Pirates Prevent Sweep, Achieve Record

At least the Pirates pulled one game out of the series, it could have been worse.  Burnett had a horrible outing during his loss but there were absolutely some bright spots in this series.

Pirates Prevent Sweep, Achieve Record

What do you guys think?

Pedro Alvarez Hero or Zero?

It looks like Pedro may be trying to prove me wrong!  What do you guys think?


Pedro Alvarez Hero or Zero?

Steelers 2012 Draft Class

My reviews of the Steelers draft class from this weekends NFL Draft.  I am pretty excited about what the Steelers did, I look for a few of these guys to make and immediate impact!

Steelers 2012 Draft Class

Pirates Claim 2 Of 3 From Rockies

Another great post by me haha.... and a solid 3 game series by the Pirates.  Even Pedro Alvarez managed to have 2 homeruns in the series!

Pirates Claim 2 Of 3 From Rockies

Sports Night In Pittsburgh

Tonight we have game 5 of the Pens Flyers series..... WE CAN DO THIS!!! I have complete faith in the Pens today that they will continue with the momentum they created in game 4.  Neal and Adams will be back in the lineup tonight and hopefully that translates into a few more goals and the ability to shut down the Flyers.  I am also hopeful that game 4 helped Fleury build some confidence and that will help him shut down the net tonight... lets all keep our fingers crossed and think "brick wall Fleury BRICK WALL"

I can feel it, its going to be a great night in the City of Pittsburgh, Pens will win this one 6-4 and the Pirates will also pull out a win tonight, 3-2.  Those are my predictions.....

Pens Blow Out Flyers In Game 4

This is a post I wrote on the FanVsFan site about last nights Pens game.  What a great game it was (at least for a Pens fan!)  Check out the post and let me know what you think!

Pens Blow Out Flyers In Game 4

Can The Pens Win One?

I haven't posted in a few days...... I was a little hostile and afraid that I might take my anger at my beloved Pens and splatter it all over this blog.  I didn't really want to do that so I took a few days off to regroup, it worked for me so dear god please let these last few days off work for the Pens too!  There is a chance that they can still win this series, a slim slim chance, but any chance is better than none.  They have come back from 3 games down before, although not to Philly and not without Malkin stepping up and scoring.  He hasn't scored in 12 playoff games.  12.  I just read that stat on Mark Maddens twitter feed.  I knew he hadn't scored this series, but I didn't realize how many playoff games he has been scoreless.  That stat really hurts.  We need the leagues leading point scorer to step up and SCORE!  I feel like I should take the opportunity to say that our defense has hopefully also arrived in Philly.  I think they got lost along the way because they certainly were not on the ice last game.

I am not a Marc-Andre Fleury fan, thats not a newsflash or anything so I would love to blame him for the insane amount of goals Philly has scored but I can't.  Oh I know I can blame a few on him, believe me hes not innocent in these debacle games.  He just isn't 100% to blame either.  At some point someone has to step up and help him out.  Maybe playing a thousand regular season games in goal isn't looking like such a great idea anymore, maybe Fleury is tired, maybe Bylsma is regretting that decision.... maybe not.  Maybe Disco Dan is going to come out tonight with the exact same game plan he has used for the last 3 games..... I hope thats not the case and some adjustments were made..... I guess I will just have to start pacing and impatiently waiting for this game.  I'm optimistic about tonight though..... LETS GO PENS!!!

Bad Pittsburgh Sports Night

I am not even sure where to start this post.  Luckily its a blog and not an article because the only thing I can manage to think about the Pens playoff game last night is "Horrible".  Yet again we jumped up quick.... and yet again we managed to let the Flyers not only come back,  but take the lead AND WIN.  What makes this even worse is not only did we allow Sean Couturier to get a Hat Trick but we also let Claude Giroux collect a Hat Trick (while also adding 3 assists Giroux had a great game).  Two hat tricks in one game.... that makes me wonder where on earth our defense was?  I can tell you they were not out there last night, well they were on the ice but they weren't very good.

