With the First overall pick in yesterday's MLB Draft the Bucs selected UCLA hurler Gerritt Cole. While I can't say I disagree with this pick nor the organization's method to stockpile the system with high level pitching talent, I must say that his record and ERA are unsettling to me. Cole, as SmizBlog pointed out, was the 4th best pitcher on UCLA's staff and while record, his being 6-8, is not the ultimate indicator of a pitcher's ability, his ERA was 3.31. That wouldn't be Top 30 in the MLB right now. So how does that translate to a future of dominating the best hitters in the world? Well, the book is wide open on that one. While I believe a pitcher's record can be deceiving . Paraphrasing Pucks_and_Pols, a pitcher's record should not be ignored as it is a great indicator of what a pitcher is really made of and that is the absolute truth.
Overall, theselection of Cole makes a lot of sense on a lot of fronts. Top level pitching is a high priority in Major League Baseball. A string of aces, which is what the Bucs are attempting to create with Morton, Taillon, Allie, Heredia, and Cole, can carry a franchise a la the 90's Braves. They will also make great trade pieces when the Bucs are in need of a couple 26-27 year old career Double-A and Triple-A utility players. In all seriousness, though, organizational stability can be built for the long term through strong pitching and developing that talent in house is the best way for a smaller market team to compete against the Evil Empire and it's counterparts, who ironically cry poor when they come up against each other.
The only real objection I have is that the Bucs organization is bereft of power bats. Walker and Cutch are great run producers but I do not see them projecting as 4 and 5 hitters. Walker seems more suited as a 2 and Cutch as a 3 to me. Kdro should be the cleanup guy in waiting,but all he seems to be cleaining up is All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Specials. I said this in a PM to Pucks_and_Pols and I will reiterate: Pedro Alvarez will one day be an excellent Major League power hitter, but he will not do it in a Pirates uniform. Seeing his approach, the way he carries himself into the batter's box, I just see him as a Jason Schmidt type "do what I can to get out of here in one piece then thrive elsewhere" type of guy,. He held the franchise hostage for record money and certainly hasn't looked worth it thus far.
Cutch has something about him that tells me he is going to do his best work here in the Burgh. He is confident in his abilities, but nowhere close to cocky in my opinion. He wants to win more than anything and puts it all on the line every night. Same with Walker, although it is different for a hometown kid to want to be here; at least it would be for me. I have heard Walker speak on a number of occassions and I think we are cut from the same mold, except instead of being 6-3 215 and a #1 draft pick I am 5-11 180 with a half dozen Farm League and Little League All-Star tournaments under my belt. Tabata is more difficult for me to figure out, he showed last season he could be a potential All-Star but this year is struggling mightily against righties, although it makes me think he may have a nagging injury. Then I remember this incident as proof he might not be all there mentally. I also believe that serves as proof he is 4 or 5 years older than he is listed. But I digress.
My point, after getting a slight bit off track as always, is that the Bucs are rightfully stocking up on arms but are lacking in terms of bats. That's just the nature of baseball, though, for small market teams. While you will get no objection from me that Bucs are cheap, they are certainly a small market team and can't afford Lee, Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt. Not many teams really can and the Phillies really can't, either. So good luck to Gerritt Cole and hopefully his arm stays intact. The MLB draft is a huge gamble and there is no such thing as a sure thing. Strasburg hasn't pitched since the middle of last summer and he was touted as Randy Johnson and Bob Gibson's love child. But hitting or missing on a first round pick doesn't define a team, finding Pujols in the 13th round or Mike Piazza in the 62nd does.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Winning Weekend
Despite yetesrday's L to the Phillies, the Bucs had a pretty good weekend in taking 2 out of 3 from the NL's top team ( and MLB's 2nd highest paid).Droves of Phillies fans were in attendance throughout the series, driving ticket sales through the roof and leading to a record crowd Saturday Night. Nuthouse immediately called Bud Selig to see if EVERY home series could be played against the Phillies.
Friday Night's game was the definition of a pitcher's duel featuring Cole Hamels vs. Jeff Karstens. While Karstens has been serviceable, Hamels is one of the top pitchers in baseball. Through 8 innings, the Bucs managed 1 run and 1 hit vs. Hamels but Karstens, ever the competitor, was equal to the task. After only 2:05 of baseball time, 9 innings had gone by and extra innings were upon us. The Bucs threatened to end the game during the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings, but could not get that winning run home. In bottom of the 12th, with 2 outs, Xavier Paul drove a 3-1 pitch into center field to give the Bucs a baserunner. Paul then stole second before Jose Tabata swatted a hot shot to the right side. A diving Chase Utley nearly came up with the ball, but it got through to RF and the throw home was not in time. Mr. Sunshine had the loudest orgasm in baseball history. RTJR. Bucs 2, Phils 1.
