Wait 'Til Next Year

Moving

2007-09-10T22:38:00.000-04:00

Wait 'Til Next Year will be quiet for at least the near future. I am joining Cory Humes and Randy Linville at Pittsburgh Lumber Co., a blog on the MVN network. I am excited to be working with two writers that I have great respect for, and honored to be part of a network that is growing so rapidly.

I have not yet decided on future plans for this site, but for now I will be focusing on this new endeavor. Thank you all for reading during the past year. See you at PLC.

Pirates fire Dave Littlefield

2007-09-07T11:46:00.001-04:00

The Littlefield era is over in Pittsburgh - Peter Diana, Post-Gazette

I was sitting down to write about Bryan Bullington, Rick Ankiel, HGH and whatever else popped into my head as I was typing. Then, all of a sudden...Pirates fire GM Dave Littlefield. I was not expecting anything like this until at least the end of the season, so I nearly fell out of my office chair. Apparently, the move surprised Littlefield as well. Check out the Post-Gazette article for details.

Bryan Bullington returns

2007-09-06T12:21:00.000-04:00

Bryan Bullington has waited a long time for today's game - Bill Gentry

As Pittsburgh bloggers and fans, we love to make light of the Pirates' failures. It is one of the things that keeps us going year after year. One popular topic is the unbelievable streak of injured first round draft picks over the past decade. I think we sometimes forget that we are joking about incidents that have severely altered the lives of young men.

Earlier in 2007, John Van Benschoten made his triumphant return to the Pirates. After battling injuries for years, he pitched in a Major League game for the first time since 2004. While the results were not great, it was nice to see him overcome such difficulties to return.

In less than two hours, another player will make his much-anticipated return from a major injury. Bryan Bullington made one appearance with the Pirates in 2005, allowing two runs in 1.1 innings. After missing all of 2006 due to shoulder surgery, Bullington will make his first Major League start at Busch Stadium today. To this point, his season has been encouraging for a player returning from a major arm injury.

No matter what happens in today's game, it will be a very special day for Bryan and his family. We should all be rooting hard for Bullington and Van Benschoten to find success in the future.

Note: Cory has written a much more detailed post about Bullington's story.

LaRoche for Gonzalez - eight months later

2007-09-05T19:41:00.000-04:00

Adam LaRoche has rescued his nightmarish season - AP Photo/Morry Gash

Dave Littlefield is not a good general manager. This is unfortunate for the city of Pittsburgh, as he has been the Pirates' general manager for over six years. Over that period, he has made bad decision after bad decision, keeping the team near the bottom of Major League Baseball's franchise hierarchy. Because of this, he is constantly blasted by local media and fans. However, in January, he did make a rare intelligent deal. Closer Mike Gonzalez and minor league shortstop Brent Lillibridge were sent to Atlanta for first baseman Adam LaRoche and minor league outfielder Jamie Romak.

As most people know, LaRoche started the season in a terrible slump. At the end of April, he was hitting just .133/.255/.265. As one might expect, the fan base was in an outrage. Gonzalez's ERA was 1.74, and it seemed that Littlefield had blown it again. But the season is 162 games long, and much has changed since April.

Gonzalaez was even better in May, but his success did not last long. By the end of the month, his season was over due to Tommy John surgery. It was known before the trade that Gonzalez was a high-risk acquisition. He missed time due to an arm injury in 2006, and his power style of pitching added to the concern. After his horrific April, LaRoche's numbers have steadily risen. Somewhat remarkably, he is currently hitting .267/.342/.455 with 20 home runs. Those are not quite the statistics we were hoping for in January, but they are not as far off as most feared four months ago. LaRoche has been much more valuable to the Pirates than Gonzalez has been to the Braves.

Many felt that the key to this transaction would be the performance of Brent Lillibridge. He was one of the top prospects in the Pirates' minor league system before the trade, and many knowledgeable Atlanta fans found it possible that he could find himself starting at second base for the Braves in 2007. Lillibridge started the season at Double-A Mississippi, and posted an unimpressive line of .275/.355/.387 in 204 at-bats. He was promoted to Triple-A Richmond, and hit marginally better, at .287/.331/.436 in 321 at-bats. It always hurts to lose a decent prospect, especially considering the sad state of the Pirates' minor league system, but Lillibridge's mediocre stats in 2007 have eased my anxiety. On the other hand, Romak has continued posting strange, Adam Dunn-like numbers. In 363 at-bats combined with Hickory and Lynchburg, both Single-A teams, he hit .256/.383/.496 with 20 home runs, 114 strikeouts and 64 walks. A .256 batting average at that level is far from encouraging, but the patience and power potential makes this 21 year old an intriguing prospect.

In the end, the Pirates got the left-handed power bat they were seeking and some much-needed minor league power. They lost a promising young reliever whose career is up in the air after a serious arm injury and a shortstop who will likely become an average Major League player. As the Pirates approach another losing season, as Dave Littlefield wastes his time trading for veteran past-their-prime pitchers, let us give him some credit for one of the few smart decisions he has made.

Fun with splits and small sample sizes

2007-09-04T20:17:00.000-04:00

Freddy Sanchez circles the bases after hitting a grand slam on August 28 - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Obviously, Freddy Sanchez has been hitting the cover off the ball recently. However, I did not realize just how productive he has actually been. Freddy has hit .353/.410/.602 since the All-Star break, good for the fifth best OPS in the National League over that period (minimum 150 PA). Knowing him to be a high average, low walk, low power style hitter, I was impressed when I saw those numbers. Looking at Sanchez’s second-half statistics, I found myself entering “small sample size mode.”

During the past offseason, I think we all became sick of the numbers “37-35.” Pirate management mentioned the team’s 2006 second-half record during virtually every interview between October and April, consistently neglecting to discuss the 30-60 record the team had before the break. Considering the Pirates, despite their recent surge, are only 20-29 since the break this season, management will need a new positive spin method for the upcoming offseason. I thought I would get a head start and help them out a bit. It is time to take the Pirates’ second half offensive numbers and extend them over 162 games.

Since the All-Star break, a hypothetical lineup (using Maholm hitting ninth) produced the following numbers:

Nate McLouth: .251/.342/.485
Jack Wilson: .312/.370/.464
Freddy Sanchez: .353/.410/.602
Adam LaRoche: .314/.372/.483
Jose Bautista: .261/.353/.470
Xavier Nady: .278/.336/.454
Jason Bay: .253/.322/.416
Ronny Paulino: .273/.322/.432
Paul Maholm: .208/.208/.250

Of course, nobody will mistake that lineup for the 1927 Yankees. But these statistics are much easier to stomach than the team’s overall numbers. In 49 games since the break, the Pirates have scored 253 runs. That pace would give the team 837 runs over 162 games. Entering the above hypothetical lineup into Baseball Musings’ lineup analysis tool, the Pirates would be expected to score 5.152 runs per game. Over 162 games, that would equal 834 runs.* In 2006, 834 runs scored would have left the Pirates tied for seventh in Major League Baseball. That is a respectable ranking.

So what does this all mean? It means that scoring 253 runs and allowing 265 runs after the All-Star break is only marginally more effective than scoring 367 and allowing 427 before it. But we can expect to hear quite a bit of Pirate management citing the “much improved offense” as a reason to expect success in 2008. Unless we are expecting Freddy Sanchez to consistently slug over .600, it will be just another hollow promise.

*This run total does not account for Josh Phelps’ 1.324 second-half OPS coming off the bench.

Pirates @ Brewers, Bats @ Indians

2007-09-01T12:07:00.000-04:00

Zach Duke is back in Indianapolis tonight, where he excelled in 2005 - Bill Gentry

The Pirates have dropped their past three games, and are back in last place in the NL Central. With a 59-75 record, the Bucs must finish the season on a 22-6 run to reach .500. They will face the Brewers again tonight at 7:05 PM. With last night's victory, Milwaukee sits 1.5 games behind Chicago at 67-67. Shane Youman (5.59 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) throws for the Pirates, Dave Bush (4.96 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) for the Brewers. Tonight's game is radio only. (EDIT: I missed this in the PG this morning. Steve Pearce, Nyjer Morgan, and Juan Perez will join the Pirates tomorrow. Hopefully, Pearce and Morgan will receive regular at-bats over the final month of the season. It would be interesting to see what they can do against Major League pitching. But I am sure we will keep sending a gimpy Xavier Nady out there instead. Brilliant.)

The pitching matchup in Indianapolis tonight is a somewhat interesting one. Zach Duke goes for the Indians, making a rehab start. He will face former Pirate Victor Santos, who will be throwing for the Louisville Bats. At least, I think this is an interesting pitching matchup.

August success causes mixed emotions

2007-08-30T13:19:00.000-04:00

Matt Capps celebrates a Pirate win on Tuesday night - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

On July 31, the Pirates’ season was lost. They were 42-62, 14.5 games behind first place Milwaukee, and sitting in last place in the NL Central. Suddenly they got hot. The Bucs are now 17-11 in the month of August, and despite last night’s loss to the Reds, only 8.5 games behind first place Chicago.

This sudden surge has produced two different viewpoints for players and fans. The first is that the Pirates have a legitimate opportunity to reach the postseason. The Cubs are currently in first place with a mediocre record of 67-64, and nobody seems interested in winning the division. With 23 of their final 30 games against NL Central teams, the Pirates are not dead yet. Sorry, but this is not going to happen. If the Pirates could somehow win 20 of 30 games, they would still be relying on other teams to fall apart. Simply to finish tied for first place, the Pirates would need the Cubs to finish 12-19, the Brewers 13-17, St. Louis 15-18, and the Reds 18-11. Considering NL Central teams will be playing the majority of their remaining games against other NL Central teams, this is very unlikely. I thought about going through each team’s schedule to determine if it is even mathematically possible, but I do not have the energy for that sort of research. (Keep in mind, I am dreaming about some sort of miracle finish too.)

The other point of view is that a strong finish will hurt the Pirates in the end. If the Pirates approach .500 by the end of the season, it might convince management to keep general manager Dave Littlefield. The team would actually benefit by falling apart over the final month of the season, as it would force ownership to clean house. I agree that the team must fire Littlefield if it ever wants to become a quality baseball club. But I am not sure the Pirates final record in 2007 will have a large effect on the decision. The most important factor will be ownership’s choice for the CEO position. Any quality baseball mind can see that Littlefield has done a terrible job as general manager. If the new CEO decides to keep Littlefield, based on any reason, we have much larger problems in Pittsburgh. That will be the new CEO’s first true test.

So what does this mean for Pirate fans? Do not get your hopes up for a potential playoff berth. It is extremely unlikely. But we do not have to root against our Bucs. Enjoy every win that we can get.

Weekend adventures in Houston

2007-08-27T12:48:00.000-04:00

Adam LaRoche finally ends the party early Saturday morning - AP Photo/Pat Sullivan

Making the five-hour drive to southern Michigan Friday evening, I expected to catch the Pirate game on the radio and still have some free time before my arrival. There was little indication that the game would last nearly five hours itself, well past the time I arrived at my destination. There was nothing I could do but sit alone in my car, listening intently to the Houston broadcast on the trusty XM radio. The call of Xavier Nady's home run was beautiful. Severely paraphrased: "Brad [Lidge] said Nady will occasionally be fooled by the slider. In fact he struck out Nady on a check swing in Pittsburgh to end a game." After a pause, Milo Hamilton says softly, "He didn't fool him there. Nady just tied the game." Even with the loss yesterday, it was a good weekend for Pirates baseball.

But why do the Pirates insist on forcing Nady onto the field? I understand he is a gamer. I understand he wants to play. I love players like that, as I would assume many people do. That was great when he pinch-hit with a partially torn hamstring and tied the game with a ninth inning home run. But the largest concern should be having him ready for the beginning of 2008. This is a player that the Pirates are counting on to be in the middle of the lineup next year, and there is no reason to risk serious injury in an effort to reach 70 wins this year. It is one thing to start Tony Armas over Shane Youman (stupid, but I won't lose much sleep over it), but it is completely different to risk the health of a player you need in the future. This is a lost season. Nady should be shut down for the year so he can get ready for spring training.

Phelps powers Pirates

2007-08-24T12:06:00.000-04:00

Josh Phelps owns the Rockies - AP Photo/Jack Dempsey

Josh Phelps is a robot. A robot that hits baseballs well. Phelps went 4 for 5 with two doubles and three RBI's yesterday, as the Pirates beat the Rockies, 5-1. Since joining the Pirates, he is now hitting a whopping .432/.519/.818, despite being used mostly as a pinch-hitter and making just eight starts. And yet, the Pirates have struggled to get him on the field. Phelps' ideal position is first base, and Adam LaRoche is set as the starter there. The Pirates stayed with LaRoche through a miserable first half, and they are not going to put him on the bench now (he is hitting .335/.398/.553 since the beginning of July and .349/.415/.578 in August). Phelps' bat would be a huge upgrade over Ronny Paulino at catcher, but the Pirates are not sold on his defense behind the plate. Phelps, to his credit, seems to have embraced his role as a power bat coming off the bench.

Paul Maholm pitched well, continuing his strong season. Maholm needed just 89 pitches (58 strikes) to cruise through seven innings, allowing only one run. After fighting through an up and down first two months, Maholm is 8-7 with a 3.77 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 58/29 K/BB ratio, and 0.63 HR/9 since June 1. His strong season has made it a bit easier to stomach the disappointing fall of Zach Duke this year.

Matt Capps has had very few save opportunities in the second half, and many people probably have not realized how dominant he has been this year. He now has a 2.25 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 48/12 K/BB ratio, and 0.56 HR/9. Those are phenomenal numbers. Yesterday, in a non-save situation, Capps effortlessly retired the side on 14 pitches (11 strikes). He struck out two. He has been doing it all year.

The Pirates took three of four from the Rockies, who are battling for a possible postseason berth. Now it is off to Houston for a three-game series. I will be out of town for the weekend, so there will be no updates here. See everyone on Monday.

Pirates roll in Denver

2007-08-23T11:48:00.000-04:00

Nate McLouth circles the bases again - AP Photo/David Zalubowski

The Pirates pulled the bats back out last night in Denver. Six home runs and a decent start from Tom Gorzelanny were the difference, and the Bucs took the game by a score of 9-2.

Nate McLouth continued his power display, hitting two more home runs to highlight a 3 for 5 night. Chris Duffy injured his ankle on June 27, providing McLouth with regular playing time in center field. From June 28 to the present, he has hit .276/.351/.566 in 152 at-bats. He has hit nine home runs, or one every 16.9 at-bats. Seven of those home runs have come in the past 19 days. Nate has clearly taken the lead in the competition to be the Pirates' starting center fielder in 2008.

Also hitting one home run each - Jack Wilson, Xavier Nady, Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez

I did not get to see any of this game, so that is all you will get from me. Here are a few notes:

With less than two weeks remaining in the season, I felt it was a good time to order the MiLB.TV package. I watched some of the Indianapolis Indians game in Toledo last night. These guys are definitely being groomed to be Pirates. John Van Benschoten labored through the second inning. According to the Toledo announcer, he had thrown 44 pitches when I walked away to get some food. I am not sure how many he had thrown by the end of that inning, but he did face two more batters. 5-1 Mud Hens after two. In the fifth, the Indians loaded the bases with nobody out. Andrew McCutchen popped out and Brian Bixler hit into a double play to end the inning. The Mud Hens won, 8-4. It was kind of depressing to watch.
The Rangers scored 30 runs last night. Holy crap!
Paul Meyer of the Post-Gazette is reporting that Dan Duquette may be a candidate for the Pirates' CEO position. I will not claim to be an expert on Duquette's history, but he was an integral part of the Expos' rebuilding process in the early 90's. Those teams are one of the main reasons that the Expos remain my second favorite baseball team to this day. Vlad posted a detailed Dan Duquette history over at Bucs Dugout.

The Pirates finish their series in Denver today at 3:05 PM. Paul Maholm (4.53 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) throws against Franklin Morales (1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP).

Armas, Pirates fall to Rockies

2007-08-22T12:26:00.000-04:00

It has been a dismal 2007 season for Tony Armas - AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Tony Armas continues to show why he does not belong in the Pirates' rotation. Last night, Armas was charged with seven runs in 4.1 innings, allowed a grand slam and walked three. That left the Pirates with a 9-2 loss, and left Armas with an ERA of 7.08.

After the game, Jim Tracy was asked why Armas is still starting. His response? "I'd always be happy to have more people step up." I can see where the skipper is coming from on this one. The Pirates do not have much pitching depth right now. Shane Youman is the best choice, and he has been struggling as well. In fact he allowed two home runs in relief of Armas last night. Youman should be starting over Armas because he at least will still be around in 2008, but I am not sure how significant it is right now. Youman should be in Triple-A next year just as much as Armas should be wandering through the free agent market. Many people have been clamoring all season for Bryan Bullington to be called up, and it is not really a bad idea at this point in the season. But, despite his solid record and ERA, his K/BB ratio is 81/57 in 138.1 innings with Indianapolis. I would not expect much success from him at the Major League level. (Speaking of Bullington, he started for the Indians last night. After loading the bases with two walks and a double in the fourth, he served up a grand slam to one Chris Shelton. Indianapolis lost, 4-0.) John Van Benschoten and Sean Burnett are not options right now.

If you are looking for positives from last night, Nate McLouth continued his impression of Adrian Brown/Tike Redman/Chris Duffy with a long home run, a double and two runs scored. Will I be fooled again by a center fielder who takes over the starting job after the season is lost and excels? Yes. Yes I will. McLouth is making me feel much more comfortable about center field in 2008. I will never learn.

Pirates win in 11

2007-08-21T11:36:00.000-04:00

Josh Phelps ties the game - AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Last night Matt Morris delivered a strong start and the Pirates came from behind yet again, winning 4-2 in 11 innings. After delivering an extra-base hit in both pinch-hit appearances over the weekend, Matt Kata was rewarded with a start at third base. Batting second in the order, he tripled and scored in the first inning to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. The Rockies were quiet until the fourth inning, when Todd Helton led off with a fly ball to right. Jose Bautista made the routine catch, but dropped the ball as he was removing it from his glove. It was incorrectly ruled a drop, and Helton was safe at second on the error. He later scored to tie the game. After a Troy Tulowitzki home run gave the Rockies the lead in the seventh, Matt Holliday singled. That knocked Morris from the game. John Grabow relieved him, and promptly threw a wild pitch. Helton then ripped a ball to right, and Bautista found redemption. He made a huge diving catch to end the inning and save a run.

The next inning, Josh Phelps pinch-hit for Grabow. Phelps continued his hot streak, drilling a 1-1 pitch into the left field seats to tie the game. After that, Shawn Chacon breezed through two perfect innings. Salomon Torres came on in the tenth and allowed a lead-off single to Tulowitzki. In my mind, the key play of the game followed. On a 2-2 pitch, Tulowitzki broke for second. A swing and a miss from Holliday, and Ronny Paulino fired to second. Freddy Sanchez picked the low throw and made the tag. The double play might have been the difference in this game. After a few tense minutes with Damaso Marte on the mound, the Pirates escaped to the 11th.

A walk, a sacrifice and a hit batsman later, and Sanchez was up with a chance to give the Pirates the lead. He delivered. Freddy's single to center plated Cesar Izturis, and the Bucs added an insurance run on an error later in the inning. Matt Capps came on and retired the side on eight pitches. Game.

It was nice to see Morris pitch well. He was far from dominant, but he made big pitches when he needed them. With the money invested in Morris, he is a lock to be in the rotation next season (barring injury or a huge collapse). I would feel much better entering the offseason if he could string together a few quality starts as the season winds down.

The bats

2007-08-20T11:48:00.000-04:00

The Pirate hitters are having fun - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

What happened to the Pirates' offense? Through the first four months of the season, the hitting was the largest factor in a season spiraling out of control. However, Pirate bats have caught fire in August. After battering the Phillies over the weekend, the team is hitting .304/.380/.513 as a whole during the month. That leaves them second in Major League Baseball with an .893 OPS. Their 129 runs scored are unmatched by any team. Here are some individual numbers:

Josh Phelps - .467/.571/.1000, 15 AB
Jack Wilson - .413/.500/.652, 46 AB
Freddy Sanchez - .373/.461/.560, 75 AB
Xavier Nady - .357/.438/.571, 14 AB
Adam LaRoche - .338/.400/.563, 71 AB
Nate McLouth - .297/.378/.578, 64 AB
Ryan Doumit - .300/.378/.525, 40 AB
Jose Bauista - .269/.383/.478, 67 AB
Ronny Paulino - .267/.323/.517, 60 AB

I guess it is true that hitting is contagious. The only thing remotely disappointing about that list is the ommision of Jason Bay's name. Bay's .661 OPS for the month is depressing. (By the way, I am convinced he is injured. He looks lost in every aspect of his game, and often is using only his arms when swinging. I don't know if it is his knee or another injury, but something definitely seems wrong with his lower body.)

However, the team's pitching has been lousy in August. While the team has scored the most runs in the month, it has allowed the third most. As always, the Pirates cannot match strong hitting with good pitching during the same period. Because of that, they are still struggling to win games.

Ronny Paulino and his struggles

2007-08-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

Ronny Paulino has endured a disappointing second season - AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

There have been many frustrating occurrences in the Pirates’ 2007 season. Key players such as Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche and Zach Duke have underperformed. The signing of Tony Armas has been a bust. Drafting Daniel Moskos over Matt Wieters was ludicrous. Hanging on to Shawn Chacon, Damaso Marte and Salomon Torres at the trade deadline was likely a mistake. Committing over eight figures to Matt Morris will probably hurt us in 2008. It has been painful to watch the endless parade of Triple-A players (Don Kelly, John Wasdin, Jonah Bayliss, etc) marching through Pittsburgh. However, the most absurd thing we have seen this season has been Ronny Paulino’s unchanging batting stance. By far.

