It's Gotta Be Tough Being A Pirates Fan....

Perhaps it's little more than poetic justice when you think about it. In the same year that the NFL Steelers and NHL Penguins win their perspective championships, the MLB Pirates have the distinction of being named the worst US professional sports franchise of all time. The award was presented earlier today as the Cubs defeated the Bucs and clinched their place in history as being the only team to have 17 consecutive losing seasons (17 and counting).

Kevin McClatchy's "rebuilding plan" or as he called it, "10 years to contention" has come and gone -- much like McClatchy, and the 2009 Bucs are no closer to chasing a pennant than they were back in '94. Players have been dealt away, management and ownership has changed, but the story is the same.

At first, as player's salaries were being dumped, fans were told the team was "rebuilding". Yet as more and more players were traded for prospects it became clear that anyone with a 1.35 ERA or batting at 265 or better was not long for this town.

The Penguins went through the same rebuilding cycle as the Pirates, but it didn't result in 17 seasons or frustration. (Granted winning the lottery with #87 certainly helped). In today's NHL it's relatively easy to go from worst to first -- in fact, much easier than spending 17 years scheduling tee time for early April. There is parity in the NHL. Parity due to it's salary cap. Major league baseball cannot say the same.

The bottom line is this...Pittsburgh is a small-market city. It is nearly impossible for a small market team with empty wallets to compete on the same level as the Yankees, or Red Sox or yes, even the Phillies. Until an owner steps to the plate (pardon the pun) and is willing to make the Pirates a competitive team.... well, their record will be safe for years to come and we will find ourselves Googling the answer to "team Pirates lost to causing 20th losing season".