Judging by the line score, the Dodgers 6-2 win tonight was a laugher. And the Pirates did play like zombies much of the evening. Pittsburgh only mustered five hits off Derek Lowe and seven all together, and at least four Dodger knocks were off Bucco gloves. It wasn't pretty.
But the game actually turned on a pair of dribblers that put together wouldn't have gathered enough steam to get past the pitcher's mound. One launched an inning that shouldn't have been, and the other killed an inning that should have been.
The Dodgers were up 1-0 in the second inning with runners at first and second and one away when Lowe laid down a bunt. Three guys had a chance to make the right play, and all three blew it.
First, Jeff Karstens stepped in front of Andy LaRoche and fired a one hopper to Freddie Sanchez, covering first base. Sanchez couldn't field the ball cleanly, and it dropped beside him. He recovered in time to beat the pitcher.
But first base ump Tim Timmons missed the pick-up, and called Lowe safe. Instead of second and third with two away, the bases were juiced with one out. A sac fly - which should have been out #3 - single and double later, it was 4-0.
Karstens short armed an easy throw, Sanchez couldn't field a one-hopper, and Timmons missed a call. It added up to three runs.
In the fourth, the Pirates made their only challenge of the night. Three straight hits had a run in and runners on the corner with nobody out. But instead of making it interesting, Brandon Moss topped a ball off the plate, and it dropped five feet in front of home.
Inexplicably, he never ran the ball out. Catcher Russell Martin had all the time in the world to look the runner back at third and then start a 2-6-3 DP. Goodbye, big inning, hello, fat lady.
Karstens had another ugly line - 11 hits and 2 walks in five innings, and looks more and more like the right-handed version of Zach Duke.
> Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors reported that Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein has a source that says the union will claim that the Pirates and MLB engaged in a premeditated conspiracy, perhaps designed to take Scott Boras out of the picture by negotiating past midnight.
And you wonder why Pirate suits avoided Scott Boras clients so religiously? Our guess is that Boras may have just precipitated this whole midnight madness manuevering with exactly this scenario in mind. He then either gets the deal he wants or a juicy arbitration case. Running with the devil...
> Dale Sveum, one of the members of the Pirate's 1997 "Freak Show" that challenged for a division title until the final weeks of the season and one-time Altoona Curve manager, replaced Ned Yost as skipper at Milwaukee. He'll try to right the Brewer ship that was once a run-away leader for the wild card.
> Catch Michael's post at Hyzdu Headquarters, comparing Nate McLouth's 2008 season with Andy Van Slyke's 1988 year. You'll be surprised at the similarities.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Bucs We Know and Love...
OK, back to reality. Ross Ohlendorf, Marino Salas, and Romulo Sanchez gave up a dozen hits and eight walks in eight innings, and the Bucs were mashed by the Dodgers 8-2 tonight.
It got so bad that Juan Pierre even went yard, his first round tripper since September 18, 2006, two years ago.
The Bucs avoided the schneid when Adam LaRoche smacked his 20th HR with two gone in the ninth. Oh well, so much for the joy in Mudville.
> Jimmy Barthmaier is penciled in to take the hill on Saturday, against the Astros.
> Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker are now in the 'Burgh, getting their team orientation and marching orders for the off season.
> Some unintended blowback from the Junichi Tazawa situation might be brewing.
He's the Japanese righty that asked the teams in his homeland league (NPB) to not draft him so he could go directly to MLB. A lot of teams are on him; even the Pirates are kicking his tires, although they're not thought to be major players in the chase.
A little background first. The NPB players that are under contract have to be "posted" by their team to move across the deep blue Pacific. Basically, this means that the team that holds the contract puts it up for bid. The highest MLB bidder gets 30 days to ink its man, if the bid is acceptable to his team.
If they get their guy, the fee goes to his team, and if not, the player has to play for the NPB for another year before being eligible for posting again. It serves as a transfer fee between the MLB and NPB, and prevents MLB teams from raiding players under contract.
The system works just fine for the NPB teams, but not so well for the players, who lose the ability to market themselves to the league, as a true MLB free-agent could, the tradeoff to get out of their contract early.
Posting does not apply to free agents, players who have ten or more years of service time with the NPB or amateur players who have never played in the NPB. The amateur loophole is the one that Tazawa is trying to exploit.
Of the 37 Japanese-born players playing in the MLB, only twelve have entered the league using the posting system. Their fees have ranged from $56M for Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka to $300K for San Diego's Akinori Otsuka. The others have either been free agents or vested veterans because the MLB and NPB have an informal agreement to keep their hands off one another's prospects.
And this is why the Tazawa hunt is straining the relationship. They consider MLB's interest in the RHP as a power raid on their feeder system. But what are the NPB's options?
One, according to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors (who got his dope from Patrick Newman of the NPB Tracker), is that a NPB team could sign an American amateur player as retaliation. A player like, oh, Pedro Alvarez or Aaron Crow.
It's a convoluted path to follow, but rest assured that it's a set of dots that Scott Boras will have no problem connecting if the opportunity presents itself.
It got so bad that Juan Pierre even went yard, his first round tripper since September 18, 2006, two years ago.
The Bucs avoided the schneid when Adam LaRoche smacked his 20th HR with two gone in the ninth. Oh well, so much for the joy in Mudville.
> Jimmy Barthmaier is penciled in to take the hill on Saturday, against the Astros.
> Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker are now in the 'Burgh, getting their team orientation and marching orders for the off season.
> Some unintended blowback from the Junichi Tazawa situation might be brewing.
He's the Japanese righty that asked the teams in his homeland league (NPB) to not draft him so he could go directly to MLB. A lot of teams are on him; even the Pirates are kicking his tires, although they're not thought to be major players in the chase.
A little background first. The NPB players that are under contract have to be "posted" by their team to move across the deep blue Pacific. Basically, this means that the team that holds the contract puts it up for bid. The highest MLB bidder gets 30 days to ink its man, if the bid is acceptable to his team.
