LaRoche's impact

I promise, this will be the final post on this site regarding the acquisition of Adam LaRoche [my fingers are crossed]. We all know what LaRoche brings to the plate for the Pirates: 32 homeruns and a .915 OPS that was missing from this lineup in 2006, a lineup that boasted a league worst SLG; a dangerous bat that will relieve some of the pressure to produce that is heaped upon Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez; a left-handed first baseman that fills a huge void for this team. But I've been thinking that maybe there is something more that he provides.

The excitement among Pirates' players and management immediately following the Gonzo-LaRoche trade seemed almost silly. This team seems to believe that Adam LaRoche is the Pirates' savior, and he has arrived to lead them from 67 to 90+ wins. Anybody familiar with statistics knows that this simply isn't true. The best players in the league add less than 10 wins a season to their team's total. But is all this excitement a bad thing?

Last season the Bucs were 30-60 before the All-Star break, 37-35 afterwards. Why the dramatic turnaround? They did not suddenly find their swings and start piling up runs. The Pirates scored 411 runs and allowed 474 runs before the All-Star break, while scoring 280 and allowing 323 afterwards. Some will argue that the team was simply luckier in the second half. I can see where that comes from. I remember several instances early in the season where a ridiculous bounce went against the Pirates, and possibly cost them the game. But I think there was more to it.

On June 19, 2006, the Pirates hosted the Diamondbacks for an afternoon make-up of a game rained out earlier in the season. I attended this game with a friend, and our day was going perfectly as the game entered the later stages. The Pirates had rallied from a 4-0 deficit and the bottom of the 9th inning began with the score tied 4-4. The table was set for a walk-off victory. Back-to-back singles and an intentional walk seemed to make that victory inevitable. Jeromy Burnitz stepped in with the bases loaded, nobody out, and the winning run at third. He struck out. No harm done, it was pretty much expected. Besides, Freddy was coming up, and he always came through. But he chased a pitch in the dirt and went down swinging. Now I was nervous, with the always erratic Jose Castillo at the plate and two outs. He also struck out. I vomited all over the empty seat in front of me (NOTE: Exaggeration). All we needed was a fair ball. All three had chased pitches and struck out. We wasted a leadoff double in the 10th and eventually lost 5-4 in 11 innings. Of all the painful losses that I have witnessed in the past few years, this one probably hurt the most. We were supposed to win this game, but we gave it away. It was a perfect example of why we started 30-60 in 2006.

So why did the Pirates improve to slightly above .500 ball after the break. The answer is that the players loosened up. They were out of contention, relaxed a bit, won a few games, gained some confidence, and won some more. They realized that they belonged in this league. The increase in confidence worked wonders, and suddenly these young guys weren't tightening up in important situations. The players that were a bundle of nerves in June were having fun and beating up on playoff teams in September.

Now I am not saying that a confident Pirates team will run off 90 victories in 2007. But it might make the difference between 75 wins and the sacred number of 82. Maybe the addition of Adam LaRoche is what it will take to make all of 2007 look like post-July 12, 2006. With all of the exuberance coming out of the clubhouse since this deal was made, it seems like this is a Pirates' team that honestly believes it can compete this year. If they go on to the field expecting to win, they are going to play much better and hopefully increase that number in the win column.

Roundtable

This week's edition of Pirates Roundtable is up. Three outsiders contributed their thoughts on the recent shift in ownership for the Pirates. The regulars will return next Monday.

My thoughts on LaRoche-Gonzo deal

The Adam LaRoche and Jamie Romak for Mike Gonzalez and Brent Lillibridge trade is official. I will briefly break down some of the pros and cons of this deal from the Pirates' viewpoint (I will keep it short because I am sure you have already read all of this somewhere in the past 72 hours or so).

We've been talking about what Adam LaRoche could bring to the Pirates' lineup since December, so I won't go into much detail. You know all about the 2006 stats of .285/.354/.561 for a .915 OPS, along with his 32 homeruns and 38 doubles. His bat should relieve much of the pressure on Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez to carry this offense. Personally, I've looked at his statistics so many times in the past two months that it hurts my eyes anytime I pull them up these days. Let's move on.

Jamie Romak is a 20 year-old, 6' 2" 220 lb outfielder that played in single-A last season. He has some decent power potential, with 26 2B and 16 HR in 2006. He put up an interesting .247/.369/.471 line in 2006, good for an OPS of .840. His average was low and he struck out 1 out of every 3.41 at-bats, but 59 walks helped him to a solid OBP. Romak's large frame and high number of doubles should be indications that he will develop more power. He is also from Canada, and Canadian players are known to develop at a later age. With the Pirates' farm system completely lacking any power, this is a solid addition. Romak is not a can't-miss prospect by any means, but he has some upside.

Mike Gonzalez was dominant in 2006. A quick look at his numbers verifies that. But he was no use to the Pirates until they improve in other areas of the team. Also, it is very likely that 2006 was the best season Gonzo will have in the big leagues. Relief pitchers are known to be stars one year, out of a job the next. For every Mariano Rivera and Billy Wagner that has had a long successful career as a closer, there are five Derrick Turnbow's, John Rocker's or Danny Kolb's waiting to quickly fall off the face of the earth. Yesterday, just for fun, I took a look at Ricky Bottalico's statistics. Take a look at them when he was at his peak (1996-1997). Now look at the same stats for Mike Gonzalez during his peak years (2005-2006). If you looked at each pitcher's H/9, HR/9, BB/9, K/9, and WHIP for those years, you would find that they look fairly similar. 1997 was the last year that Bottalico was any good. Does this mean anything at all as far as Gonzo's future success? NO NO NO. But it does show that Gonzalez's future is anything but clear. Especially if you factor in his injury history.

Brent Lillibridge was the biggest loss to the Pirates in this trade. In 2006 he went .299/.414/.522 in 74 games with Hickory, then moved up a level to Lynchburg and continued to hit well at .313/.426/.423. His career .858 minor league OPS is very impressive for a shortstop, and he also is considered to be above average defensively. Oh, and he stole 53 bases in 66 attempts in '06. The only negative thing I can say about Lillibridge is that he has been fairly old for the levels he has played at thus far.

All things considered, I feel this is a great trade for the Pirates. It actually is the type of deal that Dave Littlefield has avoided since he has been here. He traded a relief pitcher and a fast middle-infielder. Both players were currently high in value. In return, we received two power hitters. One had a very low AVG, but high OBP and SLG. He traded from positions of depth and received the type of players we desperately needed. This trade was fairly bold, and DL didn't cave and give up the starter that the Braves wanted. He patiently waited until late January and got the deal he wanted. We don't get the chance to say this often, but Dave Littlefield just made a smart move.

Good luck to Mike Gonzalez in Atlanta. I am sorry to see him go, as he was one of my favorite players while he was here. We have all been saying for months now that he needed to be traded this offseason, but that does not mean he wasn't appreciated by Pirate fans. You will be missed, Mike.

LaRoche?

Reportedly, the Pirates have acquired Adam LaRoche from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Mike Gonzalez and an unnamed player. There has been no word as of yet on who that additional player is, although KDKA is reporting that it is a minor league pitcher. At this point, this trade appears to be a big win for the Pirates. Check back for additional information as it becomes available.

I am extremely excited right now, but I am trying to contain myself as much as possible. I don't think I could handle another disappointment involving Gonzo and LaRoche.

