Game 7: Pirates at Diamondbacks

Zoltan's return has lifted the Bucs up 4-3 after seven. Pedro drew his first walk but Wandy left in the third with a tight hammy.

Game 6: Pirates at Dodgers

Locke and Ryu starting soon. Iron Balls, Tabata, and McDonald all starting, so bench is stacked with pinch-bunters.

Game 5: Pirates at Dodgers

Exhibition season continues as the Pirates play again in Los Angeles.

Kershaw and Burnett to start.

Game 4: Pirates at Dodgers

Bucs have one hit off Greinke as they trail 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth. Jonathan Sanchez is getting into trouble and seems to want him some whipping post. Russell Martin batting fifth for the Bucs. Meanwhile, Xavier Paul hits a pinch-hit grand slam as the Reds crush Zach Duke and the Nats 15-0.

Game 2: Cubs at Pirates

BUNT ---> Win. Bucs went about their business and played the game the right way today.

2013 HW Readers Poll

It's that time of year again.

1. How many wins?
2. How many bunts?
3. 2013 Whipping Boy?
4. Other predictions?

I'll start: 81, 81, Jonathan Sanchez. Travis Snider fractures skull in freak bunting incident, Jose Tabata converted to reliever, John McDonald starting at 1B and batting fourth by June, Wandy wins 17, and Iron Balls is World Series MVP and stands in the lead limo during the World Series parade.

Game 1: Cubs at Pirates

No bunts, no victory.

Champions

Bucs are in first place in Spring Training, bunting circles around lesser teams like the Red Sox and Yankees who are still laughably buntless.

It's been so long since real games that even the MVP doesn't remember the glory of winning the 2012 World Championship.

Grilli

Jason Grilli is on the TV throwing beanballs for some Italian team.

Pirate sighting

In the delirium of my hard and lonely existence in the beer fort, I saw the Pirates playing baseball last night on the television.

Incredible I know. Difficult to believe at the time. And harder to believe this morning. Was last year not the season to end all seasons?

Will they keep playing for some reason?

Spring Training

No bunts yet, but the Bucs win big in their first Spring Training game.

Hot stove

Cole on trying not to bunt his eye out:

MiLB.com: Being on a National League club, you got a couple at-bats this season. How good are you with the bat?

Cole: (Laughs.) Oh, I'm about as good as any random person would be. We work on getting bunts down, but that's about it. My priority at the plate is getting a bunt down and not getting hurt.

In other news, Cutch does Cruise.

NFL Week 16: Bengals at Steelers

Season on the line, again, right here.

HOKA HEY

NFL week 12: Steelers at Browns

First one to seven turnovers, wins.

NFL week 11: Ravens at Steelers

Byron breaks some ribs as the Steelers successfully pull off Operation Instill False Sense of Confidence. Advantage bumblebees.

NFL week 10: Chiefs at Steelers

Ben separates his shoulder, Wallace catches a TD with his knees, and the Steelers move one game closer to yet another Super Bowl Championship.

NFL week 9: Steelers at Giants

The refs are beating the Steelers 14-10 at halftime.

NFL Week 8: Redskins at Steelers

Bumblebee uniforms.

NFL week 7: Steelers at Bengals

As the Bucs rest during their bye and watch the Cards-Giants game 6, the Steelers warm up for their playoffs by thrashing the Bengals.

MLB Playoffs

While the Pirates enjoy their first-round bye, other teams play on.

In the lower league, it's hard not to root for McLouth and the Prison Baller.

Game 162: Braves at Pirates

Sheets and Burnett in a thrilling finale. Starts in about an hour.

Game 161: Braves at Pirates

Hansen and Correia at seven.

We have an exciting new offer here at HW. You can enjoy this new HW++ paywall-free on a limited-time basis. The big spike in ad revenue is fully funding Rowdietta's college fund.

Game 160: Braves at Pirates

Maholm and Locke at seven.

Like most Pirates sites, we've been crushed with all the season-ending celebratory traffic.

Haloscan's down. Forever I guess. A moment of silence for all the lost comments.

We have them archived (I think). Perhaps there is some way to migrate them into some new commenting system.

For now it looks like we are running with these Blogger comments. Maybe.

Game 158: Reds at Pirates

Bucs win another laugher as they mostly rest up for the long playoff bye.

Game 156: Pirates at Mets

Bucs win again as they coast towards their first round playoff bye.

