So far, the main thing I noticed about them heading into this season after the lockout ended was a tweet by Joc Peterson retweeting just how low their (along with Cleveland and, I think, Baltimore) payroll is compared to the big spending teams, along with flat-out saying that ownership of those teams should just sell if they're not even going to try.

Been saying that for a while now, although unless Rob "Ruining the Sport One Day at a Time" Manfred would actually have the stones to force something, that won't ever happen because Nutting is happy to simply cash in his luxury tax payments and sit on his hands while the team trots out a handful of good players and a whole lot of marginal major league players and minor league caliber players.

I mean, from what I've heard, they're not even talking to their one star, Reynolds about an extension and are fighting with him in arbitration even though their fucking payroll is about $35M. Fucking piece of shit.

Yeah but when teh Redz come to town it’ll be hot hot ticket

I'd feel bad for you but you're a Steelers fan so you can go find yourself...

I was 7 the last time a team I rooted for won a title.

Can we add *depressed sigh* to the political thread titles as well? 

posted by friendfromlowry

Can we add *depressed sigh* to the political thread titles as well? 

Every morning that my eyes open I give a *depressed sigh*

posted by Heretic

So far, the main thing I noticed about them heading into this season after the lockout ended was a tweet by Joc Peterson retweeting just how low their (along with Cleveland and, I think, Baltimore) payroll is compared to the big spending teams, along with flat-out saying that ownership of those teams should just sell if they're not even going to try.

Been saying that for a while now, although unless Rob "Ruining the Sport One Day at a Time" Manfred would actually have the stones to force something, that won't ever happen because Nutting is happy to simply cash in his luxury tax payments and sit on his hands while the team trots out a handful of good players and a whole lot of marginal major league players and minor league caliber players.

I mean, from what I've heard, they're not even talking to their one star, Reynolds about an extension and are fighting with him in arbitration even though their fucking payroll is about $35M. Fucking piece of shit.

Add to that the Roberto Clemente bridge is closed so I don't think you'll be able to walk over it to watch mediocre baseball. 

posted by friendfromlowry

Can we add *depressed sigh* to the political thread titles as well? 

It's *whiny moan* for the most prominent posters there; it's *depressed sigh* for everyone else when they see "last post by (said prominent posters)" next to each thread title.

posted by justincredible

I'd feel bad for you but you're a Steelers fan so you can go find yourself...

I was 7 the last time a team I rooted for won a title.

Don't forget the Pens! And it's getting closer to the playoffs, so it'll soon be time for me to start paying attention to the NHL again other than occasional peeks at the standings.

Pens went for 11 yesterday  .....  generational 

how about the padres swooping in to take reynolds. fuck this team.

posted by j_crazy

how about the padres swooping in to take reynolds. fuck this team.

That hasn't happened yet, has it? Heard there were "talks" and unlike other "talks" they've had, that players have been discussed, but nothing beyond that.

But, yes, fuck this team. And if they do dump off Reynolds for Random Prospect Group #3598, double-fuck them and fuck Bob Nutting with a branding iron. One that's been in the fire a long, long time, if I'm not making myself clear.

posted by Heretic

That hasn't happened yet, has it? Heard there were "talks" and unlike other "talks" they've had, that players have been discussed, but nothing beyond that.

But, yes, fuck this team. And if they do dump off Reynolds for Random Prospect Group #3598, double-fuck them and fuck Bob Nutting with a branding iron. One that's been in the fire a long, long time, if I'm not making myself clear.

I have always been an indians fan but since i'm going to be spending my foreseeable future in Pittsburgh (and the Guardians is a dumbass name) I'm changing allegiance. it'd be nice to see a winning team. I'll also say that after 4 years in this city i'm shocked they tolerate how bad this team is run. everyone here has a conniption fit about the trubisky signing and how if they draft matt corall it's an example of how bad colbert is at analyzing QB's. they all have 27 signings and trades that can shore up the 2nd and 3rd lines of the pens and guarantee mulitple cups. but with the pirates no one gives a shit. it's an odd experience. comparing it to houston where no one cares about anything ever, until a team is good then it's all hands on deck. pittsburgh is a weird example where they care so much and also not at all, simultaneously.

posted by j_crazy

I have always been an indians fan but since i'm going to be spending my foreseeable future in Pittsburgh (and the Guardians is a dumbass name) I'm changing allegiance. it'd be nice to see a winning team. I'll also say that after 4 years in this city i'm shocked they tolerate how bad this team is run. everyone here has a conniption fit about the trubisky signing and how if they draft matt corall it's an example of how bad colbert is at analyzing QB's. they all have 27 signings and trades that can shore up the 2nd and 3rd lines of the pens and guarantee mulitple cups. but with the pirates no one gives a shit. it's an odd experience. comparing it to houston where no one cares about anything ever, until a team is good then it's all hands on deck. pittsburgh is a weird example where they care so much and also not at all, simultaneously.

