Game 34: Pirates at Brewers

Bucs up 4-0 as Locke continues his Cy Young campaign in the fourth. Cutch, Petey, and Walker have all went yard. Prepare to untuck.

Game 33: Pirates at Brewers

Burnett and Estrada at seven.

Expect vicious bunting followed by untuckiness.

Game 32: Cubs at Pirates

Gomez and Jackson starting soon. Pretty sure this is a real game and not a scrimmage.

Game 31: Cubs at Pirates

Liriano and Samardzija at seven. The Bucs' magic number for a playoff bye is down to three.

Game 30: Cubs at Pirates

At seven it will be Garza and Wandy.
The Pirates are 26-4 and definitely in first place.

Game 29: Astros at Pirates

Locke and Harrell scoreless after one. Benny Hill music off so far.

Game 28: Astros at Pirates

Burnett, Bedard, and the Astros' Benny Hill music starts at seven.

Game 27: Astros at Pirates

Jordan Lyles serves up taters, show starts at seven. Is this not why you are here?

Game 26: Brewers at Pirates

Liriano and Burgos at seven. Are you not entertained?

Game 25: Brewers at Pirates

Wandy and Yovani at seven. Prepare to untuck.

Game 24: Brewers at Pirates

Lohse and Locke before long.

Game 23: Brewers at Pirates

Pirates start a long homestand with the Brewers.

American Craft Beer week is a Mardi Gras here at the beer fort with parades, bead necklaces, music, nudity, indecency, etc.


Estrada and Burnett at seven.

Game 22: Pirates at Mets

Bucs up 2-1 in the fifth as they try to win one for Mrs. Nutting. The big and powerful Jordy Mercer is 0-for-2 batting fifth.

Game 21: Pirates at Mets

Another real game today with the Bucs up 4-0 in the third. And so began the Francisco Liriano Era.

Game 20: Pirates at Mets

Game on. Pirates up 3-0 in the fourth. The white-hot Pedro has gone many consecutive at-bats without striking out.

Off day

No real game today, just a normal batting practice with Pedro hitting dingers and everyone else bunting.

Game 19: Seahawks at Pirates

Getaway day. Hernandez and Burnett at noon-thirty.

Game 18: Seahawks at Pirates

Game on. Harangue and Gomez, who is standing up pretty straight so far.

Game 17: Nationals at Pirates

Gio and Wandy to start. Tailgate, on.

Game 16: Nationals at Pirates

Locke and Strasburg underway now. Marte HBP starts it off for the Bucs.

Game 15: Nationals at Pirates

The 16-2 Pirates are looking for their seventeenth win here in game 15. (I'm a little confused about the new way they count wins, but get that it has something to do with HBP and sacrifice hits.)

Game underway just now. Detwiler and Burnett are the starters. Beer fort amply supplied with bourbon.

Game 14: Bucs 6, Brewers 4

All hail a four run eighth inning comeback! Bucs have won six in a row.

Off day

Batting practice and home run derby today, with games that count possibly starting tomorrow.

Game 13: Pirates at Brewers

Wandy and Gallardo at 8pm.

Prepare to untuck.

Sunday (edit: Game 12)

Not clear yet whether today will bring a scrimmage or a real game, but either way Cutch will rest on the bench and practice stealing signs.

Game 11: Pirates at Cardinals

Bucs up 3-2 in the seventh with the bases juiced for Jonezilla.

Jonathan Sanchez has been suspended by MLB for six games. No word yet on whether the Bucs will appeal for a longer sentence.

Off day

Looks like another scrimmage, this time in advance of the weekend games. Sort of like the home run derby. It will probably be televised around 8pm.

Game 10: Pirates Win

With the bonus wins for winning the series, I figure the Pirates record now stands at 9-1.

Must be an off day coming up soon--they have been on a pretty torrid tear through the lower divisions.

The hapless Cardinals are next.

Game 7: Pirates at Phillies

As expected, the Pirates are moving through the league like a hot knife through butter.

Rodriguez and Halladay before too long now.

Game 6: Pirates at Phillies

Tough loss last night; Pirates are what, 5-1 now?

Locke and Hamels just getting going.

Game 5: Pirates at Phillies

Pirates head out on the road to wreak havoc in Philadelphia.

Burnett and Pettibone at seven.

Off day

Might be a scrimmage, some batting practice, etc.

Game 4: Braves at Pirates

Maholm and McDonald at seven.

Beer fort recently stocked with Burton Baton. We are ready for anything.

Game 3: Braves at Pirates

Hudson and Wandy just underway.

Game 2: Braves at Pirates

Exciting stuff.

Opening Day: Cardinals at Pirates

Meaningful baseball at long last! huzzah

A. J. Burnett is shutting down the Cardinals.

Pirates will be teeing off Shelby Miller before too long.

Off day

Might be a scrimmage or something.

Hang in there.

Season should start pretty soon. I'm looking forward to it.

Game 12: Reds at Pirates

Bucs down 2-0 in the second. I'd be entertained if Phil Irwin mixed in the eephus along with his filthy curve.

Game 11: Reds at Pirates

Cueto and Locke tonight at seven

Game 10: Reds at Pirates

Bucs won, Leake gets another free shirt.

Game 9: Pirates at Diamondbacks

Cactus League action continues. When will this meaningless west coast road trip end.

D'backs lead the league in sacrifice flies and are tied for fourth in bunts. Good thing these games don't count.

Game 8: Pirates at Diamondbacks

Bucs up 6-4 in the top of the seventh, thanks to a buntless 5(!) run fourth inning.

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.