Who knows where Jung Ho Kang went or what he did on that fateful night that ended with his arrest on DUI charges.
But wherever he went or whatever he did, it probably wasn't worth $5.75 million.
That's how much money would be guaranteed under his contract with the Pirates that will be voided if he can't get a working visa to enter the United States.
There are conflicting reports about Kang's work status. The Pirates know this much: He won't be available for the opening of the season on April 3, and that creates some major roster and lineup problems.
Is he done for the season? Could he be approved sometime later?
Even if he clears the paperwork hurdle, there's still no guarantee that MLB won't impose some sort of penalty on Kang, who has three DUI offenses on his record.
If he has a drinking problem, it wasn't apparent during his first two seasons with the Pirates. It's a major problem now, as the Pirates have a big hole in a lineup that's already short on power.
Kang could legitimately be counted on for 20 to 25 home runs over a full season. Of course, he can't be counted on at all. There's no way of knowing if he'll be eligible, or when he might pass all the obstacles.
In addition to the money he's possibly guaranteed over the next two seasons, the Pirates also hold a $5.5 million option on him for the 2019 season.
In Kang's absence, the Pirates could use David Freese at third base. They shouldn't use him too often, though. Freese is soon to turn 34 and his days as an everyday player are in the past.
Another option would be moving Josh Harrison back to third base, and covering second base with some combination of Adam Frazier and Alen Hanson. That comes with considerable risk.
Neither the Pirates nor Kang comes out of this in a positive way. At $5.75 million, it has the potential to be a very expensive night on the town.
---
--JUST WATCHING
There's a crisis in the NBA over stars sitting out some road games.
It's a legitimate issue, and there's no real solution.
LeBron James recently was given a rest from a game on national TV, and the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers lost by 30 points. In another major TV game, the Golden State Warriors chose to rest Stephon Curry and three other starters.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently sent a memo to owners, suggesting they get involved in discussions about resting players. It's one of those things commissioners do to pretend they're concerned, but there isn't an answer.
Players need an occasional game off. Coaches are unlikely to sit a player for a home game. So that means fans get to see LeBron sit on a folding chair for a couple of hours.
It's undoubtedly a big disappointment for the ticket buyers, but what other choice is there?
At least take some consolation in the home team's blowing out the LeBron-less Cavaliers.
---
--SITTING OUT
Colin Kaepernick is out there and available for any NFL team that needs a quarterback.
No takers so far. He should be in that Mark Sanchez/Jay Cutler netherworld of not-quite-good-enough-but-what-else-are-we-gonna-do quarterbacks, but he has the baggage from last fall's sitdown protest of the national anthem.
Kaepernick should sit tight, though. There are never enough experienced quarterbacks to go around, and some team will get desperate.
Remember when the Steelers signed Michael \Vick?
---
--HELP WANTED
As long as Duquesne is being turned down by everyone who is offered its basketball coaching job, they might as well offer it to bigger names.
Call Pat Riley. Or Phil Jackson. Bill Russell. Larry Bird.
If you're going to get rejected, at least get rejected by big shots.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Altoona Mirror, March 19, 2017
PITTSBURGH--Every year the Pirates invite players from their past to serve as guest instructors at spring training.
It's a great PR move. Fans enjoy seeing past pros like Bill Mazeroski and Bill Virdon in uniform again. The instructional aspect is sometimes dubious since a lot of those invited have been away from the game for years, but it can't hurt.
This year John Candelaria was one of the ex-players in uniform for part of spring training.
In the 1970s, Candelaria was an excellent pitcher for the Pirates. In the 1980s, he was a royal pain in the butt.
The younger Candelaria was a lefthander who tortured lefty batters by dropping down sidearm. He won 20 games in 1977, the first time a Pirates pitcher had reached that level in 17 years. He pitched a no-hitter.
Chuck Tanner believed in Candelaria to the point that he often said if his life depended on winning one game, Candelaria would be his starter. When Candelaria was approaching free agency, Tanner told ownership Candelaria was one player the Pirates absolutely had to keep.
Things changed in the mid-1980s. Short in the bullpen, Tanner decided to make Candelaria his closer. Candelaria hated the idea. He was living the good life as a starter. Work one day, take the next four off. Relievers have to be ready to pitch every day. They have to pay attention to the games.
Candelaria decided it was time for him to leave, so he tried to force a trade. During batting practice, he stood on first base singing, "Please release me, let me go."
