It's Only 3 Thoughts. Geez.

Go...

1) Albert Pujols is having a bad World Series. Through 5 World Series games, Pujols has been held hitless 4 times. While everyone will remember his Game 3 performance, people might forget his costly 9th inning error in Game 2. His botched "hit and run" and his 9th inning strikeout in Game 5 arguably cost the Cardinals the game. Oh, and about that Game 3 performance? The Cardinals would've won by 3 without his 6 RBIs, and two of Pujols' homers came well after the game was out of hand. Bad. World. Series.

2) Mike Tomlin's former strength is now a weakness. When Mike Tomlin came to coach the Steelers, he was lauded for his handling of then-Vikings safety, Darren Sharper. Tomlin and Sharper were college teammates at William & Mary, but when Tomlin detected a slip in Sharper's play, he benched him. If Aaron Smith, Jonathon Scott, and Bryant McFadden hadn't gotten hurt, you bet they'd still be starting. The Steelers are 18-1 since 2004 when Casey Hampton doesn't start, but Tomlin has no intention of sitting the overrated nose tackle. Last week, the Steelers offense looked explosive with Hines Ward out injured--but Tomlin wouldn't dare bench the overrated wide receiver. Mike Tomlin doesn't want to hurt feelings; Captain Cliche' has a weakness.

3) Dick LeBeau can't figure out Tom Brady. Since 2004, Brady is 6-1 vs. the Steelers and more often than not, makes the Steelers defense look as helpless as a fat girl playing dodge ball. Last year, LeBeau called a total of 7 blitzes in the 39-26 debacle against the Patriots at Heinz Field. That's right--7. Going against an insanely accurate but statue-esque quarterback, LeBeau decided to give him time to pass! Brady never got sacked, but perhaps LeBeau's game plan should've been. Then again, that means Tomlin would've had to risk hurting LeBeau's feelings, so...no chance of that happening.

Steve Bartman should not be "Catching Hell"

ESPN is airing a 30 for 30 Documentary tonight (right now!) on Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS and Steve Bartman. Its a crying shame that a guy has basically been forced to become a recluse because of a city's desire to feel "cursed" and ignore the facts of what happened in that game and beyond:

....That ball was a foul ball. Not a homerun. Not a double. It affected nothing other than making Mark Prior throw another pitch with the score 3-0 and just one guy on base! Is it Bartman's fault that he walked the guy?

....Bartman just did what every other fan would do (you can see four other guys including this one reaching for the ball) 

....Is it Steve Bartman's fault that Alex Gonzalez booted a routine grounder to shortstop two batters later?

....Is it is his fault that three pitchers after Prior couldn't get out of the inning before ultimately letting up 8 runs?

And most importantly.......This all happened in GAME 6! How is it Steve Bartman's fault that the Cubs still had their second best pitcher ready for Game 7 in Kerry Wood who also blew a lead, this time earlier in the game?

If Moises Alou (a guy know for urinating on his own hands to avoid callouses BTW) doesn't jump up and down like a spoiled kid told he can't get the toy he wants, does anyone even notice Bartman? Instead Steve Bartman's life was ruined cause the Cubs were unable to hold a lead in a game they had a 95% chance of winning when the inning started. Yeah, that's a great way to treat one of your biggest fans.

Hurricane Ohlendorf Strikes Again

(9/21/11: Another Ohlendorf Disaster)

The Pittsburgh Pirates' Ross Ohlendorf is a really smart guy. The Princeton grad even did an internship with the Agriculture Department two offseasons ago.

But Ohlendorf absolutely sucks at baseball.

A quick run down of the 29 year-old's 2011 stats:

• BAA: .374
  


• WHIP: 1.99



• ERA: 8.29.

The Pirates rotation is far more productive when Ohlendorf's on injured reserve. At least when he's hurt, he can't hurt the team.

Ohlendorf has had his employer convinced--for years--that he would eventually fulfill his potential. That "potential" got Ohlendorf $2.03 million this year. Like I said, Ohlendorf is a really smart guy.

Either that, or the Pirates are incredibly stupid.

For Patriots, It's All Black and White

I'm not calling the New England Patriots organization racist.

Since 2005, the Patriots starting offensive line has been entirely caucasion while their starting defensive line has been 100% African American. See for yourself & compare this with, say, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Typically, NFL trenches are a pretty diverse group. Then again, the Patriots have always done things their own way.

I'm not calling the Patriots organization racist--even if the evidence is pretty black and white.

Mariano Rivera's Record...A Rant about Saves

I saw on Twitter this afternoon (apologize for not linking as I couldn't find the exact tweet, but do remember the exact numbers and verified it here) that since the beginning of 1996, the Pirates as a team via numerous closers have 592 saves. Mariano Rivera in that same time period has 597 of his newly record breaking 602 saves.

This was shocking to me intitially, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense and further exposed probably the most ridiculous stat in baseball. 

The Yankees have obviously been much much better than the Pirates since 1996. How are the save totals (just guessing but Rivera has probably 90-95% of the Yankee saves) so close? Easy. Just about every team is going to get a whole bunch of saves at some point in the season no matter what happens due to the nature of the baseball season. Its just a matter of who gets them. 

Rivera deserves a ton of credit for consistency and mostly good health since 1996 but someone was going to get those saves for the Yankees. No matter what the media will have you believe, most relief pitchers can hold a 2 or 3 run lead for one inning the overwhelming majority of the time. Research that I don't feel like looking up right now puts that percentage at 90+ . 

