Dear Santa:

It was particularly hard to be a Pirates fan this year. My season hopes were dashed on Opening Day despite the Pirates having the best pitcher on the planet. My wife, Sharon, and I left midway through the game and gave away our tickets for Games 2 and 3. It was too much to bear — a lineup of questionable major league talent that fit the wallet and the lack of empathy and concern of Pirates’ ownership. The ballpark is great, but at some point the core product — the team on the field — can become a deterrent to attending. Sport requires a threefold investment: money, time,and emotion from the fans and the owner. After four innings it was apparent that only the fans were making the investment, so we left. The Pirates have become the real-life equivalent of the New York Knights, with Paul Skenes playing the role of Roy Hobbs. Maybe they should DH him when he doesn’t pitch?

My love affair with the Pirates began when I was 8 years old and my Uncle Tony took me to my first game — a twilight doubleheader against the newly minted Los Angeles Dodgers. Since that fateful day, I have followed the Pirates faithfully, regardless of where I was living. I loved Roberto Clemente, attended the last game at Forbes Field and attended games in Pittsburgh whenever I could. I have attended the Pirates Fantasy Camp three times and have owned a partial plan for the Pirates for 20 years, starting out as a half-season, then a quarter-season and........

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