He began blasting general manager Pete Peterson in the media, calling him a "bozo." Candelaria found a bumper sticker that read "No bozos" and affixed to his locker.
It was a terrible time in Peterson's life. His wife had died unexpectedly and he was in turmoil. He changed. He no longer listened to his advisors and made impulsive moves that made no sense. George Hendrick, Amos Otis, Lee Mazzilli....those dubious acquisitions came out of that period of confusion.
The Pirates sank in the standings and had their first 100-loss season in decades. All the while, Candelaria kept hammering at Peterson and the Pirates. When the team had to wait for a commercial flight instead of having a charter flight from San Francisco, Candelaria complained that the Galbreaths, who owned the team, treated their race horses better than their baseball players.
It got to the point that an exasperated Peterson angrily challenged Candelaria to a fight in the Shea Stadium dugout one afternoon before a game.
Peterson was fired. His interim replacement, Joe L. Brown, traded Candelaria to the Angels. Later, Candelaria came back for an unsuccessful encore with the Pirates. They signed him in 1993, making it eight teams in seven years. Too late. He was done at 39.
Was he forgiven for the significant trouble he caused the Pirates? More likely it was forgotten. Pete Peterson was seven general managers ago.
Maybe Candelaria is a different person now. Maybe he regrets what he did 30 years ago.
But maybe he's also not the best influence on young players. Just something to think about when the guest instructor invitations go out next year.
---
--DON'T SAVE THE DATE
School officials in Waukesha, Wisc. have told Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell he isn't welcome at their prom.
He had been invited to the dance by a 17-year-old student and Steelers fan who met Bell while on a family vacation.
But the school officials banned Bell based on his arrests for marijuana possession and DUI, as well as his age (25). They made the right call. The prom should be for the students, not a media event for one attention hog.
Besides, the celebrity prom invitation is becoming as big a cliche as the scoreboard marriage proposal. If you weren't one of the first 100 to do it, don't bother.
It's a great PR move. Fans enjoy seeing past pros like Bill Mazeroski and Bill Virdon in uniform again. The instructional aspect is sometimes dubious since a lot of those invited have been away from the game for years, but it can't hurt.
This year John Candelaria was one of the ex-players in uniform for part of spring training.
In the 1970s, Candelaria was an excellent pitcher for the Pirates. In the 1980s, he was a royal pain in the butt.
The younger Candelaria was a lefthander who tortured lefty batters by dropping down sidearm. He won 20 games in 1977, the first time a Pirates pitcher had reached that level in 17 years. He pitched a no-hitter.
Chuck Tanner believed in Candelaria to the point that he often said if his life depended on winning one game, Candelaria would be his starter. When Candelaria was approaching free agency, Tanner told ownership Candelaria was one player the Pirates absolutely had to keep.
Things changed in the mid-1980s. Short in the bullpen, Tanner decided to make Candelaria his closer. Candelaria hated the idea. He was living the good life as a starter. Work one day, take the next four off. Relievers have to be ready to pitch every day. They have to pay attention to the games.
Candelaria decided it was time for him to leave, so he tried to force a trade. During batting practice, he stood on first base singing, "Please release me, let me go."
He began blasting general manager Pete Peterson in the media, calling him a "bozo." Candelaria found a bumper sticker that read "No bozos" and affixed to his locker.
It was a terrible time in Peterson's life. His wife had died unexpectedly and he was in turmoil. He changed. He no longer listened to his advisors and made impulsive moves that made no sense. George Hendrick, Amos Otis, Lee Mazzilli....those dubious acquisitions came out of that period of confusion.
The Pirates sank in the standings and had their first 100-loss season in decades. All the while, Candelaria kept hammering at Peterson and the Pirates. When the team had to wait for a commercial flight instead of having a charter flight from San Francisco, Candelaria complained that the Galbreaths, who owned the team, treated their race horses better than their baseball players.
It got to the point that an exasperated Peterson angrily challenged Candelaria to a fight in the Shea Stadium dugout one afternoon before a game.
Peterson was fired. His interim replacement, Joe L. Brown, traded Candelaria to the Angels. Later, Candelaria came back for an unsuccessful encore with the Pirates. They signed him in 1993, making it eight teams in seven years. Too late. He was done at 39.
Was he forgiven for the significant trouble he caused the Pirates? More likely it was forgotten. Pete Peterson was seven general managers ago.