The "closer mentality" is a myth that ends up hurting teams who refuse to use their closer in the true spot that would save the game. This is often way before the 9th inning (ex. 2 on with no outs in the 7th or 8th inning) but the manager "can't" use the closer in a non-save situation cause then who will work the 9th? After all, its been "proven" that not just anyone can get those last three outs. And more importantly, what will the home stadium play to fire up the crowd if the closer isn't coming in to his entrance music?

Back to Rivera....He is a very good pitcher and undoubtedly the best closer of all time. I am just not sure what that really means with the way closers are used these days. Of course, I would much rather have him hold the saves record than a guy who let up back to back game losing 9th inning homeruns to Ryan Doumit (Trevor Hoffman). However, Rivera is not anywhere near a first ballot Hall of Famer. How many games did he TRULY add to the Yankees win column over the years? Based on how close the number of saves are between a good team and bad team in a 15 year period, I am extremely hesitant to put any relievers in the Hall of Fame....

Addendum: This is all Tony Larussa's fault. He created the modern one inning save situation and closer in the late 80s and early 90s with Dennis Eckersley. Just one more reason to dislike Larussa and his over-managing.

Addendum #2: Further proof of the ridiculousness of saves. 13th on the all times saves list with a decent chance to get to the top 6? Francisco Cordero. I don't think Reds' fans even have faith in him. Oh, and 14th is Jose Mesa.

Touchdown's "Pick Six"

Pick six, Touchdown

All odds are based on Danny Sheridan's lines as of 9:00 EST this morning.

#6. New England at San Diego, over/under = 51. Take the over. New England is good for 40 points a week, and their defense is abysmal. This shootout will go over 55 total points.

#5. Houston, -3, at Miami. Take Houston. Houston looked bad last week, which fits with their three-year M.O. of alternating poor and awesome performances. They were bad last week...they'll be good today.

#4. New England, -6.5, at San Diego. Take New England. I can't imagine New England winning by less than a touchdown against an overmatched Chargers team.

#3. Kansas City, +8.5, at Detroit. Take KC. Are we already at the point where we consider Detroit a powerhouse? You might be. I'm not. KC wasted a first round choice this year, but that doesn't mean they can't lose to the Lions by less than 8.5 points.

#2. Philadelphia at Atlanta, over/under = 50.5. Take the under. Both teams' offenses are inconsistent when they go against decent defenses, and 50.5 is a lot of points.

#1. Seattle, -13.5, at Pittsburgh. Take the Steelers. Honestly, I have no idea who the Seahawks quarterback is. Pittsburgh might be old and slow, but Ben Roethlisberger is in for a huge day.

ACC-ya later, Big East!

Pitt and Syracuse are joining the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Wonder how TCU feels about this?

3 Most Overrated Steelers

2011's Most Overrated Steelers

3. Casey Hampton. "Snack" is a good nose tackle, but he's as overrated as he is over weight. He never generates a pass rush, and contrary to what the media obsessively reports, it does not take three men to block him. He's only marginally better than his back up, but paid a whole lot more. Maybe he should put his money where his mouth is.



2. Rashard Mendenhall. Rashard spun his way into trouble this off season with ridiculous quotes about slavery and Osama Bin Laden. Not surprisingly, he fumbled last week on 9/11. Of course, Rashard doesn't discriminate--he's willing to fumble in the worst possible situations. Any way you spin it, he's overrated.



1. Hines Ward. By slow, I don't mean Hines is unintelligent. By slow,I mean that Hines is about as fast as Casey Hampton. He's had a terrific career, but he has no business playing ahead of Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. Opposing secondaries can shift their coverages towards Mike Wallace without any risk, because Ward isn't fast enough to get downfield on his routes. It's a cryin shame, ya know?


Honorable mention: James Farrior, Troy Polamalu

Let's go NFLPA!

Popular opinion seems to be that the NFL is well on its way to a lockout. I am all for it. NFL players are by far the worst treated of any of the major sports. Why? Their union has been a puppet for ownership's interests the last 20 years or so. And the owners now want a bigger share of the pie (literally a billion MORE dollars before they even start sharing with the NFLPA)?

The owners and Roger Goodell don't realize how good they have it.

-No one will argue -not even Anthony- that football is the most dangerous and potentially life impacting injury prone of the major sports. So, it makes perfect sense that NFL Players have very little guaranteed money. Yeah, that's right. Teams can basically release them at any point with the only money due being deferred signing bonuses and potentially a roster bonus (depending on when the release happens).  Good luck to a MLB, NBA, or NHL team getting rid of that player who isn't earning his contract. That money is guaranteed unless he retires.

-Speaking of salaries, NFL players have the lowest average salary of the major sport while having the largest amount of TV money coming (by a ridiculous margin). I read an article awhile ago that the NFL could have empty stadiums and just the TV contract money coming in and still make money. I am sure that is an exaggeration but point taken. So, how are the owners crying poor and claiming that player's portion of revenue needs to go down?

-The NFL and Roger Goodell say they have nothing but the safety of players in mind. We heard all season that was the reason for the enforcing of the tackling and defenseless player rules. The seemingly random penalties of the rules and fines there could be a whole other post. Let's just say it was inconsistent at best. Are the owners really that concerned with player safety if one of the main points of contention is Goodel's desire for an 18 game regular season while taking money away from the players?  I am sure two more games will help the fact that the average NFL player's career is just 3 1/2 years? That's the shortest of any sport.

