tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49613630903628448562024-03-14T06:20:45.569-04:00Mutiny on the AlleghenyFade to Black...BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-81056351198425757992018-06-26T13:42:00.000-04:002018-06-26T13:42:10.920-04:00The Shell Game Continues...Welcome to 2018 enraged Pirate fans.
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Let's catch up from where we last left our beleaguered boys in Black and Gold:
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Andrew McCutchen: gone
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Gerrit Cole: gone
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Sean Rodriguez: back for more of that gloriously terrible fielding and sub .200 batting
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Standings: 4th place, 8.5 games back, and fading fast
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Bob Nutting, through his toady Frank the Tank:
Somehow asking for MORE MONEY for the upkeep and maintenance of his publically funded stadium!!!
Read the full letter in this story labelling the audacious request “Insane” if you want to get your blood really boiling. Consider for a moment how much this team has cut corners to keep their payroll as low as legitimately possible without facing sanctions from the Player’s Union and MLB, and then realize these two bit carnival hucksters are trying to fleece the public once more by get their hands into another cookie jar of public money.<br><br>
<a href="https://www.legalsportsreport.com/21429/pirates-think-money-pa-sports-betting-help/">Here Is The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Insane Stance On Sports Betting!</a>
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Pirates indeed!
Loot and Plunder be all the Nuttings and their stooges are looking for. Anyone else saying otherwise is just a fool hardy land lubber!
Pucks_and_Polshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362767382052376069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-8207408672997643452017-04-26T16:17:00.001-04:002017-04-26T16:24:21.707-04:00Not ColeThe Pirates lost a tough one last night, falling 1-0 to the defending World Champion Chicago Cubs despite a brilliant game pitched by staff ace Gerrit Cole. Despite putting up a wonderful effort that included 8 strikeouts, no walks, and only 2 hits over 7 innings, Cole took the very hard luck loss due to a double and a throwing error that allowed the Cubs Addison Russell to score the game's lone run. The Pirate bats could offer no support at all for their starter, and the loss dropped Cole to 1-3 on the season and the Pirates to a last place record of 8-12, 4 games under .500 and 4 behind the division leading Cubs. <br> Weak hitting. Poor fielding. Wasted opportunities. <br> Ladies and Gentlemen- Your 2017 Pittsburgh Pirates!Pucks_and_Polshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362767382052376069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-33921692183179085632017-04-25T11:24:00.000-04:002017-04-25T11:42:06.277-04:00The Ghost of K-droJust a quick hit here, the Pirates logic was they could not afford to bring back former 1st round pick Pedro Alvarez because they just could not find a position for him in the field, he lacked the range and arm to play 3rd base and the brains and positioning to play 1st. The errors in the field were just too costly to a (supposed) contending team, so they just had to cut bait and non-tendered him before last season, fielding integrity being just so important to this team. (Nothing at all with him being an upcoming free agent who could hit for power and therefore demand extra $$$, nope not that at all, it was all about his defense)<br><br>
Fast forward to the 1st 19 games of the 2017 season. The Pirates lead Major League baseball with a 19 errors, 1 per game. How much worse could the fielding possibly be with Pedro manning 1st base (or an outfield spot now that Marte is serving out his suspension?)The answer is, it couldn't. You literally cannot do worse than last place in the league in a category and that is where the Pirates are at, rock bottom. Last place in their division. Last place in team errors. And how much better would this lineup look with Pedro's undeniable power in it?<br><br>
This is not so much about Pedro, the admittedly flawed player. This is about him bringing something to the team that nobody else currently does, a legitimate pure power hitter. You know what he is from his time here: A liability in the field. Too many strikeouts. An average that is only going to be around .250. And, of course, around 25-30 homeruns per 160 games.<br> <br>
That line would most certainly look better from the plate than any combination of Josh Bell, John Jaso, and whatever other scrap heap replacement players they plug in at 1st this year. Look, Pedro wasn't going to be a savior, and there was a reason we dubbed him Kdro early on here. But when he did get hot, he was a legit scary weapon that Jaso never was and Bell likely never will be. <br> <br>
What is actually super frustrating as a fan is that he would have been relatively affordable to keep, but the organizational philosophy is what ended his career here with no return at all on a 1st round investment beyond his arbitrational eligible years. He is currently only making $2M and in AAA in the Orioles organization learning to play the outfield. They see the value in his bat and are trying to make it work out. The Pirates played up his flaws to the fanbase and showed him the door instead of paying to keep him around. They actually non-tendered him and let him go for nothing instead of working to fix him game, finding a spot for him, and reinvesting in him. They plug in cheap bad replacement guys and chug along. It is a formula for continued losing, and that is what we are seeing once again.
