Big Lead Sports Bar

6/28/2009

NEWS AND NOTES: SNELL STRIKES OUT 17!

--Ian Snell struck out 17 Toledo Mud Hens, including 13 in a row, during his first start for AAA Indianapolis. Keep boosting that trade value, Ian. The sooner, the better. [Indianapolis Indians]



--Time to do some social good to start your week. Like signing the petition to get Billy Mays' mug on Primanti's wall.

--Zack Greinke, who leads MLB with a 1.95 ERA, helped the Royals avoid a sweep at the hands of the Buccos on Sunday, beating Pittsburgh by a 3-2 count. Greinke, who allowed seven hits, won his 10th game of the season, handing Charlie Morton his first defeat as a Pirate. Adam and Andy LaRoche combined for five of the Pirates' seven hits. Zach Duke (3.09, 8-5) and the Bucs host Rich Harden (4.95, 4-4) and the Cubs Monday night at 7:05.

--Could nose-picker Nyjer Morgan be headed to Washington for mercurial OF Lastings Milledge? At the moment...no. But stay tuned.

--The Wannstache is signing recruits left and right, adding 6'1", 200-pound RB TJ Wheeler of Virginia, who picked Pitt over WVU and North Carolina State. 6'2", 235-pound DE Bryan Murphy of New Jersey chose Pitt over Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State, Colorado, Boston College and Vanderbilt. Brandon Sacco, a 6'4", 245 pound OL also from New Jersey, picked the Panthers over Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Miami (Ohio). Kevin Weatherspoon, a 5'11", 175-pound WR from Clairton, chose Pitt over Maryland, Syracuse, Toledo, and Akron. The Panthers also got commitments from DB K'wuan Williams (St. Joseph's in Montvale, N.J.) and Bishop McDevitt WR Salath Williams.

--The NHL draft is done, and the Pens added an interesting class, including 1st round defenseman Simon Despres and 2nd rounder Philip "Son of Ulf" Samuelsson.


--Upper Deck recently held their rookie photo shoot, and this year they included some taped interviews with the newbs to create some buzz. For your approval, here's Shady McCoy and new Steeler Mike Wallace.

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12 comments:

Adam said...

Wow...look at those offer lists. Pitt really is just getting the kids Penn State doesn't want. Pathetic.

NickDawg said...

Adam dont be mad because Mondesi wont give any poop state recruits any mention. This is a Pittsburgh based blog, key word being Pittsburgh. And I beleive Pitt has gotten plenty of kids this year who were extended sholarship offers to poop state.

Steve said...

Adam, can you remind me which of these 2 courses Penn State offers? Is it basket weaving, or ice cream making?

Ice cream making you say? Hmmm, I originally thought it would be basket weaving, as that actually requires the use of an opposing thumb.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

Here we go...... don't hear form you know who too much until such topics arise, it is really getting old.

Jeff_King_Fan said...

hey steve, what courses does PITT offer again? is it losing to Ohio 101 or getting destroyed on national television against utah? weren't they in a dogfight with Youngstown State?

i actually do like pitt football, but please dont even think about making fun of penn state when you support the panthers. thats like the pirates making fun of the red sox. how wannstache is still a head football coach on any level is beyond me.

Ryan said...

To all those who want Snell gone, you need your heads examined. Yes, one great start is not a season and one potentially horrific season is not a career. Hello, calling all Zach Duke haters of seasons past.

I love how everyone is fast to point that Snell is a head case, yet they don't look at how management has mishandled this situation stemming back to last year.

What management (Yes, Russel, Huntington, etc...) should have done was skip a start, put him in the bullpen, something to get him off his routine until he got out of his funk.

What do you do when a guy in the field isn't showing up? Bench him a game or two.

What do you do when a guy is in a slump? Move him down the order.

Baseball is just as much mental as it is physical, anyone who has ever played will tell you that and I applaud Ian Snell for what he did... it doesn't make him a quitter, a whiner, or a head case.

