The 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Team Season Thread

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Is my man going to be turning on MLB pitching outside pitches like that or rolling them over to 2B?

I mean that is what separates real MLB power hitters from ham and eggers like pedro, right? Ohtani isn't hitting 45 home runs and only on pitches that are middle middle. some of ohtani's biggest dingers are on pitches like the one that Cruz just crushed.

Gr8 hitters don't necessarily hit home runs on pitches like that, because most of the gr8 hitters don't have the power to hit a ball that is outside the zone 400 feet. gr8 hitters piss on good pitches to hit, hit pitchers pitches, and don't swing at bad pitches. gr8 power hitters demolish good pitches to hit, don't hit pitchers pitches, and can get lucky from time to time on bad pitches

that probably doesnt make sense but hey, pitt is going to win the costal.

[willeyeam]

that is a good point, thank you kenneth

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

in memory of the pirates losing game #100 last night, here is a trip down memory lane to the last time the pirates lost 100 games in a season:

http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... start=4350

[LeopardLetang]

heheh good trip. Can't believe it's been so long since they lost 100

[Troy Loney]

I can’t remember who Brian Morris was

[shafnutz05]

I can’t remember who Brian Morris was

[King Colby]

Dick move to take us back to Pedro optimism times

[Ad@m]

[King Colby]

That was the cherry on top of one of the best catches I've ever seen

[faftorial]

[willeyeam]

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Roll tide

[Dickie Dunn]

Three highlights tonight from Cole Tucker that Kevin Newman is physically incapable of making. Tucker might never pan out but his potential alone should be enough to earn him the shot over a scrub like Newman.

[Troy Loney]

Three highlights tonight from Cole Tucker that Kevin Newman is physically incapable of making. Tucker might never pan out but his potential alone should be enough to earn him the shot over a scrub like Newman.

Tucker has more defensive flexibility, so with Cruz still at shortstop, I assume Newman is going to have to come out of the gates in 2022 blazing. A sub - 700 ops month would mean he’s just a placeholder for Cruz until super two date passes.

I think tucker could be making a case for a utility role floor for himself and a chance to stick around in 2022.

Which all just goes to say, the position player pipeline is beginning to overflow a bit, which of course is good. There has to be some kind of a mandate for them to improve the pitching staff this offseason. Which probably means multiple Tyler Anderson type signings!

[King Colby]

Have mercy

[King Colby]

Theyre going to be this bad again next year but it's going to be fun to see real future players here. There will be an actual reason to watch games. Maybe they're 2011-esque?

[Troy Loney]

Theyre going to be this bad again next year but it's going to be fun to see real future players here. There will be an actual reason to watch games. Maybe they're 2011-esque?

There are going to be some interesting guys getting time next year. But I think their three top guys are all 2023 I think (Davis, Gonzalez, priester).

I think the 2011 comparison is right, I think with a healthy hayes, Reynolds and better corner outfielders (and the potential for contributions from Cruz and other Indy guys) the lineup is better. Just about any acquisition to the starting rotation is a big marginal improvement. So I really just don’t think it’s much of a lift to get this team in the 75+ win range.

So then, hopefully the 2023 team comes in with some hope and the imminent promotions the big three makes for some excitement.

[Ad@m]

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Saw a guy wearing a Deion Sanders Reds jersey after the game tonight. Not sure if i should punched the guy or given him a high 5.

[DigitalGypsy66]

Cruz hit the hardest hit ball by any Pirate since 2015 last night. A 118+ mph single. The previous record was two hits by Polanco and Bell at 116 mph.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

That was indeed a piss missile. His throw from 2nd to first on that double play was definitely the hardest non pitcher thrown ball of the year

[King Colby]

Reynolds big 4/5 night has locked in a .300 batting average finish.

Pretty great year for him.

[MrKennethTKangaroo]

Reynolds big 4/5 night has locked in a .300 batting average finish.

Pretty great year for him.

6.1 WAR this year. Best WAR season for the pirates since cutch had 6.4 in 2014. Best non Andrew mccuthen season since Brian S. Giles in 98 and 99. All the more impressive when you realize that the second highest WAR totals on the team belong to Adam Frazier (3.0) who got traded 2 months ago and Jacob Stallings (3.0) who only has value due to his glove. I could go on and on, but for those of you who actually watched these games, consider yourselves lucky to see a man do it all himself and not cut any corners while doing it.

[willeyeam]

[faftorial]

Impressive given how low that pitch was.