Gitcheee Gitcheee goomieee goomieeeee

Breaking up is hard to do

Words can be very powerful and can cause many different types of emotions. Once something is said to someone else, whether it is in the privacy of the home or a public press conference, once words are out there they are impossible to retract and the difference between what is said, what is meant and what is done can be three completely different things.

Take the now completed sagas of the trades of Jack Wilson to Seattle and Freddy Sanchez to San Francisco today. The finalization of these deals completed a long and drawn out process which began with all of the right things being said and perhaps done but, in the end, those words by Pirates management eventually came back to haunt them and the difference between what was once said and what is done now are two totally different things.

When both Wilson and Sanchez signed their deals a couple of years ago, Pirates management stood proud as peacocks and spoke of the affordability of these deals and that even in the final and most expensive years of each deals, the Pirates would have no problem being able to pay each player throughout the contract.

Obviously, this was not the case, regardless of what general manager Neal Huntington said today. And it's this continual saying one thing and doing another approach that has cost the Pirates much more than just players and losses over the years.

It's just like in a marriage. In good and relatively stable marriages, there may be things said over the course of years by one person or the other which that person regrets and ultimately apologizes for. If this happens on rare occasions, these verbal missteps are eventually looked past, swept under the rug and life can go on as normal.

However, if one partner or both partners either continually exchange insults or one partner has shown a dishonest pattern of behavior toward the other, the trust in the marriage crumbles and the foundation of that relationship follows soon behind.

In this case, it seems as if the Nutting-Coonelly-Huntington management team is just the latest in a long line of bad, dare I say mentally abusive relationship partners, that Pirates fans have taken on over the past 17 years. Just like someone who continually jumps into bad relationship after bad relationship, Pirates fans have endured such a pattern said in 1991 and 1992 that it was a difficult business decision that the Pirates couldn't keep the likes of Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Doug Drabek, etc.

Since then, year after year, management group after management group, have all come in and fed Pirates fans the same line of B.S. over and over again about doing its best to try and put a winning team on the field, and doing it by building within, and not being able to put large amounts of money into the payroll, and by building a new stadium the Pirates will be competitive again, and by promising that the signing of each player will bring the organization one step closer to contending when in reality all it does it bring said player one day closer to the day he is traded to a contender, then another promise of rebuilding and BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

Even if the Pirates did manage to get a couple of legit prospects http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/freddy-sanchez-for-who-seriously, it's not enough for the Pirates fan who has been lied to or been insulted enough to make up for it. This management team can only give Pirates fans so many apologetic verbal roses and candies before Pirates fans really and honestly say "enough is enough. I'm through with you."

Verbal roses and candies just won't cut it this time. In a matter of two months or so, the Pirates will officially become THE worst franchise in all of sports when they break the consecutive losing seasons streak mark. Simple words and promises won't cut it this time for this rebuilding project, Pirates fans should need to see real and honest progress before they think about rekindling the relationship with the team. And Pirates management should take very seriously the anger that will come about from Pirates fans over these latest trades because any more like this and they will stop coming home.

The break-up will be bad and ugly. Pirates management needs to seriously consider what it says publically from now on because every verbal misstep will brings Pirates fans one step closer to the door. And by the way, Neal, you're "not breaking up the '27 Yankees" line didn't help your cause at all, considering you and your team at least partially built the one on the field.

Pirates fans are not going to brush off a flippant remark like that as cute or funny. Instead, most of the ones I know will look at that and think "Gee, first they act like they don't care, now they are basically saying they don't care or don't care what they say. If that's the case, I don't care either."

The Pirates are THE last organization in sports that needs fans who do not care. In fact, every single person in the organization from owner Bob Nutting down should be doing whatever he or she can to kiss the proverbial ass of each and every remaining Pirates fan remaining so that soneone, anyone, shows up to watch this Triple-A team now and in the future.

I have a wife and three young children and I have no good reason to say why I should take any or all of them to a Pirates game at any time in the near future. The wife isn't a baseball fan anyway so she could care less already. My oldest daughter (soon to be 11) already knows the Pirates stink and her breaking point came today when her favorite player (Sanchez) was traded away. My son (5 years old) and youngest daughter (soon to be 4) have no interest in the game or the Pirates and I honestly can't justify giving them any reason to care about this organization any more.

