Pirates Second Half

[EaglealumsGhost]

Quintana was a name that was doable...
Price’s price was way out of reach, I believe I heard Lester’s name too

[12HankQB]

So coach has a problem with people being critical of hurdle and butting well coach its our right to be critical of hurdle and nh and what gives you the right to tell us what to do

He has the same rights as you...that's why this is Merica. You make this argument every time.

[12HankQB]

Crimson, I'm along with all your picks.
I would really hate to get rid of Dickerson and I also hate not having Meadows in the lineup. I think you have to keep everything you have out in the outfield. 
I love Freese, but he's hotter than a coal furnace so now's the time to trade him. You'll be hard pressed to trade Harrison and get something in return. Cervelli is gonna need to go. I want Diaz every day.
Starters Tallion, Kingham, Nova, Musgrove, Holmes. I would be happy to have Glasnow get another go. Williams to the pen to give you another solid arm out there. I think the bullpen surely has the arms out there, but can they be consistent.
You look across the roster and there's plenty of talent. They showed us in the beginning of the year and this past week. If they can come off the break as that team and not every other Pirates team since forever that has been hot into the break then sucked after. Trade Ray Searage for a jug of double bubble. Tallion's quote the other day was that he quit worrying about walking people and went on the attack, well the entire rotation needs to do this. We saw it out of Tallion and Kingham. The talent is there, bend some knees. They need to be able to go 6 or 7 innings to give us hope.
Manny is gonna come in to rip the hopeful apart. I still don't have cable to watch them, but i'm on mlb gamecast every day now. This is a very likeable team. If they can continue the fire and at least make it interesting. I'll be happy.

[knowitall]

The problem with left handed hitters with limited power in today's MLB is the shift.  There are few holes for lefthanded hitters with a third infielder playing on the right side of the infield or even in short right field.  Given that the throw to first isn't much longer from short right field than it is from shortstop lefthanded hitters need to really drive the ball or become more like Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn and hit the ball the other way.  Gwynn and Boggs are of course in the Hall of Fame.  Austin Meadows and Corey Dickerson aren't hall of fame bound.  Meadows could be facing a short, frustrating MLB career if he can't generate more power.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I don't think Meadows was given a fair shake to be honest. They saw the first sign of struggle and rather than letting him work through it, they said, "oh he's struggling we have to sit him."

I didn't care for that.  If that was the plan, he should have been sent down 2 weeks ago.  They mismanaged the whole thing. Getting sent down with a .298 batting average and an OPS of .810 seems nitpicky. He was having a rough patch, I don't think he hit a wall or anything. 

[Crimson's Ghost]

I think Neal H. is an OK General Manager.  I think he gets hit with a lot of criticism for the past 2-3 years and never really gets credit for shaping the 2013-2015 teams. It has to go both ways. 

The Pirates are 21st in WAR among drafted players since 2008, and that's unacceptable.  For a team that really only spends on the draft and international signing.  They need to do a better job or scouting and/or developing.  The draft is the lifeblood for a small market team, they need to do better in that department. 

I think his major league decisions are hamstrung by an owner not willing to spend, but the draft is something they have to be better at than they are. 

I do think Hurdle needs to go after this season however.  I think his message is bland anymore, and his decision making has been erratic for some time now.  They won yesterday in spite of him. Appreciate what he did, but he's not pressing the right buttons anymore.  I look at Matheny...it's very similar. 

Searage might need to go as well.  It's not a good look Gerrit Cole is having a career year the season after he leaves Pittsburgh.  His approach is different, he's using more breaking balls. His effectiveness is way higher. That's an indictment on Pittsburgh. 


The Pirates got out ahead of the game in terms of pitching strategy, shifts, and different analytical stuff back in 2012-2015.  The rest of the league caught up, and passed them by. 

[Crimson's Ghost]

The problem with left handed hitters with limited power in today's MLB is the shift.  There are few holes for lefthanded hitters with a third infielder playing on the right side of the infield or even in short right field.  Given that the throw to first isn't much longer from short right field than it is from shortstop lefthanded hitters need to really drive the ball or become more like Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn and hit the ball the other way.  Gwynn and Boggs are of course in the Hall of Fame.  Austin Meadows and Corey Dickerson aren't hall of fame bound.  Meadows could be facing a short, frustrating MLB career if he can't generate more power.

He could take Corey Dickerson's approach and start hitting the other way.  Dickerson used to be a dead pool hitter, with 25+ homers and striking out a lot as recently as last year. He's transformed his game, and is more contact than power.  In the end, his overall value isn't much higher with that tradeoff but he's found a way to survive the shift and still be an affective player.

[Crimson's Ghost]

So coach has a problem with people being critical of hurdle and butting well coach its our right to be critical of hurdle and nh and what gives you the right to tell us what to do

You take things too personal, he was just giving his opinion. 

[knowitall]

Hitting the other way is a lot easier said than done.

[Manfred]

Crimson, I'm along with all your picks.
I would really hate to get rid of Dickerson and I also hate not having Meadows in the lineup. I think you have to keep everything you have out in the outfield. 
I love Freese, but he's hotter than a coal furnace so now's the time to trade him. You'll be hard pressed to trade Harrison and get something in return. Cervelli is gonna need to go. I want Diaz every day.
Starters Tallion, Kingham, Nova, Musgrove, Holmes. I would be happy to have Glasnow get another go. Williams to the pen to give you another solid arm out there. I think the bullpen surely has the arms out there, but can they be consistent.
You look across the roster and there's plenty of talent. They showed us in the beginning of the year and this past week. If they can come off the break as that team and not every other Pirates team since forever that has been hot into the break then sucked after. Trade Ray Searage for a jug of double bubble. Tallion's quote the other day was that he quit worrying about walking people and went on the attack, well the entire rotation needs to do this. We saw it out of Tallion and Kingham. The talent is there, bend some knees. They need to be able to go 6 or 7 innings to give us hope.
Manny is gonna come in to rip the hopeful apart. I still don't have cable to watch them, but i'm on mlb gamecast every day now. This is a very likeable team. If they can continue the fire and at least make it interesting. I'll be happy.

You addressing me, Hank?  You guys have your fun, I don't G. 2 S. about them anymore.  I'll spend my time watching Collegiate playoffs, AAABA, heck even Little League world Series is more interesting.  Football camps very soon too.