Bleacher Report - Articles by Erik Hoeke

"Reeling" and Dealing: The Story of the 2008 Pittsburgh Pirates

Erik Hoeke — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:10:14 -0400

Yet again, the Pittsburgh Pirates were sellers at the trading deadline. But this time, they may finally have a general manager that knows how to make a deal.

Last week, the Pirates gave up Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte for four Yankee prospects. They might have been able to get more than what they got in return, but they were able to move a Scott Boras client and soon-to-be-free-agent bullpen arm, both of which would never have stayed to help the Pirates create a winner anyway.

Whether it was a good deal remains to be seen.

The deadline day three-way with the Red Sox and Dodgers, however, sets the Pirates up for a very bright future. Yes, it's been said before that they have prospects that will one day make a contender, but this is also the first time in two decades that the Pirates have a GM with a backbone.

Let's unpack this trade, starting with how it brewed.

The Pirates, knowing their 2008 season has long been in the crapper, wanted to shop Jason Bay around, in hopes of restocking the bare cupboard they call their farm system. Sure, it immediately dashes any hopes for 2009 as well, but why not explore options.

The first serious rumors involved the Tampa Bay Rays, who apparently were inflexible with regards to the Pirates' demands. So, Huntington pulled a brilliant move, creating leverage by contacting the Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. He hoped to play division rivals fighting for first against each other in a bidding war for Bay—the best return of prospects would win the coveted left fielder.

Soon, the Pirates, Red Sox, and Marlins were seriously planning a three-way trade.

But Huntington got frustrated with the Rays at about the same time the
Red Sox became fed up with the fussy Marlins.

Epstein contacted Huntington and said, "Do you still want to do this if we find another third team?" Huntington was in, and the Dodgers entered the picture.

So the trade became, on the Pirates' end, losing J-Bay and receiving four prospects in return. The Red Sox gave them Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen.

Moss is a highly regarded OF/1B prospect that was crowded out in Boston's deep OF. The Pirates will give him a chance to play every day, and he might turn out to be another Xavier Nady—a solid corner guy that gets the job done, albeit not at superstar levels.

Hansen, a former standout college closer, has "wicked stuff", as they like to say in Beantown. He's been dominant his entire life, until he reached the majors. There's been no discussion by the Pirates on this yet, but with closer Matt Capps out for at least another month, they may give Hansen the closer job as a one-month trial.

If it pans out, this could be a great move for the Pirates.

The Pirates also received two prospects from the Dodgers. One is Andy LaRoche, the younger brother of Pirates 1B Adam LaRoche. He's been a top prospect for the last few years, and many baseball experts say all he needs is a team with the confidence to give him a real shot at starting.

Ironically, if he succeeds, the Pirates may have to move first-round pick Pedro Alvarez to first base when he's ready in a couple years, leaving Andy's older brother Adam jobless.

The other Dodgers prospect is Bryan Morris, an unknown 2006 first-round pick who sat out all of 2007 after Tommy John surgery. Apparently he's recovered well and is having a fine season in low-A ball. Surely a former first-round pick with arm problems will fit right in with the Pirates' minor-league system.

Their minor-league affiliates are littered with once-promising pitchers that can no longer bend their elbows or lift their arms above their heads.

It seems like another bad trade for the Pirates, and in the short term, it will make them much, much worse. But looking at it for the long term, in these two big trades, they're giving up about 3.5 years of contracts in Bay, Nady, and Marte, and in return get a possible five to six years of major-league service from eight different prospects before they become free agents. That's 3.5 years for 32 years, if only half the prospects pan out.

Only time will tell, but this may be the trade that finally turns around the sorriest of franchises in professional sports.

Pirates Logging in Overtime So Far this Season

Erik Hoeke — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:30:58 -0400

A baseball game lasts nine innings.

Try telling that to the Pittsburgh Pirates this season.

Eight games into the season, the Pirates have already played four extra-inning games, winning two of them.

Begin with a 12-inning circus on Opening Day in Atlanta, add a 10-inning affair three days later, plus the first two home games against the Chicago Cubs this week, and you have a whole extra game added to the Pirates season.

We should have known on Opening Day that it would be an extra-special season. The Pirates blew a five-run lead in the ninth against the Braves, with the help of a can-o-corn fly ball that dropped in between Jason Bay and Nate McLouth as neither called for it.

