The Pittsburgh Fan Base is an unusual bunch. It amazes me sometimes. Here is my point. If the Penguins are .500, everyone is pissed off. If the Steelers are .500, everyone is irate and screaming for someones head, usually Offensive Coordinator Bruce Arians'. The Pirates are at .500, actually one game above as of the writing of this blog, and everyone is dancing in the streets. Really? This is were we are with the Bucs? The Pirates are above .500 in June for the first time since 1999. We all hope this is a step in the right direction for the Bucs, but deep down, we all know the reality. I even have to admit that it feels good. But it shouldn't. A .500 record shouldn't be the standard. However, after 20 years of losing, I am not surprised by the fans behavior, or my own. This is where the Pirates ownership and management has lowered us to folks, cheering for .500 ball play.
My mother always told me that if you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all. Which is why I have never written in this blog about the Pirates before now. Don't get me wrong, I love the Pirates, I really do. They were my first team. I remember
the days of Clemente, Mazeroski, and Stargell. Those were my boys. The Pirates back in the early seventies were the best team in Pittsburgh, until the Steelers won Super Bowl IX on January 12th, 1975. Then the Pirates had to share the stage. And they shared it well. They won the World Series in 1979, the same season the Steelers won Super Bowl XIV. The Bucs became part of the City of Champions. Man, those days are long gone for the Bucs.
Here is what I think. By buying into this, we are feeding the beast that is killing our team. The Pirates ownership has a formula for profiting from losing, and it works. If .500 is the standard for acceptable play, and we all buy jerseys, hats, watch more games, and go to more games, then Nutting wins. The Pirates play losing baseball, and the he makes money. It's sad. And I don't buy the argument that the Pirates can't compete because Pittsburgh is a small market. If Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, and Milwaukee can compete, and they all have in recent history, then so can Pittsburgh, especially with our loyal fan base. The Pirates are in the 20th year of a 5 year rebuilding plan, and we all support it.
I know what your thinking right now. So what do I do, Tim? Quit watching them? Not buy any gear? Don't go to games? Abandon my team? My answer to these questions will surprise you. It's no, too all of them. As much as I despise the Pirates ownership, we do have a new manager, Clint Hurdle. He is known for being able to make something out of nothing. Which is good, because nothing is exactly what the Pirates' management is going to give him. He also seems to be very good at motivating young players. Which is good, because the Pirates wont spend money to keep good players. The list of former Pirates star players on other teams is almost endless. He deserves a chance to do something with the Bucs, and we need to support him.
Right now, Andrew McCutchen's 14 game hitting streak is the longest active in the majors. He also leads the majors in hits (23) and batting avg. (.479) this month. Jose Tabata is batting over .300 this month. Hurdle is getting production out of these guys, and we need to support him. Because in the long run, I don't believe the Pirates management will. Maybe Hurdles ability to strengthen young players will convince them to finally raise the payroll to a point where they can compete. And that is all I am talking about here is competing. I don't expect the Bucs to make the playoffs anytime soon, but it would be nice to not be out of the race in July or August. Give me something to cheer for in September! Stop being the Farm Club for the rest of the League! That's not going to happen this year, but maybe in the next couple years Clint Hurdle can give us something to really cheer about, not .500 ball.
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