Pucks_and_Polshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362767382052376069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-76885457168781507382017-04-19T13:16:00.000-04:002017-04-19T13:21:22.362-04:00Marte Partay Suspended Indefinitely Just a quick hit here with some updates on how badly things have gotten for our Battling Buccos since our last update last August (dedicated fans don’t always make for dedicated bloggers and I do have a family, a personal life, and an actual championship contending Hockey team to keep me busy most days).<br /> <br>
The great (cost controlled) Center Fielder of the present and future Starling Marte was pinched for abusing the hardcore steroid nandrolone, a substance easily detectable by basic drug testing that stays in the system for months or even years and the head of infamous BALCO labs considered the “Kiss of Death” for tested athletes. Marte will be out 80 games (and more importantly if by chance this misfit squad gets that far, be ineligible for postseason play).<br /> <br>
Obviously the Pirates are not in charge of what Marte puts into his body and cannot be blamed for their guy getting nicked by the piss police. However, the loss of one of their best young players for such a significant chunk of time puts yet another dark cloud onto the already stormy horizon of this season and beyond. Jung Ho Kang, the once promising Korean infielder is also still missing as he battles legal troubles surrounding a 3rd drunk driving arrest in his homeland after last season’s comeback campaign was marred by other legal troubles here stateside involving sexual misconduct investigations. Between Kang and Marte this year’s version of the Pirates has not only become a lot worse as far as on field expectations, but also a whole lot less fun to cheer for, as they obviously are housing at least a few bad apples under their fold.<br /> <br>
Other than Marte himself, the player who is most directly affected by his unforeseen (and unpaid to Nutting’s delight) half season vacation will be erstwhile superstar and mildly discontented trade chip Andrew McCutchen. Cutch was immediately reinserted into his long held familiar territory of Center Field last night in St. Louis.<br /> <br>
Although McCutchen was the much beloved leader of the club during their glorious but brief 3 years of playoff existence after 2 decades of futility, he was unceremoniously shopped around last winter and told when he did return that he would be moved over from Center field to Right to make way for the emergent Marte. To anyone who has followed this team under the reign of Nutting, it was obvious last year that the worm had turned on Cutch, conveniently as he went from affordable to expensive at the back end of his large contract, and even the slightest downgrade in his on field performance was enough for the regime to begin the propaganda campaign of throwing him under the bus and getting ready to trade his salary to a team actually attempting to win a championship. Mark my words, he is certainly on his way out the door still soon, <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/sean-gentille/2017/04/18/starling-marte-PED-suspension-nandralone-andrew-mccutchen-trade-rumors-austin-meadows-pirates/stories/201704180171">and as Sean Gentille of the Post-Gazette has noted</a>, Marte’s ill-begotten attempt at pumping up his physique to late 90s McGwire/Bonds levels just sunk any remaining hope of a happy goodbye campaign for his fellow outfielder.<br /> <br>
So welcome back to the bad old days of Pirates baseball, I hope you fellow fans really enjoyed the brief respite of good fortune our team had for a few seasons, but fortune is a fickle mistress, and she appears to once again have abandoned the North Shore of our fair city to losing baseball and nefarious characters whom are hard to root much for. Who knows when the next shoe will drop and the next update will come, but perhaps by then John Jaso will actually have obtained a singular basehit in this cursed 2017 season. Cheers!