Last season, the most valuable aspect of Paulino’s hitting was his ability to get base hits to right field on pitches away. It was refreshing to see a smart approach while the majority of the team often attempted to pull everything. His front foot stepped very slightly toward third base during his swing, but it did not affect his ability to hit to the opposite field. However, Paulino altered his stance this season. Maybe he expected opposing pitchers to come inside more often, as a scouting report developed on him. He began using a more open stance. The results were disastrous. Paulino continued to step toward third despite the open stance, making it impossible for him to reach the outer half of the plate. Opposing pitchers quickly realized this, and began feeding him a steady diet of pitches away. Paulino could only flail at these pitches, and had no chance to hit the ball with any authority.

Fast forward to August 18. Paulino’s stance and swing have changed very little throughout the season. He has hit better in the past month or so (.278/.340/.474 since July 7), but he still cannot reach the outside corner. Last night, Paulino homered to right-center field. This should be encouraging. However, replays showed that the pitch was right over the heart of the plate. Paulino was forced to go the other way because that is as far as he can reach. Sure, it has been nice to see him produce more as of late. But unless he fixes his swing, this situation will get worse again before it gets any better.

There has been some discussion this season regarding hitting coach Jeff Manto’s performance. The debate is simple. How can you fairly judge a coach when he has little talent to work with? If you can blame him for the fall of players like Bay and LaRoche this season, then you can give him credit for Freddy’s 2006 season and the improved hitting of Doumit this year. Because of this, I prefer not to judge specialized coaches too harshly for team-wide problems. But Manto’s inability to fix Paulino’s stance over 120 games is a disgrace. This alone is enough evidence for him to be fired.

Gorzelanny struggles as Pirates lose

2007-08-18T01:31:00.000-04:00

It was a rough night for Tom Gorzelanny and the Pirates - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

Tom Gorzelanny was shaky from the start tonight, and that eventually caught up to the Pirates. The Bucs allowed 10+ runs for the third consecutive game, falling to the Phillies by a score of 11-8. Gorzelanny was wild early, walking two in the first before escaping unscathed. Throughout the game, he relied heavily on his off-speed pitches. I would estimate that less than 20 of his 92 pitches touched 90 mph, and he topped out at about 92 mph. That is a few mph lower than we are used to seeing from Gorzo, which makes me nervous. After an early lead, the Pirates fell behind 9-3 as Philadelphia put up four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. Behind home runs from Matt Kata, Ronny Paulino and Jose Bautista, the Bucs crawled back to 9-6 after eight. But Shawn Chacon allowed two runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach. Chacon has now allowed a run or an inherited runner to score in each of his past ten appearances, raising his ERA to 4.37. Good thing we held on to him at the deadline.

The Pirates, trailing 11-6 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, were able to scratch across two more runs before the final out. In that inning, Freddy Sanchez had one of the worst at-bats I have ever seen. It reminded me of an exhibition game for my high school team. Our coach became frustrated as players repeatedly took called third strikes. In anger, he ordered our hitters to swing at every single pitch, regardless of location. This only lasted a few batters, but it was an absolutely ridiculous thing to watch. This is what I thought of as I incredulously watched Freddy bat in the ninth. He swung at everything, and eventually grounded out on a pitch that was literally around his forehead. Four hours later, I am still perplexed.

Jason Bay looked terrible at the plate today, and horribly misplayed a fly ball in left to top things off. I have no words to explain what has happened to him this year. He looks absolutely clueless. It is depressing.

Pirates avoid sweep

2007-08-17T12:13:00.000-04:00

Adam LaRoche gives the Pirates the lead - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The Pirates avoided a sweep at the hands of the Mets with a 10-7 victory last night. The team came from behind to win after Tony Armas handed New York a 5-0 lead by the third inning. The Bucs did not register a hit until the fourth, but that hit was an Adam LaRoche blast over the seats in right field. Ronny Paulino followed the two-run shot with an RBI double later in the inning, and the Pirates pulled within two. However, the Mets extended their lead to 7-3 the next inning.

From there, the Bucs began chipping away. A Jason Bay RBI single in the fifth, a Nate McLouth RBI double in the sixth, RBI singles from Bay and Jose Castillo in the seventh and the game was tied at seven. In the eighth, a David Wright throwing error allowed Freddy Sanchez to reach with two outs and the Pirates took advantage. LaRoche, Bay and Jose Bautista hit consecutive run-scoring singles, and Matt Capps retired the side in the ninth to preserve the victory.

Bay and LaRoche both hit well in the same game. We have not seen enough of that in 2007.
After the game, the Pirates promoted Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and Dave Davidson to Triple-A Indianapolis. This is a curious move, as none of these three have been exactly dominant in Altoona. Walker started the season very strongly, but has cooled considerably in the second half. Overall, he is hitting a solid .288/.362/.462. McCutchen's season has been the exact opposite. He began 2007 in a LaRoche-esque slump, but has caught fire recently. Still his overall numbers are a disappointing .258/.327/.383. Davidson has posted a 4.22 ERA in 59.2 innings, with a decent K/BB ratio of 55/30 and a 1.24 WHIP. This was not a bad move by any means, it was just a bit unexpected.
Dejan reports that Jack Wilson has cleared waivers, meaning he can be traded up until August 31. Jair Jurrjens, who reportedly was discussed in the original trade talks with the Tigers in July, is now on Detroit's 40-man roster. The significance of this is that he would need to clear waivers to be traded, an event Dejan sees as unlikely. I do not have a thorough understanding of baseball's waiver rules, but I believe the waiver priority is determined by the current standings. The Pirates currently have the second worst record in Major League Baseball, ahead of only Tampa Bay. I believe that means that if the Devil Rays do not claim Jurrjens, the Pirates can. This would allow the trade to go through, similar to the situation with Brian Giles in 2003.

EDIT: Forget all this. The waiver priority is determined by league, meaning that each AL club would have a chance to claim Jurrjens before the Pirates.)

Pirates lose, roster gets worse

2007-08-15T11:37:00.000-04:00

The Pirates fell to the Mets last night, 5-4. The Bucs jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first against an erratic Orlando Hernandez, but were unable to pull away. Ian Snell allowed only three runs in seven innings, and left with the score tied. But the bullpen faltered in the eighth and the offense could not overcome the deficit in the bottom of the inning. Billy Wagner came on in the ninth and set the Bucs down in order to preserve the win.

After the game, the Pirates made some roster moves and somehow were able to make the team even worse. Ryan Doumit was placed on the disabled list due to a sprained wrist. Doumit has been one of the most consistent offensive producers for the Pirates in 2007, hitting .277/.344/.478 to this point. He has been the best hitter on the team not named Xavier. Also, the team designated Masumi Kuwata for assignment. Kuwata has been terrible this season, and it was time for him to go. He has an ERA of 9.43, a WHIP of 1.90, and has allowed at least one run in seven of his past ten appearances. He seemed like a great guy, though, so I wish him luck in the future.

To fill out the roster, the Pirates purchased the contracts of Matt Kata and Carlos Maldonado from Indianapolis. Kata hit .214/.214./.321 in 28 at-bats for the Pirates earlier in the season and .278/.338/.458 in 72 at-bats at Triple-A. I am not sure why Kata would be brought up over Michael Ryan, who has slugged .500 in Triple-A this season. Maldonado hit .105/.150/.105 in 19 at-bats for the Bucs in 2006 and has put up a line of .219/.325/.270 in 137 at-bats in Indianopolis. The catching depth in this organization is absolutely pathetic. I wish Humberto Cota was not hurt. Zach Duke was moved to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.

By the way, Shawn Chacon has allowed at least one run in six of his past eight appearances. In those other two appearances, he allowed inherited runners to score. Good thing we did not deal him when he had some value. That would be silly.

Barry Bonds, in the eyes of a 23 year old Pirate fan

2007-08-14T11:58:00.000-04:00

The Barry Bonds debate is just beginning - AP Photo/Richard Drew

As you all know, Barry Bonds passed Hank Aaron last week to become baseball's career home run king. Yesterday, he appeared in Pittsburgh for what could be the final time. Like many others, I have been thinking about him a bit this past week or so.

As is the case for many Pirate fans in their 20's, I have grown up with an extreme dislike for Bonds. I was at my most impressionable age when he played in Pittsburgh, and I was eight years old when he left as a free agent. As time has passed, I have never been able to put my finger on the exact reason for my disdain for Bonds. There are many possibilities. There were the postseason failures at the plate. There was the infamous throw that ended just far enough from home plate to ruin my favorite team. He left the team for more money. He was/is a jerk. And finally, there is the steroid issue.

I have come to forgive him for many of these transgressions. His struggles at the plate in those three playoff series are understandable when you consider a.) the caliber of pitching he faced, and b.) the small sample size. Also, his brilliant performance in the regular season was a huge factor in the success those teams enjoyed. On the Bream/Cabrera play, he made a strong effort to get the out. He got to the ball extremely quickly and immediately fired to the plate. The throw was a bit off the mark, but those things happen. The only thing I still hold against Barry on that play is that he allegedly ignored Andy Van Slyke right before the hit, when Van Slyke motioned for him to play shallow. But, of course, I do not know for sure that actually happened. Finally, I have come to realize that Bonds' departure from the team was inevitable. The Pirates did not want him back, and he was a superstar who left for his appropriate value. I can not judge him for that.

On the other hand, I can not forgive him for his personality. After slowly realizing everything in the previous paragraph, I still despise Bonds because he is an unpleasant person that considers himself to be more important than the rest of the world. But this post is not about my personal dislike for an individual player. I am here to talk about the saddest part of Barry Bonds' career.

Barry Bonds was an amazing player from the start. In his first season in Major League Baseball, the 21 year old Bonds had an OPS+ of 103 in 413 at-bats. The next year, it was 114. By the time he was 25, Bonds had hit 117 home runs, stolen 169 bases and had a career OPS+ of 132. Fast forward to 1998. Bonds finished that season with 403 doubles, 63 triples, 411 home runs, 1,357 walks, 445 stolen bases, a batting line of .290/.411/.556 and an OPS+ of 163. He was one of the best players in the game, and many believed he would be considered one of the greatest ever by the time he was finished.

But that is when this story took a turn for the worst. After the 1998 season, Bonds wanted more. He allegedly began a powerful steroid regimen and went from superstar to superhuman. We all know about the mind-blowing numbers he put up in the years approaching his 40th birthday and beyond.

How would the career of Barry Bonds progressed if allowed to do so in a natural fashion? We will never know. Most likely, he would have gone down as one of the greatest baseball players the world has ever seen. Instead, a career that statistically is in the top five in history will be scrutinized and debated for generations. That is the real tragedy in this story.

Pirates erase late deficit, defeat Giants

2007-08-11T09:28:00.000-04:00

Play of the game - Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

This game was progressing as one might expect. Barry Bonds had homered. Matt Morris could not keep Rajai Davis off the bases, allowing him to score four runs. The Pirates were close early in the game, but slowly the Giants' lead grew to 6-2. Now it was the top of the eighth, and it was easy to see how the final two innings would proceed. The Pirates’ offense would go down quietly, and the only relevant question remaining would be whether the bullpen would let things get out of control.

But the Pirates did not concede. Adam LaRoche, Jason Bay, Ryan Doumit and Ronny Paulino singled in succession to start the eighth inning. After a Jack Wilson sacrifice fly, the Giants’ lead was suddenly only 6-5. A gimpy Xavier Nady pinch-hit and reached on an error. Nate McLouth ripped a double off the wall in right and the game was tied. Jose Bautista deflated Pirate fans everywhere when he made his 33rd unproductive out of the game. But Freddy Sanchez poked a single to center on the first pitch he saw, and the Pirates had taken an 8-6 lead.

The Giants had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. With one run in, Paulino’s lame attempt to block a ball in the dirt moved runners to second and third with one out. Red-hot Rajai Davis was at the plate with the tying run at third. The stage was set for Davis to fittingly burn his former team. But Bautista made a fabulous play on Davis’ slow chopper to third, cutting down the run at the plate. Salomon Torres struck out Omar Vizquel, and the Pirates went to the ninth with the lead.

With one on in the ninth, Ryan Klesko was at the plate representing the winning run. I cringed as Matt Capps grooved the first pitch right down the middle. But the ball had just enough movement on it that Klesko popped it straight up in the air for the second out. Capps struck out Bengie Molina and the game was over. Pirates win 8-7.

This was a solid win for the Bucs, one that sends you to bed at 2 AM with a smile on your face. Some thoughts:

Matt Morris was lousy. He walked five guys, did not strike out a batter, and was terrorized all night by Rajai Davis. Very appropriate.
Bonds and Davis killed us at the plate in this game, but each humorously misplayed fly balls as well. Watching those ugly attempts put a smile on my face, if only for a moment.
Huge hit by Sanchez in the eighth. The Giants had just taken some momentum when Bautista’s groundout failed to score a run, but Freddy wasted no time in giving the Bucs the lead.
It was nice to see Bautista make the game-saving play at third in the bottom of that inning. He was clearly frustrated after failing to produce a run during the Pirate rally, and immediately making up for it in the field likely allowed him to rest a bit easier last night. Also, Paulino made a great tag on the play. This was immediately after he allowed a wild pitch to skip past him.
I guess Xavier Nady is not going on the DL. It has been over a week since he re-injured his hamstring, and he has been limited to three pinch-hit appearances during that period. With the team already down to four bench players, this really limits what Jim Tracy can do with his lineup. I have no idea why the Pirates like to keep injured players on the active roster for extended periods, regardless of whether they are able to play. Wait, maybe it is because Brad Eldred is the only uninjured position player available on the 40-man roster. Who is in charge around here?
Steve Pearce went 2 for 4 with a double yesterday for Triple-A Indianapolis. He is now hitting .375/.444/.725 with four home runs in 40 at-bats with the Indians. He is clearly on pace to reach Pittsburgh very soon.

Tony Armas (6.31 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) goes against Tim Lincecum (3.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) early this evening. Armas very well may be auditioning for a job. First pitch is at 3:55 PM.

Maholm, Pirates defeated

2007-08-09T12:12:00.000-04:00

The Pirates fell to the Diamondbacks last night by a score of 10-6. Paul Maholm was shaky, as was the bullpen. Adam LaRoche had a big day at the plate, going 4 for 5 with a double. I saw very little of this game, so I will not try to provide any analysis. Here is a link to the Post Gazette's recap.

Tonight Ian Snell (3.91 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) goes for the Bucs, Doug Davis (3.88 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) for the D-Backs. Gametime is 9:40 PM.

Gorzo shines in return

2007-08-08T13:42:00.000-04:00

Tom Gorzelanny makes a successful return from injury - AP Photo/Matt York

On September 16, 2006, I went to PNC Park for a game between the Pirates and the first-place Mets. The Mets were one win away from clinching the NL East. On the hill for the Bucs was Tom Gorzelanny, making his first start in just over a month due to an arm injury. Gorzo went four innings, allowing just one run on four hits and leaving after throwing 72 pitches. The Pirates eventually won 3-2 on Ronny Paulino's ninth inning double. The gutty performance from the rookie Gorzelanny helped the Bucs sweep the Mets and keep them from clinching in Pittsburgh.

Fast forward to August 7, 2007. Gorzelanny has enjoyed a brilliant second season, and currently is one of the National League's top left-handers. Last night he made his first start in about two weeks due to shoulder stiffness. Again, he pitched very well in his return from injury. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out nine and walking two. For his effort, he was rewarded with his tenth victory of the season, as the Bucs won 8-3. Jack Wilson and Ronny Paulino continued their recent mini-surges at the plate to lead the offense.

One knock against Gorzelanny has been poor mental toughness. But to be quite honest, I don't see it. The two times he has missed time due to injury in the Majors, he has responded with a strong outing in his return. Just over a year ago, he faced the Cubs in his hometown of Chicago, his first professional appearance there. With countless friends and family in attendance, Gorzo threw eight shutout innings and allowed only two hits. He had a terrible spring in Bradenton this season, but shrugged it off and has been tremendous since the team came north to Pittsburgh. Finally, he has dealt with poor run support all year. In Gorzelanny's six losses this season, the Pirates have scored a total of six runs. In five of those games, they have scored one run or less. That is quite a burden to put on a young pitcher, but Gorzo has handled it calmly. I have no concerns about his mentality on the mound.

The play of the game was made in the seventh inning. With the Pirates leading 4-2, one on and nobody out, Chris Snyder yanked Gorzelanny's 1-2 pitch deep to left. Jason Bay, who was the subject of this article in Tuesday's PG, headed back toward the wall. On this play, Bay looked about as comfortable as I have seen him all season. He leaped at the fence and pulled Snyder's home run back. He capped it off by throwing a laser to second for the double play. Gorzelanny ended the inning on the next pitch, and the Pirates held their two-run lead. Bay has taken quite a bit of grief for his defense this season. It was nice to see him make such a huge play.

(Off the topic a bit: I have always felt that Bay's largest flaw regarding his throwing arm is poor mechanics. He rarely gets his entire body into a throw, which usually results in a Little League style toss. He definitely got more on this throw as he seemed to have more momentum moving toward second after bouncing off the wall. My question is, who do we blame for this? The coaching staff for not fixing the problem? Bay for being a Major League Baseball player, but not knowing how to crow-hop? Dave Littlefield? Tony Randazzo? I'm not sure.)

The Diamondbacks defense was terrible in this game. What was Micah Owings doing when he fielded a routine comebacker, jumped into the air and launched the ball into right field? Has Chris Young ever seen a fly ball? I almost thought the ninth inning was a dream. I believe it was about midnight, and 19 hours awake was beginning to catch up with me. I dozed, woke briefly, dozed again, and so on. Repeatedly, I woke to Lanny's voice rising to say, "...and the throw gets away! [Insert name of Pirate player] scores on the play!" It seemed like the D-Backs made five errors in the inning (I see now they only made two. Weird.). If this is how you get to first place, maybe the Pirates are not that far away.

Tonight, it is Paul Maholm (4.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) throwing against Byung-Hyun Kim (4.63 ERA, 1.57 WHIP). Gametime is 9:40 PM.

Pirates at DiamondBacks

2007-08-07T19:27:00.000-04:00

The Pirates are in Arizona for a late one tonight. Tom Gorzelanny (3.55 ERA, 1.29 WHIP)throws for the Pirates with Micah Owings (4.91 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) going for the D-Backs, a rematch from this debacle in May. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 PM.

Weekend update

2007-08-06T12:08:00.000-04:00

Postponed - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Another weekend, a little rain, and a couple more losses for the Pirates. I did not get a chance to watch much the past few days, but here are a few thoughts:

Apparently the Pirates knew what they were doing when they traded for Matt Morris. His 2.333 OPS is highest on the team. And I was upset that we did not acquire any offense at the deadline.
Ian Snell has officially scared the hell out of Pirate fans. Suddenly, he is not the pitcher he once was.
Jeff Keppinger is hitting .333/.387/.522 for an OPS of .908. It doesn't mean anything, but it is interesting to think about.
Matt Capps is still on the team.
Is anyone paying attention to the Pirates' roster? We currently have three backup infielders, zero backup catchers, and the only backup outfielder is limited to pinch-hitting duty due to a bad hamstring. Nobody panic though, we have six starting pitchers on the team. Now who said the Pirates do a poor job of planning?

The Pirates are off today as they travel to Phoenix for a three-game series with the Diamondbacks.

Pirates take series on Castillo's single

2007-08-02T13:07:00.000-04:00

It was a rollercoaster of a series for Ronny Paulino. In the first game, his defensive miscues were a large factor in the Pirates' 6-4 loss. He rebounded quickly the next night, with a grand slam in the first inning. He added a single and the Pirates won big, 15-1. Today, he doubled in the fifth to start a three-run Pirates rally that tied the game. An inning later, his solo home run gave the Pirates the lead. With the game tied in the bottom of the 11th inning, Paulino came to the plate with runners at first and second and nobody out. He was asked to bunt, and the Cardinals were ready. With first baseman Albert Pujols sprinting towards the plate, Paulino pulled his bat back to swing and took ball one. On the second pitch, Pujols again stormed forward. This time, Paulino followed through with his instructions. He bunted the ball directly to Pujols, who fired to third for the force out. The relay to first beat Paulino, and the Pirates' rally was shut down by a double play. Ryan Doumit now stood at second base with two outs, and Jim Tracy sent Jose Castillo to the plate to pinch-hit for Salomon Torres. Castillo was the final position player available, and with only John Grabow and Jonah Bayliss left in the bullpen, I was getting nervous.

But I should not have worried. After quickly falling behind 0-2, Castillo lined one into right-center. Adam Kennedy's throw was a few feet up the first base line, and Ryan Doumit scored standing up to win the game. At that point, those of us in attendance had the pleasure of watching the Pirates mob Castillo near the pitcher's mound. My favorite part of a walk-off win is seeing the players gleefully celebrating like small children. The innocence of the scene is indescribably wonderful.

Shane Youman is quickly becoming one of my favorite players. Today, he did exactly what he always seems to do. He was not spectacular, but he went five innings, allowed three runs, and kept the team in the game. There is something enjoyable about watching him go to the mound, throw below average stuff at Major League hitters, and be effective. He just might be the perfect number five starter.

The Pirates took two out of three from the Cardinals. You can't argue with that right now.

Pirates cruise, end losing streak

2007-08-02T00:48:00.001-04:00

It was all smiles for Tony Armas and the Pirates on Wednesday night - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

As we approached the trade deadline, I felt we needed hitting. Dave Littlefield apparently felt we needed a #5 starting pitcher. Were we both wrong?

Well, probably not. But the Pirates needed very little tonight, as they pounded the Cardinals by a score of 15-1. It was not just the score that made this game so ironic. It was the way in which it was won. It was as if someone took all the problems of 2007 and flipped them upside down. Tony Armas Jr. was brilliant, continuing a recent trend. After allowing one run in 6.1 innings, Armas has now allowed only one run in 12 July innings. Maybe he is finally figuring things out.

The offense exploded for 15 runs on 20 hits. Keeping the irony alive, Ronny Paulino led the offense with a first inning grand slam. The rest of the lineup also produced a tremendous amount of support for Armas.

I am falling asleep as I type this, so I think it is time for bed. I will be at the game tomorrow afternoon, and it is possible that I will provide some updates from PNC Park. I am not promising anything, but I may post a few thoughts for those stuck at work during the game.

