By Dejan Kovacevic | Trib Total Media
Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (9-13) vs. Boston Red Sox, exhibition
Starters: RHP James McDonald vs. RHP Clay Buchholz
Time: 1:05 p.m.
Site: McKechnie Field, Bradenton, Fla.
Radio: 93.7 The Fan
Here is the official live box score.
Here is the TribLIVE’s Pirates page. Rob Biertempfel is on the beat.
I’m ready for a good outing from McDonald. Season is getting close, time to start trying to get guys out.
TC–I hope we get more today than “Polanco is tall.”
Hope it’s not raining there like it is here or the only report we’ll get is how the local watering holes are.
+1
I may stop by that watering hole again today.
Film at Eleven.
I forgot my phone yesterday
Tough crowd.
Huge change brewing. Sounds like Bud will get his wish for a World Wide Draft.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/03/mlb-mlbpa-talking-worldwide-draft.html
I’m not even sure where to start with this. So many questions to be answered. Thank god we have Bud, the champion of economic equality.
It will be interesting to see how they blend Latin players in, as you can sign them when they are 16 vs the 18 and older portion for the guys that are in the current draft
Absolutely. Will they make a uniform minimum age?
Also, what will happen to the Latin American facilities, period?
What will be team motivation to spend money teaching kids who will be fair game to all other teams?
An update to MLBTradeRumors says they may be separate drafts
Thanks for the heads up, Biz.
I forgot to mention that I personally witnessed Frank Coonelly greeting last week. He wasn’t quite in top form but it is spring training for him too you know. His wife seemed very nice. Poor woman.
Are you back home?
Safe, sound & cold.
The first 2 are the most important.
The third one can be fixed with a brew
So it looks like JMac has given up two runs so far in the first?
Howdy all….
Hey, Ryan.
anything new in here??
thoughts on Cole being sent down? I think its a good thing, only from the business stand point.
+1
Hi Ryan
Hi Jandy…Go Pens huh?
They’re on a roll, Ryan!
Always a good thing…
TC, is JMac’s downward plane really downward this spring?
He’s tall, too, right?
Lucky
JMac is a real question mark, I am concerned about the rest of the pitching staff this year. Like you said, this year’s Bucs is not the ’27 Yankees or ’71/’79 Buccos. I am concerned big time.
Good to see you, Gunner. I was playing off Neal’s comment a few years back after the Bay trade I think, when he said he didn’t exactly trade away the ’27 Yankees.
But I truly hadn’t realized they had hit that many homers. Then 3 today raised them to 17. We need to score some runs. Our 3rd to 5th starters are big question marks.
Milo said last week when he was down there that JMac threw real well after the first inning. Seems the same today.
Funny you mention that Lucky. My wife’s scouting report today was that the Red Sox loaded up on short players versus JMac
Is Walker’s homer our 4th of the spring? I know Barmes has 2 & Gaby one. Anyone else hit one?
I just read that Gaby has 3
Probably does. Just seems like we haven’t hit many this spring.
I honestly haven’t been paying attention…
I saw Cutch, Pie & Hawpe hit homers. There may have been more but those are the ones I remember.
Guess I’m way off. Just seemed like they’ve been few and far between. It’s about what to expect from a team that’s not the ’27 Yankees.
I think I have to agree with Groat, Lucky. You’re snideliness is at full speed lately!
Did he say that again? I was just commenting. Not meaning to be snide about it.
Guess I need to quit.
No, no Spunky, keep up the good work, you’re making me laugh
Was wondering the actual number myself…
After today, pirates have 17 home runs this spring.
Well, at least Lucky was close.
I only missed by 13, AW.
Of course, that was me being snide.
Me too.
Too many pitches by JMac so far. The ump doesn’t seem to be helping him.
I will say that his body language is terrible. I am starting to by into the notion that his struggles could be above the shoulders
You’re pretty much describing what I saw last Wednesday. He did straighten himself out & finish strong. 2 runs in the 1st then shutout ball the rest of the way.
Maybe a neck-wringing will fix that?
+10
He obviously has the natural ability, but his head could be the problem.
Not good news.
Mechanical problems can be fixed.
Mental issues…not that easily.
AAA lineup for the Sox, too.
I think Locke’s second outing has been the closest to a full squad as we’ve gotten from Boston this spring.
Still don’t like Locke
Don’t trust the box score today.
The winds are wicked today
(Holy crap…I sound like a Sox fan)
That’s Florida for ya, the wind seems to always affect outcomes.
–I just wish it blew out more when I was playing
Thunder’s getting wet. Not many places to escape there.
I am under the roof on the first base side. But the wind is blowing the rain in
Protect your phone! They don’t like water too much.
Do you like what they’ve done with the place ?
Yes, very much Milo. Sat in the new outfield bleachers yesterday. The view was much better than I expected. The new boardwalk is nice
And I just realized that the regular seats now fold up!
I love it too, Thunder. The boardwalk is tremendous. If you get there early enough, they’ll let you down by the batting cages. I watched Jay Bell work with Brad Hawpe & he hit a home run that day.
I liked being able to look into the bullpens too
This all could be worse, look at what the Braves put up on the Phillies…
Just jumping on today to say that in the last 3-4 games PM has played as well as I’ve ever seen him play…he looks stronger on the boards and more aware around the net. HOWEVER he’s had impressive stretches before too and then fizzled in the playoffs. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice……….So I say we take advantage of his increased trade value for cap purposes and to get the depth we need at forward and on defense. Prior to the last 3-4 games he cost us 4 goals in the Toronto and philly games so lets see how he does now…especially with letang out.
