Call it the 20-year itch.

If you are a Pittsburgh Pirate fan, you want to scratch away the stench every time a calendar year has a 2 at the end of it.

2012 — The Pirates lose 36 of their final 52 games, going from NL Central Division contender to a 20th consecutive losing season.

1992 — Francisco Cabrera singles between shortstop and third base to plate the tying and winning runs for Atlanta in the bottom of the ninth inning, ex-Pirate Sid Bream chugging around third, Mike LaValliere reaching for tag in vain ... you know the story. Bucs lose a heartbreaker in final game of NLCS.

1972 — Johnny Bench leads off the bottom of the ninth with a game-tying home run off Dave Giusti, then George Foster scores the winning run for Cincinnati on a wild pitch ... you know the story. Bucs lose a heartbreaker in final game of NLCS.

1952 — The Pirates finished with a franchise-worst record of 42-112, collecting all of eight saves all year and scoring at least 54 fewer runs than every other National League team. The Bucs finished 54.5 games behind the pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers.

Woe is us.

But take heart.

Many former Pirates have played key roles in playoff-bound efforts of other big league teams this season.

The Washington Nationals finished with the National League’s best record. That doesn’t happen without Adam LaRoche’s 33 homers, 100 RBI and 35 doubles.

The Oakland A’s rallied to win the American League West, overtaking the two-time defending AL champion Texas Rangers. That doesn’t happen without Brandon Moss hitting 21 homers, collecting 52 RBI and batting .291 in just 265 at bats.

Let us not forget the Baltimore Orioles’ run to the postseason. Nate McLouth was picked up off the scrap heap and delivered several key hits down the stretch, hitting .268 with seven homers in 209 at-bats with the O’s.

It doesn’t stop there.

Octavio Dotel was 5-3 out of the bullpen for the Detroit Tigers, striking out 62 in 58 innings pitched.

When slugger Joey Votto went down with an injury in Cincinnati, the Reds called up Xavier Paul, who hit .314 in 55 games with the team. And Ryan Ludwick excelled all season, belting 26 homers and collecting 80 RBI for the Reds.

Paul Maholm won four games down the stretch for the Braves after they acquired him from the Chicago Cubs.

Javier Lopez was 3-0 with seven saves and a 2.50 ERA out of the Giants’ bullpen. Ryan Vogelsong was 14-9 with a 3.37 ERA as one of the most consistent starters for San Francisco.

Moss, McLouth (this year), Ludwick and Vogelsong did virtually nothing in a Pirate uniform.

Moss in right field, LaRoche at first base, Vogelsong in the rotation would have looked good in Pittsburgh this year ...

I’m feeling the urge to scratch that itch again.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.