Kevin Gorman stories, Page 74
For 1st-round pick Termarr Johnson, signing with Pirates ‘everything I dreamed of’
After signing for a $7,219,000 bonus, Termarr Johnson took his first cuts in batting practice for the Pittsburgh Pirates with a left-handed swing custom-made for PNC Park’s short right porch. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Johnson smiled when comparing the actual experience of blasting balls onto the riverwalk to that of the...
Negro Leagues great Josh Gibson’s Hall of Fame plaque to be on display at PNC Park
Baseball fans will get to see Josh Gibson at PNC Park. The Negro Leagues great’s Hall of Fame bronze plaque will be on display for fans for games against the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 3-4, as well as a luncheon for the Josh Gibson Foundational on Aug. 5, as it...
Super-utility man Josh VanMeter ready, willing to play every position for Pirates this season
Josh VanMeter’s dream would be to report to the ballpark knowing which position he will play before the lineup is even posted, but he has adjusted to life as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ superutility player. VanMeter has stretched the definition of his job description by playing five positions this season. That...
Pirates 1st-round draft pick Termarr Johnson, spotted at PNC Park, appears close to signing
Termarr Johnson was spotted walking through the tunnel underneath PNC Park late Thursday night, a sign that the Pittsburgh Pirates could be close to signing their first-round draft pick. Johnson, 18, a middle infielder from Atlanta Mays High School who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 MLB...
Pirates’ 5-run rally in 9th inning not enough in loss to Phillies
On the 21st anniversary of one of the most improbable comebacks in PNC Park history, the Pittsburgh Pirates trailed the Philadelphia Phillies by the same score going into the bottom of the ninth as they did the Houston Astros so many moons ago. This time, there would be no game-winning...
Bligh Madris returns to Pirates, adding a new position to improve his chances of staying
Bligh Madris hadn’t played first base since his sophomore year at Colorado Mesa University, but he was open to the idea when the Pittsburgh Pirates suggested adding another position in spring training. After being optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis when the major league outfield became too crowded earlier this month, Madris...
Pirates reliever Blake Cederlind to visit doctor who performed surgery on right elbow
Blake Cederlind is scheduled to see the doctor who performed Tommy John surgery on the Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever to check on the recurrent pain in his right elbow. Asked if Cederlind’s visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache – who performed surgery on retired Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s right elbow in...
Pirates place CF Bryan Reynolds on paternity leave, recall OF Bligh Madris
Bryan Reynolds is out, with a new baby. Bligh Madris is back, possibly at a new position. The Pittsburgh Pirates placed Reynolds on the paternity leave list Thursday after his wife Blair gave birth to a baby boy Wednesday morning. The team recalled Madris from Triple-A Indianapolis. Reynolds, the Pirates...
Pirates sign 15th-round pick Josiah Sightler
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed 15th-round draft pick Josiah Sightler, a first baseman from South Carolina, leaving only four players unsigned out of their 21 selections. MLB Pipeline senior writer Jim Callis reported that Sightler signed for a $125,000 bonus. 15th-rder Josiah Sightler signs with @Pirates for $125k. @GamecockBasebll 1B,...
Pirates sign pair of draft picks, including 4th-round selection Michael Kennedy
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed two more draft picks Wednesday, a pair of left-handed pitchers, and paid above slot value to convince one to bypass college. Michael Kennedy, a fourth-rounder from Troy (N.Y.) High School, was signed to a $1 million bonus by scout Eddie Charles. Slot value for the 110th...
Pirates catcher Jason Delay takes advantage of opportunity with offensive production
When Jason Delay connected on Braxton Garrett’s 2-2 slider, he didn’t know if would have the distance to clear the fence in the left-field corner at PNC Park, so the Pittsburgh Pirates catcher gave the ball some encouragement. “I was hustling out of the box, and I was kind of...
‘It’s been long enough’: Pirates CF Bryan Reynolds ready to return from injured list
After missing 10 games with a right oblique strain, center fielder Bryan Reynolds expects to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates for their two-game series at the Chicago Cubs. “Nobody wants to not play, so I’m ready to get out there,” Reynolds said Sunday at PNC Park following a 6-5 loss...