So to summarize, the owners want to take more money off the top and lower the overall percentage of money going to the players, while adding two games to a league that weekly already has life altering injuries. Its the equivalent of you or I being told you were going to work 15% more for less money. The players basically want to keep the same deal that isn't that great for them anyway (with seemingly minor tweaks like a pension system that the NFL can't consistently try to avoid paying out on).

The sad part is that the owners will eventually win. The players will cave whenever it gets to the point where they are missing game checks. They always do. The owners on the other hand get their portion of the TV money whether there are games or not.


Yeah that seems fair.....Just one more reason why Roger Goodell and friends are making me slowly hate the NFL. 


But hey, at least Pitt football is going to be exciting this fall!

Diagnosis: An Insane Superbowl

I've felt sick for almost 48 hours now. And, unlike Bird, it's not a case of explosive diareah that's bringing me down.

It's that damn Superbowl.

Anyway, according to my doctor, if I don't talk about my thoughts, I'll become a ticking timebomb.

So, for safety's sake, here goes:

1) Dom Capers' game plan was to keep Ben Roethlisberger in the pocket & the Packers executed it perfectly. I was sandwiched between my wife and a screaming baby on the couch during the game, but I was far more comfortable than Ben was all night.

2) Aaron Rodgers is the bomb.

3) I would be really good, too, if I didn't face any pressure and got to target William Gay all night.

4) Mike Tomlin's troops were slow out of the gate. I guess he thought the first half game plan against Baltimore was worth repeating. (Dud)

5) Rashard Mendenhall continues to fumble in big games. So while I might have issues, at least I don't have a case of big-game fumble-itis like he does.

6) In the 2009 regular season win versus the Packers, Troy Polamalu didn't play. In the 2010 Superbowl versus the Packers, Troy Polamalu didn't really play, either. For safety's sake!

I'd write more, but reminiscing about the game is making me even more ill.

So I'll just keep my thoughts to myself.

Tick....tick......tick.....

Opening of the Books....Unfortunately, No Conspiracy to be found.

Its long been thought by many a yinzer that Bob Nutting is some nerdy combination of C. Montgomery Burns and Scrooge McDuck lining his pockets/bank vault with money that should be spent on his team's payroll. As good of a story as below would be, it appears it really isn't the case.

Instead of swimming in his money, Nutting and the Pirates seem to have some real revenue questions and not a lot of room for error in their never-ending quest to be a contender. But didn't we know that already? 

Here are some links to different perspectives/analysis.  

First the background of the story:

The original Post-Gazette article: For the most part, just a rehashing of what the Pirates presented to the media yesterday. 

The AP story that prompted the Pirates "getting out in front of the story:" Nothing really said here that wasn't said by the Pirates in Dejan's article. Just twisted differently.

The actual line by line financial statements for the Pirates and other teams that were leaked: A lot of interesting info here including the dramatic differences in gate and broadcasting revenues between teams. 

What does this all mean?

Bucs Dugout says the whole situation doesn't nicely fit the Bob Nutting is evil media narrative. A very good discussion in the comments here as well.

Pirates Prospects breaks the situation down a couple of different ways here and here. They have the same concern I do. How can the team consistently raise the payroll with these numbers? I would have much rather seen this leak of info show that Nutting was taking 50 million a year in profits like the conspiracy theorists have long thought. Instead it appears any "meaningful" increase in payroll is going to have to be offset by an increase in revenue or decrease in spending somewhere else (as it appears the team is not interested in losing money).

Pittsburgh Lumber Company takes issue with some of the "nonsense" in the AP article.

Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke comments on his changing perception of the Pirates' finances since Nutting/Coonelly/Huntington took over.

Rocco Demaro weighs in with a practical estimate on what the profits would have brought the Pirates if they spent every dime on the MLB payroll. Hint...it wouldn't have made much of a difference the last couple of years. Spending on the amateur draft and using the profit to pay down debt is a much better use of funds while rebuilding.

The Biz of Baseball compares and contracts financial info from all of the teams leaked on Deadspin. 

And Finally:

People have complained for years that the Pirates wouldn't open their books. They did (although not exactly voluntarily). The statements show that they made profits but not the significant profits critics had been claiming. 

So, critics need a new spin. I assume that spin will be the need to sell to Lemieux/Burkle cause they are "proven winners."

Of course, those same people conveniently forget the endless money troubles the Penguins had (before and with Mario as the owner) before they literally won the lottery with Sidney Crosby, had a hard salary cap implemented across the league, and leveraged potentially leaving the city (a lot more seriously than the Pirates or Steelers did in the late 90s) to get their new arena. Their just isn't enough in this market to spend anywhere near what other teams in places like NY do if there isn't a system of checks/balances in place. Baseball doesn't have that. Hockey now does. That (and the luck of the ping pong balls) is why the Pens have been successful. Not because Mario is a financial genius.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Penguins and everything that they have accomplished. The Consol Energy Center was actually the most practical and necessary of the three new facilities due to its extensive non-Penguin use.  However, lets not pretend Mario has always had the golden touch.  Before Crosby or Malkin arrived, 11,000 people went to the games to cheer on prospects like Rico Fata, the Pens had the lowest payroll in the league, and the ticket sales department I was working in didn't have enough budget to get us envelopes or pens. Besides the shortages of office supplies, doesn't that sound pretty familiar to the current Pirates situation? Actually, the Pirates young guys now are probably better than the Pens prospects in the early 2000s. 

