Mid February hasn't been the landing zone of sports doldrums in Western PA this year. The Pens are continuing to write a remarkable story, the Steelers have kept our interests with their upcoming draft and free agency strategies, the Pitt hoops teams have us talking (although more profanely these days), then there's the Terrelle Pryor lottery, and wait,...isn't there another team? Oh yeah, the guys down in Bradenton. The Post-Gazette ran a small article yesterday about this marathon pep talk/intervention that the collective brain trust bestowed upon the 65 man roster. For those that really have no desire to click on the link, I welcome the opportunity to translate it for you...
TRANSLATION OF THE PIRATE FRONT OFFICE PEP TALK: ...Guys, the Pittsburgh Pirates are a professional sports organization with legacy dating back well over 100 years. This team has a longstanding tradition of excellence, with championship banners hanging from our rafters, and granite busts adorning the halls of Cooperstown. You, however, are part of the fifteen years of afterbirth that has eroded the great name of this franchise, and transformed this once proud dynasty into the laughing stock that it is today...
FURTHER TRANSLATION (More simplified):...Guys, the Pirates are like that movie about the Titanic. You guys are like that part after they hit the ice berg...
Truly words of inspiration. To continue Mayor McNutting's re-education program, he trotted out the ageless Steve Blass to give yet another motivational speech. For those of you unfamiliar with Blass, he's basically the spokesman for careers that sailed away on the Good Ship Ty-D Bol. Translation: guys, if you keep screwing up, you can wind up with a short lived career, best known for underachievement and regret, just like me. Exactly the message that I would be sending to my troops.
To culminate the mental cruelty, the owners decorated Pirate City's hallowed halls with posters, banners, and memorabilia from the 'glory years'. (sadly, the glory years are now thought of as anything prior to the last 15 seasons of shame). All this, just days after the Bucs inked Byung-Hyun Kim, another 30's something reliever with an E.R.A. hovering around 6 and a stint of stardom well into his rear view mirror. Couple this deal with the blockbuster signing of has-been Doug Mientkiewicz , and you now see that the new strategy is surrounding our young stars with players who can still remember what it's like to win. Some people refer to this sort of thing as a self fulfilling prophesy...
The spring training complex proudly displays this picture of the Bucs' last winning team
