Joe Starkey Columns category
Cup of Joe (Starkey): This Pirates loss was squarely on manager Don Kelly
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) By at least one measurement, Brandon Lowe came into Tuesday’s game as the hottest Pirates hitter since Honus Wagner 125 years ago — and nobody would think about pinch-hitting for Honus Wagner with a game on the...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Should the Pirates have kept Andrew McCutchen?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo … BoomBoom0105, @BoomBoom0105: Who has a higher average on June 1 — Ozuna or...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): How many more days will the Pirates spend under .500 this season? I say none
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) This won’t be the first time I put my lousy prognostication skills on the line, and it won’t be the last. You might remember that back in July 2021 I predicted the Pirates to win the 2027...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): The ’79 Pirates keep losing players, but they’ll never lose their place in history
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) When the great Chuck Tanner died in February of 2011, the first person I called was his old second baseman — Phil “Scrap Iron” Garner. The two had a special relationship. Tanner valued Garner so highly that...
Joe Starkey: Of course I didn’t see this Penguins season coming. Did you? Did they?
Penguins broadcaster Josh Getzoff got it right when the buzzer sounded on the playoff-clinching win Thursday in New Jersey. “This was a team everyone said was lottery bound!” They said it, all right, and for good reason: It was a team that was lottery bound. Nobody in their right mind...
Joe Starkey: Steelers should prioritize Nick Herbig, trade a starting edge rusher
Why would you discover and develop a burgeoning star pass rusher only to lose the prime years of his career? You wouldn’t, or at least you shouldn’t, if you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers. They need to keep Nick Herbig, and that might mean trading T.J. Watt or Alex Highsmith. Watt is...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): Bob Nutting deserves little praise for fulfilling basic job requirements
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less The Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday made the Konnor Griffin signing official — nine years, $140 million with escalators that could take it to $150 million. It’s great news, but it’s certainly no reason to be heaping praise upon team owner...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Could Sergei Murashov actually be the Penguins’ playoff goalie?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo … Richard Charles, @RichardC11977: Is it time for Murashov? Starkey: Well, as I type...
Cup of Joe: Penguins-Flyers playoff series? Yes, please
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less The game was pretty much over — Game 5 of the 2000 Eastern Conference quarterfinals — when Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Luke Richardson intentionally fired a puck into the chest of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Bob Boughner, or so the Penguins...
Cup of Joe: Penguins, Pirates stealing spotlight from Steelers ahead of NFL Draft
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less The NFL Draft is days away, and the Steelers are suddenly the third-biggest sports story in town. The Penguins and Pirates have stolen the spotlight. It might be different if the Steelers had a top-10 pick or were weighing...
Joe Starkey: Top 10 most memorable Pirates’ openers at PNC Park
Don Kelly will try to Buc history Friday. It has been 58 years since a Pirates manager won his first home opener. The likes of Chuck Tanner, Jim Leyland and Clint Hurdle — not to mention Bill Virdon, Gene Lamont, Lloyd McClendon, John Russell, Jim Tracy and Derek Shelton —...
Cup of Joe: Konnor Griffin promotion continues Pirates’ sudden fit of competence
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less When did the Pittsburgh Pirates start doing the right thing all the time? Their streak of competence continued Thursday when they recalled super prospect Konnor Griffin from Triple-A Indianapolis in time for the home opener Friday against the Baltimore...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: If the Penguins make the playoffs, is Dan Muse the Coach of the Year?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo …. Matt Choate, @mattchoate: Dr Starkey. Is Dan Muse the best professional coach in...
Cup of Joe: Pirates must promote Konnor Griffin for home opener
Cup of Joe: Starkey on Sports in 350 words or less I’m sorry. I can’t watch this anymore. We’re four games in, and I have already seen enough of Bryan Reynolds, Henry Davis, Oneil Cruz and especially Jared Triolo, whom the Pirates seem to have confused with Cal Ripken Jr....
Joe Starkey: Portal madness? Losing an NCAA Tournament folk hero? RMU’s Andy Toole is used to it
I thought of only one man near the end of Iowa’s landmark win over Nebraska on Thursday, when broadcaster Kevin Harlan exclaimed, “The legend of Alvaro Folgueiras continues to grow!” It was the same man I’d thought of the previous weekend, when Folgueiras dethroned the Florida Gators with a seismic...
Beyond the Bylines: Pirates’ Opening Day dud, Penguins thriller, Aaron Rodgers intrigue, Bill Murray moviesVideo
In this week’s “Beyond the Bylines,” Tim Benz and Joe Starkey debate the Pittsburgh Pirates’ season-opening loss to the Mets. They also dive into the Sweet 16, the Penguins’ crucial victory in Ottawa, and they kick around the theory that Aaron Rodgers’ latest contract delay may be about money. Tim...
Cup of Joe: Ben Kindel keeps proving he’s one of the greatest 1st-round picks in Penguins history
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less This Cup of Joe was headed one of two ways, after a wild Thursday in local sports: It was either going to focus on Oneil Cruz going full Kaleb Johnson in center field or praise Ben Kindel for his...
Joe Starkey: 10 minutes with 2 WPIAL coaching legends — Danny Holzer and Tim McConnell
Tim McConnell couldn’t remember how many WPIAL titles he’d won on the grounds of Duquesne, back when they played the championship games at Palumbo Center. “I’m not sure, maybe four or five,” he said. That’s how much winning the man did. He couldn’t even peg the exact amount! And the...
Cup of Joe: Every game is Penguins’ biggest of the year now — starting in Ottawa
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less It gets real now. The Pittsburgh Penguins have survived all manner of adversity this season, including the prolonged absences of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and a ridiculously brutal March schedule. That schedule — one of the toughest stretches...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Will Steelers take 1st-round game-breaker for 1st time in nearly 20 years?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo …. Michael DeRosa, @MichaelLDeRosa: It has been 18 years since the Steelers took a...
Joe Starkey: Forever Young: Ex-Pitt star Sam Young a reminder of the good ol’ days
Man, do I miss Pitt basketball. Like a lot of you, I can close my eyes and put myself back in Petersen Events Center when the Panthers were humming and just listen to the noise. There was no better day than March 7, 2009, Sam Young’s senior day, when Pitt...
Joe Starkey: The Pirates will win 86 games, and thank you for asking
They thought Clint Hurdle was nuts. They probably think I am, too. Hurdle predicted 95 wins in 2013, with the Pirates mired in a 20-year losing streak. I am predicting 86 wins in 2026, with the Pirates mired in a seven-year losing streak — and I am going to be...
Beyond the Bylines: Pens push for the playoffs; Pirates win totals; missing Pitt in March MadnessVideo
“Beyond the Bylines” is back after a week off. Joe Starkey and Tim Benz dive into March Madness. They discuss the state of the Penguins’ playoff chase, their upcoming schedule, Evgeni Malkin’s history and contract status, and the goaltending. The guys also look at the Pirates’ projected win total, Konnor...
Cup of Joe: This version of Penguins’ Erik Karlsson is downright frightening
CUP OF JOE: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less When asked recently on live television what goes through his head when he sees Nathan MacKinnon coming at him, Erik Karlsson did not hesitate. “Oh (crap), here we go,” he said. Now imagine what opposing players must say when...
Cup of Joe: Oh well, at least Team USA honored the Padres
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 350 words or less Yes, Team USA choked away the overrated World Baseball Classic, its vaunted lineup again coming up small in a 3-2 loss to Venezuela and journeyman pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez in the championship game. But at least they honored the San...
