Come Together

Since the inception of this blog, our intention has been to have a place for those openly dissatisfied with Pirates ownership to come together (see what I did there?) to voice our displeasure. As the season wore on and the Pirates began to play at their usually decrepit pace, posts became increasingly redundant and basically hard to write. How much can you write about how bad a team stinks? Sure, the PG and Trib's beat writers do it, but that is because they are getting paid for it.

But now, nearly 2 months since our last post, an earthquake is shaking up the foundation of the Buccos fan base. Many fans, even those who were decidedly in the middle, have begun to suggest an all-out boycott in order to send a message to the Nutting Regime. With the league-forced sale of the Dodgers, in some part due to fan's vociferous disdain for the ownership group, Pirates fans are starting to wonder aloud if the same results could be had in Pittsburgh. I'd be lying if I said that I truly believed a full-on boycott would hurt the Nuttings in such a fashion that they would consider selling their cash cow. But that doesn't mean I don't believe the passionate fans who want to see change in ownership should stand by idly.

There is little doubt that profit comes before winning for the Nuttings. They are the team's owners and they have a right to turn a profit. But that also doesn't mean the fans have to contribute to further lining their already deep pockets. While same may argue their pockets aren't deep enough to fund a competitive team, my rebuttal would be to simply the sell the team if you can't afford to win. Despite the fact that the Nuttings are using a Taxpayer funded stadium to churn out cash, the fans can't merely show up and force them to sell the team. Pretty much the only way this happens is if the team is no longer profitable. That is one aspects the fans do control and if people stay  away from the ballpark, there is nobody to blame but those at the top.

We need to organize. A simple passive boycott will not be enough, though. In order to convey our message, we will need to have a voice and a presence. We will need that voice to be heard, that presence to be seen. We need to be there at PirateFest, in the public eye. We need to be there at opening day, loud and proud. We need to get an organized and unified message that is concise and crystal clear: No more waiting on five year plans. No more watching other cities, with comparable population bases, have higher payrolls and win world titles (St. Louis) and NO MORE NUTTING BULLSHIT about building for the future!!!

The Nuttings have had plenty of time to get their guys in place. And yet they seem more interested in turning a profit than winning baseball games. When a player, no matter the skill level, is due for a salary increase as he reaches his free agent years, that player is dumped, regardless of what kind of replacement is ready to step in. It is a cycle that continues to repeat itself, with well heralded power hitters like Aramis Ramirez. Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, and lesser lights (but capable major league players) like Nate McLouth, Matt Capps, Paul Maholm.  If that money saved would be spent on bringing in better players, we would have no complaint. Instead, the labor cost of the major league operation are kept artificially low, and the revenue keeps streaming in as fans are sold on a circus like distraction of Fireworks, Prospects, Rock Bands, Baseball Nostalgia, Gimmicks, and hope for a future that is always dawning on the horizon, but never seems to get here.

There are a few choices as proud Pirate fans. You can continue to go to games, and hope against hope the Nuttings catch lightning in a bottle one year, the entire (always underpaid) roster over performs, and success magically comes about for a  few fleeting moments before the economic realities of the team’s situation wash it away once again, much like in 2011. You can lose your interest in baseball all together, and exclusively follow the many other well run, winning organization that our city is blessed to have. I have a feeling many fans have taken this route.

But there are those of us who are both still passionate about the Pirates, and utterly dissatisfied and disgusted with the way the team has been run for the past two decades, the majority of which has been under Nutting control, despite their outright lies about how long they have owned the club. Kevin McClatchy was always their puppet since the late 90s, just like President Frank Coonelly is now. The time has come for us to not only not go to the games, in silent protest, but to loudly show up at the gates, but not enter, but instead besmirch and embarrass the misers sitting atop their piles of gold in their stately palace of baseball.

Pirates Nation Rise UP!!! You have nothing to lose but more baseball seasons, 19 and counting.

Any comments, suggestions, solutions, etc can be sent to mutinyontheallegheny@gmail.com

(NO) Moneyball

Well folks, there is no use sitting here and going over the last week of Pirates baseball. While the season has been unofficially over for about a month or so, it's now turned into  complete I don't care mode. Luckily, the team has adopted the same attitude; they just get paid a hell of a lot more to suck than I do. As an homage to the Nutting Style of baseball, I am going to take the focus off of the current product at hand and discuss a few things that are mildly related.

I have seen the trailers for the upcoming film Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, Jonah Hill as 'Peter Brand' (based on former Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta), and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Pittsburgher and fellow Shaler Alumni Art Howe. This trailer made me wonder about a few things. #1.) In Hollywood, where appearance seems to mean everything, why did they cast 2 fat guys to play skinny guys? and #2.) How long until somebody writes a book and/or makes a movie about the Pirates of the last 19 seasons, perhaps entitled "No-Moneyball"?. It could be out there already, but I was too lazy to take 10 seconds to do a Google search.

Normally, sports books and movies go one of four ways. The first is chronicling the success of a particular player or franchise with examples such as the films 'Miracle' or 'Pride of the Yankees'. The second is covering scandals such as the movie ' Eight Men Out' or the novel ' The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven'. Third is the screwball comedy we've seen with 'Major League' and 'Bull Durham'. Number four is the kids genre with epics like 'The Sandlot', 'Little Big League' and 'Rookie of the Year' among many,many, many, many, many,many others.

In this blogger's opinion, a book and/or movie about the last 2 decades of Pirates baseball could encompass the first three without a doubt. While on the surface it would appear that this team's 19 straight losing records is not a marker of success in any fashion, you have to face the facts at some point and admit just how impressive it is to go that long without a winning season. I mean, you almost have to try to suck that bad. For the scandal part, much has recently been made about the true intentions of the ownership and management group's intentions for this ballclub. Using a tax payer funded venue to churn out profit year after year while taking no personal risk has drawn the ire of many Pirates fan who are sick of losing and the Nutting's miserly ways. Interestingly enough, the same reason the story could be classified under the first category is also the same it would fall under #3, the screwball comedy: 19 straight losing seasons. That's laughable in and of itself.


Had 2011 gone differently for the Bucs, had they sustained that over-their-head pace of play, a novel would probably be in the works as we speak. The true underdog story of a once proud franchise looking to recapture the hearts of it's fans and put itself back on a national stage. Everybody loves those kinds of  underdog stories where the little guy triumphs over it's competition against all odds. Nobody likes a loser, especially not 19 in row. Look at Major League; they sucked for about 10 minutes before they were deadset in a pennant race with the Yankees. Therefore, the story of the Pirates woes heads back into development hell with Duke Nukem Forever and Chinese Democracy.

Wait, those have both been released? Really? Next you're going to tell me that Ghostbusters III is going to be green lit before the Bucs have a winning season............

Maybe it is time to start chronicling the bad years. After all, those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it, right?

19 years and counting

Following Wednesday's 3-2 loss to St. Louis, the Pirates dropped their 82nd game this season.
Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, Pittsburgh will finish below .500 for the 19th consecutive year.
In the aforementioned stretch of bad baseball, the Buccos' closest 79 wins in 1997 and 78 in 1999.
Maybe it's because that was the first year I started paying close attention to baseball, it's caused me to be more cynical as each year passes, but I really believe the 1999 team had the best chance of breaking the mark, even though the '97 squad had 0ne more win.
In '99, Jason Kendall missed more than half the season, Brian Giles and Ed Sprague went down for part of the season, but they still managed to put it together. They had some decent power, strong pitching and I really think they could've done it had Kendall not went down.
I know, coulda, woulda, shoulda, but that was a decent team. I still remember Warren Morris' strong rookie campaign. He sure fell off the face of the Earth. Plus, Todd Richie's 15 wins, Kris Benson before Anna, or maybe after, but what a crazy lady, and I use that term loosley, and Frankie Cordova.
Al Martin wasn't bad, but they just couldn't quite put it together. That team wasn't the best fielding club, either.
I was optimistic after that, but the team went from bad to worse. They lost 100 games the year PNC Park opened, has some decent clubs in 2004 and 2005, hosted an All-Star game in 2006 and had some individual honors like Nate McClouth winning a gold glove, a batting champion in Freddy Sanchez and Jason Bay winning the rookie of the year award.
Even with all that, Pittsburgh's hasn't seen winning baseball since '92.
They have improved this year, but I don't think it will matter. You have to realize that pre-July 28, the pitching was out of its mind, but the rest of the components weren't there.
I don't think the pitchers will perform like that next year. They are trying to keep the core guys, but outside Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and maybe Jose Tabata, I don't think it's good enough.
I say it will be a long time before we see winning baseball in Pittsburgh. I may be drawing social security by then.
Eh, maybe not.

On The Verge

After last night's disappointing loss (aren't they all?), the Bucs now stand on the doorstep of extending their own record for putrid performance. With 81 losses heading into today's game with the Cards, the Bucs are looking to make it 19 straight and if their second half performance is any indication, there is no end in sight.

