The Sports Monitor

... And in other breaking news, the sun is expected to rise in the east.

No. 39. Dave Parker, one of my favorite Pirates growing up, wore No. 39. Willie Parker, a favorite of mine from the Steelers, wore No. 39. I like the number. Unfortunately, 39 doesn't suit this year's Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have been stuck on 39 wins for a few days now. That wouldn't be too bad if it were June. It's mid-August and they have the worst record in baseball. How bad is it? A quick look at minor league baseball tells the story. In the Pacific Coast League and International League in Triple-A, no team has fewer than 46 wins. That's 30 teams total. If you go to Double-A and examine the Eastern League, Southern League and Texas League, the lowest total is 34 by the New Britain Rock Cats. Everyone else has at least 43 wins. That's another 30 teams covered. Add it all up, and there are 88 of 90 teams with more wins than the Pirates. These Bucs are so bad, they could challenge the worst record of all time. Normally, fans could...

There's not much special about the Baltimore Orioles these days. However, the fan storming the field on Friday was a blast to watch. I've never seen so much indifference from the fan on the field to the security. You can check it out here.

I wasn't thrilled with the choice of Evan Meek as an All-Star. But after watching the All-Star Game on Tuesday, I realized I could have been wrong about the Pirates reliever. Meek belongs in the same class as the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. Both didn't play in the Midsummer Classic. Not bad company, eh?

The Boss is dead, and by Boss, I don't mean Bruce Springsteen. Many people are lavishing praises of George Steinbrenner after his death Tuesday. The ones that aren't are holding him up as Exhibit A of what's wrong with baseball. Jay Mariotti over at FanHouse calls the Boss the "best of owners." Over at the New York Post, a column there isn't very friendly . I disliked what Steinbrenner did to baseball. He bought the best players at the highest prices. If it was a failed free-agent acquisition, well, there was enough Yankee money to go around to cover the mistake. Just replace the underachieving player with another -- either by another free-agent move or a trade with a bottom-feeder like the Pirates. He took advantage of the system. It doesn't take a smart person to buy the best players. It takes deep pockets. For that, Steinbrenner should be lauded, not his greatness as an owner. He wasn't great in the sense that he knew about baseball or ma...

Mike Tomlin will be with the Steelers at least through 2014. To me, that's good news. I've been a fan of Tomlin's since he popped up on the radar screen during the team's coaching search to replace Bill Cowher. Tomlin's no-nonsense approach appeals to me, and I appreciate a coach who tells it like it is. I especially appreciate someone like Tomlin compared to coaches like Bill Belichick who offer non answers to simple questions. The move also provides stability for a team that has gone through an offseason unlike any other. The Steelers certainly do not need to go into training camp with a lame-duck coach.

I've had a few days now to take in all the hype and hysteria over LeBron James' decision to play basketball  for the Miami Heat. Like nearly everyone else -- unless you are a Miami Heat fan -- I was disgusted with the whole process. A one-hour show on ESPN? Having potential suitors visit him? Spare me. Three things really stood out during the past two weeks: James is a narcissist, James can't win by himself and James doesn't like Cleveland. The first doesn't need much explanation. The second? Well, it was pretty evident James couldn't win by himself when he begged the Cleveland Cavaliers to get him better players. He made a mad dash to win a title. It doesn't always work that way. Karl Malone and Gary Payton tried to take the easy way out and win a title with the L.A. Lakers in 2004. They lost easily to the Detroit Pistons in the finals. If something similar happens in Miami, James is a failure. If he does win a title, James accomplishes that w...