Saturday night had a bit of a different feel to it as the Bucs actually managed to carve out some runs for Charlie Morton, who was excellent yet again. Despite some terrible calls both helping Philly get on the board and keeping the Bucs off of it, they kept their collective head above water. Overpaid was a Home Run short of the cycle and Cutch added 2 RBIs. Morton went 7 innings, surrendering 2 ER and upping his season record to 6-2. Hanrahan worked the 9th for what I believed was his 15th save in 15th attempts. That, however, was not the case but the game still ended with the same result: another W over the league leading Phillies. Bucs 6, Phillies 3. This win gave the Bucs the series regardless of the next game's outcome. This was great because of the all the Filthy natives who trekked across the commonwealth to see their team lose!
Sunday's game was more of what you would expect in a series like this. Seeing as they already had the series won, the Bucs had nothing to play for except for reaching .500 after June 1 for only the 2nd time since PNC Park opened. Knowing the Bucs history in games where they could reach .500 and in games where they have nothing to play for (basically all of them), this one was setting up to be a stinker. Add in Harry Leroy Halladay taking to bump for the opposition and it was almost a given that an L was looming.
It didn't look that way early, though, as The Pride of PR gave the Bucs a 2-0 lead by whacking a HR in the bottom of the 1st. J-Mac decided to take the opposite route of Morton and Karstens, though, and virtually gave the game away. While he only gave up 3ER, J Mac also managed to only work 4+ IP, walking 5 and striking out 3. He was trouble all day, but managed to work out of it in the 3rd and 4th. However, he didn't even manage an out in the 5th and the Phils took a 3-2 lead. They would not look back as the Bucs did little against Halladay the rest of the way, seeing him go 7IP with 2ER, both in the 1st inning. On a bright note, Daniel Moskos worked 1.1 scoreless innings, and after notching his first MLB win in Friday's 12 inning marathon, kept his ERA at a Blutarsky-esque 0.00. Ascanio, though, was as bad as Moskos was good, giving up 3 hits and a run in 1/3 IP and raising his ERA to 7.11 for the season. How this guy is still in the Majors is beyond me. Oh wait, he plays for the Bucs! Just for good measure, the Guy Who Cried gave up 2 more runs to put it out of reach. Final count: Phils 7, Bucs 3.
This series had Nutters singing in the aisles. We can play with the Phillies, they said. However, the Phils came in a struggling club having lost 2 in a row and had not been hitting well all season. Morton's performance is certainly worthy of praise. Overpaid has been playing well enough to be traded next month, as well. even with his 6th error the season yesterday. After an off day today, the Bucs will face the 1st place Dbacks and potentially could see former Only Hope Zach Duke staring them down in one of those games. I always was a fan of Duke and his work ethic and am happy to see he is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 2 starts this season.
While the Nutters praise on high after an agreeably gratifying series win over Filthy, this team still has much to prove. No matter what other mangers say or how many headlines the PG wants to make out of it, the Bucs are still not as close to turning the corner as people think. A lot of their W's this year have been more of a case of the other team losing than the Bucs actually winning. Over 162 games, I am sure things will even out.
Friday Night's game was the definition of a pitcher's duel featuring Cole Hamels vs. Jeff Karstens. While Karstens has been serviceable, Hamels is one of the top pitchers in baseball. Through 8 innings, the Bucs managed 1 run and 1 hit vs. Hamels but Karstens, ever the competitor, was equal to the task. After only 2:05 of baseball time, 9 innings had gone by and extra innings were upon us. The Bucs threatened to end the game during the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings, but could not get that winning run home. In bottom of the 12th, with 2 outs, Xavier Paul drove a 3-1 pitch into center field to give the Bucs a baserunner. Paul then stole second before Jose Tabata swatted a hot shot to the right side. A diving Chase Utley nearly came up with the ball, but it got through to RF and the throw home was not in time. Mr. Sunshine had the loudest orgasm in baseball history. RTJR. Bucs 2, Phils 1.
Saturday night had a bit of a different feel to it as the Bucs actually managed to carve out some runs for Charlie Morton, who was excellent yet again. Despite some terrible calls both helping Philly get on the board and keeping the Bucs off of it, they kept their collective head above water. Overpaid was a Home Run short of the cycle and Cutch added 2 RBIs. Morton went 7 innings, surrendering 2 ER and upping his season record to 6-2. Hanrahan worked the 9th for what I believed was his 15th save in 15th attempts. That, however, was not the case but the game still ended with the same result: another W over the league leading Phillies. Bucs 6, Phillies 3. This win gave the Bucs the series regardless of the next game's outcome. This was great because of the all the Filthy natives who trekked across the commonwealth to see their team lose!
