Tree of Life

30 Jul

Stretch Run Apprehension by Jon Anderson

published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, July 30th, 2012 – 12:03 pm

For the last 19 years, the world has found more ways than you can count to write and dash negative things about the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2012, it hasn't been so easy. I hate to be the one to do this, but the last couple series have made me feel a bit uneasy about where this season is headed.

The fact is that the Pirates are doing what they have needed to do since the all-star break; winning baseball games. They are 10-6 since the midsummer classic, which is pretty good regardless of how bad their schedule has been. Should they have lost two of three to the Cubs at home? No, probably not. But that stuff happens during the course of a 162-game season.

What's worrying me is how they've looked against the worst teams in baseball. They needed a lot of help to beat the Astros, getting two very fortunately timed wild pitches helping them get a pair of wins.

You'll take wins however you can get them, but barely being able to win a series against the AAAstros doesn't bode well for the future.

Probably the scariest thing is the decline in offense. It hasn't been a huge drop off but they definitely aren't clicking the way they were right before the break. Obviously this team wasn't going to score 5-6 runs a game for very long, and if you didn't see this coming you might want to check your sanity. Andrew McCutchen has stopped being one of the best players to ever hold a bat, another thing you should have seen coming, and no one else has really stepped up in a big enough way to make up for it. Starling Marte provided some offense in his debut, but since then he has just two hits. This offense is no longer one of the best in the league, and pending a trade (that I don't think they're going to make), they're going to have to start pitching better to compensate.

The good news is that they added Wandy Rodriguez, which makes the staff better. The bad news is that James McDonald has looked terrible recently. He walked seven in his start yesterday and doesn't seem to be anything close to the Cy Young contender he was in the first half. He could certainly bounce back, I honestly expect him to, but it remains a red flag.

The rotation is deep with Kevin Correia still around, but he's grumpy and asking for a trade, so you can't have too much faith in him. Jeff Locke has been very good all season in AAA, and he might have to make a few starts up in the big leagues if this bad news continues to come through.

Things could be different on Wednesday if the Pirates add an outfielder, but for now things are looking a bit bleak. Even if they don't make a move, there's a good chance the Pirates will go into Wrigley and pound the Cubs three times then go win a series in Cincinnati and I'll probably be feeling pretty good about this team. Things can change in a hurry, but as we sit right now I'm apprehensive to say the least.

I always say life is too short to worry about tomorrow. That's an excellent philosophy to have this year with the Pirates. No matter what happens the rest of the season, it's going to be fun to watch meaningful baseball in August. Enjoy it, just don't go out and put any big bets on the Pirates winning the World Series.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates

 

26 Jul

A chat with Steelers LG Willie Colon

published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, July 26th, 2012 – 6:27 pm

An achilles injury erased his entire 2010 season. A torn tricep muscle in Week 1 of 2011 made for another season-ending injury. In 2012, 7th year man Willie Colon is back (and healthy) with a new job description: Left Guard.

A 4th-Round draft pick out of Hofstra in 2006, Colon lags only the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks, as well as fellow linemen Max Starks and Trai Essex for offensive seniority.

On Thursday, after the team's first training camp practice, I had a chance to catch up with Colon for a little Q & A:

Does it feel like your 7th training camp?

"I feel all a bit of seven [training camps]. I'm blessed, man, with all I've been through to still be here. I never take it for granted. Mike Tomlin, my coach, believed in me. To be here and have a chance to compete and be on a championship caliber team, can't beat it. I've got a lot of anger built up [laughs]. No, I'm excited. The potential is there. We're working hard. We've just got to make sure it happens."

Are you and Trai Essex the old-guy leaders of the O-Line now?

"Me and Trai were walking the halls when we reported, and we saw so many young guys , I was like 'Geez.' I never thought we'd be at this position where we were considered the old goats of the team. It's weird, but it's a blessing man. I appreciate it to be here, to be in Latrobe, PA and still competing, rockin' and rollin' and laughin,' still getting bed checks at 29-years old. It's pretty funny."

Are you in the prime of your career at age 29?

