Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Pirates win, 4-2, in Wednesday matinee in Seattle, take seven of nine on road trip

A week ago, Pirates fans were feeling kind of bummed after closer Jason Grilli gave up a tying home run to Jay Bruce in the bottom of the ninth inning in a game Pittsburgh would go on to lose, 2-1, to the Reds in 13 innings.

For a team that has suffered two consecutive monumental collapses to end the last two seasons, any kind of heartbreaking loss has to shake the confidence of the fan base, even just a little.

Fortunately, the players shook off the loss and came back the following afternoon and won, 5-3, before heading to Anaheim where they proceeded to sweep the Angels in a three game weekend series.

The Pirates closed out their nine game trip by winning two games in Seattle against the struggling Mariners.

Like any good team, the Pirates went right to work, Tuesday night, clubbing five home runs in a 9-4 thrashing to improve to 17 games above .500 for the first time since 1992.

If ever there was a day for a let-down, it was a Wednesday matinee against Mariners' ace, Felix Hernandez.

Hernandez was his usual dominant self against Pittsburgh, giving up two earned runs and striking out 11 in seven innings. However, Jeanmar Gomez, making his first start since returning from the disabled last, went five innings, only giving up a run. And after the Mariners tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning reliever Justin Wilson, the rest of the Pirates impressive bullpen shut things down from there.

In the top of the ninth inning, shortstop Jordy Mercer hit a two out single to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead. Pittsburgh would add an insurance run later in the inning on a wild pitch to make the final score, 4-2.

Pittsburgh went 7-2 on the nine game road-swing, winning the last six in a row, and is now 3.5 games up on the Reds in the NL Central, thanks to Cincinnati's second straight loss to the A's, Wednesday afternoon, and to within a half game of St. Louis.

The win also moves the Pirates nine games up in the National League Wild Card standings, heading into Wednesday night's action.

Aaron Hernandez arrested and charged with murder, released by the Patriots

At approximately 8:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, Aaron Hernandez was arrested by North Attleborough police and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, whose body was found on June 17th, a half a mile from Hernandez' home.

Hernandez was one of the last people believed to be seen with Lloyd on the evening of his death. Among the evidence leading to Hernandez' arrest is a shell-casing found in a car rented by Hernandez,  a smashed cell phone belonging to Hernandez, along with missing footage from the surveillance cameras at Hernandez' home the evening of the murder.

Hernandez, a tight end for the New England Patriots the past three years, was released by the team shortly following his arrest.

The Patriots drafted Hernandez, 23, in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and he proceeded to catch 175 passes for 1956 yards and 18 touchdowns in his three years with New England.

Hernandez appeared in Super Bowl XLVI,where he caught eight passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots, 21-17, loss to the New York Giants.

Hernandez is being held without bail.

Pirates 8.5 game lead in the National League wild card standings is nothing to sneeze at

With their 9-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates improved to 47-30. It marks the first time since 1992 that the club is 17 games over .500 during the regular season. It's certainly a nice milestone, but more importantly, Tuesday night's win, combined with the loss of the Giants in Los Angeles, gave the Pirates an 8.5 game lead in the National League Wild Card standings.

I realize Pittsburgh is still in second place in the National League Central division, but that's a HUGE lead, even this early in the season. 

In my opinion, if the Pirates had this kind of lead in the Central division, we would be going nuts and wondering if the club could maintain the lead the rest of the way.

I know, unlike in a division fight, Pittsburgh has many more teams to deal with in order to secure at least one of the wild card berths--the Padres, Rockies, Giants and Nationals are all no more than 6.5 games back of the Reds for the second wild card spot, and Cincinnati is 2.5 games behind the Pirates for the top spot--but an 8.5 game lead is still pretty decent, even for June 26th.

If it wasn't for the 20 consecutive years of losing, I believe we'd be making more out of, not only the Pirates' current record, but of their lead in the Wild Card standings.

I don't know about you, but I'd sign my name in blood, right now, for a spot in the Wild Card play-in game. 

Monday, June 24, 2013

Pirates come from behind in Anaheim, defeat Angels in 10 innings for first ever interleague road sweep

The Pirates have a day off on Monday, and as a fan, I'm kind of glad because Sunday afternoon's triumph in California is something I'd like to savor for at least a day. Pittsburgh, trying to sweep the Angels in a weekend series in Anaheim, fell behind, 5-1, and then ,6-3, before rallying in the top of the ninth inning to score three runs--including Starling Marte's two-out single to left-center field that drove in Russell Martin with the tying run.

