On Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates clinched their first playoff appearance since 1992 — also the last year the team had a winning season.
Yes, the Pirates last played October baseball the year Californians rioted over the Rodney King verdict, voters elected Bill Clinton to the White House, and Billy Ray Cyrus had the number one selling album in the U.S.
Zubaz were also still a popular clothing item that otherwise normal people wore in public.
Yes, quite a lot has changed — in baseball, too. Here, a look back at some of the more notable highlights and factoids from the year in baseball, 1992.
The last time the Pirates made the playoffs:
- The Yankees recorded their last losing season. The Red Sox also had a losing record that year, and finished last in the division.
- The Blue Jays won the World Series. They would repeat as champs the next year, and have yet to make the playoffs since.
- Rickey Henderson stole his 1,000th career base. He finished his career with a record 1,406.
- Pedro Martinez made his pro debut — for the Los Angeles Dodgers. So did Mike Piazza.
- Hall of Famer Robin Yount, playing in his penultimate season, recorded his 3,000th hit.
- The Marlins, Rockies, Diamondbacks, and Rays didn't exist, and the Washington Nationals were still the Montreal Expos.
- Baseball only had four divisions: The AL East and West, and the NL East and West.
- Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi bought the Seattle Mariners.
- Nolan Ryan struck out 157 batters. It was the 23rd straight year the strikeout king punched out at least 100 batters, a major league record.
- Relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley won the AL Cy Young and MVP awards. No other pitcher would accomplish that feat until the Tigers' Justin Verlander in 2011.
- Future teammates Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux led the NL with 20 wins apiece. Maddux would move from the Cubs to the Braves after the season.
- Roger Clemens, then still in Boston, led the AL with a 2.41 ERA.
- Voters elected Tom Seaver to the Hall of Fame with a record 98.84 percent of the vote.
- Edgar Martinez's .343 batting average led all of baseball.
- Mark McGwire only hit 42 home runs.
- Kevin Brown beat Tom Glavine in the All-Star Game. Ken Griffey Jr. was named the game's MVP.
- Tony La Russa won AL Manager of the Year honors in Oakland. Jim Leyland won the NL award with Pittsburgh.
- Barry Bonds still looked like this:
Which apparently gave him the liberty to do photoshoots like this:
