Most of the time when people do their year-end remebrances, they have a decent amount of positive things to write about. As a Pirate fan, it's hard to find positive things. Still, I've been thinking back about 2008 for a little while now, and there are at least a few good memories that the year has given me, so let's take a minute to talk about those.

The Comeback- For the most part, Jason Michaels' Pirate tenure will be forgettable. He was here for part of a year and for all the talk about veteran leadership and setting a good example and that kind of stuff, he just wasn't that great and he won't be that great in Houston. Still, no one that watched the game on July 12th this year will forget the game or Michaels for a long time. The Bucs were down 8-3 after six innings and 10-4 going into the bottom of the eight, but rallied back to tie the game at 10 thanks to big home runs by Jason Bay (in the eighth) and Nate McLouth (in the ninth). After they did that, Denny Bautista promptly served up a home run in the tenth to Troy Glaus and you could feel a collective, "Here we go again," go up from Pirate fans all around the world. But then something different happened, Raul Chavez singled and with one out, Jason Michaels hit a walk-off, two-run homer. So shines a good deed in a weary world.

Pedro Alvarez- Remember draft day? Despite weeks or assurances, I don't know anyone that truly believed the Pirates would draft Alvarez, who was the consensus best player available after it became clear that Tim Beckham would be picked first by the Rays. They said they would, but we'd all heard that before. Then on draft day, they came through. On August 15th, we all huddled around our computers late and night to hear if he was going to sign and we rejoiced when he did. And remember the relief you felt when the team re-negotiated the contract and made sure he'd be in the Pirates' system for years to come?

For Pirate fans, Alvarez represents more than just a left-handed thumper and a true talent; he represents a new way of handling the draft. The Pirates picked and signed not only him, but guys like Robbie Grossman and Quinton Miller as well. They spent more than $9 million in bonuses this year. And as much as people dislike the way they re-negotiated his deal after the deadline, they forged a relationship with Scott Boras and proved to him that they're willing to do business.

The trade deadline- Bear with me here and think back to deadline day. All day, the Jason Bay rumor we heard was Reid Brignac and Jeff Niemann for Bay. At one point, MLB.com reported it as a done deal. That was a hugely disappointing return for the guy that sure seemed to be the best player available at the deadline. The deadline then came and went without word of a deal and that was even more disappointing. Then word leaked out that something had happened. The Pirates managed to get Andy LaRoche (who I think still has more upside than Brignac, even after his hugely disappointing two months in black and gold) and three other potentially useful players for Bay. It wasn't a perfect trade, but it was a huge improvement over the way that the Kris Benson deal was bungled and Huntington even managed to trade for guys that weren't going to be placed on waivers the next day anyways (I'm looking at you, Shawn Chacon).

WHYGAVS had a great year, too. I got to Camden Yards, we had the first ever WHYGAVS Night, I got to talk to Rocco DeMaro, and the site got a new home and a facelift that gives it the baddest-ass Spiderman-inspired banner in the entire sports blogworld. Of course, all of this only happens because you guys keep reading and I can't thank you enough for that.

Thanks for everything in 2008. All told, it wasn't all that bad even though the Pirates were. They might not be much better in 2009, but when they are, we're all going to seriously party.

Comments (9)

apk said:

	... God I can't wait for WHYGAVS Playoff Party in 2027. Another great year, Pat. Thanks a ton and keep up the great work.
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December 31, 2008
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Bishop said:

	... Pat - I just want to say thanks to you for your dedication to this site and providing a place for thinking Pirates fans to exchange ideas and opinions; I'd be seriously depressed if WHYGAVS didn't exist and I had to slum it with the Yinzers over at the PG blog. Have a safe and Happy New Year, and hopefully we'll all be surprised by our 2009 Pirates (although I'm not going to hold my breath).
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December 31, 2008
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Curtis said:

	... If the team manages to go like 80 years between World Series like the Red Sox did, maybe we can all get pushed out on the field before Game 1 in our wheel chairs for recognition.
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December 31, 2008
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appealtosmail said:

	... Happy New Year, Pat. You have no idea how much this blog means to a Pirate fan living in Europe. I'd paddle a boat back for post-season play at PNC Park. Thanks, every day of the year.
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December 31, 2008
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Zane Smith said:

	... Thank Pat. Always appreciate your insight - have a solid and safe new year!
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December 31, 2008
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Deaner said:

... Nice wrapup... I look forward to more positive news in 2009 and beyond. Curtis: great comment! ... surely there won't be many Bucco fans left if that happens. I don't know why but that reminds me of something... I, unfortunately, was listening to Colin Cowherd on ESPN radio this morning. He proposed contraction and the elimination of several MLB clubs including the Pirates. It just pissed me off considering this team does mean a lot to some of us.

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December 31, 2008
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sludgeworm said:

	... Detective Del Spooner: 18? Dr. Alfred Lanning: *That*, Detective, is the right question. Program terminated
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January 01, 2009
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Philip said:

	... Thanks for keeping this site going Pat. Amazing work from a true and dedicated fan. Being such diehard fans can sometimes be overwhelming, especially after all the losing. However i know(as most of you do too) that WHEN we do win again, i can say that i was there during the hard times, when most "fans" were nowhere to be found.
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January 02, 2009
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bwzimmerman said:

	... Thanks Pat, though i can't believe you passed by the Almost-Perfect Game in the season memories
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January 02, 2009
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