Kevin Gorman stories, Page 127
Pirates ‘very encouraged’ by progress of right fielder Gregory Polanco’s shoulderVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates are monitoring the recovery of right fielder Gregory Polanco through social media and are “very encouraged” with the progress of his left shoulder. Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates’ director of sports medicine, was optimistic about Polanco’s progress in a conference call with Pittsburgh reporters Wednesday afternoon. Polanco’s 2018...
Derek Shelton needs no reminder that Pirates aren’t playing, only a look at his phone
Derek Shelton doesn’t need a reminder that he’s missing his first season as a major-league manager. He gets one every day. The Pittsburgh Pirates first-year manager still has the regular-season schedule set up on his phone, so he receives daily notifications of what he’s missing because of the coronavirus. “How...
Pirates in predicament of paying employees but possibly reducing salaries
With no set return for baseball in sight amid the coronavirus crisis and despite MLB commissioner Rob Manfred giving teams the green light to furlough or lay off employees, the Pittsburgh Pirates committed Tuesday to pay their baseball operations staff through May. Pirates president Travis Williams announced the club is...
Pirates manager Derek Shelton ‘more than happy’ to take pay cut to help team sustain
If the Pittsburgh Pirates resort to reducing the salaries of their highest-paid employees, Derek Shelton is on board with taking a hit for the team before he ever manages a major-league game. Shelton commended Pirates president Travis Williams and general manager Ben Cherington for being “extremely clear” with how they...
Pirates to pay baseball staff through May, exploring possibility of tiered salary reductions
The Pittsburgh Pirates will pay baseball operations staff through May 31 and are exploring the possibility of tiered salary reductions for their most highly compensated employees. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman first reported that the Pirates would pay employees through at least May 31 while the sport is shut down amid...
Rare Honus Wagner rookie card sells for a record $192,000 at online auction
A rare Honus Wagner rookie baseball card, one with a photo of the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame shortstop dressed in a suit, was auctioned Sunday night to a private collector for $192,000. The card was one of two issued in the W600 Sporting Life cabinet cards series, with the...
Amid coronavirus crisis, Pirates donate $50,000 to Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
The MLB spring training and season have been halted by the coronavirus pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped the Pittsburgh Pirates from giving back to those in need. The Pirates and Pirates Charities announced on Friday a $50,000 donation to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, a nonprofit organization that distributes...
Kevin Gorman: Dorin Dickerson warns Bucs that key to playing with Tom Brady is doing things how he wants
Dorin Dickerson doesn’t have to wonder what Tampa Bay Buccaneers skill players are about to experience with Tom Brady as their quarterback. If you want to know what it’s like, the former West Allegheny and Pitt All-American can offer his advice after playing with Brady: “Don’t be a machine. Just...
New owner trying to keep Sunseri Pizza afloat amid coronavirus crisisVideo
Chris Staub loved working at Sunseri Pizza while he was in high school and college, dreaming that one day he would own the small business on Custer Avenue in Baldwin. When former owners Sam and Cindy Sunseri put the pizza shop up for sale, Staub couldn’t resist the opportunity. After...
Kevin Gorman: Tom Brady in Tampa Bay? Another 6th-round QB sees a good fit
With Tom Brady likely headed to Tampa Bay, I found the perfect person to relate to what it’s like to be a former sixth-round pick who played quarterback for the Buccaneers. Where Brady was the 199th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, Bruce Gradkowski was...
Kevin Gorman: Tom Brady leaving Patriots is stunning, but Steelers should hope it’s for NFC
Tom Brady bid farewell to the New England Patriots on Tuesday, and it was stunning to actually see the NFL’s greatest quarterback leave its dynasty of the past two decades. Before you pooh pooh the Boston boo hoos with a goodbye and good riddance, imagine if this was a Pittsburgh...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: NFL should’ve pressed pause
If Thursday, March 12, 2020, will be remembered as the day the sports world was shut down by coronavirus, this past weekend will be remembered as the one the sports world went silent. No NBA. No NHL. No MLB. No PGA. No NASCAR. No NCAA. No PIAA. No WPIAL. Essentially,...
