Justin Culver's Pittsburgh Pirates Fan Profile

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Double Digits posted on 09/24/2008

In what has been another disappointing season for the Buccos, our one shining light in terms of pitching is making his final appearance of the year against the Brewers this evening.

Paul Maholm has put together the kind of year that the Pirates expected of all 4 of their young starters. He has posted so many quality games that it boggles the mind that the Pirates have only given him 9 wins. He has allowed fewer than 3 runs in 9 no decisions. If the Pirates win those 9 games, Maholm is an 18 game winner and the Pirates aren't in dead last in the NL Central.

The culprit in many of these failings has been the bullpen, which has failed to hold leads in many of Paul's starts. However, the offense can also be given some of the blame, as they routinely fail to score more than 4 runs in Maholm's starts.

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Enjoy the Silence posted on 09/22/2008

Roughly 20,000 fans attended the Pirates home season finale yesterday afternoon. And about the only thing worth noting of that game was the fact that Jack Wilson played in what is most likely his final game as a Pirate, knocking a pinch hit single to left in his only plate appearance. His plate appearance raised up what had been a relatively silent crowd into an uproar as he approached the plate and got his single. After that, the place was practically dead, as have been most Pirates home games this season.

It was stated in an article by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that the Pirates average attendance was just a hair over 20k perr date this season, the lowest it's been in the 8 year existance of PNC Park. If the Pirates want to put butts in the seats, than they have to give us more than this.

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Take a walk posted on 09/20/2008

Despite the fact that I have not blogged in a few days, it does not mean I have given up on the idea of writing about my pathetic Buccos. With plenty of work to keep me busy, it's been difficult to find the time to make it here every day. But I promise I will make a better effort these last ten games of the season. With that said, lets take a walk down memory lane and look at what's been plaguing the Pirates the past few days.

And walking is exactly that. The Pirates have been issuing free passes the past few days at an alarming rate. By allowing 19 walks their last 21 innings. If you want to find a reason the Pirates have lost those two games, look no further than that. By issuing such rediculous amounts of walks, the Pirates are running up the pitch counts of their starters, limiting their effectiveness. They are also stressing out an overworked bullpen, forcing them to throw more innings than they should ever have to. 

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Way to defend your man, Russell posted on 09/16/2008

During the second inning of the Pirates-Dodgers game this evening, the first base umpire ruled that Derek Lowe was safe on a sacrifice bunt attempt. The play went like so...

Lowe bunted the ball to the third base side of the mound. The ball was fielded by tonight's starter, Jeff Karstens, and thrown to first base where it skipped into and out of the glove of Freddy Sanchez. Sanchez, upon realizing that he dropped the ball, picked it up, roughly 2 steps before Lowe crossed the first base bag. Lowe was ruled safe and an error was given to Karstens. 

Due to this lack of an out, the Dodgers were able to score 3 runs and stake themselves out to an early 4-0 lead.

What I fail to grasp is why John Russell did not go out and argue the call at all. His players were left perplexed at the situation and more runs were scored to put the Pirates in a hole early on, something that usually dooms them to failure. This lack of managerial support puzzles me. Even if it accomplishes nothing, you need to defend your men. You cannot allow an umpire to take control of the situation like that. He needs to step out, raise some hell, and give his team the confidence it needs to get through the inning.

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Locked up posted on 09/14/2008

As I went through the Pirates roster to determine possible changes in the starting lineup, I came to realize that in terms of the starting 8 are concerned, not as many positions are up in the air as I thought. I have covered left and right field and third base as areas of change. However, it is also worth noting the players that have performed up to snuff this season that have, for all intents and purposes, earned a starting position in next season's lineup.

At first base will return Adam LaRoche. This despite the fact that he will again get a raise through arbitration, putting his salary in the 6 million per year range, making him one of the highest paid players on the Pirates in 2009. However, do not be surprised if the Pirates are less tolerant of his slow starts than in previous seasons. If he struggles in April and May, look for Steve Pearce to get some work in at the position.

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