Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Bryan Morris vs Nick Evans 6/28/10 [VIDEO]

Yesterday I was going to get a few innings of Bryan Morris on video. All was fine until Binghamton Mets prospect Nick Evans decided to stand right in front of me instead of the on deck circle. I brainstormed and made Evans the focus of the videos. That will teach him!

Morris was absolutely brilliant last night. 7IP, 3H, 1ER, 2BB, 6SO. Meanwhile, Evans was 0-4 with 3 K's, 0-3 with 2 K's against Morris. Justice! Morris got a no decision after the Curve bullpen was horrendous, especially Diego Moreno. The B-Mets rallied for 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win 7-6. The 9th inning was playing in a downpour that only a handful of people stayed to watch. Unfortunately, I was one of them.

The first video is a pop out followed by 2 strikeouts.





Josh Harrison vs Binghamton [Video]

Altoona's Josh Harrison hits a double off of the B-Mets Scott Shaw.

Chase d'Arnaud vs Binghamton 6/28/10 [VIDEO]

Here's all of d'Arnaud's at-bats against Binghamton. He was 2-4 with a triple, 2 RBIs and a walk on the night. His first three at-bats are against Josh Stinson. He walked against Scott Shaw in his forth appearance and singled against Edgar Ramirez in his last at-bat.









Monday, June 28, 2010

Pittsburgh Penguins Free Agent Preview

With free agency starting on Thursday, its time to take a look at the Penguins situation for the upcoming weeks. The NHL salary cap is going to rise for next season and will sit at $59.4 million. The Penguins currently have contracts that total about $47.5 million, which leaves approximately $11.9 million dollars to finalize the roster.

FORWARDS

The Penguins currently have 11 NHL players under contract. With these players, a suitable line-up could look like:

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis

Talbot-Malkin-???

Cooke-Staal-Kennedy

Rupp-Adams-Godard

As you can see, one or two forwards will be needed based upon the role of Godard. The need of a Top-six forward is there once again, as was the case is previous years as well. There are three areas in which Shero could look to fill these voids. He could look to Wilkes-Barre, re-sign players that were under contract from last year, or he could turn to the free agent market. First, lets take a look at those that have not been re-signed yet.

Ruslan Fedotenko ($1.80 million): 11 G, 19 A, 30 Pts, -17 +/-

Bill Guerin ($2.00 million): 21 G, 24 A, 45 Pts, -9 +/-

Alexei Ponikarovsky ($2.11 million): 21 G, 29 A, 50 Pts, -1 +/-

(2009-2010 Salary)

Out of these three, the only one I could possibly see coming back is Guerin. He took a pay cut last year to remain in Pittsburgh, and thats something that he might have to do again to remain with the team. I am holding out hope that if Guerin were to retire, that Shero sign Ponikarovsky to a short-term deal to give him a full year with Malkin.

Another option that Shero has is to bring up players from the minors. Five forwards from the AHL level also played a handful of games with the big club, some alongside Malkin and Crosby or in the playoffs.

Dustin Jeffrey ($0.51 million): 24 G, 47 A, 71 Pts, +16 +/-

Nick Johnson ($0.50 million): 16 G, 27 A, 43 Pts, +19 +/-

Mark Letestu ($.050 million): 21 G, 34 A, 55 Pts, +21 +/-

Eric Tangradi ($0.85 million): 17 G, 22 A, 39 Pts, -1 +/-

Tim Wallace ($0.50 million): 27 G, 14 A, 41 Pts, +9 +/-

(Minor League Stats)

Tangradi is going to be the sexy pick of this group if Shero were to call up someone, but unless he exceeds everyone expectations in camp, I believe that he will be better off starting the season in the AHL. Of this group, it should come down to Wallace and Johnson for any roster spots available.

Then again, Shero record would show that he likes to sign some players to a one or two-year deal. Some players that could be available come July 1st could be:

Colby Armstrong ($2.40 million): 15 G, 14 A, 29 Pts, +6 +/-

Alexander Frolov ($2.90 million): 19 G, 32 A, 51 Pts, -1 +/-

Owen Nolan ($2.75 million): 16 G, 17 A, 33 Pts, -12 +/-

Teemu Selanne ($2.63 million): 27 G, 21 A, 48 Pts, +3 +/-

Lee Stempniak ($2.50 million): 28 G, 20 A, 48 Pts, Even +/-

Alex Tanguay ($2.50 million): 10 G, 27 A, 37 Pts, -2 +/-

Raffi Torres ($2.25 million): 19 G, 17 A, 36 Pts, -11 +/-

Blake Wheeler (RFA) ($2.83 million): 18 G, 20 A, 38 Pts, -4 +/-

(2009-2010 Salary)

The players above are all in the $2-$3 million range based on the cap room the Pens have and the amount of players needed. Of these players, most will be looking for a little pay raise, with the exception fo Wheeler's RFA status. Most of these players either have a 50/50 point split or can score goals. Older players, such as Nolan and Selanne, could replace Guerin if he should decide not to return. Only Frolov produced more points than any of the Penguins' free agents. Stempniak produced in both Toronto and Phoenix, imagine his production alongside Crosby or Malkin.

DEFENSEMEN

The Penguins have four defensemen under NHL contracts, creating possible pairings such as:

Letang-Orpik
Goligoski-???
Lovejoy-???

It's easy to see that the Penguins lack experiece, except for Oprik, and both a shut-down and sniper defender. Un-signed by the Penguins so far, the following players could return depending on the situation.

Mark Eaton ($2.00 million): 3 G, 13 A, 16 Pts, +5 +/-

Sergei Gonchar ($5.00 million): 11 G, 39 A, 50 Pts, -4 +/-

Dan Hamhuis ($2.00 million): 5 G, 19 A, 24 Pts, +4 +/-

Jordan Leopold ($1.75 million): 11 G, 15 A, 26 Pts, -2 +/-

Jay McKee ($0.80 million): 1 G, 9 A, 10 Pts, +6 +/-

(2009-2010 Salary)

Letang and Goligoski were suppose to be up to their potential by the time Gonchar's contract was up, but as was seen last season, they aren't there yet. The trade for Hamhuis' rights could turn out to be huge if Shero were to sign him before the first. Leopold and Eaton are one in the same, with Jordan having a little more offensive ability if Gonchar were to walk.

