First Call: Pirates speak about Fernando Tatis Jr. controversy, Pens prospect moves on, Steelers have a new 'piece'

Wednesday’s “First Call” features the Pittsburgh Pirates reaction to the Fernando Tatis Jr. controversy. Steelers tight end Vance McDonald makes a Pittsburgh folklore faux pas. A former Penguins prospect has a new home. And a tip of the cap to Roberto Clemente on his birthday.

Taillon on Tatis

The big controversy in Major League Baseball this week has been San Diego Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. hitting a grand slam on a 3-0 pitch during what was — at the time — a 10-3 blowout for his team over the Texas Rangers.

Fernando Tatis Jr.

El Niño.

The face of baseball. pic.twitter.com/Y5VF5EIBKt

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 18, 2020

The “unwritten rule” in baseball is that you don’t swing on a count in a situation like that. It’s baseball’s version of “don’t run up the score.”

Rangers manager Chris Woodward says he was unhappy about what Tatis Jr. did. The Rangers threw behind the next batter in retaliation. Pitcher Ian Gibaut was suspended three games for doing that. Woodward was docked one game.

Padres manager Jayce Tingle didn’t seem thrilled with it, suggesting the “take sign” was on for Tatis Jr. The 21-year-old shortstop later apologized and says he “missed” the sign.

Whatever. It’s baseball. You can kneel out a football possession or dribble out an NBA shot clock. No batter should ever feel the need to essentially make an out on purpose — or feel pressure not to get a hit when the possibility exists to do it.

Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon agrees.

Also- swinging 3-0 with the bases loaded probably isn’t a great move for a lot of guys, just strategically. But for one of the best and hottest hitters in the game? Yeah... let it eat.

— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon19) August 18, 2020

Pirates manager Derek Shelton was unfazed when speaking about the “incident” Tuesday.

“I think we make way too much (about) unwritten rules in the game and how the game is played,” Shelton said. “People want to blow a lot of things out of proportion. I don’t have an issue with it. He hit the home run, he put his head down and ran around the bases.”

And, hey, if anybody knows what the unwritten rules are when it comes to getting blown out, it’s the Pirates.

So if they aren’t mad, how can we be mad?

A great day to remember ‘The Great One’

Tuesday marked what would have been the 86th birthday of Roberto Clemente.

The Great One would have been 86 years old today. Feliz cumpleaños a esta leyenda @piratasbeisbol @Pirates https://t.co/cCGPNfbaL8 pic.twitter.com/shMaNuunBI

— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (@baseballhall) August 18, 2020

Sadly, Clemente only lived to the age of 38. He died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972.

But his legacy remains in Pittsburgh. As it should after two World Series rings, 15 All-Star appearances, 12 gold gloves, four batting titles, and MVP awards for the 1966 season and the 1971 World Series.

So in honor of Clemente, a few of his greatest hits.

Pavlychev goes packing

The Penguins have officially lost Penn State forward Nikita Pavlychev. He signed with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League. Syracuse is affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

We have signed forward Nikita Pavlychev to a one-year AHL contract.https://t.co/BHHoAu5V8H

— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) August 18, 2020

The Penguins’ 2015 seventh-round pick scored seven goals and had seven assists in 27 games in his senior season at Penn State.

Pavlychev is 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds. He became an unrestricted free agent Saturday. He’s the seventh Nittany Lion player to sign a professional contract since the NCAA hockey season was shut down in March.

‘Vance, there is a Mr. Scuderi on line 1 for you’

Steelers tight end Vance McDonald spoke with the media Tuesday via Zoom. And he spent a lot of his time praising new tight end partner Eric Ebron.

“I told Eric yesterday, ‘You were the missing link,’” McDonald said. “Eric gets here and makes all these great plays at tight end. It’s going to elevate not only myself but everyone on the field.

“Eric’s the missing piece. Expect me to dunk on everyone this year now that we have Eric on our team.”

Wait, “The Missing Piece”? Hey, I’m looking forward to watching Ebron play, too, Vance. But there can be only one “Piece” in Pittsburgh sports lore, right?

That’s Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi, when he accidentally dubbed himself “the piece” in a postgame interview after making two crucial saves during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2009.

We may have a Steelers versus Penguins copyright infringement case on our hands here.

Clearly, this will have to be decided the only fair way possible — T-shirt sales.