written by Jon Pennline
Season Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates
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| Last year, the Pirates went 57-105 |
Then, in the off-season, the Pirates signed Clint Hurdle to be their new manager. Hurdle has instilled confidence and accountability in his young squad; something John Russell, his predecessor, failed to do on every level. How much will Clint Hurdle's influence translate into wins for this young squad? It is impossible to say. Regardless, there will be a new attitude in town and this team will be better than last year's squad (not that they could be worse).
Hitting
Let's compare the Opening Day roster from 2010 to that of 2011:
2010
Aki Iwamura 2B
Andrew McCutchen CF
Garret Jones RF
Ryan Doumit C
Lastings Milledge LF
Jeff Clement 1B
Andy Laroche 3B
Duke P
Cedeno SS
2011
Jose Tabata LF
Neil Walker 2B
Andrew McCutchen CF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Pedro Alvarez 3B
Ryan Doumit C
Garret Jones RF
Ronnie Cedeno SS
Kevin Correia P
Top to bottom, tomorrow's lineup is full of young, talented players. Tabata has the speed and on-base capabilities to steal 30+ bases this year. Andrew McCutchen is starting to enter his prime years and could be a 20-40 player (20 home runs 40 stolen bases). Neil Walker may not hit .296 like he did last year, but he also wont hit .182 like Aki Iwamura did last year. Pedro Alvarez has significantly more power than Andy Laroche. Add a pure hitter like Lyle Overbay over a busted first round pick like Clement, and it's safe to say the Pirates will produce more runs this year.
Also, the addition of Matt Diaz, a specialist at hitting left handed pitching, is the perfect contrast to Garret Jones, a left handed bat who crushes right handed pitchers and struggles against lefties. An improvement on the offensive side will be better. This team may not win a NL Pennant like owner Bob Nutting wants, but they will certainly be more exciting.
Pitching
The Pirates had the worst pitching staff in the league last year. Their team ERA was a league worst 5.00 with Paul Maholm leading the team in wins (9). That's pathetic. Zack Duke and Charlie Morton were absolutely horrific. Duke had a 5.72 ERA while Charlie Morton went 2-11 with a 7.57 ERA. Since then, Duke has been traded to Arizona and Charlie Morton has been phenomenal this Spring, attributed to his change in delivery (he's dropped down to a three-quarters arm slot) and the rejuvenation of his sinker. Morton's success would be a huge lift to an otherwise, terrible starting rotation. The offense will put runs on the board for the Buccos, the pitching will erase leads; quickly.
Prospects
Last year the Pirates called up 3 keys players who immediately contributed to their lineup. This year, two pitching prospects should make their way up by June. Rudy Owens, a former Draft and Follow pick in 2006, led the Eastern League (AA) in ERA (2.46) and will start this year in Indianapolis (AAA). The young lefty not only shows solid velocity (92-94) but excellent control and a good breaking ball. Bryan Morris, the last Pirate player remaining from the Jason Bay deal, throws in the low-mid 90's with an average slider and good changeup. His health issues have forced the Pirates to send him to the bullpen, for now. September call-ups could include prospects Tony Sanchez, Alex Presley, Andrew Lambo and Starling Marte.
Predictions
- The Pirates will have a 19th consecutive losing season. But improvement will be noticeable.
- Charlie Morton will have a solid year (10-11 sub-4.00 ERA 160 strikeouts)
- Paul Maholm and Ryan Doumit will be gone by the end of July. Maholm will be traded, Ryan Doumit will either be released or traded.
- Pedro Alvarez will reach 30 home runs.
- The Pirates will finish above the Astros for 5th in the NL Central.
- Rice University star Anthony Rendon will be the first overall pick by the Pirates in the 2011 Amateur Draft.
- The final record will be 72-90.
I love it when English people try to pawn themselves off as the journalism type.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Buccos just released Craig Hansen. One of the last remnants of the Jason Bay deal. Guess he wouldn't qualify as one of the great players they got back in their many useless trades.
ReplyDeleteEnglish majors pawn themselves off as journalists? I'm sorry "Bar Keep", I must have missed when you won the Pulitzer.
ReplyDeleteHey bud, at least I'm posting with a name. I am an actual student journalist though. You appear to be making an attempt at sports journalism, but through your first two graphs I can tell you didn't take any classes for it.
ReplyDeleteThat wasnt me that posted the last comment. And even though I was an English major, I played baseball for 17 years, stopping at the collegiate level. I've talked to pro scouts and college scouts in the recruiting and talent measuring concepts of the game. I also worked at Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh and have ties to some of the writers at the Post gazette and Trib. So, I hate to say it but, you waving your student journalism classes in my face wont influence how I write my articles. Especially when you swear in your blog and your best buddy is a Sports Management major; guess he's trying to pawn himself off as a journalist too, eh?
