TWB: The Pittsburgh Pirates

[ifspuds]

At the risk of overflowing the Dynasty forum with Time Warp Baseball threads, I'm going to tackle a running commentary on my team in TWB, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

First, a little bit of history. The Pirates have gone 38 seasons since their last World Series title, and 35 since their last pennant. Only the Philadelphia A's have gone longer without a world championship, and no one has gone longer without a pennant than the hapless Pirates, who have just 14 winning seasons in Time Warp history. Only the Boston Red Sox have fewer winning seasons (12). The glory years were from 1908-1912, when the Bucs won 4 pennants and a World Series, but they have fallen on hard times ever since.

Things are starting to look up a little, however. Last season, they posted their first winning season since 1943, challenging for the NL pennant until late in the season, finishing at 78-76, 4 games back. However, as with many teams in Time Warp, this is an old team. The stalwarts of the rotation, Stephen Dzurik and Bill Tschetter, are on the wrong side of 35, with Dzurik hanging on at age 40. Dick Presley (2B, 40), Rudy Young (RF, 38), Bud Breckenridge (CF, 37), and Vic Ullom (1B, 36) are all regular contributors.

Shortstop Elmer "The Jeweler" Menard (age 33) is unquestionably the leader of the team and might be one of the most underrated players around. Last year was his finest season, as he made his 4th NL All-Star team, and finished with a .334/.395/.498 line with 20 HR, obliterating his career high of 12 longballs. With another typically fine season, Menard could reach the 2000-hit and 1000-RBI plateau.

The team is looking toward a slow infusion of youth, as poor finishes in past years have given them a few quality prospects that are just now starting to reach the majors. Ron Fleischman (24) had his best full season last year, going 16-15 with a 3.86 ERA. Observers say he has the best stuff on the team, but he'll have to cut down on his walk rate (140 in 259 IP) to shine as brightly as the Pirates hope. Top prospect 2B/3B Herm Vardaman (21) has been pressed into service at the hot corner this season, though most expect him to eventually hold down second base after Presley retires. RF Harold Perry (22), last year's bonus baby, hits the big club this year as well after a fine .310/.425/.495 season at AAA. The team also has solid prospects in 3B Bill Reed (AA: .257/.353/.441), who will repeat AA to start the season, SS Kenneth Whitt (first season) and 3B Ike Walker (AAA: .260/.329/.428).

With Opening Day on the horizon, the Pirates are sending out trade feelers to see if they can bolster their rotation to make one serious run at the pennant before some of the long-time Pirates hit retirement. The trick will be pulling this off without breaking up the "Infield of the Future" as some Pirates observers have called the Vardaman-Whitt-Reed triumvirate. For long-suffering fans of the team, a 2nd straight winning campaign would be a cool drink of water in the desert. A pennant is something few dare hope for.

Throughout the season, I'll discuss the progress of the team and a few players, as well as try and squeeze in a human interest story now and again. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the highs and lows of the lovable losers of Time Warp Baseball: the Pittsburgh Pirates.

[canadiancreed]

cant wait dotn be to hard on my Reds

[Matt from TN]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

Throughout the season, I'll discuss the progress of the team and a few players, as well as try and squeeze in a human interest story now and again. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the highs and lows of the lovable losers of Time Warp Baseball: the Pittsburgh Pirates.

This should be really fun to read. Good luck! Go Bucs!

[ifspuds]

Here are the lineups to start the year for your Pittsburgh Pirates:

Against right-handers:
1. Rudy Young, CF. A career Pirate, Young has a career .394 on-base percentage to go with over 2000 career hits. Most of his power is of the gap variety (just 4 HRs last season). He won't steal many bases, but he's got enough foot speed to keep from clogging up the basepaths.

2. Bob Ferry, LF. Ferry was born to be a #2 hitter. He'll hit for a high average (he hit .323 in 462 ABs in 1944) but he doesn't draw walks and has almost no power. He's not a burner, but he's got great baserunning instincts and can go 1st to 3rd when the big bats get a hit.

3. Vic Ullom, 1B. The big (and we do mean big) lefty is a solid hitter (career .305 hitter), and has excellent plate discipline. 11 homers each of the last two seasons means that while he doesn't hit for a lot of power, on this team, he passes for a slugger.

