Ollie bumAAAye!

Despite losing, Flaco got on the good foot in Indy. "He tied a ballpark record with 13 strikeouts in seven innings, but gave up the winning home run to Ryan Ludwick in the seventh as the Indians lost, 2-1 ... His velocity was consistently in the 92-95 mph range."

Jeff Andrews, the pitching coach for the Indianapolis Indians, opined: "If he continues to throw like this, then obviously he won't be here very long ... It was a very encouraging start." Later and off the record, Andrews might have boasted: "I could coach circles around Jim Colborn".

Duffy returns

Duffy speaks.

"The thought of going to Indy the first few days just made me sick. There was no way. Or going back to Pittsburgh, no way. I thought, 'I don't want to do that again. I don't want to feel that way again. And then over time, I started visualizing myself hanging out with the guys and being in the locker room and looking in from center field and it started bringing a smile to my face. ... And that's when I felt it starting to turn around for me."

Welcome back, Chris. Best of luck with the comeback. Duffy will return to CF for Indy tonight, ending his seven week baseball hiatus.

Game 82: Tigers at Pirates

Bonderman vs. Gorzelanny, 7:05 PM EST. Tough assignment for Gorzelanny, facing phenom Bonderman, MLB's best team, and Leyland and his ex-Buc coaching juggernaut of Van Slyke, Lamont, and McClendon. Gorzelanny has been given Ollie's stall for at least the next couple weeks. Brushing all of yesterday's vomit aside, I'm excited to see Gorzelanny's 2006 debut.

Game 81: Tigers at Pirates

Missed it, and am damn glad of that. I've been out of town the last few days, but heard about the Big Win last night. So getting back into town and checking the internet, I foolishly raised my expectations, thinking "maybe the embarrassment is over ... how bad could today's game have been?" Quickly I was red-faced with shame again, reading the game summary:

Worse still for the Pirates: Chris Shelton homered against the club that gave him away in the Rule 5 draft three years ago ... The Pirates inexplicably left Shelton unprotected in a draft in which they drew laughter from baseball executives at the 2003 winter meetings by having five of the first six players drafted.

and then came the boxscore with both of Tracy's stepsons, Mike Edwards (!) and Jose Hernandez starting. WTF? Back spasms and elbow bruise, or advanced stage infection? Or performance art?

Bucs Win!

Finally. The worst stretch of Pirates baseball of our lives has mercifully ended. Posting might be light the next couple days as I attempt to clean up all of this vomit.

Game 80: White Sox at Pirates

Contreras vs. Duke, 12:35 PM EST. Still on the schneid. Only 10 more losses needed to catch the 1890 Pittsburgh Alleghenies record of 23 consecutive losses.

Game 79: White Sox at Pirates

Freddy Garcia vs. Paul Maholm, 7:05 PM EST. Only 11 more losses needed to catch the 1890 Pittsburgh Alleghenies record of 23 consecutive losses.

Ollie

Moved to the pen? Maybe this is temporary and a sign that one or more of our now 4 LHP relievers will be dealt. But if not, why not send Ollie to AAA to work on consistent mechanics? Speaking of which, Smizik delivers the following nonsensical Tracy quote:

"Are there times when his mechanics are way off? Yes, they are. But when he pitches well that's not the case. You can't say it's entirely mechanics. If it's entirely mechanics, he couldn't give some of the performances we've seen."

Couldn't his mechanics be entirely off on his bad days, but not on his good days? Has Ollie had bad starts when mechanically sound? Or good starts when mechanically erratic?

Shakeup

Ollie to bullpen. RV designated for assignment. Best of luck, Ryan. Jonah Bayliss brought up from Indy. Welcome aboard, Jonah. Grab a mop. Gorzelanny likely to start on Saturday. The RV and Gorzelanny moves are long overdue. I was expecting to see Strickland before Jonah. Maybe we can sell Strickland for some ca$h to finance a nice relaxing Nutting ski trip?

Dave Littlefield, Worst G.M.

Congratulations, DL! You've finally won something! (Dodger Math's Worst G.M. competition). Feel free to resign now.

Finder on mutiny

Chuck Finder spreads the love for angry Pirates fans and bloggers. "In fact, there are almost as many such raging Pirates portals (24 unofficially) as Pirates victories this season (26) ... Perhaps, as the Irate Fans ringleaders stated in their humble beginning, the mutiny begins online." Nyarrgh!

Game 78: White Sox at Pirates

Buehrle vs. Snell, 7:05 PM EST. First game of ten against the 3 best teams in baseball. One more loss would lower the Bucs into a tie with the Royals for a MLB-worst .333 winning percentage. If Lloyd was still here, he would have went berserk a long time ago (link is to Rubber Arm's post and video of minor league manager's tantrum, which is well worth watching if you haven't seen). DK notes that "If the Pirates lose tonight, they will match the franchise's modern-day record of 12 losses in a row, set in 1939."

Infected with Tracyball

New Cubs/Dodgers/Hurricanes blog Thunder Matt's Saloon features a piece from rogue Dodgers correspondent on why Jim Tracy is a loser. Turns out we're all infected with the Tracyball virus. "Unfortunately there is no cure, but the good news is that Tracyball is not terminal. Your team will survive. Eventually, like your body vomiting, your team will decide to expel Tracy and his staff."

Deadspin on Ben

Deadspin has gotten around to making fun of Big Ben, joking that "he showed up to the office covered in a green mask, Michael Jackson’s child/Elephant Man style." Weird analogy, but commenter RRP (who I assure you is not our beloved Rowdy) runs with it, quipping "I can't wait to see Big Ben dangle the rather diminuitive Santonio Holmes over his hotel balcony, much to the shock of the public below."

McClatchy and DL, Expert Losers

Meanwhile, the "extremely disappointed" McClatchy drags DL, Tracy, and the players under the bus with him: "There's accountability that will go everywhere, and I will be at the top of that list. But I think that accountability goes through to not just the general manager or manager but also the players."

DL, as usual, sticks to his usual vague meaningless bullshit: "We're always looking at situations," he said. "Certainly, where there are subpar performances, that's something we're going to look at." Certainly we're going to look at subpar performance situations? Uh, yeah. We will. Thanks to you, dipshit.

