Now we know who the Steelers will induct into their new Hall of Honor.
Just about everybody.
The inaugural class was announced Tuesday, and there were 27 names -- 23 Hall of Fame members and four others.
It says here that was a mistake.
The first class should have been special, and that means it should have been limited.
The first class should have had five members:
--Franchise founder Art Rooney, Sr., who used his own cash to keep the franchise afloat through lean years and kept it in Pittsburgh despite tempting offers from other cities.
--Dan Rooney, whose stewardship led directly to Super Bowl championships and a new expectation of excellence.
--Chuck Noll, the coach who tore apart a perennial doormat and coached the team to four Super Bowls in six seasons.
--Joe Greene, the first draft pick in Noll's administration, and the key player on a defense that dominated the NFL and turned the Steelers into a championship team.
--Franco Harris, the 1972 draft pick who put the rapidly-improving Steelers over the top and keyed an offense that didn't have much of a passing game. He also provided the most important play in Steelers history.
That should have been it for the first group. There's a certain distinction in being part of the first class, and those five individuals deserve that special designation.
There were other great players, and other important people. But the five named above all have a special place in the history of the Steelers.
By inducting all of the Hall of Fame members, it makes Kevin Greene seem as important as Joe Greene. That's ridiculous.
Kevin Greene was a good player who was elected to the Hall of Fame. He played for five teams in his 15-year NFL career. He spent three seasons with the Steelers.
Joe Greene and Harris had more Super Bowl seasons with the Steelers than Kevin Greene had total seasons.
He probably belongs in the Hall of Honor (emphasize probably), but not in the first class.
Andy Russell is a worthy choice, a Steeler for life and one of the few holdovers from then pre-Noll era. He has been overlooked by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and that's a shame.
But he shouldn't have been in the first class. When you think of the most important people in Steelers' history, Russell is not a name that immediately comes to mind.
Why induct so many members immediately? Who gets honored in future years? There is a waiting period, so players like Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu, automatic choices, are not yet eligible.
Ben Roethlisberger will be there some day. Probably Antonio Brown and James Harrison, too.
But what's wrong with saving some of the old-timers for future classes? Limit the groups and give each member a special moment rather that being part of a roll call.
Being part of the first class should have been a special distinction. Instead, the most important people are part of a busload of players, a few of whom were just passing through. John Henry Johnson spent just half of his Hall of Fame career with the Steelers and had two exceptional seasons. He belongs, but not now.
Even Rod Woodson spent eight full seasons with the Steelers, and seven seasons with three other teams. He could have waited, too.
Five people deserved to be apart from the group for the first induction.
Instead, they're part of a busload.
Fumble, Steelers.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Altoona Mirror, August 27, 2017
There's no mystery about what Le'Veon Bell's end game is. He wants to be paid a lot of money.
He's not wrong about that, either. If he's not the best running back in the NFL, it wouldn't take long to list the ones who are ahead of him.
He's cornered in a situation where the Steelers have designated him the franchise player. His options are to sign a contract for $12.1 million or stay home and make nothing while forfeiting a year of a career that skews toward younger players. He'll sign.
According to his brief response to a social media post, Bell will report on Sept. 1, which is a little more than a week before the Steelers open the season in Cleveland.
Waiting this long apparently sends a message he's anxious to deliver, but it ultimately does him no good.
If Bell wanted to skip training camp, fine. What adult would want to stay in a dormitory room? As talented as Bell is, though, he still needs practice.
It would be nice if he could join his teammates earlier, practice and maybe get up to speed on whatever new wrinkles have been added to the playbook. Nobody expects him to play in the last preseason game.
Just show up, practice, and regain some sense of timing. He could demonstrate that his solo workouts have him in position to be game-ready. Maybe get acquainted with new teammates. That counts, too.
Will he be ready when the season opens on Sept. 10? After this, he'd better be.
---
--ARE THEY SERIOUS?
ESPN's decision to remove play-by-play announcer Robert Lee from a Virginia football assignment was so outrageously stupid and pointless that it had to be a publicity stunt.
---
--ON THE PIRATES
Three thoughts on the Pirates:
--John Jaso seems to be the embodiment of the southern California beach guy, a laid-back sort who doesn't get too worked up about much.
That's nice, but he needs to exert more energy while he's playing baseball for $4 million. Those lazy jogs down the line can be infuriating. Is it too much to ask for three short sprints per game?
