6/27 Through the 1980s: ABC Nite, Jose A Hit, Iron Man Rusted, Game Days, Movie Maz, Henry-For-Pizarro Sales, HBD AJ, Daryle, Lee, Elmo, Roy, Hank, Minute Man & Jackie

1861 - C Jackie Hayes was born in Brooklyn. Hayes played in three leagues - the National League, the American Association and the Players League - and spent two of his seven big league campaigns with the Alleghenys from 1883-84. Primarily a catcher, Jackie also played three infield positions and the corner outfield for Pittsburgh, batting .253. He fit right in with the rowdy bunch on the team at that time, gaining some notoriety for a late-evening brawl in a Cincinnati saloon. Hayes’ story had a sad ending as he died at the age of 43, deaf and suffering from locomotor ataxia that prevented him from walking unaided. 

1903 - The Pirates banged 15 hits off Iron Man Joe McGinnity, including four knocks by Honus Wagner, and it still took the Bucs extra innings to topple the Giants, 4-2, at the Polo Grounds. Tommy Leach hit a two-run double in the 11th, drilling a McGinnity curve off the LF wall, to earn a win for Deacon Phillippe, who notched his seventh straight victory. Hans stayed hot in the Big Apple; he had four hits in his next game against Brooklyn.

1916 - P Cecil “Minute Man” Kaiser was born in New York. Per BR Bullpen, Kaiser got his start on the sandlots of West Virginia. Lured by a $700 per month paycheck, he pitched for the Grays in 1946-47, going 3-1/4.21 in 15 outings. He spent most of his time in the Latino leagues, not getting a shot in the minors until he was 35; unfortunately, his arm was gone by then. He was a small guy in stature at 5’6” but with great control and a killer curve. He became “Minute Man” because it was said that’s how long it took for him to strike out a batter.

1921 - RHP Hank Behrman was born in Brooklyn. The righty pitched for four seasons, splitting 1947 between his hometown nine and the Pirates. The Bucs got him as part of the Al Gionfriddo deal, and used him for 10 outings (0-2/9.12) before selling him back to Brooklyn. He had a strong year for da Bums in 1946, showing a strong heater/curve combo, but as Rob Edelman of SABR wrote “His career was all promise and little delivery.” His last MLB campaign was in 1949 with the New York Giants and he tossed his last pro game in 1953 for Charleston of the American Association before his arm went bad. 

Roy Jarvis - photo via Find-A-Grave

1926 - C Roy Jarvis was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma. A 17-year-old bonus baby when he played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jarvis then served in the Navy during WW2 and then returned to baseball with the Pirates which had claimed his rights in the 1944 Rule 5 draft. (Roy was the last Pirate to lose a full season to WW2 military duty. Pittsburgh sent 28 MLB players and 15 minor-leaguers to the service in WW2 per “Baseball in Wartime.”) He got a couple of cups of coffee with the Buccos in 1946-47, hitting .163 in 20 games and spent the rest of his career in the minors, retiring after the 1955 campaign with 10 farm league seasons under his belt.

1938 - C Elmo Plaskett was born in Frederiksted, Virgin Islands. Elmo played in 17 games for the Bucs between 1962-63, hitting .200. He was a great hitter in the minors, winning a batting title and being named “Player of the Year'' while with Asheville of the Sally League, but it didn’t carry over to the show. He played other positions beside catcher, but wasn’t one to write home about with the mitt, and when he broke his leg in a winter league game in 1964, it spelled the end of his MLB days in the pre-DH era. He played in the minors through 1969, then retired to operate beisbol programs as a rec specialist for St. Croix and was credited with developing Midre Cummings for the Pirates. Plaskett, who died in 1998 at the age of 60, had a sunny, Manny Sanguillen-type personality, was dedicated to baseball throughout his life, and is still a hero in the Virgin Islands. The city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, inducted Elmo into the Museo Pancho Coímbre (Sporting Hall of Fame), and the Little League program on St. Croix is named after him, per SABR.

1967 - Bill Mazeroski hit into the only triple play of his career (although he participated in a pair as a fielder) at Shea Stadium. It didn’t hurt the Bucs, though - it was staged before the game and filmed in 10 minutes as a scene for the film “The Odd Couple.” Roberto Clemente was first called on for the shot; there are two stories regarding that per Rob Edelman's 2018 "The National Pastime: Steel City Stories." First, he thought it was for a children's promotional film and agreed to the scene for the minimum fee, and pulled out when he discovered it was a regular Hollywood production. The second was that he always beat the throw to first, either through pride or ability, so they switched to the more laid back Maz.

