DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
Morning, Lunatics …
• The Tuesday column is about why you will love Ryan Shazier. I know I said Tuesday wasn’t going to be a column day, but I saw the scene in Latrobe that’s described in here and changed my mind. Pretty sure the boss is cool with it. If not, he can take it up with my union rep.
• The weekly chat makes its debut today at 1 p.m. but in a different form that I think will be fairer for all. You’ll see the post go up with instructions at 11 a.m. Would love to have you!
• Vance Worley’s complete game and fantastic middle-infield defense allowed the Pirates to cruise through their series opener, 5-0, Monday night. Might be time to start appreciating what Jordy Mercer and Neil Walker do up the middle. Box score / Game highlights
• The Steelers have the cap room to spend more this summer, Kevin Colbert said Monday in Latrobe. It didn’t take much to read between the lines that he meant internally on extensions. Here’s the transcript. The football team has Tuesday off.
• I’ll be hosting full shows again on 105.9 the X this week, both Wednesday and Friday 3-6 p.m., filling in for Mark Madden. New drinking game: Count how many times I mention this site!
• Thank you for reading and supporting this site!
Since the All Star game, the Bucs are 7-3.
Relief pitching has been stellar, bar Frieri & Gomez (ERA 7.04). Melancon (3- 3 saves), Hughes, Wilson, Watson and Pimentel have given up 4 runs in 19 2/3 innings (ERA 1.83). No blown saves. Last night they rested. Thank you Worlybird.
4 appearances of 1 inning each for Pimental since his July 4 meltdown against Phils. He has been outstanding and it certainly rested.
Tony Watson blew a save in last game against Rockies. Harrison’s and Polanco’s homeruns gave him the win after the blown save.
Sorry I missed that one. You’re correct. Watson gets so many wins by blowing holds & saves.
Is there such a thing as a “blown hold”? Seems there should be.
.
Never thought “blown save” made sense for setup men or 7th inning guys, but that’s what they get when they blow a lead.
Just excellent. 5 – 0 when I hit the rack and the same as a final when I get up. Well done, Bucs and Cmat. I’m exhausted after reading Dejan’s description of ‘backs on ‘backers. Maybe I should take Tuesday off with them. (Not)
Bucs’ hitting since AS break is topsy-turvy. As a team, they’re 3rd in the NL in Runs, RBIs and OPS. Cutch, Marte and Polanco hit .187 between them + 10 RBIs.
However, Snider (.500), Ike (.400), Walker (.342), Martin (.320) & Harrison (.306) have stepped up big time with 33 RBIs.
Stewart (.556) and Mercer (.270) are not doing badly either. Mercer has 5 RBIs.
Dear Front Office: Please take any money you may be contemplating paying Burnett and re-sign Martin.
Well said, DJ!
Jandy, you and the blog have kissed and made up?
Something like that, Wild One lol
Me 2.
BTW J, enjoyed talking to you on the phone during the hiatus. Wished I didn’t have to call you at work but whatever worked.
Stu
hey Stu, was all good. Don’t be afraid to give me a shout every now and then…was nice to talk in real time
Ohhhh YES YES YES! MUST sign Martin. MUST!
With ya, DJ.
DK: I suggest bringing back the “Recent Posts” feature of the earlier blog. Thought that worked nicely.
I agree with DJ. Martin’s handling of the pitching staff, his defense and his clutch hitting are major reasons why the Pirates are in contention for a playoff spot. I shudder to think about having to return to playing catchers like Doumit, Barajas, etc.
Sanchez
Wanting to sign him is the easy part…
I have predicted it could take a minimum of 4 years and more than $15M a year. Not sure if the FO will have the stomach for that…
I agree with the Martin thought. But it has been obvious since st that backup catcher has been an issue. You would think it would be one of the easier off season problems to solve.
