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Pittsburgh Pirates

Steelers-Browns and Other Stuff
2008-09-11 16:21:00
Before I write about this Sunday?s Steelers-Browns game, take a quick look at the date of this post. I can?t believe that it has been seven years since that horrific day. Please take a moment of silence or reflection today to remember those who lost their lives in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania seven years ago today.Thank you.I feel like it?s time to revisit my post from September 2007 when I wrote that the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cleveland Browns series is no longer a rivalry. Since returning to Cleveland in 1999, the Steelers are 16-3 against the Browns including the Wild Card round win during the 2002 season. The last time Cleveland defeated Pittsburgh was October 5, 2003. That?s not a rivalry. Until the Browns hire Bill Cowher, win the division or defeat the Steelers more than three times in nine years, it?s just another divisional game no more or no less important than the games against Baltimore or Cincinnati.Finally, when you have a few minutes, check out the following...
Monday Morning Links and Other Thoughts
2008-09-08 15:54:00
It?s so nice to have football back! To see the Steelers have an impressive season debut in defeating Houston. To know that there are games on for approximately 10 hours from Sunday early afternoon to Sunday night. To walk around the grocery store on a Sunday and see people wearing their football jerseys. (Although why was one guy wearing an A.J. Hawk Packers? jersey when the team doesn?t play until Monday?) To follow your fantasy football teams and hope that Terrell Owens can score big points while his quarterback Tony Romo does not (or worse to root for Reggie Bush for one league and against him in another). Welcome back professional football!Have you watched any football highlights from yesterday? If so, you may have noticed every announcer gushing over Brett Favre?s touchdown pass where he threw a terrible ball on a fourth down that somehow manager to find an open receiver. It?s only a matter of time (probably next week) when that same pass is intercepted.On to the links?...
Why the Pittsburgh Pirates shouldn?t sign Barry Bonds (Yahoo! Sports)
2008-05-09 19:12:00
With Barry Bonds currently out of work and teams looking to improve their lot in MLB, the Shunned One’s name… Read the full story.
Game 32 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (14-18) vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (12-19)
2008-05-06 23:49:00
Vitals: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (14-18) LHP JONATHAN SANCHEZ (2-1, 3.48 ERA) PITTSBURGH PIRATES (12-19) LHP ZACH DUKE (0-2, 4.79 ERA) Game Time 7:05 ET XM XM 189 TV FSNP Last Game: Washington Nationals (14-18) 5, Pittsburgh Pirates (12-19) 2 May 4, 2008   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Pittsburgh 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 9 0 Washington ...
Game 31 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (12-18) vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS (13-18)
2008-05-04 17:43:00
Vitals: PITTSBURGH PIRATES (12-18) RHP IAN SNELL (2-1, 4.93 ERA) WASHINGTON NATIONALS (13-18) RHP TIM REDDING (3-2, 3.55 ERA) Game Time 1:35 PM XM XM 186 TV FSNP Last Game:Washington Nationals (13-18) 9, Pittsburgh Pirates (12-18) 8May 3, 2008   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Pittsburgh 0 1 0 1 3 0 1 2 0 8 14 2 Washington 2 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 x 9 14 1 Winning pitcher - Jesus Colome (1-1) Losing pitcher - Paul Maholm (2-3) SV - Jon Rauch (7) PIT HR - J. Bautista (4) WAS HR - C. Guzman (3) Roster Notes: The Pittsburgh Pirates today selected the contract of lefthanded pitcher Sean Burnett from Triple-A Indianapolis. Righthanded pitcher Evan Meek has been designated for assignment to make room for Burnett on the 25-man active roster. Burnett went 1-1 with three saves and a 1.04 ERA (17.1ip/2er) in 12 relief appearances this season for Indianapolis. The 25-year-old Burnett hasn’t appeared in a big league game since his start on August 21, 2004 at St. Louis. He will wear u...
Photo Gallery: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals, May 3rd, 2008
2008-05-04 01:34:00
Photo Gallery: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals: May 3rd, 2008MLB Betting at BetUS.com - America's favorite sports betting destination for all sports fans; adding more excitement and bonuses than any other sportsbook; on the web.
