Sept. 24, 2014

Vol. 105 Issue 36

Pittnews.com

@thepittnews STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Wedneday, September 24, 2014

Board discusses the future, 2025 Initiative Becoming a genius

Pitt alum wins MacArthur grant

page 2

The Talbert Report

Board members discussed an initiative that will focus on long-term projects on Tuesday. Sheldon Satenstein | Assistant Visual Editor

Abbey Reighard Senior Staff Writer A new proposal will prompt future Student Government Boards to pick up what this Board put down.

Board member Graeme Meyer proposed a resolution at last week’s public meeting to create a longterm plan for future Boards, known as “The 2025 Initiative.” The Board then voted to approve the resolution at public meeting on Tuesday.

According to Meyer, Board members’ one-year term is not

enough to complete and maintain long-term project goals. The current Board’s term ends when the next Board takes office, which will be the first day of next semester.

Under the 2025 Initiative, the current Board will establish longterm goals for each position on the Board, so every Board up until 2025 would work on the same initiatives until the projects are complete. Meyer said he hasn’t yet established details — positions, responsibilities and plans to ensure it’s upheld — but thinks

the plan will give future Boards “a little more direction.”

Meyer said he’ll distribute a survey about the plan to students for their initiative ideas via email, Facebook, the SGB website and Pitt’s homepage.

“I can’t predict what will happen in three years. I can’t predict what will happen in one year,” Meyer said. “We’ll probably have to constantly check in, modify and

SGB

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On Penn State’s bowl ban lift

page 6

Decision time

Securing the Pirates’ future

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September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

NEWS

Pitt poet wins more than half a million, named a genius Dale Shoemaker Staff Writer Terrance Hayes has come a long way from being a starving artist. He is now considered a genius.

Last week, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced its 2014 class of fellows to receive a MacArthur grant. Hayes, a nationally recognized poet and professor at Pitt, was among the 21 selected.

The award, commonly referred to as the “genius grant” recognizes exceptional individuals in their respective fields who show the potential to continue to produce great work. Joining Hayes in the 2014 class are a cartoonist, a physicist and a criminal lawyer. All fellows receive a $625,000 stipend, doled out over five years. The foundation calls each recipient individually to inform

them of their fellowship.

Hayes, however, learned he received the fellowship a week late.

“I received this phone call from Illinois,” he said. “It was first on my cell phone and then on my home phone, but I didn’t know the number. I didn’t recognize it, so I didn’t answer.”

A week later, they called again. He was in a coffee shop with his wife.

“I looked at [my cell phone] like who’s this calling me? A bill collector? Is somebody harassing me? So I let it ring, then dialed it back. No one answered. I was still clueless as to who it was,” he said.

Hayes thought that someone was playing a joke on him. Then, they called him a fourth time. This time, he answered. The voice on the other end told him he had been named a MacArthur Fellow.

“I was wondering who this was,” Hayes

said to the caller.

The newly dubbed genius has published four collections of poetry and has already won multiple awards and honors for three of them. His style is improvisational and humorous, and it combines the past and present with poems focusing on subjects such as history and hip-hop with references to artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Tupac.

Hayes often writes about gender, family and race in post-modern America, like in his “Black Confederate Ghost Story.”

“Hello black accomplices and accomplished blacks. / Hello Robert E. Lee bobblehead doll on the handyman’s dashboard whistling Dixie / across our post racial country. Last night / I watched several hours of television and saw / no blacks. NASDAQ. NASCAR. Nadda Black.”

The selection of the MacArthur Fellows is secretive — while the process is known,

the names of the nominators are never revealed.

Each year, The MacArthur Fellowship program chooses new nominators to select candidates. According to the MacArthur Foundation website, the nominators are chosen “on the basis of their expertise, accomplishments and breadth of experience.”

They are encouraged to nominate anyone in their field or any other field who they think demonstrates exceptional creativity. At any given time, there may be 100 or more active nominators.

Once all nominations are in, an independent selection committee evaluates candidates. The selection committee is a group of roughly a dozen leaders in the arts, sciences, humanities and for-profits and nonprofits. They consider the nomination

Hayes

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September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

Pitt is a military friendly school, study shows

Pitt is among the top 15 percent of military friendly schools in the country. | MCT Campus

Cristina Holtzer News Editor Pitt is a 2015 Military Friendly School, according to Victory Media Inc., a Pittsburgh-based military services firm.

