Morning links: Arch on top of arch

I got a peak at the amps at Heinz Field during a tour - they go to 11...

Ok, so after reading the game story from yesterday I have solved the problems with Ian Snell. We all thought that Ian needed to be mad to pitch well but actually we need to to lock Ian in room with TVs all around him playing video of the best pitchers on constant repeat. Ian in turn channels their powers and uses them for good. The Pirates coaching staff needs to immediately install this media overload training process at PNC park.

Geez...it was so simple. Why couldn't we think of this in April?

Could somebody give Bob Smizik a clue?  Anyone please?

Smizik clearly did not read all of Bob Nuttings comments, or even DK's article on the subject.  If he had, he would see that the praise was not for simply signing the first round pick.  

The praise was for THE WAY the draft was handled, and THE WAY the negotiations with Boras were handled.  The previous management actively avoided dealing with Boras.  This time, the management stepped into a staredown and never blinked.

Maybe the praise was a bit over the top, but this is a monumental shift forward in the way this team is doing business.  You would think a professional columnist would be able to discern the difference.

Shame on Smizik for dishing this poorly reasoned trash to the casual fan.

Dejan--I'm jealous--that's a great photo.

@Pgher in Leverkusen

Is that so they can rock out a little more...you know if 10 just isn't enough?

@paw160

Wait a second...Smizik is a professional columnist? You could have fooled me.

I know I'm not the only one really excited with Tabata... love seeing that he appreciated the history (Clemente) too. This kid's gonna be a star. I know it's early but as the season dwindles down, more and more I'm thinking we got the better end of that Yankee deal, let's see how the Ohlendorfer does up here.

Mr. Smizik needs a hug, too. His perpetual negativity is almost as tiresome as his apparent belief that this team would have finished appreciably better than 90 losses had Bay and Nady not been traded. And his jaded, myopic view of the future does nothing more than provide fuel to fire of those that ignorantly caw "salary dump" and decry all the evidence that the managing group of this team might finally have an honest-to-God viable plan to turn this franchise around.

As for Nutting's comments- were they a little over the top? Yes. But you know what? The signing of Alvarez was one of the genuine feel-good moments for the PBC over the last 16 years. I have no problem with the guys that made it happen allowing themselves to be happy for five minutes, especially considering the stakes.

What were the stakes? Ask Mr. Smizik- he filled a lot of column space explaining them:

"But there should be an urgency to sign Alvarez, a third baseman with a power bat. If the Pirates don't sign him and they accept a high first-round draft choice next season as compensation, well, that surely would be reason to think nothing has changed. The public would have every reason to believe last year, when the previous management team passed on Matt Wieters (batting .354 with 21 homers and 70 RBIs on the high Class A and AA level this season) in the first round and selected Danny Moskos (7-7 with a 6.38 ERA in high Class A) is standard operating procedure for the organization.

Signing Alvarez is the best way management can show doubting fans it's serious about putting a winner on the field and that owner Bob Nutting is not just in the baseball business for the profit that can be made.

If the Pirates can't sign Alvarez, here's the question fans will be pondering on the eve of the trade deadline in 2010: What kind of prospects will the team get for Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit?"

(8/5/08-- "Pirates Must Sign Top Pick Alvarez Soon")

Then again, this signing should have been "virtually...automatic," right? I mean, as Mr. Smizik says, the Bucs haven't ever failed to sign their No. 1 pick. This "should have been a routine story." My question is, "Which was it?" Was this a routine signing the franchise shouldn't be too excited about, or was it "the best way management can show doubting fans it's serious about putting a winner on the field and that owner Bob Nutting is not just in the baseball business for the profit that can be made"?

Mr. Smizik obviously likes to call other members of the media, as well as the city's fanbases, to task whenever he thinks they've been hypocritical, unethical, or wrong. Maybe he should take a little more responsibility, himself; that way, he might stop contradicting himself every ten days with easy, inflammatory columns that he seemingly writes for sport.

Upcoming Bob Smizik columns:

Steelers' O Line trouble can be traced to McClatchy.

John Russell's questionable decisions means Stanley Cup will stay in Detroit.

Nutting needs to answer for conflict in Georgia.

Hamilton-Burr interview should be remembered as Frank Coonelly fiasco.

Knucklehead Pirate fans will probably cheer a triple, which isn't as good as home run.

Obama has Rooney endorsement, but Dave Littlefield cost Mondale the White House.

I forgot two others:

Subprime mortgage meltdown nothing more than Pirates annual salary dump.

Neal Huntington diverting Matt Morris salary to save Ed McMahon's house.

Jose Linds Pants:

Your headline commentary is a hoot.  

Don't get so outraged at Smizik folks.  He is simply lazy in his old age.  It is clear he didn't do ANY research for that story.  You are exactly correct in your points Paw.   Let's face it, as good as the two main beat writers are....Dejan and Ed B...the two columnists..Smizik and Cook are that bad.  If they wouldn't get sued for age discrimination I suspect the PG would have canned both years ago.

Hey DK ...

Beam is the 7th pitcher to record a save for the Pirates this season.

Is this site acting up for anyone else? I am having problems with it today.

