Pittsburgh Sports Report Dec 2013

PITTSBURGH’S PREMIER SPORTS PUBLICATION

Pittsburgh Sports Report

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DECEMBER 2013

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Weathering the Storm The Steelers still have something to play for

Pittsburgh Sports Report

BY TONY DEFAZIO

Tank the rest and draft high.

After the Steelers started the 2013 season with four consecutive losses, even the most simplistic armchair quarterback refrain seemed like sound advice.

Not only did the Steelers open 04, they earned their way there. They lucked into a safety on the first play of the season against the Tennessee Titans and proceeded to avoid the end zone for the next 58 minutes of the game. They were embarrassed on national television by the Bengals and Bears on consecutive Sundays, and run over by a notquite-as-bad-as-them Minnesota Vikings team in Week 4.

The offensive line was an injured and incompetent sieve, the running game was non-existent, the quarterback was turnover-prone and the defense was, as NFL Network analyst and Hall of Famer Warren Sapp so aptly put it three years ago, “old, slow and over.”

The previous decade had been kind to the Steelers—102 wins, 13 All-Pro’s, 3 Super Bowl appearances and 2 Lombardi Trophies. But a

Wide receiver Antonio Brown entered Week 12 as the NFL’s leading receiver.

three or four win season in 2013 would give the Steelers the two things they did not have during that successful decade-long run – a losing season and the early draft pick that comes with it.

The idea of rebuilding—a word despised in most NFL locker rooms—made some degree of sense see STEELERS PAGE 6

INSIDE

December 2013 VOL. 17 NO. 11

STORY OF THE YEAR 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates Clint Hurdle, Neal Huntington, Andrew McCutchen and the 2013 Bucs PAGE 10

PURE STEEL

Will Allen Q&A PAGE 5

BLUE LINE

Olli Maatta PAGE 18

ON CAMPUS PAGE 20

U. S. Steel has been a part of Pennsylvania history for more than 100 years. We began making steel here in 1901 and remain committed to building our future in Pennsylvania, while striving to meet and set world-class standards in everything we do.

PSR INTERVIEW

UP CLOSE SUZIE McCONNEL-SERIO Suzie McConnell-Serio is a true legend in women’s basketball. After winning a high school state championship at Seton-LaSalle, she became an All-American at Penn State, won an Olympic gold medal for the United States in 1988 and was the WNBA Rookie of the Year a decade later. Mc-

Connell-Serio turned to coaching and won three state championships at Oakland Catholic High School, was the WNBA Coach of the Year in 2004 and led Duquesne to five straight postseason appearances. The first-year Pitt head coach spoke with PSR editor Tony DeFazio last month.

“I love getting to know players from so many different backgrounds and circumstances and building a team, developing that chemistry, and preparing your players, individually and as a team, to be successful on the court.”

-Suzie McConnel-Serio Tony: You’ve played with and coached

so many different girls and women, there can’t be much that you haven’t seen. How does that help in establishing relationships?

Suzie: You hit the nail on the head when you said “establishing relationships.” You have to know your players.

What I love about it is getting to know those players from so many different backgrounds and circumstances and building a team, developing that chemistry, preparing your players, individually and as a team, to be successful on the court.

TD: Why take the Pitt job? Why now?

Suzie: I think what intrigued me about

the change, going to a program that hadn’t been successful, is that it’s a fresh start and a new challenge. Especially for our players, who have been at the bottom of the Big East for two years and haven’t been successful.

When you look at it, it’s a change of pace in seeing new opponents. We know respect is earned and we have a lot of work to do to earn the respect

of the teams in the ACC. We were picked last coming into the preseason.

Hopefully there’s only one way to go.

The biggest reason for me was the opportunity to coach at the highest level. It’s just a wonderful opportunity for me personally to be able to do that.

Obviously my family was a big part of my decision and I had their support.

TD: You added your sister Kathy to

your staff. How did that come about?

Suzie: Kathy and I had talked about her getting back into college, but she hadn’t lived in Pittsburgh in 20 years.

She’s married with three children and she loved the opportunity to come back to Pittsburgh because she hadn’t been here in so long.

She was an assistant coach in the WNBA but she had head coaching experience at Colorado and Tulsa, and it was just a great fit to have someone on your staff with that kind of experience. Of course players at this level want to go to the next level and play in the WNBA and she’s had that experience. I think she can relate

well to players that are driven and want to reach the next level.

She’s also just someone I trust. We talk basketball all the time and how we see the game, the drive to be successful, the work ethic. It’s just a very good situation for me.

TD: There are more family connec-

tions on your coaching staff with Carmen Bruce and Lindsay Richards, both of whom have fathers who played basketball at Pitt.

Suzie: I hired Carmen in my second year at Duquesne and she had of course played there. Two years later I hired Lindsay, not even knowing that their fathers were teammates, roommates and played together at the same time at Pitt.

It’s a small world. It is a family affair.

Carmen’s dad (Kirk) was the women’s coach at Pitt (1985-98), he played here (1971-75) and he’s now an associate athletic director.

Lindsay’s brother Jason is the video coordinator for the men’s team, and her father (Tom) played here (1972-

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76) and her mother (Mary Beth) played here (1974-78). Her dad is on the Board of Trustees.

So it really is a family affair and that’s been evident since we started.

Everyone knows their families and it’s really been such a warm welcome for all of us with the people here at Pitt.

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TD: Do you have a timetable or a bar

that you’ve set for success at Pitt?

Suzie: I’m still learning from this team

how the players respond in game situations and who your go-to players are.

It’s all well and good when you’re in practice, but then you have to see how they respond in a game situation.

I’m still learning from them and I’m sure they are learning how I coach in game situations.

So I don’t look at the number of wins but we work hard and when you work hard, you’re preparing for success. We’ll have some success this year and just continue to build on that year after year.

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EDITOR’S DESK 40 Lincoln Way Suite 301 North Huntingdon PA 15642-1887 412.469.9717 Fax 412.469.9847 1.800.945.SPORTS (7767) www.pittsburghsportsreport.com E-mail: tdefazio@psrpt.com

PUBLISHER Ellis G. Cannon

BUSINESS MANAGER Larry Appolonia

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Betters

EDITOR Tony DeFazio tdefazio@psrpt.com

SENIOR MEDICAL ADVISER DJ Phillips, MD Sam Akhavan, MD Allegheny General Hospital

WEBMASTER Tom Ballas BNS Web Creations

BEAT WRITERS Nate Barnes, Adam Bittner, Scott Kromko, Anthony Jaskulski, John Krysinsky, Alex Nseir, Joel Peretic, Eric Shultz, Kenneth Torgent

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cody Benjamin, Josh Carney, Melissa Esing, Steve Flinn, Chris Galiszewski, Kurt Hackimer, Mallory Merda, Tyler Pecyna, Anthony Priore, James Santelli, Erika Schneider, Taylor Skaggs, Donnie Tasser, Devon Taylor, George Von Benko, Andrew Williams

Top of the List TONY DEFAZIO PSR EDITOR

The list of Pitt basketball legends is a short one.

Charles Smith and Billy Knight are on it, as are Don Hennon, Doc Carlson and people named Charley Hyatt and Claire Cribbs. More recent Panthers like Brandin Knight and DeJuan Blair have moved onto the list, joined by women’s players like Lorri Johnson, Jennifer Bruce, Shavonte Zellous and Marcedes Walker.

