Bucs Dugout: FanPosts

Pay for your Gathering IV tickets.

2013-05-23T13:31:16Z

Hey guys, if you ordered a ticket or two or ten the Pittsburgh Sports Forum will be taking payments for those tickets now. Basically all you have to do is Paypal the money to Steelreign there by clicking on the donate button and going from there. The tickets are $21 a piece. As he gets the payments, either I or Cocktailsfor2 will update you all on who he has received payments from. This is, I think, the second year Steelreign has taken care of the tickets.

Here's a link to the Pittsburgh Sports Forum. The donate button is about half way down on the right hand side. And here's a link to the most recent thread over there discussing the upcoming Gathering. It is taking place on July 13th and there will probably be people Gathering as soon as the parking lot opens. Even if you have decided not to get a ticket to sit with us during the game (or you're unsure if you can make it) everyone is welcome to party with us beforehand and sit someplace else.

Also would some of you gents rec this up so that everyone will notice it.

The Rumbunter Podcast With Guest Neil Walker

2013-05-22T17:47:02Z

We're back at it, this time with Neil "Hometown" Walker...

The Pittsburgh Kid discusses high school football, hitting lefty/righty, and tells us why we should believe in this year's edition of the Pirates.

Also: Who's the most intense Pirate player? Hint: He's probably the most maligned one, too...

All this and more at the Rumbunter Podcast:

CLICK HERE (opens in new window)

Thank you, Charlie, for allowing us to cross-post this - we really appreciate it.

We're back at it, this time with Neil "Hometown" Walker...

The Pittsburgh Kid discusses high school football, hitting lefty/righty, and tells us why we should believe in this year's edition of the Pirates.

Also: Who's the most intense Pirate player? Hint: He's probably the most maligned one, too...

All this and more at the Rumbunter Podcast:

CLICK HERE (opens in new window)

Thank you, Charlie, for allowing us to cross-post this - we really appreciate it.

Guess the Score Game for 5/23: Cubs at Pirates

2013-05-21T22:11:57Z

This post is for the Thursday, May 23rd, game in Pittsburgh. This game is posted early as my Thursday schedule looks insane.

Today's Pitchers:

Edwin Jackson (RHP, 1-6, 5.76 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) vs. Jeanmar Gomez (RHP, 2-0, 2.78 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)

The Game Rules:

[ A ] Please put your prediction in the title line which should begin in the format: Pirates xx Opponent xx

e.g. Pirates 5 Cubs 3

Putting the Pirates score first, then the opponents score makes tallying points much easier.

[ B ] Please make the full prediction, instead of a "+1" to someone else whose prediction you agree with

[ C ] Don’t worry about minor spelling mistakes, like "Piartes". We can handle those.

PERFECT GUESS 5 POINTS NAILING ONE TEAM SCORE 2 POINTS

Please submit you guess by the official game start time.

Update:

The next scores update will be on Friday.

Thanks for playing, Good Luck, and Viva Los Piratas!

This post is for the Thursday, May 23rd, game in Pittsburgh. This game is posted early as my Thursday schedule looks insane.

Today's Pitchers:

Edwin Jackson (RHP, 1-6, 5.76 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) vs. Jeanmar Gomez (RHP, 2-0, 2.78 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)

The Game Rules:

[ A ] Please put your prediction in the title line which should begin in the format: Pirates xx Opponent xx

e.g. Pirates 5 Cubs 3

Putting the Pirates score first, then the opponents score makes tallying points much easier.

[ B ] Please make the full prediction, instead of a "+1" to someone else whose prediction you agree with

[ C ] Don’t worry about minor spelling mistakes, like "Piartes". We can handle those.

PERFECT GUESS 5 POINTS NAILING ONE TEAM SCORE 2 POINTS

Please submit you guess by the official game start time.

Update:

The next scores update will be on Friday.

Thanks for playing, Good Luck, and Viva Los Piratas!

Guess the Score Game for 5/22: Cubs at Pirates

2013-05-21T22:06:23Z

This post is for the Wednesday, May 22nd, game in Pittsburgh. This game is posted early as Wednesday's game is in the afternoon.

Today's Pitchers:

Jeff Samardzija (RHP, 2-5, 3.49 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) vs. Francisco Liriano (LHP, 2-0, 1.64 ERA, 1.55 WHIP)

The Game Rules:

[ A ] Please put your prediction in the title line which should begin in the format: Pirates xx Opponent xx

e.g. Pirates 5 Cubs 3

Putting the Pirates score first, then the opponents score makes tallying points much easier.

[ B ] Please make the full prediction, instead of a "+1" to someone else whose prediction you agree with

[ C ] Don’t worry about minor spelling mistakes, like "Piartes". We can handle those.

PERFECT GUESS 5 POINTS NAILING ONE TEAM SCORE 2 POINTS

Please submit you guess by the official game start time.