The Bucs appeared poised to take another one from the Cards last evening, but another unbelievably bad call negated a run that would have sent the Bucs into the 9th with a lead. However, as is always the case when playing LaRussa and his Cards, the ump completely blew the call at 3rd and gave the Cards a huge break.

On the play in question, Derrek Lee hit a fly ball to right field and upon the ball hitting Berkman's mitt, Ciriaco took off from third base. After he crossed the plate, the Cardinals appealed to third base, probably because the umpire told them to, and they were awarded an out and the run was negated. Extensive replays CLEARLY showed Ciriaco left on time, but unfortunately the call was unable to be overruled because MLB replay only applies to plays that don't completely screw the Pirates.

After the game, LaRussa was about to address the call but passed out drunk behind his desk because he thought it was his Cadillac.

Three More Years of Opie

The Buccos have officially announced what many of us already deemed to be a foregone conclusion: Opie, aka Bad Deal Neal, has been extended. Those Commissioner's Trophies behind Neal are a Mirage.

Huntington's tenure has been at best average and at worst  extremely disappointing. He brought in Jose Tabata and Jeff Karstens ( along with The Guy Who Cried and Ross Awfuldorhf) in exchange for oft injured Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, who played the most unimportant position in baseball. BTW, Prince Fielder was 2 for 9 career against Marte with 2 singles and 3 Ks; Ryan Howard 0 for 3 with 3 Ks. Lefty specialists are overrated my @$$,.

In that same summer, Opie also dealt Jason Bay to the Red Sox in a deal that saw the Sox get Bay, the Dodgers get Manny Ramirez, and the Bucs get Andy LaRoche and Brandon Moss. I don't need to rehash how that one worked out, but let's just agree the Bucs were not the winners in that deal. These are 2 of his more notable deals and they certainly show both sides of the spectrum.

 As far as free agency goes, there isn't a whole lot write home about. Overbay and Diaz were the most recent disasters, with neither doing anything to really help the young ball club along. Correia started out looking like a real find but shrunk back down to his career levels of mediocrity. GI Jones is similar, sometimes looking like a diamond in the rough and others looking like the guy we got off the Twins scrap heap. There is also the Dana Eveland years of control signing. And Hayden Penn. Letting Matt Capps walk and getting ZERO in return. And so on and so forth.

In terms of the draft, Neal has gotten high marks all across the boards for his picks and signings. However, the tangible results range from mixed to TBD. Alvarez was the Bucs #1 pick in 2008, Opie's first draft, and was widely expected to be the savior of the franchise. While he had a strong September last year, it took a while to get acclimated and any progress he made appears to have been lost since the end of the last season. 2011 has been nothing short of awful for Kdro, not even accounting for injuries.

In the 2009 Draft, the Bucs went back to their old ways and took  singable BC catcher Tony Sanchez 4th overall despite the fact that most believed Sanchez to be the 29th best player available. Sanchez has been a disappointment in the minors and has also faced a myriad of injuries. The Bucs were able to use some of their savings from Sanchez to draft and sign Zack Von Rosenberg, who is 5-9 with a 5.73 ERA for the WV Power Single A club. However, he is still young, though, about 2 weeks shy of 21 and could prove to be a solid pitcher down the road.

In 2010, the Bucs had a well received draft by DOING WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO and picking Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie, 2 guys with 4 last names. Taillon is a few months shy of 20 and 2-3 with a 3.98 ERA at Single A, showing a good bit of upside. Allie, who turned 20 in March, is struggling at Low A State College with a 6.98 ERA and an 0-2 record.

In the most recent draft, the Bucs drafted Gerrrrrritttttt Cole from UCLA and Josh Bell, a HS 3rd Baseman haled by many as the best offensive player in the draft. Despite speculation that Bell was 100% set on signing with the Texas Longhorns, the Bucs hammered out a deal to bring him on board. If these guys do anything close to  living up to their hype, the Bucs will have 2 legitimate studs in positions of great need.

So there you have the very brief Cliff's Note version of Huntington's career in Pittsburgh so far, glossing over FAR more moves than I covered. My overall grade for Opie thus far would be a  very generous INCOMPLETE. He was named GM in September 2007 and that team finished 68-94, a .420 winning percentage. Since the takeover, the Bucs Record is 252-379, a .399 winning percentage. An old adage states "it's going to get worse before it gets better"; but how much worse can it get?

What Should We Expect in 2012?

In a quick few words: more of the same.

Major League Baseball has the longest season amongst the 4 major sports and as a result a great deal of depth is needed to success for the entire duration. The 2011 Bucs played over their heads for the first half of the season, but ultimately fell into their old habits heading into the July 31st deadline. But all is not entirely lost in what will soon be the club's 19th STRAIGHT losing season as some of the young players showed some real promise as well as progress. However, there are still far too many questions looming over this team to start making a bold prediction that the streak will end in 2012.

The first bright spot for the Bucs is the emergence of Andrew McCutchen from a very good MLB player to a perennial All-Star caliber player. While his .269 overall average isn't overly impressive, the 22 Homers, 86 RBI, and 20 SB with 81 runs scored certainly are. Those numbers prove Cutch has the potential to be a 30/30 guy as well as drive in 100 runs if he consistently hits in the middle of the lineup

Next is Joel Hanrahan. While many people justifiably downplay the role of a closer, The Hammer has 36 saves in 39 attempts for a team currently sitting at 66 wins. His ERA of 1.58 ranks 2nd amongst NL closers, only .01 behind NL Saves leader Craig Kimbrel of Atlanta.  His whip of 0.99 and his 55 to 14 K to BB ratio is equally impressive.

Another Bucco who has been productive this year is Neil Walker, hitting .270 with 12 HR and 79 RBI. Not bad from a second baseman but he could certainly stand to cut down on the K's and GIDPs.

Even with those players in the mix for next season, the Bucs still have a plethora of questions facing them as the season winds down. So I am putting it to you loyal few to weigh on on how you would handle these situations and/or what you expect the Bucs to handle them.

#1) What to do with First Base? 
#2.) How would you handle Maholm and Doumit in the off-season?
#3.) What do you expect to see from Pedro Alvarez in 2012?
#4.) How do you expect the starting pitchers to fare in 2012?
#5.) What should the Bucs do with SS?

My answers:
#1.) Personally, I don't look for the Bucs to do anything on the FA market. Carlos Pena will be available but he has hit only 7 HR since the Break, 19 prior and will probably be looking for more than $10M per year. Cuddyer would be a great addition but probably out of our price range. Internally,  Jones is probably the best candidate, but I would give Matt Hague a long look in spring training. Nothing against GI Jones, but he is VERY streaky.
#2.) I would try to negotiate a deal each of them, but attempt to avoid picking up their options. Not because I would hesistate spending money, just spending that kind of money on them. Although Maholm's numbers do merit close to what his option is priced. a longer term deal may save a few dollars to allocate elsewhere. Doumis might look Irish, but he must be Italian, cause he's fragile , especially for $7.25M.
#3.) Well, how much worse can he get? Derrek Lee's hit more HR as a Pirate this season despite 47 less games in a Bucco uniform. Perdo has the tools, his swing is definitely money. But he seems to me like the pressure gets the better of him. I'll look for him to hit .245 with 22 HR and 70 RBI in 2012, although he is capable of FAR more.
#4.) That is tough to assess without knowing whether Maholm will be back. But I expect Correia to be the same guy he has always been. Start out solid and fade into the season. I expect Morton to improve yet again as he finds his comfort zone. I don't see Karstens doing as well as in 2011 but look for J-Mac to break out next year.
#5.) Throw some money at JJ Hardy. 26 HR and 68 RBI in 110 games this season while earning about $6M with the Orioles. He has 5 errors and a fielding perecentage of .990. His career averages per 162 games played are .263 with 22 HR and 77 RBI and a fielding % of .980 as well as zero career bases loaded bunts.

The Bucs obviously will have many more questions facing them this offseason, so feel free to add those to the discussion. (i.e. all speed, no power from corner OF or the bullpen, etc.)

D-Lee for MVP

What a weekend for the Buc sand Derrek Lee. After dropping a Thursday afternoon sandwich game to the Dodgers and being shut down by Dana freaking Eveland, the Bucs bounced back to take 2 out of 3 from the Cubbies and the series opener from the Astros yesterday afternoon.

Friday's 3-1 win at the friendly confines saw roster expansion beneficiary Brian "One 'S' " Burres got 5.1 IP surrendering only a solo HR to Carlos Pena and fanning 5 while only walking one. The bullpen didn't allow a hit and with some timely hitting, including a pair of triples from the King, the pulled out the W. The Hammer notched his 33rd save in the victory.

Saturday's game featured some unheralded late game heroics from Derrek Lee upon his return from the DL. I did not see the game live, as I was witnessing some 87 Super Unleaded Football, but Lee's dramatics are certainly noteworthy. With the Bucs trailing 5-3 with 2 outs in the top of the 9th, Lee found himself at the plate with the bases juiced full of Pirates. He was already 2 for 4 with an RBI in his first game back since Marmol broke his hand,  but Lee had bigger things on his mind, sending a Marmol offering into the bleachers for a grand slam. UNREAL. The Hammer worked a scoreless 9th for the 2nd straight outing the Bucs were 7-5 victors.

