Pirates/MLB category, Page 226
Joe Musgrove taking next step as anchor of Pirates pitching staff, eyes Opening Day start
Joe Musgrove started his second training camp the same way he ended the first in mid-March, with the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander taking the mound to throw a five-inning simulated game. That was where the similarities ended, as the Pirates opened their summer camp Friday at PNC Park instead of LECOM...
Behind masks, Pirates enjoy return to baseball
The mask hides his face, so you’ll just have to believe Kevin Newman when he says he was smiling Friday morning when he stepped onto the infield for summer camp at PNC Park. Major League Baseball returned to Pittsburgh when the Pirates began preparations for a 60-game season that will...
Derek Shelton jokes about managing to get Pirates in first place, tips hand on opener
Derek Shelton has yet to manage his first major-league game, but that didn’t stop the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie skipper from making a joke about navigating an MLB season shortened by the coronavirus crisis. And he migh have tipped his hand about Opening Day, as well. In a guest appearance on...
In wake of Allegheny County coronavirus outbreak, Pirates close PNC Park workouts to media
On the eve of the first day of training camp, a coronavirus outbreak in Allegheny County has forced the Pittsburgh Pirates to make adjustments to their workout plans at PNC Park. The stadium will be closed to all outside entities, including the media, until further notice, the team announced Thursday....
Pirates lock up entire draft class, signing pitchers Carmen Mlodzinski, Jared Jones, Nick Garcia
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed their entire 2020 draft class, locking up right-handed pitchers Carmen Mlodzinski, Jared Jones and Nick Garcia, the team announced Thursday. Jim Callis of Baseball America reported Mlodzinski, a competitive-balance round pick, signed for a $2.05 million bonus, which was less than the slot value for...
Fantasy sports podcast: What a short season means for Josh Bell and Bryan Reynolds, Cam Newton impact
Is this for real? A fantasy sports podcast where we can actually talk about sports!? Will wonders never cease? Major League Baseball teams are reporting for spring training 2.0. So, fantasy leagues that never ended up drafting are finally doing so. Jeff Erickson of RotoWire joins me to discuss strategy...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates ready to follow protocol, play ball as camp starts at PNC Park
This will be a baseball season of so many firsts, especially with the Pittsburgh Pirates having a new team president, general manager and field manager preparing for a 60-game regular season with the universal designated hitter and an extra-innings rule. But their first focus is on a second edition of...
Pirates manager Derek Shelton took time to ‘listen to our players’ about social justice issues
Derek Shelton waited two decades to become a major league manager, only to have his Pittsburgh Pirates managerial debut delayed by the coronavirus crisis. As the Pirates are about to embark on a second spring training — this one dubbed by MLB as Summer Camp — Shelton was asked to...
Ex-Pirate Bobby Bonilla still outearns some notable Major League Baseball playersVideo
Former Pirate Bobby Bonilla hasn’t played in the major leagues since 2001, when he suited up for the Cardinals. But he’s still collecting a check — $1,193,248.20 every July 1, per his buyout agreement with the New York Mets in 2000. It’s known derisively as Bobby Bonilla Day. The agreement...
Pirates manager Derek Shelton ‘fired up’ to see baseball activity at PNC Park as players report
It’s not quite baseball in a bubble, but Derek Shelton on Wednesday got his first chance to watch players work out at PNC Park as Pittsburgh Pirates manager. As Pirates players are in the process of reporting for summer camp, the three-week preparation period for the 60-game regular season, Shelton...
Mark Madden: No need to panic about players opting out amid covid-19 concerns
Babe Ruth was baseball’s biggest gate attraction ever. The New York Yankees built a 58,000-seat stadium to accommodate that. Ruth’s slugging and larger-than-life charisma saved MLB after the Chicago White Sox threw the 1919 World Series. Ruth retired in 1935. Baseball kept playing. People kept watching. It’s a business worth...
First Call: Antonio Brown, Tom Brady rumors in Tampa bubble up. Happy Bobby Bonilla Day!
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” we look at some rebooted rumors about Antonio Brown going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Former Steelers legend Rod Woodson has an interesting take on how the coaching world works. And Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is ready for the Cam Newton era in New England....
