OnlyBucs

Bobster wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 1:37 pm

mouse wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 1:13 pm I used to hear complaints in the days when the team would bring ten or twelve minor league players to the team that there was no locker space for everyone and how crowded it was. Eighteen non-players, with locker space, seems even more crowded.

It sure does. Cleveland must have large clubhouses. Today Dejan wrote that there were only a few non players with locker stalls at Wrigley. I don’t know if that’s because there’s less room in the older ballpark or if it’s because the Pirates felt they were getting bad publicity.

I wonder how often the 18 travel. Perhaps since Cleveland is close they brought more than typical. I guess the team charters planes so they don't have to buy airline tickets for all these guys. Still they need hotel and meal money. Seems like a waste of money to me.

Bobster wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 11:56 am

mouse wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 10:53 am Has this been confirmed by any other source? This sounds more like an exaggeration for effect that an actual factual statement.

Maybe you should ask if anyone is denying the story. The actual number was 18 but 3 of them belonged. Here's a quote. You can decide if it's an actual factual statement or an exaggeration for effect.

"The Pirates' clubhouse here at Progressive Field, meaning the one room dedicated to the players, had 18 non-players occupying stalls.

Uh-huh ... 18.

Nameplates and all. All interspersed throughout the room among the players, as opposed to being set apart in some way. No one was any different than Andrew McCutchen.

And not only were these not players, they weren't even any of Shelton's coaches, all of whom had a separate room. Two were athletic trainers, and that's the norm. One was a strength coach, also the norm. But the other 15, from the best I could tell, were various versions of staffers, exercise assistants, nutritionists, video workers and more, all part of Cherington's years-long hiring spree that's brought the most bloated version of baseball operations anyone can recall.

So there were 28 active players and 18 staffers in there. Walked around and tallied 'em up myself after the game."

He also stated, "I reached out to a team official who explained, without elaboration, that the Pirates feel it's important to try to get every edge they can."

No one has denied this. The Pirates haven't issued a statement objecting to it or citing a team official's explanation if the story itself was nothing more than an exaggeration. And I doubt Dejan would have readers very long is he just made stuff up and reported it as fact. But believe whatever you want.

Regarding the "hiring spree" statement: at first I thought that Nutting would be really opposed to paying for people like that, and then I realized that paying for those kinds of employees is a lot less expensive than paying for players so he'd be just fine with it.

And regarding the "try to get an edge" statement: instead of paying for useless staffers to show players what to eat and how to exercise, how about the organization drills home the fundamentals of the game, which costs zero dollars. I'd rather win with guys who eat greasy cheeseburgers than have guys who know how to do a proper squat thrust.

No wonder we suck.

I once had a coach asked me how much I squat. I told him diddly.

Surgnbuck wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2024 9:21 pm I once had a coach asked me how much I squat. I told him diddly.

You know P Diddly?