The magic number is...

[Darkstone42]

Also, I decided to sticky this thread because the Pirates were having too much trouble winning, and I kept losing it as a result.

 

[Illinest]

That last series against the Braves.... Bad feeling about it.

 

[Darkstone42]

That last series against the Braves.... Bad feeling about it.

So do I, but hopefully the Astros and Mets can oblige us with remarkable incompetence and we can get all seven wins before the Reds series...

 

[thedddd]

Are my hopes shattered to the point that now I just hope they finish ahead of the Brewers?!?

 

[grayghost668]

it's almost over

 

[thecrow124]

The one thing I would hate to see is this team finish at .500. Either 82+ wins or 80 or less wins and I would accept it, but not an 81 win season.

 

[magnumo]

The Pirates' results just keep getting worse and worse and worse. Looks like they're NOT going to make either 81 or 82. Given where they were, that's quite an accomplishment.

I had been focused on the 100-game mark..... since that was when the collapse began in 2011. As I have posted more than once, THIS season the Bucs were 16 games over .500 after 100 games, at 58-42. But a second look at the schedule reveals that they actually went 5-5 in the first 10 games after the 100-game mark..... meaning that they REMAINED 16 games over .500 at the 110-game mark, at 63-47.

Since the 110-game mark, they've gone 11-30 (.268)..... giving up 19 games to .500 in just 41 games. That's REALLY hard to do. That pace amounts to a record of 43-119 over an entire season. In my 3rd season of following the Bucs, in 1952, their record was 42-112 (.273) which set the record for the worst 154-game season ever. It's hard to believe that this year's Pirates have been WORSE than that for the past 41 games (over a quarter of the season).

The Pirates need to go 7-4 (.636) in their remaining 11 games to finish at .500..... and 8-3 (.727) to finish with a winning season. No, I'm NOT advocating that this thread be un-stickied. It remains mathematically possible..... but I kinda doubt that any of us are holding our breath at this point.

I'm gonna hang in there until season's end, for no other reason than finishing out the W-L prediction thread..... but in deference to my health and well-being as an old guy, I think I'm gonna take a break from the Pirates after that.

 

[Illinest]

6

My message is too short? Hateful forum regs.

 

[thecrow124]

WTF is Hurdle thinking? We were only up 7 runs and he puts Qualls in the game, he got lucky tonight, but this is not the time in the season to be experimenting with stuff like that. Qualms has a spot on this team and that spot is not on the pitchers mound.

 

[Darkstone42]

As hopeless as I feel...


6

 

[Illinest]

There is one good thing....
We have 4 games against the Mets and none of them are against Dickey.

If these 4 games go poorly then we're in trouble.

 

[sychmd]

WTF is Hurdle thinking? We were only up 7 runs and he puts Qualls in the game, he got lucky tonight, but this is not the time in the season to be experimenting with stuff like that. Qualms has a spot on this team and that spot is not on the pitchers mound.

this is the best line and i was actually thinking this when i saw it happen.
why are we not letting wilson and the other AAA contenders for spots get as many of these opportunities as possible.

seems like qualls has a performance bonus for innings or games and he is splitting it with hurdle to get him to it.

give the morris, vander, wilson, et al some time to get their feet wet, work out the nerves, and get over this hurdle so they are ready to work over the winter to be a real contributor, not just make it, when spring starts.

 

[magnumo]

this is the best line and i was actually thinking this when i saw it happen.
why are we not letting wilson and the other AAA contenders for spots get as many of these opportunities as possible.

seems like qualls has a performance bonus for innings or games and he is splitting it with hurdle to get him to it.

give the morris, vander, wilson, et al some time to get their feet wet, work out the nerves, and get over this hurdle so they are ready to work over the winter to be a real contributor, not just make it, when spring starts.

That bolded phrase in your third paragraph is a pretty good line, too. Pun intended?

At any rate, that's what all those guys need to do.

 

[magnumo]

As hopeless as I feel...


6

Did you miss Illinest's tiny little 6 two posts above yours?

 

[dare2be]

If these 4 games go poorly then we're in trouble.

 

[dare2be]

Are my hopes shattered to the point that now I just hope they finish ahead of the Brewers?!?

Shattered and now pulverized. Next is vaporized, and finally, plasmated. Wait, what?

 

[dare2be]

The one thing I would hate to see is this team finish at .500. Either 82+ wins or 80 or less wins and I would accept it, but not an 81 win season.

I don't think you need to worry.

 

[dare2be]

The only remaining contender for the Bucs now is the .500 mark.

 

[Darkstone42]

5

Apparently I can't just post the number 5.

 

[grayghost668]

at least they won't finish last