Are the Pens playoff-ready? We'll find out next week

By Mark Madden 

Special to The Beaver County Times 

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

March 6, 2014

Claude Giroux and Sidney Crosby exchange punches during the 2012 playoffs. (Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

If you’re wondering if the Penguins are close to being playoff-ready, you’re going to find out. A proving ground is just a week away.

Saturday, March 15: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia.

Saturday, March 16: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh.

The Penguins got swept by Boston in last spring’s Eastern Conference final because they were physically weak. The year before, the Penguins got humbled by the Flyers because they were mentally weak.

This two-game home-and-home with the Penguins’ rejuvenated hated rivals will tell a tale. If the Penguins are weak in any way, there won’t be any hiding it.

It’s painful to acknowledge, but the Flyers deserve credit for bouncing back from a 4-10-1 start. They looked dead and buried with a plethora of soft spots. But the Flyers currently stand 33-24-6, second in the Metropolitan Division. They’ve won three straight, and eight of their last 10. Not a great team, but a solid one.

The Penguins lead Philadelphia by 14 points. The Flyers won’t make a run at the Metro Division title. But they could easily play the Penguins in the second round of the playoffs. Gulp. The Flyers are still club-footed on defense and average in goal. But their tenacity and their 2012 playoff win make them a definite threat to the Penguins.

The Flyers’ 2012 first-round victory shattered the Penguins’ confidence. Mentally, the Penguins haven’t been the same since. That series tagged the Penguins as a good regular-season team. That’s a nice way of saying “paper champions.”

The 2010 elimination by Montreal was seen as a fluke. The 2011 elimination by Tampa Bay was fraught by injury. But capitulating to the Flyers in 2012 was a debacle. The Penguins lost all semblance of composure and were reduced to playing undisciplined, chaotic shinny hockey. Panicked and frustrated. The Penguins often looked like they just didn’t know what to do.

That loss scarred the Penguins. Now, come playoff time, fans don’t trust them. Experts don’t trust them. They don’t trust themselves.

Last year’s playoffs had elements of 2012’s fiasco vs. Philly. Emotionally, the Penguins never went down for the third time. But they were often gasping for air.

The inexperienced Penguins of 2008 and 2009 looked much more collected than the Penguins have since. This group too often psyches itself out.

This home-and-home with the Flyers is the playoff before the playoffs. When the clock at Consol Energy Center hits three zeroes on the afternoon of March 16, we will know exactly where the Penguins stand.

The Flyers have always been better than the Penguins at seeing the big picture. They plant seeds in meaningless games, then reap benefit in big games.

The Flyers will be loaded for bear on those two afternoons. They will play Flyers hockey. Hit late. Gang up. Talk smack. Hack and whack. The Flyers will try to rattle the Penguins now with an eye toward a best-of-seven meeting later. The Penguins must maintain their self-control. That’s when the Flyers lose theirs.

If Dan Bylsma isn’t smart enough to see the importance of these games, he’s not the coach he thinks he is. The Penguins have loads more talent. Better superstars. Better defense. Better goaltending.

What they don’t have is excuses. Not in these two games against the Flyers or for playoff elimination before the Stanley Cup final.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will determine the outcomes. If they take penalties behind the play, get in unnecessary skirmishes or waste time with babble, the Penguins will follow them down the primrose path. Don’t be soft, but don’t be stupid.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. on WXDX-FM (105.9).

Polamalu, Miller inked through 2016

By Scott Brown 

http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers

March 5, 2014

The Pittsburgh Steelers' salary-cap situation did not cost a couple of veteran players their roster spots. It actually led to contract extensions for each.

Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu and tight end Heath Miller signed three-year contracts Wednesday, securing their foreseeable futures in Pittsburgh while also helping the Steelers shed salary in regard to the 2014 cap.

The Polamalu deal is for $20 million total and saves Pittsburgh $4.5 million against the cap this year, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Polamalu reacted to the deal via Twitter:

Troy Polamalu        ✔ @tpolamalu

Follow

I am thankful and blessed to be in a position to play my entire career in Pittsburgh

5:08 PM - 5 Mar 2014

Miller signed a two-year extension through the 2016 season that will reduce his cap hit for 2014 by more than $3 million, according to multiple reports.

