Steve Pearce Could Make Team
by Charlie on Jan 9, 2009 10:57 AM EST
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It sounds like the Pirates might use Steve Pearce off the bench. Pearce at least has a chance of providing power, which is something the Pirates need badly. His 2008 season was disappointing, but he wouldn't be the first talented player to go stale at AAA before contributing in the majors. If he makes the team, he stands some reasonable chance of wresting playing time from Nyjer Morgan, who I can't believe the Pirates' management likes very much.
The Pirates also might look for "comeback" players like Emil Brown, Craig Monroe and Jonny Gomes, the article reports. I don't know about Gomes, but Brown and Monroe aren't coming back; they're just awful.
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No thanks
Monroe and Gomes have been at or below replacement level in each of the past three years. Brown can’t hit at all, but has a little defensive value. At 34, that’s probably on the decline as well.
I’d be upset if we went after any of them.
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by MBandi on Jan 9, 2009 11:11 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I could live with Gomes
He’s a decent bet to rebound offensively to his 2007 level, and while he’s pretty brutal with the glove, that’s not as much of a concern with a guy who’d mostly be a power threat off the bench (and we could hide it a little in RF at PNC, since there isn’t much real estate there).
Depends what’s best for Pearce’s development, I guess. I’m glad they’re at least thinking about what to do with him – it seemed for a while at the end of last year like he was totally off the radar.
by Vlad on Jan 9, 2009 12:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It is Up To Pearce to Force the Issue With His Performance at ST
It is all up to Pearce. He should make the team unless he is hurt or totally bombs at ST. Then he has to perform enough to take over the starting job and push Morgan to the bench. It is all up to him. Russell will give him the playing time if Pearce performs. They need a RH bat and Pearce can be it.
by zogger on Jan 9, 2009 11:58 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Russell needs to give Pearce a chance in spring training
I was quite vocal last summer about Russell playing Morgan over Pearce for August and September. It was inexplicable except in a Jim Tracy kinda way — “Morgan is so fast and covers so much ground and looks like a leadoff hitter, so I will ignore his track record, his bad positioning, his throwing to the wrong base, his truly awful base running and his zero power.”
And to be fair, in Pearce’s too few chances, he didn’t show anything. But Morgan started something like 2 out of 3 games after he came up in August, and Pearce was starting less than 1 out of 3.
Finally, on or about September 23, Russell finally musta remembered that he needed some info on Pearce. Pearce finally got his (extemely limited) chance, and I announced on this site the Steve Pearce last chance.
Pearce didn’t dissapoint me on this most limited of tryouts — it was just the last two series. After finally, in the last week of the season, being inserted into the starting lineup he hit .320 (8 for 25) with 3 HRs.
Just a peek — and too late to get any reliable info whatsoever on what he’ll look like in 2009. And not what anyone expected when Nady and Bay were traded — I was expecting Pearce to get the same chance Luigi got in the last 60 games. But Pearce showed enough promise for me to believe this is a shared problem, despite his bad winter.
Pearce needs to perform. But the PBC needs to give him a chance.
by WstCstBucco on Jan 9, 2009 12:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Definitely Agree
However, both Pearce and Morgan need to make adjustments.
Russell needs to sit down and communicate with both of them:
1) Morgan – “You are absolutely no use to us if you don’t learn how to utilize your speed. If you can’t get on base by bunting and by beating out ground balls to SS, if you can’t steal bases at the right times, and if you can’t score close to100 runs, you are absolutely no good to this team”.
2) Pearce – “You must work on your plate discipline. You will get your share of home runs, but we need you to make consistent contact”
Players need to know what management expects and what they need to work on.
by thegunner on Jan 9, 2009 1:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The Come to Jesus Talk is Critical
thegunner is dead on. Past managers of the Bucs failed to have those kind of talks with their players. If Russel does what thegunner suggests, then let the best man win.
BTW, I agree Pearce did not get enough ABs at the end of the year. He is like Moss and LaRoche Jr. in that they have had too few ABs for a baseline to be set. They all need more ABs so we can see what they can do.
It could be fun to be Russell this year where you have a number of players all playing their hardest every night to win more playing time. Also there is A. McCutchen pushing from AAA. This type of competition will drive the guys to play their best.
by zogger on Jan 9, 2009 2:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Critical, yes, but
if JR is the first guy who’s had that particular chat with Nyjer… God Bless. The thing about Morgan is that he consistently shows absence of baseball sense. If I watched him overslide 2nd twice last year, that’s too much. His ‘07 highlight reel catches were, if nothing else, proof of his absolutely ridiculous athletic talent, because most of them either resulted from or reflected no sense whatsoever of how to judge a fly ball. That’s only sustainable while he’s got the good wheels, and he’s nearing 30.
