Yardbarker: Andy LaRoche

iPhone = Joke

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:36:26 -0500

As if the playoffs aren't painful enough to watch for Pirate fans...

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Basically everyone on the Rays should have been drafted by us. Jason Bay is tearing it up for the Red Sox. We're always mentioned in the Manny deal when HE tears it up in LA, and something is telling me the Dodgers aren't exactly missing Andy LaRoche. And nobody in Pittsburgh likes to see Philly fans happy.
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Now this new iPhone commercial comes on. It's advertising the MLB.com at-bat feature (which is awesome--basically the MLB.com GameDay on a phone). The demo goes to the "current" listing of games, and of course the finger chooses the Pirates vs. Brewers (said to be tied 1-1), popping up the GameDay screen (Corey Hart is batting). The voice, rattling off the cool features, tells of how you can watch game highlights. The higlights list pops up. Among the choices: a Steve Pearce solo shot. But the finger doesn't pick that one. Immediately, we're subjected to watching Ryan Braun hit a walk-off grand slam against Jesse Chavez, with Brewers commentary, to the joy of a 1x2 inch wide Miller Park.
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So....Apple had to pick on us (they could have shown the Pearce homer!) ...but this doesn't make sense, either. How can the game be tied 1-1 with Hart batting if the walk-off grand slam already happened?
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Keep in mind this commercial probably lasts about 30 seconds and I just managed to write a post about it. Nobody else in the country probably gave it a second thought, besides "iPhones are sweet!" This is the extent we have to go to in relating the Pirates and the postseason...
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If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can watch the actual commercial [here].

About this McLouth/Cano Business

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:12:15 -0500

I don't know if you've heard this or not, but it shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Nate McLouth had a solid year, so the Yankees want to trade for him. The [New York Post] says that Robinson Cano is a logical bargaining chip for him.
1st of all, this is the New York Post, so that means this has to be taken with a major grain of salt. But look at what [Ken Rosenthal] has to say:

The Pirates, however, would not deal center fielder Nate McLouth for Cano, and they will not move McLouth at all unless it was for "a dramatic overpay," according to a baseball executive with knowledge of the team's plans.

While it is doubtful that there is anything to this, I would be all over a McLouth/Cano trade straight-up. Think about it: Nate is coming off a great year--we'd be selling him high. The Pirates have a plethora of outfielders, with McCutchen almost ready to take center and Nyjer available to fill the void until he's ready. Now we're talking an OF consisting of Cutch, Tabata, and Moss in a few years, plus Alvarez and Cano in the infield. If Andy LaRoche gets things together and we find a shortstop, all of a sudden we are looking at a dominant offense.
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[Rotoworld] makes a pretty good argument for this deal as well. Cano is a year younger than Nate, has more experience (against better pitching, too) and a similar OPS, plus he is stable defensively (while we've heard about Nate's terrible zone ratings or whatever). They go so far as to say "The Pirates should make that trade every day of the week."
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Bottomline: this is probably one of many rumors we'll hear over the next few months, and probably one without much to it. But talking about them is what keeps us going for the offseason.

PENS-SENS A DRAW

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:42:25 -0500

PENGUINS (1-0) 4

SENATORS (0-0-1) 3

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SENATORS (1-0-1) 3

PENGUINS (1-1) 1

The Penguins concluded the Swedish Chef Memorial Cup on Sunday with a 3-1 loss to the Senators, ending an overseas trip that also included a 4-1 win against Finland's Jokerit (which, unfortunately, does not count in the NHL standings), and Saturday's 4-3 regular season opener win against Ottawa.

Saturday's game started off with national anthems for about 18 countries, followed by the always-fun ceremonial puck drop, with the honors done by Mats Sundin. The win was highlighted by a Tyler Kennedy goal sandwich, as he scored goals #1 and #4 in the kickoff W. The Pens also got a shorthander from Geno Malkin and a goal from Rob Scuderi, which put him on pace for 82. Somehow, I doubt he gets there. Call it a hunch.

The Pens' power-play was non-existent, going an Andy LaRoche-esque 0-for-7. They were outhit, 39-23, and outshot, 35-30. Fortunately, the only stat that mattered was "goals", and the Pens got the better of Ottawa in that category.

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It was back to the Globe Arena for the second half of this away-and-away, and the outcome was less-than-desirable.

The Pens could not solve Ottawa goalie Alex Auld, to the point that Michel Therrien was juggling lines and using goal machine Kennedy on Sidney Crosby's right wing. Their power play ended the series at 1-for-16 after Alex Goligoski scored their lone goal with 0.8 seconds left in the game. Yikes.