Photo Gallery: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals, May 2nd, 2008
2008-05-03 23:52:00
Photo Gallery: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals
Game 30 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (12-17) vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS (12-18)
2008-05-03 15:54:00
Vitals: PITTSBURGH PIRATES (12-17) LHP PAUL MAHOLM (2-2, 3.26 ERA) WASHINGTON NATIONALS (12-18) LHP MATT CHICO (0-5, 6.68 ERA) Game Time 1:05 ET XM XM 186 TV FSNP Last Game:Pittsburgh Pirates (12-17) 11, Washington Nationals (12-18) 4May 2, 2008   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Pittsburgh 0 0 6 1 1 0 2 1 0 11 12 1 Washington 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 7 1 Winning pitcher - Damaso Marte (2-0) Losing pitcher - John Lannan (2-3) PIT HR - J. Bautista 2 (3) WAS HR - Notes: Picked up 9,400th win in club history Friday night in Washington and rank fifth all-time in franchise wins behind the Giants, Cubs, Braves and Dodgers. Pittsburgh’s 141 runs scored ranks fifth among all National League teams. Pittsburgh is 12-for-26 with runners in scoring position in the last 3 games. Damaso Marte has retired each of the last 15 batters he has faced. Today both the Pirates and Nationals will wear Homestead Grays uniforms (the Pirates will wear grey away jerseys and the Nats will wear ho...
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (11-17) vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS (12-17)
2008-05-02 22:51:00
Vitals: PITTSBURGH PIRATES (11-17) LHP PHIL DUMATRAIT (0-1, 3.92 ERA) WASHINGTON NATIONALS (12-17) LHP JOHN LANNAN (2-2, 2.64 ERA) Game Time 7:35 ET XM XM 186 TV FSNP Last Game: Washington Nationals (12-17) 3, Pittsburgh Pirates (11-17) 2 May 1, 2008   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Pittsburgh 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 Washington ...
Game 28 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (11-16) vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS (11-17)
2008-05-01 22:22:00
Vitals: PITTSBURGH PIRATES (11-16) LHP ZACH DUKE (0-2, 5.34 ERA) WASHINGTON NATIONALS (11-17) LHP ODALIS PEREZ (0-3, 3.31 ERA) Game Time 7:10 PM XM XM 186 TV FSNP Last Game: Pittsburgh Pirates (11-16) 13, New York Mets (14-12) 1 April 30, 2008   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Pittsburgh 0 7 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 13 12 0 NY Mets 0...
Game 26 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (10-15) vs. NEW YORK METS (13-11)
2008-04-28 22:30:00
Vitals: PITTSBURGH PIRATES (10-15) RHP IAN SNELL (2-1, 4.45 ERA) NEW YORK METS (13-11) LHP JOHAN SANTANA (3-2, 3.12 ERA) Game Time 7:10 ET XM XM183 TV FSNP Last Game: Pittsburgh Pirates (10-15) 5, Philadelphia Phillies (14-12) 1 April 27, 2008   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Philadelphia 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Pittsburgh ...
Game 25 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (14-11) vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES (9-15)
2008-04-27 17:40:00
Vitals: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (14-11) Brett Myers (2-1, 4.78 ERA) PITTSBURGH PIRATES (9-15) LHP Paul Maholm (1-2, 4.22 ERA) Game Time 1:35 PM EST XM XM 183 TV FSNP Last Game:   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Philadelphia 5 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 8 9 1 Pittsburgh 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 8 3 Winning pitcher - Tom Gordon (2-2)Losing pitcher -  Zach Duke (0-2)SV -  Brad Lidge (6)Philadelphia Runs: 6, Hits: 10, Errors: 0Pittsburgh Runs: 5, Hits: 8, Errors: 0HR: PHI - J. Werth (5)HR: PIT - J. Bay (5)   Notes: In his two starts at PNC Park this season, Paul Maholm has gone 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA (11.1ip/1er).  Maholm has won each of his last three decisions at PNC and five of his last six, while the Pirates have posted five straight victories and have gone 8-2 in Maholm’s last 10 starts at PNC. Paul has gone 13-9 with a 3.53 ERA in 35 career starts at PNC Park and ranks six all-time in wins, one behind teammate Zach Duke (Josh Fogg is the leader with 20). In t...
Pittsburgh Sports Update
2008-04-27 16:08:00
If I wrote only a Pittsburgh sports blog, I would be required to discuss the Steelers draft. Since I don?t write a Pittsburgh sports blog, I don?t have to mention that I was surprised to see the Steelers select Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall. I would express a concern that maybe Willie Parker?s recovery from a broken right fibula is not going that well. I would write that Najeh Davenport?s career as a Pittsburgh Steeler could be over. However, I would also state that I saw Mendenhall play in several games last season and he is an explosive running back who is fun to watch. Even if Willie Parker is 100%, Mendenhall can certainly take some carries away from Parker to give him rest for the entire season and playoffs. The Parker-Mendenhall combination could be one of the best running back tandems in the NFL. Although I would have liked to have seen the Steelers draft an offensive or defensive lineman in the first or second round, the team drafted two players, Mendenhall...
