Fans began to slowly trickle out of the stadium on the rainy and gloomy Mother’s Day game between the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park yesterday, with little to cheer about.

The Pirates offense looked like they were going to waste another spectacular start by starter A.J. Burnett, trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth.  Neil Walker’s second double of the game put the potential tying run 90-feet away in Jose Tabata.

With a runner on third and less than two outs, it was anything but guaranteed that Pittsburgh would deliver the tying run, but they did.  Third basemen Pedro Alvarez tied the game up with a sacrifice fly.

After three scoreless innings by the Pirates bullpen, Pittsburgh gave the remaining fans at the game a nice Mother’s day treat.  With two out and no one on, shortstop Clint Barmes hit a blooper for a double over the third basemen’s head.  On the very next pitch, utility infielder Josh Harrison would send the Astros packing with a walk-off line drive single to left field.

The walk-off win gave the Pirates a 2-1 series victory over Houston, and their second series victory of the week.

The Pirates began the week in the same fashion they closed it out, with a walk-off win.  Pittsburgh hosted the Washington Nationals for a three game series that started on Tuesday, May 8.

Burnett was also the starter in this game, keeping the Pirates all the way in it until the last inning.  Burnett struck out a season-high 10 hitters and allowed two runs.  After falling behind 2-0, Pittsburgh quickly tied it up with two solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Andrew McCutchen led off the frame with his first home run of the season.  After two quick outs, Garret Jones followed with a towering shot into the right field seats to tie it up.

The game remained scoreless heading into the bottom of the eighth, where the Pirates made their move.  After a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Nate McLouth, Jose Tabata reached base on an error by the shortstop Ian Desmond trying to cover second base with the hit-and-run call on.  With runners on the corners and no outs, Walker gave the Pirates their first lead of the game, on a sacrifice fly.

With a 3-2 lead entering the ninth, the win was looking secured with closer Joel Hanrahan coming in.  The Nationals had other plans.  With the meat of their order coming up, they found a way to retake the lead.  After a leadoff single by third basement Ryan Zimmerman, who was just reactivated from the disabled list before the game, former Bucco Adam Laroche belted a two-run home run to centerfield.

As soon as he made contact, it seemed like half the stadium exited the field before the ball did.  With the fans disgusted with what looked to be another tough loss, the offense made sure they would give the remaining fans a night to remember.

Casey McGehee led off the ninth with a fly out to right field.  With one out, Alex Presley stepped up to the plate and delivered a pinch-hit single.  Manager Clint Hurdle called upon another pinch-hitter, Yamaico Navarro, to replace Barmes.  Navarro quickly fell behind 0-2, but then things got interesting.  Nationals closer Henry Rodriquez threw consecutive wild pitches, allowing Presley to scamper from first to third.  Navarro would then strike out, leaving the fate of the Pirates on the shoulders of Rod Barajas.

With a runner on third and two outs, Barajas wasted no time with Rodriquez.  On the first pitch of the at-bat, Barajas took Rodriquez’s offering over the left field wall for a walk-off two-run home run.  The home run was the first of the year for Barajas.

With the momentum on their side, Pittsburgh took game two of the series, 4-2, giving them the series win no matter the outcome on Thursday.

It was a good thing they were able to take the first two games with Washington sending out their star pitcher Stephen Strasburg on Thursday.  The last time Strasburg faced Pittsburgh was his major league debut, where he struck out 14 batters.

Pittsburgh got a dose of the same medicine, with Strasburg striking out 13 batters, on their way to a 4-2 victory.

Besides Strasburg’s stellar performance, it was the first time Pittsburgh had the opportunity to witness 19-year-old phenom Bryce Harper in person.  Harper struggled throughout the three game series, going 2-12 with two runs scored.

Andrew McCutchen had himself a standout week with three home runs and two four-hit games.

After finishing off a nine game home stand, Pittsburgh will begin their seven game road trip in Miami on Monday.  It will be the Pirates first trip into Miami’s new ballpark.

