There are a lot of annoying things about baseball. Umpires getting calls wrong, players inexplicably making stupid decisions, pitchers saying they will sign with one team then signing with another, to name a few. Those three examples are all part of the game, though. They are all pieces in the puzzle that, when put together, makes the game we love. The only thing I truly cannot stand in baseball is the fans' obsession over predicting things. We sit, on this February 16th, forty-two days out from opening day. All you can hear is people rambling on about how the Pirates will or won't make the playoffs, or whether the front office blew it, or whether the sky will fall. Nothing but gloom surrounds the Pirates, on the day before Spring Training. I can't stand it. Since when have preseason predictions been anywhere near accurate? Last year, almost every expert picked the Pirates to finish below .500 for the twenty-first consecutive season. And, guess what? They not only achieved eighty-two wins, they racked up ninety-four exciting, heart-pounding, unbelievable wins. So you can keep your predictions. I'd rather just enjoy the season as it comes to me, instead of insisting on trying to rush through it.
Keeping in the optimistic mood, I have a few reasons to believe that the Pirates can repeat their success of 2013. Here are some of them.
Pitching Won't Miss A Beat - Many are looking at the Pirates' pitching staff and wondering "how have they improved?". While that is a hard question to answer, it is also hard to find a place in which it has declined. The only departure was made by an aging AJ Burnett. His loss will be felt, no doubt, but I think his spot will be filled by the aspiring Jeff Locke, or the phenom Jameson Taillon. The rest of the staff looks solid. Francisco Liriano is coming off of a dominant season, and, while an identical repeat would be a lot to ask, it seems reasonable to expect a solid season from Frankie. Gerrit Cole is poised to become a dominant pitcher in the league. He developed over the course of last season, complimenting his 100 mph fastball with an effective curve. Wandy Rodriguez reported yesterday that he threw a bullpen session with no pain in his previously injured forearm. While these injuries can be unpredictable, if all goes well, we could be seeing good old efficient Wandy back on the mound this April or May. Charlie Morton was lights out after returning to the rotation in June, combining his ground-ball inducing sinker with a swing-and-miss curveball. The fifth spot has a bit of uncertainty to it. The Bucs signed Edinson Volquez to fill it, but I really don't like his chances. I'd rather see Jeff Locke or even Brandon Cumpton get a shot, they are two guys who showed promise last year (especially Locke). Jameson Taillon is the next Pirates prospect who is waiting to burst onto the scene, and probably will do so in June. I'm finding it hard to not feel good about this rotation.
Hitting Can Hold Down The Fort - Last year, the Pirates succeeded by having their pitchers shut the opposition down, while their hitters got just enough to win. I firmly believe that we have the pieces on offense to "hold down the fort", and maybe more. Yes, I know we are lacking a first baseman. We also lacked one last year. Obviously, reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen leads the charge. There's no reason not to expect another big year at the plate for Cutch. I personally am really excited to watch Starling Marte this year. We got to see some of his incredible raw talent in the first half of last year, but he declined a bit because of injury. I wouldn't be shocked if he put up a monster season this year. Pedro Alvarez can be frustrating at the plate, with his lack of discipline, but as long as a sends thirty balls over the fence, who are we to complain? Of course, it would be nice if he could raise his average twenty points (to a whopping .260). If Neil Walker can get his consistency back, and Jordy Mercer and Russell Martin can chip in a big hit once in a while, this offense might just do the job. And, hey, there's no rule that says Gaby Sanchez isn't allowed to get hits (although you might think so based on what people are saying around here).
Why Not? - My biggest question to all the doubters is why not? Why should it not be us? Let's assume that St. Louis, LA, and Atlanta will win their respective divisions. That leaves the Buccos, the Reds, the Nationals, the D-backs, and all the bottom-dwellers to contend for the final two playoff spots. Is it so ridiculous that the Pirates would end up in the top two of that list? I don't think so.
Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baseball. Show all posts
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The Dream Is Over... For Now
I'll begin this the same way I began my last post: Wow. That's the only word that comes to mind. When I look back on what has taken place in the Pirates organization since the end of the 2012 season, all I can say is, wow.
Pittsburgh was a baseball town before it was ever a football town. The Pirates were playing (and winning) World Series before the Steelers existed. Baseball used to be king around here. During the twenty year losing streak, all of that was erased. The Pirates became a city-wide (and nation-wide) joke. There was one Pirates jersey worn for every thirty Steelers jerseys. The Pirates were accomplishing nothing, and nobody cared. That's what makes the last year so incredible for this team. They made Pittsburgh into a baseball town once again. The fact that they were able to do that, despite being the laughingstock of Western PA for two decades, means something truly amazing must have taken place. Let's take a look at this amazing season.
It started last winter. The Pirates were coming off another late season collapse. Any baseball passion that had been rekindled around here had been crushed. Many called for the team's front office, led by GM Neal Huntington, to be fired. Owner Bob Nutting presented an ultimatum: either the Pirates would win in 2013, or people would get fired. Many thought the current management team was hopelessly incompetent, and were essentially hoping we would lose just so they would be fired. Huntington had other ideas. He would prove them all wrong.
The Pirates had what must have been (correct me if I'm wrong) the best offseason in team history. Huntington scraped together what seemed to be spare parts from around baseball, who all turned out to be stars. Russell Martin was a defensive prowess behind the plate, Mark Melancon was lights out out of the bullpen, Jeanmar Gomez turned out to be a stellar long-reliever, and of course Francisco Liriano rose up to be the team's ace on the mound. We didn't know it at the time, but Huntington set the Pirates up for success long before Opening Day.
The regular season was a six month dream for fans who haven't seen winning baseball in their lives (like me). We got off to a fast start, posting twenty wins in April. One memory I have from PNC Park in the very early stages of the season was a comeback win vs. the Cincinnati Reds, in which we were down 5-0. This set the stage for the rest of the season, in a way. The Pirates made comeback wins their trademark. Any deficit of four runs or less in a ballgame was not worrying from a fan's point of view.
The Pirates' success this year came from their pitching, as it has for each of the past three years. Francisco Liriano was a revelation. He was dominant from the moment he made his debut at the beginning of May, all the way up until his last playoff start five days ago. He was especially prolific at PNC Park, posting a 1.81 ERA there. He quickly became the team's stopper, putting an end to any losing streaks, or getting a much needed win against a division rival. AJ Burnett came back as less of a dominant ace, and more of a scrappy, get-it-done-somehow type of pitcher. That style suits him well, in my opinion. Charlie Morton returned from his Tommy John recovery about midway through the season, and was very impressive. Jeff Locke faded down the stretch, but I still appreciate his impressive stuff from the first half of the season. Gerrit Cole exceeded all expectations that came with his billing as our top prospect. He came up in mid June, and pitched six shutout innings. He consistently has a fastball that sits at 98 MPH, and his curveball has improved by leaps and bounds. Down the stretch in August, September, and October, he was especially impressive and crucial to the team's success.