Clear the way for a new member of the Pitt family. Suzie McConnell-Serio is about to move to the top.

McConnell-Serio is a true legend.

She is the Larry Bird of Pittsburgh women’s hoops. She’s Mike Ditka if Iron Mike followed up the ’85 Super Bowl with a few WPIAL titles. It is difficult to find comparisons because so few athletes have accomplished what McConnell-Serio has.

Her resume reads like a superhero: • High school state championships as a player and a coach • All-American at Penn State • NCAA career record for assists • Olympic gold medal • WNBA Rookie of the Year • WNBA Coach of the Year • Five consecutive postseason appearances as Duquesne head coach Reviving Pitt women's basketball may be her greatest challenge yet. The Panthers have not won a conference game in two full seasons. The ACC is a steep mountain to climb, with four teams—Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Maryland—currently in the top 12 in the country. Fourth-ranked Louisville joins the league next year.

Yet if anyone can deliver Pitt to that mountain top, it's McConnell-Serio.

Debbie Antonelli covers women’s basketball—college and the WNBA— for ESPN, CBS and Fox Sports Net and knows the game as well as anyone.

“Suzie is a household name. She has

been on two Olympic teams, she was an excellent point guard, she is a terrific teacher and she can do the three things that are most important,” Antonelli told me last month. “She can recruit and had past success – she built Duquesne and did an excellent job there and mostly with local kids. She can prepare and practice her team. The third thing is she can game adjust – she’s a terrific bench coach.”

Antonelli was impressed when Pitt hired McConnell-Serio, calling it a “wow” hire. Pitt was fortunate that she was right down the road, available and intent on staying home. Now that the stars have aligned, the potential is there to make this a very special time for women’s basketball in Pittsburgh.

Whether McConnell-Serio can become Pittsburgh’s version of a Pat Summitt, Vivian Stringer or Geno Auriemma is unknown, and such comparisons are premature – even crazy.

But nothing she has attempted has been too big for her. Check back in five years.

Contents

December 2013 Vol. 17, No.11

FILM CREW Shelby Cassesse, Andrew Havranek, Taylor Duncan, Nick Frost

1 WEATHERING THE STORM The Steelers have survived a brutal 0-4 start. Now they are trying to find enough wins to make every game meaningful.

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHERS Charles LeClaire, Justin Berl

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Aaron Doster, William McBride, Kris Mellinger, Vincent Pugliese, Nick Susnjer, Ronald Vezzani Jr.

Defensive back Will Allen talks to PSR The 2013 Pirates are Pittsburgh’s sports story of the year.

18 BLUE LINE Rookie blue-liner Olli Maatta

2013 Pirates

4 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013

3

UP CLOSE WITH PSR Suzie McConnell-Serio

4

EDITOR’S DESK A true legend

PHOTO CREDITS

5 PURE STEEL 10 NORTH SHORE NOTES

Pittsburgh Sports Report is published 12 times annually by Pittsburgh Sports Report, Inc. a Pennsylvania business corporation, 3 South Linden St, Duquesne, PA 15110 Subscription rates: 1 year, $22.95, 2 years $39.95. Additional distribution at selected outlets. This and every issue of Pittsburgh Sports Report, and all contents therein, are subject to copyright protection held by Pittsburgh Sports Report, Inc. (“Corp. 2013 Pittsburgh Sports Report, Inc.”)

DEPARTMENTS

PSR FOCUS

20 ON CAMPUS 2013 WPIAL Recruits

Justin Berl - 1a, 1b, 5d, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18 Charles LeClaire - 5b, 5c, 8, 12 Ronald Vezzani Jr - 20b, 20e William McBride - 22b, 22c, 22d University of Pittsburgh - 3; Pittsburgh Pirates 4, 16, 18; Jim Rogash/Getty Images - 5a; NHL - 19; AP Photo by Dave Martin - 20a; AP/Butch Dill - 20c; UPI/Bill Greenblatt 20d; Brace Hemmelgarn/AP - 20f; Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School - 21; Mount Lebanon High School - 22a

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December Breakdowns

BY CODY BENJAMIN

After starting the season 0-4, the Steelers’ playoff chances looked dead on arrival.

Pittsburgh is steadily rebuilding its confidence with a 5-2 record since mid-October. Moving forward, the team looks to complete its turnaround against some challenging opponents.

Sunday, December 8th Miami Dolphins, Heinz Field 1:00 p.m., CBS MATCH-UP: Steelers secondary vs.

Sunday, December 15th Cincinnati Bengals, Heinz Field 8:30 p.m., NBC MATCH-UP: Bengals RBs Giovani

Sunday, December 22nd Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field 4:25 p.m., CBS MATCH-UP: Packers quarterbacks vs.

Sunday, December 29th Cleveland Browns, Heinz Field 1:00 p.m., CBS MATCH-UP: Browns WR Josh Gor-

Dolphins wide receivers The Steelers are ranked ninth in pass defense and Miami has just the 20th-ranked pass offense, but that doesn't mean the Dolphins wideouts should be overlooked. Pittsburgh's secondary could play an integral role, especially since it will be tasked with shutting down three different receivers (Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Charles Clay) that have at least 500 yards.

SECRET WEAPON: Steelers WR Antonio Brown In three straight games at the end of November, Brown had at least 90 receiving yards for Pittsburgh, reemerging as a consistent No. 1 threat. Against a Dolphins unit that has a dangerous aerial attack themselves, Brown could be the x-factor in a contest that figures to have a handful of highlights.

Bernard and BenJarvus Green-Ellis vs.

Steelers LB Lawrence Timmons Cincinnati's duo of running backs hasn't been the flashiest or most dynamic, but Green-Ellis and Bernard have consistently calmed down the Bengals offense when quarterback Andy Dalton has hit rough patches.

The backs could draw attention from the Steelers D and its leading tackler, Timmons, especially after Bernard had two TDs vs. Pittsburgh earlier in the season.

SECRET WEAPON: A.J. Green Although his production would hardly warrant a "secret" label, Green will undoubtedly play a role in the outcome of the Steelers-Bengals rematch. Even when Andy Dalton isn't having his best day under center for Cincinnati, Green finds ways to make plays.

Steelers pass rush Expect All-Pro Aaron Rodgers to be recovered from his collarbone injury by the time this match-up rolls around. But no matter who takes snaps under center, the Steelers' pass rush, or their inability to generate one, figures to play a vital part in the contest. Pressuring a freshly recovered Rodgers—or backups Matt Flynn or Scott Tolzien—can do the same damage, but Pittsburgh hasn't had immense production from its D in that area.

SECRET WEAPON: RB Le'Veon Bell The Steelers' rookie running back has already been a key aspect of the offense, but he could find himself with some big opportunities against the Packers. Green Bay is giving up more than 115 rushing yards per game this year.

don vs. Steelers CB Ike Taylor The Steelers have a top-10 pass defense, but Gordon has been practically unstoppable when the ball's gotten to him. The last time he took on Pittsburgh, the second-year wideout broke a franchise record with 237 yards and a score. A lot of those yards came in garbage time long after the game had been decided, but Taylor’s age may finally be starting to show. The Patriots and Lions exposed Talylor at various points of both games, and the Browns will try to the same with Gordon.

SECRET WEAPON: TE Jordan Cameron Josh Gordon is the Browns' offensive centerpiece when it comes to big plays, but Cameron quietly leads Cleveland in receptions and could be a focal point of the team's scheme against Pittsburgh.

