5/14 Through the 1970s: Don Duel, Hopp 'N' Hammer, Jake Sixer, Game Days, Guaranteed, Rain Rain, Roberto Remembered; HBD Joey, Bob, Willie, Lefty & Horace

• 1853 - Horace Phillips, manager of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys from 1884-89, was born in Salem, Ohio. He coached the club to a 294-316 record with a couple of winning campaigns in his six seasons. Sadly, he was institutionalized shortly after his Allies stint and lost his battle with mental illness (he spent seven years in an institution), dying at the age of 42 in 1896. 
• 1889 – Wonder why players want contracts that are guaranteed? Because in the founding days, pennies counted and contracts often weren’t worth the paper they were printed on as GM’s looked to save every nickel they could. The Pittsburgh Alleghenys suspended Ed Morris and Pete Conway on this date to dodge paying the salaries of the sore-armed pitchers after Conway had won 30 games and Morris 29 in 1888. The salary dump suspensions were FO hardball, but did serve its purpose: Morris returned in three weeks although he was never again effective while Conway never pitched again. 
• 1896 - Jake Stenzel collected six singles and added a stolen base in a 20-4 pounding of the Boston Beaneaters at Expo Park. The Bucs collected 27 hits during the day, with Louis Bierbauer and Denny Lyons also bopping away, posting four raps apiece. Jake hit three doubles a day later and the Pittsburgh Press noted that "Good pitchers do not frighten Jakey Stenzel. The pitchers will soon take to giving Stenzel a chance to walk." The Press was dishing out some good advice - Stenzel was in the fourth year of a five-season streak (1893-97) of batting .350+. 
• 1901 - LHP Drew “Lefty” Rader was born in Elmira, New York. His MLB career consisted of two innings of two-hit, no-run ball for the Pirates in 1921. Rader went to Reading of the International League the next year and his trail went cold after that. He passed away at age 74 in Catskill, New York. 
• 1912 - Umpire Johnny aka Willie (his middle name was William) Stevens was born in Duquesne. After learning the ropes in the Eastern League, Stevens umpired in the AL from 1948 to 1971, working in four World Series, five All-Star Games, and behind the plate for a pair of no-hitters. In all, he was part of the blue crew for 3,345 games and became an evaluator at umpire school after he retired. Stevens also officiated college basketball, calling both NIT and NCAA tourney games. 

Big Bob Thurman & Roberto w/Santurce in the 50's photo via El Bullpen

• 1917 - P/OF Bob Thurman was born in Kellyville, Oklahoma. He was a semi pro star who was signed by the Homestead Grays after he was discharged from the Army and played for Homestead/Washington for 1946-48. The lefty wasn’t much of a hurler, going 5-9/5.32 as a Gray, but he had a strong stick, batting .320, mainly as a RF. The bat was good enough to get him into 334 MLB games with Cincinnati from 1955-59, where he hit .246 w/35 HR. He joined the Minnesota Twins as a scout after his playing days and later bird-dogged for the Reds and the Royals. 
• 1925 - Johnny Morrison’s jughandle curve was bending beautifully as he tossed a five-hitter with seven whiffs against Boston at Braves Field during a 7-1 Bucco victory. Clyde Barnhart extended his hitting streak to 16 games with two knocks; Kiki Cuyler and George Grantham also added a pair of hits. It was a mundane score, but there was lots of action in the eighth when Pirates C Earl Smith was ejected after jumping the stands to fight a mouthy fan. It caused a near riot, broken up by the police, and Smith was conked with a chair as he left the field. 
• 1932 - It was monsoon season, or so it seemed, in Pittsburgh as the Pirates were rained out of their fifth straight game at Forbes Field (they did make them all up over the summer). John McGraw, Giants manager who was victim of three of the washouts, moaned “Our pitchers have about 10 days rest each...these confounded postponements have us at sea. And that’s no pun.” 
• 1950 - All Star 1B Johnny Hopp hit two home runs and four singles in six at-bats, leading the Pirates to a 16-9 victory and doubleheader sweep over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Bucs banged out 21 hits off six Cubby hurlers, with Wally Westlake & Clyde McCullough (who finished a homer short of the cycle) each adding four knocks and Nanny Fernandez three more. Woody Main got the win in relief. The Pirates claimed the opener 6-5 as Danny Murtaugh had two hits, including a long ball, and two RBI. But the clutch blow was struck by pinch hitter George Strickland in the final frame, when his two-out, bases-loaded single plated the tying and go-ahead runs. It was a steep climb to victory; the Pirates fell behind by a 5-0 count after three frames before getting serious. Bob Chesnes earned the win in relief after Bill Werle closed it out; he saved both games. 

Johnny Hopp - 1950 Bowman

• 1965 - Coach Jose “Joey” Cora was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. A 1985 first-round draft pick, he had an 11-year big league career as an infielder. When his ball-playing days ended, Joey coached in the Mets system, then became a member of the White Sox and Marlins major league staff, where he served as third base/bench coach and had some brief stints as an interim skipper. In 2016, he joined the Pirates organization as Altoona’s manager and the following year got the call to Pittsburgh as the third base coach, replacing Rick Sofield. Joey is now the hot corner coach for the Tigers after a stint with the Mets. 
• 1967 - Henry Aaron got the headlines when he hit his 450th homer, but the work of a pair of Bucco Hall-of-Famers, Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski, were the game story when they led the way a 5-2 Pirates win over the Atlanta Braves at Forbes Field before 26,071 fans. Clemente had three hits, falling a homer shy of a cycle, and was driven home twice by Maz. Roberto later plated the insurance RBI to back the work of Dennis Ribant, Pete Mikkelson and ElRoy Face. 
• 1973 - President Richard Nixon presented the Presidential Citizens Medal to Vera Clemente, who was accompanied by Willie Stargell and Manny Sanguillen, for her husband Roberto in the Oval Office; he was the first person to be so honored (another wouldn’t be awarded until 1981). The bill was sponsored by Western Pennsylvania House member William Moorhead and co-sponsored by a rep from North Carolina, Wilmer “Vinegar Bend” Mizell, a teammate of Clemente’s on the 1960 World Series squad. The Great One’s citation read in part “He stands with that handful of men whose brilliance has transformed the game of baseball into a showcase of skill and spirit, giving universal delight and inspiration. More than that, his selfless dedication to helping those with two strikes against them in life blessed thousands and set an example for millions.” 
• 1978 - Don Robinson struck out seven batters in a four-hit shutout during Pittsburgh’s 1-0 win at San Diego. Frank Taveras drew a leadoff walk in the sixth inning and eventually came around on a Dave Parker bouncer to score the only run (and it was unearned) of the game. For Robinson, it was the first of six shutouts he would record in his career. Randy Jones and Mark Lee of the Friars were both on top of their games, too, allowing the Bucs just five hits.

5/14 From 1980: Mitch Da Man, Cutch/GI + 5, Wells Done, King Kong, Gems, Duels, C Benny, Grannies, Game Days

• 1982 - Lee Lacy banged a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth but got carried away with happy feet when he passed Omar Moreno between 1B and 2B. Lacy was called out and credited just a single and three RBI, leaving the Bucs just enough runs to top the Reds, 8-7, at TRS. Don Robinson started and didn’t make it out of the first frame; the Bucs had to rally from a 5-0 hole to take the victory. Manny Sarmiento did the heavy lifting for 5-1/3 IP to allow the bats to warm up and whittle the lead down, leading to Enrique Romo’s win and Kent Tekulve’s save. 
• 1989 - OF Benny Distefano became the first left-handed catcher in a major league game since White Sox 1B Mike Squires in 1980 when he caught the ninth inning of a 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves at TRS. He came in after Jimmy Leyland burned starter Tom Prince and sub Junior Ortiz for pinch hitters. Distefano missed the first pitch Bill Landrum tossed on a cross-up over signs and then did a bang-up job for the rest of the frame. 1B Dale Long, then with the Cubs, is thought to be the only other LH catcher in the modern era; he caught two games/five outs in 1958. 
• 1992 - It was too much Jeff King for the Braves as the Bucco infielder was clutch at the end to lead the Pirates to a 4-3 win at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. His solo shot in the seventh pulled Pittsburgh within a run, and he capped it with a two-run, bases-loaded rap in the ninth to send the Buccaneers home winners. Vincente Palacios was the winner in relief of Zane Smith and Roger Mason picked up the save by stranding a pair of runners in the ninth to close it out. 
• 1997 - Kevin Young's two-run pinch double gave Pittsburgh the lead and Al Martin finished off a nine-run eighth inning with a grand slam as the “Freak Show” Pirates beat Colorado 15-10 at Three Rivers Stadium. Every Pirate starter except the pitcher had a knock. Rockies pitchers were indeed rocky, surrendering 13 hits, a dozen walks and losing leads of 6-3, 7-5, and 9-6 to the first-place Buccos. 

