Two months ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates owned other teams in head-to-head matchups. Andrew McCutchen crushed the ball consistently night after night, and the Buccos sat 16 games over .500. Today, officially, the Pirates fell to 74-75. I know 13 games remain in the baseball season, but honestly, the thought of a losing season seems all too real yet again in Pittsburgh.
The most recent loss that sent the team to a subpar record looked identical to many others during this dubious stretch in which the Pirates went 11-28. With a 3-run lead in the 8th inning, the lackluster bullpen allowed four runs, then another in the 9th to seal a 9-7 defeat at the hands of one of the hottest teams in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew trailed Pittsburgh by 12.5 games only one month ago, now they lead the Pirates by two in the standings after a sweep at PNC Park. On Sunday, the Pirates also blew a big lead late against the lowly Chicago Cubs and lost 13-9.
My first Pittsburgh Pirates memory ended with Sid Bream at home plate, which gave the Braves a series-clinching victory in 1992. Since then, the Pirates shattered the North American sports record for consecutive losing seasons. A continuation of the worst streak in major sports history seems likely as the Pirates epic collapse continues. The team faces two of the top teams in the National League, the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves, before the season ends, which most likely means two more series losses.
As most Pirates' fans did this year, I watched the snowball grow as it rolled quickly downhill, yet I continued to hold on to hope. Now, I feel emotionally drained and downright sad that I watched this team fall apart so quickly.
In the last twenty years, America elected three presidents, two of which stayed in the White House for eight years. Also, the Pittsburgh Penguins won two Stanley Cups, while the Pittsburgh Steelers won three Super Bowls. Furthermore, Cleveland watched two different Browns teams play. Three Rivers Stadium and the Civic Arena crumbled as two new stadiums and an arena emerged. An entire score passed, and the Pirates still failed to win at least as many games as they lost! I wish the National League East still existed, because the Pirates owned that division. The Central never did the team justice.
So, in closing, I leave you with these words of encouragement as I prepare to retire my baseball cap for another long offseason: Sid Bream, wherever you are, Pittsburgh hates you.