LETS GO BUCS !

[ironzabo]

75 wins is attainable while laying the foundation for what's ahead....

Im excited to see the process get started back in the show come tomorrow

https://rumbunter.com/2022/04/06/pittsb ... ff-cupp/5/

[MJG75]

With you, brother!

Would feel better if they would sign Reynolds long-term, but yeah I'm on board for this ride. The prognosticators who say we will be as bad or even worse than last year will only be right if there is a slew of injuries, especially to the wrong players like Reynolds, but otherwise I think we will definitely see much better baseball than last year.

[MJG75]

And they sign Hayes to 8 years, highest contract ever, big risk IMO but if they announce Reynolds next before the arbitration hearing then it signals that they are all in and this ride will just get sweeter.

[Pabst]

Glad they extended Hayes, but the fact that the richest contract in Pirates history barely cracks the top 100 of current MLB deals speaks volumes

[JackLambert58]

Great start to the season! They only lost by four today as opposed to nine on Thursday.

1979 might as well be 1879. Well, on the bright side, I have seen two Pirates World Series championships in my lifetime, the last one during my senior year of high school. I turn 60 in November. Many of you here will never have seen one.

Go Nutting's Wallet!

[SteelPro]

I’m going to do something I haven’t done in a very long time. I’m going to praise the Pirates for this Ke’Bryan Hayes contract. But not for making the signing. Signing a good young player should be a bare minimum requirement for a major league organization. No pats on the back for that. What the Bucs deserve credit for is the structure of the contract. It is actually quite heavily front loaded. $20 million will be paid out in the first two years of the deal. That is a big deal. Using this year’s budget to keep more available to allocate in 2024 and beyond is refreshing. It also means they should never be forced to dump Hayes just because his salary has escalated at the end of his contract. His salary is greater this year than the final year of the contract.

[MJG75]

Pro, it was a smart move. It is the perfect smoke and mirrors contract but it does guarantee a young man and his family financial security. But it doesn't pay even 10 mill per season and 10 mill per year is about what Nutting has been willing to spend on guys like Marte and Polanco and Cervelli, for example. If he and his braintrust think that someone will produce at a high level he's shown that he's willing to part with about 10 mill per year per player. Now the real challenge is Reynolds. I guess it's possible that they think they can't afford him so trade him now while the iron is hot. I guess we will see. You can also just keep him for another 2-3 years and just pay him arb prices but that won't win you any PR victories unless we start winning a heap and even then. The almost immediate cynicism launched at the Hayes signing reflects just how alienated and jaded they have made the fan base through decades now of absolute ineptitude at all levels combined with cheapskate ownership. With only a few small glimmers of hope along the way. I haven't lost it completely yet. "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

[Jobu]

Reynolds’s will be wearing a different uniform by the trade deadline, and Hayes by 2025.

I guess you can count me as one of the “alienated and jaded”.
I don’t know that there is anything short of a World Series appearance that can pull me back in…

[MJG75]

Reynolds’s will be wearing a different uniform by the trade deadline, and Hayes by 2025.

I guess you can count me as one of the “alienated and jaded”.
I don’t know that there is anything short of a World Series appearance that can pull me back in…