Marlins hold off Pirates rally in 10th inning to escape with a win
After committing a costly error that allowed the Miami Marlins to take the lead in the top of the 10th inning, Cal Mitchell came to bat with an opportunity to make amends. The Pittsburgh Pirates had runners on first and third with two outs when the rookie right fielder singled...
After trading DH Daniel Vogelbach, Pirates look to fill void created in lineup, clubhouse
Ben Gamel has been teammates with Daniel Vogelbach on three teams, so he called the news that the Pittsburgh Pirates had traded the designated hitter just minutes before Friday’s first pitch a “gut punch.” When the Pirates dealt the left-handed designated hitter to the NL East-leading New York Mets for...
Pirates draft picks ‘ready to get rolling’ after signing, saving club money on bonuses
Thomas Harrington knew that Campbell University had never produced a first-round pick in the MLB Draft, so he was thrilled to be involved in changing its history. After the Los Angeles Angels selected Campbell shortstop Zach Neto at No. 13 overall Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates picked Harrington at No....
Marlins end 37-inning scoreless drought, pound Pirates for 8 runs on 13 hits
In a game the Pittsburgh Pirates promoted as Christmas in July, they delivered an outcome that was as ugly as their green T-shirt giveaways. The Pirates were in a giving mood after trading designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach to the New York Mets for right-handed reliever Colin Holderman just minutes before...
Pirates trade Daniel Vogelbach to Mets for righty reliever Colin Holderman
Ben Cherington wanted to make it clear that the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t sign Daniel Vogelbach just to trade the slugger but rather because at-bats were available once the designated hitter became universal. That didn’t stop the Pirates general manager from dealing Vogelbach to a contender Friday when the NL East-leading...
Pirates closer David Bednar: Push for him to pitch made All-Star Game ‘even more special’
David Bednar couldn’t stop smiling about the Hollywood treatment he got at the All-Star Game, from walking the red carpet to watching the Home Run Derby on the field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. But the Pittsburgh Pirates closer was most impressed by a move made out of the...
One more throw for Big Ben: Pirates to have Steelers great throw out ceremonial 1st pitch
Ben Roethlisberger might have retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the two-time Super Bowl champion has at least one more throw in him. The Pirates are having Big Ben throw out a ceremonial first pitch before their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 29 at PNC Park, as part...
Never mind the numbers, Pirates find developing draft picks into pitchers ‘exciting’
When it comes to some of the pitchers the Pittsburgh Pirates picked in the MLB Draft, never mind the numbers. That was the warning from Pirates senior director of amateur scouting Joe DelliCarri, who shared his excitement about draft picks whose resumes might give some pause as to why they...
Pirates continue to load up on pitching, taking 8 on final day of MLB Draft
Ben Cherington was adamant the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t set out to stockpile pitchers in the MLB Draft but it certainly worked out that way when their three-day total amounted to 16 arms out of 21 picks. The Pirates used eight of their final 10 picks Tuesday on pitchers. In total,...
Ducky Schofield, infielder for Pirates’ 1960 World Series champions, dies at age 87
Dick “Ducky” Schofield had plenty of claims to fame in his baseball career, but two stood out above the rest: After starting at shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Harvey Haddix’s 12 innings of perfection in 1959, Schofield played for their 1960 World Series champions. “That was a pretty exciting...
Pirates pick 2-way player Jack Brannigan, then prioritize pitching on 2nd day of MLB Draft
Before the MLB Draft, Ben Cherington acknowledged that the top of the draft was deep with talented position players but hinted that the Pittsburgh Pirates would prioritize pitching after the first round. “Despite the changes that have happened at the major league level, it’s still true that really good starting...
‘We believe in him’: Pirates impressed by 1st-rounder Termarr Johnson’s confident approach
When it was time for the fourth pick in the MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t go outside the box but rather chose the player who their scouts described as different inside it. Termarr Johnson is being billed as the best pure hitting prospect in decades, drawing comparisons to Ken...
Pirates pick prep middle infielder Termarr Johnson with No. 4 overall pick in MLB Draft
With their first-round pick in the MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected a self-described “baseball rat” who analysts are calling the best pure hitting prospect in decades. Termarr Johnson prefers a different description: “I like to say I’m the smartest hitter.” After taking the 18-year-old middle infielder from Atlanta (Ga.)...