If they get their guy, the fee goes to his team, and if not, the player has to play for the NPB for another year before being eligible for posting again. It serves as a transfer fee between the MLB and NPB, and prevents MLB teams from raiding players under contract.
The system works just fine for the NPB teams, but not so well for the players, who lose the ability to market themselves to the league, as a true MLB free-agent could, the tradeoff to get out of their contract early.
Posting does not apply to free agents, players who have ten or more years of service time with the NPB or amateur players who have never played in the NPB. The amateur loophole is the one that Tazawa is trying to exploit.
Of the 37 Japanese-born players playing in the MLB, only twelve have entered the league using the posting system. Their fees have ranged from $56M for Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka to $300K for San Diego's Akinori Otsuka. The others have either been free agents or vested veterans because the MLB and NPB have an informal agreement to keep their hands off one another's prospects.
And this is why the Tazawa hunt is straining the relationship. They consider MLB's interest in the RHP as a power raid on their feeder system. But what are the NPB's options?
One, according to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors (who got his dope from Patrick Newman of the NPB Tracker), is that a NPB team could sign an American amateur player as retaliation. A player like, oh, Pedro Alvarez or Aaron Crow.
It's a convoluted path to follow, but rest assured that it's a set of dots that Scott Boras will have no problem connecting if the opportunity presents itself.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
St. Louis Meltdown
The whoosh you just heard was the air coming out of St. Louis' balloon, as they were swept by a suddenly rejuvenated Pirate ballcub, 7-2. With 14 games to go and three teams ahead of them in the wildcard race, it's fast nearing the time to stick the fork in them.
Of course, we thought the same thing of the Astro's after Pittsburgh swept them in July. Instead, they just gave them a wake-up call.
The only sign of life the Cards showed was when they charged the field in the eighth inning. Ron Villone had to be restrained by Jason LaRue and a couple of other teammates after Doug Mientkiewicz and Aaron Miles started yapping at one another. He was ejected for his WWF act. Dirt Dog sure knows how to keep a game interesting.
It started the play before, when he slapped the ball out of Mile's glove at second. Mientkiewicz told MLB.com's Todd Krise that "We talked about it. [Miles] said he would do the same thing if the game was close. I didn't deliberately smack at him. That's what you're supposed to do. I didn't try to hurt him."
"I don't know what I've ever done to Ron Villone, but you might have to ask him."
The fat lady warbled early today, as the Bucs crossed the plate six times in the first two innings. They were helped mightily in the opening frame, when the Cards failed to convert a couple of balls into outs - and yes, scorer Bob Webb called them hits.
John Russell showed he knows how to juggle an 18-man pitching staff, using his bullpen to shut down the Redbirds, starting with the opening pitch. Jason Davis and T.J. Beam, the eventual winner, each put together three solid innings.
Romulo Sanchez, Sean Burnett, and Craig Hansen polished off the last three frames, and the Bucs have put together their first three-game winning streak since late July.
For Hansen, it was his fifth consecutive scoreless outing. But we're still not sold on him. He's taken something off of his fastball in an effort to find the plate, but he still walked a pair today in a no-pressure situation, and was shaky last night.
In the past month, the league is batting just .219 against him. But his on-base percentage is a horrid .405, with an ERA of 10.38. Until he can control the plate, he remains a huge question mark.
But you can't ask for much more out of the Pirate bats, even without Ryan Doumit, who was given a blow on getaway day. The first three guys in the lineup - Freddie Sanchez, Luis Cruz, and Nate the Great, who homered - combined for six hits and a walk, setting the table to score six times.
Luis Cruz is starting to grow on us. He appears to be a dependable contact hitter, and his fielding has improved as he's grown accustomed to the speed of the bigs. Brian Bixler and Luis Rivas look like they're about to become yesterday's news.
Hey, who knows - maybe he's auditioning for Jack Splat's spot. Stranger things have happened. And with $7M and a prospect or two at stake...well, just thinkin' out loud.
The middle of the order, 3-4-5 hitters McLouth, Adam LaRoche, and Brandon Moss, drove home seven runs. They also teamed up for six hits and a walk. McLouth is becoming the perfect bridge between the scorers and the bangers at the three hole.
Moss is looking particularly comfortable at the dish. He told FSN that the NL plays an entirely different game than the AL, both in strategy and pitching, and it seems like he's catching on to its nuances.
Even Andy LaRoche got in on the fun, ending an 0-21 nightmare with three hits. Let's keep our fingers crossed - he started the slump after his last three-hit day, which ended an 0-27 slide.
And we saw something today we can tell our grandchildren about. Nyjer Morgan came in late in the game - as a defensive replacement! He subbed for Steve Pearce.
All in all, a great weekend of baseball for the Pirates, and one we hope bodes well for 2009.
> In spite of its recent bullpen blowups, the Pirates are 45-2 this season when leading after seven innings. The scary part is that they've led after seven frames only 47 times in 149 games, and still have 63 wins. They may be bad, but they don't mail in games very often.
> Look for the Buc management to push for an aggressive off-season training program for the players. After Paul Maholm, Doumit and McLouth came to camp slimmer and more prepared for the grind of a 162 game season, and Matt Capp's new-found religion after he went on the DL, the benefits are fairly obvious. It's a big part of the accountability thing they've been pushing.
Of course, we thought the same thing of the Astro's after Pittsburgh swept them in July. Instead, they just gave them a wake-up call.
The only sign of life the Cards showed was when they charged the field in the eighth inning. Ron Villone had to be restrained by Jason LaRue and a couple of other teammates after Doug Mientkiewicz and Aaron Miles started yapping at one another. He was ejected for his WWF act. Dirt Dog sure knows how to keep a game interesting.
It started the play before, when he slapped the ball out of Mile's glove at second. Mientkiewicz told MLB.com's Todd Krise that "We talked about it. [Miles] said he would do the same thing if the game was close. I didn't deliberately smack at him. That's what you're supposed to do. I didn't try to hurt him."
