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Now that perceived top candidate Eric Wedge will be donning a Seattle Mariners uniform on opening day 2011, that leaves the Pirates in a position to take a look at what’s left.  The front office has interviewed many candidates ranging from Carlos Tosca to Bo Porter to Dale Sveum.

Myself and others have been campaigning for names such as Phil Garner, Tony Pena and Ken Macha to become the new Pirates skipper.  None of these guys will have a chance at the job though.

Let me introduce you to the guy that will eventually get the job.  That man would be John Gibbons.  Now the first question many of you will ask is “Who is John Gibbons?”  The rest of you will utter something along the lines of “What the (insert any swear word you like here).”

Several sources including ESPN’s Buster Olney have indicated this is all but a done deal.  I’ve tried but haven’t been able to confirm anything except that Gibbons interview went very well.

Gibbons isn’t exactly the sexy pick that Pirates fans were longing for.  Many will be very upset over this choice and probably rightly so.  I’ve stated over and over that this is a hiring that the Pirates absolutely can’t screw up.  The window for this young team to succeed will likely be a short one. The Pirates can not afford to drop the ball on this decision.  If they do, well then many expected them to do so anyways.

What does Gibbons bring to the table?

He served as the Toronto Blue Jays manager from 2004 (the final 50 games of the season), where he replaced Tosca, until June 2008.  In his first full season as a big league skipper, Gibbons led the Blue Jays to an 80-82 mark.  The following season, Toronto finished 87-75, good for second place in the very tough AL East.

Overall, Gibbons is an even 305-305 as a major league manager.

Currently, he’s serving as the bench coach for Ned Yost in Kansas City.

What has been his downfall though is that he’s had many confrontations with his players. Gibbons is a his way or the highway type of guy, which is actually something the Pirates could use at the moment.

In 2005, pitcher Dave Bush showed up Gibbons after he removed him from a game.  The next day Bush was on his way to the minors.  Shortly after he was traded to Milwaukee.

More controversy showed up in 2006 when Gibbons challenged infielder Shea Hillenbrand to a fight after Hillenbrand posted negative comments about Gibbons.

Again in 2006, Gibbons got into a shoving match with  pitcher Ted Lilly.  After giving up seven runs in an inning, Lilly refused to come out of the game.  When he finally did, Gibbons followed Lilly into the clubhouse and the two got into it.

Finally, there was the 2008 controversy involving Frank Thomas.  Gibbons benched Thomas, who was not happy about it.  It didn’t matter that Thomas was hitting .167 at the time.

Pirates fans seem to want fire out of their manager.  If that’s the only thing you’re looking for, then you should like Gibbons.  He doesn’t let the inmates run the asylum.  It doesn’t matter how much money you make, which actually doesn’t apply to the Pirates situation or what the name says on the back of the jersey, you will play hard for Gibbons.

He’s been viewed by others around the league as a total team guy. Everyone will buy into his way or they won’t be there.

If Gibbons gets the job, you can bet the Pirates won’t be dogging it on the field for much longer.

Most people want a manager that will change the culture.  Eliminate being lazy on the field.  A guy that the players would run through a wall for.

While Gibbons isn’t the popular name Pirates fans have been looking for, could it be he’s the perfect guy for this job?

While he wouldn’t have been at the top of my list, or near the middle for that matter, maybe the Pirates need a no nonsense type of manager like Gibbons.

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It’s fitting that in what became “The Year of the Pitcher,” we would see fantastic post-season pitching up to this point of the playoffs.  Were you really that surprised that Roy Halladay fired a no-hitter in his first post-season appearance?  If not, you couldn’t have been that surprised that Tim Lincecum threw a two-hit shutout, striking out 14 in his first post-season start.

We’ve seen more great pitching as well.  Matt Cain delivered a lights out outing yesterday afternoon.  We’ve also seen the likes of Cole Hamels, Phil Hughes, and Roy Oswalt step up and pitch fantastic games at one time or another this post-season.  However, with all of their collective efforts, none of them are in the same league as the Rangers Cliff Lee when it comes to post-season dominance.

