Mark Cuban Speaks on Pirates Ownership
PITTSBURGH -- The ownership of the Pittsburgh Pirates is always a topic of dicussion amongst fans and one that leads to people they would rather have in charge of the team.
Mark Cuban, who is a minority owner in the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA, is one of those figures that Pirates fans consistently clamor for when wish lists come up for new owners of the team.
Cuban is a native of western Pennsylvania, growing up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon. He made his money through selling a company he co-founded called MicroSolutions for $6 million in 1990 and then Yahoo! acquired another company he held ownership stake in called Broadcast.com for $5.7 billion.
He hedged against the risk of decline in the Yahoo! shares he received in the deal, which saved him after the dot-com bubble burst, keeping him from losing his fortunes.
Cuban previously tried to buy the Pirates in 2005, but then owner Kevin McClatchey rebuffed him.
Bob Nutting would buy the team in January 2007 and fans have consistently criticized his ownership for putting profits over winning, as the Pirates had the second lowest payroll in the MLB coming into the season and have featured at the lower end for most of his tenure.
The Pirates blew a 10-3 lead in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs in their series finale at PNC Park, losing 14-10. They became the first team in seven years to blow that big of a lead past the seventh inning, and the 41 runs they allowed over the three losses to the Cubs are the most ever against their divisional rival.
One fan on Twitter asked if Cuban would buy the team following the end of the game. Another person on Twitter responded to them saying that Nutting has no incentive to sell, with all the money they make through television, tickets and that they don't have to spend.
Cuban took the time to respond on Twitter, confirming that there is no way the current Pirates' ownership will sell the team.
"If someone offered you a job, that paid 25m or more per year, to stand in Market Square and let the entire city of Pittsburgh yell at you, would you take that job ?," Cuban responded.
"That job is owning the Pirates.
Why would they sell ?"
If someone offered you a job, that paid 25m or more per year, to stand in Market Square and let the entire city of Pittsburgh yell at you, would you take that job ?
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) August 29, 2024
That job is owning the Pirates.
Why would they sell ? https://t.co/PI8se807lH
Pirates fans will continue to feel the disappointment in the current ownership and it looks like Cuban won't save them from years of mediocrity and low-spending.
DOMINIC CAMPBELL