Pirates 2016

The best teams quite often don't win it all. That will probably be the case this year.

 

I saw earlier that Cole is flying to LA to have his elbow checked. That's very bad news for the Pirates.

 

Looks like the Pirates are maybe going to make a run at the last playoff spot. They have won 4 in a row and are 6 games over 500. They have a 3 game series against that stupid team from Chicago and then a 3 game series against the Brewers. They need to at least split those 6 games and be 6 games over 500 with 28 games left. They should be no more than a game out of the last playoff spot if they can do that and then who knows what can happen. I'm almost ready to make a long shot bet at 60 to 1 on the Pirates to win the world series but I'm not quite ready to pull the trigger yet.

 

I definitely wouldn't make that bet. Us, the Nats, or the Mets would destroy them. I think the Dodgers could beat them too. Especially if Kershaw gets healthy again. I just wonder how he's gonna do since he hasn't pitched in forever and is ticked that they let his catcher go.

 

Thanks for your opinion, I guess. The reasons you point out are why the odds are 60 to 1. Some bets I make are not because I am confident about winning, it just seems like I want to take a flyer at times. Usually they don't pay out but when they do they make up for a lot of bets that don't win, a whole lot. I do okay at betting because I have to make as much money for the animals as I can to keep my promise and I don't have much time left. If it wasn't for the promise I doubt if I would be betting on anything. Winning $20,000.00 for the animals is my goal this year by the end of football season. I need to step it up because I'm only about 25% there. So if you want to take a little out of the collection plate and send it to me, that would be good.

 

Let's root, root, root, for the CUUUUUBBIES! If they don't win it's a shame! LOL!

Man that was a GREAT game honestly. A nailbiter til the very end. We really need games like this to prepare our hearts and blood pressures for when the Steelers play the same kind of close ones too. Tonight the depth of the Cubbies really showed. I do think we have some problems in the bullpen but as long as we mount some offense I think we can play with any team in baseball.

 

You betcha - that was what baseball is all about. What a game. I hate extra innings on the road. As the visiting team if you don't score you have to then get 6 outs and with a spent bullpen, I'm amazed it lasted so long. Gotta love those amazing plays at the plate. But with bases loaded with 0 outs in top of the 13th, the Pirates have to score more than one although no amount would have been safe with Locke pitching his 7th relief inning in 3 days. The Pirate's pitching is sucky this year and especially now with all those no-names they're trotting out. You were so correct in an earlier post where you stated the Pirates would get smeared by the Mets or Nats though it's more likely the Cards or Giants will take the #1 WC should the Pirates somehow hang on for the 2nd WC position.

 

Yeah that game was one of those sorta "gut check" games for both sides because we had just flown back from that west coast road trip and then wound up playing 13. What's funny is I was sorta irritated at Maddon for not starting Addison Russell in favor of giving Soler more playing time and then it was Soler that hit that towering beauty to tie it up. My favorite part of that game though was the battle that Jake had where it took 14 pitches to punch him out. He might be the most feared pitcher at the plate in all of baseball. I hated to see his ERA go up last night though.

 

I'm always willing to throw the stats out for a W. Learned that with Steelers backup QB's last year. Blowing up Arrieta's ERA was our only consolation last night. Their bullpens will be praying for a rain out tonight.

 

Yeah I'm sure Jake is just glad to have the win. I'm hoping for another Cy. Two of the runs given up were charged to him after he was relieved. He actually pitched good for the most part. One of those homers was just pure luck against him. I was getting really annoyed when all of our left field balls were pulling foul or bouncing off the basket.

 

What was also lucky was the Cubs being allowed 3 mound visits in one inning before pulling Arrieta. Guess the umps lose track of key things like that with all this replay nonsense and delays waiting for the Managers to decide if they're going to challenge. Meanwhile the League is trying to speed up the game? Teams should be limited with the number of "wait we're still checking" delays - call them provisional challenges and allow say 3 the entire game maybe an extra for extra innings. The penalty should also be greater for a lost challenge - like an "out" since football takes a TO away if you lose a challenge. That's all I got.

