Meek heads to DL; Daniel Moskos Called Up

Meek placed on DL with shoulder injury

As a Pirates fan, you knew something wasn't quite right with Evan Meek.

After going 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 8 innings of work this season, Meek will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury.  In 2010, Meek went 5-4 with a 2.14 ERA in 80 innings while being selected to his first All-Star game.  Coming into this season, Manager Clint Hurdle elected to place Evan Meek as the setup man while naming Joel Hanrahan the closer.  This one-two punch was widely regarded as one of the better relief tandems in the league and while Joel Hanrahan has been spectacular, Evan Meek as been abysmal. 

Replacing Meek will be former first round pick Daniel Moskos.  Coming out of Clemson, Moskos was selected by the Pirates 4th overall in the 2007 Amateur Draft. Unfortunately, this was not a talent-based pick for the Buccos, but rather a signability pick made by, then General Manager, David Littlefield.  The Pirates could have taken Matt Wieters who, at the time, was touted as the next Joe Mauer.  While Wieters has yet to live up to that hype playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Moskos has struggled throughout his minor league career.  Last year in AAA Indianapolis, Moskos went 0-5 with a 10.38 ERA; hardly the type of performance worthy of a call-up.  

The most disappointing part of the Moskos selection was the amount of talent surrounding the first round of that draft.  The Pirates did not have power hitters in their system back in 2007, nor did they have power-arms with front line rotation stuff.  Yet, the Pirates took a reliever.  Here was the scouting report on Moskos courtesy of MLB.com:

"Moskos entered the season as one of the, if not the top, college reliever in the draft class, helped by the fact he throws from the left side.  When Clemson made him their Friday starter out of need, it was a win-win, with scouts able to see if his three pitch repertoire would hold up over more innings considering he uses maximum effort delivery.  He was pitching well and deep into games later in the year but the jury was still out whether teams believed he could start long-term."

To paraphrase, a lot of question marks but talented enough to possibly be a solid reliever.

Still, as long as the Pirates continue to lose, this draft will be as highly rated on the all-time-bonehead-front-office-decisions list as the Aramis Ramirez trade. Players drafted after Moskos who are either in the Majors or on their way to stardom include: Matt Wieters, Ross Detwiler, Matt LaPorta, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Dominguez, Jason Heyward, J.P. Arencibia, Andrew Brackman.

Nevertheless, Moskos has a chance to ease the pain for Pirates fans if he can pitch effectively in a late-game role.  Given the successes of Jose Veras and Chris Resop in the 8th inning role this season, it looks as though Moskos will be used sparingly to start.  However, given the lack of left-handed arms in the bullpen, Daniel Moskos can stay in the Majors if he becomes effective while Evan Meek is on the mend.

The fan's reception of him in Pittsburgh should be interesting to say the least.  It has been reported that Moskos will meet the team in Colorado.

Bucs Lack Fundamentals; Ruin Morton's Start

The Pirates blew a 2-1 lead to lose in ten innings to the World Champion San Fransisco Giants Tuesday night, ruining Charlie Morton's third quality start in four outings this season.  From the manager to the players in the field, the Pirates fundamentally broke down.  Last year, Charlie Morton was arguably the worst pitcher in Major League Baseball.  His 2-12 record to complement his 5.72 ERA suggested the end of a career.  Now Morton looks resurrected but it does not seem to matter because of one factor: he's a Pirate. 

Walker, Cedeno and Hurdle all made stupid mistakes and it took away a victory. 

In the 7th inning, Jeremy Affeldt relieved Matt Cain.  Affeldt gave up three runs in one inning against Atlanta in his last outing and he seemed to be heading in that direction tonight when he surrendered a single to Ryan Doumit.  With Pedro Alvarez approaching the plate, an extra-base hit was possible, regardless of Pedro's struggles this year.  Instead, Hurdle elected to bunt the only legitimate power hitter in the organization.  Pedro, who probably hasn't bunted since the 4th grade picnic, popped the bunt up to Affeldt while the pinch-running Ronny Cedeno was forced to stay at first base.  Shortly thereafter, Cedeno gets caught stealing as Hurdle tries to force a runner into scoring position rather than patiently wait for the next Affeldt meltdown.  Brandon Wood, who was batting when Cedeno ran, walked on four pitches.  A bad pickoff attempt lets Wood advance and Tabata ends up stranding him. 

