Pirates Humiliated By Their Own Reject!

By The Last Hollywood Star

Don't be persuaded the various suggestions that Pirate starter Daniel McCutchen pitched well in his major league debut yesterday against the Cincinnati Reds in the front end of a double header that the Bucs lost 4-3 and 6-3.

Yesterday, McCutchen continued his minor league career as Reds field a team with six rookies and washed up starter Kip Wells. The team McCutcheon faced was the AAA Louisville Bats wearing Reds uniforms.

In front of 800 people, McCutchen gave up a home run on his second pitch and ended up allowing three earned over the next six innings.

Meanwhile, the other minor league team on the field, the Bucs, managed only two hits off Wells. The Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals and Pirates have cut Wells loose.

Who can blame them? Over the last four years, Wells' ERA has been 5.05, 6.50, 5.70, 6.21. After his stint with the Pirates, Wells' 2009 ERA dropped to 5.85. Nothing beats pitching against the Pirates to get well.

The first game was radio only so, full of hope, I tuned in.

Pirate Manager John Russell's pre-game analysis proved totally incorrect. Russell said that since the Reds had played a 12-inning game Sunday, he expected it to be tired and the bull pen possibly ineffective.

But the ineffective bull pen belonged to the Pirates. Jesse Chavez allowed the game winning run to score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth in the first game.

As for the night cap, Russell misdiagnosed that too. He predicted that since Red starter Johnny Cueto was just returning from the disabled list, he might be rusty. Wrong again! Cueto dominated the Pirates for the five innings he pitched.

For those still interested in the Pirates, I recommend radio only.

First, you won't have to watch the painful display on the field.

Second, you'll be treated to some candor about the Pirates from the announcers, specifically Bob Walk who can barely disguise his frustration (and disgust?).

Throughout the game, Walk laments the Pirates' poor base running, throws that miss the cut off man and a host of other fundamental baseball errors.

Walk's most often heard lament: "Throw strikes!"

Fans are often told that the Pirates are young and will make mistakes.

I don't buy it. If the players haven't yet mastered baseball's most elementary aspects like what base to throw to or getting ahead in the count, they never will.