Kris Benson - 2000 Fleer Ultra

• 2000 - Kris Benson tossed a four-hit 3-0 shutout at TRS against the Milwaukee Brewers. He only struck out three, but it was a big step in his development - he did it on one pitch, his fastball, as his breaking ball was AWOL. Benson lasted until the ninth by keeping the ball low and generating grounders, but after the first batter reached, Gene Lamont, to the fans' displeasure, waved in Jason Christiansen to finish it up. The Pirates only had seven raps, with Bruce Aven leading the pack with two knocks, including a solo homer. Brian Giles also went long. 
• 2002 - Chad Hermansen hit his first homer of the year, a two-run drive in the third, which scored winning pitcher Kip Wells ahead of him, and that was the sum total of the attack at PNC Park in a 2-1 win over Arizona. Kip and Scott Sauerbeck carried the lead into the ninth, when Mike Williams kept the fans in their seats with a two-out walk, followed by a steal and misfire into center to move the tying run to third, but a next-pitch grounder put it to bed. Williams notched his 14th save in 14 opportunities and tied a franchise record with a save in his last nine straight outings. He was off to his career campaign: Mike was a first-time All-Star with a franchise-record 46 saves at the year’s end. 
• 2003 - Jeff D’Amico helped end a 10-game Pirates losing streak by going seven shutout innings against the Houston Astros at PNC Park, giving up four hits and fanning 10 in a 3-2 win. The Bucs had jumped ahead 3-0 on the strength of Kenny Lofton’s two-run homer (D’Amico scored ahead of him after leading off with a walk) and Jack Wilson’s RBI knock that plated Randall Simon The game tightened when Brain Boehringer gave up a two-run blast to Jeff Kent in the eighth frame, but Mike Williams shut the gate in the ninth inning to seal the win. 
• 2005 - Lefty Mark Redman tossed his first MLB shutout and his second straight complete game in a 2-0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park. Redman faced three batters over the minimum and threw 113 pitches while allowing just one runner to reach second base. The vet didn’t finish out the campaign so well, going 5-15/4.90 in 30 starts. Jose Castillo had two hits in the match, the key blow being a game-deciding two-run double off Victor Santos in the fifth inning. 

Mark Redman - 2005 Topps Heritage

• 2010 - Andrew McCutchen went 5-for-5 with two RBI and five runs scored in a 10-6 win against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Garrett Jones also banged out five hits, plated twice and chased home five Buccos. The dynamic duo also added a homer each. Cutch and GI Jones were the first Pirates pair since Willie Stargell and Bob Robertson in 1970 to have five hits in a game. 
• 2013 - The Bucs snapped a five-game home losing streak to the Brewers at PNC Park, thanks to six innings of shutout work from the bullpen and Andrew McCutchen’s walkoff homer in the 12th frame to take a 4-3 victory over Milwaukee. Cutch ended a frustrating night that saw two of his balls caught at the fence with the breeze from the river blowing in. That wasn’t nearly as frustrating as the Pirate hitters, who went 0-for-15 with RISP. Vin Mazzaro picked up the win with two scoreless innings He was the fourth pitcher to follow starter Jeff Locke. 
• 2021 - The Pirates, stumbling through the month to the tune of 3-9 and beset with injuries, were down 1-0 to the Giants at PNC Park in the ninth. But three singles in a row tied the game, even though three strikeouts after the opening barrage then slammed the door. After the extra-inning ghost runner score for San Francisco in the 11th frame, the Pirates rallied when Adam Frazier led off with a triple to plate the Pirates free runner, and he scored an out later after the G-Men walked the bases loaded to get to Gregory Polanco, who delivered a two-strike walkoff sac fly for a 3-2 victory. The Buccos’ heroes were Fraze, who had four of the seven Pittsburgh hits and a hand in all three runs, scoring twice and driving a runner home, along with six pitchers who combined to give up just four hits. Youth on the hill was served as Luis Oviedo earned his first MLB win in a game that Miguel Yajure started. Pittsburgh hitters added a degree of difficulty with 17 whiffs and a 2-for-14 RISP performance. It was the 10th time in the last dozen games that the struggling Bucco batsmen had scored two or fewer runs in regulation. 
• 2023 - The Pirates had lost 11-of-12 games, with its only victory behind Mitch Kellers’s complete game, four-hit, 2-0 shutout of Colorado at PNC Park earlier in the week. Kell was the Bucco stopper again, spinning seven four-hit, whitewash frames while beating the Orioles at Camden Yards 4-0 to become the first Pirates pitcher with 13 strikeouts (his career best), no walks and no runs allowed in an outing in the Live-Ball Era (since 1920) per ESPN Stats & Info. It was also the franchise’s first game of 16+ strikeouts with zero walks as Keller, Colin Holderman and David Bednar sat down 17 Orioles during the afternoon. Ji Hwan Bae’s two-run, two-out single in the third made it 4-0 and gave Keller some breathing room to work with; it also marked the first time in 13 games that Pittsburgh scored over three runs. The Bucs were truly Jekyll and Hyde; they got hot in early April and went 14-5 before May landed on them like a ton of bricks.

5/13 Through the 1960s: Groat Six-Pack, Ron's 27-K Day, Game Days, Strickland Sold, Smith Goes, 3000 For The Man; HBD Jack, Bill, Leroy, Bullet & Jimmy

• 1883 - C Jimmy Archer was born in Dublin, Ireland. He played for five different clubs during his career, starting out and then playing his last year in Pittsburgh, first in 1904 as a rookie and then taking his bow in 1918. Archer was a strong armed catcher (his throwing strength was a trademark of Archer’s play; one bio credited it to shortened arms muscles caused by a teenage work accident) who often threw out wanna-be base stealers from a squat. In his two stints with the Pirates, he only got into 31 games and hit .154 but posted a career .249 BA. He retired and became a purchaser for Armour meats. Jimmy made the news as a hero in 1931 when he revived a pair of drivers who had been overcome by carbon dioxide while idling their rigs in the Union Stockyards. 
• 1886 - RHP Frank “Bullet” Miller was born in Salem, Michigan. Miller tossed for the Pirates from 1916-19 and put up a 41-49-2/2.75 slash. Miller sat out two full seasons (1920-21) when the Pirates wouldn’t meet his salary demands, working his farm instead. He did eventually return to baseball when the Boston Braves paid the 36-year-old $7,500 in 1922, but hung up the spikes and returned to farming after two more seasons. His nickname was a nod to his fastball. 
• 1901 - 33-year-old OF Elmer “Mike” Smith was released as a late cut to the roster. He spent seven of his 14 big league years with Pittsburgh, starting as a pitcher in 1892 but quickly being converted to the pasture, where he hit .325 for the Pirates. It was the end of the road for Smith; he played in just 16 more MLB games. Smith was born in Allegheny City and lived in the North Side on Madison Avenue throughout his four-team (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, New York & Boston) career. After leaving baseball, Smith worked as an inspector for the City of Pittsburgh. 

Mike Smith - Ars Longa art card

• 1909 - SS Leroy Morney was born in Oak Forest, Illinois. Morney had brief local stops in 1933 with the Homestead Grays (one of three teams he played for that season) and with the Pittsburgh Crawfords in 1934. Leroy had happy feet, playing for 15 teams in a 14-year career as a heavy-hitting shortstop who was named to three Negro League All-Star games. 
• 1910 - Umpire Bill McKinley was born in Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County. He was an AL umpire from 1946-65, making the calls in 2,977 regular season games, four World Series and three All-Star Games. After his retirement at age 55, he later served as umpire-in-chief of the short-lived 1969 Global League. 
• 1931 - C Jack Shepherd was born in Clovis, California. Signed out of Stanford in 1953, his first full season was the following year when he hit .304 and was a member of The Sporting News All-Rookie team. He played for Pittsburgh through 1956, compiling a lifetime .260 BA; he retired in 1957. 
• 1952 - RHP Ron Necciai of Gallatin struck out 27 batters while throwing a 7-0 no-hitter for the Bristol Twins, the Pirates' Class D Appalachian League team, against the Welch Miners. Four hitters reached base against him, via a walk, an error, a hit batsman and a passed ball on a swinging third strike that resulted in a four-strikeout ninth inning. Only two batters put the ball in play: a grounder to short in the second inning and an error in the ninth. Necciai pitched for the Bucs later in the year, but a torn rotator cuff limited him to that one MLB season.