Sunday's game was more of what you would expect in a series like this. Seeing as they already had the series won, the Bucs had nothing to play for except for reaching .500 after June 1 for only the 2nd time since PNC Park opened. Knowing the Bucs history in games where they could reach .500 and in games where they have nothing to play for (basically all of them), this one was setting up to be a stinker. Add in Harry Leroy Halladay taking to bump for the opposition and it was almost a given that an L was looming.
It didn't look that way early, though, as The Pride of PR gave the Bucs a 2-0 lead by whacking a HR in the bottom of the 1st. J-Mac decided to take the opposite route of Morton and Karstens, though, and virtually gave the game away. While he only gave up 3ER, J Mac also managed to only work 4+ IP, walking 5 and striking out 3. He was trouble all day, but managed to work out of it in the 3rd and 4th. However, he didn't even manage an out in the 5th and the Phils took a 3-2 lead. They would not look back as the Bucs did little against Halladay the rest of the way, seeing him go 7IP with 2ER, both in the 1st inning. On a bright note, Daniel Moskos worked 1.1 scoreless innings, and after notching his first MLB win in Friday's 12 inning marathon, kept his ERA at a Blutarsky-esque 0.00. Ascanio, though, was as bad as Moskos was good, giving up 3 hits and a run in 1/3 IP and raising his ERA to 7.11 for the season. How this guy is still in the Majors is beyond me. Oh wait, he plays for the Bucs! Just for good measure, the Guy Who Cried gave up 2 more runs to put it out of reach. Final count: Phils 7, Bucs 3.
This series had Nutters singing in the aisles. We can play with the Phillies, they said. However, the Phils came in a struggling club having lost 2 in a row and had not been hitting well all season. Morton's performance is certainly worthy of praise. Overpaid has been playing well enough to be traded next month, as well. even with his 6th error the season yesterday. After an off day today, the Bucs will face the 1st place Dbacks and potentially could see former Only Hope Zach Duke staring them down in one of those games. I always was a fan of Duke and his work ethic and am happy to see he is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 2 starts this season.
While the Nutters praise on high after an agreeably gratifying series win over Filthy, this team still has much to prove. No matter what other mangers say or how many headlines the PG wants to make out of it, the Bucs are still not as close to turning the corner as people think. A lot of their W's this year have been more of a case of the other team losing than the Bucs actually winning. Over 162 games, I am sure things will even out.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Spiraling Out of Control
I like these afternoon games because I can tune in for the radio broadcasts and listen while I plug away at work.
Yesterday was an epic collapse, not just to give up the 7-0 lead, but the manner in which they did so.
After Mr. Sunshine damn near had an orgasm on air when Walker hit his homerun to put the Bucs up by 6 I thought to myself, wouldn't it be funny if Mr. No Run Support Maholm managed to blow this one after all those game that he pitched well, but not well enough to win.
Beltran's 3 run homer in the 3rd was a little disappointing, but acceptable. You throw strikes with a big lead, and sometimes you get dinged for it. Maholm got out of that inning and you figured he’d still be able to hold a 4 run lead down, no problem, right?
Beltran got things going for the Mets again in the 6th with a lead off double, but then after walking J-Bay, Maholm got Pagan to fly out and the runner moved over on a ground out by Paulino. It seemed that the Bucs would escape unscathed. Evans walking to load the bases should have been the sign right there that Maholm was done. Instead he was left out there to dry by his manager and gave up two bloop singles to cut the lead down to 7-6.
A coworker at this point then commented that Diaz’s error could be costly because Tejada moved to 3rd and could now score on a wild pitch or passed ball. That is exactly what occurred and I then proceeded to ask that same coworker for Powerball predictions for Saturday night. IF the #s come up 7-18-26-43-51 PB-44 you will never see me blogging again, I’ll be living down on some Caribbean Island somewhere starting Monday.
I don’t think it took great clairvoyance at this point though to realize that this was not going to end well for the Pirates. Any time Jogging Ronny Paulino can give up 3 stolen bases in the 1st two innings and be the relatively stalwart defensive Catcher for the game, you know your team has a problem.
