8-2 through ten games, 3/3 series wins thus far… can’t ask for more than that!
The Buccos
- Thread starter Pittisit4me
- Start date
Well there is one thing, these fly balls, some easily catchable, falling in between fielders at an alarming rate, particularly when outfielders should call off the infielder.
you started the thread saying they'd suck. They're 8-2. You still haven't posted something positive. Look in the mirror.
This isn't me declaring they'll win the Central or get a WC spot .. but they have a fun team. There's light at the end of the tunnel. This isn't like recent teams.
I really question your fandom / knowledge if you think this team resembles a team that not so long ago started Colin Moran, Gregory Polanco, Kevin Newman, Wilmer Difo, Erik Gonzalez, Dustin Fowler, Michael Perez, Phillip Evans, etc. Chad Kuhl was the opening day starter for this team. It's not even close. Michael A Taylor would be the best player on this team and he's our 9th hitter.
same old Pirates? No, same old you complaining about the Pirates. Grumpy old fan that loves gray skies. That's it.
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Pittsburghers love running 1st round picks into the ground. Instead of getting this kid acclimated to calling games and prepping for games, we stuck him in the corner and made him learn a new position. Then 2 months before the season made him fully transition back to his original position. He's doing a great job behind the plate .. the bat will come around. Leave it to you to call off a hitter 10 games into the season. He clearly made a change with his swing in the offseason .. he's crouched over the plate more and it's affecting his timing. He's one of the best hitting prospects from that draft. The bat will come alive.
Honestly, I'm more concerned that he is 6'0", 210 pounds. I realize that is about average for a MLB catcher, but at that size and weight, I just don't see him being a big MLB hitter, which I am hoping given that he was a #1 overall pick.
Yeah people wrote off Hayes and hes doing decent at the plate.
I started watching them again at the end of last season and it was refreshing to watch competitive baseball again from the Pirates. I think they are a bit better this year and are once again worth following. Who knows if they will challenge for a playoff spot but at the very least its an entertaining and young bunch to follow.
I get that there still may be questions with regard to Nuttings commitment to fielding a consistent winner but for now at least its an entertaining product.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Way more likely they'll trade away a guy that could make $20M in the next couple of years but I appreciate the optimism.
Molina was 5'11" and weighed 225
Bench was 6'1" and weighed 200
Henry Aaron was 6' and weighed 180
I don't get it??
Bench and Aaron were before my time so I cannot really comment on them. I'd love to see him bulk up 15 pounds to equal the mass of Molina to help him generate more power, although I don't think he'll ever be able to approach the defensive capabilities of Molina.
They've bought out some arbitration years/paid some of their own guys. But they always go cheap in free agency.
I'm not one of those people who wants to see them spend just to spend. I know they have to play for windows. Make no sense to do last season; made no sense to do this season. But if they keep playing well, they damn well better bust out the checkbook for the mere two players they need, like when the Indians went out and got Encarnacion during their run.
If the staff is:
Skenes
Jones
Free Agent
Keller
Someone on the staff now or Oviedo
Then they have a shot. Then go get another veteran bat to replace McCutchen, and stick Piguero at second with Triolo as a platoon guy at multiple positions.
LOL Babe Ruth was 6'2" 215
The point is, great hitters, the greatest hitters have quick strong wrists and generate insane bat speed.
Clemente was like 5'11" and weighed like 180. He could hit a baseball as far as anyone.
Bulk has little to do with hitting a baseball hard.
Yes and no. A lot of those bigger guys can miss the sweet spot by a good bit and still hit it out. It always frustrated me that we seemed to draft so few of them but then we'd load up on smaller infielders.
A guy like McCutchen lost that power fast as his bat speed diminished. Wouldn't have been as concerning if he were 6'3" 240. Obviously you just want the best players you can find at the end of the day.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Understand but they're never going to go big in free agency. They didn't work this hard to get the payroll this low just to go blow it on one or two players.