In the top of the 10th inning, Travis Snider came up with the bases loaded and one out and hit a single to left field that was misplayed by the left-fielder, allowing all three runners to score. The Pirates added another run to take a 10-6 lead.

Closer Jason Grilli was brought in to finish off the Angels in the bottom of the 10th in a no-close situation and struggled, giving up five hits and three runs and had the tying and winning runs on  second and third base with two outs. Fortunately, Grilli struck out Mike Trout to end it.

It was one of the most exciting Pirates games I've seen in years, and quite honestly, it was the kind of victory the Buccos used to pull off on a fairly regular basis back in the early 90's, when they were perennial World Series contenders.

It's probably hard to wrap your head around just how good Pittsburgh is right now, but simply taking things at face-value, this is a very talented baseball team, and I don't see many real weaknesses from top to bottom.

If you can just forget about the many years of losing and the fan psychology that goes along with that (easier said than done, I know), there is no question the Pirates are one of the most talented baseball teams in the Major Leagues--I believe their 46-30 record (the second best in the game) speaks to that.

While driving to my bowling match last night, I  turned the game on just in time to hear the top of the ninth inning unfold. As I made my commute, I thought to myself, "Oh well, even if Pittsburgh loses, you gotta love the fight in this team, and hey, taking  two of three against the Angels isn't the norm."

For the Pirates to come all the way back to win was gravy, and as it turns out, it was their first ever sweep of an interleague road series.

The Pirates now have a 7.5 game lead for a wild card spot. I know it's early, but if Pittsburgh was a first place team with that kind of lead, the fans would be going nuts. Speaking of first place, the Cardinals were swept over the weekend and now only have a one-game advantage over the Battlin' Buccos.

Dare I say, these Pirates have come of age.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Pirates are 45-30 and even winning against American League teams

Pirates fans are currently wondering if their team is for real this season--after two straight late-season collapses, it's hard to blame even the most die-hard fan for being a little leery. While I can't say with any real certainty that this will be the year Pittsburgh finally clears the Clint Hurdle and has at least a winning season, there is some tangible evidence the Buccos are indeed for real in 2013.

For starters, the Pirates are 15 games over .500, and it's only June 23rd. A season ago, Pittsburgh didn't reach its high mark of 16 games above .500 until early August--shortly before its historic collapse.

Another reason these Buccos may actually do it this year is their depth, especially at pitching. Staff ace A.J. Burnett has been on the disabled list with a calf injury, and the number two starter, the very efficient Wandy Rodriguez, has also missed a few starts due to injury. The past two seasons, when the club was dealing with similar injury issues, this would have probably sent things into an irreversible tailspin. However, Jeff Locke, one of the pieces in the controversial Nate McLouth trade from a few years ago, has been as solid a starting pitcher as any in baseball and leads the National League with a 2.01 ERA.

The other pitching prospect to come from Atlanta in the McLouth trade, Charlie Morton, has made two starts since coming back from Tommy John surgery and has been more than respectable, going 1-1--including a huge effort last Tuesday in Cincinnati, where he not only pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Reds, he plunked Shin Soo Choo with the first pitch of the game after Cincinnati pitchers had taken liberties with Pirates hitters the night before.

And what about Francisco Liriano? Since making his season debut in May after recovering from a broken hand, he's 6-3 with a 2.30 ERA and 61 strikeouts in nine starts. Liriano would probably be this year's Burnett if he had the same presence. However, if he can just continue to pitch at his same efficient level, I"m sure the folks in Pittsburgh's clubhouse would be satisfied with that.

And what more can you say about the young phenom, Gerrit Cole? Cole made his third start in Anaheim Friday night since making his MLB debut two weeks ago and won his third game, going 6 1/3 innings in a 5-2 victory over the Angels.

There's talk that Cole will be sent down to avoid "Super two" arbitration status, and I'm sure that would outrage a lot of fans, but really, what other choice is there? Once Burnett and Rodriguez come back, what's Cole supposed to do? Sit in the bullpen? The Pirates aren't going to take Locke out of the lineup, same with Liriano. I suppose there is a possibility that Cole can stay in the rotation if Morton doesn't pan out, but even if Cole is sent down, I don't think the front office should suffer much in the way of poor publicity. Would it be financially motivated? Almost surely, but with the arms that gm Neal Huntington has cultivated over the years--don't forget Jeanmar Gomez and James Mcdonald, who have also been down with injuries--the team now has pitching options and the luxury to do whatever it desires with Cole.