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STEELERS, from PAGE 1

after the way the Steelers looked in the first month of the season. Playing as many rookies and young players as possible, letting them learn on the job and finding out just exactly what the team had on their active roster seemed logical.

When there are jobs on the line every snap, however, such thinking seldom survives beyond the idea stage.

“I hate it when people say you’re rebuilding because to me that’s a slap in the face to the people that are out there playing,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said on a Pittsburgh radio show. “You sit there and say, ‘They’re young and rebuilding,’ but what about the guys that are out there playing? You think they’re sitting there telling themselves, ‘Oh it’s OK, it’s a rebuilding year.’ No, they are out there trying to bust their butt and that includes me.”

The “guys out there playing” for the Steelers were simply not very good over the first half of the season. Even after piecing together two ugly wins over the Jets and Ravens, the team was still full of holes and dropped two more to fall to 2-6 at the halfway point.

A 55-31 loss to the New England Patriots, in which the Steelers allowed 610 offensive yards and 28 fourth quarter points, seemed to be a reality check for head coach Mike Tomlin.

“We ain’t turning it down, we ain’t running from anything,” Tomlin said in the immediate aftermath of the

Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu are making plays in the season’s second-half.

worst defensive performance in the history of the organization. “You reevaluate everything. You have to after a performance like that and we will.”

The frustration was palpable, not only from the head coach but from veterans on a team that had never experienced being so soundly beaten on a football field – week after agonizing week.

“We are all grown men. This isn’t a kid game,” said receiver Antonio Brown. “Everyone understands why they are here. Everyone knows during the course of losing, your job can be on the line.”

In the minutes following the beat-

ing at the hands of the Patriots, Tomlin threatened jobs of players he deemed lacking in effort. A few days later—after watching the game film and coming to the humbling conclusion that lack of effort was not to blame—Tomlin turned his attention inward.

“The continued self-analysis of what you do and why you do it and how you do it, and if changing will produce a different and better result,” he said. “That’s something that I think we as coaches need to do, not only in terms of schematics, but the teaching and coaching of techniques and our approach to business.”

Tomlin took the full brunt of the blame for the losses, as well as responsibility for the players on the roster. His willingness to “man up” was echoed by the veterans in the locker room – the same aging vets whose poor play had been exposed on Sunday afternoons.

“We have to find a way to turn it around because they're not going to stop playing games for us,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We're going to have to show up on game days and put this fire out. People are going to keep coming. They're glad we have these issues and they're going to try see STEELERS, PAGE 7

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Ben Roethlisberger’s play has improved in spite of trade rumors.

STEELERS, from PAGE 6

to exploit them.”

As often happens when a team is losing, outside distractions started to creep in.

Media reports that Roethlisberger would soon demand a trade surfaced one week after the disastrous loss to New England. Unnamed sources suggested that players in the locker room were questioning Roethlisberger’s work ethic.

In the face of a potential avalanche of negativity, the Steelers rebounded, shrugged off the distractions and started to win foot-

ball games.

The team bounced back with a win over a poor Buffalo Bills team that was far from a return to form, but nonetheless stopped the bleeding.

Roethlisberger confronted the trade rumors head on—and seemingly every day for the next week— vehemently denying them and ultimately saying he would “do whatever it takes to stay here and to be a part of this team.”

His teammates certainly lined up behind him as he led the team on a three-game winning streak that suddenly thrust them back into the playoff picture just in time for Thanksgiving.

“Seven is seven,” Brown said after Roethlisberger led a 96-yard drive in the final five minutes to beat the Lions. “He's always rallying the troops.”

“I see a guy who’s a leader, and who wants to win. He tries everything in his power to win, and take us to that next level. He’s a leader,” chipped in defensive back Will Allen. “And he’s a good quarterback.”

The Steelers that won three straight games in November—and five of seven after an 0-4 start—are a very similar team to the group that was so bad in September and October.

The running game is nearly help-

less. The patchwork offensive line struggles every series. The defense that completely shut out the NFL’s best receiver, Detroit’s Calvin Johnson, in the second half of a 37-27 win, is the same flawed unit that allowed him 179 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the second quarter of that same game.

Roethlisberger, Brown and the rest of the passing game are forced to play nearly perfect football to win games, something that is extremely difficult to do over long stretches in the NFL. Yet there are enough poor teams in the AFC North, and enough veteran leadership in the Steelers locker room, that this flawed group had improbably— but legitimately—forced their way back into the playoff hunt as the season entered its final month.

Those same veterans that Warren Sapp deemed “old, slow and over” may just have enough tricks left up those old sleeves to make the rest of the season worth watching.

“There’s a reason they keep us old guys around,” said cornerback Ike Taylor, another veteran whose play has slowed dramatically this season.

“You can talk about the physical, but in order to play this game—or in order to do anything—you’ve got to be mentally tough. You’ve got to take the blows. When you do good you’ve got to be even-keeled, and when you do bad you’ve got to accept it.”

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First & Ten WILL ALLEN Defensive back Will Allen joined the Steelers in 2010 and played in every game but two over the next three seasons, starting seven in 2012. He departed for Dallas as a free agent in the offseason, but re-joined the team midway through this year and contributed immediately, sealing the team’s Week 11 victor over the Lions with a fourth quarter interception. The former Ohio State All-American spoke with PSR’s Chris Galiszewski last month.

Chris Galiszewski: Your first few years

here have been successful, but so far this year it’s a different story. What is it like going from highs to lows in such a short period of time?

Will Allen: It’s uncomfortable, but that’s the way the NFL is anyway. You face adversity, and you learn how to handle it, you learn how to thrive in it. I think that it’s an opportunity for us to make some changes and turn some things around and get better. We need to have some better practices, and hopefully that correlates into some wins. It’s definitely uncomfortable, but it is what it is and we got to lay in the bed that we made, but we also got a chance to remake it. That’s the fun part.

CG: What kinds of things are being said

in the locker room or on the practice field to keep everybody in check and keep the confidence up?

WA: It’s just about how we prepare. It’s about all the guys coming together and being able to recognize what we need to correct. Everybody is just saying be positive, be more focused, have more energy. And when you do those things it correlates to wins. That’s all we talk

all the coaches, not just Dick LeBeau.

We’re just not playing as well as we can. The coaches don’t go out and play, the players do.

things he’s done for Ohio State and the OSU fans.

about, not making self-imposed mistakes in crucial situations. So that’s the only thing we really discuss, and we own it, we wear it on our sleeves, and we try to go out there and play to the best of our ability.

CG: What is it like playing for Dick

CG: There is speculation that Dick

WA: I love it! He’s so humble, and he’s

LeBeau’s better years are behind him as a defensive coordinator. Have there been any changes in the way he coaches the defense? Is he still the defensive mastermind that he has been known to be, or is the NFL becoming accustomed to his schemes?

WA: No, I don’t think so. I just think that we haven’t executed in games as players. Players and coaches have to do their part. Coaches give the game plan, and players have to execute that game plan. And as players we haven’t executed to our best ability. LeBeau’s defenses change year in and year out.

Last year we had the No. 1 pass defense and the No. 1 defense overall, and No 2 in rushing. So I don’t understand how people can say it’s Dick LeBeau. The year before last we were top five in everything and had the No. 1 pass defense. That’s a testament to

such a great, great man. He’s a competitor. You love playing for him. It’s hard to find a person like him even outside of football. The humility he wears every day, and the energy and mentality he brings to the team. I really enjoy it, and I enjoy being around him. And of course, he’s an Ohio State Buckeye too, so that helps.

