Now It Gets Interesting: Roster Cuts Loom

The Turk Cometh ... and, no, we don't mean Steelers radio announcer Tunch Ilkin, who is of Turkish descent.  We speak of THE TURK, as in the ominous guy who darkens your locker stall and says, "Coach wants to see you. Bring your playbook."

So, the Steelers beat the Carolina Panthers last night in the fourth pre-season game.  Big whoop. At least there were no serious injuries. 

As Mike Tomlin held 11 starters out of last night's game, it's hard to say what we learned.  Some players showed flashes; some, eh, not so much.  

The bottom line: The Steelers must cut 27 players by 4 p.m. Saturday to reach the 53-man roster.  Twenty-seven!  Some of those cut will make it to the Purgatory that is the Practice Squad, which will be bittersweet for them. 

As for those who will make the regular roster, well, this is a team coming off an appearance in the Super Bowl, so how many new faces can there be?  Indeed.  That is the question.  

Keep in mind, this is an aging team due for an infusion of new blood, at least in backup/developmental roles.  Remember, too, that the roster entering last night's game contained about 15 names that we've barely or never heard of (e.g., Trevis Turner, OT?  Baraka Atkins, LB?  Armand Robinson, WR??  Jamie McCoy, TE???).

Additionally, the salary cap may play a role in some roster cuts, and a player or two may be added from the waiver wire, as other teams make their cuts.

If Byron Leftwich hadn't gotten hurt during his needless appearance last week, the QB situation would be easy:  Dennis Dixon would be gone.  Now in his fourth year, Dixon has yet to show he can throw with accuracy or consistency, nor has he shown a strong pocket presence or the ability to find open receivers.  Last night, during one sequence in the second quarter, he misfired wide and/or high on three straight passes (one to a wide-open Antonio Brown, and two others, including a painful-looking wide-and-high miss toArnaz Battle).  That sequence alone was enough to make yours truly cringe and say, "Even Joey Porter's Pit Bulls could have completed those passes, especially the one to Antonio Brown."  

Heaven help Steeler Nation, if Dennis Dixon has to play any meaningful snaps this season.  He will make the team, however, although Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would rather keep an extra defensive back or maybe even that guy Swayze Watters just to kick the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs (hey, it's worth discussing, for about two minutes, anyway, although it won't happen).

The running backs appear to be set:  Mendenhall, Redman and Dwyer (who somehow got his fat ass in shape and seems to have grasped the urgency of his situation, which was that his place on the roster was tenuous and precarious at best), plus Mewelde Moore, probably (although not necessarily).

Punter:  Surprisingly, Daniel Sepulveda may not make this team.  The Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette, writing on his blog this morning, notes astutely that the coaches had Jeremy Kapinos holding for Shaun Suisham last night, while Sepulveda held for back-up (soon-to-be-cut) Swayze Watters: 

"It's not just that Kapinos booted both of his punts 63 yards, one without a return, and had a net average of 59 yards compared to Sepulveda's two that averaged 40.5 gross, 31.5 net.  The other bad sign for Sepulveda was the fact Kapinos held the ball for No. 1 kicker Shaun Suisham while Sepulveda held for backup kicker Swayze Watters.

"Why would Mike Tomlin not have Sepulveda holding for Suisham unless his job were in serious jeopardy? Sepulveda and Suisham were together for just two games last season and they need all the real-time practice they can get. Last night was the perfect opportunity and they did not do it once. It looked more as though Tomlin were getting Kapinos ready to hold for the regular season as his punter."

Hmmm.  One thing we noticed about Kapinos last season:  He does seem to have consistently better hang time than Sepulveda. 

Other cut-down question marks abound, particularly on defense, and the Dreaded Salary Cap may play a role in some of these cuts.  Will Skip McClendon displace reliable longtime veteran Chris Hoke at backup nose tackle?  Will linebacker Morty Ivy make it solely for his work on special teams, as well as potential as a backup linebacker (possibly displacing veteran Larry Foote)?  Rookie Weslye Saunders or veteran John Gilmore at third tight end?  Saunders is the better receiver, but Gilmore's the better blocker.