Just look at Lee’s mind blowing numbers this post-season.  To this point in the 2010 playoffs, the Rangers ace has thrown 24 innings, allowing only two earned runs.  Opponents are hitting a mere .151 off of Lee.  Still not impressed?  How about Lee’s 34 strikeouts to only one walk.  I know, how did he ever walk one?  The guy has lousy control.  Lee’s 3-0 by the way, winning Game 1 of the ALDS when he out-pitched David Price.  He also won the clinching game of the ALDS when he out-dueled Price once again.  Even more impressive was the outing Lee just turned in in Game 3 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium.

This begs the question, is Lee the greatest post-season pitcher of all-time?  There is a very small list of pitchers that have dominated in October.  Until Lee came along, only Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Jack Morris, John Smoltz, and Curt Schilling were on that list.  I’d even give guys like Dave Stewart and Randy Johnson some consideration, but none of those guys are doing what Lee is currently doing.

Maybe Lee’s name should be pencilled in at the top of that list.

It’s not just a one year sample from Lee.  After his 4-0 performance last year for the Phillies, Lee is now 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA, allowing only nine earned runs in eight career post-season games.  Three complete games to go with 67 career post-season strike outs to only seven walks.

The guy is the definition of a work horse.  Look up clutch performer in the dictionary and Lee’s picture will be there.

You may agree to disagree on the topic of Lee being the greatest post-season pitcher in history, but the numbers are hard to argue against.  He’s definitely on one of the greatest runs of all-time.

You can choose whom ever you want.  In a one game situation, bring on your guy.  I’m giving the ball to Lee and I’m probably going to win.

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After last week’s firing of former pirates manager John Russell, several names have emerged as potential candidates.  Some, such as Phil Garner and Eric Wedge would be considered good hires.

There are others though, including names such as Andy Van Slyke and Bob Walk that would be awful hires.

Over the past week, both guys have been gaining some steam popularity wise, and that’s a bad sign.  It would be just like the Pirates to offer one of these guys the job. 

This is a major decision for a franchise that hasn’t sniffed a winning season in close to two decades. There is more pure talent in the organization right now than there has been at any time during that span.  This could be the Pirates only true chance to be competitive soon.

If they don’t turn it around soon, then there is a chance they likely never will.  You can’t put that responsibility on a guy that has no managerial experience at all.  Considering either guy simply because he has ties to the Pirates is insane.

Walk has no coaching experience what so ever.  What makes you think he is capable of handling young players and handling a pitching staff that will likely struggle for 162 games?

The same goes for Van Slyke. Good players don’t necessarily become good managers.  In fact, there are very few cases in sports where it happens often.  Van Slyke, at least, served under Jim Leyland’s staff in Detroit for three seasons, but to think he’s ready to be a big league manager is a bit of a stretch.

I would feel differently if either guy had worked his way through the minors as a manager the way the Cubs Ryne Sandberg has, or if either guy has spent significant time on successful big league staffs, but neither guy has.

Just because a guy has Pittsburgh ties doesn’t mean he will be successful as a manager.  Sure it could happen, but the Pirates shouldn’t lay their future on a roll of the dice.

Hiring either guy won’t mean a thing at the box office either.  Thinking attendance will improve because they brought back a former Bucco to manage the team is also not smart.  The only thing that will bring people to PNC park is wins—plain and simple.

That’s not saying having Pittsburgh ties is a bad thing.  Garner and Ken Macha have them and both should be considered, although it looks like Macha won’t be.

I’ve been wanting the Pirates to hire Garner for a couple of years now.  They need a real baseball guy who has won before and at least shown the ability to handle a young team.

The top three candidate should still be Eric Wedge, Freddie Gonzalez, and Garner.

With the Pirates bad ownership and small payroll, it’s also possible that these guys could fail as well, but with such a small window to hopefully succeed in, they have to give the job to a guy that’s proven something as a big league manager.

The Pirates shouldn’t even consider Walk or Van Slyke, no matter how much the casual fan wants them to get the job.  This is a bigger decision than most people realize.  The Pirates haven’t listened to the fans for over two decades.  Let’s hope they don’t start now.