Sunday's battle was part 1,000 in the Charlie Morton Jekyll/Hyde Show. Morton only went 4.1 innings, allowing 4 runs, 3 of which were earned, giving up 7 hits and walking 5 to only 2 K. While his 9-9 W/L record and 3.81 ERA on the season are a vast improvement over last year, Morton's 1.54 WHIP is less than impressive. He 96 K to 68 BB on the year.... Offensively, D-Lee went 3 for 4 with and RBI and the Pride of PR went yard for his 12th of the season, but it wasn't enough to overcome the less than stellar pitching and defense, highlighted by Suckdeno's 2 errors. With 13 Errors for the season, and some generous scoring at home ignoring a few more, Cedeno is 8th in the NL for errors amongst SS.

Yesterday, J-Mac continued a solid season in earning his 9th win of the season. McDonald went 7.1IP, allowing 3 hits and 3 BB while fanning 6 and allowing only 1 run. Trailing 1-0, Doumit and Ole Harrison gave the Bucs a 2-1 lead in the 4th with an RBI double and single respectively. D-Lee homered in the 9th to add some insurance and the Hammer worked the 9th for his 3rd save in the last 4 games, giving him 35 on the season.

This has been a nice little run from the Bucs. While there is nothing really left to salvage, there are some questions worth asking.

#1 is what to do with Derrek Lee? In his 8 games with the Buccos, he's batting .400 (12 for 30) with 4 HR and 10 RBI and an OPS of 1.304. If the Bucs don't make a serious effort to resign him, especially with Overpaid and Diaz having gone by the wayside, the cash should be there.

BTW, Huntington should win GM of the year for getting the Braves to take Diaz off our hands last week, even if he is 6 for 11 with the Braves. He still has no RBI and 0 XBH. How is that possible? My guess if fish fillets to RF against lefties

#2- What about Josh Harrison? Speaking of fish fillets, Harrison is never going to be revered for his power, but he has proved that he can hit MLB pitching at a decent clip. At the very least, he can be a good bat off the bench, but with his mediocre fielding and playing a position that has been designated for Kdro, I am not sure where he fits in the big picture. With that said, I like Harrison and what he brings to the table. But with an OF full of speed and little power, 3B is a position where the Bucs will need to see some serious pop.

#3- J-Mac is the 2nd half CY Young for the Bucs with a 3.26 ERA and 54 K to 21 BB since the All-Star Break.  He always seems to be the guy that people are uncertain on, but I think he has the right set of tools as well as desire to succeed. From what I have seen, McDonald isn't afraid to pitch to contact when he needs outs. Many "strikeout" pitchers would be far too happy with trying to paint the corners and walk a ton of guys, ahem, Kip Wells, but J-Mac's K to BB ratio has gone from roughly 1.59 : 1 before the break to 2.57 : 1 since.

With only 21 games left, it will interesting to see how the Bucs finish this one out. While the season has been an overall disappointment, there are some pieces in place that make it look as though the Bucs may one day be a competitive MLB team.

It's just REALLY hard to say when that day might be

Pirates' marketing department is the best in baseball

The Pirates are first in baseball at one thing: Marketing.
As bad as this team has been, they still draw decent crowds, but it's all a novelty. People don't go to games to watch baseball. They go for a show. Or to see the other team.
Fireworks, bobbleheads, free T-shirts, concerts and more. If baseball was played in the winter, no one would go. Families enjoy taking their kids to the games, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it's more to do something than really watch a baseball game. I doubt most of those families sit down and actually watch a game on TV.
I do believe PNC Park would be soldout nearly every game if the Bucs had the success of the Steelers or Penguins. I have never doubted Pittsburgh fans' passion for the hometown team, but everybody wants to watch a loser.
Case in point to that passion was everyone making reservations for the playoffs when Pittsuburgh had a lead in the division race after the All-Star game.
I give them props for getting people to the game and making money. Although, they are not concerned with the product on the field.
I also know that most sports have sideshow attractions. Every sport, every hockey, parades good looking girls on the sidelines. I like a pretty girl as much as the next guy, but they have nothing to do with the game, although sex sells.
I don't know how it was 30 years ago at sporting events, but times sure have changed.
Enjoy the rest of the baseball season, but I'm sure most of you all are thinking about next Sunday when the Steelers travel to Baltimore.

Eulogy: Here Lies The 2011 Pirates

It is with my deepest regret and most humble sorrow that I greet you here under these circumstances. Times like these are never easy, no matter how many times you have experienced it before.Last night, August 30, 2011, at 10:58 PM EST, the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates lost their recurring battle with baseball respectability. After suffering a series of major setbacks following the All-Star break, the Pirates fell to the ML worst Houston Astros for the second straight night, this time by an embarrassing 8-2 count.

The 2011 Pirates had an out of nowhere run but appeared to be greatly slowed by an epic umpiring mistake by Jerry Meals on that other fateful night in Atlanta. Up until that point, though, the 2011 Bucs seemed as if they were going to beat the odds. They were given little chance coming into the season after being diagnosed as Pirates, official medical name baseballii suckitus, which is believed by most to be an incurable and untreatable form of a professional sports organization. But the 2011 Bucs were resilient and started the season strong by winning a series in St. Louis, the NL Central juggernaut that is a considered a small market in hockey and football, but does not seem to effect them in baseball; or the complete opposite of Pittsburgh.

The Bucs continued to play inspired baseball before dropping 6 straight games and receiving a second opinion from local experts saying that Small Market Syndrome was beginning to set in as well. This is also believed to be a debilitating disease, especially remarkable for a team playing the in the same town as two teams that are at odds trying to get UNDER the salary cap each year in their respective sports. But on May 18th, the mighty Bucs pushed back!

There was no quit in this bunch, who won 33 out of 54 games between May 18th July 20th. But as the outlook of a full recovery from being the Pirates was about the made, reality began to set in. The Bucs dropped 2/3 to the Cards before heading to Atlanta for a 4 game series. The Bucs took the first game and appeared poised to do so many times in the second game but they couldn't pull away. 19 innings later, the Braves went for the W, but the Bucs looked as if they were able to hold them off. Sadly, it only appeared that way. The Braves received a favorable call for umpteenth time in series history and the Bucs battle for hope began slip from their grasp.

These brave and admirable 2011 Pirates would lose 11 of their next 12 games following the Jerry Meals debacle. Despite taking 2 out of 3 from defending World Champ Giants, it appeared as if the Bucs had officially taken a turn for the worst. Smack in the middle of that 12 game nightmare, the Bucs sought reinforcements, only to see both of the acquired players be sent to the DL. The ugly pace continued by losing 3 straight in Milwaukee but there was a slight glimmer of hope after taking a series from the Cards. However, the Bucs lost a tough series to the Reds, again with some fishy umpiring, and then dropped 2 out 3 to Milwaukee again. With a series loss last weekend in St Louis, the Bucs were on life support and the prognosis was grim.

After dropping the first game of the Astros series in a come from ahead, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory fashion, the Bucs were in need of real miracle ( not a  phony "Texas' one) to put off the inevitable. But game 2 against the Stros only made it worse and machines have since been turned off. It is now that I somberly ask you to offer your memories of this special season, the one we all hoped, but never fully believed, would be different.

Also, IT WAS A FLUKE.

Lincoln gets first W of season

After two tough outings against St. Louis, Brad Lincoln and Co. helped Pittsburgh to a convincing 7-0 shutout over the Cardinals Saturday in St. Louis.
Lincoln pitched six innings of shutout ball for his first victory of the season. He also did it against the Cardinals' Chris Carpenter (8-9).
Carpenter hasn't had a Cy-Young calibier season, although he is still tough to beat, especially for the Bucs.
Pittsburgh (62-70) had 11 hits and took control of the game in the fourth when it put up four runs.
Lincoln got into the act in the fourth with a two-run double. Neil Walker hit his 11th homer of the year.
The Cardinals (69-64) are fighting for a spot in the playoffs, and can't afford to lose any ground on the division-leading Brewers.
The Pirates have 11 shutouts this year, which are the most since 2005, when the club had 14. The pitching has been strong this season if you take away the 10 game skid towards the end of July.
Jeff Karstens is on the mound this afternoon for the finale.
It was also nice to see the Bucs showcase some of their young talent on national TV. It would be nice to see them on FOX in about three years in October.
For those of you who are keeping score, Pittsburgh would have to go 22-10 in the final 32 to break .500.
It won't happen.

A simple question

If the Pirates fail to win 82 games this year, will you consider 2011 a success due to the fact that they have surpassed last season's total?

Acquisition versus Utilization of Resources

The discussion the other day mentioning Tim Alderson got me thinking about the operating model the Pirates are using. They are doing an above average job of stockpiling young, talented prospects. And while they should rightfully be congratulated for no longer drafting the 2011 equivalent of Bryan Bullington; they cannot, as some fans would seem to suggest, merely flip the switch to autopilot, nudge these talented young players through the minor leagues a year at a time, and watch the pennants start rolling in around the year 2015 or so.