Update:

The next scores update will be on Friday.

Thanks for playing, Good Luck, and Viva Los Piratas!

This post is for the Wednesday, May 22nd, game in Pittsburgh. This game is posted early as Wednesday's game is in the afternoon.

Today's Pitchers:

Jeff Samardzija (RHP, 2-5, 3.49 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) vs. Francisco Liriano (LHP, 2-0, 1.64 ERA, 1.55 WHIP)

The Game Rules:

[ A ] Please put your prediction in the title line which should begin in the format: Pirates xx Opponent xx

e.g. Pirates 5 Cubs 3

Putting the Pirates score first, then the opponents score makes tallying points much easier.

[ B ] Please make the full prediction, instead of a "+1" to someone else whose prediction you agree with

[ C ] Don’t worry about minor spelling mistakes, like "Piartes". We can handle those.

PERFECT GUESS 5 POINTS NAILING ONE TEAM SCORE 2 POINTS

Please submit you guess by the official game start time.

Update:

The next scores update will be on Friday.

Thanks for playing, Good Luck, and Viva Los Piratas!

Some interesting seasons in the minors

2013-05-21T18:42:28Z

I like to snoop around the minor league stat pages and look for prospects that are putting up solid or interesting numbers but aren't getting much attention. Obviously guys like Kingham and Glasnow are having huge breakout seasons and Polanco is the man, but who are some under-the-radar players showing solid development that could eventually turn into solid MLB contributors? Here are a few so far.

Pitchers

Jason Creasy: Evoking the arcane mysteries of the cosmos, Creasy is a "projectable right handed pitcher", drafted in the 8th round in 2011. He's taken a big step forward this year, surpassing his strikeout total from last year in just over half the innings, with fewer walks. He's doing this in relief and he's had some issues with HR's, but a young pitcher with potential having success is encouraging.

Ryan Hafner: After posting decent but uninspiring numbers at SC in 2011, Hafner had a well-publicized meltdown last year, walking 68 batters in 60 innings. This year, he's putting up similar numbers to Tyler Glasnow. There are the obvious caveats that he's 2 years older than Glasnow and pitching in relief, but this is still a very positive development. WTM notes on PP that he was throwing 89-92 with a promising new slider in camp, whereas he pitched in the upper 80's with no secondary offerings when drafted.

Brandon Cumpton: Last year in AA, Cumpton looked like the next Jared Hughes: didn't strike out many, didn't walk many, didn't let up many HR's. That's not the sort of pitcher that's likely to be a real contributor in the majors. He had a brutal 2 starts in Altoona this year, then was promoted to Indy as a fill in. As was the case with Phil Irwin last year, he was abducted by aliens during the trip who gave him a robotic arm. In 41 IP, he's put up the best K/9, GO/AO, and FIP of his career. If he keeps it up (big if), you have to put him in the mix for spot starter/back of the rotation starter. He might be less of a blow-up risk than Oliver, just because he can throw strikes.

Kyle Haynes: Haynes has very quietly put together 47 innings of solid relief. It's hard to know what to make of him, since he has the rare "good changeup in A ball" and he's being used as a reliever, but he's pitched better than, say, Nate Baker ever has, a trait that worked out for Phil Irwin at least.

Quinton Miller: As the initial high school RHP project, it's hard to believe Miller is a) still in the system and b) only 23. After years of 5+ ERA's and poor peripherals, he finally started showing signs of life, getting 18 K's in 14 IP in Bradenton. He's pitched 5.2 solid innings in Altoona since, and could be a relief option going forward.

Hitters

Max Moroff: Moroff was drafted last year out of high school and plays short, although he's not a sure bet to stick there. His overall line of .215/.335/.348 is okay, but his peripherals (27/25 K/BB, .133 ISO in 165 PA's) are pretty outstanding for a guy who's young for the league and plays a premium position. He's got a .245 BABIP, and while hitters have more control over that than pitchers, there's no reason to think he's a low BABIP guy as he had a .386 last year. Moroff could turn some heads if his BABIP regresses to .300.

Josh Bell: Bell is hardly under the radar, but his month so far in May is notable in that after a pretty bad start to his career, his plate discipline finally showed up. Over his first 174 plate appearances, he struck out 28% and walked 4% of the time. It's a small sample, but so far in May, he's striking out 16% and walking 20% of the time. He's doing other good things too, like hitting for power.

Jacob Stallings: Stallings is probably more of a fringe prospect than most of these guys, but he's a defense-first catcher who has seen a drop in K% (from 28% to 21%) a power surge (.102 to .175 ISO), and maintained a 12% BB rate all while skipping over A ball. If he can keep these gains, he's at least in the conversation as a MLB backup and still has time to be more than that.

