Sid the kid wins respect

NHL AWARDS



CARLOS OSORIO/TORONTO STAR
Sidney Crosby will need a light truck to haul the Hart, Pearson and Art Ross trophies home. He said he was happiest about getting the respect of his peers.

Crosby picked by his peers as the NHL's most outstanding player; wins two other top awards

Jun 15, 2007 04:30 AM
Paul Hunter
TORONTO STAR
SPORTS REPORTER

It's difficult to pinpoint precisely when Sidney Crosby became a bona fide NHL superstar.

Perhaps it was that six-point night against Philadelphia in December that catapulted him to the top of the scoring race, a lead he would never relinquish; maybe it was when he gave it his all in the playoffs despite a broken foot; or it was when an 11-inch vinyl action figure of the teenager hit the toy shelves; or when he became the youngest captain in league history; or when the drop of a ping-pong ball saved a franchise.

Crosby had secured his place in Canada's hockey landscape before he had a team. But the moment he had acceptance arrived last night.

Crosby, criticized in his rookie year and dogged by his fellow NHL players for being a yappy, uppity, whining diver who didn't know his place, stepped up at the Elgin Theatre to accept the only award voted on by those same players.

Only 19 and incapable of growing a decent playoff beard, the Pittsburgh Penguins' sophomore centre was handed the Lester B. Pearson Award, presented by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as the best player in the NHL in a vote of his peers.

Crosby also picked up the Hart Trophy after the media voted him most valuable to his team to add to the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer. He was only the seventh player to pick up that impressive hat trick and the youngest in league history.

Sid the Kid, although he qualified it by saying there's "no right answer" as to which he was more honoured to receive, conceded the vote from the players had special meaning.

"Getting that respect, I guess you could say, from the guys you play against each night. That's probably one of the ultimate compliments you could get," Crosby said. "I'm not downplaying the media's opinion by any means, but it's certainly a huge honour to get that respect."

It wasn't given easily. Crosby had to work for it, reigning in some the exuberance that riled opponents in his rookie season.

"I tried to channel my emotion a little bit more to what I can control," he said. "I'm not going to stand here and say one day I'll be up for the Lady Byng because I know I won't be. But I think if guys see that you come to play hard every night, if they see you're out there doing your best and doing it in a good nature, that's the way to earn it. That just comes with experience as well."

Don Cherry gave voice to criticism of Crosby during his freshman season, when he said he was a hot dog who wasn't worthy of the "A" on his jersey. Players lobbed grenades as well, including Peter Forsberg calling the native of Cole Harbour, N.S., a "diver."

"His first year, Sidney faced a lot of adversity," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said.

"But I really believe this year, Sidney Crosby got a lot of respect, not only from the players in Pittsburgh but from his peers in the NHL ... with the way he acted on the ice, the way he handled himself off the ice. I think this was a huge step in his career. He earned a lot of respect."

Therrien said it wasn't easy for Crosby to achieve the balance of playing hard every night while keeping his emotions in check.

"He got criticized sometimes because he had too much passion. I remember his first year after getting criticized a few times by his peers, he just tried to play the game, but that was not him. I say, hey get back, show me those Rocket Richard eyes. That's the way you're going to be able to perform."

He did and, as Joe Sakic put it last night, "He's the face of the league now. He earns everything he gets."

And, last night, that was a trophy case full of hardware.


ALL-STAR TEAM
Sidney Crosby, C
Dany Heatley, RW
Alex Ovechkin, LW
Nicklas Lidstrom, D
Scott Niedermayer, D
Martin Brodeur, G


ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Evgeni Malkin, F
Paul Stastny, F
Jordan Staal, C
Matt Carle, D
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D
Mike Smith, G

Pens' Crosby sweeps MVP honors

By Rob Rossi
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, June 15, 2007



Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right,, congratulates Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby after he won the Lester B. Pearson award, the outstanding player in the league, at the 2007 NHL awards in Toronto on Thursday June 14, 2007.

TORONTO — "The Kid" became "The Man" in the NHL on Thursday — and the young Penguins were validated at the NHL’s awards show.

Sidney Crosby earned the Hart Trophy, awarded to the player most valuable to his team, and the Lester B. Pearson Award, for the most outstanding player as selected by the players association.

His teammate, Evgeni Malkin, claimed the Calder Trophy as the league’s outstanding rookie.

"It looks like a very bright future," Crosby said. "It’s a statement to how far we’ve come in the past year. … We should all be excited that there are a lot of guys that have made an impact and will continue to make an impact."

Also a winner of the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league with 120 points, Crosby, 19, is the youngest player to acquire the three prestigious honors in the same year.

Crosby bested goaltenders Martin Brodeur of New Jersey and Roberto Luongo of Vancouver for the Hart. He topped Luongo and Tampa Bay center Vincent Lecavalier for the Pearson.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper handed Crosby the Pearson Award to start the show, and NHL legend Gordie Howe presented him with the Hart Trophy at the event’s conclusion.

Crosby is the youngest player to win the Hart Trophy since Wayne Gretzky in 1980. Gretzky won a record nine Hart Trophies.

"Sid might get there," said Lecavalier, winner of the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy for leading the league with 52 goals. "There was a lot of competition, but you always have to come back to Sidney and what he did at 19 — it was pretty amazing."

Crosby was joined at the ceremony by coach Michel Therrien and teammate Jordan Staal.

Therrien failed to become the first Penguins coach to receive the Jack Adams Award when Vancouver’s Alain Vigneault was chosen as the league’s outstanding bench boss. In his first full season with the Penguins, Therrien guided the team to the playoffs behind a 47-point turnaround — the fourth best single-season point improvement in history.

Therrien finished third in the Jack Adams voting. Buffalo’s Lindy Ruff placed second.

Staal was a finalist for the Calder, which Crosby failed to win last year. Staal came up short, too, but his loss was Malkin’s gain.

Malkin, who paced rookies in goals (33), assists (52) and points (85), became the second consecutive highly hyped Russian to win the Calder after Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin earned the nod over Crosby last year.

Malkin did not attend the ceremony. Therrien accepted the award on his behalf. Malkin and Staal were also named to the All-Rookie team. Staal, Crosby and Malkin — all under the age of 21 — were the Penguins’ past three first-round picks, respectively.

"When I look at those kids, I see a little bit of our great teams in Colorado," said Joe Sakic, a Lady Byng Trophy finalist and two-time Stanley Cup champion as captain of the Avalanche. "But maybe they are more like those Edmonton teams that I watched growing up in the (1980s). If Pittsburgh can keep that group together, (it) is going to be great for a long time."

Note: The awards show did not air on Versus during its scheduled time slot (7 to 9 p.m.) due to technical difficulties with the feed on the part of the Canadian Broadcasting Company.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voting breakdown
A look at how voting breakdown from Thursday's NHL Awards Show in categories involving the Penguins:

Hart Trophy (most valuable player to his team)
Player Team Total First-place votes
Sidney Crosby Penguins 1,225 91
Roberto Luongo Canucks 801 25
Martin Brodeur Devils 763 21

Calder Trophy (most outstanding rookie)
Player Team Total First-place votes
Evgeni Malkin Penguins 1,357 120
Paul Stastny Avalanche 965 16
Jordan Staal Penguins 565 6

Jack Adams Award (outstanding coach)
Coach Team Total First-place votes
Alain Vigneault Canucks 134 18
Lindy Ruff Sabres 126 11
Michel Therrien Penguins 91 11

The Hart and Calder trophies are voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The Jack Adams Award is voted on by members of the NHL Broadcasters Association. Source: NHL.

Crosby sweeps NHL major awards; Malkin rookie of year in big night

Friday, June 15, 2007

By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Bruce Bennett, Getty Images.
Sidney Crosby poses with the his Hart Memorial Trophy, the Lester B. Pearson Award and the Art Ross Trophy last night at the 2007 NHL Awards Show at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Ontario.
Click photo for larger image.

TORONTO -- Sidney Crosby last night became the youngest Canadian prime minister.

No, not really.

It just seems that the 19-year-old Penguins center is breaking new ground and achieving new heights at every turn.

But that was the prime minister, Stephen Harper, at the NHL awards show presenting Crosby with the Lester B. Pearson Award, which goes to the league's outstanding player, as determined in a vote of players.

That was the first award of the black-tie night at the Elgin Theatre. The last was the Hart Trophy, the most prestigious NHL award. That also went to Crosby, making him the league MVP. The youngest one, of course.

Between those two awards, the Penguins collected more hardware, with forward Evgeni Malkin being named the Calder Trophy winner as Rookie of the Year, Crosby being named to the first-team All-Star team, and Malkin and fellow forward Jordan Staal being named to the All-Rookie team.

