406169406B63040 wrote: Couldn't believe my eyes. This link sent to me by my kid in Seattle. What a way to get folks to the game.
Stitch n Pitch
As a crocheter (due to health reasons) I often sit and watch the games on tv. Crocheting helps keep my mind off Joe
Block's announcing.
Bob, if you’re reading this, no one cares. Just win. (No offense intended in your direction, Possum.)
Reviving interest in baseball in Pittsburgh
Moderators: SammyKhalifa, Doc, Bobster
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SammyKhalifa
- Posts: 3631
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Reviving interest in baseball in Pittsburgh
Every team has these promotion days but only the Pirates seem to catch crap for it.
Reviving interest in baseball in Pittsburgh
675559594D7F5C55585D5255340 wrote: Every team has these promotion days but only the Pirates seem to catch crap for it.
I know, but here's the thing...the Pirates haven't:
--Won a World Series since 1979
--Won a pennant since 1979
--Won a division since 1992
--Been in the NLCS since 1992
On average, they should have been to at least two World Series since 1979 and won one of them. They also on average should have won at least five division titles since 1992. They should have been to the NLCS approximately four times.
Comparatively, every franchise in MLB has won a World Series since the Pirates with the exception of the following: Seattle, Washington, San Diego, Milwaukee, Texas, and Cleveland. Every team in MLB except for Seattle and Washington has won a pennant since the Pirates last won one in 1979.
Every MLB team except Washington has been to a League Championship Series since the Pirates were last in one in 1992. Since MLB realigned in 1994, every team has at least one division title except for three: the Rockies, Marlines, and...Pirates. For the record, the Rockies and Marlins didn't exist the last time the Pirates won their division.
At least they have this going for them...nine teams currently have a longer playoff drought than our PBC. But I'll bet the Phillies end their drought soon as well as the Padres.
Here's the point...I've defended management when others have been critical. I've given them the benefit of the doubt. I've criticized them for the Archer trade, but praised them for the McCutchen trade. I've said that baseball has an uneven playing field, and it does. All that said, the Pirates are losers. And I mean that objectively. They make loser moves, to, as far as I can tell, maximize profits. They don't give any evidence of caring one iota about their fan base. As far as I can tell, they couldn't care less that you turn on a game at the end of May and can count the number of fans in the stands. If they really cared about butts in seats, then just give tickets away for free. I'm totally serious...they should give cheap seats away for free as a way of saying thank you to the fans and trying to revive interest in the team. However, I maintain my overall point...interest in the PBC will only be realized if and when they put a winning team on the field. People don't like rooting for losers. For better or worse, people tie themselves up in their sports teams. It doesn't help that the Steelers and Penguins have been winning franchises and give Pittsburghers alternatives. Those of us who post on this board are diehard Pirates fans. We'll be there no matter what. But we aren't the ones Bob Nutting needs to court. He needs to court the ten year old who has a Crosby jersey on one wall and a Rothlesberger jersey on the other wall of his bedroom. What incentive does that kid have to turn a game on on TV or go to a game in person when he knows his team is going to get blown out by five runs, and it won't be worth hanging around past the fourth inning anyway?
I know, but here's the thing...the Pirates haven't:
--Won a World Series since 1979
--Won a pennant since 1979
--Won a division since 1992
--Been in the NLCS since 1992
On average, they should have been to at least two World Series since 1979 and won one of them. They also on average should have won at least five division titles since 1992. They should have been to the NLCS approximately four times.
Comparatively, every franchise in MLB has won a World Series since the Pirates with the exception of the following: Seattle, Washington, San Diego, Milwaukee, Texas, and Cleveland. Every team in MLB except for Seattle and Washington has won a pennant since the Pirates last won one in 1979.
Every MLB team except Washington has been to a League Championship Series since the Pirates were last in one in 1992. Since MLB realigned in 1994, every team has at least one division title except for three: the Rockies, Marlines, and...Pirates. For the record, the Rockies and Marlins didn't exist the last time the Pirates won their division.
At least they have this going for them...nine teams currently have a longer playoff drought than our PBC. But I'll bet the Phillies end their drought soon as well as the Padres.
