Pirates’ ownership is still as cheap as ever

More and more this baseball season, the Pirates have made me think of a dear friend of mine.

Woody Carroto. Woody was an old poker and golf buddy of mine. And he was an “occasional” drinking partner.

During my 25-year membership in the old Monessen French Club Golf League, I enjoyed lots of great times and Woody was usually in the center of it all.

He had an old adage that he liked to use a lot, especially in tough moments, like when his golf ball was behind a tree, he took a bad beat in a poker hand or when the beer cooler was finally empty.

“It is what it is.” And nobody said that around me more than Woody did.

Why does this baseball season remind me of Woody?

Well, when it comes to the Pirates this season more than most, I find myself shaking my head and saying, “It is what it is.”

I always knew owner Bob Nutting was a cheapskate who hoarded his profits instead of investing in the club. But this season that steadfast greedy loser’s philosophy has come to light even more. The Bucs have, for the better part of 30 years (a lot of which has come under the Nutting ownership), have been fodder for most teams in MLB. Losing 90 or 100 games a season was really nothing new.

The team usually drafted and developed poorly and when it got lucky with some players, they simply were traded off for young prospects as they were about to flourish.

But this season, I thought, was going to be different.

The Pirates drafted budding megastar Paul Skenes and fellow pitcher Jared Jones came out of nowhere to flash many moments of greatness. Add to that, Mitch Keller is having maybe his finest season on the mound.

The only problem was the rest of the team — for the most part — was a typical dumpster fire as good hitting players were far and few between.

But with the kind of pitching this team has been getting pretty much all season, all the Pirates really needed to be a true contender were a couple more solid bats in the lineup.

Or at least one thumper and one to hit for average.

Baseball experts around the league could see it. Heck, even the fans could see it.

But, for some reason, GM Ben Cherington and Nutting haven’t seen it.

The idea of professional sports is to WIN. Maybe the brass didn’t think going into the season this team could win. But when the pitching came around like it did, it became obvious in a short series the Pirates could beat anyone with just a little bit of hitting.

Yet, nothing. As the league trading deadline comes closer, the Pirates haven’t pulled off any deals to bolster one of the worst lineups in all of baseball.

Slowly but surely, the most talented and available bats have been sucked up by other teams who understand the goal is always to win when you can.

But not the Pirates. They keep trotting out lineups that routinely have between three and five guaranteed outs. It’s almost as if their pitchers have talented throwing arms, but the other is always tied behind their back.

In the Arizona series over the weekend, without three of their four best hitters in Bryan Reynolds, Rowdy Tellez and Nick Gonzales, they had a lineup that would have struggled to score against the Washington Wild Things.

Had the Diamondbacks’ hurlers not imploded in the ninth and 10th innings Sunday, the Pirates would have been swept.

How is it that so many of us can see the simple answer to turning the Bucs from also- ran to contender, yet it appears Nutting and Cherington do not? Or they simply refuse to act on it.

Going into the trade deadline, the team is around .500 and finds itself just on the outside of the playoff picture.

And time is running out. However, had the club made a move a month or more ago to acquire a hitter or two, this team could easily be six, eight or 10 games over .500 today. It could be battling for a division pennant.

But as Woody likes to say, “It is what it is.”

The Pirates continue to do things their way — the cheap way — and keep reaping huge profits while spending as little as possible.

I fooled myself into thinking if this team ever had a chance to get its head above water and come out fighting; it would do what any other professional sports franchise does — try and grab the brass ring.

But for the Buccos, it is what it is.

Same old, same old. They make a move or two at the deadline, but it won’t be for a strong bat. It will be the kind of dumpster diving they have been known for every offseason.

Even when they have a chance to be special, they continue to be the Pirates.

Go ahead, Woody, say it again.

“It is what it is.” And it probably won’t change any time soon.

Anyone with any thoughts, opposing views or comments on this column can reach Jeff Oliver by emailing justjto@verizon.net.