Within the system, only two defensemen have seen time in the NHL. While the system might be thin with experience now, there are some top prospects coming soon.

Deryk Engelland ($0.50 million): 5 G, 6 A, 11 Pts, +10 +/-

Steve Wagner ($0.50 million): 4 G, 18 A, 22 Pts, -9 +/-

(Minor League Stats)

Neither have spent extensive time in the big leagues, but with his time up, Engelland showed his stay-at-home ability and grit with a few fights. While the fighting might be a drawback when looking for a shut-down position, Deryk could be a cheap possibility if other options fail.

Shero's first option if Gonchar and/or Hamhuis don't sign should be to look at the free agency pool. This is even more important considering the lack of games played with those in the minor leagues. Some players that Shero should take a look at are:

Joe Corvo ($2.63 million): 6 G, 12 A, 18 Pts, -10 +/-

Toni Lydman ($2.88 million): 4 G, 16 A, 20 Pts, +10 +/-

Brian Pothier ($2.50 million): 5 G, 10 A, 15 Pts, +4 +/-

Henrik Tallinder ($2.57 million): 4 G, 16 A, 20 Pts, +13 +/-

Anton Volchenkov ($2.50 million): 4 G, 10 A, 14 Pts, +2 +/-

James Wisniewksi (RFA) ($2.75 million): 3 G, 27 A, 30 Pts, -5 +/-

(2009-2010 Salary)

Volchenkov is the first choice by everyone for a shut-down player, but he is expecting a big raise from his current salary which would price him right out of the Penguins range. Tallinder and Wisniewski could round out the Pens roster if they aren't able to sign anyone that played with the team last year.

There are many scenarios that could play out for the Penguins this off-season. Here is a look at a few of the possibilities.

Scenario 1: Staying In-House

Guerin: $2.00 million

Johnson: $0.50 million

Gonchar: $5.00 million

Hamhuis: $4.oo million

TOTAL:$11.50 million

Scenario 2: Offense First

Frolov: $3.00 million

Stempniak: $2.75 million

Eaton: $2.00 million

Leopold: $2.00 million

TOTAL: $9.75 million

Scenario 3: Free Agency

Frolov: $3.00 million

Stempniak: $2.75 million

Tallinder: $2.75 million

Wisniewski: $3.00 million

TOTAL: $11.50 million

Scenario 4: Defense First

Guerin: $2.00 million

Ponikarovsky: $2.00 million

Tallinder: $2.75 million

Wisniewski: $3.00 million

TOTAL: $9.75 million

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Confirmation




After watching the International Soccer community routinely lie on the ground like someone viciously ripped out their tampons, or completely be blown back by what appeared to be snipers in the stands, I have my confirmation why Americans don't like Soccer.

The officials showed some stunning Anti-American sentiment in robbing them not once but twice of good goals. That sort of thing is to be expected. If they are seriously trying to get Americans to embrace ball kicking though they should try a bit harder to, oh I don't know, call a fair match.

Americans like justice, there was no real justice by the terrible officials in the World Cup.

Hard work is a core tenant of American society, the brazen diving makes the sport a joke and literally laughable.

American's like hard nosed physicality, there is a stretcher used to cart off a player in the NFL once a week at the most, at the World Cup stretchers were used once or twice a game.

Most of all though Americans don't want their athletes to be able to hide behind clocks. The beauty of the big three American sports (Hockey is more of a Canadian Sport) is that your deficiencies are only display.

In Baseball if you have a bad bullpen it still must pitch, no clock to hide from.

The NBA and NCAA introduced the shot clock for Basketball because they realized their is no good faith in just passing the ball around in a four corners offense.

The NFL and NCAA both have play clocks so teams can't just get a lead and stand around. They have to play the game.

I want to like Soccer. I want to get a Philadelphia Union jersey and wear it proudly. I can't though. I guess it's because I am American and American's just like the justice, accountability, and yes violence of our favorite sports. That is why America will be a soccer country 1 month out of every 48 for the foreseeable future.

The World Cup just confirmed it for much of America. Like they say Sports is a microcosm of life, and once again it proves to be true.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Day 2 Draft Roundup

While many of us (myself certainly included) were getting our hearts broken with the World Cup, it was all business for Ray Shero and the crew at day 2 of the NHL Draft. He continued the trend of taking wingers, as his first 3 picks of the day (5 total) were wingers. The other trend that continued was the selection of Americans. Along with Bennett, 3 more Americans were taken today. Shero is clearly rather satisfied with the young nucleus of d-men in the system (Lovejoy, Strait, Despres, etc) and felt he needed to build up the wings. Here is a rundown of the picks of the day.

3rd round. (80)- Bryan Rust
Pos: RW
Team: USA U-18 Team
H/W: 6'1, 191 lbs
Rust, a USA Junior prospect, is a strong offensive factor with the puck. He is a good scorer, and was one of the main offensive leaders with the U-18 squad. He is neither small nor huge, so he brings his balanced attack to the floor with the potential to eventually work his way up to the NHL. Next season, he will be attending the University of Notre Dame.

4th round. (110)- Tom Kuehnhackl
Pos: RW
Team: Landshut (Germany)
H/W: 6'2, 192 lbs
Kuehnhackl comes from a good hockey bloodline, as his father was widely celebrated as one of the top players in Germany. He is no slouch himself, rated overall as the #8 European skater. He, like Rust, brings a balanced attack to the team. Next season, he will be moving to North America to play for Windsor of the OHL.

5th round. (140)- Kenneth Agostino
Pos: LW
Team: Delbarton HS, NJ
H/W: 5'10, 190 lbs
Agostino ripped up the NJ high school system, putting up MASSIVE stats in a small number of games. Yes, the competition was not near as fierce as in small pro leagues, but he still shows much promise. He will have plenty of time to develop in the system, as he will be attending Yale University next year.

