Sports category, Page 2028
‘Aptitude and athleticism’ as position players factors for Pirates in draft run on righty pitchers
The Pittsburgh Pirates remained steadfast late Thursday night that they had no intention of drafting a handful of right-handed pitchers who were converted position players or pulled double duty. It just happened to work out that way. “Not a particular demographic we were pursuing, the position-player-to-pitcher demographic, but it just...
Tokyo Olympic head says 80% of facilities lined up for 2021
TOKYO — About 80% of the facilities needed for next year’s postponed Tokyo Olympics have been lined up, the president of the organizing committee said Friday. Two of the largest venues have not yet been secured, however. “For a significant number of facilities, about 80% of them, we have already...
New Pirate Carmen Mlodzinski: Old school. Old soul. No to Twitter. Yes to Rock N’ Roll.
New Pittsburgh Pirates draft choice Carmen Mlodzinski is just your typical 21-year-old. No Twitter. No Instagram. Listens to Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. Doesn’t play video games. Prefers baseball, golf and playing guitar. Like I said, a typical 21-year-old. If he was 21 back...
Fantasy Sports podcast: MLB frustrations, running back contract woes, Ryder Cup
We bust out the time machine for this week’s fantasy sports podcast with Jeff Erickson of RotoWire. First, we go into the future, forecasting what fantasy strategies may be like in a baseball season that lasts between 48 to 80-plus games. The big variable seems to be pitchers. With the...
First Call: Even Steelers fans may agree with Ravens coach John Harbaugh on this one
For “First Call” Friday, we talk about why Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh may win over the hearts and minds of some Steelers fans. It’s been three months since the phrase “social distancing” became common in the American vocabulary. I’m just as dubious of some of the measures being implemented...
Source: Robert Morris likely moving to Horizon League
Robert Morris, which has been a member of the Northeast Conference since upgrading to Division I in 1981, is likely moving into the Horizon League in time for the 2020-21 academic year, a source told the Tribune-Review. The move is not official, but the university may make an announcement next...
Pirates pick another right-handed pitcher in 5th round in Northwestern State’s Logan Hofmann
With their final pick of the MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t pull any surprises. Once again, they went with a right-handed pitcher. The Pirates chose Logan Hofmann of Northwestern State on Thursday night in the fifth found (No. 138), giving them five righties in six picks. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound...
Pirates make a run on right-handed pitching on second day of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates turned the second day of the MLB Draft into a run on right-handed pitching. After taking New Mexico State shortstop Nick Gonzales in the first round and South Carolina right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski in the competitive balance round Wednesday night, the Pirates on Thursday picked three consecutive righty...
Tigers continue to load up on offense on Day 2 of MLB DraftVideo
NEW YORK — The Detroit Tigers took a few more big swings at rebuilding their lineup. And they hope sooner rather than later. After selecting Arizona State slugger Spencer Torkelson to open the MLB Draft on Wednesday night, the Tigers used their first four picks Thursday on hitters they envision...
Pirates pick Appalachian State reliever Jack Hartman in 4th round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates are making a run on right-handed pitching in the MLB Draft, taking their fourth consecutive by selecting Appalachian State senior reliever Jack Hartman in the fourth round (No. 108) on Thursday. “I’m speechless,” Hartman said in a statement released by Appalachian State. “I know that might sound...
Bills QB Josh Allen stays busy despite pandemic restrictionsVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Josh Allen has hardly spent this coronavirus pandemic-altered offseason in self-isolation. The Buffalo Bills quarterback, instead, kept himself busy in seeking advice from Peyton Manning and Brett Favre on Zoom calls, to gathering his teammates together for workouts on both coasts. It all has been done with...
Rose, Varner lead at Colonial as PGA Tour resumes in quiet settingVideo
FORT WORTH, Texas — The start was even more quiet than usual for a Thursday morning on the PGA Tour, only the silence never left over the next 12 hours as golf was back to business at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Sung Kang made a hole-in-one on the 13th hole...
