By Dejan Kovacevic | Trib Total Media
Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (4-8) vs. Baltimore Orioles, exhibition
Starters: RHP Kyle McPherson vs. LHP Wei-Yin Chen
Time: 7:05 p.m.
Site: McKechnie Field, Bradenton, Fla.
Radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Here is the official live box score.
Here is the TribLIVE’s Pirates page. Karen Price is covering.
Also, with the release today of the Pirates’ 2013 media guide comes the obligatory sifting through all of the franchise’s minority partners, the only time it’s made public who actually is in ownership. Not that it matters much anymore. Bob Nutting controls more than three-quarters of the team himself and has total say as chairman of the board.
Anyway, the full list of Limited Partners beyond Bob Nutting is as follows, in no particular order: Bill Nutting, G. Ogden Nutting, Bruce Adams, Dennis Adams, William Allen, Donald Beaver, Frank Brenner, Michael Brenner, Robert Brooks, Dennis Heindl, James Johnson, Thomas Johnson, Jr., Mary Means and the CBS Corporation.
Looking at last year’s guide, the only difference I see is that Jay. H. Lustig is gone.
Holy Crap, a night game.
I wonder if they’ll even be able to play it now that Consol Dejan is back on hockey.
Still plenty of time for you to digest your 4PM dinner
Double crap. I think that’s my dentist pitching for Baltimore.
If the dentist was pitching the game would have started at 2:30.
(Tooth hurty)
“Anyway, the list beyond Bob Nutting: Bill Nutting, G. Ogden Nutting, Bruce Adams, Dennis Adams, William Allen, Donald Beaver, Frank Brenner, Michael Brenner, Robert Brooks, Dennis Heindl, James Johnson, Thomas Johnson, Jr., Mary Means and the CBS Corporation.”
——————————–
The true evil empire of baseball (at least according some). CBS corporation, eh? Now folks can’t even watch “The Big Bang Theory” without supporting this “farce.” HAHA!!!
Chairman of the Board gives him total say? Being Principal Owner gives him control of day to day operations but anything that has to be voted upon by the Board would be based on the number of votes he has on the Board, and maybe he has a majority there.
DK: He’s got them all, essentially. The Board itself, to my knowledge, is all Nutting and family. And he has more than one vote himself, if memory serves.
If he owns 3/4 of the franchise, doesn’t that mean he controls 3/4 or more of the vote? (Not sure if there may be owners that don’t have the rights to vote)
But most days, I’m not too sure about anything, anymore
Voting rights on a board don’t always follow economic interest. They might here. Anyways, I thought he has had board control for a while basically, with board votes maintained by Bob, family members, and the Ogden Newspapers CFO who does own any of the team.
doesn’t own any of the team.
Is Duane Wittman still on the board DK?
DK: There’s no longer a listing for the board.
Don Beaver was listed as a board member in 2007.
I wonder if that is the same Donny Beaver that owns the Spring Ridge Club in Central PA.
This jack*ss has been buying the rights to prime stretches of trout streams, most of which are on some of the last naturally reproducing fisheries in the state, and posting them as private property for members only. Members that can afford a $90,000 entrance fee.
He then overpopulates the water with ungodly large hatchery raised trout that out compete the native fish and polute stretches downstream.
On top of it all, he does this in the name of “conservation”.
The CBS corporation owns the Pirates? Now, I’m going to be thinking about that every time I watch the Big Bang Theory.
If my memory serves they go back to the days of the consortium when Westinghouse was an owner and their CEO Doug Danforth was the Pirates chairman.
Yup, you are right
Caliguiri and then Mcclatchey stepped to the plate
We still have our Bucs and PNC
Don’t know how you can upgrade PNC, unless you blow up that dam sign
Bonifay lead the designing, from a PBC perspective
-Absolutely love this quote from DK’s column today.
“We’re letting Starling be who he is,” Hurdle said. “We do want to see better strike-zone awareness. But when he swings, we want him doing it with bad intentions.”
-Bad intentions….I like it.
BTW, Marte is my “pick to click.”
-Whoa, thought I typed something else there for moment…
-Also, you’re absolutely right about sending him to AAA until June. I see no good coming from him making the team out of ST. Pointless to me really.
Keith Law hasn’t been kind to Starling this winter. He said in his chat yesterday that his OBP skills were so bad that he wouldn’t produce enough to be an everyday player.
I like reading Keith and respect his opinion since he’s actually been good enough to work in a Major League organization before, but I think he overplays his hand for effect sometimes.
