Team relief stats are very deceiving.The starters averaged almost 7 full innings per game. They had 27 complete games. The leverage stat was high because the starting pitchers were eating up all the typical low leverage innings that the middle pen would normally get. Good starting pitching will bring all the bullpen stats up too. The Bucs rotation that year was terrific but the pen still had blah blah stats. Yes they were a putrid hitting team. But it was mostly a lousy bullpen that caused them to be 12 games under .500 in one run games.

THIS -

Pirates have a solid staff from 1-6 -- not many teams go that deep. It will keep us competitive all year, if the staff stays healthy.

This is why I love what Huntington has done -- He's re-building the franchise based on solid pitching -- thru his trades and thru the draft.

This entire staff is now all "his"

Burnett, Bedard, KCore are his signings. JMac acquired for Dotel; Morton for McLouth. This is the first year of an "all-Huntington" pitching staff, and I like it. Hanrahan and the relievers are also his too (can't remember when we got Meek).

And his young draft picked pitchers -- Taillon, Heredia, Cole, Allie, and others -- are exciting prospects too.

This franchise is turning around, but lots of people still don't realize it. They won't know it until after we win a division. But some of us will have been clued in well before that happens.

It's sort of like investing in stocks when the market bottoms and begins to turn around. Most folks don't recognize the "turn" -- they don't go in until the market is beginning to reach the top. That's why most amateur investors lose money -- They can't recognize the beginning elements of a turnaround until it's already occurred and come to fruition.

Last year, this team was in first place, in the BEST DIVISION IN BASEBALL, until late July.

I think they "proved something" already.

And the team this year is much much better than last year. The record will show it too, if they stay healthy.

Exactly why I'm waiting until at least late April like Jack says to pass judgement. Jeemie can piss and moan all he wants. It's what he's good at.

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We're on opposite sides of the fence but I totally see what you are saying and hell, the history of the past 19 years shows that anything other than your position is fanciful dreaming. I think the lineup has the potential to score runs, but key pieces have to pick it up. Pedro showed a little, but he needs to keep that up. Absolutely need your leadoff man to get on base and right now, Tabata hasn't done it at all. He has shown he can in the past, so I'm still ok with that, but if not soon, then I move Elvis up into that role. He's producing. I play Casey every chance I get. Other than that, yeah, it's a so-so lineup. Could use a little infusion, but too late for that, unless we stay competitive until the trading portion of the season.

I believe we're going to prove something, building on last season. Let's GO!

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Playing football was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If I could go out today and suit up, I would do it.--Jack Butler

Glass half full, half empty.

We started last year this way also, though I think our pitching, so far, at least SP, is showing even a little better than this early last season. We found it tough to score runs last year even when we were leading or in contention for the division. When the starting pitching fell apart late in the season, we all know what happened.

I look at this way. It's a 19 losing season team. It's still a mostly very young team, with a few vets sprinkled in. I believe they are going to grow into it, and the only way to do it is to keep grinding and keep that grinding going for 162 games, not 90. That's something I hope the young players who were on our team last year remember as they prepare each day for the grind that is major league baseball.

We have nothing to lose and nowhere to go but up. Yeah, we could get worse, but that isn't going to happen unless we're struck with a huge rash of injuries. I'm optimistic about this team. If we aren't getting blown out by teams who could very well do so, I'm pretty happy and at some point, hanging in there, good things can happen. Now, if the fucking Brewers or some other team get hot over a long stretch early, unlike last season, we definitely could be in trouble as far as hopes for contention...but it's too early to know or tell any of that now. Let's just take it a day at a time, try like hell to win each game, battle, claw and let the chips fall.

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Playing football was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If I could go out today and suit up, I would do it.--Jack Butler

Oh im not throwing in the towel already, i just want to see the bats produce some runs to go with the what it looks like solid pitching.

I remember that team too - outstanding starting staff - outstanding! Doug Frobel fucked them that year big time.

Jason Thompson and Dale Berra didn't do them much good either lol. Lee Lacy was their best bat that season.

playing against yet another high quality pitcher in Billingsley --

some nice surprises with the bat so far thru 4 innings -- Barmes home run, GJones is 2 for 2

Bedard again shutting down the dodgers -- our starting pitching has been phenomenal -- 5 games in a row -- I hope Bedard can keep it up tonite and that our O puts at least another 2 runs on the board -- that might be all we need to win it