Last night's Pirates loss was not just another loss, was not just the loss that clinched the 18th consecutive losing season...it might (I say "might" because I always keep coming back for some insane reason) have been the loss that pushed me completely over the edge.
After a Chinese torture of a top of the first inning that took 22 minutes and over 35 pitches for Jeff Karstens to complete, wherein the Mets scored three runs on four bleeding banjo hits, the score worked its way to 7-2 Mets when in the bottom of the fourth, the Pirates managed to put men on second and third with two outs with middle reliever Sean Gallagher due to bat. What would you do? Of course, you would pinch hit with Garrett Jones or Delwyn Young since you now had a chance to get back into the ballgame. What did John Russell do? He waved an enormous white flag and sent Gallagher up to bat. Inning over. Ballgame over. To paraphrase the late, great Jack Buck, I did not believe what I just saw. Russell's "defense" of this strategy ran six sentences long in this morning's game story in the Post-Gazette. This surprised me only in that I never knew that John Russell could string six sentences together.
Seriously now, if the Pirates even consider bringing Russell (who will own over 300 losses as the Bucs skipper once this dreadful season runs it course) back as manager for next season, what would make the fan base and the ticket buyers think that team management cares even a little bit about putting out a winning team. All the teen-aged multi-million dollar bonus pitchers in the world won't make up for seeing John Russell back in a Pirates dugout in 2011. And, yes, I know that John McGraw and Casey Stengel combined couldn't win with this team, but when you got a guy with Russell's record and dreadful personality in charge, you really HAVE to make a change, if only to show the customers that you care.
My Dad and my brothers ingrained in me that you never leave a game early and that has been my philosophy for over 50 years of attending sports events, but last night we left after the sixth inning. Not that I'm anything special, but when fans like me start bailing out like that, the Pirates really have a problem.
Happy to report that the Pirates' 2011 Season Ticket Renewal Package arrived today. Imagine being a Sales Rep for the Pirates.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Management likes Russell around as a lightning rod to attract all the wrath - that way there is no focus on the overall picture of ineptitude.
Take heart, next year we can be distracted with the 40th Anniversary of the 1971 World Series.
In the offseason, there will likely be a signing of a Sean Casey type as a sop to the fans. Huntington will circumlute as to why this is not a deviation from his plan and process.
Well put, Bill. Yes, the 40th anniversary celebrations are no doubt in the works.
ReplyDeleteI watched the 7-2 loss on the Mets TV station in New York. The Mets announcers were flabbergasted when the Bucs allowed Gallagher to bat in the scenario the Grandstander described. It's hard to believe how Russell could ever defend that decision.
ReplyDeleteWell at least we have Chan Ho Park
ReplyDeleteHere's why I don't leave a baseball game early (it really doesn't matter what game or what team - these examples are from the Rockies)
ReplyDeleteThis was a game earlier this week. They were down 10 - 1 in the 3rd. It was a day game so I peeked at the internet during work and was able to listen to the two last innings on the drive home:
http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100825&content_id=13905790&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=col
This one was in early July. I was at this game. It is one of the top five exciting games I've been at.
http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100706&content_id=12005874&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=col
Oh yeah, and the Ryan Spilborghs walk off grand slam last year (this one's a top five too):
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090824&content_id=6602960&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb