Baseball Thread 5 - #5 George Brett Has a Story to Tell

Hendry took a good team with great chemistry and blew it up to get some left-handed bats. He overreacted, and now he's got some bad contracts that aren't going anywhere for several years. I've really soured on him in just one year. It's too early to pass judgment on this entire season — 3.5 games out in a winnable division and lineup full of All-Stars who are injured and/or slumping and have never been this bad — but Hendry has seemingly had a horrible, horrible year. Imagine if they hadn't had Fox and Hoffpauir to bail them out of some spots this season? Yuck...

I just don't understand why he thought it was a good idea to acquire Aaron Miles and Aaron Heilman. Makes no sense. Didn't then, doesn't now. Bradley? A risk, but I got it then and still get it now. The Aarons, though? Gross.

And don't even fucking get me started on Kevin Gregg.

 

No, please, get started on Kevin Gregg. I'd like to hear it.

 

He's basically the exact same pitcher as Trevor Hoffman ... except he doesn't have 500 saves, a devastating closer's pitch or a clue. But other than that, they're pretty much the same player.

 

But the goggles are fucking sweet, no?

 

We'll just have to agree to disagree. Morton has failed with that stuff a time or two already, but maybe he will pan out. McLouth slumped badly along with the rest of the team when the Pirates unloaded Bay and Nady, then rebounded nicely in September (.309, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 24 runs, nine steals).

This season, he was miscast as a No. 3 hitter and he struggled with a sore hamstring the last few weeks, yet he is still on pace for 25 home runs, 21 steals, 97 RBI and 88 runs scored. He certainly isn't a star. He's a solid major leaguer with a very affordable contract, which should have made him one of the more valuable players on the trade market. The problem is the Pirates didn't bother to find out.

 

Respect the Rec Specs!

 

The Pirates seem to be putting a lot of faith in potential vs. proven success. I think the McLouth trade was good, though they could have gotten more at the deadline for him. But all of the pieces in the trade have great potential, save for maybe Morton, who probably won't improve a whole lot more.

Hernandez is young and fast and though more suited for center could easily play one of the two corner spots. Jeff Locke COULD be very good. Has good enough stuff to be rated No. 7 in the Braves org before the season started. He fell off last year and early this year because he tried to get too cute and pitch around guys. He's pitched to contact more in his time in the Pirates org, and the walks have gone way down. Pretty good curveball. Doesn't have a great fastball, but he really doesn't need one.

This trade is all about potential. IF Milledge lives up to his vast potential, this is a steal. IF he stinks, what did you lose? Nyjer Morgan? A dime-a-dozen major leaguer. I don't understand the reliever swap. Just seems like parts for parts.

 

In the dorkdom of my youth, I wore them. Only thing me and Chris Sabo ever had in common.

 

Of course, I write this and Locke gives up eight runs in three-plus tonight. Yikes.

 

Same here. If you wore glasses and you wanted to play ball, you had to have something. Especially with those damn youth leagues that required face masks on batting helmets.

 

Saunders is getting shelled in Arlington right now. He gave up 2 homers and threw 22 pitches before recording his first out, which was a rope hit right at the leftfielder by Andruw Jones. He just walked Murphy and now there are 2 on.

 

Albert Pujols just launched his 29th of the year.

Wow.

The guy is a beast.