tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62072004144953134522024-03-18T20:39:32.078-04:00The Green Weenie"Somehow we have developed this large contingent of know-it-all baseball fans who bay like wounded coyotes at any mention of wins, losses, RBI or batting average. I never know whether I should blame myself for this or not.."
(Bill James)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-66950752000634284912024-03-18T07:00:00.001-04:002024-03-18T07:00:00.135-04:003/18: Solly Signs; Braves Move, Bucs Back To Drawing Board; Island Hop Rained Out; New CBA; HBD Brian; Dick, Elbie, Brute, Marcus & Nixey<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1874</b> - Pirate skipper Jimmy “Nixey” Callahan was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Callahan was the Buc manager in 1916 and part of 1917, never sniffing the first division and replaced midway through his second year by Honus Wagner/Hugo Bezdek after compiling an 85-129 record at the helm. He was a nice ballplayer for the White Sox, though he never suited up for the Pirates. In 1902, Callahan pitched the first no-hitter in American League history and is the only pitcher to have collected five hits in a game three times; because of that stick, he was exclusively used as an outfielder in the later stages of his career. Nixey was a childhood nickname of undisclosed origin which Callahan didn’t use as an adult, although newspapers often used it. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1896</b> - RHP Marcus Milligan was born in Heflin, Alabama. Milligan never tossed in the majors because of WW1. In 1918, as a 21-year-old rookie, he was given a good chance at breaking camp with the big league club after being signed by Barney Dreyfuss in 1916, then having a strong year at Class A Birmingham the following season. But he had enlisted earlier and was claimed in March by Uncle Sam, reporting to the aviation corps. He died in a training accident in September when his biplane crashed at Barron Field in Fort Worth, Texas. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1912</b> - SS John “The Brute” Lyles was born in St. Louis. He played one of his seven pro black baseball seasons with the Homestead Grays in 1934 as a 22-year-old shortstop, hitting .261. He then spent three years with the semi-pro Claybrook Tigers, known as the “Champions of the South,” then came home to the Negro League in 1938, playing through the 1942 campaign. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIK5iwQg5O8fM8BsjznCehOo3BAzB0Lhl_xPM7eF44RYxWa-8FVXwDC9Oz_707H9mmmZB-d8ABGGAabtxvxYE9hyTUSgdeG8kPvQTwdIrlXJJgfavXvFIGIkNt7gb5NkVYEI75m7JxkIP5RywfOdeHGCUCw1kPQ4lCyANIk0aMjPORg3uSviprCh6nBrc/s288/elbie_fletcher_1941_goudey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="232" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIK5iwQg5O8fM8BsjznCehOo3BAzB0Lhl_xPM7eF44RYxWa-8FVXwDC9Oz_707H9mmmZB-d8ABGGAabtxvxYE9hyTUSgdeG8kPvQTwdIrlXJJgfavXvFIGIkNt7gb5NkVYEI75m7JxkIP5RywfOdeHGCUCw1kPQ4lCyANIk0aMjPORg3uSviprCh6nBrc/s1600/elbie_fletcher_1941_goudey.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Elbie Fletcher - 1941 Goudey Big League</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1916</b> - 1B Elbie Fletcher was born in Milton, Massachusetts. In between opening and closing stints lasting six seasons with the Boston Braves, he filled in the middle years by playing for Pittsburgh for seven campaigns (1939-43, 1946-47), with two years off during WW2. Elbie put together a line of .279/79/616 as a Bucco, was a six-year starter and earned an All-Star bid in 1943. Fletcher began his big league career in 1934 with Beantown after a contest was held to determine which local high school player was most likely to reach the major leagues, with the winner receiving an invitation to the Braves' spring training camp. With the considerable help of the votes from his large family, Fletcher won, and then made the team. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1926</b> - LHP Dick Littlefield was born in Detroit. The workmanlike southpaw toiled from 1954-56 for some pretty sad Pirate teams and put up a 15-23 record with a 4.29 ERA. Littlefield was the poster boy for journeymen per Wikipedia - he was one of the most well-traveled and frequently-traded players prior to the free agency era, rostering on 10 of the 16 MLB franchises of his era. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1953</b> - The Boston Braves request to move to Milwaukee was approved by the MLB owners, the first relocation in 50 years. It became effective at the start of the season, less than a month away. It raised havoc with the Pirates ticket office, who had to switch schedules with the Braves. At the time, teams in the NL had schedules that differed among the four eastern teams and the four western teams, and the Bucs at the the time were one of the western squads (Boston, the two NY teams & Philly were the eastern reps while Pittsburgh, Cincy, Chicago & St. Louis were considered the western clubs). The Bucs’ Home Opening Day was moved back by two days, they had to reprint their tickets/promo schedules for the season and swap out the old ducats for new ones for the season ticket holders before playing ball for keeps on April 14th. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1962</b> - RHP Brian Fisher was born in Honolulu. A second round draft pick of the Yankees, the Bucs traded for him in 1987. He was a workmanlike starter for two years, but suffered from knee problems in 1989 and was released by Pittsburgh after posting a Bucco slash of 19-22/4.72 ERA. He lasted in the show until 1992 when his knees finally called it a day. He was a second-round draft pick by the Atlanta Braves and featured a fastball that touched 97 MPH. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwUEBTk-1PRzc9YBhBqlwJ__9V3nVqOud-aq7aKceFwdCgCnB9tRXGg32W5TUgmJgzVyDiHXaghyphenhyphenwdwZ6fsm1gGCbMJxMGTAbPizq7e6fMC-1HOukXDYFZTYCsr0I0mq47uYlTTitXL1ifwOFw8RMarGBTfRygnk_fFsjoHgejdZ7eGf2Rau5UXk_S9E/s360/brian_fisher_1988_topps-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="360" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwUEBTk-1PRzc9YBhBqlwJ__9V3nVqOud-aq7aKceFwdCgCnB9tRXGg32W5TUgmJgzVyDiHXaghyphenhyphenwdwZ6fsm1gGCbMJxMGTAbPizq7e6fMC-1HOukXDYFZTYCsr0I0mq47uYlTTitXL1ifwOFw8RMarGBTfRygnk_fFsjoHgejdZ7eGf2Rau5UXk_S9E/s320/brian_fisher_1988_topps-wide.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Brian Fisher - 1988 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1987</b> - The Pirates returned from a scheduled three-day, two-game trip to Puerto Rico a day early and with no games in the books. The quick trip to San Juan with the Toronto Blue Jays was rained out when rainstorms, described by Buc coach Ray Miller as “monsoons,” drenched the islands. The field wasn’t protected by a tarp and became an unplayable quagmire. Outside of inconvenience and the chance to play before the Puerto Rican fans, the only casualties were Jim Leyland’s camp pitching rotation and player’s sleep schedules. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1990</b> - The suits and the MLBPA agreed on a new CBA that ended a 32-day lockout. The main points included increasing the clubs' ante to the pension fund, raising the minimum salary to $100,000 and the introduction of “Super Two” arbitration status. The lockout pushed Opening Day back a week to April 9th and the season had to be extended by three days. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2002</b> - After taking off five years, mainly to manage in the Dominican, RHP Salomon Torres, 30, signed with the Pirates in December as an NRI. It looked like his comeback dream may have ended on this day when despite a strong spring, he was sent to AAA Nashville. But Solly persevered and kept his eye on the prize, then got called up for a handful of games in September that turned into a six-year stay in Pittsburgh. He pitched in every role from starter to closer, breaking Teke's appearance record with 94 outings in 2006, and posted a line of 26-28-29/3.63 as a Bucco. Torres closed out his career in 2008 with the Brewers.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-42779334993674087012024-03-18T06:30:00.001-04:002024-03-18T06:30:00.130-04:00Camp Notes: Taylor, German Inked; Bucs Keep Swatting; Young Guns Reassigned; Injuries; Pre-Arbs All Signed<p>Rug-cutting time is right around the corner...</p><p><b>Weekday Games:</b> The week started with a 1-0 loss to the BoSox; Barney Falter has a strong start, but the mainly B-roster Bucs were held to five singles. Oneil Cruz made sure Tuesday's game wouldn't be a whitewash, leading off with a homer. The Bucs banged out two more, a Jack Suwinski solo shot and Billy McKinney three-run blast, on the way to a 5-1 win over the Bravos. Chase Anderson was strong in his spring debut. Roansy Contreras had another sloppy day at the office (six walks) on Wednesday as Toronto spanked the Corsairs, 10-3. Cruz went long again. Marco Gonzales tossed five strong frames v the O's, but Ryan Borucki fare very well in the Bucs 5-2 loss. In the featured <i><b>Spring Breakout</b></i> Prospects game, Paul Skenes started the game with a three-pitch strikeout and the vibe continued, with the Pirates pups taking a 3-1 decision over the baby Birds of Baltimore. The Pittsburgh pitchers gave up one hit; the Bucco babes didn't do a lot better at the dish with five knocks. All six hits were singles while three of the four runners who scored reached base via walks.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ6foeKFNC-oOo6Hvd84ThUjxKFoMJZuIPPQ3_czkEokTUywtMiq_QgRVBIS09sw1Y2yU-nbaKBXgpk-EfkOmVjG6morix8RM_SSiUIXnxPsyg-pbK5A_xHoyjWkOk3gBI_WU6_F1WVg9xMB2yFOinQeSDpLXz-_CWR9IPBoRloPKUfPqNsKn2xqOEmY/s477/paul_skenes_2023_bowman-glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJ6foeKFNC-oOo6Hvd84ThUjxKFoMJZuIPPQ3_czkEokTUywtMiq_QgRVBIS09sw1Y2yU-nbaKBXgpk-EfkOmVjG6morix8RM_SSiUIXnxPsyg-pbK5A_xHoyjWkOk3gBI_WU6_F1WVg9xMB2yFOinQeSDpLXz-_CWR9IPBoRloPKUfPqNsKn2xqOEmY/s320/paul_skenes_2023_bowman-glass.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Paul Skenes - 2023 Bowman Glass</b></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Weekend Games:</b> The Bucs visited the Yankees on Friday night. Quinn Priester and the boys looked good, taking a 6-2 victory. Jack Suwinski had a three-run jack and Jack Brannigan added a solo shot. Saturday was a split squad twin bill. Motown won the afternoon match at LECOM, 6-4. Mitch Keller was good, Barney Falter wasn't, Henry Davis had a two-run two-bagger and Dustin Peterson homered. In the evening clash v the Bravos in North Port, Jared Jones continued to make his case in a 4-2 Pittsburgh win. Suwinski and Billy McKinney left the yard. Sunday saw the Buccaneers take an 8-4 decision from Tampa; Nick Gonzales, Matt Gorski and Shawn Ross (the C/3B played at Greensboro last year) banged bombs.</p><p><b><u>Notes</u></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>CF Michael A. Taylor, 32, agreed to a one-year/$4M contract with the Bucs; he was on the early list of guys who filled the Bucco need of a good-glove center fielder. The signing also makes the outfield, already a competitive spot, just that much more a battleground with Connor Joe, Josh Palacios, Edward Olivares and Billy McKinney all in the mix to join starters Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski.</li><li> It was a busy Friday - they also inked Domingo German, 31, to a minor league NRI deal for $1.25M with bonuses, plus a 2025 team option for $2.25M, also with bonuses. German has a bad-citizen history; he also threw a perfect game and averaged a strikeout per inning in 2023 for the Yankees, so the Pirates are hoping he can figure out how to straighten up and fly right from a new nest.</li><li>The club sent RHP Braxton Ashcraft to minor league camp on Monday. On Tuesday, they optioned RHP Colin Selby & OF Canaan Smith-Njigba to Indy, IF Tsung-Che Cheng to Altoona, and reassigned 2B Termarr Johnson & IF Jack Brannigan to minor league camp. On Sunday, RHP Paul Skenes joined them.</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu57rwxUzxHbGvuPy0Bd2yIDXEXEEKxWyBKZe1EIa0CGVjmGCI5XcRX_UdLU3RgOrAuIeO0nRy0ZK6nCj_cjQwsYdn23DuP7xh6PFdgkti7Gm7MUJ_ngeZ-vuNmE0PGueE8m0-eOg8eYREoX2tQyyynXWoGa8wi_gt8RLPM_-bHijO8teddU1ZAzDN70/s531/termarr_johnson_2023_panini-prizm-prizmatic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="373" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu57rwxUzxHbGvuPy0Bd2yIDXEXEEKxWyBKZe1EIa0CGVjmGCI5XcRX_UdLU3RgOrAuIeO0nRy0ZK6nCj_cjQwsYdn23DuP7xh6PFdgkti7Gm7MUJ_ngeZ-vuNmE0PGueE8m0-eOg8eYREoX2tQyyynXWoGa8wi_gt8RLPM_-bHijO8teddU1ZAzDN70/s320/termarr_johnson_2023_panini-prizm-prizmatic.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Termarr had a good spring - 2023 Panini Prizmatic</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2B/CF Ji Hwan Bae has been out for a few days with a hip injury; it isn't thought to be serious. Dauri Moreta is lined up to see a doc to determine his elbow diagnosis/treatment (he was moved to the 60-day IL when Taylor was signed), and David Bednar's lat rehab has advanced to tossing from a mound. Josh Palacios is day-to-day with the flu and no new word on Yasmani Grandal.</li><li>The club announced the signing of its 27 pre-arb players: Ashcraft, Bae, Mike Burrows, Cheng, Roansy Contreras, Oneil Cruz, Henry Davis, Jason Delay, Bailey Falter, Nick Gonzales, Jose Hernandez, Colin Holderman, Carmen Mlodzinski, Moreta, Kyle Nicolas, Luis Ortiz, Johan Oviedo, Josh Palacios, Liover Peguero, Quinn Priester, Endy Rodriguez, Selby, Smith-Njigba, Jack Suwinski, Jaren Triolo, Alika Williams and Jackson Wolf.</li><li>Yep, it is almost showtime; the Pirates Opener is March 28th at 4:10 against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mitch Keller will take on Jesus Luzardo.</li><li>Ex-Bucco and current Yankee ace RHP Gerrit Cole is getting an MRI after complaining of arm tiredness. He's expected out until May or June, even though surgery has been ruled out in favor of a rest and rehab regimen.</li><li>Once-upon-a-time Pirates reliever (2012-24) Justin Wilson, 36, opted out of his deal with the Dodgers and signed a major league contract with Cincinnati.</li></ul><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-16446993124766211732024-03-17T07:00:00.117-04:002024-03-17T12:38:26.068-04:003/17 Smiley-Neagle; Thomas Signs; Op Shutdown; All Star Irishman; Pops Moves; Latino Trip; Camp Opens; KBL Contract; RIP Charley, Jewel; HBD Raul, John, Rod, Cito, Pete, Ralph & Hoffy<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1877</b> - 3B Jesse “Hoffy” Hoffmeister was born in Toledo, Ohio. His one year in the show was with the Pirates in 1897, getting into 48 games and batting .309 while committing an unfortunate 31 errors at the hot corner. He then hurt his hand in the offseason, was sick in spring camp and ended up playing for Indianapolis of the Western League. He continued to play pro ball, but never again got a call back to the show and Hoffy retired after the 1906 season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1894</b> - 2B/OF Ralph Shafer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ralph is the Pirates version of Moonlight Graham - he got into one game on July 25th, 1914 as a pinch runner during a 4-2 loss to the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds, and was left aboard. Shafer played for five minor league seasons for five teams, with a four year hiatus between 1917-20, before retiring for good. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1919</b> - OF Pete Reiser was born in St. Louis. The veteran outfielder spent one season (1951) of his 10-year MLB stint in Pittsburgh, batting .271. He spent the next campaign with the Cleveland Indians before retiring with a bad shoulder. Pete then managed in the Dodger organization and coached at the MLB level for LA, the Cubs and the Angels before passing away at age 62. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1944</b> - OF Cito Gaston was born in San Antonio, Texas. In 1978, the Pirates purchased Gaston from the Atlanta Braves. The 34-year-old went 1-for-2 in the last week of the season, his last MLB appearances in an 11-year big league career, before spending the next couple of campaigns in the Mexican League and later beginning a long run as the Toronto Blue Jays manager. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVbevXoGZ-VmjLE6PbbZDlm7i8d5EZ8865F2PHI0XN0Bbkr0-IicQCozg5V8SCjZl0pLvsPH5pln2UBSEAC-tgehlHqI7u9QvNMhw13x1F6vNvMN1FqVZCmUN9B4NzgUIvVvd84SLADjxkC1vV5FxzwDmweVUEMPrRBrDtMQqsyptGPl1pSxNzpUowJQ/s307/cito_gaston_1979_topps.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="219" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVbevXoGZ-VmjLE6PbbZDlm7i8d5EZ8865F2PHI0XN0Bbkr0-IicQCozg5V8SCjZl0pLvsPH5pln2UBSEAC-tgehlHqI7u9QvNMhw13x1F6vNvMN1FqVZCmUN9B4NzgUIvVvd84SLADjxkC1vV5FxzwDmweVUEMPrRBrDtMQqsyptGPl1pSxNzpUowJQ/s1600/cito_gaston_1979_topps.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Cito Gaston 1979 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1950</b> - Jewel Ens passed away at age 60 in Syracuse due to pneumonia. He spent his four big league years as a Pirates (1922-25/.290 BA) infielder - he played all four spots - albeit spending most of his time in the minors. Jewel was a Bucco player-coach (1923–25), coach (1926–29; 1935–39) and manager (1929–31). Ens was a member of the 1925 World Series champion Pirates and their 1927 NL champ club. He later went on to coach in the majors for three other teams and spent eight years as skipper of the Reds top farm club at Syracuse. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1955</b> - The Pirate heaved a big sigh of relief when LF Frank Thomas ended his holdout and agreed to a deal. RHP Vern Law had also just ended his walkout and was in camp this day for the first time as Branch Rickey, known as a hard-nosed negotiator (neither contract amount was disclosed), got Fred Haney’s two top weapons to sign on the dotted line and back in the fold. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1956</b> - LHP Rod Scurry was born in Sacramento. Scurry tossed for the Bucs for six years (1980-85) featuring a nasty curveball, posting a Pirates line of 17-28-34 with a 3.15 ERA before closing out his career with the Yankees and Mariners. The first round pick of 1974, like many players in the 80s, was a nose-candy fan during his playing days, and never could kick the habit even after undergoing rehab in 1984. He died in 1992 of cocaine-induced heart failure at age 36. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1965</b> - LHP John Smiley was born in Phoenixville, near Valley Forge. He spent his first six seasons (1986-91) in Pittsburgh with a 60-42/3.57 line. 1991 was his best season, going 20-9 with a 3.08 ERA and All-Star selection. In the off season, he was traded to Minnesota for Denny Neagle, and went on to win 126 games in his 12-year career. John retired after breaking his left arm while warming up as a Cleveland Indian in 1997; the injury effectively ended his career. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Kl0u_ll4SbRBzOEsjfBMhIsGKXO2fTxnkrospa9cZWl-5JgIjSXWJEtTqdNgvfLQtgICTzv7kvhIoaXuTqCZbk-klu4q4EUCm-fjidTTQAH3dnSJoiCnm892E385dC50Vvoh8BVweqZiw_2kHBkjm5A3ACDB29jvD0A5ZKcxB6rB9VSaGK04ZrQxp5Y/s348/vic_davalillo_1972-topps.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Kl0u_ll4SbRBzOEsjfBMhIsGKXO2fTxnkrospa9cZWl-5JgIjSXWJEtTqdNgvfLQtgICTzv7kvhIoaXuTqCZbk-klu4q4EUCm-fjidTTQAH3dnSJoiCnm892E385dC50Vvoh8BVweqZiw_2kHBkjm5A3ACDB29jvD0A5ZKcxB6rB9VSaGK04ZrQxp5Y/s320/vic_davalillo_1972-topps.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Vic Davalillo - 1972 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1972</b> - The Bucs watered their Latin roots by sweeping a three-game, pre-season series against the Cincinnati Reds in Maracaibo & Caracas, the first time that the Pirates had made a trip to play ball in Venezuela. The final game (today’s battle was the tour opener, a 4-0 Pirates win) was delayed when kids hopped the fence to get Vic Davillo’s autograph during the action. It took about ten minutes to clear the field for play to resume. Beloved in his homeland, “Vitico” (Little Victor) starred in the Venezuelan League before turning pro and returned when his MLB career was done, playing until he was 50 years old. On the other side of the pillow, Dave Guisti was relieved of $200 after the match thanks to a pickpocket who was part of the post-game crowd outside the stadium. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1972</b> - The <i>Post-Gazette</i> wrote that “Danny Murtaugh received a St. Patrick’s Day gift from another Irishman...” (NL boss Chub Feeney) when he was named the manager of the All-Star team. While it's SOP for the pennant-winning skipper to take the ASG reins, Murtaugh was actually an ex-manager, having retired in November, and was the first non-active field general to earn the honor. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1973</b> - C Raul Chavez was born in Valencia, Venezuela. Raul was a backup catcher who played for six teams, including a stop in Pittsburgh in 2008 as a 35-year-old. He started 31 games behind the dish and hit .259, but refused a minor league assignment the following season, and signed on for one more big league campaign with Toronto in 2009 before retiring. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1976</b> - Even though a new CBA hadn’t been pounded out, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ordered the camps to open. The players had been locked out by the owners on March 1st and those who practiced did so voluntarily at whatever facilities they could find. Even though the camps were opened, the season started without a CBA in place, although no games were lost as the Opening Day was moved back just a tad to April 8th. The MLB/MLBPA eventually agreed on a new contract that included the first framework (a draft) for free agency. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfKAxnABUOUe8_zKL5ODIiKFHQiY_XNiVgqJcngOPDtjr9CHl7uWs4sla3XBC72L3_svpdEI7hzDphby7jJf7X4uOE5J8BwKd9t05wlxN0GlOE7YVBvVe6JBi4eJis37iQC9lHJHP0T6m1f8Hy-xp3eGOZ9pi2a-DCdWqKxUNJ2VvSyxuun6CAJi0B94/s561/willie_stargell-out-of-mgr-hunt-photo_10-9-1985_pp.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="429" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfKAxnABUOUe8_zKL5ODIiKFHQiY_XNiVgqJcngOPDtjr9CHl7uWs4sla3XBC72L3_svpdEI7hzDphby7jJf7X4uOE5J8BwKd9t05wlxN0GlOE7YVBvVe6JBi4eJis37iQC9lHJHP0T6m1f8Hy-xp3eGOZ9pi2a-DCdWqKxUNJ2VvSyxuun6CAJi0B94/s320/willie_stargell-out-of-mgr-hunt-photo_10-9-1985_pp.JPG" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Starg - Press Photo 1985</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1983</b> - After retiring the year before, Willie Stargell landed a job as special assistant to the GM (Pete Peterson), and was a counselor at large for the club during camp, then roaming the minors to dish out mechanical and mental advice to his young charges. But the Pittsburgh-Pops connection snapped when Willie was fired after the season (as were Tanner and all the rest of his staff). He was miffed that he hadn’t received an interview for the vacant manager's job, and after the snub, he joined Chuck in Atlanta, where he worked until 1996. In ‘97, he returned to Pittsburgh after Kevin McClatchy reeled him back home, again as a special assistant. Captain Willie didn’t get much coaching done in that final stint - he suffered from a host of medical issues and passed away in 2001 on Opening Day at PNC Park, just two days after his statue was unveiled. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1986</b> - KBL announced that it would broadcast a minimum of 50 Pirates games over the year, using the on-air team of Mike Lange, Greg Brown and Steve Blass. That was in addition to the 40 games KDKA-TV was covering, using a booth of John Sanders, Alan Cutler, and Blass, a busy man. On the radio side, KDKA’s crew of Lanny Frattare and Jim Rooker called all the games. Neither the stations nor the Bucs gave out the financial details of the contracts. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1992</b> - The Pirates traded LHP John Smiley (on his birthday!) after a 20-8 All-Star season to the Twins in exchange for LHP Denny Neagle and OF Midre Cummings, sweetening the pot for Minnesota by tossing in $800,000. Smiley told Bob Hertzel of the <i>Pittsburgh Press</i> that “I’m extremely shocked. My contract had to play a little part in this” and was probably right. He had agreed to a guaranteed $3.44M deal, a $2M raise over his 1991 pay, on February 18th, just hours ahead of his arbitration hearing, and was a year from free agency. GM Ted Simmons said no way, telling the paper that “Salary was a non-issue,” and it was just a “daring and aggressive” deal. Smiley, who had been a Pirate since being drafted in 1983, went on to toss six more seasons (66-61/3.99, 1995 All-Star), mostly with the Cincinnati Reds, while Neagle slashed 43-35-3/4.02 in his 4-1/2 year Bucco stint and would pitch until 2003. Hot prospect Cummings ended up a bench player who posted parts of 11 MLB seasons on his resume.</span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjArmmpkf-5Zr8X-ZSKerOzm4pyAIKZOkUX5A-NmArHsU8DKV9q8qu2ipxOna3UtDgydzJWz45_0AMOmQC0GseCDwuhNq2OuZ9U4spRG4raDUriXDfENLM3auvDENuHtPYcQOIU0cBWF7l_R1dIO4vCoqi4nAhjApu1gupq_6ASg3Ud53Qq2l5LZvqxB8/s594/derek_bell_2001_fleer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="422" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjArmmpkf-5Zr8X-ZSKerOzm4pyAIKZOkUX5A-NmArHsU8DKV9q8qu2ipxOna3UtDgydzJWz45_0AMOmQC0GseCDwuhNq2OuZ9U4spRG4raDUriXDfENLM3auvDENuHtPYcQOIU0cBWF7l_R1dIO4vCoqi4nAhjApu1gupq_6ASg3Ud53Qq2l5LZvqxB8/s320/derek_bell_2001_fleer.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Derek Bell - 2001 Fleer</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2</b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">002</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - Robert Dvorchak, the beat writer for the </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Post-Gazette</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, spied OF Derek Bell sitting at his locker, stopped by and asked a couple of questions about the right field competition. Bell was having none of it. He told the writer "Ask Littlefield and ask Mac if I'm in competition. If it ain't settled with me out there, then they can trade me. I ain't going out there to hurt myself in spring training battling for a job. If it is (a competition), then I'm going into 'Operation Shutdown.' Tell them exactly what I said. I haven't competed for a job since 1991." Bell was coming off an injury-bitten 2001 campaign, playing in just 44 games and hitting .173 but still owed $4.5M in salary. He was cut two weeks later, jumped into his yacht and set sail into the sunset of his MLB career. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2014</b> - Long time (1966-86) <i>Post Gazette</i> Pirates beat writer Charley Feeney, known for calling everyone “Pally” (he didn’t have a good memory for names) passed away at the age of 89. He was inducted into the writer’s wing of the Hall of Fame in 1996. After the news, he told fellow sportswriter Ron Cook that “I'm in and Bill Mazeroski isn't. It's unbelievable." Maz joined him in the Hall five years later.</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-14778871082177093922024-03-16T07:00:00.061-04:002024-03-16T07:00:00.245-04:003/16: Roberto, Maz Arrive; Spring No-No; RIP Pie, George; HBD Rowdy, Abraham, Little Poison, Frosty Bill & Patsy<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1865</b> - OF Patrick “Patsy” Donovan was born in Queenstown, Ireland. He played for the Pirates from 1892-99, hitting .307, spent 17 years in the big leagues with seven teams and put up a lifetime .301 BA. He posted six consecutive .300+ seasons and served as player-manager from 1897-99. Patsy managed in the show for 11 seasons, went on to spend time as a minor league skipper and eventually completed his dugout calling as a high school coach at Phillips Academy in Andover, where he mentored the future 41st President, George Bush. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1874</b> - RHP “Frosty Bill” Duggleby was born in Utica, New York. In his eight years in MLB, Duggleby played for Philly, jumping from the NL Phils to the AL Athletics in 1902 and returning to the senior circuit before the year was out, by court order. His final big league campaign was in 1908 with the Pirates, when he slashed 2-2/2.68. He was sold to minor league Rochester over the offseason after suffering from a fall fever, played in the minors for five years, umped a little longer and then got on with his life’s work back home in New York. His “Frosty” nickname has two stories: first was that he preferred to toss in cool, autumn weather, and/or, it was an apt description of how he got along with his teammates. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1906</b> - OF Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner was born in Harrah, Oklahoma. The Hall-of-Fame OF had a .319 BA over 17 seasons with Pittsburgh. He batted .316 with 2,459 hits, striking out just 173 times in an 18-season major league career. Lloyd and his sib Paul set the record for career hits by brothers in MLB with 5,611 knocks. Little Poison worked as a scout for the Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles after retiring as a player and was elected into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967, joining his bro “Big Poison” Waner in Cooperstown. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg298MrpapVOPqAqrSz_JkcNuprlehkDsUzW8a2_Q7Lw7Te3h0FJEGhXtROSJ9yVBuA0o28t-aDdl8A6NFToJE1ZKbxmGFfjgbMCKA7BL_nTSDuPrRMiXD5w_xhbmGzdb-bPJ7BoKB1BPxORXJ0hAWv4rh6KoL44ysVxFm2_K58wB3xfs3bMvx1Hx8c1iw/s1200/george_grantham_tsn-collection-colouriseSG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1010" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg298MrpapVOPqAqrSz_JkcNuprlehkDsUzW8a2_Q7Lw7Te3h0FJEGhXtROSJ9yVBuA0o28t-aDdl8A6NFToJE1ZKbxmGFfjgbMCKA7BL_nTSDuPrRMiXD5w_xhbmGzdb-bPJ7BoKB1BPxORXJ0hAWv4rh6KoL44ysVxFm2_K58wB3xfs3bMvx1Hx8c1iw/s320/george_grantham_tsn-collection-colouriseSG.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>George Grantham - TSN Collection</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1954</b> - 2B George Grantham passed away in Kingman, Arizona at age 53 from a cerebral hemorrhage. George spent half his 13-year career with the Pirates (1925-31), mainly splitting time between first and second base. Grantham wasn’t especially slick at either spot, earning the nickname “Boots.” But he could swing, hitting .315 as a Buc with 78 HR. As noted by Larry DeFillipo in GG’s <i>SABR</i> bio, Grantham is one of only 18 major-leaguers (of whom 15 are in the Hall of Fame) in the modern era to have at least 1,500 hits, 100 home runs, 100 stolen bases, 90 triples, an OPS over .850, and a batting average over .300 with eight straight .300+ seasons, and nine straight with an OPS+ over 110. He retired after the 1934 season to Arizona, took a variety of day jobs, was active in Kingman community baseball, became a noted amateur golfer, was inducted into the Northern Arizona U (his alma mater) Hall of Fame and scouted briefly for the Bucs. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1956</b> - The Pirates 10-5 exhibition win over the Tigers in windy Fort Myers gave long-suffering Bucco fans a rosy glimpse of the future. Les Biederman, beat man for the <i>Pittsburgh Press</i>, wrote “(Roberto) Clemente brought down the house when he twice tripled with two aboard and the 1,289 fans gave him the glad hand. (Bill) Mazeroski, the 19-year-old former Wheeling resident who is here for a long look, contributed two singles and played expertly in the field.” The Great One was in the second of 18 seasons with the Pirates while Maz would be called up in July to begin a 17-year Pittsburgh run. Both men ended up with retired numbers, ballyard statues and Hall of Fame plaques. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1960</b> - It didn’t count, but still...Bennie Daniels and Jim Umbricht tossed a combined no-hitter against the Tigers at Fort Myers. They were this close to a perfecto; Daniels “nicked leadoff man Eddie Yost in the trousers” (on an 0-2 count!) per Les Biederman of the <i>Pittsburgh Press</i> and he was the only Detroit runner. There weren’t any big-play heroics in the field either; all the outs recorded were garden variety during the Pirates 5-0 spring win. It was old hat to the blue crew, who had seen it before on bigger stages - arbiter Vinnie Smith was behind the dish for Harvey Haddix’s 12-inning gem in 1959 and Larry Napp was a base ump for Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3b06iKoBnyuMmaGSLc41oVftWzuOTGTYzuS-4eM1QWABPSD_5-9d-hHGdaeYGE7vVA2BWKW4NNG8lOi39lgEh2yKnXVC3nWzekNA4E8-CAdXR7vIHvCTFPQ03AgLBMaVWOA2rPPP6ADdLnU4rmPtAXkcbbw01q4MA0piY5QljcIVv09ldyAipQJ6Roc/s349/bennie_daniels_1960-topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="349" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3b06iKoBnyuMmaGSLc41oVftWzuOTGTYzuS-4eM1QWABPSD_5-9d-hHGdaeYGE7vVA2BWKW4NNG8lOi39lgEh2yKnXVC3nWzekNA4E8-CAdXR7vIHvCTFPQ03AgLBMaVWOA2rPPP6ADdLnU4rmPtAXkcbbw01q4MA0piY5QljcIVv09ldyAipQJ6Roc/s320/bennie_daniels_1960-topps.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Bennie Daniels - 1960 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1972</b> - Pie Traynor died at age 72 in Pittsburgh. The 3B played 17 years for the Pirates, his only team, with a .320 BA and had a second career as the "Who Can? Ameri-can" spokesman. He managed the Bucs after he retired and later served as a Pirate scout before taking a job as a radio sports director in 1944. His show (he was on KQV, hosting the The Pie Traynor Club) was popular and he remained at the job for 21 years. In 1948, Traynor was selected to the Hall of Fame, being the first third baseman to be chosen by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In 1969, as part of the centennial of pro baseball, Traynor was named the third baseman for MLB's all-time team. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1976</b> - IF Abraham Nunez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The utility man - he played SS, 2B and 3B - spent eight seasons (1997 - 2004) with Pittsburgh and hit .238. His big league career ended in 2008 and after a 2010 fling in the indie leagues, Nunez retired. He now coaches in the Kansas City organization and manages in the Dominican League. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1995</b> - 1B John “Rowdy” Tellez was born in Sacramento, California. He was a late draft pick of Toronto in 2013 who had six years of MLB service with the Blue Jays and Brewers. The Pirates signed him after he was non-tendered by Milwaukee; he banged 35 homers in 2022 but just 13 long balls in ‘23. The Bucs plan to use the lefty as a platoon 1B/DH. He got his nickname before he was born; he was so active when his mom was carrying him that they called him “Baby Rowdy.”
