SB Nation Pittsburgh: All Posts by Ray Oakshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48827/pitt-fv.png2010-08-30T20:52:22-04:00https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/authors/ray-oaks/rss2010-08-30T20:52:22-04:002010-08-30T20:52:22-04:00Catch-22: Pirates Sign Prized Pitchers, But Get More Bad Press
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<p>The Pirates can't win off the field, either.</p> <p><span style="font-style: normal;">Two steps forward, one step back. It sometimes seems that's what the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> are constantly doing, on and off the field. During </span><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/admin/mlb/events/55468/boxscore">last Tuesday's game</a><font color="#000080"><span lang="zxx"><u><a target="_blank" href="../../mlb/events/55468/boxscore"><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></a></u></span></font><span style="font-style: normal;"> against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a>, rookie <span>Jose Tabata</span> </span><a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2010_08_24_slnmlb_pitmlb_1&mode=wrap">came to the plate</a><font color="#000080"><span lang="zxx"><u><a target="_blank" href="http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2010_08_24_slnmlb_pitmlb_1&mode=wrap"><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></a></u></span></font><span style="font-style: normal;"> in the seventh</span><sup><font size="2" style="font-size: 9pt;"><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></font></sup><span style="font-style: normal;"> inning against <span>Adam Wainwright</span> with the score tied at two. The rookie drew a two-out, eight pitch walk. He stole second uncontested, and then <span>Neil Walker</span> ripped a single into center field, scoring two runs. Two important young players making plays against one of the best pitchers in the game … two steps forward.</span></p>
<p>Then in the ninth, the Pirates found themselves in a jam. <span>Evan Meek</span> tried to make a play on a slow grounder instead of letting <span>Ronny Cedeno</span> make the play. Meek misplayed the ball, and before you knew it, <span>Albert Pujols</span> was at the plate with runners on first and second, down one run. Pujols ripped a ball right at <span>Pedro Alvarez</span>, who failed to turn what would have been a game-ending double play. One step back.</p>
<p>Perhaps the players are just following the lead of the organization. In the last two weeks, the <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10228/1080519-100.stm">Pirates signed Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie</a>, the top two picks in their draft, then followed that up by signing a prized pitching prospect from Mexico, <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10228/1080519-100.stm">16-year-old Luis Heredia</a><font color="#000080"><span lang="zxx"></span></font>. All this good news was followed by the (apparently shocking) revelations that <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5484947">the Pirates make money</a>. Even if, like me, you think the financial disclosures are no big deal, the news coming less than a week after clinching an 18th consecutive losing season doesn't help public relations.</p>
<p>With all the mixed signals and confusion, it's no wonder that when <span>Pedro Feliz</span> came to the plate with two outs, the crowd couldn't even keep its chanting in rhythm. "Wait, what's the count for 'Let's Go Bucs'?" Heck, the Pirates can't even take steps forward when it comes to broadcasting games. As I was checking the guide during a commercial break, I noticed a movie playing on Versus:</p>
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<p>Yup, one day after the press<font color="#000080"><span lang="zxx"></span></font> publishes a news article about the financial documents with the title "Pirates win by losing" blared across the title bar, Versus schedules <i>Major League</i>, a movie about an owner who deliberately tries to assemble a team so bad she can move to more profitable Florida ... a state that is now home to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/florida-marlins">Marlins</a>, who <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-marlinsfinancials082410">have drawn more ire</a> than the Pirates. The team can't even be number one when it comes to excessive profiting, and then a network trying to make its mark by broadcasting hockey rubs it in our face! Gah!</p>
<p style="font-style: normal;">Of course, how you view all these recent developments probably depends on your view of the team. It appears that a number of media portrayals of these stories reflect not any consistent and independent view of the team, but rather an attempt to jam each and every story into a preset narrative: The Pirates are terrible. It's incredibly easy to simply point to the Bucs' current record and to a streak of losing seasons that stretches nearly two decades, and conclude that the profits (even if the owners themselves aren't seeing any of the money) are further evidence that the Pirates will continue their losing ways. It all reminds me of a passage from my favorite book, <i>Catch-22</i>:</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">"Chaplain, we accuse you also of of the commission of crimes and infractions we don't even know about yet. Guilty or innocent?"</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">"I don't know, sir. How can I say if you don't tell me what they are?"</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">"How can we tell you if we don't know?"</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">"Guilty," decided the colonel.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">"Sure he's guilty," agreed the major. "If they're his crimes and infractions, he must have committed them."</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">On Thursday, the Post-Gazette <a href="http://post-gazette.com/pg/10238/1082742-192.stm">decided to provide a perfect example</a> of this phenomenon. It admits the story about the finances is important and complex, but ... well, see for yourself:</p>
