8/9 Through the 1960s: Face #15, Waugh Wins, Swift & Haley Duo, Kiki 6'er, Streaks, Gems, 23 For Allies, Game Days, Casey-Possum, Rabbit HoF, HBD Ted & Roman

1887 - Hampered by a laundry list of team issues, the Alleghenys introduction to the National League was rocky as they limped along with a 28-42 record, one spot from the cellar. They were closing out a long homestand with eight losses in ten tries, but the Boston Beaneaters proved good medicine for the North Siders, pitcher Cannonball Morris and 2,000 undaunted fans. The Bostonians booted the ball around behind Old Hoss Radbourne (14 runs were unearned), Fred Carroll homered and doubled, and the Beaneaters were drubbed 23-3. The Allegheny win opened a three-game sweep at Recreation Park that triggered a Pittsburgh mini-run, taking seven of their next eight games. The 23 runs were the most the Allies had scored as a MLB team and the 20-run margin was their largest margin of victory to date. It didn’t lead to a second half surge, though - the Alleghenys finished with 50 wins and a sixth place finish.

1893 - In an Expo Park match described by the Pittsburgh Press as “...the most sluggish diamond trial of the season”, SS George Van Haltren went from hero to goat. Pop Shriver of the Chicago Colts “...sent a pretty hot grounder to him, and after a hop, skip and jump peculiar to him, Van threw the ball into a rat hole under the grandstand. Beckley (Jake, the third baseman) is no weasel, neither is Stenzel (Jake, the CF’er) and so the ball remained in the hole until Shriver had made the entire circuit of the diamond and tied the score.” George made amends in the 10th when his single to center scored Ad Gumbert to claim an 8-7 win. 

1905 - The Bucs lost an error-filled game to the Boston Americans by a 5-3 count at Exposition Park. The Pittsburgh Press wrote that “Both teams played stupid, dopey ball...” Umpire Bill Klem joined the comedy routine by performing an early era ump show. In the ninth inning he threw eight Pirates (and for good measure, the mascot, too) out of the game for mocking his calls, then fined the whole lot $10 per man. BR Bullpen added that he had to spend the post-game hiding in a ladies’ room as irate gamblers who had bet on the heavily favored Pirates were looking for a piece of Klem’s hide after the contest.

1910 - It wasn’t the prettiest shutout ever twirled, but Babe Adams scattered 11 hits to beat Boston, 10-0, at the South End Grounds, helped by no walks, a pair of DPs and some hot sticks. Owen “Chief” Wilson drove in four runs, Jack Flynn HR'ed w/three RBI and Honus Wagner had three hits, a walk & scored four runs.

Chief Wilson - 1910 Tip Top Bread

1919 - The Pirates traded OF Casey Stengel to the Philadelphia Phillies for utilityman Possum Whitted after Stengel’s contract demands got him a ticket out of Pittsburgh. Possum batted .286 in 277 games for the Bucs through 1921, playing 1B, 3B & OF. The Old Professor lasted until 1925, but only started two more seasons. He hit .280 in his two Pirates campaigns.

1924 - The Pirates swept a pair from the Phils at the Baker Bowl by 16-4 and 7-0 scores. Kiki Cuyler went 6-for-6 in the opener with a triple and two doubles, while Glenn Wright went 4-for-5 with four RBI and a pair of runs to boost Wilbur Cooper. Ray Kremer won the nitecap. He tossed a five-hitter and was backed by Max Carey, who homered, doubled, scored twice and drove home three runs.

1928 - The Pirates won their eighth game in a row and 10-of-11 by a 5-4 score over St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field. Carmen Hill got the win and Burleigh Grimes earned a save by retiring the last batter. George Grantham drove in two runs and “Big Poison” Paul Waner scored a pair.

1930 - OF Roman Mejias was born in Abreus, Cuba. He was signed when the Pirates scouted him in 1953 when they held spring training in Havana. Mejias was a spare OF’er and pinch hitter for six seasons (1955, 1957-61) in Pittsburgh, hitting .245 over that span. He earned his way to Pittsburgh with a 55-game hitting streak for Class B Waco of the Big State League in 1954, where he ended the year with a .354 BA. Mejias couldn’t break into the Pirate OF of Bob Skinner, Bill Virdon and Roberto Clemente, but was selected by the Houston Colt .45s in the expansion draft and had his best season in 1962, batting .286 with 24 HR.

1935 - Rookie CF Bud Hafey lined an eighth inning homer over the scoreboard at Forbes Field, providing just enough offense to give Bill Swift a four-hit 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds' Al Hollingsworth. The Pirates only had seven hits, with Tommy Thevenow leading the pack with a pair.