The biggest problem with Ian Snell is his salary and the fact that the Pirates are looking to yet again trim the fat and turn the lights out on another season come July.

This team is the equivalent of an airplane that is continuously circling the airport. It is running on fumes and the futility of this ownership group will eventually cause it to crash. All the bobble heads and fireworks in the world cannot save this club as long it's owned by the Nutting family.

Steve said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Steve said...

Sorry Jeff, those aren't actual courses at Pitt. Just pointing out facts about how "pathetic" Penn State can also be to someone who always likes to start trouble here.

When Penn State and Paterno grows up (hard to imagine saying that about someone who is 83 years old) and decides to add Pitt to it's schedule again, then maybe we can compare the two football programs.

By the way, according to your logic, Penn State, must also offer the course "Choking 101" the way they lost to Iowa at home last season and blew a shot at the title game. Not that they would have done anything with it anyway they way the got owned like school girls by USC in the Rose Bowl. And how about the way they gave up 90 points in losing its last three regular-season games in '99, going from No. 1 to No. 17, squashing any hopes of a national championship only to wind up at the Alamo Bowl.

I never said that Pitt currently has a great football program but they're certinly not the Pirates and you're really stretching to be comparing Penn State football to the Red Sox...at least they've won a championship since 1986.

Jeff_King_Fan said...

did psu choke against iowa? yeah, i guess you could say that. but iowa is a conference opponent, and they were at home. and no matter how you look at it, it is not nearly as shameful as losing to ohio. i'm probably the only one who thinks this, but this past rose bowl wasnt as lopsided as some think. penn st. had a chance to pull it to within one score late in the 4th, but yes, blew it. comparing the nittany lions to the sox probably is a little overboard. but the fact is they've been in the national title discussion for the past few seasons now. i always hope pitt does well, but it's just frustrating seeing wannstache win one big game that overshadows his amazing losses. psu is king of pa football right now, and i dont see that changing anytime soon.

and by the way, has anyone noticed that the pirates are in baseball's most competitive division and are only 5 games back at the end of june? rockies '07, rays '08, and hell yes PIRATES '09!!!!! i'm gonna have another drink.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

Well, as a long-time Pitt fan, i can say that amazing losses to teams you should murder are not strictly of Wanny's ownership but embarassing nonetheless.

I have always said the comparing Pitt and Penn State is like apples and oranges and until people in here stop taking bait from the typical instigators we are all going to be sitting here beating this dead horse even further into the ground because they are not going to be playing each other anytime soon.

@ Jeff King:
I would love nothing more than for the Buccos to make a run, but there is one thing that needs to be taken into consideration and that in a few weeks, Sanchez, Adam LaRoche, John Grabow, and Nyjer Morgan are all going to be playing for different teams..........

Adam said...

Dear Nick Dog,
There are more Penn State grads in Allegheny County than Pitt grads. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Dear Steve,
#1 We can compare the two football programs without playing each other. Count the bowl wins. Or the Conference titles.
#2 I'd rather choke than be Pitt. At least that means we've been somewhere.

Dear Burress With Wings,
I'd be surprised if all of those guys left. They've clearly been positioning themselves for a LaRoche trade, but I think for them to trade Jack and Freddy, it'd have to be the right deal. I don't think they'll take just anything for them. And Nyjer? Well if you can get Lastings Milledge for him, thats a fleecing.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

Adam,

I may have been reaching a bit saying ALL of them will be gone.

I like Morgan's attitude, he seems to be a good dugout/clubhouse guy and he can get on base and score some runs so it would be a shame to see him go IMHO.

Be honest, does anything REALLY ever surprise you with the Pirates? ( with the exception of when they do what is perceived to be "the right thing")

Your response to NickDawg is indeed a valid point, but I think it also somewhat proves my assertion of comparing apples and oranges. PSU has a many more students than Pitt, thus many more graduates.

P.S. just because I agree with you doesn't mean I don't still hate you.