Yinzer Blog

Buccos 2013 with Danny Reed

Dave — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:39:00 GMT

I thought it would be a great time to invite a guest blogger to write something for all of yinz.. It’s Danny Reed, Director of Broadcasting, and Play-by-Play Broadcaster for The Citadel Sports Network. Check aht his impressive website/resume sometime: www.heardannyreed.com! I had the pleasure of working with Danny in 2007 with the Hagerstown Suns and it's been very exciting to see his climb in the broadcasting industry. Since Danny is a huge Buccos fan, I invited him to share a few thoughts! Enjoy:

Hope might spring eternal for baseball fans every February, but the fact for Pirates fans is that since Spanky’s tag was late, losing has become an unfortunate culture and put a chloroform rag into the face of hope we have each year. Even the last two seasons when the Bucs have enjoyed 1st place in the NL Central substantially deep into the season..Metallica isn’t the only act to “Fade to Black”

So much has been made about the pitching staff, which has been brilliant yet infuriating, energetic yet exhausting, cool-handed yet shaken…I like the first words better. A.J. Burnett definitely still has it, James McDonald has shown he can be elite, Wandy Rodriguez is capable of stardom - especially as a #3 – and so is Jeff Karstens when he works quickly and keeps the ball down.

I am not worried about the arms…in fact I’m not worried about that much. I think the pieces are there. What has me excited is the outfield, one that could not only be one of the best in the NL Central, but in all of baseball.

Whenever I watch Andrew McCutchen play, I want to be a better person. He has such a feel for the game. There are some that have it…and fortunately for Bucs fans, he does. Last year was unquestionably a breakout…when you have a stretch going 50-for-100, that’s pretty serious. Did he tail off down the stretch? Yes, he did. But whether it’s with a bat in hand or a glove on hand, he is a joy, he is a stud, he is Cutch.

One mid-season trade last year that I was extremely skeptical of was the acquisition of Travis Snider for Brad Lincoln, especially since Lincoln finally looked to have found his way. But a power reliever with starting potential was expendable…the result was a gritty, hard-nosed, sure-handed right-fielder. His catch at Citi Field might be the best in Pirates history, it was that good. His hitting stats leave something to be desired, preferably some more power and a higher OBA, but I’m confident those numbers will impress given a season’s worth of action, barring health of course. This team needed a glue guy, and I think Snider helps hold this machine together.

Oh Starling Marte…I first saw him in July 2009 when I was announcing for the Charleston RiverDogs in the SAL when he played for the West Virginia Power. Never have I seen a minor leaguer cover that much ground in the outfield, make contact with everything, and float around the bases – he was so fast that he floated. He can do things that other players can’t. Will he be able to hit leadoff his whole career? Remains to be seen…but what we do know is that his feet, his arm and his natural power are frightening. Sometimes we see bad routes, sometimes we see drops, sometimes we see strikeouts…OK, we see a lot of strikeouts. But I’ll take the bad with the good because there’s a legitimate reason to believe the Bucs will get over the hump this year.

2011 was a sniff, 2012 was a bite, 2013 will be a meal. Time to eat.

GIVEAWAY: Signed Copy of Spygate The Untold Story

Dave — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:18:00 GMT

How would yinz like to win a signed copy of Spygate The Untold Story by author Bryan O'Leary? That's right, I am giving away a brand new signed copy today! To enter simply use the little tool down below to enter as many times as yinz would like. This is the first book dedicated to investigating the notorious cheating system used by the NFL's New England Patriots. Includes original statistical analysis of near impossible performance levels by the New England Patriots. It is signed "Go Stillers! Bryan O'Leary"

To earn an entry, perform the task that is assigned (ie: LIKE our Facebook page), then click the green button on the bottom right of each action after performing the task. Yinz can see that there are different ways that yinz can earn multiple entries. Some of these entries are earned once, some of the entries can be earned multiple times by coming back each day of the contest to repeat the assigned task. Some of them require the use of Facebook or Twitter (Don’t have either? That’s just fine, we have a couple other ways to earn entries available using the contest tool below).

