Pittsburgh’s Pirates Are No Swashbucklers
Many Major League Baseball pundits were of the opinion that the Pittsburgh Pirates were going to perhaps play .500 ball this year, as they attempt to return to respectability in the National League Central Division. But from the looks of things, the Pittsburgh Pirates, especially their pitching staff, should be made to walk the plank. Their abominable 5-18 start to 2006 already has the Pittsburgh Pirates eleven games behind National League Central Division leader Houston, hopelessly out of the race before the first May shower. Their 1-11 road record is baseball’s worst, as the Pittsburgh Pirates struggle to keep their ship afloat.
The supposed strength of the Pittsburgh Pirates, their pitching staff, was thought not to be in need of an overhaul. But if this Pittsburgh Pirates team was a ship at sea, these hurlers would conceivably be keelhauled! The team ERA of 5.71 is the worst in baseball, except for the pitiful Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Pittsburgh Pirates starters have a combined record of 3-14, with the man who was purportedly ready to be the ace, Oliver Perez, holding a 1-3 mark. Perez has given up 33 hits in 25 innings, allowed 6 home runs already, and has walked almost as many as he has struck out. Further taking the wind out of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ sails has been right-hander Victor Santos. The Pittsburgh Pirates are Victor’s fifth team in 6 seasons; it should have dawned on the Pittsburgh Pirates that when pitching starved Colorado and Texas have given up on you that you may not be that good. Santos is off to a 1-4 beginning for 2006, having made five starts but only pitching 25 innings thus far, as opposing batsmen have shelled him from the mound.
23 year old lefty Paul Maholm, who showed great promise last year, has not had the same solid results so far this April. The Pittsburgh Pirates were high on Paul entering the campaign, but he is 0-3 in four outings, with more walks than strikeouts and a 7.00 plus earned run average. Zach Duke, also 23, was expected to continue his phenomenal success from 2005, when the Pittsburgh Pirates’ southpaw went 8-2 with a fabulous 1.81 ERA in 14 starts. But he is laboring with a 1-2 record, giving opponents over a hit an inning and walking almost as many as he did all last season. The last culprit in the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation, 24 year old Ian Snell, may be the guiltiest Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher of them all; Snell has a 7.71 ERA and isn’t fooling many hitters as April winds down.
The bullpen has been up and down, except for Ryan Voglesong, who has just been down. Ryan has been torched for 10 runs in 11 innings and has already hit 4 batters; perhaps he figures if he hits them first they won’t get a chance to hit them. Damaso Marte, who came to the Pittsburgh Pirates from the White Sox, has blown his two save opportunities, while Mike Gonzalez has converted both of his.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ hitters are batting .250 as a team, with the fifth fewest runs scored in baseball despite having almost as many home runs, 30, as anyone. First baseman Craig Wilson has provided seven of those round trippers, and his 17 runs batted in easily leads this gang. Jeremy Burnitz, who the Pittsburgh Pirates hoped would provide some pop with his bat, has already struck out 20 times in 83 at bats, batting a mere .217. This shouldn’t surprise anyone that has followed Burnitz’s all-or-nothing career as a hitter, six other clubs have decided that Burnitz should share a locker with Davy Jones. Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfielder Jason Bay, coming off a one hundred plus RBI season last year, has been pitched around frequently; he leads the Pittsburgh Pirates with 21 walks, 14 more than the next highest player. He has 5 homers and only 10 RBI to go with his 19 whiffs. Centerfielder Chris Duffy, who hit for average last year, is batting a measly .176 with 18 strikeouts and 3 runs batted in. Shortstop Jack Wilson is off to a decent start, hitting well over .300 with 12 RBI, but third sacker Joe Randa, who came to the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Royals, is hitting .222 with 1 home run.
The Pittsburgh Pirates had high hopes coming into the 2006 baseball season. April has seen this Pirate ship taking on water at an awful rate. It would take Jack Sparrow, not Jack Wilson, to rescue this crew, with the hole they have dug is so deep they may as well bury a chest of gold in it and cover it up. The Pittsburgh Pirates are in for a long voyage in 2006. They should replace the skull and crossbones with a flag of surrender.
The supposed strength of the Pittsburgh Pirates, their pitching staff, was thought not to be in need of an overhaul. But if this Pittsburgh Pirates team was a ship at sea, these hurlers would conceivably be keelhauled! The team ERA of 5.71 is the worst in baseball, except for the pitiful Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Pittsburgh Pirates starters have a combined record of 3-14, with the man who was purportedly ready to be the ace, Oliver Perez, holding a 1-3 mark. Perez has given up 33 hits in 25 innings, allowed 6 home runs already, and has walked almost as many as he has struck out. Further taking the wind out of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ sails has been right-hander Victor Santos. The Pittsburgh Pirates are Victor’s fifth team in 6 seasons; it should have dawned on the Pittsburgh Pirates that when pitching starved Colorado and Texas have given up on you that you may not be that good. Santos is off to a 1-4 beginning for 2006, having made five starts but only pitching 25 innings thus far, as opposing batsmen have shelled him from the mound.
23 year old lefty Paul Maholm, who showed great promise last year, has not had the same solid results so far this April. The Pittsburgh Pirates were high on Paul entering the campaign, but he is 0-3 in four outings, with more walks than strikeouts and a 7.00 plus earned run average. Zach Duke, also 23, was expected to continue his phenomenal success from 2005, when the Pittsburgh Pirates’ southpaw went 8-2 with a fabulous 1.81 ERA in 14 starts. But he is laboring with a 1-2 record, giving opponents over a hit an inning and walking almost as many as he did all last season. The last culprit in the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation, 24 year old Ian Snell, may be the guiltiest Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher of them all; Snell has a 7.71 ERA and isn’t fooling many hitters as April winds down.
The bullpen has been up and down, except for Ryan Voglesong, who has just been down. Ryan has been torched for 10 runs in 11 innings and has already hit 4 batters; perhaps he figures if he hits them first they won’t get a chance to hit them. Damaso Marte, who came to the Pittsburgh Pirates from the White Sox, has blown his two save opportunities, while Mike Gonzalez has converted both of his.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ hitters are batting .250 as a team, with the fifth fewest runs scored in baseball despite having almost as many home runs, 30, as anyone. First baseman Craig Wilson has provided seven of those round trippers, and his 17 runs batted in easily leads this gang. Jeremy Burnitz, who the Pittsburgh Pirates hoped would provide some pop with his bat, has already struck out 20 times in 83 at bats, batting a mere .217. This shouldn’t surprise anyone that has followed Burnitz’s all-or-nothing career as a hitter, six other clubs have decided that Burnitz should share a locker with Davy Jones. Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfielder Jason Bay, coming off a one hundred plus RBI season last year, has been pitched around frequently; he leads the Pittsburgh Pirates with 21 walks, 14 more than the next highest player. He has 5 homers and only 10 RBI to go with his 19 whiffs. Centerfielder Chris Duffy, who hit for average last year, is batting a measly .176 with 18 strikeouts and 3 runs batted in. Shortstop Jack Wilson is off to a decent start, hitting well over .300 with 12 RBI, but third sacker Joe Randa, who came to the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Royals, is hitting .222 with 1 home run.
The Pittsburgh Pirates had high hopes coming into the 2006 baseball season. April has seen this Pirate ship taking on water at an awful rate. It would take Jack Sparrow, not Jack Wilson, to rescue this crew, with the hole they have dug is so deep they may as well bury a chest of gold in it and cover it up. The Pittsburgh Pirates are in for a long voyage in 2006. They should replace the skull and crossbones with a flag of surrender.
