The Pirates' Way

[The God of Runs]

is a solid way to run an organization.   They don't have a single hitter with an OPS above .800 or a batting average above .300.  Yet, they're currently 13 games over .500 (14 if they Halos don't rally) with only an $80 million payroll. 

 

How do they do it?  Strong pitching, both starting and bullpen.  And, they're doing this with two of their best starters on the DL in AJ Burnett and Wandy Rodriquez.  They have guys like Liriano, who's sporting a 2.44 ERA, filling in for $1 million, while we're paying guys like Blanton $6.5 million to pitch batting practice and clean up the buffet. 

 

I really hope Arte and Co. just stop throwing money at 30+ year olds and concentrate on building a team primarily from the farm system. 

[Bashbrothers]

is a solid way to run an organization.   They don't have a single hitter with an OPS above .800 or a batting average above .300.  Yet, they're currently 13 games over .500 (14 if they Halos don't rally) with only an $80 million payroll. 

 

How do they do it?  Strong pitching, both starting and bullpen.  And, they're doing this with two of their best starters on the DL in AJ Burnett and Wandy Rodriquez.  They have guys like Liriano, who's sporting a 2.44 ERA, filling in for $1 million, while we're paying guys like Blanton $6.5 million to pitch batting practice and clean up the buffet. 

 

I really hope Arte and Co. just stop throwing money at 30+ year olds and concentrate on building a team primarily from the farm system. 

Their differential is only +10 and they have sucked the last 20 years.  Not sure why you want to emulate the Pirates.

[mulwin444]

20 years without a winning record?  Sounds good to me...

[Tyler]

tank, tank, tank, tank, tank... yeah, no tank you.

[Stradling]

Yep, the Pirates way. Don't have a winning record for 23 years, I'm sure we would all love this website for the next23 years if that was the case.

[tdawg87]

The thread honoring the late AO in year 5 would be legendary though.

[Stradling]

If AO was a Pirates fan then we could call him PO, which would be incredibly accurate.

[rageous]

LOL is this thread a joke?

Pirates are the ideal organization to model after?

[bloodbrother]

20 straight years of missing the playoffs. Sign me up

[austin724]

A solid way of running a franchise is 20 straight losing seasons? LOL!!!

[The God of Runs]

By the way, guys.  I found my bong.  yuk yuk yuk 

[DW711]

They might be, now.

[austin724]

If the Angels ever had 20 straight losing seasons this board wouldn't exist.

[Bashbrothers]

They might be, now.

 

Not really. 

 

http://deadspin.com/5954443/the-pirates-lied-about-a-prospect-who-got-hurt-during-some-team+sanctioned-military+type-exercises

[CardsFanVegas]

I'm waiting for the Pirates to realize they are the Pirates and start losing.

 

Seriously, They haven't had a winning season in 20 years right? 

 

They have a lot of young talent, and run a solid farm system.   

[Docwaukee]

good one.  not being able to reload a farm system until recently after having high draft picks for the better part of two decades.  sounds awesome. 

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

I'm waiting for the Pirates to realize they are the Pirates and start losing.

 

Seriously, They haven't had a winning season in 20 years right? 

 

They have a lot of young talent, and run a solid farm system.   

1992 was the last time they had a winning season (Barry Bonds last season with the Pirates). 

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/

[stormngt]

is a solid way to run an organization.   They don't have a single hitter with an OPS above .800 or a batting average above .300.  Yet, they're currently 13 games over .500 (14 if they Halos don't rally) with only an $80 million payroll. 

 

How do they do it?  Strong pitching, both starting and bullpen.  And, they're doing this with two of their best starters on the DL in AJ Burnett and Wandy Rodriquez.  They have guys like Liriano, who's sporting a 2.44 ERA, filling in for $1 million, while we're paying guys like Blanton $6.5 million to pitch batting practice and clean up the buffet. 

 

I really hope Arte and Co. just stop throwing money at 30+ year olds and concentrate on building a team primarily from the farm system. 

 

Are you really suggesting that we should model the organization that has the longest streak of losing seasons in the history of baseball???

[sneaky_flute]

the pirates usually start out strong and then falter around the all-star break.

[fan_since79]

They lost their 82nd game (in 2012) on September 30, clinching their 20th consecutive losing season, extending the longest such streak in North American sports history. 

 

They are also the only Major League Baseball team to be 16 games over .500 after two-thirds of the season complete and finish with a losing record. The 82nd loss came 4-3 to the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on September 30, with the Reds scoring twice in the ninth inning off of All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Pirates

[Vegas Halo Fan]

is a solid way to run an organization.   They don't have a single hitter with an OPS above .800 or a batting average above .300.  Yet, they're currently 13 games over .500 (14 if they Halos don't rally) with only an $80 million payroll. 

 

How do they do it?  Strong pitching, both starting and bullpen.  And, they're doing this with two of their best starters on the DL in AJ Burnett and Wandy Rodriquez.  They have guys like Liriano, who's sporting a 2.44 ERA, filling in for $1 million, while we're paying guys like Blanton $6.5 million to pitch batting practice and clean up the buffet. 

 

I really hope Arte and Co. just stop throwing money at 30+ year olds and concentrate on building a team primarily from the farm system. 

 

This is pretty much the way that John Schuerholz built the Atlanta Braves teams who won 14 straight division titles. They developed largely from within, drafting and developing as many solid arms as they could. The primary free agents they signed (Sid Bream and Terry Pendleton) were brought in primarily for their defense, to make things easier for the young pitchers as they developed.

[Angel Oracle]

I'm just amazed by how long it took Grilli to become this dominant of a closer. It's not often someone suddenly develops this late in their career (age 36). His stats are Rivera-like so far in 2013.

[MacNasty]

The key is they finally have a good manager in Clint Hurdle.  That's why I was saying before that I'd like to see the Angels add him if they were to fire Sciosh, because I believe he'd do very well with a lineup as talented as ours.  He got the most out of the Rockies when they were healthy, and is now doing very well with a young and ultra-cheap roster in Pittsburgh.

 

Either way, while they Pirates have a sorry history in the last 20 years they're actually competitive now, and have been under Hurdle, which is impressive even with the late season swoons.  

 

But a franchise to emulate?  Now that's funny.