It’s Opening Day...

[jeemie]

Yep...no velocity, no control.

But just leave Holmes in there, Clint.

[franco>madden]

[Legacy User]

Rest metrics killing us again.

Hurdle started Holmes to give the starting five an extra day of rest.

Holmes has got nothing.

its so dumb. these guys off 2 days last weeks. winning is a must. they don't travel by train . or dig ditches all day. fuck. play to win asss hole. hurdle blows.

[jeemie]

Rest metrics killing us again.

Hurdle started Holmes to give the starting five an extra day of rest.

Holmes has got nothing.

its so dumb. these guys off 2 days last weeks. winning is a must. they don't travel by train . or dig ditches all day. fuck. play to win asss hole. hurdle blows.

We scored 10 runs and lost because Hurdle let both Holmes and Sadler pitch too long.

I just don’t get how his brain functions at all.

[Legacy User]

Rest metrics killing us again.

Hurdle started Holmes to give the starting five an extra day of rest.

Holmes has got nothing.

its so dumb. these guys off 2 days last weeks. winning is a must. they don't travel by train . or dig ditches all day. fuck. play to win asss hole. hurdle blows.

We scored 10 runs and lost because Hurdle let both Holmes and Sadler pitch too long.

I just don’t get how his brain functions at all.

As for the game itself, I put the loss squarely on Hurdle. Sadler threw 20-something pitches in the 9th inning on Thursday night, I believe -- so, why put him back out there so soon -- it wasn't as if Sadler pitched all that well to finish the game Thursday night. As for Holmes, I was screaming at the TV for Hurdle to yank him after he walked in the 4th run. But, Skip gave him an extra batter and it cost the team 2 more runs. I'll excuse the first 4 runs but the last 2 by Holmes are inexcusable, as was using Sadler on short rest.

As for Hurdle's brain, it doesn't need to function. He has a formula === 6 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 9.
Of course, this is modified 711 from when we had better starters and Watson/Melancon to finish off games.

Hurdle is a player's manager, so he wants his starters to get 6 innings to have a chance for a win, plus that's about 100 pitches, and we all know you just have to yank a pitcher in these times around 100 pitches. Heaven forbid you should ask 115-120 sometime. Poor baby would blow out his arm before the Astros or Yankees could acquire anyone worth being on their rosters. When Billy Martin managed Oakland after leaving the Yankees he'd run his starters into the ground --- why save them for the Yanks and free agency?

Of course, when you have an established formula, you need only insert one of a few pitchers into innings 7 or 8 and have the closer appear in the 9th inning. Then, if all else fails, you're beyond criticism because everyone just knows that's the formula -- therefore, you can only blame the player for failing to execute and not the manager for failing -- man, do I ever miss Chuck Tanner.

[jebrick]

On a side note...Watched Barry Bond's speech when they retired his number and commended to my wife about how his head has shrunk since his playing days. That is why he will never get into the HOF until doping is legal in MLB. It is was so obvious then as now. Which is too bad because he was such a great player without it.

[Legacy User]

On a side note...Watched Barry Bond's speech when they retired his number and commended to my wife about how his head has shrunk since his playing days. That is why he will never get into the HOF until doping is legal in MLB. It is was so obvious then as now. Which is too bad because he was such a great player without it.

Agreed. You may have noticed Bond's interview with the Pirate broadcasters (Brown & Wehner). It lasted two 'half-innings' with Bonds discussing fond memories of teammates (those who schooled & motivated him in his early days) and of others who helped him to train. His attitude about hitting was quite interesting, saying his concept was to catch 100 mph. fastballs with his bat, much like a catcher would catch the ball with a glove. He claimed if the Pirates had offered him a 10-year deal after 1989 that he'd have signed it. Bonds actually had me liking him until I reasoned that this was part of his PR image rehab designed to get the last few votes needed to get into the HOF. You'll recall that Willie Mays was lobbying during the number retirement festivities for Bonds to get into the Hall. I do think Bonds was genuinely honored to have his # retired, but his interviews with the Pirate broadcasters, and next with the Giant broadcasters was for a reason.

