Pittsburgh Pirates: 2025 Season

[JackOnAMacYT]

I tried doing this last year, but it didn't end up amounting to much. Hopefully I can keep the discussion going this time around. Anyways, for those reading in the future, the Buccos are 8-15, and are dead last in the NL Central. How fun.

To be fair, this IS a contrast from the last two seasons where we missed the playoffs, so maybe there's hope? Who knows.

Next up is our opponent for the game today. Won't be able to watch since I'm at another game today, but i'll try to keep you all updated.

[JackOnAMacYT]

The Angels' best batter is probably 2B Kyren Paris. 23 years old, currently leading the team in WAR at 1.4. There's also Mike Trout, but his batting average has been less than impressive.

The Angel's best pitcher is Tyler Anderson, 1.1 WAR, but overall the pitching staff isn't that good at all.

Pitching for them will be Jose Soriano, who has a 3.16 ERA heading into today's game. Pitching for the Pirates will be Bailey Falter. Decent, but the Angels probably have the better pitcher heading into this game.

[Déjà Bru]

Just what this board needs, a Pittsburgh Pirates thread! I'm serious! The Pirates have come up in "conversation" a few times recently, here, here, and of course, here.

If you read through those posts and scroll down a bit, you may notice a bit of empathy on my part for the city of Pittsburgh and its downtrodden baseball fans. So yes, I will help "keep the discussion going" a bit.

[low]

I'll talk some Bucs baseball, especially if we're playing 'em, or when they happen to beat up on the Cardinals or Cubs.

[JackOnAMacYT]

It seems the Pirates did quite well yesterday…

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by JackOnAMacYT

It seems the Pirates did quite well yesterday…

Um, yeah. 18 hits will do nicely!

But Falter faltered after four innings with a back problem.

McCutchen now has 321 home runs overall and

McCutchen’s 237th career home runs with the Pirates moved him three behind Roberto Clemente for third place, Willie Stargell leads with 475, followed by Ralph Kiner with 301.

He keeps going and maybe they name the next new bridge over the Allegheny for him!

[Déjà Bru]

Nice shared shutout of the Angels tonight. And every guy in the lineup, including a pinch-hitter, had at least one hit. As a matter of fact, every guy had exactly one hit except Oneil Cruz who had 2. Total 11 hits.

[low]

That Skenes guy is pretty good. LA looked pretty average yesterday.

[letsgobuccos]

Shoutout to Matt "Prokudin" Gorski and his home run in his first career PA.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by low

That Skenes guy is pretty good. LA looked pretty average yesterday.

Plus he beat his rival in the early running for NL Cy Young.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by letsgobuccos

Shoutout to Matt "Prokudin" Gorski and his home run in his first career PA.

He joins a list of about 138 guys who have done this throughout MLB history. That may not sound impressive until you read "Did you know that through today (April 26, 2025) in baseball history, and since 1876 (first year of the National League), there have been a total of 20,854 Major League ballplayers?"

[Amazin69]

Originally Posted by letsgobuccos

Shoutout to Matt "Prokudin" Gorski and his home run in his first career PA.

Benny Ayala! Mike Fitzgerald! Mike Jacobs!

Is Earl Averill (Sr.) still the only guy on this list to make the HoF? I forget.

Oh, and Don Rose, which pretty much makes the Mets trading him for Jim Fregosi a loser right there, never mind Leroy Stanton and the other guys we threw in.

(Also Dave Eiland, but I forget how many games he got into before the Yankees sent him to a league where he could bat. I wonder if Eiland is the only guy on the list to later serve as a pitching coach?)

[Déjà Bru]

Unfortunately, reality has reasserted itself in La-La-Land. From a 3-1 start out there, back to 3-3. The Angels, meh, but we knew the Dodgers were not that bad.

[low]

Nice egg laying against the Cubs.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by low

Nice egg laying against the Cubs.

Harsh! But Pirates fans, I am sure, can take it. Yes, producing goose eggs, to be exact, while serving up four taters in return is never a good combination.

ChiCubs' Seiya Suzuki, alumnus of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, is doing well in this league. Last night, he was a single short of a cycle. That must be bittersweet to miss a cycle by a single, the easiest hit to get.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Harsh! But Pirates fans, I am sure, can take it. Yes, producing goose eggs, to be exact, while serving up four taters in return is never a good combination.

ChiCubs' Seiya Suzuki, alumnus of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, is doing well in this league. Last night, he was a single short of a cycle. That must be bittersweet to miss a cycle by a single, the easiest hit to get.

More taters served tonight, three of them by Skenes in the fifth inning. (Two were hit by that Suzuki fellow.)

They took Skenes out after the fifth but that was a mistake because two of the RPs that followed him are terrible, at least so far. Of the 8 guys in the bullpen, it looks like three or four stink. Maybe nearly the same proportion of the 5 starters, too; 3 good, 2 not so good.

That fan who fell out of the stands is still in critical condition.

Per the Tribune-Review, witnesses said he had been excited about the Pirates' rally and had taken his shirt off and poured beer on himself before his fall. It is unclear how he procured a beer at 20 years old.

Sadly, I doubt if this was the result of a single beer.

[Amazin69]

Bye-bye, Shelton. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

[low]

I'm actually surprised he lasted this long.

[Brad K]

With Manager Derek Shelton gone, General Manager Ben Cherington's departure now seems assured. After all, Bob Nutting isn't going to fire himself. So how would the advertisement for a new GM read? Well...

MLB team seeks General Manager. The successful candidate will be able to create a third place team with fifth place money. Making the playoffs is not required, however the ability to remain within "we can do it with a miracle" distance of the last Wild Card spot through mid August is desirable.

Ability to talk to the media at length without saying anything relevant is a bonus. Absent this, candidate must be able to convincingly present a positive attitude regardless of reality.

Please send a resume with a cover letter stating the minimum salary you will accept to:

PNC Park
115 Federal St
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Attention: The Worst Owner In Baseball

[Brad K]

A truly great player, Paul Skenes, appeared on a long time truly awful team. Who is the last great player to end up on a team with as long a history of failure as the Pirates?

Joe Hardy, Washington Senators.