Opening Day 2024

I cannot recall a time in the fifteen years (!!) that I have been writing this blog where I have spent a spring time where I have written less about baseball and, more specifically, the Pittsburgh Pirates than I have in this Year of Our Lord 2024.  So, on this Opening Day, the day in which all things remain possible, as JFK might have put it, let us begin.

Before getting into the Pirates, a word about what will be, if it isn't already, Rob Manfred's biggest nightmare, the Shohei Ohtani Affair.  Baseball's biggest star has found himself smack in the middle of some questionable affair concerning illegal bookmaking and betting on, maybe, possibly, baseball games to the tune of a measly $4.5 million.  The Dodgers and Ohtani have already fired the guy set to become the Fall Guy here, Ohtani's interpreter, but this thing is far from over, and Manfred has to be sick with the thought of having to suspend or even ban the sport's brightest and biggest star over these matters.

As the saying goes, we'll see how it all plays out.

Now, on to the Pirates.

Of the twenty-six players coming north with the team, here are the players about whom I am excited:

SP Mitch Keller

SP Jared Jones

RP David Bender

C   Henry Davis

SS Oneil Cruz (especially him!!)

3B Ke'Bryan Hayes

OF Brian Reynolds

OF Jack Suwinski

OF Michael A. Taylor

DH Andrew McCutchen

Ten out of twenty-six, and only two of them are starting pitchers, and therein lies the biggest question mark and/or weakness of the team: starting pitching and the lack of depth therein.   This is especially frustrating when one realizes that the team just might possess an outstanding starting pitcher, one who shows all the signs of becoming a legitimate Ace Number One starter, and he will be starting the season in Indianapolis.  I am speaking of course of Paul Skenes, last year's over all first pick in the draft.  He has pitched all of three innings in spring training, but according to all reports, he is Major League ready NOW, but the Bucs are not bringing him to Pittsburgh to start the season.  Gotta protect that service time...gotta put off that arbitration eligibility date....gotta put off that free agency eligibility season (by which time, there is a good chance that the team will already have traded him for prospects).  Yep, can't spend any money if you don't have to on the Bob Nutting Ship of Fools.  What a tiring story this has become.

In 2023, the Pirates improved by 14 games over 2022, and won 76 games.  A similar improvement in '24 would produce 90 wins and put the Pirates in the thick of playoff contention, but alas, I don't see it happening.  FanDuel set the Over/Under on Pirates wins for the season at 75.5.  I put $20 on the OVER, if only because I don't want to be rooting for them to lose as the season winds down in September.  I think 75-80 wins is about the outside limit for the team this year.  As always, when it comes to the Bucs, I hope that I'm wrong in this gloomy forecast.

My own goal is to see at least twelve games at PNC Park this season.

Oh, and I also know that we are all looking forward to 162 more of Derek Shelton's always riveting post game pressers.

Raise The Jolly Roger!!