Today: Pirates-Dodgers, 9-17-08; Russell addresses Mientkiewicz quotes

By the looks of the way Dejan starts off this particular entry, I think our overflowing sarcasm might have rubbed off on him a little, today.

Nah, he doesn't need us to feel sarcastic about the 2008 Bucs.

Anybody else going to the game Tonight?

I think DK is losing it.

When I was watching the game at home and saw what I saw, I clicked to another channel (after getting my second remote as the first one was smashed against the wall....)

DK had to stay there and watch!!

Rumor has it DK will have his own private room in the PBC asylum, right next to the starbucks machine...

Bizrow

Your statement raises an interesting question:

What is the under/over on how many cups of coffee DK drinks a day?  

Just for fun...When ever someone notices a new thread, instead of announcing it  just post  Ants Marching...we will all know.

Not sure why, but I'll be there.  Found tickets on stubhub, 119 row D, right behind the plate, for $10.  All you need to know about the state of our Buccos.  

Cave, I have no idea, but the way things are, I'll bet half of them are actually Irish coffee

Looking over their schdule for next year...they can at least use the promotion - At least we are playing in October this year, with 4 games scheduled in October.

@Joe   I'm in the first row of the left field bleachers.  With Duke pitching, lots of balls going from your area to mine.

@BK--Wrong Tom Wolfe--You can't Go Home Again is by the Thomas Wolfe  who lived from 1900 to 1938 and also wrote Look Homeward, Angel.

You know guys, the reason that audio clip with only DD in the clubhouse last night ends so abruptly is because Dejan cuts off the part where he and DD start boo-hooing and hugging and sharing tissues together. Then, they did two-man square dancing to feel all better. A club house attendant picking up towels caught them, though. Said attendant is still gagged and bound in a closet as we read this.

@JAL--I stand corrected fine sir---Jennifer is still easier on the eyes though.

Let's hope we at least see some inspired baseball tonight and whip these Dodgers.  

tdb1977--where did you see schedule for next year?

If I was DK sitting through these games, I'd be drinking beer not coffee....try to ease the pain...

DK is going to wrestle the mike away from the public announcer and start leading the fans in a drunken version of "Take Me Out to the Ballpark."  This will happen in the 3rd inning.

@Disgruntled Goat--Actually Duke gives up HR at the same rate as Maholm and Snell-all at 1 per every 9 innings--Gorzo is the HR king with one every 5 innings.

@BK--Yes, she is much easier on the eyes and I am sure she sings better than either Tom Wolfe :)

P13--Check the thread at the top of this page....DK stated previously he does not imbibe...If I was him I would be re-thinking that choice and would pre-register for AA.

JL--I was actually thinking that the clubbie was spotted by a tug and barge captain floating down the Ohio strapped to a chair

Pirata--it is here  pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/.../index.jsp

DK -- About time to do in depth interviews with Nutting, Huntington & Coonelly.  

Also after that flap last night about black & gold and Pittsburgh having its own flag and all, I'm not sure that Maz' idea about changing the Pirates' colors is entirely without merit.  Not sure this club is worthy.  

Maybe they should switch to green (for the load of rookies) and copper (for their approach to payroll issues).  

Ducking and running (just a highly cynical suggestion).  

BK,

That poor clubbie. Just another casualty of this year.

@JHadar

You will be on the plane with NH FC, JT the slackers on the team and Nutting himself.  It'sa free trip to the tower in Siberia.

The color is good for us and the city.  The people mentioned above are NOT.

The anthem for Opening Day 09 after this is blown up this winter.

www.youtube.com/watch

It's official

Pearce has been buried somewhere under the Clemente Bridge.   He must not be feisty enough for JR.  

DK mentioned that Pearce doesn't have a proper approach to his ab's.  

I wonder what Nutting's approach is to opening the lock on his wallet.  

Wall street is taking it's cue from our Buccos.

Duke has dominated the only four Dodgers with double-digit at-bats against him: Juan Pierre is 3 for 17, Jeff Kent 2 for 14, Rafael Furcal 2 for 13, Andruw Jones 2 for 11.

and if memory serves me correct only JP is healthy.

JHadar,

If DK is going to due in-depth interviews with Larry, Curly & Moe, I insist DK brings a cattle prod. (I don't insist DK bother sobering up for it, though.)

Madturk -- I just want to hear what those guys have to say for themselves.  I'd expect an interview with any of them would have a lot of doublespeak to sift through.

As for the colors, we could always say black for the hope we have and Gold for Mr. Nutting's pockets.

@JL--I f you can promise me this <DK is going to wrestle the mike away from the public announcer and start leading the fans in a drunken version of "Take Me Out to the Ballpark."  This will happen in the 3rd inning.>

I will haul my creaky self bad back and all to bear witness to this event.

@Everyone

Thanks for your help with the avatar.  It was a bear, but I persevered and prevailed.  (Not a bad motto.)

I'm going to be brave and watch the game tonight.  By the way, the last few weeks I've noticed lots of "It can't get any worse," yet somehow that's exactly what happens.  Is watching the game and expecting a different outcome the definition of insanity?