Bill Swift - 1936 National Chickle Fine Point

1940 - Pittsburgh won its eighth game in a row by whipping the Chicago Cubs 6-2 at Forbes Field. Vince DiMaggio went 3-for-3 with a homer, two RBI and two runs to lead the attack, while Rip Sewell tossed a four-hitter for the win. The streak ended the next day,  and Frankie Frisch’s Pirates ended up a middle-of-the-pack club, finishing fourth in the NL with a 78-76 slate.

1949 - GM Ted Simmons was born in Highland Park, Michigan. Ted caught for two decades in the majors (Ted trivia: he was the first catcher to start an All-Star Game for both the NL and AL, first as a Cardinal in 1978, then again in 1983 as a member of the Brewers). His nickname as a player was Simba due to his longish hair. After he retired, Simmons was hired as general manager of the Pirates in 1992 after working in a front office job for St. Louis. He held the spot for just a year, retiring after suffering a heart attack in June 1993. Simmons was the GM who almost traded Barry Bonds. He had agreed to deal Bonds to the Atlanta Braves for P Alejandro Pena, OF Keith Mitchell and a PTBNL during camp in 1992, but had to back out when manager Jim Leyland blew up and stormed into president Carl Barger’s office, talking Barger into nixing the swap. The Pirates won a third division title under him, but Simmons was faced with Bonds and Doug Drabek becoming free agents and an ever-tightening payroll, no doubt adding to his stress. After he recovered, he went on to primarily scouting and player development jobs with a couple of bench coach gigs thrown in for several organizations. Ted entered the Hall of Fame in 2020 as a player.

1952 - 18-year-old RHP Jim Waugh became the youngest Pirate to ever win a game when he went wire-to-wire in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field. He was close to a no decision as Brandy Davis pinch hit for him in the bottom of the ninth, but Davis keyed the win by tripling and scoring the game winner on Clem Koshorek’s rap to left. Signed out of Ohio State, Waugh went 1-6/6.36, then developed arm problems that ended his MLB career. 

1954 - SS Rabbit Maranville was inducted into the Hall of Fame after a 14-year wait. The sweet fielder played for Pittsburgh from 1921-24, hitting .283. Rabbit sadly passed away in January, so his long anticipated moment was posthumous. Rabbit’s given name was Walter; he earned his moniker because he was quick as a bunny thanks to his speed and size (5’5”).

Roberto Clemente - 1959 Nabisco

1959 - The Pirates, losing 3-1 to the Cubs in the ninth, tied the game and then won 5-3 in the 10th at Wrigley Field. Roberto Clemente singled home Dick Groat in the ninth and touched home to tie the game on Smoky Burgess’ sac fly. Groat’s knock in the 10th scored Roman Mejias with the go-ahead run and Rocky Nelson’s bases-loaded walk added the insurance. Elroy Face got the win to go 15-0. The dub was the part of a remarkable 19-2 record in extra inning games during the season, with one of the losses being Harvey Haddix’s 12-inning perfecto.

1963 - It was a long day at Forbes Field. A twin bill between the Colt 45's and the Pirates was delayed an hour by rain, and then both games went into extra innings. Houston took the opener 7-6 in 15 innings; the Bucs claimed the nitecap by the same score in 11 innings. Only 300 hardy fans remained at the yard when the curtain finally fell at 2:30 AM. Roberto Clemente picked up five RBI in the two contests; Don Schwall lost the first match while Al McBean won the second game. The Pirates used eight pitchers, with McBean and ElRoy Face tossing both ends.

1964 - Don Schwall and Al McBean combined on a four-hitter to shut out the Chicago Cubs 2-0 at Forbes Field. Battery mate Jim Pagliaroni launched a two-run homer off Bob Buhl in the fourth to back his hurlers. Schwall started and didn’t give up a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning; McBean took over from him after a leadoff single in the ninth to post the save.

8/9 From 1970: Bangin' A-Ram & Cutch, Candy No-No, Rallies, Starg Shot, Game Days, ASG, Jason Out, HBD Matt & Pat

1970 - Willie Stargell became the first player to hit a homer into the RF upper deck at the freshly minted Three Rivers Stadium, drilling a shot off the Mets Ron Taylor. Pops would reach the top tier four times, with Bob Robertson and Bobby Bonilla also joining him from the Pirates. The Bucs won 8-3 with Luke Walker getting the victory. Willie and Manny Sanguillen had two hits each as the Pirates sent Nolan Ryan to defeat.

1970 - RHP Pat Mahomes was born in Bryan, Texas. He began his 11-year career as a starter before being converted into a bullpen arm/spot starter and finished it in Pittsburgh in 2003, going 0-1/4.84 in nine outings, with most of his time spent in AAA Nashville. Pat got around; he worked for six teams in both leagues, pitched in the WS with the Mets in 1999, tossed a couple of seasons in Japan and closed out his career in the indie leagues. His son, Patrick II, is also using his arm, but as an NFL quarterback. Young Mahomes was a multi-sports star in high school like his pops and sported a mid-90s heater before opting for the gridiron.

