Snap Judgments - Game 9 - Cubs 7, Pirates 3
Upon hearing the news that I would be blogging about the Bucs, the venerable and wise Open Bar (wheres-luke.blogspot.com) said to me to, "More commentary, less reporting. I can read a box score if I want to."
This nod to OB will become a regular occurrence following all Pirates games. I'm calling this section of the blog "Snap Judgments" as it will most likely be influenced by emotion (and maybe a few brews) and I will do my very best to post my thoughts within an hour of the game's final out. These will be my instant reactions and they will spare no one, least of all the Pirates. As far as being a sympathetic homer, I will strive to avoid that at all costs.
Here goes...
1.) Brian Bixler is NOT Ready for the Majors
Bixler: Two major league starts, three big-time mistakes.
The game started off ominously for Bixler and the Pirates. Alfonso Soriano was dead to rights trying to steal second in the 1st inning when Ronny Paulino fired a pea that had the speedy Soriano out by a half-step. It was a bang-bang play to be sure, but the throw was perfect, Bixler barely had to move his glove and yet somehow, Soriano's head-first slide dislodged the ball from Bixler's mitt. Soriano scored the Cubs' first run two batters later. In the home half of the 1st, Bixler ended the Pirates three-run first with a gorgeous swinging strikeout. I know it's early in this guy's career, but he's really done nothing to distinguish himself so far in the Minors and by a cruel twist of fate, he's now Pirates' starting shortstop for a couple of weeks. This is mainly because Luis Rivas is somehow worse than Bixler and Jack Wilson is on the 15-day DL. I'd certainly be looking for Chris Gomez at SS tomorrow, but I don't know if the 16-year vet is still athletic enough to make all the plays. Former manager Jim Tracy, not known to be the best evaluator of talent, had this to say about Bixler last season:
"How can you not like what you've seen from this guy?" Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "He's a baseball player -- a solid baseball player. It's very impressive to see, no question about it."
He's a baseball player? And that was somehow impressive to Mr. Tracy? Uh, wow...I can't believe I'm upset we got rid of Cesar Izturis. Bixler also let a ground ball eat him up during the Cubs' five-run 6th. With the infield drawn in, Reed Johnson hit a sharp ground ball that squirted under Bixler's glove allowing Ryan Theriot to score and up the score to 5-3. The Pirates never threatened after the 6th.
2.) The Matt Morris Equation - 5 IP/start X 32 starts = $10million/year
"I know, Ronny. I can't believe they're paying me that much either!"
For a franchise that has boasted some of the best players the game has ever seen, not one of them has been paid $10million in one season by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, I know the economics of baseball and I understand that the average MLB player will make $3million in 2008, a figure unheard when Clemente, Stargell, and even a young Barry Bonds roamed the diamond in the Burgh, but Matt Morris? How is this guy the highest-paid player in the 122-year history of the Pirates? Simple answer, really: Dave Littlefield.
But I shall digress on my conspiracy theory as to why Littlefield traded for this worn-down, one-time All-Star and just hit you with the cold, hard numbers. In 2001, Morris went 22-8 with a 3.16 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 216 IP. I would gladly pay $10million/year for those numbers. However, Morris has steadily declined every year since. Since joining the Pirates last season, here are Morris' numbers, including tonight's 7IP/7R/4ER/11H/2BB/2HR/3K performance:
3-5 in 13 starts, an ERA over 6.00 and 34 strikeouts in 74 IP
You don't have to answer, but I'll ask anyway: Do those numbers warrant his current salary? I would implore the Pirates to deal Morris, but no Major League team will take him and his immovable salary. If Morris finishes the season in some city other than Pittsburgh, rest assured the Pirates will still be paying him.
3.) Nate McLouth (aka Nate Mac) Will Represent the Pirates at Yankee Stadium as an All-Star this July
BOOM goes the dynamite!
Just before the season, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dejan Kovacevic conducted a poll of 20 Pirates and asked them a series of questions, one of those being:
"Which player will have a breakout season?"
11 players chose McLouth and he has not only proven them right, he has delighted Pirates fans during the team's dismal 3-6 start at the plate and in the outfield. Entering tonight's game, Nate Mac was hitting .390AVG/.419OBP/.659SLG/1.077OPS. McLouth went 2/5 tonight with another run scored and his defense all year in center has been stellar. On April 4th against the Braves, Nate Mac's glove-work kept the game close early as he made two Gold Glove-caliber plays to rob Mark Teixiera in the 3rd and Matt Diaz in the 5th. The Pirates won 4-3 in 10 innings.
Nate Mac snags a Mark Teixiera bomb and keeps two runs off the board.
McLouth's play has won him the job as the team's starting centerfielder and it looks as if only injury could dislodge him. Nyjer Morgan, the team's back-up CF who many thought would be platooning in CF with Nate Mac, will likely get some action against righties in place of Xavier Nady when he inevitably cools off. With Morgan and McLouth at the top of the order, the Pirates can actually field two speedsters for the first time in recent memory.
