The beauty of having Christmas fall on a Friday is there's a whole glorious weekend to celebrate. Gifts, gluttony and football -- who could ask for more?
Take a break from the incessant beeping of the electronic devices and gather the family around the ottoman to put these new lyrics to familiar holiday melodies. (Maybe one of the kids has a piano app on his new phone). With a nod to the influences of Mad magazine and Allan Sherman, here's a chance to look back in a musical way while you wait for the kickoff of the Steelers game.
Sing loud and sing proud, because for all the complaining, all three pro teams were in the playoffs in 2015.
---
Trading Neil Walker to the New York Mets may have been necessary, but it definitely wasn't popular.
To the tune of "Good King Wenceslas"
So Neil Walker had to go,
Traded him to New York.
Numbers didn't add up right,
'Tho he did some good work.
One year 'til he's on the market,
Take the highest bid.
Did his job, a nice guy, too.
So long, Pittsburgh Kid.
---
Those who remember the Steelers when the offense was built around the running game are still adapting to the new emphasis on passing.
Thanks to Ben Roethlisberger and a talented group of receivers, the Steelers are setting passing records.
To the tune of "Let It Snow"
They used to hand off to Franco.
It was money in the bank. Oh,
They've found a new way to go.
Let 'em throw,
Watch 'em throw,
There they go.
The Bus would slam bang for just four,
Now they're throwing for so much more.
They're frightening every foe,
Love to throw,
Deep they go,
What a show.
A.B., Bryant and Wheaton, too.
Teams just don't know what to do.
If they force them underneath,
Ben can always go to Heath.
Oh they're moving the chains so fast now.
No-huddle shows their know-how.
Forget about the status quo,
Let 'em throw,
Scores aren't low,
Way to go.
---
Three stanzas for each of the city's three professional team.
To the tune of "Deck The Hall"
Wild-card round is unforgiving,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
One and done is not a good thing.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Arietta was so nasty
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Painful like an angioplasty,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Pedro's glove was made of steel,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Tried to trade him, but no deal.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Every ground ball was in doubt,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Hurdle's patience just ran out.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Walker's gone, and A.J. too,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Holes to fill, what will Neal do?
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Can't replace them just with scrubs,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Not with those improving Cubs.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Sid the Kid is on a skid,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Can he do what he once did?
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Looking 'way too ordinary,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
That's a trend that's very scary.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Dumped the coach for so-so start,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Stars still need to do their part.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Kessel has to earn his cash,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Or there will be big backlash.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Fleury's solid, he's the one,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
He could lead a long Cup run,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Need to pick up and start scoring,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Who dreamed this team could be so boring?
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Steelers, can they run the table?
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Maybe, is the defense able?
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Scoring points, have lots of heroes
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Need the defense to get zeroes.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Ben no doubt is in his prime,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Cannot waste this special time.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Scoreboard lights up every week,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Now plug those secondary leaks.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
The stress they cause can lead to liquor,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Took three tries to find a kicker.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Always have big expectations,
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Part of life in Steelers Nation.
Fa la la la la la la la la.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Altoona Mirror, December 20, 2015
NFL officials have obviously had a tough season, and we haven't even reached the higher stakes of the playoffs.
Calls are missed, and useless mid-week apologies are issued.
Think about it: There's the initial call on the field. Then there's a replay review. And sometimes that is followed by another judgment issued from the league offices. That's when the league sends out statements saying they're sorry.
Those can't be traded for wins.
The mistakes often lead for some to call for the NFL to have full-time officials, which has never made any sense.
Current officials work weekends only. Their "real" jobs are often impressive. Ed Hochuli, arguably one of the league's most conspicuous officials, is a lawyer during the week. Other officials are educators or business executives.
The NFL has often bragged about the real-life careers, believing it demonstrates the intelligence and character that are needed to make the grade as an official.
If the NFL required full-time commitments, it would lose a lot of the men who call games now. It simply wouldn't make sense for them to give up careers to work in football.
It's never been adequately explained what the full-time officials would do with their week. Review video? They do that now. Have critiques of their work made available? That happens now, too.
Study the rule book? So few of the controversies pertain to the application of the rules.
It's about making the calls in a split second in an environment where the players are bigger and faster than they've ever been. How is a week of classroom work going to help anyone discern which 300-pounder has possession of the football after six of them pile on it?
What are the studies they would undertake? Microphone Technique 101? Advanced Theory Of The Illegal Shift?
Maybe what the NFL needs is more officials. Maybe that means two more on the field for every game. Perhaps there should be an eye in the sky, watching from above.
Those could possibly help. Punching a time clock from Monday to Friday won't.
---
--LOOK SHARP
The NFL has a dress code and enforces it.
Sometimes players get word during the week that they've run afoul of the code because they appeared on the field with an untucked jersey or drooping socks.
It's nitpicky, but necessary. Just look at what baseball players do when they're given some latitude within the idea of wearing a uniform.
Part of the reason the NFL is so detailed is the league wants to protect its brand.
Yet the NFL doesn't give a second thought to having players wear ridiculous "alternate" uniforms like some of the monochromatic designs that have been used for Thursday night games.
The St. Louis Rams looked like a giant mustard drip the other night in an all-yellow uniform that was distracting, especially when the Tampa Bay Bucs were in a blood-red ensemble.
The idea there is extra jerseys sell, so the league is willing to experiment.
If there was money to be made in slouching socks, those would probably be OK, too.
---
--NO PRIZE
One of the local supermarket chains is giving away prizes in the name of helping to relieve the stress of the holiday season.
One of the prizes being offered is tickets to Penguins games.
The Penguins haven't exactly been a stress reliever so far this season.
---
--FAMILIAR NAME
Give Vontaze Burfict of the Cincinnati Bengals credit for one thing. He's made himself a household name in no time.
You may not love him, but you certainly know him.
Do you suppose Santa will be delivering some Burfict jerseys to kids in the Cincinnati area this week?
He's a dirty player who loves to yap, but Pittsburgh fans would love him if he wore black and gold.
Calls are missed, and useless mid-week apologies are issued.
Think about it: There's the initial call on the field. Then there's a replay review. And sometimes that is followed by another judgment issued from the league offices. That's when the league sends out statements saying they're sorry.
Those can't be traded for wins.
The mistakes often lead for some to call for the NFL to have full-time officials, which has never made any sense.
Current officials work weekends only. Their "real" jobs are often impressive. Ed Hochuli, arguably one of the league's most conspicuous officials, is a lawyer during the week. Other officials are educators or business executives.
The NFL has often bragged about the real-life careers, believing it demonstrates the intelligence and character that are needed to make the grade as an official.
If the NFL required full-time commitments, it would lose a lot of the men who call games now. It simply wouldn't make sense for them to give up careers to work in football.
It's never been adequately explained what the full-time officials would do with their week. Review video? They do that now. Have critiques of their work made available? That happens now, too.
Study the rule book? So few of the controversies pertain to the application of the rules.
It's about making the calls in a split second in an environment where the players are bigger and faster than they've ever been. How is a week of classroom work going to help anyone discern which 300-pounder has possession of the football after six of them pile on it?
What are the studies they would undertake? Microphone Technique 101? Advanced Theory Of The Illegal Shift?
Maybe what the NFL needs is more officials. Maybe that means two more on the field for every game. Perhaps there should be an eye in the sky, watching from above.
Those could possibly help. Punching a time clock from Monday to Friday won't.
---
--LOOK SHARP
The NFL has a dress code and enforces it.
Sometimes players get word during the week that they've run afoul of the code because they appeared on the field with an untucked jersey or drooping socks.
It's nitpicky, but necessary. Just look at what baseball players do when they're given some latitude within the idea of wearing a uniform.
Part of the reason the NFL is so detailed is the league wants to protect its brand.
Yet the NFL doesn't give a second thought to having players wear ridiculous "alternate" uniforms like some of the monochromatic designs that have been used for Thursday night games.
The St. Louis Rams looked like a giant mustard drip the other night in an all-yellow uniform that was distracting, especially when the Tampa Bay Bucs were in a blood-red ensemble.
The idea there is extra jerseys sell, so the league is willing to experiment.
If there was money to be made in slouching socks, those would probably be OK, too.
---
--NO PRIZE
One of the local supermarket chains is giving away prizes in the name of helping to relieve the stress of the holiday season.
One of the prizes being offered is tickets to Penguins games.
The Penguins haven't exactly been a stress reliever so far this season.
---
--FAMILIAR NAME
Give Vontaze Burfict of the Cincinnati Bengals credit for one thing. He's made himself a household name in no time.
You may not love him, but you certainly know him.
Do you suppose Santa will be delivering some Burfict jerseys to kids in the Cincinnati area this week?
He's a dirty player who loves to yap, but Pittsburgh fans would love him if he wore black and gold.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Altoona Mirror, December 13, 2015
To know Neil Walker is to like him.
He's a classy person, the product of his upbringing and his making the right choices. Playing a major league sport is tough enough, more so when that opportunity comes in a player's home town.
Here's something about Walker that you may not know. He felt badly about missing church because the Pirates' compressed weekend schedule included a lot of Saturday night and Sunday afternoon games. Walker contacted a priest friend, who agreed to celebrate a Saturday afternoon Catholic Mass in one of the conference rooms at PNC Park. It was open to anyone who worked at the park, whether they were teammates, janitors or vendors.
Walker handled his time with the Pirates well. It came to an end last week when he was traded to the New York Mets.
The Pirates traded him because he could land them a starting pitcher (Jon Niese) they needed after A.J. Burnett retired and J.A. Happ left as a free agent. They traded him because they can replace him efficiently in the short term with Josh Harrison and after that with prospect Alen Hanson.
They traded him because he's a free agent after the 2016 season and the Pirates had no interest in retaining him with a new contract.
Walker was a good productive player in his time with the Pirates. He wasn't part of the core they'll try to build around. Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte are those players, and they both have long-term contracts, which they signed in their 20s.
Teams in the Pirates circumstances can sign a few players to form that core, then fill in around them by staying fluid. Ideally, prospects come up through the system to take the jobs. That's certainly the hope with Hanson.
Walker turns 31 before next season ends. Teams like the Pirates don't commit to position players over 30. It's almost always a poor investment. It might be a good headline in the moment, but it becomes a burden that lingers.
It isn't obvious, but Walker is a below-average defensive second baseman. He has sure hands and makes accurate throws, but there are too many balls he doesn't reach. That won't get better with age.
The Pirates got the best years of Walker's career.
What about moving him to first base? If he made the transition successfully, his output doesn't project the kind of power that traditionally plays at first base. Besides, prospect Josh Bell should be ready to claim first base within a year or so.
In sports, sentiment is a word you can find between seal and septic in the dictionary. It's about business.
If you think this is a byproduct of today's Monopoly money era, think again. After the 1962 season, the Pirates decided they were going nowhere and started to rebuild.
Part of that meant trading shortstop Dick Groat to St. Louis to land a starting pitcher. Groat, who grew up in Pittsburgh, was crushed. He had been so devoted to the Pirates that he never charged anyone when he made a speaking appearance. He thought it was part of his duty to represent the team at functions like that.
Although moving turned out to be great for Groat's career, he held on to the resentment for 20 years. It happens.
Nice guys don't have to finish last. But they do get traded.
He's a classy person, the product of his upbringing and his making the right choices. Playing a major league sport is tough enough, more so when that opportunity comes in a player's home town.
Here's something about Walker that you may not know. He felt badly about missing church because the Pirates' compressed weekend schedule included a lot of Saturday night and Sunday afternoon games. Walker contacted a priest friend, who agreed to celebrate a Saturday afternoon Catholic Mass in one of the conference rooms at PNC Park. It was open to anyone who worked at the park, whether they were teammates, janitors or vendors.
Walker handled his time with the Pirates well. It came to an end last week when he was traded to the New York Mets.
The Pirates traded him because he could land them a starting pitcher (Jon Niese) they needed after A.J. Burnett retired and J.A. Happ left as a free agent. They traded him because they can replace him efficiently in the short term with Josh Harrison and after that with prospect Alen Hanson.
They traded him because he's a free agent after the 2016 season and the Pirates had no interest in retaining him with a new contract.
Walker was a good productive player in his time with the Pirates. He wasn't part of the core they'll try to build around. Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte are those players, and they both have long-term contracts, which they signed in their 20s.
Teams in the Pirates circumstances can sign a few players to form that core, then fill in around them by staying fluid. Ideally, prospects come up through the system to take the jobs. That's certainly the hope with Hanson.
Walker turns 31 before next season ends. Teams like the Pirates don't commit to position players over 30. It's almost always a poor investment. It might be a good headline in the moment, but it becomes a burden that lingers.
It isn't obvious, but Walker is a below-average defensive second baseman. He has sure hands and makes accurate throws, but there are too many balls he doesn't reach. That won't get better with age.
The Pirates got the best years of Walker's career.
What about moving him to first base? If he made the transition successfully, his output doesn't project the kind of power that traditionally plays at first base. Besides, prospect Josh Bell should be ready to claim first base within a year or so.
In sports, sentiment is a word you can find between seal and septic in the dictionary. It's about business.
If you think this is a byproduct of today's Monopoly money era, think again. After the 1962 season, the Pirates decided they were going nowhere and started to rebuild.
Part of that meant trading shortstop Dick Groat to St. Louis to land a starting pitcher. Groat, who grew up in Pittsburgh, was crushed. He had been so devoted to the Pirates that he never charged anyone when he made a speaking appearance. He thought it was part of his duty to represent the team at functions like that.
Although moving turned out to be great for Groat's career, he held on to the resentment for 20 years. It happens.
Nice guys don't have to finish last. But they do get traded.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Altoona Mirror, December 6, 2015
Adios, Pedro Alvarez. It was never dull.
The Pirates' decision to non-tender Alvarez a 2016 contract comes with less risk that it seems.
Alvarez was a one-dimensional player: He sometimes hit home runs. The rest of the time, he hit for a low average, struck out a lot, failed miserably in the cleanup spot and played horrible defense.
Not everyone can hit 27 home runs, as Alvarez did last season. But as noted previously, 22 of those home runs came with the bases empty, not many of them came in situations that clearly influenced the outcome of the game and they were probably offset by the runs he gave away with 23 errors at first base.
Defense is probably the least-appreciated aspect of baseball. A player may bat four times in a game; he's on the field for potentially 27 outs.
Pitching is important. Of course it is, and pitching and defense are partners. Gerrit Cole got 624 batters out last season. He had 202 strikeouts, which means someone had to handle the ball on 422 (two thirds) of those outs.
Alvarez's error total is misleading because it doesn't count the misplays that were either charitably scored or didn't meet the full criteria for an error. But there were still plays that an average major league first baseman could make that Alvarez didn't execute.
There's a mindset that if an error doesn't lead directly to a run, there's no harm. That's incorrect. Giving away outs means pitchers have to throw more pitches. They have to work through more high-stress situations. Errors allow the opponent to turn the batting order around. An error in the second inning might mean that the opposing team's cleanup hitter gets an extra plate appearance in the ninth inning.
Alvarez is a prototypical designated hitter, if a team is willing to trade a lot of outs for an occasional home run. He will be signed by someone in the American League looking to take a low-risk chance on a player who's a year away from free agency.
As he heads out of town, let's clear up a misconception about Alvarez: He was never apathetic about his game.
Some people got that idea because he never showed much emotion on the field. If bat tossing and helmet slamming somehow translated to success, there would be a Dale Berra wing at the Hall of Fame.
Alvarez never cheated the Pirates on effort. He was respected by teammates, and that's not a privilege afforded to slackers.
He worked. He just didn't produce, and didn't justify his status as the second overall pick in the 2008 draft or the $6 million signing bonus he was paid.
It happens. It was time to move on and stop trying to force a fit that wasn't going to work.
The challenge for the Pirates is to find an alternative that will be better. The home runs notwithstanding, that might not be as difficult as it seems.
---
--PLAYING HURT
In case you missed it, the Steelers called out linebacker Ryan Shazier over the time he's missed with a variety of injuries.
Note: This is not related to the concussion he sustained in last Sunday's game.
Defensive coordinator Keith Butler told the Tribune-Review, "He has to play through them, and that's part of growing up and being a veteran in the NFL. If you are waiting to feel good before you play, you are never going to play."
The words came from Butler, but you can bet the message came from a higher authority in the organization.
---
--FACING ADVERSITY
What could be more sad than a press conference to announce that a 20-year-old athlete has cancer?
Yet Pitt football player James Connor was so positive and determined, it turned a bad occasion into something uplifting.
Pitt students unfurled a banner at the basketball game that said, "Connorstrong."
Indeed.
The Pirates' decision to non-tender Alvarez a 2016 contract comes with less risk that it seems.
Alvarez was a one-dimensional player: He sometimes hit home runs. The rest of the time, he hit for a low average, struck out a lot, failed miserably in the cleanup spot and played horrible defense.
Not everyone can hit 27 home runs, as Alvarez did last season. But as noted previously, 22 of those home runs came with the bases empty, not many of them came in situations that clearly influenced the outcome of the game and they were probably offset by the runs he gave away with 23 errors at first base.
Defense is probably the least-appreciated aspect of baseball. A player may bat four times in a game; he's on the field for potentially 27 outs.
Pitching is important. Of course it is, and pitching and defense are partners. Gerrit Cole got 624 batters out last season. He had 202 strikeouts, which means someone had to handle the ball on 422 (two thirds) of those outs.
Alvarez's error total is misleading because it doesn't count the misplays that were either charitably scored or didn't meet the full criteria for an error. But there were still plays that an average major league first baseman could make that Alvarez didn't execute.
There's a mindset that if an error doesn't lead directly to a run, there's no harm. That's incorrect. Giving away outs means pitchers have to throw more pitches. They have to work through more high-stress situations. Errors allow the opponent to turn the batting order around. An error in the second inning might mean that the opposing team's cleanup hitter gets an extra plate appearance in the ninth inning.
Alvarez is a prototypical designated hitter, if a team is willing to trade a lot of outs for an occasional home run. He will be signed by someone in the American League looking to take a low-risk chance on a player who's a year away from free agency.
As he heads out of town, let's clear up a misconception about Alvarez: He was never apathetic about his game.
Some people got that idea because he never showed much emotion on the field. If bat tossing and helmet slamming somehow translated to success, there would be a Dale Berra wing at the Hall of Fame.
Alvarez never cheated the Pirates on effort. He was respected by teammates, and that's not a privilege afforded to slackers.
He worked. He just didn't produce, and didn't justify his status as the second overall pick in the 2008 draft or the $6 million signing bonus he was paid.
It happens. It was time to move on and stop trying to force a fit that wasn't going to work.
The challenge for the Pirates is to find an alternative that will be better. The home runs notwithstanding, that might not be as difficult as it seems.
