Brewers beat Bullington,Coonelly CEO Choice.

The Brewers allowed Bryan Bullington to look like a big league journeyman for five innings before chasing him from the game in the sixth on their way to a 6-1 win over the Pirates.
Bullington allowed just Prince Fielder's homer before the 6th,but was unable to to record an out in the pivotal 6th.
Here it is-Bryan Bullington does not have the stuff to be a successful MLB starter.
There-I said it.
Maybe he MIGHT eventually develop into a long relief,last man on the staff type,but I am not sure that would ever be enough for Pirates fans.
He is just SO hittable.
Teams are just able to tee off on him and he seems incapable of missing bats.
I know that there are always pitchers that rely on their defense more than strikeouts,but this seems so different.
Bullington is not a Jamie Moyer,using pinpoint control to use his defense to control the game by not allowing hard contact by the batters.
His stuff,even when he is getting outs,is just smashed and one always gets the feeling that it is just a matter of time before the roof caves in.
I admire him for his comeback efforts,but I just do not see a happy ending to the story.
Bullington was the losing pitcher to drop to 0-2 on the season.
Nate McLouth had the only Pirate RBI.
The loss was the Pirates 81st of the season,so if they run the table they can avoid the 15th losing season in a row.
In other news- Christmas gifts will fall from the sky and I will no longer have to work for a living.
The Brewers series ends today at 12:35.

In the more important news,it looks like it is a done deal for Frank Coonelly to become the new CEO for the Pirates.
Again for the reasons that I detailed yesterday,I am skeptical,but willing to be open minded.
Three names mentioned for the GM job are the previously mentioned Ruben Amaro Jr, Frank Wren,the Asst.GM in Atlanta and former Orioles GM and Tony LaCava,the director of personnel for the Blue Jays.
LaCava is a local product,which always seems to carry weight with Pittsburgh.
I think I would pass on LaCava for the same reasons that I outlined yesterday with Amaro.
Check those reasons out and just switch names.
Wren would be OK,but has been mentioned as a long shot.
No one can succeed in Baltimore,so I don't hold his lack of success there against him.

Pitching Matchup

Milwaukee: David Bush (11-10) at Pittsburgh: Tom Gorzelanny (14-7) 12:35

On the Signing Front

We finished up the in person portion of the signing season by going to Game 1 of the Carolina League Championship between Frederick and Salem.
First time all season that we were able to see the Avalanche and since it was expected to be Kinston representing the Southern Division,I didn't have a Salem team set.
So basically it was some odds and ends for Battlin Bob and myself to clean up.
The biggest catch was Carolina League MVP Mitch Einertson.
I remember Mitch from his days as a Lexington Legend and he was always a terrific signer and always took time to talk and this time was no different.
Chris Johnson signed his SAL top prospect and Lexington cards.
These were nice additions as Johnson had been promoted when the SAL cards came out.
Former big league outfielder Chuck Carr,who is the Salem hitting coach,signed one for me as well.
After the game,I was able to get former big league hurler and current Frederick pitching coach Blaine Beatty on his Frederick cards and a old Indianapolis Indian card along with prospect Tyler Henson.
Henson was part of the recently released NY-Penn prospect set and he laughed when he signed his Bowman card saying "not another of these wrong name cards".
The Bowman lists him as "Bobby" Henson.
Get used to that one,Tyler-that is the card that you will see the most!
Thanks to Bill Cover,who added Frederick's Tag Horner before the game for us and got some stuff from the Wilmington Blue Rocks,when they played in Frederick against the Keys in the Northern Semis.
The most notable Blue Rocks were hurlers Julio Pimental,Danny Cortes and Rowdy Hardy.
Thanks again,Bill.
Plans are in the works for a awards post in the future for the SAL and Carolina Leagues here based on signings etc,so watch for that down the road.

Bullpen Notes

Congrats to the Frederick Keys for winning the Carolina League title in 4 games.
The Keys were the 3rd team in CL history to win the championship with a losing record,but the Mills Cup is all that counts.
Maybe we can get a picture over the winter of the Mills Cup in the Keys offices.

The Hickory Crawdads lost the SAL North semis to West Virginia 2 games to 1.
Not a bad season in Hickory,but do not be deceived-the Crawdads are more of a veteran crew for the level and not loaded with future Pirates.
Congrats to the team though,as they always played hard and to the best of their abilities!

Former Hagerstown Sun Justin Maxwell blasted a grand slam homer in a pinch hitting appearance in the Nationals 13-8 loss to the Florida Marlins.
It was the first big league hit for Maxwell,who has certainly been on the fast track this season after starting the year in Hagerstown.
Here is hoping that it is the first of many for Justin!

And finally, John Sickels blog looks at the starting rotation of the Vermont Lake Monsters.
At least some of these pitchers will be in Hagerstown as members of the Suns next season.

Photo Credit
Bullington-Keith Srakoic-AP Photo
Maxwell-J.Pat Carter-AP Photo