It only took Jeff Karstens 83 pitches to shut down Houston Friday night in Pittsburgh's 4-0 victory at Minute Maid Park.
Comine that with St. Louis (49-44) and Milwaukee (49-45) losing, and the Pirates (48-43) are in first place in the NL Central. The last time the Bucs were in first this late in the season was in 1997.
Karstens (8-4) allowed five hits and had two strikeouts to lower his ERA to 2.34. Karstens' ERA is the third lowest in the NL. He also won his fifth straight start.
Karstens didn't allow an extra base hit and the Astros had runners in scoring position only two times.
Pittsburgh, who has won all four games at Minute Maid Park this season, came out swinging early and used good fundamentals to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Alex Pressley led off the game with a single, stole second and moved to third on Chase d'Arnaud's sacrifice fly. Pressley scored on Neil Walker's RBI single.
Pittsburgh added on two more in the third when Andrew McCutchen's RBI triple scored Pressley and d'Arnaud.
Pressley was hit by pitch to lead off the inning, while d'Arnaud collected his second single.
Brett Myers (3-10) took the loss for Houston. He allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out 11 and walked three in six innings.
The Pirates are 21-12 against the NL Central. A sweep would be nice with Cincinnati and St. Louis coming to town next week before the Bucs travel to Atlanta for four games and Philadelphia for three.
For everyone putting a downpayment on playoff tickets I say: Take a deep breath and relax. It is nice to be in first, but the season is far from over.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Pirate's Manager Now on Twitter
Looks like someone had some free time on their hands over the All Star break. I would like to encourage everyone to go follow "Clint Hurdle" for the 2nd half of the season for his thoughts on the Pirates, baseball, and his philosophies of life.
http://twitter.com/#!/CHurd_Bucs
http://twitter.com/#!/CHurd_Bucs
The Long Now
So, this will be set to go off in the year 12,000 or when the Pirates lead all MLB in payroll. Whichever comes first.
Sorry I've been absent for a few days here, but with the All-Star break and a new book I've been waiting for 5 years to come out being released on Tuesday, all of my free time was basically spent reading.
One of my favorite things about the internet is when you are searching for stuff online and you stumble upon very interesting things that are completely unrelated to what you were originally looking for.
If you get some free time today, check out this crazy-awesome group of engineers/computer programmers I discovered while doing a search for Welsh Languages (don't ask) who are building a clock in a mountain that will be 200 feet tall and set to run for the next 10,000 years!
I wonder if the Pirates will have a winning season by the year 11,999?!? Is this part of the omnipotent front office’s “long term plan” for competing? (It’s a joke folks, so you don’t have to jump all over me in the comments about it…)
Anyway, here is an inspirational quote from those crazy dreamers to kick of the start of the 2nd half of the season. If they can be so dedicated to something so far in the future, maybe it can give us a little perspective about our longest losing franchise in the history of professional sports.
"I cannot imagine the future, but I care about it. I know I am a part of a story that starts long before I can remember and continues long beyond when anyone will remember me. I sense that I am alive at a time of important change, and I feel a responsibility to make sure that the change comes out well. I plant my acorns knowing that I will never live to harvest the oaks.
I want to build a clock that ticks once a year. The century hand advances once every 100 years, and the cuckoo comes out on the millennium. I want the cuckoo to come out every millennium for the next 10,000 years."
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Time is Now
The Pirates return to action tomorrow night in Houston one game out of first place in the NL Central. The Brewers, tied for 1st, were feeling the hot breath of the Cards and Bucs on their necks and went out and acquired Francisco Rodriguez to bolster their bullpen. Now, Nuthouse is making his media rounds and based on his words, reading a little bit in between the lines, and the rumblings from blogs and local media outlets, the Bucs are going to do much by July 31.
I don't know if Nuthouse is preparing for an epic collapse, doesn't want to spend the cash, or doesn't have the balls/ability to fleece another team the way we have been fleeced in the past, but I don't like the vibe I'm getting. So far, the main excuse is indeed viable: "We don't want to mortgage the future". Fine, I get that. But you don't have to give up much to get something in return. The return for Jason Bay wasn't much. The return for Aramis Ramirez was less. Jose Bautista didn't fetch much. Neither did Adam LaRoche. Not that LaRoche or Bautista were world beaters then, LaRoche still isn't, but it would be similar to getting a guy like Willingham or Francouer for next to nothing.
My overall point is that I think the Bucs are preparing us for them being sellers yet again. Maholm and Hanrahan are currently being discussed because they are at peak value. Seriously? More major league talent sold off to build the minors and save money to sign guys in the future? How many more of these 5 year plans are we going to put up with?