"I don't know what I've ever done to Ron Villone, but you might have to ask him."
The fat lady warbled early today, as the Bucs crossed the plate six times in the first two innings. They were helped mightily in the opening frame, when the Cards failed to convert a couple of balls into outs - and yes, scorer Bob Webb called them hits.
John Russell showed he knows how to juggle an 18-man pitching staff, using his bullpen to shut down the Redbirds, starting with the opening pitch. Jason Davis and T.J. Beam, the eventual winner, each put together three solid innings.
Romulo Sanchez, Sean Burnett, and Craig Hansen polished off the last three frames, and the Bucs have put together their first three-game winning streak since late July.
For Hansen, it was his fifth consecutive scoreless outing. But we're still not sold on him. He's taken something off of his fastball in an effort to find the plate, but he still walked a pair today in a no-pressure situation, and was shaky last night.
In the past month, the league is batting just .219 against him. But his on-base percentage is a horrid .405, with an ERA of 10.38. Until he can control the plate, he remains a huge question mark.
But you can't ask for much more out of the Pirate bats, even without Ryan Doumit, who was given a blow on getaway day. The first three guys in the lineup - Freddie Sanchez, Luis Cruz, and Nate the Great, who homered - combined for six hits and a walk, setting the table to score six times.
Luis Cruz is starting to grow on us. He appears to be a dependable contact hitter, and his fielding has improved as he's grown accustomed to the speed of the bigs. Brian Bixler and Luis Rivas look like they're about to become yesterday's news.
Hey, who knows - maybe he's auditioning for Jack Splat's spot. Stranger things have happened. And with $7M and a prospect or two at stake...well, just thinkin' out loud.
The middle of the order, 3-4-5 hitters McLouth, Adam LaRoche, and Brandon Moss, drove home seven runs. They also teamed up for six hits and a walk. McLouth is becoming the perfect bridge between the scorers and the bangers at the three hole.
Moss is looking particularly comfortable at the dish. He told FSN that the NL plays an entirely different game than the AL, both in strategy and pitching, and it seems like he's catching on to its nuances.
Even Andy LaRoche got in on the fun, ending an 0-21 nightmare with three hits. Let's keep our fingers crossed - he started the slump after his last three-hit day, which ended an 0-27 slide.
And we saw something today we can tell our grandchildren about. Nyjer Morgan came in late in the game - as a defensive replacement! He subbed for Steve Pearce.
All in all, a great weekend of baseball for the Pirates, and one we hope bodes well for 2009.
> In spite of its recent bullpen blowups, the Pirates are 45-2 this season when leading after seven innings. The scary part is that they've led after seven frames only 47 times in 149 games, and still have 63 wins. They may be bad, but they don't mail in games very often.
> Look for the Buc management to push for an aggressive off-season training program for the players. After Paul Maholm, Doumit and McLouth came to camp slimmer and more prepared for the grind of a 162 game season, and Matt Capp's new-found religion after he went on the DL, the benefits are fairly obvious. It's a big part of the accountability thing they've been pushing.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
July All Over Again
The Pirates took a trip in their way-back machine and pulled out a 7-6 victory over the Cards tonight, reminiscent of the excitement of the good ol' pre-trade days.
They fell behind by a four-spot early thanks to some shaky starting pitching, roared back to tie the game, and then hunkered down into a battle of attrition between the bullpens.
The Bucs started out of the gate quickly, scoring twice in the first. They loaded the bases with nobody out, and a pair of sac flies put them up by a 2-1 tally.
But Ian Snell, in what's becoming a disturbing trend, gave up four straight hits with two away to hand St. Louis a 4-2 lead the very next inning. A two run homer in the fourth ended his day. He had no velocity, breaking 91 MPH only once, according to the FSN gun.
Maybe they should be worried about shutting him down instead of Paul Maholm. Maholm has more innings, but we'd wager Snell has thrown as many, if not more, pitches.
Adam Wainwright had an off day on the hill, too, showing uncharacteristic wildness and leaving pitches up in the zone. Pittsburgh took full advantage.
Instead of rolling over, the Pirates answered with four runs of their own, stringing together five consecutive hits in the fifth frame. The inning was keyed by clutch doubles off the bats of Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit, who had 3 RBI for the evening.
Then the battle of the bullpens began. The Cardinal back liners put together six scoreless innings. But the Buc relievers countered with eight shutout frames, and they needed every one.
Finally, with two away in the twelfth, the Bucs hit paydirt. Adam LaRoche drew a walk, and Brandon Moss ripped a 3-2 pitch off of the left center field fence, easily plating LaRoche, who was off and running on the pitch.
Moss was mobbed by the team, led by the quiet LaRoche. Maybe it was a bush league celebration of a meaningless if hard fought win. Then again, maybe it's the beginning of a team finding some chemistry and coming together.
It was the kind of game fans pay their money to see. Both sides made some dazzling defensive plays, and there was enough offense to keep everyone happy. Let's hope there's the same fire during the remaining days of the season.
> Jeff Karstens was yanked from tonight's start because of some dental surgery, and has been pushed back to Tuesday. (Snell pitched with his usual four day's rest today.) Jason Davis will start tomorrow, and Monday's guy will be Ross Ohlendorf. Where this leaves newly-recalled Jimmy Barthmaier is anyone's guess.
They fell behind by a four-spot early thanks to some shaky starting pitching, roared back to tie the game, and then hunkered down into a battle of attrition between the bullpens.
The Bucs started out of the gate quickly, scoring twice in the first. They loaded the bases with nobody out, and a pair of sac flies put them up by a 2-1 tally.
But Ian Snell, in what's becoming a disturbing trend, gave up four straight hits with two away to hand St. Louis a 4-2 lead the very next inning. A two run homer in the fourth ended his day. He had no velocity, breaking 91 MPH only once, according to the FSN gun.
Maybe they should be worried about shutting him down instead of Paul Maholm. Maholm has more innings, but we'd wager Snell has thrown as many, if not more, pitches.
