Todays Tidbits

Ollie on the Block

2006-05-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

According to Will Carroll over at Baseball Prospectus, the Pirates and Phillies may be discussing a deal that would send Oliver Perez and Ryan Doumit to the City of Brotherly Love. Just two weeks ago, there was a rumor the Phils were interested in Ronny Paulino, who seems to have won the starting job in Doumit's absense.

Not sure why anyone would give up much for Perez right now. I've got to believe there is something physically (or mentally) wrong with Perez. This is completely unfounded speculation, but is it possible Perez was on steroids? I think it was Jim Thome who pointed out a few weeks ago that one reason why hitters are doing so well so far this season is that all the pitchers had to stop juicing, as well.

Either way, I'm not ready to give up on Ollie yet, and he's still young enough that he could work his way out of this funk now that he's hopefully receiving solid coaching. Another thing to note is that Cota has been catching for him, maybe they should let him work with Paulino who has had a very positive effect on Duke, Maholm and Snell.

Steelers Sign 12 UFA's

2006-05-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

In addition to the four UFA's mentioned earlier (TE Jon Dekker, DE/LB Mike Kudla, DT Scott Paxson and CB Anthony Madison), the Steelers have signed an additional 8 prospects. Among them:

S Mike Lorello ~ West Virginia -- Versatile safety had another fine season in 2005, collecting 82 tackles (7 TFL’s), 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, 7 PD’s and a league leading 5 forced fumbles. Much more talented athlete than he is given credit for, with a great work ethic. Most adept at stopping the run and blitzing the quarterback. Problem, according to insiders, is NFL scouts doubt Lorello’s speed and see him more as a 6’ 1", 210 pound linebacker, until he can show them he has the required speed to play safety in the NFL. If he does run well, don’t be surprised if he sticks around as a special teams demon/backup safety. (draftdaddy.com)

C/G Grayling Love ~ Arizona State -- Arizona State red-shirted Love during his true freshman season in 2001. He started one of the 14 games he appeared in during the 2002 season lining up at right tackle and center that year. Love lined up at right tackle and he started 11 of the 12 games he appeared in during the 2003 season. He started six games at left guard and six games at right guard during the 2004 season earning first-team All Pac-Ten honors along the way. He lined up center and he was named second-team All Pac-10 as a senior in 2005 despite missing significant playing time due to a foot injury. Love's potential is limited by his lack of ideal size and explosiveness so it's unlikely he ever develops into a quality starter. He is also coming off a foot injury so there are concerns about his durability in the NFL. However, he is a versatile technician that won't make a lot of mistakes, so he could develop into a valuable reserve. If Love goes "undrafted" in 2006, he is worth bringing in as a priority free agent. (scout.com)

S Zach Baker ~ East Carolina -- East Carolina's Zach Baker has the ideal size for an NFL safety at 6-2, 208 pounds with a time in the 40 of 4.5. Baker was third on the Pirates in tackles and tied for the team lead in interceptions with three in 2005. He could prove to be a steal for some team in the later rounds or via post-draft free agency. (The East Carolinian)

K Mark Brubaker ~ East Stroudsburg -- see profile from ESU's site

OT Nick Hagemann ~ South Dakota State -- see feature article on South Dakota State site

S Jamar Landrom ~ Tennessee State -- from an April 16th article about Landrom's showing at the NFL's Pro-Timing Day: According to the New York Giants recordings, Landrom ran his 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds (with the wind) and 4.49 (against). He also ran the short shuttle in 4.22, the three-cone drill in 6.75 and the long shuttle in 11.36. In addition, he had a 37-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-10 broad jump. He also recorded 17 repetitions in the 225-pound max-reps bench press. Landrom showing at the Pro-Timing Day ranked him in the top ten of strong safeties in almost every event according to times listed on nfl.com.

TE Isaac Smolko ~ Penn State -- Smolko is not quite big enough (6-4, 246) to be a power blocking tight end and not quite polished enough to join the new breed of receiving tight ends. (scout.com)

DE Lee Vickers ~ North Alabama -- see profile from U of North Alabama web site

Malkin transfer could be costly

2006-05-01T13:30:00.000-05:00

According to Reuters, Malkin's Russian team feels the Penguins must buy out the sniper's contract before he can leave for North America. The Russian Federation has not signed a transfer agreement with the NHL. The current deal endorsed by the IIHF would see the team receive $900,000 in compensation.

"We're not asking for ($900,000) compensation from Penguins. Such a sum is a handout and we're not interested in handouts," Metallurg Magnitogorsk general director Gennady Velichkin told Russian media. "Put simply, they must buy his contract from us."

Malkin, who was picked second overall behind countryman Alexander Ovechkin in the 2004 Entry Draft, scored 21 goals and 47 points in 46 games in the Russian SuperLeague last season. And now he wants to play in Pittsburgh.

"I've already made up my mind for next season -- I'll be leaving for the NHL," Malkin told the Sport-Express newspaper. "I'm 100 percent sure of that.

When asked how much the Penguins should have to pay for the services of Malkin, Velichkin made a comparison to soccer star Andriy Shevchenko's move from Dynamo Kiev to AC Milan for $25 million.

"Dynamo received millions from Milan for Shevchenko, why can't we get that?, asked Velichkin.

"But I can't name the exact price for Malkin. We must wait for Pittsburgh's offer first."

Malkin is widely regarded as the best player not currently playing in the NHL.

Steelers Add UFA's

2006-05-01T12:28:00.000-05:00

While they have not announced their full list of undrafed free agents, info is starting to leak out about who the Steelers have added, the most interesting so far of which is Ohio State defensive end Mike Kudla, who the Steelers may try to move to outside linebacker. Scout.com considered Kudla a 6th rounder, but one of my favorite sites, draftdaddy.com, liked him even better:

LB Mike Kudla ~ Ohio State -- Listed as a defensive end, he will very likely play linebacker in the NFL, because he might be a little short for a lineman at 6’ 2". At the Combine, Kulda’s record tying 45 bench press reps, 4.70 40 time and 37" vertical showed he’s a great athlete at 275 pounds. Probably projects as a 3-4 linebacker in the NFL. His showing at the Combine will have teams considering him between the 3rd and 5th round.

Another name that could be interesting is Princeton tight end Jon Dekker, here's what draftdaddy had to say about the big Ivy Leaguer, ranking him as their top small-school tight-end and a member of their Elite 20 small-school prospects (a group that also features Steelers 4th rounder Willie Colon):

TE Jon Dekker ~ Princeton -- Talented tight end, with good size at 6' 5", 255 pounds, who came on strong as a senior, collecting 32 receptions for a 11.5 yard average and 5 touchdowns. Impressive blocker at his level, who can find the seem in the zone and make some big plays. Could be player to watch out for, if he can impress scouts at Pro Day. Tight end seems to be a position were former Ivy Leaguers have done well at in the NFL.

The Steelers also picked up a few guys who did not get invited to the Combine, but did some nice things for major programs.:

DT Scott Paxson ~ Penn State -- Very Much an unsung player on PSU’s talented defensive line. Paxson played next to impact junior Jay Alford and the pair did a nice job, helping the Lions to a 12-1 season. Paxson finished the 2005 season with 44 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Had 33 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in 2004. Tall, athletic player at 6’5" and 280 pounds, who blocked 5 kicks in 2004 alone. Sort of reminds us of former NFL player Shane Burton. Paxson did not receive an invite to Combine, which is a mild surprise to us, considering his size and how well he played for a top ranked team.

CB Anthony Madison ~ Alabama -- Three-year starter who totaled 44 tackles and broke up six passes last year. Junior numbers included 26/4/14. Undersized cornerback who works best facing the action. Fluid pedaling in reverse, smooth transitioning with opponents and positions himself to break up passes. Feisty, not afraid to mix it up and quickly closes to the action. Physically beaten down by opponents and loses out in battles. Struggles when his back is to the action. Potentially a dime back in zone coverage or backed off the line of scrimmage, Madison offers a special-teams mentality as well.

More to come...

Who's Left

2006-04-30T23:43:00.000-05:00

We all know how much the Steelers love undrafted free agents, so who are some of my favorite draft-leftovers:

A pair of tall receivers (something the Steelers could still use) are left in Miles Austin & Martin Nance [UPDATE: signed with Buffalo], though the Steelers receivers corp looks pretty stocked right now with Ward, Wilson, Holmes, Morgan, Washington, Reid and Morey. Undrafted Pitt receiver Greg Lee has signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals.

Former George Mason basketball star Jai Lewis was brought in for a workout at tight-end, could be worth taking a flyer on and maybe stash on the practice squad.

My favorite UFA is defensive Eric Henderson, whom I actually had the Steelers taking in my mock draft and would be a nice pick-up. Scout.com had him ranked as a 4th rounder, as they also ranked inside linebacker Kai Parnham and cornerback Anwar Phillips; two positions at which the Steelers did not address depth in the draft.

In my mock I also projected cornerback Khalid Naziruddin who also went undrafted.

The World According to Kiper

2006-04-30T23:19:00.000-05:00

I'll cut Mel a little slack since he probably hasn't slept in a few weeks. The self-proclaimed guru doesn't think too much of the Steelers draft, but that may be due to the fact that he isn't real clear on who they drafted:

Pittsburgh Steelers: GRADE: C+
The Steelers have replaced Antwaan Randle El with wide receivers Sinorice Moss and Willie Reid. On defense, Anthony Smith makes up for the loss of Chris Hoke in free angency. Defensive tackle Orien Harris could turn out to be one of the better Day 2 picks.

I personally think the Steelers had one of the better drafts in the league, made even more impressive by the fact that they were picking near the bottom of every round. I might change my tune, though, if the Steelers had traded up to draft Sinorice Moss and were going to make Anthony Smith a defensive lineman.

As it stands, the Steelers addressed most, if not every one of their needs, stacked their special teams and added depth all over the board. I've already given my day 1 thoughts, so let's quickly recap day 2.

While it would've been nice to add T.J. Duckett, he was not worth the 2007 3rd rounder Atlanta supposedly wanted. Unable to work the deal using one of their remaining 2006 picks, here's how used them:

In the fourth round the Steelers took a bit of a project on the 0-line in Willie Colon, who had been mentioned as one of their targets earlier in the week. With any other team, this might be a suspect pick as most scouting bureaus did not even rate him as a drafted player, but I trust the Steelers saw something in him that makes them believe he can compete, and if the Steelers know anything...it's the o-line. With their next pick they grabbed what (even Kiper acknowledges) could be the steal of day 2 in Orien Harris. Harris replaces Keisel as the young up-and-comer on the d-line and should be a big contributor on special teams.

In round five the Steelers grabbed their back-up quarterback of the future in Omar Jacobs. Jacobs has the talent and athletic ability to have been a 1st rounder, but needs to improve his technique. The Steelers also selected a tight-end to add depth to position that needed it. Davis is a big, strong kid, who probably won't see a ton of action this year, barring injury, but is much more of a legit tight end then, say, Matt Kranchick was.

The Steelers finished up the day by adding a couple guys who have practice squad written all over them, at center and running back.

With where they were picking and what their needs were, I could not be happier with this draft...and Mel, if Daniel Smith is replacing Chris Hoke, than Orien Harris should be able to fill in nicely for Chris Hope.

Holmes in One

2006-04-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

Did the Steelers need to trade up in round one to grab wide receiver/kick returner Santonio Holmes from the Ohio State University? Maybe not. Did they need to give up a 3rd & 4th rounder to do it when the trade chart showed a 3rd & 5th should have been more than enough? Maybe not. Did the Steelers fill two big needs with one big pick? Absolutely. Holmes should step right into the slot and will become the punt returner and possibly return kick-offs, as well. At least that's what we thought for a couple hours...more on that in a minute.

The Steelers made up for their traded picks by exchanging their 2nd rounder for two 3rd round picks. With their first pick in the 3rd round, the Steelers selected Syracuse safety Anthony Smith. A somewhat surprising pick considering two safeties the Steelers were thought to be interested in, Ko Simpson and Darnell Bing, were still on the board. While Smith may take some time to adjust to playing safety in the NFL (remember how lost Polamalu was as a rookie?), he should contribute immediately on special teams coverage and kick blocking formations...he blocked six kicks in college.

With their final pick of the day, the Steelers showed how seriously they are taking the loss of Randle El to the return game by selecting punt return specialist Willie Reid from Florida State. Reid was a productive wide receiver in college, and may someday evolve into a #3 or #4 receiver in the pros, but it is very clear why he is being brought to Pittsburgh. Scout.com ranks Reid as the 2nd best return specialist in the draft, behind only Devin Hester, a 2nd round selection of the Bears.

Barring additional trades, the Steelers will have 6 more picks tomorrow, including two in the 4th, two in the 5th and one in each of the 6th and 7th rounds. There is plenty of depth left to add, but the Steelers addressed their three main areas of concern today.

2006 Tidbits Mock Draft

2006-04-28T09:54:00.000-05:00

A little more than 24 hours to go before the 2006 NFL Draft begins, and about 30 hours before the Steelers make their first selection, but now it's time for me to make mine. For starters, no way the Steelers are going to sign 10 draft picks, so along the way, I'm going to swing a couple trades. Here we go:

Round 1: Pick 32 (Overall: 32) - LenDale White, RB, USC
Here's the first trade for the Steelers. I think LenDale White is the Steelers man and I think they may have to move up a few spots to get him. There is a chance he could slip by Indianapolis, but it's not a risk I take. The Steelers 3rd & 6th round picks should be the most they'd have to give to get him, and I think for their needs...it's worth it. White spends most of the season on the bench, getting limited action...until, of course, Duce gets hurt in the preseason opener and then White shares time with Fast Willie. If Cowher & Co. can keep White's head in the game and his weight under control, White becomes a Heath Miller-like steal at towards the end of round 1. They could also grab Ohio State center Nick Mangold, the top center in the draft, though they may have to move ahead of the Jets and Jaguars to assure they get him.

The Steelers could also trade down with this pick and improve their position in subsequent rounds.

Round 2: Pick 32 (64) - Danieal Manning, S, Abilene Christian
I think the Steelers would love to see USC's Darnell Bing or South Carolina's Ko Simpson fall into their lap here, but I think their off the board by now. Mannings got good potential at safety and could be playing some nickel & dime by midseason. Where Manning can contribute right away is on special teams, where he takes over kick return duties and is a force on the coverage team.

Round 4: Pick 32 (129) - Mike Hass, WR, Oregon State
Like day one, I'm beginning day two with another trade. This time I'm dealing my 4th & 5th to move up in the 4th and grab Hass. If the Steelers don't trade their 3rd pick, they'll have already taken a wideout by now, but I think Hass gives you good value here, and fills a need. Hass is possibly the best deep threat in the draft, and that's the main offensive component the Steelers have been lacking. Hass should see time on the outside in 3 receiver sets, allowing the Steelers to keep Cedrick Wilson in slot, where he belongs.

Round 4: Pick 34 (131) - Eric Henderson, DE, Georgia Tech
With the Steelers first compensatory pick it's time to address the depth on the d-line. The Steelers seem to really like last year's 7th round pick Shaun Nua, and by adding Henderson, they'll have solid depth along the line, and maybe a potential starter (Aaron Smith will become a free agent at season's end). Some consider this pass-rusher a boom-or-bust type prospect. He has had some injury problems in the past, but if he can get passed them, he could be a steal on day two. I wouldn't put it passed the Steelers to try to turn him into an outside linebacker, either.