If I, someone who grew loving baseball and enjoyed every minute that he got to play and eventually cover it, feel this way, I'm guessing there are a lot more people out there like me who feel the same and I'm guessing those numbers keep growing.

Until legitimate progress is made both on and off the field, I cannot justify spending any more money or putting any more energy into this so-called organization. For now I am calling this a trial separation, but I have a hunch, sadly, that this could become more permanent. I hope that I am wrong but, unlike most of the Pirates hunches over the last 17 years, I'm guessing that I will be right.

Shocker: McLouth traded

After three hours in the rain and cold at my daughter's softball game tonight, I thawed out (after a win) and called in the score to the Observer-Reporter. When the reporter told me the Pirates traded Nate McLouth to the Braves for three minor leaguers, I was more than shocked. It was definitely a WTF moment.

McLouth was dealt to Atlanta for triple-A pitcher Charlie Morton, double-A outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and single-A pitcher Jeff Locke.

It's tough to see McLouth go. He's a very good player who has worked his ass off to get everything he has in baseball. Nothing was given to him and he was seen as an afterthought for a number of years in the Pirates system.

When he made it to Pittsburgh and started having success (no thanks to former manager Jim Tracy though he would tell you otherwise), it was all earned. Last year's All-Star game nod, his performance in that game, his Gold Glove season and the career year McLouth had were all enjoyable to watch for a good player and a good person.

It was assumed by many that he was a face-of-the-franchise guy and he had a long-term contract already. His production hasn't slowed any and he remained the Pirates most consistent all-around player.

Here is the statement from Pirates general manager Neal Huntington:

“This may be the toughest decision we have made in my time with the organization,” said Huntington. “Nate is a quality player and person, but as we have said several times, tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship caliber organization. Nate has worked as hard as any player to become a starting Major League Player, proving wrong anyone who may have doubted him. When we signed Nate to a long-term contract we did so with the intent on having him remain part of our core of homegrown talent. But the quality and quantity of talent we are receiving in this trade moves us closer to our goal of building that sustainable championship caliber club and compelled us to move a very good player and an outstanding young man.”

To the Pirates credit, they are sticking with their plan of rebuilding the minor league system. Since Huntington and president Frank Coonelly have come on board, that has been one of the focuses is rebuilding the depleted minor-league system.

The question remains at what cost is this occurring. Many fans believe, and have every right to do so, that this is the same old Pirates dumping talent for cheap minor leaguers. It's the same pattern that has occurred time and again for the past 16-plus years.

The organization should be thankful that they have as many fans show up as they do. No fan base should be put through what Pirates fans have been put through since 1992. All the organization seems to keep doing is alienating what few real fans they have left and not just the ones who show up for fireworks nights.

Even with Andrew McCutchen waiting in Class AAA, McLouth was still thought to be a mainstay in the organization and something the organization could actually be proud of - a homegrown talent who made it to the majors and reaped the benefits of his hard work.

Though maybe the biggest benefit of all to McLouth is that he gets out of this so-called major-league organization.

Six years ago, the night that another homegrown talent (Aramis Ramirez) was traded, then Pirates outfielder Brian Giles stated his displeasure with a very truthful statement and sentiment felt in the clubhouse: "Not all of us are lucky enough to get traded."

Today, McLouth got lucky. And now guys like Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche and others feel exactly the same way that Giles did that night.

Enjoy watching Andrew McCutchen while you can Pirates fans. It won't be too long before he's the next one to be shipped off.

Matt Wieters facts

With the baseball draft upon us next week, it is once again time for the now annual teeth nashing that dummy Dave Littlefield didn't select catcher Matt Wieters in the 2007 draft instead of pitcher Danny Moskos.

Wieters has already become so legendary even though he has been in the majors less than a week, he has earned facts that rival those of Chuck Norris.

http://www.mattwietersfacts.com/

A deal is a deal

It's been more than six weeks since I've written on this blog, an eternity in the blog world, and there have been a variety of reasons why I haven't done so.