Pucks_and_Polshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362767382052376069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-23621575906068260462016-08-05T10:46:00.000-04:002016-08-05T15:28:20.473-04:00Welcome Back to the Bad Old DaysBefore last night’s utterly embarrassing loss to the hapless Braves, the Bravos had won an entire one (1!) singular series at home the entire 2016 season!<br>
<br>This is an abjectly terrible team that a supposed playoff contender just lost two out of three against. In isolation this would be bad, but when you factor in the extenuating circumstances, it is downright catastrophically bad. Remember when the mutli extra inning epic was lost in Atlanta on a terrible call by Jerry Meals and it seemed to suck the life right out of the (up untill then spunky) team and sent them into a tailspin for the rest of the season? This was worse. <br>
<br>First you had the trades (management throwing up its hands and giving up on the season). Then you had your star player benched for the entirety of the series because his manager just felt he didn't look right out there. Then you had John Jaso, the man brought in to give more effort than (former NL home run king)Pedro Alvarez and holding back the ultra-promising Joshua Bell at First Base, that John Jaso, the man who thinks he is somehow an actual Pirate and hits like he is wielding a fencing foil instead of a ball bat most days, that John Jaso hit into a back breaking double play and didn't even feign enough interest to leave the batter's box. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.<br>
<br>"Not Guilty till Proven" Kang also had a very costly error that surrendered two runs in the 8th. It is obvious that Kang’s head is not in the game right now, and he should certainly not be on the field for the obvious reasons surrounding his legal troubles and most likely him being an absolutely terrible person. But you know Billionaire Bob Nutting's philosophy is that if he is paying for something, he is darn well going squeeze every iota of value out of it, even if it offends the senses of the general public and does not lead to optimal results outside of his personal checking accounts. So Kang stays put while others are shipped out and buried. <br>
<br>Speaking of buried, the Pirates State Run media continues to run a campaign of dissonance against their own Star Pitcher Gerrit Cole. This has absolutely zero to do with Cole’s performance on the mound, where he has given up only three earned runs over 20 innings in his past three starts, and it has absolutely everything to do with his pending contract negotiations. And by negotiations we mean he will be low balled and ridiculed until the day he hits UFA (or is traded away) and will promptly sign an earth shattering mega deal with a real life Major League team while we here in Pittsburgh are left holding the embers of fading hope in our system, “the plan,” and those oh so valuable prospects who can only ever be traded if it is in a maneuver to dump and unload unwanted salary, and never ever, ever are to be touched for the purpose of acquiring major league talent to assist the major league team. <br>
<br>This team is done. They have won two of their past eight (and those two games were started by the falsely maligned Cole) and the actual results on the team’s psyche go much deeper than that. There will be no one and done wild card this year. There will be no hope. And if you really think that they are going to pour their savings on the contracts of the players they traded away into improving and putting a better team together this offseason, it is beyond my ability to describe to you how much you are not paying attention to the way this organization operates. They will stoke some interest and Just Miss(!) on some key acquisitions, but the obvious needs of the major league squad will be attempted to be filled in by bargain basement veterans and dirt cheap rookies. Why would next year be any different than this year? Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.
Pucks_and_Polshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362767382052376069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-84356111043681996452016-08-02T15:34:00.002-04:002017-04-19T12:29:13.414-04:00Whispers of discontent brewing?It has been fairly quiet on these once stormy seas for the past few seasons. <br>
<br>The Pirates under shrewd and cunning Captaincy of Neil Huntington have built a contending roster by combining cheap young elite talent with the right mix of savvy veterans, short term mercenary rentals, and reclamation projects to make the wildcard playoff game for 3 straight years. <br>
<br>Yes, the last two times that did not work out so well, as potentially contending team ran into an absolute buzzsaw Cy Young level performances by both Bumgarner and Arrieta that sunk them in the wanton cruelty of the one and done format, but fate can be a fickle mistress and the ship was at least tacking onto the correct course.<br>
<br>Flash forward to the first of August, 2016. The Pirates have already dumped off Mark the Shark for a bucket of krill and a powerball ticket. This was the same vaunted closer of whom they had promised us over the offseason they had chosen to pay over the likes of Neil Walker (a player on pace this season for 26 round trippers and endless disparagement by his former employers) whom they then traded to the Mets for Jon Niese the terrible (who they decided to sign to save some money and term on bringing back surprising 2nd half success J.A. Happ), whom the wizardly Ray Searage could not reclaim from the scrap heap, so then they dumped Niese back to Mets for the formerly successfully salvaged Antonio Bastardo. <br>
<br>So they essentially traded a guy they had targeted and traded for (Niese) by dealing a proven commodity they didn’t want to pay (Walker), instead of resigning another (more successful) guy (Happ), and then ended up trading another proven commodity they did want to pay instead (Melancon), and the guy they targeted didn’t work out (Niese), so they dumped him back to the team they traded the proven guy to (the Mets), for another guy they had decided not to resign cheap in the first place (Bastardo). Got it? <br>
<br>All in all, it was a convoluted shell game of a situation, it wasn’t exactly encouraging, but it all seemed more like reasonable and somewhat mirthful bad luck after a few years of pulling rabbits out of hats, and I was ready to laugh about it and move on with Ivan Nova in the wings. <br>
