Pirates to retire Waner's number

Right fielder won an MVP award and NL pennant in 1927

By Jeremy Anders / MLB.com



Paul Waner's batting average with the Pirates was .340 -- which remains the best in club history.

PITTSBURGH - Pirates fans remember 15 years of steady and dominant performances at Forbes Field. His grandson remembers two wonderful summers in the Florida heat.
Pirates fans remember a young right fielder taking home NL MVP and batting crown honors as he led his team to the NL pennant in 1927. Dick Groat, the 1960 NL MVP, remembers a man who patiently taught him how to hit big league pitching in his rookie season.

Pirates fans know him for the scalding line drives that came off his bat. His grandson remembers the soft tosses that came out of his grandfather's hand when he threw batting practice to him.

The man is Paul Waner, one of the greatest players in Pirates history whom the team will honor by retiring his number on Saturday. He rapped out 3,152 hits and patrolled right field at Forbes Field for 15 of his 20 years as a Major Leaguer.

Those prolific statistics helped define his career on the field, but his kind and patient nature as a grandfather and coach helped define him as a man after his playing days ended.

Paul Waner III's memories of his grandfather are limited to two summers spent with him in the early 1960's. Waner III was 11 and 12 years old then and traveled from his Fort Worth home to spend the summer with his grandpa in Sarasota, Fla.

Those summers became some of the fondest memories of Waner III's childhood and he wished he could have gotten to spend more time with his grandfather. Waner died of emphysema in 1965.

"He was a really super nice guy," Waner III said. "He liked kids, he was great with me and fun to be around."

The pair spent their days in the outdoors, fishing for catfish on an ocean inlet before moving to the baseball diamond, where Waner threw batting practice for his grandson.

That was the only time Waner III said he really enjoyed playing the game his grandfather had been a legend at.

"I tried [baseball], but I just never enjoyed it enough to stay with it," Waner III said. "I played football and that was it."

But the exception to that was on a small field in Sarasota. The game may not have been fun when he was surrounded with his peers, but it became an absolute joy when it was just him and his grandpa alone on the diamond.

"It was a lot of fun," Waner III said. "He was patient; I could see he spent a lot of time coaching. To be honest, I was not a good baseball player at all, but we'd go out there and work out and he'd tell me, I think, I was better than I really was."

The patience Waner showed to a young boy on a small field was the same patience he had when he dealt with Major and Minor League players during his coaching career.

He got into coaching immediately after he retired when he began a short stint as the manager of the Florida International League's Miami Sun Fox in 1946. Waner later was a hitting coach in the Minor Leagues as well as a Spring Training batting instructor for several teams including the Pirates.

Even when he wasn't an official coach or instructor with a team, he was always willing to help another player out. In 1952, Pirates shortstop Groat was signed out of Duke to play for the Pirates.

Beginning his career in the Major Leagues was baptism by fire for Groat and he struggled at the beginning of the season. But work put in with hitting coach George Sisler along with plenty of extra practice with Waner helped turn things around.

Waner owned a batting cage in Harmarville, east of Pittsburgh, and Groat worked with him in the mornings before practice. He remembers Waner's patience and kindness as a teacher.

"He was fun to be with, I really liked Paul Waner," Groat said. "He couldn't have been nicer to me in every way. He helped me build confidence, and I ended up leading the Pirates in hitting that year as a rookie.

"He was very patient, very understanding and had a great hitting philosophy. Even at that age, he could still hit that machine and hit that ball hard. He had such an enthusiasm for life and for swinging the bat and he was just fun to be around."

Waner kept that love for baseball as well as a love for the outdoors throughout his life. He shared both with his grandson when they were together in the summer.

"I had a lot of fun," Waner III said. "I was too young to really appreciate it at the time, looking back."

Now, on the day his number will be retired, fans can look back on years of dominating offensive performances as a player, while Waner III, Groat and others who knew him off the field will remember the kind, patient man he was.


Jeremy Anders is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Pirates stress that Wilson still 'our shortstop'

Tracy keeps Izturis out of lineup day after trade

Saturday, July 21, 2007

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A fan hung a banner from PNC Park's left-field rotunda last night, which read, "We love Jack."

The Pirates' management, it seems, was eager to express a similar sentiment toward Jack Wilson yesterday, fresh off acquiring another shortstop, Cesar Izturis, the previous day.

First, general manager Dave Littlefield phoned Wilson's agent, Page Odle, early in the afternoon to reiterate his public comments that Izturis was added only to bolster the team's infield depth. Usually, Littlefield has assistant general manager Doug Strange make such calls to agents.

Later, manager Jim Tracy gave an impassioned backing of Wilson during his pregame session with reporters.

"Jack's our shortstop," he said.

He then repeated it for emphasis twice more.

And, as if to symbolically take it a step further, Wilson was his starting shortstop and Izturis was on the bench yesterday, even though Izturis can play third base or second base. Matt Kata made his first start at third, and Freddy Sanchez was at second.

"I've got the lineup that I want out there," Tracy continued. "This idea that just because Cesar's in, Jack's out, that's just not the case."

Tracy did not rule out that Wilson could be traded -- "I don't know any of that," he said -- but he fully supported the idea of adding Izturis, partially because it gives the Pirates more resources from which to make potential deals.

"You could make a strong argument that we now have two of the best fielding middle infielders in the National League," he said. "That's just not something you pass up when you have the opportunity to get it at a good price."

The Pirates will pay only $277,000 of Izturis' $4.25 million salary the rest of this season, but they would have to pay him $5.8 million to exercise a 2008 option.

"With all due respect to Don Kelly, we replaced a player who had his first major-league hit this season with one who has a Gold Glove and was an All-Star," Tracy said. "That's a deal you have to make. It's the kind of deal that gets you depth. It gets you into the position where, someday, if needed, you can discuss things with other clubs, you have something to deal from."

He paused.

"And I'm not talking about Cesar and Jack when I say that."

Wilson, surrounded by a dozen reporters at his stall, reiterated his stance from Thursday that he will have little reaction to being on the trading block until he hears it definitively.

"Regardless of what happens in the next 11 days, I just want to help the team win," he said. "Cesar Izturis is one of my favorite players. I collect bats of my favorites, and his is one of the ones on my rack. I'm glad to have him here."

Wilson estimated receiving "like 150" phone calls and text messages Thursday from family, friends, former teammates and the like, all encouraging him to stay positive.

"I'm a baseball player, and I'll keep playing," he said. "Once everybody starts to talk about it, you do think about it. I've talked to my wife, and we've looked at the schedule to see what we have to do if something happens on this or that date."

Asked if he expects to be on the Pirates after the deadline, Wilson replied, "I don't know. We'll see how it plays out."

There remains no clear suitor for Wilson. The only team in Major League Baseball with a winning record that could use an upgrade at shortstop is Boston, which has .218-hitting Julio Lugo. But Lugo is in the first year of a four-year, $35 million deal.

Given that Wilson's contract runs through 2009, a team in need of a shortstop for a longer term could be interested, too. But those types of trades tend to come in the offseason.

Tracy explained Izturis being on the bench as the Pirates "just wanting to see where he is right now" because he barely played for the Chicago Cubs in the past month. He did not say when Izturis might start but strongly suggested he would come off the bench.

"He might spell Jack or someone else one day," Tracy said. "We'll move him around a bit. But we will get him involved."

Izturis donned his new uniform for the first time in the afternoon, that being No. 13. He is the first Pirates player to wear that number since outfielder Adrian Brown in 2002, only the 13th in history.

Izturis restated his satisfaction at joining the Pirates, especially after taking only 13 at-bats in his final 18 games with the Cubs.

"It's a good move for me to come here, I think, because I'll get a good chance," he said. "We'll see what happens down the stretch, but I'm ready to contribute."

Tomlin stresses new 'D' for Steelers: discipline

Friday, July 20, 2007

By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

New, young coach Bill Cowher didn't take long in grabbing his players' attention at his first Steelers' training camp in 1992. He cut Huey Richardson, the team's No. 1 draft choice a year earlier. Everybody noticed.

New, young coach Mike Tomlin will go about it in a different way when he hits Latrobe running Monday. Santonio Holmes has to be thankful for that, but the other fellows probably won't be quite so appreciative.

Fifteen two-a-day practices.

"It is going to be trying at times," an enthused Tomlin said yesterday. "There will be some adversity ...