Pirates add Morris, lose again

2007-08-01T12:06:00.000-04:00

Matt Morris is now a Pirate - Nam Y. Huh, AP Photo

Yesterday, the Pirates traded back-up centerfielder Rajai Davis and a player to be named later to the Giants for veteran starter Matt Morris. Where should I begin? I think I will tell a story.

Let's start before the 2006 season. The Pirates sign/trade for Jeromy Burnitz (2006 stats-.230/.289/.422, 2006 salary-$6 Million), Joe Randa (.267/.316/.388, $4 million), Sean Casey (.289/.354/.381, $8.5 million) and Roberto Hernandez (2.93 ERA 1.63 WHIP, $2.75 million ). Overall, that is approximately $21.25 million* for a decent reliever and three below average position players. Burnitz and Randa were on the bench by the halfway point and retired after the season, while Casey and Hernandez were traded at the deadline.

Fast forward to June 2006. The Pirates have absolutely no catching depth in the organization. Zero prospects. The only true catcher on the 40-man roster is producing below replacement-level results, while playing poor defense. With the fourth overall pick in the amateur draft, the Pirates pass on top catching prospect Matt Wieters and choose college pitcher Daniel Moskos, who projects as a reliever in the Major Leagues. Most likely, the expected $10 million signing bonus for Wieters discouraged the Pirates from drafting him. They signed Moskos for a $2.475 million bonus.

Now it is July 31, 2007. Major League Baseball's trade deadline is at 4:00 PM EST. Many teams are looking for bullpen help, and most are overpaying to acquire it. The Pirates possess some of the better available relievers in Damaso Marte, Shawn Chacon and Salomon Torres. With a team batting line of .251/.311/.385, the team is ranked 26th in AVG, 30th in OBP and 28th in SLG. The team is in a good position to deal some relievers and add something to a lineup that desperately needs it.

However, the Pirates went a different route. Apparently, they spent most of the day trying to work out a deal that would send Jack Wilson to the Tigers and remove some of his salary from their payroll. As 4:00 approached and the two teams had yet to work out an agreement, Dave Littlefield apparently panicked. He suddenly joined the negotiations for Morris and agreed to do what no other team would, absorb all of his salary. In the end, the Pirates will pay Morris $15.7 million at the very least.

In Morris, the Pirates are receiving a mediocre to below-average pitcher who will eat some innings. It won't hurt to have a veteran presence in a young rotation, and the team did not give up much to acquire Morris. But that is not the issue. We hear quite a bit about how the Pirates will not spend what is necessary to compete, and that is true. But the bigger problem is the poor decisions the Pirates make when they do spend money. They have paid Burnitz, Randa, Casey, and Hernandez approximately $21.25 million* and will pay Morris $15.7 million (a total of almost $37 million of nearly worthless spending), but refuse to spend any money on top draft picks. As a result, they have one of the worst farm systems in the league and a lousy Major League club.

Another problem with this deal is the fact that the team desperately needs hitting. The Pirates are not losing because Tony Armas is having a lousy year as the fifth starter. They are losing because only one player has an OPS over .800 on the season. That is absolutely terrible. Littlefield ignored his most glaring need and also ignored his most valuable trade bait (bullpen). That is a great method to use in order to better the team. This trade was made as if we are one veteran pitcher away from competing. Does anyone watching this team actually believe that?

By the way, the Pirates lost to the Cardinals last night. Ronny Paulino nearly caused me to punch a hole in the wall, and Xavier Nady left the game with a hamstring problem. Albert Pujols caused that injury by faking that a throw was coming as Nady returned to first after a flyout to center in the fourth. Nady lunged for the bag, stretching his hamstring farther than it could be stretched. If I were in charge, Pujols would be watching out for his ribs each time he comes to the plate tonight. But of course, I am just a pissed off Pirate fan.

*This amount was actually lower, as the Reds picked up a small portion of Casey's contract and the Pirates saved money when they dealt Casey and Hernandez on July 31.

What I am thinking right now

2007-07-31T21:29:00.000-04:00

Matt Morris, huh? What the hell?
Ronny Paulino sucks.
Dave Littlefield sucks.
Ronny Paulino really sucks.

Deadline

2007-07-31T11:32:00.000-04:00

Have we seen the last of Jack Wilson in a Pirate uniform? - AP Photo/Tom Mihalek

UPDATE (4:15 PM): The deadline has come and gone. There is no word on any moves by our Pirates.

UPDATE (12:55 PM): MLB Trade Rumors claims that Wilson has been traded. There are no details nor is there confirmation at this point.

It is Dave Littlefield's time to shine. With less than five hours remaining before Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline, Littlefield is ready to work his magic.

I honestly have no idea what might happen by 4 PM. I would not be very surprised if we did not make a move, although I also would not be shocked if Salomon Torres, Damaso Marte, Shawn Chacon, Jack Wilson and maybe even Jose Castillo are all missing from tonight's game. At the very least, expect Chacon to be gone.

Marte should definitely be traded. He has been nearly perfect against lefties this season, and almost the entire league is looking for bullpen help.

Rumors have Wilson, and maybe a reliever, being sent to the Tigers. Personally, I would not rush to trade Jack unless the right deal came along. There would likely be more options to deal him after the season.

Dejan reports that the Dodgers have been scouting the Pirates for two weeks in search of pitching depth. Chacon would be a good fit for them, while the Dodgers have plenty of young talent to offer in return. Hopefully, DL can work out a decent deal there. The Pirates will not be willing to pay Chacon $5 million+ for next season, and that is likely what would be necessary to keep him.

After the wheeling and dealing concludes, the Cardinals will visit PNC Park tonight. Paul Maholm (4.57 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) throws for the Pirates, Adam Wainwright (4.45 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) for the Cards. The Bucs are desperate to escape their current tailspin. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Blow it up

2007-07-30T12:18:00.000-04:00

Steve Pearce is one of the few prospects currently in the Pirates' system

It was another lousy weekend of Pirate baseball. To be honest, these past three games are a blur in my memory. All I can recall are eight-run innings, crucial Pirate errors and hitters that belong on a Triple-A roster hitting harmless ground balls. But the specifics have been lost in my mind.

It is time to blow up this team. The starting pitching is young and has some promise, so I would not deal any of them. A future built around the arms of Ian Snell, Tom Gorzelanny, Paul Maholm and hopefully a renewed Zach Duke is enticing. There is some hope there.

However, the offense is made up of players in their upper 20's, or in other words, their peak years. These are not players that we can look forward to developing into worthwhile talent in the near future. We know what to expect from them by now. The most valuable offensive players in the lineup right now are Jason Bay (28 years old), Adam LaRoche (27), Xavier Nady (28), Freddy Sanchez (29), and Ryan Doumit (26). Removing Doumit, you have a group of established players, all of whom will become much more expensive to keep in the next two years. There are definitely some solid hitters mentioned above. But combined with the likes of Jack Wilson, Ronny Paulino, Nate McLouth, Chris Duffy, and a number of other scrubs, they have led the Pirates to a .310 team OBP and .385 team SLG thus far in 2007. Even a dramatic improvement on those numbers in 2008 would be unlikely to save this team.

Now imagine this. The Pirates deal Salomon Torres, Shawn Chacon and Damaso Marte before tomorrow's trade deadline. They net a couple of solid Double-A/Triple-A position players. Bay and LaRoche finish the year strong. In the offseason, the Bucs deal Nady, Bay, LaRoche and possibly Sanchez. Assuming somebody doesn't screw up those moves, they should result in a large return of good high minors position players. Also, they trade Wilson and hopefully a large portion of his salary to a team with deep pockets. 2008 is a disaster. But in 2009, we start seeing some improvement. The young guys that we received in all of those trades start reaching the Majors. They are joined by the likes of Brian Bixler, Steve Pearce (who was just moved up to Triple-A), Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, Jamie Romak and others. The starting pitchers are now in their upper 20's and are much more seasoned. The bullpen may need to be strengthened through some smart free agent signings, but suddenly we have a core group of players with some upside.

The reason this won't happen is simple. 2008 is the team's chance to avoid catching the Phillies for the distinction of longest run of losing seasons in sports history. Rebuilding would assure the team of another season below .500 in 2008. That would be a huge PR hit for the ownership. If we could manage a winning season next year, much of the heat on Nutting and Co. would lighten. Ownership is playing for a winning season by 2009. The problem with that is that even if the team does reach .500, there is little chance of improving on that as we move into 2010. The roster will be getting older, and many players will be lost to free agency after 2009. We will be forced to rebuild anyway, but without any valuable players left to use as trade bait.

I dread the day that the Pirates break the record for consecutive losing seasons. But I am definitely willing to go through those difficult times if there is hope for a contending team in the future. I would hate to waste the next seven years or so simply to avoid the record of futility. The smart thing to do is rebuild.

Pirates avoid sweep

2007-07-27T12:48:00.000-04:00

A promising game quickly turned sour for Perez and the Mets - AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

For five innings, this game followed the typical script:

Pirates give up on young pitcher, trade him.
Pitcher quickly becomes star for new team.
Pitcher faces Pirates, dominates.

We have seen it with others, most recently Chris Young. Yesterday it was Oliver Perez's turn. Heading into the top of the sixth, Perez had allowed only an infield single while striking out eight Pirates. Paul Maholm had only allowed one run, but that was starting to look like it would be enough. Nate McLouth led off the sixth with a broken-bat single. With a little luck, Maholm managed an infield single. Cesar Izturis bunted, and suddenly things got interesting. Perez scooped up the ball and fired it into right field. One run scored, and runners were left at second and third with no outs and the heart of the Pirates' order coming to the plate. Enthusiasm was quickly quieted, however, as Perez induced pop-outs to Freddy Sanchez and Jason Bay. But Xavier Nady's sharp grounder off David Wright plated two more, and Josh Phelps followed with his first home run as a Pirate. Suddenly, a hopeless game had turned into a 5-1 Pirate lead. Each team added a few runs, and the Bucs escaped New York with an 8-4 victory.

Paul Maholm pitched well in this game, continuing to solidify himself as a reliable starter for the Pirates. He now has each of the team's wins since the All-Star break. Josh Phelps went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, and three RBI's while filling in for the ill Adam LaRoche.

The Pirates were lucky to steal a win in this game. They did not hit many balls hard (five infield singles, two errors by Mets' infield), and they very easily could have been shut out instead of scoring eight. However, I have never been opposed to a cheap win. We'll take them any way we can get them right now.

Spiral continues

2007-07-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

The Pirates dropped another to the Mets last night by a score of 6-3. Tom Glavine notched win number 299 by going six innings and allowing three runs. This game was basically decided in the first inning. Glavine walked the bases loaded, but Xavier Nady hit into a double play and the game remained scoreless. In the bottom of the inning, the Mets loaded the bases with one out. But this outcome was different. Paul Lo Duca doubled in two and Marlon Anderson's sacrifice fly made it 3-0 Mets. This was a perfect example of how the Mets and Pirates are completely different teams.

Tom Gorzelanny allowed three additional runs in the third and left the game with shoulder stiffness. This kind of news instantly makes Pirate fans queasy. Judging from the team's remarks in today's PG, they do not seem worried about a long-term injury. But we have heard that before. Until Gorzelanny comes back and makes a couple of decent starts, I will remain nervous.

Jason Bay homered again, making him 4 for 7 with three home runs in the two games in New York. Yes, it is only two games. But with the way he has looked at the plate the past few months, it is very comforting.

The Bucs and Mets conclude the three-game series this afternoon. Former Pirate Oliver Perez (3.00 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) takes the mound for the home team, with Paul Maholm (4.57 ERA, 1.35 ERA) throwing for the visitors. Perez has been very good this season for the Mets, and today is his opportunity to get some revenge against the team that gave up on him in 2006. If he can keep his emotions in check, the Pirates could be in for a long day. Maholm has been very solid for the Bucs after a rough start to 2007, and will attempt to salvage a win out of this series. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 PM.

Pirates fall again

2007-07-25T12:09:00.001-04:00

Last night's game started promising, but quickly disintegrated into another frustrating loss. In the top of the first, the Pirates got a couple of two-out hits and took an early 1-0 lead. However, it took only seven pitches for Ian Snell to turn that into a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the inning. In the top of the fourth, Jason Bay lifted a solo home run over the outfield fence to tie the game at 2. But in the bottom of the inning, things fell apart.

Paul Lo Duca lifted a one-out fly ball to left-center. Off the bat, it looked like a lazy out. But Bay barely moved and Xavier Nady could not cover the necessary ground. The ball dropped on the warning track, giving Lo Duca a double. An RBI single and a Paulino-generated "wild" pitch later, Lastings Milledge ripped one to third. The ball skipped right through Matt Kata into shallow left and, when Jack Wilson's throw was off the mark, Shawn Green scored. Pitcher John Maine added insult to injury with a two-run home run to left. A 2-2 game had quickly turned into a 6-2 Mets lead, and Snell's day was over. Milledge and Bay traded late home runs and the Pirates fell by a score of 8-4.

After the game, Snell basically threw his defense under the bus with his locker room quotes. What he said was correct, but Snell himself has not been exactly dominant in his last few starts.

Was this the game in which Jason Bay finally gets going? He went 3 for 4 with two home runs, and his ninth inning homer was an absolute shot to right field. I would gladly take another disappointing loss if it means the Pirates can get their best hitter back. We will see.

Pirates at Mets

2007-07-24T16:56:00.000-04:00

The Pirates travel to New York tonight to face the Mets. Ian Snell will attempt to regain his form from the first half of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10.

Ho hum

2007-07-23T12:06:00.000-04:00

It looks like I missed a typical weekend of Pirate baseball. In a battle for last place, the Bucs faced the Astros at PNC Park. We held Houston to just six total runs in the series, yet still managed to lose two of the three games. The pitching was excellent, it sounds as if there were a few nice defensive plays made, and the bats remained silent. The Pirates won 7-3 on Saturday, but lost 2-1 on Friday and 1-0 yesterday. Same old story. At least the Reds lost three in a row to keep us out of the cellar for the time being.

And apparently Matt Kata is a major part of our offense now? I'm pretty sure I was only gone for a couple of days. What the heck happened?

The Pirates are off tonight as they travel to New York for a three game set with the Mets. The highlight of this series will be Oliver Perez facing his former team for the first time on Thursday afternoon.

Out of town

2007-07-20T13:50:00.000-04:00

I will be doing some camping this weekend, and therefore will not be watching/writing about Pirate baseball at all. Don't expect any updates until Monday. Hopefully I will return to hear about some wins against the Astros.

Cesar Izturis = Shawon Dunston?

2007-07-20T11:26:00.000-04:00

The Pirates are reeling as the Houston Astros come to town. Our Pirates have played the Astros well this season, sweeping both series on the way to a 6-0 record. Houston is 1-5 since the break. Hopefully this is the team to help the Bucs break out of their funk.

In other news, the Pirates aquired Cesar Izturis from the Cubs yesterday in exchange for a player to be named later. The team and its fans will place all hope for 2007 squarely on Izturis' shoulders. In all seriousness, this move could have been made for a few different reasons:

* The Pirates have grown weary of Jack Wilson's contract and his poor performance, and decided that the confrontation with Jim Colburn earlier this week was the last straw. Management has decided to deal Wilson before the deadline, and may or may not be considering a fire sale. Possible players to be dealt include Damaso Marte, Salomon Torres, and Shawn Chacon. Izturis would take over at shortstop.

* Dave Littlefield was being completely honest when he said, "This has nothing to do with Jack Wilson." With Jose Bautista injured, the Pirates wanted a bit more depth at infield and did not feel that could be provided by Don Kelly.

* We're talking about the Pirates here. There is no plan in place. They might trade Jack Wilson, they might not. What's the difference? Recent trade negotiations went something like this:

[Ring, ring]
[Pirates GM Dave Littlefield looks up, startled by the strange noise. Relieved, he realizes his desk phone is simply ringing again.]

DL: Hello?

Cubs GM Jim Hendry: Dave? It’s Jim Hendry. How are you?

DL: Who?

JH: Jim Hendry. General manager of the Cubs.

DL: Oh. [still confused]

JH: I saw one of your infielders cut his hand and is going to be out for a while.

DL: Really?? Who??

JH: Not important. But I was thinking you might need some help. How would you like Izturis?

DL: Who?

JH: Cesar Izturis. He was our shortstop, but he wasn’t really hitting so we are playing somebody better.

DL: Ha ha ha. What a ridiculous way to run a team!

JH: Right. [laying down with a headache] So do you want him?

DL: Well actually, I have heard of this guy. But I can’t afford to pay anyone else. I don’t know if you've seen, but our payroll is over 30 million dollars!

JH: Right. [shaking head] How about if we pay his salary?

DL: It’s a deal! Wait…who do you want?

JH: It doesn't matter. Cesar will be on the next flight.

* Jim Tracy saw Wilson arguing with his buddy Colburn and decided he wouldn't stand for it. Tracy immediately called Littlefield and said, "I don't like this Jack kid. The other night he was yelling at Jimmy, and all the shouting made me nervous. I want him out of here...I don't know who we'll get to play short. Just find me another overpaid good glove/bad bat guy that was an All-Star a couple years ago, just like Jack. And make sure it's somebody I am friends with. I hate all the arguing!"

In reality, we are most likely looking at the first option. That is what Dejan is expecting, and he is not one to throw around unsubstantiated rumors. I fully support a firesale, but why stop with Wilson and our relievers? The Pirates will not get enough in return for those guys to rebuild the future, and that is what the team desperately needs. Xavier Nady's value is high, and Littlefield should look to deal him before the deadline. If Bay and LaRoche have strong second halves, they should be dealt in the offseason. If some GM out there thinks of Freddy Sanchez as a batting champion that plays second base as opposed to a high average-low walk-low power guy that is best suited for third, trade him. If our GM makes some intelligent moves with those guys, the Pirates could have a strong, young nucleus by 2009. They may not win a game in 2008, but it would be worth it.

Skid hits six

2007-07-19T00:30:00.000-04:00

Ian Snell is angry - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The Pirates' losing streak reached six games today, as they dropped an afternoon game to the Colorado Rockies by a score of 5-3. Ian Snell seemed sharp early on, striking out four of six batters while breezing through the first two innings. But in the third, Rajai Davis stumbled chasing a pop fly. That allowed Troy Tulowitzki to reach on a double, and he eventually scored when pitcher Jeff Francis singled. Afterwards, Snell continued a disturbing recent trend by allowing two-run home runs to Brad Hawpe and Todd Helton. The Pirates received solo shots from Freddy Sanchez and Adam LaRoche, but still only mustered three runs. Their offense is not scaring anybody right now.

After the game, Snell was clearly displeased. He accused an anonymous Colorado player of stealing signs and promised some chin music if he faces him again this season. Catcher Ronny Paulino did not seem to think that the Rockies were doing anything underhanded, but you cannot really take his word for it. Paulino usually naps during games anyway. Either way, Snell sounds pissed. That can only mean good things if you are a Pirate fan.

Losing streak continues

2007-07-18T12:31:00.000-04:00

[Insert tired metaphor involving Josh Fogg's name and last night's dreary weather conditions] - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

The freefall continues. The Pirates went down without much argument last night, losing to the Colorado Rockies by a score of 6-2. A familiar face greeted the Pirates’ offense from the PNC Park mound, as former Pirate Josh Fogg became the most recent below average pitcher to shut down the Bucco bats. I am not going to bother going much deeper into this game, as I have written this same recap many times before.

The Pirates have now scored 16 runs in five games since the All-Star break. That includes Monday’s game, when the team put eight runs on the board in a losing effort. As I was on my way to a softball game last night, I listened to the game on the radio. The last thing I heard was Xavier Nady being left stranded at second after a two-out double. That sent the game into the fourth inning with the Rockies leading 5-2. Hours later, I returned home and went to my computer to check the outcome of the game. I was dismayed to find that I had not missed even a single Pirates’ hit. Grabbing something to eat, I figured I might as well fire up the DVR and quickly watch the ninth inning. It did not take long for our 4-5-6 hitters to strike out on 12 consecutive strikes. At least they managed those three foul balls. It’s like I’ve always said: if you have to go down, you might as well go down without a fight.

What a depressing game.

Ian Snell and Jeff Francis are on the hill as the Pirates and Rockies finish off this series. This game is beginning right now (12:35). Hopefully Snell can end this dismal streak. If there is one guy on this team that can be the stopper, it is Mr. Snell.

Pirates sign top pick

2007-07-17T12:29:00.001-04:00

The Post-Gazette is reporting that the Pirates have signed their first-round draft pick Daniel Moskos. The team is expected to formally announce the signing later today.

Tempers flare, Pirates lose

2007-07-17T11:38:00.000-04:00

Jack Wilson can't quite hold on to the ball - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

There are many differences between winning and losing baseball teams. Winning teams will have its most productive offensive player in the lineup virtually every day. Winning teams generally play good fundamental baseball. There are many other characteristics of winning clubs, one of which involves the Pirates today.

The Pirates lost to the Rockies last night, 10-8. Much of this game was very familiar to a Pirate fan. The Bucs followed one of their favorite scripts, falling far behind early in the game before mounting an exciting comeback. The ending was one we've seen before, as the team was not quite able to tie the game. But this game was different.

In the first inning, as John Van Benschoten was handing Colorado a five-run lead, Freddy Sanchez clearly was not happy. Television cameras caught him raising his voice during a conference at the mound, and also recorded an animated discussion between Freddy and Adam LaRoche in the dugout after the inning. Later in the game, pitching coach Jim Colburn and Jack Wilson were seen arguing intensely in the dugout. This came after Wilson dropped a pop fly as he attempted to make an over the shoulder catch, eventually allowing an additional run to score. Finally, in the bottom of the eighth, LaRoche was not allowed to call time as he stepped out of the box with the pitcher in the stretch. The pitch was called a strike, and LaRoche stared furiously at home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman. From the dugout, a normally laid back Jim Tracy screamed at Dreckman. You could see the angry, intense focus in LaRoche's eyes for the remainder of the at-bat. There was definitely some strong emotions flowing through the team throughout the game.

