Kevin Gorman stories, Page 148
Kevin Gorman: In musical outfield, Pirates should save Bryan Reynolds a seat
The Pittsburgh Pirates have dealt with so many injuries to their outfielders this season that they have been forced to play a game of musical chairs, starting nine players. When Corey Dickerson returns from a 60-day stint on the injured list, however, the Pirates will have a crowded outfield. It’s...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Waiting for internal options, Pirates struck out lookingVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates left PNC Park on Thursday afternoon dressed in disguise, wearing superhero costumes for their flight to Milwaukee to begin a 10-game road trip. We might not recognize them when they return. Corey Dickerson is expected to be activated from the injured list for Friday’s game against the...
Kevin Gorman: Pirates need Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco to change narrativeVideo
There are perhaps no Pittsburgh Pirates who frustrate the fan base more than Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco, not so much for what they are but what they aren’t. The Pirates’ starting center fielder and right fielder, respectively, are two of their highest-paid players, but they aren’t the perennial All-Stars...
Dressed as superheroes, Pirates are ready to embrace a 10-game road trip
The Pittsburgh Pirates turned their clubhouse into a phone booth Thursday afternoon. That’s where superheroes change into their costumes. While most of the players were comic-book heroes, ranging from closer Felipe Vazquez as Deadpool to pitcher Nick Kingham as Wolverine, relievers Richard Rodriguez (Jesus Christ) and Kyle Crick — who...
Pitt to host Rutgers basketball in Big Ten/ACC Challenge
The Pitt men’s basketball team will host Rutgers in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Dec. 3 at Petersen Events Center, the university announced Thursday. Pitt is 2-3 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, going 1-1 at home. The Panthers lost at No. 14 Iowa, 69-68, last year. “The Big Ten/ACC...
Kevin Gorman: It’s time Steelers made coaching secondary a priority
The Pittsburgh Steelers addressed many positions of need through free agency and the NFL Draft, whether it was signing Mark Barron, Donte Moncrief and Steven Nelson or selecting Devin Bush, Diontae Johnson and Justin Layne. One of the most important offseason acquisitions was hiring Teryl Austin as secondary coach, adding...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Did Pirates pick right player in prep pitcher Quinn Priester?
Neal Huntington might have foreshadowed the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first-round draft pick when he cited an old baseball adage Sunday on his weekly radio show. The right high school player gets to the majors faster than the wrong college player. The Pirates had strong ties to both in Monday’s MLB Draft,...
Kevin Gorman: Will MLB draft yield an Andrew McCutchen or Bryan Bullington for Pirates?
Once upon a time, I considered myself something of a draft junkie, tracking and charting every pick of the NFL and NBA drafts long before it was my job to do so. But the MLB draft doesn’t have the same cachet, as it involves a mix of high school and...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Chris Archer deserved standing O for slinging arrowsVideo
The first play of Chris Archer’s start saw shortstop Kevin Newman make a backhand stab and jump-throw that saw Josh Bell stretch into a split to get Lorenzo Cain out at first. Seven innings later, Gregory Polanco made a sliding catch of a Lorenzo Cain pop fly in right field,...
After a season on sideline, Marcus Allen ready to shine in Steelers secondaryVideo
A hamstring injury caused Marcus Allen to miss the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie minicamp, voluntary organized team activities and mandatory minicamp and much of training camp last year. This time, the second-year strong safety has gone from sideline spectator to making plays at OTAs. Allen is hoping to play a prominent...
Kevin Gorman: ‘Football is life’ for Steelers nose tackle Javon HargraveVideo
Javon Hargrave knows this is a big year for him as the Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle enters the final year of his rookie contract with his sights set on earning a lucrative deal. Not that you could tell by the easy smile on his face. “In the NFL, I feel...
Diontae Spencer — the Steelers’ other Diontae — making name for himself at OTAs
Diontae Spencer stopped in mid-sentence and turned his head toward the voice that called his name, before running back Benny Snell clarified that he was looking for the other Diontae. If there is cause for confusion among wide receivers at Pittsburgh Steelers organized team activities, it’s because they signed CFL...