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<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">While these figures are important and tell their own story, they link up with other numbers that are foremost in the minds of fans -- numbers that are more stark and fundamental.</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">Eighteen straight losing seasons. The worst record in baseball, which this year will include 100 losses.</p>
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<p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;"> That's appalling logic: "This issue is complex and tells an interesting story, but the Pirates are, and have been, terrible!" Great analysis. Why, I won't dial 911 for help because it reminds me of 9/11! The Pirates were bad before and can't be trusted, and them numbers are cursed! The editorial was so bad I had to stop counting the problems and went to a higher power.</span></span></font></p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The Associated Press article, previously linked, is in the same vein. It hilariously includes this quote: </span>"Teams have a choice. They can seek to maximize winning, what the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> do, or you can be the Pirates and make as much money as you can in your market. The Pirates aren't trying to win." I'm sure the Steinbrenners are losing money hand over fist, just like Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle would if they owned the Yankees!</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">None of this is to say that the Pirates are above criticism or skepticism, <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/8/10/1616663/pirates-mlb-draft-deadline-pedro-alvarez-jameson-taillon">as I wrote two weeks ago</a>. But the good criticisms and arguments get lost when everyone just focuses on the last 18 years, as if everything in that time span can be attributed all to the current ownership and management. It feels like nothing will convince the national media or the Post-Gazette - or at least those who contribute to the unsigned editorials - that there is a good reason to believe things are truly changing. They've already made up their minds: The Pirates are guilty. Like the quoted characters from<i>Catch-22</i>, of <i>what</i> is irrelevant. They're the Pirates' crimes, and they must have committed them.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/8/30/1653005/pirates-post-gazette-financesRay Oaks2010-08-10T23:56:20-04:002010-08-10T23:56:20-04:00Why The Pirates' Draft Deadline Is Critical
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<img alt="PITTSBURGH - AUGUST 03: Pedro Alvarez #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates walks around during batting practice prior to the game against the Cincinnati Reds on August 3 2010 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6iLwZLTmTLbbQ3oO30jstzr8iE8=/0x65:600x465/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/1015585/GYI0061220818.jpg" />
<figcaption>PITTSBURGH - AUGUST 03: Pedro Alvarez #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates walks around during batting practice prior to the game against the Cincinnati Reds on August 3 2010 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) | Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Pedro Alvarez's walk-off homer last weekend was electrifying. The Pirates' future depends on their willingness to pay for more game-changing talents like him.</p> <p>I'm a sucker for crime dramas like <i>Law and Order</i>. I know it's not a great show and that most every episode, good or bad, follows the same formula. But anything crime-related reels me in ... except shows like <i>Snapped</i> or any other Lifetime/Oxygen show detailing women meticulously plotting the deaths of their boyfriends and husbands. Too scary, and my girlfriend watches far too many of them for my tastes, taking careful notes.</p>
<p>So yeah, it's certainly not the best of entertainment choices, but the great thing about a formula show is that you can pretty much tell within ten minutes or so whether the episode is going to be any good. Sometimes less: "Oooh! That line from Jerry Orbach was <i>extra</i> sarcastic. It's gonna be a good one!"</p>
<p>Whether there is ever a similar moment when you can give up on a sports team is a completely different story. I've been thinking about this because of two letters to the Post-Gazette, <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10221/1078668-110.stm">published on August 9th</a>. Neither letter says anything substantively new - 'Why do you idiots continue to watch and support a losing franchise?' - but the timing is interesting, because I think we're fast reaching that key ten-minute window where even a fan like me is wondering: Are the <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pirates</a> serious about winning?</p>
<p>That key moment is August 16th, the deadline for signing the 2010 draft class. Like most teams, the Pirates will surely be going to the wire with their top picks, pitchers Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie. Both pitchers have tons of talent and would immediately become the most interesting minor leaguers in the system.</p>
<p>You might be wondering why this draft class is the key moment for me. Why not after last draft class, when the Pirates picked <span>Tony Sanchez</span>, instead of a riskier but higher-ceiling talent, fourth overall? Why not get mad at them for botching the <span>Jason Bay</span> trade, and worse, for giving playing time to <span>Andy LaRoche</span> at the expense of <span>Jose Bautista</span>, who has launched 34 homers this year for the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Blue Jays</a>?</p>
