Pirates/MLB category
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Thanks, Maz, for being the hero that never disappointed
When I was 9, I fell in love with sports. Specifically, baseball and the Pirates. (Neither had been ruined yet.) I wrote my first fan letter to my favorite Pirate. (Kids did things like that then.) He sent me a signed postcard. I still have it. It made a big...
Outfielder Jake Mangum proving to Pirates he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win
BRADENTON, Fla. – Jake Mangum had a pair of strikeouts in a game that was scoreless, so he saw an opportunity when the Baltimore Orioles left third base open and decided to run with it. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning Friday, Mangum dropped a bunt...
Joe Starkey: She sculpted the Bill Mazeroski statue — and hardly anybody knows
Every so often, Susan Wagner will visit PNC Park to see those powerful Pirates legends’ statues. Last weekend provided such an occasion, albeit a sad one. Bill Mazeroski had died. Dozens journeyed to his bronze likeness at the end of the cul-de-sac on Mazeroski Way, near the right-field entrance, in...
Kyle Nicolas finishes off Orioles with scoreless 9th inning before joining Team Italy for WBC
BRADENTON, Fla. — Kyle Nicolas scratched the top of his right thumb in the bullpen before his outing against the Baltimore Orioles and ended up getting blood all over his white uniform pants. In his final appearance before joining Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic, Nicolas overcame the mishap...
With a superstar as his shadow, Nick Gonzales embracing challenge at shortstop for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — The phone call from Ben Cherington was meant to reassure Nick Gonzales of his importance to the Pittsburgh Pirates, even after the acquisition of two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe. To Gonzales, it was unnecessary. The 2020 No. 7 overall selection — Cherington’s first draft pick as...
Jose Urquidy focuses on fastball velocity in spring training debut as Pirates top Twins
BRADENTON, Fla. — When Jose Urquidy made his spring training debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates, his primary concern was attacking what he views as a shrinking strike zone. The 30-year-old right-hander missed all of 2024 and much of last season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, so he’s...
Beyond the Bylines: Bad Steelers NFLPA grades, Malik Willis’ price tag, Jack Hughes wins the crowd at PPG Paints Arena
In this week’s “Beyond the Bylines,” Joe Starkey and Tim Benz discuss the Pittsburgh Steelers’ poor showing in the NFLPA grades. What does this say about the players’ perception of the franchise in the post-Mike Tomlin era? We also investigate Malik Willis’ price tag and the importance of toilets in...
‘I wish we could have done better’: Now with Twins, Derek Shelton reflects on Pirates tenureVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — Derek Shelton returned to LECOM Park as a manager, this time in the visiting dugout. The former Pittsburgh Pirates skipper was wearing new colors that were old colors to him. The former Minnesota Twins bench coach is now their manager, only months after being fired by the...
Pirates announce coaching staff assignments for minor league affiliates
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates announced the staff assignments for their minor league affiliates, including multiple managerial changes. At Triple-A Indianapolis, Eric Patterson has been promoted from bench coach to manager. He replaces Chris Truby, who was elevated to infield coach on the major league staff. The Indians also...
On Sports: Penguins prepare to run gauntlet; where will Pitt’s Kyle Louis fit on an NFL roster?Video
Thursday’s “On Sports” takes a look at the challenge currently in front of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who begin a difficult final month-and-a-half of the regular season minus captain Sidney Crosby. At the NFL Combine, former Pitt standout linebacker Kyle Louis looks to further showcase his next-level potential, while Paul Skenes...
Pirates’ Paul Skenes slogs through 1st spring start, ready to ‘go win gold’ for Team USA
NORTH PORT, Fla. — Paul Skenes found his first start of spring training — and only one for the Pittsburgh Pirates before joining Team USA in the World Baseball Classic — to be rather challenging. The National League Cy Young Award winner allowed one earned run on one hit and...
First Call: Konnor Griffin should ‘bat third’ for Pirates; Omar Khan on the idea of signing Tyreek HillVideo
Our Wednesday “First Call” has NESN’s reaction to Konnor Griffin’s two homers against the Boston Red Sox. Omar Khan dodges a question about Tyreek Hill. Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey may adjust the kicker market before Chris Boswell becomes a free agent. And it’s a busy night for Pittsburgh college basketball. Making...
