Published: April 25, 2008 11:05 am         

Bucs fan sleepless in Soonerville

From somewhere in Oklahoma (I'm assuming), I have semi-regular dialogue with a fellow by the name of Blaine Wood, who is also a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. Blaine and I agree on a lot of things when it comes to sports, just as we agree to disagree on some things, which is really what the true beauty of being a sports fan is all about.

A couple of weeks ago, Blaine took exception to my feelings that (and he even cut and pasted it to me), "Orioles fans have been beaten up like no other fans in baseball since 1997, but those beatings haven't come from stupid baseball luck or circumstances. The beatings have been self-inflicted organizational beatings, and while all Orioles fans are happy with this team's start, the majority of them are still likely to take a while longer to let some people know they are still smarting from those beatings.

"Fans eventually forgive. They never forget."

To which Blaine responded, "Pirate fans have been beaten MORE than O's fans ... I have the scars. Having been a Pirate fan my entire life, I would have to disagree with your beating statement.

"Did you catch any of the recent homestand? Painful as any beating any Oriole fan has taken and it's still in April."

Blaine's thoughts came my way the day after the Pirates had been swept by the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park to the tune of 10-8, 6-4 and 7-3.

My rationale back to Blaine, which did not even include the score 30-3, was simple: "Can't disagree with you, there. Joggin' George Hendrick ... Steve Kemp ... Sixto Lezcano ... Yeah, it hasn't been good.

"The only difference being Peter Angelos fired Davey Johnson and ran Pat Gillick out of town because they were getting too much credit for the winning that was going on in Baltimore a decade ago. He kicked John Lowenstein and Jon Miller out of the broadcast booth, two immensely popular guys in Baltimore, seemingly because they were too popular.

"Angelos, my point being, has given the impression that he is a vindictive man who wants to show everybody who's in charge. For instance, Brooks Robinson has nothing to do with the Orioles, and that's not by Brooks' doing. BROOKS ROBINSON for goodness sakes! There is money in place to build a statue of Brooks and display it at Camden Yards. The money is in place (private donors), and the Maryland Stadium Authority approved it a couple of years ago. Angelos continues to ignore the request.

"BROOKS ROBINSON!"

I went on to say, "I don't know why the Pirates have been so inept over the years, but I don't view their ownership to be vindictive toward its fans. Incompetent? Yes. Vindictive? I don't see it, but I'm not a Pirates fan like you are. And maybe I keep forgetting the Bucs' woes because they beat the Birds twice in the World Series. Still, I don't disagree with you. It's hard to believe that for years the Pirates and the Orioles were the two best organizations in baseball. Sad, really."

The point I was trying to convey is whatever Orioles fans have enjoyed and wanted to continue to enjoy - Jon Miller, Brother Lo, Brooks' O's legacy, a little thing I like to call winning - Mr. Angelos has simply snatched away from them. Kind of like manager Joe Girardi banning candy from the Yankees clubhouse. And what's that all about? Maybe Little Stein was right about him after all. Or maybe Baby Boss' own fractured "I'm In Charge and You're Not" thinking has already rubbed off on Girardi.

Meanwhile, Joe Torre is the most relaxed man in America.

Anyway, getting back to Sooner Country, I heard from Blaine again the other day and he wrote, "Any chance we can get a little dialogue about them Bucs or do the scars of '71 and '79 run a little too deep?

"Maybe some stuff about what the Bucs have needed forever: a leadoff hitter. Or does the ghost of Omar still haunt your keyboard?"

(No, but the ghost of Omar's wife blowing that blasted whistle still haunts this keyboard.)

"Or how about a petition to trade LaRoche," Blaine continued, "and let him battle the April blues somewhere else? Or trade Morris ...

"Or maybe it's just the ghosts again ... While Mr. Angelos is a small man with a HUGE chip on his shoulder and has (ruined) your beloved O's, the Pirates just (stink). I have threatened to leave them and baseball all together but I never pull the ripcord.

"Thought I'd bust your stone about another American League commentary ... From the land of Sooners football and Sonics basketball."

To which I responded, "I'll get to the Pirates. I just haven't had a chance to watch them as much as I would like to. Actually, I've been watching them all week since the Cubs series, and you're right, it's not good (although two good wins over Florida and St. Louis).

"As for the leadoff hitter, every time I see a Pirates game, Nate McLouth is standing on second base, so I think you've got a pretty decent leadoff guy to be honest. Adam LaRoche? Well, obviously, he's a slow starter and I would agree he's more of a 5 or 6 hitter rather than a clean-up hitter. But then in Baltimore, Kevin Millar bats fourth, so what do I know?

"Matt Morris (0-3, 9.15 ERA)? That never made sense to anybody. And who, other than Pittsburgh, is going to pick up that contract ($9.5 million per year)? That just didn't and doesn't make sense.

"You're right about Mr. Angelos. And, yes, I'm afraid you're right about the Pirates, too. But as I found out after last year (particularly when it involved two of my friends), you can never really leave your team, and you should never ever consider leaving baseball. It's the greatest game of them all.

"So you live in Oklahoma? Yep, looks like you're getting an NBA team to go with your NFL team. Good for you.

"Good hearing from you, Blaine. Stay in touch. I'll see what I can do for you."

Contact Mike Burke at mburke@times-news.com.