<p>I could, unfortunately, go on with the list of errors ... but I could also on with a list of successes. It isn't the individual decisions but rather the larger picture that's important. A lot of bellyaching goes on about the Pirates' abysmal record. 'Neal Huntington can't even put together a decent team in his third year; why should I think he can build a winner?'</p>
<p>The answer is in the formula. First, a word about the old ways; the old formula, if you will. There's no doubt that it was bad. Dave Littlefield, the General Manager from 2001 to early September 2007, left the Pirates the situation he left was as grisly as any murder scene on L&O. Heck, the whole operation could have been the subject of its own spinoff. "A baseball team is managed by two separate and equally important groups: The scouts, who draft the players, and the coaches, who develop them. These are the stories of their incompetence." Littlefield's carefully groomed appearance already <a href="http://www.baseballdigestdaily.com/audioblog/uploaded_images/20040207DSlittlefield_450-738689.jpg">made him look like an actor</a> ready to jump on set, so it's not that big of a stretch. Under his leadership, the Pirates frequently ignored elite talent, drafting "ready" guys.</p>
<p>Truth be told, the Pirates got unlucky with guys like <span>Bryan Bullington</span>, Daniel Moskos, and <span>Brad Lincoln</span>. They were drafted precisely because they were seen as good bets to at least contribute, even if they'd never be stars. (Think of 2003 first round pick <span>Paul Maholm</span>: Solid, but not a star.) But even if they had reached their expectations, the Pirates would never have had much of a chance to make the playoffs. Littlefield wanted to surround these draft picks with veteran free agents. This produced middling teams - not contending, but not embarrassing. The 2002-2004 squads are good examples. Respectively, those teams managed 72, 75, and 72 wins. Not good, but not abysmal. It's the kind of result that (incorrectly) convinced some fans that the Pirates were just one or two free agents away from winning 90 games.</p>
<p>Clearly, Neal Huntington has followed a completely different formula, especially when it comes to acquiring young talent. Drafting and signing <span>Pedro Alvarez</span> in 2008 was a great start. Alvarez was the kind of expensive, elite talent the Pirates avoided under Littlefield. Sanchez was not a high-upside pick, but the Pirates justified it by arguing there was no elite, Alvarez-level talent remaining, which was true. More importantly, they spent a lot of money on high-upside high school players. While these guys are years and years away, the idea is that if one or two of them hit, the Pirates will control their rights for six years, without having to pay the huge bonuses they'd command if they had gone to college and succeeded.</p>
<p>Talent like Alvarez represents a shot in the arm for the Pirates. I don't think Steve Blass and Greg Brown would have been as excited about Saturday's extra innings <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=equEGXN3Cl8&feature=player_embedded#!">8-7 win over the Colorado Rockies</a> if it had been <span>Chris Snyder</span> hitting the homer to propel the Bucs to an extra innings victory. (You should all listen to that call, <a href="http://www.northsidenotch.com/">courtesy of North Side Notch</a>.) Sure, their childlike excitement is funny to an outsider, <a href="http://deadspin.com/5608092/desperate-for-excitement-pirates-announcers-melt-down-after-big-win">as reflected in this Deadspin story</a>. Obviously, though, the excitement wasn't from the fact that the blast took the Pirates from 38 to 39 wins. No, it's because one of the Bucs' young talents, partially carrying the hopes of the franchise on his shoulders, came through in the moment. Outsiders who haven't suffered through years and years of a bad plan can't understand how important that moment was. When Pedro's shot soared through the air, so did our hopes, if only for an instant.<br><br>But the team needs to keep building on those moments. For the most part, they have: The Pirates have been following a plan they weren't following before. There have been missteps, but each and every successful team has made mistakes along the way. Expecting perfection is unrealistic, and even an error like losing Bautista is perfectly acceptable because it fits the formula. The team gave playing time to Andy LaRoche, a guy with lots of potential at the time of the trade. Even if those moves failed, they were the kinds of risks the formula demands. Guys will fail from time to time, and I'd rather LaRoche fail than Pat Meares. Better to die on your feet than on your knees, and all that.</p>
<p>Fortunately, the Pirates have, to this point, been willing to take shots on young talent. <a href="http://m.espn.go.com/mlb/story?storyId=4697502">The team has been the top spender over the last two drafts</a>, handing out <a href="http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2010/2610516.html">$18.7 million</a>. We know this formula can work, because it's what teams like the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tampa Bay Rays</a> did, and what teams like the <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas City Royals</a> <a href="http://www.bucsdugout.com/2010/8/10/1614843/the-royals-show-how-rebuilding-is">are currently doing</a>.</p>
<p>I recall watching Bobby Cox, the legendary <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Braves</a> manager and, less famously, their general manager from 1986-1990, talk about teams like the Pirates during MLB Network's coverage of the draft. Cox said it takes at least six years to build a solid foundation for a winning team. He presided over four years of talent collection that became hugely important to the Braves. Their corresponding win totals from 1986 to 1990: 72, 69, 54, 63, and 65. In 1991, the team won 94 games. Building the team with young players still learning how to play the game will lead to more losses in the short term, but the payoffs at the end can be tremendous.</p>
