This morning's news was not pleasant. Jack Wilson has been traded to the Seattle Mariners. We got four minor leaguers and one veteran shortstop to replace him. Whoopee! Why change one shortstop for another? Makes so little sense to me.
Seattle also got Ian Snell, a halfway decent pitcher who was not happy in Pittsburgh and preferred to play in Triple A than in the major leagues. I wish Seattle lots of luck with this guy LOL
So, now that Jack is gone, I suppose it's only a matter of time before his best friend Freddy Sanchez is also dealt away :(
I know the season is barely a little more than half over but it is time for all Pirates fans to say what we always seem to be saying...
Oh well, there's always next year!
Stupid management. When will they pull their heads out of their rear ends? WHEN???
Showing posts with label trades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trades. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
I hate this time of year
It is baseball trading season and I really do hate it. Every day I go, with trepidation, to the MLB website. Every day I hope that I will not find stupid news about how my favorite team has traded away another good player for some minor league players as we "build for the future".
Who cares about the future? I want a team that can stay together for an entire season and do their darndest to win their division! I want things NOW, not next year or five years down the road. NOW! *sigh*
Being a baseball fan can be tough when you have idiots in the front office that have been building for the future for the past 17 years and still haven't gotten it right :(
Who cares about the future? I want a team that can stay together for an entire season and do their darndest to win their division! I want things NOW, not next year or five years down the road. NOW! *sigh*
Being a baseball fan can be tough when you have idiots in the front office that have been building for the future for the past 17 years and still haven't gotten it right :(
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
It's Tough To Be A Fan
yesterday, my favorite baseball team started their usual trading season. They traded away good players for minor leaguers that will, supposedly, help the Pirates in the future. That's the Pirate management yearly theme, building for the future.
The Pirates are in last place in their division, a whopping five games out of first place. Most teams wouldn't consider things all that bad, it's only five games. But the Pirates see it as the season is over, time to start the trading and building for "the future". I wish those foolish people that make these decisions would realize just how damned tired the fans are of hearing this BS about the future, a future that the fans see as never coming.
The season isn't even half over and already the front office has given up on the team and, worse, the fans. And yet they will continue to scratch their collective heads and wonder why the revenues are down at the end of the year.
Just once I wish someone in the front office would have the balls to tell other teams to take a hike, yes we are in last place but we're only five games back and we can still make a run for it so take your offer of minor league players and put it where the sun doesn't shine.
It's nice to have a dream, since I realize fully that as long as these people think baseball is purely a business and nothing else, this person with balls will never show up.
It's tough to be a fan, especially if you are a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.
The Pirates are in last place in their division, a whopping five games out of first place. Most teams wouldn't consider things all that bad, it's only five games. But the Pirates see it as the season is over, time to start the trading and building for "the future". I wish those foolish people that make these decisions would realize just how damned tired the fans are of hearing this BS about the future, a future that the fans see as never coming.
The season isn't even half over and already the front office has given up on the team and, worse, the fans. And yet they will continue to scratch their collective heads and wonder why the revenues are down at the end of the year.
Just once I wish someone in the front office would have the balls to tell other teams to take a hike, yes we are in last place but we're only five games back and we can still make a run for it so take your offer of minor league players and put it where the sun doesn't shine.
It's nice to have a dream, since I realize fully that as long as these people think baseball is purely a business and nothing else, this person with balls will never show up.
It's tough to be a fan, especially if you are a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Wanna Buy A Duck?
Here is the reasoning of the Pirates GM on the recent trade:
June 6, 2009
Dear Pirates Fan,
On the heels of this Wednesday's trade with the Atlanta Braves, I felt it was important that you hear directly from me as to why this move brings us closer to our goal of building a consistent championship organization and providing you a team of which you will be proud.
Neal Huntington
Obviously this was a very difficult decision as Nate is a quality player and person. We knew this move was not going to be popular in the clubhouse with our players or among our fan base who have suffered through a long stretch of losing seasons. Despite recognizing the probable unpopularity of this trade, we believed it to be the right step for our organization and made a sound baseball decision.
The quality and quantity of the players we received in this trade was the crucial component to this trade. We are excited about the three young players we received. We have been interested in and closely monitored all three of these players for some time as they are highly regarded by us and by most within the industry.