That's about where most of the fan base is and the team has no one to blame but themselves. The Bucs have not had decent scouting or coaching in the farm system (until recently, and the jury is still out) since Joe L Brown stepped down as GM following the 1976 season. It's truly been that long. Oh there are some guys,Iike Bonds and Cutch. But think about the team in the mid 60s to mid 70s. That farm system was stacked and they could develop hitters (they had a rough time with pitchers though, had a few but not as deep). Sure we won the 79 World Series but if you look back that team as constituted wasn't really sustainable as a champion with age to key players, fans and media pissing off your best player, and a farm system that produced more Dale Berra's than Tony Pena's. We got lucky in the early 90s and mid 2000's, bless those GMs for making some good deals to keep us in position. So it's not all Nutting's fault. The organization has been in mostly steady decay since the Galbreaths lost interest in the team and sold out. We haven't had an owner who gives a damn or who has deep enough pockets ever since. Nutting could have spent more money during the lean years to keep things from being completely hopeless while they figured out what the hell they wanted to do. Cheringtons approach is the only one that can work for a small market team, but shrewd trades, good farm system development and scouting can go a long way. The system has been changed from top to bottom and the jury is out whether it will worm or not. But if Nutting had spent a little more money in 2014 and after 2015, and patched in some mid level FAs instead of all trash heap FAs all these years and maybe we wouldn't have lost so many of the fans. The Hayes signing was brilliant and maybe that is a sign of better things but their PR really sucks. It's like how badly can you actually run in every phase of the organization. We are turned off because neither of the other two major sports teams, as much as we criticize, haven't experienced anything like that for decades now. Thankfully. It wouldn't have even taken much. Offer Neil Walker a short term deal. Pittsburgh kid. Why the hell did we not sign Cutch to that one year deal that the Brewers paid him for. DH is ready made for him at this stage of his career. Fans would go fucking nuts. He's the most popular ex-Pirate since Willie Stargell. Then you sign Reynolds and you have the trifecta. Pirates don't ever seem to get the optics. The Rooneys would let Hines play one season too long, would stick by Ben and let him go out in the limelight. The Bucs just don't get it. Their idea of building relationships with fans is to offer new (overpriced mind you) food and beer items.

I think, sadly,you are probably right. I used to think as long as we are in a pennant race in September and October, fans will stick. But yeah probably not now. We've had just too much. I do think a deep playoff run will do it, especially if it's multi year like last time.

That all said, I still love baseball. I still love my Bucs. Jury still out on Shelton. Cherington has made the moves you need to make to improve the farm system with talent. Now let's see if the scouting and development changes bear fruit. I'm excited to see some of these young kids as they come up this year. Hayes extension is great and he looks great! Has already made about 5-6 dazzling hot corner plays and went 4-4 yesterday. Can't wait to make it to a game. Let's Go Bucs!!

[Pabst]

https://www.mlb.com/news/bryan-reynolds ... th-pirates

[jeemie]

Half a game out.

Someone take a screenshot of the standings...that will likely be as close as the Pirates get all year.



There are some nice young players on the team. I hope this time around, when they are ready, Nutting finally gets serious about spending to supplement them and keeping them together once they hit World Series potential.

But I'm not holding my breath.

[jeemie]

Reynolds’s will be wearing a different uniform by the trade deadline, and Hayes by 2025.

I guess you can count me as one of the “alienated and jaded”.
I don’t know that there is anything short of a World Series appearance that can pull me back in…

That's about where most of the fan base is and the team has no one to blame but themselves. The Bucs have not had decent scouting or coaching in the farm system (until recently, and the jury is still out) since Joe L Brown stepped down as GM following the 1976 season. It's truly been that long. Oh there are some guys,Iike Bonds and Cutch. But think about the team in the mid 60s to mid 70s. That farm system was stacked and they could develop hitters (they had a rough time with pitchers though, had a few but not as deep). Sure we won the 79 World Series but if you look back that team as constituted wasn't really sustainable as a champion with age to key players, fans and media pissing off your best player, and a farm system that produced more Dale Berra's than Tony Pena's. We got lucky in the early 90s and mid 2000's, bless those GMs for making some good deals to keep us in position. So it's not all Nutting's fault. The organization has been in mostly steady decay since the Galbreaths lost interest in the team and sold out. We haven't had an owner who gives a damn or who has deep enough pockets ever since. Nutting could have spent more money during the lean years to keep things from being completely hopeless while they figured out what the hell they wanted to do. Cheringtons approach is the only one that can work for a small market team, but shrewd trades, good farm system development and scouting can go a long way. The system has been changed from top to bottom and the jury is out whether it will worm or not. But if Nutting had spent a little more money in 2014 and after 2015, and patched in some mid level FAs instead of all trash heap FAs all these years and maybe we wouldn't have lost so many of the fans. The Hayes signing was brilliant and maybe that is a sign of better things but their PR really sucks. It's like how badly can you actually run in every phase of the organization. We are turned off because neither of the other two major sports teams, as much as we criticize, haven't experienced anything like that for decades now. Thankfully. It wouldn't have even taken much. Offer Neil Walker a short term deal. Pittsburgh kid. Why the hell did we not sign Cutch to that one year deal that the Brewers paid him for. DH is ready made for him at this stage of his career. Fans would go fucking nuts. He's the most popular ex-Pirate since Willie Stargell. Then you sign Reynolds and you have the trifecta. Pirates don't ever seem to get the optics. The Rooneys would let Hines play one season too long, would stick by Ben and let him go out in the limelight. The Bucs just don't get it. Their idea of building relationships with fans is to offer new (overpriced mind you) food and beer items.

