6/25 Through the 1950s: Ralph 8-RBIs, Dino Hot, Yde Swings, Streakin', Game Days, RIP Jake, HBD Alejandro, John, Ralph & Billy

1895 - 2B Billy Webb was born in Chicago. His show time consisted of five big league games for the 1917 Pirates, going 3-for-15 as a 22-year-old. His late season Bucco try out had its ups-and-downs. Webb was 0-fer in his first four games, but in his last go, he went 3-for-4 with a run scored as the Bucs beat Boston 2–0 at Forbes Field. Webb did have a long minor league career, playing 14 seasons and he went on to become a baseball lifer. He managed in the minors, then coached third base for the Chicago White Sox for five years before becoming their farm director, a position he held until a fatal heart attack at the age of 47. 

1902 - LHP Ralph Erickson (yep, his middle name was Lief) was born in DuBois, Iowa. He went to Idaho State and toiled in the Class C Idaho-Utah League before the Bucs brought him to Pittsburgh in September, 1929. He lasted until mid-summer of 1930, getting into eight games with a 1-0/8.40 slash. Ralph was a workhorse starter on the farm after that trial run and pitched through the 1934 season. He then went to Arizona and got a day job working in the mining industry, which apparently agreed with him - he was MLB’s oldest living player until he passed away in 2002 at the ripe old age of 100. Erickson did have his moment in the sun: He tossed a no-hitter in 1931 while pitching for Shreveport Sports of the Texas League. He spun his gem against the Houston Buffaloes, beating their ace, none other than Dizzy Dean, 2-0. 

1903 - Ed Doheny surrendered just four singles as the Pirates won at Philadelphia 4-3 in 10 innings to run their winning streak to 15 games. Hans Wagner had three hits while Ginger Beaumont and Fred Clarke each had a pair; Doheney helped his own cause by scoring twice. The string was snapped later in the day as the Phils took the nitecap of the Baker Bowl twin bill by a 5-1 tally to stymy the Bucco run at an National League-record 17 straight wins. Though the Pirates had cooled off, Beaumont stayed hot with two more raps in the second game.

1912 - The Pirates swept a twin bill from the St. Louis Cardinals by 10-4 and 19-3 scores, banging out 35 hits over the course of the afternoon at Robinson Field. Max Carey (who had six hits during the affair) and Chief Wilson hit grand slams (Wilson’s was thought to be the longest ball ever hit at Robison, clearing the park), while rookie Stump Edington came close, being thrown out at home after clearing the bases with a triple. The Bucs put up a 10-spot in the seventh inning of the nitecap. Claude Hendrix and King Cole were the Steel City’s well-supported winning pitchers. The Pittsburgh Press wrote “The Pirates slugged their way to a double victory… There appeared to be absolutely no style of pitching that the Corsairs could not solve.”

Marty O'Toole - 1913 Voskamp Coffee

1913 - What had been a pitching duel through nine innings turned into a laugher in the 10th when the Pirates erupted for eight runs against three St. Louis Cardinal relievers to take home a 9-1 win at Robison Field. The Bucs had five hitters with two knocks (and all in a row, batting 7-8-9-1-2 in the order), including pitcher Marty O’Toole, who scattered eight hits for the complete game win. The eight-run margin is the largest extra inning score spread in Pirates history.

1918 - 1B Jake Beckley passed away in Kansas City. He spent 20 years in MLB, and during his first nine campaigns (1888-96), he wore Pittsburgh colors as an Allegheny, Burgher and Pirate. He hit over .300 for six of those nine seasons. During his six-team career, he batted .308 with a .361 OBP, scored 1,600 runs and chased home 1,575 teammates.

1924 - Pitcher Emil Yde's bases-loaded double tied the score in the ninth inning and in the 14th, the Pittsburgh southpaw's two-run triple beat the Cubs at Forbes Field, 8-7. In addition to the two hits and five RBI, do-it-all Yde hurled 10-1/3 innings of one-run ball in relief to earn the win.

1943 - RHP John Gelnar was born in Granite, Oklahoma. The Bucs signed Gelnar out of Oklahoma in 1963; a year later he got a cup of coffee with the Pirates, working nine innings and giving up five runs. He got into 10 games in 1967, going 0-1/8.05, with most of his time spent with AAA Columbus. In 1969-70, after a couple of address changes, John pitched fairly well for the Seattle Pilots and then the Milwaukee Brewers. He got off to a rough start with the Brew Crew in ‘71, was sent down to AAA and then retired at the end of the 1972 campaign. 

1944 - The Cards edged the Bucs 2-1 in the opener of a twinbill as Red Munger outpitched Rip Sewell. The second ended in a controversial 5-5 tie, called after nine innings because of the state’s Blue Law. Pittsburgh tied the game in the ninth on a pinch hit long ball by Virgil “Spud” Davis that went through the screen in front of the RF stands. Cards manager Billy Southworth protested, claiming that the ground rules were that a fair ball stuck in the screen was a double and the same reasoning should apply. Ump Beans Reardon didn’t buy the argument and ruled that since it didn’t hang up but went through the fence, it was a homer.

Dino Restelli - 1949 Find-a-Grave

1949 - The Bucs hit five home runs (Ralph Kiner twice, Wally Westlake, Ed Stevens & Dino Restelli) but the Brooklyn Dodgers banged out four of their own to leave Pittsburgh eating their dust at Forbes Field by winning a 17-10 slugfest. Rookie Restelli set a hot-start record as his four-bagger was the seventh in his first ten major league games. Dino’s pace fell off considerably; he would only hit six more bombs in his abbreviated big league career.

1950 - Ralph Kiner had a massive day at the plate as he led the Pirates to a 16-11 win at Brooklyn by hitting for the cycle, the only one of his legendary career. He went 5-for-6 with two homers, scored four times and drove in eight runs at Ebbets Field. Stan Rojek added four hits against the Dodgers, Gus Bell had three and Ted Beard homered. Cliff Chambers got the win in relief of Vern Law though both were tagged.