Pitt announced in a release Tuesday its reception of the award, which puts the University in the top 15 percent of academic institutions — including universities and trade schools — that are working to advance veteran students in the best ways possible.

Victory Media based its distinction on academic credibility, financial credibility, financial assistance, nonfinancial military support, veteran enrollment percentage and veteran graduation rates at academic institutions after a post-Sept.

11 G.I. Bill funded more Veterans Affairs initiatives.

Cristina Ruggiero, associate dean of

Pitt’s College of General Studies, which is home to the Office of Veterans Services, said Pitt is proud of this recognition.

“Veterans Services is dedicated to its mission of helping our students in their transition from military to academic life by supporting their ongoing academic success and assisting veterans, guardsmen, reservists, spouses and dependents in receiving their military education benefits,” Ruggiero said in the release.

Pitt’s Office of Veterans Services, founded in 2009, offers veteran students assistance with pre-admission counseling, scholarship advising, free tutoring and career training assistance, according to its website.

“The University’s commitment to veterans and their families is seen in the wide variety of programs and services we provide through our Office of Veterans Services,” Ruggiero said.

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SGB

tweak things.”

Meyer’s program is based on the 2020 program adopted by the University of Louisville’s Student Government Association, according to Student Government Board President Mike Nites.

The University of Louisville’s SGA drafted their 2020 initiative during its 2009-2010 term, according to its President Monali Haldankar. In spring 2010, the SGA held a referendum that the entire University of Louisville student body voted on, which passed the Initiative.

Haldankar said the 2020 Initiative was designed to “give a more clear direction for Student Government to work towards,” but added that the SGA has modified some of the initiatives since.

“As time goes on, we realize that only a few of the goals may not realistically be met in such a short time frame, and the support for some of the initiatives has dwindled,” Haldankar said in an email.

Meyer, who abstained from voting on

September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com a modification to the Elections Code at the public meeting on Sept. 16 because he is “potentially running for Student Government Board” this election, did not comment further on his plans. He said he plans to help future Boards with the 2025 Initiative regardless.

Meyer added that the future Board should be willing to work on the initiatives that students address in the surveys.

“If a significant proportion of the student body values those things, I don’t know why a future Board wouldn’t follow that,” Meyer said.

In other action: Board member Benjamin West introduced a resolution for the Student Government Board to support the University of Pittsburgh Sexual Assault Task Force.

The Board also plans to work with the Wellness Committee, Campus Women’s Organization, Rainbow Alliance, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association, National Panhellenic Council and Resident Student Association on their separate annual events.

The Board will table the resolution for one week.

ALLOCATIONS Student Slovak Club: $1950.00 Model United Nations: $1629.69 Quidditch Club: $165.00 Strong Women, Strong Girls: $1482.78 Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers: $1304.67

FROM PAGE 2

HAYES

letter, each candidate’s current work and expert evaluations in a thorough review.

They then send their recommendations to the president and board of directors of the MacArthur Foundation. The board selects 20 to 30 of the candidates for fellowship. To date, the foundation has named 918 fellows.

“I had no idea,” Hayes said. “I’ve nominated poets before, but none of [them] have ever gotten it. It’s a complicated process.

It’s like you get nominated [for a fellowship, and] that’s like coming in on the first floor of the Cathedral of Learning. You’re trying to get to the top floor.”

Now that he’s a fellow, Hayes said he hopes his nominees will receive more attention.

Hayes might have been left temporarily unaware of the fellowship awaiting him, but the missed connections had one positive: less time trying to keep it a secret.

When Hayes received the phone call in

Hayes

T P N S U D O K U

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Today’s difficulty level: Hard Puzzles by Dailysodoku.com

September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 4

HAYES

the coffee shop, he was told he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone except his wife. The Foundation said he had to wait until the official list was released two weeks later.

When he later called and told his mother, she was ecstatic.

“My mom is drunk with excitement right now,” he said.

His wife and friends were less than surprised. “[My wife] just said ‘Oh, I thought it would happen sooner or later,’” Hayes said.

“Actually, a lot of my friends said the same thing, ‘We know you’re brilliant, and now everybody else does too.’”Don Bialostosky, professor and chair of Pitt’s English department, said he and the rest of the department are proud of Hayes’ fellowship.

“My colleagues and I in Pitt’s English department are delighted that the MacArthur Foundation has recognized our colleague, Terrance Hayes, with its distinguished award,” he said in a emailed statement Tuesday.

