Twenty straight years of losing. Two straight epic collapses. All the fans wanted was one winning season, and maybe a trip to the playoffs.
That’s it. Was that too much to ask for?
For years — even up until February — it seemed like it was.
When Adam Wainwright struck out Pedro Alvarez on the final pitch of the NLDS, sure there was frustration and sadness. Although I think it’s safe to say that fans everywhere woke up this morning with a smile on their face. Their team made it. The Pittsburgh Pirates are no longer the laughing stock of baseball. The best part is for fans, is that they aren’t going anywhere.
Frank Coonelly, Kyle Stark, Bob Nutting and Neal Huntington were ripped up and down for their philosophy and the execution of it. Hats off to them, because it finally paid off. Sure, the Pirates may lose A.J. Burnett, Justin Morneau, Marlon Byrd and Clint Barmes, but the packed farm system says that this team will be here to stay.
Players like Jameson Taillon, Gregory Polanco, Alan Hanson, Luis Heredia, Austin Meadows, Reese McGuire, Nick Kingham, Tyler Glasnow along with players like Tony Sanchez and Andrew Lambo — who gained valuable experience at the big league level this year — are just around the corner.
At the beginning of the season, manager Clint Hurdle didn’t predict, but said that his team could win 95 games. At that time, even the most optimistic Pirates fan had a chuckle, and thought that he was delusional. Ninety-four regular season wins, and three postseason wins later, who looks like the fool now?
The atmosphere at the wild card game was the most intense atmosphere not just in Pittsburgh, but in sports in recent memory. It was filled with fired up fans, who were experiencing postseason baseball for the first time ever, or in the very least, a long time. All of that pent up emotion was taken out on Johnny Cueto and the Reds.
From Russell Martin’s countless walk-off hits, to five Pirates in the All-Star game, to sweeping the Cardinals, to the team being in the front-running to win the MVP, Manager of the Year and Executive of the Year: the memories of this past season are truly endless for the fans and the city.
It ended before anyone wanted it to, but at the beginning of the season, anyone would’ve settled for a record above .500
To the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates, the team that became America’s Baseball Team. The city thanks you for a successful season that no one will soon forget.
