Well now, let me tell ya somethin’ about them Pirates, you know, the Pittsburgh ones. Ain’t nobody around here who don’t know about them, specially if ya like baseball. Now, we ain’t talkin’ ’bout no fancy folks with them high-falutin’ ideas, just a bunch of regular folks who been watchin’ these here Pirates play for years. I reckon most folks know them for their ups and downs, but today, we’re gonna talk about somethin’ special—the 20-win seasons for them pitchers. Ain’t that somethin’?
Now, if ya been payin’ any attention, you’d know that these Pirates, well, they don’t always have the best luck when it comes to winnin’. But back in the day, they sure had some pitchers who could sure get the job done. I’ll tell ya about some of the ones who had a real good year, and I mean 20 wins or more. That’s no small feat, let me tell ya. I reckon there ain’t too many folks can say that.
Now, take ol’ John Smiley, for instance. Back in 1991, he was somethin’ else. Got ’em 20 wins that year, and not just that, he even went on to be the NL Wins Leader! Ain’t that somethin’? Back then, the Pirates was lookin’ to get back to their glory days, and Smiley helped keep ’em in the fight. Now, they had a lot of rough years after that, but I tell ya, that 1991 season was somethin’ special. People still talk about it to this day.
And then, don’t forget ’bout Doug Drabek. This fella, he ain’t no stranger to the mound, that’s for sure. Back in 1990, ol’ Doug put up 20 wins too, and he did it with a lotta grit. Some of these newer folks might not know his name like they do the big stars, but he was a big deal in his day. Without him, I don’t think them Pirates woulda had a good shot at that year. He was steady, and that’s what a team needs, especially when times get tough.
But ya know, the Pirates ain’t had too many 20-win pitchers since then. I reckon if you look back through the years, it ain’t a regular thing for ’em to get those kinds of numbers. They’ve had their moments, sure, but that 20-win season is somethin’ real rare, even for a team like the Pirates.
Now, let’s go a bit further back. Back in 1882, ya had Harry Salisbury. Ever heard of him? Well, he was pitchin’ for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, which is what they called ’em before they was the Pirates. And guess what? He had 20 wins that season too! Ain’t that somethin’? Now, that’s a long time ago, but still, that’s a proud record for anyone who’s wearin’ that Pittsburgh jersey.
And it don’t stop there. If ya look at some of them other teams, like them American League teams, ya can see a few other folks with 20 wins in a season too. But even though them numbers might look good on paper, it don’t change the fact that the Pirates, well, they been through their ups and downs.
The Pirates had a long stretch of struggles, especially after that 1979 World Series win. For a lotta years, they just couldn’t seem to get back on track. That’s when they went through a whole mess of losing seasons, more than 20 in a row, if ya can believe that. But still, folks in Pittsburgh kept showin’ up to them games, and you could always count on ’em to be there when the team had somethin’ worth cheerin’ for.
Now, I ain’t sayin’ the Pirates haven’t had their fair share of disappointments, ’cause they sure have. But those 20-win seasons, they still stand out, even when things ain’t goin’ so hot. It shows that, even in a team full of struggles, there’s always a chance for greatness to shine through.
Even today, when folks talk about the Pirates, they remember those glory days, the ones when they had pitchers who could really take charge. They still talk about Smiley and Drabek, and ol’ Harry Salisbury too, when they feel like reminiscing. They don’t forget the good times, and they sure don’t forget them 20-win seasons. It’s a mark of pride, a sign that the team can be great, even if it don’t happen every year.
So, the next time ya find yourself sittin’ in the stands watchin’ the Pirates play, just remember all them pitchers who fought hard for that 20-win season. It’s a big deal, and it ain’t somethin’ that just happens by chance. It takes a lotta hard work, grit, and heart. And that’s somethin’ every Pirate fan should be proud of, even if they don’t win it all every year.
Tags：[Pittsburgh Pirates, 20-win season, baseball history, John Smiley, Doug Drabek, Harry Salisbury, Major League Baseball, NL Wins Leader, Pittsburgh baseball, 1991 baseball]
