Hey there, Buddy!
There's a concern that professional sports are becoming too chummy, a theory boosted last week with the footage of Ben Roethlisberger asking Tom Brady for his jersey.
Snooping cameras caught the conversation between the quarterbacks prior to last Sunday's game at Heinz Field.
Of course, social media exploded, calling Roethlisberger a "fanboy" and suggesting he embarrassed himself by making the request of a quarterback who has generally handled the Steelers.
The practice of asking for a jersey or an autograph is not uncommon. Some players have trophy rooms, some collect swag to be used at charity auctions, some are probably stocking their storerooms for future non-charity auctions.
It's not that big a deal. Most players don't make the requests directly, instead using a third party. Locker room helpers are always relaying requests on behalf of players.
Some players don't like it. Jason Kendall, who pretty much hated everything, blew up when he found out teammate Jon Lieber had sent a proxy to ask Mark McGwire for an autographed bat. Pitcher Doug Bair was always sending people to the visiting clubhouse to get baseballs signed by players he thought were bound for the Hall of Fame.
Lately, NFL players have taken to swapping jerseys after games. Some Steelers did it on the field until Mike Tomlin issued an order that all the trades had to be made behind the scenes.
There's no question there's more fraternization among players. John Jaso was a one-man Welcome Wagon in his first season with the Pirates, routinely greeting and chatting with everyone who reached first base.
It can be galling. In the old days, Jim Leyland would be stomping to the mound to remove Paul Wagner from the game, and Jay Bell would be gabbing amiably at second base with the guy who just hit a bases-clearing double.
Occasionally, a manager will set some rules. Tony Pena was shocked one afternoon when Frank Robinson ejected him from the San Francisco Giants dugout hours before a game. Pena had stopped by to talk with some friends in Giants uniforms, and Robinson would have none of it.
"Get over in your own dugout," he barked at Pena. Pena thought Robinson was kidding. Robinson reinforced the message, and Pena sheepishly retreated.
There has to be some happy medium between the current hugfest and blatant hostility. The Steelers-Bengals playoff game last January almost turned into a street fight, and that wasn't good.
Some professional distance would be welcome, at least on the field. Players often get together before or after games, and nobody knows or cares.
At Willie Stargell's memorial, Joe Morgan recalled trips to Pittsburgh when he would join Stargell for an evening that started with dinner and ended at dawn when they exited one of those after-hours clubs that had a peephole and a lot of muscle guarding the door.
So Big Ben taking home an authentic Brady jersey? No problem. But if Tomlin ever asks Bill Belichick for his chopped-sleeve hoodie, we have an issue.
---
--NEEDS REPAIRS
The Pitt Panthers' three losses have come in games where they've scored 38, 36 and 36 points.
To think Pat Narduzzi came here with a reputation as a defensive genius.
---
--STOP FOR DIRECTIONS
The Pirates have shaken up their staff, firing third base coach Rick Sofield and re-assigning first base coach Nick Leyva to a position off the field.
That might help. Sofield made some stunningly bad decisions, and a team with a losing record isn't likely to overlook those.
The onus for the alarming number of bad base running decisions is still on the players. The coaches offer help, but the players have to react in the moment and make smart decisions. That's been a problem.
Maybe new coaches will help, but not as much as affixing a GPS to Starling Marte's sleeve might.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Altoona Mirror, October 23, 2016
Bill Belichick is in town, and you know that means:
The scowl, the beady eyes and the hoodie with the sleeves chopped off.
There's one other thing, too, and that's the impressive success since he took over the Patriots in 2000.
Belichick has been to the Super Bowl six times, winning four. That ties him with Chuck Noll for the lead among coaches in the Super Bowl era. (Vince Lombardi won three NFL championships in addition to the first two Super Bowls).
So does Belichick belong in the discussion with Noll among the all-time greats? Absolutely. In fact, the case can be made that what Belichick has accomplished has been even more impressive.
The game has changed radically since Noll took over the Steelers in 1969. The staff for his first Super Bowl included eight assistants, counting specialists for flexibility and weight lifting. There were only six assistants coaching purely football matters. Nobody had the title of offensive coordinator.