George Strickland - 1952 Bowman

• 1953 - Pittsburgh sold SS George Strickland to the Cleveland Indians. It was a nice grab by the Tribe, which got eight seasons out of the sweet-fielding infielder, who started for four years and played 85 or more games in six Indians campaigns. Bo never had much of a stick - he hit over .238 just once in a decade-long career, but was consistently among the league leaders in fielding. Strickland’s time as a Pirate came to an end when the club signed the O’Brien twins (Eddie was a SS) as bonus babies; the rules of the time required that they stay on the MLB roster for two years or be released. George later went on to scout, coach and manage. They also sold C Ed Fitz Gerald to the Washington Senators. Fitz went on to play seven more seasons with a .264 BA and left the Pirates without an experienced backup backstop as he was replaced by another bonus baby, Nick Koback, who got into 16 Bucco games in three years and batted .121. Ed became a golf instructor after his baseball days, swinging a driver rather than a Louisville Slugger. 
• 1958 - A quick shout-out to the original kid from Donora: the Cardinals’ Stan Musial got his 3,000th hit with a pinch hit double off the Chicago Cubs’ Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field when the Hall of Famer was 37 and in his 16th season. Stan The Man is fourth all-time with 3,630 hits. 
• 1960 - Dick Groat became the first National League player since Philadelphia’s Connie Ryan in 1953 to go 6-for-6 and the first Bucco since Johnny Hopp in 1950 to roll sixes as Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee, 8-2, at County Stadium. He collected three doubles and three singles. Four other Bucs had two-hit days as Bob Friend went wire-to-wire for the win. He battled Carl Willey until the seventh, when the Pirates scored all eight of their runs. Despite being Friday the 13th, the day was a crystal-ball view of Groat's charmed 1960 season - he was the Bucs team captain, an All-Star, won the batting title by hitting .325, earned a World Series ring and was honored as the NL-MVP.

5/13 From 1970: USA Skenes, B-Rey Fiver, HR Or No?, Barry First & Last, Bell Booms, Jerry's 12, Game Days, Fox Deal; HBD Max & JR

• 1975 - Jerry Reuss fanned a career-high 12 batters while tossing a three-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres at Three Rivers Stadium. Frank Tavares tripled home Paul Popovich for the first run, and the Bucco insurance came in when Manny Sanguillen’s sac fly brought home Reuss, who had singled, was bunted to second and went to third after a stray pickoff throw. 
• 1983 - Mike Easler provided enough offense to help Rick Rhoden and Kent Tekulve (who had to relieve a shaky Rod Scurry in the ninth to clinch the win) to a 2-1 victory over the New York Mets at TRS. The Hit Man had three knocks and both RBI, walking the game off in the ninth with a single off lefty Carlos Diaz that scored Dave Parker. The Cobra showed some fine footwork in the last frame, stealing second after a knock and barely eluding Ron Hodge’s tag at home with a nifty slide to score the game-winner. Easler had more than his bat going; he also threw out Darryl Strawberry trying to score earlier in the game. 
• 1988 - Barry Bonds hit a leadoff homer for the second day in a row, a feat also accomplished by his dad Bobby in 1973. It came in handy as the Bucs rallied against the Reds, 6-5, at TRS. Bonds scored the winner in the ninth when he led off with a single and came all the way around when 1B Dave Collins threw away Jose Lind’s sac bunt trying for the force at second. The game had been tied since the sixth when Sid Bream swatted a two-run, pinch-hit homer. Jeff Robinson tossed two frames of shutout ball to claim the victory; Doug Drabek and Bob Kipper preceded him on the bump. 
• 1991 - C John Ryan Murphy was born in Bradenton, Florida. A second round draft pick of the Yankees in 2009 straight out of high school, he played with NY, Minnesota, Arizona and Atlanta before the Pirates signed him as an NRI for the 2020 campaign. JR made the team from the season’s start after Luke Maile was injured and served as Jake Stalling’s caddy. He became a free agent in October, found no takers and in 2023 joined the Phillies as a minor league coach. 

Jay Bell - 1992 Fleer Ultra

• 1992 - The Pirates coughed up an eight-run cushion after leading 10-2 in the fourth inning when a four-run Brave rally in the eighth inning knotted the score. The club saved face in the ninth thanks to a Jay Bell homer (good timing; it was Jay’s first of the year) to escape with an 11-10 verdict at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. Bell had four RBI, Steve Buechele added three more and Stan Belinda, who gave up a two-run shot the inning prior, worked the ninth for the win. Bell, Andy Van Slyke and Don Slaught had four hits while Buechele added three more raps as the Bucs banged out a season-high 21 knocks. The victory snapped Pittsburgh’s seven-game losing streak to the Braves. 
• 1993 - IF Max Moroff was born in Winter Haven, Florida. He was a 16th round draft pick in 2012 out of high school, and got on the radar in 2015 when he was named an Eastern League & Baseball America AA All-Star while honored as the Pirates Minor League Player of the Year. The switch hitter made his cup-of-coffee Bucco debut in 2016, played on the big club the following season starting in May, and answered the call in 2018 in mid-April when Josh Harrison went down with a broken hand. The Bucs sent him to Cleveland in the 2018 off season as part of the Eric Gonzalez deal, then he later went to the Cards. After shoulder surgery in 2021, Max was released in the off-season by the Redbirds, didn’t catch on with another club and that ended his playing days. 
• 1999 - The Pirates got a welcome financial boost when they and Fox Sports extended their TV contract, which was due to end after the 2000 season, through 2007. The fees weren’t disclosed, but the Bucs were booked to collect $4.5M per year in 2000 and the ante was anticipated to escalate. The games available for broadcast went up from 100 per year to 120, the most TV exposure ever given to the team, and Kevin McClatchy cited that the length of the deal would give the Pirates some financial certainty moving forward. 
• 2007 - Pittsburgh, which had been averaging just 3.2 runs scored per game, erupted against the Braves and rolled to a 13-2 win at PNC Park, defeating Anthony Lerew, who had just been called up from AAA and was making his second major league start. The 18-hit attack (all singles and doubles) was led by Jack Wilson, with three knocks and who reached safely during all five of his plate appearances. Chris Duffy and Freddy Sanchez also had three raps each, and every starting Bucco position player hit safely. The Pirates never had fewer than two runners aboard in any inning (along with the Bucco hit parade, Atlanta issued seven free passes to go with an intentional walk, bopped batter and boot). Ian Snell went seven frames for the win. 

Jack Wilson - 2007 Fleer Ultra

• 2009 - The Pirates beat the Cardinals 5-2 at PNC Park. Adam LaRoche made history when he had a first-inning home run call reversed by instant replay and ruled a double. It was the first time in 14 reviews that a homer had been overruled since instant replay started in 2008. The Bucs didn’t clear the fences that night, but did bang out five two-baggers. Jack Wilson led the hit parade with three knocks while Ross Ohlendorf got the win and Matt Capps picked up the save.
• 2024 - Two grave markers in Pittsburgh's Highwood Cemetery (off Brighton Road in North Side), dedicated to Clarence "Win" Harris and Frank Miller, two Negro League baseball stars, who had been lying at rest in unmarked graves. The Josh Gibson Foundation’s Negro Leagues Memorial Marker Initiative, with help from a middle-school funder, provided the stones. Win was a 1B who played four seasons with the Grays while Miller pitched for the Keystones in 1887.
• 2024 - A couple of the Bucs core players came through when Bryan Reynolds had the first five-hit day of career and Mitch Keller (4-3) tossed six shutout innings, dodging eight hits and whiffing seven in the opener at Milwaukee’s American Family Field. For the remarkably durable Keller, it was a league-leading 40th straight start that he worked at least five frames. Jack Suwinski and Yasmani Grandal chipped in two-run bombs; B-Rey also homered and doubled. The Pirates five-run pad was almost frittered away when Josh Fleming gave up a grannie in the eighth to make it a 7-6 contest, but Reynold’s insurance shot and David Bednar’s eighth save nailed it down in the ninth. 
• 2025 - RHP Paul Skenes was selected as a member of 2026’s Team USA squad, repping America during next year’s WBC tourney. To this point in his career, his line was 14-7/2.16 in 32 starts with 223 K in 188 IP. Paul was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 Draft and the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year. Paul got two outings - he fanned seven in four frames v Mexico, then won again in the semi-final match, going six innings of one-run ball to defeat a powerful Dominican Republic squad.