Polamalu and Miller each was entering the final year of his contract with respective cap hits of $10.89 million and $6.14 million, according to ESPN roster management.

The Steelers were roughly $15.25 million over the cap after outside linebacker Jason Worilds signed a one-year, $9.75 million contract Tuesday.

Polamalu, who turns 33 next month, played every snap last season and was voted to his eighth Pro Bowl after recording 85 tackles, intercepting two passes and forcing five fumbles.

[+] Enlarge

Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY SportsVeteran safety Troy Polamalu played every snap last season for the Steelers.

He had missed nine games in 2012 because of a recurring calf injury. The veteran, who played inside linebacker when the Steelers went with a defensive package of three cornerbacks and three safeties last season, credited an in-season workout program and physical therapy for his durability in 2013.

In January, Steelers president Art Rooney II told season-ticket holders during a conference call that he wants Polamalu to play his entire career for Pittsburgh.

Miller tore several ligaments, including his ACL, in December 2012. He returned from reconstructive knee surgery for the third game of the season and finished third on the team with 58 receptions for 593 yards and a touchdown.

He played the fifth-most snaps (874) among Steelers offensive players, despite missing the first two games. He holds the franchise record for touchdown receptions by a tight end (40).

Polamalu and Miller are among a handful of Steelers who played in three Super Bowls for the team, winning two of them, from 2005 to 2010. They were first-round draft picks in 2003 and '05, respectively. Those picks sandwiched the selection of Ben Roethlisberger in 2004.

The Steelers made several other moves Wednesday, releasing linebacker Larry Foote, cornerback Curtis Brown and offensive tackle Levi Brown and agreeing to a one-year deal with safety Will Allen.

Penguins' trade deadline analysis

By Chris Bradford 

cbradford@timesonline.com 

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

March 6, 2014

Lee Stempniak

WHAT THEY MISSED

The Penguins didn’t get Ryan Kesler, the best player available at this year’s deadline. Neither did anyone else. It’s possible the Penguins will continue their pursuit of Kesler in the off-season because Vancouver is likely to move Kesler, who is still under contract for the next two seasons at a reasonable $5 million per season, at some point.

“I don’t think there was a deal there to be made,” said Shero. “I think our goal going into this deadline, a lot of the focus media-wise was on Ryan Kesler not only in Pittsburgh, but around different media markets. He’s a real good player, but I think our thinking was to try and increase our depth up front and help our forward group. I think we’ve accomplished that and not touched any one off our roster.”

The Penguins also failed to land a top-six forward, puck-moving defenseman or backup goaltender.

WHAT THEY GOT

With the acquisition of Marcel Goc and Lee Stempniak the Penguins addressed their lack of depth in the bottom half of their forward lines. Both are prototypical third-liner players with some offensive ability that can be used in all situations (power play and penalty kill).

Goc and Stempniak, both unrestricted free agents at the end of this season, are upgrades over Taylor Pyatt and the recently waived Chuck Kobasew. Goc was making $1.7 million from Florida while Stempniak was being paid $2.5 from Calgary.

“The good thing about these players is they’re very versatile guys,” Shero said.

“Where they’re going to play remains to be seen. There’s 20-plus games left in the regular season. I’m sure they’ll get an opportunity in the lineup to see the best fit is.”

Marcel Goc

WHAT IT MEANS

While he doesn’t have the pedigree of Thomas Vanek or Matt Moulson, Stempniak could conceivably be placed on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz, at least until Beau Bennett (broken hand) returns to health. Stempniak has had seasons of 27 and 28 goals but not since 2009-10. Goc, the 20th pick in 2001, could move to wing if needed.

“I think what we did today gives our coaching staff some options up front which I think makes us a better hockey team,” Shero said.

The acquisitions also give the Penguins some cap flexibility to bring up some of their injured players -- Paul Martin (broken hand), Kris Letang (stroke) and Tomas Vokoun (bloot clot) -- off long-term injured reserve.