Adam Wainwright had an off day on the hill, too, showing uncharacteristic wildness and leaving pitches up in the zone. Pittsburgh took full advantage.
Instead of rolling over, the Pirates answered with four runs of their own, stringing together five consecutive hits in the fifth frame. The inning was keyed by clutch doubles off the bats of Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit, who had 3 RBI for the evening.
Then the battle of the bullpens began. The Cardinal back liners put together six scoreless innings. But the Buc relievers countered with eight shutout frames, and they needed every one.
Finally, with two away in the twelfth, the Bucs hit paydirt. Adam LaRoche drew a walk, and Brandon Moss ripped a 3-2 pitch off of the left center field fence, easily plating LaRoche, who was off and running on the pitch.
Moss was mobbed by the team, led by the quiet LaRoche. Maybe it was a bush league celebration of a meaningless if hard fought win. Then again, maybe it's the beginning of a team finding some chemistry and coming together.
It was the kind of game fans pay their money to see. Both sides made some dazzling defensive plays, and there was enough offense to keep everyone happy. Let's hope there's the same fire during the remaining days of the season.
> Jeff Karstens was yanked from tonight's start because of some dental surgery, and has been pushed back to Tuesday. (Snell pitched with his usual four day's rest today.) Jason Davis will start tomorrow, and Monday's guy will be Ross Ohlendorf. Where this leaves newly-recalled Jimmy Barthmaier is anyone's guess.
Friday, September 12, 2008
There's No Place Like Home
Well, the Bucs held up starting the game for over an hour, but it was worth the wait. Oh, the infield was slow as molasses and the outfield was a bit slick, but everything was perfect for Pittsburgh tonight.
Led by the arm of Paul Maholm and the bat of Nate McLouth, the Pirates shed the gray cloud of a six-game losing streak with a 10-2 romp over the Cards at PNC in front of an appreciative crowd of dozens (not counting Rennie Stennett bobbleheads).
Maholm took a shutout into the ninth, getting the St. Louis hitters to pound the ball into the infield all night. 22 of the 24 outs he recorded were on grounders or K's. McLouth reached base five times, doubled, tripled, and homered, and drove in five runs.
Maholm had two hits himself - both in the same inning - a run and 2 RBI. He was a one man wrecking crew. Luis Cruz added three more knocks, as the Bucs banged out 14 hits.
One guy we'd like to give a little love to is seldom used catcher Raul Chavez. He's the poor man's version of Dirt Dog Doug. Chavez chugged out a pair of infield hits on sheer hustle (he's not exactly Nyjer Morgan on the basepaths), and worked Romulo Sanchez in the ninth as hard as he did Maholm in the first.
Even if he's the loser next year to Robinzon Diaz or Ronny Paulino, he's the kind of guy an organization can never have too many of in its system. His workouts are legendary among the Pirates, and he's a high-energy guy that's always ready to go.
When Chavez's tank is empty and it's time for him to coach, Pittsburgh could do a lot worse than adding him to its staff.
> 24-year-old RHP Jimmy Barthmaier was activated today to take the rotation spot of Tom Gorzelanny, whose season ended because of a sprained ligament in his left middle finger. He's scheduled to pitch on Tuesday. Barthmaier's last outing came on August 30th, when he pitched 6-2/3 innings for Indianapolis.
> Daniel McCutchen joined the Pirates for their series against the Cardinals, though he wasn't activated. He said the move was made for him to "hang out and see what it's like in the big leagues." Pittsburgh plans to do the same with Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen during their 10-game homestand, each getting a three-day stay.
John Russell said. "We just thought it would be a nice thing to let these guys be around the staff, be around the players and...to make sure that their offseason program is put together."
> The Pirates honored one player from each of their minor league teams as recipients of the organization's first Pirates Community Commitment Program awards.
Neil Walker (Indianapolis), Brad Corley (Altoona), Jared Keel (Lynchburg), Austin McClune (Hickory), Josue Peley (State College) and Jean Garavito (Bradenton) were the six players honored. They'll receive the award during a pregame ceremony on September 19th.
> Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors printed his Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates today.
Led by the arm of Paul Maholm and the bat of Nate McLouth, the Pirates shed the gray cloud of a six-game losing streak with a 10-2 romp over the Cards at PNC in front of an appreciative crowd of dozens (not counting Rennie Stennett bobbleheads).
Maholm took a shutout into the ninth, getting the St. Louis hitters to pound the ball into the infield all night. 22 of the 24 outs he recorded were on grounders or K's. McLouth reached base five times, doubled, tripled, and homered, and drove in five runs.
Maholm had two hits himself - both in the same inning - a run and 2 RBI. He was a one man wrecking crew. Luis Cruz added three more knocks, as the Bucs banged out 14 hits.
One guy we'd like to give a little love to is seldom used catcher Raul Chavez. He's the poor man's version of Dirt Dog Doug. Chavez chugged out a pair of infield hits on sheer hustle (he's not exactly Nyjer Morgan on the basepaths), and worked Romulo Sanchez in the ninth as hard as he did Maholm in the first.
Even if he's the loser next year to Robinzon Diaz or Ronny Paulino, he's the kind of guy an organization can never have too many of in its system. His workouts are legendary among the Pirates, and he's a high-energy guy that's always ready to go.
When Chavez's tank is empty and it's time for him to coach, Pittsburgh could do a lot worse than adding him to its staff.
> 24-year-old RHP Jimmy Barthmaier was activated today to take the rotation spot of Tom Gorzelanny, whose season ended because of a sprained ligament in his left middle finger. He's scheduled to pitch on Tuesday. Barthmaier's last outing came on August 30th, when he pitched 6-2/3 innings for Indianapolis.
> Daniel McCutchen joined the Pirates for their series against the Cardinals, though he wasn't activated. He said the move was made for him to "hang out and see what it's like in the big leagues." Pittsburgh plans to do the same with Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen during their 10-game homestand, each getting a three-day stay.