Contest ends at 12:01 AM on Sunday, February 10th (late Saturday night) and the winner will be posted here, on Sunday, after they have responded to contact attempts via the email address they will have provided.

Best of luck everyone!

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Harbaugh Bowl or Harblah

Dave — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 02:14:48 GMT

By the time the Super Bowl starts on Sunday, I am pretty sure the whole entire world will be tired of the word Harbaugh. While it's neat that two brothers are coaching against each other in the "Big Game" we have been and will continue to be inundated with useless information (favorite cereal, best friends in the 3rd grade, toothbrush color, etc.). To me the more interesting question for Pittsburghers is this... Who would you rather win? The Ravens (the hated rival of the Steelers) or the 49ers (a team looking to tie the Steelers for the lead--6--in total Lombardi trophies)? I love this question! Let me know in the comments below who you will be rooting for and why!

BLACK AND GOLD NOTE: If the Steelers can find some room in the short-term under the salary cap, I definitely think it would be prudent to franchise tag Mike Wallace. Despite a slightly disappointing season, one thing these playoffs have shown... Teams want fast, talented offensive players and Wallace should easily demand at least $10M/season on the open market (also around the franchise tag number). No way a team commits that much money AND 1st round draft pick, but I could easily see a team trading a draft pick (at least a 3rd round pick) for his rights. It's food-for-thought and easier said than done.

40 Years Later: Roberto Clemente's Legacy Lives On With Neil Walker

Dave — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 08:01:00 GMT

On this date, 40 years ago, Pittsburgh Pirates star outfielder, Roberto Clemente lost his life trying to help those in need after a devastating earthquake crippled Nicaragua’s capital city Managua. What you might not know is the tie-in between current Pirates 2B Neil Walker and the fateful flight that Clemente took in 1972. You see, Neil's’s father, Tom Walker, was playing winter ball in Puerto Rico after completing his first big league season with the Montreal Expos. Roberto Clemente had just collected his 3,000th hit at the end of the season in Pittsburgh and was a player/coach for the Winter League team Tom Walker was playing on at the time.

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As Clemente and some of his Winter League teammates loaded supplies into a Douglas DC-7 airplane, a few of them, Tom included, insisted on accompanying him on the trip to Nicaragua. Clemente instead told them to stay in Puerto Rico to enjoy New Year’s Eve. Thanks to MLB.com for putting together an amazing 12-minute video that includes interviews with Steve Blass, Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Dick Groat, and Tom Walker who shares this amazing thought:

"Forty years later, I think of a man that, probably, saved my life," Tom Walker said. "He said, ‘No, you need to go back and enjoy the evening.’ And I can’t help but think about that now. I’ve had four wonderful children and, it turns out that one of them is the second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. And if you look at the right-field wall (at PNC Park), it’s the Clemente Wall. It’s got his number, 21, and I’m sure that my son Neil comes out of the dugout and goes out to second base … he’s got to see that wall everyday."

Stuff-A-Bus Toys For Tots Donation Drive

Dave — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 20:16:00 GMT

Wow! Can you believe Christmas season is here again? This year just flew by, especially with our beautiful baby girl being born in January! I thought it would be a great time help a local radio station here in Pittsburgh get some new toys for their 9th annual Stuff-A-Bus toy drive for the Marines Toys for Tots Program. So, for every new LIKE we get on our eSellOut Facebook page, we will donate 25¢ towards this amazing program. But instead of just donating the cash in the end, we will purchase toy trucks in memory of Maddox Derkosh, who was tragically killed at the Pittsburgh Zoo earlier this month. As of the beginning of this blog entry we have 177 LIKE's. A simple LIKE and you are done! Deadline to submit is Thursday, November 29th at 11:59pm!

