Derrek Lee makes an impression in debut game with Bucs

New Pittsburgh Pirates 1st baseman Derrek Lee is making new fans all over PNC Park tonight.  First, he signed autographs before the game.  He followed that by depositing a souvenir into the left field corner seats in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game 1-1.

Welcome to Pittsburgh, Derrek!

Ludwick and Lee: Too little, too late?

New Pirates 1st Baseman Derrek Lee

Once the dust settled on the MLB Trade Deadline yesterday, it was apparent that the Pittsburgh Pirates were hell-bent on being buyers in the market.  It was the right thing to do: for the players, for the fans, and for the franchise.

It may have been too little, too late.

The deals that Neal Huntington made were smart moves for a team in the position the Bucs are in.  They needed to add some power bats, without decimating a farm system that was rebuilt from the ground up over the past tree years.  With that in mind, the Pirates aimed high at first, kicking the tires on Hunter Pence, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Pena, and  BJ Upton.  Once it became apparent that none of those players were realistic goals for what the Pirates wanted to do, it became time to dive a little deeper into the pool.

While Pirates management was feeling out the "sellers", the Pirates players and coaches were heading into a hellish week of games on the road in Atlanta and Philadelphia.  The Pirates sat 1 game out of 1st Place last Sunday, and were on the verge of facing seven games against the likes of Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Vance Worley.  

The Pirates managed to split the four game series with Atlanta, but it cost them.  The Pirates and Braves played 29 innings in 4 games, and the Bucs were battered and beaten as they headed towards the weekend series against the top team in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies.  It was obvious that the team was tired, emotionally drained from a series that played like an NLCS, and made them easy pickings for a team like Philly.  

Neal Huntington continued to play the "we are open to all options" card as the Pirates flew North on Thursday night.  Its safe to say that by this point, the Pirates knew they had no shot at any of the big name trade pieces.  With his club in peril, Huntington should have made a deal before the Phillies series.  It would have at least given the players a shot in the arm, and maybe gave them some extra motivation for the weekend, despite having drained their bullpen and bench during the Atlanta series.  Maybe the Bucs would have had the energy to salvage a game in the Philly series, instead of being swept out of town.  

Friday night, the Phillies hammered Charlie Morton for 7 runs in the 1st inning, en route to a blow-out 10-3 victory.  On Saturday, it was more of the same as the Bucs could not get to SP Cliff Lee, and the Phillies won 7-4.  On Sunday, the Pirates led 5-3 in the 8th when RP Jose Veras gave up a game-tying 2-run HR to Raul Ibanez.  Ibanez topped that with a walk-off double in the 10th to sink the Pirate Ship.

This was a defining series for the 2011 Pirates, and they failed to step up to the challenge.  They now find themselves 4 1/2 out in the NL Central behind the surging Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals.

Too little, too late?

The Pirates will have their new "sluggers" in the lineup tonight as they embark on a 7-game homestand against the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.  Every game is a must win now, as the Pirates need to find a way to scrape back into this division race before their next major challenge.  The Pirates need to win both series this week, and to be honest - sweeps may be in order here.

Once they finish with San Diego on Sunday, the schedule is as follows:

@ Giants 8/8 - 8/10
@ Brewers 8/12 - 8/14

vs. Cardinals 8/15 - 8/17
vs. Reds 8/19 - 8/21
vs. Brewers 8/22 - 8/24


@ Cardinals 8/25 - 8/28


By August 28, we will know if the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates story will include a pennant chase.  Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick will help, no doubt.  Both guys have proven track records in NL Central play.  Will it be enough?  Can the pitching hold up?  Will the Pirates dip into the waiver wire trade market if they need to?


We welcome two new Buccos into the fold tonight.  Hopefully, it isn't too little, too late.