---
--PLAYING HURT
In case you missed it, the Steelers called out linebacker Ryan Shazier over the time he's missed with a variety of injuries.
Note: This is not related to the concussion he sustained in last Sunday's game.
Defensive coordinator Keith Butler told the Tribune-Review, "He has to play through them, and that's part of growing up and being a veteran in the NFL. If you are waiting to feel good before you play, you are never going to play."
The words came from Butler, but you can bet the message came from a higher authority in the organization.
---
--FACING ADVERSITY
What could be more sad than a press conference to announce that a 20-year-old athlete has cancer?
Yet Pitt football player James Connor was so positive and determined, it turned a bad occasion into something uplifting.
Pitt students unfurled a banner at the basketball game that said, "Connorstrong."
Indeed.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Altoona Mirror, November 29, 2015
For the sake of discussion (and in the interest in coloring a certain portion of white newsprint), let's say there is a super-secret rift between Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby.
How exactly would this explain Crosby's sub-standard start?
Is he so emotionally spent that he can't muster the energy for the games? Looks like he's skating and playing at his usual pace.
Is he so resentful that he doesn't want to help the Penguins succeed? There's no reason to think a fiercely competitive player would sabotage his own career.
Is he angling to be traded? Performing well below career levels wouldn't exactly make him a hot commodity on the trade market when he's carrying a $12 million contract that runs through 2024-25. With a full no-trade clause, by the way.
None of it makes any sense.
Lemieux, who speaks in public as often as the average mime, immediately issued a brief statement through the team, calling the report "silly."
Crosby said he felt "stupid" even talking about it.
"Silly" and "stupid" sum it all up pretty well.
The faux scoop came from Matthew Barnaby, a former NHL player who appears on a satellite radio show. Apparently the same sense of ethics that guided him as a player are in force in his new career as a commentator.
Barnaby cited no sources beyond "people," and hasn't been seen around the Penguins since he played for the team in 2001.
The whole Crosby-Lemieux dynamic has been unconventional since the moment that Lemieux offered space in his massive home for Crosby to live. If you've seen photos of Lemieux's mansion, you can understand this isn't an attic apartment. The place is so big, you might need an usher to find your way from one wing to another. It's possible Crosby and Lemieux rarely saw each other when they were living under the same roof.
The relationship was unusual because most players don't have that kind of personal connection with the franchise owner. Howard Baldwin tried to forge those bonds, one of the many horrendous mistakes he made during the time he was leading the Penguins to bankruptcy.
The Crosby-Lemieux combination was further complicated by the frequent presence of Crosby's father in the locker room. Most of the other dads don't have that kind of access.
But somehow the Penguins seemed to function. They've only won one championship in Crosby's time here, but nobody is blaming that on whether he and Lemieux get along.
The story was a huge success in one regard: Before this, when was the last time anyone thought about Matthew Barnaby?
---
--J.A. THE BLUE JAY
Neal Huntington's challenging offseason got a lot tougher when J.A. Happ signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Huntington now has two gaping holes in his starting rotation with Happ's defection and A.J. Burnett's retirement. Tyler Glasnow and/or Jameson Taillon might be along some time during the summer, but don't count on rookies to step in and replace veterans instantly.
Happ signed with Toronto for three years and $36 million, which is crazy money for a 33-year-old whose only recent success of note came during his 11 starts with the Pirates.
But the vacancy he leaves is real, and so is the need to find some experienced starters either through free agency or trades.
---
--TIPPING POINT?
If the Steelers can win in Seattle, it may tilt their entire season in a positive direction.
It's a long trip and a tough place to play. Get by this one, and the Dec. 13 game at Cincinnati looms as the only really difficult opponent remaining. And even though the Bengals lead the division and beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh, facing Andy Dalton isn't like going against Tom Brady.
How exactly would this explain Crosby's sub-standard start?
Is he so emotionally spent that he can't muster the energy for the games? Looks like he's skating and playing at his usual pace.
Is he so resentful that he doesn't want to help the Penguins succeed? There's no reason to think a fiercely competitive player would sabotage his own career.
Is he angling to be traded? Performing well below career levels wouldn't exactly make him a hot commodity on the trade market when he's carrying a $12 million contract that runs through 2024-25. With a full no-trade clause, by the way.
None of it makes any sense.
Lemieux, who speaks in public as often as the average mime, immediately issued a brief statement through the team, calling the report "silly."
Crosby said he felt "stupid" even talking about it.
"Silly" and "stupid" sum it all up pretty well.
The faux scoop came from Matthew Barnaby, a former NHL player who appears on a satellite radio show. Apparently the same sense of ethics that guided him as a player are in force in his new career as a commentator.
Barnaby cited no sources beyond "people," and hasn't been seen around the Penguins since he played for the team in 2001.
The whole Crosby-Lemieux dynamic has been unconventional since the moment that Lemieux offered space in his massive home for Crosby to live. If you've seen photos of Lemieux's mansion, you can understand this isn't an attic apartment. The place is so big, you might need an usher to find your way from one wing to another. It's possible Crosby and Lemieux rarely saw each other when they were living under the same roof.
The relationship was unusual because most players don't have that kind of personal connection with the franchise owner. Howard Baldwin tried to forge those bonds, one of the many horrendous mistakes he made during the time he was leading the Penguins to bankruptcy.
The Crosby-Lemieux combination was further complicated by the frequent presence of Crosby's father in the locker room. Most of the other dads don't have that kind of access.
But somehow the Penguins seemed to function. They've only won one championship in Crosby's time here, but nobody is blaming that on whether he and Lemieux get along.
The story was a huge success in one regard: Before this, when was the last time anyone thought about Matthew Barnaby?
---
--J.A. THE BLUE JAY
Neal Huntington's challenging offseason got a lot tougher when J.A. Happ signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Huntington now has two gaping holes in his starting rotation with Happ's defection and A.J. Burnett's retirement. Tyler Glasnow and/or Jameson Taillon might be along some time during the summer, but don't count on rookies to step in and replace veterans instantly.
Happ signed with Toronto for three years and $36 million, which is crazy money for a 33-year-old whose only recent success of note came during his 11 starts with the Pirates.
But the vacancy he leaves is real, and so is the need to find some experienced starters either through free agency or trades.
---
--TIPPING POINT?
If the Steelers can win in Seattle, it may tilt their entire season in a positive direction.
It's a long trip and a tough place to play. Get by this one, and the Dec. 13 game at Cincinnati looms as the only really difficult opponent remaining. And even though the Bengals lead the division and beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh, facing Andy Dalton isn't like going against Tom Brady.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Altoona Mirror, November 22, 2015
What genius had the bright idea to send the Pitt basketball team to Okinawa for a day or two?
In case you missed it, the Panthers crossed 13 time zones to Japan in order to play against Gonzaga for an audience of U.S. Marines. The only notable element about the game was two viable Division I programs were willing to compete in a November game.
Most teams are committed to starting the season by scheduling various barber schools and other pick-up teams they find assembling on street corners.
Alas, there was no outcome in Pitt-Gonzaga. Officials called the game after one dicey half. The conditions in the building were hot and humid, which led to a slippery floor that was judged to be too dangerous.
So the players shook hands, interacted with the crowd and went home. Literally. Pitt left the next day, which was Saturday/Sunday depending on the time zone (and they crossed 13 of them again). After flying for most of a day, they had a game on Tuesday. For once, it was a good idea to have a Division II opponent ready to serve as a designated pushover.
The student-athletes presumably had plenty of time to devote to their class work given they were held captive on an airplane for so long. Nobody's music playlist is that deep.
Presumably someone at the university thought the trip itself would be a worthwhile educational experience. But how could it be? The team wasn't there long enough to see much or absorb a different culture.
What they saw was a hotel, a plane, a bus and a gym. How is that much different from their trip to Virginia Tech?
No doubt some yen changed hands somewhere along the way. Coin of the realm -- in whatever currency -- is usually behind dubious decisions in college athletics. Money has given us all-black uniforms, the GoDaddy Bowl and midnight tip-offs.
In the meantime, the players didn't even get a win or a loss. They did come away from the game with a profound appreciation for the effects of severe jet lag.
---
--THE HALL CALL
Baseball Hall of Fame ballots have been mailed to voters, and the postal load was lighter this year.
In the first step to what will surely evolve into a total revamp of the system, it was decided that those who haven't covered MLB in the last 10 years shouldn't be allowed to vote.
Actually, given that players have to be retired for five years before they're on the ballot, the 10-year limit for voters doesn't make a lot of sense. But the idea is to trim the electorate and eliminate some of the fossils who haven't been to a game since the Dodgers were in Brooklyn.
With newspapers facing an uncertain future, there will be a day when the Baseball Writers Association of America will lose its stranglehold on Hall voting. It's about time. Writers have no business making news, and it's ridiculous to exclude people as knowledgeable and honorable as Bob Costas and Vin Scully.
Ken Griffey Jr. is the sure bet on this year's ballot. Will he be the first unanimous choice in Hall voting?
Tom Seaver came the closest. He was left off just five ballots.
But there were 23 voters who didn't vote for Willie Mays, 20 who didn't think Ted Williams belonged, and 23 who declined to vote for Stan Musial. Nine didn't think Hank Aaron qualified.
No wonder they're taking a closer look at who gets to vote.
---
--NO GIFTS NECESSARY
David Ortiz has announced the upcoming season will be his last.
He'll make "just" $10 million this year (pending incentives), his lowest salary since 2006. But it's OK. He's been paid more than $143 million in his career.
So there's no need for every opposing club to come up with some sort of gift for him. Say goodbye with a scoreboard video and a nice ovation. He doesn't need anything else.
In case you missed it, the Panthers crossed 13 time zones to Japan in order to play against Gonzaga for an audience of U.S. Marines. The only notable element about the game was two viable Division I programs were willing to compete in a November game.
Most teams are committed to starting the season by scheduling various barber schools and other pick-up teams they find assembling on street corners.
Alas, there was no outcome in Pitt-Gonzaga. Officials called the game after one dicey half. The conditions in the building were hot and humid, which led to a slippery floor that was judged to be too dangerous.
So the players shook hands, interacted with the crowd and went home. Literally. Pitt left the next day, which was Saturday/Sunday depending on the time zone (and they crossed 13 of them again). After flying for most of a day, they had a game on Tuesday. For once, it was a good idea to have a Division II opponent ready to serve as a designated pushover.
The student-athletes presumably had plenty of time to devote to their class work given they were held captive on an airplane for so long. Nobody's music playlist is that deep.
Presumably someone at the university thought the trip itself would be a worthwhile educational experience. But how could it be? The team wasn't there long enough to see much or absorb a different culture.
What they saw was a hotel, a plane, a bus and a gym. How is that much different from their trip to Virginia Tech?
No doubt some yen changed hands somewhere along the way. Coin of the realm -- in whatever currency -- is usually behind dubious decisions in college athletics. Money has given us all-black uniforms, the GoDaddy Bowl and midnight tip-offs.
In the meantime, the players didn't even get a win or a loss. They did come away from the game with a profound appreciation for the effects of severe jet lag.
---
--THE HALL CALL
Baseball Hall of Fame ballots have been mailed to voters, and the postal load was lighter this year.
In the first step to what will surely evolve into a total revamp of the system, it was decided that those who haven't covered MLB in the last 10 years shouldn't be allowed to vote.
Actually, given that players have to be retired for five years before they're on the ballot, the 10-year limit for voters doesn't make a lot of sense. But the idea is to trim the electorate and eliminate some of the fossils who haven't been to a game since the Dodgers were in Brooklyn.
With newspapers facing an uncertain future, there will be a day when the Baseball Writers Association of America will lose its stranglehold on Hall voting. It's about time. Writers have no business making news, and it's ridiculous to exclude people as knowledgeable and honorable as Bob Costas and Vin Scully.
Ken Griffey Jr. is the sure bet on this year's ballot. Will he be the first unanimous choice in Hall voting?
Tom Seaver came the closest. He was left off just five ballots.
But there were 23 voters who didn't vote for Willie Mays, 20 who didn't think Ted Williams belonged, and 23 who declined to vote for Stan Musial. Nine didn't think Hank Aaron qualified.
No wonder they're taking a closer look at who gets to vote.
---
--NO GIFTS NECESSARY
David Ortiz has announced the upcoming season will be his last.
He'll make "just" $10 million this year (pending incentives), his lowest salary since 2006. But it's OK. He's been paid more than $143 million in his career.
So there's no need for every opposing club to come up with some sort of gift for him. Say goodbye with a scoreboard video and a nice ovation. He doesn't need anything else.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Altoona Mirror, November 15, 2015
You'll hear a lot of baseball trade rumors over the next month, and most of them won't come close to completion.
General managers talk all the time, and a lot of names are exchanged. That doesn't necessarily mean that someone is on the mythical "trading block." It just means that a conscientious GM is willing to listen to any and all offers. That's what GMs do.
There are occasions where a team is actively trying to move a player.
Such is the case with Pedro Alvarez. The Pirates don't want him on their team in 2016. He is a formidable power threat who contributes little else. He can't play defensively at either first or third, he strikes out too much, he's allergic to the cleanup spot, and he winds up hitting somewhere around .240.
Alvarez hit 27 home runs last season in 491 plate appearances, 437 at bats. Because 22 of those home runs were with the bases empty, his 27 home runs generated 33 runs.
Those are all valid reasons to trade him, and valid reasons why no team will likely offer much for him. Alvarez is just a year away from free agency. Is there an American League team desperate for a short-term DH? Call the Pirates, ASAP.
There are other players the Pirates are willing to trade, including closer Mark Melancon.
That would be a painful separation, based on Melancon's near-automatic work as a closer last season. But Neal Huntington has to make things fit under the budget he's given, and Melancon is creeping close to $10 million. Huntington has long had the belief that closers have a short shelf life, that they're not that difficult to replace, and that a team shouldn't spend a disproportionate part of its total payroll on that position.
This could be the test of those theories.
The difference here is Melancon should draw some significant interest if he's made available. Maybe the Pirates' first base solution could come from dealing Melancon when his value is at its highest. Maybe the new closer could come in a deal.
The Pirates wisely identified Melancon as a possible closer and traded Joel Hanrahan for him. Hanrahan blew his elbow out (he had his second Tommy John surgery in the spring), and Melancon has done an outstanding job for the Pirates.
No doubt some groundwork was set for trades at last week's general manager meetings in Florida. Things will pick up again when the Winter Meetings open in early December. Things could happen before then, too.
More than ever, being a general manager in MLB is a 24-hour job with very few days off.
---
--REPAIRS NEEDED
If Mike Johnston and his staff can't fix the power play, it's doubtful they'll finish the season with the Penguins.
Special teams are a big part of the game and a power play that can load Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang should be potent.
The Penguins have a winning record, but that speaks mostly to the quality of the goaltending they've gotten so far.
Getting the power play to kick into high gear would go a long way to securing Johnston's job, at least through the end of the season.
---
--NAME GAME
The Detroit Lions recently promoted their quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.
The man's name is Jim Bob Cooter.
Even though it sounds like a character out of Dan Jenkins' classic 1970s football novel "Semi Tough," that's really his name.
---
--REPEAT PERFORMANCE
Not sure what the record is for the most weeks being listed on an NFL team's injury report, but Ryan Shazier might be closing in on it.
Shazier is a good player, but he has to figure out a way to stay in the lineup.
General managers talk all the time, and a lot of names are exchanged. That doesn't necessarily mean that someone is on the mythical "trading block." It just means that a conscientious GM is willing to listen to any and all offers. That's what GMs do.
There are occasions where a team is actively trying to move a player.
Such is the case with Pedro Alvarez. The Pirates don't want him on their team in 2016. He is a formidable power threat who contributes little else. He can't play defensively at either first or third, he strikes out too much, he's allergic to the cleanup spot, and he winds up hitting somewhere around .240.
Alvarez hit 27 home runs last season in 491 plate appearances, 437 at bats. Because 22 of those home runs were with the bases empty, his 27 home runs generated 33 runs.
Those are all valid reasons to trade him, and valid reasons why no team will likely offer much for him. Alvarez is just a year away from free agency. Is there an American League team desperate for a short-term DH? Call the Pirates, ASAP.
There are other players the Pirates are willing to trade, including closer Mark Melancon.
That would be a painful separation, based on Melancon's near-automatic work as a closer last season. But Neal Huntington has to make things fit under the budget he's given, and Melancon is creeping close to $10 million. Huntington has long had the belief that closers have a short shelf life, that they're not that difficult to replace, and that a team shouldn't spend a disproportionate part of its total payroll on that position.
This could be the test of those theories.
The difference here is Melancon should draw some significant interest if he's made available. Maybe the Pirates' first base solution could come from dealing Melancon when his value is at its highest. Maybe the new closer could come in a deal.
The Pirates wisely identified Melancon as a possible closer and traded Joel Hanrahan for him. Hanrahan blew his elbow out (he had his second Tommy John surgery in the spring), and Melancon has done an outstanding job for the Pirates.
No doubt some groundwork was set for trades at last week's general manager meetings in Florida. Things will pick up again when the Winter Meetings open in early December. Things could happen before then, too.
More than ever, being a general manager in MLB is a 24-hour job with very few days off.
---
--REPAIRS NEEDED
If Mike Johnston and his staff can't fix the power play, it's doubtful they'll finish the season with the Penguins.
Special teams are a big part of the game and a power play that can load Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang should be potent.
The Penguins have a winning record, but that speaks mostly to the quality of the goaltending they've gotten so far.
Getting the power play to kick into high gear would go a long way to securing Johnston's job, at least through the end of the season.
---
--NAME GAME
The Detroit Lions recently promoted their quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.
The man's name is Jim Bob Cooter.
Even though it sounds like a character out of Dan Jenkins' classic 1970s football novel "Semi Tough," that's really his name.
---
--REPEAT PERFORMANCE
Not sure what the record is for the most weeks being listed on an NFL team's injury report, but Ryan Shazier might be closing in on it.
Shazier is a good player, but he has to figure out a way to stay in the lineup.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Altoona Mirror, November 8, 2015
You can argue whether sports are better than they used to be, but there's no question they're more complicated.
The Steelers didn't even have an offensive coordinator in 1974 when they won their first Super Bowl. Play calling was a collaborative effort between Chuck Noll and the quarterbacks.
Today the Steelers have 15 assistant coaches. There are separate coaches for inside and outside linebackers.
Baseball teams used to have four coaches. The Pirates had eight last season, which doesn't include the full-time bullpen catcher or the minor league staffers who joined the team in September.
There are two hitting coaches, and even old-timers insist that's necessary. One can keep an eye on the field, while the assistant can go down the runway to review an at-bat on video with a hitter. Funny, but Pedro Alvarez still winds up hitting .243
NHL teams used to be coached by one person. It was groundbreaking when teams started hiring one assistant, even if his main purpose was to serve as a drinking buddy for the head coach. Today, everybody has at least three assistants, including one who handles goaltending.
