The Pirates finally met the inevitable at PNC Park on Monday, losing their 82nd game of the season and clinching a 17th consecutive losing campaign, the new high-point in futility for North American pro sports teams. The previous record was 16 straight seasons by the Philadelphia Phillies from 1933-1948, the long-running blueprint of bad baseball. Prior to their banner 78-76 campaign in 1932, the Phillies also had losing records in each season from 1918 through 1931. But contrary to popular belief, their organization was never owned by any ancestors of the McClatchy or Nutting families.
In a fitting display of impotent offense that managed just two hits, the 54-82 Pirates were taken down by the 69-67 Chicago Cubs by a 4-2 final on Labor Day. Derek Lee homered twice and drove in three for Chicago, which dealt rookie Daniel McCutchen his first Major League loss. Brandon Moss (double) and Andy LaRoche (HR) had the two Pirate hits.
The Pirates, who have lost 10 of 11, fell to 2-7 against the Cubs on the season. They've got six more shots at the Fightin' Piniellas before the season is over, including a Tuesday matchup of Ryan Dempster and Zach Duke at PNC. 26 games remain on the Pirates' 2009 schedule, so they would have to go at least 9-17 to avoid the 100-loss plateau, which they've surprisingly achieved only once (2001) during the streak and seven times in club history.
Dubious distinction: Pirates set futility record with loss to Cubs [Trib]
In a fitting display of impotent offense that managed just two hits, the 54-82 Pirates were taken down by the 69-67 Chicago Cubs by a 4-2 final on Labor Day. Derek Lee homered twice and drove in three for Chicago, which dealt rookie Daniel McCutchen his first Major League loss. Brandon Moss (double) and Andy LaRoche (HR) had the two Pirate hits.
The Pirates, who have lost 10 of 11, fell to 2-7 against the Cubs on the season. They've got six more shots at the Fightin' Piniellas before the season is over, including a Tuesday matchup of Ryan Dempster and Zach Duke at PNC. 26 games remain on the Pirates' 2009 schedule, so they would have to go at least 9-17 to avoid the 100-loss plateau, which they've surprisingly achieved only once (2001) during the streak and seven times in club history.
Dubious distinction: Pirates set futility record with loss to Cubs [Trib]
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6 comments:
Don't sell our Bucs short.
They are move than capable of going 8-18 or losing even more than that.
100 losses is well within their reach.
This is what happens when all the ownership cares about is making money. But it doesn't matter, because there's still morons out there who support these ponzi scheme of a franchise and will go to games.
i'm almost there!! i have managed to not only not go to one game all year, but i haven't even watched a game or even highlights of a game all year. with the exception of mondesi's house, i have not succumb to the frustration of being a pirate fan...i think i am fully recovered, and am therefore, cured of my interest in baseball...thank you Pittsburgh - i can now move on with the rest of my life
I went to Sunday's game hoping for a loss and left disappointed. On the other hand, maybe I witnessed the last gasp of respectability before they claimed the worst record in pro sports history.
http://www.steelcactus.com/BADDAY.html
why do i still love them? its like im on one of those lifetime movies, where the woman is getting battered by her husband, but she stays with him. Only, I'm a 25 year old man, but the pirates still beat the hell out of me emotionally
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