Milledge, Walker to Indianapolis

Actually looking forward to seeing Miledge play with Jones and McCutch....Now if we could only trade Jack, Freddy, and Adam

I would love to see Milledge in left and Jones at first with Jack and Freddy still here. Hopefully that will happen, but I kind of doubt it.

www.mlbtraderumors.com/.../odds-and-ends-vinicio-sano.html

good to see Neil back in AAA.  Here's to hoping we see progress.

by end of July:

LaRoche traded/Jones to 1st/Milledge called up

Snell traded to an AL club, makes a difference there

If we are so short on talent, and yes, Ian was a problem child, we need to do all we can to get his head on right

I think there will be another trade out of the blue

Definitely quiet in here so far, no ants marching on previous thread, everyone must be in the rec room watching the movie

@Bizrow - what do you mean about snell traded?

The Indy game is televised live on NESN, New England Sports,  for anyone who has access. Ian's pitching. Hope to see Millidge and Walker in action.

Anybody besides me going through Pirate game withdrawals? I can't WAIT to see some game tomorrow night ... tonight, me and Mrs. Bay will be watching the features from "Charlie Wilson's War," which I figure is just about as exciting as a 2x4 with nails in it!

Bay

Saw Charlie Wilson's War in a theater--enjoyed it.  Well done movie.

Our Gulf Coasters with another win today, over the Yankees, 4-2. Brooks Pounders pounding the zone for 4 strikeouts in 4 innings, no runs, one hit. Wes Freeman had an RBI double to break out of a little slump.

Bay

See, you have games  and the Bucs play again tomm.  Cubs, Astros, Brewers, and Reds all play tonight--things getting moving.

Bay...Going through serious Pirate withdrawals.  I need extra meds to get through the day.  ;-)

Well, JAL, thanks! I just assumed everyone else started back tomorrow, too ... We'll probably watch a little Bravos action. We've found their broadcast team to be not only NOT tacky, but to say very complimentary things about the opposing teams.

Then maybe a little Redlegs ... we find their announcers somewhat intriguing, too, though Jeff Brantley seems to try to be good ol' boy a little too much. Not as bad as he used to be, though. Brantley does have pretty good take on pitchers, though.

Bay

8 games tonight--6 NL and 2 AL

For those of us without the Extra Innings package, there's a free preview of it from tonight through the 22nd.  This applies on Direct TV, at least, not sure about cable.

@Baywatch,

I dont know if I was to ashamed to say the same thing, I am in SERIOUS WITHDRAWAL to the point I re watched the PHILY DEBACLE from Saturday Night...I guess I love pain...

@DMac - " I need extra meds to get through the day.  ;-) "

Take it easy, kid, we need you for PBP :-)

FYI, for those with DirecTV, NESN is channel 628.

Milledge singles, Bixler goes to third, Milledge caught between 2nd and 1st thrown out. Bad base running mistake.

@Daryle - "I guess I love pain"

Well, Bro, I guess we ALL love us some pain ... following the Pirates for 16 losing seasons ...

Back in the 70s, when I was a Braves fan, but with college to keep me away from the games at night, I'd set my alarm and get up at 2:30 a.m. to watch the replay ... and those boys were REGULARLY 30 games behind the rest of the pack! Love me some Dale Murphy, Bob Horner, Garry Matthews and Jerry Royster, though.

Is it just me or does anybody else think the our new Play by Play guy Neverette makes every fly ball seem like a home run, I mean I love him to death, but a ball will be hit and his voice gets high and I jump  up because he is so excited and I am rooting for  a HR , to  only see it fall way  short of the warning track...Pretty draining

Daryl

Is it just me or does anybody else think the our new Play by Play guy Neverette makes every fly ball seem like a home run, I mean I love him to death, but a ball will be hit and his voice gets high and I jump  up because he is so excited and I am rooting for  a HR , to  only see it fall way  short of the warning track...Pretty draining

______________________________________

The Pirates have no announcers that know a home run right away, they all seem to only know it when it goes over the wall and then sometimes they act like they are not sure. Believe me when the outfielder never moves and the ball ends up in the upper deck, they should be able to call those pretty quick.

Neverette has no clue where the ball is from what I can see.

Personally I don't think it is that difficult, maby they are afraid of getting it wrong?

Snell pitching, Diaz catching, 96 mile hr. heat first inning.

Thanks VTPirateFan - I'm watching AAA Indy on NESN TV!

Hey Daryle, Milledge looked good with the bat in the 1st.  He got caught in a rundown between 1st and 2nd in a baserunning error, but sent Bixler from 1st to third.  Pearce also got a hit.  Walker struck out.