Baseball added a bench coach a couple of decades ago. The bench coach keeps an eye on details that might escape the manager during a game.
When Jim Leyland and Lloyd McClendon started their major league managing careers, they were given Bill Virdon as a bench coach. The feeling was that Virdon, a veteran of managing 1,918 games, would be the ideal aide for a first-year manager. He could keep things calm in case the manager got overwhelmed or Leyland was out for a smoke.
The idea of bench coach could work in the NFL, too. Mike Tomlin is proof of that.
An NFL sideline is chaotic. People are constantly yelling, swearing, sweating, bleeding. Some coaches are on the bench, some are upstairs in a booth, communicating via headsets that sometimes work properly.
There's a lot to handle. We don't know exactly how the Steelers sideline operates, but it appears that Tomlin maintains a policy of speak-only-when-you're-spoken-to with his staff. You don't see people approaching him to initiate conversations and make suggestions.
Maybe that's where some of the details get away, like clock management.
Let everyone else handle the x's and o's. Tomlin needs a guy who can notice the Steelers are getting cheated out of time as the clock incorrectly runs. They need someone who can remind the coach it's in his best interests to spend a time out rather than let 38 valuable seconds tick away until the two-minute warning.
Tomlin has shown no particular aptitude for managing the clock, and his cavalier answers when questioned about those matters about suggest he doesn't think it's all that important.
But it is. Knowing how to use the clock is part of coaching.
If he doesn't want to tackle the job, give him someone who can handle that responsibility.
When you already have 15 assistants, what's one more?
---
--SLIPPING THROUGH
If you've been to a game at Heinz Field, you're familiar with the NFL's stringent security policies.
There are metal detectors, visual searches and a requirement that bags are see-through. You can wind up in a five-minute debate over whether a lipstick represents dangerous contraband.
So how did protestors in Carolina get through the gates with professional rappelling equipment and a giant banner that they used to interrupt the Monday night game?
Maybe they arrived late, when the priority seems to be getting people inside the stadium quickly rather than really paying much attention to what they're doing.
It's another reminder that the procedures are more about the appearance of security than actual scrutiny.
---
--BUDDING STAR
Pitt's season has taken a sour turn over the last two weeks with visits from North Carolina and Notre Dame.
One positive development in Saturday's game was Jordan Whitehead's two touchdowns. The gifted freshman has been helping on defense. He reminded that he can be a significant weapon on offense, too.
---
--EARLY MVP
For all the money the Penguins are paying Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury has been the team's best player through the first month. By far.
The Steelers didn't even have an offensive coordinator in 1974 when they won their first Super Bowl. Play calling was a collaborative effort between Chuck Noll and the quarterbacks.
Today the Steelers have 15 assistant coaches. There are separate coaches for inside and outside linebackers.
Baseball teams used to have four coaches. The Pirates had eight last season, which doesn't include the full-time bullpen catcher or the minor league staffers who joined the team in September.
There are two hitting coaches, and even old-timers insist that's necessary. One can keep an eye on the field, while the assistant can go down the runway to review an at-bat on video with a hitter. Funny, but Pedro Alvarez still winds up hitting .243
NHL teams used to be coached by one person. It was groundbreaking when teams started hiring one assistant, even if his main purpose was to serve as a drinking buddy for the head coach. Today, everybody has at least three assistants, including one who handles goaltending.
Baseball added a bench coach a couple of decades ago. The bench coach keeps an eye on details that might escape the manager during a game.
When Jim Leyland and Lloyd McClendon started their major league managing careers, they were given Bill Virdon as a bench coach. The feeling was that Virdon, a veteran of managing 1,918 games, would be the ideal aide for a first-year manager. He could keep things calm in case the manager got overwhelmed or Leyland was out for a smoke.
The idea of bench coach could work in the NFL, too. Mike Tomlin is proof of that.
An NFL sideline is chaotic. People are constantly yelling, swearing, sweating, bleeding. Some coaches are on the bench, some are upstairs in a booth, communicating via headsets that sometimes work properly.
There's a lot to handle. We don't know exactly how the Steelers sideline operates, but it appears that Tomlin maintains a policy of speak-only-when-you're-spoken-to with his staff. You don't see people approaching him to initiate conversations and make suggestions.
Maybe that's where some of the details get away, like clock management.
Let everyone else handle the x's and o's. Tomlin needs a guy who can notice the Steelers are getting cheated out of time as the clock incorrectly runs. They need someone who can remind the coach it's in his best interests to spend a time out rather than let 38 valuable seconds tick away until the two-minute warning.
Tomlin has shown no particular aptitude for managing the clock, and his cavalier answers when questioned about those matters about suggest he doesn't think it's all that important.
But it is. Knowing how to use the clock is part of coaching.
If he doesn't want to tackle the job, give him someone who can handle that responsibility.
When you already have 15 assistants, what's one more?
---
--SLIPPING THROUGH
If you've been to a game at Heinz Field, you're familiar with the NFL's stringent security policies.
There are metal detectors, visual searches and a requirement that bags are see-through. You can wind up in a five-minute debate over whether a lipstick represents dangerous contraband.
So how did protestors in Carolina get through the gates with professional rappelling equipment and a giant banner that they used to interrupt the Monday night game?
Maybe they arrived late, when the priority seems to be getting people inside the stadium quickly rather than really paying much attention to what they're doing.
It's another reminder that the procedures are more about the appearance of security than actual scrutiny.
---
--BUDDING STAR
Pitt's season has taken a sour turn over the last two weeks with visits from North Carolina and Notre Dame.
One positive development in Saturday's game was Jordan Whitehead's two touchdowns. The gifted freshman has been helping on defense. He reminded that he can be a significant weapon on offense, too.
---
--EARLY MVP
For all the money the Penguins are paying Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury has been the team's best player through the first month. By far.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Altoona Mirror, November 1, 2015
There were reports last week that Ben Roethlisberger plans to open a restaurant on the North Side, not far from Heinz Field.
The name of the proposed place will be something like "The 7 Grill," to play on Roethlisberger's well-known uniform number.
They could just as easily call the place "Redemption."
A well-known athlete lending his name to a restaurant venture is nothing new. It happens all the time, something obvious in the presence of Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 in the same area.
It's usually a pretty safe investment. The player may put up some money, but often there's just an agreement to hand over a percentage of profits in exchange for using a popular name to draw customers to the place.
The news here is that Roethlisberger has sufficiently repaired his image to the point that a business with his name on it is a viable concept. People will willingly go to a place they associate with Roethlisberger.
It wasn't that long ago that Roethlisberger had two consecutive offseasons in which women claimed he had forced himself upon them. The second incident, which involved buying drinks for a college student who was not old enough to legally drink, drew the wrath of the NFL.
Roethlisberger was never charged with a crime. However, the league suspended him for the first six games of the 2010 season, a penalty that was later reduced to four games.
Roethlisberger was a virtual poster boy for the kind of creepy behavior and sense of entitlement that afflicts a lot of athletes who get too famous too fast.
Bill Cowher was enraged when Roethlisberger accepted an invitation to be a guest on David Letterman's show. Cowher believed that Roethlisberger's sudden celebrity had exceeded his level of accomplishment. Roethlisberger was free to make the trip to New York on an off day, but Cowher made it clear he didn't like it.
Roethlisberger wasn't widely liked within the Steelers locker room. By the nature of their job, quarterbacks are supposed to be consensus builders, leaders who find ways to help teammates bond and buy into a common goal.
Roethlisberger didn't care much about that. He was close with some of his linemen and tight end Heath Miller. His relationship with Hines Ward was notoriously frosty, and Bettis wasn't a big Big Ben fan, either.
Defensive players? Roethlisberger may have needed to consult a roster to match names to faces.
Things changed radically -- and for the better -- after the second offseason incident, the one in Georgia.
Whether it was inspired by outside influences or his own soul-searching, Roethlisberger became a new man. He repaired rifts in the locker room. He settled down and got married. He and his wife now have two children. Once deliberately distant and perfunctory with the media, he signed on for a weekly radio show and tries to be as candid as football paranoia allows.
If there have any missteps off the field, they haven't come to light. In an era of cell phone cameras and scandal-loving websites, it's hard to believe any significant misbehavior has gone under the radar.
He's a kinder and gentler Big Ben. The transformation has been complete, and it's admirable.
He's gone from a guy who gathered a posse and went crudely marauding through a college town to someone whose name is likely to be in neon lights atop a restaurant.
And people won't have any qualms about taking the family there for dinner.
---
--JUST ASKING
What does it say about the state of college football when Notre Dame vs. Temple is suddenly a marquee match-up?
---
--DOWN THE FLOW CHART
Ruben Amaro Jr. was fired after six years as the Philadelphia Phillies' general manager.
He has signed on to be the first base coach for the Boston Red Sox.
This is like going from being the ringmaster of the circus to being the guy who follows the elephants with a shovel.
The name of the proposed place will be something like "The 7 Grill," to play on Roethlisberger's well-known uniform number.
They could just as easily call the place "Redemption."
A well-known athlete lending his name to a restaurant venture is nothing new. It happens all the time, something obvious in the presence of Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 in the same area.
It's usually a pretty safe investment. The player may put up some money, but often there's just an agreement to hand over a percentage of profits in exchange for using a popular name to draw customers to the place.
The news here is that Roethlisberger has sufficiently repaired his image to the point that a business with his name on it is a viable concept. People will willingly go to a place they associate with Roethlisberger.
It wasn't that long ago that Roethlisberger had two consecutive offseasons in which women claimed he had forced himself upon them. The second incident, which involved buying drinks for a college student who was not old enough to legally drink, drew the wrath of the NFL.
Roethlisberger was never charged with a crime. However, the league suspended him for the first six games of the 2010 season, a penalty that was later reduced to four games.
Roethlisberger was a virtual poster boy for the kind of creepy behavior and sense of entitlement that afflicts a lot of athletes who get too famous too fast.
Bill Cowher was enraged when Roethlisberger accepted an invitation to be a guest on David Letterman's show. Cowher believed that Roethlisberger's sudden celebrity had exceeded his level of accomplishment. Roethlisberger was free to make the trip to New York on an off day, but Cowher made it clear he didn't like it.
Roethlisberger wasn't widely liked within the Steelers locker room. By the nature of their job, quarterbacks are supposed to be consensus builders, leaders who find ways to help teammates bond and buy into a common goal.
Roethlisberger didn't care much about that. He was close with some of his linemen and tight end Heath Miller. His relationship with Hines Ward was notoriously frosty, and Bettis wasn't a big Big Ben fan, either.
Defensive players? Roethlisberger may have needed to consult a roster to match names to faces.
Things changed radically -- and for the better -- after the second offseason incident, the one in Georgia.
Whether it was inspired by outside influences or his own soul-searching, Roethlisberger became a new man. He repaired rifts in the locker room. He settled down and got married. He and his wife now have two children. Once deliberately distant and perfunctory with the media, he signed on for a weekly radio show and tries to be as candid as football paranoia allows.
If there have any missteps off the field, they haven't come to light. In an era of cell phone cameras and scandal-loving websites, it's hard to believe any significant misbehavior has gone under the radar.
He's a kinder and gentler Big Ben. The transformation has been complete, and it's admirable.
He's gone from a guy who gathered a posse and went crudely marauding through a college town to someone whose name is likely to be in neon lights atop a restaurant.
And people won't have any qualms about taking the family there for dinner.
---
--JUST ASKING
What does it say about the state of college football when Notre Dame vs. Temple is suddenly a marquee match-up?
---
--DOWN THE FLOW CHART
Ruben Amaro Jr. was fired after six years as the Philadelphia Phillies' general manager.
He has signed on to be the first base coach for the Boston Red Sox.
This is like going from being the ringmaster of the circus to being the guy who follows the elephants with a shovel.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Altoona Mirror, October 25, 2015
How much can the Steelers trust Martavis Bryant?
Bryant has proven his worth on the field. He changed the entire dynamic of the passing game last season when he finally broke into the lineup. He was the deep threat the team needed to complement Antonio Brown.
In his first game this season, he played a big role in last Sunday's home victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Overshadowed by the sudden outbreak of Landry Jones-mania, Bryant made two exceptional plays.
He made a difficult catch in coverage, then made sure he came down inside the end zone as he was being hit. The one that's been repeated all week is the catch and run (mostly the latter) that covered 88 yards, thanks to Bryant's ability to adapt and improvise on the fly.
Bryant is a gifted player, one who can do much more than just run fast and go deep the way Mike Wallace used to.
He's also very familiar to the people who enforce the NFL's drug policies.
Bryant missed the first four games this season because he was suspended for failing multiple marijuana tests.
This isn't the time or place for a debate about the decriminalization of marijuana, which is now legal in several states. The fact is it's a violation of the NFL drug policy, which has been collectively bargained by the Players Association.
Right or wrong, it's the law, at least as far as the NFL is concerned.
Bryant is only in his second NFL season, but he's a veteran of the process.
He was suspended for four games because he failed more than one test. Because of his past violations, he is tested more frequently than other players. If he fails another test, he could be suspended for 10 games.
If it got beyond that, he could be suspended for a minimum of one season.
The Steelers were vague about what treatment Bryant sought. There have been reports that his mother moved to Pittsburgh to help him manage his life.
Bryant has the opportunity to make millions of dollars. He's that good. He also the chance to become a cautionary tale that is cited often, a guy who had exceptional potential and blew it.
So what do the Steelers do? Can they count on Bryant going forward? Or are they better off planning for a future without him?
Supposedly they drafted receiver Sammie Coates this spring because they knew Bryant was facing a suspension.
The Steelers have been down this road before. They drafted Santonio Holmes in the first round because of his talent and despite some unfavorable reports about his life away from the field.
Holmes made some great plays in his time with the team, including the incredibly difficult game-winning catch in Super Bowl 43. But ultimately his off-field issues became too much of a burden and the Steelers gave him away.
Is that the fate ultimately awaiting Bryant?
---
--KEY LOSS
MLB free agency hasn't even started and the Pirates have lost a key player.
Jim Benedict, a special assistant to the general manager who coordinated pitching instruction, has moved to a bigger and better job with the Miami Marlins.
Benedict worked closely with pitching coach Ray Searage. Where Searage had day-to-day responsibility for all 12 pitchers on the roster, Benedict could focus more on individuals and also evaluate pitchers the Pirates were considering acquiring.
Benedict is good. Of course's he's not infallible -- Charlie Morton continues to be vexing while Jonathan Sanchez and Radhames Liz flopped. But Benedict was a major asset to the organization.
Do the Pirates have someone who can step up and fill the job he just vacated?
---
--SMILING DAN
The Penguins saluted Dan Potash the other night, noting his long tenure as an in-game reporter for Root Sports.
Potash has been covering the Penguins for 15 years.
Seems longer.
Bryant has proven his worth on the field. He changed the entire dynamic of the passing game last season when he finally broke into the lineup. He was the deep threat the team needed to complement Antonio Brown.
In his first game this season, he played a big role in last Sunday's home victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Overshadowed by the sudden outbreak of Landry Jones-mania, Bryant made two exceptional plays.
He made a difficult catch in coverage, then made sure he came down inside the end zone as he was being hit. The one that's been repeated all week is the catch and run (mostly the latter) that covered 88 yards, thanks to Bryant's ability to adapt and improvise on the fly.
Bryant is a gifted player, one who can do much more than just run fast and go deep the way Mike Wallace used to.
He's also very familiar to the people who enforce the NFL's drug policies.
Bryant missed the first four games this season because he was suspended for failing multiple marijuana tests.
This isn't the time or place for a debate about the decriminalization of marijuana, which is now legal in several states. The fact is it's a violation of the NFL drug policy, which has been collectively bargained by the Players Association.
Right or wrong, it's the law, at least as far as the NFL is concerned.
Bryant is only in his second NFL season, but he's a veteran of the process.
He was suspended for four games because he failed more than one test. Because of his past violations, he is tested more frequently than other players. If he fails another test, he could be suspended for 10 games.
If it got beyond that, he could be suspended for a minimum of one season.
The Steelers were vague about what treatment Bryant sought. There have been reports that his mother moved to Pittsburgh to help him manage his life.
Bryant has the opportunity to make millions of dollars. He's that good. He also the chance to become a cautionary tale that is cited often, a guy who had exceptional potential and blew it.
So what do the Steelers do? Can they count on Bryant going forward? Or are they better off planning for a future without him?
Supposedly they drafted receiver Sammie Coates this spring because they knew Bryant was facing a suspension.
The Steelers have been down this road before. They drafted Santonio Holmes in the first round because of his talent and despite some unfavorable reports about his life away from the field.
Holmes made some great plays in his time with the team, including the incredibly difficult game-winning catch in Super Bowl 43. But ultimately his off-field issues became too much of a burden and the Steelers gave him away.
Is that the fate ultimately awaiting Bryant?
---
--KEY LOSS
MLB free agency hasn't even started and the Pirates have lost a key player.
Jim Benedict, a special assistant to the general manager who coordinated pitching instruction, has moved to a bigger and better job with the Miami Marlins.
Benedict worked closely with pitching coach Ray Searage. Where Searage had day-to-day responsibility for all 12 pitchers on the roster, Benedict could focus more on individuals and also evaluate pitchers the Pirates were considering acquiring.
Benedict is good. Of course's he's not infallible -- Charlie Morton continues to be vexing while Jonathan Sanchez and Radhames Liz flopped. But Benedict was a major asset to the organization.
Do the Pirates have someone who can step up and fill the job he just vacated?
---
--SMILING DAN
The Penguins saluted Dan Potash the other night, noting his long tenure as an in-game reporter for Root Sports.
Potash has been covering the Penguins for 15 years.
Seems longer.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Altoona Mirror, October 18, 2015
Go Cubs.
Everyone should be rooting for the Chicago Cubs in the MLB postseason, and here's why:
Success will shut up their insufferable fans.
The Cubs haven't been in a World Series since 1945, and haven't won one since 1908. The one positive outcome from that is a semi-clever t-shirt that says, "Anyone Can Have A Bad Century."
Beyond that, though, it's the kind of non-stop woe-is-us whining that Boston Red Sox fans used to unleash until they started winning World Series.
Cubs fans embrace their misery. They're the ones who relish following the lovable losers, the team that never wins. Twenty straight losing seasons only made Pirates fans angry. Cubs fans celebrate the non-stop heartbreak.
There's the curse of the billy goat, the black cat that crossed Ron Santo's path in 1969, and Steve Bartman. Lots of Bartman. He was the oddly-dressed, headphone-wearing fan who reached for a foul ball that Moises Alou appeared to be poised to catch in the National League Championship Series game against Florida on Oct. 14, 2003.
