Hey there everybody, the chronic whiners’ are at it again. The Pirates are in the handbasket headed for hell. Before we send off the Pirates with a lifetime supply of Perrier water, let’s crunch a few numbers.
On May 17, 2014 the won loss record of the Pittsburgh Pirates was 17-24, (7 games below .500). Pittsburgh was 9 games out of first place. Only 1 game over .500 at home (12-11) and were 8 games below .500 performing on the road (5-13).
At that time eventual MLB Al-Star Pirates infielder Josh Harrison was being shuffled like a new deck of cards by a rookie dealer at a Las Vegas blackjack table.
Aside from 2nd baseman Neil Walker, let’s say that the Pirates infield was less than stellar. There was almost total uncertainty when and where the baseball would arrive when fielded by ex-3rd baseman, current 1st baseman. Pedro Alvarez. Those tumultuous times also produced an almost insurmountable mountain of stress for Alvarez to climb that in all probability adversely affected his performance in the batters’ box as well.
The next scenario is even more unlikely. One would never even begin to ponder how an appendectomy would affect the future of a baseball club. On June 9 2014, the Pirates announced that outfielder Gregory Polanco would be called up to the parent club because a roster opening was created with Neil Walker scheduled to undergo an appendectomy. The medical condition concerning Walker almost guaranteed that infielder Josh Harrison was more than likely going to see at least a month of extended playing time anywhere that he was needed.
This scenario was one of the reasons that the Pirates made a run toward the MLB NL Central Division title in 2014. The Pirates ended up just 2 games shy of tying the Cardinals for the NL Central title and lost 8-0 to the SF Giants in the NLWC round.
Let’s zip ahead to May 18, 2015. The current won-loss record for Pittsburgh stood at 18-20 (2 games below .500). They were 7.5 games out of first place instead of 9 games back. They were 9-7 performing at home (2 games over .500) and 9-13 away from the friendly confines of PNC Park, (4 games under .500).
See boys and girls, I predicted way, way before the“bandwagon” arrived at the depot that the Pirates would win the 2015 NL Central Division crown. Although neither, I or anyone with an ounce of truth in them could have predicted or even anticipated the following scenario. On April 25, St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright one of the Pittsburgh Pirates resident nemesis, (aside from the Reds star pitcher Johnny Cueto) suffered an Achilles injury while stumbling out of the batter’s box. Wainwright won 20 game in 2014. With Adam Wainwright indisposed for the remainder of the season that is 20 games less than the Pirates have to worry about.
Also, with the Pirates possessing perhaps the best outfield in MLB, this year instead of crooning the Sister Sledge, Willie “Pops” Stargell theme song “We are Family,” maybe the new theme song should be updated to include the 1970’s McFadden and Whitehead Classic; “Ain’t no stopping us now.”
If the Pirates can sustain a good four man pitching rotation, and a pitcher filling the number 5 slot can win 8-10 games, coupled with the Cardinals loss of Monsieur Wainwright, let’s just say that Pittsburgh should have an easier time of winning the division than in 2014.
I know, I know the Chicago Cubs have some great young talent but they mirror the Pirates when their budding super stars were ultra “green.” The youngsters from the “windy” city have not yet faced the pressures of a playoff run.
If the young Cubs are able to stand up to the pressure, then everyone else in the NL Central Division: St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Cincinnati may have their hands full. However, I cannot based on what I have seen so far in 2015 anticipate the pitching corps of the Cubs both starters and relievers being able to sustain the Cubs for an entire season, especially if Chicago has to endure an extended offensive slump.
Pittsburgh finished the regular season just two games out of 1st place in the NL Central in 2014 and that final record should have had an asterisk of uncertainty beside it because in light of the Pirates lack of continuity in regards to injuries, inexperience as far as personnel was concerned, they should not have even been in contention. However, as far as the 2015 Pittsburgh Pirates are concerned there are a lot more positives than negatives and the Buc’s are just beginning this fight.
(The sources for this article were mlb.com, espn.com, mlbtraderumors.com)
Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412.583.6741
He is also a contributing columnist for urbanmediatoday.com
Fpllow him on Twitter@ultrascribe
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