Brad Lincoln (2-0, 0.63) will get the spot start in place of Erik Bedard who left Wednesday’s game with back spasms.  Bedard’s start will be pushed back to Wednesday in Washington.  Lincoln will be opposed by Anibal Sanchez (2-0, 2.01).  First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m

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Up until this week, the Pittsburgh Pirates were the only team in the majors to not score more than five runs in a game.  That streak ended on Monday, April 30, in Pittsburgh’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves.  The offense exploded for nine runs on their way to splitting the four game series, with a 9-3 victory.

Pittsburgh, hoping their outburst would carry over to St. Louis, was getting ready to play their second series in as many weeks against the Cardinals.  They didn’t have too much to worry about, as the offense erupted for seven runs in the series opener against the Cardinals.  The only problem, the pitching never showed up this time.

Charlie Morton lasted 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits.  The bullpen didn’t fare any better, giving up the rest of the 10 St. Louis runs.

Pittsburgh took another crack at St. Louis the next night, but with little success.  After two quality starts to begin his Pirates’ career, veteran pitcher A.J. Burnett had an outing to forget.

In their 12-3 loss, Burnett was responsible for all 12 runs in 2.2 innings pitched.  Burnett’s kryptonite proved to be Carlos Beltran.  Beltran belted two three-run home runs, with an RBI single sandwiched in-between.  All of Beltran’s seven RBI came in the first three innings.

Former closer turned starter, Lance Lynn, picked up the win, improving to 5-0 on the year.

After losing the first two games of the series, Pittsburgh would try to salvage the final game.  Things didn’t look promising, after falling behind 2-0 in the first inning.  Piratesn starter Erik Bedard seemed to find his rhythm, as well as the offense.

The Pirates would score in each of the final four innings, to hang on for a 6-3 victory.  Pedro Alvarez continued to swing a hot bat, smashing his second home run of the series and seventh of the season.  Bedard would register his second victory in his as many starts, improving his record to 2-4.

After the seven game road trip, Pittsburgh returned home for a weekend series against National League Central foe, the Cincinnati Reds.

On Friday night, the Pirates offense hit another road block, falling to the Reds 6-1.  Kevin Correia continued his woes at home, taking the loss.

Pittsburgh got its revenge on Saturday night, with a 3-2 victory.  The game remained scoreless heading into the bottom of the fourth, when second basemen Neil Walker broke his homerless streak with his first of the season.  The two-run home run guaranteed the Pirates would not fall behind in the game.  Another contributing factor was the performance by James McDonald.

McDonald lasted 6.1 innings, allowing only one run and striking out seven.  The win improved McDonald to 2-1 on the year with a 2.70 ERA.

Pittsburgh got a little insurance off the bench, when Alex Presley hit his second home run of the season.  With a one run lead, closer Joel Hanrahan slammed the door, picking up his fifth save of the season.

The Pirates finished off their series against the Reds on Sunday, May 6.  The rubber game was anything but kind to the Buccos.  Once again, the Pirates’ offense struggled to get anything going, on their way to a 5-0 loss.  The loss was the second of the week for Morton.

After a 3-4 week, Pittsburgh finds themselves at 12-16, putting themselves in fifth place and five games back of St. Louis in the NL Central.

Pittsburgh will enjoy their off day on Monday before they play host to the NL East leading Washington Nationals on Tuesday.  Burnett will attempt to get back on track with the start tomorrow.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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Not much has changed from last week to this week in the Pirates season.  After going 3-3 over their last 6 games, Pittsburgh remains in fourth place in the National League Central, only a half a game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for third.

The week got off to a rainy start, when their opening game in a three game series against the Colorado Rockies was postponed and scheduled as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.

Kevin Correia returned to the starting rotation on Tuesday after missing is scheduled start on Saturday because of discomfort in his hip.  Correia was opposed by 49-year-old journeyman Jamie Moyer.

