How One Play Led To 20 Years Of Losing For The Pirates

After struggling in the 80s coming off the Pittsburgh drug trials, the Pittsburgh Pirates rebounded to start the 90s, winning the NL East three years in a row. Led by Jim Leyland, they featured Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke, Jose Lind, Doug Drabek and more. But in their 3 NLCS appearances, they lost each one. Losing in 1990 to the Reds then losing in 1991 and 1992 to the Braves, including the famous game 7 of the 1992 NLCS where Francisco Cabrera drove in Sid Bream to win the game. And after that play, the Pirates proceeded to have a losing season for the next 20 years, a record in North American sports. Despite moving to the beautiful PNC Park, cheap owners, bad front office moves, and terrible play led to a historic stretch for the wrong reasons not ending until 2013.
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[@Forward.the.blue.brigade]

Im a 43 year old man from Pittsburgh. So I was born in 81. I've watched the Penguins go to 6 Stanley cup finals and win 5 of them. They have had 3 of the top 10 best players in the history of hockey. The Steelers went to 4 Superbowls and won 2 of them. They have had more Hall of Famers than I can count off the top of my head in my lifetime. The Pirates.... man have they fuckin sucked. I remember those early 90s teams and the meltdown. The best thing that happened to the Pirates since then is when Cueto dropped the ball. The owner is a fuckin disgrace and I wonder and doubt if I will ever see them win a playoff game, let alone the World series before I die.

[@karlschlenzig6884]

Such a shame considering the great team they had for the whole 60s and 70s. They had a great team in the early 90's. Bonds, Bonilla, Van Slyke, Drabek, Bell, Merced, and the criminally underrated Don Slaught

[@paulthompkins4150]

I'm a HUGE Braves fan of 49 yrs and I'd gladly give anything for the Falcons to win a Superbowl and the Hawks an NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. You're so lucky to have other relevant teams in your city. I'd trade you my teams for yours in a heartbeat.

[@tugboat2030]

Lol crying over 7 world championships in your lifetime. Be grateful.

[@Jiltedin2007]

R.I.P.: Tim Wakefield He was very valuable playing a key part in the Red Sox World Series Championships of 2004 and 2007.

[@calebos268]

NL Central was stacked in 2015: 100-win Cardinals, 98-win Pirates, 97-win Cubs; the top 3 records in the entire MLB that year.

[@sanchezjr13]

And none of them won the World Series. Congratulations 👏🏽

[@calebos268]

@@sanchezjr13 ok? that has nothing to do with what I said.

[@michaelleroy9281]

2015 was all Kansas City Royals

[@Jiltedin2007]

Didn’t the N.L. East Division Mets win the Pennant that year? Who knocked out the Division Champion Cardinals in 2015?

[@BKILLS186]

@@Jiltedin2007idk why don’t you check, you seem unsure.

[@shaneimler9328]

The Pirates have an ownership curse. The Nutting curse.

[@revmo37]

Absolutely, Nutting is the worst owner in all of professional sports. I keep hoping Pittsburgh native Mark Cuban will buy the team.

[@planepirate]

Sure Nutting sucks, but how does that explain the years and years of losing before he became owner?

[@shaneimler9328]

@@planepirate When you have the lowest, or close to it, year after year you will never keep star players or actually win. Look at Skenes. He'll probably get paid more per season than the entire Pirates roster this season when he hits the end of his contract.

[@michaelleroy9281]

19:58 Pirates? worst owner? you can't be serious how bout the old man in Chicago who has one one championship in 44 seasons the Pirates aren't going to lose over 120 games this season

[@bigjared8946]

Sid Bream should ask Barry Bonds to autograph his wooden leg.

[@Trancymind]

You can tell he would give his middle finger at Bream just like he did towards his former teammate Van Slyke.

[@ConleySmooge]

Fransisco Cabrera was the last guy on Bobby Cox's bench. The next pinch hitter wouldve been Tom Glavine.

[@Kitt_the_Katt]

I remember when sid slid as it was my first memory of playoff baseball in ATL

[@Tryp-j9d]

Yeah, NONE of the Braves fans want to remember getting B1TCH-SLAPPED by the ‘69 Mets!!!

[@Tryp-j9d]

It was ALL Jose Linda’s fault!!

