Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates is a United States professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. They comepete in Major League Baseball (MLB) and is a member of the National League (NL) Central division.

Two common nicknames for the team are “the Bucs” and “the Buccos”; nicknames derived from the word buccaneer which denotes a special type of sea pirate.

Founded in 1882, the Pirates did not take on the black-gold-white colour combination until 1948. The combo is derived from the official Pittsburgh flag, and two other major professional sports team in Pittsburgh use the same combination: the Steelers and the Penguins. The minor league Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has also adopted black-gold-white as their colours.

Since 2001, PNC Park on the North Shore of Pittsburgh has been the home game arena for the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is a 39,000 seat stadium built adjacent to the Allegheny River.

The Pittsburgh Pirates went through a rough era in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but bounced back somewhat in the mid-2010s. They enjoyed a run of regular-season success in the early 1990s, followed by 20 consecutive losing seasons in 1993-2012. The postseason 2013 gave hope, as the team advanced to the National League Division Series. They qualified for the postseason again in 2014 and 2015, but lost the Wild Card game both times and has not qualified for the playoffs since then.

The Pittsburgh Pirates currently have the second-longest World Series appearance drought in Major League Baseball, behind the Mariners (who have never appeared in a World Series). They also have the longest pennant drought in the National League, as their most recent showing was their 1979 World Series victory.

Pittsburgh Pirates highlights

  • The Pittsburgh Pirates rose to promines shortly after the turn of the 20th century, when they acquired several star players fro the Louisville Colonoes and became one of the most successful baseball teams in the United States. They won NL titles in 1901, 1902 and 1903, and played in the inagural 1903 World Series (where they lost to Boston). Their first World Series victory came in 1909, when they defeated the Detroit Tigers. That same year, the Pirates moved from Exposition Park to Forbed Field – one of the first steel and concrete ballparks.
  • The Pirates won their second title in 1925, after managing to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series. They played in the World Series in 1927 as well, but were defeated by the New York Yankees.
  • The Pirates remained a fairly successful team throughout the 1930s, but did not win the pennant. Their best season was in 1938, when they were passed by the Chicago Cubs in the final week.
  • In the 1960 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates played in the now famous World Series ending against the New York Yankees, where they won thanks to a walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski. This is still the only time a Game 7 of the World Series has ended with a home run.
  • The Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1971 World Series and the 1979 World Series.

Piratefest

Piratefest is held in Pittsburgh in January each year, featuring live events and games, baseball clinics, carnival boths, and more. Both current and former Pittsburgh Pirate players and coaches attend and are available for autograph sessions. Of course, the Pirate Parrot is present.

The Piratefest used to be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, but has now been moved to the ballpark.

Short facts about the Pittsburgh Pirates

Established: 1882

Previous names: Pittsburgh Alleghenys (1887–1890), Allegheny (1882–1886)

Colour combination: black-gold-white

Nicknames: Bucs, Buccos

Retired numbers: 1, 4, 8, 9, 11, 20, 21, 33, 40, 42

Major league affiliations

  • National League (1887–present)
    • Central Division (1994–present)
    • East Division (1969–1993)
  • American Association (1882–1886)

Ballparks

  • PNC Park (2001–present)
  • Three Rivers Stadium (1970–2000)
  • Forbes Field (1909–1970)
  • Exposition Park III (1891–1909)
  • Recreation Park (1884–1890)
  • Exposition Park I, II (1882–1883)

World Series Titles

  • 1909
  • 1925
  • 1960
  • 1971
  • 1979

NL Pennants

  • 1901
  • 1902
  • 1903
  • 1909
  • 1925
  • 1927
  • 1960
  • 1971
  • 1979

NL Central Division titles

None

NL East Division titles

  • 1970
  • 1971
  • 1972
  • 1974
  • 1975
  • 1979
  • 1990
  • 1991
  • 1992

Wild card berths

  • 2013
  • 2014
  • 2015