Some one got The OC on his fantasy team, Redus and Weep. Didn't get TP. Thats Tommy Phamtastic not the hot item 5 years ago. The big O gonna have to motivate himself in fantasy land.
What will really be a battle is the Bullpen. The Pirates did a very nice job of signing Ryan Borucki, Tanner Rainey, and Wilkin Ramos to Minor League Contracts during the off season. In ST:
Borucki - 1.04 ERA, 8.2 IP, 5 H, 5 BB/12 K
Rainey - 1.29 ERA, 7.0 IP, 2 BB/11 K
Ramos - 2.84 ERA, 6.1 IP, 2 BB/5 K
And, Kyle Nicolas, 26, coming off a strong MLB Rookie year in 2024 - 55 IP, 3.95 ERA posted a 1.00 ERA in 9 IP in ST and we got a look at the new and improved Eddy Yean, 24, who put up 6.1 IP with a 0.00 ERA, 2 BB, 5 K. And, we still have guys like Bednar, Holderman, Mlodzinski, Nicolas, Santana, and Stratton from last year's team. Could there be some trades on the near horizon?
I am really kicking myself, I had posted that I thought the 5 top exit velocities yesterday would be Alika, 2 by Johnson, Frazier, and McKeithan. I just forgot to hit Post.
Thought you would be upset, but when they signed Pham for $4 mil, that really dropped Cook's chances to slim and none. The kid's a ballplayer - excellent D, but he did not hit like he probably wanted in ST, but the 8 Walks pushed his OBP up into the high three hundreds. For a team that struggles offensively, that stat is extremely important to winning.
The Pirates had some tough decisions to make and have started with their most difficult decision regarding the back-up Catcher to Joey Bart. Henry Davis showed better than he has in the past, but Endy Rodriguez came back from a year lost to injury looking like he had not skipped a beat. He played in 50+ games for the Pirates in 2023, earning a +0.6 fWAR based primarily on his .998 fielding percentage. And, he's not only a VG young Catcher, but has been groomed by the Pirates to also play at 1B, 2B, and OF.
He's a switch hitter, but a better hitter from the Left side which could help the Pirates of 2025 at 1B until Horwitz returns, and also at 2B if we are looking to get another LH hitter into the lineup.
We traded during 2024 to get both Cook and Yorke, and then blocked them both by signing Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier. I think Pham will help the Pirates, but Frazier?
Apparently, Pham's strength is his accountability, to himself and to his teammates. Pham is a very capable clubhouse leader.who will hold his teammates to accountability
I don't disagree with this and have heard the same, but a big HOWEVER, at some point players also need to contribute on the field or all those traits should be performed by coaches. I am in wait and see mode with Pham. His test is not 20 or even 50 at bats it is more. Cutch and Reynolds are veterans although it seems with different personalities than Pham which is ok. But I make that point because at some point having just veterans is not a formula for winning and there are veterans on the team who by all accounts are rock solid individuals.
Good points. We could use another veteran or two, as Pham was quoted as saying. But there appears to be special quality of leadership which "gets in your face" when it is needed and appropriate. Coming from a peer, another player, is very different than coming from a coach. There are no coaches during players only meetings
Some one got The OC on his fantasy team, Redus and Weep. Didn't get TP. Thats Tommy Phamtastic not the hot item 5 years ago. The big O gonna have to motivate himself in fantasy land.
OY!
Went and saw the new Looney Tunes movie yesterday: "The Day the Earth Blew Up."
I am back with the sad news that this movie sucked so hard that I could scarcely stand it.
Of course... No Wabbits in it.... And how can you have an alien trying to blow up earth and it isn't Marvin the Martian?
Carrot Sticks, man!
They need me to write some effin' scripts for them.
Just a really bad movie.
______________________________________
"Where's the Earth-shattering kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering kaboom!"
-Wabbit
That's a damn shame. They took something great from my childhood and smashed it to pieces. I see Pirates parallels here.
What will really be a battle is the Bullpen. The Pirates did a very nice job of signing Ryan Borucki, Tanner Rainey, and Wilkin Ramos to Minor League Contracts during the off season. In ST:
Borucki - 1.04 ERA, 8.2 IP, 5 H, 5 BB/12 K
Rainey - 1.29 ERA, 7.0 IP, 2 BB/11 K
Ramos - 2.84 ERA, 6.1 IP, 2 BB/5 K
And, Kyle Nicolas, 26, coming off a strong MLB Rookie year in 2024 - 55 IP, 3.95 ERA posted a 1.00 ERA in 9 IP in ST and we got a look at the new and improved Eddy Yean, 24, who put up 6.1 IP with a 0.00 ERA, 2 BB, 5 K. And, we still have guys like Bednar, Holderman, Mlodzinski, Nicolas, Santana, and Stratton from last year's team. Could there be some trades on the near horizon?
I am really kicking myself, I had posted that I thought the 5 top exit velocities yesterday would be Alika, 2 by Johnson, Frazier, and McKeithan. I just forgot to hit Post.
You probably did not want to post that the 5 EVs would all be for outs!
The BCFC does not approve of these moves. Our savior will be back soon, do not lose hope!
Thought you would be upset, but when they signed Pham for $4 mil, that really dropped Cook's chances to slim and none. The kid's a ballplayer - excellent D, but he did not hit like he probably wanted in ST, but the 8 Walks pushed his OBP up into the high three hundreds. For a team that struggles offensively, that stat is extremely important to winning.
The Pirates had some tough decisions to make and have started with their most difficult decision regarding the back-up Catcher to Joey Bart. Henry Davis showed better than he has in the past, but Endy Rodriguez came back from a year lost to injury looking like he had not skipped a beat. He played in 50+ games for the Pirates in 2023, earning a +0.6 fWAR based primarily on his .998 fielding percentage. And, he's not only a VG young Catcher, but has been groomed by the Pirates to also play at 1B, 2B, and OF.
He's a switch hitter, but a better hitter from the Left side which could help the Pirates of 2025 at 1B until Horwitz returns, and also at 2B if we are looking to get another LH hitter into the lineup.
We traded during 2024 to get both Cook and Yorke, and then blocked them both by signing Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier. I think Pham will help the Pirates, but Frazier?
Apparently, Pham's strength is his accountability, to himself and to his teammates. Pham is a very capable clubhouse leader.who will hold his teammates to accountability
I don't disagree with this and have heard the same, but a big HOWEVER, at some point players also need to contribute on the field or all those traits should be performed by coaches. I am in wait and see mode with Pham. His test is not 20 or even 50 at bats it is more. Cutch and Reynolds are veterans although it seems with different personalities than Pham which is ok. But I make that point because at some point having just veterans is not a formula for winning and there are veterans on the team who by all accounts are rock solid individuals.
Good points. We could use another veteran or two, as Pham was quoted as saying. But there appears to be special quality of leadership which "gets in your face" when it is needed and appropriate. Coming from a peer, another player, is very different than coming from a coach. There are no coaches during players only meetings