1974 - RHP Matt Morris was born in Middletown, NY. Matty Mo was at the end of a solid career when the Pirates took over his hefty contract in 2007 by sending Rajai Davis to the SF Giants for him. Mo went 3-8/7.04 in 16 Bucco starts from 2007-08 and was cut, leaving the Pirates approximately $10M in dead money and greasing the skids for then GM Dave Littlefield. 

1976 - The 500th game in TRS history turned out to be one of its more memorable contests as John Candelaria threw the first no-hitter by a Pirates' pitcher in Pittsburgh since Nick Maddox in 1907 at Expo Park, a 2-0 win over the LA Dodgers. The Candy Man gave up a walk with a couple of errors committed behind him, and survived his only jam, a bases-loaded pickle (on a walk and two boots) in the third inning while dishing out 101 pitches. It was “Candy Nite” with the 9,860 fans getting a Clark Bar before the ABC Game of the Week.

Candy no-hitter - photo 8/10/76 Edwin Morgan/Press

1981 - The NL squeaked out a 5-4 win over the AL in the All-Star game at Cleveland Stadium. Dave Parker went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, Mike Easler was 0-1 with a walk and a run, Bill Madlock 0-for-1 and Phil Garner came in as a defensive sub. The game was held at this late date (it was scheduled originally for July 14th) because of a six week players’ strike, but the fans held no grudges and were happy to see the boys of summer back as 72,086 jammed the ballyard.

1983 - Dave Parker snapped a few streaks when his 450’ two-run homer in the eighth inning off Al Holland carried the Bucs to a 3-1 win over the Phils at Veterans Stadium. He broke a personal 0-for-10 slump, a Bucco five-game losing streak, the Phils five-game win streak and Holland’s string of 95 straight appearances without a loss. The two mirrored streaks saw the Phils take over first from the Pirates; the win moved Pittsburgh back within 1-1/2 games of the top spot. Rick Rhoden started the game, dodging some raindrops (Philly stranded 12 runners during the game); Kent Tekulve worked the final 2-2/3 IP for the win. 

1984 - The Pirates romped over the Mets at Shea Stadium by a 11-0 count. The Bucs iced the game early with an eight-run second frame, with just five singles as their ante. The Mets filled the rest of the pot with four walks and an error (to go with a wild pitch and stolen base). Pittsburgh did have the bats going, banging out 14 hits over the game with every starter, including hurler Rick Rhoden, collecting at least a knock. Johnny Ray posted four raps and Tony Pena chased home three runs in a case of overkill while Rhoden tossed a complete game two-hitter.

1986 - The Pirates pounded out six doubles, and led by Johnny Ray, they outpunched the St. Louis Cards 8-5 at Busch Stadium. Ray had three hits, including a homer & double, scored twice and drove in three runs. Bobby Bonilla, Mike Diaz & Ray touched the plate six times, and Barry Bonds, Tony Pena & Ray chased seven runs home to give Bob Walk the win. The victory was hidden vigorish at its best - the Pirates hadn’t won at Busch Stadium since September 14, 1984, while the Cardinals owned an 11-game home winning streak.

AVS - 1987 Topps

1987 - The Expos’ Neal Heaton was in charge, entering the eighth with a 3-1 lead over the Bucs at TRS. Then Al Pedrique singled and Darnell Coles doubled him home, bringing on Jeff Parrett. The first batter he faced was pinch hitter Andy Van Slyke, who drilled his third offering into the RF stands. Jim Gott made it hold up to give Mike Dunne the 4-3 win. Lotta firsts: it was AVS first pinch hit homer, Coles’ first hit as a Pirate and the first four-hit day of Pedrique’s career. Heaton, who got no decision, would become a Bucco before too long, joining the club in 1989.

1995 - A little fun factoid from BR Bullpen: The Giants defeated the Pirates 4-3 at Candlestick Park, with William Van Landingham the winning pitcher while Jason Christiansen took the loss. The 25 letters in the surnames of the two pitchers of record were the most ever to factor in a major league decision. Christiansen had a chance to ice the game and avoid becoming a trivia answer but gave up a pair of runs in the seventh to earn a blown save/loss.

2000 - RHP Jason Schmidt, who had been bothered by a sore shoulder since May and last pitched in early June, was scheduled for surgery by Dr. James Andrews. He missed the rest of the season and was traded to the Giants in 2001; his shoulder and later elbow issues would dog him toward the end of his pitching career and he retired in 2009 after 10 starts in three years.

2002 - The Bucs, behind one-man show Aramis Ramirez’s homer and four RBI, defeated the Giants 4-3 at Pacific Bell Park. Kip Wells defeated former Bucco Jason Schmidt for the win, but not before giving up Barry Bonds’ 600th home run. Barry’s first 176 dingers had come while wearing a Pirates jersey.

