I’m often accused of hating the Pirates.
Not true.
I’m just a beacon of harsh truth.
The Pirates were my first big sports love.
I have 41 sets of ticket stubs from the 1971 world championship season to prove it. That includes Game 4 of the World Series at Three Rivers Stadium, the first night game in Fall Classic history.
But that love got stolen from me by greedy, cheap, unambitious ownership.
What you call hate is actually logical, justified indignance.
That won’t be tempered by anything less than a playoff berth.
If the Pirates get close, or finish .500, it won’t be occasion to celebrate. It will be time to get mad because they added some, but not enough. Spent more, but not enough.
The Pirates have the best pitcher in MLB, but to date have wasted him via thrift.
The real tale will be told at the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
If the Pirates are contending for a playoff spot, let’s see what they add in terms of talent and payroll. Or if things go opposite and second baseman Brandon Lowe is ditched because his contract is in its final season.
Ex big-leaguers Matt Clement and Neil Walker are Pittsburgh guys. Clement hails from Butler, Walker from Pine-Richland. Each predicts the Pirates will win 87 games.
They either don’t really believe that, or they’re fools.
That would be an increase of 16 wins from last season. Did the Pirates add that much? Will their returning talent improve that much?
This space has already laid down the law regarding what’s required for the Pirates to merely finish .500. To briefly recap:
• Must win 75% of games started by Paul Skenes.
• Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds must excel.
• Can’t be paralyzed by lefty/lefty failure at the plate.
• Bullpen needs to be a strength.
• Don Kelly must find additional wins by managing outside the box.
In addition, weaknesses must be conquered:
• The bottom third of the batting order will be anemic.
• The bench offers very little. No depth.
• The starting rotation’s talent must overcome its inexperience.
• No left-handed starters.
• The outfield will be poor defensively.
You want a wild card?
Maybe Henry Davis’ bat becomes a reasonable facsimile of what was hoped for when the Pirates drafted him first overall in 2021.
But Davis hit .167 last season and will nonetheless be the catcher on Opening Day. Mind-boggling.
Much of the optimism is based on Skenes’ presence. But he won’t start every game. In 1972, Steve Carlton won 27 games, had an ERA of 1.97 and a WHIP of .993. But his Philadelphia Phillies finished last in the NL East.
The Pirates added 69 home runs between Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna. But will that give them enough power in an era of baseball based on that, pitching and not much else?
The Pirates have few proven strengths besides Skenes.
They will do better.
But not like Clement and Walker think.
Not like you think.
Seventy-seven wins sounds about right. Six more victories.
Is it still hating if it happens?
The big winners will be those sitting proximate to Section 146 at PNC Park.
That’s where the Heavy Hitter Dog gets sold: A footlong corndog with yellow mustard and pico de gallo, served in a baseball bat boat. It looks magnificent.
“This crowd is going crazy! Crazy for corndogs!”