While they Penguins didn’t make the splash that they’ve made in recent years, the moves go a long way to making the Penguins a better all-around team and tougher opponent in the lower-scoring playoffs.

Niskanen has 2 goals, Penguins beat Predators 3-1

By Teresa M. Walker

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/pit/

March 4, 2014

Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins beats Paul Gaustad #28 of the Nashville Predators to the puck at Bridgestone Arena on March 4, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins needed a boost to snap a three-game skid. They got it from Tanner Glass, who blocked shot after shot after shot by NashvillePredators captain Shea Weber.

Related Stories

• Niskanen scores twice as Penguins top Preds The SportsXchange
• Penguins 3, Predators 1 The SportsXchange
• Penguins-Predators Preview The Associated Press
• NHL-Highlights of Tuesday's National Hockey League games Reuters
• Penguins spoil Pekka Rinne’s return to Predators lineup NBC Sports

Glass got in front of five shots, Matt Niskanen scored his second goal of the game 7:29 into the third period, and the Penguins beat the Predators 3-1 on Tuesday night.

''We saw Tanner Glass come up with some huge blocks in the first period on Shea Weber,'' Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said. ''Three in a row on probably the hardest shot in the league taking those, and they did a great job and again we stuck with it. ... I thought we got a great win for our team.''

Glass said his job is to be in the lane when Weber is trying to shoot on the power play. Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleurysaid the blocked shots off the stick of the Predators defenseman provided a lift similar to a big goal or a fight.

''You know it's coming hard and heavy,'' Fleury said of Weber's shot. ''But (Glass) still goes and makes the save. My hat goes off to him.''

The Penguins helped ruin the return of Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne in his first game since Oct. 22 following an E. coli infection in his surgically repaired left hip. Niskanen's winning goal came during a power play. The NHL's best unit went 1 for 5 with the man advantage.

Tue, Mar 4, 2014

Pittsburgh	3	Final
Nashville	1

Sidney Crosby found Niskanen for a slap shot that went under Rinne's glove.

''He's a really good goalie, and he is very tough to beat,'' Niskanen said. ''It was a really great effort by us. A lot of guys did well, and it was a good team effort.''

Chris Kunitz scored a goal, and Crosby had three assists to add to his NHL-leading point total. The Penguins have not lost more than three straight this season, and this win sets them up for the final three games on their longest road trip this season.

Patric Hornqvist scored for Nashville, which has lost two consecutive games.

Rinne made 16 saves in his return. He had surgery on his hip on May 9 and needed a second operation because of the infection on Oct. 24. He rejoined the Predators on Monday after stopping 33 of 35 shots in a two-game conditioning stint in Milwaukee.

Three Stars

1. 
   1)Matt Niskanen
   #2, Pittsburgh

   G:	2
   Pts:	2
   +/-:	1

2. 
   2)Sidney Crosby
   #87, Pittsburgh

   A:	3
   Pts:	3
   +/-:	2

3. 
   3)Evgeni Malkin
   #71, Pittsburgh

   A:	1
   Pts:	1
   +/-:	-1

''It's great to be back,'' Rinne said. ''It's been a pretty long time so it means a lot to me to be able to be back, play at home, and the fans have been great to me. It made me feel really good but still we lost the game and that's tough to take.''

Fans welcomed him back with a huge roar during introductions and chanted his name after his first big save. Crosby sent a cross-ice pass to Kunitz that Rinne blocked by sticking out his right pad. The two-time Vezina Trophy finalist stopped Kunitz again on a breakaway later in the first period.

Nashville thought it had a 1-0 lead when Paul Gaustad had the puck go off his right shin past Fleury off a rebound of a shot by Nick Spaling. But after a long review, officials disallowed the goal because of a distinct kicking motion by Gaustad.

''They called it a goal on the ice,'' Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. ''I looked at it, and there was a motion but it was more of a stopping motion to me. (He) is trying to run to the net and not run over the goalie.''