5/12: Strand-Land, B's Buzz, Slump Stopper Suhr, Kracklin' Kiki, Hans v Iron Man, Game Days, Bowman Joins; HBD Evan, Josh, Johnny, Hank, Alex, Bird Eye & EA

• 1860 - Umpire EA (Evan Arthur) Griffith was born in Canoe Township, in northeastern Indiana County outside Pittsburgh. EA was one of several local connections to the old American Association, umpiring for half a season (46 games, all behind the plate) in 1884. Apparently Griffith liked the profession but wanted a little more action; he later became a college football ref. 
• 1868 - 2B Harry “Bird Eye” Truby was born in Kittanning. He played two seasons in the show, coming home to play his final eight games as a Pirate in 1896 when his contract was purchased to replace an injured Lou Bierbauer. He batted .156 and was traded 11 days later to Albany for Dick Padden, ending his MLB career. He. Truby did put in 20 pro seasons, playing his last game in 1907. He umpired briefly, managed for three years, and then went on to his life’s work. 
• 1889 - Light hitting (.229 career) and slick fielding reserve infielder Alex McCarthy was born in Chicago. The Notre Dame product played for the Bucs from 1910-1917, hitting .226 during his eight Pittsburgh campaigns. He made a brief yo-yo stop in his hometown of Chicago after the Pirates sold him to the Cubs in September of 1915 and then brought him back the following July. He was originally a shortstop, but couldn’t beat out a guy named Honus Wagner. 
• 1908 - The Bucs defeated the New York Giants, 5-3, at Exposition Park as Sam Leever outlasted Iron Man McGinnity. The G-Men overcame a 2-0 deficit in the eighth inning to take the lead; Pittsburgh answered with a three-spot of its own. Hans Wagner was the big gun. His triple scored the tying and winning runs, then he swiped home on the back end of a double steal for the insurance tally. The Dutchman had three of the Pirates five hits to go with a walk. 
• 1916 - RHP Hank Borowy was born in Bloomfield, New Jersey. After spending most of his time with the Yankees and Cubs, the Pirates were one of three teams that he played for in 1950, getting into 11 games as a Bucco swingman and going 1-3/6.39 after he was bought from the Phils; after 10 weeks, he was sold to the Tigers. He had been a stalwart of the Bronx Bombers in the first half of his career, but in the final years suffered from chronic blisters and a sore shoulder. 

Johnny Hetki - 1954 Topps

• 1922 - RHP Johnny Hetki was born in Leavenworth, Kansas. He spent the final two campaigns (1952-53) of his eight-year career with the Pirates, posting a 7-10/4.38 slash in that time, mostly as a reliever. Johnny tossed in the Venezuelan Winter League where he hurled an 18-inning game for his club, Magallanes, setting a record that still stands (and for a tie game, yet!) He later pitched a complete game victory for Magallanes in the 1952 Caribbean Series, an 11-inning 2–1 win against the Panamanian champions, the Carta Vieja Yankees. 
• 1925 - Kiki Cuyler went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, four RBI, and five runs scored in a 13-8 nitecap win over the Philadelphia Phillies at the Baker Bowl. Glenn Wright added three more knocks and drove in three runs. Buc starter Ray Kremer was knocked out of the box without getting an out; Lee Meadows worked seven frames for the win with Babe Adams earning a six-out save. It gave Pittsburgh a split of a twin bill as Vic Aldridge lost the opener 8-5 despite three hits by Max Carey and a Clyde Barnhart homer. 
• 1930 - Gus Suhr had a homer, double, and three RBI while Adam Comorosky went 3-for-3 with a pair of two baggers as the Pirates broke out of a 7-out-of-8 game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Brooklyn Robins at Forbes Field. Erv Brame tossed a complete game six-hitter. Despite the early sluggishness, the team ended up 80-74, but still finished a distant 12 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. 
• 1953 - The Bucs plucked LHP Roger Bowman off waivers from the New York Giants. He spent ‘53 and part of ‘55 with the Pirates, with all of ‘54 and most of ‘55 as a farm hand in Hollywood. He went 0-7/5.60 in his 37 Bucco games, with 1955 being his last big league campaign. Bowman then worked in the Pacific Coast League and tossed some in Cuba, with his last pro outing in 1961. 
• 1955 - Rookie RHP Sam "Toothpick" Jones of the Cubs no-hit the Pirates, 4-0‚ fanning Dick Groat, Roberto Clemente and Frank Thomas in the ninth after walking the bases loaded (he walked seven - two DPs and a caught stealing helped his cause - and struck out six). It was the first no-hitter in Wrigley Field since 1917 and the first MLB no-no tossed by an African-American pitcher. Sadly for Jones and posterity, only 2,918 fans showed up to witness his slice of history. 

Al McBean - 1968 Pirates Promo Pack

• 1968 - Al McBean left his house for Forbes Field after promising his wife a victory for Mothers Day and he kept his word with a complete game 2-1 win over the Phillies, scattering seven hits and fanning five. The Bucs scored both runs in the opening round when Maury Wills and Roberto Clemente touched home against rookie Jeff James. Three straight Philadelphia singles in the seventh cut the Bucco lead to one, but Matty Alou’s throw-out of Johnny Briggs at third limited the damage. And everyone got to enjoy the holiday and celebrate dinner with their moms as the Sunday afternoon game took just one hour and 55 minutes. 
• 1978 - 1B Josh Phelps was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Phelps spent eight years in the show, mostly as a Blue Jay, and split 2007 between the Yankees and Pirates, joining Pittsburgh in June as a replacement for demoted Brad Eldred after being waived out of the Big Apple. He swung it pretty good for the Bucs, hitting .351 with five homers in 77 at-bats, and he signed with the Cards as a free agent after the year. He got into 19 games late in the season for the Redbirds and that was his last MLB stop. Josh does hold one distinction: his 64 career homers are the most ever banged out by an Alaskan-born player. 
• 1983 - RHP Evan Meek was born in Bellevue, Washington. The Rule 5 pick spent five years (2008-12) as a Pirate and looked like the closer of the future after an All-Star season in 2010, tossing to a 2.14 ERA in 70 appearances. But various arm injuries took their toll on his promising career. He only made one more MLB stop after his Bucco days, in 2014 with Baltimore. He finished his career pitching in the indy leagues after splitting 2015 between the minors and a stint in Korea. 
• 1988 - Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla gave a glimpse into the future when they mashed previously undefeated Dodger ace Orel Hershiser for three homers, four runs scored and six runs plated in a 7-4 Bucco win at Three Rivers Stadium. The B&B boys were in their third MLB campaign and would power the early-nineties Bucco powerhouses to three divisional titles. John Smiley rode their big bats to a complete game win while Chico Lind banged out three hits to aid the cause. 
• 1994 - The Pirates and Zane Smith lost to the Phillies 6-4, and Buc batters were their own worst enemies by stranding 17 runners at Veterans Stadium, one shy of the NL record for a nine-inning game. The Bucs wasted 14 hits (every Pirate position starter had a rap; five of them had two knocks), nine walks and a Philly boot by going 1-for-15 w/RISP against four Phil’s pitchers.

Weekly Report: Another Meh Week, Player Shuffle, 1000 For B-Rey, 10/10 For Oneil, 300 For Marcell, RIP Dog, Seth Moves Up, Minor Honors

May Days...

Pirates Stuff:

• MLB suspended Pirates RHP Chris Devenski for two games v 'Zona and fined him an undisclosed amount for intentionally throwing at the Reds Sal Stewart. Manager Don Kelly was hit with a one-game suspension and fined too. Kristopher Negron was the skipper for Arizona opener at Chase Field while Don Kelly was serving his suspension. Negron was hired as bench coach during the offseason after a season of managing Mariners AAA club, then four more years of coaching at Seattle.
• When Devenski came off his suspension, he was placed on the 15-day IL for an undisclosed illness and RHP Cam Sanders was promoted from the taxi squad to take his place in the pen.
• Jake Mangum was pulled from Thursday's lineup with left hammy discomfort. He ended up on the 10-day IL and Nick Yorke was recalled from Indy. Nick Gonzales also sat after being hit in the hand the night before, although that may have just been a scheduled day off as he was back in the lineup on Friday. 
• Ryan Harbin took some time to check his options and decided to re-signed with the Pirates on a minor league deal to Indy. He won't be in action for a bit as he's recovering from a shoulder injury that triggered the whole release/re-sign process

Bryan collectin' hits - Pirates graphic 2026

• Bryan Reynolds reached 1,000 career hits against Arizona on Tuesday night. He joined Roberto Clemente, Andrew McCutchen, Dave Parker and Willie Stargell as the only Pirates with at least 1,000 hits, 200 doubles and 140 HRs. His first MLB rap was on 4/19/2019 v Derek Holland of the Giants at PNC Park.
• Marcell Ozuna reached the 300-HR mark on Friday, one of just 15 active players to post that many. Ozuna is the fifth Pirate to do it as a Bucco, joining Stargell, McCutchen, Jeromy Burnitz and Ralph Kiner.
• Oneil Cruz is the second Pirates player to post 10+ HRs & 10+ stolen bases during the first 41 games of a season. (10HR/15 SB). Barry Bonds also did it in 1992 (11 HR, 10 SB).
• Bob Skinner passed away at the age of 94 in California. Skinner was a member of the 1960 WS champ Pirates and a coach for the 1979 World Series titlists. The outfielder made his MLB debut with the Bucs in 1954 as a first baseman who played nine of his 12 seasons in Pittsburgh (1,100 games), putting together a Bucco career line of .280/90/462 and was a three-time All-Star. He managed the Phils & the Padres, coached for four teams and also served as a scout. His son Joel was a MLB catcher & skipper.

Konnor's #1 everywhere...for a couple of more at-bats.

