Pittsburgh Pirates

Lore & Background

The Pirates were among the best teams in baseball at the start of the 20th century, playing in the inaugural World Series in 1903 and winning their first title in 1909 behind Honus Wagner. The Pirates won their second title in 1925 and were the first team in North American sports history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit to win a playoff series. The club won the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees on a walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski, the only time that Game 7 of the World Series has ever ended with a home run. They won again in 1971 behind Roberto Clemente, the first Latin-American enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 1979 under the leadership of Willie Stargell.

Reader's Guide

Since their last World Series in 1979, the Pirates have largely endured a period of great struggle. Since then, they have only had eleven winning seasons, six postseason appearances, three division titles, and have advanced just once in the postseason with a victory in the 2013 National League Wild Card Game. The Pirates additionally posted a losing record in 20 consecutive seasons from 1993 to 2012, a record streak in both MLB and the four major North American professional sports leagues. The Pirates currently have the fifth-longest World Series championship drought, the longest pennant drought in the National League, and the longest League Championship Series appearance and division championship drought in all of baseball.

Did You Know?

• The Pirates are often referred to as the 'Bucs' or the 'Buccos', derived from buccaneer, a synonym for pirate.
• Since 2001 the team has played its home games at PNC Park, a 39,000-seat stadium along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh's North Side.
• The Pirates previously played at Forbes Field from 1909 to 1970 and at Three Rivers Stadium from 1970 to 2000.
• Since 1948 the Pirates' colors have been black, gold and white, derived from the flag of Pittsburgh.