In defense of Bob Nutting

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Letters: Nutting's goal to sell

Bob Smizik's Blog — Sat, 02 May 2009 12:00:53 GMT

Saturday, 12:30 a.m. Q: To analyze Bob Nutting's role in the Pirates, one must start with finances

re: In defense of Bob Nutting

dfraj8 — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:35:49 GMT

Bob,

The first name changes, but a Nutting is a Nutting, Bob. I would refer you to Dejan Kovacevic's breakdown of what he believes to be the costs that the Pirates have versus the returns provided by baseball's revenue sharing system. We consistently spend less than teams in similar "markets," while continuing to play horrible baseball. However, the Pirates continually make a handsome profit due to the fact that Pittsburgh Pirate fans have inexplicably continued to support this awful baseball team. In fairness to you, Dejan also seems to be toting the "It's not Bob Nutting's fault" colors for the same principal reason that you site i.e. Bob Nutting just took over. If only it were that simple...

I don't care whether it's Bob's father, uncle, cousin or dog that used to run the team (or be the principal owner), it is within the family. Bob, at best, was sitting idly by while his inheritance grew through his family's manipulation of various governments to build a stadium with public funds that has proven to be a cash cow. At the same time, they continued to send out a team that would have struggled playing one level down. In fact, here in Europe, bottom soccer teams are relegated to the next level down to avoid precisely the situation in which the owners can manipulate their place in the highest league to continue to earn profit.

You can say, yes, they are now investing in Latin America, investing more in the draft, and that they will spend on players when they have the right ones (how about Adam LaRoche?), but how do we know? It is not as if investing in Latin America or the draft were closely held industry secrets. Do you think the Nuttings just woke up one day, and said "hey, let's check out our LA operation?!" It took them a decade or so longer than everyone else to realize this was important. If I'm heavily invested in a business than is producing the same poor result over and over, I start asking questions when I become the Chairmen of the Board (which Bob did in 2003), not 2007 or 2008!?

Mr. Smizik, Dejan's objectivity won't let him overly criticize ownership. We need you to keep up the pressure. I attend a Buccos game or two and it is a serious moral challenge to overcome each time. I think this blog is a bit misguided in that it benchmarks Bob's performance against complete ineptitude (and therefore makes him come out looking alright) rather than benchmarking his overall performance against real organizations. The Pirates have been hoarding cash for ages, making it on the back of the taxpayer. So, now that they are spending a bit of that, it shouldn't draw applause. Think of it this way, would the Buccos' chances of success be better or worse if all Nuttings sold all interests in the team (without even specifying to whom)? My answer: a resounding yes.

re: In defense of Bob Nutting

Gamecockfn — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:33:12 GMT

Bill,

Teixeira signed for 22.5 per year over 8 years. The Nats offered 23 million over 8.

re: In defense of Bob Nutting

BigBill — Fri, 01 May 2009 03:51:39 GMT

Texiera agent used the Nationals to drive the price up for the Yankees to sign him. That's just smart business. I do not believe the offered more than the Yankees. Who would want to play for the Nationals. They are a lot worse than the Pirates.

re: In defense of Bob Nutting

Gamecockfn — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:41:19 GMT

George,

1. No they have not. Do the math again. The Yankees have the same record as the Pirates, and a terrible pitching staff. All by spending about 4 times what the Pirates spend. The Devil Rays made it to the World Series last year with a sub $50mm payroll. So, to answer your origninal point, $50mm is cleary acceptable if spent correctly. The Pirates are spending additional money to add the right players through the draft and internationally. Nutting is showing you the money, but you are looking for Mark Teixiera. Never going to happen, does not matter if Warren Buffett and Bill Gates were co-owners, although they are not "Pittsburgh guys".

2 Per your previous post: "Good players are willing to sign free-agent contracts to play for the Pirates. See: Bay, Jason. But it is going to cost. Deal with it, Mr Nutting."

No they are not, and Bay certainly would not have. Being interested and doing are two differnt things. Why on Earth would Bay accept less money to play for a terrible team? That makes no sense. Furthermore, go players do not sign with losing teams. That is a fact.

Please name one player that signed with a small market team to a big free agent contract. Same with losing teams. Signing players like that never works, and you will not find an instance that it did.

Bay was not, a free agent, and when he is one this fall, he will not sign with the Pirates. Even if he is a "Pittsburgh guy", by making his home in the suburbs.

3 Bob Nutting is not a baseball executive. He is an owner. He hired others to run the team and hire the players to make the team win. Again, do you want Peter Angelos to buy the team? Or Dan Snyder? Nutting approved the deal because they convinced him that the team would be better off for it. He also allowed NH and FC to release Morris, again showing you the money. You want him to show you the money, but when he does, you do not like it. DL also told Nutting that Danny Moskos was the right pick two years ago.

Do you think Mike Duke hires the truck drivers, greeters, and cashiers? That is what management is hired for.

4 Bob stole my rebuttal here, but your theory on Pittsburgh guys means nothing. As he said, the majority owner in the Penguins lives in California. Are the Steelers going to suffer because of all the non-Pittsburgh guys that bought into the team? Who is this mystery Pittsburgh guy that wanted to invest in the team? Was Edward DeBartolo a big sinner as well? Howard Baldwin?

Being provincial should insult people that are from Pittsburgh or live there. I do not believe people are too dumb to realize that outsiders can run their sports teams.

re: In defense of Bob Nutting

TartanFan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:30:06 GMT

CuriousGeorge wrote

"1. Point 1 stands as written. I never mentioned I wanted Daniel Snyder. The Yankees do not stink. They consistently win, are often in the World Series, and have won more World Series in the past 10 years than the Pirates have won in the past 80."

Yankees - 2 in 10 years

Pirates - 5 in 80

$50M is still too low, but regardless of the payroll, they need to make better decisions. The lack of success in first round picks, picking up dubious over-priced free agents, and the like are no way to invest in the team.

(Forbes has Pirates player expense at $65M. I am not sure where we pull accurate numbers to compare teams.)

re: In defense of Bob Nutting

Thundercrack — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:01:51 GMT

I believe that it is totally possible for Nutting to be the majority owner and that McClatchy and Littlefield ran the team. Just because someone owns a business doesn't mean they make every decision.

It seems to me that Nutting has started to make the right decisions, including hires & fires, to make the team better.

When you minor and major leagues are absolutely terrible it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to fix them at the same time.

re: In defense of Bob Nutting

jersey joe — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:22:11 GMT

So, the nuttings have been lurking in real control behind the scenes just because a few bloggers say it so, poppycock!

You can add one more conspiracy, Bob was iin control and secretly pushed kevin and Dave into failure just so he could talk his dad into the team for him. To do this the right way for his personal pocketbook, he needed to drive the value of the team down behind his dads back so he could get to his real motivation a losing team making him money, Hogwash!

So, its about time the whinersd stop,

www.youtube.com/watch

re: In defense of Bob Nutting

jersey joe — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:13:01 GMT

Bob,

Your critical eye is on spot as usual, usually the one topic we have not met eye to eye on has been our Bucco's. me being the guy who organizes and then brings the koolaid to the gathering.

Funny thing about people with sound thought processes, they get half the people upset.

I want to thank you for putting the pen to paper with the truth.