Pirates Preview 2008: The Bullpen

Late relief was one of the Pirate’s strengths in 2007. Second year pitcher, and first year closer, Matt Capps did a more than capable job of converting his few save chances. Set-up men Solomon Torres, Shaun Chacon and John Grabow, on the whole, performed very well too. And lefty specialist Damaso Marte was phenomenal. The other two bullpens spots last year left a lot to be desired.

So where does that leave us in 2008? Well, Torres was traded to Milwaukee for two minor league pitchers who are unlikely to see any big league action this year. Chacon became a free agent and has yet to sign with any team. And despite some competitive bids, the Pirates have not made any significant additions to this group. So the Pirates took one of their strengths, and shaved off 40%. That doesn’t bode well.

But here’s the deal: It’s just the bullpen. I know, I know, the bullpen is vital for a team to be successful. But this team does not project to be much of a contender. I’m not saying they won’t contend, because the ’97 team looked much worse than this one, just that they don’t seem like they will. Some year, maybe even this one, everything will fall into place and the Bucs will win. Sure, many players will have to overachieve, but if we’re talking about overachieving anyway, let’s count on the bullpen to do that too. Why go out and sign 2 or 3 veteran relievers to multi-year contracts when the team doesn’t appear to be ready to win. Filling in the bullpen is something you do when you know you can compete. I’d rather the team spent that money signing Capps, Freddy Sanchez or Adam LaRoche to an extension.

But back to the bullpen, so we’ve got Capps, Marte and Grabow in place. There are rumors that the team is still talking with Chacon about returning. I could see that happening. They have already signed over-the-hill journeyman Elmer Dessens to fill a bullpen spot, and maybe be a spot starter. Franquelis Osoria and Romulo Sanchez both pitched fairly well last year in their limited appearances. Those two should vie for a roster spot. A handful of other young relievers made mostly forgettable appearances too: Brian Rogers, Juan Perez, Josh Sharpless, and Jonah Bayliss. I’m actually not sure if they’re all still around, but I could see one or two of them making a positive impact at some point this year. I also expect Sean Burnett to sneak in as a long reliever. He’s out of minor league options so it’s worth giving him a shot in the bullpen.

Projected Pirate’s Bullpen:

Matt Capps, Damaso Marte, John Grabow, Elmer Dessens, Sean Burnett, Franquelis Osoria and Jonah Bayliss (unless Chacon returns).

Not noticeably good, but considering the expectations of the team, it should be adequate.

Pirates Preview 2008: Starting Pitching

According to the Bucs’ brass, the team’s 2008 starting rotation will consist of, in likely order, Tom Gorzelanny, Ian Snell, Paul Maholm, Matt Morris and Zach Duke. Believe it or not, I’m okay with that. Clearly it’s not the best rotation in the majors, but it does have a chance to be pretty decent.

If Gorzelanny and Snell pitch about as well as they did last season, and that’s a reasonable assumption, then we have one of the better top two starter pairs in the league. Well, maybe the division. But still, that’s not bad. These two pitchers are young and they’ve been healthy. They have good control and they can get strikeouts, Snell in particular. An improvement, by both of them, is really not out of the question.

And then there’s Maholm. His final E.R.A. from last year is not impressive, but that number is seriously thrown off by his last two starts. These two starts came after he missed a few weeks with a minor injury. So, before the injury: 4.32 ERA; after the injury: 30.86 ERA, which resulted in an ERA for the season of 5.02. 5.02 looks bad, 4.32 looks respectable. I’m willing to believe that we’ll see a lot more of the 4.32 Maholm this year.

I do realize that Matt Morris is years removed from his prime. He was fantastic for a number of years in St. Louis, but those years are passed. What I did see from Morris last year was two very good months. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, those two months were in San Francisco, as a member of the Giants. My point is, if he could do it for a little bit last year, he can do it again. For a full year? Probably not, but maybe long enough to get us some return at the trading deadline. Cynical? Me? Yeah, I hope the Pirates win this year and I think they do have quite of few very good players, but realistically they’ll trade Morris in July if they can get something in return. And Morris won’t be a part of the team’s plans for 2009 anyway, so it’s not a big loss.

So what to make of Zach Duke? We all want to see that Greg Maddux-like rookie we saw three years ago. But will we? Duke gave us a tiny glimpse with his last start of 2007. (7 innings, 8 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts) Was it a sign of things to come? Will Duke regain his pre-Tracy/Colburn mechanics? Or should we just get used to last year’s results? I seriously have no idea. But I can hope.

So, I said earlier that the starting rotation is pretty nice. And then I went and pointed out some major question marks. Well, when discussing starting pitching one must always take into account the potential for injuries. This could be a problem for Pittsburgh. After the top five, we would have to turn to Sean Burnett, Bryan Bullington, John Van Benschoten and then maybe Elmer Dessens. Burnett had a great month in the majors four years ago, but it’s been injuries and the minors since. Bullington and Van Benschoten have also had injury issues and limited time in the majors. Dessens has been around and had a little bit of success in places like Cincinnati, but that time has passed. I trust him for long relief, but if he makes the rotation at some point in 2008, we’re in trouble.