--The Pirates have been reluctant to sink a lot of money into relief pitching. The belief is a bullpen can be cobbled together on a budget. They've mostly been correct about that, staying flexible and efficiently moving modestly-priced parts in and out.
They strayed from that this year, and the results haven't been good. Antonio Bastardo ($6.5 million) is long gone, while Tony Watson ($5.6 million before trade) and Daniel Hudson ($5.5 million) qualify as 2017 disappointments.
--If you listen between the lines, you may have picked up on Clint Hurdle's comments about Elias Diaz's shortcomings in calling a game. That explains why Chris Stewart plays more than Diaz does when they're both on the roster.
A smart baseball man once advised, "Never pick your catcher or shortstop on the basis on batting average." Catching is complicated. Some guys never get it. Remember Ryan Doumit?
---
--SERIES OR BUST
The Los Angeles Dodgers are having a ridiculous season that will turn into a flop if they don't win their first World Series since 1988.
Here's how things are going for the Dodgers: They came to PNC Park and won three of four games from the Pirates. In the only game they lost, their starting pitcher took a no-hitter into the 10th inning.
---
--NOT SO SWEET
Why is the fluff so often the story with Pitt football?
Now it's the debate over "Sweet Caroline." Before it was the script logo and what shade of gold the Panthers wear.
New athletic director Heather Lyke has to get people to care as much as the actual program as they do about the trivial things.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
He's not wrong about that, either. If he's not the best running back in the NFL, it wouldn't take long to list the ones who are ahead of him.
He's cornered in a situation where the Steelers have designated him the franchise player. His options are to sign a contract for $12.1 million or stay home and make nothing while forfeiting a year of a career that skews toward younger players. He'll sign.
According to his brief response to a social media post, Bell will report on Sept. 1, which is a little more than a week before the Steelers open the season in Cleveland.
Waiting this long apparently sends a message he's anxious to deliver, but it ultimately does him no good.
If Bell wanted to skip training camp, fine. What adult would want to stay in a dormitory room? As talented as Bell is, though, he still needs practice.
It would be nice if he could join his teammates earlier, practice and maybe get up to speed on whatever new wrinkles have been added to the playbook. Nobody expects him to play in the last preseason game.
Just show up, practice, and regain some sense of timing. He could demonstrate that his solo workouts have him in position to be game-ready. Maybe get acquainted with new teammates. That counts, too.
Will he be ready when the season opens on Sept. 10? After this, he'd better be.
---
--ARE THEY SERIOUS?
ESPN's decision to remove play-by-play announcer Robert Lee from a Virginia football assignment was so outrageously stupid and pointless that it had to be a publicity stunt.
---
--ON THE PIRATES
Three thoughts on the Pirates:
--John Jaso seems to be the embodiment of the southern California beach guy, a laid-back sort who doesn't get too worked up about much.
That's nice, but he needs to exert more energy while he's playing baseball for $4 million. Those lazy jogs down the line can be infuriating. Is it too much to ask for three short sprints per game?
--The Pirates have been reluctant to sink a lot of money into relief pitching. The belief is a bullpen can be cobbled together on a budget. They've mostly been correct about that, staying flexible and efficiently moving modestly-priced parts in and out.
They strayed from that this year, and the results haven't been good. Antonio Bastardo ($6.5 million) is long gone, while Tony Watson ($5.6 million before trade) and Daniel Hudson ($5.5 million) qualify as 2017 disappointments.
--If you listen between the lines, you may have picked up on Clint Hurdle's comments about Elias Diaz's shortcomings in calling a game. That explains why Chris Stewart plays more than Diaz does when they're both on the roster.
A smart baseball man once advised, "Never pick your catcher or shortstop on the basis on batting average." Catching is complicated. Some guys never get it. Remember Ryan Doumit?
---
--SERIES OR BUST
The Los Angeles Dodgers are having a ridiculous season that will turn into a flop if they don't win their first World Series since 1988.
Here's how things are going for the Dodgers: They came to PNC Park and won three of four games from the Pirates. In the only game they lost, their starting pitcher took a no-hitter into the 10th inning.
---
--NOT SO SWEET
Why is the fluff so often the story with Pitt football?
Now it's the debate over "Sweet Caroline." Before it was the script logo and what shade of gold the Panthers wear.
New athletic director Heather Lyke has to get people to care as much as the actual program as they do about the trivial things.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Altoona Mirror, August 20, 2017
Because Steelers training camp is so devoid of actual news, there was quite a stir last week.
