In one corner, Pirate fans demand Neal Huntington spend money:
I get the feeling that we are in for a long season. It seems management isn’t even going to try until the talent in the minors starts to move up into the majors. So why not have a sub-$30 million payroll?
I have an idea. How about trying to set a new record for the lowest payroll in this new baseball era?
The only reason to see this club is the beautiful stadium and Cutch. This is so sad. I really do think they have become irrelevant.
In the other corner, sportswriters looking for easy targets demand Neal Huntington cease spending money:
And yet, perhaps it won’t be Nomar. Perhaps it will be Jermaine Dye or Rocco Baldelli; Melvin Mora or Orlando Cabrera; Carl Pavano or Miguel Olivo. Names be damned, you can be guaranteed that, at some point this offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates, owners of 17-straight losing seasons, 17 remaining season-ticket holders and a 17-percent chance of winning more than 20 games in 2010 will make an inane acquisition. It is all but written.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