I think, sadly,you are probably right. I used to think as long as we are in a pennant race in September and October, fans will stick. But yeah probably not now. We've had just too much. I do think a deep playoff run will do it, especially if it's multi year like last time.

That all said, I still love baseball. I still love my Bucs. Jury still out on Shelton. Cherington has made the moves you need to make to improve the farm system with talent. Now let's see if the scouting and development changes bear fruit. I'm excited to see some of these young kids as they come up this year. Hayes extension is great and he looks great! Has already made about 5-6 dazzling hot corner plays and went 4-4 yesterday. Can't wait to make it to a game. Let's Go Bucs!!

The 2015 team was a World Series capable team.

Nutting let it be broken up.

That was it for him as far as I was concerned. The Pirates will only ever win a World Series under him if they luck out and all the young kids manage to have great seasons all at the same time while they are still cheap to control.

[MJG75]

Meanwhile about a week and a half in, we're one game over .500 and as I predicted we are much more fun to watch right off the bat than we've been in about 6 seasons. Pitching will be our downfall as far as W/L record but we will win some games. We will make some prognosticators look foolish. And hell it is fun to watch. So far so good.

[SteelPro]

Half a game out.

Someone take a screenshot of the standings...that will likely be as close as the Pirates get all year.



There are some nice young players on the team. I hope this time around, when they are ready, Nutting finally gets serious about spending to supplement them and keeping them together once they hit World Series potential.

But I'm not holding my breath.

Agreed. But that is why I really like the Hayes contract so much. If I were GM of the Bucs I'd cram every damn penny of the budget every year in front loaded contracts simply because I don't trust the owner will allow it to be spent later. That has always been the line Nutting has given the fans. Basically he insinuates that by not spending when the team team is down they will have the war chest to do so later. But we all have all seen that promise broken before. Only way to ensure that the money goes toward paying for a winner later is by front loading contracts the way they did with Hayes.

[Gonzo]

Hope Springs Eternal -- thats the Nutting marketing slogan

This team is not good and will fade further and further back with time ... they are a AAAA ball club.

Am/was a fan since I was born .... I simply cant do it anymore. And its not losing all the time ... its that losing is the Plan

[Jobu]

Hope Springs Eternal -- thats the Nutting marketing slogan

This team is not good and will fade further and further back with time ... they are a AAAA ball club.

Am/was a fan since I was born .... I simply cant do it anymore. And its not losing all the time ... its that losing is the Plan

I’m with you. I’m a huge baseball fan and always loved the Buccos…watched them religiously, win or lose. I’m old enough to remember the 70 and 79 WS champions. I remember where I was when The Great One 21 passed. I endured 20 straight seasons of crap. But I’m pretty much out now. The pandemic season was the perfect recipe to ween myself off, and I haven’t watched a game since. Sitting here right now, I can honestly say that other than Reynolds, Hayes, Neumann, and Keller, I can’t for certain name another player on the roster.
I won’t criticize anyone that continues to be gaslit from the ownership/FO…they have zero interest in building a winner…none, and I understand the diehard fan, but sooner or later you will all come to grips…if they can break me, they can and will break everyone.

[Gonzo]

I agree and this bothers me immensely as Baseball is my favorite -- moreso than Football.
I have tried to follow other teams but obviosuly it doenst have the same meaning as watched the Pirates as a kid.
I also remeimber the 70s and Pops is my favorite sports person of all time

It is truly a shame what Nutting has been allowed to do
I gave up right after they broke their promise to compete and broke up that team that had a little success
As a famous and wise man once said .... “There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.” GWB

[MJG75]

I will never say a bad word about anyone who has posted here, about your fandom, loyalty and devotion to our Pittsburgh Baseball Club. They haven't given us, as fans, much hope over the past 40+ years. And it is clear the disappointment expressed here comes from a genuine place of affection and love for the game and for the team.