1959 - RHP Alejandro Pena was born in Cambiaso, Dominican Republic. After helping whip the Pirates in the playoffs as a Brave in 1991, the Pirates signed him as a free agent after the 1992 season for $1.35M. He promptly sat out the year with elbow surgery and came back in 1994, going 3-2-7/5.02 and was released in June. The 15-year vet had a twisty road to join the Pirates - he was mentioned, along with Kevin Mitchell and a PTBNL, to be part of a 1992 preseason deal for Barry Bonds with Atlanta. The swap was agreed to in principle by GM Ted Simmons but nixed by Jimmy Leyland, who went over Simmons’ head to plead his case with team President Carl Barger. So the club, which apparently thought highly of Pena, later signed him as a free agent even after he sat out the 1992 postseason with tendonitis. They should have listened to Leyland.

1959 - There was a lot of pitching going on at Seals Stadium in San Francisco. Harvey Haddix gave up one run on four hits with eight K in nine frames while his counterpart, Stu Miller, gave up a single tally on five hits through 11 innings. Roman Mejias finally won it for the Bucs with a two-run shot in the 12th, but not without a struggle. ElRoy Face was working his third round, and loaded the bases with two down. He went 2-0 to Eddie Bressoud, whose homer was the only mark against the Kitten, then got him to tap back to the hill for a 3-1 win, the Baron’s 12th victory. Dick Stuart’s sac fly drove in Bill Virdon with the Pirates first run.

6/25 From 1970: 5-HRs, Cutch Clutch, Bucs #9000, Duelin', Starg Shot, Game Days, Back Rooms, HBD Bobby, Paul & A-Ram

1971 - Willie Stargell hit the longest home run in Veterans Stadium history against Jim Bunning during a 14-4 win over the Phils. The spot where the ball landed in section 601 was highlighted with a yellow star with a black "S" inside a white circle until Stargell's 2001 death, when the white circle was painted black. The star remained in place until the stadium's 2004 razing. Teammate Richie Hebner quipped "I went up there after he hit that home run and I looked down. It looked like a $20 cab ride from there to home plate." 

1972 - The Bucs 9-2 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field may have looked like a blowout win at first blush, but it was nail biter into the eighth, with Chicago holding a 2-1 edge with two away before Manny Sanguillen opened the floodgates by banging his first grand slam homer. Pittsburgh added four more in the ninth, small-balling it with three singles, a walk, and an opportune Cubbie boot. Dock Ellis took the win with help from Ramon Hernandez and Dave Giusti. Every Pirates starter other than the Docktor had a hit while Roberto Clemente scored three runs from the three hole. To keep that three vibe going, Pittsburgh also swept the three-game set with the triumph and built a three-game lead over the Mets.

1978 - 3B Aramis Ramirez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Pirates signed him in 1994 as a 16-year old and he debuted in 1998 before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2003 in one of Pittsburgh’s more brutal contract dumps of the Dave Littlefield era. On July 23rd, 2015, he was traded back to Pittsburgh exactly 12 years after they first traded him away and helped the Pirates in their wildcard run by hitting six homers and selflessly playing first base as needed for the first time in his 18-year career. He retired in November as a member of the team that first signed him two decades earlier, around stints with the Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, and as a three-time All-Star who hit .286 and swatted 386 homers during his career.

1982 - LHP Paul Maholm was born in Greenwood, Mississippi. Maholm was the first round pick (#8 overall) of the 2003 draft and debuted in 2005. He worked for the Bucs through 2011, slashing 53-73/4.36, then was released, with the Cubs picking him up. He played for them, the Braves and Dodgers through 2014 when a shoulder injury ended his pitching days.

Bobby LaFromboise - photo MLB.com

1986 - LHP Bobby LaFromboise was born in Downey, California. He had two brief MLB stops, working for the Angels and then getting into 17 games for the Pirates in 2014-15 as a depth reliever/LOOGY, with no decisions but a fine ERA of 1.54. Still, he was waived and though he signed with a couple of teams on a look-see basis, the Bucs were his last MLB gig.

1992 - The Pirates, per the media rumor columns, were thought to be discussing a deal with San Diego, with the key pieces being 2B Jose Lind of Pittsburgh and LHP Bruce Hurst of the Padres. Nothing came of it, which was a good thing for the Bucs - Hurst had rotator cuff surgery at the end of the year, and only had 13 starts remaining in his career before he retired in 1994. Chico didn’t impress, either - he hit .235 and in November was shipped to KC for pitchers Dennis Moeller and Joel Johnston. Other possible Pirate targets mentioned by the press were OF Alex Cole of the Indians (which became reality in July when he was plucked from the Tribe for a minor league player), 44-year-old White Sox RHP Charlie Hough, who TSN reported was having his tires kicked by the Bucco brass, and Giant’s OF Kevin Bass, who went to the Mets in August.

1995 - There was plenty of good pitching in the Bucs 1-0 win (their first 1-0 victory since 1993) over Montreal at Stade Olympique, with the Pirates twirlers making a two-out unearned run scored in the opening frame hold up. Esteban Loaiza tossed seven innings of five-hit ball, then Jason Christiansen and Dan Miceli put it to bed. Jay Bell was the only Bucco batter with a clue at the dish, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and scoring the game’s only run. Carlos Garcia extended his hitting streak to 19 games; it would reach 21 before he was finally stopped (and he started an eight-game streak the next day). Leather-wise, Kevin Young had a record-tying day at the hot corner with 11 assists. The recently converted 1B (he had 30 MLB appearances at third in his first three campaigns) handled bunts, dribblers, and started a key around-the-horn DP in the fourth inning after the first two Expos had reached base, the only real jam Loaiza faced that day.

2002 - The Pirates won their 9,000th game with a 4-1 victory against the Montreal Expos at PNC Park, joining the Giants, Yankees, and Dodgers in that accomplishment. Kris Benson got the win while Kevin Young went 4-for-4 on the day to provide the lumber. For Benson, it was his first victory since 2000; he missed 2001 because of elbow surgery and was 0-4 entering the game.

Kris Benson - 2002 Upper Deck Top 40 Rotation

2003 - The Pirates broke a 3-3 tie by scoring three times in the ninth, then barely held on to claim a 6-5 win over Montreal at Olympic Stadium. The Bucs took the late three-run lead on a Kenny Lofton sac fly and back-to-back two-out singles by Jason Kendall and Jeff Reboulet. It was just enough for Mike Williams, who gave up a two-run homer to Ron Calloway and had Expo runners leading off first and second before getting the last two outs.