In terms of offensive depth, the Pirates certainly seem to have that this year. Take the catcher spot, for instance, where they're light-years ahead of where they were a season ago, when Rod Barajas was the starter and Michael Mckenry was his back-up. While both certainly had their moments in 2012, neither was great offensively, particular Barajas, and both struggled mightily at throwing out baserunners. This year, with the signing of Russell Martin, Pittsburgh has something it hasn't had since the days of Jason Kendall--a true number one catcher. As for Mckenry, he's settled into his role as the back-up catcher a lot better now that he's not expected to carry more of the bulk of the load and has even contributed a couple of key hits--including two home runs in a comeback victory over the Reds in April.

At shortstop, Jordy Mercer has finally surpassed Clint Barmes. If Mercer's defense continues to be consistent, the obvious offensive upgrade could pay huge dividends moving forward.

At first base, Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez have quietly combined for 11 home runs and 52 RBI in a platoon situation.

At third base, Pedro Alvarez is slowly becoming one of the top power bats in the game and has paced the offensive attack with 18 home runs and 50 RBI despite his .234 batting average and habit for striking out.

At second base, Neil Walker continues to provide solid play, and if he can stay injury free this season, he has the look of someone who could come through in clutch situations down the stretch.

In the outfield, Andrew McCutchen might not be having the MVP-like year he had in 2012, but his numbers are still more than solid, and if he heats up like he did around last year's All-Star break, well, that would be just another reason this might be the year Pittsburgh finally reaches the Promised Land--even if that ground is just a winning record.

And if Starling Marte ever truly harnesses his raw talent (he's only 24), he could be every bit as good as McCutchen and would give the Pirates one of the more talented outfields in baseball.

And let's not forget the bullpen. The Shark Tank has been one of the best pens in baseball, behind closer Jason Grilli and set-up man Mark Melancon.

The bullpen has been so good, when I see that Pittsburgh is up by a run or two after six innings, I almost put the "W" in the win column.

I believe the talent is there for these Pirates. If they can stay healthy and continue to get key contributions from key players, they should, I say SHOULD have a very successful final three months to the 2013 season.

Heck, the Pirates have taken two in Anaheim so far in a weekend series against the Angels, an American League team. The Pirates are winning on the West Coast AND against an American League team? If that's not a watershed scenario, I don't know what is.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Glad to see the Pirates take care of "business" against the Reds, Tuesday night

It looks like the Reds have become the new "Brewers." What I mean by that is, there are several players on Cincinnati's roster that Pirates fans cannot stand. The first one that comes to mind is Brandon Phillips. Despite this rather cool and endearing story of Phillips' showing up to a kids baseball game a couple years after he was invited to on Twitter, apparently, the Reds' second baseman is a phony and a jerk.

A second player that comes to mind is Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman is probably the most hated of the Reds players in Pittsburgh because of his habit of buzzing Pirates batters around the head.

Last season, in a crucial August showdown in Cincinnati, Chapman nailed Pirates star outfielder Andrew McCutchen with a 90plus mph fastball in the ninth inning of a 3-0 Reds' victory. McCutchen was reportedly very upset, as were most of the Pirates players, but not much was done in the next game because the Reds came out throwing at Pittsburgh batters early-on, and both benches were warned, thus nullifying any chance of  retaliation.

Fast-forward to this past Monday night in Great American Ballbark. Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake hit McCutchen with a pitch in the fourth inning. In the ninth inning, with Cincinnati ahead, 4-1, Chapman buzzed Neil Walker with another 90 plus mph fastball.

As you might expect, there was talk of whether or not the Pirates would/should return the favor in Game 2 of a very important four-game series between the two teams. The overriding sentiment by Pirates fans and the Pittsburgh media was that something definitely should be done to show Cincinnati that the Pirates simply were not going to be pushed around. With Pittsburgh ahead, 3-0, in the bottom of the first inning, Charlie Morton, of all mild-mannered people, nailed Shin-Soo Choo in the leg with his first pitch. This angered the Reds players, namely starting pitcher Mat Latos, but there was no payback on Cincinnati's part.

The Pirates went on to win, 4-0, and perhaps earn a little respect from the Reds' clubhouse. I guess that all remains to be seen, of course. The way these two teams have been throwing at one another over the past two seasons, I smell a benches clearing brawl in the very near future.

Either way, it's great to be talking about rivalries and bean-ball wars this time of year rather than what is going on in the Pirates minor league system.

Pittsburgh has spent the past five seasons re-stocking its farm system, and now it appears to be paying dividends in the form of a 5.5 game lead in the National League wild card standings and a competition-fueled feud with the Big Red Machine.

