You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Jason Mackey's sports chat: 05.29.25
powered byJotCast
Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page
Jason Mackey
12:10
He might be. And I'm OK with that if it means Henry is hitting. Someone has to grab the job. Right now it means Endy is the backup. He might get some RH at-bats at first base, if he hits. What Henry is doing proves what we already know: If you hit, you'll play.
PrinceBobin Montana
12:10
Do starting pitchers as a group like the limits on pitches thrown? They all used to want to finish games. If a team decided to extend the pitch limit to say, 115, or do away with it altogether and keep guys in as long as they looked good what sort of reaction do you think it would get? I know this is a really general question and won't happen but why not ask?
Jason Mackey
12:11
Always ask. It's a fun theory. What if the Pirates would comport themselves as the old school baseball team? Come here. We won't pull you after 84 pitches! Everyone gets at least 110! That would be funny. Maybe it works. But I don't see them going for it.
PrinceBobin Montana
12:11
Ben Roethlisberger just said he thought the Steelers would go 11-6 with Rodgers as their quarterback and 7-10 without. Do you think he's right?
Jason Mackey
12:12
I think those things *could happen. I think the split between the two is probably smaller. Maybe 10-7 versus 8-9?
epiballo
12:12
Great article on Mason Rudolph! Definitely fueled my desire to see him get a chance as QB1 with a full training camp and preseason games to prepare. It the Steelers' decision to pursue Rodgers, but I hope he retires and gives Mason the chance he's earned.
Jason Mackey
12:12
Thank you. Appreciate that. Sure doesn't seem like Rodgers wants to be here.
PhilinCT
12:12
Mr. Mackey, as always, thanks for your time and insight. I'm a big Henry Davis fan so I am glad he is doing well the last week or so. Assuming Bart comes back in 7-10 days, who on the roster gets sent down/DFA and how much does Davis continue to catch?
Jason Mackey
12:13
Thanks, Phil. TBD, that's who. Ha. We don't have to worry about that for a bit, so we won't. If they had to make that call right now, I'd send down Solak. But I don't.
Davis will continue to catch as much as a normal starter. Endy will back up him.
demosthenes98
12:13
Which ridiculous baseball acronym do you prefer--TOOTBLAN (Thrown Out On The Bases Like A Nincompoop) or NOBLETIGER (No-Outs Bases-Loaded Ends with Team Incapable of Getting Easy Runs)?
Jason Mackey
12:14
Here we go. Time for demosthenes98 to creatively work in some Pirates vitriol ...
demosthenes98
12:14
Your colleague Paul Zeise recently wrote that the very highest level of college football should break away from the NCAA entirely and form its own league. What do you think about this idea?
Jason Mackey
12:16
Ooh, a changeup. I like it. I don't know if it needs to be that drastic. But I do think college football should operate independently of the other sports, if that makes sense. I'm fine with different rules for football because, as James Caan said in The Program, "When's the last time 80,000 people showed up to see a kid do a chemistry experiment?" I just don't know if it has to be a big, formal thing.
Seven
12:16
Hi Jason, thanks for the chat. In reference to a previous post about Mike Tomlin, criticizing the man is not hating the man. It is more of hating the job he is doing and the travails he has brought upon the franchise. I honestly think that Tomlin attained the peak of profession very early and he may not appreciate how he arrived there - with the help of outstanding assistants and team leaders. I don't think he knows how to replicate that former success. I respect him as a person; I dislike what he has done with the Steelers over the past decade.
Jason Mackey
12:17
I don't disagree with you. I'd like to see them move on from Tomlin and have said this plenty. Also think he's an excellent coach and person. Both can be true.
epiballo
12:17
LaMont was credited for restraining Kelly from arguing with an umpire and possibly get tossed. Said he has to be there for all the players (that what the Pirate announcers said). I love when a manager shows passionate support for his players and argues with an umpire. Shouldn't that happen more often (especially with the terrible balls and strikes being called) since LaMont is there to manage if Kelly gets tossed? And can't he call the shots from the clubhouse?
Jason Mackey
12:18
Umm ... I think you need to watch arguing ALL THE TIME. There's a time and place. Donny can watch it a bit. And he has. I don't know what the communicate is like, honestly. But I don't think he's passing notes to the dugout or anything like that.
