The year is 2012. Pedro Alvarez strolls to the plate to face Daniel Bard of the Boston Red Sox.

Bard's first pitch sizzles through the crisp autumn air in Pittsburgh.

Strike one.

It's a 103 mph fastball.

Alvarez is used to hitting fastballs into the Allegheny River — he's done so three times on his way to a team-leading 31 home runs.

The all-star third baseman digs into the box again, grips the bat tightly and awaits the next pitch from Boston's closer.

A 100 mph fastball catches the outside corner.

Strike two.

Alvarez is unfazed. A PNC Park record crowd is in full throat. The score of the Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Toronto Bills flashes on the scoreboard, but no one cares.

The Pirates are all anyone in the 'Burgh is thinking about on this late October night.

Starting pitcher Paul Maholm is on the top step of the dugout. The National League Cy Young runner-up yells encouragement to Alvarez, who takes a deep breath, steps back into the box and awaits the next pitch.

Alvarez swings. The loud crack of the bat meeting ball briefly silences the 40,000 fans in the stands. Millions more watching on television hold their breath.

The baseball lands three rows into the all-you-can-eat seats.

Alvarez rounds the bases and thrusts his arms triumphantly toward the full moon.

He is mobbed at home plate by teammates Andrew McCutcheon, Jose Tabata, Nate McLouth, Ryan Doumit, Shelby Ford and 19-year-old wunderkind shortstop Miguel Angel Sano.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have won the World Series.

Far-fetched? Probably.

Possible? Maybe — if the Bucs brass stick to the plan, and that plan is already in place.

A winning season is unlikely in 2009 and probably won't happen in 2010, either. But the groundwork for future greatness has been laid.

The David Littlefield regime set the franchise back at least five years. Neal Huntington and his regime are fighting a war on two fronts: undoing the damage already done and building toward the future.

The blueprint is to build from within, much like the Tampa Bay Rays did on their way to a World Series berth last season and a roster overflowing with young stars.

That's what the so-called "small market" teams have to do. Even "big market" teams like the Red Sox are taking that build-from-within approach.

And it is a good one.

The key is whether or not the young studs in the Pirates' farm system can be young studs in the majors. Hit on enough prospects and any team, no matter the market, can be competitive.

The Pirates are late to that party, but at least they have made it.

Of course, knowing the Bucs' run of luck, they'll win the World Series, then the world will end on Dec. 21, 2012, like the Mayans predicted.

Oh well, at least Pirates fans will have two months to celebrate.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle. His blog can be found at butlereagle.com