Bob Nutting, Greedy Loser

The shitstorm generated from the record-setting losing heads towards Bob Nutting:

Smizik tries to ask Bob Nutting two questions: (1) "What is the status of Kevin McClatchy, whose contract as CEO of the team is believed to expire at the end of the season?" and (2) "Is there any truth to the reports ownership is taking excessive profits out of the team at the expense of the product on the field?" but Bob eventually returns a vague meaningless bullshit email saying "Kevin's contract is a non-issue." We all know the answer to Smizik's second question.

Perrotto politely calls Bob Nutting out on his moral obligation to be more available to answer questions about how the Bucs do business.

Cranmer speaks

In today's PG perspective ex-Allegheny County commissioner and "Plan B" planner Bob Cranmer expresses his outrage and embarassment that "the majority owner appears to be more focused on sliding down a snow-covered mountain rather than a Pittsburgh Pirate sliding into home plate." Like everyone else, he wants to know "what's the additional profit actually being used for?"

Game 77: Pirates at Dodgers

Wells vs. Penny, starting now. Showcase full of rotting garbage today. DK notes: "If Kip Wells and the Pirates lose the series finale this afternoon, the 11-game streak would be the first since 1955."

Bend over, Pirates fans, it's time for another "game".

Sunday notebook

DK delivers DL quotes in his Sunday notebook.

"Obviously, I was disappointed with our play in Kansas City, as everybody was. But, before that, we had a nice trip where we were 4-3 and played some very good games against St. Louis and Minnesota. There's no doubt that you can't accept losing, whether they're close ones or not. But we were in very good games. And to go from that period to having three poorly played games in K.C. ... that's what happens."

You can't accept losing, but that's what happens. Way to make sense, Dave.

Later DL declines to throw Ollie under the bus:

"I would say it's important to keep in mind that he's 24 years old and that he's very talented," Littlefield said. "We're obviously aware of his inconsistencies the past couple years, and those are things we have to keep working to address. We've got to use our skills as teachers and coaches to figure out what we can do to help him."

The teachers and coaches DL has hired have managed to get a NL-worst WHIP of 1.57 out of a above average pitching staff that shouldn't suck this bad. Dave should reserve talking about "using skills" in the first person to discussions about issuing meaningless, contradictory, glib doublespeak or being the Worst G.M. in baseball.

Pittsburgh's Hustler

Wilbur has written an excellent piece for Irate Fans about Kevin McClatchy being a cheat and a fraud. I've long wanted more investigation into the ownership's finances. I hope this issue gets dragged out during the All-Star game media hype in Pittsburgh, ultimately leading to criminal charges, civil charges (punitive damages that they're giving me?), a Senate investigation, and MLB wresting control of the Bucs from the McNuttings to restore competitive balance. (Link via Billy and Charlie.)

Game 76: Pirates at Dodgers

Duke vs. Sele, 10:10 PM EST. DK reports: "If they lose again tonight, it will mark the franchise's first 10-game losing streak in nearly four decades: That came with an 0-10 slide July 6-15, 1968." We will ... dust off the record book.

Game 75: Pirates at Dodgers

Ollie vs. Tomko, 10:40 PM EST. No rotting garbage in the showcase. Bucs try to lose their ninth straight and further humiliate everyone involved. What kind of unthinkable disgrace is in store for us tonight? A bench-clearing brawl in which Jason Bay is beat up by the Dodgers ballgirl?

Rock bottom

Probably not yet. The next 16 games leading up to the All-Star break are brutal: we play LAD, CWS, DET, NYM (for 4 games), and PHI, who have a combined record of 211-149 (.586). At this point, I could easily imagine losing ALL of these games, setting up the scenario Billy is hoping for.

DL vs. Bowden

Drunk with bloodlust from annihilating Bavasi 164-34, DL is pulverizing top seed Jim Bowden in Dodger Math's Worst G.M. Finals.

To return to the UFC (ultimate fighting championship) analogy, DL, the Royce Gracie of worst G.M.s, destroyed Bavasi in a lopsided match that looked something like this. "The kung fu representative is totally helpless. Not only is he running out of air, but he cannot stop the blows. It's a terrifying feeling."

The DL vs. Bowden match will probably look more like this. Bowden, although on the surface a more formidable opponent, will submit just like all the others. To witness the carnage and/or vote for DL, look here.

Vote for DL

More on this later, but the much anticipated DL vs. Bowden Worst G.M. Finals just started. If you can wash enough of today's feculence off your hands to touch your keyboard or mouse, click here to vote for DL.

DK Q+A

Dejan's Friday Q+A is pretty mild, all things considered. When asked about why RV is still on the team, DK advises:

"... do not let it slip under the radar that the Pirates abruptly changed Josh Sharpless' role in Indianapolis from late relief to long relief three weeks ago. That move was made, quite specifically, because the team wants to find a way to slot him into the major-league bullpen."

Or maybe management has realized that this team needs more than one mop-up man.

Game 74: Pirates at Royals

The daily humiliation ritual starts now with Maholm vs. Elarton. Maholm looks for his first road victory of the year. Craig is starting in RF, batting sixth. Our Fearsome DH, the Mighty Joe Randa, bats seventh, ensuring that CW will get good pitches to hit. Cota is catching. The world itself is only a speck of dust. And the Pirates fan is tiny helpless!

Craiggers to Anaheim?

A little speculation might flavor that burning battery-acid taste in your mouth.

So, who do we get in return? Adam Kennedy? He could play some first base, pinch hit a lot, and even DH now and then.

Game 73: Pirates at Royals

Ian Snell and Ed Wood. Eight pm eastern.

... Bill Toland seeks punchlines (see fifth paragraph) on Nutting's infamous quote: "We would do nothing that would embarrass the Pirates or the sport of baseball."

I had a hard time making funny in response. All I could say is shame on him.

Now I say, "How can you be embarrassed when you have no shame?"

... Smizik is good today, but Bones said said it better, I think. Give Smizik a break, though: they can't use words like "ass" and "shit" in the PG.

Big Green Riding Hood

Roethlisberger is wearing a hood.

In other news, the Steelers still trail the Bengals in crime. The addition of Santonio Holmes has been a big boost to the team's collective rap sheet, but not enough to put them on top.