Round 4: Pick 36 (133) - Bruce Gradkowski, QB, Toledo
Move over Rod Rutherford, there's a new local kid in town. Gradkowski is a tough kid and could grow into a decent back-up. Not much to say here. I think the Steelers definitely take a quarterback on day 2, and unless somehow Omar Jacobs slips through a whole bunch of cracks, I think Gradkowski's their guy.

Round 5: Pick 35 (167) - E.J. Whitley, OT, Texas Tech
Anytime I read "Steelers re-sign Barrett Brooks", I know it's time to draft some depth on the line. The Steelers seem to like last year's 6th rounder, Chris Kemoeatu, and the juries still out on Trai Essex, so I think Whitley is a good value this late. He played every position along the o-line in college, and while he doesn't seem to have the "mean streak" the Steelers like, his versatility should make up for it. I see him as a Chukky Okobi-type, who could provide them good depth at a number of positions.

Round 7: Pick 32 (240) - Khalid Naziruddin, CB, Texas Tech
For my last pick of the draft, I'm going back to defense and giving myself a little protection in the secondary in case I can't re-sign Ike Taylor after this season, and let's face it, the Steelers need to take at least one guy with a really long last name. Like Taylor, Naziruddin is a bit of a developmental project. He's got the "mean streak" and plays bigger than his undersized frame. Played some safety in college, in addition to corner. If he can learn to take better angles and improve his tackling, he could be a nice pick-up this late...and if he doesn't, who cares, he's Pittsburgh's Mr. Irrelevant.

So, that's my mock draft. If the Steelers don't feel the need to trade away 3 picks, they could fill some an additional need for depth at tight end (Jai Lewis?), and you can never draft too many offensive or defensive linemen. Lot of question marks surround this year's draft and it should definitely be a fun one to watch...even for Steeler fans.

Fact vs. Fiction

2006-04-27T10:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm stealing this from ESPN, but who cares, here we go...

FACT: The Steelers will trade up on day 1 of the draft.

This one comes down to simple math, the Steelers have 10 draft picks and neither the roster spots or room under the rookie cap to sign 10 draft picks. I look for them to actually trade up twice this weekend, once in the first round (their 1st, 3rd and a 5th or 6th depending how high they move up) and again on day 2, moving up in the 4th round for their own 4th and the 5th or 6th they trade earlier.

FICTION: The Steelers are happy with their receiving corp.

They can say it all they want. Cedrick Wilson can step into the #2 role and they love Nate Washington and Quincy Morgan showed some things. The bottom line is Cedrick Wilson can absolutely replace Randle El at wideout, but only because Randle El was a non-factor on offense for most of the year. Wilson did show improvement as the year went on, but does anybody believe he's a #2 receiver on a Super Bowl contender? He belongs in the slot. Washington and Morgan, and maybe even Walter Young, can provide a little depth, but none of those guys are or ever will be stars. The Steelers must spend a day one pick on a receiver and hope he can contribute. Luckily, next year's crop of receivers should be a lot stronger.

FACT: The Pirates are the worst clutch team in baseball.

Watching the Pirates is like watching Wily Mo Pena...if he comes up in a completely unimportant situation, with the bases empty, get out the binoculars, cause he's going to launch a moon-shot. If, god-forbid, there's a runner in scoring position...you can chalk up the backwards-K before he even steps to the plate. And, though it pains me to say it, the worst culprit might be Jason Bay.

FICTION: The Pirates are the worst team in baseball.

As Michel Therien proved, there is a learning curve when you take over for a team that has not been properly coached. Jim Tracy and staff have the unenviable task of undoing the damage of past regimes. Working for them is the fact that the players on this team are willing to do what they must to improve, including running spring training-like drills the day of games and showing up early for one-on-ones with coaches. This team will improve, and with the exception of Oliver Perez, the young pitchers seem to be making some progress. Perez, meanwhile, continues to get hit harder than Rich Tylski's kids (too soon?).

FACT: The Penguins are going to be fun to watch next year.

While they may not be a playoff contender yet, the Penguins by the start of next season should have a core of young talent like this town hasn't seen since the 70's. Assuming they can get Evgeni Malkin across the border, and have this year's #2 selection on the team, even if they don't win (yet)...they should be entertaining every night.

FICTION: The Pens are leaving town.

It's just not going to happen.

Rich Tylski Beats His Kid

2006-04-21T15:46:00.000-05:00

Just when it looked like Derek Bell had Douche Bag of the Week locked up...

Former NFL offensive guard Rich Tylski and his wife were accused of hitting their adopted daughter with a belt, slamming her head on a table and other abuse that left the girl with broken bones in her hands and leg.

The 35-year-old Tylski and wife Jane, 36, were free on $20,000 bond each on the child abuse and neglect charges. They were released Wednesday after turning themselves in. A message left on their home answering machine wasn't immediately returned, and it was unclear whether they had lawyers.

Tylski spent nine seasons in the NFL, playing in 95 games with the Jaguars, Steelers and Panthers before retiring after the 2004 season.

The child, whose age and name weren't released, was taken to a Jacksonville hospital March 10 for a fractured right thigh bone. Her parents said she had fallen down the stairs about eight hours earlier.

Doctors found extensive bruising in various stages of healing. A skeletal survey found six or seven healing fractures in the child's hand, the police report stated.

The girl later told investigators that she lied about falling down the stairs and she demonstrated on a doll how her mother had pushed her leg over her head until they heard a pop, the report said. The report also stated that Rich Tylski said he had hit the child with a belt.

The Department of Children & Families told police the girl missed 14 days of school from October to March.

DCF spokesman John Harrell said he could not discuss the Tylski case because of state confidentiality laws. "Whenever we receive information that a child may be abused, we respond within a matter of hours. We investigate all cases of child abuse thoroughly wherever they may lead. Our No. 1 priority is child safety," he said.

During an interview on March 24, the child told investigators that her mother slammed her head on the table when she wouldn't eat. She said both parents hit her. She said a scar on her forehead was from her mother slamming her head into the table, but denied her mother hurt her leg, the police report said.

In a second interview April 3, the girl described how her mother would bend her fingers backward.

All Pro Dad, which promotes active fatherhood, listed Tylski as an NFL player involved with the organization on its Web site. A call to its Tampa office was not immediately returned.

A call to the DCF about the case was not immediately returned.

Derek Bell Smokes Crack

2006-04-20T14:38:00.000-05:00

Former outfielder Derek Bell was charged with felony cocaine possession, police said Thursday.
Bell, 37, was pulled over for a traffic violation, Tampa police said.

"He was found with a crack pipe in the back seat of his car which was still warm," police spokesman Larry McKinnon said.

Bell is also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, McKinnon said. Bell later told police the items were his.

He was being held in jail on $2,500 bail. It was unclear if he had an attorney.

Barry Bonds Rookie Card

2006-04-18T23:21:00.000-05:00

It's the Journey...Not the Destination

2006-04-03T10:59:00.000-05:00

For an organization that promotes effort over results, Dave Littlefield is the perfect man for the job, and was rewarded today with a one-year contract extension, which now runs through the 2008 season. Under Littlefield's watch, the Pirates definitely seem to be in better shape as an organization than before he got to town, but let's face it, you don't need thick socks to fill Cam Bonifay's shoes. Has Littlefield done a good job at rebuilding the franchise? It's too soon to tell. Are some of the building blocks in place and/or on the way? Absolutely. I'm not saying I agree with or disagree with extending his contract, I just think it's interesting that a team that must be so careful with every decision it makes, didn't take a wait-and-see approach, when his contract ran through next year already.

It's too bad for Craig Patrick that the Penguins didn't take that approach after the offseason he had. Remember how excited we all were about the Pens free agent pick-ups? And they were, for the most part, bonafide stars...and looked what happened.

Pirates Finalize Roster (pretty much)

2006-03-31T11:43:00.000-05:00

With a couple moves today, the Pirates have set their roster for opening day. Victor Santos has been selected as the fifth starter, though he will actually become the #2 starter in order to let the young pitchers face weaker opposition. That I like, the selection of Santos I don't like. Brandon Duckworth, who was reassigned to minor league camp, had a better spring and I get the feeling like Santos was only kept, because sending him back to KC means the Bucs would lose out on $25K. Not that Duckworth is so great, just in a situation where the best player should have been selected with all things being equal...all things were not equal. Santos is now just holding down a spot for Sean Burnett, who should be in the majors by May/June.

Starting Rotation: Oliver Perez, Victor Santos, Zach Duke, Ian Snell, Paul Maholm

Jody Gerut, despite a strong spring was sent to AAA today. The team cited his lack of speed for the demotion and instead chose to keep Nate McLouth. Gerut hopes to regain the speed he had back in 2003 and all but admitted that his knee is not 100% yet. Keeping McLouth could be more significant than just selecting a 5th outfielder, McLouth will challenge Chris Duffy (who did not have a great spring, health-wise or performance-wise) for playing time in centerfield.

The rest of the offense will be as follows:
C: Ryan Doumit, Humberto Cota
IF: Sean Casey, Jose Castillo, Jack Wilson, Joe Randa, Freddy Sanchez, Jose Hernandez
OF: Jason Bay, Chris Duffy, Jeromy Burnitz, Craig Wilson, Nate McLouth

In the bullpen, Matt Capps has been awarded a trip up north after a solid spring, capped off (no pun intended) with a big strikeout of Manny Ramirez the other day. The only thing left to be determined in the bullpen is whether Damaso Marte is healthy enough to break camp with the team. Terry Adams and CJ Nitkowski are still with the team, and one of them would take Marte's spot if he's not ready to go.

Here's your bullpen:
John Grabow, Damaso Marte (?), Ryan Vogelsong, Salomon Torres, Matt Capps, Roberto Hernandez and Mike Gonzalez.

Will this be a team that competes for a playoff spot? Probably not. Could this be a team that finishes over .500? Absolutely. Now, keep in mind I'm saying they absolutely could...not they absolutely will. But it's good enough to get me excited for the upcoming season. Let's go Bucs!

Pirates Pare Roster by 5

2006-03-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

The Pirates made half of their remaining cuts this morning, reassigning utility-man of the future Jose Bautista to minors, along with catching prospect Ronny Paulino, infielder Mike Edwards and pitchers Britt Reames and Scott Strickland.

The demotions of Bautista and Edwards (and earlier JJ Furmaniak) means that Jose Hernandez has inexplicably locked up a roster spot as the back-up utility man.

The Pirates have also officially announced what has been reported all week, that the team will start the season with Kip Wells, John VanBenschoten and Bryan Bullington on the 60-day DL, meaning they will have room for 3 players who are not on the 40-man roster. This will include Hernandez, Giovanni Carrara (most likely) or Terry Adams, and possibly Brandon Duckworth...though it sounds like the Pirates are going to go with Santos and start off with Duckworth in Indy.

That's about it for now, expect the Bits to start picking up soon, with the Pirates just about ready to start play, the upcoming NFL draft, and thankfully only 11 more Pens games before we can start focusing on the offseason.

One other note, anybody catch Scrubs last night and see the Terrible Towel hanging up in Turk & Carla's apartment?

Steelers Re-Sign Two, Pick-up 3 Picks

2006-03-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

Today, the Steelers signed their final unrestricted free agent, wide receiver Quincy Morgan, as well as exclusive rights free agent and 2005 7th round pick Shawn Nua. No terms were announced yet. Morgan should help in the return game and could even find himself in a starting role at some point if the Steelers don't use a high pick in the draft to fill the void left by Randle El. Cedrick Wilson will definitely see increased action, but may be best suited for the slot, with Morgan making a nice, tall counterpart for Hines Ward.

Despite some speculation last week, it remains highly unlikely that the Steelers will trade for Buffalo receiver Eric Moulds. The Bills are thought to be asking for a 4th round pick, which is very reasonable compensation, but whomever trades for him, would have to take on his salary, and Steelers would be hard pressed to find room for the approx. $7M he'll count against the cap this year.

The NFL today awarded 32 compensatory draft picks, including 3 to the Steelers. Pittsburgh was awarded two 4th-round picks (#131 & #133 overall) and a 5th-rounder (#167) as compensation for losing free agents Plaxico Burress, Kendrell Bell and Keydrick Vincent. This gives the Steelers 10 picks in the upcoming draft, but don't expect them to keep all ten. The extra picks will give the Steelers some ammo to trade up in some rounds, as they will have the 32nd selection in each round. With a number of major players due to become free agents next offseason, drafting solid depth next month will be crucial to the franchise's continued success.

In case you missed it, there is a nice story up on the Steelers web site about Bam Morris, who seems to have turned his life around. Worth the quick read.

Pens in Rare Form

2006-03-26T11:02:00.000-05:00

If anybody missed (or I should say, if anybody actually watched) the Pens game Friday night against the Isles, you missed a great game. I have not watched a Pens game since before the Olympic break, but for whatever reason decided to tune in and was rewarded with seeing Ryan Malone open the scoring with one of the prettiest goals I've ever seen. The game was great fun all the way till the end, when Sid the Kid finished it in OT. Good work in his debut by Noah Welch, as well.

Click here for some highlights

Pirates Trim Roster

2006-03-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

The Pirates made some tough decisions today as they made 11 cuts. Several players cut today can expect to make it to Pittsburgh at some point this season, including starting candidates Sean Burnett and Tom Gorzelanny, both of whom will start the season in AAA. Other members of the 40-man sent to AAA today include Yurnell DeCaster, Brad Eldred and Rajai Davis.

Six non-roster invitees were reassigned to the minor league camp, including Nerio Rodriguez, Ron Chiavacci, Matt Whiteside, Carlos Maldonado, Jason Alfara and Gookie Dawkins. Dawkins had an excellent spring and could be a candidate to replace Jose Hernandez, when he is inevitably released later in the season.

The demotions of Burnett and Gorzelanny mean that in all likelihood Ian Snell and Brandon Duckworth have locked up the two openings in the starting rotation (provided there is no Craig Wilson trade), while Victor Santos seems to be headed to a swingman role in the bullpen. Ryan Vogelsong, who was once being considered for a spot in the rotation, could be in danger of losing his spot in the bullpen. The Pirates roster is now down to 42 men, meaning 17 more cuts will be coming over the next week or so.

Done Deal

2006-03-14T20:28:00.000-05:00

The Steelers and Brett Keisel have come to terms on a new 4-year deal. Financial terms have not been disclosed. The numbers have come out, however, on Ryan Clark's deal. The safety will get $7M over 4-years, including a $1.7M signing bonus.

Kimo's new deal with the Jets, by the way, will pay him $9.2M over 3-years, including a $3.2M signing bonus. I'm glad to see Kimo get a good payday in what is almost certainly his final NFL contract and I wish him all the best. Kimo served the Steelers well for several years, and let's face it, if he hadn't rolled up on Palmer's knee, we might still be looking for one for the thumb.

Safety in Numbers?

2006-03-14T18:30:00.000-05:00

The Steelers signed their first free agent from outside the organization today and entertained another, almost assuring that at least 2 Steelers free agents will not return.

A sure sign that Chris Hope has played his last game in black & gold, the Steelers signed former Redskins safety Ryan Clark. Clark, 26, is considered a marginal starter and is a downgrade from Hope. I would expect Tyrone Carter to get lots of playing time this season and I'm hoping the Steelers draft a decent safety in April. Though the dollar amount is not yet public, Clark's contract is said to be a 4-year deal.

In a move that could potentially upgrade a position (something the Steelers rarely do through free agency anymore), the Steelers entertained former Cleveland tight end Aaron Shea today and are thought to be close to reaching agreement on a contract. If Shea is signed to be the #2 tight end, Jerame Tuman's days in Pittsburgh are over. Both Hope and Tuman are said to have turned down offers from the Steelers.