To Mark Kemp, an English writing advisor and friend of Hayes for many years, Hayes was an obvious choice.

“I think he’s totally deserving of the MacArthur Fellowship grant: Because he is one of the best young poets in the country, because he’s an excellent ambassador for American poetry, because he’s a really fine reader and speaker,” Kemp said in an email.

Before Hayes was a teacher at Pitt, he received his Masters of Fine Arts in poetry from the University. Poetry, however, was not Hayes’ first choice. He initially wanted to pursue visual art but didn’t think he could afford it.

“I thought, ‘I don’t think I can afford to go to graduate school for visual art, but poetry, that seems pretty easy, all I need is a pen and a little paper, that’s pretty cheap,’” Hayes said.

During this time, he house-sat for an elderly woman and lived rent-free. He described himself then as “a starving artist.”

When he graduated, he started teaching and publishing his poetry. In 2001, he began teaching at CMU where he taught for 12 years. In 2013, he joined Pitt’s faculty.

One of his former students from CMU, Jeremy Philipson, said he was grateful for Hayes’ influence.

“He was my last professor of my undergraduate studies. He is kind, a brilliant man and poet who helped me channel my inner turmoil into external art,” he said.

Despite the praise, Hayes hopes the excitement will die down soon.

“I like to have a little anonymity,” he said.

“What I hope happens is that this sort of recedes, and I can go back to my normal friends.”

Even with $625,000 coming his way over the next five years, Hayes said he isn’t going to do anything drastic. Before he learned of

his fellowship, he was planning a lecture tour with stops at the Library of Congress, Harvard and NYU. Hayes also has a book of poetry titled “How To Be Drawn” slated for release in March.

He plans to follow through with both of these ventures and continue teaching at Pitt.

“I’m not inclined to use the money to take off of work. That’s not my first impulse.

But there’s always a number of nonprofits that are struggling. Maybe there’s a way to contribute to those,” Hayes said.

He also said he has a 244-page book of

5 poems in his archives that he would like to return to. One fantasy he said he had, though, was pursuing a visual arts degree.

Hayes has designed all of the covers for his four books of poetry.

Regardless of what else Hayes decides to do, he said above all, he will keep writing.

“I’ve just got to keep doing what I’ve been doing. I don’t have to go around and behave in a different way or value my work in a different way,” Hayes said. “I told myself, ‘You got this for what you do, so you’ve got to keep doing that.’”

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September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

EDITORIAL

OPINIONS

Unreported fracking spills call for higher fines

Pennsylvania is far from a new player in the energy game. After all, the state was the site of the first oil boom in the United States — following the discovery at Oil Creek, Pa. in 1859 — and its rich coal deposits became a catalyst for the Industrial Revolution.

Pennsylvania should be all too aware of the risks associated with diving headfirst into new energy sources — the rate at which we burned coal turned Pittsburgh’s skies black.

Moreover, careless practices with oil have led to spills and the degradation of our environment.

Yet, energy practices within the state continue to err on the side of profit over caution.

In comes the new energy boom in Marcellus Shale, where Pennsylvania once again is charging ahead. Of course, fracking — the process of drilling and injecting fluid into shale rock to release the natural gas inside — is not as dirty as coal or oil, on the surface.

But, during the fracking process for natural gas, methane and other chemicals can seep through the system and into nearby ground water — on average, methane concentrations are 17 times higher in drinking water wells near fracturing sites than in normal wells, according to earthworksac-

tion.org.

This is preventable, but many fracking companies aren’t willing to pay the extra costs associated with prevention, which is where the state comes in.

Ideally, the state spots out spills and then fines the fracking company responsible, which then incentivizes them from spilling again. Thus, giving companies a reason to be more careful.

But, according to a Post-Gazette analysis, from 2005 to June 1 of this year, only a third of spills were originally spotted by a state inspector.

“I think the number [of spills found by inspectors] raise a legitimate question that needs to be answered,” George Jugovic, a former Southwest Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) bureau chief, said.

“If the identification of spills 30 percent of the time is dependent on DEP inspectors being on-site, how many spills are we missing?”

There are two main problems: One, the state doesn’t have enough inspectors. And two, the inspectors already with the DEP don’t have much of an incentive to pressure gas companies into complying with state regulations.