UPDATE: Charlie is keeping pretty good tabs on the rumors flying around as to exactly who is involved in this trade. He links to the official site, which is reporting the trade as Gonzo for LaRoche, with at least one prospect from each team included. More when I hear it.

UPDATE (7:05 PM): The Beaver County Times is reporting that the trade is Gonzo and minor league shortstop Brent Lillibridge for LaRoche and minor league outfielder Jamie Romak. I will wait for confirmation on this before calling it a fact. Romak is 20 years old, and went .247/.345/.432 in single-A last season. I don't know anything about him, but from his statistics, he looks like he could be a decent prospect.

Links

There is not a thing interesting to talk about, so here's a couple of quick links:


The new edition of Pirates Roundtable is up. This week your favorite Pirate bloggers answered two questions related to the Hall of Fame. The discussion might sound a bit more intelligent this week, because I did not take part. But fear not, I will return. Thanks again to Cory from A New Pirates Generation for his hard work at putting that together.

Also, Pat has written a letter to Bob Nutting. This is very well written and a perfect description of the feelings that an average, dedicated fan of the Pirates has had in recent years. I am going to label it a "Must Read."

Pirates Roundtable

This week's edition of Pirates Roundtable is up for your viewing pleasure. Take a look to read various opinions on the Pirates' ZiPS projections and the 2007 Ronny Paulino.

Bill Cowher

Bill Cowher has announced his retirement as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bill, you will be missed.

Here is a nice recap of Cowher's 15 seasons with the Steelers.

Top 5 Pirate games

First of all, there is nothing interesting to discuss, outside of Jose Hernandez or Brian Lawrence. Also, I realized I hadn't done an interesting post since...well, ever. Therefore, I bring you the five most memorable Pirate games I have ever attended. Before we get started, I will admit that I used Retrosheet to fill in the details that I could not recall. Also, you may find an update at some point if I recall a game that slipped my mind. Beware, this is pretty long. Anyway, here it is:

5.) Joe Randa and Mark Smith salvage doubleheader against Dodgers with ninth-inning homeruns - August 25, 1997
It had been a lousy evening at the ballpark. The Pirates had been bullied in the opening game of the doubleheader, falling 8-2 and only managing 5 hits. Game 2 was not going much better, as the 9th inning began with the Bucs trailing 3-1. They also had only four hits and had struggled defensively with three errors. The highlight of my night to that point had been Jason Christiansen and company flicking pumpkin seeds at my friend and I, as our seats were next to the bullpen. Todd Worrell came in for the save and walked Eddie Williams. Joe Randa stepped up and lined one sharply to the right-center field gap. Centerfielder Otis Nixon (NOTE: Anyone remember Nixon saving a game for the Braves by robbing Van Slyke of a homerun late in a game?) raced back and leaped against the fence. The ball cleared his glove and the top of the wall by inches and the Pirates had suddenly tied the game. The crowd erupted with the first trace of emotion all game, wildly celebrating. We were still on our feet screaming as Mark Smith stepped in and awaited Worrell's first pitch. The crowd suddenly was shocked into silence, as Smith launched that first delivery a mile into the atmosphere. I couldn't speak, only able to mutter, "Oh my Go..." As a naive 13 year-old boy with a bad angle, I thought Smith had somehow hit the ball out of Three Rivers Stadium. He hadn't. But the ball landed in the first row of the left-field seats, and once again the crowd erupted. A night that had seemed destined for gloom had suddenly been thrust into glory. The Pirates had managed a split of the doubleheader, and a magical season dubbed as the "Freak Show" continued.

4.) Sid Bream hits walk-off homerun in 12th on Richard Caliguri Day - May 6, 1988
Richard Caliguri, who had fought to keep the Pirates in Pittsburgh during his years as mayor in the 1980's, died in early May 1988. The Pirates honored him with a ceremony before this game, and dedicated the remainder of their season to his legacy. I was four at the time, and we arrived late, so I don't recall anything about the pregame ceremony. Nor do I remember much from the actual game. Each team put up a run in the first inning, then did nothing until the bottom of the 12th. After two outs, Andy Van Slyke singled and Bobby Bonilla walked, bringing up Sid Bream. Bream promptly deposited the baseball into the right-field seats for a 4-1 Pirates win. I was too young to really understand the bigger picture of this game, as far as a beloved man's untimely passing and a city in mourning. However, I do remember the pure euphoria of that moment, as a sellout crowd engulfed in sadness was permitted to release its tortured emotions in a joyful manner. This is one of my earliest memories of the Pirates.

3.) Freddy Sanchez continues dream season with walk-off single to lift Pirates over Cubs in 11 innings - August 30, 2006
I admit, this game might be this high because it is so fresh in my memory. Or maybe I am biased because Freddy Sanchez is silly-fantastic. Either way, this game was the highlight of the three walk-off wins I attended in 2006. Fresh off an 11 inning, come-from-behind win against the Cubs the night before, the Pirates looked for the sweep. This was an ugly game as far as pitching goes, with the two teams combining for 19 runs and 40 hits. Take a quick look at the line score and you can see exactly the kind of back and forth game this was. As the Pirates blew a four-run lead and then fell behind by two in the 11th, I began to sink into a deep depression. The kind of depression you can only get by watching the Pirates blow a game on a Wednesday afternoon in August. When you're at the game by yourself. When the Pirates have 20 hits, but only two are for extra bases, and one of those was by Victor Santos. Yeah, that kind of depression. However, my optimistic nature held on to the hope that the Pirates could rally in the bottom of the 11th, even though they had not scored since putting up two in the 5th. Xavier Nady led off and singled to right (still alive). A groundout moved him to second (sigh). Jose Castillo singled to right (yes, JOSE CASTILLO HIT A BALL TO RIGHT FIELD). Nady scored (I sat up a bit in my seat). Humberto Cota pinch hit and singled (what the hell is going on???). It was Cota's second consecutive game with a key pinch hit. Chris Duffy flew out to left (shoulders slump slightly) bringing up Jose Bautista with two outs (Freddy Sanchez is on deck, just get him to the plate!). Bautista walked to load the bases (holy crap, we're going to win! Freddy is up!). Sanchez stepped in with two outs, bases loaded, and the Pirates down by one. Those remaining from a very small crowd were standing, their minds numbed by a 14th consecutive losing season, screaming in support of one of the few heroes they had left. After taking a called strike, Sanchez reached for a pitch and rolled it softly toward first base (heart stops, I am clinically dead for four seconds). Somehow it spun just outside the line for a foul ball. The collective sigh of relief by the 1,000 fans remaining knocked Mike Benjamin off of his feet (why was he on the field?). Sanchez returned to the box and began fighting off pitches. Finally he got the pitch he wanted. It was a slider, well off the outside corner of the plate. Almost a perfect pitch. Almost. Somehow, Sanchez stretched out and poked it over the first baseman's head and down the right-field line. The ball seemed to roll right at me as I stood in section 101, row A. Castillo and Cota scored, the Pirates won, and finished off the sweep. All of the pain from the previous 14 seasons, from the 2006 losses to Liriano and the Twins, to the Diamondbacks, to the Royals, to everyone else, seemed to drain right out of me as I jumped up and down with my hands outstretched to the sky in pure jubilation. These are the games that keep me coming back to the park again and again despite so many painful losses.

