10 Things To Know Once The Pirates Become Your Surrogate Baseball Team

Here's your guide to jumping on the Bucco Bandwagon.

It wasn't your team's year

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But you still love baseball

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At least more than hockey, football and basketball

So you're looking at the teams in contention, trying to decide who your team is going to be moving forward

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And you've decided on the Pittsburgh Pirates

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Well, here are the things you need to know as a newly minted member of the Bucco Bandwagon

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1. The Pirates have won 5 World Series Championships

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1909, 1925, 1960, 1971 and 1979

2. They recently broke a 20 losing season streak

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It started in 1992, when Aladdin was the #1 movie at the box office.

If you want to look like a more legitimate fan, you should say that you were a fan back in the days of Doug Drabek, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla (and Barry Bonds, if you want to go there).

3. Andrew McCutchen should be the National League MVP this year

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When he gets up to bat or makes a diving catch in the outfield, you should chant "M-V-P, M-V-P"

4. When the Pirates get an extra base hit or an RBI, they celebrate by flashing the Z

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It's a reference to the great film Dude, Where's My Car?. The Z stands for "Zoltan."

5. The bullpen is known as the “Shark Tank”

And the Sharks have their own shark tank in the Pirates’ clubhouse

6. The standard nicknames for the Pirates are the Bucs and the Buccos

It’s short for Buccaneers. We chant “Let’s Go Bucs” at the games

7. The Pirates, Cardinals and Reds are in a three way race for the NL Central

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Root against the Reds and the Cardinals

8. You need to have a favorite Pierogi

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A pierogi is a potato-filled noodle that originates in Poland and is a popular food item in Pittsburgh.

Each Pirates home game features a race between 4 anthropomorphized pierogies, they include Jalapeño Hannah (Green Hat), Sauerkraut Saul (Red Hat), Cheese Chester (Yellow Hat) and the highly intelligent Oliver Onion (Purple Hat).

9. PNC Park is the best stadium in Major League Baseball

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Or maybe second best to the one of your otherwise favorite team.

10. When a game is won, you should say "Raise the Jolly Roger"

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When on Twitter, use the hashtags #RaiseIt or #RTJR

Welcome to the Bucco Nation!

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