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In one of the worst seasons in Pittsburgh Pirates history, it was almost fitting that the season ended with a loss—a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Florida Marlins Sunday afternoon.

Along with the loss come the rumors of the possible firing of manager John Russell and that General manager Neal Huntington will be retained.

For a change, I agree with both decisions if they were to happen.

First, Huntington.  He’s done a quality job bringing talent into the organization.  Look at the whole organization now, from the time he took over for Dave Littlefield. For the average players he had to deal, he’s done a fine job of trying to rebuild the Pirates.

The Pirates went from having no prospects four years ago to having the organization flooded with “real prospects.”  He’s drafted great.  He’s gotten involved in international free agents.  he’s doing an overall good job.  When you criticize Huntington, don’t forget he’s got a cheap owner backing him.  The sky isn’t exactly the limit for him.

Sure Huntington has made a couple of mistakes, but his overall track record has been solid.  he deserves the chance to see his guys reach the majors.

Now onto Russell.  The fact is, someone has to be held accountable.  You can make whatever excuses you want for Russell, but the facts are that he didn’t get the job done.  You can say that they traded away all of his players in 2009, but he didn’t win when they were here to begin with either.

Sure, he hasn’t had great talent, but he had to do better then he did.  In three seasons, Russell compiled a record of 186-289.  His .383 winning percentage is ninth worse of all-time.  The names ahead of him?  You don’t know any of them.  All of them managed in the early 1900s or late 1800s.

Other than Roy Hartsfield (.343 winning percentage), who managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1977-79, Russell is statistically the worst manager in baseball over the past 100 years.  He has to be held accountable for that.

Aside from the wins and losses, there is the lazy demeanor.  I firmly believe that teams take on the personality of their manager.  That is evident in this team, because the Pirates are lazy on the field.  Sure they hustle, but they don’t have the fire to them.

Many people want Russell fired because he doesn’t come out and rant and rave like Lou Piniella would.  I could care less about that. I don’t need a guy that draws attention to himself. 

What I do need, though, is a guy who will stick up for his players, which Russell doesn’t.  How many times do the Pirates pitchers not get the call a couple inches off the plate, but have it go against them when they are batting?  A good manager doesn’t let that happen for 162 games.

Russell, and his staff, also must be held accountable for the lack of fundamentals this team shows.  Sure they are young, but they make far too many fundamental mistakes.  Way too often: the Pirates don’t throw to the right base, miss the cut off man, fail to lay down bunts, can’t hit behind the runner, etc.

Little things win games and the Pirates don’t do them under Russell.

Also, has there ever been a worse base running team then this current Pirates club?  The players didn’t ever get held accountable, so they continued to make the same mistakes over and over again.

The facts are that with all of the promising young talent the Pirates have now and the ones that will be called up in the future, you don’t want them playing for Russell.  There are just too many bad, lazy habits to be learned under Russell and his staff.

Who should replace him?  It’s way too early to tell.  I’ve often dropped names like Phil garner, Willie Randolph, and Bobby Valentine, but none of those guys will want to work for the cheap Bob Nutting.

You have to hire a manager that has won before though.  You need someone who will gain the respect of the players from the first day he’s on the job.  They need a guy to come in and say, “This isn’t the way we play here anymore.”

One name I would like to see here is Freddie Gonzalez.  He has experience managing young players and definitely showed he is a no nonsense type of manager.  he’s also a candidate for both the Cubs and the Braves openings, so the Pirates likely have no chance at him.

Another name to keep an eye on is former Indians manager Eric Wedge.  Sure, things didn’t end well for him in Cleveland, but many people forget that Wedge had a young Indians team only one win away from the World Series.

The problem is that there will likely be over ten managerial openings this upcoming offseason.  None of the qualified candidates are going to want to work for a cheap owner, no matter how promising the young talent on the field is.

Either way, Russell must go and the Pirates absolutely can not make a mistake hiring his replacement.

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It was announced that Altoona Manager Matt Walbeck would not be brought back for the 2011 season, just weeks after leading the Curve to the Eastern League Championship.  Walbeck also was voted Manager of the Year in the Eastern League, which makes the move surprising.