"I would say, yeah, without a doubt. I feel like I've got great years ahead of me, I've got a lot of payback, I'm checking my lists. I've got a big checklist this year. I'm definitely going huntin' this year."

Have you embraced being a left guard, running that signature Steelers pulling-guard run?

"We run 36-Power a lot. Whatever my job is, I don't look forward to any single play. If 36-Power is the call, I'm just going hit whatever is looking the opposite of me. Going inside is my whole game. I can just kind of bounce around and be the hunter. I like it so far."

Do you know your new position enough to be able to help the new left tackles?

"I think a little bit, we're kind of helping each other. But at the same time, I know how to prepare as a professional. I know what it takes to be ready on gameday, and whoever is next to me I know they'll be ready, too."

How much technique work do you have to do at camp?

"It's all technique, you can't be an offensive lineman without good mechanics and technique. That's our whole day, that's the only thing we do out here is work on technique. Other guys get to run around and look pretty. We're back in the corner, working on footsteps and hitting pads. That's our job, man, I wouldn't want it any other way. You learn to love it at a very young age. And if you don't love it, you won't make it."

How was your summer?

"I had a great time, I was able to travel a little bit, I went to a couple weddings, I went to Ramon Foster's wedding, tore it up for him. Had a good time. Trained really hard, two-a-days, running, lifting. A lot of young guys came out and worked out with me, so it was a good offseason."

All these team weddings with Foster, Woodley, Roethlisberger, are you next?

"They can bite [the bullet] all they want, I'm not jumping on that train. I haven't found her yet [laughs]. If I find it, then I'll tell you. Right now, I'm living the good life. All-American best friend right now."

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Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

26 Jul

Good Moves Huntington: But will it Pay Off? by Jarred Treshock

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, July 26th, 2012 – 4:35 pm

Bucco fans are ecstatic after the moves that have been made for the team so far this week by Bucs GM Neal Huntington. Huntington traded for left-handed pitcher Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros. In the process of the trade, the Pirates did not lose a top prospect. The biggest loss was Rudy Owens and he was never going to be a top pitcher with the Bucs. The Pirates then improved their offense by finally calling up star outfield prospect Starling Marte. He can only improve the struggling lead-off spot.
So I was talking to a good friend of mine today and she told me that the Pirates will not need to trade for another pitcher. She is right. The Bucs pitching depth is set. The Pirates have six solid starting pitchers. But with so many starting pitchers, does one have to go? The answer is no. Clint Hurdle should implement a six man rotation. James McDonald is showing signs of fatigue and could use the couple days off. A.J. Burnett has been a horse, but will he continue? Jeff Karstens has pitched pretty solid since returning from the Disabled List, but with a past injury history, he could get hurt at any time. Erik Bedard has a history with injuries as well. Plus he doesn't deserve to get removed from the rotation right away, given his two solid outings for his last two starts. Kevin Corriea has been solid, and of all the pitchers who could be removed, he should not be the one. He has won six straight decisions, so you ride the hot hand. So the answer is having a six man rotation. This way everyone will get more rest and be ready for the post-season.
Now will Starling Marte be the answer in the leadoff spot? The answer is yes. If anything, you have to give him the chance. He is more than capable of filling it once he gets used to the big leagues. Going out and trading for Shane Victorino from the Philadelphia Phillies is not the answer. The Phillies want Brad Lincoln. Lincoln is too important to the Pirates and the bullpen. Plus, Victorino would be gone after this season. The trade is not worth it. The answer is to let Marte play and see what he can do. Besides, if he is the team's top prospect, then he will fit in just fine.
Neil Huntington has got it right so far. My friend is also right in saying it is not necessary to make any more trades. But will it pay off? Time will only tell. Huntington has put the team in position to win. Now Hurdle and the Bucs just have to execute.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

20 Jul

Clint Hurdle on Marte's Triple-A At-Bats by Jon Anderson

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, July 20th, 2012 – 12:36 pm