John Russell said. "We just thought it would be a nice thing to let these guys be around the staff, be around the players and...to make sure that their offseason program is put together."
> The Pirates honored one player from each of their minor league teams as recipients of the organization's first Pirates Community Commitment Program awards.
Neil Walker (Indianapolis), Brad Corley (Altoona), Jared Keel (Lynchburg), Austin McClune (Hickory), Josue Peley (State College) and Jean Garavito (Bradenton) were the six players honored. They'll receive the award during a pregame ceremony on September 19th.
> Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors printed his Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates today.
It's Raining All Over the World...
From his humble abode in Greenfield, GW doesn't think there will be any baseball at PNC tonight. That's probably a good thing, given the latest burst of lethargy shown by the local nine. But while we're waiting to see if they play between the raindrops, it's as good a time as any to look over the post-deal Pirates.
Part of the problem, of course, is that since the trades, the Pirate opponents are in the hunt and actually have a reason to play through August and September. In two months worth of games, only the Reds, Giants and the Padres, who the Bucs won't see until the last series of the year, aren't fighting for their playoff lives.
Jack Splat's injury-laden year and Freddie Sanchez's hobbled bod took away two steady old heads, leaving the team pathetically short-handed. Ryan Doumit, Adam LaRoche, and Nate McLouth must look around every night and wonder if they're back in AAA.
The pups have potential, but not one is ready for the everyday role they've been given. The pick of the litter, Brandon Moss, looks at too many pitches, including third strikes. Whether he guesses too much, has a "fast ball or nothing" attitude, or just looks at one zone of the plate, we don't know. But we do know that you can't hit a ball if you don't swing.
Andy LaRoche just isn't ready. His fielding is raw, and his bat hasn't come around yet. Learning your trade in the bigs is never easy.
The pitchers have the arms, but they all have miles to go. Jeff Karstens and Ross Ohlendorf are capable of earning a rotation spot, but both leave too many balls over the plate. Karstens too often hits the wall the second time through the lineup, while Ohlendorf gets lit up by lefties. Craig Hansen just has to find the plate.
Jimmy Barthmaier is a soft thrower with a wicked curve, but only pitched 90 innings in 2007 and 125 this year. He just doesn't have enough work to tout a track record.
Dan McCutcheon showed he will go after hitters in his time at Indy and isn't afraid to pitch to contact. Unfortunately, too much of the contact against him goes yard. He'll have to learn to temper his aggressive approach a bit without giving in to batters.
Steve Pearce and Nyjer Morgan have the look of bench players right now. Neither can field a ball without the pitcher holding his breath, nor done enough with the bat to merit starting on their offense alone.
We still hold out some hope for Pearce, who has less than a season in the OF and shows a decent knack with runners on (his RISP is .294, and he has 11 RBI in 72 AB), but Morgan doesn't have sufficient time left on his clock to improve enough to pencil into the lineup card every day.
Brian Bixler and Luis Cruz? One fields well enough, one hits well enough. Pity they're not one guy. Robinzon Diaz was a depth acquisition, not a challenger to Doumit.
The two prize catches were Jose Tabata, who was all that at Altoona, and Byan Morris, still in A and just starting pitching again this year after missing 2007 due to TJ surgery. Neither is on next year's radar.
To add to the mix, the trades and poor play have weighed heavily the veteran Pirates, who almost to a man on tonight's FSN's "Inside Pirate's Baseball" segment sounded beaten down. It's not a good clubhouse for young guys to be in right now.
Don't look for much next year, other than a steady improvement in the play of the young guys. With Wilson and LaRoche supposedly on the blocks, although there's not a replacement in sight for either one, it could get uglier before it gets better.
But if the cards fall right, Pittsburgh could turn the corner in 2010. Admittedly, that's a big leap in faith, but with Cutch and Tabata on the near horizon and hopefully a return to respectability by the pitching staff, that looks like the window the new suits are aiming for in their long-range plans.
Part of the problem, of course, is that since the trades, the Pirate opponents are in the hunt and actually have a reason to play through August and September. In two months worth of games, only the Reds, Giants and the Padres, who the Bucs won't see until the last series of the year, aren't fighting for their playoff lives.
Jack Splat's injury-laden year and Freddie Sanchez's hobbled bod took away two steady old heads, leaving the team pathetically short-handed. Ryan Doumit, Adam LaRoche, and Nate McLouth must look around every night and wonder if they're back in AAA.
The pups have potential, but not one is ready for the everyday role they've been given. The pick of the litter, Brandon Moss, looks at too many pitches, including third strikes. Whether he guesses too much, has a "fast ball or nothing" attitude, or just looks at one zone of the plate, we don't know. But we do know that you can't hit a ball if you don't swing.
Andy LaRoche just isn't ready. His fielding is raw, and his bat hasn't come around yet. Learning your trade in the bigs is never easy.
The pitchers have the arms, but they all have miles to go. Jeff Karstens and Ross Ohlendorf are capable of earning a rotation spot, but both leave too many balls over the plate. Karstens too often hits the wall the second time through the lineup, while Ohlendorf gets lit up by lefties. Craig Hansen just has to find the plate.
Jimmy Barthmaier is a soft thrower with a wicked curve, but only pitched 90 innings in 2007 and 125 this year. He just doesn't have enough work to tout a track record.
Dan McCutcheon showed he will go after hitters in his time at Indy and isn't afraid to pitch to contact. Unfortunately, too much of the contact against him goes yard. He'll have to learn to temper his aggressive approach a bit without giving in to batters.
Steve Pearce and Nyjer Morgan have the look of bench players right now. Neither can field a ball without the pitcher holding his breath, nor done enough with the bat to merit starting on their offense alone.
We still hold out some hope for Pearce, who has less than a season in the OF and shows a decent knack with runners on (his RISP is .294, and he has 11 RBI in 72 AB), but Morgan doesn't have sufficient time left on his clock to improve enough to pencil into the lineup card every day.
