OT: The (cough) Buccos.

[Zeldas Greenhouse]

Got a bad feeling about the fate of this team. I feel that they are too fundamentally flawed to win anything. Now they are faced with the prospect of facing a pitcher that have made their batters look like little leaguers on more than one occasion.
Of course this franchise is light years away from where it was 5 years ago. The baseball seasons are fun in Pittsburgh with a good team. But this team needs to grow up a bit, throw aside the super hero costumes and get better at base running, fielding and timely hitting.

 

[MrGee]

Got a bad feeling about the fate of this team. I feel that they are too fundamentally flawed to win anything. Now they are faced with the prospect of facing a pitcher that have made their batters look like little leaguers on more than one occasion.
Of course this franchise is light years away from where it was 5 years ago. The baseball seasons are fun in Pittsburgh with a good team. But this team needs to grow up a bit, throw aside the super hero costumes and get better at base running, fielding and timely hitting.

In spite of all the warts, they still are pretty damn good as their record shows---however, they must lead the majors in the number of times they've loaded the bases and not scored---like last nite---crucial game and they really blew it---then Melancon of all people lets it get away---totally bummed

 

[Pitt79]

This team has done great. I'm usually the one accused of being negative, but this team has maybe the 2nd best record in all of baseball and the misfortune to have to play in the misguided idea of the wild card game, while teams with records 10+ games worse than them are guaranteed a 5 game series. They aren't too fundamentally flawed to win, they are just put in a position that makes it more difficult. One and done is fine for football, but baseball is a different animal, you really need a series. Why? ! A 100-62 baseball team is considered GREAT, but that translates to a 10-6 football team. You need a series to truly determine a winner.

 

[Cap pitt]

This team has done great. I'm usually the one accused of being negative, but this team has maybe the 2nd best record in all of baseball and the misfortune to have to play in the misguided idea of the wild card game, while teams with records 10+ games worse than them are guaranteed a 5 game series. They aren't too fundamentally flawed to win, they are just put in a position that makes it more difficult. One and done is fine for football, but baseball is a different animal, you really need a series. Why? ! A 100-62 baseball team is considered GREAT, but that translates to a 10-6 football team. You need a series to truly determine a winner.

I'm a big bucco fan and love this season they did great, but what I would like to see is them being more aggressive with first pitches, they seem to like to see them just go by and most of the time when they take the first pitch, they get behind in the count because most first pitches are strikes and most pirate batter like to take, and on top of that there is to much guessing, is it a fast ball or off speed, instead of adjusting and reacting to the pitch and rotation, the first pitch to a batter is big

 

[MajorMajors]

The way last night's Pirate game played out, it had the feeling of some past wrenching Pitt football losses to me ...

Go Pitt.

 

[Pitt79]

Unfortunately, it seems like in modern baseball, it's all about taking pitches and drawing walks rather than aggressive swinging.

 

[JoseLind13]

Aggressive swinging likely won't beat Arrieta. If you don't try to work the count against a dominant pitcher like him, there is no hope of getting to the bullpen. It's not like he is throwing meatballs across the heart of the plate on pitch #1 compared to pitches later in the count.

 

[CaptainMurphy]

Aggressive swinging likely won't beat Arrieta. If you don't try to work the count against a dominant pitcher like him, there is no hope of getting to the bullpen. It's not like he is throwing meatballs across the heart of the plate on pitch #1 compared to pitches later in the count.

Right, I liked their strategy two times ago with Arrieta. Look for a good pitch to hit, but try and foul off the close stuff. Work a few 8-10 pitch at bats, regardless of the outcome, and try to get him close to 100 pitches around the 6th or so. Granted, the guy can go 120 plus and it's easier said than done, but it may be their best strategy if he is "on" again. As for last night, they were looking at too many good pitches to hit from Lynn. There was an at bat early on where I believe Polanco looked at two hittable strikes to fall behind 0-2.

 

[pitt-girl]

I don't know, baseball is series of ups and downs. Last night they left an obscene amount batters on base; last week they did a fantastic job of producing runs. They just came off an 8 game win streak (including 2 out of 3 against the third best team in the league) and all teams have their strengths and weaknesses. I think saying this Pirates team which could win 98-100 is "fundamentally flawed" is waaaaaaay off base.