Everyone is a Giveaway Winner!

Dave — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:19:00 GMT

Unfortunately we only had 132 ReTweets for our Steelers Tickets Giveaway... But have no fear (...yet!), despite not having a grand prize winner this time around (I may revisit the idea again), I wanted to share something that all Yinzers in the Burgh will enjoy! A BOGO (Buy One Get One Free) ticket to Kennywood's annual Phantom Fright Nights! It's a $28.99 value and all yinz have to do is click the image below and print the coupon and take it to Kennywood! My personal opinion is that this is the best way to experience Kennywood and it's a really cool series of haunted houses and themes! Enjoy... if yinz dare!!!

Pittsburgh Steelers Tickets Giveaway

Dave — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 18:33:00 GMT

Yoi, Yoi, Double Yoi!

How would yinz like to win 2 free Steelers vs Ravens tickets n'at? That's right, I am giving away 2 Steelers tickets! To enter simply use the little tool down below to enter as many times as yinz would like. The tickets are good for the Sunday Night National TV game at Heinz Field on November 18th.

To earn an entry, perform the task that is assigned ("DO IT"), then come back and click the “ENTER” button, fill out the info and yinz are done. Yinz can see that there are different ways that yinz can earn multiple entries. Some of these entries are earned once, some of the entries can be earned multiple times by coming back each day of the contest to repeat the assigned task. Some of them require the use of Facebook or Twitter (Don’t have either? That’s just fine, we have a couple other ways to earn entries available using the contest tool below).

Contest ends at 12:01 AM on Monday, September 24th (late Sunday night) and the winner will be posted here, on Monday, after they have responded to contact attempts via the email address they will have provided. So what's the catch? As yinz know, eSellOut is the premier and most convenient ticketing way to purchase tickets to upcoming events. At eSellOut, yinz can purchase Steelers tickets, Pirates tickets, Penguins tickets and Pitt tickets as well as tickets to the biggest concerts and shows to hit the Burgh (and anywhere else in the world) even if they are already sold out! To help spread the word the following Tweet MUST be ReTweeted 500 times before the September 24th deadline. Once it has been ReTweeted 500 times, this contest will become official:

#STEELERS fans, if this msg is ReTweeted 500+ times, I will give away 2 FREE #Steelers vs #Ravens tickets! Details: eSellOut.com/yinzer-blog/12…
— Dave Pierce (@pittsburghers) September 16, 2012

Best of luck everyone! Now here is the tool you will need to use to make your entry or entries official (Don't forget to actually do the action required before hitting the green button to enter each time):

-Dave

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Not signing Mark Appel has its benefits

Dave — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 17:01:00 GMT

Count me in as one of the fans disappointed that Mark Appel chose to return to Stanford instead of pursuing a professional career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's a gamble on his part, one that when money isn't a huge factor (his father is a wealthy lawyer for Chevron), I have no problem with him making. That being said, it was a calculated risk the Pirates took in drafting Appel with the 8th selection in the 2012 MLB draft. A risk that did not pay off in 2012 but might still pay off very handsomely.

Under the new rules of the MLB collective bargaining agreement, the Pirates were basically limited to $2.9M to spend on their first round pick this year or $6.6M on the 11 picks they has in rounds 1-10 (they had a supplemental pick in between rounds 1 and 2). There are also other numbers to play with here, most importantly the taxes for going past your league set maximum ($6.6M), the Pirates could have gone around $300,000 (a 5% threshold) over the $6.6M number and only had to pay a monetary tax, anything above this would have resulted in a loss of future first round draft picks (a price no team in baseball will pay).

The slot value for Appel was $2.9M, but the Pirates had an extra $600,000 to use after saving money on other picks in the top 10 rounds. Combine that with the additional $300,000 the Pirates could spend without losing any future draft picks and you have the $3.8M number the Pirates were offering Appel. Two factors need to be noted here: 1) Teams do not have to give each player his exact slot, for example if a player has a slot value of $750,000 but signs for $500,000 that savings of $250,000 can be used on other players. 2) If a player does not sign at all, the money allotted towards his pick can not be used for other players.