After pulling ahead again 12-9 in the top of the 12th, the Bucs almost squandered their lead again before narrowly escaping, 12-11, in just a shade under four and a half hours.

Then, last Thursday, the Pirates took a 3-3 ballgame into extras against those same Braves before prevailing on a Xavier Nady single in the 10th. That put the Pirates at 2-1, and Xavier Nady at two game-winning hits on the season.

The weekend was calm in South Florida, as the Pirates played an entire series without taking a game to extra innings. Friday's game threatened to give the fans free baseball, but Mike Jacobs hit a walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth.

As if one crazy Opening Day game full of comebacks and 12 innings wasn't enough, the Pirates had to create similar drama in their home opener on Monday against the Cubs. After falling behind 7-0 after three innings, they battled back to tie the game at eight and send it to extras. More free baseball!

That game trudged through three more innings before the Cubs finally cashed in on an opportunity and plated two runs in the 12th to win 10-8.

If you're scoring at home, that's seven extra innings played by the Pirates in seven games.

But wait, there's more.

Wednesday night, the Pirates played 15 innings against the Cubs to extend their league-leading season total to thirteen bonus baseball innings.

At least they're leading the league in something.

At this rate, the Pirates will play 81 extra inning games this season, shattering the Major League record of 31 extra inning games set by the 1943 Boston Red Sox.

They're also already two-fifths of the way toward tying the 1908 Detroit Tigers for most consecutive extra inning games played at five.

Of course, they probably will not challenge the Tigers' record, and time will tell if the Red Sox record will be realistically in sight.

But for now, the Pirates are giving Pittsburgh fans what they deserve after fifteen lousy seasons: free baseball.

Speaking of which, are the players getting compensated for all the extra time they are putting in? The bullpen has been especially involved in all the extra inning affairs. With the Pirates' miniscule payroll budget, they will probably go bankrupt by midseason if they have to pay time and a half to all the coaches and players every other game.

They're also providing competitive baseball. Although some of this season's excitement has been a result of poor relief pitching, some of it is also a case of the Pirates never giving up on a game and fighting until the last out.

For the record, the Pirates are 2-2 in extra inning games so far. And they are 3-5 overall, which is less than impressive. There are obvious problems with this team, and they will not be contenders this season.

But the early indication is that the Pirates will be in games. They will have a chance to win the game most nights. And although a contending team is the ultimate goal, being competitive is at least a start towards gaining more fan support.

Then again, will fans have the time and ice cold nerves to last through all these extra innings?

Perhaps Pirate baseball is on the way to being fun again, even if it means more Pittsburghers missing their bed time.

10 Positive Things About Being a Pittsburgh Pirates Fan

Erik Hoeke — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:36:05 -0400

One week from today, the Pittsburgh Pirates will embark on what figures to be their 16th consecutive losing season, tying the mark set by the cross-state Phillies from 1933-48.

At 15 consecutive failure-laden seasons, they currently hold the longest such streak in professional sports. In an attempt to cheer up the other seven remaining Pirate fans, here is a list of 10 reasons why being a Pirate fan can still be fun, even in the midst of losing...

10. New management in GM Neal Huntington, Executive President Frank Coonelly, et al has finally instilled a sense of mild intelligence in the front office. At the start of spring training, Huntington wrote a letter to Pirate fans.

In it, he explained that gone are the days when the Bucs make trades just to make a trade, and gone are the days when they sign high-priced free agents just trying to win over the city's fickle fans.

In other words, gone are the days when Dave Littlefield gets drunk and trades for Matt Morris and his massive contract.

9. A new Dominican baseball academy is being built by the Pirates. Groundbreaking was Jan. 22, so the payoff won't come for awhile, but in the words of Ricky Bobby, "It's just cool that we're trying stuff like that, you know?"

8. Insults: you've heard them all. Try as they might, no one can get under your skin, because you never have to defend your team.

Someone says the Pirates suck, and you have the easiest "shut-up-the-jerk-in-the-corner" response: "Yep." Insulters will soon find it very boring to hurl criticism at your team, only to discover you'd like to join in.

