Of course the Pirates gave up a big lead against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. On a grand slam, no less. On their way to their eighth straight loss. I’ve run out of words to describe the horrible play by the Pirates, who are now 4-24 since the All Star break. Imagine that, four wins in twenty-eight games. This team is a disaster, from top to bottom. Memo to Pirates’ management: The ship is sinking!
• It’s time to blow up the whole Pirates operation. As much as fans would love to see owner Bob Nutting go, he’s not going anywhere. He’s not going to sell the team, and Major League Baseball isn’t going to make him sell the club. Nutting can make changes in the organization. I believe it’s time for GM Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle to go. They’re both good baseball men and also really good guys, but they need to go for everyone’s sake. I doubt Nutting will let them go, because he’s loyal to both, plus he would also have to pay them for a few more years. For the sake of the Pirates, Nutting needs to make changes, and replacing these two guys is a good first step.
• A new general manager and field manager might help turn the Pirates around, but unless Nutting is willing to spend the money the Pirates will remain an also-ran. It all comes down to talent, and the Pirates just don’t have a ton of it. Expecting Nutting to open his wallet to acquire free agent talent is a pipe dream. It’s not going to happen. So, even if the Pirates make changes, don’t expect this team to suddenly become a contender.
• It was nice to see Josh Bell break out of his slump over the weekend. Guess the three days off really helped him. Bell had a pair of doubles his first game back, and blasted two homers in the series finale in St. Louis. I don’t think Josh Bell is as good as he was when he was tearing up the National League early in the season. Nor do I think he’s anywhere near as bad as he was when he couldn’t buy an extra base hit. Hopefully the slump is behind him. Because when Josh Bell doesn’t hit, the Pirates don’t have a great chance to win.
• I was shocked to read the news Sunday morning that Steelers wide receiver coach Darryl Drake had passed away that morning. My condolences to his family and the entire Steeler family. Drake was really well liked and respected around the NFL. His passing also leaves a major void in the Steelers’ coaching staff. I wonder if the team might reach out to Hines Ward, who helped coach during training camp in the past. He would be a logical choice. Whoever replaces Darryl Drake will have some big shoes to fill.
