Ian Snell is probably my favorite Pirate

Seriously, everyone should be more like him. He used his drive to turn himself into a top notch starting pitcher, just to shove it in the face of the organization that thought he couldn't do it. After Saturday's ugly game, there was his expletive filled tirade to the PG. Today? After he heard that so many people loved his remarks after that game, he gives us this:

"I don't think everybody's playing the level of baseball that they expect of themselves," Snell said. "I mean, they'll get mad or throw their helmet or hang their head or this and that ... it's not going to help you win a ballgame. I think if they just keep their heads in the game, work the counts as a hitter, get the out if you're a pitcher ... just show some heart. Don't be scared. Don't be scared to win. Nothing's going to hurt you if you win."

He even goes on to tell me to shove it.

Some might argue that the Pirates are not underachieving but, rather, performing to their talent level.

Snell was asked what he thought of that viewpoint.

"Seriously, you can tell anyone who says that to go shove it. This team is underachieving. I think this team has a lot of talent. We've got a lot of good players here. I just don't think everybody's bringing it out. And it's upsetting because you're expecting to win and you're not focused on winning."

Ahh, now that is what I like to hear. My senior year in high school we had an idiotic coach who tried as hard as possible to sabotage our team through his Homer Simpson-itis, and a group of us seniors literally started running the team for him, telling him who to play and who to bat where and who to pitch, and more or less what to do. We ended up in the playoffs that year, one year after he had driven our team to an 0-14 record with a potential future major leaguer on the team. Snell reminds me a lot of that team. Don't be afraid to win. I know his message is to the players, but it goes to the front office, too. Don't be afraid to win. Sometimes I feel like the team is afraid that by putting a winning club on the field, that expectations will get too high and the fans still won't be happy. But come on, how can that be worse than what's happening now?