If it’s Monday, it’s my turn again, so here we go …
JeffAbe57: With all the questions about what happens when Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison return, how is it not obvious that Aramis Ramirez sits? He has been an absolute ZERO in all phases since his return to the Bucs. Jung Ho Kang has to play every day. You absolutely can’t sit Kang under any circumstance.
DK: You actually can. And the Pirates will. And they’ll be right.
Stay with me here.
First off, your ZERO guy Ramirez just went 7 for 17 in the past four games, with a double, three RBIs and plenty of contact even when he made an out. Everyone in baseball should be so lucky to have their ZERO look like that. Ramirez is a proven big-league hitter, one who was hitting very well just before the trade and is now hitting very well again.
If you made up your mind about Ramirez based on how he did immediately upon arriving, that’s on you, not on him.
Second, this increasingly overblown notion that the Pirates must do something dramatic to their everyday eight once Mercer and Harrison return … that implies that they have an everyday eight. Or that they need an everyday eight. And I don’t think either is true.
Ramirez is a third baseman, Mercer is a shortstop, Neil Walker is a second baseman, Pedro Alvarez is a part-time first baseman, and otherwise it’s all moving parts among the infielders. Kang can play third, short and second, and moving around doesn’t appear to interfere with his offensive production. J-Hay can play any position under the sun, including spelling the corner outfielders if needed.
Jung Ho Kang points skyward after his three-run home run Sunday night. — GETTY
The front office has pushed a mandate this summer to keep players fresher. Sometimes, that’s looked bad, such as the weird benching of Walker last week for Sean Rodriguez. But for the most part, it’s a concept that’s smart at its foundation. And it especially applies at this time of year.
Let Clint Hurdle mix and match, with a driven priority to play Kang as often as possible without beating him into the ground. The rest will fall into place.
____________________
hernleyt: I know the term “starting cornerback” can be very loosely interpreted based on how teams run three- and four-receiver sets, but if Brandon Boykin continues to play like he did last night, do you see him starting on the outside on a consistent basis?
DK: That was going to happen regardless, and I’ve felt that way from the moment the Steelers sent that fifth-round pick — possibly a fourth-rounder based on conditions — to Philadelphia. This isn’t a team that gives up its picks loosely. This player was going to play.
The only issue separating Boykin from starting was whether or not he’d play on the outside. Well, he wants that and, more important, Mike Tomlin has been letting him play there from the moment he arrived in Latrobe. And why not? It’s not like the bar is set terribly high at the position for the moment. There’s everything to be gained by letting Boykin grab it.
About time to see first-team duty, though.
Oh, and I share your view of his play last night.
____________________
Mike Potter: Hey DK: On the ESPN broadcast last night, Curt Schilling was quite critical of Charlie Morton, Jared Hughes and the Pirates’ pitching staff in general in regard to their inability to hold runners on first. He went so far as to infer that the Pirates were not teaching their young pitchers how to hold runners. My question is: What do Clint Hurdle, Ray Searage and Neal Huntington have to say on this subject?
DK: Like the overwhelming majority of Pittsburghers, I watched the Steelers game in its entirety and didn’t switch over to baseball until it was done. (The Steelers got a 19 local rating, and the Pirates got an 11.7, both airing at the same time, both on major national networks. This despite the Steelers announcing two days in advance that none of their big names would be participating. Wow!)
So I didn’t hear much. What I did hear of the ESPN broadcast, though … let’s just say that Schilling and John Kruk and crew sounded like they had absolutely no idea about anyone playing for Pittsburgh other than Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole and A.J. Burnett. And the latter only because he once was a Yankee.
Usually, when that happens and you’re on live TV, you’ll come up with situational stuff to discuss because it keeps you from having to discuss the actual players. Of whom you know little to nothing about. So I strongly suspect that’s why Schilling went the way he did.
