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.

Jerry Meals Sucks

Honestly, that's all I can really say. A game like that  decided on an umpire's terrible call is disgraceful. Downright pitiful, actually. It was amateur hour for the Braves and their fans all night, complaining every time they weren't given the Economy sized strike zone they've become accustomed to over the years.

Hurdle should argue the first call Meals makes tonight, then drop him with a Stone Cold Stunner and chug a beer at home plate.

Also, we need offense ASAP. Overbay and Alvarez were a combined 2 for 15. Unreal, thats our lefty power. Both had chances to win the game for us. Cutch was 0 for 6, too. Kdro also notched his 9th error in 38 games when he threw a ball into the stands and struck out 4 times, choking under pressure many times throughout.

WE NEED OFFENSE NOW

James and the Giant Pitch

 3  1

James McDonald might not have had his best stuff going, at least not consistently, last night. He was little bit wild, he gave up 8 hits (all singles I believe) over 5.1 IP, but he when he left the game with a 3-0 lead, he had fanned 9 Braves and put the Bucs in position to steal another W.

J-Mac put 2 Braves aboard with 2 outs in the 2nd inning before fanning Alex Gonzalez to get the final out. He started the bottom of the 3rd by allowing his mound opponent to lead off with a single (after he appeared to strike him out) followed by another single by Martin Prado. After a line drive double play off the bat of Jason Heyward, Larry Jones singled to put 1st and 3rd with 2 outs and after Jones swiped 2B, it was 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. But McDonald struck out Freddy Freeman to end the inning. The bottom of the 6th saw back to back 1 out singles from Freeman and Dan Uggla followed by a catcher's interference to load the bases for good measure. But Chris Resop came on to retire Cornerstone Nate McLouth and Gonzalez to end it.

The Bucs didn't manage much offensively, but it was enough to win.  Tim Hudson was working with the Obligatory Atlanta Braves/Greg Maddux strike zone while J-Mac was working with a pill box. Hudson struck out the side to start the game, but the Bucs got to him in the second inning. Cutch and Kdro drew consecutive walks and each moved up 90 feet when Overpaid flew out to deep center. Cedeno's groundout was enough to get Cutch home and Fort McKenry's 2 out single plated Alvarez for a 2-0 lead. The Bucs struck again in the 6th after GI Jones drew a 1 out walk and moved to 2nd on a Walker groundout. Cutch singled to center to score Jones for the 3-0 lead.

Larry Jones, activated yesterday from the DL for the 427th time in his career, lead off the bottom of the 8th with a solo shot off of the Guy Who Cried. After walking Freeman, Veras came on to retire the side and the Bucs went down in order in the top of the 9th to bring about Hammer Time. Hanrahan wasn't looking to make it interesting, getting Gonzalez to line out to 2B, fanning PH Julio Lugo, and getting Martin Prado to fly out to end the game. RTJR! Bucs 3, Braves 1.

That's 2 in a row where the Bucs used duct tape and spare parts to notch another W, but that all important W is all that matters. 3 runs on 5 hits and 2 errors probably doesn't win you a game every time, but it was good enough to do the job last night. Xavier Paul, who many Pro's believe is a ML lead off man, went 0 for 4 with 2 K's last night, dropping his OBP to .275 for the season and lowering his K to BB ratio to 36 to 5. Yes, he is fast, but that does no good when he can't get on base. Walker went 0 for 3 and is 1 for his last 18 after being red hot for most of July. He also hit into his 294th double play of 2011, which I'm sure Smizik will be all over since he always has a I hate Neil Walker Bullet in his chamber ready to fire at any time.

Player of the Game: Future All -Star Chris Resop-  2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K. Inherited a bases loaded 1 out situation in a 3-0 game and didn't flinch. He has been that good all year, man, what a find.

Head Scratcher of the Game- Can't we get anybody but Xavier Paul to lead off? I don't blame Hurdle for batting him 1st, I don't think he had much of a choice. Plus, he's made chicken salad out of chicken shit all year long. But Paul is 14th on the team in OBP (Bucs are 12th in NL in that category)  among players with a similar number of at-bats. He's lower than McKenry. His K to BB ratio is worse than Alvarez's.  I guess it's really just the injury bug, but I figured maybe we had someone else who could step in there.


Face Palm of the Night- Sorry folks, I had to do it. First batter of the night for the Braves and Kdro boots a routine grounder for his 8th error in 37 games. Thats on pace for 35 over a whole season. After that, though, Kdro did have a solid game: 1 for 3 with 1 BB, 1 K, and a run.

Karstens will take the bump against Tommy Hanson tonight in what should be another low scoring affair. Here's hoping the Bucs can find some offense in a hurry! I will actually be taking this one in at the Fox and Hound on McKnight Rd if anybody wants to join, e-mail me: mutinyontheallegheny@gmail.com

Ghosts of Prospects Past

Although there is still time for them to prove us skeptics wrong, it is looking more and more like the Pirates will do little to nothing at the trade deadline this season.

As the PG quoted Neal Huntington this morning about the cost-demands of bringing in talent: "As surprising as it sounds, they've probably gotten worse," he said. "This club deserves something to help them, but at this point the acquisition costs are just so high that it's been a challenge…"

"…I think the fact that we're in a pennant race, I think the fact that we're on pace to break an 18-year streak, the fans are coming out in droves ... if I were in [other teams'] shoes, I would be trying to leverage that as best I could," he said.

I would like to call total bullshit on that newest of lame excuses. Other teams are really raking us over the coals because they realize we are in the midst of an 18 year losing streak? They are upping their trade demands after seeing attendance figures at PNC Park? C’mon. Plus, I thought we weren’t allowed to talk about things in the 18 year timeframe, and the only thing that matters in evaluating this management group is what has occurred over the past 3 seasons? Why are you allowed to (poorly) defend your inaction with the 18 year number, but as fans we are supposed to erase and ignore any information we have assimilated before the year 2008?

For those who are worried about “mortgaging the future” and dealing off some of our highly rated prospects for a short term rental: I understand your legitimate concerns. I would be very hesitant to deal away top notch talent and would hope that the Pirates drive for the best deal possible. As we in Pittsburgh are all too aware of however, even the most highly regarded prospects and talents do not always transform themselves into even adequate major league players.

I now humbly submit the following list of position player prospects I recall, and ask you folks who have been so worried about dealing from the farm system: in retrospect would you not package any number of these guys for someone like say, Hunter Pence, who is a relative guarantee to give you at least 2 years and 2 months of above-average major league service?

In no particular order:

J.R. House

Rajai Davis

Brian Bixler

Andy Laroche

Robinzon Diaz

Luis Cruz

Tike Redman

Chris Duffy

Mark Johnson

Brad Eldred

Abraham Nunez

Emil Brown

Chad Hermansen

J.J. Davis

Pirates beat Cardinals in extras

It took 10 innings and a few errors by St. Louis, but Pittsburgh pulled out a 4-3 victory Sunday at PNC Park to avoid a three-game sweep.
With the win, the Pirates (52-47) are back in a first-place tie with the Cardinals (53-48) and Brewers (54-49). The Bucs (.525) are a percentage point above Milwaukee (.524) and have an identical percentage-points mark with St. Louis (.525).
Pittsburgh is most likely in Atlanta as of this writing. They began a four-game set with the Braves Monday at Turner Field. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. It's been awhile since the Bucs have been on National TV.
After the Cardinals failed to get any runs off winning pitcher Joe Beimel (1-1), Xavier Paul used his speed for an infield single with one out. Paul hit a grounder that Albert Pujols fielded up the first-base line, but Paul beat pitcher Jason Motte (3-2) to the bag.
Paul took off for second with Chase d'Arnaud batting, but catcher Gerald Laird's throw was off the mark and Paul made it to third. The Cardinals made three errors in the game.
D'Arnaud's fly ball to center scored Paul from third and the Pirates "raised the jolly roger." I didn't listen to the radio broadcast, but I'm sure Greg Brown said it.
Pittsburgh needed this win and it played like it. They trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 and rallied each time. It only managed seven hits, but took advantage of some mistakes by the Cardinals.
Trailing 1-0 in the third, d'Arnaud doubled in Eric Fryer, who singled and reached third on a stolen base and an error by Ryan Theriot on the catch.
Down 2-1 in the fifth, Ronny Cedeno doubled, moved to third on Fryer's ground out and scored on starting pitcher Charlie Morton's sacrifice fly.
Morton pitched 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on six hits. He had three strike outs and five walks. He also allowed a home run. Pittsburgh gave up at least one ball in each game of the series. It has not hit one out since last Saturday against Houston.
Losing 3-2 in the seventh, Cedeno hit his third double and moved to third on Fryer's bunt base-hit. Steve Pearce hit into a double play, however it allowed Cedeno to score.
Cedeno and Fryer had four of the seven hits for the Bucs.
The Bucs did a great job on playing small ball and using their speed, but a power bat is needed. Andrew McCutchen shouldn't be leading this team in homers.
I don't have any problem giving up prospects to win now. I say it will take between 85-90 to win this thing. Maybe Clint Hurdle should put up a naked poster of Bob Nutting in the clubhouse and promise to put the sections back on after every win. If you've seen "Major League" you know what I'm talking about.

