Sometimes you have to hit the bottom to reach the top. Okay, that may be overselling the wide array feelings the Pirates organization has felt the last few months, but I think the point remains mostly valid and relevant here.
In mid-January, the organization jettisoned its two icons, Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen, within just a few days span. Two players largely responsible, especially in McCutchen’s case, to getting the Pirates back to the postseason after a 20-year slumber. And in very short order, they were gone. It was sudden and it was a tough thing for people to take. The feeling around the organization hit a low they hadn’t seen since 2010. The organization felt like it was free falling very slowly to its doom and the worries of things never changing were real. “Would they ever be winners again” was a serious question amongst fans.
And so started the boycott. Pirates fans, fed up with Bob Nutting, decided it was best to protest the team by not going to games or watching on TV. They even started a petition to urge Nutting, the owner of the Pirates the last decade plus now, to sell the team. I had never seen anything quite like it.
Then there was the grievance by the MLB Players Association over the Pirates not putting money, particularly from revenue sharing, back into the club. Between this controversy and the boycott ensuing at full force, the organization was facing a challenging time.
After a tumultuous offseason, which actually ended on a high note with the acquisition of all-star OF Corey Dickerson from Tampa Bay, the actually games began. The Pirates came out of the gates very well, starting 26-17. The Buccos were back, but it didn’t last.
They went on a really bad stretch after that, falling all the way to 42-49. All hope was lost. It looked like the team was going to sell off veterans again, maybe even guys like Marte and Vazquez. It was a mess. The pessimism set in again that this was the same old Pirates with the same old tactics. Nutting was still public enemy number 1.
But then something changed. The team got hot and started to win again. They had an 11-game winning streak, which included a 5-game sweep of the Brewers before the break. They were back in it. The young, battling Buccos proved they were fighters and trying to win. Neal Huntington had a decision to make.
Huntington decided to put trust in this young core of guys and make moves that he doesn’t normally make. He acquired two plus years of what has become a high-end closer to Keone Kela to deepen an already great bullpen, and added a guy they can slot in towards the top of the rotation for 3 plus more years in Chris Archer. The moves were about improving this year and trying to win now, but also about building a potential winner through the turn of the decade.
Suddenly the feeling changed. Pirates fans were excited about the additions of Kela and Archer, and the Pirates players as well! The front office gave this young group an extra lift on July 31st that they didn’t even really need considering how they’ve been playing lately, but it won’t hurt to get the extra boost. This team seems to be on top of the world and they love it. I think to summarize the feeling best right now is when Cervelli was asked why the team is winning now. Cervelli responded: “Because we’re good”
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