Latest news with #Nutting
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Bucco Bricks investigation reveals Pirates "opted to discard them," Pittsburgh Sports & Exhibition authority says
An independent investigation into the ongoing saga surrounding Bucco Bricks, PNC Park, and the Pittsburgh Pirates found the team was given options for saving the commemorative bricks, but chose instead to get rid of them. The Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority released its findings Thursday, saying in part that a plan was presented to the team to either keep the bricks or give them back to fans, but the team declined. "Rather than being treated as construction debris, careful steps were taken and project funds were expended to salvage and preserve the Bucco Bricks either for reinstallation or for a return of them to the fans who had purchased them," the report read. "The Pirates rejected both of those options and opted instead to discard them." What are Bucco Bricks? Prior to the opening of PNC Park in 2001, the Pirates offered fans the opportunity to purchase commemorative, personalized bricks that were laid outside of the stadium's home plate entrance. In September 2024, the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority approved a sidewalk replacement project outside of PNC Park. During the project, the construction company P.J. Dick removed the bricks, with instructions not to treat them as construction debris. the Bucco Bricks were set aside then shrink-wrapped on a pallet. In total, 32 pallets of bricks were handed over to the Pirates, and the construction company continued with the sidewalk replacement project, the report stated. When the project was completed in March of this year, fans started asking questions about their missing Bucco Bricks. Bucco Bricks spotted at recycling facility Then, last month, the bricks were found at a recycling facility. Pictures and videos sent to KDKA-TV showed Bucco Bricks being brought to facilities, including one in Reserve Township, where building materials are brought to be recycled. (Photo: Provided) It was the conclusion of a long push by fans demanding answers to where their cherished keepsakes had gone. "Unbelievable. That's unbelievable," said fan Mark Robinson. "We bought those bricks. That's my brick. I mean, my daughter's name is literally on the brick. It's mine, and they just got rid of it. It's awful." Pirates owner Bob Nutting apologizes to fan As the story continued to unfold, one fan told KDKA-TV he received a personal email from team owner Bob Nutting, apologizing for the way the situation was handled. "I think he took it as a shock, just like everyone else did," Brian Carothers said. "It was an apology email, saying he was embarrassed by how the situation was handled with the Bucco Bricks." (Photo: KDKA) In the email, Nutting said he saw Carothers' interview with KDKA-TV and wanted to reach out to him. He added he would have supported selling the bricks to him if possible. Nutting said the images of the bricks "carelessly tossed aside" were a mistake, disrespectful, and offered his apologies. In response, the team has now offered free replica bricks to fans as a sign of goodwill. "I know how meaningful the messages and tributes are. We respect that. We appreciate that," Pirates President Travis Williams wrote in a letter. "We are, and have always been, absolutely committed to ensuring these special messages and tributes live on permanently at PNC Park." Bucco Bricks investigation launched At the April 10 board meeting of the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority, it was decided that an independent investigation would be conducted into the removal and disposal of the bricks. The report, released Thursday, detailed how the bricks came to be disposed of. "The Pirates have stated that reinstalling the pavers was not a viable long-term option because, over time, they would become a tripping hazard and would need to be replaced again," the report read. It also found that no public funds were used to dispose of the commemorative bricks. "The only expenditure of project funds was to salvage and preserve the bricks," it said. "Specifically, P.J. Dick was paid $13,500 for performing that service." In total, the investigation found that contract documents and specifications of the project were prepared on the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority's behalf to "salvage, preserve, and deliver the Bucco Bricks to the Pirates." The full report can be found at this link. We have reached out to the Pirates for comment and will update this story once we receive a response.