This emotion seemed to help fuel the comeback attempt in this game. After going into the All-Star break on a roll, the team was obviously pissed off as it headed for its fourth straight loss since the break. What is interesting to watch for is what result comes from this game. Will the locker room become divided? Are the players and coaches taking these issues personally, or are they remaining professional? Will the team use the emotion as motivation to focus on winning? Will the clubhouse chemistry fall apart and the season spiral out of control? The Cubs had players throwing punches in the dugout earlier this season, and have been red-hot since the incident. Are the Pirates finally showing a pulse?

One of the most frustrating things about being a Pirate fan is the positive comments constantly coming from the team, from ownership down to the players. Whether it is Dave Littlefield saying the team is moving in the right direction or Jim Tracy saying that "we had our chances" after the offense is completely shut down in a game, it is frustrating to hear. At some point, someone needs to say, "We suck, and it's not acceptable." Ian Snell said it a few weeks ago. Hopefully others are saying it in the Pirate clubhouse right now. This team should be angry about the losing. Everyone else is.

Back to business

2007-07-13T12:04:00.000-04:00

Pirate baseball is back. Their strong play leading up to the All-Star break made the four days off feel like a month, and it will be nice to get home from work and be able to look forward to a ballgame. The Bucs play in Atlanta tonight looking to continue their recent success in a brief three-game road trip. Ian Snell (2.93 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) will make the start, and expect him to have a chip on his shoulder after spending the All-Star break at home. A pissed off Ian Snell is usually a welcome sight for Pirate fans. He will be opposed by Tim Hudson (3.54 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), who has been somewhat inconsistent after a red-hot start to the season. After allowing only two runs in his final 14 innings of June, he allowed six runs in just three innings in his most recent start. First pitch is scheduled for 7:35.

1997

2007-07-12T12:03:00.000-04:00

The scoreboard in the background says it all - Baseball Almanac

The Pirates entered the All-Star break in 1997 with a record of 43-43 and a one-game lead in the NL Central. They were fresh off two consecutive series sweeps and a seven-game win streak. The Bucs, who had a ridiculously low payroll of $9.1 million, were the feel-good story of the year in Major League Baseball. After taking three days off, they welcomed the Houston Astros to town for a big four-game set. However, they faltered in the first two games of the series, losing both by a combined score of 17-0 and falling one game out of first place. The Astros appeared to be showing their superiority. The third game of the series would be crucial.

Ten years ago today, the Pirates hosted the Houston Astros for a Saturday night game at Three Rivers Stadium. Francisco Cordova faced Chris Holt. With fireworks scheduled for the post-game and an overachieving team playing for first place, Three Rivers was sold out. The first seven innings are a blur. Neither team could do anything at the plate. The Pirates managed just three singles, one of which was delivered by Cordova. But the Astros had managed just two walks. The closest they had come to a hit was a slow roller down the third base line. But Cordova made an athletic play to get the out at first. The electricity in the crowd grew steadily.

Again, the Astros went down quietly in the eighth. Cordova was pitching brilliantly, including ten strikeouts. In the bottom of the inning, the Pirates showed signs of life. Jason Kendall led off with a single, but two consecutive force outs stalled the rally. Cordova added his second single of the game, and the Astros went to closer Billy Wagner. Wagner quickly struck out Tony Womack, and the game went to the ninth.

Cordova went back to work. Ricky Gutierrez grounded to third. Craig Biggio grounded to Cordova. Two outs, and Cordova was one batter away from history. But he hit Chuck Carr with a pitch, bringing the dangerous Jeff Bagwell to the plate. Despite the dominant performance by the Pirates' starting pitcher, Carr still represented the go-ahead run. With the stadium rocking with nervous excitement, Cordova went right at Bagwell. He jammed the slugger with a pitch on the inner half of the plate, and the ball was sent lazily to right. Jose Guillen camped under it, cautiously secured the ball with both hands, and Pirate fans everywhere rejoiced. Francisco Cordova had just thrown nine innings of no-hit ball. With the crowd cheering deliriously, Cordova walked calmly to the dugout. The game was not over, as the score remained 0-0.

Wagner came back out for the ninth and quickly brought the crowd back to earth. He overwhelmed the Pirate hitters with his velocity, easily striking out the side and sending the game into extra innings. When the Pirates took the field for the tenth, Cordova remained in the dugout. He had thrown 121 pitches, and his night was over. Ricardo Rincon came on in relief. Rincon kept the Astros quiet, walking one before retiring the side. The Pirates' offense still needed to find a way to win this game.

John Hudek came on to pitch the tenth for the Astros. He struck out Dale Sveum, the fifth consecutive Pirate to go down on strikes. Jason Kendall walked, Jose Guillen flied to center, and pinch-hitter Turner Ward followed with a walk. That brought pinch-hitter Mark Smith to the plate. Eight days earlier, Smith's tenth inning home run had helped the Pirates to an improbable victory over the Cardinals. Now he had another chance at a decisive blow, as the winning run anxiously waited at second base. When Hudek delivered his second pitch, something went terribly wrong. The pitch sailed right over the heart of the plate, and Smith was waiting on it. He launched the ball into the distance, and anyone watching instantly knew it was gone. In the first row of seats behind home plate, Kevin McClatchy was the first to leap to his feet, his hands stretched upward. Lanny Frattare spontaneously made the enthusiastic call that we would still hear many years later. "Home run! No-hitter! You've got it all!"

That home run was the highlight of an amazing year. Yes, the Pirates finished 79-83 and five games behind the Astros in the NL Central. Yes, it is sad that this season is the best the team has been able to produce since 1992. But it still was an amazing summer. Not only did the team compete with such a low payroll, they won game after game in dramatic fashion. There is no way I could possibly list all of the great games from that season, but I will make a brief effort. Off the top of my head, these are the games I remember:

The July 12 no-hitter - This one has already been discussed at length.
The 4th of July comeback in St. Louis - The highlight of this game was Tony Womack's fly ball to left in the ninth. It seemed to be the final out, and I believe it was Greg Brown that stated, "This should do it." However, the ball was misplayed and went for a game-tying double. Mark Smith's tenth inning home run would prove to be the difference.
The early season shootout with the Rockies - All I remember from this game was that both teams seemed to be scoring at will. The Pirates won when the offense completely exploded in the eighth, capped by an Al Martin grand slam. (A quick check at Retrosheet tells me that the Pirates scored nine runs in the eighth, and won 15-10.)
Joe Randa/Mark Smith walkoff - The Bucs were about to be swept in a doubleheader against the Dodgers, when Randa suddenly tied the second game with a two-run homer in the ninth. On the very next pitch, Mark Smith homered to left for the win. (Yes, that is three game-winning home runs for Smith)
Albert Belle K's four times - Belle came to town with a salary higher than the entire Pirates' payroll. But Jon Lieber was unfazed, striking him out four times as the Pirates won. I was at this game, and the four guys behind me continuously heckled Belle with a "Jo-ey" chant. It was probably the most fun I have had at a game, and I was seen on Sportscenter that night when they showed a clip of the hecklers behind me.
Shawon Dunston arrives - Dunston came in a trade in late August, and immediately made an impact. He homered twice in his first game with the club, helping to create an electric atmosphere at Three Rivers Stadium that night. The Pirates beat the visiting Indians.
Kevin Young backs up his mouth - The details are a bit hazy in my memory. But from what I remember, an injured Young chastised his teammates for poor play before this game. Then he pinch-hit and flicked a walkoff home run to right to beat the Expos. The Pirates made a terrible decision when they inked Young to a huge contract, and he is disliked by many because of his poor performance after signing it. But I am a huge fan of Kevin Young, for reasons such as what transpired in this game.

There were so many crazy wins that season that I forgot about a few of them. After reading the PG the other day, I was reminded of the game in which Kevin Polcovich hit a home run off Curt Schilling that proved to be the game-winner. Also, until I scanned the game logs, I forgot about the walkoff single by Mark Johnson. Johnson was expected to be a huge part of the Pirates' offense that year, but he slumped badly from the beginning. Eventually he lost his job at first base to Kevin Young. On June 6, with Johnson hitting .231/.363/.333, he pinch-hit in the tenth inning in a game against the Phillies. There was one out and the winning ran was at second. Johnson roped one down the right field line for the game-winning single. He was mobbed by the teammates, as his frustrations from the previous two months were put aside for a night. Johnson never panned out for the Pirates, but this was just another amazing moment during the 1997 season.

2007 All-Star Game

2007-07-11T11:31:00.000-04:00

Freddy Sanchez takes infield - AP Photo/ Eric Risberg

Those of us at Wait 'Til Next Year (aka me) have been taking our own All-Star break the past few days. We have passed the time by reading about the 1997 team and watching specials on the teams of the early 1990's. Oh yeah, and the All-Star Game was played last night.

Maybe it is just me, but I do not like watching the All-Star Game as much any more. Maybe I am just bitter because the winner of an exhibition game now plays a factor in the World Series. The World Series is the most important element of the entire baseball season, and it is being tampered with. Why? In an attempt to increase the All-Star Game’s television ratings and help Bud Selig’s image recover from the infamous tie. Five years ago, the game was not important enough to finish. Now it arguably affects the entire season.

The biggest problem with this format is that managers must run the game in an effort to win, while also playing as many players as possible. As a result, you run into some of the situations that came up last night. Albert Pujols, who very well may become the greatest hitter in baseball history some day, never reached the field. Michael Young, who won last year’s game with a late triple, also remained glued to the bench. There is no reason to bring these players to the game if they are just going to sit there. Maybe next year, Pujols decides he is more interested in spending these three days at home. Then the losers will be the fans. Just make the game an exhibition again and return to alternating the World Series home-field advantage.

For those of you interested in Freddy Sanchez’s role last night, he entered the game in the top of the seventh. In the top of the eighth, Freddy made a nice catch of a foul pop off the bat of Justin Morneau. He had to elude the bullpen mounds just before making the catch. His fly to center ended the bottom of the inning. The American League won again, 5-4.

Lilly cools Pirates' bats

2007-07-08T00:41:00.000-04:00

It was a rough start for John Van Benschoten tonight - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

John Van Benschoten's struggles finally caught up with him. The Cubs got to JVB right from the beginning tonight, and sent him to the showers after only 2.2 innings. Van Benschoten allowed five runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking three. John Wasdin relieved him and allowed two more runs, spotting the Cubs a 7-0 lead through five innings. Ted Lilly quieted the surging Pirate offense, allowing only one run through 7.1 innings. He also added an RBI single of his own. Final score, 7-1.

Adam LaRoche was a late scratch due to a sore knee, and likely will sit out tomorrow's game as well. Josh Phelps took his place at first, and struck out looking three times. Awesome.

Of the 33,293 in attendance, a large portion were fans of the visiting Chicago Cubs. While it is disheartening to be beaten so easily, it is absolutely infuriating to do so while surrounded by out-of-town fans.

I would like to thank the Chicago Cubs for ruining beach towel night for me. There will be no warm memories from this game. All that I have gained from this night is another cheap Pirate towel that is one or two washings from being completely useless.

Pirates look to continue streak

2007-07-07T14:12:00.000-04:00

It is a big night in Pittsburgh. That's right, it is beach towel night. It is very rare that I look forward to a promotion at PNC Park, with beach towel night likely being the only exception. There is just something about waving a towel at a sporting event that causes great enthusiasm among Pittsburgh sports fans. Every beach towel night I have attended has resulted in an electric atmosphere at the ballpark. In fact, the most enjoyable game I have ever attended was a beach towel night. Tonight shall be a good night.

John Van Benschoten will throw for the Bucs, Ted Lilly for the Cubs. Van Benschoten has not looked sharp since being recalled from Triple-A, but he has kept the Pirates in each game he has pitched. Lilly has been up and down at times this season, but his overall numbers are strong (3.84 ERA, 1.08 WHIP). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

Pirates' bats again pave way to victory

2007-07-07T00:27:00.001-04:00

Xavier Nady and friends celebrate another victory - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The Pirates are simply playing good baseball right now. It does not happen all that often, and I have no idea how long it will last. But it has been fun to watch them play the past week. The Bucs won their fourth in a row tonight, stopping the streaking Cubs right in their tracks. Chicago had won 11 of 13 entering tonight's game, and had to be viewing this series as their chance to make a move in the standings. What they likely did not expect to encounter was a Pirates' offense that looks nothing like the one we saw earlier this season. The Bucs put up eight runs on 12 hits tonight, with seven of those hits going for extra bases. That power outburst helped lead the team to an 8-4 victory to begin the series.

Paul Maholm started the scoring with a two out, bases loaded single in the second inning. That hit was huge, as the Pirates were in danger of wasting back-to-back singles to start the inning. The Cubs tied it in the third, but the Bucco bats came alive in the bottom of that inning. Freddy Sanchez led off with a home run into the first row of the leftfield seats. One out later, Xavier Nady took on the deepest part of the park. He launched one over the 410 sign in left-center, and the Pirates led 4-2. The Pirates kept pouring it on after that. Run-scoring doubles by Ryan Doumit, Jose Bautista, Nady and Sanchez capped the scoring.

Maholm was very effective again, cruising through seven innings with only two runs allowed. He ran into a bit of trouble in the eighth, and was charged with two more runs after being relieved by Shawn Chacon. But it was another encouraging start for the left-hander, who is quickly becoming the Pirates' number three starter behind Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny. He truly deserves better numbers than he has right now, as he has been let down many times by poor defense and low run-support this season.

Xavier Nady continues to hit. He came a triple short of the cycle tonight, and on the season he is now hitting .292/.343/.509 with a team-high 14 home runs. Most encouraging, his OPS against right-handed pitching is at a very respectable .795. You can count me among the many who felt (before the season, of course) that he would be best utilized as a platoon player. I am not completely convinced I was wrong yet, but I am almost there. There is one thing I do know for sure. Without Nady in the lineup this season, the Pirates would be in much worse shape than they currently are. He held the offense together for most of the first half.

McClatchy to step down

2007-07-06T10:26:00.000-04:00

The Post-Gazette is reporting that Kevin McClatchy will resign as Pirates' CEO at the end of the season.

(Update 11:45 AM: Here is the official announcement by the Pirates, as well as a letter from McClatchy to the fans.)

Pirates take series from Brewers

2007-07-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Adam LaRoche trots around the bases after another home run - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

As frustrating as it was to watch the Pirates play in Milwaukee in early May, that's how enjoyable the most recent series was to view. The Pirates took three of four from the first-place Brewers, and will look to go into the All-Star break on a high note against the red-hot Cubs this weekend. The final two wins against the Brewers were led by strong starting pitching, timely power, and an efficient bullpen. The team also continued to play strong defense.

Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny are becoming one of the best pitching tandems in the National League. On Wednesday, Snell gave up back-to-back singles followed by a three-run home run to start the game. But he calmed down after that, holding the Brewers scoreless for eight innings. Ryan Doumit and Adam LaRoche each hit a two-run homer and Matt Capps pitched the ninth inning for the save. The Pirates won, 5-3.

On Thursday, Gorzelanny's command was not sharp. But he still produced a quality start, allowing three runs in seven innings. Again, Doumit and LaRoche produced the bulk of the offense. Doumit led off the second inning with a blast into the brush beyond the centerfield fence. LaRoche added a two-run shot in the third. He followed with a one-out double off the Clemente wall in the fifth, eventually scoring on an Xavier Nady single. But he was not done. With two outs in the seventh, LaRoche worked a 3-1 count. He won the battle, launching his second home run of the game into the rightfield seats. Chacon and Capps kept the Brewers' bats quiet, and the Pirates took the series with a 6-3 victory.

Adam LaRoche is absolutely killing the ball right now. He is on one of those streaks in which you are worried about missing an at-bat, because you know you might miss a homer. He also seems to be evolving into a clubhouse leader. I love his quote from today's PG:

"A team's approach never should change. To me, if this was a perfect clubhouse, you wouldn't be able to tell when times are good or bad. I've been saying that all season, and I don't think a lot of guys get it. You come in here, go about your business and win. You don't celebrate. You don't throw a big party because we just won a series."

It is very refreshing to hear a Pirate speak that way. We all get tired of hearing Pirate players and management gushing about how well the team is doing when they are 10 or 20 games under .500. At some point we all need to stop setting mediocrity as the goal.

Dear Pittsburgh Baseball Club,

2007-07-03T18:48:00.000-04:00

We have always felt connected to your franchise, due to the many years of losing we have shared with you. We finally had a .500 season a couple of years ago, and this season we are one of the top teams in the league. On the other hand, we see that you are still toiling in mediocrity, and you may actually be getting farther away from the ultimate goal. Therefore, please accept today's game on our behalf. You owe us nothing in return, as you have provided us with so much already.

Sincerely yours,
Milwaukee Brewers' defense

It is not often that you look at a box score, see a team was charged with four errors, and think, "Wow, that really doesn't explain how poorly the defense played." The Brewers seemed to make every mistake imaginable in the field, and the result was a 6-2 victory for the Pirates. Early in the game, it seemed that the Pirates would not take advantage of the Brewers' miscues. In the third inning, the Pirates scored one run on one hit. The Brewers made two errors in the inning, and even the lone hit probably should have been caught. At that time, I figured only scoring one run there would come back to haunt us. But the Brewers kept making mistakes, and eventually the Bucs took advantage.

Shane Youman pitched well in his season debut, and ended up with his first career Major League win. Youman went six innings and allowed only two runs. He has done nothing but pitch well for the Pirates the past two seasons, and you have to feel more confident with him on the mound than someone like Tony Armas. Congratulations, Shane.

The bullpen rebounded from last night's debacle with a solid outing. Damaso Marte, Shawn Chacon, and Matt Capps each pitched a scoreless inning, combining to strike out five batters over that period.

With Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny throwing the final two games against the Brewers, the Pirates have a reasonable chance to at least split the series. With a little luck, they might even take three out of four.

Kuwata roughed up, Torres angry

2007-07-03T11:44:00.000-04:00

It was a tough night for Kuwata and the Pirates - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

My meeting wrapped up around 9:00 last night. I immediately checked my phone and saw the Pirates and Brewers were tied 3-3. Not bad at all. After a quick run to the store, I got into my car and turned on the game. The first thing I heard was J.J. Hardy singling in a run give the Brewers a 5-3 lead. Things very quickly got much worse. I was turning onto my street as Damien Miller launched his second home run of the game, this one a grand slam. By the time I reached a television, John Wasdin was warming up with the Brewers leading 10-3. Not long after that, we had a slightly larger number in the loss column.

We all know what happens when Sully gets pissed

On the way to work this morning, I heard a story that caught me completely by surprise. Salomon Torres filed a grievance against the Pirates and asked to be traded. Apparently, Torres signed for less money before the 2006 season because he was led to believe the Pirates would rent one of his baseball academies in the Dominican Republic. Torres also feels he is being punished for filing the grievance by being assigned an unnecessarily long rehab stint. Here is a PG article from my 22nd birthday (04/02/2006) that verifies that Torres was seeking the agreement with the Pirates when he signed his contract. Here is another from 12/03/2006 mentioning that the Pirates turned Torres down. I am not sure exactly what was discussed with Torres, but I would not hesitate to guess that Pirate management tried to screw Torres. Now Sully is pissed, and we may have to part ways with one of our few reliable relievers because of it. It looks like we have taken another step forward in our revival of scouting in Latin America.

The Pirates will play an early game today because a concert was scheduled for PNC Park later tonight. Shane Youman will make his first start of the season against Chris Capuano. Capuano is making his first start since June 8 due to a strained groin. Personally, I am hoping for an eight-hour game, so that everyone's concert plans are ruined. Sorry. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM.

This, that, and the other

2007-07-02T11:34:00.000-04:00

Freddy Sanchez is going to San Fran - Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Sanchez an All-Star

Freddy Sanchez was surprisingly named the Pirates' 2007 All-Star representative, his second consecutive trip to the game. There are some possible reasons why he was chosen:

Tony LaRussa is playing to win, and he felt having a versatile infielder on his bench could be helpful. Also, Freddy can be pretty clutch, making him a decent option to pinch-hit in a crucial situation late in the game.
LaRussa wanted a legitimate reason to leave the Pirate representative on the bench all night.
LaRussa took into account the second half of 2006, making Freddy a much more deserving player.
LaRussa did not put much thought into the team and simply picked players based on name recognition.

Clearly there were several Pirates more deserving than Freddy this season. But it is a nice honor for the Pirates' second baseman, so congratulations Freddy.

Duke to DL

Zach Duke joined Chris Duffy on the disabled list due to elbow tendinitis, and Shane Youman was called up to take his spot in the rotation. Youman was not all that impressive in Triple-A, so I would not expect much from him at the Major League level. But he did perform pretty well for the Pirates late last season, so who knows?

By the way, the Pirates replaced Duffy on the roster with someone named Matt Kata. I am not really sure who that is, but welcome to Pittsburgh Matt.

Pirates welcome Brewers

The Brewers will visit Pittsburgh tonight to start a four-game series. This will be the first time the two teams have met since the series in which Matt Capps hit Prince Fielder. That was the weekend that showed us just how far the Pirates are from being a good team. We looked like children playing an adult's game, as the Brewers took three of four. Keep an eye on Capps and Fielder, as there may still be some bad blood from that series in early May.

If you don't recall, Adam LaRoche took the first game of that series off. He spent the night working on his swing. Since that break, he has hit .276/.350/.480 with seven home runs. Not quite what we expected before the season, but still far better than the .132/.245/.253 line he had on May 3.

John Van Benschoten throws for the Pirates, Jeff Suppan for the Brewers. Gametime is at 7:05 PM.

Put the brooms away

2007-07-01T16:10:00.000-04:00

The Pirates fell to the Nationals today, 3-2. Paul Maholm pitched well, allowing only three runs in seven innings. He was efficient (only 90 pitches) and his breaking ball was especially sharp. However, he did hang one to Jesus Flores in the seventh, and paid the price. Flores hit a two-run home run, providing the difference in today's game.