2008 - In the battle of the Bulldogs, LHP Justin Wilson held Georgia scoreless for seven innings and got the win as Fresno State won its first College World Series by a 6-1 score. Wilson was named to the All-Tournament team and became the Bucs fifth-round pick in the draft, pitching for the big club from 2012-14 before beginning a trek around the league.

2009 - After falling behind the Indians 2-0 at PNC Park, the Bucs chipped away, winning 3-2 on a walkoff bloop single in the ninth by Andrew McCutchen that scored Jack Wilson. Cutch was clutch; he scored the first run of the comeback in the sixth and drove in the tying run an inning later by drawing a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 count off Cliff Lee.

2013 - The Bucs banged five homers for the first time since 2009 and rolled to a 9-4 win over the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Starling Marte led the Pirates' with a pair of home runs, his first career multi-homer game, and a triple. Russell Martin, Brandon Inge and Gaby Sanchez also homered. The Pirates went long three times in the second inning off Joe Saunders; Inge and Marte went back-to-back. Jeff Locke coasted to the win and in the process became the first Pittsburgh lefty to win seven in a row since John Smiley in 1991.

2016 - It was home run or no-count Saturday night for the Bucs. Andrew McCutchen banged a solo shot and a three-run dinger while Jordy Mercer chipped in with a two-run pop as the Pirates whipped the LA Dodgers 6-1 at PNC Park. Jeff Locke went seven innings for the victory.

6/24 Through the 1950s: Arky Cycle, Duel Undone, Hot Hans, Basebrawls, Game Days, Brick Buc, HBD Ken, Rollie, Kirtley & Jake

1867 - OF Jake Stenzel was born in Cincinnati. He patrolled center field for five years (1892-96) while with Pittsburgh. Jake was a strong guy with the stick, putting up a line of .360/.429/.528 in his Allegheny years, adding 188 stolen bases. He was a monster in 1894, hitting .352 (oddly, his lowest one-season average while a North Sider) with 150 runs and 121 RBI, banging 13 HR, 20 triples, and 39 doubles while swiping 61 sacks. Stenzel scored 100+ runs in his final three seasons here. Per John Dreker of Pirates Prospects<, Stenzel is the only player in baseball history to produce a .350 BA, 80 RBI, 100 runs & 50 SB line in a season four times (Honus Wagner only did it twice) and is the franchise leader in BA and OBP.

1896 - RHP Kirtley Baker was born in Covington, Kentucky. He started his baseball odyssey with the Alleghenys in 1890 as a 21-year-old, going 3-19/5.60 in 25 outings with one outing as a pinch runner (he stole a base). Over the course of the next 10 years, he would pitch for the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Senators between stops of a nine-team journey through the minors,  hanging up the spikes following the 1900 campaign.

1902 - The Bucs whipped the Orphans 7-2 at the West Side Grounds in a game that was highlighted by a brawl between Chicago’s Joe Tinker and the Pirates Wid Conroy. Steamed that Conroy had held him (literally) at second in the previous game, Tinker launched a punch at Conroy, who promptly retaliated before ump Hank O’Day could restore order. Conroy ended up with a 20 day suspension while instigator Tinker was given a three day slap on the wrist. Pure baseball was at a minimum as the Pittsburgh Press described the game action as providing “an oversupply of bungling” and added that “neither team did sufficient good playing to deserve a victory.” Chicago morphed into the Cubs during this season because of the youthfulness of their roster. They had gone as the Orphans since 1898, when their longtime manager Pop (aka Cap) Anson was fired; the media called them the "Orphans" because they had lost their Pop.

1907 - C Ralston “Rollie” Hemsley was born in Syracuse, Ohio. Rollie spent the first four years (1928-31) of his 19-year, eight-club MLB stay with Pittsburgh, starting the last two and putting up a .264 BA. After being traded, he went on to have five All-Star years with three different clubs. After retiring, he was a coach for the Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators while also managing in the minors. He was selected Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News in 1950 while serving as pilot of the Columbus Red Birds.

Rollie Hemsley - undated Retro Images Collection

1908 - Per the Pittsburgh Press: “The bright...star of the game was ‘Honus’ Wagner who clouted the bulb for a home run, a double, a single, scored two runs...and made a bold steal of home…” as the Pirates beat the Reds 5-3 at Exposition Park. The Bucs scored three times in the eighth to turn the game their way with Hans driving in the lead run and stealing home for an insurance marker, getting the jump when the Cincy catcher tried to catch the runner at first, Ed Abbaticchio, napping with a snap throw behind him. Abby was wide awake, though, and got back safely as Honus took advantage of the play to sneak home. Vic Willis got the win with Nick Maddux tossing the final frame for the save.

1910 - The Pittsburgh Press described it as “...a contest marked by free and easy hitting by both sides, sensational fielding and mediocre pitching...” as the Pirates defeated the Cubs at Forbes Field by a 6-5 tally. Honus Wagner was the spark plug, banging out three hits and sending four runners home; he delivered the game-winning blow, a three-run, bases-loaded double in the seventh that “did the cleanup act.” Howie Camnitz was the “mediocre” hurler, giving up five runs in four innings before Deacon Phillippe came in and spun shutout ball for five frames while giving up three hits. Redbird Solly Hofman had the day off; he became the first NL first baseman to play an entire game without registering a putout.

1917 - LHP Al “Lefty” Gerheauser was born in St. Louis. Lefty tossed during 1945-46 for the Bucs as a swingman, going 7-12 with a 3.93 ERA. He came to the Pirates from the Philadelphia  Phils in exchange for Vince DiMaggio. Lefty spent six years hurling in the show with another 13 seasons in the minors before hanging ‘em up for good. He got on with his life in Joplin, Missouri, and stoked his baseball jones by coaching at the Mickey Owens Baseball School. 

1924 - Cincinnati’s Eppa Rixey retired the first 23 Bucco batters that he faced and had a 1-0 lead in a duel with Ray Kremer. But the Pirates scratched out a run in eighth and added three more in the ninth, with the big blow a two-run single by Kiki Cuyler, to claim a 4-3 win at Redlands Field. The Reds almost came all the way back, scoring twice in their half of the ninth, with Edd Roush, representing the tying run, cut down at the plate on a strong relay by SS Glenn Wright. Pittsburgh was outhit 13-6 in the contest, with no walks or errors by Cincy to help grease the basepaths, but posted four of the raps in the ninth for the victory.

