Pirates

The Pirates logo

NL Wild Card

## Overview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are an MLB team in the National League Central. They are available to play on Backyard Baseball 2001 and 2003. They have made the playoffs two times in six tries but have never won a playoff series.

## Season 4

The Pittsburgh Pirates were selected for the first time by coach GSchlim. They found some success in their debut season, ending the season at 9-5 and earning the NL Wild Card. However, they were bounced from the playoffs in the first round by the undefeated Mariners.

## Season 6

The Pittsburgh Pirates were chosen again in Season 6 by coach jyknight. The Pirates did not have a very good start to the season, losing their first four games. They were able to turn it around the rest of the way, going 6-4 over their last 10 games for a 6-8 final record.

Perhaps the best moment of the Pirates' regular season came in a simul-streamed game against the Indians. After finishing their side of the match, the Indians just needed to shut down the Pirates in the 6th inning for the win. But the AI Kimmy Eckman hit a home run in the bottom of the 6th which was a de facto "walk-off" in terms of the run differential.
The Pirates didn't qualify for the playoffs, but they did join the BBL Consolation Tournament. They cruised all the way to the championship in the winner's bracket section of the double elimination tournament, beating the Cubs, Rockies, Melonheads, and Cardinals along the way. However, the Cardinals came back to face them in the championship, and the Pirates were knocked off twice, by low scores of 2-1 and 1-1 on a tiebreaker going to the Cardinals.

## Season 8

In Season 8, coach hitace planned to play as the Yankees, but he hired BBL veteran Kiiiiiiiiiiiiis to draft for him. After seeing the team constructed for him, hitace resigned from playing in Season 8. BBL rookie QuestionMonkey, who joined the server just after Season 8 signups had closed, volunteered to take his place. He made a few roster adjustments and renamed the team the Baltimore Pirates. The team was in the American League Central, with a home field of Steele Stadium.

The Pirates' season started off with a bang, as Carlos Delgado threw a perfect game and they beat the Devil Rays 9 - (-3). However, the Pirates' season got a little rocky after that, and they finished with a 6-8 record, out of playoff contention.

The Pirates accepted a bid to the Consolation Tournament, where they were swept by the Orioles 2-0 in a best-of-3 series.

## Season 9

Coach QuestionMonkey returned to manage the Pirates for another season. They played in the AL East, on the 2001 version of the game, and had a home field of Playground Commons.

The Pirates were in a division of some evenly matched teams, but unfortunately they finished at the bottom, with a 5-9 record.

In the Consolation Tournament, in a double elimination format, the Pirates beat the Reds, but then lost to the Orioles and Angels, ending their season.

## Season 10

### 2001

In Season 10, coach QuestionMonkey returned as coach of the Pirates for the third straight season, moving them to Montreal. They played in the 2001 league in the American League East at their home field of Cement Gardens. The Pirates were alive in the playoff race until the last week of the season, missing it at 6-8.

The Pirates' season was characterized by devastating losses. Two such examples include AI Barry Bonds make a costly error against the Devil Rays, allowing a few runs to score, and the Rockies scoring 12 runs in the top of the 6th inning to win by one run.

### 2003

On the 2003 side of Season 10, the Pirates were taken by coach shrewsbury91. The Pirates played in the Backyard League East at the home field of The Paveway. The Pirates got off to a tough start at 1-3, but they turned it on in the second half of the season and captured the second BL Wild Card at a record of 8-6.

In the regular season, Jerry Winchell put on an impressive display on the mound, which earned him the Backyard League Ace Wilson Award.

Another outstanding member of the Pirates was Olga Tollefson, who began the season reaching base safely 23 times in a row before first making an out. She ended up leading the Backyard League in batting average at 0.846.

In the playoffs, the Pirates faced the top seeded White Sox and took a surprising game one win after an extra innings rally. Unfortunately, in the next two games, the Pirates were stymied by the White Sox's defense and dropped the next two games, losing the series.