The Penguins' Michel Therrien was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, which goes to the coach of the year. It was won by Vancouver's Alain Vigneault.

"It looks like it's a real bright future," Crosby said of the Penguins. "It's a statement to see what we've done in the past year. We've taken some huge strides."

For this one night, it was Crosby who stole the show and furthered the notion that he is the world's greatest hockey player.

"He's going to make this game better for a lot of years like Wayne Gretzky did," proclaimed New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, who finished third in the Hart voting and won the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender.

Crosby, who in his speeches thanked everyone from his teammates and team management to his Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, family and the people of Pittsburgh, was moved by winning the awards.

"It kind of hits you right away," he said.

Crosby, who turns 20 Aug. 7, already was the first teen-ager to win a North American major sports scoring title with 120 points in 2006-07, the youngest NHL player to reach 100 points in consecutive seasons and the youngest to be named an NHL team captain.

He's also now the youngest to win the Hart, the Pearson and to be named to the first team of the NHL postseason All-Stars.

Crosby did not just walk away with all those honors; he dominated the voting, collecting 1,225 points and 91 of 143 first-place votes for the Hart. Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo was second with 801 points and 25 first-place votes. Brodeur had 763 points and 21 first-place votes. The other Pearson finalists were Luongo and center Vincent Lacavalier of Tampa Bay.

Crosby also was the top vote-getter for the All-Star first team, getting 683 points and 130 of 143 first-place votes.



Evgeni Malkin became the second Penguin to claim the Calder Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year.

Malkin received 1,357 points, including 120 of 143 first-place Calder votes. Colorado's Paul Stastny was second with 965 votes, and Staal was third with 565.

Crosby was a finalist last year for the Calder, but he was beaten out by Washington left winger Alex Ovechkin. He is the third Penguins player to win the Hart. Hall of Fame center Mario Lemieux won it three times, and winger Jaromir Jagr won it in 1999.

Malkin, 20, was the second overall pick in the 2004 draft and joined the Penguins last summer after a tense separation from his Russian team. Despite that and a language barrier, he led all rookies and was 18th in the NHL with 85 points.

Malkin, who is the second Penguins rookie to win the Calder after Lemieux in 1985, opted not to make the long trip from his home in Russia. Therrien accepted it for him.

"I thought Evgeni Malkin was going to be here. In the last two weeks I left him two messages, one in Russian and one in English," said Therrien, who is French-Canadian. "I guess my Russian and my English are not too good."

It was Therrien's first trip to the awards night.

"For me, it's about being a nominee," said Therrien, who in his first full season with the club guided the Penguins to 105 points, 47 better than a year ago, and to the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

"Being nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy is something you share with everybody from the ownership to the general manager to the players. I don't see it as a trophy for one person."

Vigneault had 134 points, with Buffalo's Lindy Ruff second (126 points) and Therrien third (91).

"I'm surprised," Vigneault said. "I sort of thought Michel, with the major improvement they had, maybe had a better chance."

Other winners of awards not previously determined or announced were the Selke Trophy (best defensive forward) to Rod Brind'Amour of Carolina; the Bill Masterton Trophy (sportsmanship and dedication) to Phil Kessel of Boston; the Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and stellar play) to Pavel Datsyuk of Detroit; the King Clancy Trophy (leadership and humanitarian contribution) to Saku Koivu of Montreal; and the Norris Trophy (top defenseman) to Nicklas Lidstrom of Detroit.

Joining Crosby on the first All-Star team were Ovechkin, right winger Dany Heatley of Ottawa, defensemen Lidstrom and Scott Niedermayer of Anaheim, and Brodeur.

Joining Malkin and Staal on the All-Rookie team are Stastny, San Jose defensemen Matt Carle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Dallas goaltender Mike Smith.



NOTES -- Therrien said he and general manager Ray Shero have begun talks about a contract extension for the coach and that those talks "are going well." Therrien is entering the final year of his contract. ... Versus, the NHL's cable network in the United States, had to delay airing the awards show until 11 p.m. because CBC, the Canadian network producing the show, had satellite difficulties.


(Shelly Anderson can be reached at shanderson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1721.)

Castillo's passion, performance carry Pirates

New shortstop supports Snell's gem in 8-1 rout of Texas

Thursday, June 14, 2007



Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
Pirates pitcher Ian Snell puts down a sacrifice bunt to set up a run in the second inning against the Rangers.

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A few hours before the Pirates took the field at PNC Park, Jose Castillo heard a rather inspirational slice of advice from a trusted mentor.

"You've got to show every game that you belong out there," injured reliever Salomon Torres told him. "Your status is day by day. If you don't do well, you're out."

And that, perhaps, best explains the palpable passion with which Castillo, suddenly and stunningly the Pirates' shortstop in place of Jack Wilson, helped author an 8-1 annihilation of the Texas Rangers last night ...



Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
Pirates' Jose Castillo leaps over the Rangers' Frank Catalanotto on a double play in the third inning last night at PNC Park.
Click photo for larger image.

That was Castillo, going the other way -- his strongest suit as a hitter -- with a single in the second inning, then scoring on Jose Bautista's ball up the middle for a 3-0 lead.

That was Castillo making maybe the hardest throw of the evening -- pitchers included -- on his relay of a 1-6-3 double play.

That was Castillo drilling an RBI double to the North Side Notch in the fifth, scoring Xavier Nady from first and putting the Pirates ahead, 5-0.

And yes, that was Castillo, silent bordering on sullen all season because of inactivity, pumping his fists repeatedly at second base after that hit, prompting the crowd of 16,110 to cheer louder and louder with each gesture.

"I was having fun," Castillo explained without apology. "I'm working hard. I'm feeling good. That felt good."

It was a rare show of emotion for these Pirates, so often lifeless in this fairly nondescript season. And it might have wound up a bit lost amid Ian Snell's first career complete game, Bautista falling just a home run shy of the cycle and the team closing in on a three-game sweep.

But there was no one on the home side who failed to notice.

"Jose Castillo is a great baseball player, and he's got a great heart," Bautista said. "You've got to have some of that hot blood running through your body when you do something good for your team. And you know what? It's definitely great for all of us to see that."

It was not more important, obviously, than the production: Castillo wound up 2 for 3 with a double, a nine-pitch walk -- yes, really -- two runs and an RBI.

"He was good," manager Jim Tracy said. "Really good."

In three games since taking Wilson's spot, Castillo is 5 for 10 with three doubles and three RBIs.

Oh, and that double play?

The Pirates were up, 3-0, in the Texas third when the Rangers had runners at the corners and one out. Cleanup man Marlon Byrd bounced a comebacker to Snell, who turned toward Castillo at second and threw something of a changeup that risked ruining all timing involved.

"It came out of my hand funny," Snell said.

What came out of Castillo's hand was no joke. Seeing that Byrd was closing in on first base and aware a run was about to score, he unleashed a ferocious relay that looked as if it would tear through first baseman Adam LaRoche's mitt.

Just in time.

"Shades of Rafael Furcal," LaRoche said. "The kid can bring it."

Thing is, this kid always has been able to bring it.

From the time he arrived in the majors as a 23-year-old who bypassed Class AAA, no one has questioned his talent. But inconsistencies, inattentiveness and a perceived unwillingness to think team first set him back to the point he was little more than an afterthought in this season's first two-plus months.

As Tracy put it yesterday, "This is something we've been searching for in Jose Castillo since April 2006."

Could the long benching play a role in his revival?

And, if it does, will it last?

Only Castillo can answer those, obviously, and only in a much longer term. The player who has 19 hits in his past 56 at-bats is the same one who opened the year 1 for 17.

For now ...

"I'm here, and I'm ready," he said. "I know I have my opportunity."

Snell's complete game came with a typically seamless performance. The run he allowed was unearned, and the rest of his line included seven strikeouts, seven hits and two walks. And he went the distance on just 105 pitches, 70 for strikes.

"It's just what Ian's been doing all season," Tracy said.

Bautista, now .329 as the leadoff man, had a second big night against Texas: He had the RBI single, he doubled, he drilled a two-run triple to deep center in the fifth that made it 8-0, he walked and he scored two runs. His line for the series: 6 for 9 with five extra-base hits.

More good defense, too.

"I can't say enough about the job he's doing," Tracy said.

Other offensive standouts: Freddy Sanchez had an RBI double in the first and a sacrifice fly in the fourth, Chris Duffy singled twice with an RBI and, lest it be overlooked in the No. 9 spot, Snell put down two sacrifice bunts that led to runs and scored after drawing a walk.