Meyer stepping in and revitalizing the program?

WA: I wouldn’t say he has revitalized the program, but I will say that he does bring a different element. You know, we’re winning, we’re blowing teams out, and that’s the way we should do it. I like Urban Meyer a lot. I think he’s a great coach. He prepares his team well, and he has a desire to want to win every game. That’s evident in how the team prepares and executes week in and week out.

CG: You played under Jim Tressel in

CG: What are your thoughts on Ter-

Columbus. What are your thoughts on the issues that essentially caused his departure?

WA: It’s unfortunate. You know, Tressel’s a great man. I don’t know all of the ins and outs and everything that happened. I don’t think Tressel should have been fired, but something had to happen, We have to live with that decision, but it is unfortunate because of all the great he’s done and all the

relle Pryor, and how he is perceived in Columbus?

WA: I’m not sure how he’s perceived. I know when he left people had a bad taste in their mouths about him. He’s doing well for himself now. He’s playing well in Oakland. I haven’t heard a lot of people say negative things about him, but I haven’t heard people say positive things, so it’s really kind of up in the air I guess.

LeBeau?

CG: What are your thoughts on Urban

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Making Their Own Luck The Stars Weren’t Alligned for the 2013 Pirates... Talent Was

BY KURT HACKIMER

For the first time in 21 years, Pittsburgh Pirates fans are able to look back on a season and not have to think about what went wrong.

The 2013 Pirates featured one of the best starting rotations in baseball, one of the most dominant bullpens, and a scrappy offense that included National League MVP Andrew McCutchen.

They won 94 games, breaking the longest losing streak in the history of American professional sports and earning themselves a playoff spot for the first time since 1992.

And in a year during which almost everything finally turned out right, it’s helpful to look back at some of the moments in the season where things could have gone terribly wrong, but didn’t.

Take the Aug. 13 game against the Cardinals, for instance.

The Pirates, following a three-game losing streak against the Rockies, entered the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead and hard-throwing closer Mark Melancon on the mound.

After Melancon easily dispatched Pete Kozma with his signature cut fastball, he managed to get Daniel Descalso to pop a seemingly harmless fly ball to left fielder Starling Marte.

What should’ve been a relatively innocuous second out turned into a nightmarish scenario as the usually sure-handed Marte nonchalantly attempted to catch the baseball with one

Rookie Gerrit Cole made two playoff starts for the Pirates in 2013.

hand, only to have the ball bounce off of the heel of his glove and fall to the grass.

The next batter, Allen Craig, plated Descalso to tie the game and the Pirates eventually succumbed to the Cardinals in 14 innings.

While that game didn’t end up being much more critical than the other 161 games of the season, it was the kind of

10 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013

devastating, punch-in-the-gut loss that causes cynics to press the panic button and optimists to search their stat sheets for explanations.

But this Pirates team didn’t unravel.

They pressed on.

Marte’s miscue wasn’t the only moment in the 2013 season where the Pirates mettle was tested.

They could have folded whenever

the Cardinals swept them in early September while the two teams were in a battle for the NL Central Division lead.

Instead, thanks in large part to Gerrit Cole out-pitching Rangers’ ace Yu Darvish, the Pirates responded by sweeping Texas en route to cementing their first winning season in 21 years.

Their playoff hopes could have gone see PIRATES, PAGE 11

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PIRATES from PAGE 10

up in flames on Sept. 20 against the Reds after Jordy Mercer airmailed a throw to first base that would’ve been the final out of the game. The Pirates ended up losing that game, but responded by beating the Reds five times in the next ten days, including their National League Wild Card victory in front of a raucous Pittsburgh crowd.

While certain parts this past season felt miraculous, one shouldn’t be quick to classify the 2013 Pirates as a fluke.

“I know that people were surprised by the 2013 season, but I also think that the collapse in 2012 really hid what was happening with the Pirates,” Pirates Prospects blogger Tim Williams said. “They were a team on the verge of contending, with a top farm system.”

The successes of their major offseason acquisitions are also well documented: Francisco Liriano had his best year since 2010, Russell Martin’s defense reenergized the pitching staff, and Mark Melancon cut his ERA from 6.20 in 2012 to 1.39 in 2013.

Those key signings, combined with the steady progression of their young core players and a world class pitching staff, were what pushed the Pirates over that seemingly insurmountable hump this year.

But perhaps less obvious are the adjustments the Pirates made tactically. The Pirates employed more defensive shifts in 2013 than any other team in the MLB, and the results proved positive.

“The defensive shifts were a really

big deal. Generally, it was a better defensive team,” Bucs Dugout writer Charlie Wilmoth said. “As successful of a year as it was for the pitching staff, a lot of the credit has to go to the defense.”

The Pirates rotation featured the two most prolific groundball pitchers in the National League. A.J. Burnett, who, at one point in the season, was heard literally cursing the shift, forced 56.5 percent of batted balls into the dirt. His, and the defense’s, ability to minimalize damage helped make Burnett, by most statistical measures, one of the best pitchers in baseball last year.

The second highest groundball percentage, at 53.2 percent, was owned by Jeff Locke; a man who burst onto the scene at the beginning of the season, earning a trip to the All Star Game, and flamed out dramatically at the end.

Locke benefitted from the shift more than any other Pirates pitcher. During the first four months of the season, Locke was able to sustain a microscopic 2.15 ERA despite walking 47 batters.

His second half ERA, however, was a disastrous 6.12.

“They had enough going on with the rest of the rotation that they didn’t suffer much [when Locke faltered],” said Wilmoth.

That is the story of the entire season for the pitching staff: Whenever a pitcher began to struggle, there was always someone there to pick up the slack.

“Every time they needed a starter, they had someone to turn to at TripleA, or someone coming back from an injury,” Williams said.

www.pittsburghsportsreport.com

Andrew McCutchen led the Pirates’ resurgence.

When Wandy Rodriguez suffered what became a season-ending elbow injury June 5, Jeff Locke pitched the best month of his career. When Locke blew up in September, Charlie Morton stood up to take his place. When Burnett was crushed by the Cardinals in Game 1 of the NLDS, Gerrit Cole burst onto the national scene. Jeanmar Gomez and Brandon Cumpton, afterthoughts at the start of the season, also stepped up when their numbers were called.

While Liriano and Burnett were the anchors, each member of the rotation had a portion of the season where he acted as the ace.

The club’s resilience helped them become media darlings and capture the imaginations of the entire city.

“The fans really bought into this team,” Wilmoth said. “[The Pirates] are now the vital part of the cultural landscape that they haven’t been since at least ’92, maybe even before that.”

And with an influx of young talent, including star prospects Jameson Taillon and Gregory Polanco, on the horizon, there is finally reason for Pirates fans to be optimistic for the present and the future.

PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013 11

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Human Touch Hurdle’s Success Stems From Community Connections

BY CODY BENJAMIN

From the time he was hired as Pirates manager, Clint Hurdle has fielded questions about his mentality when coaching on the diamond—an approach that is sometimes dubbed “oldfashioned” in today’s age of sports science and “advanced” metrics.

Of course, fundamental coaching is sure to have played a part in Hurdle’s success, but there’s also little doubt his uncommon prioritization of connections in his community has been a monumental stepping stone.

