Pirates’ offense has been a pleasant surprise so far
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When the Major League Baseball season began, the big question for the Pirates was where the runs were going to come from?
After all, Gregory Polanco was scheduled to start the season on the IL, Josh Bell was coming off a down season and there really wasn’t any pop in the lineup.
Then, centerfielder Starling Marte and shortstop Erik Gonzalez collided, landing both on the IL. And Corey Dickerson went down. And Jung Ho Kang couldn’t buy a hit.
But necessity is often the best way to find new options.
Bryan Reynolds, acquired in the trade for Andrew McCutchen, looks like the long-term answer in left field. Kevin Newman, who struggled in a brief stint with the team in 2018, has taken over the shortstop job and looks like a keeper.
And after losing the starting third base job to Kang in spring training, Colin Moran, acquired in the Gerrit Cole trade, has been solid in his second season. He’s on pace to drive in 80 or so runs, despite playing sparingly early.
Bell, meanwhile, has blossomed into one of the best hitters in baseball. He leads the majors in RBI and extra base hits and is on pace to hit 40 homers.
What was considered the team’s weakness has been no worse than a wash.
It’s been the pitching staff that has been an issue because of injuries and ineffectiveness.
But the lineup? With Marte and Dickerson now back – Polanco returned only to go on the IL again – it looks pretty solid.
As hard as it might be to believe, the Pirates are hovering near contention, just five games out of first place in the NL Central going into Friday night’s game in Milwaukee.
• Here’s wishing Peters Township baseball coach Joe Maize a happy retirement from the rigors of coaching baseball – though it’s unlikely Maize saw them as such.
There are few people around who have a greater love or know more about the game.
• Pro Football Focus, an Internet site that grades players based on, well, who knows what, released its listing of the top starting lineups for NFL teams as they prepare to head to training camp at the end of July.
The Steelers ranked eighth overall, which sounds about right – at least until you delve a little deeper into the rankings.
The Steelers’ offensive line, which is considered one of the best in the league, didn’t have a player who graded out above a 78.1 – a grade that suggests that player is slightly above average.
That player was left tackle Alejandro Villanueva. Perennial Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro was given a 71.7 grade, while right tackle Matt Feiler was at 71.0. Left guard Ramon Foster was at 69.1 and center Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers’ lone All-Pro selection last season, graded out at 69.0, according to the web site.
The site had 14 centers ranked above Pouncey last season, which is ridiculous.
• In speaking with a number of agents around the league this week, it doesn’t appear the Steelers have any interest in signing a veteran safety or tight end to bolster their depth at those two positions.
Of course, it doesn’t help that the team has just $985,000 in cap space, barely enough to even sign a single veteran free agent.
GM Kevin Colbert likes to go into the regular season with around $3 million in available salary cap space. For that to happen, the Steelers are going to have to restructure some contracts. Or, they are going to have to release a player or two making decent money.
• Ryan Shazier has been pretty hesitant talking to the local media. In fact, he’s spoken on the record just once to the local media since his spinal cord injury Dec. 4, 2017 in Cincinnati.
But he went on the record twice this week, once with the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and the other with former Colts punter Pat McAfee on his podcast.
On both occasions, Shazier reiterated his desire to return to the football field. In fact, he told the Sun-Sentinel his goal is to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I still want to make the Hall of Fame, still want to be the best linebacker in the NFL,” he said. “I’m not giving up on my goals, and the doctors said don’t give up on my goals, so there’s no problem with me doing that. I’m just going to keep working, and hopefully I’m going to be back as soon as I can.”
Shazier was given just a 20 percent chance to walk again because of his injury. He’s not only doing that, he’s been jogging and even danced at his wedding earlier this year.
The likelihood of him returning to play in the NFL, let alone making the Hall of Famer, is far less than that 20 percent.
But given everything he’s accomplished thus far in his recovery, who will bet against him?
Dale Lolley covers the Steelers for DKPittsburghSports.com and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.