Skip to main content

That 1997 season by the Bucs wasn't so bad

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been taking a lot of heat lately for their string of trades in order to build a winning team.

Many people think it's purely based on saving a buck.

In their criticisms of the franchise, pundits are quick to point out that the Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992.

They're right, of course. How could any Pirates fan forget?

But it hasn't been a total disaster since '92.

In all of the negative comments about the franchise -- and I've heaped my share in the past -- no one likes to remember the season of 1997.

I like to think of it as the last time the Pirates were competitive, not 1992.

They weren't expected to compete in '97, as their payroll in the neighborhood of $9 million. They proved many people wrong. The Bucs were in first place as late as mid-July and were .500 or better as late as August. They finished in second place in a weak NL Central.

One of the highlights that season was the combined no-hitter from Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon against the Houston Astros in 10 innings. Another bright spot was a three-game sweep against the Chicago White Sox, a team featuring Albert Belle and Frank Thomas, who were getting more money than the entire Pirates roster.

That season included a pennant race, ultimately lost to the Astros. It also featured a trade for Shawon Dunston to help get the team over the hump. Dunston didn't help much, but it was nice having a team buying instead of selling.

I know, I know, it might be trivial to point out a season in which the Bucs finished 79-83. It didn't end a string of losing seasons that goes to this day. And it doesn't say much for a franchise to point toward a losing record as a highlight.

But it wasn't bad, either.

I can't wait for the next pennant chase.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pirates opener: A lot to like

I'm a sucker for opening day. I've been going to Three Rivers/PNC Park many years now to kick off the start to Pirates' season in good times and bad. I enjoy the crowds, the ceremonies and all of trimmings that come with the opener. Monday at PNC Park was no different. Except if you're looking at the Pirates' record at PNC. Zach Duke looked like an all-star, the offense looked like the Lumber Company of old and the crowd had one heck of a time celebrating the Bucs' 7-0 win. It was just the Pirates third win at a PNC Park opener. The game was one to remember. Adam LaRoche (!) and Ryan Doumit hit home runs, Freddy Sanchez looked like a former batting champion and the fans actually had "the wave" going around the park. But it was Duke's day. It was his third career shutout and the first shutout in a home opener since 1978. Yeah, it was a good day. It all came together for the Pirates. Maybe there's more down the road this year.
2 comments
Read more

Didn't Antonio Brown just get paid?

Didn't Antonio Brown just get paid? That was the first question that popped into my mind when I heard he wanted a new deal from the Steelers. I remember the details: Mike Wallace wanted more money than the Steelers wanted to offer, so the Steelers turned around and signed Brown to a $43 million deal over six years. That was 2012. Today, we learned that Brown will skip offseason workouts in the hope of getting a new deal. Honor your contract. It's that simple. Brown signed a deal that caused some people to scratch their heads at the time. It looked like a great deal for Brown. And after two seasons, it looked like the Steelers made a terrific call with the long-term deal. Brown had almost 1,700 yards receiving last year to go with 13 TD catches. That's a heck of a season. However, in exchange for long-term security, Brown looks like a bargain today. That's how it works. Or, at least that's how it's supposed to work. Now Brown wanted paid e...
2 comments
Read more