Alou threw a fit, which made Bartman an instant villain. Things got worse as the Marlins rallied to win the game after they'd been four outs from being eliminated in the series. Bartman had to be escorted out of Wrigley Field. He's been in hiding ever since.
If the Cubs win the World Series, Bartman can rejoin society, or at least go to the supermarket without a disguise.
The Cubs were free to get hitters out after the Bartman foul ball, but somehow managed not to do that. They were also allowed to win the deciding game of the series, too, but that got away from them as well.
But in Cub fan mythology, it was all Bartman's fault, no doubt aided and abetted by the billy goat and the black cat.
Folk singer Steve Goodman wrote, "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request" that summed up the experience of rooting for the team that never wins. When Goodman sang "Take Me Out To The Ball game," he would revise the lyrics to, "Root, root, root for the home team/If they don't win, what else is new?" Goodman died of leukemia at age 36. Some of his ashes were scattered at Wrigley Field.
Cubs fans wallow in their misery. Now they're in danger of having the kind of success that's eluded them for 107 years.
This year's Cubs aren't an especially lovable bunch. Manager Joe Maddon may be too cool for his own good. But they're good. Not only can they win it all this year, they project as contenders for years to come.
Root for them. Let's see how their fans celebrate success instead of throwing the usual pity party.
---
--CALLING A PENALTY
The Steelers' Cam Heyward got a hefty fine from the NFL for putting his late father's nickname, "Ironhead" on the eye black strips he wore in last Monday's game.
That seems harsh, but the NFL really has no choice. If the league lets players freelance on messages attached to themselves or uniforms, it then gets into the slippery business of evaluating (and potentially censoring) each message.
Heyward's tribute to his father, a bone cancer victim at 39, is certainly not objectionable. But what if someone else decides to pay tribute to O.J. Simpson? Or Aaron Hernandez?
Players are paid well, and part of the deal is the NFL dictates what messages they can display on the field.
It's a tough but necessary policy.
---
--HOMECOMING
Arizona coach Bruce Arians has said all week that today's game at Heinz Field is just another stop on the schedule.
But if his Cardinals leave with a win and at least 40 points on the scoreboard, you have the feeling Arians will have an extra bounce in his step.
Being fired by the Steelers turned out to be a positive thing for Arians, but it had to sting in the moment.
Without his friend Ben Roethlisberger in the game, Arians will have no remorse about making the Steelers suffer if the opportunity presents itself.
Everyone should be rooting for the Chicago Cubs in the MLB postseason, and here's why:
Success will shut up their insufferable fans.
The Cubs haven't been in a World Series since 1945, and haven't won one since 1908. The one positive outcome from that is a semi-clever t-shirt that says, "Anyone Can Have A Bad Century."
Beyond that, though, it's the kind of non-stop woe-is-us whining that Boston Red Sox fans used to unleash until they started winning World Series.
Cubs fans embrace their misery. They're the ones who relish following the lovable losers, the team that never wins. Twenty straight losing seasons only made Pirates fans angry. Cubs fans celebrate the non-stop heartbreak.
There's the curse of the billy goat, the black cat that crossed Ron Santo's path in 1969, and Steve Bartman. Lots of Bartman. He was the oddly-dressed, headphone-wearing fan who reached for a foul ball that Moises Alou appeared to be poised to catch in the National League Championship Series game against Florida on Oct. 14, 2003.
Alou threw a fit, which made Bartman an instant villain. Things got worse as the Marlins rallied to win the game after they'd been four outs from being eliminated in the series. Bartman had to be escorted out of Wrigley Field. He's been in hiding ever since.
If the Cubs win the World Series, Bartman can rejoin society, or at least go to the supermarket without a disguise.
The Cubs were free to get hitters out after the Bartman foul ball, but somehow managed not to do that. They were also allowed to win the deciding game of the series, too, but that got away from them as well.
But in Cub fan mythology, it was all Bartman's fault, no doubt aided and abetted by the billy goat and the black cat.
Folk singer Steve Goodman wrote, "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request" that summed up the experience of rooting for the team that never wins. When Goodman sang "Take Me Out To The Ball game," he would revise the lyrics to, "Root, root, root for the home team/If they don't win, what else is new?" Goodman died of leukemia at age 36. Some of his ashes were scattered at Wrigley Field.
Cubs fans wallow in their misery. Now they're in danger of having the kind of success that's eluded them for 107 years.
This year's Cubs aren't an especially lovable bunch. Manager Joe Maddon may be too cool for his own good. But they're good. Not only can they win it all this year, they project as contenders for years to come.
Root for them. Let's see how their fans celebrate success instead of throwing the usual pity party.
---
--CALLING A PENALTY
The Steelers' Cam Heyward got a hefty fine from the NFL for putting his late father's nickname, "Ironhead" on the eye black strips he wore in last Monday's game.
That seems harsh, but the NFL really has no choice. If the league lets players freelance on messages attached to themselves or uniforms, it then gets into the slippery business of evaluating (and potentially censoring) each message.
Heyward's tribute to his father, a bone cancer victim at 39, is certainly not objectionable. But what if someone else decides to pay tribute to O.J. Simpson? Or Aaron Hernandez?
Players are paid well, and part of the deal is the NFL dictates what messages they can display on the field.
It's a tough but necessary policy.
---
--HOMECOMING
Arizona coach Bruce Arians has said all week that today's game at Heinz Field is just another stop on the schedule.
But if his Cardinals leave with a win and at least 40 points on the scoreboard, you have the feeling Arians will have an extra bounce in his step.
Being fired by the Steelers turned out to be a positive thing for Arians, but it had to sting in the moment.
Without his friend Ben Roethlisberger in the game, Arians will have no remorse about making the Steelers suffer if the opportunity presents itself.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Altoona Mirror, October 11, 2015
One and done turned out to be the story of the Pirates in the postseason for a second consecutive season.
Jake Arietta proved that his insane second half numbers were no fluke. The Pirates couldn't do anything with him and lost the wild card game to the Cubs.
Of course, that's sparked a lot of complaints that the one-game wild card play-in is unfair. There didn't seem a lot of sentiment in that direction two years ago when the Pirates dispatched the Reds in the wild card round.
Nobody much cared that the Reds were suddenly heading home after a successful season. People were probably too busy chanting Johnny Cueto's name and fighting with Mat Latos' wife to think much about the Reds.
Of course, the Reds only won 90 games that season and were a true wild card. Their record wouldn't have won any of the six divisions.
The Pirates won 98 games this season, and their record would have led any division other than the National League Central.
The obvious answer is the one the Pirates emphasized all season: Avoid the wild card round. That was too big a task in a season that saw the Cardinals win 100 games. The other solution is to win the wild card game. That didn't happen because Arietta continued the incredible pitching that characterized the second half of his season.
It's all spilled milk now, but take a look at his numbers from the middle of June through the rest of the season: 16-1 with a 0.86 earned run average. Opponents batted .150 against him, had an on-base percentage of .200 and slugged .210. Arietta walked 17 batters and struck out 147. In his 147 innings, he allowed two home runs.
Even in a best-of-three wild card series, the Cubs would have been halfway toward winning with one Arietta start.
The best of three isn't really workable anyway. The season ends on Sunday. MLB keeps Monday open in case any division ends up in a tie and needs a one-game playoff.
They'd have to block out four days to play a potential three-game series. That means the division series wouldn't open until Sunday, which would keep the division winners idle for a full week after the end of the regular season.
So one and done is going to continue. Cubs fans have no problem with it, just as Pirates fans didn't in 2013.
---
--NEW WAVE
The Seattle Mariners fired Lloyd McClendon as manager after two seasons, one pretty good and one hugely disappointing.
McClendon was doomed as soon as the man who hired him, Jack Zduriencik, was fired in September. New GM Jerry DiPoto wants his own man, and that manager will appreciate analytics more than McClendon did.
One of the overlooked stories with the Pirates is how smoothly Clint Hurdle has embraced the implementation of modern metrics. Hurdle is 58 and profiles as old school, but he's on board with the latest ways of doing things.
A lot of managers from his generation might roll their eyes at the spreadsheets and ridicule the non-athletes who produce them. .
A previous administration in Cleveland referred to the new age analysts as "propeller heads" as they scurried around the Indians offices with their latest revelations. Hurdle hasn't done that.
---
--ALVAREZ AGONY
Bob Sproule is a devoted but discerning fan of Pittsburgh sports who writes a blog called The Grandstander.
He raises the question of whether any local athlete has inspired as much consistent commentary as Pedro Alvarez. He sort of answers his own question by noting that technology makes it much easier for more people to have their say.
Sometimes a ground ball will skip past Alvarez and someone will Tweet a woe-is-us message before the official scorer can even crack the microphone to say, "Error, first base."
There are many more opportunities for fans to vent, even if they don't want to stay on hold to call 24-hour sports talk stations. Alvarez gives them plenty of material.
The Internet may have fried if it had been around in the days when Terry (Bradshaw) vs. Terry (Hanratty) for Steelers quarterback was the hot debate.
Jake Arietta proved that his insane second half numbers were no fluke. The Pirates couldn't do anything with him and lost the wild card game to the Cubs.
Of course, that's sparked a lot of complaints that the one-game wild card play-in is unfair. There didn't seem a lot of sentiment in that direction two years ago when the Pirates dispatched the Reds in the wild card round.
Nobody much cared that the Reds were suddenly heading home after a successful season. People were probably too busy chanting Johnny Cueto's name and fighting with Mat Latos' wife to think much about the Reds.
Of course, the Reds only won 90 games that season and were a true wild card. Their record wouldn't have won any of the six divisions.
The Pirates won 98 games this season, and their record would have led any division other than the National League Central.
The obvious answer is the one the Pirates emphasized all season: Avoid the wild card round. That was too big a task in a season that saw the Cardinals win 100 games. The other solution is to win the wild card game. That didn't happen because Arietta continued the incredible pitching that characterized the second half of his season.
It's all spilled milk now, but take a look at his numbers from the middle of June through the rest of the season: 16-1 with a 0.86 earned run average. Opponents batted .150 against him, had an on-base percentage of .200 and slugged .210. Arietta walked 17 batters and struck out 147. In his 147 innings, he allowed two home runs.
Even in a best-of-three wild card series, the Cubs would have been halfway toward winning with one Arietta start.
The best of three isn't really workable anyway. The season ends on Sunday. MLB keeps Monday open in case any division ends up in a tie and needs a one-game playoff.
They'd have to block out four days to play a potential three-game series. That means the division series wouldn't open until Sunday, which would keep the division winners idle for a full week after the end of the regular season.
So one and done is going to continue. Cubs fans have no problem with it, just as Pirates fans didn't in 2013.
---
--NEW WAVE
The Seattle Mariners fired Lloyd McClendon as manager after two seasons, one pretty good and one hugely disappointing.
McClendon was doomed as soon as the man who hired him, Jack Zduriencik, was fired in September. New GM Jerry DiPoto wants his own man, and that manager will appreciate analytics more than McClendon did.
One of the overlooked stories with the Pirates is how smoothly Clint Hurdle has embraced the implementation of modern metrics. Hurdle is 58 and profiles as old school, but he's on board with the latest ways of doing things.
A lot of managers from his generation might roll their eyes at the spreadsheets and ridicule the non-athletes who produce them. .
A previous administration in Cleveland referred to the new age analysts as "propeller heads" as they scurried around the Indians offices with their latest revelations. Hurdle hasn't done that.
---
--ALVAREZ AGONY
Bob Sproule is a devoted but discerning fan of Pittsburgh sports who writes a blog called The Grandstander.
He raises the question of whether any local athlete has inspired as much consistent commentary as Pedro Alvarez. He sort of answers his own question by noting that technology makes it much easier for more people to have their say.
Sometimes a ground ball will skip past Alvarez and someone will Tweet a woe-is-us message before the official scorer can even crack the microphone to say, "Error, first base."
There are many more opportunities for fans to vent, even if they don't want to stay on hold to call 24-hour sports talk stations. Alvarez gives them plenty of material.
The Internet may have fried if it had been around in the days when Terry (Bradshaw) vs. Terry (Hanratty) for Steelers quarterback was the hot debate.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Altoona Mirror, October 4, 2015
So long, Josh Scobee.
It was a kick having you here for a few weeks. Of course, the kick sailed wide left (the cheap, gratuitous missed field goal reference is mandatory because Steelers Nation is feeling the bitterness this week).
Scobee's fate was sealed Thursday night when he missed a 41-yard field goal after missing a 49-yard try. That scared Mike Tomlin so badly that he wouldn't try another field goal, instead opting for a couple of plays that failed on fourth down.
When the coach is hinky about a kicker's ability to make high-percentage field goals, it's time for the kicker to pack his bags. That lack of confidence spills over to the offensive play calling and has a bigger effect than the three points that got away.
At the quarter mark of the season, the most regrettable moment of the Steelers season to date is Shaun Suisham's decision to get involved on a tackle in the opening preseason game. He injured his knee and was lost for the season.
The Steelers were so confident in Suisham that they didn't even bother to invite another kicker to camp to offer token competition.
How things have changed on that one play. Now they're scouring Craigslist to find somebody who can make field goals -- and extra points, too. Let's not forget that Scobee's here today-gone tomorrow Steelers career also included a missed extra point against San Francisco.
So now Chris Boswell is the latest to sign his name on the Steelers' 2015 kicker registry. Four games is the benchmark to beat.
Wonder if the Vegas sports books have established an over/under line on how many kickers the Steelers will use this season?
---
--MORTON MYSTERY
Charlie Morton is a fine guy and a talented pitcher.
Unfortunately, he's also an enigma who can never find a way to harness his significant ability and become a consistent winner.
In the last few weeks, Morton has basically pitched his way out of a postseason rotation. Most teams go with four starters in the postseason, and the Pirates will use Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano, J.A. Happ and A.J. Burnett. Morton isn't even a lock to make the postseason roster at this point.
Some pitchers are sunk because they don't think. Morton's problem is he thinks too much. The Pirates have tried to break of him of this and get him to trust his stuff, but he's still too inconsistent.
He recently said that he's working out some issues in his delivery. That might fly in June, but this is October. Time is short, and patience is thin.
It's doubtful the Pirates want to continue this drama
The Pirates are on the hook for $8 million next season on Morton's contract. They're also facing an offseason when they'll be shopping for a pitcher to replace the retiring A.J. Burnett.
Prospects Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow might be along at some time next season, but that's not automatic. Teams also have to allow time for inexperienced pitchers to get acclimated to major league competition.
It's unlikely the Pirates will simply move Morton. But is it also unlikely they'll ever figure him out?
---
--DEE-FENSE
Pat Narduzzi came to Pitt with a mission to upgrade a porous defense.
Saturday at Virginia Tech, the Panthers allowed just nine rushing yards, sacked the quarterback seven times and intercepted three passes.
If that's not a complete repair, it's at least a very impressive start.
It was a kick having you here for a few weeks. Of course, the kick sailed wide left (the cheap, gratuitous missed field goal reference is mandatory because Steelers Nation is feeling the bitterness this week).
Scobee's fate was sealed Thursday night when he missed a 41-yard field goal after missing a 49-yard try. That scared Mike Tomlin so badly that he wouldn't try another field goal, instead opting for a couple of plays that failed on fourth down.
When the coach is hinky about a kicker's ability to make high-percentage field goals, it's time for the kicker to pack his bags. That lack of confidence spills over to the offensive play calling and has a bigger effect than the three points that got away.
At the quarter mark of the season, the most regrettable moment of the Steelers season to date is Shaun Suisham's decision to get involved on a tackle in the opening preseason game. He injured his knee and was lost for the season.
The Steelers were so confident in Suisham that they didn't even bother to invite another kicker to camp to offer token competition.
How things have changed on that one play. Now they're scouring Craigslist to find somebody who can make field goals -- and extra points, too. Let's not forget that Scobee's here today-gone tomorrow Steelers career also included a missed extra point against San Francisco.
So now Chris Boswell is the latest to sign his name on the Steelers' 2015 kicker registry. Four games is the benchmark to beat.
Wonder if the Vegas sports books have established an over/under line on how many kickers the Steelers will use this season?
---
--MORTON MYSTERY
Charlie Morton is a fine guy and a talented pitcher.
Unfortunately, he's also an enigma who can never find a way to harness his significant ability and become a consistent winner.
In the last few weeks, Morton has basically pitched his way out of a postseason rotation. Most teams go with four starters in the postseason, and the Pirates will use Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano, J.A. Happ and A.J. Burnett. Morton isn't even a lock to make the postseason roster at this point.
Some pitchers are sunk because they don't think. Morton's problem is he thinks too much. The Pirates have tried to break of him of this and get him to trust his stuff, but he's still too inconsistent.
He recently said that he's working out some issues in his delivery. That might fly in June, but this is October. Time is short, and patience is thin.
It's doubtful the Pirates want to continue this drama
The Pirates are on the hook for $8 million next season on Morton's contract. They're also facing an offseason when they'll be shopping for a pitcher to replace the retiring A.J. Burnett.
Prospects Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow might be along at some time next season, but that's not automatic. Teams also have to allow time for inexperienced pitchers to get acclimated to major league competition.
It's unlikely the Pirates will simply move Morton. But is it also unlikely they'll ever figure him out?
---
--DEE-FENSE
Pat Narduzzi came to Pitt with a mission to upgrade a porous defense.
Saturday at Virginia Tech, the Panthers allowed just nine rushing yards, sacked the quarterback seven times and intercepted three passes.
If that's not a complete repair, it's at least a very impressive start.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Altoona Mirror, September 27, 2015
The Pirates poured champagne, but they didn't spray it.
That set the right tone for celebrating their third postseason berth in as many seasons. It called for an acknowledgment of the accomplishment, but it wasn't the occasion for the kind of full-scale messy blowout they'd had in the previous two years.
It's difficult to prevail over the long regular season. One week from today, two thirds of MLB teams will be heading home for the winter.
But there also comes a time when a team outgrows celebrating just getting a wild card spot, much in the way kids mature beyond having their birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese.
The Pirates still have their eyes on bigger goals, like clinching home field for a possible wild card game, and catching the St. Louis Cardinals for the Central Division title.
In that context, they handled the postseason clinching the right way. There was no need to cloud their vision by having sprayed champagne burn their eyes.
---
--LOOK OUT
While the Pirates and Chicago Cubs wrap up their season series tonight with a possible wild card match-up looming, the rivalry between the two teams is only beginning.
The last time the Pirates and Cubs had winning records in the same season was 1972.
They should get used to butting heads again. The Cubs took a big step forward this year, joining the race in the difficult Central Division.
