Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (1)
It's beginning to smell a lot like baseball
I grew up as a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but I've recently grown disgusted by how they handle their business.
That said, Let's Go Nats!
I've made this argument to several friends and family members, and I'd honestly have a difficult time abandoning one of my Pittsburgh teams for any adopted team here in the area. I'm interested in the Redskins, Capitals and Wizards; however, they'll never displace the Steelers, Penguins and Panthers.
But I'm done with the Pirates.
The Pirates have had 15 consecutive losing seasons, and I've held out hope for the past 14. Last spring, after not only working for the Washington Nationals but also after following the team closely, I've become more of a Nats fan than a Pirates fan.
I can still recall the 1992 National League Championship Series when Barry Bonds couldn't throw out Atlanta's Sid Bream as he rounded third and tried to score. It's etched in every Pittsburghers' memory.
That's when the Pirates' recent run of futility began, and that's the last time that a winning baseball team played in the same city that I called home.
The Nationals finished 73-89 last season, and for all intents and purposes, they weren't exactly on the cusp of the playoffs. But at least they have a plan.
The Nationals' 2007 was named the “Best Draft in the Industry” as part of Baseball America's annual draft report.
The Pirates added Byung-Hyun Kim (54-60 career record, 4.42 ERA) in the offseason.
See what I mean?
If you're a fan of the Pirates, and I'm deeply sorry if you still are, you can vividly remember such wondrous moves as offering outfielder/flop Derek Bell a three-year, $9 million contract, paying catcher/singles-hitting specialist Jason Kendall $10 million a year and tinkering with pitcher Zach Duke's mechanics after an 8-2 rookie season.
Meanwhile, the Nationals have one of the best young managers in baseball, Manny Acta, who will be looking after a stable of youthful talent.
Acta not only has a calm demeanor that's conducive to managing a young team, but he also has his kids playing the game the right way. The Nationals don't give up on routine outs, and their team defense has improved dramatically since Acta took over.
Sure, they've taken a few chances this offseason. I don't know if outfielder Elijah Dukes, with all of his baggage, will ever turn out to be the player Washington's brass thinks he can be, but why not give it a try? It worked with Dmitri Young.
Another offseason project, center fielder Lastings Milledge, has a history with Acta, one that dates back to their time with the New York Mets, and I think that Acta is one of the few people that will be able to get through to him. Plus, I just watched Washington Post Live, and I heard Acta say that Milledge “just needs to play.”
Milledge will get the chance to play every day, and he'll be flanked by left fielder Wily Mo Pena and right fielder Austin Kearns. Dukes will most likely begin the season as a backup, but who knows what will transpire if Dukes shows promise.
Hang on, isn't this called depth? Sorry, I'm reacquainting myself with all of these terms after 14 years.
The Nationals gathered a bunch of pitchers off of the scrap heap last year and somehow cobbled together a rotation. Randy St. Claire, the team's pitching coach, did a remarkable job molding these young minds and the Nationals begin this season with a lot more direction on the mound.
The Pirates' staff isn't all that terrible, but – brace yourself – their move of adding pitcher Matt Morris last season might've been the final straw.
They traded outfielder Rajai Davis to the San Francisco Giants last year for Morris, who will make roughly $8 million this season. However, when they had the opportunity to sign one of the best bats in the draft, catcher Matt Wieters who was drafted about 30 seconds later by the Orioles, they cited financial problems and instead selected a relief pitcher from Clemson.
Genius.
I could probably provide a dissertation on the Pirates' recent woes, but I won't. I've spent 14 years of my life trying to find optimism in Tony Womack, Oliver Perez and Kevin Polcovich, but I'm done.
Washington has a much better ballclub, and it wouldn't surprise me if Nationals Park turned out better than PNC Park.
It'd just be par for the course.
And after 14 years of losing, the course has been a staple of the Pirates' organization come playoff time.
Stan, Guy, love the show. Scorekeeper here. You hit the nail on the head. At least you have hope (which is what spring training is all about) for the coming season. The Buccos will probably top 105 losses this year. They are definitely heading towards a youth movement. The only problem is the youths are probably 12 & 13 years old right now. It's going to be a while. The malaise on this team is unbelievable. We have a catcher who couldn't throw out Heather McCartney. He wouldn't run if his house was on fire. All we can hope for is Go Getem Next Year. But what year? Good luck with the Nats - you have something to look forward to.
Posted by BigMac
Report Offensive Content
You must be logged in to post a comment.