Craig's funk
Something is wrong with Craig Wilson. He's swinging through meaty fastballs. That just doesn't happen when Craig is right. Were the first few months of 2004 an illusion?
Congrats to Chris Duffy
Your first big league hit was a big one.
Attention Pirate Management
Can we put the Rick White back into storage please? It's expiration date was 1998.
I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but he really doesn't belong in the major leagues. And for god's sake, he should never, ever be pitching in a tied game before the 26th inning.
Isn't the strength of the team supposed to be the bullpen? Yet, in the 8th inning of a tied game all you can come up with is Rick White? We are 9 days into the season, so I find it hard to believe that the entire bullpen needed a day off. Aren't we carrying 12 pitchers?
And tomorrow we will have to read another article saying that it's not Lloyd's fault that the economics of baseball are all screwed up.
You know what? It's not Lloyd's fault that the Pirates won't make the playoffs this season. Nobody thinks that. It's not even his fault that nobody can hit with men on base. But he owes it to us to do the best he can with what he has. At no point is Rick White-flag ever anybody's best option out of the bullpen in a tied game. Never, ever, ever. That's just setting yourself up for failure.
Getting an early start
Here's the first of what will be many such articles published in the local rags, crying "Whoa to the Pirates."
Spare me.
The Economics of Baseball* are such that it is more difficult for the Pirates to win than it is for the Cardinals or Cubs. We get it. It's true. Nobody has ever argued that point.
However, and note my use of all caps here to simulate how strongly I feel about this, IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PIRATES TO FIELD A WINNING TEAM.
Effective player development, efficient management of resources, and luck are the only ingredients you need to be successful. The Pirates have been miserable in all 3 areas.
So, my message to the Goose Goslins, Ron Cooks, and Mark Maddens of the world is to give it a rest. We get it. This team sucks. This team has sucked. And this team will suck until new management arrives. But there's nothing the Marlins, A's, Twins haven't done that we couldn't replicate here with a moderate infusion of competancy.
*-Copyright, Bud Selig
Junker
Q: How do you know when the expectations of your favorite team are ridiculously low?
A: When a local sportswriter devotes a
column lamenting the loss of a
3rd baseman 8 years ago, who has a career .765 OPS.
Sigh.
We can do better.
Will the real Kip Wells please stand up, please stand up
Is it too early to panic-sell Kip wells in your roto league? Yes. Yes it is.
Is it too early to be worried about him as a fan of the Pirate? Definitely not. The lack of command is troubling. Is he hiding an elbow problem?
Lost Pirate: Larry McWilliams
This week's Lost Pirate comes straight to us from the 80's. A lanky left-hander with a funky delivery,
Larry McWilliams was acquired via trade in exchange for his photo negative image, Pascual Perez.
A former first round pick with the Braves, McWilliams struggled to find himself until he joined the Pirates. McWilliams 1983 season still stands as one of the finest seasons a lefty has ever had in a Pirate uniform, as he went 15-8 with a 3.25 era and 199 strikeouts.
McWilliams completely lost it after the 1984 season and rapidly faded into obscurity...but not before becoming one of the bevy of mediocrities the Pirate lavished million dollar contracts on. (See Exhibit B,
George Hendrick.)
Hat, meet ring
The Pirate blogosphere is awash in 2005 predictions, and since I'm never one to miss a party:
NL East:Phillies
Marlins
Braves
Mets
.
.
.
Nationals
The Nationals clearly are the worst team in this division. I expect them to lose 95+ games. The rest all can reasonably expect a .500, though I don't quite think the Mets will get there. And yes, I realize predicting the Braves for 3rd is akin to predicting the sun won't shine.
NL Central:Cardinals
Cubs
Brewers
Reds
Pirates
Astros
Ok...out on a limb a bit. This differs slightly from my early off-season predictions, but things have changed. I think the Cardinals are definitely due for a little slippage, but they still stand as the class of the division. The Cubs have a shot at the wild-card. The rest of the division will be miserable with the Astros all getting old at the same time.
NL West:Padres
Dodgers
Colorado
Giants
Arizona
I think the Padres pitching will carry them through in the West. My general impression is that the Dodgers are heading for a very disappointing season, but I really can't pick them to finish below any of these other teams. Colorado is, well, if not the Pirates of the West, then maybe the Reds of the West. Rarely horrible, though never quite average. Everyone is greatly overrating the Giants this year, though this pick could look awfully foolish if Bonds somehow manages to suit up for 120 games. Arizona spent a lot of money in vain.
NL Summary: The NL East appears to be set up for a terrific race and is certainly the best division overall. Any of the top 3 teams could take the division. The Cardinals are still the best team in the NL, and should waltz into the playoffs. The Padres are playoff fodder. Cubs take the wildcard due to the easy Central schedule even though I think the Marlins and Braves are actually better teams.
MVP: Al Pujols
Cy Young: Jake Peavy