"I liked our approaches" Tracy said. "Those are the kinds of at-bats you take when you become a solid club, a winning club."

Of course, those also are the at-bats many teams tend to take against the lowly Rangers, whose rotation is on pace to have the highest ERA in Major League Baseball history.

In this one, Robinson Tejeda lasted four innings and gave up four runs.

Tonight, it is Kameron Loe, owner of a 7.40 ERA.


(Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com.)

Steelers warming to Tomlin

Carping about new ways diminishes over spring

Thursday, June 14, 2007

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette

Hines Ward suggested to coach Mike Tomlin to have a day or two of spring practice without helmets. Hat Day was born.
Click photo for larger image.

The arrival of any new boss generates anxiety in the workforce. The job Mike Tomlin walked into as the new Steelers coach carried its own predicaments.

He stepped into a situation where few 34-year-olds tread. He released one of their most popular and well-known players, fined another because he skipped a mandatory practice after blasting the team for not treating him fairly in contract negotiations, and listened to his quarterback tell him over dinner that he had to gain the trust of his team.

That does not mention the fact that he replaced Bill Cowher, the longest-tenured coach at 15 years in the NFL, and that the team he would run was one year removed from winning a Super Bowl.

As another former Steelers coach, Chuck Noll, often said, if it were easy, anyone could do it.

"A lot of guys," receiver Hines Ward said yesterday, "were griping early: 'Ah, we used to do it like this, we used to do it like this.'

"No question, when you have nine, 10 years with one guy, you're going to miss him. We all miss coach Cowher, but we can't play this game forever. Players, coaches, come and go, and you have to move on."

That, Ward said, is precisely what the Steelers are doing. Today is their final day of spring practices before they break until July 23 for training camp. Their skepticism about their new coach may not have disappeared, but he is winning them over.

"We've moved on and guys are starting to buy" into it, Ward said. "When he first got here, you sat back and really didn't say anything. Now, his door is open, and he's more than willing to listen to things."

Ward, one of the biggest critics of the release of linebacker Joey Porter in March, said he has walked through Tomlin's door often.

"I'm kind of like the veteran, the voice of democracy," Ward said. "He's been open to a lot conversation."

Among the suggestions Ward brought to Tomlin was for the players to have a day or two on the field this spring without wearing helmets. Thus, Hat Day was born. They had one in minicamp and will wear baseball caps again today.

Cowher took the team on a golf outing in the spring. Tuesday, Tomlin, who does not golf, took them bowling.

"It's about unity," Ward said. "He liked to pair up people who had some differences over the offseason. He put them together, and we came together as a group."

Guard Alan Faneca, unhappy over his contract situation, has not turned out for their spring practices except for one minicamp weekend, and even skipped one of those mandatory practices. He spoke out against the team, but not against his new coach. There hardly has been a complaint uttered publicly about Tomlin.

"Expectations are still high," Ward said. "I know a lot of pressure would be put on any coach who would have come in here. You're following two guys, coach Noll and coach Cowher, I mean those are two legendary coaches. ...

"For us, last year was a disappointment, coming off a Super Bowl year and not making the playoffs. Last year just totally stunk. A lot of guys are happy to get back and make sure what happened last year doesn't happen again this year and try to make sure we get back into that playoff run."

Not that there has not been some grousing among the players. Some can't stand the digital scoreboard clock that appeared on the sideline at practice and counts down different sessions. "This damn clock right here," is how Ward described it yesterday. Others aren't happy when they appear in The News, a list Tomlin publicizes at meetings of those who have made certain errors.

"It can be good and bad," said Ward. "It's just constructive criticism. It's not calling you out. If an offensive lineman jumps offside, we need to rectify that and make sure it doesn't happen."

If a quarterback throws an interception, he may find himself in The News. Ward appeared for spiking a ball after a catch, a penalty next season if done on the field and not after a touchdown.

"Really, it's a teaching technique," Ward said.

Generally, however, the players have warmed up to their new coach this spring.

"We know what's expected out of him," Ward said. "You get a good feel. He's still a player's coach ... a good guy, he's a straight shooter."


NOTES -- Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was ill yesterday and did not attend practice.


(Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.)

Bob Smizik: Pirates shouldn't be hesitating to try to fix their many flaws

Pirates manager Jim Tracy puts his hands to his head in disbelief as he and catcher Ryan Doumit, right, argue with home plate umpire Gerry Davis after Davis ruled Alex Rodriguez safe on Hideki Matsui's first inning two-run double yesterday at Yankee Stadium.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The profit-first operating style of owner Bob Nutting has been much in the news. The Pirates' choice to pass on catcher Matt Wieters, who appeared to be the best fit for the team, in the first-year player draft last week has once again put fans in a rage against ownership, and deservedly so.

But, today, let's look at a more short-term operating style that is dragging down the team just as much, if not more. That would be the day-to-day approach being employed by general manager Dave Littlefield and manager Jim Tracy, neither of whom has a problem standing pat with a bad team.

The way Littlefield and Tracy are running the Pirates, you would think the team was in first place by a sizable margin and not careening toward a 15th consecutive losing season. As the New York Post's Joel Sherman wrote of them after they disgraced themselves and the game at Yankee Stadium Saturday, "The Pirates are a major-league team like Lindsay Lohan is a NASCAR driver."

In the face of this abysmal play, which continued yesterday with a 13-6 loss to the Yankees, Littlefield and Tracy invariably send out the same losing team day after day. There are some minor changes, but nothing approaching the shake-up this team needs.

Here are some adjustments that should be made:

* Ronny Paulino to the bench for as long as it takes for him to shape up his attitude. Against Washington Thursday, while trying to score from first on a double, Paulino was, according to Pirates announcer John Wehner, "trotting." Wehner had no word for Paulino's failure to slide on what was a close play at home. We do: Disgraceful. On Saturday, as a laughably weak and errant throw from Jason Bay skittered toward him, Paulino made a feeble attempt to block the ball and it rolled past him as the baserunner advanced. Tracy has been trying to find ways to play Ryan Doumit. Now he has one. As for Doumit's defensive shortcomings, he can't be any worse than Paulino, whose defense has declined alarmingly -- along with his hitting.

* Jack Wilson was out of the lineup yesterday but Tracy said he'll return tomorrow night against Texas. He might need more time. Wilson is hitting .220 with an on-base percentage below .300 since the end of April. But it's his once-sure fielding that is a cause for concern. Wilson has messed up a season's worth of plays in the past few weeks, including four Saturday. He didn't see a line drive Friday against the Yankees. In all seriousness, he needs his eyes examined.

* The ridiculously inept bench needs to be imploded. If Jose Hernandez, currently at Indianapolis, is half as good as he was last year, he's more of a pinch-hitting threat than anyone on this bench, except on days when Doumit doesn't start. In the face of the total ineptitude of the bench -- a .136 average in pinch-hitting roles -- it speaks to the stubbornness of Littlefield that he hasn't recalled Hernandez. If he doesn't want Hernandez, there are plenty of veteran players in Class AAA with other organizations who would be better than what the Pirates have. Of course, that would probably require a cash transaction, which, despite protestations otherwise, does not seem to be a course the Pirates want to follow.

* Zach Duke should be sent to the minors by, say, this afternoon. Duke's ERA of 5.75 is 52nd of the 55 pitchers who have thrown 60 or more innings. His batting average against (.349) is 55th and a whopping 31 points higher than 54th. A weak offensive team like the Pirates can't afford to face a team where every hitter is a batting champion. Duke needs to fix his problems in the minors, where he won't cost the Pirates any more games. Plenty of players have reestablished their career by returning to the less-stressful atmosphere of the minors. Besides, Bryan Bullington and John Van Benschoten merit promotion because of their work at Indianapolis. Bullington is 9-2 with a 2.75 ERA. In light of how poorly Duke is pitching, how can Littlefield not make this move?

* Jose Castillo needs to play more often: Exactly what Castillo has done to deserve the doghouse treatment from Tracy is not known. Tracy repeatedly says Castillo has more power than any right-handed batter on the team. How can there be no place for a player of that caliber, who also happens to be the team's best defensive second baseman? Castillo started yesterday in place of Wilson and was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, a walk and two excellent plays in the field. It was, inexplicably, his first start since May 20. From May 14-20, Castillo started five games and batted .381 (8 for 21) with six RBIs. That performance should have merited more playing time. It's unlikely Tracy will wait another three weeks before starting Castillo again, but you never know.

The Pirates are 11 games under .500. This is a team that needs to change its act in a big way. To stand pat in the face of this caliber of play would be foolish. But that would be nothing new for this organization.


(Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.)

Bob Smizik: Pirates let fans down one more time

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Daniel Moskos

With a chance to show their declining and disenchanted fan base they are serious about putting a winning team on the field, the Pirates, true to the end, blinked.

With a chance to go big-time in the draft, the Pirates, to the surprise of no one, went small-time.

Better still, with a chance to show Pittsburgh he is an owner who puts winning above the bottom line, Bob Nutting convincingly reinforced the popular belief that his concern centers around profit and not victory.

Once again the Pirates made it clear they are willing to give lip service to putting a winning team on the field, but nothing more. When it comes to doing something about what is in the process of becoming a 15th consecutive losing season, they refuse to do what is necessary.

The latest example of this came Thursday when the team had the fourth pick in the first-year player draft. With an obvious need for offensive help, the Pirates bypassed Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters, almost unanimously regarded as the hitting prospect closest to the major leagues, and went with left-handed pitcher Daniel Moskos.

What you need to know about these two players is this:

Wieters, a switch-hitter, has a significantly greater upside; Moskos has a significantly greater signability quotient.

That's how it works with the Pirates.

It wasn't a matter of which player could most help the team, it was a matter of which player costs the least. As a client of agent Scott Boras, Wieters would demand a signing bonus of $8 million to $10 million. Moskos will probably get something a little short of $3 million.

If that seems like a lot, it's not. The difference is considerably less than the approximately $11 million the Pirates wasted last season by signing Jeromy Burnitz and Joe Randa. It close to what they're wasting this season on Tony Armas and Shawn Chacon, who are, at best, a one-season Band-Aid.

General manager Dave Littlefield made the pick and defended it. But there is little doubt he took his orders from Nutting, who, according to Baseball Prospectus, declined Littlefield's request for the kind of bonus money that would bring Wieters to the Pirates.

And once again we are reminded of those famous words uttered by Nutting on the day he was named principal owner:

"Questioning my commitment or my family's commitment to winning, I think that's completely inappropriate."

Hah!

Writing for ESPN.com, Keith Law, the senior baseball analyst for Scouts Inc., called Wieters "a once-in-a-decade kind of talent." Wieters has been compared to Joe Mauer, a catcher who the Minnesota Twins made the first pick of the 2001 draft and who won the American League batting title last year.

In Moskos, who was ranked as the eighth-best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, the Pirates get a pitcher who, according to scouting director Ed Creech, is "probably going to end up as a closer."

With Matt Capps looking to be the pitcher who can fill that role for at least the immediate future, the Pirates' need for Moskos is considerably less than their need for a power bat.

As the projected No. 8 pick in the draft, Moskos obviously has an upside. But just how much remains to be seen. Certainly, his numbers at Clemson, where he is in the starting rotation after relieving most of his career, are not special.

Going into a start yesterday against Mississippi State in an NCAA tournament game, Moskos was fifth in earned run average among Clemson pitchers. He allowed 71 hits in 74 innings. Opponents batted .261 against him.

If he were facing major-league hitters, those numbers would be impressive. If he were facing Class AAA hitters, they would be encouraging. But he was facing college hitters, the vast majority of whom will never play professionally, let alone reach the major leagues.

As ordinary as those numbers were, they got worse yesterday when he was charged with six runs and 10 hits in five innings against Mississippi State, a performance that pushed his ERA above 3.50.

As a sophomore in 2006, was 5-5 with a 2.52 ERA pitching out of the bullpen. As a freshman, he was 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA.

He was not close to being dominant in college, so why should anyone expect him to assume such a role as a professional?

What made the Pirates look bad was the Baltimore Orioles, picking fifth, grabbed Wieters.

What made them look even worse is other organizations were more than willing to draft Boras clients.

The Kansas City Royals, as woebegone a franchise as the Pirates, took Mike Moustakas with the second pick.

The Milwaukee Brewers, whose willingness to spend despite being in a smaller market than the Pirates has lifted them from the bottom to the top of the National League Central, took Matt LaPorta.

The one Boras client who fell was high school pitcher Rick Porcello, ranked fourth by Baseball America. He was taken with the 27th pick by the Detroit Tigers, the poster team for losing franchises that has lifted itself off the bottom by spending money.

Speaking of Moskos, Littlefield said, "We got the guy we want, really."

Don't believe him. Littlefield's job is in jeopardy. He didn't get the guy he wanted. He got the guy Bob Nutting wanted.


(Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.)

Gene Collier: Pirates must show interest

It could be interesting weekend, if Pirates would show some interest

Friday, June 08, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Jason Bay connects on his game-winning homer in the ninth inning of yesterday's game in Washington.


WASHINGTON -- Tonight in the harsh urban light of the Bronx, the Pirates will go to work inside baseball's premier cathedral with their customarily modest margin of error, the one their manager consistently describes as "so slim," the one that rests just to the tangible side of the purely hypothetical.

These 2007 Pirates, their swash not yet completely buckled, shove off in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium with the full knowledge that they don't need any help losing, that the slightest opportunity that gets ignored or the slightest spasm of carelessness virtually guarantees another dismal outcome.

We take that as gospel.

But then there was yesterday, the occasion of their last game ever at doomed RFK Stadium, when it appeared the Pirates could get away with anything, at least from the moment Jason Bay's ninth-inning homer lifted them beyond their own dubious margins to a 3-2 victory against the Nationals. It was the fifth consecutive one-run game they've been in, and the eighth in a row decided by two runs or fewer.

And it started with precisely the kind of lethal little failure Jim Tracy's team shouldn't be able to withstand.

Rajai Davis led off the game with a triple into the alley in left-center, and Nationals manager Manny Acta, happy to trade a run for an out, kept his infielders back while Jose Bautista and Freddy Sanchez batted against left-hander Matt Chico, he of the two quality starts in his past 12. A ground ball just about anywhere would have scored Davis, so naturally Bautista and Sanchez popped up, then Bay took a called third strike.

"I didn't think about it until the eighth inning," Bay said, "and, even though you always want to take advantage of chances like that, there are always nine million things that could have happened between then and now that might have changed it."

Of course, Bay's 11th homer, a majestic opposite-field missile that snapped a string of 12 scoreless innings by Washington closer Chad Cordero, changed everything and obscured at least until tonight some egregious baseball that Ian Snell and reliever Matt Capps somehow enabled the Pirates to overcome.

"If that homer doesn't get hit," Tracy said as the Pirates prepared to board a train for Gotham, "you're sitting around thinking about a groundball out that would have gotten you an extra run in the first."

Uh-huh. And about a disgraceful trip around the bases by Ronny Paulino that should have gotten you another run in the second.

Paulino walked with two out and apparently had no travel plans from that point, because he reacted to Jack Wilson's double inside the bag with something less than total interest. Pedestrians in Georgetown move more purposefully than the manner in which Paulino rounded second. I imagine he was chagrined to see Jeff Cox waving him home as he coasted into third, as this would obviously require running another 90 feet.

It was a good gambit by the third-base coach because there were two out and Snell was in the on-deck circle. Cox merely was challenging left fielder Ryan Church to make a perfect throw from 250 feet down the left-field line to the plate, which Church did. The throw was in time, and that was good enough for Paulino, who did not appear so much as to consider a slide, much less -- are you kidding? -- a collision.

Tracy said he didn't know if a slide would have made any difference, but on a team with a margin of error "so slim," it might have been interesting to find out. But I guess if you're not that interested in running, you're probably not that interesting in sliding, and that's a shame because it creates the impression that you're not that interested in, you know, winning.

That, of course, brings us to the crossroads of the Pirates' world, New York, New York.

Two years ago, at just about this exact juncture, the Pirates got to Yankee Stadium with a record of 30-31 and lost all three games by a combined score of 22-6. They were soon 40-55 on their way to 67-95. Some like to think that a couple of victories this week, even against the depleted Bombers, could spark their interest in a competitive summer, because all victories are not created equal.

"I think it would mean more than two wins somewhere else," Bay said. "I know all games are equal, but it would be a little more satisfying doing it there, a place we only get to once every couple of years or less. I think it would be especially important to this team. We could come away from it thinking, 'ya know, we can do this.' "

He's right. This could still be an interesting summer if this team were at least consistently interested.


(Gene Collier can be reached at gcollier@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1283.)

Bay's ninth-inning home run propels Pirates

Opposite-field drive vs. Washington closer brings 3-2 victory

Friday, June 08, 2007



Freddy Sanchez throws to first after forcing out the Washington Nationals' Dmitri Young at second in the fourth inning yesterday at RFK Stadium in Washington. Nationals' Austin Kearns was safe at first.


