Let me preface this with saying that I agree with Niky and what she say said here, about how the Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melynk should watch what he says on Twitter. Athletes all over are under a close watch by teams and will get punished if they cross the line. Melnyk is also a guy I don't really care for after his comments regarding Matt Cooke. With that point, I agree with Niky. While the title of her article does catch the eye and draw readers (we love it) and I agree with her stance ... Read More
Crosby is the game’s best player, but he isn’t the MVP
When talking about the most valuable player award, you have to look at what the award really means. MVP means the most valuable player, not necessarily the best. When the NHL announced that Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, John Tavares of the New York Islanders and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins were the finalists for the prestigious award, the debate ensued. First off, let me preface this with saying there is absolutely no debate as to whether or not Crosby is the ... Read More
Pirates beat phenom Harvey to take series over Mets
NEW YORK -- The Pirates were introduced to the latest New York City pitching phenom Sunday afternoon. From 60 feet, six inches, they shook hands with Matt Harvey and proceeded to treat him as if he were a degree or two short of phenomenal. They bruised him but didn't beat him. Instead, they scored once against the Mets' bullpen in the eighth inning and won, 3-2. The victory, the Bucs' third in four games here, put their record five games over .500 for the third time this season. A two-out ... Read More
Liriano shines in debut; Tabata and Mercer pace the offense in 11-2 win
To say that the Pirates had its most satisfying win of the season Saturday is an understatement. It's not just that they dominated the Mets 11-2, it's the way they got there. One of the biggest acquisitions in the offseason, Francisco Liriano, made his long-awaited Pirates debut on Saturday. If this is a preview of things to come, Pirates fans will be quite happy. Liriano, who missed spring training due to injury, came out looking like the pitcher that threw a no-hitter for the Minnesota ... Read More
Pirates bats come to life in win over Mets
NEW YORK -- The Pirates followed a vexing loss in the opener at Citi Field with a blueprint 7-3 victory against the Mets on Friday night. Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez disposed with the Mets' lukewarm batting order for six innings, and cleanup man Garrett Jones started one three-run rally with a double and ended another with a replay-reviewed three-run home run. The result was the Bucs' second victory in six games. The victory could have been more easily achieved, but Jose Contreras allowed ... Read More
Jeanmar Gomez fills in quite nicely in win over Mariners
PITTSBURGH -- Jeanmar Gomez is Josh Harrison's new best friend. That's one offbeat way of looking at Gomez's stellar emergency pitching Tuesday night, when he blanked Seattle for the first five innings of the Pirates' 4-1 Interleague victory at PNC Park. The Bucs again pushed a veteran pitcher to a first-inning cliff -- this time, righty Aaron Harang -- only to let him regain his footing. Unlike Sunday against Washington's Gio Gonzalez, however, they survived the clemency, as Gomez and ... Read More
Penguins win overtime thriller to go up 2-1
The Penguins beat the New York Islanders, 5-4, in overtime today at Nassau Coliseum to take a 2-1 lead in the teams' first-round playoff series. Chris Kunitz scored off of a feed from Sidney Crosby at 9:44 of overtime for the winner. The Islanders got a quick start, getting several bats at the puck from the crease before Matt Moulson pushed it in for a 1-0 lead at 1:43 of the first period. Casey Cizikas made it 2-0 at 5:41 on a shot from the left circle. The Penguins came back thanks ... Read More
Pirates waste first inning in loss to Nationals
PITTSBURGH -- On Marathon Day in the city, the Bucs came out of the PNC Park gate like racecourse rabbits, setting a blistering pace. But they couldn't run away from Gio Gonzalez, who used his second wind to knock the wind out of the Bucs. The story of the 6-2 loss to the Nationals was written early, long before Tyler Moore's three-run homer off Bryan Morris in the eighth ended any suspense. The Bucs' best chance to avoid losing consecutive home games for the first time this season came ... Read More
Pirates fall victim to Murphy’s Law in loss to Nationals
The Pirates have been one of the better teams in baseball so far this season. There's really no denying that. Unfortunately, every good team will have its bad days. The Pirates fell victim to Murphy's Law as they walked eight and hit three batters as a team, en route to a loss to the Nationals by the score of 5-4. "We've played very good ball to this point. Every once and awhile you have a game where you're not in sync," Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle said. "All of those walks and hit batters ... Read More
McKenry jumps at the chance to give back to the community
When you think about athletes, some of the words that you'll associate with them right away are rich, gifted and celebrities. I think all three are accurate, fair assessments. There is one major one, though, that I have to disagree with. Too often, the word hero gets thrown around when an athlete hits a game-winning home run or scores the winning goal. With the recent events that took place in Boston, the true heroes are the first responders and the police of the city. True heroes are the ... Read More