Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more)
This won’t be the first time I put my lousy prognostication skills on the line, and it won’t be the last.
You might remember that back in July of 2021 I predicted the Pirates to win the 2027 World Series. My old radio colleague Ron Cook would often remind me of that as the ballclub kept sinking to new lows in the years thereafter.
That prediction is looking at least a little bit better these days, no? Never mind that there might not be a 2027 World Series. If MLB shuts down for a year and the Pirates win it all in 2028, I am absolutely taking credit for that call.
But none of that has happened yet. The only thing happening now is the Pirates winning. The first-place Pirates, I might add, who improved to 10-6 by demolishing the Washington Nationals on Monday night.
Yes, there are 146 games left, but the Pirates are good. That appears to be the story here. They are not perfect. Not by a longshot. A key injury or two could derail them, as with any team. But they are good, bolstered by a radically improved lineup featuring a reborn Oneil Cruz.
Are they going to win the division? Possibly. But I’m not going there just yet.
Are they going to make the playoffs? Yes, as long as Paul Skenes stays healthy, but that’s not the topic at hand, either.
The topic is this: How many more days will the Pirates spend under .500 this season?
I say none.
They loitered in losing territory for a mere six days early in the season and left for good, I believe, on April Fool’s Day when they beat the Reds to even their record at 3-3.
This might not seem like a big deal, but with this franchise, .500 matters. The trauma of a 20-year losing streak makes it so.
I remember the night Travis Snider blasted a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning in Milwaukee for the Pirates’ 81st win in 2013 — ending the 20-year losing streak.
And I certainly remember Gerrit Cole outdueling Yu Darvish in Texas in a 1-0 win six days later, for win No. 82 and a winning season assured. The Pirates did not celebrate that night, but second baseman Neil Walker knew what it meant. He grew up here. He hadn’t seen the Pirates finish with a winning record since he was 7 years old.
“As a fan, that number (82) has some significance,” Walker said. “To the other 24 guys, I don’t think it holds that much weight.”
Since 2015, the Pirates have spent precious little time over .500. They’ve posted only one winning season and barely so (82-79 in 2018).
Do you know how many days they spent over .500 last season? That would be none.
How about 2022? That would be one.
Yes, fast starts can be deceiving. The Pirates started 20-8 three years ago, prompting a contract extension for manager Derek Shelton, but quickly crumbled.
This team isn’t crumbling. I picked them for 86 wins. I’ll stick with 86 wins — and zero more days under .500.