The Pirates haven’t released all of the details on the move, but it is known that Walbeck was looking to be promoted to AAA or the MLB level after his successful run in AA.  The Pirates weren’t willing to create a spot for him, so they parted ways.

As far as a promotion, there is no way that Walbeck should be considered to manage at the MLB level right now.  When they give current manager John Russell walking papers, he needs to be replaced by a quality big league manager.  If they intend to replace Russell down the line with a manager that hasn’t proven anything at the MLB level, then it makes no sense to make a change at all.

Moving Walbeck up to AAA, would have seemed like a better option.  Current Indianapolis Indians manager Frank Kremblas has done nothing spectacular there, but to his defense, all of the Pirates talent is currently at AA.

The case you can make for Walbeck is that all of the players he’s worked with at Altoona will soon be playing in Indianapolis.

In the end though, it really doesn’t matter who manages in the minor leagues right now.  The goal is to win at the major league level.

The problem here though is the horrible PR that the Pirates keep generating for themselves.  A team that hasn’t won in 18 seasons can’t afford all the bad press.

All that casual fans will see is that the Pirates organization finally did something right by winning in AA and they immediately got rid of the guy responsible for leading the team to success.

This should hardly be news at all, but the Pirates just don’t seem to care about negative fan reaction, which they should.

Why announce this at all?  Why right now?  It just doesn’t make sense from a PR standpoint.

Believe me, no one would care two or three months from now when they announce a new manager.  Most people wouldn’t even remember what type of year the Curve even had in 2010.  Instead, the Pirates announce that now when it’s still fresh on most fans’ mind.

Are they trying to anger their fanbase?

It just makes no sense.  These are the same people that tried to hide the fact that they gave extensions to Russell and general manager Neal Huntington because of fear of negative press. 

So, naturally they go out and give something negative for people to talk about.

This just goes to show that the Pirates don’t just have to get better on the field.  They have to get better in every aspect of the organization.

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With all of the troubles with its parent club in 2010, the Pirates AA affiliate Altoona Curve and the High-A affiliate Bradenton Marauders recently completed very successful seasons.

In case you haven’t noticed, or have been too turned off by the latest 100 loss season by the Pirates, most of the real talent in the organization are currently playing at one of these two levels.

All of the trades and all of the last three successful drafts will wind up paying off in the form of these talented young players. For once, the Pirates have “real” prospects.

The Curve recently became Eastern League Champions. They defeated the Trenton Thunder, the AA affiliate of the New York Yankees to bring home the crown.

The marauders didn’t have as much success, losing to the Charlotte Stone Crabs in the opening round of the Florida State League playoffs. Charlotte is the High-A affiliate of the Tampa Rays.

Before you ask, this is not a case of the Pirates sacrificing major league success for minor league championships. This is the process starting to pay off. There is legitimate talent at each level. Hopefully, within a couple of years, we won’t have to hear the term “rebuild” any longer in Pittsburgh.

Here is a look at the prospects currently in Altoona. These will be the names you should be hearing in Pittsburgh within a couple of seasons.

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Pop quiz: Who is the worst starting pitcher in Major League Baseball over the last four seasons?

If you said Zach Duke, then you nailed it.

The Pirates lefty has flat-out not been very good for a span that’s lasted four seasons. In that time he has compiled a 26-51 record and a 4.99 ERA and more than once has led MLB in hits allowed.

He put together a decent first half of 2009, where he was rewarded with an All-Star selection, but if Duke has proved anything, it’s that he can’t get major league hitters out consistently.

If you say he hasn’t been the worst over that span, give me a name, because I’ve run the numbers on pretty much every pitcher that has had a regular rotation spot.

In 2010, there is no doubt he is the worst pitcher taking a regular turn on an MLB staff. His losses are tied for fifth among pitchers with at least 120 IP. His 5.47 ERA is the second highest, and his .320 opponents batting average against is easily the worst. That’s actually embarrassing.

Once or twice out of 10 starts, Duke can turn in a good outing, as he did against the Mets a little over a month ago, but the overall body of work has not been good.

