From Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette
A Candid Conversation Bob Nutting Exclusive
A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
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fjk090852-7
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A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
I enjoyed reading the article by Jason Mackey. Very interesting about the portion which said that Bob Nutting spent several hours talking to John Baker the new Scouting Director. I think BC has surrounded himself by some very smart baseball personnel. I like what he has done so far with the International and the Summer Drafts. He also has acquired young players with potential in the 3 major trades he has made. I am looking forward to this season not just at the MLB level, but how the younger players perform at the minor league level as well.
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2drfischer@gmail.c
A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
I'd really like to believe what Nutting said but we've heard it all before. The first couple of paragraphs read like a reprint of other Spring Training interviews with Nutting. While I truly believe the baseball side of the organization is in much better hands with Cherington, Nutting's still in charge. Until he shows the financial commitment, when that time comes, that's necessary to compete legitimately, all of his words are hollow.
And as far as him wanting a cap and floor, I wonder just how hard he fights for that in meetings with the other owners. He has the best possible situation right now: he receives money he hasn't earned and takes minimum risks.
And as far as him wanting a cap and floor, I wonder just how hard he fights for that in meetings with the other owners. He has the best possible situation right now: he receives money he hasn't earned and takes minimum risks.
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WildwoodDave2
A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
643224303F25353E332416313B373F3A7835560 wrote: I'd really like to believe what Nutting said but we've heard it all before. The first couple of paragraphs read like a reprint of other Spring Training interviews with Nutting. While I truly believe the baseball side of the organization is in much better hands with Cherington, Nutting's still in charge. Until he shows the financial commitment, when that time comes, that's necessary to compete legitimately, all of his words are hollow.
And as far as him wanting a cap and floor, I wonder just how hard he fights for that in meetings with the other owners. He has the best possible situation right now: he receives money he hasn't earned and takes minimum risks.
Actually doc, wouldn't Nutting make a great politician?
And as far as him wanting a cap and floor, I wonder just how hard he fights for that in meetings with the other owners. He has the best possible situation right now: he receives money he hasn't earned and takes minimum risks.
Actually doc, wouldn't Nutting make a great politician?
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WildwoodDave2
A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
13323A133830570 wrote: From Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette
A Candid Conversation Bob Nutting Exclusive
I remember using Nutting's comment "we have to learn from the past" when teaching my Govt. Class. I also remember a student saying, "yeah, but this is my present"!!
A Candid Conversation Bob Nutting Exclusive
I remember using Nutting's comment "we have to learn from the past" when teaching my Govt. Class. I also remember a student saying, "yeah, but this is my present"!!
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Bobster21
A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
I'm not buying it. In fact, the more I read, the angrier I got. The guy who sold us "the best management team in baseball" is back at our door with a new product. But it still adds up to nothing more than alternatives for acquiring or keeping talent because that costs money.
The article begins by saying the pandemic was especially impactful on the Pirates because no gate revenue cost jobs (same for all teams), no minor league season wiped out developmental time (same for all teams) and the team had the worst record in MLB (somehow the other 29 teams did not experience that). So something other than the pandemic especially impacted the Pirates.
Nutting cares and nothing is more important to him than getting this right. Sure. that's why we hear this every year and it never gets right.
It's not just a matter of money. The 3 consecutive post season appearances "blinded" the Pirates to the ability to evolve? Really? Helen Keller could have seen that following the 98 win season of 2015 and the disappointing WC loss that swapping Walker for Niese, letting Happ go when Burnett was retiring, putting Jaso at 1B and Vogelsong in the rotation was going to significantly weaken the team, not evolve into a stronger one. But the payroll that had increased by about 17 million from 2013 to 2014 and about 23 million from 2014 to 2015 increased by only about $80,000 from 2015 to 2016 and the race was on to the bottom of the MLB payroll ladder. The same people who had assembled the 98 win team could not have believed the changes in 2016 would do anything but hurt the club. So what changed? The ability to spend even a modest amount (the 2015 payroll was 77% of the MLB average).
Nutting doesn't handle the team's failures well. Yet somehow, he seems to have learned to cope through repetition.
Nutting finds it painful that Cole, Meadows and Glasnow failed to develop to their full potential and the Pirates can't keep losing players like that. But although Cole didn't reach his potential until after leaving, he was still the Pirates most talented pitcher and he was traded because they weren't going to spend to keep him or spend enough to put a good team around him and tempt him to stay. And Meadows had not failed to develop. He looked great in his half season with them before the traded him away for a failing pitcher.
