OnlyBucs Interviews Dave Littlefield

by Charlie Wilmoth on Mar 8, 2006 5:08 PM EST in News

This may be the best interview with Dave Littlefield I've ever read.

Some of the more important points:

-The Pirates seem to like Nate McLouth. Littlefield says that Jeromy Burnitz, Sean Casey and Joe Randa were acquired in order to give McLouth, Brad Eldred and Jose Bautista time in the minors. (That explanation doesn't make much sense, since Freddy Sanchez could have played third in the majors while Bautista played in the minors, and the Pirates could have acquired a much cheaper fifth outfielder and let Craig Wilson start in right field while McLouth played in the minors, but anyway...) Littlefield says that of the three, McLouth is closest to being ready. He also says that McLouth will play center for Pittsburgh if Chris Duffy suffers a long-term injury.

-Littlefield admits he screwed up with Chris Shelton.

-Littlefield says that he signed Jack Wilson in order to "lock up" the up-the-middle defense for the next four years. He seems happy with Jose Castillo, Wilson, Duffy and Doumit/Cota/Paulino. This is odd, I think. Duffy doesn't seem like the kind of player I'd get complacent about, since he wasn't a spectacular hitter in the minors.

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Don't take too much at face value

This is the GM who told fans in private conversations that he traded Aramis Ramirez because Ramirez wasn't very good. He's talked to Jim Sullivan a lot and knows Jim is knowledgeable enough to realize Casey, Randa and Burnitz aren't that good, so the "placeholder" explanation is the only reasonable spin to put on it. And the truth is, McLouth, Eldred and Bautista just aren't the sort of prospects you bring in guys to hold down the fort for. I'll be convinced this is something other than the usual--just trying not to be too bad--when I see them actually put a team on the field that breaks this one-year-rental pattern of the last four years.

by WTM on Mar 8, 2006 5:27 PM EST reply actions

Opportunities lost

I'll be convinced this is something other than the usual--just trying not to be too bad--when I see them actually put a team on the field that breaks this one-year-rental pattern of the last four years.

I believe it's now clear that, over the last few years, McClatchy and Littlefield passed on building a team that would need to sign one-year rentals. When Duke, Maholm, Perez, Bay, Castillo and Doumit near their walk years, it will be at that point that the Pirates may turn these players into the prospects they need to build a competitive team. For the moment, though, we can only hope that the McClatchy Pirates will avoid setting the all-time record for consecutive loosing seasons by one team. Or, on the other hand, setting that record might be the one 'good' thing to which diehard Pirates fans have to look towards. After all, this record would establish McClatchy's immortality as the greatest losing and thus most inept owner in the history of the game. That'd be the beginning of a consolation prize for having lived through his tenure.

by steve_z on Mar 8, 2006 6:01 PM EST up reply actions

Holy Moses

"This is the GM who told fans in private conversations that he traded Aramis Ramirez because Ramirez wasn't very good."

I'm usually pretty accepting of anecdotal evidence, but Good F'ing God. He actually said this to one, if not more, sentient human beings? Seriously? You can't throw something like that out there and leave it hang. And how did that person or those persons not just backhand him?

by KPatrick on Mar 8, 2006 9:58 PM EST reply actions

Seriously

I'm too tired to do a search of the archives, but there's a post somewhere on the Pirate listserv from Eileen Lehner recounting one such conversation. I remember seeing posts online from other fans as well around that time, to the same effect. People who got private audiences, when DL was scrambling around trying to do damage control. He said Ramirez wasn't that good a hitter and too poor defensively to stay at 3B. Ever since then, I take every word the guy says with a grain of salt. To me, he's just Spin Doctor Dave. That's the main part of his job.

by WTM on Mar 8, 2006 10:09 PM EST up reply actions

Here it is

http://leeeny.blogspot.com/2004/08/chatting-up-gm.html

by Charlie Wilmoth on Mar 9, 2006 3:25 AM EST up reply actions

Blessed are those who have not seen, etc.

Wow. Well, thanks, I guess. I'm terrified to think that he actually believed all that, although ARam was/is no Mike Schmidt over there with the glove. Hindsight is one thing, but that wasn't even a good prediction then.

by KPatrick on Mar 9, 2006 1:43 PM EST reply actions