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Jason Mackey's Pirates chat: 09.29.21
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Jason Mackey
12:54
Thank you, Ian.
Ted
12:54
I like the direction the organization is heading, but the expiring cba is looming. Could a work stoppage throw a wrench into the rebuild or actually help it?
Jason Mackey
12:55
I don't see how it would help it, although I guess it depends on what happens in the minor leagues. Those guys aren't members of the MLBPA, but it's also doubtful they would cross. So, another lost season helps no one. Depends on what comes of the CBA. If there's a cap and floor, then yeah, that helps the Pirates in perpetuity. If there's not, then I think it would depend on what does shake out.
PrinceBob
12:56
I cannot see much improvement next year unless they sign two and preferably three decent starting pitchers and we know they won't. There is no one on the staff you'd pick as the starter for a game you really wanted to win. Guys have potential, show it with a really good outing here or there mixed in with not getting to the fifth inning. To mention this in June would have been premature but there's been a whole season and I don't see any definite progress. Am I way off the mark here?
Jason Mackey
12:57
You're not. That's fair. I thought Stallings said it well yesterday. The Pirates have some young guys who can look good at times. The issue becomes doing that consistently. He's right. Brubaker, Kranick, Wilson, Keller, Crowe, etc. They've looked good at times. They've also struggled. Does that mean that consistency will never come? Of course not. But I think it's fair to worry about not much of that coming thus far.
Wayward
12:57
Is it just me or could spring training really be competitive in a fun way next year?  Guys like Castillo, Park, Tucker, Alford, Chavis and Castro all trying to position theirselves as part of the future.  Maybe even a Swaggerty.
Jason Mackey
12:58
No doubt. I'm in that camp. I think there will be a lot of fun battles to watch. I'm all about turning this over to the kids and seeing what they can do.
Marc G.
12:58
You can go to the box office and get paper tickets. I did it earlier this month.
Jason Mackey
12:59
Thanks, Mark. I have a tough time believing they would refuse that.
alan
12:59
If Nutting doesn't like lines he should go to a Pirate game...no lines there.....
Jason Mackey
1:00
Man, I put that one on a tee didn't I? Didn't even mean to. I think an important thing to remember, though, is COVID. Feel however you want. I'm not turning this political. But some people don't feel comfortable. Some people have family members with health conditions. I'm not judging. At the same time, the Pirates could help themselves by playing better ball, simple as that.
Matt from LA
1:00
No need to get so defensive about the objectivity question, Jason. If you are above criticism on your Pirate chats, I apologize. That said, however, I suggest that you read the comments on your Pirate articles and you will soon realize that I am far from the only reader who feels this way!
Jason Mackey
1:02
There's a difference between getting defensive and being a person. You telling me that I've basically run off a big portion of our readership because I'm not overtly negative regarding the Pirates is a couple things. 1. Wrong based on our web numbers. 2. Impossible to say for sure, unless you've canvassed these people to know why they've stopped reading. 3. Said to, for whatever reason, make me feel like shit. Again, there's a difference between getting defensive and defending myself. I'm allowed to do the latter without it becoming the former. Thanks.
alan
1:02
What kind of year would you say Stallings has had?
Jason Mackey
1:04
I don't know how he doesn't win the Gold Glove, honestly. He's fine offensively. Looks good on this team, a 7/8 hitter on better ones. Don't care. His defense has been exemplary. Look at any catching metric, he's outstanding. Throwing, blocking, framing ... tremendous in all parts. Excellent leader. Loves how he calls a game.
PrinceBob
1:04
Okay, I guess I'm wrong about the ticket thing. But Paul Zeise made some sort of reference to this last week and there was the guy last week who said he hadn't been able to buy a ticket. I'm confused now.
Jason Mackey
1:05
My guess would be the only way to get a paper ticket would be to walk up to the window and buy it? I would still have to think, though, if you buy online you're able to print at home. I don't know how you can require a 90-year-old to own an iPhone and be fluent downloading/operating apps.
Ted
1:09
Have noticed a lot of people like Matt from LA and the readers he cites only want negative doom and gloom stuff. There’s plenty of other outlets that do that. I appreciate your work. Whether positive or negative, you cover it fairly. That being said, can Swaggerty make the opening day roster next season?
Jason Mackey
1:11
You can criticize my stance on it. And maybe I am overly optimistic. I don't know. I will certainly check myself and remain cognizant of that. That said, I know what was being insinuated there. Read it again: "Although I appreciate your optimism (and considering this past season and year we need more than a little of that in our lives), when it gets in the way of objectivity and reality it serves no other purpose than to turn away your audience." .... So when optimism (has to mine, right? Who else's would it be?) gets in the way of objectivity, it turns away the audience.
1:12
Then this: "I just think that you have a tendency to be overly optimistic in your evaluations of players and their performances to the detriment of objectivity/reality." And finally: "I suggest that you read the comments on your Pirate articles and you will soon realize that I am far from the only reader who feels this way!"
So my optimism is turning away readers and Matt is far from the only one who feels that way.
1:14
Anyway, moving on ... I think that would be tough. He played so little at Class AAA and not at all at Class AA. I think that might be too much too soon. I think the smarter play would be for him to start at Class AAA, gain some confidence, then come up assuming he produces.