6th round. (152)- Joe Rogalski
Pos: D
Team: Sarnia (OHL)
H/W: 6'1, 195 lbs
Rogalski is a technical defenseman. He is not incredibly big nor is he all that speedy, but he has been respectable with Sarnia of the OHL and perhaps he could be a depth player sometime in the future.

6th round. (170)- Reid McNeill

Pos: D

Team: London Knights (OHL)

McNeill is a 6'3 defenseman who has developed a bit of a reputation as a scrapper. These qualities mean he may one day be effective at the AHL level, but maybe not necessarily the big leagues.

The Pens traded their 7th round pick away to San Jose for San Jose's 7th rounder next year.

Friday, June 25, 2010

And Maybe Our D-Man too?


Yes, Ray Shero must fancy the idea of stealing people's thunder. Just after the festivities of the first round concluded Friday night, he struck a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers (yes, THE FLYERS) that brings the RIGHTS to defenseman Dan Hamhuis under the Pens control. In return, he gave the Flyers a third round pick for next year. I am not going to start a detailed report on Hamhuis right now, because it is important to note that he is NOT a Penguin right now. The Penguins simply acquired the rights to sign him before all free agents unlock on July 1. The rights to Hamhuis are starting to seem like the holy grail of the offseason, as they have now changed hands twice in the last week. The Flyers quickly realized they had no chance of affording Hamhuis, as he asked for more than they could give in their current salary cap. I fear the same may happen in Pittsburgh, as Hamhuis was extremely adamant with Philadelphia that he would not take a pay cut. But, all that aside, lets just assume the deal does get done. It would mean that the Pens may have fixed a major problem back on their blue line. It would also mean the final goodbye to Sergei Gonchar and likely at least one of the duo of Mark Eaton and Jordan Leopold. This is something we will have to follow over the next few days.

We Got Our Winger

Despite rumors that they may trade it to a team like the Flyers, the Pens went on and selected RW Beau Bennett with their 20th overall pick. Bennett was the product of heavy discussion that the Pens were looking for a winger, though he may not have been specifically the one everyone expected. Bennett is rather large at around 6'1 175 lbs, but plays more like a small agile forward. Bennett, born in southern California, spent last season in the BCHL hockey league. His stats were excellent, though the level of competition in the BCHL has been questioned a bit. He is sometimes referred as a "big fish in a small pond." Despite this, there is plenty of upside to this kid. He is a great skater and brings a goal scoring touch unseen in many of the gritty players the Pens currently have in the system. He has great vision on the ice and has been extremely effective on the powerplay. His physicality needs some work, as does his backchecking, but there is plenty of time to work on that in the minors. He will be playing college hockey next season in Denver, and I probably wouldn't expect him to be considered for the NHL roster for at least 2 years. Still, it was a good pick by Shero in the idea of a long term investment.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Possible Pens Picks and First Round Draft


First off, let me say thanks to everyone here at TiGO for letting me post. In this, we will take a look at a handful of potential picks that the Penguins could make with the 20th pick in the first round and also take a look at my first round mock draft.
So lets get this started with the potential picks for the Pens. For this, I only included players that were available in my mock draft when it was the Pens pick. Therefore, there won't be any profiles for players picked #1-19 even though some could be possible if they were to drop in the actual draft.

STANISLAV GALIEV (RW)
Scout's Take: "A high-end player, intelligent and responsible at both ends of the ice. He's got good moves and backchecks hard, an all around player. Maybe similar to Pavel Datsyuk in the way he chips in for a highly skilled team."
My Take: The Pens lack depth at the Wings, so adding one in the first round might not be a bad move, let alone a two-way winger such as Galiev.

EVGENY KUZNETSOV (C)
Scout's Take: "He is fast, skillful and talented. He is also a leader on the ice, he was captain of the Russian Under-18 team and he had an excellent tournament. He is very skilled."
My Take: Being a captain at a young age mean that you lead well when amongst your peers. How this leadership would transfer to the North American game or an NHL club would remain to be seen. Drafting another center in the first round could spell the beginning of the end for Malkin at that position or on the Pens roster.

JONATHON MERRILL (D)
Scout's Take: "He plays the game a lot like Jordan Leopold. He plays weaving and diving, sneaking and thinking, gaining the zone and moving the puck ahead right on the tape to a guy. He's skilled and he's really come a long way in his development."
My Take: ...A lot like Jordan Leopold. As a Pens fan, the book is still out on whether the Leopold trade was good for the Pens, and with the system pretty filled at D, this pick could be suprising to some, or a sfe pick in case Goligoski or Letang doesn't pan out within the duration of their contract.

BROCK NELSON (C)
Scout's Take: "Big, strapping center in the Minnesota High School league. Going to North Dakota next year and destined to be an NHL'er with a 6-2 frame, 205 pound build. Guaranteed, hard-skating power forward."
My Take: Taking a player right out of high school can be a big risk, especially in the first round. Seeing them make the jump right to the NCAA instead of Junior's can also be a shock to the system. The Pens tend to stay away from high school and international players in the early rounds, so a pick like this would be considered a suprise to some.

CALVIN PICKARD (G)
Scout's Take: "He's a solid goalie, he's not really a huge goalie, but he plays big. His positional play is excellent; he reads the play very well. He's a very confident goalie that plays calm and relaxed. He always seems to give himself a chance to stop the puck and always seems to know where to be.:
My Take: Do the Penguins really need a goalie? The answer is probabily not, but with the years it takes to come through the ranks to the NHL as any pick outside the top 5 or 10 it might turn out to be a wise pick. Within that time, Fleury's contract might be up and not extended, so to have a possible top level goalie in the system would be a trick Shero could have up his sleeve.

TYLER PITLICK (C)
Scout's Take: "Dominates faceoffs and in freshman year, is an excellent young prospect, a really good young skater and his ability to dominate a game at his level is truly impressive."
My Take: You don't see many college prospects in a draft, so to fine one of Pitlick's level is rare. With that said, the organization has depth down the middle, but by the time most of these players are ready, the contracts of "The Core" will be expired or expiring.

