By Dejan Kovacevic | Trib Total Media
Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (8-10) vs. Philadelphia Phillies, exhibition
Starters: RHP Kyle McPherson vs. RHP Aaron Cook
Time: 1:05 p.m.
Site: Bright House Field, Clearwater, Fla.
Radio: MLB.com
Here is the official live box score.
Here is the TribLIVE’s Pirates page. Rob Biertempfel is on the beat.
First, what no TV?
Pirates lineup
https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/312195172639330306/photo/1
Not exactly Murderers’ Row.
Unless you are a Pirate fan
McPherson is the possible 5th starter I am following the most. I wonder if the blog’s Milo Hamilton went to the game? Would be interesting to get a eyewittness report/review from a non media observer.
I hope this kid makes it.
I expect Phils to be somewhat improved this year, but third in NL East.
Radio,
I thought he pitched well at the end of last year. I’m rooting for him also, but wonder if Lockes handedness (left) will give him and edge.
Stuart
Aside to AW,
Please don’t think that I mean he is a candidate for #1 starter like you thought with my Clint Robinson comments.
Stuart
??? Didn’t think that at all, Stuart. I was responding to NMR’s question about if people thought Robinson would make it to the 25 out of ST. Your comment came the closest (which wasn’t very close). Maybe just think of it as “collateral damage.”
Yeah, I deserve the bullet for that one, not AW.
Since only one guy can play each position AND Gaby Sanchez is platooning at 1B, I did take your comment to mean you thought there was a legit chance of Robinson making the team at that spot.
I read ya wrong, friend.
+1
I saw him pitch two weeks ago. Live stuff.
It was early spring training. Can’t tell anything else about his pitching ability, but innate talent is there. Doesn’t always translate but his pitches dance.
Any line-up that has Clint Barmes batting 7th is already a bad line-up!!
GROAT!!!!!!!!!!
Jandy, my girl, I have missed you tremendously!!
When I throw my socks on the floor at night, I always imagine you glaring at me until I pick them up!!!
That is far, far more information than I need
She never did that to Opium Drew.
Heroin
Now, Drew Dahling, you know I <3 you, dahling
Heroin, marihoochy, opium, et al can all come through Turkey.
YIKES! Thanks, I think!
Spunky, Drew wasn’t ever gone for very long, and he knows he’s my dahling
Biz, close your eyes ;X
Figured a little talk of recent contract extension within the division belonged here:
Brewers extended CF Gomez for four more years. Interesting to Pirate fans because:
-He’s pretty much what we should be expecting from Starling Marte. Great speed and defense, no walks, lots of K’s.
-He bats 2nd and 7th, not 1st.
-He’s a Boras client, yet actually signed an extension instead of testing free agency.
Cardinals extended Allen Craig for five more years. Interesting for Pirate fans because:
-Deal covers the same duration (four remaining years of team control plus one FA year) as the likely extension for Neil Walker, if it were to happen right now.
-Deal is for only $31m including one free agent season at $11m. This is almost exactly the same contract that Fangraphs suggested Neil Walker would be worth.
-Assuming that Craig is clearly the better hitter(.300/.348/.515 vs. .280/.339/.424), question becomes whether Fangraphs overestimated, Cardinals underpaid, or average defense at 2B is that much more valuable than average defense at 1B/OF.
National Mart of Records,
First thing I noticed when I got back here was your National Record Mart logo.
Bravo!!!
Just for you, Groat.
National Mart of Records,
Second thing I noticed as I read through various days’ comments is that you have been a little fiesty here!
We’re always looking for more Tiger (Don Hoak), more Bulldog (Orel Hershieser), more Charlie Hustle here.
We Buc fans should not be easy to play against or comfortable to say stupid thing about baseball, especially Pirate baseball!
Go for it, National Mart of Records!! Keep “brushin’ em back!!!”
Haha, yeah, work has been a bear the last two weeks and I think I’ve been taking it out on the blog.
At least I got one lunatic in my corner!
:;ahem::
aw, you’re makin’ me blush!
Stats for McPherson listed on the radiocast seem disapointing. Does Locke have the inside track for #5? Who is #4?