Justin Wilson - 2013 Topps

2012 - Pitching for the AAA Indy Indians, lefty Justin Wilson tossed his second no-hitter of the season, a rain-shortened eight inning gem against the Charlotte Knights. He walked one, K’ed five and was efficient, using only 86 pitches. Wilson was called up that year by the Pirates as a reliever and spent three seasons with Pittsburgh with a slash of 9-5/2.99. He plied his bullpen trade with his seven MLB clubs (eight if you count Milwaukee, where he hurt himself warming up, went on the IL and never made an official appearance), last working for Boston in 2025.

2013 - It wasn’t a very good day for the Bucs, who gave up nine runs in the first two innings on the way to a 10-1 drubbing at the hands of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. But it did plump up the pitching resume of utilityman Josh Harrison, who came in the eighth with two out and two runners aboard to get the last out, coaxing a fly out from future teammate Corey Dickerson. Harrison related to Bill Brink of the Post Gazette that Clint Hurdle told him “All right, I never thought I would have to have this talk with you here on the mound. Go get them."

2015 - In front of a sellout crowd of 37,094 at PNC Park and a national ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” audience, the Bucs roared back from a 5-1 deficit by scoring nine times in the seventh inning to earn a 13-6 victory over the NL-West leading LA Dodgers. Andrew McCutchen homered and had four RBI; Jung-Ho Kang and Fran Cervelli (who had three hits) also went long as the Pirates banged out 16 knocks. Arquimedes Caminero got the win in relief of Charlie Morton. The Bucs swept the three game set against LA for the first time since 2000.

8/8 Through 1964: One Man Band, Brain Trips, Lumberin' Twin Kills, Game Days, Radio Rights, Bucs Sold, Posey Night, SI Groat, Deac Retires, HBD Brett, Mark, Elzie & Billy

1865 - RHP Billy Gumbert was born on Frankstown Avenue in Pittsburgh’s East End. He played for the Alleghenys in 1890 and the Pirates in 1892, with a pitching line of 7-8/3.93 and a .200 BA (he also played a little OF and 1B). Per John Dreker of Pittsburgh Baseball History, Billy was only available for home games because he owned & operated a business in Pittsburgh, so he worked “as needed” without a contract - he got a $15 game fee. His brother, Ad Gumbert, was also a major leaguer twirler and pitched for the Bucs from 1893-94. 

1893 - Pittsburgh swept a DH from the Chicago Colts, 17-10 and 9-8, at Exposition Park. George Van Haltren, Denny Lyons and Joe Sugden (2B & 3B) each had three hits in the opener to give Ad Gumbert the win. In the nitecap, the Colts scored three times in the ninth to go up by four; the Pirates answered with a five spot, keyed by Lyons, who tripled with the bases loaded to tie the game and then scored the winning run. Lyons had six hits on the day. Red Ehret, who went the distance, got the victory. The fans were into the comeback victory; per the Pittsburgh Press “Not at Exposition Park this year has there been such a scene of excitement and enthusiasm...Lyon’s hit (the ninth inning triple in the second game) caused the wildest scene ever seen here for many a day. There were nearly 6,000 people and they all stood up and yelled themselves hoarse. Hats were flying in all directions.” The crowd had been stirred up by Colt manager Cap Anson, who “...indulge(d) in some very jeering talk” after Chicago took the lead per the Press, and then got to enjoy eating his own words as a post-game snack. 

1903 - RHP Elzie Clise Dudley was born in Graham, North Carolina. He tossed for five years in the majors, putting up a line of 17-33-2/5.03, with his last MLB outing (and only appearance) with the Pirates in 1933, when he gave up five runs on six hits and a walk in 1/3 IP against Boston. He’s noted for two things: As a Pirate, his 135.00 ERA/21.000 WHIP are franchise records (not in a good way). A better standard was set as a Brooklyn Robin in 1929, when Dudley became the second player (and the first pitcher) to hit a homer on the first pitch he saw.

Dave Brain - 1909 American Tobacco

1905 - Second baseman Dave Brain, who hit three triples in a game for St. Louis against the Pirates earlier in the season, repeated the performance against Boston after being traded to Pittsburgh, becoming the only player to triple-triple twice in one season. Pittsburgh defeated the Beaneaters 5-4 in 10 innings at Expo Park, with Mike Lynch getting the win in relief of Sam Leever. Brain, who went 4-for-5, had the game winning knock, a single to score Tommy Leach. Davy had quite the day; the Pittsburgh Gazette wrote “Not only did Brain bat well, but he fielded in fine style, and some of the plays made by him were decidedly sensational.” 1905 was his only year with Pittsburgh; he hit .257 as a 3B/SS before being flipped to Boston as part of the Vic Willis trade.

