Good Show, Pirates

07/13/2006
The Allegheny Times

PITTSBURGH - It had been an awfully long time since baseball was in the national spotlight in this region.

So long ago that PNC Park was only a pipedream as the Pirates played on the artificial turf at circular Three Rivers Stadium.

So long ago that the Pirates' streak of consecutive losing seasons stood at just one instead of what will be 14 as soon as they lose 22 more games this season.

So long ago that the memory of the Pirates holding a place in the national baseball conscious was fresh in everyone's mind.

This week, the baseball world converged on Pittsburgh en masse for the 77th All-Star Game that was played Tuesday night at PNC Park. It was the first time the national spotlight fell on Pittsburgh since the thrilling 1994 All-Star Game at Three Rivers Stadium.

You couldn't help but wonder if the Pirates would botch this affair.

It is sad to have to be so cynical about the franchise but practically everything they've touched since Kevin McClatchy put together a group that bought the team in 1996 turned to dust.

The baseball side of the operation has done nothing to stem the tide of losing. The two general managers McClatchy has employed, Cam Bonifay and Dave Littlefield, have made a litany of awful personnel moves during the past 10 years.

Littlefield celebrates his fifth year anniversary on the job today. He took over a team midway through the 2001 season that lost 100 games that year and now oversees a team on pace to lose 108 in 2006 as they are 30-60.

The Pirates haven't been much better on the business side of the operations, especially when it comes to marketing campaigns.

There seemed to no possible way that they could come up with a worse idea than the crazed promotions-obsessed guy in 1998. Yet, they did this year with "We Will."

We Will be mathematically eliminated by Mother's Day every year?

The Pirates had the chance to redeem themselves for so many of their mistakes this week when the All-Star Game came to town. And, to their ever-lasting credit, the Pirates did a tremendous job of hosting the event.

The game itself was rather dull until Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young hit a two-run triple in the top of the ninth inning to give the American League a 3-2 win over the National League.

The Pirates, of course, had no control over the how the game was played. However, they did have control over how the rest of festivities came off and they made a positive impression on everyone who came to town for the event.

From Commissioner Bud Selig to Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis to Fox Sports lead announcer Joe Buck to New York Yankees third baseman/$252-million man Alex Rodriguez, everyone I talked to over the three days of events had a great time.

Simply put, everything went off without a hitch because of the hard work and fine planning from McClatchy on down in the Pirates' organization.

The All-Star Fanfest at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center was outstanding.

Hometown hero Josh Sharpless' great relief performance made the Futures Game interesting.

The Allegheny River sitting behind the right field stands made for an inviting target in the Home Run Derby.

The red carpet parade of players across the Roberto Clemente Bridge was a treat.

The All-Star Game was crisply played, if lacking in drama, until Young's big hit.

"Everything was so impressive," Rodriguez said. "Pittsburgh is a great city and the people here are wonderful. And the ballpark is just beautiful. I played here three years ago (with the Rangers) and thought it was gorgeous. It was even better in a setting like the All-Star Game."

Who knows when Pittsburgh and the Pirates will be back in the national baseball spotlight. Until they are, they have left one indelibly good impression on thousands of people.

©Beaver County Times Allegheny Times 2006