Part of what makes going to a Pirate game at the PaNic Button interesting is being the guy who gets the joke, and then wondering if the joke was actually intended to be there. In this case, it was the eighth inning, and the Pirates were up 5-2, and call on their bullpen. For those of you who don't follow the Pirates this is the most easily callable "fraught" there is. The Pittsburgh bullpen has alternated between flammable and incendiary all year, and has caused the fans a mix of heartache and heartburn. So when the music starts playing to introduce someone from the pen, I'm left in a quandary: Did they just decide on this music because it was peppy, or did they actually intend people to hear the lyrics and address it with the proper degree of cynicism?

Allow me to diagnose:
"Have you ever been close to tragedy
Or been close to folks who have?"
Yes. All season.

"Have you ever felt a pain so powerful
So heavy you collapse?"
Like when you loaded the bases with no outs and struck out the side? It was really more nausea than pain, but yes.

"No? Well - I've never had to knock on wood
But I know someone who has"
Lloyd does that too?

"Which makes me wonder if I could
It makes me wonder if I've
Never had to knock on wood
And I'm glad I haven't yet
Because I'm sure it isn't good
That's the impression that I get"

I guess the part that really bothers me. Pretty much the last thing you want your closer, or any reliever to be thinking about as they come into the ball game is anything knocking on wood, or vice versa.

Okay, I'm all better now. I probably have to remind Joe about this so he can write about it: Warhol Pierogie.