Undertow

Anybody who knows anything about baseball knew that the 13 game stretch the Pirates were facing against the Reds, Cards, Braves, and Phillies was going to be the truest test this ball club has faced all year. That is why anybody who actually cares about the Pittsburgh Pirates and it's oh so loyal fans wanted to see some offensive help acquired PRIOR to the July 31 deadline. This 2011 team has a chance to be something special but still needed an additional bat to make any sort of serious run at the Central division title. Seeing the lineup the Bucs  trotted out last night, only a game out of first place, I feel obligated to question the true motivation of the men at the top over there in the Tax Payer funded offices on Federal Street.

But it isn't just those with control over the company checkbook that have shown reluctance to have the Pirates seen as a baseball team taken seriously by their peers. There are many pros out there with a myriad of excuses why this team should "stand pat" at the trading deadline. The cost is too high, we don't want a rental, we don't want to mortgage the future. Honestly, when I see that, all I read is this: WE DON'T WANT TO WIN. It's funny, those who run this blog and those who follow us and comment here are the ones whose loyalty to the Pirates is frequently called into question. But how can one seriously make those allegations against us when WE are the ones who want nothing more than to see the Pirates win.

These Pros who are calling to stand pat now say to do so because this team isn't actually a contender. Yet our loyalty has been questioned when we made the same points various times on this blog and in the SmizBlog comments section. These Pros who are calling to stand pat in 2011 say they want to do it because 2015 is the year we need to wait for. 2015 is the year that a bunch of kids who are now barely out of high school are PROJECTED to simultaneously arrive at the major league level at the same time that we miraculously managed to maintain the 2 current viable MLB bats we have, the one potential power source in the system, and a bunch of speedy slap hitters. 2015 is the year we are waiting for guys who have never played about Single A and in some cases Double A to show up in the majors and wreak havoc upon opposition.

By 2015, we could all be dead. By 2015, Jameson Taillon could be coming off Tommy John Surgery. Andrew McCutchen could be in a Yankees uniform. Pedro Alvarez could be 350 lbs. 2015 is a LONG way away; even longer for a fan base that has suffered being the laughing stock of the league for 18 going on 19 years. 2015 has just as much of a chance as being the year the Bucs turn it around as 2011 does/did. We have been planning for the future in Pittsburgh for so long, I have lost track of which 5 Year Plan we are currently following. We have been down so long, I am DESPERATE to see the Bucs pay $5 million for the rest of the season for a guy batting .225 because he would be an upgrade over our current options.

If you think long and hard about where the Pirates are today, it is the perfect situation for Nuthouse. He got his packed houses, the fans did their part! He may still get many more as the team flirts with respectability and fans are so downright desperate for something resembling winning  baseball that they will still come out in droves, buying overpriced food and false hope by the gross. Now that he can say " See, we're not ready to contend" he doesn't have to spend any of his precious money. Opie can come out and say the demands were too high and we didn't want to mortgage the future, because everybody clearly seems to buy that excuse. He can trade Maholm or not pick up his option. In the offseason, let Diaz and Overpaid walk, then sign 2 more guys like them to make it seem like the team is trying, then field the 3rd lowest paid team in the league yet again.

It's the Pirates Cycle. We all know it too well and I have zero confidence that things will be any different in 2015. Between now and then, we will see the veterans coming up on arbitration or free agency traded away for Andy LaRoche and Andrew Lambo. I have no reason to believe otherwise because I have seen nothing from this organization that proves to me they have any interest in playing meaningful baseball at the major league level. They pat themselves on the backs when they draft guys they should be drafting and then have a circle jerk over putting the appropriate amount of money into the draft. They should be doing that; it's their jobs. They have the money to allot for the draft because they're not putting the money into the big league club, that's for sure.

This 2011 season has been the epitome of lightning in a bottle. The organization did nothing different than in years past. They picked up Correia off the scrap heap and he is performing above career levels, just like very other pitcher on the staff. The offense is absolutely awful and the main keys to it's "success" were Littlefield's guys. The FO said they needed to see a commitment from the fans, in terms of attendance, before they would open their padlocked wallet. Well, what better time than now to buy some goodwill with the fans and prove to them you are in it to win it? You have a team that was heading into this sold out weekend series in 1st place. You have attendance increased by 500,000 and sellout upon sellout on weekend games. For a team that came into this season looking to extend it's own record for futility, I would say the fans have taken an awfully  big leap of faith. If your landlord told you  he wants to raise your rent from $500/month to $1,000/month and   in turn he may eventually improve your apartment to be worth $1,000/month, how many people would renew that lease?

The FO knew who the team was facing coming into this weekend. They knew where they were in the standings and they knew the history. BUT, they also knew the games were sold out whether they added a bat or not. Once again, the fans step up, the city steps up, the players step up. And once again,the FO kicks the fans square in the nuts.

And once again, I implore Bob Nutting: SELL THE F***ING TEAM.

When a Long Shot is Your Best Shot

If you want to read a good, balanced article from a guy who understands both small markets and the game of baseball, go check out Grantlands Rany Jazayerli's take on the season the Pirates are having right now.

He sums up my feelings quite well on how and why these Pirates should approach this trade deadline with an aggression and boldness that is both necessary and owed to the longtime fans in this city.

"They would need unexpectedly good performances from unheralded players, and they would need their NL Central rivals to underachieve. They would need a season, in other words, like the one they're having right now."

This IS our year. It may have come sooner then "the plan" but it needs to be seen as a rare and precious opportunity, for winning, for respect, and for relevance.

"The Pirates can't do that this year. No matter how flimsy their record is, those wins and losses are in the bank, and no team can betray its fan base by throwing in the towel when they're a half-game back. If they can't be sellers, they might as well be buyers."

There is no guarantee of success, and more likely than not they will not win a championship by pursuing this strategy. But standing still dooms them to a certain fate and all the good will being built up this year will wither and die, like a flower that blooms before Spring’s final frost.

"Sure, it's unlikely that the Pirates will stay in the thick of the NL Central race for the next 70 games. But that's nothing compared to how improbable it is that they've stayed in the race until now. Resurrecting a franchise often requires a miracle. The Pirates are more than halfway there."

The way I see it, the Pirates need 3 definite, indespensible things to happen to win the division:

1) The Pitchers must continue to pitch over their heads/paygrade
2) Pedro must return to form and have a late season surge like last year
3) They must add one quasi-elite bat for the middle of the lineup

They can then fill out a lineup card somewhere along these lines for August and September.


1. Pressley/Tabata (LF)
2. Walker (2B)
3. McCutchen (CF)
4. Alvarez (3B)
5. Beltran/Pence (RF)
6. Doumit (C)
7. Jones/Overbay (1B)
8. Cedeno (SS)
9. Over Achieving Pitcher

I wouldn't be opposed to a scenario that involves sliding the fragile, but necessary batter, Doumit to 1B if neither Jones nor Overbay pulls it together and leave McKenry at the plate. OR, if they could pick up Pena at 1B you could slot him in at 4 just as well, bump Pedro to 5, and let the Jones/Diaz platoon handle RF in the 7 spot. But that is all in the minutia.

The over riding point: outside of Taillion and Heredia, no prospect should be untouchable to bring in a hitter to make a miraculous run this season. This is our shot. C'mon NH, FC, BN! Let's do it.

Revisiting Trade Scenarios

Last week, we discussed some potential trade acquistions, but got sidetracked by our traditional internet peeing contest. Yesterday, Buster Olney ran a piece for ESPN in which he quoted the Lying Liar as stating that the Pirates could possibly, potentially, perhaps, at some point, maybe, if the stars align, at the right price, if the timing is good, if the offer is great, if the temperature in hell dips a few degrees, may consider probably adding something to the current team. Some people took this as Coonelly committing to something. Most took it as a whole bunch of nothing and I happen to agree that it was nothing more than some fluff spread out over a few paragraphs.

