OnlyBucs

1A2824243002212825202F28490 wrote:


;D ;D ;D ;D

With the WS a couple days away, and the Bucs still at the interview process with some of their manager candidates it appears a new manager may not be introduced until the first week of November. November should be an interesting month with a new manager, filling out the coaching staff, setting the 40 man roster. Then the preparation for the December Winter Meetings.

Padres, Phillies, and Cubs have all hired new managers already. Either we're late to the party, the last dog at the bowl, or interviewing someone from the Nats or Astros. Frankly, I doubt the latter. My guess...all the best managerial candidates are taking the other jobs, and we're left scraping the bottom of the barrel, even on this. Can't say I blame them. If I'm David Ross and I can choose between the Cubs and Pirates, I'm choosing the Cubs every time. Ditto Girardi and the Phillies. The guy the Padres hired, I've never heard of, but I'd take them over the Pirates, too.



The only solution is that Nutting sells. But, that isn't happening. Apparently, he's addressing the media on Monday. Let's be realistic, his "interview" and "answers" will go something like this.



"I'm very comfortable with the direction Neal is taking the team. Yes, last year was a disappointment, but we remain committed in our ultimate goal to bring a championship to Pittsburgh. I'm confident that Neal Huntington is the guy to do that."



Translation: Neal is a lapdog that does what I want him to. He stays within budget, puts a team on the field that can reasonably expect not to lose 100 games, and he doesn't gripe about how I couldn't care less if the team is competitive or not, as long as I'm still getting my revenue sharing check each year.



"We're never going to win the offseason. It would be great if we had the resources of the Yankees or Dodgers, but we don't. So, we'll have to make smart trades and develop from within. Josh Bell and Bryan Reynolds are two examples of that plan working."



Translation: We traded the best pitcher on the planet for next to nothing, haven't drafted an impact position player since Andrew McCutchen, and the three young talents we did have, we gave away for a past-his-prime pitcher with a bigger name than game. But we somehow managed not to screw up enough that our first baseman made the All-Star team and was in the home run derby, and we somehow managed to luck into a halfway decent player in the McCutchen trade that finished second in the ROY, so I'll throw those names out as success stories. I won't say anything about failing to sign Walker Bueller, Nick Lodolo, or Trea Turner. I won't mention Morton, Glasnow, Cole, Meadows, and Baz. I'll assume everyone forgot that our catching tandem was barely good enough for AAA, our right fielder still doesn't know how to slide properly, and we only found out about Reynolds because the only contribution our opening day starting shortstop made to the team this year was knocking our starting center fielder out long enough to get Reynolds' bat in the lineup in the first place.



"Our fans have every right to be angry. We didn't deliver last year, and we take full responsibility for that. What I can promise the fans is that Travis, Neal, and I are going to do a top down analysis of the organization, beginning with me, and we'll evaluate everyone, and make the best decisions about what will move the Pittsburgh Pirates forward in 2020 and beyond."



Translation: screw the fans. I couldn't care less because I'm still making bank on my revenue sharing money and the T.V. deal I just made with AT&T Sports. No, of course I'm not going to disclose the terms and conditions of that deal. You suckers bought me a new stadium! I gave you three Wild Card games. I don't owe you one red cent.



"We're actively in the process for a new manager. We are interviewing candidates, and we're going to hire the one who we think will be the best leader of the 2020 PBC and beyond."



Translation: none of our top candidates are interested. They've all told us to go pound sand. Can't say I blame them. What, with getting billed for soda in the clubhouse, thinking we can coddle some AA arms together and call it a rotation, and talking about how one or two position players makes a lineup, no one really wants to come here. Maybe I shouldn't have fired Clint...

5A5251667055727D130 wrote: Padres, Phillies, and Cubs have all hired new managers already. Either we're late to the party, the last dog at the bowl, or interviewing someone from the Nats or Astros. Frankly, I doubt the latter. My guess...all the best managerial candidates are taking the other jobs, and we're left scraping the bottom of the barrel, even on this. Can't say I blame them. If I'm David Ross and I can choose between the Cubs and Pirates, I'm choosing the Cubs every time. Ditto Girardi and the Phillies. The guy the Padres hired, I've never heard of, but I'd take them over the Pirates, too.



The only solution is that Nutting sells. But, that isn't happening. Apparently, he's addressing the media on Monday. Let's be realistic, his "interview" and "answers" will go something like this.



"I'm very comfortable with the direction Neal is taking the team. Yes, last year was a disappointment, but we remain committed in our ultimate goal to bring a championship to Pittsburgh. I'm confident that Neal Huntington is the guy to do that."



Translation: Neal is a lapdog that does what I want him to. He stays within budget, puts a team on the field that can reasonably expect not to lose 100 games, and he doesn't gripe about how I couldn't care less if the team is competitive or not, as long as I'm still getting my revenue sharing check each year.



"We're never going to win the offseason. It would be great if we had the resources of the Yankees or Dodgers, but we don't. So, we'll have to make smart trades and develop from within. Josh Bell and Bryan Reynolds are two examples of that plan working."