Monday, June 17, 2013

The Spurs are the only sports show in San Antonio, but since 1999, that's been a good thing

As a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., I can't imagine only having one team to follow. I do understand there are some cities like Pittsburgh, where a particular franchise and sport is bigger than the others. The Steelers have been the biggest deal in town since about the mid-70's. And unless there is some severe damage done to the NFL's popularity in the coming years, the Black and Gold will probably continue to be the biggest deal, regardless of the growing popularity of the Penguins and any future success of the Pirates.

In Boston, no matter how successful the Patriots, Bruins or Celtics are, the Red Sox will always be the biggest deal in that area.

But at least fans in those cities have options. In fact, not only are there options in a town like Pittsburgh, there are actually rivalries between the fans of the three major sports teams. For example, I know a lot of Steelers fans who hate the Penguins. I know a lot of Penguins fans who are jealous of the Steelers success and wish nothing but failure on them whenever possible. I also know a lot of Steelers AND Penguins fans who mock the Pirates (and their two decade-long battle with ineptitude) any chance they have.

The only problem with that kind of stuff is what happens when your favorite team lays an egg right out of the gate? How do you compensate? What do you do with your team/civic pride energy?

I wonder what it's like in places like Salt Lake City, Jacksonville and San Antonio, where there isn't the option of sports team rivalries because they only have one sport and one team to carry the beacon of civic pride?

Speaking of San Antonio (population: 1.36 million as of 2011), Spurs basketball has been the only sports show in town since 1973. If you were a City of San Antonio AND sports fan living in that area in the 70's, 80's and most of the 90's, life probably bit it a little, as the Spurs never won a World Championship or even a conference crown.

However, that all changed in the late 90's, when Tim Duncan arrived on the scene. Since 1999, the Spurs have won four championships and are in line for a fifth after their victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Sunday night. The win gives San Antonio a 3-2 lead in the series, and the Spurs can clinch a fifth championship as early as Tuesday night in Miami.

I've always rooted for the Spurs because, as I already alluded to, I can't imagine life in Pittsburgh with just one team to root for. Regardless of what happens in the remainder of these NBA Finals, I hope the run can continue for at least a few more years. San Antonio is a pretty old team--Duncan is 37, Manu Ginobil is 35 and Tony Parker is 31--and like most teams who are successful over a period of  time, once age takes its toll on the Spurs stars, the championship success will probably turn into a period of mediocrity.

When that happens, Spurs AND San Antonio sports fans will only have memories to cling to while the front office tries to rebuild and recreate the magic of the last 14 seasons (and counting).

Regardless, though, one-sport cities normally can't boast of four (and maybe five) championships over a 15 year period.

Kudos to Spurs AND City of San Antonio fans.

You deserve the success.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Pirates win, 6-3, on Sunday to take two of three from Dodgers in weekend series at PNC Park

What's the best way to answer a run of five losses in six games? By doing what any good team would do and bouncing back with six wins in the next nine games. The Pittsburgh Pirates looked a little over-matched a couple weeks ago, losing two of three against the powerful Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park and then following that up by getting swept in a three game series in Atlanta.

If Pirates fans were feeling a little uneasy, you couldn't really blame them. After 20 straight years of losing, and two consecutive seasons of late summer collapses, any fan would be a little gun-shy. But if Pittsburgh is going to collapse for a third straight season, it doesn't look like the slide has begun just yet.

Rookie pitcher Gerrit Cole had his second straight impressive outing to start his career, going 5 2/3 innings, as the Pirates defeated Los Angeles, 6-3, Sunday afternoon to take two of three in the weekend series.

Prior to the weekend series against the Dodgers, Pittsburgh (41-28) also took two of three from both the Cubs and Giants.

Cole, who pitched 6 1/3 innings against the Giants in his Major League debut Tuesday night at PNC, is now 2-0 so far in his very young career. The impressive outings by the 2011 first overall draft pick couldn't have come at a better time for a starting staff that recently placed veterans A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez on the 15 day disabled list.

Third baseman Pedro Alvarez delivered the decisive blow in the bottom of the fifth inning when he smacked a three-run home run over the centerfield wall to give the Pirates a 5-2 lead.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Winning the Stanley Cup is extremely difficult, but somehow the Penguins have underachieved since 2009

NHL fans love, I mean, love to go on and on about how unbelievably difficult it is for a team to win a Stanley Cup. "It's the toughest trophy to win in all of sports! Four best of seven series are such a grind!"

No argument there.

Of course, this sentiment goes out the window when a team has the two best hockey players in the world, like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have only managed to win one Stanley Cup and appear in another Final since 2008. Pittsburgh joins the Red Wings and the loser of the Bruins/Blackhawks Cup series in accomplishing that same feat over the same time-span. I don't know how those other fan bases feel about that, and I don't know how the front offices of those teams feel about that, but I know in Pittsburgh, it's a clear sign of underachieving, and the fans and front office, alike, have been doing some serious soul searching since last Friday night.

