Pittsburgh Pirates Wake Up Call – Mercifully It’s Over

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.

2016 Finally Ends

Yesterday the Pittsburgh Pirates lost 10-4 to the St. Louis Cardinals, putting to bed a bitter 2016 season. This year began with some promise and at times the Pirates looked very much like a playoff-caliber team. However, they were never able to put it all together and a poor September doomed the season. The Pirates finished 78-83-1, their first losing season since 2012.

The Pirates were in a good position entering September but they played horribly down the stretch and were never able to recover. I am sure a lot of people are relieved the season is over as watching your team lose is never fun. 2016 will not be fondly remembered but it wasn’t all bad. The Pirates had some good moments and a few key prospects finally made their Major League debuts.

John Jaso also completed his hot finish to the season with a home run and won our Player of the Game Poll.

2016 comes to an end for the Pirates with a 10-4 loss to the Cardinals. Who is your final player of the game?

— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) October 2, 2016

Goodbye Voggy

Yesterday’s game also saw the end of Ryan Vogelsong‘s Pirates’ career. Vogelsong pitched well in what could be his final career game. He went five innings, allowed one run on five hits and struck out one.

Vogelsong didn’t pitch well down the stretch and his retirement likely won’t draw much attention but he’s had a good career. Following the end of his first Pirates’ tenure, he was out of MLB and pitching in Japan. He battled back and eventually made an All-Star team and won two World Series titles with the San Francisco Giants.

I know a lot of fans won’t shed a tear for the end of Vogelsong’s career but lets toast to the man that battled back from the abyss.

Baseball Talk on the Web

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MLB Playoffs 2016: Full TV schedule, bracket, start times, scores, results

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