Fred Brickell - 1927 Conlon Collection/Detroit Public Library

1926 - The Pirates bought 19-year-old OF Fred “Brick” Brickell from Wichita of the Western League for $15,000. He stayed with the Pirates for five years, off-and-on. Fred had speed, a good glove, and a pretty good Pittsburgh BA of .312 w/a 94 OPS+, but tried to break into an outfield that consisted of three Hall of Famers, the Waner Brothers and Kiki Cuyler. When Kiki left the team, Fred lost out in a battle with Adam Comorosky for that third spot. He was traded to Philly in a waiver deal for Denny Sothern in 1930 and played there through the 1933 campaign. Brick is a member of the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame.

1933 - Arky Vaughan hit for the cycle against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. He went 5-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored in a 15-3 Bucco victory. He was (and still is) the youngest MLB player to hit for the cycle, at 21 years, 3 months of age. He had lots of help on this day as Pie Traynor had four hits, Gus Suhr three, and Adam Comorosky added a homer and double. Bill Swift cruised by hurling a complete game, six-hit victory.

1934 - The battle between Philadelphia’s Dick Bartell and Bucco Arky Vaughan, who replaced him at shortstop in Pittsburgh, continued to be waged at Forbes Field. Bartell held a grudge from the prior series when he was beaned by a Vaughan DP relay. After he popped out (both Dick and Arky had 0-fer days) he exchanged pleasantries with Vaughan, including a bit of fist shaking. As a reward for his antics, Bartell was low bridged the next time up by eventual game winner Waite Hoyt. Not only were the Pirates riled at “Sir Richard,” but so were the fans. After the game, Bartell went into the seats after a heckler. Volney Walsh, Pittsburgh Press beat writer, wrote “He was stopped in this effort by the club trainer, who grabbed little Dick by the belt and hauled him away…” The Pirates won, 11-5, behind Gus Suhr’s three hits and a Paul Waner homer.

1951 - 3B Ken Reitz was born in San Francisco. He ended his 11-year MLB career on a quiet note with the Pirates in 1982, going 0-for-10 with four whiffs. Ken had been a Cardinal mainstay at the hot corner for eight years, earning an All-Star spot, Golden Glove and the nickname “Zamboni” for his ability to scoop up grounders before bowing out with the Bucs.

6/24 From 1960: Top Guns, Clint's #1000, NYY's Visit, Jim's #700, Hit Man Slam, 3 For Willie, Game Days, TSN Baron, Nicky G Signs

1963 - The Baron of the Bullpen, ElRoy Face, was the featured cover story of Sports Illustrated as a tease to the article “The Forkball and Roy Face,” which touted him as “Baseball’s Best Reliever.” The timing was a bit off - he cobbled together a workmanlike 3-9-16/3.23 line that season after a strong 1962 campaign where he slashed 8-7-28/1.88.

1965 - Willie Stargell’s first career three-homer game (he had four lifetime) and six RBI sparked the Bucs to a 13-3 romp over first-place Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. Pops also lined a shot off the outfield railing for a double, just a gnat’s eyelash from his fourth long fly. Roberto Clemente posted three knocks as Bob Bailey and Jim Pagliaroni also added swats, while Don Cardwell tossed a four-hitter to whip Don Drysdale, who won 23 games in ‘65. 

1977 - The Expos’ Wayne Twitchell was sitting on a no-hitter and 5-0 lead going into the eighth inning at TRS in front of 27,650 glum Pirates faithful, but escaped with neither as the Bucs came alive to rally for a 10-inning 6-5 win. An infield hit and Al Oliver homer halved the score, Fernando Gonzalez’s single chased home another run, and with two on and two gone, Montreal’s Joe Kerrigan issued back-to-back walks to cut the lead to a single tally. In the ninth frame, Bobby Tolan’s rap tied it as Bruce Kison, running for Willie Stargell, touched home. Pittsburgh kept the pressure on in the 10th. Phil Garner opened with a double off Kerrigan and after an intentional walk, Bill Robinson, whose infield single in the eighth opened the floodgates, dropped a ball into right to win it. Goose Gossage, the fourth Bucco twirler, got the win after Grant Jackson and Larry Demery hatched goose eggs following Jim Rooker’s early departure from the hill. 

1978 - What started out as a pitcher’s duel ended up a 12-inning see-saw affair, but John Milner’s grand slam was enough for the Bucs to claim a 7-4 victory at Shea Stadium. Jim Bibby and Craig Swan left a 2-2 game to the bullpens after holding steadfast until the final frame. Milner hit his granny against the team that he had played with for six seasons after taking a pitch that almost caught him in the chicklets. The high and tight message didn’t bother him, he said, but tipped him that the Mets wanted to work him inside, and hunting that zone, he went yard on a low, tight heater on the next pitch. Ed Whitson inherited a big lead - Omar Moreno had singled in a run before Milner’s blast - but left after giving up a run in the New York half. Dave Hamilton entered and surrendered another score, getting the last out with the bases filled with Mets. Milner and Moreno were big time - John had four hits while Omar had a game-saving catch to go with eight other grabs in center, and stole three bases. More drama was about to take place as a death threat was phoned in saying that Chuck Tanner “would not leave the stadium alive,” and after the game, he got a police escort. Tanner said he attributed the threat to the closeness of the game. In fact, it was the eighth time the two clubs had met in ‘78, with five of the games going into extra innings.

Bob Walk - 1988 Donruss

1988 - Bob Walk gave up a leadoff homer to Hubie Brooks in the ninth inning at Montreal’s Stade Olympique, the first long ball surrendered by Walkie in 117-1/3 IP, a streak that began in September of 1987 (the string had also started versus the Expos after Tim Raines homered at TRS). It cost him a win as the blast cut the Bucco lead to 3-2 and brought on Jim Gott, who gave up the tying run. But all’s well that ends well, and Andy Van Slyke’s 10th inning triple scored Barry Bonds and then was cashed in via a Darnell Coles sac fly to rally for a 5-3 victory. Barry Jones worked a 1-2-3 frame to give Gott the win to go along with the blown save. It was a very good year for Walk. He slashed 12-10/2.71 and was named to his only All Star team.