Lee Hancock - 1996 Leaf Signature

1967 - LHP Lee Hancock was born in North Hollywood, California. He got into 24 games from 1995-96 for the Pirates, with no decisions and a 4.45 ERA, and that was the extent of his MLB resume. Lee joined the Pirates in 1990 from the Mariners, swapped straight up for Scott Medvin, but spent most of his Bucco time on the farm at Buffalo and Calgary. The Cal-Poly alum finished his pro career the following year, split between the Giants and Cubs systems.

1968 - The Bucs rearranged their bullpen by selling LHP Juan Pizarro to the Boston Red Sox and purchasing 40-year-old LHP Bill Henry from the San Francisco Giants. Pizarro pitched through 1974, returning to end his baseball days as a Pirate, while Henry was released by the Bucs in mid-August and got three more outings in ‘69 with Houston before his curtain fell.

1971 - Roberto Clemente bombed a pinch hit homer in the eighth to give the Bucs a wild win, 10-9, at Philadelphia. He became the first player to “ring the bell” as his drive hit the duplicate Liberty Bell in the second level of center field at Veterans Stadium, chiming in to celebrate his 1,200 RBI. But Jose Pagan earned the game’s gold star with a pair of home runs and five RBI. Dave Giusti saved the win, despite giving up a three-run homer to Tim McCarver, for Dock Ellis, who had been cruising after a slow start until a late push in the ninth by Philly. The victory gave Pittsburgh a split on the day; they had dropped the twin bill’s opener by an 8-4 score despite Willie Stargell’s three hits, including a homer and double.

1975 - 1B Daryle Ward was born in Lynwood, California. He played from 2004-05 for the Bucs, with a slash of .256/27/120. Ward joined his father, Gary, to become the first father-son combination in major league history to hit for the cycle after he matched his dad’s feat in 2004 against the Cards. Ward was also the first player to hit one into the Allegheny from PNC Park while he was a member of the Astros, launching his shot off Kip Wells in 2002.

Cecilio Guante - 1983 Donruss

1983 - The Pirates ran their winning streak to nine games while the Cardinals dropped their seventh straight as Pittsburgh won, 6-1, at Busch Stadium. The game did have some early excitement when Joaquin Andujar buzzed Marvell Wynne; payback came quickly when John Candelaria dusted him, earning an ejection from umpire Joe West and a near brawl. It devolved into a bench-clearing coffee klatch due to Chuck Tanner’s peacemaking intervention with the Buccos all  lined up to take a shot at Andujar. Tanner was also booted (it was automatic; West had warned the clubs after Wynne bit the dust) as was Jim Bibby, who was a bit too rambunctious. A two hour and 20 minute rain delay gave both sides a chance to regain their cool, and Cecilio Guante’s work in relief kept the Cards at bay the rest of the way. The win capped the Pirates victory skein; they lost the next day at Wrigley Field. In other news, GM Pete Peterson announced that he wouldn’t talk contract during the season, leaving Kent Tekulve, Dave Parker and Bibby in the cold during their walk year; only Teke would return to the fold in 1984.

1988 - The Pirates squeaked by the Mets in front of the largest crowd at TRS in five years, 41,489 (for an ABC Monday night game), by a 2-1 score despite losing a tally due to replay, two decades before review legally existed. Up by a run after an RBI double by Andy Van Slyke in the fourth and a run-producing rap by Rafael Belliard in the fifth, a wild pitch seemingly brought home an insurance marker. The TRS scoreboard vid showed a replay that caught plate ump Paul Runge’s and Met’s manager Davey Johnson’s eyes. The ball seemed to change direction a bit on the vid, so Johnson came out to beef to Runge. He called together the boys in blue for a conference and they voted that it was a foul ball. Jose Lind, who was the batter Doc Gooden buzzed, said it ticked off his helmet and not his twig, but the umps stuck to their call. Commonplace today, replay review wouldn’t become legit until 2008 (and then just for disputed homers; the current form began in 2014), and Jim Leyland protested the game. The manager’s challenge never made it to the Commissioner’s Office as Mike Dunne, Barry Jones and Jim Gott’s pitching made the point moot with the victory.

1989  - RHP AJ Schugel was born in Winter Haven, Florida. A waiver claim by the Bucs, he got into 36 games for Pittsburgh in 2016, going 2-2-1/3.63 as a long man in the pen with a nice 1.038 WHIP. He started 2017 at AAA Indy with a brief Pirates stop in June and more permanent residence in August, but spent 2018 on the DL. He opted for free agency afterward and following a 2021 stint in the New York Mets organization, he started ‘22 with the indie Milwaukee Milkmen and Kane County Cougars before moving on to ply his trade in the Mexican League.

