The fact that Greensville has a Will Turner while Greensboro has Will Taylor amuses my inner sci-fi nerd more than it should. I like to think Will Turner is the one evil one with the black goatee.
Kelly has the same problem as everybody else on the team — Cherington. They still don’t have a major league roster. A little regression is getting mistaken for something it’s not.
This whole season can be summed up in one word: Pham.
Not that it's all Tommy Pham's fault, but the signing is emblematic of the decision making that gets you the 2025 Pirates. Low-effort even for a cheap-ass team.
I was sick to my stomach when I got the notification of his signing for hours. Just showed there would be no serious attempt to sign any offensive upgrades. Hated it 100% when I thought he’d probably hit .220 and hit the occasional homer. It’s been so much worse and still he remains.
What kills me is that even a modest effort to just do less worse within the current financial constraints would likely yield more wins for a team with this starting pitching staff. Gotta flip a few of those 2-1 losses.
Like, I'm fine with a move like acquiring Spencer Horwitz. Makes total sense contextually. Cheap lotto ticket.
Guys like Pham and Frazier are just flatout on the wrong side of the aging curve. And if those were the best available options willing to sign with them, then it's time to clean house.
On last Saturday's Pirate Report on 93.7 it was mentioned that a number of observers from other teams who were scouting Chandler believed he wasn't ready yet. Control/efficiency mentioned as things he needs to work on.
I know very little and I made the same comments early in the season, the starts I saw he only had the fastball working and wasn’t commanding it all that well, the stats line have mirrored that for the last handful of times.
Jeff Locke was literally the most just-above-replacement-value player in MLB pitching history. I will suffer no one using his name as a pejorative. Locke is the standard that I use to measure whether a pitcher barely belongs in MLB. For that, his name may not be besmirched.
Had a barely above 2.00 ERA at the All Star break that year. Saw him make the Reds look stupid in person when he was really rolling. A brief but very fun ride.
I don't believe in jinxes so I'll say it, this is a matchup where I truly don't believe the Pirates are much worse in spite of each club's record. This Tigers club has been playing over their heads and against a crappy Division.
That being said, allow me to knock on wood and stfu.
Are they playing over their heads? Just looking at the stats, but this looks like the team the Tigs thought they were getting when they drafted Torkelson and Greene.
The corpse of Javy Baez just roped a dinger and is useful for the first time practically since trumps first term. THATs the kind of season they’re having.
Skubal’s gonna wipe his ass with this beer league lineup.
That was all part of today's plan. We will have Skubal overconfident tomorrow.
To the professional bettors.....put some money on Skubal throwing a Maddox tomorrow.
Take the Tigers -300 or the Tigers -1.5?
Tigers with a double, triple, and 4 HRs. Bucs with one double. Any questions?
Yorke with a homer. Looking for positives where I can. Cooke’s been playing well for about a month now, too.
The Toothpick Company keeps on it's indomitable roll.
The fact that Greensville has a Will Turner while Greensboro has Will Taylor amuses my inner sci-fi nerd more than it should. I like to think Will Turner is the one evil one with the black goatee.
Bucs haven't had their asses kicked in awhile. I fear the Kelly honey,moon may be ending. Skubal tomorrow.
Kelly has the same problem as everybody else on the team — Cherington. They still don’t have a major league roster. A little regression is getting mistaken for something it’s not.
This whole season can be summed up in one word: Pham.
Not that it's all Tommy Pham's fault, but the signing is emblematic of the decision making that gets you the 2025 Pirates. Low-effort even for a cheap-ass team.
I was sick to my stomach when I got the notification of his signing for hours. Just showed there would be no serious attempt to sign any offensive upgrades. Hated it 100% when I thought he’d probably hit .220 and hit the occasional homer. It’s been so much worse and still he remains.
What kills me is that even a modest effort to just do less worse within the current financial constraints would likely yield more wins for a team with this starting pitching staff. Gotta flip a few of those 2-1 losses.
Like, I'm fine with a move like acquiring Spencer Horwitz. Makes total sense contextually. Cheap lotto ticket.
Guys like Pham and Frazier are just flatout on the wrong side of the aging curve. And if those were the best available options willing to sign with them, then it's time to clean house.
Bradenton with two hits through 8 tonight. Both by Ian Farrow, who replaced Bae mid-game. Second one left the yard.
Sanford’s hit three balls on the nose but he’s 0-4 anyway.
Bad outing from Mlodzinski
Sucking at both starting and relieving!
Kelly made a mistake leaving him in. Should not have pitched at all this inning.
Now even worse
And now at 41 pitches this outing -- wonder if he gets optioned again after this game.
Not sure why mlod came back out for this inning -- was getting hit hard last inning.
Some of our pitching moves seem scripted again.
not a great outing for Bubba. Might be a little while yet
On last Saturday's Pirate Report on 93.7 it was mentioned that a number of observers from other teams who were scouting Chandler believed he wasn't ready yet. Control/efficiency mentioned as things he needs to work on.
I know very little and I made the same comments early in the season, the starts I saw he only had the fastball working and wasn’t commanding it all that well, the stats line have mirrored that for the last handful of times.
Bailey Locke
Bailey Happ
Maybe a combination…Bailey Locke-Happ
Jeff Locke was literally the most just-above-replacement-value player in MLB pitching history. I will suffer no one using his name as a pejorative. Locke is the standard that I use to measure whether a pitcher barely belongs in MLB. For that, his name may not be besmirched.
That's "All-Star Jeff Locke" to you, sir.
Had a barely above 2.00 ERA at the All Star break that year. Saw him make the Reds look stupid in person when he was really rolling. A brief but very fun ride.
This guy gets it.
Jeff Duke?
I thought the Oliver Perez, Maholm, Duke, and Snell group were gonna be our ticket to multiple playoff appearances. I am often wildly wrong.
Bailey Duke, if we're sticking to the joke.
Well played, sir.
So Falter has given up two leads. Are we gonna rip him apart like we did Keller?
It totally tanked his trade value.
I was really looking forward to the two 23 y.o. low-A pitchers we were gonna get to know following that trade.
Give Cherington some credit! He'll hold out for a no bat middle infielder who had "pedigree" and the "metrics" they covet
The next time someone cites an athlete's pedigree, I want proof that their great-grandfather was Secretariat or their father was American Pharaoh.
Griffin got his first hit this week and a walk. Valdez got a double.
Good AB for Cruz, finally.
I don't believe in jinxes so I'll say it, this is a matchup where I truly don't believe the Pirates are much worse in spite of each club's record. This Tigers club has been playing over their heads and against a crappy Division.
That being said, allow me to knock on wood and stfu.
The Pirates face Skubal who is as good as Skenes, maybe even slightly better. How is that going to go???
What's better than a perfect game?
Hope you're happy with yourself. Jeez. Beso de muerto.
JFC
Are they playing over their heads? Just looking at the stats, but this looks like the team the Tigs thought they were getting when they drafted Torkelson and Greene.
The corpse of Javy Baez just roped a dinger and is useful for the first time practically since trumps first term. THATs the kind of season they’re having.
Javy does Javy things to the Pirates his nothing new. That's covered under MLB's so-called Will Craig Rule.
Ha!
The Pirates pitching gives them the opportunity to lose by only one run vs anybody.