4. Elmer Menard, SS. The top hitter in the Pirates lineup, Menard owns a career .313 average, and hit .344 and .334 in the last two seasons respectively. There's some worry that he won't repeat his career-high power numbers from last season, but regardless he's going to hold down the cleanup spot.

5. Harold Perry, RF. In just one season in the Pirates organization, Perry put up the sort of numbers that management was hoping for when they drafted him 2nd overall in the 1947 draft. Perry hit .310/.425/.495 at AAA, and doesn't appear to have much else to prove in the minors.

6. Dick Presley, 2B. Presley is at the tail end of his career, but put together a quality season in 1947, hitting .302 with 12 triples. At the start of the season, that qualifies him for the 6 spot.

7. Herm Vardaman, 3B. The consensus top prospect in the Pirates organization, Vardaman has an uncanny eye for the strike zone. In three minor league seasons, he's averaged 118 walks and 23 strikeouts, along with 20 HRs in each of the last two seasons. It's time to test his mettle in the majors.

8. Warren Sauls, C. Sauls will share time with Wayne Brady, who will start against left-handers. He hit .270 last season with 5 HRs in 319 ABs. A position to be upgraded if possible. Brady hit .266 in 282 ABs last season, and has a good eye at the plate. They're both roughly equivalent behind the plate. There are rumors they might actually be the same player...

Against left-handers, the same players are in the lineup (save for Brady taking the place of Sauls). The order, however, will go Vardaman, Young, Menard, Ullom, Perry, Brady, Presley, Ferry.

[ifspuds]

The pitching staff is, as a rule, old. Only two hurlers are under the age of 30, and nominal ace Stephen Dzurik hit the magic 40 in the offseason.

The rotation:
1. LHP Stephen Dzurik (14-9, 3.51). Dzurik owns a 154-147 career record, with a 3.69 career ERA. He's a quality pitcher, but he's clearly in the twilight of his career. The Pirates are hoping for a strong season in what might be his last year.

2. RHP Bill Tschetter (12-10, 4.45). The 35-year old Tschetter came through with his best season in 1946, but struggled a bit in 1947. His control has been the only thing that's kept him from becoming a top starter, with over 100 walks in every full season he's spent in the majors. Luckily, he doesn't allow a lot of hits.

3. RHP Ron Fleischmann (16-15, 3.86). The future of the Pittsburgh rotation. In his first full season, Fleischmann came through with a quality season. He walks far too many hitters (140 in 259 innings), but he does strike out even more (161 Ks), which bodes well for his future. Everyone agrees he's got the best stuff on the staff. He just needs to learn more about harnessing it.

4. RHP James Bajofer (9-11, 4.42). The only other under-30 pitcher on the staff, Bajofer is a serviceable pitcher but one the Pirates are hoping to upgrade anyhow. Last season was the first he spent entirely in the starting rotation and he held down the position well.

The bullpen is mostly nondescript, pitchers looking to slip into the 4th spot in the rotation for the most part, but Ron Staver stands out as the workhorse. With 80 innings pitched entirely in relief, Staver went 3-7 with a 3.26 ERA and 19 saves.

[ifspuds]

The Games

The Pirates made it through the first two weeks of the Time Warp Baseball season with a 7-6 record and sit in 4th place, 3.5 games back of the 10-2 Phillies. The season started off as good as it possibly could, with a 3-game sweep of the Giants in New York by scores of 7-4, 7-4 and 10-3. It was then that the defending champion Reds reminded the Bucs just how far they had left to go, taking the first 3 games of the 4 game set in Pittsburgh. The bright spot in that series was Ron Fleischmann, who won the final game and pitched well into the 7th inning.

With their record sitting at 4-3, the Pirates welcomed the Boston Braves to town. In game 1, they rode James Bajofer's fine start to a 3-1 win, but dropped game 2 by a 6-5 tally. They bounced back with an 8-3 win in game 3 and took a much-needed day off to get ready for a rematch with the Reds. Game 1 was a thriller, was Wayne Brady and Rudy Young drove in runs in the top of the 9th to snap a 2-2 tie, but Cincinnati turned the tables in games 2 and 3, winning both in their last at-bat.

