Tree of Life

15 Aug

Pirates' Core Players Need to Show Improvement by Jon Pennline

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, August 15th, 2011 – 8:20 am

It sounds blasphemous to call the 2011 season anything but a major improvement upon the franchise's last two decades of embarrassment. But I just do not see how this team has gotten better and shown that the future will reap benefits of October baseball in Pittsburgh. Has there been more excitement in this season than in the last two decades? Absolutely. Atop the division in late July was extremely fun to witness as the team was performing like a veteran, well-oiled machine. However, there was something ominous about how they were doing it.

The Pirates weren't winning the majority of their games because of their young, core players. They were winning because of their pitching which included starters Paul Maholm, Kevin Correia, Jeff Karstens, Charlie Morton, James McDonald and relievers Joel Hanrahan, Jose Veras, Tony Watson and Daniel McCutchen. While Morton and McDonald project to be bottom of the rotation starters in the future, Karstens projects to be a long reliever who has pitched at an unsustainable, Cy Young caliber level this season. The pitching combined with timely hitting from career bench players Josh Harrison, Michael Mckenry, Xavier Paul, etc. put the Pirates in contention. The "core" players contributed in spurts but lacked any consistency to their approach at the plate.

When Andrew McCutchen was batting .219 in April, Neil Walker was hitting .301; when McCutchen was hitting .347 in June, Walker was batting .213. Meanwhile, Pedro Alvarez and Jose Tabata have dealt with lingering injuries that have squashed all hopes of improving on last year's successes. Since Alvarez returned to Pittsburgh on July 25th, he has hit .185 with an OPS of .504, 24 k's and 4 walks. It is painfully obvious he has completely lost confidence in his hitting ability and, to his credit, he was promoted (because of injury to Alex Presley) when the Pirates were facing the toughest stretch of games in the season. Going from AAA pitching to facing Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Craig Kimbrel, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (in that order) is a huge disparity in talent. Nevertheless, Alvarez needs to fight through his inconsistencies and trust his natural talent.

The Pirates would have to win two more games to eclipse last year's win total and claim a "better season." As a team, yes the Pirates have improved. They are a lot more exciting to watch and they are competitive in nearly every game with the numbers, particularly in the pitching staff, to prove it. But the supposed "future" of this team: McCutchen, Tabata, Alvarez, Walker have all taken a step back from last season. Make no mistake, those four players are as key to the team's future as Gerrit Cole, Luis Heredia, Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie. The Brewers are winning on the strength of Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and Yovani Gallardo with solid role players around them. The Rays didn't make the 2008 World Series on the strength of Gabe Gross or Andy Sonnanstine. They made it with their young core of BJ Upton, Evan Longoria, James Shields and Carl Crawford.

If the Pirates want to mirror their small market colleagues, they need their stars to carry the load.

As it stands, even if McCutchen goes on a tear and finishes with his familiar .286/.365 AVG/OBP at season's end, is that an improvement or is it consistently above average? McCutchen has the physical tools to be a star in baseball but, at times, lacks discipline at the plate. While he has already matched his home run total from last year with 16, he already is approaching career high strikeout numbers while needing 14 stolen bases to match last year's total. Meanwhile, if Neil Walker finishes strong he can match his OPS from last season. Unfortunately, after batting an astounding .366 AVG, .889 OPS in July, Walker has gone south in August, batting .191 with as many strikeouts (9) as hits. Alvarez and Tabata won't come close to last year's success, barring miracles.

Now, before I see you on my lawn with torches, please realize I am not saying McCutchen, Walker, Alvarez and Tabata cannot improve. But they need to step it up. I understand there will be struggles and this team is going to take baby steps towards success. But they have to show improvement along the way and they need to show leadership when things aren't going as smoothly as planned. Clint Hurdle was brought in to "change the culture of losing." But the players are just as responsible. After watching Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez flail at awful pitches in Milwaukee and essentially, under perform to the highest degree, it looked more of the past than the future. If this franchise wants to dig themselves out of an 18 year rut, they need the potential stars of this team to shine significantly brighter than the likes of Xavier Paul and Ronny Cedeno.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

14 Aug

PIRATES GET SWEPT BY BREWERS

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, August 14th, 2011 – 7:29 pm

Surprise, surprise, like most people expected the Pirates went into Milwaukee for a three game series and came out with no wins…again. The Bucs just can't beat the team they wish they were. No hitting again, Chuck Morton and the bullpen did all they could but the Pirates just can't score any runs at all no matter how many innings you give them. Rob Biertempfel has more:

MILWAUKEE – Nyjer Morgan's sacrifice fly in the 10th inning Sunday lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 2-1 victory against the Pirates and a sweep of the three-game series at Miller Park.