Now, independent of that, he’s right. The Pirates don’t prioritize keeping the runner close. Doesn’t mean they don’t want to do it. It means that their data supports that the pitcher should worry first and foremost about the pitch, that if the pitch is executed, the baserunner shouldn’t matter much.
As you might imagine, not everyone in the organization agrees with this.
This pendulum has gone back and forth. You’ll recall that the Pirates opened this season with everyone running wild, then cracked down because Hurdle demanded it. Now, the pendulum has swung back. I’ll expect the manager to crack down again soon.
____________________
DormontyDawson: Dejan, given last night’s performance, do you think the light bulb may have switched on inside Dri Archer’s head, at least somewhat?
DK: Is the light bulb Dri’s issue?
I’m not sure about that. I don’t think of Archer as a dim bulb, though I sure get the sense that a lot of folks do, perhaps unfairly connecting him to a similar player from the recent past in Chris Rainey, who proved to be about as much of a dope as one could be.
When Archer has been criticized, including by Tomlin, yes, it’s been about using his smarts, but he’s referred to football smarts. He’s cited how Archer can’t just run and run and run the way he did in the MAC. He needs to play football.
I’m not going to suggest after one preseason game against a bunch of Minnesota third-stringers that he’s figured out how to do that or that he could — or should — be a regular part of this offense. He’ll have to show a lot more than one 15-yard spurt, and I’m including adding to the return game. Man, would the latter be a welcome addition.
Still, steps forward are better than steps backward.
Much more on last night’s game, by the way, is coming from Neal Coolong at midnight with the revival of our Steelers PATs analysis feature, now better than ever. Nobody rips through the film like our guy. You’ll see.
____________________
JakeSutton5: Nobody seems to be talking about the Blue Jackets as a threat to the Pens. They gave the Pens fits in the playoffs two years ago and probably played better than the Pens did. And their roster has certainly gotten much deeper since then. They can win the division, but I’m more scared of them in the playoffs because of their style of play and how well their personnel fits.
DK: In fairness, Jake, no one ever talks about the Blue Jackets. Or hardly ever. This isn’t the highest-profile professional team in Ohio’s capital — sorry, Buckeyes fans — much less one that gets broadly discussed. And not even signing Brandon Saad will change that on its own.
I’m with you on their potential, as well as the idea that their ceiling for improvement will be as high as that of any team in the NHL. And that’s only because they were crushed by injuries and, theoretically, should be better positioned this time.
But the Penguins were crushed by injuries, too, and they made the playoffs. And they improved over this summer, I’d venture to guess, as much as any team in the league.
There’s a lot of drama attached to Saad, and I definitely get that. But Phil Kessel has been and remains the more productive player, not to mention a playoff performer himself in the few chances he had with the Leafs.
Don’t buy the hype. Let the Jackets prove it. Between the Penguins, Rangers, Islanders and Capitals, there are plenty of teams standing between them and winning the Metro. And all of them were better as recently as a few months ago.
____________________
RPM18: DK, hope you don’t mind a college football coverage question, since it’s the first day of Pitt’s camp. How will local college football be covered this fall? Pitt certainly doesn’t merit daily camp coverage, but will there be any reports during camp? Also, can we expect someone from your staff covering each Pitt game? (Please say yes. I haven’t read anything from the two newspapers in months, and I’d rather not go back). How will you cover Penn State and West Virginia? I certainly don’t care, but I know others will.
DK: The bonus coverage question this time is kind of a repeat from one last week, but enough people continue to ask, so I’ll offer it up again: Our coverage of colleges begins in the first week of September. That’s our target.
Once we start, we’ll have dedicated coverage — meaning material that’s produced uniquely for our site and in our style — of all Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia football games and other activities. Matt Gajtka is coordinating all of that, he has all of his people in place, and it’s looking and sounding terrific. And if you were asking whether people like myself and our staffers will be involved, that’s a yes.