<br>And then we come to the Liriano trade. This is the one that stung. This is the one that brought back terrible flashbacks. Operation Shutdown. Dave Do-Littlefield. Sleepy John Russell. This was the kind of terrible, awful, no good, lousy, rancid, soul crushingly bad trade the Pirates made countless times from 1993 thru 2010 when they were engaged in the most futile losing streak in North American Professional Sports History. <br>
<br>I know Frankie was not having the best year. But for me he had become a symbol of the resurgence of the Pirates as a team, a walking representation of hope that when the time came to make the right decision, this management group and ownership would step forward and do the right thing. I remember where I was the day we signed him, on a snowy December day at an in-laws Christmas party, I heard it announced over the radio that Liriano had been signed. The prior year they had brought in A.J. Burnett on the cheap, a former elite level pitcher who had fallen out of good graces with the Evil Empire Yankees. It seemed with Liriano they would actually have a 1/2 combination of potentially elite pitching for the first time since Drabek and Smiley lead the way. <br>
<br>As much as Burnett and his Batman persona won over and connected mightily with a renewed and engaged fanbase, Liriano was the guy I was most excited to see come up in the rotation when I was going to a game. I have a thing for watching strikeout pitchers. Groundballs are great ways to get outs. Avoiding walks and pitching to soft contact is very smart. But to me there is nothing more exciting than seeing your guy go out there and dominate on a swing and a miss or freeze a guy with a spot on slider that brushes the corner with 2 strikes. <br>
<br>And Liriano was the guy I wanted on the mound in the biggest games. He was pitching a gem the night that will live forever in Pirates lore as the time Cueto dropped the ball. He was on the mound when I was there watching the Pirates take a 2 games to 1 lead over the Cardinals in the 2013 NLDS. He was the guy, that although he wasn’t pitching great this year, when he was pitching great he was a dominating strikeout artist, a key cog in a rotation even as a potential threat, if not an actual ace.<br>
<br>He was also the guy who had been given a legitimate top of the rotation starter contract by the Pirates. Frankie got paid, because he was an important part of a team that considered itself a true contender instead of a wait and hope for the prospects to come along pretender. <br>
<br>And now Frankie is gone. In a trade that can be considered by all but the most delusional of Nutting drones as nothing but an absolutely blatant salary dump. He was traded for an objectively worse (cheaper) pitcher. With two top 10 prospects going in the wrong direction! This from the team that has, in the words of Dan Hopper from <a href="http://www.bucsdugout.com/2016/8/2/12350226/francisco-liriano-trade-pirates">Buc’s Dugout</a>: “hoards prospects like they're delicate Faberge eggs handed down to them by Ol' Grampa Piratey after the Great War.” <br>
<br>Imagine if back in early June of this year, or heck, even before the season started, what the Pirates could have gotten in terms of Major League talent for 2 top 10 prospects from their widely praised farm system and a guy seen as a legitimate #2 starter for a championship contender. They certainly could have acquired alot more than a borderline back of the rotation guy like Drew Hutchinson. But the Pirates would never make that deal we are told by the Nuttingites, our valuable prospects are too valuable and important to the value of our valuable future. <br>
<br>Until it is time to save Billionaire Bob a few bucks. And that is the essential crux of my eternal frustration with the Pirates. It is great that they won the past few years on the cheap. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great seeing real and meaningful games playing out in the gorgeously set taxpayer funded stadium on the North Shore of the Allegheny. But if this is how the organization is still going to be run going forward, always looking to save a buck instead of acquiring the best Bucs for the bang, it may be a long time coming before we see the likes of those sort of games around here again.
Pucks_and_Polshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362767382052376069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-74195102678977896282013-08-02T23:02:00.003-04:002017-04-19T13:17:17.951-04:00And thus ended the Mutiny...Well, this blog certainly went out with a whimper and not with a bang. All things shall come to pass, and all things shall come to an end. The truth is, the driving force behind this blog was (primary) how bad the Pirates had sucked for so long; and (secondary) the lack of culpability we thought team management and ownership faced from the local mainstream media in their miserly ways leading to decades of losing well they sold us a bill of goods in a taxpayer funded cash machine of a ballpark. <br>
And the truth is, that pattern, which had so long frustrated those of us who ran this site, began to come to an end pretty much as soon as this blog was launched. The reason we started this project was not because we hated the Pirates, but because we loved them. They had been part of our lives since childhood (the early 90s) and seeing them (we felt intentionally) being run into a ditch season, after season, after season had lead to endless frustration for us as dedicated fans. Thus the Mutiny, as an offshoot of other blogs that we felt were giving too much credit to a unending pattern of consistent failure, was launched in 2011 in an effort to cultivate our passionate anger with the team's state of affairs, bond with like minded fans, and possibly do something to display our massive disapproval of how our Bucs were being run. <br>