This season was full of pitching gems, walkoff wins, incredible comebacks, packed PNC Parks, Greg Brown outbursts, and so many memories. I'm not mad that we didn't win the World Series. Yes, I wish we beat the Cardinals. We were bested. We went down honorably. I'm proud of this team.
Besides, there's only optimism for the Pirates' future. With almost all of the core players on contract, this team will only get better. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to resign Marlon Byrd, and maybe AJ Burnett. Besides them, all the key players on the field, in the rotation, and in the bullpen are locked up. Top prospect Jameson Taillon (starting pitcher) seems to be poised to make his MLB debut next season. If you want to know what to expect, he's been rumored to be better than Gerrit Cole. If that's true... Wow. OF Gregory Polanco had a breakout season with AA Altoona. He will be bursting onto the scene in 2015, maybe even as a September callup in '14. And if you want to look way ahead, pitchers Tyler Glasnow, Luis Heredia, and outfielder Austin Meadows all appear to have bright futures.
It looks like we're in for many fun summers to come at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh was a baseball town before it was ever a football town. The Pirates were playing (and winning) World Series before the Steelers existed. Baseball used to be king around here. During the twenty year losing streak, all of that was erased. The Pirates became a city-wide (and nation-wide) joke. There was one Pirates jersey worn for every thirty Steelers jerseys. The Pirates were accomplishing nothing, and nobody cared. That's what makes the last year so incredible for this team. They made Pittsburgh into a baseball town once again. The fact that they were able to do that, despite being the laughingstock of Western PA for two decades, means something truly amazing must have taken place. Let's take a look at this amazing season.
It started last winter. The Pirates were coming off another late season collapse. Any baseball passion that had been rekindled around here had been crushed. Many called for the team's front office, led by GM Neal Huntington, to be fired. Owner Bob Nutting presented an ultimatum: either the Pirates would win in 2013, or people would get fired. Many thought the current management team was hopelessly incompetent, and were essentially hoping we would lose just so they would be fired. Huntington had other ideas. He would prove them all wrong.
The Pirates had what must have been (correct me if I'm wrong) the best offseason in team history. Huntington scraped together what seemed to be spare parts from around baseball, who all turned out to be stars. Russell Martin was a defensive prowess behind the plate, Mark Melancon was lights out out of the bullpen, Jeanmar Gomez turned out to be a stellar long-reliever, and of course Francisco Liriano rose up to be the team's ace on the mound. We didn't know it at the time, but Huntington set the Pirates up for success long before Opening Day.
The regular season was a six month dream for fans who haven't seen winning baseball in their lives (like me). We got off to a fast start, posting twenty wins in April. One memory I have from PNC Park in the very early stages of the season was a comeback win vs. the Cincinnati Reds, in which we were down 5-0. This set the stage for the rest of the season, in a way. The Pirates made comeback wins their trademark. Any deficit of four runs or less in a ballgame was not worrying from a fan's point of view.
The Pirates' success this year came from their pitching, as it has for each of the past three years. Francisco Liriano was a revelation. He was dominant from the moment he made his debut at the beginning of May, all the way up until his last playoff start five days ago. He was especially prolific at PNC Park, posting a 1.81 ERA there. He quickly became the team's stopper, putting an end to any losing streaks, or getting a much needed win against a division rival. AJ Burnett came back as less of a dominant ace, and more of a scrappy, get-it-done-somehow type of pitcher. That style suits him well, in my opinion. Charlie Morton returned from his Tommy John recovery about midway through the season, and was very impressive. Jeff Locke faded down the stretch, but I still appreciate his impressive stuff from the first half of the season. Gerrit Cole exceeded all expectations that came with his billing as our top prospect. He came up in mid June, and pitched six shutout innings. He consistently has a fastball that sits at 98 MPH, and his curveball has improved by leaps and bounds. Down the stretch in August, September, and October, he was especially impressive and crucial to the team's success.
This season was full of pitching gems, walkoff wins, incredible comebacks, packed PNC Parks, Greg Brown outbursts, and so many memories. I'm not mad that we didn't win the World Series. Yes, I wish we beat the Cardinals. We were bested. We went down honorably. I'm proud of this team.
Besides, there's only optimism for the Pirates' future. With almost all of the core players on contract, this team will only get better. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to resign Marlon Byrd, and maybe AJ Burnett. Besides them, all the key players on the field, in the rotation, and in the bullpen are locked up. Top prospect Jameson Taillon (starting pitcher) seems to be poised to make his MLB debut next season. If you want to know what to expect, he's been rumored to be better than Gerrit Cole. If that's true... Wow. OF Gregory Polanco had a breakout season with AA Altoona. He will be bursting onto the scene in 2015, maybe even as a September callup in '14. And if you want to look way ahead, pitchers Tyler Glasnow, Luis Heredia, and outfielder Austin Meadows all appear to have bright futures.
It looks like we're in for many fun summers to come at PNC Park.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Definition Of Home Field Advantage
Wow. That's the only word that comes to mind right now. Wow. I'm writing this at 9:20 PM, on Sunday, Buctober 6th, 2013. I just got home from PNC Park, where I witnessed the best crowd I've ever seen (having been to Steelers games at Heinz Field and Penguins playoff games at the old Civic Arena). From 2 1/2 hours before first pitch, to long after the final out, the people of Pittsburgh were all hands on deck.
The game was scheduled for a 4:37 first pitch. Naturally, I arrived at the stadium at 2:15. I walked across the Clemente Bridge, tipped the saxophone guy, and grabbed a free "#WeBelieve" sign. I, along with a few hundred others, waited about 15 minutes for the stadium gates to open. At 2:30, when they finally opened, many fans sprinted inside in order to get the best standing room and bleacher spots. The Cardinals were still out taking batting practice, and some fans went down to the front row to get some early taunting in. As we walked in, each fan was given a black rally towel complete with "Raise The Jolly Roger".
The ballpark was packed by 4:10. There was a mix of booing and "Let's Go Bucs" greeting the Cardinals as they were introduced. As soon as PA Announcer Tim DeBacco said "Aaand for your Pirates" the crowd leapt to their feet, screaming and waving their towels. Likable players like Jeff Karstens, Michael McKenry, and AJ Burnett drew loud applause, but the big noise came for the starting lineup. Few got a louder ovation than manager Clint Hurdle, who was greeted by a bowing-down Pirate Parrot.
Pirate ace Francisco Liriano cruised through the first inning, drawing cheers for each strike, and standing ovations for each out. PNC got rocking early when Marlon Byrd hit a single with men on 2nd and 3rd, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Liriano would play with fire throughout the day, and eventually he gave up two runs to tie the game, off of a 2 RBI single by Mr. October, Carlos Beltran. Those runs were controversial, however, because shortly before Beltran's single, Jon Jay was called safe at third on a play where he should have actually been called out. Liriano, along with the fans, bounced back and got out of the inning. The fans went bananas as Liriano walked off the field, as they knew it would be his last inning.
