Sep 24 2012 02:34 PM
The Pirates season has been a funky sandwich. A nice juicy pile of goodness went into the middle, but it came between two moldy crusty chunks of bread. Through the extended top of the season, their pitching was there day in and day out, but the hitting was almost non-existent. It was a little bit of Andrew McCutcheon and nothing else.
Then when the warm weather started, the bats heated up, and McCutcheon became an MVP candidate, and the Bucs looked like a surprise contender. Despite two decades of dashed hopes, Pirates fans exhibited some irrational optimism when they found their team in first place on July 4 (triggering the "Pittsburgh's perfect, Peter. May I call you Pete?" thread). But it's been a grind since then, and the Pirates have slid downhill in the second half --- not as spectacularly as the Mets and Indians perhaps, but certainly highly disappointingly. (Three straight adverbs --- yes!)
The Pirates haven't quite been eliminated as the Mets have, and McCutcheon hasn't quite disappeared from MVP contention as David Wright has, but as the team sits at 75-77, folks have definitely (if not vocally) adjusted their goals, and hope mostly for their first winning (or .500) season since forever (or 1992).
Like the Mets, there's a lot for Bucco fans to be optimistic about. And lots to be not so opty about. The good news begins with Awesome Andrew McCutcheon. You see them coming up short this year --- McC's fourth --- and wonder if they're missing the opportunity to make the jump to big time before he hits free agency, but then you remember that the Bucs had the foresite to tie this guy up back in March, before his super year shot his price tag up. He's theirs through 2017, with a 2018 option. Psych!
Downside is that it's still a little unclear who the pieces are that are going to join him as the foundation. Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez, and... Jered Hughes? It's hard, this game.
I praise Neal Huntington for his foresight with McCutcheon, and I like to think he has a handle on things, but then I read about his assistant GM, and I wonder... specifically I wonder how Omar Minaya missed this guy.
| He then stresses developing “boys into men” for the purpose of reaching the majors, listing three points: “Dream and be creative like a Hippie. Have the discipline and perseverance of a Boy Scout. Be crazy and take risks like the Hells Angels.” |
How about "Run the bases like you've been there before." Not the kind of numbers you want to put up when baserunners are hard enough to come by as it is.
Anyhow, let's talk like about Pirates, if not talk like Pirates.
Catching: Rod Barajas. You know him, you love him, and he inspires you when you're not sure if your libido is going to serve you. He's a solid defensive guy that is fat and slow even by catching standards. Maybe Ramon Castro is still slower. Maybe. But what you want, he's got, but it might be hard to handle. And that's puncher's power. Come into his wheelhouse, and he can still turn on a pitch with all his meaty self. Other than that, he's not much of an offensive threat.
First Base: Garrett Jones. Utility corner man played all over the field and really settled in after they cleared Casey McGehee (cutest name in baseball) off of first base for him. Is slugging .500 in trying to shed the platoon label at 31. Good on him. Double plus good that his ascension let the Bucs send McGehee to the Yankees. Casey was OPS'ing at .674, which at least suggests a big leaguer. Since joining the Bombers, he's knocked it to the tune of .484, which, frankly, would make Jason Bay blush.
Second Base: Neil Walker. Switch hitter, started slowly, but has rallied back to his usual 110-ish OPS+ level. Medium power, fan favorite. Missed a few weeks during P'burgh's second half slumpfest with some back tightness.
Third Base: Pedro Álvarez: Dominican-born and Horace Mann-educated, this lefty slugger has had a heckuva breakthrough year. No Panda-body either. Good athlete, and he's been clutchy, too, doing as much as anybody to pull up on the stick during the Pirates' free fall.
Shortstop: Clint Barmes. The journeyman makes a lot of outs (.266 OBP), but has recently been seen batting second. No way to salvage your season, Clint Hurdle.
Leftfield: Starling Marte. Rookie with a beautiful name, recently took the job from Alex Presley, who was in a deep sophomore slump, but accountability works. Solid minor league hitter. Gets his share of steals, but gets caught too.
Centerfield: Andrew McCutchen. League placement:
[list][*]WAR: 1st[/*:m]
[*]Offensive WAR: 1st[/*:m]
[*]Batting Average: 2nd[/*:m]
[*]On-Base Percentage: 2nd[/*:m]
[*]Slugging Percentage: 3rd[/*:m]
[*]OPS: 2nd[/*:m]
[*]Runs: 1st[/*:m]
[*]Hits: 1st[/*:m]
[*]Total Bases: 2nd[/*:m]
[*]Homers: Tied-6th[/*:m]
[*]RBI: 10th[/*:m]
[*]Singles: 3rd[/*:m]
[*]OPS+: 2nd[/*:m]
[*]Runs Created: 2nd[/*:m]
[*]Extra Base Hits: 10th[/*:m]
[*]Times on Base: 1st[/*:m][/list:u]
The list goes on and it's a beautiful splash of black ink. He's having the type of year that, even if he doesn't objectively look particularly good in a swimsuit, makes people say, "Let's get some pictures of him in a swimsuit."
RF: [crossout]Todd[/crossout] Travis Snider. Injuries and ineffectiveness have limited the season of Jose Tabata, and the Buckshots are looking at this guy. You may remember him from Toronto. A meaty white lefty goon --- a shorter Lucas Duda, maybe, at 6'0", 235. He's a former Blue Jay first rounder that the Pirates gave up Brad Lincoln for, in a swap of first-rounders who certainly aren't washouts, but no longer have the dew on them, so to speak.
Pitching tonight is Kyle McPherson. It's his second career start, but I don't really trust pitchers named Kyle. A good strikeout guy prone to walks sometimes. He's from Alabama. He's mostly gotten it done as a big leaguer so far, but I suspect he's like Parnell and profiles as a reliever.
Tomorrow is Wandy Rodriguez. The Pirates traded for him for help down the stretch, and he's been middling for them so far. He's been mostly middling through his career, but his strikeouts are way down from his modest heyday, and I suspect that any success he's had as a Bucco has been luck. Let's light him up.
Wednesday is another greenhorn in Jeff Locke, a lefty they got from the Braves in the McLouth deal. Hasn't done anything in the bigs in eight starts over two seasons, but was real good in AAA this year. Is nicknamed "The Redstone Rocket." Is only 24 and looks 15. Throws hard. Has placement issues.
Thursday is Dickey Day, and His Knuckleness is opposed by veteran grinder Kevin Correia. Unspectacular career, but he doesn't beat himself. Another vet whose strikeout numbers are way down. He got knocked out of the rotation for a bit during their desperate adjustment period but he's back now.
Dickey gave up one run in seven innings against the Pirates back in May, striking out 11.
Good year for chin-fuzzy closer Joel Hanrahan, but I don't like closers, and this guy is a real bad influence on the Dillon Gees of the world.
Charlie Morton and Gustavo Nunez make up the DL, but it's September, and there's hurt people that nobody bothers DL-ing because they don't need the roster room. Ex-Mets include Rod Barajas, Clint Hurdle calling the shots, Ray Searage coaching the pitchers. Our 2009 bench coach Dave Jauss is now a Pittsburgh scout.
Despite playing four games, we miss A.J. Burnett, who's got $50 million of Yankee money in his pocket. Love him for that.