Hold My Cutter

Send us Fan Mail Youth sports can be the best thing that happens to a kid or the loudest source of stress in a family. We’re joined by Dennis Biggs and Mark Rawls, two coaches who helped elevate the Gateway youth football program and who care more about the long game than the scoreboard. From the jump, they make it clear: winning cultures aren’t built by slogans. They’re built by adults who show u...

Send us Fan Mail A great title doesn’t always come from a brainstorming session. Sometimes it comes from a Tuesday night at Mario’s, a Pirates game on TV, and a buddy who grabs a pen, a bar napkin, and just knows the words. We’re posted up at The Drawing Room in Pittsburgh with Robbie A great title doesn’t always come from a brainstorming session. Sometimes it comes from a Tuesday night at Mario’s...

Send us Fan Mail Pittsburgh soccer is getting bigger, faster than the stadium can hold it. We’re joined by Rachel Williamson, GM of FNB Stadium, to unpack what it really takes to grow the Pittsburgh Riverhounds from a scrappy local club into a higher-division operation with a 15,000 seat future on the line. We dig into why sellouts matter, what a championship win changes in a market like Pittsburg...

Send us Fan Mail A five-run hole, a swaggering ace on the mound, and a clubhouse tired of almost. We sit down with Michael McHenry to relive April 14, 2013—an afternoon that turned a would-be stumble into a sweep and revealed how the Pirates’ identity had finally hardened into something playoff strong. McHenry takes us inside the arc from 2011–2012 foundation-building to a 2013 culture defined by...

Send us Fan Mail Step into a hidden studio in western Pennsylvania and a sunlit shrine in Bradenton as we sit down with Pirates legend Steve Blass for a ride through memory, ritual, and the stories that make baseball feel like home. Steve opens up about retirement with Karen, the sanity of walking a quiet golf course, and the strict joy of a 4:30 happy hour that turns every day into a small celebr...

Send us Fan Mail A five-story landmark from 1856 just became Pittsburgh’s most intriguing clubhouse on the river. Its part rooftop restaurant, part private cigar lounge, part music venue, part distillery and much more. We step inside the Drawing Room to trace how a decrepit shell turned into a South Shore destination with a skyline overlook, historic structural beams saved from the past, and a cul...

Send us Fan Mail Ken Macha, former Pittsburgh Pirates player and seasoned baseball manager, takes us on a riveting journey through his extraordinary career. From his formative days as a bench coach with the Oakland Athletics to taking the helm as their manager, Ken shares the pivotal moments that shaped his approach to coaching and management. Alongside Greg Brown and co-host Michael McKenry, we d...

Send us Fan Mail What if the trait that decides who wins isn’t talent or likability, but an unshakable need to get better? We dive straight into the fire with Mike Berger—Pittsburgh native, catcher-turned-coach, and longtime executive—to redefine “makeup” as the raw drive that outlasts comfort, politics, and pain. It’s not a mood or a mantra; it’s doing the hard thing again tomorrow. We separate m...

Send us Fan Mail What actually turns a struggling franchise into a contender? We dig into a people-first blueprint for the Pittsburgh Pirates that prioritizes player development, modern pitching, and a culture of humility and feedback over quick fixes. From the first conversation, the focus is clear: winning is hard everywhere, and sustainable success depends on great players supported by a smart,...

Send us Fan Mail What if the true edge in baseball isn’t in a spreadsheet but in a heartbeat? We sit down with baseball lifer Mike Berger to unpack a scouting philosophy built on live looks, instincts, and the human elements analytics can’t quite capture. From the moment a prospect’s poise surfaces under pressure to the quiet ways chemistry binds a clubhouse, Berger explains why the best scouts ei...

Send us Fan Mail The door opens, a little face lights up, and suddenly the turbulence was worth it. That’s the spirit of this homecoming to Pittsburgh—a night where gratitude, memory, and the roar of a standing crowd all met before the first pitch. We revisit the moments that nearly cracked the helmet armor: spotting Maria in the suite, feeling the ovation swell, and trying to keep an at-bat alive...

Send us Fan Mail A first-round pick, a hometown heart, and a league in flux. We sit down with Kevin Orie to unpack a career shaped by grit, timing, and the unforgiving glare of Wrigley Field. From kicking rocks out of infields in Pittsburgh to a private tryout at Wrigley where he sprinted the bases after BP on instinct, Kevin’s story tracks the highs and hard lessons of a young player dropped into...

