The Pirates have fired Altoona manager Matt Walbeck, who just guided the Curve to the Eastern League (AA) championship, supposedly for not following their developmental rules rigidly enough.
And here I was, thinking he might replace Russell. Dumb ass.
Showing posts with label pirates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pirates. Show all posts
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Outfield
Continuing on...
Left Field - Jose Tabata. This one's easy.
Center Field - Andrew McCutchen. Another gimme.
Right Field - Enough candidates that a healthy platoon arrangement would be great to get everyone some at bats while things sorted themselves out, but...all the best candidates hit left-handed. (Lastings Milledge is, at best, a fourth outfielder on a mediocre team.) Bowker has shown flashes, Presley is an intriguing player (though the Pirates really need a corner outfielder with some pop), and Brandon Moss drove in 96 runs for Indianapolis (though with pedestrian OBP/SLG/OPS numbers). Garrett Jones can't be left out of the mix. His not quite outstanding power numbers can be carried better in the outfield than at first, and he's not a bad outfielder. Aside from catcher, right field probably has the most questions, but also the most potential answers.
Left Field - Jose Tabata. This one's easy.
Center Field - Andrew McCutchen. Another gimme.
Right Field - Enough candidates that a healthy platoon arrangement would be great to get everyone some at bats while things sorted themselves out, but...all the best candidates hit left-handed. (Lastings Milledge is, at best, a fourth outfielder on a mediocre team.) Bowker has shown flashes, Presley is an intriguing player (though the Pirates really need a corner outfielder with some pop), and Brandon Moss drove in 96 runs for Indianapolis (though with pedestrian OBP/SLG/OPS numbers). Garrett Jones can't be left out of the mix. His not quite outstanding power numbers can be carried better in the outfield than at first, and he's not a bad outfielder. Aside from catcher, right field probably has the most questions, but also the most potential answers.
The Infield
The season ends this weekend, so I decided to get my thoughts on the Pirates down before hockey takes over. (Yes, I know it's football season. I'm just not jazzed about it this year, and I'm not 100% sure why not. Maybe watching the Baltimore game on Sunday while wearing my Hines Ward shirt will rev me up.) The Pirates have played pretty well down the stretch, winning seven of nine on their last home stand, beating St. Louis impressively last night. (Sure, it's a St. Louis AAAA team, but Pujols and Holliday played, so I'm taking full satisfaction.) The home record was 40-41, so even a return to being bad on the road next year can lead to quite a bit of improvement. (Just winning one of three on the road would have made this season's final record 67-95, which stinks, but we'd all take it right now.)
I'll get the whole team during the week. I'll start with the infield.
Catcher - Not really a weakness right now, but not a strength, and no one can afford to spend what will probably be at least 25% of next years budget on one position that's not better than this. Doumit can hit, can't catch; Snyder can catch, but can't hit. One of them has to go. It looks like the hitting might be coming around in other positions, and this will be a young staff that might benefit from a better receiver, so I'm thinking Snyder stays. The backup has to have a bat, so one may have to be obtained, unless they want to roll the dice with Eric Kratz, who hit well in Indianapolis. Tony Sanchez is on the way, but not before 2013.
First Base - If Garrett Jones hits like he did the second half of 2009, this position is set. If he hits like he did this year, he could be a decent left-handed half of a platoon if you can find a right-handed bopper. Getting half a player is easier than getting a whole player, so this might work out. (Steve Pearce, anyone?)
Second Base - Neil Walker. Boy, did our crack scouts miss the boat on this one.
Shortstop - Ronny Cedeno stinks. I'm not scout, but even I can see why teams keep giving him a chance. 2010 was his sixth year in the Show; if he was going to show any consistency, he would have shown it. He continues to make errors on routine plays, which a contact pitching staff such as ours can't afford. On offense, he has some pop, but his average is low, and only Stephen Hawking walks less. A key position to upgrade.
Third Base - Pedro Alvarez. Coming on strong, closing holes in his swing. Looks like he might be as good as they said he'd be.
Next: The Outfield
I'll get the whole team during the week. I'll start with the infield.
Catcher - Not really a weakness right now, but not a strength, and no one can afford to spend what will probably be at least 25% of next years budget on one position that's not better than this. Doumit can hit, can't catch; Snyder can catch, but can't hit. One of them has to go. It looks like the hitting might be coming around in other positions, and this will be a young staff that might benefit from a better receiver, so I'm thinking Snyder stays. The backup has to have a bat, so one may have to be obtained, unless they want to roll the dice with Eric Kratz, who hit well in Indianapolis. Tony Sanchez is on the way, but not before 2013.
