Congrats to the Pirates

[Navin R Johnson]

Clinched their first winning season since 1993.

[subnuclear]

Is finishing 81-81 considered a winning season?

[Mr. Happy]

Is finishing 81-81 considered a winning season?

Forget it, he's rolling...

[Fredia]

i am looking forward to that season for the root root root good guys who changed from nl to al

[NeilT]

Is finishing 81-81 considered a winning season?

With 110+ losses, it's considered a championship season.

[Navin R Johnson]

Is finishing 81-81 considered a winning season?

Yes.  Well, I guess wait until tomorrow or the next day when they win #82....

Curious on the Pirates long drought, their minors are currently considered a top 10 group (BP #7, BA #7), how long has that been the case with them?  They have obviously had some higher draft choices, but they only lost 100+ games twice in this 20 year stretch, 105 in 2010 and 100 in 2001.  

Have they regularly been in the top 10 of the system rankings?

[strosrays]

Is finishing 81-81 considered a winning season?

Don't know how it will all pan out, of course, but I was thinking today the Byrd and Morneau acquisitions kind of feel like a couple of those "under-the-radar" deals down the stretch that end up making the GM look like a genius.

I know all my Mon Valley cousins - all life-long (and recently long-suffering) Pirates fans - love this team. As my cousin Marty from Ellsworth told me recently, they are all up there slamming down the cold IC every night now. Which, actually, they'd be doing anyway.  Only this season it is in celebration, instead of out of sorrow.

[OldBlevins]

Until I switched to the Astros when I lived  in Houston during the first years of Bagwell and Biggio, the Pirates were my favorite team (I know, always jumping on the bandwagon).  So good for them--I hope they win the whole thing.

[JimR]

Until I switched to the Astros when I lived  in Houston during the first years of Bagwell and Biggio, the Pirates were my favorite team (I know, always jumping on the bandwagon).  So good for them--I hope they win the whole thing.

ditto for me, but the switch was 1962.

[BUWebguy]

Have they regularly been in the top 10 of the system rankings?

Looks like they've been mostly mediocre. A couple of spikes that obviously didn't pan out.

BA Pirates organizational rankings by year:

2013: 7
2012: 11
2011: 19
2010: 15
2009: 18
2008: 26
2007: 19
2006: 19
2005: 18
2004: 11
2003: 18
2002: 22
2001: 19
2000: can't find it
1999: 15
1998: 2
1997: 1
1996: 17
1995: 21
1994: 20
1993: 11
1992: 21
1991: between 19-22 (they did grades, not rankings)
1990: 20

[juliogotay]

ditto for me, but the switch was 1962.

Have you read Kiss IT Good-bye? By John Moody. An accounting of the '60 Buccos. Vern Law is somewhat of a central figure in the book.

[JimR]

Have you read Kiss IT Good-bye? By John Moody. An accounting of the '60 Buccos. Vern Law is somewhat of a central figure in the book.

probably. I think I have read them all.

[Lefty]

probably. I think I have read them all.

Gutenberg ain't got shit on you.

[Mr. Happy]

Gutenberg ain't got shit on you.

They were schoolyard chums.

[David in Jackson]

A cautionary tale: #1-2 in organizational rankings in 2997-98 and 15 years away from a winning season in majors.  Also read yesterday that the Astros this year became the first team in ten years to send six minor league clubs to the playoffs.  The last one to do it?  2003 Pirates, ten years before their next winning season in the bigs.  As tough as it is to build through the farm system, it's even tougher than it looks.

[subnuclear]

It's probably not a coincidence that the rise of the Pirates coincides with more serious PED testing. Everyone is going to have to rely more on younger players.

[MusicMan]

Gutenberg ain't got shit on you.

You think he made those Police Academy movies for fun?

(/baits JackAstro trap)

[JimR]

They were schoolyard chums.

nah, Gutenberg was no fun. he just sat around and read his Bible all day.

[juliogotay]

It's probably not a coincidence that the rise of the Pirates coincides with more serious PED testing. Everyone is going to have to rely more on younger players.

That is an interesting take.

[MusicMan]

nah, Gutenberg was no fun. he just sat around and read his Bible all day.

I thought he had a bunch of those that he shared with his friends.

[NeilT]

I thought he had a bunch of those that he shared with his friends.

That was later, after he and Jim lost touch.

[strosrays]

I thought he had a bunch of those that he shared with his friends.

"That wasn't Gutenberg. That was Gideon." - R. Raccoon

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Nominated.

[Ebby Calvin]

Nominated.

x2

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I think they might have lost focus after they got that one monkey off their back.

[Mr. Happy]

I think they might have lost focus after they got that one monkey off their back.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[subnuclear]

Well, the Pirates beat the Rangers tonight to get their 82nd win. Congrats to them.

[BudGirl]

They have clinched a playoff berth.

[Duman]

Anyone else noticed that for all of Petey Gammons squawking about integrity of the game this spring.  It is the division the Astros LEFT that has three teams in the playoffs, not the one they joined.  In fact, it is very likely the one they joined will have only one representative in the playoffs. 

[Bench]

Anyone else noticed that for all of Petey Gammons squawking about integrity of the game this spring.  It is the division the Astros LEFT that has three teams in the playoffs, not the one they joined.  In fact, it is very likely the one they joined will have only one representative in the playoffs. 

Also the Cubs have the same winning % against the NL Central that the Astros do against the AL West, yet the fact that three NL Central teams are making the playoffs isn't being laid at the feet of the Cubs.

[Ebby Calvin]

Also the Cubs have the same winning % against the NL Central that the Astros do against the AL West, yet the fact that three NL Central teams are making the playoffs isn't being laid at the feet of the Cubs.

They're more lovable.