The biggest decisions seem to be on the offensive line and in the secondary.

Offensive Line:  This continues to be a muddle, just as it has been all pre-season and, really, for the past three or four years.  Doug Legursky is the starter at right guard all of a sudden, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are cool with that.  Trai Essex has position flexibility, so he will probably make the team because he can play just about any position on the line.  One of two Super Bowl starters, Ramon Foster and Jonathan Scott may be on the bubble, and our guess is it might be Scott, who plays tackle only and may be forced out by second-round draft choice Marucs Gilbert, who has gotten a long look at left tackle this pre-season (and, for what it's worth, Scott still is listed as No. 1 on the depth chart currently listed on the Steelers' Web site, which probably means nothing).  Whither Tony Hills?  Good question, as he does remain a BIG Question Mark.  They coaches may have made their decision on Hills already, and it cannot be a good sign for him that Legursky has been named the starter at right guard.

The Secondary:  Here is where it gets really interesting, and Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would advocate keeping 10 defensive backs from the following 14 candidates:

• Corners – Decisions, decisions (yikes!)  -- Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, Keenan Lewis, Curtis Brown, William Gay, Donovan Warren, Cortez Allen, Crezdon Butler, Macho Harris

• Safeties:  Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Ryan Mundy, Will Allen, Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith

Take your pick.  McFadden hasn't played all pre-season and may not be ready for the opener; plus, he carries a big-salary hit against The Cap.  Keenan Lewis apparently has improved his game (which he absolutely needed to do).  Curtis Brown looks like a keeper, and a potential starter (even for the opener, dare we say?).  William Gay is a lightning rod for fan criticism but, really, is usually solid in the nickel-slot role (although he and McFadden were scorched repeatedly in the Super Bowl).  Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have become a big fan of Donovan Warren and Cortez Allen -- keep 'em both! -- and we'd like to feel a bit more confident in Crezdon Butler (now in his second year), who got beat on a long pass last night in Charlotte, although it appeared he got no help from the safeties. Macho Harris has an all-time great football name but was brought in off the waiver wire mid-camp, and it may that he was always considered mere training camp fodder.

Speaking of which ... Ryan Mundy reportedly has had a "workmalike" camp, but last season he often appeared lost and slow as he seemed to be chasing a lot of plays.  Longtime veteran Will Allen is more a special teams player than a safety, and he is small.  Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith was on the practice squad last season and may have a chance (but probably not).  Depth at safety clearly is a concern.  Perhaps one of the young corners can move to safety?  Probably not.

There you have it.  Questions, decisions and intrigue.  An anxious Steeler Nation awaits.

Dissa 'n Datta

Is Michael Vick more a giver than a taker? Time will tell.

NFL -- All the talking heads are debating the new contract the Philadelphia Eagles awarded quarterback Michael Vick ($130 million, with $40 million guaranteed). We're not going to argue the merits of Vick as a QB (still questionable in our opinion, despite his dynamic success last season -- but is he a one-year flash?) or whether the 31-year-old ex-convict deserves the contract (he doesn't at this point, in our opinion, based solely on past/still-to-be-seen performance on the field).

• In the opinion of Joey Porter's Pit Bulls, Vick still needs to prove he is a great quarterback -- which means he has to win consistently over an extended period of time (more than one season), and lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. Was Vick a one-year wonder for the Eagles? If so, that's a mighty big contract and a huge roll of the dice for the Eagles to have made.

• Like most Americans, we believe in second chances and stories of redemption. After all, Vick served his time in prison, and he deserves a second chance (which he's received). Granted, he was spectacular last season (although his team didn't make it to the Super Bowl). Now, he's been rewarded with this enormous contract -- $40 million guaranteed.
  

• All we hope he does something good with the money. A Suggestion, Then: If Vick is serious about showing that he is truly remorseful about torturing and killing dogs (pit bulls) as the leader of a multi-state dog-fighting ring, he might commit, oh, say, $10 million to establish a foundation dedicated to supporting worthy dog-shelters across the nation ... shelters such as the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania and Animal Friends. Shelters like this have very few resources and depend almost wholly on the efforts of selfless volunteers and generous donors. Vick could be one of those donors; he could redouble his visits to schools to speak to kids about dog-fighting, and he could make himself more visible in other efforts, such as ...
  

