About time we have something to cheer for!

It's been 14 years since meaningful baseball was being played this late in the season by the Pittsburgh Pirates.   In fact it took 10 years to set the attendance record the Pirates drew this past weekend against the Boston Red Sox.

I've been a Pirate fan my entire life, and yet for more than half of it, it's been a losing cause.  I was a year out of high school when they last had a chance at the playoffs in 1997, and even that was a losing season. 

It's a shame that a game I loved so much has fallen a bit by the wayside in terms of my priorities.  I haven't given up hope that the Buccos will return to glory someday, but almost two decades of losing is very hard for even the most diehard to stomach.

That's what makes this season so fun for us Pirates fans, even if they are still barely above the mythical .500 mark.  It's a dramatic change of pace to listen to the local sports talk shows and not hear the usual Pirates dread stories and the typical focus on the future stars instead of the current ones.

I think what makes this even more special is the fact the Pirates are doing this without Pedro Alvarez, who has spent the season either slumping or on the DL.  Clint Hurdle has to be commended for bringing a belief to this team that they can win.  After several years of John Russell sitting like a statue on the bench, Hurdle's fire and passion are a welcome change and he should get some serious consideration for Manager of the Year if the Pirates do manage to finish above .500 this year.

Now comes the tricky part.  Playing the role of buyer at the trade deadline.  It's clear the team needs offensive help but who is out there and, most importantly, what will it take to get them.

I hope Neal Huntington doesn't trade away guys like Paul Maholm and Joel Hanrahan at the deadline unless it brings players the team can build around immediately for the rest of the year.  The team needs a catcher, a shortstop, a first baseman, and a right fielder.  Even getting just one or two could make the world of difference to a pitching staff that has been doing an amazing job so far.

The bottom line though is that for the first time in my adult life, we have meaningful baseball to cheer for and I hope this continues the rest of the summer.  It also proves that if you put a winning team on the field, they WILL come out to support the team at PNC Park.