Pirates Simply Not Having Fun



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 - Chris Haney (@CHaney43)

Where has the fun in baseball gone?  Its still there, but the more important question is: Where has the fun been in the Pirates clubhouse since the All Star Break?

After watching the Pirates get swept by the Brewers, and then getting embarrassed by the worst team in the MLB today, I was physically sick. There was absolutely no effort today, and you can tell that the players are not having any fun showing up to the ball park every day. Today’s performance was nothing less than pathetic. Even the equipment staff sucked it up!  Don't know how an equipment staff could have anything to do with "sucking", just look up the picture with Brock Holt’s number on the wrong side of his jersey (See Picture with this Post). How does this happen in “The Show”? 

In my opinion, for the Buccos to even contend for the wild card, the first thing that needs to happen is they must get healthy. Not having Neil Walker and Starling Marte in the line up is big blow. Walker has been having a great year, and Marte is a potential star in the making. It seems to me that the entire team, and staff seem “spent” after the great start they had this year. 

I’m not going to lie, I was one of those Pirate fans that said at the beginning of the season...“if the Pirates end the season above .500, I would be thrilled.” Well, after the start to this season that feeling went away. Just winning more than losing wasn't important anymore...contending was.  I really thought they had a chance to make the wild card, but if they continue to play like this, that will never happen. 

Now, fans and the entire organization need to answer the question I started the post with.  How do we get the Pirates to show the hustle and start to have fun again?  Maybe the skipper needs to treat them to Kennywood and Sandcastle for a day, or maybe just the batting cage...whatever works to bring back the FUN in the game of baseball!  It seems like light years ago when this was the "fun-loving Zoltan Crew" from Pittsburgh.