OnlyBucs

0D2C240D262E490 wrote: You had to bring up depressing wvbucco.  Unfortunately I agree with how the team and the TBMTIBB has reacted since the 98 win season.  Never, never in my 59 years of rooting for the Buccos have I seen such miserly spending not just on players but on scouting and the MiLB players in the system.  Yes, Scrooge McNutting sure has snookered the fans to get behind the team with so many excuses except the one true one, he is too darned cheap to get the team over the top.  And NH he places too much value on a top prospect and that too has filtered down to me and a lot of other fans.



Alas, I still have the Black Bears to root for and go see play next season. See some young kids working hard to learn and become the best players they can be at a price that is hard to beat.


You can also watch the Washington Wild Things if you don't mind independent ball.

5D585F59515B425F5645434E370 wrote: I just wish they'd decide...in or out.


Oh, they've decided. The answer is...neither.



They aren't going to even try to do enough to win the division or make an attempt at a deep playoff run.



Nor are they willing to do what it takes to do a full rebuild, to take over from Huntington's failed rebuild.



They're quite content winning 70 something games and keeping the illusion going that if EVERY SINGLE THING GOES RIGHT, then they have a chance to sneak into the post season and lose in the wildcard game.



What they haven't yet realized is that with what's coming up from the minors (or perhaps what isn't coming up from the minors and the impending loss of Cutch and Cole, we could soon be winning 60 something games very soon.





Because right now, I feel like the Drive for 75 is alive and well. 


Pretty much. It's mildly different in that there's a chance that the floor for NH's team is somewhat higher than the DL teams. So, it's probably more like the, "Drive for 78-79."



Don't believe any of the Dogknot propaganda.




This is depressing because I am beginning to see how true it all is.  The winning years?  They added 10+ WAR for ~$1M.  How likely is THAT to happen again?   :-[



I think it's more a drive for 83, but I am thinking when they won 98 they were really trying for 83 and just got very lucky that the guys they added WAY outperformed expectations.




I think this is correct. There are certain teams that you just know are going to be bad (i.e. Padres) and others that you thought would be good, but turned out to be bad (i.e. Giants). This year's PBC had a CHANCE to be good, and I think next year's has a CHANCE as well. But, that's hoping that Cutch has a good year, Marte and Polanco live up to their potential, Harrison has another good year, 2015 Cole shows up, Taillon, Kuhl, and Williams take steps forward, and Glasnow suddenly translates his AAA talent to MLB talent.



IF, and only if, all that goes according to plan, and IF Kang comes back and is the same player he was before he left, and IF 2015 Cervelli comes back, and IF Bell continues to rake, and IF Luplow, Diaz, and Frazier take some positive steps, they are a 95 win team. But that's a lot of "ifs."



On teams that you KNOW are going to be solid, you have a ton of sure things. Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw...they're sure things. Yes, each of those teams have question marks...Gio Gonzalez, Puig, Almora, Baez...but those question marks aren't that big of a deal when the aforementioned sure things are taking the ball every fifth day, or having their names written in ink in your three hole each night.

49697A6766080 wrote: I just wish they'd decide...in or out.


Oh, they've decided. The answer is...neither.



They aren't going to even try to do enough to win the division or make an attempt at a deep playoff run.



Nor are they willing to do what it takes to do a full rebuild, to take over from Huntington's failed rebuild.



They're quite content winning 70 something games and keeping the illusion going that if EVERY SINGLE THING GOES RIGHT, then they have a chance to sneak into the post season and lose in the wildcard game.



What they haven't yet realized is that with what's coming up from the minors (or perhaps what isn't coming up from the minors and the impending loss of Cutch and Cole, we could soon be winning 60 something games very soon.





Because right now, I feel like the Drive for 75 is alive and well. 


Pretty much. It's mildly different in that there's a chance that the floor for NH's team is somewhat higher than the DL teams. So, it's probably more like the, "Drive for 78-79."



Don't believe any of the Dogknot propaganda.




This is depressing because I am beginning to see how true it all is.  The winning years?  They added 10+ WAR for ~$1M.  How likely is THAT to happen again?   :-[



I think it's more a drive for 83, but I am thinking when they won 98 they were really trying for 83 and just got very lucky that the guys they added WAY outperformed expectations.


[highlight]That's right.



Now try imagining those winning teams without NH being handed MVP Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, Starling Marte, Tony Watson and even Jared Hughes.



Neal Huntington is a failure.[/highlight]


Don't you think you are taking your complaints about NH a bit far. You are insinuating that Dave Littlefield, he with the nicely coiffed hair was a better judge of talent that NH!! Shame on you, now Dog will tell us the DL was a great GM because these players. ;D ;D ;D ;D

After consecutive 93-69 division-winning seasons, the Red Sox fired mgr John Farrell for not advancing beyond the ALDS. After seasons of 78-83 (25 GB) and 75-87 (17 GB) the Pirates rewarded mgr Hurdle with a 4-year extension. The bar is set a little lower with Nutting.

4C616C7D7A6B7C3C3F0E0 wrote: After consecutive 93-69 division-winning seasons, the Red Sox fired mgr John Farrell for not advancing beyond the ALDS. After seasons of 78-83 (25 GB) and 75-87 (17 GB) the Pirates rewarded mgr Hurdle with a 4-year extension. The bar is set a little lower with Nutting.




What prospect should the Red Sox send the Pirates for Clint?

684548595E4F58181B2A0 wrote: After consecutive 93-69 division-winning seasons, the Red Sox fired mgr John Farrell for not advancing beyond the ALDS. After seasons of 78-83 (25 GB) and 75-87 (17 GB) the Pirates rewarded mgr Hurdle with a 4-year extension. The bar is set a little lower with Nutting.
NH is doing well with the numbers that are important to NUTJOB.

0D2B2A3D2B3B480 wrote: After consecutive 93-69 division-winning seasons, the Red Sox fired mgr John Farrell for not advancing beyond the ALDS. After seasons of 78-83 (25 GB) and 75-87 (17 GB) the Pirates rewarded mgr Hurdle with a 4-year extension. The bar is set a little lower with Nutting.




What prospect should the Red Sox send the Pirates for Clint? 


That's how the Red Sox got Farrell. They traded Mike Aviles for him and Dave Carpenter.

"Because you can't fire the players!"

Isn't the real question (from at least the fans perspective) is what prospects should the Pirates send the Red Sox to take Hurdle off of our hands?



While the 2017 season was very disappointing, the decision to offer Clint a 4 year extension was the epitome of rubbing salt in an open wound. Clint clearly seemed to be leading the team in going through the motions for much of the season. I have no idea who would be better than him at this point, but I sure was hoping for a change.

79555D5A5176415747340 wrote: Isn't the real question (from at least the fans perspective) is what prospects should the Pirates send the Red Sox to take Hurdle off of our hands? 



While the 2017 season was very disappointing, the decision to offer Clint a 4 year extension was the epitome of rubbing salt in an open wound.  Clint clearly seemed to be leading the team in going through the motions for much of the season.  I have no idea who would be better than him at this point, but I sure was hoping for a change.


I would give this a couple plusses if the website allowed it.