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July 8, 2012 12:12 am

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FOR THE LAST 19 summers, the most pitiable question in Pittsburgh was "How about those Pirates?" The question was usually sarcastic because those Pirates were perennial losers. A generation of Pittsburghers grew up without ever seeing a Bucco team with a winning record. Yet just before the All Star Game, these Pirates are in unexpected territory. As of Friday, the Bucs were in first place in the National League Central and 10 wins over the break-even .500 mark. Last week, they swept the Houston Astros at PNC Park, the first four-game series sweep since 2006. This success can be explained in several ways -- the steady hand of manager Clint Hurdle, the hot bat of Andrew McCutchen and improved pitching, especially from James McDonald and ex-New York Yankee A.J. Burnett. Now when Pittsburghers say "How about those Pirates?" they say it with genuine wonder. But take caution -- there's half a season to go.

THE OLD PIRATES were enough to put fan enthusiasm to sleep but the zzzz's have been replaced by the Z, as in Zoltan, a character from the movie "Dude, Where's My Car?" As explained in a Post-Gazette story Wednesday, a bunch of players watched the movie together in Atlanta and came away with something to rally around. Now, whenever a player gets an extra-base hit, his teammates form a Z by putting their hands together, the left one on top of the right one with thumbs extended and touching. Fans have joined in and Zoltan T-shirts have become popular items. It's not your grandfather's green weenie, nor your father's "We Are Family" song that rallied the last Pirates World Series team in 1979, but the rise of Zoltan is indicative of a new attitude at the ballpark. Losing teams don't need gimmicks because losing isn't fun, whereas Zoltan is fun. Dude, whatever works to continue the fun of winning.


First Published July 8, 2012 12:00 am

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