46 Comments

I guess we'll have to wait until next Wed. to hear from Tomzyck WTH is going on with Shim.

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T Minus 3 hours 49 minutes and counting !!!!!!!

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Our SS, C and 3B could combine for anywhere between 60-90 HRs and we have the best pitching prospect in a decade who could debut mid season. That alone should get you excited.

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I think I like our roster a good bit more more than the marlins? I dunno if thats the hopium speaking but feel like we could definitely leave miami with 3 wins, despite our pitching

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I was looking at BA where they graded each lineup, and they gave the Pirates a 30. It was before they signed Michael A Taylor though. Also, think they gave same grade to White Sox and the Pirates lineup is way better. Some times got better grades despite lineups that had to be equal or worse.

I’m trying to look past the fact I watch the Pirates on a daily basis but seemed like they got the short end of the stick. Really think some national places are overlooking them

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Way better than the White Sox?!

Yeah, you're baking in a HEALTHY amount of presumed breakouts for the Buccos if that's the case.

Benintendi>Moncada>Robert>Jiminez>Vaughn>DeJong>Fletcher>>Lopez is far superior in pure talent. They've just generally had a few extra years to get smacked in the mouth by big league pitching, whereas the Bucco bats still mostly cost on presumed upside.

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Definitely low on us, though i guess i am assuming both cruz and hank will be above league average and cruz noticeably so. Is it crazy to squint and see 5 guys with a ops+ > 120 between hayes, jack, cruz, hank, brey? Probably but fuck it- hopium to the max today

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Mar 28·edited Mar 28Author

Opening Day always leads to heightened hopium, and nothing wrong with it lol

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Inject it straight into my veins!

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Mar 28Liked by Anthony Murphy

Hell yes!

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Yeah, I like our lineup this year and, assuming that we don't have a mass of injuries, if they perform like a 30 then we'll need major changes in the coaching and developmental staff. The talent is there to be good if not great.

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To an extent, I get it. A lot of unknowns. Just dont see it in the same tier as some of these other lineups

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Opening Day Prediction Time!

- 79 - 83, "The year before 'The Year'"

- This is Hayes from now on. Key breaks out with 6+ WAR, another GG & down ballot MVP votes.

- 3 players hit 30+ HR (most likely: Suwinski, Cruz, Reynolds, Rowdy, Davis)

- Skenes comes up around the All-Star Break. 4+ ERA, lots of strikeouts & flashes of dominance

- Jones does well, but struggles just enough to justify some mid season "workload management" aka service time manipulation

- Davis proves he can handle C, not so much for Cruz at SS - he leads the league in throwing errors, no thanks to Rowdy

- One of the 2B cluster separates himself from the pack (I'm still betting on Peggy)

- Lonnie White Jr. finally plays a full season & is the minor league POY

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You have one more win than I have them in our prediction, it’s really hard to make that next jump into contention. Think they will look a lot better, even if the win total increase is marginal.

I’m all for that last one too, Lonnie stays healthy he has a breakout year

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I’ve got 10 bucks on them winning it all (my annual bet), and another 20 on them winning over 75.5. I’m gonna say 80 wins.

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annual $10 donation to your local bookie

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One of these days, he’ll pay me a lot though ;)

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20 over on 75.5 is a pretty good bet imo, hope you got solid odds

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I like all of those predictions, but the great thing is there are that many great potential outcomes. I wouldn’t be surprised if Peggy wasn’t up by June with Triolo becoming a full-time gold glove first baseman.

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LFG!

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T minus 8 hours and Counting!!!!!!!

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Fuck yeah happy opening day everyone! The road to 162-0 starts here!

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A former poster, sure a fine guy, always wanted you to stop cursing and suggested I stop drinking, the latter doesnt seem possible and for the former, im not a swearer but it is opening day, so my first swear post..."fuck yeah, why not us, 162-0, hope runs eternal"🤷‍♂️🤣

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Fuck yeah Ted!

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Never understood why they were "swear words". We all know shit means poop and ass means turd cutter. Why limit our vocabulary?

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Who knows? Puritans, man

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Happy New Year, baseball fans!

Bucs facing 4 southpaws to start the year has to be a first. I suppose we’ll find out quickly how good the lineup vs LHSP is.

Let’s Go Bucs!

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Tellez SHOULD be relegated to pinch hitting this series, so we’ll find out quickly whether Shelton is finally going to start prioritizing wins over veteran privilege.

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Strange part is Connor Joe is older than Tellez.

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Hammer>Nail

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I’d bet you Jack and Rowdy in today’s lineup due to opening day. Taylor and Joe will be in there tom. And then they probably split the last 2 games as well. My guess anyway.

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Taylor should be in most games not just against lefties, unless Cutch plays the field. 🙈

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Will be interesting to see jack vs olivares, tellez vs joe, etc. Maybe one start on sunday afternoon? Any more than that would be bad

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Oneil has sucked harder against lefties than either of those two.

But hey at least that comes with good de...nevermind.

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Fair, but i cant see us throwing a lineup with alika in there instead whereas the other two could conceivably be an upgrade with platoon splits

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Dragmire, I mean Lewin Diaz is in DFA limbo once again.

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I think he just opted out of minor league contract. I like him better than Beer, which is a half truth.

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Good comment to start the day. If I didn't have to slang books and run a book club tonight I would be tailgating in my farm pasture with my chickens, ducks, and guinea fowl until first pitch.

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Hang in there, you're the ace of your local library!

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Mar 28·edited Mar 28

I always had an irrational optimistic view about Lewin, like i did for E Gon the SS🤷‍♂️

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Welcome to the group Neal! 😜

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For some reason I think I read a comment you posted that you live in the far East. Not like Jersey, I mean the Land of the Rising Sun?

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Singapore mate, good memory👍

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People say its photographic. But I don't remember who. Isn't it like upper 80's there everyday?

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Been brutal past couple weeks post end of rainy season, seems to be hitting 94ish daily, think i heard some clouds coming in and high 80s for a few days🙏

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Good luck. Since you are so many hours ahead of us don't tell us who wins today. Thanks in advance.

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