In his latest outing, he couldn’t get an out in the second inning. There is no longer an upside to Zach Duke. He can’t be a part of the Pirates rotation going forward.

What do you do with Duke?

He’s making $4.3 million this year and is third-time arbitration eligible after the season. On innings pitched alone, he’s going to get a raise.

The Pirates can’t allow that to happen. 

The only move that makes sense is to non-tender him after the season. His career as a Pirate should last two or three more starts.

It’s very unlikely Duke gets a major league offer from another team. He’s looking at signing a minor league deal with an invitation to some team’s camp.

The Pirates can’t spend over $5 million on a guy that just can’t get outs.

The production Duke offers can be found on the waiver wire for a lot less money. Take Brian Burres, for instance. His 3-3 record and 5.75 ERA can be found easily and a lot cheaper than $5 million.

It’s almost fitting that the Pirates have the worst pitcher in the game, but to turn the corner, management has to start parting ways with guys that are incapable of getting the job done on a consistent basis.

There is nothing about Duke that warrants him being part of the 2011 Pirates team. It’s such a shame after the way he came up as a rookie in 2005. Injuries set him back, and that 2005 Zach Duke was entirely a different pitcher than the guy wearing that jersey now.

Duke fans, enjoy him while you can, because he is more than likely spending his final few weeks in a Pirates uniform.

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If you’ve been paying attention lately, the Cincinnati Reds called up left-handed phenom Aroldis Chapman and his 103 mph fastball this week.

That’s right, I said 103 mph. He was actually clocked at 105 mph during a minor league game a week ago. Now, I have no problem with Chapman or the fact that he’s wearing a Cincinnati Reds uniform. What I have a big problem with is why he’s not wearing a Pirates uniform instead.

The deal Chapman signed with the Reds was for six years and $30 million. The sixth year is an option year worth $5 million and the money is spread out pretty liberally. His signing bonus, which is worth around $15 million of the deal, is spread out between when he signed the contract and 2020. That seemed to be the best way for the Reds to fit the big contract into their small budget.

If the Reds could do that then why not the Pirates? What the Pirates do need is a phenom left-hander who can hit triple digits. The Pirates have done a fine job of rebuilding the organization, but this was a guy to go out and get.

There’s no excuse. You can’t use the usual built in excuse that, “the Yankees will out bid us.”

It’s one thing to get beaten out by the deep pockets of the Yankees or Red Sox, but being out bid by the Reds shouldn’t have happened. That’s no knock on the Reds at all. I like what they are doing and good for their organization and their fans.

The Pirates were involved and it’s rumored that they fell under $1 million short of Chapman’s asking price.

That’s absurd.

That should have been exactly the situation where the Pirates swept in and trumped everyone with a bigger number. Give the kid $7-8 million. We keep hearing that money isn’t an issue and the Pirates will spend.

Yet in less than a year, the Pirates have lost out on two potential phenoms. They lost shortstop Miguel Angel Sano to the Twins over a mere $500,000 and must now watch Chapman excel for the rival Reds, when maybe a couple more million may have had him wearing a Pirates uniform.

Very few opportunities come along where you can get a guy that can make an impact like Chapman will, and while it’s likely Chapman wouldn’t have signed with the Pirates, the reality is that they had a chance and once again flat out dropped the ball.

If the Reds can do it then the Pirates better be able to do it as well.

That’s right though, money doesn’t matter. Remember that when both of these kids become major league stars and the likely only thing that kept them out of Pittsburgh was a tight check book.

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In the midst of another miserable season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it’s often tough to find real bright spots to talk about, but the Pirates have one in outfielder Jose Tabata.

Neil Walker gets the press, being the hometown kid, and he’s deserved it. Walker is having a tremendous rookie campaign and has cemented himself as part of the future core of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pedro Alvarez also gets a ton of attention paid to him. Coming up as “The Savior” of the Pirates hasn’t been easy for Alvarez, but he’s handled it well and has shown at times what type of major league player he has the potential to become in the upcoming seasons.

