Roberto Clemente was one of the greatest baseball players of all-time, on and off the field. He is known by Pittsburghers and others as “The Great One”. The right field wall is even 21-feet high in memory of Clemente. That same number, 21, has been retired by the Pirates so that his number can never be worn again (Unless the player can get special permission to wear it). The number should be retired by the whole MLB but they have not for some unknown reason.
What fans don’t want to see the number 21 known for, is consecutive losing seasons. That cannot happen. It was almost not even a thought, as last season the Buccos saw themselves as high as 16 games above .500 midway through the season until a late collapse would see them finish at a record of 79-83 and a 20th straight losing season. The streak is a year away from joining me at the bar for a cold one, that’s unheard of.
For the diehard Bucco fan, this is the year, just like the last 20 were supposed to be. This time, though, it just may be the year. The Pirates have a solid pitching rotation if it can remain healthy and pitchers like Charlie Morton, Jeff Karstens, and Fransisco Liriano can pitch well once off the DL.
Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, and Garrett Jones are poised to have another power-year, while Starling Marte looks to break-out in his first full year in the Majors. Clint Barmes will also look to bounce back and contribute more offensively to the ballclub. As with every team, you need the right pieces and for them to fall in place to be successful.
The Pirates have the pieces, they just need to use them correctly to keep 21 a respected number.