If Roy Halladay is on the mound, you bunt the runner over.  But Jeremy Affeldt? Let the offense go to work against a struggling player. 

Cedeno failed to run for a groundball on the third base chalk, assuming it was a foul ball.  This is what makes Ronny Cedeno a below-average player.  He has the tools to be a solid major-leaguer, but he is way too lazy to work for it.  With Wood starting off hot in his Pirates' debut, Cedeno's time is running out.

Walker's play at second was the most costly but also the hardest to criticize.  After checking Darren Ford at 3rd, Walker floated a throw to Overbay for the second out.  Unfortunately, the ball was thrown slow enough to allow Ford to take off for home and score by several feet.  If Walker throws the ball harder, he allows Overbay to make the play at the plate.  However, standing 25 feet away, it makes a difficult play for Overbay if Walker decides to gun the ball to first. 

Nevertheless, this is what makes the Pirates a losing team.  They took two of three from the Nationals and are only a few games under .500, but the Buccos cannot win a significant amount of games because of nights like this.  When you're a young, struggling team, you have to take every close game to have a shot at a +.500 record.  This will not be the last time the Pirates blow a game because of a fundamental breakdown and it starts at the top. 

Clint Hurdle preached fundamentals all March and now it is time for him to use them in his own strategy.

Bucco Report Card 4/25

Tabata and Cutch went back to back vs. the Reds

As I predicted two weeks ago, the Pirates went 4-6 over their last ten games.  The ten game stand involved two rain outs, two bad series and one good series.  After losing a tough game to the Rockies on their final matchup of the series, the Buccos continued to struggle losing to the Brewers on a rain-shortened two game series.  Kevin Correia went into the sixth without surrendering a hit, and left the sixth inning giving up four runs.  The offense was, once again, putrid and the Pirates were shutout for the first time all year. After losing 4-1 to the Brewers in the second game of the series, the Buccs took 3 of 4 games from the Reds at Great American Ballpark.  Heading into Florida, the Pirates seemed to gain confidence and momentum off of their big wins.  Unfortunately, they ran into a buzz saw featuring the Marlins' ace Josh Johnson.  Johnson dominated the Buccos, striking out 9 batters and giving up three base runners over seven innings en route to a 6-0 shutout.  The Pirates lost 6-0 the following night when they faced Ricky Nolasco and dropped the last game of the series 9-5.  Hurdle had this to say of the Florida series:

"The thing we got out of (Miami) were hotel points and fly miles. We look to do better at home"

The Pirates did better at home, beating the Nationals 7-2 on Saturday.  Here are the grades for the last ten games:

Manager: B

I don't know what you can say here about Hurdle.  Over the last ten games, the Pirates have been feast or famine, either winning big or losing big.  The only close game came on April 17th when they won 7-6 against the Reds.  I'll give Hurdle a B.  He hasn't done anything to put the team in a position to win and he hasn't taken away chances to win.  The best move was putting Alvarez down to the seven spot where he hit his first home run of the season.

Starting Pitching: C

Oh James...

Charlie Morton's complete game against the Reds was the highlight of the pitching staff.  Then, he was destroyed against the Marlins.  Maholm had a good start against the Brewers but it was wasted when Randy Wolf dominated the Bucco offense in a 10-strikeout performance.  Correia, as mentioned before, started well but collapsed in the sixth inning against the Brewers.  James McDonald was horrible in his previous two starts; giving up 14 earned runs in just 7.1 innings.



Relief Pitching: B

The relievers weren't used much in this stretch of games as most games weren't close.  Joel Hanrahan continued to pitch well, going one for one in save opportunities.

Offense: C-

Getting shutout three times in ten games is pretty bad; especially when you consider they scored their lone run on April 14 by a wild pitch.  Walker has cooled, McCutchen and Alvarez continue to struggle and Lyle Overbay has been below-average.  The only consistent hitter was Jose Tabata but he is cooling off as I write this.  The offense MUST produce more than it has so far since the starting pitching has started to show their true colors.