<p>Obviously, I'm not saying that losing at the major league level guarantees future success. My point is simply this: Pretty much everything the Pirates are doing is completely consistent with what a management committed to building a winner would be doing. It's consistent with that winning formula. Spending money on younger players, instead of washed up veterans, is a smart allocation of resources for a small market team like the Pirates.</p>
<p>The flip side is that the current course is equally consistent with what a management committed to maximizing profits with no intentions of ever getting better, as the letter writers linked at the beginning insinuate, would be doing.<br><br>So which path are the Pirates going to take? Should we stick around or turn off our televisions? Taillon and Allie are the kinds of talents a team like the Pirates can't afford to lose, and while I can get behind rolling the dice on quantity rather than quality (like they did last year, in taking Tony Sanchez and spreading money around) talents like Taillon and Allie don't fall into a team's lap very often.</p>
<p>The winning formula demands the team makes a serious effort at getting both players. August 16th will tell us a lot about how serious the Pirates are to following the formula.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/8/10/1616663/pirates-mlb-draft-deadline-pedro-alvarez-jameson-taillonRay Oaks2010-07-31T10:45:38-04:002010-07-31T10:45:38-04:00Pirates Recall Jeff Clement and Argenis Diaz; Finalize Chris Snyder Trade
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<p>Jen Langosch of <span class="caps">MLB</span>.com <a href="http://twitter.com/LangoschMLB/status/19991377983">reports that the Pirates have recalled</a> first baseman Jeff Clement and infielder Argenis Diaz. Langosch also said that Garrett Jones is not going anywhere.</p>
<p>Diaz is known as a defensively strong shortstop with no bat. I'd think Bobby Crosby is on his way out, but who wants Bobby Crosby?</p>
<p><b>Update: </b>Apparently, <a href="http://bucsbits.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/07/clement_diaz_on_way_to_pirates.html">the Diamondbacks want Crosby</a>, as he and D.J. Carrasco are going to the Diamondbacks as part of the trade for catcher Chris Snyder. Even more incredibly, the Diamondbacks wanted Ryan Church, as he is part of the deal. Obviously, the Diamondbacks don't really want Church, as this trade is almost certainly about getting rid of Snyder's salary. </p>
<p>The Pirates will also receive an unnamed minor league player. Carrasco was a useful relief pitcher, but this trade is probably of little consequence: Clement will replace Church, Diaz will replace Crosby, and while both Clement and Diaz aren't likely to produce much offensively, neither did the guys they're replacing.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/31/1598196/pirates-recall-jeff-clement-argenis-diazRay Oaks2010-07-31T01:57:01-04:002010-07-31T01:57:01-04:00Pirates Acquire Chris Snyder
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<p>John Perrotto tweets that the Pirates<a href="http://twitter.com/jperrotto/status/19970579311"> will officially acquire Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder</a>, after <span class="caps">MLB</span> approval of money coming to the Pirates. Given that the Diamondbacks apparently wanted the Yankees to take on Snyder's salary in a potential Dan Haren trade, the Pirates may be footing a good chunk of the bill. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic <a href="http://twitter.com/nickpiecoro/statuses/19970084042">has the same info</a> about the trade.</p>
<p>Snyder will <a href="http://taoofsteve.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/07/d-backs_close_to_dealing_snyde.html">earn $5.75 million next year</a>, and has a club option for $6.75 million the year after. If the option is not exercised, Snyder receives a $750,000 buyout.</p>
<p>No word yet on what players the Pirates are sending to the Diamondbacks.</p>
<p>As John Perrotto speculated earlier in the night, Snyder's presence may signal the end of Ryan Doumit’s days behind the plate. In addition to Doumit’s DL stint from a concussion, he’s been a defensive liability.</p>
<p><b>Update: </b>Jen Langosch of MLB.com <a href="http://bucsbits.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/07/clement_diaz_on_way_to_pirates.html">says that D.J. Carrasco, Ryan Church, and Bobby Crosby</a> are going to Arizona for Snyder. The Pirates will also receive an unnamed minor league player.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/31/1597931/pirates-diamondbacks-chris-snyderRay Oaks2010-07-29T17:59:49-04:002010-07-29T17:59:49-04:00Steelers Sign Flozell Adams
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<p>Former Dallas Cowboys left tackle Flozell Adams <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076270-100.stm">signed a two-year deal with the </a><a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10210/1076270-100.stm">the Steelers</a>. The Steelers brought Adams in after Willie Colon’s injury.</p>↵<p>No word yet on the amount of the deal, but <span class="caps">NFL</span>.com <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8193f714/article/mawhinney-aims-to-improve-nfls-foothold-across-the-pond">reported last week</a> that Adams, 35, had offers from four teams and was trying to get a one-year deal worth $4 million. It’s doubtful he got that much, given that the Steelers, notorious bargain-hunters in free agency, didn’t sign him right away.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/29/1595318/steelers-sign-flozell-adamsRay Oaks2010-07-27T18:45:11-04:002010-07-27T18:45:11-04:00Terrell Owens To Join Bengals
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<p><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5414820">Per <span class="caps">ESPN</span></a>, Terrell Owens will join the Bengals. He reportedly signed a one-year, $2 million deal. T.O., who <a href="http://www.trademork.com/i-love-me-some-me/">loves him some him</a>, will be joining Chad Ochocino.</p>↵<p>Details regarding contributing money to a fund for Carson Palmer’s sanity will be made available at a later date.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/27/1591219/terrell-owens-to-join-bengalsRay Oaks2010-07-27T01:05:11-04:002010-07-27T01:05:11-04:00Andy, Pedro, And The Pirates On The Radio