So how could all of this information still help the Pirates in 2013? Because Appel didn't sign, the Pirates will be given an extra first round selection in 2013, the 9th overall selection. On top of that pick, they will also have their 1st round pick and will find out next week if they will gain an extra selection from baseball's first competitive balance draft. Knowing this information, they might have 3 of the top 45 selections in the 2013 draft. Going off of slot values for 2012, the Pirates could be looking at $2.8M, $1.9M (19th pick estimation), $1.3M (40th pick estimation). This totals $6M for three picks alone.

Based on early scouting reports for 2013, the draft is anything but top heavy (meaning there might be 1 or 2 guys -- instead of say 10-12 -- elite talents). So the Pirates may look to draft a lot of "sign-able" players for under slot values since pick 9 might not be that much better than say pick 25, and pick 19 might not be much better than say pick 45 and so on. With this savings, the Pirates may explore the strategy of drafting High School players who slip a little in the draft and fall through the cracks. Note: If a high school player seems like a tough sign he may not get drafted in the first round, once he falls due to the slotting system, many teams may not even "waste" a pick on his talent, knowing that he won't sign for $300,000. The Pirates would be in a position to overpay for these players by saving money on first round selections and giving "falling high school players" $1M-$1.5M.

So while the Pirates may have missed out on Mark Appel this year, they may be able to parlay his unsigned pick next year into a surplus of talent. Time will tell before we know if this is even the strategy the Pirates take in 2013, but if they do, they could be creative and have the ability to draft and sign a lot of high upside talent. It may not be Mark Appel (who under the new collective bargaining rules would be allowed to be drafted again by the Pirates), but it sure could stock the lower levels of the farm system with some elite talent.

Judging the 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates players

Dave — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:33:00 GMT

Here we are, about ready to celebrate the 4th of July and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in the thick of things in the NL Central. Great pitching and some interesting offense has given the Pirates a chance just about every day. I decided it would be nice to go through and note something about every single player who has played in a game thus far in 2012 for the Buccos. Without further adieu here we go:

Catchers:
Rod Barajas - Started off really slow but has been steady, his numbers are just below expected. He's a free swinger and won't ever have a high .OBP game, some pop, and just so-so holding on runners (more an issue with the pitching).
Michael McKenry - Basically mini-Barajas. Has improved his plate discipline a bit which is very encouraging. When given a chance to play in extended duty, he's done well this year.
Eric Fryer - A catcher by trade but actually has only played in the OF. Enough said. Not much of a future.

1st Basemen:
Casey McGehee - Started off awful, been better of late, like Garrett Jones, he's just not an everyday performer (especially as a 1B) but his splits play decent vs lefties.
Garrett Jones - See Casey McGehee, decent splits vs righties. Benefits the Pirates that 1B has been a very down position in the National League this year.
Matt Hague - His only plus quality in the minor leagues has been his ability to get on base, but lacks much power for a corner position player and in the majors he was just way too aggressive for the type of approach and skillset he possesses.

2nd Basemen:
Neil Walker - He is who he is. He's an above average fielder, decent hitter, nothing flashy. He's the Pittsburgh kid who never will do anything to out-price his ability to stay in Pittsburgh. He's the Jason Kendall of 2nd basemen (just hoping the Pirates don't overpay for that kind of player).
Drew Sutton - Ultimate utility player without any special skillsets. Think John Wehner if looking for a comparison.