They figure to contend for a while. The Cubs changed when they hired Theo Epstein to lead their baseball operations. He's the guy who ended the long futility streak of the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox finally got past the New York Yankees, and they ended their championship drought with multiple titles.
Epstein has made some smart trades to add to a solid base of young talent with the Cubs. The franchise also has the resources to add premium free agents.
A lot of people think they'll land David Price this winter, backing a big money offer with the chance to reunite with Joe Maddon, his manager in Tampa Bay.
The Cubs haven't been in the World Series since 1945. There's a good chance that streak will be ending in the next few seasons.
---
--COMMUNICATIONS BREAKDOWN
Linebacker Ryan Shazier had a huge game for the Steelers last Sunday, one he exited late with a shoulder injury.
Mike Tomlin dismissed it after the game as nothing major. On Tuesday, Tomlin's update was that Shazier's shoulder was not a significant problem. Yet when Friday rolled around, Shazier still hadn't practiced and he was ruled out of today's game in St. Louis.
What happened? It's unlikely Tomlin got bad information from his training staff. Was Shazier unable to play through an injury that wasn't considered serious?
In his time with the Steelers, Shazier has had problems staying on the field. Three weeks into the season, it's not a good sign to have him on the sidelines again.
---
--REMEMBERING YOGI
The truth was that Yogi Berra wasn't especially funny. The obituaries that referenced his "wit" were eye-rolling material when he died last week at 90.
A lot of the quotes attributed to him were either fabricated or embellished by people who knew that the man with the squatty body, odd visage and funny name represented the perfect comic foil.
Berra went along with it, and even found a way to profit from it. He was doing commercials repeating some of the malapropisms that people thought he said.
Berra was a talented player who was part of the Yankees' dynasty in the 1950s and '60s. In real life, he was a true American success story, the son of Italian immigrants and an eighth grade dropout who became hugely successful parlaying his baseball fame into related endorsements and investment opportunities.
On top of all that, he was awarded a Purple Heart for his service in World War II.
There are a lot of reasons to fondly remember Yogi Berra beyond, "It ain't over 'til it's over."
That set the right tone for celebrating their third postseason berth in as many seasons. It called for an acknowledgment of the accomplishment, but it wasn't the occasion for the kind of full-scale messy blowout they'd had in the previous two years.
It's difficult to prevail over the long regular season. One week from today, two thirds of MLB teams will be heading home for the winter.
But there also comes a time when a team outgrows celebrating just getting a wild card spot, much in the way kids mature beyond having their birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese.
The Pirates still have their eyes on bigger goals, like clinching home field for a possible wild card game, and catching the St. Louis Cardinals for the Central Division title.
In that context, they handled the postseason clinching the right way. There was no need to cloud their vision by having sprayed champagne burn their eyes.
---
--LOOK OUT
While the Pirates and Chicago Cubs wrap up their season series tonight with a possible wild card match-up looming, the rivalry between the two teams is only beginning.
The last time the Pirates and Cubs had winning records in the same season was 1972.
They should get used to butting heads again. The Cubs took a big step forward this year, joining the race in the difficult Central Division.
They figure to contend for a while. The Cubs changed when they hired Theo Epstein to lead their baseball operations. He's the guy who ended the long futility streak of the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox finally got past the New York Yankees, and they ended their championship drought with multiple titles.
Epstein has made some smart trades to add to a solid base of young talent with the Cubs. The franchise also has the resources to add premium free agents.
A lot of people think they'll land David Price this winter, backing a big money offer with the chance to reunite with Joe Maddon, his manager in Tampa Bay.
The Cubs haven't been in the World Series since 1945. There's a good chance that streak will be ending in the next few seasons.
---
--COMMUNICATIONS BREAKDOWN
Linebacker Ryan Shazier had a huge game for the Steelers last Sunday, one he exited late with a shoulder injury.
Mike Tomlin dismissed it after the game as nothing major. On Tuesday, Tomlin's update was that Shazier's shoulder was not a significant problem. Yet when Friday rolled around, Shazier still hadn't practiced and he was ruled out of today's game in St. Louis.
What happened? It's unlikely Tomlin got bad information from his training staff. Was Shazier unable to play through an injury that wasn't considered serious?
In his time with the Steelers, Shazier has had problems staying on the field. Three weeks into the season, it's not a good sign to have him on the sidelines again.
---
--REMEMBERING YOGI
The truth was that Yogi Berra wasn't especially funny. The obituaries that referenced his "wit" were eye-rolling material when he died last week at 90.
A lot of the quotes attributed to him were either fabricated or embellished by people who knew that the man with the squatty body, odd visage and funny name represented the perfect comic foil.
Berra went along with it, and even found a way to profit from it. He was doing commercials repeating some of the malapropisms that people thought he said.
Berra was a talented player who was part of the Yankees' dynasty in the 1950s and '60s. In real life, he was a true American success story, the son of Italian immigrants and an eighth grade dropout who became hugely successful parlaying his baseball fame into related endorsements and investment opportunities.
On top of all that, he was awarded a Purple Heart for his service in World War II.
There are a lot of reasons to fondly remember Yogi Berra beyond, "It ain't over 'til it's over."
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Altoona Mirror, September 20, 2015
"Hard" and "aggressive" are among the words that can describe the slide that ended Jung Ho Kang's season.
"Dirty" isn't one of them.
Chris Coghlan of the Chicago Cubs went hard into second base to break up a potential double play. That's what he was supposed to do.
It's a common play at second base. If there have been 300 of them this month, 299 ended without incident. This one didn't. Kang's injuries will require a recovery period of at least six months.
Kang's mistake was planting his left leg in the path of the base runner. Coghlan had nowhere to go, and Kang's leg was destined to take the brunt of the impact.
There's a ballet at second base that plays out game after game. The fielder either darts to the side or leaps above the sliding runner to avoid the contact. Kang did neither, and he would up in the hospital.
Unfortunate? Of course. But it wasn't dirty.
---
--MILO HAMILTON
Milo Hamilton was the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time when he took over as the Pirates' chief announcer in 1976.
Anyone following Bob Prince would have been in trouble, especially given the controversial circumstances of Prince's firing after 28 years in the booth.
The job called for someone who could shrug off the inevitable criticism. That wasn't Hamilton, who died last week at 88.
He was thin skinned to the point that he attempted to track down people who wrote critical letters to the newspaper. He was paranoid to the point that he claimed Prince was manipulating writers to give him bad press.
Hamilton was fresh from Atlanta, where he had been fired after 10 years. Pittsburgh was another stop in a nomadic career that befit an announcer of Hamilton's generic talents.
He was incredibly thorough and meticulous in his preparation. He kept statistical records so detailed the Braves' public relations department often borrowed his ledgers.
He bragged that he never went to bed after a game until he had updated his books.
He was clinically efficient. His facts checked out, he described the game accurately, and he had a classic big announcer voice. But there was no soul, and listeners picked up on that. Hamilton was a guy keeping stats and punching a time clock that happened to be in Pittsburgh.
His connection to the region went no further than his frequent references to Poli's, his favorite restaurant.
His people skills were minimal. He treated junior partner Lanny Frattare like an intern. He was in the habit of addressing the elderly engineer who worked in the booth by his last name.
He lasted four seasons, and the criticism never went away. He escaped to Chicago after the 1979 season, hand-picked by longtime announcer Jack Brickhouse to succeed him as the Cubs' voice.
That plan blew up when the Cubs were sold to the Tribune Corporation and Harry Caray was lured away from the White Sox. Caray's ego exceeded Hamilton's, and the two renewed a rancorous relationship that had festered years earlier in St. Louis. Hamilton denigrated Caray as "The Canary" behind his back. Hamilton fled at the first chance, finding a home in Houston, where he closed his career in 2012.
He was a hard worker who traveled the full schedule well into his 70s. He soldiered on through leukemia. He endured the deaths of his wife and daughter and called games on a curtailed schedule until he was 85.
There were things to admire about Hamilton. But there's a story that speaks volumes about him.
In Hamilton's first season, 1976, the Pirates were leaving Shea Stadium. The bus driver had two choices and took the wrong one, trapping the bus in hopeless New York City gridlock.
The bus didn't move. The embarrassed driver turned to general manager Joe L. Brown, who was in the first seat with manager Danny Murtaugh, and said, "I'm sorry, I thought going this way would avoid the traffic."
Before Brown or Murtaugh could respond, Hamilton's baritone boomed from several rows back, "That's why you're only a (expletive) bus driver."
A lot of people will remember Hamilton for calling Henry Aaron's 715th home run. Others will remember the way he thought it was his right to cruelly humiliate a bus driver who made a mistake.
"Dirty" isn't one of them.
Chris Coghlan of the Chicago Cubs went hard into second base to break up a potential double play. That's what he was supposed to do.
It's a common play at second base. If there have been 300 of them this month, 299 ended without incident. This one didn't. Kang's injuries will require a recovery period of at least six months.
Kang's mistake was planting his left leg in the path of the base runner. Coghlan had nowhere to go, and Kang's leg was destined to take the brunt of the impact.
There's a ballet at second base that plays out game after game. The fielder either darts to the side or leaps above the sliding runner to avoid the contact. Kang did neither, and he would up in the hospital.
Unfortunate? Of course. But it wasn't dirty.
---
--MILO HAMILTON
Milo Hamilton was the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time when he took over as the Pirates' chief announcer in 1976.
Anyone following Bob Prince would have been in trouble, especially given the controversial circumstances of Prince's firing after 28 years in the booth.
The job called for someone who could shrug off the inevitable criticism. That wasn't Hamilton, who died last week at 88.
He was thin skinned to the point that he attempted to track down people who wrote critical letters to the newspaper. He was paranoid to the point that he claimed Prince was manipulating writers to give him bad press.
Hamilton was fresh from Atlanta, where he had been fired after 10 years. Pittsburgh was another stop in a nomadic career that befit an announcer of Hamilton's generic talents.
He was incredibly thorough and meticulous in his preparation. He kept statistical records so detailed the Braves' public relations department often borrowed his ledgers.
He bragged that he never went to bed after a game until he had updated his books.
He was clinically efficient. His facts checked out, he described the game accurately, and he had a classic big announcer voice. But there was no soul, and listeners picked up on that. Hamilton was a guy keeping stats and punching a time clock that happened to be in Pittsburgh.
His connection to the region went no further than his frequent references to Poli's, his favorite restaurant.
His people skills were minimal. He treated junior partner Lanny Frattare like an intern. He was in the habit of addressing the elderly engineer who worked in the booth by his last name.
He lasted four seasons, and the criticism never went away. He escaped to Chicago after the 1979 season, hand-picked by longtime announcer Jack Brickhouse to succeed him as the Cubs' voice.
That plan blew up when the Cubs were sold to the Tribune Corporation and Harry Caray was lured away from the White Sox. Caray's ego exceeded Hamilton's, and the two renewed a rancorous relationship that had festered years earlier in St. Louis. Hamilton denigrated Caray as "The Canary" behind his back. Hamilton fled at the first chance, finding a home in Houston, where he closed his career in 2012.
He was a hard worker who traveled the full schedule well into his 70s. He soldiered on through leukemia. He endured the deaths of his wife and daughter and called games on a curtailed schedule until he was 85.
There were things to admire about Hamilton. But there's a story that speaks volumes about him.
In Hamilton's first season, 1976, the Pirates were leaving Shea Stadium. The bus driver had two choices and took the wrong one, trapping the bus in hopeless New York City gridlock.
The bus didn't move. The embarrassed driver turned to general manager Joe L. Brown, who was in the first seat with manager Danny Murtaugh, and said, "I'm sorry, I thought going this way would avoid the traffic."
Before Brown or Murtaugh could respond, Hamilton's baritone boomed from several rows back, "That's why you're only a (expletive) bus driver."
A lot of people will remember Hamilton for calling Henry Aaron's 715th home run. Others will remember the way he thought it was his right to cruelly humiliate a bus driver who made a mistake.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Altoona Mirror, September 13, 2015
So there's Mike Tomlin, trying to beat the defending Super Bowl champion, and all he can get on the headset is a radio broadcast of the game.
And it wasn't even the Steelers' announcers.
As expected, the Steelers lost the season opener in New England, but the fresh wrinkle was the problem with communication between the sideline and the booth.
Somehow the wires or wireless signals were crossed, and Tomlin's headset was delivering the Patriots' radio broadcast.
As Tomlin noted in his post game comments, it's not the first time there's been a problem in that regard with games played in Gillette Stadium.
Hard to believe in a high tech world where even an old school guy like Bill Belichick is punching things up on an iPad that the simple connection between the field and booth wasn't working.
Seems unbelievable that in a world where people instantly Tweet photos of their lunch 24/7, the NFL can't establish a simple audio link that spans about 300 feet.
Even harder to believe that Tomlin didn't go all Bill Cowher when the problems first arose. Cowher would have dashed out to the center of the field, slam dunked the headset on the 50-yard line and loudly let America know things were awry. He wouldn't have waited until after the game.
When the news broke, people naturally suspected this was another Patriots dirty trick, a way to gain an unfair advantage. But was it?
With the controversy over deflated footballs and espionage still hot in the news just hours before kickoff, would the Patriots really risk another crime?
There's a school of thought that cheaters are always going to cheat, and they don't see things in any other light.
But it's hard to believe the Patriots would deliberately jam the signals, or that they felt they needed that advantage against the shaky Steelers defense.
The Steelers went into the game knowing that Tom Brady-to-Rob Gronkowski was a significant weapon. They didn't seem to have an answer for it, whether the headphones were working or not.
With all the money the NFL has, and all the official sponsors for communications equipment, you wouldn't expect a simple link from the sideline to the coaches booth to be a problem.
Then again, you wouldn't think that team employees would be able to alter the inflation of footballs during a conference championship game.
It became another Patriots-related distraction for the NFL to consider. At this point, the league should have an entire division devoted to those.
Tomlin got one break: At least he wasn't getting a talk show on his headset.
---
--WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
All sports leagues are publicly against gambling, for reasons that are understandable and obvious.
Yet it seems the major leagues have no problem aligning with Draft Kings, which is essentially a fantasy sports gambling enterprise.
You pay an entry fee, you select players you think will rack up points in various categories, and you stand a chance to win a prize. Their saturation advertising campaign is unavoidable if you watch or listen to sports programming. (Hey, it may even be on the coaches headsets at Gillette Stadium).
That isn't gambling?
Seems like it's a convenient way for people to wager money on their sports knowledge, even if they don't have a current number for Vito the Bookie.
But maybe it's just a natural progression since most of the leagues have gone into the ticket reselling business via Stub Hub.
Wonder if Pete Rose has a Draft Kings account?
And it wasn't even the Steelers' announcers.
As expected, the Steelers lost the season opener in New England, but the fresh wrinkle was the problem with communication between the sideline and the booth.
Somehow the wires or wireless signals were crossed, and Tomlin's headset was delivering the Patriots' radio broadcast.
As Tomlin noted in his post game comments, it's not the first time there's been a problem in that regard with games played in Gillette Stadium.
Hard to believe in a high tech world where even an old school guy like Bill Belichick is punching things up on an iPad that the simple connection between the field and booth wasn't working.
Seems unbelievable that in a world where people instantly Tweet photos of their lunch 24/7, the NFL can't establish a simple audio link that spans about 300 feet.
Even harder to believe that Tomlin didn't go all Bill Cowher when the problems first arose. Cowher would have dashed out to the center of the field, slam dunked the headset on the 50-yard line and loudly let America know things were awry. He wouldn't have waited until after the game.
When the news broke, people naturally suspected this was another Patriots dirty trick, a way to gain an unfair advantage. But was it?
With the controversy over deflated footballs and espionage still hot in the news just hours before kickoff, would the Patriots really risk another crime?
There's a school of thought that cheaters are always going to cheat, and they don't see things in any other light.
But it's hard to believe the Patriots would deliberately jam the signals, or that they felt they needed that advantage against the shaky Steelers defense.
The Steelers went into the game knowing that Tom Brady-to-Rob Gronkowski was a significant weapon. They didn't seem to have an answer for it, whether the headphones were working or not.
With all the money the NFL has, and all the official sponsors for communications equipment, you wouldn't expect a simple link from the sideline to the coaches booth to be a problem.
Then again, you wouldn't think that team employees would be able to alter the inflation of footballs during a conference championship game.
It became another Patriots-related distraction for the NFL to consider. At this point, the league should have an entire division devoted to those.
Tomlin got one break: At least he wasn't getting a talk show on his headset.
---
--WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
All sports leagues are publicly against gambling, for reasons that are understandable and obvious.
Yet it seems the major leagues have no problem aligning with Draft Kings, which is essentially a fantasy sports gambling enterprise.
You pay an entry fee, you select players you think will rack up points in various categories, and you stand a chance to win a prize. Their saturation advertising campaign is unavoidable if you watch or listen to sports programming. (Hey, it may even be on the coaches headsets at Gillette Stadium).
That isn't gambling?
Seems like it's a convenient way for people to wager money on their sports knowledge, even if they don't have a current number for Vito the Bookie.
But maybe it's just a natural progression since most of the leagues have gone into the ticket reselling business via Stub Hub.
Wonder if Pete Rose has a Draft Kings account?
Monday, September 7, 2015
Altoona Mirror, September 6, 2015
The funny thing would be if the Steelers intercepted Tom Brady three times and beat the New England Patriots.
It isn't the likely thing, though.
Having Brady in the lineup for Thursday's NFL opener was very bad news for a defense that, at minimum, needs time to figure things out.
The Steelers' defense isn't very good. It may improve, but that will take time. Facing Brady in the first game doesn't allow for a lot of time.
In fact, the development of the defense will decide what kind of season the Steelers have. From here, it looks like they won't make the playoffs, and they could have a losing record.
The schedule is that tough, and the defense is that questionable.
The offense's problems are temporary. As soon as Le'Veon Bell (two games) and Martavis Bryant (four games) return from their marijuana suspensions, the offense should be in gear. It will be pretty potent even without Bryant for a quarter of the season.
They'll miss Maurkice Pouncey, but they'll adapt.
It's difficult to be that optimistic about a defense that doesn't look to be much improved from last season at this point. Even in the pass happy NFL where points go on the board like a pinball machine, it just isn't possible to win every game 48-41.
Preseason games mean little, but there weren't even hints that the learning curve has eased for some players. They're going to be traveling in the fast lane as soon as Brady steps onto the field Thursday night.
It's possible the Steelers could still see Patriots backup quarterback Johnny Garoppolo on Thursday.
The bad news is he's likely to finish out the game because New England's lead is safe.
---
--LEFT OUT
Tony Sanchez wasn't among the players the Pirates recalled for the September roster expansion, and that doesn't bode well for his future.
Sanchez was the fourth player taken in the 2009 draft. He'll turn 28 next May, but he's yet to establish himself in the major leagues.
