Official Pittsburgh Pirates Thread

[Bafugama]

Originally Posted by Crush086

I think they can change that mentality though. If they would hold onto players like Bay instead of being a seller every year and actually win games instead of being perennial losers, it might make their team a little more attractive and they could lure better players there with the idea to win.

It's just a shame to see them have all this talent, and instead trade it away after a couple years. I imagine McCutcheon won't be a Pirate for too many years before they ship him off.

The whole idea is that they can't spend nearly enough money to compete with the big spenders of the league; The best they can hope for is spending, what? 20 million to the Yankees/Red Sox/Mets 100 million? So they can get by on 1/5 or less the payroll of these big spending clubs and hope they get lucky (hasn't happened in the last 20 years) while holding on to their talent, or they could sell these guys and lower the financial hit they're going to take. These teams can't afford to be paying these guys the kind of money that they're going to be deserving, and so they have no choice to ship them out to the higher spending teams. It's not good, MLB has a problem, and at some point down the line they're going to have to address it.

[dmbmuskie]

I still believe you can win and win consistently on a small budget if you have a top notch front office.

The reason the Pirates have been so bad for so long is that when they do develop a star they trade him for pennies on the dollar.

[Crush086]

Originally Posted by Bafugama

The whole idea is that they can't spend nearly enough money to compete with the big spenders of the league; The best they can hope for is spending, what? 20 million to the Yankees/Red Sox/Mets 100 million? So they can get by on 1/5 or less the payroll of these big spending clubs and hope they get lucky (hasn't happened in the last 20 years) while holding on to their talent, or they could sell these guys and lower the financial hit they're going to take. These teams can't afford to be paying these guys the kind of money that they're going to be deserving, and so they have no choice to ship them out to the higher spending teams. It's not good, MLB has a problem, and at some point down the line they're going to have to address it.

I think that's more of an excuse than a reason, personally (not trying to take shots at you or anything. Don't get me wrong).

I think if the Pirates had someone who cared about winning championships, they could turn that franchise around.

[Bafugama]

Originally Posted by Crush086

I think that's more of an excuse than a reason, personally (not trying to take shots at you or anything. Don't get me wrong).

I think if the Pirates had someone who cared about winning championships, they could turn that franchise around.

The two issues at play here are that there are teams that aren't willing to spend the money to win, and there are teams that are willing to spend absurd amounts of money to win. What do you do to even the playing field? You make a salary cap and a salary floor. Seems like a pretty simple thing to do, and if it wasn't for the players union, it would have gotten done a long time ago.

[Nick@Night]

Kind of a cool to have the Pirates in town for the next 3 days, not used to seeing a Twins/Pirates match-up in Minnesota.

[dmbmuskie]

Originally Posted by Nick@Night

Kind of a cool to have the Pirates in town for the next 3 days, not used to seeing a Twins/Pirates match-up in Minnesota.

A small market team that does things right versus a clueless small market team.

[kittensXLI]

Not used to sweeping three games in a row against one team?

[Nick@Night]

Originally Posted by dmbmuskie

A small market team that does things right versus a clueless small market team.

Pretty much.

Originally Posted by kittensXLI

Not used to sweeping three games in a row against one team?

Not this season.

[kittensXLI]

Originally Posted by Nick@Night

Pretty much.

Not this season.

haha yeah, the Twins have done it at least 2 or 3 times this year, right?

[Nick@Night]

Originally Posted by kittensXLI

haha yeah, the Twins have done it at least 2 or 3 times this year, right?

Yes, off the top of my head I know of Detroit and Anaheim.

[dmbmuskie]

I was talking about this with my dad the other day, but I really think the Pirates should move to AAA. I do not know how that could work, but I think the bussiness model they are using right now would be much more succesful at that level.

[Nick@Night]

Originally Posted by dmbmuskie

I was talking about this with my dad the other day, but I really think the Pirates should move to AAA. I do not know how that could work, but I think the bussiness model they are using right now would be much more succesful at that level.

