What in the world has happened to the renowned Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team? What a glorious history stretching back through the decades. Clemente, Forbes Field, World Series wins. Now the team is a shell of its former self.

Granted Major League Baseball is poorly run, with the Yankees being able to spend huge multiples of the small market teams. (If this is such a great idea, why don't football, hockey and basketball do the same!) And Pittsburgh is a small market team. But it appears that the owners don't want to spend money, and management doesn't know how to husband what it has, the latest trade ensuring a new record for below .500 seasons for any team in history.

The fans come out, and the beautiful state-of-the-art stadium is free. Evidently the team would rather make a good return on this loyal fan base's attendance than even try to be a winner -- or at least over .500.

The question is not do the fans deserve a baseball team -- they most certainly do. But does ownership deserve one?

As long as the Yankees and Red Sox keep winning, Major League Baseball couldn't care less.

CHARLES D. FOUST
Albuquerque, N.M.

I was highly disappointed to read in the PG that FSN has retained Paul Steigerwald as TV play-by-play man for the Penguins games. Steigerwald makes watching a game on TV comparable to eating filet mignon with a plastic spoon. If a poll conducted among Penguins fans were to reveal that Steigerwald is the choice, then I would certainly defer. Yet I find it difficult to believe that such would be the result. What's that you say, FSN? Penguins fans first? Yeah. Right.

PETE HAMILTON
Dormont

Bob Smizik needs to get over himself and he needs to get over whatever occurred under Dave Littlefield's realm ("Littlefield's plague is pervasive," July 23). You don't see this kind of continued blame even when presidents of the United States take over for a president whose policies and actions they did not agree with. It is time to turn the page and leave Mr. Littlefield alone. It's ancient history. Dave Littlefield has moved on and so should Mr. Smizik. And by the way, I am sure the fact that the Pirates continue to have one of the worst payrolls in MLB has nothing to do with how they have done and how they are doing.

CURT DeGROFF
Sewickley

That was a great All-Star Game to close out Yankee Stadium. I am very proud of Nate McLouth for the way he represented himself and the Pirates. But the way the fans booed all the Boston Red Sox players was just ridiculous. Jonathan Papelbon is one of the best, if not the best, closer in baseball, and those "New York" fans treated him like a Little Leaguer. In the presence of all those Hall of Famers who came out to enjoy the game and had to listen to that nonsense, that was terrible. To me, it's easy to see why people despise the Yankees. I'm glad JD Drew of the Red Sox won the MVP! Karma's great, isn't it?

JIM BARTKO
Bridgeville