Kevin Gorman stories, Page 84
Greg Allen homers off his ex-team as Pirates beat Yankees in Grapefruit League opener
BRADENTON, Fla. — Greg Allen sidestepped the chance to call it a revenge game but couldn’t suppress a smile about hitting a home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates against his former team. The outfielder hit a two-run blast off Braden Brito in the fifth inning to give the Pirates a...
Now that Mitch Keller found his fastball velocity, he wants to prove he can become Pirates’ ace
BRADENTON, Fla. — The velocity drop on his four-seam fastball was as much a mystery to Mitch Keller as it was to anyone watching the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander struggle to live up to lofty expectations. Keller had touched triple digits in the minors and averaged 95.4 mph on his heater...
Pirates RHP Wil Crowe will start spring training opener Friday against Yankees
Wil Crowe will be on the mound Friday when the Pittsburgh Pirates open Grapefruit League play against the New York Yankees at 1:05 p.m. at LECOM Park. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said right-handers Crowe, Jerad Eickhoff and Kyle Nicolas will pitch early for the Pirates, with others in relief, and...
After struggling at plate, Pirates’ Kevin Newman reconstructs stance, swing
BRADENTON, Fla. — After a sizzling spring led to a fizzling five months where he hovered just above the Mendoza Line, Kevin Newman knew he needed to change something about his swing. He opted for a complete reconstruction. The Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop set a spring training record by hitting .606...
Pirates’ Nick Gonzales takes MLB ranking as top 2B in minors in stride
Nick Gonzales admits he was “definitely nervous” about participating in his first spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, given the expectations attached to being their 2020 first-round pick. Now, he is wearing a new label. MLB Pipeline ranked Gonzales the No. 1 second baseman in the minor leagues,...
Pirates claim RHP Adonis Medina off waivers from Phillies
The Pittsburgh Pirates added an arm to their competition for the starting rotation by claiming right-handed pitcher Adonis Medina off waivers Wednesday from the Philadelphia Phillies. Medina, 25, was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 11 2/3 innings over five appearances for the Phillies, including two starts,...
MLB reschedules Pirates games against Cardinals, Reds postponed by lockout
Instead of opening the season against the Cardinals, as originally scheduled March 31-April 3, the Pittsburgh Pirates will play host to their NL Central rivals in the final week of the season. The Pittsburgh Pirates released their updated regular-season schedule Wednesday, making up games against the St. Louis Cardinals and...
‘I want to win here’: Pirates All-Star CF Bryan Reynolds ready to become club cornerstone
Bryan Reynolds has only three major-league seasons under his belt, so he hardly can believe he’s one of the longest-tenured players on the Pittsburgh Pirates. After playing in his first All-Star Game and finishing as a finalist for the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, Reynolds has become one of...
Pirates add to bullpen by signing righty reliever Austin Brice to minor league contract
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates added another veteran reliever to their bullpen competition by signing right-hander Austin Brice to a minor league contract. A source confirmed that Brice, 29, is a nonroster invitee to spring training moments after he entered the clubhouse at LECOM Park. The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Brice...
Pirates manager Derek Shelton believes tumult of his tenure has made him a better leader
BRADENTON, Fla. — As Derek Shelton starts his third season as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, he believes the adversity he has dealt with is making him a battle-tested leader who knows how to adapt and adjust. Shelton’s first spring training was interrupted by the outbreak of a global pandemic that shut...
After injury-riddled rookie year, Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes healthy, ‘ready to get rolling’
BRADENTON, Fla. — After ending the 2021 season in the same spot he spent the first two months — the injured list — Ke’Bryan Hayes spent the offseason taking care of the left hand and wrist that was a riddle to his rookie year. Hayes played in only 96 games...
Pirates sign 1B/DH Daniel Vogelbach, righty reliever Heath Hembree to 1-year contracts
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates added some pop to their lineup and an arm to their bullpen Tuesday by signing a pair of free agents who have played in the NL Central. The Pirates signed slugger Daniel Vogelbach, a 2019 All-Star who can play first base and designated hitter,...
