Mid July: the time of year where the Pirates typically fade from moderate respectability. The glimpses of hope from the first half all but disappear. The team falls further below .500 and much further from the playoff picture. One or two trades later (veteran for “prospects”, usually), the Pirates somehow begin to win again. Not enough to get back into the postseason race, but enough to make us fans feel optimistic about the following season. The team put together a winning streak, led by an over performing (unbeknownst to us, though) young player. Maybe a mid-September slide ensures that we don’t come too close to a winning record, but otherwise a pleasing final two months of the season is had.
Will 2008 be any different? It doesn’t appear likely. As I write this, the Pirates are 8 games under .500 and about 10 games out of the wild card lead. Larger obstacles have been overcome, sure, but realistically the season will end in September. Winning record? Possibly. Playoffs? I don’t think so. Therefore it must be time to make some trades. With Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte the most likely to go, and with a number of potential suitors, the chance of quality prospects in return is decent. Deadline trades in recent years typically have not netted the Bucs much in return (Matt Morris [though this was kind of a backwards trade], Brian Rogers, Bobby Hill, Jose Hernandez, Ray Sadler, Ryan Vogelsong, etc.), though there have been a few good additions (Xavier Nady, Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, Jose Bautista, so pretty much our starting lineup). Wow, I’m suddenly compelled to stick up for Dave Littlefield: Though incompetent in the draft and free agency, Littlefield only made one awful deadline deal that I can think of off the top of my head (I’m not counting Morris for Rajai Davis as awful because it just cost the team money and Davis probably won’t amount to more than a role player): Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Lofton for Hill, Hernandez and some minor league pitcher named Kucher or Mucher. If I forgot one, please let me know, but I think that’s it. Just one awful trade. Well done, Mr. Littlefield. But I’m hopeful this year. Frank Coonelly and Neil Huntington seem like they know what they’re doing. I still expect Nady and Marte to go, but the return should be more substantial than we’re accustomed to.
Which brings us to August, were a youngster fools us into believing for another year. Who will it be this year? Steve Pearce? Andrew McCutcheon? Uh…I guess that’s it. Okay, so I’m sounding all cynical, but years of losing has jaded me. Years of losing the same way. But despite all I’ve written, there really is hope. Sure the pitching has been awful this year and there is no depth in the Minors, but the offense has been very good and the team plays with more intensity than in recent years. That does count for something. And now that I think about it, the youngster who “over performed” last year was Nate McLouth, and he actually turned out okay. He even plays centerfield (for now), which has been the most common position for our false hopes.
So, our upper management is now competent. Our team manager and coaches seem all right too (cut Jeff Andrews some slack, people). The team plays harder and more as a team than under Jim Tracy, and probably Lloyd McClendon. The Curse of the Center Field Tease has been broken. A winning record can’t be too far behind, can it?