He also said in yesterday’s chat that Tony Sanchez wasn’t good enough defensively to even be a Major League backup. I can’t remember ever reading a scouting report that questioned his defense.
-No, Sanchez has always been rated very highly for his defensive skills. I agree with you on reading Law’s stuff, but he can’t be right all the time.
-Its a known fact that Marte is a free swinger, we all knew that as he was coming up, however this was something he supposedly was working on. Let’s see how it plays out. I expect decent things from him this year and expect him to be at Cutch’s level in about 3 years. High expectations, I know.
“but I think he overplays his hand for effect”
What a journalist???? Never.
Hoka Hey, My Brother
“since he’s actually been good enough to work in a Major League organization before”
So does Kyle Stark
I have been waiting all Winter for McPherson vs. Chen
+ 1
It’s completely unbelievable how the Nutting’s have wormed their way into this hellaciously powerful position since latter 1996. What started with a (roughly) million dollar investment by G. Ogden, now has turned into a power house of a bonanza run by the dreaded Bob Nutting.
People wonder how scheister’s tend to take over business, government etc., but we’ve seen it first hand with the Pirates in the past 17 years.
I just don’t ever see the Pirates being anything significant again until (somehow someway) the Nutting Regime is dissolved.
In my opinion….They have no interest in baseball (not to mention Pirate fans), and they only thrive on getting their hands on almighty dollar bill…..Endlessly.
“What started with a (roughly) million dollar investment by G. Ogden…”
And they’ve prioritized paying down their debt instead of plowing the revenue sharing welfare they receive back into payroll. The Nuttings have played the OPM (Other People’s Money) game like maestros. The fans and the taxpayers who are paying off PNC Park have been made into patsies. Just watch: Burnett won’t be re-upped; we only have him because the Yankees are paying. Legend will be dealt. Cutch and Walker too, before their years of control are gone.
-AJ not being resigned is really a concern?
From the end of 2006 to 2009, debt increased $21 million. No financials are available after 2009.
I’m talking about the whole span of time since the Nuttings came onto the scene. Trading away Aramis Ramirez in ’03 because the Nuttings wouldn’t sell a few shares in order to get the supposed MLB-required debt ratio in line still sticks in my craw. (Besides, I doubt MLB would have really forced action if the Pirates had asked for more time. They just didn’t want to pay.) It also sticks in my craw that Bob said he hopes his daughters can one day live off the Pirates. Murray Chase has reported on some inside figures given to him. We can go on.
The Nuttings view the Pirates as their family cash cow, the fans be damned.
Yeah, you are right, a trade like that, after we signed him, still bothers me a great deal.
Same with the Bay trade, 7 1/2 minutes that changed the franchise
And not for the better
I know, I know, deal with today
Just sayin
I hope JBay kicks the crap out of the AL West
JBay — how true. Another one.
“I know, I know, deal with today.
Yes, that’s all we can do. Which brings me back to the idea that it’s probably better to bring up Cole sooner than later. The time is NOW, with Nutting and his minions still in charge of the future.
Not for Cole its not….Bring him up, save his time April/May won’t win you a pennant.
NorCal,
I’m not sure I understand your post. But if it concerns Cole’s development, I’ve already stated that if he has something to gain by starting the season in Indy, then so be it. If he is ready now, the priority for the Pirates in 2013 should be 2013. And if Cole IS ready, “April/May won’t win you a pennant” is just untrue. Wins from April and May count as much as the rest when tallied on the final day.
Ghost, how would Nutting selling shares affect the debt ratio? Anyways, that wasn’t my understanding of what happened.
To raise cash. I believe the ratio is debt to cash. Nutting Hostage, wherever he is, used to have this argument down cold.
No. The ratio was debt to equity. And he does not understand the issues.
Btw, they no longer use that ratio but have gone to an EBITDA approach.
Nutting Hostage understood the issues well; I’m the one who is hazy on what his arguments used to be. It may have been the Nuttings should sold a small stake in one of their other interests to bide time with the MLB during that rough patch in ’03. Regardless, I find it hard to believe baseball truly put a gun to the Pirates’ head and forced them to shed salaries. The Pirates do that on their own anyway.
Oh he didn’t come close to understanding the issues. In fact, he stole a lot of stuff from me and posted it on different web sites as his own. Other stuff he just made up.
I analyzed the financials statements that were leaked and DK used this on his old blog. Any questions in have on the financial situation through 2009, I’ll be happy to answer.
Well it sounds like you and Hostage had some issues between yourselves and the leaked documents, none of which is really my concern. What I want to know is a) what else could ownership have done in 2003 to have tweaked their supposed ratio to get it “in line,” and b) just what would the MLB have done if the Pirates asked them for more time? Cannot believe the league would have said “you HAVE to cast off some of your best players RIGHT NOW.”