George Kottaras began the inning with a single to left field off Chris Resop. Casey McGehee doubled to right, sending Kottaras to third.

Morgan flew out to deep right, scoring Kottaras.

The Brewers tied the game in the eighth, ending Morton's scoreless streak at 24 1/3 innings. It also cost Morton a chance to notch his 10th win of the season.

Matt Lucroy began the inning with a bloop single to left. With one out, Morton was replaced by Jose Veras, who got Casey McGehee to fly out.

Closer Joel Hanrahan replaced Veras, setting up a rare four-out save opportunity. Nyjer Morgan struck out swinging on a wild pitch, but reached first when the ball got away from catcher Michael McKenry.

Ryan Braun singled to center, scoring pinch-runner Jerry Hairston to tie it 1-1. It was Hanrahan's second blown save of the year. The run belonged to Morton, snapping his streak.

Morton had not allowed a run since the second inning on July 29 against the Philadelphia Phillies. It's the longest streak by a Pirates pitcher since James McDonald strung together 20 scoreless innings from Sept. 1-18, 2010.

Morton dominated left-handed hitters, against whom he normally struggles. The Brewers' lefties went 1 for 13 with a walk and one hit batter.

The Pirates scored their lone run in the first inning against right-hander Shaun Marcum. Garrett Jones hit a one-out double into the right field corner. Andrew McCutchen followed with a ground-rule double, which bounced over the left field wall.

Marcum worked 7 2/3 innings and gave up just three hits. The Pirates had just one other scoring chance against him. They had runners on the corners with one out in the third, but McCutchen struck out and Neil Walker grounded out.

Walker is hitless in his past 21 at-bats, dropping his batting average to .267.

The Pirates had the bases loaded with two outs in the 10th. But Brandon Wood tapped the ball a foot in front of the plate, and catcher George Kottaras snatched it and stepped on home to force out Xavier Paul.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

13 Aug

PIRATES GET SHUTOUT BY BREWERS

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, August 13th, 2011 – 8:54 pm

The Buccos are now 12 games out of first place, it seemed like they were just in first place and the whole city had baseball fever. What is it about Milwaukee? They just cannot win in that place. No offense again, lots of standing ovations by the Brewers crowd again, it's all getting so tired. Rob Biertempfel has more:

Yunieksky Betancourt's solo home run in the second inning Saturday was enough for the Milwaukee Brewers to slip past the Pirates, 1-0.

Betancourt mashed an 0-2 pitch from right-hander Kevin Correia into the middle-tier of left field seats.

It was the ninth homer of the season for Betancourt. He's having a huge second half, batting .380 with 21 RBI over his past 24 games.

Correia (12-11) has lost five of his past six decisions, but deserved a better fate today. He worked 6 2/3 innings and yielded one run on seven hits, walked three and struck out three.

The Pirates' offense gave Correia no chance to win, mustering only two singles.

The Pirates were handcuffed for the first five innings by journeyman Marco Estrada (3-7). The right-hander gave up one hit – a one-out single by Ronny Cedeno in the third – and got five strikeouts.

Estrada was a fill-in for lefty Chris Narveson, who went on the disabled list after slicing open his thumb while repairing his glove with scissors. Estrada, 28, has made 33 appearances this season, all but five of them as a reliever.

In six previous starts over his four-year career, Estrada went 1-2 with a 6.37 ERA. He wasn't much better as a reliever, going 1-6 with a 5.61 ERA.

None of that mattered, though. Estrada rolled through five innings on 64 pitches and got six ground-ball outs. The Pirates hit just three balls out of the infield against him.