@Cave--to get Nutting's wallet open need to recruit Mr. Phelps, Cinnamon Carter, Rollin Hand, Barney Collier, and Willy Armitage for you have just asked for Mission Impossible!

BK--I would too....Never thought of the pre-registration in AA.  Good idea though...

JAL--Gracias!

If a tree fell at PNC park during a game and nobody was there to hear it, would it make a noise?

The tree would fall on several players that refused to hustle out of the way.

The manager would not come out to argue about the tree placement.

@Mark-<Is watching the game and expecting a different outcome the definition of insanity?>

You have passed the test! You are now an official card carrying member the the asylum.

BK,

Well, I kinda spilled the beans. So I guess stadium security will now be fitting DK with a crisp, white straight jacket. Sorry. It would have been a good show.

Matt Capps (or whoever is the closer du jour for the Pirates) gets about as much work as the Maytag repairman. Capps actually looks a little like him too now that he has lost a little poundage!,

@Mark--Congratulations.  Watching a game and expecting a different outcome is not insanity. The Pirates have won 63 games so something that has happened 63 times can happen again.

JAL,

What's a nice erudite guy like you doing in a place like this?

Mirrors my post on onlybucs.org -

Lineup for tonight's game is posted on the PPG blog.

1. Nyjer Morgan LF. 2. Freddy Sanchez 2B. 3. Nate McLouth CF. 4.Ryan Doumit C. 5. Adam LaRoche 1B. 6. Brandon Moss RF. 7. Andy LaRoche 3B. 8. Brian Bixler SS. 9. Duke.

Changes from the "mail it in gang" from last night -

1) LaRoche is back to work (Dougie M gets a seat)

2) Bixler in to replace Cruz

Call me crazy, but I think Russell just rewarded everyone who failed to hustle last night (and possibly punished Dougie for stating so in the press - though that's tough to say as he was probably in last night only to give LaRoche a night off.)

To quote Inigo Montoya (but referencing "accountability") - "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

@JL--Could you envision ESPN leading off Sports Center with that top 10 highlight? It might be the only highlight from the game.

Pirata-De Nada

@JL--Go getta room.

@JL-Slumming :)

Nope...no accountability here. Most of the "dogs" that played last night are playing tonight. Only changes are Bixler for Cruz and Adam for Doug.

BillyKidd -

Re Ants Marching: how about a graphic image, too, for those with their speakers turned off. Maybe ants marching double file like this.

=========================

Mark the Shark--No we all watch/listen hoping for something different.  True fandom...

Well, folks. I goofed off long enough. I'll sneak a peak during the game and be back later. Do be good (or, don't be... ).

JoeBucco -

>>Found tickets on stubhub, 119 row D, right behind the plate, for $10.<< Aren't those Huntington's seats?

What will it take to put Pearce in the line-up? What did the guy do otherthan go up to the plate & swing aggressively? After the LaRoche Bros.Circus & the Morgan Baserunning Instructional Video, I would think that the poor guy would get a break. Maybe JR should call NH & ask permission to add some aggressiveness to that great game of Bucco baseball.

How about a video too on the ants

www.youtube.com/watch

JL-catch you in the late shift

@G-Man...Nice. That works.

JAL -

>>Thomas Wolfe...also wrote Look Homeward Angel.<<

Not quite the same angel, but the closest I could come. From local guy Bobby Vinton...

www.youtube.com/watch

When the Boogie Man goes to sleep at night, he checks under his bed for Doug Mientkiewicz.

A friend of mine (another tortured Bucco fan) just told me that. Made me laugh, thought I'd share it.

My reply to him was, "When Superman goes to bed, he wears Doug Mientkiewicz pajamas."

JHadar -

>>About time to do in depth interviews with Nutting, Huntington & Coonelly.<<

After NH and FC played fast and loose with the truth about the Alvarez non-signing, I seriously wonder if these guys really have any depth.

Call me crazy,but why do we continue batting Sanchez 2nd in the order?His OBP is only higher than Raggedy Andy?If the PBC wants to look at the young guys switch Moss and Freddie.It just seems like ever since Freddie won the batting title he's been on a downhill slide.If nothing else trade Freddie and keep Jack.We all know what happened this spring when Jack went down

With regards to DD not playing...and doubtful but possible retribution my JR....

If that be the case, JR needs to be hung from the "Raise the Jolly Roger" (JR) flagpole by his brass ones...

Belay that remark..I forgot he doesn't have any brass ones

Can you believe that crap from Russell? I can't speak for any of you, but I am insulted if he expects me to believe any of it. If he can't see that they have quit on him, then he difinitely must be spending the game either sleeping or watching "Deal or No Deal" in the clubhouse on TV. I have seen more forthcoming statements in a Cheney interview. Fire this guy right now.

@G-Man--thanks for the thoughts--his Blue on Blue would good for the group today

www.youtube.com/watch

If/when DK gets a sit down interview with NH or FC I would love to know what is their Plan C.

Thus far -

Plan A:  Draft the highest talent availble.... still working on it!

Plan B: Trade our high value pieces to improve the overall system talen level .... still working on it!