Many of Pennsylvania’s DEP employees end up working for gas companies after starting their careers with the DEP. According to several Pennsylvania politicians, 30 to 40 former DEP inspectors have gone into the industry in the past five years.

This makes it difficult for inspectors to properly police fracking companies, seeing that they will one day be working for them.

No one wants to start off on a bad note with his or her future boss.

Additionally, DEP inspectors are highly underpaid. They typically make about $35,000 to $65,000 annually — while inspectors employed by companies make double that.

Not only does this cause many DEP inspectors to leave for higher paying jobs in the private sector, but it provides them with less incentive to do their job properly and effectively.

The lack of effective inspections placed upon fracking companies is coupled with the proportionally low fines placed upon them if they actually do spill — ExxonMobil was fined $100,000 by the Obama administration in 2010 for a leak that contaminated a tributary of the Susquehanna River.

The price of a fine is compared to the price of improving wastewater management systems, which can be up to millions of dollars.

So for many companies, it’s cheaper to take the fine for a spill than improve its equipment.

To prevent future spills, inspectors should be kept on board and incentivize company adherence to environmental regulations, which should include dramatically higher fines for spills.

Higher fines will give companies the motivation they need to prevent spills from ever occurring, rather than seeing them as an inevitable. It will cause them to spend money on better equipment, because that will then be the cheaper option.

Plus, higher fines could mean higher income for state inspectors. The more the state makes off fracking companies, the more it can pay for its employees. This will also give inspectors more of a reason to be extremely vigilant when looking for spills, considering that they now have a monetary incentive to do so.

Overall, in order to properly protect our environment, the DEP needs to start fighting fire with fire. Or, as it often goes in the energy business, money with money.

THE TALBERT REPORT

Having the right priorities: Football for the win

Eli Talbert Columnist Two weeks ago, the NCAA decided to lift the ban on Penn State’s bowl eligibility and restore the 10 scholarships it took away in 2011 because of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal. But after the immediate riots at Penn State, no one seems to really care anymore.

Nevertheless, that won’t stop me from objectively evaluating the NCAA’s decision and the restoration of Penn State’s football program in this column.

First, I hope you have all properly celebrated the end of this massive punishment against Penn State’s football program — an end that probably reduced many a student to

tears after realizing all of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowls they could’ve won in the past two years of heartache and pain.

Thankfully, the NCAA’s decision has shown us that the all-American sport of football far outweighs any supposed institutional overlooking of child abuse, a great victory for all football fans.

After all, the NCAA’s original punishment didn’t even affect the right people. It might be true that the independent commission — put into place by Penn State’s board of trustees — found that the apparent need to maintain the image of the football program was more important. But when you think about it, moderate sanctions on the football program just weren’t fair.

Just think of the 20 football players who theoretically could have received scholarships from Penn State if not for the sanctions. The loss of top recruits and the resulting pain the fanbase experienced — although not technically equivalent to child abuse — was still very significant. God forbid those potential recruits wound up at a school like Pitt.

Not to mention all of the students who missed out on going to bowl games. For die hard football fans, that is like taking away Christmas. It was pure injustice to put such a vulnerable top football program through such agony. Why should any institution be held accountable for the actions of its top leaders anyway? It’s not like they are a reflection of the organization’s values.

In addition, besides failing to report child abuse, Penn State’s football program had nothing to do with the Sandusky scandal. It is simply an unfortunate coincidence that Sandusky happened to use Penn State’s showers to commit his abuse and that employees of the football program happened to witness it.

According to Pennsylvania law, anyone who comes into regular contact with minors in the course of their employment is mandated to report suspected child abuse. But a college football coach doesn’t fit this criteria. Why should Penn State’s football program be held accountable when its employees fail to report child abuse by one of its former employees

Talbert

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September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 6

TALBERT on its property, when technically they aren’t specifically mandated to do it? It’s big government at its finest.

Of course, some people (those with a bias against Penn State football) would point out that three university officials have been indicted by grand juries as a result of the scandal.

And even if their behavior was not technically criminal, it warranted the sanctions from the NCAA. These people though — blinded by their hatred for Penn State — forget that the NCAA is a sporting organization and should not be involved in criminal matters. Sure, the NCAA can give sanctions to USC — that are now the near equivalent to those given to Penn State — for unknowingly hosting nonamateurs on it’s athletic teams, but protecting children isn’t really its job.

In light of these reasons, the decision to end Penn State’s sanctions is entirely appropriate.