Correia got off to a rocky start, allowing a two-run home run to Carlos Gonzalez in the first inning, but those would be the last two runs Correia would allow.  Down 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, Alex Presley got things started with a leadoff double.  Followed by a Jose Tabata single, Andrew McCutchen gave the Pirates their first lead of the game, ripping a two-RBI double off the centerfield wall.

The very next inning, reliever Tony Watson gave the lead right back to the Rockies, when Gonzalez belted his second two-run home run of the game.  The see-saw battle ended in the bottom of the inning, when Clint Barmes tied the game at 4-4 with his second home run of the season.  Casey McGehee put the Pirates ahead for good with his two-out RBI single, for a 5-4 win.

Pittsburgh and Colorado split the doubleheader on Wednesday, giving the Pirates a series victory over the Rockies.  Offense was at a premium throughout the whole day.  Pirate’s pitcher James McDonald took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but was not able to receive any run support in a 2-1 loss.

The Pirates struck back in game two, erupting for all five runs in the fifth inning.  The inning was showcased by back-to-back home runs by Garrett Jones and Pedro Alvarez.  Alvarez’s home run was his second of the day.

After a day off on Thursday, the Pirates landed in Atlanta for a four game series.  The Pirates last trip to Atlanta was one to remember, but not for the right reasons.  No one could forget the 19-inning marathon that ended in the infamous safe call at home plate by umpire Jerry Meals.

In Friday night’s series opener, A.J. Burnett made his second start as a Bucco.  Although Burnett put up another solid performance going six innings, allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out eight and walking three, it was not good enough to pick up the win.  The Pirates lone run came in the fourth on an RBI single by Jones.

The wheels fell off the wagon in the bottom of the seventh, when the Pirates bullpen combined to let up four runs.  The 6-1 final marks the first time the Pirates pitching staff has combined to allow more than five runs in a game, a mark they set earlier in the week for consecutive games not allowing more than five runs and not scoring more than five runs in a game.

Pittsburgh bounced back the next night, giving pitcher Erik Bedard his first win as a Pirate.  The offense gave Bedard his biggest run support of the season, scoring three runs in the first two innings.  The bullpen bounced back from their awful display the night before, securing the 4-2 win.  Closer Joel Hanrahan registered his fourth save of the season.

After another hot start on Sunday, getting out to a 2-0 lead, errors and walks did the Pirates in, falling 4-3 to the Braves.

The Pirates offense has slightly improved over the past week, sitting at 28^th in the league in batting, only better than the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics.  Pittsburgh’s pitching has stayed the course this past week, ranking third in the league with a 2.77 ERA, only trailing the St. Louis Cardinals (2.61) and Washington Nationals (2.33).

Pittsburgh will conclude their four game series against the Braves tonight and attempt to salvage a series split.  James McDonald will look for his first win of the season (0-1 2.78 ERA), as he faces off against Braves starter Mike Minor (2-1 3.42 ERA).  First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

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The conversation on what the one weakness for the Pittsburgh Steelers for years has been their offensive line.  General Manager Kevin Colbert made sure early on that he would silence his critics.

Even with the need of offensive linemen, many analysts believed they would still go with All-American linebacker from the University of Alabama, Dont’a Hightower.  The Steelers would have been more than pleased with drafting Hightower, until the NFL dropped and early Christmas gift on their draft table.

David DeCastro, offensive guard from Stanford University, was projected as the top guard in the draft and tenth overall prospect in the draft.  With the addition of DeCastro alone, the Steelers pulled off one of their most successful drafts in the past decade.

Here is a closer and more in-depth look at all nine selections by the Steelers.

Round 1, Pick 24 David DeCastro: DeCastro can be expected to make an immediate impact on the depleted Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line.  Lining up next to Maurkice Pouncey will open up some enormous holes for the running game.  DeCastro has protected the likes of Andrew Luck for the past for years at Stanford.  The Steelers should feel like they got the biggest steal of the first round in DeCastro, as he was projected to be off the board by the time Pittsburgh made their selection.