First Base - If Garrett Jones hits like he did the second half of 2009, this position is set. If he hits like he did this year, he could be a decent left-handed half of a platoon if you can find a right-handed bopper. Getting half a player is easier than getting a whole player, so this might work out. (Steve Pearce, anyone?)
Second Base - Neil Walker. Boy, did our crack scouts miss the boat on this one.
Shortstop - Ronny Cedeno stinks. I'm not scout, but even I can see why teams keep giving him a chance. 2010 was his sixth year in the Show; if he was going to show any consistency, he would have shown it. He continues to make errors on routine plays, which a contact pitching staff such as ours can't afford. On offense, he has some pop, but his average is low, and only Stephen Hawking walks less. A key position to upgrade.
Third Base - Pedro Alvarez. Coming on strong, closing holes in his swing. Looks like he might be as good as they said he'd be.
Next: The Outfield
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Light at the End of the Tunnel
The Pirates have lost nine in a row, and they're finding creative ways to lose close games now. Badly timed pitching mistakes. Errors. mental miscues. A lack of timely hitting. Still, I think things are looking up, and the imminent arrival of Pedro Alvarez in Pittsburgh is as good a time as any to point it out: the kids we've been waiting for look good.
For the first time in several election cycles, there are young players with talent on most positions. (We'll address pitching another day.) There are really only two holes in the lineup, one of which should be pretty easy to address in the off-season. To wit:
C - At 29, this is probably as good as it gets for Ryan Doumit. It'll do. Nothing great, but he hits better than most catchers, has the requisite leadership skills, and his defense isn't a weakness. It's hard to defend his record for (not) throwing out base runners, but the pitchers deserve a lot of the blame for that. It's not Doumit holding the team back. (Unless he plays first base.)
1B - Let's say Garrett Jones for now. The Legend is solid in the field, and his average has climbed steadily the past few weeks. He doesn't have Ryan Howard power, and last year's 21 homers in half a season is probably too much, but he should be a consistent 20-30 home run man who can play a couple of different positions well. Definitely a keeper.
2B - We all assumed Andy LaRoche would wind up here when Alvarez arrived; now the job is Neil Walker's to lose. Walker has done everything anyone could ask, and his fielding has been a revelation, considering he just started playing second at Indianapolis this year. Let Bill Mazeroski work with him on turning the double play next winter in Bradenton and he could be a solid middle of the infield player for years.
SS - Hole Number 1. Ronnie Cedeno does everything just well enough to allow you to believe he's not killing you, but he is. His OBP is awful, and his fielding can be an adventure. Shortstop is the most critical upgrade on the roster.
3B - Alvarez is here. If he's all they say he is, he can be a cornerstone of a successful franchise for years to come.
LF - Jose Tabata has only been in The Show for a week, but it's been an impressive week. On base every time you look, great speed (and aggressive with it), has centerfielder's range. No problems here.
CF - Andrew McCutchen is the real deal. Still four years shy of his Age 27 season, he's a four-and-a-half tool player, and if his power picks up even a little he'll fill out the fifth tool. Without question the Pirates most talented player since Barry Bonds, with none of Bonds' downside. (Even in Pittsburgh, Bonds was a tool.)
RF - Hole Number Two. Ryan Church is killing the team with his .180 average in the middle of the lineup, and there's nothing Lastings Milledge does well. Doesn't hit for average or power, has great speed but barely knows you're supposed to turn left at each of those white things, and he might be the worst outfielder I've seen. Every ball is an adventure, and his Web Gems are usually because he's gotten a bad jump or taken a bad route to the ball. Fortunately, this is the easiest hole to fix. Corner outfielders who can hit are in relatively good supply. If one can't be found and a first baseman is available, Jones can move to right, where he was much better than I expected.
Bench - Andy LaRoche can be a good utility man if he can at least manage a league average OPS. He's an excellent athlete, smart, and has a great attitude. Jason Jaramillo is a good receiver, but it doesn't appear he's going to hit. Switch-hitting backup catchers can have long careers, so he's worth keeping around, assuming Doumit can stay healthy. Jaramillo's okay for a start or two a week and some late inning work, but you don't want him getting 20 at bats a week. No one knows what Delwyn Young can do; they only play him when there's no way around it. We've seen what Aki Iwamure can do, and he should be free to do it elsewhere. (In fairness, I has happy to see Iwamura come, but that knee appears to bother him more than anyone could have expected. With Walker being a revelation, there's no need for him.)