The Penguins scored first when Crosby skated around the net and found Niskanen in the right circle for a one-timer that squeezed between Rinne and the post 27 seconds into the second. Nashville answered 12 seconds later as Hornqvist's wrister off a rebound beat Fleury.

Pittsburgh sealed the win when Crosby fed Kunitz in the slot for a slap shot with 17:05 left. It was the 28th goal this season for Kunitz and the 200th of his career, giving the large contingent of Penguins' fans plenty to celebrate.

NOTES: Penguins forward Chuck Kobasew played his 600th NHL game after being placed on waivers Monday. ... Pittsburgh has killed 12 straight penalties over four consecutive road games. ... Predators coach Barry Trotz is 6-3-1 in Nashville against the Penguins. ... Hornqvist has two goals and four assists in his last eight games.

Maybe Kesler won't want to come to the Pens' country club

By Mark Madden 

Special to The Beaver County Times 

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

March 4, 2014

It’s easy to see why the Penguins want Ryan Kesler.

The Vancouver center is a rare combination of skill and grit. Kesler would restore the Penguins’ vaunted three-center model, which got ripped asunder when Jordan Staal was traded after the 2011-12 season. Brandon Sutter is average, no better. Kesler is acerbic. Not a country-club guy. The Penguins’ dressing room needs that.

But why would Kesler want to join the Penguins?

Kesler, 29, would be the Penguins’ third-line center. He’d skate between curtain-jerkers like Taylor Pyatt and Jayson Megna. Kesler can get much better elsewhere.

Right wing doesn’t seem to be an option. Kesler has played that position alongside the Sedin twins in Vancouver and hated it. Even if Kesler could be convinced to flank Sidney Crosby, who would center the third line? Sutter would certainly be part of the package that would fetch Kesler.

GM Ray Shero has reportedly offered Sutter, the Penguins’ first- and third-round picks in this year’s draft, and the Canucks’ choice of defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Simon Despres.

The Penguins have no plans for Despres despite his first-round pedigree. Dumoulin is seen as depth, not much more. Sutter has disappointed in Pittsburgh. The Penguins have enough high draft choices on their roster.

Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are 26 and 27, respectively. In their primes. The Penguins can’t discard the future. But they can’t dwell on it, either.

The Canucks will likely want more. Shero may give it to them. Kesler has two years remaining on a deal that pays $5 million per. Shero is convinced the Penguins need Kesler, and contract control makes him all the more attractive.

Kesler’s take-no-prisoners attitude would be welcome. The Penguins’ organization has gone soft. That’s exemplified by their dressing room, described by one NHL veteran as “the quietest I’ve ever been in.”

Kesler isn’t known for being well-liked. Quite the opposite.

Perhaps Kesler is a jerk. Perhaps he’s a catalyst. There’s a fine line. Kesler would almost certainly provide an agent provocateur.

Acquiring Kesler would not solve the Penguins’ depth problem at forward. But he would be a huge upgrade at third-line center. He would add help on the power play, penalty-kill and face-offs. He would provide flexibility and versatility.

Kesler is a really good hockey player. You can’t have too many of those.

The Penguins need a spark. The Penguins have won 40 and lost 20, but their record flatters to deceive. They have fattened up on a bad conference and on a worse division, and may do so again come the playoffs.

But despite the presence of superstars like Crosby and Malkin, they look to be no better than on the fringe of legit Stanley Cup contention.

The Penguins got embarrassed in Saturday’s game at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The conditions made the result almost moot, but also reflected the Penguins’ conceit and stubbornness: They never adjusted to playing in a blizzard. They insisted on “getting to their game” in a situation where that was impossible.

Dan Bylsma tried to out-coach Mother Nature. His team’s cute 15-foot neutral-zone passes died in the slush. The Blackhawks just got it deep, and got it on net.

Sometimes it seems like the Penguins think their philosophy is more important than the result. But nothing trumps winning.

The Penguins got buried in the snow at Chicago. But, at Tuesday’s practice, it was time to have fun: The loser of the shootout had to grow a mustache.

“Mustache boy” is a monthly tradition. Just like underachieving in the playoffs is becoming an annual tradition.