The truth is the Pirates have had talent in their system before. Yes, Dave Littlefield’s draft strategy can only be described as a ‘1980s New York Jets’/ ‘1990s Cincinnati Bengals’ level of horrendousness. That doesn’t mean however that over the past two decades the farm system has been nothing but a barren wasteland of filler has-beens with nary a legitimately talented major league prospect anywhere in sight.

(Pirate Farmland before Albert Einstein Neal Huntington’s Coronation)

It is not my belief that the Pirates had only a talent acquisition problem. I believe they have actually had a player development problem. To be sure, a few actual top-flight 1^st round picks, and an infusion of talent from Latin America would have certainly be a welcome addition. Championship rosters are not solely assembled from near can’t miss 18 year olds however. To sustain any level of consistent success, you need to have an assembly line level production output of mid-range players and backups who can do their job, and do it well. How many of those type of guys have the Pirates brought along in recent memory? Burress suggested Nate McClouth, and that is about it. And I can tell you they have never found the occasional diamond in the rough type player who comes out of the late rounds of the draft and turns into a perennial All-Star.  I know that situation is exceedingly rare, but the division rival Astros grabbed Roy Oswalt in the 23^rd Round in 1996 and the Cardinals only had to spend a 13^th Round pick in 1999 to acquire sure fire hall of famer Albert Pujols.

 Both team’s scouts should be lauded for these unreal finds. But their stories did not end on the day the selection was made. Houston and St. Louis developed and groomed these guys into the players they are today. How much credit can be given to the club’s minor league and player development staff, and how much was an internal and immeasurable desire within those players to become the champions they are cannot be quantified. I am reminded here of the old coach’s saying however that “luck is the residue where talent meets hard work.” I question whether the Pirates management of the past, and by extension he current group of geniuses in charge, have been willing to put in the effort to really provide every opportunity to utilize the vast reserves of talent that has now been so heralded as a sign things are finally turning around for this beleaguered franchise. Here is hoping, but I remain cynical.

A Breath Of Fresh Air

With their 2-0 shutout of the detestable Brewers yesterday afternoon, the Bucs managed to split the 4 game series as well as the 10 game homestand. That is a vast improvement over the direction the team was heading coming into that stretch and they weren't exactly playing the dregs of the NL, either. The Bucs went 5-5 against the 3 teams they are currently looking up at in the standings and had just one of the two awful calls in the Reds series gone their way, they would have gone 6-4 and would be 62-67 instead of 61-68, not that it is a huge difference. But at this point, when you're playing to avoid adding to your own record of retched play, every win helps.

The big surprise yesterday was the performance of LHP Aaron Thompson in his MLB debut. Thompson was a first round pick by the Marlins many moons ago and the Bucs picked him up off waivers from the Nationals in December. He went 4 1/3 IP, allowing 4 hits and 2 BB, but no runs. Jason Grilli earned his first MLB win in roughly 2 year by pitching 2.2 PERFECT innings and Veras worked a scoreless 8th. The Hammer came out for the 9th and struggled yet again, putting the arrogant Ryan Braun on via a single to lead things off and walking the Brontosaurus before striking out the side to end the game.

The Bucs offense did not manage a whole lot, collecting only 4 hits and scoring both runs on sac flies by Cutch and Walker respectively. But those 2 runs were enough to win it and give the Bucs a well earned split before moving on to St. Louis tonight. There is something cathartic about splitting with the Brewers at this point and I nearly taunted their fans walking to their cars in the North Side as I was driving home from work yesterday. But then I realized I was a Pirates fan and have no room to make fun of any ML team, even Cleveland.

In other Bucs related news, John Perrotto thinks the FO needs to loosen the purse strings more in order to make any real noise. Ok, that isn't exactly news, but his point is obviously well taken. I agree that Nuthouse does need to spend more on the ML club, but I think he also needs to spend wiser, too. With Overpaid and hopefully Diaz off the books, and the possibility of Doumit and Snyder as well, that takes over $21M off the books based on what they would be owed under their 2012 options. Add in Maholm and that number goes to $30M. That amount of cash available, whether they extend Maholm or not, could greatly help improve the MLB club if of course they find the right guys at the right time when the stars align and the moon is in the second house and the right baseball people agree the right baseball move can be made if the guy agrees that he is willing to take a paycut to play for a team that is coming off it's 19th straight losing season.

Shake, Rattle, and Rolled Over

According to the PG and DVE's Sean McDowell yesterday, an earthquake with a 5.9 magnitude rocked Pittsburgh. If you are not a newspaper trying to over sensationalize an event or a 50+ burned out hippie pothead ,who is also one of my favorite DJs ever, you realized that the epicenter of the earthquake was nearly 300 miles away. I personally felt the quake in my office in Oakland and know of many others around town who did as well. But on the North Shore last night, it was the Brewers' bats providing the shaking and the Bucs' pitchers providing the quaking.

The detestable Brewers took the 3rd game of the 4 games series by crushing the Buccos by a final of 11-4. Ross Ohlendorf was on the hill for the 1st time in months and looked no worse for the wear, giving up 7 runs in the second innig ( 4 earned) and allowing 11 hits over just 5.0 innings of work. Games like this need not be recapped, so I am going to toss a changeup and  give the floor to our readers with a list of questions that you can answer in the comments section. I suggest copying and pasting the question or at least putting the correpsonding number with each answer. You should all know the drill by now anyways, this is a total SmizBlog ripoff anyway!

1.) Why can't the Bucs beat the Brewers?
2.) Which NL Central Squad do you loathe the most?
3.) Which NL Central player do you loathe the most?
4.) What will the Bucs final record be for 2011?
5.) Which player on the current Major League roster will have the best career, either as a Pirate or otherwise?
6.) Which player currently in the Bucs minor league system will have the best Major League career?
7.) What was Huntington's best move as GM and why?
8.) What was his worst?
9.) What the worst roster move of the last 19 years?
10.) Who should the Bucs target in free agency during the upcoming offseason?

Splitsville

While it didn't look too promising after the day game, the Bucs were able to split last night's double header against the detestable Brewers. Despite Karstens pitching 7 strong innings, giving up 2 ER and fanning 5 while walking only 1, the Bucs weren't able to help him out and he left the game trailing 2-0. Tony Watson then surrendered 4 runs in the 8th and the ever arrogant Ryan Braun slammed a 2 run HR off of Joe Beimel for good measure. Ryan Ludwick did manage to launch his first Bucco homer in the 8th but the solo job wasn't enough as the Bucs fell by a final of 8 to 1.

With a 7 run loss fresh in their minds, the Bucs didn't have much time to dwell as game 2 started promptly after the end of the first and featured former Cy Young winner Zach Greinke vs Mike Brad Lincoln. The Crew jumped out to and early 2-0 lead in the first, but the Bucs got one back in the bottom of the inning with a Walker RBI single and then tied it with a Doumit solo shot in the 4th. Lincoln would cruise the rest of the way and after the Guy Who Cried got out of a jam after surrendering a single and walking the pitcher Greinke in the 7th, the Bucs offense took over. GI Jones started off the fun with a  leadoff single and he scored 2 batters later when Josh Harrison doubled him home after Diaz had been HBP. After Suckdeno fanned for the 1st out, Cutch was called upon to PH and he was able to draw a walk as well as see Diaz trot home on a wild pitch to make it 4-2. Tabata then plated Harrison with a double, putting him and Cutch on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Paul singled Cutch home and Walker was walked to load the bases for Doumit, who singled home Tabata to open it up to 7-2. Seeing the Bucs do a number like this on the Brew Crew felt pretty great and GI Jones came up for the 2nd time in the inning, hitting a sac fly that looked as though it was going to be his first career grand slam. Walker then scored on another wild pitch and the Bucs had a 9-2 lead.

I feared that the game was from over at the point, but Chris Leroux pitched scoreless 8th and 9th innings to give the Bucs a much needed 9-2 W. This is their first win over the detestable Brewers this season and also the first for Jake Taylor as the Bucs skipper. Of course, he doesn't notice things like that.

With KC gone to the DL, Ohlendorf will take the hill tonight looking to ensure the Bucs at least a split of the series. Ohlendorf had gone just 8.2 IP in his 2 starts earlier this season before going down to injury and will be looking to lower his 7.27 ERA.

With the solid performance from Lincoln last night, you have to wonder where he fits in the Bucs rotation for next season? Leave  your thoughts and opinions in the comments as always.

Back In Black

Once again, I would like to start off by apologizing for the lack of content over the past two weeks. Between family events, work, and then vacation, I was unable to set aside time to post anything on the Mutiny. While there were some who saw fit to take shots at the Staff here for having other commitments besides this blog, we do appreciate our loyal and understanding readers who were able to empathize with out conflicting schedules. This blog is a labor of love, to steal a line from Mondesis House, and therefore it is pretty far down the to-do list from time to time.