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson hurts leg running out single (AP)
2008-04-04 04:56:00
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson strained his left calf while running out a single and had to leave Thursday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves. Wilson will be examined on Friday and was listed as day to day. He hurt himself while running out a run-scoring single in the seventh inning. Wilson pulled up about ...
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies Live streaming Baseball
2008-03-20 09:28:00
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies Live http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.p-hp?matchid=8411&part=sports-
Preview 2008: Pittsburgh Pirates
2008-02-27 19:06:00
The Pirates are trying to avoid a record-tying 16th consecutive losing season. Can they? Our preview of all 30 teams stops in Pittsburgh. Read the full story.
Family Day in Canada = History of ?Fam-A-Lee? Pittsburgh Pirates of 1979
2008-02-18 17:16:00
Family Day in Canada = History of “Fam-A-Lee” Pittsburgh Pirates of 1979 Feburary 18th marks the Family Day holiday throughout Canada. During 1979 in Pittsburgh it was family day all season!
2008 Pittsburgh Pirates Preview
2008-02-12 21:49:00
I will be covering the Pittsburgh Pirates this year (...HEY! Someone's gotta do it), and why not kick off the coverage during the long winter days after Football season, while waiting for the NCAA March Madness, and Spring Training to start??? So, since the entire County had off school today, due
Pirates Look To Walk The Plank Again
2008-01-29 21:51:00
Pirates Look To Walk The Plank Again…
Chavez, Macias agree to minor league contracts with Pittsburgh Pirates (AP)
2008-01-12 02:04:00
Catcher Raul Chavez and utilityman Jose Macias agreed Friday on minor league contracts with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Chavez has a .212 career average with four home runs and 169 career games with Montreal, Seattle, Houston and Baltimore since he broke into the majors in 1996. The 34-year-old Chavez had a .221 average with four homers ...
Dejan's McLouth pipe-dream; Top Prospects
2007-12-31 04:43:00
I found it fascinating that Dejan Kovacevic spent so much time on his Nate McLouth article. Had I been the average fan, I would have walked away drooling. I mean, gee.. Bill James said this-and-that.. it must be true.. it must mean something. But I'm not the average fan and Bill James is the one who taught me to think critically with stats. Dejan indicated the Bill James Handbook said this about McLouth.."Took 61.6 percent of the pitches he saw, eighth-highest in the league. Barry Bonds' 67.2 was tops."Sounds pretty impressive, huh? Unfortunately, taking all those pitches led to McLouth striking out one-in-five at bats - the 27th highest in the league for all batters with 300 or more AB. Maybe in 2008 he'll actually learn to put wood on the ball?"Had the league's highest success rate in stealing bases, 95.7 percent. He stole 22 of 23, a year after stealing 10 of 11."Here McLouth did a very good job. "Scored 38 percent of the time he reached base, 11th-hi...
PITCHf/x, Beaver's culture, and only 2 days left
2007-12-30 06:27:00
Know this guy? Here's a hint - he's Don Beaver's right-hand man in Charlotte. If you said Dan Rajkowski, you're right. If you didn't have a clue, don't feel bad - few do. Dan's currently the GM of the Charlotte Knights but that's a silly title for this man because of his extensive minor league baseball credentials - well over 20 years. You see, he was cherry-picked by Beaver to help bring to Charlotte what Beaver failed at over the last decade - a new downtown baseball stadium. And Rajkowski's won the war for Beaver, despite the taxpayer's voting for a new park instead of a stadium. Sound familiar? Now, none of this means a thing to Pittsburgh Pirates fans other than the few of us who know multi-multi-millionaires Don Beaver and Frank Brenner, both from North Carolina, remained on the Pirates Board all these years. You see, long forgotten rumors had it that in the '90's Beaver wanted to relocate the Pirates to Charlotte. Throw that out the door with this stadium at l...
Readers ask Jake
2007-12-29 03:29:00
"I love the new discussion forum Jake. State-of-the-art. Can you ask the new group if they can add some fantasy statistics?" -- EW, PittsburghAlex and the group at Baseball Interactive Media say thanks! Their intention was to give Pittsburgh Pirates fans a long-term place to hang out while making it as enjoyable as possible. The software does rock Pittsburgh Pirates Forum. As for the statistics, I can add a fantasy section to the blog here if you would like. I'm already doing pre-season projections but I'm guessing you would like analysis as well and in-season stats and analysis that isn't mainstream. Good stuff - I'll talk to them and look into it over the next couple of weeks since drafts will be starting."Best moment of the 2007 year?" -- PN, IraqWow - let me think back. It would have to be hammering the Astros in the opening series. There were lots of good moments but that one seems to stick out since my hope traveled about three steps up the ladder.&quo...
