OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Sell the Team

[DanielPlainview]

And yet they happily extended Hurdle and NH. Wonderful.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Losing more = higher pick, so it's a pretty simple equation in my mind. There's plenty of humble pie to go around, so benefitting with a high pick is about the best the organization can hope for this season. We could pretty easily end up with the #6 pick or so.

 

[Brandinho]

I'd rather win, obviously, but if we have to lose, we should lose big. There is absolutely no merit in finishing around .500. You miss the playoffs and you get a garbage draft pool. No thanks.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

And yet they happily extended Hurdle and NH. Wonderful.

You can't extend both guys after a season like this, unless you consider losing acceptable. Either the GM built a terrible roster, and doesn't deserve an extension, or the manager completely mishandled the roster, and doesn't deserve an extension. But there's no way you can argue that both of those guys did an acceptable job given an outcome that most would consider unacceptable. Unfortunately, current ownership considers losing acceptable.

 

[DanielPlainview]

It seems ridiculous that a team that was supposed to be contending for the division but is in a battle for the basement is handing out extensions to any decision-makers.

 

[Penguins23]

It seems ridiculous that a team that was supposed to be contending for the division but is in a battle for the basement is handing out extensions to any decision-makers.

Only one decision maker getting an extension could be somewhat understood but as the poster above you said, to extend everyone for 4 years after a season like this is ridiculous and I don't blame the locals one bit for not attending anymore.

 

[djt153]

glasnow out of the pen now with the team imploding seems idiotic. let him start and sink further or swim

 

[DanielPlainview]

Seriously. Nova should have been shelved last month and there's no reason for Cole to be out there anymore. Our rotation right now should be: Glasnow, Kuhl, Williams, Brault, and Kingham.

Lineup should be:
1. Marte - LF
2. Frazier - 2B
3. McCutchen - CF
4. Bell - 1B
5. Diaz - C
6. Moroff - 3B
7. Luplow - RF
8. Mercer - SS
9. P


Hurdle. You're out of the race; mathematically eliminated. PLAY THE YOUTHS. At least then I can take solace in knowing the beatings may be worth it in the long run.

 

[Harv]

Pirates will lose 90 games. They are that bad ... and have been.

 

[ColePens]

The running gaffes tonight were bad. Like.. really bad.

 

[ResignCraigAdams]

1-11 last 12.

Total of 15 runs scored in the 11 losses. LOL.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Translation- We have no choice but to play Freese 135 games and Serpico will most likely stsrt more games on the OF than Luplow. If only more fans would show up to watch.

I guess they won't be trying to replicate Cleveland.

 

[Penguins23]

Didn't want to steal the whole article so here's a few points from a recent DK article even if you guys all hate him. Starts by talking about the Pirates losing 6 in a row.

• That losing streak has seen the Pirates not hold a lead after any inning.

• The loss was the Pirates’ 11th in the past 12 games.

• All 12 of those games immediately followed the team’s announcement that Neal Huntington and Clint Hurdle had their contracts extended by four years.

• In 10 years under this front office, the Pirates’ collective WAR in the major leagues for players they drafted ranks 23rd out of 30 teams, this despite picking No. 1 overall once, No. 2 overall twice, No. 4 overall once, and despite outspending every team on the draft in that period.

• On Sept. 5, Huntington was asked by a reporter what had him most encouraged about the franchise’s future: “The outstanding job our scouting department has done in the draft at finding high-level talent despite drafting late.”

• The Pirates’ average attendance — and this is based on paid tickets in circulation, not actual turnstile count — is now 23,831. A year ago, it finished at 28,112. That drop of 4,281 is the greatest in the majors.

• The Pirates’ TV ratings on AT&T SportsNet are down more than one-third from two years ago.

• The Pirates spent $5.5 million on Daniel Hudson this season. And $706,250 to Jared Hughes to have a fine season in Milwaukee. And $2.3 million on Drew Hutchison to spend his entire summer in Class AAA Indianapolis. That’s $8,506,250 in essentially dead payroll.

• Jon Niese and Antonio Bastardo, the first and subsequent players acquired as a result of the Neil Walker trade two years ago, are both out of baseball.

• Huntington is the most tenured GM in the National League.

• Two weeks ago, Huntington reiterated his stance that the Pirates’ failures against two last-place teams, the Reds and Giants, were largely to blame for this season: “If we invert our record against two teams this year, we’re a game and a half out.” The Pirates were swept in Cincinnati this past weekend. They’re now 6-13 against the Reds, 1-5 against the Giants.

• If you invert those records … you’re still spectacularly insulting everyone’s intelligence with some random second-grade hypothetical. … OK, OK, that delved into opinion. Sorry, restraint is required.
Back at it …

• The Reds are now 1.5 games behind the Pirates. The Reds might soon be offended by ever having lost to the last-place Pirates.