The fans chanted the pitcher's name again (KEL-LY KEL-LY), although it didn't seem to rattle Joe Kelly like it rattled Johnny Cueto on Tuesday. Joe Kelly did his job superbly. The problem was, he wasn't very efficient. The Pirates got his pitch count up, and we won the game getting hits off of their bullpen.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, a sacrifice fly scored McCutchen to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead. That didn't last long, as Carlos Beltran led off the 8th with a home run to tie the game. Once again, the crowd stayed in it through thick and thin. Trust me, I've been to some tough losses. Take September 20th vs. the Reds. We blew a three run lead in the 9th. After that, half the crowd left and the rest were dead silent. Tonight was the polar opposite. After Mark Melancon let up that tying home run, the fans stood up and cheered louder. And it worked. Melancon got out of the inning with no further damage done.
What the Pirates did in the bottom of the 8th inning is what made this night unforgettable. That inning along was a rollercoaster of emotions. Andrew McCutchen led off with a double, only to be thrown out at third on a ground ball off the bat of Justin Morneau. That was a depressing blow to the rally, but Marlon Byrd came through with a single that moved pinch runner Josh Harrison to third. Pedro Alvarez came up to bat, so Cards manager Mike Matheny decided to play some chess. He brought in lefty Kevin Seigrist, because Pedro tends to be worse against left handed pitchers. Pedro took matters into his own hands. He threw the statistics out the window, and lined a single to left, scoring Harrison to give the Pirates the lead. Russell Martin followed that up with a single to up the lead to 5-3. No exaggeration, I felt the floor beneath my feet shake as the crowd went wild.
When Greg Brown yelled "It's Grilled Cheese Time!" as closer Jason Grilli trotted out for the ninth, the sea of black was pulsating. My ears may still be ringing in fact. Grilli didn't let a leadoff single by Matt Adams get to him. He got the next three outs in short order. The fireworks shot off, "New Pirates Generation" was blasted over the PA, and the crowd went nuts. It's something I don't think I'll ever forget. We stayed to hear some TBS guy interview Pedro, but we couldn't hear it. We walked the winding path down the rotunda, as a loud Lets Go Bucs chant was shared by the thousands exiting the ballpark. The Clemente Bridge was essentially a victory parade. Everyone was in good spirits waiting in line to get their car. Pittsburgh collectively smiled.
The game was scheduled for a 4:37 first pitch. Naturally, I arrived at the stadium at 2:15. I walked across the Clemente Bridge, tipped the saxophone guy, and grabbed a free "#WeBelieve" sign. I, along with a few hundred others, waited about 15 minutes for the stadium gates to open. At 2:30, when they finally opened, many fans sprinted inside in order to get the best standing room and bleacher spots. The Cardinals were still out taking batting practice, and some fans went down to the front row to get some early taunting in. As we walked in, each fan was given a black rally towel complete with "Raise The Jolly Roger".
The ballpark was packed by 4:10. There was a mix of booing and "Let's Go Bucs" greeting the Cardinals as they were introduced. As soon as PA Announcer Tim DeBacco said "Aaand for your Pirates" the crowd leapt to their feet, screaming and waving their towels. Likable players like Jeff Karstens, Michael McKenry, and AJ Burnett drew loud applause, but the big noise came for the starting lineup. Few got a louder ovation than manager Clint Hurdle, who was greeted by a bowing-down Pirate Parrot.
Pirate ace Francisco Liriano cruised through the first inning, drawing cheers for each strike, and standing ovations for each out. PNC got rocking early when Marlon Byrd hit a single with men on 2nd and 3rd, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Liriano would play with fire throughout the day, and eventually he gave up two runs to tie the game, off of a 2 RBI single by Mr. October, Carlos Beltran. Those runs were controversial, however, because shortly before Beltran's single, Jon Jay was called safe at third on a play where he should have actually been called out. Liriano, along with the fans, bounced back and got out of the inning. The fans went bananas as Liriano walked off the field, as they knew it would be his last inning.
The fans chanted the pitcher's name again (KEL-LY KEL-LY), although it didn't seem to rattle Joe Kelly like it rattled Johnny Cueto on Tuesday. Joe Kelly did his job superbly. The problem was, he wasn't very efficient. The Pirates got his pitch count up, and we won the game getting hits off of their bullpen.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, a sacrifice fly scored McCutchen to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead. That didn't last long, as Carlos Beltran led off the 8th with a home run to tie the game. Once again, the crowd stayed in it through thick and thin. Trust me, I've been to some tough losses. Take September 20th vs. the Reds. We blew a three run lead in the 9th. After that, half the crowd left and the rest were dead silent. Tonight was the polar opposite. After Mark Melancon let up that tying home run, the fans stood up and cheered louder. And it worked. Melancon got out of the inning with no further damage done.
What the Pirates did in the bottom of the 8th inning is what made this night unforgettable. That inning along was a rollercoaster of emotions. Andrew McCutchen led off with a double, only to be thrown out at third on a ground ball off the bat of Justin Morneau. That was a depressing blow to the rally, but Marlon Byrd came through with a single that moved pinch runner Josh Harrison to third. Pedro Alvarez came up to bat, so Cards manager Mike Matheny decided to play some chess. He brought in lefty Kevin Seigrist, because Pedro tends to be worse against left handed pitchers. Pedro took matters into his own hands. He threw the statistics out the window, and lined a single to left, scoring Harrison to give the Pirates the lead. Russell Martin followed that up with a single to up the lead to 5-3. No exaggeration, I felt the floor beneath my feet shake as the crowd went wild.
When Greg Brown yelled "It's Grilled Cheese Time!" as closer Jason Grilli trotted out for the ninth, the sea of black was pulsating. My ears may still be ringing in fact. Grilli didn't let a leadoff single by Matt Adams get to him. He got the next three outs in short order. The fireworks shot off, "New Pirates Generation" was blasted over the PA, and the crowd went nuts. It's something I don't think I'll ever forget. We stayed to hear some TBS guy interview Pedro, but we couldn't hear it. We walked the winding path down the rotunda, as a loud Lets Go Bucs chant was shared by the thousands exiting the ballpark. The Clemente Bridge was essentially a victory parade. Everyone was in good spirits waiting in line to get their car. Pittsburgh collectively smiled.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Pitching For The Playoffs
It's September 19th, and we're still watching Pirates games intently, and checking out of town scores almost as intently. That's new. The Pirates currently sit one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central Division, and two games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates and Reds will face off in a crucial three game series that kicks off Friday night at PNC Park. How did we get to be in this position? The same way we've achieved anything in the past three years: quality pitching.