Ken Laird and Guy Junker had Pirates manager Clint Hurdle on the show on Friday and asked him about Starling Marte and when he'll be in the big leagues. A specific question was raised about the "magic number" of at-bats that he had to reach before he could be brought up. Obviously that's not how these things work, but it was an interesting question to get a response to. Here's what Hurdle said:

"Numbers are numbers, but the magical number? He's no where near it. I mean truthfully, the people that are curious should look at how many AAA at-bats McCutchen got, how many Walker got – then look at the Alvarez at-bats, the Tabata at-bats, the Presley at bats – there's a difference. Not that you have to have 600 or 700, but we want to make sure that when we call up an individual that has the skill set that you need, we give him every opportunity to succeed and get through the growing pains. There's been growing pains with Presley, Tabata, and with Alvarez; not as many as with McCutchen and Walker. That's not to say that this kid Starling in particular couldn't make the move here at some point in time this season, but I think those are the things we factor in; it's the quality of play. We're not just looking at the box score the next day. How are the swings? Did he chase? Did he control the strike zone? How was he on the bases? Were the routes good in the outfield? He's in the right lane, he's headed here and I anticipate that when he does get here, it'll be at the right time. His development is critical."

So let's look at that information. Here's the minor league data-

http://yfrog.com/es4bmep

I took out the AAA numbers for Alvarez, Presley and Tabata after they made their big league debuts, because there were some at-bats there that might have skewed the data due to demotions.

Anyways, you see that McCutchen and Walker both had a ton of minor league at bats before making the big league club. That's especially true with AAA. Tabata was in the minors for a good amount of time but his stay in AAA wasn't very long. Alvarez went through the minors especially quick, and a lot of people blame that fact for his struggles last year.

There's a lot more to this than just minor league and AAA at-bats. You can't just say that McCutchen is an MVP candidate right now because he stayed in the minor leagues for an extra half season, there are huge differences in talent level and the types of players these guys are. Walker is a whole different story, because he wasn't good for long periods of time in the minors. They didn't hold him down because they wanted to fully develop him, they held him down because he flat out stunk most of the time. He finally figured something out in 2010 and then made a big, surprising impact at the big league level.

For Hurdle to even point to this as a reason that Marte isn't up here is a bit ridiculous. Every player is different and you just can't compare guys like this. Sure, having a ton of AAA at-bats certainly can't hurt you, but it's not like there's a magic number of at-bats a guy has to get to to ensure that he won't struggle in the big leagues. Some guys could skip AAA entirely and not struggle much in the big leagues, some guys could be there for three or four years and still have those growing pains.

I don't believe that the Pirates are really holding Marte down because of his number of at-bats. They aren't thinking "oh, well McCutchen and Walker had more at-bats and are doing well so we'd better give Marte more at-bats", that's just illogical. This was just Hurdle responding to a specific question about at-bats. He points to true information, it's just not real relevant in my opinion.

The Pirates are struggling for production out of the corner outfield spots while they are in the midst of a playoff race, but that hasn't caused the Pirates to crack and promote Marte prematurely. They feel that it is best for his future to be in Indianapolis right now, so that's what they're going to do. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but we're all ready to see what he can do with a big boy uniform on.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

