High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates season was a season in American baseball. It is the 128th season of the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise; the 123rd in Major League Baseball (MLB). The season is the franchise`s second season under the management of John Russell. With this season, the Pirates became the first franchise in professional sports to have a losing record in 17 consecutive seasons, passing the Philadelphia Phillies of 1933-1948 with 16.