For the rest of the season, the Penguins should do a little less branding, shoot a little less reality TV, have a little less fun and treat playing hockey a lot more like work. It could not possibly hurt.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).

Pirates pitching coach learns his love for teaching

John Perrotto 

Beaver County Times Baseball Correspondent 

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

March 3, 2014

Pittsburgh Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage talks with pitcher Edinson Volquez on the first day of spring training Thursday at Pirate City in Bradenton. (GRANT JEFFERIES/Bradenton Herald)

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2014/02/17/4997900/pittsburgh-pirates-pitching-coach.html#storylink=cpy

BRADENTON, Fla. --- Ray Searage has nothing against the construction business. He thinks it is good, honest work.

It’s just wasn’t for him.

The Pirates pitching coach retired as a player following the 1992 season after pitching for the California Angels’ Class AAA Edmonton farm club. After spending 17 years in professional baseball, including parts of seven in the major leagues, Searage was 37 and ready for a career change.

So he took a job working construction.

“I hated it,” Searage said, shaking his head before a recent spring training workout. “I was miserable. It made me realize how much I loved baseball and how much I missed it.”

Twenty-one years later, the Pirates pitching coach has established himself as one of the best in the business. And he never takes a day for granted in his job because of that year in construction.

“I’m the happiest guy in the world,” Searage said. “I’m doing what I love. It just beats the heck out of the real world.”

Searage’s life changed during the winter of 1993-94 when he got a call from St. Louis Cardinals player development guru George Kissell offering a job as a pitching coach with Class A Madison. The Cardinals had selected Searage from West Liberty State in the 22nd round of the 1976 amateur draft and Kissell had always liked the personable kid from Long Island.

It wasn’t long into his stint in Wisconsin’s state capital that Searage realized he had found his life’s calling.

“I loved it,” Searage said. “In a lot of ways, I enjoyed it more than playing because it was fun to watch the young kids take something you taught them, put it into action and get better. I found it very rewarding.”

Searage did not mind paying plenty of dues before reaching his current post. He spent 16 seasons coaching in the minor leagues with the Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Marlins and Pirates before getting his major-league break.

Searage was promoted to the Pirates’ staff prior to the 2010 season as the quality control coach. That August, he took over as interim pitching coach when Joe Kerrigan was fired.

Searage impressed Pirates general manager Neal Huntington enough that he landed an interview after John Russell was fired as manager and replaced by Clint Hurdle. Searage and Hurde hit it off immediately.

“I believe you that you need to promote people in your organization who are deserving,” Hurdle said. “It was obvious after talking to Ray that he was the guy to lead our pitching staff.”

The Pirates have improved in each of Searage’s three full seasons on the job, going from 11th in the NL in runs allowed in 2011 to seventh in 2012 to second in 2013 when Pittsburgh both ended its streak of 20 consecutive losing season and made the playoffs for the first time since 1992.

“He’s done a great job,” Huntington said. “He cares so much about his pitchers and he is so committed to doing everything in his power to help them succeed.”

Pirates pitchers say that there is a comfort level they have with Searage that provides an atmosphere conducive to learning.

A case in point is left-hander Francisco Liriano, who was the NL Comeback Player of the Year last season when he went 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA in 26 starts. In 2012, he went 6-12 with a 5.34 ERA with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox.

Searage had Liriano make a small mechanical adjustment in which he dropped the arm slot in his delivery to a three-quarters angle instead of straight over the top. The change enabled Liriano to get more movement on his fastball and tilt on his devastating slider.

“Ray made things simple,” Liriano said. “They were little changes but I trusted him and they made me a better pitcher. I owe a lot to him.”

And the 58-year-old Searage hopes to keep making pitchers better for many years to come.

“They’ll probably bury me under the pitcher’s mound,” he said with a grin.

Marte-McCutchen-Polanco outfield could rival franchise's best

By Rob Biertempfel 
http://triblive.com/sports
Published: Saturday, March 1, 2014, 9:00 p.m.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Pirates left fielder Starling Marte (right) talks with Gregory Polanco next to center fielder Andrew McCutchen Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Fla.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Batting practice in the first few days of spring training rarely is viewed as a seismic event in the history of a baseball franchise.