Game two was all about Auld's 30 saves, Dany Heatley's two goals, and two assists from hometown boy Daniel Alfredsson, who said this weekend ranked among the highlights of his career.

The Pens looked, shall we say, unorganized, with all of the various line combinations and unproductive power play. They've got plenty to work on before the home opener Saturday night against David Puddy and the Devils. But 1-1 isn't a bad way to start the season, especially in light of all the travel, unfamiliar surroundings, and unfamiliar teammates that the Penguins have had to deal with in this young season. There's a lot of hockey to be played. The best is yet to come.

Yankees Not Interested In Teixeira?

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:37:10 -0500

According to the New York Post, top Yankee executives agree that they need to get a first baseman, but have barely mentioned Mark Teixeira in their talks. Jason Giambi had a pretty decent year hitting 32 homeruns for the club, but he may want more money than the Yankees are willing to spend. There are some reports that the Blue Jays or Athletics may take a chance on Giambi, meaning the Yankees would have to fill a void. They have Juan Miranda in Triple-A, who hit .287 with 12 HR, but he isn't ready to play everyday.A

If the Yankees are to explore the trade market, it is possible they will call the Padres about Adrian Gonzalez. The Padres struggled this season losing 99 games, and Kevin Towers said no one is untouchable. The Yankees could trade a couple prospects, maybe include Igawa and cash, to land Gonzalez. He hit .279 with 36 HR, but may be in for a big year in New York because of the short right field fence at Yankee Stadium. Other options for the Yankees include Ryan Howard, Derrek Lee, Garrett Atkins, or Andy LaRoche, among others.A

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

LANNY FRATTARE RETIRING

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:05:42 -0500

After 33 seasons, the orange-sock wearing man above is retiring from his duties as the voice of the Pirates. And there is noooooooo doubt about it.

Lanny Frattare has decided to hang up his microphone for good, leaving as the most tenured broadcaster in the team's history. He joined the Pirates in 1976, which means he's seen everything from Willie Stargell winning a championship to the '85 "Drug Trials" team to Francisco Cabrera to Francisco Cordova to Derek Bell to Andy LaRoche. By my count, he witnessed 11 winning seasons and 25 of the sub-.500 variety during his career, which should merit some honor for what he endured.

Around these parts, Frattare was given a 70.8% approval ratings by Mondesi's House readers in a June, 2008 poll. While those numbers ranked him 20th among sports media personalities in the city, they were a far cry from Mike Lange's 97.6% or even Bill Hillgrove's 87.7, which tells me a few of you are prepared for a changing of the guard, regardless of Frattare's popularity.

As far as a replacement, Frank Coonelly set no timetable but did mention that the search will be exhaustive and begin immediately. All other team broadcasters will be back in '09, including Bob Walk, Greg Brown, Steve Blass, and John Wehner.

Frattare, 60, was an outstanding member of the community and raised over $1 million through his Family Links Golf Classic. Coonelly asked Hall of Fame voters to consider Frattare for induction and added that the team will have an on-field ceremony in 2009.

GameDay #159 at Brewers

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:39:14 -0500

Pirates (65-93) at Brewers (87-71)
8:05--Miller Park, Milwaukee
Zach Duke (5-14, 4.96) vs. Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 1.80)
[Preview]
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This is the Pirates' last chance to win at Miller Park this season. So far they're 0-for-8. 1-for-14 against the Brewers overall. And we thought the Cubs owned us.
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Duke is making his last start in a season that has been a better one, but still not good by any means. Although 5-14 is an absolutely terrible record, the ERA of 4.96 isn't a whole lot worse than what we could've hoped from him. He also starts against teams' best pitchers more often than anyone else, it seems.
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That is not the case with Yovani Gallardo tonight. He hasn't pitched since May 1, and is coming off knee surgery. He's being rushed back because of the Brewer playoff push (the Mets lost last night, so Milwaukee is now tied with them for the wild card lead). It's a curious move, and he almost surely will not go deep into the game.
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On second thought...take a look at the Pirate lineup for tonight:
1. Nyjer Morgan
2. Freddy Sanchez
3. Nate McLouth
4. Adam LaRoche
5. Steve Pearce
6. Andy LaRoche
7. Ronny Paulino (remember him?)
8. Brian Bixler
9. Duke
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Look at hitters 5 thru 9. OUCH.