Best Player: Tabata.  He went 0-13 in Florida but the offense has been so bad that he was still the bright spot over the ten game stretch.
Worst Player: Mcdonald.  His ERA is now over 10; suffering from Charlie Morton syndrome of last year.

Next ten games:  3-7.  The Pirates went 13-19 against the West last year and they get a heavy dose of the Giants, Rockies and Padres.  They might steal a series from either the Padres or Giants, but the Rockies have been extremely good this year.

Fleury Needs to be Great, Not Just Good

After blowing a 3-1 series lead, the Penguins head back home for a deciding Game 7.  In their history, the Penguins are 2-4 hosting the seventh game of a series with the last loss coming in what would be the final game at Mellon Arena, last year. 

One year later, the Penguins are facing another home Game 7 against a team they had an opportunity to bury earlier in the series.  The most alarming factor has been the special teams play of both teams.  While Tampa Bay is scoring 32% of the time on the powerplay, the Penguins are scoring 3.3% or 1-30.  Nevertheless, the turning point in this series occurred when Marc Andre Fleury started to cool down.  After his 3-0 shutout in Game 1 of the series, Fleury has surrendered 16 goals in 113 shots; good enough for an .858 save %.  Before the playoffs, nearly every analyst, whether in the media or in the armchair, agreed Fleury would have to stand on his head in order for the Penguins to go anywhere.  In the games the Penguins have won, Fleury has allowed two or fewer goals.  To slate a Penguins Game 7 victory, Fleury needs to stand tall again.  He's been touted as an MVP player all season and now is his time to play the part. 

Do the Penguins need to generate more opportunities on the powerplay? Absolutely.  Their defense could use some tightening as well. Kris Letang has been horrible, being out of position due to his over-aggressiveness in the offensive zone, and Orpik has failed to stay in front of the net in the defensive zone.  Meanwhile, Lovejoy and Niskanen look completely lost on the ice, especially when Martin St. Louis hops over the boards.    Regardless, Fleury is the beacon of hope for the Pens.  He will make or break this season; a season he helped salvage when Crosby and Malkin went down two months ago.

This is a tall task for the young goaltender, but it certainly wont be his first.  Fleury won two Game 7 contests en route to a Stanley Cup in 2009.  Both of those series ended on the road. In order to defeat the Bolts, Fleury will have to outplay Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson who is now 5-0 when facing elimination.  

NHL Stays on NBC/Versus

Looks like 10 more years of Millbury and the Crash Test dummy Pierre McGuire.

It was announced, early today, that the NHL has agreed to a new television deal with NBC/Versus that rounded out to 200 million dollars over 10 years.  According to USA Today, Versus will have its name changed to include NBC in the title and will add over 50 more regular season games next year.  NBC/Versus will get exclusive rights to playoff games after the first round which allows one more round for a silent Steigerwald should the Penguins get past the first round next year.

Steigy will only get one series to call starting next year. 

According to USA Today:  "This season, Versus' NHL games averaged just 0.2% of U.S. households, while NBC averaged 1% of U.S. households." Meanwhile ESPN, owned by Disney whose company is worth is roughly $79 billion, is forced to sit on the sidelines once again.  

League Commissioner Gary Bettman has been criticized over the years for trying to Americanize the game of hockey and while we've seen clues with the expansion of franchises into southern markets, it appears Bettman is ignoring the one channel ALL sports fans watch in the United States.  Also,the NHL could see significant coverage on ESPN if the NFL remains locked out next season and the increasing possibility of an NBA lockout becomes a reality.  Instead, Bettman elects to go with a broadcast that only true fans can find.  Why? If he's going to go that route why not move the Hurricanes back to Hartford?  Why not move Florida Panthers to Hamilton, Ontario?  Why not move the Coyotes...well that one is still very possible.  The point is, the NHL could have placed their league on the U.S. map with an exclamation point.  Instead, they elected to stay with the same network that brings you bass fishing and turkey hunting.


 On the other hand...