2.) Pirates rally with four-run 9th, win in 10th - July 8, 2005
This seemed like your typical Pirates game. The Bucs were down 3-1 before the bullpen faltered, allowing two more runs in the top of the 9th to apparently put the game out of reach. In the bottom of the inning, back-to-back singles after one out kept the hope alive. One out later, Jack Wilson walked to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate in the form of pinch-hitter Tike Redman. Mets closer Braden Looper came in to face Redman, and an epic battle ensued. Redman fought off numerous pitches in what may be my favorite at-bat of all-time. Finally, he grounded one through the middle for a base hit. Two runs scored, and Redman represented the tying run at first base with Matt Lawton coming to bat. Lawton lined a pitch sharply to left-field, almost right at Cliff Floyd. However, Floyd misplayed the ball. At the last second he lunged for it, but it skipped past him to the wall. The crowd exploded as two runs scored and Lawton cruised into second with a game-tying double. He would be stranded, but the Pirates started up where they left off in the 10th. An error and an intentional walk brought Humberto Cota to the plate with two outs and the winning run at second. Cota ripped one into the left-field corner, and the Pirates improbable comeback was complete.

1.) Kendall's single, Vlad's error give Pirates win in 9th - May 30, 1998
Beach Towel Night is by far the best give-away the Pirates have had in recent years. Every time I have attended, the crowd is electric and the Bucs seem to play extremely well. The opportunity to wave a towel in the air must remind Pittsburghers of the Steelers or something, adding adrenaline. Any way, this game was my first experience at Beach Towel Night. I don't recall much from the major portion of the game. The Pirates entered the 9th inning trailing 7-5. They quickly loaded the bases with one out, putting the tying run at 2nd and the winning run at 1st. This is the point that this becomes my favorite game of all-time. As Jason Kendall walked to the plate, Three Rivers Stadium was the loudest I have ever heard it for a Pirate game. A sellout crowd waved their beach towels hysterically, and I was unable to think because of the deafening noise echoing around me. Kendall gave the fans what they wanted, lining a single into right field. As Tony Womack stormed around 3rd base with the tying run, Vladimir Guerrero fielded the ball and unleashed his powerful arm. To the delight of the crowd, the ball sailed well over the catcher's head and into the stands. This allowed Al Martin to score all the way from first base and the Pirates had won. The noise level grew as a full house celebrated with no restraint. This atmosphere was the best I can remember ever being a part of at a Pirates game, and that is why it tops this list of memorable games.


UPDATE: I promised this would be coming. There are a couple games that I forget while making this list, mostly because I can't recall much about them. I can't even find them on Retrosheet to get the details. The first was a walk-off homerun by Brian Giles at Three Rivers Stadium. Sadly that is all I can recall about this game. I am slipping in my old age. The second was a 15-inning win. I was very young at the time, and remember nothing about the actual game. The significance of this night was, as my dad and I returned to our car with big smiles on our faces, we found that the car was gone and had been replaced by a large pile of broken glass. I did get to ride home in the back of a police car though. Oh good times.

Some links

Just a few quick links:


Cory has been analyzing the Pirates starting rotation with a couple posts the past few days.

Charlie makes some predictions for 2007. It would be funny if it didn't sound so realistic.

Pat gives a more serious outlook for 2007. There is nothing more encouraging here.

Pirates season ticket sales are down. There is no Pittsburgh All-Star Game in 2007, by the way.

Dejan receives some angry mail from readers about the recent signing of Jose Hernandez.

Time for some holiday catching up

It's been over a week since my last post, so let us catch up on some holiday news:


The 2007 Pirates ZIPS projections were released, and they were scary. If these are even close to accurate, the Pirates are going to be in trouble this season.

Aubrey Huff signed with the Baltimore Orioles. I was against the Pirates signing Huff, so I was glad to see this. However, the list of available free agents continues to get shorter and shorter, and the Pirates have yet to address a single need this offseason. Unless DL pulls off a decent trade, 2007 could be a long season.

Pirates Roundtable #6 was posted, and included questions about veteran relievers and Ryan Doumit. Take a look for various opinions on these topics.

Changing gears for a moment, the Steelers finished 2006 with an exciting overtime win over the rival Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs, indeed a very disappointing season. But they finished strong after an absolutely terrible first half, and received the satisfaction of knocking the Bengals out of the playoffs. Greg Easterbrook (aka Tuesday Morning Quarterback) awarded the Bengals the worst play of 2006 for their role in the winning touchdown by Santonio Holmes. Here's hoping Bill Cowher chooses to return for another season in 2007.

The Pirates resigned Jose Hernandez. Don't get me wrong, I am a Jose Hernandez fan. He is a solid 25th guy that has been around the game and can play almost anywhere on the field. But that doesn't help a team with a complete lack of offense. He will only take at-bats away from younger players who need development, and will put up numbers that are mediocre at best. Also, don't let the fact that he was signed to a minor-league contract fool you. Jose Hernandez will without a doubt be on the Pirates opening day roster. I have never been more sure of anything in my life. This signing was absolutely worthless, but not surprising at all.

Dejan reports that the Pirates are interested in free agent pitcher Brian Lawrence. Lawrence was a decent pitcher for the Padres a few years ago, but missed all of 2006 with a severe shoulder injury. Pirates' officials would know more about his health than I do, but I do know that torn rotator cuffs are pretty serious.

Jeff Suppan signs with Milwaukee

Jeff Suppan has signed a four-year, $42 million deal with the Brewers. This is excellent news for the Pirates, as it means that Dave Littlefield won't make the mistake of signing Suppan to a similar contract. While I think that having him in the rotation would have been beneficial to the Pirates, he was not worth that kind of money to this team. I am glad to see that DL never really got serious about competing for Suppan's services.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday.

Roundtable #5

There is a special Pirates Roundtable up this morning. Cory invited bloggers representing some of the teams interested in Mike Gonzalez to weigh in on Gonzo's value to each of those teams. It is interesting to get some outsider views on this topic. Check it out.

Rumor

I am going back on a promise that I made just yesterday. Here is one more trade rumor for you, courtesy of Bucco Blog. Jake says Adam LaRoche will be a Pirate by Christmas. However, after the winter meetings trade rumors, I will wait until I see it before I believe it.

UPDATE (12/23/2006 10:30 AM): I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else other than Bucco Blog, so I am still pretty skeptical. Dejan reports that the Pirates have contacted Aubrey Huff, which could be a sign that trade talks for a hitter are cooling off. I would not like to see $23 million wasted on three years of Aubrey. We'll see what happens.

Catching up

I've missed some minor news recently. Time to catch up:

The Pirates recently signed three minor leaguers.

The Pirates signed 33 year-old catcher Einar Diaz to a minor league contract on Wednesday. This makes absolutely no sense, as they already have a backup catcher that provides no offense whatsoever. Humberto Cota went .190/.248/.200 for the Pirates last year, while Diaz put up an OPS under .600 at AAA. It's okay though, because at least Diaz is much older. But we shouldn't be wasting time signing catchers when there are so many mediocre middle relievers out there waiting to be picked up.

Ken Griffey Jr. hurt himself again, this time breaking his hand in the offseason. That poor guy could have been the best of all-time.

The Pirates signed this guy, as a player! He may look like a coach, but he will be playing at the AAA level for the Pirates in 2007. Sigh.

Pirates may be shopping Gonzalez

John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times has a hot new rumor that the Pirates and Braves are involved in discussions about a possible trade involving Mike Gonzalez and Adam LaRoche. This is the first time we have heard anything abou...wait a minute, we've been talking about this for a month now. I will make a promise to you. From this point forward, I will not mention another trade rumor involving Mike Gonzalez until something is confirmed.

