Baseball Blues
Hard Work For Bucs Fans
By Val Porter

With the sad ending of the Penguins season, our sporting attention now turns to the Pirates. Our Buccos have had some hard times over the past decade-plus, yet people continue to make the trek to PNC Park to support their team. Why is that?

I believe it's for the pure love of the game. Baseball fans seem to be a little different than fans of other sports. They seem to have more reverence for the game itself, and the majority seem to actually go for the game and not just for the opportunity to over-imbibe in their favorite alcoholic beverage. These baseball fans can be very serious. It might be the only sport I've seen where the fans keep score in their seats, and where people come to the games with earphones attached to their ears so they can hear the radio play-by-play. And I love it when I go to games and see little old ladies decked out in their Pirates gear, head to toe, going to the game together to cheer on a team they no doubt have been following for decades.

Baseball is probably the first sport a lot of kids play, getting their start in the backyard with Dad. They grow up with a love of the game. My ten-year-old niece even argued with me that baseball is way more exciting than hockey!

But I gotta be honest… I just don't get it. To me, baseball is boring.

Now before you get too worked up, I'm not saying I think that PEOPLE who like baseball are boring, or that I don't go to Pirates games. I do. It's just not my cup of tea.

I'd rather see some action. I want to see someone get checked into the boards or score on a breakaway. I'd want to see a Hail Mary pass in the waning moments result in a game-winning touchdown.

Watching guys standing in the outfield swatting at flies because there's nothing else going on out there? To me, not so exciting. It's like watching grass grow. Which I think is what some of those outfielders are actually doing at times.

Hey, the Pirates carry fond memories for me. I remember being a really little kid, going to a game at Three Rivers Stadium and sitting right above the bullpen. All I really remember about that game is my brother telling me to yell at Mudcat Grant down below. Like any little kid, I must have yelled "Hey Mudcat" a hundred times. I wouldn't stop until he looked up. And he did. And he waved. And that made my day.

I also remember walking into my grandparent's house many times as the evening was fading, and all the lights were out, and my Grandfather was sitting in his chair listening to the ball game on AM radio. I can see that like it happened yesterday.

So even though I'm not a fan of the sport, I'll still go and support our Buccos. They are our team. And I think that's important.

And maybe deep down inside, there IS a little part of me that loves the game and will head to PNC Park on a warm summer evening with so many others this season hoping for a win.

Beat 'em Bucs.