Stop the Buc Bashing – Pirates Needed to Unload Their Booty
Posted Under: MLB
I love the outrage over the Pirates dealing away their “talent” at the deadline. Based on the uproar, you’d think the Pirates sent Willie Mays, Satchel Paige, Walter Johnson, and Honus Wagner away.
Folks, they dealt Freddie Sanchez, Jack Wilson, Ian Snell, Nate McLouth, and Adam LaRoche. None of those players can be considered elite–Wilson maybe, but that’s got a lot more to do with the current state of shortstops in MLB than Wilson’s ability–and none of those players are likely to be around when/if the Pirates reach the postseason again.
Meet Pittsburgh’s new prospects.
Which leads me to another point. If those guys–and Jason Bay, Craig Wilson, Jason Kendall, and Xavier Nady, too–were so good, why haven’t the Pirates been to the playoffs since 1992?
Folks, the Pirates suck! They have for a generation.
Praise Neal Huntington for realizing that those guys weren’t cutting it. Praise him for not handing out stupid contract extensions. Praise him for seeing that his farm system was devoid of any talent. Praise him for cashing in pieces that held no value to him, in order to rebuild.
The Pirates are going to be pretty bad next year. But guess what… they were terrible before they dealt those guys anyway! Sixth place is sixth place!
Before you go rip the Pirates, remember that A) Those players weren’t that good and B) The Pirates suck anyway.
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Reader Comments
Like so many others you totally miss the point. Don’t blame the players, blame the owner, who didn’t augment them with a couple key pieces that would have turned the team around. That’s the real 17 year story.