Round 2, Pick 56 Pick Mike Adams:  As if getting DeCastro in the first round didn’t buff up the offensive line enough, the Steelers made sure they added some depth with the addition of offensive tackle out of Ohio State, Mike Adams.  Adams was projected to be a first round pick before he ran into some off the field issues.  At this year’s combine, Adam’s tested positive for marijuana and then lied about it.  Taking a player with this history is way out of the Steeler’s comfort zone, but researched hard and deep to realize he would be a good fit.  Expect Adams to crack the starting lineup in a year or two.

Round 3, Pick 86 Sean Spence:  With the needs for offensive line filled in the first two draft picks, the Steelers moved onto another need.  With the release of veteran James Farrior, Pittsburgh was in need of some depth at inside linebacker. In comes Sean Spence out of the University of Miami.  What Spence lacks in size he makes up in his athleticism.  His quickness allows him to recover well and get to the ball carrier.  He will be used more on blitz packages.  Don’t expect him to start this year, as that job will go to Stevenson Sylvester.

Round 4, Pick 109 Alameda Ta’amu:  The defensive tackle from University of Washington is a perfect fit with the Steelers.  Although he might not rack up the tackles and sacks, the Steelers won’t be asking him for that.  Ta’amu will be the heir apparent to veteran nose tackle Casey Hampton.  At 6’3” 338-pounds, Ta’amu is the perfect candidate to clog the holes to create havoc for his linebackers.

Round 5, Pick 159 Chris Rainey:  Just in case the Steelers felt like they didn’t have enough playmakers on offense, they found one in Florida University running back, Chris Rainey.  Rainey would be the typical third down back for Pittsburgh that could catch passes out of the backfield.  Like most rookies, Rainey will make his impact this upcoming year in special teams, where he served as the kick returner, punt returner and on punt defense as a Gator.

Round 7, Pick 231 Toney Clemons:  It’s always a good story when you get drafted by your hometown team.  That is what happened to Colorado University wide receiver, Toney Clemons, when the Steelers made the New Kensington local their first pick in the seventh round.  Clemons really came on late in his senior year but will have a lot of work to do to crack the top four on the Steeler’s wide receiver depth chart.

Round 7, Pick 240 David Paulson:  With Heath Miller and David Johnson, Paulson won’t find himself playing for some time. Paulson is a more versatile tight end that has the ability to stretch the field and lineup in the backfield.

Round 7, Pick 246 Terrence Frederick:  The cornerback out of Texas A&M is a risky pick as he doesn’t have the speed to cover wide outs on the outside.  With the loss of William Gay, Frederick has the possibility in covering the slot receiver and play in zone defenses but the Steelers have better options.

Round 7, Pick 248 Kelvim Beachum:  Pittsburgh ended the 2012 draft the same way they started, by drafting an offensive tackle.  Beachum, an offensive tackle form Southern Methodist University, will probably start on the practice squad in order for him to build his strength and size.  Beachum will give the Steelers the flexibility to move to guard and will make a solid player on the line in a couple of years.

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Not much has changed for Opening Week until this point for the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they find themselves three games under .500 at 6-9 and at the bottom half of the NL Central in fourth place.

The two constants for the Pirates throughout the first two weekends of the year has been their stellar pitching performance and their lack of offense.  Pittsburgh has the fourth best team ERA in the majors at 2.63, only behind the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals.

They have had numerous outstanding pitching performances go to waste due to the fact they could not generate any offense.  A prime example would be any of Erik Bedard’s starts.  Bedard has been a tough luck loser in all of his first four starts this season.  The Pirates have mustard up a measly three runs combined in Bedard’s starts.

Pittsburgh ended their nine game road trip that started last week in Los Angeles and San Francisco, in Arizona against a hot Diamondbacks team.  It looked like the Pirates were going to struggle to squeeze a victory in the series after their loss in the opening game, 5-1.