Assistant coach Joey Porter revealed the Steelers plan to start first-round draft choices T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree at the outside linebacker spots and use veteran James Harrison as a backup. Or, as Porter called him, a "relief pitcher."
This really shouldn't be news. The Steelers were anxious to have Harrison in a reserve role last season, too. It didn't happen because nobody (Jarvis Jones) was a better option. Harrison wound up taking a lot of snaps, probably more than a player of his vintage should take.
Harrison's commitment to conditioning is unquestioned. No one would ever underestimate his intensity. But he's 39 years old in a young man's game.
There seems to be the mistaken impression that Watt will start in the first half of the season and Harrison will then take over. If that happens, it means something has gone terribly wrong.
The Steelers need help on defense, and they think they've gotten that by drafting Watt. He comes from a football family. Training with his brother, Pro Bowler J.J. Watt, has shown him what it takes to play in the NFL.
He's intelligent. Steelers insiders report he learned the playbook in a week. And, as coaches like to say, his motor is always running.
It's time for a transition so the Steelers don't have to depend on one of the oldest players in the league.
Actually, the transition is arriving later than it should have.
---
--NOT VERY LIKELY
A ridiculous story has been circulating claiming the Catholic church is considering beatifying Roberto Clemente as a saint.
All sense of proportion about Clemente has been lost. People who weren't around when he played baseball now think he spent his days doing charitable works, then went 4-for-4 and helped the Pirates win every game, and finished the day by giving all his loyal fans a ride home.
Clemente was an excellent baseball who played the game with a distinctive flair. He died on a mercy mission to help earthquake victims. As his longtime friend Phil Dorsey used to say, "He wasn't an angel and he wasn't a devil."
He probably wasn't a saint, either. But so few are.
By the way, the effort to get sainthood for Clemente is led by former Pittsburgher Richard Rossi. Google his name sometime. He has an interesting background.
---
--LOOK OUT
Baseball players are at particular risk during the solar eclipse because they insist on keeping the sunglasses on the bill of their cap.
---
--BAD ADVICE
Somewhere in the Pirates organization is a scout who recommended acquiring Joaquin Benoit from the Phillies.
That scout should be forced to drive Benoit to the Greyhound station and buy him a one-way ticket to Topeka to start a new life without baseball.
---
--ALSO KNOWN AS...
The Pirates will be wearing jerseys tonight that sport the players' nicknames.
So it's Cutch and J Hay and Stew and so on.
If they had done that in a past generation, the names would have been Deacon, Bart, Kitten, Vinegar Bend, Red, Baron, Smoky, Smitty, Stu, Rocky, Maz, Ducky, Tiger, Dog, Arriba, Quail and Hurryin' Joe.
You kids can ask your grandfather. Why do I suddenly feel like Steve Blass?
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Assistant coach Joey Porter revealed the Steelers plan to start first-round draft choices T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree at the outside linebacker spots and use veteran James Harrison as a backup. Or, as Porter called him, a "relief pitcher."
This really shouldn't be news. The Steelers were anxious to have Harrison in a reserve role last season, too. It didn't happen because nobody (Jarvis Jones) was a better option. Harrison wound up taking a lot of snaps, probably more than a player of his vintage should take.
Harrison's commitment to conditioning is unquestioned. No one would ever underestimate his intensity. But he's 39 years old in a young man's game.
There seems to be the mistaken impression that Watt will start in the first half of the season and Harrison will then take over. If that happens, it means something has gone terribly wrong.
The Steelers need help on defense, and they think they've gotten that by drafting Watt. He comes from a football family. Training with his brother, Pro Bowler J.J. Watt, has shown him what it takes to play in the NFL.
He's intelligent. Steelers insiders report he learned the playbook in a week. And, as coaches like to say, his motor is always running.
It's time for a transition so the Steelers don't have to depend on one of the oldest players in the league.
Actually, the transition is arriving later than it should have.
---
--NOT VERY LIKELY
A ridiculous story has been circulating claiming the Catholic church is considering beatifying Roberto Clemente as a saint.
All sense of proportion about Clemente has been lost. People who weren't around when he played baseball now think he spent his days doing charitable works, then went 4-for-4 and helped the Pirates win every game, and finished the day by giving all his loyal fans a ride home.