The Bright Spots
Some wondered if the rookies were ready to handle the pressure of the big leagues. If the first two weeks of the season are any indication, they're not just ready, they're ready to be stars:

RF Harold Perry: .341/.408/.500, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB.
3B Herm Vardaman: .320/.382/.480, 2 HR, 9 RBI.

Elmer "The Jeweler" Menard is hitting well also, as expected. The stellar shortstop is batting a robust .340/.421/.420 with a homer and 6 RBIs.

Ron Fleischmann is the anchor of the rotation right now, winning 2 of his 3 starts and posting a 2.70 ERA. He would likely be 3-0 had he lasted long enough to earn the win in the 4-2 victory over the Reds. Even still, he earned Player of the Game honors in that start for 7 innings pitched with just a lone earned run allowed.

The Lowlights
Who took Rudy Young's bat? The outfielder, who hasn't hit below .300 since 1942 (when he hit .291), is struggling along at a .240 clip so far. He's still getting on base (.350) but the Pirates could sure use his bat at the top of the lineup against right-handers.

Dick Presley has already announced this will be his last season, and the reasons why are showing. After a .302 season last year, he's off to a .225 start in 1948.

The rotation is struggling, after Ron Fleischmann. Bill Tschetter is 2-1, but has a 4.68 ERA, while Stephen Dzurik and James Bajofer are pulling down ERAs over 5. It's still early, of course, but if the Pirates want to contend, they'll either have to get better work out of these veterans or find another pitcher to come in and help out.

Other News
Pittsburgh manager Tike Kaufman was awarded a vote of confidence by Pirates ownership. "We like what we've seen from the club so far this season. After last year's fine effort and fine early returns in 1948, we believe Mr. Kaufman is the man to continue leading this team," said general manager Jeff Watson.

In addition to Dick Presley announcing his impending retirement, reliever Ron Staver and minor league vet Reggie Woodson have both announced they'll be hanging up their cleats after 1948 comes to a close. Staver told reporters, "I'm going to miss this team. It's been my family away from home for 11 years. But it's time to be with my real family and see what I can do outside of baseball."

Down on the farm, "Samoan Ben" Giordano and Ike Walker are tearing up AAA. Giordano, who figures to spend plenty of time with the big league team this season, is hitting .434 with 3 HRs, while Walker, who may end up at the hot corner this season with Herm Vardaman shifting back to second, is hitting .326 with 4 HRs. Newly drafted Kenneth Whitt, just 17 years old, is hitting .286 but is drawing walks left and right, posting a .444 on-base percentage.

[Matt from TN]

A very fun read. Looking forward to this all season.

I wonder if the Pirates can be this season's Reds, winning a pennant in the twilight of many vets' careers?

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by Matt from TN

A very fun read. Looking forward to this all season.

I wonder if the Pirates can be this season's Reds, winning a pennant in the twilight of many vets' careers?

i'm thikning so, they've got the wheels, all they need is the gas

[ifspuds]

Originally Posted by Matt from TN

I wonder if the Pirates can be this season's Reds, winning a pennant in the twilight of many vets' careers?

I think the hitting will be okay, enough to keep us in contention. Vardaman and Perry won't hit like this all season (though they could surprise me), but Young will certainly pick it up and Menard and Ullom are as solid as ever. If Ike Walker can come up and play 3rd, Vardaman can move to 2nd, and I think we've got the bats to compete.

The real question is the pitching. Passing a good pitcher from the AL through waivers for an interleague trade is likely to be very difficult, so unless Dzurik discovers the fountain of youth and Tschetter comes up with another season like 1946... it's Fleischmann and...

I don't even have a second pitcher to play off the Spahn and Sain rhyme.

[canadiancreed]

LOL it's hard to get a rhyme for that one

*thinks*'

Emblering and Shipey and pray for a monsoon......nah

[ifspuds]

You knew it had to happen eventually.

You start depending on rookies to make your team competitive, and 9 times out of 10 (if you're lucky), they turn your hair grey. As incredible as Herm Vardaman and Harold Perry were coming out of the gate, in the last half of April, they became non-factors. Vardaman's average sunk to .229, and Perry is now hitting .260. Not surprisingly, the Pirates went 5-8 to finish out April at 12-14, and sit in 5th, 5 games back of the Cardinals.

