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In 1908, the Pirates played in Pittsburgh for the first time. The several stadiums that the teams played in were located in Allegheny City, which was a separate city until annexed by Pittsburgh in December 1907.
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In 1909, the Pirates faced off against the Detroit Tigers. The series was billed as a matchup between the major leagues' two superstars, Wagner and Ty Cobb. Due to Wagner's incredible performance, the Pirates took the series in seven games, winning their first world title.
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The Pirates had a number of losing seasons around the 1910s. A remarkably deep pitching staff, brought the Pirates back into the spotlight in the early 1920s. The Pirates recovered from a 3–1 deficit to win the 1925 World Series over the Washington Senators, and reached the 1927 World Series.
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On September 1, 1971, the Pirates made Major League Baseball history by fielding the first all-black/minority starting lineup. The lineup included second baseman Rennie Stennett, center fielder Gene Clines, right fielder Roberto Clemente, left fielder Willie Stargell, catcher Manny Sanguillén, third baseman Dave Cash, first baseman Al Oliver, shortstop Jackie Hernández, and pitcher Dock Ellis.
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In 1970, the Pirates won their first of five National League East division titles over the next seven years. The Pirates won their fourth World Series in 1971 behind a .414 Series batting average by Clemente. Willie Stargell also led this team to victory.
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The sports world was stunned and saddened when Clemente died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972. He was on his was to deliver a shipment of relief supplies to the victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. He had reached a milestone by earning his 3,000th career hit. The Baseball Hall of Fame waived its usual waiting requirement and inducted Clemente immediately.
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In 1979, the Pirates adopted the popular song "We Are Family" as their theme song. Fans would chant "Fam-a-lee!" from the stands. The Pirates faced the Baltimore Orioles again in the World Series. Like in 1971, they won in seven games, in 1979. Also, in 1979, a Pirate player was designated as Most Valuable Player in every available category: All-Star Game MVP, NL Championship Series MVP, World Series MVP, and National League MVP.
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The 1985 season was one of the lowest points in team history. Amidst rumors that the team would relocate, the Pirates lost 104 games, their most since 1954. Getting fans to attend the games was an immense struggle.
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In 2001, the Pirates opened a new stadium, PNC Park, featuring a simple concept and strategic usage of the Pittsburgh skyline. This stadium replaced Three Rivers Stadium and is still the stadium we know today.
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In 2013, despite starting the season with a 1-5 record, the Pirates quickly heated up. By June, the Pirates had the best record in all of baseball. After an intense winning streak, the Pirates headed to postseason play for the first time in 21 seasons. By finishing the season with a three-game sweep against the Reds, the Pirates hosted and won their first home playoff game since 1992 in the National League Wild Card Game on October 1, 2013 with a score of 6–2. This ended a 20 year losing streak.