From DK's PBC blog, I copy the pitchers:
Starting pitchers: Paul Maholm, Zach Duke, Ian Snell, Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff KarstensRelievers: Matt Capps, John Grabow, Tyler Yates, Sean Burnett, Craig Hansen, Donnie Veal, Jesse Chavez
Q. Which starter will finish the season with the most innings? Which reliever?
Deeply entombed in the heavily fortified HW beer fort, we're more than ready to weather out the imminent losing. While the 2009 losing should be epic, in a setting-the-record-for-the-worst-team-ever kind of way, we're hopeful that by September we'll emerge with a breathtaking new lease on life, as some of the kids bum rush the show. For now though, it's 2009 prediction time, so please humor us in the comments:
1. How many games will the Pirates win in 2009?
2. When will the 82nd loss occur?
3. Any other predictions?
I'll start:
1. 62. On paper the team looks awful. Awful pitching in particular.
2. August 30th
3. Andy LaRoche is going to break out offensively. Half of the Opening Day team will stink and be sent down or released.
McCutchen sent down, Dejan reports. At times we've struggled with Neal's struggles. Now we just don't get why McCutchen needs to learn how to bunt better for struggle-insurance:
"We still have to work on the base-stealing, on the bunting, so that, when he does struggle, he can pull that third baseman in and find his way on base."All that said, I appreciate Neal's efforts to strategize for 2016 more than 2009.
Xavier Nady, who played for the Pirates from 2006 to 2008:
When you first got here, what was the most eye-opening aspect of playing with the Yankees?"For me, it's just the tradition of winning. And in the city, there's a lot of emphasis on winning. When you throw on that Yankees uniform, you're expected to play the game right. Coming from different organizations like Pittsburgh, it was just kind of like, over and over getting beat down. When I came over to Yankee Stadium, it was just an honor to put on that uniform. It was a dream come true."
Ouch. Full interview, by Marc Carig for the New Jersey Star-Ledger, here.
Ronny has been traded twice in a few hours, and will now be calling games from the Marlins' bench. Bad news for the Bucs that RBG will be staying in the NL, as his deep familiarity with the Bucs' signs and ability to steal these at will from the bench could be the difference between 66 and 68 wins.
In other news, Chuck Finder reports that proud father hurt and gullible 20-year-old Jose Tabata honestly believed his 43-year-old wife to be pregnant, and that the snatched baby was his. We raise our glass to this Honest Tabata, and wish him the best in getting through this trying ordeal.
Confusing, eyebrow-raising news from Bradenton. Basically, 20-year-old Jose Tabata is married to a 43-year-old woman who has many aliases, has been convicted of arson, fraud, and theft, and has just been accused of taking someone else's baby.
Rob Biertempfel twists the knife, revisiting the free agents.
From the mothership, Nyjer's .173/.211/.250 line doesn't seem to stand in the way of Nyjer being named the team's starting left fielder.
Roster cuts send Gorzo to Indy to work on a more consistent delivery, Chuck Finder reports. Neil Walker also sent down due to the "ugly business side." As opposed to the even uglier baseball side?
Steve Treder for THT strums the lyre about Branch Rickey's 1950-1951 Bucs.
When I first settled in to read this John Perrotto story on the state of the minor-league system, I mis-read the title and thought the system was "talking rot."
In preparation for the 2009 baseball season, the beer fort is now crenelated with monitors looping this tear-jerking Steelers slideshow.
Here's a thread for whatever exhibition action you might want to kibitz about. I am taking it easy with these Pirates, and deliberately trying to stay away from the radio these first few weeks. I'm not sure how much patience I am going to have if these guys start the season on the usual losing bender. The beer supply, however, is coming along well and starting to look good. By opening day, I should have a nice fort I can camp behind.
Pirates and Astros are playing now. The Bucs are up 1-0 on a solo shot from the Prison Baller. Maholm is pitching for the Pirates. Scuffy Moehler is out there for Houston.
