Just looking at that line-up makes me pine for the days of Francisco Cordova and Kevin Polcovich.

Quick story for you.  Picture this:  it’s 1992.  Your humble blogger is a junior in high school.  He’s dating a girl whose sister works in the Three Rivers Stadium box office.  It’s the National League Championship series and your Pittsburgh Pirates have battled back from insurmountable odds to force a deciding Game 7.  MLB decides to print World Series tickets a day early because if the Bucs win, the Series begins two days later.  Thanks to my hook ups, I am lucky enough to score great seats for Game 1.

The Pirates lead the entire game behind some brilliant pitching by Cy Young winner Doug Drabek.  Ninth inning.  I’m on the edge of my seat, sweat beads forming on my forehead, World Series tickets clutched tightly in my hands.  The Atlanta Braves begin to mount a comeback.  An easy ground ball is muffed by Gold Glove second basemen Chico Lind.  Stan Belinda enters the game and promptly surrenders the tying run.  Okay, my tickets might still have value, we’ll only have to work a little more.   Then Francisco Cabrerra comes to bat and one swing plunges the Pirates into one of the worst losing streaks in professional sports history.

I still have the tickets.

The mothership of this very site, Fan-Sided Blogs, has decided to branch out into covering Major League Baseball.  Despite the fact Pittsburgh does not have a major league caliber franchise, they still went ahead and launched a brand new site covering the ups and downs (mostly downs) of our hapless Pirates.  If you’re a glutton for punishment, I suggest you click on over to Rum Bunter for great coverage of a terrible team.

Unfortunately, I will not be involved with that site as I’m frankly embarassed by them.  It’s one thing if you try to win and just come up short but they don’t seem to make even the slightest effort to field a respectable team.  I can’t support a team who won’t try to give the city the product it deserves.   Best of luck to Tom, who I’m sure will do an excellent job with what he has to work with.

In other news, 1250 ESPN Radio will be hosting a series of “Lunch With A Legend” events starting next Tuesday, February 24th at Morton’s The Steakhouse on Liberty Avenue.   For $40 you get to have lunch with Pittsburgh Steelers legends Andy Russell and Mike Wagner.  Click this link for the phone number to make your reservations for this pretty cool promotional idea.

Finally, I need your help.  I’ve gotten myself mixed up in a Pittsburgh Sports Blog Smackdown on another website.  Now, I give you guys Ladies Night, M&Ms, and free Croc shoes…   All I ask is that you click this link and vote for my site, Nice Pick Cowher, in their tournament.  Please.  I’m a total attention whore and this kind of thing fulfills me. Seriously, I wouldn’t be able to survive without the praise of others.