Although this may be a BIT of an understatement, a great deal has transpired in the world of Pirates baseball since my last post:

- The Bucs were swept at the House of Horrors, then came home to take 2 out of 3 from the Cardinals.

- #1 Pick Gerrit Cole and 2nd Round Pick Josh Bell both signed with the Bucs.

- Jose Tabata received a lengthy contract extension that could keep him here through 2019

-The Bucs dropped 2 out of 3 to the Reds, both losses seeing TERRIBLE calls go in the Reds favor, aiding their victories. The Curse Of Jerry Meals may now be the Curse of Jerry Layne

I won't bother recapping any of the series, especially the sweep by the detestable Brew Crew in Milwaukee. We've won like 3 of the last 40 games there, so coming away with a W was unlikely in the first place. Speaking of first place, the detestable Brewers are coming to town tonight 8.5 games up on the Cards for the NL Central lead. The Bucs and the detestable Brewers start off their current series with a double header tonight, with game 1 starting at 5:05 where Smallmouth Bass Karstens takes on Chris Narveson.

In case you haven't noticed, my allergy to the F***ing Brewers has returned.  I absolutely abhor the Brewers and the very sight of some of their players makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit. Be it Ryan Braun's Ultra Cocky demeanor or the World's Largest Vegetarian stomping around acting like his team has won something, well, ever, I hate the guts of them. It would be nice to see the Bucs get at least a split out of this series, but I think I am dreaming there. I would just settle for a fastball lodged in Prince Fielder's earhole.

Moving on......... The Bucs were able to come to terms with #1 pick Gerrit Cole and 2nd round pick Josh Bell before the deadline and just like everything else, that is great news for some TBD future season. Both Cole and Bell are guys who could have a major impact on this organization, as Cole shouldn't require a wealth of time in the minors and Bell was believed to be one of the best offensive players in the draft. The fact that the Bucs signed Bell has lead many Pro Nutters to walk around freely with their erections in full view because it cost first round money to sign him. I say: The FO did their job, it's what they are paid to do. How many of you go to work every day, do exactly what you are supposed to do, and get a great big slap on the back? No, most of the time, you do what you are told, and your Boss still finds something wrong with it on top of blaming of you for something THEY did wrong in the first place.

But that is what happens in the Real World and far too many people prefer to live outside of reality in some sort of Fantasyland I thought only existed in Central Florida. BUT, I digress.

The most recent big news from the Federal Street Cash Cow is the signing of Jose Tabata to a contract extension.This is the opening line of the PG article on the subject and it tells you all you really need to know: Jose Tabata is happy in Pittsburgh, and he was willing to take less money to prove it. I am sorry, but when I read that lead in, I laughed out loud. But that is what the FO expects, guys to take less money to stay here. Now, that isn't out of the realm of possibility, the Penguins and Steelers get guys to give them hometown discounts all the time because some guys are willing to take less money if they have a shot to win.......... OK maybe that's not the best example.

Don't get me wrong, signing Tabata for the long term is great for the Bucs. If we can lockup Cutch for the same length, it would be even better. But once again, this is the Bucs FO doing what they are SUPPOSED to do. But maybe that was part of the plan all along, do things ass backwards for an extended period of time so that just doing the average, everyday things makes you look like a genius! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Odd are against Pirates to break .500

After checking out the standing following the Pirates' 11-8 loss to Cincinnati Friday night, Pittsburgh has a great deal of work to do if it wants to avoid a 19th straight losing season.
The loss to the Reds saw Joel Hanrahan have a rare poor outing, and the Bucs sit at 58-65 heading into today's game on Fox at 4:10 p.m. EST. It's unfortunate that the Pirates weren't on national TV in early July when they were hot.
With 39 games remaining, Pittsburgh would have to finish 24-15 to win 82 games. A 23-16 finish would put that exactly at .500.
I know it's simple math, although it will be a tough stretch, and personally, I don't think the Bucs can do it.
That have had a decent season considering what manager Clint Hurdle has to work with, but the pitching has come back down off its high and the offense is terrible. Not power, no average and they don't always do the fundamentals.
Hurdle is doing all the right things, but you can't make chicken salad out of chicken (enter expletive here.) I will not use foul language on here.
With 58 wins, the Pirates have already surpassed last year's total, but that's not saying much.
What hinders Pittsburgh's chance to break .500 is the schedule. The Bucs still have seven games against the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers, including three at Miller Park to close out the season, seven against St. Louis and five against the Reds.
They get a reprieve with six games against Houston and three against the Chicago Cubs, but the last time the Cubs played Pittsburgh was a series to forget for Bucco fans.
It appears everything will even out, although the Pirates will fall just short of breaking .500. I guess we'll have to wait another year. Maybe I will see a winning season before I die.
What has happened to Kevin Correia? The guy started off so well, he still has equaled his career high with 12 wins, but he has 11 losses and continues to struggle, especially at home.

Sorry for the lack of posts

As a contributor to this blog, I can't speak for everyone involved, but I want to apologize for the lack of posts by myself. I have been very busy attempting to manage a full and part time job, and haven't had the opportunity to keep you up to date on our Buccos. They took two out of three from the Cardinals after being swept by the Brewers. The shot at .500 is still a possibly, but they are definitely out of the division race. Last time I checked, they are losing to the Reds, 6-3, after five innings. Part of the game was delayed by rain. I hope to figure it out in the coming weeks and have more posts for the stretch run. Thanks for the feedback and sorry for the lack of posts. If you guys pay us, I would write one post everyday, I promise.

How bad is the Pirates' collapse?

It is almost as sickening as last year.
Yes, the Pirates are playing so much better, and will definitely, although it is pretty easy to surpass 57 wins, but the way they have been playing lately is disconcerting.
Most will say the downward spiral started with Jerry Meals' call in Atlanta, but I will say it was when the Chicago Cubs took four straight from the Bucs at PNC Park.
Couple that with Milwaukee and St. Louis playing well, and Pittsburgh fell out of the division race rather quickly. I can almost accept being swept by Philadelphia, but the seven straight losses, at home no less, are unacceptable.
You can't fault Clint Hurdle. He has been tremendous. The thing that makes me scratch my head is that Pittsburgh came back to take two of three from the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
The Bucs have dropped the first two at Milwaukee and I would be willing to put up some good money on the Brewers completing the sweep. Milwaukee has owned the Bucs and they are starting to pull away in the NL Central race.
The next goal is to avoid a record 19th straight losing season. I really thought they had a chance, but the pitching hasn't been as strong as it once was, and I don't see Pittsburgh putting together a five or six game winning streak.
As of this writing, I would say the Bucs will win around 75 games this season. It isn't great, but it is improvement. I don't know if it will ever happen, but they need a proven commodity.
I'm not saying Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker aren't legitimate big league players, because they are, but they need to sign a guy that is in his prime. Why not go for broke? What have you got to lose? I'm sick of hearing the "stay the course" speech. We heard it enough when George W. Bush was our President.
In the words of President Obama: "Yes we can."

Brief Respite/Ticket Prices

To our loyal followers:

I apologize for the lack of content over the past week. The 10 game skid, combined with the West Coast Swing and me scrambling to get ahead at work leading into my vacation this upcoming week has detracted from my posting.

Ticket Prices:

According to the  Trib today, the Bucs will be raising ticket prices in 2012. This comes as no surprise on multiple fronts. #1, ticket prices are far below the league average and haven't been raised significantly in quite some time. and #2, the Bucs have had a good season, attendance has been up, and it is a good business move to do this while the team is starting to find a few believers out there.

#1: The average price of a ticket to a Pirate game is indeed below league average, but then again, so is the product. You don't go to McDonald's and expect a Ruth Chris steak, right? You wouldn't pay for an Armani suit and be satisfied if the clerk then handed you a Haggar, would you?

#2: Yes, a few months of respectable baseball has been nice.But this season is still a long way from being over and the Bucs are now heading to the House of Horrors losing something like 15 of their last 20.

The bottom line is this: if you are going to raise ticket prices, you had better give the fans a reason to pay more to watch your club play.   The fans are expected to make the investment while the owners sit back and wait until their coffers are filled enough for their liking in order to make a move. That isn't how most businesses work, you don't sell a product you don't have, right Kenneth Lay? Most fans are still harboring some level of skepticism in regards to just how committed this FO is to winning at the major league level. The too little, too late acquisitions of Lee and Ludwick are low risk, low reward. But it is at least something.

Is it enough to prove to some of the naysayers that the tides have begun to change over on Federal Street? That is still to be determined.

At Last

  5   1

Holy crap, I don't know where to begin. The Bucs are finally back in the win column after 10 excruciating losses in a row. 7 of those 10 came at home to NL bottom feeders after I predicted the Bucs would 5-2 in that stretch. But thats been the way the cards have fallen this season. When we started this blog on May 18, railing against the FO for another disastrous season of baseball on the cheap, the Bucs halted their 6-game skid and went on a tear. Once I stepped out and said the Bucs SHOULD have won both series vs. the Cubs and Padres, they completely flatlined.