With hockey staying on Versus and not going to ESPN all NHL fans will be guaranteed one thing: there will be a ton of games on cable TV.  As mentioned before, Versus shows turkey hunting and bass fishing along with Streetball reruns to go with the NHL.  ESPN, on the other hand, shows MLB, NBA, NFL, NASCAR, College Baseball, College Football and College Basketball.  With that in mind, where would the NHL fit in?  Most likely on ESPN 3 with all the other programs nobody watches.  How much has ESPN cared to show hockey highlights?  What makes you think Skip Bayless or, wannabe gangster, Jim Rome will talk about the NHL?  Even if they did, would you really want to hear them?  I wouldn't.  To use a food analogy, you can be the Chipotle Burrito or you can be the hash browns at McDonalds; looks like the NHL will be the Burrito.

At this point, the NHL is stronger than it ever has been over the last 10 years and while it continues to grow, more sports fans will become immersed...or not.  Does it really matter if more people continue to watch hockey?  It's the last remaining sport tied deeply into its roots and history.  Can we really expect the casual fan to care about names like Al Iafrate, Scott Stevens, Tie Domi, Bobby Clarke or Stan Mikita?  My guess is no.  So I say, well done NHL.  You have made the right decision.

 

Lightning Trapping Themselves

It is no secret the trap has always been a thorn in the Pittsburgh Penguins' side.  Pens fans witnessed the New Jersey Devils suffocate a high octane Pittsburgh offense in the 2000-2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs after five games.  Last year, the Penguins were outscored 22-5 in six regular season games against the Devils who played a trap style as well.  The Minnesota Wild shutout the Penguins 4-0 in arguably the worst game this season for Pittsburgh.  Even the offensive-minded Capitals shutout the Penguins using the trap in back to back 3-0 defeats.  Those teams all contained three components that are key to the trap:

1) Puck moving defensemen
2) Solid goaltending

Victor Hedman:  Good player. Really slow.

3) Quickness on the defensive side of the puck

With those three components outlined, it begs the question: Why are the Tampa Bay Lightning trapping? Granted they have used this style of play for most of the season which landed them a fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.  However, the Lightning are missing two of the three aforementioned attributes needed for an effective trap.  Victor Hedman is a promising young player who takes away a lot of space with his size at 6-6 220 lbs but he is a below average skater.  Pavel Kubina is the Lightning's best offensive-defensemen, but he is way past his prime becoming 34 years old by the time Game 2 starts.  In Game 1 we saw the weakness of the Tampa Bay defense when they turned the puck over countless times which eventually led to the first Penguin goal.

A Pavel Kubina turnover led to the first goal for Pittsburgh

Dwayne Roloson is the only player who fits in the trap system.  He carried an 8th seeded Oilers team to a Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Carolina Hurricanes.  Although he is 41 years old, his age has not shown this year, including Game 1 on Wednesday.  Everyone looks at Penguins goaltender Marc Andre Fleury as the goalie to carry his team past the first round and although Fleury stole the show in Game 1, Roloson was no slouch, stopping 37 of 39 shots. 

The Lightning's strength is predicated on their high-powered offense with Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos, Ryan Malone and Simon Gagne.  With the skill of Stamkos and St. Louis, the speed of Dominic Moore and grit of Steve Downie and Simon Gagne, this team is built for an up-tempo offense with an aggressive forecheck.  By playing the trap, you could argue they are slowing themselves down.  A counter-punch team is usually reserved for a team that thinks defense first (see New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens).  If the Lightning want to move deep into the playoffs, they need to feed their strengths with an appropriate system.


Remember when the Penguins used the trap in the 2008- 2009 season with Michel Therrien? After the Penguins lost to Toronto 5-2, dropping them into 13th place in the conference, Therrien was fired for Dan Bylsma.  Disco Dan's system preached an aggressive forecheck to create turnovers in the offensive zone.  After a few weeks, the Penguins perfected his system and the rest, as they say, is history.  The reason for this change was from Bylsma's recognition of his team's strengths.  His team did have a good goalie and average defense, but Bylsma knew the Penguins' strength was in their talented offensive players. 