The Year in Review -- the Pittsburgh Pirates
2007-12-28 07:00:00
Breaking down what went wrong and where next for the Pirates. What happened to the "what went right" section? That left with Barry in the 90s...
No Erstad? Sanchez and Cubs? Plus, PR hits
2007-12-28 05:26:00
Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington had a chance to add a quality player in Darin Erstad but for some reason passed on him at the same price Chris Gomez cost him. Let's see.. Erstad potential upside or Gomez downslide? Erstad's glove or Gomez's no-glove? Erstad's left-hand bat or Gomez from the right side? You say Gomez was needed to handle the hot corner in Bautista's stead? Don't we have Sanchez (+20 runs UZR at 3B 2005 - 2006) too with a guy named Josh Wilson (+/- 0 runs UZR at 2B) able to take over at 2B? You think Gomez was needed to spell LaRoche? Erstad actually plays a very solid first base (+14 runs UZR in 2005 -- +1 runs UZR 2006 and 2007). No brainer. This is exactly the type of deal a small-market team needs to make - a plus makeup player on the rebound wanting a one-year deal who understands he doesn't have a full-time role. And he's the kind of player who will rock the NLCD right-hand arms.  I understand not signing a Lo Duca, I understan...
Luxury Tax vs actual spending and Dobrow
2007-12-26 06:23:00
Marlin blog FishStripes read a few random posts at one of the Pirates' blogs and the Post-Gazette and then said this about acquiring Jose Castillo:"I have heard in the past that Castillo has an attitude problem." Additional reader comments said: "The Fish landed a real lump of coal in this guy.. this guy should be called Jose Mendoza with the way he performs."Ok.. no SB Nation jokes. Where they got the "attitude" problem stuff is beyond me. Perhaps they need to do a site search here. If anyone has any clue about Jose Castillo it is Mickey White who, last I heard, is still working for the Fish. Castillo signed as a teenager as an undrafted free agent in 1997 and White took over as scouting director here in 1998. In any case, congrats to Castillo for catching a ride. May he finally get the chance he so rightfully deserves. -- The average age of the Pirates 40-man roster on April 1, 2008, will be 27.4 years as it stands today. I assume that is the younges...
Colborn rejection unwarranted & Paulino
2007-12-24 06:55:00
Several readers emailed me about John Perrotto's article Sunday on Neal Huntington calling Jeff Andrews telling him he had been hired.  In that article Perroto said: "The Pirates finished 14th in the 16-team National League in earned run average last season, just .02 from last place. That confounded many executives and scouts, who felt the Pirates staff greatly underachieved under former pitching coach Jim Colborn." Time to think critically folks. The National League median team ERA was 4.43 last year, according to ESPN. And 74% of the innings tossed by Pirate pitchers were thrown by our core ten pitchers who racked up a below league average 4.24 ERA (would have been 7th best in the NL). Those ten pitchers were: Capps, Duke, Gorzelanny, Marte, Snell, Chacon, Maholm, Torres, Grabow, and Youman. The remaining fifteen pitchers in 2007 tossed 371 innings and had a 6.94 ERA. Those 15 include: Morris, Osoria, Sanchez, Bullington, Wasdin, McLeary, Armas, Kuwata, Bayliss,...
Bay's days numbered and poor Santa
2007-12-23 04:21:00
I posted some of this at Bucco Blog's new Pittsburgh Pirates forum a day or two ago so if you have read the thread, you may already be ahead of the game. For those that haven't been around in a few days, the old forum is being shut down in favor of this new one that is very nice. Be sure to register at the forum because I just turned on a "Member's Only" area where the latest rumors will be posted as I get them and a few folks in the game will drop by and talk with us, some live. Plus, that way you don't have to wait for my midnight post to hear what's going on. That particular forum is not viewable until you become a member. Ok - so let's move on. Are Pittsburgh Pirates fans experiencing another war of the nerves like we saw in the winter of 2006-2007 between Dave Littlefield and John Schuerholz? It's starting to sound like that. Word on the street is that there are at least three teams with a continuing interest and open communications with the Pirates about J...
Fan boiling point near? Hot stove, jobs, & roids
2007-12-21 05:02:00
Over the last three weeks I've had some pretty heated discussions with several season ticket holders who have been around a long time. It started with one seat in one section more than a year ago and has grown to a dialogue involving several sections and many people. To say some of them are frustrated is an understatement. The curious part about most of these folks is that just five months ago many of them were still emailing asking me to be more positive and that I should put more faith in Robert Nutting. Throw all that out the door. The tone of the communication over the last couple of weeks has gone from "a little hope left in the tank" to one of total discouragement. They are not happy and are now turning angry. Imagine that - angry irate fans. One ticket holder said he's been a regular fixture for more than fifteen years and this is the first time he has not looked forward to watching the Pittsburgh Pirates play. Now that's sad. And what's even more amazing abo...
