Pirates fans should appreciate this summer
By Matt Gajtka
by Matt Gajtka
Yes, I realize the Pirates just finished an 8-22 August, dropping them from the heat of the NL Central race to a season-low 12 games under .500 prior to Thursday’s game against Los Angeles.
Yes, I realize Pirates fans have been waiting 18 years for a winning team and had gone 14 summers between meaningful games prior to this season.
After staring those two facts in the face, the current Bucco backlash within the most traumatized fanbase in major pro sports isn’t the least bit surprising. It’s perfectly understandable that the narcotic-like effects of a baseball pennant race can produce some horrific withdrawal symptoms.
However, I’m telling you it really is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
Who hasn’t heard that painful adage in the immediate aftermath of a breakup and immediately wanted to punch the speaker in the face? But after the passage of time, the positive memories of an experience often outweigh the negative vibes emitted by the unwanted conclusion.
Regarding this year’s Pirates, my contention is that any ill feelings toward the club in the wake of this free fall are misplaced.
Certainly, the 10-game losing streak that spanned the end of July and the first week of August conjured unsavory memories of the 2010 Bucs, who finished with 105 losses. Getting swept in Houston by the worst-in-MLB Astros earlier this week was particularly reminiscent of last year’s club, which won only 17 games on the road.
But even factoring in the baggage that comes with being a Pirates fan, 2011 should be remembered fondly. The season’s first four months showed that a pitch-to-contact pitching staff can have some success if it has a solid defense behind it. Contending for the division after the all-star break showed the NL Central could be conquered in the near future, especially if the Cardinals and Brewers are victimized by subpar farm systems.
Obviously, the Pirates’ widely predicted regression in recent weeks also indicates they have many miles to go to become a feared team in the National League. General manager Neal Huntington will have to continue to draft and develop young talent, plus improve his free-agent forays, if the team is to progress in 2012.
But let the front office worry about all that. Unless the Pirates struggle as badly in September as they did in August, there is no reason to consider 2011 a disappointment in the larger scheme of events.
This team was playing over its head for a while, but it has certainly underachieved since late July. Just because the season might end in an unsavory manner, don’t let a late swoon detract from all the excitement the Pirates generated in Pittsburgh earlier this summer.
The Pirates will not finish with a winning record this season and they certainly won’t sniff the playoffs, but make no mistake: 2011 was much different from the decade-plus that preceded it.
For a modern-day Pirates fan, different is always good.