The Other Games 2024

[Doc]

https://x.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1795155946261373246

Watching the Cubs dugout laugh at the Pirates as if the Bucs were all the dorky kids in gym class kickball was maybe the most embarrassing time for even us fans.

[Surgnbuck]

The only way we erase that stain is to win back to back WS while defeating the Cubs 4-0 in the NLCS each year.

I positively hate when that play comes up on any kind of broadcast.

[Bobster]

https://x.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1795155946261373246

Watching the Cubs dugout laugh at the Pirates as if the Bucs were all the dorky kids in gym class kickball was maybe the most embarrassing time for even us fans.

That was such a uniquely bizarre play that it would never occur to a manager or coaches to think about having to tell their players never to do that. However, this is a team that often displays an ignorance of baseball fundamentals. You wouldn’t think you’d have to tell a player not to stand around eating sunflower seeds while a runner goes past you. Or not to run the bases with your phone in your pocket. Or not to end an inning needlessly trying to steal third base. Or not to needlessly be thrown out at third base on a ground ball to shortstop. So it seems that maybe more than a normal amount of attention should be paid to basic fundamentals both in the minor-league system and at the major league level.

[Javy]

https://x.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1795155946261373246

Watching the Cubs dugout laugh at the Pirates as if the Bucs were all the dorky kids in gym class kickball was maybe the most embarrassing time for even us fans.

That was such a uniquely bizarre play that it would never occur to a manager or coaches to think about having to tell their players never to do that. However, this is a team that often displays an ignorance of baseball fundamentals. You wouldn’t think you’d have to tell a player not to stand around eating sunflower seeds while a runner goes past you. Or not to run the bases with your phone in your pocket. Or not to end an inning needlessly trying to steal third base. Or not to needlessly be thrown out at third base on a ground ball to shortstop. So it seems that maybe more than a normal amount of attention should be paid to basic fundamentals both in the minor-league system and at the major league level.

It's never good, as a life-long fan, to see your team featured in these crazy, one off situations. But, to your point Bobster, fundamentals seem to be lacking in this franchises recent history more than ever before. To me, it seems that the development of players the last 30 years is sorely lacking. What is the root cause?
Do the Pirates not scout players well enough to see that they have no baseball sense? (for that matter, do they even employ scouts anymore?)
Are they unable to coach up these players after acquiring them, due to their own inability to understand the basics?
Why does their ability to draft/sign young players and develop them into big leaguers seem so slow? Other teams get their prized young players to the majors much quicker. We seem to have cornered the market on how to delay their arrival, and then you wonder why they are still so far behind other young players, that it seems we got the last guys picked on the sandlot teams.
Note that all of this is since the break-up of the early 90's teams that won the NL East. Suggests to me that the departure of career baseball people in favor of the newer, analytical type people hasn't been effective. You get what you pay for I suppose.
Think about it this way - what Front Office personnel from the last 25-30 years got scooped up by other teams after leaving the Pirates? What field personnel (other than Leyland and his coaches) got hired or had any success anywhere else?

[Bobster]

Javy, I couldn't agree more. I keep thinking what this organization needs is a few old-time baseball men helping develop prospects at each minor league level and at least 1 old coach with the MLB team. Guys who will blow their stack at the some of the stupidity they witness and explain how to do it right. But it seems like the organization is so focused on analytics and trying to develop players scientifically that they overlook some of the basic, common-sense fundamentals of how to play the game.

And I think that even in Pony League, high school or college, coaches are reluctant to criticize their prize players by harping on flawed fundamentals. If the kid isn't happy on the team, his parents will take him somewhere else. As long as the kid is a superstar at his level, he probably gets by on natural ability without learning some of the nuances of the game.

[3pirates3]

https://x.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1795642201080553558

[Javy]

"And I think that even in Pony League, high school or college, coaches are reluctant to criticize their prize players by harping on flawed fundamentals. If the kid isn't happy on the team, his parents will take him somewhere else. As long as the kid is a superstar at his level, he probably gets by on natural ability without learning some of the nuances of the game."

This is 100% spot on. I see it even with my granddaughters 12YO softball team, which, in South Jersey, is a "franchise". Parents pay good money to be on these travel teams, and if they don't like how the coaches (who are parents too, as well as volunteers) run things, they jump to another franchise, even if they have to travel further for practices and games.

Greatest sign I ever saw at a softball field:
These are kids playing a kids game.
The coaches are all volunteers.
The umpires are not employees of the teams.
No softball scholarships are being handed out today!

[Doc]

Corey Seager of the Rangers hit his eighth home run in eight days today to tie Dale Long, Don Mattingly, and Junior Griffey for the consecutive games with a HR record.

[Doc]

Corey Seager of the Rangers hit his eighth home run in eight days today to tie Dale Long, Don Mattingly, and Junior Griffey for the consecutive games with a HR record.

CORRECTION: Got some faulty info. Seager has hit eight HRs in the past eight games but two were hit in one of those games while he went homerless in another of those games, so it hasn’t been eight in eight consecutive games.

[Surgnbuck]

Brewers win again today, taking 3 of 4 from the Cubs.

Don't look now, but looky who is in second place in the NL Central, and only a half game back in the wild card standings.

The Loo.