 

Yeah the challenges get a little ridiculous to me too. I know that in theory it keeps them from "making mistakes" but it slows down the point that I'd almost just rather them make mistakes sometimes. Or at least just limit the number of challenges you get. I thought last night though that there were a ton of bad calls that went both ways really. I thought the strike zone was VERY generous for the pirates last night. Jake about lost his cool over it.

 

Game 2 is on MLB Network right now if you guys want to watch it. Just thought I'd give a friendly reminding heads up. Left field is already looking like it hates us again tonight. LOL!

 

Much more conventional night tonight. It's crazy how many ways we can find to win. Hendricks is pitching out of his mind and I honestly can say that I probably feel more comfortable with him on the mound than I do about anybody. I told another one of my Cubs fan buddies at work that I never thought I would say that. Hammel is who I'm the least comfortable with. It just seemed like last night totally took the wind out of the Pirates sails. They just seemed much more subdued tonight.

 

Game #1 drove the dagger in deep when the Pirate players who helped extend that game realized how cheap ownership is when they didn't re-stock the pitching in the off-season and all you're left with is a Jeff Locke pitching 7 innings of relief in 3 days. The Cubs should have won both games by double digits when you look at the Pony League starting pitchers they were facing at home. The Pirates seem to have the "Midas Touch" - everything they touch turns into a muffler! Take the David Freese multi-year deal they just did this past weekend - since then Freese has gone 1 for 25. Never fails. At least your Cubs are getting good return for the billions spent on salaries unlike what the Dodgers and Yanks have done over say the past 10 years. Personally I'd like to see a cap in MLB just for sh**ts and giggles.

 

The cap definitely makes things more competitive. I think a lot of the reason why the general public just doesn't like baseball anymore is because it seems like clubs can just "buy" the World Series now. I get irritated when people talk to me about how "boring" baseball is. Just because it doesn't have 250lb men flying around like a bunch of nutcases doesn't mean it's not fun. But I think if they did have a cap then you would have better players scattered throughout the league instead of confined to just a few of the clubs that are willing to spend insane amounts of money.

 

Man we done everything possible to give that thing away. I really thought they were gonna blow it. We really need Strop to get healthy again. The Pirates fought hard in that game and don't have anything to hang their head about. The Cubbies are just dang good all the way around.

 

When the Cubs do lose, they usually just beat themselves - rarely are they out-manned or overpowered. Good luck the rest of the way my friend. RIP Pirates. At least the Pirates broke their dreaded 20+ year losing curse a few years back. Now it's the Cubs turn to break their century old curse. Just do it so we can all move on and not have to talk about it all the time or have fans like you lament it generation after generation. Give Uncle Harry something to smile about now that he has a Manager who imitates him with the horned rims.

 

Man I really appreciate that. I've had to search my heart on what I want more. A Cubs WS or another Steelers SB. I honestly can't say. THAT'S how bad I want to see them finally break the curse. I honestly remember the Bartman game like it was yesterday. There's a whole generation of fans that will always be haunted by that game. I can't hardly think of a more wounded fanbase in all of sports. I think as long as we don't run in to a buzzsaw like we did last year that we are really looking good for this year. I always just tell people that regardless of whether we win it all or not I'm just really appreciative when I have a great Cubs team to watch because honestly even that has too often been a rarity. It's heartbreaking when you're "in the moment" but then you just get up in the morning and dust yourself off and start hoping again.

 

Turn out the lights, the party is over.

 

No need to turn out the lights - apparently Nutting can't 'afford" to pay the light bill so the utility will do them the favor. Plus it was a "come as you are" party and the Pirates came as the Hindenburg. It just shows how fragile the team psyche was when that extra inning loss to the Cubs last week when they were 1/2 game out of Wild Card spot collapsed the legs out from every aspect of their game - hitting, pitching, relief, fielding, base paths all at the same time. That's how you lose 7 in a row and counting at this point of the season and 9 of 10 at home. Cue the scrubs - oh wait - those are the starters.

 

One step closer for the Cubbies after clinching last night.

 

Will Clint Hurdle step up and take some blame for this collapse? Don't get me wrong
there are a lot of blame to go around and I still feel Bob Nutting is the worst owner in baseball
but how does Clint Hurdle get a free pass?

 

I'm hoping with all my heart you guys can knock the cards out of the wild card race. That would be really awesome. You think the Pirates would at least like to do that?