Pittsburgh Pirates / MLB category, Page 273
Pirates broadcaster Steve Blass: ‘I don’t have to defend myself’
Steve Blass didn’t have much to say publicly about the controversy over remarks he made regarding Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. during a telecast of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ game Tuesday night at PNC Park. But he did want to make something clear to those who have known him during...
Pirates draft pick Blake Sabol discusses being Troy Polamalu’s cousin, JuJu Smith-Schuster’s friend
Remember how quiet and shy Troy Polamalu was when he was first drafted by the Steelers? Now picture the exact opposite. That’s his second cousin, Blake Sabol. And that’s who the Pirates drafted in the seventh round out of Southern Cal. If the catcher-turned-outfielder is as comfortable at the plate...
First Call: Could Clint Frazier-to-Pirates talk heat back up?; analyst picks Bills over Patriots
Thursday’s “First Call” includes a Penn State alum making a crazy NFL pick. A Penn State commit staying true to State College. And a reason why the Yankees may be shopping Clint Frazier to the Pirates again. Say what?! NFL Network analyst — and Penn State product — Michael Robinson...
U mad, bro? Raging Reds fans, puking Pirates fans, Le’Veon Bell defenders
There is a disturbing lack of “Phil DePhense Phoundation” emails in “U mad, bro?” this week. Don’t they know “the media is trying to run Phil out of town” again? But their absence has been filled by angry Pirates fans, raging Reds fans and NFL fans who want to call...
Tim Benz: Attacks on Pirates’ Steve Blass are shameful, unwarranted
I’m not going to defend Steve Blass. Mainly because the Pirates broadcaster’s six-decade-long reputation in baseball should stand on its own. It’s a reputation of being an ambassador of the game, rooted in his ability to be well-liked and respected by those of many different races and nationalities. For 36...
Joe Musgrove pitches Pirates past BravesVideo
Joe Musgrove did something a Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher hadn’t done in quite some time Wednesday night. He left the mound to a rousing ovation from the home crowd. The 6-foot-5 right-hander pitched into the ninth inning, allowing five hits and striking out six, to lead the Pirates to a 7-4...
Pirates farm report for games of Wednesday, June 5, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 33-23) won 5-2 over Louisville (Reds) in a game shortened to eight innings by rain. RHP Luis Escobar (1-0, 2.33) went five innings, allowing one run on two hits, three walks and a strikeout. The Indians outhit the Bats, 11-4. SS-2B Pablo Reyes (.227) went 2 for 4...
Pirates pick Michigan State wide receiver recruit on third day of MLB draft
Jase Bowen could be the next Kirk Gibson. The Pittsburgh Pirates hope he’s not. Bowen, a 6-foot-1 outfielder, was the Pirates’ 11th-round selection in the 2019 draft, which concluded Wednesday with the final 30 rounds. He hit .550 with 31 RBIs and 14 stolen bases as a senior at Toledo...
Pirates bump struggling Nick Kingham from rotation in favor of Rookie Davis
With front-end starters Trevor Williams and Jameson Taillon sidelined by injuries, the Pittsburgh Pirates asked Nick Kingham and Steven Brault to patch holes in their rotation over the past few weeks. Kingham’s audition is over. He is headed to the bullpen, replaced by 26-year-old righty Rookie Davis. Brault’s spot remains...
Injured Pirates starter Trevor Williams moves closer to return to rotation
The beleaguered Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation finally got some good news Wednesday. Trevor Williams was scheduled to throw a bullpen session consisting of about two innings’ worth of pitches before the Pirates faced the Atlanta Braves. If all goes according to plan, he will pitch a simulated game this weekend...
Pirates announcer Steve Blass criticized for comments about Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr.
Broadcaster Steve Blass came under fire Wednesday for on-air comments he made during Tuesday night’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves. In the fourth inning, Pirates pitcher Steven Brault hit Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. in the elbow with a 2-2 pitch. Blass made note of Acuna’s animated...
High school coach dismisses arm worries for Pirates 1st-rounder Quinn Priester
The Pirates selected Quinn Priester in the first round of the MLB Draft on Monday. In this podcast, I interviewed his coach, Ryan Passaglia. Passaglia coached Priester at Cary-Grove High School in Illinois and has been working with the right-hander since he was in middle school. Priester has committed to...
