Homey: After reading the report that T.J. Clemmings comitted to Pitt the other day, I researched his name and found that he's also a big time basketball recruit too. Is he planning on playing basketball at Pitt too? And is that why he chose Pitt over some other schools?

Jerry Micco: From what I've read, he's not planning on playing basketball. As far as why Pitt, maybe he liked the coaching staff and the school, and maybe he thought there was a better chance to play there. Those are usually the reasons a kid chooses a school. Overall, he probably like the program better than the others is my guess.

Homey: Can you help me understand why the Pens gave pretty good money to Goligoski before getting Scuderi signed? I know he might have more long-term potential than Scuderi, but surely the team needs to be in "win now" mode, right?

Jerry Micco: They likely will lose Gill and Bouchette to free agency. So you needed another defenseman anyway, and if you sign Scuderi, which I'm sure they'll try to do, you've got a full complement of guys. I think you want Goligoski signed for a few years at a friendly price because he could be Gonchar's replacement. And you gain on cap space when that happens.

theWellHungarian: What's up Jerry-- Do you see the Pens re-signing any of their restricted FA's? I personally think they are all replaceable parts that can be had at cheaper prices and the Pens are going to need to resign Letang.

Jerry Micco: To be honest, I'm not sure who the restricted guys are. I know the unrestricted guys. And I think Guerin, Scuderi and Fedotenko are probably at the top of their list. Now whether they can get all 3, I don't know.

theWellHungarian: Nice article by Dejan the other day giving me reasons to watch the Cleveland series ... I know it caught a lot of heat in the local media for him being a "cheerleader," but with my ever-fading interest in baseball he should maybe do that for every series, because I need that to get me through the season.

Jerry Micco: I think Dejan's story was pointing out that while both teams are in the basement, they've played some very good games in the past. Folks around here can cry cheerlead all they want, I didn't hear anyone say anything, but if we're going to talk about cheerleading, I saw some pretty big pom-poms waved throughout the Penguins playoff run. I guess as long as a team wins and you cheerlead, that's OK?

theWellHungarian: Big game today for the US Soccer Team in the Confederations Cup today at 2:30pm against Espa?. We're gonna get smoked, I think, but it will give everyone a chance to see some brilliant f? from the likes of Fernando Torres, David Villa, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Carles Puyol, and many others from La Roja

Jerry Micco: It was tough enough to get out of pool play for the US, but you're right, we just can't handle the likes of a Spain. What a powerhouse that nation is in soccer, along with Italy.

theWellHungarian: Is the P-G planning anything for the draft with 2 potential 1st rounders coming from Pitt?

Jerry Micco: We'll be covering Blair and Young the day of the draft, concentrating on Blair being a hometown guy and all. But we'll contact Young, too, when he's drafted. We'll have stories and photos, as well as video on our Web site.

theWellHungarian: Have the Pens officially overtaken the Pirates as the #2 team in Pittsburgh? In my opinion, yes, but that's basically my buddies, family, and I... I'm sure you have a way to see page views, stories read and emailed, and other web statistics that can track which team garners more interest from the populace

Jerry Micco: The Pens did very well vis a vis page-views during the playoffs, the Pirates, however, remained steady. As far as interest, the Pens may have overtaken the Pirates, but if they have, it's not by much. The Pirates have a broader audience and stay steady. In everyone's hearts, however, the Pens may have supplanted the Buccos. Hard not to when you win a Stanley Cup with the group of guys they have.

James_Taipei: Will Freddy Sanchez be the Pirates All-Star representitive this year?

Jerry Micco: Probably, unless Zach Duke can get to 10 wins.

Jackie_Chiles: what was the theory behind sending Gerry Dulac to cover Ben's round at Bethpage and not the U.S. Open? I guess yinzer nation can't get enough of dem Stillers.

Jerry Micco: Ben Roethlisberger is a local personality as well as QB of the Steelers. And it's a lot less expensive to do an up-and-back for a story where you get a lot of access, than to do 5 days in New York where your access is the same as 800 other journalists. And I don't think we did poorly with our wire coverage of the Open, though you may disagree. I'd love to send Gerry to the Open every year, but until the economy comes back, that's going to be tough. We are, however, sending him to the women's US Open in Bethlehem. That tournament will be staged at Oakmont next year.