Quarterbacks had play-calling responsibility then, too, which is one reason Terry Bradshaw didn't fully claim the starting job until his fifth season.
These days, it's a task to fit the entire coaching staff into one photo frame. Mike Tomlin has 16 assistants.
The Steelers' success in the 1970s basically comes down to simple math. They drafted exceptionally well for six years (1969 to 1974) and that translated into six incredibly successful seasons (1974 to '79).
After the Steelers won their fourth Super Bowl on Jan. 20, 1980, Noll coached for 12 more seasons. He was 93-91 with just four playoff appearances.
As great as the Steelers were in the '70s, they won with the same group of players.
Tom Brady has quarterbacked all four of the Patriots' Super Bowl victories, but the supporting cast has constantly evolved. Troy Brown was the leading receiver on the first Super Bowl team, and Antowain Smith was the leading rusher. They were long gone by the fourth Super Bowl, as were defensive standouts Richard Seymour, Willis McGinest, Tedy Bruschi and Lawyer Milloy.
If you're looking to slap Belichick's record with an asterisk for his Spygate cheating conviction, that's fair. The Patriots were guilty of illegally taping other teams' defensive signals to gain an edge.
Belichick was fined $500,000, and the team was fined an additional $250,000 and lost its first-round draft pick.
But there are a lot of people who will argue the Steelers were at the forefront of the steroid trend in the NFL. There were a lot of mysterious weight and muscle gains and at least one player, Jim Clack, admitted on the record that he had bulked up with laboratory help.
Noll retired at 60. Belichick is 64 and shows no signs of slowing down. There may be another Super Bowl in the future because he's kept the Patriots formidable through all the changes.
Belichick is already in Noll's class, and another Super Bowl trophy would advance him to a different level.
---
--LATE BLOOMING LOVE
Cleveland is crazy for the Indians, who are in the World Series for just the second time since 1948.
But that didn't translate into a lot of business during the regular season.
The Indians' attendance was 1,591,667, an average of 19,650 per date. The Pirates' attendance fell by more than 200,000, but it was still 2,249,201, an average of 27,768.
---
--IS TWO TOO MANY?
The Penguins' signing of Matt Murray to a contract extension seems to guarantee Marc-Andre Fleury's future is elsewhere.
There's no need to do anything immediately, though. One of the lessons from last season should be the value of having two quality goalies for a Stanley Cup run.
---
--COLD FACTS
Temperatures are forecast to be in the 40s when the first pitch of the World Series is thrown in Cleveland on Tuesday night.
This gives MLB a chance to market its line of officially licensed parkas and ski hats.
The scowl, the beady eyes and the hoodie with the sleeves chopped off.
There's one other thing, too, and that's the impressive success since he took over the Patriots in 2000.
Belichick has been to the Super Bowl six times, winning four. That ties him with Chuck Noll for the lead among coaches in the Super Bowl era. (Vince Lombardi won three NFL championships in addition to the first two Super Bowls).
So does Belichick belong in the discussion with Noll among the all-time greats? Absolutely. In fact, the case can be made that what Belichick has accomplished has been even more impressive.
The game has changed radically since Noll took over the Steelers in 1969. The staff for his first Super Bowl included eight assistants, counting specialists for flexibility and weight lifting. There were only six assistants coaching purely football matters. Nobody had the title of offensive coordinator.
Quarterbacks had play-calling responsibility then, too, which is one reason Terry Bradshaw didn't fully claim the starting job until his fifth season.
These days, it's a task to fit the entire coaching staff into one photo frame. Mike Tomlin has 16 assistants.
The Steelers' success in the 1970s basically comes down to simple math. They drafted exceptionally well for six years (1969 to 1974) and that translated into six incredibly successful seasons (1974 to '79).
After the Steelers won their fourth Super Bowl on Jan. 20, 1980, Noll coached for 12 more seasons. He was 93-91 with just four playoff appearances.
As great as the Steelers were in the '70s, they won with the same group of players.