Back to the defense, the Steelers could lock-up Brett Keisel to a new deal as early as tonight. The Steelers have a little added incentive to wrap things up with Keisel quickly as Kimo von Oelhoffen signed a 3-year deal today with the J-E-T-S.

And, in case anybody missed it, the Steelers have re-signed back-up linebacker Clint Kriewaldt and back-up quarterback Charlie Batch. The Steelers are expected to take a developmental quarterback on day 2 of the draft, and also have former Pitt QB Rod Rutherford on the roster.

Now, how about some baseless speculation. Keyshawn Johnson was released by the Cowboys today (to make room for TO?). Keyshawn could be the perfect addition to the Steelers offense. A big possession receiver to go along with the little possession receiver (Hines Ward) and the little, fast, deep threat in the slot (Cedrick Wilson). Throw in Quincy Morgan, Nate Washington and maybe a draft pick and I like that corps a lot, not to mention possibly two good pass receiving tight ends in Heath Miller and (maybe) Aaron Shea. Keyshawn's old enough that maybe he'd be willing to play for less money for a chance at a ring. Just a thought.

The El With 'Em

2006-03-12T16:25:00.000-05:00

After turning down an offer from his hometown Bears (guess god didn't want him to play there), it didn't take Antwaan Randle El long to find a new home. The star punt-returner and mediocre receiver landed a 6-year deal worth $31M with the Washington Redskins. The Skins added Brandon Lloyd yesterday and already have Santana Moss and David Patten.

While he should not be all that difficult to replace on offense, his return skills will be missed. Don't be surprised to see the Steelers draft a kid with good return skills in April. Other options could include Ike Taylor or maybe Cedrick Wilson. Ricardo Colclough has returned kickoffs, but I don't think he's got the speed or shiftiness needed to return punts.

While the Steelers have not locked up any of their own free agents yet, their initial focus seems to be on locking up Brett Keisel. They are also supposedly close to a contract extension with Chukky Okobi which would probably lessen his cap hit for this year and open up a little extra money.

Where Are They Now?

2006-03-11T10:11:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what happened to former Steeler d-lineman Jeremy Staat? Me neither, but if you've got nothing better to do on this lovely Saturday morning, click here.

Pens Trade Recchi & Cross, Claim Winger

2006-03-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

The Pens have made two deadline deals (so far?), first sending 38-year old forward Mark Recchi to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for winger Niklas Nordgren, forward Krystofer Kolanos and a 2nd round pick in next year's draft.

Recchi waived his no-trade clause to be sent to Carolina. There is a clause in Recchi's contract that will let him opt-out and become a free agent after the season. There is speculation that Recchi will return to Pittsburgh next season.

Nordgren, 26, is 5'11", 185 lbs. and has scored 6 points (4G, 2A) in 43 games for the Hurricanes this season. Prior to this season, Nordgren spent the past few years as on of the top players in the Swedish Elite League. Seems to have a fairly well-rounded skill set, is considered to be a strong skater and looks like he's got some potential.

Kolanos, 24, is 6'3", 206 lbs., has split time this season in Edmonton and 2 AHL teams. He had 3 points (2G, 1A) for the Oilers earlier in the season before being dealt to Carolina. Edmonton had acquired Kolanos on waivers earlier in the season from Phoenix, who selected him in the 1st round (19th overall) of the 2000 draft. Kolanos has scored 10 goals and 12 assists in 22 AHL games this year. Kolanos has 35 points in 115 career NHL games. He is considered to have a lot of potential, but just hasn't found a home yet. Could be a nice pick-up for the Pens.

The Pens have also sent defenseman Cory Cross to Detroit in exchange for a 4th round pick in next year's draft. Cross came to the Pens, along with Jani Rita, from Edmonton earlier this season in a trade for Dick Tarnstrom.

Earlier today, the Penguins claimed winger Andy Hilbert from Chicago. Hilbert, originally drafted in the 2nd round by the Bruins, stands 5'11", 198 lbs. and had 5 goals and 4 assists for the Blackhawks in 28 games this season. His most recent goal came January 13th against the Penguins.

The Pens had trouble finding somebody willing to give up a 2nd round pick for Ryan Malone. Toronto was supposedly offering Nic Antropov. We'll see if any more deals are announced, but it looks like Malone, Leclair and Jackman will remain with the Penguins.

Elsewhere, former Penguin Kris Beech has been dealt from Nashville to Washington, along with a 1st round pick, in exchange for defenseman Brendan Witt. Also, the Capitals have claimed Rico Fata on waivers from Atlanta. The Thrashers claimed Fata on waivers earlier in the season from the Pens.

Fire Up the Ol' Rumor Mill

2006-03-09T10:26:00.000-05:00

With the NHL's trading deadline set for today at 3 pm, there could be several Penguins on the move, including:

Ryan Malone: the latest buzz is that there is a strong chance that the Pittsburgh native could be heading north to either Ottawa or Toronto. San Jose, New Jersey and Philly are also thought to have some interest in Malone. The asking price is believed to be a high draft pick.

Mark Recchi: teams interested include Carolina, Ottawa, San Jose, Colorado, Philly and Tampa.

John Leclair: teams interested include Boston, Detroit, Montreal and Dallas.

Defensemen: the Rangers are looking for some affordable d-men, among those mentioned as possible targets are Penguins Ric Jackman and Cory Cross.

Down But Not Out

2006-03-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

The Bits has been out of commission lately due to the fact that I am in the process of moving and work is picking up. But never fear, the Bits will be back soon...not sure exactly when yet, but definitely in time for opening day. In the meantime, the Steelers are juggling aging veterans to find cap room, the Penguins returned from the Olympic break without missing a beat and the Pirates are tearing up the Grapefruit League.

Best of the Future Bucs

2006-02-23T18:22:00.000-05:00

Baseball America has released their annual Top 100 Prospects list and there are three Pirates on the list, with another just missing the cut.

Local product Neil Walker is the Bucs highest rated prospect, #43 overall. According to BA, Walkers ETA is 2007.

Last year's 1st round pick Andrew McCutchen is #50, with an ETA of 2008.

Former 2nd round Tom Gorzelanny just made the list at #95 and BA expects he'll see some action in the majors this season.

In the chat that followed the release of the list, Jim Callis mentioned that Paul Maholm just missed the cut and would figure in the 101-125 range. One of the main reasons Maholm was not included in the top 100 is that Callis feels Maholm is already pretty much as good as he's going to get and doesn't have the upside as other prospects.

Bright Future for the Flightless Snow Birds

2006-02-22T08:17:00.000-05:00

Assuming somehow the Pens get a new arena and stay in the Burgh, the future is bright. The number of Penguin Olympians shows what kind of veteran talent the team has, but the promising play of many young players, as well as the eagerly-awaited arrival of Evgeni Malkin (more on Malkin in a bit) and a good shot at this year's top pick should keep the Penguins loaded with top calibre talent for years to come.

TSN (Canada's ESPN) has been ranking rookies during the All-Star break and after goalies (Fleury #6 with a caveat about the quality of the defense in front of him), defense (Whitney #13), they are on to forwards, and the Top 40 list is full of Penguins:

#32 - Erik Christiensen - The 22 year-old was a third-round pick in 2002 and had a decent season in the AHL last year before breaking through offensively this year (32 points in 24 games) to earn a shot in Pittsburgh. Christensen is a good two-way pivot with enough offensive upside to have second line potential.

#17 - Colby Armstrong - A first-round pick in 2001, Armstrong took some time to reach the league, but now the 23 year-old is playing a lot of minutes with the rebuilding Penguins. Skilled enough to put up points on a scoring line (15 points in 24 games this year) and eager to play the physical game, Armstrong will be a pain in the butt to play against for a long time.

#9 - Michel Ouellet - Pure finisher was a fourth-round pick in 2000. Though he's not strong, nor a terrific skater, Ouellet has excellent instincts with the puck and has been able to put the puck in the net at every level; a trend that has continued since his promotion to the NHL as he has 13 goals and 24 points in 28 games.

#2 - Sidney Crosby - Perhaps a victim of over-exposure as the top pick in the 2005 draft, but the 18 year-old phenom looks like a surefire star and big-time point producer. Crosby's endured growing pains playing with the inept Penguins and, without an enforcer alongside, he's tended to take too many penalties, but there's no arguing with the impact 65 points in 58 games -- not to mention sellouts around the league -- provides.

The early favorite for the #1 spot on next season's list has got to be Evgeni Malkin. Anybody who caught the USA vs. Russia game yesterday saw why. Malkin has Crosby's play-making abilities and instincts with size more comparable to Lemieux. In yesterday's game, Malkin scored team Russia's second goal on a beautiful give-and-go. He added a gorgeous assist on an Ovechkin goal and when he was on the ice, was Russia's most physical presense. Malkin was also their top penalty killer. Not bad for a 19-year old kid playing on a team featuring some of the top offensive talent in the world, and possibly the world's best two young goal scorers in Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Phlip-Phlopper

2006-02-21T22:37:00.000-05:00

In the city of Pittsburgh, it's only fitting that it took a former Steeler to change PA governor Ed Rendell's mind about helping to fund a new arena for the Penguins. Up until very recently, Rendell seemed to have no desire to help Pittsburgh build a new arena. That has now changed, and the reason could very possibly be that Rendell's opponent in the next election will almost certainly be beloved Steelers Hall of Famer and 4-time Super Bowl champion Lynn Swann. Rendell must do something to win over the people of Pittsburgh, and fast. It must be working, this is the first time I've written about him without using the term "fat phuck"...whoops. Click here to read about the new Plan B.

The Next Bus Stop

2006-02-20T11:27:00.000-05:00

It didn't take Jerome Bettis long to find a new gig. Starting next season, Bettis will join Bob Costas and Chris Collinsworth on NBC's new Sunday night pre-game show. The one-hour show will begin at 7 pm.

With the NFL Combine tomorrow in Indy, it's a little premature for mock drafts, but I found one anyway. This is a 3-rounder that has the Steelers taking:
Round 1 - WR Chad Jackson (Florida)
Round 2 - S Jason Allen (Tennessee)
Round 3 - OT Joe Toledo (Washington)

Scout.com rates the junior Jackson as one of the better WR's available in a weak draft for the position and 20th overall. They have him going to San Diego with the 19th pick. At 6'1", I'd love to see the Steelers find somebody a little bigger, like maybe Maurice Stovall of Notre Dame (6'5") or Travis Wilson of Oklahoma (6'3"). Both Mel Kiper and Scout predict the Steelers will pick OLB Bobby Carpenter from Ohio State in the 1st round, I think they have more pressing needs.

Allen is considered one of the top safeties available and may be able to play corner. This pick would obviously not be used on a safety if the Steelers can find a way to re-sign Chris Hope. I wonder if Ricardo Colclough could drop back to safety? Hmmm.

With most of the roster set, the only real competitions going on in Pirate City will be for the 5th spot in the rotation, the last bullpen spot (or two) and the last spot on the bench. The battle for the rotation spot will be battled out between Victor Santos, Ian Snell, Ryan Vogelsong and Sean Burnett.

Burnett claims he's 100% and sounds like he's ready to compete, but I still think he ends up in AAA to start the year. It won't be long before he's up making spot-starts, though. From what I saw out of Ian Snell at the end of last season, he's not ready. A good spring would go a long way to change my mind, but I think he starts the year in the bullpen. The only way I can see Victor Santos getting the job, is if nobody else shows they're are worthy. I think Santos serves as the long reliever/swingman out of the bullpen.

That brings us to my favorite to win the spot, Vogelsong. I don't know if it's because I was at the game against the Reds a few years ago when he blew his arm out, but I've always been a fan. His spring training two years ago (and the first start of the season that year) showed he's got the goods. I think the way he struggled that year, and the beginning of last season, was more mental than physical, and he seemed to regain his confidence after the All-Star break.

On top of that, Vogelsong claims that Jim Tracy and Jim Colborn found a kink in Ryan's delivery. Upon correction, Vogelsong noticed an immediate difference. This is the make or break year for the 28-year old, and whether it's my heart or my head telling me, I hope he makes it.

I'm hoping against hope that Tracy and Colborn have a profound effect on the pitching staff, finally getting all the Pirate's "live arms" on track. If they can get Perez, Wells and Vogelsong pitching the way they're capable of, and help Duke and Maholm keep improving, the Pirates have the makings of a very good pitching staff. Of course, if they can't, we've seen what will happen.

Jelly or Syrup?

2006-02-19T08:25:00.000-05:00

Steelers guard, and 2005 3rd round pick Trai Essex was arrested late Friday night after being involved in a fight outside of a South Beach night club. Essex was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence. These don't sound like major charges and will probably merit nothing more than a slap on the wrist from the courts and the team. Nice to see that even with Plaxico gone our boys can still stir it up.

There's a nice article this morning in the P-G about Tommy Maddox. Despite how poorly Maddox played this season in limited action, he was a valuable member of the franchise for the last several years, and may be one of the main reasons Big Ben found so much success so quickly. (I'm referring to his coaching, not his proneness to injury.) It'd be nice to see Tommy Gun catch on somewhere else and who knows, maybe he's got a future as a QB coach.

It's mentioned in the Times this morning that if Jeff Weaver's price tag had fallen significantly befrore he signed with Anaheim last week, the Pirates may have made him an offer. The Pirates did make an offer to Wade Miller before he signed with the Cubs last month.

It was not a good day/night for local basketball as WVU hung in there till the end against #1 UConn, but could pull out a victory. Later, Pitt suffered a two-point loss against new Big East foe Marquette.

In a very, very rare instance, I've got a little NBA Tidbit this morning, and I mean little. Knick's guard Nate Washington, listed at a generous 5'9", beat out Philly's Andre Iguodala, last year's champ, for the Slam Dunk crown. Click over to ESPN to watch highlights. In one of Washington's dunks, he jump over 1986 Dunk Champion Spud Webb and slammed it home...definitely worthy of a "Boomshakalaka". The dunk of the night, however, belonged to Iguodala, who took a rebound off of the back of the glass, pulled it around and jammed it in the basket.

Give Him a Bat

2006-02-18T09:33:00.000-05:00

Pirate pitching prospect John VanBenschoten, recovering from surgeries to repair torn labrums in both shoulders, experienced stiffness in his throwing shoulder on Wednesday and has been shut-down indefinitely. The Pirates hope it is nothing more than the usual discomfort some pitchers incur as they return from surgery and are optimistic that he won't be held out of action long. JVB also still suffers pain in his non-throwing shoulder, but the Pirates do not believe that will affect his ability to pitch.

Hopefully this new regime will handle their pitchers better. It is unbelieveable the number of young Pirate pitchers over the last several years that have had to arm surgeries. Bobby Bradley, Bryan Bullington, Ryan Vogelsong, Sean Burnett, JVB and I'm sure I'm forgetting several others. No wonder the Pirates stopped picking pitchers in the 1st round.

All the pitchers and catchers have reported with the exception of relievers Roberto Hernandez (family issues) and Giovanni Carrera (visa problems). The Pirates hope to have both in camp soon.

A few Pirates were issued some new numbers. Oliver Perez has given #48 to new pitching coach Jim Colborn and Perez will now wear #59. Paul Maholm will take #28 and Chris Duffy #6. Hopefully having one less letter on his back will cause less of a strain on Duffy body.

Former Pirates interim manager Pete Mackanin, slated to coach rookie-level Bradenton this year, has left the organization and taken a job as an advance scout for the Reds.

