PITTSBURGH – If you haven't been reminded in the last eight minutes or so, the Pirates are sure to finish with a sub-.500 record for the 18th season in a row.

But one man's Lady Gaga is another man's Megan Fox. See, this is what makes Major League Baseball so much more fun than those losers in the NBA, NFL and NHL, if you ask me. Everywhere you look this summer, there is a story of anger, anguish, disappointment, heartache, hopelessness, misery, regret and just plain dog-breath baseball.

Here are some of my faves:

+ The Detroit Tigers won one World Series in the last 42 years. In that span, they had a stretch of 12 consecutive losing seasons.

+ As we all know, few organizations do baseball like the Atlanta Braves do baseball. In the last 53 years, they won one World Series championship.

+ The Cleveland Indians haven't won a World Series since the Truman Administration. That was 62 years ago. At least they got there three times, though.

+ From Willie Mays to Barry Bonds, ahem, the San Francisco Giants have had some of the greatest names in baseball in their 53-year history. Now they all need is their very own World Series parade. 

+ The San Diego Padres have been around 42 years, but they never won a World Series championship. They got there twice and won one game.

+ In thier 49-year history, the Houston Astros never won a World Series. In their only appearance, they were swept in four games.

+ In their 42-year history, the Seattle Pilots-Milwaukee Brewers played (and lost) in the World Series once. In the last 28 years, they won one postseason game – 2008 NLDS, Game 3, Brewers 3, Phillies 1.

+ In the last 27 years, the Baltimore Orioles didn't make a World Series trip. They also lost more games than they won in the last 12 seasons and soon to be 13 in a row.

+ In the last 25 years, the Kansas City Royals didn't get as much as one invite to the playoffs. Only once in the last 16 years did they win more games than they lost. And they had a 83-79 record when they did it.

+ The Seattle Mariners have yet to get whiff of the World Series in their 34 years in business.

+ In 42 years of existence, the Montreal Expos-Washington Nationals franchise has two postseason victories. Both took place in the 1981 NLCS, its only postseason appearance.

+ In 50 years of existence, the Washington Senators II-Texas Rangers franchise has one postseason victory. I remember it well – 1996 ALDS, Game 1, Rangers 6, New York Yankees 2.

+ As we all know, the Minnesota Twins are the model for mid-market franchises. They haven't played in a World Series in 19 years. In that span, they had a 3-16 record in the postseason. The Yankees spanked them nine times in 11 tries.

+ Very fun fact: Since 1919, or 91 years, the Chicago White Sox fixed as many World Series as they won. The number is one.

+ Very, very fun fact: The Chicago Cubs haven't won a World Series in 102 years. To understand the enormity of the achievement, consider this: If Pirates didn't win a World Series from now until 2081, they would only match the record.

Boy, wouldn't we have something to talk about then?