• SS Konnor Griffin (#1), P Seth Hernandez (#10) and OF Edward Florentino (#21) are ranked among Baseball America's Top 25 Prospects, with Konnor needing to reach 130 MLB at-bats before he graduates off the list.
• Seth Hernandez won April's Pitcher of the Month award for the Florida State League. In five games, the Bradenton ace prospect spun 22 innings, going 2-0 while giving up ten hits & posting a 1.23 ERA with 41 strikeouts. The Pirates noticed and promoted him to A+ Greensboro. He went 3-0 /0.96 ERA in six starts for Bradenton, with 50 strikeouts in 28 innings.
• Bradenton 3B Murf Gray was the Florida State League Player of the Week. He hit .455 with two homers, eight RBI and seven runs scored. Coming into this week, the Fresno State products line is .375/5/26 in 26 games.
• After getting toasted in his prior start at Indy, Jose Uquidy worked five no-hit/seven K innings on Saturday. Rounding into shape or...?
• The BurghProud Challenge was announced. It's a joint effort between the Pirates, Steelers & Penguins with the Richard King Mellon Foundation & GoFundMe to raise funds and awareness for the Greater Pgh Community Food Bank.

Game Stuff:

• Bubba Chandler was a wild child on Tuesday and a victim of the Oneil Cruz-Bryan Reynolds ball-drop revue, but left after five with the game at Chase Field competitive at 2-0 Arizona. But Yohan Ramirez was torched, Dennis Santana was nicked, and Kris Negron's mangerial debut was one to forget as the Bucs fell, 9-0.
• The bats weren't much better the next eve, but Paul Skenes was, going eight innings of two-hit, seven-K shutout ball. Gregory Soto locked it down the ninth, so Brandon Lowe's first-inning homer was the decisive blow as the Bucs 1-0 victory evened the set with the Diamondbacks.
• Mitch Keller was solid v the D-Backs on getaway day, giving up a pair of runs in six frames, and the pen served zippos the rest of the way as the Bucs took the series in the desert by a 4-2 tally.  Brandon Lowe homered and had three hits; Joey Bart also went deep with Gregory Soto closing to earn the save.
• Marcell Ozuna put the Bucs up early with a solo shot in San Fran; Rafael Devers tied it it quickly. It pretty much stayed that way during Carmen Mlodzinski's six-inning stint; he left down 2-1. But Justin Lawrence got banged, Evan Sisk couldn't stem the bleeding, and the G-Men took the opener by a 5-2 tally. The Pirates only had five hits while piling up seven walks; a little more 'tude may have helped.

Braxton Ashcraft - 2026 Pirates

• Braxton Ashcraft didn't have to worry about support; the Bucs blew it open in the sixth and seventh frames to roll, 13-3. Every Pirate had a hit (they bopped out 20) as Brandon Lowe chased four runs home, Nick Gonzales posted four raps, Joey Bart banged out four knocks/scored three times v his ol' team and Oneil Cruz piled up three raps/three runs scored. Pgh was 10-for-22 w/RISP as seven guys scored and chased home runs. 
• Konnor Griffin & Oneil Cruz went long, Bubba was mostly in the strike zone, going six innings and leaving with a 4-2 lead. A short outing by Isaac Mattson turned that lead into a tie. Spencer Horwitz doubled in a pair of runs in the 10th; Yohan Ramirez gave that lead back. In the 11th, the Bucs had 1st & 3rd occupied with no outs and couldn't convert; The G-Men did their job and took a 7-6 decision. Maybe Ben Cherington ought to be looking to shore up the bullpen a little bit...
• Pittsburgh comes home to PNC to take on Colorado (T-H) and then Philly next weekend. The Phils are hot; the Rox are not.

MLB Stuff: 

• Tyler Glasnow hit the 1,000 career strikeouts mark this week. With 793 IP under his belt, he got to 1,000 quicker than any other MLB starter. A couple of days later, he was put on the 15-day IL with back spasms.
• The Cubs re-signed Vince Velasquez to a minor league deal after they had DFA'ed him and he became a free agent.

5/11 Through 1974: Danny Slam, Dueling, Game Days, Adieu Alvin, Satch Back, Waco Wiped, HBD Mike, Mark, Walk, Mel, Gene & Rip

• 1907 - RHP Truett Banks “Rip” Sewall was born in Decatur, Alabama. Sewall was master of the “ol’ eephus” blooper pitch, and in 12 seasons (1938-49) with the Pirates went 143-97/3.48, winning 21 games twice, and was a member of three NL All-Star teams. Rip had pretty good baseball bloodlines as three of his cousins, Luke, Joe, and Tommy Sewell, also played in the show. He got his nickname from his wife Margaret, who told Buffalo sportswriter Jimmy Dunn to call him "Rip" in a story about his time with the minor-league Bisons and her nickname stuck. 
• 1915 - Pittsburgh Rebel OF Jim Kelly bopped the first pitch of the game over the wall in left at Buffalo’s Federal League Park to defeat the Blues’ (aka Bisons) and pitcher Fred Anderson, 1-0. RHP Clint Rogge, who slashed 17-11/2.55 during the campaign, tossed the shutout for the Rebs. 
• 1920 - OF Gene Hermanski was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Gene spent nine years in the bigs as a bench outfielder, closing his career by batting .177 in 1953 with the Bucs. He came over as part of a big deal with the Cubs featuring Ralph Kiner. Hermanski is mostly noted as a Brooklyn Dodger - he earned a spot by playing for da Bums while on leave from the Coast Guard during WW2 - and appeared in two World Series with the Trolley Dodgers. 
• 1928 - Coach Mel Wright was born in Manila, Arkansas. Mel tossed for the Cubs and Cards and became good friends with Bill Virdon. Virdon selected him as his pitching coach (replacing Don Osborn) when he managed the Buccos in 1973, and Mel subsequently followed The Quail to the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Montreal Expos before passing away in 1983. 
• 1937 - Cy Blanton fired a five-hit shutout as the Pirates beat Boston 3-0 to increase their winning streak to four games. It was Blanton’s third complete game and second shutout of the year. Cy recorded a career-high 143 strikeouts and compiled a 14-12-4/3.30 slash in his standout season and was named to the NL All-Star team for the only time in his Pirate career. 

Satch - 5/12/1953 exhibition Pgh Press photo

• 1953 - The Bucs played the St. Louis Browns (it was their last season before becoming the Orioles) in an exhibition game at Forbes Field for the benefit of Children’s Hospital; the big draw was Saint Louis starter Satchel Paige, returning to his old stomping grounds. The Mt. Lebanon Marching Band provided the game’s musical entertainment, and an added highlight was a “long distance hitting contest” between the Pirates Ralph Kiner, Frank Thomas and Joe Garagiola v the Browns Bob Elliott (an ex-Bucco), Vic Wertz and Don Larsen, the future Yankee pitcher who apparently swung a mean bat, too. He and Kiner tied for top honors with two long balls in five swats, each winning a radio. Pittsburgh took the game 3-2 in front of 5,935 fans (Willy Hunter of the Browns lured 1,000 of them; the Indiana, PA, native was honored before the game and the hometown showed) by scoring twice in the ninth, so the ball game was equal to the entertainment. 
• 1953 - A tornado demolished the Class B Waco Pirates’ Katy Field, also destroying its equipment and offices. The damage was so complete that Pittsburgh’s Big State League club had to finish the season playing its games in Laredo, not returning to Waco until the next season after the field was rebuilt.
• 1956 - Down by three runs in the bottom of the ninth, rookie C Danny Kravitz hit a walk-off grand slam, his first and only MLB granny (he hit just 10 big flies during his career), to give the Pirates a 6-5 win over Philadelphia at Forbes Field. Losing 5-0 in the sixth, Pittsburgh put up a pair of runs but were otherwise stymied until Danny’s blast. Phil pitchers helped; they walked seven Buccos and three touched home. Dale Long added three hits as newly acquired Luis Arroyo won the game that Vern Law started, with ElRoy Face and Nellie King providing the bridge. 
• 1957 - Roberto Clemente hit an inside the park homer that went under the batting cage 457’ away at Forbes Field before CF Richie Ashburn could almost literally dig it out. The Phils, 7-2 winners (they were up 6-0 before the Bucs batted), protested at the time, but the umpires ruled that there was no ground rule to cover the situation and so the home run stood, with Philadelphia’s win making it a moot point. The Great One banged his four-bagger off future teammate Harvey Haddix. 