The Steelers have signed 19 1st & 2nd year free agents, 12 of whom were allocated for play in NFL-Europe (better known as The House That Tee Martin Built). There are a few Pitt alumni in the bunch, here's the group:

Kyle Andrews (C) [NFLE] -The Ohio State University
Mike Barr (P) [NFLE] - '05 training camp, Rutgers
Ulish Booker (OL) - ' 05 practice squad, Michigan State
Shane Boyd (QB) [NFLE] - Kentucky
Tim Brown (OL) - '05 practice squad, WVU
Matt Farrior (LB) [NFLE] - older brother of James, '05 training camp, Florida
Adam Herzing (WR) [NFLE] - Cal-Poly, '05 (Lions PS), '02-'04 (Colts PS)
Mike Jemison (RB) [NFLE] - Pitt/IUP
Erik Jensen (TE) - '05 practice squad, Iowa
John Kuhn (FB) - '05 practice squad, Shippensburg
Brandon Newton (C) [NFLE] - Hofstra
Malcolm Postell (LB) [NFLE] - Pitt
Rod Rutherford (QB) - '05 practice squad, Pitt
Richard Seigler (LB) - '05 practice squad, Oregon State
Ronald Stanley (LB) - '05 practice squad, Michigan State
Fred Staton (RB) [NFLE] - Tusculum
Brandon Torrey (OL) [NFLE] - Howard U.
Isaac West (WR) [NFLE] - Furman
Walter Young (WR) [NFLE] - '04 & '05 practice squad, '03 Carolina 7th round pick out of Illinois

In non-Steelers news, the coroner in the James Dungy case has finally ruled the 18-year old's death a suicide, as if he could have accidentally hung himself. I don't want to belittle this in any way, as it is a horrible, tragic story and Tony Dungy seems like a great guy, but how could this have been anything but suicide?

Get your first look at Pens prospect Evgeni Malkin on Tuesday at 2:30 pm when Team USA faces off against Team Russia. I'll warn you now, I'll be breaking out some Rocky IV.

A Trip to Fantasy Island, Anyone?

2006-02-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

Would anybody be up for a Tidbits fantasy baseball league? It'd be a free Yahoo! head-to-head league, with no sign-up fee (or prize money), but an entire off-season's worth of bragging rights.

Of course, this is the Tidbits, so every team would be required to carry a certain number of current and former Pirates. Let me know if anyone's interested.

Ernie Stautner - Rest in Peace

2006-02-17T11:52:00.000-05:00

Before the Steelers had the Steel Curtain in place, their defense was pretty much a one-man show. That man was Ernie Stautner. For 14 years, ending in 1969, Stautner starred as one of the premeire defensive linemen in the game. While Stautner never saw a championship as a player, his family surrounded him a few weekends ago and together they watched the Steelers win their 5th championship. Though Stautner suffered the past 8 years with Alzheimers, his wife and daughters said he knew exactly what was going on Super Bowl Sunday, and was very proud of his beloved Steelers.

Stautner was a 9-time All-Pro and holds the distinction that his number, #70, is the only number the Steelers have ever retired. Stautner, the Steelers 3rd round pick in 1950 out of Boston College, was an iron-man...missing only 6 games during his career. Though I am too young to have seen him play, I have recently come to appreciate his greatness thanks to the Complete History of the Pittsburgh Steelers DVD. Stautner truly embodied what it meant to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and will be missed.

In other Steelers news, the Steelers have just announced an official Super Bowl book. Click here for more info.

Want some cheese with that whine?

2006-02-16T09:55:00.000-05:00

Absolutely nothing going on in Burgh sports right now. It's a good morning to sit back and have a glass of this great new wine:

Duce Stripped at Gentlemen's Club

2006-02-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

Steelers sweatsuit model Duce Staley claims he was robbed of about $100,000 worth of jewelry during a scuffle in a South Carolina strip club Saturday night.

According to ESPN Insider, the Eagles may enter the Antwaan Randle El sweepstakes, along with the Patriots and the Bears. El has hinted that he would like to return to his hometown, Chicago. We'll have to wait and see where God decides he should play.

Not all Steeler free agents are leaving their fate up to a higher power, Chris Hope is refreshingly honest about his desire to get a big payday. He basically says that he would love to remain in Pittsburgh, but this is a business and it will be one of his few chances throughout his career to sign a big contract, so he has to do what makes the most sense for him.

According to the Times (Beaver County, that is), the most likely unrestricted free agent candidates to remain in Pittsburgh (in no particular order) are Quincy Morgan (becomes #3 WR), Jerame Tuman, Charlie Batch, Verron Haynes, Chris Hope, Brett Keisel (takes over for Kimo as starter at DE) and Clint Kriewaldt; while Antwaan Randle El, Kimo von Oelhoffen, Barrett Brooks and Deshea Townsend pack their bags.

And now, a few Bucco notes as I ease myself into baseball. If the Pirates have looked like they didn't know what was coming at them the last few years...it's because they didn't. Hopefully that will change, as the Bucs have hired former closer Kent Tekulve and his studly tinted to shades to be their new advance scout. It's hard to believe, but for the last 3 seasons, the Pirates have not employed that position.

Baseball America has named their top prospects by position. Neil Walker is listed as the #4 catching prospect, though they claim Walker is the least likely player on the list to remain a catcher.

Andrew McCutchen did not make the top 5 for center fielders, but is listed under "Others to Consider", as is Tom Gorzelanny for left-handed starters, having been left out of the top 10. That should be a good indication of which Pirate prospects will end up on their top 100 list, coming soon.

In roster news, the Pirates have released pitcher Joe Roa, a non-roster invitee recovering from shoulder surgery.

Pitchers and catchers are slated to arrive in Bradenton tomorrow. A handful of players have arrived early, including Oliver Perez, Zach Duke, Mike Gonzalez, Ryan Vogelsong, Ryan Doumit, Humberto Cota, Chris Duffy and Nate McLouth.

A Panther Homecoming?

2006-02-14T19:48:00.000-05:00

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, if Antwaan Randle El leaves town in search of greener pastures, the Steelers may look to former Pitt stand-out Antonio Bryant to fill the void at wide receiver. I can't imagine the Steelers picking up Bryant, who is known for being difficult off the field, though at 6'2" he would give them some much-needed height at the position. The Steelers have already passed on Bryant once, when they selected Randle El one pick ahead of him in the draft a few years ago.

Meanwhile, Randle El is going to let God decide whether or not he remains a Pittsburgh Steeler. What are the chances that God tells him to go where the money is?

After tearing it up all winter in the Venezeulan League, future Bucco utility man Yurnell DeCaster has been named Baseball America's Winter Player of the Year. DeCaster hit .325 with 17 home runs in just over 200 at bats this winter. After nine years in the minors, the 26-year old will be attending his first Major League camp this spring and will compete for the final infield spot on the bench.

When the World Baseball Classic begins on March 3rd, the Pirates will be well represented:
Canada: Jason Bay
Dominican Republic: Damaso Marte, Ronny Paulino, Salomon Torres
Mexico: Humberto Cota, Oliver Perez
Netherlands: Yurnell DeCaster
Puerto Rico: Jose Hernandez, Roberto Hernandez
Venezuela: Giovanni Carrara, Jose Castillo

Former Buccos in the Classic include Miguel Batista (DOM), Aramis Ramirez (DOM), Jose Mesa (DOM), Alfredo Amezaga (MEX), Elmer Dessens (MEX), Matt Stairs (CAN), Duaner Sanchez (DOM), Ron Villone (ITA), Esteban Loaiza (MEX), Moises Alou (DOM), Ricardo Rincon (MEX), Dan Miceli (ITA), Jose Silva (MEX), Adrian Burnside (AUS) and Jose Guillen (DOM).

In other World competition news, Penguins Tomas Surovy (Slovakia) and Sergei Gonchar (Russia) are off to Turin to participate in the Olympics. Pen's uber-prospect Evgeni Malkin will join Gonchar on Team Russia.

Casey at Bat

2006-02-13T12:12:00.000-05:00

In what was an unusually entertaining Pro Bowl, the Steelers were well represented. And, even better, Bill Cowher wasn't coaching the AFC side for a change. Generally I don't even watch the game, but with 15" of snow outside and Fox showing cartoon reruns, it was either watch the Pro Bowl or ice fishing or whatever stupid Olympic event was on last night.)

Anyway, the only Steeler to make a big impact was very big Steeler indeed. Casey Hampton dominated on defense and ended the game with 3 tackles, including a sack that resulted in a forced fumble. Polamalu was handicapped by Pro Bowl rules which prevent safeties from having free range and there's no blitzing in the game. This also hurt Joey Porter. Both had one tackle, though on Polamalu's he forced a fumble that went out of bounds.

On the offensive side of the ball, both Alan Faneca and Jeff Hartings played extensively. Both seemed to play pretty well, though Hartings and Steve McNair had some problems with the exchange resulting in a couple botched snaps.

All in all, it was everything you could hope for in a Pro Bowl...Close score (NFG 23 - AFC 17), lots of turnovers (10 total...3 picks thrown by python alone), and a bunch of Steelers. Now we've got another few days to watch Super Bowl highlights (lots of good stuff on the NAVAL Network) before pitchers and catchers report on Thursday.

I must say, this is a pretty special time to be a Pittsburgh sports fan. The Steelers are the world champions, the Pirates are currently tied for the best record in baseball and the Penguins are riding an amazing 2-game winning streak. Not to mention strong college basketball teams, good college football recruiting classes and that kid in the Broncos jersey has left town.

Stay and Play

2006-02-11T10:19:00.000-05:00

According to the Post-Gazette, the Steelers will have limited funds under the salary cap (expected to rise to $95M this year) to sign free agents...even their own. Players who could be on the way out (not including free agents) include Jeff Hartings, Chukky Okobi, Willie Williams and Tommy Maddox. The free agents the Steelers would most like to retain appear to be Ike Taylor, Charlie Batch, Brett Keisel and possibly Quincy Morgan.

So, since free agency isn't going bring in much, if any, new blood, the Steelers will have to focus on the draft to re-stock their shelves. With that, I give you the Tidbits first mock-draft. Now, this one is only going to be positions, the specific players in my mock draft I'll announce once we see who the Steelers sign...who leaves...and what underclassmen declare.

Round 1: RB
The Steelers may be forced to keep Duce around next year, but he really should be cut free. If he can stay healthy playing part-time behind Willie he could prove valuable, but the Steelers need to draft a top back, one that is big and Bus-like, and can work his way into the starting role. Willie is an exciting, explosive back, but he needs to be the change-of-pace guy, and maybe a 3rd down back, but he's too small to pound it up the middle Steeler-style. If they keep trying to pound him up the middle, he will not have real long career.

Round 1 (supp): CB
If Ike Taylor signs elsewhere, he will most likely net the Steelers an additional 1st round pick. With this pick the Steelers should definitely take the best corner on the board and take a RB or WR later in the round. Hopefully Ike will return and this will be moot.

Round 2: WR
If there is a wideout worth taking in the 1st round, they should by all means grab him and take a RB in the 2nd round. What they need here is a big, tall receiver who can further open up the passing game, draw double-coverage to open Hines and Wilson up to make big plays and partner with Heath Miller as two deadly endzone targets. They had the right idea last year with Fred Gibson, just the wrong guy.

Round 3: C
Jeff Hartings is still playing at a high level, but could be cost-prohibitive next season. Even if Hartings stays, he can't have many more years in him. If he goes, Chukky Okobi becomes the starter, and should be able to do an adequate job. But Steeler football is about running up the middle and that all starts with a great center.

Round 4: DB
Depending on whether Hope and/or Townsend leave, the Steelers will need to re-stock their depth in the secondary. If Hope leaves, this spot should be used to grab a safety who's got good speed and instincts, though may need a year or two to develop. Tyrone Carter is a good safety and would starting on most teams. Remember Hope was a 3rd rounder and took a few years to develop into a starter. Ike Taylor was a 4th and took even longer. This would be a good spot for one of Cowher's "project picks", maybe a guy from a small school that nobody's ever heard of.

Round 5: LB
The Steelers linebacking core is pretty full, though they could lose Clint Kriewaldt, but what's a Steeler draft without a linebacker. In reserves, at outside, the Steelers have the Harrisons (James & Arnold) and Andre Frazier, who played well when given the chance this year. Inside, they've got Rian Wallace, who spent most of the season inactive.

Round 6: OL/DL
It looks like the Steelers have tabbed Brett Keisel to start next year. That doesn't mean they won't try to bring Kimo back on a one-year deal, but either way, their depth is going to take a hit either this year or next. Chris Hoke and Travis Kirschke give them some solid depth, but especially if Kimo or Keisel leave, they'll need another body. Though, Grant Bowman has spent the past two seasons on the practice squad, done well in preseason games and could be a candidate to make the team next year. On offense, the Steelers have some decent young depth in Trai Essex and Chris Kemoaetu but could use more. They could even take a 2nd center who could develop on the practice squad.

Round 7: TE
No matter if Jerame Tuman stays or not, the Steelers need to start developing a back-up tight-end. Heath Miller has shown that he's got the goods, so the Steelers don't have to look for a future starter. They can just look for a big kid who can block well. Tell me Cowher doesn't love looking for kids like that.

Still over 2 months till the draft, so plenty of time to speculate. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

What Next?

2006-02-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

Hines Ward, you have just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do next? click here

Todays Tidbits

2006-02-09T17:13:00.000-05:00

A few non-Steelers Bits today. First, due to an injury to forward Ladislav Nagy, Penguins rookie Tomas Surovy has been named to the Slovakia Olympic squad.

Former Bucco Josh Fogg will join Jose Mesa in the Mile High City. Maybe they'll change the name to the 2-mile High City after all the bombs those two give-up. Fogg has agreed to a one-year major league deal with the Rockies, pending a physical, and will compete for the 5th spot in the rotation.

The Pirates signed four more 3-and-under guys to one year deals worth the league minimum. Those signed include Matt Capps, Tom Gorzelanny, Craig Stansberry and Rajai Davis. Yurnell DeCaster was signed earlier in the week. The Pirates now have 27 members of the 40-man roster under contract for the coming season.

Whisenhunt Stays With Steelers

2006-02-09T15:22:00.000-05:00

Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has decided to take himself out of the running for the head coaching vacancy in Oakland, after meeting yesterday with Raiders owner Al Davis.

Super Bowl Redux

2006-02-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

I can't bring myself to start thinking about the Pirates yet. Winning felt too good, it was even better than I remembered and I refuse to move on until Rick Tocchet pays me my winnings.

Dan Rooney was woken up by a phone call from the president, congratulating him and inviting the Steelers to the White House. Rooney, of course, accepted. I'm sure President Bush will thank the Steelers for defeating the evil-doers and encourage them to stay to course.

The Steelers have decided that this most recent Lombardi Trophy deserves a case of it's own and will be displayed separately from the team's other four. Hopefully it won't be lonely for too long, Super Bowl XLI is only eleven and half months away.

No word out of Oakland yet, but offensive mastermind Ken Whisenhut met with the Raiders yesterday about their head coaching vacancy. Bill Cowher has said that he will not stand in Whisenhut's way of a head coaching position, but in his opinion, Whisenhut would be better served staying on with the Steelers, with more responsibilities (and a bump in pay), that would better prepare him for a head coaching job down the line. Some in the Raiders organization believe that Art Shell will end up getting the job...let's hope they're right. Another candidate for the job, Mike Martz, took the OC position in Detroit.

The scouting combine begins on Feb. 22 and free agency starts March 3rd.

With the retirement of Jerome Bettis and the anticipated restructuring of some veteran contracts (like Duce & Hartings), the Steelers should be able to keep a number of their own free agents and possibly add some from outside the organization.

