Being a fan means you stick by your team through the good times and the bad times. Â For Pirates fans, it has been mostly bad times in recent memory. Â However, that was all erased this season when Pittsburgh had its first winning season in 21 years. Â Not only was it their first winning season, but their first playoff bid in 21 years.
The Pirates did not turn things around overnight. Â Drafting players like Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez, this team was aiming to compete with the big hitting teams like Detroit and Los Angeles. Â With the addition of Russell Martin and AJ Burnett, the team got a veteran boost. Â It was also due to the emergence of rookie pitcher Gerrit Cole in big situations that helped this team turn it around. Â Through this healthy mix of draft picks and free agents, Pittsburgh has a team that is ready to compete for years to come.
In their first postseason game in 21 years, the Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds in a Wild Card game in Pittsburgh. Â It was quite magical watching these fans go nuts after waiting so long to see their team succeed. Â They went on to face the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS, where despite a valiant effort, they fell to their NL Central rivals.