Obviously, nothing is done yet. But if the Bucs are still in striking distance and there is nothing done to improve the team's odds, we have all been duped again.
1997 was 14 years ago.......................................................... That's how long it's been since we've been this close.
I don't know if Nuthouse is preparing for an epic collapse, doesn't want to spend the cash, or doesn't have the balls/ability to fleece another team the way we have been fleeced in the past, but I don't like the vibe I'm getting. So far, the main excuse is indeed viable: "We don't want to mortgage the future". Fine, I get that. But you don't have to give up much to get something in return. The return for Jason Bay wasn't much. The return for Aramis Ramirez was less. Jose Bautista didn't fetch much. Neither did Adam LaRoche. Not that LaRoche or Bautista were world beaters then, LaRoche still isn't, but it would be similar to getting a guy like Willingham or Francouer for next to nothing.
My overall point is that I think the Bucs are preparing us for them being sellers yet again. Maholm and Hanrahan are currently being discussed because they are at peak value. Seriously? More major league talent sold off to build the minors and save money to sign guys in the future? How many more of these 5 year plans are we going to put up with?
Obviously, nothing is done yet. But if the Bucs are still in striking distance and there is nothing done to improve the team's odds, we have all been duped again.
1997 was 14 years ago.......................................................... That's how long it's been since we've been this close.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
You Get What You Give
With the MLB non-waiver trade deadline a little less than 3 weeks away and the Bucs right in the thick of the NL Central race, let's discuss a few trade possibilities. Feel free to agree, disagree, modify, or add any perceived scenarios in the comments section:
Who I'd Like to See, But Probably Won't:
Carlos Pena- 1B- Cubs: Pena has excellent power, with 19 HR and 49 RBI at the break. His batting average is low at .225 but his OPS is a solid .801. He is 5h in the NL in K's with 88 but also 5th in BB with 49. He would have about $5 Million remaining on his salary for the year and in order to not give up much more than mid-level prospect, the Bucs would likely have to take on the entire salary.
Carlos Beltran-OF- Mets- Beltran is a switch hitter with good power and run driving ability. He appears to perhaps be a bit fragile and certainly "enigmatic" but he can play the short RF at PNC and definitely has the middle of lineup, corner OF bat we are lacking. The catch is, he still has over $9 million remaining on his salary and in order take that entire amount on, I wouldn't want to give up anything more than a bucket of balls.
Hunter Pence- RF- Astros- Pence can hit for high average and certainly adds some middle of the lineup pop. He has 11 HR and 60 RBI with an .860 OPS. He can also play RF fairly well and has an above average throwing arm. He still has about $3.5 Million remaining for this season, which is almost a bargain. HOWEVER, to get Pence we would have to give up somebody like Starling Marte. Even if Marte is blocked by the plethora of speedy outfielders with good gap power already ahead of him in the system, I don't think he is worth a summer rental.
Guys I Don't Want To See and Definitely Won't:
Aramis Ramirez-3B- Cubs- Plain and simple, I don't like the guy. I'm not saying he isn't talented or that his power stick at 3B would be a nice addition. He has a no trade clause he probably won't even lift to come here and we would have to give up a big return to fetch him in the first place. His club option next year is $16 Million with a 2 million dollar buyout and he would have $7.2M remaining for 2011. Paying $9.2 M and giving up a high ceiling prospect doesn't make sense to me, even with someone else's money.
Alfonso Soriano-LF-Cubs- Since the Cubs are down and out yet have some high priced talent they could be looking to shed, Sori is the 3rd Cubs player on this list. He can certainly hit the ball out of the park, but he can't play LF at PNC. Moving to right would be an option, but his arm is terrible. He would also cost $9M for the rest of this season and another $54 through 2014. He may hit some home runs down the stretch, but definitely not worth that cash.
Mark Reynolds-3B-Orioles- Reynolds is the definition of a hacker. He is not a good fielder and he strikes out a ton. With that being said, he has 20 HR and 49 RBI and 36 of his 65 hits are for extra bases. Despite having 96 K's, he also has 50 BB and his .227 average is somewhat offset by his .839 OPS. And he's only 27. He would cost $2.5M the rest of the way this year, $7.5M next year, and has an $11M club option with a $500K buyout for 2013. While he is affordable and can certainly crush the ball, due to his age and fair contract, the Orioles would likely ask for a large return. Although if Reynolds could play 1B, it might not be a terrible investment.