The absolute last thing we thought we were witnessing during the summer of 2011 was the long awaited light at the end of the tunnel. But there it was, staring us in the face. When your raison d'etre is frustration with cheap and incompetent ownership denying your team any reasonable chance of winning, and the team starts to inexplicably win, it kind of takes the wind out of your little 'mutinys' sails. This incarnation of the Pirates is now most assuredly worth watching. And honestly, we are quite happy about that. We still discuss the Pirates over email, but like the Penguins and Steelers, it is pretty much focused on the product on the field, not a discussion of how much ownership is screwing us over. We have honestly lost the spirit of mutiny and are just regular fans in our seats again, cheering our team on. This is not a bad thing, it is a good thing. I will proudly take a failure of a blog concept and gladly watch my first place team in comfort. In retrospective, we had some fun, raised a little bit of cyber hell, and called it a day as the team got good again. Thanks to all the readers and especially the commentators who sought refuge here from the tyranny of the censored Smiz-Blog. <br> <br>
We have moved on, but we have not forgotten. My one personal regret is that I never got my chance to follow through on my plans to infiltrate the Pirates season ticket office for a guided tour at an attempt at some gonzo journalism. That certainly would have been interesting. If for some bizarre reason you actually miss my writing, I am relaunching my original hockey and politics blog <a href="http://pucksandpols.blogspot.com/">(pucks_and_pols)</a> <br>
So long, thanks for all the fish, and LETS GO BUCS!!!Pucks_and_Polshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362767382052376069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-42869834013145860902012-03-02T12:36:00.002-05:002012-03-02T12:42:48.615-05:00Suck for LuckAfter 19 years of embarrassment, it's not much of a reach to imagine Pirates fans are desperate for hope. The readers and writers of this blog are certainly no exception. We all HOPE the Pirates eventually turn it around and become a respectable organization that miraculously has a winning season. A winning season is one that ends with a team having won more games than it lost. I felt the need to elaborate as it has been SO LONG since the Pirates have won more games than they lost over an entire season. I guess I really didn't need to explain that, since the other teams in town manage to have such an occurrence on a fairly consistent basis.<br />
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With the recent injury to newly acquired AJ Burnett, many desperate fans have begun to speculate that luck is a driving force behind the Pirates misfortunes. You know, the same AJ Burnett who has had back to back seasons with a 5+ ERA, is 35 years old, and has had Tommy John Surgery. Now, nobody is attributing the entire collapse of the organization to bad luck. That would be foolish. But when a team has been down so long, it is hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. <br />
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The amazing thing is, there are many people who do see that light and think it is not that far away. I have written here before about my astonishment at the number of people who think WE are crazy for thinking a team that hasn't had a winning season in 19 going on 20 seasons is not run properly. There have a been a myriad of excuses to support the current FO team and their actions. Blaming Littlfield and McClatchy is reasonable; they were certainly not making the team any better. Blaming luck because of an injury to a washed up pitcher that probably would have been relegated to the bullpen by September seems ludicrous to me. <br />
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Maybe it is my overall bitterness to the 19, going on 20, straight seasons of losing baseball. I can't imagine why.... After all, we are <em>lucky </em>to just have a team. The previous GM sucked. The previous "principal owner" sucked. The current group has obviously done a much better job, judging by losing 390 games the last 4 seasons. That is improvement to some people, I guess. <br />
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Maybe I am clearly an idiot for thinking that a team who hasn't won more games than they lost for 19, going on 20, straight seasons is not worthy of praise. <br />
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This past NFL season, a handful of struggling teams were "vying" for the top spot in the 2012 draft ( sound familiar?). The coveted prospect they so desperately wanted to acquire is Andrew Luck, the outstanding Stanford quarterback who most believe will be an NFL superstar. Ultimately, the Indianapolis Colts won the "Suck For Luck" Sweepstakes by finishing with the worst record and securing the top spot in the NFL Draft, almost certain to be used on Luck. However, Luck is far from a sure thing. <br />
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For 11 straight years ( not including having the #8 pick in 2012), the Bucs have had a Top 11 pick with two #1's, two #2's, and three #4's. They have had top 20 pick every year since 1994. Despite having such high picks over the years, the Bucs have little to show for it, nothing to show if you are looking for a winning season. The Pirates haven't had one of those in 19, going on 20, seasons. <br />
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Recently, this was blamed partially on luck as in many years, the "once in a lifetime player" was JUST out of reach for the Bucs. That is impressive, considering they have had 6 top 5 picks in a row. With the #1 pick in 2002, the Bucs took Brian Bullington, who never lived up to the hype of being a #3 starter. They chose him over BJ Upton, Prince Fielder, Zach Greinke, Cole Hamels, Jeff Francoeur, and others. I don't know if you can chalk that up to bad luck.<br />
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But that was with a different "principal owner" and GM. Things have changed since then, despite not having the W/L record to prove it. After all, the Pirates haven't had more wins than losses for 19, going on 20, straight losing seasons. Why should the last 4 matter? In the end, it is all just a matter of luck.BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-62081990043319938162012-02-24T09:28:00.003-05:002012-02-24T09:45:46.451-05:00Frank the TankWhere to begin? Saying it has been a long time would be a gross understatement. Plenty has transpired since our last post, both in the world of Pirates baseball and in our personal lives. I found it of little use to post information of the free agent signings this offseason as they were not much of a splash nor an aberration from what we've come to expect from this ballclub. I had a good chuckle over the Bucs taking GI Jones to arbitration over $225K and have little insight on the acquisition of over the hill AJ Burnett.<br />
