The Pirates were here last year, and choked to the Giants, allowing the evil ones to start yet another improbable ascent. This year, you've gotta think about this as which one is going to be a better foil for the Cardinals (Cubs were 8-11 vs. St. Louis this year; Pirates were 9-10). Both teams wield a nice underdog storyline, so I'm on the fence for this one.
In the dead of winter, there's not much baseball to talk about. So we turn our gaze upon ourselves. Longtime readers of SoSG—hi Mom!—may recognize the individual styles of my esteemed colleagues, but for those who don't, here's a SoSG primer:
STEVE SAX: Saxy is prolific and thoughtful, and a bit more fond of puns and puzzles than most.