Fresh off a trip to the playoffs, the first postseason appearance by the Pirates in two decades, Hurdle also captured the National League Manager of the Year honor. Although Pittsburgh did not finish atop the NL Central division, the team recaptured the life of the city’s baseball fan base, restoring confidence and genuine excitement in an organization that hadn’t even breached .500 for 20 seasons.

Behind the Pirates’ sudden resurgence, an uprising that may very well have boosted expectations for the team for years to come, Hurdle has taken pride in first taking interest in his players. In other words, to the 56-year-old manager, establishing unity with those around him ranks ahead of simply making “baseball decisions” on the scale of importance, and that philoso-

phy, although not as common in today’s business-oriented world of sports, has paid off rather quickly.

For the Pirates and their fans, additional steps need to be taken if Pittsburgh wants to follow up on its magical playoff run and take advantage of its historical resurgence, but Hurdle has done quite a commendable job bringing them forward because of his unique outlook on the game.

“We had the entire city behind us, and Clint had us and our fans believing that we could win the division,” infielder Neil Walker told Whirl Magazine.

“His success and our team’s success has a lot to do with his positive approach.”

For as many times as he has drawn criticism for in-game management or the usage of his bullpen, Hurdle has seemingly strengthened the club’s emphasis on working together and putting each other first, invaluable aspects that sound like perfect ingredients for a legitimate contender.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with merely having deep baseball knowledge, as Hurdle’s players have attested to when discussing the manager’s leadership, but just because a manager possesses rich insight and front offices can build up rosters and endlessly analyze lineups doesn’t mean there’s no need for a sense of true community on a team, or at least one that wants to work and fight for each other

12 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013

through thick and thin. Hurdle has helped bring just that to the Pirates.

“What no amount of data can do is replace the human touch and its impact on winning baseball,” said MLB.com columnist Richard Justice.

Garnering 25 of a possible 30 votes for the Manager of the Year Award, Hurdle has helped rebuild the value of “people” within the Pirates organization. At the end of the day, talent may very well have the edge when it comes time to play games, but as evidenced

by Pittsburgh’s success and subsequent appearance in the postseason, the presence of a united, positive approach— an atmosphere built for winning—plays a vital role in determining the effectiveness of a team.

Overcoming injuries to star closer Jason Grilli as well as starting pitchers A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez and leadoff hitter Starling Marte, Hurdle has already totaled more victories in his first three seasons than any Pirates’ manager since 1979. When he took over the Pirates in November 2010, it’s not as if he was handed an organization

on the upswing, either; he steadily applied his winning mentality to a unit that lost 105 games the previous year.

Needless to say, Hurdle’s ability to turn Pittsburgh into a baseball contender once again has also sparked a noticeable increase in support at the team’s PNC Park. Like many other stadiums that host dismal teams around the MLB as well as in other sports leagues, the North Shore field was not long ago the location of a perennial loser, thus attracting little attention.

Things couldn’t have been more different during the Pirates’ rebirth, and the stadium’s explosion in attendance epitomized the organization’s restored fan base.

“There's a vibe in this ballpark when it's full,” Hurdle said this summer, as fans poured through the gates at PNC Park. “This is unique. This is intimate.

It's not elegant-intimate; it's blue-collar intimate. I mean, this is Pittsburgh.

These people are grinding right there with us. It's one of the reasons I signed up here, to re-bond a city with its baseball team.”

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BY TAYLOR SKAGGS

Andrew McCutchen entered the 2013 season coming off the best year of his career. However, McCutchen suffered a late swoon in 2012 as his numbers plummeted throughout the final months of the campaign. Likewise, the 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates crumbled as their leader faltered, ending a promising start with their 20th-straight losing season.

Despite the disappointing end, McCutchen and the Pirates returned even better in 2013. The biggest story, of course, was Pittsburgh earning their first playoff berth and first winning season since 1992. However, to top off a magical year, McCutchen won the National League Most Valuable Player award, garnering 28 of the 30 first place votes and becoming the first Pirate to win the award since Barry Bonds in 1992. To go along with his MVP award, McCutchen went to the AllStar game for the third year in a row and won his second consecutive Silver Slugger.

“He's a top-shelf hitter, an excellent base-runner and a plus fielder at a premium up-the-middle position,” said Dayn Perry of CBS Sports. “The last NL MVP to meet those three criteria?

The Phillies' Jimmy Rollins back in 2007. Prior to that you must go back to Barry Larkin in 1995.”

Indeed, no specific attribute of McCutchen’s skill set sticks out because he is excellent in every facet of the game. McCutchen’s 2013 line of

.317/.404/.508 with 21 homeruns is impressive. When compared to the rest of the Pirates roster, he was an absolute monster, leading the team in nearly every offensive category. When compared with the rest of National League, McCutchen’s numbers become borderline unbelievable.

McCutchen finished in the National League’s top-10 in eight (!) traditional offensive categories: runs scored, hits, doubles, walks, batting average, onbase percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. In combination with his offensive prowess, McCutchen flashed dominant base running skills, stealing 27 bases, good for sixth in the National League. And if elite offense and base running aren’t enough, McCutchen was one of three finalists for the Gold Glove award at one of the most important defensive positions in baseball.

“The right guy won,” said ESPN’s Jayson Stark of the NL MVP race.

Traditional analysis and sabermetrics both agreed that McCutchen was the best player in the National League after collecting 8.2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) during the 2013 season, the highest total in the NL and the highest total he has earned in his career.

Usually, a career year for a player is bolstered by an unexpected increase of performance in a specific area, like a huge boost in homeruns or power.

However, McCutchen’s career year came from marginal improvements in every aspect of his game. He had fewer homeruns and fewer RBI in 2013 than

14 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013

2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen

he did in 2012, but he compensated by walking more and striking out less, essentially equaling last year’s highs without the late-season slump. For most players, a career year reflects the height of their performance and is unlikely to be replicated in the future. For McCutchen, 2013 might be the new baseline for his production rather than a high that he’ll never reach again.

The 27-year old centerfielder is just now entering what is commonly considered the prime years for batters, the ages from 27 to 31. McCutchen had the best season of his career in the very first year of his prime without any statistical outliers boosting his perform-

ance. In other words, it’s reasonable to think that McCutchen can perform at that level for the next few seasons.

Given McCutchen’s age, it is quite possible that he could reign as the National League’s best player for the remainder of his prime. Over the last two years, McCutchen has totaled 15 WAR, more than any other player in the NL – San Francisco catcher Buster Posey is second with 12.5. When considering McCutch’s youth, defensive position and overall offensive excellence, few players stand out as real challengers to his National League throne.

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The Builder Neal Huntington spent six years constructing the Pirates’ first playoff team in decades

BY NATE BARNES

Neal Huntington became the 12th general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 25, 2007. At the time, no one envied him.

The major league roster had little promise of sustainable success, filtering players past their primes in and out just to make a lineup card.

In the minors, a kid named Andrew McCutchen was the only asset beholding any worth. Beyond the man who became the 2013 National League Most Valuable Player, Pittsburgh’s minor league system was mostly barren.

A look at Baseball America’s Top 10 Pirates Prospects reveals as much, with long-forgotten names like Shelby Ford, Daniel Moskos and Steve Pearce occupying spots on that rundown.

But six years after taking the job, Huntington’s Pirates were playing in their first postseason in 21 years.

The once-barren minor league system is now headed by future superstars Gregory Polanco, Jameson Taillon and a bevy of others.

