Kevin Gorman stories, Page 19
Pirates by Position: Paul Skenes brings star power to a deep, young starting rotation
After setting a Pittsburgh Pirates rookie record for strikeouts and posting the lowest ERA by a rookie since the Dead Ball Era, Paul Skenes is taking a three-step approach to spring training. “Volume. Facing hitters again. Punching dudes out,” Skenes said last month at PiratesFest. The 6-foot-6 right-hander went 11-3...
Pirates by Position: Bounce-back year by closer David Bednar could be key to bullpen success
Ben Cherington will be the first to admit the Pittsburgh Pirates expected their bullpen to be dominant last season, and their general manager is the first to acknowledge its shortcomings. Adding seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman to a back end that featured two-time All-Star closer David Bednar was supposed to deliver...
Pirates to sign veteran OF Tommy Pham to 1-year, $4.025M contract
The Pittsburgh Pirates addressed a glaring need but did so by adding a 36-year-old outfielder who has played for nine teams in 11 seasons, including five trips to the postseason. A source confirmed to TribLive that the Pirates agreed to terms with Tommy Pham on a one-year, $4.025 million contract...
Pirates by Position: Competition for corner outfield alongside Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds
Now that the Pittsburgh Pirates completed a seismic shift by moving Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field — a switch to which they appear committed — they are attempting to address another gaping hole. With Cruz and two-time All-Star Bryan Reynolds, two-thirds of their outfield appears set. But after...
Pirates announce hirings, promotions of directors in baseball operations reorganization
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington formally announced Wednesday the hiring of several baseball operations directors and staff promotions as part of a promised reorganization of the front office. Mike Voltmer joins the Pirates as the new vice president of pro evaluation and strategy after eight years with the reigning...
Pirates by Position: Isiah Kiner-Falefa takes over at SS, Nick Gonzales settles in at 2B
When the Pittsburgh Pirates moved Oneil Cruz to center field late last August, it solved a problem at one position but appeared to create another: With Cruz in the outfield, who would play shortstop? The immediate answer was Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who started 17 of the next 20 games at shortstop...
Pirates by Position: Counting on 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes’ health, 1B Spencer Horwitz’s hitting
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a trio of Gold Glove winners and a player billed as the “significant acquisition” of the offseason, yet their corner infield spots might be the biggest question marks in the lineup. Defensively, the Pirates are in good hands at third base, whether Ke’Bryan Hayes or Jared...
Pirates sign lefty reliever Tim Mayza, designate middle infielder Alika Williams for assignment
To add left-handed reliever Tim Mayza to their 40-man roster Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates cleared room in the middle of their infield by designating Alika Williams for assignment. Williams, 25, started 44 games at shortstop and 15 at second base for the Pirates over the past two seasons since being...
Pirates by Position: Joey Bart ready to live up to billing, as catcher becomes position of depth
In the span of one year for the Pittsburgh Pirates, catcher has gone from a precarious position to one with enough depth that there promises to be plenty of competition in spring training. But the Pirates were clear that the catcher who wasn’t on their Opening Day roster last season...
‘We have buy-in’: Pirates’ Paul Skenes aims to be catalyst in creating a championship cultureVideo
Before the arrival of Paul Skenes, the expectation around the Pittsburgh Pirates was that the players locked into long-term contracts would take on a leadership role in the locker room. After starting for the National League in the All-Star Game, winning NL Rookie of the Year honors and finishing third...
‘Where is Bob?’ Pirates fans voice frustrations about franchise direction under Bob Nutting
The Pittsburgh Pirates play a game of chance by offering fans the opportunity to Ask Pirates Management questions at PiratesFest, so team president Travis Williams knew that he would be facing a first-pitch fastball Saturday morning at David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Williams responded to criticism about the Pirates not...
Pirates sign pair of shortstops ranked in top 20 to headline international class
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed a pair of shortstops from the Dominican Republic who are both ranked in Baseball America’s top 20 international prospects to seven-figure deals Wednesday. Headlining the Pirates’ international class is Johan De Los Santos, who signed for $2.25 million, and Darrell Morel, who signed for $1,778,600. The...
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says future at quarterback will require ‘major discussions’
Mike Tomlin acknowledged the obvious: The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the offseason without a quarterback under contract and a need for “major discussions” about what to do at the most prominent position. In his season-ending news conference Tuesday afternoon at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Tomlin sidestepped questions about what the Steelers...
