OnlyBucs

Javy is one prognisticating genius. He predicted the end of May when this thread was started last season, not too shabby!

Surgnbuck wrote: ↑Fri May 09, 2025 6:58 pm Javy is one prognisticating genius. He predicted the end of May when this thread was started last season, not too shabby!

I think Javy has a direct line to Cherington.

Wildwoodcoach wrote: ↑Fri May 09, 2025 7:26 pm

Surgnbuck wrote: ↑Fri May 09, 2025 6:58 pm Javy is one prognisticating genius. He predicted the end of May when this thread was started last season, not too shabby!

I think Javy has a direct line to Cherington.

I think "Javy" is a nickname for "Jesus".

Maybe it is me, but I never felt that Shelton was the long term answer for the Pirates manager. He seemed like the guy who held the job until someone better came along. Leyland, Hurdle,Tanner, Murtaugh and even Gene Lamont felt like they belonged as Pirates managers. Shelton never gave me that feeling of belonging to the Pirates. To me it is difficult to explain, but I always felt that he was not the man to take the Pirates to the postseason. It is only one game, but there is a different vibe with Don Kelly. Who knows we may lose the next six out of seven, but the team appears different with Kelly in charge.

fjk090852-7 wrote: ↑Sat May 10, 2025 4:20 pm Maybe it is me, but I never felt that Shelton was the long term answer for the Pirates manager. He seemed like the guy who held the job until someone better came along. Leyland, Hurdle,Tanner, Murtaugh and even Gene Lamont felt like they belonged as Pirates managers. Shelton never gave me that feeling of belonging to the Pirates. To me it is difficult to explain, but I always felt that he was not the man to take the Pirates to the postseason. It is only one game, but there is a different vibe with Don Kelly. Who knows we may lose the next six out of seven, but the team appears different with Kelly in charge.

Shelton got off to a terrible start, which made him appear inadequate. He began by losing 17 of his first 21 games when he got the job in 2020. A few weeks later he lost 13 of 14. They finished that season as the worst team in MLB. Then the 4th worst in 2021. Third worst in 2022. They won 76 games in 2023 but couldn't improve on that in 2024. Every season was marked by constant lineup and position shuffling and excessive rest days for players, particularly after they had a good game. From Day One, it seemed the Cherington/Shelton regime was all about demonstrating that they were smarter than everyone else by employing tactics which appeared counterproductive to the average fan. But they steadfastly stuck to their methods, convinced that they were going to be proven right in the long run, no matter how long that took.

As a result I, too, never felt Shelton had the means to become a successful manager. It seemed more like he was putting on a daily demonstration of new tactics, theories, analytics. We fans just couldn't grasp why a dominating Jones was pulled last year at 59 pitches, leading to a bullpen meltdown. Or why some lineups excluded anyone who had been hitting. Or why batting orders and positions had to change daily. Or why a .132-hitting Canario was batting 5th. It was as if Shelton thought he was too smart for us and couldn't begin to explain theories the rest of us wouldn't understand. And everything he did failed. So instead of seeming to be a strong manager, he seemed more like someone who had the job only until someone better came along.

I hope there's a different vibe with Kelly. Results matter. I think the players were tired of Shelton's failing ways. When Skenes was asked to comment on Shelton's firing, he said, "I'm not surprised." Maybe that's why so many players had become lackadaisical with base running, fielding and just looking at strike 3s. I couldn't blame them if they felt the game was lost before it even began. I think Kelly will bring an energy that was missing. Maybe some enthusiasm. But that won't last if he manages like Shelton.