ReplyDeleteSorry to burst your bubble kid, but the reason I didn't post with a name is because unlike you, I have a real job and a life. Consequently, I don't really have time to be bothered with making an account. The name is Karl if you're wondering and to be frank, a journalism major doesn't mean everything. A close friend of mine was an English major in college (and at a better school than Slippery Rock might I add) and he is now an award winning author/one of the top names in journalism for the entertainment industry. All I'm saying is, cut this guy some slack since you're not exactly qualified to judge - you don't even have your degree yet! - Karl
ReplyDeleteJon-
ReplyDeleteIf you had such connections,you wouldn't be wasting your time posting on sites like this. Or you might really have them, but they can see the same problems I do, which would be why you try to say the Pirates were actually trying to win in the past and why you are formerly of FSN. Here's a free tip though. You don't put the number 2, you're supposed to write it out. "two"
Karl-
Don't post as if you wrote the post then. Not my fault. And when you say things like this guy does about the Bucs then a four year old has the right to criticize him.
Oh no!!!! You've sworn on your blog!!!! At least I'm original. You're just giving your work to someone else. And his site has ads that says "get busty Russians here". If you have any concept of how the ad software worked, you'd realize that there must be a decent amount of text somewhere on here that is obscenities at the least. But no, you don't. Hell, you don't even know what's going on with your hometown baseball team.
ReplyDeleteTell me, do you plan on saying you contributed to 412sportstalk on your resume along with all of those connections?
John,
ReplyDeleteSo you quit working for FSN and decided to write for a blog? My guess is you got fired and that is why you are "formerly of FSN."
Although I don't write for Bar Keep's blog a lot, I still have knowledge of sports and will be college graduate in December. Therefore I have the ability to write a blog if I feel like it.
Also, if you don't know what people who work in sport management do, you should just keep your mouth shut. But since you brought it up I will give you a little crash course. When you work in sports communication it is your job to sell athletes to the media and the public. Therefore you have to write recaps and bios for media guides, websites, and sometimes even newspapers. By the way, you know athletic websites that you guys use at FSN (well you used to use them) well those are ran by sport management workers and the stories are also written by sport management workers.
Just one more think you most likely don’t know, you know all the knowledge that the announcers have on TV when announcing televised games? Well that information is provided by sports information/communication workers in the form of game notes. That is not all from the announcers brain like you may think!
Yep this is such a terrible blog and I'm such a terrible writer that you seem to take great interest in reading my posts and the posts of others. Unfortunately for you, I do not enjoy taking time out of my busy schedule to argue sports with someone not worth my time. Have fun at slippery rock with everyone else that couldn't get in to better schools. Again, your criticism will not change my writing style.
ReplyDeleteLol, my point being that you're at the same level as me in terms of blogging.Worse stuff has been posted on this blog, the one that you give your work to, than what's been said on mine in some instances. Thanks for proving your hypocrisy.
ReplyDeleteAnother one is that your writing style is most likely the reason you haven't been able to "use" your contacts with the Trib and Post-Gazette. Thus, that's why you do this as of now.
And you're really going to bring up the better school argument? I can stoop to that childish level too. I'm happy that you blew your elbow out playing baseball. Too bad for that Major League career you dreamed about as a kid. Thanks for playing. I'm sorry you couldn't get into Duke or Notre Dame like you wanted to. I can also go the grammar and capitalization route if you wish. Slippery Rock is capitalized because it is what we call a proper noun. You'd think a W&J graduate would know that since the school is so much better than most others.
Bar Keep, I don't understand why you have to criticize everybody's writing on this site. All writers make mistakes, or have occasional typos. It's not your job to point them out. How would you like it if someone were to browse your site and point out every single one of your errors? (Because there are several if I might add)
ReplyDeleteHave you read this guy's posts on the Pirates? He thinks they get fair returns on their past trades.
ReplyDeleteHave some respect. I'm the reason this place exists.
And I'm not criticizing for errors. I'm doing it to criticize integrity.
ReplyDeleteYou should actually read the articles before you make blind assumptions. The point of the trades post wasn't that the Pirates got good returns, its that MOST of the trades in the last few years have been bum players for bum players. The exceptions were listed in the post. Again, read the article before you blast my "integrity."
ReplyDeleteAnd the post about Nutting caring about winning was to play devil's advocate. Any dumb yinzer can say the Pirates suck and will always suck. Im writing from the other side. Its called "journalism". Look it up in your $200 textbook.
Yea, only two trades were bum for bum. You're spot on. What a genius you are. Use your contacts with the PG and Trib. There isn't another side to it. They know it, just like I do.
ReplyDelete