Can the Pittsburgh Pirates Get Things Going Again in 2010
http://www.evensports.com/articles/5501/1/Can-the-Pittsburgh-Pirates-Get-Things-Going-Again-in-2010/Page1.html
Jason Andre
By Jason Andre, sponsored by GameStub.com. http://GameStub.com sells Milwaukee Brewers Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and more to just about any event in the world. By Jason Andre
Published on 03/5/2010
It has been a long time since Pittsburgh Pirates fans have had something to root for 2009 saw a season where they finished far below
It has been a long time since Pittsburgh Pirates fans have had something to root for. 2009 saw a season where they finished far below .500, blew late inning leads and failed to get people in when they were in scoring position. Fans had every reason to be concerned coming into 2010 and there may be just enough to put a little hope out there for them this year.
Going 62-99 during the regular season is nothing to proud of and the Pirates are very well aware of this. The shame of it all is that they have some talent on the team, it is just a matter of the players coming together, getting some maturity and finally producing in the way that they had for their other teams and in the minors. Some of the moves that the Pirates have made should address these concerns.
The biggest signing of the off-season for the Pittsburgh Pirates has to be the signing of Octavio Dotel for the closers role. The bullpen has been a major issue over the years for Pittsburgh and getting a closer of this caliber should address this problem. While he has suffered through some tough times, the one year that Dotel served as the full-time closer he notched 36 saves and had an ERA of 3.69. His 2009 campaign was impressive with the White Sox and if brings that momentum with him, it is definitely a ray of sunlight for the Pirates.
The starting rotation is going to once again be led by Pat Maholm. He has had an up and down career and while 2009 was not spectacular, it was hardly awful. Maholm is eating innings; it is just a matter of avoiding those big innings and giving the team a chance to win. While that does seem to be stating the obvious, the truth is that this young pitcher has the stuff if he can get focused.
Further down in the rotation is the every growing mystery of Zach Duke. The 2005 Wonderkid had slipped into oblivion the last few years, but 2009 showed some positive signs. He had a career high 11 wins and a respectable 4.06 ERA. When healthy, he can be counted on to go deep into a ballgame, but if the Pirates are going to be successful, they need him to build on last season and for the first time in his career, continue to show progression.
If the offense is going to get on track this season, it is all going to have to start with Andrew McCuthen. He is one of many of the young stars of this team and has the potential to steal close to 50 bases as an everyday starter. This is a sharp looking ballplayer who can set the tone every single day for this team. Their offensive success will ride on his shoulders.
The Pirates are sporting one of the youngest teams in baseball, but that is not necessarily a bad thing for fans. Young players may make some mistakes, but they also make for some very exciting games. They also don't know when they are supposed to lose and that can create some interesting matchups during the season. While it may not be realistic to expect them to battle for a division title this year, the games should be exciting and can lay the ground work for success in future seasons.
Going 62-99 during the regular season is nothing to proud of and the Pirates are very well aware of this. The shame of it all is that they have some talent on the team, it is just a matter of the players coming together, getting some maturity and finally producing in the way that they had for their other teams and in the minors. Some of the moves that the Pirates have made should address these concerns.
The biggest signing of the off-season for the Pittsburgh Pirates has to be the signing of Octavio Dotel for the closers role. The bullpen has been a major issue over the years for Pittsburgh and getting a closer of this caliber should address this problem. While he has suffered through some tough times, the one year that Dotel served as the full-time closer he notched 36 saves and had an ERA of 3.69. His 2009 campaign was impressive with the White Sox and if brings that momentum with him, it is definitely a ray of sunlight for the Pirates.
The starting rotation is going to once again be led by Pat Maholm. He has had an up and down career and while 2009 was not spectacular, it was hardly awful. Maholm is eating innings; it is just a matter of avoiding those big innings and giving the team a chance to win. While that does seem to be stating the obvious, the truth is that this young pitcher has the stuff if he can get focused.
Further down in the rotation is the every growing mystery of Zach Duke. The 2005 Wonderkid had slipped into oblivion the last few years, but 2009 showed some positive signs. He had a career high 11 wins and a respectable 4.06 ERA. When healthy, he can be counted on to go deep into a ballgame, but if the Pirates are going to be successful, they need him to build on last season and for the first time in his career, continue to show progression.
If the offense is going to get on track this season, it is all going to have to start with Andrew McCuthen. He is one of many of the young stars of this team and has the potential to steal close to 50 bases as an everyday starter. This is a sharp looking ballplayer who can set the tone every single day for this team. Their offensive success will ride on his shoulders.
The Pirates are sporting one of the youngest teams in baseball, but that is not necessarily a bad thing for fans. Young players may make some mistakes, but they also make for some very exciting games. They also don't know when they are supposed to lose and that can create some interesting matchups during the season. While it may not be realistic to expect them to battle for a division title this year, the games should be exciting and can lay the ground work for success in future seasons.