What is the definition of a die-hard fan? Is it being the first person to the park for every game, tailgating in any weather condition possible, sporting your teams colors every moment possible? Those are good reasons, but there is one that people overlook. How about sticking with a team that hasn’t had a winning record in 20 years? That sounds like the pure definition of a die-hard fan.
Let’s put this into perspective. I was in preschool the last time the Pirates had a winning record and made the playoffs. The only recollection any person age 26 and younger have of a winning Pirates squad is the clips they see on the internet, ROOT Sports, or MLB Network. As for the older ones that do remember a winning team, this has to hurt more for you. The feeling of a winning team to root for deep into a season must be amazing, but at the same time the feeling of missing that feeling for 20+ years has to be terrible.
Clint Hurdle recognizes this every time he receives a letter from a fan with encouraging words. “I get messages from fans that say all-in since 1970, since 2000. It’s remarkable, from the fan base, to get these messages, sitting in the seat I’m sitting in to feel the passion. For them to take the time to send a message not condescending, not second-guessing, not speculating, just saying “We’re all-in”. It’s way more significant from that point than in any other place that I have been.”
This, alone, shows that there are still people that are passionate about this team. This is still a storied franchise that has its share of memorable names and events that are written in baseball history, but with every franchise comes a time when it goes through hardship and for the Pirates case, a long term of hardship. With every set of hardship, though, there is always that light at the end of the tunnel and the true Pirate fan remembers this. That is why you still believe.
Everyone knows Steeler and Penguin fans are the most passionate, wide-spread, fan bases in the country, but you can’t forget the Pirate fans. It may not seem like it, but they have the same numbers as the other two major teams in the city. It will be something special once the Pirates put together that “magical” season that we’ve been waiting on for more than 20 years.
You, true Pirate fans, are the real definition of die-hard.