The Pirate offense did very little in this game, but in my mind, the ninth inning was the ultimate display of futility. Adam LaRoche led off with a single, representing the tying run. Jose Castillo came to the plate with orders to sacrifice him to second. Castillo squared around on the first pitch, then pulled back to take a perfect strike. The second pitch was a fastball heading straight for Castillo's head. He tried to bunt it, fouling it off as he fell on his back. That took the count to 0-2, and Chad Cordero easily disposed of him with a fastball up out of the zone. One out, and Ronny Paulino to the plate. Cordero quickly fell behind in the count, 2-0. If you have watched Paulino bat at all this season, you know that there is only a small zone on the inner half of the plate in which he can hit the ball with any consistency. Well, Cordero threw a 2-0 fastball right in that zone, and Paulino just watched it for strike one. The count went to 3-2 and Cordero began painting the outside corner with fastballs. That is the pitch that Paulino has been unable to hit at all this season. Of course, he tried to pull one of those fastballs on the outer half. Of course, he hit a perfect double play ball to short. Game over, and for the second time this week, the Pirates were unable to finish off a sweep.

Jason Bay looked terrible at the plate in this game. I was hoping that the night off on Saturday would refresh him a little, but it appeared to do the complete opposite. He looked sluggish all game, and did not appear to have enough energy to even swing the bat. Bay finished 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts on the day.

Protest is small, Bucs roll

2007-07-01T00:06:00.000-04:00

Pirate fans took part in a walkout at tonight's game against the Nationals - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

The number of participants in tonight's planned walkout was small, with an estimated 1,000 people leaving their seats after the third inning. Organizers were hoping for and expecting many more to leave, but I would not call it a failure. The protest was reported by the national media, and while the attempt was said to have "fizzled," it still made news. The important lesson to be learned from this is that change will not occur immediately. This walkout must only be the beginning. If every single person left the game tonight, leaving the Pirates and Nationals to play in an empty park, it would have been described as a huge success. But it would not have changed anything. Regardless of how large or small the participation was tonight, efforts must be continued for any significant change to occur. Changes happen because a small vocal minority decide that those changes are necessary, and that minority does not give up until they become the majority. That is what must happen in this situation. We must look to the next step and keep pushing.

While the protest was the big story tonight, the players kept their focus on the task at hand. Jack Wilson's single in the second inning scored two runs. When Freddy Sanchez's foul pop-up was dropped later in the inning, the Pirates capitalized by scoring four more runs. Tom Gorzelanny shut down the Nats, Adam LaRoche added a solo home run, and Masumi Kuwata finished off the 7-2 victory. It is difficult not to like Kuwata right now, as he obviously is thrilled to be pitching for the Pirates and is doing a solid job. The Pirates will look for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon, as Paul Maholm goes against Mike Bacsik. Game time is at 1:35 PM.

Diary of a once sane man, part IV

2007-06-30T01:04:00.000-04:00

Click here to read the first three installments of this series.

Jose Bautista is swarmed by his teammates - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

For a brief moment, everything was perfect. There were no protests to plan, no fan disgust, no dumbfounding draft picks. There was no contemplation about a below average Major League roster, no fears about a barren farm system. At that moment, all I could do was take in the scene around me. Down on the field, grown men celebrated gleefully like innocent children. PNC Park, nearly filled, was electric. One row in front of me, a young boy waved his foam finger and threw his arms in the air in happiness. It was the first baseball game he had ever attended. I slapped hands with friends. I slapped hands with strangers. The Pirates had just completed a come-from-behind walk-off victory.* The noise was deafening as the Pirates finally began filtering towards the dugout. The crowd became quiet as the scoreboard began showing highlights of the game we had just witnessed. We cheered each play as if it had just happened. All was right in the world.

Slowly, the moment passed. People began sitting down, catching their breath, allowing the adrenaline to slowly drift out of them. Suddenly the lights went out, and the crowd prepared for a fireworks show. I looked around the park, studying 32,000 people in a light just strong enough to make them out. I was filled with joy, but I was also dreaming of what was possible. What if the Pirates found themselves in the playoffs some day? What if they were in contention in September? What if they were above .500 in July? What if the PNC Park atmosphere was like this every night? I glanced at my friends' faces. They were covered by smiles. I scanned the faces of strangers. Smiles everywhere.

Some day.

*This is why I will never boycott the Pirates. I will always attend games. I would not be able to leave a game early, even for a noble cause. I will not attend the game tonight, because I am not sure I would be able to walk away, even for one inning. If I turn my back, I might miss the greatest thing ever to happen in a baseball game. This team is too much a part of me, and no greedy owner or incompetent GM will ever take that away from me. They can have my nine dollars, but they will never keep me away from my team. I will do all I can to help raise awareness. But I will not turn my back on the Pirates. So for those of you that are protesting tonight, I wish you good luck. I appreciate and fully support your efforts. You are doing something that I could not possibly do. Thank you.

UPDATE (3:24 PM): Here are links to some of the top Pirate blogs and their take on the walkout:

Bucs Dugout
The Parrot
Pittsburgh Lumber Co.
Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke?

Bucco comeback falls short

2007-06-28T19:43:00.000-04:00

Zach Duke struggled through another start this afternoon - AP Photo/J. Pat Carter

Zach Duke was hit hard in the final game of the road trip, and the Pirates lost to the Marlins this afternoon, 9-7. Duke was immediately tagged for four runs in the first and ultimately pitched four innings, allowing six runs on 12 hits. Next came Tony Armas, who allowed another two runs in his two innings of work. Adam LaRoche homered in the fourth, but the Bucs still trailed 8-2 entering the seventh inning. This game was over. It was time for the Pirates to roll over and go down quickly and easily. Ronny Paulino led off the seventh with a double. He scored on Jose Castillo's double. Josh Phelps pinch hit and walked. One out later, Jose Bautista singled in Castillo. Freddy Sanchez doubled in Rajai Davis. Bautista scored on Jason Bay's groundout. Xavier Nady singled, plating Sanchez. LaRoche doubled. Finally, Paulino flew out to end the inning. One inning, five runs, and suddenly the Pirates trailed just 8-7. The Bucs were on the verge of a huge come-from-behind victory, one that would complete a sweep and give the team some momentum as they returned home for a ten-game homestand.

But it was not to be. With two on and one out in the eighth, Bautista hit into a double play. A Duffy misplay in the bottom of the inning led to an insurance run, and Kevin Gregg closed things down in the ninth. The Pirates failed to finish the sweep, and Zach Duke pitched poorly yet again. The Bucs' record on the road trip was 3-6. They return home tomorrow to face the Nationals.

Pirates' power surge drops Marlins

2007-06-28T11:49:00.000-04:00

The Pirates brought their big boy sticks to the park last night, and the result was a 7-5 victory over the Marlins in ten innings. The Bucs built a 5-3 lead through five innings, led by home runs by Jose Bautista and Xavier Nady. However, the Marlins chipped away against the Pirates' bullpen and tied the game at five in the eighth. As the game crept into extra innings, Pirate fans had to be thinking, "Here we go again." Adam LaRoche and Jason Bay went down quickly in the top of the tenth, bringing Xavier Nady to the plate. Nady was 2 for 4 with a home run and two strikeouts to that point. He got a first-pitch fastball from Florida closer Kevin Gregg, and hammered it into the right-center field seats for his second home run of the game. Ryan Doumit followed with a line shot over the right field fence, and the Pirates took a two-run lead into the bottom of the tenth inning. Matt Capps recorded three quick outs for his seventh save, and the Pirates took the game.

A few thoughts:

I only caught the first couple of innings of this one, but I went back and watched the tenth inning on DVR. Maybe it was the empty stadium. Maybe Greg Brown was tired and unable to produce his usual super enthusiasm. Maybe I was half asleep as I watched the game's conclusion at around 12:30 AM. But whatever the reason, this seemed like a relaxed team as they slapped hands after the game. Like they expected to win, regardless of whether or not extra innings would be needed. Like they were used to winning games like that. Who knows what they were thinking? But the sooner this team stops pressing, the sooner the huge number of fundamental errors is reduced.
I am not sure if I wrote it on this site, but around mid-May I was about done with Xavier Nady. On May 15, he was hitting .240/.284/.400 with four home runs and only three walks. Ryan Doumit was hot, and I wondered why we kept putting Nady in right field. Well, starting on May 16, Nady has gone .311/.373/.563 with nine home runs and 12 walks. Overall, Nady is at .281/.336/.494 with a team-leading 13 home runs. Looks like I was wrong again. It has been infuriating for Pirate fans to watch Oliver Perez pitch so well this season, and I totally agree that it was asinine to give him up in that trade. But keep in mind that the Pirates would be the worst team in Major League Baseball right now without Xavier Nady.

The Pirates are going for the sweep right now in Florida. Zach Duke is throwing for the Pirates, with Scott Olsen going for the Marlins. The Pirates are already trailing 4-0 after one inning. It sounds as Duke has been a victim of poor defense and some soft singles thus far. That sounds about right. On the other hand, Scott Olsen has struck out the first five Pirates he has faced. That also seems about right.

Pirates defeat Marlins, 3-2

2007-06-27T11:43:00.000-04:00

The Pirates took a day off after getting pushed around out west, then defeated the Marlins last night by a score of 3-2. I didn't see the game, but it seemed as if the Pirates played fundamentally sound baseball. Paul Maholm went 7.2 innings, allowing only two runs on three hits. He retired 15 consecutive Marlins after Dan Uggla's third inning home run. The bullpen came into the game and retired four straight batters with a one-run lead. The offense did not do much, but they did scrape together three runs. This was enough considering the way Maholm was pitching. The Pirates took a 2-1 lead in the second with four straight singles and a sacrifice fly. In the fourth inning, Jack Wilson broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run. This was a nice win for the Pirates, as they try to rebound after another disastrous week of baseball.

Before the game, Ian Snell provided us with another great quote. Snell was asked to consider that the Pirates are not underachieving this season, but simply lack the necessary talent to win consistently. He responded by saying, "Seriously, you can tell anyone who says that to go shove it." You've gotta love this guy.

The Pirates and Marlins go at it again tonight at 7:05. John Van Benschoten will go for the Pirates, Sergio Mitre for the Marlins.

We are Pirate fans and it is June

2007-06-26T11:36:00.000-04:00

The Pirates hit another low point over the weekend, as they were swept by the Angels and fell to 31-44, 12.5 games back in the NL Central. I have often debated with myself as to what type of loss hurts more, the heartbreaking one-run loss or the complete blowout. Well, we were treated to the best of both worlds in this series, losing one game 10-1 and the other two in extra innings. The Bucs have now lost five in a row and are 1-5 on the current road trip. Of course, we are used to this. It seems to happen every June. But it seems as if people are nearing their breaking points this season. The Pirates' current slide has led the majority of people to depression, anger, protest attempts and others are simply assessing the current situation and looking to build a better future. Even Pirate players are letting their frustration show (from the PG):

"I [expletive] hate this," [Ian Snell] said at his stall, his voice rising. "And you can put that in the paper. I [expletive] hate losing. I hate when the team doesn't bring out its full potential. And if they fine me, fine me. I don't care. Because this is getting stupid. We're better than what we're showing."

Ian Snell - AP Photo/Chris Carlson

These are the kinds of statements we should hear coming out of the Pirate locker room on a nightly basis. I think the fans are more frustrated this season because it does not seem as if players even care about winning. It is one thing to watch the Pirates lose. It is something altogether different to watch them lose because Ronny Paulino does not seem interested in any extraneous movement. It is even more frustrating to watch him walk out to home plate night after night, regardless of how he plays. I have said it before, I'll say it again: the Pirates should be pissed off because of all the losing, and they need to play with a chip on their shoulder if there is any chance to right the ship. That kind of attitude is what makes Ian Snell so good.

There was talk of a players-only meeting before Sunday's game, but it did not occur due to the early game. Hopefully, the team used the free time on Monday constructively. Tonight, the Pirates visit the Florida Marlins. Paul Maholm will pitch for the Pirates, and Dontrelle Willis will take the mound for the Marlins. Willis has struggled his past few outings, and had this start pushed back two days due to a tight forearm. We all know what happens when a struggling starter faces the Pirates. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

Pirates claim Phelps

2007-06-22T17:12:00.000-04:00

The Pirates claimed Josh Phelps off waivers from the Yankees today. Phelps, a 29 year-old first baseman/catcher, hit .263/.330/.363 in 80 at-bats for New York this season. His performance has been up and down during part-time opportunities since 2002. Phelps spent all of 2006 with Toledo, Detroit's Triple-A affiliate, posting a line of .308/.370/.532.

Josh Phelps Baseball Cube
Josh Phelps Baseball-Reference

Pirates shut out again

2007-06-22T11:54:00.000-04:00

After the Pirates were shut out by Jeff Weaver, what did you expect them to do against one of the better young arms in the Majors? Felix Hernandez has struggled a bit recently, but last night he found the perfect remedy in the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hernandez pitched eight shutout innings in defeating the Bucs 3-0, as the Pirates' scoreless streak was extended to 20 innings. John Van Benschoten was solid for the second straight outing, but his three runs allowed in five innings were too much for the Bucs' offense to overcome. The bullpen was unusually stable, throwing three scoreless innings after Van Benschoten's departure. Masumi Kuwata led the charge, striking out four Mariners in two innings. Jonah Bayliss also pitched a scoreless inning.

After the game, the Pirates designated Dan Kolb for assignment and recalled Brad Eldred from Indianapolis. Apparently, since Eldred's consistent at-bats at Triple-A were not helping (.212 average), the Pirates figured they should let him sit on the Bucco bench for extended stretches again.

Tonight the Pirates are in Los Angeles to face the Mighty Angels of Anaheim. Jered Weaver, possibly worried that he could not match his brother's performance against the Pirates, will miss his scheduled start. Joe Saunders was recalled from Triple-A to take his place. Being a Pirate fan, pitchers just called up from Triple-A scare me to death. First pitch is scheduled for 10:05.

Wow

2007-06-21T02:10:00.000-04:00

AP Photo/Andrei Pungovschi

The Pirates lost to the Mariners tonight by the score of 7-0. Jeff Weaver threw a complete game shutout, allowing only four hits. Yes, that Jeff Weaver. The Jeff Weaver with a double-digit ERA. I don't even know what to say.

Pirates win out west

2007-06-20T11:50:00.000-04:00

Tom Gorzelanny had another quality start and beat the Mariners last night - AP Photo/John Froschauer

The Pirates started their road trip off right, defeating the Mariners 5-3 last night in Seattle. Jim Tracy left Tom Gorzelanny in the game as long as possible (123 pitches), then turned things over to his shaky bullpen. Five pitchers were used in the final two innings, as Tracy's hook was extremely quick. Masumi Kuwata diffused an eighth inning rally and Shawn Chacon struck out the final two batters to earn the save. The Pirates' offense was not great, but they managed to put five runs on the board and get the victory. I only saw the first few innings of this game, so I will not comment any further.

Tonight the Pirate hitters have a chance to have some fun, as Jeff Weaver will be throwing for the Mariners. Weaver is 0-6 with a 10.97 ERA, an ERA+ of 39, and a WHIP of 2.19 in 2007. Those are absolutely terrible numbers, but he has pitched fairly well since returning to the rotation on June 9. He has posted an ERA of 3.60 in his two starts since that return. He did not receive a decision in his last start against the Cubs, but went six innings and allowed only three runs. Paul Maholm (3-9, 5.00 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) will be on the mound for the Pirates. Maholm has also been throwing well recently, specifically his past five starts. Maholm's numbers would look much better, but he has been let down by his defense in many of his outings. First pitch is scheduled for 10:05 PM.

Pirates at Mariners, 10:05 PM

2007-06-19T11:35:00.000-04:00

The Mariners prepare for the Pirates' arrival - AP Photo/Jessica Kourkounis

The Pirates begin a three-game series with the Mariners tonight in Seattle. Tom Gorzelanny will take the mound for the Bucs, with Miguel Batista going for Seattle. This game begins at 10:05, which means I must decide between watching the game and sleeping for more than four hours. If you don't see any posts from me tomorrow, you'll know what I chose.

Expect to see the Pirates win by a comfortable margin tonight, only to have Seattle fans complain about the umpire's strike zone for the rest of their lives. (Yes, I will take shots at Seahawk fans, despite the fact that I am still bitter about the Joe Nedney game from January 2003 and the Tony Randazzo call in June 2005. No, I don't care whether or not that is fair.)

Brian O'Neill has an interesting article in today's Post-Gazette, as he looks at the Pirate infield issue. The Pirates currently have four players (Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Jose Bautista, and Jose Castillo) to play three positions (second, short, and third). The problem is that the two best fielders are the two worst hitters and vice versa. Offensively, the best infield includes Bautista, Sanchez, and either Wilson or Castillo. Defensively, the best alignment would be Castillo at second, Wilson at short, and either Bautista or Sanchez at third. Bautista and Sanchez have both been red-hot at the plate, making it difficult to remove either of them. However, Freddy's lack of range at second has really hurt the team this year. It does not help that the Pirates' rotation includes several groundball pitchers who do not strike many batters out. This is something I have been mulling over for several weeks, and I still do not have a satisfying answer.

What did we expect?

2007-06-18T11:51:00.001-04:00

The Pirates are busy traveling across the country, so we need something to talk about. I figured I would take a look at some Pirates that are playing above expectations in 2007 and some that have been disappointments.

Jose Bautista - AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Pleasant Surprises

Jose Bautista - Bautista is hitting .282/.360/.448, and has really excelled since being placed in the leadoff spot of the order. When batting first in 2007, Bautista has a line of .326/.408/.535. He attempted to shorten his swing this season in an effort to cut down on his high number of strikeouts. That effort has been successful, with his K% dropping from from 27.5% in 2006 to 16.9% this year. Early in the season, this new approach seemed to rob Bautista of some home run power, but that seems to be returning slowly. After hitting one home run in April and two in May, Bautista already has three in June. He also leads the Pirates with 21 doubles. Overall his defense has been solid, despite some inconsistencies in the past month or so.
Tom Gorzelanny - Gorzelanny struggled in spring training, and many felt he should be returned to Triple-A to start the season. However, Jim Tracy kept him in Pittsburgh and that decision has paid tremendous dividends. Gorzelanny has gone 6-4 with a 3.04 ERA and a WHIP of 1.27. His ERA is currently seventh lowest in the National League, and his win total would be much higher if he could receive some additional run support. The Pirates have scored a total of two runs in Gorzelanny's four losses. Late in spring training, Gorzelanny assured the Pittsburgh media that everything would be different when the lights came on for the 2007 regular season. He has backed up his words with his performance this season.
Ryan Doumit - It could be explained by a small sample size, but Doumit has been one of the Pirates' best hitters in 2007. He only has 128 at-bats due to beginning the season at Triple-A, but he has put up a line of .328/.377/.508 during that time. Despite the fact that his .885 OPS is higher than any Pirate not name Matt Capps, Doumit still has struggled to get on the field for one of the worst offenses in Major League Baseball. I don't know?

Disappointments

Adam LaRoche - Many Pirate fans saw LaRoche as the Pirates' savior in 2007. His 32 home runs and .915 OPS would be a welcome addition to the Pirates' lineup. Well, it has not quite worked out that way. LaRoche is currently hitting .223/.314/.393. There are reasons for optimism, such as his 31 walks and timely hits (currently .306/.416/.435 with runners in scoring position). Also, LaRoche is known as a slow starter that heats up with the weather. In fact, his 2006 numbers through June 17 were not that far off from his current stats (.243/.330/.480). Nevertheless, his production has been well below expectations and has hurt the Pirates the first few months of the season.
Zach Duke - Duke was strong in the second half of 2006, and it appeared that he was beyond his pre-2006 All Star break struggles. However, after starting the season well, Duke has been very hittable again in 2007. He is 3-6 with a 5.68 ERA and a WHIP of 1.65 thus far, and his opponent OPS is at a frightening .916. Opposing hitters have seemed very comfortable facing Duke, as his strikeout numbers have gone way down to 2.89 K/9 innings. It has been difficult to diagnose what is wrong with Duke, beyond his lack of overpowering stuff. It is possible that he is tipping his pitches. It is also possible that he has failed to make the necessary adjustments to get Major League hitters out. Whatever the cause, Duke, who as recently as last year was considered the Pirates ace of the future, is likely at a career crossroads.
Freddy Sanchez - It is a general expectation that a batting champion's numbers will drop dramatically the following season. Regardless, the Pirates were hoping for more from Sanchez in 2007. His line is at .296/.333/.366, marking a drop off of over 150 OPS points from last season. Much of that is a result of his lack of extra-base hits, as last year's Major League doubles leader has only 12 to this point. Freddy has also hurt the team defensively, as his poor range at second base has allowed many extra runners onto the bases. Much of this can be attributed to missing virtually all of spring training and returning without an extended minor league rehab assignment. To be fair, Freddy's play has improved recently, both offensively (.884 OPS in June) and defensively. If Sanchez and LaRoche get hot in the second half of the season, and Nady and Bautista continue to have success, the Pirates could win quite a few games the rest of the way.

That's what we do on this site. We finish with a post with a little delusional optimism.

EDIT (3:45 PM): Here are some links if you are interested in what the individual expectations were before the season started:

Bucs Dugout - Community Projections

ZiPs Projections

Jack Flash returns

2007-06-16T10:09:00.000-04:00

Jack Wilson was all over the field Friday night - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Chicago White Sox last night, 4-2. Paul Maholm, after struggling through the first inning, held the Sox to one run on three hits over seven innings. Much of that is likely due to the White Sox terrible offense, but Maholm did look pretty sharp after the rough first inning.

Xavier Nady came up with another clutch hit, doubling in two runs with two outs in the first inning. Yes, I was one of those people demanding a Nady/Doumit platoon in right a month ago. Doumit still needs to get in the lineup more often, but Nady now has a higher OPS than Jason Bay. His OPS against right-handed pitchers is now a very respectable .790. This guy has become an integral part of the Pirates offense.

A few days on the bench might have been exactly what Jack Wilson needed. He looked rejuvenated at the plate, setting up each of the final two Pirate runs. We also saw the Jack Wilson of 2005 in the field. The play he made in the eighth inning, ranging far to his right and throwing across his body to first, was one of the best plays I have seen him make. The play really energized the crowd, setting up for an electric atmosphere in the ninth.

