In the spring of 2009, I sat down to watch an NCAA regional final matchup between Pitt and Villanova. The Panthers entered the 2008/2009 NCAA Tournament as a number-one seed and made it to the Elite Eight for the first time since it was actually called that. I was stoked. There was no doubt in… read more

You know it’s serious when Pirates fans are even angry with team owner Bob Nutting and the powers that be at Major League Baseball for not televising or live-streaming a spring training game. As if it were that easy to get play-by-play personnel and a camera crew in place in time for an afternoon spring… read more

After reading and digesting last week’s article in The Athletic that detailed Bob Nutting’s cheapness, let’s just say I have a whole new perspective on the Pirates’ long-time owner and his willingness to do what it takes to win. Nutting is never going to do everything it takes to win. Does that mean he wants… read more

Spring Training is finally underway, meaning fans can rejoice as there will be baseball played practically every day until the end of October. The appeal of Spring Training lies in the storylines and the hopes and perceptions that come along with teams trying to start fresh. With each new year comes a renewed hope that… read more

“I’ve been in some meetings where my jaw dropped because we had to wait a day to trade a guy because it was going to save us $30,000,” a former instructor said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m hearing this.’ This is a $10 billion industry.” That quote was pulled from… read more

If you had to pick one of the most hated opposing players in Pittsburgh sports in the mid-2010s, Aroldis Chapman, the Reds flame-throwing closer, was at the top of the list. The Pirates came of age in 2013, and the Reds were already in the throes of trying to maximize their small-market championship window. The… read more

The new year is finally upon us! 2023 turned out to be a wild year and the MLB season didn’t quite pan out how anyone expected. The offseason is still in full swing with plenty of free agents to sign and trades to make and pitchers and catchers report for spring training in over a… read more

Free agency is just a weird event in any sport. The fans and the media decide on which players a particular team should sign, and if that team doesn’t do it, it’s a failure. That’s what the beginning of Major League Baseball’s free-agent frenzy was like for the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they began the task… read more

I was at a Pittsburgh-area Giant Eagle over the summer and eager to check my weight/blood pressure at one of those little machines that sit by the pharmacy. I noticed some guy was already using the machine. I said, “‘Damn it, Leyland is using it.” I then decided to buy the few things I came… read more

In years past the National League Central was a three-pony race with the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals commanding the lead and the Chicago Cubs somewhere behind them. 2023 marked a change in the tides heading into the 2024 season. The Brewers are dealing with matters off the field and were dealt a blow… read more