The Lying Liar did note that attendance is indeed up, and that gives us flexibility to be somewhat possibly, potentially, slightly likely to consider the thought of looking into the idea of evaluating the reality of thinking about pondering making a move. So the FO got their wish, the fans are showing in droves, alleviating them from having to take any financial risk to win.

So now that is have gotten only a few hundred miles off track, let's talk about trades. I will put a list of players below that have been discussed and give my 2 cents while soliciting all of your opinions, as well.

1.) Carlos Beltran- RF- Mets. I like the idea if the Mets are willing to either eat some of his salary or take less if the Bucs take the whole thing (LOL). Problem is simple: if the asking price for Beltran is too high for the Red Sox, it's WAY too high for the Bucs.

Potential value: 9/10. Good power, some speed, switch hitter who drives in runs and hits for average. A little crazy, but thats okay.

Likelihood of Acquring Beltran: 0.5/10. Not gonna happen.

2.) Carlso Pena- 1B- Cubs. Great power, low average. Good OBP for a free swinger. K's a lot, walks a lot. Far more affordable than Beltran.

Potential value: 7/10. Great power and can take advantage of short RF.

Likelihood of Acquiring Pena: 3/10. "Not willing to mortgage future" ( actually means not willing to spend money)


3.) Hunter Pence- RF- Astros. Hits for average and some power, drives in runs, good career #'s at PNC park. Decent defesne and a good arm. Good speed, can steal bases. Affordable with a couple of arbitration years left. Will likely see a nice raise after 2011.

Potential Value: 8/10. Excellent RH stick. Only 28 and under control for a few more years if the Bucs are willing to pay him (ROTFLMFA0)

Likelihood of Acquiring Pence: 1/10.

4.) Josh Willingham- OF/1B- A's. Solid RH stick. Average isn't great, but good with RISP. Some power and good for driving in runs as well as affordable.

Potential Value: 6/10

Likelihood of Acquiring Willingham: 5/10

These are 4 examples of names we've either heard or discussed. Feel free to add more and give your opinions of these playesr as well. Also, Brandon Inge was DFA'd by the Tigers. That is the kind of deal the FO is looking for............................

Spellcheck didn't take, so there are likely numerous errors.

Reds avoid sweep in 3-1 victory over Pirates

Jeff Karstens pitched well enough, but two costly errors by Chase d'Arnaud and an inability to capatilize with runners in scoring position allowed Cincinnati to escape Pittsburgh with a 3-1 triumph Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh (51-45) scored its lone run in the fourth inning when Neil Walker walked to lead off the inning and scored on Andrew McCutchen's RBI double to the wall in right centerfield. I thought the ball was going to clear the wall, but it was good enough for two bases.
Lyle Overbay couldn't move McCutchen to third and the Reds' Johnny Cueto (6-3) got out of the inning.
That was just one play that realed me. Overbay has to move the man to third. When you have a man in scoring position with nobody out, you have to score. The Pirates need to take advantage of those opportunities. They don't have enough power bats in the lineup to negate poor fundamental mistakes.
Cincinnati (48-50) answered with a run in the fifth when Cueto scored on Edgar Renteria's two-out single. The Reds' starter reached base after d'Arnaud made his second error of the game. I know Ronny Cedeno isn't the best shortstop, although I believe he could do better than d'Arnaud, who is batting .225 and has made seven errors this season. Cedeno has hit .252 before being injured and made five errors at SS.
D'Arnaud once told Pete Rose he would break his MLB hits record. D'Arnaud was 18 at the time and said he meant it as a joke. I don't know if he did or not, but he has a long way to go before he can catch Rose. The rookie has 19 hits in 20 games this year.
I apologize for digressing. Back to the game.
Karstens (8-5) allowed three runs, one earned, in seven innings. He gave up seven hits and lowered his ERA to 2.28.
The Pirates couldn't rally and were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Their best chance came in the seventh when an error on a ball hit by Michael McKenry and a single by Matt Diaz put runners at first and second with nobody out.
Alex Presley failed to advance the runners on a poorly-placed bunt and Cincinnati got out of the inning. Red closer Francisco Cordero picked up his 19th save with a scoreless ninth.
Pittsburgh has Thursday off before hosting St. Louis in a pivitol three-game set at PNC Park.

Pirates Sign Veteran Reliever Jason Grilli

The Pirates have made a move. Not a big one, but a move none the less. Relief Pitcher Jason Grilli was pitching in AAA Lehigh Valley for the Phillies organization, but had a clause in his contract that if another Major League club wanted him, the Phillies could either match the offer or let him go. According the Grilli's confirmed twitter account; he is going to the #blackandyellow.

Grilli last pitched in the majors in 2009 for the Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers, going a combined 2-3 with a 5.32 ERA in 52 appearances.

The 34 year olds lifetime line is 18-18 with a 4.74 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.478, 6.6 Ks and 4.1 BBs per 9 innings pitched.

UPDATE: 10:24 AM
Well, you can't say that Grilli isn't excited to join the 1st place Pirates, even if Bucco fans will likely greet his arrival with a yawn. He tweeted this at 7:30 this morning: "Of course I can't sleep. Fired Up!!! Most gratifying call up yet. Yo Adrian! WE DID IT!!! #flyinghigh #Pirates."

Grilli has a past with Bucs Skipper Clint Hurdle, pitching for him in Colorado in 2008 and 2009. He was also well liked by another favorite of this blog, Jim Leyland when he pitched for him in Detroit, Leyland considered him a durable and reliable option out of the bullpen. He did express some concerns however about the pitchers ability to handle pressure spots.

Return of the Mac

 1     0

For whatever reason, Clint Hurdle opted to swap Charlie Morton's and James McDonald's scheduled starts against the Reds. Monday night ,the decision worked out well enough. Tuesday night was more of the same. When the "same" means shutting out the highest scoring team in the NL, I would take more of the same over and over again.

Tuesday's game wasn't for those who love to see offense,nor has this series so far, but it certainly didn't lack in excitement. The late innings saw the Bucs clinging to a 1-0 lead with the Reds threatening at every corner, but they came up empty every time. J-Mac worked 6.1 innings of scoreless ball, fanning 7 in the process. He was far from perfect, but certainly the performance Bucs fans were looking for after he failed to register a decision in his past 4 starts, let alone registering a win. The win also moved the Bucs 7 games above .500 and kept them a half game ahead of the hated Brewers for first place in the NL Central.

J-Mac started off on a roll last night, setting down the first 3 Reds batters in order, fanning white hot rookie Zack Cozart and All-Star 1B Joey Votto to end the first. The bottom of the first saw what could pass as an offensive explosion as far as this series is concerned. After The King grounded out to lead off, Harrison singled to shallow right (what else would he do?) and the Pride of PR smacked a ground rule double to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out for Cutch. It's always a good time to break out of a slump, but Cutch was unable to do it here. He did manage yet another productive out, though, bringing in Harrison with an RBI groundout. Cutch is now 1 for 19 since the All Star break, yet still have knocked in 4 runs in 5 games.

The Reds threatened in the top of the second inning. Miguel Cairo knocked a 1 out single up the middle but the Bucs looked to catch a break when Chris Heisey hit into a would-be double play. Heisey beat the throw and Mr. Sunshine was whining for a runner's interference call on Cairo. Heisey then swiped second and moved to third on a balk. I guess J-Mac felt like giving up a free base since we haven't had the " 2 passed balls and a wild pitch per night" since Fort McKenry showed up.McDonald gave away another free one by walking Fred Lewis but Ryan Hanigan flied out to end the threat.

It was pretty much a pitcher's duel until the top of the 7th. Cairo lead off with a walk and was bunted to second by Heisey. Fred Lewis then managed an infield hit and it was 1st and third with one out. Hanigan drew a walk and Jake Taylor decided to yank J-Mac with the bases juiced and 1 out and the Buccos clinging to a 1-0 lead. Joe Beimel came on to face Jay Bruce, hitting for Mike Leake, and despite missing terribly with his "out pitch", managed to get a swing and miss to send Bruce  back to the dugout. Whew. Future All-Star Setup Man Chris Resop then came on to face the top of the Reds order, but needed only one pitch to get Drew Stubbs to ground out to end the threat.