Penguins gm Ray Shero met with the media for a postseason debriefing on Wednesday where he announced the contract extension of coach Dan Bylsma, who was on the hot seat after his team bowed out of the Eastern Conference finals and missed making it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the fourth straight season.

Shero was praised for his openness and candor about the front office's disappointment in the team's shortcomings in recent years (including those of the just extended head coach), and while I admire the organization's determination to be No. 1, it isn't like the Penguins lost to a bunch of stiffs when they were swept by Boston.

As I touched on in a previous paragraph, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup just two seasons ago and entered this postseason as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference after missing out on the Northeast Division title (and 2nd overall seed) by a mere point.

Should superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have played better against Boston? Absolutely, but credit has to be given to the Bruins for taking Pittsburgh's offensive stars out of their game and limiting the team to only two goals in the series. Believe me, if the Penguins had played that kind of defense against Boston, we would run out of ways to praise such a performance.

As for the hockey fans who were screaming for Bylsma to go, you can't have it both ways. You can't stand around and beat your chest about how extremely difficult it is to win a Stanley Cup and then complain when your team "only" has one over the past five seasons.


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Making it to the finals in any sport is pretty awesome

I actually watched Game 5 of the NHL Western Conference finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings, Saturday night. I was rooting for the Hawks because they were ahead in the series, and I wanted to see them clinch and engage in the obligatory celebratory scrum, accompanied by the presentation of the Western Conference trophy (or whatever fancy French name it goes by). Unfortunately, Los Angeles tied the game with less than 10 seconds left, and I wound up falling asleep before Chicago finally clinched the series in double-overtime.

I don't normally watch hockey (especially when neither team is named the Penguins), but I've always been fascinated by teams reaching the finals of any sport. There's just something about the last two teams (theoretically the best two teams in the entire world) squaring off for all the marbles.

As I said, I fell asleep during overtime and didn't see the aftermath of the Blackhawk's victory, but I'll make a pretty safe assumption that the players went nuts, along with the fans in attendance at Chicago's United Center.

Of course the fans and players went nuts. Why wouldn't they? Making it to the championship round of a major professional sports league is a rather obvious indication of an awesome season. And that's why I always find it funny how so many people--both players and fans alike--refuse to enjoy such an achievement. I can see players being more business-like about it (although, why so many NHL players refuse to touch the conference trophy is beyond me), but as for the fans? I really wish fans would just start enjoying the ride more.

I hear so many fans say things like "I'd rather see my team not even make the playoffs than lose in the championship."

I really don't get that kind of thinking. I mean, I get why fans would be disappointed and depressed following a loss in the championship round, but after a little time has passed, you would think people may soften their hearts and acknowledge that their team really did have a great season, despite losing the final game or series. But fond memories are more the exception and not the rule after a runner-up season.

I think I gained such an appreciation for just making it to the championship round after growing up in the 80's, a very mediocre decade for sports in Pittsburgh. The Steelers, Pirates and Penguins all pretty much sucked in that decade (although, the Steelers did make it to the AFC Championship Game in 1984, which I still can't believe), and I remember how abstract the thought of seeing one of Pittsburgh's teams make it to a championship really was.

The Pirates became championship contenders in the early 90's, winning three straight NL East titles, but  they never made it to the World Series.

As for the Penguins, they did win back-to-back Stanley Cups in '91 and '92, and while I thought it was neat to see, I really wasn't into hockey at that time.

The Steelers have always been my first love. For years, I dreamed of watching them in the Super Bowl, but with players like Mark Malone and Weegie Thompson on the roster, I never thought I'd actually get to witness it. When Pittsburgh finally made it to Super Bowl XXX , it was a dream come true.

For me, very few sports moments rank as high as when Jim Harbaugh's pass fell incomplete in the right corner of the end zone on the final play of the 1995 AFC Championship Game at old Three Rivers Stadium.

I soaked up every second of the celebration as well as every second of the two weeks that led up to the clash with the heavily-favored Cowboys.

To this day, so many Pittsburgh sports fans can't even talk about Super Bowl XXX (the Steelers lost, 27-17), but I have nothing but fond memories of that time.

And why shouldn't I have fond memories? There are fans of teams who wish they had that kind of memory as recently as January of 1996.

There are teams who have never reached the Super Bowl. The Chicago Cubs haven't been to the World Series since 1945. How do you think Clippers fans would feel about reaching the NBA Finals? The Beattles were still together the last time the Maple Leafs made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

If making it to the championship round was so ordinary, I'm pretty teams would make it more often.

