A CUP of JOE in the SHOW Retro Act #4.....Jim Leyland, THREE RIVERS Stadium, DRABEK, BREAM, HEATON, and the Best OUTFIELD in the SHOW in 1990...the 1990 Pittsburgh PIRATES....and they couldn't get over the hump.

After the "WE are FAMILY" Crew of the late 70s led by the late Chuck Tanner and "PAPA" Willie Stargell among others...the Pittsburgh Pirates went on a drought on the Senior Circuit for a while.

Then came the late 80s and all the fortunes started changing for the Bucs as Jim Leyland became manager and the Rise started soon after to the Top of the NL East.

In 1990 the Pirates Machine was in place as Leyland, with Bench Coach Gene Lamont, had one of the best Pitching Staffs in the majors led by Dough Drabek and Neal Heaton. They had Relief Pitching by Committee led by Right-Hand Closer Bill Landrum and anchored by hard throwing Right-Hander Stan Belinda and Left-Hander Bob Patterson. The Bucs went 95-67 to win the then NL East and they were on a collision course to meet Rival and eventual Champion Cincinnati Reds led by Skip Lou Pinella, SS Barry Larkin, CF Eric Dabis, RF Paul O'Neill, RHPO Ace Jose Rijos, and that Nasty Bullpen....the Nasty Boys.

The Bucs before that shook down they had a cast full of the Top Award Getter's in Baseball that season and that marvelous Outfield anchored by CF Andy Van Slyke. Van Slyke was joined in the Outfield by RF Bobby Bonilla and the 1990 NL MVP Barry Lamar Bonds who hit .301 with 33 Bombs and 113 Ribbies.

All three outfielders were the glue of the squad and that Bucs 1990 Line-Up was built around these 3 players. Also other notable Bucs Awards that season....RHP Doung Drabek was the NL Cy Young Winner and Skip Jim Leyland was the 1990 Manager of the Year.

This was the Team that put the Pirates right back on the MLB Map and a threat to not only the NL East but the fall Classic the next few seasons. After that hard fought 4-2 Series loss to the Red Legs in the NLCS they battled the nest couple of seasons and lost another heart breaker to the Braves in the 1992 NLCS.

Of course then after that rise and players started bolting for bigger pay days with Bonilla, Van Slyke, and Bonds leading the way. This was about the time that the Small Market teams started feeling the crunch and couldn't compete with larger market for players services.

Bonds went to the Gigantes '93, Bonilla the Amazins' '91, and Van Slyke to the O's '95 as Bonilla was the first to leave for the cash and things didn't go so well for him in Shea but that is a whole other story.

As for the 1990 Pirates they had set the table for that 3-4 year dominance in the NL but could never get over the hump and another missed opportunity to add to their Championship Collection.

Note: Numbers from Baseball Almanac