Source: https://www.dkpittsburghsports.com/2017/09/19/kovacevic-5/

 

[Winger for Hire]

I think every year (even the WC runs) they've had ****** records against 2 or 3 bottom dwellers that have cost them. It's like clockwork.

Also, I may not like DK, but that list is fact. I like facts. I don't like DK's "hot takes".

Lastly, I've been beating that dead salary drum all year and have been told by some (not here, I think) that I'm overreacting about that.

And the sad part is, we're going with the same blueprint next year.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Two weeks ago, Huntington reiterated his stance that the Pirates’ failures against two last-place teams, the Reds and Giants, were largely to blame for this season: “If we invert our record against two teams this year, we’re a game and a half out.” The Pirates were swept in Cincinnati this past weekend. They’re now 6-13 against the Reds, 1-5 against the Giants.

Good teams consistently beat the teams they are supposed to beat. In fact, consistently and handily beating bottom-feeders is more predictive of future success than consistently but narrowly beating good teams. Feasting on bottom feeders is, statistically, the mark of a championship caliber team.

Huntington has it exactly backwards. That big a sample size is a sign of something, not a fluke. Great teams don't lose to bad teams 75% of the time. The Pirates don't have a disappointing record because of their losses to last-place teams. The Pirates have a bunch of losses to last-place teams because they are a disappointingly bad team.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

"It's cool, we are just having a bad season because we can't beat 2 last place teams."

That's a new one. The team couldn't beat the Reds or Brewers in 2015 yet they managed to win 98 games. Garbage explanation. What else would you expect out of an organization that starts handing out extensions in the 2nd consecutive disaster of a season?

This organization is the worst kind. They are mediocore and arrogant. They built a team around young players but the simple fact is that there is something seriously wrong with this organization in terms of development. They have a bunch of young guys with incredible physical gifts and potential but they never teach these prospects to play the game like professionals. They all have major issues in the fundamentals of baseball which is a pretty ridiculous reality at the highest professional level of a sport.

A few years ago the team had a very solid offense and they were consistently near tops in nl obp. Now we have a bunch of guys who hit fastballs well but who flail at everything else. It seems like Polanco and Marte both had a better approach at the plate 2 years ago when they should be better than ever now. I really think a big problem is that this organization as currently comprised has no idea how to develop hitters.

 

[Rossi Rat]

DK feels so strongly about this, he actually made that write-up FREE.

Shame the Reds blew a 4-0 lead and lost 7-8 in extras, elsewise we'd only be a half game back of the basement. But I think we can get there, plenty of time left.

 

[ImporterExporter]

You know what sums up the arrogance of Nutting?

Giving 4 year extensions to BOTH your GM and manager after back to back craptastic years and an obvious downturn in quality and performance of the roster.

We are rewarding the 2 most powerful (besides Nutting) asshats for continued failures across the board. I'd love to work for the Pirates. Winning doesn't really matter. Hell you can be really bad. We'll still give you a raise......

Haven't watched a game in months. First year I haven't gone to one in person in quite some time. I'm done. I suggest the rest of you follow suit. No reason to give these *******s a dime of your money. Nutting and company pulled the great "long con".

 

[ResignCraigAdams]

You know what sums up the arrogance of Nutting?

Giving 4 year extensions to BOTH your GM and manager after back to back craptastic years and an obvious downturn in quality and performance of the roster.

We are rewarding the 2 most powerful (besides Nutting) asshats for continued failures across the board. I'd love to work for the Pirates. Winning doesn't really matter. Hell you can be really bad. We'll still give you a raise......

Haven't watched a game in months. First year I haven't gone to one in person in quite some time. I'm done. I suggest the rest of you follow suit. No reason to give these *******s a dime of your money. Nutting and company pulled the great "long con".

You think Nutting gives raises!?

 

[Asuna]

will the pirates score a run again this season?

stay tuned....

 

[Winger for Hire]

will the pirates score a run again this season?

stay tuned....

/turns off TV

"Nah"

 

[Retrocity]

will the pirates score a run again this season?

stay tuned....

Which occurs first. Pirates score a run or have another base running blunder.

 

[Asuna]

/turns off TV

"Nah"

Which occurs first. Pirates score a run or have another base running blunder.

what is, base running blunder?

 

[Winger for Hire]

Normally I'd be kind of excited for this... until I saw the stat about the value Pirates draft picks have given the team over the past decade. Which I'm assuming is propped up as high as it is because of Cutch's 4 season span of 27+ WAR.

 

[Winger for Hire]

I look forward to the Pirates trying to add versatility to Hayes next year.