I don’t know about that ... on the other side of the state, the Pirates just clinched their 19th consecutive losing season. Kids have grown into young adults knowing the Pirates as a pack of losers run by an idiot GM that just got a three year contract extension and an owner that only commits to spending on draft picks for a future that never comes.
The phillies may very well dominate for a long time. That hunter pence trade was brilliant btw ... he’d have been perfect for the Pirates, but our owner is too cheap and our gm was too worried about trading suspects for proven talent.
My freshman roommate was from Pittsburgh, as were a lot of other new friends in the fall of 1971. I remember sitting in the TV lounge of Hastings Hall (East Halls) at Penn State watching the Pirates beat the Orioles for the World Series title. Bob Clemente was my favorite player back then. (Did you know Clemente was a US Marine who served 6 years in the reserves?)
Anyway, there’s always been a special place in my heart for the “Parrots”. I would love to see them get serious again. The Phillies are like a poster child for what spending the money to win can do for bringing back the fans. The Phils are now way over 200+ consecutive sellouts with no end in sight. Add in the merchandise sales and it’s raining money at Citizen’s Bank Park. By the way, the Pirates have a beautiful ball park, too. It’s a shame to see those seats go empty.