Time for Snell

I'm gonna post this gamethread a little early and enjoy the weather until the game starts. Tonight Ian Snell takes the mound against Jason Jennings. I won't be liveblogging because it's too massive of an effort for me to do every night, but I'll post the lineups when I see them and be around in the comments during the game for anyone that wants to talk baseball.

I'm excited for Snell's first start. His attitude has made him one of my favorite Pirates over the past year, and I don't think I'm alone in that. Gotta love a guy that can keep his swagger on a team like this. I predict that he will strike out more batters than Zach Duke did last night, but he's probably going to give up a couple gopher balls as well because that's what Snell does and Minute Maid is conducive to it. I'd like to see some more offense from the Buccos tonight, but I'm not really counting on it.

I'm going to start something tonight that I meant to do last year. What is it you ask? The Ian Snell Insult Game. Simply put, Ian Snell always pitches better when someone insults him. Thus, I feel it is incumbent upon me to insult Ian before every start. Nothing too serious, just enough to get the blood boiling. Tonight's insult:

Are you Ian Snell? You're a jerk. A complete kneebiter.

Bonus points to anyone that gets the joke.

Gametime Update: As promised, lineups:
Pirates- Duffy, Wilson, Bay, LaRoche, Paulino, Nady, Bautista, Castillo, Snell
Astros- Biggio, Burke, Berkman, Lee, Ensberg, Lane, Everett, Ausmus, Jennings

Thoughts: Glad to see Bay still third. Confused by the Lane/Scott "platoon" Garner is trying. Scott is left-handed and started against Duke. He hit a homer. Lane is right handed and starting against Snell. Huh? Disappointed not to see Everett batting second again.