"That's what training camp is about. You put guys in situations that are a little bit outside of their comfort zone, that will make them a little bit uncomfortable and see who is able to deal with it."

Oh, yeah, they'll be uncomfortable, all right.

After that disappointing 8-8 record last season, they need to be uncomfortable.

No one likes change and many people are afraid of change, but that doesn't mean change is always bad.

The Steelers are a team that needs the change Tomlin is ready to provide, what is expected to be the toughest, most competitive camp in years.

Sure, Tomlin has to make it that way to establish himself, just as Cowher had to send his message by releasing Richardson, one of the great busts in franchise history. Although Tomlin insisted he's "not approaching this as a tone-setter," that can't be true. He has been setting the tone since he took the Steelers job in January, doing a marvelous job of it, actually. It's still too soon to evaluate the man as a head coach. Let's let him win a game first. Let's see how he reacts to a loss or two or three. But it's not too soon to say he has handled himself admirably in every situation so far.

You had to like the way Tomlin shrugged off the very public moans of his veteran players who wanted the Steelers to stay in-house for Cowher's successor and go with a known -- to them, anyway -- commodity, Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm. To paraphrase him: It's their job to play and my job to coach 'em up. At the end of the day, what difference does it make if they like me or not?

You also had to like the way Tomlin dealt with the Alan Faneca contract crisis at minicamp in May. "This will be my last year as a Pittsburgh Steeler," an angry, emotional Faneca said, a contention he reiterated again this week. Tomlin treated Faneca with all of the respect an All-Pro deserves, yet it's believed he also fined him when he skipped a mandatory workout.

Hey, if you let something slide in May, who's to say other things won't slide in November and December when it really can haunt the team?

But this camp isn't just about a new sheriff in town. It's fair to think after the 2005 season the Steelers had grown a little stale, even a little soft, under Cowher, especially after they won Super Bowl XL. It wasn't just all of the underachieving last year. It was the overall lack of discipline, the personal-foul penalties, the sloppy football all the way around, on offense, defense and special teams. Seeing it brought to mind something former Steelers great Jerome Bettis said about Cowher in '05: "He allowed us a lot of flexibility. He never fined us for anything. You came late, you never got fined. You never got reprimanded for anything."

Those days are gone.

Good riddance.

That doesn't mean Tomlin won't be smart at Saint Vincent College. He's not going to burn his team out in the brutal heat and humidity of July and August. There will be special-teams work and walk-throughs on at least half of those scheduled two-a-days. And, as the new boss noted, though he put a lot of time and thought into his rugged practice demands and is happy with the schedule, "We understand that we have to be light on our feet and things will have to be adjusted along the way."

But, for sure, the players still will be plenty uncomfortable.

"We want to come out as a hardened unit," Tomlin said of his No. 1 camp goal. "The only way you can do that is if you are challenged in a lot of ways."

Makes sense, doesn't it?

In this case, uncomfortable really is good.


Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.

Steelers reach deal with No. 2 pick Woodley

By Scott Brown
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, July 19, 2007


The Steelers will have at least one of their prized linebacker prospects in camp on time.

The team and second-round draft pick LaMarr Woodley reached an agreement on a four-year contract Wednesday.

Woodley played defensive end for Michigan last season but will be converted to outside linebacker. Terms of the deal were not released.

The Steelers have come to terms with five of their eight draft choices, and they are close to an agreement with their third-round pick, Matt Spaeth. The tight end is expected to be in camp, which starts Monday at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, on time.

The only other draft picks who have yet to come to terms with the Steelers are first-rounder Lawrence Timmons, an outside linebacker, and fifth-rounder William Gay, a cornerback.

Timmons' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and the Steelers have exchanged contract proposals.

Timmons was the 15th overall pick of last April's draft.

Woodley had 12 sacks for Michigan last season and was a consensus first-team All-American as well as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

The 6-1, 266-pounder is expected to play left outside linebacker as well as special teams this season.

Woodley's agreement came a day after the Steelers came to terms with wide receiver Dallas Baker, a seventh-round draft pick.

The Steelers have already signed both fourth-round draft picks, punter Daniel Sepulveda and defensive lineman Ryan McBean, as well as fifth-round pick Cameron Stephenson, a guard.


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

Faneca says this is his final year with Steelers

Thursday, July 19, 2007



Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Alan Faneca -- "I don't think I'll have bells on but I'll be there."

By Ed Bouchette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Alan Faneca plans to report with his teammates for the start of training camp on time Monday, but it will be his final summer at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

"I'll be there. I don't think I'll have bells on but I'll be there," Faneca said yesterday from his home in Louisiana.

Faneca, a captain and the most decorated guard in team history with six Pro Bowls, will enter the final year of his contract with the Steelers. He said he will play for another team in 2008 because no talks have taken place for an extension. Faneca will become an unrestricted free agent in March. He skipped all of the team's spring drills except for the required minicamp.

Although still upset about his contract situation, Faneca promised he would not be a distraction to the team this year and will perform as he has in his previous nine seasons with the team.

"I'm going to go about my business and play football. Any distraction would be through the media and how they perceive me going about my business of playing football.

"It's about playing with the guys next to you and playing for a job as well. It's a true sense of playing for a job. It just happens to be somewhere else the following year."

Faneca, 30, said the Steelers offered him a contract early this year but said it was so low it would not have put him among the top 10 guards in the league and called it merely a tool so club management could claim it offered him an extension. He will play for a salary of $3,375,000 this season in addition to a $1 million roster bonus he received in March.

Faneca ripped management on May 11 when he reported for the required minicamp. He said the Steelers treated him unfairly and he had asked for a trade.

"I'm still emotional about it," Faneca said yesterday. "I might not show it as much. I think the one big thing that got misconstrued or misunderstood was that I was making some sort of promise or threat not coming back. I was just stating a fact and putting it out in the open. Maybe I didn't make it a good enough point. It was not a promise or a threat or negotiating tactic."

Faneca said his situation could motivate him even more as people try to evaluate his play based on his unhappiness over his contract and the fact he turned 30.

"I think it's definitely motivation when everyone's talking about your age, your play. People are analyzing you and the situation, that motivates you."

Faneca said while he won't be a distraction, he will answer questions from the media about his situation, at least early on.

"Hopefully, at some point they stop, but they probably won't," Faneca said. 'I'm just going to go about my business. When it reaches the point I'm tired of talking about it, I'll stop talking about it, stop rehashing the old."


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

Gene Collier: There's no question ... it's time to give up on the Pirates

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Jason Bay races to pick up the ball in short left-center field after outfielder Rajai Davis overran a fly ball off the bat of Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki in the third inning yesterday.


Trending upward and trailing flashes of hopeful spin at an All-Star break that ended not even a week ago, the Pirates are, by way of understatement, trending downward today, trending downward in something like the way the office printer might trend downward if you pushed it out a 10th-story window.

Things were so bad after yesterday's sixth consecutive desultory loss that efforts to say something different or even positive about the poor little Buccos were pretty much limited to, "Well, at least they're not electrocuting dogs."

At least that's the one I was stuck on.

It's good news that no Pirates will be indicted in the Michael Vick dogfighting case, but clearly, it's time to close the book on the 2007 Pirates and focus on the looming NFL season in all its promise and ancillary criminality. But still, it's hard to walk off without at least an attempt at quantifying what went down on the North Side in less than 48 hours this week, within three losses to the Colorado Rockies that dripped finality along with the customary incompetence.

Let's be reminded that it is inappropriate -- completely inappropriate, as we've been advised -- to question the commitment Nutting family ownership has to winning, so perhaps it's a good thing the club looks as if it fully intends to finish 40-122, which should heighten ownership's understanding of the task at hand.

Forget the poisoned atmospherics that enabled Monday night's dugout blowup between shortstop Jack Wilson and pitching coach Jim Colborn, and forget that the former has become such a non-factor offensively that opposing managers pitch to him with runners on base and the pitcher up next, and forget that under the latter the team earned run average has gone from 4.42 to 4.60 in a year and a half.

Instead consider that the Rockies, who had won five of their 15 road series this year, who had never won a series at PNC Park (0-8-0), beat you with Josh Fogg and the junior varsity here Tuesday night. With the .310 hitting Todd Helton and the .298 hitting Kaz Matsui on the bench along with Brad Hawpe and his 16 homers, the Rockies cruised through seven innings behind Fogg and won, 6-2, without so much as a challenge.