6/27 From 1990: Grilli-Frieri, Max's 1st, 5 Blasts, Big 3, Denny Slam, Rallies Galore, Game Days, City Unis, HBD Yacksel

1991 - The Bucs finally solved rookie Frank Castillo in the ninth (he was making his MLB debut), turning a 3-0 deficit to the Cubs into a 4-3 win at TRS. Castillo and two relievers, Paul Assenmacher and Heathcliff Slocumb, gave up four singles, two walks, and a two-out wild pitch that allowed Barry Bonds to score from third with the walkoff game winner. Bob Walk worked the final frame to earn the win and run his record to 6-0 with Bill Landrum getting the save.

1993 - It took a couple of comebacks, but the Bucs rallied past the Phils, 4-3, in 10 innings at TRS in front of 27,824. Down 2-1 in the eighth frame, Jeff King banged a two-out single to plate Carlos Garcia with the game-tying run. Stan Belinda gave up a score in the 10th, but the Pirates got him off the hook quickly when the first batter, Don Slaught, took a 3-2 Mitch Williams delivery and tucked it just inside the left field screen to knot the score. Jay Bell singled, then a bunt and a pair of walks later (one intentional, one not) set up King again. His second knock brought the Pirates all the way back in a match that Zane Smith started against Uniontown’s Terry Mulholland. Garcia had four hits and scored twice.

1993 - RHP Yacksel Rios was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. A 2012 draftee of the Phils, he yo-yo’ed between them and AAA Lehigh from 2017-19. He was DFA’ed in July of ‘19, claimed by the Pirates, assigned to Indy and called up in September. Yacksel featured a 96 MPH heater, and the Bucs were hoping the change of scenery would help straighten out his control issues but he  walked seven and bopped three batters in 14-1/3 Pirates innings. He was released in 2020 and is now in the New York Mets organization, his seventh team since leaving Pittsburgh.

1995 - Denny Neagle helped himself to his ninth victory by belting a grand slam, the key blow in a 6-5 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Neagle became the first Pirate pitcher to hit a salami since Don Robinson on September 12th, 1985 and just one of six Buc hurlers to smack one in franchise history. Not known as a strong batsman, Neagle told Ben Walker of the Associated Press "Something must have been in the coffee." Paul Wagner earned a hold and Dan Plesac posted the save of Neagle’s victory. Despite his swat, Neagle still made his rep from the slab, making his first All Star appearance later in the campaign.

Jermaine Allensworth - 1998 Pacific Omega

1998- Pittsburgh traded OF Jermaine Allensworth, a 1993 first round draft pick, to the Kansas City Royals for 21-year-old minor league pitcher Manuel Bernal. It didn’t move either team’s needle very much. Allensworth’s last MLB year was 1999, and he left organized ball in 2008 after a long career playing on the farm and in the indie leagues. The righty Bernal never joined the Pirates, but remained in his native Mexico, tossing south of the border through 2009.

1998 - Ishmael Valdez was one batter shy of throwing a perfecto against the Bucs at Dodger Stadium, giving up a leadoff eighth-inning single to Kevin Young. Valdez struck out seven and used just 97 pitches to tame Pittsburgh, 2-0. Francisco Cordova was the hard-luck loser, a victim of temporary loss of control when with two outs and a runner on third in the sixth, an intentional walk was followed by an unintentional pass to set up Raul Mondesi’s two-run single.

2004 - Jason Bay, Jack Wilson and Craig Wilson combined to go 9-for-16 with three walks, three doubles, a triple and homer to score seven runs and drive in seven more as the Bucs romped over the Reds, 14-4, at GABP. Josh Fogg got the win after five relievers closed the deal.

2007 - Xavier Nady and Ryan Doumit smacked back-to-back home runs with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Pirates a 7-5 win over the Miami Marlins at Dolphin Stadium. Nady homered twice and Jose Bautista banged a two-run shot to give Shawn Chacon the win, to go with a blown save, and Matt Capps finished for the save. Pittsburgh used seven pitchers - John Van Benschoten started and went four innings, walking five before Jim Tracy emptied the bullpen. Dewey had a rough night; the Bucs gave up one run and set up the tying tally thanks to passed balls. As they say in baseball, four long balls make up for a multitude of sins...