We had far to many costly turnovers to even dream of winning that game.  Ben Lovejoy had one of those costly turnovers allowing Couturier to score a breakaway goal to even the score at 5.  From that point on the Flyers didn't look back.  And my head began to hurt.  I guess my head hurt so much because I can't understand how we can jump on them so quick and not take full advantage of the lead that we created.

The fact is game three in Philly is going to be HUGE, if we don't pull out the win then the series is basically lost. We absolutely need to win Sunday's game to stay alive and stop the momentum the Flyers have built up.  Many writes, bloggers, and assorted sports junkies said from the beginning this was going to go all seven games, and I was in agreement with that, I just didn't think it would be because we dropped the first two games in such a horrible fashion.  Sunday's game holds all the marbles for the Pens.... Lets hope we can keep it together.

In other Pittsburgh Sports news the Pirates lost 5-0 to the San Francisco Giants last night.  They play again tonight at 9:05pm with Charlie Morton making his season debut, returning from off season hip surgery.  I will get more into a Pirates review later tonight but for now I am still trying to swallow the Pens loss....

Pens Fall In Game 1

I am a little disgruntle at the moment.  I actually had to wait a little while after that Pens game before I started this post just because of my anger at how it ended.  The Pens jumped up quick on the Flyers taking a 3-0 lead in the first period off of goals scored by Crosby, Kennedy, and Dupuis.  It was GREAT, and then they stopped playing.  Not literally of course, they still were out on the ice pretending to be involved in the game however, after those first 3 goals they chalked up zero points while the Flyers managed to score 4.  Yep the Flyers came back from a 3-0 deficit to win the game in sudden death OT.  Now I am the first to point out that their first goal should not have ever happened because there was a SUPER OBVIOUS call that was missed. But I will say no more about it because the fact is, it was missed and there is nothing we can do about it. They scored, it counted and we lost..... and it sucks.  On the bright side though I think this will make the Pens come out hungry in game two, and maybe they will remember that this Philly team isn't going to lay down and let us run past them without putting up a fight.  Here's hoping they got the crap out of their system and they move on to better play in the rest of this series.  Friday night better be a notch in the win column.

Pirates Take Series From Phillies

This past Easter weekend Pittsburgh showed Philly a little something..... on the ice and on the diamond.  Not only did the Penguins beat the Flyers but the Pirates..... yes the Pittsburgh Pirates after dropping their home opener took the last 2 games of the 3 game series from the Phillies.

Lets be honest did the Pirates look like they could win the World Series? No, but what gave me more hope than I already had (and as you all know a few weeks ago I declared we will have a winning season) was that they continued to fight and won both games by coming from behind.  Yet another positive take on this is that they faced some pretty dominant starting pitching and yet came out on top.

I also liked what I saw from our entire pitching staff.  The guys that came in for relief threw some great innings to carry on solid outings from the starting rotation.

I was also impressed with a few young guys who came through in clutch situations, Matt Hague, Alex Presley, and Yamaico Navarro.  Although Hague's Major League debut was nothing to brag about, his pinch hit appearance in a sticky situation allowed him to single in a game tying run.  Presley hit an RBI broken bat single that scored a game winning run, and Navarro stood strong in the batters box and didn't swing at pitches that weren't good.

I should mention that Pedro Alvarez also finally got a hit.... it happened to be a beautiful homerun which temporarily made me forget how strongly I feel against him being in the big league right now.  It was nice.....

If these young players can continue to step up when needed and can get a bit more backup from the rest of the team we may have some seriously exciting games on our hands this season. This very well could have been a horrible start to the season but I think the Pirates showed that they aren't going to just lay down and let everyone walk all over them, they are going to put up a fight!

For more articles on the Pirates click here!  (yes this is a shameless self promotion!)

Tortorella Fined For Rant About Pens

The NHL fined New York Rangers coach John Tortorella for the second time this season for an outburst in front of the media.  The first time he went on a rant about the officiating during the Winter Classic ($30,000), this time he took his unsportsmanlike conduct and pointed it toward the Penguins costing him another $20,000.