Dejan on the chat, said Kartsy, or at least I’m pretty sure he listed him as the No. 4 to start the season
Iowa Radio,
Huntington said Sunday on his first show, if I remember correctly, that McPherson’s stats were skewed because he had had some “bad luck” with balls put in play. It sure sounded like he was touting McPherson as #5 Starter.
I always absolutely LOVE it when sabermetric guys like Neal start justifying their statistical viewpoints with “bad luck!!!”
Foo would laud that statement by Neal.
Any statement by Neal.
+1
Ditto !!!!!
Wilver Dornel,
You are one of my favorite guys here.
However, every time I see that face in your avatar, I want to hit you with a telephone pole!!!
::snicker::
His own face is too old.
+1
:;ducking::
That reminds me of Neal’s quote when Charlie Morton got lit up, five feet here, five feet there, it would have been a good start.
I think Neal also said, except for that iceberg, the Titanic would have had a great first cruise….
Locke reminds me so much of Paul Maholm. But like Paul, I think he’ll have to take his lumps at the big league level in order to figure it out.
Well, I see the third base coach is in mid-season form….
Is it still Leyva? Bob Hasis would have stroke. There have been guys thrown out at home all spring. (Due to it being spring training of course).
I was just getting in practice for my mid-season form
Shaky defense, but he gets out of it. A good sign.
On an unrelated subject, Mr. Hadar, if you’re there, Iowa State not doing well.
At work, but you inspired me to check gamecast. Looks like a tenuous 66-64 lead now with 1:24 to go. Although I see OU was up 14 earlier.
Final 73-66 Clones.
Hope it helps the Hawks RPI a tad.
Drew,
It was great to spend some time with you in Bradenton!!
And thanks for taking me to that strip club in Sarasota . . . . I’d never seen anything quite like that before (and I hope never again!) When she said, “Drinks are on me,” she wasn’t kidding!!
Sorry I stepped away from you when you got a little rambunctious . . . I don’t usually get embarrassed, but . . . .
OOhhhhhhh!! Myyyyyy!!!!! ;X ;X ;X
Hey, a pitcher who can bunt. And not get hurt.
Why are they using Jonathan Sanchez tomorrow? Need to send him to Indy.
No Karstens. No Liriano. Locke and McPherson just pitched.
Somebody has to start.
Showcase him for a trade.
A package deal??
NMR:
Good point. Thanks
Why send him down? He’s on a Minor League contract, he’s not blocking anybody, and if he could even get the groove back, he used to be very good as a Major League pitcher. Plus, it costs the Pirates and extra $100,000 to send him to the minors because he is a vested Major Leaguer.
When I saw him at Pirate City, he looked GREAT in bullpen sessions! His ball moved more than any other pitcher I saw. And he would hit the catcher’s mitt with all that movement. Now all he hits is the dirt, and when he lets up on the pitches to have better control, he hits the bats!
Since he can hit maybe we could put him in right field?
ooof
Five scoreless for McPherson. Can’t hurt him any.
Where’s the offense?
I still prefer winning meaningless games to losing them.
57 pitches in 5 innings for McPherson
nice
So Walker singles, goes to second on a HBP, third on fly ball, and home on a wild pitch — and I was worried about the offense!
Mr. Hadar:
Amazing comeback/win for Cyclones.
Forsooth!
Andy Oliver? Who is he?
HE IS WHO WE THINK HE IS.
Sorry, juts havin’ a little fun…
Oliver was a former top prospect(2009, I believe) rushed to the majors by the Tigers where he lost his control and hasn’t found it since.
Fits in somewhere towards the bottom, talent wise, of our group of big armed lefties that can’t seem to find the plate.
Great outing for Kyle McPherson against the actual Phillies. They played their starters & everyone but Michael Young played the whole game. Five shutout innings with no walks. If it’s an actual competition, McPherson is ahead of Locke.
Not a good day for Mike Zagurski trying to make it as a non roster lefty reliever. He gave up the winning home run to lefty batter Pete Orr in the 8th inning. His job description is to get that guy out.
Hopefully Kyle builds off this performance, need to get quality starts from the back end of the rotation until reinforcement are ready or called up.
Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the report, Milo.