Pittsburgh tied their highest single game offensive output on Tuesday when they came back to defeat Arizona 5-4.  It was tied 4-4 entering the ninth inning before Neil Walker continued his up rise with game-winning RBI single, giving the Pirates a 5-4 victory.

Pittsburgh and Arizona played the rubber game of the series on Wednesday afternoon.  After being down 1-0 the majority of the game, Pedro Alvarez belted his second home run of the season, also just his second hit of the season, in the seventh inning to knot the score at 1-1.  With his second game-winning hit in as many days, Walker delivered with an RBI single in the eighth to give the Pirates a 2-1 win and the series win.  After an injury to Jeff Karstens earlier in the series, Brad Lincoln was called up and proved to be the difference in the rubber game, notching his first victory of the year, not along a run.

The Pirates returned to PNC Park after a week on the road to face their first divisional opponent of the year and reigning World Series Champions, St. Louis Cardinals.

In game one on Friday night, Pittsburgh got off to the best start you could ask for as Alex Presley hit a lead-off inside-the-park home run off the centerfield wall.  The surprising stat is that the Pirates did not score another run the rest of the game, going on to a 4-1 defeat.

Kevin Correia was scratched from Saturday night’s start after feeling discomfort in his hip.  Replacing him and making his Pirate debut was A.J Burnett, who was scheduled to make his final rehab start in Altoona that night.

Burnett showed his excitement and nerves early on, getting himself into a bases loaded no outs jam in the top of the first.  After back-to-back strikeouts, Burnett got Yadier Molina to hit a line drive to shortstop Clint Barmes, who made a leaping grab to save a disastrous inning.

With only two hits entering the season, Alvarez delivered Saturday night, recording both the Pittsburgh’s RBI’s in a 2-0 victory.

In their second straight rubber game, the Pirates had to find a way to crack open one of the more surprising players in the early season, Kyle Lohse.  Lohse has only allowed one run in each of his four starts this season, including yesterday, propelling the Cardinals to a 5-1 win.

Pittsburgh is the only team in the major that has yet to give up more than five runs in a game, as well as the only team to score more than five runs in a game.

The Pirates look to turn their fortunes around starting tonight when they open a three game series against the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park weather permitting.  Colorado will send iron man Jamie Moyer to the hill against Correia.  Correia has been the most consistent pitcher this year for the Pirates with a 1-0 record and 1.50 ERA, but will be pitching at home for the first time where he struggling tremendously last year.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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One week into the 2012 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves in fifth place in the National League Central Division with a 3-6 record.  It was not a struggle until the Pirates hit the West Coast.

Pittsburgh got off to a tremendous start with a season opening series win over the reigning National League East champion Philadelphia Phillies.  After a tough luck 1-0 loss on Opening Day for newly acquired Bucco Erik Bedard, the Pirates recorded back-to-back walk-off wins on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Alex Presley provided the excitement on Saturday when he showcased his speed for a game-winning infield single.  Andrew McCutchen proved to be a pain in the Phillies behind with his walk-off single off the centerfield wall on Sunday, his fourth hit of the game.

With a 2-1 record, the Pirates were taking their momentum to the West Coast, where it would soon fizzle down to nothing.  Over the years, the Pirates have struggled on the road, especially on the West Coast.

The Pirates first stop would be in Los Angeles against a Dodgers team they struggled to a 2-6 record against last year.  This year would prove to be no different, as they were not able to find their offense on their way to a three game sweep.  In a blink of an eye, the Pirates went from being 2-1 to a measly 2-4.

Pittsburgh’s next stop was in San Francisco for a weekend series against the Giants.  Once again, the Pirates struggle to find any offense has they dropped both games on Friday and Saturday.  San Francisco pitcher Matt Cain looked in mid-season form in Friday’s contest as he was able to one-hit the Pirates.  Pittsburgh’s lone hit came off the bat of Cain’s opposing pitcher James McDonald.

