Despite having my ear to pavement and eyes on Twitter, the Pirates swiped another catcher from under our noses- a move very Pirate-like for the circa 1887 team once known as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. According to folklore, similar to the selling of Babe Ruth, the then Alleghenys hijacked a prospect from the Philadelphia Athletics. Accused of pirating, the Alleghenys quickly became known as the Pirates, a name that stuck through the years to modern day baseball today.
And just like pirates looking for their booty, Pittsburgh struck again by snatching Yankee Catcher Chris Stewart from us. Not that I really care- he is mediocre at best, but a formidable back up catcher for any team.
This is not the first acquisition from the Yankees for the Pirates. The Bucs picked up 28-year-old right-hander Cody Eppley last week, Russell Martin last year, AJ Burnett the year before and now the latest to fall prey is Stewart. We have become a nesting ground for the Pirate organization in the last couple of years. Now, I am not a Pirate fan, but I am also not a Pirate hater either. I mean, I like vintage teams, I like the ballpark and I like the growing team- particularly now that we have so many ex-Yankees playing for them.
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Over the years, the Bucs have had some incredible ball players strutting their stuff in Pittsburgh including Honus Wagner, Dick Groat, Bill Mazeroski, and Willie Stargell. Many other famous players began their career with the Pirates, including Barry Bonds. With the help of such talent, the Pirates made fifteen playoff appearances, winning five World Series titles. Obviously, these wins pale in comparison to the Bombers’ record, but still worth noting.
As a communication professor, it is also interesting to note that one of my students gave a persuasive speech this fall on why baseball fans should follow the Pirates. They are certainly making a comeback in recent years and they are an interesting team to watch and follow.
To say they are #trending would be a little over the top, but hey, they have Yankee in their blood, so I am down with keeping my eye on them. And I guess we all should because you never know who those tricky Pirates will pick up next- Cano, watch your step- you could be next to walk the plank.
--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof
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