Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I've been trying to give the TBS announcers the benefit of the doubt but when the announcers can't tell David Ortiz from Manny Ramirez and vice versa - well then let's just go ahead and join the crowd who have been watching the game with the sound off... The Pirates fired Jim Tracy. That's a step in the right direction. Jim Tracy is an awful manager. Good move by new Pirates GM Neal Huntington... Speaking of TBS's coverage sucking - I need some sort of Jose Mota decoder ring. WTF is he trying to say?... If I was Pirates GM Neal Huntington - the two off-season moves that I'd make would be to try and sign free agents Kris Benson and Darin Erstad. Benson used to play for the Pirates, he'd probably be happy with an incentive laden contract and his wife would keep the sportswriters busy. The Pirates need a centerfielder and Erstad can still cover some ground plus he can be a steadying veteran presence. The top prospect for the Pirates Andrew McCutchen is a centerfielder but he's injury prone. It would be great if he was healthy and able to contribute to the big league team but having Erstad would allow the Pirates not to rush McCutchen...