Hey..ESPN had Pirates/Yankees at 11am on Thursday morning. I couldn’t ask for a better match-up to start my Annual Baseball Watchin’. 1500-1 odds that my Annual Baseball Watchin’ ends with the same match-up.

I know it’s only been 45 years...but you STILL need to lead-off a Yankees/Pirates telecast with old footage of Bill Mazeroski and Game Seven of the 1960 Series. Yes, it’s only an insignificant Spring Training game, but that’s blasphemy.

I don’t watch alot of Yankees games, but is it possible for me to see ONE game without Tanyon Sturtze on the mound?

One start and Pirates starter Kip Wells is already in mid-season form. 2 runs in 2 innings and giving up meatballs to the 3-4-5 hitters. Yup, he’s ready.

Hideki Matsui is only 30?! Damn. With that grill, I had always assumed he was pushing 38.

ESPN announcers made a big deal about the Pirates lineup, proclaiming it the “same as their eventual Opening Day lineup”. 3 hours and 54 outs later, they STILL hadn’t picked up that All-Star shortstop and eventual Opening Day starter Jack Wilson was missing. Not even a pip about Jack’s appendectomy and health status.

Common topic for EVERY out-of-town announcing crew that will cover the Pirates, from now until mid-July: “Craig Wilson cut his hair!”

I had forgotten to mention in the Official eStragand Spring Training Guide that Legends Field is right across the street from Raymond James Stadium. But you knew that, right?