Comments on: First Pitch: The Other Black Hole in the Lineup http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html Fri, 24 May 2013 03:43:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Tim Williams http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20576 Tim Williams Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:19:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20576 I’m not a big believer in managers making a huge difference. But if you want to argue that managers can make a difference, Baltimore would be the team to point to. Statistically they’re the same or worse than the Pirates in almost every comparison. They also play in a tougher division. Yet they’re probably going to crack 90 wins, while the Pirates will be lucky to crack 80.

]]> By: bucsws2014 http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20575 bucsws2014 Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:13:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20575 Comparing anything to Baltimore is fruitless. Nothing about that team makes sense other than they’ve got a great manager. They’re horrible in RISP situations and dead last in production with bases loaded. They do get a lot of leadoff HRs. But it’s Showalter more than anything.

I’ve been harping on the top of the order all year. It’s why I thought getting Choo or Headley was much more important than Pence. Pence wouldn’t do a thing for the Bucs as he’d be going from a situation where 52% of his ABs were in RISP situations to only 42-43% with the Bucs. If Jones or Alvarez had as many RBI opportunities as Pence, both would be well over 100 RBI.

]]> By: Ian Rothermund http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20574 Ian Rothermund Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:47:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20574 To finish that thought, simply upgrading at the catcher and/or SS position might be huge considering the vast improvement at the corner outfield spots that are already set up for next season. Not to mention, if we’re ok with Barajas hitting around the Mendoza line, we should be ok with handing the gear off to Sanchez next season. If anything makes me angry about the way the Pirates have gone about the rebuild the last few years, it’s their hesitancy to hand the team over to the kids, a la Tampa Bay, or Detroit a few years before that.

]]> By: Ian Rothermund http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20573 Ian Rothermund Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:43:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20573 I’m really interested to see where the Pirates go in the offseason. Will Huntington have a job? Will Hurdle?

One thing is certain, Marte is not a lead off type of guy. That being said, with the current lineup, there doesn’t really seem to be a natural spot for him to fit in. Then, as far as upgrading, you’d really hope that either Sanchez or Snider hits the ground running next year, and that will tell you what position Jones will move into. I realize the FA market is always low in SSs, but maybe this offseason is the one to go for the home run trade as far as a young up and comer that could fit into the nucleus of the club and be a lead off type.

]]> By: Ian Rothermund http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20572 Ian Rothermund Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:37:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20572 Lol, yeah, idk if it’s as impactful when you break your own record from the year before.

]]> By: F Lang http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20570 F Lang Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:20:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20570 Yes. Now they are just slowly putting themselves in the most unbreakable records in sports territory.

]]> By: F Lang http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20569 F Lang Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:19:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20569 Tabata is in the mix but we need to go looking for leadoff hitters elsewhere in the offseason via trade or free agency. Tabata by no means deserves to have anything handed to him. Especially when you see that 8-20 in stolen bases.

]]> By: john.alcorn http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20566 john.alcorn Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:14:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20566 I can’t see Marte ever being a leadoff hitter either. There is nothing in his skillset that screams table setter. He would be much better in the 5 hole where his power woudl lead to RBI and his speed could still be a benefit.

Somehow, unrecognized, Tabata has been the answer since June 1st. His OBP is .364 in the last 4 months with 19 walks in 176 plate appearances. As much as I like Snider’s potential the OF should be Tabata in RF/leadoff to open 2013. Tabata has shown over two plus seasons that he is the best choice, I wouldn’t throw that away due to two bad babip driven months to start 2012.

]]> By: whiteAngus http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20560 whiteAngus Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:56:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20560 about Marte: the talent is there. but I dont believe he’ll ever be the kind of leadoff hitter that we all hope for. at worst, he’s a quality 5-6 hole hitter, which from what ive seen of him in person for 3 years now is exactly his ceiling.
and this is not a bad thing.

]]> By: whiteAngus http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/09/first-pitch-the-other-black-hole-in-the-lineup.html#comment-20559 whiteAngus Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:54:00 +0000 http://www.piratesprospects.com/?p=42361#comment-20559 meh. pirates already have the record at 19.

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