Pirates rebuilding and Steelers just building. No kiddin’, Sherlock, you telling me that is like giving a cadaver a COVID-19 vaccine, you dig. If you don’t dig, figure it out later.
As I pen this column, the record of the Pittsburgh Pirates is 16-7 and they are leading the NL Central by a full game over the Milwaukee Brewers. No one, not even yours truly, the eternal optimist Aubrey Bruce, thought that could happen. We are nearing the twilight of the month of April and the Pirates are not in the midst of their normal early season collapse.
Also, aside from the untimely injury of budding superstar infielder O’Neil Cruz, the team is remaining relatively free from major position injuries. You can honestly say that their current winning streak, which as of Monday night, April 24, was seven, is unexpected because ownership did not venture into very deep player investment waters in the 2022 offseason.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ current estimated budget is: $61,318,635. Compare that paltry sum to the current estimated payroll of the New York Yankees at: $279,047,468. Two Yankees superstars, Aaron Judge, who earns $40 million annually and Gerrit Cole, who rakes in $36 million per year earn approximately $15 million more than the entire Pittsburgh franchise. Since we are on the subject of dough, on the Sunday prior to the Dodgers trip to town, Pirates starter Vince Velasquez polished the Cincinnati Reds with a gem of a 2-0 shutout, striking out 10 Redlegs in the process. Vince Velasquez is just one of the bright spots that are currently on the Pirates. Velasquez just seems to have the swag and confidence to infect the remainder of his teammates with the “virus of success.”
This 2023 squad seems to be relying on grit and determination, not pedigree, to become an oasis for Pirate fans that have been stranded and trapped in the desert of losing for so many years that many of us have stopped counting. At this early point in the season, Pirates ace relief pitcher David Bednar already has eight saves with a miniscule ERA of 0.82 with 14 strikeouts.
Watch out…these “boys of summer” appear to be locked and loaded.
Steelers’ first full draft with Omar Khan at the helm as GM
There are many reasons that prognostications before any event are just that: suggestions and lightly greased prophecies that oftentimes are like a kiddie pool that is being visited by a visually challenged inebriated person with an ice pick; you just never know where the leak is going to come from. Well, if you doubt what I am saying all you have to do is think about Walter Abercrombie, Jarvis Jones, Gabe Rivera or Devin Bush, I rest my case. The narcissism gene in a few people most always rears its ugly head around the time that the NFL draft is about to occur. Some have had the nerve to label the process of the draft itself as a “science.”
This is the first Steelers draft in 25 years that Kevin Colbert has not been the GM and top talent evaluator for the Steelers and for the first time in the history of the Black and Gold, both the head coach and the GM are men of color. The Steeler Nation should be pining for the team to trade up, down or round and round for the team to draft and sign Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Yeah, that’s right, the son of the former Steeler linebacker Joey Porter. Folks are saying that drafting a left tackle should be paramount regarding the protection of the team’s second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, the Steelers’ first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. That may be partially true but the less points that the defense gives up that means there will be less pressure for Pickett to come from behind with more “Miracle on 34th Street” victories. The Steelers got the quarterback that the Steeler Nation hoped that they would chose in 2022. They must now get the best or one of the top cornerbacks that are on the board in 2023, period. The Washington Commanders are scheduled to draft from the 16th position, just one slot before the Steelers are scheduled to pick. The Steelers had better beg borrow and steal and dust off the Ouija Board and contact the late Monty Hall, the legendary host of the television show, “Let’s Make A Deal,” and get to crackin’. Curt Popejoy recently posted this on sports.yahoo.com: “The entire draft is going to be shaped by that No. 17 overall pick. That No. 32 overall pick as well as the rest of the Steelers early picks are going to be dictated by if the player or players the Steelers want most make it to No. 17. If we had a guess, offensive tackle and cornerback are the two positions being targeted and the Steelers are going to watch for a run at either or both and go from there. Cornerback is much deeper than offensive tackle so if there is a spot to hold on, that might be it.”