Consider further that Fogg, a sub-.500 pitcher who was let go by the Pirates after a 6-11 summer in 2005, won for the 20th time at PNC Park, which is more than any pitcher in the National League -- including the Pirates.

What does it say when The Most Beautiful Ballpark In America is nearly seven years old and its all-time pitching master is a guy with a 55-57 career record who has been gone since November of '05? (Hint: Dock Ellis had won 20 games at Three Rivers Stadium by May 20, 1972, less than two years after it opened.)

I'm not exactly sure, but I think it indicates that ownership had consistently put on this fabulous stage a sad, sad product.

The current ensemble has degenerated to the level that none of its components should be considered untouchable, not Jason Bay anymore, not Ian Snell, slogging along now at 7-7 after a 14-11 tease, not even Tom Gorzelanny.

Yesterday's aftermath merely underlined the fate of a club apparently so unaccustomed to the pressure of being only nine games out at the All-Star break it had to scurry back into its North Side burrow for fear of actual accomplishment.

Snell, smacked for twin two-run bombs by Hawpe and Helton in yesterday's 5-3 matinee loss, offered a classic my-fault-not-my-fault epilogue in which he implicated everyone short of Michael Vick.

"I left a couple of pitches out over the plate, and a couple of pitches that were strikes were called balls, and I let that get to me, let my frustration get to me," Snell said. "I'm taking the blame; it's my fault."

Asked about a bloop double that fell behind skidding center fielder Rajai Davis, Snell said, "I'm not commenting on any of that, nothing about the offense or the defense. Like I said, it was my fault."

So that was, again, the umpire, and maybe the offense and/or the defense, and, anything else?

"Somebody was getting the signs," he said. "Hopefully, I'll pitch against them again in Colorado and I'll get that taken care of. I was just told about it in the shower. I'm not saying who it was. I'll take care of it if I get to pitch against them. If not, I'll confront him. I mean who does that kiddie [stuff]?"

Probably somebody who was, you know, tryin' to win. Perhaps the Rockies should stay loose during that August series in Denver. In the meantime, as Bob Nutting looks over his organization at the effective end of another lost summer, that might be the best advice for everyone. Stay loose.

Stats Geek: Clemente, Waner almost an even match

Paul Waner

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

By Brian O'Neill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Was Paul Waner the equal of Roberto Clemente in right field? The question may be unanswerable, but few teams can point to two players at one position so evenly matched.

The Pirates will retire Waner's No. 11 before Saturday's game against the Astros, an event coming 67 years after his last game as a Pirate. With most of the people who watched the 153-pound "Big Poison" long gone, and the visual record of his greatness mostly unrecorded, we have only anecdotes and numbers to go by.

But they're pretty great.

Jim Tripoldi runs Diamond Jim's, a card and memorabilia shop in Beaver, and tells the story about working for The News-Tribune, a former daily in Beaver Falls, at the time of Clemente's incredible 1971 World Series.

"Forget about Clemente," his cigar-chomping sports editor, Joe Tronzo, said. "Paul Waner, when he was sober, was the best right fielder the Pirates ever had.

"The second best right fielder the Pirates ever had," Tronzo added, "was Paul Waner when he was drunk."

Roberto Clemente

As one who was mesmerized by Clemente's bat, glove, legs and right arm that October, I can't buy Tronzo's glib dismissal. But I never saw Waner.

Waner has the highest career batting average as a Pirate (.340), and only Honus Wagner, the most dominant player in team history, scored more runs (1,521 to 1,493). Waner has the most doubles (558), and those he tacked on after his release by the Pirates put him 11th on the all-time doubles list with 605.

Waner's 3,152 hits (2,868 as a Pirate) put him 16th all time. He won three batting titles, and four of the 10 highest averages in Pirates history belong to him. During the years he played, from 1926-45, nobody hit more than his 191 triples. This guy was so good his reputation probably helped his less gifted brother, Lloyd "Little Poison" Waner, get into the Hall of Fame with him.

Of course, Clemente had four batting titles, the most hits as a Pirate (3,000), and a MVP award in 1966 to match Waner's 1927 plaque. Clemente's 166 triples are more than anyone has hit since the end of World War II.

Clemente also played through an era dominated by pitchers while Waner played in the 1920s and 1930s, when .300 averages were commonplace. Throw in the fact that some of the best players during Waner's era -- Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson, Satchel Paige, Buck Leonard and Smokey Joe Williams -- were playing for the Pittsburgh Crawfords or Homestead Grays in the Negro Leagues, and a straight comparison by conventional numbers doesn't work.

1934 Goudey

Baseball historians say Waner and Clemente are near equals. Both could run, hit and field like almost nobody else. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract ranks Clemente eighth and Waner ninth among all right fielders.

Jay Jaffe has developed a rating system for Baseball Prospectus to discuss the merits for the Hall of Fame, and he ranks both even higher. Jaffe puts right fielders in this order: 1) Babe Ruth 2) Hank Aaron 3) Mel Ott 4) Frank Robinson 5) Al Kaline 6) Clemente 7) Waner 8) Dave Winfield 9) Reggie Jackson 10) Sam Crawford. (That possibly unfamiliar name is the all-time triples leader who played alongside Ty Cobb in Detroit).

"If Clemente had lived," Jaffe wrote in an e-mail in December, "he'd have probably emerged from the pack for sole possession of fifth."

I haven't space to outline Jaffe's methodology, but he uses peak years and career record to come up with the overall rating. You don't hear arguments about Clemente and Waner the way you do, say, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio, but no players who played the same position for the same team are more closely matched among baseball's all-time greats, according to Jaffe's system.

Fielding is almost impossible to measure accurately, and Waner played before the Gold Glove award arrived, so he had no chance to match Clemente's 12 awards, tied with Willie Mays for the most by an outfielder. But Waner had 238 assists in 2,255 games as a right fielder, nearly as many as Clemente's 252 in 2,305 games there. Baseball Prospectus rates Clemente as saving 110 runs above the average right fielder in his career, and Waner saving 64 at that position.

Roberto Clemente

That can't be certain, but let's agree that from 1926-40, and again from 1955 until the ballpark shut down in 1970, visitors to Forbes Field were well advised to hit the ball somewhere other than right field.

Who was better? Who cares? Let memories of Clemente provide a prism to view Waner's similar skills. If you ever bought into "Field of Dreams," maybe you can see them both hitting triples somewhere still.


Brian O'Neill can be reached at boneill@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1947.

Bob Smizik: Desperation on rise again after meeting

Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The door to Jim Tracy's office was closed. The blinds on the rectangular window on that door were drawn. Nothing could be seen and nothing could be heard, not even by someone standing next to the door. Whatever was going inside the manager's office in the Pirates' clubhouse at PNC Park was nobody's business.

After about 40 minutes, shortly after 4 p.m. yesterday, the door opened and out walked what amounted to the Pirates' senior leadership council: Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Jason Bay, Salomon Torres, Xavier Nady, Shawn Chacon and Adam LaRoche.

The players, among the best and most experienced on the team, had nothing to say. Conveniently, a fielding fundamental drill, highly unusual for this time of year, was taking place on the field and all rushed to join their teammates. LaRoche, normally the most convivial of fellows, so much as fled from approaching reporters.

Tracy remained alone in his office, the eighth person involved in this unusual meeting.

On losing teams, player meetings are almost common. So, too, are meetings where the manager addresses the entire team. But a meeting between the manager and the team's leaders is atypical. Tracy called the meeting in an attempt to reach out to the leadership core of the team. It might be viewed as a move of desperation. It should. These are desperate times for the Pirates.

The team's terrible play after the All-Star Game combined with an incident a night earlier no doubt caused Tracy to reach out.

In the sixth inning Monday, an error by Wilson, on a difficult but makable play, resulted in the Colorado Rockies scoring an unearned run. When Wilson returned to the dugout at the end of the inning, pitching coach Jim Colborn, a close lieutenant of Tracy's, began what appeared to be a harsh conversation with Wilson. The two went back and forth briefly before bench coach Jim Lett stepped in.

Heated exchanges in a major-league dugout are not unusual. What is unusual, though, is the exchange taking place between a pitching coach and an infielder. Which is to say, Colborn couldn't have been more out of line. He had no business getting involved. Jeff Cox coaches the infielders. Besides, in a game where one of his starting pitchers gave up nine runs in two innings, Colborn would appear to have enough problems of his own without reaching out for more.

We don't know and might never know the exact nature of the exchange between Wilson and Colborn. Wilson wouldn't comment and Colborn said, "I've got nothing to say about that. It wasn't newsworthy."

