As they are saying in Picksburgh how 'bout dem Buccos?

[Brad K]

5-0, watch out NL, this is your new dynasty.

Reminds me of the young team that in 1969 started the season by sweeping the NL Champion St Louis Cardinals in a three game series in St Louis.

[Jason Moyer]

If they stay reasonably healthy I think they have enough hitting and defense to go .500. We'll see how the pitching works out.

[Brad K]

They were .500 in the two ST games I saw!

[Westheim]

First Pirates team to start the season 5-0 in my lifetime! (est. 1986)

[monkeyman576]

Yeah until they trade their star players at the trade deadline for 10th round draft picks.

[dsvitak]

They're hitting .302 as a team, with an .850 OPS.

I like the Pirates...but they are playing way above their skill level right now. Talk to me in August, when they're 15 games out.

[Amazin69]

Shall we tell them about 2018, Westheim?

[Jason Moyer]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

They're hitting .302 as a team, with an .850 OPS.

I like the Pirates...but they are playing way above their skill level right now. Talk to me in August, when they're 15 games out.

Eh, they're also leading the league in walks despite playing fewer games than most teams. They seem like they're putting together good at bats, which is important when everything else starts to even out.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by Jason Moyer

Eh, they're also leading the league in walks despite playing fewer games than most teams. They seem like they're putting together good at bats, which is important when everything else starts to even out.

You mean finally the scouting has broken out of the Howie Haak idea that contact is all that matters?

[monkeyman576]

What's the reasoning that the Pirates have to be a bottom feeder team while the Eagles and 76ers can play like contendors and they play in the same market?

[Amazin69]

Other end of the state. Philadelphia is significantly larger than Pittsburgh.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

What's the reasoning that the Pirates have to be a bottom feeder team while the Eagles and 76ers can play like contendors and they play in the same market?

As Amazing pointed out the other end of the state, but its more than that.. Actually on the other side of a wide state, a 300 mile trip over some of the worst highway ever allowed to wear an interstate highway sign.

[letsgobuccos]

Well as I touched on elsewhere they are doing the right things but for the world of 5 years ago.

There was that report of micromanagement from above and I think they have been in a space where their front office structures are adequate but inflexible. If everyone has a clear job and everyone does the right thing they're not going to find the next best advantage.

They've fallen off a sustainable platform from the mid 2010s by well... they've tried to make 2007-style star for 4 prospect trades which don't work like that anymore, and they've relied heavily on erratic pitchers and glove only middle infielders who were underrated in the early years of ball tracking.

But

Shelton is doing everything I can ask for in a manager

Their recent GM play by play has been very good. Taylor is a perfect fit. A Gonzales type is good too. The more elastic free agent market is good for them.

Conor Joe is definitely riding the semi blooper train right now. I think they've tried to trade him for some return that his numbers would bring in a vacuum but he's a 3.5th outfielder and he's in that weird netherworld where he's sort of good but can't be traded and still isn't the best fit for the roster spot.

Pretty sure this season is going to go well and on this track they're going to make the playoffs at least once in the next 5 years and who knows if they stumble across something that works in the playoffs they can make an Arizona style run

The question is if they can build a sustainable platform. Like someone said a while ago, be the Brewers

[Brad K]

New goal, 161 wins.

[Brad K]

Coming back in the 11th to tie and then win.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1zkigqhorI

[Pelican]

No reason why these Pirates can't contend in baseball's weakest Division (although the AL Central is close). The Brewers are in free fall, and Pittsburgh matches up pretty well with the Cubs. The Reds still look to me like the team of the future, with all that young talent, but maybe not the team of the present. And don't talk to me about St. Louis, with their ancient rotation already breaking down. Go Bucs!

[JackOnAMacYT]

Originally Posted by letsgobuccos

Conor Joe is definitely riding the semi blooper train right now. I think they've tried to trade him for some return that his numbers would bring in a vacuum but he's a 3.5th outfielder and he's in that weird netherworld where he's sort of good but can't be traded and still isn't the best fit for the roster spot.

From what I've seen Connor Joe is a good hitter but a terrible fielder.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by Pelican

No reason why these Pirates can't contend in baseball's weakest Division (although the AL Central is close). The Brewers are in free fall, and Pittsburgh matches up pretty well with the Cubs. The Reds still look to me like the team of the future, with all that young talent, but maybe not the team of the present. And don't talk to me about St. Louis, with their ancient rotation already breaking down. Go Bucs!

Interestingly, this weak division is currently 32-19 with four of the five teams above .500.

[JackOnAMacYT]

We just lost 5-3 to the Tigers. Sucks considering we were leading 1-3 but the Tigers scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th

[Westheim]

The Tigers got a lot of encouragement by Bednar to score those four runs. Turning it down would have been impolite.