Relaunch

I love how everyone (including myself) refers to the first game after the All-Star break as the first game of the second half. The Pirates will play 162 games, they've played 90. The second half started like a week ago, but there wasn't a big long break announcing it was halftime (who's idea is it to not have the break in the middle of the season? I guess the 4th gets in the way or something). The Pirates will need to go 33-39 in the 72 games after the interim to avoid 100 losses. I'd say it's rather unlikely this will happen, given the fact that they've lost 60 of their first 90 games. This is why I haven't really done a second half preview, there's not much to look forward too. After thinking about it, and here's what is going to keep my watching in the second half:

• Can Duke and Maholm make any progress? Can Snell become more consistent? These things are going to have to happen if 2007 is going to look different.
• Finally getting an answer to the conundrum that is Kip Wells.
  
• Jim freaking Bowden traded Royce Clayton, Gary Majewski, and some minor leaguers for Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez. Some Canadian guy traded one regular red paperclip for a house. Yet somehow, Dave Littlefield will manage to get dick for Jeromy Burnitz, Joe Randa (both of whom haven't been awful of late), Craig Wilson, Sean Casey (whom the Giants are interested in), Salomon Torres, Damaso Marte, and Roberto Hernandez. Despite already knowing this, people (myself included), will act surprised when this happens. Somehow, Dave Littlefield will remain employed.
• In all likelihood, we will sign Sean Casey to an expensive extension instead of trading him. As Charlie has said already, this is a bad, bad idea.
  
• Can FredEx keep his stunning performance up?
• Can Jason Bay get hot again? When he isn't hot, can he at least pretend to be half of the "on fire" Jason Bay.
• What is it that causes Jose Castillo's lethargy, Twinkies, Ho-Ho's, or possible Mary Jane? Can he hit well enough over a long period of time that we just write off his stupidity in the field and on the bases as "Jose being Jose?"
  
• If Ryan Doumit ever comes off the DL, can he stay healthy long enough to hit and earn a spot somewhere on the team.
  
• Tom Gorzelanny, reason enough to watch once every five days.
• Oliver Perez will likely be back sooner rather than later. If the goal in baseball wasn't to win, he'd be incredibly entertaining. Unfortunately, the goal is to win so he's just kind of sad and depressing like the rest of the team.
• Then again, if all else fails (and it probably will), Steelers camp isn't far down the road. They'll be defending the Super Bowl lead by Dwight, star of the Sin City stories A Dame to Kill For and The Big Fat Kill.