Now healthy, catcher Roberto Perez taking a crash course to get to know Pirates pitchers
BRADENTON, Fla. – How Roberto Perez came from Cleveland to Pittsburgh is a story that starts in Toronto, where Ben Cherington worked before becoming Pirates general manager. Cherington gained insight into the two-time AL Gold Glove winner from listening to Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins rave for three years...
Pirates notebook: GM Ben Cherington still pursuing pitching, offensive depth in outfield
BRADENTON, Fla. — Once the lockout was lifted, the Pittsburgh Pirates were raring to go after available starting pitchers and offensive depth in the outfield. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said his baseball operations staff started working the phones Thursday evening in an attempt to add players to the competition...
Pirates GM on new CBA: ‘Nothing changes as far as what we need to do to build a winning team’
BRADENTON, Fla. — Now that the baseball lockout has ended and spring training is officially underway, Ben Cherington tried to put a positive spin on the new collective bargaining agreement that ensures a full 162-game season but does little to benefit the Pittsburgh Pirates. “Nothing changes as far as what...
Pirates season ticket holders can select Grapefruit League home games Monday
The Pittsburgh Pirates will open ticket sales for their revised, nine-game spring training home schedule at LECOM Park on Monday. Starting at 10 a.m., season ticket holders can log into their Pirates Spring Training My Tickets account and select games they would like to attend. Additional tickets can be purchased...
Pirates claim left-handed reliever Aaron Fletcher off waivers from MarinersVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed left-handed reliever Aaron Fletcher off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, bringing their roster to the 40-man maximum. Fletcher, 26, was 0-0 with a 12.38 ERA and 2.75 WHIP, nine strikeouts and no walks in eight innings the past two seasons with Seattle. The 6-foot,...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates have more questions than answers to start spring training
After a 101-loss season followed by a 99-day lockout, the Pittsburgh Pirates start a condensed spring training Monday in Bradenton, Fla., with more questions than answers. They traded Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings to Miami, parted ways with starting pitchers Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl and first baseman Colin Moran...
Pirates release revised spring training schedule, starting at home against Yankees
The Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday afternoon released a revised 18-game spring training schedule that features a Grapefruit League opener against the New York Yankees on March 18 at LECOM Park in Bradenton. The Pirates will play nine home games and nine away games with one day off in the new...
No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis headlines 28 non-roster invitees to Pirates’ training camp
First-round picks Henry Davis, Nick Gonzales and Quinn Priester are among the 28 non-roster players invited by the Pittsburgh Pirates to their major league spring training camp. Davis, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft, is one of six catchers invited to camp as the Pirates search...
After an offseason of turnover, Pirates prepare for spring training position battles
Before baseball’s lockout began, the Pittsburgh Pirates went on what amounted to their type of spending spree. By signing one-year free-agent contracts, pitcher Jose Quintana ($2 million), first baseman Yoshi Tsutsugo ($4 million) and catcher Roberto Perez ($5 million) became the club’s highest-paid players and, essentially, locked up three spots...
Baseball is back: MLB, players agree on new CBA to ensure full season; Pirates open April 7
After a lockout that lasted extra innings, baseball is back. On the 99th day of the lockout, MLB and its players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement to ensure a full season that will start April 7 and expands the playoff field to 12 teams. The MLB Players’ Association...
Adapt and evolve: Pirates focus on farm system amid lockout, embracing failure as path to success
With MLB in a lockout, the Pittsburgh Pirates are focusing their attention on their minor league players by embracing a philosophy that can come across as contradictory: In order to succeed, embrace failure. Pirates director of coaching and player development John Baker casually paraphrases Marcus Aurelius in discussing discomfort, the...
Pirates adjust plans for 2022 home opener
After failing to reach a new collective bargaining agreement, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday announced the cancellation of the first two series of the regular season. The Pittsburgh Pirates are now tentatively scheduled to open the season April 7 with a four-game series at the St. Louis Cardinals. The...
‘I feel the pain and hurt’: Ex-Schenley star D.J. Kennedy playing for Ukrainian team praying for teammates
D.J. Kennedy has played professional basketball in 10 countries over three continents in the past decade, so the 32-year-old former Schenley star wasn’t worried about living in Ukraine until last week. That changed when Russia invaded Ukraine early Thursday, attacking major cities in which he has played for BC Prometey....