Before we dive into playoff pitching scenarios, I should mention that the Pirates can clinch a playoff berth as soon as Saturday. In order to miss the playoffs, the Washington Nationals would need to make up a six game deficit over a nine game span. It simply won't happen. Your Pirates are going to play playoff ball.
There has been much debate about what the starting rotation should be going into the playoffs. People have been swayed by recent performances, overall track records, and veteran experience. Here's what I think the rotation should be.
Game 1 (or Wild Card Game) -- Francisco Liriano RHP
Liriano has been the Pirates' obvious staff ace this season. After missing the first month of the season, Frankie has posted sixteen wins and a solid 2.92 earned run average. That ERA would be a lot lower if it weren't for a couple bad outings. Ignore those two poor starts, and we're looking at an ERA under 2. Liriano has two complete games under his belt this season, and has seemed to always be able to dominate division rival St. Louis. Above all, Liriano has served as a stopper. A stopper is a pitcher who steps in in the midst of a slump and, as manager Clint Hurdle would say, "puts his foot down". This season, Frankie has done this countless times. He's your obvious game one starter.
Game 2 -- Gerrit Cole RHP
This would've seemed a bit unrealistic about six weeks ago. Since the end of August and throughout September, Cole has been dominating opponents. This run of success started on August 28th against the Milwaukee Brewers, and has continued through today. That stretch has seen Cole evolve from a rookie with a blistering fastball into a true, jam-getting-out-of, can't-be-rattled, strikeout pitcher. Last week Cole went up against Texas' Yu Darvish, and showed him up by pitching eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts (the Pirates would get the 1-0 win). And today, in a game vs. the San Diego Padres, he turned in his best start yet. Over six innings, he struck out a whopping twelve batters (out of 18 outs he created, 66% were K's). He got out in front of batters, and looked completely in control. I give the ball to him in game two.
Game 3-- Charlie Morton RHP
After returning from Tommy John's surgery in June, Morton has looked better than ever before. He has posted a 7-4 record, and 3.35 ERA. Those numbers aren't eye popping, but his pitching of late certainly has been. He has continued his heavy use of the sinker to induce ground balls, and it has been working outstandingly. He has also greatly inproved his curveball, which has increased his strikeout totals. When healthy, Charlie is nasty. Hard not to go to him for game #3
Game 4-- AJ Burnett RHP
After being the staff ace last year, you may have expected AJ to be higher on this list. This season hasn't been a poor one by any means for him. He has been playing far better than his 8-11 record suggests, and his 3.43 ERA proves it. He is a veteran capable of getting out of the toughest jams, and there are few games I wouldn't trust him with. I admit, it feels odd having him at #4. However, given what the other three have been doing lately, I had no choice.
Over the next nine days the Pirates will battle. They have their eyes set on the division title, avoiding the dreaded one game wild card playoff. Whatever happens, we have the pitching to win games. Should be a fun ride.
Before we dive into playoff pitching scenarios, I should mention that the Pirates can clinch a playoff berth as soon as Saturday. In order to miss the playoffs, the Washington Nationals would need to make up a six game deficit over a nine game span. It simply won't happen. Your Pirates are going to play playoff ball.
There has been much debate about what the starting rotation should be going into the playoffs. People have been swayed by recent performances, overall track records, and veteran experience. Here's what I think the rotation should be.
Game 1 (or Wild Card Game) -- Francisco Liriano RHP
Liriano has been the Pirates' obvious staff ace this season. After missing the first month of the season, Frankie has posted sixteen wins and a solid 2.92 earned run average. That ERA would be a lot lower if it weren't for a couple bad outings. Ignore those two poor starts, and we're looking at an ERA under 2. Liriano has two complete games under his belt this season, and has seemed to always be able to dominate division rival St. Louis. Above all, Liriano has served as a stopper. A stopper is a pitcher who steps in in the midst of a slump and, as manager Clint Hurdle would say, "puts his foot down". This season, Frankie has done this countless times. He's your obvious game one starter.
Game 2 -- Gerrit Cole RHP
This would've seemed a bit unrealistic about six weeks ago. Since the end of August and throughout September, Cole has been dominating opponents. This run of success started on August 28th against the Milwaukee Brewers, and has continued through today. That stretch has seen Cole evolve from a rookie with a blistering fastball into a true, jam-getting-out-of, can't-be-rattled, strikeout pitcher. Last week Cole went up against Texas' Yu Darvish, and showed him up by pitching eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts (the Pirates would get the 1-0 win). And today, in a game vs. the San Diego Padres, he turned in his best start yet. Over six innings, he struck out a whopping twelve batters (out of 18 outs he created, 66% were K's). He got out in front of batters, and looked completely in control. I give the ball to him in game two.
Game 3-- Charlie Morton RHP
After returning from Tommy John's surgery in June, Morton has looked better than ever before. He has posted a 7-4 record, and 3.35 ERA. Those numbers aren't eye popping, but his pitching of late certainly has been. He has continued his heavy use of the sinker to induce ground balls, and it has been working outstandingly. He has also greatly inproved his curveball, which has increased his strikeout totals. When healthy, Charlie is nasty. Hard not to go to him for game #3
Game 4-- AJ Burnett RHP
After being the staff ace last year, you may have expected AJ to be higher on this list. This season hasn't been a poor one by any means for him. He has been playing far better than his 8-11 record suggests, and his 3.43 ERA proves it. He is a veteran capable of getting out of the toughest jams, and there are few games I wouldn't trust him with. I admit, it feels odd having him at #4. However, given what the other three have been doing lately, I had no choice.
Over the next nine days the Pirates will battle. They have their eyes set on the division title, avoiding the dreaded one game wild card playoff. Whatever happens, we have the pitching to win games. Should be a fun ride.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
The Pirates Have Freed Themselves
This has been a season full of special moments for Pirates fans. There was Gerrit Cole's exciting debut in June. We saw an amazing five Pirates go to the All Star Game. Russell Martin has four walkoff hits on the year, which has only added to his amazing season at catcher. Who could forget that thrilling five game series against St. Louis at the end of July at PNC Park, which saw the Pirates assert themselves as a baseball superpower, taking the first four from the shellshocked Cardinals. None of these fun moments, however, could compare to what happened last night in Milwaukee.
It wasn't so much the way we won the game that made it so special. That's not to say that Gerrit Cole's superb six IP and Travis Snider's go-ahead homer in the ninth inning weren't impressive. The reason last night's win mean so much is that it was the Buccos' 81st win of the season. For those that don't know, that means that the win guaranteed that the Pirates will not have a losing season. That's right, the nightmare is over. The longest losing streak in American pro sports history is over. It started in 1992 with that slide by Sid Bream, and it was punctuated last year when Homer Bailey no-hit the Bucs in Pittsburgh to guarantee their 20th consecutive losing season. Between those two dates, Pirate fans had to put up with a lot.