Pittsburgh Pirates All-Time Top 100: 16. Dave Parker

2013-05-20T13:25:23Z

Cobra, formally known as Dave Parker, was a 6’5”, 230 pound rightfielder from Grenada, MS. Born on June 9th, 1951, he attended high school at Courter Tech in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was drafted by the Pirates in the 14th round of the 1970 amateur draft with the 332nd overall pick. He initially reported to the Pirates in the Gulf Coast “Rookie” League, hitting .314 with six home runs and 41 RBI in 61 contests. 1971 would see him split the season between the “A” level Monroe Pirates in the Western Carolinas League (71 games, .358, 11 home runs, 48 RBI), and the “AA” level Waterbury Pirates in the Eastern League (30 games, .228, seven RBI).

1972 would see the Cobra spend the season with the Salem Pirates, a “A” level outfit in the Carolina League. He hit .310 with 22 round-trippers and 101 RBI. His performance saw him join the “AAA” International League’s Charleston Charlies in 1973, where he hit .317 over 84 contests with nine home runs and 57 RBI. The season would see him split time between the Charlies and the mother ship, where he made his debut on April 21st, earning a hit in his only plate appearance in the seventh inning of a 10-9 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He eventually appeared in 54 games with the Bucs, hitting .288 with four home runs and 14 RBI (and drawing only two walks in 144 plate appearances). On September 15th, he hit a double and a home run, scoring twice with three RBI in a 7-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Pirates finished third in the National League East, at 80-82.

1974 would open for the Pirates with Parker on the active roster. He appeared in 73 games overall for the Bucs, hitting .282 with four home runs and 29 RBI filling in mostly in the first two and the last two months of the season. He played first base and all three outfield positions, batting in every spot except for the first and the last. His best game came in a 7-6 11-inning loss to the Cardinals on April 12th, as he went 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, and three RBI. The Pirates took home the NL East crown by 1.5 games over the Cards, finishing at 88-74. In losing the best-of-five NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games, Parker went 1-for-8 in three appearances.

In 1975, Parker made a real impact on the National League, finishing third in the MVP vote. He played in 148 games, hitting .308 with a league leading .541 slugging percentage. He hit 35 doubles (NL eighth), 10 triples (NL second), 25 home runs (NL fifth), and 101 RBI (NL fifth). He also posted a 6.3 WAR amongst position players (NL fifth), an .898 OPS (NL third), 302 total bases (NL third), and a .973 fielding percentage in right field (NL fifth). Unfortunately, he also led the NL in RF errors (the first of many such dubious distinctions), with nine. From June 29th through July 19th, he hit safely in 16 straight games, going 26-for-63 (.413) with nine extra base hits and 12 RBI along the way. He hit in mostly the fourth, fifth, and sixth slots throughout the season. In the second game of a doubleheader on August 22nd, he hit a go-ahead home run with a man on in the bottom of the eighth inning in a 4-2 Pirates win over the Cincinnati Reds. Pittsburgh again won the NL East, at 92-69 finishing 6.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. They were swept out of the NLCS by the Reds, as Parker went 0-for-10 with a walk.

1976 would see Parker finish 20th in the NL MVP balloting, hitting .313 (NL eighth) with a .475 SLG (NL eighth) and 28 doubles, 10 triples (NL third), 13 home runs and 90 RBI (NL seventh), along with 19 stolen bases over 138 games. He also led the league with 293 putouts and finished third with 12 right field assists (and a league leading 14 (!) errors). On May 1st, he went 4-for-5, scoring four times with a double, two round-trippers, and a total of five RBI in a 10-6 win against the San Diego Padres. The Pirates string of post-season appearances would come to an end, as the team missed the playoffs by nine games at 92-70, behind the Phillies.

In 1977, Parker again finished third in the NL MVP vote with his first all-star appearance and his first Gold Glove. He led the NL with 215 total hits, 44 doubles, and a .338 batting average. He also scored 107 runs (NL fifth), hit 21 home runs with 88 RBI, and stole 17 bases (out of 36 attempts, unfortunately) in 159 games (NL fourth). Additionally, he finished with 7.4 total WAR (NL seventh, third amongst position players), a .397 OBP (NL fifth), a .531 SLG (NL sixth), a .927 OPS (NL fifth), and 338 total bases (NL second). Defensively, he led the NL with 381 putouts, an incredible 26 assists from right field, nine double plays turned, and 15 errors. He finally found a permanent position in the batting order, taking his cuts in the three slot all season. On July 22nd, he hit a single and three doubles, scoring three times in an 8-7, 12-inning win over the Reds. The Bucs went 96-66, finishing five games behind the Phillies for the NL East title.

