Pittsburgh Pirates CEO Travis Williams said the organization was determined to win, but told frustrated fans that owner Bob Nutting would not sell the team.
Williams addressed fan frustration over Nutting’s ownership Saturday during a question-and-answer session at the Pirates’ annual offseason fan festival.
As Williams answered the first question, a fan in attendance shouted, “Sell the team,” prompting some applause from the audience. At that point, several fans began chanting “Sell the team!” »
Longtime Pirates TV announcer Greg Brown asked fans to stop the chanting and be “respectful.” Another fan then asked Williams, who was seated next to Pirates general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton, why Nutting wasn’t in attendance.
“We know at the end of the day it was passion that turned into frustration over winning,” Williams said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I think the points you’re making in terms of ‘Where’s Bob?’ That’s why he has us here, we’re here to execute and make sure we win.”
Williams added that Nutting, who has owned the Pirates since 2018, was expected to attend the event and interact with fans later Saturday.
“To answer your immediate question that you asked earlier, Bob is not going to sell the team,” Williams said. “He cares about Pittsburgh, he cares about winning, he cares about us putting a winning product on the field, and we work on that every day.”
Nutting has been widely criticized by fans and local media in recent years as the Pirates have toiled at the bottom of the National League Central standings.
The Pirates went 76-86 last season en route to their fourth last-place finish in the last six seasons. They haven’t finished with a winning record since 2018, haven’t reached the playoffs since 2015 and have only made three playoff appearances since 1992.
“We know there’s frustration, frustration because we’re not winning, with the hope of winning,” Williams said. “At the end of the day, it’s not due to a lack of commitment and will to win.”
Encouraged by the arrival of ace pitcher Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, the Pirates were 55-52 at the trade deadline last season before a free fall of 21 -34 over the last two months leaves Pittsburgh last in the NL Central. .
“We can just look at last year,” Williams said. “It was very positive in the middle of the season, we were going into August with two games above .500, but unfortunately we had a tough run in August and that tough run in August put us out of contention. the race for the wild card… From myself to Ben to Derek to many others here today and throughout the organization, but it’s not for lack of commitment or lack of commitment. desire to win.
“It goes from the top to the bottom of the organization. We are absolutely determined to win; what we have to do is find a way to win.”