Due to the small-market position of the Pirates, Huntington stressed the importance of flooding the minor league levels with talent to one day produce a competitive roster at PNC Park. He succeeded in a way no bserver thought possible when president Bob Nutting hired him.

Huntington’s tenure started in an unpopular fashion, as he shipped Xavier Nady and Jason Bay out of town. At the time, the two combined with Nate McLouth to form one of the league’s most productive offensive outfields. Less than a year later, McLouth was traded to the Atlanta Braves in a trade that netted future All-Star Jeff Locke and NLDS Game 4 starter Charlie Morton. Through the Nady and Bay deals, Huntington also added Jose Tabata and Bryan Morris, both members of the 2013 playoff roster.

Not every deal worked out. Huntington missed big in 2009, when he traded fan-favorite and All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez to the San Francisco Giants for Tim Alderson, then the No. 4 prospect in the Giants’ organization. Alderson never advanced past beyond bullpen duty in Triple-A, and was traded this summer to Baltimore for a minor leaguer.

But anyone who believed that Huntington should have stayed the course in lieu of gambling with his big ticket items on the trade market was wrong.

While believed to be more of the same cost-cutting strategies that saw players like Aramis Ramirez leave the organization, Huntington was instead cleaning house. And he had to. Room was cleared for McCutchen, Tabata, Neil Walker and others to begin their major-league careers.

www.pittsburghsportsreport.com

Huntington then went about his business spending money in the draft, signing players like Pedro Alvarez and Gerrit Cole when in the past low-cost, signable options like Daniel Moskos were the preferred choice. At the top level, those picks have already panned out with Alvarez winning a National League Silver Slugger and Cole starting two games in the NLDS as a rookie.

Huntington also ventured into the Latin American market, constructing a $5 million, state-of-the-art baseball academy in the Dominican Republic.

The dividends of the Pirates Academia de Beisbol are top prospects like Hanson and Polanco.

But for all the work Huntington did in adding young assets to the farm system, he also made moves on the free agent market. His most impactful signings were pitcher Francisco Liriano and catcher Russell Martin last year. Then

there’s the addition of A.J. Burnett before the 2012 season, in which Huntington was able to add a major difference maker while the Yankees paid most of his salary.

Huntington ramped up his efforts in the trade market as the team started winning, adding Gaby Sanchez and Wandy Rodriguez in 2012 and then acquiring Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau a year later.

When the Pirates hosted the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Wild Card game Oct. 1, McCutchen, Walker and Starling Marte were the only players in the dugout that Huntington hadn’t acquired. It was a roster constructed by Huntington that ended professional sports’ longest streak of losing years, and it’s a roster constructed by Huntington that will carry the Pirates to greater success in the coming years.

PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013 15

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Growing the Farm Once a wasteland, the Pirates minor leagues are bearing fruit

BY TYLER PECYNA

Lost, somewhat understandably, in the Pirates’ success from this past year at the major league level is the nearly equal progress of the farm system.

Six years ago, when Neal Huntington took over as general manager, he was left with a barren farm system. A major investment in Latin American scouting, an aggressive financial approach to the draft and a systematic strategy to player development under Huntington—aided by several trades to acquire prospects in exchange for major leaguers—has drastically changed the organization’s minor league system.

The Pirates farm system could easily have as many as eight or nine of the top 100 prospects in baseball. Baseball America writer John Perrotto agreed with the idea that the Pirates could enjoy a run of success similar to recent stretches by teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, who annually sport an upper echelon farm system.

Leading the Pirates’ charge are prospects Gregory Polanco and Jameson Taillon, both of whom should reach the majors in 2014.

Polanco, an outfielder who turned 22 in September, reached Triple-A at the end of last season. Plate discipline, according to Perrotto, is the final piece of Polanco’s puzzle.

“He still tends to swing at some pitches out of the strike zone,” Perrotto said. “Again, he’s definitely got the raw talent and he’s close, it’s just a matter of tightening some things up and polishing some things up… Other than that I think he has the whole package.”

Across three minor league levels last year, Polanco hit .285 with 12 homers, 38 stolen bases a .357 on-base percentage and a .434 slugging percentage. His ceiling and imminent arrival likely factored into the Pirates’ decision to let Marlon Byrd leave as a free agent.

Taillon’s schedule to arrive in the majors could parallel Gerrit Cole’s.

Both pitchers entered the Pirates’ organization with blazing fastballs and impressive draft pedigree, as Taillon was the second overall pick in 2010 and Cole first in 2011.

“I just don’t think there are going to be many pitchers like Cole,” Perrotto said. “I think Taillon has a chance to be really, really good too, but I think Cole is a really special pitcher and probably just a little cut above.”

Taillon, who must improve his command before he’s ready for the bigs, leads a stable of flamethrowers throughout the Pirates’ system. Tyler Glasnow, a 20-year-old righty who struck out 164 batters in 111 innings with Class-A West Virginia last year, was named the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year.

16 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013

2010 No. 1 draft pick Jameson Taillon

“He’s got the raw ability to [become an ace],” Perrotto said of Glasnow.

“He’s a big kid and throws hard and has a big breaking curveball. The main thing with him is consistency – he’s got to throw more strikes. Even though he struck out a lot of guys, he also walked a lot of guys last year.”

Inconsistency is common in young pitchers, and Perrotto added that scouts have told him that the 6’7” Glasnow is athletic enough to consistently repeat his delivery and throw strikes.

The trio of Cole, Taillion and Glasnow could very well give the Pirates’ rotation three young aces within the next few years.

“You are looking at one of the deeper systems in the game right now,” Baseball America editor John Manuel said.

“They've had a good year, and they made two [draft] picks in the first 15, both of whom we think pretty highly of.”

Manuel is referring to outfielder Austin Meadows and catcher Reese McGuire, both high school players

drafted by the Pirates last summer.

Meadows and McGuire experienced success in their limited minor league experience last season, but as low-level guys, Pittsburgh is a distant destination.

Pitching is the strength of the system, but if there’s something lacking it’s a crop of middle infielders.

Shortstop Alen Hanson, 21, is the cream of that below-average crop.

Some scouts think he’s a better fit at second base, but his bat should get him to the major leagues regardless of position. Hanson owns a .292 average in 374 career minor league games, and he finished 2013 at Double-A Altoona.

“They have a lot of high ceilings that aren’t from pitchers and I think they’re well stocked in their farm system with pitchers,” Perrotto said. “They’re not all going to work out, that’s the way baseball works. They have plenty that enough of them should work out and they should be good for a number of years.”

www.pittsburghsportsreport.com

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Behind the Net

Maatta Breaking Penguins Rookie Mold

BY JOEL PERETIC

Olli Maatta is special. He is the rare talent that most NHL clubs are lucky to experience once every 20 years.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even more impressive is that Maatta has broken the mold in an organization that drafts with a heavy emphasis on defense.

Defensemen are generally dubbed projects when entering the NHL. The position requires a higher level of focus and intelligence compared to playing forward. Most blueliners are also green

when it comes to puck and possession skills. It is for these reasons that young and talented prospects like Kris Letang, Joe Morrow and Simon Despres have undergone a nurturing period in the AHL ranks.