Pirates pick Division III pitcher with ‘huge upside’ in Nick Garcia in 3rd round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected another right-handed pitcher when they took Nick Garcia of Chapman University (Calif.) with their third-round pick (No. 79) of the MLB Draft. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Garcia went 9-0 with a 0.64 ERA and recorded 12 saves as the closer on Chapman’s 2019 Division III national champion...
Despite far more support, kneeling might not be widespread in NFLVideo
NFL players who want to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racism have far more support than Colin Kaepernick did four years ago. Still, it might not be widespread for a few reasons. If organizations insist on unity, as some coaches and front-office executives have mentioned,...
Pirates’ Nick Gonzales went from college walk-on to 1st-round pick
Loud, stern and impactful, three words flew from Mike Gonzales’ lips to his son’s ears. “Swing the bat,” Gonzales shouted. Which is strange because there is nothing Nick Gonzales, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2020 first-round draft choice, likes more than swinging a baseball bat. That was especially true during that 2017...
Confederate flag ban prompts obscure NASCAR driver Ray Ciccarelli to announce retirementVideo
While some NASCAR fans took to social media to disavow the sport over its ban on the Confederate flag, an obscure, part-time series driver did them one better. He announced he’s quitting. Ray Ciccarelli drives the No. 49 truck in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck series, according to...
NCAA football committee expected to approve extended preseasonVideo
The NCAA football oversight committee finalized a plan for an extended preseason that would include an additional two weeks for teams to hold walk-throughs. The proposal goes to the Division I Council, which meets Tuesday, and is expected to be approved. With the pandemic wiping out spring practice for most...
North Catholic’s Anthony Serventi commits to Dayton
North Catholic’s Anthony Serventi decided where he will play college football. On Thursday, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound North Catholic senior announced his commitment to Dayton via his Twitter account. UD ‘24❤️? #GoFlyers @Coach_TO @DaytonFootball pic.twitter.com/gndvwfz75A— Anthony Serventi? (@aserventi_23) June 11, 2020 After a visit to Dayton’s campus in January, before the...
Pirates select Southern California H.S. pitcher Jared Jones in 2nd round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Southern California high school pitcher Jared Jones with their second-round pick (No. 44 overall) on Thursday in the MLB Draft. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound right-hander from La Mirada High School, a University of Texas recruit, has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and a plus-slider but...
Steelers 2-a-days: Zach Banner a famous tackle-eligible, J.T. Barrett a famous 5th-string QBVideo
Editor’snote: Leading up to a unique Pittsburgh Steelers training camp staged at HeinzField this year, the Tribune-Review will be running through the team’s 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2020 season. The breakdown will go through the roster, in mostly alphabetical order, two per day, between June 9...
Pitt, Penn State defenders named to preseason Walter Camp All-American team
College football is still months away, but the honors are rolling in for Pitt and Penn State players. Pitt defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons were named to the Walter Camp Preseason All-American team. (Twyman and Parsons earned second-team regular-season honors in 2019.) Twyman finished the...
George Floyd death spurs action in Minnesota sports for societal changeVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Eric Kendricks woke up distressed shortly after George Floyd was killed just a few miles from the stadium where the Minnesota Vikings play. Kendricks, the All-Pro inside linebacker who mostly has stayed out of the spotlight during his first five seasons in the NFL, was “super emotional” enough...
Movement on pitches makes Carmen Mlodzinski a high-ceiling prospect for Pirates
When Carmen Mlodzinski committed to South Carolina before his sophomore year of high school, he was a shortstop with a strong arm who was warned that he might end up on the mound. How Mlodzinski (pronounced Ma-gin-skee) became a pitcher who was a first-day draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates...
‘Burgh’s best to wear it, No. 81: Phil Kessel became a Stanley Cup champion with the Penguins
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best 100 players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. Approximately 25 minutes after the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1, in Game 7 of the 2016 Eastern Conference finals, Phil Kessel...
NCAA Division III extends preseason on run-up to sports’ phased return
In another step geared toward keeping the health and safety of student-athletes first, the NCAA Division III Administrative Committee announced it will lengthen the preseason for sports teams for 2020-21. The move looks to provide a cushion of preparation time as college athletics begin to swing toward a measured return...
