Yes.

 

Maybe if they traded for 3-4 starting pitchers. Most of that rotation had been succeeding behind smoke & mirrors, and it finally came to fruititon this week, especially against the powerful Padres offense.

Maybe if they traded for 3-4 starting pitchers. Most of that rotation had been succeeding behind smoke & mirrors, and it finally came to fruititon this week, especially against the powerful Padres offense.

 

Which was all of the more reason the team needed more than a broke-ass Derrick Lee.

Unless it comes out that Felix Hernandez or Clayton Kershaw or similar pitchers of that ilk were available, I have no problem with the Pirates doing exactly what they did at the deadline. They aren't, and never were, a playoff team. Doesn't matter that they were in first for a few days.

Edited August 8, 201114 yr by Jordan4life

Which was all of the more reason the team needed more than a broke-ass Derrick Lee.

 

I see your point, but who could they have traded for to keep them in the hunt? Ubaldo could have made sense because of his friendly contract, but he alone wouldn't keep them in the race. Should they really have gutted their system for rentals that may or may not have been available? I think the talent gap is too big this year to really go after it with only two months left.

 

I see your point, but who could they have traded for to keep them in the hunt? Ubaldo could have made sense because of his friendly contract, but he alone wouldn't keep them in the race. Should they really have gutted their system for rentals that may or may not have been available? I think the talent gap is too big this year to really go after it with only two months left.

Yup, and even if they did manage to acquire enough rentals to make the playoffs, would that really be considered saving the franchise?

 

Nope, saving/resurrecting the franchise and interest in the team will require a few years of division title competive teams. They need to get to a point where they are bringing in more cash while having a small payroll, and once thsoe guys start to play well you invest more money to keep them around.

Yup, and even if they did manage to acquire enough rentals to make the playoffs, would that really be considered saving the franchise?

 

Nope, saving/resurrecting the franchise and interest in the team will require a few years of division title competive teams. They need to get to a point where they are bringing in more cash while having a small payroll, and once thsoe guys start to play well you invest more money to keep them around.

 

Cash flow is not a problem for the Pirates with revenue sharing. They are highly profitable when you look at what the spend.

 

Let me put it this way, do you think the Royals regret not taking advantage of 2003?

Cash flow is not a problem for the Pirates with revenue sharing. They are highly profitable when you look at what the spend.

 

Let me put it this way, do you think the Royals regret not taking advantage of 2003?

 

I guess that is a good point, there is no guarantee that the Pirates farm system will be successful. Although, their s***ty division will give them chances in the future.

 

I just don't see what moves they could have made that would have put them over the top. Doug Fister? Erik Bedard?

Let me put it this way, do you think the Royals regret not taking advantage of 2003?

Do you think the Royals were legit contenders in 2003?

Do you think the Royals were legit contenders in 2003?

 

they sure weren't after they didn't nothing to seize the day. Fast forward to 2011 and they are still waiting for a winning season.

they sure weren't after they didn't nothing to seize the day. Fast forward to 2011 and they are still waiting for a winning season.

And I'll note, you didn't answer the question.

And I'll note, you didn't answer the question.

 

My answer would be that it honestly doesn't matter. When you have been out of contention for as long as a team like KC in 03 or the Pirates of this year, you don't get many chances to win. When you do, you owe it to your fans to try to win. Waiting for three or four years down the road is a terrible idea, because odds are that it won't be working then either. Winning today is the one chance that a franchise like Pittsburgh has of putting themselves back on the road to respectability. Not winning in 2015.

My answer would be that it honestly doesn't matter. When you have been out of contention for as long as a team like KC in 03 or the Pirates of this year, you don't get many chances to win. When you do, you owe it to your fans to try to win. Waiting for three or four years down the road is a terrible idea, because odds are that it won't be working then either. Winning today is the one chance that a franchise like Pittsburgh has of putting themselves back on the road to respectability. Not winning in 2015.

So, I ask specifically, "Did KC have a legitimate chance to compete in 2003" and you answer "It doesn't matter but they should try anyway".

 

If they don't have a legit chance, then how foolish is it to dump everything to try?

So, I ask specifically, "Did KC have a legitimate chance to compete in 2003" and you answer "It doesn't matter but they should try anyway".

 

If they don't have a legit chance, then how foolish is it to dump everything to try?

 

Going back and looking it up in more detail, even with their second half meltdown they finished 7 games out of first place. They held at least a share of first place as late as August 20th, or 125 games into the season.

 

I'd say that makes them a contender.

lol@2k5. That Royals team sucked. I'm sure their fans don't sit around thinking, "Oh my, what if?. That '03 team could've been special." I think KW has infected your baseball brain.

Edited August 8, 201114 yr by Jordan4life

My answer would be that it honestly doesn't matter. When you have been out of contention for as long as a team like KC in 03 or the Pirates of this year, you don't get many chances to win. When you do, you owe it to your fans to try to win. Waiting for three or four years down the road is a terrible idea, because odds are that it won't be working then either. Winning today is the one chance that a franchise like Pittsburgh has of putting themselves back on the road to respectability. Not winning in 2015.

Just because they didn't see success afterwards doesn't mean it was a bad choice. It's not hindsight that they should have went all in, it's hindsight that the moves and organizational philosophy after that year were bad.

lol@2k5. That Royals team sucked. I'm sure their fans don't sit around thinking, "Oh my, what if. That '03 team could've been special." I think KW has infected your baseball brain.

"Win now or forever be bad! But don't think about how going all in to win now is the root cause for being bad in the future!"

Just because they didn't see success afterwards doesn't mean it was a bad choice. It's not hindsight that they should have went all in, it's hindsight that the moves and organizational philosophy after that year were bad.

 

The whole point is to try to win something. If they were holding out to win in the future, and lost then too, then they failed. Teams that don't get many chances to win owe their fans that chance for paying to see years of a bad team. Hell in the case of KC and Pittsburgh, decades.

"Win now or forever be bad! But don't think about how going all in to win now is the root cause for being bad in the future!"

 

Yet they didn't try to win, and they were still bad. Go figure.

The history of high fives

 

You learn something new everyday

The whole point is to try to win something. If they were holding out to win in the future, and lost then too, then they failed. Teams that don't get many chances to win owe their fans that chance for paying to see years of a bad team. Hell in the case of KC and Pittsburgh, decades.

Never said they didn't fail, I just said that their moves after that season were more of a failure than not "going for it" that season.

The history of high fives

 

You learn something new everyday

 

Is that real?

Pirates acquire Lee, Ludwick to bolster 2nd half collapse.

Holy crap... the Giants have only scored 399 runs?! I thought our offense was bad....haha

Cliff Lee once again dominates and so does James Shields. Shields with 8 complete games and 4 shutouts now.

http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/i...nt-do-this-much

 

It’s rare anytime Mariano Rivera gives up a home run – he’s allowed only 64 in his 17-year career, which calculates out to be one for about every 68 opponent at-bats.

 

But entering the night, he had allowed a home run to a former teammate only once. He now has done it twice.

 

Bobby Abreu became that second former teammate to homer off Rivera, joining Mike Stanley, who did it on July 18, 1998.

 

Abreu and Rivera played together for three seasons (2006-08), but Stanley and Rivera only had one season together – 1995, Rivera’s rookie year.

 

More rarities from Rivera: the home run came on a 3-1 count. Of the 64 that he’s allowed in his career, this was just the third home run that came on a 3-1 count. He’s allowed more home runs in every other count possible (except 3-0).

 

Any guess as to the count where he’s allowed the most longballs?

 

It’s the first pitch of the at-bat, an 0-0 count, where he’s given up 11 homers.