Why was Lees HRs put Pittsburgh Pirates in unwanted place in baseball’s record book?
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ not-so-magic number is zero, or the number of winning teams they’ve had during a record-setting run of futility over 17 forgettable seasons. The Chicago Cubs assured the Pirates of an unwanted place in baseball’s record book, getting two homers from Derrek Lee and an effective start from Ted Lilly while beating the last-place Pirates 4-2 on Monday. By losing their 10th in 11 games, the Pirates are guaranteed of finishing below .500, just as they have every season since 1993. The 17 consecutive losing seasons represent the longest streak for any team in the four major North American pro team sports, and only the Phillies (1933-48) have also had as many as 16 in a row. “We can’t ignore it and say it didn’t happen,” said manager John Russell, whose team was dismantled by the trading of five everyday players since Opening Day. “We’re not accepting it. We’re making moves to make sure we build a championship team, and we want that to happen as soon as possible.” The p
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ not-so-magic number is zero, or the number of winning teams they’ve had during a record-setting run of futility over 17 forgettable seasons. The Chicago Cubs assured the Pirates of an unwanted place in baseball’s record book, getting two homers from Derrek Lee and an effective start from Ted Lilly while beating the last-place Pirates 4-2 on Monday. By losing their 10th in 11 games, the Pirates are guaranteed of finishing below .500, just as they have every season since 1993. The 17 consecutive losing seasons represent the longest streak for any team in the four major North American pro team sports, and only the Phillies (1933-48) have also had as many as 16 in a row. The Vancouver Canucks (NHL, 1976-91) and Kansas City/Sacramento Kings (NBA, 1983-98) had 15 consecutive losing seasons each and the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a 14-year streak (1983-96). “We can’t ignore it and say it didn’t happen,” said manager John Russell, whose team was dismantled by the tr
“We can’t ignore it and say it didn’t happen,” said manager John Russell, whose team was dismantled by the trading of five everyday players since opening day. “We’re not accepting it. We’re making moves to make sure we build a championship team, and we want that to happen as soon as possible.” The present-day Pirates (54-82) are a mix of prospects and lower-paid players, and most were oblivious to the significance of the loss. Rookie starting pitcher Daniel McCutchen(notes) (0-1) didn’t realize his first career loss would be the Pirates’ 1,501st since the streak began, the season after former Pirates star Barry Bonds(notes) left to sign with the Giants. In the opposing dugout, the Cubs’ Lou Piniella remembered managing in Cincinnati against Bonds-led Pirates teams that averaged 96 wins from 1990-92. Sources: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap;_ylt=ArEBZs7MfazKhqsDQfw60W10fN