Pirates Roundtable #4 and more

The new edition of Pirates Roundtable is up and running. My favorite quote comes from Randy at Buried Treasure when asked to discuss what the Pirates could get in a trade for Jason Bay: "This would be on my top ten list of things I don’t like to think about along with being eaten alive by ants." That's true, killer ants are scary. Also, I believe that I forgot to link to Roundtable #3. It can be found below this week's responses.

Pat came up with a reality television show starring Masumi Kuwata. Good stuff here.

Changing gears a bit, the Penguins future is still up in the air, as the Isle of Capri proposal was not awarded the slots license.

Look at that, a whole post without mentioning a Mike Gonzalez trade rumor. Oops.

Going international

The Pirates signed two international pitchers today. Yoslan Herrera, 25 years old and out of Cuba, was signed to a three-year deal at just under $2 million and assigned to the 40-man roster. Craig Stansberry was designated for assignment to make room for him. Also, 38 year-0ld Japanese pitcher Masumi Kuwata was signed to what is believed to be a minor league contract. Dejan reports that both pitchers are expected to start 2007 with the Pirates' AAA team in Indianapolis.

Yawn

I wanted to post something today, but couldn't think of anything Pirate-related to talk about other than Mike Gonzalez trade rumors. I am bored with this, but here is the most recent news, courtesy of Dejan Kovacevic of the PG. Also, this is from the New York Daily News.


Now it is time to study the details of NFL tie-breaker rules. I believe this is basically what must happen:

• Jets must lose at least one of their final two games (at MIA, OAK)
• Bengals must lose their remaining three games (at IND tonight, at DEN, Steelers)
• Jaguars must lose their final two games (NE, at KC)
• Steelers must win their final two games (BAL, at CIN)

If for some reason all of the above occurs and the Steelers slip into the postseason, people around the NFL are going to be upset.

More Gonzo trade talk, etc.

Mike Gonzalez trade rumors continue to rain down upon us, as Dejan reports today that at least six teams have contacted the Pirates about Gonzo. Hopefully Dave Littlefield will be able to use this interest to make a decent deal. I am extremely cautiously optimistic that something good might happen. At the same time, I am also very nervous that something very bad may occur. This is the life of a Bucco fan.

In the same article, Dejan gives a quick overview of each of the eight minor league players that the Pirates signed yesterday. There is nothing very interesting there, unless you are excited about the return of Mike Edwards for some reason.

Also, the Trib is reporting that the Pirates have shown interest in free agent pitcher Joel Pineiro. Pineiro's statistics the past few years have been mediocre at best. My first reaction is that we have no reason to toss $7 million a year his way. I have read a few comments by matskralc in which he disagrees with me. His opinion is based on the fact that Pineiro has been a victim of high BABIP the past couple of years (5th highest in MLB in 2006). It's an interesting thought, even if the Pirates' defense would be unlikely to cause much improvement in that category.
(EDIT: The Trib article also reports the minor league free agent signings made by the Pirates yesterday. However, the information in the Trib conflicts with what was reported in the PG. I don't have the energy (nor do I care enough) to try to research which one is accurate.)

Catching up

I am a bit behind on Bucco news, so I will attempt to catch up:

• The Pirates filled their glaring hole at relief pitcher on Tuesday when they claimed Franquelis Osoria off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers and added him to the 40-man roster. Osoria has put up some decent minor league statistics in the past, but really struggled while splitting 2006 with the Dodgers and Las Vegas in AAA. He could end up being a fairly productive arm, but did we really need another mediocre middle reliever on the roster?
• The Pirates also tendered contracts to all of their players eligible for salary arbitration. Many of these players were easy decisions (such as Freddy Sanchez and Mike Gonzalez), but the team also decided to keep Shawn Chacon and Humberto Cota. Chacon makes sense, as he can fill the 5th spot in the rotation much more cheaply than any free agent could. But why Cota? He was one of the worst hitters in all of Major League Baseball last season, and the Pirates could very easily replace him with someone at a lower salary. However, the team can release any of these players by March and only owe 1/6 of his salary. Apparently, Chacon and Cota are simply fall back options. The Pirates also resigned Carlos Maldonado to a minor league contract.
• Mike Gonzalez trade rumors continue to float around. Reportedly interested are the Yankees, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, etc etc etc. Who knows?

There was something else I was going to talk about, but I forget what it was and the lunch break has been over for quite some time now. Maybe I'll get back to it later.

Jon Lieber is too young for the Pirates

The Beaver County Times is reporting that the Pirates are close to signing Masumi Kuwata, a 38 year-old pitcher from Japan who appears to be well past his prime. Going strictly by his statistics, he looks like a typical Pirates' signing. In 2002, he went 12-6 with a 2.22 ERA, but it has been all downhill since then. In 11.2 innings in 2006, he had a 6.94 ERA. I'm not sure anything promising at all can come of this.


However, the same article states that the Braves and Pirates may still be discussing a trade for Adam LaRoche. Who knows if this is accurate or not, but there are a few new names thrown in. Here's what John Perrotto has to say about this:

"However sources close to the negotiations expect both sides to try to resurrect talks once cooler heads prevail and believe the potential is still there for a multi-player deal, including a possibility in which the Pirates would send left-handed closer Mike Gonzalez, catcher Humberto Cota, second baseman Jose Castillo and outfielder Nate McLouth to the Braves for right-hander Kyle Davies and LaRoche."

I'm not going to go any deeper into this, because I've wasted too much time thinking about it during the winter meetings. But I thought I would mention it.

Roundtable

The second installment of Pittsburgh Pirates Roundtable has been posted. The lone question asks for an analysis of the Pirates' performance at the winter meetings last week compared with the rest of the National League Central Division. Take a look at it and be prepared for a minor league edition of Pittsburgh Pirates Roundtable due out on Wednesday.

Bored?

Anyone bored? Check out Will Pennyfeather's career stats. Did anyone know that he was still playing? Who let this happen?? Who was in charge of keeping an eye on him? Still not entertained? How about Rich Aude? He had a pretty good year in 1993, huh? We will conclude with Midre Cummings. Now aren't you excited that you read this post?

Winter Meetings - Day 4

Last night, the potential trade for Adam LaRoche became virtually dead. Nevertheless, there are still some rumors floating around about the Pirates acquiring LaRoche, probably involving Paul Maholm. I don't feel like going through these rumors, as I don't expect anything to come of them, but here are some articles to check out if you're still interested.

Also, here is Jake's take on the happenings of the past few days. Also here is today's Q&A from Dejan on the subject, as well as another article in today's PG.

Sigh

Apparently the Gonzalez for LaRoche trade is dead. It appears that Littlefield was hesitant (surprise surprise) and Atlanta GM John Schuerholz grew frustrated and moved on to other things. This is depressing enough that I don't want to talk about it anymore.

Looking for something to lift my spirits in some way, I found this post on Bucco Blog. Jake claims to have a couple of new rumors that he is trying to confirm, and teases us by saying that one would "rock your socks."