Shortstops:
Clint Barmes - Simply put, he's been the teams biggest disappointment in 2012. Hasn't hit anywhere near his .250 career average and his .230 .OBP makes Ronny Cedeno look amazing. Stability was supposed to be his asset. Oops.
Josh Harrison - Maybe it's his spunk or the lack of production Clint Barmes has produced, but the fan base has grown to like Josh Harrison, who honestly, is a fringe MLB/AAA player at best. Love the his personality and I think he deserves a spot on the team, but his speed is over-rated and plate discipline is just awful.
Yamaico Navarro - I liked the pickup in offseason from the Royals, but Navarro didn't do much, looked lost at times and hasn't been much better in AAA (his struggles led to the acquisition of Drew Sutton).
Jordy Mercer - He's probably this years Chase d'Arnaud. Player with okay skills, but nothing flashy (best case is he becomes Clint Barmes--not the 2012 Clint Barmes).

3rd Basemen:
Pedro Alvarez - Head scratcher. Reminds me so much of Adrian Beltre early on in his Dodger days... Powerful streaks one week, then he looks like the 2011 Adam Dunn the next week.

Outfielders:
Andrew McCutchen - Superstar. One of the 10 best players in baseball (pitchers included). The contract he signed before the season should end up proving to be one of the best bargains in baseball.
Jose Tabata - Belongs in AAA (for now, but no-one is pushing him for a spot). Has talent, but is not as fast as he thinks he is, and has a body that under the right work ethic could easily develop a lot more pop in the bat. What happened to his pitch selection ability? Needs to hit the restart button.
Alex Presley - The Pirates went into the year knowing Presley was a wild card, they were sure hoping he could duplicate the success he has had professionally the previous couple years... Hasn't been the case. Now they are stuck with him and Tabata (and a mixture of Sutton, Jones, and Harrison) until Starling Marte is ready or a trade is made.
Nate McLouth - Was awful, has been awful almost since the day the Pirates traded him to the Braves in 2009 (and even then his defense was over-rated).
Gorkys Hernandez - Has speed and if the Pirates are in contention in September his speed will be useful off the bench, other than that his value to the Pirates may only come as part of a smaller trade.

Starting Pitchers:
James McDonald - Has been very special this year. Makes the Dotel trade look even funnier and funnier by the day (was a bit head scratcher at the time). McDonald went from a live arm to a pitcher this past off-season and just missed making the All-Star team.
A.J. Burnett - If it wasn't for his May 2nd start vs the Cardinals, he likely would have made his first ever All-Star squad. He's been brilliant and while his fast-ball might not be the same as it was 6 or 7 years ago, his curveball is still his best pitch.
Erik Bedard - Hard to call him a hard-luck loser, because he hasn't been very flashy of late, but he's been better than his 4-9 record shows.
Kevin Correia - In years past Correia was a number 2 or 3 type of starter on the Pirates, this year, his roster spot as the team's number 5 has been holding on by a thread. He's an innings eater, nothing is special, especially his BB to SO ratio.
Charlie Morton - Tommy John surgery is always a risky proposition. He may have pitched his last pitch for the Pirates, we just never know.
Jeff Karstens - Injured for a couple months, he was arguably the best pitcher on the Pirates in 2011. Has mediocre stuff but he lives and dies with his command and the defense behind him.

Relief Pitchers:
Joel Hanrahan - He's been great year-in-year-out since coming from the Nationals. At times, I am shocked the Pirates haven't traded this asset, not because he's very good, but because this regime comes from the Cleveland Indians thinking: Small markets can't overpay and overvalue a relief pitcher.
Jason Grilli - His K/IP ratio is amazing! Has been the team's best reliever this year. It's unusual a player gets this good, so late in there careers but the Pirates aren't complaining
Jared Hughes - He's been pretty good, not a flashy reliever (no sexy K/BB ratios but gets the job done).
Juan Cruz - Started off well, now he's the Juan Cruz of recent (walks be crazy and loses a solid mindset)
Tony Watson - Best (only legit) lefty reliever the Pirates have.
Brad Lincoln - Has the stuff to pitch in the majors, will undoubtedly get another chance to start again, but maybe not in 2012 if he continues to dominate out of the pen.
Chris Resop - His overall numbers aren't God-awful, but he's not been all that good this year (his stay with Buccos will be forever remembered for that bunt he fielded).
Doug Slaten - He's a lefty, so he'll pitch for a few more teams before he hangs up his pitchers mitt, was unreal in AAA, and so-so in MLB, but again he's a lefty.
Evan Meek - Can't give up on this arm. Just a couple years ago he was an All-Star and the team's best reliever. In AAA getting things together, but still needs to control the zone better.

