Dodgers 8, Pirates 1

If the best thing that can be said about a Pirate game is that ”...it isn’t the debacle of the previous night…” then I think it’s time to circle the wagons and stop ignoring the 800-poung gorilla in the wagon train. In addition to our lack of overall talent, we are now the worst team in the league in fundamentals. Forget that we can’t pitch; forget that we lack a true power hitter; forget that we can’t catch and lead the league in errors; but I can’t forget that we lead the league in mental errors. The lack of talent must be partially layed at Huntington’s feet for standing pat with a 69-win team and the propensity for mental errors must be layed at the feet of Russell for his inability to coach. Meanwhile, we’re beginning to insure that we tie the futility record for the 16th year in a row but yet we are not supposed to panic? When the Titanic is sinking you don’t yell at the iceberg! Will someone please do something to right this ship?

with most everything you say but we could probably have 4 more wins so far this year if not for those mental mistakes and errors. I honestly don’t think those problems stem from a lack of talent; just a lack of effort and concentration. That stems from bad management and not having the team prepared or a team that even cares. I saw Nady’s face on last night when he was on 2nd and Bautista hit a lazy fly ball. He looked pissed and he should have been. Instead of driving him in with a single; Bautista tried to kill the ball and flew out. Same thing with the offense. What has Nate McClouth been doing at the plate that the rest of the team doesn’t have the talent to do? In my opinion nothing! He’s just a smart hitter, doesn’t swing at junk and waits for his pitch. It’s not for lack of talent that other players in the lineup don’t do this; it’s not fixed through fa signings; it’s a management and effort problem. 90% of the game is half mental; no matter who is on the team, the fear to be perform has to be there and the management has to set it straight that everyone will give 100%.

you don’t have a job. You sit on the bench.

that. I’m just saying you can’t really say the teams failures is all from a lack of talent. It’s has a lot to do with a lack of effort and fundamentals. The potential is there, the effort and concentration, attention to detail is not. Maybe that starts in Class A and the entire system needs to start teaching better; my only point is you can’t say the teams losses always stem from a lack of talent. With the exception of the past 2 nights, every other game they played they were in, and stupid mistakes cost them the game. Stupid mistakes that aren’t fixed through free agent signings. The team as is has the potential to be a lot better through simple execution of fundamental baseball. Yesterday’s Post Gazette article says Nate was the first one in the cage for optional batting practice; (more effort on his part, not necessarily more talent then anyone), maybe it should be mandatory batting practice. Or in the Pirates case, Mandatory FIELDING PRACTICE.