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  • One Of The Weirdest Infields I’ve Ever Seen

    Today I figured, let’s just have a little fun with things. Perhaps I noticed this much more than I usually would because I was actually at the Pirates game on Tuesday, but the infield that Pittsburgh sported in their second game against the St. Louis Cardinals this week was one of the most random collections…

  • Johan Oviedo Keeps Making His Former Team Pay

    Johan Oviedo hasn’t had the easiest season in 2023.  Although he is starting to turn a corner, he’s still had his struggles. His 4.46 ERA is amongst the highest on the Pirates pitching roster. His 61 bases on balls given is the highest on the Pirates. And his 13 credited losses lead all of Major…

  • Can Andreas Johnsson Mount A Comeback In Pittsburgh?

    One of the more low key free agent signings made by the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason was Andreas Johnsson. A once very promising top six forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs, his past season was rather rough, spending a majority of the campaign in the American Hockey League.  Now, on a “show me” contract if…

  • Water Under The Bridge: Teddy Bridgewater’s #50 Is Fine And Fun

    My friends, the world is changing. We now live in a society where a National Football League quarterback has worn the number 50 on his jersey.  You read that right: #50.  Teddy Bridgewater has made waves across the football world for breaking down the (now) invisible barrier that was jersey numbers for quarterbacks.  In Saturday’s…

  • A Comprehensive Look At Where All Our Old Friends Landed This Offseason

    The Pittsburgh Penguins are a very different looking team than they were to end the dreadful season last year.  Kyle Dubas led a busy offseason that could make or break the rest of this core’s chances at one last run for Lord Stanley.  Whether that hard work will pay off or blow up spectacularly is…

  • Revisiting The Steal That Was The Minkah Fitzpatrick Trade

    Time flies so fast.  Minkah Fitzpatrick is about to enter his 5th season as a Pittsburgh Steeler, and the star safety is poised for another stellar season in black and gold. It’s almost hard to believe that the trade that brought Fitzpatrick to Pittsburgh happened just about four years ago, yet here we are. But…

  • The Hot Button Topic That Is Jack Suwinski

    One of the biggest talking points around the Pittsburgh Pirates right now is Jack Suwinski. He’s a big power hitter who needs to play every day, according to some. He sucks and can’t figure things out here, say others.  As with many arguments, the reality is somewhere in the middle. But with Jack Suwinski standing…

  • After Hot Start, Pirates’ Alfonso Rivas Has Crashed Down To Earth

    After coming over in the trade that sent Ji Man Choi and Rich Hill to the San Diego Padres, first baseman Alfonso Rivas made a great first impression in Pittsburgh.  He didn’t have much major league experience in 2023, spending a majority of the year in Triple-A, but after the trade, Rivas was almost immediately…

  • Game Of His Life: James Washington

    “Game Of His Life” tells the story of Pittsburgh athletes who may not have had the most illustrious, Hall of Fame level careers, but had one absolutely amazing game. In today’s edition, James Washington. With James Washington back in the news after his release from the New Orleans Saints yesterday, let’s look back on some…

  • The Steelers Have The Best Kind Of Problem At RB

    The Steelers season is excitingly close to kicking off for real. We have just less than a month until Week 1 when the Steelers meet the San Francisco 49ers in Pittsburgh. But in the meantime, there seems to be some controversy surrounding the running back position for the Steelers.  The Steelers’ one-two punch at running…

  • Three Niche Things EA Should Add In NHL 24

    It’s that time of year again, where EA unveils it’s new cover athletes for this year’s game, and soon announces some of the new changes and innovations to the newest edition of NHL. For this year, a very deserving Cale Makar gets the nod. As almost exclusively an offline player of EA’s NHL games, I’m…

  • Who Rounds Out The Third Defense Pairing For The Penguins?

    In terms of defense pairing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team is basically set. While nothing will officially be official until opening night, we all know the top four on defense will look something like this: Letang—Graves Karlsson—Pettersson Maybe Karlsson is technically the top pairing guy. Maybe you switch Graves and Pettersson. But we all…

  • Does Magnus Hellberg Pose Any Real Threat To Alex Nedeljkovic?