I usually enjoy Bob Smizik's columns (at least much more than Cook, I'm sort of indifferent on Collier) but I have to admit his column today was definitely as over the top as the over the the top he accuses Bob Nutting's comments to be. This smacks of a coulmn that was needed to fill the sports pages today and Smizik had nothing better to write about. Cut Nutting a break Bob. I'd probably be thrilled too if I owned a franchise that finally seems to be turning the corner after 15 years of mostly pathetic management. I'm sure plenty of errors in wirting, comments and judgement have been committed by yourself over the years as well.

Actually, I think Ron Cook delivers some good articles every now and then, so I wouldn't lump him in with the clown that Smizik has become. It's getting old watching all of this garbage spewing from his mouth, withough actually saying anything. His attack on Rocco was a cheap shot and completely unnecessary. His job is supposed to be to write about sports, not write about people who talk about sports. He already failed on that count by giving Mark Madden free publicity on many occasions.

Just retire already. The bran flakes are calling.

BillyKid:

Sorry I didn't respond yesterday about your Q (and sorry to everyone else that this is off topic). The radio is a Hallicrafters SX-28 with a matching speaker. It's a WWII-era receiver that covers everything from below the AM band to what's considered the top end of the shortwave bands. It was used primarily in fixed locations during WWII, but by all branches of the armed forces (on ships, by U.S. intelligence, at bases, and in Army communications trucks).

Not only was it a high-quality professional-level receiver, but Hallicrafters spent the $ to hire the famous designer Raymond Loewy to design its cabinet. So, it's high technology (for 1939) in a totally art deco case, right down to stamping the 3/8" steel front panel to give it a leather texture. Brilliant.

www.flickr.com/.../464030859

http://www.raymondloewy.com/

I miss Madden bashing Smizik. Man those were the good ol' days.

@ The Rat,

The site usually runs pretty slow for me. And I can't upload a avatar.

Just a couple other things related to this thread:

Ian Snell, what else can you say about his performance last night? Just terrific. Hopefully his head's finaly screwed on straight.

DK, thanks for the links to Matt Capps and Jose Tabata, interesting reads.

Just wondering here on a slow morning which color analyst you all favor.  My vote goes to Bob Walk.

@Jose Lind...

Give us two more headlines, and you'll have enough for Letterman's Top Ten List.  Great job!

C'mon, I know you can do it!

You know there are a few of us out here who might resent the implication that Smizik's views are because of his age.

I know a quite a few whippersnappers who couldn't figure out how to pour water out of a boot if the instructions were printed on the heel.

On another topic, have the scoring rules been changed or are there some less well-known clauses that allowed Snell to get the win last night?  He was not the pitcher of record when the run that proved to be the final go-ahead run scored in the top of the ninth.  Bautista was pitching at the end of the 8th.  

And, yes Snell deserved it a lot more than Bautista -- which is one of the arguments against won/loss records meaning very much

@Cave...

I'll go with Walkie, too.  I think he has the best insights and I love his dry sense of humor.  

Blass doesn't want too step on any toes, although he's getting better lately.  He is starting to nail the starting pitching staff with the fact that they now have to look over their shoulders because of the competition for jobs.

Wehner...I guess it going to take a little more time to get over the hump with him.  I think he has some good thoughts, he just has a tough time expressing them smoothly.

Jhadar

Because the Cards never tied the game, Snell gets the win.

Cave,

I can go either Blass or Walk.  I cringe when Wehner is on

Minor Leaguer

Well put on all counts.   Wehner is growing on me with his knowledge of inside baseball.  

@Cave

My favorite is definitely Walk. I can't stand Blass. I don't think I've ever heard him say anything negative about the pirates...and there have been many chances to do so.

@JHadar

I think the age comments about Smizik are more just jabs at Smizik and not the older community. Also, the Pirates never lost the lead last night, so that is why Snell came away with the win.

Hey, Guys (and Dolls), slow night at the pizza shop last night. The wars didn't even rise to a skirmish, and Baywatch Jr. was there with his laptop, about the 7th inning on, so for a change the old man gets to kick back and RELAX and watch a little Bucco action, right?

WRONG! Grabow and Beam only served as a reminder that I'd forgotten to take my blood pressure medicine before going to work! Both of 'em, wild as bucks ... change that ... wild as Bucs.

Was reading the game thread from last night ... think that was the one, the one where the guy said he'd pull for the All-Satan/Hitler team if they were playing the Cubs?

For a little fun, 'till DK gives us tonight's lineup ... think we could come up with an All-Satan/All-Hitler team?

As for our broadcasters, Walk is nice but sometimes he just needs to STOP. I mean, has anyone notices how he absolutely beats the life out of a dead horse sometimes? Otherwise, I like him.

Steve Blass ... I'll miss his calling Bay's home runs "high plains drifters," and sometimes his old school is nice, like when you really felt like he wanted to come out of the booth and punch Brandon Phillips for his hot dog trot between first and second, after his home run last week.

JHadar -

Because Snell was the pitcher of record when he left the game with the Pirates leading 1-0, and the PBC never relinquished that lead, he qualifed for the win.

To my knowledge, this has always been the rule, at least in the Post-1900 modern era.  

Anyone know any differently? Would be interesting to find out if that isn't the case. Many rules have changed over the years.

