the annual fall classic grasping our awareness on which team is worthy of winning the pennant or teams that are bust. As the season unfolds, it captivates our senses seeing which team survives the finish, after withstanding a bleak and shameful season for all the treacherous steroid scandals.

It involved a mysterious list that has taunted the game of baseball, leaving a beloved sport in limbo as fans tried figuring out the next con artist.

But now, fans are in the midst of figuring out an unpredictable pennant race between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins. It’s no brainteaser in the final week or day of the regular season, which normally comprises of the true meaning of baseball.

It’s not a tight, tense or laborious race in the AL Central, a division that has earned buzz and much publicity. You can predict a winner before the final week of the regular season. And if you can’t predict a legitimate winner, well just watch an uninterested and over-hyped contest startle us without a wondrous finish.

Thus far, the Tigers consist of deadly fangs, worthy of attacking and disappointing teams if they advance in postseason play. With breathing room, it makes sense believing the Tigers are favorites to clinch the division title.

Although the Twins know there’s much at stake, keeping up the pace isn’t enough to make it intense or elusive. It might seem like anyone’s race, but the Tigers have the edge by controlling its destiny.

Face it baseball is a game of momentum and optimism. The only way things can collapse in Detroit and besmirch a magical number, will be unraveling shockingly by losing the remaining games. They haven’t been able to put away the Twins, with their lackluster performance in the last few weeks.

But it’s not difficult declaring the Tigers divisional champs, though the last few weeks have been shaky, erratic and left us guessing. Still, the Tigers clearly have the necessary tools to oust the Twins.

Although Detroit has a talented unit presenting enough specifics, such as capabilities, questions remain if they can employ capacity when winning is meaningful. Of late, the Tigers have played like a team with depth, winning four consecutive games, forcing the Twins to tally a win each night.

Needing a fair amount of wins to stay alive is a solicitous task, and pivotal for reaching the postseason. And it’s vital the Twins notch as many victories before the season comes to a close.

But a team losing nine of 12 games isn’t dazzling. Before the four-game win streak came into play, it was more painful, witnessing talented stars frail when steep investments were contrived for building a postseason contender.

When it comes to a team spending aggressively to assemble the proper ingredients for advancing to the next level, you’d like to imagine growth and successive prevalence, and imagine the Tigers thriving and contending with teams, such as the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

After getting rid of the underperformers, the Tigers were inevitably considered as a top-notch threat in the American League, and superior enough to advance into the World Series.

As it seemed difficult suggesting when the Twins were hitting better remarkably with catching sensation Joe Mauer, who won the batting title a few years ago, the Tigers pitching is flawless and could pose trouble for opposing teams in October.

But the Twins uniquely have a rare breed in Mauer. Dominating the batting column very seldom happens for catchers, but considering that Mauer is a singular individual many haven’t seen until he fostered into stardom, gifted power is bounded to happen in a league that now develops unforeseen players reaching a peak before reaching their prime.

Mauer is obviously one of the great sluggers in the game, and you can argue that the MVP nominations should be bestowed to the most lovable catcher in the game. He’s the greatest icon in Minnesota, where he grew up and thrives as a primary superstar.

Many living in the town imitates his stylish features by wearing fake sideburns, endorsing his abilities to hit sharply and better than .500. That includes his teammates Justin Morneau, a home run expert, Michael Cuddyer, a cannon-arm thrower and respectable hitter, and Jason Kubel, who deposit shots into the stands.

That tests wills, forcing the Tigers to strive more. That means they’ll likely play with diligence, even if the final game is needed to determine faith. It requires more work, after clearly putting themselves in a tough situation, against a team that hasn’t been bothered with mediocrity. It requires huge contributes from a productive pitching rotation, which has been a cornerstone riding a .500 win percentage and first place standings.

This season alone, the Tigers are efficient when Justin Verlander, 26, throws heaters, when Rick Porcello intimidates opponents with his wicked four-seam fastball or when Edwin Jackson starts games.

If they managed, without mismanaging or collapsing, the Tigers powerful rotation might be a hassle for most teams. In recent memory, cogent pitching rotations are imperative for making an urgent statement leading up to the fall classic.

Meanwhile, Verlander’s near-perfect outing could signify and valid the identity of the Tigers. Being the ace, he’s a centerpiece to their postseason success. But he was long overdue, having to fix and make minor adjustments with his pitching mechanics and command.

Thursday night, Verlander recovered from two substandard starts. Entering the game 0-2 with a 4.87 ERA in his last three starts, he was expected to redeem himself from poor quality starts.

And he, indeed, pitched well striking out 11 in seven innings, improving and extending his dominance against the futile Cleveland Indians, who doesn’t have enough firepower to contend in a blown out of portion, lopsided battle between the Twins and Tigers.

Perhaps the difference between an uncontested pennant chase, has to be the Tigers well-rounded dynamics, while the Twins are hanging on, courtesy of power hitting by a conscious batting lineup.

Sure, there’s Carlos Guillein, whose heroics and steadfast discipline when batting, bolstered the Tigers. But it has been relatively disappointing contributes from Miguel Cabrera, Curtis Granderson and Magglio Ordonez.

At perfect timing, Cabrera is starting to gain power, which was missing throughout a struggling season. A two-run homer the other night is a way to reestablish assurance and rhythm with 10 games remaining. The magic number currently stands at eight, which makes it harder on the Twins.

As long as the Tigers continue winning most of the remaining games, they’ll clinch a berth and the divisional title. They’ll celebrate as a team, pop the champagne corks and embrace a divisional crown, entering the postseason with a sense of urgency and confidence.

Part of the urgency and successful win streaks are made possible by the savvy manager Jim Leyland, who has excelled mightily in the managerial role. He prepares his team for moments as gratifying as this one, and over the years, he has been fortunate to manage gifted pitchers. So he, indeed, knows what is at stake, and understands what the Tigers must accomplish in the upcoming weeks.

As for Twins’ manager Ron Gardenhire, now might be a perfect time to wave goodbye. The Tiger fangs are too much to handle.