Pirates/MLB category, Page 205
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Productive day for Pirates, who add another Polanco
Signing another Polanco might have provided a punchline for fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but Friday proved to be a productive one for an organization that is making moves to rebuild from the bottom up. The Pirates started by signing 15 international prospects, highlighted by the top teenage outfielder in...
Pirates avoid arbitration hearings, agree to contract terms with nine players
The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided any salary arbitration hearings this year, agreeing to contract terms with nine players Friday. The Pirates signed pitchers Steven Brault, Kyle Crick, Chad Kuhl, Joe Musgrove, Richard Rodriguez and Chris Stratton, second baseman Adam Frazier, first baseman Colin Moran and catcher Jacob Stallings to one-year deals....
Pirates add super utility player, signing Wilmer Difo in minor-league deal
The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed a premium on versatility, which played a role in their signing of free agent Wilmer Difo on Friday. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder fits the bill of super utility player, having played second base, shortstop, third base and the corner outfield spots in six seasons with the...
Pirates give $2.35 million bonus to sign top international teenage outfield prospect
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed the top teenage outfield prospect in the 2020-21 international free agent market Friday, giving a $2.35 million bonus to 16-year-old Shalin Polanco of the Dominican Republic. The 6-foot, 170-pound Polanco — no relation to Pirates right fielder Gregory, although both hail from Santo Domingo — is...
Pirates trade lefty reliever Nik Turley to Oakland A’s for cash considerations
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded left-handed reliever Nik Turley to the Oakland A’s on Thursday for cash considerations. Turley, 31, was 0-3 with a 4.98 ERA and 1.108 WHIP with 20 strikeouts and 11 walks in 21 2/3 innings over 25 appearances last season. Turley is 0-5, with a 7.78 ERA...
Pirates, medical partners could ‘potentially utilize’ PNC Park as a covid-19 vaccination center
The Pittsburgh Pirates are meeting with medical partners at Allegheny Health Network and Highmark to “potentially utilize” PNC Park as a covid-19 vaccination center, a team spokesman confirmed Thursday. “The ballpark can allow for mass vaccinations to be done in a safe and socially distanced manner,” team spokesman Brian Warecki...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates GM Ben Cherington’s minor moves shake up status quo
While watching the Pittsburgh Steelers get blown out by the Cleveland Browns, I commented to my cousin that Sunday night would have been a better time for the Pirates to trade Josh Bell than Christmas Eve. His response: Wait, the Pirates traded Josh Bell? So maybe Ben Cherington’s timing worked,...
Pirates claim outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. off waivers from Tigers, designate reliever Nik Turley
The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed Troy Stokes Jr. off waivers from the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, adding an outfielder to the mix. To make room for Stokes on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated lefty reliever Nik Turley for assignment. Stokes is a 5-foot-9, 200-pounder who missed the 2020 season with...
Steelers loss to Browns: Worst postseason start in Pittsburgh sports history? Yes. But it has company.
In my 20 years of covering Pittsburgh sports and 46 years of following them as a fan, I’ve never seen a Pittsburgh team get off to a worse start in a postseason game than the Steelers did in the postseason loss to the Browns Sunday night. They got down 28-0...
Andrew Fillipponi discusses this week’s return to radio following the loss of a child
On Monday, 93.7 The Fan afternoon talk show host Andrew Fillipponi returned to his usual afternoon drivetime host chair after an extended absence. He had missed roughly two weeks over the holidays to stay home with his wife, Amanda, after the loss of their first child. Geno Fillipponi was stillborn...
Sports stories of the year: Steelers’ historic start; Pirates achieve infamy
Here we are, in the victory formation to end 2020, looking to run out the clock on a year you probably never want to see again. But before we get to 2021, here’s a look back at some of the top sports stories of the year. Steelers’ record start, sobering...
Year in Review: Pandemic-altered 2020 Pittsburgh sports seasons won’t soon be forgotten
When historians proclaim 2020 as a sports year unlike any other, no hyperbole will be attached to such sentiment. The coronavirus pandemic that affected so many lives across the world also drastically altered the sports landscape, causing major events to be canceled or postponed and impacting athletes from the professional...
U mad, bro?: Readers rant about Steelers strategy, Josh Bell trade, JuJu ‘Yelping’ Primanti Bros.
