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In Vegas, A’s will play with house money

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror Identifying the American city which offers the most attractive options for spectator sports is like conducting a national home search based on the probability of avoiding natural disasters. Absolute certainty is purely subjective. For the record, a graphic published in a national magazine several years ago identified the Southwest as the region most frequently spared from tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, floods and earthquakes. By signing a binding purchase agreement for 49 acres just off the Las Vegas strip, the Oakland A’s have crowned ...

Team USA doesn’t need LIV help

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press Players who signed up for Saudi riches of LIV Golf knew there would be a cost. It wasn’t the majors. Top players are still eligible. But it should cost them a chance to play for the U.S. team in the Ryder Cup. For starters, the American team is strong enough it doesn’t need them. LIV players face long odds to earn one of six automatic spots. To be worthy of a captain’s pick? U.S. skipper Zach Johnson says his qualifiers will have a big say. It should be hard to consider a player who turned his back on his tour. Signing up for Saudi riches ...

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Altoona loss shouldn’t be blamed on field I read the Mirror article “Defense collapse causes another Altoona defeat,” stating that playing at Juniata contributed to the Mountain Lions’ loss to State College on Thursday. Juniata Sports Complex is run by a non-profit 503-C with a very limited budget that comes from selling advertising signs that surround the ballfield, grants and a few donations from local supporters. The groundskeeper, Kirk Beichler, dedicates many hours researching how to improve the field and its structures on this limited budget. And he also dedicates ...

MLB expansion dominoes are falling

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press The Oakland Athletics will be packing their bags for Las Vegas, a long-expected move that will affect baseball’s fandom far beyond those two cities. MLB is now a significant step closer to expansion, which will bring two more long-overdue franchises into the big leagues while also necessitating the creation of eight new minor-league teams around the country. When the Athletics tidy up the multi-billion-dollar details in Sin City, where they’re expected to reside by the 2027 season if not sooner, a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays will ...

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Pirates’ absence from local radio is a huge void I am writing in reference to why the Pirates were not picked up by any local radio station. I get KDKA-AM (1020) out of Pittsburgh, which is in this area, but it fades in and out. I know the Pirates have not been contenders so the stations may not have gotten enough sponsorship, and they jumped off the bus. It is convenient to listen to them in the car or while out in the yard. This is about as stupid as Bishop Guilfoyle firing basketball coach Chris Drenning. I’m asking the local radio station that carried them to ...

Loyalty often doesn’t go both ways

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror One of the routine questions posed to candidates for employment during the interview process is: Where do you see yourself in five years? Considering all the job hopping that occurs in college basketball, it’s doubtful that members of a search committee would bother asking a head coaching candidate that question. A common perception is head coaches are in constant search of ever-greener pastures to expand their net worth, especially those who have made multiple coaching stops over a short period of time. The reality is nearly three-quarters ...