In search of another starting pitcher, the Pirates shipped A-ball CF Todd Walker to the Philadelphia A's for veteran hurler Damon "Lefty" Bowden. The well-traveled Bowden has pitched for Cleveland, the Red Sox and the A's and is now at the age of 36 making his National League debut. "We were able to get another quality arm without dealing any of our infield prospects, which was our goal from the outset," said GM Jeff Watson. "Bowden is pitching well this season, and we're hoping he can be a workhorse for our rotation."

Turns out that maybe the pitching wasn't the biggest issue for the Pirates. The team ranks 5th in the league in runs allowed and ERA, and 2nd in opponent's batting average... but in the lower half of the league in every offensive category. The season is still young, however, and the continued growth of the rookies will be vital for the team's contention hopes.

The Bright Spots

Ike Walker may be showing the potential expected of him when the previous ownership brought him to the majors at the tender age of 19 in 1943. Brought up to play 3rd base so that Herm Vardaman can cover 2B while Dick Presley nurses a shoulder problem, Walker's made a case to stick around. In 47 ABs since his call-up, Walker's hitting .298 with 4 HRs and a triple. "I know I wasn't ready when I came up last time. But I've been working as hard as I can down in the minors to get back up here," Walker told local reporters after a series against the Cubs. "I don't want to go back to (Pirates' AAA affiliate) Indianapolis any time soon."

The Lowlights

Vic Ullom's gone cold, hitting .190 in his last 5 games, and still hasn't hit a home run. Unfortunately, Ron Fleischmann's followed him, going 0-1 with a 5.60 ERA in his last 3 games. Both players will have to pick up the pace if Pittsburgh hopes to get back in the race.

Other News
Dick Presley's shoulder injury may force him into early retirement. "It feels like I'm trying to lob a shotput to 1st base every time I throw. I'm going to stick it out for the team, but... it's hard. It's really hard," a disappointed Presley said after his batting average dipped to .205.

Elmer Menard and Vic Ullom visited a local children's hospital last week, where they presented sick children with Pirates caps and signed a few autographs. Several of the children presented Ullom with a bat signed by a number of them, hoping that maybe it would break him out of his power slump.

[ifspuds]

Not a lot of time today, so we'll make it short and sweet.

Herm Vardaman and Harold Perry were the stories to start the season, the two rookies making their major league debuts and getting off to hot starts before cooling off in the second half of April. They've come around again a bit in May, but it's becoming clear that consistency will be an issue throughout the season.

So what's the story now?

Bright Spots

Meet Ike Walker, ladies and gentlemen. Where did this kid come from? Drafted 2nd overall in 1942 by the Boston Braves, Walker saw three organizations (Braves, Phillies, Pirates) by the time he made his major league debut in 1944 for Pittsburgh. In 33 at-bats that year, he hit a respectable .273/.314/.424 and was handed the starting job in 1945. Walker was clearly rushed, and suffered through a dismal 1945 campaign (.205/.267/.310 in 419 ABs). 1946 saw him hang around the bigs for a mere 77 ABs, hitting .104, and went back to the minors for all of 1947.

Everyone thought Bill Reed was going to be the third baseman of the future for the Pirates, but Walker's had a few things to say about that. After mashing AAA pitching to open the '48 season, Walker was called up to play the hot corner. He's done nothing but blister the ball since. Ike's now hitting .330/.400/.606 with a team-leading 6 HR, twice as many as the two players in 2nd (who happen to be Vardaman and Perry, each with 3). On a team desperate for power hitting (the Pirates are dead last in the league in HRs, with 19 for the entire team), Walker is a shot in the arm.

The Lowlights

The offense has been horrendous, with Vic Ullom still yet to go yard. This is not a team that's going to be able to hit home runs anyway, as Forbes Field is brutal on the longball, but they're not hitting the ball any other way either. The Pirates' .263 team average ranks 12th of 16, and they're not drawing walks (14th of 16) or stealing bases either (12th of 16).

Maybe the most impressive thing so far is that they're 19-20 despite giving up 197 runs while scoring only 170.