Clemente was an excellent baseball who played the game with a distinctive flair. He died on a mercy mission to help earthquake victims. As his longtime friend Phil Dorsey used to say, "He wasn't an angel and he wasn't a devil."
He probably wasn't a saint, either. But so few are.
By the way, the effort to get sainthood for Clemente is led by former Pittsburgher Richard Rossi. Google his name sometime. He has an interesting background.
---
--LOOK OUT
Baseball players are at particular risk during the solar eclipse because they insist on keeping the sunglasses on the bill of their cap.
---
--BAD ADVICE
Somewhere in the Pirates organization is a scout who recommended acquiring Joaquin Benoit from the Phillies.
That scout should be forced to drive Benoit to the Greyhound station and buy him a one-way ticket to Topeka to start a new life without baseball.
---
--ALSO KNOWN AS...
The Pirates will be wearing jerseys tonight that sport the players' nicknames.
So it's Cutch and J Hay and Stew and so on.
If they had done that in a past generation, the names would have been Deacon, Bart, Kitten, Vinegar Bend, Red, Baron, Smoky, Smitty, Stu, Rocky, Maz, Ducky, Tiger, Dog, Arriba, Quail and Hurryin' Joe.
You kids can ask your grandfather. Why do I suddenly feel like Steve Blass?
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Altoona Mirror, August 16, 2017
AT&T Sports Net (formerly Root) has a relatively new one-hour special ("Cobra") on former Pirates outfielder Dave Parker.
Parker is 66 now, and his life has taken a sad turn. He has Parkinson's Disease, and the program shows what a fight it is. The player who was once the most intimidating force in baseball speaks in a soft voice that is slightly slurred, and he sometimes struggles to manage simple tasks.
Unfortunately, the program doesn't provide the most accurate portrayal of Parker's controversial career with the Pirates. It becomes apparent early that facts don't always matter when the narration claims that Parker was called up in 1974 to take Roberto Clemente's place in right field.
Parker actually came to the major leagues in 1973, and played only 18 games in right field.
He was with the team throughout 1974, although he missed most of June and July with injuries. In '74, he started only 47 games, and just 25 of those were in right field. Richie Zisk was the Pirates' regular right fielder, starting 131 games.
Parker took over in right field in 1975, the third season after Clemente's death. So he replaced Zisk, not Clemente.
Later, the show mentions that Parker was "involved" in the notorious 1985 drug trials. In fact, he was a major player. According to testimony, Parker partially funded a west coast trip for Shelby Greer, who supplied him with cocaine. Parker was also one of the players who brought admitted drug dealers into the Pirates' clubhouse.
Parker was the best player in baseball in the late 1970s. As his free agency approached, the perception was that the Pirates would never be able to sign him.
Instead, the Pirates broke new ground with a five-year, $7.5 million contract that shocked baseball.
Parker suddenly acquired an entourage of four or five yes men. He hired a public relations firm to increase his profile. It landed him an interview with a second-tier men's magazine called Oui that was embarrassingly crude. He sunk money into a concert promotion company that never got off the ground.
Things were fine at the start, but Parker's weight increased and his production had a corresponding drop. Over the last three years of the contract, he averaged 11 home runs per season with 56 runs batted in and an OPS of .755. On average, he missed one-third of the games over those three years.
The man who had been the best player in the game now couldn't match the production of teammates Mike Easler, Lee Lacy and Jason Thompson.
The show notes that Parker played hurt. He was hurt often, with injuries to his Achilles tendon, knees and hamstrings. Most of those could be traced to his increased weight, which was estimated to have topped 300 pounds.
Hitting the free agent market after the 1983 season was the slap in the face that motivated Parker to get back in shape. The hometown Cincinnati Reds were one of the few teams to pursue him. Parker returned to an All-Star level of production with Cincinnati.
The program glosses over the landmark breach of contract lawsuit the Pirates filed against Parker in 1986. The Pirates alleged that Parker's admitted drug use defrauded the team. The Pirates called a press conference to make the announcement, and distributed copies of Parker's contract.
An out-of-court settlement brought financial relief from some of the deferred payments that were owed to Parker through 2007.
Those details are missing from the show.
Finally, Parker claims that 'without a doubt," the only thing keeping him out of the Hall of Fame is his drug use. Tim Raines, who was inducted last month, admitted in court he started sliding head-first because he didn't want to risk damaging the vial of cocaine he kept in his back pocket. Orlando Cepeda, who spent time in prison on drug possession charges, was voted to the Hall in 1999. Ferguson Jenkins, who was found to be possessing cocaine, hashish and marijuana in a Customs search, made the Hall in 1991.