Watching Jack and Castillo play defensively in this game, it becomes painfully obvious how much Sanchez is hurting the Pirates at second base. Castillo made at least two plays last night that Freddy probably does not, including the start of a nice looking double play to end the sixth. You have to keep Bautista on the field, so what do you do? Is Freddy's additional offensive production over Castillo enough to warrant giving up so many additional runs because of his defense? Right now, Freddy's OPS is an even .700, while Castillo's is .664. Are the Pirates bold enough to put the defending batting champion on the bench? Of course not. But maybe they should. Or, as Rocco DeMarro mentioned on the post-game show last night, maybe they should consider moving Bautista to the outfield and Sanchez back to third. I don't know, I don't have an answer. But it sure was fun to watch Jack and Castillo locking down the middle infield again.

Matt Capps did not look sharp in this game. He hit a batter and walked two others, one of which brought home a run. By the way, did Major League Baseball forget about his pending suspension?

Loe shuts down Pirate bats

2007-06-15T11:23:00.001-04:00

Tom Gorzelanny plays catcher - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

As I previously stated, the Pirates held a huge advantage in the pitching matchup last night at PNC Park. Tom Gorzelanny (2.76 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) went against Kameron Loe (7.40 ERA, 1.68 WHIP), with Loe fresh off a demotion to Triple-A. Well, you never know with the Pirates. After battering Texas hurlers in the first two games of the series, the Bucs' bats suddenly went quiet against a guy who had allowed nine runs in 2.2 innings in his previous Major League start on June 7. The Rangers won, 6-0.

To be fair, Loe looked very sharp in this game. He hit his spots and kept the Pirates off balance all night. His sinker must have been dropping dramatically, as Pirate hitters continuously pounded the ball into the ground. You have to tip your cap to him.

Tom Gorzelanny did not pitch as poorly as his final line shows. He was solid through six innings, allowing only two solid home runs. Gorzo clearly did not have his best stuff in this game, as he missed his spots repeatedly. His breaking ball seemed especially inefficient, staying up and away to right-handed batters several times. But he battled through the difficulties and kept the game close for six innings. Not that it mattered. With the way the Pirates were hitting, the game was over as soon as Jerry Hairston homered in the first. The Pirates have now scored a grand total of two runs in Gorzelanny's four losses. That's pretty deflating for a young pitcher.

Jose Castillo again started at short, and went 0 for 2 with a walk. In addition, he looked a bit shaky in the field on a few occasions. He did not really make any mistakes, but looked like a guy that is playing out of position. If I were a betting man, I would guess that we will see Jack Wilson start at shortstop at some point this weekend.

Dan Kolb is not the answer for the bullpen. While the box score tells me that he threw 12 of his 23 pitches for strikes, it seemed like he only got about four pitches anywhere near the plate. I would not want him on the mound in an important situation. Of course, it was only one inning, and I am usually wrong about most things.

By the way, wouldn't you agree that the best way to end a game in which you have been shut out is with two slow rollers and a pop-up? By the middle of your order. Nothing like going down without a fight.

Rangers at Pirates, 7:05 PM

2007-06-14T12:10:00.000-04:00

The Pirates will go for the sweep tonight against the Rangers, as Tom Gorzelanny (2.76 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) faces off against Kameron Loe (7.40 ERA, 1.68 WHIP), who will be recalled from Triple-A to make the start. This is another huge mismatch on the mound, as the Rangers send out another starter who has been awful so far this season.

Jose Castillo has had a hop in his step the past three games - Matt Freed, Post-Gazette

I would expect to see Jose Castillo back at short for the Pirates, as he had another solid game at the plate last night. To be honest, the Pirates may have been extremely smart with the way they handled Castillo this season. He was the obvious starter for three seasons, but his great potential never progressed into performance. Maybe this was due to a lack of motivation, as the starting spot at second was clearly his. Maybe not. But the Pirates sent a message by mostly sitting him late last season and then keeping him on the bench for the first two months of 2007. Jose had to be sitting there, watching the team play, wondering if he would ever get back on the field. Then he gets a spot start at short and plays well, including a brilliant defensive play. Then he is in the lineup again the next game. And the next. Now Castillo sees that if he performs, he will get the opportunity to play. He has clearly recognized that, and he is playing with the fire and emotion that was so often missing last season. This is not the first time he has displayed that emotion this year, as I noted it during a start he made about a month ago. Castillo is playing as if he understands that it is a privilege to start in the Major Leagues, and he seems to have a greater appreciation for this opportunity to play than he had in his first three seasons in the league.

Then again, it has only been three games. Hopefully he can continue to produce in the long-term.

UPDATE (6:10 PM): The Pirates have sent Shawn Chacon back to the bullpen and will recall John Van Benschoten to start on Saturday. I'm not sure if this was done to stabilize the bullpen or because Chacon was shelled in New York. Either way, we will see what Van Benschoten can do in the Major League rotation. It makes me nervous. He was 6-4 at Indianapolis with a 2.73 ERA and a WHIP of 1.35. He struck out 45 and walked 30.

Rangers at Pirates, 7:05 PM

2007-06-13T18:33:00.001-04:00

I have some free time tonight, so I think I will do a semi-live blog for the game. I have not heard anything about a delay to this point, so I would assume Ian Snell will take the mound at 7:05. We'll see if the power stays on long enough for me to keep up.

The big story tonight is that Jose Castillo is starting at shortstop again. It looks like Jim Tracy is going with the player that will help his team the most. That is encouraging.

7:10 - The game is currently being delayed due to weather conditions.

7:15 - According to the trusty radar, the rain is nearly past Pittsburgh. My superior meteorology skills are not capable of judging lightning, though, so we'll see if that's a factor.

7:36 - Ian Snell throws the first pitch. Kenny Lofton fouls out to third to get the game started.

7:42 - Snell walked one, but besides that he was sharp. He struck out the final two batters looking. Now it is time to tee off on Robinson Tejeda.

7:49 - It looks like the Rangers brought their peewee gloves again. Duffy's soft liner to first hits right off Brad Wilkerson's glove to put runners at first and third. Sanchez jumps on one and hits a book-rule double to center. 1-0 Pirates, still nobody out.

7:52 - 2-0 Pirates on Bay's RBI ground out.

8:00 - Single to center on a fairly tough play that Castillo should have made. Double play would have been tough, but we need at least one out on that play. But Snell makes quick work of Vazquez and does the same with Tejeda. Four K's for Snell through two innings, and the Pirates still lead 2-0.

8:06 - Castillo singles to right. If he consistently goes the other way and puts up some decent numbers offensively, I would not mind him at short. The slight defensive drop-off with Wilson on the bench would be worth it if there is some offense coming out of that position.

8:10 - Bautista with another hit, the Rangers with another error. No wonder their record is so bad. They look terrible.

8:11 - A pop fly almost drops in due to poor communication by Rangers' fielders. This looks familiar.

8:21 - Great job by Snell to get out of the inning without allowing a run. That double play probably is not turned with Jack at short. Castillo has some kind of arm on him.

8:26 - Lousy at-bat from Bay.

8:28 - "It was 96 coming in, about 98 going out." This quote is from Bob Walk regarding a Tejeda pitch that LaRoche lined into right field. I hate when analysts just say stuff without any reason to believe that they are correct.

8:37 - Very fine defensive play by Jose Bautista. Fifty bucks says he was just awarded the "Innovative Play of the Game" at the ballpark.

8:44 - Tejeda walks Snell. Not a smart move.

8:59 - The Pirates are playing some pretty sharp defense tonight, aside from the misplay by Castillo. Snell has thrown five shutout innings and seems to be getting stronger.

9:02 - For the second consecutive night, the Rangers' starting pitcher fails to pitch five innings. I almost feel bad for them. Wait, no I don't.

9:06 - Another hit for Jose Castillo. He is making it difficult for Tracy to sit him down. By the way, if Nady can't run full speed, why is he playing? I know he is hitting well, but that could turn into a nagging season-long injury. It's been bothering him for like a month now, and he still hasn't even hit the DL. I don't think Tracy understands the concept of a hamstring injury.

9:11 - Bautista is locked in at the plate. 7-0 Pirates, and Bautista is now a home run away from the cycle.

9:12 - What the heck are the Rangers doing? Their defense is a mess. 8-0 Pirates.

9:15 - And there's your daily dose of poor Pirates' baserunning.

9:20 - It looks like I spoke too soon about the Pirates defense. Snell is not getting any help this inning.

9:22 - Bautista redeems himself and starts an inning ending double play.

9:46 - Greg Brown and Bob Walk have no idea what to do when the Pirates are up big. I think they have totally lost their minds.

9:53 - Ian Snell is still cruising. Bautista needs a home run leading off the eighth for the cycle.

9:57 - Bautista will not hit for the cycle tonight, as he lines out to center. Unless Tracy goes to the bullpen. Then we might have to go extra innings.

9:59 - If Sanchez could lay off that pitch six inches off the plate, he could put up a silly OBP. That's where his amazing contact ability hurts him. He knows he can put it in play and he refuses to take any close pitches with two strikes.

10:06 - I don't care how inept the opponent is, an 8-1 win is always fun. Ian Snell threw like an ace, pitching his first career complete game and allowing only an unearned run. Bautista and Castillo both hit well. Expect Castillo to start at short again tomorrow, as Jack Wilson's spot in the lineup is definitely in jeopardy. I am off to bed now. The Bucs go for the sweep tomorrow night.

Refreshing

2007-06-13T12:02:00.000-04:00

Jose Bautista started the party early, leading off the first inning with a home run - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The Pirates were embarrassed over the weekend in New York, and they desperately needed to release some frustration. Enter Kevin Millwood, he of the 7.57 ERA and 1.91 WHIP. Last night he helpfully aimed for Pirate bats, and the Bucs took advantage on their way to a 7-5 victory. Jose Bautista launched Millwood's first strike off the left field rotunda and the offense seemed to relax right away. They added two more on Adam LaRoche's double and Xavier Nady's single and led 3-0 after one inning. Nady led off the 4th with a bomb over the 410 sign and into the Pirates' bullpen. Not to be outdone, LaRoche led off the 5th by lining one into the Rangers' bullpen in left-center. Millwood looked absolutely terrible in this game. Zach Duke scattered 8 hits and was helped out by four double plays behind him. He tired a bit in the 6th, but finished with 6 innings pitched and 2 runs allowed to earn his third win of the season.

Jack Wilson sat for the second consecutive game, as Jose Castillo started at shortstop. It was nice to see Jim Tracy make a personnel decision based on performance. I do not expect Wilson to remain out of the lineup for long, but this at least sends a message that Jack needs to perform or other options could be used at short. Castillo made a decent pick on a tough hop, but otherwise was not tested much in the field.

Ronny Paulino was back on the field, though, and he looked completely lost out there. He looked particularly bad on his strikeout in the 5th, and heard about it a bit from the PNC Park crowd. He is stepping towards third base on every pitch, and has no chance of reaching anything on the outside corner. He looks like a little leaguer up there. On the plus side, it looks like somebody finally showed him how to hold a bat. I noticed that his arms were much less stiff as he waited for the pitch tonight. In the field he looked just as disinterested as in other recent games. On one Ranger strikeout, his throw to Jose Bautista at third bounced about ten feet short. Something has to be done with Paulino. Maybe Doumit needs to take over the catching duties for a while while Paulino clears his head.

Speaking of little league, what the heck were the Rangers doing tonight? They played like the Pirates usually do. Michael Young's error in the 4th was almost comical, and it led to an additional run for the Pirates. The Bucs scored another in the 6th on a wild pitch, and Bautista likely would have been out if Scott Feldman did not drop the ball. And Sammy Sosa's baserunning in the 5th was downright ridiculous. First he failed to score from second on a line drive off the center field wall. Then he did not attempt to score on a line-out to medium left field. With Jason Bay's arm, you have to score there. Zach Duke was able to end the inning by starting a 1-2-3 double play. That was a huge point in this game.

The bullpen tried to let the Rangers back into the game, but Capps eventually came in and shut the door in the 9th. Jim Tracy has to be at the end of his rope regarding his relievers.

Kudos to Dave Littlefield for appearing on the Pirates' postgame radio show to discuss the drafting of Daniel Moskos. Kudos to Rocco DeMaro for intelligently, yet respectfully, telling Littlefield almost exactly what most Pirate fans want to tell him right now. Kudos to Littlefield for talking mostly nonsense in response.

In non-Pirate news, congratulations to Justin Verlander on his no-hitter over Milwaukee last night. I watched a clip of the 9th inning, and he was just throwing filth at the Brewers. That's a special moment for the young kid.

The Rangers come to town

2007-06-12T11:40:00.000-04:00

Prince Fielder rounds the bases as Vicente Padilla stares into the distance - AP Photo/LM Otero

Interleague play continues tonight, as the Pirates welcome the Texas Rangers to PNC Park. Our Bucs were swept by the Yankees over the weekend in their first interleague series of 2007. For those of you keeping track at home, the Pirates are now 10-32 against the American League since the beginning of the 2004 season. Ouch.

The Rangers come to town boasting a Major League worst 23-40 record. Their offense is average (.322 OBP, .420 SLG) and their pitching is terrible (5.48 ERA, 1.57 WHIP). The Pirates are struggling right now and the season looks as if it might free-fall out of control at any moment. A series with the Rangers seems like the perfect elixir for what ails the Bucs. A couple of solid wins (or something ridiculous like a sweep) would go a long way towards healing some painful wounds from this past weekend. That would help build some confidence, and with the White Sox bringing their woeful offense into town this weekend, could help salvage what seems like a lost season right now.

Or, as Pat points out, this could simply be a repeat of the embarrassing series with the Royals last season. Either way, this might be the most critical point of the season.

Tonight it is Zach Duke (2-6, 5.75 ERA, 1.68 WHIP) facing Kevin Millwood (2-5, 7.57 ERA, 1.91 WHIP). I predict a final score of 13-10. The Bucs will come out on top with the bullpen coming up huge, only allowing four runs after Zach Duke leaves in the 6th inning.

Help!

2007-06-11T21:27:00.000-04:00

Jim Tracy removes Shawn Chacon and wonders which relievers actually know that there is a game in progress - AP Photo/Kathy Willens

It is official: the Pirates' bullpen is completely in shambles. Salomon Torres has struggled this season, but his trip to the DL leaves only Matt Capps and Damaso Marte as reliable relievers. Capps (2.78 ERA) has been excellent and Marte (1.33) has been solid in his role of LOOGY. The rest of the pen is downright scary. Tony Armas (8.07), Jonah Bayliss (7.16), John Grabow (5.29), Masumi Kuwata (9.00), and Josh Sharpless (12.46) are the remaining relievers on the active roster. I just vomited a little into my lap. When Capps serves his suspension, only Marte (again, a left-handed specialist) will have an ERA under 5.00. Jim Tracy might be forced to allow his starters to throw 175 pitches per game. What other choice will he have? Just look at these numbers. The Pirates are in major trouble.

Diary of a once sane man, part III

2007-06-11T11:21:00.001-04:00

I have decided to make this a semi-regular feature on this blog. It will be in a journal-style format, and will chronicle some of my more painful moments as a Pirate fan. These may be some of my deepest, most honest thoughts. Or maybe this whole thing is for entertainment only. I will let you decide for yourself. To be honest, I'm not actually sure which is true. Here are the posts that started this feature if you are interested.

Derek Jeter scores as Ronny Paulino drops another throw - Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Saturday night in New York City. The Big Apple. Around 8:30, I emerged from a restaurant in Chinatown with five of my closest friends and began the ritual of wandering around aimlessly searching for a subway station. Some time later, we emerged from a subway train at the Times Square stop. We paused for several minutes to take in a break dancing show, then emerged at the surface on 42nd Street. All around us, people were scurrying to get somewhere. After a short time, my friends decided to catch a movie. I abstained, choosing instead to roam the streets. About an hour into my trek, I glanced inside a TGI Friday’s and spotted the Yankees on the television at the bar. Suspecting that it was a replay of the game I had missed earlier in the afternoon, I ducked inside to have a drink. As I was settling onto a stool, I watched a Pirates’ hitter ground into a fielder’s choice. Something was unusual about that play. And why was Kevin Brown pitching for the Yankees? Then I realized what was strange about the groundout. Matt Lawton had been the hitter. I was watching a replay of a game from 2005. As I sat there, it became painfully obvious what I was watching. This was the Tony Randazzo debacle that ruined any hope for the 2005 season.

Maybe it was another poor first round draft pick. Maybe it was the realization that our team is no better than it was in June 2005. Most likely, it was the similarity between the game I was watching and the one I had just witnessed the night before. Whatever the reason, it suddenly hit me. The Pirates are screwed. They have three guys on the roster with an OPS over .800. Five of our starting eight position players have an OPS under .700. Our defense is average on a good day and agonizingly defective the rest of the time. Only two starting pitchers are having any success at the Major League level. The bullpen has been terrible, and the stock of young relievers that Dave Littlefield spent years building has been of no assistance. There is very little help in the minors, on offense or on the mound. We are selecting relievers with little upside fourth overall in the draft. With competent management, this team can be competitive in a couple of years. We all know that the Pirates do not have competent management. I ordered another drink.

The bar was closing as Randazzo ruled Gary Sheffield safe at first. I left before the Yankees completed their comeback. Depressed, I wandered back to the movie theater. Before long, my friends emerged and we caught the subway back uptown.

The Tony Randazzo loss on June 15, 2005 sent the Pirates into a tailspin from which they never recovered. The Pirates have not won since Derek Jeter’s roller ended Friday’s game. Most likely, this season is about to spiral out of control. But I will be at PNC Park tomorrow night. I will expect a victory, regardless of the probability that one might occur. Some day, the Pirates will be the champions of baseball. It might not be this year, it might not be this decade, it might not be until I am an elderly man. But no matter how long it takes, I will be there. And I will be celebrating.

Pirates fall to Yankees in 10 innings as Jeter "smokes" single

2007-06-09T10:18:00.000-04:00

Derek Jeter's infield single sunk the Pirates on Friday night - AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Through five innings, Tom Gorzelanny was outpitching Andy Pettitte and the Pirates held a 2-0 lead over the Yankees. The offense to that point had been provided by Xavier Nady's solo home run and Jack Wilson's RBI single. The Pirates were playing very well in the field, highlighted by a sparkling bare-handed play by Jack Wilson. The bleachers at Yankee Stadium was a good place to be for a Pirate fan. In the 6th, Gorzelanny began to tire. His pitches were staying up in the zone, and Hideki Matsui took advantage with a game-tying two-run home run to right. Gorzelanny's pitch count was approaching 100, and I began looking nervously at the Pirate bullpen. I did not see anyone that made me feel very confident, but I knew Gorzelanny was going to need help soon. He finished off the 6th inning, and the Pirates' offense came to his aid in the top of the 7th. With two outs and a man at second, Chris Duffy lined a 2-2 pitch sharply at centerfielder Melky Cabrera. Cabrera started in and was unable to recover as the ball sailed over his outstretched glove. With Duffy running and Cabrera on the ground after his failed attempt at the catch, it went for an easy inside-the-park home run. That gave the Pirates a 4-2 lead and Gorzelanny again had a small cushion.

But Miguel Cairo immediately doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning, and the Yankees were in business again. At this point, Jim Tracy should have gone straight to the mound and removed Gorzelanny. His pitch count was over 100 and he was being hit hard. But Tracy stayed in the dugout. I guess he had as much confidence in the bullpen as I did. Two batters later, the Yankees had pulled within one on a Derek Jeter single and Gorzelanny was finished. John Grabow and Salomon Torres combined to hit one batter and allow two singles to tie the game. Damaso Marte entered the game with the bases loaded, one out, and a 4-4 score. He came up huge, striking out Hideki Matsui on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. He followed that up with another extended battle with Robinson Cano. On the tenth pitch, he induced a fly-out to center. Marte's performance kept the Bucs in this game when one bad pitch could have put it out of reach for the Yankees. A tip of the cap to him.

Jonah Bayliss and Matt Capps kept the Yankees quiet through the 9th inning, but the Pirates' bats could not push any runs across as the game went into extra innings. Matt Capps stayed in the game in the 10th, marking the second consecutive game he would pitch two innings. Three pitches into the inning, there were runners at first and third with one out. When Capps fell behind Johnny Damon 2-0, the Pirates intentionally walked him to load the bases for Derek Jeter. After a foul ball, Jeter rolled one slowly to the right side of the infield. Freddy Sanchez desperately attempted a bare-handed play, but could not get a handle on the ball. It was probably irrelevant, as he likely did not have a play at home even if he picked it up cleanly. The infield single gave the Yankees the 5-4 victory.

Observations from Yankee Stadium:

Wearing a Pirate jersey into Yankee Stadium, I was expecting terrible treatment from the Yankee faithful. I was expecting to be spit on, and maybe have a foreign object or two thrown my way. Maybe it is difficult to get too excited when you are playing the Pirates. Maybe Yankee fans have lost some enthusiasm with their slow start. Maybe it was the alcohol-free section in which I was sitting. But the New York treatment was almost friendly. I don't think I even heard any foul language directed toward myself or any of the friends I attended with. Actually, while inside the stadium, barely anybody talked to us. There was some friendly banter on the subway before and after the game and a couple of non-threatening comments as we walked through Harlem. But that was it. I have been treated worse at the Great American Ballpark for a Pirates-Reds game. Of course...
Surprisingly, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by Pirate fans in my section. I celebrated with a guy in a Van Slyke jersey sitting behind me. The Capps Crew was just a few rows away. It almost felt like home.
On the subway before the game, I overheard a couple of guys in Yankee jerseys discussing Roger Clemens. I got the impression that they wished the Yankees would just keep Clemens in the minors all season so that they could pay him his minor league salary. If Yankee fans are not excited about Clemens this season, who is?
At one point during the game, my friend left for some food. Several innings later she returned, reporting that the person in line in front of her had ordered 54 hot dogs and 54 drinks. Wow.
PNC Park and Yankee Stadium are completely different worlds. Every Pirate fan should go see a game there just to observe the electric atmosphere.
I can't remember the last away game I have gone to in which we have won. Out of town losses are the worst.