[@thomasjudge2623]

The Marlins and Braves were the biggest rivalry in sports?!?!?! That's laughable

[@tillitsdone]

I think it was sarcasm.

[@VidaBlue317]

Cincinnati and Pittsburgh were/are one of the best rivalries in sports. Unfortunately, both have sucked at baseball for 30 years, and the Bengals sucked at football before Joey B.

[@ConleySmooge]

After Eric Gregg gave the Marlins that series win singlehandedly with his atrocious and one sided strike zone.

[@davidhurray]

Living in Pittsburgh i can tell you that Sid Bream still haunts us lol.

[@ConleySmooge]

If Bonds listens to Van Slyke, the Pirates throw him out and probably win in extras. 90%

[@sickofguysnamedtodd2293]

Probably doesn’t help that he still lives in the area.

[@hogg4229]

Nice Randy Marsh reference

[@pullt]

Leyland with the Mike Diaz Rambo poster on the wall held on with trainers tape 😂

[@Jimmersaunt]

Funny thing is the Cubs just inducted Aramis Ramirez into their Hall of Fame.

[@his_purpose3]

Nate Sexauer made a great 2 part video series about the Pirates during the 20 year losing streak. It's called "Come See Us Play". It's long but definitely worth a watch.

[@jbark25]

My best friend and I was at game 5 and watched Bob Walk's gem of a game. We didn't think we could win that with Bob on the mound.

[@williamworrell178]

Nice job covering all that. Was a huge Braves fan when Sid made that slide, but still for you guys on that one. OUUUUCHHHH

[@camoss3724]

I hated Pittsburgh for beating the Orioles in 1979 after the Orioles had taken a 3-1 series lead, but man, I really felt for them after Game 7 of that 1992 NLCS. The team was already breaking up with the departure of Bobby Bonilla the previous offseason to free agency and the preseason trade of John Smiley to Minnesota. And after that game, with the imminent departures of cornerstones like Bonds and Drabek, you knew their best chance at making the World Series had come and gone.

[@cardboardempire]

Sid Bream was nice enough to sign both a Pirates and Braves card. Good guy.

[@dingledonk8027]

RIP wake

[@10Peter25]

Nice finish with Javy Baez making the Pirates' first baseman look like a total idiot. 🤣

[@mrled8555]

68 yrs old. Born and raised in Pittsburgh. I have watched the Pirates go from maybe not always great,but at least good and always competitive. The last 20 yrs they have been a laughing stock and a pipeline to better teams for any decent players they get. The owners suck and are to cheap to field a winner.😢

[@holycow3890]

Barry bonds before the steroids as he looks different because much smaller. You actually forget how good he was. All you remember is the steroids.

[@1USACitizen192]

Real good on the throw to the plate

[@kenw2225]

Nah we remember. Only memeber of 400 /400 club. But besides a since a newspaper write up, it got no attention. A first ever career mlb achievement, ignored. Bonds made sure they didn't ignore his next achievements

[@patrickvolk7031]

Bonds had a terrible playoff batting average

[@TheNotoriousJJD]

As a big time Pittsburgh sports fan, I can confidently say that Public Enemy #1 to us is a tie between Bob Nutting and Tom Brady

[@revmo37]

I've been a Pirate's fan for so long that my older brother and I used to stand outside Forbes Field with a transistor radio during games as little kids, and one usher who was our friend's dad used to let us in the outfield bleacher gate for free at the 7th inning stretch if it wasn't a sell out, and we would yell stuff down to Clemente. So I've been a fan through the good and bad. By far the most catastrophic thing that ever happened to the Pirates is Bob Nutting. The cheapest,. least involved or interested owner in all of professional sports. He has made the Pirates nothing more than a farm team for everyone else willing to invest some money into player for their teams, The man is a disgrace. we have the most beautiful field in the majors, and fans like me that still love the team. The only salvation I can see for this team is a new owner, hopefully Pittsburgh native Mark Cuban could buy the team and actually pay players to stay. Paul Skenes will be the next to go in a couple years under Nutting.

[@gringobronx7670]

I remember when chico lind made that error i was watching it live on T.V

[@dennischanay7781]

Good job. Glad I found this channel. Subscribed!!

