In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost in the AFC Championship game last night.
This, after a remarkable 11-5 season in which the team rattled off 9 straight wins to take another AFC North division title.
Though many took issue with coach Mike Tomlin after the game, many also agreed that calling him a “losing” coach is absolutely asinine. But it is fair to wonder if he and his team have reached a certain plateau of solid – but not great – performance. Performance just good enough to contend every year, but not good enough to get over the proverbial hump.
The Pittsburgh Pirates should take note.
Plateaus Are Good, Until They’re Not
Of course, comparing the NFL to MLB is a fool’s errand that ends the minute you remind yourself that the NFL is a capped league. That’s not what we’re doing here today. Rather, on a philosophical level, the similarities between the Steelers and the Pittsburgh Pirates boil down to each team reaching a plateau of sorts.
The Steelers are always a threat to win their division each and every year. They are a well-run organization that gives their on-field product a real chance to compete each season.
The Pirates are, over the last four years, a realistic threat to make the playoffs. They are a well-run organization that gives their on-field product a realistic chance to compete for a playoff spot each season.
The particulars may be different, and you can quibble with some of the wording for the Pirates, but both teams have now reached their respective plateaus.
Both should not be satisfied with staying there.
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Baseball Talk on the Web
- FanGraphs introduced the Hope and Faith Index in their Hardball Times annual, and now you can view that great piece on the web.
- With Spring Training not too far away, MLB Trade Rumors outlines the Top Remaining Free Agents.
- Bill Baer takes a look at Yordano Ventura‘s time in MLB. Ventura and former Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Andy Marte perished in separate car crashes on Sunday. May they rest in peace.
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