Now the key question is, what happens with this new core when they become arbitration eligible and start to make some real money? Management says they'll pay to keep the players they want, but it's been a long time since Pirate management said anything that turned out well for the fans or the team on the field.
For the first time in several election cycles, there are young players with talent on most positions. (We'll address pitching another day.) There are really only two holes in the lineup, one of which should be pretty easy to address in the off-season. To wit:
C - At 29, this is probably as good as it gets for Ryan Doumit. It'll do. Nothing great, but he hits better than most catchers, has the requisite leadership skills, and his defense isn't a weakness. It's hard to defend his record for (not) throwing out base runners, but the pitchers deserve a lot of the blame for that. It's not Doumit holding the team back. (Unless he plays first base.)
1B - Let's say Garrett Jones for now. The Legend is solid in the field, and his average has climbed steadily the past few weeks. He doesn't have Ryan Howard power, and last year's 21 homers in half a season is probably too much, but he should be a consistent 20-30 home run man who can play a couple of different positions well. Definitely a keeper.
2B - We all assumed Andy LaRoche would wind up here when Alvarez arrived; now the job is Neil Walker's to lose. Walker has done everything anyone could ask, and his fielding has been a revelation, considering he just started playing second at Indianapolis this year. Let Bill Mazeroski work with him on turning the double play next winter in Bradenton and he could be a solid middle of the infield player for years.
SS - Hole Number 1. Ronnie Cedeno does everything just well enough to allow you to believe he's not killing you, but he is. His OBP is awful, and his fielding can be an adventure. Shortstop is the most critical upgrade on the roster.
3B - Alvarez is here. If he's all they say he is, he can be a cornerstone of a successful franchise for years to come.
LF - Jose Tabata has only been in The Show for a week, but it's been an impressive week. On base every time you look, great speed (and aggressive with it), has centerfielder's range. No problems here.
CF - Andrew McCutchen is the real deal. Still four years shy of his Age 27 season, he's a four-and-a-half tool player, and if his power picks up even a little he'll fill out the fifth tool. Without question the Pirates most talented player since Barry Bonds, with none of Bonds' downside. (Even in Pittsburgh, Bonds was a tool.)
RF - Hole Number Two. Ryan Church is killing the team with his .180 average in the middle of the lineup, and there's nothing Lastings Milledge does well. Doesn't hit for average or power, has great speed but barely knows you're supposed to turn left at each of those white things, and he might be the worst outfielder I've seen. Every ball is an adventure, and his Web Gems are usually because he's gotten a bad jump or taken a bad route to the ball. Fortunately, this is the easiest hole to fix. Corner outfielders who can hit are in relatively good supply. If one can't be found and a first baseman is available, Jones can move to right, where he was much better than I expected.
Bench - Andy LaRoche can be a good utility man if he can at least manage a league average OPS. He's an excellent athlete, smart, and has a great attitude. Jason Jaramillo is a good receiver, but it doesn't appear he's going to hit. Switch-hitting backup catchers can have long careers, so he's worth keeping around, assuming Doumit can stay healthy. Jaramillo's okay for a start or two a week and some late inning work, but you don't want him getting 20 at bats a week. No one knows what Delwyn Young can do; they only play him when there's no way around it. We've seen what Aki Iwamure can do, and he should be free to do it elsewhere. (In fairness, I has happy to see Iwamura come, but that knee appears to bother him more than anyone could have expected. With Walker being a revelation, there's no need for him.)
Now the key question is, what happens with this new core when they become arbitration eligible and start to make some real money? Management says they'll pay to keep the players they want, but it's been a long time since Pirate management said anything that turned out well for the fans or the team on the field.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Iron Man Must Feel a Little Like This
So there I was, all set to question the Post-Gazette's Dejan Kovacevic on why John Russell keeps moving Neil Walker from second to third. Alvarez is coming, and we need to find out pretty quick if LaRoche or Walker should be the leading candidate to play second when Iwamura is gone, which we all know he will be no later than the end of this year. What are we learning by running his .170-hitting ass out there every day, taking at bats away from Walker and LaRoche.
So, like I said, there I was, the question crafted in my head, ready to transmit it though my fingers and into the ether, when I read Walker is now the regular secondbaseman.
I promise to use this power only for good.
So, like I said, there I was, the question crafted in my head, ready to transmit it though my fingers and into the ether, when I read Walker is now the regular secondbaseman.