August 10, 2015
Five Qs at 5: Kang, Boykin, TV ratings, Jackets
106by Dejan Kovacevic • Five Qs at 5 • Penguins, Pirates, Steelers
If it’s Monday, it’s my turn again, so here we go …
JeffAbe57: With all the questions about what happens when Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison return, how is it not obvious that Aramis Ramirez sits? He has been an absolute ZERO in all phases since his return to the Bucs. Jung Ho Kang has to play every day. You absolutely can’t sit Kang under any circumstance.
DK: You actually can. And the Pirates will. And they’ll be right.
Stay with me here.
First off, your ZERO guy Ramirez just went 7 for 17 in the past four games, with a double, three RBIs and plenty of contact even when he made an out. Everyone in baseball should be so lucky to have their ZERO look like that. Ramirez is a proven big-league hitter, one who was hitting very well just before the trade and is now hitting very well again.
If you made up your mind about Ramirez based on how he did immediately upon arriving, that’s on you, not on him.
Second, this increasingly overblown notion that the Pirates must do something dramatic to their everyday eight once Mercer and Harrison return … that implies that they have an everyday eight. Or that they need an everyday eight. And I don’t think either is true.
Ramirez is a third baseman, Mercer is a shortstop, Neil Walker is a second baseman, Pedro Alvarez is a part-time first baseman, and otherwise it’s all moving parts among the infielders. Kang can play third, short and second, and moving around doesn’t appear to interfere with his offensive production. J-Hay can play any position under the sun, including spelling the corner outfielders if needed.
Jung Ho Kang points skyward after his three-run home run Sunday night. — GETTY
The front office has pushed a mandate this summer to keep players fresher. Sometimes, that’s looked bad, such as the weird benching of Walker last week for Sean Rodriguez. But for the most part, it’s a concept that’s smart at its foundation. And it especially applies at this time of year.
Let Clint Hurdle mix and match, with a driven priority to play Kang as often as possible without beating him into the ground. The rest will fall into place.
____________________
hernleyt: I know the term “starting cornerback” can be very loosely interpreted based on how teams run three- and four-receiver sets, but if Brandon Boykin continues to play like he did last night, do you see him starting on the outside on a consistent basis?
DK: That was going to happen regardless, and I’ve felt that way from the moment the Steelers sent that fifth-round pick — possibly a fourth-rounder based on conditions — to Philadelphia. This isn’t a team that gives up its picks loosely. This player was going to play.
The only issue separating Boykin from starting was whether or not he’d play on the outside. Well, he wants that and, more important, Mike Tomlin has been letting him play there from the moment he arrived in Latrobe. And why not? It’s not like the bar is set terribly high at the position for the moment. There’s everything to be gained by letting Boykin grab it.
About time to see first-team duty, though.
Oh, and I share your view of his play last night.
____________________
Mike Potter: Hey DK: On the ESPN broadcast last night, Curt Schilling was quite critical of Charlie Morton, Jared Hughes and the Pirates’ pitching staff in general in regard to their inability to hold runners on first. He went so far as to infer that the Pirates were not teaching their young pitchers how to hold runners. My question is: What do Clint Hurdle, Ray Searage and Neal Huntington have to say on this subject?
DK: Like the overwhelming majority of Pittsburghers, I watched the Steelers game in its entirety and didn’t switch over to baseball until it was done. (The Steelers got a 19 local rating, and the Pirates got an 11.7, both airing at the same time, both on major national networks. This despite the Steelers announcing two days in advance that none of their big names would be participating. Wow!)
So I didn’t hear much. What I did hear of the ESPN broadcast, though … let’s just say that Schilling and John Kruk and crew sounded like they had absolutely no idea about anyone playing for Pittsburgh other than Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole and A.J. Burnett. And the latter only because he once was a Yankee.
Usually, when that happens and you’re on live TV, you’ll come up with situational stuff to discuss because it keeps you from having to discuss the actual players. Of whom you know little to nothing about. So I strongly suspect that’s why Schilling went the way he did.
