A Brief History of the Buccos
We love our local baseball team, the good ole Buccos. With Opening Day this past week, we thought we’d take a look at one Pittsburgh’s most storied sports franchises. Don’t forget, you can catch the Buccos in action all season long at Zone 28’s End Zone Sports Bar!
Early History of Baseball in Pittsburgh
The Pirates were founded in 1881. They joined the National League in 1887 and started off rather strong. They took home three NL titles in a row starting in 1901 and one their first World Series in 1909.
Their most famous win was arguably the 1960s World Series against the New York. This championship stands out because ended with a walk-off home run, making it the only time in baseball history that game 7 of the World Series was won with a home run.
The Under 500 Years
The Bucs won three more World Series and had some relatively successful regular seasons in the early 90s before their luck started going downhill. From 1993 through 2012, the club had 20 consecutive losing seasons. That’s the longest losing streak in American professional sports history. Not a record you want to have. The next year, in 2013, the Pirates ended with a winning season and have kept a more even keel since.
How Did the Ball Club Get Its Name?
Back when they were still known as the Alleghenys in the 1890s season, the club scooped up a highly prized player from the Philadelphia Athletics, Lou Bierbauer. Philly cried foul (no pun intended), claiming that when the Alleghenys signed Bierbaur, they were being “piratical.” This incident is said to have created a schism between the existing baseball leagues which ultimately contributed to the destruction of one.
They were never officially charged with wrongdoing, but they continued to be called “piratical” and decided to have some fun with it, renaming the team “the Pirates.” The name started being used on their uniforms in 1912.
Come to Zone 28 for Baseball All Season Long
Now that you’ve read a little history, come watch the game with us at the End Zone Sports Bar! We’ve got games and activities galore here at Zone 28, but we know that sometimes all you want to do is sit back with a beer and watch the ball game. That’s why we have the End Zone Sports Bar with 14 big screen TVs. We have great food and 100 different kinds of beer for you to try.
