How would you rank from 1-10 the Super Bowl winning teams of the 1970s:
1970 Baltimore Colts
1971 Dallas Cowboys
1972 Miami Dolphins
1973 Miami Dolphins
1974 Pittsburgh Steelers
1975 Pittsburgh Steelers
1976 Oakland Raiders
1977 Dallas Cowboys
1978 Pittsburgh Steelers
1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
How many post-season games have you been to as a Pirates fan? Or at other venues?
For me:
2014 vs the Giants
1991 vs. the Braves
1990 vs. the Reds
They are so few and far between, I've thought of going to other cities to experience post-season baseball. :-(
The post-season baseball games you've attended?
Who do you consider the Tigers greatest all-time third baseman? George Kell? He played seven seasons in Detroit. Do you consider Miggy's two great years in 2012 and 2013 at third base (his only two years at third base for the Tigers) enough to make him the Tigers all-time third baseman? Travis Fryman and his eight years in Detroit?
If both were in their prime who would win: Joe Frazier vs Larry Holmes
No doubt many of those that have known or spent any time with Lou Holtz had a story to tell about their interactions with him. This is my Lou Holtz story.
https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.com/2020/06/30/my-lou-holtz-story/
As of August 29th, the Pirates record is 66-71. How do you feel about that as to what you had expected before the season started?
Thus far, what has pleasantly surprised you about this year and what has been a disappointment in your mind about this year?
Pleasantly surprised: Griffin looks to be the real thing. Cruz is better at the plate than last year. Nick Gonzales' hitting. Lowe's power hitting. Ashcraft has been a pleasant surprise.
Disappointing: Henry Davis can't hit his weight, literally. The pitching staff. Ozuna was a big disappointment.
How do you feel about the Pirates 66-71 record thus far as to what you had expected before the season started?
As of August 29th, the Pirates record is 66-71. How do you feel about that as to what you had expected before the season started?
Thus far, what has pleasantly surprised you about this year and what has been a disappointment in your mind about this year?
Pleasantly surprised: Griffin looks to be the real thing. Cruz is better at the plate than last year. Nick Gonzales' hitting. Lowe's power hitting. Ashcraft has been a pleasant surprise.
Disappointing: Henry Davis can't hit his weight, literally. The pitching staff. Ozuna was a big disappointment.
How do you feel about the Pirates 66-71 record thus far as to what you had expected before the season started?
How many NCAA titles would Bobby Bowden have won if he had the college football playoff?
What looked to be a strength in 2026 in the Pirates young pitching staff, didn't turn out that way.
Back in 2021, I did a statistical analysis as to which Pirates starting pitching staff was the best in the last 100 years. Nothing since then has changed.
The last three World Series-winning teams did not have a starting pitcher to win 13 games with so few starters going past six or seven innings like they used to. It's amazing how things have changed from the days when starting pitchers went deep into games and would win a majority of a team's victories.
Which teams had the best four-man, five-man and even six-man rotations? In 2021, I took a statistical look back at the best starting pitching staffs in the last 100 years.
If you’re around my age, your first taste of Pirates baseball was visiting Three Rivers Stadium. Three Rivers Stadium was home to the Bucs from 1970 to 2000 and hosted two World Series championship teams (’71 and ’79) and saw the Pirates make the playoffs nine times.
16 of those 31 seasons the Pirates had a winning record and compiled an overall record of 2,451 wins versus 2,355 losses. The Bucs had an even better record in home games those years compiling 1,326 wins to 1,081 defeats.
At times, the Pirates had the best team in major league baseball and also some of the worst teams as well. Which players would comprise the Pittsburgh Pirates All-Time Three Rivers Stadium team?
Back in 2011, after trying unsuccessfully to find a recent article regarding an All-Time Pitt Panthers football team, I wrote an article for Bleacher Report entitled, “Announcing the Pittsburgh Panthers All-Time Football Team.”
Presenting the updated University of Pittsburgh’s All-Time Football team:
https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.com/2025/03/12/updating-pitt-footballs-all-time-team/
What makes a great World Series? The very best Fall Classics obviously goes a full seven games and there have been 50 World Series match-ups that went to a seventh and deciding game. Only baseball fans that are homers go around saying a World Series their team won four games to one was the greatest ever.
What else makes a great World Series? How about close games filled with tension and drama? If you get seven lopsided games what fun was that?
https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.com/2023/12/20/the-best-world-series-nobody-talks-about/
The Pittsburgh Pirates called Forbes Field home from 1909-1970 and during those years the Pirates made four World Series appearances (’09, ’25, ’27 and ’60) with three World Series victories (’09, ’25 and ’60). 37 of those 62 seasons were winning ones for the Pirates compiling an overall record of 4,756 wins to 4,644 losses and their record at Forbes Field was 2,599 wins versus 2,125 losses.
Forbes Field saw so many great opposing players play there: Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Babe Ruth, Warren Spahn, etc., the list goes on and on. Imagine the all-time opponent team one could field, but what of the Pirates? What would the all-time Forbes Field Pittsburgh Pirates team look like?
Two of the most beloved Pittsburgh Pirates teams were the 1960 and the 1971 Pirates. How would those two teams have fared against one another in a seven-game series, in a battle of World Series Champions 1960 versus 1971?
No Pirates fan under the age of 50 actually remembers watching the last time the Pittsburgh Pirates won a World Series. For older fans that were fortunate enough to remember the 1970s, it was the Pirates golden age. Six division titles and two World Series titles that decade.
Led by aging superstars, both the 1971 and the 1979 teams went on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series in seven games. How would those the 1971 and the 1979 teams fared against one another in a seven-game series?
When it comes to making the Baseball Hall of Fame, which numbers should mean the most?
More than 40 seasons have gone by since the last time the Detroit Tigers won a World Series. Which means that no Tigers fan under the age of 40 remembers or knows what it feels like to get caught up in the excitement of watching the Tigers win a World Series.
As a sports fan, it is nice to look back and reminisce about your team’s better days and good times, and as every loyal Detroit Tigers fan knows, the last two Tigers teams to win a World Series were in 1968 and in 1984. How did they each get there, and which would win a seven-game series against the other: the 1968 Detroit Tigers or the 1984 Detroit Tigers?
The Pittsburgh Steelers called Three Rivers Stadium home from 1970 through the 2000 football season with great success, and in those 31 seasons, the Steelers won four Super Bowls, and made the playoffs in 18 of those 31 seasons while playing in Three Rivers Stadium.
Which Steeler players were the best to play at Three Rivers Stadium? Presenting the All-Time Pittsburgh Steelers Three Rivers Stadium team:
This coming season will be Pat Narduzzi’s 12th season as head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers and only Jock Sutherland had a longer coaching tenure (15 years) as Panthers head coach.
Which players since Narduzzi took over as head coach at Pitt in 2015 would make the All-Pat Narduzzi Pitt team?
Presenting the All-Pat Narduzzi Pitt team:
https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.com/2026/06/14/presenting-the-all-pat-narduzzi-pitt-team/