Summertime always brings with it the joy of the outdoors, cookouts, sunny days, and sports. One sport grabbing headlines is the American pastime of baseball, as the Pittsburgh Pirates climb to an impressive almost .500 standing, after 61 games.

Professional baseball has been a staple of our region since the 19th Century. In 1887, the Pittsburgh baseball team moved to the National League and named itself The Alleghenys. After a few shaky seasons, the newly-renamed Pirates dominated the National League with players such as Honus Wagner during the first decade of the 20th century, culminating in winning the World Series in 1909. The next few decades alternated between dizzying highs and lows, from a 51-103 losing season in 1917 to winning the 1925 World Series, then dropping in standings again until the 1960’s. During the 1960 season, players such as Vern Law and Bob Friend, shortstop Dick Groat, and Hall of Famers Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente brought the team to a historic World Series victory, winning the 7th game on a home run.

The Pirates continued their rollercoaster style of playing, rising and falling in rank as the years progressed. Since 1992, the Pirates have not had a winning season – until 2011, as their record hovers at the .500 mark. While last night’s loss to the Diamondbacks brought them to 30-31, players such pitcher Jeff Karstens continue to play a strong game, and the rest of the season is ripe for a series of exciting games. Not to mention the pierogie races that kick off each game!

While the Pirates are the Major League team in our region, the Minor Leagues also host talented athletes from our counties! The Altoona Curve, based in Blair County PA, are a minor league team celebrating their 2010 Eastern League Championship. Formed in the late 1990’s, resident Bob Lozniak and Pennsylvania lawmakers lobbied to have the franchise placed in Altoona. With the highest attendance rating in all of minor league baseball, they’re clearly a well-loved asset to our region and sports fans. And just outside our region are the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, from Trumbull County OH (just north of Mahoning County).

The upcoming months are filled with opportunities for baseball fans, new and old, to get out to the field. Want to highlight your favorite team from our region? Have anything to add? Email us at info@powerof32.org.