Kevin Gorman: Canceling NCAA tourney crushing to Robert Morris’ Cinderella storyVideo
Josh Williams knew, but he didn’t want it to be true. On Tuesday, the redshirt senior guard led Robert Morris to win the Northeast Conference tournament championship and earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. When the NBA shut down its season Wednesday night, Williams realized he wouldn’t get...
Jameson Taillon: No Pirates tested for coronavirus as MLB shuts down spring training camps
Now that MLB has suspended spring training camps and delayed the start of the season, Pittsburgh Pirates players have to decide whether to stay at spring training, return home or to Pittsburgh. At a time of great uncertainty for Major League Baseball, Pirates MLB Players Association representative Jameson Taillon confirmed...
Kevin Gorman: Shutdown of the sports world showed us that leaders are not to be trusted
In a surreal span of 24 hours, the sports world shut down and sent a mighty message about the power of a global pandemic. The games mustn’t go on. All that talk about concerns over the coronavirus couldn’t convince officials, from preps to the pros, to stop playing the games....
Blue Jays beat Pirates in final game before MLB suspends spring training
In one of the final games before MLB suspended spring training, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-5, on Thursday at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. MLB announced during the game it decided to suspend spring training games and the start of the 2020 season by at least...
Kevin Gorman: Duquesne ready to check next box on its bucket listVideo
Duquesne has spent the season checking off items on its bucket list, but there’s one empty box that looms large for coach Keith Dambrot and his Dukes. Beating Davidson, St. Bonaventure and even VCU this season? Check. Check. Check. (Even if the last two took a couple of overtimes). Dambrot...
Former Pirates first-rounder Will Craig’s career coming to a crossroads as he heads to Triple-A
Will Craig couldn’t help but watch Josh Bell have a career year last season, knowing his path to the major leagues is blocked by an All-Star at first base. While Bell hit 18 home runs and had 52 RBIs for the Pirates through May, Craig was crushing the ball at...
Kevin Gorman: For Robert Morris senior Josh Williams, this is a dance to remember foreverVideo
Josh Williams started waving his arms up and down as he walked off the floor, and the capacity crowd stood to salute the Robert Morris redshirt senior with a standing ovation as he exited the Northeast Conference championship game. It was a fitting farewell for Williams, who has been on...
Tigers hit 3 homers off Derek Holland in win over Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Derek Holland struck out six batters with no walks and allowed only four hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Detroit Tigers. Problem was, three of them were home runs. C.J. Cron and Jeimer Candelario homered off Holland in the second inning, and Cameron Maybin hit one...
Kevin Gorman: With NCAA tourney in balance, Robert Morris has edge in coach Andy TooleVideo
Robert Morris has a built-in advantage to win the Northeast Conference championship game, and it has less to do with home-court advantage than it does who is on the sideline. Colonials coach Andy Toole has Robert Morris a win away from clinching a berth in the NCAA Tournament, an event...
Pirates pitchers Blake Cederlind, JT Brubaker, Cody Ponce sent to Indy in first spring cuts
The Pittsburgh Pirates made their first cuts of spring training, and they all involved pitchers. Right-handers JT Brubaker, Blake Cederlind and Cody Ponce were optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Right-handers Montana DuRapau, Luis Escobar and James Marvel were reassigned to minor league camp at Pirate City. Check out our Pirates coverage...
Fast-rising Pirates OF prospect Jared Oliva’s story helps shape careerVideo
Jared Oliva always knew what he wanted to be: A professional baseball player. What he didn’t know was how to get to the major leagues, especially without a college scholarship offer. Oliva went from former walk-on at Arizona to leading the Wildcats to the College World Series to seventh-round draft...
Kevin Gorman: For Penguins, losing to Capitals was about missed opportunitiesVideo
With a chance to close the gap for first place in the Metropolitan Division, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals played the first period looking like playoff teams. The Capitals resembled their 2018 Stanley Cup champions. Unfortunately for the Penguins, it was their 2019 version. Getting swept in the first...
Despite NHL coronavirus concerns, Penguins allow reporters in dressing room for interviewsVideo
Despite reports the NHL would close dressing rooms to media because of concerns over the coronavirus on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, the Pittsburgh Penguins allowed theirs to be open Saturday. Elliotte Friedman of Rogers Sportsnet, an NHL rights holder, and Frank Seravelli of TSN, president of the...
