Take 5: Cy Young, NFL youth
By The Pitt News Staff
September 12, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
From the first week of NFL action to the dog days of professional baseball, The Pitt News staff gives its takes on five hot topics in the world of sports.
Mike Bell named new Pitt baseball head coach
By Hannah Schneider, Sports Editor
July 14, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Top Stories
Former associate head coach at Florida State Mike Bell will take over as head coach of Pitt Baseball.
Oregon State wins College World Series
By Michael Nitti | Staff Writer
July 11, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Billy Buckner is a name that lives in infamy throughout the baseball world. Remembered for letting a ground ball pass right between his legs during the 1986 World Series, he cost the Boston Red Sox what would have been their first World Series Championship in 68 years. Instead, the New York Mets took...
5 Panthers drafted to MLB
By Michael Nitti | Staff Writer
June 20, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
After finishing the regular season as the 12th seed in the ACC Tournament, the Pitt men’s baseball team pulled off two incredible upsets against eighth-seeded Georgia Tech and top overall seed North Carolina. Although the Panthers would go on to lose in the semifinal to Louisville, it was a strong ...
2 Panthers drafted into MLB
By Joanna Li | Senior Staff Writer
June 7, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Top Stories
Two Panthers were selected into the MLB on the second day of the 2018 draft, marking the sixth year in a row that Pitt has had at least one player picked to join the league. RJ Freure The Houston Astros drafted Pitt rising junior relief pitcher RJ Freure in the sixth round with the 192nd pick of the...
Column: Pirates’ season a pleasant surprise for fan
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
April 17, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
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 5: Harden, hot dogs, home runs
By The Pitt News Staff
March 29, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Oakland has been buzzing about the hiring of a new head basketball coach — our lord and savior Jeff Capel. But while the Pitt community has been busy celebrating the arrival of a new king, the rest of the sports world has continued to make headlines. The Pitt News staff is back to round up some of the...
New MLB rules may go too far
By Max Sirianni | Staff Writer
March 22, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
We’ve all been at a baseball game that just never seems to end. There are nonstop pitching changes and tedious at-bats. By the seventh-inning stretch, everyone likely wants to go home. Major League Baseball has taken notice. The game times have slowly increased over the last two years after dropping...
Take Five: Pirates, Pacquette and Rick Pitino
By The Pitt News Staff
March 2, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Spring break is upon us but the non-stop news cycle of the sports world takes no breaks. The Pitt News staff is back to round up this week’s best stories. Click here to see last week's takes. Cheapskates The Major League Baseball Players Union filed grievances against the Oakland Athletics, Mi...
Take five: Trades, tanks and take-backs
By The Pitt News Staff
February 8, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Remember in elementary school when you would beg your friends to trade what with was in your lunchbox? We can all identify, and apparently so can every coach, owner and player in professional sports this week. Between hour-long hires and trading between sports, The Pitt News has you covered in thi...
MLB implements small rule changes to speed up the pace of play
By Bill Shaikin | Los Angeles Times (TNS)
April 3, 2017
Filed under National News
Rob Manfred became baseball’s commissioner two years ago, and since then the radical changes have been fast and furious. No defensive shifts. Automatic baserunners in extra innings. Shrinking the strike zone. Limits on visits to the mound. Pitch clocks. Restrictions on how many relief pitchers a team can ha...
Five early MLB exaggerations
By Dan Sostek / Sports Editor
April 11, 2016
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
In April, hyperbole and overreaction in the baseball season are as common as a rain shower. But, a week in, I feel confident enough in asserting these five takes as absolutely, 100 percent correct. One week’s worth of games is more than a sufficient sample. There is no way any of them will ever pro...
Slide rules a necessary addition to MLB
By Chris Puzia / Contributing Editor
April 7, 2016
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Some things in Major League Baseball are inevitable, despite the adage that “you can’t predict baseball.” For example, the San Francisco Giants — winners of even-year World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 — began their undeniable slog to another championship run with a 12-3 rout over the Mi...
Finding a team: Reasons to root for the remaining playoff rosters
By Chris Puzia / Assistant Sports Editor
October 20, 2015
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
It will probably be difficult for any Pirates fan to stay invested in the MLB playoffs now that the Buccos lost the Wild Card game for the second straight year — but before you change the channel on current games, note some similarities these teams have with Pittsburgh. Each of the four teams left in their...
