Sports category, Page 929
First Call: Steelers QB Kenny Pickett promises ‘bounce back year’ for Diontae Johnson; Najee Harris rips RB pay
Tuesday’s “First Call” features Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris ripping the NFL’s pay structure for players at his position. Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett endorses the use of play-action and promises bigger things from Diontae Johnson. Plus, rookie tight end Darnell Washington is being tied to a college payment scandal...
Tim Benz: For Pirates ‘the future is here.’ Which also means that the present has already passed yet again
I understand where Andrew McCutchen was coming from when he gave his rah-rah speech Sunday after the Pittsburgh Pirates were swept by the San Francisco Giants. It’s the kind of veteran leader “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” stuff you have to say after a 10th loss in 12 tries....
How Pirates veteran lefty Rich Hill added split-finger fastball as new pitch
When Austin Hedges noticed an Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher throw a split-finger fastball earlier this month, the Pittsburgh Pirates catcher asked 43-year-old left-hander Rich Hill if he’d ever thrown the pitch. The splitter is one of an array of pitches Hill has thrown over the course of his 19-year major league...
Excitement from debuts fades as Guardians hand Pirates most lopsided loss of season
The Pittsburgh Pirates looked to the future by turning back the clock, having right-hander Quinn Priester and catcher Endy Rodriguez become their first battery in 80 years to make their major league debuts together. With the season spiraling and infielders Ke’Bryan Hayes and Ji Hwan Bae injured, manager Derek Shelton...
Bushy Run stays unbeaten, Latrobe eliminated from Region 7 American Legion tournament
Bushy Run used a strong pitching performance from Robbie Andrews to finish Pool A play at the Pennsylvania American Legion Region 7 undefeated Monday. Andrews pitched six scoreless innings, and Eric Birosak drove in two runs with a single in the fifth inning to lead Bushy Run (3-0) to a...
Endy Rodriguez’s MLB debut a sign of Pirates putting their future in hands of young talent
Endy Rodriguez had a sneaking suspicion the Pittsburgh Pirates had a promotion planned when he was scheduled to be off Sunday, just days after returning from the All-Star break. “I was thinking, ‘It was a long break. I just played two games,’ ” said Rodriguez, rated a top-100 prospect by...
Pirates add 3 top-10 prospects, designate former 1st-round pick Travis Swaggerty
The Pittsburgh Pirates made roster moves Monday involving a pair of first-round draft picks — one expected and one a surprise — and two players acquired in major trades. The Pirates selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester, a 2019 first-rounder, and recalled catcher Endy Rodriguez and shortstop Liover...
Apollo’s AJ Flick ready to take on top-notch field in Don Martin Silver Cup at Lernerville
AJ Flick has had some pretty good years behind the wheel of his sprint car at Lernerville Speedway. The Apollo native has won six track championships, with five of those coming in the last six years. But this might be his best season yet. Flick won four features in a...
Saquon Barkley, Giants fail to reach agreement before deadline
Saquon Barkley and the Giants didn’t reach a multi-year deal by Monday’s deadline. Now the worst-case scenarios are on the table. Barkley announced it himself on Twitter. “It is what it is,” he wrote at 3:54 p.m., six minutes prior to the deadline. Barkley’s only option as a Giant this...
Parity, bigger field could mean surprises at Women’s World Cup
There could be some surprises at the Women’s World Cup. Sure, the U.S. is still considered dominant, and those elite European teams have developed even more with the rise of competitive clubs. Then there’s Brazil, which always seems on the verge of a breakout. But an expanded field of 32...
NCAA to operate a 2nd women’s postseason tourney for teams that don’t make NCAA TournamentVideo
The NCAA announced Monday it is creating another women’s college basketball tournament that it will operate like the men’s NIT as a second option for 32 teams that do not make the NCAA Tournament. The Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, which will be held this season, brings the men’s and women’s...
Cameron Smith returns claret jug ahead of the British Open and reflects on his long yearVideo
HOYLAKE, England — The chill Aussie vibe of Cameron Smith gave way to more emotion than he expected Monday while taking part in one of many royal and ancient traditions at the British Open. As the defending champion, he had to return the claret jug. “I was actually holding back...