Charlie Morton is a power right-handed starting pitcher with upside, who should be ready to help us this year in Pittsburgh. In fact, in his first outing for our Triple-A affiliate, he tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up only four hits while striking out seven. Jeff Locke is an intriguing young left handed starter with the frame, athleticism and stuff to become a quality major league starting pitcher. Gorkys Hernandez is a dynamic athlete who has the speed and potential to become an above average everyday major league outfielder. It is worth noting that these three players were rumored to be sought by the Padres when they were talking to the Braves about trading former Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy.
Additionally, Andrew McCutchen has proven that he is ready to take the next step and begin his career at the Major League level. Andrew has done what we have asked of him in Triple-A and showed he was ready for the challenges of the Major League level. Andrew is an intelligent, hard working player that has shown the present ability to play impact defense in centerfield. While we do not expect Andrew to replace Nate's power production immediately, Andrew is an exciting top-of-the-order player who proved this spring that he can be an exciting part of a productive offense.
Ultimately, to become a championship team we need more championship caliber players at all levels. As difficult as these types of trades are to make, they are an important part of the talent acquisition and development process that will position us to be a consistent championship caliber organization sooner rather than later.
I understand why some people at first glance may believe this move was financially motivated, but I can assure you that this was strictly a baseball decision. In fact, our owner Bob Nutting was as surprised as some of our fans when we sought his approval for this trade. I am grateful that he has the faith in me, our baseball operations staff and the processes we have in place to approve a move like this, despite the risk of public backlash on him personally and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, I am appreciative that he continues to provide us with the resources necessary to build a championship caliber organization. Whether we sought to build our new facilities in Bradenton and the Dominican Republic, sign our young major league players to long-term deals, triple our amateur signing bonus budget in order to be aggressive in acquiring talent both domestically and internationally or significantly increase our scouting and development budgets, Bob was willing to provide the resources necessary to make these fundamental changes.
We have said several times that tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship caliber organization. The decision to trade Nate was perhaps the most difficult one both personally and professionally that we have made to date. Tough decisions are not always popular. However, we have a singular focus on our goal of building an organization that can consistently compete for championships, not simply finish above .500. The organizational talent level has been vastly improved during the past two years and, as a result, we are a much stronger organization and closer to our ultimate goal.
Your understanding of the situation is greatly appreciated by all of us in the organization. Your passion for this team is the driving force behind our motivation to bring winning baseball back to you, the fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sincerely,
Neal Huntington
Senior Vice President and General Manager
Pittsburgh Pirates
June 6, 2009
Dear Pirates Fan,
On the heels of this Wednesday's trade with the Atlanta Braves, I felt it was important that you hear directly from me as to why this move brings us closer to our goal of building a consistent championship organization and providing you a team of which you will be proud.
Neal Huntington
Obviously this was a very difficult decision as Nate is a quality player and person. We knew this move was not going to be popular in the clubhouse with our players or among our fan base who have suffered through a long stretch of losing seasons. Despite recognizing the probable unpopularity of this trade, we believed it to be the right step for our organization and made a sound baseball decision.
The quality and quantity of the players we received in this trade was the crucial component to this trade. We are excited about the three young players we received. We have been interested in and closely monitored all three of these players for some time as they are highly regarded by us and by most within the industry.
Charlie Morton is a power right-handed starting pitcher with upside, who should be ready to help us this year in Pittsburgh. In fact, in his first outing for our Triple-A affiliate, he tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up only four hits while striking out seven. Jeff Locke is an intriguing young left handed starter with the frame, athleticism and stuff to become a quality major league starting pitcher. Gorkys Hernandez is a dynamic athlete who has the speed and potential to become an above average everyday major league outfielder. It is worth noting that these three players were rumored to be sought by the Padres when they were talking to the Braves about trading former Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy.
Additionally, Andrew McCutchen has proven that he is ready to take the next step and begin his career at the Major League level. Andrew has done what we have asked of him in Triple-A and showed he was ready for the challenges of the Major League level. Andrew is an intelligent, hard working player that has shown the present ability to play impact defense in centerfield. While we do not expect Andrew to replace Nate's power production immediately, Andrew is an exciting top-of-the-order player who proved this spring that he can be an exciting part of a productive offense.
Ultimately, to become a championship team we need more championship caliber players at all levels. As difficult as these types of trades are to make, they are an important part of the talent acquisition and development process that will position us to be a consistent championship caliber organization sooner rather than later.
