It’s been ‘a long enough time’ between World Series wins
On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates honored the 1979 team. Those “We Are Family” Bucs were the last edition of the franchise to win a World Series.
I suppose, technically, it’s more accurate to say the “most recent” edition of the franchise to win a World Series, as opposed to “last” edition. Although, given how most of the past four and a half decades have gone, “last” feels pretty accurate.
In talking to the ‘79 alumni who were on hand, they were acutely aware of how the word “last” is starting to take on an all too real double meaning.
“This team here, we keep doing this (reunion) every five years; I’m not sure how many of us are going to be around. But we’d all love to see them win another one,” pitcher Don Robinson said. “I don’t want to be involved in the last team to ever win here before I go.”
To Robinson’s point, quite a few players from that team have died. Eleven players who spent time with the Pirates in 1979 have already passed on. So did manager Chuck Tanner, as well as coaches Harvey Haddix, Joe Lonnett and Al Monchak.
“It’s wonderful to be here,” pitcher John Candelaria said. “But the sad part is that it has been 45 years since another team has won. God knows I’d love to see one before I keep on going wherever I’m going. But I would love to see it for the city, for the fans, for the players.”
Kent Tekulve saved three of the four wins in that World Series victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He wants to have the feeling of seeing the Pirates hoist another World Championship banner from the point of view of a franchise alum, as many of the 1960 and 1971 players were able to witness.
“They got to see us win in ‘79. I’ve been waiting for a long time to see the next team win. That’s one thing I think that I’m missing, that I would really like to experience,” Tekulve said. “When you win the World Series the first time, you don’t understand what it is. When we won the World Series in ‘79, my first time, it was 25 Pirates against 25 Orioles. You didn’t understand how the community was involved. You didn’t understand the reaction of all the people around. You didn’t understand the big picture until afterward.”
Always known for having a way with words, former MVP Dave Parker probably summed it up best.
“We’ve got to cut that out,” Parker said via TribLive’s Kevin Gorman. “We’ve got to take that out of our repertoire. It’s been a long enough time for us to be without a Series. They’ve got a nucleus now that may help them with that.”
Hearing former catcher Steve Nicosia speak, the 45-year drought has dented some of the alumni pride.
“The Pirates have such a rich tradition and history,” he said. “For us not to be winning these past 30-40 years has taken a lot out of us. We always felt like (in) our organization, second place wasn’t part of the equation when you put on a Pirates uniform.”
Unfortunately for the Pirates, first place hasn’t been part of the equation since 1992. However, Nicosia is actually starting to feel optimistic about this iteration of the club.
“Finally, for the first time (in a while), I’m excited about the pitching in Pittsburgh. The players in Pittsburgh. The key is, let’s keep them now. Let’s find a way to sign them up for some longterm deals. Let’s keep the Paul Skeneses of the world and Jared Joneses,” Nicosia said.
Some, like outfielder Mike Easler, are trying to will a championship into existence.
“In my heart, I’m still Black and Gold,” Easler said. “Everything I wear is Black and Gold. I’m working in Boca Raton at the Vaughn Sports Academy; our colors are Black and Gold. So I’m right at home there. I would just love to see another championship come to Pittsburgh.”
Going back to Candelaria’s sentiment, the ‘79 team will never be forgotten and will always be honored even if the Pirates do somehow manage to win a title within some of our lifetimes. In a way, their legacy might even be enhanced if sometime in the near future a Pirates team is actually playing deep into October again to remind younger baseball fans (younger than 45, anyway) what “We Are Family” was all about.
It’s not like the Steelers of the ‘70s were forgotten after the Steelers of the 2000s won a pair of Super Bowls. It’s not like the 1990s Penguins have faded into the mist of history after the Crosby-Malkin Pens have won three Stanley Cups.
If anything, their impression on the city’s history has been resurrected more by references to their glory days gone by as the more modern renditions of those franchises have achieved equal success.
“It’s going to happen here,” shortstop Tim Foli insisted. “They’ve been close (199092, and 2013-15). You’ve just got to piece it all together.”
On Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” album, the last track is entitled “One More Time.”
That’s all any of the 1979 Pirates are asking for.