Yet there was an air of electricity around Pirate City a few days ago when Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco picked up their bats and went to work. Some of the silver-haired fans watching at Field 1 that morning might have remembered feeling the same way the night John, Paul, Ringo and George belted out “All My Loving” on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

Excitement about the Pirates' Dream Outfield of McCutchen, Marte and Polanco hasn't reached Beatlemania proportions ... but it's building.

“We're a small-market team, but they are big-market players,” said Rene Gayo, the scout who signed Marte in 2007 and Polanco in 2009 for a total of $235,000.

“Those guys are prototype players: They can run, hit and field,” Gayo said. “To have Marte and Polanco out there on either side of the National League MVP, that's a blessing for the Pirates. That's a hell of an outfield.”

In just his fifth season, McCutchen, 27, was the runaway winner of the MVP award after batting .317 with a .911 on-base plus slugging percentage. The center fielder is a three-time All-Star who owns two Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove.

Marte, 25, is on the national radar despite playing in just 182 games in the majors. He homered in his first big league at-bat and had a .737 OPS as a rookie. Last season, Marte stole 41 bases and was one of three finalists for the Gold Glove in left field.

If he had more than two games' experience at the Triple-A level, Polanco, 22, would have come to spring training camp favored to win a major league job. He has hit at every level of the minors, including a combined .285 average and .791 OPS last season at High-A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona.

However, Pirates management prefers to bring its prodigies along slowly, smoothing out every wrinkle before pulling the trigger on a call-up. Polanco will open this season at Triple-A Indianapolis, but many scouts expect he'll be in Pittsburgh before the All-Star break.

When Polanco arrives, the Pirates could have their outfield in place for the next five years or more.

“They've got all the things that go with being good outfielders: good legs, good arms and pretty good judgment,” said Pirates special instructor Bill Virdon, a former Gold Glove center fielder. “I think Marte's got a little better (defensive) talent than the other two, but can he develop it? We'll see. I don't know that I've ever seen three outfielders have as much talent as they do.”

Is Virdon right? Could Marte-McCutchen-Polanco become the best outfield in Pirates history?

You don't have to look back too many years to find a contender for the title of best outfield: the 1990-91 unit of Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla.

“They were impact players on offense and defense, especially (defensively) in left and center with Barry and Andy,” said Mike LaValliere, who played on those NL East-winning teams. “When a ball hit the turf, it was like, ‘What happened? That had to have been a legit hit.' We were running our Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters out in left, center and right. As a catcher, I didn't have to be quite as smart calling pitches.”

Using wins above replacement figures calculated by Fangraphs.com, the 1990 outfield had a whopping 18.1 rating. Half of that total was produced by Bonds (9.9 WAR). In 1991, they had a WAR of 16.2.

The Pirates have had plenty of spectacular outfielders since the franchise was established in 1891. Paul “Big Poison” Waner and his brother Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner are Hall of Famers. Ralph Kiner was a prolific slugger from 1946-52. Fred Clarke and Ginger Beaumont were stars at the turn of the 20th century.

However, it takes more than one or even two great outfielders to form an epic outfield. When asked which Pirates outfield was the most complete collection of superstar talent, Manny Sanguillen reverently spoke three names:

Willie Stargell. Matty Alou. Roberto Clemente.

“They had dedication, and they loved the game,” said Sanguillen, who caught for the Pirates from 1967-76 and 1978-80. “Willie was slow in the outfield, but he had a great arm. Alou was the fast one. And Clemente was just special.”

The group played together from 1966 through 1970. Their best season in terms of combined WAR was 1969, when Clemente scored a 7.0, Stargell was at 5.2 and Alou was 4.4 for a 16.6 total.

Even in massive Forbes Field — which was 457 feet at its deepest point in left-center and 416 in right-center — Stargell, Alou and Clemente found ways to tame batters.

