Thanks to Bucs' fans, Bay has shot
When a baseball team loses two of every three games it plays before July, there aren't many happy endings in a season long lost.
That's what gives this story a bit of a pleasant twist. Despite being woefully out of a pennant race for the 13th time in 14 seasons (and no immediate hope for a reversal on the horizon), Pittsburgh Pirates fans have something to celebrate.
Most likely when the National League starters for the July 11 All-Star Game are announced on Sunday, Pirates outfielder Jason Bay will be in the starting lineup.
Considering how bad the team Bay plays for is, it's quite an accomplishment and apparently a tribute to Pirates fans using their computers to vote.
When Major League Baseball began announcing its All-Star balloting updates a month ago, Bay, the National League's Rookie of the Year in 2004, wasn't in the Top 10 of NL outfielders. (The top three vote-getters start the game.)
But in this weeks tabulations, he's at the top of the list, ahead of the Mets' Carlos Beltran by approximately 170,000 votes.
Bay's also has more votes than the Nationals' Alfonso Soriano (a second baseman masquerading as an outfielder), the Reds' Ken Griffey Jr. and the Braves' Andruw Jones.
Credit the Pirates
How did this happen? Credit goes to the Pirates -- the host of the 2006 All-Star Game at PNC Park -- for a campaign blitz encouraging their fans to vote for their favorite Buccos and rewarding some with free regular-season tickets.
The Pirates have been asking their fans to throw support to the local heroes and, despite all the losing, the fans have responded.
Bay isn't the only other Bucco receiving a boost at the ballot box. Shortstop Jack Wilson, who had a strong season in 2004 but has been up-and-down since, trails only Mets shortstop Jose Reyes by approximately 80,000 votes. (If Wilson surpasses Reyes, think MLB will institute new rules on All-Star voting?)
Third baseman Freddy Sanchez is a distant fourth behind the Mets' David Wright, the Cardinals' Scott Rolen and the Astros' Morgan Ensberg. What's amazing here is that Sanchez's name is not on the ballot -- all his votes are write-ins.
Second baseman Jose Castillo is third, behind only the Phillies' Chase Utley and the Astros' Craig Biggio. That's right, Castillo has more votes -- more than twice as many -- as the Dodgers' Jeff Kent and the Braves' Marcus Giles.
First baseman Sean Casey, who has missed much of his first season as a Pirate, is fourth behind the Cards' Albert Pujols, the Mets' Carlos Delgado and the Dodgers' Nomar Garciaparra.1
14th season in row
This will be the 14th-straight season the Pirates miss baseball's postseason that was expanded in 1995 to include eight teams. When the Pirates last qualified for the playoffs (1990-92), only the four division winners advanced. (That's right, it's twice as hard to miss the playoffs these days, but the Bucs are proving it can be done.)
That's one of the reasons MLB owners awarded the Pirates another All-Star Game just 12 seasons after they hosted their last one.
With 30 major-league teams, logic says a team should get the All-Star Game once every 30 years. But with so many new ballparks across America, baseball owners have chucked that plan to reward the builders of the new palaces.
Bringing the All-Star Game to Pittsburgh was a move designed to help the Bucs sell tickets. (Only season ticket holders are offered All-Star Game tickets at face value.)
Did it work? Well, let's just say it hasn't hurt.
Despite being out of the pennant race since the end of April, the Pirates have drawn some very respectable crowds, including the recent homestand against the Minnesota Twins.
What happens when All-Star Game festivities are over will be interesting. The Pirates won't be able to use All-Star Game tickets as an enticement to buy season ticket packages.
Obviously, Pirates fans care more about this year's NL All-Star lineup than just about everyone else except Mets fans.
Vote count revealed Sunday
Sunday, the fans' final vote count will be revealed, as will the players' survey that helps choose the All-Star teams.
The fun will be in seeing who All-Star managers Ozzie Guillen (American) and Phil Garner (National) select to fill out their rosters.
Guillen, manager of the world-champion Chicago White Sox, has dropped hints that he believes he has as many as eight players worthy of being at the All-Star Game. Will he dare name that many?
Will Garner (a member of the Pirates' 1979 World Series winner) select a second Pirate -- say Wilson -- to play in his home ballpark?
And what does he do about Giants slugger Barry Bonds who would be booed intensely if he's introduced at PNC Park on July 11?
X & acute;Tom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at williams@vindy.com.