So....now what?

Days like Sunday's 9-0 victory over the Houston Astros are a beautiful sight for Pirates fans, if only because they don't come around very often. Games where pitching, hitting, and fielding all come together are a rare sight for a fanbase starving for a winning ballclub. In the words of the Great Lanny Frattare: "There's no doubt about it", it's been a tough past 17+ seasons for baseball's Black and Gold. Wading through players like Derek Bell, Brian Bullington, and Randall Simon, management has finally pointed to this roster, to guys like Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, and Brad Lincoln as the ones who will bring this franchise back to the glory days. They told this fanbase to wait, to have patience, that the arrival of these guys would turn things around for the Buccos. And now that the future has become the present things look, well...eerily similar to the way they did before.

The win Sunday raised the Pirates record on the season to 13-33 since the May 25th call up of Neil Walker signalled the beginning of the cavalry's coming to the big leagues. Now some might attribute this horrific record to the growing pains that are to be expected of young guys taking their first hacks in the majors, but, unfortunately, the rookies are not the ones to blame. These kids have had to grow up real quickly, carrying to the plate not only a bat on their shoulders, but the hopes of an entire city. And so far, the kids haven't disappointed. So with the prospects finally here, but the results still not arriving, I have to ask: now what?

The bulk of the well-known prospects from the minor league system has arrived in Pittsburgh, but there still are gaping holes in this team. The offense may look somewhat respectable, but the rotation is still a mess. Whether it has been a result of injuries or poor performance, this staff has been unable to find any stability since Opening Day. Outside of Paul Maholm and maybe Jeff Karstens not one of the countless starters we've used this year can honestly say they've had a successful season. And no one on this staff seems to have that "Ace" potential that all successful major league clubs have. So even if this offense is able to do what it is capable of, what do we do about the pitching? The answer seems to lie in Altoona.

The Altoona Curve, AA affiliate of the Pirates, has amassed an amazing 57-36 record through 93 games this season, and the main reason for the success has been terrific starting pitching. Tops on the team has been 22 year-old Rudy Owens. The curly haired kid (think Napoleon Dynamite or Semi-pro's Jackie Moon) has earned 8 wins while suffering 3 losses and posting a 3.00 ERA. Behind him comes Justin Wilson, another 22 year-old who has put up a 7-5 record while leading the staff with a 2.95 ERA. Also on the horizon is Bryan Morris, the key piece of the Jason Bay trade. Morris posted an eye-popping 0.60 ERA through 8 starts this season for the High-A Bradenton Marauders before his promotion to Altoona, where he is 4-4 with a 4.78 ERA. Now all three of these guys may be a year or two away from Pittsburgh, but if you want to start looking for answers in the rotation, there is a good chance this is where it's going to come from.

So even though the record may not show it, things are looking up for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Because of a young, talented offense at the top and some impressive pitching prospects not far behind, there is reason for hope in a city that for so long, when it comes to baseball, has been hopeless. So for the last few months of the season, and I know Pittsburgh fans haven't heard these words too often, enjoy Pirates' baseball. Enjoy watching Cutch fly around the bases like he's in the home stretch of the Kentucky Derby. Enjoy watching the Pine Richland kid dive for a line drive and Meek pump his fist after striking out the side. Enjoy watching Pedro send baseballs deep into that striking Pittsburgh skyline, and know that better days are ahead.

Evan Meek: All Star

Making your way through the ups and downs-mostly downs of this year’s Pirates team, you might look at Andrew McCutchen and his young cavalry for the bright spot of 2010. But with a closer look, Evan Meek and the bullpen bullies are really the surprise component of the ever-growing Buccos. And that, right there, is why Mr. Meek, is in All Star.

His name might serve only as a caveaut to Evan’s journey to success, because there is nothing resembling meek, tame, or spiritless about it. Instead, Mr. Meek’s ability to consistently battle back from adversity has made him a prime candidate for all star recognition. He might even serve as a symbol of Neil Huntington’s program of young development.

After being drafted by the Twins in the 12^th round of the 2002 draft, Meek consistently struggled with control problems in the Minnesota farm system, due to lack of confidence and largely to bad advice from minor league coaches.

And while that would be the end of the road for most pitchers, Huntington seemed to realize that the west coast big man was different. The Pirates acquired him with a rule 5 draft pick, and despite some early hurdles of injury and control, Meek battled back yet again, and continued to develop into the Pirates prime weapon in the bullpen.

Meek now has the confidence, the control, and the “stuff” that teams thirst for in the 7^th inning. And when he steps up to the mound, there’s no question that the Pirates’ chances of winning rise as well. Don’t look at the definition of his last name, but rather his game which is, by definition, all-star.