1978 would see Parker win the NL MVP by hitting a league leading .334 with 102 runs (NL third), 32 doubles, 12 triples (NL second), 30 home runs (NL third), and 117 RBI (NL second). He also stole a career high 20 bases and won his second Gold Glove. He led the NL with a .585 SLG, a .979 OPS, 340 total bases, 23 intentional base-on-balls, a 6.9 offensive WAR, and a 166 OPS+. In addition, he finished with 7.0 total WAR (NL second, first amongst position players), a .394 OBP (NL second), 304 putouts (NL third), and 12 assists (NL third). On August 8th, he went 5-for-5 with a double, a homer, three RBI and two runs scored in a 9-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. On September 19th, he went 4-for-6 with two home runs and four RBI in 12-11, 11-inning triumph over the Cubs. The Pirates missed the playoffs by 1.5 games to the Phillies, finishing at 88-73. Parker was rewarded with Major League Baseball’s first $1 million per season contract, signing on with the Bucs to the tune of 5 years, $5 million.

In 1979, Parker continued his hard-hitting ways, finishing 10th in the NL MVP vote, earning his second all-star selection, and winning his third Gold Glove in a row. According to Wikipedia:

During a game in 1979, a powerful hit he made to right field was very difficult to throw into the infield, because he had "knocked the cover off the ball." One of the seams on the ball ruptured, making nearly half of the cover come loose.

He hit .310 (NL seventh), scoring 109 runs (NL third), and hitting 45 doubles (NL third), seven triples, 25 home runs and 94 RBI (NL eighth). He also equaled his career high with 20 stolen bases (against only four times caught stealing). He finished with a 6.7 WAR rating (NL fifth overall, fourth as a position player), a .380 OBP (NL 10th), a .526 SLG (NL seventh), a .906 OPS (NL seventh), 327 total bases (NL second), 343 putouts (NL third), and 16 assists (NL second). On May 29th, he hit a home run and two doubles with three RBI and two runs scored in an 8-0 blanking of the Cubs. The Pirates won the NL East by two games at 98-64 over the Montreal Expos. Parker did much better in his third NLCS, collecting four singles and two walks in 14 plate appearances, scoring twice and knocking in two more as the Pirates eliminated the Reds in three straight games. In the Bucs seven game series win against the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, Parker went 10-for-29 (.345) with three doubles and four RBI.

In 1980, Parker hit .295 over 139 games and earned his third all-star selection, and second in a row. ,He scored 71 runs, hitting 31 doubles and 17 home runs with 79 RBI. Although he posted a somewhat unremarkable offensive season, he continued to rank with the league leaders defensively, with 237 putouts (NL fifth), and 14 assists (NL second) from right field. On September 3rd, he went 4-for-4, going yard twice and knocking in five in a 10-4 win against the Houston Astros. The Pirates went 83-79, finishing in third place and missing the NL East title by eight games.

1981 would see Parker hit .258 in 67 games of the strike shortened season with 14 doubles, nine home runs, and 48 RBI. He made his fourth all-star roster and his third in a row. Although not his best season, he had a few notable performances, including a 4-for-4 performance with a triple, two runs and two RBI on April 28th in an 8-0 win over the New York Mets. On May 10th, he went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, and three RBI as the Bucs beat the Cards, 8-2. On September 27th, he provided all of the Pirates offense in a 7-5 loss to St. Louis, hitting a double and a homer with five RBI. Pittsburgh was 46-56 on the season.

In 1982, Parker’s performance began to suffer due to injuries, a persistent weight problem, and cocaine use. He hit .270 in 73 contests, with 19 doubles, six home runs, and 29 RBI. For the first time in seven seasons, he didn’t earn a single MVP vote or an all-star nod. On July 15th, he went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in a 5-1 victory over Houston. The Pirates finished the season in fourth place, at 84-78.

1983 would see Parker continue his performance, albeit over a larger sample size. He hit .279 over 144 games with 29 doubles, 12 home runs and 69 RBI. On July 25th, he hit a single, a double, and a home run with three RBI in a 6-3 win over San Diego. Pittsburgh went 84-78 again, finishing in second just six games behind Philadelphia. He was granted free agency after the season, and soon thereafter signed on with Cincinnati.

Parker played for four seasons as a Red (631 games, .281, 107 home runs, 432 RBI), later spending time with the Oakland Athletics (245 games, .261, 34 home runs, 152 RBI), the Milwaukee Brewers (157 games, .289, 21 home runs, 92 RBI), the California Angels (119 games, .232, 11 home runs, 56 RBI), and the Toronto Blue Jays (13 games, .333, three RBI).

After retiring following the 1991 season, Parker appeared on 15 all-star ballots from 1997-2011, always earning over 10% of the vote but never more than 25%. He currently owns several Popeye’s Chicken franchises in the greater Cincinnati area.

All-Time Statline: 11 seasons, 1301 games, 1479-for-4848, .305/.353/.494, 296 doubles, 62 triples, 166 home runs, 758 RBI, 123 stolen bases, 346 walks, 777 strikeouts, 33.0 WAR

Next up: A Hall-of-Fame third baseman who once led the NL with 42 sacrifice hits.

