Morgan to the Nats...

[Captain Coveman]

Coach,
Do you believe that the Pirates will finish .500 or better this year? Does anyone?

[The Ancient Enemy]

I cannot believe deliverance is actually the voice of reason.

You guys that are arguing with him here are beyond dellusional. You should be ashamed of yourselves for justifying (poorly, I might add) this asinine trade, and for following this franchise. You guys are like a girlfriend who keeps getting the crap beat out of her by her boyfriend but she keeps running back to him. Break those chains, folks, break those chains.

[deliverance]

The Pirates are now 2-5 since they have traded Morgan while averaging a little over 3 runs per game.

[Coach]

What was the Pirates record with Morgan?

Most baseball experts don't look at this as a stupid deal at all from the Bucco perspective, and I agree. Others are allowed to disagree...how boring would everything be if we all had the same opinion?

[Coach]

The 24-year-old outfielder hit 14 homers with 61 RBI and 24 thefts in 2008 in a lead-off role with the Nationals.


That WAS at 23 last season...not 28. It was just a year ago. This year the guy mentioned in the sentence above had 24 MLB at bats.

[abpk2903]

Though it is hard to do Pirate fans need to look past this year. .500 ball is not good enough. That team this season was a 80-85 win at best ball club with McLouth and Morgan. That team now will probably win 70-75 games. If Penn State went 6-6 next year I would be a bear with a sore **** all football season. Same with the Steelers going 8-8 and Pens playing at the .500 level. Why should we settle with that being a goal for baseball? I will give Huntington credit on the fact he is taking some of the most extreme chances of recent Pirate management history. I still can not figure out why he is pulling the trigger on these deals so early and not closer to the trading deadline. Do I think these deals will work out in the long run, NO. However, if they somehow do the Pirates could not only be a winning ball team but yet a Pennant and World Series contending team. The question that needs asked as a Pirate fan is how important is .500? Would you rather put all your eggs in one basket and hope for 83 wins or sacrifice that chance for a chance to do something pretty special down the road but have a higher likelyhood of it not working out. I really do not know which one I would rather have.

[deliverance]

The 24-year-old outfielder hit 14 homers with 61 RBI and 24 thefts in 2008 in a lead-off role with the Nationals. That WAS at 23 last season...not 28. It was just a year ago. This year the guy mentioned in the sentence above had 24 MLB at bats.

You failed to mention that his On-Base Percentage was .330 and his batting average was .268. Also, with his 24 stolen bases came 9 caught stealings. Weren't you jumping all over Morgan for almost the same ratio? I like this discussion with you, Coach. We will be able to see this play through for the next couple of years. Right now the Nats are 2-1 with Morgan and the Pirates are 2-5 without him.

[Coach]

hurting more than the loss of Morgan right now is the fact that Sanchez isn't healthy. He is their best player and without him they are reallllly struggling.

[Coach]

good read...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09188/982201-63.stm

[deliverance]

That was a good read, Coach. From what I have read, Freddy Sanchez may not make another start for the Pirates. I have seen he is on his way to San Francisco. That's just a rumor, but they were scouting him before his injury.