The Pirates ended the week on a positive note and some momentum they can look to carry them into their next series in Arizona with a 4-1 victory over the Giants.  Kevin Correia put up his second quality start in as many outings, going six innings allowing one run on three hits, while striking out two.  Joel Hanrahan converted his first save opportunity of the season.

The main reason for the Pirates struggles up to this point has been the lack of offense.  The Pirates rank dead last in the majors with a .188 team batting average.  They also rank last in the majors with only four home runs, as well as last in runs with 18.

Not all was bad for the Pirates in the first week.  The starting rotation has put up some stellar performances, even though the outcomes have not been to their liking.  The Pirates are fifth in the majors with a team ERA of 2.57.

Pittsburgh will continue their road trip with three games in Arizona beginning tonight.  Bedard will look for his first victory of the season tonight against the Diamondbacks.  He will be opposed by Joe Saunders.  First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. With the pitching showing promise early on in the season, there is still hope that the 2012 Pirates can make a run at the goliaths of the league.

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Last year, the city of Pittsburgh got a glimpse of what meaningful baseball feels like in the second half of the season, for the first time in nearly two decades. The Pirates finished the first half of the season, with their eyes set on the NL Central title. All the players were never in this position before, and the youth was a main contributor to the downfall. With the 2012 season less than two weeks away, I expect the Pirates to return to relevance, and maintain it throughout the season.

General Manager Neal Huntington was not shy when it came down to improving his team during the offseason. For an organization that was shy on spending their money just a short time ago, it seems like that is the least of their worries today.

Last year the pitching staff put up a more than stellar performance in the first half, but then fizzled out as the year went along. The likes of Jeff Karstens, Charlie Morton and James McDonald were not use to the workload of being a starter for an entire season. The Pirates made sure they would fix that problem by delivering free agent lefty Erik Bedard and successful trading for A.J Burnett, formerly of the New York Yankees. Burnett and Bedard are two veteran pitchers who have had their fair share of experience in the league, and will look to better the youngsters in Karstens, Morton and McDonald. Burnett was scheduled to be the clear-cut Opening Day starter until a bunting incident delayed those plans. During batting practice at spring training, Burnett took a bunt attempt to the eye, forcing him to undergo surgery. Burnett is on the path of recovering from the incident and should be back in shape a few weeks into the season. As for Bedard, he was recently named the Opening Day starter by second year manager Clint Hurdle. Bedard has had a history of being injury prone, so they key for him is as simple as staying health. Bedard is 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA thus far in three starts this spring. He will be replacing former Pirate Paul Maholm as the lone southpaw in the rotation.

The Pirates have made drastic improvements on the offensive side of the ball. Last year the most

unstable position on the field for Pittsburgh was catcher. They went through a total of 8 catchers at the major league level, before settling on Michael McKenry for most of the latter part of the year. The plan was to have a platoon of Chris Snyder and Ryan Doumit, but both were sidelined for the majority of the season due to injury. Neither has resigned with the team. To fill the whole in the backstop, the Pirates signed veteran catcher Rod Barajas. Barajas will bring them a solid defensive player behind the plate, as well as a consistent hitter. McKenry will look to be the backup to start the year.

So far during the spring, the two most talked about position have been the corner infield positions. The Pirates have been very patient with slumping third basemen Pedro Alvarez, who just recently tweaked his knee in a spring training game. If healthy, the organization has said they will put Alvarez at third for Opening Day. For reassurance, the Pirates went out and traded for in division rival Casey McGehee of the Milwaukee Brewers. McGehee will more than likely back up Alvarez to start the season at third, and can also be utilized at first base. Moving across the diamond, there is a fight for first base between Garrett Jones and rookie Matt Hague. The veteran Jones will more than likely start the season as the starting first basemen, but Hague isn’t making it easy on him. Hague leads the Pirates this spring with four home runs. With the ability of McGehee to be utilized at both corner positions, it would be best to have Hague begin the season in Indianapolis for more grooming.