 

[Zeldas Greenhouse]

Bad base running and leading the league in errors has me convinced they are fundamentally flawed.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Bad base running and leading the league in errors has me convinced they are fundamentally flawed.

This. Imagine where they'd be with even small improvements in both.

The silent bats during the 18-22 opening while the pitching was absolutely lights out hurts too.

I know it's a 162 game season and things tend to even out but this team could still have quite a few more wins even within that context.

 

[Zeldas Greenhouse]

That is what makes the Pirates frustrating. I don't know what they do in spring training. They have had bad starts the past two years. Part of this years' bad start was the unfathomable 18 men left on base in a game against the Cards; a record they almost broke last night.

I wonder if trying too hard is to blame for this teams flaws. They undoubtedly play hard with a lot of heart. Probably the difference between a good team and a championship team.

 

[MajorMajors]

Aggressive swinging likely won't beat Arrieta. If you don't try to work the count against a dominant pitcher like him, there is no hope of getting to the bullpen. It's not like he is throwing meatballs across the heart of the plate on pitch #1 compared to pitches later in the count.

Arrieta threw a lot of first-pitch hit-able pitches two starts ago. I thought the Pirates played right into his hands by taking the first pitch. Taking the most hit-able pitch you're going to see, putting a pitcher like Arrieta ahead in the count, then chasing breaking balls out of the strike zone = a recipe for being shutout.

McCutcheon has gotten into a rut, whoever is pitching, of taking decent fastballs and chasing with two strikes... Need him to straighten that out quick.

Go Pitt.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Probably the difference between a good team and a championship team.

I recently said the same thing to a few of my buddies. There's no denying this is a good team and I still think if they get by Arietta they have a good shot at beating the Cards. But they don't have that championship level feel to me.

Interesting though that the while the Pirates are next to last in errors (ranked 29 and only recently passed by the A's) the Cubs are 25 and the Cards are 21. I suspect however they don't do nearly as much dumb crap as the Buccos.

 

[MrGee]

Arrieta threw a lot of first-pitch hit-able pitches two starts ago. I thought the Pirates played right into his hands by taking the first pitch. Taking the most hit-able pitch you're going to see, putting a pitcher like Arrieta ahead in the count, then chasing breaking balls out of the strike zone = a recipe for being shutout.

McCutcheon has gotten into a rut, whoever is pitching, of taking decent fastballs and chasing with two strikes... Need him to straighten that out quick.

Go Pitt.

Agree, especially on McCutcheon---he hasn't looked good in a few weeks---same pattern gets him every time---he's got a far away look in his eyes!

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

I suspect the cards and cubs do they same idiotic things on the basepaths.

As a matter of fact, Wong got double up on a routine fly ball on Monday night.

I wonder if any cards fans are complaining about fundaments becuase of Wong's mistake.

 

[vinniep33]

Bad base running and leading the league in errors has me convinced they are fundamentally flawed.

This can never be proven, but I believe if the Cardinals finished with seven less wins, the Bucs would still be two games back, due to the errors, bad base running, along with the fact that the Cardinals are raising the tide of Bucs' and Cubs' records.

 

[vinniep33]

I suspect the cards and cubs do they same idiotic things on the basepaths.

As a matter of fact, Wong got double up on a routine fly ball on Monday night.

I wonder if any cards fans are complaining about fundaments becuase of Wong's mistake.

It was a hit and run, the ball was hit like a bullet and the play was behind him. He would have been out if he was the best base runner in the league.

 

[vietvet1]

Bad base running and leading the league in errors has me convinced they are fundamentally flawed.

So true!

 

[usf2pitt]

still believe

 

[MrGee]

still believe

Another come-from-behind win---unreal---just when you think it's over

 

[JoeScaz]

Bad base running and leading the league in errors has me convinced they are fundamentally flawed.

.. .. with 97 wins...

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

.. .. with 97 wins...

Lol

 

[ameoba defense]

The strategy is now to try to work deep into the count. In these days when pitchers are under pitch counts, teams want to get that count above 100, so that they can face inferior bullpen guys in the 7th and 8th innings. That didn't work back when pitchers threw complete games, and managers had no problem with a guy throwing 120 pitches.