Guess the Score Game for 5/21: Cubs at Pirates

2013-05-20T12:56:58Z

This post is for the Tuesday, May 21st, game in Pittsburgh.

Today's Pitchers:

Matt Garza (RHP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (LHP, 4-2, 3.25 ERA, 1.06 WHIP)

The Game Rules:

[ A ] Please put your prediction in the title line which should begin in the format: Pirates xx Opponent xx

e.g. Pirates 5 Cubs 3

Putting the Pirates score first, then the opponents score makes tallying points much easier.

[ B ] Please make the full prediction, instead of a "+1" to someone else whose prediction you agree with

[ C ] Don’t worry about minor spelling mistakes, like "Piartes". We can handle those.

PERFECT GUESS 5 POINTS NAILING ONE TEAM SCORE 2 POINTS

Please submit you guess by the official game start time.

Update:

The crickets had a great time chirping away the GSG Saturday and Sunday with no scorers on either day. So, congratulations to Clutch22 as the week seven winner, with MDBuc and BobDH tied for second. I forgot to add the week seven winners to the spreadsheet, but that will be corrected with the post for Wednesday's game.

A special note to j1066: Your season score had been adjusted.

Thanks for playing, Good Luck, and Viva Los Piratas!

Season Totals		Weekly Totals
weltytowngang	36	Clutch22	9
DaWolf at the door	32	MDBuc	5
GoBuccos	30	BobDH	5
Chiburgh	29	cg44	4
Schide	26	pittbluedevil	4
MDBuc	25	Chiburgh	4
Turner Ward Hits The Wall	19	GoBuccos	4
God Loves	19	Schide	4
BobDH	17	Xenograft	2
pittbluedevil	17	God Loves	2
Clutch22	16	weltytowngang	2
curevefan	14	JCBucs	2
cg44	10	DaWolf at the door	2
j1066	10	j1066	2
GermanBucco	9
JCBucs	8
that412kid	6
Xenograft	6
Nikhizzler	4
Kevin Kraczkowski	4
JustinM	4
WillCallaway	2
Star(ling) Power	2
RDV across the sea	2
pton16	2
Maguro	2
C Shint	2
Aphthkid	2
afbassi	2
2010 will be the year	2
teddyrowe	2

Season Week	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
1	pittbluedevil (7)	weltytowngang (4)	Tie x 3 (4)
2	Da Wolf (13)	Go Buccos (9)	Tie x 2 (5)
3	Weltytowngang (8)	Da Wolf at the door (6)	Schide & Clutch 22 (5)
4	GoBuccos (11)	weltytowngang (10)	Da Wolf (5)
5	Turner Ward (7)	j1066 (6)	Tie x 2 (4)
6	Schide & Chiburgh (9)	God Loves (7)

This post is for the Tuesday, May 21st, game in Pittsburgh.

Today's Pitchers:

Matt Garza (RHP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP) vs. Wandy Rodriguez (LHP, 4-2, 3.25 ERA, 1.06 WHIP)

The Game Rules:

[ A ] Please put your prediction in the title line which should begin in the format: Pirates xx Opponent xx

e.g. Pirates 5 Cubs 3

Putting the Pirates score first, then the opponents score makes tallying points much easier.

[ B ] Please make the full prediction, instead of a "+1" to someone else whose prediction you agree with

[ C ] Don’t worry about minor spelling mistakes, like "Piartes". We can handle those.

PERFECT GUESS 5 POINTS NAILING ONE TEAM SCORE 2 POINTS

Please submit you guess by the official game start time.

Update:

A special note to j1066: Your season score had been adjusted.

Thanks for playing, Good Luck, and Viva Los Piratas!

Season Totals		Weekly Totals
weltytowngang	36	Clutch22	9
DaWolf at the door	32	MDBuc	5
GoBuccos	30	BobDH	5
Chiburgh	29	cg44	4
Schide	26	pittbluedevil	4
MDBuc	25	Chiburgh	4
Turner Ward Hits The Wall	19	GoBuccos	4
God Loves	19	Schide	4
BobDH	17	Xenograft	2
pittbluedevil	17	God Loves	2
Clutch22	16	weltytowngang	2
curevefan	14	JCBucs	2
cg44	10	DaWolf at the door	2
j1066	10	j1066	2
GermanBucco	9
JCBucs	8
that412kid	6
Xenograft	6
Nikhizzler	4
Kevin Kraczkowski	4
JustinM	4
WillCallaway	2
Star(ling) Power	2
RDV across the sea	2
pton16	2
Maguro	2
C Shint	2
Aphthkid	2
afbassi	2
2010 will be the year	2
teddyrowe	2

Season Week	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place
1	pittbluedevil (7)	weltytowngang (4)	Tie x 3 (4)
2	Da Wolf (13)	Go Buccos (9)	Tie x 2 (5)
3	Weltytowngang (8)	Da Wolf at the door (6)	Schide & Clutch 22 (5)
4	GoBuccos (11)	weltytowngang (10)	Da Wolf (5)
5	Turner Ward (7)	j1066 (6)	Tie x 2 (4)
6	Schide & Chiburgh (9)	God Loves (7)

Are we going to see Cole or Taillon this year at all!?