By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON -- The ball was a laser off Jason Bay's bat, struck so solidly that it formed a straight line sailing across RFK Stadium's mammoth outfield.

And the Pirates wanted, desperately, for it to stay that straight.

"Just stay up," first baseman Adam LaRoche remembered thinking from the on-deck circle. "Worst case, it's a double. But come on ... stay up."

Bay thought much the same.

"I didn't know if I got it up high enough with this big ballpark," he recalled. "Maybe the fact that I was screaming at it to go over helped."

Maybe.



Jason Bay drops his bat as he watches his solo-homer against the Nationals' Chad Cordero in the ninth inning.
Click photo for larger image.

Whatever it was, Bay's line drive off Washington's Chad Cordero did clear that right-field fence to open the Pirates' ninth inning with a home run and, ultimately, bring a 3-2 victory yesterday.

The reaction?

"We went nuts," right fielder Ryan Doumit said of the dugout. "It was awesome."

There was much else for the Pirates to enjoy about the afternoon, not the least of which was taking the three-game series: Ian Snell whisked through seven innings, Matt Capps remained perfect since becoming closer, and Freddy Sanchez's first home run of the season brought a 2-2 tie in the third.

But this outcome, without a doubt, was determined by one smooth stroke from the franchise's best player.

Bay had done little to that point, having gone hitless in the previous four games, in part because opponents seem to have had enough of pitching to him after his torrid finish to May. And he had a pretty good idea he was not going to see much that enticed him in this at-bat, either.

"You just have to stay patient," Bay said.

He drew a 1-1 count, and Cordero came next with a fastball, a bit too much over the plate but low enough that it hardly qualified as a "mistake," which was what a dejected Cordero called it later. Bay lowered his swing plane and, as he did with two of his three home runs at PNC Park on the homestand last week, drove it the other way with authority.

Never mind that Cordero, Washington's closer, had made 13 consecutive scoreless outings.

Or that RFK is Major League Baseball's most difficult venue in which to go deep.

"Terrific at-bat," manager Jim Tracy said.

"Cordero? Opposite field? In Washington?" LaRoche said. "Ain't a lot of guys who can say they did that."

Manny Acta, manager of the Nationals, saw it the same way.

"If a guy hits a ball to the opposite field at RFK, you just tip your hit to him," Acta said. "Jason Bay's a good power-hitter."

The home run was Bay's 11th, six of those coming in the past 14 games.

And get this: His 10 game-winning RBIs are tied with the Los Angeles Angels' Vladimir Guerrero for most in Major League Baseball.

"It's what you expect from your middle-of-the-order guys, and we're starting to see that from a lot of them lately," Tracy said. "It means everything to have that."

Snell shrugged off Dmitri Young's two-run home run in the first to put up six zeroes and leave with a line of three hits and seven strikeouts in his seven innings. He would get no decision once again, but his ERA lowered to 2.91 and the fine form he has shown all season was present throughout.

Snell gave some ... uh, credit to the Nationals' free-swinging approach, too.

"They were just swinging at everything," he said. "When you get that, your pitch count's going to be low, and you're going to get a lot of ground-ball outs."

True enough. Snell, due to bat to open the eighth, was taken out after just 86 pitches. He had nine groundouts.

The Pirates stranded men at third base in the first two innings off Washington starter Matt Chico, and it appeared they would do so again in the third when Snell was there with two outs. But Sanchez got under a 1-0 fastball and lifted into the bullpen beyond left field.

Capps pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and, after Bay's home run, followed suit in the ninth. The Nationals put all six balls in play, two with gusto, but the outs came on 15 total pitches, 11 strikes.

"I'll take it," Capps said. "Keep the ball down in the zone and, hopefully, they can't drive it out of the park."

Since becoming the closer last Friday, Capps has not allowed a man to reach base in four innings.

The Pirates' past eight games have been decided by two or fewer runs, and they had been 2-5 before yesterday. So, the potential for another close loss, with the team dropping in the Central Division standings, with Yankee Stadium on the horizon, surely was on their minds as Bay's ball ran its course.

"Vital," Doumit called the victory.


(Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com.)

Steelers re-sign veteran Haynes

Back, coming off surgery, adds depth

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Verron Haynes, shown here with former Steelers running backs coach Dick Hoak, is back on the practice field for the first time in more than seven months.
Click photo for larger image

One day, you're in the backfield of the reigning Super Bowl champions. The next, you wonder if you'll ever play football again, or walk properly for that matter.

It happened to Verron Haynes two days before Halloween in Oakland. You think quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers were scary in that 20-13 loss, nothing was as frightful as the popping sounds in Haynes' left knee as the ligaments snapped like old rubber bands.

"It was a whole bunch of ligaments up in there," Haynes said. "Go down the line and name them."

There was the PCL, the MCL and the dreaded ACL, for starters. Only one good piece of news came out of it -- no nerve damage. Haynes had a chance, a long one through rehabilitation and plenty of prayer.

Yesterday, before thanking his surgeon, his trainers and God, Haynes re-signed with the Steelers and took that long-anticipated step of rejoining his teammates on the practice field for the first time in more than seven months. He is ahead of schedule and hopes to stay that way as he tries to reclaim his job as third-down back and possibly backup to starter Willie Parker amidst increasing competition.

"Terrific," Haynes declared after the Steelers began their next-to-last week of practice before breaking June 14 until July 23 training camp. "I feel good. I feel fresh, revived. And I'm just ready to get out there and work. It's a great feeling. I took the field for the first time and I felt like a rookie all over again, real good."

So good that he wore no brace, just a small piece of rubber around the knee that's supposed to hinder arthritis. It was good news not only for Haynes but also the Steelers. Less than three months ago, they were frightfully thin in the backfield with Parker the only real experienced running back. Najeh Davenport's contract had expired, and Duce Staley and Haynes had been released.

The Steelers actually did Haynes a favor. He was able to collect some money for being released while injured before the new NFL calendar year started in March. Kevin Colbert, their director of football operations, said at the time that Haynes would continue to rehab his knee at their facility and they hoped to re-sign him if he passed their physical.

"It was a big concern," Haynes said of his future. "But the reality of it is Mr. Rooney, Kevin and Mike Tomlin told me all along don't worry about it, we have you, you'll work out here and we'll bring you back. And true to their word, they did."

Not only that, but Davenport also re-signed, and after the Steelers failed to draft a back in April, they signed veteran Kevan Barlow. Now Haynes must compete with them to get his old job back.

"The role will define itself," Haynes said. "I'm not about the numbers game. That will play itself out in training camp."

Haynes is more reliable than spectacular as a back, particularly on third down. He caught 57 passes for 417 yards in his five seasons, and ran for 738 yards and a 4.2-yard average. Nobody during that time has been able to block as well on third downs, something the Steelers consider a priority when he lines up virtually next to the quarterback in the shotgun formation.

He predicted he will be better than ever next season.

"We took the Cybex test they use for the Combine and this leg is actually stronger," he said with a nod toward his left knee. "I'm very excited about this opportunity to get back out there and just showcase my talent again."



NOTES -- Tackle Willie Colon joined a gaggle of linemen who have tried their hand at the center position this spring when he snapped the ball to the quarterbacks yesterday in team drills. Others at the position have been Chukky Okobi, Sean Mahan, Marvin Philip and Kendall Simmons. ... Roethlisberger missed his first practice of the spring in order to play in Jim Kelly's charity golf tournament in New York.


(Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.)

Steelers' Hampton relishes leadership role

By John Harris
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, June 4, 2007

Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton is talking more than ever. Funny, because the new season is still three months away.

Hampton is taking his role as one of the team's new leaders more seriously than a double-team block.

He promised to upgrade his 2006 performance, despite making the Pro Bowl for the third time in four years. He isn't too proud to admit that his numbers were good, but not nearly good enough as the Steelers finished 8-8 the year after winning Super Bowl XL.

Hampton realizes he can't ask more from his teammates, to implore them to take their play to a whole new level, without doing likewise.

In taking more ownership of the defense with the departure of fiery linebacker Joey Porter, he also accepts more responsibility.

"I have been a leader. I have been a vocal guy in the locker room. People didn't know it because Joey was our vocal leader. That was who you always saw out front talking," Hampton said. "Now that he's gone, I'll probably step up and talk more. I know the guys look at me as a leader."

Hampton picked apart his own game.

"I think I can play a lot better than I did last year," said Hampton, whose 33 tackles in 2006 tied his rookie numbers and was his second-lowest total in six NFL seasons. Hampton recorded 17 tackles in 2004 when he played in only six games because of a knee injury.