• Vick could underwrite and appear in nationally televised Public Service Announcements speaking out against dog-fighting and promoting the adoption of dogs in general, as well as fostering a better understanding of pit bulls as a breed.

• The Point here is ... This is an opportunity for Vick to prove he is more a giver than a taker. He's got his money. Let's hope he makes the most of it.
  

Steelers -- Shortly before last Saturday's game vs. the Atlanta Falcons, former Steeler punter Josh Miller, now a radio sports-talk show host on KDKA-FM, opined that Byron Leftwich had no business playing that night and that the Steelers should start Dennis Dixon in the second half -- and keep him in there for the rest of the game. Miller's supporting arguments were that (a) We already know what Leftwich can do; (b) Leftwich clearly is the No. 2 quarterback, so why risk injuring him in a meaningless pre-season game; and (c) This is the perfect opportunity to showcase Dixon in hopes that somebody may make a trade offer for him; otherwise, he would likely get cut anyway, given his status as the fourth QB on the depth chart.

• So, what happens? The Steelers played Leftwich, he broke his arm and now the team is likely to be without him for the rest of the season; or, the team has to hold a roster spot for him, just in case he recovers at some point (much) later in the season.

• This sucks. Josh Miller was spot-on.
  

Pirates -- The wheels have fallen off completely. Consecutive losses of 8-2 and 8-1 in Houston (the worst team in baseball) say it all at this point. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls just want the Buccos to have a strong September and finish ahead of the Cubs.

• It's a shame, really, that they lost so many close games they shoulda, coulda, woulda won had it not been for untimely bullpen blow-ups and various other ways to lose, including bad calls from umps (vs. Cincy at PNC Park recently and, most notoriously, the Jerry Meals call in Atlanta that gifted the Braves the "win" in that 19-inning game on July 26).

An Ill Wind Blows

With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East Coast, all we can do is hope for the best.

Nobody, apparently, expects Irene to have much effect on Pittsburgh, but our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors in the path of the hurricane.

Trivial as it may seem against the backdrop of the natural disaster developing to the East, tomorrow night's exhibition game (glorified scrimmage) against the Atlanta Falcons at Heinz Field should be interesting. Most of the projected starters are expected to play the first half, or the bulk of it.

The coaches have some leeway to experiment, though, especially because of injuries on the offensive line and in the secondary. Fourth-year veteran (perennial hanger-on) Tony Hills gets a chance to show what he can do at a new position (for him), right guard, where he will start. The big guy from the University of Texas was drafted to play tackle but has done little so far in his NFL career, and this may be a make-or-break opportunity. Luckily for Hills, the Steelers currently have little depth on the offensive line, so he will get a good long look. Let's hope he does better at guard than he's done so far at tackle.

Rookie Marcus Gilbert, the second-round draft pick from the University of Florida, will start at the critical left tackle spot, which is the blind-side of our right-handed QB. Let's hope Big Ben survives. Gilbert supposedly reported to camp out of shape and then sustained a hamstring injury, primarily because he was out of shape. Not a good first impression.

And, the Post-Gazette reports today that he will be lined up opposite the Falcons' John Abraham, one of the better pass-rushing veteran defensive ends in the NFL:

"Should he start, Gilbert will line up against Abraham, who ranked fifth in the NFL with 13 sacks and was named All-Pro for the third time in 2010."

In the secondary, veteran cornerback Ike Taylor will miss this game with a broken thumb, so we should see plenty of Keenan Lewis and, perhaps, rookie free agent Donovan Warren, who has played well so far this pre-season (he led the team in tackles last week vs. the Eagles).

Warren has a bit of a pedigree. He came out of the University of Michigan (early) a year ago and spent time on the Jets' practice squad before being released after last season. A poor man's Jonathan Joseph (also from Michigan)? That wouldn't be bad. This is the kind of out-of-nowhere player that gives us cause to watch pre-season games.