Bob Porterfield - 1959 Topps

• 1958 - Bob Porterfield, newly acquired from the Boston Red Sox, won a duel with Curt Simmons at Forbes Field to take a 1-0 victory over the Phils after RC Stevens drove home Dick Groat in the 11th inning for the walk-off win. It was a twin bill sweep as the Bucs won the opener, 10-4, behind Bob Friend, who survived back-to-back first inning home runs. He had lots of help - Bob Skinner doubled, scored three runs and drove in a pair, Ted Kluszewski homered with three RBI, Frank Thomas drove in three more, Dick Groat tripled and scored three runs while Roberto Clemente had a double, triple, and plated a pair. 
• 1958 - RHP Walt Terrell was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The 11-year MLB vet tossed for the 1990 Bucs, starting 16 games with a line of 2-7/5.88 after signing an $800K free agent deal in the off season. He was released in July and signed with the Tigers, pitching for Motown through 1992 to finish his career. He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. 
• 1958 - RHP Mark Huismann was born in Littleton, Colorado. Mark tossed parts of nine seasons for six clubs, closing out his career with the Pirates in 1990-91. He slashed 1-0/7.88 in seven games over that span, spending most of his time in AAA Buffalo. That was par for the course; Mark had just one campaign - 1986 with KC & Seattle - with more time on the big team than the minors. 
• 1968 - RHP Mike Garcia was born in Riverside, California. Garcia had a 20-game MLB career, spent with Pittsburgh in 1999-2000. He went 1-2/7.36 with three holds over that span. The Bucs had inked him after a two-year run in Korea. He was well-traveled afterwards, tossing in the minors, Korea, Mexico and finally closed it down as a 39-year-old after spending 2007 playing indy ball.
• 1970 - RHP Al McBean, who spent nine years as a Bucco with a line of 65-43-39/3.08, was released when Gene Garber was called up, ending Alvin's MLB career. He mostly worked from the bullpen - he was the Fireman of the Year in 1964 - but was toasted in his seven outings. The 32-year-old toiled in the Philly system for a year, then retired to his native Virgin Islands, becoming a St. Thomas businessman and Parks & Recreation honcho working with youth baseball.

5/11 From 1975: Mlod's Moms Gift, Paul's Debut, Solos + Small Ball, Frankie's First, Clobberin' Craig 2HR/7RBI, Ringy-Ding, Duelin', Game Days, Moves, AVS & JT POTW, HBD Ryder

• 1977 - The Bucs beat the Braves 2-1 at TRS to stretch their winning streak to 11 games. John Candelaria left runners at second and third in the ninth with two down for Goose Gossage, who K’ed Rowland Office to save the win. The Candy Man was saved by a big hop. Darrel Chaney’s final-frame drive to left center hopped over the wall with Pat Rockett at first, and he would have scored easily if the ball had stayed in play, but instead had to stop at third where he died. Dave Parker extended his hitting streak to 22 games with two knocks, including a homer. Atlanta, which lost its 17th straight to Pittsburgh, had owner Ted Turner serving as manager. All the streaks ended the next day as the Buccos lost, Parker was shut down by Max Leon & Rick Camp, and Turner named third base coach Vern Benson manager until Dave Bristol returned as boss man a day later.
• 1982 - For the second straight week, 1B Jason Thompson won recognition as the National League Player of the Week. He went 11-for-20 with two homers and six walks with just three whiffs as part of a 17-game hitting streak (and 22-of-23 game string). It was an auspicious beginning to his only Pirates All-Star season as he compiled a line of .284 with 31 HR, 101 RBI and 101 walks. 
• 1986 - It was a wild finish at TRS, with the Bucs rallying to take a dramatic 4-3 win from the Astros. The Bucs were up 3-1 behind the arms of Big Daddy Rick Reuschel, Pat Clements and Cecilio Guante, backed up by a two-run homer by Jim Morrison until the ninth when the wheels began to wobble. Jim Winn gave up back-to-back dingers to knot the score, and Jose DeLeon had to clean up, stranding a pair of ‘Stros to keep it even. It stayed tied until the 12th frame. DeLeon was saved when Sid Bream’s leap speared a two-out, two-on bullet. Then came the surprise ending: Bill Almon lofted a fly up the right field line, OF’er Terry Puhl took a tumble chasing it down, and Bill touched all four sacks for the walk-off, inside the park winner. It was the first (and only) win of the year for DeLeon as a Bucco in ‘86, as he was traded to the White Sox to get Bobby Bonilla back in July; Bo had been lost to Chicago in the Rule 5 draft thanks to FO bungling. 
• 1988 - Bob Walk and Fernando Villanueva hooked up in a duel at TRS that went 11 frames. The Bucs eventually took a 2-1 decision on Randy “Moose” Milligan’s two-out, two-strike double that chased Bobby Bonilla home for the victory. Pittsburgh tied the score late on Junior Ortiz’s eighth inning single. Both sides had plenty of chances to plate people; the Dodgers banged out 10 hits and stranded 10; the Pirates had nine knocks and drew 12 walks while leaving 17 runners on base. Moose had two hits, both two-baggers, and Junior added three raps, with Scott Medved earning the win. It was Buck Night at the ballyard and 26,367 fans showed up for the entertaining match. 

Bob Walk - 1988 Topps

• 1992 - The NL named CF Andy Van Slyke as its Player of the Week. AVS hit .452 with five runs scored, six RBI, a homer, four doubles and two triples to stake claim to the honor. Van Slyke kept on through the season; he hit .324, made the All-Star team and posted a career-high OPS+ of 150. 
• 1993 - Ding dong: In the top of the seventh, Jay Bell led off the inning by grounding out to Phillies' shortstop Juan Bell. The Pirate infielder was rung up by first base umpire Wally Bell. Sadly, the first baseman was spoilsport John Kruk, who may have been a bit dingy but still ruined the chime vibe. Nevertheless, the Pirates rang up an 8-4 victory at Veterans Stadium. 
• 1995 - RHP Ryder Ryan was born in Huntersville, North Carolina. Cleveland drafted him in 2016 in the 30th round from UNC, traded him to the Mets the next year, and New York sent him to Texas in 2020. He signed with Seattle two seasons later and debuted in MLB in 2023, albeit for a one-inning outing. Ryder was outrighted off their 40-man after the season, opted for free agency and signed with the Bucs. He was a bit wild in camp but whiffed 10 batters in eight frames and made the club. Ryder won his first MLB game, slashing 1-0/3.00 in nine outings, but was optioned back to Indy in late April, where he struggled and the Bucs let him become a free agent at year’s end. He’s in the Dodger system now.
• 1999 - Down 15-8 to the Astros in the 8th, Gene Lamont put C Keith Osik on the hill at the Astrodome. He walked two, fanned one, hit a batter and gave up two hits, allowing four runs in his inning. Houston belted out 10 doubles against five Pirate hurlers, with two off Osik. Osik would toss once more to save an arm, and finished his pitching days with a 40.50 ERA to confirm that choosing catcher for his primary position was a pretty wise career move.
• 2004 - The Pirates scored five times in the 12th inning to take a 15-10 slugfest victory from the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Craig Wilson was en fuego, with four hits, including two homers and a bases-loaded triple in the 12th, giving him seven RBI on the day. Two unlikely power sources, Bobby Hill and Tike Redman, also went deep for Pittsburgh. The clubs burned through 15 pitchers who gave up 38 hits. Salomon Torres got the win; his bacon was saved when Jose Castillo knocked down a ball in the 11th, then recovered to throw out Royce Clayton at home to preserve the deadlock and set the stage for Wilson. 

Ronny Cedeno - 2010 Topps Heritage

• 2010 - Johnny Cueto came this close to no-hitting the Bucs; the only knock was a Ronny Cedeno grounder in the third that tipped off the shortstop’s glove in Cincy’s 9-0 laugher at PNC Park. Cedeno was later HBP and caught stealing; he was the only Pirate Cueto allowed aboard as he faced just 28 batters. 
• 2013 - After sitting out with an off-season broken arm, Francisco Liriano got plenty of help in winning his first outing as a Pirate by an 8-2 count over the NY Mets at CitiField. He lasted 5-1/3 IP and whiffed nine, supported by Jose Tabata’s 4-for-5 day. JT had a homer, double, three runs scored and three more runs driven home. Mike McKenry chipped in with another three RBI and Jordy Mercer banged out a pair of solo homers as the trio accounted for all the Buc runs. 
• 2016 - The Pirates rallied to defeat the Reds 5-4 at Great American Ball Park. The Bucs had just four hits after eight innings, but they were all solo homers, launched by Andrew McCutchen, David Freese, Jung Ho Kang and Josh Harrison. Pittsburgh regained the lead in the ninth by going soft on an infield single by Kang who went to second on a throwaway, a bunt and a Jordy Mercer bloop into center that barely carried over the drawn-in second baseman. Tony Watson got the win and Mark Melancon stranded a pair for the save of a game started by Juan Nicasio. The Pirates tied a painful modern-era record: the never-shy Cincinnati pitchers plunked four Buccos during the contest. 
• 2019 - The Pirates bought RHP Chris Stratton from the Los Angeles Angels. He was a first-round pick (20th overall) of the Giants in 2012, but couldn’t cut it as an MLB starter and the G-Men traded him to LA. The Angels used him as a swingman, then the Bucs converted Stratton to a full-time middle-relief guy and reaped the benefits as he became a solid bridge to the bullpen’s back end arms. He was rewarded in 2022 by becoming part of the late-inning, high leverage finishing crew before being moved to the St. Louis Cardinals. The year he arrived, 2019, saw the Bucs burn through 31 pitchers, with Chris and Mitch Keller the only two left on the roster by 2022. Chris was traded to the Cards at the '22 deadline, leaving Mitch as the last man standing. 