Here's the point...I've defended management when others have been critical. I've given them the benefit of the doubt. I've criticized them for the Archer trade, but praised them for the McCutchen trade. I've said that baseball has an uneven playing field, and it does. All that said, the Pirates are losers. And I mean that objectively. They make loser moves, to, as far as I can tell, maximize profits. They don't give any evidence of caring one iota about their fan base. As far as I can tell, they couldn't care less that you turn on a game at the end of May and can count the number of fans in the stands. If they really cared about butts in seats, then just give tickets away for free. I'm totally serious...they should give cheap seats away for free as a way of saying thank you to the fans and trying to revive interest in the team. However, I maintain my overall point...interest in the PBC will only be realized if and when they put a winning team on the field. People don't like rooting for losers. For better or worse, people tie themselves up in their sports teams. It doesn't help that the Steelers and Penguins have been winning franchises and give Pittsburghers alternatives. Those of us who post on this board are diehard Pirates fans. We'll be there no matter what. But we aren't the ones Bob Nutting needs to court. He needs to court the ten year old who has a Crosby jersey on one wall and a Rothlesberger jersey on the other wall of his bedroom. What incentive does that kid have to turn a game on on TV or go to a game in person when he knows his team is going to get blown out by five runs, and it won't be worth hanging around past the fourth inning anyway?
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SammyKhalifa
- Posts: 3631
- Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 4:19 am
Reviving interest in baseball in Pittsburgh
That's all totally fair.
But people have always tied their losing to Bobbleheads and Fireworks somehow, as if every team in all major sports didn't do those things. (Ok, maybe the sports inside enclosed arenas don't do fireworks any more. That didn't work out so well.)
If they stopped doing T-Shirt nights, people would complain that the team was--you guessed it--cheap. But they do have T shirt nights, so that means the Nuttings are trying to distract you because they are cheap. Riiiiiiight.
You need to have a better team (which is of course the highest priority and the final word on interest) but that doesn't mean that the non-baseball related part of the organization couldn't come up with some ideas too. I remember the Penguins Student Ticket Rush back when they sucked with no end in sight, when you could be in college and line up and get a seat for cheap. Well now those college kids have jobs and disposable income and kids of their own, and I have to believe that that endeavor has immensely helped the penguins long term.
EDIT--I'm not saying you're one of those people, you're totally not. They just bug me, haha.
But people have always tied their losing to Bobbleheads and Fireworks somehow, as if every team in all major sports didn't do those things. (Ok, maybe the sports inside enclosed arenas don't do fireworks any more. That didn't work out so well.)
If they stopped doing T-Shirt nights, people would complain that the team was--you guessed it--cheap. But they do have T shirt nights, so that means the Nuttings are trying to distract you because they are cheap. Riiiiiiight.
You need to have a better team (which is of course the highest priority and the final word on interest) but that doesn't mean that the non-baseball related part of the organization couldn't come up with some ideas too. I remember the Penguins Student Ticket Rush back when they sucked with no end in sight, when you could be in college and line up and get a seat for cheap. Well now those college kids have jobs and disposable income and kids of their own, and I have to believe that that endeavor has immensely helped the penguins long term.
EDIT--I'm not saying you're one of those people, you're totally not. They just bug me, haha.
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Bobster21
Reviving interest in baseball in Pittsburgh
There's nothing wrong with promotional events, giveaways, entertainment at the ballpark, etc........unless that's all you offer your fans. That seems to be the issue here. While all teams do these promotional activities, throughout MLB they are generally the icing on the cake: fun things that enhance the experience of going to the game to see your team realistically compete. The Pirates get criticized because except for 3 years (2013-15), these non-baseball items have been the primary inducement for going to games since 1993. TBMTIB makes such little effort to put a good product on the field that non-baseball activities--rather than the caliber of play--becomes the primary reward for attending games. And fans who want to see a better team on the field begin to resent that more effort is made to lure fans to the park for non-baseball issues than to see a good team that we can get excited about.
Reviving interest in baseball in Pittsburgh
32000C0C182A09000D080700610 wrote: That's all totally fair.
But people have always tied their losing to Bobbleheads and Fireworks somehow, as if every team in all major sports didn't do those things. (Ok, maybe the sports inside enclosed arenas don't do fireworks any more. That didn't work out so well.)
If they stopped doing T-Shirt nights, people would complain that the team was--you guessed it--cheap. But they do have T shirt nights, so that means the Nuttings are trying to distract you because they are cheap. Riiiiiiight.