Maybe Candelaria is a different person now. Maybe he regrets what he did 30 years ago.
But maybe he's also not the best influence on young players. Just something to think about when the guest instructor invitations go out next year.
---
--DON'T SAVE THE DATE
School officials in Waukesha, Wisc. have told Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell he isn't welcome at their prom.
He had been invited to the dance by a 17-year-old student and Steelers fan who met Bell while on a family vacation.
But the school officials banned Bell based on his arrests for marijuana possession and DUI, as well as his age (25). They made the right call. The prom should be for the students, not a media event for one attention hog.
Besides, the celebrity prom invitation is becoming as big a cliche as the scoreboard marriage proposal. If you weren't one of the first 100 to do it, don't bother.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Altoona Mirror, March 12, 2017
It wasn't a proud day for the Penguins when they brought Tom Sestito up from the minor leagues to serve as hired muscle in a potentially contentious game in Winnipeg last week.
Sestito got into a fight with Chris Thorburn, then earned a four-game suspension from the NHL for viciously ramming Toby Enstrom face-first into the glass.
The Jets were gunning for Evgeni Malkin for an unpenalized hit against Blake Wheeler when the teams met in Pittsburgh. The Jets thought it was a cheap shot.
So as soon as Malkin and Wheeler were on the ice, Malkin accepted Wheeler's invitation to drop the gloves. ("Wanna go?" is apparently an international language).
Wheeler won the brief fight, the players went to the penalty box, and Wheeler later expressed his respect for Malkin's willingness to answer his challenge.
It should have ended there.
But then Sestito hit the ice, and was immediately matched against Thorburn, a former Penguin who now fights for Winnipeg.
They dropped their gloves as soon as the puck was dropped and fought to a lengthy draw.
It really should have ended there.
But Mike Sullivan, who routinely uses all four of his lines, put Sestito on the ice for another shift. Sestito took several strides before driving Enstrom into the boards from behind.
The officials gave Sestito a major penalty and a game misconduct. The NHL followed up with a suspension the next day. Enstrom sustained a concussion and is out indefinitely.
Sestito's stats tell the story of his career: 150 NHL games, 10 goals, 20 points and 495 penalty minutes. In 62 seconds of ice time against Winnipeg, he managed to get 20 penalty minutes and a four-game suspension.
Sestito spent most of this season in the minor leagues, where he belongs. He was called up only because the Penguins anticipated trouble in Winnipeg.
Fighting has greatly diminished in the NHL. Before Malkin and Sestito picked up fighting majors, the Penguins had only had nine fighting penalties in their 64 games. They had gone 16 games without one, and had just two fights in the 29 games before Winnipeg. Two of the team's previous fighting majors were collected by Sestito in October.
In 2011, the Penguins played a farce of a game against the Islanders, a fight-filled revenge game that resulted in a NHL-record 346 combined penalty minutes. It was so embarrassing that Mario Lemieux issued a rare public statement, decrying the mindless violence.
Yet faced with a potentially volatile situation in Winnipeg, the Penguins followed the spirit of the Islanders' template and specifically summoned a player whose career has been defined by his willingness to fight.
In the overall picture, Sestito's game against the Jets is a mere blip (except for Enstrom). But it wasn't a very good moment for the Penguins.
---
--ANIMAL TALES
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had a beef with the Penguins over the use of live penguins at the outdoor game at Heinz Field.
PETA said the birds were frightened by fireworks set off before the game.
Turns out the NHL was responsible for importing the penguins from the National Aviary on the North Side. Officials there said the birds were fine and were not traumatized by the racket, possibly because they live on the North Side.
Good thing PETA wasn't around in the early days of the Penguins franchise. Someone thought it would be cute to have a live penguin as a mascot, and one was imported from the zoo.
"Penguin Pete" would waddle onto the ice before the game. Not for long, though. The bird contracted pneumonia and died.
These days, the Penguins have a mascot called Iceburgh, a guy in a fuzzy costume. It's not as authentic, but it's a lot safer.
Sestito got into a fight with Chris Thorburn, then earned a four-game suspension from the NHL for viciously ramming Toby Enstrom face-first into the glass.
The Jets were gunning for Evgeni Malkin for an unpenalized hit against Blake Wheeler when the teams met in Pittsburgh. The Jets thought it was a cheap shot.