One of the ones I find most interesting is the check swing. When I was growing up, the batter had to go all the way around for it to be a swinging strike. I get a chuckle when I see an old game on ESPNClassic and the batter takes an almost complete swing, only for the announcer to say "Robinson checked his swing" (thinking of one in particular in game six of the 1971 World Series, with Frank Robinson at the plate).

Matt said:  I think the age comments about Smizik are more just jabs at Smizik and not the older community. Also, the Pirates never lost the lead last night, so that is why Snell came away with the win.

Took 'em that way.  I prefer my humor dry and without smileys.

Cave said:  Because the Cards never tied the game, Snell gets the win.

Livin' and Learnin'.  Are there conditions to that rule?  If Snell was ahead 1-0 after 6 and the game wound up 14-12, but the Cards never took the lead, would he still get the win?  

Cave

Agree with Smizik or not, his job IS to be inflammatory.  He's a commentator and that certainly has nothing to do with towing the party line.  His job is to have opinions and to stir the debate.  By looking at a great number of these posts, he seems to have done his job very well.

Was able to sneak a peak at more headlines.

Guppies are right to eat their young, because Nutting led Pirates will never contend.

G. Ogden Nutting had money to arrange assassination of Archduke Ferdinand but won't open pursestrings for the stud pitcher the Pirates need to reach .500

The Sacramento Bee: One of America's Not So Great Newspapers.

Pirates blew it by not accepting Vince Lascheid trade

Bob Smizik and Dejan and the rest are like the bad cop good cop.  He does have some points so I will not condem him all that much.  

Right on Walk but he does need to stop now and then as someone above stated he does beat a dead horse on topics.

Think Snell would have figured out to use a fastball first pitch a little earlier than August?  Geez!

From the St. Louis Today article: >>this one coming in front of 39,502, the smallest crowd since the Pirates visited in May<<

This may not, literally, be a "hapless" or 'lowly." But it still amounts to disrespect. A pox upon you, Cardinals!

JHadar

Yep as long as they don't tie the game.  Once that happens the process starts all over except there is no 5 inning rule (obviously) for the winning pitcher.  

On a side note, if the pitcher is leading but doesn't go the full 5 innings then the official scorer decides who would get the win but it can't be the starter.  I always found that to be a bit awkward.

Baywatch

I felt the same way when Blass was talking about Phillips home run trot.  If he was on the mound, Phillips would have gotten a round candy cane coming his way  on his next at bat.  Is Baywatch Jr. a Bucs fan too?

BuccoNation - Make sure to hit "save" at the bottom of the page after uploading your avatar.

Announcers - Walkie by a large margin, then Wehner. He brought a new insight to the broadcast when he was first hired, and knows a lot about the game. His delivery is way improved over when he started out.

As for Blass, let's just say I like the broadcasts better when the Pirates are on the road. I like it when he tells old stories, but could he overstate the obvious any more while describing game situations?

As for play by play guys, I like Greg slightly more than Lanny, although I couldn't really say why. Lanny seems a little more professional and Greg is sometimes over the top with his nicknames, but I still like Greg a little better. Maybe it's his interaction with the color guys.

Jose Linds Pants -

LOL at your headlines. Keep them coming.

DK -

Don't put yourself down re: picture taking. At the risk of sounding boastful, I am a pretty decent photographer and have been asked to judge exhibits a few times. Your photo has one of two of the most important things missing from the average photo: interest. (The other is composition, which would be helped here by using a vertical format since the arch itself is taller than it is wide.) For a phone photo taken through a rain-splattered window, this one is very well done.

Check swing. Yeh.  When did this whole checking with the first/third base ump thing start.  That never use to happen.

I think if a pitcher makes an error and the run scores, then it should be an earned run.  

I think there should be no defensive indifference on a runner advancing a base.  A steal is a steal.

matt the rat & bucconation -

The entire PG site is intermittently slow for me almost every day at various times. The blog server is slower even more often than the main site. I use DSL, by the way, and have few slow issues with any other sites. I always assume the PG just has too little bandwidth to meet today's demand.

bucconation -

Regarding your avatar: be sure you have selected the "yes" button and be patient while the site is uploading your picture. It is slow. Lastly, besure to go all the way to the bottom of the page and click on "save." Then, be patient again. It takes anwhere from 5 minutes to a half hour for the picture to appear.

G-Man AKA Mr. Ansel Adams...Wink wink. Thank you for the photography lesson.  lol

Cave - Baywatch Jr. is a big Pirates fan. I'll have to upload a picture I have of us together when he was 5, made behind the Pirate dugout at Three Rivers.

Tell you how much of a sports fan he is ... He's going to college in NC ONLY because the school is two hours away from Davidson where he really wants to school.

He had a fascination with Davidson basketball for a long time before they hit it big in March, making it to the Sweet 16 ... now that they were that close to the Big Dance, he has in mind to transfer there after a year at Greensboro College ...

Sort of like Rudy and Notre Dame? It's like, who cares about the school, I just wan to ... well, at least he doesn't dream of playing basketball for them, like Rudy did on football.

And I'm sure my reason for going to college was no more noble than his ... I told somebody last week: All my scholarship money was spent on kegs and at the bars.