He had a poor season this year at Indianapolis -- his third consecutive year at the Class AAA level -- and has not shown he could be part of a solution either at catcher or first base. It's telling that the Pirates have been looking for a righthanded-hitting complement to Pedro Alvarez, yet Sanchez's name never seems to come up.
He's at last out of minor league options, which means the Pirates are likely to send him elsewhere this offseason.
It's reasonable to expect that Sanchez, drafted out of college, should have reached the majors by 2012. The Pirates signed Rod Barajas to catch that year. Then they signed Russell Martin for two years. When Martin left, they traded for Francisco Cervelli.
So the Pirates have paid nearly $22 million to other catchers in the four seasons that Sanchez was projected to play in the major leagues.
That's an unnoticed expense that goes beyond the $2.5 signing bonus the Pirates gave Sanchez in 2009. It also shows why another team is likely to sign whatever checks he collects in the future.
---
--ONE MORE BOW
The 55-year reunion of the Pirates' 1960 World Series team last weekend was a bittersweet experience.
Since the 50-year reunion, two more players (Gino Cimoli and George Witt) died, meaning only 12 of the 25 men from the Series roster survive. Two of those (Bob Skinner and Dick Schofield) didn't attend last week's reunion.
Vernon Law still looks fit and spry at 85, but most of the others are showing their age. There were some canes and chairs being used when the players went on the field for one more ovation.
The applause made them smile, as did the memories of a special season that bonded them for life a long time ago.
It isn't the likely thing, though.
Having Brady in the lineup for Thursday's NFL opener was very bad news for a defense that, at minimum, needs time to figure things out.
The Steelers' defense isn't very good. It may improve, but that will take time. Facing Brady in the first game doesn't allow for a lot of time.
In fact, the development of the defense will decide what kind of season the Steelers have. From here, it looks like they won't make the playoffs, and they could have a losing record.
The schedule is that tough, and the defense is that questionable.
The offense's problems are temporary. As soon as Le'Veon Bell (two games) and Martavis Bryant (four games) return from their marijuana suspensions, the offense should be in gear. It will be pretty potent even without Bryant for a quarter of the season.
They'll miss Maurkice Pouncey, but they'll adapt.
It's difficult to be that optimistic about a defense that doesn't look to be much improved from last season at this point. Even in the pass happy NFL where points go on the board like a pinball machine, it just isn't possible to win every game 48-41.
Preseason games mean little, but there weren't even hints that the learning curve has eased for some players. They're going to be traveling in the fast lane as soon as Brady steps onto the field Thursday night.
It's possible the Steelers could still see Patriots backup quarterback Johnny Garoppolo on Thursday.
The bad news is he's likely to finish out the game because New England's lead is safe.
---
--LEFT OUT
Tony Sanchez wasn't among the players the Pirates recalled for the September roster expansion, and that doesn't bode well for his future.
Sanchez was the fourth player taken in the 2009 draft. He'll turn 28 next May, but he's yet to establish himself in the major leagues.
He had a poor season this year at Indianapolis -- his third consecutive year at the Class AAA level -- and has not shown he could be part of a solution either at catcher or first base. It's telling that the Pirates have been looking for a righthanded-hitting complement to Pedro Alvarez, yet Sanchez's name never seems to come up.
He's at last out of minor league options, which means the Pirates are likely to send him elsewhere this offseason.
It's reasonable to expect that Sanchez, drafted out of college, should have reached the majors by 2012. The Pirates signed Rod Barajas to catch that year. Then they signed Russell Martin for two years. When Martin left, they traded for Francisco Cervelli.
So the Pirates have paid nearly $22 million to other catchers in the four seasons that Sanchez was projected to play in the major leagues.
That's an unnoticed expense that goes beyond the $2.5 signing bonus the Pirates gave Sanchez in 2009. It also shows why another team is likely to sign whatever checks he collects in the future.
---
--ONE MORE BOW
The 55-year reunion of the Pirates' 1960 World Series team last weekend was a bittersweet experience.
Since the 50-year reunion, two more players (Gino Cimoli and George Witt) died, meaning only 12 of the 25 men from the Series roster survive. Two of those (Bob Skinner and Dick Schofield) didn't attend last week's reunion.
Vernon Law still looks fit and spry at 85, but most of the others are showing their age. There were some canes and chairs being used when the players went on the field for one more ovation.
The applause made them smile, as did the memories of a special season that bonded them for life a long time ago.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Altoona Mirror, August 30, 2015
The Steelers are open for business on Sundays, and they inspire a lot of zeal and fervor.
That doesn't mean they're a religion, though.
They're a football franchise that is in business to win games and maximize revenue. That's why they were willing to take the risk of signing the controversial Michael Vick.
They had a sudden and urgent need for an experienced backup quarterback because Bruce Gradkowski was injured. Vick had a need for a job after no team even invited to camp to try out for a spot.
Damaged goods. Desperate buyer. The deal was made.
The Steelers are in a position a lot of sports franchises don't enjoy. They sell every ticket, every year. Their TV ratings are through the roof. There isn't anyone in the region who doesn't have some type of Steelers merchandise.
Newborn babies are wrapped in Terrible Towels. Old men go to the grave with one in their casket.
If there's any organization that can withstand a controversial signing, it's the Steelers. Their ticket office is the loneliest place in town.
The Steelers just added 2,700 seats to Heinz Field and sold them to people who had been on the season ticket waiting list for 20 years.
Supposedly there are 20,000 "signatures" on an online petition urging the Steelers to reverse their decision and release Vick. That means nothing, because that's the way online petitions are viewed.
Some animal rights organizations announced they will no longer do business with the Steelers. The hard fact is those organizations get more from an association with the Steelers than the team would ever get.
No major sponsors have gone away. If anyone returned their season tickets for a refund, it probably took less than five minutes to re-sell them.
Vick's signing isn't benevolence by the Steelers. This isn't about rehabilitating a criminal. They need him to fill a particular spot on the roster. They think he can still play football well enough to help them.
That's all this is, a team signing a player it believes can be useful. The Steelers mission statement can be summed up fairly easily: They're in business to win games and reap all the benefits that come with that success.
Vick is now part of the organization because they think he can help them achieve those goals. It's nothing more than that.
---
--DUMB AND DUMBER
When the Steelers open the season in New England in less than two weeks, kicker Shaun Suisham and center Maurkice Pouncey won't play. Injuries.
Running back Le'Veon Bell and receiver Martavis Bryant won't play, either. Stupidity. Bell and Bryant have been suspended for violation of the substance abuse policy, specifically marijuana.
Beyond the issue of missing games now, both players are in the system. Future violations will result in harsher penalties.
And why should anyone feel confident they'll be smart enough to avoid future violations?
---
--TELLING THE TRUTH
Credit Bob Walk with some candor on a Pirates telecast last week.
Greg Brown noted the gloomy atmosphere at the Miami Marlins park -- sparse attendance, losing team, lack of atmosphere -- and noted it seemed a lot like Montreal did before the Expos moved out.
Walk quickly added, "Or Three Rivers Stadium in the mid-1980s."
True enough. Things are going great for the Pirates these days. The team is chasing its third consecutive postseason berth, the stands are packed and the enthusiasm is palpable.
It's easy to forget it isn't always like that.
That doesn't mean they're a religion, though.
They're a football franchise that is in business to win games and maximize revenue. That's why they were willing to take the risk of signing the controversial Michael Vick.
They had a sudden and urgent need for an experienced backup quarterback because Bruce Gradkowski was injured. Vick had a need for a job after no team even invited to camp to try out for a spot.
Damaged goods. Desperate buyer. The deal was made.
The Steelers are in a position a lot of sports franchises don't enjoy. They sell every ticket, every year. Their TV ratings are through the roof. There isn't anyone in the region who doesn't have some type of Steelers merchandise.
Newborn babies are wrapped in Terrible Towels. Old men go to the grave with one in their casket.
If there's any organization that can withstand a controversial signing, it's the Steelers. Their ticket office is the loneliest place in town.
The Steelers just added 2,700 seats to Heinz Field and sold them to people who had been on the season ticket waiting list for 20 years.
Supposedly there are 20,000 "signatures" on an online petition urging the Steelers to reverse their decision and release Vick. That means nothing, because that's the way online petitions are viewed.
Some animal rights organizations announced they will no longer do business with the Steelers. The hard fact is those organizations get more from an association with the Steelers than the team would ever get.
No major sponsors have gone away. If anyone returned their season tickets for a refund, it probably took less than five minutes to re-sell them.
Vick's signing isn't benevolence by the Steelers. This isn't about rehabilitating a criminal. They need him to fill a particular spot on the roster. They think he can still play football well enough to help them.
That's all this is, a team signing a player it believes can be useful. The Steelers mission statement can be summed up fairly easily: They're in business to win games and reap all the benefits that come with that success.
Vick is now part of the organization because they think he can help them achieve those goals. It's nothing more than that.
---
--DUMB AND DUMBER
When the Steelers open the season in New England in less than two weeks, kicker Shaun Suisham and center Maurkice Pouncey won't play. Injuries.
Running back Le'Veon Bell and receiver Martavis Bryant won't play, either. Stupidity. Bell and Bryant have been suspended for violation of the substance abuse policy, specifically marijuana.
Beyond the issue of missing games now, both players are in the system. Future violations will result in harsher penalties.
And why should anyone feel confident they'll be smart enough to avoid future violations?
---
--TELLING THE TRUTH
Credit Bob Walk with some candor on a Pirates telecast last week.
Greg Brown noted the gloomy atmosphere at the Miami Marlins park -- sparse attendance, losing team, lack of atmosphere -- and noted it seemed a lot like Montreal did before the Expos moved out.
Walk quickly added, "Or Three Rivers Stadium in the mid-1980s."
True enough. Things are going great for the Pirates these days. The team is chasing its third consecutive postseason berth, the stands are packed and the enthusiasm is palpable.
It's easy to forget it isn't always like that.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Beaver County Times, August 23, 2015
Mike Tomlin's speciality is using complete sentences to say nothing, so it was noteworthy when he deviated from that practice to make a relevant point.
He was asked about the play of rookie receiver Sammie Coates, who made a nice sideline catch in the preseason game at Jacksonville.
Tomlin praised the reception, then added, "He’s got to get into better condition. Fatigue was a factor like it is with a lot of young guys. He’s got to get better in that regard. I think that the more in shape he gets, in terms of NFL wide receiver shape, the more we’re going to see his skill set like that sideline catch. But until he does, it’s going to be up and down. And that’s not only for him, it’s for all of them."
Auburn's Coates was this year's third-round draft pick. Coates was drafted on May 1. He signed on May 15, agreeing to a four-year deal for $2.91 million, of which $631,500 was guaranteed.
To close the gap between the guaranteed money and the total value of the contract, wouldn't it be prudent to get in the best shape possible? Surely his agent could have hooked Coates up with a trainer who works with NFL players. Failing that, he could have leaned on the Steelers' staff for a program that would get him ready for the NFL.
Assuming Coates worked out regularly in the time between signing and the opening of training camp, it didn't do him as much good as it should have.
Once he signed the contract, football became his job. You'd like to think someone preparing for a career that could pay millions would be motivated enough to get to work as quickly as possible.
Tomlin's emphasis that he wasn't just singling out Coates indicates it's an ongoing issue, and probably helps explain why rookies don't often make consistent contributions.
(Stand by for one of those insufferable Steelers of the '70s stories. Mercifully, it's just one sentence).
When Jack Lambert was drafted from Kent State in 1974, he began driving to Pittsburgh on weekends to watch film at the Steelers office, trying to get a head start on learning the defense.
Even though the Steelers have plenty of talent at receiver, there's still a great opportunity for Coates.
Provided he gets in better shape, of course.
---
--CHANGING FORTUNES
Here's more evidence of why baseball general managers are tortured souls:
On June 20, Max Scherzer of the Nationals pitched a no-hitter against the Pirates.
Only Jose Tabata's elbow dip prevented a perfect game. Scherzer could have won a Cy Young award election that day.
Since then, he's made 11 starts and pitched past the sixth inning only four times. His ERA over those 11 starts is 4.33.
Pirates' No. 5 starter Jeff Locke, the subject of understandable season-long talk show consternation, also has a 4.33 ERA in his last 11 starts.
---
--REMEMBERING DEUCE
When Deuce Skurcenski died last week, we lost another of those characters unique to this region.
Someone said it a long time ago: "People like that are institutions in Pittsburgh. In other places, they're in institutions."
Deuce, a close talker before Seinfeld coined the term, had a knack for showing up everywhere and conspicuously making his presence known. He was always quick to update the number of "smokin' frays" he'd witnessed, and seemed only mildly bothered that his claims were sometimes disputed.
He'd put his hand alongside his lips and furtively deliver a non-scoop out of the side of his mouth, usually decorated with the arcane language of sports pages gone by.
He was the subject of a documentary film a few years ago, and now we're grateful to have his eccentricities preserved. Future generations can get acquainted with a guy who logged hundreds of thousands of miles on snowy nights, chasing down a doubleheader somewhere. If there was a game, he wanted to see it and scribble the stats down on his legal pads.
He carved out his own place in local sports, was known to all by one name (just like Franco and Mario) and enjoyed himself.
A good life? In Deuce-speak, awww yeah.
He was asked about the play of rookie receiver Sammie Coates, who made a nice sideline catch in the preseason game at Jacksonville.
Tomlin praised the reception, then added, "He’s got to get into better condition. Fatigue was a factor like it is with a lot of young guys. He’s got to get better in that regard. I think that the more in shape he gets, in terms of NFL wide receiver shape, the more we’re going to see his skill set like that sideline catch. But until he does, it’s going to be up and down. And that’s not only for him, it’s for all of them."
Auburn's Coates was this year's third-round draft pick. Coates was drafted on May 1. He signed on May 15, agreeing to a four-year deal for $2.91 million, of which $631,500 was guaranteed.
To close the gap between the guaranteed money and the total value of the contract, wouldn't it be prudent to get in the best shape possible? Surely his agent could have hooked Coates up with a trainer who works with NFL players. Failing that, he could have leaned on the Steelers' staff for a program that would get him ready for the NFL.
Assuming Coates worked out regularly in the time between signing and the opening of training camp, it didn't do him as much good as it should have.
Once he signed the contract, football became his job. You'd like to think someone preparing for a career that could pay millions would be motivated enough to get to work as quickly as possible.
Tomlin's emphasis that he wasn't just singling out Coates indicates it's an ongoing issue, and probably helps explain why rookies don't often make consistent contributions.
(Stand by for one of those insufferable Steelers of the '70s stories. Mercifully, it's just one sentence).
When Jack Lambert was drafted from Kent State in 1974, he began driving to Pittsburgh on weekends to watch film at the Steelers office, trying to get a head start on learning the defense.
Even though the Steelers have plenty of talent at receiver, there's still a great opportunity for Coates.
Provided he gets in better shape, of course.
---
--CHANGING FORTUNES
Here's more evidence of why baseball general managers are tortured souls:
On June 20, Max Scherzer of the Nationals pitched a no-hitter against the Pirates.
Only Jose Tabata's elbow dip prevented a perfect game. Scherzer could have won a Cy Young award election that day.
Since then, he's made 11 starts and pitched past the sixth inning only four times. His ERA over those 11 starts is 4.33.
Pirates' No. 5 starter Jeff Locke, the subject of understandable season-long talk show consternation, also has a 4.33 ERA in his last 11 starts.
---
--REMEMBERING DEUCE
When Deuce Skurcenski died last week, we lost another of those characters unique to this region.
Someone said it a long time ago: "People like that are institutions in Pittsburgh. In other places, they're in institutions."
Deuce, a close talker before Seinfeld coined the term, had a knack for showing up everywhere and conspicuously making his presence known. He was always quick to update the number of "smokin' frays" he'd witnessed, and seemed only mildly bothered that his claims were sometimes disputed.
He'd put his hand alongside his lips and furtively deliver a non-scoop out of the side of his mouth, usually decorated with the arcane language of sports pages gone by.
He was the subject of a documentary film a few years ago, and now we're grateful to have his eccentricities preserved. Future generations can get acquainted with a guy who logged hundreds of thousands of miles on snowy nights, chasing down a doubleheader somewhere. If there was a game, he wanted to see it and scribble the stats down on his legal pads.
He carved out his own place in local sports, was known to all by one name (just like Franco and Mario) and enjoyed himself.
A good life? In Deuce-speak, awww yeah.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Beaver County Times, August 16, 2015
Right in the middle of the 2015 pennant race, the Pirates revealed one of their first big moves for 2016.
When Clint Hurdle asked lifelong third baseman Aramis Ramirez to take some grounders at first base in pre-game drills, it sent the signal that the Pirates' patience with Pedro Alvarez has finally run out.
They'll squeeze whatever they can out of Alvarez for the rest of this season, then they'll move on and seek another solution for first base in the winter.
Ramirez has been in the major leagues since 1998, appearing in more 2,150 games. He has never played first base. Before that, he played 415 minor league games and never played first base.
Yet now, in the last six weeks of his final season, the Pirates want to see if he can play first base. They think a guy who has never played the position might be a better option than Alvarez.
Alvarez's transition to first base has been awkward. He moved there last season when consistent throwing issues made it impossible for him to play third base.
The thought was that Alvarez wouldn't have to throw much at first. As a third baseman, he'd always shown good hands and the ability to make difficult fielding plays. That hasn't translated to the other side of the infield at all.
Despite having a full spring training to work at first, he's still uncomfortable there more than two-thirds through the season. At times he's scrambling like a man who just realized his train is pulling away from the platform without him.
Alvarez will be eligible for free agency after next season, and there's no chance the Pirates retain him. He's a designated hitter waiting to happen. His power can be impressive, and someone in the American League will be interested. If he's relieved of the burden of playing in the field, maybe his offense will get even better.
But the time has come for the Pirates to address first base, and that will be one of their offseason priorities.
When a 37-year-old novice like Ramirez is being asked to give the job a shot, it's clear management doesn't have much confidence in the incumbent.
It's still too soon for prospect Josh Bell, and there are questions about whether he can handle the move to first base from the outfield. It remains to be seen who the Pirates will play at first next season.
But it's obvious it won't be Alvarez.
---
--GOOD MOVE
Signing Sergei Gonchar to a tryout contract is a can't-lose situation for the Penguins.
Gonchar can help the power play, and he's a positive influence in the locker room. He's always been a fanatic about conditioning, so being 41 isn't as big a concern as it might be otherwise.
If he doesn't make the team, there may be a spot for him on the hockey staff. Gonchar has always been a cerebral player, and he'll have plenty to offer after he's off the ice.
If he takes ice time from one of the young defensemen, that's a price a team with Stanley Cup expectations pays.