Baseball Geek 2012 Predictions

Dave — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:20:00 GMT

I have always said that my favorite sport is, and always will be, baseball. Today is Opening Day for the Pirates and a majority of the teams around Major League Baseball (I'm going to PNC Park!). That said, I just have to share my predictions for the 2012 season (from rookie of the year, to MVP, to World Series Champs). Without further adieu, here are my 2012 predictions:

AL East standings:
1. New York Yankees
2. Tampa Bay Rays - Wild Card
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Boston Red Sox
5. Baltimore Orioles

AL Central standings:
1. Minnesota Twins
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Kansas City Royals
4. Cleveland Indians
5. Chicago White Sox

AL West standings:
1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Texas Rangers - Wild Card
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Oakland Athletics

NL East standings:
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves - Wild Card
3. Miami Marlins
4. Washington Nationals
5. New York Mets

NL Central standings:
1. Cincinnati Reds
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. St. Louis Cardinals
5. Chicago Cubs
6. Houston Astros

NL West standings:
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Arizona Diamondbacks - Wild Card
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. San Diego Padres
5. Colorado Rockies

World Series Matchup: Yankees vs Reds
WS winner: Yankees

AL MVP:
1. Evan Longoria, Rays
Runner up. Albert Pujols, Angels

NL MVP:
1. Joey Votto, Reds
Runner up. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins

AL Cy Young:
1. Justin Verlander, Tigers
Runner up. Felix Hernandez, Mariners

NL Cy Young:
1. Zack Greinke, Brewers
Runner up. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

AL Rookie of the Year:
1. Yu Darvish, Rangers
Runner up. Matt Moore, Rays

NL Rookie of the Year:
1. Devin Mesoraco, Reds
Runner up. Bryce Harper, Nationals

Pittsburgh Penguins Lipdub by Plum High School

Dave — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:39:00 GMT

Being a graduate from Plum High School in 2000, I am going to be very partial to the work Mr. Berrott's students put together. That said, if you haven't seen the playoff Penguins Lipdubs that the school has created in the past, you should check them out (videos: 2010 & 2011)! They are well choreographed and unique! I could write on-and-on about how nice the school looks (I mean when I graduated in 2000, we didn't even have air conditioning yet, the grass on the football field was well... grass, and the basketball empire that Ron Richards built, was basically still in its infancy, but I digress). So without further adieu here is the official Plum High School 3rd Annual Pittsburgh Penguins Lipdub video:

March Madness Bracket: Win Human Hardware!

Dave — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:40:00 GMT

It's that time of the year! MARCH MADNESS! I wanted to invited everyone to join my FREE Tournament with prizes! I will be using Yahoo this year: http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/group/156550 with our Group ID being: 156550 and our Password being: pitt. There are just a couple requirements! Only one entry is allowed per twitter username! Your team/bracket name in the league MUST be your twitter name (don't tweet? don't sign up n'at)! Soooo, my team name is "pittsburghers". You also must follow me! DUH! The winner will take home this amazing piece of human hardware: A #whatmakesmeayinzer t-shirt AND a $25 Gift Certificate to use on http://www.eSellOut.com Here's the shirt everyone is talking about n'at: http://twitpic.com/3ov811 GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!

