Pirates Avoid 100-Loss Season with 3-1 Victory Over Reds
by Charlie on Oct 2, 2009 9:48 PM EDT
28 comments
And there was noooooooo doubt about it.
There were some negatives here, like the gargantuan upper-deck homer Daniel McCutchen gave up to Wladimir Balentien, the Pirates letting Justin Lehr strike them out six times, and Andy LaRoche's twice getting caught trying to stretch a single into a double. But overall this was a nice game--Lastings Milledge homered, Andy LaRoche plated two runs, and Andrew McCutchen doubled, walked and stole a base. And Dan McCutchen grabbed his first major league win, finishing his season on a high note by striking out five in six and a third, while only allowing a run on that homer by Balentien. The bullpen held up, too.
No Relation finishes his season with a perfectly palatable 4.21 ERA and three consecutive quality starts. Not bad for a rookie, although he continues to need to work on his home runs allowed. Six in about 36 innings, or about 30 over the course of a full season, is too many. He's earned a clean shot at a full-time rotation job next year, though, which means he might bump Kevin Hart to the bullpen if there aren't any trades and everyone stays healthy.
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Let me be the first to say....
…Congratulations!
by Brakeman8 on Oct 2, 2009 9:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
If Milledge can put 15-20 homers on top of that good looking UZR of 17.3, Bucs fans will be in for a treat next year. :)
by Adam Reynolds on Oct 2, 2009 11:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
But Nyjer is better.
His career season is way better than a 25 year old who could hit 15-20 HR and have a UZR of 17.3.
by IAPiratesFan on Oct 3, 2009 12:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Milledge can’t replace what Morgan brought to the team off the field…
by Adam Reynolds on Oct 3, 2009 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
BULL SHEETE........
Adam, I am hoping that I am missing the <.sarcasm> in your post, but if not….
for those that missed the earlier quote by Lastings (last weekend….approx 09/27/09); I will post the my same post from last weekend again. PAY ATTENTION, to what has happened since this quote was made. THINK about it.
From the MLB site, posted last night after yesterdays win… they quote Lastings Milledge as saying "We’re treating this like our playoffs. When we’re in the postseason next year, we’ll know how it feels. We are just trying to treat this as our postseason and get the feeling down."
The link is here:
Time to move on people. I thought Nyger was very good for what he could do. But what he could not do was make this a championship team. Will Lastings be that guy???? _______ . Maybe, maybe not. BUT, if the quote above doesn’t, at the very least, intrigue you; than you than you are already dead (time to stop posting)…
Yes, I do not see our Bucs in the post-season next year; but if the players are jazzed, that can only be a good thing.
Paul
by lighthouse913 on Oct 3, 2009 3:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
PBC Boogers dont care!
They still think Milledge is a rap signin statatory raper.
by BadAndy on Oct 3, 2009 7:09 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Really?
They suck. BTW, I think you meant Bloggers, not Boogers. ;-)
by IAPiratesFan on Oct 3, 2009 8:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I kinda like
“boogers.”
A more apt description of the posters there, no?
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on Oct 3, 2009 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1 vote for referring to PBC commenters as boogers.
by matskralc on Oct 3, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s also a pretty accurate example of their spelling skills.
by ravidesai1984 on Oct 3, 2009 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Morgan will never match what he did this year.
this was his peak.
The ball just got bigger and bigger and then BAM it hit me.
by .500 Please on Oct 3, 2009 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I definitely think he is capable of it...
…there are a few things Pirates fans need to face and live with when it comes to Lastings Milledge:
1) He screwed up in the past, and he can’t go back and fix it, so just let it go.
2) He is a legitimately talented baseball player, regardless of how you feel about him. Any player who hits 24 doubles, 14 HR and steals 24 bases at 23 years old in his first full season is worth a look.
3) He won’t be able to fully replace what Nyjer Morgan does because he’s not Nyjer Morgan. He has more than one element to his game, and what he has done so far, he has done increasingly well.