Fox Sports
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Why changing managers won't fix the Pirates' bigger problems
Off to the same miserable record they had through 38 games five years ago, in what was supposed to represent the start of a rebuild in Pittsburgh, the Pirates tossed manager Derek Shelton overboard on Thursday. At the end of the 2019 season, new general manager Ben Cherington tabbed Shelton as the skipper to right the ship of a Pirates team that had not been to the playoffs since 2015. In year one under the new regime, Pittsburgh began the COVID-shortened 2020 season 12-26 and finished it 19-41. Five seasons later, in the midst of another 12-26 start, with the Pirates still in search of their first winning season since 2018 after finishing no better than fourth place since the front-office shakeup, they relieved Shelton of his duties. The decision was understandable. Taking over for Clint Hurdle — who amassed a winning record (.505) over nine seasons in Pittsburgh despite the club's crippling limitations stemming from its unwillingness to spend — Shelton went 306-440 (.410) over parts of six seasons at the helm of a perennially overmatched and insufficient roster. Over that time, the Pirates' offense ranked last in the majors in runs, home runs and OPS. Amid the team's abysmal start this year, Pirates fans deplored Shelton's lineup tinkering and bullpen management as he attempted to find any kind of recipe to help an offense that again sported the lowest OPS in the National League and a team trending toward its worst season since his tenure began. To call it underperforming would imply a level of talent that Shelton's clubs never possessed, but he did little to help his cause. Toiling through a seven-game losing skid, with the Pirates already 10 games back just 38 games into the year, Shelton walked the plank. Both laughably and predictably, owner Bob Nutting then tried to talk about "urgency." "We need to act with a sense of urgency and take the steps necessary to fix this now to get back on track as a team and organization," Nutting, the man who has never handed out a free-agent contract of $40 million or more and is again overseeing a club with a bottom-five payroll, said as part of a team statement . Nutting and Cherington, meanwhile, continue on. Nutting, after all, was not going to fire himself, despite being the primary reason for the Pirates' ineptitude. Since he became the club's principal owner in 2007, the team's payroll has never been higher than 20th, according to Cot's Contracts . The Pirates' Opening Day payroll this year ranked 26th in MLB…and that was the highest it had been at any point during Shelton's tenure. The years preceding it: 29th, 27th, 28th, 30th, 30th. In related news, the Pirates followed their dismal 2020 season by winning 61 games in 2021, 62 in 2022, then 76 each of the last two years. But with Paul Skenes, [the now-injured] Jared Jones and Mitch Keller atop the rotation, and with highly-regarded prospect Bubba Chandler waiting in the wings, there were at least reasons for optimism entering the 2025 season. Skenes was coming off a Rookie of the Year season in which he started the All-Star Game and finished third in Cy Young Award voting despite not getting called up until around this time last year. The Pirates had a record over .500 at the trade deadline last year before a late-season collapse led to their fourth last-place finish in the last six years. Their starters finished the season with a respectable 3.95 ERA. Their offense, meanwhile, ranked 24th in runs scored and 27th in OPS, with little help coming from a farm system that appears unable to draft and develop hitters or successfully supplement those deficiencies on the trade market. Needless to say, the needs were clear after nine straight seasons missing the playoffs. And Nutting did … basically nuttin'. Neither the team's struggles nor having the most intriguing young arm in the sport prompted the Pirates to spend to fix their offense in an indefensible farce of an offseason . They signed 38-year-old Andrew McCutchen and 37-year-old Tommy Pham to one-year deals. Their most notable offensive move was a trade for Spencer Horwitz, a 27-year-old who hit 22% better than league average over parts of two seasons with the Blue Jays. McCutchen is now the three-hole hitter in one of MLB's most predictably feeble lineups, while Horwitz has yet to debut with his new club after undergoing wrist surgery. Once he returns, he can only do so much. Skenes has a 2.77 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and .192 batting average against, all of which rank in the top 20 among qualified starters this year. And he is 3-4, having received four runs of support or fewer in six of his seven starts. Now, the response is a rearranging of deck chairs on the Titanic. That's nothing against bench coach Don Kelly, the man now tasked with leading the Pirates' sinking ship forward. Letting Shelton go can change the voice in the clubhouse, but it can't change the fact that the roster is inadequate. Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner . FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball Paul Skenes recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Edmonton Journal
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Last-place Pittsburgh Pirates fire manager Derek Shelton, promote bench coach Don Kelly
Article content 'Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot over five-plus years,' Cherington said in a statement. 'His family became a big part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that. He's an incredibly smart, curious, and driven baseball leader. I believe he was the right person for the job when he was hired. I also believe that a change is now necessary. I wish Derek and his family all the best in their next chapter.' The Pirates, ranked 26th out of 30 MLB teams in opening day payroll, began the season hoping to contend behind reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. While the 22-year-old Skenes has been solid and the starting rotation in general has been steady, Pittsburgh's offense has languished near the bottom of the NL all season. The Pirates are in the middle of a difficult stretch that began by getting swept by both San Diego and St. Louis. Pittsburgh's next nine games are against NL powers Atlanta, the New York Mets and Philadelphia. Nutting called the first quarter of the season 'frustrating and painful for all of us.' Kelly, a Pittsburgh native, spent nine years in the major leagues as a utility player. Kelly has been the Pirates bench coach since 2020. 'Donnie is as respected as any person in our clubhouse and throughout our organization,' said Nutting. 'He is a Pirate. He bleeds black and gold. No one is more committed, and no one loves this team or city more than Donnie. He is the right person to manage our team and help get us back on track.'