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-41764043376869839612024-03-15T07:00:00.116-04:002024-03-15T07:00:00.137-04:003/15: 9-Man '77 Oakland Trade; Vogey, Heath, Snell, Bibby Sign; Easler, Cookie Deals; '23 Pre-Arbs; Cobra Rumors; HBD Sean, Greg, Steve, Nellie, Whitey, Jimmie, Red & Bill<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1876</b> - OF Bill Hallman was born in Philadelphia. He played four MLB seasons, spending two campaigns with the Pirates (1906-07). Bill hit .233 and those years ended his big league days, though he had a long minor league career that spanned from 1894-1914 before he hung up the spikes. Be careful not to confuse him with his uncle Bill Hallman, an infielder who was born in Pittsburgh and played for 14 seasons, mostly with Philadelphia clubs. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1902</b> - OF Fred “Red” Bennett was born in Atkins, Arkansas. He played in 39 MLB games, 32 of them with the Pirates in 1931, batting .281 for the Buccos. He was part of a lawsuit after the Pirates had offered Wichita Falls, his minor league club, $10,000 for his contract in 1929 only to see it sold to the Cardinals for half the price with Bennett reassigned to the minors. Commissioner Landis voided the deal, his radar set off because St. Louis’ owner, Phil Ball, also owned the Wichita Falls club. The Cards sued Kenesaw Mountain and in April of 1931, lost their case. Red became a Pirate and Landis’ unilateral but foggily defined power granted under “the best interests of the game” clause, cited in the decision, became a powerful weapon in the Commissioner’s Office arsenal. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1910</b> - OF Jimmie Crutchfield was born in Ardmore, Missouri. He played for the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1931-36 w/a brief stay with the Homestead Grays in 1932 before returning to the Crawfords, earning three All-Star berths. Per BR Bullpen, James Riley, author and director of the Negro League Museum, wrote that Crutchfield was often compared to Lloyd Waner in skill set for being a small ball expert with speed and defensive skills but not much power. Additionally, they both played center field in Pittsburgh in the same era. He retired in 1945. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1919</b> - IF Bill “Whitey” Wietelmann was born in Zanesville, Ohio. He played for Boston for eight years before closing out his career with the Bucs in 1947, batting .234, just about his MLB norm, and playing all four spots in the dirt. He came over as part of the lopsided Bob Elliott trade. His post-playing days were spent managing San Diego in the PCL and coaching with the Cincy Reds & San Diego Padres. His nickname was dubbed by his first skipper, Casey Stengel. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqOjECcuuWe9-Y2M6QVOfQpUwSt9Yz6OL74O7i0Z2BNzCtOGJleLl78vdxK1LsYAjG_L4GGB0aj5OTnwZmBrxspP6GGnvidNkLeB-A09BtayZ4cjiKIuJpnzXbKkKXls_AOzwupoZiP9oDuENFH49R-yjaQx9P87L3ZMa2nKnDSkx_WwS5jw85h4HOKc/s348/nellie_king_1957_topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="245" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqOjECcuuWe9-Y2M6QVOfQpUwSt9Yz6OL74O7i0Z2BNzCtOGJleLl78vdxK1LsYAjG_L4GGB0aj5OTnwZmBrxspP6GGnvidNkLeB-A09BtayZ4cjiKIuJpnzXbKkKXls_AOzwupoZiP9oDuENFH49R-yjaQx9P87L3ZMa2nKnDSkx_WwS5jw85h4HOKc/s320/nellie_king_1957_topps.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Nellie King - 1957 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1928</b> - Nellie King was born in Shenandoah, near Pottsville. As a righty, he had a four-year (1954-57) MLB career, all spent in Pittsburgh, going 7-5-6/3.58. He later was Bob Prince’s announcing sidekick from 1967-75 on KDKA and moved on to work at Duquesne University as their long-time Sports Information Director. For his last hurrah, Nellie returned to the Pirates' broadcast booth as a guest commentator for the final game at TRS on October 1st, 2000. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1934</b> - The Pirates sent minor league OF Stan Keyes to the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League to complete a PTBNL/cash deal agreed to in September for IF Cookie Lavagetto. The 21-year-old Lavagetto hit .249 in three Pirates campaigns, never being able to wrestle the starting role from Pep Young. He was sent to Brooklyn in 1937, where he started for five straight seasons and earned four All Star berths before losing four years to the Navy during WW2. He came back to play two final years, finishing with a Dodger BA of .275, and then embarked on a long coaching/managing career. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1977</b> - IF Phil Garner, P Chris Batton and IF Tommy Helms were traded to the Bucs by Oakland in exchange for Ps Doug Bair, Dave Giusti, Rick Langford & Doc Medich, OF Tony Armas and 1B Mitchell Page with the deal consummated 15 minutes before the inter-league trading deadline closed. "Scrap Iron," a moniker earned because of his hard-nosed approach to the game, was a mainstay of the 1979 World Series infield. But he came at a high price - Armas, Bair, Langford and Medich had solid post-Pirate careers, with just Giusti at the end of his string. And it wasn’t entirely embraced by the players involved - Garner preferred to play second, not third, while Bill Robinson, who wasn’t part of the trade, was miffed at losing his chance to earn an everyday position as he was the default hot corner man in camp while Medich and Giusti both pondered not reporting to the A’s. In the end, everyone came around and life in the big leagues went on. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1978</b> - The Pirates signed free agent RHP Jim Bibby after he was released from his Indians contract thanks to a Cleveland payment snafu 10 days earlier. Terms weren’t disclosed, but it was believed to be a multi-year deal worth $700 K. The big media debate was whether he’d start or go to the pen; he did both (he spent two years strictly in the rotation and the other three as a swingman) and in his five years, the big righty slashed 50-32-3/3.53. Bibby went 12-4 as part of the 1979 World Series rotation and was an All-Star in 1980. He missed all of 1982 with a shoulder injury that in effect ended his career. He put up a 6.69 ERA in 1983 and was let go; he pitched just eight more times for Texas during the following campaign before hanging up the spikes. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAl56gh_MplQhYt5BxwCwjeYL5ghNdX-9OTygV2iJCsogCgt2tib3Zd5eXVT1v3uxayo54QtT3NpSB9lD_7E-k9vYrZJVxBwKEM5xpBGSAdf_uRjmpyl7M6A1njItu-2OHPdEANt7XFaFTRL5ZBN1bZsyVEm5FF6MZT3H2rhx8DCZguOQcac783kPIQw/s392/mike_easler_1980_topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAl56gh_MplQhYt5BxwCwjeYL5ghNdX-9OTygV2iJCsogCgt2tib3Zd5eXVT1v3uxayo54QtT3NpSB9lD_7E-k9vYrZJVxBwKEM5xpBGSAdf_uRjmpyl7M6A1njItu-2OHPdEANt7XFaFTRL5ZBN1bZsyVEm5FF6MZT3H2rhx8DCZguOQcac783kPIQw/s320/mike_easler_1980_topps.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Mike Easler - 1980 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1979</b> - The Pirates sent minor leaguers George Hill and Martin Rivas along with cash to the Red Sox to get back OF Mike Easler, who had been sold to Boston during the off season. Good thing the FO had a change of heart as Easler ended up a .302 hitter with the Bucs between 1979-83 and was a key bench/platoon player for the 1979 World Series club, also earning an All-Star bid in the shortened 1981 season. The “Hit Man” (so named because of his sweet swing and .293 lifetime BA) went back to Boston after the ‘83 season for pitcher John Tudor. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1982</b> - RHP Steve Jackson was born in Sumter, South Carolina. The Yankee product via Clemson tossed two MLB seasons, both for the Bucs, in 2009-10 with a 2-4/4.31 slash. In 2011, he tossed in the minors for the LA Dodgers, Cincy Reds and Bucs in his last professional season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1982</b> - Charley Feeney of the <i>Post Gazette</i> reported that the Yankees and Expos were talking to the Pirates about a Dave Parker swap. Pittsburgh’s ask from the Bronx Bombers was some front line pitching, and they worked the Expos for a package that featured Terry Francona. Nothing came of the palaver, unfortunately for the Buccos - they held onto The Cobra through 1983, couldn’t re-sign him and lost him for nada to the Reds when he hit free agency. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1993</b> - OF Greg Allen was born in San Diego. A fifth year player, mostly with Cleveland, he posted a .241 BA over that time. The Yankees DFA’ed him before the 2021-22 lockout began and the Bucs claimed him. He won a starting spot in left field - he played all three outfield positions - then injured his hammy in the week leading up to Opening Day and ended up on the 60-day IL, not returning to action until late July. Allen played some and was waived at the end of the season, rejoining the Yankees. </span><span id="docs-internal-guid-c8288c4a-7fff-7660-5c43-53fa3c5abfbd"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> He was DFA’ed to the Brew Crew in August and is now once again part of the Bronx Bombers' organization.</span></span></span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimT60DCk0G0eGV7pgto9_QRh5e-CvgjdQl55AHn00uHBQX_wLy3FDQd1ko4pNH4TbdAVhZoMypzvAlNTrmEmV52m2ADANLf0ZudncYpyf9QzAnX4YT9YymTMQ-wb9j9vQh4P_atEBYtSuq9Qu6L4VYpGkXQniupQ30FpjW2hj_7BosDpf7Ij5nIgfDMZU/s786/greg_allen_7-6-2022_bradenton-marauders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="725" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimT60DCk0G0eGV7pgto9_QRh5e-CvgjdQl55AHn00uHBQX_wLy3FDQd1ko4pNH4TbdAVhZoMypzvAlNTrmEmV52m2ADANLf0ZudncYpyf9QzAnX4YT9YymTMQ-wb9j9vQh4P_atEBYtSuq9Qu6L4VYpGkXQniupQ30FpjW2hj_7BosDpf7Ij5nIgfDMZU/s320/greg_allen_7-6-2022_bradenton-marauders.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Greg Allen - 2022 photo Pirates/Bradenton</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1994</b> - RHP Sean Poppen was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Harvard product (he graduated with honors with a double Chemistry & Physics/Engineering major) pitched in parts of two seasons for the Twins before being DFA’ed in 2020 and claimed by the Bucs. He started the 2021 campaign in the alternate training camp and was called up in mid-April to replace Michael Feliz, who went on the IL. He was sold mid-season to the Tampa Bay Rays, then joined the Arizona D-Backs and is now in the Seattle Mariners' system. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2008</b> - Five days after unilaterally renewing his pre-arb contract, the Pirates signed RHP Ian Snell to a three-year deal worth $8M with options for 2011-12. The 26-year old, who was arbitration eligible after the 2009 season, had a 24-26 record after two years in the show. He was dismal in 2008 and was sent to Class AAA at his request. Snell was traded to Seattle in 2009 at the deadline for a boatload of prospects, the best being Ronny Cedeno. Afterward, he pitched for two other organizations (Seattle and LA) in the minors, signed with an indie team, tossed in the Puerto Rican league and retired in 2017. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2022</b> - The Pirates announced the signing of 1B/DH Daniel Vogelbach, 29, a 2019 All-Star, for one year/$800K and bonuses with a $1.5M option/$200K buyout, and 33-year-old RHP Heath Hembree (one year/$2.125M). Vogey was a low average, power lefty hitter with six years in the show while Hembree had several good years with Boston before hitting a rough patch with Cincinnati and Philadelphia. He couldn’t keep the ball in the park in those hitter-friendly yards, but rallied with the Mets in 2021 to earn a seat in the Bucco bullpen. Vogey kept true to form, hitting .228 with 12 HR before being dealt to the Mets for Colin Holderman. Hembree reverted to form, went to LA in June, to Tampa/Detroit in ‘23 and is now in the Seattle system.The club also placed RHPs Blake Cederlind and Nick Mears on the 60-day IL. Cederlind underwent 2021 Tommy John surgery on his right elbow while Mears’ right elbow was scoped in February to clean out scar tissue. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2023</b> - The team agreed to 2023 contract terms with the 27 players on their 40-man roster who were pre-arb, with one dissenter: SS Oneil Cruz had his contract renewed for $720 K, the league minimum. Among the Buccos included in this group were P’s Dave Bednar, Roansy Contreras, Wil Crowe & Chase De Jong, OF Jack Suwinski, C Endy Rodriguez and IF Rudolfo Castro.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-68246200089309353132024-03-14T07:00:00.067-04:002024-03-14T07:00:00.139-04:003/14: Lofton Signs; Roberto's Woes; Hans Sits Out Camp; RIP Harold, Bucs First Voice; HBD Matt, Butch, Earl, Bunker & Denny<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1850</b> - IF Denny Mack (McGee) was born in Mauch Chunk (now Jim Thorpe) Pennsylvania. Mack spent eight years in the big leagues (National Association, National League and American Association) as a bench player, getting into more than 60 games just once in his career. His final campaign was in 1883 with the Alleghenys, where he was used in the infield, batting .196. He managed in the minors for four years afterward before passing away young at the age of 38. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1869</b> - RHP Billy “Bunker” Rhines was born in Ridgway, Elk County. He tossed for the Bucs at the end of his career in 1898-99, going 16-20/3.95 after twice leading the NL in ERA as a Red before his arm gave out and he was released in June. Bunker did have one league leading stat as a Bucco in 1898 - he tossed 258 frames without allowing a homer. The nickname “Bunker” may be a mispronunciation of Rhines' alma mater, Bucknell, although that is uncertain. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1908</b> - Honus Wagner confirmed his retirement at the age of 34, citing arthritis and the need to rest his body. The <i>Pittsburgh Press</i> wrote that “Some hope is still expressed that the mighty Teuton will see...the error of his way and return to the game.” He did after sitting out spring training. Hans played in 151 games in 1908, matching his 1898 high when he was just 24, and led the NL in batting average for the sixth time at .354, hits (201), total bases (308), doubles (39), triples (19), RBIs (109), stolen bases (53), slugging % (.542), OBP (.415) and OPS (.957). The Flying Dutchman finished the year two homers short of winning the Triple Crown. Honus retired several times in a regular rite of spring, but didn’t actually hang up his spikes until after the 1917 campaign. In better news for the Buccos, 1B Harry Sawcina did sign, leaving Mooney Gibson as the only holdout. He eventually agreed to a deal and played in Pittsburgh through 1916. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-h3Zbfl-J9XFbl-Ug-U-xSOwciJEmwOx63yj5jRvQRRM4ie2gCCzmIzqGgu_LWC-HkhUKdCVsBwc-CCLcupU2YqGEsg9yPqOpuNgxGC2A9byygVH4QikcHLYbXT2w4M9CvIGVhggjIz6F4DftbWEUCTyxdeeTEhgfWoi_ZSHJ_loMsjlMH0CXXp4zVY/s395/earl_smith_1956_jay-pub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-h3Zbfl-J9XFbl-Ug-U-xSOwciJEmwOx63yj5jRvQRRM4ie2gCCzmIzqGgu_LWC-HkhUKdCVsBwc-CCLcupU2YqGEsg9yPqOpuNgxGC2A9byygVH4QikcHLYbXT2w4M9CvIGVhggjIz6F4DftbWEUCTyxdeeTEhgfWoi_ZSHJ_loMsjlMH0CXXp4zVY/s320/earl_smith_1956_jay-pub.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Earl Smith - 1956 photo Jay Publishing</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1928</b> - OF Earl Smith was born in Sunnyside, Washington. Smith had a brief two-week career in the show, getting into five games for the Bucs and going 1-for-16 in April 1955 before being sent back to the minors, never to return. But he is the answer to a popular trivia question: Smith was the last player to wear #21 on the Pittsburgh Pirates' roster before Roberto Clemente. The Great One was a rookie that year and began the season wearing #13, but he claimed #21 (the number of letters in his full name, Roberto Clemente Walker) when Smith was sent down. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1956</b> - Coach Harold “Butch” Wynegar was born in York, Pennsylvania. Butch had a 13-year career as a catcher with two All-Star selections and The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award in 1976. He began coaching in 1974 with stops in the Rangers, Brewers and Yankees systems and big-league jobs as Texas 1999 bullpen coach and Milwaukee’s hitting coach under Ned Yost from 2003-06. He joined the Pirates organization in 2015 as Indy’s hitting instructor; he moved on to Bradenton and is now coaching in the New York Yankee system. His nickname dates back to his infancy when his grandma looked in the crib and declared that young Harold “looked like a Butch” per Douglas Looney of Sports Illustrated. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1969</b> - After recovering from a right shoulder injury, Roberto Clemente banged his left wing chasing a foul pop during a spring game, which prompted a trip back home to Puerto Rico to visit his own doctor. He started the year 0-for-12, but kept on to finish with a .345 BA, second to Pete Rose’s .348 in a race that went down to the last day. Roberto was hitting .363 in August, but a cranky back kept him on the bench for much of September and likely cost him the crown. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1978</b> - IF Matt Kata was born in Avon Lake, Ohio. After spending four seasons on-and-off the MLB rosters of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers, Kata was signed by the Bucs in June 2007. He played some infield, outfield and pinch hit, batting .250 in 88 ABs, and was released at the end of the year, signing with the Colorado Rockies. The Pirates got him back in early 2008, and he spent the year at Indy before moving on to the Houston Astros. His 2009 ‘Stros season was his last of five part-time campaigns and he retired after two more AAA years at age 33. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwcp-Pucnm6Z65uql3u12TKRx6XLUow1Jf_4E9bjOtzdabYDQFKzsk6OC-3ZvrYJiKtDT1EDnemyF5gbkQdK6Detxbw7gaYpDbbRngyT1VEXu62dm7IZxgATNP9LBlnMX1-O4MkPccu15-GvVKsZAivQw0UjEx7_4GP_J6LSPiGi1KeHe2iOv0otOqNE/s628/matt_kata_2007_george-gojkovich-getty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwcp-Pucnm6Z65uql3u12TKRx6XLUow1Jf_4E9bjOtzdabYDQFKzsk6OC-3ZvrYJiKtDT1EDnemyF5gbkQdK6Detxbw7gaYpDbbRngyT1VEXu62dm7IZxgATNP9LBlnMX1-O4MkPccu15-GvVKsZAivQw0UjEx7_4GP_J6LSPiGi1KeHe2iOv0otOqNE/s320/matt_kata_2007_george-gojkovich-getty.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Matt Kata - 2007 photo George Gojkovich/Getty</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1986</b> - Harold Arlin passed away at age 90 in Bakersfield, California. On August 5th, 1921, Arlin announced the first MLB game ever broadcast on radio for KDKA, an 8-5 Bucco win over the Phils at Forbes Field, providing a template that was copied throughout baseball. He was heard across the nation and did games through 1925, when he retired from radio and took a day job in Mansfield, Ohio. He returned to the format for a last hurrah in 1972 at Bob Prince’s invitation, doing play-by-play with The Gunner as his grandson, Steve Arlin, was on the hill for the San Diego Padres against the Pirates at TRS. Harold had a lot of feathers in his cap - he also broadcast college football, boxing and tennis matches, was the first to do celebrity interviews and the first to announce the results of a presidential election (1920 - Warren Harding/James Cox ) over the airwaves. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2003</b> - OF Kenny Lofton agreed to a one-year/$1.025M deal with the Pirates. Kenny took over in center, bumping Brian Giles to left and Reggie Sanders to right. They formed a sweet swinging if somewhat grizzled trio (Lofton was age 35, Sanders 36, & Giles the baby at 32) with some punch. But Lofton didn’t last out the year as he was traded to the Cubs on July 23rd with Aramis Ramirez for not a heckuva lot in return in Dave Littlefield’s most infamous salary dump. Kenny hit .277 with 18 swiped sacks and nine long balls in his abbreviated Bucco tour of duty. After he left baseball, he spread his wings to become the CEO of a movie production company, Film Pool and headed an investment firm.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-43586150422071492222024-03-13T07:00:00.001-04:002024-03-13T07:00:00.138-04:003/13: Quiet Day...Mo Goes; Crystal Lite; Roberto - Vegas HoF; Latino OF; HBD Manny, Jason, Gary, Al, Eddie & Chappie<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1875</b> - RHP Charles “Chappie” McFarland was born in White Hall, Illinois. After four years with the Cardinals, he spent his final campaign of 1906 spinning for three clubs, including six outings with the Bucs. He went 1-3/2.55, with five starts after Pittsburgh sent Ed Karger to the Cards for his services in June; by August he was waived and finished his MLB days with Brooklyn by making one final start. Chappie had an MLB brother, Monte, who tossed for the Cubs. After McFarland's baseball career ended, he jumped into show biz by opening the first vaudeville theater in Houston, then becoming a movie theater manager. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1918</b> - Utilityman Eddie Pellagrini was born in Boston. He lost four years to the service but still put in eight seasons in MLB, with his last two seasons served (1953-54) with the Bucs, hitting .237. After retiring, Pellagrini spent 32 years as the manager of the Boston College Eagles. He got his career off to a hot start when in 1946, Eddie hit a home run in his first MLB at bat with the Red Sox. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1939</b> - OF Al Luplow was born in Saginaw, Michigan. He closed out his seven-year MLB career as a Buc in 1967 after the Pirates bought his contract from the New York Mets, hitting .184 in 55 games. Al made one of baseball’s great grabs in 1963 when he went flying over a five-foot fence in right to steal a three-run homer from Boston's Dick Williams at Fenway Park, landing in the bullpen and climbing back over the wall with the ball raised in his hand. Former Pirates OF’er Jordan Luplow, now with the Atlanta Braves, is Al’s great-nephew.</span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCPMgCIohgmcLHFIiVjOus736I4OjODXA2ey6Co2UH6rv9NQecjE6StneXymUJbn-reiKH2dtAEbhs7FJlaM0WRN0tWYy1PGAsE2scnkpK1nRDtmKCLzvsIo8g7KW1FfsJNoOQYGGRl4FCFRUvYnzw3djr_CiqM4JMNMbfUkdTHK_H_u96PnZnt6s8nU/s300/gary_kolb_1968-topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="212" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCPMgCIohgmcLHFIiVjOus736I4OjODXA2ey6Co2UH6rv9NQecjE6StneXymUJbn-reiKH2dtAEbhs7FJlaM0WRN0tWYy1PGAsE2scnkpK1nRDtmKCLzvsIo8g7KW1FfsJNoOQYGGRl4FCFRUvYnzw3djr_CiqM4JMNMbfUkdTHK_H_u96PnZnt6s8nU/s1600/gary_kolb_1968-topps.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Gary Kolb - 1968 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1940</b> - All-purpose player Gary Kolb was born in Rock Falls, Illinois. Kolb played all three OF spots, 2B, 3B and catcher for the Bucs in 1968-69 (he played every position in the minors and all but pitcher and short in the majors). But while the glove was willing, the bat was weak and he hit just .186 as a Pirate, ending his seven-year, four-team MLB career. His cousin Danny, a righty reliever, also finished his nine-year run in the majors as a Bucco in 2007. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1955</b> - Per Thomas van Hyning of <i>SABR</i>, Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rico), Carlos Bernier (Puerto Rico) and Roman Mejías (Cuba) became the first major-league all-black, All-Caribbean outfield when Pittsburgh visited the Phils at Clearwater during spring camp. Clemente went 3-for-4 while Bernier & Mejias each added a hit in a 10-inning, 4-3 win. Bernier is considered by many to be the first black Pirate (he played in 1953), but the team gave that nod to Curt Roberts, who joined the club a year later as Bernier was considered Puerto Rican, not black. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1975</b> - Roberto Clemente and 13 others were inducted into Las Vegas’ Black Athletes Hall of Fame. James Brown hosted and Aretha Franklin provided the entertainment as Roberto (in memory), Roy Campanella and a dozen other athletes were honored at Caesar's Palace Convention Center. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1988</b> - 1B Jason Rogers was born in East Point, Georgia. He was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers for OF Keon Broxton and RHP Trey Supak depth during the 2015 off season as the Pirates were looking to fill a void at first base. However, Jason was bumped from the mix when the Bucs later signed veteran free agents John Jaso and David Freese, then shot himself in the foot by going 2-for-25 in 2016. Rogers was released the following year and took his game to Japan. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4VfPDqwzaAef4j-YWkpKJiCOPSgbG7U6oHx5GIRvcP-8YdfNUqPB_0Gh1_S7XKx3Flyat0cblQABXAnXw8VSl1jJaJfuUsX1V5Wi3MHji168v5OGk-y2JETfq59r_c4sGYigMIeGxHS40gOB6H6bL565HaDkuCikT2CS37SXtJgumUHtv8ghCMR4W00/s670/jason_rogers_2-26-2017_dave-arrigo-pirates.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4VfPDqwzaAef4j-YWkpKJiCOPSgbG7U6oHx5GIRvcP-8YdfNUqPB_0Gh1_S7XKx3Flyat0cblQABXAnXw8VSl1jJaJfuUsX1V5Wi3MHji168v5OGk-y2JETfq59r_c4sGYigMIeGxHS40gOB6H6bL565HaDkuCikT2CS37SXtJgumUHtv8ghCMR4W00/s320/jason_rogers_2-26-2017_dave-arrigo-pirates.png" width="203" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Jason Rogers - 2017 photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1991</b> - LHP Manny Banuelos was born in Gomez Palacio, Mexico. The Yankees bought him from the Mexican League in 2008, and he was a Top 50 MLB Prospect, playing in the Futures Game and the Arizona League. Injuries bit him in 2012 and he missed 2013 with TJ surgery. Since then, he’s been with the Braves, White Sox, Yankees again, tossed in Mexico and is now in China. The Pirates claimed him from NY in 2022, and he debuted as a Buc in early July, giving up a grannie to Aaron Judge. He worked 31 games with a 2-1/4.96 slash. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2002</b> - 2B Warren Morris went from College World Series hero at LSU in 1996 to starting for the Pirates and finishing in third place in the Rookie of the Year vote in 1999 to being cut - and going unclaimed - OTD. He became a Bucco as part of the Esteban Loaiza deal with Texas in 1998 and started the following year, but saw his batting line drop from .288/15 HR in 1999 to .204/2 HR in 2001, when he spent half the season at AAA Nashville. He got another shot to start in Detroit in 2003, but it was his last MLB hurrah, and he retired after the 2005 season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2008</b> - In a spring game against the Pirates, comedian and lifelong Yankee fan Billy Crystal led off as the DH after signing a one-day contract with New York. He made contact, fouling a fastball up the first base line, but was eventually struck out by Paul Maholm on six pitches. He joined Garth Brooks, Tom Selleck and Will Ferrell as celebrities who appeared in a MLB exhibition game.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-48155406717360495212024-03-12T07:00:00.001-04:002024-03-12T07:00:00.139-04:003/12: Klein HoF; Camp Canceled; Quiet Contracts; RIP Fordham Flash; Blow Out the Candles - HBD Alika, Dave, Greg, Raul, Deacon, Lefty, Reb, Denny & Phil<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1865</b> - LHP Phil Knell was born in San Francisco. In a six-year career, he made a pair of stops in Pittsburgh. He started out as a 23-year-old rookie for the Alleghenys in 1888, going 1-2/3.76, and appeared in one outing for the Pirates in 1894 and getting whacked. But during 1890-91, he won 50 games for the Philadelphia Quakers and Columbus Colts. At 5’7” and 155 pounds, he didn’t cut an intimidating figure, but no one in the box ever dug in and got comfortable facing him. In those two seasons, the wild child bopped 82, walked 392 and tossed 39 wild pitches in 748-2/3 IP. Phil started 52 games for the Colts in 1891 and set the season record for hit batsmen with 54. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1866</b> - 3B Denny Lyons was born in Cincinnati. He played four seasons for Pittsburgh (1893-94; 1896-97) and mustered a .299 BA during that span. He put together a 52-game hitting streak that was largely ignored - it seems that back in the day a walk was considered the same as a hit. Still, it was a pretty impressive on-base skein. Lyons played for 13 campaigns, quitting only after a fastball thrown by Amos Rusie broke two of his fingers that never fully healed. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1899</b> - OF Ewell “Reb” Russell was born in Jackson, Mississippi. Russell started as a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox in 1912 and was a good one, but developed arm trouble in 1918 and was released. While in the minors, he converted to playing the outfield and became an accomplished hitter. Reb got back to the show with Pittsburgh in 1922-23, and in 511 at-bats hit .323 with 21 HR/113 RBI. His downfall was that though he hit like an outfielder, he played the outfield like he was a pitcher. Still, Russell returned to the minor league American Association and was a highly paid star in the AA through age 40. His eyes stayed as sharp as ever, and he even won the league batting title when he was 38-years-old with a .385 BA. Ewell was nicknamed “Reb” for his Mississippi roots. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1907</b> - LHP Leroy “Lefty” Matlock was born in Moberly, Missouri. After a cup of coffee with the Homestead Grays in 1932, he closed out the second half of his Negro League career with the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1933-38, winning 51 games in his first four years, posting a 26-game NNL winning streak and being named to three All-Star teams. He was suspended early in the 1937 season for playing on a Dominican League team and won just four more games in his final two campaigns for the Craws, closing out his career in various Latin leagues. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iCoYIm2GSOxwKK6by_Q0dN9A023QZdbNbz-GwwYJzAcrGkglWHjfyPdO3TOd4QqhNEUwrsC6wKPSG6qOu55t8Tmgr_gsA0JIP_mOj82KnSjUpvRA1w7ClapCAZ4bvkaNtd9w_OZvmGwo0kIT1KSMvflzLVFFhxw6J4MQFfTZrW-HwovyBBzs71_kgTE/s457/vern_law_2020_topps-archives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="457" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iCoYIm2GSOxwKK6by_Q0dN9A023QZdbNbz-GwwYJzAcrGkglWHjfyPdO3TOd4QqhNEUwrsC6wKPSG6qOu55t8Tmgr_gsA0JIP_mOj82KnSjUpvRA1w7ClapCAZ4bvkaNtd9w_OZvmGwo0kIT1KSMvflzLVFFhxw6J4MQFfTZrW-HwovyBBzs71_kgTE/s320/vern_law_2020_topps-archives.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Vern Law - 2020 Topps Fan Archives</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1930</b> - RHP Vern “The Deacon” Law was born in Meridian, Indiana. The righty pitched 16 years for the Pirates (1950–1951, 1954–1967), putting up a 162-147/3.77 line and winning the Cy Young in 1960 with a 20-9/3.05 mark for the World Series champs. Law hurt his ankle during some horseplay after clinching the pennant. A true trouper - he pitched through it during the Fall Classic, won twice and left Game #7 with a three run lead - he then tore muscles in his shoulder while compensating for the ankle. Both injuries lingered on for the remainder of his career, and his arm woes led him to briefly retire in '63. He had one more strong campaign afterward, going 17-9/2.15 in 1965 when he was named the Comeback Player of the Year. Law was also selected twice as an All-Star. "The Deacon" came by his nickname honestly; a devout Mormon, Vernon was a church deacon. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1971</b>- OF Raul Mondesi was born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. The Pirates signed the 33-year-old vet in 2004 and he had a good introductory month, batting .283 w/two homers & 14 RBI before going home to allegedly handle a personal issue. But he never came back to Pittsburgh, as the trip was a ploy to get out of his contract. It worked - he was released in May and signed with Anaheim 10 days later, hit .118 and was cut in August. In 2005, the Braves became his last stop in a 13-year career; he batted .211 and was released in May. Mondesi became mayor of San Cristobal after baseball but still couldn’t shake controversy. In 2017, a Dominican court handed him an eight-year sentence and fined him $1.25M for embezzling funds while in office. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1971</b> - RHP Greg Hansell was born in Bellflower, California. He closed out a four-year, four-team MLB run in 1999 with the Pirates, posting a 1-3/3.89 line in 33 outings following a June call up from AAA Nashville. In December, Hansell was purchased by the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese League. He tossed there through 2002, but big league comeback attempts in 2003 & ‘04 fell short. After serving minor league depth assignments, Greg retired after the 2004 campaign. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwwmB9uYcBRC3KeMjaRVKoi7IfzCBHMtXVrkJOVKbU3J8rflyaFrGIdxTk-vx2DUj59o9ygVhP1aTYUDRYaOZoEdYKXLhjxURszTGovzCABLn8uxdHzKtAjT399wek0wZcuYeA6wZRm2ReigClnU9Vh2GQk6wLdETp5HPot9rJU4bBODKBcLxo_Ttd8k/s351/frankie_frisch_1961_fleer-HOF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="248" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwwmB9uYcBRC3KeMjaRVKoi7IfzCBHMtXVrkJOVKbU3J8rflyaFrGIdxTk-vx2DUj59o9ygVhP1aTYUDRYaOZoEdYKXLhjxURszTGovzCABLn8uxdHzKtAjT399wek0wZcuYeA6wZRm2ReigClnU9Vh2GQk6wLdETp5HPot9rJU4bBODKBcLxo_Ttd8k/s320/frankie_frisch_1961_fleer-HOF.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Frankie Frisch - 1961 Fleer Hall of Fame</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1973</b> - Frankie “The Fordham Flash” Frisch passed away at the age of 74 as the result of a car crash. The Hall-of-Fame 2B played for the NY Giants & the St. Louis Gashouse Gang, serving as their player/manager from 1933-37 and winning the MVP in 1931. He was the Pirates skipper from 1940-46 with a 539-528 record, but never took a title, finishing higher than fourth just once in seven seasons. He went on to become a broadcaster and Chairman of the HoF Veterans Committee. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1979</b> - LHP Dave Williams was born in Anchorage, Alaska. He spent four seasons (2001-02, 2004-05) with the Bucs, going 17-26 with a 4.25 ERA while reuniting with high school teammate Ian Snell. Williams was traded to Cincinnati for Sean Casey after the 2005 season. He had surgery for a herniated disc in his neck in 2007 and never was sharp afterward, ending his career after the 2009 season following a 2008 stint in Japan and a year in the minors. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1980</b> - OF Chuck Klein was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Klein batted .320 over a 17-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and one season with the Pirates, 1939, when he hit .300 in his last stellar campaign. He was inducted on August 3rd. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1999</b> - IF Alika Williams was born in San Diego. He was a first round (#37) pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020 out of Arizona State. The Pirates sent reliever Robert Stephenson to the Rays for Alika in June, 2023. The good glove/weak bat Williams raked in Indy and was called up in July. In limited action, he kept to his rep (.211 BA) and is in a battle for reserve infield spot this year. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1a3dILppQg9rCqeeCT4SycH18xOsfUeJVWyewKUc2YNL28mzM2C5iHTV5yZ-MF4210KxiFCFxOFfCmXwDJ0aCWuUrAtmRAAu2x1YSWG8U0sAFqbaCMHLeQMxI5lXtqz6JBShaC5xygAVRN3kmtMKvssrLp8daMMikcD3Aje9TBGulh3I2nNFtuKu3EMk/s646/alika_williams_2024_topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="457" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1a3dILppQg9rCqeeCT4SycH18xOsfUeJVWyewKUc2YNL28mzM2C5iHTV5yZ-MF4210KxiFCFxOFfCmXwDJ0aCWuUrAtmRAAu2x1YSWG8U0sAFqbaCMHLeQMxI5lXtqz6JBShaC5xygAVRN3kmtMKvssrLp8daMMikcD3Aje9TBGulh3I2nNFtuKu3EMk/s320/alika_williams_2024_topps.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Alika Williams - 2024 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2020</b> - The Pirates lost 7-5 to the Toronto Blue Jays at Bradenton in a Grapefruit League game, and it proved to be their last contest of the originally scheduled preseason. While the two clubs were playing, the MLB announced they were pulling the plug on spring training and delaying the start of the season by at least two weeks in response to the coronavirus threat. It trickled down to the minors; MiLB joined in, saying they were delaying the scheduled April 9th kickoff of the farm season to a yet undetermined date (it finally canceled minor league ball in 2020 in favor of “alternate camp” sites). The Bucs and Jays fudged a bit on the closure - the MLB said the shutdown was to begin at 4PM, but the clubs decided to finish the game in its entirety and played 16 minutes past the deadline. Camps resumed in late June and a shortened season began July 23rd. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2021</b> - The Pirates agreed to contracts with all 30 of their pre-arb guys with no petulance from the crew. Notable players inked were Bryan Reynolds, Kevin Newman, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Edgar Santana, Mitch Keller, Cole Tucker, Geoff Hartlieb, Michael Feliz and Anthony Alford.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-60535675149767047452024-03-11T07:00:00.001-04:002024-03-11T07:00:00.173-04:003/11: Trevor, Freezer, Barry, Dennis Sign; KY, Jay Bay Return; Deac's Jackpot; Tim Leaves Mic; HBD Rich, Solly, Dock & Ed<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1918</b> - C Ed Fernandes was born in Oakland, California. Ed had two tours of duty in MLB, the first as a 22-year-old rookie for the Pirates in 1940 after starting in the minors at 17. It didn’t end so well with Fernandes batting .121 in 28 games. He seasoned for a while, served in the Navy, popped up again with the Chicago White Sox in 1946, hit .250 in a brief stay, and then finished out his career on the farm, retiring after 18 years of pro ball at age 36. Ed managed in the minors for a spell before taking a day job with the Matson Ship line. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1945</b> - One of the Bucs more colorful characters, RHP Dock Ellis, was born in Los Angeles. He pitched nine seasons (1968-75, 1979) for Pittsburgh, with a slash of 96-80/3.16, and tossed the infamous LSD no-hitter against San Diego in 1970. He was part of the early seventies juggernaut that was in four NLCS tilts and won a World Series. Ellis cleaned up his act after his 1980 retirement and remained sober for the rest of his days, devoting his post-baseball life to counseling drug addicts before he died of cirrhosis in 2008 at the age of 63. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1956</b> - Vern Law picked up a little extra pocket money after an outstanding spring outing against the Kansas City Athletics at Terry Park. He tossed three no-hit innings and smacked a grand slam, earning a ten-spot from Fort Myers (then the Bucs’ spring home) barber Virgil Harris, who promised $5 to every Pirates batter to homer and every Pirates pitcher to go three or more scoreless innings in the home ballyard; the Deacon was two-for-two in bonus bingo. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1972</b> - RHP Salomon Torres was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. After coaching for three years and then spending 2001 in foreign leagues, he staged a comeback and tossed for the Bucs between 2002-07 with a line of 26-28-29/3.63. In 2006, his 94 pitching appearances led the MLB and tied the Pirate record held by Kent Tekulve. His final year was 2008 with the Brewers, retiring afterward to spend time with his family. His lifetime MLB line was 44-58-57 with a 4.31 ERA, working for five teams through 12 seasons. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv88uGpwgBfPzFXRYVp-YzDfLgmolxvDH41yyv71MtF5H68llrjtzuU9qbm5saK5JdsHqccvPT9GOUq7kO2Iw35d64y05xJ4oMs1mkmHcWQNR2cs_rQUIL0ZGw0c7fdk0mwcZ6IpIrQc1Axf2J_mylPtSul9PGXaweQvm5nRjiithhc9hrcN59gT0RGKk/s612/rich_hill_2023_fox-sports.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="612" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv88uGpwgBfPzFXRYVp-YzDfLgmolxvDH41yyv71MtF5H68llrjtzuU9qbm5saK5JdsHqccvPT9GOUq7kO2Iw35d64y05xJ4oMs1mkmHcWQNR2cs_rQUIL0ZGw0c7fdk0mwcZ6IpIrQc1Axf2J_mylPtSul9PGXaweQvm5nRjiithhc9hrcN59gT0RGKk/s320/rich_hill_2023_fox-sports.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Rich Hill - 2023 Fox Sports graphic</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1980</b> - LHP Rich Hill was born in Boston. The Bucs signed him as a 42-year-old in the 2022-23 offseason to a one-year/$8M deal, as he checked off the veteran lefty box on the FO’s wish list. Hill, who slashed 8-7/4.27 in 26 starts for Boston in ‘22, was entering his 19th MLB campaign with the Pirates becoming the 12th club he’s worked for, and was valued for his mentoring as well as his mound work. He was swapped to the Padres at the deadline after slashing 7-10/4.76 in 22 starts, released by San Diego at the end of the year and currently on the market. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1989</b> - Barry Bonds signed a $360K contract w/incentives after pulling down $215K in ‘88. He was looking for a $500-600K deal after hitting .283 w/24 homers, but was 43 service days shy of arbitration, so the Pirates had all the leverage. BB had a so-so 1989 season (.248/19 HR), then took off in 1990, winning the NL-MVP along with his first All Star, Silver Slugger and Golden Glove honors. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1992</b> - 39-year-old RHP Dennis Lamp signed a minor league deal as a FA with the Pirates for the league minimum of $109K to close his six-team, 16-season MLB journey. After a knock-off-the-rust stint at Buffalo, he went 1-1/5.14 in 21 outings for the big club and was released in June. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2000</b> - 1B Kevin Young returned after an off season knee procedure, doubling and scoring in his spring debut. A key component in the middle of the Pirates order, he had a solid 2000 campaign in the first season of a four-year/$24M deal, capping a 1998-2000 run that rang up a slash of .276/.344/.481 along with 73 HR/302 RBI. But from 2001-03, his production nosedived - his line was just .236/.315/.397 with 32 HR/123 RBI over that period, and the end of the contract was also the end of his MLB career. Since 2022, KY has been a rotating color analyst on both the radio and TV broadcasts for the Pirates along with being a free-lance hitting consultant. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2006</b> - The Pirates got back WBC players Jason Bay and Yurendell DeCaster, a pair of guys who were on opposite ends of the Bucco totem pole in 2006. Bay, fresh from signing a four-year/$18.5M contract extension, went on to an All-Star campaign, batting .286 with 35 homers and 109 RBI. DeCaster, a utility infielder, started the year in the minors and was called up twice. He got into three games, whiffing twice, and was released at the end of the year. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvF8ZvcZ_PzUHb6dbjGfk8oVuj46EU550CcNabdVMAGPdeh3TspSnqnlwLxZf9X47RZ7x-VgI6wm6XSOeMDyKdACThNzOOCtkwC4GF88CKU3wwETFmURGUjS4Rv4XROFGtFDho8SqFtl1qWF6ewCmd20ESKulTiJXy20DoC85bc0OQxpAkxoX5V2dQdY/s322/david_freese_2017_pirates.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="322" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvF8ZvcZ_PzUHb6dbjGfk8oVuj46EU550CcNabdVMAGPdeh3TspSnqnlwLxZf9X47RZ7x-VgI6wm6XSOeMDyKdACThNzOOCtkwC4GF88CKU3wwETFmURGUjS4Rv4XROFGtFDho8SqFtl1qWF6ewCmd20ESKulTiJXy20DoC85bc0OQxpAkxoX5V2dQdY/s320/david_freese_2017_pirates.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>David Freese - 2017 Pirates image</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2016</b> - The Pirates inked David Freese to a one year/$3M contract. An All-Star and World Series MVP for St. Louis, Freese came to the Bucs as a free agent after a two-year stint with the LA Angels. He was signed to cover for the early season loss of regular 3B Jung Ho Kang, who was rehabbing a leg injury, and to add a veteran bench presence when JHK returned. They liked his work. Freeser hit .270 w/13 dingers, playing both infield corners and even five innings at second base. In late August, the Pirates signed Freese to a two-year contract extension worth $11M with a club option for 2019 and he slashed .263/10 HR in 2017. He platooned at third the following year before being traded to the Dodgers at the deadline. David played through 2019 before retiring at age 36. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2021</b> - The Pirates agreed to a $1.5M deal with 33-year-old free agent RHP Trevor Cahill, with another $1M available in bonus bucks (the agreement was officially announced the next day after the physical). The 12-year vet went 1-2/3.24 (4.19 FIP) for San Francisco in 2020 in 11 games (six starts) and in the prior two years, he started 17 games while making 48 outings for the Los Angeles Angels and Giants. Though it was assumed the Pirates brought him aboard to compete for a back end rotation spot, he also offered the fallback position as a long man/spot starter. Neither scenario worked out as he was put on the IL in July with calf injury after posting a 1-5/6.57 line and didn’t return. Trevor was in the Mets system in ‘22 and has been a free agent since then. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2022</b> - After 34 years behind the mic, PNC Park public-address announcer Tim DeBacco decided to give up his full-time gig, coasting out by doing early afternoon games and retiring from the mic after the campaign. He started in 1988 at TRS after winning an open audition. Tim kept occupied as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ organist and a real-life marketing/communications director.</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-35275812919169461012024-03-11T06:30:00.001-04:002024-03-11T06:30:00.133-04:00Camp Rolls On: Week's Games, Lauer Signed, First Cuts, Injury Report, Notes<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Camp tightens up...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Week's Games: </b>The Bucs opened the week with a 7-3 win over the Rays. Henry Davis, Jack Suwinski and Canaan Njigba-Smith homered, while it was Kid's Day on the hill. Luis Ortiz and Paul Skenes worked the first five innings, each giving up a run and whiffing three. They followed with a 6-5 victory over the Blue Jays, banging out three more homers while Jared Jones flashed the heat, topping 100 several times and Quinn Priester was solid. Wednesday was the first night game of the spring, and good thing since it rained during the afternoon. The bad thing is the O's won, 6-4; Mitch Keller had a rough start and his velo was still down. Thursday was the first open date on the Grapefruit schedule, and was followed by a split-team twin bill the next day.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3vGfWwyTIq2d88-SAwUaYoTtl618bLtLfG5_K1mASARlqOipAUTcHmoyCCiB8zscb51CixqTbiknfxHFF1_Znjj7STGwzu1yBnBLE6Tc92hCw2BLvnXNh2wt11_0ilTeUxNpjekGuDwEBgEntIqV7gE4FmWHOb4i-aBQqei6XcOGiPBakMV3Xz4p9FI/s775/oneil_cruz_2023_topps-allen-ginter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="530" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3vGfWwyTIq2d88-SAwUaYoTtl618bLtLfG5_K1mASARlqOipAUTcHmoyCCiB8zscb51CixqTbiknfxHFF1_Znjj7STGwzu1yBnBLE6Tc92hCw2BLvnXNh2wt11_0ilTeUxNpjekGuDwEBgEntIqV7gE4FmWHOb4i-aBQqei6XcOGiPBakMV3Xz4p9FI/s320/oneil_cruz_2023_topps-allen-ginter.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Oneil Cruz - 2023 Topps Allen & Ginter</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b style="font-family: inherit;">Weekend Games:</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> In the Friday split twin bill, the Bucs topped the Twins, 6-3 in the main game. Martin Perez looked sharp, Roansy Contreras still has command issues, and Cutch & Ke'Bryan homered. The second game was a 6-6 tie with Atlanta with a mainly B roster. Marcos Gonzales was shaky while Canaan Smith-Njigba went deep. Motown whipped the Pirates 8-5; Paul Skenes was scheduled to go but was scratched due to an illness (nothing major). Luis Ortiz started slow and then revved it up while Colin Holderman got toasted. Henry Davis, Jake Lamb (wind-blown fly), Smith-Njigba and Abraham Gutierrez went long. The Bucs lost Sunday, 9-7, to the Phils. Quinn Priester faded badly after three frames and the Corsairs later gave up two unearned runs thanks to an Oneil Cruz boot (though two dingers made up) while the winning runs scored with two outs in the ninth on a Termarr Johnson error. Bryan Reynolds also bopped a blast; at least the homers keep coming.</span></p><p><b>Upcoming:</b> The Pirates announced <a href="Spring Breakout">their roster</a> for the Spring Breakout game on March 14th v Baltimore at LECOM Park. The MLB Spring Breakout is a new league concept to pump up some mid-camp interest by showcasing every team's young guns over four days. 20 of the Pirates Top 30 prospects are on the Breakout roster.</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Notes </u></b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"> LHP Eric Lauer, 28, signed a NRI deal with the Bucs, passed his physical and reported to camp on Sunday. He was solid for the Brewers in 2021-22 with a slash of 18-12/3.49, averaging 26 starts/140 IP, but last year the wheels fell off (4-6/6.56) with his velo down noticeably. Lauer attributed it to trying to work through injuries and the Pirates are hoping for a bounce-back campaign.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bucs made their first cutdowns on Monday. IF Andrés Alvarez and pitchers Anthony Solometo, Thomas Harrington, & Bubba Chandler were reassigned to minor-league camp, while lefty hurler Jackson Wolf was optioned to Altoona. On Friday, RHPs Connor Sadzeck and Sean Sullivan were reassigned to minor league camp while RHP Mike Burrows was optioned to the minors (he's on the 40-man but recovering from TJ surgery, with a late summer return expected). C Abrahan Gutierrez, RHP Ben Heller and LHP Michael Plassmeyer were sent to minor league camp on Sunday.</span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFj1RB7aXgfFNu-x97WrTKivbaunYSVE3SdR_vqVl-Vz36-0_FJiQQZTNJ1UDrL2ajBm_wEuua-EXd4SYm_CDwWEJImhH2tqA3mIqyiQnHPxERuCPzzK5x54O3rIJJGSTmKQO-qvCZE7V4F8KXNvew1GXVGkVUo174IFT7Pex7pTKV4g4i3k6gBNarHdE/s445/anthony_solometo_2022_topps-pro-debut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFj1RB7aXgfFNu-x97WrTKivbaunYSVE3SdR_vqVl-Vz36-0_FJiQQZTNJ1UDrL2ajBm_wEuua-EXd4SYm_CDwWEJImhH2tqA3mIqyiQnHPxERuCPzzK5x54O3rIJJGSTmKQO-qvCZE7V4F8KXNvew1GXVGkVUo174IFT7Pex7pTKV4g4i3k6gBNarHdE/s320/anthony_solometo_2022_topps-pro-debut.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Anthony Solometo - 2022 Topps Pro Debut</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Injury Report: RHP Dauri Moreta's elbow injury hasn't been pinpointed yet, but it involves his ligament and is expected to put him on the shelf for "an extended period," reported medical director Todd Tomczyk. C Yasmani Grandal has sat for a couple of weeks with plantar fasciitis, and is expected to return to game action soon per Shelty. RHP David Bednar (lat tightness) has begun playing catch this week and is progressing.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cutch and Josh Palacios are back in the lineup this week.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brent Maguire of <i>MLB.com</i> crystal-balled <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/2024-team-home-run-leader-projections">each team's HR leader</a> for the coming season using Steamer projections. For the Bucs, he selected Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz with 25 bombs each, with a "keep an eye on" tag on Henry Davis. Jack Suwinski was the team leader with 26 long balls in 2023 while Reynolds had 24.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ben Cherington announced that Paul Skenes will start the year in the minors. Makes sense; they can work on a couple of toolbox issues and control his innings without limelight. It also allows the club to tweak when his service time clock starts, always part of the Pirates checklist. Here's hoping that his visit will be short...</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>MLB Pipeline</i>'s trio of experts (Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis & Jonathan Mayo) picked the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/farm-system-rankings-2024-preseason?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage">Pirates farm system as #9</a> in the MLB. The bad news - The Cubs are ranked #2 and the Brewers #3.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-47581611652343069682024-03-10T07:00:00.086-04:002024-03-10T07:00:00.270-04:003/10: Heaton-Gibson; Sanders Signs; '22 CBA Reached; Ladies Day; Lange-Blass On TCI; HBD Josh, Tike, Cangy, Art, Jack, Judge, Gene, Chief & Pops<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1862</b> - Utilityman Ed “Pops/Dad” Lytle was born in Racine, Wisconsin. Pops (he was 28 when he reached the majors) had a 16-game big league career in 1890, appearing in 15 of the contests with the Alleghenys and playing 2B/OF while hitting .145. He played 12 years of organized ball starting in 1889 that concluded in 1900 and likely seasoned himself in the indie and semi-pro leagues during his younger days on teams that didn’t make the record-keeping annals. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1871</b> - OF John “Chief” Kelty was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. The 19-year-old Kelty played for the 1890 Alleghenys in his only big league stop, hitting .237 in 59 games as part of a posse of 12 players who roamed the pasture for Pittsburgh at one time or another during that 113-loss season. He dropped out of the record books (even his batting/throwing sides are undocumented) after playing in the minors in 1891, presumably returning to his hometown. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1873</b> - IF Gene DeMontreville was born in St. Paul. Gene played two games for the Pirates in his 1894 rookie season, hitting .250 in eight at-bats, and then went on to have an 11-year MLB career along with a 36-game hitting streak between 1896-97 with Washington, the 10th longest batting run in baseball history. Gene posted a .303 lifetime BA and six .300+ campaigns. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1880</b> - RHP Walter “Judge” Nagel was born in Santa Rosa, California. He began his big league career with the Pirates in 1911, signed by Barney Dreyfuss after a strong run in the Pacific Coast League, with three consecutive 20-win campaigns. He slashed 4-2/3.62 in eight games here. Judge was sold to the Red Sox in June, and that stop was the end of his MLB career. Judge may have missed the California sun, too - he played nine minor league campaigns; the first eight were with LA of the PCL, with the final season spent with San Jose in 1913. Nagle wrote a book afterward titled “Five Straight Errors On Ladies Day” about his baseball life. He got his “Judge” nickname by association as he grew up beside the Santa Rosa Courthouse, where his dad worked. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1889</b> - RHP Harry “Jack” Mercer was born in Zanesville, Ohio. His major league career lasted one inning, tossed in 1910 as an August audition for the Pirates, allowing no runs on two walks and one strikeout. He was fairly well touted in the minors, but had control issues he couldn’t overcome, and after two years on the farm, his days in pro ball ended following the 1911 season. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRloaLvRaLFIUUqj8xgTBTLzl0w6fzUK5Ys-7HYbRCvYs1EzsbD1VN7phi-eEHz6whx6tekifYFZS8ZIElYS_q21q5qefyF0-Rxf3old9Fc_q3lPd71-l2MiMxHSueEkfIbUbavlA10RwqsRL7lwAlixH_l8Dje5eU0oU7RmlyrH18v-W-XUZn1Zdyxg/s1121/ladies-days_3-11-1894_pp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="423" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRloaLvRaLFIUUqj8xgTBTLzl0w6fzUK5Ys-7HYbRCvYs1EzsbD1VN7phi-eEHz6whx6tekifYFZS8ZIElYS_q21q5qefyF0-Rxf3old9Fc_q3lPd71-l2MiMxHSueEkfIbUbavlA10RwqsRL7lwAlixH_l8Dje5eU0oU7RmlyrH18v-W-XUZn1Zdyxg/w151-h400/ladies-days_3-11-1894_pp.