2024 Pittsburgh Pirates

Well, I am an engineer from a family with many of them. I live by numbers and like statistics, but don’t let them take away from my love of the game. Interesting that sabrmetrics actually confirms more of baseball mythology than it disproves. The productive low average hitter (Killebrew, Reggie Jackson, Stargell). The less productive high average hitter (Alou). Stolen bases being a crowd pleaser but not a positive unless you succeed 80% of the time or something. Two right handed pull hitters placed consecutively in the lineup murdering you with double plays. Old guys knew all that already from watching many ball games. Sabrmetricians had to do the math.
Most astounding stat to me: Every time he took the mound, Sandy Koufax was more than twice as likely to pitch a complete game shutout than to hit a batter.
Sorry I am prattling on…..

 

We engineers must stay in solidarity. Still have burn marks though on my fingers from working the old Pickett metal slide-rule (aka the slip-stick) in my Hydraulic classes where we had to actually learn and use the log log feature. I think JEH is one of us but he used an abacus.

 

Indeed. I can use a slide rule, though they were on the way out as I was on the way in, and as a pilot I learned to use the E6B, a kind of circular slide rule used for many things by pilots back in the day.
I remember the science room in high school having a huge electronic calculator, the first I ever saw. It didn’t do trig functions (and upperclassmen tried to shoo us away from it) so we used those heavy books of tables of trig functions. First calculator I had was a TI (forget the model), and it did not use RP notation, so I still don’t like to use that.

 

Another offensive display of hitting for our buccos. I'll take the win

 

Raise it! 2 games over, 1 behind the Cards. Massive log jam for wildcard… 4 teams including us tied.

 

Problem is ill get excited and hopeful and they'll drop 10 in row

 

For some reason I hate to see Cruz coming up to bat in a pressure situation. But he has one of the highest batting averages on the team. He can have just hideous at bats. Swings at pitches nowhere near the strike zone then next at bat hit one in the river. Love the way that kid plays the game.

 

It's a shame we have to think that way but if the past is any indication we have that right.

Must admit I am dreaming of miracles.

 

Skenes today!

My wife: "Hey, you want to remember we have a life to live". Me: "What the hell you talking about". Her: "Golf, Pirates, Golf, Pirates, you are not taking care of anything". Me: Suck it woman my Bucs may be on to something".

 

Pornstache goes tonight. Of course at some point he will have his first bad outing, but I just hope it isn’t tonight. If he can work his magic, the Bucs will be in a tie with the Cards.
Surely there is an outfielder at Indy who could hit at an average MLB level. That is who they need to bring up. Doesn’t need to be a Bonds or young Cutch at the plate.

 

I keep thinking that way too. He can't go forever without a loss. My daughter-in-law is an LSU alum. Loved Joe Burrow In 2023 LSU won the NCAA baseball Championship. Skenes was 13-2 and the one game her and my son went to was one of his loses.

I'd say our 3B, RF and CF are pretty much unproductive. That is a third of the lineup and positions on other teams that are usually productive. DO NOT understand Suwinski in MLB. Guy is easily smoked by average pitchers.

 

July 30th should be interesting for Pirate fans. Trading deadline.

IMO, Bobby boy won't subtract or add. He'll hope these players keep us in race so PNC will have big crowds in September.

 

Next 9 after STL. Troublesome. Got 6 with the NL defending champs. (thank you Arizona for shutting them up last season) Three at Houston. Astros seem to be coming on.

We got to sweep the Cardinals. That is a tough 6 game road trip. Please stay relevant Bucs, please. Steelers usually take over around this time for me. I'll see where we stand after the Diamondbacks leave PNC.

Come on Bucs!

 

Oh no, not Reverse Polish Logic! I learned on regular mode devices with = signs and never got used to the HP - RPL type. I know I know, supposed to save steps and time and $$$ but I worked in local government and none of those ever really mattered as much as "looking busy".

 

This brings back fond memories of the 70's when Bucs were usually in the post season and Steelers were dominant and had to have 2 TVs side by side on Sundays. Perchance to dream.

 

Now you have screen in screen! If you can get a kid to show you how to set it up

 

At MLB.com I can watch 4 games at once. I really only care about the Bucs but if we are still relevant come Sept. I'll watch other teams that are in the race with us.

 

Cards

SS Masyn Winn R
DH A. Burleson L
C W. Contreras R
LF B. Donovan L
3B N. Arenado R
RF L. Nootbaar L
1B P. Goldschmidt R
2B Nolan Gorman L
CF M. Siani L
SP Lance Lynn R

Bucs

DH A. McCutchen R
LF B. Reynolds S
SS Oneil Cruz L
2B N. Gonzales R
1B Rowdy Tellez L
RF J. Palacios L
3B Jared Triolo R
CF J. Suwinski L
C Y. Grandal S
SP Paul Skenes R

Shocker! PNC sold out. I guess Grandal is Shelton's choice to catch for Skenes. Much rather have Bart catching.

 

Friggin' Arenado!

 

Bucs providing a lot of batting support for Skenes

 

Skenes 92 pitch was 101mph…, awesome outing … 2 hits, unfortunately one was a homer… 8 ks… era 1.82…. No bat support
None… zilch

 

Shelton needs to go horrible horrible coach. Leaves Skenes in too long this time… pulls him with a no hitter. This is on Shelton.

 

?uck Shelton… first pulls Skenes on 2 no hitters, than you bring him out in the ninth of this game to give him his first MLB loss.., Shelton is a waste of oxygen absolute dickhead
After further review, this was pretty harsh. But, Shelton overthought this.

 

Mother F-----

 

I know it will suck what happen with Skenes but we win today 2 out 3 from Cards is not bad.