(umm, if that is talent where is the gong?)

My guess for Plan C:

Book the Steve Miller band now!

pattonbb:  "When Superman goes to bed, he wears Doug Mientkiewicz pajamas."

AMAZING.

Talk to you all tomorrow, hopefully we'll have a win to talk about.  I mean a PIRATES win...

If you want to look for a reason for Dougie's rant you need just need to find the head coach. He looks and acts like a librarian and his team's energy reflect that. There isn't another manager in Baseball that would have let that play at first go, yet he turns around and throws his pitcher under the bus rather than man up, show some emotion(and balls) and get in the 1st base umps face on a call that was clearly blown. That's what Dougie was talking about...getting someone other than him to show some emotion.John Russell better stand up for his players and team if he wants them to play for him, and right now he's the reason this team is playing the way it is. You don't have to have talent to make an effort, but you need a man as a coach to bring that effort and right now Russell isn't that guy.

Well, JR made some remarks about last night's game that DK has posted above and 15 people will mention while I'm still typing.  

I think I'm reaching the point that if Bob Nutting came out tomorrow and said he was going to have a $300 Million payroll next year and as an apology for the last 16 years was going to have free admission for the next two years, I'd still find something wrong about it.

So, JR said all the right things -- tried to get his player's backs, expressed support for Doug, admitted it was rough, and did just what a manager is supposed to do.  And, I know he doesn't go up and pitch the ball into the dirt or flail away -- it's the players that do that.  

Nonetheless, I'm still so disappointed with the constant pounding we're taking along with shooting ourselves in the foot, that I realized there is nothing at all that he could have said that would have made one iota of difference.  

And long term, I believe in these guys -- but there's a lot that need fixing right now.  If that sounds irrational it's because it's way more complicated than I get in a post.

@G-Man-right on! I thought early on that the team assumed JR's quiet confidence personality, now Not so much.

DK--Do us all a favor please. Walk up to JR and give him the V8 smack to the forehead. Wake up JR!!!!!

>> You can't count too many games where we've looked like a pretty bad team <<

Is JR joking here? How about at least three of the four games last week in Houston as well as the first two of the LA series, meaning five out of the last nine?

This is most disturbing.......

<He takes things to heart. Those are the kinds of guys, with that passion, that you like to have. >

This is the only remark that I agree with. Neal, Frank, please read and pay attention to this comment by your manager.

Will someone go with me to Danny Murtaugh's grave and help me dig him up?

G-Man said "After NH and FC played fast and loose with the truth about the Alvarez non-signing, I seriously wonder if these guys really have any depth."

Depends on whether you're talking about depth of character or depth of intrigue.

An early Rolling Stones number for our mood "Paint it Black!"

Gold up over $90 an ounce today.

Don't change the teams colors yet.

Nutting can sell the uniforms and put the money into his CHANGE cup.

Chicken -

>>Is JR joking here?<<

No, joking is Adam LaRoche's job. See this morning's Notebook.

@ mr. whippie

Agreed about JR.  The players need to know he has their back.  Even if a manager knows an argument is hopeless, he has to make the pretense to go to-to-toe with the umps. Sometimes after an argument, calls have a way of evening out later in the game.  The low-key approach is good, but in the immortal words of Patrick Swayze in "Roadhouse:"  "There's a time to be nice and there's a time not to be nice."

@BK

After JR's statements today, I'm with ya. We can do it in shifts to give our backs a rest. And let's not stop there, once we are done with Danny, let's go get Bill McKechnie.

BK -- I don't remember Danny, at least the guy who managed from a rocking chair, as the kind of firebrand everybody wants JR to be.  Now the pre-heart attack Danny. . . .

But I think that if JR was on the umps, chewing out his players in the dugout, out Ozzying Guillen, the results would be the same or worse and we'd be on him for riding too hard.  

It's not one guy, it's the whole team.

I get the feeling I should never have brought up changing colors.I did not see the game last night,but it sounds like JR has a yellow streak in a certain place in his anatomy.Even in Iowa all the pitchforks are sold out.

DK-"What is the best way to answer that (last nights) effort tonight.

What JR really meant-   If each of our batters swings at the first pitch our chances of getting out of here in time to watch the second half of, America's Got Talent, improve dramatically.  Opie told me there is a 13 year old shortstop on the show that might be a nice fit for us in 2015.

JH--Now the pre-heart attack Danny. . . .

Yes.

@Chicken--Thank you for volunteering.

@JH-the results would be the same or worse and we'd be on him for riding too hard.

Let's at least find out.

Tom Hanks who said "There is no crying in baseball".

substitute sleeping for crying

This is totally off the wall, but being functionally computer-illiterstupid, I'm gonna ask anyway (since i got no response frim the support people ). How can I change my display name, and where can I find the avatars?

@JHadar --Good post.  It is complicated.  let us not forget that on July 31 when the bay trade went through the Pirates were 8 games under .500, last in the NL Central, and 14.5 games out.  It wasn't like they broke up a winning team.   Assume they do not make the trades. Where does the possibility of future improvement come from?  