Artie_Lange: Did you go to Buffett last night?

Jerry Micco: I did not. But with the start of the Associated Press Sports Editors convention starting tonight, I'll be going on a buffet Clipper cruise with a bunch of my sports editor brethren from around the country. Not the same, eh?

Homey: I didn't know Bouchette played for the Pens... he has many talents.

Jerry Micco: Did I type Bouchette? Ed probably could play for them. Of course, I meant Boucher. Yikes, I do need that vacation next week.

Artie_Lange: Has there ever been a more disappointing pro golfer than Phil? He should have at least 3 Open wins by now.

Jerry Micco: At least 2, maybe 3. Being a huge Phil fan, I was disappointed again at a US Open. He battled the entire tournament, but again he falls flat down the stretch. But at least he was competitive. I wondered how Amy's situation would affect him. Obviously, his golf was very good for 4 days plus. But he'd be the first to say as long as his wife pulls through this, he can live without Open titles.

Artie_Lange: I saw some video of Big Ben last night. Good thing training camp doesn't start tomorrow because I don't know if he would be able to finish the run test. My man must be really enjoying that Super Bowl this offseason.

Jerry Micco: He's a big guy anyway, but I'm pretty certain he'll be ready to go come Latrobe. And if he's not, he'll be ready come September and the Tennessee game.

dongta: What happened to the day when a pitcher would be brought up to the majors from AA? As well as Lincoln is pitching right now, how can he be any worse than Snell?

Jerry Micco: I think with Lincoln, it has to be gradual because of his arm problems. It doesn't hurt him to pitch in AAA for a while. If he continues to do well there, it won't be long before he's here.

ajt123: Were you surprised at the release of Craig Monroe?

Jerry Micco: Yes I was, though I could never figure why the Pirates had the guy when they wouldn't start him against lefties but 50 percent of the time? I know his not hustling down to first was the reason they cut him. That and he was a terrible pinch hitter. But it had to be even more than that.

Jacque_Strap: I would like to thank Bill Cowher for picking the Bengals to make the playoffs. I'm glad Big Ben noticed, seems like he enjoys using these types of things as motivation to proving people wrong. I'm just looking for reasons they'll avoid a post SB letdown.

Jerry Micco: That's always tough because those letdowns are part of the game. The schedule, though, is pretty favorable and they should be no worse than last year, which is awfully good, right? I don't think we'll see 8-8, but more like 11-5 and a playoff team.

Homey: Any hope that without Fehr in the picture, baseball will improve? I'm a Pirates fan, but haven't followed baseball since 1994, because the money system is so flawed.

Jerry Micco: Don Fehr did a terrific job for his clients and was terrible for baseball. But I'll judge him on what he did in his job as it was defined by the players he represented. I wish the Association (it's not really a union) and MLB could work together better and maybe it will now that he's out of the picture. But there's a lot of work left to do there.

ajt123: Are you excited by Pirates farm system? Is there enough there to make us compete in a few years?

Jerry Micco: They need much more down on the farm. Much more. This was not a deep draft for talent and the Pirates took a bunch of signable guys. If they pan out, you got some depth for not a lot of money. I think it'll take a couple more very astute trades by Neal Huntington to beef up that system more. It's getting better, but it's nothing to get too excited about yet.

Artie_Lange: Does anyone know if Ian Snell was on a flight to Indianapolis today?

Jerry Micco: We'd know if he was. Maybe they'd make him drive?

ajt123: The Penguins seem to have roughly $10 mil to spend with current players under contract.. Who of the free agents do you think they will keep and do you think they could acquire a winger such as Marion Gaborik?

Jerry Micco: I'd love to see them get Gaborik, but I'm not sure they'd have enough cap room to do so. I think, as I said earlier, that Guerin, Scuderi and Fedotenko are their top targets. Now if they can't sign Guerin, maybe there's room for Gaborik. But that's going to take some cash, or a trade, on their part.

Jackie_Chiles: Maybe Ben can call Tiger about his training habits. He seemed anxious to let the world know he has Tiger on speed dial.

Jerry Micco: Ben's speed dial is probably a who's who among athletes and celebrities. But he'd better make sure Mike Tomlin is there, too, because if he's too busy dialing up celebs, Tomlin's going to be in his ear. Tomlin has a lot of Noll in him.