After the 5-2 loss he suffered at the hands of the Pens, Tortorella found it necessary to call Brooks Orpik's knee to knee hit on Derek Stepan "Dirty" and "Cheap".  He then went on to rant about how the Penguins entire organization is "arrogant" and that its two stars are in fact "whining" stars.

I watched that game and while the hit Orpik put on Stepan could have potentially caused serious injury, to both players, (seriously, knee on knee contact is dangerous for everyone) I didn't think there was any intent to hurt anyone.  If the intent was there to hurt Stepan why would Orpik have put himself in just as much risk by using his knee..... he wouldn't.

As for the other comments made by Tortorella both Sidney Crosby (one of the Pens two whining stars) and Coach Dan Bylsma think that its just part of the oppositions playoff strategy.  Teams like the Rangers and the Flyers (whose coach also publicly attempted to smear the Pens last week) are trying to get into the head of the Penguins players just as they make plans to start the playoffs.

The Pens and the Flyers meet up today in the final regular season game before they face each other in the first round of the playoffs.  Each second that passes makes me think this seasons playoffs are going to be very very interesting.  Lets hope the Pens can focus on what happens on the ice and not what the coaches are doing off the ice.

Pens Solidify Playoff Spot

With the 5-2 win over the New York Rangers the Penguins finalized their own playoff picture.  It looks like they draw home ice advantage over the Philadelphia Flyers.  Its going to be a brutal series with a hated rival.  I can't wait.  But wait, first lets summarize the New York game....

The Pens looked solid.  Kunitz, Kennedy, Park, Malkin and Letang all scored goals tonight while Fleury stopped 35 shots and let 2 sneak by.  Not bad, not bad at all.  The Pens also racked up 25 penalty minutes in preparation for the Philly series coming up... My gut is telling me both these teams are going to spend a lot of time killing penalties.

Saturday the Pens and Flyers meet up in the final regular season game to get a few shots in before the playoffs begin.  Don't look forward to seeing a lot of star power on the ice on Saturday.  Winning or losing doesn't change anything for either team so I don't look for them to risk injuries to the key players. Look for the Pens to call up some youngsters and give them a little extra ice time.

Now we sit and wait until the real games start with Philly..... I can't say this enough, It's going to be BRUTAL folks..... I know it, you know it, and the players know it.  Its going to make for some great hockey.

Pirates Drop Opener 1-0

The Pirates lost their Home Opener today to the Philadelphia Phillies, but in my eyes it wasn't a total loss.  First off we didn't hit well.... but how could we? I don't think any team would have hit well against Roy Halladay today.  The man was spot on.  As a matter of fact I would have liked to see Halladay finish out the game and collect the complete game, but that's neither here nor there.

I saw a few solid things from our Buccos today.  First and foremost they hung in there.  Erik Bedard came out and also threw a solid game.  It seemed to me like his control was solid, his speed was decent and he kept the Phillies from knocking the ball out of PNC Park.  He went 7 innings and didn't give up the traditional 6th inning circus that plagues Pirate pitchers.

Also saw Neil Walker make several great snags on defense up the middle of the infield.  He did exactly what needed done and backed up shortstop Clint Barmes on a few shots that just got past him.  As a matter of fact he followed one of those grabs with a fantastic throw to first to get the runner out.

I noticed a few things I wasn't extremely happy with either but since I am feeling positive today I will leave those for another post.

Overall I think it was a solid start for the Pirates, would I have loved to see the win.... YES! But for now I will enjoy the fact that we played solid baseball.

Pirates Finalize Opening Day Roster

Well, its official.  The Pirates Opening Day roster is complete.  Some of the biggest discussions from recent weeks about the battle for those coveted last few spots left us all sitting in anticipation of what would happen.  The way the final decisions were made was sort of a disappointment, at least for me it was.  The Pirates ended up not having to make a decision.  Chris Leroux, a right handed pitcher fighting for one of those spots made the decisions for them when he strained a pectoral muscle during the Pirates preseason game with the Phillies on Tuesday.  This little mishap put him firmly on the 60 day DL.