Game 155: Pirates at Mets

Down 5-0 in the fourth.

Let's drink to all these guys.

Game 154: Pirates at Mets

Looking around the league, I see Jeff Keppinger homering in a meaningful baseball game. About eight years ago, the Pirates traded that guy with a damn good bunter for Jose Bautista and Ty Wigginton. Other former Pirates, now playing meaningful baseball: Ryan Vogelsong, Frodo McLouth, and the Prison Baller, Brandon Moss. The last two players have been en fuego as their teams push for a Wild Card berth.

Best of luck to these gentlemen.

Game 153: Pirates at Mets

Huntington explains the Pirates lose because too many have gone into "Survivor" mode. I am curious which players, exactly, are guilty of not bunting runners over when ordered to do so.

Sounds like Lord of the Flies in the clubhouse. That might explain the Eagle I mean Boy Scout training regime.

NFL week 3: Steelers at Raiders

Steelers up 14-7 in the second quarter with the Raiders driving.

Game 152: Pirates at Astros

I think I saw Hurdle last night, day-dreaming away in a Hippie sweat lodge. Look for new, creative defensive shifts from the brotherhood.

Doesn't matter who the pitchers are. Game on pretty soon.

Game 151: Pirates at Astros

HOKA HEY. It's a good day for a kick in the balls.

Correia and Keuchel at seven.

Game 150: Hells Angels at Astros

Pirates to take the field as a brotherhood, carrying a telephone pole.

Locke and Gonzalez will be the starting pitchers, at eight.

Game 149: Brewers at Pirates

Another kick-in-the-crotch loss for the languorous PBC.

Zoltan, why hast thou forsaken us?

Game 148: Brewers at Pirates

Pirates are down 2-0 in the fifth, with Chris Resop pitching to Aramis Ramirez in a bases-loaded situation.

Game 147: Brewers at Pirates

Gallardo and Burnett at seven.

Burnett has pitched well in September, despite the 0-2 record.

Beer fort amply supplied with Young's Double Chocolate Stout.

Prepare to untuck.

Game 146: Pirates at Cubs

Correia and Wood at eight.

NFL Week 2: Jets at Steelers

Game at four. With Revis out, who will the Jets put on Tebow Island?

Game 145: Pirates at Cubs

Cubs up 1-0 in what will continue the Pirates' winning streak.

Game 144: Pirates at Cubs

Wandy and Berken in a day game. Nineteen game win streak starts now.

Game 143: Pirates at Cubs

McDonald and Rusin in a day game. Twenty games away from the playoffs.

Off day

Bucs are still only 2.5 games out of the wild card with 20 games left.

Game 142: Pirates at Reds

Flush again.

Game 141: Pirates at Reds

Reds up 2-1. Game is ON.

Game 140: Pirates at Reds

Rodridguez and Latos starting soon.

NFL week 1: Steelers at Broncos

Steelers travel to the scene of the nightmare to take on the Broncos, who were decimated this offseason by the defection of Tim "Steeler Killer" Tebow.

Game on at 8:20. Beer fort swept clean and re-stocked in anticipation of a full twelve hours' lending my will to victories.

Game 139: Cubs at Pirates

Rusin and Locke at 1:35pm.

To clinch the Pirates need some combination of ten eye-gouging bunts and/or run-reducing defensive shifts.

Game 138: Cubs at Pirates

I was up until 5 am drawing up new defensive shifts involving Holt and Walker. After I study them some more, I plan to draw the better ones on the back of a postcard and mail them in to Hurdle. Can't hurt, right?

Tonight we are looking at Ferd and McDonald at 7pm.

Game 137: Cubs at Pirates

Burnett and Kerry Wood tonight at seven as the Bucs try to bunt their way into the playoffs.

Game 136: Astros at Pirates

Bucs win another, 3 bunts to 0.

In the 2012 PBC World Champions DVD, this bunting barrage will feature centrally in the early September comeback montage.

Game 135: Astros at Pirates

Lyles and Wandy at 7.

Astros are here at just the wrong time ... after dropping four straight, the last thing the Pirates need are more lessons in How Not to Play the Game Right.

Game 134: Astros at Pirates

Locke and Gonzalez starting soon.

For the playoffs, the Bucs need more Labor than Languor.

Game 133: Pirates at Brewers

McDonald and Gallardo starting now.