I understand why some people at first glance may believe this move was financially motivated, but I can assure you that this was strictly a baseball decision. In fact, our owner Bob Nutting was as surprised as some of our fans when we sought his approval for this trade. I am grateful that he has the faith in me, our baseball operations staff and the processes we have in place to approve a move like this, despite the risk of public backlash on him personally and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, I am appreciative that he continues to provide us with the resources necessary to build a championship caliber organization. Whether we sought to build our new facilities in Bradenton and the Dominican Republic, sign our young major league players to long-term deals, triple our amateur signing bonus budget in order to be aggressive in acquiring talent both domestically and internationally or significantly increase our scouting and development budgets, Bob was willing to provide the resources necessary to make these fundamental changes.
We have said several times that tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship caliber organization. The decision to trade Nate was perhaps the most difficult one both personally and professionally that we have made to date. Tough decisions are not always popular. However, we have a singular focus on our goal of building an organization that can consistently compete for championships, not simply finish above .500. The organizational talent level has been vastly improved during the past two years and, as a result, we are a much stronger organization and closer to our ultimate goal.
Your understanding of the situation is greatly appreciated by all of us in the organization. Your passion for this team is the driving force behind our motivation to bring winning baseball back to you, the fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sincerely,
Neal Huntington
Senior Vice President and General Manager
Pittsburgh Pirates
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Screwed the fans again, did ya?
Pirates trade McLouth to Braves
Deal for center fielder nets three players for Pittsburgh
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
06/03/09 7:31 PM ET
PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates have traded center fielder Nate McLouth to the Braves in exchange for three players -- outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, left-hander Jeff Locke and right-hander Charlie Morton.
McLouth left PNC Park earlier in the evening after the Pirates' game was postponed due to rain.
The trade sends two of Atlanta's top eight prospects, as ranked by Baseball America, to the Pirates. Hernandez, a center fielder with the Braves' Double-A affiliate, was ranked No. 4 heading into the season. Hernandez has hit .316 through his first 52 games this season.
Locke, Atlanta's seventh-best prospect, was a second-round Draft pick in 2006 and has pitched for the Braves' high Class A affiliate this season. He is 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 starts.
Morton, who went 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA in 15 starts (16 appearances) for the Braves last season, was 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA at Triple-A Gwinnett this season.
McLouth, a first-time All-Star in 2008, was in his second season as the Pirates' everyday center fielder. He had signed a multi-year contract with the Pirates this offseason.
The trade clears the way for the promotion of center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who is batting .303 with four home runs and 20 RBIs at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
MLB.com Comments
Ya know, it can really difficult at times to be a Pirates fan. I wish they'd hire someone for the front office that really gave a damn about THIS season, you know the one we are playing now? The one where, if we have a losing season we'll set the record for the most losing seasons in a row? I wonder how these folks sleep at night, knowing how they consistently screw things up? Maybe it would be better if the people in charge knew absolutely nothing about baseball or sports, then when they made bonehead moves like this one it would make sense. THIS SUCKS BIG TIME!!!!!
Deal for center fielder nets three players for Pittsburgh
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
06/03/09 7:31 PM ET
PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates have traded center fielder Nate McLouth to the Braves in exchange for three players -- outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, left-hander Jeff Locke and right-hander Charlie Morton.
McLouth left PNC Park earlier in the evening after the Pirates' game was postponed due to rain.
The trade sends two of Atlanta's top eight prospects, as ranked by Baseball America, to the Pirates. Hernandez, a center fielder with the Braves' Double-A affiliate, was ranked No. 4 heading into the season. Hernandez has hit .316 through his first 52 games this season.
Locke, Atlanta's seventh-best prospect, was a second-round Draft pick in 2006 and has pitched for the Braves' high Class A affiliate this season. He is 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 starts.
Morton, who went 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA in 15 starts (16 appearances) for the Braves last season, was 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA at Triple-A Gwinnett this season.
McLouth, a first-time All-Star in 2008, was in his second season as the Pirates' everyday center fielder. He had signed a multi-year contract with the Pirates this offseason.
The trade clears the way for the promotion of center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who is batting .303 with four home runs and 20 RBIs at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
MLB.com Comments
Ya know, it can really difficult at times to be a Pirates fan. I wish they'd hire someone for the front office that really gave a damn about THIS season, you know the one we are playing now? The one where, if we have a losing season we'll set the record for the most losing seasons in a row? I wonder how these folks sleep at night, knowing how they consistently screw things up? Maybe it would be better if the people in charge knew absolutely nothing about baseball or sports, then when they made bonehead moves like this one it would make sense. THIS SUCKS BIG TIME!!!!!
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