The Steelers have 11 players that will become unrestricted free agents if not signed by March 3, they include Antwaan Randle El, Chris Hope, Deshea Townsend, Kimo von Oelhoffen, Brett Keisel, Verron Haynes, Jerame Tuman, Charlie Batch, Quincy Morgan, Barrett Brooks and Clint Kriewaldt.

The Steelers will also have 2 unrestricted free agents in Ike Taylor and Sean Morey.

The Steelers MUST sign Ike. Somebody is going to overpay for Randle El, Hope and probably Townsend. I would like to see the Steelers bring back Quincy Morgan, who was starting to contribute when he got hurt. I'd also like to see the special teams guys, Keisel, Morey and Kriewaldt return. Kimo's got at least one more year in him and should be retained (though Keisel may be ready to start) and it'd be nice to have Charlie Batch back as Ben's primary back-up. Tuman, Haynes and Brooks are depth guys and can be resigned or replaced through the draft.

I don't want to overload you with pics (I took about 300 last weekend), but here are a couple of my favorites from the post-game celebration (click on the pic for larger image):

Lot's more Super Bowl stuff to come, as well as a Bus Retrospective...

We Are the Champions!

2006-02-06T21:37:00.000-05:00

Just got back from Detroit Steel City and will post some pics and thoughts soon. Even as I enjoy yesterday's sweet, sweet victory (sloppy as it was), I can't help but start to think towards next season. I've already started sketching out next year's t-shirt:

Here We Go

2006-02-03T08:51:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm off to Detroit. I'll be back early next week with lots of pics and stories (unless Seattle wins, then we'll start talking Pirates). Click on the pic or link above for an mp3 of the 2006 version of Here We Go!

Kreider Misses Practice

2006-02-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

Only two Steelers on the injury report right now, and they are both listed as questionable. Dan Kreider missed practice with a knee injury yesterday, and Travis Kirschke has a groin injury. Cowher said Kreider is closer to returning than Kirschke, but he hopes both can be upgraded later in the week.

In some better injury news, James Harrison, who has not suited up since suffering a high ankle sprain in the Cincinnati game, returned to practice.

While you wait for the big game, click here for Super Bowl highlight videos from all 39 previous Super Bowls.

Speaking of videos, I was watching the Complete History of the Pittsburgh Steelers DVD yesterday, and it is fantastic. If you don't already own it...drop your shmeckle and go out and get it.

And let me just add, thank god the Steelers made the Super Bowl. If it wasn't for the Super Bowl, today we'd be talking about possible trade destinations for Ric Jackman, how the Baby Pens did in last night's AHL All-Star game and which 3-and-under guys the Pirates signed for the league minimum.

Big Ben Gets Blitzed

2006-02-01T20:12:00.000-05:00

No idea when these were taken, but he's got the beard, so they're fairly recent. Hopefully he'll have reason to celebrate just as hard on Sunday night. Click the link or the pic for more Big Ben fun.

A Brief Word From Joey Porter

2006-02-01T13:30:00.000-05:00

It all started when Seattle tight end Jerramy Stevens made a fairly harmless comment about how it was ashame that Jerome Bettis won't be ending his career with a Super Bowl victory in his hometown. A little cocky? Yes. Enough to get Joey Porter's attention? You bet your ass. Here's Porter's response:

"Now I'm looking for him on game day, now I'm looking for Stevens. He has to line up in front of me, and that information you gave me just got me started so I'll be out there looking for him at the 50-yard line. That information will go a long way because Stevens can't hide from me. He has to line up in front of me and I'll remind him of [what he said] every time I put him on his back.

"I was focused on football until right now, when you told me what [Stevens] said. I don't blame him for thinking they came down here to win, but he said what he said and I'll be ready for him. I can never get an offensive player to say stuff like that no more, I'm always battling defensive guys. It is great that the tight end said it because I don't [ever] get to go against a tight end like that.

"He should know his role. He hasn't done anything that makes anybody fear him, while Jerome is a Hall of Famer and everybody knows about him. Meanwhile, this guy is almost a first-round bust who barely made some plays this year. He has the nerve to say what Jerome is not going to do when he isn't going to be the deciding factor whether that happens or not. I'm going to make sure he don't have anything to do with the outcome of the game.

"I would think someone would say something, but I wouldn't think it would be him -- he's too soft to say something like that. He'll have the opportunity to back up his words, but I'm going to have an opportunity to back up my words.

"You ever see the movie "Underworld"? I was sleeping all week, but I got my first taste of blood right here, and it is great when you haven't tasted it in a while. This week was boring until now. He definitely is one who hasn't earned the right to say what's on his mind. There is no way he can hide from me. I needed to hear that, I needed something to get me going."

Big Sexy Suffers Heart Attack

2006-01-30T17:04:00.000-05:00

In some sad, but not so surprising news, the slightly overweight self-proclaimed super genius, Mark Madden, has suffered a heart attack. Double-M had surgery yesterdayand is in stable condition, said to be "resting comfortably". Pittsburgh's definitely a town of love'em or hate'em sports personalities, and with the retirement of Myron Cope last year, we need Mark to get well soon. This might be a little karma coming at him for all the Jerome Bettis bashing he's done over the years.

Save Our Penguins

2006-01-28T16:35:00.000-05:00

Upcoming Rally to Save the Pens!!!

When:

Saturday, February 4th at 12:00 Noon. Right before the Pens vs. Islanders Nationally televised game.

Where:

Outside Gate 3 at Mellon Arena.

What:

There will be a variety of local politicians speaking out in support of the Isle of Carpi and Penguins application for the Pittsburgh slots license. In addition, there will be raffles of hockey and Penguins related items.

Why:

To help keep the Pens in Pittsburgh!

If you care about keeping the Pens in Pittsburgh you should attend this rally whether you have tickets to the Penguins game or not. Be there to show your support for the Penguins and the Isle of Capri proposal for the slots license. Your attendance will help show the local and state politicians who have not backed the Isle of Capri proposal that the poeple of the Pittsburgh region want this to happen.

If you would like any more information on the rally email us at info@slotsformario.com

Man in the Middle

2006-01-28T09:20:00.000-05:00

Add Casey Hampton to the list of Steelers Pro Bowlers this year. Hampton, a 1st team alternate, will take Richard Seymor's place in Hawaii. This will be Hampton's 2nd trip to the Pro Bowl in the last 3 years. (Note: I found this picture while searching for a good pic of Casey Hampton. I'd like everybody to meet Casey from the Hampton, VA Hooters. Road trip, anyone?)

The Pens have placed Lyle Odelein on injured reserve to clear up space for newcomers Jani Rita (#28) and Cory Cross (#4), both of whom should make their Pens debut this afternoon against the Rangers.

If Jose Hernandez makes the Pirates 25-man opening day roster, he will earn himself a one-year deal worth up to $1M (base salary of $850K with an additional $150K in possible performance bonuses.)

Pirates fans can stop hoping for the Bucs to acquire 3B prospect Andy Marte from the Red Sox, as he has been dealt to the Indians in a multi-player swap for everybody's favorite breakfast cereal, Coco Crisp. This reminds me of the time Larry Doughty gave up Wes Chamberlain in exchange for the Phillies Leggo'ing his Eggo.

Pirates Bring Back Hernandez

2006-01-27T15:40:00.000-05:00

Just when it looked like the Pirates had nothing to show for the Aramis Ramirez trade, they have signed infielder Jose Hernandez to a minor league deal and invited him to spring training. Hernandez, 36, hit .231 in 84 games with Cleveland last season. Hernandez can play 1B, 2b & 3B, and should compete with JJ Furmaniak, Mike Edwards and Yurnell DeCaster for the final utility infield spot. Freddy Sanchez will be the primary back-up.

The Nationals have inked Daryle Ward to a minor-league contract.

The Cubs have named former Pirate Carmelo Martinez their new rookie league manager.

Here We Go

2006-01-27T10:21:00.000-05:00

Not much going on today, but here are a few quick Bits:

Officials from the Bears were overheard at the Senior Bowl practice saying that their #1 priority this offseason is Antwaan Randle El.

While Ken Whisenhut is still believed to be the favorite for the head coaching vacancy in Oakland, the Raiders interviewed Mike Martz yesterday.

Fast Willie sat out practice yesterday. Neither Willie or the coaches would say why, but a teammate said Willy was sick. So, hopefully he'll be back to 100% in a few days.

James Harrison probably won't be 100% recovered from his high ankle sprain in time for the Super Bowl, but he is expecting to play.

Former Steeler Terry Long's cause of death has been ruled a suicide, from drinking anti-freeze. This should not surprise anyone, since he had previously tried to kill himself by eating rat poison. The only surprising thing is that I saw headline refer to him a former NFL star.

Bill's long-snapper, and former Steeler, Mike Schneck has been added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster. Schneck was cut in favor of the less expensive Greg Warren, whom with the exception of one bad snap earlier in the season, has done a fine job this year.

The Vikins have signed former Steeler 7th rounder Eric Taylor.

Click here for the latest version of "Here We Go"

Tarnstrom Dealt to Oilers

2006-01-26T16:38:00.000-05:00

The Pens have sent The Amazing Dick Tarnstrom packing in exchange for 24-year old forward Jani Rita and 35-year old d-man Cory Cross. Rita was the 13th overall player chosen in the 1999 draft but has struggled to crack the Oilers lineup, scoring only 6 goals and one assist in 36 career games, including 3 goals in 21 games this season. He is making the minimum of $450K this year and will become a restricted free agent after the season. Cross is making $874K this year and will make $912K next season. Cross is huge, 6'5" 225 lbs., but not particularly physical.

I admit I don't know much of anything about either of these guys, but it looks a lot like we just acquired Kris Beech and Marc Bergevin. Not that I was expecting a blue chip prospect for Tarnstrom, but do we really need another young forward (Rita projects as a 3rd line winger)? And if this team, as Mario pointed out in his press conference the other day, is going to be good in a few years, why acquire a 35-year old defenseman? I feel like Patrick got more in Eric Cairns for a 6th round pick than he did for Dickie T. On the plus side, it sounds like Cross will be an improvement defesively and maybe can help some of the young d-men better learn the position.

Bus Graces SI Cover Again

2006-01-25T07:36:00.000-05:00

For the 3rd week in a row, a Steeler will grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, and for the 2nd time in 3 weeks, it will be the Fat Boy(Roethlisberger was on last week's cover). This is the 3rd time the Bus has graced the cover, and the fourth time this season a Steeler has been on the cover, Polamalu was on a cover back in November. I've got a feeling that the Steelers have at least one more cover in store for them this year.

And why doesn't Mama Bus have a contract with Campbell's soup? It's time for the Campbell's people to make the change. They wouldn't even have to change actresses, they just need to give her a new jersey and hairstyle.

The Steelers have placed back-up lineback Andre Frazier on injured reserve with a broken ankle he sustained in Denver. Frazier had quite a season, going from an undrafted free agent on the practice squad to playing regular downs in the AFC Championship Game. I think Frazier held his own this season and I'm sure we'll see him in training camp next year. To replace him is another undrafted linebacker who almost won a roster spot out of training camp, but spent most of the year on the practice squad, Arnold Harrison. I would not expect Harrison to be activated for this game (he can keep Duce company), as his namesake, James Harrison is expected to play. James Harrison, another undrafted free agent, has become the Steelers best back-up linebacker.

Defensive tackle Grant Bowman makes his return to the practice squad to take Harrison's spot. I could be wrong about this, but I believe Bowman is the only Steelers player (not including draft pick busts...I'm talking to you Fred Gibson and Danny Farmer) to be included in Madden without ever appearing on the active roster. Though I hear Zamir Cobb created himself last season in create-a-player mode.

The Steelers don't want to mess with what's working and will wear their road whites at the Super Bowl.

One non-Steelers bit, the Pens and Caps play each other tonight, and while the Pens have been tough to watch, don't pass up the opportunity to see Crosby and Ovechkin on the ice together. They are both phenomenal talents and fun to watch. Right now Ovechkin is the better player and better goal scorer, but he is 2 years older and more experienced than Sid and because there is nobody else on his team (he's the only player with more than 25 points on the Caps) he is asked to do more than The Kid. And I can't wait to see Malkin, from everything I've read, he's on par with those guys.

Mario to Retire Today

2006-01-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

Mario Lemieux will announce his retirement today at 2 pm. This is sad news, but I think we've all seen the writing on the wall for quite some time.

Over the last few years, Mario's off-ice duties and injuries have kept us from seeing the truly magnificent player we all have loved for so long, but Mario on his worst day is still better than most in the world on their best.

My original thoughts following the Steelers win on Sunday was that I probably wouldn't mention other sports here until the Super Bowl, unless something big happened. I think this qualifies. For as much as I love the Steelers and Pirates, nothing (sports related) has ever given me the chills more than hearing: "The Pittsburgh goal...scored by number 66...Mario...Lemieuuuuuux"

Super Bowl Bits

2006-01-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

Ben Roethlisberger is quickly becoming the face of the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is quite a feat on a team that prides itself on its defense and commitment to the run. But in only his second year, Big Ben has now been to 2 AFC Championship games and has the chance to become the youngest quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl. This will not be another case of Trent Dilfer not losing the game, if the Steelers win, it will most likely be because of their quarterback's arm and his head.

Ben will be 217 days older than Dan Marino was when he became the youngest QB to ever appear in a Super Bowl.

What does this say about the NFC...the AFC's #6 seed is favored over the NFC's #1 seed.

Steelers Early Favorite

2006-01-23T18:19:00.000-05:00

Hopefully the Steelers can play as well as the favorite as they have been as the underdog. The early Vegas line has the Steelers as a 4 point favorite over Seattle in Super Bowl XL. The over for the game is 47.

I Got a Feeling...

2006-01-22T20:43:00.000-05:00

PITTSBURGH'S GOIN' TO DA SUPER BOWL!!!

Here We Go Steelers!

2006-01-22T09:16:00.000-05:00

Do You Remember?

2006-01-20T09:04:00.000-05:00

Since the Penguins last win, the team has made a trade, called players up, sent players down, placed players on injured reserve, activated players from injured reserve, one player even retired. Since the Penguins last win, the team has been put up for sale. Not to mention, we're into the next calendar year. Since the Penguins last win, over 80% of all New Year's resolutions have already been broken. Now, here we sit, in spring-like weather, with the Pirates about to report to training camp, the Steelers about to meet with destiny and I can't remeber the Penguins last win.

And now for my next piece: She sells seashells down by the sheshore...damn, I always mess that up.

Chivalry's Not Dead!

2006-01-19T10:22:00.000-05:00

I've been negotiating a real estate deal for the past few days, and haven't had much time for the Tidbits. I apologize to those of you who sit around in your underwear all day, in your mom's basement, waiting on my every word (Angry Bucco Fan--put your pants on!). But never fear, we reached an agreement this morning and I should have more time to geek-out in the next few days. Until then, here are some Quick Bits:

This could be the first, last and only NBA-related story you'll ever read here (at least until the NBA names the Piranhas as an expansion team), but a great story out of New Yawk last night. During overtime against some other team (who cares?), Antonio Davis of the Knickerbockers saw a drunk guy in the stands touch his wife, jumped into the stands and went after the guy. If the Knicks weren't from New York and didn't play basketball, they'd be my new favorite team.

In Burgh news, lots of stuff going on for the Penguins. First yesterday, there was the surprising announcement from winger Ziggy Palffy that was retiring, effective immediately. For as much as I was hoping Palffy had a few years left of semi-greatness, his retirement frees up a substantial amount of money, some of which the Pens have already gone to use spending.