There were countless blown draft picks: Selecting reliever Daniel Moskos over Matt Weiters (Who now plays catcher for the Baltimore Orioles) is a striking example. There were so many trades that saw star players leave the team. The prospects that did find their way into the Pirates' farm system were woefully mismanaged. The team was controversial in its use of Navy Seal training tactics on their players, which ultimately caused players and prospects to avoid signing with the Pirates. All of this combined for a nightmarish 20 years of losing.
But that's all over. We're free. Last year, we couldn't celebrate the progress of the team because we still had the losing streak hanging over us, casting its shadow. Now that it has been vanquished, this team can accomplish anything. They currently sit two games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in first place in the NL Central Division. It's September 4th, and the playoff chase is on. Fans celebrated last night's win, as they should have, but the players didn't dare. They have one goal this year: Win the World Series. And with twenty years of losing lifted off their backs, they can fight to the end and maybe even bring it home.
In honor of it being fun to be a Pirates fan right now, here's this:
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Why The Pirates Are So Good This Year
The Blog is officially back from Summer break. We left off at the beginning of June. The Steelers were distant memories, the Penguins were still in shock from their playoff loss to Boston, and the Pirates were holding their own in the NL Central.
Since then, the Pirates have gone from "holding their own" to being one of the best teams in baseball. As I write this, at 6:30 on August 22nd, they sit in 1st place in the NL Central, one game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and two games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds. The Buccos sport a record of 74-52. They need just eight more wins to ensure their first winning season since 1992.
The past twenty seasons have been filled with disappointment. At the end of each year, naturally, the fans look for places to assign blame. At the end of each of the past four seasons, fans and media have consistently ripped on Neal Huntington, the Pirates' general manager. People complained that he didn't do enough at the trade deadline to set the team up for success, and they ridiculed his offseason moves. There's no telling how this season will end for the Bucs, but one thing is for sure: Neal Huntington has done all that he could. Here's a look at how he set these 2013 Pirates up for success.
Lets start with his offseason moves. There were two gaping holes in the roster: catcher and starting pitcher. First, they went out and signed free agent pitcher Francisco Liriano. Liriano was once a highly successful pitcher, although he hadn't performed well over the past couple years. Huntington and the Pirates' staff saw potential in him, and they signed him. This story took a weird turn, when, on Christmas Day, Liriano broke his (non-pitching) arm while playing with his kids. They reworked the contract, and eventually settled on a new one. The injury ended up costing Liriano the first month of the season. He made his Pittsburgh debut on the mound in early May, and impressed early on. Since then, he has established himself as the staff ace, and forced himself into National League Cy Young discussions, with his 14-5 record and 2.53 ERA.
Another major offseason acquisition was catcher Russell Martin. The catcher position was one of the biggest weak spots for the Pirates in 2012, with Rod Barajas as their No. 1 catcher. He struggled mightily offensively and defensively, recording outs on only 6% of attempted steals against him. Martin was coming off of an off year with the New York Yankees, and expectations weren't very high. Martin was one of the biggest surprises this year for the Bucs, posting a .248 batting average, .350 on-base percentage, and 11 home runs. He has been no stranger to clutch hitting, racking up four walkoff hits so far this season. Defensively, he has been one of the best catchers in the NL, throwing out 27 batters so far, causing base runners to think twice before stealing.
There was one big trade in the offseason. When the trade was announced, many were unenthusiastic. It looked like we would break even, if we were lucky. Over the past 5 months, the trade proved to be one of the most important moves to ensure success in 2013. The Pirates traded their elite closer, Joel Hanrahan, and infielder Brock Holt to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for reliever Mark Melancon, and prospects Ivan de Jesus, Jerry Sands, and Stolmy Pimentel. First of all, trading Hanrahan meant dropping his salary, which allowed the team to re-sign Jason Grilli, who would become the closer in place of Hanrahan. Grilli became the agreed-upon best closer in the NL, posting 30 saves through the end of July. Mark Melancon moved into the setup role (pitching the 8th inning, to set up for Grilli), and quickly became one of the best relievers in all of baseball, posting a .93 ERA over 58 appearances. Stolmy Pimentel and Jerry Sands have been progressing with AAA Indianapolis. This trade was so instrumental to the Pirates' success this season.
You can credit the farm system, for bringing up great prospects like Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Pedro Alvarez, Gerrit Cole, and others. You can credit manager Clint Hurdle for working his confidence magic yet again with this team. But GM Neal Huntington deserves one heap of credit. After last season's failure, he went out and made several moves to boost this team to an elite level. Now buckle up, and lets watch this team finally fight for a playoff spot.
Since then, the Pirates have gone from "holding their own" to being one of the best teams in baseball. As I write this, at 6:30 on August 22nd, they sit in 1st place in the NL Central, one game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and two games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds. The Buccos sport a record of 74-52. They need just eight more wins to ensure their first winning season since 1992.
The past twenty seasons have been filled with disappointment. At the end of each year, naturally, the fans look for places to assign blame. At the end of each of the past four seasons, fans and media have consistently ripped on Neal Huntington, the Pirates' general manager. People complained that he didn't do enough at the trade deadline to set the team up for success, and they ridiculed his offseason moves. There's no telling how this season will end for the Bucs, but one thing is for sure: Neal Huntington has done all that he could. Here's a look at how he set these 2013 Pirates up for success.
Lets start with his offseason moves. There were two gaping holes in the roster: catcher and starting pitcher. First, they went out and signed free agent pitcher Francisco Liriano. Liriano was once a highly successful pitcher, although he hadn't performed well over the past couple years. Huntington and the Pirates' staff saw potential in him, and they signed him. This story took a weird turn, when, on Christmas Day, Liriano broke his (non-pitching) arm while playing with his kids. They reworked the contract, and eventually settled on a new one. The injury ended up costing Liriano the first month of the season. He made his Pittsburgh debut on the mound in early May, and impressed early on. Since then, he has established himself as the staff ace, and forced himself into National League Cy Young discussions, with his 14-5 record and 2.53 ERA.
Another major offseason acquisition was catcher Russell Martin. The catcher position was one of the biggest weak spots for the Pirates in 2012, with Rod Barajas as their No. 1 catcher. He struggled mightily offensively and defensively, recording outs on only 6% of attempted steals against him. Martin was coming off of an off year with the New York Yankees, and expectations weren't very high. Martin was one of the biggest surprises this year for the Bucs, posting a .248 batting average, .350 on-base percentage, and 11 home runs. He has been no stranger to clutch hitting, racking up four walkoff hits so far this season. Defensively, he has been one of the best catchers in the NL, throwing out 27 batters so far, causing base runners to think twice before stealing.