Parker's numbers -- impressive but not elite -- have kept him out. He had 2,712 hits. That's fewer than Vada Pinson, Al Oliver, Rusty Staub and Bill Buckner, none of whom are in the Hall of Fame. He had 288 fewer hits than Clemente, even though Clemente had only 27 more plate appearances.
Willie Stargell hit 136 more home runs than Parker, even though Stargell made 1,157 fewer plate appearances.
The drug use is keeping Parker out of the Hall in this sense: His decision to use drugs led to three below-average years from ages 29-31 that affected his career totals.
Dave Parker's story is fascinating. Too bad the AT&T show missed so much of it.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Parker is 66 now, and his life has taken a sad turn. He has Parkinson's Disease, and the program shows what a fight it is. The player who was once the most intimidating force in baseball speaks in a soft voice that is slightly slurred, and he sometimes struggles to manage simple tasks.
Unfortunately, the program doesn't provide the most accurate portrayal of Parker's controversial career with the Pirates. It becomes apparent early that facts don't always matter when the narration claims that Parker was called up in 1974 to take Roberto Clemente's place in right field.
Parker actually came to the major leagues in 1973, and played only 18 games in right field.
He was with the team throughout 1974, although he missed most of June and July with injuries. In '74, he started only 47 games, and just 25 of those were in right field. Richie Zisk was the Pirates' regular right fielder, starting 131 games.
Parker took over in right field in 1975, the third season after Clemente's death. So he replaced Zisk, not Clemente.
Later, the show mentions that Parker was "involved" in the notorious 1985 drug trials. In fact, he was a major player. According to testimony, Parker partially funded a west coast trip for Shelby Greer, who supplied him with cocaine. Parker was also one of the players who brought admitted drug dealers into the Pirates' clubhouse.
Parker was the best player in baseball in the late 1970s. As his free agency approached, the perception was that the Pirates would never be able to sign him.
Instead, the Pirates broke new ground with a five-year, $7.5 million contract that shocked baseball.
Parker suddenly acquired an entourage of four or five yes men. He hired a public relations firm to increase his profile. It landed him an interview with a second-tier men's magazine called Oui that was embarrassingly crude. He sunk money into a concert promotion company that never got off the ground.
Things were fine at the start, but Parker's weight increased and his production had a corresponding drop. Over the last three years of the contract, he averaged 11 home runs per season with 56 runs batted in and an OPS of .755. On average, he missed one-third of the games over those three years.
The man who had been the best player in the game now couldn't match the production of teammates Mike Easler, Lee Lacy and Jason Thompson.
The show notes that Parker played hurt. He was hurt often, with injuries to his Achilles tendon, knees and hamstrings. Most of those could be traced to his increased weight, which was estimated to have topped 300 pounds.
Hitting the free agent market after the 1983 season was the slap in the face that motivated Parker to get back in shape. The hometown Cincinnati Reds were one of the few teams to pursue him. Parker returned to an All-Star level of production with Cincinnati.
The program glosses over the landmark breach of contract lawsuit the Pirates filed against Parker in 1986. The Pirates alleged that Parker's admitted drug use defrauded the team. The Pirates called a press conference to make the announcement, and distributed copies of Parker's contract.
An out-of-court settlement brought financial relief from some of the deferred payments that were owed to Parker through 2007.
Those details are missing from the show.
Finally, Parker claims that 'without a doubt," the only thing keeping him out of the Hall of Fame is his drug use. Tim Raines, who was inducted last month, admitted in court he started sliding head-first because he didn't want to risk damaging the vial of cocaine he kept in his back pocket. Orlando Cepeda, who spent time in prison on drug possession charges, was voted to the Hall in 1999. Ferguson Jenkins, who was found to be possessing cocaine, hashish and marijuana in a Customs search, made the Hall in 1991.
Parker's numbers -- impressive but not elite -- have kept him out. He had 2,712 hits. That's fewer than Vada Pinson, Al Oliver, Rusty Staub and Bill Buckner, none of whom are in the Hall of Fame. He had 288 fewer hits than Clemente, even though Clemente had only 27 more plate appearances.
Willie Stargell hit 136 more home runs than Parker, even though Stargell made 1,157 fewer plate appearances.