Not long after the Palffy announcement, the Pens announced they would be keeping Marc-Andre Fleury for the rest of the season, even if that means paying him the $3M bonus. Shortly after that, the Pens traded a 6th round pick in next year's draft to the Panthers for big defenseman Eric Cairns. Cairns is about as tough as they come, and it is believed the main reason he was acquired is to help protect Sidney Crosby who is being targeted by teams on a nightly basis.

On the diamond, the Pirates have agreed to a one year deal worth $4.15M with Kip Wells. The Buccos have now signed all of their arbitration eligible players and the payroll should wind up at about $47M when all is said and done. I really believe the success of the team this year will be based on how well Wells and Oliver Perez pitch this season.

Get On Your Knees Ref

2006-01-17T08:02:00.000-05:00

I usually like to be the one making the jokey-jokes around here, but I'll throw some props to DJ Gallo of ESPN's Page 2 for a couple good one-liners:

Headlines That Are Probably in Newspapers This Morning:

Pittsburgh: "Broncos ask to play AFC Championship game in Pittsburgh"

Indianapolis: "Vanderjagt, Colts outchoke refs, Bettis in historic choke-off"

I knew it...you knew it...and Joey Porter certainly knew it, now the NFL has admitted that ref Pete Morelli did, in fact, blow the call on the Polamalu would-be interception. Kudos to the NFL for admitting their mistake, but shame on all the referees all weekend, terrible officiating in just about every game. Let's hope it's Ed Hockley and his crew in Denver, he always does a nice job.

While the Steelers are still playing, most teams are working on their offseason plans and that includes deciding which free agents to go after. The Redskins and Bears (registration required) both have some interest in Antwaan Randle El, while the Patriots like a couple Steelers corners, Deshea Townsend and Ike Taylor. Ike's a restricted free agent and would cost a 1st round pick. We'll have full analysis on all the Steelers free agents after the season.

Finally, Baseball America's got a nice write-up on Pitt 2B Jim Negrych, whom they predict as the Big East MVP and a potential 3rd-5th round draft pick. Baseball America selected him as a 3rd team All American. BA profiles the Big East here (registration required).

Pitt Cracks Top 10

2006-01-16T14:12:00.000-05:00

The Panthers have moved up 2 spots to #9 in the latest coaches poll and are one of three remaining undefeated teams. West Virginia is also working its way up the rankings, jumping 6 spots to #17.

In the rumor mill, the Penguins may be exploring a deal with Phoenix that would send Sergei Gonchar westbound in exchange for Petr Nedved. Nedved is signed to a 2-year deal worth $2.2M per season. There has also been some talk of a Pallfy-for-Nedved deal.

I Have a Dream Today!

2006-01-16T10:25:00.000-05:00

(click picture for Martin Luther King Jr's famous speech)

I'm still coming down from yesterday's thriller in Indy and I'm even more excited for the upcoming Pittsburgh 500, so it's hard to focus to much on the Pens & Pirates today. Even the Pitt Panthers deserve some coverage for their big win yesterday and continued undefeated status, but today's going to be a bare bones update. By the way, the early line on the AFC Championship Game is Broncos by 3.5, the over's about 42.

The Pirates agreed yesterday to a $1.9M deal with Oliver Pear-ez, avoiding arbitration. Having signed Craiggers Wilson to a $3.3M deal (with another $300K for 500 at bats) late last week, Kip Wells is the lone unsigned arb-eligible player left. Perez and Wells are the keys to the Pirate's season. If they can find their groove this year, the Pirates have a chance to be a very competitive team. If they do not pitch well, it is going to be a long, ugly season in Pittsburgh.

All the players seem to be raving about Jim Tracy and the new staff. There have been a lot of comments prefaced by, "nothing against the old staff, but...". That is what you expect to hear anytime a new regime takes over. It's sounds like training camp is much more structured than past seasons and Tracy and his staff are very hands-on, which the players seem to appreciate. Hopefully there's a little more to it than just media fodder.

In Penguins news, American defenseman Erik Johnson has surpassed forward Phil Kessel as Central Scouting's top rated prospect. Johnson is 6'4", 225 lbs. and described as physical with goal-scoring ability. Right now, only St. Louis (25 points in 43 games) has a worse record than the Pens (31 points in 45 games).

Here We Go Steelers!

2006-01-15T11:31:00.000-05:00

The Unthinkable

2006-01-13T08:05:00.000-05:00

Every now and then, something happens that you never thought you'd see. If the Penguins move, that would be one of those times. If the Pirates ever finish with a record better than .500, that would be one of those times. Today, is another one of those times...Gerry Dulac has picked the Steelers to LOSE, 27-24 to the Colts. This throws everything I've come to believe in into disarray. It was the one thing I could count on every week. I even went so far as to submit the word "dulac" to Websters -- a noun, meaning 'blind allegience', as in the sentence:

Even though she knew her husband was guilty, she showed nothing but dulac during his trial.

Former Pirates minor league coach Tony Beasley has been named the new third base coach of the Washington Nationals. What many people forget is that Beasley was all too briefly a member of the Pirates...the spring training replacement squad of March 1995.

That was a great squad. Tony Beasley, Wayne Busby, Boi Rodriguez, Shane Falco...those guys were awesome!

Click here for a great article the Trib's Joe Rutter put together last March, all about the replacement team. Here are a couple highlights:

One of the second basemen was a former Pirates minor-leaguer named Tony Beasley, who these days is the organization's manager at Class AA Altoona. Beasley had been out of baseball and working at his father's logging company when the Pirates invited him to the replacement camp.

Shortstop Wayne Busby, a former Chicago White Sox minor-leaguer, was working at a Bradenton bakery in the roll-wrap and bread-wrap department.

Outfielder Tommy Mitchell, brother of former major-leaguer Kevin Mitchell, was a store detective who caught shoplifters.

Troy Evers, dubbed the Nolan Ryan of replacement pitchers by ESPN's Peter Gammons because of his 90-mph fastball, was studying for his board certification test to be a male nurse.

The heart of the lineup contained the replacement version of Murderers Row -- first baseman Boi Rodriguez and outfielder Nelson Simmons. Rodriguez, signed out of the Mexican League, batted a whopping .480 with seven homers and 17 RBI. Simmons batted .418 with seven homers and 28 RBI. In one three-game stretch, the former Detroit Tigers outfielder went 8 for 8 with four homers and 12 RBI. He also became the first replacement player to cop a big-league attitude by briefly refusing to talk to reporters.

The roster was fortified by the seven minor-leaguers who crossed the imaginary picket line. The biggest name was catcher Keith Osik, who would become Jason Kendall's long-time backup.

In other Pirates-related news, the Diamondbacks have signed former Bucco Terry Mulholland to a minor-league contract.

From the Post-Gazette:
An Associated Press report out of the Dominican Republic quoted free-agent starter Jose Lima as saying he is in contract talks with the Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks, but Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield reiterated yesterday he is satisfied with his pitching.

Let's hope this is true, just to get his super-hot wife, Melissa, into town. Anna who?

Not Ready For Primetime Player

2006-01-12T18:25:00.000-05:00

The Penguins have re-assigned goaltender Dany Sabourin to Wilkes-Barre, where he will share time with Andy Chiodo. Sabourin's stay with the Penguins was over about 10 seconds after it started...that's how long it took Columbus forward Rick Nash to score off him last night. It remains to be seen if the Penguins will make another move involving goalies when Marc-Andre Fleury reaches his 24th appearance.

Elsewhere, former Steelers tight end and coach Mike Mularkey is in meetings now with Buffalo brass and he is expected to resign, citing family reasons.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have signed former Pirate reliever Dan Miceli to a 2-year deal, with a club option for '08. Miceli spent last year with Colorado.

Wanna Bet?

2006-01-12T10:22:00.000-05:00

This just in, as has become the norm before playoff games, the mayors of Pittsburgh and Indianapolis have struck a bet. If the Colts lose, they will rename this year's Indianapolis 500 the Pittsburgh 500 and all of the cars will be replaced by El Caminos and sponsored by the likes of Heinz, Giant Eagle and Cupka's II. If the Steelers lose, they will send to Indianapolis...Brad Eldred.

When my mom told me last night that she doesn't think the Steelers have a chance on Sunday, I asked her what made her say that, since she knows nothing about football. She replied, "That's what all the experts are saying, on the tv and radio." I had to explain to her that the real sports experts weren't on the tv and radio, they were reading and writing blogs when the should be working, studying, dating, etc. Actually, the REAL experts are in Vegas making odds. Pirate fans have heavily debated every move the Buccos have made this offseason, but the real litmus test of how they've done should be reflected in the preseason odds.

Unfortunately, Vegas does not seem to be very impressed with the Pirates offseason acquisitions (do they know about Mike Edwards?!), and have listed the Pirates odds of winning the World Series at 125/1, giving them slightly better chances than the Rockies (150/1), Marlins (200/1) and Royals (300/1).

Now, I know what you're thinking. Of course the Pirates aren't going to win the World Series this year...they're going to lose the World Series this year. Well, the odds on the Pirates winning the NL Pennant are 60/1, better than only the Rockies (75/1) and the Marlins (100/1).

Now I'm sure there's a way to interpet the numbers and twist things around to turn this into a positive (stat geeks unite), but I don't have the inclination. Like my buddy Jason Mraz once told me, "It's all about the wordplay." Then he played a couple chords, made some goofy faces and took off with my woman. I hate that guy.

Looks like somebody might actually give JR House a shot. He will work out for the Mets today and the Brewers on Saturday. House tried out for the Astros last week.

The Packers have filled their head coaching void with 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy. What better offense to emulate than the 49ers? McCarthy is a native Burgher (I guess now he's a cheeseburgher...I apologize, that was awful) and was an assistant coach at Pitt from '89 to '92. The Packers had planned on interviewing Russ Grimm for the job.

Grimm is thought to be the frontrunner for the job in Detroit, and will be interviewed tonight in Pittsburgh by Matt Millen. I hope Grimm gets a head coaching job...just not Matt Millen's Detroit. I wouldn't wish that on my archnemesis (Mraz!).

The Las Vegas Penguins embarrassed themselves again last night with a 6-1 loss to the pathetic Blue Jackets. The lone bright spot was Ryan Malone's 3rd goal in as many games...he's upping his trade value, or maybe even making himself worth keeping. New Pens goalie Dany Sabourin shut Columbus out until they finally got one by him...10 seconds into the 1st period. Sabournin was eventually pulled, after allowing 4 goals and was replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury, who made his 20th appearance of the season.

Sidenote, I actually (and by actually, I mean that I'm making this up) had somebody ask me if the Penguins would change their name if they move to Las Vegas, since there aren't any Penguins in Las Vegas. I didn't answer, I just slapped the Browns hat off of his head and walked away. (zing!)

The Goalie Shuffle

2006-01-11T14:42:00.000-05:00

Penguins netminder Jocelyn Thibault could have surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left hip as early as Saturday, an injury that occured during the game against Montreal last week. The injury is not said to be related to his past hip trouble, but it will most likely (thankfully) end his season. Hopefully that means insurance will cover a portion of his salary. The Penguins have recalled goalies Dany Sabourin and Sebastien Caron from the Baby Pens, meaning for now the Pens will carry 3 goalies. This could mean that Marc-Andre Fleury will soon be on his way back to Wilkes-Barre. Fleury has played in 19 games so far this season, if he hits 25, the Pens will owe him a $3M bonus. Andy Chiodo will move up from Wheeling to take the net for the Baby Pens.

A delegation of 18 local and state lawmakers has endorsed the Penguins proposed arena-casino development. The participants include state senators Jim Ferlo, Jane Orie, Jay Costa and John Pippy; state representatives Frank Dermody, Dan Frankel, Joe Preston, Joe Markosek, Mark Gergely, Paul Costa, Sean Ramaley, Frank LaGrotta and Nick Kotik; county councilman Bill Robinson; city council president Luke Ravenstahl and city council members Bill Peduto, Jim Motznik and Tonya Payne. You'll notice that the fat phuck is not on the list.

Recovering Pirates pitching prospects Sean Burnett and John VanBenschoten both made their return to the mound today in mini-camp following season-ending surgery last year. Neither reported any problems. In other injury news, 3B prospect Jose Bautista has a slight fracture in his left wrist that will take about 4 weeks to heal. The injury is considered minor, though may cut into the beginning of spring training for Batista, who is expected to begin the season in AAA.

In former Pirate news, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have signed Ty Wigginton to a major-league contract. Former Bucco coach Rich Donnelly has been named as the Dodgers new third base coach.

Former Steelers d-lineman LC Greenwood and current (not for long?) assistant coach Russ Grimm are among the 15 finalists for the NFL Hall of Fame this year.

Completely unrelated to anything, I took a girl out last night who apparently does not like to drink on weeknights. I felt like Kimo had rolled up on my star quarterback's knee on the first play, knocking him out for the game. With my first round stud out of the game, I was forced to rely on my back-up QB, the undrafted Diet Coke, out of the University of Dammit. Needless to say, not many SportsCenter highlights out of that one.

The Return of Lee Mays

2006-01-10T15:54:00.000-05:00

The Steelers today have learned that Quincy Morgan's leg injury is more serious than they originally thought. First thought to be a high ankle sprain, Morgan actually sustained a broken right fibula in Sunday's win over the Bungles. Morgan will require surgery and was placed on injured reserve. To fill his spot, the Steelers have signed Lee Mays to replace Morgan on the roster.

Ike Taylor will most likely take over Morgan's kick return duties, as he did when Morgan left the game on Sunday. Sean Morey will most likely move up to 4th on the depth chart at wide receiver. Mays, or the usually inactive Nate Washington will step into active duty on Sunday.

The Steelers only other significant injury was to top back-up linebacker James Harrison. It sounds like Harrison will miss Sunday's game. This means more playing time for Andre Frazier and the possble activation of Rian Wallace. No matter how banged up the Steelers linebacking corp gets, it could always be worse...in the Giants loss to Carolina over the weekend, they were forced to start Zo Jackson.

No luck for former Pirate pitchers Rich Gossage and Bert Blyleven in the Hall of Fame voting today. Reliever Bruce Sutter will be the lone member of this year's class. Gossage finished 3rd with 64.6% of the vote (75% needed) and Blyleven finished 5th with 53.3%. Dave Parker finished a distant 11th with 14.4%.

More buzzing going on in the NHL rumor mill. Again, there may be nothing to these (that's what makes them rumors), but there's a lot of talk of Mark Recchi being shopped and the Flyers seem to be the early favorite. There is also some speculation that John LeClair will be shopped as the deadline approaches, with Montreal being a possible destination for him. At this point, and definitely by the March deadline, any move the Pens make should be made strictly thinking of next season. The Pens are all but mathematically eliminated from this year's playoff race and should continue to play all the young players as much as possible, so they'll be ready to compete at a higher level next season. Add Evgeni Malkin (and Phil Kessel?) to the mix and the Pens should have a great young team next season.

Pens Recall Koltsov, Demote Christiensen

2006-01-09T21:48:00.000-05:00

The Pens have recalled speedy winger Konstantin Koltsov from Wilkes-Barre and assigned center Erik Christiensen to the Baby Pens. Koltsov has scored 7 goals and 5 assists in 18 games since being demoted. Christiensen started out strong but has faded of late and scored 6 goals and 6 assists in 29 games for the Pens this season.

Christiensen started the season with the Baby Pens, scoring 9 goals and 10 assists in 9 games. He remains the Wilkes-Barre's 6th leading scorer.

Penguins on Ice: Live in Las Vegas?