Tom Brady has quarterbacked all four of the Patriots' Super Bowl victories, but the supporting cast has constantly evolved. Troy Brown was the leading receiver on the first Super Bowl team, and Antowain Smith was the leading rusher. They were long gone by the fourth Super Bowl, as were defensive standouts Richard Seymour, Willis McGinest, Tedy Bruschi and Lawyer Milloy.
If you're looking to slap Belichick's record with an asterisk for his Spygate cheating conviction, that's fair. The Patriots were guilty of illegally taping other teams' defensive signals to gain an edge.
Belichick was fined $500,000, and the team was fined an additional $250,000 and lost its first-round draft pick.
But there are a lot of people who will argue the Steelers were at the forefront of the steroid trend in the NFL. There were a lot of mysterious weight and muscle gains and at least one player, Jim Clack, admitted on the record that he had bulked up with laboratory help.
Noll retired at 60. Belichick is 64 and shows no signs of slowing down. There may be another Super Bowl in the future because he's kept the Patriots formidable through all the changes.
Belichick is already in Noll's class, and another Super Bowl trophy would advance him to a different level.
---
--LATE BLOOMING LOVE
Cleveland is crazy for the Indians, who are in the World Series for just the second time since 1948.
But that didn't translate into a lot of business during the regular season.
The Indians' attendance was 1,591,667, an average of 19,650 per date. The Pirates' attendance fell by more than 200,000, but it was still 2,249,201, an average of 27,768.
---
--IS TWO TOO MANY?
The Penguins' signing of Matt Murray to a contract extension seems to guarantee Marc-Andre Fleury's future is elsewhere.
There's no need to do anything immediately, though. One of the lessons from last season should be the value of having two quality goalies for a Stanley Cup run.
---
--COLD FACTS
Temperatures are forecast to be in the 40s when the first pitch of the World Series is thrown in Cleveland on Tuesday night.
This gives MLB a chance to market its line of officially licensed parkas and ski hats.
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Altoona Mirror, October 16, 2016
Ben Roethlisberger was taking one for the team last week when he suggested that Steelers' practices are too physical.
That isn't a factor for quarterbacks, who are off limits for any contact. Even James Harrison understands and accepts that policy.
Roethlisberger said on his weekly radio show that maybe the Steelers have had a run of injuries because practices are too strenuous.
Probably that's something he heard from teammates -- like his linemen -- who are involved in as much contact as the labor agreement allows.
But it's hard to connect Cam Heyward's hamstring injury to practice contact, for example.
There isn't nearly as much hitting as there used to be in practice. That was negotiated by the union in the most recent contract. There is also far less contact in training camp these days.
How do teams scale back even further and still maintain some value to practice? Nobody wants to see teammates wipe each other out, but every practice can't be a walk-through, either.
Roethlisberger put the issue on the air because he knew there would be follow-up questions about it.
If nothing else, it shows how much Roethlisberger's leadership skills have improved over his career.
Young Ben wouldn't have cared about whatever complaints teammates might have had. Young Ben only cared about himself.
Wiser older Ben is using his influence to look out for his teammates now.
That's the bigger issue than the amount of contact in practices.
---
--WRONG LABEL?
Mike Tomlin is a players' coach.
How do we know this? Because every network broadcast team has said that for as long as Tomlin has been coaching the Steelers.
What does it mean? Nobody knows.
Does it mean he likes players? He should. They win or lose games, and they determine whether Tomlin keeps his job and continues to make millions.
Is he an easy boss for the employees? That would appear to be untrue.
Case in point was last week's experience with receiver Sammy Coates.
Coates made some nice plays, including a 72-yard touchdown catch. He also dropped some passes, including one in the end zone.
Coates somehow sustained a cut on his hand in the first half, a wound that required stitches.
Asked if that was a factor in the dropped passes, Tomlin said, "Hey, I'm not into that. I'm not into the excuses. His performance is his performance. He had some up plays, he had some down plays. It's good to learn while we win, and that's all I'm going to say about that."