There was one big trade in the offseason. When the trade was announced, many were unenthusiastic. It looked like we would break even, if we were lucky. Over the past 5 months, the trade proved to be one of the most important moves to ensure success in 2013. The Pirates traded their elite closer, Joel Hanrahan, and infielder Brock Holt to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for reliever Mark Melancon, and prospects Ivan de Jesus, Jerry Sands, and Stolmy Pimentel. First of all, trading Hanrahan meant dropping his salary, which allowed the team to re-sign Jason Grilli, who would become the closer in place of Hanrahan. Grilli became the agreed-upon best closer in the NL, posting 30 saves through the end of July. Mark Melancon moved into the setup role (pitching the 8th inning, to set up for Grilli), and quickly became one of the best relievers in all of baseball, posting a .93 ERA over 58 appearances. Stolmy Pimentel and Jerry Sands have been progressing with AAA Indianapolis. This trade was so instrumental to the Pirates' success this season.
You can credit the farm system, for bringing up great prospects like Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Pedro Alvarez, Gerrit Cole, and others. You can credit manager Clint Hurdle for working his confidence magic yet again with this team. But GM Neal Huntington deserves one heap of credit. After last season's failure, he went out and made several moves to boost this team to an elite level. Now buckle up, and lets watch this team finally fight for a playoff spot.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Good and Bad of the Pirates' Pitching
The Pirates currently sit at 11-9, one game back from the lead of the NL Central. Not a bad position to be in, nearly a month into the season. Almost all of the wins were due to a pitcher, starter or reliever, coming up with an amazing performance. Similarly, a fair amount of the losses can be traced back to a pitcher not doing his job. Here's a look at how some of the pitchers have been doing this year, and how things could look in the future.
AJ Burnett- AJ has, as expected been the Pirates' best starter so far. In his first two starts, he allowed three runs and recorded sixteen strikeouts. Both were spoiled by the fact that the Bucs' offense was struggling mightily at the time. He has continued to put up solid numbers, and has improved to 2-2 on the season (the Pirates' 6-5 win over the Reds went down as a no-decision for AJ). Burnett seems to be the Bucs' most reliable pitcher for the duration of this season.
Wandy Rodriguez- Wandy has been sensational so far in 2013. In his first start, he shut down the Cubs through six innings, which would turn out to be the Pirates' first win of 2013. In his next start, he injured his hamstring in only the second inning, and was forced to leave the game. He missed his next start (Phil Irwin got the spot start, which turned out to be a thrilling comeback win over Cincinnati), and returned on the 19th vs. Atlanta. He pitched a 2-hit shutout through 7 innings. The Pirates closed out the game having faced the minimum 27 batters for the first time in decades. As terrific as he has been, it is a very small sample size, plus the hamstring could come back to bother him. Things look cautiously optimistic for Wandy.
James McDonald- JMac, JMac, JMac.... Truly an impossible puzzle to solve. Lights-out one day, lit-up the next. Shut down the Cubs in his first start of the season, gets lit up for 10 runs in the 2nd inning against the Cardinals. His most recent start against Atlanta was the epitome of inconsistency. He struck out the first three batters he faced. In the second inning, he loaded the bases, and proceeded to walk home the leading run. Directly thereafter, he struck out three batters to end the inning. Frustrating for fans. I'm not going to venture a guess on JMac. The potential for success is certainly there.
Jeff Locke- Jeff Locke has been quietly mediocre. He was unimpressive in his first few outings. He had a good start on Tuesday vs. Philadelphia. Personally, I don't think he will remain in the rotation very long. Charlie Morton and Francisco Liriano are returning soon. Later on, Jeff Karstens will be ready. Gerrit Cole will be called up. No space for Locke.
Jonathan Sanchez- Similar story for Sanchez. He's been remarkably mediocre thus far, including a 10 run torching by the Arizona Diamondbacks. I would be shocked if he is in the rotation in June.
AJ Burnett- AJ has, as expected been the Pirates' best starter so far. In his first two starts, he allowed three runs and recorded sixteen strikeouts. Both were spoiled by the fact that the Bucs' offense was struggling mightily at the time. He has continued to put up solid numbers, and has improved to 2-2 on the season (the Pirates' 6-5 win over the Reds went down as a no-decision for AJ). Burnett seems to be the Bucs' most reliable pitcher for the duration of this season.
Wandy Rodriguez- Wandy has been sensational so far in 2013. In his first start, he shut down the Cubs through six innings, which would turn out to be the Pirates' first win of 2013. In his next start, he injured his hamstring in only the second inning, and was forced to leave the game. He missed his next start (Phil Irwin got the spot start, which turned out to be a thrilling comeback win over Cincinnati), and returned on the 19th vs. Atlanta. He pitched a 2-hit shutout through 7 innings. The Pirates closed out the game having faced the minimum 27 batters for the first time in decades. As terrific as he has been, it is a very small sample size, plus the hamstring could come back to bother him. Things look cautiously optimistic for Wandy.
James McDonald- JMac, JMac, JMac.... Truly an impossible puzzle to solve. Lights-out one day, lit-up the next. Shut down the Cubs in his first start of the season, gets lit up for 10 runs in the 2nd inning against the Cardinals. His most recent start against Atlanta was the epitome of inconsistency. He struck out the first three batters he faced. In the second inning, he loaded the bases, and proceeded to walk home the leading run. Directly thereafter, he struck out three batters to end the inning. Frustrating for fans. I'm not going to venture a guess on JMac. The potential for success is certainly there.
Jeff Locke- Jeff Locke has been quietly mediocre. He was unimpressive in his first few outings. He had a good start on Tuesday vs. Philadelphia. Personally, I don't think he will remain in the rotation very long. Charlie Morton and Francisco Liriano are returning soon. Later on, Jeff Karstens will be ready. Gerrit Cole will be called up. No space for Locke.
Jonathan Sanchez- Similar story for Sanchez. He's been remarkably mediocre thus far, including a 10 run torching by the Arizona Diamondbacks. I would be shocked if he is in the rotation in June.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Don't Panic... yet
It's April 7th, and the panic is already on. We're only one week into the six month journey that is baseball season, and people have already written off the Pirates. I'm not saying there's no reason to do so.
This has been a very disappointing start. One win, five losses to start the year. The total inability to get hits, let alone runs. A series loss to the divisional rival Chicago Cubs, and a sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It wasn't pretty. The Bucs wasted two beautiful pitching performances by AJ Burnett. They wasted a surprisingly decent showing by Jonathan Sanchez. Today's loss to the Dodgers marked the first time this year where the pitching staff did not give them a legitimate chance to win. The offense took a step forward, with Andrew McCutchen crushing the team's first home run of 2013. Hits weren't quite as scarce as before. People seemed to be getting better quality contact. But still, there's not much good to take out of the first six games of the season.
But amid all of the widespread depression among the Pirates community, I'm about to say why it is absurd to panic just yet. Here's why:
Pitching is the foundation for success. It is absolutely the most important thing for a winning baseball team to have. The Pirates have it. AJ Burnett has turned in two top-notch starts. Wandy Rodriguez delivered a handling of the Cubs' lineup. Even Jonathan Sanchez turned in a quality start, pitching through six innings allowing three earned runs. The bullpen has performed well, with Jared Hughes succeeding in both of his outings, Tony Watson getting out of a bases-loaded situation unscathed. The pitching is certainly there.