Anyway, Warren appears to have a legitimate chance to make this squad -- possibly at the expense of Bryant McFadden, who is due a reported $2.5 million in salary. Hampered by a hamstring pull, McFadden's barely practiced this camp, and, as they say, "You can't make the club in the tub."

Of course, that begs the question of who would start in place of McFadden, who has been a solid pro during his time here. Keenan Lewis? Possibly. William Gay looks like a career nickel back. Crezdon Butler and Cortez Allen simply aren't ready to get much playing time -- by all accounts, they're too raw. Not much depth, but this Donovan Waren character has looked good so far. There's certainly room for improvement at the cornerback position.

Food for thought, as reported by The Sporting News:

"(Steeler) Cornerbacks accounted for only five of the team’s 21 interceptions last season and have just 13 picks over the past three years. The Steelers pass defense struggled last season against elite quarterbacks as Drew Brees (305 yards), Tom Brady (350) and Aaron Rodgers (304) combined to complete 88 of 126 passes (70 percent) for 959 yards and eight touchdowns. The opposing quarterbacks’ passer rating in those three games was 137.6, 64 points above Pittsburgh’s regular-season average."

Granted, the salary cap dictates that the team can do only so much. But still ... there's room for improvement on both the offensive line and at the cornerback position.

*** *** ***

And then, as if we didn't have enough to worry about, there's this story to contemplate, for no particular reason ...

Toilet break at ex-wife's house leads to charges

Friday, August 26, 2011 -The Associated Press

GIRARD, Pa. -- A northwestern Pennsylvania man is jailed on charges he took an unwelcome toilet break in his ex-wife's home.

Police in Girard say 24-year-old Nathan Wingerter broke into his ex-wife's home on Aug. 1, threw her photo identification cards into the toilet and then defecated on them. Police say the woman walked in to find Mr. Wingerter on the toilet.

The Erie Times-News reports that police issued a warrant for Wingerter and arrested him days later in Painesville, Ohio. He was returned to Erie County to face charges of burglary and criminal mischief on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Shakin' 'n Quakin'

Greetings from earthquake-ravaged Pittsburgh. As you can see from the photo, the devastation was incalculable. Cleanup continues. It may take days, or weeks, to set things right.

Meanwhile, the plucky Pirates plundered the Milwaukee Brew Crew this afternoon. How's that for cheesy sportscaster-speak, eh? Rookie Aaron Thompson looked sharp. Like he belongs. Hey! Signs of hope are welcome always.

Even as we quake and shake.

One for the Pit Bulls

Coda

Here is how Rich Hoffman, columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, described how the Steelers' offense bludgeoned the Eagles' so-called "Dream Team" in the second pre-season game last night at Heinz Field:

"A runaway semi, painted black with gold trim, splattered the Eagles' defense all over the turf at Heinz Field last night: 14 carries and 71 yards for the Steelers' first-team offense in the game's first two drives. In a game that the Eagles were losing by 21-0 at halftime and 24-14 at the end -- a game of unlimited lousiness for the Dream Team -- this physical domination stood out most of all."

Yup, that about sums it up. The Steelers manhandled the Eagles. Notorious dog-torturer/killer Michael Vick threw three awful interceptions while looking confused and off his game the entire time he played.

Steelers' radio announcer Tunch Ilkin astutely observed that Vick seemed to be "looking for James Harrison all night long." And, indeed, he did. Harrison was in the Eagles' backfield often, but Vick had almost no pressure on him at all on two of the picks he threw.

That didn't stop Vick from making excuses after the game, when he said he felt "pressed" to get the ball off. He just made bad throws. Watch the video replays of those three interceptions. Vick, who had a QB rating of 13.9, was pressured only on the wildly off-target third pick, the interception by Troy Polamalu.

Nothing against the Eagles, who have a good team. It was merely a meaningless pre-season game, one that will be forgotten as soon as the regular season starts. We just don't like Michael Vick.