Translation: We traded the best pitcher on the planet for next to nothing, haven't drafted an impact position player since Andrew McCutchen, and the three young talents we did have, we gave away for a past-his-prime pitcher with a bigger name than game. But we somehow managed not to screw up enough that our first baseman made the All-Star team and was in the home run derby, and we somehow managed to luck into a halfway decent player in the McCutchen trade that finished second in the ROY, so I'll throw those names out as success stories. I won't say anything about failing to sign Walker Bueller, Nick Lodolo, or Trea Turner. I won't mention Morton, Glasnow, Cole, Meadows, and Baz. I'll assume everyone forgot that our catching tandem was barely good enough for AAA, our right fielder still doesn't know how to slide properly, and we only found out about Reynolds because the only contribution our opening day starting shortstop made to the team this year was knocking our starting center fielder out long enough to get Reynolds' bat in the lineup in the first place.



"Our fans have every right to be angry. We didn't deliver last year, and we take full responsibility for that. What I can promise the fans is that Travis, Neal, and I are going to do a top down analysis of the organization, beginning with me, and we'll evaluate everyone, and make the best decisions about what will move the Pittsburgh Pirates forward in 2020 and beyond."



Translation: screw the fans. I couldn't care less because I'm still making bank on my revenue sharing money and the T.V. deal I just made with AT&T Sports. No, of course I'm not going to disclose the terms and conditions of that deal. You suckers bought me a new stadium! I gave you three Wild Card games. I don't owe you one red cent.



"We're actively in the process for a new manager. We are interviewing candidates, and we're going to hire the one who we think will be the best leader of the 2020 PBC and beyond."



Translation: none of our top candidates are interested. They've all told us to go pound sand. Can't say I blame them. What, with getting billed for soda in the clubhouse, thinking we can coddle some AA arms together and call it a rotation, and talking about how one or two position players makes a lineup, no one really wants to come here. Maybe I shouldn't have fired Clint...


Unfortunately I think you called it. But you left out my favorite two fer.



"The new television contract will give us more financial flexibility to spend when the time is right."



Translation: HAHAHA! We're already feeling out teams for a Josh Bell trade.

656D6E594F6A4D422C0 wrote: our right fielder still doesn't know how to slide properly, and we only found out about Reynolds because the only contribution our opening day starting shortstop made to the team this year was knocking our starting center fielder out long enough to get Reynolds' bat in the lineup in the first place.




I laughed really hard at this part. Thanks for writing that. It was fantastic!

584561636D080 wrote: our right fielder still doesn't know how to slide properly, and we only found out about Reynolds because the only contribution our opening day starting shortstop made to the team this year was knocking our starting center fielder out long enough to get Reynolds' bat in the lineup in the first place.




I laughed really hard at this part.  Thanks for writing that.  It was fantastic!
And that's only because Dickerson was already hurt so TBMTIB had recognized Jason Martin as the AAA outfielder to recall and the additional injury to Marte required a 2nd AAA outfielder be recalled---Reynolds. And Gonzalez took out Marte because TBMTIB thought he was their best option at SS and were in the process of converting Newman to a utility player after using a 1st round pick on him. The best thing to happen to this team is when they run out of wrong options and have no choice but to play the right people.

0D202D3C3B2A3D7D7E4F0 wrote: our right fielder still doesn't know how to slide properly, and we only found out about Reynolds because the only contribution our opening day starting shortstop made to the team this year was knocking our starting center fielder out long enough to get Reynolds' bat in the lineup in the first place.




I laughed really hard at this part.  Thanks for writing that.  It was fantastic!
And that's only because Dickerson was already hurt so TBMTIB had recognized Jason Martin as the AAA outfielder to recall and the additional injury to Marte required a 2nd AAA outfielder be recalled---Reynolds. And Gonzalez took out Marte because TBMTIB thought he was their best option at SS and were in the process of converting Newman to a utility player after using a 1st round pick on him. The best thing to happen to this team is when they run out of wrong options and have no choice but to play the right people.




Well, yeah. But I couldn’t figure out how to pare that down to the point that it wasn’t such a hideous run-on sentence that it ruined the satire.

1B1310273114333C520 wrote: our right fielder still doesn't know how to slide properly, and we only found out about Reynolds because the only contribution our opening day starting shortstop made to the team this year was knocking our starting center fielder out long enough to get Reynolds' bat in the lineup in the first place.




I laughed really hard at this part.  Thanks for writing that.  It was fantastic!
And that's only because Dickerson was already hurt so TBMTIB had recognized Jason Martin as the AAA outfielder to recall and the additional injury to Marte required a 2nd AAA outfielder be recalled---Reynolds. And Gonzalez took out Marte because TBMTIB thought he was their best option at SS and were in the process of converting Newman to a utility player after using a 1st round pick on him. The best thing to happen to this team is when they run out of wrong options and have no choice but to play the right people.




Well, yeah. But I couldn’t figure out how to pare that down to the point that it wasn’t such a hideous run-on sentence that it ruined the satire.
Hideous run-on sentences are always welcome at OBN.

646C6F584E6B4C432D0 wrote: Personally, I kind of like Bannister, but I would prefer they go outside the organization. In that regard, I like the idea of Jay Bell.
Just thinking on a Friday morning, and I am going to guess that Bannister becomes the manager. I am going to assume that Neal Huntington will not be fired. New President Travis Williams will evaluate Huntington as he becomes familiar with the baseball operations side of the business. If and when he decides a new GM is needed, the new GM can hire his own man. Bannister is already under contract as an assistant to Neal so why not sign him for 2 years which would coincide with the remaining two years of Huntington’s contract.

I think we could do worse than Neil Walker.