The standard format of Magic has each player using a 60-card deck that can include up to four copies of any one card. Each player starts with 20 life, and the goal is to drain your opponents’ life before your own runs out. The game can be played one on one or in a group setting, and there are a number of rules variations that can be used.

The format I’ve played most often at this point is called Commander, or EDH. Each player has a 100-card deck, with no more than one copy of any card (excluding basic lands). One legendary creature card is championed as the deck’s commander, and the remaining 99 cards must all have the same color characteristics as the commander’s color(s). (Magic cards are white, blue, black, red, green, uncolored, or a combination thereof). Ideally, the cards also play off the commander’s activated abilities.

Why do I like Magic? It feels like a combination of the card games I enjoy (e.g. poker, spades) and fantasy sports. Essentially, you draft a team of players and deploy them in a turn-based game. There’s strategy in the deck building and in the game play. From game to game, you can tweak your deck to accentuate strengths or combat weaknesses.

My first EDH deck was mono green in color. It initially leveraged the commander Vorinclex, but now runs Omnath instead. My second EDH deck is in development. It will use Captain Sisay as a general. Sisay’s ability allows the player to search his library for a legendary card and put it into his hand, so it makes running a deck of talented monsters more manageable.

I don’t know what I’m doing, but this is my first attempt with the cards I already own:

You can view the deck stats here. As time allows, I’ll be acquiring cards like Primeval Titan, Sun Titan, Baneslayer Angel and Eternal Witness, as well as more legends: Akroma, Angels of Wrath; Avacyn, Angel of Hope; Sigarda, Host of Herons, Azusa, Lost but Seeking; Reki, the History of Kamigawa; Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary; Myojin of Life’s Web; Myojin of Cleansing Fire; Dosan the Falling Leaf; Jedit Ojanen of Efrava; Masako the Humorless; Patron of the Orochi; and legendary artifacts and enchantments.

The Pirates have now played nine games, representing 5.5 percent of a 162-game schedule. They’ve faced Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Vance Worley, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, Matt Cain, Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong and managed to win three times. They’ve participated in two home openers on the west coast, and still have one more road series before returning to PNC Park to take on the defending world champions.

We knew April would be rough; did you expect different results?

The good

Through 20 plate appearances, Casey McGehee looks more like the stud who hit .285/.337/.464 with 23 HR and 104 RBI in 2010 than the wimp who turned in .223/.280/.346 in 155 games last year. If he even played to his 2009 level (.301/.360/.499, 16 HR, 66 RBI in 394 PA), it’d be a boon for the front office. He’s arb-eligible in 2013 and 2014, and this is his age-29 season. He’s not the kind of player you’d want to sign to a long-term deal, but he could totally photobomb next season’s team picture.

Andrew McCutchen’s earning his money.

The starting pitching has been effective. Erik Bedard’s the first Pirate arm in awhile that I could envision one day winning a playoff game. Kevin Correia’s done nothing to warrant a demotion, but for now, I’d rather the Pirates keep him (sending Jared Hughes to Indianapolis) than trade him. Correia has to fill the bullpen role, because none of the other starters have faltered and A.J. Burnett presumably is going to settle into a rotation spot in May.

Jason Grilli and Juan Cruz have proven that building a bullpen on the cheap is a reasonable strategy.

The bad

Outside of McGehee and McCutchen, no regular has an OPS over .516 (entering Sunday’s game). The free agent signings, Barajas and Barmes, have not been good. But neither has the bounceback candidate (Pedro Alvarez), the next extension candidate (Neil Walker) or the first extension candidate (Jose Tabata). You have to give the offense an opportunity to face league-average starters before passing judgment, but so far, so bad.

Clint Hurdle’s management on the road (refusing to use Joel Hanrahan in a tie game; attempting a suicide squeeze with runners on the corners, no outs and a two-run lead rather than trying to put up a crooked number; etc.) pales in comparison to his ability to manage at home. At PNC Park, I know the Pirates are in every close ballgame. Away, I know their ship is sunk.