Lemieux Statue: 7 Degrees of Randy Carlyle

Dave — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:10:00 GMT

In a perfect world, Mario Lemieux saves the Pittsburgh Penguins three times. In a perfect world, Mario Lemieux gets a statue dedicated to his legacy on a day when the weather hits 66 degrees. In a perfect world, the Penguins beat a team coached by Randy Carlyle on the day Lemieux's statue is unveiled to the public. Well, the stars all aligned perfectly and Lemieux did get his statue and the weather did peak at 66 degrees and the Penguins did beat Randy Carlyle's Toronto Maple Leafs. While that information is obvious, what you might not know is how incredibly important Randy Carlyle has been to the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise.

Randy Carlyle made a name for himself as a Norris Trophy winner with the Penguins in 1981 but over time his value to the franchise would continue to increase and new story-lines would develop. It all started in 1984 when the Penguins traded Carlyle to the Winnipeg Jets for a 1st round pick (who ended up being Doug Bodger). In 1988 the Penguins would deal Bodger as part of a package to acquire Tom Barrasso from the Buffalo Sabres. In 2000 the Penguins sent Barrasso to the Ottawa Senators in a deal that included Janne Laukkanen. In 2003 the Penguins would make Laukkanen part of a package sent to the New York Rangers for a group of players that included Mikael Samuelsson. At the draft in 2003 the Penguins traded Samuelsson to the Florida Panthers in order to move up from the 3rd draft selection to the 1st overall pick in order to select Marc-Andre Fleury. So, in an indirect way, Randy Carlyle was traded for Marc-Andre Fleury.

That's not where our Randy Carlyle story is going to end today. You see, the Penguins decided to include two defenders from the New York Islanders in the Mario Lemieux statue because he spent most of his Hall-of-Fame career toying with opposing players. Those two defenders happen to be Rich Pilon and Jeff Norton. Pilon, until now, was mostly recognized for his bone crushing hit to Kevin Stevens' face during the 1993 playoffs between the Pens and Islanders. Jeff Norton? Well, you see, he instantly becomes the answer to a wonderful bar trivia question. What two former Penguins players have a statue at the CONSOL Energy Center? Answer: Lemieux and Jeff freaking Norton! You see, Norton played 32 very forgettable games for the Pens in the 2000-01 season before being traded to the San Jose Sharks for Bobby Dollas and minor league journeyman goalie, Johan Hedberg. At the time, Hedberg was playing for the Manitoba Moose and his coaches name (and also General Manager)... You guessed it, Randy Carlyle!

Lastly, remember the trade that started this all? The one where Randy Carlyle was traded to the Winnipeg Jets? After that trade on March 5th, 1984, the Penguins would only win 2 more games the rest of the season (while losing 12). Because of this epic collapse down the stretch the Penguins ended up with the first overall pick in the 1984 draft, and selected some guy named Mario Lemieux.

Could the next Jeremy Lin be in Pittsburgh?

Dave — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:18:00 GMT

Without any doubt, the Jeremy Lin story is simply amazing. Here's a kid who couldn't find a college scholarship to play basketball, so he plays at Harvard of all places (not exactly a basketball Mecca). Then goes undrafted into the NBA and is released by two teams in December of 2011. Now fast-forward just a couple months and he has the number one selling jersey in the NBA, and oh yeah, the young man can flat out ball! So, can this "Linsanity" (one of about 700,000 appropriate and inappropriate words and names he's "Linspired") be found again somewhere else? Could another no-name athlete like Jeremy Lin come from the depths of no-where and become the sports biggest news?

I decided to look into the current rosters of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Penguins and Steelers and select one player from each team who currently ranks on the fringe of "who the heck is that?" but has the potential to become a decent player despite flying under the radar. I am basing my opinions on the fact I have seen a few sparks of talent from time-to-time. Many will note, outside of summer-league action, Jeremy Lin never was even given the opportunity to show his potential (heck, even the Knicks had him on the end of their bench for over a month) but sometimes you just need that one chance to shine.