Iowa Pirate is sitting behind the Bucs' bullpen, waiting to untuck.

And so began the Brock Holt Era.

Game 132: Pirates at Brewers

Burnett and Estrada at seven.

Untucking around nine-thirty.

Game 131: Pirates at Brewers

Karstens and Rodgers at 7.

This would be a good night to unveil some new, aggressive defensive shifts.

Prepare to untuck.

Game 130: Cardinals at Pirates

Kelly and Wandy at 7.

Pirates need to reach back and be the better team they imagined in the pre-season. Yessir, it's time to bunt somebody's eye out.

Game 129: Cardinals at Pirates

Westbrook and McDonald at seven.

Would be a good time for McDonald to throw that no-hitter.

Game 128: Cardinals at Pirates

Burnett and Lohse at seven.

Pirates got to bunt them down, get back on that 100-win pace.

Game 127: Brewers at Pirates

Bedard and Rogers underway and free today on mlb.tv.

Game 126: Brewers at Pirates

Marcum and Karstens at 7.

It's my hunch that Takahashi shoots a mean clay pigeon.

Game 125: Brewers at Pirates

Pirates come home to lick their wounds.

Fiers and Wandy, standing up straight, at seven.

Game 124: Pirates at Padres

J-Mac and the Bucs try to Stand TFU at 6:35 with a playoff berth at stake.

Game 123: Pirates at Padres

Burnett thinks Marquis and the Padres need to STFD.

Game 122: Pirates at Padres

One of the AAA starters, probably Wilson or Leroux, will likely get the call against Volquez tonight. Bucs need a win for the playoffs.

Game 121: Pirates at Cardinals

Karstens and Garcia starting soon.

The PBC 2012 World Champions DVD will feature a segment where they reenact the critical turning point of Tabata's bus (limo?) ride from Indy to St. Louis, where he returns to lead off and start in LF today.

Game 120: Pirates at Cardinals

Bedard and Lynn today at four.

Late afternoon start leaves plenty of time for Bucs fans to buy their World Series tickets, which are finally on sale.

Game 119: Pirates at Cardinals

McDonald and Westbrook tonight at 8:15.

Some meaningful bunts could put the Bucs one step closer to a first-round playoff bye.

Game 118: Dodgers at Pirates

Burnett and Blanton at four.

Bucs are 36 games away from another 100 win year.

Game 117: Dodgers at Pirates

Wandy and Kershaw tonight.

When we watch the 2012 world champion PBC DVD in 7 months this part of the season will be the dramatic lowpoint, where the camera goes sharp to blurry and players, bat on shoulder, look out in the distance a la 1000 yd stare, THEN, the dramatic, uplifting music begins...and so the push starts.

Game 116: Dodgers at Pirates

Correia and Billingsley tonight.

Bucs are five games back and 1.5 games up in the wild card race. Bucs need some bunts to regain momentum.

Game 115: Dodgers at Pirates

Karstenstein vs. the Harangutan tonight.

Given the match-up, fans with small kids should probably just listen to this one on the radio. Bucs need a win.

Game 114: Padres at Pirates

Bedard and Ross Ohlendorf today as the Bucs try to get back on track for a first-round playoff bye.

Game 113: Padres at Pirates

Burnett tries to stop the languor before fireworks and Styx.

Game 112: Padres at Pirates

J-Mac and Volquez tonight in another must-win game with playoff implications.

Game 111: Diamondbacks at Pirates

Wandy and Saunders today at four with a first round playoff bye at stake.

Reds play in Wrigley at eight.

Game 110: Diamondbacks at Pirates

Correia and Kennedy tonight with the World Series parade in the balance.

Reds play the Brewers in a day game.

Game 109: Diamondbacks at Pirates

Karstens and Corbin with the division on the line.

Game 108: Diamondbacks at Pirates

Bedard and Miley at seven in another must win game.

Game 107: Pirates at Reds

Game on now.

Progress of the series so far emphasizes the need to win the division outright.

Game 106: Pirates at Reds

McDonald and Leake tonight in the most important game of the year.

We gonna get down. We gonna do the do.

Game 105: Pirates at Reds

Wandy and Latos starting soon in the most meaningful series in twenty years.

Game 104: Pirates at Cubs

Karstens and Wood this afternoon.