The main difference? There is no Sidney Crosby coming via lottery to the Pirates immediately to get them out of the hole. But there is talent coming. It just takes time now that they are finally doing a proper rebuild.

The James Gang?

I haven't wrote in almost a month due to a severe case of writer's block. Lebron-a-poloza woke me back up though.....

In case you have been under a rock, Lebron officially picked Miami a little bit ago.  The master salesman Pat Riley did it.

I am sure Lebron will get a lot of bad press from those that didn't like how he handled the free agency process. And there will be those who write how he "betrayed" Cleveland. Those writers will conveniently ignore the fact that he took a good amount less money than he could have got in Cleveland. Or that the team in Cleveland just was not the best option players wise and had little room to manuever under the salary cap.

Was Lebron supposed to stay in Cleveland just because he has lived in Akron his whole life and the city "deserves" loyalty? How dare he want to play with someone other Mo Williams and Delonte West! How Lebron got to the Finals a couple years ago with the supporting cast in Cleveland I will never know. Reportedly he tried to convince Chris Bosh to come to Cleveland instead of Miami but Bosh wanted nothing to do with Ohio. Once that was done, there was nothing keeping Lebron in Ohio other than more money and the fact that it was close to his hometown of Akron (which contrary to what you hear on ESPN is a different place than Cleveland).

Mind you, I was convinced he was staying a Cav all the way through just because he wouldn't want to disappoint his hometowners and wouldn't turn down the extra money (approx 30 million dollars). No matter the hype and talk with athletes, its always about the money in the end. I was wrong.

However, this decision actually makes great sense on a basketball level. Ten times more than if he would have went to the Knicks (not as close to contending as Miami, Chicago, or Cleveland) or the Nets (even further away than the Knicks).  Its always fun to see New Yorkers not get what they thought was a slam dunk. I guess it is "bust" for NYC. I am sure all the New York papers will crush Lebron for "not having the guts" to play in New York. He's clearly no Jeter. No one is.

How about the team this creates in Miami? Lebron is a great passer. Does he become a triple double every game guy passing to Wade and Bosh? Who does an opposing team double team? And perhaps most importantly, who else plays on this team? They only have 5 guys on the roster right now. And one of them, Michael Beasley, will probably be traded to allow Wade, Bosh, and James' to fit under the salary cap. It will extremely interesting to see how they fill out the roster. How many veterans can they find laying around that want a ring bad enough to take the minimum? I might be faxing my resume over in the morning. I can shoot the three and won't cost much against the cap.

I do feel bad for Cleveland, but they had their chances to build the right team around Lebron. It just didn't happen for various reasons. Where do they go from here?

In the end, even if you have a problem with how Lebron handled the "courting" process, he made a decision to go where he thought gave him the best chance to win immediately and long term. And in the process, he sacrificed money (I know its more money than you or I will ever see either way but relatively speaking) and probably some of his mystique.  


Can you really fault a guy for that? Doesn't this prove winning is what matters the most to him? And isn't that what people always claim is missing in today's athletes? 


UPDATE 7-9-10:


My sadness for Cleveland? Gone after reading the insane 13 year old who just got dumped-esque letter from their owner. Who would want to play for a guy who will turn on you so quickly and start name calling? What an unprofessional and classless move by Dan Gilbert. Not a good message to send to other players out there you may be trying to convince to come to Cleveland at some point. Proof that you should always have someone read your emails before you press send/publish....

Thursday in my Google Reader

I use Google Reader for almost all of my web reading. I highly recommend it as a big time saver. Lots of good stuff in there today......

-Today is the day for the local news' much hyped Ben Roethlisberger sit down interviews. And I know when I want the tough questions asked, I bring Bob Pompeani or Sally Wiggin in. These interviews are definitely a good start for Ben in his public image rehab quest though as really nothing can go wrong.

-Did Pete Rose cork his bat at the end of his career? Deadspin has a very detailed story explaining that he may very well have. Just another example of the long held thinking in baseball that if "you aren't cheating, you aren't playing"....And yes, Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.

-The Big 10/Pac 10 power struggle officially starts. Nebraska is going to the Big 10 and Colorado to the Pac 10 as of tomorrow. Can't say I would have predicted a Big 12 collapse before a Big East collapse. And all this restructuring has to be leading to a playoff, right?

-Should MLB have a separate draft of international talent? Fangraphs thinks so. I am all for it as well. Currently, any players outside of the US or Puerto Rico are subject to international free agency at the age of 16. This leads to bidding wars and identity issues that don't happen with the regular draft. Its just one big free for all.

-Speaking of the Draft, here are short profiles (a sentence or two with stats where available) on all 50 Pirate selections. Hint, there are a lot of pitchers. Especially right handed ones out of high school.

-A quick update on a couple former Buccos....Ian Snell is close to at least losing his starting job (for the second time this year) after giving up 8 runs in 1 and 2/3 last night, if not being released altogether. Nate McLouth left the game for Atlanta last night after a nasty collision in the outfield. And he continues to chug along with a .176 average. Dejan can't be happy.

-On the eve of the World Cup, Deadspin (via The Spoiler) has the 11 dirtiest players in the tournament.

