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Preseason predictions low for Bucs

Notes and observations from Major League Baseball, which opened camps for pitchers and catchers this past Wednesday: n Current preseason forecasts for the 2024 Pittsburgh Pirates are not positive. The Baseball Prospectus Pecota projected standings have the Pirates finishing last in the National League Central Division this year, with a 73-89 record — three games worse than the 76 wins that the Bucs finished with last season. The Baseball Prospectus FanGraphs projected standings also have the Pirates finishing last in the division, with a final record of 77-85. Both the Pecota ...

Trout stocking gets underway this week

After a few days of wonderful weather with temperatures approaching 60 degrees earlier this month, February was only too eager to remind us that it’s still winter by dumping a couple of inches of snow on us one night last week. As I brushed off my car the next morning, I enjoyed some satisfaction in the fact I had gone trout fishing on one of those nice days. Somehow, that made the snow-removal chore a little more bearable. This year, the statewide trout season will begin on Saturday, April 6 with the Mentored Youth Trout Day on Saturday, March 30. That means the annual ...

No matter where he went, Baker proved he could coach

ROARING SPRING — For the first time in 58 years, including 44 as a head coach, Dave Baker isn’t doing advance planning for a high school football season. And that’s just fine with him. Baker, who retired as Central High School’s head coach last week after a highly-successful 13-year ...

Wild turkey survey; Wild Game Feast

If you happen to observe a flock of wild turkeys this winter, the Pennsylvania Game Commission would like to know about them. Last month, the Game Commission activated a special web page to encourage the public to report the locations of their wild turkey sightings until March 15 to support several ongoing turkey studies. The online address for the web page is pgcdatacollection.pa.gov/TurkeyBroodSurvey. It can also be accessed from the Game Commission’s website, pgc.pa.gov. On the homepage, click on the “Wildlife” tab and scroll down the menu and click on “Wildlife Species.” ...

Pebble Beach trades heritage for $20 million elite status

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — The sure sign of a glorious day at Pebble Beach is when even the players stop to take pictures. Justin Thomas couldn’t resist on the 18th tee, a view that illustrated why Robert Louis Stevenson called it the “most felicitous meeting of land and sea.” The stronger connection to Pebble is Bing Crosby, the host of the original clambake whose name was part of the tournament from 1937 until the PGA Tour went corporate in 1986. His name will come up this week only because of what’s known as “Crosby weather.” The forecast is for rain and general misery ...

Mahomes, Chiefs must win it all this year to challenge Pats’ dynasty

If Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are going to challenge Tom Brady and the New England Patriots’ unprecedented two-decade run of success, they have to win a Super Bowl this season. Mahomes and the defending champion Chiefs are facing their toughest road yet to a Lombardi Trophy. They have to go to Baltimore and take down the No. 1 seed Ravens in front of a hostile crowd. After hosting the last five AFC championship games, the Chiefs finished with the No. 3 seed so they didn’t get a bye or home-field advantage. They shut down Miami at home in the wild-card round and ...