20 Jul

Pirates: Time to Buy by Jarred Treshock

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, July 20th, 2012 – 8:55 am

For the first time in quite some time, the Pittsburgh Pirates are buyers. Serious buyers. Not the buyers they were last year where they added Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick just to make everyone happy. Those guys did not do much to help the team anyway, with The Bucs spiraling to a dreadful second half and seeing another losing season. No, this year The Pirates are in prime position to be serious buyers and win.
The biggest question out there is do The Pirates go with pitching or hitting? This question could be bounced around all month till the deadline. They could not go wrong with either way, but the best one would be pitching. The team relies on pitching and if that goes down, the season is over. The team showed in April and May that they can win with just pitching. So I say go with pitching.
Here are the three pitchers I believe The Pirates could get:
Ryan Dempster: 5-3 1.86 ERA. Dempster is the best pitcher out there on the market with The Philadelphia Phillies coming out and saying they want to sign Cole Hamels to an extension. Dempster is pitching lights-out this year so his asking price is going to be high. The Pirates could deal a pitching prospect or two (Rudy Owens and Jeff Locke) and hitting prospect for Dempster. But the better Dempster pitches, the more the Cubs will want for him.
Joe Saunders: 4-6 3.58 ERA. Saunders is the most realistic pitcher The Pirates have a chance of getting. The Pirates could get him cheap, with Saunders just coming off the Disabled List. The Pirates could get him for a prospect or two that is not going to be part of the future. And with Saunders being a lefty, he could easily replace a struggling Erik Bedard.
Wandy Rodriguez:7-8 3.75 ERA. Rodriguez would also be a good fit and has the same type of pitching style as Saunders. He would be very easy to get, with Houston wanting to rebuild and get rid of his $10.5 Million salary. That is the drawback for The Pirates though. That is a huge salary The Bucs would have to take on.
The Pirates could get anyone of those pitchers and not give up a huge piece to the future for them. But if The Pirates want to improve on their hitting, they will probably have to part ways with Starling Marte, their priced outfield prospect. The Pirates have their eyes on Justin Upton and Jason Kubel of the Diamondbacks. The Dbacks already came out and said they would not give up either one unless The Pirates throw in Marte in the deal. The Pirates could use either one of those players, but that is a huge asking price for either one. The pitching is a more pressing need anyway and a lot cheaper to find. This way, you don't mortgage the whole future and try to win this year. Because if it comes down to it, I want to see this team win for a long time and not for just one season, so you cannot go wrong with pitching.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

19 Jul

Pittsburgh Pirates Dominate Local Ratings

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, July 19th, 2012 – 9:55 am

According to the Nielsen Ratings for Pittsburgh for the week of July 9th through the 15th, the city is obsessed with baseball. The Home Run Derby on ESPN was the most watched show of the week with a 6.6. The All Star Game was the second most watched show of the week with a 5.9. Anyone surprised that the Derby beat the All Star Game? It obviously wouldn't have popped the same number without Andrew McCutchen. The third most watched show of the week was a Pirates game on Root Sports, six of the top nine shows were Pirates related. Only America's Got Talent and the Big Bang broke up the baseball in the most watched shows in Pittsburgh. Check them out for yourself.

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Weekly Ranker
Total DMA : PT Live +SD
Market Time-shifting
PT Live +SD
Variable RTG SHR (000) Rank
Stns/Cbl Nts Title (grouped) Date Prg Air Times DaysHH/Demo (r) Persons 2+ Persons 2+ Persons 2+ Persons 2+
ESPN HOME RUN DERBY 07/09/2012 8:15 p – 11:00 p M—— 6.6 16 176 1
53 WPGH FOX FOX MLB-STR GM 07/10/2012 8:15 p – 11:15 p -T—– 5.9 15 157 2
RTPT MLB-PIRATES 07/13/2012 8:00 p – 12:15 a —-F– 5.9 18 156 2
11 WPXI NBC AM-TLNT-TU-NBC 07/10/2012 8:00 p – 10:00 p -T—– 5.7 15 151 4
ESPN HOME RUN DERBY 07/09/2012 8:00 p – 8:15 p M—— 5.6 16 149 5
RTPT MLB-PIRATES 07/14/2012 7:00 p – 10:45 p —–s- 5.6 17 149 5
2 KDKA CBS BG BNG-SPC-CBS 07/12/2012 8:30 p – 9:00 p —R— 5.3 15 140 7
2 KDKA CBS BIG BANG-CBS 07/12/2012 8:00 p – 8:30 p —R— 4.6 15 122 8
53 WPGH FOX FOX-ALLSTR PRE 07/10/2012 7:30 p – 8:15 p -T—– 4.3 14 114 9
4 WTAE ABC AMR-VIDEOS-ABC 07/15/2012 7:00 p – 8:00 p ——S 3.9 11 105 10
2 KDKA CBS NCIS-CBS 07/10/2012 8:00 p – 9:00 p -T—– 3.9 11 105 10
2 KDKA CBS 60 MINUTES-CBS 07/15/2012 7:00 p – 8:00 p ——S 3.9 11 104 10
11 WPXI NBC AM-TLNT-WE-NBC 07/11/2012 9:00 p – 10:00 p –W—- 3.6 9 97 13
4 WTAE ABC SECRET MIL-ABC 07/15/2012 8:00 p – 9:00 p ——S 3.5 9 93 14
TNT CLOSER, THE 07/09/2012 9:00 p – 10:00 p M—— 3.5 8 93 14
HIST PAWN STARS 07/09/2012 10:00 p – 10:30 p M—— 3.3 7 87 16
HIST PAWN STARS 07/09/2012 10:30 p – 11:00 p M—— 3.3 8 87 16
2 KDKA CBS BIG BR14TH-CBS 07/12/2012 9:00 p – 10:00 p —R— 3.2 8 86 18
2 KDKA CBS MIKE&MOLLY-CBS 07/09/2012 9:30 p – 10:00 p M—— 3.2 7 86 18
4 WTAE ABC BACHLRTTE-ABC 07/09/2012 8:00 p – 10:00 p M—— 3.2 8 85 18
TNT PERCEPTION 07/09/2012 10:00 p – 11:00 p M—— 3.1 7 83 21

