Archive for May, 2009

Well, Tom Gorzelanny is still with the Pirates.  It’s been a while hasn’t it?  NH said when he called Gorzo up that ‘Tom was our only option.’  We have to wonder if he isn’t being used to motivate the starting staff.  Especially Ian Snell and Jeff Karstens. NH alluded to the fact that

  Donnie Veal pitched Friday night against the Astros for the first time in three weeks.  It will be a few weeks at least until we see  the big left hander in the black and gold as the Pirates have placed him on the disabled list. Neil Huntington mentioned possible call-ups but wouldn’t give a name, he noted Bootcheck, Bautista, or Jackson. Veal can spend up to 30 days rehabbing his injury in the minors.  This is a major break for the Bucs, allowing us to have a reliever in the bullpen that can be used during the very tough upcoming schedule stretch.  Veal [...]

Thanks to BrooksBaseball, just look how well Karstens mixed speeds last night in the graph below A Journalism student at Duquesne University, David Golebiewski is a contributing writer for Rotographs, ESPN Inside Edge, Rotoworld and Driveline Mechanics. Duke has a regal start is a great article on the success Zach Duke has had this season and the defense behind him that is the key for the pitch to contact lefthander.  [FanGraphs] All the highlights from last night and the pitching matchup for today  [Pirates.com] I am looking ahead at the Mets and found the NYTimes blog.  It has some great stories [...]

So how about those trades last year?  Jeff Karstens and 3BAndy LaRoche stole the show last night.  LaRoche is in the top ten in Line Drive Percentage.  In other words, he is raking the ball with the best of them.  Even with that tweaky back.  Karstens seems happy to have Tom Gorzelanny around, doesn’t he?  He is pitching very well.  His off speed stuff tonight was sick and he mixed speeds well throughout the night.  His preparation was obvious from the outset.  Karstens fired his four seam fastball on average about 89 mph and mixed in his curveball that averaged [...]

The Houston Astros snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory at PNC Park tonight.  The Astros were led by rookie Edwin Maysonet, who went 4-for-4 and had four RBI with his first major league extra-base hits, two doubles and a homer.  The guy who hit 250 and change in the seven years he spent in the minors, had a coming out party tonight.  All of his offense came from his eight spot in the batting order.  Baffling?  Ahhh, that’s nothing. Brian Moehler, who has been awful this year, was spectacular.  He pitched his first complete game since 2000.  The 37-year old Moehler [...]

I am shocked.  June 4th is the next start?  So….next Thursday against Atlanta the Big Z can take the mound.  Ok.  What is happening in MLB?  Just feel free to lose it and it’s ok?  Six games and a three thousand dollar fine?  Your kidding right?  [ESPN] The home plate umpire initiated the contact?  What tape did you watch?  I saw Umpire Carlson simply make a call.  A call that was correct no matter how may times you look at it and stand his ground.  I consider initiating contact going after a player.  Carlson moved….perhaps six feet during the altercation.   [...]

After tagging Nyjer Morgan with what the ump thought was a late tag, Carlos Zambrano let him have it with a verbal assault followed with a bump which got him thrown out of the game.  At the time, the play tied the game at two. And then Zambrano came back for more and tossed the ump before Sweet Lou Pinella, who took his sweet time coming to the plate, could save his ace. He will certainly miss some time after this incident.   [MLB] Thank you Carlos.  Thank you Lou.  [video not so great] Jesse Chavez and Sean Burnett poured gasoline [...]

Freddy Sanchez kept rolling with his seventh straight hit in the first inning off Cubs starter Sean Marshall.  Unfortunately, he was stranded by Nate and Monroe as Marshall showed command of his curveball and slider.  It was a sign of things to come as the Pirates could only score one run before the rain delayed the game with the score 6-1 in favor of the Cubs.  The game was called an hour or so later, much to the delight of the Cubbie fans who saw their losing streak snapped. After retiring the first two batters, Pirates starter Ian Snell left [...]

Go to about 2:21  to avoid listening to the four letter sports announcers and watch Mr. T sporting the red, white and blue like few people can… *Enter Matt Capps has nothing broken, fractured, or crushed.  The bullrider will have a bruise for a while, but his ‘negative’ xray is really positive news for the Pirates.  It was a wild game.  Freddy Sanchez goes 6-for-6, Matt Capps gets smashed with a Geovanny Soto liner on the bone near his elbow that caused him to miss several games earlier this month, even Mr. T couldn’t help the Cubs.  A few things we found [...]

LaRoche threw batting practice yesterday.  Jack Wilson raves about it here….  [Trib] Harvey Haddix.  What a game he pitched 50 years ago.  [PG] And the [Trib version]How cool is it that the Braves admitted to stealing the signs off Smokey? Thanks to Bucsfancents80 for this article on MLB attendance  [bizofbaseball] Dave LaRoche is one proud father.  [Las Vegas Review Journal]