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But I could not ignore the latest PR debacle that has fallen upon the PBC:<br />
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Team President Frank Coonelly Arrested for DUI. <br />
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Pardon the one sentence paragraph; I swear I'm not trying to ripoff Ron Cook.<br />
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Not only was Frank Coonelly arrested for a DUI, his citations also included reckless driving, driving with a revoked or suspended license, and driving the wrong way. This account of activities actually leaves us with more questions than answers. But having ZERO journalistic ability, let alone credentials, unanswered questions is the best I can do right now.<br />
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On to the questions. First off, what is the substance behind the "driving with a suspended or revoked license" charge and why was it thrown out? DK's original story on the matter didn't even mention this charge, which I would consider to be an egregious oversight. Even if the charge was dropped, why was it submitted in the first place? Was this not FC's first DUI? Without any further information on the matter, we can only jump to conclusions. For all we know, he may have forgotten to renew his license and it was expired. On the other hand, it;'s possible this wasn't Frank the Tank's first Wrong Way Rodeo on the 279 off ramp.<br />
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My next question is another that, will also likely remained unanswered for some time: How the hell did this story go two months without seeing the light of day? I have taken into consideration the fact that the Pirates have secretly extended employees in the past but I also know that there is thing called police blotter. There a number of local outlets that report every arrest made by PD's in the area, especially DUI's. But this story never made print. Did the Pirates PR department squash it or was the Ross PD lax in their reporting? <br />
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In my opinion, those are two questions that need answered in order for the fans and public to understand the scope of events. If this was some Joe Lawyer partner of a local law firm, most people wouldn't give a hoot. If it was Stephen Zappala, I would imagine there would be a public outcry for his resignation. I venture to say the Coonelly's status falls somewhere in the middle. While he is not the DA that we trust to put dangerous criminals behind bars to protect us from them, Coonelly is a highly visible public figure working in an office in a ballpark funded by public money. The success of his employer is highly predicated on public goodwill; not only from the players on the field but also the individuals who decide who those players will be and sign their paychecks. <br />
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In all honesty, Frank Coonelly seems like a nice guy. But I don't trust him as far I could throw him and considering I'm all of 5'11'' 185 lbs and he's got a good 3 inches and 20+ pounds on me, that wouldn't be a lengthy toss (although still better than the one Barry Lamarr Bonds made on the Day the Franchise Died). FC has never built up any amount of goodwill among the fans of our dreaded ballclub due to his asinine proclamations and outright lies. That is how he earned his original nickname on the Mutiny, one we haven't backed down from even though it is slander to publicly call someone a liar if they hadn't actually lied and a.) the Pirates are not above bullying an outfit like ours and b.) we cannot afford to be sued. Given those facts and circumstances, we still feel safe calling him the Lying Liar but our glossary is certainly going to be adding a new alternative nickname.<br />
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Considering those same vital statistics mentioned above, Frank the Tank was not merely driving buzzed. A .16 BAC is not merely a few cocktails or a couple beers over a couple hours. For a guy his size, that's a solid 9-10 drinks, according to this chart: <a href="http://www.lcbapps.lcb.state.pa.us/webapp/edu/0.8PercentUPDATE.ASP">http://www.lcbapps.lcb.state.pa.us/webapp/edu/0.8PercentUPDATE.ASP</a>. He had to be bombed when they pulled him over and he is damn lucky that he did not hurt himself or anybody else. <br />
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While the suspended license and the curious delay of the story's release are the two biggest questions right now, I also wonder how DK got this information. I believe DK to be the best sportswriter in Pittsburgh by a long shot, but I do feel that since his transition to the Trib, he has been far too generous to the Pirates. I have yet to read today's column in it's entirety, but it appears that he is a times coming to Coonelly's defense and more or less making excuses for him. In other instances, he is scathing in his criticism of FC's choices and the team's mishanlding of the situation. <br />
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But DK's initial report adds another question to the pile, along with whether FC's job should be safe. This is a question that has existed long before this DUI fiasco: Why does the local media seemingly give the Pirates a free pass?BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-64561224251255048372011-11-04T12:08:00.000-04:002011-11-04T12:08:11.784-04:00Come Together<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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!!!<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that money saved would be spent on bringing in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">better</span></i> 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. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not go to the games</span></i>, 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. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pirates Nation Rise UP!!! You have nothing to lose but more baseball seasons, 19 and counting. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Any comments, suggestions, solutions, etc can be sent to <a href="mailto:mutinyontheallegheny@gmail.com">mutinyontheallegheny@gmail.com</a> </span></span>BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com77tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-4060576298445972492011-09-20T09:26:00.000-04:002011-09-20T09:26:40.173-04:00(NO) MoneyballWell 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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Wait, those have both been released? Really? Next you're going to tell me that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1289401/">Ghostbusters III</a> is going to be green lit before the Bucs have a winning season............<br />