Last night, Vick appeared to be a fraud of a quarterback, which is apropos since he also appears to be a fraud of a person. Vick, who pled guilty to felony charges, still is unconscionably trying to rationalize and excuse his role in the dog-fighting ring he led.

As Michael J. Darnell (MJD), noted in his always-terrific Shutdown Corner blog on Yahoo! Sports, Vick continues trying to make himself out to be "some kind of innocent victim in the whole sordid episode."

Darnell cited Vick's quote in GQ Magazine:

"Some of us had to grow up in poverty-stricken urban neighborhoods, and we just had to adapt to our environment. I know that it's wrong. But people act like it's some crazy thing they never heard of. They don't know."

In response, Darnell wrote:

"As William Burroughs once said about another matter, this is a thin tissue of horse[bleep]. There are obviously thousands and millions of people who have to live in poverty-stricken urban neighborhoods, and a great many of them manage to wake up every day and avoid the temptation to fight, torture, electrocute, and kill dogs."

People will say, "Vick did his time. We should forgive and forget." Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, whatever. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would be more forgiving, if only Vick stopped making excuses and trying to rationalize why he tortured and killed dogs, and why he financed and spearheaded a sizable dog-fighting operation.

As it is, Vick stands today as the face of the Eagles. For us, he is a tough guy to support, so we hope Philadelphia's so-called Dream Team (Vick in particular) has a nightmare season. Karma's a bitch.

This is a great weekend to visit your local Animal Shelter. Just visit. Or volunteer. Or adopt a dog ... even a pit bull. Pit bulls are cool.

Steelers-Eagles "Exhibition" Game Tonight

First off, Happy Birthday to the late, great Roberto Clemente. The Great One would have been a youthful, robust and passionate 77 today. Arriba, Roberto!

Now, on to lesser matters. The Steelers host the Philadelphia Eagles tonight for a pre-season exhibition game glorified inter-squad scrimmage. Hopefully, it will be more entertaining than the doleful yawnfest in Washington last Friday.

Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls used to enjoy pre-season games much more than we do now. Nevertheless, it can be fun to watch young players -- particularly undrafted free agents -- who show a flash of promise. Fast Willie Parker was one of those guys. And we distinctly remember watching James Harrison chase down a running back for a loss on an outside pitch, blow up another play up the middle aaand … promptly get cut by Bill Cowher, in all his talent-evaluation genius.

Luckily for the Steelers and us fans, another “genius,” the Ravens’ Brian Billick, also cut Harrison -- can you imagine James Harrison and Ray Lewis in the same linebacking corps? -- so Harrison eventually worked his way back onto the Steelers roster.

Tonight, we’ll be watching the secondary with interest, and also the offensive line. Four cornerbacks -- veteran starters Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden, second-year backup Crezdon Butler and rookie Cortez Allen -- will miss tonight’s game with injuries.

As a result, we’ll see guys like Keenan Lewis, rookie third-rounder Curtis Brown, undrafted rookie Donovan Warren and maybe even newly acquired corners Kevin Dockery and Macho Harris (ya gotta get a kick outta that name), who arrived only yesterday following the unlamented release of disappointing wide receiver Limas Sweed.

Too bad Sweed couldn’t put it together. The opportunity was there for him. He just dropped the ball, literally, too many times. On the offensive line, Tony Hills, of all people, will get playing time at guard, of all places. This may be the last chance for Hills to showcase what he can do.

That was a desultory affair at PNC Park last night, with the Pirates losing to the Cardinals, 7-2. Bleah. Too bad. After winning the first two games of the series in exciting fashion -- and probably burying the Cardinals’ flickering playoff hopes in the process, the Pirates reverted to their late-July form and thudded back to earth.

Enjoy the game tonight. With any luck, while he's in Pittsburgh, Michael Vick will get bit by a pit bull.

Photo courtesy of Clemente Museum, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Cattching Cotchery

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are lukewarm-not-enthused about the Steelers signing former Jets receiver Jericho Cotchery. We would have been happier had the Steelers gone with Tyler Grisham.