After seeing DK's Pic I feel like breaking out in song

Somewhere over the rainbow....

bucco-- to add onto G-Man helpful hints...You can not use to large of a picture as your avatar.

My general rule as I have learned, something the size of a baseball card or small photograph loads nicely. Otherwise you will need to crop the large pic down significantly.  

My bad DK, did not mean to lump the sports columnists and news reporters in same boat.  Just the difference in view/writing.  Is my boat sunk?

BillyKidd -

>>G-Man AKA Mr. Ansel Adams...Wink wink. Thank you for the photography lesson.<<

I am the classic "jack of all trades, master of none."

LOL at you singing that Judy Garland tune. Hurts my ears, even in print. ;)

Re: G-Man's citation to the St. Louis article,

The Pirates rank 7th in MLB in road attendance. Not sure what the significance is, but perhaps it at least refutes the implication that nobody wants to go out and see the Pirates when they come to town.

sports.espn.go.com/.../attendance

Baywatch

Jr will be able to see the 'DADS when they come to Greensboro next spring or even take a ride to Hickory a couple of hours away.  Who knows, Alvarez may start the season there.

@Matt the Rat: Yes, 11 gives them that last little push over the cliff when they really need it. There are some say that you could just make 10 louder, but we know better, don't we?

Snell did pitch great last night.  

But when I hear him talk about pitching, he always seems to focus on elements beyond himself ultimately determining his performance.  

As long as all the "stars are aligned" Snell pitches well.  And when he pitches poorly, he seems to think he did OK given all those "extenuating circumstances."

G-Man-- If that hurts. You should hear it for real. I can hear the dogs howling down the street.

Bay-- Yeah my blood pressure went through the roof as well. Almost broke out into a sweat with Ian as he was pacing the dugout.

Pirateradio--Very Nice. and thaks for the links.

Mad-- NO SOUP FOR YOU EVER AGAIN...and I vote if you have been issued a HAP CAP it be recalled..<grin>

"Somewhere over the Rainbow, DK writes,

While his buddy, Bob Smizik, looks for the Rocco fights!"

Alright, my songs aren't as good as Jose Lind's Pants headlines! Gimme a break!

Shua--Personally I think that rank is due to the fact that unfortunately our lineup leads the hometown folk to believe a W is inevitable.

Check out the second point in this on Paul Mahalm!

sportsillustrated.cnn.com/.../index.html

From the St. Louis Today article: >>this one coming in front of 39,502, the smallest crowd since the Pirates visited in May<<

This may not, literally, be a "hapless" or 'lowly." But it still amounts to disrespect. A pox upon you, Cardinals!

G-Man-- Just call me Cliiff Clavin...Just a hunch so I went the the St Louis School District Calendar..First day of classes:

18 August...That is why the attendance was off so much.

I nominate Philly to replace Mr. Smizik and Rocco.

Man no soup, no Hap Cap, I feel like the pirates lost another game.   Baddddddddd!

BillyKidd-- Yeah, I thought of that too but didn't want to admit it. Trying to stay positive! Trying...

Baywatch and BillyKidd -

If we ever find Billy singing a song that Bay has written, I may try to get you both voted off the island, er, blog.

BillyKidd -

I think there's some level of truth to your suggestion about attendance. If I could only see one or two games, I would choose to see the really best opponent, followed by the worst simply to have a better chance of seeing a win.

Here;s a quote from Snell:

“It’s slowly getting healthy and slowly getting back to myself,” Snell said. “It feels good to have my velocity back. I challenged all of their hitters tonight. No matter who it was.”

So what was he doing before?  running scared?  That is not a pitcher we need.  Has he not watched some of the newer guys go after the hitters?

Comments to the oh so many different conversations happening here:

-On Smizik, I agree with Madamma, who mentioned earlier Smizik writes things to be inflammatory more often then not.  Not sure if anyone here watches a ton of SportsCenter or that First Take (I think that's the name, used to be called Cold Pizza) that's on ESPN2 in the mornings, but Smizik often reminds me of the PG's version of Skip Bayless.  They sometimes say/write things for the sole purpose of having people disagree with them, and that's what they are paid to do.  Granted, you do have to be something of a curmudgeon to be able to pull that off all the time, but its pretty blatant that its what he's trying to do (and he's quite good at it) which is why I always take his writing with a grain of salt.

-I think Walk is the best of the Pirates color guys.  I personally don't care for Blass, mainly because sometimes he is just too old school for me (I'm only 21).  The other day, for instance, he went off on Brandon Phillips for a celebratory trot after a home run that really wasn't very celebratory at all.  But man Blass got irritated by it.  I know that kind of stuff was enough to get you beaned in the old days, but its commonplace anymore, and isn't a big deal.  As for Wehner...ehh.  He does drop useful tidbits on us a decent amount, similar to Walk, but I think he still is trying to find his TV personality, and sometimes he just seems uncomfortable and/or boring.  

-I always have trouble with the PBC Blog during the work day, and occasionally the PG website as well.  At night when I'm at home there's no issue, so I just always figured my work computer stunk, but maybe not?

-Matt the Rat and Pgher in Leverkusen, what is that exchange from?  God I know those quotes and for the life of me I can't figure it out, it's driving me absolutely crazy!