This let the Pirates place pitcher Juan Cruz on the roster without having to bump a position player.  Matt Hague, Josh Harrison, and Yamaico Navarro all ended up on the roster instead of one of them having to start the season at Triple-A Indianapolis.

So is this a good thing for the Pirates?  Absolutely.  This allows them to keep 3 players that have the potential to generate some offense for a team that sorely needs any and all offense it can find.

Now I guess it's time to final look at Opening Day..... Pirates Vs. Phillies.   Erik Bedard vs Roy Halladay.  I know its crazy to be so excited over a team that hasn't had a winning season in..... forever, but I can't wait to watch!  Thursday at 1:35pm can't come soon enough, at least not for this Pirate fan.

Can The Pirates Finish Over 500?

I was sitting here this morning reading all the current happenings in the Pirates world and got to thinking about whether or not they have a legit chance at ending the insanely long losing streak they are on.  I have been saying they will, as a matter of fact I posted it in a previous post on here, but the last few days I haven't been so sure.  Maybe that's just the disappointed fan in me that is afraid to expect anything good out of the Pirates anymore.

I think maybe what has really disheartened me this week is the fact that the Pirates organization is sticking with Pedro Alvarez on opening day.  He is NOT getting any better.  If he comes on strong and hits everything thrown his way then I will eat my words happily but I just can't see that happening.  Through March 27th he was hitting a horrible .135.

I completely understand that sending him down to Triple-A might give him a false sense of confidence if he has success but, how is having him continue this massive slump in the majors going to help at all?  I would think it would crush whatever mental strength he has left.  Maybe a little false self confidence will help.

I'm getting off topic here, I wanted to talk about the Pirates finishing over 500.  Even with this doubt floating around in my brain today I am sticking with my decision to say YES, they can.  I think that all the injuries last year that allowed some young guys to get big league experience is going to benefit them this season.  Guys like Alex Presley, Michael McKenry, and Josh Harrison (who hasn't officially made the roster yet) can take what they learned and help generate a few more defensive plays, hits, runs, and wins.

I also think the addition of Bedard and Burnett is going to generate at least a few more wins.  Were they the best available guys to help the Pirates.... no. But are they going to help them..... Yes.  They bring some experience that the Pirates just don't have.  If nothing else maybe they can help some of the rest of the pitching staff step up their game a little.

The Buccos may not finish the season by winning the World Series, however I do think they are going to finally end that horrible losing streak, even if its only by a game or two.

William Gay to the Cardinals

Earlier today William Gay tweeted that "I'm #birdgang now west coast" to let all of Steeler Nation know that he is headed to Arizona. My reaction was immediately "awesome, now I can unfollow this fool".  Yea, I don't care for him, never did.  Even when he made a great play I gave him credit for the play but stuck by my opinion that he is not even close to as good as he thinks he is (or a lot of other people think he is).  He was way to inconsistent for my liking so I guess you could say that I'm not heartbroken at all over this move.  I actually think it's a great opportunity for the Steelers.

There are a few young guys that could take this opportunity to really shine, Anthony Madison and Keenan Lewis jump to mind.  Sure they are young and unproven but could really make an impact here now that they may get the chance.  I'd also like to see what Ryan Mundy can do on the corner.  I think the Steelers have some options here, including the draft.

Good luck out there in Pittsburgh West Willy...... I hope you enjoy the weather a little before you realize that the grass isn't greener in Arizona.

Pens collect another win!

The Pens officially clinched a playoff birth with tonights 5-1 victory over the Nashville Predators.  It was a GREAT game to watch.  If the Pens play this way in the playoffs no one will be able to stop them, I don't care who they are.

James Neal came out tonight and set up everyone he possibly could as he collected 4 assists on the night. Evgeni Malkin was right there with him scoring 2 goals (both from Neal) picking up number 44 and 45 on the season.  Kris Letang and Chris Kunitz both added a goal and an assist while Matt Cooke also tallied a goal for the Pens.

Marc-Andre Fleury remained solid in the net tonight stopping 29 of 30 shots he faced. 

