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Forenübersicht » Forderungen » PITTSBURGH -- The Streak, the one that loomed over the Pittsburgh Pirates for two ignominious decades, is dead. [url=http://www.nbamavericksauthority.com/wesley-matthews-mavericks-jersey-c-8/]Wesley Matthews Jersey[/url] . Over. Done. Discarded. Smashed b |
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| PITTSBURGH -- The Streak, the one that loomed over the Pittsburgh Pirates for two ignominious decades, is dead. [url=http://www.nbamavericksauthority.com/wesley-matthews-mavericks-jersey-c-8/]Wesley Matthews Jersey[/url] . Over. Done. Discarded. Smashed b |
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PITTSBURGH -- The Streak, the one that loomed over the Pittsburgh Pirates for two ignominious decades, is dead. Wesley Matthews Jersey . Over. Done. Discarded. Smashed by an improbable summer and a thrilling fall. Now what? Unburdened from the yoke of failure that loomed for 20 years as an ominous cloud over the franchise, the Pirates can point to the future with eyes wide open. What exactly the future holds, however, remains unclear. In a way, the man who shrewdly guided the franchise from 105-loss laughingstock three years ago to a 94-game winner that pushed the St. Louis Cardinals to the brink in the NL division series knows the easy part is over. "The sustainability is what separates great organizations," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We were able to take a huge step forward this year in restoring the pride and the passion of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, and rebonding our city with a ball team." The evidence lay in the signature Jolly Roger flags that came out of hiding across the city after spending a generation tucked away like an abandoned family heirloom. It could be seen at packed PNC Park, where record crowds -- most of them wearing black -- poured through the turnstiles in the playoffs and made baseball matter again in a city where it has long played distant third fiddle behind football and hockey. It could be felt in a clubhouse comprised of young talent and established veterans unbowed by the clubs miserable recent past. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen cemented his status as a star with an MVP-worthy season. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez tied for the NL lead in home runs with 36. Rookie pitcher Gerrit Cole illustrated his electric 100 mph fastball. Catcher Russell Martin helped turn a pitching staff that looked like a question mark in March into a dominant force in September. Jason Grilli, aging reliever thrust into the closing role for the first time, became an All Star and the emotional centre of one of baseballs best bullpens. When asked to describe the success of left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano -- who revived his flagging career by going 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA and becoming the de facto ace down the stretch -- Hurdle said Liriano "has a lot of Pirate in him." Pressed on what exactly that means, Hurdle stumbled upon an ethos that resonated from the front office down to the bat boys. "In the movies that Ive watched and the books that Ive read, there seems to be a spirit of I really dont care what anybody thinks anymore, Im crossing the line, Im going to become a Pirate," Hurdle said. "Its not about mom or dad or brother or sister, not about where I used to work. Im going to be my own man. Im going to hope to latch on to a bunch of other men who feel the same way, that are like-minded, and try to get something special done." The goal of a sixth World Series title, the one controlling owner Bob Nutting talked about at length during spring training, never materialized. The fact a world championship evolved from something preposterous to something very tangible will only fuel an off-season designed to prove the last six months were no fluke. "I think its one thing to be happy and one thing to realize how far along we come and how much we can improve," Alvarez said. "Its been a realization of all the hard work weve put in but at the end of the day we still have a lot of work to do." Figuring out how to go about it, however, will be tricky. Though Pittsburghs $73 million payroll was the highest in club history, it also ranked just 26th in baseball. And despite the windfall of two dozen sellouts and the second-largest attendance figure since the team was founded in 1887, general manager Neal Huntington knows the Pirates cant just start throwing money around. So does his boss. "I think that the playing field is