The 8th inning provided more Super Trooper level shenanigans for the Buccos. The aforementioned fatso Paulino managed to single to start the inning. Then things got Area 51 level weird. I’m going off of memory of half-heartedly listening here, but I believe the Mets brought in a pinch runner forUsain Bolt Ronny Paulino and a pitcher to presumably lay down a sac-bunt. Pitcher fails to do so, but in the process draws a balk that moves the runner to second with no sacrificial lambs needed. So the backup catcher is brought in to pinch hit, since he would have to be entering the game anyway next inning to replace Paulino. A wild pitch is then uncorked by the Bucs hurler, moving the runner to 3rd. The replacement batter then manages to draw a walk, so you have 1st and 3rd, no outs after a solitary single, and a sac fly draws in the run and moves the runner to 2nd on a dumb play by McCutchen to not just throw to the base. 8-7 Mets. Next guy up is walked intentionally. The guy after him is walked unintentionally. Bases loaded again. For the inning that is 5 runners, 7 batters up , and 1 statistical at bat so far. The next guy fouls out, but then the eventual game winning run is walked in with the Bases loaded.
The way the Pirates blew this game is beyond mind boggling. It stretches the fabric of space time relativity and makes you wonder if the team is just plain cursed with some sort of evil voodoo hex.I know Maholm has pitched statistically well and it’s not all his fault when the team doesn’t score runs around him. Call me old school though, but I think there is something to be said for pitching well enough for your team to actually secure the W. He isn’t pitching these games in a statistical bubbledome. It’s an actual real life competition where you are part of a team trying to outduel the other guys on the field. He is very well compensated to get out there and be a competitor. I just don’t see any fire in his eyes or blood in his guts.
A lot of the local media I’ve listened in the past 24 hours have given him, and the Pirates, a pass on this latest blowup as an “anomaly” and “one of those things that happen in the course of a baseball season.” I’m here to tell you folks, it’s kind of attitude that has us staring down the long road to a 19th, and most likely a 20th losing season in a row for this ballclub. I’d rather have some lunatic raving about how they need to blow things up and start all over after a loss like this, then a resigned acceptance that this is one of those things that just happens.
Anytime fans get up some semblance of hope, the Pirates stomp a boot back down on their face.
I, for one, am horribly sick of it.
Yesterday was an epic collapse, not just to give up the 7-0 lead, but the manner in which they did so.
After Mr. Sunshine damn near had an orgasm on air when Walker hit his homerun to put the Bucs up by 6 I thought to myself, wouldn't it be funny if Mr. No Run Support Maholm managed to blow this one after all those game that he pitched well, but not well enough to win.
Beltran's 3 run homer in the 3rd was a little disappointing, but acceptable. You throw strikes with a big lead, and sometimes you get dinged for it. Maholm got out of that inning and you figured he’d still be able to hold a 4 run lead down, no problem, right?
Beltran got things going for the Mets again in the 6th with a lead off double, but then after walking J-Bay, Maholm got Pagan to fly out and the runner moved over on a ground out by Paulino. It seemed that the Bucs would escape unscathed. Evans walking to load the bases should have been the sign right there that Maholm was done. Instead he was left out there to dry by his manager and gave up two bloop singles to cut the lead down to 7-6.
A coworker at this point then commented that Diaz’s error could be costly because Tejada moved to 3rd and could now score on a wild pitch or passed ball. That is exactly what occurred and I then proceeded to ask that same coworker for Powerball predictions for Saturday night. IF the #s come up 7-18-26-43-51 PB-44 you will never see me blogging again, I’ll be living down on some Caribbean Island somewhere starting Monday.
I don’t think it took great clairvoyance at this point though to realize that this was not going to end well for the Pirates. Any time Jogging Ronny Paulino can give up 3 stolen bases in the 1st two innings and be the relatively stalwart defensive Catcher for the game, you know your team has a problem.
The 8th inning provided more Super Trooper level shenanigans for the Buccos. The aforementioned fatso Paulino managed to single to start the inning. Then things got Area 51 level weird. I’m going off of memory of half-heartedly listening here, but I believe the Mets brought in a pinch runner for
The way the Pirates blew this game is beyond mind boggling. It stretches the fabric of space time relativity and makes you wonder if the team is just plain cursed with some sort of evil voodoo hex.I know Maholm has pitched statistically well and it’s not all his fault when the team doesn’t score runs around him. Call me old school though, but I think there is something to be said for pitching well enough for your team to actually secure the W. He isn’t pitching these games in a statistical bubbledome. It’s an actual real life competition where you are part of a team trying to outduel the other guys on the field. He is very well compensated to get out there and be a competitor. I just don’t see any fire in his eyes or blood in his guts.