I will add that, like some here have said, the pandemic has resulted in sports taking on a slightly different role in my life. Perspective changed a little bit. Just like a lot of people. So, too, it has become tougher for me to follow this team and sport , though I haven't given up quite yet, the conditions of MLB and the specific conditions of our ownership, don't provide much hope that we will ever see another World Series in my lifetime, or possibly even in many of yours. So why follow if you don't think you'll ever have a chance. Well, why did the Bosox fans stick for a century? Why did our Steelers forefathers stick with the team that never won anything and was run like the corner mom and pop store with no clue about talent and scouting. That team surely never had a chance.

So I am a believer that in sport anything can happen. The odds can be defied. The 1960 Pirates can beat the Yankees. So yeah while I'm not holding on to this with great hope, to be honest. Particularly as the Nutting years pile up and my own potential years grow shorter. So why stick? Because I love baseball. And even if we never make it back to those storied games that we once used to visit more often, I love watching a guy run out a grounder and beat it. I love watching plays like Marisinick made last night (if you haven't seen them, highly recommend you look them up). Love watching the guys happy after an exciting win. Love the sound of the crowd (at my age, I'm more baseball speed than football speed, I prefer my football safe and happy on the couch at home these days), the smell of the grass and hot dogs. The crack of the bat, the running the bases, dwring to take that extra base. I love the game. Like Gonzo, I do love baseball better than football and hockey, though I love those sports as well to varying degrees. But baseball was the first sport I understood as a kid (not having had a Dad to teach me sports) and the first sport I ever played (and happened to be best at). I love the game.

I do think they are, this year, Gonzo, a little more beyond AAAA, though pitching remains key. I like the pitching I see in spots coming up though. Ot feels more diverse than when this started to happen in 2011 and 2012. The pitchers aren't being forced into a box like they were then. Also love the emphasis on defense. Both with our own prospects and development and with some of the more recent FA acquisitions. Do they still have a long way to go? Hell yes. But is it going to be more fun now than it's been 2016-2021? Yes I believe it will. From my long view, I like a lot of the things Cherington is doing. We all know the main issue is Nutting, but love the Hayes contract. Don't love the Reynolds contract, would love to have seen a 6-7 year deal, but it is better than no deal and kept things from getting acrimonious with arbitration. To go deep we will have to do it without Nutting. We will also see what Ben is capable of talking him into when we are in situations similar to 2013 with deadline deals and extensions.

I'm still on board this ship. I don't feel gaslit, my eyes are wide open. Not going to let fucking Bob Nutting ruin my love of the game.

[Gonzo]

Ohhhh I still follow baseball and go to games in DC and watch on TV. Just don’t have a favorite team at the moment.
I refuse to give anything to Nutting including my attention
He has ruined/stolen what used to be one of my favorite things

[jeemie]

Leave it to the Pirates to lose two of three to the Reds.

[jeemie]

And now the reverse…Pirates beat the Reds despite getting no hit!

Wild!

[COR-TEN]

I will never say a bad word about anyone who has posted here, about your fandom, loyalty and devotion to our Pittsburgh Baseball Club. They haven't given us, as fans, much hope over the past 40+ years. And it is clear the disappointment expressed here comes from a genuine place of affection and love for the game and for the team.

I will add that, like some here have said, the pandemic has resulted in sports taking on a slightly different role in my life. Perspective changed a little bit. Just like a lot of people. So, too, it has become tougher for me to follow this team and sport , though I haven't given up quite yet, the conditions of MLB and the specific conditions of our ownership, don't provide much hope that we will ever see another World Series in my lifetime, or possibly even in many of yours. So why follow if you don't think you'll ever have a chance. Well, why did the Bosox fans stick for a century? Why did our Steelers forefathers stick with the team that never won anything and was run like the corner mom and pop store with no clue about talent and scouting. That team surely never had a chance.