@leadoff

You are so right, you would think that is something that they would have down...Greg Brown does it as well ,....lollllllll

@Triple G

Thanks for the update, I am so eager to see Milledge in a Buc uniform that I wish they would just call him up and let him go at it, the finger seems fine and he hit 2 hr's , we need him , bring him up ...

Mayhaps if our announcers begin to see more HRs they may begin to recognize them a wee bit better :)

@leadoff - "Milledge caught between 2nd and 1st thrown out. Bad base running mistake."

You're right, leadoff. Time to call him up. He'll fit right in. :-)

@Daryle - I've noticed that, too, about Neverett ... that false excitement over a hard-hit ball doesn't play over the radio.

@Daryle - No problem pal.  I'll keep jumping online and let you know how Milledge does throughout the game.

Milledge grounds out in the 2nd.  Hit the ball hard but right at the 3rd baseman.

WOOHOO!  Thanks, FSF!  

Comcast has the free preview too! YAY!

Bay

Milledge has been  booed both times up by the paw sox fans

Papa

Mayhaps if our announcers begin to see more HRs they may begin to recognize them a wee bit better :)

______________________

Excuses, Excuses

@pappacoach

now that was funny :)

Leadoff - Thanks ... I actually have the radio broadcast on, but I'm doing a number of different things ... I missed his second AB.

Re- Neverett, Brown- HR call

First of all if I may say, the blog has the second coming of the Gunner, DMac, so we're spoiled a bit (DMac save that voice, fingers, what ever)

Secondly, learned a long time ago with RF seats, that if you lose the ball, or aren't sure, you watch the outfielders and their play, sometimes they are not sure or they are faking it

Personally I like Neveretts PBP and Brown gets excited, I like that too, no shots intended, but IMO big improvement from Lanny.

Blass, I remember 71, and DK would have loved him what an entertainment on interviews, enjoy him folks, Walk, well he challenges, Wehner, well he's from the burgh, so I give him a chance, so far though....

There was a nice double play top of the third - Bixler to Ford to Pearce.

Thanks, Biz, as always.  ;-)

Just a bit of a fore-warning -- no PBP tomorrow.  I'm in the stands at PNC tomorrow night.  

I like Neverett.  It doesn't bother me that he gets hyped up on a fly ball...sometimes it's hard to see the trajectory.  

Anyone else think the Pirates stand more than a 50% chance of getting no-hit tomorrow?

Shelby Ford goes yard!

Shelby Ford just goes WAY yard to left. 4-0, good guys!

I like ol' John Wehner ... before I realized he's a wealth of knowledge, from the broadcast, I let his speech bother me. It doesn't bother me now.

And I gotta ask you mates a serious question. Are your seat belts buckled?  Do we all have our chin straps on? Our mouth guards? (I know personally the answer to that)

We're in for a wild ride, my friends the next 31 days, the 17th losing season, signings, not signings, trades that will initially weaken us/or we may not understand

Its the deconstruction of the PBC, Woody Allen made a good movie on deconstruction, but I like him

IMO we are nearing the top of the Phantoms Revenge start, ready or not to plunge

God willing, I will be here a year from now, I ask some but not all, will you?

Not to be critical, just asking those that believe this is gonna be a good year

Snell is wearing number 39 for some reason in Indy.  

You are most humbly welcome DMac, thanks for your commitment and faith to us all, remember please we had them all the way ; }

Gunner is smiling somewhere

Anyone else find it funny how far ahead of us the Cincinnati Reds are in their rebuilding than the Pirates.  Watching them on the MLB channel, they have youth in their pitching and their power.  

Pawsox announcers say Snell has "Major League Stuff."  E by Ford on routine grounder allows run to score.

DMac, sorry, I was thinking, Rats, Dam, YOOHOO, those are your calling cards, I think there is one or two YUCKs in that as well, no need to be a Gunner reincarnated, hopefully I will sub for you sometime and get to make that call

But there is one connection betwixt you and the Gunner, both fond of rum ; }

Bad guys score on a Shelby Ford error at 2B.  Grrrrrr.....

@Wake - interesting you mention that, USA Today Sports Weekly has a look at Baltys pitching studs, its early but wouldn't you love to read an article about PBC arms?

I gotta agree with an earlier post, of all the Kings Armies and All the Kings men, this FO has obtained, with the exception of Owens, no studmeisters so far, Grossman and Anderson in low A, theres hope, but its early

Wake

You could could bring up a single A team and they would not have a 50% chance of getting no-hit.  Too much has to go right for no-hititer--not just the pitcher but also the fielders.