Brian Bixler and Luis Cruz? One fields well enough, one hits well enough. Pity they're not one guy. Robinzon Diaz was a depth acquisition, not a challenger to Doumit.
The two prize catches were Jose Tabata, who was all that at Altoona, and Byan Morris, still in A and just starting pitching again this year after missing 2007 due to TJ surgery. Neither is on next year's radar.
To add to the mix, the trades and poor play have weighed heavily the veteran Pirates, who almost to a man on tonight's FSN's "Inside Pirate's Baseball" segment sounded beaten down. It's not a good clubhouse for young guys to be in right now.
Don't look for much next year, other than a steady improvement in the play of the young guys. With Wilson and LaRoche supposedly on the blocks, although there's not a replacement in sight for either one, it could get uglier before it gets better.
But if the cards fall right, Pittsburgh could turn the corner in 2010. Admittedly, that's a big leap in faith, but with Cutch and Tabata on the near horizon and hopefully a return to respectability by the pitching staff, that looks like the window the new suits are aiming for in their long-range plans.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Pirates Swept Away by Texas Hurricane
Talk about going down without a fight. Tonight Roy Oswalt faced the minimum 27 batters in shutting out the Bucs 6-0. He yielded three singles, all erased on DP's.
He ran his scoreless streak to 32-1/3 innings, and at one point mowed down 20 straight Bucs on the way to his 15th win. Including the three hits, the Pirates hit just seven balls out of the infield all night.
Zach Duke was again undone by a big inning, giving up five runs in the fifth frame, thanks greatly to a double play ball that was fired into the outfield by 3B Doug Mientkiewicz. The first run, scored in the third, was set up by a bunt that Duke threw into right field.
Losing is one thing; embarrassment is another. And the Pirates look like they're slinking red-faced towards an August-September collapse that even by Pittsburgh standards is stunning.
You'd hope that with five July starters out of the lineup, three by trade and a pair by injury, that someone would grab the bull by the horns and try to get a jump on the spring auditions for starting roles. The same holds true for a wide-open 2009 pitching rotation.
But it looks at this point like the Pirates are going into next season with more questions than answers.
> The Pirates seem serious about sticking to a 6-man rotation to finish the year so that the innings can be kept down for Paul Maholm and the Zachster. They'd both make an extra start if the Bucs went back to a five-man staff.
If Gorzo is toast for the rest of year, Jason Davis and possibly T.J. Beam could make a spot start. The Pirates also haven't ruled out bringing up someone else from the minors, like Jimmy Barthmaier, who wasn't with those called up in September.
> Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors reports that 22-year old RHP Junichi Tazawa has decided to forego Japanese baseball and sign with an MLB team. The Braves, Tigers, Red Sox, Pirates, Mets, and Yankees are thought to be in on him. He features a 93 MPH heater.
Where do you think Pittsburgh ranks on that list of rivals for his baseball affections? Still, they deserve props for getting in the game.
> Pedro's round #2 is scheduled for Madison Square...er, New York City on September 23-24.
He ran his scoreless streak to 32-1/3 innings, and at one point mowed down 20 straight Bucs on the way to his 15th win. Including the three hits, the Pirates hit just seven balls out of the infield all night.
Zach Duke was again undone by a big inning, giving up five runs in the fifth frame, thanks greatly to a double play ball that was fired into the outfield by 3B Doug Mientkiewicz. The first run, scored in the third, was set up by a bunt that Duke threw into right field.
Losing is one thing; embarrassment is another. And the Pirates look like they're slinking red-faced towards an August-September collapse that even by Pittsburgh standards is stunning.
You'd hope that with five July starters out of the lineup, three by trade and a pair by injury, that someone would grab the bull by the horns and try to get a jump on the spring auditions for starting roles. The same holds true for a wide-open 2009 pitching rotation.
But it looks at this point like the Pirates are going into next season with more questions than answers.
> The Pirates seem serious about sticking to a 6-man rotation to finish the year so that the innings can be kept down for Paul Maholm and the Zachster. They'd both make an extra start if the Bucs went back to a five-man staff.
If Gorzo is toast for the rest of year, Jason Davis and possibly T.J. Beam could make a spot start. The Pirates also haven't ruled out bringing up someone else from the minors, like Jimmy Barthmaier, who wasn't with those called up in September.
> Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors reports that 22-year old RHP Junichi Tazawa has decided to forego Japanese baseball and sign with an MLB team. The Braves, Tigers, Red Sox, Pirates, Mets, and Yankees are thought to be in on him. He features a 93 MPH heater.
Where do you think Pittsburgh ranks on that list of rivals for his baseball affections? Still, they deserve props for getting in the game.
> Pedro's round #2 is scheduled for Madison Square...er, New York City on September 23-24.
Mercy, Mercy Me
Gorzo boogies to finger-poppin' time, Denny Bautista continues to imitate Tyler Yates, and the Bucs keep losin', 7-4 this time. The team has dropped 16 of its last 19 games, and five in a row.
Gorzelanny may be out for the final couple weeks of the season, as he left last night's game with "irritation" of his finger, and will be examined tomorrow in Pittsburgh. He heard a pop, and if it's a ligament, he's done for the year.
As for Bautista, he's has allowed 16 runs in 10 1/3 innings since August 22nd.
> Freddie Sanchez said his vision has improved over the last 24 hours, but he'll sit until he's checked out by his optometrist on Friday, when Pittsburgh returns.
> Steve Pearce's first home run ball, hit Tuesday night, will have quite a story to tell when it finally reaches his mantel. First, he lucked out when an Astro fan gave his blast the Wrigley treatment and threw it back on the field. Unfortunately, the foul ball person got the baseball and tossed it to a fan by third base.
After working out a trade with him, the Buc bench performed the traditional ol' fake toss into the stands scam. Pearce has probably hired a guard to watch his prized horsehide until he can get it home.
> Young Bucs are breakin' out the sunscreen all over the system, as the Pirates announced their winter league assignments.
