Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates Social Media Round-up – The Bucs Are Headed North

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Alan Draper
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Sports Editor
7 min read

Pittsburgh Pirates spring training: Farewells, new partnerships for players and more TV spots and media articles than you can swing a bat at highlight this week’s roundup of Pirates activity on social media.

For all intents and purposes – it’s over. Spring Training is but a figure in the review mirror of Pirates Clubhouse Manager Scott Bonnett’s trucks, which are probably already unloading at PNC Park. And the players, and Pirates organization, couldn’t be happier to get things moving.

Closer Mark Melancon made one last drone video of the sunny Florida beaches.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDrOnBmy4bk/?taken-by=mark_melancon_

Florida native Andrew McCutchen made a few extra trips to local chain Crispers to tide him over until he could make it back to the Sunshine State.

And of course, Francisco Cervelli had a dance party on the field at McKechnie just at the thought of getting back to PNC Park.

Bradenton is the spot for new beginnings every year for this team, and the Pirates are always thankful for its service..

There is just one little stop left before the Pirates hit the field in the best baseball stadium in MLB. Indianapolis – where the team takes on the Cincinnati Reds in an exhibition game at Victory Field at 1:35 p.m. today.

The Indians, the Bucs’ AAA Team, are rolling out the…uh…black and gold carpet for the Pirates and report the field is in tip-top shape for the game.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDq_kP4tNLc/?taken-by=indyindians

And they even got trolled a bit by the Reds for it. (Silly Reds, it’s still only Spring Training!)

This morning though, the players and staff are doing their things and getting ready for the end – and the beginning.

And as the 2016 baseball season begins, new commercials and offsite promotions involving the players start rolling. Look for Cutch, trying to make an egg-cellent catch to be around all season long.

And if you’re near Cincinnati on April 9, stop by a Bearcats baseball game to collect your poster on Josh Harrison Day.

In the “Gives me Goosebumps” category of videos, check out the Pirates’ hype video starring Starling Marte, and then, try to tell me you aren’t excited about watching this man play this season.

Jung Ho Kang will start the season on the DL, but he’s working with New Era Korea to be sure he’s got his #CapsOn for Opening Day.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDcB2_ejgE0/?taken-by=sdew0405

When Neil Walker got traded to the Mets, it not only meant there would be fewer sightings of Pittsburgh’s favorite son around his familiar haunts during the season, but also left Pirates sponsor Allegheny Health Network without a “face” for their orthopedic program (Who can forget this spot? Or the line – “because Tom’s a Walker, just like his son” from the ad featuring Tom and Neil Walker?). Not anymore. Francisco Cervelli is picking up right where Neil left off, posting this new ad – with nifty graphics – to his Facebook page (which just hit 100,000 likes this past week – congrats Cervy!):

https://youtu.be/RJ7fjMZkcjg

Speaking of Kang and Cervelli, the backstop recently shared an Instagram shot while hanging out with his “Kanacho,” and it’s melting hearts globally.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDnfAE0Oo2T/?taken-by=fran_cervelli

Kang, who has been green-lighted to run from home to first when batting in minor league games (then, or course banged out a homer which led to a slow jog around the diamond), recently revealed that he’s developed a taste for the brisket tacos at Smoke Barbeque Taqueria in Lawrenceville to Post-Gazette writer Sam Werner. In case you don’t know what they look like, some Yelpers helped us out.

brisket 2

Our source for all things Korean and Baseball Joseph Kim explains that they look a lot like spicy Korean BBQ – minus the onions. Perhaps, it’s Kang’s way of replacing Korean midnight meals he told CBS Sports he missed last year .

“I deeply miss late night meals that I used to order in Korea,” Kang said. “I miss jokbal (steamed pig’s feet) and bossam (boiled pork with salty sauce and kimchi wrapped in vegetables), which we could easily order like pizza,” he told the agency.

Kim even provided some photos – looks delicious!

Jokbal
Jokbal
Bossam
Bossam

It’s surprising that some enterprising Pittsburgher hasn’t set up a Korean Food Truck in Lawrenceville yet.  I bet they could find an investor or, in exchange for some quality home cooking, a spokesperson.

Speaking of endorsements, Mark Melancon announced a new partnership with t-shirt company 7th Inning Stretch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDqyGo_S4eR/?taken-by=mark_melancon_

While Josh Harrison is showing off some ripped arms in his latest photos for Adidas Baseball.

And Cutch is encouraging players to check out the Motus tracker device, which has bullpen and batting practice modes to cover all players looking to improve their performance…

…as well as a new pair of shades endorsed by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II!

Don’t forget to cast your vote for PNC Park in MLB’s Best Major League Baseball Stadium competition. They’re down to the Sweet 16, and there’s no way the Pirates should lose to the Yankees in ANY competition, is there?

And finally today, as baseball season kicks into gear, it’s sometimes easy to forget what this game is really all about. A man and a dream. The Pirates’ Matt Joyce reminded everyone of that with two tweets he posted this year.

Have a great season Pirates fans.  LET’S PLAY BALL!

In the Media

If you’re not among the Fire Hurdle camp, first off, thank you for having a level head on your shoulders, and, secondly, you might want to check out Stephen Nesbitt’s article on the Pirates skipper, “Make a Difference Today, Love Clint” A Portrait of Clint Hurdle, which ran in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on March 30. And if you’re a fan of Clint, you definitely want to be sure you’ve got some tissues handy while reading it.

Steve Ziants, also from the Gazette, published a cool look at the stories behind Pittsburgh’s Greatest Baseball Landmarks, a great read for the true baseball nerd.

Travis Sawchick posted an interesting piece on catcher Francisco Cervelli over on TribLive, asking the question on everyone’s mind, Can he stay healthy and repeat last year’s performance?

As almost the last stop in their 30 Clubs in 30 Days series, MLB TV made their way to McKechnie Field on March 30 to cover the Pirates. Here are links to their featured interviews:

Francisco Cervelli on pitching

Gerrit Cole preparing for the 162-game grind

Mark Melancon on pitching routines

Clint Hurdle on expectations for the season

Josh Harrison on his new post at second

Andrew McCutchen on the new batting order

That’s a wrap for this week.  Check back next week to see what the Pirates are up to on the web.

 

Thanks for checking us out here at Pirates Breakdown. Make sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for the best Pirates coverage all year long!

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Alan Draper

Alan is a vastly experienced sports and gambling writer who is the Chief Editor of The Sports Daily.
View All Posts By Alan Draper

Alan Draper

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Alan is a vastly experienced sports and gambling writer who is the Chief Editor of The Sports Daily.
View All Posts By Alan Draper
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