But they didn't really make a lot of noise last year. They fell apart shortly after the All-Star break. They were in first place for like 10 days. They were horrid down the stretch.

They still didn't play a meaningful game in August let alone September and they were irrelevant at the end of the season. Again.

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And then you take a good look around and they stole your rock n roll
And once it's gone you'll never get it back

But it was different -- the team felt like it COULD WIN -- not that it might win. There's a difference.

I go into every game this year thinking we CAN win it.

I haven't felt that way in 20 years.

You and I have different definitions of noise. I believe they made more noise than they had in years.

They did all that you said in the late season collapse, but they played meaningful games later in a season than they had in a long time. Incremental progress. This year, it's possible they will do more.

Enjoy the ride, brother.

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Playing football was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If I could go out today and suit up, I would do it.--Jack Butler

Steel, I think the players this year, also most of them quite young still, have that feeling that they can win ball games. You could see them feel that way last season until the pitching gave out in late July. This year it could very well be a different story with respect to that, as the players gain confidence and maturity.

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Playing football was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If I could go out today and suit up, I would do it.--Jack Butler

They def made some noise. They were getting "front page" national media coverage for a short time at places like SI.com where they never had since almost 1992.

Definitely "Noisy" last year -- good point about all the media coverage -- it was all over the place, and for good reason.

72 wins versus 54 the year before

Best record in 7 years

Held 1st place in the best division in baseball at the latest point in the year in 20 years.

Granted, after that fucked-up Braves loss with the terrible umpire call after 19 innings, we seemed to fall apart. But before that, we were very very "noisy" last year.

This year, expectations are higher - we'll see how the team responds. Hopefully with a much improved record, and no big fall off after the All Star break.

Good points.

Not only that, the park was buzzing in June and July. I mean it was electric on the north shore like it has not seen since TRS stood there in 1992.

It's easy to see how the mid-July to end of season swoon made folks suspect the first nearly 2/3 of the season. That last 1/3 looked and felt so much like most of the previous 2 decades of baseball in Pittsburgh.

I don't see the first half of last season as a fluke. It could have been, but while early this year still, I see growth. I see development. I see incremental progress. What we need to do this season is make some strides. Grind it out, try to win each series, if possible, stay in every ball game and be competitive on a daily basis. Get to .500 and stay there and finish at or above, while competing for the division or WC spot late in the season. Try to stay away from long slumps no matter at what point in the season. These things, I believe, are all do-able by the players on this ball club.

We made a LOT of fucking noise last year. The national media was all over us in June and most of July. That Atlanta game and the horrible call was all over the media. If we weren't making noise, that call would have gotten very little notice. As it was, we were competing for a divisional title at the time, in mid-fucking-July (when was the last time we did that? 1997?). We made plenty of noise last season, and we're going to make a lot more this year.

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Playing football was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If I could go out today and suit up, I would do it.--Jack Butler

Two points of order...they really started falling apart right after the All-Star break, even though they snuck a few wins in before that Braves' series. I remember I even made a post where I said even though they were winning, I didn't like how their play was trending.

Second...I do not believe there were...or are...higher expectations this year. The pitching is a little better, but the offense is not improved...may even have regressed.

No one was expecting a winning record from the Pirates this year.

If they get one...if they even improve over last year...that is gravy.

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I know this, your ability to think concisely, your ability to make good judgments is much easier on Thursday night than during the heat of the game. -Bill Walsh

I dont understand the sarcasm, he is a Pittsburgh sports legend. He deserves respect - he has been around so long and has so much history - that is the definition of legend.

I said that to rile people up here more than anything. Smizik doesn't bother me in the least.