Do Clothes Make the Man?

This past Friday was a very big day for me. I received in the mail a Freddy Sanchez jersey (pictured) which I had ordered the previous week. This is only the second Pirates jersey I have ever purchased, and the first in just over 17 years, Andy Van Slyke being the previous. I’m not sure why it’s been so long. There have certainly been some good players in that time. Brian Giles, Jason Kendall, Denny Neagle and Aramis Ramirez, to name of few. They have of course all moved on, but at one time or another, they were all deserving of having their name on the back of a $100 shirt. Maybe the dollar amount turned me off a little or maybe, though I hate to admit it, the losing soured the idea for me. Or maybe it’s just that the foolishly optimistic (and superstitious) part of me finally realized that the last time I bought a jersey, the Pirates won their division the following season (following two seasons, actually). So, maybe this is their year. Right?

[Author’s note: One year ago I bought a new Pirates hat and a new Pirates t-shirt. I remember thinking to myself “With this new hat and t-shirt, and the acquisition of Adam LaRoche, the Bucs are sure to contend this year.” As it turned out, the Pirates went 68 and 94, finishing in last place.]

Another potential reason I avoid buying jerseys is the chance that the particular player whose name is emblazoned across the back could be traded soon. Van Slyke played four more years in Pittsburgh after my original purchase, so I didn’t really have any cause for concern. But the thought always lingers. Anywho, I figured Sanchez would be a safe bet this time. He’s a great player. He’s a fan favorite. And he’s not due to become a free agent for two more years. Also, I recalled reading somewhere just after the 2007 season ended that Pirates' General Manager Neal Huntington planned to offer multi-year contract extensions to Matt Capps and Freddy Sanchez. That cinched the deal. The first week of this month, I placed my order, sat back and waited for my brand new, glorious, Pirate-for-life Freddy Sanchez jersey to arrive. Five days later, and four days before the jersey actually did arrive, I read this article on the Post-Gazette’s website. So apparently, Huntington and company plan to just sign Sanchez for this one upcoming season. And then they’ll see where it goes. I know this doesn’t mean that Sanchez will be gone after this year, but it still hurts a little. At least for now, I’ve got myself a slick jersey of the Bucs best player.

The Offseason Doldrums

As a rather intense baseball fan, I get quite a bit out of the offseason. I really enjoy following the trades, free-agent signings, Hall of Fame voting and so forth. It’s not as much fun as the actual baseball season, but there’s enough going on to keep me excited. And during the offseason, I love talking about such things with other baseball fans. The problem is that most baseball fans I know do little other than follow their own team’s moves. That means I have to stay on top of the A’s moves, the Giants’ moves, the Dodgers’ moves, etc., if I’m to engage these people in some serious offseason baseball chat. The problem is, these other fans don’t return the favor.

So I go up to coworker #1, let’s call him Sonny. So, Sonny’s a Giants fan. He follows his team well enough to know what’s going on with them. He knows Bonds is gone and that they signed Aaron Rowand. The Bonds situation is a bit tired, so Rowand’s my in. “So, Aaron Rowand, eh?” I offer. “Interesting pickup.” He replies, “Yeah, he’s a great signing. Good middle-of-the-lineup bat.” I counter, “They gave him a pretty hefty contract though. Is he worth that?” Sonny ponders this question and replies, “Sure. We’re the Giants. If we can pay Zito twice that, then why not?” Touché. Sonny continues, “The Pirates made any big moves?” Gulp. I say, “We just picked up Josh Wilson on waivers.” Sonny gives me condescending “Oh,” pats me on the shoulder and walks away.

Along comes coworker #2, heretofore known as Johnny. He’s a Dodgers fan. “What an offseason for your Dodgers, huh? First Joe Torre as your new manager and then Andruw Jones signs to play centerfield.” Johnny replies, “Oh, I know. I’m very excited. The division is tough, but we already have a number of great players. This could be our year.” I immediately jump in with, “Did you hear the Pirates signed Chris Gomez?” Johnny says,” Who? Should I know that name?” “Oh yeah, he’s a big-time veteran. He’s played for loads of teams. Baltimore, Tampa, San Diego. Lots more even,” I say. “I’ll take your word for it,” Johnny says.

Just then, coworker #3, Jimbo the A’s fan, trots over. “Argh, you see they traded Swisher too? First Haren and now Swisher,” he growls. “Oh yeah, I heard about that. But you got some good prospects from those trades,” I say. “Tell me about it. Our minor leagues are in great shape now. Haren’s a tough loss, but I ain’t gonna miss that hippie Swisher. Good riddance, I say. Argh,” Jimbo says. “So,” I say, “do you want to hear who the Pirates might sign?” Jimbo tilts his head and looks at me cock-eyed. “Now why the hell would I want to do that? I’m goin’ back to work.” He stomps off.

