The Cruz Affair, and A Humiliating Loss

 

The announcement from 115 Federal Street that Oneil Cruz would be moved from short stop to centerfield came in such  a wonderfully ham-handed Only-The-Pirates fashion.  Let me count the ways.

1. It comes only a week after GM Ben Cherrington announced that Cruz "is our shortstop."  We weren't paying close enough attention when GMBC added "for now" to his ringing endorsement of his then-shortstop.
2. It comes 131 games into the season.  Not try it out in winter ball or spring training.   Let's start RIGHT NOW.  This, effectively, turns the remainder of the Bucs' season into early spring training, at least as far as the up-the-middle defense goes.
3. It was offhandedly announced midway through another stultifying Derek Shelton pre-game presser.  Not to be confused with his always riveting post-game pressers.
4. Word is that Cruz is "unhappy" about the move.  So much for what might be best for the team.  I also read that when the Pirates did try Cruz in the outfield a couple of springs ago, he made minimal effort in trying to learn the positions.   So now we will have yet another disgruntled ballplayer who will be counting his days until Free Agency Eligibility.

No way do I see this ending well for our Beloved Buccos.

(And thanks to Tim Benz, whose column HERE in Trib today served as inspiration for this post.)

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And speaking of farces, how about that 18-8 loss to the Cubs last night?  Hey, lopsided games happen to everyone over the course of 162 games, but there was just SO MUCH to chew on in this one.  Again, let me count the ways.

1. The Cubs stole 8, count 'em, 8 bases on the Pirates.  This broke a team record that was set the year before the Titanic sank.
2. Mitch Keller struggled through four innings, throwing 97 pitches as the Cubs stole base after base.  Still, when he was pulled, the Pirates trailed only 3-2, and it was still a ballgame until.....
3. Domingo German came in and gave up 8 runs in the sixth inning, and effectively ended the game.  As was stated in a text chain conversation I was in during the game it was the worst performance by a German since their Army at Stalingrad.
4. Now down 11-3, Nick Gonzalez tried to stretch a single into a double and was thrown out by a mile.  As Greg Brown was incredulously saying "Gonzalez is headed to second", his colleague Neil Walker was heard saying "He'd better make it", and, of course, he did not.  Even the always rose colored glasses wearing Brownie was stunned that such a bone headed base running play was made when you're down by eight runs.
5. Not to be a "back in my day" kind of guy, but there was time in baseball when a manager would yank a guy out of the game right then and there and sit his ass on the bench to make an example and send the message that such stupidity will not be tolerated.  Guess that moves like that are not spelled out on the computer print outs that  so obviously governs Sheltie's decision making.
6. Then we got the Feel Good story of 33 year old pitcher Brady Feigl, who, after a journeyman career through the minors, struggling with injuries, and playing independent league baseball, got to make his first appearance in the big leagues, when Shelton finally pulled the plug on German, and immediately retired the first batter he faced on four pitches and ended the inning.  We got to see the proud parents and the tearful wife in the stands watching this long awaited debut.  Feigl then came out for one more inning and one-third of another and gave up six runs on seven hits.  This led to the ultimate embarrassment of.....
7. Sheltie asking first baseman Rowdy Tellez to finish the last inning and end the misery.  This, by the way, was the second time in three games that Sheltie did this with Tellez.  To me, having a position player come in and pitch in a blow out is the ultimate embarrassment for a team.  There is nothing cute or funny about it.  If I'm Rowdy, I march into Shelton's office after the game and say, "I've done you this favor twice now, but don't embarrass me like this ever again."   (Still, Tellez' ERA of 5.40 is a whole lot better than Feigl's 32.40.)

This is Year Five of the Cherrington/Shelton Regime, the year when it was ail to come together, and right up until August 1, the team was contending for a spot in the playoffs.  Then the bottom fell completely out and there were bad losses and a ten game losing streak.  Some sources are saying the GMBC really felt that 2025 was to be the year when it all came together.  Same old bullshit from the Front Office.

I never like to see anyone lose his or her job, but if it was up to me, after seemingly giving Gonzalez a pass on that base running gaffe and the Tellez pitching embarrassment, I would not have objected if Sheltie was given the pink slip before he even got to take a shower last night.

Tonight Linda and I head on down to PNC Park to watch this mess of a team take on the Cubs once again. It will be my ninth game of the year, and looking at the schedule and my calendar, it just might be my last visit to the ball yard this year.  The team is a mess, the manager stinks, and the team owner may well be the worst in all of professional sports.  Loyalty to a sports team is always a one way street, but it is an addiction that can never be shaken, I'm afraid.