No one could have predicted it, but suddenly the Pittsburgh Pirates have become the hottest team in baseball. The Bucs have won four in a row and eight of their last ten games to lead the National League Central Division with a .561 winning percentage.
The Pirates are in first place thanks in large part to their All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who at this writing, was leading the Major Leagues in hitting with a .356 batting average. His OPS (On Base plus Slugging percentage) is off the charts at 1.014. McCutchen has power (16 home runs), productivity (54 RBI) and speed (14 stolen bases) and is one of the premier stars of the game.
It’s early yet, but if the Pirates keep winning, they may break their streak of 20 losing years in a row. That’s right, the Pirates haven’t had a winning season since 1992 – the longest span of losing seasons in all four major professional sports (baseball, football, basketball and hockey).
Hopefully this season the Pirates are bringing in the fans to PNC Park, which is the 2nd most beautiful baseball stadium in the Majors in my humble opinion.
PNC Park in Pittsburgh
The architects have crafted the stadium for intimacy – no seat is more than 88 feet above the field.
On the waterfront
And best of all you can take a water taxi to get to the ballpark, which is conveniently located right on the Allegheny River.
Allegheny River
Or you can walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge, which is open just for pedestrians on game days. The bright gold paint and engineering style reminds me a lot of Tower Bridge in Sacramento.
Roberto Clemente Bridge
The bridge is named after one the Pirates’ most beloved players. Roberto Clemente was Pittsburgh’s legendary right fielder, who played his entire 17 year career with the Pirates. Clemente finished with 3,000 career hits and a .317 lifetime batting average, while winning two World Series championships (in 1960 and 1971).
Clemente died in a plane crash in 1972 on a mercy mission over Nicaragua, where he was trying to provide relief for earthquake victims. His body was never recovered but he left a lasting mark on the city of Pittsburgh and the game of baseball for his tremendous accomplishments both on and off the field.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Roberto Clemente was also the first Latin American player to win a World Series as a starter (1960), earn a league Most Valuable Player award (1966) and win a World Series MVP award (1971), when he guided the Pirates to a World Championship.
It’s unfair to compare Clemente to any modern player, but one can’t help but wonder if Andrew McCutcheon can lead the Pirates to greatness once again.
