Rick Rhoden was an All-Star with the Dodgers, helping them reach the World Series, but they were concerned with his shoulder and agreed to trade him to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the 1979 Season.  

Rhoden's shoulder was in bad shape, and he only played in one Game in Pittsburgh's 1977 World Series-winning season.  The Pirates' patience paid off as Rhoden returned to form and won at least 10 Games for the club from 1982 to 1986, peaking at 15 in 1986.  That season, Rhoden was named to his first All-Star Team in a decade while posting a 2.84 ERA and 1.131 WHIP.  For the first and only time in his career, Rhoden received Cy Young votes, finishing fifth.

Rhoden was also one of the best hitting Pitchers of his day.  With the Pirates, he won three consecutive Silver Sluggers (1984-86) and batted .251 with 127 Hits with Pittsburgh.  He was also an excellent fielder, having finished with a perfect Fielding Percentage five times as a Pirate.  

After the 1986 Season, Rhoden was traded to the Yankees.  His Pittsburgh stats included a 3.51 ERA, 852 Strikeouts, and a record of 79 and 73.

Pittsburgh Pirate in the middle of his career, Brian Giles was at his best when he played in the black and yellow.

Giles was traded from Cleveland after four years to the Padres and was the bright spot on some awful Pittsburgh teams.  In the four full seasons he was with Pittsburgh, he never had a year where he did smack at least 35 Home Runs, received an MVP vote, and batted over .300 in three of them.  Giles was a National League All-Star in 2000 and 2001, but the slumping Pirates traded him to San Diego during the 2003 campaign.

With Pittsburgh, Giles had 782 Hits, 165 Home Runs, and batted .308.

The Super Bowl LVI participants are set, and there are not too many who would have bet on the Cincinnati Bengals to face the Los Angeles Rams.  The Rams enter as a favorite, but that is perfectly fine for Cincinnati, who have overcome the odds to get to the big dance.

If you’re planning to place a bet on the Super Bowl, here is a guide with the 3 Easiest Super Bowl 56 bets anyone can make, that was created by the guys at Sports Betting Dime.

The Rams will have the luxury of playing in their home, SoFi Stadium, but this has been a post-season where the road teams have been dominant.  Los Angeles went all in at the start of the season, trading their Quarterback, Jared Goff, and a slew of First Round Picks to Detroit for Matthew Stafford.  The move was every bit the upgrade they hoped for, and it helped propel Wide Receiver, Cooper Kupp, to new single-season receiving records and a possible MVP.

Defensively, the Rams are led by Aaron Donald, the three-time Defensive MVP and future first ballot Hall of Famer.  It is a complete team coached by Sean McVay, who at 36 years of age, will appear in his second Super Bowl, a first for any Coach under 40. 

The Bengals have never won the Super Bowl, and are appearing in their third, the last coming 23 years ago in a loss to San Francisco.  Cincinnati first beat Las Vegas at home, and then upset the top seed Tennessee Titans and defending AFC Champion, Kansas City on the road to get here.

Led by Quarterback, Joe Burrow, the Bengals are riding on momentum and emotion, and while Burrow is only in his second season, he already has a pedigree of a champion.  Along with his teammate and current start Wide Receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, the duo won the National Championship at LSU two years ago, and the image of Burrow smoking a cigar after the victory is an iconic moment that Bengals fans hope to see repeated.

Both teams are capable of comebacks, as shown in each Conference Championship Games, so don’t let any halftime score make you think the game is over.

This is a fresh Super Bowl match, and we can’t wait to see how this will play out.

Super Bowl LVI will be on Sunday, February 13 at 6:30 p.m. EST.

A product of the Dominican Republic, Starling Marte began his professional baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team that signed him in 2007 and which he debuted for in 2012.

Playing in Centerfield, Marte had at least 140 Hits from 2013 to 2016, showing a nice blend of power and speed, belting 53 Home Runs and 1478 Stolen Bases while going to the All-Star Game on the strength of his first .300 Season in 2016.  Defensively, Marte was fabulous, winning two Gold Gloves (2015 & 2016) and the Wilson Defensive Award in 2015.

Marte 80 Games in 2017 due to a PED suspension; Marte still managed to steal 21 Bases that year and stole 20 or more the next two years giving him seven straight.  With his contract coming due, Marte was traded to Arizona after the 2019 Season, leaving Marte’s numbers as a Pirate saw him bat .287 with 1,047 Hits, 108 Home Runs, and 239 Stolen Bases.