Game 72: Pirates at Royals

Kip Wells and Tike Redman. If tonight's episode is Choke-a-Rama II: Bases Loaded, No Outs, then we know for sure they have stopped taping new shows. I'd hate to see another half-year of re-runs, but that's what it looks like we'll see. Small-market teams just can't afford to tape a whole season of original material.

We would do nothing that would embarrass the Pirates or the sport of baseball

Robert Nutting said this in response to questions about the propriety of a MLB owner also owning a casino, which he just purchased:

"We would do nothing that would embarrass the Pirates or the sport of baseball," he said.

The owners do not understand thirteen years of losing, culminating in a young team incapable of winning even 40% of their games, as an embarrassment for the Pirates and the sport of baseball.

It is an embarrassment for the Pirates, for the sport of baseball, and, most important to me, for all the fans of the Pirates. My grandfather is rolling in his grave I'm sure. Perhaps the business owners and management have no cause to be embarrassed, but surely the customers are embarrassed.

The quote, though taken out of context, suggests that Robert Nutting disagrees. Those who have argued that the current ownership and front office lack the will to compete are looking more and more right to me. They would rather own ski resorts. There is no other explanation of how these teams, which look mediocre on paper, continue to lose at a horrific pace--as though losing was an acceptable cost of doing business. Where did the players learn that there's no reason to "demoralize themselves" by reading the MLB standings every morning? The ownership ultimately bears responsibility not just for tolerating, but also for teaching such losing habits. They sign the checks; they have considerable influence over the players. If they are not embarrassed, why should the players be embarrassed?

The Tribune-Review's Robin Acton reports the conflict-of-interest created by the Nutting purchase may jeopardize the resort's acquisition of a slots license. Here's to hoping this signals a quick sale of the club. If the Nuttings don't own the club, they will easily get their slots for their ski resort. So maybe they anticipate that conflict-of-interest disappearing soon?

Or maybe not. And of course, it's not hard to imagine a world in which they get their baseball team and their slot machines.

More Matt Peterson in return

Dejan Kovacevic did his Monday chat today. This part stands out:

NiceThrowBarry: Have you heard any rumblings about possible minor league players from other organizations the Pirates might try to plunder at the deadline? I know Colorado has a gem 1B at AAA stuck behind Helton.

Dejan Kovacevic: Do not get your hopes up. The Pirates will be offering rentals, as they do most every summer. That means you will be getting Matt Peterson in return. I know many tend to get their hopes up because they think Craig Wilson should be dealt for a player of equal value. That just is not how it works, except in very rare cases.

We are powerless against the Gracie family jiu-jitsu.

DL vs. Bavasi

Please, take a minute as a true Pirates fan to cast your vote for the one truly deserving Bucco. Although this midsummer competition on the surface might seem meaningless, who knows what the future repercussions of such a symbolic honor might be? Of course this Bucco is Dave Littlefield, and the competition is Dodger Math's Worst G.M. tournament. (Link via Pat.)

Enraged by a disrespectful #2 seed and well rested after a first round bye, DL, the Royce Gracie (mid-90s version) of Worst G.M.s, triangle choked Kevin Towers to the tune of a 134 to 15 tapout. Now the blood-soaked DL looks to rip apart Bill Bavasi to advance to the finals, where he'll face the winner of Jim Bowden and Dan O'Dowd. Stepping into the octagon with DL, Bavasi is in way over his big bald head. Bavasi's Angels from 1994-1999 finished over .500 THREE times. This year, Bavasi's M's are 34-37 and only 5 games back. Bavasi challenging DL for Worst G.M.? Forget about it. Help DL earn what is rightfully his: Vote for DL for Worst G.M. here, as the round 3 DL-Bavasi match just started.

Game 71: D-backs at Pirates

Top of the 7th, Bucs down 4-2. Duke gave up all four runs in 5 IP. Both Bucco runs came on a Bautista jack in the 5th.

UPDATE (bottom of 7th): Don't mind all the losing - KDKA just announced Bay has moved into the starting All-Star lineup.

We are family

Jim points at Jack:

Pirates manager Jim Tracy felt Perez should have gotten out of the eighth with no scoring. Tracy said, "I've seen that play made" when asked about Castillo's infield single -- a comment that dumbfounded (Jack) Wilson.

"Wow, he said that?" Wilson said. "That's his opinion. I did my best to make that play. It was a jam job, a soft line drive and I'm going full bore for that ball. About the only chance you have on that play is if the third baseman can get to it."

Maybe Tracy was just trying to support Ollie here. Jim is coming off a nice week of praising Freddy and Bautista. I've just never seen a manager publicly point so many fingers at people other than himself.

Game 70: Twins at Pirates

Missed it. Can't say I'm sorry. Box score here.

Game 69: Twins at Pirates

Curious ring to the title of this post. I can't uh put my finger on it.

Boof and Maholm at seven. Bucs are 26-42, sixteen games under .500. For perspective, look at what's written about another team that just went seven games under .500.

Non-stop Ray Charles iPod marathon at the Rowdy estate this afternoon.

Mike Holmgren

This guy still has a job?

Undeveloped brains

The PG tries to explain it away with clinical psychology, but they are too kind to those people who post to the Bengals' internet forums.

How many papers, around the country, so participate in the trash-talking among fans?

Game 68: Twins at Pirates

Francisco Liriano vs. Ian Snell at 7:05 PM EST. Liriano, a 22 year old LHP, has been damn good so far this year. In 51.1 IP, he's given up 42 hits and has 16 BBs to 56 Ks for a 1.13 WHIP. Like the Pirates, the Twins like to lose on the road (21-10 at home, 10-24 on the road). Damaso Marte has a history of bad blood with the Twins, immortalized with Batgirl's classic Lego reenactment.

In game 1 of the Aramis-Shelton showdown, the Cubs lost to the Tigers 5-3. This means a win tonight would bring the Bucs into a tie with the Cubs for fifth place.