You need to have a better team (which is of course the highest priority and the final word on interest) but that doesn't mean that the non-baseball related part of the organization couldn't come up with some ideas too. I remember the Penguins Student Ticket Rush back when they sucked with no end in sight, when you could be in college and line up and get a seat for cheap. Well now those college kids have jobs and disposable income and kids of their own, and I have to believe that that endeavor has immensely helped the penguins long term.
EDIT--I'm not saying you're one of those people, you're totally not. They just bug me, haha.
I hear ya. The yinzers who think the Pirates never do anything right drive me nuts. These types, "Enjoy Bryan Reynolds now, because we'll trade him when he gets expensive," forgetting that Reynolds was acquired in a trade that they lambasted a year ago.
That said, I know every team does gimmicks. I think the criticism leveled at the Pirates is sort of akin to a car company making a car that doesn't drive, but has great rims on the tires. "Hey man, check out these rims! Yeah, the engine died as soon as I drove it off the lot, but man, my rims look great in my driveway after I got towed here!" That's the Pirates...great stadium, best in baseball actually. Great fireworks shows. Lousy ownership, management, and team outside of three magical years. In a weird way, those three years have actually worked against management. Fans know it's possible. You can't just cry, "Poverty! Baseball is unfair!" Yes, baseball is unfair. Yes, the Cubs have deeper pockets. But, 2013-15 proved that winning baseball CAN happen in Pittsburgh. But, it takes astute management, and not being afraid to spend a little bit to augment a team that is right there. 2016 tore the curtain off of the Wizard of Oz. 2016 revealed to fans where ownership's priorities lie, and it ain't in putting a winning product on the field.
But people have always tied their losing to Bobbleheads and Fireworks somehow, as if every team in all major sports didn't do those things. (Ok, maybe the sports inside enclosed arenas don't do fireworks any more. That didn't work out so well.)
If they stopped doing T-Shirt nights, people would complain that the team was--you guessed it--cheap. But they do have T shirt nights, so that means the Nuttings are trying to distract you because they are cheap. Riiiiiiight.
You need to have a better team (which is of course the highest priority and the final word on interest) but that doesn't mean that the non-baseball related part of the organization couldn't come up with some ideas too. I remember the Penguins Student Ticket Rush back when they sucked with no end in sight, when you could be in college and line up and get a seat for cheap. Well now those college kids have jobs and disposable income and kids of their own, and I have to believe that that endeavor has immensely helped the penguins long term.
EDIT--I'm not saying you're one of those people, you're totally not. They just bug me, haha.
I hear ya. The yinzers who think the Pirates never do anything right drive me nuts. These types, "Enjoy Bryan Reynolds now, because we'll trade him when he gets expensive," forgetting that Reynolds was acquired in a trade that they lambasted a year ago.
That said, I know every team does gimmicks. I think the criticism leveled at the Pirates is sort of akin to a car company making a car that doesn't drive, but has great rims on the tires. "Hey man, check out these rims! Yeah, the engine died as soon as I drove it off the lot, but man, my rims look great in my driveway after I got towed here!" That's the Pirates...great stadium, best in baseball actually. Great fireworks shows. Lousy ownership, management, and team outside of three magical years. In a weird way, those three years have actually worked against management. Fans know it's possible. You can't just cry, "Poverty! Baseball is unfair!" Yes, baseball is unfair. Yes, the Cubs have deeper pockets. But, 2013-15 proved that winning baseball CAN happen in Pittsburgh. But, it takes astute management, and not being afraid to spend a little bit to augment a team that is right there. 2016 tore the curtain off of the Wizard of Oz. 2016 revealed to fans where ownership's priorities lie, and it ain't in putting a winning product on the field.
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Roberto218
- Posts: 257
- Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 5:55 pm
Reviving interest in baseball in Pittsburgh
Extend Josh Bell! Now!
Reviving interest in baseball in Pittsburgh
Isn’t Scott Boris Bell’s agent? I’m sure Scott’ll be receptive to an extension, and since it’s Neal, probably at a discount as well. In reality, I think they have to recognize there will be no extension, and that (playing as he is) Bell is in line for a big salary jump next year (First in Arb.?) and more the following two years. The real question is, when do they look to make the inevitable trade?