Some, no matter how high of a predraft rating, never reach the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top level. Pittsburgh is well aware of how harsh the league can be. With the recent departure of forward Dustin Jeffrey, only three of Ray Sheroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50 Penguinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; draft picks are currently with organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NHL club. Only 27 of

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the picks are still with the franchise in any capacity. Nineteen of those selections have been defensemen, with nine of them having heard their name called in the first three rounds of the draft.

If those numbers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t show how incredibly hard it is to find any player, let alone a defenseman, capable of adjusting to the NHL game, consider this: Only two Shero draft picks have played more than 82 games with the Penguins. Coincidently, one of those players was Jordan Staal â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the last Shero draft pick to play a full season with the Penguins as a teenager.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right, it has been seven years since a teenager has laced up for more than the nine game limit with Pittsburgh. In fact, no teenager has played even more than one game with the club since 2006-07 outside of goalie Alexander Pechurskiy, who was called up in an emergency situation.

Still not impressed by Maattaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maturity? A look around the NHL should solve that problem.

At the beginning of November, 21 teens were playing in the NHL. That is less than one per team. Many of those players have since been sent down to the minor leagues; many others will turn 20 over the course of the season. Maatta doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fall into either description.

A more intense look reveals that just seven of those 21 players are teen defensemen who are situated to stick out the year in the NHL. Of those seven players, Maatta is the only one not selected in the top ten of his draft. The

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18 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 2013

60

19-year-old wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even picked in the top 20.

Not only does Maatta stand out among his current league peers, he also shines brighter than many of his past NHL brethren.

According to Quaint Hockey, the average age of an NHL rookie making his first appearance is 23. And, only 34 players since the 2010-11 season have made their debuts at 19. Just 15 of those skaters have been blueliners.

Adding the lone 18-year-old who suited up to the group totals a sweet 16 teenage defensemen in four years, or four per year.

Keep in mind that the previous four years could be a buck in the trend, since a total of only 48 teen defensemen have stuck in the NHL since 2000. A breakdown in percentages shows that only 9.1 percent of defensemen in the history of the NHL have made their debuts at age 19.

So how special is Olli Maatta? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special enough to leapfrog fellow 2012 first round pick Derrick Pouliot to the NHL. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talented enough to skate a full season with the Penguins as a teenager â&#x20AC;&#x201D; something Letang, Alex Goligoski and Ryan Whitney never did and something Morrow, Despres or Derrick Pouliot never will. Maatta is also historic enough to be in a category with just nine percent of the NHLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total players over the last 100 years.

But, most importantly, Maatta is special enough to help the Penguins win a Stanley Cup this season.

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This Date in Penguins History Dec. 22, 1990 - Paul Coffey records his

DECEMBRER SCHEDULE

1,000th career NHL point against the New York Islanders.

Dec. 23, 1983 - Randy Carlyle scores

2:12 into overtime on goaltender Chico Resch to lead the Penguins to their first OT win, a 6-5 victory over the New Jersey Devils.

Dec. 26, 1986 - Penguins defenseman

Matt Niskanen is born in Virginia, MN.

Tuesday, Dec. 3: Penguins

at New York Islanders, 7 PM Thursday, Dec. 5: Sharks

at Penguins, 7 PM Saturday, Dec. 7: Penguins

at Boston, 7 PM Monday, Dec. 9: Blue Jackets

at Penguins, 7:30 PM

Dec. 26, 1991 - The Penguins establish

a franchise record for goals in a game when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 12-1.

Friday, Dec. 13: Devils

at Penguins, 7 PM Saturday, Dec. 14: Penguins

The Penguins are 252-249-83-6 all time in the month of December. Here are some of the most memorable December moments in team history.

Dec. 13, 1980 - Paul Gardner scores 4

goals but the Penguins lose 6-5 to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Dec. 15, 2006 - Ryan Malone scores

Dec. 3, 1976 - Baz Bastien is named the

team's general manager.

Dec. 4, 1987 - Mario Lemieux is named

his first career hat trick, joining his father Greg as the second father/son pair in NHL history to record hat tricks.

Penguins captain.

Dec. 17, 1991 - The Pens score 8 goals Dec. 6, 1967 - Stan Mikita of the

Chicago Blackhawks becomes the first player to score a hat trick against the Penguins.

in the second period during a 10-2 win over the San Jose Sharks, setting a team record for most goals in a period.

Dec. 12, 1998 - Alexei Kovalev (above)

Dec. 19, 1996 - Jaromir Jagr records

scored twice and Jaromir Jagr and Stu Barnes added goals, all within 1:39, in a 4-3 Penguins win over the St. Louis Blues, the fastest 4 goals scored in team history.

4 assists in a single period against the St. Louis Blues, tying a team record shared by Mario Lemeux, Ron Stackhouse, Paul Coffey and Syl Apps.

BEST OF RACINOS RACINOS O

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at Detroit, 7 PM

Dec. 27, 2000 - Mario Lemieux re-

turns to the Mellon Arena ice after three-and-a-half years of retirement and tallies a goal and a pair of assists as the Pens shutout the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-0.

Dec. 28, 1990 - Tom Barrasso records his

first shutout as a Penguin with 27 saves against the Detroit Red Wings in a 5-0 Pittsburgh win.

Dec. 30, 1978 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Penguins defenseman

Monday, Dec. 16: Maple Leafs

at Penguins, 7 PM Wednesday, Dec. 18: Penguins

at New York Rangers, 8 PM Thursday, Dec. 19: Wild

at Penguins, 7 PM Saturday, Dec. 21: Flames

at Penguins, 1 PM Monday, Dec. 23: Penguins

at Ottawa, 7:30 PM

Rob Scuderi is born in Syosset, NY.

Friday, Dec. 27: Penguins

at Carolina, 7 PM

Dec. 31, 1988 - Mario Lemieux becomes

the first NHL player to score 5 goals five different ways in one game: even strength, power play, shorthanded, penalty shot and empty net. Lemieux factored on every goal as the Pens beat the New Jersey Devils 8-6.

Sunday, Dec. 29: Penguins

at Columbus, 6 PM Tuesday, Dec. 31: Penguins

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PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT â&#x20AC;˘ DECEMBER 2013 19

National Title Picture THE FRONT-RUNNERS

Alabama: The back-to-back champs have improved after some early season struggles and are rounding into form, which is to be expected from a Nick Saban-coached team. Alabama still has two tough games standing in the way of their shot at a third straight national title. Bama goes on the road to face a resurgent Auburn team in the Iron Bowl. If the Crimson Tide roll, they will head to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game against the winner of the SEC East, either No. 10 South Carolina or No. 5 Missouri. Alabama controls its own destiny, but of the three main contenders, the Tide’s schedule is the hardest by far.

Florida State: The Seminoles have run roughshod over every team on their schedule, emphasized most clearly by a 51-14 beat-down of No. 6 Clemson in Death Valley. Florida State’s remaining schedule has also cleared up quite nicely. Traditional rival Florida is currently working on their worst season in over two decades, and the Duke Blue Devils are leading the ACC Coastal division.

Barring a massive upset at the hands of Florida or a bizarre let down against the division winner from the ACC Coastal, Florida State should waltz into the national championship game, with or without Heisman-hopeful Jameis Winston.

THE ODD-MAN OUT Ohio State: Head coach Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes are riding a 23-game winning streak, but a down year in the Big Ten has weakened Ohio State’s strength of schedule and overall resume.

The Buckeyes have the annual rivalry game against the Michigan Wolverines and a conference championship against No. 11 Michigan State remaining, but Ohio State must hope another team knocks off Alabama or Florida State. Otherwise, the Buckeyes will be headed to the Rose Bowl.