1994 - Jim Leyland won his 700th MLB game, riding a pair of homers from Dave Clark to a 9-4 victory over the Mets at Shea Stadium. Clark banged a three-run shot in the first inning off Doc Gooden to give Denny Neagle plenty of elbow room. Dave was in the midst of a red-hot streak: he ended up with a .457 BA (.512 OBP) with five homers and 17 RBI during a 13-game June stretch. The Pirates were also on fire, going 13-4 from June 8-26, but still finished eight games under .500 during a season that ended on August 11th, the last day before the strike of 1994-95.

2001 - A Sunday crowd of 36,826 jammed PNC Park and broke the million-fan mark after the ballyard’s 33rd game, the quickest pace to reach that figure in franchise history. However, it was the Same Ol’ Bucs, who went down 11-4 to the Expos. The loss left Pittsburgh at 25-47 and in the Central Division basement, where they would finish the year.

2008 - For the first time since Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, the New York Yankees visited Pittsburgh. Bill Mazeroski threw out the first pitch at PNC Park, and it was deja vu all over again as the Bucs broke out the bats to win, 12-5. Freddy Sanchez had three hits and three runs scored while Ryan Doumit and Adam LaRoche also had three knocks with a pair of RBI each. The Bucs were the last MLB team to earn a regular season win against the Yankees. Also true to form, they were clobbered 10-0 by the Bronx Bombers the following day.

Clint Hurdle - 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter

2016 - Clint Hurdle won his 1,000th victory as a skipper as the Bucs beat the Dodgers, 8-6, at PNC Park. Jameson Taillon started the game, and it took six Pirates twirlers to nail it down. Neftali Feliz earned the win while Mark Melancon converted his 17th straight save opportunity to close it. Matt Joyce went 3-for-4 with a homer, double, & two RBI while Starling Marte had a pair of hits and Jung-Ho Kang went deep. It was also a red letter day for Adam Frazier, who made his big league debut and singled off LA reliever JP Howell for his first MLB hit.

2017 - The Bucs used a wild streak to ice a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Ahead 5-1 in the sixth inning thanks to a homer & three RBI from Jordy Mercer and a solo shot by Josh Harrison, the Pirates had a runner on second with two outs. Eight hitter Chris Stewart was intentionally walked and pitcher Gerrit Cole was unintentionally lost on a 3-2 pitch from Lance Lynn. John Brebbia relieved and plunked Adam Frazier in the foot on an 0-2 pitch to force home one tally and the Fat Lady began to warble after J-Hay was smacked above the hip to plate another Bucco runner. Wade LeBlanc gave up a pair of scores in the ninth frame to prolong matters, but he, Tony Watson and Jhan Marinez brought the win home for Cole, who tossed a six-inning five-hitter.

2020 - The Pirates signed first round draft pick (#7 overall) SS Nick Gonzales, 21, of New Mexico State, where he worked his way from walk-on to first rounder. After passing his physical the day before, he received a bonus of $5,432,400, slot value for his draft spot. Gonzales hit .399 for NMS and was shifted from short to second base; hand and heel injuries held him back in the minors, but he made a June, 2023, MLB debut and is now the Buccos starting hot corner guy.

2021 - The Pirates broke a five-game losing streak against the Cards 8-2 at Busch Stadium. St. Louis had no answer for the top three in the lineup - Adam Frazier, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds - who went 8-for-12 with two home runs, five RBIs, six runs and three walks. Winner Chad Kuhl tossed six innings of one-run, three-hit ball before a trio of relievers finished it off.

6/23 Through the 1960s: "The Worse...", Duel, Futile 4 Hours, Casey At Bat, Gilbert Bros, Game Days, Roberts-Jacobs, HBD Curly & Bill

1877 - Before there were the Bucs there was Pud and the Alleghenys: Jim “Pud” Galvin of the Alleghenys shut out Chicago 6-0 on three hits in International League play. The IL was considered a minor league, and only lasted one more season. The Alleghenys became a major league club in 1882 when they joined the American Association. Gentleman Jeems spent eight years in Pittsburgh, climbing the bump for the Alleghenys, Burghers and Pirates.

1890 - 2B Harry and SS John Gilbert became the first brothers to play together for a major league Pittsburgh club when they manned the middle at the Philadelphia Baseball Grounds against the Phillies. The Alleghenys split the twin bill, with Harry going 2-for-8 and John 0-for-8, and they turned a DP in each game. The doubleheader was the only time either one of the Pottstown brothers played at the MLB level. They were the first of several brother duos that played for the Buccaneers - Harry & Howie Camnitz (1909), Carson & Lyle Bigbee (1921), Johnny & Phil Morrison (1921), Lloyd & Paul Waner (1927-40), Gene & George Freese (1951), twins Eddie & Johnny O'Brien (1953-58) and Adam & Andy LaRoche (2008) followed the Gilberts.

1900 - RHP Bill Harris was born in Wylie, Texas. He tossed for the Bucs from 1931-34, slashing 16-15-7/3.45. Harris was a baseball lifer - he had seven years in the show, and earned 257 minor league wins between 1921-45, including two no-hitters. He later managed in the minors for the Giants and then scouted for them, the Senators and Yankees.

1916 - RHP Ken “Curly” Jungels was born in Aurora, Kansas. Curly pitched five MLB seasons, mostly for Cleveland, though not very often nor well. He made five outings and was 0-0/6.89 for the Pirates in 1941 while his overall career consisted of 25 games, with a line of 1-0/6.80. After his Pittsburgh campaign, Curly joined the Army during WW2 and never returned to a big league ballfield, retiring after two minor league campaigns in 1946-47.

Casey Stengel - 1919 Hand Cut

1919 - The Bucs won their fifth game in a row 3-2 over the Saint Louis Cardinals at Robison Park. Casey Stengel was the man of the hour, hitting a two-run homer in the sixth and then making a game-saving catch to back Frank Miller’s complete game effort. The Pirates cut the Reds NL lead to two games with the win, but finished fourth with a 71-68 record, miles behind Cincinnati, which posted 96 victories. The Redlegs won the World Series, but that result is often forgotten thanks to the “Black Sox” scandal of their Chicago opponents.

1930 - Bucco pitchers Heinie Meine and Leon Chagnon gave up 12 straight hits in the sixth inning during a lopsided loss to the Brooklyn Robins at Forbes Field, tying the record for most consecutive hits allowed (Brooklyn banged out 28 knocks in all) in a game. Pittsburgh Press writer Ed Balinger led off the game story with a terse recap that told the tale: “...the slugging Robins...lambasted the lame and groggy Pirates to the agonizing tune of 19-6.”

