Thursday, September 3, 2009

Some Pirate thoughts

Ryan Doumit's temper tantrum last week is inexcusable for a team that is in a rebuilding mode. Depending on what you believe, Doumit is unhappy because he either misses his friends, who were traded away in the latest organizational shakeup, or is frustrated from a miserable season. A wrist injury is the culprit for his poor numbers. Doumit was supposed to be one of the leaders on the team. It's looking more like he'll be one of the traded commodities in the rebuilding, especially if he has a strong September.

Speaking of which, I got into a discussion with one of my friends about whether a strong September really means anything. He believes it does; I believes it doesn't matter at all. Suppose the Pirates win their last 10 games of the season, then go on a nearly five-month break before spring training begins. How does that carry over? I don't think it does. Winning the last 10 games of September means that you had a nice winning streak at the end of the season. Period.

The more I watch Charlie Morton pitch, the more I wonder whether he will contribute to the Pirates next season. He just isn't very effective right now. Maybe playing winter ball might help.

If you were looking for some positives about the organizations this year, then consider this: The Pirates now have players in their minor league system who could replace someone who falters with the big league. If, for example, Andy LaRoche falters at third base, Pedro Alvarez or Neil Walker could take his place. In the outfield, Jose Tabata is an option. That, at least, is a sign of improvement.

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