MLB Stock Market - Week 26

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:15:04 -0500

Screaming Sports' Phil Yoon runs down several baseball Bulls and several baseball Bears in the latest edition of Stock Market. Joey Votto? Oh yea, he's definitely a bull. Corey Hart? Ehhhh ... not so much.

Meaningful Baseball?

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:59:08 -0500

Certainly didn't seem like it, but it was there at Miller Park.
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The bottom of the first and top of the second were perfect indications of this. The leadoff man for the Brewers reached on a Nyjer Morgan error. After an out, Ryan Braun hit a liner that Nate McLouth dove for and missed. Nate got up and threw the ball in wildly, Braun ended up at HOME PLATE, and Nate ended up with his first error.
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Side note: there's been talk about McLouth possibly getting a Gold Glove for no errors in CF. First of all, Gold Gloves are a joke and if Nate won it'd be more likely due to his being an All-Star and hitting the ball well. It's all about name recoginition, not actual defense. Second, errors are nowhere near being a good indication of how good someone is on defense, ESPECIALLY outfielders. Range is not factored in, and (although I'm not sure I agree with them) lots of fielding metrics that I've never heard of say Nate is one of the WORST in the league as far as range goes. Take that for what it's worth, but this play likely did not cost him a Gold Glove
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Whew. So anyway, the psuedo inside-the-parker makes it 2-0 Brewers in the first after 2 Pirate errors in one inning. Sucks to be Jeff Karstens, huh? More importantly, a playoff-contending team, needing wins, ahead at home against a bad team that has nothing to play for. Game over, right?
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Dave Bush walked Mientkiewicz to lead off the 2nd. After an out, Andy LaRoche walked. Another out. Jeff Karstens up. He walks ON FOUR PITCHES. The man has two career major league hits! Dave Bush is a control/finesse guy! Not acceptable! Nyjer Morgan singled to tie the game and Freddy singled to give the Bucs the lead, 3-2.
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Karstens pitched exceptionally well after that and avoided a loss for the first time since the near-perfect game. He didn't get a win, though, since after he allowed a leadoff baserunner in the 7th, JR yanked him, and Jesse Chavez proceeded to get lit up and blow the game.
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But....Holy Cow! After Chavez made it 4-3 Brewers, Steve Pearce hit his second homer--a two run shot--to make it 5-4 Bucs in the top of the 8th!
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Let's just say this game seemed kind of out of place in a packed stadium, fans waving white towels, and playoff implications hanging on every pitch. If the Brewers keep playing like this, it won't last long. The Mets won, so Milwaukee continues to trail in the wild card race.
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I am abandoning the computer now--5-4 Bucs in the 8th--and will not have the outcome for you on this post. Check the box in the upper right--I'll send a text when the game goes final, and of course will let you know tomorrow.

Bucs Lose in Extras

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:16:50 -0500

As good as the Pirates have been in extra innings, they weren't quite good enough today. But they were darn close.
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Two good young pitchers started, Maholm and Kershaw, and neither got a decision (meaning Paul will have just one more shot at a 10th win), although both pitched quite well. The score was 3-3 after nine innings that featured clutch hits by Andy LaRoche and Luis Cruz, plus lots of walks. Lots and lots of walks.
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In the 10th, Nyjer Morgan was hit by a pitch leading off. After an out and walk, he was on second base when Jason Michaels tapped one back to the mound. I did not see the play (game wasn't on TV) but [Paul Meyer] did:

Michaels hit a bouncer to [pitcher] Park, who tried to throw out McLouth at second, but nobody covered. Park's throw almost zipped into center field, but Dewitt [2B] was able to make a diving stop. The ball rolled out of his glove and Morgan tried to score, but catcher Martin made a great stop on a short hop and survived Morgan's charge into him to get the out at the plate. Joe Beimel is in to face Adam LaRoche — who flied to left on the first pitch. On to the 11th.
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Nyjer was on base all day (and has been ever since getting called up) but the baserunning is becoming absolutely ridiculous. My impression was that the Dodgers made a great play rather than Nyjer making a stupid one, but the man has made so many plays like that in so little time, it's unbelievable.
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Nothing happened in the 11th, but when Craig Hansen came out, you knew what was going to happen:
Walks. Lots and lots of walks.
Alas, the leadoff man...........walked. Hansen went 3-0 on the next guy but struck him out somehow. He then intentionally walked Manny, then proceeded to UN-intentionally walk the next batter to load the bases. Beam was able to get out of it with just one run scoring, but that was just another display of Craig Hansen's terrifying control problems.
That made it 11 Pirate walks allowed. 11.
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The Bucs got Nyjer to 2nd with one out, 3rd with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but Michaels did not come through in the clutch.
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Sorry for no GameDay this morning. The 12:35 games are always tough, last night went kind of late and it isn't as if today's game was absoultely earthshakingly huge. Hopefully you caught the mini-update in the box in the upper right corner.

