It has long been recognized that the art of hitting a baseball is the most difficult thing to do in sports. Ted Williams, who many believe to be the best hitter that has ever played the game, once said, “The hardest thing to do in baseball is hit a round baseball with a round bat, squarely.”
While that may be true for baseball players, the hardest thing for baseball fans is to maintain their passion and rooting interest when their team stinks. For fans of teams like the Pirates, Nationals, Rockies, and White Sox, your summer of baseball misery is coming to an end as the 2025 MLB regular season concludes on Sunday.
At this writing, the exact makeup of the 12-team playoff field is yet to be determined, but the area’s Yankees and Phillies fans are ready to celebrate, while Mets fans have been holding their breath for the past couple of weeks, hoping to hang on despite too many late-season losses.
But even die-hard fans of both the blue and red pin-stripers have had some anxious moments.
A pair of Yankee rooting friends deal with Bronx Bomber hardships in different ways. One once told me baseball season is over whenever the Yankees are eliminated from championship contention and confesses the TV gets turned off when the team is playing poorly. Another displays the Yankees’ fortunes on the top of his head. When the team wins, he wears the traditional blue Yankees hat. When they lose, he sports a white Yankees hat.
Despite the Phillies’ successful summer and another NL East crown, Brotherly Lovers have been fretting themselves silly over whether Kyle Schwarber will resign with the team or cash in his Schwar-bombs with another team in free agency.
To both of the above, I, along with local Pirates fans, can only respond, “give me a break.” If you are looking for true baseball history, yet continued fan misery, try rooting for the Pirates!
Pittsburgh first joined the National League in 1887 and was known as the Alleghenys. They became known as the Pirates in 1891 after they were accused of stealing players from other teams. They played in MLB’s first World Series in 1903, losing to the Boston Red Sox. In 1960, in arguably the most famous World Series ending, Bill Mazeroski hit a ninth-inning walk-off home run to beat the Yankees. In 1971, they were the first MLB team to start a game with an all-minority lineup. They’ve won five World Series and nine National League pennants.
The Pittsburgh Pirates celebrate history very well, but their fans keep asking ‘What have you done for me lately?’
Since their 1979 ‘We Are Family’ World Series win over the Baltimore Orioles, they have only had 11 winning seasons, six postseason appearances, and won three divisional titles. From 1993 to 2012, they posted a losing record in 20 consecutive seasons, a record MLB streak for futility. The Pirates’ last winning season was in 2018. Since 2020, their winning percentage is .411, and they have never challenged for a playoff spot.
Yet, we have MLB’s best stadium, the Roberto Clemente legacy, the game’s best pitcher in Paul Skenes, and continue to put on some of the game’s most moving ceremonial tributes. Yes, we do history very well.
We also have fan unrest with team owner Bob Nutting’s unwillingness to spend money on improving the team and general manager Ben Cherington’s underwhelming activities in acquiring players via trades or free agency.
So, the playoffs will proceed with Bucco fans once again watching from the sidelines, longing for the day some offensive players will fall in their lap and hoping the Pirates’ brain trust (is that a misnomer?) isn’t hornswoggled into trading Skenes for a bevy of ‘prospects’.
Admittedly, not everyone shares my passion for the game. For those who don’t, a book I’m currently reading, Make Me Commissioner, by Jane Leavy, offers some interesting views on how to make the game better.
In the book, the author states, “The implementation of the pitch clock, larger bases and new rules governing defensive shifts for infielders – all meant to enliven the game- baseball still isn’t quite right. From admission prices to lousy hot dogs and beer that seem to only come in giant cups and cans, the game is an insult to its family patrons. Too expensive. Not enough fun or action. One of my friends took his ten-year-old daughter to a game, and as the fourth inning got underway, she asked him, “Dad, when does the game start?”
She also longs for more afternoon baseball.
“On Saturday afternoons, teams should hold pre-game on-field baseball clinics and designate a player to sign autographs after every game. No one ever pulled a muscle shaking hands!”
Indeed, baseball is not perfect, but one thing is certain: the Pirates won’t be there, but I’ll be watching anyway!
