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notbecauseofvictories · 1 year ago

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I'm re-reading the Discworld series for reasons, and honestly the most relatable part of reading these as an adult is how many of the protagonists start out being tired, used to their little routine and vaguely disgruntled by the interruption of the Plot. Sam Vimes wants to lie drunk in a gutter and absolutely doesn't want to be arresting dragons. Rincewind is yanked into every situation he's ever encountered, though he'd much rather be lying in a gutter too. (Minus the alcohol. Plus regretting everything he's ever done said witnessed or even heard about fourth-hand in his whole life.) Granny Weatherwax is deeply suspicious of foreign parts and that includes the next town over; Nanny has leaned into the armor of "nothing ever happens to jolly grannies who terrorize their daughters-in-law and make Saucy Jokes"

Only the young people don't seem to have picked up on this---and that's fortunate, because someone has to run around making things happen, if only so Vimes and Granny and Rincewind have a reason to get up (complaining bitterly the whole time) and put it all to rights. Without Carrot, Margrat, Eric, etc. these characters don't have that reason; they're likely to stay in the metaphorical gutter and keep wondering where it all went wrong or why anything has to change.

............well, that's not quite true. You get the sense that Vetinari knows how much certain people hate the Plot. And as the person sitting behind the metaphorical lighting board of Ankh-Morpork, he takes no small pleasure in forcing the Plot-haters specifically to stand up, and say some lines.

#I finished guards guards just yesterday and I forgot that vimes and wonse were set up to be mirror images #both boys from the shades of very different natures; who made good (ish) in wildly different ways #also it's interesting reading this books from an adult perspective; my mind isn't blown that these books exist #anymore; plus I've read so many good books since #and they're not perfectly constructed novels! especially these early books;#there are plenty of spots where I can feel the narrative get thin; where there's more handwaving than I remember #but each book IS better and tighter; the jokes are funnier and the irony sharpens; the footnotes are better utilized #the characters are getting more interesting and complicated as opposed to set-ups for jokes.#it's an illustration of someone getting better at their chosen field and that in itself is more impressive than I was anticipating.#discworld

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wordpress-blaze-45468677 · 7 days ago

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The Worst Pittsburgh Pirate Offense of my Lifetime?

The Pittsburgh Pirates commenced May with successive series losses, recording an 0-7 start for the month, which stands as their worst performance to begin May since at least 1970. The Pirates opened the month with an 8-3 defeat against the Chicago Cubs and subsequently lost three consecutive games to the San Diego Padres, being swept in the series with a combined score of 15 to 5 and batting averages of .264 compared to .218. The downward trend persisted as the Pirates visited Busch Stadium to face the St. Louis Cardinals, where they were swept again in three games, with a cumulative run margin of 13 to 4. To date in May, the Pirates have been outscored 36 to 12 and have faced opponent batting averages of .277 compared to their own .183.

While preparing to write this analysis, I considered whether this might be the weakest Pirates offense I have experienced in my lifetime. I am now 37 years old and have been an avid Pirate fan since as early as I can remember which is around 2000. Upon examining historical data, it actually is.

For comparison, I noticed the 2010 season during which the Pittsburgh Pirates had a record of 54-105 with an offense that ranked in the bottom three in most categories. This particular season stood out, prompting further investigation. The team's performance, especially offensively, was notably poor. In 2010, the Pittsburgh Pirates' offense ranked 29th in team batting average at .242, 28th in OPS at .678, and 29th in runs scored with 587. Comparing this to the current year's statistics revealed a concerning trend. The Pirates' 2025 batting average is .219, and their OPS is .625, far worse than the worst Pirates team I've ever witnessed in my lifetime.

Among the nine starting batters in 2010 compared to 2025, Joey Bart has a batting average of .264 and an OPS of .764, compared to his 2010 counterpart, Ryan Doumit, who had a batting average of .251 and an OPS of .738. A rare occurrence where the 2025 batter outperformed the 2010 batter at the same position.

Enmanuel Valdez, the Pirates' first baseman in 2025, has a batting average of .209 and an OPS of .657, whereas Garrett Jones, his 2010 counterpart, had a batting average of .247 and an OPS of .720. At second base, 2025 starter Adam Frazier has a batting average of .229 and an OPS of .607, as opposed to Neil Walker's 2010 statistics of a batting average of .296 and an OPS of .811. K’Bryan Hayes, the 2025 third baseman and once perceived to be face-of-the-franchise, has a batting average of .254 and an OPS of .619, compared to Pedro Alvarez’s .256 batting average and .788 OPS.

The 2025 starting shortstop, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, has a batting average of .280, whereas Ronny Cedeno had a batting average of .256 in 2010; however, Kiner-Falefa's OPS is .663 compared to Cedeno’s .675.

The Leftfield spot shows perhaps the most disturbing differences, with Tommy Pham in 2025 hitting .183 with an OPS of .480, compared to Jose Tabata’s .299 batting average and .746 OPS in 2010. In centerfield, 2025 O’Neil Cruz has a batting average of .246, and Andrew McCutchen had a .286 average in 2010, but Cruz has a higher OPS at .861 compared to McCutchen's .814. Rightfield comparisons show Lastings Milledge in 2010 with a batting average of .236 and an OPS of .700, while Bryan Reynolds in 2025 has a batting average of .219 and an OPS of .632. Finally, since DH was not part of the National League in 2010, Delwin Young is considered for comparison. Young batted .236 with an OPS of .700, while 2025 DH Andrew McCutchen averages .257 with an OPS of .750.

PositionPlayer (2025)Batting Average (2025)OPS (2025)Player (2010)Batting Average (2010)OPS (2010)CatcherJoey Bart.264.764Ryan Doumit.251.738First BaseEnmanuel Valdez.209.657Garrett Jones.247.720Second BaseAdam Frazier.229.607Neil Walker.296.811Third BaseK'Bryan Hayes.254.619Pedro Alvarez.256.788ShortstopIsiah Kiner-Falefa.280.663Ronny Cedeno.256.675Left FieldTommy Pham.183.480Jose Tabata.299.746Center FieldO'Neil Cruz.246.861Andrew McCutchen.286.814Right FieldBryan Reynolds.219.632Lastings Milledge.236.700DHAndrew McCutchen.257.750Delwin Young.236.700

Upon reviewing the data presented, it is notable that Lastings Milledge, whose performance during his tenure in Pittsburgh has often been regarded as subpar, actually exceeds the performance of Bryan Reynolds, who is consistently recognized as one of the Pirates' leading hitters.

Of the 18 categories mentioned above, the 2025 Pirates offense exhibits proficiency in only six. It is noteworthy that while the 2025 Pirates offense is projected to have 27 shutouts, the 2010 offense was shut out only 15 times during the entire season.

After thorough investigation, I believe that the 2025 lineup is the worst Pittsburgh Pirate offense I've ever seen which inevitably led to the dismissal of Derek Shelton.

Source: The Worst Pittsburgh Pirate Offense of my Lifetime?

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