Paul Skenes - 2024 image 5/11/2024 MLB Pipeline

• 2024 - Pirate player movement continued. RHP Paul Skenes was officially added to the roster for his first MLB start and RHP Roansy Contreras, the major return piece of the Jameson Taillon deal with Yankees, was DFA’ed. IF Alika Williams' option from yesterday lasted for just a few hours; 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes’ back tightened up on him, so Key was placed on the 10-day IL with inflammation and Alika was recalled to replace him. As for the game, Skenes did just OK, going four innings while giving up three runs on six hits with two walks and seven K after a pro-high 84 pitches (17 timed at 100+). Shelty let him start the fifth to qualify for a win, but after a pair of knocks, Skenes was yanked. Unfortunately his relievers blew a 6-1 lead in a NY minute. After a pair of whiffs, Buc relievers bopped a batter and then walked six Cubs with the bases loaded (Oddly enough, it was topped in 1959 when the White Sox drew eight bases-crammed walks against KC in the seventh inning). The frame ended with the game turned upside down and Chicago up, 8-6. But in the bottom half, the craziness continued as Yasmani Grandal popped a three-run blast. Earlier, Connor Joe had also banged a three-run drive, Michael Taylor swatted a two-run rocket & Oneil Cruz launched a solo shot, and that show of Corsair muscle flexing put the Bucs up 9-8. The final four innings played out a little more sanely, and with an Andrew McCutchen bomb as the fifth Pirates long ball, Pittsburgh hung on for a 10-9 dub. 34,924 fans saw Skenes’ debut at PNC Park in a game that took five hours+ due to a two-hour rain delay.
• 2025 - On Mother's Day, Carmen Mlodzinski made mom proud by showing starter's stuff, going 5-2/3 shutout frames with just four hits surrendered. But with two outs in the eighth, Don Kelly had a burst of managerial brainstorming and yanked Ryan Boricki for Tanner Rainey, who quickly loaded the bases. That brought on Joey Wentz, and a double later, it was a 3-3 contest. But today they had a response. Dennis Santana put up a zero in the ninth, then Adam Frazier and Ke’Bryan Hayes led off with singles, both on 0-2 pitches, to put Bucs on the corners. Joey Bart hit a one-out one-hopper into the SS hole, and it had eyes enough to allow Fraze to slide home with the game-winner (Bart was riding a 6-for-9 streak at the dish and it was his second walkoff hit - well, fielder's choice - of the year). So despite some sweaty moments, Kelly was 2-1 at the helm.

5/10: Obie-Samuels, WilCo, AVS - 1000, Willie & Bert, Blass Debut, Twins In, Earl On, Allies Open In AA, Game Days, TSN Teke, '24 Moves; HBD Tony, Pete, Russ & Al

• 1882 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association, the forefathers of the Pirates, played its first major league (the AA was an early big league outfit) Home Opener at Exposition Park. Pittsburgh took a 9-5 decision from the St. Louis Cards. Harry Arundel scattered a dozen hits and went the distance for the win. The top of the order provided the spark as Ed Swartwood, Billy Taylor and Jack Leary combined for eight of the Alleghenys’ 12 hits. The Allies finished the year at 39-39, finishing fourth in the AA’s first season and jumped to the NL in 1887. 
• 1913 - Utilityman Al Rubeling was born in Baltimore. Rubeling, who played for the Philly A’s in 1940-41, was with Pittsburgh from 1943-44 and batted .253. He was mostly a bench guy, getting some 70 starts over the two years, and his MLB career ended after his Pirates days with the return of the wartime players, although he played seven more seasons in the minors. 
• 1914 - RHP Russ Bauers was born in Townsend, Wisconsin. He pitched for the Bucs from 1936-41, and in 1937-38 went 26-20, appearing in 74 games (53 starts) and working 430-2/3 IP with an ERA of 2.98. In 1939, he pitched well but only made 15 outings for 53-2/3 innings after hurting his arm in a car accident. The Pirates released him in 1941, and he became a minor league mainstay after the war - he was in the service from 1942 to ‘45 - pitching briefly at the MLB level in 1946 and again in 1950. Russ tossed in the minors until 1954, when he turned 40. 
• 1918 - LHP Earl Hamilton had a sizzling start to the campaign, winning his sixth straight complete game start by a 4-2 tally at Forbes Field over the New York Giants while compiling an ERA of 0.83. But alas for the Bucs, it would be his last start of the season as Earl went off to join the Navy. Hamilton wasn’t marching alone on the drill field; 17 Buccos ended up serving in the Army or Navy before the 1918 season finished. He was back for the following year and tossed until 1923 for the Pirates, slashing 55-55-7/3.35 over his six-year Pittsburgh run before ending his MLB days with Philly the next year. 

Johnny & Eddie O'Brien - photo via Sports Collectibles

• 1953 - Bonus baby IFs Eddie and Johnny O'Brien become the MLB’s first twins to play for the same team in the same game when Johnny entered the nitecap of a twin bill to play second base and Eddie later pinch ran (and scored). The sibling karma didn’t carry over as the Bucs were swept by the New York Giants 4-0 and 3-2 at the Polo Grounds. The Pirates have had several same-season brother acts: Beside the O’Briens (1953, 55-58), there were Harry & Howie Camnitz (1909), Carson & Lyle Bigbee (1921), Johnny & Phil Morrison (1921), Paul & Lloyd Waner (1927-40), Gene & George Freese (1955) and Andy & Adam LaRoche (2008). The franchise’s sibling tradition dates its beginning back to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys’ infielders Henry & John Gilbert in 1890. 
• 1955 - RHP Alex Perinis, a local lad who lived on Dawson Street in Oakland and pitched for the Schenley HS Spartans, tossed a no-hitter for Class D Pirates affiliate Brunswick of the Georgia-Florida League, defeating Cordele 1-0. It wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty; the 20-year-old K’ed 10 and walked 11. Alex went 6-4/2.04 that year, and while four pitchers from the Brunswick staff eventually appeared in the majors, Alex wasn’t one of them. He topped out at Class C and after four campaigns, 1957 was his last year of pro ball. 
• 1964 - Steve Blass scattered two hits in five scoreless innings of relief while making his MLB debut in the back game of a doubleheader against Milwaukee at Forbes Field (he would make his first start on the 18th). Tommie Sisk started the game but was chased after giving up five runs in the first inning without retiring a batter. The Bucs scored once in the bottom of the first, twice in the eighth and three times in the final frame to rally for a 6-5 win, capped by a two-out, walkoff single by Willie Stargell. Roberto Clemente homered with three RBI and Al McBean claimed the win. The Braves bombed Pittsburgh in the opening match, romping to an 11-5 decision. 
• 1966 - The second place Bucs lost 2-1 in 15 innings to the front-running Giants at Forbes Field. Tied in the 15th, the G-Men got a Tom Haller single to open the frame off Bob Purkey. A bunt put runners at first and second when the force at second was late, and they were loaded when a swinging bunt rolled into center. A one-out sac fly gave San Fran the lead. The Pirates tried to rally, putting runners on the corners with an out, but Andre Rodgers, pinch hitting for Willie Stargell (lefty & ex-Bucco Joe Gibbon was on the hill, and Pops’ early splits against same siders was pretty poor) banged into a 6-4-3 DP to end the game. It was so cold out that the Giant bullpen started a fire to keep warm. It also marked a rarity for that era: a now banned infield shift, as Harry Walker stationed three of his infielders between second and third against the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays. 

Pete Schourek - 1999 photo Vincent Laforet/Getty

• 1969 - LHP Pete Schourek was born in Austin, Texas. He pitched for the Pirates toward the end of his 11-year career, slashing 4-7/5.34 in 1999 after signing a $2M free-agent deal. He was released during camp the following season and ended his big-league run with a two-year stint with the Red Sox after toeing the slab for five teams over 11 campaigns. Pete won 18 games for the Mets in 1995, but a set of nagging injuries left him as a journeyman hurler in ensuing campaigns. 
• 1978 - Bert Blyleven had his hook working at Candlestick Park, tossing a complete game six-hitter (all singles) and fanning a dozen Giants on the way to a 5-1 victory. It was also a big day for 37-year-old Willie Stargell, who chased home a pair of runs with a double to tie Roberto Clemente for second in Pirate career RBIs with 1,305. Hans Wagner (1,475) was the only Bucco ahead of the pair, and Willie would bypass the Dutchman with 1,540 before his last swing in 1982. 
• 1979 - OF Tony Alvarez was born in Caracas, Venezuela. A Top Bucco Ten prospect, Alvarez played in both the World Baseball Classic and the Futures Game. But his five-tool resume didn’t carry over in the show. He made two brief appearances in Pittsburgh in 2002 and again in 2004, hitting .250 in 38 games, and that was the sum of his big league career. Tony may have just had too many irons stuck in the fire, marrying three Miss Venezuela’s in succession, and in 2009 he became a noted reggae artist under the stage name of El Potro Alvarez. In 2014, he was named Venezuela’s Minister of Youth and Sports for a year. In 2018, he was named president of the National Institute of Racetracks. He was reportedly removed from that role in 2026 and may face corruption charges. 
• 1980 - Kent Tekulve was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Buc Stopper.” The article didn’t preface a great campaign but rather a workmanlike year by Teke standards. He was named to his only All-Star game while slashing a solid 8-12-21/3.39 line in 78 outings. 
• 1984 - Pittsburgh defeated the Giants 4-2 at TRS behind some clutch bullpen work. Don Robinson inherited a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the eighth from Cecilio Guante and got a pop up and DP. In the ninth, Robinson left the sacks juiced with two out for Teke, who retired Joel Youngblood on a fly to ice the win. Dale Berra homered and drove in three runs to spark the offense. 

