Welcome our new writer, Andy East

I’m a newspaper reporter by trade, baseball junkie by night – and I’m happy to be joining the Bucs Dugout team.

My introduction to the Pittsburgh Pirates is not as direct as it might be for many fans.

I never took in a game at Three Rivers Stadium. I’ve never been to PNC Park. I’ve never even been to Pittsburgh.

My first contact with the Pirates organization happened nearly 330 miles away from where the Buccos call home – in Indianapolis. More specifically, it was on the third-base side of Victory Field, the home of the Indianapolis Indians, which has been Bucco’s triple-A affiliate since 2005.

I’ve watched as many future Pirates players have passed through Indianapolis on their way to the big leagues, including outfielder Andrew McCutchen and pitcher Francisco Liriano, just to name a couple.

Professionally speaking, I’ve been a print journalist for six years, covering armed conflict, homeland security, state government, courts, business and healthcare – but not baseball, even though it is a passion of mine.

My work has appeared in several publications over the years, including The Dallas Morning News, MIT Technology Review, among others.

Currently, I am a reporter at a daily newspaper in Indiana, where I cover a little bit of everything.

I’m looking forward to getting started. Go Pirates!