The gentleman pictured above is Ross Ohlendorf, and it's presumed he'll be part of the Pirates starting rotation this year just like he was last year. His ERA of 4.07 wasn't too bad, all things considered. His win-loss record? 1-11. That's right, when everyone was marveling at how bad Charlie Morton self destructed it turned out he didn't have the worst record among starting pitchers. Of course that's because he managed to go 2-12, so we're looking at going into 2011 with 2/5ths of the rotation supplying a whole 3 fucking wins last season. WE'RE GONNA BREAK THE STREAK, BABY!
But there's something odd going on around town. People are really getting into the Pirates. Last weekend they had their annual PirateFest convention which is basically where you walk around playing shitty carnival type games to win swag that didn't get given away at games plus you get to meet Pirates players. This year set an all time record with nearly 17,000 people attending the 3 day weekend. I didn't even get a chance to get an autograph from my main main Andrew McCutchen since the line for him was well over an hour and a half wait.
Why is this happening, when at first glance there's not really much different than the team that yet again lost 100+ games in 2010? Well a few key things actually. First, they fired John Russell, who I'm pretty sure was the baseball equivalent of Weekend At Bernie's. His complete lack of energy became a running gag to the point any time he left the dugout to argue a call (which rarely happened) was met with sarcastic cheers from a crowd shocked he actually was awake during a game. Clint Hurdle seems like he actually wants to manage this team, and he's not completely unfamiliar with the task of trying to turn around a team stuck in the doldrums. The second reason may not seem as clear to anyone who doesn't closely follow the team. There's actually some decent players on the horizon from within the system. Yeah, we have Cutch, Walker, Pedro, and Jose "what do you mean my wife is 40+ and crazy?" Tabata on the roster already, but there's quite a few guys tearing up the minors who should be arriving in a year or two. Sure, minor league dudes don't always pan out but if even half do it would mark a stark improvement over what the team has now.
You may think it's a sign of mental instability to be a fan of a team like the Pirates, and on some level it's hard to argue that. We've been lucky in this town to have two other franchises that are at least contenders for championships every year, and usually make a strong run at that. Then you look at baseball and see a team that is very much Steve Blass Disease: The Team. A once proud franchise that won three World Series in a 20 year period while contending for several others now hasn't even been able to have a winning season in 18 years. It's been pointed out that there is an entire generation of people in this town who have no memory of winning baseball. Hockey, which was once a distant third here after football and baseball, is now a stromg #2 and baseball is seen as struggling to maintain relevant.
But some of us remember. MLB Network aired the presumed-lost film of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series not too long ago. Watching the Pirates hit a game winning homer to win a championship....beating the Yankees no less.... made me jump out of my chair, even though the game happened 50 years ago and it was hardly a surprise. A few months prior, they showed the clinching game in the 1979 series as well. Even though there was a lot to be embarrassed about (the pajama-looking yellow uniforms, everyone sporting Afros and porn staches, Baltimore not even trying to remove the football lines from Memorial Stadium), there was that feeling again watching the Pirates...my team...winning a championship.
One day, it will happen again. May not be for 5 years. Or 10. One day, we're going to see winning baseball again here, and you know what? It'll make all the losing seem like it was just a minor rough patch.
Baseball, man. Just baseball.
When I am feeling sorry for myself re: the Blue Jays not winning the division (or the bastard wild card) since 1993, I remind myself that the Pirates haven't even had a winning season since the year before, when Barry Bonds couldn't throw out SID BREAM at the plate. I have taken a lot of pleasure in, like, 85-win seasons, which aren't exactly all that shit hot exactly, but there's just enough there to make you think that one more piece, and a couple of things break right, this could be a 90-win team. Which is probably not true, but the hope is there. Without those years, it has got to be rough . . .
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand baseball unfolds over such a ridiculously long time that even twenty years of suffering is insubstantial when set alongside the great historic baseball sufferings (Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Cleveland). And there is a certain perverse pleasure to be taken in a losing team. I have felt it. But maaaaan eighteen years . . .
(I think I read last year that the Pirates have remained nicely profitable through it all and rebuffed a group of investors fronted by Mario when they looked into buying, right? I guess the basically perfect ballpark + a great sports town + no payroll commitments equation works out pretty well.)
ANYWAY it is awesome to hear that support for the team is coming back this year, whatever the reason.
PIRATES FEELINGS YESSS
Yeah the Pirates make a profit, but even if they weren't the Nutting family made it clear they plan to keep the team for a long time. To be fair things have improved payroll wise since Bob took over as primary owner from his old man, who was the textbook definition of an absentee landlord. He knows the only way the Pirates can compete is to build from within like the Rays did, and the last 3 years have basically been devoted to doing that. We're starting to see some results in the majors, and the two prospects we have on the Keith Law list you posted have a solid chance of being real good.
ReplyDeleteAlso when asked, he's stated several times he'd be willing to pay guys who've proven their worth a big contract.
also as an added bonus you guys will be getting to pick first in an absolutely STACKED draft this year, I have my fingers crossed your front office isnt smart enough to pick Rendon.
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