Oh, but it was newsworthy, and Colborn, who has been around, knew it. It was the talk of Pittsburgh sports yesterday.

This nasty situation easily could have been defused and possibly turned into a positive with a sharp jolt of the truth. What's wrong with either or both of the men saying that in the heat of the game, in the frustration of yet another defeat, they lost their cool, that it was over and they had put it behind them?

This team, this organization doesn't do things that way.

Some 18 hours later, the truth still hadn't surfaced. The exchange between Colborn and Wilson still was a subject that could not be discussed. Tracy waved off all questions on the matter. He would not even discuss how the play should have unfolded on the field. For example, should either left fielder Jason Bay or center fielder Nate McLouth called off Wilson. Both had an easier play on the ball. Of course, they should have, which is a large reason why Colborn was so out of line. Wilson made a physical error. One or both of the outfielders made a mental error. "It's over," Tracy said.

The fact the players met with Tracy, and Tracy alone, indicates it wasn't over when they arrived at the clubhouse yesterday. Clearly, something was festering. Perhaps it was a beneficial meeting. Perhaps both sides had their say and came away satisfied.

It was hardly reflected on the field where the Pirates continued their recent alarming trend of falling behind early by a large margin. They were down four runs after 2 1/2 innings to the Rockies and on their way to a fifth consecutive defeat, 6-2. Their old teammate, Josh Fogg, a marginally talented pitcher but a bulldog of a competitor, limited them to two runs and five hits in seven innings.

The defeat left the Pirates 13 games under .500. They're a half-game away from falling to fifth place. Last place looms.

Meetings won't solve what ails this team. The Pirates don't have enough good players. They have too many holes they can't fill. What's worse is the attitude is declining. The bravado of spring is turning into the reality of summer. The Pirates are a bad baseball team and the players know it. It's no fun to come to the ballpark any more. The season can't get over fast enough.

That the Steelers open practice Monday is proof that we live in a rational world.

Bob Raisman: Mets Could Be Kinder to Kiner

New York Daily News

Tuesday, July 17th 2007, 4:00 AM



As Ralph Kiner waves, fans hope it's not a goodbye.

That was a wonderful tribute the Mets paid to Ralph Kiner Saturday night at Shea. All participants should be congratulated. All hearts were in the right place. Unfortunately, something about the event rang hollow - even disingenuous.

The Mets gave Kiner a cruise to anywhere he wants to go. That's nice, but what they - and the executives at SportsNet New York (owned by Fred Wilpon, Time Warner and Comcast) - should give him is more TV games to work.

Throughout the ceremony, and even during the Reds-Mets telecast that followed on Ch. 11, those watching were constantly reminded that Kiner Night was not about retirement.

"Even better, it (Kiner's broadcasting career) is not over yet," Gary Cohen said during the telecast. "This was a tribute. This isn't a retirement."

True. Nontheless, it's also true since SNY became the TV home of the Mets, Kiner has been pushed to the edge of retirement. If it makes anyone feel better, call it semiretirement. Last season, Kiner made about 25 appearances in the Mets broadcast booth. This season, including three spring training telecasts, he is scheduled to make 14 (Kiner will only be seen five more times this season).

Saturday night, you had all these folks - brought together by the Mets organization - heaping accolades on Ralphie, talking about what a tremendous broadcaster he is. They all spoke the truth. If this outpouring of love and honor is sincere - especially from the Mets - you would think the powers that be, either at the Mets or SNY, would want to give fans even more Kiner.

His age, 84, should not be an issue. Let's be real. Kiner's partner, the late Hall of Famer Bob Murphy, wanted to go wire-to-wire. He did. Murph basically was yakking - working a hefty schedule - up until the end. Why is it different for Kiner?

It probably has to do with Kiner slurring his words. Since he was stricken with Bell's palsy in 1998, Kiner has struggled with his speech. What the suits who gutted Kiner's TV schedule don't get is this: For Mets fans, Kiner is like family. They have been hearing him speak this way now for nine years. They understand him.

They also know his mind is sharp. He can still deliver stories and humor and doesn't try to jive anyone when he presents analysis.

And if anyone thinks it's Kiner who wants to take it easy, well, that's highly doubtful. In May, Scott M. Kiner, Kiner's son, sent an e-mail here. I'm not getting into his entire message, but one line reflects its tone and feeling.

"Baseball is my father's life," Scott Kiner said. "It's what gets him out of bed every day. It's what makes him happy."

The cruise can wait. Give Ralphie more games.

Never over: The sight of Yogi Berra, wearing a headset and microphone, chatting with Kiner, Cohen and Keith Hernandez in the Ch. 11 Mets' booth Saturday night was a rare one. Can't remember the last time Yogi struck a similar pose in the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network booth. ...

braissman@nydailynews.com

Myron Cope on sports

By Bill Steigerwald
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, July 14, 2007

After 35 years as color commentator for Steelers radio broadcasts, Myron Cope retired for health reasons two summers ago. The Pittsburgh native and Pitt grad, whose parents named him Myron Sydney Kopelman 78 years ago, reports he's feeling well, keeping busy and doing some writing. Cope, who in the 1960s was a nationally renowned feature writer for Sports Illustrated and other magazines, has just released a new DVD titled "Myron's Memorable Moments" that's available at Borders bookstores. I talked to Cope Wednesday by telephone from his home in Mt. Lebanon:

Q: How have professional sports in general changed for the better in the last 50 years?

A: Of course they've increased in popularity tremendously. In one aspect, for example, multitudes of women are sports fans -- knowledgeable and all. That did not used to be the case that women were interested in sports. When I was young -- in my 20s or even 30s -- being the deep-thinker I am, aha, I thought that politicians used sports as the opium of the people. It kept their minds off more important matters, you know, while politicians could do what they wanted. But I have been less cynical about that as the years grew on. I think it's great now, and I have thought so for years because it's a very nice diversion. And hey, the people who don't care about more important issues aren't going to get interested in them anyhow. But it gives people something to take their minds off their troubles or whatever may be the case. Sports has done nothing but build in its fascination for Americans.

Q: What would be the biggest change for the worst in professional sports in the last 50 years?

A: I don't get into "worsts" or "mosts" or stuff like that. I don't give that a lot of thought. I never give milestones a lot of thought. I never realized even that I was approaching my 35th year in the radio booth with the Steelers until it was practically there. I don't count those things and I try to live in the present.

But it's an obvious thing. The athletes and others in sports, as well, but the athletes principally have become such spoiled brats. Not in all cases, of course. But in too many cases. This Sidney Crosby, the way he signed that contract with the Penguins and didn't try to milk the last dollar out of it. That was so refreshing that I wish you could turn Sidney Crosbys out on an assembly line. But too many guys, my God, are living behind gated communities. They don't know how to spend their money if they went out and carried $1,000 bills with them; they couldn't spend it all. But if someone would pass them next week in salary and they think they are the best, it's enough for them to have apoplexy. They demand a renegotiation -- and that's another terrible aspect (of sports today): the coming, many years ago now, of the contract renegotiation. The word "contract" apparently to these guys doesn't mean a darn thing. And I can say that because I always respected a contract so I could go on my talk show and blast them for this kind of stuff. But I come from the Harry Truman era, where a handshake made a deal.

Q: It sounds like the emphasis or focus on money and salaries has hurt professional sports in your mind?

A: I wouldn't say it's hurt it, because sports is bigger than ever and it keeps getting bigger. But there's no question in my mind that the basis for all this -- the root cause -- is television and now technology. Because all of a sudden, if you are an athlete you are a star. You are all over the place, all over the world. Television and now technology does all kinds of things that I'm not interested in myself because I don't even own a computer. I bought one once when I was starting to write my memoir and my next-door neighbors tried to teach me for three days, after which I took it back. But that's me. I ain't got nothing fatal, but I know I ain't having many more years on Earth, so why did I need the damn thing?

Q: Which pro sports league has done the best job of operating as a business, pleasing fans and holding up the inherent quality of the sport itself?