Milwaukee's bullpen took over in the sixth. Takashi Saito and LaTroy Hawkins each tossed a 1-2-3 inning.

The Brewers loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh. But reliever Chris Resop escaped by getting Casey McGehee to take a called third strike. The Brewers went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Ryan Ludwick began the eighth with a single to center off Francisco Rodriguez. But Ryan Doumit struck out, Pedro Alvarez popped up and Cedeno whiffed.

Xavier Paul began the ninth with a triple over the head of center fielder Nyjer Morgan. But closer John Axford got Andrew McCutchen and Matt Diaz to ground out – both batters pouncing on the first pitch. Garrett Jones walked.

With a sellout crowd of 43,214 on its feet, Neil Walker struck out to end it.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates

 

13 Aug

STEELERS AND PIRATES BOTH LOSE

published in category: Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, August 13th, 2011 – 1:50 pm

With Cecil Fielder celebrating like a fool, the Milwaukee crowd giving standing ovations every time a Brewers player gets a hit and that silly mascot sliding down the slide after every bomb they hit off a beleagured Joe Beimel, you would like to think the Pirates would show some pride, play angry and get some revenge tonight? Loss after loss piles up for our Buccos as they play in Wisconsin, when will we see some response? Some sign that they won't stand for this anymore, or are the Brew Crew so much better that there's nothing they can do?

Meanwhile, the Steelers looked sloppy in their first preseason game, no big deal. One thing that's clear though, Cam Heyward and Ziggy Hood can be difference makers for this aging defense right now, this season, the coaches need to find a way to make that happen. Don't waste a season with Heyward on the bench, play him and play him a lot, maybe it will help to keep Aaron Smith healthy for four games. Other than that the defense looked shaky and Ike Taylor broke his thumb, good times all around, Ralph Paulk has more:

LANDOVER, Md. – Even though he watched his seemingly beleaguered first-team defense get pushed around by a revamped Washington Redskins offense in the preseason opener, Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau appeared calm after a 16-7 loss Friday night at FedEx Field.

Yet losing an exhibition game pales in comparison to overcoming the obvious rust the Steelers' defense must shed before the Philadelphia Eagles arrive at Heinz Field on Thursday night. And it likely won't have one of its key members.

Cornerback Ike Taylor suffered a broken left thumb in the first quarter. Coach Mike Tomlin said Taylor could miss two weeks and was uncertain whether surgery would be required.

"I wasn't even like paying attention," Taylor said. "But I just know, during that time in the first quarter, I really felt it."

Taylor said he doesn't know when he'll return to practice but added, "that's up to the coaches and the trainers."

And during the Redskins' second possession, linebacker Lawrence Timmons absorbed a heavy blow to his head after a violent collision with tight end Fred Davis.

With linebacker James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu sitting out, the defense was wobbly and uncertain on Washington's first three drives. It surrendered 88 yards on the Redskins' first possession but escaped unscathed when kicker Shayne Graham hooked a 29-yard field-goal try.

"We've got to work on our technique and guys being in the right position," linebacker James Farrior said. "They did a good job of blocking us up, and they had a lot of running yards, which is something we don't usually give up."

The Redskins didn't score until the Steelers benched nearly all of their first teamers early in the second quarter. Quarterback Rex Grossman engineered an 82-yard drive that culminated in an 8-yard touchdown pass to receiver Santana Moss, giving Washington a 7-0 lead at 9:45.

LeBeau and Tomlin were forced to slightly alter their game plan. Tomlin said earlier this week that his starters would play 10 or fewer snaps from scrimmage, but several of them were on the field as the Redskins rolled up 119 yards on 22 plays during their first two possessions.

"It wasn't the kind of performance we were looking for tonight," Tomlin said. "Frankly, we got out-performed in all areas. I look forward to this group responding to what we put out there tonight. We've got a lot of ground to cover. We'll assess this performance, but it needs to better quickly."

The Steelers struggled to bottle up running back Tim Hightower, who consistently bounced off defenders – including a 16-yard run in which he shrugged off defensive end Brett Keisel.