My point is that if Morgan was capable of absorbing that message, he would have by now. He’s clearly a bright guy who wants to be a good pro ballplayer, but there’s something keeping him from learning the message you think he should be sent. Could be a mental block, could be a failure of execution, but it ain’t happening. I’d rather see him on the Pens’ PK in April than in left field. He’s the poor man’s Bob Dernier, or Gary Pettis.
by KPatrick on Jan 10, 2009 12:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
More advice
2)a Pearce – While it’s not imperative, it’s good if you have an idea of what pitches you’re trying to hit.
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by BadMaafala on Jan 9, 2009 2:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
On Nyjer:
Billy Martin used to say that you’ve got your horses and your mules, and no matter how hard you beat a mule, he’ll never be a horse.
Nyjer’s a mule. A nice, hard-working mule, but still a mule.
by Vlad on Jan 9, 2009 4:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
And Then You Have Your Horse's Ass ...
may he rest in peace!
by thegunner on Jan 9, 2009 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Billy Martin = Bill Parcells
Obviously he was not always the only factor, but:
1968 Twins, Cal Ermer, 79-83
1969 Twins, Billy Martin, 97-65
1970 Tigers, Mayo Smith, 79-83
1971 Tigers, Billy Martin, 91-71 (and won ALW in 1972)
1972-73 Rangers, (several), 111-205
1974 Rangers, Billy Martin, 84-76
1979 A’s, Jim Marshall, 54-108
1980 A’s, Billy Martin, 83-79 (won ALW in strike year, 1981)
The 1976 Yankees were talented and on the rise so his influence is questionable there, but in the 80’s:
1982 Yankees, (several), 79-83
1983 Yankees, Billy Martin, 91-71
1984 Yankees, Yogi Berra, 87-75
1985 Yankees, Berra, 6-10
……………………….Martin, 91-54
So… we should hire a horse’s ass? As a Cowboys fan I can assure you that Parcells is 1) also a horse’s ass, and b) hates most young players.
What baseball manager today fits the drunken, pugnacious, horse’s ass profile?
by azibuck on Jan 10, 2009 10:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I Didn't Say Martin Was A Bad Manager ...
but I did say he was a horse’s ass. And he always wore out his welcome pretty quickly wherever he went.
I think that it is very possible to find a good, fiery manager that is NOT a horse’s ass.
A good example would be Sparky Anderson from the past - possibly even current managers like Joe Madden, Ron Gardenhire, Mike Scosia, and Bobby Cox.
by thegunner on Jan 10, 2009 12:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You had mentioned Parcells previously
Your mention of Martin here made me think about how he cracked the whip hard on a young A’s team, and I knew he had a lot of stops so I looked him up.
by azibuck on Jan 10, 2009 9:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Drunken, pugnacious, horse's ass
LaRussa, check.
LaRussa, check.
LaRussa, check.
by bucdaddy on Jan 10, 2009 1:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Russell, of course, batted the big .225 lifetime, so Pearce might have a tough time containing his laughter.
Pearce walked 47 times against 487 at-bats when he hit everything in 2007. He walked 49 times against 488 at-bats when he hit .270 with power in 2006, he walked 23 times against 229 at-bats in college in ‘05, and 30 times in 266 at-bats in .04. He was a little above the same ratio in rookie ball and a little below it last year. He’s 26 years old, and he’s about what Steve Pearce is going to be.
by Arnold Rothstein on Jan 9, 2009 3:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Rivas And The Doug (Not Quite Mickey And The Duke)!
Nevertheless, now that Gomez and Michaels are gone, we better move fast if we don’t want to lose our two critical pieces from our most memorable 2008 killer Pirates.
by thegunner on Jan 9, 2009 7:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Back of the envelop farm system rankings
These are one guys tally of John Sickels’ prospect rankings. Our Buccos rank 16th. Quite an improvement from last year when we were widely considered to be in the bottom five, especially considering we got only 3 prospects (McCutchen, Tabata, Morris) for Nady, Marte and Bay.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/1/9/715688/team-rankings
by Chad Bahamas on Jan 9, 2009 9:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
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