It's not just that Cotchery's production has gone downhill since 2007, when he had 82 catches for 1,130 yards. Last season, he had just 41 catches for 433 yards. Not so great. Hall of Famer Chris Carter -- who knows something about playing wideout in the NFL -- said this morning on ESPN's "Mike & Mike Show" that Cotchery had a lot of drops last season and has lost some speed the past few years.

Cotchery had been unhappy with his diminished role in New York and had requested his release. His role in Pittsburgh? Good question. He probably will get most of his playing time out of the slot-receiver position, but he projects to be the fifth receiver on the depth chart. If he was unhappy with his role in New York, how is he going to be happy being fifth on the depth chart in Pittsburgh?

Mike Wallace certainly is going to line up on one side pretty much full-time. You'd figure Hines Ward will get a lot of playing time, even though this may be his last year. Emmanuel Sanders would be next in line, with Antonio Brown also getting more and more playing time, as the season progresses.

All four receivers are better than Cotchery -- when they're healthy.

What really concerns us about this deal is the possibility that the Steelers signed Cotchery solely because Emmanuel Sanders' foot injury may be more serious than is being disclosed.

We're worried about the Steelers in general, and they haven't even played their first pre-season game. We'd been rooting for rookie running back Baron Batch, who was tearing it up at camp before he tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament [knee]) on Wednesday. Batch was showing every indication he "gets" it -- he even had the crusty veterans "oohing and ahwing"with his blocking, running, catching and kick-returning. It appeared Batch was emerging as the third running back behind Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman, and possibly edging out Mewelde Moore and definitely bumping an apparently our-of-shape Jonathan Dwyer off the roster.

Batch is an easy guy to root for -- just read his blog entry titled "Detour," which he wrote on Wednesday shortly after he sustained the injury. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls wish Baron Batch all the best for a full recovery and a return to the team next season.

As for this season, we have worries, as always. Four AFC teams in particular worry us, in this order: the San Diego Chargers, the New England Patriots, the New York Jets, and the Baltimore Ravens.

This may be San Diego's year to finally break through. They seem to underachieve every year, but this may be their year. That's a team to watch.

Confirmed, we're still here.

Sorry for the uncharacteristically lengthy absence. We're still here, as noted in the prior post about The Rapture.

A few idle thoughts:

• We like the signing of Derek Lee. He's not the player he was in his prime, but he's still better at this point than Lyle Overbay. Too bad for Lyle, but he just wasn't hitting, at all. At least he hit a home run in his last game on Sunday. Then Derek Lee comes in and hits two home runs in his first game as a Pirate.
• Good for Plaxico Burress. That prison sentence seemed awfully harsh for shooting himself in the leg. It was stupid of him to carry a loaded gun (especially with the safety off), but still. We have a feeling he is great shape and motivated. He should be a great fit for the Jets. Naturally, we don't want the Jets to beat the Steelers, ever, but we're glad to see Plex landed on his feet.
• We're NOT enthusiastic about the acquisition of Ryan Ludwick. He hasn't hit all year, and he simply is not a good defensive outfielder. He certainly isn't a good fit in left field at PNC Park.
• The Steelers sure have been quiet. It would have been nice if they'd been able to pick up Namdi Asomough, but they seem confident in their young corners. Hopefully the two draft picks will contribute. And the Eagles would be smart to keep Asante Samuel. He's a terrific cover corner, and if the Eagles don't want him, he sure would look good in a Steelers' uniform.
• We have a feeling Carson Palmer is trying to pull a Brett Favre. Kudos to Bengals' owner Mike Brown for standing up to Palmer. On the other hand, maybe Palmer is sincere in his plans to retire. After all, as he said when all this started, he has made about $80 million throughout his career.
  

That's all for now. We'll try to be more regular with our postings.

We're still here!

As far as we can tell on this glorious, beautiful Sunday, those of us still on this orb, this mortal coil, this third stone from the sun … we missed out on The Rapture.

It didn’t happen, right? Right? Okay, false alarm. We are happy to be here still and will continue to enjoy the little pleasures and blessings life reveals, for as long as we have the privilege.