VLADIMIR TARASENKO (RW)
Scout's Take: "Vladimir is very effective around the net with his excellent overall skill level and vision. He is a strong, mobile skater with a quick shot. He is not only a sniper, but also a good passer and playmaker. There are no real weaknesses in his overall game and he will be one of the most interesting prospects at the draft."
My Take: He would be the prospect most likely to have an impact right away on the team, but the NHL/KHL turmoil could possibly hold up and chance of him coming over in the near future.


Alright, so there is your quick look at some of the possible players the Pens could take when they are on the clock. Now, lets get to the mock draft and see who I have them selecting.

1) Edmonton Oilers: Taylor Hall, C, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
2) Boston Bruins (TOR): Tyler Seguin, C, Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
3) Florida Panthers: Cam Fowler, D, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
4) Columbus Blue Jackets: Erik Gudbranson, D, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
5) New York Islanders: Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
6) Tampa Bay Lightning: Nino Niederreiter, LW, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
7) Carolina Hurricanes: Brett Connolly, LW, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
8) Atlanta Thrashers: Ryan Johansen, C, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
9) Minnesota Wild: Mikael Granlund, C, HIFK Helsinki (FIN)
10) New York Rangers: Derek Forbort, D, National Under-18 (USA)
11) Dallas Stars: Jack Campbell, G, National Under-18 (USA)
12) Anaheim Ducks: Emerson Etem, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
13) Phoenix Coyotes (CGY): Jeff Skinner. C, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
14) St. Louis Blues: Alex Burmistrov, C, Barrie Colts (OHL)
15) Florida Panthers (BOS): Austin Watson, RW, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
16) Ottawa Senators: Nick Bjugstad, C, Blaine High School (MIN)
17) Colorado Avalanche: Dylan McIlrath, D, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
18) Nashville Predators: Mark Pysyk, D, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
19) Los Angeles Kings: Quinton Howden, LW, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
20) Pittsburgh Penguins: Jonathan Merrill, D, National Under-18 (USA)
21) Detroit Red Wings: Riley Sheahan, C, Notre Dame (NCAA)
22) Phoenix Coyotes: Brock Nelson, C, Warroad High School (MIN)
23) Buffalo Sabres: Jarred Tinordi, D, National Under-18 (USA)
24) Chicago Blackhawks (ATL via NJ): Calvin Pickard, G, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
25) Vancouver Canucks: Tyler Pitlick, C, Minnesota State (NCAA)
26) Washington Capitals: Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, Chelyabinsk Traktor (KHL)
27) Montreal Canadiens: Stanislav Galiev, RW, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
28) San Jose Sharks: Beau Bennett, RW, Penticton Vees (BCHL)
29) Anaheim Ducks (PHI): Jaden Schwartz, C, Tri-City Storm (USHL)
30) Chicago Blackhawks: John McFarland, C, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)


So there you have it, feel free to debate this all you want, cause I know just as well as you that the draft is a crapshoot and that most of these will probabily be wrong.

With the 20th pick, the Pittsburgh Penguins select....

With the 2010 NHL draft quickly approaching (tomorrow), there are few sure things and a whole lot of question marks. Here's what we know. Both the Oilers and the Bruins will be receiving very special players tomorrow afternoon in Hall and Seguin. The order is not known, but most experts are predicting Hall to go first. We also know the Pens will need to make this first rounder count due to the fact they do not have a 2nd round pick. (traded away this season for Jordan Leopold). Beyond that it is a very wide open draft. It is very likely that the Panthers and Blue Jackets each take one of the top rated defensemen with the next two picks. There is the gritty and tough Erik Grudbranson and the smaller but more agile Cam Fowler. Again, the order is unknown as is pretty much everything afterwards. Now, rather than spend hours and hours toiling over each team's individual needs and spend hours writing it all up, I will focus in on the one question you all want answered. "Who will the Pens draft?" Picking right in the middle of the first round (20), you can ask this question to 10 people and get as many different answers. Ray Shero has made it unclear as to whether he is looking for a future investment in forward, or a young blueliner to join the corps he has already been building for a few years, so I will name a few of both. Personally, I would prefer a forward, but a strong case can be made either way.

IF WE'RE LUCKY
Here are a few players the Pens may like to take, but possibly will not be available.

Austin Watson- (RW, Peterbourough) Though the Ponikarovsky experiment was a failure, Shero has been looking for a large winger for a few years. The big forward of the future is currently considered to be Eric Tangradi, but it never hurts to have a backup plan.

Jeff Skinner- (C, Kitchener) Yes, I know he is a center, but if Bylsma continues to fancy Geno as a winger, than perhaps he could be a potential second liner (assuming Staal stays on checking line). He is a great shooter, and doesn't seem far off of development. I wouldn't get too worked up about it, as he will probably be gone anyways.

WITHIN GRASP
These guys are more likely to be around when pick #20 rolls around tomorrow afternoon.

Quinton Howden- (LW, MooseJaw) Howden has a little way to go in his development process, but Shero can do a very nice job of keeping the farm stocked by picking Howden. Howden possesses a well balanced array of offensive skill. I wouldn't mind seeing Shero take him one bit.

Dylan McIlrath- (D, MooseJaw) This 215 lb bulldozer provides exactly what the Pens need on their blue line. Aside from Brooks Orpik, the Pens current defense consists of smaller, agile and technical d-men (Letang, Goligoski, Eaton, Lovejoy, Gonchar). Yes, some of them are scrappy but don't provide the presence that a man like Orpik does. One Orpik is a huge presence, 2 makes it an intimidating force.

BIT OF A STRETCH
Some dark horse picks that will probably be there at #20 if Shero wants to take a chance.

John McFarland- (LW, Sudbury) Picked #1 in the 2008 OHL draft (above Seguin, etc), the potential is clearly there for McFarland. He is oozing with raw talent, though his development has hit a few rough patches. If the Pens are willing to put in the time to turn him back on the right track, this can be a risk/reward move that pays huge dividends.

