The new #18

Since I remember, the player wearing #18 for the Pittsburgh Pirates was always my favorite player. Of course, that span only covers two guys, Jason Kendall (who I've soured on a bit since he left, but can assure you was my favorite player every year he was in the black and gold) and the ony and only Andy Van Slyke himself. Yesterday a player in that number took the field for the first time since Kendall's departure and it was on the back of a player who hadn't thrown a pitch in a meaningful game since about the same time, Sean Burnett.

Anyways, Burnett took the mound yesterday against the BoSox and looked and felt good. Sure, it was only an inning, but everything has to start somewhere. No matter how Burnett pitches this spring, I'm all for his spending at least a month in Indianapolis to get some game experience, but the way things have gone this spring, I doubt he'll need much more than that.

Also in yesterday's game, Ryan Doumit absolutely mashed a three run dinger. I saw the clip of it on Pittsburgh Sports Tonight, it was a blast and a half. Today the Bucs travel to, well I dunno, somewhere in Florida other than Bradenton to play the Tigers and have the photo-op of the spring when at least the last four managers of the team are present (Tracy in black and gold, Leyland, Lamont, and McClendon in blue and white) with the possibility of the last six living managers (and six of the last seven) being at the game with Chuck Tanner and Bill Virdon both spending some time in Pirates camp recently.