Sports category, Page 559

BRADENTON, Fla. — Ernie Withers stood in left-center field at Pirate City, where he almost died during a spring training workout a year ago, and reflected on how the Pittsburgh Pirates saved his life. And, by doing so, saved his wife. When Withers went into sudden cardiac arrest at the...

The Pittsburgh Pirates took catcher Henry Davis with the first pick of the 2021 MLB Draft. When you select a player 1/1, he should make big-league impact fairly quickly. You should have a clear plan in place for his progress. With Davis, the Pirates didn’t. If they did, it was...

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates were desperate for starting pitching when they signed Martin Perez, but they were seeking more than a start every fifth day from the veteran left-hander. For Derek Shelton, the goal was simple: stability. The Pirates manager was the bench coach for the Minnesota Twins...

Phil Bourque was mad. Everyone in Pittsburgh was. In summer 2011, Jaromir Jagr had teased a potential return to Pittsburgh, nearly a decade after he was traded — as requested — by Penguins management. A decade of angst over a jilted lover would be coming to an end, and one...

Well, that happened fast. One day after Oakland A’s president Dave Kaval had a positive meeting with Oakland and Alameda County officials about extending the A’s lease at the Coliseum until 2028, Sacramento emerged as the front-runner to host the A’s from 2025-27. According to a report in The Athletic...

The Philadelphia Phillies have reached a contract agreement with utility infielder Whit Merrifield, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press on Friday. The agreement is for an $8 million, one-year deal that includes a $8 million club option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout, a second...

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Aaron Nola never felt pressure to sign a long-term contract during spring training last year, instead becoming a free agent after the season and quickly agreeing to a $172 million, seven-year deal to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies. “It’s definitely off my shoulders,” Nola said Friday. “The...

Don’t let the wintry forecast fool you, Pitt basketball buffs. Sunny days are here again. Winners of six games in their past seven outings, including victories over No. 9 Duke and No. 21 Virginia, the Panthers (16-8, 7-6 ACC) are back Saturday in search of more good times in a...

BOSTON — Prosecutors dropped a domestic violence charge against Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic on Friday, saying the decision by his wife to invoke marital privilege made it impossible for them to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. The Bruins said he will not return from his leave of...

The Pittsburgh Steelers made it official Friday when they submitted their formal application to host the NFL Draft in the 2026 or 2027 season. Bids had to be submitted by Friday, and the Steelers made their announcement on social media with a brief video. Tagged in the post on X,...

For three Robert Morris hockey players, this weekend, they will be getting the senior night send-off they never thought they’d receive. Saturday against Canisius (5 p.m.) marks the final regular-season home game for the Colonials in their return campaign after a two-year absence for the program. In May 2021, the...

Jiri Hrdina remains a passing acquaintance of Jaromir Jagr in their home country, now called Czechia. As a scout with the Dallas Stars, Hrdina occasionally crosses paths with Jagr, still an active player in Czechia’s top hockey league, the Extraliga ledního hokeje (ELH or Czech Extraliga for those of the...

Friday’s “First Call” has some coaching news involving former Pittsburgh Steelers. We discuss Patrick Peterson’s future with the team. And we look at the Penguins’ next opponent. Heading west Former Steelers wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson has a new job. It’s with the Seattle Seahawks. The Hawks are hiring Jackson...

You didn’t have to know much about hockey — or frankly sports in general — to be able to tell that Jaromir Jagr was different. That he was dynamically gifted at his craft. That he wasn’t just going to be great, but that he was an all-timer. The locker room...

BRADENTON, Fla. — David Bednar admits he was “surprised but pumped” when the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Aroldis Chapman, a seven-time All-Star who ranks third among active closers with 321 saves, to a one-year, $10.5 million contract in late January. That meant the 6-foot-4, 235-pound left-handed Chapman was going to be...