Talk Is Cheap/First Impressions

Based on first impressions, I think I like the new CEO. Aside from not committing to a larger payroll (which will become more of an issue if any of our young players actually and hopefully develop into really, really good players), he said all the things that I wanted to hear. He wants to be aggressive in acquiring talent in the Far East and in Latin and Central America. He'll pay over slot money when it makes sense. He wants to build the culture of a winning team, and he wants players who are passionate about baseball and want to win. Oh, and he's eager to demand accountability. Seriously, he said all the right things.

But honestly, talk is cheap. In terms of other Pittsburgh sports franchises, the current GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ray Shero, as well as current Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made great first impressions by saying all the right things. In Shero's case, he backed up saying all the right things by forming a team (granted, helped by high end talent) that had one of the best turnarounds in NHL history. As for Tomlin, the jury is still out, but if he guides the Steelers to a winning record this season, that's when I'll be able to say that my first impression of Tomlin being impressive in saying all the right things was a correct first impression.

The PBC aren't the Steelers or the Penguins; they play a different sport in a different league, and they're also mired in years of losing. Coming into an organization in as poor shape as the Buccos, well, it just lessens the value of saying all the right things. Because until I see results, impressive verbal first impressions are meaningless.

Talk is cheap. I'm waiting for the new CEO's actions to tell me if I'm right to be impressed by his introductory comments, or if his introductory comments are just more cheap talk from an organization that's been perennially pitiful for the past fourteen years. I want to be rightfully impressed, but if there's anything that following the Pirates throughout these many years of losing has taught me, it's that talk truly is cheap.

A winning record in 2008? Then I'll revisit this post with an addendum that talk actually isn't cheap. But not until that first winning season comes.

Any guesses as to how much longer we will have to wait for the Pirates to finish a season with an above .500 record?