Wilson Defends Tracy; Tracy Defends Wilson

How about this tidbit Dejan had in the Post-Gazette this morning [link]:

"So, the question was put to Tracy yesterday in his Busch Stadium office: Why not, just once in a while, blow his top? -- "What message are you sending to your players if you do something like that?" [Tracy] replied."

""Everybody knows their job here," shortstop Jack Wilson said. "When we don't do it, we don't need the manager to let us know that. We've all been in the big leagues""

Did I just hear from Wilson what I thought I heard? I mean, is he the owner of the team writing checks, or an employee earning his keep?

Ok.. Jim Tracy is an easy going manager who prefers to be "buddy-buddy" with his players. So was Lloyd McClendon, until his "buddies" like Wilson turned on him.

Each to their own style. I have no problem with that.

But can you imagine for just one second your employee telling you that they don't need you to let them know they messed up because they have worked for you a few years?

Excuse me, but that employee would be out the door of my business in a heartbeat. C-ya..

If the Pittsburgh Pirates organization was a well-oiled machine performing daily functions as a team consistently, I'd agree with Jack Wilson.

But what are the ground rules? Whatever Wilson wants? Whose goals are being played out? Wilson's? What behavior is acceptable? What Wilson thinks is appropriate?

Evidently.

If you have taken your first class in Psychology, raised a child, or ever had a business, you have already know where I'm going with this.

Jack Wilson's statement simply confirms that this team is not a team because Jack Wilson himself is still in the infant stage of team development [link - one view from the College of William and Mary].

Not only does he want everything his way, he's getting it spoon fed to him by the other players, the Manager, the General Manager, the owners, and the media.

It's the Jack Wilson show.

And after a game where Ian Snell threw a one-hit shutout into the 7th and the Pirates closer came in to save the game, what was Jim Tracy's comment in Dejan's second article [link]?

"Runners at the corners. If not for Jack Wilson backing up Bautista, the score would have been tied. "Heads-up play by our shortstop," manager Jim Tracy said."

You make your own mind up - look at the video yourself [link - Windows Media].

Gag me with a spoon.

If Jack Wilson hadn't been so lazy and had run over to backup Bautista quicker instead of standing around wondering what to do, Kennedy would have been out at third base because he broke on the hit. Then Torres would never have been under so much pressure to begin with.

Maybe everyone else is watching a different game than you and I are because Wilson saving a run on the play is somebody's fantasy. The only way that run would have scored is if Wilson failed to do his job, which he almost failed to do.

What did Tracy say about Snell's performance in Dejan's article?

Nothing except he pitched well.

But Tracy did say:

"You have to tip your cap to our closer."

So Wilson is the savior, Torres is God, and Snell just did his job.

Please.

Snell is both God and the savior in my book, and Torres and Wilson did their dang jobs, although some folks want to issue sympathy to Torres because he blew his last two saves and now barely got one. Ok.. here's mine - Yeah Salomon! Whooooooo! *down on knees bowing toward St. Louis because Torres did his job*

Geezz.

Maybe I just expect too much from these guys who are getting paid hundreds of thousands to millions per year to stand around and think what they are supposed to do.

Instead of doing it like Snell did tonight.

Next time I see my friend who is the President of a university with 13,000 students, and getting paid hundreds of thousands, I'm going to tell him Jack Wilson says he doesn't need to tell his employees what they are doing wrong if they have been there a couple of years.

I wonder if he'll say Wilson must think he is God?

--

It's nice to see the Stat Geek covering in detail what I have been saying here about us not plating runners, especially God Jack Wilson. It's a good read if you haven't already read it -- [link].