Okay, so maybe these are slight exaggerations. But who’s to blame for this awkwardness? My semi-ignorant baseball fan coworkers (if you’re reading this, and you were able to decode my aliases, my sincerest apologies) for not reading up on all 30 teams? Or is it me for spending way too much time doing said reading, as well as for following a lackluster team? Or is it the Pirates for making news only with bad news? It can't be me or the Pirates, right? So it must be the first one.

A Fan from a Distance

Being a Pirate fan in California gives me few opportunities to watch my team play, though when I do have the chance, I rarely pass it up. With snobby ESPN only airing “good” teams, I must rely on local broadcasts, TBS and WGN. The Bucs usually play the Giants (local) and Braves (TBS) 6 teams per season each. About two thirds of those are televised locally. And they play the Cubs about 15 or so times, with maybe 6 or 7 on WGN. I try to catch all of those games. Occasionally, the White Sox (WGN) or the A’s (local) will show up on the Bucs’ schedule, thanks to interleague play. I don’t miss those either. So in a normal year, I get to watch maybe 15 Pirates games on TV.

When the Pirates come to town to play the Giants (or A’s) I usually just go to one game. Partly because of money but also due to the jinx I put on them. Over the course of 18 seasons, the Pirates have probably not won more than a third of the games I’ve attended. I saw them win last year at San Francisco, which may have been their first victory I witnessed since I watched them beat the Rockies in Denver in 1999. The Pirates have enough trouble winning; I don’t want to exacerbate the situation.

So where do I turn to get my fix? I often frequent the Bucs’ official MLB site as well as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s coverage. I’m a fan of Dejan Kovacevic’s Q & A on the Post-Gazette site. I visit ESPN.com and CSB Sportsline too. I’m also fortunate enough to be friends with a handful of baseball fans (Even my wife! Though, since she’s from Rhode Island, she likes the Red Sox), none of which are Pirates fans, unfortunately.

Other than that, I have my overactive imagination. I have been known, over the years, to make lists of the Pirates’ roster, projected roster for the next season, guesstimated statistics, player salaries (taking arbitration into account, of course), potentially attractive free agents, and so forth. Sometimes I even have imaginary conversations with Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson as I fall asleep at night.

So maybe I’m using this blog as therapy. A way to cope with fifteen frustrating years. Or maybe the imaginative, and optimistic, part of me hopes that this will have a sort of butterfly effect on the Pirates, if not a more direct effect. Maybe Bob Nutting will read this and think ‘Wow. This fan’s optimism and bravery inspire me. I think I’ll go trade for Russell Martin and Brad Penny.’ But he’ll probably just think ‘Damn. We can do whatever we want and they’ll still like us. Suckers.’

A little about me...

I was born in Colorado, which at that time was devoid of professional baseball teams. I moved to California in 1985 and two years later first became interested in baseball. The Oakland Athletics, in particular. My dad liked them and so did a few friends. So I joined in on the fun.

Then in 1988, I had what would best be described as the ideal first full season as a baseball fan. The local team that I rooted for had a great year. I discovered my own favorite ballplayer, Andy Van Slyke of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I attended my first pro game that year; I believe it was A’s versus Twins. I began collecting baseball cards, which brought me closer to the game. The year ended when my dad called my school and asked them if I could be let out a little early. He picked me up and then we drove to the Oakland Coliseum for game five of the World Series. The Dodgers prevailed that night to wrap up an all too brief World Series. Our A’s lost, but I had a great time.

I rooted for the Pirates on the side that year (I was still an A’s fan) and I can still remember where I was when I heard they were eliminated from the NL East race. The following year, the A’s went on to win the World Series. I was happy about that but a little part of me still mourned for the Pirates and their disappointing season. I liked the A’s, but I wanted a team to love and I felt the potential for that with the Pirates.

I bought my first baseball cap before the 1990 season. It was solid black, with a gold “P” in the front. I was ready, and so were the Pirates. What followed were three tremendous, if ultimately frustrating, seasons. After the debacle that was Game 7 in 1992, I was just as ready, just as optimistic, for the next season.

What came next, as you may know, were fifteen losing seasons. Only once, in 1997, did the Pirates legitimately compete for a postseason berth. But each spring, I was optimistic. Each spring I believed that there was hope. Maybe it was that ’97 club that warped my mind. If a team of Kevin Elster, Kevin Young and Kevin Polcovich could challenge for the division title into late September, this year’s team certainly could as well. And here in 2008, I still feel that way.

I know I live over 2000 miles from Pittsburgh. I know there are two other pro teams in my immediate area, and three others in my state. I realize that my state of birth has its own team now, and that they went to the World Series just last year. I could very easily pick a new team and no one would think any less of me. But it wouldn’t be the same. I love the Pittsburgh Pirates. And there will come a day when they win it all. And there could be nothing sweeter.