Lobby Bud Selig to bring back the contraction conversation?

[dmbmuskie]

Originally Posted by Nick@Night

Lobby Bud Selig to bring back the contraction conversation?

Who else would you get rid of?

[Nick@Night]

Originally Posted by dmbmuskie

Who else would you get rid of?

Just the Pirates.

Edit: I guess the Nats would have to be considered since they've pretty much been that old pair of worn out jeans that don't get thrown out for sentimental reasons.

[dmbmuskie]

Originally Posted by Nick@Night

Just the Pirates.

That would be fine by me.

They've just reached the point where they are purely entertainment and they need to do something drastic.

The Nats are one of Bud's ideas. They'll be there forever.

[Nick@Night]

It seems your outfielders don't like the metrodome roof very much.

[watchunoboutdat]

so have the pirates been relegated to AAA baseball yet?

[Nick@Night]

Pirates have turned 5 double-plays tonight and still trail by 6 runs.

[cpxc.]

go bucs

[Bafugama]

I would be willing to put money on MLB contracting 6 teams in the next 10-12 years, and Pittsburgh will be one of the teams.

[dmbmuskie]

Originally Posted by Bafugama

I would be willing to put money on MLB contracting 6 teams in the next 10-12 years, and Pittsburgh will be one of the teams.

If they draw like a AAA team and they play like a AAA team, then they should be AAA team.

[SnakeInWoodpile]

I'd rather wait for a championship than the Pirates get above .500 soon, then spend years in mediocrity with no title.

[cpxc.]

I can't see MLB doing anything, I just don't understand some of the moves the Pirates make. It almost seems like he enjoys being in last place every fucking year.

[wedge914]

I seriously hate MLB for the lack of salary cap. Pirates would draw so much more bandwagon fans if they could actually compete with the big market teams. Just look at how well the Pens are doing. How many of those people were fans when Dick Tarnstrom was the "star"?

[FunkyTeaParty]

How about a salary floor?

If you refuse to compete than please sell.

[dmbmuskie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N0C1...layer_embedded

[Bluecow2]

Originally Posted by Bafugama

I would be willing to put money on MLB contracting 6 teams in the next 10-12 years, and Pittsburgh will be one of the teams.

6 teams? I'll take that bet, and give you 100-1 odds.
2 maybe...and even that's unlikely. They'll move teams before they dump them.

Teams with front offices that have a clue can win. Sure, it's not easy, but they can. But the Pirates are simply a horribly run operation...and their moves just defy logic the last 2 years.

[dmbmuskie]

Originally Posted by Bluecow2

6 teams? I'll take that bet, and give you 100-1 odds.
2 maybe...and even that's unlikely. They'll move teams before they dump them.

Teams with front offices that have a clue can win. Sure, it's not easy, but they can. But the Pirates are simply a horribly run operation...and their moves just defy logic the last 2 years.

The moves make a lot of sense. They're not going to win this year, and they sold high, which is something they should have been doing for years. The goal is to win not to be .500.

[joepsu0985]

The Pirates take in all revenue from ticket sales, to concessions to merchandise. They aren't going anywhere. The tax payers built that stadium. They make the money, but refuse to spend any. They will spend money once they have a reason to. So within the next 10 years when we have one team that could do something then maybe. I personally think they will trade away prospects with the same excuse that you cannot build a team around this guy or that guy. Yet, there are still 20k people in the stands. When you operate at a profit and have a bad team, nothing with change until those people stop going.

[joepsu0985]

Originally Posted by Bluecow2

6 teams? I'll take that bet, and give you 100-1 odds.
2 maybe...and even that's unlikely. They'll move teams before they dump them.

Teams with front offices that have a clue can win. Sure, it's not easy, but they can. But the Pirates are simply a horribly run operation...and their moves just defy logic the last 2 years.

It's a genius operation from a business standpoint for my reasons above. Scum is what this ownership is.