---
--NEW SOUND
The Penguins dropped former newspaper reporter Bob Grove as the host of their pre and post-game radio shows after 10 years.
Say this for Grove: he never cheated anyone on preparation. If Calgary was in a 3-for-40 slump on the power play, his listeners knew about it, even if the Penguins didn't play the Flames for another two months.
---
--SHOP AROUND
Pirates radio rights are up for grabs after this season, and the team has some leverage.
The games are currently on 93.7 The Fan (KDKA-FM), which has enjoyed a huge Pirates-fueled boost in its overall ratings over the past few summers of contention.
The details matter greatly to the Pirates and the winning station. Since the team employs the announcers, listeners should expect consistency of content.
---
--EXTRA INCENTIVE
News reports suggest the Pittsburgh Symphony is having attendance problems.
Given that Heinz Hall isn't really set up for fireworks, the answer might be a truckload of Beethoven bobbleheads.
When Clint Hurdle asked lifelong third baseman Aramis Ramirez to take some grounders at first base in pre-game drills, it sent the signal that the Pirates' patience with Pedro Alvarez has finally run out.
They'll squeeze whatever they can out of Alvarez for the rest of this season, then they'll move on and seek another solution for first base in the winter.
Ramirez has been in the major leagues since 1998, appearing in more 2,150 games. He has never played first base. Before that, he played 415 minor league games and never played first base.
Yet now, in the last six weeks of his final season, the Pirates want to see if he can play first base. They think a guy who has never played the position might be a better option than Alvarez.
Alvarez's transition to first base has been awkward. He moved there last season when consistent throwing issues made it impossible for him to play third base.
The thought was that Alvarez wouldn't have to throw much at first. As a third baseman, he'd always shown good hands and the ability to make difficult fielding plays. That hasn't translated to the other side of the infield at all.
Despite having a full spring training to work at first, he's still uncomfortable there more than two-thirds through the season. At times he's scrambling like a man who just realized his train is pulling away from the platform without him.
Alvarez will be eligible for free agency after next season, and there's no chance the Pirates retain him. He's a designated hitter waiting to happen. His power can be impressive, and someone in the American League will be interested. If he's relieved of the burden of playing in the field, maybe his offense will get even better.
But the time has come for the Pirates to address first base, and that will be one of their offseason priorities.
When a 37-year-old novice like Ramirez is being asked to give the job a shot, it's clear management doesn't have much confidence in the incumbent.
It's still too soon for prospect Josh Bell, and there are questions about whether he can handle the move to first base from the outfield. It remains to be seen who the Pirates will play at first next season.
But it's obvious it won't be Alvarez.
---
--GOOD MOVE
Signing Sergei Gonchar to a tryout contract is a can't-lose situation for the Penguins.
Gonchar can help the power play, and he's a positive influence in the locker room. He's always been a fanatic about conditioning, so being 41 isn't as big a concern as it might be otherwise.
If he doesn't make the team, there may be a spot for him on the hockey staff. Gonchar has always been a cerebral player, and he'll have plenty to offer after he's off the ice.
If he takes ice time from one of the young defensemen, that's a price a team with Stanley Cup expectations pays.
---
--NEW SOUND
The Penguins dropped former newspaper reporter Bob Grove as the host of their pre and post-game radio shows after 10 years.
Say this for Grove: he never cheated anyone on preparation. If Calgary was in a 3-for-40 slump on the power play, his listeners knew about it, even if the Penguins didn't play the Flames for another two months.
---
--SHOP AROUND
Pirates radio rights are up for grabs after this season, and the team has some leverage.
The games are currently on 93.7 The Fan (KDKA-FM), which has enjoyed a huge Pirates-fueled boost in its overall ratings over the past few summers of contention.
The details matter greatly to the Pirates and the winning station. Since the team employs the announcers, listeners should expect consistency of content.
---
--EXTRA INCENTIVE
News reports suggest the Pittsburgh Symphony is having attendance problems.
Given that Heinz Hall isn't really set up for fireworks, the answer might be a truckload of Beethoven bobbleheads.
Beaver County Times, August 9, 2015
Thanks to extensive texting, we are a nation of nimble thumbs.
That should come into play locally this evening when fans give the remote a serious workout, clicking between the two games at 8 o'clock -- Vikings-Steelers on NBC and Dodgers-Pirates on ESPN.
Even though it's one of 162, the baseball game has more significance, but this is (sort of) NFL football after a six-month drought. Never mind that Ben Roethlisberger and anybody else with a recognizable name will be watching from the sideline, this almost looks like the stuff we long for on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays.
This is perfect for the people who like to play scout and tout some obscure free agent as a dark horse.
NBC gets a show with anonymous guys in recognizable NFL uniforms. It's not quite reality TV, but it's good enough to sell to advertisers. Coaches get video evidence to confirm which players they will soon send packing. Those long shot dreamers get DVR evidence that they once wore a Steelers uniform and may even have had their name called on national TV by Al Michaels.
For fans, it's a chance to work out the regular season tailgating routine. Sept. 10 will be here before you know it, and that one in Foxboro counts, with or without Tom Brady.
Meanwhile, the Pirates are kicking off a streak of three straight Sundays on national TV. Between tonight's game and the Aug. 23 home date against the Giants, next Sunday afternoon's game in New York has been selected by TBS.
There are a lot of ways to validate the Pirates' turnaround, but this may be the most significant: Soon people in other places will complain that they're on TV too much.
---
--UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The Steelers' main preseason priority is fixing the defense.
The offense is good enough to win the Super Bowl. The defense might be an impediment to winning both regular season games against Cleveland.
There's a question of how different the defense might be with Keith Butler replacing Dick LeBeau as coordinator, and with Mike Tomlin taking a bigger role.
The preseason will probably offer few clues about how significant the changes might be since coaches hate to offer opponents anything substantial from exhibition games.
---
--ON THE SPOT
Giving credit where it's due, Root Sports hustled last Sunday to get thorough post-game coverage of the dustup between the Reds and Pirates.
They leaned on their Cincinnati counterparts to get comments from Bryan Price, Marlon Byrd and Brandon Phillips on the air. Viewers were waiting to see the fallout from the incidents, and Root covered the story well.
---
--HOT ROD
Rowdy Roddy Piper, who died recently, was second in importance only to Hulk Hogan in executing Vince McMahon's plan to turn wrestling into mainstream entertainment.
Piper had a gift for oratory and the ability to incite people to buy tickets or pay-per-views. That skill is gold in the wrestling business.
Unfortunately, the lifestyle a lot of the performers in the 1980s practiced wasn't conducive to longevity, and Piper is gone at 61.
---
--HONORING JOE
Nice to see the Larry Bruno Foundation honor late sportswriter Joe Tronzo, who had a 60-year career in newspapers.
Joe started writing when he was 12, and always had a soft spot for kids who wanted to work in the newspaper business. He'd find things for them to cover when most of their peers were focused on delivering papers. A lot of people who went on to careers in media owe their start to Joe.
Joe believed there was no higher journalistic calling than getting as many names as possible in the paper. Once when a Beaver Falls basketball game was interrupted briefly by a leaky ceiling, Joe dutifully reported the names of the student managers who mopped up the water.
He had a lot of stories and loved to tell them, especially the ones about his budget-minded bosses at the old News-Tribune. He was a character, and his heart was always in the right place as he often organized and promoted youth league sports.
One of Joe's many quirks was his habit of randomly asking co-workers, "Hey, do you like old Joe?"
Sure did.
That should come into play locally this evening when fans give the remote a serious workout, clicking between the two games at 8 o'clock -- Vikings-Steelers on NBC and Dodgers-Pirates on ESPN.
Even though it's one of 162, the baseball game has more significance, but this is (sort of) NFL football after a six-month drought. Never mind that Ben Roethlisberger and anybody else with a recognizable name will be watching from the sideline, this almost looks like the stuff we long for on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays.
This is perfect for the people who like to play scout and tout some obscure free agent as a dark horse.
NBC gets a show with anonymous guys in recognizable NFL uniforms. It's not quite reality TV, but it's good enough to sell to advertisers. Coaches get video evidence to confirm which players they will soon send packing. Those long shot dreamers get DVR evidence that they once wore a Steelers uniform and may even have had their name called on national TV by Al Michaels.
For fans, it's a chance to work out the regular season tailgating routine. Sept. 10 will be here before you know it, and that one in Foxboro counts, with or without Tom Brady.
Meanwhile, the Pirates are kicking off a streak of three straight Sundays on national TV. Between tonight's game and the Aug. 23 home date against the Giants, next Sunday afternoon's game in New York has been selected by TBS.
There are a lot of ways to validate the Pirates' turnaround, but this may be the most significant: Soon people in other places will complain that they're on TV too much.
---
--UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The Steelers' main preseason priority is fixing the defense.
The offense is good enough to win the Super Bowl. The defense might be an impediment to winning both regular season games against Cleveland.
There's a question of how different the defense might be with Keith Butler replacing Dick LeBeau as coordinator, and with Mike Tomlin taking a bigger role.
The preseason will probably offer few clues about how significant the changes might be since coaches hate to offer opponents anything substantial from exhibition games.
---
--ON THE SPOT
Giving credit where it's due, Root Sports hustled last Sunday to get thorough post-game coverage of the dustup between the Reds and Pirates.
They leaned on their Cincinnati counterparts to get comments from Bryan Price, Marlon Byrd and Brandon Phillips on the air. Viewers were waiting to see the fallout from the incidents, and Root covered the story well.
---
--HOT ROD
Rowdy Roddy Piper, who died recently, was second in importance only to Hulk Hogan in executing Vince McMahon's plan to turn wrestling into mainstream entertainment.
Piper had a gift for oratory and the ability to incite people to buy tickets or pay-per-views. That skill is gold in the wrestling business.
Unfortunately, the lifestyle a lot of the performers in the 1980s practiced wasn't conducive to longevity, and Piper is gone at 61.
---
--HONORING JOE
Nice to see the Larry Bruno Foundation honor late sportswriter Joe Tronzo, who had a 60-year career in newspapers.
Joe started writing when he was 12, and always had a soft spot for kids who wanted to work in the newspaper business. He'd find things for them to cover when most of their peers were focused on delivering papers. A lot of people who went on to careers in media owe their start to Joe.
Joe believed there was no higher journalistic calling than getting as many names as possible in the paper. Once when a Beaver Falls basketball game was interrupted briefly by a leaky ceiling, Joe dutifully reported the names of the student managers who mopped up the water.
He had a lot of stories and loved to tell them, especially the ones about his budget-minded bosses at the old News-Tribune. He was a character, and his heart was always in the right place as he often organized and promoted youth league sports.
One of Joe's many quirks was his habit of randomly asking co-workers, "Hey, do you like old Joe?"
Sure did.
Beaver County Times, August 2, 2015
If the Pirates didn't solve all their problems at the trading deadline, at least they lessened their anxiety about some vulnerable spots.
The best acquisition in the last-minute frenzy is Joakim Soria, a reliever who not only adds depth to the back of the bullpen but also offers an experienced option to close games if something goes haywire with Mark Melancon.
That's a significant insurance policy.
Veterans Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ aren't anything special, but Blanton beefs up the bullpen and Happ is depth for the rotation. That's an issue because A.J. Burnett appears to have discovered that he's 38 and is admitting that his sparkling numbers from the first half were not sustainable.
Starting depth has been eroded by injuries at the Class AAA level, so it's good to have some options on hand.
Michael Morse hits some balls a long way when he's not on the disabled list. He's the latest to audition for the righthanded half of the first base job, a place where Corey Hart and Sean Rodriguez have swung and missed.
First base looms as a huge future issue for the Pirates as Pedro Alvarez nears his expiration date in Pittsburgh. Josh Bell has been presumed as the homegrown replacement, but some scouting reports suggest he isn't close to being able to handle the defensive part.
But that's a topic for another time. This roster reshaping is about the 2015 season and postseason, which is why the Pirates were willing to pursue so many rental players who won't last beyond this year's run.
The changes may not be done. Although waivers have to be secured to make more trades, that isn't impossible.
Two years ago, the Pirates got both Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau in August.
The Pirates caught a break when marquee pickups like Johnny Cueto and Cole Hamels went to American League teams and don't loom as possible playoff obstacles.
The Pirates managed to get deeper in areas of concern without giving up a ransom in quality prospects. For a team that will always have to balance the present and the future, that's how it has to work.
---
--ADIOS, JOSE
So long, Jose Tabata. No more bouncing between the majors and minors and somehow always finding a way to punch that return ticket to Indianapolis.
It was always something with Tabata, starting with 2009 when he was 20 and had a 43-year-old wife who falsified a pregnancy. His wife was convicted of kidnapping a baby and sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Tabata will always be cited as an example of a pre-emptive contract for a promising young player that went bad. The Pirates were paying him $4 million to play at Class AAA this season, and owed him $4.5 million next year.
If the Pirates projected him to develop power, it never happened. He was quickly surpassed by other outfield prospects and wasn't more than a bench player. He wasn't Clint Hurdle's type of player, which probably explains why he couldn't stay in the major leagues.
The Dodgers have him now. Maybe they can figure him out. He's still only 26, even though it seems like he was around for at least a decade.
---
--SOMETHING COOKING?
Did Root Sports have a hockey scoop in the middle of a Pirates broadcast?
During one of the games at Minnesota, Greg Brown said that Matt Cooke, recently cut loose by the Wild, was hoping for a chance to return to the Penguins.
Cooke is a friend of Neil Walker and was at Target Field for at least one of the games.
It figured that Root would find him in the seats. He was wearing a Pirates cap and jersey, after all.
---
--LAW AND ORDER
Pitt's Pat Narduzzi faces some big discipline decisions based on Tyler Boyd's DUI charges and the episode where Rori Blair was clocked at 117 miles per hour on the Parkway East.
Seems like coaches can combine these teaching moments under a single lecture with the topic, "Don't Be a Knucklehead."
---
--VIEWER ALERT
Fair warning: Tuesday's Cubs-Pirates game is also the Pirates Charities auction.
Based on previous coverage, they'll try to squeeze some of the game into the telethon.
The best acquisition in the last-minute frenzy is Joakim Soria, a reliever who not only adds depth to the back of the bullpen but also offers an experienced option to close games if something goes haywire with Mark Melancon.
That's a significant insurance policy.
Veterans Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ aren't anything special, but Blanton beefs up the bullpen and Happ is depth for the rotation. That's an issue because A.J. Burnett appears to have discovered that he's 38 and is admitting that his sparkling numbers from the first half were not sustainable.
Starting depth has been eroded by injuries at the Class AAA level, so it's good to have some options on hand.
Michael Morse hits some balls a long way when he's not on the disabled list. He's the latest to audition for the righthanded half of the first base job, a place where Corey Hart and Sean Rodriguez have swung and missed.
First base looms as a huge future issue for the Pirates as Pedro Alvarez nears his expiration date in Pittsburgh. Josh Bell has been presumed as the homegrown replacement, but some scouting reports suggest he isn't close to being able to handle the defensive part.
But that's a topic for another time. This roster reshaping is about the 2015 season and postseason, which is why the Pirates were willing to pursue so many rental players who won't last beyond this year's run.
The changes may not be done. Although waivers have to be secured to make more trades, that isn't impossible.
Two years ago, the Pirates got both Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau in August.
The Pirates caught a break when marquee pickups like Johnny Cueto and Cole Hamels went to American League teams and don't loom as possible playoff obstacles.
The Pirates managed to get deeper in areas of concern without giving up a ransom in quality prospects. For a team that will always have to balance the present and the future, that's how it has to work.
---
--ADIOS, JOSE
So long, Jose Tabata. No more bouncing between the majors and minors and somehow always finding a way to punch that return ticket to Indianapolis.
It was always something with Tabata, starting with 2009 when he was 20 and had a 43-year-old wife who falsified a pregnancy. His wife was convicted of kidnapping a baby and sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Tabata will always be cited as an example of a pre-emptive contract for a promising young player that went bad. The Pirates were paying him $4 million to play at Class AAA this season, and owed him $4.5 million next year.
If the Pirates projected him to develop power, it never happened. He was quickly surpassed by other outfield prospects and wasn't more than a bench player. He wasn't Clint Hurdle's type of player, which probably explains why he couldn't stay in the major leagues.
The Dodgers have him now. Maybe they can figure him out. He's still only 26, even though it seems like he was around for at least a decade.
---
--SOMETHING COOKING?
Did Root Sports have a hockey scoop in the middle of a Pirates broadcast?
During one of the games at Minnesota, Greg Brown said that Matt Cooke, recently cut loose by the Wild, was hoping for a chance to return to the Penguins.
Cooke is a friend of Neil Walker and was at Target Field for at least one of the games.
It figured that Root would find him in the seats. He was wearing a Pirates cap and jersey, after all.
---
--LAW AND ORDER
Pitt's Pat Narduzzi faces some big discipline decisions based on Tyler Boyd's DUI charges and the episode where Rori Blair was clocked at 117 miles per hour on the Parkway East.
Seems like coaches can combine these teaching moments under a single lecture with the topic, "Don't Be a Knucklehead."
---
--VIEWER ALERT
Fair warning: Tuesday's Cubs-Pirates game is also the Pirates Charities auction.
Based on previous coverage, they'll try to squeeze some of the game into the telethon.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Beaver County Times, July 26, 2015
Neal Huntington pulled a rabbit out of a hat and came up with Aramis Ramirez as an emergency patch for the suddenly injury-plagued Pirates.
The cost was marginal pitching prospect Yhonathan Barrios and about half of the $6 million or so left on Ramirez's Milwaukee contract.
Given how this year's deadline market is tilted heavily toward the sellers, it may even be a remarkable deal when it's done. Ramirez has said this is his last season, and competing for a postseason berth has to be more appealing than playing out the string in the Brewers' dreary season.
After a half season of incredible good fortune with injuries, the Pirates were suddenly hit with the 1-2 punch of losing Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer. Even when they come back, there's no guarantee they'll be ready to immediately pick up and get back in the fast lane. Help was needed.
There's still a week until the non-waiver deadline, and Huntington can't stop here. He needs to get another arm for the bullpen, a hedge against any part of the busy Jared Hughes/Tony Watson/Mark Melancon troika wearing down between now and the end of the season.
Even if those three are fine, the relievers who often precede them are too much of a crap shoot and require some reinforcement.
---
--GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
Baseball-reference. com says Ramirez has made just under $147 million in his career.
He should be thankful to Lloyd McClendon that his career has turned out as well as it has.
When Ramirez was a young player with the Pirates, he was unfocused and didn't have good work habits. McClendon recognized Ramirez's talent, and that he had a chance to make some money in baseball. Ramirez didn't always seem to care that much.
McClendon would boost him sometimes, yell at him at other times. But he finally got Ramirez's attention. Ramirez worked to get in better physical condition, and he put in extra time with the coaches to become an acceptable third baseman.
