The Pittsburgh Pirates, the same team that lost 105 games in 2010, were 53-47 and in first place through 100 games on July 25. Then, history happened.
The Pirates have lost 40 of their past 56 games, going 16-40 and dropping to 5th place in the NL Central. If it continues, they could end up as the second-worst team in the National League, finishing worse than the Cubs and the Padres and pretty much everyone outside of Houston. As a fan of the Cleveland Indians I am well aware of sh*t and its ability to happen, but according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh’s epic plunge is statistically the worst drop for a first place team in baseball history. In history.
Here’s the math:
The Pirates’ 16-40 record down the stretch makes for a .286 winning percentage. Next-worst was the 1977 Chicago Cubs, who went 60-40 to lead their division through 100 games, then went 21-41 for a .339 winning percentage.
These Pirates went from delight to disgrace before Regis Philbin could break out one chorus of “We Are Family.”
‘Duk at Big League Stew tries to put the fall into perspective and does a fine job, considering:
Of course, because it’s the Pirates, there’s a particularly cruel twist: Game No. 101 was the infamous 19-inning affair in Atlanta that ended with umpire Jerry Meals making one of the worst calls in history. Meals is a Bartmanesque anti-hero in this case — Pittsburgh would have likely plummeted without his atrocity — but that probably doesn’t make it any easier for Pirates fans to digest.
At least as an Indians fan I can rationalize that the Tigers went Super Saiyan and dropped a damn Spirit Bomb on the AL Central. Earlier this month, the Bucs clinched their 19th consecutive losing season, and 2011′s first half has officially gone from “pleasant surprise” to “cruel tease” for Pirates fans. Next year they’ll climb out of it or make it 20 in a row, but no matter what, you have to look on the bright side — there’s something to be said for always finding new definitions for exceptionally awful, isn’t there?
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So in other words the Pirates are the suckiest bunch of sucks that have ever sucked.
I remember around the All-Star break when the Indians were in first place and the Pirates were in second or third, only a game or so out of the division lead. I read an article on ESPN saying something like “heh, at this rate, the Tribe and the Pirates could even meet in the World Series!” and I immediately said “OH F*CK YOU” because that indubitably ensured that not only would that not occur, but that both teams were doomed. At least Cleveland can blame Verlander.
Be quiet, UU, your damn wiener kids are listening.
Blame Ryan Ludwick.
As a life long Pirates fan, I can say that it’s a love/hate situation. We hate that we lose, but we also love that the tickets are so cheap and available. During their winning streak I had to deal with the fair weather assholes who thought Jeff Locke was the guy from LOST.
It gets even more autrocious: Based on ‘I-have-no-idea’ The organization has announced that it will cost – we loyal but destitude fans – more next year for the privilage to endure this endless bulls#%t…!
I, like an earlier opinion giver here, am a lifelong Pirate fan win or lose and I was there for the “good”(from 1959 on) along with this horrendous “bad” streak.
It’s this simple:The present Pirate ownership has no idea of what constitutes a good baseball club or how to pay for one not only in today’s scene but any era. Sorry – how stupid can they possibly be (demonstrated) and how “dum” do they take a good sports town like Pittsburgh and the surrounding area to be? Nuttig apparently does take Pittsburgh to be that dum because we swallow his B.S. year after year after year.The Pirates need four things very simply; – An infusion of cold hard cash ( like from Mark Cuban’s coffers) to pay for strong ALL SEASON LONG pitching(both starters and relief)and consistency( as in “get rid of your general manager”) from someone who knows the game. How long, how many years, does Pittsburgh need to have someone like Huntington jammed down their throats? Finally this non-baseball like owner Nuttig needs to sell the club to a sportsman like Mark Cuban, someone from Pittsburgh who knows sports, knows Pittsburgh, knows good baseball when he sees it and knows what makes it good and HAS THE MONEY TO RUN A GOOD ONE.Cuban,incidentally, WANTS TO BUY THE TEAM.Nuttig and Huntington have to go and you, Pittsburgh, need to wake up !