Durbin missed? Oasis Hillbillies and a job opening
2007-12-20 05:49:00
Chad Durbin. The Post-Gazette scooped Chad Durbin signing with the Phillies and suggested the Pittsburgh Pirates finished second again in trying to sign a free agent.  But did the Pirates really even want Durbin? Doubtful. On paper, Durbin looked strong as a reliever - a 4.18 ERA over 28 innings, 1.29 WHIP, and a 2-0 record. As a starter, he was 6-7, had a 4.88 ERA, and a tad higher WHIP at 1.48. But what you don't see is the 26 bequested runners he had and the fact only 38% of them scored, so his ERA could have been higher. In other words, he was kind of lucky overall. You also don't see that he tossed 2/3rd's of his innings in the first half and then got rocked in the second (5.71 ERA in 42 IP and 18 appearances). Nor do you see his xERA of 5.35 for the season which is a good indicator of where he really was at in Detroit. Fans think because he was in the AL he'll do a lot better in the NL, and especially in the NLCD. Don't be too sure in Durbin's case. The reason I say...
New Ownership, Buckley, and tidbits
2007-12-19 05:25:00
I am proud to announce today that I have been hired as a consultant in the game and have sold Bucco Blog to Baseball Interactive Media (BIM), a privately held group in New York City with interests in Pittsburgh. The deal closed today and a press release will be sent out in the next week I'm told. Over the winter a couple of media groups talked with me about purchasing Bucco Blog like Calkins Media, but BIM became aggressive late.  You may have already noticed some subtle changes the last few days and what they have planned for Pirates fans at Bucco Blog is unprecedented. It's an exciting time as this franchise moves forward. The good news is that they want me to continue posting. My first love in the game is the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise so I'm happy to do just that. Plus, my consulting work is part-time so I still have availability, but my ears will hopefully be closer to the ground. Thank you fans - your readership made all this possible. A special note of thanks goes...
What the Buckley? RC27 and rumor tidbits
2007-12-18 07:28:00
It seems Larry Corrigan's presence is starting to be felt with the Pirates naming Long Beach State assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Troy Buckley as their new pitching rover. Buckley was drafted by the Twins when Corrigan was in Ryan's front office and had scouted him during high school and college. Well, those that weren't laughing at Neal Huntington in the industry certainly are roaring now. I don't believe a college coach has ever been handed the responsibility of developing professional pitchers in the farm in the history of the game of baseball. If it has happened, I certainly can't find it. And what makes this hire all that more dubious is that Buckley wasn't even a pitcher in his professional career. Yes, he tossed some innings, but only because his value as a minor league utility player was worthless and he had a live arm. But that didn't work out either. So he went on to coaching. First as the Expos hitting instructor in AAA and then he became their pitch...
Egg nog, bullpen management, and walks
2007-12-17 04:22:00
Ok.. the egg nog parties are now over for the most part, shopping is pretty much out of the way, and now it's time to make a deal or two. Let's see how active the Pirates get this week. I'm guessing you'll be surprised. Stay tuned. -- YOU MAKE THE CALL: You are John Russell, it's about 30+ days before early camp arrivals, and you have to decide now your strategy on managing the Pirates bullpen in 2008 so that instructional plans are written. Which approach do you take with your current roster: bullpen by committee or assigned roles? Tick.. tock.. tick.. tock. Got your answer? Ok.. let's move on. Jim Tracy and Lloyd McClendon assigned roles when they had the depth/luxury to do so, so it's only natural that Pirates fans would select that method. But Russell has unique challenges assigning roles with the biggest and most obvious being that he only has three relievers with any real service time and one of those is his closer with the other two being southpaws. Succeeding as a rol...
Huntington 0-2 on Bay; Paulino; Fan profiles
2007-12-16 07:15:00
The Post-Gazette reported today that the Pirates actually backed away from the Indians in the Bay/Paulino trade for Shoppage, Gutierrez, and Lee or another pitcher. Evidently the Pirates brass shot down Huntington, at least that's the assumption I'm taking knowing ole' Neal got his job thanks to Shapiro. That deal was short and it was a good call. -- What the PG didn't tell you is that Huntington had a deal lined up with the Padres for Bay but he asked for San Diego's top three prospects, so says the word on the street today. I assume those three would have included Headley and Antonelli and we'll guess at the third as Latos or LeBlanc. That would have been two B to B+ prospects and a B- to B prospect (in my book). That's quite a haul for Bay knowing his risk, but about where it should be if we're looking for someone's first born. If I'm San Diego I'd run too and wait and see if he holds up early next year. Plus, I can always do a deal in May or June if I need the bat k...
