Sports category, Page 294
Jackson Merrill, Padres agree to $135 million, 9-year contract for 2026-34
SAN DIEGO — All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill and the San Diego Padres agreed Wednesday to a $135 million, nine-year contract covering 2026-34. Merrill gets a $10 million signing bonus, $1 million payable within 30 days of the contract’s approval by Major League Baseball and $3 million on Jan. 15 in...
Injured Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin to travel for upcoming road trip
Injured Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is expected to travel with his team for an upcoming three-game road trip according to coach Mike Sullivan. If that means Malkin will play in any of those games, that is a matter of speculation at this juncture. Malkin has missed the past three...
Penn State WR coach offers honest remarks: ‘We could always use help’
Penn State’s wide receivers will be under heavy scrutiny as the Nittany Lions push to win a national championship in 2025. James Franklin knows that. Athletic director Pat Kraft knows that. Receivers coach Marques Hagans knows that better than anyone. The last time reporters spoke with Hagans was after the...
MLB’s average salary tops $5 million for first time, AP study shows
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball’s average salary broke the $5 million barrier on opening day for the first time, according to a study by The Associated Press. The New York Mets, with Juan Soto’s record $61.9 million pay, led MLB for the third straight opening day with a $322.6...
Penguins recall forward Joona Koppanen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forward Joona Koppanen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) under emergency roster conditions. It is not yet publicly known what those conditions are. This marks the second time this season Koppanen has been summoned to the NHL roster. Previously, Koppanen was recalled March 18...
As Steelers ponder beefing up defensive line, GM Omar Khan likes ‘the group we have’
PALM BEACH, Fla. — After striking out on acquiring a big-name defensive lineman in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to address that deficiency early in the NFL Draft. Or are they? General manager Omar Khan’s choice of words during his media availability this week at the league’s annual...
Predictable offensive woes already showing for Pirates
The Pirates have opened their 2025 season at 1-5 in Miami and Tampa Bay. Some preseason warnings have manifested as reasons for the slow start. Through the first six games, we’ve seen the predicted fielding concerns, bullpen issues, and back end of the rotation worries. However, the red flags many...
First Call: Ben Roethlisberger has some QB advice for the Steelers; watch Alex Ovechkin score yet again
Wednesday’s “First Call” has advice for the Steelers from former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He also questions the franchise’s full faith in Mason Rudolph. DK Metcalf apparently wanted to leave Seattle long before he was traded to Pittsburgh. And you can watch Alex Ovechkin’s latest step toward breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL...
Mark Madden: Penguins’ Kyle Dubas makes right call with rookies Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty
To my mind, there was debate about when to start the influx of prospects from the Penguins’ system to Pittsburgh. I might have finished this season plugging gaps with scrubs, then promoted a chunk of legit kids at the beginning of next season — readiness permitting, of course. Let energy...
Tim Benz: There’s 1 clear benefit to Aaron Rodgers’ prolonged decision process
Steelers owner Art Rooney II provided an update on how long his franchise will wait for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to decide if he wants to join the 2025 roster in Pittsburgh. “Not forever, but a little while longer,” Rooney told reporters in Florida Tuesday afternoon. Gee, Art, I’m sure that’ll...
Pirates farm report for April 1, 2025: Mike Burrows puts up zeroes in Indianapolis loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 0-2) lost 2-1 in a pitchers’ duel with Iowa (Cubs). RHP Mike Burrows (0.00) started and went 3⅔ innings, allowing three hits and no walks with four strikeouts. RHP Chase Shugart (0.00) worked two scoreless innings and RHP Kyle Nicolas (13.50) and RHP Hunter Stratton (0.00) each threw...
Thomas Harrington roughed up in MLB debut, as Pirates are blanked by Rays for 4th straight loss
When Paul Skenes made his MLB debut last May, the Pittsburgh Pirates knew that coming up behind him was another wave of promising pitching prospects inching closer to the big leagues in Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington. Less than a week into the regular season, Harrington became the...