Speaking of Hap Caps, here's a three cap handout: Ian Snell for a great pitching performance; DK for his arches photo; Jose Linds Pants for the Top 10 List.

__/_H|_\     __/_H_\     __/_H_\

What the heck is up with Rocco?

He's just so full of crap on all this signing deadline stuff.  

It's obvious that some of his 'sources' come from surfing the internet.   And you could tell he was hedging his bets at times during his show, affirming the reliability of his 'sources' but at the same time saying 'its not done yet.'

The fact that Pedro Alvarez did sign with the Pirates doesnt mean he got it right.  He got both Alvarez and Scheppers wrong, saying that Alvarez was about to sign at 10pm and Scheppers was finishing up a contract.

What really bums me out is that I listen to Rocco's show and can't take seriously what he says is going on inside the Pirates organization.  He doesn't know much more than what I can get from reading 'rumors' sites on the internet.

It is interesting that virtually no one here has bemoaned the loss of Marte.  As good as he was, he doesn't seemed to be missed.

May that have something to do with the emergence of Sean Burnett and the way he chews up lefties?  

Cool. Thanks.

GMan Re: Haps

At this rate you may have to place a reorder with the manufacturer

Cave-Nice catch...I think Marte would have made quick work of the Cards last night instead of a few of us with High Blood pressure putting our cardiologists on speed dial.

Re: the Pirates announcers ....

Walk and Wehner are my favorites, and I like Brown well enough. Wehner gets better all the time. He has some good commentary about playing the game plus frequently says things that make me laugh. I do not like Blass and Frattare together. That is the most boring combo.

Cave ... re: Marte ... I was not happy that he was traded, and I'm still not sold on Burnett. Of course, much like someone on this blog has commented before that they never really liked Snell's attitude, I have not exactly been a fan of Burnett's attitude dating back to last year.

My favorite is definitely Walk.  I could listen to the Brown/Walk team all day.  

I think Snell realized that getting cute early in the count didn't help him reach the majors.  I still think he and Gorzo have what it takes to head the top of our rotation. Hopefully he keeps the gas coming.  One thing's for sure, it will be an exciting Spring Training watching our rotation form.

BillyKidd -

Marte either would have finished off the Cards quickly, or, he would have given up the game winning grand slam. That was the way Marte is. He will be really good at one point, and then, he will completely fall apart and get hammered. I will say that he was having a very good year this year although he started out rewal bad in Atlanta.

@Cave

I hadn't really thought about that regarding Marte.  That is kinda interesting.  I dunno, I guess its partially because we still had Grabow and Burnett (who has really emerged as a nice looking setup type).  I guess compared to Bay and NAdy, he was just much more easily replaced.  

What will be interesting, though, is if we deal Grabow this winter.  You can get by with 2 lefties in the 'pen as long as they are both pretty good, as they are now.  But, off the top of my head, I don't think we have anyone in house to give us a second talented lefty should we deal Grabow, unless we move Dumatrait back to the bullpen that is, but he's never been short relief, so that would be a question mark.  If the return on Grabow is minimal, and I would guess that it probably would be judging by the trade market of late, I would just as soon keep him and keep two excellent lefties out there.

I wouldn't be too concerned about trading Grabow away this winter.  The Bucs have somehow found little known players to do well, even back to the Rich Loiselle days. I would still give Dumatrait a good chance to compete for the starting rotation.  In his extremely small sample size where he wasn't hurt he stepped up and made some good starts.

MANoSteel

Not much at all in the system that is near ready except for possibly Juan Perez at Indy and Josh Shortslef and Dave Davidson at Altoona.  

Irate-- either way it would not have had to call my cardiologist. With Marte it would have been over quickly. Grabow and Beam couldn't hit the broad side of a barn last night with a bazooka. I could not get enough the first time so I flipped bacto the replay after the USA Womens Sofball team beat Japan I really watched both and their release points were way off between the few strikes they threw and the many up and out balls the tossed. Just an observation

MANoSteel

Spinal Tap, in reference to Nigel's guitar amps:

www.youtube.com/watch

DK - That be my post on Brad Eldred ye deleted early this mornin' ... No biggie or Aaargh, either way.

But, THANKS! You are one honest guy! I like you!

Now, if only Bob Nutting could build some trust like that with NuttingHoney or Nut-On-Your-Life or NicklebackNut, or whatever his name is ... there'd be a lot less paranoia creeping around on this big beautiful blog.

Re-Post: Brad Eldred hit his 33rd home run of the year off Ohlendorf, the game-winner in the 6th. Eldred is still among the minor league leaders in home runs (McPherson leads with 40) despite having missed a whole month with another hand issue.

But, alas, I'm afraid of the day of the Adam Dunn type player in the bigs is past. I don't think Eldred's playing first for anybody and he sho ain't playing in the outfield.

Nice guy, though!

Thanks for the help with the avatar stuff fellas! Gonna give this another shot.

Lanny F. might be the worst announcer in sports.  "And there was nooooooo doubt about it!"  Yes there was.  There's always doubt with the Pirates.

Call up that announcer from the Curve.  He's pretty good.  Maybe he'll be a September call up.

