One fan's opinion...
by cmaxdad on Jul 31, 2009 2:40 PM EDT
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Been a Pirate fan since before the days of "we are family...", celebrated in 1979 when we beat the O's after being down 3-1, watched in silent horror when stan belinda was left in to face cabrera (a pitcher who only had a fastball against a batter who could only hit a fastball - it wasn't going to end well) in 1992, and cried a little in 2001 when willie stargell died. Been following bucsdugout for several years but decided to finally post in response to charlie's item today.
I completely support the direction the new management is taking. I have nothing against any of the traded players, but the team was not good. There can be little argument about that. The only ways to get better were to bring in different (better) players or hope the current ones would improve. Only one of those can be a successful strategy (and it not the latter). The former strategy can fail also, that gets into talent evaluation and it seems the current management has done a better job of evaluating and signing (current draft class and Sano pending) talent.
The current roster has been blown up becasue it needed to be blown up. I hope (actually will some optomism) that what rises from its ashes will be better. I also do not think a winning season constitutes success. Competing for postseason play constitutes success. How would we all feel after 17 years of 84-78, that doesn't do much more for me than what we currently have.
Success or not, I will continue to support them (and go see them play when they come out to san diego) and read bucsdugout. What's the alternative, bandwagon someone? Think about how good it will feel when they do get better, until then I have the Steelers and the Pens.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.
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Well said
welcome aboard, brother!
"Straight ball I hit very much, but curveball, bats are afraid." - Pedro Cerrano
Don't blame Belinda
The mistake was Leyland’s, wll right, but in letting Drabek start the ninth when he looked pretty much out of gas. There’s no way a manager would do that today and not get fried. That’s what a closer is for. Leyland either wanted to give Drabek his moment of glory (he’d gotten pounded his previous two starts) or he had no one in the pen he trused to get three outs with no one on base. Either way, it’s his fault.
And Leyland tries to pin it on Cecil Espy!
You can also blame the umpire, who was squeezing the plate on Belinda, or you can also blame Chico Lind, who took his eye off an easy grounder and created a disaster.
And even still, Belinda almost got out of it.
It’s time to stop blaming Belinda just because he threw the pitch.
If you read the post
he said.. “Belinda was LEFT in” aka, a managerial mistake.
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Jul 31, 2009 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
potato, potahto?
OK, I kinda see what you mean. But usually what people mean by that is that Belinda blew the game, because to listen to yinzers Jim Leyland has never done anything wrong in his entire adult life and we could sure use a manager like that right now and as soon as Mark Cuban buys the team blah blah blah.
However, in fact, Belinda was doing a hell of a job in a hell of a situation. He came in with bases loaded and none out and got two outs, giving up a run on a sac fly. Then he got squeezed with Cabrera at the plate, threw two great pitches that were called balls and had to come right down the middle or go to 3-0, IIRC, or maybe he had one strike, but same difference. The umpire made it pretty clear he wasn’t going to decide who was going to the World Series by making borderline strike calls, Belinda had to throw it down the middle, Cabrera was going to hit it, and it was a matter of whether anyone would catch it. Absolves the home plate ump of the responsibility.
I’m not REALLY a conspiracy theorist, I just play one on BucsDugout.
No complaints about Belinda
I was referring only to Leyland. Belinda did what Belinda could do, I couldn’t believe he was left in, game 7, starter went long…there had to be other choices (too long ago for me to remember who else was in the bullpen now).
Bonds?
What about Barry Bonds’ culpability in the whole matter? He was playing way too far from the left field line. Andy Van Slyke kept imploring him to shade over towards the line but Bonds ignored him. Thus he had to charge over towards the line and was not in a very good position to make the throw that might’ve nailed the slowest runner in the game, Sid Bream.
That's wrong
The ball was hit directly over shortstop and into left-center. Bonds actually made a good throw under the circumstances running toward center. Unfortunately we needed a great throw.
Also, that’s Van Slyke’s story. Has Bonds or anyone else ever corroborated it? Leyland blamed Cecil Espy, of all people, thought he should have had Pendleton’s leadoff double. I don’t recall Leyland ever said anything about Bonds.
Hardball Times had an interesting piece the other day about Mickey Mantle and players’ memories once they’re out of the game.
AGREE
1992 is over and gone. period. This roster should have been totally blown up years ago. My only concern with the recent trades is who is actually going to be our 2B and SS till spring 2011. Delwyn Young hasn’t been exposed defensively (yet) and Ronny Cedeno hopefully will bring a good glove but dont expect any offense. OF looks really good for the next couple of years . I really like our strating pitching and right handed relief.. Could use a lefty reliever but I think John Grabow was highly overrated. BTW just saw Adam Laroche is back on the Braves, I wonder if they have actually seen him swing the bat this year.
by piratesthisyear on Jul 31, 2009 5:37 PM EDT reply actions
Another fans opinion
Well said, cmaxdad.
I too am a long suffering fan from when I watched Ted Kluzewski strike out in a no sleeve shirt at Forbes Field around 1958. Remember the SI cover with Baby Bucs on the cover in the mid-60’s (Bailey, Alley, Clendenon, I think)? Maybe we will see that again.
I have been stranded in St. Louis for the last 30 yrs, suffering with the unbearable Cardinal Nation crowd (at least the early years we had their number). I have learned the following from watching this irritating but successful organization. When they have a guy that doesn’t perform, they plug in another one that does. Their pitchers and hitters have come and gone this year, but they always seem to have a guy that can come in and take up the slack. That’s why they are in it every year (well, and the fact that with 3 mil attendance every year, they can afford to go out and pick up the cream – witness Holiday – or keep the good ones).
So the recent deconstruction of the Bucs has given me hope. Yes, it’s hard to watch the familiar names go (and from a distance, it is hard to keep track). But in the end we had to change the same old-same-old somehow, and the dynamite approach can’t hurt. It seems now we have enough guys that if the first one doesn’t pan out, at least we have options B, C, and D. Too often in recent years, it is “if everyone has a great year, maybe we can get close”. Too many foks without back-up. Now, if player X starts to fade or we can’t affors the $, at least there is some hope that help is around the corner.
God speed, NH. I wish you well in this experiment.
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