Kevin Gorman: T.J. Watt sets new tone for Steelers by embracing leadership roleVideo
T.J. Watt evolved from a rookie who kept his head down and tried not to mess up to a second-year star who led the Pittsburgh Steelers in sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl. When asked what he would do for an encore in his third season, the first...
T.J. Watt looking to make ‘more splash’ on Steelers defense
T.J. Watt was selected to his first Pro Bowl last season, but the Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker believes he has more to offer in his third NFL season. “More splash. More plays,” Watt said Wednesday after the fifth Steelers organized team activity at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South...
Kevin Gorman: Why do Pirates keep pitching to Derek Dietrich?Video
Derek Dietrich has made a habit of admiring his home runs – a little too long for my liking – and celebrating them with choreographed moves while rounding the bases. Chris Archer took exception to Dietrich’s homer display and threw a pitch behind the Cincinnati Reds infielder last month that...
Kevin Gorman: Steelers’ Mason Rudolph fights to back up ‘Mr. Roethlisberger’
Mason Rudolph walked on eggshells with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year after Ben Roethlisberger second-guessed the team using a third-round draft pick on a quarterback. It wasn’t so much Roethlisberger felt threatened by the arrival of an eventual heir as it was he believed the Steelers should have addressed needs...
Mason Rudolph wants to be Steelers’ No. 2 QB
Mason Rudolph isn’t interested in talking about contracts, not after the Pittsburgh Steelers extended Ben Roethlisberger’s through the remainder of Rudolph’s rookie deal. That left no doubt who will be the Steelers’ starting quarterback, but Rudolph is looking forward to competing with Josh Dobbs for the backup job to Roethlisberger...
Kevin Gorman: Credit Pirates GM for calling for concussion-related rule changes
Neal Huntington deserves credit for stepping out of his comfort zone as Pittsburgh Pirates general manager to challenge Major League Baseball’s concussion protocol. When Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli took a broken bat off his mask in the fourth inning Saturday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers (but didn’t remove himself...
Pirates acquire right-hander Yefry Ramirez from Orioles
The Pittsburgh Pirates addressed their pitching depth by acquiring right-hander Yefry Ramirez from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday in a trade for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Ramirez, whose first name is pronounced “Jeffrey,” will be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. To make room on the 40-man...
Pirates add relievers to roster, move Corey Dickerson to 60-day IL
The Pittsburgh Pirates added a pair of right-handed relievers to their roster for Monday’s doubleheader at the Cincinnati Reds. Richard Rodriguez was added as the 26th man, while Alex McRae’s contract also was selected from Triple-A Indianapolis. To make room for McRae on the 40-man roster, the Pirates moved outfielder...
Kevin Gorman: Pirates need Mitch Keller to stabilize starting rotationVideo
I asked Neal Huntington whether he subscribed to the idea that an elite pitching prospect like Mitch Keller, ready or not, would rise to a higher level because it was required of him. The Pittsburgh Pirates general manager had a three-word answer: “Not at all.” Keller will make his major-league...
Pirates pitcher Rookie Davis relishing return to Cincinnati to face RedsVideo
When Rookie Davis underwent hip surgery in October 2017, he knew it would be a long road to recovery and that there was no guarantee he would pitch in the major leagues again. When the Pirates signed Davis to a minor-league contract during spring training and assigned him to Triple-A...
Kevin Gorman: Pirates can’t afford for Mitch Keller to be a bustVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates want you to believe there was a developmental delay that prevented them from promoting top prospect Mitch Keller to the major leagues until Memorial Day. The Pirates want you to believe that they were waiting for the 23-year-old right-hander to refine a cutter-slider at Triple-A Indianapolis to...
Pirates top prospect Mitch Keller will make major-league debut Monday
Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Mitch Keller will make his major-league debut Monday when the right-handed pitcher starts the second game of a doubleheader at the Cincinnati Reds, general manager Neal Huntington announced on his weekly radio show. “We wanted to give him a handful of outings to establish this pitch,...
Pirates place Francisco Cervelli on injured list, recall Jose Osuna, Jacob Stallings
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed catcher Francisco Cervelli on the seven-day concussion injured list Sunday. The 33-year-old Cervelli, who has a history of concussions, was struck in the mask on Joc Pederson’s backswing in the Pirates’ 10-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday night at PNC Park. Cervelli later left...
