Oct. 14 is a black day in Pittsburgh sports history. On this day in 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates were on the brink of winning the National League pennant. The Pirates had lost the 1990 NLCS in six games to Cincinnati and held a 3-2 series lead in the 1991 NLCS before Atlanta shut them out twice.
But 1992 looked like the Pirates’ year. After forcing Game 7 by whipping the Braves 13-4, the Pirates held one run lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Manager Bobby Cox called to his bench and rest is history.
The oft-used infielder Francisco Cabrera, who only 10 at-bats in the regular season, came to the plate as a pinch hitter and singled into left field off Pirates’ closer Stan Belinda. Atlanta’s David Justice scored easily from third base and the sluggish Sid Bream hobbled home from second beating out the throw from Pirates’ leftfielder Barry Bonds. The Braves won and the Pirates have never been the same.
As a franchise the Pirates have suffered 15-consecutive losing seasons since 1992. They haven’t had more than 79 wins in a season. The Braves went on to become the team of the 1990s winning five NL pennants and one World Series.
As a Pittsburgh-native it’s still hard to listen to announcer Sean McDonough who called the 1992 NLCS. However, McDonough’s become more palatable since switching to doing play-by-play for college sports. Color commentator Tim McCarver and Barry Bonds remain unforgiven for being terrible during the 1992 NLCS and since.
Today is a black day.
1 comment:
I read the name Sean McDounough and immediatly thought of McCarver, who you mentioned in the next sentence. Great work, I feel your pain....every time McCarver is on national TV. One thought, how did taking 'roids not help Bond's throwing at all? His arm never got any better, despite his gross muscular changes.
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