Send us Fan Mail Brian O'Neill's journey from surviving a near-death experience to becoming one of Pittsburgh's most beloved columnists reads like a chapter from a novel – except every word is true.  At 23, O'Neill was sucked through a storm drain pipe during a flash flood in Danville, Virginia, an experience he recounts with both terror and humor. "I honestly thought God...

Send us Fan Mail Jonathan Mayo didn't set out to become baseball's prospect guru, but after more than two decades covering future stars before anyone knows their names, he's become the voice baseball fans trust to identify tomorrow's talent. In this revealing conversation, Mayo takes us behind the curtain of baseball talent evaluation, sharing how his journey from newspaper jou...

Send us Fan Mail What drives someone to walk away from a stable career to chase their dream? Joanne Harrop did exactly that, leaving behind a decade in office equipment sales to pursue her passion for sports writing. With remarkable determination, she offered to write for free for local publications until finally breaking through as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's first full-time female sport...

Send us Fan Mail Mike "Spanky" LaValliere pulls no punches as he takes us behind home plate for a candid look at baseball through a catcher's eyes. From his days with the Cardinals to becoming a Gold Glove winner and fan favorite with the Pittsburgh Pirates, LaValliere's journey reveals the hidden complexities of one of baseball's most demanding positions. With refreshing...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the players break? Dr. Pat DeMeo takes us into the sacred space of the Pittsburgh Pirates' trainer's room at LECOM Park to reveal the hidden world of Major League Baseball medicine. Growing up as a Yankees fan in 1960s New York, DeMeo never imagined he'd one day become the Pirates' medical director and head of orthopedic surgery at Allegheny H...

Send us Fan Mail Baseball journeys rarely follow a straight path, and Sean Casey's story proves just how winding and meaningful that road can be. The man known as "The Mayor" opens up about the Pittsburgh mentors who shaped his career long before he reached the majors, revealing the profound impact of figures like Joe Ringel and Frank Porco who believed in him when college scouts we...

Send us Fan Mail "Is there any chance you might have polio?" That unforgettable question from Terry Francona to Sean Casey after getting thrown out twice in two days perfectly captures the essence of baseball culture—where humor transforms frustration and builds lasting relationships. Sean "The Mayor" Casey joins us for a captivating conversation that feels like sitting in the...

Send us Fan Mail Unearthed: Forgotten Baseball Heroes and Their Unmarked Graves When Brendan Schuster discovered that Honus Wagner was buried just 15 minutes from his home, he never imagined this curiosity would evolve into a profound mission to honor forgotten baseball heroes. In this deeply moving episode, we journey with Brendan through Pittsburgh's cemeteries as he uncovers the unmarked g...

Send us Fan Mail When Ted Anthony put pen to paper as a 10-year-old defending Pirates broadcaster Milo Hamilton in the Post-Gazette, little did he know it would launch a lifetime journey through words, baseball, and the stories that connect us all.  In this captivating conversation, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated Associated Press journalist traces an extraordinary path from listening to Game 7 of th...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we delve into more of the vibrant and thrilling career of Josh Wilson, a former major-league baseball player who has incredible stories to share. This episode shines a light on not just the glories of entering the big leagues, but the genuine hustle of transitioning through independent teams and what it means to play the game with heart and determination. Josh takes us...

Send us Fan Mail Dive into the engaging world of baseball with former MLB player Josh Wilson as he shares his fascinating career journey, from high school star to the professional leagues. We start at Burned by Rocky Patel, where the rich flavors of the Fat Bottom Betty cigars set the scene for a heartfelt conversation. Josh opens up about the joys of being a young athlete in Pittsburgh and reflec...

Send us Fan Mail What’s it like to be the Swiss Army knife of Major League Baseball? Don Kelly, the ever-adaptable bench coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, shares his incredible journey from the field to the dugout, with stories that range from playing every position on the diamond to catching high-speed pitches as an emergency catcher for the Detroit Tigers. Don recounts his time under the legenda...

Send us Fan Mail Discover the magic of Pittsburgh baseball and the vibrant Yinzer culture in our latest episode of Hold my Cutter, where Greg Brown and Michael McKenry are joined by a special guest. We kick off our discussion at Burned by Rocky Patel, diving into the fascinating world of the San Andreas cigar and its humorous connection to Don Kelly's adventures. You'll get chuckles from...