We are three days removed from a Steelers win. Enough happy holiday levity. I’m done with Christmas feel-good drivel. Let’s get back to our nuts and bolts. Let’s get back to what made “Breakfast With Benz” great. The “Four A’s”: Angst. Agitation. Animosity. Anger. Time to get the gravel in...
Tim Benz: Josh Bell trade just latest in never-ending cycle for Pirates
At 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, check Twitter. No, not to see if 2020 gave us one last kick to the crotch on the way out the door. To see if the Pittsburgh Pirates did. Maybe that’s when they’ll announce their latest news dump. Um, I mean salary dump....
First Call: Colts mad at refs, Baker Mayfield blames himself, Ravens looming, Pirates perspective
Monday’s “First Call” shows us that the Indianapolis Colts aren’t handling their loss against the Steelers particularly well. The Ravens may be back to Heinz Field soon. Baker Mayfield is blaming himself for the Cleveland Browns’ humbling loss. And a slap-in-the-face reality check about the Pirates’ trade of Josh Bell....
Ex-Pirate Josh Bell calls trade to Nationals ‘something that I embrace with open arms’
After being the lone All-Star for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, Josh Bell is embracing his trade to the Washington Nationals, who he called an “All-Star team” filled with World Series champions. “It’s definitely exciting times,” Bell said Saturday afternoon on a video conference call. “I think it’s everyone’s dream...
Fractured right wrist ends Pirates RF Gregory Polanco’s winter ball season
Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco fractured his wrist, ending his winter ball season in his native Dominican Republic, the latest setback in his injury-riddled career. The Pirates said in a statement Polanco suffered a small nondisplaced fracture of the triquetrum bone and will have his wrist immobilized “for a...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: After Josh Bell trade, Pirates need to invest in future cornerstone
Ben Cherington has been consistent with his message that the Pittsburgh Pirates need to “be aggressive and focused about adding talent,” which is a polite way of saying that the organization is bereft of it. The Pirates general manager also hasn’t been shy about implying that anyone and everyone is...
Trading Josh Bell to Nationals is first major move in offseason of rebuilding for Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates once coveted Josh Bell’s bat so much they took the risk of drafting the slugger in the second round and signing him to a record $5 million bonus to convince him to skip college. Bell became the face of the franchise, both for hitting majestic home runs...
Deer Lakes Youth Baseball Association gets Pirates grant
Safety is a top priority for the Deer Lakes Youth Baseball Association, and a matching “Fields for Kids” grant from Pirates Charities will help keep that mission going. Pirates Charities, the philanthropic arm of the Pittsburgh Pirates, announced Wednesday that the association will receive grant money to improve fencing on...
‘Christmas came early’ for Sean Gibson, who celebrates MLB’s recognition of Negro Leagues
When Sean Gibson got word MLB officially was recognizing the Negro Leagues, he spent Wednesday taking celebratory phone calls from the descendants of Satchel Paige and Buck Leonard. The great-grandson of Josh Gibson is the executive director of a foundation in the heralded slugger’s name and spearheading a campaign to...
Pirates ticket David Burke to improve engagement with fans, business partners
With a “focus on enhancing fan and partner engagement,” the Pittsburgh Pirates announced Wednesday the hiring of David Burke as executive vice president of sales and business development. Burke will lead a handful of sales departments, ranging from tickets to partnerships, as well as business analytics. He has been executive...
First Call: Steelers’ Super Bowl odds slip; Pirates draft options besides Kumar Rocker? NFL’s 17th game coming?
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at where the Steelers stack up on the Super Bowl odds board. The NHL Trophy odds are out, too. Kumar Rocker may not be a lock as the Pirates top overall pick in June after all. And that NFL 17-game schedule may soon become a reality....
Pirates manager Derek Shelton promises to create a culture of competition next season
Derek Shelton takes pride in laying the foundation for a culture change in his first season as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, and he’s just as enthused about creating a culture of competition in his second year. MLB is still working out whether the 2021 season will start on time or delay...
Pirates hire Tony Leo as assistant athletic trainer
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Monday the hiring of Tony Leo as assistant athletic trainer for the major league club, completing the final piece of their sports performance staff. Leo served as infection control prevention coordinator for the Oakland A’s this past season. Prior to that, he spent 23 seasons with...
