Author Archives: Tim Williams
First Pitch: Starling Marte Needs Time
Starling Marte had a big night at the plate tonight, going 3-for-4 with a homer and a triple, falling a double short of a cycle. Every time I mention a… Read more
First Pitch: A Good Shortstop is Extremely Hard to Find
Earlier today a rumor came out that the Chicago Cubs were shopping everyone on their roster, with the exception of Jeff Samardzija. That immediately led to every Pirates fan (and… Read more
First Pitch: Is It Time For Cole to Move Up?
On Tuesday, Gerrit Cole had his latest strong start, giving up one earned run in six innings, with four strikeouts and two walks. One the season Cole has a 2.47 ERA… Read more
First Pitch: The Case For Jeff Clement Over Casey McGehee
Jeff Clement hit his fourth homer in his last four games tonight, and is now hitting for a .280/.372/.537 line in 82 at-bats in the month of May, with all… Read more
First Pitch: Time For Alex Presley to Return?
Alex Presley hit his second homer in as many nights tonight, and his third in his last seven games. In his last ten games he is hitting for a .306/.395/.750 line… Read more
First Pitch: Rosenthal’s Article and Another Call to Trade Relievers
Earlier tonight, Ken Rosenthal wrote about the Pirates’ need for hitting, and their pitching depth. To read what he had to say, click here. I noticed a ton of talk… Read more
First Pitch: Roster Decisions on the Horizon
The Pittsburgh Pirates will have some interesting roster decisions to make next week. Two minor league players have out-clauses, allowing them to escape from their contracts on June 1st if… Read more
First Pitch: Matt Hague Could Upgrade Two Spots
The last time Matt Hague was up, he didn’t get much playing time. The club was focused on the platoon between Garrett Jones and Casey McGehee at first base, limiting… Read more
First Pitch: The Pirates Have Plenty of Closing Depth to Spare For Offense
I’ve talked about the value that relief pitching can bring in trades so many times that I don’t think I need to go through the details again. To sum it… Read more
First Pitch: My Long Rant on System Ratings, the System’s Lack of Offense, and Pitching Depth
Earlier today, Bob Smizik had an article about how he felt the Pirates’ minor league system was weak in talent, taking exception to Keith Law’s pre-season ranking that had the… Read more