SB Nation User Blog: humbucker

Pirates fans - do NOT read this!

humbucker — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:42:08 -0000

Tim Brown's recent column for Yahoo! sports focuses on the game's best prospect., but Pirates fans shouldn't read it unless they keep all sharp objects out of reach.

if you guessed that the prospect was drafted in the first round of the 2007 draft by a different team, after the Pirates had made their first selection, and is a Scott Boras client, then you probably know who it is without clicking the link. but don't say you weren't warned....

The Pirates should sign Derrick Turnbow...

humbucker — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:34:00 -0000

The Pirates should sign former All-Star relief pitcher Derrick Turnbow, who was just DFA'd by the Brewers.

Why? He has a power arm (265 K in 257 2/3 career innings), which is in line with Huntington's philosophy. But mainly because he's a perfect fit for the Pirates' bullpen.

Just look at his 2008 numbers – 12 hits and 11 runs in 6 1/3 innings and a 13:5 BB:K ratio (for a 15.63 ERA and a WHIP of nearly 4!), plus the league is hitting .414 against him. And maybe we can then trade Matt Capps to the Yankees for a case of sunflower seeds, so Turnbow can compete with Evan Meek for the closers' job.

Granted, Turnbow hasn't made any errors this year, which may be a deal-breaker. However, at the plate he has struck out in half of his career at bats, so I think the Pirates should take a chance on him anyway.

/sarcasm

my 8-month old son's assessment of the Pirates

humbucker — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:17:47 -0000

Yesterday afternoon my wife went to get a haircut, so my 8-month old son and I had the place to ourselves. I turned on the tv to WGN, to see if the Pirates game was televised, and sure enough it was: bottom of the 5th inning, 5-3 cubs. We watched Osoria give up two quick hits and a run, then Fontenot hit for pitcher Ryan Dempster. As we watched Adam 'Useless in April' LaRoche fumble an easy ground ball, my son made perhaps the most fitting and succinct criticism of how the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing:

He filled his diaper with his smelliest load of poop to date.

We left the room to change his diaper, and returned to find it was still the bottom of the 5th inning, and the score was now 10-3. We'd missed another error on what should have been an inning-ending double play, which was immediately followed by a 2-run homer from A-Ram, before the inning mercifully ended.

We watched Ryan Doumit launch a solo home run in the top of the 6th inning, and then in the bottom of the 6th watched Marte walk the bases loaded before I decided to conserve diapers and change the channel. Sure, his reaction to the Pirates' crappy play may have been a coincidence (although certainly appropriate), but there was no sense risking the poor tot more grief. (I should have spared my self the grief of checking the score later last night, but I digress.)

So now the Pirates are 7-11, third-worst in the National League. Despite a league-leading 24 errors and all those extra-inning games, the Pirates now have a ML-worst 5.71 team ERA, and a ML-worst 1.69 WHIP. Stock up on toilet paper and diapers for your kiddos, folks, because it's going to be a looooong year.

don't let the door hit you on the way out, Tracy....

humbucker — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 17:49:12 -0000

The Post Gazette reports that a press conference will be held at 2:30 EDT to officially fire Jim Tracy, and presumably other members of his coaching staff and other front-office personnel (hopefully including Ed Creech):

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07278/823179-100.stm

most Pirates fans would agree this was a long time coming (almost 2 years, by my count). I hope they replace Tracy with someone competent (Tony Pena would be my preference). for now, let us celebrate this act of competence from our PBC!

Poll

Who's the next Pirates manager?

Jeff Cox

0 votes

(someone else)

39 votes

Phil Garner

7 votes

Joe Girardi

11 votes

Tony LaRussa

2 votes

Tony Pena

8 votes

67 votes | Poll has closed

Matt Capps projections (part 2)

humbucker — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 16:36:14 -0000

I completely forgot to guess at Mapp Capps' performance, and now Charlie's original post is too old to accept new comments. if the community projections are still open, here's mine:

60/4.50/40/15

Capps was mostly effective last year, although he had as many blown saves as he had wins. He really faded down the stretch, perhaps due to overuse (as a younger player, anyway). I hope he doesn't blow out his arm this year.

I met Brian Giles ...

humbucker — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:28:11 -0000

... or his cardboard cutout, anyway. Earlier this month, I was in San Diego for a conference. My hotel happened to be right next to Petco Park, so I wandered into the Padres' gift shop after lunch one day. (With the (near) life-size cutout of Brian Giles and his power swing beckoning me inside, how could I resist?) Alas, I didn't have any film for my camera at that time (film cost $17.50 for one roll in my hotel's store!), and the cardboard cutout was nowhere to be found the other three days I was there....

And thanks for the restaurant recommendation, Charlie, but I never did make it out of the 'Tourist Central' downtown area. But for a 'business' trip, San Diego was really nice, and my wife and I will have to return as tourists sometime.

Poll

Which cardboard cutouts of famous people have you met?

Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)

0 votes

Mario Lemieux

0 votes

Elvis!

0 votes

The Ramones

1 votes

Brian Giles (former Pirate)

1 votes

Paul Stanley (Kiss)

0 votes

Jimi Hendrix

1 votes

(other)

0 votes

Terry Bradshaw

1 votes

Angelina Jolie (as Lara Croft)

1 votes

5 votes | Poll has closed