7. Walk-up tickets are almost always available. Try showing up at Fenway Park without tickets an hour before first pitch. At that point, your only option is shelling out $300 per ticket so you can see the BoSox play the mighty Royals on a Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, PNC Park's ticket windows are welcoming, and sellouts are rare—unless it's fireworks or bobblehead night. Pittsburghers will always show up if they know a) something will get blown up, or b) they'll get something for free, such as a coveted John Wehner Bobblehead doll.

6. Low expectations means every win is uplifting. Unlike other teams, with the Pirates, you don't enter the stadium expecting a win. You hope for one, but expect that, somehow, they'll find a way to screw it up. They are the Pirates, after all.

But occasionally, they pull through in a big way and beat the Mets 4-3 to avoid being swept in a weekend series. Then, you get to go to work or school the next day and proclaim, "I went to the Pirates game yesterday, and they actually won!" I'm not kidding either—these proclamations really happen.

5. Bragging about your loyalty becomes fulfilling after awhile. Being a Pirate fan is the ultimate trump card. People call you a fair-weather fan or a bandwagon jumper on anything, and you pulll out the "Hey, I'm a Pirates fan, so I stick with teams even when they've descended to the depths of Hades" card. Plus, the payoff is going to be sooooo sweeeeet when they finally break through and make the playoffs in 2023.

4. Great teams often visit. I've often thought the Pirates marketing department should adopt this as their official team slogan. It would be much more honest than "We Will," "It's All Fun and Games", or whatever crap they usually come up with.

Watching Bucs commercials on TV in Pittsburgh is quite hilarious. It usually goes something like this: "Howard! Rollins! Utley! Cole Hamels! Come watch the Pirates take on the Phillies April 25-27 as the NL East Division Champions roll into town.

"See the exciting action, and your Pittsburgh Pirates [who apparently, are not included in said "exciting action"] this weekend! Friday is Fireworks Night, Saturday is Doug Mientkiewicz Bobblehead Night, and Sunday all kids receive a plush pierogie doll!"

3. The storied history offers comfort in times of distress. When the Tampa Bay Sunshine-makes-me-happy-Rays have a miserable season, they don't have five World Series rings to look back on.

The Pirates also feature legends such as Roberto Clemente, Willie "Pops" Stargell, the Waner bros. (Big Poison and Little Poison—how cool are those nicknames?), and Honus Wagner, who is probably better known for his rare baseball card, but was quite a player back in the day. At least we can remember what the Pirates were before any of us were born.

2. Funny things happen when you're losing. Any time a Pirate fan feels down, he or she can always look back on the hilarious moments that have come from 15 consecutive losing seasons.

Legendary Lloyd McClendon once ripped first base out of the ground, tucked it under his arm, and took it back to the dugout after being tossed from a game for arguing a call.

Derek Bell went into "Operation Shutdown" because the Bucs made him compete for the starting RF job after hitting at the Mendoza line during the previous season. And the Bucs are also the only team who has had a player arrested and charged with assaulting a sausage in the Milwaukee sausage race.

1. PNC Park is quite possibly the most beautiful modern ballpark in the majors. The Pittsburgh skyline is neatly tucked into the outfield opening, there's possibility for home run balls to splash into the Allegheny River, and the field itself has quirky attributes, such as the 21-foot high RF wall in honor of Roberto Clemente, who wore No. 21.

You can taste the local fare—Primanti's, Quaker Steak, or even pierogies. The groundskeeping crew is among the best in baseball, and keeps the field looking pristine year-round.

This year, they're also adding an open bar and restaurant with a patio where Outback Steakhouse used to be. The space will be similar to the Chophouse and Top of the Chop found in Atlanta's Turner Field. Every baseball fan needs to experience baseball in this park before they die.

Joe Paterno: Should He Stay or Should He Go?

Erik Hoeke — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:03:22 -0400

Four years ago, Joe Paterno's contract was in its final year. Fans called for the then 77-year-old coach's retirement. High-ranking university officials made a house call imploring JoePa to step down.

But I stood up for the old man, insisting that he held the right to end his legacy on his own terms. I was certain the man could still coach at a high level, and did not buy into the notion that he was "out of touch" or "losing control" on his players. Ultimately, he signed a four-year extension, which runs out at the end of the 2008 season.

Now 81, he is again in the final year of his contract, and extension or succession plans are not going smoothly, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. And once again, the question is again being raised: Is it time for JoePa to go?