1944 - The weather and local curfew combined to nullify four hours and 14 innings of baseball as the Pirates-Cards game at Forbes Field was called at 1 AM with the score knotted at 5-5. The two teams used 39 players (10 pitchers) and combined for 10 runs and 30 hits, wasting a big effort by Bucco OF Jim Russell, who went 5-for-7. 12,086 paid and 277 free military fans were on hand at the start of the marathon, which went on for 4:02 before ump Beans Reardon called it a night. It was a miracle they got that much play in - the contest was delayed by rain twice, the batting cage (which was on wheels) was blown from the plate and crashed into the grandstands before the game and a lethal tornado touched down in nearby McKeesport and continued down through Waynesburg and the Mon Valley into West Virginia, killing 90 and injuring over 600. 

1953 - The Pirates defeated Hall-of-Fame pitcher Warren Spahn and the Milwaukee Braves at County Stadium, 1-0. Spahn, who would be named The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year after the season (23-7/2.10 ERA), struck out 12 batters and surrendered just two hits. Preston Ward and Johnny Lindell drew back-back free passes with one away in the eighth, and the walks bit Spahn when Carlos Bernier’s two-out single scored Ward. RHP Bob Hall tossed a six-hit shutout to win the duel, the last of the three wins he posted during his final MLB year.

Bob Hall - photo via Out of the Ballpark

1954 - The Bucs broke St. Louis’ Harvey Haddix’s string of 37 straight shutout innings when Preston Ward drove home Dick Cole in the sixth inning, but were still left in the dust at Forbes Field by the Cardinals, 7-1. Pittsburgh kept an eye on The Kitten over the years and in 1959 reeled him. Harvey spent five years as a Bucco, went 2-0 in the 1960 World Series, and later put in eight seasons as a minor league manager/big league coach for the Pirates.

1956 - Pittsburgh dealt 2B Curt Roberts and lefty reliever Jack McMahan to the Kansas City Athletics in exchange for 2B Spook Jacobs. Jacobs was given a brief opportunity to start, couldn’t hit worth a lick, and was shipped to the minors. He never returned to the show; it didn’t help his cause that Bill Mazeroski was his competition. Roberts was also sent straight to the minors, and he likewise never made it back to the show. McMahan got into 23 games for the A’s before joining his other trade mates in being sent down to the farm for good. 

1961 - The Pirates raced out to a 9-0 lead and were up 11-2 after seven innings at Forbes Field, but ended up losing 12-11 in regulation to the Philadelphia Phils in one of the Bucs most forgettable finishes. Joe Gibbon, the starter, had his arm tighten up, so Clem Labine and ElRoy Face took over in the eighth, giving up four runs but still holding an 11-6 edge. Earl Francis took over in the ninth, and the Bucs committed four errors behind him, with the winning run scoring after LF Bob Skinner lost his footing fielding a single. All Danny Murtaugh could mutter was “This is the worst defeat I’ve had since I’ve been the Pirates manager.”

6/23 From 1970: Hank Debuts, Rollin' 7, Yo-Yo, Duel, Sid Shots, Sweep, Saturday, Game Days, Frank Fix, Holdzkom Signs, Covid Sked

1971 - Roberto Clemente posted career hit 2,000, one of four knocks he collected on the night, as the Bucs beat the Mets 6-2 at Three Rivers Stadium. Willie Stargell flexed his muscles, smacking a homer, a double and driving in four runs while Richie Hebner fell a long ball short of hitting for the cycle. Luke Walker earned the win with Grant Jackson finishing up.

1972 - Steve Blass won his eighth straight decision to run his slate to 9-1 as the Pirates beat the Cubs 4-2 at Wrigley Field. Roberto Clemente’s triple triggered a three-run fourth inning, and Dave Giusti got the last two outs to put it away. Blass continued to pitch well though his record slacked a bit as the innings piled up (10-8 to finish the campaign), but Steverino still won a career-high 19 games, earned his only All-Star appearance that season and came in second in the National League Cy Young balloting to Lefty Carlton, who won 27 games with a 1.97 ERA. The Bucs took the NL East with 96 wins, but lost a five-game series to the Reds for the flag, with Cincy moving on to meet the A’s in the World Series.

1973 - Another Saturday, another win, as the Bucs took their sixth straight Saturday contest by a 3-2 count over the New York Mets at TRS in 10 innings. Jeff Samuels of the Pittsburgh Press wrote “Every other day of the week they doddle somewhere between mediocrity and ineptitude. But on Saturdays, they’re killers. They play...like world champs.” They ran their Saturday streak to seven before the Dodgers dropped them in July, a role reversal for a club that was 0-5 on Saturn's Day before the victory run began. Manny Sanguillen was the hero of this one, singling home Gene Clines to make a winner of Ramon Hernandez, who was tossing in relief of starter Dock Ellis. In other news of the day, the Bucs announced they had signed their top draft pick, C Steve Nicosia, to a contract that included an estimated $50,000 bonus.

1974 - After Frank Taveras made an error that led to four unearned runs and a 7-3 Bucco defeat at Wrigley Field, the clubhouse received four phone calls threatening the life of the shortstop from an irate gambler who claimed to have lost $5,000 betting on the game. Team officials and the Chicago police couldn’t trace the call, Frank himself basically blew it off, and nothing other than a couple of newspaper sidebars ever became of the incident.

1983 - The Bucs broomed the Chicago Cubs in a five-game set at TRS by a 5-2 tally behind Larry McWilliams’ five-hitter; both runs were unearned due to his own first-inning error, dropping what should have been an inning-ending flip to first. Tony Pena had four hits; six other Pirates had raps in an otherwise balanced attack. The sweep wasn’t easy, with the first two wins being walkoffs, and it was sweet revenge after Pittsburgh had lost a four-game series at Wrigley Field two weeks earlier. The Bucs kept on by sweeping the St. Louis Cards in a four-gamer before coming back to earth and getting swept by the Cubs again at Wrigley. 