Fox Sports
08-05-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
Pirates news-dump fired their manager while Vatican picked a new pope
The Pittsburgh Pirates have fired manager Derek Shelton 38 games into the season. They named his successor, bench coach Don Kelly, at the same time that they announced the firing. The Pirates have begun the 2025 season with a 12-26 record, and sit 10 games back in the NL Central. They've also lost seven games in a row, and are just 1-9 in their last 10 contests. That Shelton has been fired following a disappointing second half in 2024 and a poor start to this season is not a surprise, but whether Kelly will be what fixes the Pirates, as team owner Bob Nutting suggested in a statement on the joint firing and hiring, is another question altogether. While Shelton's time with the Pirates concluded with a 306-440 record (.410 win percentage), three last-place finishes and zero postseason appearances, it's not as if he introduced these problems to Pittsburgh. The 2019 team finished 69-93, in last place in the NL Central. The 2018 and 2017 squads both finished in fourth place, with the former just squeezing in over .500 with 82 wins. The Pirates haven't been to the postseason since 2015, when they lost in the NL wild card game to the Cubs. That team had a higher Opening Day payroll ($90.1 million) than 2025's club ($86.5 million), despite the general rise of player cost and the addition of a 26th roster spot in 2020. "There is a lot of baseball left to be played. We need to act with a sense of urgency and take the steps necessary to fix this now to get back on track as a team and organization," Nutting, owner of the team since 2007, said in the statement. There are much larger issues with the Pirates than just who the manager is, however. As FOX Sports' analysts Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar recently put it, respectively: "Until or unless Nutting decides to actually invest in his team — or sell it — it's hard to imagine a regime switch will yield meaningful change," and, "In an ideal world, a top-to-bottom regime change should be in order." As for Shelton, general manager Ben Cherington, architect of these teams since November of 2019 – the entirety of Shelton's time as manager – said in the same team statement that, "Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot of five-plus years. His family became part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that. He's an incredibly smart, curious, and driven baseball leader. I believe he was the right person for the job when he was hired. I also believe that a change of scenery is now necessary." This is of course also occurring at the same time as the announcement of a new pope chosen by the Vatican. Some things just can't wait for the Friday news dump. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
CBS News
16-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Pirates to offer owners of "Bucco Bricks" a free replica of their keepsake
In an open letter to Pirates fans, Pirates President Travis Williams announced a new program from the team to the owners of "Bucco Bricks", the chance to get a complimentary replica of their brick. "I know how meaningful the messages and tributes are. We respect that. We appreciate that," Williams wrote in his letter. "We are, and have always been, absolutely committed to ensuring these special messages and tributes live on permanently at PNC Park." The Pirates are offering the replica bricks after the removal and planning of a new, permanent display that will showcase the original messages that were printed on the bricks. According to the team, this is the third time they have had to replace the bricks due to cracking, wear and tear, and uneven surface areas. Williams' letter went on to say that the team has expedited the process to develop a new display. "My hope is that, through our actions, you will be assured that we appreciate you and we care about you," Williams wrote. To get one of the replicas, the original donors can go to this link and fill out a form to get their commemorative brick. After questions from fans about where their commemorative bricks had gone after being removed early this year, KDKA-TV had been sent several pictures and videos of the bricks at a recycling facility in Reserve Township . "Unbelievable. That's unbelievable," said Mark Robinson at the time. "We bought those bricks. That's my brick. I mean, my daughter's name is literally on the brick. It's mine, and they just got rid of it. It's awful." Following the news of the bricks being sent to a recycling facility, one owner of one of the bricks offered to purchase them from the facility to get them back to their rightful owners. "These are just people who want to get in touch with the memories they have about baseball. The ones who helped them fall in love with baseball, and we can facilitate it," Brian Carothers said. As the fever pitch continued to rise from fans and Bucco Bricks owners, the Pirates' owner, Bob Nutting, responded to Carothers . In the email, Nutting said he saw Carothers' interview with KDKA-TV and wanted to reach out to him. He added he would have supported selling the bricks to him if possible. Nutting said the images of the bricks "carelessly tossed aside" were a mistake, disrespectful, and offered his apologies. The Pirates have not yet released plans for what the new, more permanent display will be, where it will be located, or what it will include.