Adam LaRoche

For those of you who are still cleaning up some of the vomit after hearing that the Pirates might go with Trot Nixon as their big acquisition at the winter meetings, do not give up hope quite yet. The rumors of a deal bringing Adam LaRoche to Pittsburgh are still there, and they may be intensifying. The Atlanta Braves website is reporting that the Pirates are the team most interested in LaRoche, and also throws a few other names into the mix. Jose Castillo, Salomon Torres, and Kyle Davies are now all being mentioned as possible pieces in a potential trade. In addition to the Gonzalez for LaRoche rumor, we are now hearing the possibility of a Gonzalez/Torres and Castillo for LaRoche and Davies trade. I would call any of these combinations a win for the Pirates (a Torres and Castillo for LaRoche move wouldn't be bad either). Bringing in both LaRoche and Davies would fill each of the major holes the Pirates are looking to solidify (left-handed 1B or RF and RHP). Honestly, I am not all that familiar with Davies. But from what I do know, he would be as good as any of our current starters. Hopefully the Pirates can make something happen here.

Let's look a bit deeper into the stats of Adam LaRoche. You probably already know that he went .285/.354/.561 with 32 HR in 2006. His Win Probability Added (WPA, a measure of a player's ability to increase his team's chance of winning) was 1.20. His Runs Created per Game (RC/G) was 6.24. Both of these numbers are slightly above average. He is a solid defender, ranking 6th out of 21 qualified 1B in zone rating (.860), and in the middle of the pack in range factor (9.47). These are just some things to think about while we are bored with the limited action in Orlando.

UPDATE (12/06/2006 7:45 PM): According to this article on MLB.com, the Pirates and Braves are getting closer to a Gonzalez for LaRoche deal. This article says that the Braves are waiting only on medical clearance on Gonzo's elbow. Hopefully we will know more tomorrow.

Thanks to Uncle Nate on the comment board over at WHYGAVS for the lead to this article.

Winter Meetings - Day 2

There are only rumors coming from Orlando at this point. Here are a few:


Cory talks about the Pirates willingness to deal Mike Gonzalez. We can only hope that he is right.

Charlie has a few different links, and mentions names like Adam LaRoche, Ryan Church, and Brad Hawpe. Same names, new articles.

On the flip side, Jake is clearing up the rumors that he feels are just wrong.

Trot Nixon and more

So the Pirates are apparently interested in Trot Nixon. This has made some noise around the web, as many fans are terrified that Nixon is DL's version of Lefty McThump. Hopefully the only reason the Pirates are considering signing him is to use him in a platoon role. If they can acquire a Lefty McThump at first base, maybe by pulling off a Gonzalez for LaRoche trade or something similar, this could make sense. Nixon has hit righties much better than lefties in his career and, if he comes at a fairly cheap price, could be a part of a solid platoon with Xavier Nady in right field. And as Cory points out, Andrew McCutchen will be providing outfield help very soon. This is all assuming, of course, that the Bucs can acquire the first baseman they covet.

In other news, Yuslan Herrera has made it to the U.S. and is looking to sign with the Pirates, DL does not expect to make a pick in the Rule 5 Draft, and Sammy Sosa has not signed with the Pirates. That is good.

Also, in this same article we read the sad news that Jim Tracy's father passed away on Thursday. You and your family are in my prayers, Jim.

Typical DL

Ken Rosenthal says in this article that the Pirates have inquired about Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche. He also says that the Pirates are not willing to part with Mike Gonzalez to make this trade happen. I can only hope that this is inaccurate information. Or at the very least, incomplete information. Gonzalez for LaRoche is the exact trade that the Pirates should be looking to make right now. Take a look at my response to question #3 of this week's Pittsburgh Pirates Roundtable for reasons why the Pirates should be looking to trade their closer. As for LaRoche, he is a 27 year-old left-hand hitting first baseman that put up a .915 OPS last season. This alone makes him a perfect fit for what the Pirates need this offseason. He would be under the Pirates control for at least the next three years if they acquired him. Also (and yes this is an extremely small sample size to even bring up), he hit the heck out of the ball in his two games at PNC Park last season, going 3-6 with 2 HR and a double. Not that that really matters, but it makes it easier to envision him consistently attacking the Clemente Wall through 2009. If the Bucs have the chance to deal Gonzalez for LaRoche straight up, they should do it without any hesitation.

On another note, Dejan from the PG is doing a daily live online chat from the GM meetings in Orlando. Take a look to see the answers he provided to fans' questions today.

Also, Jake from Bucco Blog discusses the Pirates revenue in his podcast from 12/03/2006. He believes it is possible that the team could have up to $106 million to spend if ownership wouldn't take an enormous profit first. Who knows what's going on inside those offices?

Pittsburgh Pirates Roundtable

The Pittsburgh Pirates Roundtable is up and running with its initial discussion topics. This is a website that was orgainzed by Cory at A New Pirates Generation and brings several different writers together to discuss nothing but Pirates baseball. Check it out to see a variety of opinions in one place. This week's questions were:


1. What's your take on the Pirates' situation within the NL Central? What impact have free agent signings and trades within the division had on the Pirates as they move forward this offseason and enter the 2007 campaign?

2. Which pitcher in the Pirates' organization would you absolutely refuse to trade?

3. If you had Dave Littlefield's job, what's the first personnel move you'd make?


The Roundtable will be updated with new questions and responses each Monday. Feel free to leave any comments you have and get a discussion going over the next week.

Many thanks to Cory for the extra work he put in to make this project possible. Also, check out his site for some great reading.

Salary arbitration

Just a quick link here. Yesterday was the last day for teams to offer salary arbitration to players. Take a look here to get information on that.

This and that

I should be going to bed, but I figured I should throw out some links with very little analysis before getting to sleep.

Cory found a story in which Bret Saberhagen claims he would decline induction into the Hall of Fame if he was voted in, in protest of the exclusion of Pete Rose. It is interesting that Bret would turn down such an amazing achievement to support someone he doesn't even know. And while I have never really formed a firm opinion either way on the Pete Rose issue, I support Saberhagen on his comments.

Earlier today, I remembered that Jody Gerut was still on our roster. I glanced at some of his stats, and learned that he has a pretty drastic split facing LHP/RHP. His numbers in 2004-2006 are an anemic .191/.304/.281 vs. lefties and a more servicable .275/.344/.431 vs. righties. While he doesn't have great numbers against righties, it got me thinking that a Jody Gerut/Xavier Nady platoon in right field would probably be the best plan for the Pirates in 2007. Nady's splits over the same period are also perfect for a platoon, at .331/.409/.506 against LHP and .243/.291/.418 against RHP. While Nady's overall numbers are obviously better than Gerut's, it probably wouldn't hurt to give some of his starts against right-handed starters to Gerut. Now all the Pirates need to make this work is that power-hitting first baseman. Anyway, the interesting part is that just a few hours after I started thinking about this, Jake posted some words by Jody Gerut from 2004. He actually sounds like a pretty intelligent guy.

Charlie has some updates on the recent signings of Glavine, Durham, Hawkins, and Posednick. Take a look at them.

The folks at Bucco Wire say that they will be in Florida for the Baseball Winter Meetings that run 12/4 -12/7 and promise any insider information they can come across. Insider information is swell.

Here is what Pirates.com thinks will happen at these Winter Meetings. Yawn.

Some Links

From Charlie at Bucs Dugout, here's some statistical information on minor league defense, something that has not be easily obtainable. Charlie points out that, according to these statistics, the Pirates have two of the top ten defensive shortstops among all minor league teams (Brent Lillibridge and Brian Bixler).

In today's Q&A, Dejan disagrees with my opinion that the Pirates would be foolish to pursue Jeff Suppan or Tomo Ohka via free agency. He makes some good points and I'll admit that he has me second guessing myself a bit.