A: There's no doubt in my mind that it's pro football. Pro football as a business and as an entertainment is a success. I, of course, would be accused of being biased because I broadcast football and it is my favorite game. But I don't think I arrive at that conclusion because of bias. It seems pretty obvious to me. In ratings and one thing and another, it's pro football, and I think the guy who did it, who put the NFL over the top -- because he was there when television came around and in all other respects was magnificent -- was Pete Rozelle, who in my mind remains the greatest commissioner who ever ran a sport. But they drove him practically to death by giving them subpoenas every week to go to Washington to testify against this or for that. Gambling, for example. Pete and the other owners didn't want to see football gambling legalized around the country. I once told Dan Rooney if you guys had the book, you'd be all for it. He smiled. If they had been booking the bets, they would have been going down there to Washington to legalize it.

Q: Some people say that all the money and interest that is generated by gambling on pro football is what has made it as successful as it is.

A: Well, there's no question in my mind that gambling plays a big part in it. It increases the fans' enjoyment. You couldn't watch a game that you know the other team is going to win by three touchdowns past the second quarter -- but will they cover the spread? There's no question gambling is huge in the success of the sport.

Q: Is baseball still the national pastime?

A: Oh no, because football passed 'em up long ago. Some people think I'm biased toward football to the point where I don't like baseball. My God, I went to bed when I was 15 years old every night dreaming that I could play second base in the big leagues. Clem Koshorek, Frankie Zak -- they played shortstop at different times for the Pirates and they weren't no taller than me. I loved baseball and I still do -- when it's played right.

Q: Do you think baseball has any hope of fixing itself so small-market teams like Pittsburgh have a chance to compete?

A: Right now they have a chance. We see them succeeding. You have to have sharp management, there's no question about it, but there's a way. In fact, the rich teams that are throwing dough around can get locked into huge contracts with some bum who goes on the disabled list two days after he signs. But fundamentally the disparity in revenue certainly is terrible for the small-market teams, which once in a while will pop up there. They've rectified it to some extent with the luxury tax and the revenue sharing, but it's still way out of line.

Q: Do you think that pro football is in need of any major changes -- is it too technical, too over-officiated?

A: Well, they are being forced by all of the attention right now to pay greater attention to all the serious brain injuries. I've talked to an old, great football star in recent days about this -- and I won't mention his name -- who told me, "I had 10 concussions and I don't know if I had more, but I probably did." The doctors are studying things and they're coming up with stricter standards for going back into the game.

But fundamentally, the way I always looked at it was that you are an athlete and if it's a sport that risks bad injury, you're comparable to a soldier of fortune when you go into it. You sign up with the French Foreign Legion in the old days and you might get killed easily. You did it for the dough -- the dough was good. And of course we've got mercenaries all over the world today who do the same damn thing. So I said, "Well, a football player is doing something he loves to do." And even in the old days they got paid -- the good players anyhow -- better than some working stiff. It was good money and it is better money now, and you sign up knowing the risks. But that ain't much comfort to you when you get old and suddenly you have chronic pain. There are ways to remedy these injuries, or at least cut back on them, and they are very simple. One is to throw away those huge heavy helmets, which supposedly have all these safety factors built into them, and put those guys in old leather helmets -- and maybe throw away their face guards -- and they'll start respecting one another. The other thing is make coaches return to teaching tackling. This was not a problem when I was coming up, even in my 20s or 30s. A coach taught a guy to tackle between the shoulders and the ankles. You didn't see all these guys with these bad injuries. It's simple. But then you're toying with the entertainment factor.

Q: Do you have any interest in pro basketball?

A: Very little, because we don't have it here. They're brats. You know, the coach can't give them any orders. You're liable to have, as happened, a guy take a coach by the neck and try to choke him to death. I like college basketball, by the way, and I follow Pitt, my alma mater.

Q: What do you think about Pitt's football schedule?

A: I haven't even looked at it. My goodness, the season doesn't open till when?

Q: I hear they are playing the Little Sisters of the Poor this year.

A: Well, I hope that the Little Sisters of the Poor are no more than 48-point underdogs.

Q: Do you care at all about boxing today?

A: Boxing was huge when I was coming up. Boxing was second only to baseball in America in popularity. I loved boxing for the most part. I covered boxing. To me, the most gentlemanly athletes around were boxers. It's a great sport, but it fell into the hands of guys like Don King and I lost all interest in it -- not so much because of them, because there are always crooks in boxing -- but because you have 97 titles now where you had eight before.

You had eight weight divisions and each one was considered a world champion. Now you've got a lot of acronyms and 96 or 105 divisions -- who counts them? Organizations -- the WBA, this that and the next thing. It's a great sport, and when people say how brutal it is, you know, hey, when you hit a guy in the ring, you're facing him, right? And the rules say anyhow you have to hit him from the waist up. It's not like football, where you tackle the guy from behind or clip him or something. Boxing, for a contact sport, has probably the best rules in sport.


Bill Steigerwald is the Trib's associate editor. Call him at (412) 320-7983. E-mail him at: bsteigerwald@tribweb.com.

Ron Cook: Signing adds to expectations

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As news goes, the Michel Therrien contract extension with the Penguins yesterday ranks well below the long-term signings of Sidney Crosby and Ryan Whitney, the return of Gary Roberts and the free-agent acquisitions of Darryl Sydor and Petr Sykora. But that doesn't mean it isn't a big deal. It made for another marvelous day for a franchise that has a lot of us talking hockey, the playoffs and even the Stanley Cup in the hot, humid dog days of July.

I know, it really is hard to believe.

It says something about Penguins general manager Ray Shero and his open mind that he did a one-year extension with Therrien, the coach he inherited when he took the job in May 2006. Therrien wasn't just any coach; he had a reputation for being tough and old school, a man who was brutally hard on young players and often despised by veterans. It could have made for a difficult situation if not for Shero's willingness to give Therrien a chance.



Peter Diana, Post-Gazette.
Penguins coach Michel Therrien will be under extraordinary pressure in the coming season because the expectations on the Penguins have increased dramatically.
Click photo for larger image.

It says something more about Therrien that he was able to win Shero over. You know how you become a general manager's guy? You win games. Therrien did that for Shero last season, leading the Penguins to a shocking 105-point season, a 47-point improvement from 2005-06. The players -- young and old -- bought into his discipline and structure. The team gave up 246 goals -- 70 fewer than the year before -- without doing harm to its offense. It scored 277 goals, third-most in the NHL. It made the playoffs for the first time in six years.

"This [extension] wasn't a tough decision for me," Shero said.

Therrien still was tough on his young players but picked his spots better. He was very public with his demands of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, threatening to send him to the minors during training camp and then benching him briefly in February. Fleury responded by being the Penguins' best player against Ottawa in the playoffs, better even than the great Crosby. Therrien took a much different approach with Evgeni Malkin, quietly calling him into his office during a trip to Atlanta in December and telling him through interpreter Sergei Gonchar that he expected so much more from him. Malkin went on to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year.

Along the way, Therrien showed a kinder, gentler side. That was most evident during the dads' weekend trip to Dallas and Phoenix in January, when he made sure he played everybody on the roster so the proud fathers, some of whom came from halfway around the world, could watch their sons. It will be evident again Aug. 2, when he will be the host for a team golf outing and dinner in Montreal, his offseason home. He did it last year for players who lived in the area, but, at Crosby's suggestion, invited the entire team this time. Those are gestures even the veterans can appreciate.

"We all change with the years," Therrien said over the phone yesterday between trips to a Montreal hospital, where his recently widowed mother, Rachel, is being treated for a blood pressure problem. "But the one thing I won't lose is my passion for winning, my passion for the way I think a team should be run. I'll keep demanding the same work ethic. You need discipline on and off the ice if you want to be a champion."

Roberts wouldn't have re-signed with the Penguins if he disliked Therrien. Sydor and Sykora wouldn't have signed here if they feared playing for Therrien. As much fun as it will be for them to play with Crosby, it's not worth being miserable.

"There's a way to be demanding as a coach, but also fair. I think Michel does a good job with that," Shero said.

Said an appreciative Therrien, "Ray understands my profession." Shero should; he's the son of longtime NHL coach Fred Shero.

Of course, none of that means Therrien will be the Penguins' coach five years from now or three years from now or even one year from now. The NHL is notorious for routinely discarding coaches, which explains why Shero gave Therrien just the one extra year. Shero's predecessor, Craig Patrick, hired seven coaches after he made the poor choice to allow Scotty Bowman to leave after the 1992-93 season. He fired poor Ivan Hlinka just four games into the 2001-02 season. The New Jersey Devils -- one of the league's most successful franchises -- just hired their 14th coach in 26 seasons. General manager Lou Lamoriello fired Claude Julien with three games to go last season even though Julien had the team in first place.