not level, never will be. But we as the Pittsburgh Pirates have committed ourselves to never using that as an excuse," Nutting said. "Is it easier to build a great club with $200 million than with $75-$80 million? Absolutely. But I believe -- have always believed and will continue to believe -- that we can be competitive at that level. "We need to make smart decisions." The decisions this winter will include whether to bring back A.J. Burnett, who put together a solid 10-11 season at age 36 and proved to be a capable mentor to youngsters like Cole and Jeff Locke. Burnett has hinted at retirement, but the truth is he may have pitched so well he priced himself out of the market. The same goes for outfielder Marlon Byrd, part of a rare summer splurge. Byrd hit .318 in a month with Pittsburgh and was its most consistent hitter in six post-season games. While Byrd enjoyed his time in Pittsburgh, he also turned 36 in August and will likely look for a multi-year deal. If Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez -- who has an option for 2014 but spent the last four months of the season dealing with arm problems -- dont return, the Pirates will have to fill at least one spot in the rotation. Right field and first base are also a question mark if Byrd and Garrett Jones move on. The last time Pittsburgh made the playoffs, it took 21 years to get back. There are no plans to have the gap repeat itself. "This franchise is a great franchise, a franchise that won," McCutchen said. "Were going to continue to keep that sail up on that boat and keep going." Dirk Nowitzki Jersey . DETROIT LIONS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 9:30 AM (ET) Detroit - RB Reggie Bush, TE Eric Ebron, TE Joseph Fauria, WR Calvin Johnson, QB Kellen Moore, TE Brandon Pettigrew, OT LaAdrian Waddle Atlanta - CB Javier Arenas, DT Jonathan Babineaux, OT Cameron Bradfield, WR Freddie Martino, QB Sean Renfree, OT Jonathan Scott, LB Tyler Starr SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS, 1:00 PM (ET) Seattle - DT Jordan Hill, CB Byron Maxwell, OT Andrew McDonald, TE Zach Miller, C Max Unger, LB Bobby Wagner, WR Bryan Walters Carolina - CB Bene Benwikere, LB Chase Blackburn, WR Philly Brown, G Amini Silatolu, G Trai Turner, RB Fozzy Whittaker, RB DeAngelo Williams HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS, 1:00 PM (ET) Houston - OT Jeff Adams, DB Josh Aubrey, LB Brian Cushing, DB Darryl Morris, WR DeVier Posey, QB Tom Savage, LB Jeff Tarpinian Tennessee - RB Antonio Andrews, WR Kris Durham, TE Richard Gordon, DL DaQuan Jones, CB Coty Sensabaugh, OT Will Svitek, TE Taylor Thompson BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1:00 PM (ET) Baltimore - CB Chykie Brown, LB Arthur Brown, DL Chris Canty, TE Owen Daniels, G/C Gino Gradkowski, RB Bernard Pierce, OT Jah Reid Cincinnati - RB Rex Burkhead, DE Will Clarke, WR A. Dennis Smith Jr. Jersey . The Bruins forward has been fined $5,000 by the National Hockey League for spearing Red Wings defenceman Danny DeKeyser in the groin. http://www.nbamavericksauthority.com/ . -- Chicago manager Darold Butler has a message for the Windy City.OSLO, Norway -- Per-Mathias Hogmo has been tapped as Norways new coach, immediately replacing Egil Olsen who agreed to resign after the latest poor results in the teams attempt to qualify for the World Cup. The Norwegian federation said on Friday that Hogmo, a 53-year-old former midfielder, will continue to coach Swedish side Djurgarden for the rest of the season. He previously coached Norway women and several Norwegian clubs, including Rosenborg. Hogmo replaced Olsen, who quit after a 2-0 loss to Switzerland in World Cup qualifying this month. Norway lies fourth behind Switzerland, Iceland and Slovenia, and its qualifying chances are remote. "I am surprised (by the change). It would have been moree favourable to Norwegian football and me if it had been right after the Switzerland game, for instance," Olsen told a news conference in Oslo. Jason Kidd Jersey . "But I am more surprised than mad and bitter." The initial plan was for Olsen to see out the last two qualifiers next month before quitting. However, Olsen, known by his nickname Drillo, was informed late Thursday of the change. Olsen, 71, had coached Norway during its most successful period in the 1990s with two World Cup qualifications, and then again since 2009. Hogmo signed a four-year contract that includes a get-out clause should Norway fail to qualify for the 2016 European Championship which he said was his goal. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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