The drug use is keeping Parker out of the Hall in this sense: His decision to use drugs led to three below-average years from ages 29-31 that affected his career totals.
Dave Parker's story is fascinating. Too bad the AT&T show missed so much of it.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Altoona Mirror, August 13, 2017
The Steelers are an organization with an abundance of history they've largely ignored.
That is changing with the creation of a team Hall of Honor. The first inductees will be revealed on Aug. 29.
These kinds of things are great for debate and can kill hours on sports talk radio.
Some naysayers argue against the inclusion of franchise founder Art Rooney Sr. in the inaugural class.
They contend the Steelers were not a successful team under Rooney's leadership and didn't become a winner until son Dan Rooney took over operations in the late 1960s.
No Art Rooney Sr. in the first group of honorees? Are they kidding?
The NFL is a multi-billion dollar operation these days, but it was mom-and-pop for a long time. Rooney Sr. would literally bring home the gate receipts and count the money on the kitchen table.
In addition to founding the Steelers, Rooney Sr. made sure they stayed in Pittsburgh when there was little reason to keep them here. Attendance was often as lousy as the team. Rooney Sr. dipped into his own pocket to keep the franchise afloat.
A lot of cities didn't have pro football then and came calling with attractive offers. He could have made a sweet deal and moved the team to some place like Miami or Atlanta or New Orleans. He stayed in Pittsburgh, where the team had offices downtown, played its games in Oakland and practiced on a field in South Park that the police horses also used.
Yes, things got infinitely better when Dan Rooney took over. But that never would have happened here unless Art Rooney Sr. prevailed through the tough times.
He is absolutely a charter member of the Hall of Honor.
---
--ON THE PIRATES
Three quick Pirates thoughts:
--For a guy who missed half the season because of a stupid and selfish decision that let his team down, Starling Marte doesn't seem to be playing with any perceptible urgency.
If there's a higher gear, he really ought to kick into it to make up for lost time.
--All pitchers are prone to slumps. Gerrit Cole had a string of four bad games. Jameson Taillon had difficulty in back-to-back starts.
But Ivan Nova has been trending in the wrong direction for a couple of months now. In his last 10 starts, his earned run average is 5.40. Opponents are batting .320 against him, and opposing batters have a .937 OPS against him. (Just for perspective, Willie Mays' career OPS was .941).
Looks like pitching coach Ray Searage has a project.
--For a guy who sends out a daily inspirational e-mail message that ends, "Love, Clint," the Pirates' manager can get pretty frosty in question and answer sessions.
---
--CHASING HISTORY
Umpire Joe West, who enjoys having a high profile, was recently suspended for three games by MLB.
West earned the penalty with some mildly critical remarks about Adrian Beltre.
That suspension hurt, and not just from the loss of three days' pay. West is chasing the career record for most games umpired, which will probably require him to work for two more seasons beyond this one.
That will be a challenge. Travel is a beast, he's 64 years old and he totters around on knees that are worse than your grandmother's.
But he's serious about getting that record. When his crew was recently assigned to replay center duty, West left to work on the field with another crew. Those replay assignments don't count toward career games worked, so West requested on-field duty to add to his total.
---
--WAY TO GO
And finally, a nice story just because the sports pages can always use one.
There's a family with an adult daughter who is on the list for a heart transplant. Her father contacted Kent Tekulve, the former Pirates pitcher and current AT&T Sports commentator. Tekulve had a heart transplant nearly three years ago.
Tekulve not only took the call, he arranged to meet the people and spent three hours with them, detailing his experience and answering their questions.
Great effort.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
That is changing with the creation of a team Hall of Honor. The first inductees will be revealed on Aug. 29.
These kinds of things are great for debate and can kill hours on sports talk radio.
Some naysayers argue against the inclusion of franchise founder Art Rooney Sr. in the inaugural class.
They contend the Steelers were not a successful team under Rooney's leadership and didn't become a winner until son Dan Rooney took over operations in the late 1960s.
No Art Rooney Sr. in the first group of honorees? Are they kidding?
The NFL is a multi-billion dollar operation these days, but it was mom-and-pop for a long time. Rooney Sr. would literally bring home the gate receipts and count the money on the kitchen table.
In addition to founding the Steelers, Rooney Sr. made sure they stayed in Pittsburgh when there was little reason to keep them here. Attendance was often as lousy as the team. Rooney Sr. dipped into his own pocket to keep the franchise afloat.