2013-05-18T19:58:28Z

They would be great additions as post deadline moves! Its never wrong to have good young pitchers! They can be like a Matt Moore for Tampa Bay or David Price than they both help the Rays down the stretch with Tampa's playoff run as relievers or setup guys. Right now our starting pitchers are playing great but Gomez is more of a long reliever and we don't know how Kartens is going to come back so we have to see within our organization with our young prospects to see who can help us down the stretch.

2 or 3 potential all stars in there.

2013-05-16T16:48:51Z

I think it is that time of the year where we can start speculating on who has done enough to be deserving and who has done enough to get hot and be deserving.

Lets start with the ins.

1. Jason Grilli. No brainer. He doesn't even need to be perfect through the rest of the first half, as long as he keeps his k's up and the save opportunities keep coming, I think he can have a few hiccups and still be a lock.

2. Mark Melacon. He needs to remain elite in order to make it. Setup men very rarely make it, but if he is sitting with a half a run era come all star break I think he has a good shot.

3. Starling Marte. He has done it all so far. His defense is a huge part of what him makes valuable to the team, but his offensive numbers are that good that even the casual fan would be impressed by his power and speed.

Could be in.

1. Russel Martin. Molina probably gets the nod as the starter. Behind him I don't see much better than Martin. Sure Buck has had a lot a pop so far and if he keeps that up he will make it. Rosario has also looked good but in Colorado. Lets no forget that Martin has been not just good but great behind the plate.

2. Andrew McCutchen. Down year so far, but only a couple of National's series away from being in the top tier again. He also has drummed up a lot of excitement so it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him voted in.

If it he existed.

Gaby Jones. They have done a great job combined, but since it is two men, neither have a shot.

I think it is that time of the year where we can start speculating on who has done enough to be deserving and who has done enough to get hot and be deserving.

Lets start with the ins.

2. Mark Melacon. He needs to remain elite in order to make it. Setup men very rarely make it, but if he is sitting with a half a run era come all star break I think he has a good shot.

Could be in.

If it he existed.

Gaby Jones. They have done a great job combined, but since it is two men, neither have a shot.

Bucs / Brewers o'flow Monday

2013-05-14T00:58:54Z

Change it up -

Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs! Let's GO, Bucs!

Change it up -

According to a new baseball rule . . .

2013-05-13T17:35:51Z

teams are allowed to add an extra player for doubleheaders, i.e. have a 26 man roster. It must be the same player for both games, and that player must return to the minor leagues the next day.

Last time the Yankees called up Corban Joseph was called up from Triple-A, he spent two days on the roster without getting in a game. This time he’ll be on the roster for one day, and he’ll play in two games. SoJoseph is with the Yankees for a few hours, and then he’ll be back in Triple-A.

I know few of you care about the Yankees, but I thought this is a fascinating new rule. The Bucs have a double header scheduled with the Cards on Tuesday, July 30 at 4pm and 7pm. I am guessing that is a two for the price of one affair. It is still a long way off, but I wonder who will get the call?

Original Article

Posted by:Chad Jenningson Monday, May 13th, 2013

teams are allowed to add an extra player for doubleheaders, i.e. have a 26 man roster. It must be the same player for both games, and that player must return to the minor leagues the next day.

Original Article

Posted by:Chad Jenningson Monday, May 13th, 2013

Here comes the sun

2013-05-12T18:49:23Z

It's been years since it's been here!

Pirates beating Matt Harvey and the Mets.

Taillon dealing for Altoona.

Glasnow dealing for West Virginia

Bell hitting and drawing walks for West Virginia.

Hanson turning it around at the plate and in the field.

Polanco looking like Oscar Tavares.

Two first round picks next month.

Even more prospects in extended spring training.

Those many years of taking a beating will only make what's coming so much sweeter!

It's been years since it's been here!

Pirates beating Matt Harvey and the Mets.

Taillon dealing for Altoona.

Glasnow dealing for West Virginia

Bell hitting and drawing walks for West Virginia.

Hanson turning it around at the plate and in the field.

Polanco looking like Oscar Tavares.

Two first round picks next month.

Even more prospects in extended spring training.

Those many years of taking a beating will only make what's coming so much sweeter!

Bucs-Fets Overflow May 11th.