Larry McWilliams - 1983 Donruss

1988 - Sid Bream banged a two-run homer to draw first blood at Olympic Stadium, then doubled in a pair late to regain the lead, powering the Pirates to a 6-4 win against the Montreal Expos. He and Bobby Bonilla provided the muscle; together they had five of the nine Buccaneer hits, drove in five of the six Bucco runs and tallied three times. Jeff Robinson won in relief of Brian Fisher, with Jim Gott bailing Robinson out of a ninth-inning jam to earn the save.

1995 - Denny Neagle won a duel with Pedro Martinez as the Bucs beat the Montreal Expos 2-0 at Olympic Stadium. Mark Johnson and Nelson Liriano chased home the Pirates runs, while Neagle surrendered just a pair of hits to become the first National League hurler to reach eight wins (8-3/2.82) on the campaign. Denny later earned his first All-Star bid.

2005 - The Pirates jumped out to a quick 11-2 lead over the Cardinals and never looked back while coasting to an 11-7 win. Humberto Cota led the way with three RBI, two on sac flies, but St. Louis was its own worst enemy, committing three errors that allowed Pittsburgh to plate seven unearned runs at Busch Stadium. Dave Williams got the victory and Rick White earned the save after he blunted a last-gasp Redbird rally in the ninth inning.

2013 - It ain’t over ‘til it’s over. Los Angeles Angels pitchers had sat down 16 straight Pirates and went into the ninth with a 6-3 lead at Angel Stadium with closer Ernesto Frieri on the hill. But the battlin’ Bucs tied the game on a double by Russell Martin and single by Starling Marte, both with two strikes and two outs. Then they scored four more in the 10th. But LA didn’t mail it in but played on; they scored three times off Bucco closer Jason Grilli and had runners on second and third with two out and Mike Trout up; Grilli got him swinging. Martin and Andrew McCutchen were scheduled for off days, but played the last two innings, going a combined 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. It was also the MLB debuts of C Tony Sanchez, who doubled in his first at bat, and RHP Duke Welker, who worked a frame and got his first big league punch out. The 10-9 win completed a three-game brooming by the Pirates, their first road interleague sweep ever. And Grilli and Frieri were traded for one another the following year.

John Holdzkom - 2015 Topps Chrome

2014 - The Pirates signed 26-year-old righty reliever and former Mets draftee John Holdzkom, who spent the early season tossing for independents San Angelo and Amarillo, to a minor league FA deal on the advice of scout Mal Fichman. He was assigned to Altoona and was hot; between the Curve and later Indy, he fanned 37 in 27-2/3 IP. Called up in September, Holdzkom became a feel-good tale, going 1-0-1/2.40 with 14 whiffs in 10 frames, using a fastball/palmball combo. But he didn’t make the club in 2015, missed large hunks of time at Indy with a bum shoulder and was released in 2016. Except for a brief and ineffective stint in the White Sox organization, that was the curtain call on his MLB career. Big John - he was 6’9” - pitched briefly and helped coach/promote baseball in New Zealand in 2018.

2015 - Cincinnati jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, but the Pirates answered with their most productive inning in over a year, plating seven runs in the fourth against the Reds at PNC Park. The big blows were a three-run homer by Fran Cervelli and a two-run shot by Andrew McCutchen. Pittsburgh needed every one of those tallies, as the lumber shut down after that outburst. Tony Watson and Mark Melancon cooled the hot Redleg bats in the last two innings by ringing up six straight whiffs for the save of Rob Scahill’s 7-6 victory.

2019 - In a see-saw game at PNC Park, the Padres extended their 5-4 lead to 7-4 in the top of the eighth (San Diego would hold four leads during the game) and carried it into the ninth. But the Bucs took advantage of an error and infield single to go along with two solid raps to tie the game against Kirby Yates, breaking his streak of 33 straight saves. In the 11th, SD had the bases loaded with no outs, Frankie Liriano almost escaped but came up an out short; a well-executed two-out bunt single put the Padres up, and a fly that dropped in right made it 10-7. But the Bucs’ goose wasn’t quite cooked. A walk to Bryan Reynolds, Josh Bell’s single and a Melky Cabrera double got back a run and put runners on second and third with one away. Jake Stallings rapped a knock to left, tying the game, and after a single and walk loaded the bases, a pop up was out number two. It was left up to Kevin Newman, who fell behind 0-2, but kept his cool and drew a walkoff walk to cap a memorable comeback, Pittsburgh’s first “shrimp” win since 2014. Liriano, despite surrendering a three-spot, got the victory. 10 different Bucs scored and seven more added RBIs; Jose Osuna had three knocks to lead the 17-hit attack. The Friars were good to the last swing, too - eight of their 10 runs scored with two outs. Other tidbits: The game took 4:58 to play, was the first one since 2008 to feature both teams scoring 10 or more runs in the same game w/o a homer (Kansas City 11, San Francisco 10) and the Buccos became the third team in MLB history to come back from three-run deficits in both the ninth and extra innings. 

Kevin Newman - 2019 Topps Big League

2020 - The coronavirus shutdown ended after many starts and stops when MLB and the MLBPA agreed on a 60-game, no-fans-in-the-ballyard schedule beginning July 23rd-24th. (Camp began July 1st.) The players received prorated salaries. Other items: The DH was put in play for the NL, and in extra inning games, a runner started on second base, as was experimented with in the minors. But hey, no robo umps - yet! There were to be 10 playoff teams (though that wasn’t written in stone). Active rosters consist of 30 players during the first two weeks of the season, 28 during the next two weeks and 26 after the first month (27 for doubleheaders). With no minor leagues, teams were allowed to carry 60 players, with up to three non-roster players allowed to travel with a team as a taxi squad, and one of that trio must be a catcher. The trade deadline was moved to August 31st with the date for postseason eligibility being September 15th. There was a COVID-19 IL with no mandatory sit-out term, plus a bunch of COVID safety protocols: the regular IL was 10 days for all and the 60-day IL was cut to 45 days. The deal kept the three-batter minimum for pitchers and allowed position players to mop up in blowout games. 

