Pirates Q&A: First-hand witnesses

(sigh)...

What HAVE we seen that points to John Russell being a good manager this season?

Our season average per home date will fall below 20,000 after tonight.  We are back in 29th place.  Anyone care to guess where we would be without a home opener, the Yankees series, Skyblast weekend, and the concert this Saturday?

The facts:  This is the worst average attendance in the 8 years of baseball at PNC Park.  1998 was the last time we averaged below 20,000 per home game.  We drew 1,560,950 that season.  With 5 dates left, this is where we are now: 1,501,251.  The concert Saturday will be the only thing that gets us over 1.6 million and this again will be an audience largely that could care less about the game.

Obviously this is too much to ask for from egocentric empty suits like Bob Nutting and Frank Coonelly, but it would be refreshing to see them stand up for once, accept responsibility, and apologize to fans and MLB for last nights embarassing display.

The Pittsburgh Region supports the club with a lucrative ballpark subsidy, MLB subsidizes Nuttings business with various shared revenue streams, and this what Nutting provides in return.

How does he continue to get away with this?

a routine play that should have been made so I figured they desrve what they got is in essence what he said and I have never heard a remark like that in my life. One is not a consequence of the other.  he was left off the hook with that answer probably because that was all was going to come out .

I'm still shaking my head over last night. It's unbelievable that the accountability of anybody in that organization has reached the point of indifference. Sure Dirty Doug can point out the obvious, but to read JR's comments and the silence from NH or FC is what makes this team a joke. To touch down to the level shown last night, after all the promises made in spring training & during last winter, without any reprocussions is simply amazin. How  AnLa is in the line-up after the latest impersenation of "Operation Shut-down," makes me wonder who really controls that team. This player is going up against the team that traded him, what better incentive is there to at least "attempt" to play. In the end I guess its like a LaRoche family swing, who cares????

jersey joe -

>>a routine play that should have been made so I figured they desrve what they got<<

This is along the lines of what I thought when hearing about Russell's inaction last night. It is almost as if he was trying to send a message to the team: "If you don't care enough to try, why should I bother?" And if he had shown some willingness to "discuss" calls all season long, I might be inclined to go along with that. Simple facts are he does not want to get into a confrontation. I am going to stop short of using the word "cowardly." But it's hard for me to stop short.

There isn't another manager in baseball that would have let that call go without an argument. Can you imagine Pinella, Cox, Torre, La Russa, et.al. letting that one slide? There is a reason the Pirates are playing without effort or emotion and it's because of the head coach. This isn't the minor leagues. If your players don't respect you, you are toast and how can you respect a manager who not only doesn't have your back, he then throws you under the bus afterwards. I am actually surprised this blog isn't full of irate fans seeing the same thing as me. JR has no balls and his players know it. That's why Dougie was ranting, he plays the game with passion but what's the point if your mgr doesn't? JR has lost the veteran  guys, period.

Anybody keep track of how many calls like that get reversed because a manager threw a tantrum? When somebody can prove to me that the histrionics we seem to need to establish that JR or any manager "cares" actually win ballgames, I'll get on board. Making a fool of yourself like McClendon used to do, how did that work out? Nobody's been tossed from more games than Bobby Cox. What's his team's record this year? How many games did Piniella's act win in Tampa Bay?

You know what wins games? Talent. Not raving like a lunatic when you know there's not a chance in hell of a call being reversed, just so you can show you have somebody's "back."

If I were a Pirate, you know what would tick me off about JR and make me question his desire to win? Him putting Nyjer Morgan in the lineup night after night. I would find that highly discouraging.

As for Doug Mentkiewicz, try compiling an OPS+ better than 99. That would help the team win a hell of a lot more than telling the world how embrrassed you are.

I've managed and coached many kids's baseball teams over the years. It's never acceptable for a player to give up on a game and I've always tried to teach my players that.

And yet I can't blame the Pirate players exclusively if they're simply mailing it in right now. Upper management gave up on this season, and most likely on next season as well when they traded marte, Nady, and Bay. Yes, the new guys should be playing hard in hopes of starting next year. But a lot of loyal fans are just checking the score right now without much interest and conviction and I can see where it would be hard for a player to stay focused after being told by the front office that this season is over for all practical purposes.

@ DK, who states:

"You can look at that as most seem to be doing, which is that Russell "sleeps" through the games or simply does not care. Or you can look at through the prism of Lloyd McClendon, who, after he famously carted first base off the field, long felt that umpires never forgave him for that and repeatedly stuck it to the Pirates as a result."

I get your point, DK.  

but, I don't think that anyone here is saying that JR should make a horse's behind out of himself if he goes out to dispute a call.  (though, I still giggle to myself about LMc's stealing of first base....)

I feel that JR should have gone out there to see what happened -- at the VERY least.

why is it that an NFL ref can get hate mail for blowing a call (which is totally abhorrent) and a MLB ump calling a game in pittsburgh can get a free pass?  

There are a lot of things JR could have done after that play between sitting in the dugout or "throwing a tantrum."   At least go out and question the umpire.  And that was still early iin the game before it was clear that there was little effort, so I think it is much more likely that if there was any cause and effect at all that JR's reaction contributed to the lack of effort.  But even if there was no connection, that was one call he should have at least questioned.  To ignore it looks like you don't care even if if that is clearly not the case.