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<p>Pedro Alvarez's recent success has been sweet, but the Andy LaRoche era is over.</p> <p>I'm in the process of moving to a new house. Like most men, I hate moving with a passion of the kind seen in... well, <i>The Passion</i>. I'm not saying the movie's depiction of torture inflicted on Jesus is <i>really</i> comparable to moving, but on the other hand, have you tried pushing three couches through a 30-inch door? Not fun, and the payoff isn't anywhere near as great as ruling over an eternal kingdom. Heck, I don't even get to rule over the living room.<br><br>That's largely my own fault. Like Mel Gibson, the director of <i>The Passion</i> whose girlfriend <a href="http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/07/world-exclusive-audio-mel-gibsons-explosive-racist-rant-listen-it-here">recently recorded him leaving a hateful message</a>, I am currently at odds with my significant other. Unlike Mel, I didn't unleash a torrent of insults and racist comments. No, what I did was apparently far worse. See, we had narrowed our selection to two duplexes. I pushed for one place because, while inferior, it had two key moving advantages: Wide doors and no steps. Of course, I didn't tell her that was the real reason, and we ended up taking the other place. While wrenching my back, I snapped a comment about how we should have taken the first place for moving reasons. Since then, I've been punished with frequent Home Depot visits and return trips to get the rest of our stuff.</p>
<p>This has given me the opportunity to listen to a lot more <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/PIT">Pirates</a> games on the radio. Listening to a radio broadcast is a big part of baseball nostalgia, but I've always been a "TV or nothing" kind of guy. I think it's because the things associated with that nostalgia don't resonate with me. It seems every baseball fan of a certain age has a story of listening to a game on a transistor radio snuck into school or hidden under their pillow at night. Taking a transistor radio to school would have made my bespectacled self even more of a target for abuse, and rightfully so, because I tended to use words like "bespectacled." Unsurprisingly, that same tendency led to a lack of attention from girls, making nighttime radio sessions less appealing, as I had figured out <i>far</i> more interesting things to do in bed at night. Like reading by flashlight! (That's entirely consistent both with my tendencies as a kid and with what your perverted mind was thinking, depending on what type of book you think I'm discussing.)</p>
<p>I've enjoyed the experience far more than I expected. I've never really listened to any sports on the radio; I've listened to a few Steelers games over the years due to travel, which never bothered me because, with 22 players involved in every play, there's always a lot to talk about during breaks in the action. Plus, it seemed like every other driver was listening to the game, too. I'd smile or yell after a big play and see other drivers doing the same. On one occasion, I had a quick conversation with a guy next to me at a red light.</p>
<p>Listening to baseball isn't quite the same. That same joyous behavior - or, more likely when dealing with the Pirates, angry behavior - would only make other drivers think I was a lunatic. But more importantly, the game is much more slowly paced, and there's less to talk about in the downtime. I wasn't used to that. At home, there's always something in the house to distract me between pitches, and the HD TV broadcasts today give you something pretty to look at even when the action is stopped, at least when <span>Jeff Karstens</span> isn't pitching. But when you're driving, all you have to fill the gaps is the announcers and your own mind.</p>
<p>This has forced me to think about things a lot more during the game, because I'll be damned if I'm going to do something outrageous like pay attention to the road. Lately, most of my thoughts on my long drives have been about <span>Pedro Alvarez</span> and <span>Andy LaRoche</span>. I know that sounds like some kind of odd and athletically diverse sexual fantasy - I'll leave it to you to make your own joke about LaRoche choking and failing to live up to expectations even in that realm - but I've been thinking of them in terms of success and failure, and what that means for the future.</p>
<p>I was in the car for Pedro's multiple-homer games on July 20th and 21st. It's exciting to hear the calls, but I'm not watching the fans and players go crazy. I'm left to fill in the gaps, and unfortunately, my mind keeps turning to LaRoche. It was easy enough to forget about him with the Alvarez hype, but now he's all but a distant memory. Since Alvarez joined the team on June 16th, LaRoche has played in 18 games, starting in only five of them.</p>
<p>Like Alvarez, LaRoche received a fair amount of hype, which in LaRoche's case stemmed from him being a key part of the <span>Jason Bay</span> trade. As Dejan Kovacevic<a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08214/901137-63.stm"> wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</a>, "[GM Neal] Huntington sounded plenty satisfied with the Pirates' take - <i>and that was echoed by most national analysts</i>, unlike with the Nady-Marte trade - but also expressed 'mixed emotions' in what he gave up" (emphasis mine). Other analysts had similar comments. Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus, for example, <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7889">said</a>, "LaRoche, the prize here, should step in immediately and be an above-average hitter at third base. LaRoche becomes the best truly young player the Pirates have." I'm ecstatic with Pedro's recent play, and seeing guys like him, <span>Jose Tabata</span>, <span>Neil Walker</span>, <span>Andrew McCutchen</span>, and <span>Lastings Milledge</span> gives me hope for the future. But LaRoche's failures serve as a depressing reminder that success is far from guaranteed, and the Pirates have a long way to go, and need a good bit of luck.</p>
