Welcome to Paul Zeise’s weekly mailbag, where the Post-Gazette columnist and radio host of KDKA-AM and 93.7 The Fan answers your questions about sports, life and everything in between. If you want to ask a question, tweet him @PaulZeise or email him at pzeise@post-gazette.com.
Also, I will be on vacation until Oct. 2 taking in a little sun and sand but my mailbag will be on schedule next week so keep sending me questions. And when I get I think the Steelers might be 4-0 and rolling towards an AFC North title!!
Let’s get started:
Amy: Is Nick Herbig better than Alex Highsmith already? He might make Highsmith (and his contract) expendable at the end of the season if he keeps playing the way that he has played.
Zeise: I would be very careful here because Herbig has been mostly a situational player put into situations that are favorable to his skill set. I think we are going to find out a lot more about Herbig now that Highsmith is out for what seems to be at least a few weeks. It is one thing to be a situational player who comes in on third downs in obvious passing situations. It is something totally different to be a three-down player. I think Highsmith is really good. Don’t get me wrong, you could be right about Herbig, but I just need to see more before I crown him as better than Highsmith.
Chad: Why are you on the Justin Fields bandwagon now? You spent the entire preseason talking about Russell Wilson but now Fields has a few mediocre games and he is the answer?
Zeise: I am not on any bandwagon, I just have watched the Steelers play for three weeks. I don’t think that there is any way the Steelers could go to Wilson at this point given the way Fields has played. And being in that locker room Sunday after the game, it seems like the rest of the team has rallied behind and believes in Fields. I am always willing to change my mind based on the facts. I don’t do narratives and I never have. Fields has proven he deserves to be the starter for now and up until he proves otherwise.
Austin L: If you take Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow out of the equation — which quarterback would pick if you were a general manager and had a choice of all the quarterbacks in the NFL?
Zeise: Wow, that’s a great question. I mean, recency bias would dictate Jayden Daniels given what he did to the Bengals on Monday night, but I probably need to see more before I am ready to declare anything about him. I really like C.J. Stroud, too, but the obvious answer is Lamar Jackson. I know, he has only won one playoff game. But the dude is the most dynamic player in the NFL and a threat to win the MVP every season. He is as good as it gets and should be entering his prime.
Jeff: If Bob Nutting decides in the offseason that Derek Shelton is not the guy to get the Pirates over the top and into contention. Who would be your top choices for manager? I have two names that I would go after in a heartbeat: Terry Francona — great manager hampered by the Dolan family possibly being cheaper than Nutting. Knows how to win and develop players. Joe Girardi — reminds me of Jimmy Leyland. Not afraid to stick his foot up someone’s rear end. Also not afraid to take blame if a move he makes costs the team a win.
Zeise: Francona is a popular pick because of his Beaver County roots, but does he still want to manage? And at his age, does he want to take on a rebuilding job like the Pirates? Girardi is also an experienced manager and I think he would bring some credibility instantly to the Pirates. I think another name I would be intrigued by is Don Kelly, even though he is on the bench right now for the Pirates. He is young and doesn’t have a ton of experience, but I think he would bring an energy to the job and would hire some good assistants. Also, I know he is 75 and he retired, but I wouldn’t hate if they were able to talk Dusty Baker out of retirement.
Marty: Do you think Paul Skenes has a realistic shot at the Cy Young? I think he will win rookie of the year but he has also been the best pitcher in the majors this year and should be rewarded for it.
Zeise: I do but I think his relative lack of innings and appearances will hurt him. He doesn’t even qualify for most of the statistical category league leaders. That might hurt his chances, but I do agree with you that he should be rookie of the year, and there is a strong case to be made that he is the best pitcher in baseball right now.
Jason M: Why is there so much talk about Eli Holstein transferring? He just got here, why would he leave?
Zeise: I think the easy answer is because Pitt fans are fatalistic and always waiting for the other shoe to drop. The theory is he is so good that some SEC team or a team like Ohio State will throw a bunch of money at him to be their starter. Here is my counter to that: He is a redshirt freshman, which means he only has to play one more season to be eligible for the NFL draft. He is playing in the most quarterback-friendly offense he can find, and Pitt’s NIL coalition will come up with enough money to keep him. They wouldn’t be able to match Ohio State or LSU’s offer, but they could make an offer that is high enough to keep Holstein around.
Joey: Who do you think has the most delusional fanbase in sports? As much as it pains me to say it, I believe it's Pittsburgh Pirates fans. Most still buy into Nutting's con year in and year out.
Zeise: I would say it has to be either Notre Dame or the Cowboys. Neither team has been particularly relevant for decades, and yet their fans act like they are the premier teams in their respective sport. That’s especially true for Notre Dame fans, who act like this is still the 1930s and 40s when they ran college football. But think about this — Notre Dame hasn’t won a national title since 1988. That is almost 40 years.
Zach: Has all this conference realignment in college athletics ruined some of your enjoyment of the sports, or are you fine with it all?
Zeise: Not really, I just think it is silly. I mean, Stanford and Cal in the ACC is just dumb. And all this nonsense with the Pac-12 raiding the AAC and Mountain West to try and stay relevant is just sad. But it is the way of the world in college athletics, so I just accept it and move on.
Paul Zeise: pzeise@post-gazette.com or Twitter: @paulzeise
First Published: September 25, 2024, 2:17 p.m.
Updated: September 25, 2024, 2:33 p.m.