20 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013

BY TAYLOR SKAGGS

THE DARK HORSES

Auburn: Fresh off a miracle win over Georgia at home, Auburn’s national title hopes rest upon a victory over the Crimson Tide. The Tigers lurk on the cusp of national title contention, and a win over Alabama would likely jump Auburn up to third in the BCS standings. If Auburn can pull off a victory in the Iron Bowl and beat Missouri/South Carolina in the SEC Championship game, then the Tigers might be able to jump Ohio State in the standings.

Missouri: Another one-loss team from the SEC, Missouri must face a dangerous Texas A&M team to secure a bid to the SEC Championship game. A loss to A&M would send South Carolina to the title game.

Missouri would likely need the opportunity to play the first-ranked, undefeated Crimson Tide—and beat them, of course—in the SEC title game in order to edge out Ohio State in the final BCS standings.

THE LONG SHOT Oklahoma

State:

After annihilating previously undefeated Baylor at home, the Cowboys have made a late charge into the title picture. Aside from a baffling loss to West Virginia earlier in the year, Oklahoma State has dominated the competition. Unfortunately, the Cowboys do not have a conference championship game, so their final impression on the voters must come in their rivalry game against Oklahoma. A lot of dominoes must fall in order for Oklahoma State to sneak into the national championship game: Florida State and/or Ohio State must lose and the top three teams in the SEC must all lose over the next two weeks.

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Top Gunner Pitt hopes to keep local product Maverick Rowan local

BY TYLER PECYNA

In the 1986 film “Top Gun,” Tom Cruise plays Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a young Naval aviator training at Naval Air Station Miramar, which is known as “Top Gun.” Maverick travels the same path as his father, Duke, both in occupation and style. Duke’s reckless approach while flying in the Vietnam War inspires Maverick, who maintains a collective demeanor despite taking risks to become the best.

Nearly three decades later, another Maverick finds himself following a similar trail his old man laid out for him.

Seventeen-year-old Maverick Rowan, a sophomore Lincoln Park High School, gave Pitt a verbal commitment last June as the first member of the Panthers’ 2016 recruiting class.

As a 6’6” freshman, Rowan played shooting guard for the Leopards and averaged 22.3 points and three 3pointers per game en route to earning an honorable mention MaxPreps.com freshman All-American team nod.

Rowan, who shot 88 percent from the foul line, has “one of the best jumpers around,” according to Bariski, who credits his fluid form to a relentless work ethic.

“Probably a thousand jumpers a day – maybe more,” says Bariski. “He just works and works and works.”

Rowan’s father Ron serves as the ball-boy for his son’s post-practice, postweightlifting shoot-around. Ron lends his son advice in those sessions, as he’s

done since Maverick’s earliest basketball days.

Ron Rowan played basketball at St. John’s and was drafted in the third round of the 1986 NBA draft, the same year “Top Gun” premiered. Ron’s 87.1 percent free throw percentage ranks among the top 10 in St. John’s history and he went on to play 11 professional seasons in Italy.

The younger Rowan has grown another inch in the past year, putting him at 6’7” and 170 pounds. Finding a spot on the court for his still-growing frame is as easy as 1, 2, 3… and 4 and 5, as Rowan is comfortable playing all five positions on the court.

“Maverick can do a little bit of everything. It’s his work ethic,” says Bariski.

“You’re gonna find a 6’9” shooting guard, small forward, whatever you want to use him at. For us, he used to play the point. I don’t know if he’ll play the point in Division I basketball, but if you put that challenge to Maverick, he’s gonna work as hard as he can to try to make that happen.”

Rowan’s floor versatility also extends to his ranging defensive prowess.

Bariski says Rowan plays at the top of their press because he has exceptional speed and length, and possesses a pair of large, quick hands that make him like a “cat-burglar.”

Rowan’s relationship with his family—he has two younger brothers at Lincoln Park and an older sister who is a freshman basketball player at New Hampshire—is part of the reason Bariski thinks his star player will keep

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Lincoln Park’s Maverick Rowan

his commitment to Pitt.

“I believe it has a lot to do with it,” Bariski said. “Jamie Dixon saw something in him as a ninth grader, but he’s had his eye on him for a while, which he should have.”

As Rowan progresses, other college coaches will begin paying more attention. Dixon and the Panthers will have to ensure they hold onto one of few promising local recruits, which is part of the reason they secured a verbal commitment from Rowan so early.

“That’s always a big question with kids when they commit early,” says Ray Mernagh of NBEbasketball.com. “Obviously Terrelle Pryor didn’t end up playing basketball at Pitt.”

Pryor gave Pitt a verbal commitment to play hoops as a sophomore at Jeannette in 2006, but ended up playing football at Ohio State.

Mernagh says it was important for Pitt to get Schenley High School product DeJuan Blair in the 2007 class, especially since he had offers from Florida, Kansas State, Indiana and Marquette, among others, and his parents expected him to go to Tennessee.

“Nobody really thought they were going to get DeJuan Blair, but Jamie Dixon had the secret. It was his grandma,” Mernagh said. “Nobody else knew that. [Indiana coach] Kelvin Sampson thought it was a few other folks, Bruce Pearl at Tennessee thought it was other people. Jamie Dixon knew it was his grandma, and it paid off.”

It’s paramount for Dixon to establish those relationships in order to keep local Division I prospects stay home.

Dixon recently received a commitment from Hampton’s Ryan Luther, but Satchel Pierce of Kiski chose Marquette over the Panthers last month.

Kentucky, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Virginia Commonwealth and Miami have begun to express interest in Rowan, according to Bariski.

“Maverick Rowan’s probably a really big commitment for Pitt,” says Mernagh. “It’s definitely not on the level of Blair, but it’s always good when players are playing at a high level locally. It’s always good to be able to keep those kids because quite frankly there haven’t been a ton of them.”

PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013 21

Recruiting the WPIAL Top 2013 Recruits

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Montae Nicholson, Gateway Troy Apke, Mount Lebanon

life

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Elijah Zeise, North Allegheny

This is where it all comes together.

A focus on you.

A search for better ideas.

A promise to the places we call home.

This is Allegheny Health Network.

Dravon Henry, DB, Aliquippa -

Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Pitt, West Virginia

Dravon Henry, Aliquippa

Chase Winovich, LB, Thomas Jefferson

MICHIGAN J.J. Cosentino, QB, Central Catholic -

Montae Nicholson, DB, Gateway -

Florida State, Michigan State, Oregon, Pitt, Virginia Tech

FLORIDA STATE Elijah Zeise, WR, North Allegheny -

PITT Shai McKenzie, RB, Washington -

Florida State, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Virginia Tech Mike Grimm, OL, Bethel Park - PITT

Ricky Rogers, WR, Gateway -

WEST VIRGINIA Jaquan Davidson, ATH, Elizabeth Forward - PITT

Malik Hooker, DB, New Castle Chandler Kincade, QB, Blackhawk -

OHIO STATE

AKRON Troy Apke, WR, Mount Lebanon Delvon Randall, ATH, Gateway -

PENN STATE

TEMPLE Alex Bookser, OL, Mount Lebanon -

Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Tennessee

Brock Boxen, DE, Blackhawk -

AKRON

Call 412.DOCTORS AHN.org

22 PITTSBURGH SPORTS REPORT • DECEMBER 2013

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