Jerry Crasnick reports that Scott Olsen has accepted his deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and will make $500,000 in 2011, with the chance to earn up to $3 M in performance bonuses based on starts. Crasnick also adds that the deal includes a $4 M club option for the 2012 season. No word on a buyout for the option, although we heard the deal was for $1 M, so it’s possible that the buyout could be $500 K.
The main thing I don’t like about Olsen is his history of attitude problems and fights with teammates. From a baseball standpoint this isn’t a bad deal. It’s a low cost for a 27 year old starter, along with an option for 2012 incase he has a surprise season. If he does have a surprising season, the option will be reasonably priced for 2012, and might give Olsen some strong trade value.
I certainly remember that game (and series) against the Giants. It was exciting to sweep them out there, they had a great west coast road trip as I recall.
That was the first season that I followed the Pirates; I turned nine fifteen days after this game. I remember asking my mother if I could stay up past my regular bedtime of 9 pm to listen to the game the night before since Lee Tunnell, my favorite player, was the starting pitcher. I felt asleep sometime before the end, but woke up to discover that Tunnell and the Bucs had defeated the Giants. The game from this article was in the afternoon, and I listened to it on a portable transistor radio at my aunt’s house (she had given birth to my cousin the day before…). Definitely an exciting finish–I especially remember Leonard tipping Easler’s homer over the fence.
I remember Tunnell beating Fernando Valenzuela, but I think that was the year before.