The obvious, glaring issue with this team is the hitting. The team collectively has hit below .200. Until today, there were zero home runs, and only two doubles. The only player to have two hits in one game was Starling Marte, and they were both singles. Alvarez isn't looking good, if you know what I mean. However, you should wait before hitting the panic button. Look at last year's season. We started in a very similar fashion, with excellent pitching and extremely bad offense. But they pulled through. Eventually (May 25th to be exact) the offense lit up. And don't be fooled, the Pirates have some serious weapons. Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Garrett Jones, Neil Walker, and Starling Marte make for a formidable core. If something, anything, can spark this offense, it could easily light on fire once again. It's not a lack of talent, at least I don't think so. It's something intangible.
This bodes well for the Pirates because it means things could turn around at any moment. Today we could hit this horribly, but as soon as tomorrow we could have a big day at the plate. I'm not saying it will turn around tomorrow. I'm saying that it could turn around tomorrow. And there's no reason to say it won't be tomorrow. They face the Arizona Diamondbacks, who play in a very hitter-friendly ballpark, which could be just the thing to get this offense going.
I'm not pretending that this first week hasn't been bad. All I mean to say is that the potential is there to pick things up any day now.
This has been a very disappointing start. One win, five losses to start the year. The total inability to get hits, let alone runs. A series loss to the divisional rival Chicago Cubs, and a sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It wasn't pretty. The Bucs wasted two beautiful pitching performances by AJ Burnett. They wasted a surprisingly decent showing by Jonathan Sanchez. Today's loss to the Dodgers marked the first time this year where the pitching staff did not give them a legitimate chance to win. The offense took a step forward, with Andrew McCutchen crushing the team's first home run of 2013. Hits weren't quite as scarce as before. People seemed to be getting better quality contact. But still, there's not much good to take out of the first six games of the season.
But amid all of the widespread depression among the Pirates community, I'm about to say why it is absurd to panic just yet. Here's why:
Pitching is the foundation for success. It is absolutely the most important thing for a winning baseball team to have. The Pirates have it. AJ Burnett has turned in two top-notch starts. Wandy Rodriguez delivered a handling of the Cubs' lineup. Even Jonathan Sanchez turned in a quality start, pitching through six innings allowing three earned runs. The bullpen has performed well, with Jared Hughes succeeding in both of his outings, Tony Watson getting out of a bases-loaded situation unscathed. The pitching is certainly there.
The obvious, glaring issue with this team is the hitting. The team collectively has hit below .200. Until today, there were zero home runs, and only two doubles. The only player to have two hits in one game was Starling Marte, and they were both singles. Alvarez isn't looking good, if you know what I mean. However, you should wait before hitting the panic button. Look at last year's season. We started in a very similar fashion, with excellent pitching and extremely bad offense. But they pulled through. Eventually (May 25th to be exact) the offense lit up. And don't be fooled, the Pirates have some serious weapons. Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Garrett Jones, Neil Walker, and Starling Marte make for a formidable core. If something, anything, can spark this offense, it could easily light on fire once again. It's not a lack of talent, at least I don't think so. It's something intangible.
This bodes well for the Pirates because it means things could turn around at any moment. Today we could hit this horribly, but as soon as tomorrow we could have a big day at the plate. I'm not saying it will turn around tomorrow. I'm saying that it could turn around tomorrow. And there's no reason to say it won't be tomorrow. They face the Arizona Diamondbacks, who play in a very hitter-friendly ballpark, which could be just the thing to get this offense going.
I'm not pretending that this first week hasn't been bad. All I mean to say is that the potential is there to pick things up any day now.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Happy Easter... I mean Opening Day-Eve
Finally. The most mind numbingly boring thing in sports, MLB Spring Training, is over. The team is finally at PNC Park, preparing for Opening Day against the Chicago Cubs tomorrow. After an entire month of speculation of what will happen this season, in particular the 20 year old question of "Will the Bucs make .500?". Well, after a month of thinking, one thing has become clear: Nothing is certain, there are too many variables.
So, on this Opening Day-Eve, I'm taking one last stab at a preview to the 2013 season.
Four players you can expect big things from in 2013
Andrew McCutchen, CF-- This one is so obvious, I considered not even writing it. Last year, Cutch established himself as a true superpower in the MLB. He had a bit of a drop-off in the final 1/3 of the season, which coincided with the team's collapse. He is hungry to put up big numbers the whole way through, and more importantly, he is hungry to carry this team into the playoffs.
Starling Marte, RF-- Marte was called up from the minors in late July of 2012. He famously crushed a home run on his first pitch of his first at-bat, which happened to be the first pitch of the game. A big statement indeed. The next 2.5 months were so-so for Marte. He didn't meet the unfair expectations that come with such a statement, however he wasn't all that bad. He is very young, and has lots of potential. Look for him to try to establish himself as a quality MLB hitter in 2013.
Clint Barmes-- In this case, you need to thing of "big things" in a relative way. Barmes was terrible for most of 2012. He showed signs of life in parts of August and September, but that was it. I see him making a comeback this year, posting something like a .250-.260 batting average.
Wandy Rodriguez-- Wandy was acquired by the Bucs at last year's trade deadline. As a starting pitcher, he turned in solid outings in nearly every start. He had been doing that for a long time with Houston, but couldn't be seen behind all that failure by the Astros.
Two players NOT to expect big things from in 2013
Neil Walker-- Walker entered the Big Leagues in 2010. He has been a fairly good player his whole career. Last year he hit very few home runs and showed very little power. Also, he was injured for most of August and September. This is just one person's opinion, but I don't thing Walker will have a good 2013.
Jeff Locke-- Jeff was called up from the minors in August of 2012, and never really put together an impressive performance. While he is young with good potential, I see him having a poor start to 2013 and being replaced by a healed Jeff Karstens or Charlie Morton.
Final prediction for 2013
Record: 88-74
Wild Card appearance
So, on this Opening Day-Eve, I'm taking one last stab at a preview to the 2013 season.
Four players you can expect big things from in 2013
Andrew McCutchen, CF-- This one is so obvious, I considered not even writing it. Last year, Cutch established himself as a true superpower in the MLB. He had a bit of a drop-off in the final 1/3 of the season, which coincided with the team's collapse. He is hungry to put up big numbers the whole way through, and more importantly, he is hungry to carry this team into the playoffs.
Starling Marte, RF-- Marte was called up from the minors in late July of 2012. He famously crushed a home run on his first pitch of his first at-bat, which happened to be the first pitch of the game. A big statement indeed. The next 2.5 months were so-so for Marte. He didn't meet the unfair expectations that come with such a statement, however he wasn't all that bad. He is very young, and has lots of potential. Look for him to try to establish himself as a quality MLB hitter in 2013.