Pirates draft Troy Polamalu’s cousin in 7th round
We haven’t seen Troy Polamalu at Heinz Field in quite some time. But maybe he’ll be at PNC Park soon. To watch his cousin. The Steelers legend has a second cousin named Blake Sabol, who’s a standout baseball player at Southern Cal. And he just got drafted by the Pirates....
Errors, shaky pitching lead to Pirates’ blowout loss vs. Braves
An optimist might say that three Pittsburgh Pirates errors that led to three unearned runs Tuesday night created an insignificant wrinkle that easily can be ironed out. A pessimist – and their numbers are growing – will note that the Pirates’ 12-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves before a crowd...
Pirates minor league report: June 4, 2019
Pirates INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 32-23) lost 7-6 to Louisville (Reds). The Indians fell behind 5-0 after two innings and trailed 7-2 after five before scoring four runs in the seventh, falling a run short of the tie. SS Jung-Ho Kang (.476) went 4 for 5 with two doubles and three RBIs....
Pirates notebook: Reaching into Power 5 conferences on draft’s second day
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected eight college players Tuesday in Rounds 3-10 during the second day of the MLB Draft. Six came from Power 5 conferences. Clint Hurdle was too busy with game preparations to comment on those picks, but he spent part of his day watching video of the first...
Pirates’ Josh Bell hopes to come back stronger after starting streak ends
True to his nature, Josh Bell took the news calmly and without much comment. Perhaps that’s because he didn’t know what to say or how to react to sitting and watching a baseball game. When you start every one of your team’s first 58 games for more than two months...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden talk JuJu’s prom, Phil Kessel trade, Pirates pros and cons
I know. This has become a trend. It’s another “Madden Monday” podcast on a Tuesday. Between Memorial Day weekend and concert activities, Mark Madden and I have had a few three-day weekends of late. We’ll get on a proper schedule again eventually. Or, if not, no big deal. It’s summer....
Tim Benz: Bryan Reynolds’ tools are fixing 2 Pirates trades at once
The defense of the Chris Archer trade always has been, and always will be, its intent. It was a rare moment the Pirates went for it. A rare instance when they sacrificed prospects to get an established veteran, with a willingness to absorb salary in the process. Criticism of that...
First Call: Pirates’ 1st-round pick Quinn Priester has ‘highest ceiling’
Tuesday’s “First Call” some high praise for the Pirates’ first-round draft pick, an injury to Andrew McCutchen and a lucky break for the Steelers. Mighty Quinn? The Pirates are getting high praise for their first-round pick. It’s right-handed high school pitcher Quinn Priester from Illinois. On MLB network, Jim Callis...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Did Pirates pick right player in prep pitcher Quinn Priester?
Neal Huntington might have foreshadowed the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first-round draft pick when he cited an old baseball adage Sunday on his weekly radio show. The right high school player gets to the majors faster than the wrong college player. The Pirates had strong ties to both in Monday’s MLB Draft,...
Pirates minor league report: June 3, 2019
Pirates INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 32-22) won 7-6 in 10 innings against Louisville (Reds). The Indians scored the tying run in the top of the ninth inning. 2B Jake Elmore (.388) doubled to center field, scoring LF Pablo Reyes (.214) to tie the score 6-6 in the ninth. CF Jason Martin (.248)...
Pirates draft high school pitcher Quinn Priester in 1st round
a The first words out of Quinn Priester’s mouth Monday night when he talked with reporters on a conference call was an apology. “I’m a little hoarse,” he said not long after the Pittsburgh Pirates made the 18-year-old right-handed pitcher a first-round pick (18th overall) in the MLB Draft. He...
Pirates’ Josh Bell named National League player of the month
Josh Bell, whose monumental and historic home runs are turning him into the face of the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise, was named Monday as the National League player of the month. Bell, 26, led the Major Leagues with 46 hits and 31 RBIs in May, but five of his 12 home...
Draft day ‘nerve-racking,’ even for 1st-round picks like Pirates’ Cole Tucker
With “hundreds of people” gathered around the television, Cole Tucker and his family just wanted to go somewhere quiet. It was MLB Draft day in 2014, and with the Los Angeles Dodgers on the clock at No. 22, Tucker’s agent had just called with the news. “Hey, man, it’s happening....