I still stand by my statements from four years ago. He can still coach at a high level. He can still keep his players in line, such as last year when four players were arrested for their role in a bar fight, and as punishment the whole team was forced to clean the entire stadium after every home game.

But finally, I have realized what so many realized four years ago: Joe Paterno can no longer recruit at a national level. He has experienced a resurgence in recent years, landing Sean Lee, Justin King, and Derrick Williams—but he recently lost highly-prized recruit Terrelle Pryor to rival Ohio State.

Pryor, a quarterback in the Vince Young mold, decided earlier this week to don the scarlet and gray rather than the blue and white of his home state. And when you're losing the No. 1 recruit in the nation to a neighboring state's school, it's time to get out of the game.

It's safe to assume Pryor had an idea of Joe Paterno's uncertain future. He probably caught wind that Paterno may be on his way out after the 2008 season. This uncertainty about the head coaching position has stayed at or just under the surface at Penn State for at least six years.

Then there's the uncertainty that comes with any 81-year old, no matter how healthy he or she is. Who knows how long it will be until JoePa shuffles off this mortal coil? This question as well as the contract questions make any prospective player think twice about attending Penn State. Why would Pryor attend Penn State and play for JoePa only one or two years, when at Ohio State he knows Jim Tressel will be there from day one until the day he is drafted into the NFL?

JoePa, you are a legend. Everyone loves you and your referee-chasing ways. But unless you have verifiable proof that you will definitely be on the sidelines for more than another year or two, you simply can't compete in the Big Ten, which is passing you by as you continue to hold back the Nittany Lions.

Pittsburgh Pirates: 2008 Season Preview

Erik Hoeke — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:59:01 -0400

The Pirates enter the 2008 season the same as they have the previous 15 years: with the taste of a losing record from the previous year. While there is reason to believe this year's team will improve upon its record, it is still not ready to be considered a serious contender. Nevertheless, hope springs eternal, and the prospect of their first winning season since the first Bush administration is within reach.

Coach: New manager John Russell has preached discipline and fundamentals throughout Spring Training. While the results of this remain to be seen, there is little reason to think this will make much of a difference. Remember, the same was said about Legendary Lloyd McClendon and Jim Tracy—both were touted as "fundamentals" coaches who could work well with young players—and we all know how that turned out.

The fact remains that until the Pirates have a team with the talent to compete, the coaching regime at the major league level will not make a world of difference. Still, judgment on Russell should be reserved until we see if his "fundamentals" coaching pays off and until we see how he handles in-game situations throughout the course of a 162-game season.

Catcher: Ronny Paulino reported to camp in better shape than last year, but his performance thus far looks to be just as lazy as 2007. While spring training statistics typically do not mean much, Paulino has just five hits in 33 spring ABs, with only one XBH.

Sources from the Pirate organization report that the front office is secretly hoping Ryan Doumit stays healthy enough to wrestle the starting job from Paulino, as well they should be. Doumit, when healthy, has proven to be a much better offensive player than Paulino. He hits for power and strikes out much less than Paulino.

Both leave much to be desired defensively, and there is no one pushing them in the minor-league system. If Doumit remains healthy, fans should beg to see Doumit behind the dish in at least 120 games this year. His bat is sorely needed in an anemic lineup.

First Base: Adam LaRoche figures to test everyone's patience again with yet another slow start to the season. But once the weather warms up, so will LaRoche's bat. He has great ability to drive in runs, and is not praised enough for his ability to get on base by any means possible. His defense is also above average, which is a plus.

While he is not a good option at first compared to the rest of the league, he is still the best option the Bucs have had there since, well, Sid "Benedict Arnold" Bream. Ugh.

Second Base: Steady Freddy Sanchez has finally returned from his injury, and should be ready for opening day. As a position player, it shouldn't take him much time to get into the groove. His defense will be solid as always, and his bat should be good for another above-.300 season.

If he hits second or third behind Morgan and/or McLouth, his situational hitting will be a factor in generating runs, and he should get enough opportunities for 85 RBI. This is one position the Bucs shouldn't have to worry about.

Shortstop: Jack Wilson will bring his flashy D and his slap-hitting back to the Pirates for yet another season. He's also very consistent, but for a fan favorite, you would expect more production.

There is also talk of hitting him second in the lineup, which is a bad idea. Jumpin' Jack Flash hits much better in the eight spot, where there isn't much pressure and he can simply worry about turning the lineup over with his scrappiness.