Reaching the championship is a pretty special thing, and it should be celebrated and appreciated just a little more.

I'll bet fans of the Bruins and Blackhawks are appreciating their teams' seasons right about now--let's hope the losing fan base can hold on to some of that appreciation when its team loses.


Monday, June 10, 2013

Gerrit Cole to start for the Pirates Tuesday night against World Champs---not a last place team, like Stephen Strasburg

If you're a Pirates fan, you've probably uttered this phrase at least once over the past year or so: "When in the blue moon are they going to bring up Gerrit Cole from the minors?" Of course, if you've been paying attention to other notable call ups in recent years, and you were in the room when someone asked that question, you might have said, "They'll bring Cole up in June."

It was no real secret why Cole didn't make the Pittsburgh roster coming out of spring training, just like it was no secret when Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez didn't in years past. Baseball has a weird " service time" system in-which a team can hold on to a player for an extra season if he doesn't make his Major League debut until June. Cutch made his debut on June 4th, 2009. Tabata was called up a year later on June 9th, 2010. And Alvarez made his debut a week after that on June 16th.

A lot of people were upset when the pitching phenom didn't make the team at the start of the season, but I wasn't one of them. Really, with the financial constraints on small market teams such as the Pirates, they have to do what's in the best interest for the long-term. Gm Neal Huntington has taken a lot of flack in recent years, but you can't blame him for wanting to get an extra year of eligibility out of every highly-touted prospect. Let's face it, if Cole comes as advertised and is the talent many think he can be, when he does become an unrestricted free agent, Pittsburgh will not be able to retain him.

The going rate for the top pitchers in MLB is roughly $20 million a season. The Pirates two highest paid players--pitchers A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez--are making $16.5 million and $13 million this season, respectively. But the Yankees are picking up a large portion of Burnett's salary, and the Astros are doing the same with Rodriguez. In other words, the Pirates aren't paying any player $20 million and probably won't any time soon--including six years from now when Cole will be eligible for free agency--so, basically, if Cole is the pitcher everyone hopes he can be, by waiting until now to call him up, the Pirates are giving us an extra year to enjoy him before he leaves.

Trading a few months for another season seems like the right move.

On to the good stuff.

Cole will be making his debut for the Pirates when he starts against the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, Tuesday night at PNC Park.

It's obviously an historic event, considering Cole's potential, but it's not garnering the same national attention that Stephen Strasburg's debut received back on June 8th, 2010, against Pittsburgh. Strasburg cemented his phenom-status by striking out 14 Pirates. Of course, I have no doubt it was a strategic move by his Washington Nationals team to sort of "hand-pick" an opponent that would go on to finish with over 100 losses.

Hey, it worked. Strasburg made a splash.

If Cole is going to make a splash, he'll have to do so against a more formidable foe, Tuesday night.

The water will be a bit choppy. Hopefully Cole is a natural swimmer.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

I can emphathize with what Penguins fans are feeling

I'm not much of a hockey fan, this is a known fact by most people who know me. However, I do understand the psychology of being a sports fan and the pull that your favorite team can have on your emotions.The Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals Friday evening by the Boston Bruins, and I'm sure the fans aren't feeling too good this fine Saturday afternoon.

To quote Apollo Creed from the movie Rocky III: "Hell, every fighter knows that hurt."

Even though Pittsburgh fell behind in the series, 3-0, knowing die-hard fans like I do, I can pretty much guess the majority of Pens fans were still holding out hope for a stunning turnaround. If nothing else, they were probably wishing for just one victory and another day or two to hope and BELIEVE. And that's what being a fan is all about, it's about holding on to a dream, and in the playoffs (regardless of the format), it's about surviving to fight another day.

As I said, I don't get into hockey, but if I was a fan, I know losing in the Eastern Conference finals would really eat at me. Say what you want, I'd rather see my favorite team lose in the championship round than lose in the penultimate one.

I've seen the Steelers play in many AFC Championship games over the years, but it's the most gut-wrenching game for me to endure. Oh sure, you can probably say that about any round of the NFL playoffs, but I know that if the team can just survive that game, I'll have two weeks to celebrate, hope and dream.

If you hockey fans are anything like me, you probably spent this playoff run watching old Penguins games that led to Stanley Cup championships. And you probably re-lived the same emotions over again as you hoped to experience some new joy this year.

I know when the Steelers make the postseason, I go back and re-watch old Super Bowls and old playoff victories. I eat, sleep and everything my team, hoping for another championship to celebrate.

For my money, there's something to be said for seeing something through to the very end --regardless of the outcome. Now Penguins fans must sit and watch two other teams battle it out for Lord Stanley.

