Letters: Milledge another Hamilton?

Saturday, 1 a.m.

Q:  Let me preface my question by saying I'm in no way trying to cast a false aspersion on Lastings Milledge. His past and his reputation stand on their own merit. What has surprised me is that no column I've read or talk show I've heard has looked at the risky Milledge acquisition in relation to the Cincinnati Reds' risky acquisition a few years back of Josh Hamilton. Like Milledge, Hamilton had loads of potential. Like Milledge, Hamilton made himself a pariah through immaturity and some very bad decisions.  (Again, I'm not trying to infer that Milledge has the same drug problems that nearly ruined Hamilton's career and life).
 
But, if Hamilton could right himself and become an All-Star, and procure for the Reds two potential dynamite starting pitchers (Edinson Volquez and Danny Herrera), why do the Pirates get so much grief for trading a marginal outfielder and a middle reliever for a talent who could become the next Josh Hamilton?
 
Mike Anitori

Bob Smizik: An excellent point, Mike, and, as you suggest, one that has been overlooked. In comparison to Hamilton, Milledge has been a choir boy. Hamilton was the first pick of the 1999 draft by Tampa Bay. Almost immediately, his life spiraled out of control due to drugs. Incredibly, he made it to the majors in 2007, when the Reds took a chance on him, and he has developed into an outstanding player. Considering what Hamilton has done, Milledge looks like a worthwhile risk.

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Q: What are the chances Pirate ownership will change in the near future?  With Bob Nutting in command, winning isn't No. 1, but maybe No. 10. Like other businesses that are failing, until there is change at the top, the organization will flounder. 

Barry Steinberg

Bob Smizik:  It's hard to get a handle on Nutting's commitment. As long as the team is making money, I don't see him selling. I think he likes being an owner. When the time comes -- if it comes -- and the team absolutely must increase payroll, he might sell. But there’s not a hint of that on the horizon.
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Q:  It appears that the Pirates are not interested in retaining their experienced, talented players such as Freddy Sanchez, Jason Bay and others. What do you think of their current general manager, Neal Huntington, and his  ability to select good prospects who will develop into bona-fide major leaguers?  If Huntington is not the man, what do you think of the Pirates going after and paying whatever it takes for a GM who has a proven track record in picking and developing major league talent, such as the GMs of the Marlins,  Brewers or Twins?

Jose Marquez

Bob Smizik:  The Pirates had a chance to hire a high-profile GM in 2007 after firing Dave Littlefield. They chose a low-profile front-office executive, Huntington, instead. Huntington is in no danger of being fired, nor should he be, so any discussion of a successor is irrelevant. Huntington has impressed me with the way he goes about his business. He certainly knows and understands the game. Whether he is a good talent evaluator or able to make beneficial trades remains to be seen.

Also keep in mind that top-of-the line executives are not eager to work for the Pirates. Frank Wren, the No. 2 man with the Atlanta Braves at the time, was the first choice to succeed Cam Bonifay in 2001. He interviewed for the job and -- wisely, it turns out, -- rejected the position. He later succeeded John Schuerholz as GM in Atlanta and still holds that job.

As for Bob Nutting ``paying what ever it takes,'' my response is this: Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

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Q:  I think it goes without saying Pirates management will stick to its current “rebuilding plan,” regardless of what anyone thinks of it.  They will disregard fan backlash and critics from the local and national sports media. But here is the rub. We have nothing to replace Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez (if they are traded). They are the glue in that middle infield.  Yes, we will lose with them or without them, but isn’t there something in baseball called the “integrity of the game”?

We will be playing teams in the hunt for the playoffs in the second half.  Without those two, and no one to replace them, the team would be a mockery of baseball. To keep some semblance of a halfway competitive team, I really think the commissioner should step in. Someone has to stop Huntington and his team from making a mockery of the game.

Mike Zoric

 

Bob Smizik:  It's true, Mike, that without Sanchez and Wilson, the Pirates would be a pushover for almost every team and certainly for the contenders. But the fact that Wilson will be a free agent at the end of the season and that Sanchez might be gives the Pirates every reason to trade them and no reason for the commissioner to step in. It's a good thought, though.
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Q: Does Freddy Sanchez's All-Star appearance mean that he will be traded for sure?  I don't think there is any way that the Pirates will pay Sanchez $8 million next year.

James Zerfoss

Bob Smizik: Sanchez is on the market and the Pirates probably will end up trading him. However, since the Pirates are paying Jack Wilson $7.4 million, Adam LaRoche  $7.05 million and Sanchez $6.25 million this season, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to believe they’d pay Sanchez $8 million, if they could not get a good return for him. That should be particularly so with the contracts of Nate McLouth and probably LaRoche and Ian Snell off the books next year.

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Q:  Since all teams get at least one player on the All-Star roster, what happens if the Buccos trade Freddy Sanchez before the game?  Seriously, I don't think it's too absurd with they way they've been moving players lately.

Michael Napier

Bob Smizik:  I doubt Sanchez will be traded before the All-Star game but it’s possible he might have to miss it because of injury. If he misses the game, he does not have to be replaced by another Pirate.

