A Little Baseball

I am a diehard Western PA sports fan. I love the Pirates and the Steelers, and recently, I've been talking ridiculous amounts of trash to the many students in our youth ministry who are Bengal fans (ouch...it's been a rough week)! But, while football is just getting started, baseball is winding down, and minus the race in the NL Central (Go Astros!), the regular season has just about come to the end. With that in mind, I'd like to offer some deep and meaningful insight about the Swashbucklers of the Allegheny...the Pittsburgh Pirates. A breakdown of position by position...

C-Ronny Paulino...Paulino came on strong and was a thankful addition to the line-up, especially as I'm not terribly crazy about Humberto Cota. I think that Ryan Doumit could be a valuable player off the bench, but I think that Paulino is the catcher of the future. Strong arm, handles the pitchers well, hits for average and has a little pop...Like a Paul LoDuca except better behind the plate with a little more power. I think that we're good.

1B-I'm still not sure that I think that Xavier Nady is the answer...In fact, I think that Brad Eldred could be starting at first next season. Eldred is a horse...although he was hurt most of this season. Last season he hit 12 HR in 190 AB's. I'm just hoping that he not the next Rob Deer!! Anyway, I think that Nady might fit elsewhere...

2B-Jose Castillo showed a little pop early this season (12 HR's by June) but fizzled out pretty quickly (14 HR total!). I think that he's a good player...good glove, excellent at turning the doubleplay and worth keeping. We don't really have anyone in the minor league system who makes sense here, and Jose is just going to get better.

SS-Here's a change that we should make...Although Jack Wilson has an incredible glove, I think that he's at the poin that we're paying him too much! I like Jumpin Jack Flash...but just not that much. Time to trade him for something and then move the suprise of the season (Freddy Sanchez) to Short...Original position time. Sweet.

3B-Freddy Sanchez is maybe one of the better trades that the Pirates have made in recent years. Sanchez for Jeff Suppan from Boston a couple years ago. That's definately worked to our favor. Anyone who wins the batting title can stay in Pittsburgh, but again I think that he should play short. This would leave 3B open for Jose Baustista who has showed that he can hit for some pop, too...He just needs to up that .232 average, but I really think that he's the real deal.

So, with my way, our Infield would be Paulino, Eldred, Castillo, Sanchez and Bautista.

LF-J.Bay... .286 BA, 35 HR, 109 RBI's, 100 R, 11 SB...Cornerstone. Enough said.

CF-Chris Duffy-Seriously, I think that Duffy can hit leadoff. He's come on in the second half and he can run and play a decent CF, but let's face it...He's really just holding the place for Andrew McCutchen, the best overall Pirate player since B. Bonds. I saw McCutchen play for Hickory and the future is really bright in CF in 2008.

RF-Here's Nady's spot. Decent #6 hitter...not a bad return from the Mets for Roberto Hernandez, assuming that Oliver Perez continues to struggle. If Perez somehow harnasses his potential, then we'll look like fools, but I don't think that'll happen. Therefore, getting Nady for a 42 year old RP is a pretty good deal.

Starting Pitchers-Duke, Snell, Maholm, Gorzellanny are steller. Lefties galore, young arms who gained a year of experience and I fully expect Snell and Duke to explode next year. Gorzellany pitched well in the 2nd half and we'll be set. Add a crafty veteran or a young gun from the system (like Bryan Bullington or Sean Burnett) and the staff looks good. Seriously, they're the foundation and they look good. I'm particulary impressed with Snell, who I saw pitch in Altoona. He doesn't have great stuff, but he's a great athlete and he learned how to pitch this year. They look sound.

Relief Pitchers-Some good young pitchers...Gonzalez, Capps, Bayliss, possibly Brian Rogers. I like Mike Gonzalez (Here comes the BOOM!) and I think that he's the next Gagne without the ligament damage. Middle relife pitchers really aren't that big of a deal (see Moneyball).

So, after starting 30-60, Pittsburgh has a winning record in the second half. After investing money is worthless players (Meares, Burnitz, Randa, etc), I think that their on the right track. I was less than impressed with Littlefield's in-season trades (Shawn Chacon...are you kidding me?), but it wasn't too terrible. So, with all that in mind, I'm about to say something crazy.

The Pirates are next year's Tigers. Young pitching, adding a quality veteran, and allowing young bats to mature. I mean you can even see it with the All-Star game (Detroit hosted in 2005 and then won in 2006, Pittsburgh host in 2006, wins in 2007?). The young pitchers took their lumps (remember how Bonderman and Robertson got destroyed a couple years ago?) but they've come back and become dominant...I think that it's possible!
So...next year might be the year!




(that the Pirates finish .500!!). No more losing!!!