It's a shame given all the great history of Pirate/Buc baseball.  

posted by j_crazy

I have always been an indians fan but since i'm going to be spending my foreseeable future in Pittsburgh (and the Guardians is a dumbass name) I'm changing allegiance. it'd be nice to see a winning team. I'll also say that after 4 years in this city i'm shocked they tolerate how bad this team is run. everyone here has a conniption fit about the trubisky signing and how if they draft matt corall it's an example of how bad colbert is at analyzing QB's. they all have 27 signings and trades that can shore up the 2nd and 3rd lines of the pens and guarantee mulitple cups. but with the pirates no one gives a shit. it's an odd experience. comparing it to houston where no one cares about anything ever, until a team is good then it's all hands on deck. pittsburgh is a weird example where they care so much and also not at all, simultaneously.

I think Pittsburgh and Cleveland currently are much the same when it comes to baseball fanbases in that, due to the cheapness of the owners, it's hard for fans to get overly invested unless it's late summer, the team is in contention AND the team has the green light to be buyers at the deadline in order to solidify their position. They both could be 20 over .500 in early June and be playing in front of 5000 people -- which to me is more an indictment of how little faith both fanbases have in ownership to actually build upon success.

A situation where fans will get excited if it looks like the playoffs are a legit possibility, but not until then because they know that when the year is over, a few key players will be jettisoned because they're cutting into profits and it'll be that much harder to duplicate that success. I know I remember how essential late-season pick-ups like Derek Bell and J.A. Happ were to the Pirates in their 2013-15 playoff-reaching run. I also remember how the team put no effort into resigning either of them during the offseason, instead looking for cheaper alternatives. And then core guys got older and got traded/started declining/both, as the team went from wild card winner to two-time wild card loser to winning record but no playoffs to losing record to one of the worst teams in MLB...again.

I'm buying this shirt from Pat McAfee's store to wear to my first Pirates game of the year.

So, spent a little bit of time today skimming ESPN's first power rankings, that include topics like "if everything goes right".

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33647294/2022-mlb-season-preview-power-rankings-playoff-odds-everything-need-all-30-teams

For most of the teams, that topic has end results like "win the world series", "win the division", "make the playoffs in some capacity" and so on. For Pittsburgh, if "everything goes right", their ceiling apparently is "win 75 games; not in last place".

Now if that doesn't pump a fan up for the summer, I don't know what will! AHAHAHAHAHAHA...just fucking shoot me...

Huh, in a bizarre bit of actual good news, the team did open up the purse strings to keep Ke'Bryan Hayes around for a while. 8/$70M is ungodly for them to put out; literally -- it's the largest contract they've ever given a player.

I just realized that you guys signed Roberto Perez.  If he can stay healthy, he will help a lot. 

posted by BRF

I just realized that you guys signed Roberto Perez.  If he can stay healthy, he will help a lot. 

Yeah, with a young pitching staff and having gotten rid of Stallings (great at defense and framing), it was about a necessity for them to get another guy who's good at those things.

And Hayes seems to have immediately gotten hurt, leaving in the bottom of the first inning to have his hand looked at. And the team's down 5-0 at St. Louis right now.

Guess that's what I get for having even one damn moment of optimism about something pertaining to this bombed out rubble of a franchise.

Where's Richie Hebner when you need him...

Huh, they won today. Might as well enjoy the moment, since 1-2 might wind up being the high point for the season, as far as being close to .500.

5-4 after taking 3/4 from Washington. Wouldn't have guessed they'd be above .500 this late into the year, so that's a positive!

Better than the Reds

58 wins will get you 4th place in NL Central

Yoooo…

Hey, uh, they got two of three in the series! Sure, that one does take a bit of luster off that feat, but yeah... I got nothing.