KS_Steeler: Hi Jerry - where you going on vacation?

Jerry Micco: Nowhere. Just resting. Golfing, going to a Pirates game. Just not thinking about work for a week (or at least trying not to).

Jacque_Strap: On Mike & Mike this morning Jay Bilas picked Sam Young as one of his good value picks, a guy who could step into the league and play right away. Sam and Dejuan might actually cause me to pay attention to the NBA next year, I'm excited to see where they'll be playing.

Jerry Micco: I'm not sure I agree that Young is ready made for the NBA. Ray Fittipaldo said on our SportsNOW program we taped today on our Web site, that he's 24 and what you see is what you get. He's pretty much matured as a player, so there's little more upside. Not the same with DeJuan, who likely will be a limited scorer, but could be a ferocious rebounder.

KS_Steeler: Jerry, I noticed yesterday that ESPN had the terms of Starks new contract ($26.5M) and the PG said terms were not disclosed, how does that discrepancy happen? Ed not asking the right people?

Jerry Micco: A matter of getting the right people you trust to tell you the numbers. Besides, Ed's on vacation and came off a beach somewhere to get that piece of information. Laura Keeley, an extremely sharp intern we have this summer, did the rest of the story.

Jackie_Chiles: I gotta give Ron Cook credit, I didn't think he could squeeze another Jim Leyland column out, but he sure did.

Jerry Micco: He's a big fan and Leyland made news by resigning with Detroit. The guy is still an icon here for a lot of folks, and still lives here in the offseason. I think it's a worthy topic when there's news around it.

Homey: I was watching SportsCenter last night, and the first story was Ramirez playing in Triple-A. How is he a bigger story in Triple-A than he would be with the Dodgers, and especially after he's been caught cheating?

Jerry Micco: Because he's one of the best players in the game and he plays in Los Angeles. And if it was the 11 p.m. SportsCenter, doesn't that originate from LA now?

Jacque_Strap: Really enjoyed the Big Ben video, the interview was probably the least guarded I've ever heard him.

Jerry Micco: Different environment, different circumstances. He's learned how to deal with us a bit better and though it's not a great relationship (media and Ben) it is enough that he feels comfortable talking now. Moreso than before.

StarkRavingMad: How has the scouting system and scout quality improved since Huntington and crew took over? I go back to the old teams of the 1970s which were filled with scouting finds. The Pirates made Howie Haak a legend. Has the problem over the past ten years been more attributable to lousy and superficial scouting? Why is it that other teams can draft and develop prospects, which we must acquire by trade?

Jerry Micco: A lot of reasons, and scouting is one of them. My understanding is that the Pirates are now more thorough under Huntington than they were before under Littlefield. And Huntington scouts himself, too, which I don't think Littlefield did when he was here. Hard to say if that system will produce talent, but give the man credit, he's trying to do it within a system so he'll succeed or fail on his terms.

Jackie_Chiles: How can you not be excited about the Pirates farm system when the legendary Gorkys Hernandez is playing for Altoona?

Jerry Micco: He needs to do better doesn't he? I have the feeling he's not the guy who was the key to that trade.

Jacque_Strap: Jerry, that is the best kind of vacation in my book. Many vacations can end up making you more tired/aggravated than when you left!

Jerry Micco: yes, particularly when you visit family. Never a vacation.

StarkRavingMad: Mike DeCoursey also said similar things about Sam Young, despite his age. He would be a very steady small forward, and DeCoursey suggests that Cleveland would be crazy to pass on Young.

Jerry Micco: He's projected between 22 and 30 in most drafts. I think he'll be a serviceable player, but I don't see NBA star for him.

Artie_Lange: Did Dave Molinari get to drink from Lond Stanley's Cup?

Jerry Micco: He did not. He'd be too tired if offered. I don't think he took a day off during the playoffs. Maybe a half day here and there.

Jackie_Chiles: I'm guessing Sam Young will have a Glenn Robinson or Donyell Marshall type NBA career. DeJuan Blair? He'll be like Robert "Tractor" Traylor. Just my opinion.

Jerry Micco: Donyell and Glenn had pretty good careers. I don't think Young will get to that level, but you can argue he'd be close to that. Carlos Boozer comes to mind for Blair. Big rebounder, OK scorer. Defense could be an issue dealing with 6-10 PFs in the NBA. DeJuan's got some work ahead of him, but he's up for it. So is Young, for that matter.