Home Runs, Grand Slams, Two-Out Lightning, 8-Run-Innings...

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:48:59 -0500

It all helps. Tonight's game was a crazy one.

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(Deep Breath)
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The Bucs scored in the first after a Nyjer hustle double. They tacked on another in the 3rd (both runs via Doumit RBI singles). The Dodgers scored 4 off Duke in the 4th, two of them thanks to a 2-out walk to the pitcher. Adam LaRoche hit a solo shot to make it 4-3. The score stayed 4-3 until the 5th, when with two outs and nobody one, three straight men reached base and LaRoche sent one yard to center for the third Pirate grand slam of the year. 7-4, game in control, right?
Well, Duke allowed another baserunner, came out, and TJ Beam allowed 2 hits before HE came out. The Dodgers quickly cut the deficit to 1, so it was 7-6. Grabow allowed that 7th run to score in the 8th (once again, after 2 outs, nobody on), so it was tied (no win for Duke). So, guess what happened in the bottom of the 7th? Two outs, nobody on, then this:
McLouth walk, Doumit homer, Adam LaRoche single, Moss double, Andy LaRoche single, Mientkiewicz triple, Michaels single, Morgan double, Freddy reaches via error, and finally, a groundout by McLouth. That totaled 8 runs. 15-7.
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Nothing crazy thankfully happened after that. LA did score 1 in the 9th, but it was raised at last:

(EXHALE!!)

Joe Torre Isn't The Reason

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:40:41 -0500

Joe Sheehan helps support my argument that Joe Torre is not the reason for the Dodgers' "resurgence".

"I got asked recently whether the difference between the Yankees and the Dodgers at the moment comes down to Joe Torre. I understand where the thought comes from—the Dodgers are leading their division and probably headed back to the postseason, while the Yankees are fourth in theirs and due to miss October for the first time since before Torre took their reins. So couldn't Torre be the difference between the two?

The problem is just this: the Yankees are better than the Dodgers are. Just on record, the Yankees are 77-69, while the Dodgers are 76-71. When you look any deeper than that, the gap between the teams grows exponentially. The Yankees have compiled their mark with an unbalanced schedule in possibly the toughest division in baseball history. The Dodgers...haven't."

Did I mention that I love Baseball Prospectus?

"No one would have suggested that Joe Torre is some kind of savant two weeks ago. When the Dodgers were getting swept by the Nationals on their way to eight losses in a row, the idea that Torre was some kind of difference-maker would have seemed silly. Moreover, the context in which he's managing is completely different. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, playing for his job, traded away huge chunks of the future in Andy LaRoche, Carlos Santana, and Jonathan Meloan in an effort to make the 2008 roster a little better. The Yankees' Brian Cashman has protected his organization's young talent, for the most part, focusing on the long term."

Exactly, it's not a "pittance", like some would have us believe.

"Really, the Dodgers' storyline has been exaggerated. They were 54-54 before Manny Ramirez arrived; they're 22-17 with him. That they're in the position they're in, at 76-71, is a testament to how poor the NL West is this year. That's not their fault, but any fair comparison of the Yankees and Dodgers, or of Joe Torre and Joe Girardi, has to have that fact displayed prominently."

To be fair, Joe Torre has been much better than Grady Little and Jim Tracy. I knew Torre was a bad decision maker, and his decisions are indeed up there with Little's and Tracy's. However, he stands out in that the clubhouse has not been a complete clusterfuck. Essentially, the Dodgers have got what they've paid for. A highly publicized celebrity that can manage player's egos but not the game of baseball.

And regardless of how bad the Dodgers are now, all it takes is a little hot streak at the right time and the 2008 Dodgers can become eerily similar to the team of two decades ago. Gotta love the playoff system.

Joe Torre Isn't The Reason

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:40:41 -0500

Joe Sheehan helps support my argument that Joe Torre is not the reason for the Dodgers' "resurgence".

"I got asked recently whether the difference between the Yankees and the Dodgers at the moment comes down to Joe Torre. I understand where the thought comes from—the Dodgers are leading their division and probably headed back to the postseason, while the Yankees are fourth in theirs and due to miss October for the first time since before Torre took their reins. So couldn't Torre be the difference between the two?