If you're more of an audio person than a reading person, Jake at Bucco Blog has been doing podcasts almost daily this week. Here are links to Podcast #2, Podcast #3, and Podcast #4. (If you're looking for #1, he apparently was not satisfied and trashed it.) I have enjoyed listening to these, and I recommend you take a few minutes and do the same.

Tom Verducci at SI.com has a well-written article about overusing young arms (link via A New Pirates Generation). It is an interesting article that mentions Zach Duke and Paul Maholm.

Trivial crap that only people who read baseball blogs in late November care about

Here's something new for the blog. I have one of those one-a-day baseball calendars on my desk. Starting today, when I read something interesting on it, I will post it. So without further ado, here is your first installment of Trivial Crap That Only People Who Read Baseball Blogs in Late November Care About:


Thursday, November 30, 2006

Dubious Achievement

Bill Childers and Doc Hamann had the least-successful pitching careers in Major League history, each giving up six earned runs without ever retiring a batter. Childers surrendered two hits and five walks for the 1895 Louisville Colonels, while Hamann coughed up three hits, three walks, and a hit batsman for the 1922 Indians.

Now aren't you glad you know that?

No Hawpe

The Denver Post is reporting that the Rockies Brad Hawpe is not going to be traded this offseason. It looks like the Pirates will have to look elsewhere for Lefty McThump.

Thanks to Bucco Wire for this link.

Today's news

The Pirates are reportedly interested in free agent pitcher Tomo Ohka. This is a slightly better idea than pursuing Jeff Suppan, as Ohka has similar numbers but will come with a lower price tag. However, I still would rather the Pirates avoid the crazy free agent market entirely this season, fill that spot in the rotation internally, and save some money for a chance to contend in 2008 or 2009. There's no reason to spend money just to spend it.

Cory at A New Pirates Generation has an excellent post with details on the compensatory draft picks teams receive due to free agent signings. It is good information that any diehard should want to be aware of.
EDIT: Cory posted some more valuable information on this matter on Thursday.

CBS Sportsline's Larry Dobrow attacks Dave Littlefield in a way that is not often seen on mainstream websites. It is sad for a Pirates fan, because it is so true.

Turner Ward is the new manager of the State College Spikes, the Pirates' affiliate in the New York-Penn League. I have two very fond memories of Ward from his couple of years with the Pirates. The first, of course, is when he dove through the outfield wall at Three Rivers Stadium to catch a flyball, with the Pirates trailing 10-0! This single play defined Ward's playing career. The other was watching Ward easily circle the bases for an inside-the-park homerun while a young Andruw Jones lazily jogged after the ball in left-center field. If memory serves me correctly, this was a ground ball homerun. This single play, in my personal view, defines Jones' career. Anyway, it's a good day when I get to see Turner Ward's name in the news.

The Pirates announced the rest of their minor league managers and coaches today. I don't have anything interesting to say about this.

Pat at WHYGAVS summarizes the arguments on whether or not the Pirates should spend the money to bring in a veteran pitcher such as Suppan or Ohka.

A few weeks ago, Cory posted a list of possible Lefty McThumps the Pirates could look into acquiring, along with links to their stats at Baseball Cube. It's a nice resource, and I've found myself going back to it often. So I decided to temporarily link to it on the sidebar, right below ESPN's free agent tracker.

This, that, and the other

According to Dejan at the PG, the Pirates are interested in signing Jeff Suppan. Why, why, why? Suppan had a decent 2006 season and would be a nice fit for the Pirates rotation, but he is not worth his current market value. His performance in this year's NLCS, when he allowed only one earned run in 15 innings, will cause some team to overpay for his services in 2007 and beyond. He reportedly will command a multi-year deal at a salary around $8 million to $9 million per season, an amount the Pirates do not need to be committing to a pitcher who will turn 32 in January. If this was a team that was one or two pieces away from contending in 2007, this would be a great move. But for our Bucs, who need to continue to develop a good group of young players while obtaining several more parts for a chance to compete in 2008, this is wasted money. I would rather throw a Shawn Chacon into the rotation, or maybe some cheaper alternative, and save that money for when contention is within our grasp.

John Bettis, father of Jerome Bettis, died earlier today. The sight of John and his wife Gladys standing among the Steelers' faithful each week was a comforting thing to see for many years. This is sad news.

Marte inked

The Pirates have exercised their 2007 option on Damaso Marte for $3 million. I would have called this a terrible move six weeks ago, but with the outrageous contracts suddenly being handed out to mediocre players, this had to be done. So far this offseason, Justin Speier has been handed $18 million, Mike Stanton has signed for $5.5 million, and Jamie Walker has pulled in $12 million. Each of these pitchers are older than Marte and none were much better than he was in 2006. With a salary at only $3 million and an option for 2008 at the same price, Marte should have some solid value in the trade market. This also gives the Bucs even more bullpen depth if a team inquires about Grabow, Torres, or another reliever.


EDIT: This was as far as I got this afternoon while on my lunch break. I came home tonight to finish the post and found out that the Pirates have now extended Marte's contract an additional year. Marte is now signed through the 2008 season with an option for 2009. I am not sure what to make of this move, especially since the financial details have yet to be revealed. The Pirates should primarily be focused on trading Marte before the 2007 season, not tying up future payroll on this left-handed reliever. My hope is that Dave Littlefield has something up his sleeve, and that he didn't just give Marte a raise on the contract he already had. Maybe DL was able to lock him up for an extra season at little more than the initial $3 million per year in order to increase his trade value. Maybe Dave saw the extraordinary contracts that have been given to average relievers recently, and realized that a lefty with an ERA under 4 and a relatively cheap 2-year contract could possibly bring something in a trade. Maybe he even has had contact with another team and has something in the works that helped cause this extension.

But because of recent history, I am nervous about this move. I am worried that Mr. Littlefield has been ignoring the glaring holes that need filled at first base, third base, right field, starting pitcher, etc. and is trying to build a contender through the bullpen again. I hope I am wrong, and I am interested to see what develops of this situation.


EDIT#2: Rotoworld has the finances of this contract at $2.45 million in 2007, $2 million in 2008, and a club option at $6 million for 2009 with a $250,000 buyout. This still doesn't make much sense. I have no idea why Marte would take less money, as it is very unlikely he will ever see that $6 million in 2009. This is a good deal for the Pirates, as they now have less money tied up in Marte, plus his trade value rises with the even cheaper contract. I am tired now, and ready for bed. I am also confused, because in the past two days the Steelers have lost 27-0 and the Pirates have apparently made a good move. What is this world coming to??


Thanks to Bucs Dugout and WTM for links.

Trade Rumors

Rumor has it that the Pirates and Rockies possibly have been discussing a trade that would send LHP Paul Maholm to Colorado in exchange for RF Brad Hawpe. Though it seems to be purely speculation at this point, it is nonetheless exciting. Hawpe went .293/.383/.515 last year with 22 homeruns, and boasts a career minor league OPS of .952. He is a bit older at 27 than what the Pirates should be looking for, but he is still a year away from salary arbitration and comes extremely cheap for his production. Also, he performed much better on the road last season, which helps alleviate any fears I have of Coors Field inflated numbers.

It has also been mentioned that the Rockies want more than just Maholm, specifically Tom Gorzelanny. Personally, I would prefer to throw a reliever in with Maholm before letting go of Gorzelanny, as we have plenty of relievers to throw around. Gorzo for Hawpe straight up would probaby still be a good deal because of our desperation for offense, but I wouldn't be in quite as big of a hurry to make that move. We'll see how serious this rumor turns out to be.



