Jack Wilson:
Jack is hitting .291 this year (21 points above his career average) with 3 home runs and 24 RBI. He’s been hitting 8 hole all year, so the 24 RBI isn’t bad at all. He’s only played in 54 games due to that finger injury last year. The Pirates don’t need Jack because of his bat though, he’s been with the team for 9 years and he has never been considered an above average hitting shorstop. It’s his defense that makes him valuable. Jack has a career .978 fielding percentage, that number is at .976 this year. He’s committed 6 errors this year, which is 1 more than he had all of last year, but that is still a solid number. The numbers on Jack aren’t amazing, but you really grasp his greatness when you watch the team without him. Jack’s defense is just something we’ve all gotten used to and taken for granted in these 9 years. The guy is the best shortstop in the league at starting and turning double plays. He has made numerous web gems and highlight reel plays in his career, and 2009 has proved no different. It seems he makes a great play every game and is in the top 5 in web gem points on baseball tonight (how is that for a statistic). Jack’s Total Fielding Runs Above Average is 11.8, which means he has saved us 11.8 runs more than the average shortstop would have. That translates into saving us 20.3 runs this year. In comparison, Jimmy Rollins’ highest career TFRAA is 10.2, Jose Reyes has only been over 10 once in his career. There aren’t many shortstops in the league with a better number in that category. And trust me, any guy we call up to replace him will turn Jack’s +11.8 into a negative number, and I can almost guarantee that. Brian Bixler is terrible, he’s not a big league player, so let’s not make him one. Keep Jack Wilson. He’s 33 years old, but he has a couple more seasons of great baseball ahead of him, and this team can definitely compete in that time, and we will need him to do so. Jack has offered to take pay cuts to stay in Pittsburgh, he really wants to be here when he hangs them up.

Freddy Sanchez:
Freddy has been the Pirates most consistent hitter in the last few years. This year has been much of the same. He is hitting .317, and he is on base to shatter his career highs in power numbers. Freddy has hit 6 homeruns already, and his career high in that category is 11. He also has driven in 31 runs, his career high is 85. He might not drive in 85 but I think it’s safe to say he’ll hit over 11 homers. Freddy’s fielding has greatly improved this year as well, he is rated as one of the top 3 defensive 2nd basemen in the National League. Freddy has a .997 fielding percentage, you can’t do much better than that. He has made 1 error all year. He’s been apart of 56 double plays this year, he and Jack lead the league in DPs. Freddy is pretty much a shoe-in to be the Pirates’ all-star representative this year. Freddy is 32 years old and also has a good 2-4 years of this level baseball in him. Like I said before, I believe this team has the tools to compete in these next two years and they will need Freddy to do it.

These two guys are fan favorites. Everybody loves them, they are really involved in the community and both sponsor many programs to help underprivileged children and things of that like. Kids idolize them and they are really the heart of the Pirates. I understand that the Pirates are building for the future and the answer is in the farm system, but I really believe that these two guys we have to keep. Let’s face it, they both have more value in Pittsburgh than in any other city. We have no replacements for them, at least in the next 2 years. If we were to get rid of these two, we would have absolutely no chance of even hitting .500 this year or next year. The two have been at the top of the league in DPs every year they’ve played together and they are sure fun to watch. I will greatly miss both of these guys if they leave. Please Neil, keep Freddy and Jack! They have earned the right to retire in Pittsburgh, let them do it.

Today Freddy and Jack will team up with the rest of the buccos to try and complete the sweep of the Kansas City Royals. This will be their hardest challenge of the homstand as they face Zack Greinke, who leads the league in ERA at 1.90. He’s 5th in the AL in strikeouts and has 9 wins.

Greinke started out at a god-ish pace but has since slowed down a little bit. In his last 4 starts, he is 1-2 and his ERA has climbed .80 points. He gave up 5, 3, 4, and 1 earned runs respectively. He did nice work in his last start, going 8 strong giving up only 1 earned and striking out 5. The Pirates send Charlie Morton to face him, so it’s gonna take a great performance from him along with the rest of the club to defeat the Royals today. The Royals have only lost 6 times when Greinke pitches this year, and he’s made 15 starts. I think we got this though, the Pirates have been playing great baseball and the Royals just aren’t that good. Let’s Go Bucs!!