The Bucs did little in the bottom of the 7th and Resop set down the Reds in order in the top of the 8th. The King hit a 2 out double in the bottom half, Harrison couldn't slap him home and it was Hammer Time! Looking for his second consecutive game and to preserve the Bucs second consecutive "s word", the Hammer was all business. He got Cairo to ground out quickly, then Heisey drove a fly ball DEEP to the right center gap. Cutch sprinted on to make the catch effortlessly despite having a long run in a dead sprint to make the play. Underrated catch right there. With 2 outs, the Reds started to wake up. Ramon Hernandez came on the pinch hit and lined a base hit into center. Ryan Hanigan did the exact same thing and suddenly the go ahead run was on base. Facing Jay Bruce, Hanrahan didn't flinch, hitting 97 on the gun before getting him to bounce to Walker to end the game. RTJR! Bucs 1, Reds 0.

Player of the Game:  James McDonald- 6.1 IP, 0 R, 7 K, 4 H, 3 BB

Head Scratcher of the Game: The King caught stealing while being left out to dry by either he or Harrison missing a hit-and-run sign.

Face Palm of the Night: I love Teke but I have to worry for the sake of his sanity. In the post game he said t hat there is no reason to rush Kdro back because the Wood and Harrison are getting it done and so are the other guys Opie has brought in. I am sorry, but who on this offense is doing anything? Or at least doing anything consistently. Cutch, Walker, and Presley. That's it. They were not acquired by Opie. Overpaid, Diaz, and Jones are inconsistent. Harrison has a .274 OBP and a .309 slug%. Wood is hitting .214 with a .282 OBP. d'Arnaud has 1 RBI and is hitting .224 with a .250 OBP and .294 slg %. How is that getting it done?

The Reds have now gone 18 straight innings without scoring a run. Imagine going that many years without a winning season. Oh wait...........

The NL Central foes will do battle at 12:35 today with Karstens facing Johnny Cueto. Karstens comes in on fire and hopefully can keep the Reds bats cool.

Nifty Fifty

It took over 2 hours in combined rain delays, 4 scoreless innings from the bullpen, some clutch defense, and some heads up base running. But in taking a 2-0 decision from the Reds Monday night, the Bucs also take over 1st place by a half game. I had to explain to my wife this morning how a half game lead is even possible, no surprise there. The real surprise, at least looking back at the predictions for this team, is that I was explaining that the PIRATES have a half game lead over the Cards and Brewers past the midpoint of July.

I was worried this game wasn't even going to get played.I didn't want the Bucs sitting idle after the break may have cooled some of their momentum. Epic thunder claps and brilliant white lightning bolts filled the skies last night, seeming as if the driving rain may last for days. But nonetheless, the game, and of course the 2011 Pirates played on. It didn't look so great to start, after nearly an hour delay, Morton was throwing A LOT of pitches. He plunked Drew Stubbs to start things off, then allowed a single to Cozart, moving Stubbs to 3rd with 0 outs. Charlie was able to get reigning MVP Joey Votto to hit back to the mound and get the out at 1B with Stubbs holding at 3rd. Brandon Phillips then went down swinging but after missing early, Morton IBB-d Jay Bruce to load the bases with 2 outs.Great Stuff quickly got ahead of Miguel Cairo 0-2, then 1-2, then Rain Delay #2 kicked in.

Obligatory picture to demonstrate rain delay.

 1 hour and 23 minutes of waiting. After the break, and an airing of Sports Beat Rewind: Jim Leyland (amongst others), We were back in action. Cairo sharply grounded a Morton offering up the middle, looking for sure to be a 2-run scoring single. But Chase d'Arnaud was equal to the task, making a tremendous sliding stop and flipping to the Pride of PR for the force at 2nd. Bruce lifted his front foot while sliding into the bag, allowing JUST enough time to record the out.

Morton settled down after that, allowing a few baserunners here and there, but no serious threats. In the bottom of the 4th the offense got all they would end up needing with back to back singles and a couple of productive outs. d'Arnaud lead off with a single, then advanced to 3rd when the next batter, Walker, singled as well. A Cutch groundout got d'Arnaud home and Walker, after moving to 3rd on the out, scored on a Diaz sac fly. Morton pitched a scoreless 5th, Tony Watson worked 2.2 IP of scoreless ball, The Guy Who Cried got the final out of the eight, and Hammer Time was perfect in the 9th. Final Count- Bucs 2, Reds 0.
50-44!!

Player of the Game:
                              Charlie Morton, W, 5.0 IP, 3H, 0R
This was a tough one. In a 2-0 game where 4 pitchers combined for the shutout, I'll go with the man who waited, started, waited, and then pitch another 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball.

Head Scratcher of the Game: Not that it mattered, but did anybody hear why J-Mac was skipped? Looks like he is slated to hurl tonight, though.

Face Palm of the Night: Sorry Cutch, but the GIDP in the First was a killer. After Morton worked out of a jam, the King lead off the bottom of the 1st with a single, then d'Arnaud hit into an FC and Walker singled to put 1st and 2nd with one out. Cutch is the undoubtedly the guy you want coming to the plate in that situation, but he continued his post All Star Game struggles by hitting into the DP. Cutch is 1 for 17 since the break, losing 11 points off of his average. He still has 3 RBI in 4 games, though.

How about this guy, though:

What a ridiculously awesome picture

Since the All- Star Break, Walker has gone 9 for 18. He is currently riding a 12 game hitting streak and his average has gone up 29 points, his slug %  up 31 points, and his OPS is up 50 points since July 1st. His overall July numbers are as follows: .434 AVG with a 1.031 OPS, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, 2 SB, and only 4 K in 14 games. While the power numbers are lagging a bit, Walker is hitting the ball with confidence and getting rewarded. 

How About This Guy #2:

 

Alex "The King" Presley- 17 GP, .352 AVG, 1 HR, 9 RBI. .405 OBP, .926 OPS. 12 runs scored, 4 SB, and some STELLAR defense. Presley is a ball player, plain and simple. He has GREAT speed, good plate presence, is a solid fielder, and plays hard.

The Bucs currently sit in 1st place and are there largely because of the pitching staff. The offensive contributions have come from Cutch and Walker and lately from Presley. The ironic part of where the offense comes from is that Littlefield, the Worst GM perhaps in Sports History, drafted those 3 guys! It certainly doesn't make up for his many other blunders (mostly financially motivated), but it proves every GM wins some and loses some.Littlefield mostly made horrible moves, his best probably being the acquisition of Giles for Rincon, then getting Bay and Perez for Giles, then getting Nady for Perez. All of which was undone in a matter of months.

Anyhow, J-Mac is on the hill tonight facing Mike Leake. McDonald's last start against the Reds saw him go 6 2/3, giving up 1 run on 7 hits and fanning 4. His first start versus Cinci was a rough one, lasting only 4 1/3 and giving 7R, 6 of those earned, on 9 hits. Hopefully, we see a repeat of his more recent start as well as Cutch awakening from his All Star hangover.

Would You Make this Move?

Hunter Pence and His Bat of Hitting +5

I just heard a rumor on the radio, and I figured I'd throw it out for discussion.

93.7's Joe Starkey is saying that there is some interest between the Pirates and the Astros in moving Mr. 25 HR, Hunter Pence, for 2 of these 3 guys: Starling Marte, Tony Sanchez, and Stetson Allie.

Now I'm not asking if you think this rumor is a valid one, or a radio host just trying to stir up conversation; but instead I'm more curious if this is a move you would be willing to make?

I would say yes, I would definitely make the move for Pence right now for any 2 of those prospects, my preference being Marte and Allie. You still control Pence's contract status for the next two seasons, so it is hardly "mortgaging the future" to make such a move. And I believe the Pirates must strike while the iron is hot. Everything is breaking their way this year. Having a bat like Pence in the middle of the lineup can really put them over the top as a legitimate contender. Marte shows promise, but is yet another of these hits for average speedy outfielders that we already have in droves. Pence provides proven pop.

Allie is very young power arm, but is just as likely to wash out as he is to become a big league closer. He was just drafted, but is already being pegged for a relief role while he is still in the very early stages of his career. That sort of raises a red flag to me. And even if it turns out we gave up what becomes a lights out closer in a few years, it will be worth it for this season, and the next you are guaranteed to get out of Pence, unlike many “rental” players that may be brought in.

I say: Deal Neal, Deal! Let’s do this!