So as soon as Malkin and Wheeler were on the ice, Malkin accepted Wheeler's invitation to drop the gloves. ("Wanna go?" is apparently an international language).
Wheeler won the brief fight, the players went to the penalty box, and Wheeler later expressed his respect for Malkin's willingness to answer his challenge.
It should have ended there.
But then Sestito hit the ice, and was immediately matched against Thorburn, a former Penguin who now fights for Winnipeg.
They dropped their gloves as soon as the puck was dropped and fought to a lengthy draw.
It really should have ended there.
But Mike Sullivan, who routinely uses all four of his lines, put Sestito on the ice for another shift. Sestito took several strides before driving Enstrom into the boards from behind.
The officials gave Sestito a major penalty and a game misconduct. The NHL followed up with a suspension the next day. Enstrom sustained a concussion and is out indefinitely.
Sestito's stats tell the story of his career: 150 NHL games, 10 goals, 20 points and 495 penalty minutes. In 62 seconds of ice time against Winnipeg, he managed to get 20 penalty minutes and a four-game suspension.
Sestito spent most of this season in the minor leagues, where he belongs. He was called up only because the Penguins anticipated trouble in Winnipeg.
Fighting has greatly diminished in the NHL. Before Malkin and Sestito picked up fighting majors, the Penguins had only had nine fighting penalties in their 64 games. They had gone 16 games without one, and had just two fights in the 29 games before Winnipeg. Two of the team's previous fighting majors were collected by Sestito in October.
In 2011, the Penguins played a farce of a game against the Islanders, a fight-filled revenge game that resulted in a NHL-record 346 combined penalty minutes. It was so embarrassing that Mario Lemieux issued a rare public statement, decrying the mindless violence.
Yet faced with a potentially volatile situation in Winnipeg, the Penguins followed the spirit of the Islanders' template and specifically summoned a player whose career has been defined by his willingness to fight.
In the overall picture, Sestito's game against the Jets is a mere blip (except for Enstrom). But it wasn't a very good moment for the Penguins.
---
--ANIMAL TALES
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had a beef with the Penguins over the use of live penguins at the outdoor game at Heinz Field.
PETA said the birds were frightened by fireworks set off before the game.
Turns out the NHL was responsible for importing the penguins from the National Aviary on the North Side. Officials there said the birds were fine and were not traumatized by the racket, possibly because they live on the North Side.
Good thing PETA wasn't around in the early days of the Penguins franchise. Someone thought it would be cute to have a live penguin as a mascot, and one was imported from the zoo.
"Penguin Pete" would waddle onto the ice before the game. Not for long, though. The bird contracted pneumonia and died.
These days, the Penguins have a mascot called Iceburgh, a guy in a fuzzy costume. It's not as authentic, but it's a lot safer.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Altoona Mirror, March 5, 2017
You can slice and dice the Pirates 2017 outlook countless ways, but it all comes down to this:
They need a rebound season from Gerrit Cole.
More than anything else, that will determine whether they recover from the 20-game decline they experienced last season.
Starting pitching is still the most important factor in determining how much success a team will have. The Pirates' rotation was in a state of chaos throughout 2016, mostly because the Nos. 1 and 2 starters, Cole and Francisco Liriano, failed terribly.
Cole was slow to start spring training because of a nagging injury, the first in a series that would bother him during the year. From there, bad habits developed, confidence diminished, and Cole had the first significant adversity in his career.
When it was done, his record had declined from 19-8 to 7-10, his earned run average rose by 1.28 and his WHIP increased from 1.098 to 1.440. After giving the Pirates 208 innings in 2015, he pitched just 116 innings last year.
Won-lost record is not the best indicator of a pitcher's work, but with 12 fewer wins and two more losses, Cole had a 14-game swing to the bad side. The Pirates were 20 games worse in 2016.
He actually won fewer games than the much-maligned (and now departed) Jeff Locke (9) and Jon Niese (8).
It was a terrible year for the starting staff, and it started with Cole.
He's the only one of the five original 2016 starters to return to the rotation this season. The Pirates need him.
A lot of things went wrong last year, but none was as costly as the failure of the top two starters. Liriano has since been banished to Toronto, with two prospects sacrificed for the relief of having his $14 million salary subtracted from this year's payroll.
The Pirates' rotation this year is long on promise, but short on accomplishment. Before last season's impressive 11-game audition, Ivan Nova was mostly a so-so pitcher. Is he the effective strike thrower he was after he came to the Pirates, or did they get fooled by a guy the Yankees were willing to discard?
