June 2, 2015

Couple changes in our usual schedule

by Dejan Kovacevic • Site stuff • Special

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

SAN FRANCISCO — This is usually the day for Tuesday 10 Qs. That feature will run two days late this week, on Thursday, for two reasons:

1. I’ll be able to put the proper time into them on the long flight home Wednesday night. Feel free to use the comments below this post to enter Qs. I’ll pick from here.

2. It will allow you to take in this whole West Coast swing before firing away.

3. With the Pirates off Thursday, it will be published on a much less busy day.

Also, Josh Yohe and I will team up on this week’s Friday Insider. He’ll take the top two-thirds on the Penguins and Steelers, since he’ll have spent time with both this week, and I’ll round it out with baseball stuff accumulated on this trip. This way, we work together to try to get you the freshest material we’re covering.

How many of Chris Stewart’s tools of ignorance can you identify? — DEJAN KOVACEVIC

101 Comments Newest to oldest

Dave in Ross Twp.

6-2-2015, 12:16 am

What's up with Pedro, really? Does he just not want to attach himself to the city/fan base because it's all a business to him? Or is he just that aloof? I think he could be huge here if he wanted to...everyone loves the long ball!

rickbooks

6-2-2015, 1:36 am

If I were Pedro I'd be gone the first chance I got. He gets no help or respect from coaching staff. They're trying to make him a contact hitter instead of a true left handed power hitter. They disrespect him by batting him 6th while Walker bats 4th. He led the league in HRs two seasons ago before they started messing with his swing. That affected his defense. The media treats him like a cancer while they fawn over Walker. Meanwhile Pedro carries the Bucs in playoff series with Cards and Walker goes 0 for the series. Pedro has more home runs and RBI's than Walker. Is a year younger than Walker and makes 1.5 million less than Walker. But hey, Neil is the Pittsburgh Kid. Pedro's just a lazy Latino.

Scaldis Noel

6-2-2015, 6:04 am

Really rickbooks? Spare us the silly race card nonsense.

Scaldis Noel

6-2-2015, 6:10 am

rickbooks, Pirates fans and media have embraced one player of Latino heritage after another for decades. It's just intellectually lazy and dishonest to suggest that any dissatisfaction with Pedro is even slightly related to his cultural background.

rickbooks

6-2-2015, 7:13 am

I've been around since the 60's. Who are these Latinos we have embraced? Clemente? He had to become the greatest right fielder in history before the media stopped questioning his desire. Others were "accepted" as long as they were smiling and joking and posed no threat. Pedro was in the middle of his 36HR/100RBI season, mostly batting in the six hole

rickbooks

6-2-2015, 7:15 am

and was still getting boo'd at PNC. If not his race, then why?

matt.gajtka

6-2-2015, 7:53 am

There are spontaneous "Let's go Pedro" chants that pop up at PNC whenever Alvarez has an important at-bat. Let's leave the fans out of it.

thebaldtruth

6-2-2015, 12:20 pm

I absolutely do not buy into race playing a part in any of this. I think the problem is that many of us (self included) envisioned him as being the next Ryan Howard (circa 2005-11) and he's just not. I've not heard anybody disparage him because of anything other than him not quiet meeting (perhaps unrealistically lofty) expectations.

deano1017

6-2-2015, 12:23 am

Jung Ho Kang, in my opinion, has exceeded expectations in the first two months as Pirate; however, I'm curious about the language barrier. On the field communication is essential, and even when running the bases it looks like base coaches usually speak a bit to their players. How does Kang and the Pirates staff overcome this challenge?

Brandon S.

6-2-2015, 12:26 am

What's the long term and short term plan if Locke doesn't rebound quickly? Obviously, losing Kingham puts a damper on their plans in the long term, and Taillon still isn't seeing extended in-game action. Will they give Worley another shot before trying their hand at Saddler? Could you see them making a move with Tony for a back end rotation guy like Harang?

6-2-2015, 1:38 am

You mean Sanchez and not Tony Machine, right?

tabletop390

6-2-2015, 12:30 am

Since you get to spend some time in various locker rooms, what has been the strangest thing you've seen in a player's locker?

Klamathmatt

6-2-2015, 12:39 am

DK, can you clarify what athletes mean when they refer to a "game plan." Is this a real thing written on paper for each game? Or Is it something espoused from on-high by a coach or manger and players know what to do each play. Do teams abandoned game plans mid-game if they are getting blown out? Tony Watson used the term in interview in the 'boring' column last week and I often hear Ben Roethlesberger use the term in his interviews.

dariusm11

6-2-2015, 12:47 am

Let's talk Mario - two questions:
-Do you think there will ever be an updated Mario autobiography? So much has happened with him since the 1997 The Final Period.
-Mario's 1992-93 season and return from cancer to beat LaFontaine in the scoring race is almost never mentioned among athlete's top seasons ever. Do you think this season was the most unique great performance by an athlete ever?

Milo Hamilton

6-2-2015, 12:51 am

What is up with all the transfers at Pitt ? Jamie has said for years that he prefers 4 year guys that want to stay in the system and graduate. Now all of the sudden he's become college basketball's answer to the Statue of Liberty - bring me your tired, your poor and your huddled masses. Is recruiting going that poorly ? I'm starting to have real concerns about the direction of the program.