-The Big Lead posted their 5 greatest moments in Saved by the Bell history yesterday. Amazingly, I had just referenced the #1 moment on their list in a comment to Anthony here. Great stuff, even though this wouldn't be my top 5. How about something from the Rod Belding episode (2 Beldings in one Building, one of who is balding...)? Or the Friends Forever one? Or anything involving Zack calling timeout and freezing time? What a great and ridiculous show. I could, and probably will at some point, do a whole post on the show...

-And Finally, Marian Hossa gets his Stanley Cup. Good for him. Jeremy Roenick was apparently so happy he started crying on air. Hilarious.

Pedro, Pedro......

I heard this Frank Coonelly interview yesterday on The Fan. The big news? He said Pedro Alvarez is "very close" to the majors. Normally I would think of a comment like that as just lip service, but its the opposite of the normal answer Coonelly or Huntington gives on a prospect. Usually, a guy has "a long way to go" or "there are still a number of issues we are working out that aren't necessarily reflected in stats" even if they plan on calling him up the next day. For example, Walker went from a "ways away" to on the team in a week and Brad Lincoln is about to do the same tonight.

So, Alvarez may be here sooner than we think. My guess is the next homestand as it would make sense to debut him at home since he is their best prospect since Barry Bonds.

Why is Alvarez probably ready? The weakness against left handed pitching has become a lot less pronounced. Actually, he is hitting better against LHPs than RHPs this year accoring to MILB.com.  He also has gotten progressively better each month (just like last year) going from a .721 OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage) in April to .982 in May to 1.022 so far in June (through yesterday's game). His strikeouts are also down from last year.

This afternoon after I started writing this post? Alvarez went 3 for 4 with double, triple and 2 run homerun. All the hits were off the left handed starter. His OPS for the year is now .924 and 1.258 in June.

Tabata is here. Lincoln is here. Alvarez should be too.

The Pirates' Risky Business

You can't teach speed. You hear it in all sports for different reasons. Baseball is of course no exception. Neal Huntington has been trying to get hard throwing pitchers into the Pirates system every since he took over. Until now, this has meant pulling guys off the scrap heap or rule 5 draft (Denny Bautista, Hayden Penn, Evan Meek, Donnie Veal etc..) who can throw extremely hard but have some issue. Usually, the issue is not having any idea where the ball is going when it leaves his hand....Neal is just hoping in each case that the Pirates can be the organization that helps the guy "figure it out." Occasionally it works (Evan Meek). Most of the time it doesn't (Denny Bautista).

Neal Huntington has taken the quest for speed to a new level in the draft. In the first two rounds, they selected the two hardest throwers available: Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie. Taillon can hit 99 mph and some say has the "polish" of a college pitcher because of  already having a four pitch arsenal. He would be the number one pick overall in a year without Bryce Harper. Allie can hit 100 mph but has some control issues at times. He was rated the #8 overall prospect talent wise by Baseball America, but could be a very tough sign as rumors claim he is looking for 3 million to skip college (reason he slipped to the 52 pick). That would be an unheard of amount for a second round pick. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus says the Pirates signing both of these guys would make it a "potential franchise changing two days." Hopefully they can get it done.

Of course there is some risk (actually a good bit) here...High school pitchers get hurt. They don't have a good track record of living up to expectations. I have already heard the jokes that the Pirates should just schedule their Tommy John surgery for next week and be done with it. However, if that is your thinking, please explain how the Pirates are supposed to get their hands on an "ace" type pitcher (like the one they saw last night, wow was Strasburg good). Those guys don't make it to free agency and they couldn't afford them anyway. The amateur draft is the cheapest way to acquire talent.

These were picks that had to be made and a team in the Pirates situation has to take the risk when guys with 99 mph fastballs and plus curves are available. Otherwise you will never end up with a rotation made up anything other Paul Maholms and Zach Dukes (at best).....I can't wait to get them signed and into the system. 

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

I am taking an indefinite leave of absence from the blog.

Bird and perhaps occasionally, Jim, will lead you in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Getting a master's degree while working full time is challenging. Throw 2 kids, a new house, a dog that won't listen, and 2 cats (that I'm sort of allergic to) into the mix, and I don't have time to entertain your sorry asses right now.

So stay tuned and continue to enjoy the blog.

If you think you can add something to the blog, hit me up on facebook and I'll forward your interest to Bird. We can use a few more writers...

If I get a chance, I'll periodically update you with my thoughts. For now, I'm out.

Peace.

Monday Links

No huge story to write about today. So a handful of links.......

-Bob Smizik has decided that past performance IS indicative of future results when it comes to the MLB draft. He prefers a college player to the high upside (but higher risk) high schoolers. Of course, he will probably write an article in the next day or so complaining about the Pirates lack of high upside prospects...But that is to be expected from Bob.

-Everything you ever wanted to know about the Pirates' 2010 Draft strategy.

-Baseball America's final Mock draft has the Pirates picking Jameson Taillon. That would be my choice although they really can't go wrong with Machado either, who the PG says they are leaning towards...

-Bryon Leftwich has a leg up to be the starter during Ben's suspension instead of Dennis Dixon. That is extremely disappointing. I like Byron but with the offensive line in front of him, his immobility, and his Hideo Nomo like windup and delivery, this is not going to end well.

-Apparently now the Pac 10 is going to try to beat the Big 10 to it by raiding the Big 12. Is anyone else extremely bored with all the college expansion talk? Who really cares where teams end up in football if you aren't going to have a playoff to determine a winner?