Won’t be back until late tonight, but will be sure to check this thread.
They could have raised additional capital which, as I understand it, they tried to do, but that was met with resistance from the minority partners who would have had their ownership interests diluted.
The loan Nutting made in 2003 for $20 million was a good deal, especially for the minority partners. The problem is that the organization was obviously mismanaged financially from 1996 to 2003. And then again until around 2007.
As far as asking the league for more time, that wasn’t the issue. The issue was with their banks. They ran out of credit which was reported by the AP and confirmed by the leaked documents.
“As far as asking the league for more time, that wasn’t the issue.” So the banks wouldn’t extend further credit. Still, was it not the MLB imposed debt ratio that was invoked and which specifically triggered the ’03 Ramirez and Lofton trade? I mean, the ratio rule is what everybody then, and now (including you and I) have been citing. Why, if there is no cause and effect? Not trying to be cute. Genuinely confused.
“It also sticks in my craw that Bob said he hopes his daughters can one day live off the Pirates.”
He said he wants his daughter to run the team. He has the right to pass his shares to them.
Of course we can hope they get themselves some rich husbands.
And I would be skeptical of those “inside figures” Chase has.
“He said he wants his daughter to run the team.”
No, that isn’t what he said. If, in fact, he is raising his daughters to be active and competent owners (something for which he is poorly qualified), maybe some day things will be better in Pirateland. But what Nutting actually said was that he would “absolutely not” sell the Pirates to Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle because the plan is for the Nutting family to retain ownership of the Pirates across multiple generations, including that of his three daughters.
As for Chass, I believe him before I believe Nutting and Coonelly.
Fantasy Leagues
Everyone is welcome
All Yahoo
League ID – 25547
Password – 1203
ID – 25558
Password – 1203
ID – 25576
Password – 1203
ID – 25595
Password – 1203
Hey, sign up, you can be a Nuttin too
never played fantasy baseball before but if Nutting can do I am confident I can too. Thanks for setting this up
“No way Pirates should keep Cole” Jeez Dejan when I read the headline I thought’ he wants to trade him to the Yankees while his value is high. I agree bring him up in June. We play a murderess schedule in April anyway. No use in scaring the kid to death (though it sounds like he doesn’t scare easy) Give the older guys a chance to shake out. Wouldn’t it be dreaming that we don’t need him! (yeah I know, I promise I’m not on crack) Bring on the birds, Hope Steve is talking Orioles, Bucs world series. Beat’em bucs
A slow day and night, lets go fishing for new lunatics
Welcome Lunatics, if you don’t see your current location below, please add a reply to this post
PS, IMO all places are part of the Burgh, as you are there
It’s that “Family” thing
Dejan’s Lunatic Nation – at the Trib,
Arizona – Tucson, Chandler, Phoenix, Sunnyslope, Davis-Monthan AFB*
Arkansas – Rogers
Austrailia – Mackay
California – Bakersfield, San Francisco, UNION CITY, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Hollywood, Huntington Beach, Yuba City, Solana Beach, Yorba Linda, Yuba City*, Edwards, Long Beach, Modesto, Davis
Canada – Toronto, Winnipeg, Moncton – New Brunswick, Ontario – Muskoka
China – Beijing
Colorado – Ft Collins, Estes Park*, Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs
Connecticut – Cos Cob, Bridgeport, Wallingford, Norwalk, NEWTOWN
Costa Rica
Czech Republic
Delaware – Newark
Denmark – Greenland – Thule*
District of Columbia
Florida – Palm Harbor, Orlando, Valrico, Gainesville, Daytona Beach, Oviedo, Tampa, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Palm Beach Gardens, Cape Coral, Coco Beach (Major Nelson and Mary Ann), Niceville (Red Neck Rivera), St Petersburg, Pembroke Pines, Ft Lauderdale, Palm Beach Gardens, Hallandale Beach
Georgia – Marietta, Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Acworth
Germany – Leverkusen/Cologne
Hawaii – Honolulu
Idaho – Mountain Home, Coer d’Aline, Mountain Home AFB*
