About Magic: The 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates and How To Save Baseball
Baseball is undergoing an image crisis. Its most beleaguered franchise may hold the blueprint to its salvation.
Join host Casey Bryant in evaluating how the Pittsburgh Pirates died, yet emerged from the Dark Ages of 20 straight losing seasons to orchestrate one of the most remarkable runs in modern baseball history. From Sid Bream to Johnny Cueto's dropped ball, the Pirates' bizarre history reveals MLB's "small market" problem.
Demand more from your local sports owner. Raise your voice. Chant. Be proactive. Because when it comes down to it, hating works.
An examination of the breakup of the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates, the hapless years to follow, and the inevitability of a 2027 MLB lockout based on sketchy financial practices around the league. Where do we go from here?
2 Sept 2026
8th Inning: The Wild Card Game
The first playoff game in Pittsburgh in 21 years is a dramatic showdown with the Cincinnati Reds. What's trembling harder: Johnny Cueto's hands or Francisco Liriano's stomach?
30 Aug 2026
7th Inning: Going All In
The Pittsburgh Pirates are somewhere they haven't been in decades. Their trade history when acting as sellers is checkered at best. What happens when they act as buyers?
27 Aug 2026
6th Inning: The Cole Train
Before Paul Skenes, there was Gerrit Cole. Meanwhile, Francisco Liriano is running through a glass door. Let's play Price is Right.
24 Aug 2026
5th Inning: The Great One
A flippant tarmac dismissal in 1972 causes ripple effects felt all the way in 2013. On Roberto Clemente's indelible legacy, hometown hero Neil Walker, and the Pittsburgh Sports Band.
21 Aug 2026
4th Inning: Cutch
The prophecy foretold of a savior. And for once, that savior wants to stick around and not be traded for a pack of beans. Andrew McCutchen is here to save the Pirates. It's time for Pittsburgh to reward his faith and do the unthinkable: try.
18 Aug 2026
3rd Inning: The Dark Ages
Sid Bream killed the Pittsburgh Pirates. What follows is a 20-year stretch of suffering unparalleled in the sports world, littered with terrible draft choices and horrendously corny music.
At least none of the Pirates rapped.
14 Aug 2026
2nd Inning: Small Markets, Big Problems
A lesson in baseball economics, the plight of the "Small Market" team, and how the Los Angeles Dodgers have broken the sport.
14 Aug 2026
1st Inning: Tarps Off
Major League Baseball has fully embraced the Tarps Off fan movement.
They didn't get the fairy tale ending. But the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates are the Cinderella story baseball needs right now.
While a traditionally docile sport looks for an injection of energy, its best crowd environment and most cinematic fan experience can be found in its most win-starved market.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
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