Five Qs at 5

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Pedro Alvarez is batting .196 in June, with one home run and three RBIs. -- GETTY

Tuesday 10 Qs: Branson, Brandon, bad safety

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By Dejan Kovacevic
After rifling through the 100-plus questions submitted, I’ve got your Tuesday 10 Qs and, symmetrically enough, your Tuesday 10 As, too.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated!

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bpn8pitt: I try not to be one of those fire-the-hitting-coach fans. But I do find it odd that Jeff Branson escapes all criticism. We gush and marvel at the genius of Ray Searage and Jim Benedict. Shouldn’t we hold the hitting side to a similar standard?

I know you will cite some successes in Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte, but I’m wondering if Pedro Alvarez, Jordy Mercer, Tony Sanchez, among others, were brought along properly. I’m also wondering if the same decision makers may have rushed along Gregory Polanco.

DK: Man, we really need a Recency Bias bell around here or something.

Was 2014 really all that long ago?

Was it a different Branson who was in charge then? Different players? Different manager overseeing it all? Different process being applied?

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Brandon Saad, Gibsonia native, raises Lord Stanley's Cup again in Chicago. -- GETTY

Tuesday 10 Qs: Hawks, Scuds, Locke, Butler

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BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

It’s time for Tuesday 10 Qs, our weekly session in which readers carry the conversation, and here’s the full transcript after going through all the entries:

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mkozak25: Who ya got in the College World Series?

But the real question here is with Chicago winning a third cup in six years, would you call them a dynasty? Six years ago, everyone thought that Pittsburgh would do this, not the Hawks. What a bummer.

DK: Yeah, I can see that. It wasn’t so long ago that we watched that parade down the Boulevard of the Allies, all those younger players, all those stars, and thought it would be an annual affair. And it wasn’t just Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury. Jordan Staal was a big part of it, too. Anyone could reasonably look at those five as the core and think, man, all they have to do is build a decent supporting cast.

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Last time John Holdzkom was in Pittsburgh, he was good enough to pitch in a wild-card game. -- GETTY

Tuesday 10 Qs: Holdzkom, Perron, Dupree

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BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

We could delay this week’s Tuesday 10 Qs with some pithy intro, but why do that?

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tonyragano: Why is Antonio Bastardo still on the Pirates’ roster? His numbers are worse than Jason Grilli’s were last year when we traded him for a bag of baseballs. It would sure be nice to have him now.

DK: Grilli?

Oh, my, no. He had to go.

But I’m with you on Bastardo. No use for him. If there’s any sign that he’s about to straighten out — and bear in mind inconsistency was his hallmark in Philadelphia — it isn’t at all obvious. He can’t command, he can’t keep runners off the bases, and he can’t stop giving up runs. And no, I’m not just referring to his latest mess last night against the Brewers. He’s been lousy from front to finish.

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Ron Burkle has been the Penguins' co-owner with Mario Lemieux since 1999. -- GETTY

Thursday 10 Qs: Burkle, Pedro, Cortez, Locke

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BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

SAN FRANCISCO — And without any further ado, our two-day delayed edition of the, um, Thursday 10 Qs is off and running …

mholtz612: With the news of Mario Lemieux exploring a sale, what do you make of Ron Burkle not looking to sell his portion? It might not be popular opinion in this town, but I believe the value of this franchise is near its peak. From all accounts, Burkle is a savvy business man with no real ties to this area. This seems like a perfect time to sell high.

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DK: Mario wants to cash out. That’s the simplest, clearest way to state this.

From everything I was told yesterday, his position is that he’s about to turn 50, his children are all just about out of the house, and he’s looking toward a next phase in his life. I also was told that there were several other occasions on which he entertained selling, but never to this degree where a Morgan Stanley would get involved in seeking out a buyer.

Now, this is where it gets a little more layered …

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Corey Hart is 7 for 17 as a pinch-hitter, 1 for 20 as a starter. -- GETTY

Tuesday 10 Qs: Hart, Charlie, J.R., Dri, Mexico

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BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Every week in Tuesday 10 Qs, your questions are collected beginning on Monday night, then assembled here at 9 a.m. Tuesday with answers ‘n at.

Changed things up a bit this week, in going with two separate files, one with all your questions in the comments section and this final version that comes with a clean sheet for your responses. Several readers had asked for this, and I thought it was a wonderful idea.

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CRW Yinzer: DK, could you just answer this one simple question: Why is Corey Hart still on this team? He brings next to nothing offensively, and even less in the field. Seems to me, between Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer, Jung-Ho Kang and Sean Rodriguez, there’s more than enough talent to spell your regulars or “let the bat play”, so why not cut our losses and add some depth that actually might help?

DK: There are a lot of folks piling onto Hart of late, presumably because so much has gone right for the Pirates the past few days that the 25th man is the last target standing. But wow, your answer is right here.