Some Random Thoughts I Thought While Reading Today's Blog:

RE: Snell

Snell was great last night -- how has it not occurred to him before now to have a game plan?  I hope he's back on track.

RE: Pirate Broadcasters

My favorite's for the Bucco broadcast are Greg and Wehner.  Brown's homerun calls are lame but he makes the rest of the game more exciting than Lanny.  Wehner has come a long way since his stumbling first season.  There are a lot of times when you realize he actually knows what he's talking about -- and he usually sticks to the game, whereas Blass will be telling some story about the time Doc Ellis did something zany.

Living in the Brewers market, I get to listen to a lot of Jim Powell and Bob Uecker.  Both are painfully boring and have oices so similar it is hard to tell when they have switched (I have decided that Ueck' is the one who sounds more drunk.)

RE: Rainbow pictures

Anyone else remember seeing a very similar picture of PNC Park with a rainbow seemingly ending right over the majestic Pittsburgh skyline?  I used to have it as my desktop but lost the pic and have never been able to find it again.  DKs is nice, but the pic I saw was better because...  well...  it's Pittsburgh!

I'm sure there's more I could be adding, but I am "working".

Re: Eldred --.245 batting average and strikes out 32% of the time.

SPINAL TAP!!!  Yes, thank you PGHER.  God that was driving me absolutely insane.  Great sequence from that flick.

Way to go Bucco it worked! Nice avatar, now just tell us who the heck it is????

I like all of the Pirates announcers, but I think I like Walk the best. I like Wehner for color, but I cringe every time I hear him stumbling through reading the starting lineups.

My favorite announcers are the Steelers'. Really entertaining...they know their stuff & they're funny. I've thought about the difference between them & the Pirates' announcers and I'm not sure if it's the medium (162 games vs 16) or the style that's different. I think it's mostly the medium, but I also am thinking that the Pirates' announcers aren't as strong with performance analysis as Tunch and Craig.

So, DK, any chance that you'll pull a Myron & be broadcasting Pirates games on the radio sometime?

I know I am gonna seriously hurt myself someday but I was just thinking.

Is it just me or doesn't it seem as if the the PBC pitching staff has been drinking the same no personality kool-aid as JR?

Snell showed a small dose of his former self last night.

As always your help is appreciated.

Going to see Jason Bay play tonight!

Bob Walk...especially when he's with Greg Brown.  Those two feed off each other.  I usually get a pretty good laugh out of them.

On the whole though, I appreciate the entire crew.  I spent last season watching almost exclusively on MLB.tv...and with those, you sometimes get the Other annoucing crews.  While remaining true to Pirates' fans, there isn't as much ripping on the opposing teams with Bob, Greg, etc., I think.

Living out on the West Coast I have had the pleasure to listen to Vin Scully with the Dodgers, Hank Greenwald, formerly with the Giants, and now Jon Miller of the Giants. These guys have always been consummate professionals. When the Pirates come to town whether LA or SF I can always count on the announcers to provide backgrounds on each player as they come to bat. They also praise the opposing players when praise is due. In other words they are able to maintain an impartiality when announcing the game and that is what I truly value. When I was first able to listen to Pirate games on MLB audio I was disappointed with the announcers in that they are all, to a man, "Homers" and they make no effort to be impartial. When the team hasn't had a winning record for all these years and you've got announcers saying "raise the jolly roger" or "and there was no doubt about it" or giving nicknames such as "Nate the Great" it diminishes credibility, a very important attribute of any good play by play man. Listening to the disappointment in their voices when a player on the other team does something good reveals a lack of professionalism. Just report the game and let me decide whether to be disappointed. I often will listen to the opposing team broadcast and while none of them are perfect they do provide some relief from the Pittsburgh crew. Sorry, that's just how it is for me.

Anybody see the letter written by the Cinny Reds management to their fans? It explains why they traded their "stars" and how they are building for the future.  Preety intresting. The letter asks for the fans tobe patient because they are in their eight losing season in a row. Poor things!!!

Here's the link:

sports.espn.go.com/.../story

Roschke--nice. I was living in Annapolis late 90's and followed the O's as the home town team. Jon Miller was the O's announcer then. During a particularly bad stretch he called it as he saw it something along the lines of the O's stunk up the joint tonight or that particular series. He was fired the next day by that megalomaniac Peter Angelos. I was and have been a Jon Miller fan because he is insightful and has interesting info about the players and cities etc...and is not a "company man"

Roschke,

While I value impartiality in my national-level broadcasters, the Pirates broadcasters are just that - the Pirates broadcasters. My biggest grip with Greg Brown when he started was that he would be just as excited when an opposing player hit a home run. You can still praise the player (Geez, he really go a hold of that one!) and still be disappointed about the Bucs giving up the long ball.

Maybe I'm just old beyond my years, but I most like listening to Lanny and Walk. Don't care for Greg Brown at all. Haven't heard Wehner enough to have an opinion.

Favorite memory of Steve Blass: Watching a Pirates game on tv in the afternoon (back in the 90s). Opposing team brings in a relief pitcher. Well Steve, what can you tell us about this kid? Blass lists what he throws, then adds "He has some real nasty s**t!" Silence in the booth. My neighbor comes running over to confirm if he heard what he thought he just heard.

