New and Notes From last night's loss

Time to take a break from looking at each position to bitch a little bit.  Why are the Reds better than the Pirates?  It's not because of talent.  It could be because of coaching, but quite frankly, it's because the Reds do the little things necessary to win ball games while the Pirates continue to fail at them.  It's called good fundamental baseball and the Pirates never seem to play it.

What have the Reds done that the Pirates haven't?  They catch the ball, they throw strikes, they hit behind the runner when called for, they can lay down bunts, they control the running game,  they throw to the right base- Should I continue?

Is Bronson Arroyo that good that the Pirates have scored one run off him in the last 14 2/3 innings? Of course not, but he pounds the strike zone and hits his spots.  Pirates starters aren't getting ahead of batters on a consistent basis and miss location more times than not.

The Pirates defense has also cost them more than one game this season.   The Pirates have also made mistakes both on the base paths and controlling the running game.  These mistakes have also cost the team on more than one occasion.  The outfielders always throw home, even when there is no play, allowing runners to advance; also costing the team more than once.

All of this and that isn't even what upsets me the most.  Why do the others teams pitchers have so much success swinging the bat against us.  I have added up all the numbers and the pitcher is hitting .250 against us.  The Pirates have seven offensive players hitting under .250.  They also have Andy Laroche at .256 and Lastings Milledge at .258.  So nine of their 13 bats are hitting under .260 and the opposing pitchers are hitting .250 against us.

On the other side of that, Pirates pitchers a a combined 4 for 80 on the season.  If your scoring at home, they are hitting .050 as a unit.  Brian Burres has two of the four hits, so the rest of the staff has two freaking hits all season.  That's a big problem.  I'm not asking for them to win batting titles, but they have to be able to handle the bat.

Also, what Pirates pitcher can lay down a successful sacrifice bunt?  Most of the time the other teams pitcher bunts, he either gets the job done or somehow winds up on base with a bunt hit.  When a Pirates squares to bunt, it's likely a double play or they lead runner is thrown out.  This is not acceptable.

Who's to blame?  John Russell?  Hitting coach Don Long?  You would think Russell has these guys working on things, but maybe they don't.  As far as long goes, his guys just don't hit.  maybe it's time for an experienced hitting coach that can get through to these guys.  When the opposing pitchers are hitting better than nine of your offensive guys, there is a huge problem.

Add all of the little things together.  If the Pirates would just do the little things right on a consistent basis, they would likely be over the .500 mark at the moment.  Good teams do the little things necessary to win ball games.  i don't know why this message isn't hammered into these guys on a daily basis.

Worst Team of the Decade

I've been on this wrapping up the decade kick recently, so here goes another one, since everyone seemed to enjoy the All-Decade team thread.  Here's my question.  Who was the worst franchise of the decade? The best franchise is much easier to decide- The Yankees win that. They played in four World Series, winning two. Eight division titles and nine post-season berths.  No other team belongs in the conversation.

Now for the intresting part, who was MLB's worst franchise? I have limited it down to five franchises: Baltimore, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Washington/Montreal and Cincinatti.  I will list some reasons why each should be considered the worst and why each should not (more than just overall record is considered). I will let you decide who wins.

First off is Baltimore
Why they are the worst
- losing record every season
- finished last place twice and next to last seven times
- As of 1999, the O's were second in MLB in attendence at 3.4 mil. 10 years later, they drew 1.9 mil last season

Why they aren't the worst
-The O's won 26 more games than bothe the Bucs and Royals
-O's fans got to watch Cal Ripken the first two seasons of the deacde.

Next is Cincinatti
Why they are the worst
-Nine losing seasons
-Five different managers

Why they aren't the worst
- Never finished in last place (thanks to being in same division as Buccos)
- Had one winning season
- Only three 90 loss seasons

Next is Pittsburgh
Why they are the worst
- Losing season every year
- Seven seasons of 90 plus losses
- Four managers
- Constant turnover in personnel to save money
- Complete lack of talent. They wouldn't have won even if they hadn't traded away their best players (Kendall, Ramirez, Bay, Benson,McLouth, Schmidt, Wilson, Sanchez etc.)
- Most famous hit during the decade came on a sausage (thank you Randall Simon)
-Only team to literally steal a base (Llyod McClendon)
- Incompeteant Management that made questionable moves
-They employed Dave Littlefield, enough said

Why they aren't
- Moved into best ballpark in America (Can't believe I went there.  So sad)
- In this particular discussion, they don't get credit for their previous seven losing seasons entering the decade
-Surprisingly, they don't have the majors worst record of the decade, but they are very close
-New management seems to have begun to add talent to the system

Kansas City Royals
Why they are the worst
- MLB worst 672-948, 12 games worse than the Bucs
- Averaged 95 losses per season
- A whopping four 100 loss seasons
- Finished in last 5 times.
- Lost 19 in a row at one point
- Also has incompetant management that makes questionable moves. For instance dealing a top prospect for Yuniesky Betancourt and his awful contract. Yuniesky Freakin Betancourt?

Why the aren't
- Had one winning season in 2003. They were in first place at the end of August.
-They have actually had some real talent. Carlos Beltran, Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye, etc.
- Cy Young Award winner Zach Grienke speaks for himself.

