Morning links: Daily numbers 122, 82, 16, 96

So, I see that we loonies have finally corrupted the once-serious journalist DK. Between his 10:32 p.m. blog entry during last night's game, and his subsequent posts amidst our comments, one can amply observe shades of JLP and the rest of us, shining through. Welcome to the insane side.

DK- Any story behind the Chris Gomez vote. I think I speak for everyone when I say "What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on?"

JLP-Gotta guess Gomez voted for himself.

Hey, Dejan, do me a favor. If you link to that crappy "where have you gone" blog, please label it clearly so I don't waste my time. I have no interest in anything that guy writes and I have no interest in contributing traffic to his blog. Thanks.

Wilmoth shows the problem with amateur bloggers. They don't recognize when a manager is blowing some smoke. Russell should say good things about Morgan. He's had a productive month. But that doesn't mean he starts next year. Why would anyone expect Russell to say, "He's not really very good and we're not counting on him." How does he benefit from that? You have to learn to read between the lines and save your outrage for things that are actually important.

I really didn't expect Gomez. Possibly Raul Chavez. But, going back through the Notebooks (I keep them under my pillow) Gomez gets constant praise from JR and Smizik called his signing "sensational".

Speaking of the Notebook: I'll bet what DK is keeping from us is that power bat coming from anywhere bears the initials JVB.

One thing to get you through the winter: Only 5 months to prepare for Manatee Community College.

Since I'll be spending my evening with Mrs. Pants, hopefully not trap shooting again, I probably won't be on for a day or two.

So let me say my thanks early. Thanks DK for allowing us to run roughshod over what the P-G hoped would be a good idea and thank you for single handedly keeping the numbers of the "special breed" population as high as they are. I'd be very surprised if any other beat writer had such a faithful following. Or stranger.

Thanks to all the regulars, even the Bucco Bashers. You guys have not only tolerated my nonsense but encouraged it. It's been a good time and I look forward to more. I'm not one to make crazy rallying calls but would you really want to be a Cubs fan? If they have any real ones. When you leave the house today: have Staying Alive playing in your head and strut a little.

Hopefully there'll be some outlet for this over the winter. I don't get such positive feedback from the Fred Honberger Blog or the Marty Griffin Blog.

Actually I made those up. Honsberger's fans are all picking out caskets and Marty Griffin can't read or write.

And one last thing. DK, thanks for not pressing charges. See you guys on 279.

Sounds like FC with this quote that they will indeed try and have Dougie resigned.

"As for the starter, he said, "We'd like to try to add a veteran pitcher at the right cost to help these other guys mature. We understand that there are all different kinds of ways to give instruction, but sometimes the player-on-player way is best."

When I wrote this on May 3, 1995 I didn't have the Pirates in mind, but I see that it fits for our:

2008 Pittsburgh Pirates

Potential

Can Erase

Todays Shortfalls

And Transfer Hope

To Tomorrow

Until Overcome

By Cruel Reality

Cave, I bite, what did you have in mind?

JJ

As I remember it was written as a critisism of the overuse of the word "potential" when pertaining to people.  

Often times, the term was being used as a shield to deflect incompetence.

The question remains:

When do you stop looking at ones potential and see that person for what he is?  This is surely a question being bandied about by Bucs management.

Thanks for the player poll DK.  It shows again how different life in the clubhouse from the fan's perception.  The Gomez vote has been mentioned, but I was most surprised that LaRoche was the starter with the most votes for team leader.  I think most fans would have gone with Jack.

While we've been hard on the guys who came in after the trades, the continuing support for Bay does make you wonder how the on-field performances of the guys not traded were affected, and also how welcome the newcomers were and if their play was possibly affected by the sentiments in the clubhouse.

FF -- I agree with you about JR blowing smoke.  Managers are constrained in what they to the press.  But don't be too hard on the "amateur bloggers".  After all that's us, too.  Just guys expressing opinions.  Free to be as wrong as we are.

Cave -- Have you read Moneyball?  Billy Beane discovers the awful truth about "potential" and turns a failed major league career into an excellent one as a GM.

I don't like the way ownership or management has done things, but this is just ridiculous:

>>The offseason targets, in likeliest order of priority, will be a power bat, a starting pitcher good enough to be a no-doubt member of the rotation and a setup reliever who probably will be right-handed.

Huntington did not hesitate when asked which topped his list.

"I think it's the bat," he said. "If we could add a bat, that would help a lot. Right now, we don't know where our power is going to come from."<<

We had a good bat in the lineup. His name was Jason Bay. Excuse me if I'm not too impressed with what the "best management team in baseball" got back in return for that bat either.

The Pirates need for Adam LaRoche to get his head out of the woods and figure out how to hit in April & May and for Doumit to exhibit more power and for McLouth to keep up with the power he showed this season. I mean, seriously, where do they think they're going to find a power bat that will fit in with the low kind of salary they want to have on their team?

Is it possible to like this team while despising this team at the same time? It must be because that's the way I feel.

Couple of early things before I get back to morning tasks.

Read this morning that the Mariners are the first team in history to lose over 100 games with a payroll over $100 million.  Even money doesn't guarantee success.  God decisions are needed.

@JJ--Did you get my response to your question last night about You Tube?

@48jj--You answered your own question--if that is how you feel then it is possible.  I am sure you are not the only one who  feels that way.  

JHadar

No, i have not read Moneyball.  Does he catechize on the word,  potential,  as used in MLB?

