Official 2012-13 Pirates Off-Season Thread

[KennyTheKangaroo]

jay bell was not on steriods when he hit 38 home runs.

[FreeCandy44]

Pittsburgh Pirates ‏@Pirates
The #Pirates announce former Bucco infielder Jay Bell as new Pirates Hitting Coach

Love it...he was one of my favorite players growing up.

[Stoosh]

Anyone know why Dejan was going crazy again on twitter last night? Somehing about Coonelly being in Altoona?

Coonelly did an interview on an Altoona radio station so most of the Pittsburgh media cried about him not doing it here and trying to avoid them.

Chris Mueller was among the more vocal about this last night (along with Dejan and Dunlap), and he addressed it via Twitter and his show.

I do think he made a couple of valid points, and I agree with him on these. Basically, his criticism was this:

Coonelly did the interview in Altoona after apparently turning down repeated requests over the last month or so from both 93.7 (the flagship) and other Pittsburgh-based media to address the concerns about the system. These requests were denied even after the national media began reporting some of the things that Dejan wrote.

By doing so, Coonelly chose his first opportunity to publicly address these concerns not to his core Pittsburgh market - the market that was most instrumental in pushing attendance to 2 million people this past season. Instead, he chose to address these issues via a 5000-watt, non-affiliated radio station 100 miles away from his core market. The vast majority of his core market could not have heard his interview on a clear, cool night.

I think those are valid points. When fans have concerns like these, they want to hear from the front office. The front office's focus should be on reaching the largest volume of people who showed up to buy tickets this past season, and it's reasonable to assume that most of the people who filled PNC Park last season came from within range of the Pittsburgh-based media market.

If you're NOT going to address these issues through the local markets, at least go bigger. Go national. He certainly would've had justification for skipping the Pittsburgh media for that. Instead, his chosen forums were a gathering of 150 fans and a tiny radio market out of broadcast range of his core fanbase.

Maybe the media IS making more of it than the fans actually are, but can the Pirates afford to assume that right now? After the worst fall from playoff contention in Major League history and some of the other organizational issues that have come to light?

[Troy Loney]

Did Coonelly go to Altoona to specifically address this issue?

Meh, either way DK is the boy who cried wolf at this point, so if he's fired up about something that doesn't mean anything.

[since1970]

Jay Bell.... new Bucco bunting coach, can't wait to see our middle of the lineup guys lay down a bunt with a runner on first and one out, or maybe everyone will bunt, it'll look like a conga line around the bases.....

[Idoit40fans]

Meh, either way DK is the boy who cried wolf at this point, so if he's fired up about something that doesn't mean anything.

In case anyone who hasn't got that yet, this is how I feel.

[TheGhostofGoulet]

Are we sure Jay Bell is the new hitting coach and not a starting position player?

[shafnutz05]

The Pittsburgh Pirates today exercised the $700,000 option for third baseman Pedro Alvarez for the 2013 season, while declining catcher Rod Barajas’ $3.5 M option (no buyout) for next year

[columbia]

If that doesn't bring Rocco out of the woodwork, nothing will.

[TheGhostofGoulet]

The Pittsburgh Pirates today exercised the $700,000 option for third baseman Pedro Alvarez for the 2013 season, while declining catcher Rod Barajas’ $3.5 M option (no buyout) for next year

Pirates will just sign Carcass next week.

[Troy Loney]

So who will be the bargain basement FA replacement that will be deemed the cause of the team's struggles in 2013?

[penny lane]

Are we sure Jay Bell is the new hitting coach and not a starting position player?

[TheGhostofGoulet]

So who will be the bargain basement FA replacement that will be deemed the cause of the team's struggles in 2013?

Josh Hamilton.

[FreeCandy44]

Are we sure Jay Bell is the new hitting coach and not a starting position player?

Backman
Bell
Van Slyke
Bonilla
Bonds
King
Bream
Lind
Drabek

Ftw 1990 buccos baby...I can't believe I still remember that lineup.

Throw out King for Lavallier LOL. Ty for point that out bro.

[since1970]

Only one problem with that lineup, it's too much like this version of the Pirates.......no catcher!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LeopardLetang]

polanco named player of the year for the entire SALLY by Topps. herrera named player of the year for the GCL.

adalberto santos rockin the arizona fall league. 294/400/471 9bb 7k in 51ab. 4 doubles, 3B, HR, 4sb 1cs

kyle kaminska, picked up in the gorkys/pick trade for gaby sanchez, on the hot sheet for the AFL. 23IP whip under 1.00, ERA under 2.00 4bb 17k

[SoupOrSam]

Uh oh, Mets and Jason Bay split. Bay now free agent. ... ...

[Mr. Colby]

So the pirates had the player of the year in the GCL, the Sally, and the FSL and people (dk) claim their spending has resulted in nothing?

[Rylan]

Sign J-Bay!!!!

[Troy Loney]

So the pirates had the player of the year in the GCL, the Sally, and the FSL and people (dk) claim their spending has resulted in nothing?

It seems like DK has changed the narrative back to the pirates can't develop players and the farm system is a joke. I listened to the fan this morning and they were railing down this point, apparantly in response to the nutting interview.

The only thing worse than DK's take on the Pirates, is the fan regurgitating DK's take on the pirates.

[canaan]

So the pirates had the player of the year in the GCL, the Sally, and the FSL and people (dk) claim their spending has resulted in nothing?

It seems like DK has changed the narrative back to the pirates can't develop players and the farm system is a joke. I listened to the fan this morning and they were railing down this point, apparantly in response to the nutting interview.

The only thing worse than DK's take on the Pirates, is the fan regurgitating DK's take on the pirates.

i turned off the fan this morning because they were obnoxiously beating this drum.

[Troy Loney]

So the pirates had the player of the year in the GCL, the Sally, and the FSL and people (dk) claim their spending has resulted in nothing?

It seems like DK has changed the narrative back to the pirates can't develop players and the farm system is a joke. I listened to the fan this morning and they were railing down this point, apparantly in response to the nutting interview.

The only thing worse than DK's take on the Pirates, is the fan regurgitating DK's take on the pirates.

i turned off the fan this morning because they were obnoxiously beating this drum.

FAN morning show has to be the worst example of sports talk going right now. Gianotti basically brings up a topic and defers to whatever opinion Alexander has while Colony simply provides some subtle factual evidence that would support the point. Then the "fan" element of the radio show just invites idiots to call in and make a point that they can rarely articulate once on the air. Atleast with Vinnie and Cook when i have listened, they would argue and be capable of vocalizing opposing viewpoints and wouldn't rely on callers to provide another viewpoint.

So, my narrative of the fan is Alexander and Gianotti beating their chest on whatever topic with Colony stuck surfing the internet for evidence to support the point. Then some idiot caller calls in and makes no sense, Alexander and Gianotti gain confidence and beat their chests again...rinse repeat.

[FreeCandy44]

Cutch wins another one...

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/spo ... rd-661266/

[Mr. Colby]

Let it also be known that those 3 players with player of the year honors aren't even the big-name prospects, further articulating the fact that DK and the fan have no **** clue what they're talking about.

They also ignore the fact that the Pirates knew there were strict draft spending rules forthcoming and took advantage of over-slot deals while they still could do so without penalty.

[ulf]

The Marlins just traded their whole team, sans Stanton, to Toronto. Reyes, Josh Johnson, Bonifacio, Buck, Buehrle all gone.