2013-05-11T19:44:57Z

LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS! LETS GO BUCS! AND LET'S GO PENS!

The draft and HS outfielders

2013-05-11T17:31:27Z

In a thread the other day, I was commenting that I would love to get Meadows in the year''s draft, and said that high school outfielders were more likely to become all stars. Someone, I think it was Maguro, called me on the statement, so I thought I would take a look. Looking at 2012 offensive WAR only, I categorized the top 10 outfielders by how they were originally acquired. It breaks down like this:

HS: Trout, Cutch, A Jones, A Jackson, Hamilton, Pagan

College: Braun, Willingham (17th round!),

Free agents: Choo, Cabrera

The second ten was similar, with 5 from high school, 2 from college, 1 from community college, and 1 free agent. So, my original point, perhaps badly stated is, I think, correct. If you want an all star outfielder, you should be looking at the elite high school players. Now, this does leave out some important counterpoints. First, high school players are more risky than college players. Second, I ignored defense which, while not as important for outfielders, is a consideration. Also, not all outfielders were drafted as such. Justin Upton was drafted as a shortstop. Finally, I have not considered the frequency with which such players are draftred. The statisticians out there might note that I answered a slightly different question than I posed. My original statement was that high school outfielders were more likely to become all-stars. What the list shows is that all stars are more likely to have been drafted as high schoolers, which is different, although related.

To be fair, I think Maguro's point was that you cannot be dogmatic when selecting players in the draft. There are no hard and fast rules. If Ryan Braun is there, you choose him, and it should not matter if he is in college. Still, it is my belief that at the top of round 1 you should be thinking impact. Which players are the most likely to give you 5+ WAR seasons? If the Bucs get either Meadows or Frazier, I would be thrilled. I understand the arguments behind a safe pick like Moran, but I think with two first round picks, the Bucs need to roll the dice with at least one.

HS: Trout, Cutch, A Jones, A Jackson, Hamilton, Pagan

College: Braun, Willingham (17th round!),

Free agents: Choo, Cabrera

The Pirates as draft pioneers?

2013-05-10T17:01:19Z

When considered today, the Pirates' 2009 draft strategy appears to have produced a blunder. As Pirate fans know, the team took Tony Sanchez with the fourth pick in the first round, an obvious overdraft when it happened and an apparent wasted pick in hindsight given Sanchez's struggles at the plate since he played for Lynchburg. The Pirates took Sanchez in order to avoid paying over-slot bonuses to players it did not consider worthy of those bonuses. These players included the pitchers Matthew Hobgood, Zack Wheeler, Drew Storen, Aaron Crow and Shelby Miller. They also included Mike Trout, the Al Kaline of the new millennium and, perhaps, the best prospect in a draft class that included Stephen Strasburg. Trout most definitely was worth fourth pick money. He was worth Strasburg money! But few knew that in 2009. Passing on Miller also may have been a mistake. But he was a high school pitcher, and they come with a lot of risk.

The Pirates had a second reason for passing on the obvious first round talents and their bonus demands. The team could use the money it saved by paying Sanchez a near-to-slot bonus later in the draft. And that's what it did. It used this money to sign Zack Dodson, Zach Von Rosenberg, Trent Stevenson and Colton Cain. These picks and bonuses were not head-scratchers. Yet, as of this moment, the Pirates have received only a minimal amount of baseball value from them - e.g. the Pirates included Cain as a minor component of the Wandy Rodriguez trade. Assuming that Sanchez and Vic Black will make it to the major leagues for some team and that the surprising Phil Irwin recovers from what now ails him, assumptions which are now tenuous, it follows that the 2009 draft can and will not be counted a complete waste of the organization's resources. Nevertheless, for a team with the fourth pick in each round, the 2009 draft class now counts as a catastrophe for the organization.

One only needs to consider the drafted players now at Altoona and Indianapolis to confirm this evaluation.

The Pirates believed it could risk taking Tony Sanchez with the fourth pick because Sanchez would likely become an average or better Major League catcher. And they also used the money they saved when signing Sanchez to acquire what they considered "projectable pitchers" - i.e. pitchers who might add velocity while they physically matured. None the projectable pitchers taken in the 2009 class has shown these improvements, though, and it is not too early to conclude that they never will. Their struggles now define this draft class.

It is unsurprising, then, that the 2009 class has made the "overdraft-and-then-spend-later strategy" questionable for some Pirates fans. Some also question the "projectable pitcher strategy" because it was used to justify the 2009 overdraft strategy and the projectable pitchers are now non-prospects. Failure thus seemingly falsified both strategies.

But, has it? Perhaps not, for as ESPN's Jason Churchill has written:

The draft has changed in recent years, going from a best-player-available venture to one where clubs more often draft for organizational need. Furthermore, when it comes to young, promising hitters and big-time talents up the middle, clubs see very few opportunities to acquire what they are missing. Teams don't often trade these kinds of players, and rather than allowing them to get to free agency, they lock them up to long-term deals very early.