Source: Nielsen
Note: Ratings are Live + Same Day

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

18 Jul

If the Top Priority is to Win, the Pirates Need to Promote Starling Marte by Jon Pennline

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, July 18th, 2012 – 8:51 am

know, it seems rather odd to ask if the Pirates are truly focused on winning when they are ten games over .500 in the middle of July. In fact, saying the "Pirates" aren't focused on winning is using too broad a brush to paint out the lackadaisical approach to improving this team.

No, not on the trade front since Neal Huntington is probably spending most of his time on his cell phone looking for deals, but rather, within the system he touts so highly.

Starling Marte is sitting in AAA batting .291/.353/.510 with 11 home runs, 58 RBI's, and 18 stolen bases. While his 82 strikeouts are still more than what management would like to see, the front office has outwardly expressed Marte's improvement in pitch recognition, a must-learn for all aspiring MLB hitters.

The time to promote Starling Marte was three weeks ago, but since he's still in AAA and the Pirates still only have one Major League caliber outfielder, let's say NOW is the time to promote Starling Marte.

Josh Harrison is not an outfielder.

Drew Sutton is not an outfielder.

Alex Presley is not a starting outfielder.

And yet, a perfectly good outfielder who has a better defensive skill set than Andrew McCutchen is sitting in AAA. Why? To learn right field? If this is a defense mechanism in response to his lapses in spring training, then it's a poor one. The ballparks in Florida are extremely windy in the month of March, turning the most routine fly ball into an adventure.

Marte could track down a fly ball with his eyes closed better than Drew Sutton or Josh Harrison playing in the outfield. The miscues by Harrison on Monday night arguably led to a win for the Colorado Rockies. Last night, Sutton misplayed a ball leading to a run, while Alex Presley dropped a fly ball allowing the Rockies to strike first.

Where is the holdup?

Some believe the Pirates are holding Marte to test how he reacts to not being promoted when it seems he should. That strategy has been used countless times by Pirates' scouting and development director, Kyle Stark. It's a good idea when you are trying to groom a star player on a mediocre team, however, when you have a team pushing for a playoff spot -their first in 20 years- you put the best nine players you have available. Starting a utility infielder in right field is an insult to the players and fans who are clamoring for baseball in October.

