Kevin Gorman stories, Page 84
‘I want to win here’: Pirates All-Star CF Bryan Reynolds ready to become club cornerstone
Bryan Reynolds has only three major-league seasons under his belt, so he hardly can believe he’s one of the longest-tenured players on the Pittsburgh Pirates. After playing in his first All-Star Game and finishing as a finalist for the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, Reynolds has become one of...
Pirates add to bullpen by signing righty reliever Austin Brice to minor league contract
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates added another veteran reliever to their bullpen competition by signing right-hander Austin Brice to a minor league contract. A source confirmed that Brice, 29, is a nonroster invitee to spring training moments after he entered the clubhouse at LECOM Park. The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Brice...
Pirates manager Derek Shelton believes tumult of his tenure has made him a better leader
BRADENTON, Fla. — As Derek Shelton starts his third season as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, he believes the adversity he has dealt with is making him a battle-tested leader who knows how to adapt and adjust. Shelton’s first spring training was interrupted by the outbreak of a global pandemic that shut...
After injury-riddled rookie year, Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes healthy, ‘ready to get rolling’
BRADENTON, Fla. — After ending the 2021 season in the same spot he spent the first two months — the injured list — Ke’Bryan Hayes spent the offseason taking care of the left hand and wrist that was a riddle to his rookie year. Hayes played in only 96 games...
Pirates sign 1B/DH Daniel Vogelbach, righty reliever Heath Hembree to 1-year contracts
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates added some pop to their lineup and an arm to their bullpen Tuesday by signing a pair of free agents who have played in the NL Central. The Pirates signed slugger Daniel Vogelbach, a 2019 All-Star who can play first base and designated hitter,...
Now healthy, catcher Roberto Perez taking a crash course to get to know Pirates pitchers
BRADENTON, Fla. – How Roberto Perez came from Cleveland to Pittsburgh is a story that starts in Toronto, where Ben Cherington worked before becoming Pirates general manager. Cherington gained insight into the two-time AL Gold Glove winner from listening to Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins rave for three years...
Pirates notebook: GM Ben Cherington still pursuing pitching, offensive depth in outfield
BRADENTON, Fla. — Once the lockout was lifted, the Pittsburgh Pirates were raring to go after available starting pitchers and offensive depth in the outfield. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said his baseball operations staff started working the phones Thursday evening in an attempt to add players to the competition...
Pirates GM on new CBA: ‘Nothing changes as far as what we need to do to build a winning team’
BRADENTON, Fla. — Now that the baseball lockout has ended and spring training is officially underway, Ben Cherington tried to put a positive spin on the new collective bargaining agreement that ensures a full 162-game season but does little to benefit the Pittsburgh Pirates. “Nothing changes as far as what...
Pirates season ticket holders can select Grapefruit League home games Monday
The Pittsburgh Pirates will open ticket sales for their revised, nine-game spring training home schedule at LECOM Park on Monday. Starting at 10 a.m., season ticket holders can log into their Pirates Spring Training My Tickets account and select games they would like to attend. Additional tickets can be purchased...
Pirates claim left-handed reliever Aaron Fletcher off waivers from MarinersVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed left-handed reliever Aaron Fletcher off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, bringing their roster to the 40-man maximum. Fletcher, 26, was 0-0 with a 12.38 ERA and 2.75 WHIP, nine strikeouts and no walks in eight innings the past two seasons with Seattle. The 6-foot,...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates have more questions than answers to start spring training
After a 101-loss season followed by a 99-day lockout, the Pittsburgh Pirates start a condensed spring training Monday in Bradenton, Fla., with more questions than answers. They traded Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings to Miami, parted ways with starting pitchers Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl and first baseman Colin Moran...
Pirates release revised spring training schedule, starting at home against Yankees
The Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday afternoon released a revised 18-game spring training schedule that features a Grapefruit League opener against the New York Yankees on March 18 at LECOM Park in Bradenton. The Pirates will play nine home games and nine away games with one day off in the new...
No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis headlines 28 non-roster invitees to Pirates’ training camp
First-round picks Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales and Quinn Priester are among the 28 non-roster players invited by the Pittsburgh Pirates to their major league spring training camp. Davis, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft, is one of six catchers invited to camp as the Pirates search...