Brandon Cumpton - 2014 Bowman First

2014 - Two pups, the Bucs’ Brandon Cumpton and the Mets’ Jacob deGrom, pitched strong games and then turned the game over to the bullpens as the Pirates outlasted NY, 3-2, in 11 innings at PNC Park. Pittsburgh was clutch; Jordy Mercer singled in a pair of runs with two outs in the fourth, then Josh Harrison chased home Clint Barmes with the game winner with a two-out double to right center; both RBI knocks came on the first pitch. Jared Hughes picked up the win. 

2014 - In a change of scenery deal, the Pirates and Angels traded struggling closers, with Pittsburgh sending Jason Grilli to Los Angeles for Ernesto Frieri. Both had lost their closing gigs in 2014 (Mark the Shark Melancon took over for Grilli) after being the shut-down guy in 2013. Grilled Cheese had another good year left, notching 24 saves for Atlanta in 2015. He and Frieri both last pitched in MLB in 2017 for the Texas Rangers, with Ernesto hanging on in Mexico.

2018 - Zach Wheeler put up seven zeros against the Bucs at Citi Field in a battle with Ivan Nova and left the bullpen a 3-0 lead; it wasn’t enough. The Pirates plated once in the eighth and then put up a four-spot against closer Jeurys Familia in the ninth to rally for a 5-3 win over the Mets. The Corsairs went small ball to win with five singles, a walk and sac fly doing the final frame damage against the New York nine. Felipe Vazquez claimed the victory.

Big Joe - 2019 Pirates Wallpaper

2019 - The Pirates swatted five homers on the way to a 10-0 win over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park after having won the prior game, 14-2, with four bombs (two off 1B Tyler White, used by the ‘Stros as a ninth-inning mop-up guy). Former Astro Joe Musgrove tossed six innings of shutout ball, and another old Houstonian, Michael Feliz, tossed a 1-2-3 inning of relief. Kevin Newman and Jake Stallings each had three hits, including a homer. Starling Marte, Josh Bell and Corey Dickerson also went deep. Every Pirate but one had a rap (and he walked), while seven Buccos scored and six had RBI (six had both) in a balanced offensive effort. The Pirates became the first team ever to win back-to-back interleague games by 10+ runs (although the Yankees turned that trick in 1960 during the WS, ironically against the Bucs, with 16-3 and 10-0 wins in games 2 & 3). They also became just the fourth NL team since 1900 to hit four or more homers with four or more doubles in consecutive games. As a bonus, they were the first squad in 13 tries to win a series in Houston during the ‘19 campaign.

2021 - Max Kranick made his MLB debut, pitching five perfect innings and striking out three at Busch Stadium. His day ended after 50 pitches thanks to an hour’s rain delay, though he worked long enough to claim his first win as the Bucs romped over the Cards, 7-2, behind homers from Ben Gamel and Gregory Polanco along with three hits from Adam Frazier. Max, now with the Mets, defeated future Bucco Johan Oviedo in a match-up of 23-year-old twirlers.

2023 - The Pirates introduced their City Connect uniforms, and they sure looked like keepers. The Bucs broke out of a weeks-long batting (and losing) slump with a 9-4 win over the San Diego Padres at PNC Park in front of 16,539 rooters. There were a couple of big league firsts checked off the bucket list - Nick Gonzales collected his first hit, a triple high off the Clemente Wall, for his first RBI and crushed his first homer, launching it 442’ into the batter’s eye shrubbery while Roansy Contreras kept the firsts coming with his first save, closing out Rich Hill’s victory. Carlos Santana and Jack Suwinsky banged back-to-back long balls in the third inning and Andrew McCutchen kept his 16-game on-base streak alive with three hits. Santana also had a trio of raps, with Gonzales, Henry Davis, Rudolfo Castro and Austin Hedges posting a pair of knocks as eight players had a hit, seven pushed in runs and six scored. Finally, Josh Palacios robbed Juan Soto, pulling back his blast with a well-timed leap, to add the cherry on top.

6/26 Through the 1970s: Sox Hop, DH Jam, Duel, Steve's String Ends, Game Days, HBD Jason, Bill, Howie, Bert, Debs, Babe & Elmer

1893 - RHP Elmer Ponder was born in Reed, Oklahoma. Elmer was an Oklahoma U grad of Cherokee descent and was part of the early wave of Native American players (the Bucs also had Moses Yellowhorse on the 1921 roster). He played for the Pirates in 1917, splitting a pair of 1-0 contests to begin his career, losing a six-hitter to the Braves’ Art Nehf and then topping Al Demaree of the Giants by spinning a two-hit effort, returning again from 1919-21. He got into just three games his first year before he left to join the Army during WW1, and didn’t return until after the season started in 1919. His first outing in July was special; although the Bucs lost to the Phils 6-1, Ponder tossed 5-2/3 perfect innings of relief. No Pirates reliever could claim five or more innings of perfect work until 94 years later, when Vin Mazzaro did it in 2013 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Elmer went 14-21/2.74 for the Pirates before he was traded to the Cubs in ‘21. He finished the year there before being sent to the PCL, where he toiled through the 1928 campaign. Elmer retired to Albuquerque, started a business, married and raised three kids before passing on at age 80.

