Former Panther Zeuch weathers star-studded Braves lineup in MLB debut
By Stephen Thompson, Assistant Sports Editor
September 3, 2019
The Toronto Blue Jays currently sit in baseball’s basement. They own a record of 55-84, fifth-worst in all of baseball, and over the summer decided to dip into a loaded farm system. Blue Jays fans had already witnessed the debuts of future stars like Vladamir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, but Tuesday night featured the latest addition to Toronto’s youth movement — former Pitt Panther TJ Zeuch.
Where is Pitt’s 2018 MLB Draft class now?
By Michael Nitti, Staff Writer
July 16, 2019
Although the Pittsburgh Panthers baseball team is in their offseason, a handful of past Panthers are working their way through the minor league system, including the five players that were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Take 5: Contract conversations headline April’s introduction
By Staff
April 4, 2019
From NFL contract negotiations to March Madness to the beginning of the MLB regular season: the first week of April provides action from all around the sports world. Russell WIlson demands an extension while Ronald Acuna cashes in. While Carsen Edwards was lighting up the NCAA Tournament, the NCAA made billions off the labor of student athletes. And the AAF collapses after a promising start.
Rookies, newcomers shine in MLB’s opening weekend
By Dominic Campbell, Staff Writer
April 2, 2019
Baseball’s opening weekend featured spectacular plays, dominant pitching and long-anticipated player debuts.
Take 5: March is lacking madness
By Staff
March 27, 2019
Even with Rob Gronkowski announcing his retirement, the Steelers still seem to be in the spotlight when it comes to drama. According to one of our writers, that may never end, even after losing Bell and Brown.
Take 5: WWZD: What Will Zion Do
By Pitt News Staff
February 28, 2019
No one knows for sure what any athletes’ futures hold, but people can speculate. Morant will make it, Zion should come back, the Phillies should walk away from Bryce and Murray needs to throw.
Take 5: Brown, Boban, Bryce
By The Pitt News Staff
February 15, 2019
Brown formally announced he wants out of Pittsburgh, several trades shook up the NBA landscape and MLB superstars Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are playing hard to get in the offseason.
Column: Pirates set for another average season
By MIchael Nitti, Staff Writer
February 12, 2019
With the lack of significant additions and the largely unproven talent across the roster, don’t expect big things from the Pirates this year.
Take 5: Kyler Murray is hurting his career, transfer portal is making football fun
By Pitt News Staff
January 16, 2019
Kyler Murray declared for the NFL Draft and in the end, it’s going to cause more harm than good. He won’t become the high draft selection he hoped for and the Oakland A’s will lose because they wasted their No. 9 pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. This moment in history will be known as “The Oakland Screw Job.”
Take 5: Fultz, Futility, Finance
By The Pitt News staff
October 11, 2018
The Pitt News staff takes a look at each of America's three ongoing professional sports, from Markelle Fultz' improvement to the Bengals' false hopes.
Pirates end season with impressive record
By Griffin Floyd, Staff Writer
October 5, 2018
The Pittsburgh Pirates finished off their season with a 82-79 record. Considering the team played without Andrew McCutcheon and Gerrit Cole, this record was quite good. From winning their first game of the season, the team started off fresh and continued that streak, despite the struggles with fan attendance.
Take 5: Preseason, playoff, Jared Goff
By The Pitt News Staff
October 3, 2018
We’re at a crucial crossroads of America’s three major sports, with the NFL entering midseason form while the MLB playoffs and NBA preseason get underway. The Pitt News staff leaves none of these stones unturned as we take a look at storylines from the past week.
Take 5: Cy Young, NFL youth
By The Pitt News Staff
September 12, 2018
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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...