28 Comments

The 2024 season is in the books……Someone please find a lighter to get that stove lit!! We need rumors…….lots and lots of rumors!!

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MLBTR has a good piece up on top trade possibilities for this season. Lists Bednar as a possibility, and names the Bucs as a team who may look at Yandy or Mountcastle.

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Healthy Hayes + Yandy + synthetic turf infield at PNC...for reduced maintenance costs = Division Champs

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reduced maintenance costs. lol

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Congrats to the Dodgers. The best team won it all.

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I'd like the pirates to do a bold off-season move and sign Walker Buehler to a pillow contract. They'd have to go a bit over market value but it would make for a deep starting rotation.

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the one that got away

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And Trea Turner!

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Great group of human beings on that team and in that org. Anybody with children looking to play baseball should record the comments from Freddie Freeman's father about the type of BP Freddie saw growing up - he had 48 balls split evenly into 3 containers. The first 16, regardless of pitch location had to be hit to LF, the second 16 had to be hit right up the middle, and the last 16 was wherever Freddie wanted to hit them, and that was usually to L/LC.

My two boys were smiling if they listened because they never saw an inside pitch during BP, and my soft toss balls were always dropped on the outside corner also. Teach them how to use the whole field. Another hitter who came up that way was Todd Helton. His HS Coach, Bud Bales, was a firm believer in contact and his teams always used the whole field. Once saw Todd (in a HS game) take a shoulder high outside pitch and line it down the LF line where it went out just inside the Foul Pole at 300'.

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Oct 31Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

sources saying chatgpt will be named our new hitting coach this afternoon

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Maybe not for hitting coach, but how about for manager? I just asked chatgpt for the best strategy when there is a runner on 1B, team down by 1 run, and there are 0 outs, and this is what I got:

"The best strategy depends on the specific context, including the team's strengths, the players involved, and the game situation. However, a common and effective approach in this scenario is to hit-and-run if the batter is capable. This keeps the pressure on the defense and increases the chances of advancing the runner.

If the batter is not a strong contact hitter, a sacrifice bunt can be a solid choice to ensure the runner moves to second base. This strategy sets up a better chance for the next batters to drive in the tying run.

Ultimately, assessing the specific players, the pitcher, and the game circumstances will guide the best choice."

Now I ask you if this seems like how Shelton managers? :)

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Oct 31·edited Oct 31

Literally yes.

Isn't this exactly how fans delude themselves into thinking they're smarter than the pros? ChatGPT is trained on us and therefor serves as a reflection of what we say. The difficulty obviously lies in what choices are actually made and fans amazingly have an impeccable history of never being wrong!

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more like bmacGPT am i right?

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its just a small change I think that would make a big difference

just choke up on the bat and protect the plate with two strikes instead of continuing to try for the walk after two strikes

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nerds ruined baseball

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And Buster Posey

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In a way yes. But that’s a hard bell to unring. Having a team of “nerds” is one of the few competitive advantages left for small markets to exploit. And there’s only so many rule changes you can enact to combat that aspect of the game.

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Oct 31·edited Oct 31

Before the nerds, the A's had a dynasty, the Reds, Marlins, DBacks, Twins won WS and the Pirates were a Jose Lind gaffe from getting to the WS.

If anything, the nerds have given the big boys the advantage. I'm guessing the analytic team Freidman assembled is the best and most expensive in baseball.

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Pre-2000ish, pre-crazy RSN deals, and less coastal income inequality, it was a lot easier for small markets to be competitive in that manner because ticket sales was pretty much your revenue. Now, the Dodgers make nearly enough on the RSN to cover payroll, and all the LA millionaires and billionaires can afford to shell out obscene sums for season ticket packages. Our working class population can’t compete with that. So its a lot more challenging for small markets nowadays because it’s more difficult to keep a core of guys together long enough to give them enough cracks to win it all.

Sure the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets… you name it, can outspend the small markets in any conceivable category. But, nerds/R&D/player development are the only areas where the Pirates can conceivably imagine outspending the Yankees because it’s a much smaller % of the budget. We couldn’t outspend them on payroll if we tried, and MLB banned us from outspending them on the draft or international signings.

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MLB will always be unfair. It’s never been fair, as the 27 Yankees WS championships show.

But quite honestly, that’s not the Pirates biggest hurdle to overcome. The fact our GM and Owner are really bad is why this team is where it’s at.

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That answer was largely directed at why more small markets aren’t winning World Series. You are correct about the Pirates aspect of it though.

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Overthinking this one.

The same resources in this era of the game that big market teams use to hire analysts would simply be used to overwhelm small market teams on "old school" player acquisitions.

Tampa resources with 1980s practices doesn't get them even close to competitive.

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Yeah good point. Forgot to mention this one.

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simple solution: all you´ve got to do is turn off the electricity in the ballpark

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Make every field Wrigley. Circa 1987.

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just our field would be fine to put a grain a sand in their gears

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Sammy Siani continues to impress in the AFL with the 2-4 night and 3 RBI's. The Pirates have RH hitting Billy Cook, 26 primed for making the Pirates out of ST, with LH hitting Sammy Siani, 24, and RH hitting Jase Bowen, 25, ready to start the year at AAA. At AA in 2024 Siani finished with 350 AB, 24 EBH, and an OPS of .692; Bowen finished with 400 AB, 29 EBH, and an OPS of .664. The major difference between the two is that Siani has a K/BB of about 2.1, while Bowen has a K/BB of about 3.8.

In tonight's game TJ proved the importance of having a low or a positive K/BB rate. Did not get a hit, but walked 3 times, stole a base, and scored twice. The Pirates are always short in being able to find power hitters, therefore paying attention to these On Base overlooked stats such as the K/BB rate is essential to trying to be successful in spite of market inequalities.

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You get guys on base you tend to score runs.

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