The Pittsburgh Pirates, based in Pittsburgh, PA, are members of Major League Baseball’s National League Central Division; they are also 5-time World Series Champions. They are occasionally called “the Bucs” or “Buccos,” which come from the word, “buccaneer.” Their logo is a pirate cartoon overlaid on crossed baseball bats. Their official mascots are Pirate Parrot (since 1979) and Captain Jolly Roger (since 2006); though, they had a buccaneer in 1995.

The team started as a charter member of the American Association in 1882. They had a lot of home fields in the 19th century that were in a then separate city, Allegheny City, which was across the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh. They were listed as “Allegheny” in standings and were occasionally called “the Alleghenys” in the same way teams from Boston were called “Bostons,” teams from New York were called “New Yorks” and teams from Chicago were called “Chicagos.” The club moved to the National League in 1887 and by 1890, they had reassigned themselves as “Pittsburgh.” After the fall of the one-year player rebellion called the Players’ League collapsed, those players were given to other teams, provided they weren’t “reserved” by their former teams’ owners. Second baseman Lou Bierbauer, who was previously with the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association, was awarded to the Pittsburgh team. The Athletics complained loudly and called the Pittsburgh team “pirates.” The colorful term stuck with the team and became their official nickname.