That season was a fun season, and that's because winning is fun. And that's what the 1971 Pirates did 97 times on the way to winning the first title brought back to multi-purposed Three Rivers Stadium. Two losses were sustained before the first victory, and then a few more defeats were posted. I thought we were going to have a pretty nice club. Things just didn't fall our way, but I think everyone had a lot of fun.
Some guys get lucky and they get some players who suddenly find out they can throw strikes.
Robertson was not as kind. I guess you start taking things for granted when you've been around the game as long as I have been. But I thought everyone could catch a pop fly without a circus setting up on the field. He was joking, of course, but the facts are the facts. On the hill was former Pirates pitcher Don Robinson, not a member of the '71 club, but an imported arm for the big day.