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#1
06-26-2013, 08:21 PM
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Barmes lost the job. His defense was outstanding. He was robbing people of hits and making great plays every other game. He is just terrible with the bat. I suppose it's a relative thing ... but I'm not worried at all about shortstop and I don't think the team is either. The team has been a lot more successful since benching Barmes, but I still feel very good about having him. Gabby Sanchez and Garrett Jones are both terrific defensive 1B's ... and they are a perfect platoon, because Gabby only hits left-handed pitching well and Jones is great against right-handed pitching but useless against lefties. All this team needs is a good Right-handed bat in RF. The team is 8-0 when Jenmar Gomez starts games. He's just 25 years-old, he has a .276 ERA, a .114 WHIP, he pitched 5 innings of no hit-ball in his final AAA rehab start, and pitched very well today ... yet he's out of the starting rotation and headed back to the bullpen when Wandy and A. J. Burnett get back into the rotation. The bullpen is unbelievable. I can see why AAA Indianapolis has been the best minor league team in baseball over the last few years. This is not even close to the same team as last year. Last year, McCutchen, A. J Burnett, Walker and the bullpen were carrying the team by themselves for a long time. Those three guys have all been banged up this year, especially the latter two, and they've played below expectations. This team got a monumental upgrade at catcher in Russell Martin. Liriano has been a nice addition to the starting rotation. And Melancon has been sensational in the bullpen. But, it's the youth movement that has made all the difference. 
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#2
06-26-2013, 10:11 PM
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After the Cards just lost to the Houston Astros tonight...the Pirates now have the best record in all of baseball.
And... 12 of the next 15 Pirates games are at Home. And 12 of the next 15 Pirates games are against teams with losing records. They have a big chance to tack on to their 18 games over .500 record.
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#4
06-27-2013, 03:32 AM
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Liriano isn't likely to make it through the season with a 2.30 ERA Gomez is really unlikely to continue at his current pace Locke is unlikely to continue at this pace Burnett is 36 and hurt again Wandy Rodriguez is hurt but is the only SP on the team not having a career year at this point. Bryan Morris, Melancon, Grilli, Wilson all having career years or have stats that are exceeding their minor league numbers The pitching coach obviously is doing a great job and the park factors help but it is unlikely that they all will continue to perform at the current level. They are gonna have to add some bats to the lineup or they will just be the Oakland A's of the NL. Make the playoffs with young, cheap guys and castoff vets but get wiped out in the playoffs when they have to face the other teams best pitchers only. Understandably making the playoffs for a team that hasn't in 20 years is a huge deal but hopefully management doesnt make the mistake in thinking that this team as currently constructed can make any noise in the playoffs without an extreme amount of good fortune. Not hating on your team but it would be nice if they had a single guy hitting .300 or more than one with more than 8 HR's heading into July.
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#5
06-27-2013, 03:46 AM
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I saw where Paul Konerko might be available. Would seem to be a great fit. Add's needed power, the "intangble" of veteran leadership and most importantly for the Pirates is a FA after the season so they commit no money beyond this season.
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#6
06-27-2013, 04:57 AM
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Obviously, they're winning at a pace that is going to be extremely difficult to sustain.
Following this team all year, The oddsmakers have been very tough on them. I can't tell you how many times I checked the odds before a game, certain they would be a favorite, only to find them a dog. Still, it's scary how much better this team is now than the Pirates teams of the past two years. This team is loaded with exceptionally good young players. Garret Cole is getting a lot of buzz because he's a #1 overall draft pick and can throw 100MPH several times a game, and do it down in the strike zone...most guys with maxed out radar clockings keep their fastball in the top half of the strikezone at best, or usually way above it. He was throwing 100MPH at the bottom and in the zone last start. Still, there's no way that he's one of the five best starting pitchers on the team right now. And if you put him in the bullpen, he's probably the 5th or 6th best option there imo. He leaves way too many balls in the middle of the zone. The pitching has been so otherworldly good...it's crazy. I haven't followed much baseball at all, but I certainly think Pirates pitching is no fluke and will continue to hold up.
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#8
06-27-2013, 07:48 AM
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As long as they don't endure another monumental collapse, I should be OK.
These games have been very fun to watch, even when I've had no money riding on them. A sure sign of getting old is when you're getting entertainment out of watching low-scoring pitching duels on TV.
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#9
07-11-2013, 02:45 PM
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Another great job by Liriano last night. He certainly has exceeded my expectations so far this year.
__________________
The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it - Lou Holtz
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#10
07-13-2013, 11:48 PM
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Big win for the Bucs tonight. Tied for the best record in the MLB one game before the All-Star break.
Sadly though, Locke will miss his scheduled start tomorrow. His pitching performances have been absolute art this year. He's not shaken Russell Martin off once all year, Martin calls it, and he locates it with incredible precision and never gives in, no matter the count and no matter if the home-plate ump isn't calling strikes on pitches nicking the edge of the corners. It's Garret Cole instead tomorrow, who is the Anti-Locke ... and "locates" all of his far more electric stuff, right down the middle of the plate.
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#11
07-21-2013, 07:12 PM
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Locke improves his record to 9-2.
He gave up just 1 hit in 6 innings, lowered his ERA to 2.11 and broke his 17th bat of the season, on the road in Cincy. More importantly, the Pirates hit with runners in scoring position for the first time in recent memory.
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#12
07-21-2013, 08:51 PM
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It was a great job by Locke. I hope he can keep it up.
__________________
The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it - Lou Holtz
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