    It’s the dead of August, and as we look forward to the Penguins’ 2023-24 season officially kicking off, there are some not often talked about storylines that are at least worth a look before the season starts.  One such is the backup job to Tristan Jarry.  With Casey DeSmith being a part of the Erik…

  • Paul Skenes Debuts In Florida Complex League

    The first overall pick for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 draft, ace pitcher Paul Skenes, made his professional debut yesterday for the Pirates’ affiliate in the Florida Complex League. There is a ton of hype around Skenes, who Pirate fans hope can bring stability and power to the struggling rotation up in Pittsburgh.  Skenes,…

  • Can Alex Nedeljkovic Turn Things Around In Pittsburgh?

    It’s safe to say that the last few years have not gone nearly as well as goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic had hoped for.  After an amazing (and unexpected) rookie campaign in Carolina with the Hurricanes, it’s been back to back years of hardship with the Red Wings in Detroit.  Now, coming off statistically the worst season…

  • Pirates Give MLB’s Strikeout Leader His Worst Game Of The Season, Because Of Course They Do

    This Pirates team is absolutely unpredictable.  From the 20-8 run in April, to the epic crash afterwards, to how some of the young kids called up in these last few months have performed.  Last night’s game against the Atlanta Braves was the latest in the unpredictability factor for the Pirates, accomplishing a unique feat in…

  • Taking A Look At Tomas Tatar As He Enters The Penguins Rumor Mill

    Even after adding Erik Karlsson, the Pittsburgh Penguins might still be active in adding to their team. General manager Kyle Dubas (named GM a week ago by President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas) said in his media availability yesterday that he “doesn’t expect anything more major” in terms of making more moves.  But this leaves…

  • The Intriguing Addition Of Rem Pitlick

    With all of the (rightful) buzz about Erik Karlsson coming to Pittsburgh, it’s sometimes hard to remember that Karlsson isn’t the only player new in town.  Rem Pitlick, coming over from Montreal in the three-team Karlsson trade, could be a very intriguing depth addition for the Penguins.  He doesn’t have a ton of NHL experience,…

  • The Erik Karlsson Trade Is Amazing, Even If Karlsson Won’t Be

    By now, you’ve heard the news. Erik Karlsson is now officially a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kyle Dubas, after weeks of waiting out the San Jose Sharks, was able to swing a massive 12-asset, three-team deal to bring Karlsson to Pittsburgh.  But besides by far the biggest part of the trade being Erik Karlsson…

  • The Stunted Career Of “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” Ka’ai Tom

    Of all the obscure players to put on the uniform of the Pittsburgh Pirates in recent years, Ka’ai Tom might just be the most obscure name of them all. Blaze Ka’ai Tom, that is.  With an incredible real name and possibly an even better nickname given to him by fans (“The Flyin’ Hawaiian”), it truly…

  • Could Vinnie Hinostroza Be A Sneaky Good Signing For The Penguins?

    As the offseason continues and we start to get anxious to see what the upcoming roster is going to look like for the Pittsburgh Penguins, one guy to keep an eye on is free agent signing Vinnie Hinostroza.  A depth signing by Kyle Dubas, Hinostroza could be a sneaky good signing for the Penguins, who…

  • With Jake Guentzel Out, Who Steps Up To Start The Season?

    With news breaking just hours ago that Jake Guentzel underwent successful right ankle surgery, the Penguins now suddenly have a major gap in their roster.  Per the Penguins, Guentzel will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, which puts us almost into November. And it’s important to keep in mind that his re-evaluation date is not synonymous…

  • How The Hall Of Fame Game Spelled The End Of Shaun Suisham’s Career

    As the National Football League prepares to kick off the start of the 2023 preseason at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, most eyes will be on the masses of young and hungry players on both the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. But while a game like this can help start lengthy…

  • Game Of His Life: Matt McCrane

    “Game Of His Life” tells the story of Pittsburgh athletes who may not have had the most illustrious, Hall of Fame level careers, but had one absolutely amazing game. In today’s edition, Matt McCrane. Matt McCrane is probably unknown to many across the football world. Today playing in XFL for the DC Defenders, his NFL…