Kip

If you need something Pirates-related to read today and haven't read it already, Pat at WHYGAVS has written a nice novella about Kip Wells and how his 04-05 stinkage was likely clot-related. When Kip comes back, I'd plug him right back into the rotation, and send Santos into the pen to help RV with mop duties. With Gorzelanny on fire, it'd be nice to trade a starter or two (and Burnitz, Randa, Casey, both Hernandezes, and Torres) for a young 1B soon. Azibuck reports on Gorzelanny's latest domination and Josh Sharpless' Barbie suitcase at Bucs Dugout.

Ben Speaks

Sounds like Big Ben's brain is working better than before:

"In the past few days, I have gained a new perspective on life ... I am sorry for any anxiety and concern my actions have caused others, specifically my family, the Steelers organization, my teammates and our fans.

I recognize that I have a responsibility to safeguard my health in the off-season so I can continue to lead our team effectively. I never meant any harm to others nor to break any laws. I was confident in my ability to ride a motorcycle and simply believed such an accident would not happen to me. If I ever ride again, it certainly will be with a helmet.

I want to assure everyone I am committed to a complete and timely recovery. I look forward to being at training camp in Latrobe and to winning football games this season."

Get well, Ben. We'll be pulling for you, even if you now look like this guy.

Game 67: Cardinals at Pirates

Mulder vs. Santos. Bucs leading 2-1 after one. Randa hitting 5th, Craig 6th. No Freddy. Bautista led off the first with a jack. CW drove Jack in with an RBI single. In the first, Mulder and Santos threw 29 and 28 pitches, respectively. Looks to be a wild one. Bucs are just one game back.

26-40

The Pirates are fourteen games under .500 at 26-40. They have about no momentum in the standings, either, winning five of the last ten. The Cubs and Marlins are only one game ahead of them in the wild-card standings. (In the NL wild-card standings, the Pirates are in last place.) Cincinnati, led by Bronson Arroyo and Adam Dunn, has the wild-card lead with a 37-29 record.

Game 66: Cardinals at Pirates

Ponson vs. Duke, in progress. Bucs trail 5-3 after three. Duke is getting hit hard and has given up 8 hits so far. Craig batting fifth. Randa and Burnitz on the bench where they belong.

the Q & A

Link here. Any comments?

I have been thinking about the CBA and the possibility of a work stoppage. Anyone have any informed predictions to make? Will the veteran players once again sell the rookies down the river?

Game 65: Cardinals at Pirates

First the Padres without Jake Peavy. Then the Giants without Barry Bonds. Now the Pirates play the Cardinals without Albert Pujols. They're on a roll. Chris Carpenter, Oliver Perez, and nice weather for baseball at seven.

Perrotto: Sign Casey

John Perrotto argues the team should sign Casey.

I agree. Handled properly, he's a 900 OPS guy. I wrote a dissertation on this subject over the winter.

It's true he could fall off the cliff, but any player could. Old players suddenly lose all their skills more frequently than young players, but this also happens to *cough cough Oliver Perez* young players. Some fear that a player will turn into a pumpkin cannot overwhelm more rational projections of future performance.

So long as the Pirates are prepared to give Sean Casey lots of time off, they will get good production from him at the plate.

Jeromy the Tiger?

Tom Gage of the Detroit News reports that Newsday reports that the Tigers might be willing to accept Jeromy Burnitz:

Newsday reported that the Tigers might take a run at acquiring outfielder Jeromy Burnitz from the Pirates, citing two reasons: because the Tigers are looking for a left-handed hitter with power and because Burnitz "usually gets traded this time of year."

Please please please let it happen.

The team has sunk so low. After the predictable better play, they remain several weeks of non-stop winning below .500. Now is the time to trade everyone.

I would not only trade the vets. I would also trade some of the young guys. Littlefield should do whatever he can to secure better players. We do not need to dump salary; we need to acquire talent.

Ben's facial surgery successful

The PG reports good news for Ben from the Mercy facial surgeons:

Speaking for the medical team Dr. Daniel Pituch, chief of Mercy's division of oral and maxillofacial surgery, said that Roethlisberger's brain, spine, chest and abdomen appeared to be without serious injury and, at this time, there were no other confirmed injuries from the accident. The procedure took about seven hours and all the facial fractures were successfully repaired, he said.

and neurosurgeon Dr. Jack Wilberger, chairman of neurosurgery at Allegheny General Hospital:

The best-case scenario is for Mr. Roethlisberger to leave the hospital in several days, continue his recovery at home, and be able to play football this fall, Dr. Wilberger said.

But the progress he makes in the first 24 hours will determine if other injuries, initially undetected, could cause more significant health problems for the Steelers quarterback, he said.

Ben's not out of the woods yet, but these initial reports are quite favorable.

Big Ben in motorcycle accident

Uh oh. No details yet on the severity, but Roethlisberger was injured in a motorcycle accident.

An eyewitness said she saw a motorcycle headed outbound on Second Avenue as a car was coming inbound. The car, a Chrysler New Yorker, made a left turn toward the bridge in front of the cyclist. The motorcycle hit the car and the operator flew into the windshield and then hit the ground.

The witness said she went to the aid of the motorcyclist and asked his name. He said it was "Ben" and tried to get up, but she told him to stay still.

The victim was bleeding heavily from a head injury, and blood pooled on the pavement.

No word yet on whether he was wearing a helmet, but Ben usually chooses not to.

UPDATE (5:30 PM EST): No helmet. Broken jaw, broken nose, chipped tooth, 9 inch head laceration. Hopefully no brain damage. Jerry Micco at the PG answered questions including: "Is there any truth to the rumors that Ben seriously injured both knees?" Micco: "Nothing I've heard all day from folks says knees were involved."

Rowdy: Ed Bouchette says Ben's 2006 season may not be in jeopardy.

Vote for Bay

On Friday, the suddenly non-genteel Rowdy crapped all over my Vote Bay post with this shockingly brutal polemic:

"No Pirate deserves to go to the All-Star game... Whether or not Jason Bay is an All-Star is a bunch of horseshit. It's a worthless consolation prize, and it's disgraceful how the club must find such ways to market itself in the absence of winning."