<p>I should probably quit listening to the games on the road, because I can't stop thinking about what can go wrong instead of focusing on what is going right. That's a recipe for a DUI, and I don't think "the Pirates made me do it" defense to drinking will hold up in court. I'll probably keep listening to games on the radio, but I think I'll do it on my porch, a cold one in hand. If I don't get finished on this moving, I won't have a choice.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/27/1587648/andy-laroche-pedro-alvarez-and-the-pittsburgh-pirates-on-theRay Oaks2010-07-25T20:20:32-04:002010-07-25T20:20:32-04:00Pirates Swept By Padres; Brad Lincoln Demoted
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<p>The Padres sweep the Pirates, winning today 6-3. Today's starting pitcher, Brad Lincoln, was demoted to AAA.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/25/1587559/pirates-swept-lincoln-demotedCharlie WilmothRay Oaks2010-07-25T20:20:32-04:002010-07-25T20:20:32-04:00Pirates Swept By Padres; Brad Lincoln Demoted
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<p>The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/PIT" class="sbn-auto-link">Pirates</a> dropped their fourth straight game today by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/55457/recap/110025">losing to the Padres</a> 6-3.</p>
<p>More importantly, today's starting pitcher, <span>Brad Lincoln</span>, <a href="http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/pirates/s_691959.html">was sent to AAA after the game</a>. Lincoln, drafted fourth overall in 2006, was promoted in early June. Lincoln has mostly struggled since. He has a 6.57 ERA in 50.2 innings, while striking out only 21 batters. He ran into trouble early in today's game, giving up five runs in the third inning. In <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/events/55305/postgame">his previous start</a> against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/MIL" class="sbn-auto-link">Brewers</a> on July 20, Lincoln almost squandered a nine run Pirates lead by giving up seven runs through three innings before being pulled from the game.</p>
<p>While it's disappointing Lincoln hasn't experienced the success of the other rookies--<span>Jose Tabata</span>, <span>Pedro Alvarez</span>, and <span>Neil Walker</span>--he is still only 25 and hopefully now has a better idea of what he needs to improve to succeed at the major league level. He has taken the demotion well, saying, "For me, it's probably the best move. To go out there and keep struggling is not good for me and it's not good for the team."</p>
<p>The Pirates also designated reliever <span>Brendan Donnelly</span> for assignment.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/25/2318374/pirates-swept-by-padres-brad-lincoln-demotedRay Oaks2010-07-11T21:20:44-04:002010-07-11T21:20:44-04:00SB Nation Top Five: Most Significant Pittsburgh Free Agency Losses
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<p>These five free agency departures had the greatest impact on Pittsburgh sports.</p> <p>Watching the aftermath of LeBron James' "The Decision" extravaganza, I thought of the classic Christmas movie "It's A Wonderful Life." The movie tells the story of the redemption of George Bailey, a man who is so distraught on Christmas Eve that he intends to kill himself by jumping off a bridge. Losing LeBron is devastating and I'd imagine many Cleveland fans are ready to emulate George and take a plunge into the Cuyahoga. Perhaps Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert had those fans in mind <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5365704">when he wrote in an open letter</a>, "Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there." He's probably hoping fans take his advice so he won't have to deliver on his crazy personal guarantee that the Cavs will win an NBA championship before LeBron.</p>
<p>But that's not why I thought of the movie. Nor did I think of it because of the title. While I, like most Pittsburgh residents, generally love to revel in Cleveland's misery, I can't take any joy in LeBron's departure. LeBron's connections to Ohio and particularly the way he chose to leave, make me feel sorry for Cleveland. As reflected in Gilbert's letter, many think that the accident of where LeBron was born demands he stay and be Cleveland's savior. In other words, LeBron should stay loyal to his home, even if it means giving up what he really wants.</p>
<p>Which, if you think about "It's A Wonderful Life," is exactly what George does. He takes over his father's building and loan company, knowing that if he does not, the evil Mr. Potter will take over and leave people without homes. George gives his college money to his brother, with the agreement that the brother will take over the company after college. When his brother returns with a wife and a lucrative job offer from his father-in-law, George once again gives up his dreams and lets his brother out of the agreement. When a panic hits and the citizens try to get their money back from George's company, he and his new wife give up their honeymoon money to save the day. He gives up all his dreams because he is the sole person who can save his town.</p>
<p>In the end, it's these selfless acts that make George a hero. It'd be nice if LeBron, like George, had done what was best for Cleveland and not himself. But for better or for worse, the real world doesn't often work that way.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh sports fans have actually had a pretty wonderful life when it comes to free agency losses. Nevertheless, plenty of players have left town, and their departures have been significant. Here are my top five most significant free agency losses.</p>