After an offseason of turnover, Pirates prepare for spring training position battles
Before baseball’s lockout began, the Pittsburgh Pirates went on what amounted to their type of spending spree. By signing one-year free-agent contracts, pitcher Jose Quintana ($2 million), first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo ($4 million) and catcher Roberto Perez ($5 million) became the club’s highest-paid players and, essentially, locked up three spots...
Baseball is back: MLB, players agree on new CBA to ensure full season; Pirates open April 7
After a lockout that lasted extra innings, baseball is back. On the 99th day of the lockout, MLB and its players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement to ensure a full season that will start April 7 and expands the playoff field to 12 teams. The MLB Players’ Association...
Adapt and evolve: Pirates focus on farm system amid lockout, embracing failure as path to success
With MLB in a lockout, the Pittsburgh Pirates are focusing their attention on their minor league players by embracing a philosophy that can come across as contradictory: In order to succeed, embrace failure. Pirates director of coaching and player development John Baker casually paraphrases Marcus Aurelius in discussing discomfort, the...
Pirates adjust plans for 2022 home opener
After failing to reach a new collective bargaining agreement, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday announced the cancellation of the first two series of the regular season. The Pittsburgh Pirates are now tentatively scheduled to open the season April 7 with a four-game series at the St. Louis Cardinals. The...
‘I feel the pain and hurt’: Ex-Schenley star D.J. Kennedy playing for Ukrainian team praying for teammates
D.J. Kennedy has played professional basketball in 10 countries over three continents in the past decade, so the 32-year-old former Schenley star wasn’t worried about living in Ukraine until last week. That changed when Russia invaded Ukraine early Thursday, attacking major cities in which he has played for BC Prometey....
Central Catholic’s Tre Tarpley hopes to plant roots after being drafted by USFL’s Maulers
Arnold “Tre” Tarpley III considers it more of a declaration than a promise, but it’s one he intended to keep. So he spoke his plan of playing professional football into existence, making a series of YouTube video diaries called “Trust the Seed.” Tarpley, a Jefferson Hills native and former Central...
Central Catholic grad Arnold Tarpley, Aliquippa alum Dravon Askew-Henry picked in USFL Draft
A pair of former WPIAL stars were selected in the second day of the USFL Draft on Wednesday, when the Pittsburgh Maulers picked safety Arnold “Tre” Tarpley III of Central Catholic and Vanderbilt in the 18th round Wednesday and the New Jersey Generals took safety Dravon Askew-Henry of Aliquippa and...
Pittsburgh Maulers select QB Kyle Lauletta with 1st-round pick in USFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Maulers turned to a Hall of Fame quarterback to announce their first-round draft pick, and Steelers great Terry Bradshaw attempted in vain to get the pronunciation of Kyle Lauletta’s last name right. It's hammer time in Pittsburgh ⚒ #DropTheHammerSee the moment Terry Bradshaw announced Kyle Lauletta is joining...
Former WPIAL football stars playing waiting game in hopes of being selected in USFL Draft
T.J. Neal has taken a circuitous route in chasing his dreams of playing professional football, going from major-college programs to living in hotels as he bounced around indoor and spring leagues. The 28-year-old McKeesport native has toiled in obscurity while watching his former teammates at Illinois and Auburn shine in...
Aaron Donald’s trainer not surprised by retirement rumors: ‘He might as well go out on top’
When NBC announcer Rodney Harrison discussed the “strong possibility” that Aaron Donald could retire if the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI, DeWayne Brown wasn’t the least bit surprised. Through his 2/10ths Speed and Agility program, Brown has trained Donald since he played at Penn Hills and watched his...
Watching Aaron Donald win Super Bowl an emotional moment for ex-Penn Hills coach
Demond Gibson watched as Aaron Donald couldn’t contain his tears of joy as confetti swirled around the Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle amid the Super Bowl LVI championship celebration. “I wanted this so bad,” Donald told NBC’s Michele Tafoya in a postgame interview. “I dreamed this, man. I dreamed this....
If MLB adopts universal DH, Pirates lack in-house candidates beyond 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo
When MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced that owners agreed to adopt the universal designated hitter, it promised to end a National League tradition and force the Pittsburgh Pirates to adjust their lineup. For the first time since baseball’s lockout started on Dec. 2, Manfred spoke publicly Thursday at the owners...