A lot of cities didn't have pro football then and came calling with attractive offers. He could have made a sweet deal and moved the team to some place like Miami or Atlanta or New Orleans. He stayed in Pittsburgh, where the team had offices downtown, played its games in Oakland and practiced on a field in South Park that the police horses also used.
Yes, things got infinitely better when Dan Rooney took over. But that never would have happened here unless Art Rooney Sr. prevailed through the tough times.
He is absolutely a charter member of the Hall of Honor.
---
--ON THE PIRATES
Three quick Pirates thoughts:
--For a guy who missed half the season because of a stupid and selfish decision that let his team down, Starling Marte doesn't seem to be playing with any perceptible urgency.
If there's a higher gear, he really ought to kick into it to make up for lost time.
--All pitchers are prone to slumps. Gerrit Cole had a string of four bad games. Jameson Taillon had difficulty in back-to-back starts.
But Ivan Nova has been trending in the wrong direction for a couple of months now. In his last 10 starts, his earned run average is 5.40. Opponents are batting .320 against him, and opposing batters have a .937 OPS against him. (Just for perspective, Willie Mays' career OPS was .941).
Looks like pitching coach Ray Searage has a project.
--For a guy who sends out a daily inspirational e-mail message that ends, "Love, Clint," the Pirates' manager can get pretty frosty in question and answer sessions.
---
--CHASING HISTORY
Umpire Joe West, who enjoys having a high profile, was recently suspended for three games by MLB.
West earned the penalty with some mildly critical remarks about Adrian Beltre.
That suspension hurt, and not just from the loss of three days' pay. West is chasing the career record for most games umpired, which will probably require him to work for two more seasons beyond this one.
That will be a challenge. Travel is a beast, he's 64 years old and he totters around on knees that are worse than your grandmother's.
But he's serious about getting that record. When his crew was recently assigned to replay center duty, West left to work on the field with another crew. Those replay assignments don't count toward career games worked, so West requested on-field duty to add to his total.
---
--WAY TO GO
And finally, a nice story just because the sports pages can always use one.
There's a family with an adult daughter who is on the list for a heart transplant. Her father contacted Kent Tekulve, the former Pirates pitcher and current AT&T Sports commentator. Tekulve had a heart transplant nearly three years ago.
Tekulve not only took the call, he arranged to meet the people and spent three hours with them, detailing his experience and answering their questions.
Great effort.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Altoona Mirror, August 6, 2017
According the most recent numbers available from the census bureau, there are 101,612,000 males between the ages of 15 and 64 living in the United States.
Yet there aren't 32 who can competently quarterback an NFL team.
Maybe it's time to borrow from the other sports are start a global search for talent. There are capable arms in other parts of the word, Joaquin Benoit notwithstanding.
At any given moment, at least half of those 32 NFL teams wish they had someone better to play quarterback. The Steelers must be petrified when they ponder the day when Ben Roethlisberger is retired.
All of which brings us to Colin Kaepernick, who is still unemployed as this is being typed.
Kaepernick is only 29. He's played in 69 NFL games and started 58. His resume includes a 12-4 season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012.
His career passer rating is 88.9. By comparison, Roethlisberger's is 94.1. A couple of the Steelers' more recent backups are well below Kaepernick's number in that department -- Charlie Batch was 76.4 and Bruce Gradkowski was 65.8.
Yet Kaepernick can't get a job.
The issue, of course, is the protest he staged last year, not standing when the national anthem was played. It was his way of calling attention to what he thought was racial inequality in the United States.
A lot of players followed him, but Kaepernick was the lightning rod. He's paying the price, sitting on the outside while NFL camps are warming up.
Accusations pf blackballing have been made. That's ridiculous. The NFL would never put itself in legal jeopardy by telling teams they can't sign Kaepernick. Besides, as soon as anyone told the Oakland Raiders not to do something, they'd do it.
No doubt teams are wary of the backlash that would come with signing Kaepernick. Teams aren't touching him, even though a lot of them have bad quarterbacks and the full knowledge that they're bad.
Kaepernick should not lose faith, though. Things have a way of changing when times turn desperate.
Michael Vick was a pariah because he was convicted and sentenced to prison for participating in a dog fighting ring. The Atlanta Falcons released him. But he later played for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles because they had a need for an experienced quarterback.
