What can bring me back to a dormant blog? Finals? Yes. Baseball? Yes.
Here is my personal Pirates starting lineup.
C - Jason Kendall --> .378 slugging (this is ironic); one of the few Pirates I ever remember being at his peak while a Pirate; most gruesome sports injury I have ever seen.
1B - Willie Stargell --> Take that, Augustus Sur! Bush leaguer. Although I will give him credit for being buried in Homewood and in a cemetery. I own this T-shirt.
2B - Bill Mazeroski --> My dad went to "Fantasy Baseball Camp" one year and brought back a ball signed by Maz. "To Nate, a future Pirate. -Bill Mazeroski-" When I asked what we do with it, Father replied, "We keep it nice and hope he dies."
3B - Pie Traynor --> Hall of Famer, played in that beautiful time between the Great Wars when names were awesome.
SS -- Honus Wagner --> Best Pirate of all time! No doubt. Best shortstop of all time. Not debatable. And.. he owes my Grandfather 10 cents. As a young boy Pop Pop would cut "that damn kraut's grass" and he would never pay. I still have a Honus Wagner poster up in my house. My parents scolded me saying, "Pop Pop would roll over in his grave." But is hard to find anti-Honus Wagner posters... I've looked.
LF -- Barry Bonds --> I did consider putting Stargell as a left fielder just to keep this honor from Bonds, but considering he is on trial right now, he needs all the support he can get. He is just a pioneer of sports medicine, and probably one of the greatest players I have ever seen.
CF -- Andy Van Slyke --> His constant scratching, spitting, nose-picking and swearing taught me what it means to play the game. Pop Pop called him, "Van Slick". Someone told me he had a heart attack and died in Wilkinsburg. This saddened me until I went on a date and they announced the first base coach of the Detroit Tigers as "Andy Van Slyke." It was like a soap opera. I did not get a second date assumingly from my overzealous reaction to the opposing first base coach.
RF -- Roberto Clemente --> Legend. Breakthrough Latin player, humanitarian, cannon arm. I will forgive him being a little fragile and a crybaby.
SP -- Doc Ellis --> This video speaks for itself. It has forever added, "Got a No-No goin," to my phraseology when trying to jinx friends.
Coach -- Jim Leyland --> He keeps bees because they have too much freedom. He also smokes like a chimney, has marbles in his mouth, and says, "Atta baby."
