The 2013 Part II Pirates Baseball Club

by Brandon Posa

As I waited anxiously for the pregame festivities to start on Opening Day Monday afternoon, something just felt a little bit off. The last time I sat in this beautiful ballpark was October 1, 2013 for the game of my life. That Wild Card game will forever live on in my memory as the day the Pirates corrected their course back into a winning franchise. The players, the chants, and the raised-Jolly Roger are moments that will never escape me. But now, about seven months after the Pirates secured their first postseason victory since 1992, something felt different. Sure, this was the beginning of a brand new season, one in which the organization and fans alike both have the same goal in securing our first National League pennant since 1979. But to me, this was one of the most unique scenarios a ball club has ever found themselves in: on paper this was a brand new season, but in the hearts of the players and fans, this was merely a continuation of the memorable 2013 season.

Opening Day was fantastic. We saw Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, and Clint Hurdle all honored by former esteemed Pirates of years past, and it was incredible. From Bonds to Leyland, and Groat to Jumpin' Jack Wilson, this was a great day for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The past was reconnecting with the present, and what more could you possibly ask for on a beautiful day for baseball? We saw starter Francisco Liriano look like he never missed a beat while throwing six shutout innings to go with ten strikeouts. The Shark Tank reactivated, with Tony Watson, Mark Melancon, Jason Grilli, and Bryan Morris all combining to throw four shutout innings. And, in case you haven't heard, hometown hero Neil Walker sealed the day with a 10th inning walkoff home run over the Clemente Wall.

This wasn't a brand new team, filled with unfamiliar faces. This is virtually the same team looking to continue what they started last year.

This is a team that is full of young, high-ceiling potential that the city hasn't seen in years. This is a team that may have lost a few impact players, sure. But that clubhouse is ready to win and finish the job from last season. Everyone has said all the right things: "we've turned the page, 2013 was fun but it's 2014 now." My response to that is simple: these are still the 2013 Pirates, playing in 2014. There's nothing to analyze yet based off of statistics or player comparisons, but if you feel like I did on Monday, this team still exerts the magic of 2013. It looks like the pitching staff, albeit after one game, hasn't missed a beat since the end of 2013, and the offense will come around. There will be help, internally and externally, as the season moves forward. If we thought 2013 was exciting, just wait to see what's in store for 2013 Part II.