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Pgh Press 3/11/1894</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">1894</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"> - The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they would issue free season tickets for ladies, good for Tuesday and Friday games at Exposition Park, per the </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Pittsburgh Press</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">. The New York Gothams introduced the ladies day concept in 1883 and Pittsburgh bought into the concept. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1906</b> - RHP Art Herring was born in Altus, Oklahoma. Art closed out his 11-year career in 1947 with the Pirates after the Bucs bought his contract from the Brooklyn Dodgers during the ‘46 offseason. The 41-year-old Herring made 11 appearances out of the pen for the Pirates in 1947 with a 1-3-2/8.44 slash and was released in late June, retiring after the season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1963</b> - OF John Cangelosi was born in Brooklyn. The hustler hit .243 between 1987-90 for Pittsburgh, and in ‘87 became the first Pirate in 21 years to steal home. Cangelosi played 13 years for seven clubs; Pittsburgh was his longest stay with one team. He now operates Cangelosi Baseball, located inside the Bo Jackson's Elite Sports Dome, a Chicago-based sports training facility. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1977</b> - OF Julian “Tike” Redman was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He played five of his six MLB seasons (2000-01, 03-05) in Pittsburgh as a reserve outfielder, with a .281 BA. He had a decent stick, but ended up the odd man out when Nate McLouth and Chris Duffy were called to the show. He finished out his pro career in 2011 after playing in the Mexican and indie leagues. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1987</b> - Mike Lange and Steve Blass were named announcers for the Bucco broadcasts on cable channel TCI following their 1986 debut. It was an unexpected return for the pair, as Ray Goss, Duquesne basketball announcer, and WPXI sportscaster Don Brinson were strong contenders to replace them and were in fact rumored to have the inside track. But a last minute compromise on contract terms saved the day for Lange and Blass, who broadcast 54 games for TCI in ‘87. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdUAK7nLjSQ_UKtlcyYcRizFzFA7PUCOfuQFsij7HB0q-A9kG5lJgnnEXNJS4Xivto_yN2ORVYnoEP0E-uv1QTqBU488fEH8vXTFE4tHXse8-4LrXgbiBaNnihjASfwUl8ji3Vfwwo8oFxFC5Vv0tgIXjuzTBqpENry13S_zol4xhqO93UOVKbrNESEs/s818/kirk_gibson_1992_topps-stadium-club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="582" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdUAK7nLjSQ_UKtlcyYcRizFzFA7PUCOfuQFsij7HB0q-A9kG5lJgnnEXNJS4Xivto_yN2ORVYnoEP0E-uv1QTqBU488fEH8vXTFE4tHXse8-4LrXgbiBaNnihjASfwUl8ji3Vfwwo8oFxFC5Vv0tgIXjuzTBqpENry13S_zol4xhqO93UOVKbrNESEs/s320/kirk_gibson_1992_topps-stadium-club.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Kirk Gibson - 1992 Topps Stadium Club</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1992</b> - The Pittsburgh Pirates traded LHP Neal Heaton to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for OF Kirk Gibson in what ended up as a minor deal. Heaton, a 1990 All-Star, was released the following season while Gibson hit just .196 for the Bucs and was given his walking papers in early May. Kirk did have three decent seasons for Detroit and old skipper Sparky Anderson afterward, hitting .273 with 45 HR during that span before hanging up his spikes in 1996. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1995</b> - Utilityman Josh VanMeter was born in Ossian, Indiana. He was a three-year MLB man, with his time split between Cincy and Arizona, before the D-Backs traded him to the Pirates for minor league RHP Listher Sosa in 2022. He had put up a .212 BA over that span, but played three infield positions and corner outfield, checking the Bucs versatility box. He kept that part of the bargain, playing six different positions (including pitcher) plus DH’ing as needed, but his dexterity wasn’t enough to overcome his .187 BA and he was released after the season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2003</b> - OF Reggie Sanders signed a one-year/$1M contract that had been announced pending his physical on February 19th, but because of a 40-man logjam, wasn’t made official until this date. Reggie earned every penny of the belated deal by hitting .285 with 31 HR/87 RBI, and the big campaign paid off for him as he left the following year and turned his slash into a two-year/$6M deal with St. Louis. Reggie remained productive over the final four years of his career (.263/56 HR) before hanging up his glove after an injury-shortened 2007 season.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2022</b> - After a 99-day lockout, MLB and the MLBPA came to terms on a new five-year CBA after a series of contentious meetings. The deal increased the Competitive Balance levels and minimum salary figures, but ignored the cap/floor issue entirely as neither side had an appetite to rework it. They pushed most of the non-economic changes down the road, except for adopting the universal DH, and returned to traditional game standards for the season, with items like pitch clock, base size, defensive positioning, automatic ball/strike zone, etc. handed off to a MLB/MLBPA Rules Committee. The season was played in full, with a new 12-team playoff setup in effect that carried the World Series to November 5th.</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-1545642321837496772024-03-09T07:00:00.089-05:002024-03-09T07:00:00.255-05:003/9: Happy Jack Claimed; Rhoden Rumors; First LL Classic; RIP Elbie; HBD Arky, Huddy, Benito, Terry, Ed, Jake, Ronnie, Joe, Billy & Tom<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1872</b> - IF Tom Delahanty was born in Cleveland, Ohio. During his brief 19-game, three-year career, he made a quick one-game stop in Pittsburgh in 1896, going one-for-three, scoring and booting a ball at short. He finished the year with Toronto of the Eastern League, getting into one last MLB game with Louisville in ‘97. One of five Delahanty brothers who played in the majors, Tom spent the rest of his career bouncing around the minors through 1906, retiring eventually to Florida to run a general store and moonlight as a fishing guide. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1893</b> - RF Billy Southworth was born in Harvard, Nebraska. He was a Buc from 1918-20, hitting .294, and then was traded as part of the package for Rabbit Maranville. Southworth reached the Hall of Fame thanks mainly to his managing chops; he won two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. He also skippered the Boston Braves, and overall won four flags and 1,044 games in 13 years. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1897</b> - RHP Ralph Fenton “Joe” Dawson was born in Bow, Washington. After a brief taste of the show with the Indians in 1924, he pitched for the Bucs from 1927-29, mostly from the pen, and went 11-17-3 with a 4.15 ERA. Joe tossed a scoreless frame in the 1927 World Series and hit pretty well for a hurler with a .257 Pirates BA. He hung ‘em up in 1932 following a stint with the Kansas City Blues of the American Association, passing away in Texas at the age of 80. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSi__VNiFIwSzF9gie55brqhUA4Em3MMfdpB1Bn1MLnUIQtrXC1wVb3-Z60L2zJEkQAKbFXnLwgn1WLup75v6lPCXxwrqu44Yd-8nFFICNSoe5YFoOMyPppMA4V12_iGTJ3UqohHcP34dSollBva_CKe6oF-ovusluYYnRygWPTnrw5oAEL4PrlwygQ2c/s946/joe_dawson_6-23-1927_pp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="508" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSi__VNiFIwSzF9gie55brqhUA4Em3MMfdpB1Bn1MLnUIQtrXC1wVb3-Z60L2zJEkQAKbFXnLwgn1WLup75v6lPCXxwrqu44Yd-8nFFICNSoe5YFoOMyPppMA4V12_iGTJ3UqohHcP34dSollBva_CKe6oF-ovusluYYnRygWPTnrw5oAEL4PrlwygQ2c/s320/joe_dawson_6-23-1927_pp.JPG" width="172" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Joe Dawson - 1927 Pgh Press photo</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1900</b> - The Allegheny’s claimed Jack Chesbro, George Fox, Art Madison and John O'Brien from the Louisville Colonels. The four had been traded to the American Association team the month before for a dozen players, including Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Tommy Leach and Deacon Phillippe. At the time, Barney Dreyfuss owned the Colonels, who were due to be eliminated from the NL, and had a 50% silent interest in the Alleghenys back in the era when multi-ownership of franchises was allowed. So he came up with this scheme that in effect combined franchises. Chesbro was the keeper of the group with four good years as a Buc and then a strong career with the Yankees, winning 41 games for them in 1904; the other three didn’t make it to Opening Day. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1912</b> - Hall-of-Fame SS Floyd “Arky” (for his birth state) Vaughan was born in Clifty, Arkansas. Vaughan compiled a .318 BA during a 14-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1932-41) and Brooklyn Dodgers. He was named to nine All-Star teams during that span. Arky hit at least .300 in all 10 of his seasons with the Pirates, walked 937 times during his career, struck out just 276 times and in 1941, he became the first player to hit two home runs in an All-Star game. Arky was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1985. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1932</b> - RHP Ronnie Kline was born in Callery, Butler County. He spent eight of his 17 big league years (1952, 55-59, 68-69) hurling for the Bucs, going 66-91-14/3.77 for Pittsburgh as a starter, swingman and reliever as his career went on. Called the “Callery Hummer,” he became the mayor of Callery after he left the slab and lived there until he passed away at the age of 70. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1932</b> - RHP Paul “Jake” Martin was born in Brownstown, near Charleroi. The 6’5”, 235 pounder was a local scholastic legend and signed a two-year bonus baby deal with the Bucs in 1955 on the advice of former Pirates hurler Ron Necciai, a Monongahela HS grad and Mon Valley neighbor. Fitting a common Bucco mold, Jake threw hard but was wild and his ride with the Pirates lasted for just seven appearances. He posted an 0-1 record with seven strikeouts, 17 walks and a 14.14 earned run average. He never had a chance to rebound. Jake injured his arm in August, was shut down and then sent to Cuba for winter league work. Somewhere during that span he tore the ligament in his elbow, ending his mound career. But Jake had no regrets over his short big league career. After he was long retired, he told writer Len Fiorito of Oldtyme Baseball that "I was with the team long enough to get on a baseball card and people still send me the card to sign." </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1NhMM5xyc4RHQ75tQesRX-IA_bGDsfUciTJpp6OtG9m5DDwh5wL4yjJpVFNyUPHc7hmbF-b11eUHqBgSbe93NiRllvs2LC7Rk4JJoHyEbZ9-n500CrwivrQp87UEl5hCQ3zKQwcxai2UCNAh5_VIw647v3u07H2wgtikhSGVZDZmCgSGzLswsxKTolw/s485/jake_martin_1956_topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="485" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1NhMM5xyc4RHQ75tQesRX-IA_bGDsfUciTJpp6OtG9m5DDwh5wL4yjJpVFNyUPHc7hmbF-b11eUHqBgSbe93NiRllvs2LC7Rk4JJoHyEbZ9-n500CrwivrQp87UEl5hCQ3zKQwcxai2UCNAh5_VIw647v3u07H2wgtikhSGVZDZmCgSGzLswsxKTolw/s320/jake_martin_1956_topps.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Jake Martin - 1956 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1944</b> - RHP Ed Acosta was born in Boquete, Panama. Acosta went through the Bucs upper levels in 1970 after coming over from Houston and started his MLB career with three late season appearances that weren’t very pretty (four runs in 2-2/3 IP). In August of 1971, he was traded with Johnny Jeter to the San Diego Padres for Bob Miller. He tossed for the Friars through ‘72, then spent two years as AAA depth and in Venezuela during the winter before calling it a day. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1963</b> - LHP Terry Mulholland was born in Uniontown and went to Laurel Highland HS. Terry played for the hometown nine briefly, signing as a free agent and working 22 times in 2001 to a 3.72 ERA before being flipped to the Dodgers at the deadline for Mike Fetters. He was an MLB survivor - despite a 4.41 career ERA, he worked 20 years in the show, pitching until he was 43, while tossing for 11 teams and becoming one of the few pitchers to beat every major league club. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1965</b> - C Benito Santiago was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He closed out his 20-year career in Pittsburgh after the KC Royals traded him to the Pirates for Leo Núñez (actually, Juan Carlos Oviedo, but that’s another story). The Pirates let Santiago go after 23 at-bats to clear playing time for David Ross, who they had bought from the Dodgers. They pivoted quickly on that, sending Ross to San Diego for JJ Furmaniak at the deadline to give Ryan Doumit & Humberto Cota a crack at the job. After the musical chairs played out, it marked the beginning of the playing careers of his trio of replacements but was the end of the road for Benito. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1986</b> - GM Syd Thrift was dangling 33-year-old RHP Rick Rhoden on the trade market and met with reps of the Phils, Braves and Padres, jawing for a possible swap per Charley Feeney of the <i>Post Gazette</i>. No deal came together that spring and Rick stayed with the team. Good thing, too - he earned his second All Star berth by posting a 15-12/2.84 slash to fatten his market value. Rhoden then went to the New York Yankees in late November as part of the package that landed Doug Drabek for the Pirates after some contractual finangling. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU68v7Tr3_FESZMxB3pCedYBUR9l4UHw8TtQ0O0-PGMaBmoCuGigzpr9ZIq6T7-7KEIDIZKoXVR56AwZAUe8VH9hhIFtPUNrQxfNKMEcMgXUu0LSRShm12Zr2L_V_LOcwQjcP25b1YpvI-BPaTeJ4w84ySVQf6to1Fv6VkwU1s37wEvjLtgA7hKCksX8/s344/daniel_hudson_2018_topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="247" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkU68v7Tr3_FESZMxB3pCedYBUR9l4UHw8TtQ0O0-PGMaBmoCuGigzpr9ZIq6T7-7KEIDIZKoXVR56AwZAUe8VH9hhIFtPUNrQxfNKMEcMgXUu0LSRShm12Zr2L_V_LOcwQjcP25b1YpvI-BPaTeJ4w84ySVQf6to1Fv6VkwU1s37wEvjLtgA7hKCksX8/s320/daniel_hudson_2018_topps.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Huddy - 2018 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1987</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - RHP Daniel “Huddy” Hudson was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. A solid starter in his earlier years, a pair of TJ surgeries limited him to 12 outings between 2012-14 and a transition to the bullpen. He made 134 appearances (7-5-9/4.50) in the two following seasons with Arizona, featuring a 96 MPH fastball, and in December, 2016, the Pirates signed him to a two-year/$11M free agent deal with $3M more available in possible bonuses as a back end arm. After a hot-and-cold campaign (2-7/4.38), he became part of the Corey Dickerson deal with Tampa in 2018. From there, he went to the Washington Nats and is now an LA Dodger. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1994</b> - 1B Elbie Fletcher passed away at age 77 in his hometown of Milton, Massachusetts. Elbie joined the Pirates in June of 1939 in a deal with the Boston Braves to replace long-time 1B Gus Suhr, who was traded a few weeks after Fletcher’s arrival. Fletcher manned the spot from then through the 1947 campaign, with a couple seasons lost to the Navy during WW2. He didn’t have much power but was an on-base machine (.403 OBP/128 OPS+ as a Bucco) and a slick fielder. He split his career between Boston and Pittsburgh, spending six years, including his rookie and final seasons, in Beantown. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2017</b> - The Commissioner announced that the first MLB Little League Classic would be played between Cardinals and Pirates on August 20th at Williamsport’s BB&T Ballpark (formerly known as Bowman Field), the second-oldest minor league ballpark in the United States, opening in 1926. The regular season game, originally scheduled to be played at PNC Park, took place in conjunction with the Little League World Series. The Pirates won the game 6-3; Josh Bell homered and chased home four runs to help Ivan Nova claim the win in front of 2,600 fans. <span id="docs-internal-guid-44c16845-7fff-4eaf-0cb6-7949960da72b"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They returned in 2019 and were thumped by the Chicago Cubs, 7-1, losing to future teammate Jose Quintana.</span></span></span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-68656935614458525632024-03-08T07:00:00.106-05:002024-03-08T07:00:00.141-05:003/8: Kris Signs; Mathias Deal; Nate Makes The Cut; Money Mulled; Casey HoF; PNC OK'ed; Fed Forms; Roberto TV Vid; HBD Cal, Jim, Joel, Juan, Toby, Al, Bill, Iron Man & Coldwater<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1869</b> - RHP James “Coldwater Jim” Hughey was born in Wakeshma, Michigan. A journeyman, he pitched for the Pirates from 1896-97, going 12-18 with a 5.03 ERA. Coldwater (named for his first minor league outpost and eventually where he settled) is the last pitcher to lose 30 games, doing so for a historically terrible 1899 Cleveland Spider club that finished 20-134 (he did lead the club in ERA and wins). Because of poor attendance, the Spiders did some regular season barnstorming in an attempt to draw some warm bodies and played only 42 home games, resulting in them posting an untouchable record of 101 road losses! </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1912</b> - C Ray “Iron Man” Mueller was born in Pittsburg, Kansas. Iron Man played in Pittsburgh (PA, not KS) from 1939-40 and again in 1950, hitting .251. He earned his nickname when he caught every game the Cincinnati Reds played (155) during the 1944 season. Mueller caught a NL-record 233 consecutive games in 1943–1944 and 1946, missing 1945 when he was in the Army. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1913</b> - The Federal League was born as a six-team outlaw circuit with Pittsburgh (first called simply the “Feds” and later becoming the “Rebels”) among its clubs. It was a minor league during its first season, but became a third major league, along with the NL and AL, from 1914-15. It initiated a costly wage war by signing established players, but the league pockets weren’t deep enough to continue the battle. After 1915, six of the eight teams were bought or merged into the NL/AL, ending the last major league to compete against the established powers. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1917</b> - C Bill Salkeld was born in Pocatello, Idaho. He began his career as a Pirate, batting .293 from 1945-47 as a spare catcher/pinch hitter and put in six big league campaigns with three teams. Salkeld retired from baseball in 1953 after spending some time in the minors and died young from cancer at the age of 50 in 1967. His grandson Roger, born four years after Bill passed away, was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 1989 MLB Draft, and pitched in 45 games for the Mariners and the Cincinnati Reds during the mid-nineties. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-3z5W7baFHRbLKaWOPomjfMY-ttb21v7uqh8T_K9rq76Osk3rrsCWGY7CNfB-cmsagiPiCHpkK3ON5m2qdEzzeXHhH32d1fXD4Xiqlq056NurhlL4954XBwwFMSaLwJPGsjoLPrXEMn3da1hVoRgqBuQcRgJiIrEctykW7VnNgwhVAzXAo0LF9oydWc/s1662/bill_salkeld_1945-47_tsn-archives.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1662" data-original-width="1448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-3z5W7baFHRbLKaWOPomjfMY-ttb21v7uqh8T_K9rq76Osk3rrsCWGY7CNfB-cmsagiPiCHpkK3ON5m2qdEzzeXHhH32d1fXD4Xiqlq056NurhlL4954XBwwFMSaLwJPGsjoLPrXEMn3da1hVoRgqBuQcRgJiIrEctykW7VnNgwhVAzXAo0LF9oydWc/s320/bill_salkeld_1945-47_tsn-archives.jpeg" width="279" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Bill Salkeld - 1945-47 TSN Archives</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1922</b> - OF Al Gionfriddo was born in Dysart, in Cambria County. He played four years (1944-47) as a spare OF’er and pinch hitter for the Bucs, batting .276, but made his mark after being traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. He played in the World Series that year and made a famous fence-kissing catch of a Joe DiMaggio blast to rob Jolting Joe of extra bases. As Red Barber famously called it on Mutual Radio: "...back goes Gionfriddo! Back, back, back, back, back, back...he makes a one-handed catch against the bullpen! Ohhh-hooo, Doctor!” ESPN’s Chris Berman adapted the "back-back-back" call as part of his web-gem package. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1924</b> - C Maurice “Toby” Atwell was born in Leesburg, Virginia. A strong glove guy, Atwell was a part-time Bucco catcher from 1953-56, batting .250. His career ended the next season; he had injured his knee in the minors and never fully recovered. Toby also answered to “Buster,” after silent film star Buster Keaton, because he spoke so little, per ex-Bucco Nellie King. Lloyd Larsen of the Milwaukee Sentinel added that the Chicago Cubs called him “Three Word” because that’s all he said - “hello” when he arrived at camp and “good-bye” when the season ended. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1949</b> - RHP Juan Jimenez was born in La Torre, Dominican Republic. Jimenez’s MLB career consisted of four September, 1974, Bucco outings, giving up four runs (three earned) in four IP with six hits and two walks as a mop-up man. He had earned the call after going 6-9/2.66 as a swingman at AAA Charleston. Juan spent the ‘75 campaign there before tucking the ball in his back pocket. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1966</b> - The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee elected Casey Stengel to the Hall. He broke his hip in 1965, ending his managerial career, and the Committee waived his waiting period to make him immediately eligible for Cooperstown. (The electors, who weren’t sure The Ol’ Perfessor would last long enough to become eligible, needn't have worried - he lasted another decade, living to the ripe old age of 85). He was inducted July 25th. Stengel was a Pirate outfielder from 1918-19; his famous "sparrow under the hat" antic was performed as a Bucco. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiit8UmDelaI-ATa8-rcQySq8jyxU_EPcYSmlUHzSu3g4L3gZ03Z0xpzk9wFVKm36-Rl_8fJWEyeFuu2YJVu9NzqG5nq63H3bDQXrJfQCeZnCcmqH1NNxL1_8t_p2n7Vi8bv7PEezDsoJdMQAD0JTVtHW_KRAyn9lYJmrVKSEL0kkHhG2B5_JcvYFFXqug/s300/casey_stengel_1919-21_W514_strip-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="180" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiit8UmDelaI-ATa8-rcQySq8jyxU_EPcYSmlUHzSu3g4L3gZ03Z0xpzk9wFVKm36-Rl_8fJWEyeFuu2YJVu9NzqG5nq63H3bDQXrJfQCeZnCcmqH1NNxL1_8t_p2n7Vi8bv7PEezDsoJdMQAD0JTVtHW_KRAyn9lYJmrVKSEL0kkHhG2B5_JcvYFFXqug/s1600/casey_stengel_1919-21_W514_strip-card.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Casey Stengel - 1918 W514 Strip Card</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1967</b> - RHP Joel Johnston was born in West Chester, PA. He was a Penn State grad and highly touted KC prospect, breaking into Baseball America’s Top 100 (#59). After a poor showing with the Royals, he was traded to the Pirates in 1993 with LHP Dennis Moeller for 2B José Lind, and he rebounded with a line of 2-4-2/3.38 in 33 games. But he bombed the next year and was released in May, 1994. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1968</b> - RHP Jim Dougherty was born in Brentwood, New York. A late round Astros’ draft pick in 1990, he made 56 appearances for Houston in ‘95, then spent the next two seasons sipping cups of coffee with the ‘Stros and A’s. After spending ‘98 in the minors, he signed with the Pirates, made two not-very-effective April outings and was sent to AAA Nashville. Dougherty then tried two other organizations before closing out his career as a Bucco farmhand in 2002, splitting time between the Sounds and AA Altoona during that final pro campaign. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1977</b> - The rumor mill was grinding out a possible Don Money deal (a player who Pittsburgh had traded out of the organization a decade before as part of the Jim Bunning package) with Milwaukee to fill a hole at the hot corner. OF Bill Robinson was holding the spot, but the Pirates were looking for a day-to-day vet to man third; they gave up on Richie Hebner after his .249/8 HR ‘76 campaign and let him sign with Philly. The Brew Crew had eyes for OF Miguel Dilone and a pitcher; Pete Peterson was said to be dangling hurlers Jim Rooker/Larry Demery and OF Tony Armas in some combo. An agreement never came together, and Money spent the remainder of his career in Milwaukee. But Pete did get his man - IF Phil Garner came over from Oakland in a huge trade a week later and Scrap Iron kept the position warm until relieved by Bill Madlock in 1979. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1998</b> - The TV special “Clemente” aired nationally on Fox Sports. The 45-minute program was produced by Black Canyon, who put together the “When It Was A Game” series for HBO. The show consisted of old clips, file footage and interviews. It was well reviewed and timed to introduce one of the great players of this century to an audience that either never knew him or forgot his accomplishments. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknrXz4-zZ4WhSNjB08Ihn5okqPGpA6rnIqeWiQY5j0fanQENYBIKnDzVzSkiWpBZw670zxYiBYAf-H_GrD3tuL74tLEMlxNFsWp51sBNvFccE2kPLe5ENW5thkGusWe3rg0R40jxAdoFJqQd4nS8OS_u_o3c8H3qrsLjj63a9e1-MFtsmYMtEqAv4MsE/s425/PNC_Park_OD_2001-ppg-handout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="425" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknrXz4-zZ4WhSNjB08Ihn5okqPGpA6rnIqeWiQY5j0fanQENYBIKnDzVzSkiWpBZw670zxYiBYAf-H_GrD3tuL74tLEMlxNFsWp51sBNvFccE2kPLe5ENW5thkGusWe3rg0R40jxAdoFJqQd4nS8OS_u_o3c8H3qrsLjj63a9e1-MFtsmYMtEqAv4MsE/s320/PNC_Park_OD_2001-ppg-handout.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>PNC Opening Day Commemorative</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1998</b> - The City and County ended decades of debate when they announced plans to build two stadiums on the North Shore at a cost of $459M, with construction to begin in the summer of ‘99. PNC Park & Heinz Field both had spring groundbreakings and stayed fairly close to the budget, costing taxpayers $497M, less than a 10% overrun of the estimated cost, which was awfully close to a bullseye for government estimators. Both fields opened for play in 2001. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1999</b> - OF/DH Calvin Mitchell was born in San Diego, California. A second round pick of the Bucs in 2017 from Rancho Bernardo HS, Cal played all three outfield spots and his bat came around in 2021 as a 22-year-old, getting him some notice in the organization. He kept on at Indy the following season (.307/five HR/26 RBI/six SB) and the Pirates called him up to the big team in mid-May after reversing course and opting to play actual outfielders rather than recycled infielders in the pasture. Mitchell was penciled into the lineup the same day he arrived, and collected his first MLB hit and RBI during his debut. He hit .226 in 69 games, with talk of moving him to 1B. But Cal got into just two games in ‘23 and signed as a FA with the San Diego Padres after the season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2001</b> - Kris Benson signed a four-year contract worth a reported $13-14M that carried him through arbitration. Benson, 26, posted a 10-12/3.85 line in 2000. He missed all of 2001 after TJ surgery and never finished a season with an ERA under four in his remaining seven seasons. He played as a Pirate until the last year of the agreement, when he was sent to the New York Mets in the transaction that returned Jose Bautista to the Bucs after losing him in the 2003 Rule 5 draft. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMcbKOEYHeGEnTo2Xd2i9Xv0yqptC50CK1SXp2QHUVvBUNvNDINt8fHDKGh9zKfAHHhn1GT16ffhkYLqcZW5C8ylMje1CtYp0HZZiJUP4GKa4aMqguCAgR5sJT9llcnZQ0sxSabBgnVmaG2uivuqGicGQS-lgvMFhrNDBIHi8nl2BHKQ8_KcrDBfZn2c/s345/nate_mclouth_2006_fleer-wave-of-the-future.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="345" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMcbKOEYHeGEnTo2Xd2i9Xv0yqptC50CK1SXp2QHUVvBUNvNDINt8fHDKGh9zKfAHHhn1GT16ffhkYLqcZW5C8ylMje1CtYp0HZZiJUP4GKa4aMqguCAgR5sJT9llcnZQ0sxSabBgnVmaG2uivuqGicGQS-lgvMFhrNDBIHi8nl2BHKQ8_KcrDBfZn2c/s320/nate_mclouth_2006_fleer-wave-of-the-future.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Nate McLouth - 2006 Fleer Wave Of The Future</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2007</b> - The <i>Post Gazette</i> featured a spring camp report wondering if Nate McLouth could hang on to win a bench spot after a disappointing campaign in 2006 (.233 BA). He did go north with the Bucs, joining a rotating cast in center consisting of himself, Chris Duffy, Rajai Davis and Nyjer Morgan, then took command of the pasture by putting together an All-Star season in 2008. It was Nate's last hurrah here - he was sent to Atlanta in June, 2009, for RHP Charlie Morton, LHP Jeff Locke & OF Gorkys Hernandez to open a spot for rookie Andrew McCutchen. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2023</b> - The Texas Rangers traded UT Mark Mathias to the Pirates for a PTBNL (RHP Ricky DeVito) after Mathias had been DFA’ed. Mathias, 28, was a third round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015 out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and posted a .277/.365/.554 slash in 74 PA with the Rangers in 2022 after missing 2021 due to shoulder surgery. Selected for his versatility and potential offensive tools, he was called to Pittsburgh twice, appearing in 62 games. MM hit .231, was waived in July as the youngsters made their way up and is now with the Reds.