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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?BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-10221405975620245432011-09-14T22:43:00.002-04:002011-09-14T22:58:34.062-04:0019 years and countingFollowing Wednesday's 3-2 loss to St. Louis, the Pirates dropped their 82nd game this season.<br />Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, Pittsburgh will finish below .500 for the 19th consecutive year.<br />In the aforementioned stretch of bad baseball, the Buccos' closest 79 wins in 1997 and 78 in 1999.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />Al Martin wasn't bad, but they just couldn't quite put it together. That team wasn't the best fielding club, either.<br />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.<br />Even with all that, Pittsburgh's hasn't seen winning baseball since '92.<br />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.<br />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.<br />I say it will be a long time before we see winning baseball in Pittsburgh. I may be drawing social security by then.<br />Eh, maybe not.JMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14230583441678923349noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-49723164067256046412011-09-14T08:46:00.000-04:002011-09-14T08:46:36.923-04:00On The VergeAfter 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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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After the game, LaRussa was about to address the call but passed out drunk behind his desk because he thought it was his Cadillac.BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-83435296725479499582011-09-12T09:58:00.001-04:002011-09-12T10:00:37.445-04:00Three More Years of Opie<img class="rg_i" data-src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTkAVUOFJYJC6QZtJiKEDRXVJcKO8sn49SrH_CT7wnJxrXrHP-8mQ" data-sz="f" height="166" name="c_7sLAmWhKkT7M:" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTkAVUOFJYJC6QZtJiKEDRXVJcKO8sn49SrH_CT7wnJxrXrHP-8mQ" width="248" /><img class="rg_hi" data-height="188" data-width="220" height="188" id="rg_hi" 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" 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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">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.</div><br />
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 @$$,.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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?<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-11005750467721076602011-09-08T09:28:00.001-04:002011-09-08T09:30:48.906-04:00What Should We Expect in 2012?In a quick few words: more of the same. <br />
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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. <br />
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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<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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#1) What to do with First Base? <br />
#2.) How would you handle Maholm and Doumit in the off-season? <br />
#3.) What do you expect to see from Pedro Alvarez in 2012?<br />
#4.) How do you expect the starting pitchers to fare in 2012?<br />
#5.) What should the Bucs do with SS?<br />
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My answers:<br />
#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.<br />
#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 <em>them</em>. 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<em>,</em> cause he's <em>fragile</em> , especially for $7.25M.<br />
#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.<br />
#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.<br />
#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.<br />
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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.)BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-41705551063603472172011-09-06T09:33:00.000-04:002011-09-06T09:33:32.921-04:00D-Lee for MVPWhat 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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This has been a nice little run from the Bucs. While there is nothing really left to salvage, there are some questions worth asking. <br />
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#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. <br />
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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<br />
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#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.<br />
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#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. <br />
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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. <br />
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It's just REALLY hard to say when that day might beBurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-54348321151231366142011-09-04T13:57:00.002-04:002011-09-04T14:42:44.751-04:00Pirates' marketing department is the best in baseballThe Pirates are first in baseball at one thing: Marketing.
<br />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.
<br />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.
<br />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.
<br />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.
<br />I give them props for getting people to the game and making money. Although, they are not concerned with the product on the field.
<br />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.
<br />I don't know how it was 30 years ago at sporting events, but times sure have changed.
<br />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.