1897 - CF Steve Brodie's string of consecutive games ended at 574. His arm was so sore the Pirates went on the road without him to allow him time to recover. The streak was a 19th-century National League record, three games shy of the then-MLB mark. Brodie was a strong two-way player that the Bucs released the following year in a move to cut salary, a fairly recurrent theme throughout franchise history. Steve was eccentric, even for the era. Per the Baltimore Sun’s Mike Kingaman “Brodie talked to baseballs, caught flies behind his back and once nabbed a line drive that had ricocheted off his head. He mumbled to himself in the outfield, passing time by reciting soliloquies from Shakespeare. Once, Brodie chastised himself on the field for committing an error, The Sunwrote: ‘Then, as further punishment, he refused to talk to himself for the rest of the game.’ But he was a solid fielder who played with a hole cut in the pocket of his glove, believing he could better grasp the ball with his bare palm. Per baseball lore, one of the ways Steve stayed fit in the winter was by donning a catcher's mask/chest protector and wrestling a muzzled black bear in his backyard.

1903 - OF Floyd “Babe” Herman was born in Buffalo. His off-the-wall stories are legion, such as the time he ended up on third base with two other teammates or tales of fly balls bouncing off his body in the outfield. In actuality, Babe was an average fielder with a great stick - his lifetime BA was .324 and he retired with a 140 OPS+. Herman played part of his 13-year career in Pittsburgh, batting .235 (the lowest average of his career) in 1935, returning as a coach in 1951 and later serving as a Bucco scout. Per the New York Times, he got his nickname in the minor leagues, playing when Babe Ruth was a star. “'He was put in to pinch-hit, and the first time he got a hit, the manager of the club said, ‘You're my Babe,’” as told to the paper by Charles Herman, Floyd’s son.

1903 - The Bucs lost the fight and the game: Before the start of a Giants-Pirates duel at the Polo Grounds, New York catcher Frank Bowerman started a fight with Pittsburgh’s player/manager Fred Clarke. Bowerman was fined $100 for starting the brawl while Clarke escaped with his wallet intact, as the league apparently felt his shiner was punishment enough. Christy Mathewson then led the fired-up Big Apple nine over Pittsburgh by an 8-2 tally. There are various tales of what led to the fisticuffs, the two favorites being bad blood carried over from when Clarke managed Bowerman at Louisville or manager John McGraw egging Bowerman into the bout to light a fire under the G-Men before their series with the Bucs (though they won that battle, they lost the war, falling 6-1/2 games short of the National League Champion Pirates at season’s end).

Debs Garms - 1940 Louisville Slugger ad

1907 - OF Debs Garms was born in Bangs, Texas. Debs played 12 years in the show, mainly as a utility player although he did start three seasons for the Boston Braves. That’s where the Bucs got him from in 1940, and he hit .355 for them in 358 ABs. That was good enough for him to be awarded the batting title by Ford Frick; there was no minimum at-bat requirement and the National League President used the accepted 100 games played as the qualifier (Garms played 103 contests). Stan Hack of the Cubs was the next highest hitter at .317, compiled in 603 at-bats, and Chicago fans cried “we wuz robbed” to no avail. Thanks to Debs, by 1950 the standard was changed to a 400 at-bat minimum and a few years later to 3.1/PA per game (502 PA). The corner man cooled off the next season as he hit .264 for Pittsburgh. Garms was a good stickman with a .293 career BA, and in 1941 he set the then-record of seven consecutive pinch hits. He retired after the 1945 season to become a rancher and later a quarryman. BTW, Debs wasn’t a baseball moniker - he was named after socialist politician Eugene Debs.

1918 - RHP Elmer “Bert” Singleton was born in Ogden, Utah. He came to the Pirates as part of the Bob Elliot deal, working for Pittsburgh from 1947-48 while slashing 6-8-3/5.54. Bert put parts of seven seasons in the show and his overall professional career spanned 24 years, from 1940-63, with 14 seasons in the Pacific Coast League. He retired at age 45 to become a salesman.