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The Lightning's Ondrej Palat slams home a pinpoint pass from Viktor Hedman in Game 2 Monday night. -- GETTY

Tuesday 10 Qs: Bettman, Kang, Sheary, Marcus

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BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Welcome to Tuesday 10 Qs, our cyber-chat each week at 9 a.m. that offers readers a chance to carry the conversation. Use the comments below to submit an entry, beginning now. I’ll pick from those, as well as the ones that arrive once the session goes live.

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UPDATE 9 a.m.: And away we go …

franjioneb: DK, like me, I know you just love these constant 2-1 type of games in the playoffs, and even in the regular season. Some people think they should make the goals bigger. Some say they should decrease the size of the goalies’ pads, which they already did once. So my question is, if you were Gary Bettman, how do you get the NHL to be a goal scorers leave rather than a how-many-shots-can-I-block league?

DK: I’ve got the easiest answer imaginable, since I wrote it back in February in an extra-length column from the NHL All-Star Game in Columbus. Nothing has changed about my view since then, other than that they view being fortified a thousand times over by the worst Stanley Cup playoffs I can recall.

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Mike Babcock speaks with reporters during his Red Wings' first-round loss to the Lightning. -- GETTY

Tuesday 10 Qs: Vance, Senquez, Nail, Babcock

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BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Welcome to Tuesday 10 Qs, our cyber-chat that takes place each week at 9 a.m. and offers readers a chance to carry the conversation. The format is simple: Use the comments below to submit an entry, beginning now. I’ll pick from those, as well as the ones that arrive once the session goes live.

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UPDATE 9 a.m.: And away we go …

CNFXC: Great to see the Pirates take two of three from the Cards and take the first in Philly. And I must say the starting rotation is arguably the best in the National League. What happens when Charlie Morton returns to the majors? Who’s the odd man out? Or do the Pirates do what I wish they’d do, which is consider keeping a six-man rotation?

DK: When Morton returns — and I certainly got a very upbeat impression from him a couple days ago in the clubhouse — he’ll be in the rotation. Let’s get that out of the way. No ifs, ands, buts or six-man rotations that would keep Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano and A.J. Burnett senselessly pitching once a week.

So your first question there is the one that’s most relevant: Who comes out?

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Daniel Winnik had no points and a team-worst minus-6 rating in the playoffs. -- GETTY

Tuesday 10 Qs: Morehouse, bullpen, Cortez, Shero

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BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Welcome to Tuesday 10 Qs, our cyber-chat that takes place each week at 9 a.m. and offers readers a chance to carry the conversation. The format is simple: Use the comments below to submit an entry, beginning now. I’ll pick from those, as well as the ones that arrive once the session goes live.

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UPDATE 9 a.m.: And away we go …

ImblumAJ1: Awesome to see that the incomparable Josh Yohe has joined your team! Really looking forward to his Pens coverage.

Speaking of which, I’ve found it curious that, while everyone around the team has taken great pains to say that Jim Rutherford’s and Mike Johnston’s jobs are safe, no one has said anything about David Morehouse. I understand that his role with the team has increased since Ray Shero was fired last summer, and that Rutherford reports to him instead of directly to ownership as Shero did.

Given some questionable team decisions this season in terms of deadline acquisitions (Daniel Winnik, Ben Lovejoy) and mangling the salary cap, could you see Morehouse being on the hot seat?

DK: For trades?

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Tuesday 10 Qs: Shero, Cutch, Colbert, Geno, Tyler

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The Penguins await the handshake line with the victorious Rangers Friday at the Garden. — GETTY

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Welcome to Tuesday 10 Qs, our cyber-chat that takes place each week at 9 a.m. and offers readers a chance to carry the conversation. The format is simple: Use the comments below to submit an entry. I’ll pick from those, as well as the ones that arrive once the session goes live.

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UPDATE 9 a.m.: And off we go …

rajankaliral: The Penguins now lack young forwards due to aggressive trade deadline deals over the years. However, is Ray Shero to blame or was he simply following orders from management?

DK: Whoa there, Rajan! Your question there implies that your first sentence is indisputable.

If you go over Shero’s more ‘aggressive’ deals, to borrow your term but presuming you mean the headline-grabbers, those have next to nothing to do with the current lack of young forwards. What was sent out for the likes of Marian Hossa, James Neal and Jarome Iginla — the three biggies that come to mind — was, in order, a bunch of failed prospects, defenseman Alex Goligoski, and two zero-level prospects because Calgary’s hand was forced. None of those had any discernible impact on the current quality of forwards.

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Tuesday 10 Qs: Sid, Sanchez, AB, McDavid, Kang

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BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Welcome to Tuesday 10 Qs, our cyber-chat that takes place each week at 9 a.m. and offers readers a chance to carry the conversation. The format is simple: Use the comments below to submit an entry. I’ll pick from those, as well as the ones that arrive once the session goes live.

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UPDATE 9 a.m.: And off we go …

Adam: What can we, as fans, do to affect change in the NHL? I’m tired of the garbage they’re throwing at us. I want to see the world’s best players play the game I love in the best format possible.

DK: Being totally honest here, Adam, but other than not giving them a penny in any form, I can’t come up with an answer of any kind. And I don’t even think that would do anything until TV ratings plunged to match the overall quality of the product.

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