Once upon October, the North Shore was a parade route, not a reminder of what’s missing. Instead, PNC Park is quiet again — another year where the gates close before the leaves turn. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ 71-91 finish didn’t just miss the mark; it extended a full decade without postseason baseball, a dispiriting run that’s turned patience into apathy for large parts of the fanbase. That’s the larger embarrassment here: a franchise with a jewel of a ballpark and a passionate market that keeps being asked to wait.
What makes 2025 sting even more is how close the bones of a contender already are. The pitching staff, fronted by a legitimate Cy Young threat in Paul Skenes, gave this team a fighting chance nearly every night. But the bats never held up their end. Pittsburgh finished dead last in MLB in runs scored and hovered near the bottom in home runs and OPS. When your rotation and bullpen buy you a margin for error and the lineup can’t cash it in, it’s not just frustrating, it’s wasteful.
Pirates’ bats stalled, now the city is swinging: Council seeks change
Now, City Council is stepping in to apply pressure where it matters. Councilor Theresa Kail-Smith is pushing for the city and the club to sit down, talk plainly, and explore what levers the municipality can pull to “help guide the ship.” The premise is simple: a healthier Pirates product means a healthier Pittsburgh.
“The businesses generate revenue, the city generates tax revenue,” Kail-Smith said, underscoring an economic reality everyone in the region understands when the ballpark hums…