Proving Grounds

The Bucs took 2 out of 3 from the Astros, moving their record to 49-44 and a half game behind the Brewers for first place in the NL Central. The next 13 games will be a true gauge of whether these 2011 Bucs are contenders or pretenders. First, the Reds come to town for a 3 game swing followed by the Cardinals. Then it's off to Atlanta for a 4 game set and the Bucs will finish July  with 3 games at the Phillies. The Reds are 47-48 and currently in 4th place in the NL Central, trailing the Bucs by 3 games. The Cardinals are tied with the Bucs and Albert Pujols is looking to regain his form. His career against the Bucs has been a nightmare for Pirates fans, but these aren't your typical Pirates.

The Braves lead the Wild Card race with a 56-39 record and have the second best team ERA in the NL. The Phillies have the best overall record in baseball and have the #1 ERA in the NL. But the Bucs did take 2/3 in Pittsburgh the last time they met.

As far as this past weekend goes, the Bucs did what they were supposed to do: beat a bad team. Had Jose Veras not blown a lead Saturday, we'd be looking down on the rest of the division. Karstens pitched a CG shutout Friday night and moved to 2nd in the NL in ERA.Walker had an outstanding series, going 7 for 15 with a HR and 3 RBI. Presley went 3 for 6 with a couple of RBI in yesterday's W and Correia helped himself out with an 2-RBI double early on. The Hammer blew his first save of the season yesterday as well, coming on with 1 on and 2 out in the 8th and surrendering a run scoring double. The run was charged to Veras, who struggled this weekend and it's looking like perhaps Resop could be taking over the setup duties?

J-Mac takes the bump for the Bucs tonight, looking to improve to 6-4. He hasn't notched a decision in his last 4 starts and also hasn't made it out of the 7th inning in quite some time. He hasn't been pitching all that bad , though, and perhaps tonight he can have a big outing to get the Bucs off on the right foot against the Reds.

It's Presley, not "Pressley"

I just noticed that I spelled Alex Presley's last name wrong in my post Friday. My apologies to Alex and his family.
Presley helped the Pirates beat the Astros, 7-5, Sunday in 11 innings. Pittsburgh is tied with St. Louis for second place in the NL Central and are a half game behind Milwaukee.
They host Cincinnati Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before a three-game set with the Cardinals begin Friday. It will be a tough week, but it will tell a great deal about this year's team.
Once again, I beg for your forgiveness, Mr. Presley.

First-place Pirates

It only took Jeff Karstens 83 pitches to shut down Houston Friday night in Pittsburgh's 4-0 victory at Minute Maid Park.
Comine that with St. Louis (49-44) and Milwaukee (49-45) losing, and the Pirates (48-43) are in first place in the NL Central. The last time the Bucs were in first this late in the season was in 1997.
Karstens (8-4) allowed five hits and had two strikeouts to lower his ERA to 2.34. Karstens' ERA is the third lowest in the NL. He also won his fifth straight start.
Karstens didn't allow an extra base hit and the Astros had runners in scoring position only two times.
Pittsburgh, who has won all four games at Minute Maid Park this season, came out swinging early and used good fundamentals to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Alex Pressley led off the game with a single, stole second and moved to third on Chase d'Arnaud's sacrifice fly. Pressley scored on Neil Walker's RBI single.
Pittsburgh added on two more in the third when Andrew McCutchen's RBI triple scored Pressley and d'Arnaud.
Pressley was hit by pitch to lead off the inning, while d'Arnaud collected his second single.
Brett Myers (3-10) took the loss for Houston. He allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out 11 and walked three in six innings.
The Pirates are 21-12 against the NL Central. A sweep would be nice with Cincinnati and St. Louis coming to town next week before the Bucs travel to Atlanta for four games and Philadelphia for three.
For everyone putting a downpayment on playoff tickets I say: Take a deep breath and relax. It is nice to be in first, but the season is far from over.

Pirate's Manager Now on Twitter

Looks like someone had some free time on their hands over the All Star break. I would like to encourage everyone to go follow "Clint Hurdle" for the 2nd half of the season for his thoughts on the Pirates, baseball, and his philosophies of life.

http://twitter.com/#!/CHurd_Bucs

The Long Now

So, this will be set to go off in the year 12,000 or when the Pirates lead all MLB in payroll.

Whichever comes first.

Sorry I've been absent for a few days here, but with the All-Star break and a new book I've been waiting for 5 years to come out being released on Tuesday, all of my free time was basically spent reading.

One of my favorite things about the internet is when you are searching for stuff online and you stumble upon very interesting things that are completely unrelated to what you were originally looking for.

If you get some free time today, check out this crazy-awesome group of engineers/computer programmers I discovered while doing a search for Welsh Languages (don't ask) who are building a clock in a mountain that will be 200 feet tall and set to run for the next 10,000 years!


I wonder if the Pirates will have a winning season by the year 11,999?!? Is this part of the omnipotent front office’s “long term plan” for competing? (It’s a joke folks, so you don’t have to jump all over me in the comments about it…)


Anyway, here is an inspirational quote from those crazy dreamers to kick of the start of the 2nd half of the season. If they can be so dedicated to something so far in the future, maybe it can give us a little perspective about our longest losing franchise in the history of professional sports.

"I cannot imagine the future, but I care about it. I know I am a part of a story that starts long before I can remember and continues long beyond when anyone will remember me. I sense that I am alive at a time of important change, and I feel a responsibility to make sure that the change comes out well. I plant my acorns knowing that I will never live to harvest the oaks.

I want to build a clock that ticks once a year. The century hand advances once every 100 years, and the cuckoo comes out on the millennium. I want the cuckoo to come out every millennium for the next 10,000 years."

The Time is Now

The Pirates return to action tomorrow night in Houston one game out of first place in the NL Central. The Brewers, tied for 1st, were feeling the hot breath of the Cards and Bucs on their necks and went out and acquired Francisco Rodriguez to bolster their bullpen. Now, Nuthouse is making his media rounds and based on his words, reading a little bit in between the lines, and the rumblings from blogs and local media outlets, the Bucs are going to do much by July 31.

I don't know if Nuthouse is preparing for an epic collapse, doesn't want to spend the cash, or doesn't have the balls/ability to fleece another team the way we have been fleeced in the past, but I don't like the vibe I'm getting. So far, the main excuse is indeed viable: "We don't want to mortgage the future". Fine, I get that. But you don't have to give up much to get something in return. The return for Jason Bay wasn't much. The return for Aramis Ramirez was less. Jose Bautista didn't fetch much. Neither did Adam LaRoche. Not that LaRoche or Bautista were world beaters then, LaRoche still isn't, but it would be similar to getting a guy like Willingham or Francouer for next to nothing.

My overall point is that I think the Bucs are preparing us for them being sellers yet again. Maholm and Hanrahan are currently being discussed because they are at peak value. Seriously? More major league talent sold off to build the minors and save money to sign guys in the future? How many more of these 5 year plans are we going to put up with?

Obviously, nothing is done yet. But if the Bucs are still in striking distance and there is nothing done to improve the team's odds, we have all been duped again.

1997 was 14 years ago.......................................................... That's how long it's been since we've been this close.

You Get What You Give

With the MLB non-waiver trade deadline a little less than 3 weeks away and the Bucs right in the thick of the NL Central race, let's discuss a few trade possibilities. Feel free to agree, disagree, modify, or add any perceived scenarios in the comments section:

Who I'd Like to See, But Probably Won't:
Carlos Pena- 1B- Cubs: Pena has excellent power, with 19 HR and 49 RBI at the break. His batting average is low at .225 but his OPS is a solid .801. He is 5h in the NL in K's with 88 but also 5th in BB with 49. He would have about  $5 Million remaining on his salary for the year and in order to not give up much more than mid-level prospect, the Bucs would likely have to take on the entire salary.

Carlos Beltran-OF- Mets- Beltran is a switch hitter with good power and run driving ability. He appears to perhaps be a bit fragile and certainly "enigmatic" but he can play the short RF at PNC and definitely has the middle of lineup, corner OF bat we are lacking. The catch is, he still has over $9 million remaining on his salary and in order take that entire amount on, I wouldn't want to give up anything more than a bucket of balls.

Hunter Pence- RF- Astros- Pence can hit for high average and certainly adds some middle of the lineup pop. He has 11 HR and 60 RBI with an .860 OPS. He can also play RF fairly well and has an above average throwing arm. He still has about $3.5 Million remaining for this season, which is almost a bargain. HOWEVER, to get Pence we would have to give up somebody like Starling Marte. Even if Marte is blocked by the plethora of speedy outfielders with good gap power already ahead of him in the system, I don't think he is worth a summer rental.

