Talkin' Baseball: Struggling Pirates, Regression, & The AL Wild Card

49er16: How about my Pirates? They've lost 4 straight since winning their 81st game and were smoked over the weekend by the Cardinals. They'll still make the playoffs as a wild card, but man are they regressing hard the past 6 weeks.

The Colonel: Well good for them then to regress late in the season instead of July or early August. I think they can beat the Reds in a 1-game playoff but they'll lose to either the Braves or Dodgers in the NLDS. It's just an accomplishment for them to have a winning season.

49er16: Should have known AJ Burnett and Jeff Locke would regress but I never thought it would be this badly. Maybe next year they fall off the wagon but not in the middle of the season.


The Colonel: The thing about regression is that it's going to happen but you're never quite sure when. You can clearly see a player out performing his peripherals and you just know that it won't last. Now there are outliers, Ryan Vogelsong and others, but most of the time these guys regress. It's the when part no one is sure of.

49er16: Fuck I hate regression. It's just the worst right up there with AIDS and venereal diseases.

The Colonel: The American League Wild Card is fascinating to me. It's as if no one wants to win that 2nd wild card. The Rays are fading but are still up 2 games for the last spot. The Yanks shat the bed against the Red Sox. The Orioles took 3 out of 4 against Chicago but still feels like they're stuck in mud. And the Indians are still way to inconsistent for me. Anyone going to win that 2nd wild card?

49er16: If I had to put money on it, I would still bet on the Rays. I don't like the Yankees, Orioles, or Indians. You can find faults with all three of those teams.

The Colonel: The Yankees pitching right now is a big fault. Everything about their pitching from the starters to relievers are full of fail right now. I actually cringe whenever Girardi goes to the pen because I know something bad is going to happen.

49er16: Speaking of cringing, did you see the AL Central standings? (I know, I know you don't want to talk AL Central) but the Tigers are starting to fade. They've lost 2 in a row to Kansas City and are now only 5.5 games ahead of Cleveland. Hell the Indians would have a better chance at the AL Central.

The Colonel: The problem with the Indians has been their inconsistency. This is the 3rd year in a row their middle infielders have faded badly in the 2nd half of the season. Their pitching looks like it's a mess without Masterson. They're not doing anything this season. Another year without a championship for Cleveland.

49er16: Point well received.

The Colonel: What games are we watching this weekend? I'll definitely be checking out the Yankees-Orioles, Indians-Royals, Boston-Tampa Bay, and Pittsburgh-Texas. Speaking of that last matchup, how much are the Pirates cursing Interleague this week?

49er16: I'm sure it's a lot. They're trying to make the playoffs and now they have to travel to Texas to play another team trying to make the playoffs. "Hey thanks a lot MLB! We fucking love Interleague!"

The Colonel: Should have known that eventually the Interleague would come back to bite one team on the ass. That team could be the Pirates or Rangers! What a fucked up system.

49er16: "Well hey, sorry guys."

The Colonel: "There's always next year, Pirates."

49er16: Have a good week, folks.