The ugly

Alvarez struck out in 10 of his first 16 plate appearances. I was a proponent of playing him through 50 or so games regardless of results—essentially, giving him enough rope to hang himself, or allowing him to hit his way out of a slump. Neal Huntington and Hurdle may not be afforded that opportunity. If Alvarez doesn’t heat up in a hurry, then the team has no choice but to send him to Indianapolis.

In that scenario—Alvarez as an Indian—McGehee becomes my regular third baseman until he turns into a pumpkin. Jones starts at first base, and Harrison/Navarro become his platoon partners (starting at 3B, with McGehee sliding to 1B vs. left-handed pitching). I would only call Matt Hague back up if you’re willing to start him five times a week, and I don’t think the time is right for that now.

In a couple of months, though, we could be looking at a very different roster—subtract Nate McLouth, Alex Presley or Tabata; Alvarez; Hughes and Correia, and add Hague, Starling Marte, Burnett and Daniel Moskos.

What to watch for

The next time through the rotation. Is it smoke and mirrors, or are these guys this good?

The lineup. Will Hurdle be able to write the same card for three or four straight games and have the team find its rhythm? Or will the mix-and-match continue until a player or two are demoted or traded?

The minors. Will Marte continue to tear up AAA? Will Hague force his way up? Will the arsenal of arms necessitate a trade, potentially of Hanrahan to a contender for a sweet return?

Lineup
LF Presley
RF Tabata
CF McCutchen
1B Jones
2B Walker
3B Alvarez
C Barajas
SS Barmes
P

I like Jones as a cleanup hitter more than Walker. The lefties (Jones and Alvarez) are still separated by the switch-hitter. Alvarez and Barajas are both strikeout threats, but they can also capitalize on mistakes. I might flip-flop Tabata and Presley, but at this point in the season and their careers, they seem interchangeable; check back after a few weeks of games. Tabata leading off and being held on by the first baseman would open up a hole on the right side for Presley to target.

Bench
C McKenry
1B/3B McGehee
IF Harrison
IF/OF Navarro
OF McLouth

Having only one lefty-hitting option isn’t ideal, but that’s what’s in the system. And Hague should play every day at AAA if he isn’t going to start in MLB. The Pirates aren’t going to be good enough in 2012 to make stunting a player’s development a wise move.

Pitching
SP Bedard, Karstens, McDonald, Morton, Lincoln
RP McCutchen, Cruz, Moskos, Grilli, Watson, Resop, Hanrahan

I’d rather see Lincoln than Correia, though it’ll only be a couple of starts before Burnett takes the fifth job, anyway. DFA Correia to open a 40-man spot for Cruz (or try to dump Correia’s salary via trade and DFA Leroux, for whom I have no use).

The bullpen should be a strength. Moskos has pitched his way onto the staff, in my opinion, and having Watson and McCutchen with the durability to go multiple innings is beneficial. Meek can close in AAA.

AAA Lineup
CF Marte
SS d’Arnaud
3B Hague
1B Clement
C Fryer
2B Mercer
RF Evans
LF Hernandez

Marte is the gem, and I’m hoping he forces his way into an MLB job by July. That’s optimistic, but as a best-case scenario, it’d likely involve the Pirates trading an Alex Presley for pitching for the stretch run. d’Arnaud should play SS; if Barmes goes down, the Pirates need someone steady capable of fielding the position. I like Mercer more than d’Arnaud, and maybe Mercer catches fire at the AAA level. If Alvarez were to struggle, Hague could conceivably fill in at 3B (at least with the bat), or the Pirates could get creative and shift Neil Walker back to third and plug Mercer in at 2B.

Clement and Evans are non-prospects, but they’re young enough that I’d like to see them take ABs. They could be useful bench pieces in Pittsburgh if they capture lightning in a bottle. Letting the city of Indianapolis experience winning baseball would be admirable, too.

