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Turnaround homestand only a start for Pirates
An enthusiastic gathering of 23,240 reported, as well, even though the giveaway of the day (a kids-sized Jack Wilson T-shirt) wasn't suitable for re-sale on eBay. The fans also filed in knowing knew they were destined to sizzle.
Such is the extent of the buzz the home team had created among potential paying customers by going 9-3 of late against the Marlins, Braves, Orioles and Devil Rays, and by reaching .500 (30-30) this late in a season for the first time since Sept. 1, 1999 (67-67).
Alas, the Bucs' first better-than-.500 record this late in a campaign since the Cosmetic Pennant Race of 1997 (67-66 on Aug. 20) eluded them.
As they had with a chance to sweep woeful Colorado at PNC on May 22, the Pirates showed the killer instinct (not to mention Matt Lawton's baserunning) is still in need of a little honing, wasting Humberto Cota's ninth-inning, pinch-homer heroics and falling in 13 innings to the inept Devil Rays, 7-5.
Hey, you can't win 'em all.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, there remains a great deal of work to do -- and against competition capable of turning a hot streak into a losing streak faster than you can say Mike Mussina -- before the buzz that's at least temporarily reinvigorated Pirates fans generates enough momentum to finally change the perception of a team working doggedly to re-invent itself.
That's one reason General Manager David Littlefield wasn't yet ready on Sunday to commit to becoming a buyer rather than a seller heading into the July 31 trading deadline. That's why Littlefield emphasized the need to remain "objective" from a big-picture standpoint.
The upcoming schedule that remains no less relentless, and includes series against the Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals, Cardinals, Brewers, Phillies and Mets between now and the All-Star break, July 11-13.
The Yankees may be scuffling, but they're still the Yankees.
The rest, except for the Brewers, are among the hottest teams in baseball, particularly the Nationals, who won their 10th straight Sunday by waxing Seattle.
And the Brewers are 5-3 this season against the Bucs.
Littlefield, never one to promote false hope to a fan base salivating for any it can get -- legitimate or otherwise -- understands his surprising team can still go either way, even in the wake of 9-4 against the Marlins, Braves, Orioles and Devil Rays.
Not to rain on an impressive parade, but there's no other way for the GM to proceed.
Littlefield understands this team is still in the process of defining itself, and that great homestand and all, there's still a long way to go.