Yesterday morning, I was preparing to write the Bucs eulogy. It was going to be titled "Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding". It was going to be twice as long as the song. Now, 1 win out of the last 11 games is not enough for me to say there is a turnaround on the horizon, but I am going to stave off that post for a little while longer.

The Bucs got off to a good start last night, plating 2 runs in the 1st when The Pride of PR doubled home GI Jones and scored on Ludwick's RBI single. They added to their lead in the 3rd when Kdro drew a bases loaded walk to tilt the ledger to 3-0. In the 5th, the Bucs essentially put the game away when Ludwick singled Jones home and scored on a Brandon Wood single. Great Stuff continued his Jekyll and Hyde ways, this time with a second straight solid start, pitching 8 scoreless innings and surrendering 6 H and 3 BB to along with 4K. Veras worked a scoreless 9th to close it out. Final count Buccos 5, SFG 0.

Since the game was on the West Coast, and the whole little 10 game losing streak, I had little interest in staying up late to watch. Last time that happened, it was Jerry Effing Meals  stealing the show.

Player of the Game:  GI Jones- 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored. Jones got Bucs off on the right foot, doubling in the first and scoring the first run.

Morton also has a good argument.

As I stated, I didn't watch the game so feel free to submit your opinions for Head Scratcher and Face Palm of the Night.

The Bucs and G's are back at it again tonight with J-Mac versus Bumgarner.

The Pirates are out of the division race

I haven't checked the standings lately, but I do believe at 6:58 p.m. EST on Saturday, August 6, 2011, the Pittsburgh Pirates are out of the race for the division title in the NL Central.
Basically, that means they will not make it to the playoffs for the 19th straight year. I was starting to think they had a shot, although I shouldn't be so naive.
I still believe they can finish above .500, which would be nice if they could build on that, but I don't know if they can.
Since the horrible stretch of losing season began in 1993, the Bucs have finish five games under the .500 mark twice.
In 1997, they were 79-83 and finished second to Houston in the division race. They had the opportunity to win it, but faded in the last month of the season.
In 1999, Pittsburgh was 78-83 after not playing a makeup game because it had no relevence in the standings. I believe it was against Milwaukee. The Pirates were 78-80 going into the final series against the New York Mets, but were swept.
I always go back to that year because that was the first year of my life that I started to watch baseball. I was about 13 back then. I attended two games live that year and they split.
In my youth I was more positive. I thought to myself, "they will turn the corner next year and break .500, then make the playoffs in the first year at PNC Park, and with all the revenue generated, win the World Series in a few years."
I think I took Greg Brown's announcing too much into account because none of that has happened.
The Pirates have dropped eight in a row and are three games under .500. If they can squeeze out a few series here and there, they will be back at .500. Although, they don't have what it takes to win the division. It would be nice, but it won't happen.
I give Clint Hurdle credit. He still deserves the manager of the year award for what he's done with this rag-tag bunch, but I guess teams like this only win divison titles in the movies.

The Curse of Jerry Meals

19 years ago this October, the Pirates franchise was set back to the Stone Age by an agonizing loss in Atlanta. In eerily similar fashion, the Bucs 2011 season took a turn for the worst after another close play at the plate in Atlanta. Sid Effin Bream was safe, Julio Mother Effin Lugo was not.


The Bucs are now something like 1-9 since Meals screwed us to the wall, taking all of the wind out of the team's sails. Obviously, I am not blaming Jerry Meals for any loss other than the one pictured above. But his call certainly killed the Bucs momentum. Imagine taking the first 2 games on the road in Atlanta, winning 3 out of 4 in that series heading to Philly. We might be exactly where we are right now. But my gut tells me things would have been a little bit different. The Bucs that came out that next night against Atlanta looked defeated for the first time this season. They looked completely over matched against a Phillies team they had taken 2 of 3 from earlier in the year.

Now, the Bucs have been swept by the lowly Cubs and found new ways to lose the game each time. The first game was a fairly average loss; outside of Lee, we couldn't get the big runs home when we needed them. The second game was a putrid performance by the smug Kevin Correia, who didn't seem to care that he gave up 8 ER and like 50 HRs in 2+ IP. Wednesday's game was a bone jarring 1-0 loss in which Great Stuff pitched his heart out, only to have it stomped all over buy offensive ineptitude. Last night's loss was the worst of them all.

Disheartening. Disgusting. Soul crushing. Those are some of the words I could use to describe last night's come from ahead, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory loss. The Cubs jumped out to an early 4-0 lead when 3 of their first four hits were home runs. But in the bottom of the 4th, the Bucs broke through for the first time in what seemed like eons.

GI Jones lead off with a double to right center and moved to third on a Walker ground out. Ryan Ludwick then notched his first hit and RBI as a Bucco, singling to score Jones. Kdro and NoMitt followed with back to back singles to load the bases and the great Xavier Paul bounced into a FC to score a run and put runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs for Brandon Wood, who walked. Jake Taylor decided to allow J-Mac to bat, drawing my ire and few choice words that included "Purple Son of a Bitch", only to see James get ahead in the count 2-1. J-Mac then wisely sat on a fastball, slashing a base clearing double to give the Bucs a 5-4 lead. Cutch was up next and hammered a double to score J-Mac, increasing the lead to 6-4. GI Jones, who started it all off, then drove a shot to the base of the right field wall, looking as though it was going to be a 2 run homer to put this baby to bed, but falling just short.

J-Mac then hummed through the 5th, 6th, and believe it or not 7th innings. McDonald was so pumped that he made it 7 IP that he even did a comical celebration. The team was having fun while holding a 2 run lead. Too bad it was all just foreshadowing for an epically disastrous ending. Jake Taylor sent The Guy Who Cried out to pitch the 8th inning. I immediately threw up in my mouth when I saw that. I don't know what it is, but I have never been a fan of D.Cutch. Maybe it is because he cried in the locker room after losing a regular season game last year. But he is to the Pirates pitchers what Xavier Paul is to hitters/fielders: the guy who I am eternally looking at to fail and blame for everything that goes wrong on their watch.

I will make my description of the 8th inning as brief as possible, while still getting the message across. The Bucs had a 6-4 lead. The Guy Who Cried was on the hill and exited without getting an out, so did Grilli, and so did Beimel. Veras, the person who should have started the inning, then came on to set down all 3 batters he faced in order. It took 4 pitchers to get the first out of the inning. ' Nuff said.

The Bucs were unable to mount any sort of comeback because asking them to score in more than one inning per game is like asking Congress to do something productive: Not gonna happen. Final Count- Cubs 7, Bucs 6.

This was the first time in 19 years that I have thrown something ( my remote control) out of genuine anger directly related to a Pirates game. I wanted so bad for this season to be different and it still could be, but I am not nearly as hopeful as before. I used to look forward to writing these recaps every morning but now it feels like writing a Death Row Pardon request in Texas. I understand that there are always going to be hard times when following a sports team, but it would be nice to see the  Pirates and their  fans catch a fucking break for once! Excuse my language, but I am coming apart at the seams.

This Losing Shit is Getting Depressing…

I won’t harp again here on the laundry list of things that have gone badly for the Bucs since 14 October, 1992. But it has certainly has been almost nothing but misery for the franchise since then. There have been brief glimmers of hope: 1997's ridiculous run. Late summer of 99’s swoon. The Opening of PNC Park. The 1^st month of 2003. Mid-June of 2005.

This year, however, up through this past weekend it felt like the most legitimate reason to have faith in the local ballclub around these parts for a very long time. I came into this season in a state of absolute fatalistic dread. But then a weird thing started happening: they were winning ballgames.

For once the Bucs were getting some above average performances, a couple of timely breaks, and were making sound and smart decisions; from the front office, to the manager’s intuitive moves. Although I would have preferred they go for broke and acquire Hunter Pence for this year plus two additional seasons, I was very satisfied with the rental of Derek Lee and Ryan Ludwick. Exactly the infusion of veteran right handed power hitting potential this lineup needed. I was on board. They had me buying in. Hook, line, and sinker.  

And then they went out and lost three straight to the worst team in their division. Absolutely disgusting. And depressing. If this is a sign that we are going to be blowing things up in the offseason, and going into spring training next year talking about breaking an onerous burden of 19 straight losing seasons, it will be a miserable state of affairs for everybody. Pro, Anti, or Indifferent, we all want to see that longest stretch of utter futility in all of professional sports end, right?

We have come to far to give up now. This HAS to be the year we finally start to turn things around. Who knows what next year will bring, but for one mother-shining moment, this city really needs a winning baseball team.

I’m not saying this because I’m giving up or jumping off the band wagon. I bitching about it because I’m still here. Pittsburgh Pirates: I JUST CAN’T QUIT YOU. I hope I look back at this as another over-reactionary moment and C-Hurd levels the guys off and gets them back into contention for at least .500, if not the division. Because I am sick as hell of all this losing.

Circling the Drain

I don't know what to say after last night's disgusting performance. I do know that I wanted to wipe that smirk off of Correia's face in between Soto and Soriano's HRs to put the game completely out of reach. The Bucs are treading water and the sharks are circling, mouths watering, waiting for that first drop of blood.

There is still time left for this team to turn it around, after all: It's always darkest just before the dawn, right?

Maybe not........

When the Levee Breaks

Well, I wrote up a whole recap. I detailed Lee's near heroics and the Bucs outside of him, Walker, and McKenry trying their damnedest to help us lose. But for whatever reason, Blogger gave me an error message, causing me to lose everything but the title of my post.

I am guessing that you could surmise from the title what the post was all about: ineptitude on the basepaths, pitching beginning to backslide, and the general sucktitude of this team after Jerry Meals killed their dream season last week. A bit extreme, you might ask? Perhaps, but we've won only once since that night and all of the magic this team previously had  has since evaporated into the atmosphere with Warren Morris and Kevin Polcovich's careers.

The pitching staff has been forced to carry the load too long and too far. It took too long to get offensive reinforcements into the lineup and we are seeing the Bucs revert to the tactics that lost them 105 games last year. Wondering off second base, cutting off a throw home instead of covering 3rd base, or failing to get a big hit when the team REALLYneeded a run. And that was just Kdro. Then there was Maholm getting hit with a batted ball after failing to sac bunt a guy over and nibbling at the corners because every strike he threw got pounded. Depressing stuff, actually.

Cutch actually raised his post ASG average to .188 with a 1 for 4 performance last night, but struck out to end the game. Maybe if Hurdle and the local media bitch to the high heavens and Bruce Bochy enough , Cutrch will start to finally get something done at the plate. Neil Walker has been pretty awesome lately. He went 2 for 4 last night, improving to .357 since the break but did strike out on a ball 4 that would have been high on Andre the Freaking Giant. The next batter was Derrek Lee, who drove a solo shot into the bleachers for the first of his 2 home runs in his Pirates debut. Lee was first Bucco to homer in his debut since Matt Morris and now is the first Bucco to home TWICE in his debut since Shawon Dunston. We REALLY could have used him 10 games ago!

Losing 9 of their last 12, the Bucs are starting to slowly spiral out of control. Hopefully, a big win tonight can help right the ship before absolute disaster mode sets in. That is, if it hasn't already begun.

Point of Know Return

After a tough weekend in Philly, the Bucs need to dig in with 56 games remaining in their season. With their record currently standing at 54-52 and 4.5 games out of first place, the Bucs have 7 games against the lowly Cubs and Padres. I think it would be an understatement to say that each of these series needs to be won for the Bucs to stay serious. Luckily, as we sit here right now, the Bucs are a better team than they were yesterday. Are they a far better team? Maybe not. Are they suddenly going to start scoring 5 runs a night? Not likely. But the additions of Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick instantly make the Bucs a better offensive team. Even though it isn't 2008 Derrek Lee and 2008 Ryan Ludwick, neither are strangers to the Central Division and both add some pop to the lineup.

As it currently stands, Ludwick would be tied for the team lead in RBI wiht 64 and Lee is coming off a July that saw him produce a .805 OPS. Lee is also known to be a good producer in the late months of the season as well as a defensive stalwart. Ludwick's career OPS ion August is .791 and .800 in September. The Bucs gave up little to get these 2 guys, but hopefully the return is that of 2 proven middle of the lineup MLB bats.

With a lot of baseball left to be played, the Bucs have a chance right now to pick up some much needed W's and a fair amount of momentum heading into a tough road trip including SF followed by The House of Horrors.  After going 5-8 in the tough 13 game stretch against NL contenders and top teams, losing 7 of their last 10, the Bucs have to rally together and get back in the win column tonight.

I am not going to bother recapping the Weekend series in Pihlly. Amazing, both Kdro and Overpaid homer in the same weekend. Sadly, that was Alvarez's lone hit in 12 at-bats for the series, striking out 4 times and dropping his season average to a depressing .195. Can you say OUCH? That is a 13 point drop since the man who was supposed to resurrect the offense returned from the DL. His 55 K's in 43 games equals to about 207 K's over 162 games. That is just plain ugly. Overpaid's HR was also his only hit of the series, in 7 at bats. His season average is .227 and his fielding has been subpar as well.

Cutch went 1 for 10 in Philly, putting a cap on a disappointing July in which he hit .255, but only .183 after the break. Walker hit .366 in July but only knocked in 13 runs and scored only 11. The Bucs pitching was still stellar for most of July, despite getting knocked around by the highest payroll in NL history over the weekend.

All-in-all, the Bucs are far from out of anything just now. It may seem unlikely to some that this team can still make a legitimate run at the Central Division title. But it probably seemed unlikely that 2011 would be the season that is has been so far. Although I certainly would have liked to see a big risk/big reward type trade made at the deadline, it's too late now. That was never going to happen in the first place. Once again, the Bucs are a better team today than they were 24 hours ago. Are they good enough to compete? That is up to the players right now.

OF Ludwick coming to town

Just minutes before the 4 p.m. trading deadline Sunday, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the San Diego Padres for a player to be named.
Ludwick has hit .238 with 11 homers and 64 RBIs in 101 games with the Padres.
Ludwick, 33, will be a free agent at the end of the season.
The Pirates need some pop from their corner positions and now all we can do is wait and see if Derrek Lee, who they acquired Saturday night, and Ludwick will provide that.
They definitely need it because they were swept by Philadelphia in a three-game set over the weekend. A four-game sweep over the Chicago Cubs will be very nice. Pittsburgh also welcomes San Diego for a weekend series.
Both series are must wins if the Bucs want to stay in the NL Central race.

Pirates acquire Lee from Orioles

The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired first baseman Derrek Lee from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for prospect Aaron Baker.
Bringing in Lee could mean the end for Lyle Overbay, which I'm sure will bring some job to Pirates fans. However, the Bucs would still have to cover Overbay's $5 million salary.
Lee, who used to tear up Pirates' pitching as a Chicago Cub, isn't having a stellar year, although his .246 average with 12 homers and 41 RBIs is much better than Overbay's .227 average.
Overbay was one of the few left-handed batters in the lineup, but he just wasn't getting it done.
Lee is hitting .294 since June 17. The first baseman has been around, but hit 35 homers in 2009. He has been on some winning teams. I don't know if he'll be in the lineup against the Phillies in the finale of a three-game set, but the Bucs could use him.
They lost to Philadelphia, 7-4, Saturday night.
Trailing 3-0, Pedro Alvarez hit a two-run blast to make it 3-2, but the Phillies just kept tacking on runs. It was one step forward, two back for Pittsburgh.
Four runs isn't bad for the Pirates' offense, however they can't win slugfests. Especially against a team like Philadelphia.
They dropped to 3 1/2 games behind Milwaukee and 2 behind St. Louis in the NL Central Standings and are just three games above .500.
At least the Cubs are coming to town Monday. If they can't beat them, who can they beat?

Phillies destroy Buccos

Pittsburgh couldn't find any offense until Roy Halladay left the game, which I didn't understand the decision, and Philadelphia cruised to a 10-3 victory Friday night in at Citizens Bank Park in Philly.
Charlie "Good Stuff" Morton (8-6) gave up eight runs in the first two inning, and that was more than enough offense for "Doc."
Manager Clint Hurdle had to keep Morton in the game since the Pirates' bullpen needed rest. Morton allowed eight run on nine hits. He hard four strikeouts and walks. Morton's ERA is 4.04, and it appears that "Good Stuff" is losing some of it.
Halladay (13-4) pitched seven innings, allowed no runs on one hit while striking out five. He didn't allow a walk in lowering his ERA to 2.44.
I really don't know why Charlie Manuel took him out, but maybe he wanted the bullpen to get some work. Halladay was also approaching 100 pitches. I didn't think that mattered to him, although it was a hot, sticky night and Halladay had struggled with heat exhaustion in an earlier game this year.
Pittsburgh (54-50) picked up three runs in the eighth inning off Drew Carpenter when Pedro Ciriaco doubled in Michael McKenry and Lyle Overbay. Ciriaco scored the Pirates' third run on Xavier Paul RBI single.
The Phillies improved to 66-39, and have won the previous seven series against the Bucs at Citizens Bank Park.
James McDonald takes the mound tonight for Pittsburgh against Cliff Lee. It won't be any easier.
If Pittsburgh can avoid a sweep in this series I would say that's a sucessful series. Philadelphia is a tough team and even tougher at home.
If that happens, the Bucs would still be four games over .500. They are currently 2 1/2 games back on Milwaukee and 1 game back of St. Louis. The Chicago Cubs and San Diego are on the horizon, too. A six-game winning streak against those two clubs in not undeard of. That could pull the Pirates in position.
The Brewers and Cardinals play each other for three before Milwaukee is back in Houston for three. St. Louis plays four at Florida after taking on the Brewers.
Pittsburgh isn't out of the race by any stretch, although they need to put together a streak. I know the team isn't built for that, but Chicago and San Diego are two teams that they can beat.