Martin Truex Jr. wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for 1st time in 30 racesVideo
LOUDON, N.H. — Martin Truex Jr. had just chewed up the competition to win at the same New Hampshire track where his dad won a regional stock car series race in 1994 when he clutched a 22-pound live lobster given to the winner and chomped on a claw. “I’d …...
Le’Veon Bell apologizes to Steelers fans for leaving the team in 2018
Maybe someday Le’Veon Bell will come to grips with his break-up from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. But today probably isn’t that day. Over the weekend, Bell released a video on social media apologizing for leaving the Steelers in a contract dispute five years ago. “I never apologized to the...
Latrobe grad Emma Fenton establishes herself as setter for St. Francis (Pa.) women’s volleyballVideo
As freshmen often do in college athletics, Emma Fenton spent a good part of her first season watching and learning. Then, last season, it was the Latrobe grad’s time to take center stage. The spotlight wasn’t too bright for her. Fenton, a rising junior setter, recorded nearly 1,000 assists and...
Lernerville’s Autism Awareness 50 with pumped-up purse to raise funds for charity
Autism awareness is a cause that’s close to Jeff Stull’s heart. His youngest son, Cody, was diagnosed with autism as a baby and worked with early intervention specialists, who made a positive impact. He also has a passion for racing, and with the help of some friends from local businesses...
Fox Chapel grad Britta Lagerquist making most of soccer experiences at Grove CityVideo
Part of being a college student is having different experiences. Fox Chapel grad Britta Lagerquist, in just two years at Grove City, has compiled a nice list of “new.” Consider: • As a freshman, she played a position on the soccer pitch that she hadn’t played before. • Last season,...
For 1st time in Olympic history, men will compete in artistic swimming, formerly called synchro
FUKUOKA, Japan — Snicker if you wish. Guffaw for good measure. Bill May and other male synchronized swimmers — now called artistic swimmers — have heard the putdowns before. But they’re getting the last laugh. Men have competed in synchro at the lower levels for decades. Now they’re being included...
Hall of Famer Johnny Bench apologizes for antisemitic remark at Cincinnati Reds event
CINCINNATI — Hall of Famer Johnny Bench apologized for an antisemitic comment made at an event to honor former Cincinnati Reds general manager Gabe Paul, who was Jewish, and others. Bench made the remark at an event attended by Paul’s daughter, Jennie Paul, on Saturday. Paul, who died in 1998,...
Pitt wrestler runs MMA record to 3-0 with submission win at Brawl in the Burgh 17
Nine of the 12 fights ended by knockout or submission at the 247 Fighting Championships’ Brawl in The Burgh 17 on Saturday night at the Monroeville Convention Center. The submission of the night was a highly contested honor, but the nod went to Pitt wrestler James “Las Vegas” Lledo (3-0),...
Mark Madden: Risk-averse Steelers play it too safe
The first practice at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp takes place July 27 at 1:55 p.m. It’s scheduled as precisely as a NASA launch, or the ball dropping in Times Square. “Times Square” should be Diontae Johnson’s nickname. Break out the lawn chairs and Styrofoam coolers. “I really like that undrafted...
First Call: How 2 NFL signings may impact Steelers; injury update for key Pirates prospect
Monday’s “First Call” looks at how a pair of NFL signings may impact the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is positive news regarding a Pirates prospect. And we identify what Quinn Priester will be facing in his Major League Baseball debut for the Pirates. What’s in the ‘HOP’per The Tennessee Titans have...
Tim Benz: Building from scratch a bit easier this time around for RMU hockey coaches
For Robert Morris men’s hockey coach Derek Schooley, the process isn’t entirely new. Building a team virtually from scratch. He did it before when the Colonials program took the ice for its inaugural season in 2004-05. Now he’s doing it again in 2023-24 as both the men’s and women’s teams...
Steelers 2-a-days: B.T. Potter was 1 of college’s best kickers; Joey Porter Jr. born to be a Steeler
Editor’s note: From the end of minicamp through the day the team reports to training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2023 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly alphabetical order,...
Madden Monday: On Erik Karlsson trade talk, ‘everybody … is just waiting to see if San Jose cracks’
After a week off, “Madden Monday” is back at “Breakfast With Benz.” And two things haven’t changed at all since I last spoke with Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLIVE. The Pittsburgh Pirates keep losing, and we keep waiting to see what’s going on with the Penguins’ pursuit...
