Pirates/MLB category, Page 2
Pirates ace Paul Skenes completes historic season as unanimous NL Cy Young winner
On a day when Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington dismissed trade talk about his ace with the declaration that “Paul Skenes is going to be a Pirate in 2026,” he has some additional incentive: For the first time in 35 years, the Pirates now have a Cy Young Award...
Homewood honors Black baseball pioneer with naming of Pete Hill Way
As two dozen members of his family smiled with pride, the sign for Pete Hill Way was unveiled Monday afternoon amid fanfare at the corner of Hamilton and N. Lang Avenues in Homewood. They wore blue-and-gold jackets and hooded sweatshirts — the colors of Westinghouse High School — and celebrated...
Pirates clean up 40-man roster, lose 2 players on waivers
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced changes to their 40-man roster Thursday, making room for five players who were activated from the 60-day injured list. Right-handed pitchers Dugan Darnell and Jared Jones, catcher/first baseman Endy Rodríguez, outfielder Ronny Simon and infielder Enmanuel Valdez were activated. To make room on the 40-man roster,...
Pirates announce details for PiratesFest 2026
PiratesFest will return to a single-day event at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Jan. 24, 2026. The fan event will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will include interactive games and attractions for all ages. Pirates players, alumni, coaches, broadcasters and mascots will be in...
Pirates announce spring training schedule, featuring Spring Breakout game against Tigers
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced their spring training schedule, which includes 16 of their 31 Grapefruit League games and the Spring Breakout prospect showcase at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. The Pirates will open their spring schedule Feb. 21 against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota before playing the Tampa Bay Rays...
Pirates legend Steve Blass stirs colorful comps to Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s World Series heroics
Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass vividly recalls the efficiency with which he commanded his nine-pitch bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the 1971 World Series in Baltimore. “It’s not hard to throw strikes when you’re (urinating) your pants,” Blass said. “I’m glad we had the gray...
Derek Shelton used his time off after the Pirates fired him to present the Twins a better candidate
MINNEAPOLIS — Derek Shelton spent the first couple of weeks after his firing by the Pittsburgh Pirates in his feelings, bitter about the dismissal just 38 games into his sixth season as manager and defiant about his ability to do the job well. That sudden free time turned out to...
Tim Benz: If the Dodgers really killed baseball, it’s nice that many people watched the funeral
If the Los Angeles Dodgers “ruined baseball” by winning the World Series, a heck of a lot of people witnessed them do it. Despite the alleged demise of the entire sport by way of L.A.’s appearance in — and eventually claiming of — the 2025 World Series, their Game 7...
Pirates ace Paul Skenes up for NL Cy Young Award as baseball writers announce finalists
Despite finishing with a .500 record, Paul Skenes is considered the consensus favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace is now one step closer to making history. Skenes was named a finalist for the NL Cy Young by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
Delgado, Kent, Sheffield and Valenzuela join Hall ballot with Bonds, Clemens, Mattingly and Murphy
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy were held over on the Hall of Fame’s contemporary baseball era committee ballot and will be joined next month by Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela. The 16-person committee meets on Dec. 7 at the...
Mark Madden: Some say MLB is broken, but World Series numbers prove otherwise
In the wake of Los Angeles’ second straight World Series win, we’re being told the Dodgers “bought” victory. Well, of course they did. Their payroll was $350 million this season, $266 million in 2024. But Toronto tried its best to do the same. The Blue Jays paid their players $255...
Pirates claim reliever off waivers from Rockies
When the Pirates visited the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 1 this past season, it was a memorable ballgame. The Pirates blew a six-run lead in the final two innings and lost 17-16 on a Brenton Doyle two-run walk-off homer. Pirates management must have remembered the game too. The winning pitcher...
Shortstop Konnor Griffin, pitcher Bubba Chandler earn top awards for Pirates prospects
Konnor Griffin developed into the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball and Bubba Chandler into the game’s top pitching prospect, so their status in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization was indisputable. The Pirates recognized Griffin with their Honus Wagner Player of the Year and Chandler with the Bob Friend Pitcher of...
