No. 82 was for the fans

Eighty-two wins …

How could such an average number seem so extraordinary?

Well, for starters it’s been 20 years, 10 months, and 29 days since the last time the Pittsburgh Pirates had at least that many wins next to their name in the standings.

Let that soak in.

George H. W. Bush was serving his final few months as President before Bill Clinton would take office in January of 1993. Wait a second, could that be why the Pir- ... just kidding.

Mark Wahlberg was better known as Marky Mark, and was tearing off his shirt in front of any camera he could find. (OK, so some things haven’t changed.)

“A League of Their Own” was making its way around theaters and in an ironic twist of fate, Tom Hanks made the saying, “Are you crying? There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball!” famous. Lucky for him he wasn’t a Pirates fan or else he may have ended up wanting to do just that.

Ah, it takes me back. Back to a time where my only concern was when my mother was going to feed me. I was 2 years old.

It was 1,090 weeks ago that Jim Leyland and the rest of the National League East champions were preparing to play the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS.

And 7,638 days ago Doug Drabek pitched eight shutout innings for the Pirates, who were three outs away from winning Game 7 in Atlanta. After a hit, an error by Gold Glove second baseman Jose Lind, and a walk, Leyland pulled Drabek with the bases loaded.

I’m going to stop this little history lesson right there though, because what happened next is something no Pirates fan will ever have to look back to again.

Thanks to the 2013 Pirates, a franchise and fan base that suffered defeat for more than two decades can finally look to the present to find their last winning season.

It’s a feat that not long ago seemed unattainable, yet now somehow feels, well, unsatisfactory. With 18 regular season games remaining on the schedule, and one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central, this year’s magical run appears to be far from over.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not a reason to celebrate. After all, for fans of my generation it’s the first time in our lives that we actually can celebrate and for fans who remember when the Pirates were good, like my father, it’s a chance to rejoice once again after all the pain and agony the team has caused.

One of my father’s favorite lines when somebody would ask him about that third sports team in the city of Pittsburgh was, “I gave up on the Pirates when the Pirates gave up on me.”

And you know what, I don’t blame him.

Growing up with the “We Are Family” teams of the 1970s, that’s what Pittsburgh fans grew to expect. Now to see excitement and buzz around PNC Park and the new generation of Pirates has to be gratifying.

But no, 82 wins is not enough. Not for this year’s Pirates.

However here’s a toast to all you fans who have stood by the abysmal franchise over the last two decades.

You deserve to celebrate win No. 82. Just don’t cry because, well, you know.

Write Vindicator sportswriter Kevin Connelly at kconnelly@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @Connelly_Vindy.