Indiana – Indianapolis, Burns Harbor, South Bend, Bicknell, Ft Wayne
Iowa – Bettendorf, Humboldt
Illinois – La Salle, Peru, Payson, Chicago, Palatine (3 inmates there), Lincoln Park, Grayslake, Algonquin
Japan – Tokyo
Kentucky – Louisville, Bowling Green, Lexington
Louisiana – Slidell
Maine – Bangor
Maryland – Arnold, Odenton, Severn, Baltimore, Waldorf, Hagerstown, Chevy Chase, Hampstead
Massachusetts – Boston, Tygnsboro
Michigan – Kalamazoo, Eaton Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor
Minnesota – Yinzer
Mississippi – Biloxi
Missouri – St Peters***
Montana
Nebraska – Omaha
New Hampshire – Barrington
New Jersey – Chesterfield, Princeton, Roxbury, Lebanon, Lincoln Park, Berkeley Heights, Somerville, Hammock, Barrington, Delran, Pennsville
New Mexico – Mike
New York – New York, Smithtown, Manhattan, Long Island, Nyack, Brooklyn
Nevada, Las Vegas
North Carolina – Asheville, Hickory, Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston, Wilmington, Chapel Hill, High Point
North Dakota
Ohio – Cincinnati, Columbiana, Westerville, Green, Hilliard, Toledo, Louisville, Columbus, Perrysburg, Pickerington, Youngstown, Cleveland, Olmsted Township, Liberty Township, Warren, Oregon, Wintersville, Austintown, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base*, New Philadelphia, Powell, Canton, Salem, New Albany, Bloomingdale
Pennsylvania – Downtown, Hopewell, Indiana, North Wales, Franklin Park, Forest Hills, Lansdale, Philadelphia, Du Bois, Reading, Crafton, Arnold, Wexford, Mt Lebanon, Canonsburg, Lancaster, Huntington, York, Boiling Springs, Philly suburbs, Morningside, Harrisburg, Lawrenceville, Bradfordwoods, Norristown, Hanover, Clearfield, Sewickley, DuBois, Plum Boro, Slippery Rock, Wilks-Barre, Sharpsville, Bessemer, Greensburg, Washington, Imperial, South Side, Duncansville, Newville, Sheppton, Grove City, Butler, Allentown, Ross Township, Blairsville, Flood City (Johnstown), Overbrook, Danny’s Hoagies, Baldwin, Economy, Sharpsville, Erie, North Huntington, Bellfonte, West Mifflin, Kennywood, Pleasant Hills, Beechview (Mad Turk, No 200), Macgunie, Mechanicsburg, Uptown, Cambria County, Mon Valley, Salisbury, Coraopolis, Emsworth, Cranberry Twp, Garrett, O’Hara Township, McCandless Township, 115 Federal Street, Bethel Park, Harrison City, Penn Hills, Kittanning, Dover, Lebanon, Upper St Clair, Rennerdale, Oakland, Scranton, Moon (RMU), State College, Erie, Penn Twp, Stowe, Elizabeth, Hermitage, Easton, Carlisle, Finleyville, Belle Vernon, Madison, Sellersville, Waynesburg, Warren, Beaver Falls, Chambersburg, Green Castle, East Freedom, Leechburg, Banksville City, Ellwood City (named after one of the Blues Brothers??)
The Philipines
Rhode Island
Singapore
South Carolina – Duncan, Longs, Columbia, Bluffton, Greensville
South Korea – Seoul, Mike
Sweden
Tennessee – Smithville, Nashville
Texas – Tyler, San Antonio, Belton, Houston, Katy, Plano, El Paso
Utah – Salt Lake City, Provo
Vermont – North Bennington
Virginia – JAL, Hampton, Rescue, Richmond, Front Royal, Woodbridge, Suffolk, Warrenton, Springfield*, Virginia Beach, Fairfax, Arlington, Yorktown, Henrico, Aldie, Manassas, Newport News
Washington – Seattle, Nine Mile Falls, Spokane, Sammamish
West Virginia – Martinsburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, Mt Olivet
Wisconsin – Madison, Oshkosh, Hortonville
Wyoming – Caspar, Lander
317 locations represented in the blog,
Honorary members, people that have, in our opinion, made a difference
Beano
Lemonade Guy
The Gunner
Mr Roberto Clemente
Mike Lange
Myron Cope
The Honorable Mayor Richard Caliguiri
Kevin Mcclachety
Mike Emerick
Commander Hadfield, courtesy of the Space Station
Fred Rogers
Wilver Dornell Stargell, No 8
Maz
13 countries
44 states, plus the District of Columbia, missing 6 states, North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii, Alabama, Kansas and Oklahoma
Its all in fun, and nominating folks for Honorably members is most welcome
I have an idea. Let’s talk about the merits of Bob Nutting’s ownership until game time.
Just for something completely different.
The subject of the Nutting Regime will never be out of place when it comes to Pirate baseball. It rules every aspect in a tight, iron-fisted head lock.