Roshke:

I like "homer" broadcasters. As long as they  point out when the home team screws up and when the visitors make a great play.  Nothing wrong with hoping the good guys win as long as they are accurate.  It is sort of like listening to the game with other fans, at least up here in NH where PBC fans are few and far between.

(BTW, the Red Sox announcers are very much homers, both radio and TV)

Myron Cope was the greatest of all homers! I still am disappointed not to hear him Hmming and Hahing about the Cleve Brownies. When the Stillers are on and I can get them here in NH I usually tivo the game so I can delay it and sink it with the NFL internet broadcast with the Pittsburgh guys. (yeah, I'm a geek) Anything to get some Pittsburgh color.

BillyKidd - Jon Miller is great. I remember when he first came to the Giants he had a tough act to follow in Hank Greenwald with his low-key delivery and wry sense of humor backed by a ton of knowledge. What Jon did was step in and provide instant insight and humor with a crisp and accurate delivery. Very entertaining. He is definitely a classic baseball announcer and I'm sure everyone is familiar with his ESPN work with Joe Morgan.

Haha

It's Tabata at the 06 Futures game with that Bucco Black and Gold (and Red)!

@jscott

Somehow a letter makes the whole plan feel a little more believable... where's Neil and Frank's letter?

Nice talk today on favorite and unfavorite broadcasters ... Guess it blew my suggestion that we come up with our own All-Satan and Hitler All-Star team right out of the water (based on the guy's remark last night that he'd pull against the Cubs even if they were playing an All-Satan and Hitler All-Star Team).

But, hey, the only player I could think of so far was John Rocker out of the pen!

Roschke - Sorry, dude, but Vin Scully should retire. That old run the whole show yourself, without a color guy may have worked a long time ago but he's so asenine with all his trivia, we have to turn the sound down when we're watching on the 'Net.

I know he's supposed to be a legend and all ... but how many times in the same series is he going to tell us the story about how Bautista was kicked in the head, milking a cow one time?

And he can take Milo Hamilton of the Astros with him! When these guys hit 85, they need to move over for the young folks.

This might be my last post ... it's taking me an hour to refresh again after I post today.

Bigger version of the avy:

img392.imageshack.us/.../t1tabatael3.jpg

I have always been a Pirate fan from afar. My father was from Pittsburgh and he died young in 1960 before the World Series. He was a big Pirate fan and I guess it's just in my blood because there has never been another team for me. Most of my life I've only heard Dodger and Giant broadcasts and so I always have appreciated the impartiality of their announcers especially when the Pirates come to town. To each his own.

Tabata is a monster!!!!  Dealing with Cashman is easier than stealing!!! LOL!!  All in good fun.

Do you think a PBC letter would stir up the "soup" for the Smizik type crowd? I can only imagine him ripping apart a similarly drafted PBC letter in his column and fanning the flames of negativity.

Jose Linds Pants--Thanks for the entertainment.

BillyKidd--Thanks for getting that song stuck in my head...(stabbing myself with the rusty scissors hanging on my cubicle wall....)

Baywatch, I haven't heard a Vin Scully game in quite a while but back in the 60's and 70's he was one of the best.

Baywatch -

>>That be my post on Brad Eldred ye deleted early this mornin' ... No biggie or Aaargh, either way<<

Hmm. You're starting to talk like a pirate (not the ball players). And it's not even September 19.

www.talklikeapirate.com

@Roschke....

Sorry...I'm for the "homers," too.  The excitement of Greg Brown's calls when one of the Bucs does something great gets me pumped.  That's why I'm listening to a PIRATES broadcast.

My wife got a little peeved at me not too long ago while in the car.  The Bucs were on the road and, rather than tuning into the game on XM, I was trying to listen to a garbled, fading in and out, staticy (is that a word?) Pirates broadcast.  "Why aren't we listening to it on XM?  Isn't that why you told me we needed it?"  Well, yeah...but I'd rather listen to the Pirates announcers!

And, they do give the other teams credit for their good plays, clutch hitting, smart baserunning, etc., when warranted.

But, the bottom line is, I'm a Pirates fan and I want to listen to someone with like interests.

One the other hand, when they stink, or screw up a play...you better tell about that, too.

That's where I think both Walk and Wehner (early in his career) have it over Blass.  I enjoy Steve's stories of the old days (I guess because I remember the old days), but he has to lay it one the line a bit more often for me.

Got to leave...heading over to Altoona to watch Matt Capps pitch an inning and see how Tabata looks.

One more thing before I go...here's a photo of a rainbow taken on August 11 over Johnstown's Point Stadium on opening night of the AAABA Tournament.  Feel free to use it as a screen saver, if you wish.

www.flickr.com/.../set-72157606691899800

Also, here's a merged photo of the complete rainbow -- although with no stadium...

www.flickr.com/.../set-72157603811223070

@ Pirata--So glad to be of service. :)

@ G-Man Where in all that is holy do you find stuff like that? You need another hobby other than what is on your Bio..or maybe finding relevancy in the irrelevant is your other hobby. Anyway nice find.