"I think I played good," Hampton said, "but I feel like I can play a lot better."

Hampton is a powerful two-gap nose tackle who engages two blockers on every play so his linebackers can roam freely and make the bulk of the tackles on running plays.

On pass plays, Hampton is asked to shove the center back toward the quarterback so that the quarterback can't step up in the pocket and evade the outside rush of the defensive ends.

Hampton is learning to counter how teams are preparing for him.

"Teams block me a lot different now," Hampton said. "Linemen don't really try to block me straight up, they just try to get in my way. It takes away from me making big plays.

"A lot of teams in the league play the 3-4, but nobody's nose tackle plays the way I play. A lot of teams let their (nose tackle) run behind blocks and get up the field and make plays. My job is way different than anybody else's."

Add increased leadership to Hampton's expanding resume. He plans to lead by words and example.

Hampton said his teammates are somewhat uneasy under new coach Mike Tomlin, which has made for spirited workouts at the Steelers' South Side facility.

Tomlin arrived agenda-free. He'll play who he wants, sit who he wants.

With few exceptions, no job is safe.

Because Tomlin doesn't play favorites, the players -- from big names such as Hampton to role players such as backup nose tackle Chris Hoke -- don't really know what to expect.

"You don't know what they're thinking about you, how they feel about your play," Hoke said. "Coach Tomlin says it doesn't matter what you've done in the past. You've got to prove you can play."

Prove it or lose it.


John Harris is a sports writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at jharris@tribweb.com

Steelers couldn't resist punter Sepulveda's powerful leg

Steelers third round draft pick punter Daniel Sepulveda practices on the South Side.

By Scott Brown
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, June 3, 2007


The story that is a part of family lore took place at a gas station when boys started being boys, specifically ones that had been cooped up during a long drive.
Daniel Sepulveda and his older brother, Stephen, were "horsing around," as their father recalled, when Daniel went hurtling into one of the family vehicles, backside first.

He hit the SUV so hard he left a dent in it.

If Sepulveda can make the sort of lasting impression with the Steelers as he did on that vehicle, well, he'll make his new team quite happy.

The Steelers opened themselves -- and Sepulveda, by extension -- to second guessing by investing a fourth-round draft pick on a punter and giving up a sixth-round pick to trade up to get one at the end of April.
Not that the term "punter" defines Sepulveda.

At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, he is built like a linebacker, which is fitting because that's the position he intended to play when he went to Baylor as an invited walk-on. And he may have been the first specialist in the history of the NFL scouting combine to come away disappointed when told that teams didn't need to see how many times he could bench 225 pounds.

Sepulveda's left leg really packs a wallop. He puts such a charge into his kicks that it seems like he could dent footballs as easily as he does SUVs.

Sepulveda averaged 45.24 yards per punt at Baylor -- the highest average in Division I college football history (minimum of 250 attempts) -- and twice won the Ray Guy Award, given annually to the top punter in college football.

"(The ball) just exploded off his foot," Baylor coach Guy Morriss said. "He's going to swap a lot of real estate (for the Steelers)."

That is certainly the hope of the team that finished near the bottom of the NFL in punting average (41.3 yards per kick) last season.

Sepulveda, 23, is adamant that he still has to win the job during training camp -- his only competition at this point is Mike Barr -- but it's safe to say it is his to lose.

And to think he was a reluctant punter not too long ago.

A deeply religious person who has read the Bible every day since he has been in Pittsburgh, Sepulveda attributes his wandering over to where the punters were practicing one day at Baylor to "God's plan."

He had little experience punting and no technique, but his powerful leg was apparent to the coaches that watched him kick. Baylor redshirted Sepulveda his freshman year with the intention of turning him into a punter.

It worked -- sort of.

Sepulveda won the job as a redshirt freshman, but the prospect of playing every down still tugged at his heart. He called his father to say he was through with punting at the end of the season, and that he was going back to playing football.

"If I had realized then that if I ended up being the starting punter that I wouldn't get the opportunity to play something else, then I probably wouldn't have done it," Sepulveda said.

Morriss said Sepulveda "kept bugging and bugging" him about playing linebacker and occasionally he'd relent, letting his prized punter take part in practice drills.

But as Sepulveda developed into one of the premier punters in the nation, Morriss decided the injury risk of wasn't worth it for the team or Sepulveda.

Sepulveda had to settle for making the occasional tackle after a punt, and during one game in 2004 he unleashed his inner linebacker on an opposing returner.

"Almost knocked him out," Morriss said. "The kid's not just your typical specialist."

Sepulveda has graduated to the highest level of the game, and the speed in the NFL is such that he'll have to get off his punts faster than he did at Baylor and be more cognizant of hang time.

Of punting in college, Sepulveda said, "I wasn't trying to hang the ball up for five seconds. I was trying to mash it 55, 60 yards, sometimes hit it over the guy's head. There's no tolerance for mashing the ball and hitting a line drive and having it come back."

He hasn't just changed the approach he takes to punting since joining the Steelers (Sepulveda signed a three-year, $1.46 million contract with the team last Thursday). He also is working on a new technique, one in which Sepulveda kicks the point of the football.

It allows him to "swing as hard" as he can while still giving him better distance control, hang time and aim than if he kicked the meaty part of the football.

"It's going to be really good for me," Sepulveda said of the technique he has been honing during OTA (Organized Team Activity) practices. "If I try to kick it 80 percent, 75 percent, I'll shank one out of five. You can't have that."

Fans won't accept that, especially since the Steelers haven't taken a punter so high in the draft since 1978, when they selected Craig Colquitt in the third round.

Sepulveda said his faith helps keep things, such as the demands of his new job, in perspective, and he can also lean on his close-knit family.

He is the second oldest of four boys, and his father, who is CEO of Interstate Batteries, is also one of his agents.

Asked if he has any concerns as a father and an agent about the pressure his son will face, Carlos Sepulveda said, "None at all. I like his chances, especially if you look at his track record."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rare talent

• Averaged 46.5 yards per punt his senior season, with a long of 78 yards.

• Became the only punter to win the Ray Guy Award twice.

• He and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Singletary are the only three-time All-Americans in Baylor football history.

• Had four punts blocked his redshirt freshman season but none in his other three seasons at Baylor.

• His older brother, Stephen, played linebacker at Baylor.

• Hails from Dallas, but grew up rooting for the 49ers (his family lived in San Francisco for a couple of years).


Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.

Crosby keeps focus on different trophy

Sunday, June 03, 2007

By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Sidney Crosby with his first Art Ross Trophy yesterday in Ottawa.
Click photo for larger image.

To accept the Art Ross Trophy as the 2006-07 NHL scoring champion, Penguins center Sidney Crosby made an all too familiar trip.

It was back to Ottawa, where the Penguins lost in the first round of the playoffs, back to the city where the Senators are still playing after reaching the final, even back to the same hotel the Penguins used in April.

"I want to thank the NHL for bringing me back here," Crosby said yesterday with a slight laugh during a news luncheon in conjunction with the final round to award the statistics-based league trophies. "I have so many great memories being at this hotel and battling for the playoffs."

For Crosby, there's a link between winning the Art Ross after tallying 120 points on 36 goals, 84 assists, and the Penguins' experience with a young club participating in the team's first postseason appearance since 2001.

Winning something as prestigious as the Art Ross Trophy -- and he probably will add to that June 14 when the rest of the NHL awards are presented -- is one personal step, but there is a greater goal that calls to him.

"The next level, I'd say, you play to win the Stanley Cup," he said. "It's always nice to win NHL awards, and I don't want to take anything away from them because they're accomplishments and they're something I'm proud of, but when you look back on your career, you want to be able to say you won the Stanley Cup.

"I think that's something that drives me to play. Every summer and every season you work hard for it. Both would be nice, but a Stanley Cup is what you play for."

Crosby, 19, became the youngest athlete in North American team sports history to win a league scoring championship, and last week he became the youngest NHL captain when the Penguins awarded him the "C."

Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier, who yesterday was presented the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for leading the league with 52 goals, was named a captain when he was older than Crosby by a matter of weeks.


Recchi, Roberts talks continue


Penguins general manager Ray Shero hinted that negotiations to re-sign veteran wingers Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts might take some time.

"I don't want to put a time frame on it," Shero said. "We'll see where it goes the next little while."

Recchi and Roberts are unrestricted free agents but have expressed an interest in returning and would prefer to have things wrapped up before free agency begins July 1.


Therrien contract next?


Also on Shero's agenda is a possible extension for coach Michel Therrien, who is entering the final season of his contract.