When my team falls short, it's an empty feeling, especially the day after.

But the great thing about being a fan is hope always springs eternal. Things were looking rather bleak for the Steelers just a few months ago, what with so many player-departures, but here we are less than two months from the start of training camp, and the optimism is quickly returning.

It's just a few more months until the start of the next NHL season, Pens fans.

New hope begins in the fall.

Penguins eliminated from Stanley Cup playoffs after 1-0 loss to the Bruins, swept for the first time since 1979

The Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals after a 1-0 loss to the Boston Bruins at TD Arena Friday night. Pittsburgh was swept by the Bruins in the best of seven series, marking the first time the franchise has been swept in a postseason match-up since 1979--ironically enough against Boston.

With Friday night's loss, the Penguins have now failed to even reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the fourth straight season since playing in back-to-back Finals in '08 and '09 and bringing Lord Stanley home to Pittsburgh in the summer of 2009 after a stunning Game 7 victory over the Red Wings.

That celebration  on center ice in Detroit's Joe Louis arena seemed like just the beginning for the Penguins. With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and goaltender Marc Andre Fleury still years away from their primes, at least a couple more Cups seemed inevitable for the young core.

However, the Penguins lost in Round 2 against Montreal the following season. The 2010/2011 season was marred by injuries, as Crosby, Malkin and a host of others sat by helpless and watched Pittsburgh blow a 3-1 series lead to the Lightning in the opening round.

A season ago, the Penguins may have been victims of circumstance, losing out on the Eastern Conference's top seed by two points to the Rangers, their Atlantic Division rivals, and having to settle for the fourth seed and a date with another, more hated division rival, the Flyers, in the first round. Pittsburgh fell behind, 3-0 in the series, before losing in six games.

Despite the shortened season due to a lockout, there was no doubt that it was "Cup or Bust" for the Penguins in 2012/2013.

Pittsburgh finished the  regular season with the second most points in the NHL, and even though the team boasted a 15 game winning-streak earlier in the year, gm Ray Shero still went out and acquired a boat-load of talent at the NHL trade deadline, including future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla from the Calgary Flames.

Things got off to a rocky start against the upstart Islanders in Round 1--including the departure of Fleury from in front of the net in favor of back-up Tomas Vokoun--but the Pens survived a grueling six-game series and then dominated the Ottawa Senators in Round 2, winning in five games.

Unfortunately, Pittsburgh proved to be no match for a Bruins team that won the Cup just two seasons ago, as Boston out-scored the Penguins, 12-2, in the four games.

In many circles, a six year run that sees a team win a Stanley Cup, reach another Cup Final and then make it to a conference final would probably be enough. However, in Pittsburgh, with the two best players in the world and one of the most passionate fan bases in the NHL, it seems like a  rather underwhelming run.

As you might expect, changes are probably in the works, starting with Head Coach Dan Bylsma, who, if I had to bet my salary, probably won't be back next year.

NHL coaches are more disposable than in any other sport, and even though there are so many weird intangibles that go into a hockey game, Bylsma is taking the brunt of the blame for not achieving more with such a talented roster.

Another interesting decision will involve Fleury. After helping the Pens steal the Cup in '09, Fleury has struggled in the playoffs in recent years--including this postseason when he never started another game after being replaced by Vokoun against New York. The fact that Bylsma stayed with Vokoun for the remainder of the postseason could speak volumes for Fleury's future in Pittsburgh.

It will be an interesting offseason for the Penguins.




Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Roethlisberger undergoes minor knee surgery

It has been reported by Steelers.com and other outlets that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger underwent minor knee surgery Wednesday morning to alleviate some discomfort he bad been experiencing during the offseason.

Here is the official team statement by Head Coach Mike Tomlin:

"Earlier today, Ben had minor surgery on his right knee that was the result of slight discomfort this offseason. We advised him to get the surgery done to ensure he will be completely healthy for the start of training camp. This surgery will have no long-term effects on his health."

It is unclear what exactly needed to be repaired in Roethlisberger's knee--it could be the result of years of wear and tear playing a sport known for such things--but the 10 year veteran did miss several weeks in the middle of the 2005 season after having surgery on that same right knee to repair damage that was the result of an injury he sustained in a Week 1 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field.

With just under two months until the start of training camp, it'll be interesting to see just how "minor" the surgery actually was, and if it will hinder No. 7's play come the start of the season.

Update:

It turns out the surgery was done to repair some meniscus damage (he had the same surgery in his left knee seven years ago).

The timetable for a full recovery is 4-6 weeks.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

I guess LeBron James' "decision" was the right one, after all

The Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers, 96-76, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals Monday night and advanced to their third straight trip to the NBA Finals since LeBron James signed with the team back in 2010.