A lot of the local media I’ve listened in the past 24 hours have given him, and the Pirates, a pass on this latest blowup as an “anomaly” and “one of those things that happen in the course of a baseball season.” I’m here to tell you folks, it’s kind of attitude that has us staring down the long road to a 19th, and most likely a 20th losing season in a row for this ballclub. I’d rather have some lunatic raving about how they need to blow things up and start all over after a loss like this, then a resigned acceptance that this is one of those things that just happens.
Anytime fans get up some semblance of hope, the Pirates stomp a boot back down on their face.
I, for one, am horribly sick of it.
More Than Words
I said at the end of my recap of Wednesday's game that this team hasn't won anything and was still 2 games under .500. Now they are 3 games under, but it's how they got there that is truly quite special. Following the Pirates since as long as I can remember, the paradigm has certainly shifted since the Glory Years, at least as far as quality of play and expectations are concerned. We are so mired in this nearly 2 decades long losing streak that we are pining not for a playoff berth but a season in which we close the book with the same amount of L's and W's.
Many times during each of the last 19 seasons, the Bucs appear to hit bottom. Normally, that first plummet is a mere mirage, followed by many more trips to depths baseball futility.The Pirates have made losing an art form and finding new, unfathomable ways to lose games is their freaking masterpiece. Thursday's debacle was such that the rights to display it, in all of it's glory, will likely be subject to an intense bidding war between the MOMA and the Louvre.
I don't want to go into the measure by measure, mark by mark ( thanks to Echo & the Bunnymen) recap of this game because it would be more productive to "help myself out" with 30 grit sandpaper. I will break this game down in a simplistic manner:
The Bucs, somehow, blew a 7-0 lead for a monumental come from ahead loss. If you thought not winning last week's tilt in which the Braves all but handed us the game in the 9th was bad, I can't put into words what you would think about letting this one get away. The Bucs lead 3-0 after 1, 6-0 after 2, and 7-0 heading into the bottom of the 3rd. They still held a 7-3 lead going into the 6th and the game was tied in the 8th. I was at the Pens/Bruins game this year when we took a 4-2 lead into the 3rd period only to lose 7-4. That was mind blowing, but it was nothing compared to this.
Many times during each of the last 19 seasons, the Bucs appear to hit bottom. Normally, that first plummet is a mere mirage, followed by many more trips to depths baseball futility.The Pirates have made losing an art form and finding new, unfathomable ways to lose games is their freaking masterpiece. Thursday's debacle was such that the rights to display it, in all of it's glory, will likely be subject to an intense bidding war between the MOMA and the Louvre.
I don't want to go into the measure by measure, mark by mark ( thanks to Echo & the Bunnymen) recap of this game because it would be more productive to "help myself out" with 30 grit sandpaper. I will break this game down in a simplistic manner:
The Bucs, somehow, blew a 7-0 lead for a monumental come from ahead loss. If you thought not winning last week's tilt in which the Braves all but handed us the game in the 9th was bad, I can't put into words what you would think about letting this one get away. The Bucs lead 3-0 after 1, 6-0 after 2, and 7-0 heading into the bottom of the 3rd. They still held a 7-3 lead going into the 6th and the game was tied in the 8th. I was at the Pens/Bruins game this year when we took a 4-2 lead into the 3rd period only to lose 7-4. That was mind blowing, but it was nothing compared to this.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Comments
Apparently, I cant Comment on my own blog........
I thought Commenting must have just been down yesterday, cuz I couldn't post any comments here. Anyways, I wanted to weigh on the questions of the Pro Nutters and their undying loyalty to the FO and Nuthouse. First, here are some comments from DVE's Facebook page after they posted "Raise the Jolly Roger":
Todd Baker i love DVE, but they are a bandwagon station in my opinion. now that the buccos are getting better, they are rooting for them. whatever
Todd Baker im a huge fan, been one since 77. the way DVE ripped on the team as during these years, and even at the beginning of this season is crazy, now they are supporting them. thats all im saying
My response to this guy: The Pirates organization has done NOTHING to earn the trust of the fans and DVE has ripped them for good causee. They are not making up an 18 going on 19 year losing streak. That is fact and so is the frugality of the ownership. If you can't see that, maybe you are the person who shoudl be questioned..........
I don't know folks, it seems some people out there are all too willing to give the FO carte blanch and that is partially why the fan base continues to be walked all over by them. I just continue to have trouble grasping just what makes people think this team is any better off than those of the past?
