Greetings! My name is Travis Barnett, and I am a longtime Pirates fan who inexplicably still can’t let go of Pedro Alvarez (but I’m guessing this probably isn’t the place to find a support group for that). I will be writing some articles and recaps here on Bucs Dugout, so I wanted to introduce myself.
My initial Pirates fandom can be attributed to the unshakable allegiance that is thrust upon a Little Leaguer the first time he dons an official cap. Alright, maybe that fandom essentially amounted to saying “I love the Pirates” and “I hate the Cubs” rather than actually following the team, but that’s a start, right? In all honesty, it wasn’t until the nearby Indianapolis Indians became affiliated with the Pirates my sophomore year of high school that I truly began following the team on a regular basis.
I’ve dabbled in sports media as a hobby since college when I spent some time doing color commentary for a local station and more recently as a contributor on SB Nation. I am particularly interested in the strategy of pitching and sabermetrics (if you can’t tell from my first piece or two), but in the last couple of years, I’ve become increasingly interested by the financial maneuverings necessary for small-market teams to remain competitive.
In my personal life, I am a pastor in northeast Indiana, and I’m married to a girl from Pittsburgh who’s also a die-hard Pirates fan. We’re both very much looking forward to taking our 19-month-old to her first game at PNC Park this year.
Anyway, I look forward to engaging with you all here on Bucs Dugout in what hopes to be an exciting season highlighted by Jameson Taillon dominating the league!