Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 1:41AM |  44°
MENU
Advertisement
Clay Holmes didn't make it out of the third inning of his start against the Giants.
1
MORE

Paul Zeise: The Pirates front office looks foolish — yet again

AP

Paul Zeise: The Pirates front office looks foolish — yet again

The Pirates are within striking distance of a wild-card berth with an exciting young pitching staff, and there is a strong chance they will finish the season with a winning record for the fourth time in 25 years.

These are the things fans and media should be talking about; instead, they are talking about biometric data, Clay Holmes and Casey Sadler. The thing is, the Pirates have nobody to blame for the disconnect but themselves, for the same reason as always: They are condescending and truly believe they are smarter than everyone else. They really think they have magical, cutting-edge analytical formulas that nobody else in baseball has, and that anyone who questions them just doesn’t understand.

Biometric data? Give me a damn break.

Advertisement

Look, we get it, the Pirates have young starters who are heading into uncharted waters in terms of MLB innings pitched. Jameson Taillon (134.0) has already reached his career high, and Joe Musgrove (80.0) and Trevor Williams (123.0) are on pace to exceed theirs.

Stephen J. Nesbitt
Tyler Glasnow Q&A: 'I didn't show [the Pirates] what I could do'

The Pirates rightfully wanted to slow those three a bit in order to avoid burning out their young, promising arms. They simply wanted to steal them an extra day of rest, and this won’t be the last time they do it this season, either.

If Neal Huntington and company just said that, most outside of the organization would still not be happy with the decision — but a whole lot more would at least accept it. Most people understand how important it is to avoid overworking young pitchers.

The Pirates couldn’t just say that, though, because that would be logical. That wouldn’t advance the idea that they have some sort of secret formula, or that they are smarter than the rest of us.

Advertisement

Instead, Pirates assistant general manager Kevan Graves took to Neal Huntington’s radio show Sunday on 93.7 The Fan and cited “biometric data” and “anecdotal evidence” as the reason they needed to push the rotation back a day and start Holmes Friday against the Giants. Their studies suggest that pitchers have a tougher time recovering from pitching in Colorado because of the thinner air and higher altitude.

This is the kind of nonsense Huntington and company always run out there to explain moves. Therein lies the problem. They hope it sounds complex enough to blind us from the truth. They hope we are all too dumb to sniff the stuff they are shoveling. Then they wonder why they get hammered every time one of these decisions blows up.

Graves, who echoed Huntington’s words from the week before, explained that this was a well-planned, calculated move.

OK, let’s go with that. If that’s the case, then the Pirates deserve to get destroyed even more. If they “planned this out” for weeks, why didn’t they have a better pitcher available? And why, if they “planned this out” for weeks, did they only have six relievers available? If they knew they were going to have a spot starter, they also knew they were likely to need a full bullpen in case he faltered quickly, right?

Pirates closer Jason Grilli operates a bulldozer as he clears way for baseball fields for his No Offseason organization Monday.
Ben Padanilam
Jason Grilli needed 'a breather' — so, he jumped on a tractor

That’s why the whole thing stinks. That’s why there is no excuse for having to bat Casey Sadler, who may have been worse than Holmes, with two men on in a game they trailed 7-2. Clint Hurdle’s explanation paraphrased was “we didn’t have enough pitchers available and didn’t want to run out of them.”

In other words the Pirates, in another attempt to sound smarter than everyone else, again came off looking foolish. They are either lying about how much planning went into this decision, or their planning was extremely poor.

Most importantly, the Pirates scored 10 runs in a game and lost because of that blunder. This is a team that cannot afford to give any games away, with very little margin for error.

It was smart of the Pirates to give their starters an extra day. It was dumb to do it without a plan in place that gave them an opportunity to win. It was even dumber to explain it away by citing nonsensical voodoo science.

The front office is generally smart but too often gets full of itself and in turn alienates its fan base. This was definitely one of those times — and doubling down only made it worse.

Paul Zeise: pzeise@post-gazette.com, Twitter: @PaulZeise

Can't get enough of our in-depth Pirates coverage?
Support quality journalism. Subscribe today.

First Published: August 13, 2018, 5:26 p.m.

RELATED
Pittsburgh Pirates' Casey Sadler throws to a Milwaukee Brewers batter during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Milwaukee.
Bill Brink
'I felt ready.' Casey Sadler returns to major league mound more than three years after surgery
Pirates starter Joe Musgrove delivers against the Nationals on July 10.
Bill Brink
Why Joe Musgrove's off days are now just as important as his starts
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
The two Franks worked with pizza legends Chris Bianco and Chad Robertson to perfect their craft.
1
life
A beloved pizzeria is expanding beyond Brooklyn. First stop, Mt. Lebanon.
Students at Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus in Lemont Furnace, walk to class on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
2
news
Penn State to close some commonwealth campuses, President Bendapudi announces
Shoppers walk down Walnut St. near Filbert St. in Shadyside on April 9, 2024. Banana Republic, whose presence in the neighborhood dates back to at least 1995, will end its long run March 31, joining other longtime staples who have left the neighborhood.
3
business
After three decades, Banana Republic in Shadyside to close March 31
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (37) delivers during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Bradenton, Fla.
4
sports
3 takeaways as Pirates suffer 1st loss of spring training to Braves
Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi spoke during a dedication ceremony for the newly renamed Franco Harris Pittsburgh Center at Penn State, located in Uptown on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023.
5
news
Penn State Faculty Senate tables vote of no confidence in President Bendapudi
Clay Holmes didn't make it out of the third inning of his start against the Giants.  (AP)
AP
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story