2006-01-09T18:54:00.000-05:00

"After speaking to a source in Penguins upper management, I can report that the Penguins feel ZERO PROGRESS has been made in the attempt for a new arena.The Penguins feel all the manufactured optimism by local politicians is just that, manufactured. All BS. All nonsense. Nothing concrete.

Furthermore, word has reached the Penguins that Gov. Rendell already has his excuse for NOT giving the Penguins the slots license, and it is..Well, if we give you one, we gotta give the Eagles one, and the Steelers one, and it just wouldn‚t be fair.. Oh, as opposed to giving selected teams free stadiums, and others NOT.

Also, the Penguins are already actively pursuing the sale of the team to Boots Del Biagio, who would move the team to Las Vegas. Everything will be in place when the slots license gets turned down.

So, Green Bay, that's today's hockey update. If you have any miracles you can yank out of any orifices, feel free. Write your senator, your Congressman, your pimp, or your bookie. But a better idea might be to call Wayne Newton and book a suite at the Stardust, cos the fix is STILL IN. Danke Schoen, Gov. Pigbreath."

- Mark Madden on Pittsburgh's ESPN Radio 1250

A Win is a Win is a Win

2006-01-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

Would the Steelers have won if Carson Palmer was not hurt yesterday? The answer is, it doesn't matter. The Steelers will head to Indy on Sunday with a chance at redemption. There 2 fairly key injuries for the Steelers yesterday, though obviously not on the level of Palmer, but top reserve linebacker James Harrison and #3 receiver and kick returner Quincy Morgan both suffered high ankle sprains and are almost definitely out for game against the Colts.

There were a couple very pleasant surprises yesterday. Antwaan Randle El and, especially, Cedrick Wilson had big games. Wilson went over 100 yards receiving and showed he's capable of being a quality #3 receiver next year. Randle El and Morgan will both be unrestricted free agents after the season, and I don't expect Randle El to return. Morgan could probably be kept pretty reasonably and would be worth holding onto for the right price.

The offense clicked in all facets of the game, special teams was solid and the defense looked good on 1st and 2nd downs. The biggest disappointment of the game, and maybe of the season, has been the Steelers inability to stop teams on 3rd down. One thing is for sure, if the Steelers somehow manage to stop Indy on 1st & 2nd down, they sure as hell better batton-down the hatch on 3rd down.

That brings us to Indy. While the offense was nonexistent last time the two teams met, the defense played a pretty good game after it could settled in. This game could provide the best opportunity Bill Cowher's ever had to silence his critics that claim he is not a good big-game coach and cannot game-plan against top teams. This is going to be a tough, tough, tough game for the Steelers to win. I'm as big a homer (I said homer) as anyone and I'm not very confident going into this week. I don't even think Gerry Dulac will pick the Steelers to win...and that's saying something.

Not much going on with the Pirates today as they prepare for minicamp, but Baseball America does have a nice little piece on speedy Pirates prospect Rajai Davis.

NHL trade rumors are starting to pop-up. Anybody who knows me, or has been reading the Bits knows I love rumors. If at all possible I'll include links to legitimate sources regarding these rumors, but in many cases there will be no links and no legitimate sources. Any web saavy hockey fan knows there are several NHL rumor sites, most coming out of Canada, that come up with a few legitimate rumors and many that are not.

That being said, some of these unreliable sources are claiming that the Flyers have interest in reacquiring Mark Recchi before the deadline. This same site (one of the more reliable) claims that as many as half of the teams in the NHL have shown some interest in Ryan Malone.

Here We Go Steelers!

2006-01-08T09:48:00.000-05:00

(click picture to download Steeler Polka)

2 Steelers to Start Pro Bowl

2006-01-07T18:08:00.000-05:00

The NFL has just announced the starters for the Pro Bowl and G Alan Faneca and SS Troy Polamalu are among them. C Jeff Hartings and LB Joey Porter will serve as back-ups. Casey Hampton is a 1st team alternate and Hines Ward is a 2nd team alternate. The Steelers have chosen not to divulge the entire list of alternates, but those two names have come out.

Elsewhere, the Arizone Cardinals have signed former Steelers can't miss undrafted free agent Zamir Cobb to a one-year deal. Cobb got the hopes of Steeler Nation up after a great training camp last season that ended in a season-ending injury. Cobb failed to win a spot on the roster this season, thanks in no small part to another can't miss undrafted free agent receiver, Nate Washington, who has contributed absolutely nothing this season. Sure he needs some time to develop, but if he can't get onto the field with the likes of Antwaan Randle El, Cedrick Wilson, Quincy Morgan on Sean Morey, that doesn't say much for him.

Wide receiver is a position the Steelers desperately need to address in the offseason. There were a bunch of real good looking 6'5" receivers in the bowl games last week. One of them would look nice wearing black & gold, lined up opposite Hines Ward. It's a shame Fred Gibson suffered from DFS (Danny Farmer Syndrome).

Rumor Mill

2006-01-07T14:50:00.000-05:00

The Ryan Malone rumor mill heating up. There's an article in today's PG suggesting that Malone may be headed to Toronto, Mark Madden claimed yesterday that a deal may be in the works with Colorado. According to Big Sexy, the Pens would send Malone and defenseman Dick Tarnstrom to the Avalanche for forward Alex Tanguay. Not sure why the Avs would do this, Tanguay is a very good young winger, still only 26-years old. This would be a nice pick-up for the Pens, and could allow them to deal one of their promising young forwards for a real defensive-defenseman, which is what they need most...like Brendan Witt.

Other accounts suggest Malone could be picked up for prospects or draft picks. Toronto is also looking for help on the blue line, so I guess a package of Malone and Tarnstrom to the Maple Leafs is a possiblity, as well.

Nice Guys Finish Third

2006-01-06T14:17:00.000-05:00

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu finish 3rd today in the voting for AP Defensive Player of the Year. Chicago linebacker Brian Urlacher won the award in a landslide with 34 of 50 votes. Colts D-Line stud Dwight Freeney finished second with 4 votes and Polamalu had 3 votes.

Those Wacky Mayors

2006-01-06T10:23:00.000-05:00

In what could possibly be the lamest sports-related bet in the history of sports or betting, the mayors of Pittsburgh and Cincinnati have made their first wager over Sunday's Steelers-Bungles playoff matchup. The mayor of the losing town must spend a day in the winning town. I guess this is only fair in a year when the two best teams will have to go to Detroit, but couldn't they have just bet a case of Skyline chili for a case of Heinz ketchup? I expect more from the town that brought us Pete Rose and all of his lovable gambling antics.

I propose they kick-it up a notch. If the Bungles lose, the new Pittsburgh mayor, Bob O'Connor, must travel to Cincy, don that sandwich board from 'Die Hard with a Vengeance' and join one of the Queen City's legendary race riots, already in progress. If the Steelers were to somehow let this one slip away, Cincy mayor Mark Mallory must spend the day in Pittsburgh wearing a Cleveland Browns jersey repeating, "Looks like somebody's got a case of the Monday's" over and over. Each should receive equal beatings.

Pirates Do Sign Duckworth

2006-01-05T01:37:00.000-05:00

The Pirates have, in fact, signed right-handed starter Brandon Duckworth to a minor league contract. Duckworth should compete with Victor Santos, Ian Snell and Ryan Vogelsong for the final spot in the rotation. Whoever wins the spot will just be keeping it warm for Sean Burnett, who is expected to start the season in the minors while he shakes off the rust from arm surgery.

In other Bucco news, Dave Littlefield now claims he does not intend to trade Craig Wilson. Wilson will be the primary back-up at 1B and the corner outfield spots. This also means that Jody Gerut and Nate McLouth will likely battle for the final bench spot. With Casey's history of injuries and Burnitz's age, Craiggers should still find plenty of playing time. He can also back-up at catcher if there was an injury, and Ryan Doumit has a history of injuries. Keeping Wilson is definitely the right thing to do, and it is ironic that with all the money the Pirates had to spend this offseason, it may turn out that the best move they made...was the one they didn't make. Let's just hope Craig grows the Samson-locks back this year.

What's In a Number?

2006-01-04T19:02:00.000-05:00

The Pirates have assigned a bunch of new numbers:

#54 Jonah Bayliss
#46 Bryan Bullington
#55 Matt Capps
#34 Roberto Hernandez
#28 Paul Maholm
#43 Damaso Marte
#52 Victor Santos
#44 Josh Sharpless

#25 Sean Casey
#19 Yurnell DeCaster
#6 Javier Guzman
#5 Joe Randa
#3 Craig Stansberry
#10 Rajai Davis

The newest Pirate, Jeromy Burnitz, has yet to receive his number.

Pirates Drop Furmaniak

2006-01-04T16:41:00.000-05:00

To fit Jeromy Burnitz onto the 40-man roster, the Pirates have designated UT J.J. Furmaniak for assignment. They will have 10 days to trade or release him. If he is not claimed by another club, he can be assigned to the minors. Furmaniak became expendable when the Pirates signed Mike Edwards to a minor league deal last week. Edwards spent much of the season last year playing for Jim Tracy in Los Angeles, and along with Freddy Sanchez will provide infield depth off the bench.

Joey Porter was named to ESPN's All-Pro team. Porter was the only Steeler named to the team.

Former Steelers GM Tom Donahoe was fired today by the Bills. While the Bills have not yet made a decision as to whether they will retain the services of head coach Mike Mularkey, they have fired offensive coordinator, and former Steelers QB coach, Tom Clements.

Off to a Great Start

2006-01-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

While Steelers tight end Heath Miller showed a lot in his first season in the NFL, he won't have Offensive Rookie of the Year honors to show for it. Tampa RB Cadillac Williams received 47 of 50 votes, with Miller, Logan Mankins and Ronnie Brown each receiving one. Ben Roethlisberger was last year's winner. Before last year, the last rookie I can remember to gain praise in Pittsburgh was when Warren Morris finished 3rd in the balloting. Now, over the last year and a half, we've had Jason Bay, Ben Roethlisberger, Zach Duke and Heath Miller all win or receive consideration. Sidney Crosby looks like a lock to finish in the top 2 this year for hockey, and you can bet Evgeni Malkin will be up there next year for the Pens. It's nice to see in a town where everything always seems to get older.

Not sure if it was some weird form of a Freudian-slip, or just nobody else has reported it yet, but John Perrotto mentioned in his article this morning that the 5th spot in the Pirate's rotation will come down to Victor Santos, Ian Snell and Brandon Duckworth. As far as I can tell, Duckworth is still with the Astros and wasn't even a free agent this year. I think John meant to say that the the competition would be between Santos, Snell and Ryan Vogelsong. More on this story as it develops.

According to Perrotto, the Pirates lineup is pretty much set, and the only variables left are Craig Wilson (Colorado & Toronto are mentioned as possible destinations) and the 5th spot in the rotation. Here's the lineup:
1. CF Chris Duffy
2. SS Jack Wilson
3. LF Jason Bay
4. RF Jeromy Burnitz
5. 1B Sean Casey
6. 3B Joe Randa
7. 2B Jose Castillo
8. C Ryan Doumit

Rotation: Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, Oliver Perez, Kip Wells & Santos/Snell/Vogelsong
Bullpen: Mike Gonzalez, John Grabow, Damaso Marte, Roberto Hernandez, Giavonni Carrera, Salomon Torres & Ryan Vogelsong
Bench: Humberto Cota, Freddy Sanchez, Mike Edwards, Jody Gerut & (for now) Craig Wilson

Pirates Sign Vogelsong

2006-01-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

The Pirates have agreed to a one-year deal with Ryan Vogelsong, avoiding arbitration. The deal will pay a base salary of $550,000, with incentives of up to an additional $125,000 if he starts 10 games ($25K), 15 games ($30K), 20 games ($30K) and 25 games ($40K); he can also earn up to $75,000 in bonuses out of the bullpen, $25K each for 45, 55 and 65 appearances. Vogelsong will be a longshot for the 5th spot in the rotation, but is competing (for now) against Victor Santos and Ian Snell, so it's not inconceivable that he could win the spot out with a good Spring Training.

Oliver Perez, Kip Wells and Craig Wilson are the only remaining arb-eligible Buccos yet to sign.

As reported, Jeromy Burnitz's deal will be for one-year worth $6M with a mutual option for a 2nd year at the same amount. If the Pirates decline the option, they owe Burnitz a $700K buyout. If Burnitz declines the option, he becomes a free agent. The contract, with incentives, could top-out at $12.5M and will be at least $6.7M, making it the richest free agent contract in franchise history. It remains to be seen what will happen with Craig Wilson, who is expected to make about $4M this year.

Elsewhere, the Rockies are expected to resume negotiations with Brian Meadows. The Cubs have signed Michael Restovich to a minor-league contract.

It's a Rookie Night in Pittsburgh

2006-01-03T22:01:00.000-05:00

The Penguins earned a big 6-4 win over the Canadiens tonight in Michel Therrien's return to Montreal, and they did it with 11 rookies in the lineup:

Shane Endicott: 1st NHL goal
Colby Armstrong: 1st NHL point (assist)
Matt Murley: assist (banked Crosby's 2nd goal off of Sid's skate)
Michel Ouellet: 2 goals (7 goals & 5 assists in first 11 NHL games)
Tomas Surovy: assist (6 goals & 3 assists in first 10 games of the season)
Maxime Talbot: goal (5th of season) and an assist
Sidney Crosby: 2 goals (20th & 21st of the year, 45 points in 39 games)
Marc-Andre Fleury: 29 saves and the victory
Erik Christiansen, Rob Scuderi & Ryan Whitney all played solid games, but did not register any points.

The Pens are now 11 points behind the 8th playoff seed with 43 games remaining. They have a long road ahead of them, but if they continue to play well over the next few weeks, they could be right back in the thick of things. The Pens will have a few days off before a home-and-home series against Atlanta Friday and Saturday. Both games are very winnable, and will probaby be pretty high scoring and very fun to watch.

You're My Boy, Blue

2006-01-03T16:12:00.000-05:00

Dust in the Wind

Pirates Sign Burnitz

2006-01-03T15:43:00.000-05:00

The Pirates have agreed to a one-year deal with Jeromy Burnitz, believed to be worth about $6M, with a mutual option for 2007. The deal is expected to be officially announced on Friday, at which point somebody will have to be removed from the 40-man roster.

While Littlefield could not say that a deal was done, he did take the anti-Craig Patrick approach and admit that, "We're in discussions with Burnitz. We'd like to be able to find someone who can play right field for us and provide some offense. He's certainly someone we're interested in."

While I Was Away

2006-01-03T07:52:00.000-05:00

The Steelers cemented their playoff birth and face the Bungles on Sunday at 4:30. Start warming up the Terrible Towels. Check back later in the week for the Tidbits Awards for the season.

The Pens are playing much better and split the 4 games they played while I was away. Sid the Kid and Tomas Surovy are putting up points by the boatload. The new-look Pens will face Michel Therrien's former employer, the Canadiens, tonight.

And the Pirates have added a few new faces, though not sure why they added these faces:

3B Joe Randa - I don't mind this signing (though I have a feeling we'll be hearing from the Angry Bucco Fan soon). Hopefully he has a good 1st half and brings in a prospect or two in return at the deadline. While the signing doesn't bother me, I don't think Randa is much if any of an improvement at 3B over Freddy Sanchez. Sanchez should still get 400 at bats this year, playing all over the infield. Between Randa and Casey, the Pirates will defintely be a likeable bunch...they just probably won't win much.