Baseball teams do not turn around overnight unless the pieces are in place.  How did the Rays do it--last season they had 6 starting pitchers 25 or younger.  In the starting lineup only the DH was over 30.  They had a bunch of young players who put it together this season.  They may be good again next season or they fall back some.  Also, it them 10 years to get to today.  After 15 years of futility in Pittsburgh something had to change.  The 2007 team, with Bay and Nady, lost 94 games.  This team will probably end close to 94.

BillyKidd - You've definitely hooked us up with some nice video today ... love the acoustic guitar player in the hat for Matchbox 20, hammering away. I've heard Baywatch Jr. listening to that song. ...Hmm. (But I did wonder why there were images at the end of Hill Clinton and Obama but not McCain!)

G-Man - On the ants marching graphic ... Nurse Cratchit! Vun of us has Vinally taken ze swan dive off ze deep end! Please come help us!

"Found tickets on stubhub, 119 row D, right behind the plate, for $10.<< Aren't those Huntington's seats?

LOL and MygluteusmaximusO! But today, all my laughter just made my head hurt ... That is so hilarious!

And Clarence, I mean G-Man ... the Bobby Vinton Special Angel is cool in the original but that one had too much of a karaoke feel to it.

JAL - Blue on Blue is cool, too ... big oldies freak here. And if you want to get close to Mrs. Baywatch's heart ... take her back to the AM radio sitting in the window in the early 60s, once again!

As for Russell's line ... all I could think of was, even though we don't necessarily look for another Mac or Ozzie Guillen type ... wonder what the looks on those guys' faces would have been like if they were sitting in the media room today with DK?

You guys got me looking on Youtube.Rick Astley looks a lot like Opie.

While the team may or may not be better under Danny M's tutelage, I doubt we would be reading such delusional statements as the following when the exact antithesis is the case.

>> You can't count too many games where we've looked like a pretty bad team <<

>> I've never been disappointed with the effort. <<

@Tedkin43--Click on your display name in the post--that takes you to a page where you see a place to edit your profile--click on that--from there you can change your name.  As for avatars, those are pictures we have on our computers that we upload.  On the edit page you will see a place to upload an avatar.  Once you upload clear your cache and the new one wil appear to you.

BK

That would make for a really interesting day, if we all changed our avatars and our display names.    Not that I am advocating this.  Imagine Baywatches reaction when he came back from the pizza wars and all of the inmates had disappeared and replaced by aliens.

Kind of like the Invasion of The Body Snatchers

@Ted

Click on your GRAY Pic to get to your Home page

under shared feeds:

clk edit your profile

clk enable profile

clk browse to upload an image (best if about a normal photogragh size)

this should appear in UPLOAD AVATAR click Update

I repeat this just to be sure.

Now scroll down to the bottom of the page

clk SAVE if you do not click SAVE Nothing will happen...

You should get a green message at the top of the page telling you to wait about 10 mins....

While you are waiting Clean out you Temporary Internet Files from your browser this will allow your New Avatar to load quicker....Be patient you may have to repeat this process or wait longer than 10 minutes....

JAL

One important note about the Rays. They had an ownership change a few years ago that truly changed their culture.

They even changed their name and their colors.

MAZ

Young Opie looks like Opie.

@Tedkin43

Don't feel bad.  I'm new and had to be walked through the avatar thing last night.  By the way, when I clicked to update, the avatat didn't appear until I scrolled down the page and saved it.  I was expecting the avatar to instantly appear when I updated.  That may help

@Cave--that they did--and the Pirates just had an ownership change.  Now lets hope it can change the culture.

@Cave I do not think Bay would have enough BP meds to help that one

@Bay who is that in the Bucco shirt...You are just having more fun with this avatar changing stuff than 1 human should be allowed to have

JAL

Bucs Ownership change.  Did I miss something?  Or are you referring to The baton being passed from Dad to Bob?  It is my understanding that they have been the majority partners for awhile.

Thanks for all the help folks. Now with any luck at all, I can make the desired changes. Then again, I DID need someone to translate "Windows for Dummies"

I'm off to see the kitchen

Perchance to get some food

I shall rejoin you later

Hopefully in a good mood

Have a happy time here

Life is too short to brood

And wish for a game tonight

With no Pirate loss accrued

@cave--I should have written control change--you right--was a shift of control within existing ownership.

BK -- Well both Murtaugh's managed pretty well.

Pinella managed a lot better in Seattle and Chicago than he did at Tampa Bay.

Casey Stengel was a genius with the Yankees and a clown with Brooklyn, Boston, and the Mets.

Russell was a pretty good rookie manager until they traded Bay and Nady.

Put simply it's the team on the field that wins or loses the game.  Judging a manager by what he says that gets into the newspapers, or how demonstrative he is during the games (as much I enjoyed Lloyd stealing first base) is like using hat size to judge intelligence.  

We don't know what goes on in the club house, at practice, during team meetings, or even in the dugout.  We like a guy like Meintkiewicz because we see hustle and he says the things we're thinking.  It doesn't mean that someone else isn't working just as hard, but handling it silently or with humor, or trying to say and do the right thing, but not having it come out right.