To crack rotation, Pirates righty Carmen Mlodzinski concentrates on starting strong
BRADENTON, Fla. – As one of the more cerebral pitchers on the Pittsburgh Pirates, Carmen Mlodzinski is aware of the irony involved in his desire to be a starting pitcher versus his success as a reliever. The 27-year-old right-hander has the seven-pitch arsenal of a starter — with more offerings...
Monster Mash: Konnor Griffin breaks out with 2 home runs as Pirates roll over Red Sox
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Konnor Griffin was still searching for his first hit of spring training when he faced left-hander Ranger Suarez, a 2024 All-Star and the marquee free-agent addition of the Boston Red Sox. When Suarez hung a curveball over the middle of the plate, Griffin showed why he’s...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Would a salary cap enable the Pirates to keep Paul Skenes?
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 …. Chris Abt, @Chris_Abt: Why aren’t we considering that the imminent MLB lockout and...
Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto hope to provide Pirates right-left punch in high-leverage relief
BRADENTON, Fla. – When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Gregory Soto, one of the players who welcomed him was the very man who had the most to lose by the arrival of the two-time All-Star left-handed reliever. Dennis Santana remembers Aroldis Chapman doing the same for him in June 2024, when...
Pirates’ Bubba Chandler comes out firing, but fastball command leads to 4 walks in loss to Yankees
BRADENTON, Fla. — Bubba Chandler was feeling his four-seam fastball, so he turned to steal a glance at the scoreboard behind him after his third pitch of his first start of spring training. The radar gun clocked it at 100.6 mph. Short on sleep and over-caffeinated on coffee, the 23-year-old...
‘He got in deservedly’: MLB historian John Thorn discusses Bill Mazeroski’s place in baseball history
Whether it was fate, divine intervention by the baseball gods or just a player seizing the moment, Bill Mazeroski was a peculiar source for having propelled the Pittsburgh Pirates to victory in the 1960 World Series. On Oct. 13, 1960, when Mazeroski clubbed Ralph Terry’s second pitch over the left-field...
Former Pittsburgh Steelers player Bill Priatko remembers longtime friend Bill Mazeroski
Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Bill Priatko feels honored to have called the late Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski his friend. Mazeroski, the Hall of Fame second baseman who hit the home run to win the 1960 World Series, died Friday at 89. Priatko, 94, of North Huntingdon, became friends with Mazeroski,...
Pirates infielder Jack Brannigan breaks nose on bad hop, 2 relievers shut down by arm injuries
BRADENTON, Fla. — Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jack Brannigan sustained multiple injuries to the nasal complex when a bad hop hit him in the face in Sunday’s split-squad game at the Philadelphia Phillies. Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Brannigan was re-examined Monday morning by team physicians and...
Brandon Lowe proving to Pirates that he’s small in stature, big on providing power
BRADENTON, Fla. — Brandon Lowe smiled as soon as it was noted his statistics belie his stature, knowing he appears smaller in person than his generous listing of 5-foot-10, 181 pounds. The left handed-hitting Lowe knows the 39-home run, 99-RBI season on his resume is the type of power production...
Mitch Keller unveils ‘absurd’ new-look changeup as Pirates top Rays in home opener
BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller has a reputation for his ever-expanding repertoire, but the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander’s newest pitch is simply an old offering with a twist. Keller unveiled a changeup with a new grip in his first Grapefruit League start, tossing two scoreless innings in a 7-4 win over...
After rising to top 10 Pirates prospect, right-hander Wilber Dotel shows stronger command
SARASOTA — When Wilber Dotel got word that he would be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting pitcher for the Grapefruit League opener, his mind drifted to his days of watching spring training games as a fan. Now, the 23-year-old right-hander is a prospect on the doorstep of the major leagues. After...
Ryan O’Hearn homers in debut as Pirates pound Baltimore in Grapefruit League opener
SARASOTA — Ryan O’Hearn wasn’t sure what to do when he received a rousing ovation before his first at-bat at Ed Smith Stadium wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform. It was the spring training opener, so O’Hearn didn’t want to tip his batting helmet. But he appreciated the support from Baltimore...
From Forbes Field to PNC Park, fans remember Pirates legend Bill MazeroskiVideo
Dave Sedor felt chills Saturday as he paced along a patch of grass at the remains of the Forbes Field outfield wall, thinking of the late Pittsburgh Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski. Sedor, of Madison, Wis., was in Charleroi celebrating his aunt’s 101st birthday when he heard Mazeroski had died. “I...
