It Wasn't Always This Bad.

Since the interest with the Bucs fleets with every loss, every pierogi race, and every two-a-day, I decided to launch the last ditch effort to rekindle the fire...drumming up the past. Each and every Pittsburgh sports blog has covered, with EXCRUCIATING detail, the 14 (almost 15) year drought that followed the Sid Bream's slide across the plate in the NLCS. I thought we should focus on a 15 year period where things were not so bad. After reviewing some stats on Baseball-Reference.com, I realized that we could actually focus in on a 20 year period of Bucco greatness.

So, for those of us stuck in the Pirate doldrums, here is a snapshot of...

Pirate Baseball 1960-1979

• 14 seasons with 88 or more victories
• 3 World Series titles
• 6 post season appearances
• 4 MVPs (well, 3 and a half)
• 8 batting titles
• 35 20+ home run guys (no small feat considering the years in Forbes Field and that this was not considered a lively ball era)
• 1 no-hitter. Even the pitchers got involved.

Take the time to let that sink in. The Bucs have legitimate claim to being the dominant team of the NL, if not the majors for that 20 year period. One can also make a serious argument that the Buccos were the class of Pittsburgh sports over that 20 year period. (I hear groans, but the stats are there)

there once was a time when we had heroes

Doing some further research, it appears that those teams were quite successful at two things that their current brethren continually fail at: 1) maintaining a central core of developed talent: Parker, Stargell, Clemente, Moreno, Oliver, Zisk, Candelaria, Tekulve, Kison 2) exercising quality, meaningful trades for veteran support players: Lacy, Easler, Robinson, Garner, Madlock, Reuss, Milner, Bibby, Foli.

did Kevin Young ever grace the SI cover?

I am fully aware that the baseball economics in 2007 are drastically different than those of 1977. I am also aware that there are numerous teams with similar budgets that make meaningful trades geared towards improving their roster and not their profit/loss statement.

where have all The Hammers gone?

To end on a high note, we'd like to send a quick congratulatory shout to all our friends over at http://www.doubledumbassonyou.com/ for their 200th career post. These guys are truly Eastern PA's finest provider of uselessness. Good job, guys, just think of all the diseases that could have been cured with the amount of research that goes into that blog.