[canadiancreed]

sounds like someone will be losing their guarenteed spot at third (and I'm betting on my ancestor)

[ifspuds]

As we put May in the books in Time Warp Baseball, the Pirates find themselves kicking around the .500 mark and sit 10.5 games back of the juggernaut that is the St. Louis Cardinals. There are rumors out of Pittsburgh that the Pirates are shifting from buying mode to selling mode, especially with the trade deadline right on top of them. The early promise shown by rookies Perry and Vardaman hasn't quite panned out, and not enough of the veterans have stepped up to take their place. Ike Walker continues to pound the stuffing out of the ball, hanging a .331/.393/.600 line on the board, with an amazing ten home runs in his 145 at-bats. His outstanding May earned him Batter of the Month honors in the National League, for hitting .347 with 6 homers.

Bright Spots

Besides Walker? Well, there isn't much to say. Elmer Menard passed 1900 hits this month, and needs 97 more for 2000. If he stays healthy and continues hitting .322, he should pass that mark by season's end. At age 33, Menard has a good shot at reaching 2500 hits before he hangs it up.

The Pirates may not catch St. Louis for the pennant, but on one day, they got the better of the Cardinals. In a 10-9 win, Ike Walker doubled and homered and drove in 6 runs.

The Lowlights

For a man whose entire value is built around making contact and getting base hits, Bob Ferry's stock is about as low as you can get right now. The 26-year old left fielder, expected to be a standout #2 hitter, is rumored to be losing his job entirely. Hitting .211 with few walks and no power will do that to a player. It begs the question of who will replace him, likely either veteran Cecil Reed (.286/.428/.519 at AAA) or youngster Albert Huschke (.318/.389/.500 at AAA), both of whom spent time with the big club last season. Maybe one of them will catch fire like Ike Walker has done.

Are we seeing the beginning of the end for Pirates stalwart Vic Ullom? The big first baseman finally hit his first home run of the season, but his average has dipped to an uncharacteristic .286. With "Samoan Ben" Giordano coming up and taking over first base duties against lefthanders to the tune of .412/.421/.529, local observers have started to wonder if Giordano will be taking over full-time duties soon.

Other News
The trade deadline is fast approaching, on June 15th. The front office has been relatively quiet, but they're undoubtedly working the phones to try and pull off a deal or two. The organization is widely known to be pitching-poor in the minors, so it's expected that they'll try to move one or two of their hitting prospects to bring in some arms. With Ike Walker tearing up the National League, AA 3B Bill Reed could be on the block.

[ifspuds]

Can you call a 32-36 team "overachieving"? When the team is expected to be playing at a 28-40 clip, the answer to that may be "Yes!". The offense is struggling mightily to score runs, and while the pitching staff isn't quite as bad, they're not outstanding enough to carry the team. The lineup now ranks 16th -- worst in the league -- in runs scored, averaging 3.95 a game, while the pitching staff comes in at 7th place, allowing 4.7 runs a game. No matter how you spin it, it's a recipe for mediocrity, if not worse.

The most excitement the team has seen in some time came around the trading deadline. Reacting to rumors that blue-chip Cubs outfield prospect Chip Sinton was available, the Pirates made an offer to their colleagues in Chicago that was turned down. While they were formulating a counteroffer, word came down that Sinton had been traded along with one-time phenom Walter Davis to the Philadelphia A's. Since interleague trades require players with major-league service time to clear waivers prior to the trade being made, Davis hit the waiver wire. Needing outfield help and -- as some have suggested -- perhaps a little miffed over being outbid, the Pirates put in a claim on Davis, nixing the deal. Sinton was later traded to the A's in a reworked deal, but the whole scenario appears to have created something of a controversy between Pittsburgh and Chicago.

Interestingly, the two teams, both of whom have seen better days, met in Pittsburgh just after the trading deadline for a 3-game set and the home team took 2 of 3. The first game was a thriller for the home crowd, as the Pirates hit 2 homers in the bottom of the 9th on the way to 3 game-tying runs, and won it in the 11th on a wild pitch. There were a number of tense moments in the series, with high and tight pitches coming from both sides. No brawls erupted, but on several instances, a single spark could have ignited something big.

