What The Pirates 82nd Win Means to Me

Jump for Joy!! The Streak is OVER!!!!

Win number 82.  The first WINNING season for the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1992.  Just typing that sentence makes me very nostalgic.  20 years have gone by which means I was 10 years old the last time the Pirates actually put a winning product on the diamond.  As many Pirates fans can attest, I can recall the entire '92 roster, and remember that game with crystal clear lucidity.  I remember watching my baseball hero, Andy Van Slyke, sitting in center field absolutely stunned at what just happened.  I remember seeing grown men cry, young boys crying, and NO ONE thinking that this was the last year the Pirates would win for 20 years.  No, even with Barry Bonds leaving, the future was thought to be bright for the Pirates baseball club.  Dismal, disappointing, and down right pathetic is what we got instead.

Fast Forward 20 years.  Now a college grad with a family and a full time job, I sat in my living room last night listening to the game.  I listened as that final ground out was recorded and the Pirates won game #82.  To say my smile went from ear to ear is an understatement.  I stood up and fist pumped in my living room with no one else there.  This was special.  This was more than just another win.  I have been asked alot of times by alot of different people I've met along the way: "Which Pittsburgh team would you like to see win a championship the most?"  My answer?  Always the Pittsburgh Pirates.  I have always loved baseball.  I played baseball since I could put a glove on my hand, and even though the baseball has now turned to a softball there is something nostalgic about going out on the diamond and having a clutch hit, or a game saving diving catch in the outfield (even though the games are completely meaningless).  The Pirates were my first love.  I followed the team with a passion that made my peers in school look at me funny.  When I could rattle off the starting rotation to my elementary school teachers, they'd always chuckle and kind of shake their heads.  I've followed the Bucs closely since those early days, and to say its been painful has been an understatement.  That is probably the primary reason that I've always wanted to see the Pirates succeed.

In my 30 years on this revolving globe, I have been lucky enough to see 2 Steelers' Super Bowl titles, 3 Penguins Stanley Cup victories, and absolutely ZERO Pirates World Series Championships.  That stat line is dwarfed by fans like my father.  He has seen 6 Steelers Super Bowls, 3 Stanley Cups, and 3 World Series victories.  His trophy case is full, and so is mine for most fans (lets be honest Pittsburgh fans are spoiled), but there is that ONE spot that is missing.  That ONE team that hasn't been able to deliver.  For the first time in a long time the future is bright for the Pirates, and last night's victory was just another step in the right direction.  Last night, deep down inside, that 10 year old Andy Van Slyke fan was happy. 

As happy as every Pirates fan (young or old) was after the Buccos solidified their first winning season since that fateful '92 season, no one should be satisfied.  "The Streak" is broken, and that is a great thing, but you don't see the Yankees talking about how many winning seasons they have do you?  No, they parade their 27 "Commisioner Trophies" around as they rightfully should.  For once, the Pirates future is bright, and I for one am not just excited for the postseason run this year, but for years to come as well.  As for the streak...GOOD RIDDANCE!!