Dennis Eckersley on the Pittsburgh Pirates: 'A Hodgepodge of Nothingness'

When one surveys the Pittsburgh Pirates roster, it's easy to understand why it's been another rough year and they are floundering with the second-worst record in the National League. It's one of those sides that trots out there every day with about a 39 percent chance to win and that won't change until some additions are made and a group of young players progresses.

The Boston Red Sox are in town to beat up on the Buccos with Dennis Eckersley as he completes his NESN run. And because he's paid to give his honest opinion, the Hall of Fame closer offered up this pointed commentary.

"You talk about a no-name lineup, there's no team like this," he said. "I'd love to see some of the service time. You add it all up, it's not much. You know, [we] just came from Kansas City seeing all those young kids, this is different though. Doesn't it seem different? They have a lot of prospects that are playing over there. This is a hodgepodge of nothingness."

Tremendous and versatile descriptor. Hodgepodge of nothingness is so versatile. It can apply to most of the blogs I write, the platform of Andrew Yang's Forward Party, and so many other things that seem to be thrown together without any larger vision.

Eckersley took it a step further, lamenting the organization's tiny payroll as "ridiculous" and "pathetic."

None of this is news to Pirates fans who have been suffering through a particularly bleak purgatory with precious little reason for future optimism. It also shows how teams like the Red Sox are sheltered from some of baseball's darker realities. Close your eyes and try to imagine a time when Boston is completely irrelevant and listless. It might delight Yankees fans to explore this space yet it will never come to fruition barring some unforeseen explosion and tremendous cost-cutting.

Just a reminder: if you have someone in your life rooting for these dead-end franchises, try a little understanding. It's not easy getting one's head bashed in with no savior on the horizon.