1922 - The Pirates lined, drilled, dribbled and blooped a major league record 46 hits during a doubleheader sweep against the Phillies at Shibe Park. Bucco SS Rabbit Maranville made a record 13 plate appearances during the day. The team had 27 knocks, a franchise record, in their 19-8 rout in the opening match. Reb Russell went 5-for-5 with a homer, two doubles, five runs and seven RBI while Cotton Tierney had four hits, scored five runs and drove in five. Tierney went 4-for-5 in the nitecap with four RBI and Russell doubled three times as the Bucs banged out 19 hits in a 7-3 brooming of Philadelphia. Tierney and Russell each recorded eight hits during the twin bill.

1938 - A federal court ruled that KQV Radio could not broadcast games without the permission of the Pirates, who had sold game radio rights to KDKA/WWSW. The sly KQV broadcasters perched on Oakland rooftops, using that as their play-by-play roost and thus pirating the Pirates contests. The judge’s decision etched in stone that the controlling rights of game coverage belonged to the teams, a nice part of the clubs’ ka-ching today.

1946 - Bill Benswanger, representing the Dreyfuss family, sold the Bucs to a group headed by Frank McKinney, Tom Johnson and John Galbreath, with Bing Crosby as one of the minority investors. The price was reported to be $2.5M. The Galbreath group controlled the Pirates until 1985 when he sold the club to a group of local business and civic leaders, the Pittsburgh Associates, who baby-sat the club for another decade until they sold the team to Kevin McClatchy.

Cum Posey - Helmar T206

1946 - In a Forbes Field night game, the Homestead Grays topped the Baltimore Elite Giants 7-4 in a Negro League game witnessed by 6,000 fans. It was dedicated to Cum Posey. The owner, who had died earlier in the year, was commemorated with a scholarship award in his name that the contest helped to fund. Two pups, the Grays’ 23-year-old Wilmer Fields and 22-year-old Joe Black of the Giants, faced off from the hill. The Homestead hitting stars were Luis Marquez, who was a homer shy of the cycle, and Buck Leonard with two raps.

1952 - Murry Dickson did it all for the Bucs. He not only pitched a 10-inning, six-hit, 1-0 shutout against the Cubs at Forbes Field, but drove in the game’s only run. Joe Garagiola led off the 10th with a single, and Brandy Davis, who had just been called up from Waco and didn’t arrive at the park until 7:30, pinch ran. A grounder moved him up a station, and with two down, Dickson hit a ball toward the SS hole. Roy Smalley made a diving stop to knock the ball down, but that didn’t slow down the speedster Davis who raced home on the infield knock.

1957 - RHP Mark Ross was born in Galveston, Texas. Mark got six fairly brief stops in the show, two of them with Pittsburgh, in 1987 and his last go-around in 1990. In 10 Pittsburgh outings, he went 1-0/3.95. Ross pitched for Team USA in 1987 and served as a minor league coach in the Atlanta Braves system. 

1960 - Dick Groat was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the story “Fiery Leader of the Pirates.” The team captain and All-Star became the first Pirate to be named MVP since Paul “Big Poison” Waner in their last pennant year of 1927 and led the league with a .325 BA.

1961 - The Bucs swept a twin bill against the Phils by 10-2 & 3-2 scores at Connie Mack Stadium, running Philadelphia’s losing streak to 12 games. Harvey Haddix and Tom Sturdivant spun the ball nicely while Smoky Burgess went 5-for-5 in the opener with a homer and four RBI while Don Hoak added five hits during the afternoon, also launching a long ball. The frustrated Phillies didn’t go down without a fight - in the sixth inning of the nightcap, Roberto Clemente threw out the tying run, Tony Gonzalez, at the plate. Catcher Hal Smith was spiked high and applied a hard tag; Gonzalez took a poke at him and the fireworks erupted. The ensuing basebrawl went on for nearly 10 minutes, left both managers (Danny Murtaugh & Gene Mauch) battered - Mauch ended up with a shiner - and had seven different individual battles going on before peace was restored. The umps, who perhaps wisely stayed out of the fray and didn’t toss a soul, had two of Philadelphia’s finest sit on each teams’ bench for the remainder of the contest, which seemed to oil the waters. 

1963 - Injuries drove RHP Vern Law to the voluntarily retired list. But the Deacon returned with a vengeance to win 12 games in 1964, and in 1965, at the age of 35, he led the Pirates with 17 victories and a 2.15 ERA. He was honored with the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award as comeback player of the year. But the injuries finally wore him down and the Deacon retired permanently after the 1967 campaign.

1963 - RHP Brett Gideon was born in Ozona, Texas. He was a sixth round pick of the Pirates in 1985 and made his debut in 1987. He worked in 29 games and posted a 1-5-3/4.46 line. He was traded to Montreal for Neal Heaton in 1989, and only got in five games in two Expo seasons. Brett worked in the minors until 1992 before hangin’ up the spikes, and now he’s a pharmo sales director.