I promise to use this power only for good.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Inside the Mind of John Russell, Part I
Pirates’ manager John Russell does not convey a charismatic presence in the dugout. More accurately, he makes Cleveland (Cigar Store) Indians manager Manny Acta look like Robin Williams on speed by comparison. Fiery leadership does not a successful manager make. Joe Torre is positively placid on the bench.
On the other hand, Joe Torre wins; Russell doesn’t. His teams also have a history of collapsing down the stretch. (I say, “down the stretch” like they were in playoff contention, when Pittsburgh’s idea of a “stretch run” is to climb into fifth place in a six-team division.) True, upper management has a habit of trading every marketable (read: due for a raise) player by the deadline, but still. The newcomers all have something to prove. Show some effort.
My complaints with Russell are twofold: bizarre decisions, and an apparent lack of any sense of leadership. He sits stoically in the dugout, looking for all the world like he’d rather be elsewhere. Some of that is understandable; watching some of the stuff this team does every night could make the Dalai Lama strangle a kitten.
Fielding, baserunning, and concentration errors abound. A recent gaffe against St. Louis showed it’s not just the players who are unfamiliar with the rules, third base coach Tony Beasley isn’t exactly Bill Klem, either. At least some of this has to be laid at the feet of Russell and the coaching staff. He’s been here three years, and the same kinds of mistakes kept getting made.
(An interesting side discussion could be made as to the whereabouts of former infield coach Perry Hill, who walked away from the last year of his contract during the off-season. The team infield defense has regressed dramatically in his absence. No good explanation has been offered as to why Hill chose to take a year off rather than continue in Pittsburgh.)
It’s Russell’s decision-making that defies belief. (I suspect this will become a continuing trope as I watch more game this year.) Last night’s blowout against the Reds had several examples.
The Charlie Morton situation can be set aside for the time being. Why Morton is allowed to continue to get hammered in the major leagues when he has an option remaining and could get his feet under him in Indianapolis is a question for Talmudic scholars, and is an upper management decision, For the record, last night’s beating raised Morton’s ERA to 9.35—three runs higher than the next worst pitcher in the majors—and dropped his Won-Lost record to 1-9; the Pirates are 19-18 as a team when Morton doesn’t start.
Here are Russell’s puzzlers from last night:
1. Second inning, Cincinnati at bat, runners at first and third, no outs, Pirates behind 5-0. Russell plays the infield back, conceding the run even if they pull off the double play. Five-nothing is a deep hole, but it’s only the second inning; the game’s not over. Unless your manager gives up. (Third baseman Andy LaRoche made the point moot when he threw a potential 5-4-3-double play ball into right field.)
2. Top of the third, Pirates down 7-0, Morton scheduled to lead off the inning. The Reds have betted around in each of the first two innings and Morton has thrown 68 pitches. Russell bats for him. This is fine. He hit the pitcher eighth for all of April, a strategy even Bill James says is a wash because the benefits of having someone on base when the top of the order comes up at least balance out the extra at bats the pitcher gets with men on base because he’s been moved up. On the bench is Delwyn Young, who hit three doubles Monday night and was left off the lineup card in the three subsequent games (Consider this Issue 2A.) Who does Russell send up to bat for Morton? Pitcher Zack Duke, hitting .071. Honest to God.
Was Russell saving a bat for later in the game when a clutch situation might arise? You’re down 7-0 in the third inning. The odds this game will get close if you don’t start closing the gap right now are about the same as me winning a Pulitzer Prize for this blog. Earl Weaver, the greatest manager of my lifetime, used to say you should never lose with bullets left in the gun. If Russell didn’t have any bullets left, it was because, by hitting Duke in that situation, he never even felt like loading the gun.
If things like this makes a relatively casual observer wonder how badly Russell wants to win, what must it do to the players?
On the other hand, Joe Torre wins; Russell doesn’t. His teams also have a history of collapsing down the stretch. (I say, “down the stretch” like they were in playoff contention, when Pittsburgh’s idea of a “stretch run” is to climb into fifth place in a six-team division.) True, upper management has a habit of trading every marketable (read: due for a raise) player by the deadline, but still. The newcomers all have something to prove. Show some effort.
My complaints with Russell are twofold: bizarre decisions, and an apparent lack of any sense of leadership. He sits stoically in the dugout, looking for all the world like he’d rather be elsewhere. Some of that is understandable; watching some of the stuff this team does every night could make the Dalai Lama strangle a kitten.