As usual, I don't think Rowdy was necessarily serious. And I wholeheartedly agree with his main point, that the front office is disgraceful. Especially after reading about the Pirates' pro-Bay PR blitz. I don't give a rat's ass about the All-Star game. I won't be there, won't watch it, and haven't watched one since Dave Parker threw out Jim Rice at third and Brian Downing at home. Since every team is required to have at least one All-Star, it's a given that Bay will be there. Bay has less than half the votes of likely starters Andruw, Beltran, and Junior, so it's also almost a given that he won't start. All that being said, I'm still pro-Bay and still pro-Vote-for-Bay. Bay's 1.065 OPS is 2nd in the NL to Pujols. Being pro-Bay should not equate with being pro-DL or pro-McNuttings. Bay deserves respect as the best OF in the NL and more All-Star votes. If not that, Bay at least deserves the undying support and man-love of Pirates fans everywhere. To vote for Bay (25 times) look in the upper right here.

Game 64: Pirates at Giants

Paul Maholm faces off against Jason Schmidt starting now. Jack is 1 for 13 lifetime vs. Schmidt, which is why I'd guess he's taking the day off. The Rake is playing short and Bautista third. Burnitz gets the start despite his .626 career OPS vs. Schmidt.

Perotto has three rumors: Atlanta and ChiSox want Torres, Lincoln will sign soon, and "...St. Louis seems like a more likely destination for Wilson if the Pirates would take rookie reliever Adam Wainwright in a deal instead of rookie starter Anthony Reyes."

Rowdy reads the standings, and he adds these comments: The Pirates are 24-39, fifteen games under .500 and twelve and a half games out from the wild card. They are tied with the Marlins for last place in those standings. They've won five of their last ten, but only 38.1% of all games. The road record has "improved" to 7-25 with recent wins.

Game 63: Pirates at Giants

Ian Snell vs. Noah Lowry at 4:05 PM EST. Craig in RF batting fifth vs. the LHP. Average age of today's offenses: Pirates 27, Giants 36. Today's game is huge, as the Bucs are only two games out of fifth place.

Game 62: Pirates at Giants

In progress. Jason Bay just homered to put the Pirates up 3-2 in the top of the fourth. Santos gave back his first lead of the game; here's to him and others holding this second lead until Mike "I don't read the standings" Gonzalez can come in to slam the door.

All-Star Voting

Jason Bay currently leads all NL OF with his 1.056 OPS. Despite this statistical domination, as of the last voting results, Bay is 9th in NL OF All-Star voting. Freddy leads the NL with his .351 batting average, but is 7th in NL 3B OPS. I still wrote in Freddy, and voted for the supremely deserving Jason Bay, 25 times earlier today. It doesn't take long to vote 25 times with the online ballot, which can be found at the Pirates official web page. If you have ten minutes and haven't already, do the right thing and at least vote for Bay (25 times).

Distaste for Failure

Steelers wrapped up minicamp today, with players off until July 28th for training camp. Joey Porter should be ready to participate fully in drills during training camp.

Cowher also spit out that the Steelers need to remain focused on the season ahead. "I don't like losing," Cowher said. "You develop a distaste for failure and I think that drives you more than wanting to be recognized for your success."

I wonder if Cowher is a Pirates fan, and if so, how he'd describe the taste the Bucs leave behind.

Game 61: Pirates at Giants

Duke and Cain, ten o'clock. The Pirates have lost their last two series. Like the Padres, the Giants choose this series to rest their best player. Bonds, who had been playing through pain, will sit and let the JV handle his usual duties. Hopefully the Bucs can make them pay for that.

Bones note (10:10 PM): The game thread and comments at McCovey Chronicles are interesting. They're not talking at all about the Bucs, but instead are talking about drinking. And haikus. My favorite is:

Pirouette Barry
Like a dancer with the stars
Shake it, shake that ass

Game 60: Pirates at Rockies

Day game - three o'clock start. Oliver Perez and Josh Fogg.

Long-term love

Can someone explain the end of this comment by Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus:

Given a second chance at a Craig Wilson type with Ryan Doumit, they pushed him to switch positions and ended up with a recurring hamstring problem for the promising youngster. The team continues to push for Kip Wells’ return after vascular surgery this spring despite a wealth of pitching. Sure, some of the pitching is problematic and inconsistent, but the addition of Wells isn’t going to change much besides adding numbers. With this and the Jody Gerut and Chris Duffy situations, the Pirates aren’t going to get a lot of long-term love from the players they’ll need to turn things around in the future.

I'm all about the long-term love, so I want to know.

Game 59: Pirates at Rockies

Maholm and Francis (sporting a surprising low ERA for a Rockie) at nine.

...aw shit, Stats Geek predicts what? Only if they read the standings every day.

...saw this coming. I admit, my man-love for Sean Casey clouds my judgment of this proposed extension.

Brad Lincoln

Jim Callis of BA reports:

A source familiar with the negotiations says the teams and the players that will be picks at Nos. 2-3-4 have agreed to financial parameters. The Rockies will give Stanford righthander Greg Reynolds $3.25 million; the Devil Rays will pay Long Beach State third baseman Evan Longoria $3 million; and the Pirates will dole out $2.75 million to Houston righthander Brad Lincoln.

Keep your fingers crossed.

UPDATE (2:00 PM): It's official. Welcome aboard, Brad. The Phils took Kyle Drabek with the 18th pick.

Draft Today

Bucs pick fourth overall. Who will we take? The consensus opinion as of a few days ago was that Andrew Miller, Evan Longoria, and Brad Lincoln will go 1-2-3, leaving the Bucs with a college pitcher like Greg Reynolds. However, that sequence is far from set as the Royals have been rumored to be considering RHP Luke Hochevar and possibly even OF Drew Stubbs.

Perhaps it's along these lines that Paul Meyer is predicting that the Pirates "almost certainly" will take RHP Brad Lincoln from the University of Houston. I hope Meyer's right.

Baseball America predicts Bullingtonesque RHP Greg Reynolds of Stanford, Cal's RHP Brandon Morrow, or high schooler Clayton Kershaw. SI is predicting RHP Daniel Bard from UNC.

Draft starts at 1 PM EST.