Tyler Toffoli- (RW, Ottawa67s) Another "long term" type of player, Toffoli reminds me of a Sykora type shooter. Since the departure of Sykora and Satan, the Pens have been without pure goal scorers not named Sid or Geno. Toffoli can solve this problem, though it will take some time.

Here are the rest of the Pens picks:
Rd 3 Pick 20 (80)
Rd 4 Pick 20 (110)
Rd 5 Pick 20 (140)
Rd 6 Pick 2 (156)
Rd 6 Pick 20 (170)
Rd 7 Pick 20 (200)

The first round can be seen tomorrow on versus, starting at 7 ET.

Pirates stun the world, trade for Eveland pt. 2

Today the Pirates announced they were DFA'ing recent acquisition Dana Eveland. This comes a mere three weeks after acquiring him for 40 man roster player, and possible closer candidate Ronald Uviedo. This is another in a series of odd moves that the Pirates have made, including trading for rental Akinori Iwamura, and seem like desperation moves. This really doesn't surprise me because I never liked the deal in the first place, and Eveland has literally sucked out loud for most of his career.

So there you have it. We essentially gave the BlueJays Uviedo. They must really like trading with us. We gave them Uviedo, and Jose Bautista. Neil Huntington really needs to sit down and evaluate who he has judging this major league talent because he flat out sucks at acquiring ML guys.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Pens Schedule Released




The NHL released their official schedules today for all of the teams. Some highlights from the Pens schedule are:

18 games against Western Conference opponents.

6 games vs Flyers including opener: (Oct 7, Oct 16, Oct 29, Dec 14, Mar 24, Mar 29)

4 games vs Caps including Winter Classic: (Dec 23, Jan 1, Feb 6, Feb 21)

6 games against division rival Devils: (Oct 11, Dec 6, Jan 20, Mar 4, Mar 25, April 5)

2 games against rival Red Wings: (Jan 18, Mar 24)

1 game against defending champion Blackhawks on Feb 20.

Pens get their first shot at revenge against Montreal in just their second game of the season on Oct 9.

The Pens end their season on the road on April 10 vs the Thrashers.

(full schedule can be found on Pens website)

C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me





Word out of Pittsburgh is that the Penguins have re-signed Matt Cooke to a three year deal worth less than $2 million dollars. It is now being reported on mainstream sites like the Trib, but props should go to Pens Universe because they scooped EVERYONE on this.

This is a really good signing. Cooke has emerged as a leader on this team, and has been very successful on the ice. He is a Blysma type player, and it shows. Cooke responded very well to the responsibility Blysma put on his lap and this deal shows how happy he is here. Shero acquiesced on the years and I'm assuming Cooke in turn went down on yearly dollars. Cooke gets a raise, we keep an important role player and an important member of our locker room.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Pens Sign Ben Lovejoy



The Penguins have signed Ben Lovejoy to a three year 2-way contract. Lovejoy will make $525,000 a year at the NHL level. This is great news. I, as well as many Pens fans, think Lovejoy will see his majority of playing time in Pittsburgh.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

The Great Pierogi Debate [Video]

Welcome to the real world

What's with the outrage? A pierogi was fired? Who gives a shit? Seriously welcome to the real world you clown.

I'm not going to delve too deep into it (because I'm not a moron like Pierogi Master) but I work for, what is generally accepted as, one of the better companies in the nation. If I come on this blog and say nasty things about them, warranted or not, I will be fired. No doubt. This isn't something new, or even bad.

If you blast your employer publicly it has a very negative impact on them because they are writing your paychecks. It's no different than going on TV or the radio and blasting your employer, why would you expect the Pirates to be different than many employers?

This kid got a great lesson, it's called responsibility. Sure it might get a couple laughs on Facebook, but you really should realize the consequences your, probably unfunny, joke has. Hopefully this kid can move on now and this will be a great lesson for him. Maybe he will be able to assimilate into the adult world.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Set Your Clocks and Mark Your Calendars


Just a few minor housekeeping details announced by the Pens yesterday. The official start time for all home games in Consol Energy Center will be at 7:00, as opposed to 7:30 used this past season. Shouldn't really make that much of a difference, except that the 7:00 games will be done in time to catch the 10:00 news (or whatever you like to watch at night). Also, the preseason schedule was announced yesterday. The Pens officially open the CEC against their hated rivals the Detroit Red Wings on September 22. I think that is a fitting way to open things up. The full preseason schedule looks like this
Sept 22 DETROIT
Sept 24 at Columbus
Sept 25 COLUMBUS
Sept 28 CHICAGO
Oct 1 at Chicago
Oct 3 at Detroit
Regular season schedule expected next week

Thursday, June 17, 2010

FSN Pitt Doesn't Know How Right They Are

So for weeks now in addition to threatening my sanity with his lackluster pitching, Zach Duke has been personally threatening me with what I can only assume is bodily harm in his Pirates promos.

First off whoever thought of this commercial is a genius.

"Here's a foul tip........"

Lets just take that part

Foul, some synonyms for this word are wretched, horrid, obscene, and detestable. Personally I like wretched.

Tip is usually seen, at least in this sense as a hint or suggestion.

What that basically reads is "Here's a horrid suggestion". What is this horrid suggestion you may ask? To "catch the Bucs on FSN". I don't know if he knows how right he is. Add one more home run to the 1.3 he is giving up per 9 innings.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

It was a great day for Pirates Baseball ... until they started playing it

photo by @djpeck21



Pedro Alvarez went 0-2 with a run scored in his MLB debut. He also contributed to one of Pittsburgh's six errors, the most in a game since 1988. The losing streak has now hit double digits at 10.

Zach Duke was just awful and so was Bobby Crosby and Ryan Doumit. I am in excruciating pain watching this team.

The Bucs managed just 5 hits including Jose Tabata's first big league homer, the lone bright spot in a disappointing night. Lastings Milledge had two of those hits including his 14th double. ATTN JOHN RUSSELL: PLAY MILLEGDE MORE!

A total of 15,218 people were at the ballpark for this city's biggest prospect in 24 years. That is very disappointing as well. The series against the White Sox continues tomorrow night as the Bucs try not to be swept for the 3rd straight series.