The Pirates already lost one game from bad defense in the outfield this week. How many more games do they have to lose before they make the call? If the Pirates are truly looking to improve their team, their first move should be to call up Starling Marte. He's ready and he won't cost you a dime.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

18 Jul

Hockey in July by Michelle Methot

published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, July 18th, 2012 – 8:50 am

For a hockey fan, there is arguably no greater feeling than being able to walk out of a hockey arena and into the beautiful 80-degree weather of July. Saturday gave Pittsburgh Penguins fans this opportunity, as the doors of CONSOL Energy Center opened to welcome over 6,000 spectators. The Penguins annual prospect development camp came to a close with a scrimmage between 34 of the best players within the deep pool of the organization's prospective talent. The scrimmage gave Penguins fans their first opportunity to see the players the organization had drafted less than a month earlier at the NHL Draft here in Pittsburgh. Along with the new additions acquired in the Jordan Staal and Zybnek Michalek trades, the development camp also welcomed back players drafted or acquired in the past four seasons and unrestricted free agents looking to sign with a NHL team.
When Jordan Staal was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, the big deal for the Penguins was the acquisition of Brandon Sutter. Brian Dumoulin was also apart of the dividends of the trade, proving during development camp that his physical defensive play could be a future asset on Penguins blue line. Dumoulin already has NHL size at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds and came into camp familiar with Pittsburgh's defensive system from watching video of the Penguins with his team at Boston College. Dumoulin physical play was evident in the scrimmage with his ability to defend off the opponent and to be first to retrieve the puck. He also showcased an offensive flair scoring a goal in the three on three overtime period.
Another noticeable player in the scrimmage was Harrison Ruopp, the defensemen acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes in the Zbynek Michalek trade. Ruopp was a player that the Penguins had scouted in 2011, but the Coyotes used the 84th overall pick in last year's draft to acquire the 6-foot-3 205 pound defender. Although Ruopp is known for his nice repertoire of hockey fights on youtube, during an opportunity in the shootout he proved that he can use his hands for more than just dropping the gloves. Although he has the NHL size and the physical nature for the game, he needs to continue to develop his skating and his play with the puck.
A familiar face in the scrimmage for Penguins fans was Simon Despres, the only player coming into the prospect development camp with 18 games of NHL experience. Although Despres held his own in the NHL this season, he came into development camp twenty pounds leaner and ready to build off of a successful first professional season. Despres was a man among boys in the scrimmage using his large size and reach to his advantage. It is very unlikely that Despres will start the season in Pittsburgh, but he will continue to be a reliable option to be recalled from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the case of injuries.
A notable forward in the scrimmage was Matia Marcantuoni, the Penguins 93nd overall fourth round pick in this year's draft. Marcantuoni was originally scouted as being a player that would be taken earlier in the draft, but a shoulder injury with his junior team Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League made him a steal for the Penguins as a later pick in the draft. Marcantuoni stood out for his noticeable skating speed and his ability to catch breaks in the offensive zone. Marcantuoni also added a goal in the 2nd period.
The Penguins welcomed two first round picks from the 2012 Draft with defenders Derrick Pouliot and Olli Maatta. Unlike Joe Morrow last season who came into prospect development and training camp contending for a roster spot, these two picks will certainly benefit from some required development with their respective junior teams. Pouliot still needs to develop his size as he had the disadvantage of being the smallest defender. He did showcase his breakout style and skating skill set in the scrimmage. Olli Maata as the youngest player at the camp does have the upper hand as a 6-foot-2 and 206 pound defensemen and has the potential to develop into a shutdown defender.
Another interesting player was Andrej Sustr, the unrestricted free agent that was one of three players invited from Nebraska-Omaha of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. At 224 pounds and 6-foot-7 he showcased his long reach and his ability to use his body to defend along the boards in the scrimmage. Sustr will likely earn an NHL contract and proved that he deserves one. Considering that in Pittsburgh defensemen positions are almost becoming as difficult as goaltending positions to earn, it will likely not be with the Penguins.
The scrimmage brought an end to the week long prospect development camp in Pittsburgh as these 6,000 fans were able to witness the depth of talent that the Penguins will be able to showcase for years to come. Ending off the weekend the biggest notable was the defensive assets that the Penguins are developing and the competition within the organization in earning a position at both the NHL and AHL level. The Penguins arguably have the most competition in this position and many of these assets might eventually translate into trades to acquire top six forwards. The future is bright here in Pittsburgh and as fans exited CONSOL Energy Center I'm sure we can all agree that nothing really beats watching some hockey in July.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins

 



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