I wonder, and I wonder not having a clue as to who would be availavble to fill that bat role.  Maybe that makes it only a ramble.  That bat would come from a position player who plays first, third or the corner outfield positions.  He would like that bat to not be a one year player.  If it comes from third, we move pedro to first.  If it comes from first we move adam.  If it comes from the outfield, things get very interesting.  We already have an overload of outfielders within the next two years.

Thinking Nate is no way going to be one of the ones who moves unless we get lots and lots for him, Tabata is said to be going to be a star, and clutch is said that about him as well.

We sign an outfield hitter if one is available, we move an outfielder for a pitcher.

We are moving into an area we have not been in for some time, multiple prospect outlook at more than one position.

The baseball law of averages say that adam has to have a breakout year for his springs perfomance soon, some team will give him that chance.

Pearce is hitting the ball hard I have heard, even his outs have been hard hit balls.  give him the shot at first, if he fails move pedro and give the other two a try there.  We must believe that pedro is going to pass andy and neil up, so there is a little backup there.

Since an outfielder is about the only possition I can see the Pirates signing a "power bat" for, here is a list of free agents that might fit in the Pirates pay range:

Age G     AB    R    H    2B  3B  HR  RBI   TB   BB   SO  SB CS  OBP  SLG  AVG

Milton Bradley (31)    125   411   78  133  32    1    22   77    233   80   111   5    3    .439  .567   .324

Pat Burrell (32)           157  536   74  134   33    3    33   86    272 102   136   0    0    .367  .507   .250

Emil Brown (34)         117  402   48    98   14    2    13   59    155   27     65   4    2    .297  .386   .244

Fernando Tatis (34)      92  273   33    81   16    1    11   47    132   29    59    3    0    .369  .484   .297

Bobby Abreu (35)      155  607   99  180   39    4    20 100    287   71  108  21  11    .371  .473   .297

I would expect the Phillies to try and re-sign Burrell.  I don't know what to expect from the Yankees and Abreu.  Tatis's numbers would be on par with Abreu if he had played more games. Maybe an OF of McClouth, Moss, and Tatis while Cutch and Tabata get another year of seasoning in the minors?  

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Ant's marching

Baywatch and other pgh site seekers,

The cliff below the west end overlook that I told you was a must on your honeymoon vist to this town is a spot not many even form the elliott neighborhood are aware of and it does have a name and it is called barney's level.

I use to own a  pizza shop in the area and deliverd to the cliff many a time.

you visit Mt. washington for the touristry feel of the city then you go to barney's level to put a snapshot of the city in your mind.

Mt best analogy:  from the mt. washington view so view the city much like viewing the train display at the science center from up on top looking down. from barneys you are viewing the city form a ten yyr.old level looking at the train display at the science center.

Billy, your home a week beginning to feel stronger?

There are some other free agents out there that I've excluded because of their cost and the position they play like: Teixera, Dunn, Giambi, Griifey, and Blalock.  Even Burrell would be quite a stretch for the Bucs payroll unless they trade Wilson and decide to go a little higher in the FA market.

Cave -- Billy Beane was a "sure fire 5-tool" prospect out of high school, but somehow lost his game, though he was still good enough to have a sub-par major league career based on the "flashes of talent" he displayed.  

After he retired he found himself in the front office.  Discovered Bill James and Sabrmetrics and came to the conclusion that actual performance was more important in drafting players and moving them up the minor league system than "talent" or "skill sets".  

When he became GM at Oakland he began conducting drafts based on stats rather than scout evaluations and the A's became consistent contenders despite their low payrolls.  He made a career of trading established talent for prospects.  

Of course his methods are now the norm.  Clubs are using stats more and more in their player evaluations, and scouting is based more and more on what they do in games than on the traditional 5-tool evaluations.  

The book is already a little dated, but it's a fascinating read.

If this turns out to be a double post forgive me, my original attempt didn't make it through.

@BK - What's the Ants Marching thing?

@JJ-- I am pretty much 100%. Thanks for asking.

@60--Moving over to the next thread posted by DK.

Anybody - Ants marching?

Ants marching is our clue that DK has posted a new piece and we move the discussion to it.  

I'm right there with ya, 48JJ.

Jason Bay WAS a prospect we traded away a superstar for. He quickly became a big bat we counted on, and should have been held onto as a cornerpiece. And should the Regime now acquire a big bat in free agency, how much do you want to bet that we'll pay more for this "big bat" than Bay's salary would have cost us?

Furthermore, this "big bat" means that which of the "prospects" we just so expensively acquired and were supposed to be so excited about will now be blocked? Moss? Andy LaRoche? Or, will this FA be simply a one-year stop-gap signing, thus putting the lie to just last week's assertation that "any FA's are to be players who will be here a while"?  

I think "the plan" is unraveling. However, the Bay trade is done damage. I actually have supported, and still suport the judicious use of free agency in picking up the broken pieces. The lesson to be learned is to not repeat the Bay/Nady/Torres mistakes by dealing away McClouth, Doumit, Sanchez. When the talent is actually on your team, you have to embrace it.  I exempt Jack Wilson from this only because I sincerely feel he has long paid his dues on this painful team, and deserves his day in the sun somewhere better. Of course, if he genuinely wants to stay, by all means, s-u-c-k up his salary and keep one of the elite shortstops in the game.

The Twins need to file a grievance with the Commissioner. Cleveland is pitching ex-Bucco Bryan Bullington today against the White Sox. I like the White Sox chances of winning this one.

DK-Thanks for correcting my guess on Gomez. Mea culpa.  I meant no disrespect for Gomez because the only things I have seen and heard about him have been that he is the consummate professional, he's had a decent year and it would be nice to have him back next year.  I just had not seen anything about him as a leader (and it was late).