Fan impact overblown in MLB playoffs
By Chris Puzia / Assistant Sports Editor
October 5, 2015
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
As if Pirates fans didn’t already have enough reason to despise Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, his Twitter feed might provide more fodder. “Whatever helps keep your hope alive, just know, it doesn’t matter,” Arrieta responded Sunday to a tweet suggesting PNC Park’s blackout crowd will rattle him ...
On playoff seeding issue, Major League Baseball lacks behind
By Jeremy Tepper / Senior Staff Writer
September 21, 2015
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Imagine you’re the commissioner of the MLB. You, in theory, want what’s best for the sport, including increased viewership — especially considering the low ratings in last year’s World Series, while Sunday Night Football nearly doubled in viewership. Good, competitive games, for certain, will increase vie...
Pitt grads build big league careers in media relations
By Jessie Wallace / Staff Writer
September 11, 2015
Filed under Sports, Sports Features
Over the years, the football world has recognized Pitt as a sure-fire producer of NFL talent, with stars like Dan Marino, Larry Fitzgerald and LeSean McCoy all making names for themselves in the league. Unknown to most, however, is that Pitt’s pipeline to the NFL features more alumni than just players. The...
Infusion of youth key to upstart MLB teams
By Stephen Caruso / Assistant Sports Editor
September 8, 2015
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
There aren’t many ways to escape a losing past. However, one way is to field players who don’t remember it. At least that’s what the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs are doing this year. With recent histories of futility — including four 100-loss seasons between them since 2009 — it seemed 2015 would ...
Royal pain: Kansas City fans abuse of All-Star voting an abomination
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
June 16, 2015
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns, Sports Features
America has always styled itself as a nation of equality — if you have the skills, you will be rewarded.Of course, this has always been counterbalanced by people’s love of rewarding those they know, that great enemy of democracy and equality — nepotism.Yes, from Tammany Hall to getting that intern...
Hope springs eternal: Bold predictions for a big season
By Stephen Caruso / Contributing Editor
April 6, 2015
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
My fridge is full of hot dogs, and I’m listening to “Centerfield” on repeat, so you know baseball season is here. As the old adage says, you can’t predict baseball, but that doesn’t stop anyone from trying. Let me give it my best attempt and present you with some bold predictions for the coming ...
Recent success has Pirates poised for playoff push
By Jeremy Tepper / Staff Writer
April 6, 2015
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
For what felt like an endless time, it seemed that the Pirates would never find their buried treasure.But after 20 years of losing, Pittsburgh’s local ball club has compiled consecutive winning seasons. After making the playoffs two years straight, the Pirates have turned themselves into a World Seri...
Stanton contract ultimate high risk, high reward move
By Alex Wise / Staff Writer
November 19, 2014
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
What would you do if you knew you were going to make $325 million over the next 10 years?Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed a deal with the above parameters, ensuring a comfortable future for himself and his family. He probably has the talent, and he definitely has the power but will Stanton ear...
Throw reason out the window in the MLB playoffs
By Imaz Athar / Staff Writer
October 7, 2014
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
It was past midnight, and the game was tied 1-1. The San Francisco Giants and the Washington Nationals were in the 18th inning of Game 2 of the NLDS. Nothing particularly exciting had happened over the past few innings — a few hits here and there, a few one-two-three innings. The pressure mounted, b...
Derek Jeter epitomizes the best of Major League Baseball
By Alex Wise / Staff Writer
September 24, 2014
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Last week, Gatorade released an advertisement to pay tribute to the career of longtime endorsement partner Derek Jeter, the legendary Yankee shortstop whose career will draw to a close within the next week. I watched the video for the first time with my roommates, one of whom isn’t a baseball fan. H...
Column: Instant replay in baseball a good thing
By Dan Sostek / Staff Writer
April 2, 2014
Filed under Archives
When it was announced on Jan. 16 that Major League Baseball unanimously decided to expand instant replay, allowing managers to challenge at least one play during the span of each game, many, including myself, were skeptical.The decision expanded the previous incarnation of replay reviews in baseball, as...