The Quest for 100
Joe Starkey Chimes In

Beautifully written
Bucs deserve more credit

By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, April 27, 2006
(updated on 5-6-06 by npoc)

The Pirates can't win for losing.
An ESPN.com poll is asking the nation to rank the worst franchises in professional sports -- it's time to crown a new king now that the Los Angeles Clippers are winning -- and the Pirates rank just seventh of 21 choices.
I'm outraged.
I mean, if we're talking about longevity in losing, rampant incompetence and comically bad ownership, who out there compares to our Buccos?

Can't they get credit for anything?
Their 13-year losing streak is the longest active one in pro sports, and they are well on their way to No. 14, which would tie for fifth-longest in baseball history.
Yet, voters have them behind these six franchises:
1. Kansas City Royals
2. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
3. Detroit Lions
4. Arizona Cardinals
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. New Orleans Saints

I'd rank the Royals a solid No. 3, behind the Pirates and the NBA's Golden State Warriors.
This is about more than just losing. It's about the calamity factor, too. It's about raising ticket prices after a 100-loss season and converting college baseball's leading home run hitter (John Van Benschoten) into a pitcher. It's about watching in horror as a famous actor trashes team ownership before throwing the first pitch at a home opener.
It's about giving away your best hitting prospect (Chris Shelton) for no apparent reason.
1994 the Pirates drafted Anna Benson's future husband first overall and a year before they used their top pick on the immortal J.J. Davis.
They would have been better off with J.J. Walker.
The Pirates' financial constraints sometimes kept then-GM Cam Bonifay from drafting the guys he wanted. He's no more to blame for this mess than ex-manager Lloyd McClendon.
McClendon, by the way, declined comment on the Pirates' worst start in half a century when I phoned him Tuesday. But he did say, "It's not about Lloyd McClendon or Jim Tracy or anyone else. Ultimately, it's all about the players."

The best players cost money. People tend to forget that the last two division-winning Pirates teams (1991, '92) had the second-highest payroll in their division and a top-15 payroll overall. So please don't give then-manager Jim Leyland too much credit. And don't forget that Leyland's world-champion Florida Marlins of 1997 rode $89 million worth of free agents to a crown.
We digress.
The Pirates dropped to an impressive 2-16 on the road Friday and 8-22 overall with a 6-0 loss to the almost equally inept Washington Nationals.
There's still time to get to the poll.

-n