The Pittsburgh Pirates have taken up residence in the National League for 125 years, a streak that makes the club's 18 straight losing seasons look like nothing. Despite that, some are now pushing for the Bucs, rather than the Astros, to move to the American League in the rumored Major League Baseball realignment. This group includes Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist Joe Starkey, who cites plans from the Boston Globe and former Reds GM Jim Bowden to support his argument before saying a move to the AL Central would be a good idea.
↵↵↵Fresh start. New league. Instant rivalry. That would be with the Cleveland Indians, obviously, but the Detroit Tigers are a natural, too. If I'm not mistaken, the Pittsburgh and Detroit fan bases are fairly well-acquainted.
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↵Coonelly, understandably, is not a fan of a move to the AL.
↵"We like it in the National League," he said. "We have a long history there."
↵Long as in 125 years. That kind of tenure means something. But people adapt. The first time the Indians come to town, nobody would be pining for an Astros series.
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He's right. No one would miss the Astros. They'd miss the Cubs and Brewers, two clubs fans have built a serious distaste for since the Pirates move to the NL Central in 1994, not to mention older rivals like the Reds, Phillies and Mets, who the Pirates would also be leaving behind in the NL.
↵The Pirates have no history with the Indians or Tigers. They've met relatively frequently in interleague play, and little approaching a rivalry has developed with either team. In fact, Pirates fans have come to like the Tigers in recent years as they've been managed former Pirate great Jim Leyland.
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