Pirates have much to gain by posting winning record

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in a unique situation.

With 26 games to go, they are 1.5 games out of the National League’s final playoff spot, currently occupied by the St. Louis Cardinals. For any typical team, the complete focus of media coverage and fan attention would be on chasing down a division rival to get a shot at a championship.

Of course, the Pirates are not a typical team. 19 straight losing seasons makes a club unique in the history of major North American professional sports.

That portion of the story surely isn’t news, but it has introduced a subplot to the September drama. A consolation prize, if you will.

Get ready for this question to run through your head, if it hasn’t already: Is this season a success if the Pirates miss the playoffs, but still finish at 82-80 or above?

Pirates management, especially since general manager Neal Huntington and team president Frank Coonelly took over,  has always insisted that a mere winning record is not the goal. That’s understandable, especially from a PR standpoint. Always shoot for the stars, etc.

September 5, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Jason Grilli (left) and catcher Rod Barajas (26) celebrate after the final out against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

But beyond platitudes and company lines, could simply winning more than losing be a benefit to the team going forward? I say yes.

First of all, breaking .500 would mark continued tangible improvements under manager Clint Hurdle. Last year’s team added 15 wins to the 2010 grand total of 57(!), clocking in at 72-90. Wednesday night’s win over Houston gave this year’s team 72 with four weeks left to play. (Sadly, 72 either matches or surpasses the yearly totals of 13 of the last 17 editions of the Bucs.)

In a related point, the recent meager crowds at PNC Park suggest that even though the Pirates have a legitimate chance at the MLB postseason, there is still much work to do regarding the organization’s public perception.

The Bucs are going to need something new to point to in the offseason when trying to sell all-important season-ticket plans. Being able to promote a winning team for the first time in 20 years would be a nice luxury.

Beyond that, the 19 years in the wilderness have cast a pall over the team and its fans. Removing that stigma will help the Pirates get a better foothold in the public’s awareness, in addition to being just a nice place to take the family on a summer night.

It’s going to be a process to put the Bucs solidly back in the Pittsburgh sports conversation. The work has begun, but it will take many years to recapture a generation of fans that has fallen in love with the Steelers and Penguins, while maintaining a mere passing interest in baseball.

All of the above says nothing about the Pirates’ perception problem around the league and its players. There will be no free-agent discounts afforded to the team until it proves it will be in contention for years to come. A winning 2012 helps the recruiting effort immensely.

For a proud franchise – and even prouder die-hard fans – it may be tough to admit that winning 82 games may be almost as important as grabbing 90 and potentially squeezing into a one-game wild-card playoff. But I think it is.

On this, the Pirates’ second-to-last off day of the regular season, it’s easy to take a quick snapshot of the road ahead and figure out what the Bucs have to do to put themselves in playoff position by Oct. 3.

An 18-8 record gets them to the aforementioned 90 wins, a total that should at least allow them to claim the brand-new second wild card. Getting 10 wins in the final 26 games guarantees an end to the ignominious losing streak.

It may be a classic case of hedging your bets, but the Pirates can still be big winners even if they miss the playoffs.

It turns out losing for two decades can have its benefits.