Hey Hey Ho Ho, did Aki really have to go?

Well there is your 25 man roster move. Aki Iwamura's pathetic tenure with the Pirates has come to an extremely expensive close. Obviously Aki wasn't going to stick with this team much longer, clearly he has lost a step (or maybe even an entire leg considering how bad he was at 2B). Was he the clear choice to go? I don't think so.

I've been pretty rough on Aki at times, and he has deserved it. He was extremely bad for most of his stay here.

Currently the Pirates have a total of 6 players who will primarily play in the outfield. They have maybe four guys who can play 2B (although Young clearly can't, and no one knows about LaRoche they are included in that number). Does this team really need 6 outfielders? I think trading, cutting, ridiculing into retirement Ryan Church was probably the move that needed to be made. Church is actively taking at bats away from people who deserve them more (FREE MILLY!) and flat out sucks at sports.

In fact Ryan Church has managed to put up a worse line than Aki has thus far in the season. Ryan Church is currently boasting a stunning .179/.220/.308 line to Aki's .182/.292/.267. At least when Aki wasn't hitting he was still getting on base at a decent clip in relation to his batting average. Aki although not known for power has just as many homers as Church, he also has 21 more BB than Church.

Aki Iwamura has actually been pretty successful since moving to the bench. As a PH he is .333/.429/.500 in 14 PA. I understand it's a small sample size, but those numbers are pretty good, and just might indicate he is turning a corner of sorts (or that he is just more comfortable with the knee in small spurts).

I seriously doubt that Aki is going to be traded, and if you think he's going to Indy you might want to check that you are not high, but he may sign on to someone's club, and he just might find a way to contribute off the bench.



Pirates DFA Aki



To make room on the roster for Pedro Alvarez, the Pirates have sent fan favorite Aki Iwamura packing.

The Bucs now have 10 days to work out a trade. Good luck with that. Iwamura could also be assigned to AAA if he accepts it.

The Pirates will most likely have to pay most, if not all, of his $4.85 M salary.

Was this the correct move? Probably but a very costly one.

Yeo Problem Now

Well it looks like the Penguins will be forced to hire a new powerplay coach this season. The Houston Aeros are going to make their former Captain head coach.

It's hard to say what they saw in Yeo from his time with the Penguins, our powerplay routinely underachieved with some of the best players in the world on it so his loss really won't be major in my opinion. If anything it makes it really easy to change things up now. We will have a whole new powerplay this season, like it or not. This is actually a really good opportunity to infuse some new blood in what appeared to be a very stagnant team at times last season.

Good Luck to Mike Yeo though, he was on the coaching staff of a Stanley Cup Champion, and was tenacious enough to keep himself in the sport after a major knee injury ruined his playing career. I wish him nothing but the best.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

We Voted For Pedro, Now What?



Can he pitch?

Ron Cooks Rocks (crack duh!)

You would be well served to read the drivel first, crappy link.

Really? Wilson and Snell to the Mariners as a bad trade? Cook is looking at that trade wrong, Jeff Clement was not the heart of the trade, and he certainly wasn't the only return.

Ian Snell in likelihood will be DFA'd, Jack Wilson has lost his starting job and was speculated to be thinking about retirement. The Mariners gained nothing by making the trade.

We received Ronny Cedeno who has been more valuable to us than Jack Wilson has been to the Mariners. We also received:

Aaron Pribanic who has struggled in A+ this season with a 2-4 record and 5.65 ERA in 13 starts.
Brett Lorin was very good after the trade (3-1, 1.57 ERA in 7 starts)
Nathan Adcock on the other hand has been very good since coming over. This season posting a 6-2 record with a 2.85 ERA in 12 starts. He is also striking out better than a batter an inning, and will probably be promoted in the very near future.

If Ron Cook had his way we would have a hurt, possibly retiring Wilson at short, and we would be on the verge of DFA'ing Ian Snell. Awesome logic! What a way to keep your job!

Is there anyone here that would trade Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock for Ian Snell, Jack Wilson and 3 million bucks?

Erik Kratz vs Scranton [Video]

Because the staff at TIGO obviously hates Jason Jaramillo, I decided to focus on 30 year old Indianapolis catcher Erik Kratz. Kratz went 0-3 with a strikeout and a walk tonight against Scranton.

He are all of his plate appearances. The first two are against Yankees pitcher Romulo Sanchez. The third is against Royce Ring and his final at-bat is against Mark Melancon.







Monday, June 14, 2010

Pens Re-Sign Steve Wagner


The Penguins have re-signed defenseman Steve Wagner to a two way contract. The contract, worth 500k, is a one year deal. Wagner's contract was up after being acquired by the Pens in February in exchange for Nate Guenin. Wagner played only 20 games last season with the Pens, but has several seasons of experience with Peoria and their NHL affiliate St Louis. Wagner is not expected to make much of an impact with the big club, but I think this is a very good move from the prospective of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He is a very mobile blueliner who can get pucks to the net as well as get back in time to defend. His positioning is sometimes a bit off and he needs a bit more work on his puck handling skills, but he fits in very well into the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton system. With the likely departure of Ben Lovejoy up to the NHL and the potential of Engelland being called up a few times, it would mean that Wagner is one of the veteran leaders on the team. He has NHL and AHL experience, and can provide leadership to some of the younger defensemen (Bortuzzo, Strait, Caffaro). All in all, signing Wagner was yet another good depth move made by the Pens so far this offseason. Some of the more high-profile moves are beginning to be made across the NHL, so expect decisions to be made on Cooke, Gonchar, Eaton and others sometime soon.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Call Him Up Already!

He is hitting .308. His OPS is .976 and he plays pretty good defense. The guy blocking him right now is hitting .172 with an OPS of .505. Why in god's name is Erik Kratz still at AAA when Jason Jaramillo has been an utter failure? Sure Kratz is pretty old, and his upside is limited, but guys like Jaramillo are a dime a dozen. If we are serious about making Doumit play first base how about a real bat in the lineup?

