OPINION —
Rounding the bases…
First Base: During the off-season, the Pirates have made some extremely questionable moves: On a team craving pitching, they alienated, then ignored free agent starter Kevin Correia, who was a 2011 All-Star who won 24 games over his two years with Pittsburgh. Then they non-tendered starter Jeff Karstens, the only member of the 2011-2012 rotations to have a sub-4.00 ERA each season (3.38 in 2011, 3.97 in 2012).
Upper management expressed concern about durability of the 30-year-old Karstens, who was limited to 90.2 innings in 2012. Still, he won 14 games in the past two years for the Bucs.
To replace those 38 wins, the Pirates agreed to a two-year deal with Francisco Liriano, who was 15-27 the past two seasons, including 6-12 last season with a 5.34 ERA, the third time in the last four seasons his ERA topped 5. The deal fell through when Liariano was injured…during the off-season.
Second Base: Monday night brought the news that the Bucs and Liriano, who first agreed to a $12.75 two-year deal one month ago, had reworked the deal, with the first year of the deal pro-rated to subtract money if he is physically not ready for the majors.
This followed last Thursday’s announcement that the Bucs had rectified their misguided decision to non-tender Karstens by inking the pitcher to a one-year $2.5 million contract. That leaves Liriano and rookie Kyle McPherson to fight it out as the number five starter behind A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez, James McDonald, and Karstens.
The move immediately improves the Pirates, if for no other reason than it removes Jeff Locke as a starting pitcher candidate.
Third Base: It would seem as though some of the wives of the New England Patriots need some PR training.
After the Pats lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl last year, Tom Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen, was highly critical of the team’s receivers, especially Wes Welker: “You [have] to catch the ball when you're supposed to catch the ball,” she said. “My husband cannot…throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times.”
Ouch.
This year, Welker’s wife took on the Ravens and their retiring super star: “Proud of my husband and the Pats," she wrote on Facebook. “By the way, if anyone is bored, please go to Ray Lewis' Wikipedia page. Six kids. Four wives. Acquitted for murder. Paid a family off. Yay. What a hall of fame player! A true role model!”
Double Ouch.
Home: Don’t know about you, but I got tired of watching replays of the 40th anniversary of the Steelers’ “Immaculate Reception” game, which advanced the team to the AFC Championship game the following week. But a come-from-behind 21-17 win by the Miami Dolphins over Pittsburgh allowed the Fins to move on to Super Bowl VII, where their 14-7 victory over the Washington Redskins on January 14, 1973 gave Miami the NFL’s only perfect, undefeated, untied record—the only team in NFL history to win every game it played during the season.
Longtime fans will remember that Miami completely dominated the game, not allowing the powerful Redskins to score until the end of the game. Famed Dolphin kicker Garo Yepremian had a 42-yard field goal attempt blocked with just 2:07 left. Yepremian picked up the ball and tried to pass it to Larry Csonka. But as the ball slipped out of his hand, the kicker tried to bat the ball out of bounds, but instead hit it up in the air, where Washington cornerback Mike Bass grabbed it and ran 49 yards for the score, the only points the Skins got all day.
Surprising to many Cleveland fans, the Browns also achieved a perfect season in 1948, when they were part of the All-America Football Conference.
Three other teams have been perfect in a regular season, only to lose in the championship game: the 1934 and 1942 Bears and 2007 Patriots.
Jim Sankey is a baseball columnist for Allied News.
Sports
EXTRA INNINGS: Bucs signing Karstens rights a wrong
- Sports
-
-
HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS ROUNDUP: County track set today at Hickory
The annual Mercer County Track & Field Invitational will be held at Hickory High’s Hornet Stadium today, beginning at 9 a.m.
Competing are all Mercer County teams, Class AAA and AA, as well as Slippery Rock. The meet serves as a warm-up to the District 10 championships set next week at Harbor Creek High. -
RANDOM THOUGHTS: Competitive cheerleading tough for even manly men
WHEN I THINK OF MYSELF, I think I’m one of the more manly men you’ll find.
I definitely don’t mind eating all kinds of meat and potatoes. I love watching sports — and participating in them when I can.
I do many other things that ‘real’ men do that aren’t fit for print and proper readers.
What I don’t do is wear skinny jeans or other tight-fitting clothes. I don’t wear jewelry nor do I wear colors that lean more to the femine side than the masculine side. -
HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS ROUNDUP: Mercer 9 drops thriller to KC
It was a game both teams were trying to win — it just seemed as though neither wanted to — as Kennedy Catholic High baseball team met Mercer Friday afternoon in an inter-region District 10 affair.
The teams traded late leads before, ultimately, Scott Moore’s fielder’s choice RBI-grounder scored pinch-runner Ethan Feldmiller with the game-winner, as KC captured an 11-10 conquest. -
NCAA Football: Rock 6-1 after 17-3 win over Cal U
Slippery Rock University rode a length-of-the-field scoring drive by its offense and a goal-line stand by its No. 1-ranked defense late in the first half of action Saturday to a 17-3 win over 14th-ranked visiting California (Pa.).
-
NFL: Steelers top Jags as Mendenhall makes return
Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to say the Pittsburgh Steelers are back. Not after watching his team sleepwalk through the second half against Jacksonville on Sunday.
-
IndyCar Racing: Crash takes Wheldon’s life
Every race car driver heads onto the track understanding this race could be the last and hoping it won’t be. On Sunday, IndyCar drivers got a harsh reminder when the worst happened to one of their own.
-
NHL: Sabres beat Penguins 3-2
The Buffalo Sabres have had trouble with the Pittsburgh Penguins whether Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin play or not.
-
NHL Quick glance: Montreal at Pittsburgh
A breakdown of the National Hockey League game Thursday night between the Pittsburgh Penguins and visiting Montreal Canadiens.
-
High School Highlights: Oct. 19, 2011
A look at the last few days in local high school fall sports action.
-
Leading Off: Oct. 19, 2011
News and notes from the local, regional and national sports scene.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