Wayward
1:14
Have you seen any outward impacts that Travis Williams has made on the Bucs organization?
Jason Mackey
1:15
I honestly can't say that I have, Wayward. I mean, I'm not saying they don't exist. I'm sure they do. But to point to something say, 'This is a Travis Williams creation." That's hard. I don't think we know enough about what he has his hands on, and I would like to know more. I think it's important for fans to know, too.
Matt from LA
1:15
Again, way too defensive! I DID NOT SAY that you "basically run off a big potion of our readership." I simply asked whether being overly optimistic in your opinions on a particular player, players or the team or was to the "detriment" of your readership? In other words, it may give them false optimism and an unrealistic assessment of  the team and/or the performance. Bottom line: You work for the PG and not the Pirates, right?
Jason Mackey
1:17
Matt, I went and got the quotes. You didn't ask a question. You made a couple separate statements.  ... I write what I see and think and also what others tell me. I've written that Keller has stunk. I've written and said that he's putting too much pressure on himself. I've written he has good stuff, because he does. I never wrote that he was a Cy Young candidate. This exchange has already received way, way too much airtime.
South Texas Buc
1:18
Hi Jason, love your work on the post and great job on your weekly show with Persak. When in your honest opinion do you think “everyone” will have been or will be up on the big league club? By everyone I mean everyone from BCs first draft all the way up to the 2021 draft picks? Are we looking at 2023 at the very earliest or much farther out?
Jason Mackey
1:19
Thank you, first off, for the kind words. To answer your question: no. And it never does. There will be busts, bad picks. Guys will get hurt. Development will stall. It's inevitable. But I think the hope -- and I have no way of accurately predicting this -- is that there's more good than bad and enough quality players will emerge out of that bunch.
PrinceBob
1:19
You see all the time that MLB has a lot of older fans. Anything that requires phone sophistication is going to cost them a few bucks. By the way, there's been more funny stuff today than I can ever recall.
Jason Mackey
1:19
It's been an interesting chat, for sure. End of the season, man. We're all going nucking futs.
PrinceBob
1:19
Even the people making critical comments about your articles have not been turned away. They must be reading if they're commenting, critically or not.
Jason Mackey
1:21
I'm well-aware of our traffic on Pirates content. So are m editors -- for which I'm grateful. It's one of the reasons I've pushed back. It's not about being sensitive or whatever. It's about knowing the truth when it comes to what you do for a living. If I walked into any of your workplaces and started saying what you're doing or not doing is causing this or that, without having any actual intel to back up, you'd tell me to go pound salt, as you should.
Matt from LA
1:23
Ted and Jason, I have been a Pirate fan for over 60 years now. I have seen three World Series wins by the Buccos in my lifetime and would love to see another before my "season" is over. I do not want "doom and gloom stuff"" in my Pirate coverage which, by the way, I have followed since the days of the old "Pittsburgh Press" and faithfully read daily! I just think that sports writers should be more objective in their reporting. Why? So that fans like me can have a realistic view of a team and its players. Again, your responses to my generic and general observations revealed a level of insecurity that I did not expect or ask for. If all that you wanted was a pat on the back, they you should stop writing or chatting.
Jason Mackey
1:26
Thanks, Matt. Certainly respect your opinion and want to give you a forum to air it. Also, email me: jmackey@post-gazette.com. I'll give you my cell. We can talk about where my objectivity has lacked. I'm not saying that to be glib. There are probably areas where I could do better. But it's not that I said Mitch Keller is gonna be a Cy Young candidate because I never said that. Always willing to have a conversation about what readers want, how I can best do my job, etc. But I don't respond well to assertions like the one we discussed, especially when made in public. So email me, and we'll get on the same page here.
PrinceBob
1:26
I think I should clear off now and not hog up space. But I hope those discussions about your role next year lead to you being where you want.
Jason Mackey
1:26
Thanks, Gunner. We'll see. I hope so, too.
TPHunter
1:26
Jason, just want to chime in here as an old hand who did what you do (at a much lower level) and I can say that you are a credit to the sports writing profession. As far as reader comments, take from them what constructive feedback they offer and try as best you can to not take it personally. You are a pro and I don't need to tell you that, but we've all been there. Thanks for great reads the past several years with the Pens and Pirates!
Jason Mackey
1:28
Thanks, TPHunter. I appreciate that. Nothing that I'm saying here is meant to convey that I'm above criticism. I'm absolutely not. But me, like all of you, probably have opinions you value more. For me, it's my wife, my dad (if he was still alive), my mom, my bosses, etc. Readers, too, but I'm not going to take total direction in my career from someone random person commenting on an article. I'm going to listen to those who know me best.
Donna
1:28
Hi Jason.  When pitchers with a two seam fastball and a four seam fastball look into the catcher for the sign, is there a separate sign for those two pitches or is that the pitcher’s prerogative?  Thank you.
Jason Mackey
1:29
Hey Donna, great question. Usually there's a separately sign. With some pitchers, the way their two-seamers/sinkers move, a catcher would have a tough time catching that vs. a four-seamer if he didn't know which one was coming.
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