PITTSBURGH - If you had Aug. 28 in the "When will Mike Wallace show up" pool, congratulations.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' receiver ended his holdout on Tuesday, entering the team's South Side complex through the back door.
So there was no brass band and balloon release to salute his return to the team.
After a round of interviews, Wallace went to immerse himself in the new Todd Haley playbook.
Under NFL rules, Wallace can't practice until Monday, which gives him just one week to get up to speed on what the Steelers are doing under their new offensive coordinator.
It's not the ideal situation by any means, but it's workable.
"I'm ready to roll," Wallace said.
Finally.
Bedard gone
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Erik Bedard with the idea he could take some innings and lend stability to their starting rotation.
Instead, Bedard didn't accomplish much and was released on Tuesday.
When a lefthanded starter falls to the Pirates for the modest price of $4.5 million, it's reasonable to start looking for flaws.
Bedard came with a checkered injury history, but his health wasn't an issue in the five months he spent with the Pirates.
He was able to make his assignments. He just wasn't able to pitch very well.
The Pirates' dissatisfaction with him became apparent when they rigged the post-All Star rotation to avoid Bedard's turn as long as possible.
If nothing else, Bedard bought some time for younger pitchers to get a season's worth experience at Class AAA Indianapolis.
They'll get a chance in September while Bedard collects his last $750,000 at home.
Put his name on the long list that includes Jeromy Burnitz, Lyle Overbay and too many others, veterans who didn't add enough.
Batch out?
Charlie Batch will play a lot in the Steelers' last preseason game against Carolina at Heinz Field.
It could be his last appearance in black and gold. It's looking like the Steelers will cut Batch when they make the final roster decisions.
If anything happens to Ben Roethlisberger or Byron Leftwich, the Steelers figure that Batch will be around, familiar with the system and ready to re-sign if needed.
Mehno can be reached at johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com
