Pirates Have Second At Bat With All-Star Game

Pittsburgh will host the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. That's quite an accomplishment, since the last showcase game in town was just 10 years ago. Betcha a lot of cities are fuming, as the city along Three Rivers will be the first to host three games in three different venues...PNC, Three Rivers Stadium and before that, Forbes Field.

More important, Kevin McClatchy and his administrative crew MUST avoid the allure of gouging patron's pocket books, stealing their bottled water, and in 2006, fielding a team with a $23 million payroll, flush with underachievers, glorified minor leaguers, and other no-talents.

He, and David Littlefield (if Vincent K. McMahon's long-lost brother is still employed by the club) absolutely must have a roster full of legitimate major leaguers, confident that they'll provide a better than .500 team. Even more important, have a guy like Craig Wilson on the All-Star team, so he could compete in the home run contest. Or, could the team sign a powerful left handed stick that could deposit long balls into the Allegheny River? Perish the thought.

Pirate fans should be energized by this news. Hopefully the McClatchy clan will make the most of this chance to rebuild bridges long burned with fans.

The pessimist in me says that Kevin and the gang will bobble this chance like a routine grounder to Randall Simon. The optimist in me says...aw the hell with it, Kevin will drop the ball. Again.