These Pittsburgh Pirates are Worthy of Your Support

The 2018 Pittsburgh Baseball Club deserves your support

Just five years after the Pittsburgh Pirates had finally turned the corner, the departures of Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole signified the end of an era. Personally, I never thought about going cold turkey on the team I’ve loved since infancy. I understood, however, how frustrating it would be for Pittsburgh to go through another rebuild. So after years of complaining about “fair weather fans,” for once, I emphasized with those who wanted to jump ship.

With the season almost a quarter of the way done, it appears plenty have done moved on, or at least are no longer willing to spend money on the franchise. Despite sitting a half game out of first place, the Pirates rank 29th of 30 teams in attendance, behind only the notoriously concealed Tampa Bay Rays. It’s a shame because this team has shown that it has the guts and the charisma that make it worthy of this city’s support. Pittsburgh is historically a town that appreciates hard work. Now, Pirates fans have the opportunity to show that, by doing whatever they can to support their team.

Already, the Pirates have faced adversity and weathered the storm. A few weeks back, the Bucs lost seven of eight, highlighted by a four-day whipping across the state.  Instead of wilting, the Bucs got it together and won their next five. The Pirates’ most recent road trip started with four ugly losses in D.C. They fought back and won four of five to end the stretch.

Detractors could say that this roller coaster pattern shows that the Pirates aren’t consistent enough to be successful. While there might be merit to that, the fact that the Bucs have had chances to fall off and haven’t done it yet speaks to their resiliency.

There are plenty of people in this city who want to support the Pirates but are unwilling to go to PNC Park because of ownership. While not wanting to feed #nuttingswallet is understandable, there isn’t a better way to support the players on the field then by going to the stadium. While guys like Francisco Cervelli will play hard regardless of how many are watching, this team deserves to be appreciated and deserves to know that Pittsburgh likes what they’re doing.

Next: Colin Moran has a Clutch Gene

The 2018 Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t going to win a world championship. They probably won’t win a division title, either. Heck, they might not even qualify for the postseason.

Anybody who watches this team play, however, knows that the effort is there. Anybody who sees their locker room celebrations after a win knows that this team has personality. So put your hatred of Bob Nutting aside, and go to PNC Park, because this squad deserves to be noticed.

This city supposedly has a soft spot for grinders, and these Bucs fit the build. The owner might not deserve your support, but the players do.