Guys Who Me Might Potentially See:
Josh Willingham- LF/1B-A's- Willingham hasn't played 1B since 2009 and is primarily a LF, but can play RF at PNC Park. He has 11 HR and 44 RBI at the break with a .241 average and a .736 OPS. He would cost $3M the rest of the way and has no contract for next season. He averages 25 HR and 84 RBI per 162 games played. Since his contract is expiring and his production is decent, he might be had for a fair price.
Jeff Francoeur-OF- Royals- Francoeur is hitting .265 with 12 HR and 56 RBI on a bad Royals squad. He is slugging .443 but his OBP is a measly .308, striking out 66 times to only 20 BB. He has a good arm in RF and has stolen 15 bases this season, a career high by far. He comes cheap: $1.25M the rest of the way in 2011 and a $4M mutual option for 2012. His career averages are .268 with 20 HR and 90 RBI per 162 games played and could be a nice addition for a decent price.
J.J. Hardy-SS-Orioles- Of course I was going to try to find somebody to take Suckdeno's spot. Ronny has improved, but I think he is still too inconsistent to be safe. Hardy is hitting .278 with 13 HR and 33 RBI and his OPS is at .836. He averages 21 HR and 74 RBI over a full season for his career and would cost less than $3 million for the remainder of this season with no obligation for 2012. The expiring contract makes him a possibility.
Others I have heard mentioned:
Jason Giambi- .267 with 9 HR and 22 RBI in only 100 PA. $425K for 2011 and a $1M mutual option for 2012 w/$150K buyout.
Melky Cabrera- .293 witth 11 HR and 51 RBI. .332 OBP is lower than I'd like. Would only cost $612K for 2011 and nothing for 2012
Michael Cuddyer- .298 with 13 HR and 43 RBI and an .843 OPS. $5.25M for the remainder of 2011 and no obligation for 2012. Could certainly help but would likely cost a big prospect and it is unlikely he would be here past this season. Another case of not wanting to give up a high ceiling guy for a summer rental.
So there you have some possibilities. These are based strictly on opinion and nothing else. We have discussed many of these guys over the past few weeks, but as we are approaching trading season, it's looking like the Bucs may be buyers this year!
Who I'd Like to See, But Probably Won't:
Carlos Pena- 1B- Cubs: Pena has excellent power, with 19 HR and 49 RBI at the break. His batting average is low at .225 but his OPS is a solid .801. He is 5h in the NL in K's with 88 but also 5th in BB with 49. He would have about $5 Million remaining on his salary for the year and in order to not give up much more than mid-level prospect, the Bucs would likely have to take on the entire salary.
Carlos Beltran-OF- Mets- Beltran is a switch hitter with good power and run driving ability. He appears to perhaps be a bit fragile and certainly "enigmatic" but he can play the short RF at PNC and definitely has the middle of lineup, corner OF bat we are lacking. The catch is, he still has over $9 million remaining on his salary and in order take that entire amount on, I wouldn't want to give up anything more than a bucket of balls.
Hunter Pence- RF- Astros- Pence can hit for high average and certainly adds some middle of the lineup pop. He has 11 HR and 60 RBI with an .860 OPS. He can also play RF fairly well and has an above average throwing arm. He still has about $3.5 Million remaining for this season, which is almost a bargain. HOWEVER, to get Pence we would have to give up somebody like Starling Marte. Even if Marte is blocked by the plethora of speedy outfielders with good gap power already ahead of him in the system, I don't think he is worth a summer rental.
Guys I Don't Want To See and Definitely Won't:
Aramis Ramirez-3B- Cubs- Plain and simple, I don't like the guy. I'm not saying he isn't talented or that his power stick at 3B would be a nice addition. He has a no trade clause he probably won't even lift to come here and we would have to give up a big return to fetch him in the first place. His club option next year is $16 Million with a 2 million dollar buyout and he would have $7.2M remaining for 2011. Paying $9.2 M and giving up a high ceiling prospect doesn't make sense to me, even with someone else's money.
Alfonso Soriano-LF-Cubs- Since the Cubs are down and out yet have some high priced talent they could be looking to shed, Sori is the 3rd Cubs player on this list. He can certainly hit the ball out of the park, but he can't play LF at PNC. Moving to right would be an option, but his arm is terrible. He would also cost $9M for the rest of this season and another $54 through 2014. He may hit some home runs down the stretch, but definitely not worth that cash.
Mark Reynolds-3B-Orioles- Reynolds is the definition of a hacker. He is not a good fielder and he strikes out a ton. With that being said, he has 20 HR and 49 RBI and 36 of his 65 hits are for extra bases. Despite having 96 K's, he also has 50 BB and his .227 average is somewhat offset by his .839 OPS. And he's only 27. He would cost $2.5M the rest of the way this year, $7.5M next year, and has an $11M club option with a $500K buyout for 2013. While he is affordable and can certainly crush the ball, due to his age and fair contract, the Orioles would likely ask for a large return. Although if Reynolds could play 1B, it might not be a terrible investment.