Players are different, too.  Some guys can't buy a hit unless they're mad at the world.  Others get mad and become a sucker for every trick in the book.  

In the long run this club looks like it needs a lot of instruction, development, attitude adjustment.  An even tempered guy who doesn't go off the rails at every mistake, takes the time to explain what went wrong, why it went wrong, and what to do about it is probably going to be more valuable than a guy whose input is to scream at you and make you feel like you can't do the job.

I've seen it in the workplace over and over again.  You get a hothead foreman and he gets results for a few months, everybody is afraid of him, and they start trying to beat him and the system.  Get an even-tempered guy in there and his crew will get better and better as time goes on, and he'll have everyone's respect.

I really don't know what Russell is, and I don't like what's been happening the last six weeks -- but given the total upheaval, I don't think anyone could change the results all that much without actually being on the field himself.  

Whatever is going on here is a team effort and by the look of it, it's largely mental.  I think a chew-em-up spit-em-out guy might make a great interim manager, but this team is not about the rest of the season.

I have to find those dirt doug pj's.

our manager strikes me as so low key that he needs some coffee. not that we need a seed spitter or bench rocker, or chair thrower, but at least he could look at pump up scenes from braveheart, patton, henry v, and even the bluto 'was it over when the germans bombed pearl harbor' scene from animal house.

dude- fire up a bit. we need eight or nine really dirty uniforms tonite.

Cave - "Imagine Baywatches reaction when he came back from the pizza wars and all of the inmates had disappeared and replaced by aliens."

Skip the dramatics, Cave. You're scaring me.

BillyKidd - The new avatar is of Baywatch Jr. Just salting his oats so he'll ask me to e-mail it him sos he can stick it on his handle. He got all dressed up in his Pirates gear, and put on the eyepatch, the night before we went down for the Astros series in July. Boy was I a reverse Jonah for that one!

Mark the Shark - You are just up and running, and one of the gang! G-Man, you have a Hap Cap for Mark for all his avatar endurance ... and NOW COACHING OTHER NEWBIES on how to get up and running?

JH--I agree with your comments. I guess I am just tierd of the milktoast, speaking so softly you would think he just put a baby down for a nap, Even the "quiet" managers get "that look in thier eyes. Look at Torre...Case in point early yesterday 1st inning maybe He was already jawing at the home plate ump from his own dugout about low strikes being called. His own batter had to step out of the box while the home plate ump and Torre jawed. I am not asking for him to pull a Pinella, Martin, or Lloyd. Just show some emotion to let me know he is still breathing.

Ultimatley as you stated it is up to the 9 listed to go out and do their jobs

@Bay--in advance of you heading out into the field of battle tonight---Be careful out there..

BK -- Well to be concilatory, you can get too laid back, too.  But I thought Tracy was the poster child there.  There were way too many "Joggin' Ronny" incidents.  Don't get the games on TV out here except the occasional WGN coverage of the Cubs and a Fox outlet in Des Moines covers the Cubs, so I can't tell if JR's demeanor has changed during the recent slide, and if we're losing I pretty much have my turn at second guessing, too.  I'm not fond of some of JR's tactics, but his overall strategy seems to be OK.  After all, he's another rookie, too.  Let's see what he learns in a year or two.

Some random thoughts:

JL's Pants: That was tremendous!

Re: Luigi (Lil' La): He's gonna play. The rest of the year. And, unless something dramatic occurs, through at least June of next season. Get. Used. To. It.

Nyjer: Obviously has incriminating photos of higher-ups.

Pearce: Does not possess incriminating photos.

Jack: Could bery well be back next season - who are they gonna play, Bixler, who strikes out 1/3 of the time?

Trivial correction -- The Fox outlet in Des Moines covers the Cards.

Message Therapist has arrived.  Will catch up later.

Has JR been watching the same team we have?? Making the same mistakes over and over and over.

I have to laugh because the reason they give for not playing Steve Pearce is because he needs to improve his pitch selection and approach. They ask this of a guy who is starting roughly twice a week. And yet...they play a 2B EVERY day that went almost 2 1/2 months without taking a single walk.

I poured out the Kool-Aid this afternoon...I'm not drinking it any more. Until the Pirates braintrust starts being consistent...I'm not believing a word they are saying. Actions speak louder than words. While they say there aren't any "scholarships", it certainly appears that there are.

JH--One thing I can definetly say about JR is that his demeanor has not changed all season (Albeit Aug 24, I think,  when he got tossed) I actually like the guy (even though I flamed him here pretty hard last night and 2day) I believe he will succeed given the right tools to work with.

something in here can certainly be used as the 2009 slogan for the Pirates ...

www.despair.com/viewall.html

Maybe the reason Pearce isn't playing regularly is that they don't like the way he dresses ...

100percentinjuryrate.blogspot.com/.../damage-from-rookie-hazing-week.html

You know what I want to know...This is fly on the wall stuff that we will never ever know.

IF they read the paper today

1) Who had the brass to even look DD in the face

2) If anyone did have the brass to actually address him about it, what was said and how did DD take it...