“Willie knew how to get to the baseball. He was smart,” Sanguillen said. “Clemente was amazing. He had such a great arm. If you were on second base and someone hit a line drive to right field and you took one or two steps off the bag, he'd pick you off.”

Now that Marte has started his big league career, it's fair to begin forming comparisons to Stargell. And with one MVP award already to his credit, McCutchen is arguably a better talent than Alou. But before Polanco has set foot on major league grass, is it baseball blasphemy to measure him against Clemente?

For now, yes. But if Marte-McCutchen-Polanco is truly to be the franchise's Dream Outfield, the right fielder must someday stand up to the Clemente litmus test.

“Part of scouting is to make comparisons,” Gayo said. “But when you say Clemente, everyone gets terrified. There's only one Clemente. Whether Polanco can become that type of player, the only ones who really know are God and Polanco. Does he have the talent to do the kind of things Clemente did? Yes. Will he? Time will tell.”

Rob Biertempfel is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at rbiertempfel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BiertempfelTrib.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/5655358-74/total-pirates-clemente#ixzz2uoUlLo4D 
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Jonathan Toews vs. Sidney Crosby: It's a first

When Blackhawks and Penguins respective captains meet at Soldier Field, it will mark stars' inaugural NHL confrontation

By K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune reporter

9:45 p.m. CST, February 28, 2014

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports

They each have scored the game-winning goal for Canada in the last two Olympic gold-medal victories.

They each have won at least one Stanley Cup and seized enough individual hardware to make trophy cases swell.

But Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby never have skated against each other in a regular-season NHL game. That the first time will come Saturday night at Soldier Field as part of the NHL's Stadium Series is enough to turn teammates into fans.

"Those are the matchups I'd pay to see," Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi said.

Hockey isn't about individual matchups. And the respect that flows between the Canadian Olympic teammates and team captains is palpable. But that's a lot of star power for one rink to hold, even if that rink is placed inside a 61,500-seat football stadium with the Chicago skyline as its dramatic backdrop.

"I guess you can say he's the best player in the world," Toews said. "It's always fun to play against the top players in the league. He's pretty much that guy."

Toews posted his first career hat trick in the Penguins' 5-4 overtime victory on Feb. 27, 2009, a game Crosby missed with a sore groin. The next season, Crosby sat with the same injury and the Hawks prevailed in overtime.

Concussions prevented Crosby from playing in the other two potential matchups, a Hawks' shootout victory on Feb. 20, 2011 and a 3-2 Penguins triumph on Dec. 20, 2011.

As familiar as Crosby and Toews are with each other's games, there are still moments that surprise.

"The one thing I've noticed playing with him at the Olympics is his speed through the neutral zone," Toews said. "You see the highlights of some of his goals when he's sneaking through three guys and that's because he's able to find those holes and does it with a lot of speed."

Speed is what Crosby used to cut short a question about what makes Toews' game so special.

"Just his two-way game," Crosby interrupted. "Offensively, he's really dangerous and strong on the puck. He competes every night so he gives himself a chance to be consistent. Defensively, he takes a lot of pride in that side.

"You don't win as much as (the Hawks) have in the past without everybody kind of buying into playing a certain way. He kind of leads the way there."

Crosby answered "hopefully" when asked if he saw any similarities between their games. And he clearly relishes being Toews' Olympic teammate.

"Playing with him in Vancouver and then seeing him four years later, it's funny it goes by pretty quick," Crosby said.

If there's any justice, Saturday night will pass slowly, allowing fans to savor a first that has been years in the making.

One-timers: Penguins winger Tanner Glass took the ice with an iPad to document the surroundings. "It's a memorable experience and one you don't know if you'll have again," he said. Glass also scoffed at questions about conditions. "I don't know if you saw the wind chills in Saskatchewan last week but this is nothing," he said. "It was minus-67." … Dan Bylsma is fully aware of Patrick Kane's skill. But as Team USA's Olympic coach in Sochi, the Penguins leader gained a new appreciation. "I learned quite a bit about his competitiveness," Bylsma said. "And he just has some nasty skill with the puck."

kcjohnson@tribune.com

Twitter @kcjhoop