On Hope

Admittedly, it's tempting to succumb to the learned helplessness that the past 14 years has reinforced and hope the Pirates don't draft anyone good. Then we'd be spared future pain (e.g. losing the good players in the Rule V draft while the 40-man roster lists only 37 men, trading the good players away for a Matt-Herges-type who will inexplicably be released later, etc). But with all the winning of late, I dare to dream. By 2010, perhaps DL will: be terminated by a new owner that values winning, graciously resign, or have his severed head (on stick) jubilantly hoisted above a lawless mob that has overtaken PNC. Anyway, there's a chance that by 2010 the Bucs could be contenders, and that a new ownership group and GM could coach this year's draft to a championship. Never surrender your dreams. All hail hope!

Doumit's torn hammy

Out six to eight weeks. Hammy "completely torn". Ouch. Get well, Ryan.

Game 58: Pirates at Rockies

Snell and Cook in about an hour.

Freddy

DK brings the good news:

"We're going to keep [Sanchez] there at third," Littlefield said... "If Freddy's going to hit .350, I think he should be playing third base"

Me too. Duh. Randa's 2006 OPS is .559 vs. Freddy's .896. All hail Freddy!

Game 57: Padres at Pirates

Former Pirate prospect Chris Young faces Victor Santos in today's rubber match.

The Pirates are 21-35 with a .375 winning percentage.

... expect the trade rumors to be going more as we move through June. Also, check out the numbers for Alex Rios. The Jays offered him for Paul Maholm this offseason. The year before, the Jays declined to send Rios to Pittsburgh for Craig Wilson.

Game 56: Padres at Pirates

The Padres rest Jake Peavy and send instead a 25-year-old right-handed rookie named Mike Thompson. Peavy has some kind of shoulder owie that causes pain without affecting his ability to dominate. This may or may not be a case of an opposing club starting their JV against the 20-35 Pirates. If the Friars were in San Francisco, perhaps they would also skip or push back Peavy at this point in the season. There's no way to tell. Regardless, the Bucs catch a break here.

The Pirates send Zach Duke to the mound. Game on at seven o'clock.

Wins and losses

Dejan Kovacevic, PG beat writer, has found the problem underlying all our Pirate woes:

Sean Casey opened his morning newspaper yesterday and turned to a page he previously considered off limits.

"Yeah, I actually checked out the standings," he said with a big laugh. "I get the feeling that, hopefully, we're climbing up and wanted to see where we were. Hopefully, I'll get back into checking them every day."

Casey and others in the Pirates' clubhouse acknowledged avoiding the standings for most of the opening two months.

"It wasn't something I wanted to look at," reliever Mike Gonzalez said. "We were losing and losing, and it would bring you down to see it."

. . .

"The standings are something I don't even concern myself with," [Craig Wilson] said. "You've still got to go out and play the game the same way. I guess you could say that, later in the summer, if you're still in it, the standings become more interesting."

So, how long has this been going on? The Pirates must be one of three or four teams made up of players who do not look at the standings every morning. They have no good understanding of why they are 20-35 because they do not know (a) that they are 20-35 and (b) what it means to be 20-35. You can't know 20-35 without knowing 20-34. You have to study these things to learn.

That said, it should be easy enough to fix.

If I'm an owner, the GM, or a coach, I call Mike Gonzalez tomorrow morning and have a nice long talk about exactly where the Pirates stand. Then I call him the next day and talk about the standings some more. There is so much to learn from the standings. I talk about why Colorado is 27-27. And why they are in last place. "Do you think they will go up, Mike, or do you think they will go down? Do you think we are as good as Colorado? If you do not know today, I will ask again on Tuesday, after you play them." I talk about why Detroit is 36-19. I talk about why the Pirates are 20-35. Every day I talk about the standings.

Some days I talk about the schedule too. "How can we get four wins next week, Mike?" I demand specific answers.

There's nothing else worth talking about. No individual accomplishment merits any respect in the context of 20-35. If the players are serious about improving their won-loss record, they should, you know, study the won-loss records. If the coaches are serious about improving the won-loss record, they should, maybe, lecture about the won-loss records.

It's not going to fix itself. If the team is going to fix it, the team has to look at it.

Game 55: Padres at Pirates

Chan Ho Park and Oliver Perez at seven. Weather permitting.

I'm headed out to the mall to buy some more Steelers Super Bowl XL merchandise. Enjoy yourselves, everybody. It is a Friday in June.

Lasorda's dove

Gene Collier wrote a gentle, dovish lecture urging Tracy to not spare the rod and spoil the children.

People regard loyalty like it's a prime good. Not so. There is good loyalty and there is bad loyalty. The Pirates have a bad loyalty problem. They curl up in their little cocoon of a mutual admiration society. They don't come out. They remain far too comfortable while the team falls far, far below .500. Oddly patient in many wrong places, they stand in the pouring rain for a week or two expecting sunnier weather.

Now they've won six of seven after losing four straight. And they swagger like conquering heroes. Is that right?

Not 26-28

All hail the sweep of the Brewers, who are falling apart as management debates the old shit-or-get-off-the-pot question with Carlos Lee.

The Bucs scored some runs in a hurry the last week or so, raising their "RPI" index to .483. You'd think they'd be a 26-28 team, in other words, with this many runs scored and that many runs allowed.

It doesn't work that way, however. We can't expect any kind of one-run luck to "even out." They have fallen, and they have to get up.

The record is more like a bank account, and the Pirates are heavily in debt. They are 14 games below .500 today. 20 wins, 34 losses. No amount of playing great lately changes that.

Can they get back to .500? It's going to be like watching a young man pay off his student loans while making $500 a week. I have no doubt this group of players is capable of playing .500 ball for a long stretch of time, especially if they start that stretch as a doormat. But can they win 14 straight? And I've said before, in my most angry and bitter April moods, that we could expect them to win 9 of 12 at some point. Even the worst teams do that from time to time. What happens afterwards? How soon, for example, do they go out on the road and get swept in a series?

The individual games are great fun, but the sober second look at the morning standings suggests the illusion of playing better baseball is just that, an illusion. The RPI is horseshit. Freddy Sanchez's batting average is horseshit. Jose Castillo's and Jason Bay's home runs are horseshit. All that matters is the real standings.

On June 2, and they are 14 games under .500. That's heavy in debt.

Game 54: Brewers at Pirates

The Pirates are 19-34, fifteen games under .500.

Bush and Maholm at 12:30 today. Get me to the ballpark . . .