Unfortunately, it is too late in the season to implement a new system for Tampa Bay.  This is not to say the Lightning will definitely lose this series or that they cannot be successful in the playoffs.  But they are skating uphill by slowing themselves down.  In Game 1, the Penguins chipped the puck off the boards and out skated the slow moving Tampa Bay defensemen to keep the puck deep in the zone.  The Penguins will continue to wear down the Tampa Bay defense by using their speed and physicality to hit the Lightning blue liners over the course of the series.  As this series wears on, the defense will get tired and the turnovers will become more frequent, playing into Bylsma's hands.

Bucco Report Card

After the first 10 games, the Pirates stand at 5-5 which is good enough for a second place tie with the Brewers in the NL Central.  The Buccos took the first two series 2 games to 1, on the road against Chicago and St. Louis respectively, before going 1-3 in a 4 game home set against the Rockies.  The first 10 games have included a grand slam from Neil Walker on Opening Day, a victory against an elite pitcher (Chris Carpenter), a disastrous home opener, a 14 inning thriller, the new manager outsmarting the old manager, a few blown saves, the tasering of a fan and a 10 game hit streak from the "new" leadoff man.  Through these first 10 games, here's how the Pirates grade out:

Managing: B-

Had it not been for Clint Hurdle's sneaky move in the 14th inning to put Andrew McCutchen on deck, despite the pitcher being up next, I probably would give hurdle a C+/C.  In two of the Pirates losses this year, he's left the relievers in way too long.  In the second game against the Cubs, Hurdle elected to stick with Evan Meek in the 8th inning despite the fact that he simply did not have his stuff that day.  After walking Kosuke Fukudome to start the inning, Meek threw a wild pitch to advance Fukudome before surrendering a double to Starlin Castro.  If you throw in the Lyle Overbay error and Alphonso Soriano RBI single, by the time Meek came out the score was tied at 3. 

In yesterday's game, the Pirates brought in Mike Crotta with two outs in the 7th and a man on first.  Crotta walked Jonathan Herrera and gave up a single to Jason Giambi which tied the game.  That should have been enough.  Instead, Pitching coach Ray Searage came out to talk to the young reliever who promptly walked in the game winning run.

I realize Hurdle is trying to get his young pitching staff to work out of jams, but when wins are at a premium, you cannot afford to sit back and hope a struggling pitcher comes out on top.  Couple his bullpen decisions with his offensive strategy and you get an average strategist at best.  Clint, I realize you are trying to create runs but please stop trying to bunt with Tabata and Walker at the plate; let the most talented offensive players swing the sticks.

Starting Pitching-B+

Move over Tim Lincecum, there's a new challenger for the Cy Young and his name is Kevin Correia.  OK, maybe that is a stretch, but in his first two starts, Correia is 2-0 surrendering 2 earned runs in 13 innings.  Charlie Morton has been impressive as well in two starts: 1-0 2.08 era.  Of the two, Correia is on track for a better season simply because Morton has been wild walking 10 batters so far.  Although Paul Maholm was smacked around in the home opener, he's still improved from last year.  James Mcdonald has been up and down since coming back from injury and Ross Ohlendorf, who is back on the DL with the same nagging shoulder injury as last year, has been awful.  The Pirates need to take as many games as they can with the way the starters have pitched because this success will only last for so long.

Relief Pitching C-

The relievers have been rough to start the season.  Evan Meek, an All-Star last year, has been awful and in 5 of the losses so far this year, 4 have been blown leads after the sixth inning.  Joel Hanrahan has been a bright spot as he is a perfect 4-4 in save opportunities.  Had the bullpen not pitched 11.1 shutout innings on Friday, this grade would be lower.

Team numbers (MLB rank)
ERA: 3.29 (9th) Walks: 46 (1st) Strikeouts: 58 (22nd)

Offense C+

Pedro...Brutal

The Pirates have scored 6 runs once this young season and have failed to capitalize on mediocre pitchers.  Scoring 2 runs on Chris Carpenter is slightly impressive given his resume, however there is no excuse for getting shut down against Greg Reynolds.  He was a busted draft pick who was called up to fill in for Cy Young candidate Ubaldo Jimenez on Saturday and, despite opportunities early on, the Pirates failed to knock him out. 

