Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh Steelers grab Payton Wilson in 3rd round of NFL Draft
Turns out NFL teams were pretty concerned about Payton Wilson’s injury history, as the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year nearly slipped into day three of the draft. But the Steelers pulled the trigger on him late in the third round, at No. 98 overall. Seems like pretty good value to me.
Wilson is the fourth player selected by Pittsburgh in the draft through day two, and the Steelers’ first defensive pick. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin spoke about the selection afterward, and when asked what stood out about Wilson, he responded, “speed; he can really go.”
NFL reporter Ian Rapoport explained that teams were concerned by the shoulder surgery Wilson had, which apparently “was not a great operation,” and the fact that Wilson doesn’t have an ACL in one knee. The latter was definitely news to me.
Maybe the removal of one ACL is what unlocked his powers, though, did anyone consider that? Obviously, there are not 97 guys in this draft better than Payton Wilson at football, so the injury concerns wound up giving Pittsburgh a potential steal.
The draft slide stinks for Payton because it cost him money, but he landed in a good place, and if his health holds up like it did in 2023, he’ll be just fine.
Pittsburg, PA
Pirates to call up top pitching prospect Skenes
The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up star prospect Paul Skenes, and the hard-throwing right-hander is expected to debut Saturday at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs.
Considered the best pitching talent in a generation, 21-year-old Skenes will arrive in Pittsburgh after dominating Triple-A, allowing three earned runs in 27⅓ innings and striking out 45 batters.
After one of the finest seasons ever for a college pitcher, Skenes went to the Pirates with the No. 1 pick in the July 2023 draft and signed for $9.2 million, the largest bonus for an amateur in baseball history. Pittsburgh limited his workload after a taxing junior season at LSU in which he struck out 209 hitters and walked just 20 in 122⅔ innings while going 13-2 with a 1.69 ERA.
Although evaluators believed Skenes to be major-league-ready when Pittsburgh drafted him, the Pirates entered 2024 wanting to build him up slowly and avoid a potential midseason pullback on his innings. By limiting Skenes’ pitch count in the minor leagues — he hasn’t thrown more than 75 pitches in a Triple-A start this year — the Pirates hope he can join a rotation that also includes hard-throwing rookie Jared Jones for the remainder of the season.
How to handle elite pitching prospects has long been a mystery for front offices, particularly with the proliferation of arm injuries to hard-throwing starters this season. The two closest facsimiles to Skenes in terms of college production and major league readiness were Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg and Cubs right-hander Mark Prior, both of whom were brilliant for flashes in the big leagues but ultimately had their careers shortened by arm injuries.
At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Skenes assumes the mantle as the hardest-throwing starter in the game — and perhaps the highest-velocity rotation member in baseball history. At Triple-A Indianapolis, Skenes’ four-seam fastball has reached over 102.1 mph. He also mixed in a splinker — a combination splitter and sinker thrown by Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran — at 95 mph, complemented it with a slider in the mid-to-high 80s, added a softer changeup that runs at 88 mph, and occasionally turned to a slower curve.
Although the Pirates currently occupy last place in the National League Central, that is due more to their hitting woes than to their strong set of arms. Few starters in the NL have been as impressive as 22-year-old Jones, and with Skenes joining veterans Mitch Keller, Martin Perez and Bailey Falter, the Pirates now have arguably the best rotation in the division.
Pittsburg, PA
Allegheny County Council honors Pittsburgh Today Live’s 20 years on the air with proclamation
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Allegheny County Council is recognizing KDKA’s morning lifestyle show Pittsburgh Today Live for its 20 years on the air.
PTL, as the show has come to be known among the team and crew, premiered on May 10, 2004. Since then, it has become the most-watched and longest-running local lifestyle show in Pittsburgh.
County Councilman Bob Macey brought the proclamation to the show.
“I really think I know these people,” Macey said. “I watch them every day. I really, really like it for a variety of reasons. The pets, the food, the jokes. They make me smile and a lot of us today need to smile at lot more.”
Hosts Heather Abraham and David Highfield accepted the proclamation for the whole team, affectionately known as Team PTL.
Jennifer Antkowiak, Kristine Sorensen and Jon Burnett, former hosts of the show, are also honored in the proclamation.
Pittsburgh Today Live will debut its 20th Anniversary Special on May 10, 2024, at 9 a.m. on KDKA. It will re-air later that day at both 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on KDKA+.
It will air several more times throughout the weekend, including on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 7 p.m. on KDKA, and at 8 p.m. on KDKA+. It will also stream on CBS News Pittsburgh.
Look for our WATCH notifications on social media throughout the weekend.
The special was taped at the Point Park University Pittsburgh Playhouse in front of a live audience. It features regular PTL guests, contributors, music, food, fun and a special celebrity guest that you don’t want to miss.
Pittsburg, PA
Beaver Stadium renovation plans to be voted on later this month
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (KDKA) — Penn State is moving forward with plans to renovate Beaver Stadium and the school’s Board of Trustees is set to vote on the plans later this month.
A vote on the renovations will take place on May 21 to decide on whether or not approve the plan.
The proposed plans come with a $700 million price tag and include improvements to the west end of the stadium’s club seating and executive suites.
If approved, construction is expected to start in January and will wrap up in time for the 2027 football season.
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