I cannot watch this team anymore. They are boring. They are pathetic. It is easy for me to give up on the team since I am a notorious bandwagon jumper, but I don't think I'll be doing any jumping this year.
Pirates shut out 3-0. Lost 7 of 8. Scored a total of 7 runs in the 7 losses.
- Thread starter fairgambit
- Start date
Didn't even watch tonight. I am sick about purchasing a 20 game plan this year. Won't do it again.
No one saw this coming. I really expected them to be sitting in 1st place in early May and staying there all season. This is brutal. I was offered tickets to the Cards game Sunday and turned them down.
Brought up Lombardozzi today, disabled Lambo. Should have just released his ass.
Between Kang and Lombardozzi that's two infielders who should get playing time, which maybe will light a fire under the infielders who are hitting .180.
Between Kang and Lombardozzi that's two infielders who should get playing time, which maybe will light a fire under the infielders who are hitting .180.
Totally agree on Lambo. Hope you're right on the infielders, but I've reached a point where I just don't care.
They're just getting the rest of the division teams confidence up, then they'll dash their spirits by going on a tear than includes several twelve game win streaks.
Just a reminder that it's early May, and thus barely 1 month into the season. You are a bandwagon jumper with regards to MLB -- we've had this discussion before.
If the Pirates' offense is still anemic by early August, then some concern is warranted. At this point, in the season, no team is a lock to to make the playoffs, no matter how well they've played in the 1st month.
But Tom, what fun is it if you can't give up on a team in early May? I will add if they are this anemic until August they will be 87 games out of 1st place.
This is why you don't "rest" your two best arms in the bullpen......not when you need three outs to win a game over your fiercest rival. Talk about a demoralizing loss.....
You can never say for sure, because you can't turn back the clock and replay what "would" have happened.....but I felt at that moment, the way Hurdle pissed away that game was going to haunt this team for some time. Rather than coming home refreshed, invigorated, and optimistic....they came home flatter than a pancake, and have now given away another 2 games playing like zombies.
Who do they think they are? The Phillies? Offensive anemia is contagious in the Commonwealth. And it's OFFENSIVE!
I know nothing about the coaching staff. However, it seems logical that a change might be in order:
Seems to me that they ought to seriously consider replacing the hitting coach. That might shake things up a bit.
I'm going tonight (guest of a supplier) and I don't expect very much out of the Bucs. Burnett is pitching and it might be time for him to have one of those outings to forget.
As Tom said above, the season is young ... when they finally get their stuff in order, will they be 20 games behind the division leader(s)?
All teams go through good/bad spurts over the season. The Pirates history has been better play in the warmer months. It's going into the mid 80s here today so maybe the performances will improve.
Grasping at straws ...
As Tom said above, the season is young ... when they finally get their stuff in order, will they be 20 games behind the division leader(s)?
All teams go through good/bad spurts over the season. The Pirates history has been better play in the warmer months. It's going into the mid 80s here today so maybe the performances will improve.
Grasping at straws ...
Interestingly enough TTM, they did change hitting coaches last year. They finally got rid of Jay Bell, and elevated Jeff Branson to the job.
First year on the job....the results were amazing!! Branson preaches a patient approach at the plate.
In Branson's first year, the Buccos went from:
7th in the league in Walks...all the way up to 1st in the league
13th in strikeouts.....to 4th (4th meaning 4th FEWEST strikeouts, a huge improvement)
They stopped chasing, and they put the ball in play.
This led to improvements in BA from 11th to 3rd in the league, and OBP from 8th to 2nd.
It was an amazing transformation....and this was done while Pedro went from All Star Slugger to Bench Warmer. Marte, Harrison, Martin, Walker, Mercer all showed tremendous improvement throughout the year....and one can imagine the new approach of Branson played some role in it.
Now, in the first month of the season, it looks like the 2013 "swing at anything" Buccos are back. You have to TRY to walk anyone in the lineup....I think, as of the start of this recent series, they were averaging LESS than 2 walks per game!!
It is really hard to explain....how the guys could have bought into the new approach, and had so much success with it, and now it looks like they have thrown all of that out the window.
VERY puzzling indeed.
First year on the job....the results were amazing!! Branson preaches a patient approach at the plate.
In Branson's first year, the Buccos went from:
7th in the league in Walks...all the way up to 1st in the league
13th in strikeouts.....to 4th (4th meaning 4th FEWEST strikeouts, a huge improvement)
They stopped chasing, and they put the ball in play.
This led to improvements in BA from 11th to 3rd in the league, and OBP from 8th to 2nd.
It was an amazing transformation....and this was done while Pedro went from All Star Slugger to Bench Warmer. Marte, Harrison, Martin, Walker, Mercer all showed tremendous improvement throughout the year....and one can imagine the new approach of Branson played some role in it.
Now, in the first month of the season, it looks like the 2013 "swing at anything" Buccos are back. You have to TRY to walk anyone in the lineup....I think, as of the start of this recent series, they were averaging LESS than 2 walks per game!!
It is really hard to explain....how the guys could have bought into the new approach, and had so much success with it, and now it looks like they have thrown all of that out the window.
VERY puzzling indeed.
This team looks completely lost...like they forgot everything they knew about baseball. As you suggest, improvement may happen over time but they are digging a hole so deep even a wild card may not be possible.
From the games that I have watched on TV, it appears that the opposing pitchers know that they cannot hit breaking balls and have no feel for off-speed pitches. Not too many mistakes are being made by throwing a fat one over the heart of the plate - like Cole made last night to both Todd Frazier (opposite field triple off top of the padded wall) and to Marlon Byrd (dinger hit into Reds bullpen).
Loved the liner that Pedro hit back at Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately, it was right at him and hit so hard that he couldn't do anything but knock it down and throw him out at first. That's what the Pirates can do against the fastball and in time those shots will not be right at them.