Clint Barmes-- In this case, you need to thing of "big things" in a relative way. Barmes was terrible for most of 2012. He showed signs of life in parts of August and September, but that was it. I see him making a comeback this year, posting something like a .250-.260 batting average.
Wandy Rodriguez-- Wandy was acquired by the Bucs at last year's trade deadline. As a starting pitcher, he turned in solid outings in nearly every start. He had been doing that for a long time with Houston, but couldn't be seen behind all that failure by the Astros.
Two players NOT to expect big things from in 2013
Neil Walker-- Walker entered the Big Leagues in 2010. He has been a fairly good player his whole career. Last year he hit very few home runs and showed very little power. Also, he was injured for most of August and September. This is just one person's opinion, but I don't thing Walker will have a good 2013.
Jeff Locke-- Jeff was called up from the minors in August of 2012, and never really put together an impressive performance. While he is young with good potential, I see him having a poor start to 2013 and being replaced by a healed Jeff Karstens or Charlie Morton.
Final prediction for 2013
Record: 88-74
Wild Card appearance
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
5 Starters, .500
I could write a list a mile long of things that need to happen for the Pirates to have a winning season. Their first winning season in twenty years, the longest such streak in North American Professional Sports. The most important thing to a team's success, by far, is strong starting pitching. The Bucs' rotation of SP's this year is hard to gauge, due to some injuries and player inconsistency. Here's what it looks like to start the season(Opening Day is monday!).
1. AJ Burnett AJ was one of the Pirates' biggest bright spots last year. In his second start of the year, he allowed a baseball record nine runs through four innings. After that, he played like a true ace for pretty much the entire season, including a one hit masterpiece in which he came within four outs of a no-hitter. He also served as a veteran leader for the team. Look for the same strong play this year, but don't be too surprised if he slows down a little. He is 37 after all.
2. Wandy Rodriguez The Pirates made three trades at the trade-deadline last year, and one of them could be considered a success. That one success would be the trade that brought SP Wandy Rodriguez from Houston. Rodriguez played excellent ball, although it was a small sample size starting at the mid-august trade-deadline. All signs point to him having another solid year this year.
3. James McDonald JMac is probably the hardest pitcher to gauge of them all. In the first half of the 2012 season, he played like an ace, an all-star. After the all-star break (the midway point of the season) things went south in a hurry. From the midpoint on, he posted an Earned Runs Average (ERA) above eight. Eventually, in mid-August, he was pulled from the starting rotation and demoted to the bullpen. So the question for this year is "which JMac will we see this year? The ace, or the 8+ ERA JMac? A lot of the Pirates' success this year depends on that.
Veterans Jeff Karstens and Charlie Morton will both start the season injured, and the following guys will fill in for them:
4. Jonathan Sanchez Sanchez, signed in the offseason by the Bucs, is one of the more bizarre stories on the team this year. Four years ago, he threw a no-hitter. Last year, he had an ERA above nine. NINE. What is more disturbing is that the Pirates' front office somehow thought he would be a good addition this year, and signed him to a minor league contract. The most disturbing is that they promoted him to the Majors, and gave him a spot as a starting pitcher. Buckle your seatbelts. Let's hope he proves me wrong.
5. Jeff Locke Jeff Locke was given his first chance as a starter during the second half of last season. He put up poor performances, simple as that. However, he is very young, and shows potential. We'll see.
A lot of the Pirates' hopes this year depends on these people. The latter two tossers seem like a dreadful back-end of the rotation, but help will come when Karstens and Morton return. Another piece of good news: 2010 first-round draft pick Gerrit Cole is ready to play at the major league level. He probably won't be called up to Pittsburgh until at least June, which would allow the Pirates to retain him for an extra year.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Pirates Batting Order
There are 25 days until Opening Day for the Pirates. Over two weeks into Spring Training, we already have a good idea of what the team should look like. Here's what I (not necessarily Clint Hurdle) think the batting order should be.
1. Jose Tabata, RF
2. Starling Marte, LF
3. Andrew McCutchen, CF
4. Garrett Jones, 1B
5. Pedro Alvarez, 3B
6. Neil Walker, 2B
7. Russell Martin, C
8. Clint Barmes, SS
9. A.J. Burnett, P
1. Tabata has the skills to be a good Major-League player. As he showed last year, he lacked some of the motivation and effort. If he gets it together, he should make the lineup. He is in the leadoff spot over Marte because Marte is known to be more of a free-swinging type of player, which is not ideal for leadoff.
2. Marte is speedy, and has some power, but isn't a true home run guy. Perfect for the 2-hole.
3. No brainer. McCutchen played every game last year in the 3-spot, putting up a .327 average. He got 195 hits, including 29 doubles and 31 home runs. Don't change a thing.
4. I have Jones batting cleanup not because he is a better power hitter than Alvarez, but because Alvarez has NEVER played well in the 4-spot. Most of his notorious slumps can be traced back to being put there.
5. Being in the 5-spot gives Alvarez a chance to clear the bases with his mighty power, but without some of the pressure of the cleanup spot.
6. Not much debate here. Walker is a solid hitter, but without very much power. Easily better than the two below him.
7. Martin is coming off of a poor season with the Yankees, but, hey, so was A.J. Burnett last year. The only reason I didn't put him in the 2-hole is because the bottom of the lineup needs more stability.
8. Not much thought here. The worst hitter in this group of eight, although he showed signs of life at the end of last year.
1. Jose Tabata, RF
2. Starling Marte, LF
3. Andrew McCutchen, CF
4. Garrett Jones, 1B
5. Pedro Alvarez, 3B
6. Neil Walker, 2B
7. Russell Martin, C
8. Clint Barmes, SS
9. A.J. Burnett, P
1. Tabata has the skills to be a good Major-League player. As he showed last year, he lacked some of the motivation and effort. If he gets it together, he should make the lineup. He is in the leadoff spot over Marte because Marte is known to be more of a free-swinging type of player, which is not ideal for leadoff.
2. Marte is speedy, and has some power, but isn't a true home run guy. Perfect for the 2-hole.
3. No brainer. McCutchen played every game last year in the 3-spot, putting up a .327 average. He got 195 hits, including 29 doubles and 31 home runs. Don't change a thing.
4. I have Jones batting cleanup not because he is a better power hitter than Alvarez, but because Alvarez has NEVER played well in the 4-spot. Most of his notorious slumps can be traced back to being put there.
5. Being in the 5-spot gives Alvarez a chance to clear the bases with his mighty power, but without some of the pressure of the cleanup spot.
6. Not much debate here. Walker is a solid hitter, but without very much power. Easily better than the two below him.
7. Martin is coming off of a poor season with the Yankees, but, hey, so was A.J. Burnett last year. The only reason I didn't put him in the 2-hole is because the bottom of the lineup needs more stability.
8. Not much thought here. The worst hitter in this group of eight, although he showed signs of life at the end of last year.
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