In 5th, Snell threw 11 pitches ranging from 80-91 mph, 2Ks and one ground out.  Pawsox radar gun may need calibrating, however, as one pitch last inning was clocked at 20 mph.

@Wake, as has been discussed, with this club

We beat Timmy

We lose to Zito, he regains all star form

Cain gets hammered

Such is the frustration of being tied to the PBC

@wakerider

last time we face OL TIMMY L , we bombed him , adam laroche even hit one in mccovey cove, I know things have changed but we will get him again, nobody has mentioned how we own the GIANTS , so I am expecting us to beat him and take the series and run off about 6 straight...YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Does Indy have bobblehead nights for former Pirate greats? Pawsox having Jon Lester bobblehead give away.

Wake

Anyone else find it funny how far ahead of us the Cincinnati Reds are in their rebuilding than the Pirates.  Watching them on the MLB channel, they have youth in their pitching and their power.  

_______________________

I don't agree that they are ahead of us, we have youth in our pitching, we have "AA" and both "A" teams stocked with talent.

Huntington had a deeper hole to dig out of than the Reds GM, and by the way the Reds did bring in a big time GM in Jockerty. I expect the Bucs and Reds to rise up in this division in the near future.

Watching the Indy game on TV reminds me of time during one of the strike periods in 70s or 80s when TBS tried to substitute Richmond Braves games for Atlanta Braves.  Given that we have key components of the 2011 Rebuilding Plan on display in this game, this is much more interesting.

Reading

20 MPH--probably impossible to throw a baseball that slow

Th gun must need some work

JAL

I disagree.  Ceremonial First Pitch in All Star Game might have achieved 18 mph at best.

Biz

I gotta agree with an earlier post, of all the Kings Armies and All the Kings men, this FO has obtained, with the exception of Owens, no studmeisters so far, Grossman and Anderson in low A, theres hope, but its ea

___________________________

You are not likely to hear about class A arms and lower, because the Pirates control the pitches they throw and how many pitches per inning they can throw. There stats to us are basically meaningless.

Ok, lets be serious, we need a 27-9 run much like the rockies did, sorry and gawd love you folks, but seriously, honestly, as srsly is probably trademarked by PoH, and I'm not NuHo reconstituted or whatever, I have to ask, nope typed and not going to question the parade

So night all, good tidings, everyone has the right to their opinion, never mind.

Watching the Nat game here and seeing Guzman play short is painful.  

I find it interesting that when Milledge comes up to bat some fans are chanting "Lets go Mets".

Milledge had 5-pitch walk showing patience and a good eye.

JAL/Reading

I don't think you would want Snell to hit you with that 20 mile/per hour fastball.

Bob Prince said about a pitcher named Miller, "He couldn't bloody your nose" with that fastball.

Adam's average at PNC is better than on the road, Doumit hopefully will be getting his swing back.  Lincecum is tough, but the do, on the whole, seem to do better against the better pitchers.

Altoona 5-0.PA is 2-3 and goes yard.#5.

The Radio announcers are discussing Snell coming back up or pitching for a trade, it does not sound like the announcers believe he should be pitching at Indy.

Pedro goes deep again.

Lynchburg behind 4-3 top of 6

Hey guys,

Long time reader, 1st time poster.

To answer an earlier question, I'd go $4.5m for Sano based on everything I've read.  Would be great to make signings in back to back years (Alvarez & Sano) to show a real commitment and add some big time talent to the system.

Also, is it just me or does Milledge look smaller on NESN tonight than expected.  I know what DK said about his build when he met him in FLA, but he he looks more like a leadoff speedster than someone with 20 hr power.  Especially in PNC.  Thoughts?

leadoff

Even poor fast balls make it into the 50 MPH range.  Knuckleball ranges from 55 to 75.

In 26 innings Snell has given up 1 earned run with 33 strikeouts, they say he always happy always smiling.

JAL

Even poor fast balls make it into the 50 MPH range.  Knuckleball ranges from 55 to 75.

______________________________

Trust me Snell is dealing tonight.

The NESN camera from centerfield seems to be located about 5 miles from the ballpark.  The helmet of each batter only goes to about halfway up the picuture so there is an inordinate amount of back screen being shown.

Welcome Steelbuck--if you have been reading you know the basics--Meds and straight jacket at front desk and ifo on adding an avatar by clicking on my name.

Gorzo, 1 earned run in his last 3 outings.

leadoff

i believe it--I never had a question about Snell's arm--he should be the best starter they have--just can't seem to deal with pressure.

With Snell and Gorzo, Indy might have the best one-two punch in the minors.

