Pirates @ Rangers - 4/30 Game Thread . . .

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:05 am

674140574151220 wrote: glad Polanco's defense didn't hurt, is Lyles out because of pitch count? I'm following along on mlb.com but can't tell any real details.
I believe so. He had just struggled in the 4th with 2 walks and 2 singles and he was at 96 pitches so he didn't come back out for the 5th.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:11 am

7B7C6D7E6D3C31080 wrote: I think the lineup is ok. It's just a shame they couldn't get Bell off 1B to be the DH. But they need Cabrera in the lineup and none of the OFers play 1B.

I guess 75 million these days gets you a lineup that has trouble scoring runs and plays smelly defense ? Also provides for bad attendance ?
The MLB average payroll is 134.5 mil. The teams with lower payrolls than the Pirates are the Orioles (10-20), Marlins (8-20)....and the 1st place Rays (19-9). The Rays have MLB's lowest payroll (61 mil). But they've got those super pitchers Glasnow and Morton and that Meadows kid.

I've been a avid Pirate fan since 1960 and never did too much complaining. I'm just so pissed now and can't let it go. You don't go with a small payroll and trade your best prospects for someone like Archer . They had zero chance to get to a WS without spending around 50 million. They did this to hoodwink the fans into thinking winning was the first priority. It's blown up in their faces and watch the attendance sour even more when Glasnow wins a CY Young and Archer continues to be Archer. Sorry to be so redundant as I've been bitching since the day this trade was made.

I think you are correct. I was fine with the Archer trade as long as it was going to be the first piece in a concerted effort to improve the roster. Teams that go all in will trade good prospects for established players. But Archer was not going to be enough to make them win. They still needed better hitting. But they stopped with the Archer trade. So instead of that deal being the first piece in a series of moves to improve the team, it was the ONLY move. To use your words, it was an effort to "hoodwink the fans into thinking winning was the first priority" when, in fact, it was an isolated move that was not going to be part of an effort to build a winning team.

fjk090852-7 · Post by **fjk090852-7** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:12 am

Right now this team cannot get a clutch hit with men on base. Every time they get runners on base the rally stalls.

SteadyFreddy · Post by **SteadyFreddy** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:20 am

Well according to Huntington and Coonelly they didn’t need to add on to a team that won 82 games a year ago. They said time and time again how they felt that they had a good core group of young position players they could win with this season. And so far that has turned out to be a complete and utter disaster. So tired of not only Nutting but Huntington and Coonelly lying through their teeth trying to make this team better then it really is and both of them continuing to blame the fans not attending games as a main reason for not spending more money.

SteadyFreddy · Post by **SteadyFreddy** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:26 am

So tired of Marte swinging at pitches that bounce in front of the plate then walking away with that I don’t care walk he has. We were told that this was going to be a different Starling Marte this season and so far he looks just the same if not worse. Another guy at some point the Pirates just need to move on from.

rucker59@gmail.com · Post by **rucker59@gmail.com** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:30 am

Without a doubt, Starling Marte is the most disappointing Pirate player I’ve seen. Maybe he’s the most disappointing ever??

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:35 am

737F7E252C252D20273822150 wrote: Right now this team cannot get a clutch hit with men on base. Every time they get runners on base the rally stalls.

and they can't hit homers either.

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:36 am

4641575F5146010D745359555D581A575B59340 wrote: Without a doubt, Starling Marte is the most disappointing Pirate player I’ve seen. Maybe he’s the most disappointing ever??

Pedro Alvarez and Tony Sanchez are much more disappointments to me than Marte.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:39 am

Another atrocious HP ump with no clue calling balls and strikes. >:(

SteadyFreddy · Post by **SteadyFreddy** » Wed May 01, 2019 2:43 am

Pedro Alvarez at least had a good postseason series against the Cards and had a few 30 plus homerun seasons.