The Pittsburgh Pirates will be hosting the opening game of the National League playoffs on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds for the city’s first playoff game in 20 years. The club has won 94 games this year — an improvement of 15 from last year’s talented team that just missed breaking the streak of consecutive losing seasons. Beyond that, the team entered this weekend’s series needing to take 2 of 3 from their now-hated rivals across the border to host the game, and instead they decided to break out the brooms to make sure there was no doubt about it.
Most of the fans watching at PNC Park Tuesday will not have any recollection of a postseason baseball game in Pittsburgh. The Steelers, Penguins, Pitt basketball, Pitt football, and others have each played in several huge games since the Bucs mattered. To this, my advice to any fan lucky enough to attend what may be the Pirates’ last game this season is to simply enjoy the process. Take it in. This is not like another Steelers playoff run, or a huge NCAA tourney or Big East game. This is, for any fan 25 years of age or younger, a truly once in a lifetime opportunity-so far, at least.
The Pirates will head into the play-in wild card game with enormous confidence. They got their home playoff game. They just swept the team they will be playing. The surprise pitcher in the majors will take the hill. The most potent Buccos lineup in two decades will step to the plate. The city will surely be as electric as any game at Heinz Field in the last 20 years. This all seems to put the ballclub at a tremendous advantage for Tuesday. Maybe it does. Maybe none of it will matter.
While the Bucs stand a great chance of advance to the Division Series, the final score Tuesday night shouldn’t carry much weight when determining the success of this season. What matters is that the streak is over, the fans are behind the team, and as in 1988, the Pirates are “Proud Again”. The city of Pittsburgh has its beloved baseball team back, and it has already been one heck of a ride.