<p><b>5. Mike Vrabel</b><br>Despite the Steelers' consistent success throughout the 1990s, it was clear the team could not keep up when it came to free agency. Players such as Carnell Lake, Leon Searcy, Chad Brown, John Jackson, Hardy Nickerson, Eric Green, Yancey Thigpen and Deon Figures all departed during that decade. Granted, the Steelers didn't necessarily want to keep all of those players, but surely they would have liked to have kept many of them, particularly Chad Brown. The <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/steelers/20010824hluxury0824P1.asp">construction of Heinz Field was a necessity</a> if Pittsburgh was to keep more of its premium players.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, one of the most damaging losses in free agency was Mike Vrabel, a player the Steelers easily could have kept. Unfortunately, the Steelers <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WIgNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uW8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2938,5270344&dq=they+were+torn&hl=en">weren't sure how to use him</a>. Vrabel, like many Steelers linebackers, played defensive end in college. The Steelers tried using him in a standup linebacker role, as a rusher in the dime defense, and even as a defensive tackle at one point. Also, even if they had picked a role for him, Vrabel was blocked due to the Steelers' usual "problem" of defensive depth. Throughout his time with the Steelers,<a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7QcwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lHADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5392,5329358&dq=vrabel&hl=en"> he was stuck</a> behind other outside linebackers like Carlos Emmons, Jason Gildon and Joey Porter. Knowing he was not in line for a starting job with both Gildon and Porter on the roster, Vrabel <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o7ENAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MXIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5461,1407133&dq=kevin+greene+free-agency&hl=en">signed with the Patriots</a> in 2001 for a bonus of $225,000. Vrabel went on to be a solid player, if not a minor star. It's hard to fault the Steelers given their depth, but if they had known how good Vrabel would be they certainly would have made room on the roster.</p>
<p><b>4. Rod Woodson<br></b>One of my clearest tragic sports memories is seeing Rod Woodson crumple to the unforgiving Three Rivers artificial turf against the Detroit Lions in 1995. Seeing the Steelers' best defensive player seriously injured on opening day was a crushing blow. I didn't have much faith that the Steelers could make the Super Bowl with Rod on the sidelines, and I thought the season had gone down the tubes. Woodson was so awesome the Steelers refused to place him on the injured reserve list, in the hopes he would be back for the playoffs. Showing that the signs around Three Rivers declaring Rod to be God were accurate, Woodson did return for the Super Bowl, a fantastic recovery time for an ACL injury back then.</p>
<p>The injury may have cost the Steelers a lot more than one season of Rod, though, as he left the team in 1996 under unpleasant circumstances. Woodson was 31, and after his injury it seemed he was slowing down. By January of 1997, Ron Cook <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-94NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KW8DAAAAIBAJ&dq=woodson&pg=5925%2C5151581">captured the mood</a> as I remember it: Rod was done. The <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kt0yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u28DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4988,5436986&dq=woodson&hl=en">Steelers offered Woodson</a> a three-year deal, but he wanted a longer deal, and he blamed then-director of football operations Tom Donahoe for driving him from the Steelers. He signed with San Francisco but was cut after his first year. He then signed with Baltimore, switching to free safety, and played there for four years. Woodson played well on those great defensive teams in Baltimore. It would have been nice to have an all-time Steelers great finish his career in the 'Burgh.</p>
<p><b>3. Neil O'Donnell</b><br>I sent out this list to the other SB Nation Pittsburgh writers to see if I missed anyone obvious. I was planning on mentioning that fact no matter what, so that in the event I forgot someone really obvious, I could defect blame: "It wasn't just my fault! We're ALL idiots!" (If you love this list, though? ALL ME.)</p>
<p>Luckily, Fellow SB Nation Pittsburgh writer Michael Bean gave me a credible reason to mention the discussion. He wrote, "Neil O'Donnell kept us from winning one for the thumb (or more) in the 90s."</p>
<p>I was nodding my head in agreement. Absolutely! We started <span>Jim Miller</span> and Mike Tomczak in 1996. The Kordell Stewart era officially started the year after. With a competent quarterback, we probably would have gone to one or two Super Bowls.<br><br>Next line: "He doesn't belong on the list."<br><br>Ohhhhhh.</p>
<p>Steelers fans hate Neil O'Donnell for his Super Bowl XXX performance, and I don't blame them. O'Donnell's two interceptions to Larry Brown were unforgivable. Peyton Manning's interception to Terry Porter was brutal, but at least we can say Porter made a brilliant read and play. The interceptions to Brown were just... like schadenfreude, the English language doesn't have a word to describe them. I've always imagined the afterlife, if it exists, would let us finally get answers to questions that were unanswerable on Earth. I'll demand to speak to Neil O'Donnell so I can ask him, "What the hell were you doing on those plays!?" Then I'll be told, "Oh, him? You can't talk to him." I'll be crushed: Neil O'Donnell has screwed me even in the afterlife! "Why not?" I'll say. "Because he's BURNING IN HELL for what he did," will come the reply. SWEET! Take THAT, Neil O'Donnell's soul!</p>