Moving on to other News Apocalyptic, the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball club -- the team on the field -- won their fourth straight game and (second of two games in interleague play!) last night before a full house at PNC Park, defeating the Detroit Tigers. Good for the players, manager Clint Hurdle and his coaching staff. All is good.

Except … Off the field, the guys in suits in the Pirates’ organization somehow overshadowed the team’s on-field accomplishments by … what? We’re not sure, but this latest PR controversy/brouhaha/imbroglio/fiasco has to do with placing Pedro Alvarez on the disabled list and promoting minor-league infielder Pedro Ciriaco to the major league club.

No big deal in and of itself. Maybe Alvarez hasn’t been completely healthy all season. Only he and the doctors know for sure. There’s no disputing he has struggled at the plate so far this season. Hopefully, the time off will do him good. He seems like a good guy, and a player with the potential to be a legitimate star. We’re rooting for him.

Now, looking more closely at the roster move, there is the immediate on-field reality of who will play infield, and then there is the off-field, behind-the-scenes machinations of what should have been a simple, straightforward announcement -- which, somehow, as is their wont and seemingly inevitable tendency -- the Pirates mangled. These guys just can’t get out of their own way, it seems.

First, the bigger issue, as Post-Gazette columnist Bob Smizik rightly points out this morning, is the on-field impact:

“The larger story here is that the Pirates had to promote Ciriaco, who almost made the team in spring training but who has been terrible at Indianapolis. He was batting .190 with a .193 on-base percentage and a .255 slugging percentage. In 137 at bats, he had one walk. He also had nine errors.

“The Pirates weren't getting much out of Alvarez, but with him there was at least some hope of getting production out of the position. Now it looks like manager Clint Hurdle will have to go with Brandon Wood, .217 with no homers in 46 at bats, or Steve Pearce, .286 with no homers in 42 at bats, at third base for at least the next two weeks.”

As for the apparently mixed-up announcement of this simple roster move, well, we shall leave it to Jen Langosch of MLB.com. To her credit, in an admirable display of professional risk-taking (let’s hope she keeps her job after this bit of reporting), Ms. Langosch called B.S. on the Pirates by writing this yesterday …

“… there is a difference between not giving out information and giving out false information. It appears the latter happened with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, as someone from the organization made up a story to hide the fact that the club believed Alvarez was headed to the DL and that it would be Ciriaco taking Alvarez’s place in Pittsburgh.”

If true -- and it seems to be -- all of this is silly and unnecessary. Unfortunately, it reeks of what appears to be yet another case of truth-shading, obfuscation or outright lying by somebody or some people in management at some level, either in Indianapolis or Pittsburgh, reminiscent of the infamous unannounced contract extensions and other bits of skullduggery and questionable public relations that have become tell-tale trademarks of the Frank Coonelly/Neil Huntington regime. These guys just can’t seem to get out of their own way.

Let’s hope we don’t have to hear any more of this. Betting we will.

At least we're here.

O Joy, O Rapture!

If The Rapture happens today, and the NFL Lockout ends, will anybody notice?

Will anybody notice the end? Of the NFL Lockout, that is, not THE END. Of Days.

At least one studious scholar ("Doctor of Thinkology") in the world of academia actually gets paid for studying people who espouse their apocalyptic belief in The Rapture (also known as "End of Days"), whereby the good and righteous will be swept into heaven and everybody else will be "left behind" for the devil to torture and eventually sweep into hell.

Armed with this Zeitgeist (world view), some True Believers, apparently rapt with eager anticipation of The Rapture, have sold all their possessions.

On the other hand, some people are fatalistically whistling past the proverbial graveyard. One bumper sticker reads, "When The Rapture Comes, Can I Have Your Car?"

Some folks, assuming they will be "left behind," are preparing a Post-Rapture Looting Party.

Then, too, there's "Brimstone Barney's Apocalypse Clearance -- Everyone Must GO! -- Rapture Sale."

A number of people have been preparing for quite a while now, as Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Samantha Bennett described presciently in her excellent 2008 column, titled, "In Case of Rapture, This Column Will be Unaffected."

