Official 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates Thread

[Mr. Colby]

It's here... Pitchers and Catchers have reported as well as some players getting extra work. If that doesn't get you itching for baseball season I don't know what will.

The Bucs are looking to improve on a "disappointing" 72-90 season, disappointing in quotes because no one expected even that good of a record in april. A 15 game improvement over the previous season was still welcomed.

Some notes:

-Buccos were 36-45 both at home and on the road. The 36 road wins were a vast improvement over the previous season.
-Finished 4th in the abysmal NL central, 24 games behind the 1st place Brewers
-Finished 8-7 against the AL, far better than years past
-52 players appeared in a game for the pirates in 2011, the most ever. That includes 25 pitchers and 8 different catchers
-The Pirates had 3 representatives in the all star game (McCutchen, Correia, Hanrahan)... the most in a long time
-The Pirates were 53-47 on July 25th. An 8-22 record in the month of August dismantled the season.
-Many blame a heartbreaking 19 inning loss on July 26th at Atlanta as the catalyst for the collapse, when Julio Lugo was inexplicably called safe at home by home plate umpire Jerry Meals


2011 Leaders:

Batting Avg: Neil Walker (.273)
Hits: Neil Walker (163)
Runs: Andrew McCutchen (87)
Home Runs: Andrew McCutchen (23)
Runs Batted In: Andrew McCutchen (89)
Stolen Bases: Andrew McCutchen (23)

Starts: James McDonald (31)
Wins: Kevin Correia (12)
Earned Run Average: Joel Hanrahan (1.83), Jeff Karstens (3.38)
Innings Pitched: Charlie Morton (171.2)
Strikeouts: James McDonald (142)
Saves: Joel Hanrahan (40)


Key Departures:

R. Cedeno, SS (New York Mets)
R. Doumit, C (Minnesota)
D. Lee, 1B (Free Agent)
R. Ludwick, OF (Cincinnati)
P. Maholm, LHP (Chicago Cubs)
R. Ohlendorf, RHP (Boston)
C. Snyder, C (Houston)
J. Veras, RHP (Milwaukee)


Key Acquisitions:

R. Barajas, C (Los Angeles Dodgers)
C. Barmes, SS (Houston)
E. Bedard, LHP (Boston)
A. Burnett, RHP (New York Yankees)
C. McGehee, 1b/3b (Milwaukee)
N. McLouth, OF (Atlanta)


LET'S GO BUCS!

[Mr. Colby]

http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/sched ... ar=DEFAULT

Spring Training Schedule. Starts March 3rd, 1:05 vs. BJs

[pittsports87]

Got tickets to the home opener, first time ever going to one. Can't wait, hopefully this team can have a solid year and get the monkey of their back.

[DudeMan2766]

Got tickets to the home opener, first time ever going to one. Can't wait, hopefully this team can have a solid year and get the monkey of their back.

Opening Day is a blast. We've all taken off work and gone the last 7 years. Weather is a complete toss up. One year it was in the 80s, then the next year it snowed, then the next year it was 70 and sunny, next year cold as hell.

I'm sure the 'success" first half of last year has much to do with it, but I am extremely pumped for the season to start. Nothing better than havin a few beers on sunday afternoons flipping back between the Bucs and golf.

[KennyTheKangaroo]

just want to post on the first page of what figures to be a long, positive, and arguement free thread.

[Froggy]

I think the Burnett deal is gonna turn out to be a major steal.


But I'm not particularly smart and don't really follow baseball.

[DudeMan2766]

But I'm not particularly smart and don't really follow baseball.

Really? When does your show on The Fan air?

[columbia]

just want to post on the first page of what figures to be a long, positive, and arguement free thread.

[Malkamaniac]

lol

[Rocco]

That's a lot of nachos.

[Rocco]

-Many blame a heartbreaking 19 inning loss on July 26th at Atlanta as the catalyst for the collapse, when Julio Lugo was inexplicably called safe at home by home plate umpire Jerry Meals

Except that's not really true. They managed to split the series w/Atlanta. The season fell apart when they lost 10 in a row due to a combination of the starting pitching imploding and Clint Hurdle's brains leaking from his ears. Also, the PR staff put together a pre-game video w/Ke$ha music that I'm pretty sure offended the Baseball Gods.