‘We all love Coach T’: Players voice support for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin despite collapse
After a late-season collapse ended with another one-and-done playoff performance, the Pittsburgh Steelers know changes are coming. Where frustrated fans want that to start with Mike Tomlin, the team’s most decorated player voiced support for the embattled coach. As the Steelers cleaned out their lockers Monday at UPMC Rooney Sports...
Reliever Hunter Stratton among 13 players with non-roster invites to Pirates spring training
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Monday that 13 players have received non-roster invitations to their major league camp for spring training, including several relievers who have pitched out of their bullpen. Right-handers Isaac Mattson, Yohan Ramirez and Hunter Stratton will be among the familiar faces when pitchers and catchers report Feb....
‘I hope I’m here’: Free agent quarterback Russell Wilson open to returning to Steelers
BALTIMORE — Russell Wilson is a man who loves to talk about moments, and the Pittsburgh Steelers signed the Super Bowl champion quarterback for ones such as their AFC wild-card game. When it came time to be the man of the moment, Wilson — and the Steelers — came up...
Ravens run roughshod over Steelers to win AFC wild card game, extend streak of playoff futility
BALTIMORE — The Pittsburgh Steelers had no answers. Not for Lamar Jackson’s read-option runs or big-play passes. Not for Derrick Henry’s breakaway bursts through the middle. And certainly not for a streak of playoff futility that stretched to six straight losses in an eight-year span under Steelers coach Mike Tomlin,...
Steelers rookies realize urgency of raised stakes in preparation for Ravens in 1st playoffs
As the Pittsburgh Steelers practiced for Saturday’s AFC wild-card game against the Baltimore Ravens, the stakes started to sink in for four rookies who played significant roles this season. It was a normal game week, save the consequences. “It’s single elimination. Win, you move on; lose, you go home,” center...
‘Living off past glory’: Plenty at stake as Steelers vie to end 8-year drought of playoff wins
Mike Tomlin has a history of guiding the Pittsburgh Steelers to 18 consecutive seasons without a losing record and a dozen NFL playoff appearances, yet the Super Bowl XLIII champion coach knows his story comes with baggage that he refuses to project onto his players. That doesn’t mean he’s immune to...
‘It’s my story’: Searching for 1st playoff win, Steelers star T.J. Watt knows legacy is on line
T.J. Watt has one of the most impressive resumes in Pittsburgh Steelers history, yet the superstar outside linebacker accepts what the absence of a playoff victory means to his legacy. Even as he’s one of the game’s most dominant defenders — a seven-time Pro Bowl and four-time All-Pro pick who...
‘We’re going to follow his lead’: Steelers leaning on QB Russell Wilson’s playoff experience
The Pittsburgh Steelers are putting their playoff hopes in the hands of a 36-year-old quarterback who has won and lost a Super Bowl, something he has in common with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Russell Wilson reflects on his 9-7 postseason record with positivity, as the nine-time Pro Bowl pick chooses...
Former Pirates All-Star pitcher Bob Veale, part of 1971 World Series champions, dies at 89
The famous story about Bob Veale, one Steve Blass loves to share when talking about his halcyon days with the Pittsburgh Pirates, involves the two-time All-Star left-handed pitcher’s glasses. At 6-foot-6, 212 pounds and armed with a ferocious fastball — the great Pirates announcer Bob Prince once said he could...
TE MyCole Pruitt added to Steelers’ injury report, CB Donte Jackson returns to practice
MyCole Pruitt was an addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ status report with a knee injury, as the 10th-year veteran tight end was a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. The 6-foot-2, 258-pound Pruitt has six receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown in 12 games (five...
‘Protect me from me’: Steelers CB Donte Jackson trying not to aggravate ‘nagging’ back
The hardest part for Donte Jackson in dealing with his “nagging” back issues is trying not to be too twitchy and aggravate a pinched nerve in the days leading up to the game. After missing the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers starting cornerback is preparing to...
Steelers RG Mason McCormick hopes to play, says broken hand ‘feeling a lot better already’
To Mason McCormick, there was never any question about whether the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie right guard’s left hand was broken in the fourth quarter of the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals. “Yeah, I felt it pop,” McCormick said Tuesday afternoon at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “I knew right away.”...
