PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) – For the first time since 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates are playoff-bound, and team President Frank Coonelly reacts with Vinnie & Cook on Sportsradio 93-7 The Fan.

Coonelly is pleased for the Pirates fans who are finally watching their team head to the postseason.

“I’ve met so many of our season ticket holders,” he says. “When we went down to Brandenton, these people believed that we were going to be in the postseason that year, even though most years there was no tangible evidence that would support that belief, they truly believed it. This year, their belief was fulfilled.”

“We’re looking forward to going as far as we possibly can, and the goal is quite simple,” he added. “We call ourselves the ‘City of Champions’ for a reason, and we’re intent on attempting to win a championship here in Pittsburgh.”

Coonelly notes that this year’s result is validation that sticking with Neal Huntington and the front office was the correct move.

“Obviously, there were a lot of outside influences and some outside pressure to step back after last year and reboot,” Coonelly says. “There were a lot of outside forces that were suggesting that was the correct course. For me, that was never a consideration, not for a second. I knew that those guys were dedicated baseball men, extraordinarily talented baseball men, and that we were on the right track.”

Now that the Pirates have made the playoffs, Coonelly reports that this season’s success appears to be sustainable for the forseeable future.

“The farm system is extremely strong, with more players coming up,” he reports. “We have a very talented pipeline coming now from Latin America, which we didn’t have. I do believe we have elite training in the player development system, and that’s helping to sustain success.”

Hear the entire interview with Frank Coonelly below!