From the Pittsburgh Pirates, I narrowed down my selection from the current 40-man roster. My final choices were Jeff Karstens, Michael McKenry, Josh Harrison, Matt Hague, and Alex Presley. I could make a case for each of these being selected but I decided to run with Alex Presley. Why? Of everyone on this list, only Karstens and Presley have shown enough to warrant a guaranteed MLB job in 2012. Karstens isn't coming from no-where anymore (he's been designated for assignment and left to dry before, but showed great poise the entire 2011 season). So, my logical choice is Alex Presley. Don't get me wrong, almost every dedicated Pirates fan is well aware of the production he has put up in the minors the past couple years and in 2011 with the Buccos in the majors. That said, it was only a couple years ago that Presley wasn't even a blip on the Pirates prospect radar. He didn't even crack Baseball America's top 30 prospects in the organization. Now, he stands to win a starting outfield job atop the Pirates lineup in 2012.

From the Pittsburgh Penguins, I narrowed down my selection from players who have played at least one NHL game in the 2011-2012 season. My final choices were Dustin Jeffrey, Joe Vitale, Carl Sneep, Robert Bortuzzo, and Brian Strait. I really wanted to make a case for Robert Bortuzzo or Dustin Jeffrey but decided against Jeffrey because he showed talent last year and has taken a big step backwards this season (maybe in part due to injury) and I will hold off on Bortuzzo because I am not sure he will be Penguins property for long (going to be a solid NHL player, just not a lot of room for him in the Penguins lineup). My "Linsane" Pens pick is Joe Vitale, mainly because he possesses a drive rarely on display by a professional athlete every moment he hits the ice (it's needed given his limited scoring touch). He was an afterthought prospect in the 2005 draft going in the last round to the Penguins with pick 195. He was still an afterthought prospect coming out of college in 2009, but hard work and determination have given him a chance to carve out a career for himself in the NHL. I don't expect him to score 20 goals per season, that's not his game, but he has found his niche in the NHL on face-offs and controlling the zone and as a safety net on the penalty kill.

From the Pittsburgh Steelers, I narrowed down my selection from players who were on the roster at some point in the 2011 season and will be under contract heading into the 2012 season. My final choices were Baron Batch, Stevenson Sylvester, Steve McLendon, and Weslye Saunders. Saunders' substance abuse suspension basically eliminated him from the mix. I think the best story would be Steve McLendon who the Steelers do like a lot, yet just two years ago was released from the roster a few times (basically was the 54th player on a 53-man roster). But, based on sheer talent (that has only been seen in small spurts) and the fact he's the most "Lintense" player from my list, my selection has to be Stevenson Sylvester. At times Sylvester has looked like the best player on the field, unfortunately these times typically have been in the preseason, whereas during the season he sometimes has been lost in the shuffle. If the Steelers decide to move on from James Farrior this off-season, expect Sylvester to be the most logical in-house candidate to step into the starting role with the potential to be very good. Not bad for a guy who was the 166th player selected in the 2010 draft.

Pittsburgher wants to be Rooney Mara's date n'at!

Dave — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:27:00 GMT

It appears that a local yokel, Todd, is trying to go on a date to the Oscars with Rooney Mara (star of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2011 movie release). As many Yinzers know, Mara is the great-granddaughter of both Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney and New York Giants founder Tim Mara (Todd sports a Jack Lambert jersey in the video, but pays homage to Mara's Giants roots as well). On Todd's website, Toddisthebomb.com, he admits that the idea for the video came from watching Jamie Walden's video asking Tim Tebow to the 2012 Military Ball. The video is still very creative and even cracks a few jokes (like settling on a date for ice cream, instead of the Oscars, as long as Rooney Mara pays). The icing on the cake may be the appearance of former Steelers Super Bowl XLIII champion, Justin Hartwig, begging Rooney to take Todd to the 2012 Oscars. Without further adieu, here's the video n'at: