I can’t back off prior to the draft and trade deadline —- impossible. But if they blow the trade deadline, I have to force myself to stop wasting so much time on this team.
Statistically speaking, the site is about to have some of the best days traffic wise this weekend, and then fall off a cliff, especially once August hits as interest dies.
Hate to see people go, but honestly can't blame them at this point.
Loved that signing by KC. They got him for 2 years with a team option for a 3rd for a very reasonable price. Over the past 5-6 years, he has been... maybe... the most consistent relief pitcher in baseball.
His whips for the last 6 years were 1.29, 1.75, 1,18, 1.49, 0.91 and currently 1.05. The first 3 on that list was Colorado what can mess any pitcher up followed by a higher whip with the Angels. I heard he learned a new pitch going into 2024 and has been one of the best since then.
He came up in the heyday of pitch-to-contact with the Rockies when they were actually good at developing those types of pitchers. He pitched in middle relief for several years in Colorado, and the stadium there really forced him to master the craft of inducing soft contact and getting groundball outs.
He was cheap because his stuff is very pedestrian, and everyone underrates him. However, his control is excellent. He is just a savvy, savvy guy who mastered the art of pitching in Colorado: no easy task. As soon as he left Colorado, it became obvious what a solid pitcher he was.
Weird how it’s the “young” guys who are the bright spots. I cannot understand how a team this bad continues to roll out washed up veterans loss after loss without making changes
Very impressed with Pasquantino, Cagglione, and Loftin. Three physical specimens, athletes and hitters. Young prospects to build around Witt and Perez. When you look at our lineup, there's only Cruz that has tools and size.
Loftin and Pasquantino aren't very young. Loftin is a decent utility bench player (defensive sub / pinch runner type) who is only starting because the disaster that is the Royals OF. Pasquanitino has been solid and about as advertised since he came up. The real surprise this year has been Maikel Garcia who has just gotten consistently better every year through his entire career thus far: major and minor leagues.
They need another bat though, even assuming that Caglionne works out. Perez obviously burned whatever gas he had left in the tank last year. Garcia, Caglione, Witt, and Pasquantino are good but they cannot carry Perez and 4 awful bats.
He was pretty bad until this series. Look what he did last year. He, Pasquantino, and Witt carried an otherwise completely moribund offense to the playoffs.
BTW, he is just the backup C now. He can't play back there more than once or twice a week, and isn't very good defensively when he does. So, he is, more or less, a DH with 13 HRs.
The best kind of veteran leadership is when the veteran plays well. Cutch just isn’t getting it done in the clutch. Pham is red hot, just in time to be traded and benefit someone else. This season just hasn’t been kind.
Apparently it was the eye issue. I appreciate his determination to get it right but I also think a stint on the IL would have helped. Baseball is not one of the sports where “gutting it out” works out the best.
I moved to Pittsburgh 35 years ago, from DC before they had baseball. I wanted to get out of DC because of the expense and anti-family attitudes. My search criteria was 5 hour drive away max so we could go back to spend holidays with family, but the real decision was a town with baseball. That’s right, I intentionally chose Pittsburgh to be a pirate fan. Yeah, good choice eh.
Anyway, the past 35 years had tiny good times and many many horrible ones. This team, however, is the most difficult team to watch. How bad are they if pitching is 75% of success and with this staff they are so loathsome? It’s nearly unwatchable. They are crushing the baseball life out of me. An owner who simply doesn’t give a rats ass, GMBC playing pick up sticks while the rest of the league plays 3D chess, batters whose level of ineptitude baffles the mind. Good players who just suck.
To be honest if it weren’t for the professionalism and passion that McCutcheon displays I would give up on this season already. Usually it’s when we get near to college football in August that I wander away, but this year is just the worst.
It's like reverse cardinal devil magic. All these guys were the best hitters in their area for years. We get them and they get significantly worse, don't do any better when they leave. So disappointing.
A week ago this team boatraced the Mets and followed it up with a gutsy sweep of the Cards. Where are those guys?
Did they avoid the sweep or?
I can’t back off prior to the draft and trade deadline —- impossible. But if they blow the trade deadline, I have to force myself to stop wasting so much time on this team.
Statistically speaking, the site is about to have some of the best days traffic wise this weekend, and then fall off a cliff, especially once August hits as interest dies.
Hate to see people go, but honestly can't blame them at this point.
I’ll still follow the minors coverage for sure. But I have to stop following inning to inning of this awful major league team.
Canario should be PR and steal the bag. ??
Or Jack, forgot about him.
Donnie should know very unlikely we 're getting 3 hits off Estevez.
Loved that signing by KC. They got him for 2 years with a team option for a 3rd for a very reasonable price. Over the past 5-6 years, he has been... maybe... the most consistent relief pitcher in baseball.
What’s his background? I truly have no idea who he is.
His whips for the last 6 years were 1.29, 1.75, 1,18, 1.49, 0.91 and currently 1.05. The first 3 on that list was Colorado what can mess any pitcher up followed by a higher whip with the Angels. I heard he learned a new pitch going into 2024 and has been one of the best since then.