-While cutting grass last night, I listened to a good bit of Colin Dunlap's radio show on 93.7 The Fan. It was very enjoyable as he had different topics (example in reference to John Wooden...Is it harder to coach
"talent" that has high expectations and egos?) and wasn't afraid to take the non-standard side of an argument. And unlike someone like Mark Madden, he allowed people to talk when they disagreed with him and it led to some good discussion. The only downside was his interview of Chuck Finder. He is just as wordy and incoherent on the radio as he is in print. Hopefully, Dunlap gets a better slot than 6pm to 10pm on Sunday night as time goes on.

-Mario had a hole in one yesterday at Oakmont. Good to hear something finally went his way.

-And finally, a "typical" Boston sports fan's view of the NBA finals (language is sketchy). If only this site had a yinzer character.

Shady's Back...Back AGAIN

I'm sure you are all wondering where I've been.

I was at the beach for a week. What's it to ya?

Some thoughts:

• Seems like I've been missing a lot of work lately. I wouldn't say I've been missing it, Bob.
• I heard about that awful shooting in Mt. Pleasant Township all the way in Cape May, NJ. Now the taxpayers get to foot the bill to keep that coward alive. Super.
• I just read Bird's post on the Pirates draft. I vote the Pirates bypass all of those prospects and take the 20th best prospect instead.
• I heard all about that umpire blowing the call that cost a dude a perfect game. The classy Detroit pitcher, Armando Galarraga, said afterwards that "nobody's perfect." Well, Armando, you would've been if the ump didn't blow the call.
• Hopefully BP fixes that oil leak before 2011. I was going to make a political remark here, but I'll save that for my next phone conversation with Bird.
• I don't know why I do it to myself, but I read Dejan Kovacevic again this morning. Sure enough, he was praising another former Pirate while I was away. GLORY DAYS!!! Might be time to seek professional help, dude.

Come to think of it, I should've stayed at the beach...

Taillon, Machado, or Pomeranz?

The MLB Draft starts on Monday. To a team in the Pirates situation, this is a huge event. Not often noted by the media but worth noting is that the organization has treated it as such over the last two years by spending more money than any other team in MLB. They have the second pick this year and will more than likely miss out on the much hyped Bryce Harper. According to my reading they seem to be down to one of three players (in my order of preference): RHP Jameson Taillon, SS Manny Machado, or LHP Drew Pomeranz. Quick thoughts on each:

Taillon is my choice because its just not easy to find someone who throws as hard as he does with "polish" at 18 years old. He has already been called a harder throwing Josh Beckett. Bryce Harper's thoughts on him:

"I caught him against Cuba," Harper said of the shutout, 72/3-innings performance last fall that won the United States its inaugural gold medal in Pan-American Games 18-and-under baseball. "Struck out 17. Nasty stuff. He's amazing."


I like Machado as well, and am of course intrigued by the A-Rod comparisons even though they probably only come up because they are both from Miami. What worries me a bit is that his eventual size (already 6 foot 3 190 lbs at 18) will prevent him being a SS over the long term. However, his hitting potential makes it a somewhat moot point where he ends up playing.


Pomeranz is very good, but he wouldn't be my pick. He is more of a sure thing and will definitely get to the majors faster than the other two, but doesn't have the upside Taillon has ("only" hits 94 occasional, 90-92 consistently). However, he is left handed and that always matters to teams. Picking Pomeranz would also oddly mean that the Pirates have 3 guys who were roommates on Mississippi's 2009 Team in their minor league system. Weird.


Interesting thing....Keith Law, who was the first to report and confirm the Bucs were going to select Tony Sanchez last year, (seemingly out of nowhere) has changed his mock draft to show the Pirates taking Taillon. Its insider only on ESPN but you can see the Pirates part.


Whatever happens in the first round, it will be just as interesting to watch and see if the Pirates continue their tendency to take tough to sign high schoolers in the middle rounds and buy them out of their college committments. That is how you can continue to stock an improving minor league system.....

What to think of Ken Griffey Jr?

Ken Griffey Jr. was the first true superstar of my baseball fandom. He hits 16 homeruns in the majors as a 19 year old in 1989. His 1989 Rookie cards were what every kid wanted to have. At one point I had the Fleer and Donruss versions but could never get my hands on the Upper Deck one. It was THE holy grail of baseball cards for a collector in the early 90s.  He was "The Kid" who was going to be the greatest ever. His retirement and the realization that I watched his entire 22 year career is just another sign that I am starting to get old.

Quick sidebar...Griffey was the first pick in the 1987 draft by Seattle. The Pirates actually had the worst record in MLB in 1986 but got the second pick because at the time the first overall pick alternated between the American and National Leagues (not that case anymore). So, if the current rules were in effect, the Pirates would have drafted Ken Griffey Jr (instead of a can't miss guy who never played in the majors) and had an outfield of Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, and Andy Van Slyke in the late 80s/early 90s. I am pretty sure that would have beat the Braves and whoever from the American League. And Griffey would have been there past 1992 even if Bonds left...Just crazy to even think about.

That sidebar is actually the perfect segue way as Griffey's career is the ultimate case of "what if" mainly due to all his injuries. He finished with 630 home runs. Does he easily break the home run record if  plays 140+ games in a season more than twice in the 2000s?  He also missed about half the season in 1995. With the other counting stats that are bound to come with more playing time make him the best ever?  It is impossible to say.