[@Jimmersaunt]

The only thing worse than 108 years of no World Series wins-it’s 20 losing seasons in a row. The World Series is the hardest set of MLB games to even make it to much less win. Having a winning season is not as hard and MLB teams should be able to do it once in awhile.

[@13jorino]

Picksburgh - super farm team for the MLB

[@jmed412]

I was at game 5 of the 1992 NLCS. There were a lot of empty seats for a playoff.

[@jamesmooney8933]

The greatest World Series was 1960. The Yankees were a great team. They actually broke World Series scoring records against the Pirate. The game the Pirate won were only by a few runs. The Pirate started the Series by losing the first two games, but coming back in game 3. The series went to the 7th game. The score was tied and went into extra innings. In the 10th inning, Bill Mazeroski hit a home run to win the World Series. Pittsburgh went crazy. The fans left Forbes Field in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh and walked downtown to celebrate all night. It was the greatest World Series, especially beating the Yankees.

[@stepheningle6225]

I hate to break it to you, but Atlanta is over 4 degrees of latitude farther west than Pittsburgh. In fact, Atlanta is farther west than almost the entire state of Ohio (a state which is completely to the west of Pittsburgh).

[@jasonfire3434]

Further west than Detroit too

[@Gixsir]

Good thing this isn’t a geography documentary

[@thomaskeane5723]

I remember needing to take about a four hour walk in the middle of the night after this game, it hurt so much. Chico Lind making an error he never made started the sense of dread. But all Belinda had to do was step off the mound; Bream had a gigantic lead and would have been easily caught. Good thing to mention the selective strike zones of the umps in that series though.

[@davidalexander8996]

The 1986 Boston Red Sox also rallied from a 3 games to 1 deficit to defeat the then California Angels in the ALCS one year after the Kansas City Royals did the same to the Toronto Blue Jays. The 1992 Pirates made the playoffs after losing Bobby Bonilla and John Smiley following the prior season. I believe the present day Pirates can be competitive if they keep their young core together for a longer period of time, especially Paul Skenes.

[@camoss3724]

Good catch. That was the famous "one strike away" homerun by Dave Henderson off Donnie Moore in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS. I also believe that the 1985 Royals were the first team to rally from 3-1 in both the LCS and the Series. They were also the first team to win the Series after losing the first two at home. The Mets would replicate that feat the following year against the Red Sox.

[@humanbeing2420]

Jim Leyland smoked Marlboro Reds. He was a badass.

[@FerdinandCesarano]

Maybe. But he also lost that pennant by going for a meaningless complete game for Drabek, and by not bringing in his closer until the bases are loaded.

[@mattf.1233]

Yes and he also challenged Bonds to a fight in spring training 1991. Don’t make them like that anymore.

[@crowtservo]

@@FerdinandCesaranoIt worse the night before, letting Tim Wakefield go the distance and not pull him in order to have him ready for game 7 just in case.

[@tillitsdone]

@@crowtservo Should have started Mcclendon in G7. Go with the hot hand.

[@SuperNormal_ParaNatural]

Imagine if he smoked Newport then

[@crowtservo]

17:08 Umm, yeah, Adam LaRoche compared trading guys to fellow soldiers getting killed in a war. Meanwhile Jack Wilson created a Nate McLouth shrine. They weren’t traded for nothing, and really maybe if both of those guys lived up to the hype, they along with other players never would have been traded.

[@mattf.1233]

Stan Belinda Carlisle😂😂

[@GratefulInRecovery]

I feel Pittsburgh's pain, aside from 1971 and my 1979, the latter involving my Orioles historic face plant. We have not had a title since Cal caught Maddux's line drive in 1983....

[@snowman9642]

The curse of Barry Bonds is real.

[@Trancymind]

Just imagine how many enemies Bonds made in his entire lifetime. Way too many.

[@russs7574]

No it's not. It's the curse of Bob Nutting and his being such a cheapskate.

[@veritasinvicta2996]

I remember feeling disgusted as a NYY fan that season, the worst record they've had in my lifetime. But I wrote because the icing on the cake was watching the Reds and Pirates playing in the NLCS led by Jose Rijo and Doug Drabek, two pitchers who the Yankees traded in the worst of the George days. Worked out by the id 90's but damn that was awful to watch.

