Does this team need leaders?

woobie — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 06:37:50 -0000

Since it was in the unreadable PBC Blog comments section, I doubt many of you read this when it was first posted.

To make a long story short, here is an excerpt of Dejan's response to what some posters deemed "negative" coverage:

I will say it again: There is no leadership on the team.

If you want me to write about nothing but the happy stuff, I can't do that. That is not my job. It is to tell you what is going on.

Who will take responsibility, if anyone?

Who is accountable?

That requires a long follow-up over the next two months.

http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/pbc/default.aspx

I, for one, didn't have a problem with the coverage.

The team played horribly Thursday night and deserved to be called out in an objective manner. Nor did I have an issue with reporting that Hart and Jackson were unavailable to talk postgame. After all, the beat writers/talking heads have a job to do. And while both players provided explanations after the fact, it didn't exactly scream of "professionalism" on their part.

What I don't care for is all this leadership nonsense, at least not now.

How can a team that's been gutted -- and rightfully so -- have someone instantly take the reigns? How can Ryan Doumit, who seems to have no interest whatsoever in such a role, become a leader based on mere seniority? The same goes for Ramon Vazquez; why, just because he's old enough to remember a few John Hughes movie lines?

As much as it pains me to say, I'm with John Russell on this one. Leaders, at least in regard to pro baseball, are made, not born.

Let these 25 guys play. Let them succeed. Let them fail. Let them whatever ... someone will come to the forefront.

Also, and this is another thread for another day, but I find it odd that Dejan seems more outwardly critical now than when DL was ripping this organization, from top to bottom, to shreds. Of course, that's his prerogative. It's just strange.

Pedro Martinez, anyone?

woobie — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:53:38 -0000

From John Perrotto's Sunday notebook:

Finding a starter to stabilize the young rotation is the top priority. Two names that keep circulating in the rumor mill are left-hander Odalis Perez and right-hander Paul Byrd. Perez, 31, was 7-12 with a 4.34 ERA in 30 starts for Washington last season and Byrd, 37, was a combined 11-12 with a 4.60 ERA in 30 starts with Cleveland and Boston.

A most interesting name that can’t be completely ruled out is right-hander Pedro Martinez, who has a long history with Pirates pitching coach Joe Kerrigan and is a cousin of Pittsburgh reliever Denny Bautista, referring to him as “my son, my baby boy.”

The price could be right on Martinez. He is 37, made just 25 starts the past two seasons because of injuries and was 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA in 20 starts for the New York Mets in 2008.

http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/11/15/sports/pirates/doc491faab5dc0a0934066343.txt

The Pirates could do worse, I suppose. What say you?

SB Nation User Blog: woobie

Does this team need leaders?

Pedro Martinez, anyone?