8/8 From 1965: Zippos, B-2-B-2-B, Reed Debut, Milner Slam, Cobra 5-er, Manny da Man, Game Days, Moises-Zane, HBD Ohlie

1969 - Manny Sanguillen was a homer shy of the cycle and scored three times as he led the Pirates to a 7-1 win over the Padres at San Diego Stadium. The Roadrunner was on a hitting roll, collecting 13 hits in his last 26 at bats. Willie Stargell added a double and two RBI as Bob Veale gave up 11 hits but struck out 10 Friars to claim the win.

1974 - Jon Matlock went to the well once too often against Richie Zisk, and paid the price when Zisk banged a walkoff homer in the ninth to drop the Mets, 4-3. Matlock had hung an 0-fer on Richie by starting him off with an inside fastball in his previous four at bats, getting a first-pitch out three times. This time, Zisk was sitting on the pitch and rocketed the heater into the left field stands at TRS. The match had been tied at three since the fourth, with Frank Taveras and Art Howe singles accounting for the Buc runs. It was Jerry Reuss’ 11th win; he gave up six hits in a complete game victory with all three New York runs being unearned. 

1977 - The Pirates had jumped out to a 3-0 lead after an inning at TRS, but Chi-town All-Star Rick Reuschel, who would become a Bucco in 1985, settled in after that. By the seventh frame, the Cubs had banged their way back to take a 6-4 lead, but Reuschel struggled as he neared the finish line. In the seventh, he gave up a run after walking Frank Taveras, who stole second and scored on Dave Parker’s rap. Big Daddy got through the eighth inning, but couldn’t hang on in the final frame. Omar Moreno singled, Rennie Stennett doubled, and after a Jim Fregosi lineout, Dave Roberts got the call to face Ed Ott. Maybe they should have let Reuschel face one more batter as Otter drilled a triple off Roberts to walkoff a 7-6 victory. The first inning runs were chased home by Bill Robinson and Al Oliver with a later solo shot by Fernando Gonzalez. Grant Jackson got the win; Bruce Kison and Goose Gossage preceded him on the hill.

1978 - Dave Parker had the first five-hit day of his career with a home run, double, three singles & three RBI while John Milner added a grand slam and Willie Stargell chipped in a pair of raps to chase home the other two runs in a 9-5 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Milner’s big blow was made possible by Chuck Tanner’s timely intervention. After Milner and ump Joe West got into a debate over a call, Tanner stepped in to protect his player and got the heave-ho but saved Milner’s hide by shoving his aggravated outfielder away from West. Don Robinson got the win while Kent Tekulve posted the final five outs.

Bill Robinson - 1978 Topps

1979 - The Pirates survived a rare rough outing by Kent Tekulve in a 10-inning 5-2 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Jim Bibby and Lynn McGlothen hooked up in a duel, with Teke called on to hold a 2-1 ninth inning lead, following Bibby, Enrique Romo and Grant Jackson. The Cubbies tied the score and Steve Dillard’s single into left looked ticketed to chase home Steve Ontiveras from second with the game winning run. But Bill Robinson came up firing, and though his throw was high and a bit off line, Ed Ott made a leaping grab and came down with the ball, managing to swipe Ontiveras’ leg and keep the game alive. In the 10th, Phil Garner was at bat with two Bucs aboard and the bunt sign on. Skipper Chuck Tanner had a change of heart and had Scrap Iron swing away after the first pitch; two tosses later, he hit one into the left field seats. Teke still struggled to ice it, but Robinson saved his bacon again with a two-out, two-on, diving catch of a sinking liner that was running away from him to close the book. The Pirates extended their lead over Montreal to 1-1/2 games after the victory and eventually won the pennant by finishing two games ahead of the Expos.

1982 - RHP Ross Ohlendorf was born in Austin, Texas. Ohlie pitched for the Pirates from 2008-11 with a line of 13-27/4.60. Ohlendorf was a bit more than a jock; he graduated from Princeton and spent a summer as an intern in Washington for the Department of Agriculture. He also tossed an “immaculate inning” - nine pitches to strike out the side - on September 5th, 2009 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ohlie tossed in the show for four years and four teams after leaving Pittsburgh, spinning the ball in Japan in 2017 to close out his pro career. He now breeds and raises Longhorns on his family’s Texas ranch.

1988 - Rick Reed made his MLB debut memorable by tossing an eight-inning three-hitter to defeat the front-running Mets 1-0 in front of 38,307 fans at TRS with Jim Gott finishing up with a 1-2-3 ninth. The Pirates' run was manufactured by Jose Lind’s wheels - he opened the fourth inning with an infield single, stole second, went to third when the throw was off target and scored on a groundout. It was quite the rivalry - the set drew 171,435 fans, the largest four-game series attendance in TRS history. Reed would join New York a decade later and spend five years as a member of their rotation, earning a pair of All Star nods. Meanwhile, upstairs in the booth, Lanny Frattare was broadcasting his 2,000th Bucco game. He had a lot more contests to announce - his Pittsburgh career lasted 33 seasons and he was the Voice of the Pirates for over 5,000 games.