What I can say is that it feels like Ken Griffey just never seemed to live up to his potential. I don't know if that is fair nor if he could have ever lived up to the expectations. However, the first thing I think about with Griffey is his slide to score the winning run and beat the Yankees in the playoffs. That play was 15 years ago!  Its not that he hasn't had a great career since as the numbers were great (led the AL in homers in 97, 98, and 99 with some gaudy stats). But was 1995 the pinnacle? He just always seemed to be overshadowed after that. Whether it was the Yankees winning a bunch of titles, the McGwire/Sosa home run chase, or the lost years in Cincy, I just can't recall a lot of "moments" for Junior. That seems weird to me considering he is an all-time great and I am as big a baseball fan as anyone.

Another thing about Griffey that makes me curious is why it is always assumed he didn't do any kind of performance enhancing drugs. He is constantly considered the best "clean" superstar of the steroids era but aren't there at least some signs that he could have been dirty too? Haven't we said before that symptoms of steroid/PED use include breaking down physically earlier than most? Griffey didn't have an injury free season after age 30 which lead to the thinking of unfulfilled expectations I mentioned before. I don't think he did any PEDs but also don't think the possibility should be dismissed. I think it is because of the fact that Griffey was the face of baseball for a lot of years after the strike, more so than any of the other suspected/admitted users. An admission by Griffey would hurt the game much worse (in the media's) eyes than any of the others.

So, what to think of Ken Griffey's career? Will he be remembered more for what could have been, including the fact that he never played in a World Series? Or for the years he kept baseball together as the media/kid friendly superstar and basically saved baseball in Seattle? 

More Instant Replay in Baseball?

I am sure you have heard by now what happened in Detroit last night. It was the worst possible time for the rare MLB umpire mistake. Baseball umpires are by far the best officials in sports.Sure, they seem to be a bit arrogant  and sometimes seem to try to make themselves too much of the story (I'm talking to you "Country" Joe West). However, they are about 98% correct in their calls game to game. That is probably why MLB has been able to resist implementing instant replay beyond home run calls. But this missed call may be what pushes the cry for instant replay over the edge....

Personally, I am against instant replay beyond what they currently have in place for home runs (over the line, fair or foul) if the system of review would be staying the same. Under the current system of "going under the hood," There is just too many ways the game can be brutally extended time wise. Would every close play at first be reviewed? Every trap by an outfielder? Only calls that a team complains about? It could be a real disaster.

There is one idea that would expand instant replay that I like (with some tweaking). Bloggin Bob Smizik mentioned it this morning. He wants to have a five man umpiring crew with one of the five in a video booth where he would have oversight in "extreme circumstances."

This might be what Bob means but I would make it just like the college football system (not coincidentally the most effective and least intrusive of the replay systems out there). The fifth umpire in the video booth is watching every play. If he sees something that is incorrect, he would notify the crew chief on field via some kind of phone/buzzer that the call should be changed. Most of the time that could be done without even stopping the game as replays come so fast and are usually pretty conclusive. In this system, the video review umpire would also have the ability to tell the field umps to stop the game if he needs time to look at multiple replays, but there would be a very short window to do that. Basically, if the video review umpire can't determine the right call in say 60 seconds, the call on the field stands.  Managers would not be able to argue anything that is reviewed, nor ask for a review. The video review umpire has the final say and balls/strikes cannot be reviewed.

I have heard others suggest a NFL like challenge system where each manager gets a couple "red flags" per game. I don't like that one at all. It would end up being used as just another stall tactic by managers wanting to buy time for their bullpen for just mess with the other team/umpires (I can already picture Tony Larussa abusing his challenges). I hate the challenge system in the NFL. It should be like college football. Why should there be a limit on how many things can be reviewed if there are multiple bad calls?

My attitude is that if you are going to have instant replay it needs to be available for all calls while not slowing down the game at all.  Other Thoughts?

Mid Week Thoughts....

Some of the things crossing my mind on this fine Wednesday evening....

-Neil Walker is off to a great start in his first week back in the majors. A game winning homer will do that. So far, he has put the attitude problems I ripped him for a couple weeks ago behind him and done what you were always told he was capable of (but he didn't do in the minors until 2010). Great to see and I hope he keeps it up. 

-Was it just me or did Ben Roethlisberger look to be about 25 lbs lighter than he normally is this time of year when he reported to OTAs yesterday? Did he start his yearly pre-training camp mma-esque weight cut down early? Or is he finally hanging out somewhere other than the bar in the offseason (like the treadmill)? Based on how things have gone so far, I am pretty convinced Lord Goddell will ultimately reduce his suspension to 4 games. Which brings him back just in time for the Browns.

-If you listen to 93.7 The Fan here in Pittsburgh, you have in the last couple days surely heard about the off the wall Allegheny County Councilman who is urging Pittsburghers to root for the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals. And if you don't listen to the station, just turn it on for a couple minutes and someone will mention the story. I promise. Its part of their every twenty minutes update somehow. Both yesterday and today, Seibel and Starkey would not stop laughing and carrying on about how dumb this guy is. They replayed their interview with him yesterday first thing today and then took calls about it. How is that anywhere near compelling radio? Yikes.

-Speaking of dumb things that have somehow become part of the news, how about the Pens testing of the toilets at the Consol Energy Center? Are local news outlet that hurting for stories these days? Actually, they are probably just taking any chance they get to make bad toilet/flush puns. Cause those are funny.