The many failures of the Nutting regime are only magnified by the fact that the Pirates reside in a city with owners like Mario Lemieux and the Rooneys. Nutting is essentially the runt of the litter.
My point is NOT disagreement.
My point is boredom.
Just looking at the list of Honorary Members; was curious about why the Chief; Art Rooney isn’t on the list.
Lets face it; since the run of 4 superbowls this team has been the heart and soul of this city. How often do you see a sports team shape its roster to the mentality of its fans?
Its not often you hear of a man winning a couple grand at the race track and taking that and turning it into one of the most popular franchises in all of sports.
I’d like to make the Chief and honorary member.
I love the Chief. But if we are going to look at history factually rather than romantically…
The Ancient Steelers under Art were the closer to Modern Pirates.
The four 70s Super Bowls occurred after Art ceded most of the day to day control to Dan. Dan selected Chuck Noll, not Art. Art wasn’t cheap. He was, unfortunately, constitutionally unable to hire successful coaches. And in misplaced loyalty but a sign of strong character, often stuck with his hires too long.
Wonderful man. Kept football in Pittsburgh during difficult early years. And to be factual, oversaw the Steelers through 40 playoff-less years.
I’m not trying to be disrespectful. Just factual.
Those early playoff and Super Bowl years were on Dan’s watch.
Again, for factuality. The gambling winnings story is also a myth.
I look at it this way. Many of the early stories around George Washinton and Abe Lincoln were also myths. Doesn’t take away from their greatness to tell the truth.
” The gambling winnings story is also a myth.”
I suppose next you’re going to tell me that Billy Idol wasn’t really Eddie Muenster.
As one who majored in history at Pitt and escaped with a useless magna cum laude degree, I approve of this post.
The “city of champions” moniker comes from a time when a long horrible Pitt football program and perennial losing Steeler team caught up with a consistently contending Pirates team.
That is past weird to read that today. True, though.
So we have Commander Hadfield but not the Chief?
Say what you want about history vs romance; bottom line Pittsburgh isn’t what it is today without the Steelers.
I agree with that sentiment. And that’s why I think Art was great.
But what does that have to do with what I posted? I never said he wasn’t great. I simply posted the facts about the franchise’s record under Art’s direct control.
In a very odd twist, Art Rooney was a great owner, a great man, the man who kept football in Pittsburgh, and, from purely a W-L perspective, an ineffective owner.
Dom says at 4:15pm:
“The CBS corporation owns the Pirates? Now, I’m going to be thinking about that every time I watch the Big Bang Theory.”
My response is simple: CBS knows how to invest in a good comedy when they see it
Like ++
The Android friendliest live box score I’ve found: http://m.mlb.com/pit/2013_03_08_balmlb_pitmlb_1/
For the record, I still think Pedro is the very definition of a disastrous #1 draft pick.
I’ve heard that record before
Us geezers have a tendency to repeat the few things that late in life are still crystal clear. If Pedro proves me wrong I’ ll be delighted and will apologize. I don’t expect to need to.
I don’t see how 30 home runs and 85 RBIs on a team that has problems getting on base would put him in disastrous No. 1 draft pick territory.
Well, his K rate and batting average could drive a person to ask, “Who else was available in that year’s draft”, and “how are #1 picks from the previous and succeeding year performing?”
“
I don’t understand that response.
He may not have been as productive or consistent as we wanted or expected from a #1 pick. But I don’t think he is a bust or a disastrous pick
Slugging third basemen who top out at .250 30 HR are notmaterial for the #1 pik.
What if they’re in the neighborhood of 100 RBIs?
Btw Officer, who didn’t have Pedro coming out of college as a consensus top 5 pick in the first round?
My question to those of you with television, is it a generous strike zone?
Every time I see the name “Betamit” in a box score, I remember former Pirate Dick Stuart.
Greg Brown says the front office got the idea for the Tiki Bar in RF from the Phillies. Apparently “Phillies” is a code word for “Frank Coonelly.”
+1
Frank Coonelly knows a thing or two about bars.
Baseball, not so much.
True.
Zakurski looks like he should be on a softball team
“We think he is going to bounce back”
I hate when I hear NH say that
And he says it way too often
We really are getting too much material from Greg Brown tonight.
“Morris is the last piece from the blockbuster Jason Bay trade.”
Ummmmm…remove “block” and “er” from that statement, please.
Greg Maddux is the US pitching coach? Is Mad Dog angling for a ML assignment?
I think he already is part of his brother’s team with the Rangers. But maybe he wants his own gig elsewhere?…