Pirates defeat Nationals, draft yet another college pitcher

2007-06-08T00:52:00.000-04:00

The Pirates drafted Clemson left-handed pitcher Daniel Moskos in the first round of the 2007 draft. Yes that's right, they have not learned their lesson. This frustrates me enough that I don't feel like talking about it, especially since it's 1:00 AM. Here's a few links to some info on Moskos.

The Pirates defeated the Nationals today, 3-2. Ian Snell produced another quality start and Freddy Sanchez knocked in two with his first home run of the season. The score was tied at two entering the 9th, but Jason Bay took care of that. He led off the inning with an opposite field home run, and Matt Capps secured the victory with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th. Capps pitched two innings today due to his upcoming suspension, and retired all six batters he faced.

The Pirates visit Yankee Stadium on Friday night to kick off three games with the Bronx Bombers. A sweep of the hated Yankees would be a real lift to my weekend.

Pirates fall to Nationals, 6-5

2007-06-06T23:56:00.000-04:00

The Nationals celebrate their victory Wednesday night - Greg Fiume/Getty Images

This game had all the ingredients for a Pirate loss, from poor offense in the first half of the game, to a late comeback attempt, all the way to the wild pitch that allowed the winning run to score in the 9th. We as Pirate fans have seen it before.

But the biggest reason for this loss was poor defensive play by middle infielders Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez. With one out in the 1st inning, Sanchez misplayed a Cristian Guzman ground ball, allowing Guzman to reach base. The next batter bounced to short, but Sanchez was slow on the turn and could not complete the double play. Thus, the inning continued and the Nationals scored one run. With the Pirates down 2-1 in the 5th, Zach Duke faced a bases loaded, one out situation. He did his job, inducing a ground ball to short. This time, Wilson bobbled the double play ball, leading to three more runs. Zach Duke pitched well today, but his defense let him down.

Adam LaRoche hit a game-tying three-run home run in the 8th inning, but a wild pitch from Salomon Torres in the 9th gave the Nationals the victory.

I'm off to New York in the morning, and will be at Yankee Stadium for Friday's game. I am not sure whether I will have access to the internet during the trip, so I may not be posting for a few days. But I will provide a recap of Friday's game by the beginning of next week.

Pirates hold on for 7-6 victory

2007-06-06T12:23:00.000-04:00

The Pirates stormed home plate on Xavier Nady's 3rd inning double - Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Ugly wins count the same as pretty wins. This is especially true for a team like the Pirates, which has trouble producing wins of any style. Last night was an ugly win, but the Bucs will take it.

The offense produced seven runs, with the big blow being Xavier Nady's three-run double in the 3rd. While you can make the argument that the opposing pitcher was less than stellar, that has not always been enough for the Pirates' offense in 2007. It was encouraging to see the Pirates take advantage of Mike Bacsik's wildness (42 strikes, 40 balls) by drawing five walks against him and seven overall for the game. The team must improve on its walk total (currently 28th in MLB), or the team OBP (currently .312) will remain well below respectable.

Shawn Chacon gave the Pirates what a fifth starter should be expected to provide. He went 5.1 innings and allowed four runs. The Marte/Bayliss/Grabow parade struggled, slowly allowing the Nationals back into the game. A blown call at home might have been the only thing that kept this trio from completely blowing the lead. However, Salomon Torres was lights out and Matt Capps produced his second easy save in as many appearances since being named the closer. That was the ideal way in which Jim Tracy envisions the 8th and 9th innings materializing when the Pirates hold a lead. It was especially encouraging to see Torres bounce back after a couple of poor performances. He was absolutely dominant in the 8th inning.

Notes

Of the nine Pirates with the most plate appearances, five have an OPS under .700. Two of those (Adam LaRoche - .697, Freddy Sanchez - .687) are likely to bring those numbers up, as both have hit well since suffering through a dismal first month. But that still leaves some huge black holes in the starting lineup.
Xavier Nady walked only one time in April. He added just three more in May. However, he has walked once in each of his past three games. Despite his complete lack of walks, Nady has an OPS of .822 this season. If he can improve his selection at the plate, he could become a solid middle of the order hitter.
I'm glad that Tracy pulled Bautista from the lead off spot. It's not like he was doing well in that role or anything. Bautista has gone .316/.400/.491 when leading off this season, but he's not that fast. Who cares about on-base percentage anyway? Sigh.
Fox Sports Pittsburgh sucked last night. If those problems persist longer than this one game, I will end up throwing a brick through my televesion. And then I'll really be screwed.

I've seen this one before

2007-06-05T12:10:00.000-04:00

The scoreboard behind Derek Lowe tells the whole story - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

If I were to write a script for a Pirates loss, it would read like this:

Starting pitcher throws well through six innings, holding the opposition to just a couple of runs. In the 7th, he becomes fatigued and his pitches are being hit a bit harder. Jim Tracy arguably stays with this pitcher just a tad too long.
As the game is slipping away from the Pirates in the 7th, a pivotal defensive play is not made. This play is not routine, but a good team generally gets the out.
The opposing pitcher no-hits the Pirates into the 7th inning.
I have always enjoyed "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, so we will add an option at this point. If you would like the Pirates to (a) go down easily over the final three innings, turn to page 201. They will manage only a two-out single in the 9th inning. If you would like the Pirates to (b) rally and attempt a comeback, turn to page 63. They will put up five runs, but will ultimately lose by one as the tying run is stranded at second base in the 9th inning.

Pirates lose 6-5.

After being no-hit for two-thirds of the game, Jim Tracy says that the Pirates had their chances to win. According to the skipper, "The one big hit that we need, it continues to avoid us." Maybe we just needed some base runners in the first six innings. I don't know. Maybe we need to stop sugarcoating things.

Davis to join Pirates

After the game, the Pirates designated Humberto Cota for assignment and recalled Rajai Davis from AAA Indianapolis. Davis is a 26 year-old centerfielder who was hitting .318 with the Indians this season. He has good speed with little power. Jim Tracy did not divulge how he will be used, but I expect this move will shorten the leash on Chris Duffy in center. They are similar players, and while I do not expect Davis to be any better than Duffy, management may be looking for some kind of spark for the offense. Hopefully, Bautista will remain in the lead off spot even if Duffy loses his starting job to Davis.

Cota will be placed on waivers and can be claimed by another team or traded. If neither happens over the next ten days, he can accept an assignment to AAA or become a free agent.

Another meltdown

2007-06-04T12:22:00.000-04:00

The Pirate infield contemplates another bullpen failure as John Grabow warms up - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Maybe I should stop attending Pirate games. The last two times I have been to PNC Park, the Pirates have turned sure victory into heart-wrenching defeat. The last time it was a 7-1 lead turning into a 9-8 loss to the Diamondbacks. Yesterday, the Bucs blew a 4-0 lead and fell 5-4 to the Dodgers.

Tom Gorzelanny was stellar again through six, but tired in the 7th inning. He finished with an official line of 6.2 innings, 3 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts. Jason Bay and Adam LaRoche provided most of the offense, as each belted solo home runs against Brad Penny. However, Salomon Torres allowed a two-run home run to Andre Ethier and the Dodgers' bullpen held the Pirates to only one single over the final three innings to preserve the victory.

My thoughts:

In 2004-2006, Torres before the All-Star break: 3.82 ERA, 73/49 K/BB. In 2004-2006, Torres after the All-Star break: 1.88 ERA, 116/47 K/BB. Not much has changed this season.
One of my new favorite places to sit at PNC Park is any row in section 301, seat 1. It's a long way from the field, but the view to your right is excellent and there is a nice breeze off the river. I think that will be my spot for sweltering afternoon games.
Jason Bay is fun to watch when he is on one of these hot streaks. He is hitting everything right now.
Four days until I visit Yankee Stadium.

A few thoughts

2007-05-30T12:01:00.000-04:00

Last night I watched the Pirates play baseball for the first time since Randy Johnson beat us last Sunday. It had been a long week of only box scores via my cell phone. But last night my busy schedule lightened slightly and I sat down to do the one thing I love: watch the Pirates run the bases poorly. I'm just kidding. But seriously, they make some stupid mistakes out there.

This past Friday afternoon, I found a bit of free time and started writing. The Bucs were mired in a five-game losing streak, and I wondered whether Tony Clark's grand slam had effectively ended our season. However, I did not have the time to finish that post. With last night's win, the Pirates have won four of five and moved into second place since I first saved that draft. The offense came alive in Cincinnati and the entire team looked pretty solid last night (aside from the previously mentioned baserunning mistakes).

So maybe the season is not over yet. Maybe I am starting a trend of being completely wrong. If you would like another example, on May 13 I made the statement, "Ian Snell is officially the ace of this staff." Since that comment, Snell has gone 1-2 with a 5.30 ERA in three starts and Tom Gorzelanny is 2-1 with a 1.78 ERA in four starts. After looking at those numbers, I feel compelled to say something: Ronny Paulino will never again be an above average Major League hitter and should be released. Now let us sit back and watch as Paulino sprays line drive after line drive to the gaps.

Sigh

2007-05-23T12:14:00.000-04:00

I missed last night's Pirate game due to an evening of painting. Yes, instead of watching the game, I was literally watching paint dry. It seems like I chose the perfect game to miss.

If I was going to describe this game (or this season...or the past 15 seasons) to someone else, I would discuss one specific situation. In the top of the 2nd inning, the Pirates led 1-0 and loaded the bases with one out. Their two biggest sluggers, Jason Bay and Adam LaRoche, were coming to the plate. This was the time to break the game open against a struggling pitcher. Both Bay and LaRoche struck out. That gave us one run on six hits and a walk through two innings. The next inning, Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright doubled home two runs and the Pirates lost the lead for good. They would lose 9-4.

If that is not a perfect description of the last 14+ years, I don't know what is.

Shot through the heart

2007-05-19T23:44:00.000-04:00

We are all hanging our heads with you, Marty. Get 'em next time. - Peter Diana, Post-Gazette

I walked slowly along the outer concourse of PNC Park. I assume there was a beautiful view of the Allegheny River to my right, but I cannot be sure because I was staring at the tops of my shoes. Rain slowly dripped from my hair, down my forehead and into my eyes. But I did not have the energy necessary to lift my hand to wipe it away. I carried a bobblehead in my right hand, the box slowly decomposing from the rain that had cascaded upon it as it rested unattended next to my seat. I felt as if my soul was decaying along with it. There were hundreds of people around me, walking at the same deliberate pace, in the same general direction. Not one of us knew our destination, not one of us cared. There was no conversation, just a somber silence that engulfed us like a fog. I trudged through a relatively deep puddle, but barely noticed. I had shivered through several innings of cold, wet baseball, but now I felt strangely comfortable. Finally, the silence was broken. My friend, who was walking next to me, softly murmured, “Tony Clark. What the hell?”

I think that about sums it up. Only the Pirates could turn a perfect evening into something so terrible in such a short period.

P.S. Another very appropriate statement came from Rocco DeMaro during his post-game show on 104.7. While Rocco was giving an overview of the game, he suddenly stopped and said, “I feel like I want to swear.” You are not the only one, my friend. Now let’s come back and win this series tomorrow.

Home runs with people on base are good

2007-05-19T00:40:00.000-04:00

If the Pirates wear red jerseys and use pink bats, will they score 20+ runs? - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The Pirates offense is suddenly potent, with the team's 11-5 win over the Diamondbacks tonight keeping the momentum going. Xavier Nady and Ryan Doumit each had three-run homers, while Adam LaRoche continued his steady improvement by going 2 for 4 with a walk. Jose Bautista and Freddy Sanchez each reached base three times as the Pirates put up double digit runs again. In the last six games, the Pirates have scored 13, 7, 3, 3, 7 and 11 runs. That's an average of over seven runs per game.

With Ian Snell starting tonight, one might have expected about four runs to be enough to produce a Pirate win. Entering the 5th inning, that script was being followed. The Bucs had three runs due to Nady's home run and Snell had been dominant. When the offense broke the game open with four more runs in the 5th, the game seemed over. Snell was quite possibly throwing the his finest game of the season and he now had a seven run lead to work with. But he was roughed up for four runs in the 6th inning and Arizona continued scraping away until the lead was 7-5. The Pirates added an insurance run in the 7th before Jim Tracy remembered who his hottest hitter was. Doumit entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the 8th inning and promptly launched a three-run homer.

Why is Ryan Doumit not in the lineup every night?
Adam LaRoche is seeing the ball very well. His plate discipline right now is phenomenal.
After Ian Snell had worked five shutout innings while throwing only 65 pitches, Lanny wondered on the radio broadcast if Snell had a chance at a complete game. Afterwards, he immediately allowed four runs.
Tom Gorzelanny faces Micah Owings tomorrow night at 7:05. I hope to be attending this game.

Attendance

2007-05-18T20:18:00.001-04:00

Note: I started this post yesterday, but did not find the time to complete it until now. During that time, several people beat me to the punch, including Dejan in today's Q & A. Check out these other posts, as they make some excellent points that I did not cover. Enjoy the following post, the majority of which was written on Thursday.

In Wednesday's Post-Gazette Q&A, Dejan Kovacevic called out Pirate fans. He could not understand why the attendance for Monday's game was only around 12,000, citing a "really fine pitching matchup" and "an absolutely spectacular night for baseball." In today's Q&A, fans that did not attend that game explained their reasons and Dejan responded. Reading these pieces got me thinking a bit.

Before I start, I think I should make a disclaimer. I totally understand why fans are upset with the Pirates’ ownership and management. This franchise has made absolutely no progress in the past 14 years. Those in charge either can not or will not do what is necessary to field a competitive team. That is very disheartening and frustrating as hell.

But what is the true cause of poor attendance at PNC Park? Many people would say that Pittsburgh is not a baseball town. Others claim that there are passionate fans in the shadows, just waiting for something positive to rally behind. The individuals that support the latter idea often refer to June 2005. The Pirates were on a roll and managed to reach .500 with a route over the Devil Rays. Enthusiasm was rampant, and the atmosphere at PNC Park was electric. Members of the media rationalized that it was the team’s poor performance that was holding back attendance. I believe that there is another reason. Pittsburgh residents often claim that they live in a great sports town. But is this true?

Let us start with the Pirates. I think we can all agree that the number of die-hard Bucco fans has dwindled throughout the years of ineptitude. In today’s Q & A, Dejan discusses the fact that the largest crowds at PNC Park are for promotions, such as bobbleheads and fireworks. These casual fans have been made the target audience by Pirates’ ownership. The pierogi race, the giveaways, Skyblast and other gimmicks are being promoted. It is all about the experience, not the game.

So maybe this just is not a baseball town. The Penguins were selling out the Mellon Arena all season and their future looks bright. But the enthusiasm was not there last year, despite a young franchise that was making progress. It was late in 2006 before “Penguins Fever” began spreading, and suddenly it was “cool” to spend an evening at the Igloo.

That brings us to the Steelers. Pittsburgh is known to be a football town, with a large following throughout the United States as well as the rest of the world. Of course, it is easy to be a Steeler fan. They are consistently one of the most competitive teams in the NFL and their five Super Bowl victories are tied for the most in history. But is “Steeler Nation” really full of die-hard fans? When the team loses, such as in 2006, interest wanes. Not a “14 straight losing season” amount, but it still fades. I was amazed at how quickly the excitement of a Super Bowl victory disappeared last season. My typical Monday conversation starter stayed the same all season, “How about that game?” By week 4, the typical response was, “Oh, I didn’t even watch it.” When the team is eliminated from playoff contention, there are thousands of empty seats at Heinz Field and Three Rivers Stadium before that.

So what is my point? Well part of the point of this post is that the majority of Pittsburgh sports fans are casual fans. They will quickly lose interest unless the team is in a playoff race or has a surplus of exciting young talent. After 14 years of being a laughingstock, these casual fans will need a reason to attend a game, one that is not baseball. My other reason for posting is out of frustration. This frustration comes from watching the PNC Park seats empty as the 8th inning begins. It makes me sick.

As I said at the beginning of this post, I understand that fans are upset with all the losing. Sometimes I start to feel physically ill while watching Pirates baseball. I am aware of the pain that the past 1½ decades has caused. However, I will leave you with an example that speaks volumes about Pirate fans. In 1991, the Pirates had a regular season record of 98-64, tops in Major League Baseball. It was the second consecutive season that the Bucs won the NL East. In Game 6 of the NLCS, the Pirates lost a heartbreaker to the Atlanta Braves, 1-0. Steve Avery tossed eight shutout innings, allowing only three hits. The attendance for this game was 54,508. The loss set up a Game 7 showdown, one of the most exciting occurrences in sports. The attendance for Game 7 was 46,932, well below capacity. The city of Pittsburgh gave up on the Pirates after that demoralizing loss. That is why I sometimes get a bit irritated when people blame the losing for their lack of interest. I understand the point. But will anything change when/if the team starts winning? Do they give out bobbleheads at postseason games? I honestly cannot remember.

Gorzelanny quiets Marlins

2007-05-15T12:42:00.000-04:00

The Marlins know how to pronounce Gorzelanny now. He completely shut them down for seven innings last night, and the Pirates' offense remained above water for the second consecutive game in a 7-0 win.

This was an almost perfect game to attend. Gorzelanny allowed only five singles in his seven innings, and was particularly hard on Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera struck out twice against Gorzelanny and took out his frustration on his equipment after adding another K against Matt Capps in the 8th inning. Dontrelle Willis struggled with his command early, but the Bucs were only able to push across two runs against him. The second scored on Ronny Paulino's solo home run in the 6th, a blast that was very significant when it happened. Paulino also walked three times in the game. The game was put out of reach in the bottom of the 8th inning, as the Pirates added five more runs.

Game Notes

Freddy Sanchez is hitting like it is 2006. There might not be a more beautiful sight than that of a Freddy Sanchez double just inside the right field line.
It must be May, because Jose Castillo looks like he wants to be on the field. He stayed with a rundown long enough for Cabrera to make a mistake in the 8th inning and he hit the ball hard towards center three times throughout the game. After his two-run double broke the game open in that 8th inning, Castillo uncharacteristically displayed his emotion. It seems like he wants to take advantage of this opportunity.
Another 1-2-3 inning from Matt Capps. Ho hum.
Another scoreless inning for Salomon Torres. Ho hum.

The Pirates and Marlins are currently tied 1-1 through five innings in game 2 of this series. (UPDATE 11:45 PM): Marlins win 9-3. How quickly the wheels can fall off.

The Cruelest Game

2007-05-14T12:07:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure how many Pirate fans are like me, in that they enjoy torturing themselves by experiencing heartbreak over and over again. If you are this type of masochist, you might want to take a look at this post over at Bugs & Cranks. It is an excellent description of the emotions many of us have felt since that fateful night in October 1992. Proceed with caution.

Link via Mondesi's House

The bats come alive

2007-05-13T21:35:00.000-04:00

The pink bats were good to Jason Bay and the Pirates - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

The Pirates' offense played Jekyll and Hyde this weekend against the Braves. On Saturday they produced one run on seven hits, and Chuck James had a no-hitter going in the 7th inning. Today they banged out 18 hits while winning by a score of 13-2. Granted, this was not Glavine, Smoltz or Maddux. But the ability of the opposing pitcher has not been a factor in our offensive struggles of 2007. This was just a fun game to watch.

The Pirates seemed to be reaching base almost at will today, but do not discount the effect of the Braves defense. They played like it was a Sunday afternoon softball game. Only one error was officially credited and all 13 runs were earned, but they were throwing the ball all over the place. It was nice to benefit from some sloppy play by an opponent.

Ian Snell was lights out as usual. He finished with a line of 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K, and threw 73 of his 103 pitches for strikes. The win makes him 3-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 2007. Before the season, many people made the claim that this team had several back of the rotation type starters, but no clear-cut ace. That is no longer the case. Ian Snell is officially the ace of this staff. It makes articles such as this one seem so much more ridiculous. Maybe Jim Tracy took my advice and used this magazine to motivate Ian Snell. Maybe that is why he is pitching like he wants an All-Star appearance in July. (Note: The whole article is ridiculous, but I am speaking mostly of the last paragraph.)

Bucs lose series opener

2007-05-12T11:52:00.000-04:00

Xavier Nady collides with PNC Park 's outfield wall - Matt Freed, Post-Gazette

Last night's game showed us exactly what the Pirates are lacking. In an attempt to produce some offense, Jim Tracy started Xavier Nady in center, which allowed Ryan Doumit to play right. With two outs in the 6th inning, Chipper Jones drove a ball to deep center field. Nady made an excellent effort at a tough catch, but the ball popped out of his glove when he slammed into the wall. A catch there could have ended the inning. Instead, the Braves scored four runs and went on to win 4-1. Now I am not faulting Nady for being unable to make this play. As I stated before, this was a difficult catch. But when you compare it to the catch made by Andruw Jones earlier in the game, it is clear why the Pirates are 15-19 and the Braves are 23-12. This was just one example of a play that was not quite made by a Pirate. Over the course of a season (or 14 seasons), those plays add up to equal losing baseball.

Duffy probably makes this catch because of his superior speed. He could have been to the warning track just a split second earlier than Nady, which means he would not have needed to slam into the wall as hard while attempting a catch. But Duffy was on the bench, as the Pirates desperately looked for ways to produce some runs. His .299 OBP at the top of the order was not helping the team. So what do you do? Do you sacrifice offense for defense? Or do you force your best hitters into the lineup, regardless of the impact on the defense? It's a lose-lose situation for the Pirates right now.

By the way, the offense came back to earth after its "monstrous" six-run output on Thursday afternoon. Kyle Davies, who came into the game with an ERA over 6 and a WHIP of 1.69, held the Bucs to one run on seven hits over seven innings. I think I've heard this story before, the one where the struggling pitcher has an easy night against the Pirates' punchless lineup.

Tracy tweaks lineup, Pirates score runs

2007-05-11T13:01:00.000-04:00

Freddy Sanchez and Jose Bautista celebrate the Pirates' new lineup - AP Photo/Jerry Lai

Jim Tracy apparently did some reading after Wednesday's game, trying to find some ideas on how to fix his offense. He discovered the novel idea entitled, "Bat Your Best Offensive Players at the Top of the Lineup So They Get the Most Plate Appearances." After staying up all night thinking about this concept, Tracy finally had his solution. He sent the following lineup card to the umpires: Sanchez, Bautista, Bay, Doumit, Nady, LaRoche, Paulino, Wilson, Maholm. And what happened? The Pirates offense "exploded" for six runs. Five batters in and the Bucs had a 3-0 lead over Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs. Paul Maholm threw well despite a late home run by Michael Barrett and the road trip concluded with a 6-4 victory. After getting beat up in Milwaukee over the weekend, the Pirates responded and took two of three from the red-hot Cubs.