Therrien will be under extraordinary pressure in the coming season because the expectations on the Penguins have increased dramatically, both inside and out of the organization. Crosby and the rest haven't won a playoff series yet, but no one around the franchise is all that hesitant to say the team will be a Cup contender. You bet that makes for extraordinary pressure.

"Absolutely not," Therrien said when asked if the expectations frighten him.

"Last season was a huge step for us. Guys believe in what we're doing. The confidence is there with these players. But we know we can't live in the past. We've got to stay focused. We have a clear vision with our team."

And to think it's only July 17.

"I can't wait for the season to start," Therrien gushed.

The man joins a big crowd there.

Wait and See With Signing Steelers' Timmons

By John Harris
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, July 16, 2007

Want to be the first to place your head on the chopping block?

Go right ahead.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus took the plunge once already. He probably won't be so quick to do it a second time.

Rosenhaus represents tight end Greg Olsen, the No. 31 overall draft pick, who became the first first-rounder to sign.

Olsen inked a five-year, $10.6 million contract with the Chicago Bears on July 3. The deal includes almost $4.9 million in bonuses and is about 10 percent higher than what last year's No. 31 pick received.

Rosenhaus' other first-round client, Florida State linebacker Lawrence Timmons, still hasn't signed with the Steelers, who open training camp July 23 at St. Vincent College. Rosenhaus told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in May that "we have all the confidence" Timmons will be signed before camp starts.

Given the slow progress of negotiations for the other 31 first-rounders, Rosenhaus might not be so quick to get Timmons signed, despite the agent's bold guarantee.

Rosenhaus, who claims to have never had a first-round holdout, understands the importance of Timmons reporting on time.

Timmons is the inaugural first-round pick of new coach Mike Tomlin. He missed the majority of offseason workouts because of a groin injury. The last thing either side wants is for Timmons to report late because of his contract and have his development delayed any more.

Still, Rosenhaus' loyalty is with Timmons, not the Steelers. He owes it to Timmons to negotiate the very best contract.

One way for Rosenhaus, who repsesents more than 90 clients, to determine the true value of Timmons' contract is to allow a pattern of signings to develop before agreeing to a deal.

Instead of taking the lead as he did with the Olsen deal, Rosenhaus could simply wait for other players to sign.

For example, Rosenhaus might decide to wait for No. 14 selection Darrelle Revis of Pitt to sign with the New York Jets and/or No. 16 selection Justin Harrell to sign with Green Bay.

The process is known as slotting, and it would enable Rosenhaus to establish a market based on the players taken directly before and after Timmons.

Last year's No. 15 pick, Tye Hill (five years, $10.2 million including between $6-$7.7 million guaranteed), signed earlier than No. 14 pick Broderick Bunkley (six years, between $17.5-$25.1 million with $7.46 million guaranteed) and No. 16 pick Jason Allen (six years, between $24-$30 million with $7.8 million guaranteed).

Rosenhaus told the Tribune-Review last month that negotiations with the Steelers were progressing, although no contract offers had been exchanged.

In May, Rosenhaus predicted that negotiations for Timmons would heat up as training camp approaches.

Truth be told, the Steelers have Rosenhaus right where they want him.

Timmons' groin injury plus a holdout equals a wasted rookie season.

If Rosenhaus doesn't make good on his guarantee, guess whose side Steelers fans will come down on?

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

ONE OF A KINER

METS HONOR LONGTIME BROADCASTER

By MIKE PUMA

New York Post



New York Mets broadcaster Ralph Kiner gestures while speaking on 'Ralph Kiner Night' Saturday, July 14, 2007 at Shea Stadium in New York. In the background are photographs of him during his broadcasting career. The Mets pulled out all the stops to honor the voice of the team since it started playing in 1962.

July 15, 2007 -- After 46 seasons in the Mets’ broadcast booth, Ralph Kiner last night stepped into the Shea Stadium spotlight to receive a few cheers.

Bob Feller, Yogi Berra, Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman were among those in attendance to honor Kiner during a pregame ceremony.

Kiner, 84, still makes occasional appearances as a Mets’ television analyst, several years removed from working a full-time schedule. He has no plans to retire, but the team celebrated his years of service, presenting him with a cruise to a destination of Kiner’s choice.

Kiner, who played on notoriously bad Pirates teams during his major league career, reflected on his start here - Mets president George Weiss hired him in 1962 after Kiner had completed his first season in the White Sox radio booth.



1953 Bowman

“I asked Weiss, ‘Why me?’ ” Kiner said. “He said, ‘We checked your record and you have losing experience.’ ”

It was Kiner who joined Bob Murphy and Lindsey Nelson to form the Mets’ original broadcast team, a crew that remained intact for 17 seasons.

“People forget how good a broadcaster, just simply a play-by-play guy, that Ralph was in his prime,” Mets TV voice Gary Cohen said. “Most people remember him from his later years as a guy who told stories and brought a slice of baseball history to the broadcast, but if you go back 25 years, Ralph was involved in all the play-by-play, and he was terrific.”

And then there was “Kiner’s Korner,” the television post-game show Kiner hosted for decades that helped transform the Hall-of-Fame slugger into a Mets icon.

Mets broadcaster Howie Rose said he’s never seen Kiner lose his temper, a special quality that has endeared him to his broadcast partners and fans alike over the years.

“The closest I ever saw to Ralph getting angry was in San Diego about 10 years ago,” Rose said. “He used to smoke cigars all the time, and somebody came in and said very apologetically: ‘I’m sorry Mr. Kiner, but there’s a state ordinance that says you can’t smoke this in public, I’m going to have to ask you to put the cigar out.’ And Ralph just gives the guy a look and says, ‘You know, California used to be a great state.’ That’s the closest I ever saw to him being angry.”

Cohen said there’s probably nobody in the world who has signed more free autographs than Kiner.

“I’ve never seen him turn anybody down. He treats everybody with respect,” Cohen said. “He never gets ruffled. He’s simply as comfortable in his own skin as anybody I’ve ever been introduced to.”

mpuma@nypost.com

St. Vincent ready to welcome Steelers

By Sam Ross Jr.
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, July 13, 2007



Archabbot Douglas Nowicki (right) and Father Paul Taylor descend the grandstand at the new Chuck Noll Field after a press conference on July 12, 2007 at Saint Vincent College near Latrobe.

The Steelers arrive July 23 for their 41st summer training camp at St. Vincent College, and school officials hosted a full-blown media event on campus Thursday to proclaim their readiness.

It was left to St. Vincent president Jim Towey to offer perspective for the school, which had President George W. Bush as its commencement speaker earlier this year.

"For us in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the only bigger draw than the President of the United States is Steelers football players," Towey said. "When they show up here, we are excited that they're here.

"This is our little Woodstock. And the football players of the Steelers are our rock stars."

Towey said that while standing on a carpet of pristine grass, before newly constructed stands, a press box and other facilities collectively known as Chuck Noll Field, in honor of the former Steelers coach.

The new facility, which will be home to the school's revived football program this fall, is a convenient upgrade for Steelers fans to watch their team practice. There are 21 rows of aluminum bleachers, with 1,050 seats on the hillside next to the main practice field.

"When it's rainy, it's nice to be able to wipe off a seat instead of having the ground soak your tail," Towey said. "I think the seats they're going to like more are the toilets."



Chuck Noll

He referred to the new restrooms that are part of Chuck Noll Field.

While finishing touches were being put on concession stands, other preparations were underway for the arrival of the Steelers.

"It's a big job every year," director of facility management Larry Hendrick said. "But we've got a good handle on it."

Practices begin July 24. Parking and admission are free. Coolers and folding chairs are allowed. Alcohol, video cameras and barbecue grills are forbidden.

Chuck Noll Field will be formally dedicated with a night practice Aug. 2.

"This is just a wonderful tribute to a man, a coach, who spent many years here at St. Vincent. And we're also proud of him because he had his early training at our Benedictine high school in Cleveland, and he's been a part of the Benedictine family for many years," said Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, St. Vincent chancellor. "I think all of us know that Chuck Noll was an outstanding human being, an outstanding coach. And really, we're very grateful that he and his family have consented to allow us to pay tribute to him, along with the Steelers organization, by naming this field Chuck Noll Field and also dedicating this grandstand in his name."

Added Towey: "I find a beautiful convergence of celebrating the great accomplishments of a legendary football coach and welcoming to the campus a brand new one (Mike Tomlin), who will build his own legend, I'm sure."