Esmerlyn Valdez swings his way to Pirates’ Willie Stargell Slugger of the Year award
Before Esmerlyn Valdez made noise in the Arizona Fall League by hitting eight home runs in his first nine games, he led all Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguers in homers this season. So it was befitting that the Pirates named the 21-year-old outfielder/first baseman who hit 26 home runs across two...
Edward Florentino, a top-100 prospect, headlines Pirates’ rookie-level award winners
Where Konnor Griffin developed into baseball’s top prospect and the consensus minor league player of the year this season, another teenage Pittsburgh Pirates prospect made a powerful impression. Edward Florentino, an 18-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, dominated the Florida Complex League and earned a promotion to Low-A Bradenton to...
Pirates hire pitching coach Bill Murphy from Astros, marking 1st hire for Don Kelly’s staff
The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the most talented young pitching staffs in baseball, so they hired one of the game’s top young pitching coaches in Bill Murphy, a source confirmed to TribLive. The 35-year-old Murphy has been with the Houston Astros since 2016, serving as one of their major...
Pirates have Gold Glove finalists in utility fielder Jared Triolo, left fielder Tommy Pham
After having a Gold Glove winner in three of the past four seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates have a chance to produce multiple winners in the same season. Jared Triolo, a 2024 National League Gold Glove winner, was a repeat finalist as a utility fielder and Tommy Pham is a finalist...
Pirates claim outfielder Will Robertson off waivers from White Sox, DFA Ryan Kreidler
The Pittsburgh Pirates added an outfielder who flashed some power in the minor leagues by claiming Will Robertson off waivers Monday from the Chicago White Sox. The 27-year-old made his major-league debut last season, batting .129 (9 for 70) with one double and nine RBIs with 27 strikeouts against two...
Pirates fans trek to remains of Forbes Field to relive iconic Mazeroski home runVideo
On Oct. 13, 1960, Tom Richards missed one of the most iconic moments in Pittsburgh sports history. Monday afternoon, the retired police officer tried to make things right. Richards joined more than 100 Pittsburgh Pirates fans at what remains of Forbes Field in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood to listen to a...
First Call: Steelers could have kryptonite for Dillon Gabriel’s ‘superpower’; horrible night for Philly sports
Friday’s “First Call” examines a potential tactical advantage for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense against Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Tyler Glasnow’s start may be forgotten given how that Dodgers-Phillies game ended Thursday night, but it sure was a good one. And a Penn State hockey player had a four-goal night —...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates need to focus on future with urgency to win more now
The Pittsburgh Pirates started the season with a proclamation. “It’s time to win,” Derek Shelton said in March. “That’s the only focus.” They opened PNC Park with a mandate. “We didn’t win enough,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting told TribLive on April 4, before the home opener. “We need to win...
Paul Skenes wins landslide vote for Baseball Digest/Inside Edge MLB pitcher of the year
Paul Skenes has been selected the Baseball Digest/Inside Edge MLB pitcher of the year by landslide voting, making him the first Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher to win the publication’s award. Skenes, who won Baseball Digest’s National League rookie of the year award last year, led the major leagues with a 1.97...
Mark Madden: Pirates’ thievery is not a problem for elected officials or MLB
Theresa Kail-Smith is a member of City Council. She wants City Council to have a discussion with Bob Nutting re: what has to be done to make the Pirates a winning team? Kail-Smith isn’t a baseball person. But she couldn’t have a worse plan than Pirates GM Ben Cherington. This...
As Pirates address power problems, hitters want to see them address ballpark dimensions
When assessing a Pittsburgh Pirates offense that ranked last in the major leagues in home runs, runs scored, RBIs, slugging percentage and OPS, general manager Ben Cherington didn’t mince words. “We’ve got to score more runs,” Cherington said. How the Pirates will do that will be the focus of their...
Dennis Santana served as most reliable reliever in a Pirates bullpen of constant flux
There is a widespread belief in baseball that every reliever wants to be the closer, and every closer wants to make a memorable entrance in the ninth inning and record the final three outs of the game. Dennis Santana is no different. “I always dreamed about that,” Santana said in...
