Pirates pitching future looks very bright

[Calzone Lord]

The Pirates have had a losing season every single year since 1992. Rooting against them is like rooting against a handicapped child...only Justin Dew would do that.

Obviously, that futility will end this year. Despite being a money-line underdog on the strong majority of nights so far, they're 14 games over .500

In all of baseball, only the St. Louis Cardinals have a better record. The Pirates .595 win percentage even tops the AL best Boston Red Sox.

Jeff Locke (Age 25) is the only Pirates starting pitcher who has stayed healthy this year, in his 15 starts, he has a National League best ERA of 2.01 among all starting pitchers.

Gerrit Cole (Age 22) was a recent #1 overall pick in the draft. He's made just 3 career starts, and he's got the winning decision in all of them, over former Cy Young winners Tim Lincecum and Zack Greinke ...and Friday night he beat Angels ace Jared Weaver in a game where his fastball repeatedly hit 100 MPH.

Locke doesn't have the overpowering stuff Cole has...but he paints the corners and pounds his fastball down in the strike zone. He hasn't always got the respect from the home plate ump that he deserves.

In one outing against the Cubs at Wrigley, he gave up just one-hit in 5.2 innings...But allowed 7 walks. K-Zone graphics had him painting the edge of the corners on pitches called balls all game long.

Gerrit Cole has electric stuff, but is far from a savvy and artful pitcher like Locke. 3-0 record or not, he belongs in the minors and needs more time to develop. He simply bears down with his fastball and throws it right over the heart of the plate. He has a very good slider, but he hasn't used it often enough on 2 strike counts.

The Pirates bullpen is sensational.

Grilli is 26-for-27 in save opportunities, with an ERA of 1.07 and a WHIP of 0.74

Melancon (Age 28) in 37 appearances, has an ERA of 0.99 and WHIP of 0.88

Justin Wilson (Lefty, Age 25) has pitched 41.2 innings, with an ERA of 2.16 and a WHIP of 1.01 -- his fastball has reached 100 MPH on several occasions and his oppositions batting average is .176

Bryan Morris (Righty, Age 26) has pitched 32.2 innings with an ERA of 2.48 and a WHIP of 0.95

Even the best hitters from the Pirates are very young. The great Andrew McCutchen is 26 years old. Marte is 24 years old. Neil Walker is 27 years old. Pedro Alverez is 26 years old. Jordy Mercer is hitting .290 with power at shortstop, and playing great defense, he's only 26 years old.

The last time the Pirates had a winning record, George H. W. Bush was president and Ron McAnally won his his 2nd straight Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer.

The Pirates are 0-for-8 with Clinton, 0-for-8 with Dubya, and 0-for-4 with Obama, so far. A losing record all the time.

An overabundance of talented young players is changing that.

[ninetoone]

I hope you're right about them...but they were 67-54 on August 19th last year & finished 79-83. Hopefully it will be different this year.

[Duvalier]

Won't be long before top prospect Jameson Taillon, the number 2 overall pick in 2010 will be added to that staff too.

[3kings]

Cole looks like he is for real. I know it is only 3 games gut he throws strikes, 100 MPR, and the balls that are hit kind of thud off the bat. The problem with the Pirates in the past couple if years is they don't really manufacture runs. When a guy or two are hot they score runs but they are susceptible to long run scoring slumps. That is what happened the last two Augusts after promising starts.

[Calzone Lord]

A 6-1 Pirates win over the Angels tonight.

The Angles opened up as a -130 favorite tonight, albeit at home, but with a bullpen guy named to start facing off against Francisco Liriano.

Of all the great pitching on the Pirates staff ... Liriano has actually been the guy who has been getting the worst looking swings from opposing batters this year.

He whiffed Mike Trout and even got a few very silly looking swing and misses out of him. Liriano's change-up has been very good. He's now 6-3 with just a 2.30 ERA.

They have a chance to sweep the Angels tomorrow...but will have to do it as a clear-cut underdog again.

Angels starter J. Blanton, who is 1-10 with a 5.62 ERA is a favorite against Pirates sinkerballer Charlie Morton.

Pirates now have the clear-cut 2nd best record in all of baseball, and they're an underdog a strong majority of night. Especially since A. J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez have gone to the DL.

[bigrun]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

The Pirates have had a losing season every single year since 1992. Rooting against them is like rooting against a handicapped child...only Justin Dew would do that.

Yes..1992..I was at one of the playoff games in Pgh with my Dad and Son. We were in the right field stands and Bonds lined a home run over our heads..My Dad says 'what happened', told him Bonds won the game..still have my ticket stub...Been a Buc fan since before Bob Prince..still have an unopened 6-pack of Iron City beer. 'Pirates - Back to back Eastern Division Champions'. and another 'Saluting the 1995 AFC champions'. Big Steeler fan also of course..
Been torture last 20 years following the Pirates, in contention half the season then winding up in last place..Think finally they may hold on for the playoffs this year..
Favorite Pirates, Roberto Clemente and ugh Barry Bonds

[Calzone Lord]

Big Pirates win today to sweep the Angels on the road. Winning as clear-cut underdogs in all 3 games. And their 4th straight win, the first of which came as huge underdogs on the road in Cincy with minor league call-up Brandon Cumpton starting.

Originally Posted by Duvalier

Won't be long before top prospect Jameson Taillon, the number 2 overall pick in 2010 will be added to that staff too.

There is gossip going around that he could be the key piece of a trade with the Marlins that would bring Giancarlo Stanton to the Pirates.

[Patrick333]

Grilli got knocked around in the ninth yesterday. Hopefully he's not wearing out.

[Duvalier]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

There is gossip going around that he could be the key piece of a trade with the Marlins that would bring Giancarlo Stanton to the Pirates.

Yeah Taillon looks like what it would probably take to get Stanton, probably have to throw in Gregory Polanco too. Stanton would be a major upgrade hitting wise in RF though and adding him this year would show that the Pirates are serious about being contenders.

What's your thoughts on adding Stanton this year? The only problem I see with Stanton is his heath, he's missed a number of games over the past few years because of knee problems among other things...when he's healthy though he's one of the best power hitters in the major leagues.

[Calzone Lord]

I don't know enough about the business and economics of baseball, especially as it relates to a small market team. I know Stanton is young and cheap himself...and adding A right handed power bat in right field would be the best way to upgrade the current team. They say Tallion has an excellent fastball and curve, but he's benn stuck in AA because his change up is mediocre and they want him to develope that pitch a little more.