4) He has yet to reach his full potential. Morgan has and won’t offer anything more.
5) He is hitting at an above average clip, an average OPS for his position and playing solid to moderately impressive defense. He’s doing his job.
6) He is contributing daily to help his team win, and is doing it with a winning attitude.
7) Screw it… you get the point by now.
"Straight ball I hit very much, but curveball, bats are afraid." - Pedro Cerrano
by silencerdu on Oct 3, 2009 4:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If nailing high school girls when you were in high school...
…is such a big deal, I have a feeling that a few guys here might be in hot water, too.
Just sayin’.
by Vlad on Oct 3, 2009 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lastings Milledge's Team Picture for Next Season
I made most of my life decisions at a Foghat concert... I stand by them.
by Chester J Lampwick on Oct 4, 2009 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You mean a few guys that post on this blog?? Newsflash, Vlad! Girls don’t like your mother’s basement!!
by matskralc on Oct 4, 2009 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The preceding Morgan/Miledge posts
were brought to you by The Department of Redundancy Department.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on Oct 3, 2009 8:00 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
In cooperation with...
The Sarcasm Department of the Nyjer Morgan HOF Campaign.
by IAPiratesFan on Oct 3, 2009 8:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not to distract from the massive miscommunication up above
But Vlad called me from beyond the grave to remind y’all that UZR is useless for small samples – not merely unreliable, but actively misleading.
That said, Milledge has certainly looked competent out there of late. Let’s hope that this taste of success makes him hungry for more, and that he keeps working to improve his game.
by JRoth95 on Oct 3, 2009 8:14 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs
The same useless applies to Morgan…as applies to Milledge. Morgan had 61 starts in LF for the Pirates with a UZR/150 of 24.1…Milledge has 54 starts with a UZR/150 of 17.3. If one should brag about Morgan’s fielding…one should also brag about Milledge’s.
Andy LaRoche’s UZR at 3B…in 144 games…2.2…10th of 18 MLB 3B who have played 2/3 of their team’s games. Basically…average.
by Thunder on Oct 3, 2009 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wrong
Morgan’s career UZR/150 – over 1500 innings* – is 27.9. In other words, it’s not a small sample size for Morgan, and he’s always been more or less that good – at every position, over 2+ seasons.
In stark contrast, LM’s career UZR/150, over 2500 ABs, is -8.9. Other than 120 innings in CF with the Mets in ‘07 and 194 innings in LF as a rookie, the last 500 innings with the Pirates are the only position/ period of his career in which he’s been in positive territory.
Now, there’s lots of reasons to believe that his defense has improved and will improve further. But there is no reason at all to place value on that 17 number and compare it with Nyjer’s 28. All we should take from the 17 is that it supports the idea that his defense has improved; it does not provide a measure of the improvement.
- iirc, Vlad says 2000 innings is the standard for uzr, but Morgan has gotten to 1500 innings with consistent performance – if he drops between here and there, it will likely be a result of changing ability, not true ability coming out.
by JRoth95 on Oct 3, 2009 7:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thought I said 1,000, not 2,000.
But if you want to wait for 2,000, that’s even better. The larger the sample, the more accurate the results. It all depends how large of an error bar you’re comfortable with.
by Vlad on Oct 3, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As you can see in my original reply...
I was referring to this year’s numbers for both (as I gave the games played). I have claimed nothing about career UZR/150…and nothing was said upthread about career numbers. So…please tell me where I was wrong. The numbers are accurate (for what has occurred THIS SEASON)…so where is the problem?? Same position…same team…same park…same season. One is gospel…one is not?? Milledge flat out admitted that this is the first time he’s received significant defensive instruction with any of his organizations…so when it comes down to comparing career numbers…I’d prefer to wait a while.
BTW…1500 innings/9= 166 games. Let’s see where Milledge stands around the All-Star Break in 2010…after about 100 more games as a LF.