This speculation is brought to you by Rotoworld.com and The Rocky Mountain News. Links provided by Pat at WHYGAVS and Cory at A New Pirates Generation.

Some Links

Charlie at Bucs Dugout put up a couple of good posts over the weekend. He provided his thoughts on the Soriano signing, explaining why it was an ill-advised move by the Cubs. Last night he followed up on his post from Friday, in which he described how a shrewd Pirates GM could take advantage of the insane free agent market we have seen develop. These are interesting reads for Pirates fans, as most of us have no idea how an intelligent GM might operate. Also, Pat at WHYGAVS adds a similar opinion on this matter.

Another Free Agent Signing

THIS JUST IN:

43 year old Cecil Espy was just signed to a 4 year, $30 million contract. These ridiculous signings just keep getting more insane.


NOTE: This is not true at all. I made it up.

Lefty

Cory at A New Pirates Generation compiled a list of potential targets for the Pirates to fill their Lefty McThump hole. There are quite a few players on this list (31 to be exact) and each contains a link to the player's stats, courtesy of Baseball Cube. I am looking forward to taking a deeper look through each player's stats, potential availability, etc. Hopefully I will find some time this weekend.

One name on the list, first baseman Joe Koshansky, was also mentioned in Ed Eagle's most recent Q&A on Pirates.com. This article is mostly crap (for example, someone asks why the Pirates are letting Freddy Sanchez become a free agent), but Ed makes a good point in that the Pirates could get Koshansky for some pitching, one of their supposed strengths. Also, much like Ryan Shealy, Todd Helton is blocking Koshansky at the Major League level.

Nils Ekman

This is a Pirates blog, so you won't see many posts like this. However, being a fan of all Pittsburgh sports, occasionally I will have to venture a bit.

During the second period of tonight's game, Nils Ekman of the Pittsburgh Penguins scored three goals in 4:10, the fastest hat trick in Penguins' history. Although the Pens eventually lost in overtime, those few minutes had the fans losing their minds a bit down at the Civic Arena. I was losing it myself, I was so excited while watching the game on TV. I have to get down to a game real soon.

WHYGAVS

Pat at WHYGAVS has put up a couple of great posts the past two days.

Yesterday he went through the history of the Pirates' logos and uniforms. This post also links to a couple of great sites that have a ton of information on past uniforms and logos.

Today, in the spirit of Election Day, he put together some fictitious political advertisements based on the hypothetical situation in which the Pirates GM had to be voted into office. One is supporting Dave Littlefield, the other is against him.



EDIT: Another link; Deadspin has an article about Woody Paige leaving Cold Pizza, and explains rather well what a waste of television space he was. It is a good day, as we now will have to deal with less Woody on our televisions (although apparently he will continue making appearances on Around The Horn [sigh]).

(Link via Mondesi's House, also check out a clip of Joey Porter's pal Jerramy Stevens taking a knee to the crotch.)

Gold Gloves

The AL and NL Gold Glove Awards were released this week. Does anybody care? This award is based so much on reputation that it's not even interesting to see who wins. Everybody knows Derek Jeter is going to win no matter how he plays. Everybody knows that Michael Young has no chance of being voted in over Jeter, despite the fact that he is statistically superior to Jeter in every category (as is Jhonny Peralta, Juan Uribe, and Orlando Cabrera; that's four out of only nine shortsops that qualified this season) . In fact, let's take a deeper look at some of the Gold Glove winners this season and how their statistics compare with other qualified players at their position.

Let's start with the previously discussed AL shortstop award, the easiest argument to make. Derek Jeter won the AL Gold Glove for shortstop for the third consecutive year (Note: The last time a guy not named Jeter, A-Rod, or Vizquel won this award, the Pirates were in the postseason), despite being below average in fielding percentage, range factor (RF), and zone rating (ZR) (Glossary). Out of nine qualified shortstops in the AL, Jeter ranked 4th in fielding pct. (.975), 9th in RF (4.14), and 7th in ZR (.810). Take away his average fielding percentage, a flawed statistical measure at best, and Jeter was arguably the worst defensive shortstop in the AL this season. Michael Young (ranked 2nd in RF and 2nd in ZR), Jhonny Peralta (1st, 6th), Juan Uribe (3rd, 1st), Miguel Tejada (4th, 4th), Carlos Guillen (7th, 3rd), and Orlando Cabrera (8th, 5th) all were more deserving than Jeter. Or in other words, 2/3 of all qualified shortstops. But then again, one time Jeter caught a pop-up and then went face first into the seats. Plus he won this award last year. So maybe he does deserve it every year until retirement.

Then there's Torii Hunter, who won his sixth straight Gold Glove in 2006. This marks the third consecutive season that the entire AL Gold Glove outfield remained the same. Hunter is an incredible athlete who seems to show up every night on Web Gems, but does that make him the best outfielder in the game, as he is often called? Personally, I think that over half of the great outfield catches we see should be much easier plays than they end up being, but that's another post for another day. Let's take a look at the stats. Out of ten qualified AL centerfielders, Hunter ranks 6th in range factor (2.56) and 7th in zone rating (.870). I would say that Corey Patterson has a beef here (2.94, .926), as does Brian Anderson (2.87, .883). Or how about Carl Crawford (2.24, .878), who had an outstanding RF for a leftfielder. And while we are discussing AL outfielders, Vernon Wells ranked dead last out of AL centerfielders with a RF of 2.34 (and if we want to bring back fielding percentage, he was next to last there too). But he won a Gold Glove for the third straight season. And Andruw Jones over in the NL, who won his 9th straight Gold Glove this season was last among all Major League outfielders with a pathetic ZR of .846.

There are many other 2006 winners that I could vent about here, but I am tired and don't feel like talking about such a stupid award anymore.


Glossary


Qualifications = 2 games per 3 team games

Fielding Percentage = (PO + A) / (PO + A + E)

Range Factor (RF) = (PO + A) / innings

Zone Rating (ZR) = The percentage of balls fielded by a player in his typical defensive "zone," as measured by STATS, Inc.


All statistics provided by ESPN.com

Go...read

I had a few minutes so I thought I would provide you folks with a couple of links real quick.

Pat at WHYGAVS takes a look at who the Pirates may consider putting on the trading block this offseason.

Cory at A New Pirates Generation continues to play fantasy GM after the alleged signing of Yuslan Herrera. There a bit of additional information provided in the comments section, plus someone who claims to be from Cuba.

Charlie at Bucs Dugout was reading the comics this morning. He also reports that Joe Randa expects to retire this offseason.

Finally, David at Baseball Analysts writes an interesting article about pitch location. I'm not sure that there's anything extremely valuable to learn from the data, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Now go and read. This writing thing is easier when you just use articles by other people.


EDIT: Here's an update on the Yuslan Herrera situation from the Post-Gazette (link via WHYGAVS). Basically Dave Littlefield declines an opportunity to confirm the signing, and also it states that Herrera likely would not be with the Major League club even if he is signed.

Pirates.com is reporting that a three year deal is set, pending only a physical.

Our Right-Handed Starter?

