Mark Madden: No lies detected with Dennis Eckersley's comments about Pirates

Dennis Eckersley of the Boston Red Sox TV crew was not complimentary of the Pittsburgh Pirates during Tuesday’s broadcast:

“You talk about a no-name lineup. There’s no team like this,” Eckersley said. “This is a hodgepodge of nothingness. It’s ridiculous. It really is.”

Eckersley sounded dumbfounded. The Pirates hadn’t played the Red Sox since 2017. Eckersley hadn’t recently witnessed the filth and the fury.

Eckersley’s words were a bit stiff. But no lies were detected.

That’s how the Pirates are seen outside Pittsburgh. It’s how they should be viewed locally, too. Not enough do.

Eckersley’s nasty promo got traction. There was a T-shirt the next day: “A hodgepodge of nothingness.” Marketed by a company that usually shills for the Pirates and for Pittsburgh pride.

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The Pirates lost Tuesday, 5-3.

The Pirates fired back.

Said outfielder Bryan Reynolds, “I couldn’t give any less of a crap what that guy has to say.”

Yeah, who cares what Eckersley says?

Eckersley is only an MVP, Cy Young Award winner, World Series champ, six-time All-Star and Baseball Hall of Famer. He was the first pitcher to ever a 20-win season and a 50-save season. Eckersley in his prime most often would make short work of Reynolds.

Reynolds is the best player on the Pirates. That’s akin to being the smartest guy in prison.

Pirates reliever Wil Crowe called Eckersley “bush league” and said Eckersley was guilty of betraying the “fraternity” of major-league baseball players.

Crowe has eight career wins, three career saves and a lifetime ERA of 5.05. Eckersley has 197 victories, 390 saves and an ERA of 3.50. They’re hardly in the same fraternity. Crowe is a Delta, Eckersley an Omega. “Thank you, sir, may I have another?”

Said broadcaster Greg Brown, “What’s more ridiculous? A team with the lowest payroll finishing in last place or (the Red Sox) with the fifth- or sixth-highest payroll being under .500?”

That’s the worst kind of deflecting.

The Red Sox and their $207.8 million payroll are doubtless depressed to be at the bottom of the AL East and four games out of a wild-card spot.

But the Red Sox were in the AL Championship Series just last season and won the World Series in 2018. The Pirates last won a playoff series (and a World Series) in 1979. Boston is having a poor season, but its $207.8 million payroll is evidence of trying to win. The Red Sox always do.

Pirates owner Bob Nutting offers no such evidence.

The last time the Pirates were good, from 2013-15, Nutting made their window close quicker by cutting payroll to increase profit. If the Pirates are ever good again, Nutting will do the same. Nutting absolutely can’t be trusted to do right by anything besides his bottom line.

The Pirates will never have revenue or a payroll like Boston’s. But their income is considerable. It’s a very profitable franchise. According to Forbes, the Pirates took in $258 million in 2021. Their player expenses were $74 million. You do the math.

MLB’s average payroll is $148 million. The Pirates’ is half that. Given revenue, that seems crazy low. (Writing about this for decades is such an exhausting proposition.)

Reynolds, Crowe and Brown can’t be faulted for their retorts. Reynolds and Crowe should take pride in their team, even if they know different deep down. Brown is paid by the Pirates to, frankly, be a shill. Brown functions in that capacity with a lot more dignity than many. His job is to sell the Pirates, and he does.

But perhaps it would have been better to say nothing or be vanilla. Like manager Derek Shelton’s response.

If you’re excrement, don’t be mad when somebody says you smell. You’ve lost that right.

If we’re supposed to accept the Pirates as they are, the Pirates should own what they are. Brush off things like Eckersley said, especially when they’re much more truth than insult.

The Red Sox beat the Pirates again Wednesday, 8-3. That got the Red Sox back to .500 and slightly negated Brown’s rebuttal.

For Boston, as for so many teams, playing the Pirates was just what the doctor ordered.