The State of Pittsburgh Sports Address

My fellow Pittsburgh Fans.  It is that time of the year when all 3 major Pittsburgh sports teams are active in some shape or form.  Whether its the offseason for the Steelers as the draft approaches, the Penguins who are in the prime of a shortened season, or the Pirates who are gearing up for the marathon season down in Florida.  Any way you look at it, things are very active on the Pittsburgh sports landscape.  Have no fear...I plan on letting everyone know the state of all 3 Pittsburgh sports teams.  In my State of Pittsburgh Sports Address.  Lets get started...

- Pittsburgh Penguins -

The Penguins are the only team that is active in their regular season, so I will start with them.  The Penguins are a team that has the ability to be truly dominant, but even as was evident in their victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning last night...they have struggled with the lead at times this season.  They almost let another 2-0 lead evaporate, but luckily the Pens were able to take advantage of opportunities and put away the victory.  The team has the offensive potential to beat ANYONE in the NHL, but can the team remain focused enough  on BOTH sides of the ice to contend for their 4th Stanley Cup in franchise history??  That is a question that is unfolding in front of our eyes.  Sure, the Flyers loss was disheartening, but was it also a sign of what the team will do when faced with a team that physically gets them out of their game?  I think the Penguins are a team to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference, and as a legitimate contender.  What evidence do I have to backup such a statement?  Easy...they are IMPROVING each game.  At the beginning of the season  they looked sloppy.  Drop passes that were dropped to nothing but open ice.  A Power Play that looked average, at best.  A Penalty Kill that resembled last year's playoffs than last year's dominant unit.  The players have been working hard, and you have seen the benefits.  The passes (especially from the defensive zone) are much smarter, crisper, and accurate.  The team is simplifying their game (that sounds familiar...like I suggested that in a prior article) and are getting pucks to the net.  If the team can continue to trend in an upward fashion, the sky is the limit for them to be a real threat come playoff time.  This team looks more poised for a playoff push than the previous 4 teams the Pens have dressed.  Thats right, this might be the most "all around" team the Pens have put on the ice since 2009...and we all know how that season ended...

- Pittsburgh Pirates -

The state of the Penguins is easy.  They are playing games that matter and its easy to diagnose weakness and strengths in their lineup.  The Pirates are a different beast.  An enigma of sorts.  Why is that?  Simple...they have alot of potential, but not alot of proven worth in their lineup.  That equates to alot of questions and NOT alot of answers.  Nonetheless, the Pirates State of the Union Address could actually be a positive one. To me, this 2013 Pirates team boils down to 2 factors: #1 - Sustained QUALITY Pitching and #2 - Timely Hitting.  Sure I could talk about base running mistakes, horrible "Small Ball" capabilities (ex. - Sacrifice bunting), and questionable coaching decisions, but baseball comes down to pitching and hitting.  It always does.  The Pirates dream season last year was beautiful in the 1st half, and downright disgusting in the 2nd half.  Is there a correlation between the pitching in the first half and the second half?  YES!  Just follow James McDonald and you will see the same trend in the way the team performed.  Enough about last year though.  Lets look at THIS year.  The Pirates starting rotation has one thing that I like better than last year's...OPTIONS.  Last year before Wandy Rodriguez was acquired via trade, the Pirates were stuck with their starting 5.  This year, with some off season acquisitions and some young talented pitchers who might be ready for the big leagues, the Buccos have some flexibility with their starting rotation.  The obvious slots will be taken by AJ Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez, and James McDonald...but then who?  Jeff Karstens was acquired for a one year deal by the club, and I think he could always be a player that if healthy can be extremely effective.  Also signed was Francisco Liriano.  Liriano is a player that should get a spot as the #4 pitcher in the lineup (if healthy).  He suffered a fractured arm (non throwing arm) at Christmas this year and is still rehabbing.  He has strikeout material and could be the power the Pirates need in their rotation.  If Liriano takes the #4 spot, what about the final spot?  Karstens, or a young gun like Jeff Locke, Kyle McPherson, or Garrett Cole?  Either way you look at it, the Pirates have flexibility this year.  Something they haven't had in a long time at the pitching position.  Should be interesting to see who comes out of Spring Training as the starting 5 for the 2013 campaign.

