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Thread: Random Offseason Pirates News

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    Team Leader Witlon's Avatar
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    Random Offseason Pirates News

    Instead of cluttering the board, all offseason news should go here.

    This includes manager stuff, trades and free agent signings/rumors.

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    I'm Matt Lienhart? go_bucs2000's Avatar
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    Pirates set to interview Jim Tracy and Kent Macha also a choice what do you think with these two or go with the former Jimmy Leyland?..me personal would like Tracy

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    Team Leader Witlon's Avatar
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    Leyland signed with Detroit yesterday, he's gone. I like Tracy better, personally, and I think he'd be cheaper than Macha. I'd love to see Alan Trammel looked at for the job as well, even though he probably won't.

    A link...http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns

    PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Former Oakland manager Ken Macha flew back to his home in suburban Pittsburgh on Thursday after parting ways with the Athletics, and one of his first offseason stops apparently will be a familiar location: the ballpark.

    Macha, whose teams won 275 games the last three seasons despite one of the league's smallest payrolls, is expected to meet in the next couple of days with Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield, most likely at PNC Park.

    Littlefield said Thursday he also expects to schedule a face-to-face meeting quickly with former Dodgers manager Jim Tracy, who was the clear front-runner for the Pirates' job until Macha unexpectedly entered the picture.


    As late as last weekend, it appeared Macha was ready to return to Oakland after being offered a three-year contract extension. But he and the team couldn't reach financial terms -- Macha reportedly wanted $1.5 million a year -- and the A's decided to pursue another manager.

    Macha said in a conference call Wednesday that the Pirates' job is attractive not just because he is a former Pirates player and lives in Murrysville, Pa., but because he is comfortable managing a team with mostly young players. The Pirates' lineup during the final six weeks of the season routinely included three to four rookies.

    ``It seems like a good fit,'' Macha said.

    Whether the finances are could be a different matter. If Macha wants the same money he supposedly did with Oakland, it may be too high a price for the Pirates -- former manager Lloyd McClendon made only about half that.

    And, while Macha badly wanted the Pirates' job when McClendon got it in 2000, he could decide he's not willing to take a big pay cut even to manage at home, especially with the Devil Rays, Marlins and Dodgers also seeking a manager.

    ``That's one of the factors that goes into any decision,'' Littlefield said Thursday of the financial aspect.

    Littlefield spoke Thursday with Alan Nero, Macha's agent, and planned to talk to Macha once he got to town, either late Thursday night or Friday morning.

    What isn't known is if Macha left the Athletics in part because he wanted to pursue the Pirates' job and couldn't do so while under contract to the Athletics. It has been rumored in baseball circles for several weeks that Macha was very interested in the Pirates, for whom he played in 1974 and again in 1977-78.

    Tracy and Littlefield, who worked together with the Expos during the 1990s, talked by phone for two hours earlier this week, and an in-person meeting could be set up by this weekend. With so many teams looking for a manager, Littlefield said there is a sense of urgency to get something done ``sooner rather than later.''

    ``We have talked to a lot of people in the industry to gather information,'' Littlefield said. ``A lot of people are calling and are interested. ... It's good to see there are so many (good) people out there, a nice, experienced group of guys and up-and-comers like Fredi Gonzalez.''

    Gonzalez, a Braves coach, interviewed with Littlefield on Monday in Atlanta.

    Macha, 55, had a 275-211 record with the Athletics after succeeding another Pittsburgh-area native, Art Howe, as manager. His team won the AL West in 2003 and was second the last two seasons, making a run for the postseason despite a dismal start. The Athletics had a 2-0 lead over the Red Sox in a 2003 playoff series, only to drop the final three games and the series.

    Macha graduated from Gateway High School and has a civil engineering degree from Pitt.

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    I'm Matt Lienhart? go_bucs2000's Avatar
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    nice article thanks wilton, this manager slot seems to have theouse two now but with Macha wanting this job for years he looks to lead but then you look at Littlefield and Tracy worked together before so this will be very intresting what thae Pirates do....I wish that old Mets manager I forget his name he was the one who put the fake mustache on and went into the dugout after being kicked out of the game

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    Team Leader Witlon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by go_bucs2000
    nice article thanks wilton, this manager slot seems to have theouse two now but with Macha wanting this job for years he looks to lead but then you look at Littlefield and Tracy worked together before so this will be very intresting what thae Pirates do....I wish that old Mets manager I forget his name he was the one who put the fake mustache on and went into the dugout after being kicked out of the game
    I'm pretty sure Bobby V is still managing in Japan, but he'd be welcomed as well. I'm really glad they're not going with an unknown.

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    I'm Matt Lienhart? go_bucs2000's Avatar
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    thanks for the name Wilton it was o the tip of my tounge....yeah just happy to know we are trying to get somebody who will try and get us out of the loseing seasons

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Witlon
    I'd love to see Alan Trammel looked at for the job as well, even though he probably won't.

    Trammel is a good guy, but I don't think he'd be succesful as manager right now. He should step back accept a coaching position on his staff and build his reputation back up as it once was when he was a position coach on the SD Padres before the Tigers tenure.

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    Congrats on signing the Pirates only 10 game winner Dave Williams to a one year deal worth $1.4 million plus incentives. He avoided arbitration by signing the deal.

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    Hero ball. Kingdom's Avatar
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    Adam LaRoche Sucks Friday133's Avatar
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    who cares about mesa. best $500K we ever spent.

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    Hero ball. Kingdom's Avatar
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    Spending 500k on new urinals would have been more beneficial to Pittsburgh.
    Marshall: MILSWANCAs?
    Ted
    : Wait, I can get this. Mothers I'd like to sleep with and never call again.
    Barney: Circle gets the square!

    The 2074 MSL NL Gold Glove Recipient at Third Base.

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    Team Leader Witlon's Avatar
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    You know, maybe Mesa will come back cheaper. He's probably not going to get a closer's job, so maybe he'll come back as a setup guy.

    I doubt it though.

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    Adam LaRoche Sucks Friday133's Avatar
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    i think its better that mesa is gone. we need to move on with the younger talent.

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    Team Leader Witlon's Avatar
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    From Rotoworld.com...

    Pirates announced LHP Mark Redman exercised his $4.5 million player option to remain with the club in 2006.
    The Pirates revealed at the same time that they had declined their $4.9 million club option. Redman seemed well on his way to earning a multiyear deal when he started off with a 2.80 ERA in his first 14 starts. He went on to lose 11 of his final 12 decisions and finish with a 4.90 ERA. The Pirates will likely put him back in their rotation to start next year, but they'll be very open to trading him if anyone is interested.

    --------------

    Ugh. He'll probably slot third again next year behind Duke and Perez. I was hoping he wouldn't come back, but of course, he's not getting anything elsewhere....

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    Yeah Redman was great til he starting choking when the trade talks started. Redman might so some good. Damn player's options!

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