In the Steel City, one team consistently wins. The other one consistently plays mind tricks on its fans.
by Aubrey Bruce
For New Pittsburgh Courier
On March 10, 2019, I wrote an article titled: “Pirates ownership needs to spend more money to win more.”
It is now June 16, 2021, and the Bucs’ ownership must have deleted that memo because they damn sure haven’t addressed any of that commentary’s main points.
In the column I pointed out that: “(2019) Spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates had begun. The Pirates have docked their ship of hope and now are looking at an ancient fading treasure map: trying desperately to find a hidden treasure chest filled with promising young, unproven and questionable talent, along with a stabilizing stash of veteran talent.
Have the Pirates hit upon a secret with their bargain basement player acquisition approach? Have they stumbled upon the mother lode or are they destined to dig up a chest filled with fool’s gold?”
Well, fast forward to now, and the only fools that are giving up gold are the misguided faithful of the Pirates that continue season after season to plop down their hard-earned money patronizing a team that will never be consistent at anything but losing as long as their ownership consistently searches for dollars instead of sailing in search of victories and credibility.
The Pirates battleship appears to be permanently stranded claiming a permanent berth at the “dock of losing.”
The Pirate ship now serves as cannon fodder for the rest of the MLB teams that are headed toward the destination of victories and championships. The hull and rudder of the vessel has been irreparably damaged navigating in the treacherous waters of competition. The masts and sails have been ripped from their foundation by the treacherous winds of change.
Pirates owner Bob Nutting had the audacity to say the following a few years ago: “I really respect and appreciate the concerns that the fans have. But I also want them to know that internally, we believe we are moving forward on a good path. There is a lot to be excited about in 2019.”
There is not really any way to spin that malarkey because any true Bucs fan knows that is a crock of garbage. The Pirates owners jumped ship long ago, abandoning their ship and trading it in for a tiny red caboose that they hitched to the back of the MLB money train. If there are any lingering fans that doubt this analogy, all they have to do is watch a Pirates game, on television or in person. That daunting experience will surely prove to them how much “respect” Bob Nutting has for the fans.
Let’s begin the Pittsburgh Steelers segment of this column by comparing the won-loss records of both franchises during the last five years. Since 2016, the Pirates’ season records: 2016 (78-83); 2017 (75-87); 2018 (82-79); 2019 (69-93); 2020 (19-41). Again, in the 2020 season, your Pittsburgh Pirates were 19-41 and dead last in their division, finishing a full 15 games out of first place in a 60-game season. How can a team finish 15 games out in a 60-game season?
On the other hand, the Steelers are an entirely different story. Their won-loss record the past five years: 2016 (11-5), AFC North Champions; 2017 (13-3), AFC North Champions; 2018 (9-6-1); 2019 (8-8); 2020 (12-4), AFC North Champions.
The Steelers haven’t finished under .500 since 2003, yet many sports fans here insisted that Steelers management be hung out to dry because they didn’t fire coach Mike Tomlin. Those same “diehard fans” have not chosen to petition Major League Baseball, the EEOC or any other organization with regards to forcing an ownership change of the Pirates.
The City of Pittsburgh must file an “anti-trust” suit, zoot suit or any other suit that they can find to end the misery of the lowly Pirates ownership, after the Pirates have continued to crap all over the town.
For the past three years, the Steelers and Art Rooney II have kept the faith and paid an injured and questionable starting QB Ben Roethlisberger at a salary far above his fair-market rate in spite of simultaneously having the noose of salary cap woes around their neck. They paid an injured player former linebacker Ryan Shazier a salary when he was injured and physically unable to perform.
In comparison, the Pirates refused to pay players that were performing at a high level for them, like Gerrit Cole, Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen.
The Steelers brought back one player that they allowed to get away (QB Josh Dobbs), and signed another player that the Washington Football Team gave away (QB Dwayne Haskins): all the while making the moves so that the “men of steel” would continue to remain competitive.
The motives and the goals of the Steelers will always and forever be to win football games. The motives and goals of the Pirates ownership seems to be winning the marketing and spin games.
Truth be told, there is no “tale of two cities;” there can only be one truth and one reality; winning and losing.
STARLING MARTE, one of the standout players to be traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates. (File Photo)
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