Jacque_Strap: I still love Jim Leyland. I became a fan for life when he chewed out Bonds in spring training.

Jerry Micco: A lot of people here love him as much for that as they do for the 3 division titles in a row.

KS_Steeler: with regard to the Starks deal, does that make Heath Miller the next target with the new cap space? I think he is a great tight end, but don't want to overpay for a position we just don't utilize that much? Thoughts?

Jerry Micco: I think they'd be crazy not to resign Miller. He's a valuable weapon for them and he can block, too. I think you'll see them move on him rather quickly. An important part of a championship team, just like Starks.

dongta: Are you sure Gerry didn't interview Jared Lorenzen? Man is Ben looking thick.

Jerry Micco: Now let's not get carried away here. I can remember Ben's first couple years here and being in a locker room after games and he's just a big guy. Is all of 6-5 and was a good 250. He lost some weight after the motorcycle crash, but may have put it back on. He probably plays around 240 or so.

StarkRavingMad: Any more rumors on the signing of that kid Sano out of the Dominican Republic? Do you think that Sano will sign with someone on July 1?

Jerry Micco: Probably not right away, maybe a few days later. Nothing more to report on that, though.

dongta: Does DeJuan have a vote for the HOF yet?

Jerry Micco: He does not.

Jackie_Chiles: A few Sundays ago, Greg Brown gushed for a half hour about the Pirates 5,700 walk up ticket sale. This was the day the Pens brought the Cup to PNC Park, which Dejan reported was happening at 10 am. Does Greg Brown really think the listener is that stupid to think the Pirates caused the brisk walk up sale? C'mon now.

Jerry Micco: It would be great to know if we moved that many folks to PNC Park on a Sunday afternoon with a breaking news story. OK, I like your reason better than Greg Brown's!

Artie_Lange: You know what I like about the new Pirates front office? They are trying to build a championship team. They are not concerned with the fireworks/bobblehead crowd who thinks that Jack Wilson is a hall of famer because he dives for balls 6 feet out of his reach. They aren't trying to win 82 games, they are trying to win a World Series. Fans need to be patient.

Jerry Micco: If they want to do that, they need to do what they are doing first: restocking and reloading the farm system. But, if you want to win titles, not only do those guys have to come through, but you need a free agent or two to put you over the top. You take care of the in-house system first, then if you contend, you get the missing parts.

StarkRavingMad: Well, considering how much (or little) that Starks has played the last two years, he should be well rested. Was the knock on him that his feet are too slow to deal with the top speed rushers?

Jerry Micco: I think he just got beat out by Willie Colon and the staff soured on him a bit. Not much, though, because they kept franchising him. I think they knew he could play, but tackle, particularly left tackle, is a tough position to learn. It was a good call to sign the guy to those numbers. If he's a very good LT, and he can be, that's a bargain.

Jackie_Chiles: Ben seemed to be enjoying that 1/2lb burger he was eating in Lemieux's box during the Finals. Maybe he should mix in a salad now and then.

Jerry Micco: Big boy needs to eat. Salad? Put lettuce and tomato on that burger. I'm not too concerned with his conditioning.

Artie_Lange: Dejan is the biggest cheerleader in town. I wouldn't be surprised if he sheds a tear or two the day Wilson and Sanchez are traded.

Jerry Micco: If you read him daily, as well as his blog, he's just a terrific reporter. No one, and I mean no one, has examined with a critical eye how the Pirates do business. I can't let that statement stand. Read the body of work.

PhillyMarty: Born in 1958, two championships this year had me reflecting. This is now 12 titles in 41 years. Subtract that Pens did not exist until late 60's and it is better than one every 10 team seasons. Very few cities come close on total titles other than a NY with multiple teams. Boston do to the Celts is the only team that beats us in total. Not sure if anyone beats us in %.

Jerry Micco: You're right, Marty, Pittsburgh has enjoyed an abundance of titles. We have been very lucky to be around for all that (born in 56 here). It's a great sports town and truly is now (again) the City of Champions.

Jerry Micco: Folks I need to run. I won't be here next week, but Gene Collier has agreed to take this hour, so look for him in this spot. Again, it's always a pleasure to chat with all of you. I'll talk with you again on July 8. Thanks for taking the time today.