The Pirates had to give Ramirez away and didn't get to reap much of the work McClendon did with him. But Ramirez turned those early lessons into a lucrative career.
By the way, when Ramirez made his major league debut with the Pirates on May 26, 1998, the outfield from left to right was Manny Martinez, Jermaine Allensworth and Jose Guillen. Kevin Polcovich was at shortstop.
That was a long time ago. With Ramirez's return, the Pirates have someone who played home games at Three Rivers Stadium.
---
--BENCH BUILDING
There's been a lot of consternation about the weakness of the Pirates bench, and it's valid.
But there also needs to be an understanding that the concept of building a bench has changed. With 12-man pitching staffs, there are only five extra position players. One of them is a backup catcher, and teams try to avoid using him unless absolutely necessary.
One of the extra men had better be able to play adequate defense at shortstop in a close game, too. With three spots open, versatility becomes even more important.
Teams used to have seven players on the bench, and could afford to carry a pinch hitting specialist, the role that Manny Mota and Rusty Staub filled late in their careers. They weren't able to play in the field, and they were almost always removed for a pinch runner. So when they pinch hit, it took two players to fill the spot, either on the bases or in the field.
That luxury doesn't exist now.
---
--WHO CARES?
The great thing about television is something that's been researched and planned will rarely be discarded for irrelevance. Must justify the effort.
So in the late innings of last Sunday's game at Milwaukee, Root Sports in-game reporter Robby Incmikoski was gushing about Brewers reliever Neal Cotts' comeback from injuries. He urged viewers to look up the details.
If you're a Pirates fan and your team is being swept, you're probably not really that interested in the admittedly inspirational story of a guy from the opposing team who is helping to complete the demolition.
---
--'80S FLASHBACK
The headlines said WWE had fired Hulk Hogan for making racial slurs on a tape.
Which begs the question: Someone is still paying attention to Hulk Hogan?
The cost was marginal pitching prospect Yhonathan Barrios and about half of the $6 million or so left on Ramirez's Milwaukee contract.
Given how this year's deadline market is tilted heavily toward the sellers, it may even be a remarkable deal when it's done. Ramirez has said this is his last season, and competing for a postseason berth has to be more appealing than playing out the string in the Brewers' dreary season.
After a half season of incredible good fortune with injuries, the Pirates were suddenly hit with the 1-2 punch of losing Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer. Even when they come back, there's no guarantee they'll be ready to immediately pick up and get back in the fast lane. Help was needed.
There's still a week until the non-waiver deadline, and Huntington can't stop here. He needs to get another arm for the bullpen, a hedge against any part of the busy Jared Hughes/Tony Watson/Mark Melancon troika wearing down between now and the end of the season.
Even if those three are fine, the relievers who often precede them are too much of a crap shoot and require some reinforcement.
---
--GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
Baseball-reference. com says Ramirez has made just under $147 million in his career.
He should be thankful to Lloyd McClendon that his career has turned out as well as it has.
When Ramirez was a young player with the Pirates, he was unfocused and didn't have good work habits. McClendon recognized Ramirez's talent, and that he had a chance to make some money in baseball. Ramirez didn't always seem to care that much.
McClendon would boost him sometimes, yell at him at other times. But he finally got Ramirez's attention. Ramirez worked to get in better physical condition, and he put in extra time with the coaches to become an acceptable third baseman.
The Pirates had to give Ramirez away and didn't get to reap much of the work McClendon did with him. But Ramirez turned those early lessons into a lucrative career.
By the way, when Ramirez made his major league debut with the Pirates on May 26, 1998, the outfield from left to right was Manny Martinez, Jermaine Allensworth and Jose Guillen. Kevin Polcovich was at shortstop.
That was a long time ago. With Ramirez's return, the Pirates have someone who played home games at Three Rivers Stadium.
---
--BENCH BUILDING
There's been a lot of consternation about the weakness of the Pirates bench, and it's valid.
But there also needs to be an understanding that the concept of building a bench has changed. With 12-man pitching staffs, there are only five extra position players. One of them is a backup catcher, and teams try to avoid using him unless absolutely necessary.
One of the extra men had better be able to play adequate defense at shortstop in a close game, too. With three spots open, versatility becomes even more important.
Teams used to have seven players on the bench, and could afford to carry a pinch hitting specialist, the role that Manny Mota and Rusty Staub filled late in their careers. They weren't able to play in the field, and they were almost always removed for a pinch runner. So when they pinch hit, it took two players to fill the spot, either on the bases or in the field.
That luxury doesn't exist now.
---
--WHO CARES?
The great thing about television is something that's been researched and planned will rarely be discarded for irrelevance. Must justify the effort.
So in the late innings of last Sunday's game at Milwaukee, Root Sports in-game reporter Robby Incmikoski was gushing about Brewers reliever Neal Cotts' comeback from injuries. He urged viewers to look up the details.
If you're a Pirates fan and your team is being swept, you're probably not really that interested in the admittedly inspirational story of a guy from the opposing team who is helping to complete the demolition.
---
--'80S FLASHBACK
The headlines said WWE had fired Hulk Hogan for making racial slurs on a tape.
Which begs the question: Someone is still paying attention to Hulk Hogan?
Beaver County Times, July 19, 2015
What a weekend it was at PNC Park.
That was the kind of atmosphere everyone had in mind when the idea was conceived for an intimate, baseball-only park.
Not only did the Pirates walk off with two victories, they won the games in extra innings, and won both facing a deficit.
Taking three of four games in the weekend series against the NL Central-leading Cardinals allowed the Pirates to get within two and a half games of first place, whittling down a nine-game deficit that had looked so daunting two weeks earlier.
Those two games clearly represent highlights in the 15 seasons at PNC Park. The only comparable game is the 2013 Wild Card win over the Reds, when the Pirates reached the postseason after a 20-year losing streak.
Beyond that? For excitement and drama that stretched beyond a single game, you'd probably have to go back to Sept. 29, 1978 when the Pirates played a Friday night doubleheader against the Phillies.
The Phillies came in for the four-game, season-ending series holding a three and a half game lead.
You didn't need a calculator to figure out the scenario -- The Pirates needed to win all four games. Anything less would give the division to the Phillies (and there were no wild card consolation prizes in those days).
The rivalry between the Phillies and Pirates was white hot, with several brawls spicing the games between two excellent teams. There were fire-stoking loudmouths on both sides -- Larry Bowa for the Phillies, Dave Parker for the Pirates.
The Pirates had attendance problems then, but 45,134 people paid their way into Three Rivers Stadium that night. They saw the Pirates win both games in the bottom of the ninth inning.
In the first game, Ed Ott led off with a triple off Ron Reed, and was able to score on center fielder Garry Maddox's error.
The second game was even wilder. Steve Carlton allowed a leadoff double to Dave Parker, who went to third on another error by Maddox. By the way, Maddox was nicknamed "Secretary of Defense" and won eight Gold Glove awards.
Carlton intentionally walked Bill Robinson and Willie Stargell to load the bases. On a 1-1 pitch to Phil Garner, reliever Warren Brusstar balked in the winning run.
The sweep offered hope that the Pirates could pull of the miracle, but they lost the next day 10-8, despite taking a 4-1 lead after one inning.
So will there be carryover effect from last weekend for the last nine games between the Pirates and Cardinals? Probably not. The Cardinals devastated the Pirates with three walk-off wins in April.
If that sent a message, the Pirates didn't get it. They've won five of seven against the Cardinals since that series.
The good thing about the weekend is it preceded the All-Star break. So instead of getting swallowed in the daily grind of the schedule, it lingered so fans could savor a couple of special moments.
Plus it gave excitable announcer Greg Brown a chance to ice himself down for a few days.
---
--THINKING OUT LOUD
Some quick takes on the Pirates in the second half:
--Josh Harrison's injury highlights the need for another bat, and another starter would be welcome, too. The Pirates have been fortunate with the health of their starting rotation in a season where their back-up options are limited.
But it would also be good to get some help for the bullpen. The heavy workloads on Jared Hughes, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon could be a factor in August.
--Speaking of length of season, this will soon become uncharted territory for Jung Ho Kang. He never played more than 133 games a season in Korea, and averaged 124 games a season. He played in his 73rd game on Friday.
--You can drive yourself crazy replaying drafts, but what if the Pirates had selected Buster Posey instead of Pedro Alvarez in 2008?
--There are only 90 feet between bases, yet the Pirates manage to have some incredible adventures covering those distances. Would it be legal to attach a GPS unit to each uniform sleeve?
---
--LOOKING GOOD
The only significant takeaway from the All-Star game: Everyone should look as good at 79 as Sandy Koufax does.
That was the kind of atmosphere everyone had in mind when the idea was conceived for an intimate, baseball-only park.
Not only did the Pirates walk off with two victories, they won the games in extra innings, and won both facing a deficit.
Taking three of four games in the weekend series against the NL Central-leading Cardinals allowed the Pirates to get within two and a half games of first place, whittling down a nine-game deficit that had looked so daunting two weeks earlier.
Those two games clearly represent highlights in the 15 seasons at PNC Park. The only comparable game is the 2013 Wild Card win over the Reds, when the Pirates reached the postseason after a 20-year losing streak.
Beyond that? For excitement and drama that stretched beyond a single game, you'd probably have to go back to Sept. 29, 1978 when the Pirates played a Friday night doubleheader against the Phillies.
The Phillies came in for the four-game, season-ending series holding a three and a half game lead.
You didn't need a calculator to figure out the scenario -- The Pirates needed to win all four games. Anything less would give the division to the Phillies (and there were no wild card consolation prizes in those days).
The rivalry between the Phillies and Pirates was white hot, with several brawls spicing the games between two excellent teams. There were fire-stoking loudmouths on both sides -- Larry Bowa for the Phillies, Dave Parker for the Pirates.
The Pirates had attendance problems then, but 45,134 people paid their way into Three Rivers Stadium that night. They saw the Pirates win both games in the bottom of the ninth inning.
In the first game, Ed Ott led off with a triple off Ron Reed, and was able to score on center fielder Garry Maddox's error.
The second game was even wilder. Steve Carlton allowed a leadoff double to Dave Parker, who went to third on another error by Maddox. By the way, Maddox was nicknamed "Secretary of Defense" and won eight Gold Glove awards.
Carlton intentionally walked Bill Robinson and Willie Stargell to load the bases. On a 1-1 pitch to Phil Garner, reliever Warren Brusstar balked in the winning run.
The sweep offered hope that the Pirates could pull of the miracle, but they lost the next day 10-8, despite taking a 4-1 lead after one inning.
So will there be carryover effect from last weekend for the last nine games between the Pirates and Cardinals? Probably not. The Cardinals devastated the Pirates with three walk-off wins in April.
If that sent a message, the Pirates didn't get it. They've won five of seven against the Cardinals since that series.
The good thing about the weekend is it preceded the All-Star break. So instead of getting swallowed in the daily grind of the schedule, it lingered so fans could savor a couple of special moments.
Plus it gave excitable announcer Greg Brown a chance to ice himself down for a few days.
---
--THINKING OUT LOUD
Some quick takes on the Pirates in the second half:
--Josh Harrison's injury highlights the need for another bat, and another starter would be welcome, too. The Pirates have been fortunate with the health of their starting rotation in a season where their back-up options are limited.
But it would also be good to get some help for the bullpen. The heavy workloads on Jared Hughes, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon could be a factor in August.
--Speaking of length of season, this will soon become uncharted territory for Jung Ho Kang. He never played more than 133 games a season in Korea, and averaged 124 games a season. He played in his 73rd game on Friday.
--You can drive yourself crazy replaying drafts, but what if the Pirates had selected Buster Posey instead of Pedro Alvarez in 2008?
--There are only 90 feet between bases, yet the Pirates manage to have some incredible adventures covering those distances. Would it be legal to attach a GPS unit to each uniform sleeve?
---
--LOOKING GOOD
The only significant takeaway from the All-Star game: Everyone should look as good at 79 as Sandy Koufax does.
Beaver County Times, July 12, 2015
The unwitting architects of replay in MLB are Don Denkinger, Jim Joyce and Jerry Meals.
Those three umpires blew calls so badly and conspicuously that baseball had little choice but to follow other sports in using video technology to correct errors.
Denkinger missed a simple call at first base in the 1985 World Series that wound up swinging the Series in the Royals' favor. Joyce's incorrect call at first base in 2010 cost Detroit's Armando Galarraga a chance at a perfect game.
Meals put his name on the Pittsburgh sports infamy list in 2011 when he couldn't see that the Braves' Julio Lugo was tagged out at home plate in the 19th inning.
The plays live forever on the Internet, but everyone moves on knowing the wrong call was made. Salem, Ohio's Meals was later promoted to crew chief and will work Tuesday's All-Star game.
The cumulative effect was to create demand for replay review, which started on "boundary" plays. It was a major step for baseball to acknowledge that umpires running toward the outfield might not be entirely certain if a ball a hundred feet away was fair or foul, or whether it had been affected by fan interference.
The theory was sound: Get the call right. What sense did it make to live with a result that everyone could see was wrong?
Then they expanded replay. Now it's a monster.
The spirit of replay was correct. But now it's being used to determine whether a sliding base stealer may have lost contact with the bag for a split second while the tag was being applied.
Some players over slide the base, and should be called for that. If anyone is doing the blatant over slide (the Nyjer Morgan model), he should be called out.
But if someone is sliding in and oh-so-temporarily fails to hold the base, should a safe call be overturned if it takes the most nitpicking video evidence to reverse it?
If it takes super slow motion and freeze frame to make the case, haven't we gone beyond the spirit of things? It's even worse when the game stops for several minutes while the game umpires clamp on headsets and talk to colleagues at the replay center in New York.
There's always a shakeout period on replay policies and the degrees of rule enforcement.
Once the NHL disallowed goals if replay found a player with an inch of his skate blade in the crease. It didn't matter if the breach affected the play or not.
They realized that was ridiculously petty and it's tilted totally in the other direction. Now players can pretty much have lunch in the crease with no penalty.
Baseball needs to separate the clinical from the practical. Because every second base slide is under the microscope, runners are desperately hugging the bag like it's a much-loved teddy bear. The fielders applying the tags are clutching the runners like they're getting ready to polka.
It's silly. Replay is a great tool. Part of the application is knowing when not to use it.
----
--FIZZLING OUT
Gerrit Cole heads into his first All-Star appearance with a 13-3 record, and much has been made of the fact this is the best pre-All-Star performance by a Pirates pitcher since Dock Ellis and Ken Brett.
Ellis was 14-3 at the break in 1971, and Brett had a 12-6 record at the 1974 break.
Better hope that Cole doesn't duplicate the seasons they had after the hot starts.
Ellis seemed to be a lock for a 20-win season. He finished 19-9 and wasn't of much value in the postseason.
Brett only won one more game, finishing 13-9. His chronic shoulder problems flared up and he gave the Pirates two ineffective innings in the playoffs.
---
--VOTING IRREGULARITY
The demise of paper ballots in All-Star voting reminds of the days when the Three Rivers Stadium ushers refused to hand them out to fans.
The union deemed that a change in work rules that hadn't been negotiated.
Did it really matter? Does anyone believe MLB actually counted the write-in votes on all those cards?
---
--SORRY, NOT SAFE
The sports books in Las Vegas take action on everything. So next year you have to figure they'll establish an over/under line on how many NFL players blow up their hands over the Fourth of July weekend.
Those three umpires blew calls so badly and conspicuously that baseball had little choice but to follow other sports in using video technology to correct errors.
Denkinger missed a simple call at first base in the 1985 World Series that wound up swinging the Series in the Royals' favor. Joyce's incorrect call at first base in 2010 cost Detroit's Armando Galarraga a chance at a perfect game.
Meals put his name on the Pittsburgh sports infamy list in 2011 when he couldn't see that the Braves' Julio Lugo was tagged out at home plate in the 19th inning.
The plays live forever on the Internet, but everyone moves on knowing the wrong call was made. Salem, Ohio's Meals was later promoted to crew chief and will work Tuesday's All-Star game.
The cumulative effect was to create demand for replay review, which started on "boundary" plays. It was a major step for baseball to acknowledge that umpires running toward the outfield might not be entirely certain if a ball a hundred feet away was fair or foul, or whether it had been affected by fan interference.
The theory was sound: Get the call right. What sense did it make to live with a result that everyone could see was wrong?
Then they expanded replay. Now it's a monster.
The spirit of replay was correct. But now it's being used to determine whether a sliding base stealer may have lost contact with the bag for a split second while the tag was being applied.
Some players over slide the base, and should be called for that. If anyone is doing the blatant over slide (the Nyjer Morgan model), he should be called out.
But if someone is sliding in and oh-so-temporarily fails to hold the base, should a safe call be overturned if it takes the most nitpicking video evidence to reverse it?
If it takes super slow motion and freeze frame to make the case, haven't we gone beyond the spirit of things? It's even worse when the game stops for several minutes while the game umpires clamp on headsets and talk to colleagues at the replay center in New York.
There's always a shakeout period on replay policies and the degrees of rule enforcement.
Once the NHL disallowed goals if replay found a player with an inch of his skate blade in the crease. It didn't matter if the breach affected the play or not.
They realized that was ridiculously petty and it's tilted totally in the other direction. Now players can pretty much have lunch in the crease with no penalty.
Baseball needs to separate the clinical from the practical. Because every second base slide is under the microscope, runners are desperately hugging the bag like it's a much-loved teddy bear. The fielders applying the tags are clutching the runners like they're getting ready to polka.
It's silly. Replay is a great tool. Part of the application is knowing when not to use it.
----
--FIZZLING OUT
Gerrit Cole heads into his first All-Star appearance with a 13-3 record, and much has been made of the fact this is the best pre-All-Star performance by a Pirates pitcher since Dock Ellis and Ken Brett.
Ellis was 14-3 at the break in 1971, and Brett had a 12-6 record at the 1974 break.
Better hope that Cole doesn't duplicate the seasons they had after the hot starts.
Ellis seemed to be a lock for a 20-win season. He finished 19-9 and wasn't of much value in the postseason.
Brett only won one more game, finishing 13-9. His chronic shoulder problems flared up and he gave the Pirates two ineffective innings in the playoffs.
---
--VOTING IRREGULARITY
The demise of paper ballots in All-Star voting reminds of the days when the Three Rivers Stadium ushers refused to hand them out to fans.
The union deemed that a change in work rules that hadn't been negotiated.
Did it really matter? Does anyone believe MLB actually counted the write-in votes on all those cards?
---
--SORRY, NOT SAFE
The sports books in Las Vegas take action on everything. So next year you have to figure they'll establish an over/under line on how many NFL players blow up their hands over the Fourth of July weekend.
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