First Call: Cam Heyward has message for Steelers fans; Antonio Brown has new gripe about old number
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Cam Heyward has two messages for Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Antonio Brown has a new ax to grind with the Steelers. An ex-Steeler is arrested for the second time within a month.
Gerrit Cole is well on the way to a comeback, and Tyler Glasnow finally gets back in the win column.
All that in Monday’s “First Call.”
Multiple messages
Cam Heyward wished everyone a Happy Father’s Day.
He also wanted everyone to know that he’d prefer to remain a Steeler for the rest of his career. The veteran defensive lineman sent out those messages via social media on Sunday.
The goal is to be a Steeler for the rest of my career…… anyways on a more important front happy Father’s Day yall
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) June 16, 2024
Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that Heyward sent that post after he was quoted this week as saying he’d for sure be playing in 2025, even if it wasn’t in Pittsburgh.
The three-time All-Pro defensive lineman is entering the final year of his contract at age 35. He has asked for an extension from the Steelers but hasn’t gotten one yet.
Heyward is scheduled to make $22.4 million against the salary cap in 2024. He missed six games because of injury last season.
Is nothing sacred?
Former Steeler Antonio Brown is not OK with other people wearing his number in Pittsburgh.
A.B. took to social media over the weekend to complain that the Steelers assigned his No. 84 to new kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson.
“They ain’t really got the respect for me that I think, or the respect that you think you earned,” Brown said. “That could be trauma in itself to know just like, damn. I gave my life to the Steelers and these guys don’t even give a (expletive) about my body of work. They will just give a random guy who scored kick returns, who never even got 1,000 yards as a receiver ever in his career (my number over) a guy that was number one in history.”
In the years since Brown pouted his way out of Pittsburgh, other players have had 84 before Patterson in the preseason but never in a game. And it’s not like John Stallworth’s and Lynn Swann’s numbers are off limits. In fact, Swann’s 88 (Pat Freiermuth) and Stallworth’s 82 (Dez Fitzpatrick) are in the rotation right now and have been frequently used in the past.
Although no one has Hines Ward’s 86.
For the record, Patterson has been an All-Pro as kick returner four times. That’s the same as Mr. Big Chest has been named All-Pro as a receiver. But for A.B., never let facts get in the way of a good rant.
Only three Steelers numbers are currently retired — Ernie Stautner’s No. 70, Franco Harris’ No. 32 and “Mean” Joe Greene’s No. 75.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and predict that Brown’s No. 84 is not going to be the fourth.
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More problems
Former Steeler Isaiah Buggs is facing more legal problems. The Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman has been arrested for the second time in a month.
This time, Buggs is facing a domestic violence/burglary charge in Alabama according to ESPN.com. The outlet reports he was booked Sunday morning and released by the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office on $5,000 bond.
No further details about the arrest were available. The Chiefs declined to comment.
In late May, Buggs was charged with two misdemeanor counts of second-degree animal cruelty in Tuscaloosa and turned himself in. Two dogs under his care were deemed to have been neglected and severely malnourished. One of the dogs had to be euthanized.
Trey Robinson, Buggs’ agent, has been insisting that his client is the target of a “subversive campaign” to force the closure of the hookah lounge he owns in Tuscaloosa.
Now 27 years old, Buggs played three seasons in Pittsburgh and two in Detroit before heading to Kansas City in January as a practice squad player.
The Chiefs organization re-signed Buggs to a futures contract in February.
Cole train reloading?
Former Pirate Gerrit Cole has yet to pitch in the Major Leagues this year thanks to an elbow injury. But he appears to be getting close.
The Yankees ace made another rehab start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Rochester on Friday night. Cole allowed just two hits and an unearned run over 4⅓ innings while striking out 10.
Gerrit Cole in his third rehab start:
4.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO, 70 P pic.twitter.com/LWEG2F9CMK
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 15, 2024
Of his 70 pitches, Cole tossed 46 for strikes and did not issue a walk. Over three minor league rehab starts, Cole has struck out 19 and walked none over 12⅓ innings. The reigning Cy Young winner thanked the fans of Rochester for coming out after the game.
"Pitched here once before so I was excited to come back…It feels really special that they came out and supported us."
Gerrit Cole felt the love from #Yankees fans in Rochester tonight. pic.twitter.com/TKEuGXdrXa
— Jackson Roberts (@JrobertsTV_) June 15, 2024
Cole was with the Yankees in Boston for the team’s 9-3 loss to the Red Sox on Sunday evening. Via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said there is no decision yet for a starter in the Bronx against the Baltimore Orioles. It’s possible Cole could return then.
Fortunes turning
Tyler Glasnow’s run of bad luck has ended. The former Pirates pitcher just got his first win with the Dodgers since May 4. That’s despite leading the majors in strikeouts.
The right-hander had dropped four straight decisions to fall from 6-1 to 6-5. In those four losses, Glasnow got a combined six runs of support.
But on Sunday, he and the Dodgers won 3-0 over the Kansas City Royals. The 30-year-old threw seven shutout innings of three-hit ball. He also walked only one while striking out nine.
Tyler Glasnow, Unfair 97mph Front Door Two Seamer. pic.twitter.com/YNINBdQUgz
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 16, 2024
Glasnow now has 125 strikeouts, nine more than anyone else in baseball. He is 7-5 with an ERA of 3.00, a whip of 0.91 (tied for third in MLB) and a batting average against of .180 (third best in MLB).