Wood is a lefty, so I am curious if we will see Good Pedro (day splits) or Bad Pedro (lefty splits). Probably depends on which way the wind is blowing.

Pirates need to get this win. Day off tomorrow and then twenty games in a row, starting in Cincinnati.

Game 103: Pirates at Cubs

Burnett and Dempster tonight at eight.

Pirates need to shake off all those bad habits they picked up in Houston. It's a real danger playing hapless teams ... playing down to the competition is not how the Pirates will win another championship.

Fortunately the Cubs have been playing well since about when they promoted Rizzo -- I count 18-10 in that department -- so it should not take too long for the Pirates to re-learn how to play the game right. The problem will be if they lose too many games in the meantime.

Pirates acquire Travis Snider

Snider's another left-handed bat with power and not so much bunting credentials.

Game 102: Pirates at Cubs

Bedard and Germano at eight.

Pirates need a win.

Game 101: Pirates at Astros

McDonald and Harrell at two.

McDonald has not pitched so well in July and needs to dominate this hapless Astros offense.

Game 100: Pirates at Astros

New acquisition Wandy Rodriguez starts tonight against Andres Galarraga Jr. and the hapless Astros.

Clearly a must-win situation for the Pirates. The MLB playoff structure heavily favors division winners this year.

Astros have lost eleven in a row. You'd think they'd be desperate for a win, but nooo, apparently this is not the case.

Browns

Good on the Steelers for signing Antonio Brown long term. Mike Wallace has overplayed his hand. I'm not sure what will come of him, but I do not despair of losing him to either cowardly play in 2012 (does he think he will die before the end of this season?) or some kind of trade/holdout.

Also entertained that a die-hard Steeler fan is going to buy the Cleveland Browns. That's committment, right there.

Game 99: Pirates at Astros

Karstens and Lyles on central time.

Not excited about the idea of trading Kevin Correia, who has won seven of his last ten starts. Starters don't go on trees and a team always needs more starting pitching than most expect.

Anyway win meter humming happily. New picture for the beer fort wall.

Game 98: Pirates at Astros

Burnett and Keuchel tonight at 8.

Two and a half games out of first, the Pirates are literally chasing the Reds, who leave Houston happy.

Game 97: Cubs at Pirates

Getaway day underway. Dempster and Correia dueling; Blatz fumage in the home plate area.

Cubs up on a Frank Rizzo home run.

Welcome Wandy

Pirates acquire longtime Pirate-killer Wandy Rodriguez.

One less hap for the hapless Astros.

Game 96: Cubs at Pirates

Maholm and McDonald at seven.

Pirates are 54-41, a game and a half back of the Votto-less Reds.

Facing a pitcher with a pedigree like Maholm's, the Pirates might be fortunate to scratch out two infield hits. McDonald will need to bring his A game.

Game 95: Cubs at Pirates

Bedard and Samardzija tonight.

Just a half game back, the Bucs need wins against the hapless teams.

Game 94: Marlins at Pirates

Anibal Sanchez and Jeff Karstens in an hour.

Pirates are 53-40, 1/2 game out of first. Last year on this day they were 51-46 and one game out.

Kids run the bases after the game.

Game 93: Marlins at Pirates

Big A.J. vs. Lil' Z for the win.

Game 92: Marlins at Pirates

Correia vs. Nolasco tonight. Bucs need a win for a chance at first place tomorrow.

If the Bucs trade for a Drew or Scutaro or other upgrade at SS, Barmes could start in RF.

Off day

No game today. Bucs are tied for first, with the Reds hosting the D-backs today.

Preparation for the postseason should not involve rest, but instead extra batting practice and maybe even a buntathon.

Game 91: Pirates at Rockies

J-Mac and Guthrie in a must-win day game. Hopefully some of the infielders can run around in the outfield today.

RF prospects

Quickly looking through the minors for utility infielders who could start in right field, it's clear that Altoona is the first place to look, with an impressive and affiliate-leading 54 bunts. However, closer inspection reveals Cumpton bunting his ass off is in part responsible, with a jaw-dropping 8 SH in only 25 PA. He's a pitcher though, not a utility infielder.

Benji Gonzalez in Bradenton is the obvious choice, leading the minors with 9 SH while playing 2B/SS/3B, so probably ready to jog out into RF and learn on the job.

Game 90: Pirates at Rockies

Bedard and Friedrice tonight.

Bucs need a win to drive away the creeping languor.