Yesterday the Pittsburgh Pirates reached .500 yesterday and everyone was excited about it. "Pirates are at .500 baby!" was a common Facebook status or tweet all day yesterday. Sure, the Pirates are playing good baseball and right are in contention for the division title, and a wild-card spot as of right now.
I really just wanted to comment on how different it is to be a fan of the Pirates, compared to cheering for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Expectations are way different for the Pirates compared to the other two. The Pirates are expected to lose, they are expected to finish towards the bottom of the league. The Pirates are definitely not supposed to contend for a playoff spot or a division title.
The Steelers and Penguins on the other hand, they are expected to contend for a championship every season. When the Steelers lose a wild-card playoff game coaches get fired and major roster changes are made. When the Penguins lose in the first round of the playoffs trade rumors about every single player including reigning scoring champion Evgeni Malkin come out.
Compare that to yesterday's events. Pirates won their fourth straight game and reached .500 at the end of May, everyone was stoked. I thought there was going to be a damn parade. Now look I root for the Pirates to win. I wish they were a winning ball club every season. Fans in Pittsburgh are starving for a successful Pirates team.
For the most part, myself included, a lot of people just go to Pirates games to go, to party and enjoy the weather. Nothing wrong with that in reality. If the Pirates were a good team though, made a playoff run every other year, that stadium would be packed for damn near every game and this city would be electric.
Instead, the Pirates are on the verge of having their 20th straight losing season in a row. Another losing season this year and next and the losing streak will be old enough to drink. Hey I"m sure Frank Coonelly is cool with that.
What scares me when it comes to the Pirates is false hope. Right now the Pirates have great pitching with a mediocre offense. General manager Neal Huntington made some weary comments about trades, saying "“We are open to an impact trade if it is the right deal, not because we need offense.” That should scare the shit out of all Pirates fans.
The Pirates do need offense. They do need upgrades at shortstop, first base, and another outfielder. The Pirates do need another player to bat better than .275. The Pirates do need more consistent power. What Huntington said makes me think "Same old Pirates".
If the Pirates are still flirting with the division title and a playoff spot by the trade deadline, they owe it to themselves, their players, and their fans to make a trade that will impact the lineup for the good. If they have to give away a few prospects or arms who cares? What else do they have to lose?
Pittsburgh becomes spoiled when it comes to winning. If the Steelers and Penguins are not winning championships and dominating, fans become agitated and bored. Not with the Pirates, if they finish about .500 this year the North Shore might look like New Orleans during Mardi Gras. That's what happens when you're down for so long, any positivity seems like you're up.
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