DK’s Daily Shot of Pirates: Power of confidence

6 comments

1. Dk?!
   Love your enthusiasm love that you are on the beat ready to go tomorrow NBC or Peacock first pitch here in Arizona where I live at 10:06 AM 1:06 PM New York let’s hope it’s not rained out boy if it gets rained out what do you think of a doubleheader the next day what would the second leg of that double header lineup look likes?! maybe we’d see Jake Mangum starting in right field in game number two?!
   Well, hey, I’m not trying to rain down on anyone’s parade. Let’s hope we have baseball today.!
   I wanted to allude to something you said yesterday on your broadcast about that our Pirates pitching staff ranked seventh overall in all of MLB! Quite an accomplishment and pointing out that if we could’ve won more one run games or liking your words, had an offense that would’ve just blown them out how different things might have been?!
   I was really thinking about that though today and realizing that we are missing three big arms from that 2025 campaign! Mainly Bailey Falter, Austin Healey and Oviedo.
   We did addition by subtraction by getting rid of those guys and made trades and all!
   Now we are hopeful and ready to place all bets down that after Paul Skenes- our Ace- bet the tables on Vegas- and Mitch Keller- yes old Mitch eats innings, but he also gives up about three runs a game. Let’s not forget this so we need an offense that’s gonna score for more runs for him.
   And now here’s where things get somewhat scary?!
   As great as they both were and as much as I like you or anyone else, Emma is just totally confident that they can hold their own?!
   We’re talking basically two rookies- Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft- being the consistent numbers three and four starters for an entire six months campaign, let alone into the playoffs! Although I’m sure if they make it that far, they will be lights out and we will be a forced to be reckoned with!
   But that’s asking a lot right now!
   And then her number five guy, Carmen Mlodzinski- is he really the real deal and I love Carmen again don’t take me for being negative at any of this. I’m just trying to point out some reality last year seventh place finish three of our arms are no longer with us.!
   It’s a lot to ask that we can even duplicate a seventh place finish in top 10 pitching in all of MLB!
   And then as you alluded to in your broadcast last night, blow them out, smash them out forget one run games, etc.
   We only added three possible great bats, and the other six as you pointed out our holdovers and several of them like Reynolds and cruise were in a real funk, and we’re hoping that they will refine their form!
   You quoted run scored home, runs etc. and said we need to be like 15th I think you even mentioned right around where the San Diego Padres finished! Manny Machado and that great offense are we really seriously thinking we’re suddenly now with free agent signings of three decent bats. I wouldn’t say top notch. I’d say decent that we are now with the San Diego Padres in offense.
   As much as I want to believe it and want to be on the bandwagon with everyone, I am sorry, but I simply have to say no!
   “ No” we are not these acquisitions were great, but they aren’t in the league of a Manny Machado! And our pitching staff going with so many younger rookies isn’t going to come anywhere close to duplicating a seventh place finish in all of MLB!
   Here it is the eve of the 2026 season everyone’s held at thinking our Pittsburgh Pirates are going to make at least the playoffs as a wildcard if not win the NL Central some even are buying World Series tickets

   As a lifelong and an especially being objectional here, I’ll give my prediction right now, and it might sour with a great many of our fans- end it won’t be without determination, grit, enthusiasm, and blood, sweat, and tears from the players and everything they give they just simply aren’t get that good enough and they hold too many people like the sixth. You mentioned that aren’t deserving to be in the starting lineup and are a detriment that are an Achilles heel and prevent us from reaching greatness under. Paul Skenes!
   I say 75-87. Fourth place.

2. DK, can you explain what Hoist The Cone means? Thanks

3. Morning DK!! Super job this offseason!! Now we see what it produces!!

4. Only 1 cup of ☕️ in so, could totally be wrong on this… But what I hear in the players responses these past several weeks is confidence yes, not muted, not quiet, not the opposite either of over the top, but somewhere in between… I've heard a determination in their interviews of late, not canned responses, but to be a good team that competes, and of course all teams say that, but it's being said with statements of accountability like we have to do this, or we have to do that… I also hear a desire to be the beat versions of themselves that they can, perform as they believe that they are able to and should based upon their beliefs in themselves and abilities… I also hear often a fondness for each other that presents in little ways, such as constant volunteered appreciation of a fellow teammate's this or that… There's always expected responses from athletes in interviews etc, but from the outside looking in, so far what have heard does give optimism that we may actually have a team that will play hard, play for each other, play for the team, the fans… I have no idea how it'll end, what level of success this year's squad will find, but as with each season's Opening Day, at leaat we have hope… Now where's that cup of ☕️ 😂

5. Ok, Peasants…..Time to put up or SHUT UP….because as we all know, talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words (like the man said here)….Like with 30 plus year old BULL SHIT about a SALARY CAP in Major League Baseball, I have seen this pre season movie before with this organization, only to lead to more perpetual DISGUST every fricken time….2001 & 2003 comes to mind, vividly……..so you will forgive me if I am the usual negative CRANK when it comes to the Pirates….I will refer you to the two writeups in Yesterday's Tribune Review by Fat Boy Madden and Snot Nose Benz…..REALITY people…..Get back to me at the end of May, and we'll see just how this (yet again) preseason hype actually comes true….my guess is (as per usual) it won't ….and if that is that is the case, hopefully we will see the last of Ben CHERRIE-PICKER……BYE NOW!……

6. C'mon Buccos, hit and score, #BeatEmBucs! 🖤💛⚾️🇺🇸