Not since 1992 — the year that Sid Bream slide home and broke Pittsburgh's heart in the National League Championship — have the Buccos finished with a winning record.
This season, however, there is at least some hope in Pittsburgh that the Pirates can finally once again finish a season with more wins than losses.
They enter Friday's game with the Red Sox right at .500 with a 37-37 record. As late as June 16, the Pirates were two games over .500, a feat that may not seem like much on the surface, but when it comes to the Pirates, that is a substantial accomplishment.
They do have a few a things working for them, the first of which is actually some talent. The Pirates have a decent core of young players, and it's starting to look like they've gotten control of their farm system.
Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is quickly becoming of one of the game's best players that you haven't really heard of. He makes a sparkling defensive play seemingly every night, and at the plate, he's capable of doing some damage. He already has 10 home runs and 37 RBIs to go with 14 stolen bases.
They also have a strong pitching staff, led by a rotation that features five pitchers 30 or younger. Kevin Correia came over from the Padres in the offseason, and the change of scenery may have jump-started his career. Yankees castoff Jeff Karstens is trying to resurrect his career, especially after a 3-10 campaign in 2010, and he has the best ERA of any starter in Pittsburgh with a 2.54 mark. The bullpen is also anchored by Joel Hanrahan, who has 20 saves, and he's being set up by a solid corps of relievers.
Also helping the Pirates in their quest to finish above .500 will be the division and league that they play in. There's no question that the National League is the inferior league, and after the Brewers, there really isn't much to write home about in the NL Central. If Pittsburgh can take advantage of that at any point in the season and go on a run, they could be looking at a winning percentage above .500 for the first time since 1992.
Will the Pirates finish this season over .500?survey software
Wednesday, June 22: How many All-Star Games will Adrian Gonzalez play in as a member of the Red Sox?