This nod to OB will become a regular occurrence following all Pirates games. I'm calling this section of the blog "Snap Judgments" as it will most likely be influenced by emotion (and maybe a few brews) and I will do my very best to post my thoughts within an hour of the game's final out. These will be my instant reactions and they will spare no one, least of all the Pirates. As far as being a sympathetic homer, I will strive to avoid that at all costs.
Here goes...
1.) Brian Bixler is NOT Ready for the Majors
Bixler: Two major league starts, three big-time mistakes.The game started off ominously for Bixler and the Pirates. Alfonso Soriano was dead to rights trying to steal second in the 1st inning when Ronny Paulino fired a pea that had the speedy Soriano out by a half-step. It was a bang-bang play to be sure, but the throw was perfect, Bixler barely had to move his glove and yet somehow, Soriano's head-first slide dislodged the ball from Bixler's mitt. Soriano scored the Cubs' first run two batters later. In the home half of the 1st, Bixler ended the Pirates three-run first with a gorgeous swinging strikeout. I know it's early in this guy's career, but he's really done nothing to distinguish himself so far in the Minors and by a cruel twist of fate, he's now Pirates' starting shortstop for a couple of weeks. This is mainly because Luis Rivas is somehow worse than Bixler and Jack Wilson is on the 15-day DL. I'd certainly be looking for Chris Gomez at SS tomorrow, but I don't know if the 16-year vet is still athletic enough to make all the plays. Former manager Jim Tracy, not known to be the best evaluator of talent, had this to say about Bixler last season:
"How can you not like what you've seen from this guy?" Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "He's a baseball player -- a solid baseball player. It's very impressive to see, no question about it."
He's a baseball player? And that was somehow impressive to Mr. Tracy? Uh, wow...I can't believe I'm upset we got rid of Cesar Izturis. Bixler also let a ground ball eat him up during the Cubs' five-run 6th. With the infield drawn in, Reed Johnson hit a sharp ground ball that squirted under Bixler's glove allowing Ryan Theriot to score and up the score to 5-3. The Pirates never threatened after the 6th.
2.) The Matt Morris Equation - 5 IP/start X 32 starts = $10million/year
"I know, Ronny. I can't believe they're paying me that much either!"For a franchise that has boasted some of the best players the game has ever seen, not one of them has been paid $10million in one season by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, I know the economics of baseball and I understand that the average MLB player will make $3million in 2008, a figure unheard when Clemente, Stargell, and even a young Barry Bonds roamed the diamond in the Burgh, but Matt Morris? How is this guy the highest-paid player in the 122-year history of the Pirates? Simple answer, really: Dave Littlefield.
But I shall digress on my conspiracy theory as to why Littlefield traded for this worn-down, one-time All-Star and just hit you with the cold, hard numbers. In 2001, Morris went 22-8 with a 3.16 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 216 IP. I would gladly pay $10million/year for those numbers. However, Morris has steadily declined every year since. Since joining the Pirates last season, here are Morris' numbers, including tonight's 7IP/7R/4ER/11H/2BB/2HR/3K performance:
3-5 in 13 starts, an ERA over 6.00 and 34 strikeouts in 74 IP
You don't have to answer, but I'll ask anyway: Do those numbers warrant his current salary? I would implore the Pirates to deal Morris, but no Major League team will take him and his immovable salary. If Morris finishes the season in some city other than Pittsburgh, rest assured the Pirates will still be paying him.
3.) Nate McLouth (aka Nate Mac) Will Represent the Pirates at Yankee Stadium as an All-Star this July
BOOM goes the dynamite!Just before the season, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dejan Kovacevic conducted a poll of 20 Pirates and asked them a series of questions, one of those being:
"Which player will have a breakout season?"
11 players chose McLouth and he has not only proven them right, he has delighted Pirates fans during the team's dismal 3-6 start at the plate and in the outfield. Entering tonight's game, Nate Mac was hitting .390AVG/.419OBP/.659SLG/1.077OPS. McLouth went 2/5 tonight with another run scored and his defense all year in center has been stellar. On April 4th against the Braves, Nate Mac's glove-work kept the game close early as he made two Gold Glove-caliber plays to rob Mark Teixiera in the 3rd and Matt Diaz in the 5th. The Pirates won 4-3 in 10 innings.
Nate Mac snags a Mark Teixiera bomb and keeps two runs off the board.McLouth's play has won him the job as the team's starting centerfielder and it looks as if only injury could dislodge him. Nyjer Morgan, the team's back-up CF who many thought would be platooning in CF with Nate Mac, will likely get some action against righties in place of Xavier Nady when he inevitably cools off. With Morgan and McLouth at the top of the order, the Pirates can actually field two speedsters for the first time in recent memory.
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