[@timboyle7085]

If Leyland would have pulled Belinda for Walk. They would have won that game. And probably swept the Jay's in the 92 series.

[@EdwinMaturski-cc9is]

It's actually been 32 years... And only two words need to be said... Sid Bream 🏴‍☠️

[@skippy675]

Did Drabek pitch all the way through 8 innings? I think so. Unheard of now, but then letting a pitcher try a complete game was at least plausible. Didn't Jack Morris go 10 or even eleven innings to secure a World Series for the Twins? Especially after losing in the NLCS the previous 2 years, i would have let Drabek pitch until 2 men got on base or something like that.

[@crowtservo]

Jack Morris went 10 innings. Tom Kelly went out to pull him from the game and Morris talked him out of it. Tom Kelly basically told him it’s just a game, go get them.

[@ericfett9218]

​@@crowtservoThat was game 7 of the 1991 World Series against the Braves

[@skippy675]

@crowtservo when a guy has adrenaline and the finish line in front of him, let him go. It was NLCS game 7, not a late June game.

[@russs7574]

Nah, Leyland was a great manager, but he punted this one. It was pretty obvious that Drabek was running on fumes in the 8th inning. I know you want to give your star pitcher the chance to finish off his shutout, but he had nothing left, and Leyland would have been better off bringing Belinda in to start the 9th. The other thing that ticked me off was that once he did bring Belinda in, he wasn't sharp. Yes, you want to leave the game in the hands of your closer, but this was Game 7...you do what you gotta do. Leyland had both Bob Walk and Tim Wakefield ready in the pen and never went to them. Still, if the usual slick-fielding Chico Lind doesn't boot that double play ball, Drabek finished the game and Leyland looks like a genius. Meanwhile, Sid Bream continued to live in the Pittsburgh area for a long time after...in fact, he may still live around here, I don't know. I have run into him a couple times, and he is really one of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet.

[@shadowlazers]

God this is painful..not just bream..all the 1 run losses while drabek and smith were so good

[@michaelleroy9281]

Oh, well there was always Bill Mazeroski in game 7 of the 1960 World 🌎 Series

[@shadowlazers]

Good vid..but its no curse..the owner is cheap..even if nutting payed mid level payroll... Its still hard to compete

[@kenw2225]

Randal Simon hit the mascot with the bat right? Guy had an uneventful career outside that

[@rx2z14]

Did he say the Braves and Marlins were the most heated rivalry in sports? Had to be sarcasm.

[@llg3pe]

You mean 32 years not 20.

[@JamalMcCoy-kt5zf]

The problem for the Pittsburgh pirates is the owner not being able to sign franchise player's to long term contracts and the luxury tax... Because they are low market they don't have the money to keep they're super stars ... Pittsburgh is a football town not a baseball town.... That's why they haven't won anything since 1979!!!

[@davecolvin310]

Can't remember what exact year it was but they acquired Reggie sanders and Kenny lofton.theses new players balled out what should have been a playoff run ended in disaster as the null pen lost 52 games down the stretch.just another losing season and left n and sanders moved on.

[@Anglovox]

In trading Jason Kendall in 2003, they didnt do themselves ANY favors!

[@Tryp-j9d]

When the BIG money clubs treat you like their FARM team…you’re DOOMED!!

[@anthonytripp2251]

Jim Leyland, a lifetime .506 manager. That's two points worse than Don Zimmer

[@jeremycrandall2899]

You had me up until 12:39. Dang AI voice.

[@user-mu9cw8xe4r]

Wait. Braves and Marlins? The most heated rivalry...? In sports ...? Is the voice serious? Gotta be a joke. That's no joke that Bonds flipped off teammate 😆 Andy Van Slyke who had the nerve to suggest Barry move in (You can't tell Bonds what to do !) and then the base hit right to Bonds who can't throw out Sid Bream because Bonds was playing too deep? Classic Bonds ego. He is more important than the game Fast forward and he is a "juicer' cuz he must be the HR king. Best team? Nah. HR king? You bet.

[@paisan8766]

Phillies fan here. Born in 1987. Goddamnit I hate the Braves

[@davekoser3938]

It was Jose “Leaned” not Jose “Linned”

[@jonyb123a]

Is Andy Van Slyke still worshipped in Pittsburgh?