Zane Smith - 1991 Bowman

1990 - The Pirates sent IF Willie Greene, RHP Scott Ruskin and OF Moises Alou to the Montreal Expos for LHP Zane Smith. Greene was a #1 draft pick who played nine seasons, but with a career .234 BA. Ruskin was promising but only lasted through 1993. Alou was a highly regarded prospect who was deemed expendable as he was blocked by OFs Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla. Moises lived up to his hype, playing 17 years with six All-Star nods and posting a .303 career BA. Smith spent six of his last seven seasons with the Pirates, winning 47 games behind a 3.35 ERA, and was a staff mainstay for the early nineties’ clubs, spinning 16 victories for the division champs of 1991.

1995 - Orlando Merced, Jeff King and Midre Cummings hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the second inning against the Giants at Candlestick Park, the first time a trio of Bucs had turned that feat in 25 years. King also became the first Bucco to homer twice in the same inning since Jake Stenzel in 1894 (Reggie Sanders matched it in 2003) when he went yard off starter Sergio Valdez and then reliever Terry Mulholland, a deed he’d do again the next season to join Willie McCovey and Andre Dawson as two-timers. The fence-bustin’ Pirates won by a tally of 9-5, scoring all nine runs in that explosive second frame when the Bucs four homers in the inning to set a team record.

2008 - The Bucs took a 12-inning 2-0 win from the Phils at Citizens Bank Park. Steve Pearce’s double and Freddy Sanchez’s two-out infield knock plated the Pittsburgh runs. Craig Hansen got the save for TJ Beam in dramatic fashion when LF Brandon Moss ran down and gloved Chase Utley’s opposite field gapper and his relay doubled Shane Victorino off first to end the game. Six Pirate pitchers allowed just a half-dozen hits, although nine walks led to a dozen stranded Phils.

2011 - The Pirates snapped a 10-game losing streak by beating the Giants 5-0 at AT&T Park. Charlie Morton threw a six-hitter with ninth inning help from Jose Veras while Garrett Jones’ 4-for-5 day was the highlight of the Buc attack. The sad sack run dropped the Bucs from five games above .500 to five below, puncturing both their playoff hopes and a shot at finishing with a winning record for the first time since Jim Leyland’s 1992 squad won the flag.

8/7 Through 1954: Zippo x 2, Batfests & Rallies, Game Days, Dealin', Gray-io, HBD Steve, Jim, Gerry, Les, Bill, Adonis & Jim

1862 - IF Jim Gray was born in Pittsburgh. Gray was a local kid “who helped in an emergency” whenever a Pittsburgh club was short handed as a roster fill-in, per Frederick Lieb in his book “The Pittsburgh Pirates.” (Gray earned more money working his day job, so he never considered a pro baseball career) Playing in six games - not many emergencies back in the day - he got 23 at-bats and hit for a .304 average (His fielding was brutal, though; the infielder made nine errors in 32 chances). He played for the Alleghenys in 1884 & 1890, the Player’s League Burghers, also in ‘90, and finally for the Pirates in 1893. He spent a short time umpiring in the minors before coming back home. Jim then settled down and spent the next 50 years as a City worker.

1864 - RHP William “Adonis” Terry was born in Westfield, Massachusetts. He tossed for 14 big league seasons, working for the Pirates from 1892-94. He was excellent in ‘92 (17-7/2.51) but went downhill in his last two seasons, still putting up a respectable slash of 30-16/3.45 as a Buc. During his career, he tossed two no-hitters, was versatile enough to play both infield and outfield if called on, and umpired, even as an active player, into his retirement. Brooklyn fans gave him his nickname, reflecting the clean living Terry’s appearance and character.

1886 - Bill McKechnie was born in Wilkinsburg. A backup infielder for Pittsburgh (1907, 1910-12, 1918, 1920/.235 BA), he began 1922 as a Pirate coach. McKechnie replaced George Gibson as manager in midseason, and the team improved from fifth place to a tie for third. The club got better in each of the next few seasons before capturing the National League pennant and the World Series crown in 1925. But after the Pirates fell to third place in 1926, McKechnie was fired. He resurfaced and became the only skipper to win pennants with three different NL clubs - Pittsburgh (1925), St. Louis (1928), and Cincinnati (1939-40). McKechnie earned the nickname “Deacon” because he sang in his church choir and lived a quiet lifestyle. He was also the namesake for Bradenton’s old McKechnie Field (now LECOM Park) and joined the Hall of Fame in 1962.  

1890 - The Alleghenies scored 17 runs against the Reds at Expo Park, with home runs by Fred Osborne, Harry Decker and Ed Sales (the trio had three hits apiece on the game) but it was to no avail. They set the franchise record for most runs scored in a loss when they were dropped, 23-17, by Cincy. It wasn’t as close as it looked, though - the Allies scored nine times in the ninth to close the gap.