Fan profiles; Beam added
2007-12-15 20:01:00
In the two years I've had this blog up you rarely heard me talk about players visiting the blog because the old regime pretty much put a clamp on their communicating with the fans. Blogs are seen as generally "negative" material and the club wanted the young players to keep their lives filled with "positive" thoughts. But don't think for a second they don't check in on us.. they do. No, they don't fill our ears with clubhouse gossip or rumors. But they have expressed an interest those following the club and have asked me to consider profiling the fans more. Since the new front office seems to be a wee bit more liberal with the players, it's probably time to start giving the players what they want.. You.. the fans. Gather up your favorite picture and send it to me using the email link on the right sidebar along with a little blurp and I'll post it here for the players/team to see. Somewhere in Afghanistan are these two Pittsburgh Pirates fans but they can...
T.J. Beam agrees with Pittsburgh Pirates on minor league deal (AP)
2007-12-15 00:22:00
T.J. Beam, a right-hander not offered a contract by the New York Yankees, agreed Friday to a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Beam would make $450,000 if he plays in the majors. The 27-year-old Beam was 2-0 with an 8.50 ERA in 20 games with the Yankees in 2006, the only season he ...
THE Report retort. More missed opportunities?
2007-12-14 06:10:00
Mitchell's report. I'm glad it's over, names have been released, and the game can move forward. I have to tell you, I heard Bay's name rumored everywhere over the last few months and I'm certainly glad he wasn't a part of it. Kudos to the young man, as well as all the players in our system. And kudos the the Pirates for agreeing to work with MLB on continuing drug education to the players. The fans are naive if they think coach's coffee, marijuana, or other forms of drugs aren't being used by some players. As for the teams who have players identified, as fans we should let MLB and the players union decide their fate. Each club will make their own decisions but I doubt any of them are going to release any of the players named. If nothing else, I hope this all leads to an independent testing agency - it's the one thing that should be done. Obviously the report could have had hundreds of players if Mitchell been able to get everyone to testify, so MLB needs to move forward o...
Bay and Barrett Buzz; Record by Runs Scored
2007-12-13 03:29:00
How about Buster Olney's report yesterday at ESPN? According to Olney, the Padres are potentially interested in about 25% of the Pirates 40-man who have more than 100 innings pitched or 300 at bats under their belt. 25%!! Talk about cleaning house.. Morris, McLouth, Nady, and Bay are all mentioned. This is probably recycled stuff other than the Barrett part, but let's take a look anyway and talk about 23 year old Chase Headley for a moment since he seems to be the star attraction in the fans minds. Headley is a B to B+ AA prospect depending on who you talk to. That being said, he didn't crack Baseball America's top 100 prospects in 2007 which did include Brent Lillibridge who we all knew to be a borderline everyday player. Part of the reason for that was because Headley had horrid home/away splits in advanced A at Lake Elsinore in the California League: Home: 241 AB, .261/.368/.365 w/4 HR & 13 2BAway: 241 AB, .328/.416/.510 w/8 HR & 20 2B To put his 2006 in context ...
Pittsburgh Pirates 2008 Pitching Projections
2007-12-12 03:42:00
Here's Bucco Blog's starting pitching projections for 2008: ERA xERA WHIP BAA W L GS IP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 K/9 Duke 5.24 5.96 1.60 .341 6 11 25 153 11.6 0.9 2.8 4.8 Gorzelanny 3.88 4.01 1.39 .270 9 8 24 146 9.2 0.7 3.4 6.0 Maholm 4.89 4.89 1.52 .286 9 12 29 171 10.0 1.0 3.3 5.7 Morris 5.63 4.99 1.54 .291 9 12 31 193 11.2 0.9 2.7 4.2 Snell 4.22 4.49 1.39 .269 11 11 32 196 9.2 1.2 3.2 7.9 Notice I have Gorzelanny short some 50 innings. That's because he was +40 innings last year and +26 the year before so I'm projecting he'll have some DL time this year. I'm not going to waste my time with Bullington, JvB, or Burnett because it would be fruitless - who knows what life they really have in their arms anymore. It should be said that those projected ERA's are low considering the relief pen we have right now. We're probably going to come close to breaking the franchise record this year for inherited and bequested runners scoring, be my guess. Here are a few relievers: ERA xERA WHIP B...