Paul Brown rises, Ravens drop by NFL including AAFC stats
Paul Brown just moved up a few spots on the NFL career coaching wins list. The NFL owners approved a proposal by Competition Committee on Tuesday to incorporate player, coach and team statistics from the All-America Football Conference into the official NFL records. The AAFC existed from 1946-49 with Paul...
Pirates’ No. 3 prospect Thomas Harrington lasts 4 innings in MLB debut, allows 6 runs to RaysVideo
Pittsburgh Pirates No. 3 overall prospect Thomas Harrington made his MLB debut Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays and struggled, allowing six earned runs in four innings. Manager Derek Shelton pulled him after four innings with Tampa Bay leading 6-0. The 23-year-old righty threw 54 of his 90 pitches...
Pitt notebook: Panthers look good in scrimmage, but Pat Narduzzi always will ask for more
The offense committed only one turnover among about 130 plays. Backup quarterback Julian Dugger ran 69 yards for a touchdown. Wide receivers Deuce Spann and Zion Fowler-El made big plays in the passing game. The running game was “solid,” according to Pat Narduzzi. The coach’s overall assessment of Pitt’s closed...
Alex Ovechkin scores No. 891, needs 3 to tie Wayne Gretzky
BOSTON — Alex Ovechkin moved four goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record after scoring the 891st of his career in the Washington Capitals’ game against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Ovechkin gave Washington a 2-0 lead with about four minutes left in the first period, when the...
NBA suspends 5 players for Pistons-Timberwolves fight that spilled into stands
NEW YORK — Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart was suspended for two games, and four other players from the Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves drew one-game suspensions for their roles in an on-court altercation between the teams earlier this week, the NBA said Tuesday. Stewart got two games “based in part on his...
Garrett Crochet agrees to $170 million, 6-year deal with Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox believe their way back to the World Series will begin with a youth movement on the mound. They are hopeful their latest move is a step in that direction. Boston and ace left-hander Garrett Crochet announced an agreement Tuesday for a record-breaking $170 million, six-year contract....
Duquesne’s Ray Goss recognized locally, nationally for play-by-play career spanning 57 years
From Madison Square Garden to Civic Arena to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, Ray Goss has been a fixture at Duquesne men’s basketball calling play-by-play for 57 seasons. The grand total of games comes to nearly 2,700, more than half of those played in the program’s 109-year history. This offseason will offer...
New Curve manager accepts challenge of developing prospects making position changes
ALTOONA — As a second-round pick who bounced between the major leagues and the minors, Andy Fox is quick to offer that his heart is in player development because he’s a product of the process. The Altoona Curve plan to tap into their first-year manager’s passion this season by having...
Maryland hires Texas A&M’s Buzz Williams as basketball coach
Maryland hired Buzz Williams as its men’s basketball coach Tuesday, quickly moving on after Kevin Willard left to take the Villanova job. “It is an honor and privilege to be named the head coach of the University of Maryland men’s basketball team,” Williams said in a statement. “I promise to...
Pirates option closer David Bednar to Triple-A, DFA catcher Jason Delay
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday after three rough outings to begin the season. The move cleared a spot on the 26-man active roster for right-hander Thomas Harrington, the team’s No. 3 prospect who was recalled from Triple-A to start against the Tampa Bay...
Curve players celebrate Thomas Harrington’s promotion to Pirates, anticipate MLB debut
ALTOONA — Just hours before the Altoona Curve hosted its media day, word circulated with the kind of news that every baseball player dreams about while toiling at the Double-A affiliate. Thomas Harrington earned a promotion to the Pittsburgh Pirates and would make his major league debut against the Tampa...
Tush Push ban tabled by NFL owners; Art Rooney II in favor of eliminating controversial sneak play
PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Tush Push will remain a part of the NFL for at least another month, but count Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II among the owners trying to remove it from the game. The controversial quarterback sneak play, which involves players lining up in the backfield...
Torpedo bat designer says it’s more about the players than the bat model
MIAMI — For the MIT-educated physicist behind the torpedo bat, it’s more about the talent of the players than their lumber at the plate. The torpedo model — a striking design in which wood is moved lower down the barrel after the label and shapes the end a little like...