Pirates’ 2019 first-round pick Quinn Priester promises to make most of his summer in limbo
On the eve of the Pittsburgh Pirates reporting to PNC Park for Summer Camp to train for the 2020 season, Quinn Priester was driving to Wisconsin for a Fourth of July weekend getaway. When the Pirates didn’t include their 2019 first-round pick and top-five prospect on the 60-man roster Sunday...
Minor League Baseball season canceled for 2020
Hopes for Minor League Baseball in 2020 officially ended Tuesday as Major League Baseball announced that it will not provide its affiliated teams with players amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The move affects more than 150 such clubs, including Pittsburgh Pirates affiliates in Indianapolis (Class AAA) and Altoona (Class AA)....
Do Pirates have a real DH? Or do they really have too many of them?
At least for the time being, it feels like we can talk about actual on-field baseball in Pittsburgh. The Pirates are supposed to start workouts at PNC Park this week, with Major League games resuming July 23. So — while we can before any more shutdowns — let’s talk about...
Tim Benz: Steelers ‘optimistic’ fans will be in Heinz Field this fall
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still holding out hope that they will be able to play home games in front of their fans during the 2020 season. Last week, The Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan wrote that the NFL is going to allow teams an opportunity to work out their own seating volume...
Pirates Steven Brault, Josh Bell hope to hit high note off the field, too
Pittsburgh Pirates players Steven Brault and Josh Bell will resume their baseball careers this week at PNC Park, but during the covid-19 break, they showed off another skill in a recording studio. Brault and Bell joined former players Ozzie Smith, Bernie Williams and Nick Swisher and Sharon Robinson, daughter of...
Pirates sign 4th-round draft choice Jack Hartman
The Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday signed right-handed relief pitcher Jack Hartman, the team’s fourth-round selection (108th overall) in the 2020 draft. Hartman was 1-0 with four saves, a 3.00 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 10 appearances (12 innings) at Appalachian (N.C.) State. He is one of four right-handed pitchers the...
Odds on another Pirates/Yankees World Series: 300/1
If you believe anything’s possible in a 60-game baseball season, you can bet on World Series matchups involving the Pittsburgh Pirates. With fresh enthusiasm generated by first-year manager Derek Shelton, the Pirates resume camp at PNC Park on Wednesday in preparation for the first game in about three weeks. BetOnline.ag...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Taking a look at the top position battles for Pirates training camp
When Ben Cherington submitted the 60-man training camp roster to MLB, the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager turned in only 59 names because of the late development of reliever Edgar Santana’s suspension. In truth, the Pirates actually have 38 players competing for a job on the 30-man Opening Day roster that...
Pirates include top position prospects Ke’Bryan Hayes, Cole Tucker on training camp rosterVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates set their 60-man roster for the shortened season Sunday afternoon, despite a surprise suspension, and notable names were missing from the major league roster and taxi squad. The 39 players who will report to training camp starting Wednesday at PNC Park included top position prospects in third...
Pirates’ Edgar Santana suspended 80 games for positive PED test
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Edgar Santana has been suspended for 80 games, without pay, after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Santana, 28, missed the entire 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery at the end of 2018....
How Logan Hofmann defied odds and bet on himself to become Pirates’ 5th-round pick
Logan Hofmann never wanted to be known as the short pitcher from the small town, but as a 5-foot-9 right-hander who was raised in Muenster, Saskatchewan (population: 430), he proudly owns it. Well, mostly. “I’m listed at 5-10,” Hofmann said, “because it looks a little better on the roster.” His...
Pirates continuing restructuring, laying off 15 members of baseball operations department
The Pittsburgh Pirates had another round of layoffs on Friday, this time letting go 15 members of the baseball operations staff in a restructuring of the department, a source confirmed to the Tribune-Review. The employees were informed they would not be involved in the organizational plans following this season, so...
From ‘fringy’ to fabulous, one tool turned Pirates 1st-round pick Nick Gonzales into the NCAA batting champ
Many Pirates fans have become familiar with the story of Pirates first-round draft choice Nick Gonzales. From underrecruited walk-on at New Mexico State to NCAA batting champ to Cape Cod League MVP to seventh overall pick in the MLB draft in just three years. But his former coach at New...