"I chatted with him last week, and we'll continue to do that," Shero said. "Sometime next week or in the next couple of weeks, we'll get together and see where we are. There's not a rush. We've expressed an interest in extending his contract, and, if we could find a way to do that, I'd like to do that."

Therrien, who is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year, declined to discuss his contract status.


Full speed ahead, at last


Crosby, who played the final month of the season with a broken bone in his left foot, was cleared Wednesday to begin full workouts. "It's healed pretty good," he said.


(Shelly Anderson can be reached at shanderson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1721.)

Bob Smizik: Penguins need a statue to go with that new arena

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


By most accounts, all is going well with plans for the new arena that will be home to the Penguins.

The site has been selected, buildings are being cleared, plans are being developed. ICON Venue Group, of Denver, will oversee the design and construction. World-renown HOK, of Kansas City, Mo., is involved with the architecture.

Almost everything is covered.

Almost.

One more piece needs to be added to the mix.

A sculptor.

Without such an artist in place, the arena won't be complete. No sculptor, no statue.

And without a statue of Mario Lemieux in front of the building, no matter how grand the design, no matter how spectacular the finished product, Pittsburgh's new arena won't be complete.

The Penguins, of course, have more important things to worry about, such as getting the building done on time. Besides, there's a bit of an awkward situation involved. Lemieux is not only an owner of the team, but also a man whose modesty equals his hockey skills. It's understandable the team might be reluctant to talk about a statue, particularly at this point in time.

But there's no reason the subject of a statue honoring Lemieux shouldn't be on the table. It's an absolute necessity to make the building right. It should be finished and in place when the arena is finished. It shouldn't be hurried or late.

There is ample precedent in Pittsburgh.

Heinz Field has a statue of Art Rooney, the great founder of the Steelers. PNC Park has a statue of Honus Wagner, the Pirates' greatest player, at its home plate entrance, and statues of Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell on the Federal Street side.



The trend has been set, not that honoring Lemieux required one.

It's not just that no one has done more for hockey in Pittsburgh or for the Penguins than Lemieux. That's a well-known fact. The only athlete who played for a Pittsburgh sports team that is remotely comparable to Lemieux is Wagner, still regarded as the greatest shortstop in baseball history, despite having a career that began more than 100 years ago.

Wagner, whose statue originally stood in Schenley Park beyond the left-field wall at Forbes Field and was moved first to Three Rivers Stadium and then to PNC Park, might have matched Lemieux's accomplishments on the field of play -- he won eight batting titles -- but his contributions to the franchise are not comparable.

Baseball was going to be established in Pittsburgh whether the Pirates had traded with the Louisville Colonels for Wagner (the transaction involved 15 players and $25,000) on Dec. 8, 1899, or not.

But had the Penguins not done their worst late in the 1983-84 season in order to finish last and win the draft rights to Lemieux, there is ample reason to believe the franchise would be elsewhere or out of existence today.

By the sheer magic of his play, Lemieux fostered tremendous growth in the sport both from a playing and spectator standpoint. Little more than 20 years after his rookie season, Pittsburgh amateur hockey has reached the point it is regularly developing professional players, which would have been unheard of before Lemieux. From a spectator standpoint, all it takes is a decent team to draw a capacity crowd to Mellon Arena. In the pre-Lemieux days, when the Civic Arena had a capacity of fewer than 13,000, it was as much the rule as the exception that the building would be half full or less.

Lemieux changed all that and the culture of the franchise. He turned the Penguins from perennial losers to Stanley Cup champions.

He should be honored with a statue and, inside the arena, there should be a Hall of Fame area to honor the many players and people who built the franchise and made it great.

So what will the statue in front of the new building, perhaps to be named UPMC Arena, look like?

It could be the traditional hockey pose, with Lemieux slightly bent, stick crossed in front of him and ready to play.

Better still, Lemieux in full stride, head up, puck on stick with an imaginary goalie quivering in the distance.

Either would be good, but here's our favorite: A joyous and exhausted Lemieux hoisting the Stanley Cup.

What a sight that would be for future generations of hockey fans.


(Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.)

Wiser Roethlisberger looks to return to form in 2007

Michael Silver

SI.com

Posted: Thursday May 31, 2007 4:45PM; Updated: Thursday May 31, 2007 5:47PM

Ben Roethlisberger and his father, Ken, were driving the quarterback's dogs to the vet the other day in Pittsburgh (supply your own Michael Vick joke here), and the subject turned to the tumult of 2006. They began listing everything the young passer had experienced over the past year -- the life-threatening motorcycle crash, the appendix that nearly burst, the rocky season, the departure of a coaching legend -- and it all felt so overwhelming.

"When you really think back on everything you went through," Ken told his son, "it was a lot of stuff."

That realization triggered a few seconds of contemplative silence from Big Ben, who was driving his new black pickup truck and, for you non-Libertarians who fret about such things, was indeed taking the necessary safety precautions.

"I was wearing my seat belt," he assured me last Sunday during a phone interview. "I even had a helmet and shoulder pads on."

Yes, he was joking about that last part, and that in and of itself is a good thing. As the NFL's youngest quarterback to have captured a Super Bowl tries to re-establish himself as one of the league's brightest young stars, add levity to the long list of attributes that can help him pull it off.

Last season, Roethlisberger was understandably a bit touchy about the gruesome crash that very nearly killed him -- and which, even as he underwent seven hours of surgery with injuries to his jaw, head, sinus cavity, knees and mouth, brought out an ample share of bad-taste yucksters and righteous critics blasting him for not having worn a helmet.

"It kind of sucked," he conceded. "They didn't even know if I was going to be all right, and a lot of people were all over me. They were making jokes about a guy that almost lost his life. I don't know how that's funny, but I guess that's the way it is.

"The good thing is that my friends and I are at the point now where we can laugh about the crash and the appendix and all that stuff. The other day, my buddy Brian tripped and hit his head, and he gets up and yells, 'Damn, I should've been wearing my helmet.' "



Ben Roethlisberger looks forward to having more control of the offense in 2007.
Michael Fabus/WireImage.com

Last season, the competitor in Roethlisberger refused to concede that either the accident or his emergency appendectomy four days before Pittsburgh's season-opening victory over the Miami Dolphins (he returned 10 days after surgery and started the team's final 15 games) took a toll on his performance. His disappointing numbers included a 75.4 passer rating (down from 98.1 and 98.6 in his first two seasons), a league-high 23 interceptions and, most troubling to Big Ben, an 8-8 record that deprived the Steelers of a shot at defending their championship.

Now that he's somewhat removed from the turmoil, Roethlisberger realizes he had a great deal to overcome. And what excites him most about a potentially redemptive 2007 season is that, if all goes according to plan, he'll be asked to assume a greater share of responsibility than ever before. He'll make blocking adjustments at the line of scrimmage and get to show his improvisational flair, honed at Miami of Ohio, with the installation of the no-huddle offense. And he'll be coached by a man, 35-year-old rookie Mike Tomlin, whom he believes implicitly will trust him more than his former boss did.

Thrust into the starting lineup early in his rookie season after then-starter Tommy Maddox's injury, Roethlisberger, straight out of the MAC, accomplished more than any rookie quarterback since Dan Marino 21 years earlier. But even as Big Ben helped guide Pittsburgh to a 15-1 record and an AFC Championship game appearance -- and, in '05, followed up with the team's first Super Bowl victory in 26 years -- he felt he was treated like a little kid by Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

To be fair, it could be argued that Cowher's approach was somewhat merited: Roethlisberger struggled to learn the offense as a rookie, incessantly glancing down at the cheat sheet on his wristband during games and sometimes calling phantom plays in the huddle. His supreme self-confidence was not matched by a commensurate zest for film study, as he admitted to me shortly before Super Bowl XL.

That Cowher had lectured his quarterback about the need to wear a motorcycle helmet long before the horrific crash only reinforced the notion that Roethlisberger was the petulant teenager to The Chin's grumpy dad.

Cowher resigned in January after 15 seasons as Pittsburgh's head coach, and three months later Roethlisberger made some mildly critical comments about his former boss, telling reporters their "relationship wasn't great." In our conversation Sunday he clarified his earlier remarks, saying, "It wasn't the fact that I disliked Cowher. I like Cowher a lot, and I think he respected me. It's just that he'd been there so long, and I was kind of the young kid -- and that's how I was treated.

"I was always going to be that young guy to Cowher. I mean, think about it: He was in the league longer than I was alive. So of course he saw me as someone who needed to be treated that way."

