Pittsburgh Pirates

Perrotto on the scene: Cervelli building bridges

by • On the scene •

466493456

In addition to a .344 spring average, Francisco Cervelli has four home runs and seven walks. — GETTY

BY JOHN PERROTTO

BRADENTON, Fla. — Sights, sounds and the scene at McKechnie Field …

• Russell Martin is gone but he won’t soon be forgotten by the Pirates.

“Russell is the best catcher in the big leagues,” said backup catcher Tony Sanchez.

While that might be debatable, Martin did receive National League Most Valuable Player votes in each of his two seasons with the Pirates. Not coincidentally, the franchise reached the postseason each year following 20 consecutive losing records.

A few days before Martin signed a five-year, $82-million contract with the Blue Jays in November — the Pirates had offered four years and $56 million — acquired veteran backup Francisco Cervelli from the Yankees for left-handed reliever Justin Wilson.

MORE

Perrotto on the scene: ‘This kid’s hungry’

by • On the scene •

468179450

Josh Harrison has had a .302 spring with two home runs, a double and triple, mostly at leadoff. — GETTY

BY JOHN PERROTTO

BRADENTON, Fla. — Sights, sounds and the scene at McKechnie Field …

• Has Josh Harrison rested on his laurels this spring?

Clint Hurdle dismisses the question before it is completely out of the questioner’s mouth.

“Josh is disciplined and he’s committed,” Hurdle said. “So I don’t foresee any of those challenges, as far as him thinking he’s arrived and he’s made it. This kid’s hungry. He’s worked hard and he believes he’s only scratched the surface.”

Harrison was one of the most unexpected success stories in Major League Baseball last season.

MORE

Tuesday 12 Qs: Letang, Holdzkom, Tomlin, MLS

by • Tuesday 10 Qs • , , ,

83105682

Kris Letang is out of the Penguins’ lineup indefinitely because of a concussion. — GETTY

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

Welcome to Tuesday 12 Qs, our 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.

Tuesday12Qs

UPDATE 9 a.m.: And away we go …

avocadotom: How long should the Pens keep Kris Letang out, given their history of letting players come back too soon? I’m thinking they should play it as conservatively as possible, even if that means waiting well into the first round of the playoffs.

DK: The Penguins’ doctors have made some awful medical decisions, in recent years and in this season alone. The mishandling of the mumps caught national attention, but it could be argued that the most egregious was allowing Olli Maatta to return from shoulder surgery two months before their own diagnosed timeline, then allowing him to return again, only to require a second surgery. That’s Hall of Fame-caliber butchery right there. And here’s guessing that if the same doctors hadn’t also wonderfully diagnosed Maatta’s cancer, that young man could hold quite the grudge. He lost a year of his career, in large part because they blew it.

MORE

Perrotto on the scene: ‘We wrestled with it’

by • On the scene •

466450902

Vance Worley struck out 11 and walked one in 17 Grapefruit League innings. — GETTY

BY JOHN PERROTTO

BRADENTON, Fla. — Sights, sounds and the scene at McKechnie Field …

• The dullest of spring trainings for the Pirates got livelier today, and it had nothing to do with an 18-4 rout of the Phillies: Clint Hurdle announced following the final out that Jeff Locke would begin the season as the fifth starter and Vance Worley would pitch in relief.

No one saw this decision coming.

Not the scouts from other teams who have watched the Pirates throughout the spring. Not the media members who are with the team every day. Not even the other members of the pitching staff.

MORE

News/views: Pirates choose … Locke?

by • News/views •

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

News: The Pirates will open the season with Jeff Locke in the rotation and Vance Worley in the bullpen, Clint Hurdle just told reporters in Bradenton, Fla. Locke will be fifth on the depth chart.

Views: OK, and … why?

Neither was all that strong in Grapefruit League exhibitions, each charged with 10 earned runs, Locke’s over 13 2/3 innings, Worley’s over 17. But there hadn’t been any debate, including internally, that Worley was generally pitching with more poise and more command. So it couldn’t have been spring performance.

Worley also has been better than Locke in the career context, albeit not by a ton.

MORE

Perrotto on the scene: Polanco gets groove

by • On the scene •

Pittsburgh Pirates v Toronto Blue Jays

Gregory Polanco is 6 for 19 with two home runs in his past six Grapefruit League games. — GETTY

BY JOHN PERROTTO

BRADENTON, Fla. — Sights, sounds and the scene at McKechnie Field …

• Gregory Polanco seemed in danger of setting the Grapefruit League single-season record for grounding out to the second baseman. The Pirates’ left-handed-hitting right fielder kept rolling over pitch after pitch through his first 13 games.

However, Polanco has started driving the ball in the past few days. He hit a home run Friday against the Twins at Fort Myers and another Saturday off Blue Jays veteran left-hander Randy Wolf at McKechnie Field. Over his past six games, he is 6 for 19 with at least one hit in each.

For Polanco, it has just been a matter of getting back into the swing of things. The Pirates asked him not to play winter ball in his native Dominican Republic after he made his major-league debut last season and struggled in 89 games, hitting .235 with seven home runs and 14 stolen bases.

MORE

«< 8 9 10 11 12 >»