Pittsburgh’s Pitiful Pirates Fire Pierogi
This sign wasn’t actually erected atop Mount Washington (which overlooks the city of Pittsburgh) but it very well could. In 2009, the Steelers were the defending Super Bowl champions of the NFL, the Penguins won the NHL’s Stanley Cup but the Pirates were in the midst of their 17th consecutive MLB losing season – a modern record for futility among American professional sports teams.
Without a winning team the Pirates rely on PNC Park (which many consider the finest ballpark in the majors) and promotions to draw fans to the games like “The Great Pittsburgh Pierogy Race N’at”. It was once an animated race that occurred in between innings at home games but by 2009 the animated-version was dropped completely for actual people dressed in giant pierogi costumes.
The idea was hardly original since the Milwaukee Brewers have been doing the same since the early 1990s by racing sausages at Miller Park. (That’s the same venue where the Brewers defeated Pittsburgh in April by a score of 20-0, the worst loss in the Pirates franchise history. And the same field where former Pirate Randall Simon once assaulted one of the participants running in the encased-meat costume.)
Through Father’s Day weekend, the 2010 Pittsburgh Pirates have the worst record in the National League and appear committed to extending their record for consecutive losing seasons. So moves are being made for the once proud franchise. Last week manager John Russell and GM Neal Huntington received contract extensions so any improvements to the current culture are needed elsewhere.
This weekend the Pirates fired Andrew Kurtz. He hasn’t pitched in a single game or ever had an official major league at-bat. Andrew is 24 years old and was one of the racing pierogis at PNC Park until he posted the following message on his Facebook page…
“Coonelly [Pirates team president] extended the contracts of Russell and Huntington through the 2011 season. That means a 19-straight losing streak. Way to go Pirates.”
Kurtz was asked to turn in his pierogi pants and costume after team management learned of the post. No longer will Andrew receive the $25.00 racing fee for running for fans at PNC Park.
Don’t mess with the Pittsburgh Pirates unless, of course, you’re prepared to field 9 guys and play an actual game of baseball. “We Are Family” still in the steel town… we’re just a family that doesn’t win much.