OK, Coates' drops were costly and could try anyone's patience. Roethlisberger admitted to some frustration, but said he maintained confidence in Coates and acknowledged that a hand injury would be a problem for a receiver, "especially as hard as I throw the ball."
Tomlin was asked on Tuesday how Coates had cut his hand.
"I coach. I'm not a medical expert," Tomlin said. "The medical expert deemed him capable of playing."
Tough love for an inexperienced player from whom more is expected? Maybe.
But not the kind of thing you'd expect to hear from someone constantly described as a players' coach.
---
--FILL IT UP
With all the pitching changes made in the last innings of the deciding game in the National League Division Series, one thing is clear:
If they still used bullpen carts, one would have run out gas making all those trips.
And speaking of that, how soon until MLB strikes a sponsorship deal with Uber to bring back rides from the bullpen?
---
--ROGUE'S GALLERY
The post-game panel assembled by Fox Sports for the baseball postseason includes Alex Rodriguez and Pete Rose.
Didn't there used to be a TV quiz show called "Liar's Club?"
That isn't a factor for quarterbacks, who are off limits for any contact. Even James Harrison understands and accepts that policy.
Roethlisberger said on his weekly radio show that maybe the Steelers have had a run of injuries because practices are too strenuous.
Probably that's something he heard from teammates -- like his linemen -- who are involved in as much contact as the labor agreement allows.
But it's hard to connect Cam Heyward's hamstring injury to practice contact, for example.
There isn't nearly as much hitting as there used to be in practice. That was negotiated by the union in the most recent contract. There is also far less contact in training camp these days.
How do teams scale back even further and still maintain some value to practice? Nobody wants to see teammates wipe each other out, but every practice can't be a walk-through, either.
Roethlisberger put the issue on the air because he knew there would be follow-up questions about it.
If nothing else, it shows how much Roethlisberger's leadership skills have improved over his career.
Young Ben wouldn't have cared about whatever complaints teammates might have had. Young Ben only cared about himself.
Wiser older Ben is using his influence to look out for his teammates now.
That's the bigger issue than the amount of contact in practices.
---
--WRONG LABEL?
Mike Tomlin is a players' coach.
How do we know this? Because every network broadcast team has said that for as long as Tomlin has been coaching the Steelers.
What does it mean? Nobody knows.
Does it mean he likes players? He should. They win or lose games, and they determine whether Tomlin keeps his job and continues to make millions.
Is he an easy boss for the employees? That would appear to be untrue.
Case in point was last week's experience with receiver Sammy Coates.
Coates made some nice plays, including a 72-yard touchdown catch. He also dropped some passes, including one in the end zone.
Coates somehow sustained a cut on his hand in the first half, a wound that required stitches.
Asked if that was a factor in the dropped passes, Tomlin said, "Hey, I'm not into that. I'm not into the excuses. His performance is his performance. He had some up plays, he had some down plays. It's good to learn while we win, and that's all I'm going to say about that."
OK, Coates' drops were costly and could try anyone's patience. Roethlisberger admitted to some frustration, but said he maintained confidence in Coates and acknowledged that a hand injury would be a problem for a receiver, "especially as hard as I throw the ball."
Tomlin was asked on Tuesday how Coates had cut his hand.
"I coach. I'm not a medical expert," Tomlin said. "The medical expert deemed him capable of playing."
Tough love for an inexperienced player from whom more is expected? Maybe.
But not the kind of thing you'd expect to hear from someone constantly described as a players' coach.
---
--FILL IT UP
With all the pitching changes made in the last innings of the deciding game in the National League Division Series, one thing is clear:
If they still used bullpen carts, one would have run out gas making all those trips.
And speaking of that, how soon until MLB strikes a sponsorship deal with Uber to bring back rides from the bullpen?
---
--ROGUE'S GALLERY
The post-game panel assembled by Fox Sports for the baseball postseason includes Alex Rodriguez and Pete Rose.
Didn't there used to be a TV quiz show called "Liar's Club?"
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Altoona Mirror, October 9, 2016
The Steelers have an injury report as thick as a John Grisham novel, but the biggest issue is the gyrations of a wide receiver?
