Arrr Matey - Know Thy Buckos

[Elster88]

What�s not fair? Being the only team in a 6 team division with a record under .500 What�s even less fair? Being 8-20 and playing in said division. What�s the least fair? With that record, having to face a 17-9 team in their home park What just plain blows? Facing Pedro Martinez and the Officially Rejuvenated Tom Glavine, and then moving on. �Let�s stop by New York and take a good, hard beating on our way from Chicago to Washington.� Who�s hot? Ummmm�nobody really. Over the last week, Chris Duffy (OF) is .313 but his OPS is only .764. Freddy Sanchez (3B) is .364 with an OPS of .819, but that�s only an 11 at-bat sample size in the same timeframe.	The Wilsons, Craig (36) and Jack, have been two of the top three hitters for the Pirates this year, with OPS's of .982 and .901. (Not pictured - Jason Bay: .437(!) OBP, .904 OPS)
Who�s not? The rest of the team over the last week: Jack Wilson (SS) - .238/.333/.429//.762 Jeromy Burnitz (OF) - .222/.263/.556//.819 Craig Wilson (1B) - .200/.304/.450//.754 Joe Randa (3B) - .222/.263/.222//.485 (yuk) Jason Bay (OF) - .235/.458/.353//.811 Ronny Paulino (who?) (C) - .200/.294/.200//.494 � The paulino is the name of the little ball in bocce. Who looks familiar? Jeromy Burnitz and Jason Bay (sigh), of course. Roberto Hernandez (0-1, 3.18, 11.1 innings, 12 H, 1 HR, 8 BB, 7K) is still going strong at age 41. Correct me if I�m wrong, but it doesn�t look like anyone from the infamous Benson-Wigginton deal will participate in this series.	Zach Duke pitched Pittsburgh to an 8-0 win over the Cubs in their last game
Who�s pitching? Ian Snell (1-2, 5.79) vs. Pedro Bear - 5/3/06, 7:10 pm � Ian has 11 career starts, 5 this year. After three awful starts, he�s calmed down somewhat. He went 6 innings against Houston on April 22nd and allowed 2 earned runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. His best start this year was his most recent: 7 innnings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, 1 earned run against the Phillies to get his first win of the year on April 28th.
Paul Maholm (1-3, 5.86) vs. Tom Glavine - 5/4/06, 7:10 pm � Maholm was the Pirates Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2005. His best start of the year was also his most recent: 7 innnings, 6 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, 1 earned run against the Phillies. Other than that and a decent outing (6 IP, 2 ER, L) against St. Louis he�s had a pretty awful year, allowing 5 earned runs in each of his other three starts.
What�s the bottom line? A two game series...at home...our two best pitchers...two youngsters starting for the other team........and the other team stinks. Gotta take 'em both. Beat the bad teams.

[Guest cooby]

two youngsters starting for the other team........

uhoh

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Nice job Elster - I plan to crib off of you in July.

[Willets Point]

="cooby"]two youngsters starting for the other team........ uhoh

I know what cooby's thinking and it makes me worry too.

Nice job Elster.

[seawolf17]

Cooby's right. I sense an ugly two days.

[Guest cooby]

I hope I am wrong...

But at least I can watch the Pirates here.

[Elster88]

cooby wrote: two youngsters starting for the other team........ uhoh

="Willets Point"]I know what cooby's thinking and it makes me worry too.

="seawolf17"]Cooby's right. I sense an ugly two days.

Holy Ingrained Met-Fan Pessimissm, Batman!

Just keep repeating to yourself: Pedro and Glavine, Pedro and Glavine, Pedro and Glavine.

[Guest cooby]

Well, that IS a very good point. I think those two can take 'em, arrrrr

[Willets Point]

Well, you know how I feel about Glavine.

[Centerfield]

I just don't want to be typing NO HITTER in the IGT later tonight.

[Guest cooby]

Or PERFECT GAME

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

]Beat the bad teams.

MFYs have built an era upon that.

Well done KTE. I feel I know the enemy now.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Centerfield wrote: I just don't want to be typing NO HITTER in the IGT later tonight.

Maybe you'll type it AFTER the game.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That was Michael O'Connor's first career win, let it be said.

[Gwreck]

seawolf17 wrote: Cooby's right. I sense an ugly two days.

