Is there any reason why Derek Shelton is still the Manager of the Pirates? The only reason I can think of is that BC does not want to EAT half of Shelton's $1.5 mil salary for the 2025 Season, especially since he was the one who recommended that Shelton be given an additional year. The team is leader-less and he is not the type of Manager who can kick ass and take names.
Took another weekend trip to watch some real baseball - my Grandson's 11U Blueprint Baseball team from Murfreesboro, TN. Owner of Blueprint Baseball is Josh Renick, son of former Pirate Bench Coach Rick Renick (1997-2000). Josh maintains a group of upper level teams ages 15-18, but was convinced to bring this younger group onboard last year. Since April they have won the Nash-Vegas Perfect Game Mid-South Invitational in Nashville, won the Perfect Game Deep South Invitational in Hoover, Alabama, and in the Perfect Game National Invitational held in Southaven, Mississippi they finished runnerup to the No. 1 Ranked Houston Texas Wildcatters, losing a tough, well played 3-0 game. Blueprint was ranked No. 32 in the country coming into this weekend, and have now moved up to 14th. Yep, do the math - just about every position player is also a pitcher.
I think BC just likes Shelton and the team's performance doesn't enter into it. I'm still waiting to see a single shred of evidence that BC cares what happens on the field.
I think BC cares a lot. He’s a smart, thoughtful guy. He’s just bad at baseball talent evaluation. That, of course, is his job and he’s bad at it. But I do think he’s trying his best.
I actually think he’s a very stupid guy. To take just one issue, knowing you were coming into a season when the rebuilding excuse wasn’t going to work any more, and that task #1 was upgrading a comatose offense, and then signing Pham and Frazier wasn’t a talent evaluation breakdown. A Mongolian yak herder could have told him he was making things worse, not better. There’s something much more profound going on than just misevaluating a guy’s swing.
My point is that the problem with this team is the roster, not the coaching. Andy Haines is gone and their hitting is worse. If we fire Shelton, we’ll still keep losing because the team is just bad at baseball.
Good call on Canario WTM. Im not sure why we put in the effort to claim him if we weren't going to give him more run. What's the worst that could happen with a month of consistent ABs at this point
WTM-you get to see these guys at the very lowest levels. I’d be interested in your thoughts. Do you think good hitters are more nature or nurture? Do the Pirates just struggle to identify good hitting prospects are do we fail to help them mature as hitters? I would assume it is a somewhat “both” rather than “either/or”, but I’m just mystified that the Pirates have had such a hard time developing/identifying good hitters, for a pretty long time now. Thoughts?
I think they focus too much on athleticism and raw power, and not enough on bat-to-ball ability. I think coaching can help guys make more contact, but I suspect there's a finite degree to which they can do that. Once I see a guy struggling to make contact, it generally stays that way.
This makes me especially interested right now in Escotto, though. If what he's doing is anywhere close to real, it'd be a turnaround like no other I've seen.
For his experience level, command was good. Very good locating sliders at the knees. He’d lose it for just 2-3 pitches once in a while, then get it right back. Bubba was like that. NOT a scattershot guy.
Yeah, this is the real issue. I don’t have much faith in Canario turning into anything, but Shelton flat said that they see him as a development guy. He has no options, so they’re necessarily talking about development in the majors.
So if that’s what you’ve decided to do, then do it. Or give up and try to get him through waivers. The worst possible approach is to keep him in the majors and not give him the ABs that you explicitly said he needs. So, of course, what does Shelton do?
If the Pirates were in a win now mode Canario would not be on the roster. He is the kind of player we would have given a “try out” to 2-3 years ago. I’m intrigued by him BUT his presence on the roster tells me a great deal about where we are, not to mention Pham’s scholarship….
It pretty much is if he spends the week before in the freezer and then, as will likely be the case due to Pham’s senior discount, goes back in afterwards.
Is there any reason why Derek Shelton is still the Manager of the Pirates? The only reason I can think of is that BC does not want to EAT half of Shelton's $1.5 mil salary for the 2025 Season, especially since he was the one who recommended that Shelton be given an additional year. The team is leader-less and he is not the type of Manager who can kick ass and take names.