So I am a believer that in sport anything can happen. The odds can be defied. The 1960 Pirates can beat the Yankees. So yeah while I'm not holding on to this with great hope, to be honest. Particularly as the Nutting years pile up and my own potential years grow shorter. So why stick? Because I love baseball. And even if we never make it back to those storied games that we once used to visit more often, I love watching a guy run out a grounder and beat it. I love watching plays like Marisinick made last night (if you haven't seen them, highly recommend you look them up). Love watching the guys happy after an exciting win. Love the sound of the crowd (at my age, I'm more baseball speed than football speed, I prefer my football safe and happy on the couch at home these days), the smell of the grass and hot dogs. The crack of the bat, the running the bases, dwring to take that extra base. I love the game. Like Gonzo, I do love baseball better than football and hockey, though I love those sports as well to varying degrees. But baseball was the first sport I understood as a kid (not having had a Dad to teach me sports) and the first sport I ever played (and happened to be best at). I love the game.

I do think they are, this year, Gonzo, a little more beyond AAAA, though pitching remains key. I like the pitching I see in spots coming up though. Ot feels more diverse than when this started to happen in 2011 and 2012. The pitchers aren't being forced into a box like they were then. Also love the emphasis on defense. Both with our own prospects and development and with some of the more recent FA acquisitions. Do they still have a long way to go? Hell yes. But is it going to be more fun now than it's been 2016-2021? Yes I believe it will. From my long view, I like a lot of the things Cherington is doing. We all know the main issue is Nutting, but love the Hayes contract. Don't love the Reynolds contract, would love to have seen a 6-7 year deal, but it is better than no deal and kept things from getting acrimonious with arbitration. To go deep we will have to do it without Nutting. We will also see what Ben is capable of talking him into when we are in situations similar to 2013 with deadline deals and extensions.

I'm still on board this ship. I don't feel gaslit, my eyes are wide open. Not going to let fucking Bob Nutting ruin my love of the game.

Thanks for posting your wisdom and insight. Baseball reminds me of my youth, listening to bob prince on a transistor radio call the game while me and my friends played pickup games in Mellon Park/ Speedball against a wall. The bricks to this day (I think) still have the scratch marks designating the strike zone, some fifty years later.

[JackLambert58]

Okay, I'll admit the Pirates SWEEPING the Los Angeles National League Club at Chavez Ravine Stadium was quite awesome! Beat 'em Bucs!

[Obviously]

Just wondering. Anyone missing watching pitchers hitting?

I didn't think so.

[RemoAZ]

Back when I was a Pirates fan and actually watched baseball. Fun times!
https://twitter.com/uniformcritic/statu ... 9426240512

[MJG75]

Cor-Ten, thanks, brother.

Remo, good memories, indeed.

Obviously, don't miss pitchers hitting, but do miss lack of strategy. It's been a part of NL baseball for nearly 150 years. It's a huge change.

Man, we just split with the red-hot Brewfucks, and we're about to sweep the 2 game set from the Damn Yanks! This club, this year, is a lot of fun. If you enjoy young kids playing ball and having a good time, it's great to see. Wins will come sporadically as these kids are still learning the game, and then learning how to win over a long grueling season is something you have to learn and come together to do. Great stuff, really enjoying watching the pitching improve, the hitting (mostly) improve, and the D is gonna improve as well as we go. I'm having fun watching the past few weeks.

Yeah, Jack, Beat 'em Bucs! Loved hearing the old song play last night when Maz was introduced.

[MJG75]

We just kicked Brewers ass last night! Best team in our division, one of the best teams in the NL. We split with them last week at home, and so far we are 1-1 this weekend with the fucks. The clip doesn't show it, but I attribute this win to Shelty. He argued an absolutely awful 3rd strike call to help Reynolds not get tossed, getting tossed himself in the process. That was perfectly timed , as it fired up both our bats and Pen!

Love how Gamel made up for his very costly error with essentially the winning hit! 2 run homer in the 7th to give the Buccos a lead we never surrendered
Beat 'em Bucs!

[MJG75]

8-4 top 9th, and in dramatic fashion! Yes!!!! Let's go Bucs!!

[jeemie]

Why the fuck did the Pirates send Holderman to AAA?

They need bullpen help and by all accounts Holderman was an excellent return for Vogelbach.

He was 4-0 with the Mets in 15 appearances…2.04 ERA and 1.02 WHIP.

Way to welcome him to the team, Bucs!

[Jobu]

So I see those Battlin’ Buccos have settled into their rightful spot at the bottom of the NL Central standings.