Playing winter ball in Mexico will be OF Steve Pearce, OF Nyjer Morgan, RHP John Van Benschoten and LHP Dave Davidson. OF Chris Duffy is also a possibility to join them.
Heading to the Dominican Republic will be RHP Jesse Chavez and C Ronny Paulino.
The Pirates are sending seven youngsters to the Hawaiian Winter League. The list includes IF Jim Negrych, SS Brian Friday, OF Miles Durham, LHP Kyle Bloom, RHP Eric Krebs, RHP Harrison Bishop and RHP Moises Robles.
Already announced as going to the the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona League are RHP Jimmy Barthmaier, RHP Jared Hughes, RHP Jeff Sues, RHP Michael Crotta, C Steve Lerud and 2B Shelby Ford, with an OF yet to be determined. (We'd hold out for Hawaii ourselves).
Gorzelanny may be out for the final couple weeks of the season, as he left last night's game with "irritation" of his finger, and will be examined tomorrow in Pittsburgh. He heard a pop, and if it's a ligament, he's done for the year.
As for Bautista, he's has allowed 16 runs in 10 1/3 innings since August 22nd.
> Freddie Sanchez said his vision has improved over the last 24 hours, but he'll sit until he's checked out by his optometrist on Friday, when Pittsburgh returns.
> Steve Pearce's first home run ball, hit Tuesday night, will have quite a story to tell when it finally reaches his mantel. First, he lucked out when an Astro fan gave his blast the Wrigley treatment and threw it back on the field. Unfortunately, the foul ball person got the baseball and tossed it to a fan by third base.
After working out a trade with him, the Buc bench performed the traditional ol' fake toss into the stands scam. Pearce has probably hired a guard to watch his prized horsehide until he can get it home.
> Young Bucs are breakin' out the sunscreen all over the system, as the Pirates announced their winter league assignments.
Playing winter ball in Mexico will be OF Steve Pearce, OF Nyjer Morgan, RHP John Van Benschoten and LHP Dave Davidson. OF Chris Duffy is also a possibility to join them.
Heading to the Dominican Republic will be RHP Jesse Chavez and C Ronny Paulino.
The Pirates are sending seven youngsters to the Hawaiian Winter League. The list includes IF Jim Negrych, SS Brian Friday, OF Miles Durham, LHP Kyle Bloom, RHP Eric Krebs, RHP Harrison Bishop and RHP Moises Robles.
Already announced as going to the the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona League are RHP Jimmy Barthmaier, RHP Jared Hughes, RHP Jeff Sues, RHP Michael Crotta, C Steve Lerud and 2B Shelby Ford, with an OF yet to be determined. (We'd hold out for Hawaii ourselves).
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Bucs Lanced...
Ross Ohlendorf couldn't handle Lance Berkman, or for that matter, anyone else in an Astro uniform, and Houston kept the Bucs reeling with an easy 8-3 victory last night.
Ohlendorf threw harder - he was consistently about 93 MPH - but the ball stayed over the plate. Berkman launched one for a three-shot homer in the first, and doubled another run home the next at bat. Six runs and nine hits in four innings would be Ohlendorf's line for the night.
Hey, at least Steve Pearce finally went yard.
And what happened to Pittsburgh's middle infielders? After Jack Splat's MASH-unit year, Freddie Sanchez of the achy rotator cuff left because of fuzziness in his vision, a problem he had earlier in the year. He's taking drops to resolve it, but it's been a season that Wilson and Sanchez will be glad to see end.
Injuries to the two guys the Pirates counted on to be in the line-up day in and day out hurt the team's performance as badly as anything outside the pitching this season, both up the middle and at bat.
> Don't expect a quick decision on the Pedro hearings, starting today. It may stretch out long enough to cost Alvarez any shot at fall or winter ball in the organization, assuming he comes out of the affair still under contract to the Pirates.
Due to the number of witnesses being called, the hearing won't be done today. And because the arbitor has very few open dates, it could be weeks or months before anything is resolved. He only has one more open date this month, in late September, and may need a third day, then at least a couple of weeks for a decision.
The good news is that his findings are binding, so when it's over, it's over. There will be no appeals to drag on indefinitely.
> Dejan says that Hickory and Lynchburg of the Pirate's A level-minor leagues may be dropped for other towns next season. Geez, firing coaches is one thing, but firing a city?
> If GW is a little spotty posting, it's not because we've given up Bucco blogging. Our old PC is making life fairly miserable on the e-front, and Mr. and Mrs. GW are debating the repair/buy a new one options. Until then, we're mooching the kid's laptop when it's available.
Ohlendorf threw harder - he was consistently about 93 MPH - but the ball stayed over the plate. Berkman launched one for a three-shot homer in the first, and doubled another run home the next at bat. Six runs and nine hits in four innings would be Ohlendorf's line for the night.
Hey, at least Steve Pearce finally went yard.
And what happened to Pittsburgh's middle infielders? After Jack Splat's MASH-unit year, Freddie Sanchez of the achy rotator cuff left because of fuzziness in his vision, a problem he had earlier in the year. He's taking drops to resolve it, but it's been a season that Wilson and Sanchez will be glad to see end.
Injuries to the two guys the Pirates counted on to be in the line-up day in and day out hurt the team's performance as badly as anything outside the pitching this season, both up the middle and at bat.
> Don't expect a quick decision on the Pedro hearings, starting today. It may stretch out long enough to cost Alvarez any shot at fall or winter ball in the organization, assuming he comes out of the affair still under contract to the Pirates.
Due to the number of witnesses being called, the hearing won't be done today. And because the arbitor has very few open dates, it could be weeks or months before anything is resolved. He only has one more open date this month, in late September, and may need a third day, then at least a couple of weeks for a decision.
The good news is that his findings are binding, so when it's over, it's over. There will be no appeals to drag on indefinitely.
> Dejan says that Hickory and Lynchburg of the Pirate's A level-minor leagues may be dropped for other towns next season. Geez, firing coaches is one thing, but firing a city?
