The Boycott is Over!

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates have traded away a prospect! Yes, instead of trading for prospects they traded away a prospect for a current big leaguer. The Pirates have acquired first baseman Derrek Lee from the Orioles for Single A first baseman Aaron Baker. Currently Lee is batting .246 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs. Those numbers may not seem outstanding, but everything about this deal is positive. Since June 17th Lee has been batting .294. Even if Lee is horrible in Pittsburgh it is still a great deal. At the very least it lets us know the Pirates want to win. Which is much more than they have shown in the last 18 years.

For the last 8 years I have boycotted PNC Park, mainly out of anger with the Pirates ownership. I have often asked and argued for people to do the same. I have called people morons for consistently dropping money in ownership's pocket. I stand by my argument that after a team does not try to win, like the Pirates, the fans should quit paying. I would go as far to turn down free tickets. Its not that I hate baseball, I always wanted to go to the games, I love the baseball park atmosphere. However, I have never been and never will be a Pirates fan, at least not while Bob Nutting owns the team. I will not root for a team when I do not respect the ownership. Look at the two teams in Pittsburgh I do cheer for, the Penguins and the Steelers. One is owned by my childhood hero and the other is one the most respected families in all of sports. Nutting's greed has pushed me and many other baseball fans away from ever being true Pirates fans.

The positive to all of this is that it is now okay to enjoy the beautiful baseball facility on the North Shore. For the first time people can go to one of the nicest parks in the league and watch a competitive team. Like so many other people in this city I have wanted to go and enjoy a baseball game at PNC Park, now we can. In my opinion this trade is proof enough that we can and should make our way to a Pirates game this season, while the team is still relevant.