1921 - LHP Howie Pollet was born in New Orleans. After some stellar seasons with St. Louis (two World Series, three All-Star selections), he was sent to Pittsburgh in 1951, the victim of a slow start and back-to-back contract holdouts. He pitched here through 1953 and returned for his final bow in 1956, going 14-31-2/4.59 for some sad sack teams. Howie coached for the Cards and the Houston Astros from 1959-64, then retired and joined the business world.

1930 - Larry French tossed a seven-hit shutout to beat Phil Collins and the Philadelphia Phils 1-0 in the opening game of a Forbes Field DH’er. The Buc bats woke up in the second game, pounding out an 11-5 win. Paul Waner had three hits, including a double and triple, scored four times and drove in a run to lead the attack. All nine Pirates had hits; seven different Bucs scored and seven had RBI. Erv Brame went the distance for the victory.

Larry French - 1934 Goudey

1935 - The Bucs swept a twin bill from Boston at Braves Field by 4-2 and 5-1 scores. It was their third doubleheader in five days (they went 5-1 during the twin bill trio), and one that “Little Poison” Lloyd Waner was glad to have end so he could soak his barking dogs - he set a record by running down 18 balls over the two games (nine in each contest) while collecting five hits. Guy Bush tossed a six-hitter in the opener, and Lloyd’s three knocks led the hit parade, with Pep Young (who homered), Woody Jensen and Gus Suhr adding a pair of raps. Bill Swift spun a four-hitter in the nightcap, chipping in with a pair of doubles along with two-hit outings by Waner, Jensen and Tom Padden.

1936 - Red Lucas and Boston’s Danny MacFayden were hooked up in a scoreless duel after eight innings at Braves Field, each hurler holding his foe to four hits with only one runner for either squad reaching as far as third. Then the bats broke out in the ninth. Gus Suhr banged a one-out homer to right, Bill Brubaker doubled behind him, and Al Todd seemed to ice it with his two-out, RBI knock. But the Bees buzzed; they had two outs when three straight singles made it 2-1 and left Bostonians on the corners. After a meeting on the mound, manager Pie Traynor, who had Guy Bush warming up, let Lucas decide the game, and a grounder to second put an end to the rally. Both pitchers went the distance and ended up tossing seven-hitters with four whiffs each. The win pulled the Pirates within four games of first; they finished the year with 84 wins, good for fourth place.

1943 - OF Bill Robinson was born in McKeesport. The Elizabeth-Forward grad played eight years for Pittsburgh, from 1975-82, batting .276 with 109 HR and 412 RBI. He was a fairly regular starter from 1976-79 (he also played the IF corners), and won a ring with the ‘79 Bucs. He held a variety of coaching jobs afterward as a hitting coach for the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers, a minor league skipper for the Giants and Phils (he was also a batting instructor w/Philly) and Venezuelan manager, along with a brief gig with ESPN. He passed away in 2007.

Bill Robinson - 1976 SSPC

1950 - The Pirates met the Boston Red Sox in the Bosox’ first visit to the City since the Expo Park days of the 1903 World Series, and 26,113 (a huge crowd; the team averaged about 15,000 that year) turned out for the exhibition clash for the Western PA Safety Council. The big draw was Ted Williams, who met Ralph Kiner in a pre-game home run derby that “Mr. Slug,” the Post Gazette’s nickname for Kiner, won, 8-4. The Pirates also won the game 4-3; Williams hit a two-run shot when it counted in the ninth inning to tie the game, but was answered by 3B Pete Castiglione, whose solo bomb took the match honors in the Bucco half.

1968 - In the year of the pitcher, the Bucs found themselves on the wrong end of history as St. Louis’ Bob Gibson tossed his fifth straight shutout against them, winning 3-0 on a five-hitter at Busch Stadium. He was zoned in on one of the great hurling streaks of history. The Dodgers scored once off him in the next game, then he authored three more shutouts in his next five games, giving up one run twice. His totals for that stretch of 11 games were: 11 wins, 11 complete games, 99 innings, three runs allowed on 56 hits, with 13 walks and 82 strikeouts. 3B Maury Wills ran his hitting streak to 24 games during the loss by beating out a ninth-inning bunt single. His string ended during the second game of the twinbill, a 3-1 Pirate win, when Larry Jaster and Wayne Granger laid an 0-for-5 on Wills. It was a good run by Wills; he hit .419 during the 24-game stretch. As for the game, Steve Blass won, with a save from Ron Kline.

1974 - Jason Kendall was born in San Diego. He spent nine years as a Pirate (1996-2004), putting up a .308 BA, hitting over .300 six times and earning three All-Star berths. He was on a Hall of Fame track before a string of injuries slowed the back half of his career, finishing his 16-year run with a .288 BA. Kendall has been a member of the Kansas City Royals coaching staff, serving as a roving special assignment coach since retiring as a player in 2012.