Jameson Taillon impressed with his stuff and his poise, but his major league experience starts and ends with the 104 innings he pitched last year. Chad Kuhl, the No. 4 starter, has even less of a track record. The fifth spot is wide open.
The closest to a sure thing is Cole. He can't have a repeat of 2016 if the Pirates are to return to a winning season this year.
---
--MAKING MOVES
Penguins GM Jim Rutherford did what he had to do at the trading deadline, and did it within the restrictions that apply.
The Penguins don't have a lot of room under the salary cap, so deals almost always have to be equitable in terms of the salary leaving and that being added. He was able to pick up two very veteran defensemen (Ron Hainsey and Mark Streit) along with one who might have a future in Frank Corrado.
The price was minimal. He gave up some draft choices (including a second rounder) but there's a chance those can be regained in future deals. Eric Fehr, who had fallen on the depth chart, was sacrificed.
The Penguins didn't need a chemistry-altering jolt, and they didn't want to head into the playoffs without having Marc-Andre Fleury as goaltending insurance.
There will be bigger changes in the offseason, when some free agent issues have to be confronted. For now, the focus is solely and correctly short term -- trying to repeat last year's championship run
---
--IN CONTROL
Antonio Brown has a son named Autonomy.
Even within the context of having four "A" named sons, that's still unusual.
They need a rebound season from Gerrit Cole.
More than anything else, that will determine whether they recover from the 20-game decline they experienced last season.
Starting pitching is still the most important factor in determining how much success a team will have. The Pirates' rotation was in a state of chaos throughout 2016, mostly because the Nos. 1 and 2 starters, Cole and Francisco Liriano, failed terribly.
Cole was slow to start spring training because of a nagging injury, the first in a series that would bother him during the year. From there, bad habits developed, confidence diminished, and Cole had the first significant adversity in his career.
When it was done, his record had declined from 19-8 to 7-10, his earned run average rose by 1.28 and his WHIP increased from 1.098 to 1.440. After giving the Pirates 208 innings in 2015, he pitched just 116 innings last year.
Won-lost record is not the best indicator of a pitcher's work, but with 12 fewer wins and two more losses, Cole had a 14-game swing to the bad side. The Pirates were 20 games worse in 2016.
He actually won fewer games than the much-maligned (and now departed) Jeff Locke (9) and Jon Niese (8).
It was a terrible year for the starting staff, and it started with Cole.
He's the only one of the five original 2016 starters to return to the rotation this season. The Pirates need him.
A lot of things went wrong last year, but none was as costly as the failure of the top two starters. Liriano has since been banished to Toronto, with two prospects sacrificed for the relief of having his $14 million salary subtracted from this year's payroll.
The Pirates' rotation this year is long on promise, but short on accomplishment. Before last season's impressive 11-game audition, Ivan Nova was mostly a so-so pitcher. Is he the effective strike thrower he was after he came to the Pirates, or did they get fooled by a guy the Yankees were willing to discard?
Jameson Taillon impressed with his stuff and his poise, but his major league experience starts and ends with the 104 innings he pitched last year. Chad Kuhl, the No. 4 starter, has even less of a track record. The fifth spot is wide open.
The closest to a sure thing is Cole. He can't have a repeat of 2016 if the Pirates are to return to a winning season this year.
---
--MAKING MOVES
Penguins GM Jim Rutherford did what he had to do at the trading deadline, and did it within the restrictions that apply.
The Penguins don't have a lot of room under the salary cap, so deals almost always have to be equitable in terms of the salary leaving and that being added. He was able to pick up two very veteran defensemen (Ron Hainsey and Mark Streit) along with one who might have a future in Frank Corrado.
The price was minimal. He gave up some draft choices (including a second rounder) but there's a chance those can be regained in future deals. Eric Fehr, who had fallen on the depth chart, was sacrificed.
The Penguins didn't need a chemistry-altering jolt, and they didn't want to head into the playoffs without having Marc-Andre Fleury as goaltending insurance.
There will be bigger changes in the offseason, when some free agent issues have to be confronted. For now, the focus is solely and correctly short term -- trying to repeat last year's championship run
---
--IN CONTROL
Antonio Brown has a son named Autonomy.
Even within the context of having four "A" named sons, that's still unusual.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)