Having said all of that, is it possible that Jose Tabata is the best of the three future Pirates stars?

Since his June 9th call-up, Tabata has been nothing short of outstanding for the last-place Pirates. He’s definitely been the most consistent.

Tabata has settled in very nicely in the two-hole in the Pirates lineup. What separates him from the others is his approach at the plate, which is the best on the team. Tabata is the one guy on the team that simply hits the ball where it’s pitched. He’s a very good situational hitter as well. 

He’s even shown some pop. The power will come. He’s shown he has it. He’s never going to be a 30-plus-homer type guy, but with time he has the ability to hit 15 to 20 a season.

Add to that outstanding speed and solid defense, and Tabata could be a future All-Star.

His 2010 numbers are very good. In 70 games, Tabata is hitting .312. His four homers and 21 RBI are modest numbers, but Tabata has shown he can hit well at the MLB level. 

He’s also stolen 14 bases. He’s been caught seven times, but that percentage is likely to go up as he learns the pitchers around the league.

Other impressive numbers for Tabata:

. His .312 batting average ranks second among all rookies with at least 300 at-bats, behind only the Giants’ Buster Posey.

. He reaches base consistently, reaching base safely in 58 of his 70 starts.

. He has 59 hits since the All-Star break, ranking him second to only the Cubs’ Starlin Castro.

. Tabata’s 87 hits since his call-up rank him second in baseball behind only Albert Pujols (88). That’s great company to be in.

That’s quite the early résumé for Tabata. He will only get better with experience. He deserves some votes for Rookie of the Year. While he has no chance to win the award, he should be recognized along with some of the other great young players in the game.

While he won’t win the Rookie of the Year, Tabata should win another award, and that’s the team MVP. He’s definitely the Pirates’ MVP at the moment. No one else has stood out to make a strong case this year.

Maybe it could go to relievers Joel Hanrahan or Evan Meek, who have both had outstanding seasons out of the Pirates bullpen. However, if you are giving the award to the guy that’s had the best season, then Tabata has to be considered the Pirates’ Most Valuable Player.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates will do some tinkering to the starting rotation this week.  Jeff Karstens is being shelved for the time being with a tired arm.  Daniel McCutchen will assume Karstens spot in the rotation tonight against the Cardinals.

They will also need a starter for Sunday, as Ross Ohlendorf won’t be taking his scheduled start.  The guy to keep an eye on is Charlie Morton.  Morton needs this opportunity.  Pirates fans need it as well.

Morton deserves at least a five-start look at the end of the season.  The Pirates have to find out which guy they have.  Is it the Charlie Morton that showed towards the end of 2009 that he can be a capable major league pitcher?  Or, do they have the Charlie Morton that simply couldn’t get major league hitters out consistently in 2010?

The Pirates should believe in Morton still.  He has all the tools.  He has a great arm with a fastball that can top 95 mph and can back that up with above average breaking stuff. 

I vowed to never use the term “great stuff,” after hearing it over a thousand times this year during Pirates telecasts, but Morton has it.

Morton has to show better command this time around.  He has to locate better or he will get crushed.  He has to pitch off his fastball more.  It’s a weapon and he needs to use it to get people out.

He also has to be much tougher mentally as well.  He’s too talented to fold and start giving into hitters.  The scouting reports on Morton, dating back to his days in the Atlanta system, have always questioned his head.  With the “stuff” a guy like Morton has, he has to have a bulldog-like mentality.

Throwing to Chris Snyder instead of Ryan Doumit should help out as well.  In his short time in Pittsburgh, Snyder has shown that he will call the game to the pitchers strengths instead of working to their weaknesses, which Doumit is very fond of doing.

Morton is a much better pitcher than his 1-9 record and 9.35 ERA indicate.  If the opportunity is given to him, he must take advantage of it.

This could be a second chance served up to him on a silver platter.  He must approach it with that attitude or risk not being part of a future Pittsburgh Pirates rotation.  He needs to succeed.  The Pirates need him to succeed.  The fans need him to succeed.

This could be Charlie Morton’s last stand as a Pittsburgh Pirate.  He needs to come out fighting.

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