We can all agree that any assumptions that the NCAA only cares about money are negligible.

It might be true that when the sanctions were handed out that the stated goal was to “impose

Penn State fans celebrate with their mascot, the Nittany Lion. MCT Campus

7 sanctions that both reflect the magnitude of these terrible acts and that also ensure Penn State will rebuild an athletic culture that went horribly awry.” Additionally, as recently as January, the president of the NCAA stated that “there were no discussions” of lifting the sanctions. But people change their minds.

Perhaps the NCAA realized that the magnitude of the acts was actually smaller than previously estimated. Besides, what is far more important than any negative impressions is the positive. Penn State students took to the streets to celebrate, and Big Ten coaches say that ending the sanctions was the right thing to do, while the only people who disapproved were probably those who don’t even like football or root for Penn State’s rivals.

In the end, justice prevailed, and the NCAA’s decision is now a mere footnote in history. It was one small victory for football and the American way of life. But, while we can celebrate now, we must not rest in the future.

There are still battles to fight, and as the NFL continues to come under attack from the media for things like alleged child and domestic abuse, I call on all football fans to ensure that football gets the win, yet again.

Email Eli at ejt26@pitt.edu

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September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

BASEBALL

SPORTS

Russell Martin has been one of the Pirates’ best players this season | MCT Campus

Russell Martin should be the offseason priority Jeremy Tepper Staff Writer Do you hear that sound? No, that’s not the screaming fans in a sold-out PNC Park.

That’s the cha-ching of a cash register after every clutch hit by Russell Martin.

Two years ago, the Pirates signed the catcher to a two-year, $17 million deal.

Coming off a .211 average and .714 OPS year with the Yankees, it seemed like an overpay. For a team with limited revenue, signing Martin seemed like a desperate move to fill a weak spot. There were better

ways for the Pirates to spend their money.

Martin was once one of the best catchers in baseball, combining a .293 average and .843 OPS with tremendous defense when he played with the Dodgers in 2007, which was his second year in the league.

But in the succeeding years, Martin’s abilities began to decline. His offense and defense regressed every year. By the time the Pirates signed him, he seemed like an average to barely-above-average catcher.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The only thing more surprising than Martin’s transformation was that of the

whole team, which became a legitimate playoff contender. The once-dwindling player is now a smooth-hitting, rocketarmed, brick-wall-dynamo of a player. And not even that does him justice. It’s safe to say he may be the best catcher in the MLB. Last season, his hitting did not improve much from his Dodgers days, as he posted only a .226 average and .704 OPS. His defense, on the other hand, was sensational, throwing out 36 of 53 runners an astonishing .404 percent of the time. The 36 runners thrown out was good for first in the MLB, and the percentage was third.

Then, add in Martin’s ability to keep nearly every ball in front of him. No perfect statistic can quantify it, but as someone who watches nearly every Pirates game, I can assert that Martin is a brick wall back there. No matter how badly the pitcher misses, or how far off the plate the ball lands, Martin keeps it in front of him.

His .998 fielding percentage, first among his position last year, speaks to that, along with his overall steadiness and consistency behind the plate.

Martin

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September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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MEN’S SOCCER

Panthers surrender late equalizer in drama-filled draw Mark Powell Staff Writer Despite an impressive second-half performance, Pitt was unable to get past Niagara in a disappointing and controversial ending and only managed a draw for its effort.

Unable to decide the game in regulation for the third straight game, the Panthers and Purple Eagles went into sudden-death overtime, in which the first team to score would win instantly.

The overtime session was dominated more by the referees than the players, as they handed out two yellow cards and a red card in the final 20 minutes of the 100-minute affair.

Defender Ryan Myers received the red card after a reported disagreement with the referee, and he was forced to leave the game as a result.

Head coach Joe Luxbacher said the

referee gave him an explanation shortly after the exit of his number 10.

“He [the ref ] said it was language directed at the ref,” Luxbacher said.

“Myers says he didn’t say anything.

There might have been something said, but he [Myers] said he wasn’t the guy.”

The dispute came after Pitt believed the referee had missed a penalty at the other end of the field, inside Niagara’s 18-yard box. The foul would have given the Panthers a penalty kick and a chance at winning the game with just less than two minutes remaining.

Despite the theatrics, the Panthers’ record now stands at 2-3-2 on the season with a matchup against ninthranked Louisville on the road looming on Friday.