Without getting into all of the specifics, the main reason is that it is simply a difficult task to do so when your heart really isn't in it anymore. See, when I lost my job at the Observer-Reporter 3 1/2 months ago, I started this blog because in my mind I wasn't really gone from sports writing yet and there were still a lot of things that were very fresh in my mind. But as the days and weeks and months have dragged on, the more I have become removed from that scene and I've come to the realization that that chapter of my life has come to an end (all puns intended.)

However, one thing brought me back onto this blog ... my wife. The same wife that didn't like me covering the Pirates a whole lot during the years that I did so again for a variety of reasons, brought me back on this blog.

Without going into too many specifics, we made a deal ... if she went to the gym, I would write on this blog again. Sounds simple enough, yet she first went to the gym after we made this deal two days ago and I am now just getting back on this blog.

Why?

I guess this whole experience has been like a death in the family to me of sorts. The longer since someone died, the less you talk about the person. We all get caught up in our own lives and our families that even the people that were the closest to us who have passed get put on the backburner on a daily basis even though those memories still burn deep.

The same has been true for my situation and, in turn, this blog. The farther since the death of my sportswriting career, the more this blog has been pushed onto the backburner, even though I still follow baseball very closely and miss covering it and other sports very much. I know there is a time and place to move on, but some things are just harder to do than others I guess.

So, with that in mind, I am going to give this one more shot. I am not going to make any grandiose promises that this blog will be this or that. I'm not sure what its going to end up being to be honest with you. Yes, baseball will obviously be tied in and still a focus, but there may be times when it is not the sole focus. Just like in a baseball game where so many things occur that it is hard to focus on one thing as to why a game was won or lost, so is that also true in life. And even though we all have a gameplan, sometimes you have to change that plan in midstream in order to be successful.

I thought I had a perfect gameplan in place at ome time, until that completely blew up in my face. Now, like a manager starting a rookie in his first game, there is a lot of uncertainty in this game and the plan has completely changed.

I just still hope that I can come out a winner.

R.I.P. Harry Kalas

When I first heard the voice of Harry Kalas, it was on Sunday mornings. He and Steve Sabol used to do a show called "This is the NFL," a highlights-based show at a time where out-of-town highlights were still rare and Sportscenter was in its infancy.

Later I became aware of his work in baseball and always enjoyed his smooth style, like an East Coast version of Vin Scully.

I first met Kalas while covering the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2001. He was doing broadcasts for Westwood One and once while I was
talking to former Steelers announcer Myron Cope, Kalas came out to say hi to Myron, who introduced me to Kalas. He was very nice and respectful then though we just spoke for a minute.

I would see Halas more as I covered the Pirates for the Observer-Reporter when the Phillies would come to town. Even when he walked into the media dining room, Kalas had a presence about him. He was a legend.

If he would come and sit down at a table I was at, usually with other writers, I would usually sit quietly, somewhat in awe, of a man I admired as a broadcaster.

Then, last season, when myself and former Beaver County Times writer John Perrotto were eating dinner before a game, Kalas once again came and sat down. Since there were only three of us at the table, he wanted to know what not just John thought of the Pirates but my opinions as well. As we were sitting there talking the only thought going through my head was "This is Harry freaking Kalas. He's a legend."

He was also very gracious and giving of his time, even to a young sportswriter such as myself.

The sportsworld truly lost a legnedary voice today. We'll miss you, Harry.

Photo from phillies.com

Tale of two pitchers

I'm trying to give Ian Snell the benefit of the doubt, I really am. But the more he pitches, the more I'm starting to think he's just not going to come around to be a consistent starting pitcher.

I said it was a mistake to let Snell pitch in the World Baseball Classic. This is a guy that needs a strict regime, especially with a new pitching coach. While those at Tuesday's game said Snell got a couple of tough breaks, it couldn't have been that many to allow eight runs.

Wednesday's game, a completely different story with Zach Duke. Here's a guy who had a horrific year last year. He came into camp in good shape and with the right attitude. He also came out and established himself early in the game and that led to a very successful outing and his first win of the year.

When he froze Albert Pujols in the first inning, that set the tone for the game. A lot of run support also helped Duke. But nonetheless, just like Maholm on Monday, he showed that he was in control of the game early Wednesday.

Snell rarely shows that kind of control. And if he doesn't start showing it soon, he could and should be shown the door from the rotation.