At the All Star Break this year, the Pirates are 44-50. The six games under .500 is a two game improvement from at the Break last year, but can hardly been seen as a success. But, it also could be much worse. While it is seems invitable that the Pirates are headed for a 16th straight losing season, their are signs that things are beginning to change inside the club and at the top. Here is a breakdown of the Pirates first half.
OF- A
With the outfield of Nate McLouth, Xavier Nady and Jason Bay, the Pirates are sporting their best outfield since Bonds, Bonilla, and Van Slyke. You can't say enough about the job McLouth has done this year for the Bucs. He leads the club in home runs, RBIs, runs, and stolen bases. Add that to the great defense he has played, the timely hits he always seems to get, and you finally have a worthy successor to old Andy Van in center. Xavier Nady's days as a Pirates seemed numbered, as he has drawn multiple teams interest. Here's a hint, with the Tampa Bay Rays being very interested, you can use some players from their plentiful farm system to restock the Pirates all-but barren one. Would be sad to see him go, as his .321 average is sixth in the NL, but right now the best thing he can do for the Pirates is get some young players for him. Jason Bay has rebounded quite nicely from a slogging 2007, as he is right there with McLouth in offensive leader categories.
INF-C-
Adam LaRoche can't seem to get it through his head that the season starts in April, not July. He has been swinging a hot bat as of late, but what good is a first baseman that doesn't show for the first couple months of the season? Freddy Sanchez can't seem to get it right at the plate. Batting in the .220s consitantly throughout the season has left plenty of heads scrathing, and either the shoulder problem is worse then he lets on, or it is a huge mental hindrence. His defense hasn't been effected as much, so I am guessing it is the latter. Jack Wilson should his value to the club when he sat out most of the first two months, as no one the Pirates tried to fill his spot with was as good at the plate or with the glove. Wilson drew interest from the Dodgers, but they don't seem to be willing to pay the price the Pirates are asking for. Jose Batista had an awful April, but has he picked up in the recent months at the plate, and has done a serviceable job in the field. But with Pedro Alverez's drafting, he doesn't seem to be anchored at the hot corner in the near future.
C- B+
Ryan Doumit has settled in at catcher finally. His offense has always been his strength, but he has improved mightily behind the plate, and with his dealings with the stuff. Now if he could only avoid the injury bug that always seems to nag him, he could be breakout talent. Raul Chavez has been a solid veteran presence, and has collected some timely hits. Ronnie Paulino finally got the demotion that he earned all of last season, as his no accountability and flat-out laziness was finally dealt with.
SP- F
If there was such a thing as an F+, I would certainly give it. The Pirates have the worst staff ERA, opponents batting average, and have allowed the most runs in the league. It is mindboggling how the Pirates have drafted pitcher after pitcher in the 1st Round this decade, and don't have one sure-fire ace to show for it. They barely have any serviceable pitchers to show for it. Paul Maholm has been a lone bright spot, as he is 4-0 over the last month, and (shocker!) has an ERA under 5 at 3.93. Zach Duke has been inconsistent, and needs to work on keeping the ball down more. Tom Gorzelanny has been awful in every sense of the word. Double walks then strikeouts, an ERA at 7, the worst for any starter in Majors. Was sent down to try to figure things out, but it seems he is the next in the line of Pirate pitchers that are good one year, and awful the next. Ian Snell has been just as bad, going 3-8 and with an ERA at 6 and half. Snell battles, but its often in a losing effort. Phil Dumatrait has been decent, but shoulder trouble has slowed him down. Matt Morris was horrendous in the first month and a half, and was cut loose, despite the 9 million hit the club had to take.
RP- C-
Matt Capps started off 15 for 15 in saves, but shoulder trouble lead to a drop in velocity and five blown saves. Being on the shelf until the September really does hurt the club. Damaso Marte is as good as a lefty specialist as you will find in the league, and has gotten better against righties. He has stepped in quite nicely for Capps, and again will draw interest at the trade deadline. Tyler Yates has been the Pirates workhorse, logging the most innings, and for the most part has been a steady arm. Franquelis Osaria struggles to keep his sinker down, and when he doesn't he absolutley gets pounded. John Grabow is another good lefty specialist, but has a bad tendacy for give up the long ball to righties. It looks like John Van Benschoten has finally gotten his last chance at the Majors, and T.J. Beam just seems to be serving as a space filler. Sean Burnett has been ok, but doesn't look like he will recover the form he had before arm surgery. Denny Bautista has been ok ever since his acqusition, but also hasn't been overwhelming.