An ailing Noll isn't expected to attend the formal dedication.

"My understanding is he probably won't be able to come," Towey said. "But he has been in communication with the Archabbot, and I know that he feels deeply honored the field will be inaugurated Aug. 2."


Sam Ross Jr. can be reached at sross@tribweb.com or (724) 838-5144.

Crosby a superstar everyone should respect

By John Harris
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, July 13, 2007

At 19, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has established himself as the face of the National Hockey League.

He's a superstar who doesn't behave like one.

Crosby is every sports fan's fantasy: The hands-down No. 1 player who plays for the love of the game and doesn't take himself too seriously, while understanding that playing in the NHL is a privilege and not a right.

What a concept.

A league featuring a player such as Crosby -- the reigning league MVP who graciously turned down millions of dollars to sign a more team-friendly, five-year contract extension Tuesday -- is worth watching.

It should behoove NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to acquire a better television contract, so more people can watch a league with a star attraction such as Crosby, who's too good to be true.

True hockey fans know all about Crosby, who's worshipped here.

But Crosby's blue-collar appeal transcends the NHL and has the potential to draw people who don't know a red line from a foul line but pine for a humble superstar with a strong work ethic.

What Crosby did this week off the ice rivals what he accomplished on the ice last season.

What he did is just about unheard of for a player of his lofty status. He's a superstar who left millions of dollars on the table when he could have waited another year to negotiate and drive up his price.

Peyton Manning wouldn't do it in the NFL. A-Rod wouldn't do it in Major League Baseball. Kobe Bryant wouldn't do it in the NBA.

Make no mistake, Crosby is every bit as good in hockey.

He's the best of the best. He zigs when other players zag. He sees plays unfold before they happen. He plays the game on a completely different level from everyone else.

He's earned the right to squeeze every dollar out of the Penguins because not only does he help his team win, he brings more value to the franchise.

But Crosby isn't consumed by ego. He's comfortable with who he is.

He wants to win, and the best way for the Penguins to win is to keep their young and talented nucleus intact.

He's doing his part by signing a contract extension that will pay him what he's worth, but it may not be what he deserves over the length of the deal.

Crosby will be set for life before he turns 24. He'll never have to worry about money again. But it's still a bargain for the best player in the NHL.

Penguins fans should never begrudge Crosby his money and fame.

To his way of thinking, Crosby doesn't have to be the highest-paid player or drive the most expensive car to be happy. Heck, he's still a renter at Mario Lemieux's home during the season.

It's the kind of thinking fans would love to see from more superstar athletes.

Respect the game. Respect the fans. Remember where you came from.

Crosby has never forgotten.


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

Pens, Shero learning that cap acumen translates

By Mike Prisuta
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, July 12, 2007

Ray Shero doesn't yet consider himself an infallible cap-ologist, but in projecting where Sidney Crosby's riches would fit into the Penguins' salary cap, such expertise wasn't needed.

"I had to put him at the maximum," Shero said. "He's the best player in the league. And if he came in and said 'Here's the deal; take it or leave it,' then obviously our hands were gonna be tied and we were certainly gonna have to take it."

Fortunately for Shero and the Penguins, Crosby was more team-oriented than greedy.

He "settled" for an annual average of $8.7 million starting in 2008-09, a relative bargain price that will save the Penguins about $1.3 million of cap room that season and more thereafter as the cap increases.

Other contracts are a little more complicated in the new NHL, but not as much as you might suspect in Shero's estimation.

"It's not rocket science," he said. "Some of it has to do not with finances but with player projection."

That helps explain why the Penguins extended Ryan Whitney and jettisoned Michel Ouellet.

Both had breakthrough years in their second NHL seasons in 2006-07. But Whitney, who was by far the more expensive of the two players, is perceived to be just scratching the surface of what he might someday achieve.

Ouellet, clearly, was characterized as having played over his head, which meant that even at a more affordable rate, he would have proven too expensive if re-signed.

At least that's the theory.

Project what a player might be capable of, decide what you'd be willing to pay for such production and never, ever deviate from the original blueprint.

Sound familiar?

It ought to.

The Steelers have been adhering to just such a philosophy for years.

The Pens' mimicking it during their salary-cap infancy is no coincidence.

"I have had some discussions with (director of football operations) Kevin Colbert of the Steelers," Shero said. "I look forward to having more on how they're doing their business vs. ours and vice versa.

"It's a work in progress. We've made mistakes, other teams have made mistakes, but you learn from that."

Colbert, a Penguins season-ticket holder and a member of the Pittsburgh Celebrity Hockey Team, maintains Shero has little left to learn when it comes to the nuances of salary regulation while compiling a roster.

"We just talk informally," Colbert said. "Trust me, I think he's much more versed on the salary cap than I'll ever be.

"It's real exciting to see him keep those young guys."

The extensions for Whitney and Crosby aren't the last Shero hopes to hammer out.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is apparently next on the list as the Penguins continue to nudge their payroll ever closer to the cap.

"Fleury's new contract will kick in at some point," Shero said "We're going to get there sooner rather than later."

Should any of Colbert's advice help facilitate such a deal, he won't be expecting any sort of return on the favor.

Not even a discount on those season-tickets he covets.

"No," Colbert said. "I'm just happy to have 'em."

Shero was happy the Crosby deal proved to be as simplistic as it was significant.

"You didn't have to be too smart to do that one," Shero said.

Three years into the NHL's salary cap era, the Penguins' second-year GM also appears to have a handle on how to navigate negotiations that are much more involved.


Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.

Steelers' Tomlin schedules tough camp

By Mike Prisuta
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, July 11, 2007


The Steelers will hit the ground running in their first training camp under head coach Mike Tomlin.

The players are due to report to St. Vincent College by 4 p.m. on July 23. That 4 p.m. deadline coincides with the annual camp-opening conditioning test.

Also on the itinerary are 15 two-a-days during the 25-day camp, which runs through Aug. 16.

"That is what NFL training camps are all about," Tomlin said in June upon concluding the offseason's organized team activities. "They are not supposed to be pleasant."

The Steelers had their conditioning tests the day after reporting during the Bill Cowher era.

Cowher also shied away from two-a-day practices in recent seasons.

The Steelers have two practices scheduled for five consecutive days, July 24-28.

Following an afternoon-only practice July 29, the Steelers will endure another set of five two-a-days (July 30-Aug. 3) in advance of opening the preseason against the New Orleans Saints at 8 p.m. Aug. 5 in Canton, Ohio, in the Hall of Fame Game.

The players' first off day, not counting the travel day to Ohio, will be Aug. 6, two weeks after their reporting date.

Their second and final off day will be Aug. 12, the day after hosting the Green Bay Packers at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Five more two-a-days have been scheduled between the Hall of Fame Game and the Steelers' third preseason game, at 8 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Washington Redskins, including three in a row over the final three days at St. Vincent.

The Steelers will break camp Aug. 17, the day before the Redskins game.

Night practices have been scheduled for July 27 (a Friday night at Latrobe High School) and Aug. 2 (a Thursday night at St. Vincent), both on the back end of a scheduled two-a-day.



Mike Prisuta can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.

Mike Prisuta: Symbolism of Pens' Crosby signing impossible to miss

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The numbers being what they were, with Sidney Crosby's new deal averaging $8.7 million over five seasons, it should surprise no one that there were exactly 66 participants on the conference call held by the Penguins on Tuesday to commemorate the event.

The Pens couldn't have planned that.

Then again, with the way general manager Ray Shero has emerged this offseason as a master strategist, anything's possible. The Crosby contract extension crystallizes Shero's offseason approach of orchestrating for the here and now and for down the road.

By getting Crosby from impending restricted free agency to the 2012-2013 season, Shero has eliminated a potential distraction for his newly named captain.

By getting Crosby to agree to less than the maximum allowable under the NHL's version of the salary cap, Shero has improved his chances of retaining the likes of Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin and/or Jordan Staal over the long haul.
"He was willing to take less, being the team player that he is, to try to help in other areas," Shero said. "The ability to give something back and leave something on the table is a great tribute to him."

It was also a concession Shero admittedly hadn't considered in his initial projections, all of which included paying Crosby the maximum.

Better still, Crosby's gesture will increase in value along with the salary cap.

In the meantime, Shero has returned the favor by providing for Crosby the apparent answers to extending his next foray into the NHL playoffs beyond five games of the opening round.

