Pirates/MLB category, Page 234
Pirates’ Derek Shelton finds variety of ways to keep busy
If you think the spring training shutdown might have Derek Shelton wondering what to do while he remains in Florida with his family, think again. The Pittsburgh Pirates manager has found time to perform a variety of important tasks. He cleaned out some closets and caught up on his reading....
MLB could skip 2020 draftVideo
NEW YORK — MLB is considering skipping its amateur draft this year and putting off the next international signing period as a way to preserve cash while games are affected by the coronavirus, people familiar with the discussions told the Associated Press. Talks between management and the players’ association are...
Pirates, 29 other MLB clubs pledge $1 million each to aid ballpark workers during stoppage
The Pittsburgh Pirates have joined 29 other Major League Baseball teams in pledging $1 million each for ballpark workers who will lose income because of the delay to the start of the season. The season is not expected to start until at least mid-May due to the coronavirus, and many...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington confident season will happen, not sure when
Not long after Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred pushed back the start of the season to as late as mid-May, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said “there is a level of confidence” there will be games in 2020 on the major and minor league levels. But the coronavirus...
MLB delays Opening Day to mid-May at earliest because of coronavirusVideo
NEW YORK — MLB pushed back Opening Day until mid-May at the earliest Monday because of the coronavirus after the federal government recommended restricting events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks. Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred made the announcement after a conference call with executives of the...
Pirates pitcher Michael Feliz feels confident in quest to prove himselfVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — Michael Feliz did not make the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day roster last year. The big right-handed reliever hopes the outcome is different when this season starts. Whenever that start might be, of course, as it has been postponed by Major League Baseball in wake of the coronavirus...
Some Pirates to remain in Bradenton to use facilities; light workouts begin Monday
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ spring training home is getting another deep cleaning to protect players and staff during the coronavirus outbreak. About 40 Major League players and an unidentified number of the coaching staff are expected to remain in Bradenton, Fla., to utilize the facilities at LECOM Park, according to a...
Jameson Taillon: No Pirates tested for coronavirus as MLB shuts down spring training camps
Now that MLB has suspended spring training camps and delayed the start of the season, Pittsburgh Pirates players have to decide whether to stay at spring training, return home or to Pittsburgh. At a time of great uncertainty for Major League Baseball, Pirates MLB Players Association representative Jameson Taillon confirmed...
Pirates announce plans for spring training refunds; no policy yet for regular season
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced their plans for refunding ticket-holders of six spring training games that were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. A policy regarding lost or postponed regular-season games, though, will have to wait. “Club officials remain in active conversations with Major League Baseball on a variety of contingency...
Mark Madden: This sports shutdown stinks, but greed will bring the games back
I’m not as worried about no sports as I am about no toilet paper. You can’t even get it on Amazon. You’d think the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor. We might need rationing. I got nine rolls. May God have mercy on my soul. Or, if I have to use paper...
First Call: How MLB, NHL, NBA can salvage their seasons
In the wake of the coronavirus sports shutdown, sadly, the 2020 NCAA basketball tournament could not be saved. Maybe that could’ve happened with more time to plan. But arena availability is at issue. Many venues are in a state of flux between attempts to reschedule pro sports, events, and shows...
Blue Jays beat Pirates in final game before MLB suspends spring training
In one of the final games before MLB suspended spring training, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-5, on Thursday at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. MLB announced during the game it decided to suspend spring training games and the start of the 2020 season by at least...
Former Pirates first-rounder Will Craig’s career coming to a crossroads as he heads to Triple-A
Will Craig couldn’t help but watch Josh Bell have a career year last season, knowing his path to the major leagues is blocked by an All-Star at first base. While Bell hit 18 home runs and had 52 RBIs for the Pirates through May, Craig was crushing the ball at...
U mad, bro? Penguins fans have no patience. Steelers fans have no questions. Pirates fans have no sense of humor.
