Pittsburgh Pirates fans petition to have Bob Nutting sell franchise
By David Hill
Thousands of frustrated Pittsburgh Pirates fans are making their feelings known, as they have started a petition to force owner Bob Nutting to sell the franchise.
It is a tough time to be a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates. After a brief span of contention, the franchise is once again headed towards the basement, firmly in the midst of yet another rebuild. Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen have already been traded, with Josh Harrison expected to be the next player to go. It is enough to make even the most ardent fans frustrated with the direction of the team.
Those fans are looking to take matters into their own hands. Fed up with the constant refusal to spend on the team, and seeing their stars sent elsewhere, Pirates fans have started a petition to have Major League Baseball force owner Bob Nutting to sell the franchise.
So far, 41,878 people have signed a petition to ask Major League Baseball to force Bob Nutting to sell the Pirates. It won’t do a thing, but it might be the only time in 2018 that 40K Pirates fans gather in one place. https://t.co/kNIy1qS42B
— Stephen J. Nesbitt (@stephenjnesbitt) January 18, 2018
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In the end, such a petition is unlikely to have any actual affect. Nonetheless, over 41,000 fans have taken the time to show their displeasure against the current state of affairs with the Pirates. Even if the game does not force Nutting out, simply signing such a statement has a cathartic feeling, allowing those fans to voice their thoughts against ownership.
To be fair, Pirates ownership was in a tough spot with McCutchen. A free agent after the 2018 campaign, he was a virtual certainty to sign elsewhere. He also had not been the same player he was in the past two years, limiting his value on the market.
Yet sometimes, the principle matters more than the rationale. This is the case here for Pirates fans, who feel that ownership is not doing enough to help the franchise. Given the current status of the team, and the general refusal to spend the money needed to take the next step when they were contending, that stance is understandable.
Next: Trade destinations for Josh Harrison
Pittsburgh Pirates fans are sending a message with their petition to force Bob Nutting to sell the franchise. Even if nothing comes from it, they have made their displeasure known.