He plays hard and scrappy, and is a great clubhouse leader, but his lack of real, actual talent always seems to be overlooked by management.

Third Base: Jose Bautista will break camp as possibly the worst starting third basemen in the NL. His strikeouts and lack of anything resembling production at the plate complement his sub-par defense very well.

But the Pirates should not hand over the reins to hometown prospect Neil Walker just yet. This position is likely the Pirates' top priority right now, as there is really little hope of getting big league production at the hot corner from anyone in the organization, not even golden boy Walker. The outfield glut should pave the way to trade an OF for a 3B prospect who is major-league ready.

Outfield: There is no way Jason Bay will have as bad of a season as he did last year. If he gives the Pirates .290-35-110, that should be enough to restore the fear he used to put into opposing pitchers. He is a quiet leader who does his job the right way, and things should even out for him. His defense is above average, which helps in the expansive left field of PNC Park.

Xavier Nady will start the season in RF, and barring injury will be a valuable player to have—at the trading deadline. As the team's best barganing chip, hopefully he will shake his awful spring and have a good first half so the Bucs can get something in return.

In center, McLouth and Morgan continue to battle it out. Although Morgan is speedier and more electrifying on defense, McLouth is the better hitter. With McLouth in center, not much is sacrificed on D, and there is more pop in his bat.

There have been rumors that Nady may sit as both play in the OF and hit first or second in the lineup, but keeping Nady out of the lineup so Morgan can play would be a bad idea.

Rotation: This is clearly the strength of the team. Ian Snell just signed a very reasonable contract, and the Pirates should be glad to have him at a bargain. He is the pitcher with the most talent on this staff. Tom Gorzelanny should have another solid season, and is a guy most teams would love to have in the middle of the rotation.

Paul Maholm should eat up innings and keep the Bucs in the game when he starts. Zach Duke has looked good this spring, and hopefully he will remember how well he has pitched in the past while forgetting his awful 2007. His success will go a long way towards determining the Pirates fate this year.

Morris is dead weight in the rotation and on the payroll, and the entire baseball universe continues to question why the Bucs even traded for him in the first place last July. The new front office is surely not happy with having him on the payroll, and would love to get rid of him. However, there is no hope of moving him unless former GM Dave Littlefield gets a job with another team.

Overall, the rotation is good, but not great. There is still no shutdown pitcher on this team, and a veteran ace is sorely needed if the Pirates are to contend in future years.

Bullpen: Since no one has claimed a spot out of the 47,000 arms invited to camp, the bullpen will be entirely unpredictable. Only time will tell who will be there, how they will be used, and how successful they will be.

One thing is certain—it will be a healthy mix of young prospects and old retreads. Capps does provide stability at the closer position, which will help on a team that figures to be locked into many close games.

Bench: Journeyman Doug Mientkiewicz will be a solid defensive replacement at several positions. It sounds like the loser of the center field spot will snag a backup role, which many believe should have gone to Steve Pearce. Although the Bucs want him to get more ABs every day, Pearce's hitting this spring proved he is ready to play in the show, and he should be the first call-up should any outfielders(starter or reserve) get injured.

Kevin Thompson is pushing for a spot on the big club, but that spot rightfully belongs to Pearce. Chris Gomez and Josh Wilson should be backup middle infielders. Gomez is a retread who doesn't have much place on this young squad, and Wilson is a marginal prospect.

This team's complete lack of depth is testament to the lack of talent in the organization as a whole, and is a primary reason why the Pirates are likely headed toward a record-tying 16th consecutive losing season.

However, this team is better than recent years, and some players will be instrumental in turning them into a contender—Snell, Gorzelanny, Sanchez, LaRoche, and Bay.

Best-case scenario for this team is 84 wins. Worst-case is a repeat of last year's 68-94 record.

Some glimmers of competence in the front office is giving hope that the team will finally turn itself around, but this year will not be the Pirates' year. GM Neal Huntington is working slowly but surely to make this team a contender again.

But before contention comes respectability, and it will still be a long road to respectability.

Prediction: The Bucs lose a multitude of close games due to lack of situational and clutch hitting by a weak offense. The starting rotation saves them from another 100-loss season, and the Pirates manage to finish 76-86, due to playing in the terribly weak NL Central.