PIttsburgh Pirates Mourn, Celebrate, and Prepare for Spring Training

Pittsburgh Pirates Social Media Round-Up – 2/7 to 2/13

This week was one of highs and lows for our favorite guys in black and gold. They took to their social media platforms to share bits of their lives – from spending time with their kids to enjoying a few last social outings and working out as they begin the transition back into the cleats and onto the field in Bradenton.

On February 10, the baseball sports world mourned the sudden passing of longtime MLB.com and Pirates beat reporter Tom Singer. He was the game’s biggest fan and a great story-teller, and that was reflected in memorials posted about him by the league, the Pirates organization, and players (and former players) alike…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBn9YQkDgPF/?taken-by=sdew0405

If you didn’t know much about Tom, or want to learn more, read this post from Dinn Mann from MLB.com.

 

Even though the “official” start to Spring Training is still a few weeks out, players spend a lot of time during the off-season keeping their bodies in top form.

Sean Rodriguez mixed work with pleasure recently, getting in some running and footwork drills on the beach in Mexico.

Jordy Mercer spent some time in the cages – not as a player, but as a coach to one of baseball’s future superstars.

(Cutch found this totes adorbs, BTW)

Kang provided definitive proof that he’s field-ready for this season with this very welcome video from a workout in Bradenton.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBs95YrjgOz/?taken-by=sdew0405

Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco have been training together in their native Dominican Republic throughout the off-season. Here, Marte shows off some post-workout moves we’re hoping he brings to the dugout this summer…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBiRqZvhzNa/?taken-by=marte06
And Polanco laughs at him…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBiN6bJpogM/?taken-by=gpolanco25

(Those dance moves don’t come without effort, though, and judging from this photo Marte posted the next day, he was feeling the burn…)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBnEK5UhzCB/?taken-by=marte06

Polanco didn’t just dance and workout all last week; he also took some time to honor his mother, Lilian, on her birthday.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBlMBw8JogX/?taken-by=gpolanco25

Gregory’s mom will no doubt miss her son as he packs up and heads north to Bradenton to start spring training. And nothing signals that it’s just around the corner than Truck Day at PNC. This annual loading of supplies to ship to Florida signifies the unofficial start of the baseball season for clubs throughout MLB. According to Pirates Clubhouse Manager Scott Bonnett, it is a mammoth undertaking each year but one kept manageable by a lot of planning and organization. Check out this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Pirates Truck Day.

And what follows Truck Day? Truck UNLOADING DAY – that’s what!

And while last week’s workout star Francisco Cervelli was light on the iron pumping updates this week, he was heavy on the fun-factor, quite literally “hamming it up” with his girlfriend at a recent Andrea Bocelli show in Tampa and then with, well…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBsPTO8Oo8J/?taken-by=fran_cervelli

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBtKNlZOo3J/?taken-by=fran_cervelli

Cervelli’s getting a reputation as a guy who’s in love with love – from his walk-up song, “That’s Amore,” to his romantic declarations of devotion to his girlfriend online. The Pirates are taking advantage of that with a new big-screen feature at PNC this season:

So we’d expect nothing but a grand gesture from him as Valentine’s Day approaches. And he didn’t disappoint, posting this GIF of a tender moment in the dug-out last year and a special message to his “Kanacho”:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBuuLK6uo5_/?taken-by=fran_cervelli

And if you live under a rock and did not realize that Valentine’s Day was fast approaching, the Pirates have you covered with custom Buccos cards you can send digitally or print out. Enjoy!

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

Arrow to top