Message to Pirates Fans: Enjoy the Ride

Pirates Fans Need To Enjoy These
Battlin' Buccos

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been through some rough times.  Let me rephrase that...ALOT of rough times.  The sheer fact that there are people who are in COLLEGE and have NEVER seen a Pirates' winning season is beyond belief, but its the sad state of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball club.  The Pirates have a very unique following.  People that are obviously gluttons for punishment, but despite the past 20 years of losing, they remain loyal.  Those loyal fans also might be the most pessimistic fans in all of sports...I'd know, I'm one of them.  No matter how well the club is doing they always know the sky will fall sooner or later.  The last 2 years definitely haven't done anything to help turn that pessimism into optimism, but here we sit...May 16th and the Pirates are 23-16 and have the 3rd best record in the National League.  They are 3.5 games out of first in the NL Central (basically because the Cardinals are playing out of their minds right now) and currently have a .5 lead with the Cincinnati Reds for the Wild Card spots in the National League.  Last year after 50 games the Pirates were 25-25.  Obviously  you can see the improvement in this ball club.

Improvement isn't the reason for this article.  No, this isn't even an article about the Pittsburgh Pirates really.  What is it about?  Its about the fan base.  Something that I know all to well as I've been a die hard Pirates fan longer than any other Pittsburgh team.  I can tell you the entire 1992-93 rosters and remember watching Sid Bream score to end my dreams of watching the Pirates play in a World Series.  I write this as a 30 year old who hasn't seen the Pirates finish with a winning record since I was 10 years old.  My last memory of a winning Pirates team is seeing my favorite Pirate of all time, Andy Van Slyke, sitting in center field in sheer astonishment of what just took place.  I felt the same way, and I still feel the same way every year that the Pirates struggle.  Even those early 2000s teams that were horrible, you always have hope that this might be that magical year that the Pirates actually put things together.  Again, here we sit, and its early in the season and the Pirates are still relevant...for now.

My message to all Pirates fans out there is this: Whether you are a new fan, a young fan, and old fan, or a mediocre fan enjoy the ride that is the 162 marathon these Buccos are on right now.  Enjoy RIGHT NOW when the club is contending and playing good baseball.  Don't be like I used to be and keep saying to yourself "They are good now, but they will fall apart."  Instead, just enjoy the fact that as of right now the Pirates are legitimate contenders.  Enjoy the fact that they are finally learning how to beat the Brewers.  Enjoy the fact that the Pirates, who faced the hardest 1st quarter schedule in MLB, are playing great baseball and their record is indicative of that.  Enjoy watching young superstars like Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen everyday.  Enjoy a team that has that "never say die" mentality that is so rare in today's professional sports scene.  Could things fall apart like the last 2 season?  Sure they could, but I'm not going to think about that.  I am the eternal optimist with the Steelers and Penguins, and its time I act that way with the Pirates.  You should try doing it too...its alot better than being a "Debbie Downer" all the time.  So, BucNation, after reading this article start the day with a new mindset.  Enjoy watching these Battling Buccos and hope for the best, but above all...Enjoy the ride!!