The Pirates also made an upgrade at shortstop, letting go Ronny Cedeno for Clint Barmes. It was known that Cedeno was not the best individual in the clubhouse, and that is something Hurdle will not deal with. Barmes brings a slight upgrade in the field but a tremendous upgrade at the plate. Who could forget Barmes’ rookie season when he took over Sportscenter single-handedly? The final addition made was to bring back fan favorite Nate McLouth. McLouth first came onto the scene in 2005 with the Pirates, serving as their centerfield. McLouth will now serve as the backup outfielder. Since his departure, the Pirates received a gifted in Andrew McCutcheon. If you haven’t heard already, McCutcheon signed the second richest contract in Pirates history this offseason. The six-year $51.5 million should allow him to relax more at the plate and allow the Pirates to reap the benefits.

With the NL Central looking more down than usual, the Pirates have a legitimate shot to not only end their drought of 19 straight seasons with a losing record, but also put them in position to contend for the division title. With the loss of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder of the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers respectively, those teams will be less effective.

With the key additions and new attitude presented by Hurdle, we will see if Pittsburgh catches on to Bucco Fever come this September.

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With the 66th pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Hines Ward, wide receiver from the University of Georgia. The Rooney’s took a chance on Ward in the third round of the draft, not knowing what to expect. Little did they know that 14 years later, Ward would be at the top of the list in all-time Steeler players and knocking on the door of the Hall of Fame.

Earlier today, the veteran wide receiver announced his retirement from the game of football. Ward has accomplished many accolades throughout his career. Ward holds the franchise record with 1,000 receptions and 12, 083 receiving yards, passing the likes of all-time legends Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. He also is at the top of the list in touchdowns by a Steeler with 85. Ward made the trip to Hawaii four times in his career as a Pro Bowler, as well as being selected to the second team All-Pro three times.

One of Ward’s most memorable moments occurred in Super Bowl XL when he propelled the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl victory in franchise history over the Seattle Seahawks. Ward had five receptions for 123 yards, including the only touchdown catch of the game for Steelers. His efforts helped him win the MVP award. Ward went back to the Super Bowl two more times in his career, winning it in 2009 against the Arizona Cardinals and faced defeat in last year to the hands of the Green Bay Packers. Ward was a recipient of another touchdown catch in the loss to the Packers.

Among the all-time ranks in the NFL, Ward finished eighth in all-time receptions, 13th in touchdowns and 18th receiving yards.

Out of all those records, there is one that is not mentioned that stands above the rest. He did it all for one team. Ward has stayed loyal to the Steeler’s organization all the way up until the final play of his career. Ward continued to stay loyal during the current offseason, as he was willing to take a pay cut in order to maintain a member of the team. With the situation the Steelers were facing with being up against the salary cap and in dire need of signing other free agents, they couldn’t afford to play around with the money. The Steelers cut him loose at the end of last month, giving him some time to think. After Ward explored the options of signing with another team, he decided it was in his best interest to retire with his heart in one city.

The fact that Ward has played his entire career in Pittsburgh speaks volumes to what kind of person he is. So many times you say veteran players who are locks for the Hall of Fame going to another team. We are witnessing this event occur as we speak. Just today, future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning signed with the Denver Broncos after spending his whole career in Indianapolis.

So is Ward a Hall of Famer? No question about it. For years to come when you think of Steeler wide receivers you will think of Swann, Stallworth, and now you can add the name Ward. Besides from the records, Ward has proven what it is like to be a true Steeler. Even though Ward’s heart will always be in Pittsburgh, his new home will be in Canton.

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Just last week the Pittsburgh Pirates offense looked like they were in mid-season form. That was not the case in yesterday’s 4-1 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Pirates were able to squeak out two hits in nine innings, including going 12 up and 12 down against Phillies starter, Vance Worley.

