Mr. Padre: A better man than a hitter

June 17, 2014

I had every intention on writing a Father's Day Column, albeit it two days late.Then I found out that one of the few professional athletes whom I have looked up to, Tony Gwynn, Mr. Padre, passed away Monday after his battle with salivary gland cancer.He was 54.I am 54.He was 17 days older than I.I watched him play basketball for David "Smokey" Gaines and the San Diego State Aztecs.Gwynn was good.He ran that team with precision from his point guard slot.He was so good that the San Diego Clippers drafted him.Gwynn was also drafted in the third round by the San Diego Padres and chose, ...

Holtz prophetic on concussion issue

June 25, 2014

Earlier this month, Pittsburgh native and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino became the latest Hall of Fame football player to sue the National Football League over concussion-related issues.More than 4,000 other ex-football players, including 14 other Hall of Famers, have done the same.The NFL and the plaintiffs agreed on a $765 million settlement last August, but the settlement was rejected by a federal judge in January.This week, Cleveland.com reported that a former Baldwin Wallace football player has sued the university claiming that it failed to recognize, diagnose, test ...

Pirates still have chance to turn corner

June 29, 2014

The image of a kneeling Russell Martin holding up a ball-clenched fist will forever be part of the portrait of Pittsburgh Pirates history.It was Sept. 23, 2013 at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. Martin had just tagged out Nate Schierholtz of the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a 2-1 win that would send the Pirates to the playoffs for the first time in 21 years.Seconds later, Pirates closer Jason Grilli ran up to his catcher, also got on his knees, and gave Martin a bear hug with a huge smile on his face.It, too, is an image that will last for many Bucco ...

Arms race forthcoming for Pirates

July 1, 2014

A.J. Burnett didn't get the ball for the Pirates in Game 5 of the 2013 National League Division Series.But he could get back on the mound for Pittsburgh as it makes a second-half push towards the playoffs this year.As the calendar turns to July, rumors across all of Major League Baseball will be flying as the non-waiver trade deadline occurs at the end of the month.The Pirates started off the in-season hot stove by shipping aging reliever Jason Grilli to the Angels in exchange for Ernesto Frieri. So far, the move could be seen as a win because Frieri, 28, didn't allow a baserunner ...

This time around, James returns for the fans

July 12, 2014

Two major news stories have emerged from Cleveland this week.One could affect the future of the nation. The other has to do with hosting the Republican National Convention.Though it's not clear what LeBron James' political backings are, he won't be running for president in 2016. But look out John Kasich, he could run for governor and win.James became the most popular man in Ohio on Friday, four years after he was the state's most hated enemy. He announced he was coming back to Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers after a four-year stint with the Miami Heat.With the help of Sports ...

Derby is baseball’s biggest party

July 15, 2014

Everyone reading this, myself included, has accomplished a great feat and we didn't even know it.It's a baseball accomplishment. Even if you don't like the sport or you've never even picked up a Louisville Slugger, you can still lay claim to this tutelage.We all have hit as many home runs as former Pittsburgh Pirate Jason Bay did in the 2005 MLB Home Run Derby.Zero.Give yourself a round of applause! Just kidding.It's really not that cool once you think about it.But the annual Home Run Derby sure is - it's one of the crown jewels of the entire baseball season.In my opinion, the All-Star ...