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-671337177575934782024-03-07T07:00:00.127-05:002024-03-07T07:00:00.162-05:003/7: Diomedes Deal; Vic HoF; Maz Day; Chirps; Freddy At 2B; Rosterful Of Pups; ; Campsites; Air Jordan; KBL Contract; Changes; RIP Cool Papa, Pud; HBD Jason, Albert, Dick, Junior & Doc<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1881</b> - RHP William “Doc” Scanlan was born in Syracuse. He started his career in Pittsburgh, tossing sparingly from 1903-04 before being sold to the Brooklyn Superbas. Doc was 1-4 with a 4.65 ERA here, but was steady on the slab for some bad Brooklyn teams over the next 6-1/2 years, winning 64 games with a 2.96 ERA and tossing over 1,200 innings. He made baseball history in 1905 when he became one of only a handful of National League hurlers in modern major league history to win two complete games in one day, beating St. Louis, 4-0 and 3-2, on October 3rd. Doc’s nickname was straightforward enough; he was a doctor as a player and quit baseball in his prime (he was 30) in favor of his practice.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1893</b> - Baseball began to take on its modern form. The NL eliminated the pitching box, a 6’ x 4’ area the pitcher could throw from, and replaced it with the pitcher's rubber, establishing both a set position for pitchers and today’s pitching distance of 60’ 6”. Also, bats had to be rounded - the semi-cricket style of one side being flat for ease of slapping/bunting was made illegal. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1902</b> - James Pud Galvin, who had spent half of his 16 big league years pitching in Pittsburgh for the Alleghenys, Burghers and Pirates, passed away impoverished at the age of 45 of a stomach ailment. He left behind six kids and a wife in baseball’s pre-pension era; various local funders were held after his death to help the family. In his career, he tossed 6,003 innings and 646 complete games, behind only Cy Young. He was MLB's first 300-game winner in 1888 (he won 365 times), authored two no-hitters and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1965. His original ground-level memorial stone at Calvary Cemetery in Hazelwood was replaced in a ceremony as a result of SABR's 19th Century Baseball Grave Marker Project and is now a resting place befitting a HoF player. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1919</b> - RHP James “Junior” Walsh was born in Newark. Junior made his pitching debut in 1946 for the Bucs, returning during 1948-51 and never posted an ERA lower than 5.05; during his five years in Pittsburgh, his line was 4-10-1/5.88. He spent most of his 14-year pro career in the Pirates organization, once leading the Western League in whiffs. But he missed the dish even more often than he missed bats - in his years as a pro, he fanned over 800 batters but walked 900+. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdnD-6_Sfioqz8L1LaTTczqg1mXigoQix-jHptyraLaijy_T_wbZKXSI4qO97YwwvFd3iBsVDOTNLXXpyXzP_Ngr4suRh6LjQFWIZ7f8EafEbyyUwOdy2D-HBilC7krgaHCtztLn2HumAPxlXBBgoVTd85Ar1YhN_CKKXd80UVdE8zWCbc9UQMNwuX24/s272/junior_walsh-PC-antiques-in-philly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="175" data-original-width="272" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdnD-6_Sfioqz8L1LaTTczqg1mXigoQix-jHptyraLaijy_T_wbZKXSI4qO97YwwvFd3iBsVDOTNLXXpyXzP_Ngr4suRh6LjQFWIZ7f8EafEbyyUwOdy2D-HBilC7krgaHCtztLn2HumAPxlXBBgoVTd85Ar1YhN_CKKXd80UVdE8zWCbc9UQMNwuX24/w320-h206/junior_walsh-PC-antiques-in-philly.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Junior Walsh - Postcard from Antiquities In Philadelphia</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1931</b> - C Dick Rand was born in South Gate, California. Rand got into 60 games for the Bucs in 1957, batting .219 and ending his MLB career after three years. He was part of the cattle call of catchers the Pirates rostered in 1957 after starter Jack Shepherd earned a masters degree and surprised the club by retiring to go to work for his alma mater, Stanford. Rand joined Hank Foiles, Danny Kravitz and Harding “Pete” Peterson, who would find more success in the front office (he eventually became the Pirates GM) than on the field, as Bucco backstops during the season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1958</b> - OF Albert Hall was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Hall spent his final MLB campaign in Pittsburgh after signing a minor league deal, closing out a yo-yo nine-year career (all but this stop as a Brave) with only two seasons spent entirely with the big club. He got into 20 September games in 1989 for the Bucs after playing with the AAA Buffalo club and hit .182. A noted base-stealer in the minors (he swiped 60+ sacks six times), Hall also was the first Atlanta Brave to hit for the cycle in late 1987; the last time a member of the Braves franchise, Bill Collins, had posted a cycle before then was 1910 when the team was the Boston Doves. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1960</b> - The Pirates purchased LHP Diomedes Olivo from Poza Rica of the Mexican League, also throwing in an unnamed minor league infielder. He spent most of the year at AAA Columbus, where he slashed 7-9/2.88 before getting into four late-season games with the big club. When Olivo made his debut on September 5th, 1960, at age 41, he was the oldest rookie to pitch except for Satchel Paige in the post-WW2 era. He had another solid season at Columbus in 1961 and came north in ‘62 to post a line of 5-1-7/2.77 in 62 outings. Diomedes and Dick Groat were shipped in the offseason to the Cards for Don Cardwell and Julio Gotay. Age was just a number to the Olivo clan - his baby brother Chi-Chi took his MLB bow in 1961 when he was 33 years old. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1984</b> - It was a pretty chirpy day in camp, according to the <i>Pittsburgh Press</i>’ Bob Hertzel. First, John Candelaria called the Pirates “hypocrites” for not renegotiating his four-year contract, estimated to be worth $700K/year and running through 1986, after saying during the past season that the fans could “go to hell” and he wouldn’t mind a trade (and in fact, Joe Brown was talking to Toronto, Atlanta and Houston about possible deals). Later that week, he complained of a sore arm; that was legit and due to a bone chip in his elbow, which was a major stumbling block in contract and trade talk. Then Dave Parker chimed in from Cincy’s camp, complaining about his portrayal in the retired Willie Stargell’s “Out of Left Field” book; not even Pops was immune from the mud balls flying through the spring air. Chuck Tanner, as always, muffled all the noise and carried on. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpBhFb8DqBvzlxT9sGeccuEnRMRzyaYIwCYk4Svf-BfTgpnE9f_YsIvo6Mb0v-Hli-1hKNKZaMhOYQsRhgRz28uuCB5Ex22FgKB36Qqp7a_AuTJC1GUhNftfeuJbHWm0Nc0HBAW4S_5nUsbg1XpI6VLjW7bl4JXFzzrEgD9yJMe4U5nc3GWRblT-5S6U/s350/john_candelaria_1984_donruss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpBhFb8DqBvzlxT9sGeccuEnRMRzyaYIwCYk4Svf-BfTgpnE9f_YsIvo6Mb0v-Hli-1hKNKZaMhOYQsRhgRz28uuCB5Ex22FgKB36Qqp7a_AuTJC1GUhNftfeuJbHWm0Nc0HBAW4S_5nUsbg1XpI6VLjW7bl4JXFzzrEgD9yJMe4U5nc3GWRblT-5S6U/s320/john_candelaria_1984_donruss.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Unhappy camper Candy - 1984 Donruss</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1991</b> - The Pirates went to Winter Haven to play a spring exhibition against the Red Sox, and it was speculated that the two teams would be swapping training facilities before the next camp opened. For the Bucs, based in Bradenton since 1969, it was a matter of growing impatient with the City-County feud over updating McKechnie Field, which dated back to 1923. But all’s well that ends well; Pittsburgh got its renovations in 1993 (those improvements were freshened up again in 2008), and have held preseason work there for the past 50 years. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1991</b> - OF Cool Papa Bell, who spent five seasons with the Pittsburgh Crawfords and five more with the Homestead Grays (he hit .300+ in nine of those 10 campaigns; the outlier season saw him hit .291), died at age 87 in St. Louis of a heart attack. His speed was legendary; Josh Gibson made the famous observation that Bell was so fast he could flip the light switch and be in bed before the room got dark. Cool Papa played for 25 years and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1994</b> - The Pirates got their first springtime look at Michael Jordan in Bradenton as he tried to transition from roundballer to hardballer. He didn’t have much luck, fanning once and bouncing three balls to the infield, reaching once on 2B Carlo Garcia’s error. The Pirates whipped the White Sox in Grapefruit League play, 3-2, as MJ’s teammates didn’t do much with the bats, either. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1995</b> - The Veterans Committee selected RHP Vic Willis for the Hall of Fame. Willis pitched from 1906-09 with Pittsburgh, going 89-46 with a 2.08 ERA. The workhorse curveballer was inducted on July 30th with 249 career victories on his resume and eight 20+ win seasons, including all four years with the Bucs. Vic also was one of eight pitchers who tossed over 300 innings in a season without giving up a homer when he threw 322 frames in the 1906 campaign w/o yielding a long ball. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVhvS9zyJtxwUaEm3ZDLOKGmLzPrcO9xvy5XjrNPn0Aw4YDmQ8Hyxn4tl3GtJNtJpVWJyZIAyN949NcD_4K6anWjFrGuDn134LqWmiXaEA1HeQAt5hwqlI3o2GMrZ51RsQgLj_sIgnHYimsBoDqlLirNPPHyDxrD8mL4lhA83RcK_CMwRy7U022K7gjA/s829/jason_delay_2023_topps-series-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="601" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVhvS9zyJtxwUaEm3ZDLOKGmLzPrcO9xvy5XjrNPn0Aw4YDmQ8Hyxn4tl3GtJNtJpVWJyZIAyN949NcD_4K6anWjFrGuDn134LqWmiXaEA1HeQAt5hwqlI3o2GMrZ51RsQgLj_sIgnHYimsBoDqlLirNPPHyDxrD8mL4lhA83RcK_CMwRy7U022K7gjA/s320/jason_delay_2023_topps-series-2.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Jason Delay - 2023 Topps Series 2 Auto</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1995</b> - C Jason Delay was born in Plano, Texas. The Pirates drafted Delay out of Vanderbilt in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. He caught for Altoona/Indy/Arizona Fall League from 2019 on (missing the Covid year of 2020) and got his first MLB call when he was activated off the travel taxi squad in 2022, starting the first game of a twin bill the following day, going 0-for-2 with a walk, then being returned to Indy between games. Delay came back in July and knocked incumbent Michael Perez out of a job with his play, even though he only hit .213. He got a longer look in ‘23 and batted .251, putting him in the mix to break camp with the club in '24. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1996</b> - The Pirates and Prime Time KBL signed a three-year contract, good for 61 games/$3M per year for broadcast rights in ‘96, with Lanny Frattare and Steve Blass being the primary booth duo. It was the first multi-year deal signed between the team and KBL, and both sides were looking to jazz up the presentation by moving the announcers into the stands occasionally and using handheld cameras to involve the crowd more in the TV presentation.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2001</b> - The day after being elected to the Hall of Fame, Bradenton declared it “Bill Mazeroski Day” and Maz threw out the first pitch for the spring game at McKechnie Field. The Pirates added their two cents worth: They named a field at Pirate City after him, then Kevin McClatchy announced that the team was going to change the Avenue of the Pirates by PNC Park to Mazeroski Way, and that Maz would have a special day at the ballyard in August after his induction.</span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjHlf6A7u3eMnoKrCJ9h_amAw-3IX_dkMab3pqNQWiutpEs9Ux4DjcplVIpHjCYmMUmH7LW9gLnrTwn-T3ere22oHsmp4esjvqNKf2tie0PX5L9YBb_7LKutNsA01QD4fvNl8QwXPofzZvsU61BrUTxfgVaxyhfaA7sEz6RmDDiSkCIX_mOBSplAEbrw/s346/freddy_sanchez_2007_SP-authenic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="252" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjHlf6A7u3eMnoKrCJ9h_amAw-3IX_dkMab3pqNQWiutpEs9Ux4DjcplVIpHjCYmMUmH7LW9gLnrTwn-T3ere22oHsmp4esjvqNKf2tie0PX5L9YBb_7LKutNsA01QD4fvNl8QwXPofzZvsU61BrUTxfgVaxyhfaA7sEz6RmDDiSkCIX_mOBSplAEbrw/s320/freddy_sanchez_2007_SP-authenic.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Steady Freddy - 2007 SP Authenic</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2007</b> - The main topic of the springtime Pirates chatter was whether or not the Bucs should keep defending National League batting champ Freddy Sanchez at second base; both the media and the team had questions about his legs being able to take the physical beating dished out to middle infielders on plays at the bag. Freddy proved tough enough. He had spent 2006-05 splitting time at 3B-SS-2B, and then closed out his career as a second sacker. His legs held up fine, but later injuries to his arm and back eventually did put an end to his MLB days.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2019</b> - In an annual rite of spring, the Bucs signed 31 pre-arb players for 2019. 30 of the players were on the 40-man roster plus Dario Agrazal, who was removed from the 40-man roster during the off-season but brought to camp as a NRI, so the team had just 10 guys with more than three years of service time on the active roster. It would be a short window; eight players would become arb-eligible in 2020. But even that club was peach-fuzzed with 27 pre-arb players.</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-7991610908424615862024-03-06T07:00:00.079-05:002024-03-06T07:00:00.133-05:003/6: Yoslan, KY Sign; Maz & Arky HoF; Kip Clots; Global Raiders; First DH; HBD Pops, Cervy, Clint, Rev, Bert & John<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1863</b> - RF/1B John Coleman was born in Saratoga Springs, NY. He was an Allegheny during the 1886-88 & 1890 campaigns. He began his career as a pitcher, tossing 65 games as a Philadelphia Quakers rookie in 1883 with a line of 12-48/4.87. By 1885, Coleman had transitioned into a position player who occasionally tossed, which considering his early mound showing was a wise career move. John could handle the bat, putting up a .266 BA in his Pittsburgh days. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1878</b> - RHP Bert Husting was born in Mayville, Wisconsin. A two-sport star at Wisconsin-Madison, he got a two game audition with the 1900 Pirates (eight IP, five runs, 10 hits, five walks) and then jumped to the American League’s Milwaukee Brewers the following year to get a chance to pitch near home. He lasted just for two more seasons, and then got on with his life’s work as a lawyer, eventually becoming FDR’s US Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1904</b> - IF Walter “Rev” Cannady was born in Lake City, Florida. Cannady played 25 years of Negro League ball for 13 different teams, with several Homestead Grays stops(1923-24, 1929, 1932, 1944) and one with the Crawfords in 1932 (the Craws were still independent and barnstorming then). He saved the best for last; he batted .356 for Homestead in 1944. A player who was noted for versatility (mostly a middle infielder, Rev played all four infield positions and even pitched) and durability, he failed in his bid to make the Hall of Fame cut in 2006. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1940</b> - 1B/OF Wilver Dornell Stargell was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma. Pops played his entire 21-year MLB career (1962-1982) for the Pirates. Captain Willie hit .282, with 2,232 hits, 423 doubles, 475 HR and 1,540 RBI. His teams captured six National League East division titles, two NL pennants and two World Series (1971, 1979). In 1979, he became the only player to win the NL MVP, the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP in one season. He was a seven-time All Star and led the NL in homers twice. The Pirates retired Stargell’s number (1982), built him a statue (2001) and enshrined him as part of the first class of the team Hall of Fame (2022). Willie was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 61 after a stroke. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh528xYK0ECJ9yR8QGRLIugtRSnR8tLh6ur39Ffffs4zoWDSpjRc8NOOoDUrxvffE7tcaO5aLjrZlt6ZLWbCtAilZB0Zjm_3L7oOutu_U9Zlq_wCuMje-yO6vVh7bNzIuoYB9whkTQDzXnEGHDSaZB4Ob33i7Zl34n0ZOfwDv5pQIx04VXn45Rrhbubb2M/s521/willie_stargell_2023_donruss-diamond-kings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh528xYK0ECJ9yR8QGRLIugtRSnR8tLh6ur39Ffffs4zoWDSpjRc8NOOoDUrxvffE7tcaO5aLjrZlt6ZLWbCtAilZB0Zjm_3L7oOutu_U9Zlq_wCuMje-yO6vVh7bNzIuoYB9whkTQDzXnEGHDSaZB4Ob33i7Zl34n0ZOfwDv5pQIx04VXn45Rrhbubb2M/s320/willie_stargell_2023_donruss-diamond-kings.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Willie Stargell - 2023 Donruss Diamond Kings</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1969</b> - Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski and Jim Bunning confirmed that they had been contacted by the Global League, a third major league in the works that was reported to be backed by Howard Hughes (spoiler: it wasn’t). The tentative bids were for a four-year deal at $150,000 per season and a 2.5% equity stake in the league offered to 10 top MLB’ers. They wisely passed on the promises as the league itself ended up to be a house of cards, starting the year with rosters mainly of minor-leaguers, then folding in mid-May under a mountain of unpaid bills. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1973</b> - In a spring exhibition game against the Bucs, the Twins’ Larry Hisle, in most (but not all) historians minds, became the first DH in MLB history. He did his best to sell the rule, too, hitting two HR and collecting seven RBI. It was the first year the rule was in effect, and five teams used a DH that day, which is why there’s still some debate over who took that first swing. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1979</b> - SS Clint “Don’t Stop Believing” Barmes was born in Vincennes, Indiana. The slick fielding, stick-challenged (he hit .224 as a Bucco) infielder joined the Pirates in 2012 when he signed a two-year, $10.5M free agent contract. He returned in 2014 for $1.5M but was hurt much of the year, and during the off-season he signed with the San Diego Padres. He retired in 2016. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1985</b> - SS Arky Vaughan was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Vaughan batted .318 with a .406 OBP over a 14-year career with the Pirates (1932-41) and Brooklyn Dodgers, hitting .300 or better in 12 of those campaigns. He was inducted on July 28th. Earlier, in 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him among the elite in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. Twenty years later, in his 2001 New Historical Baseball Abstract, Bill James rated Vaughan as the second-best shortstop in MLB history, behind fellow Pirate and mentor Honus Wagner. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLqmaBhs3t3exQhzLUBWU2ARdFWjvtuxhhqzbFNoMGAIgPLsb9Xj5mfaFi01XJZ2xrFe7e3Sxf8ZzXJzLmaMrfpSszoJ5tDtR_hbsJYqbP0k6Mwp5WIMOglqCOcmAzSHEojm_oI9x83MTKtBcJM3clzHuTEFctfT7FzGJIHAAkc7Qq098Vwi45Nao1v0/s480/francisco_cervelli_mlb-dot-com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="480" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLqmaBhs3t3exQhzLUBWU2ARdFWjvtuxhhqzbFNoMGAIgPLsb9Xj5mfaFi01XJZ2xrFe7e3Sxf8ZzXJzLmaMrfpSszoJ5tDtR_hbsJYqbP0k6Mwp5WIMOglqCOcmAzSHEojm_oI9x83MTKtBcJM3clzHuTEFctfT7FzGJIHAAkc7Qq098Vwi45Nao1v0/s320/francisco_cervelli_mlb-dot-com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Cervy - photo via MLB.com</b></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1986</b> - C Francisco Cervelli was born in Valencia, Venezuela. He joined the Bucs in November of 2014 from the Yankees in a swap for LHP Justin Wilson. Originally an infielder, they flipped him to catching, where he was considered one of the better defensive players with a solid bat, although injury prone, throughout his career. In his first year as a Buc, Cervy was healthy as a horse, playing 130 games and hitting .295. That wasn’t quite the tale in 2016, as he got behind the dish 95 times due to various injuries and hit .264. It was worse in the following campaign when Fran was again banged up and started just 75 games, batting .just 249. Fran got into 104 games in 2018, though still dinged a bit, and put up a 123 OPS+ with 12 HR and a line of .259/.378/.431, his best offensive showing as a Bucco. He was hurt through much of 2019, released, and moved on to Atlanta as a free agent in late August. Cervy then went to Miami, retiring following the 2020 campaign after suffering his seventh concussion, then coached for San Diego in 2022. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1999</b> - 1B Kevin Young signed the richest contract to date in Pirate history, a $24M, four-year deal based on anticipated revenues from the team's soon-to-be-built stadium. The deal called for a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $5.5M in 2000, $6M in 2001, $5.5M in 2002 and $6.5M in 2003. That agreement carried him to the end of his 12-year career, with all but one campaign spent as a Pirate. KY’s record deal didn’t last for long - Jason Kendall inked a six-year/$60M extension after the 2000 campaign. Young rejoined the team in 2015 as a special assistant of baseball operations and a part-time color man in the AT&T booth. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2001</b> - 2B Bill Mazeroski was voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee after what seemed to be an interminable wait. He was inducted on August 5th, giving a tearful speech after discarding his notes, saying "I think you can flush these 12 pages down the drain." The Pirates retired his number, built a statue of him, named a way for him, put him in the team Hall of Fame and every October 13th fans meet at the Forbes Field wall to celebrate his famed longball, selected by <i>ESPN</i> as the “Greatest Home Run of All Time.” </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx9bwO54JCPBRXFzKJOh6P2U-ppzhvrCh8hXg6gzh21SBc86QigyqoHTmdJwdSVDI2Zd5MiILF-pdGydneqzc2SkWdcg8cK_6DKpTlXDyahMyN7r0_n0QtUHKy0fKYLe-ZB2MPpxIBwESzzVQ0O51vdqlxMzSUp29jZ0uNZHsFavA9J6G_2yqbGrtIDU/s1024/bill_mazeroski-hof-plaque_2001_henny-ray-abrams-getty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx9bwO54JCPBRXFzKJOh6P2U-ppzhvrCh8hXg6gzh21SBc86QigyqoHTmdJwdSVDI2Zd5MiILF-pdGydneqzc2SkWdcg8cK_6DKpTlXDyahMyN7r0_n0QtUHKy0fKYLe-ZB2MPpxIBwESzzVQ0O51vdqlxMzSUp29jZ0uNZHsFavA9J6G_2yqbGrtIDU/s320/bill_mazeroski-hof-plaque_2001_henny-ray-abrams-getty.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Maz Gets His Plaque - 2001 photo Henny Ray/Abrams/Getty</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2006</b> - RHP Kip Wells had surgery to remove a blood clot from his right armpit, returning on June 19th. He was traded at the deadline to Texas, beginning a 10-team exodus that finally ended when he retired in 2013. From the surgery on, he pitched in 108 more MLB games, topping 100+ IP just once and went 14-34/5.66 over that span, while more clots were found in his hand in 2008. In the seven years before the clot was found, Kip had posted a 55-69/4.36 line. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2007</b> - The Bucs signed Cuban righty Yoslan Herrera to a three year/$1.92M deal. He made it to the show in July, 2008, and in five starts, he went 1-1/9.82. The Pirates released him during the 2009 off-season after he split the year between Indy and Altoona, and he was out of baseball after another year. Herrera did rebound though, pitching for the Los Angeles Angels in 2014 before moving on to Japan, where he finished his career after the 2016 campaign.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-57766912327871659532024-03-05T07:00:00.001-05:002024-03-05T07:00:00.162-05:003/5: Cutch, Scott, Richie Sign; Foxy, Jim, Willie HoF; WBC Exodus; HBD Sam, Erik, Teke, Larry, Del, Al, Harry, Earl & John<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1855</b> - Jack-of-all-trades John Richmond was born in Philadelphia. A journeyman who played middle infield, the hot corner, and all three outfield spots, Richmond suited up for seven teams in eight big league seasons (National League & American Association), making a stop in Pittsburgh in 1885. He mostly was used off the bench as a shortstop here, batting .206 before being released by the Alleghenys in July. He finished out in the minors, last playing in 1887. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1911</b> - 1B/OF Earl Browne was born in Louisville. A noted minor league slugger, Brown began his MLB career in Pittsburgh, getting into 17 games from 1935-36 and hitting .273 before closing out with two more seasons with Philadelphia. Browne did enjoy a 22-year career in minor league baseball as a southpaw pitcher, outfielder and first baseman with a .304 lifetime BA; he also was a 19-game winner in the minors as an 18-year-old hurler before becoming an everyday player. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1915</b> - RHP “Handsome Harry” Shuman (guess he was a looker) was born in Philadelphia. Shuman got his big break in 1936 when the pre-law student was a pitcher for Temple U and a friend asked him to toss batting practice to the Philadelphia Athletics. A's skipper Connie Mack was impressed by his arm and signed him to a minor league contract. He cracked the majors when got into a dozen games from 1941-43 for the Pirates, going 0-0/4.88. He spent 1944 with Philadelphia and then was traded to the Los Angeles Angels, then of the Pacific Coast League. Handsome Harry had a family in Philly and didn’t want to travel that far, so he retired rather than report to the left coast. He stayed in his hometown and worked a series of government/political jobs. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1917</b> - Coach Al Monchak was born in Bayonne, NJ. After his playing days (he had a cup of coffee with the Phils), he was a scout, instructor and minor league manager. Then he hooked up with Chuck Tanner and coached for the White Sox, Athletics, Braves and Pirates (1977-84) as Chuck’s first base coach and infield tutor. He was named the 2009 winner of the Roland Hemond Award by <i>Baseball America</i> in December 2009. The award recognizes baseball figures who have made long-term contributions to scouting and player development operations. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXE0jeNTtwRUAjiXDtg-qeeRCa4sxP7n0kEPkKG5v0JhXWhCSzTmvQnITCfGXVaMLl9mKs-1o8GusN1vJLPq9Oxix6qyAb6pqlQPWBjsA7KqRlXCBhUjDWDvZCaNs1giKay4l0xqUTbPs0uy5A4NU48kHYLpB2Tp1VYzN_hTAiL9ZxU0zsZkQGWOgWXA/s207/al_monchak_pirates-promo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="192" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXE0jeNTtwRUAjiXDtg-qeeRCa4sxP7n0kEPkKG5v0JhXWhCSzTmvQnITCfGXVaMLl9mKs-1o8GusN1vJLPq9Oxix6qyAb6pqlQPWBjsA7KqRlXCBhUjDWDvZCaNs1giKay4l0xqUTbPs0uy5A4NU48kHYLpB2Tp1VYzN_hTAiL9ZxU0zsZkQGWOgWXA/w297-h320/al_monchak_pirates-promo.jpeg" width="297" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Al Monchak - Pirates promo photo</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1930</b> - C Del Crandall was born in Ontario, California. The long-time Braves receiver made a 1965 stop in Pittsburgh late in his 16-year career after the Pirates sent Bob Burda and Bob Priddy to the Giants for him. He was 35-years-old and got into 60 games, batting .214, before being released after the year to spend his final season in Cleveland. Del later managed the Brewers and Mariners along with a long minor league stint in the Dodger organization as a skipper, closing out his coaching book as a catching instructor for LA. Del passed away at age 91 in 2021. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1938</b> - OF Larry Elliot was born in San Diego. Elliot was signed by the Pirates as a 20-year-old out of San Diego City College and spent four years in the Bucs' farm system before getting cups of coffee with Pittsburgh in 1962-63. He went 3-for-14 with a homer (he was a minor league masher) and then spent a pair of seasons with the New York Mets, hitting .236 with 14 long balls. He then played in the minors for three seasons, retiring after the 1969 season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1947</b> - RHP Kent Tekulve was born in Cincinnati. The rubber-armed reliever pitched 12 years for the Pirates (1974-85) with a slash of 70-61-158/2.68 and appeared in 90 games twice, making 722 Pittsburgh outings totaling 1,017-1/3 IP. He saved three of the four wins against the Orioles in the 1979 World Series, and Teke with Mike Marshall are the only pitchers to make 90 appearances in a season three times during their career. Tekulve is a heart transplant recipient who retired from his decade-long Pirates studio gig after the 2017 campaign so he can finally enjoy a long overdue summer vacation. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1975</b> - After holding out for a week, Richie Hebner struck a deal w/GM Joe Brown for approximately $75,000. The Gravedigger was ready and in camp that afternoon. But he had a miserable year, suffered through a bad back and batted a career low .246. He then played in 1976 without a contract, which made him a free agent for 1977, and skipped to the Phillies. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XaXqnQ9P8SyP9GxXDF_nO8YTmeNTaaB6CS5_UnBshGWM0IFS8I2Di2EUU2hA69-qSrHFUZJLL60T3xtXd9TYFnzv8xc1S5OhpODmUPAqOr6GSzBFX9r49bVXSB-7QIhtLXFu4bidkJlTo7ckeW7Kpk3FAktWin-X7P-0n8ZrxMo1QoYC959NAIHfiXA/s500/erik_bedard_2012-topps-update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="358" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XaXqnQ9P8SyP9GxXDF_nO8YTmeNTaaB6CS5_UnBshGWM0IFS8I2Di2EUU2hA69-qSrHFUZJLL60T3xtXd9TYFnzv8xc1S5OhpODmUPAqOr6GSzBFX9r49bVXSB-7QIhtLXFu4bidkJlTo7ckeW7Kpk3FAktWin-X7P-0n8ZrxMo1QoYC959NAIHfiXA/s320/erik_bedard_2012-topps-update.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Erik Bedard - 2012 Topps Update</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1979</b> - LHP Erik Bedard was born in Naval, Ontario. In 2012, the often-injured lefty signed as a free agent with the Pirates for $4.5M. Bedard stayed healthy and posted a 3.12 ERA in 10 starts over the first two months. But beginning in June, the wheels fell off and Bedard slashed 7-14/5.01 before the Pirates released him on August 28th. Houston and Tampa tried to right his ship, but he tossed no better with those clubs and retired after the 2014 season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1993</b> - LHP Sam Howard was born in Marietta, Georgia. He was drafted out of Georgia Southern by the Rockies in 2014 and made his debut with them in 2018. He averaged 10 K per nine innings with the Rox, along with the attendant wildness, and was waived the next year. The Pirates claimed him, and though he didn’t break camp with the big club in 2020, they added him to the MLB roster on August 2nd and Sam made his Bucco debut on the same day. He impressed enough to go north with the squad the following season, working in 54 games but posting an unwieldy 5.60 ERA. Howard was waived in May, 2022, was picked up by the Tigers, and is now a free agent. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1996</b> - “Foxy” Ned Hanlon was selected to the Hall of Fame. He played and managed for the Alleghenys, Burghers and Pirates (1889-91) but his glory years were as skipper of the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas. Noted as a keen tactician (hence “Foxy”), he came up with innovations still in play today such as the hit-and-run, double steal and “Baltimore chop.” Also selected was RHP Jim Bunning, who worked for the Pirates from 1968-69 toward the back end of his career and was one of five players to throw a no-hitter in both leagues. The last local connection chosen was Negro League star LHP Willie Foster, who had stops with the Homestead Grays (1931) and Pittsburgh Crawfords (1936). They were inducted into the Hall on August 4th. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2001</b> - LHP Scott Sauerbeck signed a three-year/$2.7M deal with the Pirates, which carried him to Boston via trade in late July of 2003. The setup man went 19-15-5/3.56 in his five Bucco seasons, making 341 appearances. He suffered shoulder and hammy injuries which cost him all of 2004 and only tossed 86-1/3 innings after being traded, with 2006 being his last campaign. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2fZreiYBSYOr4V_Sl8GkMS_z_bDfdDl_MyvVZKKE56W50mZZ2e-uQPu2TpVr41HqLyEFLHpEgEfUtoLPG1xJCv35lBtJnYKgnGUMubttF4zJF9Ff8ewI2giySz4dU71R5Bk1o2WbdM7nlAawa86f3IwjCrdg3FIdVo3ymNzhh_SLyRMHoJQ9C3-T3qQ/s350/scott_sauerbeck_2001_topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="350" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2fZreiYBSYOr4V_Sl8GkMS_z_bDfdDl_MyvVZKKE56W50mZZ2e-uQPu2TpVr41HqLyEFLHpEgEfUtoLPG1xJCv35lBtJnYKgnGUMubttF4zJF9Ff8ewI2giySz4dU71R5Bk1o2WbdM7nlAawa86f3IwjCrdg3FIdVo3ymNzhh_SLyRMHoJQ9C3-T3qQ/s320/scott_sauerbeck_2001_topps.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Scott Sauerbeck - 2001 Topps 50 Years</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2</b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">012</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - Andrew McCutchen signed a six-year contract worth $51.5M with a club option for 2018 worth $14.75M. The deal bought out his remaining pre-arbitration year, all three arb years, and a pair of free agent seasons with a club option for another. The breakdown: $1.25M signing bonus; 2012: $500K; ‘13: $4.5M; ‘14: $7.25M; ‘15: $10M; ‘16: $13M; ‘17: $14M; ‘18: $14.5M club option ($1M buyout) plus bonuses worth $25K each for a World Series MVP, Gold Glove, or All-Star selection and $125K for an NL-MVP ($75K for runner up, $50K for third). He almost saw it through, lasting until his 2018 option was exercised and he was traded to the SF Giants. They moved him to the Yankees before Cutch signed on with the Phils and then the Brew Crew; he’s now back home. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2017</b> - Four of the Pirates eight starting position players skipped to their WBC teams (Starling Marte & Gregory Polanco - Dominican Republic; Andrew McCutchen & Josh Harrison - USA) with Fran Cervelli joining the exodus the next day to report to the Italian squad. Minor league reliever Jared Lakind packed his bags on the 9th to join Team Israel while 3B Eric Woods was called to Team Canada. Also, RHP’s Ivan Nova & Luis Escobar left respectively for the DR/Colombia’s pitcher’s pool. 3B Jung Ho Kang was selected to the South Korean team, but was later dropped after his DUI episode. The rosters had been announced in February, with player adjustments toggled through early March. The USA defeated Puerto Rico for the WBC title on March 22nd.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-58262679060262217702024-03-04T07:00:00.116-05:002024-03-04T07:00:00.135-05:003/4: Arky Signs; Leyland Meltdown; Boys Will Be...; PNC Re-Ups; New Scoreboard; Lotsa HBDs - Richard, Cory, The Fort, Rick, Bruce, Brian, Jax, Mel, Clyde, Dazzy & Jeff<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1888</b> - RHP Ed “Jeff” Pfeffer was born in Seymour, Illinois. Jeff tossed for 13 years in the show for four different teams (primarily Brooklyn), closing out his career as a 36-year-old with Pirates in 1924 after being claimed from the Cards in July. He pitched credibly, going 5-3/3.07 in 16 games (four starts) and ended his MLB career with 158 wins and a 2.77 ERA. He was called "Jeff" after his older brother, Francis "Big Jeff" Pfeffer, who tossed a no-hitter for Boston in 1907. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1889</b> - Oh, that rowdy North Side nine! Pittsburgh Alleghenys 3B Billy Kuehne was arrested and charged with operating a gambling house at an Allegheny City billiards hall run by him and teammate Ed “Cannonball” Morris. Morris, who was out of town during the raid, told the <i>Pittsburgh Press</i> that “The Allegheny officers labored under a misapprehension...the boys occasionally played for cigars and soft drinks in the back room but nothing worse.” Kuehne beat the rap - when the case came to trial, the charges were dropped after the main witness failed to show. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1891</b> - RHP Charles “Dazzy” Vance was born in Orient, Iowa. The fireballing Hall of Famer (he had over 2,000 career K) made his debut in 1915 as a 24-year-old for the Pirates after his contract was purchased from St. Joseph of the Western League. His Bucco career lasted for just one wild appearance when he walked five in 2-2/3 IP. He was suffering from a chronic achy wing, but his arm was resurrected years later by a card game. According to his Baseball Hall of Fame bio “A sore arm was blamed for cutting short his first cracks at the majors. That soreness became shooting pain after he banged his elbow on a poker table, causing him to have surgery. The procedure cleared up the pain, and also relieved the chronic soreness that had plagued him.” His career rejuvenated, he rejoined the show in 1922 as a 31-year-old and won 197 games, an MVP Award (1924) and World Series (1934) along the way, pitching through his age 44 campaign. Vance was dubbed Dazzy as an Iowa teen for his dazzling fastball. D-lightful: The 1934 St. Louis Gashouse Gang featured Dazzy, Dizzy Dean, Daffy Dean & Ducky Medwick. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXTnLNQg6LNPCDHS7M_nWv39bkee8kUyM00hwvJXp569wH2pxWs85CJjwSUDrDbNkqKwpK2TV3K0-r27oE_jh0BlFteFZRydKCu9Bmt8q9ACTckT0SRIr1GESpAN2C837Aoz1bYSp-CKPLvL1xufMBB08GhVxvu4qkVE8Uaw4xYzA4Xh3xASpVvsC-pQ/s566/clyde_mccullough_1973-topps-1953-reprint.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="394" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXTnLNQg6LNPCDHS7M_nWv39bkee8kUyM00hwvJXp569wH2pxWs85CJjwSUDrDbNkqKwpK2TV3K0-r27oE_jh0BlFteFZRydKCu9Bmt8q9ACTckT0SRIr1GESpAN2C837Aoz1bYSp-CKPLvL1xufMBB08GhVxvu4qkVE8Uaw4xYzA4Xh3xASpVvsC-pQ/s320/clyde_mccullough_1973-topps-1953-reprint.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Clyde McCullough - 1953 Topps</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1917</b> - C Clyde McCullough was born in Nashville. Clyde had a long MLB career, catching for Pittsburgh on a semi-regular basis from 1949-52 and batting .258. But he was a Cub at heart - the Bucs got him from Chicago and he returned there later, spending 12 of his 16 campaigns in the Windy City. After his playing days, he coached for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins, New York Mets and San Diego Padres while becoming a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1918</b> - RHP Mel Queen Sr. was born in Maxwell in Fayette County, south of California University of PA. After starting with the Yankees, he worked for Pittsburgh from 1947-48, then again from 1950-52, posting a Bucco line of 19-36/5.33. His son, Mel Jr., pitched for several seasons in MLB and went on to have a long career as the Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching coach. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1940</b> - SS Arky Vaughan reported to camp and quickly signed a new contract after a brief discussion with club president Bill Benswanger. He was one of the great shortstops (he had won six consecutive All Star berths, earning a pot on the AS team during the next three seasons, too), and immediately after inking his deal for a guesstimated $17,000, new manager Frankie Frisch appointed him the Pirates team captain to replace the traded Gus Suhr. That crossed the final "t" for the new deal, which had been held up over compensation, as the captaincy came with a $500 bonus to sweeten Arky's pot. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1952</b> - Scout Jax Robertson was born in Milwaukee. After working for the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins, he became a special assistant to the GM in 2002 under Dave Littlefield. In 2015, he was honored as baseball’s East Coast Scout of the Year and is also a member of the Pro Baseball Scouts HoF. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAsmWQXGOK3aSIBisi_4zzD98JQ7dNtYfy2Vx_hba-rdehprcuzWzq7jfDGzpv9hKuCOa6H9HacXEGMuPJ4vqqfcJeYZ0Ts-v50i-H4ADYMFec_57vU5eVdsYvDx6k8RdJ4pYacsqgYz1yAkyjfXe1zB5xNd5k4AArb6yiSpWfCc0Y6Y7Ztz-331p0t0/s811/brian_hunter-1994_topps-stadium-club.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="578" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAsmWQXGOK3aSIBisi_4zzD98JQ7dNtYfy2Vx_hba-rdehprcuzWzq7jfDGzpv9hKuCOa6H9HacXEGMuPJ4vqqfcJeYZ0Ts-v50i-H4ADYMFec_57vU5eVdsYvDx6k8RdJ4pYacsqgYz1yAkyjfXe1zB5xNd5k4AArb6yiSpWfCc0Y6Y7Ztz-331p0t0/s320/brian_hunter-1994_topps-stadium-club.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Brian Hunter - 1994 Topps Stadium Club</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1968</b> - 1B/OF Brian Hunter was born in Torrance, California. He was a bench guy for nine MLB campaigns, stopping off in Pittsburgh as a 26-year-old in 1994 after an off-season deal with the Braves, swapping places with Jose Delgado. The Pirates were familiar enough with him; his first inning homer in game seven of the NLCS launched the Bravos to a 4-0 win. He hit .227 with 11 homers as a Buc and then was sent to the Reds at the deadline in another minor deal for OF Micah Franklin. The FO hoped he’d be a middle-of-the-order 1B, but it wasn’t to be as seven different Buccos manned the spot in ‘94. Mark Johnson took over in ‘95 until Kevin Young was moved to first in 1997. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1972</b> - OF Bruce Aven was born in Orange, Texas. He toiled five-years in MLB, spending part of 2000 as a Pirate after a deal with the Miami Marlins in a swap for Brant Brown. Aven hit .250 and was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August. His last big league game was in 2002 with the Cleveland Indians and now he’s the baseball skipper at American Heritage School in Florida. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1973</b> - Pirates hitting coach Rick Eckstein was born in Sanford, Florida. Eckstein replaced Jeff Branson following the 2018 campaign as hitting coach after working for the Rays, Expos, Nats, Angels, & Twins; he also served as skipper at the University of Kentucky. He played college ball at Seminole CC and the University of Florida before an injury ended his playing career. Eckstein was dismissed by the Bucs in 2021 and currently is the USA Under 18 team manager. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1985</b> - C Mike “The Fort” McKenry was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was a back-up catcher for the Bucs from 2011-13 and was a popular player with several clutch hits on his resume. Overall, though, he hit just .226 as a Pirate and returned to his original team, the Colorado Rockies, as a free agent in 2014 before making the rounds as a depth player. He retired to become the Pirates pre-and-post game analyst in 2018 as a replacement for Teke and also serves as a rotating color man as part of the Steve Blass replacement project. McKenry earned his nickname not only because of the similarity of his name to Fort McHenry but also for the way he tenaciously defended the plate on plays at home. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL6jnBxmvkh6Ym7e64QEV7fpCB_8pN-2G82XfXpUXjTk4l9SMwsj8VPRmn5uRgGQF9_4NikqXzxn6pVAzMieoelbqREFI8zwS14lEPbCf_ABjM_NWk1yob2ajfLLpSVi0RVcPWzbELwxCY-MnT6j0ZUqAW8G9MR9ncw8-6__rQdkcWNKX9XzwNdALAdE/s877/mike_mckenry-image_pirates.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="877" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL6jnBxmvkh6Ym7e64QEV7fpCB_8pN-2G82XfXpUXjTk4l9SMwsj8VPRmn5uRgGQF9_4NikqXzxn6pVAzMieoelbqREFI8zwS14lEPbCf_ABjM_NWk1yob2ajfLLpSVi0RVcPWzbELwxCY-MnT6j0ZUqAW8G9MR9ncw8-6__rQdkcWNKX9XzwNdALAdE/s320/mike_mckenry-image_pirates.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Mike McKenry - Pirates image</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1985</b> - LHP Cory Luebke was born in Coldwater, Ohio. He was originally drafted by the Pirates out of Marion HS but committed to Ohio State instead and was selected by the Padres as a 2007 first-rounder (63rd overall). Between 2010-12, he got into 55 games with San Diego, splitting time between starting and the pen. Cory then had a pair of TJ surgeries before inking an NRI deal with the Bucs in 2016. He made the team, pitched poorly, suffered a hammy injury and was released in June. Leubke retired in 2017 after a couple of minor league stops in Miami and Chicago. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1990</b> - RHP Richard Rodriguez was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic. He spent nine years in the Houston and Baltimore systems, getting a brief and ineffective stint with the O’s in 2017. The Bucs brought him in as a NRI during the off-season. After a decent camp, he was stashed at Indianapolis to begin the campaign but quickly got a mid-April call to Pittsburgh when the relief corps sprung some serious mid-inning leaks. He worked his way to the back end of the bullpen by 2020 (15-12-19/2.98 as a Buc) before being traded at the 2021 deadline to Atlanta for Bryse Wilson and Ricky DeVito. Rick Rod was non-tendered at the end of the campaign by the Braves, then lost 80 games in 2022 when he was suspended for PED usage. He then signed with the Yankees, was released at the end of the year, went to Miami as an NRI and is now tossing in Mexico. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1991</b> - In Pittsburgh’s most famous manager meltdown, Jim Leyland was caught on camera blasting Barry Bonds at camp following a BB spat with Bill Virdon. The redacted version of Leyland’s message went something like “I’ve kissed your (bleep!) for three (bleeping!) years here and I’m sick of this. If you guys don’t want to be here then get the (bleep!) out!” Bonds did get the bleep out after the 1992 season, although that decision was all about the Benjamins and had nothing to do with the springtime scolding that set the stage for Jimmy Leyland’s popularity. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREZAM-9SHL1O-NB_8OVGD-UcvwZTBYf0CKHm8uzaEN-Hwya1jeaV6k-mS-vRPtWJ5mQ7TmDIRbkjUYf-qZuSE4WsRCIKlq-WT-Y2St45V-FjTLCapFP3Tg2m8HS7iQkikuZ5hYZTpr9_lN-yiAfWHeSVoliKHXrC8BtUF0gEXN7Zo4hYFnDmNhhEEupY/s1023/jim_leyland_barry_bonds-exchange-words-photo_3-4-1991_thomas-ondrey-pp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1023" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREZAM-9SHL1O-NB_8OVGD-UcvwZTBYf0CKHm8uzaEN-Hwya1jeaV6k-mS-vRPtWJ5mQ7TmDIRbkjUYf-qZuSE4WsRCIKlq-WT-Y2St45V-FjTLCapFP3Tg2m8HS7iQkikuZ5hYZTpr9_lN-yiAfWHeSVoliKHXrC8BtUF0gEXN7Zo4hYFnDmNhhEEupY/s320/jim_leyland_barry_bonds-exchange-words-photo_3-4-1991_thomas-ondrey-pp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Jimmy Lets Loose - 3/4/1991 Pgh Press photo/Thomas Ondrey</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2005</b> - The Pirates announced that they were replacing the Sony video board at PNC after just four years because of moisture problems that blanked out part of the display, leaving a checkerboard effect. The new board was provided by Daktronics and was expected to cost at least $1M. The Pirates said that they’d foot the bill after the Stadium Authority had ponied up for the first screen. Though the new screen worked fine, it was replaced on the team’s dime in 2007 so the Pirates could upgrade the evolving technology and add a LED ribbon display. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2021</b> - The Pirates and PNC Bank agreed on a 10-year extension of their stadium naming rights deal without releasing the financials. The major addendum was that the old arched PNC logo design spread around the park would be updated, while youth and community collaborations continued. Pirates president Travis Williams had helped draft the original 2001 naming rights agreement, which was for 20-years/$30M, as a Reed Smith attorney working for the Pirates.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-19267570833806488132024-03-04T06:30:00.008-05:002024-03-04T06:30:00.140-05:00Florida Notes: Uneven Start In Grapefruit Games; Eyes On Injury List; Otter, Demery, UL Pass On; Spring Scraps<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grapefruit League stuff...</span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This week's games:</b> The Bucs lost their third straight game, getting clocked, 8-4, by Toronto. Roansy Contreras showed his old velo (95 MPH) w/control issues and Termarr Johnson homered twice. The Bucs bounced back with a 13-4 win over Atlanta. KeBryan Hayes banged a granny while three other Pirates also went deep. The bad news: Marcos Gonzales allowed three runs in 1-2/3 frames. Detroit then knocked off the Bucs, 5-3. Pups Quinn Priester and Jared Jones had promising outings. Baltimore scored four times in the ninth to take Thursday's game, 9-8, as young guys had good and bad days on the hill. Henry Davis banged a three-run homer and Hayes launched his second dinger of the spring.</span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BHUk3xEY_r0Lk-F0qML_N9-q3ZfpNaiDQmudUuYZ6QRgskNMU2_eab3Ar-MeLAgNwtYC7Uyx9ouihfpKvQ28eC6Qk-fX07ihicrj6nfm2M-cDrgk8TH-vIUvWFZS3FmiF6QKgzPxtt7w75KY5w7Bkd0HlQvzejAUu3IR7wvS8l3nyDPI4iiBzS9-GD0/s637/kebryan_hayes_2024_topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="438" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BHUk3xEY_r0Lk-F0qML_N9-q3ZfpNaiDQmudUuYZ6QRgskNMU2_eab3Ar-MeLAgNwtYC7Uyx9ouihfpKvQ28eC6Qk-fX07ihicrj6nfm2M-cDrgk8TH-vIUvWFZS3FmiF6QKgzPxtt7w75KY5w7Bkd0HlQvzejAUu3IR7wvS8l3nyDPI4iiBzS9-GD0/s320/kebryan_hayes_2024_topps.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ke's having a hot spring start - 2024 Topps</span></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The weekend games:</b> Pittsburgh outslugged Tampa on Friday, 12-8. Gilberto Celestino swatted a grand slam while Jared Triolo and Bryan Reynolds also went long. Mitch Keller struggled but got the win. They made it two straight with a 7-3 win over Detroit. Roansy Contreras looked better though his command is still meh while Henry Davis (who looked solid behind the dish) and Matt Gorski homered. Baltimore spoiled the weekend, overcoming a late deficit to take a 5-2 win on a three-run dinger in the ninth off Dauri Moreta, who then left accompanied by a trainer holding on to his elbow, uh-oh. Martin Perez started and looked sharp.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Notes:</u></b></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cutch and Josh Palacios have yet to play. With Andrew, the Bucs are just slow-walking him due to his late season-injury and age, though he is doing all the drill work. Palacios has a lower leg injury and both are expected to join the lineup this week. Of more concern is David Bednar, who felt some right lat tightness during a bullpen session this week. Moreta's elbow is a concern now, too. We'll see how that news plays out. Endy Rodriguez and Johan Oveido are already lost for the season and JT Brubaker is expected out until the All-Star break, so Buc depth looks like it'll be tested early.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">A little more on the catching situation: Shelty told Jason Mackey of the <i>Post-Gazette</i> that the catching would be more in tandem rather than Yasmari Grandal being #1 and backstopping 100+ games, which makes the backup battle between Henry Davis and Jason Delay (and darkhorse Ali Sanchez) just a little bit more compelling as camp rolls on.</span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3OkNlqU_Db7CdAxQbrzbFZ11o_NxZuh7nnEQX7N9JKmKsYrVmLzv3o40N8MHmqSvJzfthdcxV6uu2wRGeA0BAOD4ujvc_8foPfwdp02BqGUt3fAy2er15KqSoirIVvTccVryp6x-c2ROkBqD7xgEKjnPe_0VEIwf85DW3E5HDtHBAXkAefkDkCWA3hQ/s636/henry_davis_2024_topps-foil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="441" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3OkNlqU_Db7CdAxQbrzbFZ11o_NxZuh7nnEQX7N9JKmKsYrVmLzv3o40N8MHmqSvJzfthdcxV6uu2wRGeA0BAOD4ujvc_8foPfwdp02BqGUt3fAy2er15KqSoirIVvTccVryp6x-c2ROkBqD7xgEKjnPe_0VEIwf85DW3E5HDtHBAXkAefkDkCWA3hQ/s320/henry_davis_2024_topps-foil.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Henry's also had a strong week - 2024 Topps Foil</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Per <a href="https://twitter.com/joe_block/status/1762438911438078288">Joe Block</a>, Johnson was the first teenager in 10 years to hit two home runs in a Spring Training game when he took Toronto deep twice a week ago. Carlos Correa, then of the Astros, hit two bombs, also off the Blue Jays, in 2014.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Andrew McCutchen is first among active players in career games played with 2,007. That status is subject to change; both Elvis Andrus (2,059) & Joey Votto (2,056) have played in more contests, and neither vet has retired even though they're still without a 2024 roster spot.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jim Callis of <i>MLB Pipeline</i> gives his <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/paul-skenes-headlines-pirates-prospect-pitching-depth?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage">Pirates Spring Training</a> report.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">RHP Tahnaj Thomas, 24, signed to play indie ball with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association in hopes of resurrecting his brand. The once-hot prospect was shifted from starter to the pen in '22, but after one good season, he slashed 4-2-3/4.87 (five K, six BB per nine innings) for Altoona in 2023 and opted for free agency in the off season.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">RHP Larry Demery passed away this week at age 70. He spent his MLB career with the Pirates from 1974-77, slashing 29-23-7/3.72 in 136 games/49 starts.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also leaving us was C Ed Ott, who passed away at the age of 72. The Otter caught for the Bucs from 1974-80 (.267 BA/492 games), and platooned with Steve Nicosia in the Championship season of 1979. He had his best year at the dish that year, slashing .273/7/51 in 117 games. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Geez, bad week - IF UL Washington also went to his reward. UL finished his toothpick-gnawing 11-year MLB career with the 1986-87 Bucs as a bench player.</span></li></ul><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-22536895580192304362024-03-03T07:00:00.100-05:002024-03-03T07:00:00.237-05:003/3: Debs Deal; Kip, Bert, Murry Sign; Lou Leaves; Ray HoF; RIP Al; HBD Matt, Trent, Ron, Neal, Jesse, Yo-Yo, Bill & Yaller<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1879</b> - C Ed “Yaller” Phelps was born in Albany, NY. Phelps was on the 1902 and 1903 National League pennant-winning clubs and played in the 1903 World Series, forming the Pirates’ first Fall Classic battery with Deacon Phillippe. He served mainly as a back-up catcher (he started in 1903-04) during his six-year Pittsburgh career (1902-04, 1906-08), hitting .247 as a Bucco. Ed’s career claim to fame is that he caught six straight shutouts for the Pirates in 1903, still a post-1900 record. His nickname of "Yaller" referred to his sallow complexion, according to his family. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1897</b> - 2B Lou Bierbauer was sold to the St. Louis Browns after six seasons with Pittsburgh. His 1891 signing by the Bucs, after he was left unprotected by the Philadelphia Athletics, was denounced by the A’s as “piratical,” leading to the Alleghenys evolving into the Pirates. The “king of the second baseman” had a slow start to his Steel City days, but rallied to hit .284 over his final four Bucco campaigns and his glovework was elite throughout. After a couple of years with the Browns and some minor league touring, he retired to his hometown of Erie. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1910</b> - C Bill Brenzel was born in Oakland, California. He spent parts of three seasons in MLB, beginning in 1932 with the Pirates when he got into nine games and went 1-for-24. He earned a reputation for his good glove, bad bat (.198 lifetime BA), and per his obit, quick wit and slow feet. He spent 18 years in pro ball (he left high school to begin his playing days at age 17), then managed in the minor leagues before becoming a long-time scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1912</b> - C Aubrey “Yo-Yo” Epps was born in Memphis, Tennessee. In the final game of the 1935 campaign, Epps caught for Pittsburgh after being purchased from the Birmingham Barons, where he was hitting .301, and went 3-for-4 with three RBI (and two errors, oops). The Pirates had high hopes for Epps - they had to outbid the Cleveland Indians to win him from Birmingham - but that game turned out to be his only major league appearance. He contracted a serious case of pneumonia during the off season and it cost him a chance at making the roster. Aubrey bounced around for another six seasons in the minor leagues and retired after the 1941 season at age 29. His nickname was due to his proficiency with a yo-yo. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTMvCeFkYaNNOs9VWMvGO2xWHmljQFlhxKGUXCYmgMgQTqN9-3BZLXucKUpcrfszQoLODkAC2axrVPC81d9eJmqKMXArQEVxj78AID2jDcIg-wkcjZTPAUzrIsW8O4yJpTT96Hocnlr-6BeBa-7dWXk6cJi9HmPR8GdlyC-FW2fyT6MybhyfJmLcdDaM/s309/debs_garms_1941-42_play-ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="243" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTMvCeFkYaNNOs9VWMvGO2xWHmljQFlhxKGUXCYmgMgQTqN9-3BZLXucKUpcrfszQoLODkAC2axrVPC81d9eJmqKMXArQEVxj78AID2jDcIg-wkcjZTPAUzrIsW8O4yJpTT96Hocnlr-6BeBa-7dWXk6cJi9HmPR8GdlyC-FW2fyT6MybhyfJmLcdDaM/s1600/debs_garms_1941-42_play-ball.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Deb Garms - 1941 Play Ball</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1</b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">940</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - The Boston Braves sold OF Debs Garms to the Pirates. In 358 at bats for Pittsburgh he led the NL in hitting with a .355 average. At the time, there was no minimal at-bat requirement; league prez Ford Frick said the title was unofficial and 100 games, the traditional but unofficial cut-off line, was enough to qualify (Garms got into 103 contests), raising a hubbub as Cub fans thought Stan Hack's full-time .317 BA was tops. The league refused to bend, but in 1950, the NL made 2.6 AB’s per game the magic number. The veteran was sold to St. Louis after the 1941 season, where he would finish his career in 1945. Debs, btw, is not a moniker but his given name. His parents christened him in honor of early twentieth century labor activist and socialist, Eugene Debs. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1949</b> - RHP Jesse Jefferson was born in Midlothian, Virginia. In a nine-year career as both a starter and reliever, Jesse tossed one game for the Pirates in 1980 after the Bucs claimed him in September off the waiver wire from Toronto, where he was a member of the original expansion Jays. The outing was a strong effort by Jefferson, who beat the Cubs, 3-1, by going 6-2/3 IP of three-hit ball. It wasn’t enough to keep the 31-year-old in Pittsburgh, but it did get him a final contract with the Angels, where he finished out his MLB days after the 1981 season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1952</b> - RHP Murry Dickson won the battle of the counting numbers, ending a two-day holdout by signing his ‘52 contract with the Bucs. Murray led the league in hits allowed (294), earned runs surrendered (129), home runs given up (32) and posted 16 losses with a 4.02 ERA. On the other side of the coin, he appeared in 45 outings with 35 starts, worked 288-2/3 innings and won 20 games, adding a couple of saves along the way. He was looking to plump his salary from $20,000 to $30,000 and almost made his case as he agreed to a $27,000 deal. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1960</b> - LHP Neal Heaton was born in South Ozone Park, NY. He pitched for Pittsburgh from 1989-91, making the All Star team in 1990 after a 9-1/2.87 mid-June start. Heaton, who had battled tendinitis, credited the 1990 success to a new pitch, a knuckle change. The league apparently caught on; he finished the year at 12-9. As a Pirate, his line was 21-19 with a 3.46 ERA. Heaton now coaches at the All-Pro Academy in Bellport, NY, and worked with Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz when they were in high school. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBDpk2-OWqqBDmQNeWAzFIwe0Xl7hQLMUDXIgO7hFt_uc8X_tJDZNe_zbXq-baR9QtL2ZwRWu0TJqQvj0vCGBDRzOkQD4w49dV6CTHvkUw4ozqlY2Ujs3R_Hrq9RBIRGh9iDnoJsXHY981D0Gln0pTROlEp_wCRE4-tPMNgxhTFNB_w58ti8EjmZr4fY/s300/ron_wotus_sports-memorabilia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="239" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBDpk2-OWqqBDmQNeWAzFIwe0Xl7hQLMUDXIgO7hFt_uc8X_tJDZNe_zbXq-baR9QtL2ZwRWu0TJqQvj0vCGBDRzOkQD4w49dV6CTHvkUw4ozqlY2Ujs3R_Hrq9RBIRGh9iDnoJsXHY981D0Gln0pTROlEp_wCRE4-tPMNgxhTFNB_w58ti8EjmZr4fY/s1600/ron_wotus_sports-memorabilia.