Cold Stove Report: Pittsburgh Pirates - LetsGoPitt's Blog

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Cold Stove Report: Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on February 9, 2009 at 02:03 PM.

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Another year, another off-season, and another year of the usual series of emotions for the long-suffering Pirates fan:

Oooh...look at all the free-agents out there. Surely we'll be able to pick someone up. I mean, the team was awful last year, so they can't seriously keep the same group this time around.
Hey, we've made offers to a bunch of guys
Crap, they all signed with other teams
Hey! That guy took LESS money to play somewhere else!!
We signed someone!
Oh...he's another middle infielder bench type that's a career .230 hitter

And so it goes...

I suppose I shouldn't act surprised. After all, the last time the Pirates had a winning season, I was 12. For someone who just turned 30, it's depressing just to think about it. And maybe I should be glad there were no "big time" signings this year, considering a track record of Derek Bell, Jeromy Burnitz, Raul Mondesi, Tony Armas Jr., Chris Stynes, Jose Hernandez (twice), and Omar Oliveres, and that's just the guys I can think of without firing up Wikipedia. I've seen starting pitchers go from the future ace of the rotation to barely adequate (to occasionally becoming stars elsewhere) year after year, be it Jason Schmidt, Oliver Perez, Zach Duke, Ian Snell, or Tom Gorzelanny. And yet, here I am hoping Paul Maholm will be "the guy" this year.

Listening to owner Bob Nutting and company, it's clear they don't get it. They keep saying that once the team starts being competitive, they'll increase payroll accordingly. NO! In baseball, more so than any other sport, you increase payroll to win. Not vice versa. It doesn't work all that well in football where you can't just field 11 individuals and be successful (just ask the Dallas Cowboys). But in baseball, which at it's core is a series of individual plays (primarily either pitcher vs. hitter or fielder vs. ball), you need to stock up on the stars. Or at a minimum good players. When the best you can do is Eric Hinske, it doesn't bode well for your team.