The Steelers countered by blitzing LaMarr Woodley off the edge, and the Redskins adjusted: Grossman flipped a pass over Woodley's outstretched hands to fullback Darrel Young for a 16-yard completion to the Steelers 10.

From there, the Steelers' ageless defensive front finally responded. Keisel, with an assist from Timmons and Taylor, dragged Hightower down behind the line of scrimmage for a 3-yard loss. Then, nose tackle Casey Hampton hurried Grossman into an errant pass with Hightower breaking free in the Steelers' secondary on second-and-goal.

"We have a lot of work to do," Hampton said. "We don't have anything to panic about, but we definitely have some work to do."

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Posted in Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

11 Aug

BATCH HAS TORN ACL

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, August 11th, 2011 – 9:17 am

The Steelers Running Back position just got thinner. Baron Batch writes on his blog that he tore his ACL, read more from Batch below.

The funny thing about all roads is that at some point they all have potholes, speed bumps and detours. However, the durability of your vehicle is what allows you to reach your destination regardless of your traveling conditions.

Friday I was supposed to play my first NFL game. That won't happen. Today I tore my ACL. I'm not sure why I'm writing about this right now except for the fact that God put it on my heart to do so. I probably should be devastated at the fact I wont play my rookie season but

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Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

10 Aug

Fantasy Football: Pittsburgh Steelers Edition by Jon Pennline

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 – 7:25 pm

As the fall approaches, football season is nearing which means, of course, fantasy football drafts. Over the course of the season, your fantasy team may cross paths with your hometown team forcing you to root for the team you've loved your whole life or the team that could make you a decent amount of money. Of course, you may skip out on some players for the simple fact that they play the Steelers twice. While you mull over the reasons, whatever they may be, as to why Ray Rice will have a down year in Baltimore, consider adding some Steelers of your own to your team. Here's a breakdown of viable options who play for your hometown favorite:

1. Rashard Mendenhall
Mendenhall had a solid 2010 campaign, rushing for 1250 yards and 13 touchdowns. Although he only caught 23 passes in his first full season as a starter, Mendenhall has the ability to add the receiving aspect to his game. The offensive line didn't get any better but it also didn't get any worse from last year, so his numbers should probably go up slightly due to experience and an easy schedule. If you're worried about fumbles, keep in mind Mendenhall only fumbled twice during the regular season last year. If you're playing in a PPR (Points Per Reception) he's still a good pick. If you're playing in a PPIT (Points Per Idiotic Tweets) league, he's top three.

2. Mike Wallace

Already ranked in the top 10 for fantasy receivers at #6, Wallace has openly stated his goal is to reach 2000 yards this upcoming season. Since he averaged 20 yards per catch last year, simple math states it will take 100 catches for Wallace to achieve his goal. While many are skeptical he'll see the ball that much, I am not. Every fantasy football magazine you buy will tell you the Steelers are a running team. But I tend to disagree. Last year's numbers suggest the Steelers are balanced with just a few more passing attempts (479) than rushing attempts (471). Couple Roethlisberger starting all 16 games (barring injury) with the emergence of two wide receivers no longer in their rookie seasons, and you have potential to see big things out of the passing game. As it stands, there are only a handful of players that can cover Mike Wallace and while his speed has always been an asset, his improved route running could make the difference.

3. Ben Roethlisberger
While Ben still doesn't have a tall receiver to throw to, he still has enough weapons to have an excellent year. Wallace can stretch the field, while Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders both have speed as well. Hines Ward, although declining, still finds soft zones in coverage. Heath Miller is an excellent third down target while Mewelde Moore, is an excellent pass catching third down back. If there was an opportunity for Big Ben to move into elite quarterback status, this year seems to be his best chance. As mentioned before, due to Pittsburgh's balanced offense, Ben's numbers may not translate into MVP, but he will be a solid starter on any fantasy roster.

4. Defense
When looking around the league, the Steelers still have the best defense in the league. Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons are the playmakers while Casey Hampton gums up the middle, preventing running backs from doing anything. As weak as the secondary is, the defense as a whole is one of the greatest rushing defenses in NFL history. Chances are, if you are a fantasy expert, you wont end up with this team as someone in your draft will ALWAYS take a defense too early.