[@anthonytripp2251]

@@jonyb123a He was pretty damn good

[@conradhauser17]

1992 Barry Bonds half asses it and Sid Bream scores...

[@ebransc09]

Skip: Braves Winnnn Braves Winnnn Braves Winnnn Braves Winnnn

[@russs7574]

The Sid Bream play had nothing to do with the Pirates stinking out the joint for 20 years after that. It had more to do with a) The team being in one of the smaller markets, and b) Having ownership use that as an excuse for running the club on the cheap....first Carl Barger and his ownership group, then Kevin McClatchy, and now the absolute worst of the bunch, the Cheapskate Hillbilly Prince Bob Nutting.

[@allensansone6537]

I would not call Marlins and braves a rivalry

[@kendallevans4079]

Almost 23 minutes to talk about ONE play? All that backstory is not needed

[@matthiasbreithaupt1391]

Man, this guy talks fast.

[@Myerburg311]

Poor Brian Giles

[@jamesw.weissii3795]

Go Braves!

[@davidrichardson5192]

Are you saying if B bonds was doing steroids then things would be different?

[@ajdc88]

you read every sentence with the same cadence/melody. try mixing it up.

[@baconisgoodfood]

How do you get in a Randy Marsh joke, but not do the same for Bobby Hill ?

[@littleblackduck3134]

20 years? don't you mean 30 years?

[@greg6898]

Jose “Leaned”

[@alanmilliner3158]

this team is very cursed

[@emorimiku]

yeah trading Kenny Lofton tended to be bad for the team losing Kenny Lofton

[@youngf.l.y.1467]

Damn Barry the 🐐

[@kingezrareis6322]

Barry is the GOAT, but also the reason behind the curse. The Pirates apparently were unwilling to give Barry Bonds a 5 year/$5 million per year extension. Even in 1992 dollars, whole that would have set a record, it wouldn't have been anything WAY out of range for his contribution to the team. Particularly with the way contacts have expanded since then. It was also nowhere near what bonds ended up making at free agency!

[@Gixsir]

@@kingezrareis6322there’s no mythical curse just a bozo in charge

[@Shypainter]

If Bonds would have listened to Vanner instead of flipping him off, Andy would have a championship ring. Sorry bro that the juiced arrogant Bonds wouldn't listen.

[@russs7574]

Bonds wasn't juiced then. And apparently, Van Slyke concocted that story on his own.

[@shadowlazers]

Jon smiley cost pgh the 91 series

[@WilliamCurry-bh3dk]

WHAT happened

[@baxatakbaxatak2014]

0:38 Open Mouth Kiss Day at 3 Rivers Stadium, circa 1984. 3:55 Hump The Baseman Day at 3 Rivers Stadium, circa 1991.

[@baxatakbaxatak2014]

22:16 You will never live that one down.

[@doctornova3015]

20 years? hahaha. its been more than 20

[@davidpoole5595]

Sid raced a pregnant woman and came in third

[@MrConverse]

Lol!

[@coachk7674]

LOL because the unjuiced bonds couldnt throw out the trash with that weak wing....LOLOLOL

[@Gixsir]

I always wondered did he ever have an arm

[@LordTeaboBaggins]

lol that’s funny. But no, Bonds had a really good arm. Watch the slide again- if Bonds wasn’t off target on that throw, Bream is out at home. He got the ball there. Edit: Barry also averaged nearly 8 outfield assists per season for his entire career. You don’t do that if you got a weak arm

[@ggallintedtalk]

@@LordTeaboBagginsHe choked 3 years in a row for the pirates in the playoffs and then choked for SF in the World Series

[@dontatme1290]

@@ggallintedtalksir, go rewatch that Giants WS. That went 7 games BECAUSE of Bonds. Even in losing he had an MVP case.

[@LordTeaboBaggins]

@@ggallintedtalk that doesn’t address a single point I made

[@trapdoorfloyd]

Good that's what you get for robbing my hero of a nice base hit in the 1988 all star game Mr. Van Slyke

[@camionerosfurgoneros5915]

Loosing cuz BARRY BALCO

[@Gixsir]

Losing because bad owners don’t be silly. Barry leaving was a bad business decision and then 3 decades of the same bad decisions

[@johnbiebe4092]

This is a very stupid concept for a video

[@VisualTedium]

Bream is out