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Ron Wotus - 1983-84 photo via Sports Memorabilia</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1961</b> - IF Ron Wotus was born in Colchester, Connecticut. Ron spent his MLB career in Pittsburgh, getting into 32 games and batting .207 between 1983-84. He played in the minors afterwards, ending his playing days in the Giant organization. Wotus remained with the G-Men as a minor league manager from 1991 to 1997. He became the Giants third base coach in 1998 under Dusty Baker and has served as bench coach since 1999 under Baker, Felipe Alou and Bruce Bochy before returning to the 3B box in 2017; now he’s San Fran’s special assistant of baseball operations. Wotus was interviewed by the Bucs for the head honcho job in 2000, losing out to Lloyd McClendon. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1964</b> - Coach Trent Jewett was born in Dallas. Jewett was a catcher on the Pirate farm before continuing on as a coach in the organization. He managed the Triple-A Nashville Sounds from 1998 to 2000, was the Bucs third base coach from 2000-02, then returned to managing AAA Nashville and Indy until 2008 when he skipped to the Nats system. In 2013, he joined Lloyd McClendon as bench coach for Seattle, a position he held through 2015 when both Trent and Lloyd were let go. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1977</b> - Former <i>Post Gazette</i> Sports Editor Al Abrams passed away at age 73 after a heart attack. He covered the sports beat for the PPG from 1926 until his death and served as its sports editor from April 1947 to March 1974, with his regular “Sidelights on Sports” column continuing on even after he gave up the editorship. But his greatest contribution to the local sports scene may have been when Abrams founded the Post-Gazette Dapper Dan Club in 1936, now the Dapper Dan Charities, which awards an annual local Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Award and supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA for its sports activities. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1978</b> - Newly acquired RHP Bert Blyleven signed a new deal with the Pirates, overriding his old Texas contract (under the rules then, Bert needed to have a single contract - the Rangers had an annuity set up for him - or he would be eligible for free agency at the end of the year). The details announced by the team were fuzzy; the FO just said it was multi-year and included deferred payments, with <i>Baseball Reference</i> listing his 1979 salary at $500 K and the ‘80 pay at $300 K. Apparently it satisfied the Fryin’ Dutchman - he went on to post a 14-10/3.03 slash, working team-highs of 34 starts, 243-2/3 innings, 11 complete games, four shutouts and 182 whiffs. They also found time to work out a depth deal, signing 2B Mike Edwards. He was sent to Oakland in April. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc910KmU9Vo1vVGiGbTTkW10gUWnaR1I1_q8WkAP0Fqq1aESq8rtkRNYaBaos3WWK7caZovxwLKrpXClB0afTRVt2Fb0Xg3mRtTn6J6o91fyDy68fjxAvGrJMBRfHdmQiDMC_JT9Oc_jybFUgtDBoHUIqg9djSQv6Noc4JZDJWoLRnlKp01nwcNkSaRhc/s703/matt_diaz_claus-andersen-getty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="703" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc910KmU9Vo1vVGiGbTTkW10gUWnaR1I1_q8WkAP0Fqq1aESq8rtkRNYaBaos3WWK7caZovxwLKrpXClB0afTRVt2Fb0Xg3mRtTn6J6o91fyDy68fjxAvGrJMBRfHdmQiDMC_JT9Oc_jybFUgtDBoHUIqg9djSQv6Noc4JZDJWoLRnlKp01nwcNkSaRhc/s320/matt_diaz_claus-andersen-getty.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Matt Diaz - 2011 photo Claus Anderson/Getty</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1978</b> - OF Matt Diaz was born in Portland, Oregon. In December of 2010, he signed a two-year/$4.125M free-agent contract that could reach $5M w/bonuses with the Pirates, who were looking for some platoon punch to add to their attack. Instead, he suffered a power outage and slashed .259/.303/.324 without a dinger, resulting in the Pirates trading him back to the Braves, the club he had left after a non-tender, at the deadline for Eliecer Cardenas. Matt put 11 years in the league with a .290 lifetime BA after he hung ‘em up following the 2013 campaign, appearing in just 77 more games after he left town. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1987</b> - 3B Ray Dandridge was the only player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. He spent a handful of games with the Homestead Grays in 1937 as a 23-year-old pup early during a career that spanned 22 campaigns. Dandridge was nicknamed “Hooks” because of his bowed legs, but like the similarly-statured Honus Wagner, was an elite fielder and batter, considered by many to be the Negro League’s premier hot corner guy. He missed out on an MLB shot because of his age (35), but still hit .362 in the American Association, where he was Rookie of the Year in 1949 and MVP in ‘50. Ray went on to become a Giants’ scout after his playing days. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1988</b> - RHP Bob Kipper signed a split contract, w/$125K for the bigs and $75K for the minors, as a take-it-or-leave-it tender offer from the Bucs. Neither he nor his agent was very pleased by the deal, with the agent suggesting the Pirates trade Kip someplace he would be more appreciated, at least financially. But Kipper made it through the season with an uninterrupted MLB stay, and got $105K added to his salary next season, sticking with Pittsburgh through the 1991 campaign.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-43318235977457726442024-03-02T07:00:00.087-05:002024-03-02T07:00:00.135-05:003/2: Jay, Ollie Snub Arb; Barkley Brouhaha; Mixed Ump Crew; RIP Howie; HBD Johan, Junior, Miguel, Jim, Brandon, Don, Albie, Frank, Rip, Bill & Chick<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1879</b> - RHP Joe “Chick” Robitaille was born in Whitehall, New York. He spent his two year MLB career as a Pirate (1904-05), slashing 12-8/2.56 before being released in August 1905. Chick signed on with the Washington Senators the following season as a free agent, but never returned to the big leagues. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1886</b> - The American Association met and overruled Denny McKnight, AA president and also owner of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, over who held the rights to 2B Sam Barkley, then voted to suspend Barkley for signing with Pittsburgh. The issue turned around St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe, who had sold Barkley’s rights to Pittsburgh in January; Baltimore had sent him $1,000 for Barkley’s contract after a verbal agreement but it arrived after the Steel City deal. The case was eventually resolved by allowing Barkley to play for the Alleghenys, which sent Milt Scott from Pittsburgh to Baltimore as compensation, </span>while von der Ahe got to keep Baltimore’s check to give everyone a piece of the pie, essentially completing a three-team deal. After all that horsetrading, Barkley hit .248 in his two years with the club, splitting time between first and second base. </li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1891</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - C Bill Fischer was born in New York City. Bill spent the last two seasons of his five year career in Pittsburgh (he was traded to the Bucs by the Chicago Cubs in July 1916 as the Pirates were stockpiling catchers to spell the aging George Gibson) and hit .277 in 137 games before hangin’ the spikes up after the 1917 campaign. Fischer had a career year in 1915 playing for the pennant-winning Chicago Whales of the Federal League, when he batted .329. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1898</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - RHP Floyd “Rip” Wheeler was born in Marion, Kentucky. After winning 23 games in the minors, the Bucs called him up in late 1921. He gave up three earned runs in three frames and opened 1922 in the minors. He got one more inning in Pittsburgh before joining the Cubs, where he yo-yoed between the show and the farm for a couple of seasons. Rip quietly concluded his career after three more minor league years in 1928 at age 30 playing for Evansville. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPkAzxBwz7txriFLTIDx0i-YQ2imjSHk38ntgICEM9Q7_XwAyfVVsEfEy27FwVGgCqDLOvIdUoDXnU-2rsxjA-b7UN3ulGlXdjp6Hlyk5I6rbJbu_UP0r5QSvGIAxv4iwXB3lCzdbH-cvNUjM_siE1ZXoaZhV0EiJpGaPENhMCdkLfVvjNVZ6XT73ni4/s437/frank_colman_1944_find-a-grave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPkAzxBwz7txriFLTIDx0i-YQ2imjSHk38ntgICEM9Q7_XwAyfVVsEfEy27FwVGgCqDLOvIdUoDXnU-2rsxjA-b7UN3ulGlXdjp6Hlyk5I6rbJbu_UP0r5QSvGIAxv4iwXB3lCzdbH-cvNUjM_siE1ZXoaZhV0EiJpGaPENhMCdkLfVvjNVZ6XT73ni4/s320/frank_colman_1944_find-a-grave.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Frank Colman - 1944 photo Find-A-Grave</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1918</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - 1B/OF/PH Frank Colman was born in London, Ontario. He played for the Bucs from 1941-46, getting just 373 PA and hitting .233. In 1947, Frank’s career ended with the Yankees when a leg injury followed by surgery finished his MLB playing days. Frank caught on as a player-manager in the minors for a while, then bought the team he started out on, the London Majors. Frank later founded the Eager Beaver baseball group for kids, and was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 as a ballplayer and ambassador of the sport. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1924</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - OF Cal “Abie” Abrams was born in Philadelphia. He spent 1953 in Pittsburgh as the starting RF, hitting .286 with 15 HR, and was traded early in 1954 to Baltimore for P Dick Littlefield. Abrams hit .269 over his career, but drew 304 walks to just 290 whiffs and ended up with a .386 lifetime OBP in eight seasons with the Dodgers, Reds, Pirates, Orioles and White Sox. Abie ran a college bar after retirement and then became a celebrity host for a cruise liner. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1936</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - RHP Don Schwall was born in Wilkes-Barre. A two-sport college star (he was All-Conference hoopster) at Oklahoma, he won the AL Rookie of the Year honors in 1961 with the Red Sox, beating out teammate Carl “Yaz” Yastrzemski. He settled into journeyman status and was converted to the bullpen later in his career by the Bucs. He was a Pirate from 1963-66, going 22-23-4 with a 3.23 ERA. Don retired to Pittsburgh’s North Hills and worked as a broker. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1960</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - RHP Howie Camnitz, 78, passed away in Louisville, Kentucky. He pitched nine years (1904, 1906-13) for the Pirates, with a line of 116-84-13/2.63, went to Philly briefly and returned to toss for the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels in 1914-15, slashing 14-19-1/3.32. Camnitz was the ace of the 1909 World Series champs, and though he didn’t have a good Fall Classic, his 25-6-3/1.62 regular season was a big reason the Bucs won the flag. He threw for 235+ innings for seven straight seasons (1908-14), won 20+ games three times, and was on the same staff as his brother Harry in ‘09. Howie retired after his Rebels stint with a bum wing and became a car salesman. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-8_jd-E4o3kGhpZtwEHLHc047oMVVODX8BeKWvkkPv9yaLHwJkLP2c-keWK_TtDun1jq3Qbxc1rijNw4ua5Fo3VrrrI-JsOnF7yTzbK1qLZDh4wQL8NfCFUWysjnJPiYi76-I7Sc4xQ6zwyOA7XIqdg_ddO21Y-Nvfy94fo6mzL78Ge1B7DdeLfXQMk/s484/howie_camnitz_1914_helmar-oasis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-8_jd-E4o3kGhpZtwEHLHc047oMVVODX8BeKWvkkPv9yaLHwJkLP2c-keWK_TtDun1jq3Qbxc1rijNw4ua5Fo3VrrrI-JsOnF7yTzbK1qLZDh4wQL8NfCFUWysjnJPiYi76-I7Sc4xQ6zwyOA7XIqdg_ddO21Y-Nvfy94fo6mzL78Ge1B7DdeLfXQMk/s320/howie_camnitz_1914_helmar-oasis.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Howie Camnitz - Helmar Oasis</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1985</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - IF Brandon Wood was born in Austin, Texas. A first round pick of the Los Angeles/Anaheim Angels in 2003 (23rd overall), he spent parts of five seasons with the Halos. The Bucs claimed him in April of 2011 off waivers and he got into 99 games that season, batting .220 with seven homers while playing all four infield positions (primarily third base). He was with four other organizations after that campaign, but ‘11 was his last season in MLB. After being cut in camp by the Padres in 2014, he played a year of indie ball before he hung up his mitt and became a minor league manager in the San Diego system. Wood now runs a training academy in Billings, Montana. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1985</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - 2B Jim Negrych was born in Buffalo, New York. He never made it to the show but was a local story during his career. The Pirates drafted two-time All-American Negrych out of Pitt in the sixth round of the 2006 MLB Draft as the first Panther drafted since the Bucs selected P Larry Lamonde in 1981 (Dan Marino ‘79 & Ken Macha ‘72 were prior picks). In 2008, Negrych was the Pirates minor league player of the year and was a Carolina League All-Star, then with Atoona and again with Indy he was named an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star. But he topped out at AAA and bounced around several organizations, earning upper level honors but no promotions. Jim took his game east to the Chinese League for a couple of seasons, helped coach at Pitt, managed the New England College League Keene Swamp Bats and is now a regional scout for the Cards. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1995</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - IF/OF/DH Miguel Andujar was born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. After a breakout campaign for the Yankees in 2018 (.297/27/92) that saw him finish second in the Rookie-of-the-Year vote, he faded badly (he hit .230 with a 61 OPS+ from 2019-22) and was waived in late September of 2022 by New York. The Bucs claimed him, hoping that a change of scenery and some steady plate visits will help fill the Pirates right-handed hole at DH. Andujar was a surprise DFA before ‘23 camp, but passed through waivers and got a late season call, hitting .250 with four HRs/18 RBI in 30 games. Andújar was waived again in November, but this time he was claimed by the Oakland Athletics and quickly signed for one-year/$1.7M. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPheTnKzRXLn9DlHvM_AoWH7KnXVFsb5uYjnKvHkMX7bvHSFXE8GzKt8WLHeJqciUDeyQJQ_-XHInelYvxFFuMldDdoIbUeCyUB3_fq-WjKOvbosmJ3s2EtPyaJvJ3cnV5fynrvSW1hUDQcnNtMbOxhngxOOZHgogT30_0mli7gW6xc4cBf0Aj9svmX7M/s552/miguel_andujar_2023_topps-heritage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="397" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPheTnKzRXLn9DlHvM_AoWH7KnXVFsb5uYjnKvHkMX7bvHSFXE8GzKt8WLHeJqciUDeyQJQ_-XHInelYvxFFuMldDdoIbUeCyUB3_fq-WjKOvbosmJ3s2EtPyaJvJ3cnV5fynrvSW1hUDQcnNtMbOxhngxOOZHgogT30_0mli7gW6xc4cBf0Aj9svmX7M/s320/miguel_andujar_2023_topps-heritage.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Miguel Andujar - 2023 Topps Heritage</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1996</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - At St. Petersburg's Al Lang Field, two Japanese umpires worked the Pirates-Cards exhibition game along with two U.S. umpires as part of an exchange program that also had American umpires working games in Japan. "I thought they (the Japanese) did a good job," said Pirates manager Jim Leyland. "And even if they didn't, you couldn't argue with them." Scott Zucker of UPI added that “(Tony) LaRussa offered that his only Japanese conversation consists of shaking his head 'yes' or 'no.' Keeping LaRussa quiet should be enough to keep any umpire, no matter what his nationality, happy.” The Bucs won the contest, 11-2, behind Denny Neagle’s first spring start without any international incidents. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1997</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - RHP Junior Fernandez was born in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic. He was an on-and-off member of the Cards roster from 2019, going 1-1/5.15 in 50 games. He was waived in September and claimed by the Bucs, getting into three games. He only gave up a hit, but walked four (in his MLB career, he averages six free passes per game) in 3-1/3 IP with two K. Junior was released and pitched in the Yankee, Blue Jay and Nat systems; he’s now working in Japan. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">1998</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - RHP Johan Oviedo was born in La Habana, Cuba. He was inked by the Cards in 2016 and made his big league debut in 2020. The Cards used him out of the pen by 2022, but he was returned to the rotation by the Bucs, who acquired him as part of the Jose Quintana deadline deal. Johan got seven outings as a Pirate, going 2-2/3.23. Johan followed with a 9-14/4.31 slash in ‘23, working 177-2/3 IP and tying Mitch Keller for the most starts with 32. But 2024 ended up a lost season after Oviedo underwent off-season TJ surgery. </span></li><li><b style="font-family: inherit;">2005</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - LHP Ollie Perez, 23, and OF Jason Bay, 26, symbolically refused to sign their pre-arb contracts, dissatisfied with the raises offered by the Pirates after their 2004 performances. Perez was given $381,000, a $60,000 increase (the largest pre-arb raise ever given by the Bucs) and Bay received $355,000, a $50,000 bump over 2004’s salary. Perez was coming off a 12-10/2.98 campaign while Rookie of the Year Bay batted .282 with 26 homers and 82 RBI.</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-38440191699571702092024-03-01T07:00:00.107-05:002024-03-01T07:00:00.132-05:003/1: PNC Reopens; Arb Protest; Roberto Late To Camp; Pirates Pirating; Forbes Field Started; Cuban Camp; MLB Radio Deal; Lockout; Drug Testing; HBD Trevor, Johnny, Jumbo, Lefty, Henry & Paul<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1855</b> - OF and general utilityman Paul Hines was born somewhere in Virginia. Hines played in 1,659 games in three major leagues from 1872-91, had 2,135 hits, hit .300+ 11 times and posted a career batting average of .302. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh fans, he played for the Alleghenys during part of the disastrous 1890 113-loss season and performed at their level, hitting a career low .182 in 31 games. He was 35 then and had one more season left in him, bouncing back with a more representative .282 BA in his swan song with Washington. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1864</b> - C Henry Yaik was born in Detroit. His big league career was spent with the Alleghenys when he played two games in October, 1888. Henry caught in one contest and played LF in another, with two hits, a walk, and an RBI in seven PA. His claim to fame: Henry was the catcher for Cy Young in the minors when they were battery mates for the Tri State League Canton club in 1890. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1885</b> - LHP Cleon “Lefty” Webb was born in New Gilead, Ohio. He joined the Pirates on September 1st, 1909 via the prospect draft. In his only big league season, he split time between the Bucs and the American Association Indianapolis squad in 1910, making seven Pittsburgh appearances (three starts) with a 2-1/5.67 line. 1914 was his last pro year; the Ohio Wesleyan grad went on to a second career of teaching, coaching and eventually became a school superintendent. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1891</b> - After earlier spiriting 2B Lou Bierbauer away from Philadelphia, the Pittsburgh Alleghenys again raided the American Association by signing OF Pete Browning and P Scott Stratton away from the Louisville Colonels, further cementing its new nickname of "Pirates." The Alleghenys were never found guilty of wrongdoing in any of the deals, and they thumbed their noses at being called piratical by rebranding as the Pirates for the 1891 season, at least per some of the media. The nickname slowly but surely caught on over time and was finally stitched on the team's uniforms in 1912. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCh7EI31NGM8984CLLUVtP7i6N7jaiRQ-JIXruFoo45ilh8hN5_mQ6Dz077XH9WvsJ4kXe2M3zSQY7PPT93FRZK57NIH08sJUxsK1LfMVVdz0avtvK2xTXQWDZIgVcZZNFnFoFY2aIdBY8Atl3XLBOiADDlVLrvpzyoF0pZ2pS0ja-BQ2iwvbqXbKkP4/s762/FF_1909_singer-co-pc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="762" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCh7EI31NGM8984CLLUVtP7i6N7jaiRQ-JIXruFoo45ilh8hN5_mQ6Dz077XH9WvsJ4kXe2M3zSQY7PPT93FRZK57NIH08sJUxsK1LfMVVdz0avtvK2xTXQWDZIgVcZZNFnFoFY2aIdBY8Atl3XLBOiADDlVLrvpzyoF0pZ2pS0ja-BQ2iwvbqXbKkP4/w400-h253/FF_1909_singer-co-pc.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Forbes Field - 1909 Singer Company postcard</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1909</b> - Barney Dreyfuss began construction of a stadium near Schenley Park in Oakland, which would eventually be named Forbes Field after General John Forbes of French and Indian War fame. The steel-and-concrete ballyard was built and opened remarkably quickly on June 30th, remaining the Bucco’s playground for decades. The Pirates won three World Series there while sharing it with Pitt, the Steelers, the circus, rallies and events of all stripes before shutting down in 1970 and moving to the North Shore and Three Rivers Stadium. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1915</b> - RHP Nick “Jumbo” Strincevich was born in Gary, Indiana. The Pirates sent Lloyd Waner to the Boston Braves for Nick, and he remained a Buc from 1941-48, starting about half the games he appeared in while compiling a slash of 42-40-5/4.05 before being sold to the Phils. Strincevich was selected to play on the 1945 All-Star team but unfortunately due to wartime travel restrictions, the game and his day in the sun was canceled. Jumbo pitched 16 seasons of pro ball. His nickname was lifted from his dad, who was known as Big Jumbo and Nick as Little Jumbo. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1939</b> - The first Major League Broadcasting Agreement was signed just prior to the 1939 season. Prior to that, many MLB clubs didn’t broadcast their games over the radio for fear of losing attendance, especially the two-team cities. Afterward, they all did except for a couple of times that clubs didn’t get their asking price for the rights. The first televised game was also aired this year, and in 1953 ABC began broadcasting a national game on Saturdays. League-wide broadcasts started when Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis orchestrated a deal in 1935 that allowed the World Series to be carried over the radio on all three major networks. In exchange, baseball was paid $400,000 for the radio rights. This marked the beginning of the end of the radio bans, and by 1939, all MLB teams were free to broadcast their games on the radio. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1953</b> - The Pirates opened their first and only spring camp in Havana. The Cuban government didn’t garner the hoped-for financial results of the experiment while the Pirates missed competing against other MLB teams based in Florida, and as a result, the original three-year deal ended up one-and-done by mutual agreement. The biggest hurdle was the absence of drawing card Ralph Kiner, who was a holdout. It was a sore point for both the Cuban promoters, who counted on his star power, and the Pirates front office, who wanted him back in the fold. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaMsg4Ia7ZwW5cdCIcvWLVe_gsg6RmYuQZAKxshNCMizC1UOlGIr8yOtVMcYL7Bhh6zEM3Xeen-gkLSxB8OPuBTe1qXwnWaV9cP9f_YhUqsFaVDsqeqxs7oB-gOqKEQS80dCik-XLIVF5WY5SViOjmp9eNm9tqMP8O6qiliONs4NSiq26lrbkWZg2gjk/s668/1953_bucs_cuba_camp_2-26-1953_ppg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="668" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaMsg4Ia7ZwW5cdCIcvWLVe_gsg6RmYuQZAKxshNCMizC1UOlGIr8yOtVMcYL7Bhh6zEM3Xeen-gkLSxB8OPuBTe1qXwnWaV9cP9f_YhUqsFaVDsqeqxs7oB-gOqKEQS80dCik-XLIVF5WY5SViOjmp9eNm9tqMP8O6qiliONs4NSiq26lrbkWZg2gjk/w400-h325/1953_bucs_cuba_camp_2-26-1953_ppg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Pirates in Havana - 1953 Post-Gazette photo</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1956</b> - Roberto Clemente held out, missing the opening of camp. The Pirates offered $7,000; he felt he deserved $10,000. The Bucs held all the cards and signed The Great One for $7,500, but Roberto quickly made up the difference by hitting .311 and doubling his paycheck to $15,000 the following campaign. Clemente quickly became noted in Pittsburgh circles for late arrivals to camp for any variety of reasons, and while it didn't seem to hurt his preparation for the season ahead, it did cause some tooth-gnashing by his managers. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1957</b> - 2B Johnny Ray was born in Chouteau, Oklahoma. Johnny was the Rookie of the Year runner-up in 1982 to Steve Sax, playing in 162 games and hitting .318, also winning a Silver Slugger award in 1983 and named a Player of the Month in 1986. He played from 1981-87 for the Bucs, posting a .286 BA before being moved to make room for Jose Lind. He wasn’t done when the Pirates sent him to the Angels; in four years there, he batted .296 and played in an All-Star game. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1965</b> - Roberto Clemente didn’t report for spring training, suffering from malaria. He made it to camp a month later and muddled along until mid-May (his BA was .235 on May 21st), before he rallied to win the NL batting title with a .329 BA. He did struggle all year with his power stroke, bopping just 21 doubles and 10 home runs with 65 RBI, his lowest totals since 1959. The effects didn’t linger as a healthy Roberto went long 29 times with 119 RBI and a .317 batting average the following campaign and was named the National League’s 1966 MVP. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1976</b> - The owners commenced a spring training lockout, which lasted 17 days. Unwilling to delay the start of the season, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn decreed training camps to open March 18th. Players agreed to open the 1976 season without a collective bargaining agreement in place, and no games were canceled. A new four-year CBA was hammered out in July that allowed for free agency. It was ratified in August, with 24 players taking advantage of the new status. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoFmWBzrLOL7nm70iG92yKOu6n6PRmcCUuAV_jChXRzRxTSuyiWqxMziOKGIKcaZfWhv9R-Lv5B8O6Pl7lbOo5WDLe76xbqFMlOjjdnFCSpGqykkEWQ-rimolEdkpNMP2Od62YVcLim3BnGod-6p3jY6PsUltbqwKdHqqx2c6AE22dok1z2fQxD0UKz0/s884/lockout-go-slow_3-3-1976_ppg-charley-feeney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="507" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoFmWBzrLOL7nm70iG92yKOu6n6PRmcCUuAV_jChXRzRxTSuyiWqxMziOKGIKcaZfWhv9R-Lv5B8O6Pl7lbOo5WDLe76xbqFMlOjjdnFCSpGqykkEWQ-rimolEdkpNMP2Od62YVcLim3BnGod-6p3jY6PsUltbqwKdHqqx2c6AE22dok1z2fQxD0UKz0/s320/lockout-go-slow_3-3-1976_ppg-charley-feeney.jpg" width="184" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Camp lockout - 3/3/1976 Charley Feeney/Post-Gazette</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1984</b> - The Pirates announced that their minor league players would be drug-tested when they reported to camp and then would be spot-tested during the season, though the big league roster went scot-free. Pete Peterson told Bob Hertzel of the <i>Press</i> that “I personally feel there should be drug testing on the major league level...” but it wasn’t permitted under the MLB CBA. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1988</b> - RHP Trevor Cahill was born in Oceanside, California. He was drafted by the Oakland A’s in the second round of the 2006 draft out of high school. Cahill debuted in 2009 as a starter/long man, signing late with the Pirates in mid-March of 2021, with the Bucs the ninth club he’s hurled for. As a mound hybrid, he fit into Shelty’s plan to use an extended rotation, but went 1-5/6.57. In July, he was put on the IL with a calf injury and then fractured his foot. Cahill was non-tendered, then spent ‘22 in the Mets system and is now a free agent. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2006</b> - Four Pirates who hadn’t reached arb yet - LHP’s Zach Duke & Mike Gonzalez, OF Chris Duffy and 2B Jose Castillo - refused to sign their contracts in a symbolic snit over the amount the Pirates had allotted them. GM Dave Littlefield said they had an internal salary system the club was sticking to, and the players themselves accepted their payday fate w/o much ado after the fact. Castillo got $348K, Gonzalez $347K, Duke $335K and Duffy $331K. 13 other pre-arb Buccos went with the flow and signed their deals with nary a peep. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2021</b> - The governor relaxed venue closure rules and allowed the Pirates to use 20% of its PNC Park capacity for fans, or roughly 7,900 people per game, as long as social distancing protocols were in place. It was a baby-step return to normalcy for baseball as fans had been banned during the 2020 campaign due to Covid.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-61849678478339899552024-02-29T07:00:00.001-05:002024-02-29T07:00:00.132-05:002/29: Quiet Leap Day - Teke Signs, AJ Bunt Blooper; Maz Still On The Outside; Grapefruit Glasnost; HBD Bligh<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1980</b> - Kent Tekulve was unsigned and didn’t report to camp when it opened on the 27th after going 10-3-31/2.75 in ‘79 and saving three World Series matches. But after a short holdout, he agreed to a three-year/$1.5M contract on this date. He made his first (and only) All-Star appearance during the season, but also had issues with nerve damage that limited his workload and threw off his delivery in ‘80-81. Even with that hurdle, Teke soldiered on solidly - during the deal’s span, he appeared in 208 games with a slash of 25-25-44/2.95. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99CVuavJi-fuWb5JUToUmfLjk71KMs4VAKmrQaFRRigwCO_DtKzeZAgfx5axmcn8pGLjkS14hPin801Kewe0-vhl7DZRo3KOys4F9QlW_RFoToy0sCtPaTLFlWrg_ttF-wgxAAyZLCRlG7xbeHXMCgDSciQ9tXDWKO9s6vOVthtCLEi0fsl6bXQ10bfo/s348/kent_tekulve_2003_topps-tribute.