The process may as well be a set schedule by now. December-February: The Pittsburgh Pirates acquire a struggling pitcher with some past success. The acquisition gains little attention nationally; fans give mixed reactions. May: After a few appearances, the pitcher is making a positive impact. Fans are cautiously optimistic. Nay a peep from the national media, though. August: The pitcher is having a great season. He has won the support of the fan base; pitching coach Ray Searage gets ... Read More
Pirates named Baseball America’s Organization of the Year
The Pittsburgh Pirates were named as Baseball America’s 2015 Organization of the Year on Monday. Their ability to put together a 98-win season through a strong core and good free agent signings and trades weighed heavily in their favor, as well as their strong minor league system. The Pirates were praised by Baseball America for the way they found value in building their roster better than most franchises did in 2015, such as the signings of A.J. Burnett and Jung Ho Kang, and the trades for ... Read More
Mike Mitchell is bad guy Steelers need
Mike Mitchell is setting the tone for the revamped Pittsburgh Steelers defense. And he isn’t making any friends in the process. On the stat sheet, Mitchell is having a Pro Bowl-caliber year. He leads the team in interceptions, is tied for the most forced fumbles and is fourth in tackles. After a rough 2014 where he played with a bad groin, Mitchell looks like the player the Steelers envisioned when they signed him to a five-year, $25 million deal. But his stats may not be the biggest ... Read More
Pirates keeping options open with Cervelli
Francisco Cervelli’s future with the Pirates is at a crossroads. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported Thursday that the Pittsburgh was listening to offers on all seven players with one year left on their deal with the club, including the Pirates’ catcher. Heyman also said the Pirates are considering signing Cervelli to an extension. The Pirates appear to be considering all options with Cervelli. And they should. Heyman’s rumor did not specifically address Cervelli’s availability other than ... Read More
Brown, Williams lead Steelers to win over Raiders
Antonio Brown was simply dominant. With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter of a 35-35 game, the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver hauled in a Landry Jones pass and sprinted down the field before being tackled at the Oakland Raiders’ 15-yard line for a 57-yard reception. The catch resulted in Chris Boswell splitting the goal posts for a 19-yard game winning field goal. Brown finished the day with 17 catches and 284 receiving yards, both franchise records. The Steelers (5-4) won a ... Read More
Should the Pirates follow the Royals model in off-season?
Sometimes breaking tradition is good. Sometimes plans need to be changed. Maybe it is time for the Pittsburgh Pirates to alter their course. General manager Neal Huntington’s blueprint to success has been clear since he was hired in 2008: Flood the system with prospects. Overspend in the draft and spend money on international players. Trade major league players when their value is high to get prospects in return and limit money on free agents and trade acquisitions to players they feel ... Read More
Melancon wins best 2015 NL reliever award
Pittsburgh Pirates closer Mark Melancon has won the Trevor Hoffman Award for best relief pitcher in the National League. Melancon, 30, led the Majors in saves and set a club record with 51 saves in 53 tries in 2015. He went 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 78 appearances. The right-hander was the anchor of a bullpen that had the lowest ERA in the Majors (2.64) and made his second All-Star appearance in 2015. He is the second-ever recipient of the Trevor Hoffman Award, which was ... Read More
Williams deal familiar for Pirates, Huntington
Neal Huntington is already adding pitching depth. The Pittsburgh Pirates general manager who has made a knack for adding buy-low pitchers picked up his first of the off-season when he traded for pitcher Trevor Williams on Saturday. Williams, who was acquired from the Miami Marlins in exchange for now-former Gulf Coast League Pirates pitcher Richard Mitchell, has already started pitching for the Pirates’ affiliate in the Arizona Fall League, the Glendale Desert Dogs. He made an early ... Read More
Orioles claim Vance Worley
The Baltimore Orioles announced that they have claimed Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Vance Worley off of waivers. Worley, 28, pitched in 71.2 innings in 2015 while splitting time between the Pirates’ rotation and bullpen. He also had a brief stint in Triple-A with the Indianapolis Indians. After going 8-4 with a 2.85 ERA in 17 starts in 2014, Worley struggled in 2015 with a 4.02 ERA. He made eight starts for the Pirates last season, and spent most of his time in the bullpen as a ... Read More
Steelers finding ways to win without Ben
It was not the prettiest Pittsburgh Steelers win on Sunday. The offense took two quarters to find rhythm. Arizona Cardinals receiver John Brown had a career day against their secondary. Starting left tackle Kelvin Beachum was lost for the season with a torn ACL, though his replacement Alejandro Villanueva had an impressive debut. But they got the job done. And it was a complete team effort in their 25-13 win. They weren’t supposed to win this game. Their offense was supposed to have been shut ... Read More