Guys I Don't Want To See and Definitely Won't:
Aramis Ramirez-3B- Cubs- Plain and simple, I don't like the guy. I'm not saying he isn't talented or that his power stick at 3B would be a nice addition. He has a no trade clause he probably won't even lift to come here and we would have to give up a big return to fetch him in the first place. His club option next year is $16 Million with a 2 million dollar buyout and he would have $7.2M remaining for 2011. Paying $9.2 M and giving up a high ceiling prospect doesn't make sense to me, even with someone else's money. 

Alfonso Soriano-LF-Cubs- Since the Cubs are down and out yet have some high priced talent they could be looking to shed, Sori is the 3rd Cubs player on this list. He can certainly hit the ball out of the park, but he can't play LF at PNC. Moving to right would be an option, but his arm is terrible. He would also cost $9M for the rest of this season and another $54 through 2014. He may hit some home runs down the stretch, but definitely not worth that cash.

Mark Reynolds-3B-Orioles- Reynolds is the definition of a hacker. He is not a good fielder and he strikes out a ton. With that being said, he has 20 HR and 49 RBI and 36 of his 65 hits are for extra bases. Despite having 96 K's, he also has 50 BB and his .227 average is somewhat offset by his .839 OPS. And he's only 27. He would cost $2.5M the rest of the way this year, $7.5M next year, and has an $11M club option with a $500K buyout for 2013. While he is affordable and can certainly crush the ball, due to his age and fair contract, the Orioles would likely ask for a large return. Although if Reynolds could play 1B, it might not be a terrible investment.

Guys Who Me Might Potentially See:
Josh Willingham- LF/1B-A's- Willingham hasn't played 1B since 2009 and is primarily a LF, but can play RF at PNC Park. He has 11 HR and 44 RBI at the break with a .241 average and a .736 OPS. He would cost $3M the rest of the way and has no contract for next season. He averages 25 HR and 84 RBI per 162 games played. Since his contract is expiring and his production is decent, he might be had for a fair price.

Jeff Francoeur-OF- Royals- Francoeur is hitting .265 with 12 HR and 56 RBI on a bad Royals squad. He is slugging .443 but his OBP is a measly .308, striking out 66 times to only 20 BB. He has a good arm in RF and has stolen 15 bases this season, a career high by far. He comes cheap: $1.25M the rest of the way in 2011 and a $4M mutual option for 2012. His career averages are .268 with 20 HR and 90 RBI per 162 games played and could be a nice addition for a decent price.

J.J. Hardy-SS-Orioles- Of course I was going to try to find somebody to take Suckdeno's spot. Ronny has improved, but I think he is still too inconsistent to be safe. Hardy is hitting .278 with 13 HR and 33 RBI and his OPS is at .836. He averages 21 HR and 74 RBI over a full season for his career and would cost less than $3 million for the remainder of this season with no obligation for 2012. The expiring contract makes him a possibility.

Others I have heard mentioned:
Jason Giambi- .267 with 9 HR and 22 RBI in only 100 PA. $425K for 2011 and a $1M mutual option for 2012 w/$150K buyout.

Melky Cabrera- .293 witth 11 HR and 51 RBI. .332 OBP is lower than I'd like. Would only cost $612K for 2011 and nothing for 2012

Michael Cuddyer- .298 with 13 HR and 43 RBI and an .843 OPS. $5.25M for the remainder of 2011 and no obligation for 2012. Could certainly help but would likely cost a big prospect and it is unlikely he would be here past this season. Another case of not wanting to give up a high ceiling guy for a summer rental.

So there you have some possibilities. These are based strictly on opinion and nothing else. We have discussed many of these guys over the past few weeks, but as we are approaching trading season, it's looking like the Bucs may be buyers this year!

Cano wins HR Derby

No Pirate since Jason Bay, who didn't hit one out, has competed in the MLB Home Run Derby and I'm glad because I don't want to have to watch it. I did when Bay competed, but his night was over quickly.
However, I want to keep all you that missed out, even though you probably found out the second it was over, thanks a lot social media, that the New York Yankees' Robinson Cano bested Boston's Adrian Gonzalez in the finals, 12-11.
Both Cano and Gonzalez knocked 20 out of Chase Field Monday night, but it was Cano with the upper hand in the finals.
Major League home run king Jose Bautista failed to make it out of the first round after hitting just four. St. Louis' Matt Holliday, whose father, Tom, is a native of Uniontown, clubbed five. See, Fayette County produces some fine people.
I do enjoy watching the All-Star game because it is the one out of all the four major sports in North
America where the teams play hard. I know it's kind of a stupid concept by Bud Selig, and he made it on emotion due to the tie in Milwaukee, but it's usually a pretty good game.
I'll give the edge to the National League, 5-4.
That home-field advantage will be key for the Pirates when they reach the World Series.
Hey, it's OK to dream, right?

The Man We Call Cutch

Major League Baseball has officially reached it's All-Star Break and these surprising Pirates are taking our city by storm. The Bucs have amassed a tremendous 47-43 record, their best at the break since 1992. The Pirates will also sent 3 representatives to the All-Star game this year, the most since 1990. If anybody could honestly say they saw this coming, they are likely kidding themselves. Sure, the Bucs were certainly going to improve from the 57-105 record of 2010, but I find it hard to believe anybody could have predicted this large of a turnaround. While the starting pitching has carried the load and Neil Walker has driven in a sick amount of runs, the cornerstone of this team is it's centerfielder, Andrew McCutchen.

Cutch is an All-Star whether Bruce Bochy wanted to admit it or not. Eventually, he got it right, but it wasn't without it's fair share of belly aching and rightfully so. Andrew McCutchen is one of the top 5 outfielders in the National League. Through 90 games, he is hitting .291 with 14 HR and 54 RBI, 54 Runs, and 15 SB. These numbers rank well amongst his peers, but many people have asked this question of Cutch: is he a Five Tool Player?

A Five Tool player is a guy who can hit for average, hit for power, run the bases, field his position proficiently, and has a top notch throwing arm. Without even giving it much thought, he clearly has the first Four Tools. The league average for batting average is .261. Cutch's .291 is 30 points higher and ranks 22nd overall in the NL, 9th among OF. His 14 HR through 90 games translates to 25 over 162 games and without question he could hit 30 Home Runs in this league. He is also on pace to steal 27 bases this season and his career average of 32 SB per 162 games player proves he can be a 30/30 guy. In terms of fielding, anybody who has watched this team consistently knows how many triples and doubles Cutch has cut off  and his defensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is currently 1.1 right now. proving he is a plus outfielder.

The only question about Cutch is his throwing arm. Some people question his arm strength, others his accuracy and/or decision making. Personally, I don't think his arm strength is the issue as I have actually seen him be too strong on his throws from time to time. I believe it is his throwing accuracy that is a bit lacking. Either way, there is mutual agreement that if there is anything holding Cutch back from being a Five Tool Player it is indeed his throwing arm, but it is something  he can work on. He is still fairly young and has already developed those other four tools.

Thinking out loud, though, does it really matter? Sure it would be nice if he could rack up some more outfield assists. But his overall ability, be it 4 Tool or 5 Tool,  is still that of a rising talent bursting towards Super Stardom. Finally being named to the All Star is a well-deserved feather in his cap, but I didn't need Bruce Bochy's approval to know Andrew McCutchen is an All-Star. The best part of McCutchen's career at this point is that, as good as he's been, he seems to be getting better.

