Column: Pirates’ season a pleasant surprise for fan
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
April 17, 2018
In one of Pittsburgh’s colder Aprils in recent memory, the Pittsburgh Pirates have remained hot, though it didn’t seem it would be that way just a few weeks ago. Despite trading two All-Stars — outfielder Andrew McCutchen and starting pitcher Gerrit Cole — in the offseason, the Pirates stand on top of the NL Central at 11-6 and are one of the top teams in MLB right now. The Pirates came into ...
Take Five: coordinators, ‘Cutch, Cavaliers
January 18, 2018
The nonstop news cycle of the modern world keeps churning out more headlines than anyone can keep up with. That’s why The Pitt News sports desk is back for a second week in a row with five takes on five stories from this past week of sports news. Click here to see last week's five takes. One Down, One to Go Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have officially parted ways with off...
Weak division gives battling Bucs opportunity
By David Leftwich | Staff Writer
June 20, 2017
Don’t look now, but two months into the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates are still hanging around in the National League Central. Heading into May, the team was in last place in the division and looked like a longshot for the playoffs. Now, thanks to a modest turnaround and a lackluster division, the team...
Slow starts a troubling trend for Pirates
By Ryan Zimba | Sports Editor
May 17, 2017
The Pittsburgh Pirates — one of the most unsuccessful teams in sports until recent years — are officially stuck in mediocrity. From 1993-2012, the Pirates suffered an unprecedented 20 consecutive losing seasons. The streak marked the longest of any professional team in the United States’ fo...
Pirates 2017 season preview
By Steve Rotstein | Sports Editor
March 31, 2017
As spring training winds down and the calendar flips to April, sports fans across the country are coming to a welcome realization. Opening Day is almost upon us. The 2017 Major League Baseball season kicks off Sunday, April 2, with a three-game slate featuring the defending World Series champion Chica...
One more year: A case to keep Cutch
By Steve Rotstein | Sports Editor
October 11, 2016
Before the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2016 season even finished in a 10-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 2, the rumors had already started swirling. It was likely, according to an Oct. 1 article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, that 29-year-old center fielder Andrew McCutchen was playing his final game as a Pirate. The next day, as the Pi...
Pitt Night sets standard for Pirates going forward
By David Leftwich / Staff Writer
July 28, 2016
The force was strong with the Pittsburgh Pirates this past Wednesday at PNC Park. On a dually-themed University of Pittsburgh Night and Star Wars Night, the Pirates put together a complete performance to blow out the visiting Seattle Mariners, 10-1. After Chancellor Patrick Gallagher hurled the...
Pirates need help from McCutchen, pitching prospects to make second-half surge
By David Leftwich / Staff Writer
June 28, 2016
The Pittsburgh Pirates have struck out with their pitching staff in 2016. Between injuries and underwhelming performances, the Pirates’ starting rotation is not working out, and it’s time for a change. The Pirates are in desperate need of a spark, and their top three pitching prospects can infuse t...
Brady McCollough finds story in sport
By Conner Blose / For The Pitt News
February 5, 2016
Well before Brady McCollough appeared on CNN to discuss his interviews with former football players, he tackled subjects a little closer to home. As an elementary school sports fanatic, McCollough was already hard at work — he made his own magazine with profiles of his favorite players and confro...
Pirates need to make big splash for continued success
By Jeremy Tepper / Senior Staff Writer
December 9, 2015
Small-market teams like the Pirates acquire prospects or undervalued players through strong drafts and savvy trades. But sustaining their place at the top isn’t always a home run. A core of young, cheap and talented players fuel the Pittsburgh Pirates and have turned the Bucs into a serious contender...