I guess if we see anyone with a black eye or a sudden scratch due to an ouchy we may know the answer to #2

Worse yet we see the River Rats (Police) pull a PBC player from the river

I feel in the end the players have to motivate themselves. How much can a manager do when the players seem to have marginal talent to begin with??  love the pirates and this is tough to do here in Chicago. Side question-when will the pirates hire an Assistant General Manager?l Great forum to read/vent!

Bill

48jj-classic photos...Did you see AnLa as the clown...My cousin and several other rookies for the SF Giants had to dress up in Hula girl outfits grass skirts and coconut tops for thier final flight home.

That backpack that the SF Pitcher had on his back has some type of tradition to it and is protected and guarded by the BP staff. A rookie pitcher must have it in thier possession 7x24 from spring training until the last game. The clubhouse manager then locks it in a safe until the following season.

BillyKidd - Thanks for the well-wishes ... These Tyler, Texas' drivers ... I tell you what.

Wegone.

Just got a look at the 2009 schedule and their four trips west (a real improvement over five). I can remember the days (I'm only 37) when the Bucs would start in SF, fly to LA then on to SD to finish a 9-10 game West Coast Swing and that was it for the year. That was also with two divisions and fewer teams. One would think with the fuel costs nowadays they would try to bunch these regional trips together (Philly - NY - DC could be another one). The MLB schedule maker needs to be reprogrammed.

@BK--I think all players either read or are told what the paper says, even though some say they never do.  Some appreciate the fans but too few.  Unless a player names the one is dissing there is little chance for a fight as most players think DD was not talking about them.  Go into the place and ask the team how many hustle and you will all the hands up.  

@Kids--Welcome to the asylum. We are glad to have you and your thoughts and comments are welcome, sometimes, just kidding.

And for the inevitable How to I add the avatar(picture) question...

Click on your GRAY Pic to get to your Home page

under shared feeds:

clk edit your profile

clk enable profile

clk browse to upload an image (best if about a normal photogragh size)

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@JAL--Yeah you are right...but I still want to know if those that "knew" he was pointing finger at them treaded a little lighter in the clubhouse...

Hopefully a snuggle from Mrs DD and a good nights rest  made all that pent up emotion melt away. Maybe he even baked some brownies for his teammates....

Billy,

Lets all meet Billy tonight midnight at the kings in heileburg to resurect Danny.

JHadar -

>>Russell was a pretty good rookie manager until they traded Bay and Nady.<<

I'm reminded of something DK wrote months ago, before the trades. (I'm paraphrasing.) He wrote about observing the manager do unexpected things in games, make decisions, choices, whatever, that surprised him and that he was further surprised that these things seemed to work out so much of the time. I wondered, at the time, whether this meant that JR was insightful in an offbeat way or if he was just getting lucky. Fast forward to the last six weeks and we bloggers have criticized JR for some pretty awful and obvious decisions he's made. Take, for example, bringing in Hanson in that one run game. There are numerous other examples. It makes me wonder if the law of averages is catching up with Russell.

I have great respect for your opinion on JR. However, we are just worlds apart about him. In his quote to DK today, he said he does not see the team quitting. How can he say that with a straight face? It's flat out insulting to the fans. Telling the truth is not the same thing as throwing your team under the bus. He can be diplomatic and still acknowledge what is obvious. And if he truly can't see they have quit, he's not qualified to manage in the major leagues.

I cannot fathom that he would not go and discuss/get an explanation of that call at first last night. He does not have to be a hothead or go ballistic to do his job. Everyone knows you rarely get a decision reversed; you are arguing to, hopefully, get the next close call to go your way. If I'm Freddy and my manager sits on his butt and says nothing, then later comes out on the play where Moss never left the box, the first thought crossing my mind is, "he's sticking up for Huntington's guy but not me." Is that fair of me? Maybe not. But the newbys ARE being treated differently than other guys who have paid dues.

Sorry to be at odds with you on this. Just how I feel.

Do you see that panoramic view of our city...Incredible. I love this town...

For those of you that can not see it, I am truly sorry. It is perfect fallball weather.

DK, Is Peter Diana around to snap a pic.

Jhadar,

Danny woulld dish out fines quicker than ...., he was not the kind that had to look like he was out of control to get his point accross.  Those of us who remember him also remember the gunners remarks at times to the fact that guy is going to be fined.  Even in the rocking chair he was the boss.

Well folks, looks like I won't be able to see tonight's game either. Even though I pay my cable company $180 for the baseball package, all five California teams, plus the D-backs are always blacked out. Sometimes we get the Dodgers and Angels on FSN L.A., though. But apparently this series with the Pirates is SO PATHETIC that FSN L.A. has decided not to broadcast it...even IN L.A.

How's that for a rap against our team.

Looking forward to interpreting tonight's game from all of your various comments.

@JJ-Due to lack of business they now close at 11:00...

@Bk-That would be interesting to know but hard to find out.  I remember the hustle we had when I was growing up.  maybe the money jades people.  I know everyone has days they feel dead but how can you on the field and not want to give your all?  

Dejan,

Who? BK?

BK is everywhere. Like Elvis.

DK yeah look right below you...I am waving...

No just kidding..The FSN coverage at the opening of the game.