The lone bright spot during the game for the Pirates was starter, Charlie Morton, making his first appearance of the spring. Morton was just coming off of hip injury and was eager to return to the mound. Morton passed his first test with flying colors yesterday, going two scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two strikeouts. Morton saw himself get into a couple jams in those two innings, but was able to escape them unscathed.

The Phillies jumped out to a 1-0 lead when journeyman Hector Luna hit a solo shot to left field off of Chris Resop. The home run was Resop’s only blemish in his two innings of work, but it was enough to give him the loss. With the decision, Resop’s spring record went to 1-1.

The Phillies doubled their lead in the top of the fifth when they hit their second home run in as many innings. This time shortstop Jimmy Rollins belted his first of the spring off of Tony Watson. Watson, who came up mid-season last year and helped in the bullpen, has struggled to this point in the spring. Watson has posted a 10.80 ERA, one that will not help his case to start the year in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh cut the deficit to 2-1 when Gorkys Hernandez recorded one of the two hits on the day for the Pirates, and then came around to score on an error by shortstop Michael Martinez.

Philadelphia put the game away in the eighth, scoring two runs off of Ryoto Igarashi. The loss sent the Pirates back to 3-7 on the spring. Jordy Mercer recorded the other hit for the Pirates.

The Pirates will enjoy their first off day since spring training opened on Feb.18 today. It is one of three off days scheduled before the April 5 season opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. Not everyone will enjoy their day off though, as it is possible that Manager Clint Hurdle could make his first round of cuts today.

The Pirates will return to action on Wednesday, March 14, when they make their second trip to Sarasota, Fla. to face the Baltimore Orioles. Their first trip resulted in a 10-3 victory on March 5. James McDonald is scheduled to make his third start of the spring.

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Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Michael Dubee was going to be a long shot to make the roster, but the outcome today did not help his slim hopes. Dubee came on to pitch the tenth inning, which was most likely going to be the last inning no matter what. Luis Montanez was the first batter scheduled to face Dubee, and was also the last. Montanez hit a walk-off home run off of Dubee to propel the Phillies to a 5-4 win.

Starter James McDonald went through his second stint in the spring. McDonald produced a strong outing against a potent Phillies offense, going three innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out one. McDonald’s lone run came in the second when he allowed back-to-back hits to Hunter Pence and former Bucco Ty Wigginton. Wigginton doubled in Pence to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead.

After the Phillies scored another run in the fourth, they broke things open in the fifth when Shane Victorino belted a two-run home run off of Jared Hughes. Hughes will likely begin the season in AAA Indianapolis with the logjam of pitchers in the bullpen.

With a 4-0 lead and lefty Cole Hamels making quick work of the Pirates through the first 3.2 innings, it was looking like another defeat. The only thing the Pirates needed was for Hamels to exit.

With Hamels out of the game, Josh Harrison got the comeback rolling in the top of the sixth with a leadoff single. Harrison quickly got into scoring position after stealing second. With a runner on second and no outs, newly acquired Pirate Casey McGehee recorded his first hit of the spring with a RBI single. After a double by Rod Barajas put runners on second and third, first basemen matt Hague added another RBI to his spring total with a groundout. The Pirates manufactured another run in the inning with a sacrifice fly by Gorkys Hernandez, cutting the lead to 4-3.

With the Pirates still down by one in the eighth, rising star Starling Marte delivered once again with a solo home run. This was Marte’s second home run in as many days. Marte has lit it up this spring with a .692 average.

The comeback was all for nothing when the before mentioned Montanez ended the game with a solo shot in the tenth off of Dubee.

Barajas led the offense with a 2-3 day at the plate, increasing his average to .500. Barajas was the only player that recorded multiple hits.

The Pirates will play their second night game of the spring on Friday when they travel to Fort Myers to battle the Boston Red Sox. Shairon Martis will make his first start of the spring. Martis signed a minor league contract with the Pirates following the release by the Washington Nationals. Pedro Alvarez and Clint Barmes are expected to be back in the lineup. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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