First, be thankful that Antonio Brown is around to cause this debate. He is arguably the best receiver in the NFL and, along with Ben Roethlisberger, the main reason the Steelers have such a dynamic offense.
Also know this about Brown: While he can be a diva and seems to be addicted to the spotlight, those traits don't affect his performance. Roethlisberger has said repeatedly that nobody outworks Brown on the practice field or the video room. He's a former sixth-round pick who has willed himself to become an impact player in the NFL.
All that said, why does he persist in being shortsighted and selfish about trivial touchdown celebrations?
In the past Brown has put himself in physical peril by somersaulting into the end zone and slamming himself into the goal post.
To what end? For 10 seconds of freak video time on ESPN, he's going to risk an injury?
Lately he's been grinding his hips in a celebratory dance, and that's earned him a couple of penalties and fines from the NFL.
Last week he got a $24,000 fine and complained that the NFL isn't clear on what is allowed.
Why does it even have to be an issue? There are rules that players don't like. A lot of people don't like speed limits and restrictions on red light right turns, but that doesn't give them the right to ignore the laws.
They're ticketing for hip grinding. So understand that and knock it off. It's not complicated.
If Brown wants to pay the fines, it's his money and his business. But the penalties come with a 15-yard walk off, which affects the people who blocked and did the hard work that helped him score that touchdown. Maybe they're not OK with losing 15 yards for no good reason other than someone's ego gratification.
Would it be so bad if he tossed the ball aside and just raised his arms in the air? Would anybody walk away from Heinz Field feeling disappointed that the price of a ticket didn't deliver 10 seconds of Antonio Brown hip thrusting?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the NFL is the No Fun League and they're a bunch of stodgy old guys who don't understand the modern world. Tell it to the judge.
The rules are on the books. They're being enforced.
Understand that, and adjust.
Does a guy who competed on "Dancing With The Stars" really need to polish his reputation as someone who can shake his hips?
Brown is already a great player. Now maybe he could be a smart one, too.
---
--PERFECT GUESTS
Impressive to see the Penguins show up nice and classy for their White House visit the other day.
They were all dressed in dark suits, all respectful of their surroundings and grateful for the recognition.
President Obama rose to the occasion by flawlessly delivering prepared lines without mispronouncing any names and leaving everyone with the likely false impression that he was closely following hockey last season.
The Penguins once went to the White House to have George H.W. Bush say, "And you are...?" as Mario Lemieux approached him to present a jersey.
That sort of thing works both ways. When Bush was campaigning in 1988, he stopped by the Pirates' clubhouse in Houston. Wise guy pitcher Dave LaPoint shook his hand and say, "Hey, really enjoy your (Busch) beer."
---
--DOLLAR VALUE
Pitt doesn't have the best football team, but is there any other school that gives its fans so much drama?
---
--EXTENDED RUN
The Penguins open the season on Thursday against Washington.
Last season ran 248 days, from Oct. 8 to June 12.
Pace yourself.
First, be thankful that Antonio Brown is around to cause this debate. He is arguably the best receiver in the NFL and, along with Ben Roethlisberger, the main reason the Steelers have such a dynamic offense.
Also know this about Brown: While he can be a diva and seems to be addicted to the spotlight, those traits don't affect his performance. Roethlisberger has said repeatedly that nobody outworks Brown on the practice field or the video room. He's a former sixth-round pick who has willed himself to become an impact player in the NFL.
All that said, why does he persist in being shortsighted and selfish about trivial touchdown celebrations?
In the past Brown has put himself in physical peril by somersaulting into the end zone and slamming himself into the goal post.
To what end? For 10 seconds of freak video time on ESPN, he's going to risk an injury?
Lately he's been grinding his hips in a celebratory dance, and that's earned him a couple of penalties and fines from the NFL.
Last week he got a $24,000 fine and complained that the NFL isn't clear on what is allowed.
Why does it even have to be an issue? There are rules that players don't like. A lot of people don't like speed limits and restrictions on red light right turns, but that doesn't give them the right to ignore the laws.
They're ticketing for hip grinding. So understand that and knock it off. It's not complicated.
