Yeah, baseball season! You've probably been reading all sort of previews from the experts, but they are not half as entertaining as the kool-aid induced thoughts from the fans who love their teams the most. Over the next month you'll be previewing the MLB, so let CF know if you'd like to contribute. Up next, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

OK, obviously I am not a Pirates fan. I did go to a good bit of their games last year at PNC Park though. Fittingly, they lost all of them.

Expectations What expectations? It's the Pirates. The only expectation is that ownership will continue to care more about pocketing revenue sharing money instead of winning.

What's New for 2008 Nobody you care about left, and the only people you know that arrived are BK Kim and Doug Mientkiewicz. In other words, they did nothing.

Reasons for Optimism The top of the rotation won't be half bad. In fact, the Pirates might have the best 1-2 combination that you've never heard of. Ian Gorzelanny, the left hander, went 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA last year. Ian Snell, the right hander, went 9-12, but with a 3.76 ERA and 177 strikeouts, which was good for 7th in the NL last year. They're 24 and 26 respectively, so there remains room for improvement.

Dave Littlefield is finally gone, and this will be Neal Huntington's first full season as GM. Obviously for the Pirates, how he drafts will be a big deal for the future of the franchise. The good news is he seems to be taking steps to improve things.

Having had the worst record in the National League last season, there's nowhere to go but up.

PNC Park is a nice place to watch a ballgame.

Reasons Pirates Fans Will be Waiting For Steeler Training Camp While Drinking Iron City

It's pretty much the same team that went 68-94 last year. Not a good combination for success.

How will this team score runs? Last year, they finished 12th in the NL, and again, it's pretty much the same offense. Their best player last year was Jack Wilson, their oldest regular, and his .296/.350/.440.

Jason Bay had a terrible 2007, hitting .247/.327/.418. Plus, he appears unmotivated. At a game last year, the guy next to me pointed out a patch of dead grass in left field where Bay stands pretty much the whole game. That's exactly what happened. As such, it's likely he's the next good Pirate to be traded.

Byung-Hyun Kim was their biggest offseason acquisition. 'Nuff said.

Adding insult to injury, the Pirates have a terrible farm system. It's truly an uphill battle for Pittsburgh.

Projected Lineup/Rotation

CF Nate McLouth
SS Jack Wilson
2B Freddy Sanchez
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Jason Bay
RF Xavier Nady
3B Jose Bautista
C Ronny Paulino

Tom Gorzelanny
Ian Snell
Paul Maholm
Matt Morris
Zach Duke

Matt Capps, closer
Damaso Marte, left handed setup
Byung-Hyun Kim, right handed setup

Five Bold Predictions
1. They don't finish last in the NL Central, thanks to the Astros.
2. It will still be their 16th straight losing season.
3. Huntington makes a competent selection in the first round, not a "projected third starter" or a reliever.
4. Huntington is more aggressive, trading Bay, Sanchez, LaRoche, and anything else for young talent.
5. Ownership loves it because they still make a lot of money this season.

Official Would Be Kool-Aided If I Were a Fan Predictions
70-92
5th place in the NL Central