Perrotto: Pirates May Not Have Enough Left to be Spoilers (+)

Former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Jim Leyland used to always say the pennant race starts Aug. 15. So, using the Leyland calendar, here’s wishing everyone a happy second day of the pennant race.

The first time I heard Leyland say that was in 1990. The Pirates really were in a pennant race that year with Leyland as manager as they went on to win three consecutive National League East titles.

However, August and September have rarely been important to the Pirates in the ensuing 30 years. The Pirates have been to the postseason just three times, each year as a wild card from 2013-15.

The current edition of the Pirates has long dropped out of contention.