When the Steelers found themselves in a sudden need for a backup, they signed Vick in 2015 and paid him nearly a million dollars.
Kaepernick's protest has left him with serious baggage, and that accounts for why he's still at home and not in a camp.
But he should keep checking his phone. Sooner or later, some team will be desperate enough for an experienced quarterback to give him a call.
---
--HE'S BACK
The Pirates corrected one of their offseason mistakes by acquiring Sean Rodriguez from the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Rodriguez was an incredibly valuable utility player because he could not only play a number of positions, he could play them well.
After watching the misadventures of John Jaso, Jose Osuna and Adam Frazier in the outfield this season, it became apparent how much the Pirates regretted their decision to let Rodriguez leave as a free agent.
If Rodriguez is in the game, Clint Hurdle also knows he's covered at shortstop should a late-inning need arise.
Rodriguez may not do anything that's off the charts, but he's a valuable piece who gives a manager lineup flexibility.
---
--RE-PETE OFFENDER
If there's a Degenerate Hall of Fame somewhere (Las Vegas would be perfect), Pete Rose should be the charter inductee.
He had 4,256 hits and made twice as many missteps off the field.
When you think protesting, "She was 16, not 14" is a good defense against statutory rape allegations, your life has truly gone off the rails.
To think people still line up to pay him $40 for an autograph.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
Yet there aren't 32 who can competently quarterback an NFL team.
Maybe it's time to borrow from the other sports are start a global search for talent. There are capable arms in other parts of the word, Joaquin Benoit notwithstanding.
At any given moment, at least half of those 32 NFL teams wish they had someone better to play quarterback. The Steelers must be petrified when they ponder the day when Ben Roethlisberger is retired.
All of which brings us to Colin Kaepernick, who is still unemployed as this is being typed.
Kaepernick is only 29. He's played in 69 NFL games and started 58. His resume includes a 12-4 season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012.
His career passer rating is 88.9. By comparison, Roethlisberger's is 94.1. A couple of the Steelers' more recent backups are well below Kaepernick's number in that department -- Charlie Batch was 76.4 and Bruce Gradkowski was 65.8.
Yet Kaepernick can't get a job.
The issue, of course, is the protest he staged last year, not standing when the national anthem was played. It was his way of calling attention to what he thought was racial inequality in the United States.
A lot of players followed him, but Kaepernick was the lightning rod. He's paying the price, sitting on the outside while NFL camps are warming up.
Accusations pf blackballing have been made. That's ridiculous. The NFL would never put itself in legal jeopardy by telling teams they can't sign Kaepernick. Besides, as soon as anyone told the Oakland Raiders not to do something, they'd do it.
No doubt teams are wary of the backlash that would come with signing Kaepernick. Teams aren't touching him, even though a lot of them have bad quarterbacks and the full knowledge that they're bad.
Kaepernick should not lose faith, though. Things have a way of changing when times turn desperate.
Michael Vick was a pariah because he was convicted and sentenced to prison for participating in a dog fighting ring. The Atlanta Falcons released him. But he later played for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles because they had a need for an experienced quarterback.
When the Steelers found themselves in a sudden need for a backup, they signed Vick in 2015 and paid him nearly a million dollars.
Kaepernick's protest has left him with serious baggage, and that accounts for why he's still at home and not in a camp.
But he should keep checking his phone. Sooner or later, some team will be desperate enough for an experienced quarterback to give him a call.
---
--HE'S BACK
The Pirates corrected one of their offseason mistakes by acquiring Sean Rodriguez from the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Rodriguez was an incredibly valuable utility player because he could not only play a number of positions, he could play them well.
After watching the misadventures of John Jaso, Jose Osuna and Adam Frazier in the outfield this season, it became apparent how much the Pirates regretted their decision to let Rodriguez leave as a free agent.
If Rodriguez is in the game, Clint Hurdle also knows he's covered at shortstop should a late-inning need arise.
Rodriguez may not do anything that's off the charts, but he's a valuable piece who gives a manager lineup flexibility.
---
--RE-PETE OFFENDER
If there's a Degenerate Hall of Fame somewhere (Las Vegas would be perfect), Pete Rose should be the charter inductee.
He had 4,256 hits and made twice as many missteps off the field.
When you think protesting, "She was 16, not 14" is a good defense against statutory rape allegations, your life has truly gone off the rails.
To think people still line up to pay him $40 for an autograph.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
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