Guys Who Me Might Potentially See:
Josh Willingham- LF/1B-A's- Willingham hasn't played 1B since 2009 and is primarily a LF, but can play RF at PNC Park. He has 11 HR and 44 RBI at the break with a .241 average and a .736 OPS. He would cost $3M the rest of the way and has no contract for next season. He averages 25 HR and 84 RBI per 162 games played. Since his contract is expiring and his production is decent, he might be had for a fair price.
Jeff Francoeur-OF- Royals- Francoeur is hitting .265 with 12 HR and 56 RBI on a bad Royals squad. He is slugging .443 but his OBP is a measly .308, striking out 66 times to only 20 BB. He has a good arm in RF and has stolen 15 bases this season, a career high by far. He comes cheap: $1.25M the rest of the way in 2011 and a $4M mutual option for 2012. His career averages are .268 with 20 HR and 90 RBI per 162 games played and could be a nice addition for a decent price.
J.J. Hardy-SS-Orioles- Of course I was going to try to find somebody to take Suckdeno's spot. Ronny has improved, but I think he is still too inconsistent to be safe. Hardy is hitting .278 with 13 HR and 33 RBI and his OPS is at .836. He averages 21 HR and 74 RBI over a full season for his career and would cost less than $3 million for the remainder of this season with no obligation for 2012. The expiring contract makes him a possibility.
Others I have heard mentioned:
Jason Giambi- .267 with 9 HR and 22 RBI in only 100 PA. $425K for 2011 and a $1M mutual option for 2012 w/$150K buyout.
Melky Cabrera- .293 witth 11 HR and 51 RBI. .332 OBP is lower than I'd like. Would only cost $612K for 2011 and nothing for 2012
Michael Cuddyer- .298 with 13 HR and 43 RBI and an .843 OPS. $5.25M for the remainder of 2011 and no obligation for 2012. Could certainly help but would likely cost a big prospect and it is unlikely he would be here past this season. Another case of not wanting to give up a high ceiling guy for a summer rental.
So there you have some possibilities. These are based strictly on opinion and nothing else. We have discussed many of these guys over the past few weeks, but as we are approaching trading season, it's looking like the Bucs may be buyers this year!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Cano wins HR Derby
No Pirate since Jason Bay, who didn't hit one out, has competed in the MLB Home Run Derby and I'm glad because I don't want to have to watch it. I did when Bay competed, but his night was over quickly.
However, I want to keep all you that missed out, even though you probably found out the second it was over, thanks a lot social media, that the New York Yankees' Robinson Cano bested Boston's Adrian Gonzalez in the finals, 12-11.
Both Cano and Gonzalez knocked 20 out of Chase Field Monday night, but it was Cano with the upper hand in the finals.
Major League home run king Jose Bautista failed to make it out of the first round after hitting just four. St. Louis' Matt Holliday, whose father, Tom, is a native of Uniontown, clubbed five. See, Fayette County produces some fine people.
I do enjoy watching the All-Star game because it is the one out of all the four major sports in North
America where the teams play hard. I know it's kind of a stupid concept by Bud Selig, and he made it on emotion due to the tie in Milwaukee, but it's usually a pretty good game.
I'll give the edge to the National League, 5-4.
That home-field advantage will be key for the Pirates when they reach the World Series.
Hey, it's OK to dream, right?
However, I want to keep all you that missed out, even though you probably found out the second it was over, thanks a lot social media, that the New York Yankees' Robinson Cano bested Boston's Adrian Gonzalez in the finals, 12-11.
Both Cano and Gonzalez knocked 20 out of Chase Field Monday night, but it was Cano with the upper hand in the finals.
Major League home run king Jose Bautista failed to make it out of the first round after hitting just four. St. Louis' Matt Holliday, whose father, Tom, is a native of Uniontown, clubbed five. See, Fayette County produces some fine people.
I do enjoy watching the All-Star game because it is the one out of all the four major sports in North
America where the teams play hard. I know it's kind of a stupid concept by Bud Selig, and he made it on emotion due to the tie in Milwaukee, but it's usually a pretty good game.
I'll give the edge to the National League, 5-4.
That home-field advantage will be key for the Pirates when they reach the World Series.
Hey, it's OK to dream, right?