Dale Berra - 1984 Donruss

• 1989 - In a minor deal, the Pirates sent struggling infielder Ken Oberkfell (.125 BA) to the San Francisco Giants for Roger Samuels (1-2/3.47). Oberkfell was rejuvenated, hitting .319 for the G-Men before finishing his career in 1992 after stops at Houston and California. Samuels worked 3-2/3 IP for the Pirates and was shellacked, never appearing in the show again. 
• 1991 - Andy Van Slyke collected his 1,000th hit, a single in the seventh inning, and though he didn’t figure in the scoring, his catch at the track in the sixth kept Atlanta off the board and helped the Pirates to a 3-2 win at TRS. Orlando Merced and Lloyd McClendon went deep to give John Smiley enough leeway for his fifth win, with Stan Belinda closing out the last two innings for his fourth save. 
• 2000 - Wil Cordero, Kevin Young and Pat Meares teamed up to lead the Bucs to a 13-9 victory over the Mets at TRS. Cordero went 5-for-5 with four RBI and three runs; Young went 4-for-5 with two runs driven in and four runs scored and Meares went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and runs. Cordero had a HR and double, Young a long ball and Meares banged a three-bagger. 
• 2024 - The Bucs came to earth with a thud after a hot start, and following an off day to lick some wounds, they made a couple of changes. First, they brought up 2023’s overall #1 pick, RHP Paul Skenes and announced he’d make his MLB debut the next day. They also called up 2B Nick Gonzales, who was strokin' it at a .358 rate at Indy. He started today’s game (a 7-2 loss to the Cubs) and singled in two runs on the first pitch he saw. The #7 overall draft pick out of New Mexico State in 2020, Gonzo hit .209 for the big club last year in limited (35 games, 115 ABs) action. IF Alika Williams was optioned to Indy; the glove-first reserve was batting .239. And finally, they acquired RHP Daulton Jefferies from the Giants for minor league OF Rodolfo Nolasco. Jefferies, 28, a former #1 pick of Oakland (#37 - 2016), was coming back after a two-year layoff following TJ and thoracic outlet surgeries with the team hoping that he'd provide starter depth later in the season. Nolasco, 22, was a prospect who had lost his sheen and got a change of scenery. Jefferies was optioned to Indy to knock off the down-time rust while C Jason Delay was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL to clear 40-man space.

5/9 Through the 1960s: Klu & Kline, Mr Swat - 2HR+7RBI, You Again?, Plunkin' Pink, Game Days, Ken Goes; HBD Tony, Culley & Link

• 1857 - C Dan “Link” Sullivan was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He spent parts of five campaigns in the show, with his last round being five innings caught for the Alleghenys in 1886, with an 0-for-4 showing at bat and two errors/three passed balls behind the dish. He played in two minor league games afterward and ended his career at age 29. He did have a highlight week in 1882 as a rookie when he caught a pair of no-hitters for Louisville within eight days of one another. 
• 1896 - RHP Emerson "Pink" Hawley plunked three Washington batters in the seventh inning at Exposition Park, tying a mark he set two years earlier (in justice, Washington hurler Win Mercer bopped three Pirates in the same frame, so frontier justice prevailed). Eight batters were hit in the contest, with a NL-record five nicked by Hawley, during the Pirates 14-9 loss. The five Senator batters hit by pitches tied the mark that wasn’t matched again until 1969. Hawley retired in 1900 after nine seasons with a still-standing NL record of 201 hit batters; he also walked 933 hitters. For all of that, he was a capable hurler, winning 31 games in 1895 and claiming 167 victories over his career. 
• 1901 - The Pirates beat Chicago 8-1 behind Deacon Phillippe to end a marathon series. It was the eighth game in nine days between the two clubs, with the first four in Expo Park where the teams split a four-game set and the final four at West Side Park where the Bucs swept the Orphans. Pittsburgh’s Sam Leever beat Chicago’s Tom Hughes twice and Rube Waddell dropped a pair of contests to the Buccos. The Windy City nine finished 6-14 against the Pirates as Pittsburgh won the National League with 90 victories while the Orphans would claim just 53 wins. 

Deacon Phillippe - Helmar T206

• 1914 - OF Culley Rikard was born in Oxford, Mississippi. Rikard played for the Bucs from 1941-42 before taking a three-year break during the war (he served stateside and played for a unit team called “The Globetrotters”). He returned for the 1947 campaign, posting a .270 BA during his three years with the Buccos. In 1949, playing as a Pittsburgh farmhand, he was traded to the San Francisco Seals for Dino Restelli and ended his pro career after the 1952 season. 1
• 932 - Tony Bartirome was born in Pittsburgh. The slick fielding 1B played one year for the Bucs in 1952, hitting .220. The Hill District native did have a long career with the Bucs as their trainer, lasting from 1967-85, and is believed to be the only guy to be an MLB player, coach (w/the Braves from ‘86-88) and trainer. One Bartirome tale involves an RBI he earned, not as a player but as a sawbones. As related in John McCollister’s Tales From The Pirate Dugout, Bartirome went out to check on Bill Robinson, who had just been knocked down by a pitch in the seventh game of the 1979 World Series. The bases were loaded in the ninth with two down when he was brushed back. Robinson told Bartirome that he was OK; the pitcher (Dennis Martinez) didn’t hit him. “The hell he didn’t” replied Bartirome, who dug his nail into Robinson’s thumb until it bled. The ump, Jerry Neudecker, saw the trickle and waved him to first to bring home the Bucs’ final run in the 4-1 win. 
• 1932 - The Depression was tough times, but the Bucs tried to make it a little easier. They began a policy of allowing 25 unemployed fans per game in for free through passes distributed through the Welfare Fund. They had plenty of room; the average attendance that year was just 3,731. 
• 1947 - The Pirates sold lefty Ken Heintzelman‚ 33, to the Phillies. Heintzelman worked 7-1/2 years (1937-46) for the Bucs, interrupted by the war, and had a 37-43/4.14 slash. The swingman wasn’t done; he pitched 5-1/2 more seasons for the Phils, winning 40 games. His son, Tom went on to play major league baseball with the Cardinals and Giants as an infielder between 1973 and 1978. 

Ralph Kiner - 1948 Bowman

• 1948 - In the second game of a Sunday doubleheader at Forbes Field between the Pirates and the Dodgers, umpire Jocko Conlan let the game play through a 7PM curfew because he thought Pittsburgh manager Billy Meyer was stalling while sitting on a 5-4 lead (and he was right). Brooklyn foiled the scheme and went ahead 7-5, but Ralph Kiner hit a three-run HR to give Pittsburgh the 10-8 victory. The Bucs were fined $100 by the City for violating the curfew, but a win was well worth the wrist slap. Brooklyn romped in the opener 14-2 and all those first-game runs were the reason the nightcap ran past the curfew. 
• 1950 - Ralph Kiner hit a grand slam, the eighth of his career and second in three games, then added a three-run homer during a 3-for-4, seven-RBI outing as the Bucs beat Brooklyn 10-5 at Forbes Field. Ralph went on to lead the league with 47 dingers and his first blast was one of 13 grand salamis that he swatted. Bill Werle tossed 6-2/3 frames of scoreless relief for the win. 
• 1958 - Ted Kluszewski broke up a scoreless tie between starters Robin Roberts and Ron Kline - both hurlers went the distance - by belting a lead-off, first-pitch homer in the 12th to give the Bucs a 1-0 win over the Phils at Forbes Field. It was only the fourth Pirates hit off Roberts while Kline scattered eight knocks. The play of the game may have been Roberto Clemente’s laser beam that cut down Granny Hamner at home in the fourth inning, preserving the scoreless deadlock. 
• 1963- Worms beware: The Bucs beat Dick Ellsworth’s slider into the infield dirt all day as Ernie Banks became the first NL first baseman to post 22 putouts in a game (with an assist). The Cubs whipped Pittsburgh 3-1 at Wrigley Field as Ellsworth allowed Pittsburgh just two singles.