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="245" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99CVuavJi-fuWb5JUToUmfLjk71KMs4VAKmrQaFRRigwCO_DtKzeZAgfx5axmcn8pGLjkS14hPin801Kewe0-vhl7DZRo3KOys4F9QlW_RFoToy0sCtPaTLFlWrg_ttF-wgxAAyZLCRlG7xbeHXMCgDSciQ9tXDWKO9s6vOVthtCLEi0fsl6bXQ10bfo/s320/kent_tekulve_2003_topps-tribute.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Teke - 2003 Topps Tribute</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1988</b> - The Pirates practiced a little hardball glasnost by hosting the Soviet Union national baseball coaches, who were touring a handful of MLB spring training sites, at Pirate City. The Buc brass, led by Syd Thrift, shared some drills with the Russian coaches, showed them the difference between a two-and-four seamer and even taught them some plyometrics before gifting them with ball caps and baseballs, which were a rare (and much valued) commodity in the USSR. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1996</b> - OF Bligh Madris was born in Las Vegas. The Bucs drafted him in the ninth round of the 1997 draft out of Colorado Mesa University. He began to get notice in 2021 in the upper levels and was red hot at Indy in ‘22, getting the call to Pittsburgh in mid-June. In his first game, he went 3-for-4 (the first Pirate to have three hits in his debut since Jason Kendall in 1996) with two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. But Madris' bat went quiet and he was DFA’ed in September, with Tampa Bay claiming him. He later was sold to the Astros and is now part of the Detroit Tigers organization. Bligh trivia: he’s the first Palauan MLB player. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2000</b> - Bill Mazeroski was passed over by the Veterans Committee for selection into the Hall of Fame by one vote. Maz told the Pittsburgh Press that “I don’t think about it. I haven’t worried about it for 64 years.” Billy didn’t have to bite his lip to hide his disappointment for too much longer - he was finally elected into the Hall a year later, proving there is room for a glove in Cooperstown. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2012</b> - Newly signed AJ Burnett fractured his orbital eye socket after fouling a ball into his puss during a spring bunting drill. He required surgery and was out of action until April 21st. Fortunately, AJ recovered without a hitch, tossing a seven-inning, three-hit shutout against the Cards for a 2-0 win upon his return. Not only did he go on to win 16 games for the Bucs, but the practice for laying one down paid off - he dropped five successful bunts during the campaign, although the fans covered their eyes in trepidation every time Batman squared up.</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-24717997373817394722024-02-28T07:00:00.080-05:002024-02-28T07:00:00.237-05:002/28: Jack, A-Ram, Bob, Homer Sign; Cover Boy Clemente; Druggies Dinged; Barney Buys Into Philly; Price Goes Up; HBD Aroldis, Aaron, Lil, Jud, Moose, Cotton Top & Jack<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1865</b> - P Jack Easton was born in Bridgeport, Ohio. He tossed in the MLB for five years, closing out with a three-game (one start) stint with the Pirates in 1894, posting a line of 0-1/4.12. He finished his pro career in 1897 at age 32 with Wheeling of the Interstate League. He worked in glass plants after his playing days, passing away young in 1903 of consumption (TB). </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1881</b> - IF Terry “Cotton Top” Turner was born at Sandy Lake in Mercer County. He only got seven at-bats for Pittsburgh as a 20-year-old rookie in 1901 after a two-day August audition, but after some seasoning on the farm, Terry carved out a 17-year MLB career, almost entirely as a Cleveland Nap/Indian. Turner’s calling card was as a master at “small ball.” He was a strong defender who led AL shortstops in fielding four times. On the attack, though he only had a .253 BA, Terry was a great bunter (he laid down 268 sac bunts) and a speedy, fearless runner who pioneered the use of the head-first slide while stealing 256 bases as a pro. His “Cotton Top” nickname came about because of his light hair. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1881</b> - OF Harry “Moose” McCormick was born in Philadelphia. Moose had a scattered five-year career in the big leagues and was an early pinch-hitting stalwart, hitting .285 over his career. He played his 1904 rookie campaign in part with the Pirates, hitting .290 in 66 games. His post-baseball career was interesting - he served in the military during WW1 and was a salesman, ump & minor league manager before serving as the skipper at Bucknell & West Point. Moose rejoined the Army during WW2, heading up the physical training program at Mitchell Field and became a director of vets housing after the war. He also wrote a coaching manual (“The Fundamentals of Baseball” in 1931) and spent two years running a baseball exhibit at the New York World's Fair of 1939-1940. His nickname dated back to high school where he was a strapping 5’11”, 185 pounds. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZkNVEwoLazvTEqo68me65pX_4a5udwel-KKQ2kE8btqQL5gMxUBGGRyVxhaBqphFtbxJXjGBc4YJ2NiKqweZixwCJrrMnpW6105Z4T1jQsNQ6L2td4YOwlfstZ-xI6OZ55-E_r-0Gqk-oiKCuHoDPXiJbQDXwqWy6j9r2Jh_32mmOCUphB9PqzEjICM/s681/jud_wilson_helmar-T206.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZkNVEwoLazvTEqo68me65pX_4a5udwel-KKQ2kE8btqQL5gMxUBGGRyVxhaBqphFtbxJXjGBc4YJ2NiKqweZixwCJrrMnpW6105Z4T1jQsNQ6L2td4YOwlfstZ-xI6OZ55-E_r-0Gqk-oiKCuHoDPXiJbQDXwqWy6j9r2Jh_32mmOCUphB9PqzEjICM/s320/jud_wilson_helmar-T206.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Jud Wilson - Helmar T207</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1897</b> - IF Ernest Judson (Jud or Boojum) Wilson was born in Remington, Virginia. Jud played for the Homestead Grays (1931-1932, 1940-1945) and had a brief stop with the Pittsburgh Crawfords in 1932. The Grays’ captain and Hall of Fame infielder compiled a .351 lifetime BA. He was indifferent with the glove and feisty - his Hall of Fame bio describes him as “ill tempered and fearless” - but was one of the best pure hitters the Negro Leagues ever produced. Satchel Paige gave him his nickname when he yielded a line drive off Wilson's bat that zipped by his head. After that, Satchel called Jud by the sound the ball made: "Booh-ZHOOM!" per Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1899</b> - RHP Ulysses Simpson Grant (“Lil”) Stoner - he got the nickname in his youth because his brother couldn’t pronounce Ulysses - was born in Bowie, Texas, the 17th of 18 children. Lil threw seven years for the Tigers; he was workmanlike, winning 10 or more games three times, but could never meet his highly-touted expectations. After that run, he got a brief look in Pittsburgh in 1930 (5-2/3 IP, three runs, seven hits) before being sent to Fort Worth. He had a bounce back campaign there at age 31, but failed a brief audition in Philly the following season and was out of pro ball altogether after the 1932 campaign. Stoner was quite the Renaissance Man - he was an excellent cook (his teammates sometimes called him the “Bowie Baker” because of his culinary skills), became famed for his flower-raising abilities (he was often called on to judge shows) and was an Enrico Caruso opera fan per Bob Hurte of <i>SABR</i>. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1903</b> - A syndicate headed by Philadelphia socialite James Potter that included Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss bought the Phillies for $170,000 and brought in former Bucco Chief Zimmer as a player/manager. Though they sold the team two years later, ownership interest in more than one team, with its inherent conflicts of interest, wasn’t prohibited until 1910. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1905</b> - Pittsburgh signed LHP/C Homer Hillebrand as a free agent. The 25-year-old saw action with the Bucs over the next two seasons, posting an 8-4-1/2.53 line in 17 games and batting .237 in 18 more games at first, outfield and behind the plate. The Pirates used the versatile Hillebrand on the slab because of his rifle at backstop; it was a mixed blessing as he was an effective pitcher but limited by arm soreness. Homer had to retire after a partial 1906 campaign because of his bum wing. He tried to make a comeback in 1908, but fell short. The lefty was a Princeton guy and a true 4-H’er - his full name was Homer Hiller Henry Hillebrand. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13qvFtnlx1CpQxT3F7SlEj8ddSc1HqWaaxRVU40z0bQNdCwm0mnzYmCByxAWNO5NKQVxoMlfQjvc6_qOdOkfE_LHR91JCGoH9xfo57W1l7x0N9hrSkIPr-9stmbMIXQ1Ob5HFw1sW2PISV3EWKF4SPeWdwfKwlHPdYHAxRvf3kAvvo3gtrCDEBwWaKRY/s694/homer_hillebrand_1905_chicago-history-museum-getty.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="694" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13qvFtnlx1CpQxT3F7SlEj8ddSc1HqWaaxRVU40z0bQNdCwm0mnzYmCByxAWNO5NKQVxoMlfQjvc6_qOdOkfE_LHR91JCGoH9xfo57W1l7x0N9hrSkIPr-9stmbMIXQ1Ob5HFw1sW2PISV3EWKF4SPeWdwfKwlHPdYHAxRvf3kAvvo3gtrCDEBwWaKRY/s320/homer_hillebrand_1905_chicago-history-museum-getty.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Homer Hillebrand - 1905 Chicago History Museum/Getty</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1926</b> - The Pirates announced an increase in ticket prices at Forbes Field: with tax included, box seats jumped to $1.75; reserved $1.50; grandstand $1.10 and bleachers remained the same at $.50. When the ballyard closed in 1970, ticket prices ranged from $3.50-$1 at The House of Thrills. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1960</b> - LF Bob Skinner wasn’t happy about it, but he became the last Pirate to sign a contract on the opening day of camp at Fort Myers. He had a 40-point drop in BA from 1958 to ‘59 (albeit .321 to .280) and the team clipped his salary from $18,000 to $15,000. His pay would continue to yo-yo in his remaining three years in Pittsburgh, as he made $21K in ‘61, $18 K in ‘62 and $31 K in ‘63, before being traded away and settling on a pay scale in the mid-20’s range during his final five seasons with Cincinnati and Saint Louis. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1970</b> - Roberto Clemente was featured on the cover of <i>The Sporting News</i> for the story “Swan Song?” TSN needn’t have worried about The Great One fading into the sunset; the 35-year-old Arriba hit .352, earned a spot on the All Star team for the division-winning Buccos and won a Gold Glove. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1986</b> - Commissioner Peter Ueberroth gave seven players who were admitted drug users, including ex-Pirates Dave Parker (Reds) and Dale Berra (Yankees), a choice of a year's suspension without pay or being assessed hefty fines (10% of their salary to a drug program) plus career-long drug testing‚ along with 100 hours of drug-related community service, as a result of the Pittsburgh Cocaine trial. Parker, then with the Cincinnati Reds, and Berra, with the New York Yankees, unsurprisingly took the fine/testing/community service penalty. Lee Lacy (Orioles) and Al Holland (Yankees), likewise ex-Bucs, were issued lesser fines equal to 5% of their salary and had to perform 50 hours community service. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oYQSSWsssOohV6UMPjq5z2ffET6e3LGFBTn2pJ2Tr-i79EKIWodt05repBhmtn92eNdA5AtLn9e8hDJ_wM49BLJ6C62e6hHPcpqWmDG0sRqifzuvBZCT8S8X9fypvDPrpjmuIc5ZFysT5-k9nqQ6nuPPJPpRi5EV1R6XhFBVAqvNwr5bNLHkvFUS5qU/s547/aaron_thompson_2011_steiner-sports.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oYQSSWsssOohV6UMPjq5z2ffET6e3LGFBTn2pJ2Tr-i79EKIWodt05repBhmtn92eNdA5AtLn9e8hDJ_wM49BLJ6C62e6hHPcpqWmDG0sRqifzuvBZCT8S8X9fypvDPrpjmuIc5ZFysT5-k9nqQ6nuPPJPpRi5EV1R6XhFBVAqvNwr5bNLHkvFUS5qU/s320/aaron_thompson_2011_steiner-sports.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Aaron Thompson - 2011 photo via Steiner Sports</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1987</b> - LHP Aaron Thompson was born in Santa Fe. A first round pick (#22 overall) of the Marlins in 2005, the Pirates picked him up off waivers during the winter of 2010, and he made his MLB debut in August, 2011. He got into four games (7-2/3 IP, 7.04 ERA) and was released at the end of the year. He later popped up briefly in the Twins bullpen (2014-15). He was let go after 2015, played a year of indie ball, spent another season in Mexico, and then retired in 2017. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1988</b> - LHP Aroldis Chapman was born in Holguin, Cuba. The Pirates signed the 14-year vet and seven-time All Star to a one-year/$10.5 M contract as a bridge man and experienced closer behind David Bednar to add another brick to an already-sturdy bullpen back end. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2002</b> - The team agreed to terms with 3B Aramis Ramirez on a back-loaded, three-year contract extension through 2004 for $9.5M. The Bucs traded him to Chicago, along with Kenny Lofton, in mid-2003 for IF Bobby Hill and a farmhand before the big money fell due. A-Ram finished his career with the Bucs in 2015, retiring after 18 MLB campaigns with a .283 BA, 368 HR and 1,417 RBI. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2006</b> - The team and SS Jack Wilson worked out a three-year/$20.2M contract extension through the 2009 season with a limited no-trade clause and an $8.4M club option for 2010. He was sent to Seattle before the 2009 deadline. Injury-plagued in his later years (he only played 90+ games once from 2008-12), Jack retired after the 2012 campaign and now is a college coach.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-19818259355857380082024-02-27T07:00:00.058-05:002024-02-27T07:00:00.142-05:002/27: Cole Train, Josias, Big Daddy Sign; Mule Sold; Posey, Pie HoF; Candy Comeback; Early Pace-Of-Play; Bucs Grieved; HBD Craig & Matt<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1901</b> - So ya think that the pace-of-play/20-second clock is just a recent debate? After a Philadelphia meeting, the National League Rules Committee told umpires that a ball should be called if the pitcher does not throw to a ready batter within 20 seconds; they wanted to keep the game moving along at its two-hour tempo. Among other changes, the rule-makers directed umpires to chastise players who fouled off good pitches. This wasn’t intended so much to keep the game moving as a measure to save the owners the cost of replacement baseballs. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1926</b> - The Pirates sold 22-year-old OF George “Mule” Haas to the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association. The Buccos had a set outfield at the time, but should have been a little more patient with Mule. After two years with the Crackers and a .323 BA in 1927, the Philly Athletics bought him for $16,000 and he stayed in the majors for 11 years. Mule hit .292 lifetime by batting .280 or better for eight of his next nine campaigns, including three .300+ seasons. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1948</b> - 3B Pie Traynor was elected to the Hall of Fame by the baseball writers. The infielder spent his entire 17-year career with the Pirates, where he compiled a .320 lifetime batting average and never had a season where he struck out more than 28 times. Traynor was best known for his glove at the hot corner, where he recorded 2,288 putouts and started 308 double plays. He was formally inducted on June 13th, 1949, and accepted with a succinct 40-word speech. Pie stayed in the City after his career and is buried in Homewood Cemetery. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1968</b> - 1B/OF Matt Stairs was born in St. John, New Brunswick. Matt made a stop in Pittsburgh in 2003, hitting .292 with 20 homers before moving on to KC as a free agent. Stairs was a vet at relocating; in his 19 big league campaigns, he played for a dozen different franchises. He is just one of five Canadian players with 200+ HRs and was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. He was nicknamed “Stairsmaster," a play on his name. Matt was also known as the “Wonder Hamster.” He told Joe O'Connor of the National Post that “I have no idea what the Wonder Hamster was all about. That was from a fan in Oakland.” He did offer that "I'm short and chubby. I get up there and I'm a little guy" so it’s likely that his physique may be the moniker’s genesis. After he racked the bat for the last time, Matt worked with Boston as a TV game analyst, then went to Philly as a batting coach in 2016. He moved to San Diego after the 2017 season following Pete Mackanin’s dismissal and lasted a year; he’s been out of MLB since then. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyRYBHnmS7KG0Je5GXaWpXdo4tdNtHjA1JbkhzsfY2_T1M-OxsfqdFjE0dc1FZTk-1FlQdU71cwHq6jPqESSEE2FIgPxmNbY6F-a5xLrwmpPp-3aeq0nLG2UGxxRJdWFTljgkU2cbDszEhZYMe3aygF-0g846v8L56-tAl9_S3vICs6k8qy7hyqLv6_s/s296/matt_stairs_2003_topps-home-team-advantage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="211" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyRYBHnmS7KG0Je5GXaWpXdo4tdNtHjA1JbkhzsfY2_T1M-OxsfqdFjE0dc1FZTk-1FlQdU71cwHq6jPqESSEE2FIgPxmNbY6F-a5xLrwmpPp-3aeq0nLG2UGxxRJdWFTljgkU2cbDszEhZYMe3aygF-0g846v8L56-tAl9_S3vICs6k8qy7hyqLv6_s/s1600/matt_stairs_2003_topps-home-team-advantage.png" width="211" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Matt Stairs - 2003 Topps Home Field Advantage</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1977</b> - OF/PH Craig Monroe was born in Texarkana, Texas. The vet hadn’t had a solid year since 2006, but the Bucs inked him as a free agent in 2009, hoping for a bounce back from the 32-year-old. They didn’t get it; he hit .215 with three homers and was released on July 1st, ending his MLB career. A Tiger broadcaster for the past decade, Monroe is the analyst on Bally Sports Detroit. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1985</b> - The Pirates signed 35-year-old RHP Rick Reuschel to a one-year NRI deal (it became official the next day). The FA had gone 5-5/5.17 with the Cubs and inked a contract with Pittsburgh after a bid to join the Giants fell through, with both he and the Bucs looking at a possible long relief role. Big Daddy did get into six games as a reliever, but ended up starting 85 times in 2-1/2 seasons with Buccos, slashing 31-30-1/3.04 over that time and earning an All Star berth. He was then traded to the team that didn’t originally want him, San Francisco, where he worked 4-1/2 more years, winning 36 games in 1988-89 and another All Star spot before hangin’ up the spikes in 1991 at the age of 42 to close a 19-year career. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1993</b> - LHP John Candelaria mounted a comeback with the Pirates at age 39 after leaving the fold in 1985 and then tossing for seven other clubs. But he ran into problems quickly, one of which was being arrested on this date for DUI. He apologized, promised it wouldn’t happen again, and then nailed down a bullpen spot in camp. But Father Time had caught up to the Candy Man - he was released in early July after 24 outings/8.24 ERA, ending his career after 19 seasons. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2002</b> - The Pirates re-signed RHP Josias Manzanillo to a minor league contract worth $550K at the MLB level. Jose had shot himself in the foot after turning down arb, where it was estimated that he could be awarded $2M, to seek a multi-year, free agent payday that never materialized. He fired his agent and told Robert Dvorchak of the <i>Post-Gazette</i> “I really don't understand how this thing works. I only know that I'm here. Things worked out that way.” But after two strong Pirates seasons (5-4-2/3.39 from 2000-01), he fizzled in 2002 after elbow surgery, was released in August and out of the league after the 2004 campaign. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1l9AobDVKVXkjqH3OZon-kS6IuH9-EyraGbR3G3lR6WT8TPOHfz10fH3xd-ThXWMMaXoqxQWdgFOwNW8M1FAX09B3u2A7dS4WkR-xWTmEGrnbw-sSelzhQiUnGN9EZB-xNCy4267VCFJmzaBqU9KImlwqaPHn0NHHhqa1LsGyxomvHLkSGx1aKUPdds/s677/cum_posey_helmar-oasis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="453" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1l9AobDVKVXkjqH3OZon-kS6IuH9-EyraGbR3G3lR6WT8TPOHfz10fH3xd-ThXWMMaXoqxQWdgFOwNW8M1FAX09B3u2A7dS4WkR-xWTmEGrnbw-sSelzhQiUnGN9EZB-xNCy4267VCFJmzaBqU9KImlwqaPHn0NHHhqa1LsGyxomvHLkSGx1aKUPdds/s320/cum_posey_helmar-oasis.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Cum Posey - Helmar Oasis</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2006</b> - Homestead Gray player, manager and owner Cumberland “Cum” Posey was selected for membership by the Hall of Fame’s Special Committee on the Negro Leagues, along with 1B/3B Jud Wilson of the Grays/Pittsburgh Crawfords and RHP Ray Brown of the Grays. Included in the class was OF Pete Hill, who was born (or at least raised from an early age) in Pittsburgh and first played for the Keystones. The Pittsburgh posse was inducted on July 30th. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2016</b> - Gerrit Cole signed a contract for $541,000, the same amount he made in 2015 with $531,000 in base pay plus a $10,000 bonus for making the All-Star team. He was a pre-arb player with no control over negotiations, and claimed that when he bickered for a bigger paycheck after a 19-win/2.60 ERA/202 K All-Star campaign, the Bucs countered by offering him the minimum of $507,500 if he didn’t take their offer. The Pirates FO was looking ahead to the baseline of his first arb year (Cole Train got $3.75M in 2017) and Gerrit had already pocketed an $8M signing bonus. Cole said “I understand the business of this game, but it is hard to accept…” adding he would carry no hangover from it going into the season. It did demonstrate that the Pittsburgh purse strings were tight, and Cole was sent to Houston in 2018, where he signed for $6.75M. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2018</b> - The MLBPA filed a grievance against four teams - the Pirates, Marlins, Rays and A's - complaining that they weren’t properly spending their revenue sharing monies “in an effort to improve its performance on the field” as specified in the CBA. The Pirates were targeted after dealing Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole for a pack of pups. MLB backed the Bucs, and GM Neil Huntington said “...our revenue sharing receipts have decreased for seven consecutive seasons, (while) our major league payroll more than doubled over that same period.” The grievance is still in limbo as the gulf between the financial have and have-nots grows.</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-23521882679070813682024-02-26T07:00:00.063-05:002024-02-26T07:00:00.136-05:002/26: Simon-Starr; CBA Agreement & Full Camp; Tossin' Tommy; Early Players Union; HBD Joe, Stan, Sonny, Vic, Preacher, Wobby & Sam<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1863</b> - IF Simeon Henry Jean “Sam” LaRocque was born in St. Mathias, Quebec. Sam played fairly regularly for Pittsburgh in 1890, getting into 111 games w/481 PA, hitting .242, but after just one outing in 1891 was shipped to Louisville, where he ended his pro career. Sam remained active in the minors afterward, working as a player/manager through the 1907 season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1891</b> - 2B/PH Jack “Wobby” Hammond was born in Amsterdam, New York. A star high school athlete signed by the Indians out of Colgate, he got three brief stops in the show, his last being a nine-game, three-for-11 (.273) stand with the Bucs in 1922 when he was 31. Wobby showed a good stick in the minors, but mostly played at Class A. He retired from the American Association Kansas City Blues the year after his Pirates debut, hitting .300 in his final pro hurrah. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1901</b> - After a bout of American League raids and player league-jumping, the National League suits sat down with Pirates catcher Chief Zimmer, the president of the Players Protective Association. The two sides agreed to contract concessions for NL players who stayed home, including recognition of the union, a one-year reserve clause and minor league clarifications. Zimmer promised to suspend members of the union who jumped leagues in return. The summit didn’t work; the players expected more leeway and continued to chase a more lucrative paycheck from the AL while the union, beset by both sides, folded after the 1903 season. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1909</b> - The Pirates traded IF Charlie Starr to the Boston Doves for a PTBNL, C Mike Simon, who was sent to the Bucs a few days later. 1909 was Starr’s last season while Simon was a Bucco backup for the next five years, compiling a .244 BA and tossing out 45% or more of base stealers four of his five campaigns. Mike spent his last two campaigns in the Federal League. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWbOTe_4X_vX6Lkboiz46VjaHI3GXn-HmQXpobFVCc9jHg8OHIUq42cgb7OE0G4xWl34MH-FSx1RN0nFZ1DpGzDRyCCiJNXdFeynL4TnH4jlRnbeqmCuvn7qZJgCWiG75oeUH_pWZX5uGAvi1QgVQxdyqnA4ijlrzjQkD8Uu9o3Vr82M0azdelTLyQ-A/s263/mike_simon_1912_T207-brown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="145" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWbOTe_4X_vX6Lkboiz46VjaHI3GXn-HmQXpobFVCc9jHg8OHIUq42cgb7OE0G4xWl34MH-FSx1RN0nFZ1DpGzDRyCCiJNXdFeynL4TnH4jlRnbeqmCuvn7qZJgCWiG75oeUH_pWZX5uGAvi1QgVQxdyqnA4ijlrzjQkD8Uu9o3Vr82M0azdelTLyQ-A/w176-h320/mike_simon_1912_T207-brown.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Mike Simon - 1912 T207</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1916</b> - LHP Elwin “Preacher” Roe was born in Ash Flat, Arizona. Preacher worked early in his career with the Pirates from 1944-47, where he was 34-47/3.73. He started off with two strong years, but an off season cracked noggin in 1945 from a tussle with a basketball ref was followed by a pair of poor campaigns. Preacher was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers and bloomed (a spitter added to his arsenal was said to have helped him mightily), earning four All-Star berths and pitching in three different World Series. There are two versions of how he got his childhood nickname. One story is that he was an ornery kid, and his grandma called him "Preacher" in hopes that he would eventually behave like a man of the cloth. The other more likely bit of lore is that a minister and his wife used to ride young Elwin around whenever they went out for a ride on their buggy, and he became known as Preacher because of his association with them. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1930</b> - C/3B Vic Janowicz was born in Elyria, Ohio. A gridiron All-America and Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State, Janowicz passed on football to sign for $75K as a bonus baby with the Bucs. He hit only .214 over two seasons (1953-54) as a bench player. He returned to football late in the 1954 season with the Washington Redskins as a kick returner and became their starting halfback in 1955. An automobile accident in 1956 ended his athletic career. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1936</b> - Tommy Padden, a Pirates catcher, reportedly tossed a silver dollar about 475 feet over the Merrimack River and into a snow pile in front of a large crowd who came to witness the exhibition. Tommy was copy-catting the feat of the Washington Senator’s Walter “Big Train” Johnson, who flipped a coin across the Rappahannock a few days prior to duplicate the alleged long-toss (the deed is of dubious veracity) of George Washington per the New Hampshire History Blog. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1941</b> - 1B George “Sonny” Kopacz was born in Chicago. Sonny was a AAAA player who spent 14 seasons in the minors, eight in AAA, and in 1970 was the International League’s MVP with a line of .310/29/115 for the Pirates Columbus Jets. That campaign earned him a cup of coffee with the Bucs, but in 10 games he went 3-for-16 with no extra base knocks. He spent three more seasons a step away in AAA, retiring after the 1973 season at the age of 32. </span></li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jm7U4XWN-UZivJo99HdZSKdhEsOqNDjVn77wx03-5EnBo0QfcYctS8iR0Jelef6Hj3z-XU3nJPmzdZtz4kFOTWKks3RE3n-N47N7XZIoh8JYnffETvQs9PYC2_yPlu334HvvtXXE49XIIymfBicyZE0u1ViuVreKVl7QBdn0kgfJPqjULgKKmAvupkE/s299/george_kopacz_1971_topps-rookie-stars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="299" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jm7U4XWN-UZivJo99HdZSKdhEsOqNDjVn77wx03-5EnBo0QfcYctS8iR0Jelef6Hj3z-XU3nJPmzdZtz4kFOTWKks3RE3n-N47N7XZIoh8JYnffETvQs9PYC2_yPlu334HvvtXXE49XIIymfBicyZE0u1ViuVreKVl7QBdn0kgfJPqjULgKKmAvupkE/w320-h195/george_kopacz_1971_topps-rookie-stars.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Sonny Kopacz - 1971 Topps Rookie All Stars</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1961</b> - Pitching coach Stan Kyles was born in Chicago. After an 11-year minor league pitching career, Kyles began coaching in the indie leagues and quickly got gigs with the Cubs (1992-93, 1997-2000), Rockies (1994-96) and Brewers (2001-12), spending his final three years as Milwaukee’s bullpen coach. Starting in 2013, he taught in the Pirates system throughout various levels until 2021, when he became a victim of MLB’s minor league consolidation </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1973</b> - It was a pretty good start to the week for the Bucs - the day before, the players agreed to a three-year CBA, canceling the owners’ lockout threats. With that news, the earlier camps (the Pirates included) opened OTD and it was a full house for Pittsburgh after Richie Hebner signed his contract, the last one that was outstanding. But manager Bill Virdon’s work was cut out for him - he had to replace Roberto Clemente in the lineup and locker room. The Quail couldn’t solve that riddle, and was fired in early September with a 67-69 record. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1983</b> - RHP Joe Martinez was born in South Orange, New Jersey. Joe joined the Bucs at the 2010 deadline as part of the Javy Lopez deal with the Giants. He got into five outings, but didn’t impress despite a 3.12 ERA and was waived to Cleveland. He appeared in three more MLB games for the D-Backs and Tribe in 2012-13, then retired in 2014 at age 31 after 1,100 minor league IPs.
</span></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0