Took another weekend trip to watch some real baseball - my Grandson's 11U Blueprint Baseball team from Murfreesboro, TN. Owner of Blueprint Baseball is Josh Renick, son of former Pirate Bench Coach Rick Renick (1997-2000). Josh maintains a group of upper level teams ages 15-18, but was convinced to bring this younger group onboard last year. Since April they have won the Nash-Vegas Perfect Game Mid-South Invitational in Nashville, won the Perfect Game Deep South Invitational in Hoover, Alabama, and in the Perfect Game National Invitational held in Southaven, Mississippi they finished runnerup to the No. 1 Ranked Houston Texas Wildcatters, losing a tough, well played 3-0 game. Blueprint was ranked No. 32 in the country coming into this weekend, and have now moved up to 14th. Yep, do the math - just about every position player is also a pitcher.
Shelton isn’t going anywhere until BC gets fired, he’s the perfect “do-boy”
Get 'em signed & up to PNC, Mel! We need reinforcements!
I think BC just likes Shelton and the team's performance doesn't enter into it. I'm still waiting to see a single shred of evidence that BC cares what happens on the field.
I think BC cares a lot. He’s a smart, thoughtful guy. He’s just bad at baseball talent evaluation. That, of course, is his job and he’s bad at it. But I do think he’s trying his best.
I actually think he’s a very stupid guy. To take just one issue, knowing you were coming into a season when the rebuilding excuse wasn’t going to work any more, and that task #1 was upgrading a comatose offense, and then signing Pham and Frazier wasn’t a talent evaluation breakdown. A Mongolian yak herder could have told him he was making things worse, not better. There’s something much more profound going on than just misevaluating a guy’s swing.
My point is that the problem with this team is the roster, not the coaching. Andy Haines is gone and their hitting is worse. If we fire Shelton, we’ll still keep losing because the team is just bad at baseball.
That’s true.
Good call on Canario WTM. Im not sure why we put in the effort to claim him if we weren't going to give him more run. What's the worst that could happen with a month of consistent ABs at this point
Watching Reinold Navarro dominate in FCL. 6 Ks thru 3.
Sanford’s been hit first two times up. That’s 4 straight. He’s not crowding the plate. All were pitches that were just way off.
WTM-you get to see these guys at the very lowest levels. I’d be interested in your thoughts. Do you think good hitters are more nature or nurture? Do the Pirates just struggle to identify good hitting prospects are do we fail to help them mature as hitters? I would assume it is a somewhat “both” rather than “either/or”, but I’m just mystified that the Pirates have had such a hard time developing/identifying good hitters, for a pretty long time now. Thoughts?
I think they focus too much on athleticism and raw power, and not enough on bat-to-ball ability. I think coaching can help guys make more contact, but I suspect there's a finite degree to which they can do that. Once I see a guy struggling to make contact, it generally stays that way.
This makes me especially interested right now in Escotto, though. If what he's doing is anywhere close to real, it'd be a turnaround like no other I've seen.
I think the Escotto thing is a fluke. He’s still not walking or hitting for power, and this is his third year in Greensboro. I agree that hitting
…. .450 is nothing to sneeze at, but let’s see where things are in a month.
Done after 4. 8 Ks, no decent contact except the one single. Slider was untouchable.
So good news for at least one game his one year history of control issues did not appear? I'll take progress anywhere at this point.
For his experience level, command was good. Very good locating sliders at the knees. He’d lose it for just 2-3 pitches once in a while, then get it right back. Bubba was like that. NOT a scattershot guy.
Much appreciated!
Thanks, WTM, for the xwOBAs (etc) on Pham and Canario. Explains why they aren't giving up on Canario, right?
What is the best site to find these numbers?
sm
Bucs on Deck
This. lol
Baseballsavant.com
They like Canario enough to keep him on the roster, but not enough to bench Pham and let him play consistently…
Yeah, this is the real issue. I don’t have much faith in Canario turning into anything, but Shelton flat said that they see him as a development guy. He has no options, so they’re necessarily talking about development in the majors.
So if that’s what you’ve decided to do, then do it. Or give up and try to get him through waivers. The worst possible approach is to keep him in the majors and not give him the ABs that you explicitly said he needs. So, of course, what does Shelton do?
If the Pirates were in a win now mode Canario would not be on the roster. He is the kind of player we would have given a “try out” to 2-3 years ago. I’m intrigued by him BUT his presence on the roster tells me a great deal about where we are, not to mention Pham’s scholarship….
3 starts in a row, isn't nothing, imo.
sm
It pretty much is if he spends the week before in the freezer and then, as will likely be the case due to Pham’s senior discount, goes back in afterwards.
I guess Canario's playing time is continuing, no? : )
Maybe because of DKelly, I guess? Although it doesn't matter why, imo.
Hopefully, he will get acclimated, and finally produce.
sm