Stewart has been a good backup catcher. Backup catcher is supposed to play 1 or 2 games a week, be able to handle a pitching staff, play good defense. If you get some hitting that is bonus and Stewart is hitting .269 with a .355 OBP. Look around baseball and you won’t find ma
I agree with DJ, too. There was a point that I thought having AJ back would be great, but indeed Martin is the bigger priority. I said a year ago: AJ made it cool to be a Pirate again, to wear the shirt that has those 7 letters across the front and to give this team 200 inning
….continued from above: And AJ was a great mentor for the staff. All that being said: Does this staff (starters I am talking about) have what it takes to get this team to October and beyond?
Good morning, gang. I meant to predict that the Vanimal was going to pitch a complete game shutout last night, but I forgot.
Please “forget” to predict Cutch’s first career grand slam tonight and a Pirates’ 10-2 victory. Thanks.
I, too, agree with a push to re-sign Russell Martin. If I’m Huntington, I offer him 3 years and $40M. Then I tell him, if he declines, the Pirates plan to extend a qualifying offer to him in the off-season. His agent will know that will depress his value on the open market.
You make a lot of sense, but when dealing with the Pirates, using common sense is frowned upon. They should go to Martin with a contract extension, but I have a feeling Tony Sanchez will be our catcher next year and Martin will be somewhere else.
I don’t think Tony Sanchez will ever be our every day catcher – he hasn’t developed as hoped much at all in the defense (esp. throwing) dept. MUST sign Martin! #1 priority!
Lovely Karen,
.
Wisdom!!
thanks for the memories JAL…this is awesome
Vance Worley made some statement last night, eh?
Indeed!
The Rays have won 9 of 10 & 19 of their last 24 and have moved to within 4.5 games of a playoff spot. If they trade David Price now they risk alienating both of their fans.
ZING!
HAHA, Milo!
I agree. No way he gets traded.
Anyone notice how this Brent Morel throws the ball all the way across the infield right into the first baseman’s mitt ? How does he do that ? Amazing.
What a novel concept.
I thought you could only throw it in the first baseman’s mitt from third base from a kneeling, off-balance position.
Unless the Pirates can get Jon Lester, I don’t see adding a starter as an upgrade over Liriano, Cole, Morton, Worley, and Volquez.
Adequate rotation for regular season.
.
However, if Gerrit Cole stays around 4.00 ERA, who are the Big Three Pirates would start in a Playoff series?
.
These starters as performing are not prepped for success in the Post-season.
.
I’m not interested in just getting there!
That’s why if they add, it needs to be from the top, not the middle or bottom.
The way they’re set up now it wouldn’t offend me if they went with a 6 man rotation the rest of the way. They’re all pretty much the same 1 thru 6.
Groat, I hear you but the prices are so high right now with so few good arms on the market.
Yes. Goes back to Milo’s comment yesterday.
.
If – IF – you think this squad is good enough to make a legit playoff run, then yeah, that rotation will likely be the worst of all playoff teams barring big improvements from Liriano and Cole.
And we don’t want the Red Sox to get three good minor league players and your first born child either, do we James? I’m with ya.
Lester would only be a rental because there’s no way the Pirates are going to pay what he’s going to get on the open market. Sorry, but I’m not giving up top prospects for a guy who is not guaranteed to be the missing piece.
Milo, with two more games against the Brewers today and tomorrow, Tampa has more than two fans – all of us on the blog, for example.
I stand corrected.
The Buccos are for real! The Giants are spiraling, at their beautiful home park no less! I will stay consistent with my position as a confirmed non -prospect hoarder, and I will not criticize the Giants recent moves. You make your best informed decision and cross your fingers.
I would like the Pirates to acquire starting pitching, but I wish they would have done it 3-4 weeks ago. I like aggressive moves generally. As the saying goes, ‘Flags fly forever.’
Saw Kershaw on Kimmel last night. What an outstanding human being. Made me sick.
I recognize that the Pirates could have traded for starting pitching 3-4 weeks ago, but over the last 33 games, they are 21-12. At the beginning of that stretch they were 2 games below .500. The performance since then does not seem to mandate an immediate move.