2008 Pittsburgh Pirates Top Ten Prospects
2007-12-11 02:13:00
2008 Top Ten Prospects Honorable Mentions 1 McCutchen Bixler Meek 2 Pearce Corley Molleken 3 Moskos Davidson Redmond 4 Lincoln Delaney Sakamoto 5 Walker Herrera R Sanchez 6 Astacio Keel Valdez 7 Ford 8 Welker 9 Benoit 10 Bresnahan It's a sad day when I have to dig through so many lower level relievers to try and find some stuff. But these are the guys I think have the best chance to move forward in the Pirates system next year. Ford is a guess because of his back injury; Astacio could get an early call up if Huntington doesn't find a right-hand reliever and that could stunt his development. Is Lincoln going to be Lincoln anymore after surgery? I dropped him a rung because I just don't know. And is Pearce really going to maintain? I'm not so sure I agree with the fans he will but threw him in at #2 because he got the job done. Honestly, after Lincoln everything starts to get blurry. Walker is an obvious top 5 but does he really fit after being...
Pirates ship continues to sink
2007-12-10 05:23:00
Go read the message boards, discussion forums, and print media, and it seems Pirate fans are almost glad Salomon Torres is gone. "No big loss", one post said. "He's 36, blew 3 or 4 saves last year, has declining stats - we're lucky to get anything for him. Maybe they will put the savings into player development," another fan hissed. Ok.. so now that Salomon Torres is no longer a Pirate, tell me, what right-hand reliever comes out of the pen to eat his 80 innings next year? And once you name that player(s), tell me, how do you think their splits will be home and away? Did you name Ty Taubenheim? Franquelis Osoria? Jonah Bayliss? Romulo Sanchez? Folks, I'm here to tell you that Neal Huntington blew a gaping hole in the side of the Pirate ship with the Torres trade. Let me show you why with a few basic thoughts:-- the Pirates were 55-107 last two on the road and, other than Capps who has been closing, Torres had the best right-hand relief ERA on the road at 4.56...
2007 Sabermetric Year in Review: Pittsburgh Pirates
2007-12-09 04:53:00
I grew up in Cleveland, and by city ordinance, I’m actually supposed to hate the city of Pittsburgh with every fiber of my being.  I never quite saw the point.  It’s a football thing.  The Indians and Pirates were never really rivals, and I never really cared about football.  I actually went to an Indians-Pirates game at Three Rivers Stadium, before they tore it down.  So, with that said, I welcome you to installment #9 in our 30 part series taking a look back, team-by-team, at the year that was 2007.  Ladies(?) and gentlemen, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Record: 68-94, 6th in NL Central (the only sixth place team in baseball)  Pythagorean Projection (Patriot formula): 68.99 wins (724 runs scored, 846 runs allowed) Team Statistical Pages: Baseball Reference Baseball Prospectus FanGraphs MVN Blog: Pittsburgh Lumber Co. Other Pirates Resources: Latest News Contract Status Trade Rumors Overview: I think I’ve pinpointed the source of the problems with the Pirates.  They don...
Pittsburgh Pirates 2008 Top Ten Prospects
2007-12-08 23:58:00
The Pirates will tie a dubious Major League record in 2008 if they fail to reach .500, that of the most consecutive years of below .500 at fifteen consecutive seasons. While it is almost certain they will tie the record, if the top four players on this list are established in Pittsburgh in 2009
How to disguise a salary dump
2007-12-08 07:13:00
Make no mistake about the Pirates intentions this winter - they are dumping salary to cover their fanny. And they have done a good job (the figures above include arb raise guesses for Phelps and Castillo had they been members of the club). Looking at the above table, which is a quick guesstimate, we see the Pirates have shaved about $1.8M from 2007's 25-man and can apply that to the remaining arb eligible players in Sanchez, Nady, LaRoche, Grabow, and Bautista. Obviously, $1.8M won't cover the five eligible so, chances are, we will see another dump. Marte's $3M should just about do it, assuming they add another MLB minimum salary player on the roster for him. But it will cover Littlefield's salary if he doesn't work this year. I doubt they stop there and have a funny feeling we are going to see Bay traded and, by the July trade deadline, also see Bixler brought up and Wilson dumped. Either that or Huntington will play the other Wilson until September. Those two additional dum...
2008 Pittsburgh Pirates Offense Projections
2007-12-07 05:15:00
It's time for the optimist post of the year where Bucco Blog provides you with our early player projections for 2008. Now I don't want to kid you - I extended these out as far as I could to try and see just what this team could be possible of, so this is the high end. But a realistic high end. Once the pitching rotations around the NL are set, I'll come back with the final projections. About the only unusual part to my projection is that I have McLouth in center 66% of the year, I have Pearce in AAA, and I have Doumit as the backup receiver and taking the rest of Nady's 600 at bats in right. You can view the entire spreadsheet at Google. Here is the basic foundation: AB R H HR BB SO SB TB BA xERA Bay 600 108 173 34 99 149 16 319 0.288 6.49 Sanchez 617 82 193 9 32 65 2 273 0.313 4.71 LaRoche 598 82 163 27 63 138 1 288 0.272 5.25 Nady 505 66 144 24 28 121 4 246 0.285 5.06 Paulino 469 52 143 9 37 88 1 195 0.304 4.04 Doumit 226 28 58 9 22 59 1 103 0.258 4.84 McLouth 400 73 100 16...