Okay, if Dman giving up goals is your standard, how many has Letang given up, or Orpik or do you only count Martin’s? If I remember right, Orpik and Letang gave up 4 in ONE game in the philly playoffs. How many times did they look forlornly at the puck sitting in the goal with their hands and sticks across their knees in last month of the season and that playoff series. Getting rid of them too?
How about Depres when he tripped over his own blue line and caused a goal a couple of games ago?
That’s a lot of trades to make…Especially for a team with the highest point total in the conference.
Now we’re comparing letang to martin? And I’m not worried about isolated instances regarding orpik or despres. They don’t have the lapses around the net and with the puck PM has had last season, playoffs and early this year. Martin is playing better this year and especially the last few games. But after last season and playoffs we’ve lowered our standard for him. I don’t wanna go back n forth. If you search previous posts n threads you’ll see my thoughts in great detail but essentially his improved play is exactly why we should capitolize on his increased trade value.
Orpik has only played well the last few games (sound familiar?) especially against Boston, who he ALWAYS gets up for, sounds like pretty much the same thing. Up and until about 10 days ago several opined he was done, time to move him.
Letang, who argueably is playing his best THIS YEAR, has a history of great moves and stupid plays in the same game over most of his career. Isn’t his value at it’s highest, too? If he is able to win the Norris, what’s he gonna command on his next contract? Using the same criteria, why wouldn’t you trade him now?
You just seem to have some irrational grudge against Martin, did he pee in your wheaties or something? The dude is playing big minutes and has been one of the best players on the ice the last couple of games. Perfect no. Will it last, who knows. Kunitz hasn’t scored in three games, either.
He seems to me to be paralleling Gonchar’s start with the Pens, did you want to trade him after his first year too? James Neal needed a year and a position change, would have been real easy to get down on him.
But…
Okay, ASSUME your right and this is only a flash in the pan. Do you think you’re only one in the league that would see this?
Exactly what do you think you’re going to get for him?
Ha and who peed in ur wheaties? You ignored cap situation during your hissy fit. That was the basis for the majority of my agruement. Not to mention poor play last season and horrendous play in playoffs. Even Martin admitted to embarrassing play. I could point out all the holes and flaws in your hissy fit but instead I’ll ask if we can afford to pay a slightly above average dman 5m with the cap going down, letang needing a raise and Cooke, Kennedy, and dupuis needing to be signed or replaced?
Hissy fit?
Dude, take a valium or three.
All I did was point out that YOUR arguement could be applied to 1/3 of the team, at a minimum.
And you want to resign Kennedy? Really?
Let’s put THAT one up for a vote…
I covered all that in previous threads. Just dont wanna rehash.
You’re a friggin idiot
Just almost got buzzed by a line drive foul ball. Went right into the Altoona booster club.
And apparently it is really snowing a lot in Altoona
4 inches of snow/sleet….topped with 1/4 of ice.
Gonna go shoot that friggin rodent!
One more strikeout by a Pirate pitcher and we get free biscuits & gravy at Bob Evans
Two big news items I just saw.
1) Tiger Woods is dating DK’s favorite Skier, Lindsay Vonn. Not sure who is crazier in this situation.
2) Steelers just signed Matt Spaeth. When I think of early season replacement for Heath Miller, not sure Spaeth even makes the list.
So maybe neither of these are big news items. Maybe I should’ve said two scary news items. Oh well…
Maybe Vonn is still high after her knee surgery.
Spaeth doesn’t make the list. Particularly with all the question marks with the WR’s.
The first one is a shrug of the shoulders, the second one, I’m not sure I understand much of anything that they are doing and probably won’t until after the draft.
Well if it is anything like what I am getting in State College then Altoona is getting pounded as well.
Gaby Sanchez is on fire and will prove to be a great deadline deal pickup
For someone this coming deadline??
Biz
The sun is shining here in Florida
And I just won free biscuits & gravy.
You can’t bring me down
I forgot to post the smiley face
And practicing up for the season
I forgot the smiley face too Biz
And I wish Bryan Morris would have had a 1,2,3 inning in the ninth
Thanks for the reports, TC
What we do in the pitching area is IMO much more intriguing than the bench spots
He’s certainly putting on a show this spring. His career splits, LHP vs. RHP, sugguest the likelihood of a platoon factoring into his opportunities to start. Looking only at the last 2 regular seasons, Gaby has hit for about 35 points more batting average against southpaws than against NHB (normal human beings). Pedro and Garrett have the opposite split. Pedro has punished NHB’s to the tune of about a 50 point batting average differential to his average against handedness nonconformists. Jones nearly breaks the spreadsheet, having hit NHB’s at about 110 batting average points better than he’s hit LHP’s. You can look it up http://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.htm?ID=7221
I realize that I’ve only seen two games but I am kinda impressed with Felix Pie.
I wonder if they will keep Presley …he seems to be doing well, is re-dedicated, and they may have some sense of loyalty to him
Does he have any options left?
I understand Presley (.297) has options left & Scabata (.222) does not. I have been hearing Joggin Joe is a lock to make the team. He looks like he is in much better shape vs. 2012. I got on him real bad last year, he stunk so bad. Pie is having a good spring @ .281.
Presley is the fastest white guy I have ever seen but, I can’t see him breaking camp with the Bucs.
DK: Olympic track gold medalist Jeremy Wariner, whom I covered, takes exception to your stereotype of the caucasian race, my friend: http://www.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Jeremy-Wariner.aspx
ok DK that was funny. If anyone remembers him Don Beebe held the record for 40 time at the combine for a lot of years, he and Deion ran the same time in the same year.