Post by Sha-Le Unique on Feb 25, 2014 2:40:11 GMT -5
After three consecutive seasons of having the worst record in all of HOFFBL, the Pirates have decided to change the dimensions of Forbes Field for the second time in four years. "We wanted a hitter's park originally, so that our hitters could put up some big numbers. But then, as the years went by, our young pitching talent has become so good that we decided we need to take more advantage of it.
"Our 1953 and 1954 teams simply had bad pitching for the most part, but I really thought last season (1955), we had a decent pitching staff on paper. The results though simply were not there and that was when we decided new changes needed to be made," stated Pirates' general manager Shale Briskin in a recent press conference.
The Pirates' pitching staff for the 1956 season went through a big makeover. Veteran ace Robin Roberts will get the Opening Day start after signing a 5-year $100 million contract that will last through 1960. It easily became the most lucrative deal in HOFFBL history. Roberts is coming off a 21-win season with the Phillies and the Pirates are hoping he can lead them to their first winning record in years.
Third-year starter Bob Purkey will get the ball in the Pirates' second game of the season. His numbers went down in 1954, but he threw 12 complete games to lead the team. Hopefully, he can continue to eat innings and pitch better. The rest of the Pirates' rotation will consist of three highly touted rookies. Well, Vern Law isn't actually a rookie, but he has not pitched in the majors since 1951, so it will be a fresh restart for the control artist, whom scouts have had said consistently throws strikes. 20-year old Ken McBride will join the rotation as well. McBride was the Pirates' 2nd round pick in the 1954 draft and Briskin stated he will be the fifth starter.
But the big call-up is Don Drysdale, whom Briskin refers to as the "future face of the Pirates". Drysdale, the third overall pick in the 1954 draft throws gas, has very good control and could very well become a future ace. The 19-year old is ranked as the #1 overall prospect in the league currently and should be one of the main contenders for the National League Rookie of the Year.
The Pirates didn't overlook their bullpen either. They acquired Ike Delock from the Red Sox, who will be the setup man for second-year closer Dick Hall. In that same trade, the Pirates also got second baseman Joe Morgan and third baseman Frank Malzone to platoon at the hot corner with Gail Harris.
Drysdale won't be the only highly touted Pirates player that could be a big NL ROY contender. Dick Stuart, the Pirates' #2 hitting prospect has made the Opening Day roster as well. The natural first baseman will play left field, due to the presence of slick-fielding Harry Agganis. Stuart will be the slugging clean-up hitter in the Pirates' lineup and will hopefully bring a big boost in power to the team.
Getting back to the stadium, the Pirates plan on having the following new dimensions adjusted by Opening Day this season. The Pirates' stadium fund will pay the $10 million fee up front immediately after construction is completed. Here are the new dimensions:
LF Line: 330 ft
Left-Center: 370-380 ft
Center Field: 420 ft
Right Center: 370-380 ft
RF Line: 330 ft
Fence Heights: 10 ft all around
"By making these changes, we are hoping to see our pitching staff win more games and give up less runs. We were very surprised with all the home runs our pitching staff allowed last season and hopefully, these changes can help keep the ball in the park when we are home. The hitters were ok with these changes and a few even mentioned to me that they look at this as a new challenge for them," added Briskin.
"When I heard about the dimension changes, I wasn't all too pissed about it. It just meant that I needed to work even harder in the offseason. I hit the weights, ran a lot and feel like I'm in the best shape of my life right now. We don't need to hit home runs in every at-bat. As long as we put the ball in play and score runs and win games, that's all that matters. I feel like this team we have right here could have a winning record and I will do everything I can to make sure it happens," stated catcher Elston Howard, who is going into his fourth season and second with the Pirates.
The Pirates have arguably the best minor league farm system in the league and the youngest major league roster as well. The immediate results may not end up panning out just yet, but no can argue that the Pirates' future looks very bright in the long run. Hopefully, the new stadium changes will be able to help the cause!
"Our 1953 and 1954 teams simply had bad pitching for the most part, but I really thought last season (1955), we had a decent pitching staff on paper. The results though simply were not there and that was when we decided new changes needed to be made," stated Pirates' general manager Shale Briskin in a recent press conference.
The Pirates' pitching staff for the 1956 season went through a big makeover. Veteran ace Robin Roberts will get the Opening Day start after signing a 5-year $100 million contract that will last through 1960. It easily became the most lucrative deal in HOFFBL history. Roberts is coming off a 21-win season with the Phillies and the Pirates are hoping he can lead them to their first winning record in years.
Third-year starter Bob Purkey will get the ball in the Pirates' second game of the season. His numbers went down in 1954, but he threw 12 complete games to lead the team. Hopefully, he can continue to eat innings and pitch better. The rest of the Pirates' rotation will consist of three highly touted rookies. Well, Vern Law isn't actually a rookie, but he has not pitched in the majors since 1951, so it will be a fresh restart for the control artist, whom scouts have had said consistently throws strikes. 20-year old Ken McBride will join the rotation as well. McBride was the Pirates' 2nd round pick in the 1954 draft and Briskin stated he will be the fifth starter.
But the big call-up is Don Drysdale, whom Briskin refers to as the "future face of the Pirates". Drysdale, the third overall pick in the 1954 draft throws gas, has very good control and could very well become a future ace. The 19-year old is ranked as the #1 overall prospect in the league currently and should be one of the main contenders for the National League Rookie of the Year.
The Pirates didn't overlook their bullpen either. They acquired Ike Delock from the Red Sox, who will be the setup man for second-year closer Dick Hall. In that same trade, the Pirates also got second baseman Joe Morgan and third baseman Frank Malzone to platoon at the hot corner with Gail Harris.
Drysdale won't be the only highly touted Pirates player that could be a big NL ROY contender. Dick Stuart, the Pirates' #2 hitting prospect has made the Opening Day roster as well. The natural first baseman will play left field, due to the presence of slick-fielding Harry Agganis. Stuart will be the slugging clean-up hitter in the Pirates' lineup and will hopefully bring a big boost in power to the team.
Getting back to the stadium, the Pirates plan on having the following new dimensions adjusted by Opening Day this season. The Pirates' stadium fund will pay the $10 million fee up front immediately after construction is completed. Here are the new dimensions:
LF Line: 330 ft
Left-Center: 370-380 ft
Center Field: 420 ft
Right Center: 370-380 ft
RF Line: 330 ft
Fence Heights: 10 ft all around
"By making these changes, we are hoping to see our pitching staff win more games and give up less runs. We were very surprised with all the home runs our pitching staff allowed last season and hopefully, these changes can help keep the ball in the park when we are home. The hitters were ok with these changes and a few even mentioned to me that they look at this as a new challenge for them," added Briskin.
"When I heard about the dimension changes, I wasn't all too pissed about it. It just meant that I needed to work even harder in the offseason. I hit the weights, ran a lot and feel like I'm in the best shape of my life right now. We don't need to hit home runs in every at-bat. As long as we put the ball in play and score runs and win games, that's all that matters. I feel like this team we have right here could have a winning record and I will do everything I can to make sure it happens," stated catcher Elston Howard, who is going into his fourth season and second with the Pirates.
The Pirates have arguably the best minor league farm system in the league and the youngest major league roster as well. The immediate results may not end up panning out just yet, but no can argue that the Pirates' future looks very bright in the long run. Hopefully, the new stadium changes will be able to help the cause!