6-2-2015, 1:39 am

He's staying true to his word in recruiting more one-and-dones, Milo.

bpn8pitt

6-2-2015, 8:25 am

Brandin Knight was a great player. But at this point in his still young, coaching career, he's in over his head recruiting in the ACC.

John Wos

6-2-2015, 9:23 am

Take note that a couple of those guys are centers who rebound and play good defense. Given how opposing players got to the rim too easily last year I suspect Jamie wants the transfer players--along with Nix--as a rotation to protect the rim at all costs next season. That's also 15 fouls to give right there between the three of them assuming they all perform. This is a good interim strategy until he can recruit a true all-around center.

This would also allow Jamie to move Young to his more natural PF spot, and Artis to the SF position.

bpn8pitt

6-2-2015, 10:48 am

But wasnt that the same strategy last year when he brought in Uchebo, Haughton and Randall the year before?

Like Milo is saying, none of these guys have pedigree. Given the recent transfers, I think some of the expectations for Nix are ridiculous from what I hear.

bpn8pitt

6-2-2015, 10:56 am

Nelson-Ododa and Maia are listed at power forward on the Richmond and Brown rosters.

I think its going to be a long year for Pitt. ACC bringst back a lot of lot of talent.

jimmy streich

6-2-2015, 1:02 am

Are the days of complete games going the way of the dodo bird? You see older guys like Burnett angry when taken out but the younger guys seem to accept their job is to get 7 or 8 good innings.

unipress_546f609c883a1

6-2-2015, 1:05 am

Will we ever see the awesome and totally better Pens third jersey become the standard jersey/color? The true black and gold just looks so... right.

6-2-2015, 1:40 am

Yes, very nice.

BillyBaduka

6-2-2015, 5:08 am

Please make it the standard.

Dr. Van Nostrand

6-2-2015, 1:06 am

What do you make of the Pirates infield defense? The corners have both been atrocious, history says Walker will be no better than average and SS is a mixed-up mess because of offensive liabilities. Is this a growing concern?

FrankNicotero

6-2-2015, 1:07 am

1. What's the coldest night you ever spent in Candlestick park?

My ONE game I saw there - I saw Lee Lacy hit an inside the park homer there when he was a Dodger and THEN he hit one as a Pirate at 3 Rivers later in his career. I am pretty sure the only three people beside Lacy at both were Me, my Dad and Bill Madlock who was a giant at the time of the first one.)

Dave G

6-2-2015, 5:52 pm

How bout Lanny Frattare? Steve Blass?

yakimj

6-2-2015, 1:12 am

2.5 goals/game is almost unheard of in this league, but 2 goals against game is in dire need of fixing. what does Steffens and the Hounds need to do to their D to keep this run of form going as USL continues and DC comes to town?

unipress_5506eb18c5d85

6-2-2015, 1:29 am

What are the chances the Penguins trade Brandon Sutter in the offseason? Only has another year on his desk and could get quality return in the offseason as opposed to the trade deadline.

unipress_5506eb18c5d85

6-2-2015, 1:30 am

*deal

burnley_penguin

6-2-2015, 1:34 am

We're already seeing some, in my opinion, ridiculous free agency talk for the Pens such as signing Mike Green. But with Martin and Ehrhoff likely to walk what do you think the Pens do on defence? Obviously Letang - Maatta is your top pair, potentially Cole and Poliout is your second but do the Pens buy out Scuderi too and have a very young third pairing?

burnley_penguin

6-2-2015, 1:35 am

*Pouliot

nightsky73144

6-2-2015, 11:51 am

I liked Chorney and Dumoulin together a lot. I'm not as sold on Pouliot as being a top 4...yet. And, they do still have Lovejoy (even though he's the fans' new favorite whipping boy) as an older guy to take Scuderi's bottom pairing minutes.

6-2-2015, 1:36 am

So we learned here this past week that the Saad fiasco was not the then scouting staff's fault. Fine.

But what about the Pens' scouting staff mining non-draft routes -- helping us land a Kevin Hayes here (17G, 28A), an Artemy Panarin there (26G, 36A KHL) to round out our roster? Seems like we are always getting beat to the punch in those channels.

cmupensfan

6-2-2015, 2:02 am

Do you think Chris Kunitz and Rob Scuderi have played their last games as Pens, and if so, would it make sense to target guys like Hossa and Sharp to add to team? Saad would be perfect, but the Hawks wont let him go.

Andy B

6-2-2015, 2:26 am

What are the chances Lambo has a career ending case of "plantar fasciitis"?

Paul

6-2-2015, 5:32 pm

If you've ever had that problem, it can be a nightmare to get rid of--and, in some cases, seriously debilitating.

Acorrie2011

6-2-2015, 2:29 am

Switching up the pace here a little.
DK,
What are your favorite Pittsburgh exclusive food/companies/products/etc.? How about exclusive places to eat?

mike

6-2-2015, 2:32 am

Dejan, the Pirates are on a brutal business trip. No off days between flights, a Sunday night game to boot... It has to be a hard life for the players as well as the staff that support them and the writers that cover them. What insight can you give us on what it's like to be in that world?

Radio wave

6-2-2015, 2:59 am

DK: who wins the cup?

Couple changes in our usual schedule

CONTACT

ESSENTIALS

ABOUT OUR SITE