Two the Hard Way

 5  2

Maybe it's because the Atlanta Braves delivered the Tomb Stone Pile Driver and rolled the Pirates franchise into the casket, slamming the door shut in 1992. Maybe it's the Braves fans and players whining every time a pitch that was within a foot of the plate on either side wasn't gifted to them a strike, an unwritten MLB rule to which the Atlanta faithful has no doubt grown accustomed. Whatever it is, I absolutely despise the Atlanta Braves. Therefore, it serves as little surprise to a member of the longest suffering fan base in Pro Sports not playing in Cleveland, that early in the second half of the 2011 Pirates Dream Season, we would have to face the Braves in Atlanta for a 4 games series that felt like 40. The series opener was delayed 2 hours by rain. Game 2 went 19 innings, game 3 went 10, and last night we saw yet another rain delay.

But after all of the waiting, the awful call that awarded the Braves a 19th innning W, and some stellar pitching, the Bucs left town with a split. In a series where either team easily could have taken all 4 games, a split is acceptable. While the offense is still struggling to find itself, screaming and crying for help along the way, the team still finds ways to gut out big wins. Despite some sloppy defense from time to time, it seems that somebody is always up to the task of making the big play when called upon. Be it Kdro's diving stab to turn 2 on Larry Jones' rocket up the 3rd base line or even Vile Overpaid turning a 3-6-3 inning ender, the team is getting it done.

KC was on the hill last night and notched his career best 12th win of the season, going 6.1IP and surrendering 2 runs, 1 ER. While Jones and Paul had some trouble getting turned around on fly balls, the defense had Correia's back, turning 3 double plays for him. Correia also knocked in the first Pirates run of the game with his 3rd RBI in the past 2 weeks, 3 more than Lyle Overbay during that same stretch.The offense got plenty of hits last night, but not many of the extra base variety and had trouble getting guys in, stranding 10 runners.  It wasn't for lack of effort by some, though. Cutch was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI, 2 coming on a 2-run blast in the 9th to give the Bucs some insurance. Walker went 2 for 4 with a walk, but couldn't get runners home. Kdro actually notched an RBI with a groundout but ultimately went 0 for 4 with 2 Ks. Overpaid walked 3 times, but Cedeno went 0 for 4, stranding 6 baserunners.

Cedeno also threw a ball away that allowed the Braves to cut the Bucs lead to 3-1 in the 6th. But Correia, Beimel, and Hanrahan got the job done. With 1 on and 1 out in the 7th inning, Fredi Gonzalez summoned Larry Jones to pinch hit with the Braves trailing by a run. Jake Taylor turned Jones around by summoning Beimel, who needed only one pitch to end the inning. However, it wasn't as easy as it sounds. Jones crushed a shot up the 3rd base line that had RBI double written all over it. Kdro dove to his right, snagging the ball, and throwing from his hip to Walker, who fired onto Overpaid JUST in time to get Jones. When Beimel put a runner on base with 2 outs in the 8th, Jake Taylor called upon the Hammer.

Hanrahan was full of adrenaline from having 2 nights off and was tipping the gun at 99, eventually getting Dan Uggla to fly out to end the inning. The Bucs added insurance in the top of the 9th when Steve Pearce drew a leadoff walk batting for Jones and Cutch deposited a George Sherrill offering into the left center bleachers for his 15th HR of the season. Hanrahan got the first out in the 9th before surrendering a double to Wednesday's hero David Ross. But Hammer got the next two Braves with ease to earn a split. Final Bucs 5, Braves 2.

Player of the Game:  Cutch- 3 for 5, HR (15), 3 RBI (63)

Head Scratcher of the Game: Jones and Paul both getting turned around on fly balls.

Face Palm of the Night: The Head on collision between Paul and Cedeno nearly put 2 more Bucs on the DL.

The Bucs now head to Philly for a 3 game set. It may be a tall order, but the Bucs REALLY need to win this series. With the trade deadline looming, maybe the FO will bolster the lineup. And maybe I will win the $133 Million Powerball Jackpot tomorrow.

Extra, Extra

 2  1  F/10

What a waste.

The Bucs need Paul Maholm to go a long way and give them a big outing. He did all of that and more. Maholm went 7 IP, giving up 1 ER on 9H, 0 BB and 8 K. He was absolutely awesome, pitching out of jams by making huge pitches all night. But, as has oft been the case, he got no help. The Bucs were too interested in trying to steal a base every time we had a man on to notice what Maholm was doing. It was really a frustrating spectacle to watch.

While the defense committed no errors, I wouldn't call their overall performance stellar. My (least) favorite player, Xavier Paul, bobbled a single to left and then kicked the ball towards the infield, allowing Martin Prado to score from second uncontested. That should have never happened, though, as Kdro was unable to come up with a dribbler that should have been a routine double play ball. Steve Pearce, one of the internal reinforcements who was projected to help lead the offensive resurrection, almost killed Maholm when he was covering 1st on a grounder. Walker attempted to help Maholm up, but he brushed Neil off, glaring at Pearce the entire team.

While the defense was mediocre, the offense was indescribable. Walker notched a 2 out single in the 1st and Cutch followed with a walk, bringing up Kdro with 2 on and 2 out. After taking a ball, Alvarez swung at two pitches out of the zone, only to watch a very hittable strike three sail past him. Pearce started off the 2nd with a fly ball to right that was dropped, allowing him to reach 2nd base with 0 outs. Brandon Wood struck out, failing to advance the runner, Eric Fryer flied out to right, and Maholm struck out on a called strike 3 that he was not given when he was on the mound. Xavier Paul lead off the 3rd with an IF single, only to be quickly nabbed trying to predictably steal second. The Braves were so confident he was going that they pitched out. Unreal.

Kdro actually drew a 1 out walk in the 4th and moved from 1st to third on a Pearce single to right. Brandon Wood hit a fly to left that wasn't very deep, but Alvarez tagged up and was thrown out at the plate on a close  play to end the inning. Honestly, I agree with going to it there, he forced Prado to make a play and unfortunately it blew up on us. But with the backup catcher due up with 2 outs, that was our best chance to score there.

In the 6th inning, the Bucs looked like they were about to break through. GI Jones lead of with a no-doubt-about-it bomb to right center to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. Walker followed with a single, but was caught stealing. Cutch then grounded out before Kdro hit a double. Too bad he can't do that with men on base; EVER. The Braves tied it in the bottom of the 6th and that was about all the offense we saw until the 10th inning.

After Brandon Wood lined out, Eric Fryer single to left. With the Pitcher's spot due up, Overpaid was called upon to put the Bucs ahead. Overpaid took a mighty cut, but lined it directly to Freddie Freeman, who snagged the hotshot and stepped on 1B for an inning ending double play. The Braves then scored in the bottom of the 10th to record their umpteenth last at-bat soul crushing win over the Bucs. Final Count, Bravos 2, Bucs 1.

Player of the Game:  Paul Maholm gave a true, gritty, veteran performance, putting the team on his back and pitching one HELL of a ball game. But, same as the fans, Maholm gets kicked square in the nuts.

Head Scratcher of the Game: 2 caught stealing last night. Either the Braves stole our signs, like Pucks suggested to me, or we are just predictable. I say it's a little bit of column A, little bit of column B.  Xavier Paul thinks he's the fastest man in the world and when he does actually manage to  get on base, which isn't all that often, he is going to try and steal. Man, I just can't lay off of Paul and .287 his OBP for a leadoff man who has 43 K to 7 BB on the year.

Face Palm of the Night: There were many candidates: Kdro's 7th K in 3 games, Paul kicking the ball, Pearce nearly killing Maholm, running ourselves out of innings, no offense whatsoever, Cutch only having like 3 hits since the All-Star Break, Walker getting 5 hits the last 2 nights but never coming up with people on base, the injuries leading us to bat a guy with a .287 OBP 1st and a guy hitting .233 2nd., Alvarez's refusal to try and hit an outside pitch so he will force pitchers to throw inside on him, lack of offense, lack of offense, and lack of offense. Did I mention we are lacking offense?

Maybe I will just go with John Wehner refusing to shut up about instant replay all night. He must have said it every inning, he commented on how he is a baseball purist, talks about his playing days, says replay would ruin the integrity of the game. Well, #1, Wehner played 461 games in 11 seasons, 86 being the most, 52 being the second most. He was a career .249 hitter with 4 whopping home runs and 54 RBI. He had a total  200 career hits, 2.5% of which came in one 5 hit game during his rookie year. He is not a baseball authority. I think they call him the Rock because that is what is between his ears.

The Bucs will send Correia out tonight against Derek Lowe. Correia has been a road warrior his entire career and we need his best again tonight. However, I am not making any promises that he will get help. He could pitch 9 shutout innings and still get a no decision.

With Beltran to the Giants, I guess we can stop that discussion, although I don't know If anyone really believed there was a chance in hell he was coming here in the first place. I know that I didn't.  But there have still got to be bats out there that can be had. We are still within striking distance of the division lead and need to land a player ASAP. The internal saviors aren't going to cut it.