The Bright Spots
Despite a number of trade discussions with various teams, Harold Perry remains a Pirate. That is perhaps the lone bright spot for the offense at this point of the season. Ron Fleischmann continues to have a solid season as the anchor of the rotation, tied for 3rd in the NL with 73 strikeouts and posting a 3.76 ERA. The best sign is that Fleischmann has improved every month of the season, going from a 4.06 ERA in April to 3.83 in May to a sharp 3.16 mark so far in June. If Fleischmann can improve his control a bit, Pittsburgh may have the ace they'll need as Stephen Dzurik approaches retirement.

The Elmer Menard 2000 hit watch continues, as The Jeweler is hitting .383 in the first half of June after a .360 May. He could reach the milestone as early as July at his current pace, but will almost certainly make it there by August barring injury.

The Lowlights
Fans and beat writers are openly starting to question Herm Vardaman's readiness for the big leagues. After an outstanding two weeks to start the season, the second sacker's numbers have taken a nosedive. He's hitting only .205 on the season, though his already legendary batting eye remains intact, posting a .307 on-base percentage. While management continues to insist that he'll be allowed the full season, his strongest advocate appears to be his double-play partner Elmer Menard. "Look, this kid's going to take his lumps up here," said Menard after a game against Cincinnati. "We all know that, and he knows it too. He's playing solid defense, and he's learning to pick out what pitches he can drive. He's going to get more aggressive at the plate as he gets more comfortable, but he's not going to learn to hit big-league pitching down at (AAA affiliate) Indianapolis."

[ifspuds]

From 32-36 to 35-46 in the span of two weeks, and the Pirates have sunk to within a game and a half of the worst record in Time Warp Baseball. Pirates fans throughout western Pennsylvania and beyond cry out, "How did we get here? What has happened to our dreams of contention? And how on earth could we get swept by the Chicago Cubs, of all teams?!"

Questions to which this writer has few answers that have not already been offered: the offense is atrocious and the pitching staff is slowly being pulled down into the same pit of putrescence.

Let's go series-by-series for this installment of your daily Pirates update.

We open in Pittsburgh, where Stephen Dzurik, at the tail end of his quality career, faced Cincinnati's Ace Shipley, who ranks near the top of the league in ERA. The Pirates touch Shipley for 4 runs in 8.1 innings, but the Reds have already walloped Dzurik for 7 runs, and the defending champs take the game 10-5.

Next up is a trip to Chicago to take on the Cubs. In game 1, Herm Vardaman hits his 4th homer of the year in the 4th, but that's the only run the anemic offense can scrape up, while the Cubs pound Bill Tschetter to the tune of 8 runs through 6 innings. An 8-1 loss. Game 2 sends Ron Fleischmann to the mound, and he stops the bleeding... until the 9th. Ron takes the mound in the 9th before leaving after a leadoff single. John Honeycutt then proceeds to give away the game as fast as possible: single, fly out, single, single, caught stealing, walk, 3-run homer, Cubs win 6-3. Not much you can say about game 3. 3 Pirate hits, 3 Pirate errors, 10-0 Cubs win.

Pittsburgh welcomes the Brooklyn Dodgers next, and treats the home fans to a 7-4 win. Cecil Reed, called up to take the place of the ineffective Bob Ferry in left field, wins player of the game honors by going 2-2 with a solo homer. Ike Walker blasts #11 for the Pirates as well. Hopes of a winning streak were soon dashed, however. Brooklyn bombs Bill Tschetter for 7 runs in the first two innings, but the Pirates have the inning of the season in the bottom of the 2nd, scoring 9 runs, more than they do in most games. Yet once again, the pitching staff plays chuck and duck with the baseball, and the Dodgers win a wild one 15-13. With perhaps the greatest pitcher of all time on the hill for the Dodgers in game 3, the Pirates pay homage to the great Frank Smith by managing just 1 hit in a 4-0 loss.

The NL-leading Cardinals visit Pittsburgh next, and the Pirates extend their scoreless streak to 18 innings with a 5-0 loss, though at least this time they manage 6 hits. But all is well in the 2nd game, as Vic Ullom, Herm Vardaman and Cecil Reed all get 3 hits and the Pirates win 8-3, with Reed once again earning player of the game honors. Can the Pirates make it 2 in a row? I think you know the answer to that already: no. Ogden Wing singles home Genarito Nunez with the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th and the Cardinals take home a 3-2 win.