Roethlisberger is aware of the perception that Tomlin is off to a rocky start in Pittsburgh. Many players believed former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt or line coach Russ Grimm should have succeeded Cowher, and Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca has made waves with his displeasure over his current contract.

As Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, a Pittsburgh native who is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, told me Wednesday, "They've got a mess up there. They've got a new coach, players questioning whether he should be there. He's got to find a way to demand some respect. I don't know what to expect, to be honest."



There are rumors that many Pittsburgh players are unhappy with new coach Mike Tomlin.

Says Roethlisberger: "Guys were a little nervous at first. But people have been making a big deal about Alan, like everybody's mad and doesn't like Coach Tomlin, and that's not the case. I think the change is cool. The new thing is not necessarily a bad thing. He's come on and kind of brought some new, youthful playfulness to all the guys, and he seems to have brought a new, uplifting spirit."

When the new coach and incumbent quarterback met for the first time, dining at La Tavola Italiana in Pittsburgh, Tomlin told Roethlisberger, "I'm not trying to become your best friend overnight. The friendship, the respect, the lightness in our relationship, that's going to come over time."

Says Roethlisberger: "He's not going to try to force the issue, and I like that. I told [offensive coordinator] Bruce Arians, 'Treat me like a man. That's how I always wanted to be treated. Treat me like a man. You don't have to scream.' And that's the way it has been since Coach Tomlin arrived."

Roethlisberger expects to be more of a team leader this season, if only as part of an evolutionary process that accelerated with the offseason release of linebacker Joey Porter, who had become the team's largest locker-room presence upon halfback Jerome Bettis' retirement following Super Bowl XL.

"People say, 'The starting quarterback's got to be a leader.' I believe that 100 percent," Roethlisberger says. "But I never wanted to step on the toes of the leaders we already had in our locker room -- Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward, Joey Porter, Alan Faneca. Now Jerome's gone and Joey's gone, and my role will increase, though I'm still not going to step on the toes of Hines and Alan. It's all part of the maturation of me."

He may be older and wiser, but Roethlisberger isn't any less confident than he was before his 2006 struggles. "I said this before and I'll say it again -- I had a bad year," he said toward the end of our conversation. "It's probably going to happen again, to be honest." He laughed and continued: "Look at the greatest quarterbacks of all time, and all of them have had a bad season or two or three.

"Do I want to be that quarterback I was two years ago? No. I want to be better."

I extracted a couple of more mildly interesting responses -- yes, he rides his bike every day (with helmet), but it's a bicycle; he says he hasn't ridden a motorcycle since the wreck -- before the subject turned to Whisenhunt, now the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, and Grimm, who signed on as Whisenhunt's assistant head coach/offensive line coach after being passed over in Pittsburgh.

Mindful that Super Bowl XLII will be played at the Cardinals' home stadium in Glendale, Ariz., Roethlisberger said, "I wish Whiz and Russ nothing but the best in Arizona. I hope we see them there for the Super Bowl. I mean, we're going to see them one way or another, but I hope they're in the game, too."

And no, this time he wasn't joking.

Study links NFL concussions, depression

Steelers Troy Polamalu goes through agility drills during practice on the South Side on Thursday. According to a study of former NFL players, Polamalu could have an increased risk of depression.

By Scott Brown
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, June 1, 2007


Troy Polamalu falls into the category that, according to a new study, puts him much more at risk of depression.

A study of more than 2,500 retired NFL players found that those who have had at least three concussions are three times as likely to experience clinical depression than someone who has never had a concussion.

But Polamalu, who said he has had three concussions, doesn't worry about the long-term ramifications of his concussions or the findings that were published Thursday by the American College of Sports Medicine.

"To me, I think something like depression isn't something physical," the Steelers' Pro Bowl safety said. "I think there are some physical mental diseases, but I don't think depression is. To me, I think these can be spiritual illnesses sometimes."

Dr. Julian Bailes, a former Steelers team doctor and one of the authors of the study, said three or more concussions put someone at risk for developing mild cognitive impairment, which makes them more susceptible to dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

He said the latest findings by the University of North Carolina's Center for the Study of Retired Athletes show that those who have suffered at least three concussions also significantly increase the chances that they will experience depression.

"We think it's interesting," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "But it does not prove anything, and we want to know more. And that's why we are spending close to $2 million on a study of concussions on our retired players."

The issue of concussions and the effect they have on a player's life after football have generated a lot of attention, especially in the aftermath of Andre Waters' suicide and Ted Johnson's revelations that he has battled mental problems since 2002.

Waters, a former Eagles safety, had his brain damaged by concussions, according to a forensic pathologist, and killed himself last November.

The 34-year-old Johnson, a former Patriots linebacker, shows early signs of Alzheimer's, The Boston Globe and The New York Times reported in February.

The league is considering a whistle-blower program to keep team officials from pushing players to play too soon after concussions, and commissioner Roger Goodell has ordered all 32 teams to send their doctors and trainers to a meeting about concussions later this month.

Bailes, chairman of the department of neurosurgery at West Virginia University's School of Medicine, said he will speak at the meeting as well as give a presentation.

He said he is "encouraged by what the commissioner is doing. We want to make the game safer."

But, as Bailes acknowledged, improvements that are made to equipment and precautions that are taken as a result of studies that shed light on the long-term effect of concussions, won't rid concussions from the game.

Steelers guard Kendall Simmons has never had a concussion even though banging helmets during a game is a regular thing for him.

Simmons said he doesn't worry about concussions. If he becomes tentative because of that concern, it hampers his play and makes him more susceptible to getting hurt.

"I'm in the middle of collisions all of the time, so if I try to keep my head out of there, I'm not effective at all," Simmons said, "so I'm pretty much trying to deliver a blow instead of taking one."

Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.

Joe Starkey: Crosby more than ready for 'C'

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, June 1, 2007



Mario Lemieux (right) presents Sidney Crosby with the C jersey. Crosby was named captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Mellon Arena Thursday, becoming the youngest team captain in NHL history.

The Kid officially became The Man on Thursday, though both were easy to spot at a news conference announcing Sidney Crosby as the Penguins' new captain.

The Kid finished modeling his new jersey, complete with a capital 'C,' and he handed it to his dad for safekeeping.

The Man handled the media crush with ease.

The Kid loves PlayStation and still lives with Mario Lemieux's family -- though he purchased a house in his hometown of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, last summer.

The Kid's a teenager -- two months shy of his 20th birthday -- which is why some who aren't close to the situation will question the wisdom of this move. A few months ago, NHL legend Mark Messier fell into that category.
Messier, during the All-Star break in Dallas, said he was wildly impressed with Crosby's character but cautioned against naming him captain anytime soon.

"I'm always leery about making kids that young assistant captains, even," Messier said. "Clearly, he is the leader of the team. But at the same point, you need to let him be a rookie, a child. You need to give him the opportunity to make mistakes.

"Being a captain or an assistant captain puts undue pressure on him."

Undue pressure? Crosby has been thriving in the face of it practically since birth.

See, in some ways, The Kid has always been The Man. His father reflected on that yesterday at Mellon Arena.

"He's just always been really mature," Troy Crosby said. "I think it's because a lot of his friends were a couple of years older, because of hockey, and I think some kids are just more mature than others. He was always focused and really knew what he wanted to do from a young age. He sacrificed a lot."

Still does.

You know as much if you watch the Penguins and see Crosby play every shift at warp speed. You know it, too, if you've seen coach Michel Therrien bar him from practice to avoid possible burnout.

Therrien spotted the born leader in Crosby the instant he replaced Eddie Olczyk midway through the 2005-06 season. Olczyk's instinct was to shelter Crosby. Therrien's instinct was to feature him -- burden him, even, because he knew The Man could handle it.

That's why Therrien immediately stripped respected veteran John LeClair of his assistant captain's role and gave it to Crosby.

Critics howled. Don Cherry, the cantankerous Canadian hockey analyst and former NHL coach, ripped Therrien and said of Crosby, "He's an 18-year-old kid."

But also an 18-year-old man, and one who would soon become the youngest scoring champion in NHL history.

Yesterday, the Penguins made Crosby the youngest captain in NHL history.

Crosby could have had the job before or during the season, but he turned it down twice, including 10 days after the All-Star Game.

"He told us, 'I don't think the time's right,' " general manager Ray Shero said. "That says a lot about him."

Ironic, isn't it?

In refusing such a prestigious job -- in demonstrating his ability to say no -- Crosby showed precisely the kind of maturity, courage and smarts the job requires.

The Kid was eager. The Man made him wait.


Joe Starkey is a sports writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at jstarkey@tribweb.com