Buzz word is: Neal ain't gettin it done
2007-12-05 06:31:00
The Pirates seem to be close on a deal that was worked out Tuesday. What has happened since, I don't know. I've been instructed not to mention the details which I will respect. We'll have to wait out tomorrow to see if anything happens. -- There is a segment who have been silently questioning whether Neal Huntington should really be doing any deals at all. Remember now, he was an advance scout who typically followed AL teams and their systems and the last thing he had on his agenda the last few years was the Pittsburgh Pirates. Simply put, nobody really believes Coonelly down to Corrigan can make intelligent decisions about our system - none of them have probably seen even one player play except on film or in limited game action. It's one thing for them to have gut feelings about players like Brad Eldred. It's quite another to start heaving out the door players who have value, no matter how limited, in exchange for even less limited value players. As examples, Josh Wilson isn...
Nashville Buzz, fodder, and Rule 5
2007-12-04 06:39:00
Nashville Buzz update:-- as we expected, the Bay to Indians rumor on the floor became a non-issue and now the Jays are said to be potentially interested. LaCava certainly knows this roster and our farm inside-and-out and he also knows Huntington. My guess? As I've said all along, if Huntington gets his 2 to 3 prime cut package, he'll deal him, but I expect Bay will open a Pirate and then get dealt once the teams make sure he is mentally and physically healthy. But don't throw the Indians out the door on Bay just yet by any means. -- the D'backs interest in Snell was probably also lobby fodder, as they are off onto Haren. Once NL scout just told me that Snell is available if the GM's first born is also included. In other words, Huntington will listen to offers but evidently he's made Snell and Gorzy next to untouchable. Malholm, well.. -- the Mets very well may bring Nady back if the Bucs are willing to let him go cheap. That's the feeling I'm getting. Same with the Nats ta...
MLB Rumors Update: Johan Santana, Pittsburgh Pirates, St Louis Cardinals, T
2007-12-04 00:13:00
John Perrotto with Baseball Prospectus writes there is a growing sense that neither the Yankees or Red Sox will acquire Johan Santana.  The main story is behind the BP subscription wall which is unfortunate for the non-subscriber as the team there is in Nashville and running "The Mill" to report trade rumors. ESPN is also running a bloggy feature to provide updates. The latest has Steve Phillips offering up that Erik Bedard is looking more and more likely to be dealt as potential partners are lining-up.  This looks like a nightmare come true for the Twins who will see the competition destroy their bargaining position. The former Mets GM also reports some murmurs about a Pittsburgh/Cleveland trade for Jason Bay. This bolsters Peter Gammons report from thsi morning about the Jason Bay rumors to Cleveland involving Indians' catcher, Kelly Shoppach and others.  I can't believe Bay's value has fallen as far as Lastings Milledge's did. Dejan Kovacevic relays from Pir...
Hit the Clutch! Nady & Bay? Naw..
2007-12-02 08:45:00
Bill James had a wonderful article at Sports Illustrated wherein he talked about clutch hitting. James noted that over the years clutch hitting had been a myth of sorts because nobody could ever prove it existed. Yet, anyone who watched a baseball game could seemingly tell you when there was a clutch hit. Because there are so many environmental variables to consider in clutch hitting, James decided to narrow his focus to just seven factors: 1. The score; 2. The runners on base; 3. The outs; 4. The inning; 5. The opposition; 6. The standings; and 7. The calendar. James then weighted those factors and looked at the players. His conclusion was that it was easier to see who had better clutch tendencies than others, although he doesn't come out and say he has a formula for identifying "clutch" hitting. As stated in the article, it's hardly perfect. But it's a start, and he shows some examples in the article like David Ortiz, known as "Mr. Clutch" and Chipper Jone...
Hot Stove Diamond Notes - 12/1
2007-12-01 14:00:00
There is definately more to the baseball hot stove talks than Johan Santana rumors. So with the winter meetingsstrting on Monday lets talk a whirl around the world of baseball and pull up a seat next to the ol’ hot stove and find out what’s happened or may possibly happen in the not so distant ... SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Hot Stove Diamond Notes - 12/1", url: "http://soxanddawgs.com/?p=2836-" });
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