RP Giovanni Carrera - has a good chance of making the team. Tracy is bringing in a bunch of guys he's familiar with and Carrera's had some decent years in the past. Minor league deal, so nothing to lose, but you just hope Tracy doesn't favor his guys over others, if they are not performing.

UT Mike Edwards - another of Tracy's guys from LA. Should give JJ Furmaniak a run for the 25th spot on the roster. More likely will fill Bobby Hill's role at AAA.

UT Gookie Dawkins - Pokey Reese-lite...'nuff said.

C Paul Chiaffredo - back-up catcher at Indy last year...back-up catcher at Indy this year.

In the rumor mill, according to the Times (Beaver County, that is) the Pirates were close to signing Preston Wilson yesterday. Today, Jeromy Burnitz is the aging outfielder du jour (2-years, $12M). While I would not want either over Craig Wilson, I think we'll have to wait to see what DL gets for Craiggers if another outfielder is signed. If he turned around and sent Wilson to the Red Sox in a package for Andy Marte (maybe Wilson, Bautista and Snell?), then I'll go out and buy the first Burnitz jersey (which of course I'd try to trade later in the season for a younger, less expensive jersey that doesn't strike out so much.)

The Pirates have also reportedly shown some interest in RHP Ryan Franklin, whom as I have stated before, I think would make a nice addition to the back-end of the rotation.

Big bowl win for WVU last night. Wherever he is, Famous Amos is smiling.

Well, hope everybody had a happy New Year. We have a lot to look forward to this year. The Pens rookies have quickly put the Pens back into playoff contention. The Pirates are putting together a lineup that could finally put them over 500 (combined team age, not win percentage, but after 13 losing seasons, I'll take what I can get). And the Steelers will make another push for one for the thumb. Pitt basketball is good and got a good football recruiting class; Penn State and WVU could contend for a national title next year after great years this year. Even the Pittsburgh Xplosion are starting to find their audience (I believe 7 people attended the last game...though to be fair, 2 of them thought they were going to see an actual explosion.)

A Tidbit of a Vacation

2005-12-24T00:36:00.000-05:00

The Tidbitter's going on vacation, so there won't be many (if any) updates over the next week or so. The Bits will be back and better than ever next year. See ya on the other side.

Pirates Sign RF

2005-12-24T00:19:00.000-05:00

Sorry, couldn't resist. The RF the Pirates have signed is Jody Gerut, to a 1 year/$875,000 contract, avoiding arbitration. Gerut can earn an extra $35K for 500 plate appearances, and another $40K for 550 PA's. If this is not a symbol of everything that is wrong with baseball, than I don't know what is. Gerut earned $356,200 last year, hit .253 with 1 HR over the 170 at bats he was barely healthy enough to take, and his salary goes up a half a million dollars. We can only hope that Gerut regains some of his 2003 form, a year in which he hit .279 with 22 homers and 75 rbi's. My guess is, if healthy, he'll be more like the player he was in 2004, when he hit .252 with 11 homers and 51 rbi's.

Marvel Smith has been upgraded to probable and is expected to play against the Browns.

Gonchar Named to Team Russia

2005-12-23T23:12:00.000-05:00

Unlike Olympics past, when the likes of Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr dominated the competitions, this year the Penguins will really only have one player participating. Sergei Gonchar will represent the Russians, and was the only active Penguin selected to any team. Super prospect Evgeni Malkin will join Gonchar on the Russian team, and former Pen Martin Strbak, whose rights the Penguins still own, will play for Slovakia.

Jagr will be there, of course, representing the Czech team, and is one of many former Pens who will be playing for their respective countries, including: Jagr, Robert Lang & Martin Straka (Czech); Darius Kasparaitis & Alexei Kovalev (Russia); and Markus Naslund & Mikael Samuelsson (Sweden).

The Pens lost a heartbreaker tonight, 5-4 to Philly. After falling behind 3-0, the Pens woke up and started applying what they learned during a tough week of practices. The Pens scored 4 unanswered goals (two by Sidney Crosby within 44 seconds of each other) to pull ahead before Philly scored two quick goals themselves with about 5 minutes to play, to pull ahead for good.

The Pens are now 0-3 under Michel Therrien, but are noticeably improved. They took way too many penalties tonight and that still shows a lack of proper conditioning, but when the Pens started taking the body, they took over control of the game. The way Therrien has the Pens improving, they have quickly become a very competitive team. Unfortunately they still are not winning and are falling further and further behind in the playoff hunt. Even if they start winning, which I expect them to soon, they will have a lot of ground to make up. If nothing else, the last 3 games have been a lot more fun to watch than the previous dozen or so.

Phew

2005-12-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

Outfielder Juan Encarnacion has reportedly signed a 3-year, $15M deal with the Cardinals. Every now and then, it's good to be a Bucco fan.

Bucco Bits

2005-12-22T18:18:00.000-05:00

The Diamondbacks are said to be in discussions involving Troy Glaus with the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles and an undisclosed NL team? Could that be the Pirates? Probably not, but if the Blue Jays or Red Sox were to pick him up, they might be more willing to unload one of their many 3B's. My prediction for the Pirates opening day 3B is Kevin Youkilis, who was slated for 1B in Boston this year...which is where the Sox are expected to play Glaus if they acquire him.

If I were in a position to do so, I would be trying to get Youkiee (or Marte if they'd give him up) from the Red Sox, with a package centered around Craig Wilson, whom they've shown some interest in. I would then try to get Kevin Mench from Texas or Johnny Gomes from TB to play rightfield, or if that fails, you could go after an Encarnacion-type guy (but not before all else fails...please, not before all else fails!)

The man who should be working on this stuff went to watch Oliver Perez pitch in Mexico yesterday, and predictably, Perez got shelled, giving up 5 runs (4 ER) in 2+ innings. Before that he had been pitching pretty well in Mexico, maybe DL's his bad luck charm.

The Pirates signed righthanded pitchers Nerio Rodriguez and Ron Chiavacci to minor league contracts and invited them to spring training. Rodriguez, 34, spent last year in the Mexican League and has made 37 career Major League appearances, including 7 starts, over five years with Baltimore ('96-'97), Toronto ('98-'99) and St. Louis ('02). Chiavacci, 28, finished last season pitching in Korea after starting the season at AAA Indy, and has never appeared in the big leagues.

Pirates Pursue Encarnacion

2005-12-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

The Pirates have supposedly stepped up their pursuit of outfielder Juan Encarnacion. This is not the first time the Pirates have attempted to get Encarnacion, who hit .287 (.349 obp) with 16 home runs and 76 rbi's in 141 games last year for the Marlins. The 29-year old earned about $4.4M last year is thought to be seeking a 2-3 year deal. He does not draw walks, strikes out a fair amount, is a mediocre-at-best defender in right field and has decent speed, but swiped only 6 bases last year in 11 tries. To me, he is a more expensive, less powerful Craig Wilson. I'd rather keep Craiggers. Also, when Jim Tracy was his manager in LA, Encarnacion was constantly being shopped before finally being dealt to the Marlins.

The Royals are reportedly close to signing Reggie Sanders to a 2-year deal worth $10M.

The Nationals are among at least 3 teams who already have offers on the table for Josh Fogg.

While the Steelers have said they are not releasing the names of their Pro Bowl alternates, it slipped out that Casey Hampton is a first team alternate.

4 Steelers Headed to Hawaii

2005-12-21T17:08:00.000-05:00

The Steelers will have 4 representatives at the Pro Bowl this year, all of whom made it last year. Alan Faneca will make his 5th straight trip, while Porter will go for the 3rd time and Jeff Hartings and Troy Polamalu will each make their 2nd appearance. Other players with local ties going are Ty Law (Aliquippa), Larry Fitzgerald (Pitt) and Jason Taylor (Woodland Hills).

Larry Foote's safety is up for Play of the Week, you can vote here.

According to TSN Canada, Sidney Crosby will not be invited to play for Team Canada in the upcoming Olympics.

In what hopefully will be an important step to a new Pittsburgh arena, the Penguins have announced a partnership with Isle of Capri Casino, Inc. As part of the deal (contingent on the group being awarded the slots license), the 50-acre site where Mellon Arena is currently located would become the home of various residential, commercial and retail projects.

Don't expect the Pirates to attempt to sign any players non-tendered yesterday. Regarding the 50 new free agents, Dave Littlefield said, "I think there are some players out of that group that will have good years this next season but the list has gone down in overall quality over the years. I don't see us filling our needs out of this group."

Today's Forecast: No Fogg

2005-12-21T08:08:00.000-05:00

The Pirates have non-tendered Josh Fogg, making him a free agent. All other arbitration-eligible players were tendered contracts. Not too many interesting names on the overall list of new free agents. The Brewers non-tendered Jeff Bennett after an injury-marred season. I could see the Bucs taking a flier on him with a minor league deal.

Over his 4-year Bucco career, Fogg had a record of 39-42 with an ERA of 4.79. He had double-digit wins every year except this past one. As seemingly a throw-in to the Kip Wells-Todd Ritchie trade, Fogg served as a serviceable 5th starter for a team that had very little pitching depth. While I think it was the right move for the Bucs to let him go, he seems like a real good kid and I wish him the best. (The holidays make me all warm and fuzzy...usually, I'm just fuzzy).

Two quick Penguins notes, Sidney Crosby and Mark Recchi will find out by 5 pm today whether or not they will be playing for Canada in the upcoming Olympics. My guess is Sid the Kid will be chosen, whereas Mark "-20" Recchi will not.

The Post-Gazette has some concern that Pens prospect Evgeni Malkin will burn himself out by participating in the Olympics. Russia is definitely trying to get the most out of Malkin while they still have him there, as he is the top star in Russia right now, but it's nice to see the P-G cares.

Non-Tender Deadline Approaching

2005-12-20T19:41:00.000-05:00

No word yet as to whether or not the Pirates have, in fact, offered arbitration to all 7 eligible players. The biggest question marks surround Josh Fogg and Ryan Vogelsong. Dave Littlefield (on his way to visit Oliver Perez in Mexico) said he would not make an announcement until after the midnight deadline.

Unfortunatley for those of us hoping Russell Branyan would be non-tendered, he is on the verge of signing a one year deal with the Brewers worth $800K. He could still be easily obtained by trade (Grabow or Marte would probably do it).

Pitcher Matt Peterson has passed through waivers unclaimed and will be designated to the minors.

A couple former Pirates major and minor leaguers have signed minor league deals: Jose Parra (Mets), Aaron Holbert (Reds) and Andy Abad (Reds); while former Bucco David Ross was non-tendered by the Padres, but could be offered a minor league deal to remain with the organization. Ross was traded last season for JJ Furmaniak.

Kenny Lofton has signed his deal with the Dodgers, but LA has reportedly backed off of signing Reggie Sanders.

JoePa Named Coach of the Year

2005-12-20T19:18:00.000-05:00

Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who will turn 79 tomorrow (though much like every Latin player in baseball, I would add a few years to that), received 45 of 65 votes today for AP Coach of the Year. Mack Brown of Texas was second with 8 votes. WVU's Rich Rodriguez finished 5th with 2 votes. Rounding out the top 5 were Notre Dame's Charlie Weis and USC's Pete Carroll, who each received 3 votes. Paterno rebounded from a 4-7 record a year ago to a 10-1 season this year. This is Paterno's biggest honor since receiving a Golden Globe nomination as the star of the hit TV show Columbo.

Today's Tidbits

2005-12-20T07:46:00.000-05:00

The non-tender deadline is coming tonight and the Pirates are still deciding whether or not to offer arbitration to all elibible players. DL will make an announcement tomorrow morning. Littlefield surprised everybody (though nobody more than Josh Fogg) when he announced during the Winter Meetings earlier in the month that the Pirates would offer contracts to all seven arb-eligible players, though now may be waivering and said yesterday that no final decisions have been made. Eligibe are Kip Wells, Oliver Perez, Josh Fogg, Ryan Vogelsong, Craig Wilson, Jody Gerut and Humberto Cota.

While all teams around the league are facing similar dilemnas, a few players the Pirates' have previously shown interest in may be about to become free agents, including Twin's pitcher Kyle Lohse and Oriole's outfielder Eric Byrnes. Former Pirate Bad, Bad Emil Brown could be non-tendered after a career-year in Kansas City.

I would love to see the Pirates sign Lohse to be the 5th starter. He'll make about the same amount of money as Josh Fogg, and at 27 still has some upside (I know, Fogg is the same age, but I think we can all agree that we've seen the best Josh Fogg has to offer). He's a much better option than Fogg or Santos in the rotation, and I am definitely not sold on Ian Snell, I have a hard time trusting a guy who has a maiden name.

The NHL trade freeze went into effect last night and lasts until December 27th. Team's are allowed to move player's back-and-forth from the minor leagues. The Pens next game is not until Friday night, and you can bet Michel Therrien is working their asses off this week. This is the biggest overhaul of a Country Club since Jack Hartounian took over Bushwood in Caddyshack II.

In a sure sign that things are not going well, former Steelers 7th rounder Noah Herron led the Packers in carries last night as they got routed by the Ravens, 48-3. Herron finished the night with 8 carries for 27 yards.

The Giants have signed former Steelers and Nittany Lions tight end Matt Kranchick. I was very critical of the draft pick last year, but thought he showed a lot of progress this year and was actually worth keeping. Kranchick could develop into a decent pass-catching tight end. The Steelers would rather keep 35-year old CB Willie Williams inactive on the bench every week though.

The Pitt men's basketball team has climbed to #25 in the coaches poll after an 8-0 start to the season.

An Angry Minute

2005-12-19T20:07:00.000-05:00

I'd like to introduce a very special guest columnist to the Tidbits. While not revealing his true identity, I will say that he is, in fact, an executive for a professional baseball team. Born and raised in the Burgh, he is truly fed up with the Buccos' losing ways and that has made him very angry. Ladies and gentlemen (okay, probably not so many ladies), I give you...Angry Bucco Fan:

I have been very upset this offseason due to the fact that the Bucs have been making moves that would make Cam Bonifay proud. Let me explain: Conversations with other loyal Tidbits readers has led me to question my own Bucco beliefs. While I have been questioning them, ultimately I have come to believe what I always have. That being that the Pirates should go with a total youth movement this year, bite the bullet and lose 100 or so games.

The way I see it, the team gets a chance to grow together by doing this and the front office will be able to evaluate what players will pan-out and where they will need to fill-in via free agency and/or trades.

My lineup for '06 would look like:
C - Doumit
1B - Eldred
2B - Castillo
SS - J. Wilson
3B - Sanchez/Bautista
OF - Bay, Duffy, C. Wilson
Starters - Perez, Duke, Wells, Maholm, Santos
Relievers - Vogelsong, VanBenschoten, Gonzalez, Torres, Grabow, Burnett
Bench - Cota, McLouth, DeCaster, Gerut, Furmaniak

I know that, with trades and all, Sean Casey and (for now) Damaso Marte are locks to make the team but this is just what I would field. I know that everyone will bellyache that 100 losses are unacceptable, but so are 13 straight losing years. My way offers hope down the road, skipping the ridiculous stop-gap route. Unfortunately the Bucs don't see it my way and seem doomed to lose well into the future. I can see it now: Major League IV: The Pirates, Welcome To HELL. I look forward to writing a column for the Tidbits every week or so.

-Angry Bucco Fan

Which Casey as Bat?

2005-12-19T17:13:00.000-05:00

Interesting post over at HonestWagner about the way Sean Casey plays when he's healthy, versus his numbers when he's playing hurt. Not sure if it's possible to really know when a guy is hurting or not, but the numbers prove one thing...the Pirates better pray Casey can stay relatively healthy this season, or they are going to have a very expensive mistake on their hands.