I thought Commenting must have just been down yesterday, cuz I couldn't post any comments here. Anyways, I wanted to weigh on the questions of the Pro Nutters and their undying loyalty to the FO and Nuthouse. First, here are some comments from DVE's Facebook page after they posted "Raise the Jolly Roger":
Todd Baker i love DVE, but they are a bandwagon station in my opinion. now that the buccos are getting better, they are rooting for them. whatever
Todd Baker im a huge fan, been one since 77. the way DVE ripped on the team as during these years, and even at the beginning of this season is crazy, now they are supporting them. thats all im saying
My response to this guy: The Pirates organization has done NOTHING to earn the trust of the fans and DVE has ripped them for good causee. They are not making up an 18 going on 19 year losing streak. That is fact and so is the frugality of the ownership. If you can't see that, maybe you are the person who shoudl be questioned..........
I don't know folks, it seems some people out there are all too willing to give the FO carte blanch and that is partially why the fan base continues to be walked all over by them. I just continue to have trouble grasping just what makes people think this team is any better off than those of the past?
Better Late Than Never
Kevin Correia had a chance to become the winningest pitcher in all of Major League Baseball going into last night's matchup with the ailing Mets. It looked like he may have been heading for some trouble early, but Cutch flat out robbed J-Bay and made one of the better catches I have seen from him with 2 outs and a man on 3rd in the bottom of the first. This one required Mr. Sunshine to change his pants between innings. While the defense had Correia's back, the offense was having trouble getting anything done against veteran Chirs Capuano. The game was scoreless heading into the bottom of the 4th inning, when the Mets struck first with Ruben Tejada's 2-run single staking them to a 2-0 lead.
As the game wore on, it appeared as if KC was going to have to wait for his 8th win and another splendid outing from a starting pitcher would turn out all for not. Then came the 7th inning and as is the case with anything involving Pirates baseball, you are to always expect the unexpected. It started off innocuously enough, with Cutch notching his second infield single of the game. The Pride of PR followed with a bunt single and Matt Diaz followed that with a dribbler that resulted in a 3rd straight IF single, loading the bases. The Red Hot Chris Snyder followed suit with the 4th IF single of the inning when SS Tejada decided to try and get Walker at 3rd with his grounder, but failed. Cutch scored cutting the score to 2-1. The Bucs weren't done, though. Overpaid smacked a liner to center that a diving Angel Pagan couldn't corral and the Pride of PR trotted home to tie the game while leaving the bases loaded and 0 outs. Cedeno was next, but he fanned, forcing Jake Taylor to pull KC and go to Xavier Paul to PH. Paul came through with an RBI single to right and was followed by Tabata, who reached based on a run scoring Fielder's Choice, giving the Bucs a 4-2 lead. Josh Harrison kept the party going with the Pirates FIFTH, that's right folks FIFTH, infield single of the inning, scoring Overpaid and increasing the lead to 5-2. That, folks is Pirates baseball! 5 infield singles in one inning.
Future All Star Chris Resop worked a 1-2-3 7th and the Bucs came up to bat in the 8th looking to pad their lead. After a walk to Walker,Zach Duke's Twin Brandon Wood doubled him home for a 6-2 lead. Snyder was hit by a pitch and Overpaid singled again, driving in Wood. I am starting to think of lifting the Overpaid nickname. Cedeno walked to load the bases and Paul came through with another RBI single stretching the lead to 8-2. After Tabata hit into yet another FC, GI Jones hit a PH sac fly for a 9-2 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th. The Guy Who Cried came on in the 8th, getting the first out before getting abused again, this time giving up a HR to Justing Turner and a double to Beltran in consecutive at bats. He managed to K J-BAy but was pulled in favor of 1st round draft pick Matt Weiters Daniel Moskos, who got Daniel Murphy to line out to end the threat.
Walker singled in the top of the 9th but a FC and line drive DP ended the top half, giving the Bucs a chance to preserve KC's 8th W of the season. Jose Ascanio worked a relatively uneventful 9th to seal the deal and give the Bucs a second straight W, final score Bucs 9, Mets 3.
Player of the Game: This is tough with Paul, Correia, Overpaid, and Cutch all making a strong case. I will go with Cutch. He was 3 for 5 and scored the Bucs first run but also may have saved the game with his highlight reel diving snag in the first.
Headscratcher of the Game: 5 infield singles in one inning! Wow.
Facepalm of the Game: I guess for the Mets, giving up 5 runs in an inning where only 2 balls left the infield and neither were HR's would suffice as a face palm moment.
It's June 2nd and the 26-28 Pirates have the Major League leader in wins. Today, they have a chance to surpass the total number of road wins they had for ALL of last season and to pull within 1 game of .500. The Mets are a depleted team and the Bucs actually took advantage. Lately, the bounces and breaks have really been going our way. This catching Lightning in a Bottle idea looks like it might be taking form. However, next up after the Mets is a 3 game set against the Phillies and that could be a season destroyer.
