Ohio Chatter DEV

KR1245

They are looking at their 19th consecutive losing season.

Who's to blame?
Do they have any decent prospects in the minors?

I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers, I'm just curious. I cant remember seeing a skid like this by any team in any sport

Automatik

It all starts with an asshole named Robert Nutting.

Art Modell

Until they change ownership the streak will live on and on. Mark Cuban was interested a few years ago but the current owner wouldn't sell. Vegas has them at 72 wins but I am going with 61-101. The streak lives on.

like_that

Art Modell;729890 wrote:Until they change ownership the streak will live on and on. Mark Cuban was interested a few years ago but the current owner wouldn't sell. Vegas has them at 72 wins but I am going with 61-101. The streak lives on.

So you are a fan now? Or only when they are doing good? Pretty sure you said you aren't a pirates fan...

Gblock

when they sell the team ....GO PIRATES!

justincredible

Gblock;729893 wrote:when they sell the team ....GO PIRATES!

Yep.

Heretic

And goes down to poor GMs, especially David Littlefield. A lot of low-budget teams at least have good seasons here and there, but that's because they have good talent evaluators. Littlefield was a worthless piece of shit who completely destroyed the organization by being the pure definition of fucktard. He didn't care about the minor leagues or developing prospects. He seemed to operate by the motto of being cheap even by cheap standards, constantly trading for marginal AAA talent that couldn't operate in the bigs, which left us with first-round draft picks being used on guys like John Van Benshocton and Bryan Bullington. Hell, I read recently that he basically got overruled the year they drafted A. McCutchen, as he wanted someone else.

After he got canned, the organization started spending money on draft picks (Alvarez, Tallion, Allie as the biggest examples) and seems to at least have a plan that could pay off down the road. I could see them threatening .500 in 2012 and I'd be disappointed if they weren't over that mark in 2013. I was hoping things would progress a little more quickly, but they had so many injuries to prospects in the minors last year (Tony Sanchez, Starling Marte, Brock Holt, etc.).

Art Modell

like_that;729891 wrote:So you are a fan now? Or only when they are doing good? Pretty sure you said you aren't a pirates fan...

It's hard to be a fan when the owner doesn't give a shit if they win or lose. I used to go to around 20 games a season but decided not to give him another dime until he shows he wants to win.

GoPens

Dave Littlefield set this organization back by decades. Horrible drafting decisions. It doesn't help that Nutting is a tight-wad either but at least some money is finally being spent on the draft and in the new academy in the Dominican.

No .500 this year (95-100 losses). Maybe improve to 5-10 games under next year. I say at least 2013 before any hope of.500 (and that's only if the starting pitching improves immeasurably--meaning Tallion, Allie and others make it to the bigs that year.

Commander of Awesome

I was just discussing with a friend how the Pirates history would be different if Bonds had never left for San Francisco Giants. I doubt the losing streak would have lasted so long.

Raw Dawgin' it

Commander of Awesome;729994 wrote:I was just discussing with a friend how the Pirates history would be different if Bonds had never left for San Francisco Giants. I doubt the losing streak would have lasted so long.

you don't say...

Automatik

lol....responding to yourself?

Last Pirates game I went to...it was "bring your dog to the game" night. I was like WTF?! The promotions they do to get people in the stadium are ridiculous.

rock_knutne

Until the Nuttings sell the team, I won't go to any games or buy any merchandise. They don't even try to put a winning team on the field and that's a shame because a vast majority of Pirates fans are being driven away. If the Nuttings would at least try to make some moves to show they are serious about winning it would be a different story but the way this organization is run now, there's no chance. They will continue to have their firework nights, bobblehead nights and free concerts to sucker the ordinary "Joe" in who doesn't know any better and the Nutting's wallett keeps getting fatter by continuing to drive the worst franchise in Pro Sports farther and farther in to the ground.

Raw Dawgin' it

rock_knutne;729999 wrote:Nutting's wallett keeps getting fatter

Sounds like a smart business man to me.

Commander of Awesome

With the current set up the MLB has, these teams are still turning a profit which gives little incentive to dbag owners like the Pirates/Indians to want to compete.

rock_knutne

Raw Dawgin' it;730000 wrote:Sounds like a smart business man to me.

It will eventually bite him in the ass. If the Nutting's were really smart, they would sell out to put a contending team on the field and pack the stands........revenue would go up accross the board and they would make even more money.

like_that

smh, when I read this thread, I almost think I am reading the Indians thread. Can we just combine threads?

Commander of Awesome

No doubt, as long as the dolans own the Tribe we can start our own losing streak thread.

Heretic

like_that;730005 wrote:smh, when I read this thread, I almost think I am reading the Indians thread. Can we just combine threads?

Cheap owners. Check.
Young, unproven players. Check.
Journeymen retreads. Check.
A handful of actual stars-in-the-making serving as the chicken salad amongst the chicken shit (yes, I did watch Lesnar on TUF last night). Check.

Yep. Might as well combine the Pirates and Indians threads. And then add a death watch poll for fans of the two teams.

thavoice

Probably just moments before the apocalypse is upon us.

killer_ewok

Hopefully this year.

Hopefully.

But probably not.

Fabio

Art Modell;729890 wrote:Until they change ownership the streak will live on and on. Mark Cuban was interested a few years ago but the current owner wouldn't sell. Vegas has them at 72 wins but I am going with 61-101. The streak lives on.

Actually the MLB was the one barricading Cuban's attempt to buy them I believe. They did the same thing when he wanted to buy the Cubs. It all comes down to Major League Baseball still being hung up on being a "good ole boys" club and stuck in a 1917 mentality when it comes to conduct and player attitude.

wes_mantooth

Gblock;729893 wrote:when they sell the team ....GO PIRATES!

I think most of the Pirates' fans I know feel the same.

Non

There's a glimmer of hope I'd say for 2013-2016, roughly those years.

Obviously we'll know a lot more after this season. Tabata, Walker and Alvarez showed glimpses last year but this is their first full season.

I would say the two position players in the minors that could join the MLB mix in the couple years are catcher Tony Sanchez and toolsy outfielder Starling Marte.

If they end up drafting Anthony Rendon from Rice that could give them another top hitting threat.

OF
Andew McCutchen
Jose Tabata
Starling Marte

3B
Anthony Rendon

SS
???

2B
Neil Walker

1B
Pedro Alvarez

C
Tony Sanchez

They might take Gerrit Cole, the pitcher from UCLA, with the No. 1 overall and that would give them potentially two No. 1 type starters in Cole and Taillon. They've done a good job in the draft the past couple years stocking up on pitching. Along with those two, they also took Stetson Allie, who figures to be a closer long term, and they signed Luis Heredia, a talented prospect out of Latin America.

They'll stink this year. I'll say about 64-98 because the starting pitching this year is going to be average, at best, but they're starting to get a legitimate nucleus of position players and they have a lot of pitching in the minors if they can develop it.

Gblock

i think that they actually have drafted and groomed good players...the problem is that they basically groom them for the yankees and the redsox.

Archive

When will the Pirates streak end?