2023 - It was a whirlwind intro to the bigs for Henry Davis, the first overall pick of the 2021 draft. First, the catcher was used as a RF/DH; the Bucs were carrying two backstops already. But his stick belonged that week - Davis doubled the first time he batted, homered two games later and reached base three times against Miami this evening to taste his first MLB victory. The Bucs and Luis Ortiz were down 1-0 going into the ninth at LoanDepot Park and staring at their 11th straight loss. Then a sudden small ball attack broke out when Josh Palacios led off with a single, and an out later, Andrew McCutchen did the same. The duo pulled off a double steal to allow Connor Joe’s grounder to short to tie the match instead of being a potential game-ending double play. Carlos Santana kept the line moving with a two-out bullet into center, driving home Cutch with the lead run while also breaking a 33-at-bat Bucco streak of no-RISP-hits. Davis singled, and Tucupita Marcano pushed home an insurance score with a bouncer up the middle. The Pirates had seven hits all night; five were in the ninth inning. David Bednar put the Fish away 1-2-3 with a pair of whiffs to ice it. It was a big night for another first-round pick (2020), 24-year-old infielder Nick Gonzales, who started at 2B in his debut outing, going 0-for-3 after getting the call from Indy.

Weekly Report: Blah Road Trip, B-Rey Bangin', Hearn Drives Home Six, Stratton Rejoins As Joey Goes To Atlanta

Can't pitch some days, can't hit on others...

Pirates Stuff:

• RHP Hunter Stratton, who the Bucs drafted in 2017 and made 47 appearances (3-2/4.30) with the big team from 2023-25 until he was traded to Atlanta last summer, was DFA'ed despite a 1-1/2.08 line during his time there. The Pirates got him back by sending C Joey Bart to the Braves for Hunter's services.
• Konnor Griffin, who was recovering in Florida, is expected to start his rehab stint this week.

Bryan Reynolds - 2026 Pirates

• Bryan Reynolds homered from both sides of the plate for the fourth time in his career on Tuesday. Bobby Bonilla with two R/L HRs in a game is the only other Pirates player to do that more than once.
• LHP Hunter Barco, who's been having a tough year (2-5/4.89 at Indy) came out of Friday's game with an arm injury; the docs will give him the once-over early this week.
• The International League Pitcher Of The Week was Indy righty Khristian Curtis. In his first AAA start after being promoted from Altoona, he tossed 5-2/3 shutout innings, giving up one hit, two walks and whiffing ten.

Game Stuff:

• Welcome to Sacramento - the Jones/Mlodzinski hybrid model didn't fare so well, and the Bucs dropped the Monday opener 11-2. Jared was haunted by homers and Carmen by misplays in the field. Endy Rodriguez was the bright spot, going 3-for-3 with a homer. The Pirates record sunk under .500 for the first time since 3/31.
• Looked like deja vu all over again...Mitch Keller walks and infield follies put the A's up 4-0 after an inning. But Kells straightened out, taking it into the sixth, and Bryan Reynolds kept on, with his homer making it 4-3 in the sixth. His second bomb in the seventh tied the game at five, setting up Brandon Lowe, whose solo shot was the bell-ringer in the ninth that gave Mason Montgomery the win with a Gregory Soto save (four bullpen guys posted 3-2/3 shutout frames, praise be) in a 6-5 thrilla. B-Rey was 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored as he continues to own June.
• Ryan O'Hearn and Braxton Ashcraft teamed up to claim the A's series. O'Hearn homered, doubled and singled to finish with a career-high six RBI while Ashcraft struck out seven in six innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits as the Pirates rolled to a 12-4 victory Wednesday over the Athletics. Marcell Ozuna (remember him?) also went deep for the Pirates, who posted 16 hits. They took the mystery out of the game by jumping out to a 5-0 lead after two frames; it was 7-0 by the sixth.

Ryan O'Hearn - June 2026 photo/Pirates

• No red-hot B-Rey Friday; he's out with a sore groin (he did pinch hit and delivered an RBI single). Bubba Chandler did his part; he went six innings of two-run ball, but left down 2-0. The Bucs came back, putting up a three-spot in the eighth to claim the lead for the first time, keyed by a Nicky G triple. But they gave it back in the Rockies half; two soft hits off Mason Montgomery and a ringing double put the Rox back up, 4-3. Pittsburgh rallied to load the bases with no outs in the ninth, but a K and DP just added another hard-to-swallow L to the column.
• Paul Skenes took the bump...didn't help. The Bucs were down 2-1 in the ninth and loaded the sacks with no outs;, again, no one crossed the plate, with the last out on a runners interference call. Still, even with Oneal and Konnor out, you can't have the Majors worst-pitching team shut you down...unless you're the Pirates. It's not just the .237 BA w/RISP - the Pirates lead MLB in strikeouts and DPs batting w/RISP, too.
• Jared Jones looked good for three innings, but was clipped in the elbow by a comeback liner and left down 1-0. Yohan Ramirez and Evan Sisk put up zeroes through the seventh and the Bucs were up 8-1. Good thing, too - after Dennis Santana and Gregory Soto closed it out, the final ended up 8-6. Nick Gonzales and Bryan Reynolds each homered, together plating five runs & scoring four times to power the win. 
• Pittsburgh hosts Seattle for three games starting Tuesday and the Reds stop in for a trio of contests beginning on Friday.

MLB Stuff: 

• RHP Geoff Hartlieb has been added to the A's roster. He started with the Pirates and pitched here between 2019-21; the Athletics will be the seventh MLB club he's tossed for. The Bucs are the only one he's gotten more than five outings with as his big league career line is 1-1/7.95.
• C Tyler Heineman  was added to the Angels roster; he got into 55 games w/Pgh (.205) from 2022-23.

Bryse Wilson - 2022 Topps Gold

• RHP Bryse Wilson was called up by the Phils; they had released him in early June, and he cleared the wire & re-signed with the Phillies. The Philly nine is his third club since he left the Bucs in 2023. It was a short assignment. He worked one time, tossing two scoreless frames, and was DFA'ed again.
• RHP Justin Lawrence, who was claimed earlier in the month from the Bucs by the Twins, was DFA'ed by Minnesota after seven outings & an 18.00 ERA. 
• OF Jared Oliva, who fractured his hamate earlier in the year, was DFA'ed by the Giants. San Fran was his first MLB gig since playing 26 games for the Bucs in 2020-21 (.179 BA/59 AB).
• The Pacific Coast Player of the Week was ol' Bucco and current Dodgers system OF Jack Suwinski, who homered four times, drove in nine runs and scored five times for Oklahoma City. His '26 line is .306/17 HR/54 RBI for the AAA Cowboys.