<br />JMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14230583441678923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-49682264036149942312011-08-31T08:25:00.000-04:002011-08-31T08:25:35.117-04:00Eulogy: Here Lies The 2011 PiratesIt 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. <br />
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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 <em>other</em> 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 <em>baseballii suckitus, </em>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. <br />
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The Bucs continued to play inspired baseball before dropping 6 straight games and receiving a second opinion from local experts saying that <em>Small Market Syndrome</em> 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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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Also, IT WAS A FLUKE.<br />
BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-2300810025279528492011-08-28T13:17:00.003-04:002011-08-28T13:27:57.863-04:00Lincoln gets first W of seasonAfter 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.
<br />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).
<br />Carpenter hasn't had a Cy-Young calibier season, although he is still tough to beat, especially for the Bucs.
<br />Pittsburgh (62-70) had 11 hits and took control of the game in the fourth when it put up four runs.
<br />Lincoln got into the act in the fourth with a two-run double. Neil Walker hit his 11th homer of the year.
<br />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.
<br />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.
<br />Jeff Karstens is on the mound this afternoon for the finale.
<br />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.
<br />For those of you who are keeping score, Pittsburgh would have to go 22-10 in the final 32 to break .500.
<br />It won't happen.
<br />JMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14230583441678923349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-69150989388473949042011-08-27T16:58:00.002-04:002011-08-27T17:00:22.154-04:00A simple questionIf 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?
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<br />JMGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14230583441678923349noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-86009745346566368512011-08-26T11:16:00.001-04:002011-08-26T11:17:40.617-04:00Acquisition versus Utilization of Resources<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRO4uZfqbTAfXaYkSiFDmNuZR0-ouMvpMfvNpkwxdovCT3Ksi-By_MfSnNByWGfz1WMPQPowQB65ka3PNaEyLRV2zT6w1xTtdoinR508IQqmY0u-jyBFmufY3DgicZM-eeoBMjCLyprHY/s1600/Dust+Bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="252px" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRO4uZfqbTAfXaYkSiFDmNuZR0-ouMvpMfvNpkwxdovCT3Ksi-By_MfSnNByWGfz1WMPQPowQB65ka3PNaEyLRV2zT6w1xTtdoinR508IQqmY0u-jyBFmufY3DgicZM-eeoBMjCLyprHY/s320/Dust+Bowl.jpg" width="320px" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">(Pirate Farmland before <s>Albert Einstein</s> Neal Huntington’s Coronation)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">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<sup>st</sup> 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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that situation is exceedingly rare, but the division rival Astros grabbed Roy Oswalt in the 23<sup>rd</sup> Round in 1996 and the Cardinals only had to spend a 13<sup>th</sup> Round pick in 1999 to acquire sure fire hall of famer Albert Pujols. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. </span></div>Pucks_and_Polshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362767382052376069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-83378628844301546022011-08-25T08:08:00.001-04:002011-08-25T08:12:52.638-04:00A Breath Of Fresh AirWith 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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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.BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-1584365682025532502011-08-24T07:44:00.000-04:002011-08-24T07:44:50.103-04:00Shake, Rattle, and Rolled OverAccording 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.<br />
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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!<br />
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1.) Why can't the Bucs beat the Brewers?<br />
2.) Which NL Central Squad do you loathe the most?<br />
3.) Which NL Central player do you loathe the most?<br />
4.) What will the Bucs final record be for 2011?<br />
5.) Which player on the current Major League roster will have the best career, either as a Pirate or otherwise?<br />
6.) Which player currently in the Bucs minor league system will have the best Major League career?<br />
7.) What was Huntington's best move as GM and why?<br />
8.) What was his worst?<br />
9.) What the worst roster move of the last 19 years?<br />
10.) Who should the Bucs target in free agency during the upcoming offseason?BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-43857225628560524662011-08-23T08:02:00.001-04:002011-08-23T08:05:28.598-04:00SplitsvilleWhile 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.<br />
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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 <strike>Mike</strike> 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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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. BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961363090362844856.post-46255573617987124122011-08-22T08:36:00.000-04:002011-08-22T08:36:23.843-04:00Back In BlackOnce 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. <br />
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Although this may be a BIT of an understatement, a great deal has transpired in the world of Pirates baseball since my last post:<br />
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- The Bucs were swept at the House of Horrors, then came home to take 2 out of 3 from the Cardinals. <br />
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- #1 Pick Gerrit Cole and 2nd Round Pick Josh Bell both signed with the Bucs.<br />
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- Jose Tabata received a lengthy contract extension that could keep him here through 2019<br />
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-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<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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: <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11234/1168972-63.stm">Jose Tabata is happy in Pittsburgh, and he was willing to take less money to prove it.</a> 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. <br />
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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.<br />
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BurressWithButterflywingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12466557816631165674noreply@blogger.com3