It's polarizing to be a Bucs fans right now and for many reasons. You want to embrace the idea that this team is hanging around yet you almost WANT them to fail to make the FO look bad. In that same breath, you also can't get your hopes up because we all remember the 30-30 followed by 37-65 season. I guess if we are at a point where we are rooting against this team, maybe we have lost our way? Actually not, this team hasn't won anything and they are still 2 games below .500. This ownership group has done nothing to earn anybody's trust. Kevin Correia, Paul Maholm, and Lyle Overpaid look like they are shaping up nicely to be shipped out of here next month. Anybody who thinks that is piling on really and truly is a FO plant. If this team SOMEHOW manages to contend for a playoff spot and I am behind them, Nutters can call me a bandwagon fan all they want. My first and only priority with this blog is and always has been seeing respectable, winning baseball return to this great city and once proud franchise.
As the game wore on, it appeared as if KC was going to have to wait for his 8th win and another splendid outing from a starting pitcher would turn out all for not. Then came the 7th inning and as is the case with anything involving Pirates baseball, you are to always expect the unexpected. It started off innocuously enough, with Cutch notching his second infield single of the game. The Pride of PR followed with a bunt single and Matt Diaz followed that with a dribbler that resulted in a 3rd straight IF single, loading the bases. The Red Hot Chris Snyder followed suit with the 4th IF single of the inning when SS Tejada decided to try and get Walker at 3rd with his grounder, but failed. Cutch scored cutting the score to 2-1. The Bucs weren't done, though. Overpaid smacked a liner to center that a diving Angel Pagan couldn't corral and the Pride of PR trotted home to tie the game while leaving the bases loaded and 0 outs. Cedeno was next, but he fanned, forcing Jake Taylor to pull KC and go to Xavier Paul to PH. Paul came through with an RBI single to right and was followed by Tabata, who reached based on a run scoring Fielder's Choice, giving the Bucs a 4-2 lead. Josh Harrison kept the party going with the Pirates FIFTH, that's right folks FIFTH, infield single of the inning, scoring Overpaid and increasing the lead to 5-2. That, folks is Pirates baseball! 5 infield singles in one inning.
Future All Star Chris Resop worked a 1-2-3 7th and the Bucs came up to bat in the 8th looking to pad their lead. After a walk to Walker,
Walker singled in the top of the 9th but a FC and line drive DP ended the top half, giving the Bucs a chance to preserve KC's 8th W of the season. Jose Ascanio worked a relatively uneventful 9th to seal the deal and give the Bucs a second straight W, final score Bucs 9, Mets 3.
Player of the Game: This is tough with Paul, Correia, Overpaid, and Cutch all making a strong case. I will go with Cutch. He was 3 for 5 and scored the Bucs first run but also may have saved the game with his highlight reel diving snag in the first.
Headscratcher of the Game: 5 infield singles in one inning! Wow.
Facepalm of the Game: I guess for the Mets, giving up 5 runs in an inning where only 2 balls left the infield and neither were HR's would suffice as a face palm moment.
It's June 2nd and the 26-28 Pirates have the Major League leader in wins. Today, they have a chance to surpass the total number of road wins they had for ALL of last season and to pull within 1 game of .500. The Mets are a depleted team and the Bucs actually took advantage. Lately, the bounces and breaks have really been going our way. This catching Lightning in a Bottle idea looks like it might be taking form. However, next up after the Mets is a 3 game set against the Phillies and that could be a season destroyer.
It's polarizing to be a Bucs fans right now and for many reasons. You want to embrace the idea that this team is hanging around yet you almost WANT them to fail to make the FO look bad. In that same breath, you also can't get your hopes up because we all remember the 30-30 followed by 37-65 season. I guess if we are at a point where we are rooting against this team, maybe we have lost our way? Actually not, this team hasn't won anything and they are still 2 games below .500. This ownership group has done nothing to earn anybody's trust. Kevin Correia, Paul Maholm, and Lyle Overpaid look like they are shaping up nicely to be shipped out of here next month. Anybody who thinks that is piling on really and truly is a FO plant. If this team SOMEHOW manages to contend for a playoff spot and I am behind them, Nutters can call me a bandwagon fan all they want. My first and only priority with this blog is and always has been seeing respectable, winning baseball return to this great city and once proud franchise.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Five Knuckle Shuffle
If you only watched the first 7 1/3 innings of this ballgame, you would probably be shocked to learn that the Bucs actually got the W. At one point, they were embarrassingly horrific. Awkwardly flailing at knuckleballs and striking out like it was going out of style. But in the top of the 8th, when things looked bleakest, the Bucs finally broke through to take the lead for good.