[KennyTheKangaroo]

speaking of music, whos going to fill the void of "best on deck music" now that ryan doumit has took his talents, and his danzig, to the twin cities

[PhantomJB93]

Personally, I see the acquisitions of Burnett and Bedard as huge improvements over Maholm and Correia and think it could be enough to bolster our pitching staff to legitimate competency. I'm also optimistic that Pedro will, if not become a "star," at least return to the serviceable 3rd baseman he was in his rookie season. As for the development of Cutch, Tabata, and Walker, I'm not expecting much. I think Cutch is a tad overrated (still awesome, don't get me wrong, but I just don't see him as the "superstar" he is made out to be on this team...he needs to get his average a little higher for that) and expect him to basically repeat his production last year, same with Tabata, but I think Walker will get his extra base hits back up and maybe improve a little.

I'd be really optimistic for a .500 season based on the offseason and what happened last year, except our April and May schedules look BRUTAL. We don't play any "easy" teams until the Astros in mid-May. I just have a bad feeling we're going to dig ourselves in a hole early that will ruin the whole season. Of course, if we come out hot and are sitting in June in the same position we were at that time last year, I'll be very optimistic for a legitimate run at the division, as I think this team is better built to sustain itself into the season than last year.

[Idoit40fans]

Hahaha, they got McLouth back? Why?

[Mr. Colby]

-Many blame a heartbreaking 19 inning loss on July 26th at Atlanta as the catalyst for the collapse, when Julio Lugo was inexplicably called safe at home by home plate umpire Jerry Meals

Except that's not really true. They managed to split the series w/Atlanta. The season fell apart when they lost 10 in a row due to a combination of the starting pitching imploding and Clint Hurdle's brains leaking from his ears. Also, the PR staff put together a pre-game video w/Ke$ha music that I'm pretty sure offended the Baseball Gods.

lol

[KennyTheKangaroo]

Hahaha, they got McLouth back? Why?

MATT DIAZ IS THE BEST! THE PIRATES AND THEIR FANS ARE DUMB FOR THINKING HE IS A FAT, SLOW, IMPOTENT WASTE!

[Rylan]

McLouth is a lot like Mike Wallace....

[Mr. Colby]

I wish X. Paul was still around... i thought he provided a lot as a backup outfielder, with his speed and his arm

Obviously couldn't pinch hit, but who knows if that could change

[Rocco]

I wish X. Paul was still around... i thought he provided a lot as a backup outfielder, with his speed and his arm

Obviously couldn't pinch hit, but who knows if that could change

He wasn't much of a hitter in general.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/playe ... &year=&t=b

Decent enough average as a starter but that's about it.

[LeopardLetang]

minor leaguers outside the top 9 that i'm excited for:



Cunningham - really could be a power hitting infielder. at times he's pummeled opposing pitchers for long stretches

Dickerson - pure hitter at firstbase with good patience. very nice upside while i suspect a hague-like career as his floor

Osuna - cayonez and bishop serve as cautionary tales of getting excited about GCL success - but osuna showed better power and discipline

Freeman - was games away from perhaps being released after years of pathetic efforts - went batty, a 180, and started socking dingers

Welker - similar to freeman had a drastic turnaround last year showing control of his mid to upper 90s FB as a reliever



Gorkys - at 24 he'll still be at an age that he could improve his hitting to get his glove to the majors

Mercer - solid enough at short that his power will make him a nice player if he can keep his average up

Hanson and Ngoepe - young middle infielders with promise

Cabrera, Paulino, Gonzalez, Santos - all put up excellent offensive numbers at bradenton and should show what they're made of at AA this year

Cain, Dodson and ZVR - time for the bonus babies to make a statement for crying out loud

Kingham, Holmes, Glasnow - good looking young pitchers to keep an eye on

[Troy Loney]

Any hope for Victor Black or Quentin Miller?

[Loaf31]

Really pumped about this season also, my brother and I got a 20 game plan.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

I hope I am wrong, but I have a feeling that the team will be worse than last year.

[beerman]

It can't start soon enough

[LeopardLetang]

Any hope for Victor Black or Quentin Miller?

i think so. throw in jeff inman as well and you've got a chance at least one of these guys will breakout. that's the kind of depth the pirates have in their minors. not the kind that evaluators give a lot of credit to - as they shouldn't. but the kind with spades of talented players that have had everything break against them so far in their careers, as opposed to organizational players - college seniors that are there to man a spot with AA as their likely peak. see welker and freeman last year. two talented, young players that got back on the map. miller, black and inman aren't in my top 50, but they're certainly interesting guys.

2 other sleepers outside my top 50:

Joely Rodriguez, LHP was 18 in 2010 and pitched very well in the GCL - hitting the mid 90s i believe, but was injured all last year
Cesar Lopez, fairly polished 6'3 RHP; pirates gave him a large bonus last year