Also…when you start saying that Nyjer Morgan has the most effective arm as a OF in the majors this season…I might support your theory more. That’s where about 35% of his 2009 UZR value as a CF is coming from…and about 25% overall this season as an OF. I haven’t seen any of you praising his arm. In 2007-2008 combined…his arm contribution to UZR was basically zero.
Combine unconventional positioning (especially with the Pirates as a LF) and a success rate with the arm that is likely out of norms…and you get a higher UZR than the defense justifies. Here this…I am NOT saying that Morgan is not an above average defensive outfielder. I AM saying that the way the stat is constructed…Morgan’s numbers are somewhat inflated…as are Milledge’s. If you praise one…you need to praise the other.
UZR ratings are strongly influenced based on balls played OUTSIDE the range of a NORMAL LF (or any other position)…using set bins that plays fall into. The Pirates “no triples defense” does not have the LF in a “normal” fielding position. Those bins do not change for different teams. If you are starting outside the normal position (and bins)…common sense tells you that the OF will get to more balls that are outside the box. Thus inflating the numbers.
by Thunder on Oct 4, 2009 5:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree to some extent, it’s like how a month or two of hot hitting isn’t always predictive. But it does show some of his capabilities. Combined with visual evidence and increased motivation, and maybe not +17, but at least +10 baseline if he brings the right mindset like he has in Pittsburgh so far.
by Adam Reynolds on Oct 3, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The call is coming from inside the house!
For whatever it’s worth, the last few times I’ve seen Milledge in person at games, he’s looked VERY good in the field. At least one noteworthy (and applause-worthy) positive play each game, and you can see the potential there even when he screws something up.
If he’s not a plus defender right now, he’s definitely on the right track.
by Vlad on Oct 3, 2009 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
this has arguably been the greatest positive
losing season of the Pirates many years of losing
the symbolism of taking pride in avoiding the 100th loss sums up the burden that Pirate teams the next two seasons will soon take up:
expectations, humble, yes, but finally realisitic
by vherub on Oct 3, 2009 2:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Milledge
I saw Lastings come up through the minor leagues with the Mets. He was a bit on the arrogant side. He was the future of the Mets and he knew it. Even when he went to Washington, he was hailed a bit as a savior… and along with Ryan Zimmerman were going to be the stars of that team. By the time he gets to Pittsburgh, he has been shipped back to the minors and traded three times. That’s enough to humble anyone. Although still young, very talented and being counted on to be an important part of the future he is NOT the focus. He knows he’s not Andrew McCutchen and if anything, I think Cutch is proving to be a great role model for him. I like Milledge and I think he is going to be an important part of this team’s future and be part of the heart of our order along with Cutch, Pedro and Jones.
by Brakeman8 on Oct 3, 2009 3:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It's beyond pathetic when you celebrate NOT losing 100 games in a season.
This is the dumbed-down, pathetic outlook we are left with from another forgettable losing season of Pirates misery-er, baseball. When this is all you have to cling to, you’re in dire straits, Buccos fans. I am sick and tired of all the arm-chair analysts with their endless, idiot evaluations of why things are moving in the right direction. We lost 13 games to a bum team like Cincinnati. We were last in a division that had three teams above us that were below .500, only we were the worst below .500 team in the National League, except for the Nationals. Sickening. Pathetic. Ridiculous. I’ve said it once, listen to me now, hear me later, until the Nuttings, Huntington, Russell, and the whole crew of current lunkheads are gone, we will lose and lose badly. I can’t be optimistic under these conditions, because NOTHING is improving. If we finished in 5th place instead of last, I would have been able to say, “Well, at least we showed SOME improvement.” We didn’t. We’ve fired managers and traded players who went on to contribute and win with other teams. That proves the Pirates are on the wrong track. And don’t give me any of that “you’re not really a Pirates fan” garbage." I love this team. I hate what the current management and ownership are doing to my team.
by dougalmac on Oct 7, 2009 2:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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