Pittsburgh ... we're here. No, I haven't suddenly turned into Bray Wyatt (wrestling is still real to me, dammit!), rather it's the most important week for the Pirates in the 2016 season. Before heading into the All-Star break, the Pirates travel to St. Louis for four games before hosting the Chicago Cubs for three entering the mid-summer classic. Make or break time for the Pirates. Coming off a series sweep of the Oakland Athletics where the Pirates earned come-from-behind wins in all ... Read More
Steelers should not take Bengals’ McCarron lightly
AJ McCarron may be the backup quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers do not want to face. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is preparing to start his first career NFL playoff game on Saturday with Andy Dalton out injured, but McCarron may be ready for the pressure. As a three-year starter at the University of Alabama, McCarron was constantly in the spotlight. The Crimson Tide was regularly ranked in the top five of the AP and BCS polls during his tenure, and also faced his share of top 25 teams. ... Read More
Berardi’s baseball update: Second NL wild card is wide open
Updated Playoff Races - 10/17 Every week I will update you on the playoff races going on in the majors along with who those teams will face in the upcoming week. (Take note, All GB are based on loss column ONLY. I don’t believe in the ½ game stat because those are games that can be controlled by a team. AL East The Yankees and Orioles both went 4-2 last week allowing New York to keep a one-game lead. Tampa Bay has fallen off the pace and is five back. 1. NY 83 – 63 -- (Off Day, 3 vs. ... Read More
Will this season be successful if the Pirates miss the playoffs?
At this point last month, you were considered negative for saying the Pirates were going to collapse and miss the playoffs. The city was in. The true fans and bandwagon fans alike had this team's back. The players believed and the clubhouse was more alive than ever. The public relations staff had to send out an email about ways to purchase playoff tickets. The last time that happened, email was hardly around. The fans waited 19 years for this. They've waited 19 years of constant reminders that ... Read More
Barardi’s baseball update: The Rays look to leapfrog this week
Updated Playoff Races - 10/3 Every week, I will update you on the playoff races going on in the majors along with who those teams will face in the upcoming week. (Take note, All GB are based on loss column ONLY. I don’t believe in the ½ game stat because those are games that can be controlled by a team. AL East The Yankees went 3-4 against the Orioles and Rays allowing them to gain ground. The Rays could jump both teams as they play three against each this week. 1. NY 79 – 61 -- (Off ... Read More
Berardi’s baseball update: The race is heating up
Updated Playoff Races - 10/3 Every week I will update you on the playoff races going on in the majors along with who those teams will face in the upcoming week. (Take note, All GB are based on loss column ONLY. I don’t believe in the ½ game stat because those are games that can be controlled by a team. AL East Baltimore took two of three from the Yankees over the weekend to close the gap in the East. New York had a seven-game lead at the start of August but the Orioles won't go away. 1. ... Read More
Berardi’s baseball update
Updated Playoff Races - 9/27 Every week, I will update you on the playoff races going on in the majors along with who those teams will face in the upcoming week. (Take note, All GB are based on loss column ONLY. I don’t believe in the ½ game stat because those are games that can be controlled by a team.) AL East The Yankees held a seven-game advantage over Baltimore and Tampa Bay at the start of the month. The lead is now four. 1. NY 74 – 53 -- (3 vs. Tor 56 - 70, Off ... Read More
Has the extra wild card helped the MLB in general?
This year, the MLB has installed a second wild card spot (per league) to make each league more competitive down the stretch. It was implemented, also, to keep the general fans interested later into the season rather than tailing off then coming back when the playoffs started. It also has made more teams competitive. Rather then packing it in at the trade deadline, more teams were willing to be buyers because they still had a chance for once and it has shown in the standings. So far, I think the ... Read More