Pedro Alvarez has been almost non-existent at the plate and, at times, looked downright overpowered.  So far, he's hitting a measley .195 with 0 home runs.  His 14-3 K-BB ratio shows he's not seeing the ball well at all.  Many are calling him a first round bust which I think is still WAY too early to judge considering this will be only his second full season in professional baseball.  However, he needs to turn it around and a home run could open up the flood gates.

Jose Tabata, on the other hand, has been electric.  He's opened the season with a 10 game hitting streak, hit two home runs, and has struck out (4) less times than walked (7).  He has perfectly fit the bill as a lead off hitter. As of today, Tabata is tied for 2nd in the league in stolen bases with 5.     

Neil Walker has been up and down thus far.  His grand slam against the Cubs on Opening Day was a special moment for both him and the city of Pittsburgh.  However, like Alvarez, he strikes out way too much with a 15-4 K-BB ratio.  As a two-hole hitter, he has to make better contact and draw more walks.

Team numbers (MLB rank)
Average: .238 (19th)   Home runs: 9 (13th) Runs: 37 (17th) Strikeouts: 86 (1st)


Defense C+

The Pirates are 19th in the league in errors, however they have had spectacular plays that have protected games.  Pedro Alvarez has been stellar at 3rd base, robbing Ty Wiggington of two hits, one of which to end a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning of Friday night's game and the other yesterday during the afternoon game.  Overall the defense has been average this year.  As Pirates fans, we should only hope they stay out of the bottom 5 in fielding percentage.


Pirates Best Player: Jose Tabata
Pirates Worst Player: Ronny Cedeno

Next 10 game prediction: 4-6.  If Pedro does not hit a home run against the Brewers at home, he will most certainly hit one against the Reds on their little league field.

Pirates vs Rockies Game Preview 4-9

Pirates need McCutchen tonight

After Jose Tabata's walk off double last night in the bottom of the 14th, the Pirates will look to gain control of this 4 game set against the Rockies with a win tonight.  Charlie Morton, the starting pitcher tonight for the Buccs, will look to mimic his last outing in which he threw 6 strong innings against the St. Louis Cardinals en route to a win.  He will be countered by former first round draft pick, Greg Reynolds who is filling in for an injured Ubaldo Jimenez.  It is critical for both pitchers to go far into the game in order to give their respective teams a win and also rest their bullpens.

The Pirates used everyone in their bullpen except for Evan Meek who was scratched with shoulder stiffness he encountered earlier yesterday.  If Charlie Morton can go 7+ innings, he can not only give his team a chance to win tonight but also tomorrow as the Pirates will have fresh arms for the series finale.  This is also an opportunity for the Buccos to wake up their bats, as the offense has struggled early.  In the first two games (23 innings) combined, the Pirates have managed a measly 12 hits and 5 runs.  Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez are a combined 1-17 in this series while most of the production has come from Jose Tabata.  If ever there was a chance to breakout of an early season slump, this would be the time.  Greg Reynolds is a busted first round draft pick whose 5.74 ERA last year was split between A and AA.  If the Pirate hitters can breakout and chase Reynolds early in the game, they can force the Rockies to use an already tired bullpen which could easily set them up for a third straight series win on Sunday.

Home Opener Massacre: Rockies Crush Pirates 7-1

After an exciting road trip that propelled the Pirates to a 4-2 start, the Buccos lost on their home opener thanks to a 3 RBI day for Troy Tulowitzki and great pitching by Esmil Rogers. Rogers pitched 8.1 innings allowing 1 run. At one point, the Pirates went 5 innings between hits.

Some home opener jitters from Neil Walker opened the scoring for Colorado when he threw a double play ball into left field. The error, along with Jose Tabata not backing up the play, eventually led to two runs in the inning. From there, the game slowly spiraled out of control.

A game like this could easily lead to a long losing streak. However, the Pirates brought in Clint Hurdle to handle these exact situations. He'll calm this group of youngsters down and the Pirates should put up a better effort tonight.