You very well may be right, but spending $50M more would still be far from a big splash. It would take them from #29 overall to #18 overall. And it probably wouldn't even need to be $50M, because guys like McCutchen, Chapman, etc. would be coming off the books.
they signed their 3 best players in the prime of their careers under great contracts. Lets go sign 35 year old Starling Marte to over 20M per year like the Mets did.
Nutting has proven that if this team is contending, he'll let the GM buy players at the deadline. It's up to the GM and Manager to build the system to get to that point.
We've been in this for how many years? the constant whining and complaining is so old from guys like you. It's a simple fix. If you don't like it, go cheer for the Mets! they spend plenty of money for crappy baseball !
pittdan77
Athletic Director
We were talking about signing someone over $20M but you wanted to call me a moron. You want to do hyperbole. Cool. Nobody is complaining. Just pointing out the obvious.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Problem is that there isn't much investment beyond four guys. They'll probably have to be closer to $100 million next year because they'll lose a bunch of arbitration cases so there won't be much room for any splashes. It's just not in their blood.
Would you feel better if they signed those guys for $25 million each?
Stupid argument. You sign the best player for the best price.
Overpaying like a lot of teams do has been proven to not work either.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Nobody is arguing to overpay. We were discussing the need to bring in someone who is worth that much and I don't think the Pirates have it in them to do it.
With the young guys they're playing, there isn't a pressing need to do that.
Especially with the young pitchers they can bring up in the next couple years.
They need to buy out Cruz' arbitration years, and that's about it.
Depends what the overall goal is. They weren't really much of a threat to win it all in their last playoff window, and that's even with guys like Burnett and Volquez panning out as if they were $25M signings.
This "wait until so and so and so and so come up" notion usually doesn't pan out as fans would like. Guys bust out; guys get injured; guys blossom on different timelines; etc. Cole, Taillon, and Glasnow (I think Keller might have been a part of that fantasy staff, too) were going to own this league until they didn't. Marte, McCutchen, and Polanco were going to be the best outfield in MLB history. Just doesn't work like that. You almost certainly need a few pretty nice hits in free agency.
Just like all the other teams.
There are busts in FA too.
I imagine if they need a piece or two in the coming years, they'll get what they need.
Not the premiere high priced guys, who are rarely worth it anyway, but serviceable pieces that will help.
Right, but the margin for error is the single biggest difference between the high payroll teams and the cheapskates. The Mets are paying about $22M more for guys who aren't on their roster right now than the Pirates are paying for their roster. Talking about total payroll vs the 26-man rosters for each team. And that's depressing as hell.
Maybe the Mets aren't the greatest example, because they've sucked lately, but I used them more to illustrate the ridiculous disparity. You can't live in the area the Pirates have an expect much.
The numbers are always going to be skewed because of market rates being ridiculous. Like when the Angels gave Albert Pujols 10 years $240M, there was no way they expected to get more than 4 or 5 high-quality years out of him. So it looks like they were getting little return value on their investment, but that's something they always knew would be the case (obviously they ended up getting WAY less value than they thought they would). Some stats guy can do what he will with that info, but the reality is they knew that half of that contract was going to be paying for meh seasons.
That said, none of this should take the heat off Nutting not spending when the opportunity presents itself. Dude shouldn't be pocketing the amounts he has over the years. End of story.
Okay well nothing I've seen from Davis so far suggests exceptionally quick strong wrists. I don't think there are many exercises he can do to build that skill, but I'm sure he could try. He could also add some weight to generate more force if he can maintain his current bat speed.
I just wish those Buccos would beat a decent team. lol. Last year was a false hope in April but this feels different.
They took 2/3 against the Orioles, who are considered one of the best team's in the AL.
Sorry I was being facetious. It didn’t come across well in written form. They continue to kick ass but some still don’t believe
Already down 1-0 in the first half inning. Here comes the losing streak 
🤡🤡Already down 1-0 in the first half inning. Here comes the losing streak