This could very well lead to more clubs looking to tab position players earlier in the draft than they otherwise might, perhaps for bonuses that fall short of MLB's recommendations, and leaning on the depth in pitching to avoid ignoring the class' strength.

"[There's] a better chance of getting that [college] pitcher with your second pick than the bat you're looking to add," said one high-ranking executive, whose club is not alone in such a realization.

Another senior scout pointed out that, "We're at the point now where it makes more sense for us to go for what we don't have." He was quick to point that, "it has to make sense, and the player has to be signable."

In other words, every team must include a number of variables when forming a draft strategy and when considering selecting a player, especially a player in the early rounds. These variables include:

Actual talent (tools and stuff)
Projected talent (ceiling and floor, risk and probable reward)
Internally perceived organizational needs
Relative position scarcity (e.g. up the middle players, high-ceiling/low-risk hitters, frontline starters)
Slot bonuses and hard-capped bonus money
Draftee bonus demands
Team draft budgets
The actual and predicted actions of the other teams
Possible future free agent acquisitions
Possible future trade markets

While the "best player available" rule remains appealing for the fans of Major League teams, since it reduces the complexity of player acquisition and is intuitively sensible, using this rule when selecting players can generate ambiguity and ambivalence. How so? Consider this: While it is comparatively easy to create a rank order of prospects simply by serially ordering them, the serial ordering of players A, B, C, and D in a 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 ranking may be less clear cut than this abstract representation makes it seem. For instance, players occupying ranks 1 and 2 could be nearly equal in projected baseball value but much more valuable than players the players who occupy ranks 3 and 4 while the latter two are clearly not at all equal in perceived value. Thus (1 & 2) > 3 > 4. Given this scenario, the team with the first pick can choose between two or more players, picking according to its preference while also retaining the capacity to pick the best player available. But, what if the team picking second has little need for the player ranked second? It may have more than a few similar players in its system. Or, it may not care for his bonus demands. If so, it could then take player 3 if 3 were to take a bonus lower than the bonus the slot commands. It could then use this money later in the draft, taking and signing players who for whatever reason had fallen below the ranking consistent with their perceived baseball value. It could then pay those players over-slot-bonuses, monies which reflect something near to their actual baseball and market value. The Houston Astros used this strategy last year when it passed on Byron Buxton, which consensus opinion had as the best talent in the draft class.

The upshot: The drafting of amateur baseball players has become more difficult because the current CBA has added to the complexity of the task, and thus to the risks which go along with the drafting and signing of a player. Gone are the days when a team could just throw money at national and international prospects. Today, the teams which do their homework, manage their resources well and enjoy a bit of luck can thrive. A course in decision theory could help.

The Pirates, unfortunately, were unlucky with their 2009 class. They had better luck when they took Nick Kingham and Tyler Glasnow, pitchers who already have vindicated the "projectable pitcher strategy" if not also the "overdraft-and-then-spend-later strategy" that, according to Churchill's report, is threatening to become the new convention.

Neil Huntington and Greg Smith - pioneers. Who knew?

One only needs to consider the drafted players now at Altoona and Indianapolis to confirm this evaluation.

But, has it? Perhaps not, for as ESPN's Jason Churchill has written:

The draft has changed in recent years, going from a best-player-available venture to one where clubs more often draft for organizational need. Furthermore, when it comes to young, promising hitters and big-time talents up the middle, clubs see very few opportunities to acquire what they are missing. Teams don't often trade these kinds of players, and rather than allowing them to get to free agency, they lock them up to long-term deals very early.

This could very well lead to more clubs looking to tab position players earlier in the draft than they otherwise might, perhaps for bonuses that fall short of MLB's recommendations, and leaning on the depth in pitching to avoid ignoring the class' strength.

"[There's] a better chance of getting that [college] pitcher with your second pick than the bat you're looking to add," said one high-ranking executive, whose club is not alone in such a realization.

Another senior scout pointed out that, "We're at the point now where it makes more sense for us to go for what we don't have." He was quick to point that, "it has to make sense, and the player has to be signable."

In other words, every team must include a number of variables when forming a draft strategy and when considering selecting a player, especially a player in the early rounds. These variables include:

Actual talent (tools and stuff)
Projected talent (ceiling and floor, risk and probable reward)
Internally perceived organizational needs
Relative position scarcity (e.g. up the middle players, high-ceiling/low-risk hitters, frontline starters)
Slot bonuses and hard-capped bonus money
Draftee bonus demands
Team draft budgets
The actual and predicted actions of the other teams
Possible future free agent acquisitions
Possible future trade markets

Neil Huntington and Greg Smith - pioneers. Who knew?