Three yeas ago, James, an unrestricted free agent who spent several seasons as one of the game's best players with the Cleveland Cavaliers (his almost hometown team), joined fellow free agent Chris Bosh and long-time Heat player, Dwyane Wade, in Miami in what was quickly dubbed "the big three" or "Dream Team."

A lot of fans did not take to the formidable trio and relished any Miami defeat. Hatred or not, the team was obviously successful during the 2010/2011 season, advancing to the NBA Finals before losing to the Dallas Mavericks.

The second season, however, saw the Heat win the NBA title. And now, with Monday night's accomplishment, nobody can really call James' decision a failure.

Let's be honest. If it wasn't for the "Decision" fiasco, nobody would have thought James was a bad person (except for Cavaliers fans).

Another criticism is that James needed Wade, and to a lesser extent, Bosh, in order to win a championship, and maybe that's true. However, most really good basketball teams over the years have had more than one superstar on the starting roster.

The Lakers dynasty of the 80's had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and James Worthy (a total chance acquisition after the defending champions had the first pick in the '82 draft, thanks to a trade with the Cavliers a few years earlier). The Boston Celtics teams of that same decade had Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin Mchale.

The Chicago Bulls of the 90's, winners of six NBA titles in eight seasons, may have had Michael Jordan (arguably the greatest player of all-time), but they also had Scottie Pippen (a top five player during his prime).

And, of course, the Lakers teams of the 00's that won multiple titles had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

Why should James be expected to put an entire team of average players on his back and win a title when his predecessors didn't have to?

How James went about making his decision was obviously a little in poor taste, but no matter what happens against the Spurs in the Finals, it was obviously the right one.

Can the Penguins come back from 2-0 deficit to Bruins? It's possible, but don't bet on it

Since the NHL changed its postseason format back in 1993, no team has ever come back to win a conference final after falling behind, 2-0.

The Pittsburgh Penguins currently find themselves in that predicament after losing the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals to the Boston Bruins --including a 6-1 thrashing on home ice, Monday evening. A lot of Pens fans are optimistic about a comeback (and why wouldn't they be, they're fans) and have suddenly started referencing the fact that Pittsburgh trailed the Bruins by the same two games to none margin during the 1991 Eastern Conference finals and came back to win in six games.

That's all fine and dandy, but the only difference between 1991 and today is that the Penguins have lost the first two games at the Consol Energy Center. In other words, they have completely given away their home-ice advantage.

In '91, after the Bruins handed Pittsburgh a tough overtime loss in Game 2, winger Kevin Stevens boldly predicted a comeback. But the first two games of the '91 conference finals were in Boston, and while no team likes to be down 2-0 in any best of seven series, if the road team loses the first two games, it might be depressing, but it's not totally unexpected. That's why the lower seed often refers to "stealing" a game in the other team's building--if a lower seed wins one road game and holds serve in its own building, it will take the series.

And that's what the Penguins were able to in '91. They took Games 3 and 4 at the old Civic Arena, stole game 5 in Boston and eliminated the Bruins in Game 6 back in Pittsburgh.

But now, the Penguins realize they must win two games in Boston to take the series against the Bruins. It can happen (the Penguins have loads of talent), but the circumstances are much more dire now then they were during Kevin Stevens' heyday.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Pirates salvage weekend series with extra-inning victory over Cincinnati

The Pirates defeated Cincinnati, 5-4, in 11 innings Sunday afternoon at PNC Park. It was Pittsburgh's third 11-inning victory in six days--the other two were 1-0 victories over the Tigers--and first victory over the Reds in the weekend series.

In fact, the Pirates were shut-out by Cincinnati for two straight nights and had a streak of putrid offense that saw the team score one run over 30-innings, dating back to Thursday night's 11-inning win against Detroit.

However, after falling behind, 4-0, in the top of the first inning, Pittsburgh began its comeback, starting with a solo shot by Pedro Alvarez in the bottom of the second.

Pirates' pitcher Jeanmar Gomez, a surprisingly effective fifth starter, failed to reach the second inning, but Pittsburgh's "Shark Tank" bullpen was once again dominant, shutting the Reds' offense down over the last 10-innings, while the offense slowly mounted its comeback.

Andrew McCutchen drove in the team's second run with a single in the sixth inning. And then in the bottom of the eighth inning, first baseman Garrett Jones tied the score with a two-run home run that reached the Allegheny River on a fly, becoming the first Pirate to do so in PNC Park's history.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, Travis Snider ended things with a single that scored Russell Martin for the walk-off win.