The Pirates are going for it and I'm loving it

By Joe Pantorno

They might very well have been the worst franchise in sports for the past 20 years. As a Mets fan, there are two groups of fans I always took solace not being a part of. One is the Cubs, the other is the Pirates.

Imagine being in the basement of your division for every single season for 20 years. After seven years, I feel like I'd just stop watching baseball completely, sell all my gear on E-bay become a monk. How many years has it been since the Mets made the playoffs? Seven? I'll be right back.

In the first half of last season I reveled in Pittsburgh's fast start. A pretty tough division and they were giving the Cardinals and Reds fits. It was great. Then came the crash and burn.

This year's been different. And it's been wonderful.

The dread-locked wonder in Andrew McCutchen was always the light at the end of the tunnel for Pirates fans, but this one has actually worked out and hasn't been dealt away. Starling Marte is a stud and Pedro Alvarez has been providing all the power necessary.

Francisco Liriano is showing shades of why he was so highly touted with Minnesota and AJ Burnett has been a solid innings eater. Surprising for a Yankee to be productive after he's been dealt.

And here we have this team of misfits up at the top of the NL Central and they've been here for a majority of the season. No crash and burn yet, no break downs. Just solid play and a brand of hard-ball that has been fantastic to watch and a whole lot of sweating from the Cards and Reds.

As we get down to the nitty-gritty there are always buyers and sellers. Teams right on the brink are looking for that final piece to get over the hump.

Finally, the Pirates are wheeling and dealing and they've been making some pretty big splashes in the market. Calling up my Metropolitans, they acquire Marlon Byrd and John Buck for a prospect and player to be named later. Byrd homers in his first game as a Buc and Buck goes 3-for-3 against the Brewers on Thursday. Not bad.

Today the Pirates made another big deal that is low-risk, high reward. Acquiring first baseman Justin
Morneau from the Twins for nothing more than a couple prospects, it's deal that's easy on the wallet. Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez have been an okay platoon, but nothing special. Morneau, an AL MVP in 2006, could use a change of scenery.

Batting .259 with 17 home runs, he has every opportunity to raise that average and give that lineup at PNC Ball Park another big time threat. It's about time some small market teams got some big time spotlight.

My dream World Series this year would be the A's and the Pirates. Hey, it could happen.