Now, independent of that, he’s right. The Pirates don’t prioritize keeping the runner close. Doesn’t mean they don’t want to do it. It means that their data supports that the pitcher should worry first and foremost about the pitch, that if the pitch is executed, the baserunner shouldn’t matter much.
As you might imagine, not everyone in the organization agrees with this.
This pendulum has gone back and forth. You’ll recall that the Pirates opened this season with everyone running wild, then cracked down because Hurdle demanded it. Now, the pendulum has swung back. I’ll expect the manager to crack down again soon.
____________________
DormontyDawson: Dejan, given last night’s performance, do you think the light bulb may have switched on inside Dri Archer’s head, at least somewhat?
DK: Is the light bulb Dri’s issue?
I’m not sure about that. I don’t think of Archer as a dim bulb, though I sure get the sense that a lot of folks do, perhaps unfairly connecting him to a similar player from the recent past in Chris Rainey, who proved to be about as much of a dope as one could be.
When Archer has been criticized, including by Tomlin, yes, it’s been about using his smarts, but he’s referred to football smarts. He’s cited how Archer can’t just run and run and run the way he did in the MAC. He needs to play football.
I’m not going to suggest after one preseason game against a bunch of Minnesota third-stringers that he’s figured out how to do that or that he could — or should — be a regular part of this offense. He’ll have to show a lot more than one 15-yard spurt, and I’m including adding to the return game. Man, would the latter be a welcome addition.
Still, steps forward are better than steps backward.
Much more on last night’s game, by the way, is coming from Neal Coolong at midnight with the revival of our Steelers PATs analysis feature, now better than ever. Nobody rips through the film like our guy. You’ll see.
____________________
JakeSutton5: Nobody seems to be talking about the Blue Jackets as a threat to the Pens. They gave the Pens fits in the playoffs two years ago and probably played better than the Pens did. And their roster has certainly gotten much deeper since then. They can win the division, but I’m more scared of them in the playoffs because of their style of play and how well their personnel fits.
DK: In fairness, Jake, no one ever talks about the Blue Jackets. Or hardly ever. This isn’t the highest-profile professional team in Ohio’s capital — sorry, Buckeyes fans — much less one that gets broadly discussed. And not even signing Brandon Saad will change that on its own.
I’m with you on their potential, as well as the idea that their ceiling for improvement will be as high as that of any team in the NHL. And that’s only because they were crushed by injuries and, theoretically, should be better positioned this time.
But the Penguins were crushed by injuries, too, and they made the playoffs. And they improved over this summer, I’d venture to guess, as much as any team in the league.
There’s a lot of drama attached to Saad, and I definitely get that. But Phil Kessel has been and remains the more productive player, not to mention a playoff performer himself in the few chances he had with the Leafs.
Don’t buy the hype. Let the Jackets prove it. Between the Penguins, Rangers, Islanders and Capitals, there are plenty of teams standing between them and winning the Metro. And all of them were better as recently as a few months ago.
____________________
RPM18: DK, hope you don’t mind a college football coverage question, since it’s the first day of Pitt’s camp. How will local college football be covered this fall? Pitt certainly doesn’t merit daily camp coverage, but will there be any reports during camp? Also, can we expect someone from your staff covering each Pitt game? (Please say yes. I haven’t read anything from the two newspapers in months, and I’d rather not go back). How will you cover Penn State and West Virginia? I certainly don’t care, but I know others will.
DK: The bonus coverage question this time is kind of a repeat from one last week, but enough people continue to ask, so I’ll offer it up again: Our coverage of colleges begins in the first week of September. That’s our target.
Once we start, we’ll have dedicated coverage — meaning material that’s produced uniquely for our site and in our style — of all Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia football games and other activities. Matt Gajtka is coordinating all of that, he has all of his people in place, and it’s looking and sounding terrific. And if you were asking whether people like myself and our staffers will be involved, that’s a yes.