  • Pirates Ship Out Hill, Hedges, Choi, And Castro At Deadline

    On trade deadline day, the Pirates roster experienced several more shake ups as Pittsburgh was, once again, a seller. Rich Hill, Ji-Man Choi, Rodolfo Castro, and Austin Hedges are all gone.  The Pirates dealt Hill and Choi early on in the day, while news broke about Hedges and Castro much closer to the final moments…

  • Taking A Closer Look At New Penguin Lars Eller

    One of the first free agent signings Kyle Dubas made in the offseason was to bring in centerman and longtime NHLer Lars Eller.  Penguins fans might recognize that name very well from his many years as a rival while with the Washington Capitals.  But now, crossing over enemy lines and joining Pittsburgh, Eller could provide…

  • Josh Palacios Seals Pittsburgh As Winner In Battle Of Pennsylvania

    In extra innings, in front of a raucous home crowd, the birthday boy delivered a no doubt two run homer to seal the game for the Pirates, 6-4 over the Phillies. That birthday boy, now 28 years old, was Josh Palacios, who was just recently called back up to Pittsburgh a few days ago after…

  • Revisiting The Tony Watson Trade

    After the Pirates traded veteran first baseman (and rental) Carlos Santana, Pirates Twitter, er, I’m sorry, “X”, had some very mixed reactions.  Some, and I think rightfully so, were frustrated at the return for Santana: an 18 year old infielder who we won’t see in the majors for years, if ever at all.  On the…

  • Farewell, Slamtana

    The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that the team acquired infielder Jhonny Severino from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Carlos Santana.  The divisional rival Brewers currently lead the NL Central with a record of 57-46, but their spot atop one of the weakest divisions in baseball is not unchallenged. The Cincinnati Reds sit just 1.5…

  • Looking Back At Drew Maggi’s Magic Moments After Pirates Unexpectedly Release Him

    It was the heartwarming, feel-good story of early on in the Pirates’ season (other than their record).  After 13 long years, and over 1,000 games played in the minor leagues, journeyman ballplayer Drew Maggi had fulfilled a lifelong dream: his MLB debut.  Noted as a strong clubhouse leader and great personality, Maggi had begun the…

  • Reliving The Pirates’ 20-8 April Run

    It’s the same thing we all keep coming back to. The Pirates were once 20-8. They were exciting to watch, fun to root for, and a shock to the baseball world.  Ever since, that joy has been long gone, and after back to back 100+ loss seasons, the 2023 season is proving to provide almost…

  • Game Of His Life: Charlie Batch

    “Game Of His Life” tells the story of Pittsburgh athletes who may not have had the most illustrious, Hall of Fame level careers, but had one absolutely amazing game. In today’s edition, Charlie Batch. Charlie Batch has been active in the football world for decades, starting with his NFL career in 1998 before launching his…

  • Examining Potential Penguin Erik Karlsson’s San Jose Sharks Tenure

    As the trade speculation around Erik Karlsson continues to drag on deeper into the summer, the Pittsburgh Penguins seem to (slightly) be the front runner in landing the Norris Trophy winning defenseman.  But the Carolina Hurricanes still pose a viable threat to the Penguins in their hopes to acquire him, and the Sharks do not…

  • Garret Sparks Becomes Latest Goaltender In Penguins System

    The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL affiliate for the Pittsburgh Penguins, signed goaltender Garret Sparks to an AHL contract today.  Sparks becomes the 7th goalie in the Penguins organization, and the 5th with previous NHL experience. He also becomes the latest player with ties to Kyle Dubas, having played in the system of the Toronto Maple Leafs…

  • Is The Pirates’ Season Officially Over?