Ehh, I'm not sold. The Pirates best 3 young pitchers, Santos, Duke, and Oliver Pereze, we all miss. I say a sweep is looming.

[Willets Point]

Didn't the Mets have their most craptastic game of 2005 against the Pirates? I remember something like a 4 run Bucs rally in the 9th.

[Frayed Knot]

Yes, capped by a Tike Redman hit off of (say it with me) Looper!

[Guest cooby]

He's gone, no worries, matey

[Elster88]

Cooby be the only one talking like a pirate. Get with it.


Arrrrrrrrrrr

[Guest cooby]

I live closest to Pittsburgh

[Willets Point]

Shiver me timbers.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Yar.

This series makes BP's biggest mismatchup this week (in our favor, natch), which means . . . we're going to get swept. Here's what they had to say:

]Biggest Mismatchup (opponents with greatest difference in Prospectus Hit List rankings): Pittsburgh Pirates (29th) @ New York Mets (4th) Just curious as to why the moneyed Mets aren't being mentioned in the Roger Clemens sweepstakes. He would make a much better playoff rotation buddy for Pedro Martinez than Victor Zambrano or Brian Bannister. Speaking of Bannister, he's now doing analysis for the Mets. If you've never seen the 1979 NBC special in which radio greats Bob & Ray were joined by the female members of the Saturday Night Live cast, then you've missed their ultimate illogical extension of the active-player-as-announcer concept. I'm paraphrasing, but it was Ray, I believe, who was an outfielder doing play-by-play, holding a microphone in his throwing hand: "There's a long drive coming my way, I'm going back, back�." What do Dave Roberts, Luis Terrero and Jose Reyes have in common? They are the only players on the Padres, Orioles and Mets respectively to have a caught stealing attached to their names. The Orioles are off to a 22 for 23 start and the Padrinos are at 18 for 19. The Mets are not far behind at 30 for 33 and Reyes has all three caughts. The rest of team is 19-for-19. New York was third last year in stolen base percentage and first the year before. And, unlike in the past when Mike Piazza was behind the plate, the Mets are not in danger of having an equally marvelous opponents' stolen base percentage

[Elster88]

Who was even around for the Piazza beaning? Traxxxx?

[Guest Edgy DC]

No. Neither the beaning nor the bat throwing. None of them were around.

But I was.

[DocTee]

]And, unlike in the past when Mike Piazza was behind the plate, the Mets are not in danger of having an equally marvelous opponents' stolen base percentage

If only this were true.

[Elster88]

]With Sean Casey assigned to the disabled list and Joe Randa hurting, the greatest threat to Glavine, based on statistical history, is Jason Bay. But Bay has a small sampling against Glavine - three hits, including a home run last season, in eight at-bats. Casey and Randa have batted .415 in 41 collective at-bats against Glavine.

[Elster88]

No member of the Mets has faced Maholm. Fourteen of the Pirates have faced Glavine -- a total of 167 at-bats.

[Frayed Knot]

="Willets Point"]Shiver me timbers.

I'm leavin' my fam'ly
Leavin' all my friends
My body's at home
But my heart's in the wind
Where the clouds are like headlines
On a new front page sky
My tears are salt water
And the moon's full and high
And I know Martin Eden's
Gonna be proud of me
And many before me
Who've been called by the sea
To be up in the crow's nest
Singin' my say
Shiver me Timbers
'Cause I'm a-sailin' away

-- Tom Waits



This one's been going through my head since I read that quote so I had to get it out.
I feel much better now.

[Willets Point]

Elster88 wrote: ="cooby"]two youngsters starting for the other team........ uhoh ="Willets Point"]I know what cooby's thinking and it makes me worry too. ="seawolf17"]Cooby's right. I sense an ugly two days. Holy Ingrained Met-Fan Pessimissm, Batman! Just keep repeating to yourself: Pedro and Glavine, Pedro and Glavine, Pedro and Glavine.

Well the Mets did what they're supposed to do against young pitchers on a crap team. Maybe these really are the new Mets? Now they need to let the Braves know they're for real.

[Elster88]

1 run in 13 innings from Petey and Tommy.

Personally, I credit the reverse-jinx for the win. Good job, cooby, WP, and seawolf.