The Man We Call Cutch
Major League Baseball has officially reached it's All-Star Break and these surprising Pirates are taking our city by storm. The Bucs have amassed a tremendous 47-43 record, their best at the break since 1992. The Pirates will also sent 3 representatives to the All-Star game this year, the most since 1990. If anybody could honestly say they saw this coming, they are likely kidding themselves. Sure, the Bucs were certainly going to improve from the 57-105 record of 2010, but I find it hard to believe anybody could have predicted this large of a turnaround. While the starting pitching has carried the load and Neil Walker has driven in a sick amount of runs, the cornerstone of this team is it's centerfielder, Andrew McCutchen.
Cutch is an All-Star whether Bruce Bochy wanted to admit it or not. Eventually, he got it right, but it wasn't without it's fair share of belly aching and rightfully so. Andrew McCutchen is one of the top 5 outfielders in the National League. Through 90 games, he is hitting .291 with 14 HR and 54 RBI, 54 Runs, and 15 SB. These numbers rank well amongst his peers, but many people have asked this question of Cutch: is he a Five Tool Player?
A Five Tool player is a guy who can hit for average, hit for power, run the bases, field his position proficiently, and has a top notch throwing arm. Without even giving it much thought, he clearly has the first Four Tools. The league average for batting average is .261. Cutch's .291 is 30 points higher and ranks 22nd overall in the NL, 9th among OF. His 14 HR through 90 games translates to 25 over 162 games and without question he could hit 30 Home Runs in this league. He is also on pace to steal 27 bases this season and his career average of 32 SB per 162 games player proves he can be a 30/30 guy. In terms of fielding, anybody who has watched this team consistently knows how many triples and doubles Cutch has cut off and his defensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is currently 1.1 right now. proving he is a plus outfielder.
The only question about Cutch is his throwing arm. Some people question his arm strength, others his accuracy and/or decision making. Personally, I don't think his arm strength is the issue as I have actually seen him be too strong on his throws from time to time. I believe it is his throwing accuracy that is a bit lacking. Either way, there is mutual agreement that if there is anything holding Cutch back from being a Five Tool Player it is indeed his throwing arm, but it is something he can work on. He is still fairly young and has already developed those other four tools.
Thinking out loud, though, does it really matter? Sure it would be nice if he could rack up some more outfield assists. But his overall ability, be it 4 Tool or 5 Tool, is still that of a rising talent bursting towards Super Stardom. Finally being named to the All Star is a well-deserved feather in his cap, but I didn't need Bruce Bochy's approval to know Andrew McCutchen is an All-Star. The best part of McCutchen's career at this point is that, as good as he's been, he seems to be getting better.
Cutch is an All-Star whether Bruce Bochy wanted to admit it or not. Eventually, he got it right, but it wasn't without it's fair share of belly aching and rightfully so. Andrew McCutchen is one of the top 5 outfielders in the National League. Through 90 games, he is hitting .291 with 14 HR and 54 RBI, 54 Runs, and 15 SB. These numbers rank well amongst his peers, but many people have asked this question of Cutch: is he a Five Tool Player?
A Five Tool player is a guy who can hit for average, hit for power, run the bases, field his position proficiently, and has a top notch throwing arm. Without even giving it much thought, he clearly has the first Four Tools. The league average for batting average is .261. Cutch's .291 is 30 points higher and ranks 22nd overall in the NL, 9th among OF. His 14 HR through 90 games translates to 25 over 162 games and without question he could hit 30 Home Runs in this league. He is also on pace to steal 27 bases this season and his career average of 32 SB per 162 games player proves he can be a 30/30 guy. In terms of fielding, anybody who has watched this team consistently knows how many triples and doubles Cutch has cut off and his defensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is currently 1.1 right now. proving he is a plus outfielder.
The only question about Cutch is his throwing arm. Some people question his arm strength, others his accuracy and/or decision making. Personally, I don't think his arm strength is the issue as I have actually seen him be too strong on his throws from time to time. I believe it is his throwing accuracy that is a bit lacking. Either way, there is mutual agreement that if there is anything holding Cutch back from being a Five Tool Player it is indeed his throwing arm, but it is something he can work on. He is still fairly young and has already developed those other four tools.
Thinking out loud, though, does it really matter? Sure it would be nice if he could rack up some more outfield assists. But his overall ability, be it 4 Tool or 5 Tool, is still that of a rising talent bursting towards Super Stardom. Finally being named to the All Star is a well-deserved feather in his cap, but I didn't need Bruce Bochy's approval to know Andrew McCutchen is an All-Star. The best part of McCutchen's career at this point is that, as good as he's been, he seems to be getting better.
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