-I caught up on the TV show Flash Forward over the last couple of days. It was a good show but I wouldn't recommend making time for it if as it has a cliffhanger first season ending. That would normally be fine, but the show was cancelled. 

-Finally, the Pirates are in a rain delay right now. There has to be a better option than the programming they put on during rain delays. I usually change the channel, but still have seen the Mazeroski show they have on right now numerous times. And if it isn't this Mazeroski show, its "Inside Pirates Baseball" which is on about 15 times over the weekend anyway. Would it be so crazy to just keep it with the announcers and talk about the team, MLB, maybe even interview a guy a or two?

The Next Lebron?

Bryce Harper is going to be the first pick in the MLB Draft next Monday. He was hailed as "Baseball's Lebron" as a 16 year old. He has "light tower power" and has demonstrated it as a 17 year old in junior college after there were some doubts. He might be the real Roy Hobbs. If only the Pirates had been slightly worse last year, he could be coming to Pittsburgh instead of Washington...

The only prospect who has been hyped more over the last 10 years is Stephen Strasburg. Or maybe Mark Prior.

Joe Posnanski, one of my favorite writers, attempts to slow the hype down just a bit by explaining how different the Harper and Strasburg paths to the majors are/will be. While he still loves the talent of Harper, there have been plenty of  "can't miss" high school prospects at the top of the draft miss while Strasburg was ready for the majors the instant he was drafted (basically there was no risk)....The money quote from his "scout friend:"

He did not finish that sentence though he could have finished it this way: “And everything doesn’t always go right in baseball.” The bottom line is this: He thinks Harper is one of the best 17-year-old hitting prospects he’s seen. But, he’s just that: A terrific 17-year-old prospect. And there have been a lot of those.

Here is the complete article.

Who do the Pirates pick second after this guy is off the board? They seem to have about 3 options, one of which is being compared to A-Rod, not to get out of control with expectations or anything. I will get to them later this week.

World Cup 2010

I am not a huge soccer guy. I understand the game and played it for years as a kid (who didn't really). I stumble across the occasional match on ESPN or Fox Soccer Channel (those stumbles are bound to get more often as FSC is now in HD on Dish), but don't go out of my way to watch the Premier League or Champions League like some.

However, I love the World Cup and will go out of my way to watch as much as possible.  Its the only true "World" competition. What other sport does every single country in the world play? Just qualifying for the World Cup is more intense than most sporting events. And every single game in the actual World Cup is played like guys lives are on the line.

Some basic story lines I will be watching when the World Cup starts in less than two weeks:

-Is this finally the year the USA makes a significant run? We have been told for 20 years that soccer was this close to breaking through in the States as a major sport. American's love winners. I just don't see soccer clicking a big time sport if we don't have a strong showing in the most important tournament at some point. This could be the year we make some noise. The draw could have been a lot worse with England, Algeria, and Slovenia. Anything less than a trip to the knockout round is a huge disappointment.

-How will chronic underachievers Spain blow it this time? Constantly one of the favorites, Spain always comes into the World Cup on a roll but finds a way to lose when it counts...

-How will Diego Maradona do as coach of Argentina? One of the best players of all time who scored one of the most famous and controversial goals of all time, he has been a bit crazy as coach...Read the captions on this rant to see what i mean. He also has had some drug and weight problems since retiring. Who knows what to expect? Especially since he has who many think is the best player in the world right now: Messi.

-How will South Africa do as the host in administering the tournament (this is the biggest event ever to be held on the Continent of Africa I believe). If it is run well logistically, Africa could become a realistic player down the line in other international competitions like the Olympics.

-What country will come out of seemingly nowhere to make a run? My options are Ivory Coast, South Africa (host country), Greece, Netherlands, and Cameroon.

These are just a few. There are literally hundreds of other storyline that will play out over the monthly long tournament...Can Italy repeat? Is this England's year? Is Brazil still the safe bet to win?.....

I will anxiously watching them all play out and waiting for an awesome goal call like this one (about 20 seconds in).

I'm a schizo, and so am I

(Photo: A Bob with a split personality)

Semi-retired Post-Gazette blogger, Bob Smizik, has hit an all-time low as a hypocrite.

Thursday, in regards to the Pirates decision to continue to pitch Charlie Morton during his disastrous 2010 campaign, Smizik wrote:

"Considering his upside and the improvement he's shown this month, the Pirates are right in keeping Charlie Morton in the rotation."

The very next day, after another of Morton's epic pitching failures, Smizik changed his mind:

"Starting Morton again makes no sense. He needs to get out of Pittsburgh. He doesn't need the scrutiny or the ridicule he will receive in another start or even in a relief role."

I'm wondering if Bob Smizik has dissociative identity disorder. Honestly, how can you write something one day, and then pen the total opposite the very next day? Either way, he did it, so someone needed to call him out on it. Perhaps it's time Bob fully retires...or at least begins to read Baby Steps by Dr. Leo Marvin.

Technically, Smizik is off the hook because the Pirates put Morton on the Disabled List yesterday. This reminds me of Limas Sweed getting hurt in the 2008 AFC Championship Game after dropping a sure touchdown. The injury wasn't real, and unfortuntately, it appears the talent isn't real, either.

Sweed, Morton, and Smizik appear to have something in common, then.