Even if the pitching is solid, the Pirates were very inconsistent scoring runs last season.  The hitting needs to improve, and it can't all be #22.  Taking a look at their lineup, there is room for improvement, but this club can only go up in that category.  Players like Starling Marte should be more consistent after facing big league pitching for the majority of last year, but its the players like Pedro Alvarez, Garrett Jones, Gaby Sanchez, and Geoff Snider that need to start performing more consistently at the plate.  There weren't many occasions where the Pirates got production from Cutch AND other people in the lineup (Neil Walker probably being the only exception).  When Cutch was lighting it up in the first half of the year, he was at times by himself in winning ball games for the Pirates.  The Pirates need hitting THROUGHOUT their lineup, and that means players like Alvarez, Sanchez, Jones, Walker, and even Barmes need to start hitting better.  The acquisition of Russell Martin (C) is certainly an upgrade behind the plate than Rod Barajas, both as a hitter and a fielder.  There is potential for more offense this season, but can the Pirates put together consistency at the plate that will alleviate some of the pressure on the pitching staff?  THAT is the big question that will come out of Spring Training.

- Pittsburgh Steelers - 

This morning I was getting ready for work when I had a stark realization that the Steelers are in for a rude awakening.  I don't see good things in the near future for the black n' gold, and I know SteelerNation doesn't want to hear it.  There are just too many holes to fill, and NO MONEY to spend to fill them.  The Steelers are in HORRENDOUS cap condition due to giving players ridiculous contracts and always expecting them to re-structure to barely fit under the cap.  Sure, the Steelers will get under the cap, but what will be the expense of compliance come March 1st?  There has been talk of the following veterans no longer being in a Steelers uniform just to free up some much needed cap space: (G) Willie Colon, (OLB) James Harrison, (S) Ryan Clark, (NT) Casey Hampton, and other lesser known veterans who still contribute to the team in some way, shape, or form.  Even if these players depart and the Steelers are in compliance with the cap, who is going to step up and fill those big shoes that are left vacant?  The Steelers don't make big splashes in Free Agency (never have and never will), and even if they draft a player in the 1st round that is "NFL Ready", this team is in need of more than just ONE player.  Lets take a look at what positions the Steelers need to take care of as the Free Agency Period begins, and the draft is fast approaching.

- Running Back - Rashard Mendenhall doesn't look like he will be returning, and that leaves two "role" RBs to try and fill a starting role.  The Steelers need an impact RB with the skill of Mendenhall...just with a better attitude.
- Safety - Some wouldn't have this very high on their list, but for me it became clear that the Steelers and Troy Polamalu are at the end of their marriage.  Troy's health hasn't been right since his achilles injury a few years ago, and he hasn't been the same impact player when healthy either.  The Steelers need a playmaker in the secondary...especially when Troy decides to hang it up.
- Linebacker - Inside or outside...doesn't matter...the Steelers need both.  James Harrison could be gone, and Jason Worilds hasn't shown that he is the answer as the "next in line".  Larry Foote is an aging vet who only shows flashes of what a 3-4 ILB should be.  The Steelers need LBs.
- Quarterback - No, I'm not suggesting the Steelers get rid of Ben Roethlisberger, but they need to find someone who isn't 55 that can back the big guy up.  Ben hasn't made it through a 16 game schedule in YEARS, and its time to address the QB position.  Bye Charlie Batch, Bye Byron Leftwich...get someone for the future.
- Cornerback - Keenan Lewis SHOULD be back if the Steelers are smart, but if he isn't, that will leave a hole at the nickelback position that will need to be filled.
- Wide Receiver - The "Young Money" crew is getting broken up with Mike Wallace leaving for greener pastures.  Plus, the "Young Money" crew wasn't so "Money" last year anyways.  Get Emmanuel Sanders back and look for another WR (Plaxico Burress, Steven Breaston, Greg Jennings) to help fill out the WR vacancy.

As you can tell there it might have been easier for me to list the positions that the Steelers DON'T need help in rather than the positions they DO.  Nonetheless, the Steelers can surprise people if they can get players who buy into the system and are 100% committed to improving themselves, and in return, improving the team.  From comments made, from the way they played last year...that is a BIG 'IF'.