Bench- A
The Pirates are sporting the best bench that they have had in a long while. Jason Michaels is batting .412 with RISP, and has two game-winning homers against the Cardinals. Chris Gomez is simalarly batting .345 with RISP, and has played solid defense around the infield. Doug Mientkiewicz has provided the type of veteran leadership the Pirates have severly lacked all through their losing streak, as he is never afraid to get dirty or get in the face of a team mate. Luis Rivas might be the exception, as he struggled at the plate when given playing time after Wilson's injury.
Manangement- B
John Russel has done well in first half season behind the club. He doesn't make the excuses that his predecessor did, or alienate his team as his former did either. Also the demotion that were given to Gorzelanny and Paulino, along with the release of Morris, I just can't see Dave Littlefield and his minions doing. They would have allowed all of them to lanquish. Neal Hungtington will earn his stripes if he can deal some players and see if he can acquire actual solid major league talent in return. The drafting of Pedro Alverez was certainly a big step in the right direction, as once again, I can't see Littlefield anteing up either.
thesupposedbuckles There are some teams that you know'll fare well in the league year in and year out. Unfortunately if you're a Pirates' fan you're not in that fortunate a position. As each year they continue to disappoint.
What makes the situation perhaps even more untenable is the fact that they're playing in a state of the art facility that's above and beyond expectation. But yet the attendance there has got to be disappointing. So much so that they must now be taking a financial hammering when it's all said and done. An onfield product that's less than average and white elephant in its midst.
justan' aka tophatal ..........
Last edited by justanotherfan on July 23rd at 1:40 PM.
netsteeler- If we had played the way we are right now last year, we would have been in the race. But oh well, we aren't close to being an actual competitor, and that would only give some false hope of that.
justanotherfan- As great as PNC Park is, it is also part of the problem. The old ownership put everything into getting a new ballpark, and just thought that all that illed the franchise would be instantly cured with a new park. That obviously has not been the case. I know my Pirates aren't ready to compete on the big level, but they could at least show progess year to year, and at the very least break even every once in a while.
thesupposed' What's inherently wrong with the franchise is the business plan to begin with. And at the same time management and GM don't appear to be on the same page. Talent wise there are some good pieces there but when it comes to the coaching everything appears to be lamentable and woefully inept.
That's not the way a franchise ought to be ran. If they carry on this way they'll be doomed for failure and the fans'll begin to stay away in droves. That's if they're not already doing that as of this juncture ?
justanotherfan- Well, the attendence was terrible the first two months of the season. But attendence usually isn't the strongest in those months, as kids are still in school and stuff like that, but the Pens Stanley Cup run really hurt the Bucs at the gate. They were times that the Pirates had barely more people in PNC Park then there was outside of Mellon Arena to watch the game going on inside on a big screen.
There is nothing wrong with a business plan. But when that plan makes things like on-field play and player developement secondary to almost everything else, there is something seriously wrong. And the GM just operated in an alternative reality where drafting players on the cheap and then being surprised when they didn't pan out was seen as progress.
the supposedbuckles
There's got to be something wrong with the business plan. When a large part of their revenues comes by the largesse of the league. By way of monies received in terms of the tax sharing revenue shared amongst the lowered tiered teams.
As for myopic view of the Pirates' GM and scouting staff. I can say that I share your concerns. It's indeed ridiculous that they're so miserly. I know that the likes of the Rays and my team the Marlins had for some time done it with smoking mirrors. But finally they're now seeing the light and having success. As for the Pirates I doubt there's a backbone amongst their ownership let alone the coaching staff !
justanotherfan- I don't know if you were aware, but this past off-season, this was a big time clearing out of the Dave Littlefield front office, and on the field coaching staff. The new GM Neal Huntington has ruffled feathers for supposedly driving a hard bargain for Xavier Nady. I guess the teams wanting him think the Pirates should just accept scraps for some reason. The on field coaching has gotten better, especially when it comes to hitting. The pitching has gotten worse, but I think the pitching coach Jeff Andrews relationships with his pitchers is far better then what it was under Jim Colburn. And he hasn't had much to work with either.
the supposed'
And in your view have those alleged improvements made the team any better overall ? They're still no better off than they were a year ago. And inspite of that the fans have had to endure it. All whilst a pristine venue goes to waste !
Are the fans really expected to sit around for another year or so for the team to become competitive ? 'cause if that's the case then they're being sold a bill of goods at this juncture. It's one thing to expect 'em to endure this but it has become repetitive with no respite in sight.
So unless you're a fanatical fan of this team then all I can say ......is go ahead and endure it. But at what expense to your overall sanity ?
justan' aka tophatal ...........
Last edited by justanotherfan on July 25th at 9:31 AM.
I am 21 year old college junior who attends Waynesburg University(ye s we are moving up in the world). I am from Rochester, PA and still live there. I am a die hard Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins fan and . In terms of college teams I like Penn St. and Pitt, a mortal sin to some but I like both, deal with it.