If Brown wants to pay the fines, it's his money and his business. But the penalties come with a 15-yard walk off, which affects the people who blocked and did the hard work that helped him score that touchdown. Maybe they're not OK with losing 15 yards for no good reason other than someone's ego gratification.
Would it be so bad if he tossed the ball aside and just raised his arms in the air? Would anybody walk away from Heinz Field feeling disappointed that the price of a ticket didn't deliver 10 seconds of Antonio Brown hip thrusting?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the NFL is the No Fun League and they're a bunch of stodgy old guys who don't understand the modern world. Tell it to the judge.
The rules are on the books. They're being enforced.
Understand that, and adjust.
Does a guy who competed on "Dancing With The Stars" really need to polish his reputation as someone who can shake his hips?
Brown is already a great player. Now maybe he could be a smart one, too.
---
--PERFECT GUESTS
Impressive to see the Penguins show up nice and classy for their White House visit the other day.
They were all dressed in dark suits, all respectful of their surroundings and grateful for the recognition.
President Obama rose to the occasion by flawlessly delivering prepared lines without mispronouncing any names and leaving everyone with the likely false impression that he was closely following hockey last season.
The Penguins once went to the White House to have George H.W. Bush say, "And you are...?" as Mario Lemieux approached him to present a jersey.
That sort of thing works both ways. When Bush was campaigning in 1988, he stopped by the Pirates' clubhouse in Houston. Wise guy pitcher Dave LaPoint shook his hand and say, "Hey, really enjoy your (Busch) beer."
---
--DOLLAR VALUE
Pitt doesn't have the best football team, but is there any other school that gives its fans so much drama?
---
--EXTENDED RUN
The Penguins open the season on Thursday against Washington.
Last season ran 248 days, from Oct. 8 to June 12.
Pace yourself.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Altoona Mirror, October 2, 2016
Let's not overcook this (phrase on loan from the Clint Hurdle Collection).
Here's why the Pirates are going home instead of to the playoffs:
Their No. 1 and 2 starting pitchers failed, and two of their middle of the order hitters did likewise.
You can point fingers in a lot of directions, but aim them primarily at Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano, Andrew McCutchen and Jung Ho Kang.
Success in baseball starts with starting pitching, and that starts with the top of the rotation. When the top two starters regress as badly as Cole and Liriano did, it becomes the hot mess that unfolded all season.
As much as people want to castigate the Bermuda Triangle of Jon Niese/Jeff Locke/Ryan Vogelsong, things went completely awry when Cole and Liriano were unable to duplicate their 2015 success.
Cole won 12 fewer games, lost two more and pitched 92 fewer innings. His ERA increased from 2.60 to 3.88. His WHIP went from 1.091 to 1.440. Liriano had a 5.46 ERA and 1.169 WHIP when he was traded to Toronto on Aug. 1.
McCutchen's struggles were evident all season long. Fans went from insisting his contract should be extended to hoping he could be traded for anybody.
His power numbers will wind up being OK but they're a myth. His decline in batting average and on-base percentage are bad enough. Combine those numbers with his staggering 142 strikeouts and precipitous defensive decline, and he's far from the player who has been a consistent MVP candidate.
The case can also be made that Kang is a major contributor to this season's skid. He started late because of his offseason knee surgery, but did fine when he got back.
Then came the sexual assault investigation in Chicago in June, and Kang's production plummeted. He's recovered at the end of the season and, like McCutchen, he'll post power numbers that are deceptive. His late surge offers hope for next season, but that 98 at bat July-August stretch that included a .163 average and .540 OPS helped sink this season.
Did other things go wrong? Of course. When a team wins 20 fewer games, there are plenty of reasons.
But the biggest is the key players who fell well short of expectations.
---
--KISS THEM GOODBYE
Locke is one of the players you won't see with the Pirates next season.
Every once in a while, a player explodes on Hurdle's personal "I've seen enough" chart, and he's gone.
Ronny Cedeno was the first. Charlie Morton was the most recent. Locke will join the club.
