Fan update

Sometimes as an act of survival, I have to take short breaks from full-scale engagement with the fortunes of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I had been despondent since Snell's last outing and found myself uninterested in posting anything. This sort of occasional disengagement has worked well for me over the past several years but, alas, is not compatible with publishing and promoting traffic on a blog. On the other hand, it's our blog, and we can do with it what we wish--I have enough pressures in my life to be unwilling to add another one.

Zeke was at the game last night, which was a good one despite the final result. Obviously, the positives are Maholm's outing and another outstanding performance from Gonzo in relief. Gonzo seems now to be fully healthy, and I love the way he is throwing strikes and going after the hitters. Zeke was embittered by Bay's ninth-innning at bat, but I think we owe Bay a bit of slack.

Despite a few misgivings about some playing-time decisions to date, I still much prefer Jim Tracy to his predecessor. However, this article in today's Post-Gazette identifies what to me is one of Tracy's most significant weaknesses: He gets along with Tony LaRussa.