    Coming out of the All Star Break, attended by Mitch Keller, David Bednar, and for reasons I will never understand, manager Derek Shelton, the Pirates stood at 41-49.  We all remember the 20-8 start. We’ve all seen the collapse since then. As the season started back up again, an optimistic Pirates fan (if any could…

  • The Quietly Steady Career Of Toby Enstrom

    Toby Enstrom was never a player to always be in the headlines. He was not a player who would regularly dominate the highlight reel. He was a quiet, under the radar kind of guy.  For many players, these remarks might seem like a dig on the player. But for Enstrom, these represent some of his…

  • Patrick Marleau’s Incredibly Short Run As A Pittsburgh Penguin

    It’s one of the most interesting pieces of hockey trivia to ever exist.  Patrick Marleau played 1,779 games in the National Hockey League, the most by any player in the league’s over century long history.  Of those 1,779 games, Marleau mainly appeared for two teams: the San Jose Sharks and the Toronto Maple Leafs. A…

  • Revisiting The Time When Sidney Crosby’s Captaincy Was In Question

    Penguins fans have known and loved Sidney Crosby as their team’s captain, ever since the honour was bestowed upon him at the age of 19. But perhaps far fewer fans know of an instance where some within the Penguins locker room thought that maybe someone else should be wearing the C.  Crosby’s scary concussion history…

  • Welcome to Pittsburgh, Paul Skenes

    With the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected pitcher Paul Skenes from LSU. It was the long awaited answer to the question that had Pirates fans and media squabbling over who the team would take.  Dylan Crews, who went second to the Washington Nationals, was amongst many other names…

  • Penguins’ Development Camp Wraps With Final Day Prospect Tournament

    (Photo by Alex Kiger/Fifth Avenue Sports) On Monday, July 3, at the Penguins’ practice facility in Cranberry, the organization wrapped up their three-day prospect development camp with a tournament style competition. A total of four games were played as prospects were divided into three teams wearing different colored practice jerseys: Black, Yellow, and White.  Many…

  • Trying To Make Sense Of The Tristan Jarry Extension

    Kyle Dubas had a mostly successful first few weeks at the helm of things for the Penguins.  He traded for Reilly Smith, a great top six forward. He drafted Brayden Yager, who looks very excited to be here, in the first round of the NHL Draft. In free agency, he was quite busy, changing up…

  • A Quick Intro To The Penguins’ Free Agent Signings

    Kyle Dubas’ first free agency was quite a busy one. The Penguins have brought in several new faces to the organization, including some major shakeups to the bottom six and a potential new backup goaltender. Let’s take a quick look at each of the new signings: Ryan Graves, D Graves was the biggest free agent…

  • The Very Sudden Rise And Fall Of Nikita Gusev

    Nikita Gusev has been a successful hockey player for a number of years.  Though he has spent a majority of his playing days in the Kontinental Hockey League, Gusev did spend some time in North America, looking to take his game to the next level in the National Hockey League.  And for a time, he…

  • Taylor Hall’s Never-Ending Experience With First Overall Picks

    Despite being a very valuable NHL player, Taylor Hall has certainly seen his share of travel around the league.  That semi-annual tradition continued this offseason, when the Boston Bruins packaged him with Nick Foligno in a salary dump move to the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago, the winners of this year’s draft lottery, drafted the unanimous best…

  • Remembering The 2018 Pittsburgh Pirates: The Last Pirates Team To Have A Winning Season

    “Teams To Remember” follows iterations of Pittsburgh teams throughout the years, and what made the memorable, whether those reasons be good or bad. In today’s edition, the 2018 Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s been five years since the Pittsburgh Pirates fielded a winning team, and given how the few seasons after that went, it feels like a…

  • Game Of His Life: John Jaso

    “Game Of His Life” tells the story of Pittsburgh athletes who may not have had the most illustrious, Hall of Fame level careers, but had one absolutely amazing game. In today’s edition, John Jaso. John Jaso spent the final two years of his MLB career as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. While he may…

  • Game Of His Life: Jaylen Samuels

    “Game Of His Life” tells the story of Pittsburgh athletes who may not have had the most illustrious, Hall of Fame level careers, but had one absolutely amazing game. In today’s edition, Jaylen Samuels. This is one of my favorite Steeler games of all time. Pittsburgh’s football team beating the big bad New England Patriots…

  • The Many Travels Of Shootout Specialist Erik Christensen

    Erik Christensen spent seven seasons in the National Hockey League, but he certainly made his rounds across the league during that time.  Christensen suited up for five different NHL teams during his career, in part due to three separate trades and a waiver claim. But he never failed to make an impact wherever he went. …