He made $3.025 million this season and will probably be in line for a raise to about $5 million next season. The Pirates aren't going to pay that for a middle reliever who exasperates the manager.
Others who won't be back are Vogelsong, Jared Hughes, Matt Joyce and Eric Fryer. Figure that free agents Ivan Nova and Sean Rodriguez will find greener grass elsewhere, too.
When it's all said and done, the Pirates will probably turn over about a third of the roster. And they should.
---
--ID REQUIRED
Jargon changes all the time, so it becomes fashionable to talk about vertical passing games and shutdown corners.
But the trend to insist that a football team has to establish its identity is baffling.
Are the captains supposed to meet for the coin toss and say, "Possession game on offense, bend-but-don't-break on defense. Nice to meet you."
There was once a team that played in Three Rivers Stadium and changed its identity in middle of a stretch of four Super Bowls in six seasons.
The Steelers started with power running and stifling defense, then switched to highlight reel passing game and diminished defense.
Wonder if they had to file paperwork with the league on that?
Here's why the Pirates are going home instead of to the playoffs:
Their No. 1 and 2 starting pitchers failed, and two of their middle of the order hitters did likewise.
You can point fingers in a lot of directions, but aim them primarily at Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano, Andrew McCutchen and Jung Ho Kang.
Success in baseball starts with starting pitching, and that starts with the top of the rotation. When the top two starters regress as badly as Cole and Liriano did, it becomes the hot mess that unfolded all season.
As much as people want to castigate the Bermuda Triangle of Jon Niese/Jeff Locke/Ryan Vogelsong, things went completely awry when Cole and Liriano were unable to duplicate their 2015 success.
Cole won 12 fewer games, lost two more and pitched 92 fewer innings. His ERA increased from 2.60 to 3.88. His WHIP went from 1.091 to 1.440. Liriano had a 5.46 ERA and 1.169 WHIP when he was traded to Toronto on Aug. 1.
McCutchen's struggles were evident all season long. Fans went from insisting his contract should be extended to hoping he could be traded for anybody.
His power numbers will wind up being OK but they're a myth. His decline in batting average and on-base percentage are bad enough. Combine those numbers with his staggering 142 strikeouts and precipitous defensive decline, and he's far from the player who has been a consistent MVP candidate.
The case can also be made that Kang is a major contributor to this season's skid. He started late because of his offseason knee surgery, but did fine when he got back.
Then came the sexual assault investigation in Chicago in June, and Kang's production plummeted. He's recovered at the end of the season and, like McCutchen, he'll post power numbers that are deceptive. His late surge offers hope for next season, but that 98 at bat July-August stretch that included a .163 average and .540 OPS helped sink this season.
Did other things go wrong? Of course. When a team wins 20 fewer games, there are plenty of reasons.
But the biggest is the key players who fell well short of expectations.
---
--KISS THEM GOODBYE
Locke is one of the players you won't see with the Pirates next season.
Every once in a while, a player explodes on Hurdle's personal "I've seen enough" chart, and he's gone.
Ronny Cedeno was the first. Charlie Morton was the most recent. Locke will join the club.
He made $3.025 million this season and will probably be in line for a raise to about $5 million next season. The Pirates aren't going to pay that for a middle reliever who exasperates the manager.
Others who won't be back are Vogelsong, Jared Hughes, Matt Joyce and Eric Fryer. Figure that free agents Ivan Nova and Sean Rodriguez will find greener grass elsewhere, too.
When it's all said and done, the Pirates will probably turn over about a third of the roster. And they should.
---
--ID REQUIRED
Jargon changes all the time, so it becomes fashionable to talk about vertical passing games and shutdown corners.
But the trend to insist that a football team has to establish its identity is baffling.
Are the captains supposed to meet for the coin toss and say, "Possession game on offense, bend-but-don't-break on defense. Nice to meet you."
There was once a team that played in Three Rivers Stadium and changed its identity in middle of a stretch of four Super Bowls in six seasons.
The Steelers started with power running and stifling defense, then switched to highlight reel passing game and diminished defense.
Wonder if they had to file paperwork with the league on that?
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