The draw was Pitt’s third in three games on the homestand, a disappointing trio of results since two of the ties came against weaker, non-conference

opponents.

Like the flag at Ambrose Urbanic Field — which was mysteriously absent during the National Anthem — the Panthers’ offense seemed nonexistent early on.

The Purple Eagles outshot the Panthers 8-2 in the first half, though goalkeeper Dan Lynd only had to make one save.

While Pitt won the possession battle over Niagara, its interior passing in the midfield was lacking, and the team couldn’t provide any sufficient chances at goal.

The second half started brilliantly for the Panthers, as their offense looked fluid, and the midfield communicated well with the forwards to create highvolume chances.

Pitt’s goal came in the 50th minute, when freshman midfielder Raj Kahlon found junior defender Kevin Fielden

tearing down the sideline, who crossed the ball into the box for an easy finish from midfielder Dan Prete.

Prete was quick to credit his teammates on the goal.

“Someone made a nice run down the left, and Cory… made a good run and brought a defender with him, which left me wide open behind him. He led it, and I had a wide open shot in the middle of the box, and I was able to tuck it in the corner,” he said.

The Panthers looked satisfied with their goal and kept pressuring the Purple Eagles in the midfield — a spot where they looked vulnerable throughout the game.

However, the mood and confidence of Pitt quickly changed in the 69th minute when sophomore Brandon Kolczynski attempted to clear a dangerous

Soccer

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September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

COLUMN

Large payrolls do not always translate to playoff success Alex Wise Staff Writer

I grew up thinking I didn’t hate the Yankees.

Then, around age 12, I realized what a moron I’d been and thought about the amount of time I wasted not hating the Yankees. So, I blindly hated the Yankees. And then I learned how the world works and how money works — what difference is there, really? — and I didn’t need to blindly hate the Yankees anymore, because I could hate them for a reason.

Here I am, at 21 years old, and there are few things on this earth more beautiful than watching the New York Yankees collapse into a smoking heap of irony and justice.

Baseball’s second-biggest spenders (damn you, L.A. Dodgers) will miss the playoffs for — cue the world coming to a screeching halt — the second consecutive year. But the postseason must go on, even though most of America will be too busy swimming in the tears of the Bronx to notice. My apologies go

The Yankees, with the second-highest payroll, missed the playoffs for the second straight season | MCT Campus

out to Derek Jeter, who deserves every ounce of respect and praise he receives. It doesn’t seem fitting for our generation’s face of baseball to exit without a final playoff appearance, but I’m willing to overlook a Jeter-less playoff season for the greater good.

Before the 2014 season started, the Yankees’ front office went out and signed four of the biggest names in free agency — Jacoby Ellsbury, Masahiro Tanaka, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran — for a combined $438 million. For those of you non-math-oriented kids out there like me, that’s about 438 million times more money than we have in our bank accounts. This year, the Yankees dished out $75 million to those four combined. Add in longtime Orioles disabled list staple Brian Roberts for another $2 million. Couple these commitments with the existing talent on the roster, and you find yourself with a one-year, $200 million empire of might.

Yankees

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September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 10

YANKEES

But how did this empire of might become an empire of mediocrity? One would assume that dishing out astronomical salaries year in and year out would virtually purchase a spot in the playoffs, but the patent-pending Yankee Method has failed for two consecutive seasons.

In fact, three of the four highest-paying teams — New York, Philadelphia at $180 million and Boston at almost $163 million — all missed the 2014 playoffs, and the latter two missed by wide margins.

THE PITT NEWS Natalie Daher Editor-in-Chief editor@pittnews.com

Cristina Holtzer, News Editor news@pittnews.com

Nick Voutsinos, Opinions Editor letters@pittnews.com

Shawn Cooke, A&E Editor

aande@pittnews.com Jasper Wilson, Sports Editor sports@pittnews.com

Bobby Mizia, Visual Editor photos@pittnews.com

Ellie Petrosky, Copy Chief tpncopydesk@gmail.com

Stephen Caruso, Layout Editor tpnlayout@gmail.com

Rather, it’s the so-called “small-market” teams that deal a mere $75 to $110 million to their players each year that are making a playoff push. The Baltimore Orioles ($107.5 million) clinched Tuesday night. The Oakland Athletics ($83.5 million) have essentially locked up playoffs in the American League.