They thought they had enough talent in the system to justify trading for Archer. But Archer had been in a career decline for 3 years and was in the midst of his worst season when they acquired him. And they must have confused their system with someone else's if they thought it was so rich they could trade their best prospects for a declining pitcher and come out ahead in the deal. One thing that was made clear at the time of the trade was that Archer had a team friendly contract. So if they were blinded by anything, it was that his contract prevented them from seeing the steady decline he was in.
Nutting loves all the new people in the organization has hired and the "pitching lab" and the strength and conditioning and sports science because "That's an area where we can excel." Hopefully, this will be a successful alternative to spending to acquire or keep the talent on the field. And hopefully none of the other teams will be using any special, modern techniques to improve upon their already superior talent.
Nutting has "a unique approach" and is "strikingly detailed" in how much he cares and follows the process. Well, we all know how unique his approach is. Sadly.
Nutting would support a salary cap and floor. That's easy to say when it appears unlikely to happen. But if he would welcome a payroll floor, why does he consistently spend less than what the floor would likely be? Or does he expect the floor to accommodate his current payroll tendencies? If he's implying he would spend more if forced by a floor, why does he not routinely do it willingly?
And of course he makes it clear that increased spending doesn't mean a "narrow, specific area" like payroll as he once again brings up a "commitment to rebuild and expand our Dominican Academy." That facility seems to get brought up every time Nutting is asked about where the money goes. For all the good it's done I'm starting to think it's a money laundering scheme.
"For the first time in a long time, Nutting says he feels they have a concrete plan in place, one that will eventually restore a sense of respectability to a once-proud organization." Oh, okay. Forget all my previous comments. I have complete faith and feel much better now.
The article begins by saying the pandemic was especially impactful on the Pirates because no gate revenue cost jobs (same for all teams), no minor league season wiped out developmental time (same for all teams) and the team had the worst record in MLB (somehow the other 29 teams did not experience that). So something other than the pandemic especially impacted the Pirates.
Nutting cares and nothing is more important to him than getting this right. Sure. that's why we hear this every year and it never gets right.
It's not just a matter of money. The 3 consecutive post season appearances "blinded" the Pirates to the ability to evolve? Really? Helen Keller could have seen that following the 98 win season of 2015 and the disappointing WC loss that swapping Walker for Niese, letting Happ go when Burnett was retiring, putting Jaso at 1B and Vogelsong in the rotation was going to significantly weaken the team, not evolve into a stronger one. But the payroll that had increased by about 17 million from 2013 to 2014 and about 23 million from 2014 to 2015 increased by only about $80,000 from 2015 to 2016 and the race was on to the bottom of the MLB payroll ladder. The same people who had assembled the 98 win team could not have believed the changes in 2016 would do anything but hurt the club. So what changed? The ability to spend even a modest amount (the 2015 payroll was 77% of the MLB average).
Nutting doesn't handle the team's failures well. Yet somehow, he seems to have learned to cope through repetition.
Nutting finds it painful that Cole, Meadows and Glasnow failed to develop to their full potential and the Pirates can't keep losing players like that. But although Cole didn't reach his potential until after leaving, he was still the Pirates most talented pitcher and he was traded because they weren't going to spend to keep him or spend enough to put a good team around him and tempt him to stay. And Meadows had not failed to develop. He looked great in his half season with them before the traded him away for a failing pitcher.
They thought they had enough talent in the system to justify trading for Archer. But Archer had been in a career decline for 3 years and was in the midst of his worst season when they acquired him. And they must have confused their system with someone else's if they thought it was so rich they could trade their best prospects for a declining pitcher and come out ahead in the deal. One thing that was made clear at the time of the trade was that Archer had a team friendly contract. So if they were blinded by anything, it was that his contract prevented them from seeing the steady decline he was in.
Nutting loves all the new people in the organization has hired and the "pitching lab" and the strength and conditioning and sports science because "That's an area where we can excel." Hopefully, this will be a successful alternative to spending to acquire or keep the talent on the field. And hopefully none of the other teams will be using any special, modern techniques to improve upon their already superior talent.
