My Pittsburgh Pirates are off to another slow start, 1-3 going into the game tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the best pitcher in the National League Clayton Kershaw. I have no doubt that the Pirates will break their own record again this year and record consecutive losing season #21 in a row. Every winter we hear all the positive talk but I think only those drinking Jim Jones left over Kool-Aid believe it. The Pirates set this American Team Sports record of 20 years of losing in a row by bad luck. They earned it. Poor management and ownership. In the past couple years I will give them credit for one thing, they have spent some money on signing draft choices before MLB put a limit on what you can spend. I understand the Pirates are not going to be spending money on free-agents like a big market team. You can win without spending $150 million on your roster. There are teams that compete and make the playoffs on smaller budgets.

If I were to buy the Pirates or any other small market team-who will not be spending money like the Yankees and Red Sox on the free-agents here is what my approach would be. I think even if I had the money to buy the big free-agents this is what my approach would be. 1- I wouldn’t spend my money on overpaying free-agents. I would upon taking control of the team do an extensive search and hire the best General Manager I could get {Sorry Neal Huntington my first act would be letting go of you and your Caddyshack organization} I would have an open checkbook as far as hiring this GM..If I have to overpay to get the best I overpay. I then call him in and give him total control of the baseball organization. I also tell him I want him to go out and hire the best people available. Money is no object. Get the best of the best-personel people, scouts, farm director, minor league managers and coaches. I want him to go get the best instructors for the minor leagues. I don’t care how much I have to pay to get the best. I would also clean house on the major league level as far as manager-coaches go. I would encourage the GM to go out and get the team a young Jim Leyland type -someone like Leyland was when he took over the Pirates in the nearly 30 years ago. The managerment would be in place then I’d have them start building a team. There are players on this team worth keeping. There are a handful of minor league prospects who may develop. I would ask impatient Pirate fans to be patient for a couple years. After 20 years of this being stuck in reverse what is another 2-3 years? I would also keep my nose out of it. I’d be at every game but I’d let the professionals run the show.