Why press on?

It's a question I've seen posed a lot in the comments recently. Just why should we keep pressing forward as fans of this pathetic franchise? I mean, the team is getting on base at like a .306 rate and the manager is in the newspaper hollering about clutch hitting. The minor leagues are mostly bereft of talent. Is there really a point to moving onwards as a Pirate fan?

I dunno, I guess that's a question each fan has to answer individually. As bad as they are this year, they're certainly not any worse than they've been in the past. Is it any more depressing this year to know that help isn't coming? I dunno... when has help ever really been coming? The saving grace for Pirate fans this year is that Dave Littlefield is quickly going to become a PR liability, meaning he can be fired at any point after the Nuttings realize that. We can hope they take the hands off approach that so many money-grubbing small-market owners use and that they hire someone competent and give them complete control of the franchise. It actually happened in KC last year, I suppose it could happen here, too. Beyond that, root for the players. Ian Snell is one of the most fun pitchers in the league to watch. Jason Bay can hit the ball and he really seems to be a genuinely good guy. Tom Gorzelanny is good. Ryan Doumit is THAT guy that everyone knew or knows in college. Freddy is Freddy. There's some redeeming value here. They may suck as a baseball team, but not everyone on this team is Jack Wilson or Jose Castillo or Chris Duffy (bad at baseball and bland or grating as a person that is).

Besides, what else are you going to do... root for the Indians?