6/26 From 1980: Cutch Crunch, Hot El Coffee, Turnin Two, Mac's Steal, Jay Fiver, Duels, Two For JT, Game Days, 4 & 9 Retired, HBD Justin

1984 - 1B Jason Thompson hit two homers in each game (a pair off Dennis Eckersley and then two more off Rich Bordi) during a doubleheader split with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, winning the first match 9-0 behind a Rick Rhoden four-hitter and dropping the nitecap 9-8. Thompson tied the club record (set by Ralph Kiner on 9/11/47) by hitting four home runs in a doubleheader. In the opener, the Pirates jumped to a quick 8-0 lead after three innings, with the only drama being Johnny Ray’s effort for a cycle (he fell a homer short). Doug Frobel joined the HR parade in the second match by adding a pair of long flies, but the four homers were all solo shots and not quite enough to rally the Bucs from a six-run opening frame by the Cubbies against Larry McWilliams.

1987 - Before the game, the Bucs honored Ralph Kiner and Bill Mazeroski, announcing that they were retiring #4 and #9, in August for Maz and September for Mr. Swat, when the Mets were in town (Kiner was a broadcaster for NY). Maz’s number was unused, but Kiner’s #4 was sported by Mike LaValliere, who switched to #12. The Bucs then took care of the Cubs at TRS by a 5-2 score behind Andy Van Slyke’s three hits, including a homer, and three RBI and a Barry Bonds longball. Barry Jones was credited with the win and Don Robinson earned the save of a game started by Doug Drabek.

1987 - OF Terry Harper was traded to the Pirates by the Detroit Tigers for Pete Rice and Shawn Holman. Harper hit .288 for the Bucs, splitting his 36 games as the fifth outfielder between the corner outfield and pinch hitting, then took his services to Japan in 1988. RHP Holman got into five games for Motown (good ERA but 11 walks in 10 IP) while Rice, an intriguing athlete who played as an outfielder, first baseman and pitcher during his career, never cracked the show.

1988 - It took 10 innings before anyone could push a run across the dish, but the Bucs outlasted the Expos 3-0 at Stade Olympique. Doug Drabek gave up two hits over eight innings and Jeff Robinson cruised home, giving up a rap and fanning four in 1-2/3 IP for the win. In the final frame, a Montreal error and two walks set up a sac fly by Sid Bream and the coup d’ grace was applied by Mike LaValliere, who doubled in a pair; all three runs were unearned. The Bucs made it hard on themselves by stranding 12 and going 1-for-11 w/RISP.

Bob Patterson - 1990 Topps

1990 - Bob Patterson and Bruce Ruffin put on a pitching show for the 25,807 fans at TRS as they carried shutouts into the eighth, with one runner between the two teams reaching third. The Bucs brought in Scott Ruskin to work the eighth frame, and he gave up back-to-back two-out infield raps, but a K put an end to that drama. Ruffin gave up a leadoff single to Chico Lind, who advanced to second with two away. Jay Bell fell behind 1-2, then shot a ball through the left side to plate Chico. Stan Belinda made that run stand up in the ninth to ice the 1-0 victory for Ruskin after the heavy lifting had been done by Patterson. It was the second straight shutout of Philly; Rick Reed spun a four-hit 5-0 victory the night before. That outing was the first Pirates whitewash of the season and today’s blanking was the first back-to-back Bucco zippos since 1984.

1991 - The Pirates scored five times in the third inning and then hung on to defeat the Cubs at TRS in front of 41,389 fans by a final count of 7-6. Jose Lind had a three-run homer, Barry Bonds a two-run shot, and Jay Bell went 5-for-5 to prime the attack against Chicago. Bob Walk lasted long enough for the win with Bill Landrum finishing up for the save.

1996 - The Bucs beat the Montreal Expos 3-1 at Olympic Stadium as 40-year-old Danny Darwin spun seven shutout innings for the win, dropping his ERA to 2.64. That June he allowed just four runs in five starts, slashing 4-1/1.06. His reward was a trade to the Houston Astros in late July for Rich Loiselle. Danny hung ‘em up after the 1998 campaign after 21 years and 171 wins in the show and finished as a Reds pitching coach through 2019.