Pirates' rally in 8th capped off by McKenry's 1st career homer

In the words of the great Mike Lange, "if you missed it folks, shame on you for six weeks."
The Pirates' Michael McKenry hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning for a 7-4 lead and Joel Hanrahan closed the door in the ninth with his 26th save in as many opportunities for a come-from-behind victory over the Chicago Cubs Friday night at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh (46-42) is in second place behind Milwaukee (48-42), who needed a walk-off two-run single to beat Cincinnati (44-46). St. Louis (47-43) is in the third after a loss to Arizona (49-41). The Pirates will enjoy their first winning mark at the All-Star game since 1992, which was the last time they had a .500 season and made the playoffs. The Bucs are 13-7 in their last 20.
Chicago (36-54) took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth with one out when Darwin Barney's RBI single scored Marlon Byrd and moved Alfonso Soriano to third. Soriano doubled off Jose Veras earlier in the inning.
After Veras struck out Blake DeWitt, he walked Kosuke Fukudome and Clint Hurdle brought in Daniel McCutchen.
McCutchen (3-1) got Starlin Castro to fly out to end the top of the eighth.
In the Pirates' eighth, Matt Diaz walked and was replaced by pinch runner Pedro Ciriaco. After Andrew McCutchen flied out, Neil Walker hit into what appeared to be an inning-ending double play, but Ciriaco broke it up and Walker was safe at first.
Ciriaco, who probably has his ID checked each time he enters the ballpark, made one of the biggest plays of the game.
Hurdle stated in his post-game press conference that we aren't talking about McKenry's heroics if Ciriaco doesn't break up that double play.
Lyle Overbay's single moved Walker to second and the Cubs brought in closer Carlos Marmol to relieve Sean Marshall (5-3).
Josh Harrison, who was celebrating his 24th birthday, lined a single to center that scored Walker to tie the game. Overbay moved to second. Harrison was 3-for-4. Marmol hadn't allowed a run to that point in 13 straight outings.
McKenry took the first pitch for a strike, then fouled off six straight offerings before belting his three-run shot to left-center.
McKenry, who was shopping for groceries in the New England area less than a month ago, granted the crowd of 37,140 a curtain call. That's doesn't happen too often in Pittsburgh, let alone for a journeyman catcher.
The Pirates trailed 1-0 in the first after Aramis Ramirez hit a solo homer. They took the lead in the third when Alex Presley and Chase d'Arnaud scored on an infield single by Walker. Presley had singled and moved to third on a double by d'Arnaud. Walker's hit went deep into the hole at second and by the time the Cubs' Carlos Pena got the ball at first d'Arnaud was headed home.
That kind of aggresive play on the basepaths is what the Pirates need to do if they want to make a run at the division crown. They don't have the bats, so they must do the little things. I attribute that to Hurdle.
After Chicago took a 3-2 lead, Andrew McCutchen led off the bottom of the sixth with a home run.
I know it was against the Cubs, who are 18 games under .500 and in fifth place in the NL Central, but this kind of win shows the character of this team.
They may not have the talent of the Cardinals, Brewers and Reds, but they believe they can win. It also feels good to win a game like this when you are a contender. If Pittsburgh had the same record as last year and won a game like this, It wouldn't mean that much. Winning close games when something is on the line does.
Kevin Correia takes the mound tonight for the Bucs in search of his 12th win. Correia won 10 games for the entire season in 2010.

DK calls on Nutting to Step Up to the Plate

Very Good, Very Fair article from DK in the Trib this morning calling for the Nuttings and their minions to step forward and be bold this summer in pursuit of winning and possible contention.

I don't know what others feel about DK, but he in my opinion, is one of the cities most level headed, hard working, and objective sports reporters.

Some money quotes from DK:

"Let's see how Nutting handles this modest success, whether he rises up or shrinks from it. Let's see not only whether he authorizes general manager Neal Huntington to add significantly to the payroll via trade but also whether he pushes for it."

"Hope won't cut it this summer either, unless hope can bat cleanup."

And there was even something from the Nuthouse himself that we will certainly hold him, and his general manger, to if they don't come through and add some help to this lineup by the trade deadline:

"We're just a couple games out, close to the All-Star break. It's a great opportunity. And we aren't going to make decisions based on restrictions of financing. We're absolutely in that position where Neal can, right now, be out there aggressively looking at options. He needs to do that."

Well said Mr. Nutting, now, as we the fans have wanted for the past decade plus, since your family has begun to sink their dirty claws into this once proud franchise, you had better put your money where your ever praise gushing mouth is.

Bucs need a sweep

After Wednesday night's 8-2 setback to the Houston Astros, the Pittsburgh Pirates are at 45-42.
The Bucs get a day off today, then host the Chicago Cubs for three games at PNC Park before the All-Star break.
If the Pirates sweep the Cubs, they would move to 48-42 at the break. Pittsburgh has owned Chicago in the past few seasons, and they could possibly move into first place with an impressive showing this weekend. They travel to Houston after the break. They also have a four-game set with Atlanta and three games with Philadelphia to close out the month.
Those final seven games could be very telling, as the Bucs will move into the final two months of the season.
Last night's game wasn't their best effort. Houston's five-spot all started off on an error. Errors happen, but they can't allow it to start a big inning. I give credit to the Astros. They are dead last in the division, something Pittsburgh knows all too well, but they battled.

Smizik Suggests the Pirates Stand Pat

The world's oldest Blogger, Bob Smizik, implied today that the Pirates best course of action would be to stand pat at the trade deadline and that the return of Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkdro, Tabata, and Doumit from the DL would be enough to overcome the team’s lack of production at the plate.

To that I say: Bullshit!

Alvarez may be a legitimate power hitter one day, but right now he is more a liability than an asset to the team. Even his “magical” rookie campaign last season, that had Mr. Sunshine waxing poetic and comparing his batting prowess to Roberto Clemente, was really nothing all that special. His WAR was a ‘perfect’ 0.0

For those unaccustomed to the WAR stat, it stand for Wins Above Replacement. The concept is to rank the value of a player’s impact on the team winning games, in comparison to what the average AAA replacement would bring to the table.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkdro’s offensive #s in 2010 would designate him as giving the Pirates 1.4 extra wins from the offensive side, but he was bad enough in the field that his defensive WAR was -1.4, so he was basically a total wash. A team of 0.0 WAR players would, statistically speaking, have a record of 52-110. So I guess John Russel had a whole team of Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkdros and got them to perform 5 wins better than they should have by the numbers.

And this year Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkdro has managed to somehow go even lower, dipping into negative WAR numbers at -0.6 So that is one of the “bats” your battlin’ Bucs are ready to be “saved by” according to Mr. Smizik.

I’ll admit that if Doumit can stay healthy, he will certainly be an upgrade from McKenry behind the plate and in the lineup. He is hardly a certified offensive stud, but in this group of hitters he is probably going to be hitting in one of the power spots (4/5/6) out of necessity.

Tabata can hit for average, but like the rest of the team as a whole, provides absolutely zero home run capabilities. I’m not saying that they are lacking in power, but Andrew McCutchen (9.9%) and Garrett Jones (9.2%) are the only two hitters with an Extra Base Hit Percentage above the league average of (7.1%). They need at least one, if not two, more players in the corners (outfield and infield) who at least provide the threat of taking the ball deep when they step up to the plate.

These are not unfounded grumblings and miserable misgivings of a cynical crank. They are cold, hard statistical truths. So Mr. Smizik, Mr. Huntington, Mr. Coonelly, and Mr. Nutting: please don’t try to sell us down the creek once again by suggesting that the return of a few injured Bucs are going to be enough to upgrade this lineup to a competitive level. Bring in some damn bats. The time is now.

Sorry, Charlie.....

 8  2

I am never one to dwell too long on losses, so I will try to make this one quick. The Bucs had plenty of chances to win this ballgame, but seemed to have very little interest in doing so. We started the scoring early when The King led off the bottom of the 1st with a single and was bunted over to 2nd by d'Arnaud. GI Jones walked and Cutch singled to left to score The King and give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. The Pride of PR then battled Bud Norris for an extended at-bat, fouling off pitch after pitch. Eventually, Walker smoked a hard line drive to left field that for whatever reason lead Jones to make a break for 3rd base on contact. Land Mass Lee promptly chucked  the pill to 2nd to double off Jone and end the inning.

That would do it for the scoring until the top of the 6th inning, when the wheels totally came off. Great Stuff Morton had a good line going into the fifth, but had allowed a few base runners when he wasn't facing t he Astros 7,8, and 9 hitters. You could see all night he was going to his curveball too much and wasn't getting much from it. In the 6th, he couldn't make anything work and also didn't get much help from his defense. Bourn started the inning off by reaching on a d'Arnaud error. Angel Sanchez followed with a double to right center, scoring Bourn. Cutch had trouble picking the ball up and getting it from his hand to his glove and Sanchez made it all the way to 3rd. Hunter Pence then gave the Astros the lead with a single to right. Land Mass Lee was next and he brought Pence around with an RBI triple to center on a HORRIBLE misplay by Cutch. It's a play an All Star Center Fielder should make and a play I have seen Cutch make plenty of times.

Keppinger was next and lashed a double to score Lee and give the 'Stros a 4-1 edge. Morton finally got an out before surrendering an RBI single to Clint Barmes to make it 5-1. That was all for Morton on the night, 5.1 IP, 8 Hits, 5 R, 4ER, I BB and 6 Ks. Morton's ERA on June 4 was 2.52; it now sits at 3.80.

Anyways, the Bucs closed it to 5-2 when Cutch got an RBI groundout but the Astros drew more blood in the 9th when they tacked on 3 more runs. Final Astros 8, Bucs 2.

