It was a bad day and night at the ballpark for the Pirates, getting swept by the Mets in a day/night double header.
Skip to 32:30 to hear thoughts on Shelton.
The Pirates lost 10-0 in the second game and while home plate umpire John Libka wasn’t to blame for the loss, he missed four calls and it was only the second inning.
On a 3-2 pitch, Mets hitter Pete Alonso walked on a pitch that looked like a strike, even to the Mets broadcasters.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton came out, not to complain about the call, but to pull pitcher Luis Oviedo from the game.
“We would expect a lot more crowing from the Pittsburgh dugout, but it’s not forthcoming,” said Mets play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen.
The guys on the Fan Morning Show took issue with Shelton’s lack of fire.
Colin Dunlap says he knows that the Shelton doesn’t have a lot of talent on his team and that arguing with an umpire doesn’t do anything but, “if you don’t have talent, you can at least show some emotion once in awhile or tell the home plate umpire he sucks. Call me old school but stick up for your guy who’s getting squeezed.
That was unconscionable, I’ll just say it.”
“At least show me you got your guy’s backs,” added Dunlap.
“You gotta show me with 26 games left you care more,” said Chris Mack.
Mack adds if it looks like the manager doesn’t care, then the players will mail it in and just play out the end of the year.
Dorin Dickerson said it says a lot that the out of town visitors were pointing out the lack of emotion from Shelton.
Dunlap says he doesn’t need Shelton to lose his temper but at least say something like “what are you doing?” to the umpire as he made his way to the mound.
The Pirates are on tough times, it would be nice to see a little fire from the manager.