In the final series of this installment, Pittsburgh heads to Philadelphia for a renewal of the intrastate rivalry. Game 1 goes against the Pirates, as the Phillies tack 4 runs on Ron Fleischmann in 6 innings, and Dan Volpe shuts down the Pirates offense for a complete game 5-hit shutout. 7-0 Philly win. In game 2, the Pirates break out the sticks, slapping 20 hits (though only 2 for extra bases) in a 9-5 win. Herm Vardaman and Rudy Young each go for 4 hits, and Vardaman wins player of the game honors for his 4-4, 3 RBI effort. But once again, the Pirates can't make it 2 in a row, despite the best efforts of "Samoan Ben" Giordano (3-4, 3 RBI) and Philadelphia takes a 7-4 win behind a 6-run 4th inning.

Other News

Rumors are starting that manager Tike Kaufman's job is in jeopardy, with Pittsburgh's fade into obscurity. A career Pirate who ended his playing days in in 1934, Kaufman's managerial tenure is marked by a 253-290 record since taking over in 1945. Many will argue that Kaufman has done as well as can be expected with his personnel, and last season's stab at contention was merely the result of several players having one last career year before retirement. Others, notably beat writer Jack McKinley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, have pointed out that the team is changing from being primarily veteran-driven to playing as many youngsters as possible at the direction of the front office and Kaufman may not be the man to lead the team into the future. For his part, Kaufman recently had this to say: "I've been a Pirate all my professional life, and there's nothing I love more in baseball than to wear the Pittsburgh uniform. If the team decides to make a change after the season, that's their choice, but I don't have any plans to leave the organization." Stopping short of issuing a vote of confidence, general manager Jeff Watson said that the subject of Kaufman's job has not come up in front office meetings. "That's a subject we'll worry about in the offseason. Tike's a quality baseball man. No one disputes that."

[canadiancreed]

sweet good to see one of my ancestors producing for you. Maybe I tried to trade for the wrong Reed

and what exactly is Cecil's spot on your team? Too young to be a prospect, too ingury prone(funny, nothing like real life) to be a starter.....?

[ifspuds]

Cecil's spot for the rest of the season is to give me a decent left fielder. He came into the league late (age-wise), if memory serves. At age 32, I envision him as a 4th outfielder for a few years, unless (as is currently the case) we only have two outfielders that can hit the ball. Then he becomes a starter.

Bob Ferry was a disaster in left field this season. Reed hasn't hit well in limited action in the majors, but he was hitting .306/.433/.508 at AAA and deserved a shot at the big league job. I'm glad to see him doing well. I've had some good luck with bringing guys up this year (Ike Walker, Ben Giordano, now Reed).

[ifspuds]

With the Pirates at 39-52 and just a game from having the worst record in TWB, it's time to start looking to the future. So with that in mind, let's take a look at some of Pittsburgh's prospects -- not just the blue-chippers (of which there aren't many) but the unexpected surprises and the disappointments as well. Herm Vardaman and Harold Perry, along with youngsters Ike Walker and Ben Giordano, are already in the majors, and we won't cover them here.

Hitters
AAA:
CF Albert Huschke: A 3rd round pick in the 1945 draft, Huschke has spent parts of three seasons with the major league club but all of 1948 in the minors. His best position is probably right field, but he plays an adequate center and has a good arm. He's not a power hitter, and his future is probably as a backup outfielder.

AA:
3B Bill Reed: Pittsburgh selected Reed with the 5th pick in the 1946 draft, and he's spent most of his time at AA since then. He's starting, this year, to show the skills the Pirates had hoped to see when they drafted him, hitting .270/.400/.458 with 15 homers and a stellar 70-23 BB:K ratio. He'll likely see AAA this season, and maybe the majors in 1949. With the emergence of Ike Walker in the major leagues this year, the Pirates have been playing Reed at 1st base to see how he takes to the position, since he has less than average range at the hot corner.

A:
SS Kenneth Whitt: Drafted at the tender age of 17 with the 7th overall pick in the 1948 draft, Whitt is an excellent contact hitter with an extremely sharp batting eye. His defense needs a bit of work, but he's a capable defender at shortstop, with some familiarity at second base. He's already hitting well at single A (.291/.400/.408) but will likely spend the rest of the season there and hit AA in 1949. He's got some time before he has to take over for Elmer Menard in the big leagues.