Fielding, baserunning, and concentration errors abound. A recent gaffe against St. Louis showed it’s not just the players who are unfamiliar with the rules, third base coach Tony Beasley isn’t exactly Bill Klem, either. At least some of this has to be laid at the feet of Russell and the coaching staff. He’s been here three years, and the same kinds of mistakes kept getting made.
(An interesting side discussion could be made as to the whereabouts of former infield coach Perry Hill, who walked away from the last year of his contract during the off-season. The team infield defense has regressed dramatically in his absence. No good explanation has been offered as to why Hill chose to take a year off rather than continue in Pittsburgh.)
It’s Russell’s decision-making that defies belief. (I suspect this will become a continuing trope as I watch more game this year.) Last night’s blowout against the Reds had several examples.
The Charlie Morton situation can be set aside for the time being. Why Morton is allowed to continue to get hammered in the major leagues when he has an option remaining and could get his feet under him in Indianapolis is a question for Talmudic scholars, and is an upper management decision, For the record, last night’s beating raised Morton’s ERA to 9.35—three runs higher than the next worst pitcher in the majors—and dropped his Won-Lost record to 1-9; the Pirates are 19-18 as a team when Morton doesn’t start.
Here are Russell’s puzzlers from last night:
1. Second inning, Cincinnati at bat, runners at first and third, no outs, Pirates behind 5-0. Russell plays the infield back, conceding the run even if they pull off the double play. Five-nothing is a deep hole, but it’s only the second inning; the game’s not over. Unless your manager gives up. (Third baseman Andy LaRoche made the point moot when he threw a potential 5-4-3-double play ball into right field.)
2. Top of the third, Pirates down 7-0, Morton scheduled to lead off the inning. The Reds have betted around in each of the first two innings and Morton has thrown 68 pitches. Russell bats for him. This is fine. He hit the pitcher eighth for all of April, a strategy even Bill James says is a wash because the benefits of having someone on base when the top of the order comes up at least balance out the extra at bats the pitcher gets with men on base because he’s been moved up. On the bench is Delwyn Young, who hit three doubles Monday night and was left off the lineup card in the three subsequent games (Consider this Issue 2A.) Who does Russell send up to bat for Morton? Pitcher Zack Duke, hitting .071. Honest to God.
Was Russell saving a bat for later in the game when a clutch situation might arise? You’re down 7-0 in the third inning. The odds this game will get close if you don’t start closing the gap right now are about the same as me winning a Pulitzer Prize for this blog. Earl Weaver, the greatest manager of my lifetime, used to say you should never lose with bullets left in the gun. If Russell didn’t have any bullets left, it was because, by hitting Duke in that situation, he never even felt like loading the gun.
If things like this makes a relatively casual observer wonder how badly Russell wants to win, what must it do to the players?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
PNC Park Sold Out for Fan Euthanasia Night
From the Onion:
PITTSBURGH—PNC Park boasted a rare sellout crowd Tuesday when more than 38,000 eager Pirates fans showed up for "Fan Euthanasia Night," during which each attendee was guaranteed "the sweet release of a quick and painless death" courtesy of sponsor PepsiCo. "For a diehard Pirates fan who has been following this team for nearly 20 consecutive losing seasons, or really just anyone who watched them get beat 20-0 by the Brewers last week, this is certainly a well-deserved treat," said 46-year-old Jim Martin, walking through the turnstile to receive his souvenir program and his lethal dose of sodium thiopental. "I haven't seen so many people so relaxed and generally happy to be at a Pirates game in a long time." An estimated 200,000 Pirates fans who were unable to get tickets to the game reportedly listened to its radio broadcast while idling their cars inside closed garages.
PITTSBURGH—PNC Park boasted a rare sellout crowd Tuesday when more than 38,000 eager Pirates fans showed up for "Fan Euthanasia Night," during which each attendee was guaranteed "the sweet release of a quick and painless death" courtesy of sponsor PepsiCo. "For a diehard Pirates fan who has been following this team for nearly 20 consecutive losing seasons, or really just anyone who watched them get beat 20-0 by the Brewers last week, this is certainly a well-deserved treat," said 46-year-old Jim Martin, walking through the turnstile to receive his souvenir program and his lethal dose of sodium thiopental. "I haven't seen so many people so relaxed and generally happy to be at a Pirates game in a long time." An estimated 200,000 Pirates fans who were unable to get tickets to the game reportedly listened to its radio broadcast while idling their cars inside closed garages.
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