Seven
12:18
Any interest in covering the World Cup next year?Shouldn't be any Aaron Rodgers drama, anyway.
Jason Mackey
12:19
I wouldn't mind covering it, but I have a hard time believing it makes sense for the Post-Gazette to spend that sort of money. We won't get the readership to justify the expense.
demosthenes98
12:19
You wrote recently that you want Paul Skenes "to put the Pirates on blast." Why should it be just him, though? Why shouldn't every player, prospect, coach, etc. be publicly ripping the people running/ruining the Pirates at every opportunity? They deserve 24/7 ripping anyway.
Jason Mackey
12:20
Couple reasons. One, because they think they can win -- and can. Two, they're not fans -- or fanatics. In other words (I know this is hard), they see the world differently than you do.
Seven
12:20
Mike Krucek!!!!
Jason Mackey
12:20
Into the backups discussion ...
Yinzers gonna Yinzer
12:20
Do all the Yinzer who claim that "the culture, discipline, fundamentals, preparation, and accountability" that the Steelers supposedly had before Tomlin is either a myth or revisionist history ? This franchise has always had problem children. The fanboy media and lack of a 24 hour media cycle covered all of that up. Do the names Ernie Holmes, Roy Jefferson, Eric Green, Bam Morris sound familiar to anyone ?
Jason Mackey
12:21
Fanboy media! Love the blame the media comments. ... The fanboy media covered up previous disgruntled or frustrated players? I don't think so. I'm also not interested in answering for all the Yinzers.
epiballo
12:21
Rocky Bleier was wounded in Vietnam and told he would never play professional football. The Steelers gave him a chance and he had a successful career and a Super Bowl champion. Can you think of a similar story? Maybe he's one for your future column.
Jason Mackey
12:21
I cannot. But it is a wonderful story, obviously.
Extended
12:22
Nutting will extend Ben and Travis. Guaranteed. He thinks they're doing great
Jason Mackey
12:22
No, he does not.
epiballo
12:22
Do you see the Pirates extending O'Neil Cruz? There was talk early on, but nothing since.
Jason Mackey
12:22
I don't know what talk you're referring to. They've never been in the same solar system with money, as far as I've understood it. Not sure I see that changing.
Hindsight
12:22
Given the owners complete disinterest in winning or paying for a competitive team do you really think anything would've been different with the guy who is with the Brewers now ? Nutting is gonna Nutting. He runs this like he runs his publications. Nothing is gonna change
Jason Mackey
12:23
Hey, be as mad as you want. But, yes, I do. You can win on the cheap in MLB. If you make smart decisions. The Pirates haven't done that. Nutting also hasn't been a successful owner. The on-field results tell you as much. Both can be true.
Crazy
12:23
The typical Pirates Kool Aid drinking fanboys and fangirls on social media are all in the tizzy because this recent "hot streak". They think they're gonna get back in the division or wildcard race. I say the "hope" is long long dead. Who is right ?
Jason Mackey
12:24
There are people drinking Pirates Kool-Aid? I'm sorry. You lost me there.
There's no hot streak. They're playing better baseball. That's OK to admit. But their season is still sunk.
Greg
12:24
Cherrington should have been shown the door with Shelton (probably earlier). It makes no sense to have him around for the draft, considering the lack of major league talent the minor league system has produced during his tenure. It's not like he's been the only person scouting and evaluating talent. A new set of eyes from outside the organization might have a different perspective on players the team is targeting as well as some that may not have been on their radar. What have they got to lose? The new GM needs to take a hard look at the scouting department from the bottom up. The great Pirate teams of the past were built on home-grown talent...in those days, the only tools scouts had were their eyes, a notebook and a stopwatch. Seemed to work better than all the analytics they use today...or maybe the team needs better people to interpret them.
Jason Mackey
12:25
I don't disagree with you, Greg. And I think this is probably a common fan sentiment. I don't understand allowing Cherington to handle the draft and trade deadline. What evidence could the Pirates have that they'll go well?
Dumb
12:26
I wrote on the Pirates page that I thought it was a BS move that Lebo Boy pulled Skenes after 96 pitches yesterday and an 8-0 lead. Let him get a complete game. It's not like they're playing for a playoff spot.
Connecting…