As with most ballgames there is good and bad you can take away. This one also had the ugly. I will break from the normal recap style and just highlight those that fall under the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly categories.
Good: Josh Harrison. In his first ML game, Harrison looked like a regular by going 2 for 4 and knocking in the Bucs first run.
James McDonald. 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 5 K 2 BB. That pretty much says it all as McDonald was on his game and got hitters to chase his off-speed stuff.
Neil Walker- He was going under bad until his 2-run single in the 8th gave the Bucs the lead, 33 RBI in 53 games for a 2B is not too shabby.
Bad: Basically the entire line up other than Harrison. Cutch had a strikeout Hat Trick in going 0 for 4 and seeing his average plummet nearly 10 pts. They struck out 11 times, 10 against aging knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who made them look foolish on more than one occasion.
Ugly: Dusty Brown's failed bunt attempt. Unbelievable is all I could muster to describe this one. A 29 year old with 15 major league games under his belt, you think he would have learned some fundamentals during his 26 years in the minors. But no, not even close. In the 8th inning, down 1-0 and with Cedeno on 1st and 0 outs, he popped a bunt up in terribly inept fashion. Bob Walk defended this by saying that " it's hard enough to catch a knuckleball, imagine trying to bunt it". Well, it wouldn't be so difficult if you weren't attempting to bunt a pitch that was at EYE LEVEL AND IN THE OTHER BATTER'S BOX. When a friend texted me last night and said " Who the F*** is Dusty Brown?" I told him " a 29 year old career minor leaguer and if you saw him try to bunt, you would know why".
Overall, the Bucs got the 5-1 W over the Metrpolitans, whose only tally of the night came on a J-Bay RBI single in the 1st. Say what you will about J-Bay not being worth his current contract, but having met him and watched him play for years, he is the kind of guy you want on your team. He's a nice guy, he works hard, played hurt, and put together good power numbers during his time here and in Boston. The return we got for him was not even remotely worth it. The Red Sox got Bay, the Dodgers got Manny Ramirez, we got shafted again.
Right now, the starting pitching is really putting together a nice string of starts. I will be interested to see how many mid 20's AA/AAA guys we get for Correia and Maholm next month.
As with most ballgames there is good and bad you can take away. This one also had the ugly. I will break from the normal recap style and just highlight those that fall under the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly categories.
Good: Josh Harrison. In his first ML game, Harrison looked like a regular by going 2 for 4 and knocking in the Bucs first run.
James McDonald. 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 5 K 2 BB. That pretty much says it all as McDonald was on his game and got hitters to chase his off-speed stuff.
Neil Walker- He was going under bad until his 2-run single in the 8th gave the Bucs the lead, 33 RBI in 53 games for a 2B is not too shabby.
Bad: Basically the entire line up other than Harrison. Cutch had a strikeout Hat Trick in going 0 for 4 and seeing his average plummet nearly 10 pts. They struck out 11 times, 10 against aging knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who made them look foolish on more than one occasion.
Ugly: Dusty Brown's failed bunt attempt. Unbelievable is all I could muster to describe this one. A 29 year old with 15 major league games under his belt, you think he would have learned some fundamentals during his 26 years in the minors. But no, not even close. In the 8th inning, down 1-0 and with Cedeno on 1st and 0 outs, he popped a bunt up in terribly inept fashion. Bob Walk defended this by saying that " it's hard enough to catch a knuckleball, imagine trying to bunt it". Well, it wouldn't be so difficult if you weren't attempting to bunt a pitch that was at EYE LEVEL AND IN THE OTHER BATTER'S BOX. When a friend texted me last night and said " Who the F*** is Dusty Brown?" I told him " a 29 year old career minor leaguer and if you saw him try to bunt, you would know why".
Overall, the Bucs got the 5-1 W over the Metrpolitans, whose only tally of the night came on a J-Bay RBI single in the 1st. Say what you will about J-Bay not being worth his current contract, but having met him and watched him play for years, he is the kind of guy you want on your team. He's a nice guy, he works hard, played hurt, and put together good power numbers during his time here and in Boston. The return we got for him was not even remotely worth it. The Red Sox got Bay, the Dodgers got Manny Ramirez, we got shafted again.
Right now, the starting pitching is really putting together a nice string of starts. I will be interested to see how many mid 20's AA/AAA guys we get for Correia and Maholm next month.
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