Charlie Morton vs. St. Louis Cardinals Recap

Last year, Charlie Morton was one of Major League Baseball's worst pitchers.  His fastball was flat, up in the zone, and usually out of the park.  In 17 starts, Morton went 2-12 with a 7.57 ERA before being demoted to AAA where he continued to struggle.  It appeared Morton's career was over until he worked with new pitching coach Ray Searage who suggested dropping his arm slot down to three-quarters.  The results were tremendous in Spring Training when Morton posted a 2-0 record with a 2.63 ERA.  By changing his arm slot, Morton was able to get a ton of movement on his fastball and resurrect his sinker and, quite possibly, his career.  Last night, Morton showed all Pirates fans and a few steamed Cardinals fans that he is can still compete.


In the first three innings, Charlie Morton threw 31 pitches of which 28 were fastballs.  Not only was he aggressive, but the combination of velocity (topped 96 mph) and movement led to a lot of ground balls.  Albert Pujols, the biggest Pirate killer in the league, looked overpowered by Morton's fastball at times.  Pujols finished 0-3 against Morton seeing 6 pitches, all fastballs, all ground outs to third baseman Pedro Alvarez.  On his last at-bat against Morton, Pujols ended the inning when he shattered his bat on a 92 mph fastball, stranding two runners.

The only thing Charlie Morton struggled with was his control.  He walked 5 batters over 6 innings and, at times, was rather erratic.  With the amount of movement on his fastballs, Morton has a little more leeway to miss his spots.  But the pitches that miss the zone entirely will eventually catch up to him.  Nevertheless, Morton had a strong outing, allowing only 1 run in 6 complete innings.  He earned his first win of the season, a win that eluded him for over a month into last season.  As I stated in the season preview, the starting pitchers will be the deciding factor in this season.  So far, four starters have turned in quality starts with James McDonald, arguably the most talented in the rotation, making his first start tonight.  If the pitchers can continue to keep games close, they could win more ballgames than expected.  

Crosby's Concussion will Never Go Away

Before his concussion, Sidney Crosby was the pinnacle of hockey skill and excitement; a player whose talents brought a nation on its knees and a city to the top of the Stanley Cup mountain.  It has been 5 1/2 years since "Sid the Kid" was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins and since then, he has obtained hockey's finest jewelery; a Stanley Cup ring and an Olympic Gold medal.  Just when you thought it couldn't get better, Crosby started this season on an unbelievable pace.  He had a 25 game point streak which started on November 5th and ended on December 28th.  He was on pace for 60+ goals and 150+ points.

Then, on January 1st, 2011, he suffered a concussion following a brutal hit by David Steckel.  The next game, he was checked from behind into the boards by Lightning defenseman, Victor Hedman.  Since then, he has be out of commission, although he seems to be progressing nicely and could return by the start of the playoffs.

Whether Crosby returns this season or this October, his concussion issues will never go away.  They may not affect his playing time like Marc Savard, but in the heart of Pittsburgh hockey, there will always be worried fans of another head injury, an injury that could sideline his career.  It is quite a scary reality: a player who has made the hockey world hold its breath on every play, trying to anticipate what magic he will work next, is now forcing those same fans to hold their breath in fear of injury.  Concussions are an enigma for doctors to give a timetable on recovery.  This is completely different from the high ankle sprain Crosby suffered back in the 2007-2008 season.  Even if he sits out for the rest of the year, the next hit could be his last as a hockey player.

If Crosby is healthy and cleared to play this season, he should come back and play.  Although, I will go so far as to say his return will not guarantee a Stanley Cup Final.  Let's keep in mind, it took a hot streak from Sidney Crosby and an even more dominant performance by Evgeni Malkin to win the Stanley Cup.  Even if the Penguins do slug their way through the Eastern Conference, they still have to play the champion out of the West; a conference chalked full of talented teams from top to bottom and a stronger conference than the East by far.  Even with talented wingers James Neal and Alex Kovalev, the Penguins will still miss the dynamic play of Evgeni Malkin who is one of the best players in the league.  And yet, maybe this is another chapter to Sidney Crosby's legacy where he will return for the playoffs and carry his team to a Stanley Cup.  It seems improbable but if any player can do it, it's #87.