NESN broadcasters contemplating dilemma of Snell being "way too good to be pitching in AAA" and whether he has burned his bridges in Pittsburgh.

Kind of makes you wonder why the Phillies would take an over the hill pitcher in Martinez when guys like Snell and Gorzo would surely be available for the right price.

Pawsox batter survives Snell beaning up and in on front shoulder.

Radar gun malfunction confirmed.  Snell last fall ball clocked at 45 mph.  Wheels possibly starting to come off in bottom of 7th.

Bases loaded (2 walks, 1 HBP).  Snell removed with one out in 7th.

Snell removed after 97 pitches.  Walked 2 and hit one batter in the 7th.  Koplove coming in.

@ leadoff,

The Reds have youth at pitching as well with Cueto and Volquez in the majors, and Thompson, Bailey and Lotzke(sp?) coming up.  They also have another big power guy on the way to join Votto, Bruce and Phillips.

Shelby Ford hits a double!  He's looking good with a bat tonight.  Hopefully he's coming around.

This was mentioned earlier, about Strasburg not signing and being throw back into the draft pool next season.  That would be horrible news for Pirates fans.  Imagine the media backlash if the Pirates had a chance to draft Strasburg or Harper next season and had to pass on them because they were too expensive.  Hopefully the Nats save us the aggregation and sign Strasburg.

Milledge retired on sac fly in the 8th.

BTW, the outfield of Milledge, McCutchen and Jones seems like it could have impact not only in the present but the future as well.  All are young, talented and have the potential to put up numbers across the board.  It's a shame that Jones won't be back next season.

Wake

two points--1)Jones is not young--he is 28  2) What makes you think he won't be back next season?  Pirates control his rights for the next 5 years )maybe 6)

@STEELBUCK 2

Milledge was born to be a leadoff hitter, Its killing me that he has to go thru this rehearsal before coming up , like we have all the bats we need, come on call this guy up already, Jones, Milledge, Amac, ...Tell me a better outfield in the NL CENTRAL, (of course if jones keeps up this pace) plz dont tell me the CUBS.......Its getting bright in BUCTOWN BABY ..

Shelby Ford with a standup double top of the 9th!

daryle,

You have more confidence in Milledge and Jones than I do.  Jones is on his first trip around the league.  Milledge has not been anything special with the Mets or Nats.

ant can march--no news but Dejan posted some pics of today's workout========================================

Milledge 2-4 with a 2B and 2 walks.

Hey Daryle, top of the 9th Milledge starts his at-bat a little wild but settles in and shows good plate discipline... takes the walk.

In regards to the announcers, has anyone else heard the Waynesburg University commercial on the radio? Lanny Frattere is doing the commercial. Too bad Lanny didn't stick around. I miss him on the radio.

JAL,

Pirates 'pushing' trade of All-Star Sanchez

Thursday, July 09, 2009

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pirates are "pushing hard" to trade All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez, according to a National League executive this morning.

with which the Pirates have spoken, the source said, but there are as many as four or five more

Pirates Notebook: Sanchez trade not imminent

Friday, July 10, 2009

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Matt Freed/Post-GazetteAccording to one National League executive, the Pirates are pushing to trade all-star second baseman Freddy Sanchez.The Pirates are "pushing hard" to trade All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez, according to a National League executive yesterday

I saw your comment to some whiner and have to wing it from memory.

The conversation began by my interpatation of these two stories indicating a change in position.

I commented to one who posted that he was still crying wolf when in fact there was new news.  

I presumed by DK's response that in fact he had not changed a thing.  I replied to explain how I came about my error of transposition.

The Pirates having a need to in their view to clarify what they obviously saw as incorrect information gave diffrering information.

Expecting a knock out punch, I termed it a backing off by DK to not challenge the differance.

The issue was over for me when DK said my view was not his.  Why would i not accept his explanation, makes sense.

But, so does after expecting more of a challenge to differing information lend one to believe a change occured without challenge.

To his credit DK being the gentleman, placed the information to his position in one spot for me.

My opinion remains that similar circumstances in general negotiations that one of the sides would back off or the conversation continues.

Backing off is not a bad thing as noted by Jerry Mico brought to us In a DK link to the differance between a beat writer and reporter.  

I also have absolute understanding of DK's position on his stories and have from his first note accepted as of course the truth.

I think there is way less to this as nothing more than two guys exchanging information to come to a mutual clarification.

I might be in a minority here, but cheers to Greg Brown and Bob Walk for adding so much to each broadcast even when too often there is little to cheer about. Kudos also to Tim, Steve, and John for their loyalty to Pirate baseball and all who support it.