I’m traveling and will only be able to catch the first few innings of the game before my flight so let’s talk about a few hanging chads instead.
You’ve heard the talk circling around the media that the Nuttings might be selling, and if you ask anyone around the game right now why Neal Huntington hasn’t been extended, you are likely to hear that they believe Huntington’s future is tied to a future sale. I’ve already stated I haven’t heard anything concrete about the Nuttings selling and to instead stay focused on the reality of the business side of the game. Let me put it another way..
The Bucs are in their third year of a full rebuild and opened the season with a tough early schedule with quite a few question marks and a lot of young players on the roster. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out this team wasn’t going to contend so I’d guess their plan was to have an early year scapegoat and that was probably John Russell. You know, the manager is always the first to fall. So instead of extending Huntington which, in turn, would have allowed him to extend Russell absent ownership interference (which includes Coonelly in my book), the Pirates brain trust probably decided it was a better PR move to keep hope in the fans tanks in the form of a potential head or two to be bounced instead of extending them earlier in the year.
So, I’m not in the camp that believes Huntington didn’t get extended because of a potential sale. Fact is, Huntington and Russell make so little that, if Ogden did sell and the new owner wanted to go a different way, they could have just sent them all home for the 2011 season.
That being said I will tell you I continue to hear whispers of concern within the organization much like I did in 2006 before it was announced the Nuttings were taking out McClatchy. My gut feeling is that Ogden Nutting simply wanted a cash cow during the recession and just happened to be in the right place at the right time to make a few extra dollars with his Pirates holdings. It’s hard to blame the guy. With the new CBA quickly approaching which could alter the way money is distributed within the game and/or some finger-pointing at owners not spending like Nutting, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them run.
Joe Starkey recently called for the Pirates to extend Russell and Huntington. Starkey’s argument was less than persuasive. As a fan, I’m totally against Russell being extended and feel he should have been fired long ago. However, I doubt Frank Coonelly has the balls to make any controversial decisions that will affect this club while his name is being thrown around as a candidate to replace Selig, even as faint as they are.
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The game just started and Aki doubled and Cutch picked him up with a very nice double into the left centerfield gap. Morton took the mound and his misery started on the second pitch which was hammered into left for a single and, seven pitches later, Ethier took him deep putting the Dodgers up 2-1 after one.
A couple of quick notes — Morton is looking into the dugout before every pitch with men on so it’s very possible Kerrigan is calling part of the game for Morton. I can’t think of any other reason why Morton would be looking in every pitch. Second note is that he remains up in the zone with his stuff and that only spells impending disaster.. it’s just a matter of time (but this is the 2010 Dodgers, huh?). He’s shown a plus curve early but he can’t get anyone to swing on it – batters are keying on his fastball.
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Kevin Hart with a torn labrum. I expressed my shock and disgust for that trade a long time ago and this only solidifies my position. I wonder if the Bucs even took the time to give Hart an MRI before making the trade? I doubt it.
Don’t forget we traded for him knowing he was +121 innings from 2007 to 2008 and then we ran him +50 innings from 2008 to 2009. That’s incompetence at its finest. Side note — don’t be too surprised if you eventually see Morton heading for surgery too; Ohlendorf is a candidate as well. All these guys have huge inning swings over the last few years.
One final thought from spring training and Hart – March 6th against the Phillies he pitched and a friend of mine at the game who coached some in div 1 baseball told me Hart wasn’t able to finish his pitches and concerned that he was putting a lot of pressure on his shoulder. In that post that day I said:
“I received from someone at the game (not a pro) who said Hart didn’t look like he was finishing his pitches and Kerrigan went out one time to try to get him under control again. Media reports suggest Hart was just pumped up but when a guy throw that many balls.. You also have to wonder why Kerrigan didn’t send Jaramillo out more often to Hart with his messages.. why take a chance in the guy hurting himself if he’s opening up too early or landing hard?”
I’m guessing Hart was already hurt before that outing.
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Opps.. Morton just gave up a blast to Loney on a hung slider in his breadbasket with two outs and two on. Clement and Crosby both had errors in the inning booting ground balls so Morton won’t take a bad hit.
McCutchen with a run saving dive in the 4th. Wow – nice play.
There’s my flight call.. gotta go.
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Original Story:
http://newbucs.com/2010/04/30/incompe...