It’s a very astute point, Tom. I like moves. I don’t really like 5:00 PM July 31 moves. I like getting that extra month of possible production.
Here in the Bay, lost of comparisons between the “A’s way” and the “Giants way”… A’s have tons of depth because they rely on prospects and tier 2 types of guys and give them chances (like Moss) and Giants have ZERO depth because they want to ‘play the same 8 guys’ and pay them.
And no matter what, has to be deflating to the Giants excellent fan base and team for Sabean to go dumpster diving for Dan Uggla DURING the season. Dumpster dives should be reserved for January/February. Uggla is rotten. To the core.
Always love “local” perspective on things, cmat. One of the great things about this blog.
Thanks Oshie. Im local thru tomorrow. Giants fans VERY down on this team, despite their current record. VERY.
Anyone paying attention to the Houston Astros, how should I say it, “issues”?
.
Reminds me of 2012.
The latest chapter in the Mark Appel has been very entertaining. I’ve been on record as saying I hoped his arm fell off, but his out & out stinking has been much more satisfying. And how about that they passed on Kris Bryant to draft him. Hilarious.
The ownership should just give Nolan Ryan the keys to the organization and let him do his thing. This whole Mark Appel thing is a big joke.
I think the players that were supposedly upset about the bullpen made fools of themselves.
.
You play for the Houston Astros in 2014. That means you either just made it to the show, or are so bad at baseball that the Astros couldn’t give you away.
But as we’ve seen, winning changes the narrative awfully fast. Luhnow & Co. will be the next big thing overnight if these guys pay off.
My $.02 on deadline-pa-looza:
-99% of rumors will never happen
-Prospects definitely don’t all pan out, but..
-Doesn’t that mean you need prospect depth because you dont know which will make it? -Trades can make sense or not, all comes down to the cost
-Buyers will ‘lose deals’
I’ve gotten 2 different alerts on my phone (from Bleacher Report and ESPN) saying that the Pirates are emerging as serious contenders to trade for Jon Lester. I don’t believe a word of it, but just wanted to let yinz know.
I don’t believe Huntington has the grapefruits necessary to pull the trigger. Color me from Missouri on this one.
Yahoo! sports reporting that the Bucs are interested in Lester, in exchange for Josh Bell and maybe other prospects. I seriously doubt that there would be interest in re-signing Lester at the price he will command, and I wonder if the rotation demands a move like that.
No intent to reignite a “Josh ” stats debate, but I just loved the sight of him in the rundowns, and loved, even more, the vids of Martin nearly launching himself in orbit after the first one. Says lots about JHay, maybe more about the old vet Martin.
This is the kind of stuff that makes me a fan.
You don’t have a heart or soul if you aren’t pulling for Harrison everytime he steps on the field. Such a joy to watch.
Seriously, how many of us weren’t thinking he had at least a 50/50 chance once he got in that rundown? I know I thought so. He makes me smile every game.
@JS
The Buc’s prefer Lester because he doesn’t have a second year like Price. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
@NMR Via Travis
Just you and me, Steel! Two’s a crowd.
I agree NMR would flip, miss that guy. …
Sad isnt it!
Travis isn’t a member here on an assumed name…..YET!
Ha! Tell Travis I almost spit out my coffee reading that line about Volquez declining since April. He’s the stat guy! He knows darn well that isn’t true.
.
With DK gone, Travis is the only reason I ever visit the Trib. He already deserves a shot at baseball columns, IMO.
The Giants are recalling Travis Ishikawa. Seems like forever ago, doesn’t it.
I can barely recall Travis Ishikawa … and I must say, I’m kind of thankful for that.
New high water mark of +8 tonight hangs in the balance for the Bucs. Best record in the NL over a long stretch now. Put me down as concerned about Marte’s concussion. I’ve been through it w my daughter. Sometimes they stick around a long time. Hope I’m wrong about that.