Pirates History

55,351 fans came to se the live action between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs at the Three Rivers Stadium on October 1, 2000. This was the largest ever crowd that came to see a regular season baseball game in Pittsburgh. The fans went back to their homes dejected after seeing their home team lost the series to the Chicago Cubs by 10-9 in the final game. The Pirates finished the season in 5th place with a 69-93 record. In 2001, the Pirates inaugurated the newly built PNC Park located along the shores of the Allegheny River next to Federal Street. Since their inception in 1887, PNC Park served as their fifth home. But the D-Day became gloomy for the team and for the entire baseball fraternity as Pirates Hall of Famer Willie Stargell died just hours before the first pitch. The Pirates lost al of their 5 starters due to the injuries and finished the season in last place with a 62-100 record. After registering their first 100-loss season, the Pirates get off to a promising start with the start of the 2002 season after acquiring starters Kip Wells and Josh Fogg, relievers Brian Boehringer and Mike Williams, and second baseman Pokey Reese in the off-season.

The Pirates in their first six week hovered over .500, but soon the misery of a small market team clutched them. They lost all of their hold on the leading NL Central teams and finished the season in 4th place, recording their 10th straight losing season. In April 2003, the Pirates sunk below .50, which highly affected their performance in the rest of the season. The Pirates finished the season in 4th place with a record of 75-87. In 2004, the Pirates acquired for Ty Wiggington in exchange for Kris Benson, a pending free agent. The Pirates also traded Catcher Jason Kendall to the Oakland Athletics. Left fielder Jason Bay ethe first Pirate member ever to earn NL Rookie of the Year Award for setting a club rookie record with 26 home runs and driving in 82 runs, with a .282 average. Wilson earned a Silver Slugger Award for collecting 200 or more hits in a season. Oliver Perez anchored the pitching staff. However, the Pirates finished the season in 5th place with 72-89 record. The Pirates came into existence when the American Association selected number of players from now-obsolete Columbus, Ohio club in 1885.

The club became the charter member of NL in 1887 and three years later adopted the name Pirates. In 1900, the Pirates signed star players from the now-defunct Louisville, Kentucky club, including Honus Wagner and Fred Clarke player/manager (1900 to 1915). The Pirates won three consecutive pennants in 1901, 1902, and 1903 under Manager Barney Dreyfuss. In 1903, Manager Barney Dreyfuss was given the status of the Father of the World Series after throwing a challenge to the AL Champions Boston Pilgrims in a best-of-nine-game series in 1903. However, the Pirates lost the series. In 1909, right-handed pitcher Babe Adams led the Pirates to clinch their first World Series championship defeating the Detroit Tigers in seven games. The Pirates clinched their second World Series in 1925 over the Washington Senators powered by a lineup of outfielders Max Carey and Kiki Cuyler and third baseman Pie Traynor. In 1927 brothers Lloyd and Paul Waner led the team to the NL pennant victory but were swept in the World Series by the New York Yankees. The Pirates performance declined in the late 1940s, even though the team featured outfielder Kiner in 1946.

The club continued to lose through the 1950s. The Pirate rebounded in 1960 to win their first NL pennant in 33 years. Shortstop Dick Groat earned NL’s most valuable player (MVP) award and Danny Murtaugh was named manager of the year. The Pirates bested the New York Yankees in the World Series. Roberto Clemente went on to become one of baseball’s most talented and favored players in the 1960s. He led the Pirates to an NL pennant in 1971 with a World Series victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. The Pirates continued to dominate the NL throughout the 1970s with another pennant in 1979 and a World Series victory. The Pirates after registering a streak of losing seasons in the 1980s began to restructure themselves under manager Jim Leyland. He immediately after taking the hold of his managerial duties signed third baseman Bobby Bonilla, shortstop Jay Bell, pitcher Doug Drabek, and outfielder Andy Van Slyke. From 1990 to 1992 the Pirates won three consecutive division crowns. By the mid-1990s, the Pirates came out of the contention due to a slump in their performance. The logo of the team is a caricature of a pirate placed over a baseball. The mascot of the team is Pirate Parrot. The Pirates play their home games in PNC Park.