Finally, Washington/ Montreal/Puerto Rico
Why they are the worst
-Finished last place 6 times, more than anyone else.
-Finished with the worst record in baseball the last 2 seasons
-Began the deacde in Montreal
-Super marketing strategy by their former owner Jeffery Loria who wouldn't broadcast radio games in English and wouldn't broadcast any games on television, while they were the Expos.
- Only franchise that Bud Selig threatened to contract
- Had to be taken over and run by the league
- While still in Montreal, they played 21 home games in Puerto Rico, over 2000 miles away from their home, equalling over 100 road games
- Moved to Washington
- While there, finished last 4 out of 5 seasons
- GM Jim Bowden had to resign due to a federal investigation about skimming signing bonuses from Latin Players.
- Cut loose guys like Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips,Vlad Guerrero, etc.  Even their mascot was dismissed
- The one that seals the deal though could be that they misspelled their names wrong on their jerseys. No excuse

Why they aren't
-Had three winning seasons
- Avereaged only 91 losses, which compared to the others is good
- 39.5 games better than Kansas City
- Drafted the most coveted pitcher in recent memory- Steven Strausburg

So who's the worst?  In my opinion, I'm taking Baltimore and Cincinatti out of the conversation.  The other 3 could all be good choices.  The choice should be the Pirates, but I'm actually putting stock into what they've done in acquiring talent.

That leaves the team with the worst record in Kansas City and hands down the most disfunctional franchise in Washington.  The Royals and Pirates has lost and lost badly, but they don't have the disfunctionality that Washington has. Also being threatened with contraction is a selling point. Also when I watch the Royals and Pirates lose, their names are spelled correctly on their uniforms.

Therefore, the worst franchise of the decade is the Washington/Montreal/Puerto Rico- Nationals/Expos.  Congrats to them.  Let me know your opinions.

NL CENTRAL Preview

Today a look at how the NL Central will shape up

1. Chicago Cubs- This should be a no brainer. This could be the year of the Cubs. The pitching should carry this team. Health is a big issue though. Can Zambrano and Harden stay healthy all season? If so, then the starting 5 is one of the best in the league. I like Pinella naming Gregg the closer over Marmol to start the season as well.

Offensively, the Cubs should be fine. if Bradley plays 135 games in the outfield then it will turn out to be a good signing. The need good seasons from all of their parts. Lee isn't getting any younger, but the Cubs have enough young parts to win. The only true weakness I see in the lineup is the lack of a true lead off hitter. If they can acquire one that allows Soriano to bat third and drive in more runs. Either way, the Cubs are the class of this division.

2. Cincinnati Reds- This may be a reach, but I like the talent the Reds put on the field. Offensively, they are talented. Votto, Phillips and Bruce should all have big years. I also like the Ramon Hernandez acquisition. They strike out a ton as a team, which is a problem. A couple keys to the team could be Willy Taveres and Edwin Encarnacion. They need to get on base more often. Especially Taveres, to utilize his speed. You can't steal first base. I do like Chris Dickerson, as he should get most of the at bats in left.

Pitching could either be a pleasant surprise or awfully inconsistent. I am betting that it will be good. Aaron Harang having a bounce back season could be huge for Dusty Baker's squad. If Harang bounces back and Volquez pitches the way he did the first half of the season, then the Reds could have a good season. Jonnie Cueto probably has the best stuff on the team and will need to also pitch well for the Reds to hang in the Wild Card mix. The back end of the bullpen is decent with Cordero, but the rest of the pen could be a concern.

3. Milwaukee Brewers- They lost alot in the off season, but Ken Macha's group is still talented. After the Cubs, the rest of the teams can finish anywhere from second to fifth. They're really isn't much separating them. They are very talented at every position and will have no problem scoring runs. On the hill, Gallardo and Parra will surprise and have good years. The staff as a whole isn't that good, but they have a couple innings eaters in Suppan and Looper and will still be competitive.

4. St Louis Cardinals- It is hard for me to put a Tony Larussa led team with Albert Puljos on it fourth, but that is where they could wind up. There are way too many questions with the pitching staff and the bullpen to figure out. It just seems like a steep hill to climb, but Larussa has won with worse. Adam Wainwright has great stuff, but hasn't been healthy for a whole season. Kyle Loshe is, well Kyle Loshe. Then you have to hope Chris Carpenter comes back. The bullpen has a bunch of guys that are young and untested.

The Cards will score as always. I don't know if I like them defensively though. They do have extra outfielders though. Colby Rasmus will be playing everyday by mid-season so expect a guy like Ryan Ludwick or Chris Duncan to get dealt for an arm.

5. Houston Astros- Cecil Cooper's team is also good at every position. Berkman and Lee provide a solid middle of the order. Will Tejada be a distraction to this team? Once the Astros fall out of contention, I expect them to shop him around. While the offense will be good, the pitching will not. I like Oswalt and Rodriguez at the top of the rotation, but the rest isn't that good. They will be counting on Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz for innings, something they probably won't give. Valverde is solid in the ninth, but like many teams, getting to him will be the problem.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates- As easy as it was to predict the Cubs to win the division, it's just as easy to predict the Bucs last. I don't think they will be the worst team in baseball, but they have their work cut out for them. The team on the field in May will not be the team on the field in July. There is cause for excitement in the future, just not this season.

The pitching will be bad. I think Maholm and possibly Snell will be fine. Ohlendorff will give you glimpses that he can pitch at this level, but I have no faith in Zach Duke to get outs. The bullpen will be hit or miss all season.

So many question marks on offense. In a perfect world, everyone will have good seasons and the Bucs will contend, but it's not a perfect world. Can Andy Laroche play third everyday? Can Adam hit enough in April and May? Will Freddy rebound? Will Jack be here at the end of the season? Can Morgan bat lead off? Can Moss replace Bay? Unfortunately, the answer will probably be NO to most if not all of those questions.

As a Bucco fan I would be very encouraged by the spring. McCutchen, Alvarez, Ford, Bixler,and Tabata all gave you reason to get excited. Hopefully next season when I write this, the Bucs won't be a lock for the bottom of the division.