The problem is just this: the Yankees are better than the Dodgers are. Just on record, the Yankees are 77-69, while the Dodgers are 76-71. When you look any deeper than that, the gap between the teams grows exponentially. The Yankees have compiled their mark with an unbalanced schedule in possibly the toughest division in baseball history. The Dodgers...haven't."

Did I mention that I love Baseball Prospectus?

"No one would have suggested that Joe Torre is some kind of savant two weeks ago. When the Dodgers were getting swept by the Nationals on their way to eight losses in a row, the idea that Torre was some kind of difference-maker would have seemed silly. Moreover, the context in which he's managing is completely different. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, playing for his job, traded away huge chunks of the future in Andy LaRoche, Carlos Santana, and Jonathan Meloan in an effort to make the 2008 roster a little better. The Yankees' Brian Cashman has protected his organization's young talent, for the most part, focusing on the long term."

Exactly, it's not a "pittance", like some would have us believe.

"Really, the Dodgers' storyline has been exaggerated. They were 54-54 before Manny Ramirez arrived; they're 22-17 with him. That they're in the position they're in, at 76-71, is a testament to how poor the NL West is this year. That's not their fault, but any fair comparison of the Yankees and Dodgers, or of Joe Torre and Joe Girardi, has to have that fact displayed prominently."

Good Things Don't Last Long

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:57:47 -0500

Remember getting swept by Houston before the Cardinals series? That was what tonight was like. Back to reality, I guess...
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Ross Ohlendorf continues to encourage me less and less after a promising first outing. I don't know where the reports of his upper 90's heat were coming from, because I just saw 91-92 tops on the very forgiving FSN/PNC Park gun. He wasn't throwing strikes, either: he walked four, threw two wild pitches (one of which bounced no closer to home plate than halfway), and left pitches over the plate even when he WAS ahead in the count. As a result, Ross lasted just three innings (3 runs, 2 earned).
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Hiroki Kuroda completely shut down the Bucs after allowing the first two batters to reach base. Manny Ramirez left the game in the 8th, and at that time, his three hits matched the entire Pirate total. His, uh, counterpart, Andy LaRoche, walked a couple times and made a nice stab at third, but that was about it.
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Did you notice that box in the upper right corner (just under the Jolly Roger)? That allows me to send quick updates during games (or if anything else of note happens) via text or computer (i.e. the score/inning of the game). It also picks up on every post, so if you see anything other than "Last Post..." then take a look. It's designed to help show what's going on in the game for someone who logs on during the game and just sees a "GameDay" post, which obviously only discusses pregame stuff.
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Could you tell? Yep, I wrote this post in the 8th inning. Luckily, I haven't sent it yet, because Adam LaRoche hit a 2-run shot in the ninth, ending a shutout. Final: 8-2, Dodgers.

Brooms!

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:02:14 -0500

Who saw this coming?
The Cards come in to Pittsburgh, desperately needing wins......and get swept by a team coming off a miserable stretch??
Yeah, it happened.
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Jason Davis only lasted 3 innings but didn't pitch awful. TJ Beam relieved and got the win, thanks to 6 Pirate runs in the first two innings. Lots of singles today (the Bucs had 15 hits) but Nate McLouth did homer.
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Apparently Doug Mientkiewicz started a mini-scrum by knocking the ball away from Aaron Miles on an attempted tag late in the game. Nothing really happened except a bunch of shouting, though.
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The rest of the bullpen allowed no runs, although Hansen did walk two. And Andy LaRoche had three hits!

What Losing Streak?

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:26:39 -0500

First things first, welcome to the Pirates, Ross Ohlendorf (The Big O!!). He looked pretty good in his Bucco debut, throwing strikes and getting guys out without much trouble. He gave up two solo shots 3 ER in total in 6 innings. I didn't have a great look at his pitches, but he was obviously getting the job done with the exception of a select few that Reds took deep.
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Edinson Volquez was striking out Pirates like it was his job (it is), but we somehow scratched out 4 runs off him. Freddy, Doumit, and Morgan all hit doubles for 2 runs, then Doumit and Adam LaRoche made the Reds pay for allowing Bucs to reach 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Unfortunately, Ohlendorf kept blowing the leads, but the Bucs eventually grabbed it again when both LaRoche brothers came through in the clutch in the 8th. They did it with father Dave in attendance for the first time all year (Double-A coach whose season is now over).
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Grabow nearly imploded, but Capps was smooth in his second save in two days.
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I like when the Pirates win games. I also like that MLB decided to uphold the ruling on the CC play, meaning no no-no (think about that). Ned Yost is probably going to go cry about it while CC will continue to dominate the NL.