After his Pirate interview ended, Bonds evidently left a baseball card for Wehner to sign. Wehner suggested he wasn't sure he wanted to sign it because evidently Wehner had asked Bond decades ago for a signature and was refused -- all this after Bonds ended last night's interview by shaking Wehner's hand and calling Wehner a friend. Brown gave the distinct impression that Bonds was his own worst enemy in the past by the way he dealt with other people more so than whatever "supplements" Bonds used to enhance his performance. I agree that Bonds would have been a HOF'er without supplements but took them for the same reason others may have -- to get an additional edge over his competition.

[jeemie]

From Twitter:

Pirates assistant GM Kevan Graves, filling in for Neal Huntington on his weekly radio show, said biometric data showed them starters take longer to recover after throwing at Coors Field. Defended the decision to start Holmes Friday. #Pirates #DKPS

I’m resigned to the fact that sabremetrics rules baseball.

I’m not resigned to the fact that Hurdle was stupid and let Holmes keep pitching even when he clearly had nothing.

[JackLambert58]

Attending a AAA game between the Norfolk Tides (Orioles) and Pawtucket Red Sox tonight, and look who comes to bat for the Tides. Mr. Pedro Alvarez. Yes, he went 0-3.

[jeemie]

Shane Baz the player to be named lter for Archer.

Yeah...that’s gonna smart. Baz is a guy you might give up in 2014 to get a really good pitcher now.

You don’t give up a prospect of that caliber when you’re chasing six teams.

[Legacy User]

Attending a AAA game between the Norfolk Tides (Orioles) and Pawtucket Red Sox tonight, and look who comes to bat for the Tides. Mr. Pedro Alvarez. Yes, he went 0-3.

wow. dude looks like a teletubby. fat..

[Obviously]

Stick a fork in them. These fucking clowns are done.

[Jobu]

Stick a fork in them. These fucking clowns are done.

They’ve always been done.
How can you take this franchise seriously when everything they do is driven by $$$?
All that 11 game streak did, and it seems like months ago, was make them “respectable”. It in no way, shape, or form put them in contention.

[Legacy User]

suckage back in charge! 500 ball in danger soon. archer=just a guy

[Hacksaw Jim Duggan]

Watching the Pirates is like watching a formulaic TV series. You know the characteristics of the cast, you know the structure of each episode, and you know the resolution at the end. With this in mind, I've seen no need to actually sit down and watch a game for about five years now. I'd say I've maybe seen 50 total innings over that stretch, yet I have such an understanding of what is happening to this team on a year-to-year basis because I've seen it all before.

I went against all of this Tuesday night, probably watching six innings, which is easily the most I've seen since Cole lost Game 5 of that NLDS a few years ago. I gotta say, the product is awful. It's not the Pirates. It's baseball. When you have a pitch cast with a hitters box justifying the ineptitude of the umpires in calling balls and strikes, it puts the entire integrity of the sport into question. The game has the technology to make itself better and more accurate, yet it refuses to do so to appease tradition and umpire ego, I suppose. Josh Harrison had two questionable pitches, one of which was the easiest Ball call I've ever seen. The butterfly effect of actually getting that call right could have led to better conditions for a Pirates victory that night. I don't even know if I really care if the Pirates win or lose at this point, but jesus do I care if something is done right, especially if theres technology available. It wasn't just that call. The umpire was making a mockery of the strike zone all night. It was as if I was watching some bad wrestling storyline where the ref is a heel or something.

I think it was Bob Walk...may have been Steve Blass. I don't know. Wehner and those two fuckers practically sound the same. We'll say it was Walk. On the TV side, he was trying to justify why umpires routinely missing calls was good for the game because the batters would be upset that some strikes on the computer would be balls for an umpire. This is by far one of the most fucking retarded things I've ever heard, ignoring the fact that Harrison, a batter, got shit by the umpire that night. The fans just want it right. MLB should want every pitch thrown to be the correct call. No surprise coming from that abhorrent broadcast crew. They're used to getting on their knees for authority.