<p>But the fact is that he was a competent quarterback, and a competent QB with a fantastic defense can win Super Bowls. (See: Trent Dilfer). The problem is Steelers fans look back on O'Donnell and those mid-90s Steelers teams and dream about what could have been had the Steelers had a <i>great</i> QB. Then they convince themselves losing O'Donnell was no big deal, because he wasn't great.</p>
<p>Replacing O'Donnell with a great QB would have been nice, but we replaced his competent play with TERRIBLE play. That's a bit like dumping a crazy girlfriend who cheats on you, only to replace her with an even crazier girl who cheats on you EVEN MORE. Then all your friends congratulate you because, in theory, you <i>might</i> have replaced the first girl with a really sweet one.</p>
<p>But the Steelers didn't really believe Tomczak or Stewart represented better QBs. The team obviously wanted to keep O'Donnell, as<a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dIcNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qm8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5581,3612588&dq=neil-o-donnell+jets&hl=en"> they offered him $18.75 million</a>, a pretty good sum for the time. If he were as terrible as fans claim, the Steelers would have let him walk and spent that money elsewhere. The Steelers have been consistently good for most of the last two decades because their front office makes sound decisions. They knew O'Donnell was the best bet by far.</p>
<p>As I said in my entry on Vrabel, the Steelers were consistently unable to keep some of their veteran players. For the most part, the Steelers had great depth at every position and could afford to let many guys go. Quarterback was not one of those positions. O'Donnell utterly failed with the Jets, but his team was awful. With a familiar Steelers cast around him -- how often does a Super Bowl team use a different QB the next season? -- who knows how many rings the Steelers would have won in the '90s?</p>
<p><b>2. Jaromir Jagr</b><br>On July 11, 2001, the Penguins traded Jaromir Jagr and Frantisek Kucera to the Washington Capitals. In return, the Penguins received Kris Beech, Ross Lupaschuk and Michal Sivek. None amounted to anything. Beech, the prize of the trade, scored <a href="http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=29125">only 10 goals in his first season</a> with the Pens. He played only 16 more games after that before being traded.</p>
<p>I'm cheating a bit here, because Jagr didn't leave via free agency. But trading Jagr <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8pkNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dHADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3726,655745&dq=jagr&hl=en">saved the Penguins over $10 million</a>. General Manager Craig Patrick denied the trade was about money, but no one really believed it. ("<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/kostya_kennedy/news/2001/07/11/kennedy_q_and_a/">I think it's 90 percent, maybe 93 percent, about money</a>," wrote Sports Illustrated analyst Kostya Kennedy.) Patrick said that Jagr asked to be traded and that they couldn't keep him around. Seven years later, Jagr said the obvious: <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08117/876862-61.stm">He had asked to be traded</a> because he knew the team couldn't afford to keep him. Shortly after joining the Capitals, the team signed him to a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/11/AR2007101102188.html">$77 million deal</a> spread over seven seasons. The Penguins would not have been able to afford that deal, and not being able to afford a guy is essentially the same thing as losing him to free agency.</p>
<p>Jagr was ultimately a disappointment for the Capitals, and I don't know if he would have made a difference in Pittsburgh. But the Jagr trade, in my mind, is significant because it was a turning point. The Pens' financial woes were apparent back in 1998, when the team declared bankruptcy. Mario Lemieux was owed so much money he converted that into equity, receiving a minorty stake in the team. The Pens began slashing payroll after Jagr left, and they missed the playoffs each of the next four years. The corresponding horrific records and a bit of draft luck enabled them to draft Marc Andre-Fleury, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. After the NHL locked its doors for the 2004-05 season, a new economic structure was put in place, allowing teams like the Penguins to keep their superstars.</p>
<p>Jagr's departure is thus significant because it reflects how much trouble small market teams then had with the league's economic structure. Hmm, that sounds like a familiar problem...</p>
<p><b>1. Barry Bonds </b><br>If Jaromir Jagr is significant because it marks the lowest of lows from which the Penguins and the sport of hockey as a whole have recovered from, Bonds is significant because his departure predates Jagr's by almost a decade, and MLB has yet to come up with a good solution to the problems faced by small-market teams.</p>
<p>I could have "cheated" like I did with Jagr and named any number of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/teams/PIT" class="sbn-auto-link">Pirates</a> players, because very few players left via free agency over the last 18 years. Most were traded, and while guys like <span>Aramis Ramirez</span>, <span>Brian Giles</span> and <span>Jason Bay</span> were all fantastic players, the Pirates were never competing for the playoffs. When Jagr was traded, the Penguins were still a playoff team.</p>
<p>Bonds did leave via free agency in December of 1992, signing a then-incredible six year, $42 million deal, and he became one of the most dominant players in baseball history. His incredible accomplishments needn't be listed here. It's enough to say that his departure is similar to LeBron's, because while baseball has survived in Pittsburgh, the team still hasn't righted the ship almost 20 years later. Let's hope that 10years from now, <span>Andrew McCutchen</span> doesn't top an updated version of this list.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/7/11/1564232/top-5-most-significant-free-agency-pittsburghRay Oaks