The Kansas City Royals ($92 million) and Pittsburgh Pirates ($78 million) are still firmly in the hunt. The Milwaukee Brewers ($104 million) are down but not mathematically out.

But what hasn’t worked for the Yankees, Phillies and Red Sox has worked for a few clubs this year. The correlation between money and

E S T A B L I S HE D 1 9 1 0

Mahita Gajanan, Managing Editor manager@pittnews.com

Danielle Fox, Assistant News Editor Harrison Kaminsky, Assistant News Editor Matt Barnes, Assistant Opinions Editor Chris Puzia, Assistant Sports Editor Sheldon Satenstein, Assistant Visual Editor Zheru Liu, Multimedia Editor Joelle Smith, Social Media Editor Becca Nagy, Assistant Copy Chief Emily Hower, Assistant Layout Editor

Copy Staff

Sarah Choflet Anjuli Das Kinley Gillette Johanna Helba Emily Maccia Sam McGinley

Bridget Montgomery Sarah Mejia Shivani Pandit Michelle Reagle Michael Wilson Megan Zagorski

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wins can be made for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Angels, who rank first, fifth and sixth in salary this year. All three should make the playoffs. Last year, the San Francisco Giants and their $140 million payroll finished 10 games under .500.

This year, at nearly the same price, they’re a near-lock for the postseason.

So why does big spending work for some teams and not others? Why does it work for a team one year and not the next? What is the most effective model for building a professional baseball team that wins consistently?

If you answered, “Who knows?” “I can’t

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answer that,” or “No idea,” to those three questions, you pass the test. Baseball is fickle, and payrolls aren’t necessarily indicative of a team’s performance. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series last year with a payroll $12 million below what this year’s cellar-dwelling team in the same uniform made. This is one of the few things as sweet as watching the Yankees crumble. High payrolls are found on top of the standings and at the bottom. The same goes for low-spending clubs. The Oakland Athletics was the best team in baseball

Yankees

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12 FROM PAGE 11

September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 8

YANKEES

MARTIN

for the first four months of the season, and its payroll is nearly $50 million under that of one of baseball’s worst teams, the Texas Rangers.

But the world has always found the Yankee way to be evil. Throwing eight-digit yearly salaries at players already considered superstars is certainly a more in-your-face business practice than, say, developing young talent in the minor leagues. Sure, any team that wishes to compete will make a free agent signing when necessary.

But the Yankees have a habit of buying in excess at times, if for no other reason than being able to afford it. And that’s what makes the world angry. That’s why the Yankees are so actively despised in the sports universe. That’s why I nearly bought an orange T-shirt with a slogan that read “God hates the Yankees” on Craigslist.

But rather than waste my money, I think I’ll choose the free alternative: to Google “sad Mark Teixeira” and “Brett Gardner bald” until my stomach splits from laughter. And then I’ll watch the Orioles in the playoffs, and all will be well in the world.

For now, at least.

On top of that, consider his expert ability in calling games. Martin has an undeniable chemistry with his pitchers, is seemingly never waved off and always calls for the right pitch in the right situation.

“He’s, in my opinion, one of the best in the game,” Tony Watson, a relief pitcher on the team told Pirates Prospects on Sept.

11. “What he does for us, in calling games, reading hitters, scouting reports and things like that, is second to none.”

Martin produced a 4.3 WAR (wins above replacement) in 2013, good for fifth among catchers.

This season, Martin has continued his defensive prowess while exponentially improving his offense. Behind the plate, Martin has thrown out 35 of 55 runners, which makes him first in the MLB again. His pitch calling and ball stopping abilities are still elite as well — skills I’ve really begun to appreciate any time he does not start.

When the Pirates play Chris Stewart, a catcher with a good defensive reputa-

tion in his own right, the defense takes a significant drop. I would constantly say to myself, “Martin would have stopped that,” or, “Martin would’ve thrown him out.”

On the other side of the ball, Martin has been sensational, hitting .297 with a .408 on-base percentage and .850 OPS. The latter two numbers would rank first among his position if he had enough atbats to qualify.

Then there’s the clutch hitting. Just this weekend, Martin had the game winning RBIs in two games against the Brewers.

On the year, Martin bats .383 with a 1.032 OPS with runners in scoring position, a dramatic improvement over last year when he hit .192 with a .572 OPS in that situation.

The change has been astonishing. Once a pull-heavy, big swinger with the Yankees, Martin has become incredibly patient, waiting for his pitch and then driving it.