  • Farewell From The Sports Editor

    It is so hard to believe that this is the end.  I still remember the day I decided that The Foreword was something I wanted to pursue. In my sophomore year, at the start of my second semester, I sat at my dining room table during online school with a decision to make. Little did I know,…

  • Dealin’ Dauri: The Rise Of The Pirates’ Impressive New Reliever

    It was a warm, sunny day when the Pittsburgh Pirates were in town to take on the Cincinnati Reds for Opening Day 2023.  Dauri Moreta stood on the mound at Great American Ballpark, the home of his former team, needing a clutch outing to keep the game tied.  After starting pitcher Mitch Keller had held…

  • The Journeyman Career Of Penguins Legend Johan “Moose” Hedberg

    Overlooked for a large part of his early career, Johan Hedberg broke through and had an NHL career that lasted over a decade. He played for five different NHL teams during that time frame, and frequently became a fan favorite for the teams he played for.  He was described as someone with an impeccable work ethic and…

  • Connor Joe’s Breakout

    Connor Joe’s story is one of resilience and persistence.  Originally a draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Joe’s baseball career since has taken him clear across the country. Through 6 organizations and 11 cities, Joe has certainly made his rounds in the world of baseball. But after many years of hard work and solid play…

  • Fathers Stun Students In ‘Take Your Father To School Day’ Game

    In a stunning, come from behind performance, the fathers rallied all the way back and won against the kids in the ‘Take Your Father To School Day’ basketball game held Friday in the Allderdice gym.  “It’s a great day, you know,” Pittsburgh mayor Ed Gainey said. “To have something like this here at Allderdice, they…

  • How The Ilya Kovalchuk Trade Helped Kill The Atlanta Thrashers

    I love sports history. I have always found it entertaining to immerse myself in the world of old stats, players, teams, and trades. In doing research for various other sports topics I fell down a rabbit hole that took me back in time over a decade. Today, the Atlanta Thrashers are a mere afterthought to…

  • Remembering The 2005-06 Penguins: The Last Penguins Team To Miss The Playoffs

    For the first time in 16 years, the Pittsburgh Penguins failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The streak was the longest active playoff streak among major North American pro sports, and the Penguins’ tumble out of contention has already sent shockwaves through the organization.  But as the Penguins hit the golf course for…

  • The Mysterious Disappearance Of Jung Ho Kang

    Born in Gwangju, South Korea and spending several years growing his game in the Korean Baseball Organization, Jung Ho Kang stood on the brink of something special when he made the jump to Major League Baseball.  He was the first position player (non-pitcher) to sign an MLB contract out of the KBO, and in his debut playing…

  • How Two Years Of Terrible Decisions Led To Ron Hextall’s Firing

    On Thursday, the Penguins announced that General Manager Ron Hextall, President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke, and Assistant General Manager Chris Pryor were all relieved of their duties as members of the Penguins front office.  “We are grateful to Brian, Ron, and Chris for their contributions to the organization over the past two seasons,” John Henry and…

  • Ghosts Of Pittsburgh Sports Past: The NHL’s Pittsburgh Pirates

    In the 2023 Winter Classic, the Pittsburgh Penguins wore a very historic look: a white jersey featuring a gold P placed prominently above two stripes. The jerseys, taking after a very early era of hockey in Pittsburgh, are an homage to the 1920’s Pittsburgh Pirates, a short-lived team in the very young National Hockey League.  Decades before…

  • Is The Presidents Trophy Curse Real?

    With the Boston Bruins having a historically dominant season in the NHL and almost assuredly winning the Presidents Trophy as the best regular season team, it would be reasonable to assume that Boston is looking ahead to the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs, and how they could continue their dominance in the postseason.  But, with such…

  • Ghosts Of Pittsburgh Sports Past: The ABA’s Pittsburgh Pipers/Condors

    Pro basketball hasn’t had a home in Pittsburgh for many decades, but for the short time it did, it certainly carries some unique tales. Pittsburgh’s former basketball team, originally named the Pittsburgh Pipers, were one of the inaugural franchises of the American Basketball Association (ABA), a league that at the time rivaled the National Basketball…