Other low round options:

Heath Miller: He had a down year after catching 76 passes in 2009, he's a possible red zone threat but doesn't seem to get in the end zone enough to be a viable option. Unless you're playing in a 16 team league, Miller is nothing but a backup.

Hines Ward: He's slowed down considerably with injuries and age. Ward is more of a third receiver in fantasy as Mike Wallace seems to get the majority of the targets.

Antonio Brown: Brown had a few excellent moments here and there but was nowhere near consistent enough to be a fantasy option. Still, he's fast and has a chance to be the third receiver if Emmanuel Sanders can't stay healthy.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

10 Aug

PIRATES TAKE 2 OF 3 FROM THE GIANTS

published in category: Pittsburgh Pirates, Sports Talk Radio on Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 – 7:19 pm

Are the Bucs back on the winning track? Huge series with the Brewers coming up in Milwaukee. Dejan Kovacevic will be covering the big weekend series for the Trib. Ken Laird and Guy Junker start talking Bucs 9am Thursday morning. Friday-TribLIVE Radio will have a big preview segment for the series.

Rob Biertempfel's story on the Bucs win.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Pirates were willing to wait for Jonathan Sanchez's erratic control to cause him problems today. It didn't take long.

The San Francisco Giants left-hander didn't make it through the fifth inning. The Pirates parlayed five hits and four walks off Sanchez into an easy, 9-2 victory.

It was the Pirates' biggest single-game run production since July 10. They finished with 10 hits, including seven singles, and put 18 runners on base.

Andrew McCutchen reached base five times – three walks, a hit by pitch and a two-run homer – stole two bases and scored four runs. Matt Diaz had a pair of RBI hits, Ryan Ludwick went 3 for 4 and Brandon Wood hit a two-run single.

Before the game, manager Clint Hurdle said the Pirates would have a simple approach against Sanchez.

"We've got to make him throw strikes and get him over the plate," Hurdle said. "There's a lot of chase involved when he's on. You want to show some discipline. You want to be ready to hit in the strike zone. Make him throw strikes."

The Pirates followed the plan perfectly.

Sanchez (4-7) began the game by walking McCutchen on four pitches. McCutchen stole second and scored on Ryan Ludwick's two-out single.

In the third, Jeff Karstens drew a leadoff walk. McCutchen followed with a homer deep into the left field seats. Steve Pearce walked on four pitches, went to third on an error and scored on Diaz's two-out, bloop single.

Another walk by McCutchen led to another run in the fifth. McCutchen advanced on a wild pitch, then scored on Jones' broken-bat single to right.

Garrett Jones' single knocked Sanchez out of the game. Sanchez threw 83 pitches, only 45 of them strikes.

Karstens (9-6) worked six innings and amassed a career-high nine strikeouts. The righty gave up two runs on eight hits.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Pirates, Sports Talk Radio

 

09 Aug

TribLIVE Radio High School Football Schedule

published in category: Sports Talk Radio on Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 – 9:37 am

Sept. 16th- Penn-Trafford @ Hempfield Area

Sept. 23rd-Ringgold @ Greensburg-Salem

Sept. 30th-Washington @ Keystone Oaks

Oct. 7th-Chartiers-Houston @ Brentwood

Oct. 14th-Belle Vernon @ West Mifflin

Oct. 21st-Montour @ West Allegheny

Oct. 28th-Central Catholic @ Fox Chapel

We also will carry three WPIAL Playoff Games on the following dates- Friday Nov. 4th, Friday Nov. 11th and Friday Nov. 18th. Teams to be announced on the Monday of each of those weeks.
Ken Laird will call the action each week plus TribLIVE Radio will have the longest and most comprehensive High School Footbal Pre-Game Show brought to you by DME Plus every Friday 4pm-7pm, three full hours of Pre-Game for the WPIAL. Michael Grau hosts, John Fedko, Ken Laird and Kevin Gorman contribute along with all of the High School Football Trib Writers as we preview every single WPIAL football game.

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Posted in Sports Talk Radio

 



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