Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Tyler Boyd, Steven Adams, Larry Fitzgerald DeJuan Blair … Allen Lachowicz? When you think of notable Pitt athletes, Lachowicz isn’t the first to come to mind. Drafted by the Texas Rangers with the 24th pick in the 1981 MLB Draft, Lachowicz is the last Pitt baseball player to be selected in the first round of baseball's draft. If all goes well, that could change Thursday with Pitt pitcher T.J. Zeuch. Zeuch, a 6-foot 7-inch 225-pound, 20-year-old junior ... Read More
Jameson Taillon ready for MLB debut with Pittsburgh
Francisco Liriano was scheduled to be Wednesday's starter, but his start was pushed back to Saturday. This meant that someone had to take his place and the Pirates decided that it would be on one of its top prospects, Jameson Taillon. Normally Indianapolis Indians manager Dean Treanor pranks promoted players in front of his teammates but the immediate situation meant that would not happen this time. “My heart was racing," Taillon said to reporters of the call-up. "I gave my parents a call ... Read More
Pirates’ Taillon can finally justify high selection
It might not have been on the level of Daniel Moskos over Matt Wieters. Still, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafting pitcher Jameson Taillon over shortstop Manny Machado in the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft created a heated dialogue, if not heavy scrutiny. The debate was understandable. Baseball America rated Taillon as its second-best prospect, with Machado right after him. At shortstop, the Pirates had the ever-forgettable Ronny Cedeno starting at the time. No one in the system appeared ... Read More
Pirates prospect Taillon to make MLB debut Wednesday
On the eve of the MLB Draft, the former No. 2 overall selection in the 2010 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates will make his long-awaited debut at PNC Park, as pitching prospect Jameson Taillon will toe the rubber against the New York Mets in the finale of the three-game set in Pittsburgh. Crazy to think of how many people worked so hard with me and helped me on this journey! But, this journey is still just beginning! — Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon19) June 7, 2016 Taillon, who was drafted ... Read More
Vincent scores as Hounds fall to Charleston, 2-1
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ reunion with Rob Vincent has actually turned out to be pretty bittersweet, as the Hounds fell, 2-1. Vincent, who is on a one-game loan from D.C. United, provided the team’s only goal against the Charleston Battery on Saturday night. The match, which was held at a packed Highmark Stadium, was a homecoming for Vincent, but also a chance for him to get playing time in, as he hasn’t been used much with D.C. United. “It was really nice to see everyone again,” Vincent ... Read More
Pirates Kevin Newman living up to first-round billing
Kevin Newman might not have been the flashiest pick of the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft. He is a college shortstop who had never hit a collegiate home run. His ceiling might not be too high. He was the safe selection. Yet, the Pittsburgh Pirates first-round pick keeps producing. Newman’s .347 batting average is second in the Florida State League. He has even hit two home runs for Single-A Bradenton. The 22-year-old could be ready for a call-up to Double-A Altoona in the coming ... Read More
Pirates extend Cervelli’s contract through 2019
Was Francisco Cervelli going to be the next Russell Martin? For a while, it looked that way, as there were no talks of an extension between the Pirates and Cervelli in his contract year. That all changed on Tuesday afternoon, as the Pirates announced they have agreed to terms with Cervelli on a three-year contract extension that would keep the fan-favorite catcher in the city through 2019. The deal is believed to be for $31 million, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports. Sources: ... Read More
Zika fears move Pirates series from Puerto Rico
As the 2016 baseball season continued, it appeared increasingly less likely that the series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins which were to be played in Puerto Rico would be cancelled. Friday that was confirmed as Major League Baseball officially cancelled the games which were to be played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium because of the Zika virus. Recently, MLB representatives met with the Pirates and Marlins in order to update both teams on the risks with the Zika virus. At the ... Read More
What Kang’s return means for the Pirates
This afternoon, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they have have recalled infielder Jung Ho Kang from his Triple-A rehab stint in Indianapolis and have reinstated him from the 15-day disabled list. To make room for Kang on the active roster, the Pirates sent infielder Jason Rogers to Indianapolis. On Sept. 17, Kang injured his left knee on a slide from Chicago Cubs outfielder Chris Coghlan. Kang missed the remainder of the season, as well as the National League Wild Card game, and ... Read More
How does Pirates’ Locke compare with other teams’ fifth starters?
The Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitching staff has had an adventurous start to the 2016 season. After posting the second-best ERA in baseball last season, the Pirates find themselves with a current ranking of 19th on the backs of a 4.21 staff ERA. The reasons for this are myriad, but the fulcrum of Pirates fans' angst continues to be Jeff Locke. For better or worse, Locke's career resume to this point has left him as the designated punching bag for fans. Though the optimism that permeates ... Read More