95 or 82 wins?

[magoo]

Today during the morning drive FM 93.7 The Fan had Clint Hurdle on their show. During the interview he was asked about how many wins he’s looking for out of the Pirates this season, he responded.

“When people ask me a number, 95 is the number I throw out there, and people go, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of-’ and I go, ‘Yeah, you’re right it’s a lot of games!’ I get it, but you know what? If we win 95, we’re going to be in a good place. So how do you win 95? Where do you go recreate 16 games? That’s kind of the mentality we’ve used,” Hurdle said.

Later on, Joe Starkey during afternoon drive (and I'm paraphrasing here) thought that it was ridicules and they should be shooting for 82 wins. His fellow show host and former punter for the Steelers Josh Miller thought Starkey off base and posed the notion that the mindset (more paraphrasing) is to win, not be mediocre.

I agree with Miller>

[Kipper]

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Today during the morning drive FM 93.7 The Fan had Clint Hurdle on their show. During the interview he was asked about how many wins he’s looking for out of the Pirates this season, he responded.

“When people ask me a number, 95 is the number I throw out there, and people go, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of-’ and I go, ‘Yeah, you’re right it’s a lot of games!’ I get it, but you know what? If we win 95, we’re going to be in a good place. So how do you win 95? Where do you go recreate 16 games? That’s kind of the mentality we’ve used,” Hurdle said.

Later on, Joe Starkey during afternoon drive (and I'm paraphrasing here) thought that it was ridicules and they should be shooting for 82 wins. His fellow show host and former punter for the Steelers Josh Miller thought Starkey off base and posed the notion that the mindset (more paraphrasing) is to win, not be mediocre.

I agree with Miller>

I agree with Miller too.

Is 95 not realistic? Sure. I mean flukes can happen and they could win 95 but I don't expect it to happen but when you're a coach and a player, you go out there to not be mediocre. Who the hell wants a coach that predicts his team to be average? Thats a lack of vote of confidence in your team that would resonate through the locker room.

Since 2006 I had predicted the Pirates to win 77 and that was my prediction untuil they achieved it. It wasn't much, it wasnt even .500 but it was a number i felt was realistic.

the Pirates improved 15 games from 2010-11 and 7 games from 2011-12. I think the Pirates realistically could improve another 7 games at least putting my prediction at 86 Wins this season. That puts them on par with their breakout 1988 season which is where I feel they are now. Hopefully we dont get an injury induced 1989 type season next. Probably won't be enough to make the playoffs but it's over .500, it would mark the 3rd straight season of improvement and in order to win another 7 games, the Pirates "second half collapse" can't be as bad as it has been. They'll have to play closer to .500 those much

[battlingbucs]

I like Hurdle's mind set. He should be thinking 90+ wins and a playoff spot. Why on earth should he be saying 82 is a goal. That's no sort of goal to me. Now in reality I see the Pirates of 2013 as about a 75-85 win team. Pretty much right down the middle as average. I always tend to make some sort of projection and I have never predicted an above .500 record for the Pirates but I'm seriously considering doing so this season.

[itsonlyagame]

Who would have predicted 20 consecutive losing seasons in 1991? And yet that number proved to be attainable.

[Kipper]

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Who would have predicted 20 consecutive losing seasons in 1991? And yet that number proved to be attainable.

Nobody. There's nobody that could've predicted that or predicted that the Pirates would own the record for most consecutive losing seasons.

It's an amazing streak despite it sucking that the Pirates own it. I can't imagine another team breaking this streak record anytime soon either. You need a combination of all of the things that have made it possible for the Pirates to get there

[Kipper]

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I like Hurdle's mind set. He should be thinking 90+ wins and a playoff spot. Why on earth should he be saying 82 is a goal. That's no sort of goal to me. Now in reality I see the Pirates of 2013 as about a 75-85 win team. Pretty much right down the middle as average. I always tend to make some sort of projection and I have never predicted an above .500 record for the Pirates but I'm seriously considering doing so this season.