That's how long it took Ottawa to usher Sid The Kid and Co. from the postseason to the offseason last spring.

The major problems then were the transition game and a power-play unit that evaporated.

Shero's response is to bolster both through the additions of Petr Sykora, Darryl Sydor and Kris Letang.

Sykora is the latest might-be winger Crosby has needed since entering the league.

But whether he becomes the next Warren Young or the next Nils Ekman in his attempt to make the most of the opportunities the superstar center consistently delivers, Sykora ought to at least make the second power-play unit more potent.

Sydor, 35 and Letang, 20, should, too.

If they deliver as advertised, it means the days of Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi manning the point on the second power play are over.

It also means the Pens will have at least one offensively gifted defenseman on the ice at all times, which ought to increase greatly the chances of getting the puck out of their own end and jump-starting the breakout.

Retaining the likes of Gary Roberts, Ryan Whitney, Mark Recchi, Erik Christensen, Max Talbot and Scuderi was about maintaining the status quo of a contender.

The free-agent signings of Sykora and Sydor and the anticipated promotion of Letang from the junior ranks is about moving forward, about improving, potentially, what had already been considered a team on the rise.

"It's just about the little details," Crosby said. "Those are the things that make a difference. You look at what Ray's done, you definitely get the feeling that there's an upside.

"I think these moves are going to make us a lot more difficult to play against."

Truth be told, there are probably about 66 reasons for that.

The Pens will settle for 8.7 of them, now and down the road.


Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.

The price of stardom

Could Crosby signing cost Penguins a shot at the Cup?

By Allan Muir

Posted: Tuesday July 10, 2007 1:13PM; Updated: Tuesday July 10, 2007 4:52PM

So much for taking one for the team.

On the surface, today's news that Sidney Crosby and the Penguins have come to terms on a five-year, $43.5 million contract extension is one that should make both sides happy and send Pittsburghers into paroxysms of delight. But when you stop to consider the magnitude of the numbers, this deal looks more like a mixed blessing for a team that has short-term Stanley Cup aspirations and begs an important question: How bad does Sidney want to win?

On the happy side of the ledger: Crosby will be wearing the yellow and black for another six seasons. The NHL's reigning scoring champ and most valuable player, all of 19 years old, can set out to re-write the record books as a Penguin free of the financial concerns that weigh heavily on his peers like, for example, choosing between the dollar menu and a value meal. And the way contracts are trending upward this summer, there's no doubt he'll provide better bang for the buck than any other recent signing.

The deal even came with a bit of sacrifice. Sid gave up what could have been his first shot at free agency with the fifth year of the deal in exchange for the security it provides for himself and the next, oh, five or six generations of Crosbys.

And you can't blame Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero for backing up the bank truck when he saw the writing on the wall. If the Edmonton Oilers were willing to offer $50 million over seven years to Thomas Vanek -- a fine and promising, but hardly franchise-altering player -- then the potential for some kind of cap-strangling offer sheet was a pitfall he needed to avoid.

Of course, like the Sabres, Shero would have matched any offer that came Sid's way. So in getting this deal done now on his terms instead of those dictated by a rival GM, he spared himself some grief next summer, along with about $1.06 million per season as the cap stands today.

Of course, that's only one way to look at this story. The other should have Pens fans questioning Crosby's commitment to capturing a Cup.

Heading into the negotiations, the noise out of the Crosby camp centered around his concern that the Pens had the ability and willingness to build a winner. Given what we've seen of him, what we've heard from him in the past, this selfless approach was easy to believe. But at this point, any thought that he'd take a hometown discount to give Shero enough room to build that winner has been exposed as PR spin. Look, if Crosby's dream was to set himself up with unimaginable wealth by the time he was 19, well, mission accomplished. But if he really wanted to be part of a winner, this deal was the wrong way to go about it.

Crosby can argue that he could have asked for the max and didn't, and he'd be right there. But at the same time, he didn't exactly leave Shero with a lot of wiggle room when it comes time to negotiate the eventual long-term deals for Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin, let alone acquire the complementary pieces that are critical to any Stanley Cup puzzle.

His pair of peach-faced buddies is going to deserve significant deals as well, and he's just set a very high bar that suggests the Pens will soon be allotting a significant portion of their cap space to three forwards.

Has Crosby seen the Tampa Bay Lightning lately?

And remember this: The salary cap that's set just over $50 million this year -- maybe it'll stay at $50 million next year. Maybe it'll be $52, but it could just as easily slip the other way, down to $48, even $45. The total hockey revenues that are used to determine the cap figure are being buoyed right now by the might of the Canadian dollar, and there's simply no guarantee that bullish run will continue. And that could make his cap hit an even more onerous burden.

There's no player in the league who can stake a claim to the maximum salary like Sid. Honestly, even at $9 million a year, he's one of the best bargains. With his vast marketing potential only starting to be tapped it was clear that, one way or another, Sid was always going to get his money.

But after seeing this deal, you have to wonder now if he'll ever get his ring.

Gene Collier: Crosby's extension is 'tres bien' for both sides

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

During a conference call with North American journalists that lasted fewer than 18 minutes yesterday, Sidney Crosby spoke French for fewer than 60 seconds, during which I was able to translate fewer than three words.

To be exact, two.

Here is that translation, from the French.

Very good.

Yes, tres bien, but when you think about it, even though Sid was answering a question about the prospect of visiting Calgary at some point on the NHL schedule that will be announced today, the entirety of everything he and Penguins general manager Ray Shero said could effectively have been distilled into two words without in any way misrepresenting the news.

Very good.

It is indeed tres bien that the Penguins and hockey's best player are contractually wed for the next six years, and for reasons far beyond the consistent numerology of the burgeoning phenomenon that is Sidney Crosby:

Born -- 8.7.87

Uniform No. -- 87.

Salary cap figure -- $8.7 million.

A player agent for seven years of a previous life, a front-office troubleshooter for twice as long, Shero went into the Crosby negotiations virtually immune to sticker shock, even the kind that manifests in digital symmetry.

"I don't have a crystal ball," Shero said. "But having six years to maintain our flexibility and see how our team develops is certainly important. By having Sidney signed and Ryan Whitney signed, we have the table set."

Crosby helped set the table as if he were back at one of those Penguins at-your-service charity soirees, leaving enough potential cash in Shero's operating budget to make Sid's so-called "hometown discount" a lot more substantial that it appears at first blush.

Like the mere mortals who skate with him in the modern NHL, Crosby was entitled to a maximum salary equal to 20 percent of the salary cap, or $10.06 million. That he settled for $1,360,000 less per season might not look like much of a break to fans who note that Howard Baldwin used to spend more on lunch for the second unit of "Sudden Death."

But the hometown discount on the five-year deal that takes effect for the 2008-09 season represents a highly palatable midpoint between what the Penguins might have psychotically hoped for and what the National Hockey League Players Association might have preferred. It was not in the union's best interest to have the game's best player take less than the game's best salary, but neither was it in Crosby's.

That the final figure came in a $8.7 million ($43.5 million over five years) evidences the mature big-picture approach taken by a kid who won't turn 20 until, well, 8-7.

"It was important to do what was right for everyone," Crosby said. "We really tried to find that balance. A lot went into it, but I think it's fair for everyone."

Without putting too fine a point on it, had the salary cap jumped another $6.3 million before each of the five years in the new Crosby contract, the difference between Sid's maximum allowable pay and his actual take home would be $25.7 million. Certainly that assumes too much about what will happen to Crosby and the Penguins and the NHL between now and 2012-13, but even in its preposterous surface dimensions, it's a better representation of the hometown discount that we see in the near term.

No one knows that better than Shero, who said flatly yesterday that he always projected Sid's salary as the maximum allowable under the league's two-year-old collective bargaining agreement. Considering that no renegotiations are permitted under the new CBA, Sid will look like a bargain in five years, projecting his production at anything close to what it has been.

Before we approve funding for the Crosby statue (it's apparently already too late in Nova Scotia), it's reasonable to point out that the concessions made by a young man who will soon enough go from making $16,346.15 per week to making $167,307.69 per week are not exactly sacrifices in the traditional sense. Still, the fact that Sid took so much more than his personal portfolio into consideration in these negotiations isn't easily dismissed.

"It really wasn't that difficult," Shero said without implying much surprise. "When you're dealing with the best player in hockey, and everything is amicable and cordial, it just that it's a lot due to Sidney's attitude and desire to stay in Pittsburgh."

Tres bien.