Game 53: Brewers at Pirates

Chris Capuano vs. Ian Snell at 7:05 PM EST. Same lineup as the last two days as the Bucs look to score another dozen runs vs. the Brewers' best pitcher. Castillo will try to continue his Jason Bay impression.

the Q & A

It's Wednesday, so here's the Q & A.

Also use this thread to vent whatever intemperate remarks you might have to make about a team with an 18-34 record.

Game 52: Brewers at Pirates

Jorge de la Rosa vs. Victor Santos, 7:05 PM EST. Same lineup as last night, with Craig playing RF and batting fifth.

Tracy's stepson

John Perrotto interprets the 17-34 start:

it is disingenuous of Tracy to completely distance himself from the failures of this season.

He hasn't been immune to making mistakes, such as letting Oliver Perez go back out for the ninth inning of Sunday's 5-4 defeat against Houston after he had already thrown 120 pitches.

Putting a catcher like Ryan Doumit at first base where he could misplay a hot smash into the game-winning run in the late innings at Arizona last Tuesday wasn't a great tactical move.

Pinch hitting Hernandez, the Pirates' least productive hitter, for Craig Wilson, one of the Pirates' most productive hitters, in the 10th inning of the blown bunt game in Cleveland was another shaky decision.

Tracy is right to hold his players accountable. After all, they get paid large sums of money to perform.

But you get the feeling from listening to Tracy on a regular basis that he believes he was 17-0 in the Pirates' first 51 games and his players were 0-34.

Read the whole thing to learn about Tracy's stepson.

Pirates 14, Brewers 3

That's the best kind of victory in my book: beat the snot out of the other team. I tune out people who cavil about wanting to see a close game. No victory too big I say. Run it up.

The best of all possible games is the one where they other team plays really well. The pitchers throw squiggly darts, the outfielders make leaping grabs, and still the Pirates knock six balls out of the park and win 14-3. I want the other team to play well, you see. It's not as fun to score your 14 runs against a demoralized and bitter opponent who, you know, hands them to you.

Either way, this night rocks. It's especially good to get this kind of workout on Doug Davis, one of my least favorite rivals.

Matt Capps still has a few outs to get, but I'm confident the bullpen will hold this 11-run lead. Lots of gold stars to go around after this win.

Bones is right, tonight's lineup is a credit to Jim Tracy. I'd like to see the same lineup tomorrow - unless it's a righty, then I'd start Burnitz.

Game 51: Brewers at Pirates

Doug Davis vs. Zach Duke, 7:05 PM EST. Man-god Jason Bay goes for #7.

Update (6:40 PM): Casey returns and is batting third. Craig Wilson is ... starting in RF and batting fifth! All hail Jim Tracy! Freddy moves down to the six hole. I like this lineup.

Truck Facy

I was going to ease up on Tracy after Saturday night's masterpiece. But then on Sunday, Tracy sends young Ollie (trying to rebound from mysterious arm problems) out to start the 9th after throwing 120 pitches and the Bucs up 4-0. Incredibly bad idea. DK on Tracy being asked about the decision:

Asked if he had any second thoughts about using Perez that inning, Tracy began his response by pointing to Gonzalez's lack of control: "Well, when you see what took place after [Perez] left ..."

Classic. Dodge a direct question about whether he had second thoughts on his decision by focusing on the lack of execution of a young player. One could argue that DK is spinning Tracy's response a bit here, as Tracy doesn't actually mention Gonzo. But I don't think one could rationally defend Tracy's decision to send Ollie back out. Instead, to me this is another example of Tracy contributing significantly to losing a game that should have been won.

Santonio speaks

From the Trib:

Holmes said last night that he was on his way from a bar/restaurant in Miami Beach early yesterday and stepped off the sidewalk to avoid a gathering of people. A police officer yelled at him, Holmes said. A report written by the arresting officer said Holmes was obstructing traffic.

Holmes said he asked the officer why he yelled at him, and he was immediately placed under arrest.

"I wasn't trying to cause a problem," said Holmes, a native of Hollywood, Fla., who said he was in town to visit with his children, Santonio III and Nicori.

Not like Santonio needs any more explanation here, but he could also point out that everyone's doing it, as 557 people have been arrested in South Beach so far this weekend, including Washington Wizards players Gilbert Arenas and Awvee Storey. Storey also stepped off the sidewalk. Note to self: stay on sidewalk in Miami.

Casey back

Sean Casey is due back today, and Mike Edwards will likely be sent down to make room. Casey returning will mean CW will play less and drive down his trade value unnecessarily. If CW sits while Burnitz continues to play RF, then DL will likely ice the Nutting's quota of 100 losses. In other CW-related bloggy goodness, Billy and Charlie defend CW from Smizik.

Bay jacks in 6th straight game

Rotoworld zinger: "Bay now has as many homers as the Pirates have wins (16)."

Game 50: Astros at Pirates

Fernando Nieve vs. Oliver Perez, 1:35 PM EST.

Santonio Holmes arrested

Santonio Holmes, in Miami unbeknownst to his mother, was arrested for disorderly conduct early Saturday morning:

According to the police report, Holmes was observed walking in the middle of Collins Avenue in a trendy area of South Beach littered with outdoor bars and restaurants. When traffic became disrupted and came to a standstill, a police officer told Holmes to "get out of the street." According to the report, Holmes "said several offensive words" to the police officer and was arrested.

"Holmes did not appear drunk and was not cited for public intoxication." Doesn't sound like a big deal, but I'm curious to hear his explanation of just what the hell he was doing.

Gorzelanny

Gorzelanny hasn't pitched since Wednesday. Will he get the call to start for Santos on Monday?

Pirates 8, Astros 7 (18 innings)

Wow. Make space on the drinking-room wall for an enlarged version of this beauty (Bay getting Wiggy with Eric Munson to score the winning run). In easily the greatest and most entertaining Pirates win of the year, the Bucs get jacks from PH Burnitz in the 8th and Castillo in the 17th to set up Bay's Wiggy-style in the 18th. All hail a rare great victory!

Game 49: Astros at Pirates

Wandy Rodriguez vs. Paul Maholm at 7:05 PM EST. En fuego Jason Bay will attempt to homer in five consecutive games as the Pirates, only three games behind the plummeting Cubs, look for their 16th win. Meanwhile, Jim Tracy looks to extend his 48 game perfect managing streak.

