It's Time for Pittsburgh Pirates Ownership to Make a Move
by Mike Drakulich, Pittsburgh SportsNation
When Sid Bream slid across home plate to give the Atlanta Braves an improbable 9th inning comeback vs the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS, not even the most pessimistic of Pirates fans could have imagined what was to follow for the next 18 seasons.
A once proud franchise, filled with tradition, 5 World Series Titles, and the likes of Honus Wagner, Ralph Kiner, Roberto Clemente, and Willie Stargell--just to name a minuscule few, had become the laughingstock of not only MLB, but of the entire sports world!
There are kids currently entering their freshman season in college who have never seen the Pirates above .500. You could get gas back then without needing a line of credit. Arsenio Hall was still popular.
18 years of Andy Van Slyke and Barry Bonds replaced by Derek Bell and Brant Brown.
When PNC Park, the jewel of MLB was built in 2001, Pirates fans were promised change. But as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Since 2001, Pirates ownership has spent more on their personal vacations than on team payroll.
In 2007, Bob Nutting became the principal owner of the Buccos, taking over for Kevin McClatchy, and Nutting was like the Wizard of Oz--you heard of him, but never saw him. In 2009, two years after hiring Frank Coonelly and Neal Huntington, Nutting finally pulled back the curtains and proclaimed that the Pirates were headed in the right direction, and ownership would be there when the time was right.
It's now 2011, and as of yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates are only 2 games under .500, with a bevy of young talent on the Major League roster, including Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez, and Charlie Morton. The Pirates, finally, are a team that is starting to believe in itself, partly because of the hiring of manager Clint Hurdle, but mainly because these guys are actually good!
With the likes of Tony Sanchez, Pedro Ciriaco (if he's allowed to ever play), Stetson Allie, Jameson Taillon, Luis Heredia, Starling Mare and whomever the Pirates select today 1st overall, all coming to the Major League roster within the next 2-4 years, now is the best time of all for Pirates ownership to truly show it's fan base that it is indeed, "In it, to win it", by going out and becoming buyers at the MLB trading deadline. The fans deserve it, and most importantly, this team deserves it, especially since they are doing so well without their best power hitter in Pedro Alvarez on the shelf with a quad injury the past few weeks.
Now is the time to bring in some extra veteran talent, guys who can provide leadership and teaching ability. If someone like the Mets' Jose Reyes is available, go get him! This is where the turning point of the Pittsburgh Pirates fortunes can turn, finally, after 18 years of grief and despair. This is the time Bob Nutting can stand up and prove himself to the loyal fans who have supported this franchise through thick and thin.
This is the time the Pittsburgh Pirates can finally become relevant again.
Mr. Nutting: Don't pass this opportunity up.
When Sid Bream slid across home plate to give the Atlanta Braves an improbable 9th inning comeback vs the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS, not even the most pessimistic of Pirates fans could have imagined what was to follow for the next 18 seasons.
A once proud franchise, filled with tradition, 5 World Series Titles, and the likes of Honus Wagner, Ralph Kiner, Roberto Clemente, and Willie Stargell--just to name a minuscule few, had become the laughingstock of not only MLB, but of the entire sports world!
There are kids currently entering their freshman season in college who have never seen the Pirates above .500. You could get gas back then without needing a line of credit. Arsenio Hall was still popular.
18 years of Andy Van Slyke and Barry Bonds replaced by Derek Bell and Brant Brown.
When PNC Park, the jewel of MLB was built in 2001, Pirates fans were promised change. But as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Since 2001, Pirates ownership has spent more on their personal vacations than on team payroll.
In 2007, Bob Nutting became the principal owner of the Buccos, taking over for Kevin McClatchy, and Nutting was like the Wizard of Oz--you heard of him, but never saw him. In 2009, two years after hiring Frank Coonelly and Neal Huntington, Nutting finally pulled back the curtains and proclaimed that the Pirates were headed in the right direction, and ownership would be there when the time was right.
It's now 2011, and as of yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates are only 2 games under .500, with a bevy of young talent on the Major League roster, including Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, Pedro Alvarez, and Charlie Morton. The Pirates, finally, are a team that is starting to believe in itself, partly because of the hiring of manager Clint Hurdle, but mainly because these guys are actually good!
With the likes of Tony Sanchez, Pedro Ciriaco (if he's allowed to ever play), Stetson Allie, Jameson Taillon, Luis Heredia, Starling Mare and whomever the Pirates select today 1st overall, all coming to the Major League roster within the next 2-4 years, now is the best time of all for Pirates ownership to truly show it's fan base that it is indeed, "In it, to win it", by going out and becoming buyers at the MLB trading deadline. The fans deserve it, and most importantly, this team deserves it, especially since they are doing so well without their best power hitter in Pedro Alvarez on the shelf with a quad injury the past few weeks.
Now is the time to bring in some extra veteran talent, guys who can provide leadership and teaching ability. If someone like the Mets' Jose Reyes is available, go get him! This is where the turning point of the Pittsburgh Pirates fortunes can turn, finally, after 18 years of grief and despair. This is the time Bob Nutting can stand up and prove himself to the loyal fans who have supported this franchise through thick and thin.
This is the time the Pittsburgh Pirates can finally become relevant again.
Mr. Nutting: Don't pass this opportunity up.
I couldn't agree more. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteif the bucs get jose reyes and can sign him to an extension this team would have a ridiculous amount of speed in the line up. they also need to go ahead and make Xavier paul our everyday right fielder. can you imagine having reyes, paul, cutch and tabata anywhere in your batting order? youd have speed all over the place. not to mention power from wlker, pedro when he comes back and the combo of snyder and doumit. the only other postion that id like to see them adress would be first base because overbay is slow and really doesnt hit for power.
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