'Bush league': Pirates fire back at Red Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley's on-air criticism

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a hodgepodge of reactions to Boston Red Sox color analyst Dennis Eckersley’s harsh criticisms that were trending on Twitter during the broadcast of Tuesday night’s game.

Where some shrugged it off as nothingness, Pirates reliever Wil Crowe fired back by calling Eckersley “bush league” for taking cheap shots at an opponent during Boston’s 5-3 win at PNC Park.

Dennis Eckersley on the Pirates (roster construction, payroll, etc):

"You talk about a no-name lineup. There's no team like this."

"This is a hodgepodge of nothingness."

"It's ridiculous. It really is. Pathetic." pic.twitter.com/qwPBnmkDTD

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 17, 2022

Eckersley, 67, is retiring from calling Red Sox games for the New England Sports Network after the season and didn’t hold back in ripping the NL Central last-place Pirates (46-71) by calling their $55,761,800 Opening Day payroll “pathetic,” describing them as a “no-name team” and a “hodgepodge of nothingness.”

Eckersley’s comments also came across as tone deaf, as the Red Sox (58-59) are in last place in the AL East despite an Opening Day payroll of $206,553,059. And they can be viewed, at least locally, as friendly fire, given that billionaire John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group owns both the Red Sox and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Pirates and Penguins both have television rights deals with AT&T SportsNet.

Crowe wasn’t afraid to throw some heat of his own before Wednesday’s game, repeatedly calling Eckersley’s critical comments “crappy.” Crowe was upset that the Hall of Fame closer who recorded 390 career saves and won the 1992 AL MVP and Cy Young awards broke ranks with the MLB Players Association by taking cheap shots at an opponent.

“The big thing is, we’re in a fraternity. The MLBPA, it’s a group of a certain select amount of people. We’re told to back up everyone from Day 1, that we’re a team, a collective unit,” Crowe said. “And he’s in the Hall of Fame. He’s one of us. It’s just surprising that a guy of his stature, where he’s from and what he knows goes on in the game and to be one of even fewer than just being in the PA to come after us when he’s on national television.”

When asked about Eckersley’s comments in his pregame news conference, Pirates manager Derek Shelton was more measured.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton offers little reaction to Red Sox announcer Dennis Eckersley’s critical comments Tuesday night, including calling the Pirates a “hodgepodge of nothingness.” pic.twitter.com/CsJbmKd9lu

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) August 17, 2022

“My reaction is he’s a broadcaster who works for another network,” Shelton said. “My concern is in our clubhouse and what our process is, and we’ll continue to concern ourselves with our group. That’s kind of my feelings on it.

“Players can channel however they want to in anything. I don’t know how they will channel it or if they will channel it. It’s not something that we’re focused on. It’s not something that we’re gonna talk about. We’re gonna focus on what goes on in our clubhouse.”

Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds stood at his locker and shrugged off Eckersley’s jabs, taking a deep breath before answering.

“I couldn’t give less of a crap with what he’s got to say about us,” Reynolds said. “I just don’t care what he says. I don’t really think we need motivation from another team’s broadcast guy.”

Added Pirates first baseman Michael Chavis, who was drafted by the Red Sox, about Eckersley: “He’s his own guy. He played the game and he’s a commentator, so it’s whatever. He can say whatever he wants.”

Crowe, however, said some Pirates players were irritated by Eckersley’s comments and suggested the club could use the criticism as “fuel to the fire” to snap a five-game losing streak.

What Crowe couldn’t comprehend was how Eckersley came across as so uninformed about the Pirates’ rebuild through the farm system, given that general manager Ben Cherington used a similar draft-and-develop process when he held the same title in Boston.

Eckersley made pointed remarks about how the Kansas City Royals fielded a young but talented team while ripping the Pirates for playing five rookies. The differences between the Royals (48-71) and Pirates (45-71) aren’t as staggering as Eckersley suggested.

When the Red Sox played at Kansas City on Aug. 4, the Royals started five rookies who have played a combined 248 MLB games and the average age of their starting lineup was 26.4 years. Against the Red Sox, the Pirates started five rookies who have played a combined 187 MLB games and the average age of the starting lineup was 25.9 years.

Where the Royals had a pair of Baseball America’s top-50 preseason prospects in third baseman Bobby Witt Jr. (No. 3) and left fielder M.J. Melendez (No. 42), the Pirates started the No. 14 prospect in shortstop Oneil Cruz. The Pirates have five top-100 prospects, though Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero and Quinn Priester are all in Double-A and 2022 No. 4 overall pick Termarr Johnson is only 18.

Crowe called Eckersley’s comments “irrational,” noting the Pirates have played more games decided by two runs or fewer than any team in baseball as a sign that they are competitive.

“That’s not because we’re a bagful of nothingness or whatever he said,” Crowe said. “It’s because we come out here and we grind every day. It might not be a winning product now, but we’re putting a good product on the field, and we’re grinding our (rear ends) off and competing every day. We understand we might be losing, but it’s not like we’re getting our brains beat in every day. We’re not losing by 25 or 15 or 10 every game. We’ve got two-run games every night.

“That makes it even tougher on us because we know we’re right there. We’ve got to get over that hump. What he said was kind of crappy … and I think a lot of guys are going to take it and let it fuel us.”