1B Ray Cargo: Ray has been something of a disappointment to the Pirates organization, as he's only now (in his 5th year at A ball) starting to show the promise that he might become a major league hitter. Still just 21 years old, Cargo has the build of a power hitter, but a long swing has given him trouble making consistent contact despite having a decent eye at the plate. Hitting .279/.352/.479, it's time to give him a shot at AA and see if he can handle better pitching.

Pitchers
AAA:
SP Matt Faughan: This is a guy that seems to have gotten where he is solely on heart. At every level he's pitched at, no one seems to consider him much more than an organizational soldier, but he continues to surprise. He doesn't have the best stuff, but he's got so much movement on his pitches that he doesn't always know where they're going. He posted a 1.71 ERA in his first season at A-ball, but had just 7 starts. In 7 more starts in his second season, he had a 3.56 ERA and the team challenged him with a move to AA. He didn't pitch all that well, and repeated the level this season. He seemed to have learned something in his struggles, as he came up with a solid 2.88 ERA in 18 starts and got promoted to AAA. He's had his turn in the rotation just twice since then, but has thrown 16+ innings and only allowed 3 runs. In this pitching poor organization, that earns him top prospect status.

A:
SP Babe Goodrum Jr.: Potential-wise, this is the best pitcher in the organization, but nagging shoulder injuries have kept him from reaching that potential. He's spent his entire career at single A, but it's far past time to see how he can handle the higher levels. He's 10-9 with a 3.86 ERA this season, but coaches have been saying that he's starting to throw the ball with more movement, and the addition of a forkball to his pitches has given him something else to fool batters with.

[ifspuds]

(If Harold Perry's descendant is reading this, I'd love feedback and suggestions on how to portray him!)

Pirates Outfielder Making a Name For Himself
by Jack McKinley
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

One of the few bright spots in this ever-worsening season for the Pirates has been the steady play of rookie right fielder Harold Perry. Drafted with the 2nd overall pick in the 1947 draft, Perry demanded and received a signing bonus that some deemed exorbitant. Maybe he knew something the rest of us didn't. After just a single season at AAA, where he popped 23 homers and hit .310 with 103 walks and 16 stolen bases, it was clear Perry was on the fast track to the bigs.

After making a splash in his first two weeks, Perry cooled off through the rest of the early summer, hitting only 1 home run through May and June. But as the days heat up, so is Perry's bat. In the month of July, he put up numbers very similar to his AAA days, hitting .333 with 2 homers and drawing 14 walks to just 4 strikeouts. I sat down with Harold earlier this month after a series against St. Louis where he went 8-17 including player of the game honors in game 3 of the set and asked him about the things he's learned this season.

Perry and his fellow rookie Herm Vardaman came up to a team dominated by longtime veterans, but it hasn't seemed to bother either one of them. When asked about it, Perry said, "If you don't have confidence in yourself, that you belong here, you're never going to make it. If you don't make yourself comfortable around guys 10, 15 years older than you, it's going to be tough. I respect these guys a lot, but I know I belong here. I know I can play with them." He flashed a grin that is bound to become a trademark, and talked about his hot play in the month of July. "That's a part of what I mean when I say that you have to have confidence. I know May was a tough month. Pitchers stopped throwing me stuff to hit, and started trying to get me out. I had to adjust, and my teammates were a huge help. Rudy (Young, Pirates center fielder) came to me after an 0-fer streak and told me that he knew I could play, because I wasn't striking out a lot. I was watching the pitches, learning how to recognize them, until I had the confidence to put a good swing on them. I think that's what I'm doing now."

Perry stopped to autograph a ball for a fan, scribing his name with the smooth, looping script of a man that's been signing items for much longer than a fresh-faced 22-year old would have. He'd just given a young boy a great gift, and yet he hardly looked five years older than his fan. "Me and Herm, we're going to be here for a while, as long as the team and the fans will have us. This city's been through some tough years, and the fans haven't had a whole lot of reason to cheer, but more than anything I want to make this a winning organization again."

With that sort of attitude, Pirates fans should have a lot to look forward to from the young Mr. Perry and the rest of his teammates.