Why Do The Pirates Suck?
 

Read all about it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5484947

What's the big deal?

A lot of corporations choose to suck because it's more profitable to suck than to spend up for better quality.

Not a bid deal to me Dug...But if I were a Pirate fan and they pleaded poverty all the time and TB is one of the best teams, I don't think I would buy tickets again.

Because Pittsburgh is depresssed.



Think Einsteins representation of gravity on large bodies.

....see Donald Sterling

The Pirates dont not win only because they make a profit and don't sign free agents. They dont win because they have been terrible talent evaluators as well as being cheap. The draft choices that they made over the last 15 years have generally been poor at best, laughably bad at worst.

In 1985 they took Barry Bonds with the 6th pick in the 1st round
Check out the following years 1st rd picks up till 2007.

Jeff King, Mark Merchant, Austin Manahan, Willie Greene, Mike Zimmerman, Kurt Miller, Jon Farrell, Shon Walker, Jason Kendall, Andy Rice, Jermaine Allensworth, Charles Peterson, Mark Ferris, Chad Hermanson, Kris Benson, JJ Davis, Clint Johnston, Bobby Bradley, Sean Burnett, John Van Benschoten, Brian Bullington, Paul Maholm, Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen, Brad Lincoln

It is laughingly bad. It is like PG1985 drafted for them. Outside of McCutchen (who is good) there isn't a player in the bunch that would be considered better than ML average and only Maholm, Kendall and a few seasons of Benson could be considered even that good. 10 never made the majors.

The funny part of the ESPN article is the list of FA's that left is supposed to be an indication of them not trying to win yet there was hardly a guy on the list that was worth keeping or really any good outside of Jason Bay. Not keeping those guys is not a negative at all. The sad truth is that they wouldnt have won with those guys and overpaying them to saty would have put them in a worse position, if that is possible.

Since picking Tim Burke in the 2nd round of the 1980 draft the Pirates have taken 2 players that became regular ML players (though not very good ones), Ryan Doumit and Tom Gorzelanny.

The Rays have been in existance since 1997.
Thier 1st rounders
Paul wilder (never made it), jason standridge (no good), Josh Hamilton (probable AL MVP), Rocco Baldelli (pretty good ML player), Dewon Brazeelton (bum), BJ Upton (starter), Delmon Young (starter), Jeff Neimann (25-11 3.65 era in ML), Wade Townsend (hasnt made it yet), Evan Longoria (top 5 player), David Price (started all star game)

2nd rounders include Reid Brignac and All Star Carl Crawford

laughable when compared to Pirates

To cut payroll, the Pirates have shed former All-Stars Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Nate McLouth and Jack Wilson in trades, along with nearly every other player who was arbitration eligible -- or close to it -- or free agency: Tom Gorzelanny, Ian Snell, John Grabow, Xavier Nady, Adam LaRoche, Damaso Marte, Nyjer Morgan, Ronny Paulino and Sean Burnett.

None of these guys save Bay were worth keeping. The fact that these guys were ON the Pirates is the problem, not that they failed to retain them.

Now you're pourin it on,Chuck!

It is well deserved

too many people in that town save up their paychecks for home and away polamalu jersey's

lastings Milledge is just an after thought


-bt-

Now we know why it's tough to be a Pirate fan. Hopefully with the young core of players that they have now they'll start to turn it around.

Through thick and high water I will still stick by the Pirates. Just as the Astro fans at Minute Maid know when I was at the game on the 15th. I was pretty much the only one wearing a Pirates hat.

Those "All Stars" you mention above (save Bay) were products of the stupidest rule evah, the all teams must have a player on the All Star team rule.

Put them on a contender, they stay home for three days in July.

The NFL fixed this problem by negotiating a salary floor into the CBA. It forced the cheap Owners to invest their TV money in players instead of putting it in their pockets.

Why Do The Pirates Suck?


Because they are gay.