These Pirates Are A Team of Destiny

Perfect Image - Russell Martin Rounding First
W/ the PNC Park Fans Going Bonkers...

Okay, that title might be a bit extreme, but if anyone could watch that Wild Card game and not think to themselves "this team is something special", then you don't have a pulse, or you aren't a true fan.  Plain and simple.  This Pirates team just has a look of a team that is long overdue for success.  The fans were feeling it last night (more on that to come), the players fed off the crowd, and it just seemed like the Buccos were getting the breaks that can make or break a postseason.  Seriously, look at some of the plays that could have been made last night.  There was the Byrd rocket that deflected off of Cozart (Reds SS) which was ruled an Error.  Now, most people would agree thats a really tough play to make, but there is NO doubt that a routine double play ball that gets muffed by Brandon Phillips doesn't make you sit up in your seat and say "Maybe there is something about this team..."

Let me talk about the environment for just a second.  I have been to Penguins games, Pirates games, and Steelers games.  I can honestly say that from an "at home" standpoint, I have NEVER experienced a crowd like the one at PNC Park last night.  If you were fortunate enough to be there live...then kudos to you.  The players, the manager, and the general manager all said that the crowd had a major impact on the game.  If that doesn't get your excited about at least having one more game at PNC Park, well I don't know what will.  The fans were ecstatic from the moment Doug Drabek fired a strike in the opening pitch ceremony, the player introductions, and all the way to the final 5-3 put out to end the game.  You could visually see the 20+ years of frustration, losing, and heartache just pouring out of the stadium like the rivers that run through Pittsburgh.  When the crowd started serenading Johnny Cueto on the mound, I tweeted (follow me - @BnGBlitz) that the crowd seemed more like a hockey crowd at Consol Energy Center than a baseball crowd at PNC Park.  When you have players like AJ Burnett and Russell Martin who played for the most storied franchise in baseball, the Yankees, and they are saying that they have NEVER experienced a crowd like that...well then that tells you something right there.  Pirates fans have been waiting for this...

However, what they've been waiting for isn't just a Wild Card win.  No, they want a winner.  They want to not only end the streak, but they want to bury it 6 feet deep and use the World Series trophy as a tombstone.  I heard a caller on the radio this morning say something that was very true.  He talked about how the Pirate players are playing with no pressure.  At first I chuckled at the notion...after all, we are talking about playoff baseball.  Then he continued about how this team doesn't have any expectations on it.  So I thought about it more and realized...NO ONE thought they'd win 94 games.  NO ONE thought they'd even make it into the playoffs.  NO ONE thought they would even be in the situation they are in now getting ready to face the Cardinals in the NLDS.  As they would say in Vegas, it seems like the Pirates are playing with "house" money right now.

With the excitement aside, this team has a tough road ahead of them.  Although they match up well against the Cardinals, this won't be a breeze.  The Pirates will have to get out of the "Game 7" mentality and focus in on stringing together consecutive performances to win a series...which is something they've done extremely well this season.  Say what you want about this team.  I've heard "fluke", I've heard "lucky", I've heard "a down right disgrace", but you know what I say...this is a team of DESTINY.