> If GW is a little spotty posting, it's not because we've given up Bucco blogging. Our old PC is making life fairly miserable on the e-front, and Mr. and Mrs. GW are debating the repair/buy a new one options. Until then, we're mooching the kid's laptop when it's available.
Monday, September 8, 2008
The Little Things Add Up
We don't know if it's more frustrating to be a Pirate or a Pirate fan these days. The losing has to wear on both, especially the way the Bucs lose.
Yesterday, they gave the Giants six, maybe seven outs in an inning and got run out of AT&T Park. Today, they had their chances, and again, just couldn't make a play or a pitch when they had the opportunity.
To start, they made emergency starter Alberto Arias, a September call-up, look like Tom Terrific. He struck out six the first time around the order, and had the Pirates rolling his sinkers on the ground all night. Houston got five unexpected shutout innings from him.
In the fourth, Pittsburgh threatened but any chance of a big inning was erased when Nyjer Morgan, aboard on a single, advanced from first to third on a pickoff gone wild. He took a turn, danced down the line and made a wild sprint home, challenging Lance Berkman to throw him out at home. He did, with nobody out. The Pirates left the bases loaded without scoring.
In the fifth, Ian Snell was tearing through the Astros. With two outs, pinch hitter Mark Saccamanno homered on the first pitch he saw, a not too bad heater that he went with and lifted out to the opposite field. It was the first MLB at bat for the Houston native and 2003 draftee out of Baylor.
The wheels fell off after that. A bunt hit was followed by three roped singles, all off of hangers, and suddenly it was 3-0. It's innings like this that make people wonder about Snell's mental make up, and rightly so. A bad memory is often the best friend a pitcher can have from batter to batter.
And he did have his stuff cooking tonight, striking out 9 in six innings, while giving up only one other hit. He mixed his change in to the lefties and threw first pitch strikes. But for a guy with a self-professed chip on his shoulder, he needs to quit pouting and start battling.
The Pirates answered with a pair of their own in the sixth, and went after LaTroy Hawkins hard in the eighth. Ryan Doumit lined a two-out single into right, and Adam LaRoche drilled a shot into deep center. It hopped over the wall, preventing Doumit from trotting home.
Brandon Moss came to the plate, and Cecil Cooper went to the mound to have Hawkins work carefully to him, with the RH Andy LaRoche on deck. Hawkins fed him a steady diet of curves, and Moss watched a full count breaker drop in for strike three. Even in Little League, the batter knows that you can't go down looking in that situation. But Moss did, and the Bucs went quietly 1-2-3 in the ninth.
It's becoming obvious that the Bucs are looking hard at Nyjer Morgan as an option next season. If Cutch starts 2009 at Indy, the cards seemed stacked in Morgan's favor to claim a roster spot.
Too bad he's not 23 instead of 28. His natural ability is formidable, but his baseball instincts are non-existent. Besides his base-running gaffe, he played a long fly into a double when he lost track of the wall. And for all his speed, he still can't bunt or slide, arts that most high school players have mastered.
At his age, he's never going to be a threat to be an everday MLB player, just a temporary bench piece until the suits decide to start McCutchen's service clock.
Oh well. Wonder who the Pirates will draft next year? Should be a top five pick.
Yesterday, they gave the Giants six, maybe seven outs in an inning and got run out of AT&T Park. Today, they had their chances, and again, just couldn't make a play or a pitch when they had the opportunity.
To start, they made emergency starter Alberto Arias, a September call-up, look like Tom Terrific. He struck out six the first time around the order, and had the Pirates rolling his sinkers on the ground all night. Houston got five unexpected shutout innings from him.
In the fourth, Pittsburgh threatened but any chance of a big inning was erased when Nyjer Morgan, aboard on a single, advanced from first to third on a pickoff gone wild. He took a turn, danced down the line and made a wild sprint home, challenging Lance Berkman to throw him out at home. He did, with nobody out. The Pirates left the bases loaded without scoring.
In the fifth, Ian Snell was tearing through the Astros. With two outs, pinch hitter Mark Saccamanno homered on the first pitch he saw, a not too bad heater that he went with and lifted out to the opposite field. It was the first MLB at bat for the Houston native and 2003 draftee out of Baylor.
The wheels fell off after that. A bunt hit was followed by three roped singles, all off of hangers, and suddenly it was 3-0. It's innings like this that make people wonder about Snell's mental make up, and rightly so. A bad memory is often the best friend a pitcher can have from batter to batter.
And he did have his stuff cooking tonight, striking out 9 in six innings, while giving up only one other hit. He mixed his change in to the lefties and threw first pitch strikes. But for a guy with a self-professed chip on his shoulder, he needs to quit pouting and start battling.
The Pirates answered with a pair of their own in the sixth, and went after LaTroy Hawkins hard in the eighth. Ryan Doumit lined a two-out single into right, and Adam LaRoche drilled a shot into deep center. It hopped over the wall, preventing Doumit from trotting home.
Brandon Moss came to the plate, and Cecil Cooper went to the mound to have Hawkins work carefully to him, with the RH Andy LaRoche on deck. Hawkins fed him a steady diet of curves, and Moss watched a full count breaker drop in for strike three. Even in Little League, the batter knows that you can't go down looking in that situation. But Moss did, and the Bucs went quietly 1-2-3 in the ninth.
It's becoming obvious that the Bucs are looking hard at Nyjer Morgan as an option next season. If Cutch starts 2009 at Indy, the cards seemed stacked in Morgan's favor to claim a roster spot.
Too bad he's not 23 instead of 28. His natural ability is formidable, but his baseball instincts are non-existent. Besides his base-running gaffe, he played a long fly into a double when he lost track of the wall. And for all his speed, he still can't bunt or slide, arts that most high school players have mastered.
At his age, he's never going to be a threat to be an everday MLB player, just a temporary bench piece until the suits decide to start McCutchen's service clock.
Oh well. Wonder who the Pirates will draft next year? Should be a top five pick.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)