[ifspuds]

From 32-36 to 35-46 in the span of two weeks, and the Pirates have sunk to within a game and a half of the worst record in Time Warp Baseball. Pirates fans throughout western Pennsylvania and beyond cry out, "How did we get here? What has happened to our dreams of contention? And how on earth could we get swept by the Chicago Cubs, of all teams?!"

Questions to which this writer has few answers that have not already been offered: the offense is atrocious and the pitching staff is slowly being pulled down into the same pit of putrescence.

Let's go series-by-series for this installment of your daily Pirates update.

We open in Pittsburgh, where Stephen Dzurik, at the tail end of his quality career, faced Cincinnati's Ace Shipley, who ranks near the top of the league in ERA. The Pirates touch Shipley for 4 runs in 8.1 innings, but the Reds have already walloped Dzurik for 7 runs, and the defending champs take the game 10-5.

Next up is a trip to Chicago to take on the Cubs. In game 1, Herm Vardaman hits his 4th homer of the year in the 4th, but that's the only run the anemic offense can scrape up, while the Cubs pound Bill Tschetter to the tune of 8 runs through 6 innings. An 8-1 loss. Game 2 sends Ron Fleischmann to the mound, and he stops the bleeding... until the 9th. Ron takes the mound in the 9th before leaving after a leadoff single. John Honeycutt then proceeds to give away the game as fast as possible: single, fly out, single, single, caught stealing, walk, 3-run homer, Cubs win 6-3. Not much you can say about game 3. 3 Pirate hits, 3 Pirate errors, 10-0 Cubs win.

Pittsburgh welcomes the Brooklyn Dodgers next, and treats the home fans to a 7-4 win. Cecil Reed, called up to take the place of the ineffective Bob Ferry in left field, wins player of the game honors by going 2-2 with a solo homer. Ike Walker blasts #11 for the Pirates as well. Hopes of a winning streak were soon dashed, however. Brooklyn bombs Bill Tschetter for 7 runs in the first two innings, but the Pirates have the inning of the season in the bottom of the 2nd, scoring 9 runs, more than they do in most games. Yet once again, the pitching staff plays chuck and duck with the baseball, and the Dodgers win a wild one 15-13. With perhaps the greatest pitcher of all time on the hill for the Dodgers in game 3, the Pirates pay homage to the great Frank Smith by managing just 1 hit in a 4-0 loss.

The NL-leading Cardinals visit Pittsburgh next, and the Pirates extend their scoreless streak to 18 innings with a 5-0 loss, though at least this time they manage 6 hits. But all is well in the 2nd game, as Vic Ullom, Herm Vardaman and Cecil Reed all get 3 hits and the Pirates win 8-3, with Reed once again earning player of the game honors. Can the Pirates make it 2 in a row? I think you know the answer to that already: no. Ogden Wing singles home Genarito Nunez with the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th and the Cardinals take home a 3-2 win.

In the final series of this installment, Pittsburgh heads to Philadelphia for a renewal of the intrastate rivalry. Game 1 goes against the Pirates, as the Phillies tack 4 runs on Ron Fleischmann in 6 innings, and Dan Volpe shuts down the Pirates offense for a complete game 5-hit shutout. 7-0 Philly win. In game 2, the Pirates break out the sticks, slapping 20 hits (though only 2 for extra bases) in a 9-5 win. Herm Vardaman and Rudy Young each go for 4 hits, and Vardaman wins player of the game honors for his 4-4, 3 RBI effort. But once again, the Pirates can't make it 2 in a row, despite the best efforts of "Samoan Ben" Giordano (3-4, 3 RBI) and Philadelphia takes a 7-4 win behind a 6-run 4th inning.

Other News

Rumors are starting that manager Tike Kaufman's job is in jeopardy, with Pittsburgh's fade into obscurity. A career Pirate who ended his playing days in in 1934, Kaufman's managerial tenure is marked by a 253-290 record since taking over in 1945. Many will argue that Kaufman has done as well as can be expected with his personnel, and last season's stab at contention was merely the result of several players having one last career year before retirement. Others, notably beat writer Jack McKinley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, have pointed out that the team is changing from being primarily veteran-driven to playing as many youngsters as possible at the direction of the front office and Kaufman may not be the man to lead the team into the future. For his part, Kaufman recently had this to say: "I've been a Pirate all my professional life, and there's nothing I love more in baseball than to wear the Pittsburgh uniform. If the team decides to make a change after the season, that's their choice, but I don't have any plans to leave the organization." Stopping short of issuing a vote of confidence, general manager Jeff Watson said that the subject of Kaufman's job has not come up in front office meetings. "That's a subject we'll worry about in the offseason. Tike's a quality baseball man. No one disputes that."