“Cueto! Cueto! Cueto!”
That thunderous chant coming through my cheap TV from almost 40,000 fans dressed in all black followed by a blast to left field by Russell Martin changed my connection with the Pittsburgh Pirates forever.
I was always a Pirates fan. My dad fell in love with the team growing up thanks to Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and other Pittsburgh greats, and he passed the passion on to me at a really young age. He also helped me realize how amazing the game of baseball was. I played tee ball, little league, and on through high school.