Nutting has "a unique approach" and is "strikingly detailed" in how much he cares and follows the process. Well, we all know how unique his approach is. Sadly.
Nutting would support a salary cap and floor. That's easy to say when it appears unlikely to happen. But if he would welcome a payroll floor, why does he consistently spend less than what the floor would likely be? Or does he expect the floor to accommodate his current payroll tendencies? If he's implying he would spend more if forced by a floor, why does he not routinely do it willingly?
And of course he makes it clear that increased spending doesn't mean a "narrow, specific area" like payroll as he once again brings up a "commitment to rebuild and expand our Dominican Academy." That facility seems to get brought up every time Nutting is asked about where the money goes. For all the good it's done I'm starting to think it's a money laundering scheme.
"For the first time in a long time, Nutting says he feels they have a concrete plan in place, one that will eventually restore a sense of respectability to a once-proud organization." Oh, okay. Forget all my previous comments. I have complete faith and feel much better now.
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ArnoldRothstein
A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
A couple things to keep in mind: first, Nutting gave NH a pretty strong vote of confidence when Hurdle was fired, and even when NH was fired Nutting hinted that might not have happened if Williams hadn't accepted the task of leading the organization. So it doesn't seem like was determined to make radical changes two years ago.
Second, the moves to fire both DL and NH followed a period where Nutting poked around baseball, finding out best practices and why people were laughing at the Pirates. So the best evidence is that both NH and, very likely, Cherington, have simply been implementing what Nutting wants done. They manage a myriad of details, but I think that the overall strategy is determined by the owner.
Second, the moves to fire both DL and NH followed a period where Nutting poked around baseball, finding out best practices and why people were laughing at the Pirates. So the best evidence is that both NH and, very likely, Cherington, have simply been implementing what Nutting wants done. They manage a myriad of details, but I think that the overall strategy is determined by the owner.
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2drfischer@gmail.c
A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
5866636B7860606B4B6E796A3D0F0 wrote: I'd really like to believe what Nutting said but we've heard it all before. The first couple of paragraphs read like a reprint of other Spring Training interviews with Nutting. While I truly believe the baseball side of the organization is in much better hands with Cherington, Nutting's still in charge. Until he shows the financial commitment, when that time comes, that's necessary to compete legitimately, all of his words are hollow.
And as far as him wanting a cap and floor, I wonder just how hard he fights for that in meetings with the other owners. He has the best possible situation right now: he receives money he hasn't earned and takes minimum risks.
Actually doc, wouldn't Nutting make a great politician?
Just wondering, is the phrase "great politician" an oxymoron? So I guess my answer to your question is, no, he'd make a typically bad politician.
And as far as him wanting a cap and floor, I wonder just how hard he fights for that in meetings with the other owners. He has the best possible situation right now: he receives money he hasn't earned and takes minimum risks.
Actually doc, wouldn't Nutting make a great politician?
Just wondering, is the phrase "great politician" an oxymoron? So I guess my answer to your question is, no, he'd make a typically bad politician.
A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
This was a total snow job. The man only cares about getting his $30 million every year.
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WildwoodDave2
A Candid Conversation with Bob Nutting
1F495F4B445E4E45485F6D4A404C4441034E2D0 wrote: I'd really like to believe what Nutting said but we've heard it all before. The first couple of paragraphs read like a reprint of other Spring Training interviews with Nutting. While I truly believe the baseball side of the organization is in much better hands with Cherington, Nutting's still in charge. Until he shows the financial commitment, when that time comes, that's necessary to compete legitimately, all of his words are hollow.
And as far as him wanting a cap and floor, I wonder just how hard he fights for that in meetings with the other owners. He has the best possible situation right now: he receives money he hasn't earned and takes minimum risks.
Actually doc, wouldn't Nutting make a great politician?
Just wondering, is the phrase "great politician" an oxymoron? So I guess my answer to your question is, no, he'd make a typically bad politician.
very well put. I wonder what Shedman would say?
And as far as him wanting a cap and floor, I wonder just how hard he fights for that in meetings with the other owners. He has the best possible situation right now: he receives money he hasn't earned and takes minimum risks.
Actually doc, wouldn't Nutting make a great politician?
Just wondering, is the phrase "great politician" an oxymoron? So I guess my answer to your question is, no, he'd make a typically bad politician.
very well put. I wonder what Shedman would say?