There is so much to say about this Penguins team and the way they are playing but I think people really need to just watch a game to see.  Watching tonight I couldn't help but notice that they are everywhere.  I know, your thinking of course they are there is only so much room on the ice.  Thats not what I mean.  What I mean is, they are hitting, getting hit, avoiding big hits, making passes, taking passes, throwing everything they have into every second they are on the ice. Even if you aren't a Pens fan (why aren't you????) you need to watch them play just once without whatever biased you have that makes you not like them.  If you can honestly tell me that you think there is another hockey team out there right now that can beat them..... I'd like to know who it is an what on earth makes you believe that?

I hope they can maintain the momentum that they have going right now and make a solid run for the cup.  I have no reason to believe they won't but there is still a lot that can happen..... so for now I am going to sit back and enjoy the ride!

Will we see Pedro on opening day?

After 2011 Pedro Alvarez really needed to come into Spring Training and show the Pirates that last year was a slump that he has worked his way out of.  From what I have seen so far he is still knee deep in slumpville.  Pedro is batting a .148 over 12 games with 11 strikeouts, the only bright spot in that is he has hit 2 homeruns. 

He hasn't been completely aweful defensively but when you look at what some of the guys who could take over at third base are doing during Spring Training you can't help but wonder why the Pirates would have him on their opening day roster.  He would be better off starting the season in Triple A Indianapolis working on getting that batting average up.  Lets be honest here folks the Pirates need bats in their lineup.  Thats not going to change over night so they really need to go with the better bat here. I really don't see Pedro stepping onto the field on opening day.

I have already mentioned several times I really like what Matt Hague brings to the plate, literally and figurtively as well as Josh Harrison.  Harrison already has a little experience with the Buccos, having started several games at third last season (among other locations) and while he wasn't brilliant, I will still take him over what I am seeing out of Alvarez.  Plus Harrison brings more of a threat on the basepath, he might generate an extra look from opposing pitchers and catchers, I like that too.

Just over 2 weeks left till opening day. 

Pens grab a "W" from the Jets

The Penguins bounced back huge from their loss Sunday to the Flyers by throwing down an 8-4 victory against the Winnipeg Jets.  The Jets jumped up early but behind a James Neal hat trick (and 4 total points), Evgeni Malkin scoring 5 points and Sidney Crosby collecting 4 points, not to mention so many other contributions that the Jets never had a chance.

Most impressive of all of these was Tyler Kennedy.  All the talk involving Kennedy lately has been how much he has been under producing.  You can count me as one of those who were greatly disappointed in his play.  Lately though I have been even more disappointed in him, and by lately I mean since Sidney Crosby has returned and joined TK on a line with Matt Cooke.  Kennedy hasn't been able to capitalize on many things the last few games (and by the last few games I mean the last 17), but not today..... today he stepped up and scored not once but twice, both off Crosby assists.

A few other notes from the game....

Pascal Dupuis scored his career high 21st goal of the season.

Malkin has had 4 (including today's win over the Jets) 5 point games this season.


Malkin also currently has a league high 93 points, 9 points ahead of Steven Stamkos of Tampa and Claude Giroux of Philadelphia.

The Pens have won 8 in a row at home.

James Neal's hat trick today was only the second of his career, the first as a Penguin.

At this point I just want to say, lets go PENS!!!

Hines Ward

Well, the announcement just came that Hines Ward will be holding a news conference at noon today at Steelers headquarters.  My gut says this is a retirement announcement, but as with everything else my gut has been wrong.  When the Steelers released him it sent a shock wave through Steeler Nation, although it probably shouldn't have.  His playing time was drastically cut last year as younger guys stepped up their game.  I guess fans (myself included) thought the Steelers would let him leave on his own terms after all those years but as we have found in many situations in the past the Rooneys know best.

It seems that since he has been on the free agent market I have heard zero talk about him ending up anywhere (other than the spoof about him becoming a raven before he was even technically released).  Thats right guys, zero talk, zero rumors, zero buzz at all.  Other teams just haven't (publically) been interested.  Thats why I feel like this is a retirement annoucement. Perhaps if it is then Pittsburgh can find room for him on their coaching staff?  I guess we will find out at noon today!