I'm with you. I've never predicted them to finish over .500. Even when I put up my 77 win prediction I always had a more realistic prediction I would put out there that rarely touched 77 wins. Last year I didn't alter it. They finally eclipsed 77 wins and now I'm predicting over .500. I really believe it's doable

[exNCite]

Why couldn't they? They were 17 games over in early July last year. Only a monumental breakdown caused them to finish with 79, but monumental breakdowns aren't the norm...even with the Pirates. So could they win 95? Sure but even if it's 88-90 they should get a WC spot. The glass should be half full, not half empty.

[carney2]

You don't get to 95 without passing through 82. First things first.

[Kipper]

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You don't get to 95 without passing through 82. First things first.

You don't get to 95 without winning 1 game. Why does that matter?

[Kipper]

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Why couldn't they? They were 17 games over in early July last year. Only a monumental breakdown caused them to finish with 79, but monumental breakdowns aren't the norm...even with the Pirates. So could they win 95? Sure but even if it's 88-90 they should get a WC spot. The glass should be half full, not half empty.

I believe that 2 things could happen this year..

1. Pirates get off to a very slow start before finishing strong (for a change)

2. (this is the one I believe), the Pirates won't have the severe peaks and valleys as they did last year. Those Junes and July's where they overachieved and those August and Septembers where they underachieve will be closer together as far as their monthly record is concerned. They'll have some months they lose mroe than they win, and some they win mroe than they lose, but I think the Pirates will be more of .500 team, give some, take some for a majority of the season.

[magoo]

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I like Hurdle's mind set. He should be thinking 90+ wins and a playoff spot. Why on earth should he be saying 82 is a goal. That's no sort of goal to me. Now in reality I see the Pirates of 2013 as about a 75-85 win team. Pretty much right down the middle as average. I always tend to make some sort of projection and I have never predicted an above .500 record for the Pirates but I'm seriously considering doing so this season.

"Why on earth should he be saying 82 is a goal?" That's how Starkey is... He's not really a good baseball guy...

[magoo]

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I believe that 2 things could happen this year..

1. Pirates get off to a very slow start before finishing strong (for a change)

2. (this is the one I believe), the Pirates won't have the severe peaks and valleys as they did last year. Those Junes and July's where they overachieved and those August and Septembers where they underachieve will be closer together as far as their monthly record is concerned. They'll have some months they lose mroe than they win, and some they win mroe than they lose, but I think the Pirates will be more of .500 team, give some, take some for a majority of the season.

Odds are that things will indeed be different this year. To me, last year’s most glaring weaknesses were:
1. Depth and quality of starting pitchers when the cards were on the table
2. No bench IE Lee Lacy, Mike Eastler, Bill Robinson, even John Milner all filling roles on the same team
3. Management and locker room not on the same page raring to go
4. Lineup that includes three hitters below the Mendoza Line locked into the number seven, eight and nine holes
>>
What’s different this year?
Ø 1. Much deeper because of the youth and potential in those lingering about
Ø 2. Big questions remain
Ø 3.This finally needs to be resolved
Ø 4. Fill in the blanks
Pitching has always been the most dominant aspect of the game. This is especially true historically. It has the potential to create a locker-room full of an eager group of offensive and defensive players. What this locker room has learned is that they needed additional pieces and a greater resolve.
Can they do it? That’s really the Q here?
Leadership away from management is huge key in a season of 162 units. But of course, hopefully more! Do they have that? I think so.

[Beast]

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Sure but even if it's 88-90 they should get a WC spot.

Yes, playing 178 games would be quite the achievement.

Seriously though, 95 is a good goal to shoot for. Even if it's not realistic, it shows the manager has both confidence and high expectations in his team.

[exNCite]

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Yes, playing 178 games would be quite the achievement.

Seriously though, 95 is a good goal to shoot for. Even if it's not realistic, it shows the manager has both confidence and high expectations in his team.

Don't get that remark. Where did 178 games come from? I was saying a win total of between 88 and 90. Probably you were just trying to to make a wisecrack. I hope.

[Jimmie]

I like Hurdles excitement. As well as most of the fan base.
I think they can end up around the 88 win mark this year.
I don't see the 95 win mark this season, and here's my reasoning.
The Astro effect.
The Astros were an easy target. The Pirates were 12-5 vs the Astros. They didn't win more than 8 games against anyone else.
As a matter of fact, the only team in the division they had a winning record against was the Cardinals at 8-7.