Even if Kratz is nothing, he won't be worse than Jaramillo. This team desperately needs offense, as long as Jaramillo is in the lineup he is going to hurt us offensively.

Pedro Alvarez vs Scranton [Video] *UPDATED*

I got all four plate appearances from Pedro Alvarez on video tonight. You can only see three of them because youtube is being a bitch. A home run followed by three strikeouts. Unfortunately, Michael J. Fox grabbed the camera for his first at-bat. I'm a rookie at this so cut me some slack.

I finally got his 4th at-bat uploaded. I'm a slacker.







Friday, June 11, 2010

Brief World Cup Preview

This coming up Friday marks the start of the 2010 World Cup. The one month quest for the ultimate international bragging rights will take place in South Africa this year. This year's teams are as follows:
Group A
South Africa
France
Mexico
Uruguay
Group B
Argentina
Nigeria
Greece
Korea
Group C
USA
England
Slovenia
Algeria
Group D
Germany
Ghana
Australia
Serbia
Group E
Japan
Netherlands
Denmark
Cameroon
Group F
Paraguay
Italy
Slovakia
New Zealand
Group G
Brazil
Korea DPR
Portugal
Ivory Coast
Group H
Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
Chile

-The top 2 in each of these divisions advance to the round of 16. Format is Group A winner vs Group B runner-up, Group C winner vs Group D runner-up, etc.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Congrats Hawks

Congrats to the 2010 Stanley Cup Champs, the Chicago Blackhawks. I'll make my congratulations short. Congrats Jonathon Toews, winner of both the Stanley Cup and Gold Medal in the same season as well as the Conn Smythe. Congrats Patrick Kane, great OT goal whether or not the crowd in Philly still doesn't believe it went in. Congrats Marian Hossa, you finally snapped the curse. Congrats John Madden, you won that 3rd cup at age 37 to cap off a fine career. Congrats Duncan Keith, proved most of your doubters wrong and probably getting yourself a shiny Norris Trophy as well. Congrats Coach Q, it always feels better to win it as a HEAD coach. Congrats Jeremy Roenick, you took broadcasting to a new low. Congrats Chris Pronger, got yourself a few nice souvenirs. But now I'm starting to ramble... All I really have to say is.
NEXT YEAR!
ONE GOAL!

Lets Go Pens!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The future is now

Well we saw the Nationals future last night, tonight (hopefully) they get some of ours. Both Brad Lincoln and Jose Tabata are in the lineup tonight.

After the Pirates put him in a pretty dire situation in the first place, Jeff Clement was sent down. I can't really complain though as he was given a chance. Still gotta like the raw power he shows though. He will get another chance at some point. Just hope he's ready to grab hold of it this time.

The other casualty was Jack Taschner, who basically blows. He is no big loss and was DFA'd to make room. Really I don't care if we get him back, he is easily replaceable.

One other nice little tidbit, Dana Eveland has reportedly been moved to the bullpen now. That's great news! That means we traded a possible closer candidate for a LOOGY or at best a long reliever.

I kind of think they are using the other two to help game Pedro's arbitration clock. Call those two up a week or so earlier so they also will be in front of Pedro in the Super Two line.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

We got our Ace

One criticism of Neil Huntington has been the lack of a true "Ace" prospect in the system. Well Huntington took care of that with his pick of Jameson Taillon last night.

Detractors will point to the very mixed success rate of High School pitchers. Those are probably the same people who say Nutting is cheap, and blasted the Tony Sanchez pick last season. Fact is if you want this team to be successful you need to take some risks. Taillon reveals a sac of steel for Huntington, who has always been willing to make the hard decision. Next we need to get this guy signed, which won't be a cakewalk, but I think it will happen, and he will be one of the first guys to jump into a vacant top 5 spot on the Pirates prospect list.

Draft starts back up at noon and there is a ton of talent left. Guys like Workman, Eibner, Stetson, Wilson, and Cole are all guys who have pretty high potential and most of them will be there when the Bucs make their pick.

I'm not quite sure where they are going with the rest of their draft, but it's a good start. Hopefully they still go overslot for some guys.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Pens Re-Sign Nick Johnson


The Penguins have re-signed winger Nick Johnson to a one year deal for 500k. It is a two way contract, meaning he can move freely between Wilkes Barre-Scranton and Pittsburgh without clearing waivers. Johnson was an RFA, and one of the younger prospects the Pens needed to sign this offseason. He is a powerful winger who not only has a good shot but provides a large presence in front of the net to get rebounds. He scored 20 goals last season, with 4 of them coming in the 4 playoff games played by the WBS Pens. He has also shown much potential in the NHL, scoring his first career goal against the Capitals. He played a total of 6 games with the big club, and saw significant ice time when playing. It was a very good move by the Pens to pursue him, but surprising they elected to only sign him one year. Johnson is still quite young (24) and has shown that he can be effective at the NHL level. There is currently no room for him with Pittsburgh, but space may be available later on. The fact that the Pens only signed him for one year tells me one of two things. Either the organization does not have full confidence in his development and plan to give him one more year in Wilkes-Barre before they decide if they want to keep him long term or they simply do not believe there is enough room for another long term player at this time. Either way Nick Johnson should be motivated to not prove himself (he has already done that) but prove that he can continue to play at a high level and develop at the rate he has been.

Four guys the Bucs may take.

Okay well it's only the first round but it could be exciting. There are actually three guys in play. I have been a fan of Machado for a while now, but I wouldn't be upset with Taillon. There are pros and cons for both.

Machado's big problem is signability. He has been getting a TON of hype lately, including comparisons to A-Rod. His agent is Scott Boras. He will not sign early so he will miss a few months of work with the Pirates. Not that big a deal for a position player, but you still want them to get in there working as soon as you can. He is also really big (6'3", 190 lbs.) so if he fills in too much he probably won't stick at short. Although if he does he may add enough power to warrant a move to third. He has a very good chance of making the bigs. Moderate Floor, High Ceiling.

