Big Lead Sports Bar

7/14/2010

Quick Hits


ALEKSEY LUKASHEVICH became the latest international experiment undertaken by the Pittsburgh Pirates, as he is the first-ever  player from Belarus to sign a Major-League contract. [PG]

ALBERT LEXIE of Monessen was the Pirates' representative at Tuesday's All-Star Game via the People Magazine "All Stars Among Us" program. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Since 1981, Lexie has traveled by bus to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh on Tuesdays and Thursdays to shine shoes, with all of his tips going to the hospital's Free Care Fund. To date, he has donated over $100,000. [AlbertLexie.org]

Filmmaker KEN BURNS (Baseball) will be at PNC Park as a guest of WQED for the Pirates-Mets game on Sunday, August 22. Tickets for the private reception in the World Series Suite are available to WQED members ($120) and non-members ($150) by calling 412-622-1500.

The FROZEN FOUR is coming to Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center in April, 2013. It will be hosted by Robert Morris, the Penguins, and the VisitPittsburgh travel bureau. [Trib]

Former Steeler punter JOSH MILLER will be joining 93.7 The Fan on gamedays and weeknights starting in August as a Steeler analyst.

Pitt baseball coach JOE JORDANO has been named the 2010 American Baseball Coaches Association East Region Coach of the Year [PittsburghPanthers.com]

ZACH DUKE will come off the DL to open the second half of the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. His opponent will be the Houston Astros and Brett Myers. [PittsburghPirates.com]

MIAMI at PITT is listed as one of five games to earn respect for the Big East in 2010 by ESPN's Big East Blog.

MARK MADDEN gives his reasons to pull the plug on the MLB All-Star Game [WXDX/Mark Madden]

NATE BYHAM of Pitt got a four-year rookie contract with the San Francisco 49ers [PG]

TAYLOR LAUTNER of Twilight fame excited fans at Hampton HS while filming his new film, Abduction. [WPXI]

8 comments:

JW said...

That picture of the kid from Belarus looks like the one my parents have on their mantle-- the one of me as a little leaguer when I "made the cover of Sports Illustrated" as a "Rising Star."

Nate said...

In other possibly Pirates-related news, Anthony Rendon was injured in his game today. Carted off the field. Sources are saying it looks like a broken ankle. Which means that in all likelihood, the Pirates and Orioles are no longer in the "Anthony Rendon Sweepstakes."

Scott Zigarovich said...

I project the kid as a solid number 3. He will be a nice compliment to Rinku and Dinesh who many believe will be our future top 2 starters.

Things look bright down on the farm.

HomeRunFromBehindTheMeatballs said...

@ Scott - Amen! you beat me to it!

Wow, that Albert Lexie story is a great great one! Thank you Albert for being an exceptional human being.

Am i to understand that PNC Park has a "World Series Suite"?!?!

The Frozen Four is great news for the city & Robert Morris hockey, congrats!

Madden is right. The MLB all-star game (for that matter the Pro-bowl & NHL all-star games) is/are a big freakin joke. If no one wants to play in them & those who do 'play' want to play half-a$$ed, it makes for a terrible watching experience. Maybe MLB needs more 'skills' competitions like the NHL has. Of course, 'skills' competitions worth seeing do not include the HR derby. Why wasn't omar infante in that?

Other than that, pretty 'meh' on the rest of the news.

Unknown said...

i like the all-star game, it's the only baseball game i watch all year...i mean i'm still a fan of the national league...i just don't have a team to root for at the moment...

Unknown said...

No Mention of how the highly touted Ronald Uviedo was DFA'd just like Dana Eveland? I bet the fans in Toronto are furious that their team traded for a guy only to send him down to the minors shorly after.

Benjamin P. Glaser said...

HRFBTM,

In case you have forgotten the Buccos do have 5 World Championships.

HomeRunFromBehindTheMeatballs said...

BPG,

Oh, I have not forgotten. However, i don't believe that PNC park was around in 1979 or before. Since, 2001, the paaaarrrrrates have lost 95 or more games in a season 5 times (plus, there was a 94 loss season in 2k7, & the 2010 season might be the worst yet @ PNC [or anywhere, ever]) I just think it should be, more aptly, named the 'All-Star' suite or the 'Safe Business Practices' suite.


It's just a similar kind of thing as when they say: Dale Earnhardt Jr has X Nextel Cup Wins, he's closing in on Richard Petty's record of XX Nextel Cup Wins. Richard Petty NEVER won a Nextel Cup. PNC Park NEVER hosted/participated in a World (or US plus Toronto) Series. That's all i'm trying to say.