The Pirates, as I'm betting basically anyone outside the big building at 115 Federal would agree, aren't a normal big-league franchise.
No team at their level has been as pathetic for as long as they have, and that spans the scope of professional sports. No one loses like they have. No one misses the playoffs like they have. And, at the same time, there probably isn't one anywhere that brings about -- and so very richly deserves -- any and all cynicism about their very will to win.
As such, I'm at the initial steps of producing a plan to cover this franchise with two parallel tracks in 2025: One will be on baseball, same as always, and that'll be carried out in a straightforward approach. The other will be on reporting with the same energy, the same manpower, the same investment on everything that's so obviously wrong. We'll report on Bob Nutting, the finances, the payroll, the relationships around Major League Baseball, the failures at all levels of baseball ops and anything else that might arise, and we'll do so on a track that's separate from the day-to-day games.
Our readers don't just deserve that. They want that.
And if the Steelers and/or Penguins were to someday suck at some historic level, even to the extreme of appearing to not care that they suck at some historic level, we'll treat the Steelers and/or Penguins the same way.
Stay tuned. Much more to come. And it might, ultimately, involve you.
MILITARY DRIVE AT 237
Our annual Military Drive, in which we give out 1,000 free subscriptions to those who've served in our Armed Forces, had another strong week with 64 more committed for a total of 234. The deadline, as always, is on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, so there are five weeks to go.
If you'd like to contribute, too, here's how: Buy a military subscription for $20 (one-third of the regular price), enough to cover a full year for any veteran. However many you'd wish to donate, even if it's just one, email me directly at DK@DKPittsburghSports.com to let me know, and Dali will do the processing.
INSIDE THE WORKS
• The not-yet-visible 2.0 version of this app/site, built by our friends at BoomPress, is still being tested. Including by us. Next step will be to ask a few longtime readers to do their own testing. You're going to like this.
• Among the components we're testing is a dramatic upgrade to the commenting system that, among many other new features, alerts you when someone's replied to you. Similarly, you can address someone specifically in an initial comment to ensure that person sees it. And there's easy additions for photos, videos and a nearly limitless array of pre-made GIFs.
• I switched up the recently installed Site Stuff Feed into what I'm calling a DK's Grind Feed, and I'm enjoying this way, way more. It's all my stuff, written and spoken and everything else, all in one spot. It'll still appear in the appropriate team feeds, as well.
• Everyone loving being ad-free? If you're not there yet, it's only for paying subscribers. If you aren't subscribed yet or if your subscription's expired: This is our subscribe page. From there, make sure you're logged in, tap on the link, and thumb down to the bottom for the SUBSCRIBE button to buy/renew at the monthly or annual level. We also offer mega-discounts, as ever, for student subscriptions and senior subscriptions.
• If you believe you have an active subscription AND you're seeing ads, just log back in, and they go poof. If you have any issues with this at all, email: Help@DKPittsburghSports.com
• Grateful that so many of you continue to leave us good reviews on outside platforms. Feel free to add your own on our Google business listing, our Apple and Spotify podcast channels and, arguably most important, our own app, whether it's the Apple or Android version. These make a difference.
BACK TO BUSINESS
• Our page-view numbers for the past week were 1,046,548, with 47,831 unique users over the most recent full seven-day span, Sept. 27-Oct. 3. Our most-read original piece was my all-Pirates-evisceration Friday Insider, at 42,995 views. Which kinda supports my point above that this is what people want when it comes to the baseball coverage.
• On the multimedia front, our podcast downloads for the past week were 96,857, and our YouTube video views were 201,630.
• Our company social media accounts are at 57,505 followers on X, 46,339 on Facebook, 33,198 on YouTube, 15,671 on Instagram, 5,290 on Threads, and 1,333 on TikTok.
• We make mistakes. If you see one, email: Typos@DKPittsburghSports.com
• Our HQ/shop merch is available online. The Downtown shop itself's open Tuesday-Saturday, 12-6 p.m., as well all day tomorrow because of the Steelers-Cowboys night game.
• Anything you need, email: Help@DKPittsburghSports.com
• Thanks for reading and, as ever, for your support of this proud independent venture.