Tonight the Pirates welcome Mike Gonzalez, Craig Wilson and the rest of the Atlanta Braves into town to start a ten-game homestand. Judging from the starting lineups, it seems Tracy was paying attention in Chicago.

Operation shutdown

2007-05-10T01:02:00.000-04:00

I watched the first few innings of this game, before leaving with the Cubs holding a 1-0 lead by way of Alfonso Soriano's home run leading off the 1st. I returned as the Pirates were escaping a jam in the bottom of the 8th. Apparently, I missed nothing in between.

The Bucs lost 1-0 tonight, as they were completely shut down by Jason Marquis. It was the top of the 6th before the Pirates could muster so much as a baserunner. Marquis finished with a line of 9 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 5 K, and 0 BB. That is a pretty pathetic showing by the Pirates' offense. Another good start was wasted, as Tom Gorzelanny went 7 innings and allowed only 1 run. I don't think even the most extreme pessimist expected the Pirates to have this bad of a lineup 32 games into the season.

Pirates win another marathon

2007-05-09T12:13:00.000-04:00

When the Cubs took a 3-2 lead in the 7th inning last night, I casually remarked that the Pirates would probably tie the score late and we would be in for a marathon game. First of all, nobody really listens to me during baseball games anymore. This is probably due to the fact that I regularly make comments such as, "That play probably really lifted our win expectancy." Apparently that tends to annoy people. In addition, I did not truly believe my own prediction. After all, we were not playing the Astros. This game would not go more than ten or eleven innings. But things got a little crazy.

This was a weird game, with all sorts of unusual happenings. I'm not sure I can even remember them all. I will attempt a somewhat chronological account of these events:

Soriano held at third when he should have scored on a sacrifice fly in the 1st inning.
The Cubs defense was terrible. Ramirez misplayed a double play ball, allowing the Pirates to score first in the 2nd inning. Routine pop-ups to shallow center were automatically an adventure, with one being dropped. More on that later.
The umpiring was terrible, which was not surprising with Tony Randazzo behind the plate. You may remember him as the person who ruined the Pirates 2005 season. Sort of. Anyway, his strike zone was inconsistent all night. There was no better example than the top of the 9th inning. With one out, Nate McLouth walked on a very close 3-2 pitch that missed low.This was a pitch that could have gone either way. Ryan Doumit followed and took a 1-0 pitch for a strike. This pitch was identical to the one that McLouth walked on, except it was about 3-6 inches lower. Ridiculous. Randazzo also blew the call at the plate when Soriano scored the Cubs' first run. This one was a tough call, one that required a slow-motion replay before one could be sure. I will let it slide. But the call on Castillo at first base in the 12th was horrible. It should not have mattered, as Bautista should not have been tagged in the first place. But it still cost us what could have been the winning run. There were also some bad calls that went the Pirates' way, but I did not log them into my memory because I am a biased fan. (EDIT: I forgot that there was also the play at second that got Jim Tracy tossed. Another blown call.)
Jack Wilson made one very fine play, nearly made two or three spectacular plays, and misplayed a couple routine grounders. It was a weird game for him defensively, as well as at the plate. He finished 0 for 6, but drove in the tying run in the 9th and the winning run in the 15th with sacrifice flies.
More strange plays in that 15th inning. On Jose Bautista's bunt attempt, Lee hit Paulino in the head with his throw to second. When Paulino broke for third, Barrett's throw was deflected by Aramis Ramirez, who was charging for the bunt. This had to remind you of the Manny Ramirez cutoff play from a few years ago. It is amazing that the Pirates only scored four times in 15 innings with the way the Cubs' defense played.

It is always fun to win a marathon game like this. We can give this entire win to the bullpen (Fangraphs.com actually credits the bullpen with 135% of the win). The relievers were absolutely fantastic. But the Pirates' offensive woes continued. Ryan Doumit has stepped up. Some other guys need to as well. I enjoyed this quote from Freddy Sanchez:

We're going to have to battle, and I think it all starts with me. I put a lot of responsibility on myself. I'm not getting on base enough. I'm not doing the things that I know I'm capable of doing.

That is the attitude that every player needs to take to the plate.

Meltdown

2007-05-08T12:38:00.000-04:00

The Pirates took Monday off after the Brewers treated them like small children over the weekend. After taking the opening game of this series last Thursday night, our Bucs lost by scores of 10-0, 6-3, and 6-4. These games were more painful to watch than the scores indicate (and yes, I understand that a 10-0 loss indicates a pretty painful game), so I will focus on the few positives from this series.

Adam LaRoche was out of the lineup on Thursday, using that time to work with coaches and take extra batting practice. He was back on Friday, and lined the first pitch he saw right back into center field for a base hit. LaRoche made a slight change to his stance during his day off, opening up his front foot a bit more than it had been early in the season. The goal was to allow him to see the pitch better, as well as to keep him from opening his hips too quickly while swinging. Whatever he did, it seemed to work. LaRoche went just 1 for 3 in that first game, but ended up 5 for 11 with a double and two RBI's in the series. That might not sound all that extraordinary, but LaRoche no longer seems lost at the plate. Look for him to finally break out of his season-long slump.
Ryan Doumit keeps on hitting. He now has a line of .441/.500/.765 with 5 doubles and 2 home runs in 34 at-bats since being recalled from AAA. He has been the bat that the Pirates have so desperately been seeking all season. Hopefully he will continue this production (or anything close to it) when the LaRoches, Bays, and Sanchezes start to come around.
Freddy Sanchez was 5 for 17 in the series, giving him a .346 average through six games in May. Freddy's struggles in April can likely be attributed to his knee injury in spring training, as he was allowed a very limited number of plate appearances before being inserted into the every day lineup. He finally seems to be getting into a bit of a rhythm offensively, which the Pirates will desperately need if they are going to compete. He did not, however, have a strong series defensively.

I was desperate for some bright spots after this series. But I think we can be encouraged by the performances of some of the big "guns" in the Pirates' lineup. The Bucs are in Chicago tonight to begin a three-game set with the Cubs. We could really use a series win.

Brewers 10 - Pirates 0, 8th inning

2007-05-04T22:52:00.000-04:00

The Brewers' offense is good.

The Pirates' offense is bad.

That is all I have tonight.

UPDATE (05/05/2007, 8:20 AM): That is a final score and we are done with this very ugly game. I guess I shouldn't have said, "Maybe we'll get shut out tonight." My apologies. Let's get them tonight.

Pirates defeat first-place Brewers

2007-05-04T12:24:00.000-04:00

Dave Bush plays in the dirt after allowing a home run to Jose Bautista last night in Milwaukee

It was just another day in Piratesville. Brewers pitcher Dave Bush, entering the game with an ERA over 6, had limited the Pirates to zero runs on two hits through six innings. The Brewers led 2-0. Their first run scored when a chopper barely eluded a diving Pirate infielder. Their second scored on a wild pitch. As a bonus, the Bucs had wasted a lead off double in the 4th inning, as the 3-4-5 hitters were retired in order. Tom Gorzelanny had been sharp, but his offense was letting him down. We were well on our way to a typical Pirate game.

But something was different about this game. The Pirates defense had been superb, throwing out two Brewers at home thus far. This kept the game within reach, even for the anemic Pirate offense. If the hitters could only figure out Dave Bush...

Freddy Sanchez led off the 7th inning with a double. After seeing Jack Wilson left stranded after leading off the 4th with a two-bagger, Pirate fans kept all enthusiasm under control. Jason Bay followed with a pop fly to right, but it found an open area and Bay ended up at second with an RBI double. Two outs later, he was still standing there, as Jose Bautista came to the plate. The Pirates desperately needed something to jump-start their offense. With a 1-1 count, Bautista jumped on Bush's offering. It was gone as soon as it struck Bautista's bat. Kevin Mench was helpless in left field, and could only watch as the baseball sailed well over the fence. Suddenly, the Pirates had taken a 3-2 lead. Bautista's blast invigorated Ronny Paulino, who launched the second pitch he saw towards right-center. It also carried over the outfield wall, giving the Bucs a 4-2 lead. Gorzelanny and the bullpen made that score hold up through the 9th inning, and the Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Pirates' defense was excellent in this game. They retired three Brewers on the bases, and Gorzelanny's play on Tony Gwynn's bunt attempt in the 7th was absolutely fantastic. The Bucs must play defense like this more consistently if they want to win in 2007.
What the heck were the Brewers doing on the bases in this game?? Pulling the double steal with Bill Hall at the plate in the 3rd was ludicrous. I was totally shocked at the stupidity of that play. And the Dave Bush "sacrifice bunt/hit-and-run/let Graffanino wander around the bases" play in the 5th did not work well either.
That was a huge home run by Bautista. It was the type of hit that could give the Pirates' offense some confidence and suddenly get them going. Or maybe we'll get shut out tonight. What do I know?
Ryan Doumit is on fire. Literally.
Hopefully the day out of the lineup gets Adam LaRoche on track.
Well, Jim Tracy made a good decision when he kept Gorzelanny in the rotation coming out of spring training. That kid has been tremendous this season.
Look at Matt Capps' 2007 stats. Here's a few for you to chew on: ERA is 0.59; OPS against is .392; WHIP is 0.717. And his own OPS+ is currently 435. He has been amazing.

As storm rages, Jonah swallowed by a big fish

2007-05-02T12:27:00.001-04:00

That fish was Cliff Floyd, and his mammoth homerun off Bayliss has the Cubs currently ahead of our Bucs 6-5. We are now in the 13th hour of a rain delay, but this game should begin in a few minutes at 12:35. Approximately 20-30 minutes after the conclusion of this game, the originally scheduled match-up will begin.

The Pirates were cruising along with a 5-2 lead in the 7th inning, and everything seemed fine as Tony Armas left the game after putting up a quality start. However, it took approximately 37 seconds for the Pirates' bullpen to turn that lead into a deficit. As rains swirled around the park, the Cubs' bats came alive, scoring four quick runs.

The game is starting back up. Find a radio and have a listen.

Bay day

2007-05-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Jason Bay circles the bases after his game-winning homerun in the 8th inning last night

The Pirates defeated the Cubs 3-2 last night at PNC Park. Zach Duke settled down after a rocky start to throw 6.2 innings, allowing only 2 runs. Jason Bay provided the big blow with a tie-breaking homerun in the 8th, and Adam LaRoche and Ronny Paulino added RBI hits. Matt Capps and Jonah Bayliss pitched superbly in relief and Salomon Torres retired Derrek Lee to finish the game. The Pirates finished the month of April with a 12-12 record. My thoughts on this game:

Jonah Bayliss has been excellent this season. He entered this game with the bases loaded in the top of the 7th, two outs, a 2-1 Cubs lead and Aramis Ramirez at the plate. Ramirez was 2 for 3 to that point, and the game was hanging in the balance. But Bayliss calmly induced a fly ball to left and the inning was over. Bayliss has now stranded every runner he has inherited this season. And of course, Capps had his usual easy 8th inning.
After the Cubs scored their second run to take a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning, a man sitting a few seats from me screamed for the bullpen. I could only shake my head at such idiocy. It brought me great satisfaction to see Duke gather himself and hold the Cubs scoreless the rest of the way. Of course, this man had left his seat for good in the 4th. I hope he was far from the park when the final out of this win was recorded.
As Jason Bay stepped to the plate in the 8th inning, a friend of mine with whom I was sitting remarked, "Jason Bay always bats cleanup, but there's never anybody on base for him." I started to agree with my friend, who is nine years old by the way, and explain that for some reason Jim Tracy does not believe in high on-base percentage players at the top of the lineup. I never got the words out though, as Bay deposited the next pitch into the first row of the right-center field seats. But it was still an excellent observation. (EDIT: This is not a knock on Wilson or Duffy, as each has done a decent job of reaching base this season. It is Tracy's philosophy that I am criticizing.)
It was nice to see Bay hit a homerun to right field. He has good power that way, and should attempt to utilize it more. That might help cut down on some of the K's on outside breaking stuff.
I did not have a perfect view from section 103, but Rich Hill's curveball must have been breaking about eight feet. Pirate left-handers did not have a chance when he threw it.

Josh Hancock

2007-04-30T11:55:00.000-04:00

April 11, 1978 - April 29, 2007

Cardinals relief pitcher Josh Hancock died in a car accident early Sunday morning. This is a terrible tragedy for a franchise that is still reeling from the death of Darryl Kile in 2002. Hancock was 29 years old.

Deadspin has an excellent post about Hancock, one I highly recommend you read. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.

Pete Rose

2007-04-29T21:25:00.000-04:00

I was pretty busy this weekend, and was able to watch only a small amount of Pirate baseball (For those interested in a recap, the Pirates took one of three from the Reds). I caught a few innings of the game today and happened to be viewing when Lanny and Bob Walk had a brief conversation about whether or not Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. Lanny stated that, "Based on what he did on the field, he belongs in the Hall of Fame." Walk agreed, and both held the opinion that Rose should not be allowed in the game of baseball in any other form. Coincidentally, I had been thinking about this same subject yesterday. I was wondering if Pete Rose was even that good? If you take away all the gambling and the lying and the like, what would we really have? I took a look at some of his career numbers, and I was quite surprised. Here is a sampling of some important statistics, along with his all-time Major League rank in parentheses:

Batting average .3028 (168-t)
On-base percentage .3751 (203)
Slugging Percentage .4093 (742)
OPS .7844 (506)
OPS+ 118 (376-t)
Games 3,562 (1)
At-bats 14,053 (1)
Hits 4,256 (1)
Walks 1,566 (12)
Strikeouts 1,143 (140)
Stolen Bases 198 (332)
Caught Stealing 149 (19)
Outs 10,328 (1)

After looking through these numbers, there are some conclusions we can make. Pete Rose played for a long time. He played 24 seasons, played in 254 more games and had 1,689 more at-bats than anyone else in history, and even continued playing while managing the Reds from 1984-1986. He also did a decent job of getting on base and was difficult to strike out.

But what makes him worthy of the Hall of Fame? His OPS+ was under 100 (below average) in six of his final seven seasons. While he was racking up an additional 884 hits during these years and becoming the all-time hits leader, he was not really helping his team. Should he be rewarded for playing until he was 45 simply to set this record? Having 67 more hits than Ty Cobb becomes less impressive when you consider the fact that he had 2,619 more at-bats than Cobb. Or if you consider that Rose had a career .302 average. This is a good career average. In fact, it is the same as the great Mike Greenwell. It is even a few percentage points higher than Juan Pierre's career mark.

How about his slugging percentage? Here are a few examples of players with higher career slugging percentages: Gary Redus, Ron Belliard, Placido Polanco, Don Slaught, Rafael Furcal, DARIN ERSTAD (See FireJoeMorgan.com for more details on Erstad).

But he hustled, you might say. In fact, his nickname was Charlie Hustle. Who cares? I probably appreciate hustle more than anyone else you might know, but you have to be a great ballplayer to be in the Hall of Fame. Hustle points do not count, unless they translate into something tangible. If a player's hustle produces a large amount of stolen bases, that means something to me. Rose was successful on only 57.1% of his steal attempts. That is terrible. Let's move on.

So what does this all mean? It means that Rose played for a long time, probably too long. He had a lot of hits. He also made a lot of outs. The hits he had were mostly singles (3,215 career singles). For a singles hitter to be great, he must have a batting average that is much higher than .302. He must have an on-base percentage that is much higher than .375. For me to consider a player worthy of the Hall of Fame, he has to out-slug Darin Erstad. Forget the debate about whether a player's moral conduct should be considered in Hall of Fame voting. Pete Rose was very much overrated, and his numbers alone make him only a borderline Hall of Famer.

Break out the brooms, part II

2007-04-26T22:44:00.000-04:00

The Pirates swept the Astros for the second time this season, finishing it off with a 5-3 victory this afternoon at PNC Park. Tony Armas struggled his way to a solid 5 inning, 1 run allowed outing. The offense was produced by two-run singles by Jason Bay and Ryan Doumit, and the Bucs added another when Xavier Nady was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Salomon Torres again was shaky in the 9th, but John Grabow was able to finish off the victory. The Pirates are currently 10-10. My observations from the ballpark:

Adam LaRoche is almost there. He was 1 for 4 with two strikeouts today, but I am confident that he will start hitting soon. His 8th inning foul ball quite possibly traveled 600 feet.
I thought I was watching a movie during that 8th inning. First the Pirates ignored the wisdom of Billy Heywood, who showed off his knowledge in the 1994 flick Little Big League. In one scene, he clearly explained that a number 3 hitter should not sacrifice with runners on first and second and nobody out. The clean-up hitter will be intentionally walked, meaning we just wasted our two best bats. We were lucky that Xavier Nady received the Roger Dorn treatment, as he leaned into a pitch and immediately was replaced by a pinch runner (thanks to Scott for pointing this out to me during the game).
If there are two things in this world that I absolutely can not stand, it is the KISS morning show and the pierogi race. Put them together, and you have an inning break from hell.
I was surprised to see Ryan Doumit walking out to the bullpen before this game. He kept up his hot streak with a couple of hits and two RBI's. Keep your eye on Doumit.
Jonah Bayliss did a great job escaping from the 6th inning. He entered with the bases loaded and nobody out, and shut the door with a pop-up and a double play. This kept the Pirates within one run, and allowed them to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Bayliss got out of another jam with a double play in the 7th inning. That's great experience for the young kid.
About 25 minutes before the game, Lance Berkman jogged from the dugout into shallow right field. About ten feet behind him was the Pirate Parrot. The Parrot was skipping with his hands held high in an effeminate manner. That is the best visual description I can provide. You must trust me that this was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.
EDIT (04/27/2007, 1:45 PM): One last thing: I saw somebody wearing an autographed Shawn Chacon Pirate jersey. They actually make those?

Late-night smiles

2007-04-26T00:35:00.000-04:00

The Bucs celebrated late on Wednesday night

We have seen this game before. For the third time in less than a year, the Pirates and Astros played a marathon game at PNC Park. Last season the Bucs won 8-7 in 18 innings and lost 7-6 in 15. Add the 16-inning game tonight, and you have the three longest games in PNC Park history.

Adam LaRoche singled home Jack Wilson in the bottom of the 16th inning, giving the Pirates a 4-3 victory. There were many Pirate stars in this game, such as the following:

Adam LaRoche - LaRoche did little before his RBI single in the 16th, and even that hit was just a slow groundball. But he is struggling so badly right now that this big hit might be what gets him rolling. He is extremely tense at the plate, and the exhilaration of this win might just loosen him up a bit.
Zach Duke - Duke rebounded well from a couple of horrid starts, posting a line of 7 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 1 K. He was hit fairly hard early on and his strikeout rate is still completely absent, but he got in a bit of a groove after a few innings and deserved a victory tonight.
Pirate bullpen - Salomon Torres blew the save when he allowed two runs in the 9th, but all but one of his hits allowed was a groundball with eyes. Other than that, the Astros were kept off the board by some unlikely heroes after Sully left the mound. Grabow was thrown in the fire for his first appearance of the season, but looked sharp as he shut down the 9th inning. Marte got a clutch strikeout to end the 10th, even as I moaned about how "unclutch" he is (No, we're not getting into that argument right now). Shawn Chacon walked three and had to work out of a few jams, but we desperately needed his four scoreless innings. Even the much-maligned John Wasdin got into the act, with two more scoreless innings. The Astros left 18 men on base in this game, and many of those runners reached base in extra innings. The bullpen deserves a pat on the back for battling and keeping this game tied for so long.

Now that we have discussed the positives, let's look briefly at the Pirates' offense. As with most of the early-season games, it was terrible. For most of the extra frames, we didn't even get anybody on base, let alone threaten to score. If it wasn't for a strong performance from our relievers/the ineptitude of the Astros' offense, we would have lost this game hours ago. This has to improve soon.

I believe there were about 17 people left in the stands at the conclusion of this game. If you were one of them, good for you. Who leaves an extra-inning game early, for crying out loud??

The Pirates and Astros will return to PNC Park in about 12 hours to finish up this series. Come on down to the ballpark for a relaxing game of baseball.

Maholm leads Pirates to first home victory

2007-04-25T11:49:00.000-04:00

Ronny Paulino gave Paul Maholm some support with his second inning homerun

Beginning a 16-game stretch against only NL Central teams, the Pirates desperately needed a strong performance to lift the team's confidence a bit. Enter Paul Maholm. The young lefty pitched as if he had a plane to catch, completing a three-hit shutout in just under an hour. He needed only 99 pitches to finish off the Astros, and gave the bullpen the night off as the Bucs cruised to a 3-0 victory. Jack Wilson, Jason Bay and Ronny Paulino led the offense, as the home crowd witnessed their first victory in 2007.

This was an absolute gem from Maholm. He had the Astros off balance all night, and kept the infield alert with ground ball after ground ball. The defense was solid, especially third baseman Jose Bautista. Bautista has looked very comfortable at the hot corner, and I'm not sure anybody even remembers that Jose Castillo still plays for the team.

Jack Wilson continued his hot start to the season, doubling and scoring twice. Wilson now has an OPS of .814 on the year, and looks like he is, in fact, a capable number two hitter. Of course, he has a history of being a very streaky hitter. So I will keep my enthusiasm under control until we get deeper into the season.

Jason Bay looks like he might be about ready to explode. While April has been a relatively lousy month for him over the years, he has a career OPS of 1.018 in May. And if I remember correctly, Bay hit 22 homeruns in a three-day span last May. If we have been slightly below average without much production from Bay, maybe we can get over the "mediocre hump" when he gets rolling. It would also be delightful if he got hot during this vital stretch of games that began last night.

Adam LaRoche is a different story. He continued to struggle, going o for 4 with two more K's. He will start hitting eventually, but it would be nice if that started soon.