Just a miserable broadcast and a miserable game.

[Legacy User]

Watching the Pirates is like watching a formulaic TV series. You know the characteristics of the cast, you know the structure of each episode, and you know the resolution at the end. With this in mind, I've seen no need to actually sit down and watch a game for about five years now. I'd say I've maybe seen 50 total innings over that stretch, yet I have such an understanding of what is happening to this team on a year-to-year basis because I've seen it all before.

I went against all of this Tuesday night, probably watching six innings, which is easily the most I've seen since Cole lost Game 5 of that NLDS a few years ago. I gotta say, the product is awful. It's not the Pirates. It's baseball. When you have a pitch cast with a hitters box justifying the ineptitude of the umpires in calling balls and strikes, it puts the entire integrity of the sport into question. The game has the technology to make itself better and more accurate, yet it refuses to do so to appease tradition and umpire ego, I suppose. Josh Harrison had two questionable pitches, one of which was the easiest Ball call I've ever seen. The butterfly effect of actually getting that call right could have led to better conditions for a Pirates victory that night. I don't even know if I really care if the Pirates win or lose at this point, but jesus do I care if something is done right, especially if theres technology available. It wasn't just that call. The umpire was making a mockery of the strike zone all night. It was as if I was watching some bad wrestling storyline where the ref is a heel or something.

I think it was Bob Walk...may have been Steve Blass. I don't know. Wehner and those two fuckers practically sound the same. We'll say it was Walk. On the TV side, he was trying to justify why umpires routinely missing calls was good for the game because the batters would be upset that some strikes on the computer would be balls for an umpire. This is by far one of the most fucking retarded things I've ever heard, ignoring the fact that Harrison, a batter, got shit by the umpire that night. The fans just want it right. MLB should want every pitch thrown to be the correct call. No surprise coming from that abhorrent broadcast crew. They're used to getting on their knees for authority.

Just a miserable broadcast and a miserable game.

agree completely. balls and strikes need called buy computer. not that hard! pitch clock needs in place and enforced. fences need moved back and end these cheap homers; id rather see a triple or inside the Park homer. not even gonna say salary cap. its too obvious.
pirates with another miserable no offense night.

[Legacy User]

Watching the Pirates is like watching a formulaic TV series. You know the characteristics of the cast, you know the structure of each episode, and you know the resolution at the end. With this in mind, I've seen no need to actually sit down and watch a game for about five years now. I'd say I've maybe seen 50 total innings over that stretch, yet I have such an understanding of what is happening to this team on a year-to-year basis because I've seen it all before.

I went against all of this Tuesday night, probably watching six innings, which is easily the most I've seen since Cole lost Game 5 of that NLDS a few years ago. I gotta say, the product is awful. It's not the Pirates. It's baseball. When you have a pitch cast with a hitters box justifying the ineptitude of the umpires in calling balls and strikes, it puts the entire integrity of the sport into question. The game has the technology to make itself better and more accurate, yet it refuses to do so to appease tradition and umpire ego, I suppose. Josh Harrison had two questionable pitches, one of which was the easiest Ball call I've ever seen. The butterfly effect of actually getting that call right could have led to better conditions for a Pirates victory that night. I don't even know if I really care if the Pirates win or lose at this point, but jesus do I care if something is done right, especially if theres technology available. It wasn't just that call. The umpire was making a mockery of the strike zone all night. It was as if I was watching some bad wrestling storyline where the ref is a heel or something.