He came up in the heyday of pitch-to-contact with the Rockies when they were actually good at developing those types of pitchers. He pitched in middle relief for several years in Colorado, and the stadium there really forced him to master the craft of inducing soft contact and getting groundball outs.
He was cheap because his stuff is very pedestrian, and everyone underrates him. However, his control is excellent. He is just a savvy, savvy guy who mastered the art of pitching in Colorado: no easy task. As soon as he left Colorado, it became obvious what a solid pitcher he was.
Thanks.
Time to jump off the Isaac Mattson train I guess. Last two pitches led to a winning run and a go-ahead run.
Is his velo down? Those were hard outs too.
He's like a 70% fastball guy right? Gonna have those kind of stretches when hitters can just sit on one pitch
Saw a lot of 93's, maybe down a tick or two. He suddenly became hittable. Or credit KC for having the book on Mattson already.
He's at 73% fastball right now. So book is really just go up there and sit on fastball until he misses.
Bullpen is going to give up runs sometimes. You actually have to score sometimes to win games. Novel concept for Big Ben and the boppin' boys.
Yeah, it's hard to blame the pitching when you're consistently keeping the run rate below average. At some point, the hitters have to do their part.
I really have enjoyed watching Braxton's development. Kid competes.
Him and Burrows have definitely been bright spots.
Weird how it’s the “young” guys who are the bright spots. I cannot understand how a team this bad continues to roll out washed up veterans loss after loss without making changes
That was not well played by Cruz.
Very impressed with Pasquantino, Cagglione, and Loftin. Three physical specimens, athletes and hitters. Young prospects to build around Witt and Perez. When you look at our lineup, there's only Cruz that has tools and size.
They _were_ playing the Cheringtons so don't overestimate them.
Loftin and Pasquantino aren't very young. Loftin is a decent utility bench player (defensive sub / pinch runner type) who is only starting because the disaster that is the Royals OF. Pasquanitino has been solid and about as advertised since he came up. The real surprise this year has been Maikel Garcia who has just gotten consistently better every year through his entire career thus far: major and minor leagues.
They need another bat though, even assuming that Caglionne works out. Perez obviously burned whatever gas he had left in the tank last year. Garcia, Caglione, Witt, and Pasquantino are good but they cannot carry Perez and 4 awful bats.
Think you're selling Perez short. A catcher having 13 Hrs at the break.....and we have Hank and Bart.
He was pretty bad until this series. Look what he did last year. He, Pasquantino, and Witt carried an otherwise completely moribund offense to the playoffs.
BTW, he is just the backup C now. He can't play back there more than once or twice a week, and isn't very good defensively when he does. So, he is, more or less, a DH with 13 HRs.
The best kind of veteran leadership is when the veteran plays well. Cutch just isn’t getting it done in the clutch. Pham is red hot, just in time to be traded and benefit someone else. This season just hasn’t been kind.
A good team is 3-3 on this road trip, maybe 4-2. We are 0-6.
Despite his early season garbage, I respect the way he's been playing.
Apparently it was the eye issue. I appreciate his determination to get it right but I also think a stint on the IL would have helped. Baseball is not one of the sports where “gutting it out” works out the best.
Cutch needs to retire after this year.
Such a Pirate thing that Pham is now their best hitter and it’s not close
Pham 20 for his last 45 for a .444 average.
Back when I was a mere lad of 37, if I tried to execute what Pham just did, I'd in traction the next day.
I moved to Pittsburgh 35 years ago, from DC before they had baseball. I wanted to get out of DC because of the expense and anti-family attitudes. My search criteria was 5 hour drive away max so we could go back to spend holidays with family, but the real decision was a town with baseball. That’s right, I intentionally chose Pittsburgh to be a pirate fan. Yeah, good choice eh.
Anyway, the past 35 years had tiny good times and many many horrible ones. This team, however, is the most difficult team to watch. How bad are they if pitching is 75% of success and with this staff they are so loathsome? It’s nearly unwatchable. They are crushing the baseball life out of me. An owner who simply doesn’t give a rats ass, GMBC playing pick up sticks while the rest of the league plays 3D chess, batters whose level of ineptitude baffles the mind. Good players who just suck.
To be honest if it weren’t for the professionalism and passion that McCutcheon displays I would give up on this season already. Usually it’s when we get near to college football in August that I wander away, but this year is just the worst.
It’s “McCutchen”
You at least extracted yourself from a city of lawyers to a city mixed with all sorts of folks so take comfort in that.
I would've stayed in DC for the Ethiopian food.
I'm not even sure what Ethiopian food is. Going to look it up.
I looked it up, and one of the first words was 'spicy' and that basically sold me
A bunch of brown sludge and pancake like carbs.
It's like reverse cardinal devil magic. All these guys were the best hitters in their area for years. We get them and they get significantly worse, don't do any better when they leave. So disappointing.
Ke with a well placed ground ball and we’re actually tied. Woo hoo.
Actually there were 3 of those well placed ground balls. #NottheLumberCo
Balsa wood company?
Plywood company
Loftin was playing so shallow in LF for Reynolds. No respect.
Just learned the Royals were 1-12 at home in June. Pirates exactly the right anecdote for that.