Pittsburgh Pirates Social Media Round-up: Celebrating Families and Roberto Clemente

The Pittsburgh Pirates may be struggling but there are a few things that keep this team grinding – family, unity and ties to past greats.

Let’s begin with some Bucco family love.

#FamaleeForever

The Pirates recently held their annual Family Day, which included family portraits on the field. The results, as communicated via the players themselves, were sweet and sometimes very funny.

Jose Osuna and his family were all smiles…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXfykaSF78m/?hl=en&taken-by=joseosuna36

As was Jose Osuna and his EXTENDED family, fellow Venezuelan Francisco Cervelli and his girlfriend, Migbelis!

Andrew McCutchen and his wife, Maria, posed with a sweet little #22 jersey, for their baby boy – due in December.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXhHJOyD08P/?hl=en&taken-by=cutchtwenty2

Cutch might take a cue for Jordy Mercer, who is also expanding his brood come the off-season, as to what next year’s family photo might look like:

Yeah! We nailed family day!! #BUCN pic.twitter.com/SMsbTTh8Mx

— Jordy Mercer (@jordy_mercer) August 7, 2017

Josh Harrison is ALSO on that baby-train, and he and his girls were more than ready for their close up:

Family Day with my ladies! 😍 pic.twitter.com/64DBL3thn0

— Josh Harrison (@jhay_da_man) August 7, 2017

If there are any Pirates players who are NOT looking to start or expand their family, I suggest they steer clear of the water in the clubhouse, because in yet another family day photo, this time one posted by David Freese, we see, yet another beautiful baby bump (and also, could that be BobDog?):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXeQ7IYFDo6/?hl=en&taken-by=davidfreese

And if Jordy Mercer’s photo of his two uniform-clad towheads was a reference for the first-time fathers-to-be, so too, should Trevor Williams’, which definitely paints a very realistic picture of what it’s like to wrangle a toddler for a photo – major leaguer or not:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXibeIThTGS/?hl=en&taken-by=mellamotrevor

Wade LeBlanc’s little boys have gotten great use out of their Pirates uniforms, and it looks like they spent a fair amount of time practicing their slides, as boys should, before they posed for their photo:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXgmfk8nTWZ/?hl=en&taken-by=wleblanc23

Chad Kuhl used his Family Day photo as a birthday post for fiancee Amanda (#Smart)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXoOAnXA07m/?hl=en&taken-by=chad_kuhl

And while this one isn’t from Family Day (I’m not sure he was with the team then), this photo from newly acquired reliever George Kontos, definitely deserves to appear here (#LittleSistersRock):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXqauQjnQmF/?hl=en&taken-by=g_kontos

Current Events

We saw a week in the US that involved the type of anger, hate and violence that frankly, should be long in our past (that is if it has to be in our world at all). Some players responded:

Hate has never been the answer. It is poison that effects the systems of opinionated self righteous https://t.co/JOm6QPhuus conquers all

— Andrew McCutchen (@TheCUTCH22) August 13, 2017

https://twitter.com/Max_Moroff/status/896856237811302400

It's beyond me that it's 2017 and there is so much hate in the United States and the world. Do everything in your power to spread love 💘💘💘 pic.twitter.com/UTeSRaJDQT

— Trevor Williams (@MeLlamoTrevor) August 12, 2017

This one isn’t from a player, but it’s about one and it made me laugh – when honestly – there’s not much to laugh about in this issue:

Fuck these people arguing about statues and monuments. Just change them all to John Jaso and the world will be peaceful.

— Rob Perkey (@Perk_ocet21) August 18, 2017

Happy Birthday #21

Speaking of current events, yesterday was what would have been the 83rd birthday of one of baseball’s greatest humanitarians, someone who in his time battled racism and broke down barriers for players of Latin American descent, Roberto Clemente. And the Pirates, current players and alums, and MLB didn’t let it pass without a worthy celebration.

Today, on what would have been his 83rd birthday, we remember the life and legacy of the great Roberto Clemente. pic.twitter.com/sYwy6YhSrf

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 18, 2017

Un día como hoy nació nuestra leyenda. | On what would have been his 83rd birthday, today we remember Pirates great Roberto Clemente. #21 pic.twitter.com/SOx5zhlofO

— Starling Marte (@Starlingmart) August 18, 2017

Today we remember the life and legacy of baseball icon, humanitarian and Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, who would have turned 83 today. pic.twitter.com/utn0ZfH2pd

— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2017

Was lucky to see up close the impact Roberto Clemente had on a community in Pittsburgh. He died while helping others. Happy birthday Roberto pic.twitter.com/pPXKzjYabI

— Mark Melancon (@Mark_Melancon_) August 18, 2017

TODAY WOULD HAVE BEEN BIRTHDAY83 FOR ROBERTO CLEMENTE. THANKS.

— AL OLIVER (@Alscoop16) August 18, 2017

And Finally…

Since I’m an avid user of social media, and I’m known to be lurking about the Pirates and the team’s players’ social feeds on the reg, I thought I’d offer some helpful advice to sports fans:

If you’re irrationally angry at a baseball player for doing his job, (which is something that only around 150 other people in the world can do on that level, mind you) and feel he’s not performing it up to your high standards (which you’ve set while most likely consuming sports on TV), perhaps you might just want to stew on it for the night. Nothing good can come from your chirping at said baseball player – especially when you threaten him, try to demean him and make light of his recent battle with cancer. Not only will you get smacked down by said player – who was much nicer in his response tweet than a lot of people would have been (perhaps it’s the Canadian ancestry) – but you will also face the wrath of many of the guy’s 36,500 Twitter followers.

Just a thought.

And…that’s all this week for the Pittsburgh Pirates Social Media Round-up. The Pirates hope to snap their losing streak when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals again today at 4:05 p.m. Have a great weekend and #LetsGoBucs!