Sure, we all know them. The 1997 Freak Show Pirates. Despite a record below .500, the team, aided by a weak division, still contended for the division title into September. I woke up this morning, and apparently, the Post-Gazette is unwilling to let these memories go. Sure, they might be the closest thing we’ve had to a good season in the past 14 (and counting), but reminiscing about a sub-.500 team only makes me mad.
Its even arguable that the 1997 team, because they were so close to the division title, made it that much tougher on the fans. What’s worse, not caring as your team approaches 100 losses, or getting worked up for a team that was a little better, but not that much? I mean, what was accomplished in 1997? The fans got a little more excited, but once the season was over, it was still a sub-.500 team with no playoff appearance to show for it. And honestly, September baseball fun only cuts into Steeler season. Even if it was an overachieving, $9 million team.
But in case you really needed your Freak Show fix, the P-G has you covered.
Here’s the roster. That pitching staff was pretty impressive. But do they need to be referred to as the Wonder Boys?
Here’s the Those Were The Days article. 79 wins = Awesome.
And here’s the Where Are They Now? Esteban Loaiza = Drunk and doing 120 MPH.
So reminisce all you want. It is the closest thing we’ve had to a winning season since ’92. And the team was a bargain. And we had Shawon Dunston, which marks the last Buccos free agent acquisition , with the hopes of making the playoffs, in the past 10 years.
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