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Q:  Trust me, this team has the talent, passion, dedication, wherewithal and whatever other cliché you want to add to lose 100 games. 
 
Bob Boscia

 

Bob Smizik:  It remains an uphill struggle to reach 100, but, as you suggest, hardly out of the realm of possibility.
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Q: I grew up living and dying with the Bucs. But in the last 10 years I have attended only one game a year, and that is when an old friend visits from New Jersey. If no one shows up, maybe they will make some effort to improve. Fans keep going to the games. Attendance is actually better than it was in the past in the other stadiums. Once again, do not attend the games.

Mike Singer

Bob Smizik: It certainly is your right to not go to Pirates game and many others believe, as you do, that’s the best way to get the team to spend money and improve. Personally, I continue to attend games because I find them to be an enjoyable experience. I can still enjoy myself at PNC Park, even if the Pirates lose. It is entirely possible that if attendance dwindles, ownership will not respond by raising payroll but by cutting it and continue to make a profit thanks to revenue sharing.

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Q:   I have to disagree with your response to William Jeffers in your July 4th blog. He was correct in describing the horrible economic system in baseball. In reality, baseball has the worst economic structure in all professional sports. Jeffers was right in saying the rare small market team able to break through was "catching lightning in a bottle".

 You countered with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who did indeed have a miracle year last season. However, the Rays wouldn't even qualify for the playoffs right now, and expecting Tampa Bay to contend for more than a few years just isn't realistic, given the economic disadvantages smaller market teams face. The statistical evidence reveals smaller market teams only have a few years as World Series contenders, before the inevitable roster turnover occurs. No small market team has ever been a serious contender for even several years since the early 1990s.

Mike Rhodes

Bob Smizik: The economic system in baseball is the one that exists for almost every other business plan in this capitalistic society of ours.  It's true, it does not level the playing field for small-market franchises as well as the systems that exists in the NFL, NBA and NHL.  But those businesses are the exception, not the rule.

For example, if I start up a fast-food restaurant in my neighborhood, is there anything in place to put me on an equal footing with McDonald's?  I think not. That's the American way.

Baseball has survived for over a century under such a system. And it continues to thrive. As I look at the standings today, I see Minnesota, Florida. Seattle and Milwaukee all in contention for titles. In the NFL last year, Washington and Detroit, major markets, finished last in their divisions.

What's next for the salary cappers?  All college football facilities must be identical so no team has a recruiting advantage? All college basketball arenas must have the exact same capacity and ticket prices must be the same so no team can garner more revenue than another and use it to expand its recruiting base?

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Q:  Your blog about Pirate manager, John Russell, finally getting excited about something (Jones and the second half of the Pirates' season) was one of the funniest and best written articles that I have read in a long time.! Keep up the great work! I read your blogs religiously the first thing every morning.

Matt Stokan

Bob Smizik:  Much appreciated.

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Q: How much closer to .500 do you think the Pirates would be with Jason Bay still in the lineup?

Wil Hrovat

Bob Smizik:  Bay was a very good player, the Pirates best. But they were eight games under .500 when he was traded last year. As I’ve said here many times, the chances of him signing a long-term deal with the Pirates were next to non-existent. If he had, his agent never would have got another client and the union would have beat him over the head forever. The Pirates made the right move in trading Bay when they did.

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Q: It is becoming more clear that David Littlefield may have been the worst general manager in the history of baseball.  I always thought he was ordered to draft No. 1 picks based upon signability, but even if that were true, the Pirates have almost no prospects from his drafts. His middle-round and late-round picks never developed. You have to give the new regime some time but honestly, right now, don't you think this current major league roster is also the worst we've had pretty much ever.?

Greg Ribar

Bob Smizik: No question, Littlefield didn’t leave much behind and the scouting and development during his tenure was abysmal. But the Pirates inability to draft and development good players has been going on long before Littlefield arrived. Yes, I agree that the personnel on this team is the worst in a long time.

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Q: Unfortunately.  I have had the opportunity to watch Joel Hanrahan and Lastings Milledge in action with the miserable Washington Nationals far too many times, living in the Washington D.C. area as I do.  Hanrahan has great stuff and absolutely no control of it. He  was bombed almost every time out. At times, he misses the target by feet. Seriously, by feet. Milledge? How long can a player survive on potential alone. He had good opportunities to prove his worth with the Mets and Nationals and failed miserably. Why would Huntington want to introduce his crap attitude into the Pirates clubhouse?  I don't get it. The last two players on the Nats I would have wanted to be Pirates were Hanrahan and Milledge.  And now, unfortunately, we have both.

Jerry Moore

Bob Smizik: The Pirates talent level is at such a low state they must take risks on players. It’s true, both Milledge and Hanrahan might flop but I think both players were worth taking a chance on. They have a significantly higher ceiling than Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett, the two players the Pirates gave up to get them.

 

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Posted Jul 11 2009, 01:00 AM by Bob Smizik