So I see the blind monkeys have finished putting the 2009 schedule together. All I can say is what have the Bucs done to deserve FOUR trips to the western U.S. The last trip against L.A. could have been added to the earlier Col. trip, and the other Col. trip could have been added to one of the other 6 game western trips. Can you tell me that the Bucs wouldn't have rather played 9 straight games against the west rather than gone on multiple trips? It is like they are using a dartboard for this.

It's a lead-after two days without-

DK sorry. I like you love the vistas this city has to offer and the opening shots from the FSN cameras had the setting sunlight bouncing off the buildings across the river. I am not sure where you sit in relation to the FSN booth, but no matter where you are you have a great view.

How many in attendance? It looks pitiful

@honus wags

The Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor.

Did I hear a Dodger swing and miss at a Duke pitch? That's encouraging.

This might be a dumb observation, but does anyone else think Duke looks in a little better shape? He looks like he lost some weight or something. Maybe he's been doing some better workouts.

Sometimes, I have no idea what you guys are talking about. As for MadTurk's last comment, I had to race through the whole thread. Found it. Mad, that was a reference to Bluto's rousing speech in Animal House.

48JJ,

That not "a dumb observation", but it is one us guys wouldn't notice as quickly.

@JL--<BK is everywhere. Like Elvis.>

I used to be before the surgery, I attended about 25 games this year before the surgery. Believe me if I thought they would let me in with my laptop I would blog from my regular seats along 1st Base. Blogging from a Palm Treo might be difficult. Every year since they opened PNC I have purchased partial season tickets and then usually rent one of the available suites for a weekend series and have my employees and families in for a weekend put them up at one of the hotels downtown. This year booked 20 rooms and was able to put them up at the SpringHill Suites next to the Park back in May.

Well, I'm jealous, BK. Only games to see here are the Vegas 51's. (Did see Andy LaRoche at a game in May, though.)

You seem to be convalescing well, though. Also, good to know that no union organizers took a baseball bat to your knees, overnight.

Here we go again. 3 decent innings by the starter then they get into trouble. 2 cheap hits 2 well struck balls.

So much for that lead. (sigh)

"Crowd... is surprisingly large given the circumstances."

That's because they came to hear you sing.

NYJER BUSTED!

mlb.mlb.com/.../article.jsp

@JL--Doing well thanks...I am still not allowed to drive for another 2 weeks due to the knitting they did on my back as well as the the area around the replaced disc is still pretty swollen. Yeah no broken knee caps.

I really miss going to the ballpark even when they lose. There is absolutley no better atmosphere than a baseball park. The sights sounds smells of a ballpark, watching the games by watching the kids that visit the park for the first time wearing thier dads or brothers oversized baseball glove. Watching the dads who have brought thier kids to the ball park for the first time take the special time to answer every "but why dad". There is something magical about it.

Yahoo AdLa hits #21!!!

On that ball Russell hit Morgan should of sprinted back to the wall and let the ball deflect off of his glove and over the fence for the grandslam. After all when your pitcher walks the other teams friggin pitcher to load the bases rather than end the inning he DESERVES to give up a grandslam. Duke got off lucky……Hey Greg Brown’s complaining about the trivia question again.

Death, Taxes, and Greg Brown complaining about the trivia question.

@BK--and they always seem to be big innings--3, 4 or 5 runs.

@JAL-We just do not have the firepower to trade runs let alone come from behind.

@BK--The back is so linked to everything you do that when it is a problem almost everything is a problem.  Just keep doing what they say and get it healed.  

@BK--No we don't--that's what was being discussed either this morning or yesterday.  Pitchers who can shut the other team down are needed and they don't grow on trees.  

another over 90 pitches in 5 innings.  

Let's get a sweet victory here.  .. Needed Needed Really Needed to make Thursday morning work.

Nice play from Bixler . ..

~found out today I will be @ Leftfield Loonies hoo-ha on the Riverwalk this weekend OH YEAH >

DK--A kings ransom for you if you would go to the FSN Broadcast Booth and toss both Brown and Walk into the seats below. Hopefully they will crash through the netting and get ouchies and are unable to continue with their broadcast duties.....My 9 yo son knows more about BB than Greg Brown. I am sending the PBC his resume for the job

Big time ouch for Nomar. His ankle and knee are trashed.

I hope he is ok. BTW I like his wife...

Looks like Mia gets to rehab Nomar...again.

Doug Meintkjkvksciewzkjwicz for player-manager in 2009!!!

Can we just forfeit the rest of the games? I don't really want to see Jack Wilson pinch hit.

I just want Doumit to hit .320 and McLouth get 100 ribbies. That is all the keeps me watching

Duke is having some luck tonight--give up the hit but get the out at home.  That was probably his last batter.

I guess I was wrong--i thought Duke was through but if JR lets him bat he plan to send him out for the 6th.

Wow I guessed JR would pinch hit for Duke with 93 pitches.Not sure about his strategy again.Waiting for the Dodgers to hit Duke with a few more ouchies

let's see...93 pitches in 5 innings...and Duke bats for himself. Maybe let him throw 130 pitches...and see if his arm falls off?

