Reds@Pirates 6/17 Game Thread...

DemDog · Post by **DemDog** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 1:36 am

I my opinion NH is the lying son of an old ugly sea hag! I don't believe a thing he says in regards to the Pirates.

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 2:40 am

17302125203D02362120203D440 wrote: I think Huntington’s comments before the game today on his show were very annoying once again speaking about attendance. Huntington said “If we are able to turn a corner and draw more people out then we’ll be able to put more into the club but they don’t necessarily go hand in hand. As we have shown in the past when the resources are there we’ll apply them.” Way to blame the fans once again Neal for your mismanagement of the team. This guy is something else.

Even if he believes this he is stupid for saying it.

skinnyhorse · Post by **skinnyhorse** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 3:17 am

7F525F4E49584F0F0C3D0 wrote: I think Huntington’s comments before the game today on his show were very annoying once again speaking about attendance. Huntington said “If we are able to turn a corner and draw more people out then we’ll be able to put more into the club but they don’t necessarily go hand in hand. As we have shown in the past when the resources are there we’ll apply them.” Way to blame the fans once again Neal for your mismanagement of the team. This guy is something else.
OMG! Like the way they applied the resources after a franchise attendance record in 2015 by signing Jaso and Vogelsong for 2016? Is that how they have shown in the past? What a POS! One of the biggest PR problems this organization has is the way they blatantly lie to the fan base and think we're too stupid to notice.

Exactly Bobster, fans will come if we put a winner on the field. But when this FO has shown winning isn't there priority, and expect fans to support them well that's just stupid. Pittsburg has to be committed to winning which means you be a leader in developing players, in evaluating players and you have to put the best players on the field no matter what. CH shows no interest in winning games, just making sure he's liked by his players. The fans are hungry for a winner, but there is a complete disconnect with management.

pghpaulatl · Post by **pghpaulatl** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 10:26 am

I didn't hear NH on radio, but have a few thoughts and I'll then reserve judgment until after the 7/31 trade deadline:

Since it seems everything with this organization is tied to money, isn't our payroll this year is under $90M? So I pose this question where did that $50M bonus get applied? Nuts pocket?

My thoughts are this club needs a starter, a LH starter, so trade one current starter(maybe two and bring Kingham up) for a LH starter with some control that is making too much $ for the team he's with. Then find two relievers, one a LH'er that doesn't give up two runs every time out.

I understand were loaded with prospects at AA and AAA, so identify those you can't live without and trade a few to get what's needed from above.

If this doesn't happen by 7/31, then I'll blow my stack!

SteadyFreddy · Post by **SteadyFreddy** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 10:53 am

1C3A3B2C3A2A590 wrote: I think Huntington’s comments before the game today on his show were very annoying once again speaking about attendance. Huntington said “If we are able to turn a corner and draw more people out then we’ll be able to put more into the club but they don’t necessarily go hand in hand. As we have shown in the past when the resources are there we’ll apply them.” Way to blame the fans once again Neal for your mismanagement of the team. This guy is something else.

Even if he believes this he is stupid for saying it.

Oh absolutely he is. Blaming the fans yet again for low payroll and then throwing out the ridiculous statement that the financial resources might not be there when people know the team gets revenue sharing and media money is just a flat out inexcusable statement to make and one that Huntington should be embarrassed to even throw out there. Hey Neal ITS NOT THE FANS FAULT YOUR CHEAP BOSS DOESNT SPEND MONEY.

rucker59@gmail.com · Post by **rucker59@gmail.com** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:32 am

This ownership and management team ripped the Hearts from Pirate fans. In some ways, what they did was worse then 20 years of losing. To have a team as good as 2015 casually dismantled to lower payroll and then blame fans was one of the low points I’ve personally ever experienced in sports.

Incredible hope and excitement of EVERY Pirate fan, methodically and knowingly, destroyed for the sake of personal gain. And the Billion Dollars of value literally given to the owner was met with twisted “facts” and out-right lies intended to shift blame to these same Pirate fans. Rather than acknowledge the truth, like cowards ownership and management went on a public campaign to belittle the amazing and quickly growing support of this fan base: we were literally lectured and chastised publicly about how our support did not measure up to what the BMTIB had blessed us with. We the fans bore responsibility for the actions of the FO.

And now the BS is starting again - gotta admit, they’ve got a lot of Guts to start this again...

rucker59@gmail.com · Post by **rucker59@gmail.com** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:47 am

Conservatively, the decisions of the front office has reduced attendance by Nearly 50%. They have driven away some 1,000,000 fans by the end of this year.

That many fans represent somewhere between $25M-$50M of revenue.... A year.... They’re really not very good business men either.

CarolinaBucco · Post by **CarolinaBucco** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:55 am

VaPirate is right on the mark with these posts. Well said.

It's absolutely criminal the way ownership/management handled this team following the 2015 season. And, like Va said, it was a STUPID business plan. They completely blew a golden opportunity to take this franchise to the top and make it one of the model (and WINNING) organizations in all of major league sports.

It was RIGHT THERE following 2015, and they completely ruined it and screwed up the entire franchise in the process.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:57 am

06213034312C13273031312C550 wrote: I think Huntington’s comments before the game today on his show were very annoying once again speaking about attendance. Huntington said “If we are able to turn a corner and draw more people out then we’ll be able to put more into the club but they don’t necessarily go hand in hand. As we have shown in the past when the resources are there we’ll apply them.” Way to blame the fans once again Neal for your mismanagement of the team. This guy is something else.

Even if he believes this he is stupid for saying it.

Oh absolutely he is. Blaming the fans yet again for low payroll and then throwing out the ridiculous statement that the financial resources might not be there when people know the team gets revenue sharing and media money is just a flat out inexcusable statement to make and one that Huntington should be embarrassed to even throw out there. Hey Neal ITS NOT THE FANS FAULT YOUR CHEAP BOSS DOESNT SPEND MONEY.

This should answer anyone's questions about why Nutting extended NH (and CH) for 4 more years. It wasn't to enhance the team's ability to win. Even after they had franchise record attendance/revenue in 2015 they cut costs, reduced the talent level and resumed losing. The priority is money, not winning. Even some players have noted as much. NH is Nutting's point man for spin control. Nutting stays out of the spotlight and NH got a 4-year deal to say whatever ridiculous lie is required to "explain" what everyone else can clearly see are questionable and counterproductive policies. And since winning is low on the priority list, why change managers? Hurdle keeps the players as satisfied as possible for a losing team. They get plenty of rest, they all get turns playing and he publicly defends them no matter how poorly they play. NH and Hurdle seem very satisfied with their roles in the Nutting regime. Good pay and job security without the pressures of trying to win. Good work if you can get it!

OrlandoMerced · Post by **OrlandoMerced** » Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:16 pm

I think it's important to note that attendance is always going to align with on-field success. So say the Pirates spent 140M like the Royals, and sucked, then they would have bad attendance numbers.

I think it sucks that small market teams have to rely on attendance for operating revenue. But this is where we are, I really don't have a problem with what Neal is saying here, they are still in a good position where bad attendance isn't going to force them from having to dump contracts. But at the same time, if there is a real opportunity to improve the team by spending money, they should do that.