1997 - LHP Justin Bruihl was born in Petaluma, California. The Bucs signed the lefty after he opted out of a minor-league deal with the Reds (he was 4-0/2.31 in 19 appearances at AAA Louisville) in June, 2024. He’s put in three years of MLB time with LA and Colorado, posting a 2-2-1/4.22 career line in 72 outings, pitching most effectively as a lefty-on-lefty specialist and l joined Aroldis Chapman as lefties in the pen. The move triggered some more shufflin' to create roster spot openings - the Pirates moved LHP Ryan Borucki from the 15- to 60-day IL. RHP Quinn Priester (right lat) was placed on 15-day IL with a right lat muscle injury. He went 0-0-1/9.53 in seven outings and was optioned back to Indy on his 27th birthday. He became a FA after the season and is now with St. Louis.

Pat Meares - 1999 Upper Deck MVP

1999 - SS Pat Meares, on the DL recovering from surgery on his left hand but traveling with the team, ran in a mascot race at Milwaukee's County Stadium. Meares, dressed as a bratwurst, won the race by defeating a hot dog and a polish sausage. Two days prior, Meares had been videotaped sunbathing in the upper deck of Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. He missed all but the first 21 games of the ‘99 season after signing a contract that carried him until 2003. He played in 2000-01 for the team, then spent the next two years on the DL; the Pirates wanted further surgery on his hand and he didn’t agree. Needless to say, the relationship became contentious, involving the union, league office and random attorneys. They eventually reached an uneasy truce that resulted in Meares being paid, but he never played another game in the majors.

2001 - On his 27th B-Day, Jason Kendall was ruled out on a bang-bang decision at first, prompting the most famous steal in Pirate history. Manager Lloyd McClendon stormed out, put on a show for the 24,120 fans at PNC Park, and finally pulled the sack off its stanchion and carried it into the dugout in protest (he’d be hit with a $1,000 fine for his antics; MLB Lineup in 2025 called it the second most memorable manager-ump meltdown ever.) As for the game, the Bucs came back to beat the Brewers 7-6 in 12 frames. They dodged a late bullet when Aramis Ramirez smacked a two-run, two-out eleventh inning homer to keep the game alive after the Brew Crew had taken the lead on back-to-back homers in their half off Mike Williams. Rob Mackowiak singled through a drawn-in infield for the game winner, plating Kevin Young, who had opened the 12th with a double and moved to third on a ground out, to seal the deal for Omar Olivares and Pittsburgh. Aramis Ramirez and Young each had three hits, three RBI and two runs scored.

2004 - Randall Simon’s home run in the ninth frame was all the offense the Pirates could muster but proved enough as they edged the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 at Great American Ball Park. Ollie Perez gave up three hits while posting 13 whiffs over seven frames but wasn’t part of the decision - Mark Corey got the win and Jose Mesa earned his 17th save. Simon and Jose Castillo each had a pair of hits.

2005 - The Pirates turned six double plays and beat the Cardinals in St. Louis in 10 innings, 5-4. The six twin killings were a club record and each was scored differently (2-4; 5-4-3; 9-4; 4-6-3; 5-2-3; and 6-4-3). Jason Bay hit a three-run HR in the third and a game-tying blast in the top of the ninth. Jose Castillo’s solo shot in the 10th iced the victory. Starter Ollie Perez broke his toe when he kicked a laundry cart in the clubhouse, frustrated that he had been pulled in the seventh inning. More frustratingly, he wouldn’t pitch again until September.

Ollie Perez - 2005 Upper Deck Future Stars

2013 - The Pirates won their sixth straight game (they were in the midst of a nine-game winning streak) on the road by a 4-2 count over the Seattle Mariners. The contest went to the wire, with Jordy Mercer’s two-out, two-run single giving Vin Mazzaro the win, nailed down by a Mark Melancon save. The Bucs tied St. Louis for the lead in the National League Central with the victory, a spot they’d hold for the next 10 days and off-and-on through mid-September before ending the year with 94 wins, three games behind the Redbirds, and earning a wild card spot.

2014 - Gregory Polanco went 2-for-3 with a walk and stolen base, hit his first PNC Park homer and posted four RBI to lead the Pirates to a 5-2 win over the New York Mets, with Pedro Alvarez adding three hits to the pot. Vance Worley worked seven innings to earn the win, Mark Melancon claimed the save and Tony Watson provided the bridge between the pair.

2016 - Andrew McCutchen homered twice to spark the Pirates to a 6-1 win against the Dodgers at PNC Park. McCutchen hit his two taters off Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda, driving in four runs and breaking up a 1-1 duel with a three-run blast in the sixth. Jordy Mercer finished off the frame with a two-run, two-out blast off ex-Buc Joe Blanton to carry Jeff Locke to the win.

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.