Tracy's ass

To follow up on Bones's disgruntlement, below: Tracy's not alone with this sort of comment. McClendon used to say the same things about not being a player.

Bones is right that the context now, for Tracy and Littlefield and McClatchy, is the team's utter failure to be competitive, as reflected by the win-loss record. We don't want excuses. We don't want to hear about how close the games were. If the Pirates were "in" most every game, the record would be much closer to .500. If the win-loss record does not reflect a perception of being competitive, then the perception is a mirage. Until the team admits that, it's hard to be optimistic or even sympathetic.

We're more or less waiting for Tracy to take some of the blame, to be candid and honest about some of his mistakes. Until then there's no great love or patience for him.

He's not the only "leader" who thinks it is good "leadership" to never admit a mistake, but this does not excuse him from adopting this morally bankrupt and cowardly position. Tracy should not manage the team like he's running for office or heading a political party. That's beyond stupid.

We would like it if Tracy would come clean and admit a whole shitload of mistakes he's made. Surely he has made a whole shitload of them. The team is 15-33 for crissakes. We probably only see some of them. "I should not have made fun of Oliver Perez's dancing ability two hours before that one start," he might say. Or, "Damn, what crack was in the coffee that I drank right before I sent Jose Hernandez in to bunt with the game on the line?"

What are they going to do -- fire him? Bwa ha ha ha. He has more job security than most managers around the league.

The Pirates need to stop running the team like an amateur campaign for Congress. Until they start telling us the truth, they can't expect us to regard their comments as though they were credible.

Tracy shows ass again

In a loathsome, cowardly attempt to shirk accountability, Tracy blames the players:

"I can't catch it, I can't throw it and I can't hit it," Tracy said. "That's not my job. I'm not allowed to do that. My job is to get them in a position to where the stage is set and the opportunity is there for them to carry it out, finish the job and win."

"I know as a manager there are only so many things I can do. I try to go home and every night and look in the mirror and ask myself if I did everything I could to do to give us a chance to win."

The Pirates have the worst record in the NL. Through 48 games, the Pirates have scored only 40 fewer runs than the competition (adjusting Chuck Finder's numbers for the big win tonight). Yet they are 15-33. Players have not executed, yes. But Tracy (head firmly lodged in own colon) has made many terrible decisions (e.g. sending Jose H. to bunt for CW with the game on the line) that he should own up to. Sorry, Jim, but it's hard to wash your hands when you're full of and covered in shit.

Game 48: Astros at Pirates

Buchholz vs. Snell. Scheduled for 7:05 PM EST but could be delayed due to rain. Maybe one of our older veterans will slip on the wet grass and pull or break something. Furnitz is back, hitting sixth behind Craig.

Freddy Sanchez

Dejan Kovacevic makes the case. The Stats Geek had a good article on this a few weeks back.

There should not be any debate. Activate Joe Randa, use him as a utility player and pinch-hitter, trade him if someone comes calling. I'm glad to have Randa and Burnitz on the team, provided they are kept in their proper place--which is, right now, backing up better-performing, younger players.

...Since the All-Star Break last year, Sanchez has 397 at-bats, 126 hits, 26 doubles, 3 triples, and 8 home runs. He has struck out 31 times and walked 22 (and this year, 8 walks and 8 strikeouts). The numbers come out to something like .317 / .356 / .455 - an 815 OPS. That's more or less what most people expect from Sean Casey, and it's better than what we could reasonably expect from Joe Randa.

Now, we used to play games like this with Rob Mackowiak. He had 400 AB stretches in which he posted a 900 OPS. So I'm not thoroughly convinced Sanchez is the Real Deal. Not yet.

But flexibility and creativity should be in Jim Tracy's toolbox, and this is a painfully obvious case where they should be used. Start Sanchez, sub in Randa with pinch-hitter switcheroos. Let Randa push Sanchez. If Sanchez falters, start Randa. If Randa hits real well, keep starting him. Sub in Sanchez with pinch-hitter switcheroos. Let Sanchez force himself back in the lineup.

If Sanchez is the real deal, he will hold the job. If he's just another Rob Mackowiak, he won't hold the job.

The Pirates know that Randa is not the third baseman for 2007. There's a chance Sanchez is. To pursue that chance is folly.

And we should laugh down and ridicule any talk about "We want to win some games right now." We've tried that formula, with these players, in this season, already. And it's been a complete failure.

What? No Aramis?

Some historical perspective. The Meares deal was surely worse than the Randolph trade.

4-22

The Bucs are 4-22 on the road this year. And 14-33 overall. They have a .298 winning percentage.

i'll allow that there's some bad luck in this. But bad luck does not render a .500 team .298 after forty-seven games. Odds are this is a .350 team, or a .400 team, having some bad luck. If it makes any sense to chalk any of this up to bad luck.

Sean Casey

Casey could be back within a week, Dejan Kovacevic reports. I've made no secret of my man-love for Sean Casey. When he's healthy, he's pretty good. He's still slow, but he's a good hitter.

The problem is, he's often not healthy. Now that he's returning somewhat early from what sounded like a serious injury, I wonder if he's not up to his old playing-hurt tricks.

In other words, I have my bases covered. If he comes back and resumes the 900 OPS, I can say, told you so. If he doesn't, I'll say he's hurt.

Either way, he's not a guy that should be "hitting his way" out of slumps. If comes back hitting for good average with no power and (of course) no speed, then he should not be starting over Craig Wilson.

Drafting young pitchers

Jason Grey writes for MLB.com that a lot of young pitchers, on which the Pirates lavished high draft picks, have gotten hurt.

This is par for the course. Anyone who follows the progress of players from the draft to the major leagues should know that a lot of young pitchers get hurt.

It's bad faith or wishful thinking to act like it's bad luck. You swim with the sharks, you will get bit.

Irate fans

They make t-shirts.

Game 47: Pirates at Diamondbacks

Zach Duke vs. Miguel Batista at 6:40 PM EST. It's 101 degrees in Phoenix right now. Maybe one of the veterans will get dehydrated and cramp up or pull something.