“You look at his numbers from last year, his first checkmark on what he needed to improve on was hitting with runners in scoring position,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “It’s all about his approach, his stubbornness in the plate, giving up big swings and trying to make hard contact

with the pitches hit.”

All of this has combined to produce a 5.3 WAR, second among catchers only to Jonathan Lucroy’s 6.5. Martin has 200 less at-bats than Lucroy, so it’s fair to assume that given equal time, Martin would surpass him. Next to Andrew McCutchen, he may be the most irreplaceable player on the Pirates.

What’s all of this worth? Well, in 2012, Yadier Molina, often thought as the paragon of catchers, signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension. Molina was 29 years old at the time, while Martin is 31 now. Catchers decline rapidly with age, though Martin hasn’t shown any sign of that yet. Considering he’ll be on the open market after this season — while Molina wasn’t — it’s safe to predict that Martin will get $15-$20 million a year from somebody.

Whether that money will come from the Pirates remains to be seen. It likely won’t. In the meantime, Martin should be appreciated for what he’s done.

Without him, the Pirates probably would not make the playoffs last year or this year. With him, though, they’re a World Series contender.

September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com

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FROM PAGE 9

SOCCER cross from the wing, but he accidentally redirected the ball into his own net.

“Brandon tried to kick it out, but it just came off his foot the wrong way,” said Fielden. “Dan tried to get it but it just got through him.”

Pitt responded positively in the final 20 minutes and overtime but was unable to find the go-ahead goal.

Similar to the loss to Lafayette, Luxbacher said the Panthers have to play sharper, especially against better opponents.

“We weren’t sharp tonight at all, and we had talked that good teams should get ready for every game... we weren’t tonight,” he said. “We were on our back foot most of the night. The general play wasn’t nearly the standard I expect... that’s what’s frustrating.”

Pitt travels to ninth-ranked Louisville for its next game on Friday.

The Pitt News Crossword, 9/24/2014

The Panthers have played three straight extra time games. Bobby Mizia | Visual Editor ACROSS 1 Club joke teller 6 Misfortunes 10 Motel worker 14 Traditional Pennsylvania barn raisers 15 Tide type 16 Ploy 17 Letter-routing number 19 Overly submissive 20 Poker hand prize 21 Thai language 22 Baker that “nobody doesn’t like” 24 __ cum laude 26 Beer barrel 27 Can in an Andy Warhol painting 32 __ New Guinea 33 Hairy Addams cousin 34 Norwegian capital 36 Fancy flower vase 37 Hat for a Western hero 41 Former Mideast alliance: Abbr.

42 Emily Dickinson, e.g.

44 Apt name for a painter 45 How the elated walk 47 World Series setting 51 “2001” computer 52 Mars neighbor 53 Traveled around 52-Across, say 57 Mates for mas 58 Chicken __ king 61 Fight-or-flight emotion 62 California Gold Rush figure 65 Fly like a butterfly 66 Reverse 67 Early morning hr.

68 Heavy drinkers 69 Jump 70 Yellowish-brown DOWN 1 Dogpatch creator Al 2 Melville novel 3 Light fog 4 Suffix with Marx

10/6/14

By Jerome Gunderson

5 Fried Taco Bell offerings 6 It may be gross or net 7 MGM mascot 8 Boys 9 Has a talk with 10 Nearsighted toon 11 “The Mammoth Hunters” author Jean 12 “Got it” 13 Fake on the ice 18 Ram’s offspring 23 Hi-__ monitor 24 Church-owned Texas sch.

25 Not very much 27 Chocolate substitute 28 Sleep disorder 29 Ranks for Columbo and Kojak: Abbr.

30 Customary 31 Tartan pattern 32 Coyote’s offspring 35 Hockey legend Bobby 38 Enough food for a feast 39 Mesozoic or Paleozoic 40 “That’s a fact” rebuttal

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

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43 Saloon souvenirs 46 Old Testament book before Esth.

48 Break bread 49 Computer on an airplane tray table 50 Unravel at the edge, as threads 53 Switch positions 54 Move, in real estate lingo

10/6/14

55 Switch partner 56 Fully cooked 58 All over again 59 Low in fat 60 Soldier’s group, a member of which might be stationed at the start of 17-, 27-, 47- or 62-Across 63 Old vitamin bottle no.

64 Once __ while

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September 24, 2014 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com