I think it was Bob Walk...may have been Steve Blass. I don't know. Wehner and those two fuckers practically sound the same. We'll say it was Walk. On the TV side, he was trying to justify why umpires routinely missing calls was good for the game because the batters would be upset that some strikes on the computer would be balls for an umpire. This is by far one of the most fucking retarded things I've ever heard, ignoring the fact that Harrison, a batter, got shit by the umpire that night. The fans just want it right. MLB should want every pitch thrown to be the correct call. No surprise coming from that abhorrent broadcast crew. They're used to getting on their knees for authority.

Just a miserable broadcast and a miserable game.

Not only do I completely agree with this I'd add this as well:

1. An automated strike zone would actually benefit the umpires because, much as replay has so far, it would eliminate some/most complaints about ball vs. strikes. The umpires basically would exist to make out/safe calls at their respective stations, with some occasional decisions about fair/foul balls or whether a hitter went too far on a swing. In any case, the technology now exists to improve the integrity of the game and this is all that should matter to any fan -- actually getting the right calls.

2. I think an automated strike zone might create more offense, which in my view would enhance the watch-ability of the game. Why? Because absent a hitter swinging at pitches out of the strike zone there would be either more bases-on-balls OR the pitcher would actually have to bring pitches into the strike zone which would make hitting easier. FWIW, to make it more fair, I'd also like to see smaller batters boxes so that hitters couldn't stand on top of home plate with all that armored protection they wear. That way, the pitcher would throw more strikes without the hitter taking away both halves of home plate.

[jeemie]

Pirates grounded into SEVEN double plays tonight...including the game-ender.

Two straight 1-0 shutouts.

Well...I said by the end of August we'd know if there was any hope.

We know...there's none.

[Jobu]

Seven double plays!!!
Do you know how hard that is?
This team is special!

[ironzabo]

I was in the house for the sickening 7 DP affair on Friday after that miserable rain delay .....

Today is pure bliss we have pure bliss with the walk off vs the shit bag Cubs


Beisbol is a fickle fickle game and today the Gods smiled down on us.


Being above .500 and setting the stage for 2019 is important shite.


GO BUCS

[jeemie]

The Cubs scored four runs...one per game...in the series...and still won two of them.

Ridiculous.

[Jobu]

The Cubs scored four runs...one per game...in the series...and still won two of them.

Ridiculous.

Good news/bad news in one package...

[jeemie]

The Pirates have surreendered five runs in five games...and are in serious jeopardy of being 2-3 in those games.

Unbelieveable offensive slump.

[Jobu]

What a bunch of dogs...

[Legacy User]

1-0 loss again? amazing. what the record?

[Jobu]

Hurdle benched Marte for loafing the day before...
I’m shocked...SHOCKED, I tell ya...

[Legacy User]

Hurdle benched Marte for loafing the day before...
I’m shocked...SHOCKED, I tell ya...

shit; they all loaf! I think hurdle loafs too. Polanco loafs around like jogging George Hendrick. and horrible base runner to boot. . time for new leadership.
can't get new owner but at least a new manager might inspire some hustle and smarter play.

[Jobu]

Hurdle benched Marte for loafing the day before...
I’m shocked...SHOCKED, I tell ya...

shit; they all loaf! I think hurdle loafs too. Polanco loafs around like jogging George Hendrick. and horrible base runner to boot. . time for new leadership.
can't get new owner but at least a new manager might inspire some hustle and smarter play.

I don’t think Polanco loafs. I just think that he’s so long and lanky that he just looks like he’s lumbering around out there. I don’t think he’s a very smart player, however. And you are right about his base running.
Marte is a notorious half ass guy. Always has been. On top of that, a known cheater. Should’ve cut his ass when he got busted. I fucking hate cheaters.
I think most of the guys play and try hard...just a bunch of average players for the most part.
The Pirates FO would never consider firing ole Bubbles.

[jeemie]

Well now it’s just about whether they can finish above .500 and break this current streak before IT reaches 20 years...

And Archer was injured in his start on Monday, which is why Holmes was brought up, I guess.

[Legacy User]

my god. what happened to these guys bats? they were scoring at will a few weeks ago and now they are pure shit at the plate. free fall! some boost archer was!!