There is an undeniable link between the professional baseball teams in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The have faced one another in the World Series twice (1971 & ‘79), with the Pirates winning both times. And the two clubs have endured similar stretches of promise and ineptitude, particularly over the last 30 years.
More recently, both franchises entered into (yet another) intentional rebuild. In November of 2018, the Orioles hired Mike Elias from the Astros to oversee their efforts. Almost exactly one year later, the Pirates enticed Ben Cherington away from the Blue Jays to call the shots on their end.