AAA Pitching
SP Locke, Owens, McPherson, Reyes, Martis
RP Welker, Poreda, Hughes, Crotta, Morris, Wilson, Meek

The rotation is underwhelming, but Locke, Owens and McPherson could acquit themselves well in a big-league stint if necessary. Hopefully Huntington has his choice of hot hands, rather than needing multiple call-ups at once.

The relief crew has its upside. I’d keep Wilson in the bullpen, which I doubt the Pirates will do. He throws gas, and if he and Moskos hit their ceilings, the Pirates could shorten games to six or seven innings. Morris is all Huntington has to show for Jason Bay, but six years of a setup reliever (or closer?) is a valuable commodity. Maybe he gets there, maybe he doesn’t.

Reasons for Pedro Alvarez to start 2012 in Pittsburgh:

• Clint Hurdle is the instructor most qualified to coax potential out of Alvarez. Hurdle’s experience as a hitting coach probably played a significant role in the Pirates’ decision to hire him as a skipper. If anyone in the organization can work with Alvarez to iron out the wrinkles in his swing and improve his mechanics, it’s Hurdle. Why send No. 24 to Indianapolis to face inferior competition and allow him the ability to put up decent numbers even without fixing what’s broken?
• 2012 could be the last throwaway season the Pirates have to play with. There are no expectations that the team will finish .500 or contend in the division. That’s not to say winning is an impossibility, but losing 87 games isn’t going to get anyone fired. So Hurdle and Neal Huntington can afford to run Pedro out to third base for 50 games, even if he doesn’t produce. Heading into 2013, the team needs to know if Alvarez is a piece of the future or if they need to move on.
• The alternatives aren’t palatable. Casey McGehee was acquired in part as an insurance policy at third, but he’s also Garrett Jones’ protection at first. If McGehee’s forced into full-time duty, then a new platoon partner must be found for Jones. The popular choice would be Matt Hague, but Hague himself could be a part of the future. You don’t want to bring up a prospect to sit on the bench—Hague should play every day in Indianapolis until there’s a job for him in Pittsburgh (in June or July). Jake Fox could take part-time at-bats, but that’s low upside. Josh Harrison could start at third, but realistically, he’s not going to provide more value than Alvarez in the short or long term.
• Alvarez has a history of being a slow starter. His spring numbers are terrible, and in the wake of 2011, that’s troubling. But there’s also the possibility that he’ll warm up with more plate appearances. The last thing Pirates fans want is another Adam LaRoche, but I’d much rather have another Adam LaRoche than another Andy LaRoche.

Reasons for Pedro Alvarez to start 2012 in Indianapolis:

• I’m going to get very tired of yinzers yelling “send him down!” and giving Bronx cheers when Alvarez is hitting .200 through 20 ABs in Pittsburgh, and I like going to games. I don’t want to have to hurt anyone.

I don’t know what the team has in Pedro Alvarez any more than you do. He’s a 25-year-old kid with a decent pedigree who’s only played 234 minor-league games. He’s played the equivalent of two-thirds of one season at the AAA level, and he’s done well in that limited exposure (.270/.364/.499 with 18 HR and 72 RBI in 367 International League ABs).

The Pirates are short on power hitters at the MLB level, and they’re short on power hitters in the minors. They need Pedro to fit the bill as a No. 1 pick, but they don’t have the resources to over commit to one player. If Pedro isn’t the answer, then they need to actively seek out alternatives (McGehee? Hague as a butcher in the field? A trade?).

By June, the team should have a better comfort level with respect to their evaluation of Alvarez’s abilities. They’ll get that by giving Pedro every chance to succeed in Pittsburgh, and ultimately, if it doesn’t work out, they’ll still play their games in July, August and September. He wouldn’t be the first Pirates draft pick to turn into a bust, and he wouldn’t be the last, either. If he does succeed, then Huntington and Hurdle will be well-deserving of praise and the second half of the season should be a wild ride.

This is guaranteed to be good. I tend not to buy new vinyl unless it’s an artist I love, but you’d better believe I’ll own this LP. (I passed on the 7″, though, and I’m still waiting to hear Machine Gun Silhouette.)