September 28, 2014

Let the Playoffs Begin

by

Tucker Schmidt

With the regular season officially over today, twenty teams have played their final game of the season and will have to wait until next year for another chance to make the playoffs. Derek Jeter's career has come around in full circle, as he went one for two with an RBI single in his final at bat of his legendary career. With that aside, it is time for the 2014 Major League Baseball Postseason. To start off, the American League Wild Card Game will be on Tuesday, September 30. In this game, the Kansas City Royals will take on the Oakland Athletics. The winner of the game will move on to the American League Division Series and will face the Los Angeles Angels. The National League Wild Card Game will take place on Wednesday, October 1. The Pittsburgh Pirates will face off against the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park to determine who will advance to the National League Division Series to take on the Washington Nationals. With the playoffs ready to go, it will surely be an exciting time of the year. I am happy to say that I will be attending the National League Wild Card Game in hopes to see my beloved Pirates defeat the Giants. After experiencing Pirates playoff baseball for the first time in my life last year, it will be very exciting to see the Pirates make a return trip to the playoffs.

September 27, 2014

Hello Goodbye

by

Tucker Schmidt

The Major League Baseball regular season is coming to an end and playoffs are just around the corner. This has truly been an exciting season of baseball. The Pirates, who were eight games under 500 earlier in the season, clinched a playoff birth for a second consecutive season. The Kansas City Royals clinched their first playoff spot since 1985. Derek Jeter's career is reaching it's end. Also, the Milwaukee Brewers, who had been in first place in the National League Central division for 150 days, were eliminated from playoff contention due to a poor month of September and previously losing nine-consecutive games. These are some of the most memorable moments throughout this season. While the 2014 season is coming to an end, ten teams will be competing for a World Series Championship. While the other twenty teams will have to wait to compete for the World Series, they can look forward to next year. Even though the playoffs are just around the corner, the 2015 season will be another exciting season full of more excitement and surprises.

Blog Post #1
9/25/14

Pittsburgh Pirates Clinch a Playoff Spot

by

Tucker Schmidt

On Tuesday, September 23, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field by a score of 3-2. Before their game was finished, the Milwaukee Brewers lost to the Cincinnati Reds 3-1. Due to the Pirates winning and the Brewers losing, the Pirates clinched a spot in the playoffs for a second-consecutive season. Last year, the Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 6-2 in the Wild Card Game. The Pirates then went on to face the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series, but ultimately lost the series three games to two. The Pirates have a different looking team than the 2013 squad. Without the likes of Justin Morneau, Marlon Byrd, and Jason Grilli, the Pirates signed veteran starting pitcher Edinson Volquez to a one-year contract, brought in Ike Davis in April through a trade with the Mets, claimed pitcher John Axford off waivers from the Cleveland Indians, and summoned multiple players from Indianapolis like young outfielder Gregory Polanco. With a younger team, the Pirates will look to advance further in the playoffs in hopes to secure a World Series Championship.

Introduction
by
Tucker Schmidt

Hello. My name is Tucker Schmidt and I am a sophomore 2 and am a sports management major and Spanish minor. I was born on November 26, 1994 in Monroeville, PA. I live in Wexford, PA with my parents, my two sisters, Jillian and Delaney, and two dogs, Ginger, a chocolate lab, and Winnie, a dachshund mix rescue. I graduated from North Allegheny in 2013 and I spent my first year of college at the Community College of Allegheny County North Campus. I am a huge Pirates fan and I regularly attend Pirate games. Even though the Pirates had a 20-year losing streak, I stuck with them all the way. One of my proudest moments was being at PNC Park to witness the 2013 National League Wild Card Game in which the Pirates defeated Johnny Cueto and the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 6-2. Not only do I love the Pirates, I love baseball. I have gone to many different stadiums in many different cities. Some of my favorites are Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs and Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. I thought that Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was quite interesting, as it reminded me of Three Rivers Stadium and that it is shared by the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Besides going to baseball games, My favorite player of all time is Chipper Jones. I enjoy playing baseball at North Park and playing street hockey with my friends. Also, I participate in bowling leagues with my dad. My highest score in one game is 235. I am also a big fan of rock music from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. My favorite band is Rush and my favorite song by them is "Subdivisions". I also enjoy Styx, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Green Day, Metallica, The Beatles, and Van Halen. I was a writer for the North Allegheny Senior High School newspaper during my senior year. My favorite moment was when I spearheaded the February issue which was devoted to autism awareness. I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in 2005. Ever since my diagnosis, I have spoken at many symposiums, including speaking to nursing students at Duquesne University. I enjoy teaching others about my experiences through school and about the autism spectrum and Asperger's syndrome. If anyone has any questions, I would be more than happy to answer. Thank you for reading my introduction and I hope you all enjoy my blogs.