Know what else is embarrassing, Dougie? Your .375 slug % and 99 OPS+.

MARIO!

Unfriggin believable AdLa with a grand slam.

OMG

Billingsly not pitching that well either--he will be over 90 after 5.

Adam hitting some meaningful HRs tonight--at least meaningful for this game

I still want to be on record as saying he is not worth a 2M raise for next year. He should be happy to come back for the same amount.

Nevermind about that comment about how we should of given the Dodgers a grand slam, we might actually have a chance in this game. At the time I figured if we're gonna lose anyway then we might as well teach Duke a lesson at the same time, lol.

Hey G-Man,

That baseball comedian, otherwise known as Adam Laroche, just hit a grand salami -  let's hear it for the Red Vest Brigade!

I can feel my Laroche jersey going up in value as we speak...ah...er....write.

G-Man (Back again and feeling much better about life, got my head on straight for awhile -- at least physically, shoulder was way out after 19 hours of computer fixing last night)

First of all, feel free to disagree -- I'm hardly going to take offense.  My opinion about JR is that the jury is still out.  I think the team is in a funk, shellshocked if you will, but I would doubt very much that they believe that they have given up.

JR did flat out acknowledge that it looks that way to the fans.  I see that too.  They have the look and feel of a beaten team.  Maybe the difference is just semantics, but it seems to me that when you're beaten, you can indeed be working very hard without anything tangible to show for it.  

He also was blunt that they did not play well the last couple of games.  No disagreement there.

I don't think holding a different opinion than the fans is necessarily not telling the truth.  

I do agree that he should have argued the call.  I also think he has a tendency to leave his pitchers in too long.  Where I have trouble is heaping the whole blame for this meltdown on him.  

And while I was typing they managed to come up with 4 2-out runs.  Evidence at least that they haven't given up.

@BK--Give yourself a hand--all you had to do was say this team had no firepower and boom--7 runs in 5 innings!

@JAL

...and meaningful for his upcoming arbitration...

Re: leaving pitchers in too long.

You mean like with Duke tonight?? Why didn't they hit for him in the 5th...they bring him out to throw 3 pitches in the 6th?? Why bother. I don't know what JR's thinking was...just leave him in till he gives up a baserunner?? Makes absolutely no sense to me...but what do I know...I'm just a fan...not a manager.

I am beginning to think the PBC is screwing with our mental and emotional states on purpose...They have a big computer screen in the clubhouse watching these posts and when we say nice things on the blog they blow one like last night...We flame them and their Mgr as we did today and they put on a show....

I can't take this I am going to have a mental breakdown my meds are not working

See what I mean 2nd and 3rd no one out.....after a GS...Look for me on the nearest bridge.

Dad gum server.I had a good line saved up

Well, well. No LOB for Adam tonight. Since all I have to look at is the Yahoo! MLB page for the game that refreshes every 30 seconds, I'll have to imagine how the salami looked. Did Adam break into an Irish jig as he rounded second? Did he moonwalk it across home plate? More importantly, can I infer from others' comments that the Buccos are wearing those hideous red vests tonight???

That is just weird managing--just following the game through stats on the web it looked clear that Duke had gone as far he should yet he bats for himself and goes out for the 6th-puts the first batter on as he has been doing all evening and then gets pulled.  Maybe the pen says they do not like start an inning--who knows.  Just weird.

Duke's high career WHIP really bothers me and he did it again tonight -- 2.4.

Don't do it, BK! Don't do it! (But if you do, can I have your season tickets??)

@JAL--Even broken clocks are right twice a day

How is it that Beimel's ERA was 5-6 for us? Just like Arroyo and Wakefield

@BK-and so it goes--seen this movie before.  Offense puts runs up-pitchers give them right back.  Now what is he doing--going to use the whole pen in one inning?

Pitching is a serious need that I hope management will address, sooner rather than later.

@JL--What a friend, as you give me the gentle nudge whilst pretending to hold onto me...

Yeah sure you can have them...<grin>

@JAL-working off your movie thread...Hitchcock never had this many plot twists and turns

@cocktailsfor2 --point taken--the arbitration--and with that HR he now has the second highest total of his career.

@JL

mlb.com Gameday.

You can watch the replay there, AND follow the game much better than yahoo.

Just turn the sound down when you watch Mario's salami.

My heart may give out before I make it to the bridge...and yes JL you can still have my tickets.

@JL...no red vests tonight. Adam's bomb was a liner that hit the base of the hitting background in dead center. A no doubter.

@JAL...no one said JR's handling of pitchers made any sense.

I can't see what was so special about Andy's play at 3rd...any third baseman should be able to go half a step to his left for a ground ball...no matter how hard it's hit...and he still barely caught the ball.

www.youtube.com/watch

that kills me.

@BK--Not in any single movie.  Now Charade, not a Hitchcock movie, might have had this many plot twists:)

Oh, should tell you that I will not be around tomorrow--might check in late.  Taking a 6:30 train to NYC for the Online Media Marketing and Advertising Conference--just going up and back for the day.

So is Jr going to be able streeeeeetch this out with a lead until he can use Capps?