In any case, it's always best to Be Prepared, which we learned as Boy Scouts. Clean underwear and all that.

Whatever happens, it's always good to have a soundtrack.
Here are a few suggestions from Joey Porter's Pit Bulls for "songs for the end of the world," just for starters (or 'enders,' as the case may be)...

• "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire
• "It's All Right Ma, I'm Only Bleeding" by Bob Dylan
• "Ain't Gettin' Out of This World Alive" by Hank Williams
• "Wooden Ships" by Jefferson Airplane (also by Crosby, Stills & Nash)
• "The End" by The Doors
• "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan
• "New Speedway Boogie" by The Grateful Dead
• "Ball of Confusion" by The Temptations
• "Epitaph" by King Crimson
• "Careful With That Ax, Eugene" by Pink Floyd
• "Is That All There Is" by Peggy Lee
• "This is the End of the World As We Know It" by R.E.M.

We're not sure when The Rapture will happen -- really, who is sure of anything these (end of) days? -- but just wondering:

Will The Rapture occur before the Preakness? If so, are all bets off?

Well, we shall wait and see. And, as always, we will hope for the best.
As the Scarecrow in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz exclaimed, "O Joy, O Rapture!"

And, as a friend added, "At least the Pirates get to go out on an uptick."

So, faithful readers, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have only to say, "See ya!" ... somewhere ... Hopefully.

We're as ready as ever, which is, uh, no, not really, but that's how it is. That's how we roll. Is that the right way to put it? That didn't sound blasphemous, did it?
On a final (?) note: We'd be remiss not to recall the following story from San Francisco (where else?). It's an oldie but goodie.

Evil seems to befall cab 666 -- driver seeks intervention -- Taxi commission to consider issuing a new medallion

by Steve Rubinstein, San Francisco Chronicle

July 24, 2007 - The San Francisco Taxi Commission is set to decide this evening whether one of the city's cabs is "associated with evil and Satan."

And its decision, according to the official agenda, has implications involving no less than Armageddon, St. John the Divine, Good Friday, the Book of Revelation and the Mark of the Beast.

At its regular meeting, the commission will consider a request from the distraught holder of taxi cab medallion No. 666 to have the number retired.

Driver Michael Byrne complained that the number is bad luck and persuaded assistant commission executive director Jordanna Thigpen to take up his cause with a two-page memo to the board.

Charlie Morton: Ace, Stopper, All-Star?

Who would have thunk it? Charlie Morton: “Stopper.”

Even as recently as spring training, nobody would have thought Charlie Morton, of all people – Charlie Morton?! -- would step up and become the Pirates ace this year. Their Stopper: As in, stopping losing streaks, in this case a malodorous stinker of a six-game streak in which opponents had out-scored the Pirates, 38-15.

So, if the Pirates weren’t going to score much Wednesday evening, it seemed they would need one of their guys to pitch a shutout. And that’s exactly what Charlie Morton delivered at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

Charlie Morton, of all people, an afterthought who was barely clinging to a tenuous spot on the roster, let alone in the rotation, as recently as the end of spring training. Give him credit. He took hold of his last chance and wouldn’t let go. With help and guidance from manager Clint Hurdle and pitching coach Ray Searage, Morton appears to have salvaged his career; no, more than that, much more: Morton appears not only to have salvaged his career; but, in one year, he’s gone from near-oblivion/never-was/has-been to Emerging Ace, the team’s Stopper and one of the best pitchers in baseball. If the All-Star team were picked today, he’d be on it.

Wednesday night against a hot Reds team, Morton pitched seven smothering, scoreless innings with groundouts galore. He allowed only five hits all game, and from the second through the seventh innings, he allowed only one hit and three base runners. He threw only 105 pitches the entire game. This was the second time this season Morton has defeated the Reds (he beat them 6-1 on April 15), and in the two games, he’s pitched 18 innings and allowed only one run and 10 hits. And that’s a good-hitting team.

Charlie Morton. Who woulda thunk it?