Taillon has great stuff, and would probably be an easier sign, but High School righties are extremely hit or miss. There is just no way to project these guys. He could be the next Josh Beckett or he could be the next Bobby Bradley. I don't think he would command as much as Machado, so that would free up some money for overslot's in the later rounds. Plus if they do hit on the pick he is the type of pitcher that could be up in 2012. Low Floor, High Ceiling.

Drew Pomeranz is probably the third pitcher they are looking at. He is a big college lefty (6'5", 231 lbs.) that has a 91-92 MPH FB. He has hit 94 with it. He has some potential for a 3 pitch repertoire but right now I think his only big league pitch is that Fastball. He has a fast, power curve type curveball. It's not really a true curveball, and not as good either, but it has been devastating against college hitters. His change is okay, but he doesn't control it well when trying to throw it for strikes. He is also kind of stiff, which leads to an inconsistent delivery. Inconsistent delivery leads to inconsistent control, and the possibility of injury. Moderate Floor, High Ceiling.

Another guy the Buccos may be looking at is college lefty Chris Sale. He's another big pitcher (6'6", 172 lbs.) with room to fill out. There is a lot to like about Sale. He's probably going to be a decent sign. He has good stuff, especially for a lefty. His FB sits around 90-92, it can touch 96 with movement, very good sign considering he will probably fill out a bit. He throws strikes and goes at guys. His change isn't that deceptive, so it will need work, although right now it misses bats against college hitters. The speed difference is pretty good (81-83) but it doesn't look like the fastball. Doesn't have a true third pitch, has used both, but he will probably end up scrapping the curve for his slider which has potential, especially against lefties. Low Floor, High Ceiling

In all I wouldn't be upset with Machado or Taillon, third on my list would be Sale, then Pomeranz.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Will Brad Lincoln Get The Call?



Pirates GM Neil Huntington said earlier today that Brad Lincoln is "definitely a candidate" to make his MLB debut on Wednesday, one day after the Nationals Stephen Strasburg is set to make his debut against the Pirates.

Lincoln is 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 11 starts at Triple-A Indianapolis. In 68.1 innings he has 55 K's. He has also given up 7 long balls.

Lincoln is ready. He said so himself. Just last week Huntington said he wasn't ready. Not that the Pirates management would lie to us. Not them.

Too bad it won't be Lincoln vs Strasburg on Tuesday. That start will go to Jeff Karstens. Gulp. The future is getting closer. Then NO MORE EXCUSES from the Pirates. Lets Go Bucs!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Perfectly Imperfect

So I hear there was a pretty big blown call last night? By now everyone has heard about Armando Galarraga's imperfect game, and the blown call by Umpire Jim Joyce. There will be howls from many quarters about instant replay, people who want MLB to award him the perfect game anyway and conspiracy theories by fan-boys across the globe.

First off instant replay, to this I say hell no. The powers that be are already trying to speed up the sport, and instant replay obviously kills that notion. Human error has always been part of the game, whether that be fielders, batters, or umpires. Baseball, and sports in general, are said to be a microcosm of society, and that assessment is 100% true. Life is not fair, it is filled with errors and most people don't get an instant replay to decide if they were right or wrong. Instant replay effs with the core essence of baseball, and it's not fool proof by any stretch.

Awarding a perfect game is the exact wrong move to make. It will start us down a very slippery slope with this sort of thing. Again it's an imperfect world, do you really want to open the umpires up to having all their calls overturned because something may be historical? Is this blown call worse than Randy Marsh squeezing the Pirates pitchers in 92? Not to Pirates fans. Should the MLB have gone through and nitpicked his calls? Nope.

I'm not even going to get into people saying he blew it on purpose or other such frivolous idiocy, the fact of the matter is Jim Joyce should be applauded for what he did. An umpire is told to "call em' like he sees em'", and he did. People make a lot out of umpires and referees in all sports making themselves part of the game, now they expect an umpire to call a guy safe when the umpire thought he was out? That would be Jim Joyce making himself part of the game. Jim Joyce did everything he was supposed to do, he just made the wrong call, something that he, and every umpire, will probably do hundreds of times this year.

Joyce has spent his life getting to where he is today, and if he makes the call against what he thinks happened he is making himself part of the game. People want him to make calls depending on the game situation and historical circumstances? That is the exact thing I don't want officials in ANY sport to do.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Pirates stun the world, trade for Eveland

Well it looks like Brad Lincoln just got all the confirmation he needed on his status for this year.

The Pirates went out and got themselves a new fifth starter, that man is Dana Eveland. Dana Eveland has been in the majors for parts of six seasons. Once he joins the Pirates he will be on his fifth team. He is a bit shorter than what the Buccos usually go after but he isn't small (6"1, 235). His fastball is pretty average, but his curveball can be absolutely devastating. He was absolutely dominating in the minors, but just never figured it out in the majors.

His best season, by far, was 2008 with the Oakland A's where he posted a 9-9 record with a 4.34 ERA in 29 starts, sadly that was the only season he had an ERA under 5. Over 50% GB so he does a decent job keeping the ball down. His problem seems to be a ton of hits, and a terrible SO/BB of 1.30.

He does have four pitches, and if Kerrigan can work to get his control together (something akin to walking on water) he could actually be a pretty dominant pitcher, problem is the guy is 26 and if he hasn't gotten it by now you gotta think he just might never achieve all he can.

My biggest concern is what we gave up. I know Huntington thinks you can just pluck relievers out of trees, but it's expensive and Uviedo has been pretty good. I don't like giving up closer candidates with Uviedo's kind of potential for projects like Eveland with huge questions. Uviedo could have possibly been at AAA by the end of the year, and in our BP next season. We essentially gave him away here.

I can see what they are going for, but I am very weary of giving up live, young arms with large potential for guys that really have given no indication that they belong in the majors. I mean we gave up a legit top 20 guy for a pitcher who was acquired for a PTBNL.

Pens Looking For 125 People To Shit Simultaneously



OK, not really. The Penguins announced today that they are looking for 125 students to flush the toilets at the same time to see if the Consol Energy Center can handle all the water pressure. They want you to bring a friend so the number jumps to 250 shitters.

Students can sign up on June 10 through the Penguins Student Rush program.
Good times.