Player of the Game- Hunter Pence 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored

Head Scratcher of the Game- Jones getting doubled off of second base.

Face Palm of the Night- The top of the 6th inning. The fielding was subpar and Morton was also serving up batting practice.

The Bucs still won the series and the Astros were eventually going to get back into the win column. They had lost 9 out of 10 games, something was gonna give at some point, right? But I think it's the way the Bucs lost this one that is frustrating. While we've certainly had a good season so far, the things that have the potential to kill this team in the long run showed themselves again last night. Inability to get runs in, no power in the lineup, mental mistakes, and errors. Obviously, leaving guys on base and making errors is a recipe for disaster for any ballclub, but for a team like the Bucs to survive in the playoff race, they have to limit their mistakes and cash in on every precious chance they get to score. The Cardinals can make an error and cost themselves a run or two because they can get it back in one swing from Pujols, Berkman, or Holliday. The Brewers have the same luxury with the Brontosaurus, Braun, Weekes, Hart, and  even McGehee to some degree.

I mention those teams and their great hitting because those are the teams we are going to have to go through to win the Central. With a winnable series against the Cubs kicking off tomorrow night, the Bucs have the chance to stockpile some wins heading into the All-Star Break. After the break, things are going to get tougher once the Bucs leave Houston, facing the Reds, Cards, Braves, and Phillies to close out the month. We will then have 7 games against the Brewers in mid-August and we all know how tough they are for the Bucs to beat.

As a side note, listening to the game broadcasts and reading DK's tweets and PG articles and listening to Jake Taylor droning on about it, I can't believe  grown men whine so much about an All-Star snub.

A Place for Retardation and Losers

Or so we have been called:
http://www.pittsburghsportstavern.com/forum/showthread.php/7005-The-Bob-Smizik-amp-Lemmings-Beat-Down-Thread?p=190377

Originally Posted by Waiting for LaRoche 

They've all scurried away to a blog they started called "Mutiny on the Allegheny".They all pat each other on the back, and if anyone disagrees with the them they demand to know who you are and your Smizik blog name.It's all very entertaining.

that place is unbelievable. I just checked it out, a place for disenfranchised Pirates fans should read a place for ****tardation and losers. They have to put pictures up to distract from total lack of credible content.

Ironically enough, that is posted by a guy called "Waiting for LaRoche". Also ironic is one person comes on here and says we need pictures to break up monotony, someone on Pittsburgh Sports Tavern says we use pics to substitute for lack of content. Most ironic is that someone can seriously say those while resorting to 6th Grade Schoolyard name calling.

Well, if they have enough balls to trash all of us on their own site, why not come here and do it.? Make the discussion more interesting; that is the point of this blog in the first place. We encourage everybody to come here and participate, not just the Anti-Nutting Crowd. All are welcome  here at the Mutiny.

Train Kept A Rollin'

    5         1
The last time the Bucs had a record this good this late in a season was the Year the Franchise Died. 19 freaking years. I don't know where to begin, maybe I  will take the 7 Steps Of Acceptance approach:
1.) Shock and Denial- Are you serious? These 2011 Pirates are 45-41? Not a chance in hell. They're not that much different than the 2010 team that lost 105 games. How can this be possible? It's not happening. I absolutely refuse to believe a team that lost nearly 2/3 of it's game last season can be 4 games over .500 in July despite not making any significant roster changes. At all.
2.) Pain and Guilt- Maybe I should have seen this coming. You have to figure that the losing can't last forever and 2 entire decades is a stretch of ineptitude even to most blithering of idiots can't reach. Have I betrayed this franchise by not blindly buying into deadline dump after deadline dump and 5 Year Plans every 2 years?
3.) Anger and Bargaining- Okay, look, this team is playing WELL above their potential. But I swear, if they can somehow make it last, I will buck up and spend some more cash to watch them live.
4.) "Depression", Reflection, and Loneliness- Wait a second, you are telling me that I am the one in the wrong for not following this FO off of a cliff? No, don't join the bandwagon, don't leave us Anti's without any allies! Maybe we should have given this team more of a chance.
5.) The Upward Turn- Actually, we've given then 19 years worth of chances and all we've been repaid with is are bobbleheads and fire works, at least prior to this year. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy this run and it also doesn't mean it needs to be crammed in our faces. After all, we just wanted to see winning baseball and that is exactly what is happening. We should continue to enjoy it while we've got it.
6.) Reconstruction and Working Through-  Well, if the Bucs can complete the sweep tonight and win the series against the Cubs, they're in great shape heading into a tough stretch. If all goes well in Houston, I will  get tickets to the Reds series.
7.) Acceptance and Hope- This is no longer a fluke. This team is for real and playing meaningful games. If the pitching staff holds together and we can get a power bat somewhere in that lineup, we can do this thing. Forget the '97 Freak Show, this team is going to win the division and play meaningful baseball in October.

With last night's W, the Bucs are 45-41. Keep saying that to yourself without cracking even the slightest smirk. 45-41?!?!? Yes, it's true. The Bucs got another stellar outing from Jeff Karstens, going 7+, allowing 7 hits and 1 run. Brandon Wood was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI and the Pride of PR and Overpaid chipped in 2 hits and scored 2 runs each. But the offensive play that put the game away was Karstens' brilliant suicide squeeze to put the Bucs up 5-1 and effectively put the game out of reach. In the bottom of the 6th, with Walker, Overpaid, and Wood on base with nobody out, Fort McKenry trotted out to the plate. Not exactly the guy you were hoping for in that situation, but he managed to drill a sac fly to score Walker and move Overpaid to 3rd.

Karstens then came to the plate with a 4-1 lead and runners on the corners with 1 out. It was almost a foregone conclusion that he was going to be bunting, but Jake Taylor had him stand pat and take the first 2 pitches, running a 1-1 count. On Tom Glavine Wandy Rodriguez's next delivery, Overpaid took off down the 3rd base line and Karstens squared around to lay down a perfect bunt. The Awful Astros had no chance at the plate and fire high to first base, barely getting Karstens as Jeff Keppinger made an unbelievable leaping barehanded catch to keep the ball from going into right field. The confidence and guts showed by Hurdle to make that call right there proves why this team have improved so greatly: they play to win every night.

Never was that more evident than when Walker softly lined a single into left and hustled around first to stretch it to a double. He was singled home by Brandon Wood 2 batters later. If Neil doesn't work his butt off and take that extra base, he doesn't score that inning. Plain and simple, this team came to win. Final Count Bucs 5, Astros 1.

Players of the Game- TIE-               Brandon Wood 2 for 3 HR (4), 3 RBI

                                                                             Jeff Karstens 7+ IP, 7H, 1 ER.

Head Scratcher of the Game- Matt Diaz getting picked off of first base with Cutch at the plate. Instead of our best hitter having a runner on first and 1 1out, it was 0 on and 2 out. Gotta be smarter there.

Face Palm of the Night: Mr. Sunshine Greg freaking Brown. I have known for quite sometime that Mr. Sunshine is little more than a shill for the FO and a franchise cheerleader, but his behavior has gone from mildly annoying to utterly and completely out of hand. Last night, he continued to talk about the Bucs offense having a penchant for knocking around the "Best Pitchers in Baseball", including Wandy Rodriguez, who is apparently a 5'11" Randy Johnson. As I posted last night, the Bucs actually have not fared very well against the top 10 pitchers in the NL that they have actually faced this year. Ironically, Rodriguez only recently moved into the Top 10 in ERA as he had a slow start to the season and even with a 2.95 (now 3.25) ERA coming into the game, his career numbers were 68-68 with a 4.09 ERA. Not much better than Maholm and I would hardly consider him one of the best in all of baseball.

Poor MS Paint Rendering

Then there was the on-going plugs/ commercials for the Joel Hanrahan All-Star Jersey, which 1 random guy in the stands happened to be wearing and the camera JUST happened to find him. Then, after discussing the jersey's availability for a few innings, Mr. Sunshine and Steve Blass basically did a Pirates Shopping Network ad for the jersey mid-inning. I have NEVER seen Steiggy and Errey peddle merchandise during a broadcast and same goes for Hillgrove, outside of the standard tv/radio sponsorship ads. This is why the Bucs can continue to win but will always be a 3rd rate organization.

All-in-all, this was a good W for the Buccos and they have a chance to sweep the series while the Astros continue to spiral out of control. This is the time to rack up wins and try to gain some ground in the division.