BillyKidd -

>>Where in all that is holy do you find stuff like that? [Talk like a pirate day<<

This is way off target for the blog, buy you DID ask. About 5-6 years ago, mygirlfriend and I travelled to Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. We were there for the Halloween deal, walking around the park in the dark. It was 9/19 and she announced to me it was "Talk Like A Pirate" day and proceeded to talk like one all night long, to me and anyone else in the park who would listen. It was funny for about 15 minutes and then... Anyway, I later found out they had a website. And the rest is hist-arrr-y.

@G-Man--This is way off target for the blog,

I agree but sometimes we put stuff out here that the off target questions beg to be asked. And i am smarter for it!!! :)

I have an early memory of my father listening to a ballgame once in the mid 1950's. This was in Hawaii and I don't know who was playing but it was a big league game  and it was when the announcers would get get some sort of a wire feed from the game saying what had happened and then, using their imaginations and sound effects such as a pencil hitting a block of wood to represent a batted ball, they would describe the game. A batter got a base hit and the announcer said something like "And there's a line drive to left center field and he's around first and slides in to second with a double." My father jumps up and says to my mother "There's no way anybody can run that fast!" So maybe I just inherited a fussy streak about announcers. Anyway, go Bucs and support your home team announcers.

Roschke -

I tried posting this before but it somehow got lost. (Probably forgot to click "add.")

I remember Bob Prince talking about his mentor, Rosey Rosewell, who did the sort of baseball broadcast recreations you described. I am too young to remember Rosey, but I gather from Prince's descriptions, he had a lot of signature sayings, a la Mike Lange. Do a Google search on "Rosey Rosewell" and you can track down some of them.

 I am a huge Pirate fan and not a big fan of Smizik yet I find the dialogue on htis thread almost absurd. His comments were absolutely on point, every one of them. Has htis organization sunk to the point where signing a first round draft pick is a national holiday???  Alvarez was going to sign because it was the prudnet thing to do and the Pirates made him a fair offer. Boras did his thing and tried to extract some additional coin but they knew that there was all risk and little reward in holding him out another year.

   One decent draft on an organization that is now devoid of talent from top to bottom should not be hailed as the beginning of a dynasty. It is a start and there needs to be a tremendous amount of follow up and even more luck to get simply competitive. Labeling your mangement team hte best in professional sports when yuu are on hte brink of setting the ALL TIME RECORD FOR LOSING IN ALL OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS shows just how tuned in (or out) Nuttig is. That was PATHETIC and calling attention to it was justified. I like many have been looking for any glimmer of hope in this disaster of what once a proud franchise but can still be realistic and not take offense when someone tells it like it is.  

Pgher in Leverkusen said:

"Favorite memory of Steve Blass: Watching a Pirates game on tv in the afternoon (back in the 90s). Opposing team brings in a relief pitcher. Well Steve, what can you tell us about this kid? Blass lists what he throws, then adds "He has some real nasty s**t!" Silence in the booth. My neighbor comes running over to confirm if he heard what he thought he just heard."

Actually I thought it was Jim Rooker that said that when he was still with the Pirates so would have been back in the 80's. I was just a kid then but if my memory serves me correct it was an afternoon game against the Giants in San Fran. I'm almost positive it was Rook, can't say 100% though.

My take on the announcers:

Lanny: I used to really enjoy him as a kid. Still decent but I think he's lost some of his edge in recent years.

Greg: I've come to like him better than Lanny. I really enjoy his enthusiasm.

Bob: My favorite of the entire team. Very objective, analytical and enjoy the dry humor that so many here have already mentioned. He used to have a harder edge to him IMO but seems to have mellowed out a bit recently.

Steve: Definitely a company line butt kisser. I guess I would be too if I worked for a company that was good to me for 40+ years. Old school in all ways, not all bad but he's definitely lost his touch. I look for him to be gone within a couple seasons.

John: As much as I'd like to root for him, a local guy who played for the Pirates, I can't help but think of Stuttering John from the old Howard Stern show when I listen to him. He used to be really awful with the starting lineups and game recaps. He's improved some but IMO still not major league caliber.

Favorite team: Greg and Bob

Least favorite team: Toss up between Lanny with either Steve of John.

G-man

Have been enjoying your comments for the last few weeks. So i decided to join what appears to be a fun group. For all the "young" bucco fans i got to describe my first year in Little league It was 1961 and my beloved pirates were fresh off the title and they had a sign-up session that was attended by several pirates not sure who all was there but Maz  was, of course ,memory fades after time but that has been a favorite recollection of all times

indianafanatic -

>>G-man   Have been enjoying your comments for the last few weeks. So i decided to join what appears to be a fun group.<<

Thanks and Welcome Aboard! This is definitely a fun group. Dejan and the PG have really started something here that has developed huge mass in just a short time. The blogging and commenting has become an addiction for many of us. And the best part is it iisn't illegal! Glad to have you.

About Rocco,

Couldn't his source have been someone on the Alvarez side that knew that what was on the table was acceptable to Alvarez, but that he was going to wait until the last minute just to see if the Pirates would panic and increase their offer?

As far as Smizik goes,

I enjoy someone who is controversial and consistent. That is not Smizik. He just sees which way the wind is blowing and says the opposite just to get a reaction.