Pat at WHYGAVS and Charlie at Bucs Dugout have reported that the Pirates have signed Cuban defector Yuslan Herrera, a 25 year old right-handed starting pitcher (there are others bringing this news to us also, but I read it at these two sites first). There is not much information available on him that I can find outside of what Pat and Charlie have found. Apparently he throws a fastball in the 88-92 mph range with an above average splitter, and has had some success in Cuba in the past. However, he defected after the 2004 Olympics and nobody seems to know what he's been doing since then. I'm not sure what to make of this alleged signing (no official word as of yet), but it is at the very least intriguing. This could mean that maybe Dave Littlefield is coming up with some new ideas about how to build a successful team, which would be beneficial to everyone. But more importantly, if Herrera can be a successful 4th starter, as one scout claims he could, he would be a very cheap and efficient way to fill the right-handed starter hole the Pirates currently have. That would leave a considerable amount of payroll available to use on the left-handed power hitter the team so desperately needs. Acquiring that impact hitter would have the Pirates on a definite move in the right direction.

Jeromy Burnitz

A couple days ago, the Pirates made it official. They will be buying out Jeromy Burnitz's contract for 2007. While this just a formality, as Burnitz obviously would not be with the team next year, I am a bit sad to see him go. While I won't miss his rally-killing strikeouts or his below-average defense, I like Burnitz the person. I loved how open he was about his struggles this season, never made excuses, and occasionally even voiced what everyone watching was thinking - that he was not helping the team at all.

The Pirates could not under any circumstances keep Burnitz. But I wish him well and hope he finds somewhere else to play and succeed.

2006 World Series

It's been a while since I have found some time to post anything new. I figured this would be a good time, what with the World Series beginning tonight. A few days ago, the world was preparing to hand the Tigers the title without so much as a hesitation. This was a team that had dominated the Yankees and A's this postseason, including seven straight victories entering the World Series. They were boasting a dominant pitching staff and came from a superior league. The Cardinals had just been shut down by the one and only Oliver Perez, who, other than the occasional sailing fastball, looked nothing like the Perez that went 3-13 with a 6.55 ERA this season. Most believed that no team from the NL would stand a chance against any AL team, especially a St. Louis squad that had been only five games over .500 in the regular season.

And the Cardinals won tonight 7-2. Not to sound like I knew this might happen, because I didn't, but why were we so quick to mark this one down as over before it started? Yeah, the AL beat the snot out of the NL during interleague play. Yeah, the NL only had one team with 90+ wins.

So what.

Anything can happen in a seven game World Series. Over 11 seasons, Jim Leyritz averaged one homerun every 28 at-bats in the regular season . In the postseason, he homered every 8 at-bats, including a couple of clutch bombs. Hell, the Pirates took five straight from the Mets and Dodgers in September. ANYTHING can happen with a small sample size. Plus, the Tigers were anything but dominant in the second half of this season. They dropped 31 of their final 51 games and squandered a huge division lead before settling for a wild card berth. Nobody remembers that after a couple of postseason wins.

That said, the Tigers will quite possibly still take this series. A 7-2 loss in game one does not mean a thing. I hope they do. Andy Van Slyke deserves his ring.

Good Reading

Check out Pat from WHYGAVS's post from August on whether or not Jason Bay is clutch. It is well written with solid research.
EDIT-10/10/2006: Also, Charlie at Bucs Dugout has some additional input on the matter in his 2006 review of Bay.

Cory at Pirates Generation has a look into the 2007 Pirates. It's a nice breakdown of the roster and possibilities to improve it.

The Post-Gazette has a look back at the 2006 Pirates and a look forward to the 2007 Pirates.

Stats Geek also had a live chat yesterday that you should check out.


I apologize for linking to some older posts, but this blog is in its infant stage and I read some interesting items before it began.

Freddy

Contratulations Freddy Sanchez

2006 National League Batting Champ

Catching Up

I have not posted anything in over a week, and I apologize for this. I have been a bit busy, and also a bit inefficient with my time. A brief recap of what has happened since that last post:

• Two consecutive 2-1 losses last Saturday and Sunday to the Padres. Trevor Hoffman tied Lee Smith's saves record Saturday and broke it on Sunday. I am happy for him, but did not enjoy the conclusion of a lousy west coast trip that had started promising. I was able to watch very little of these two games, so I will not comment any further.
• The Pirates returned home to host the red-hot Astros on Tuesday. Houston was in the midst of an incredible surge upward in the standings that would eventually fall a bit short. I attended this game, and found only a bit to enjoy throughout the evening. The second inning was fun, as Bay and Bautista launched a couple of pitches well into the bleachers to briefly tie the game. Also Freddy had a typical four hit, two double night to take firm control of the batting race. Other than that, just your typical 7-4 loss.
• I was in attendance for Wednesday's game as well. This one started in a very promising manner, with Freddy bringing Duffy home with a first inning single (here's hoping we get to say that every day in 2007), Doumit ripping a second inning pitch over the centerfield fence, one more coming home in the third, and three runs scoring as the result of an Xavier Nady single in the fifth. Also, Shawn Chacon had quietly allowed just a sac fly through five innings and we were holding a strong 6-1 lead. But it all fell apart in the sixth, as Shawn Chacon ran out of gas after looking dominant just an inning before. The lead was cut to 6-5, and the Astros were able to scratch a run across against Torres in the ninth to tie it. And a game that was already dragging was extended several innings. I had to wake at 5 the next morning and the game did not end until after midnight. Plus, this was a game the Pirates had no right losing after our early lead. But I love extra-inning games way too much not to enjoy the night. There's just something exciting about being one of the last thousand fans remaining in the park as the game goes longer and longer. 14th inning stretches are great. I was on the scoreboard twice, since there was no inning-break entertainment planned and nobody else was really left to be shown. Yes, we lost. yes, I slept through the alarm in the morning. Yes, Freddy's two early hits were cancelled out a bit by extra at-bats. Yes, Houston did not give him a chance to win it, employing the intentional walk tactic. But I still had a blast.
• I was at work on Thursday and could not watch the game. It sounded as if Gorzelanny was throwing well, but all three hits that he allowed came in the fifth inning and three runs came across also. Oswalt shut us down and that was that.
• I was unable to watch the game again on Friday, and do not know much about what happened. Freddy had a couple of hits and the infield turned a slick double play. The losing streak is at eight.
• I went to the game on Saturday, and the losing streak ended. This one only lasted about 2 hours 20 minutes despite a 13 minute rain delay thrown in. McLeary either pitched well or the Reds saw that they had been eliminated from the playoffs and quit trying. Either way, a shutout is a good thing everytime. The Bucs got a couple of clutch hits from Paulino and Bautista, and Torres got the save to pull within one appearance of Tekulve's record. Freddy went 0-4 and will enter the final day of the season leading the batting race by only 3 points. It should be exciting.
• Sunday's game flew by also. Shane Youman looked pretty sharp (hard to tell from sec 210, but seven shutout innings is a decent measurement and he was breaking bats all game). Despite Youman's performance, Nady's three hits-including the game winner, and Torres tying Tekulve's record, this day belonged entirely to Freddy Sanchez. With thousands chanting his name, he calmly singled in his first two at-bats to clinch the batting title. While Miguel Cabrera took the rest of the day off after K'ing twice and losing any chance of coming back in the race, Freddy continued playing his heart out as the Pirates defeated the Reds 1-0. After Freddy's second hit, he was given a standing ovation while standing on first base. Eventually he gave in to the crowd and briefly raised his helmet to the crowd. The Post-Gazette compared that moment to Roberto Clemente acknowledging the crowd after hit number 3000. The tribute to Freddy after the game, while a bit dramatic, was great, and I was glad to be there for it.

In home games that I attended this season, the Pirates were 11-14. In two away games, they were 0-2. Wait 'til next year.