Yeesh! You’d think that after losing almost non-stop for 40 years, Pirates fans would have a sense of humor. “If you don’t laugh, you are going to cry.” That type of thing. Based on my Twitter feed this week, I guess I’m wrong. But they aren’t alone in their anger....
Tigers hit 3 homers off Derek Holland in win over Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Derek Holland struck out six batters with no walks and allowed only four hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers. Problem was, three of them were home runs. C.J. Cron and Jeimer Candelario homered off Holland in the second inning, and Cameron Maybin hit one...
Fully recovered after Tommy John surgery, Edgar Santana ready to bolster Pirates’ bullpen
BRADENTON, Fla. — Edgar Santana was more than 1,000 miles away from Pittsburgh last season, and that made it difficult on the Pirates relief pitcher. Santana underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2018. He spent the majority of last year in Florida rehabbing his elbow at the Pirate City training...
First Call: 2 Pirates get thrown out at home plate on same playVideo
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives you a glimpse at how the 2020 Pirates season is going to go. It’s only March. It’s still spring training. But the club’s highlight of the year may have already occurred. Let’s set the scene. The Pirates are in the process of losing an otherwise innocuous...
Pirates option prospects Will Craig and Oneil Cruz to Triple-A, reassign 3 othersVideo
Two of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospects were optioned to Triple-A on Monday, and three others were reassigned to the organization’s minor league camp. Shortstop Oneil Cruz and corner infielder Will Craig were optioned to Indianapolis. The Pirates’ No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, the 6-foot-7 Cruz slashed .217/.250/.435...
Trevor Williams, Pirates pitchers strong in spring-training loss to Blue JaysVideo
Starter Trevor Williams pitched three shutout innings, and five relievers combined to throw five hitless innings in a 3-1 loss for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday afternoon at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. Williams allowed two singles and two walks with two strikeouts, but Williams...
Pirates pitchers Blake Cederlind, JT Brubaker, Cody Ponce sent to Indy in first spring cuts
The Pittsburgh Pirates made their first cuts of spring training, and they all involved pitchers. Right-handers JT Brubaker, Blake Cederlind and Cody Ponce were optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Right-handers Montana DuRapau, Luis Escobar and James Marvel were reassigned to minor league camp at Pirate City. Check out our Pirates coverage...
First Call: Le’Veon Bell visits Pittsburgh, Mike Sullivan on Penguins problems, Barry Bonds is sad
Monday’s “First Call” looks at Mike Sullivan’s characterization of his struggling Penguins. Also, Le’Veon Bell’s return to Pittsburgh, Robert Morris hockey stays alive, and a positive spin for Duquesne hoops. Aw. And Barry Bonds is sad. Bad connection? Uh oh. The last time we heard about something being “disconnected” in...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden: Stumbling Penguins, Steelers questions, Pirates disinterest
So much for the Penguins getting back on track. That was the hope after the Pens won back-to-back games against the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres last week. Those victories stopped the bleeding of a six-game losing streak. However, any hope that the team had found its footing for a...
Fast-rising Pirates OF prospect Jared Oliva’s story helps shape careerVideo
Jared Oliva always knew what he wanted to be: A professional baseball player. What he didn’t know was how to get to the major leagues, especially without a college scholarship offer. Oliva went from former walk-on at Arizona to leading the Wildcats to the College World Series to seventh-round draft...
John Steigerwald: OK, now it’s time for Penguins fans to panic
Feel free to panic. The six-game losing streak with three straight losses to bad teams on the road was a good reason for Penguins to be annoyed, but it could be written off as an ordinary, if not expected, bad spell in a long season. Losing to the Capitals at...
Pirates elder statesman Jose Osuna out to impress new management team
BRADENTON, Fla. — The player who has spent the most continuous service time in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization is a bit of a surprise. However, Jose Osuna has been around longer than anybody. The Pirates signed him as an amateur international free agent from Venezuela in 2009 as a 16-year-old....