Jake Stenzel - photo via Out Of The Ball Park

1895 - The Pirates rang up 11 runs in the third inning, parlaying a combo of bloops, blasts, boots and bases on balls, to trounce the St. Louis Browns at Exposition Park, 18-1. The Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette wrote ”There wasn’t enough left of the St. Louis Browns to bait a mousetrap...the home boys grabbed the visitors by the neck and knocked down all the high weeds in the outfield...” among other bon mots. Brownie Foreman (the winner) and Jake Hewitt scattered five hits while Jake Stenzel led the Pirates 18-hit barrage with four knocks.

1904 - The Pirates sent IF Jimmy Sebring to the Reds, Cincy sent Mike Donlin to New York, and the Giants then sent OF Moose McCormack to the Bucs. The deal was the seed that sprouted this trade tree: the Pirates flipped Moose to Philly for IF/OF Del Howard, who became part of the 1905 package sent to Boston that landed Hall of Fame RHP Vic Willis, who won 89 games for Pittsburgh in four seasons and was part of the World Series Championship squad of 1909.

1913 - The Pirates purchased pitcher Erv “Peanuts” Kantlehner from Victoria in the Northwestern League. Peanuts went 13-29-5 between 1914-16 for the Bucs, with a respectable 2.84 ERA. He split his time starting and relieving, matching five saves with five shutouts. Peanut's career ended in 1916 after he was sold to Philly, where he made three final outings. The Santa Clara University grad's last pro gig was with San Francisco of the Pacific Coast League in 1919. 

1915 - The Pirates tossed double zeroes at the Philadelphia Phillies in sweeping a Forbes Field double-dipper, 9-0 and 6-0. Al Mamaux tossed a four-hitter behind an efficient Buc attack that scored nine runs on nine hits. Jim Viox and George Gibson had two hits while Max Carey homered. In the second match, Bob Harmon scattered five hits while Doug Baird had a pair of raps including a triple and Bill Hinchman added two more knocks to lead the attack against the Phils.

1915 - 1B Les Fleming was born in Singleton, Texas. His last hurrah was with the Pirates in 1949, hitting .258 in a bench role to end his seven-year MLB run (he debuted with Detroit and then spent five years in Cleveland). Fleming played on until 1956, closing out a 20-year pro run (he missed two years during the war) in the Texas League, retiring from pro ball at age 40.

Babe Adams - 1920 photo via Field Of Dreams

1920 -The Pittsburgh Press banner touted “Victory Boosts Pirates Into Third Place” with the front-page story headline of “Gibson’s Warriors Shut Out League’s Leaders” after the Bucs beat the Brooklyn Superbas 7-0 for their fifth win in a row. Babe Adams got the win at Ebbets Field, tossing a six hitter. A two-run throwing error on a pickoff play gave the Pirates a five-run cushion in the sixth inning and Max Carey’s two-run triple in the seventh frame provided the icing. Alas, the pennant fever was premature. The Bucs faded and finished fourth, 14 games off the pace.

1922 - Ten different Pirates had two hits apiece, a club record, as the Bucs whipped the Phillies 17-10 at the Baker Bowl, sparked by an eight-run fourth inning that saw 13 Bucco hitters bat. The only Pittsburgh batters without two knocks were cleanup hitter Clyde Barnhart and pitcher Wilbur Cooper; all 12 batters in the lineup hit safely while even the pitchers combined to go 5-for-5 with a homer. Whitey Glazner picked up the win in relief after Wilbur Cooper and Hal Carlson were given early hooks. The Pirates were in the midst of a 13-game winning streak and this was the beginning of a four-game sweep of the Phils, with the Bucs scoring 57! runs during the set.

1925 - The Pirates and Brooklyn Robins had a wild final three innings at Forbes Field. The Robins scored twice in the seventh inning to take the lead at 7-4; Pittsburgh scored three times in their half to knot the score. Brooklyn then plated twice in the eighth frame to go up 9-7; the Pirates answered in the ninth with a three-pack to rally for a 10-9 win. Max Carey, Pie Traynor and Kiki Cuyler each had three hits in the victory, which went to “Jughandle” Johnny Morrison. To add to the excitement, Max Carey got into a brawl with the Dodgers Burleigh Grimes, (an off-and-on Bucco) when they bumped into one another on the basepaths, leading to a fine/suspension for Grimes.

1936 - C Gerry McNertney was born in Boone, Iowa. He finished a nine-year MLB career with the Pirates in 1973, playing nine games, mostly as a defensive sub, and going 1-for-4 at the dish. The Iowa State product was later a bullpen and minor league coach with the Yankees and briefly a Bosox coach in 1989 before spending eight years coaching at his alma mater.

Josh Gibson - 2017 Topps Sketch Card

1942 - For the first time, a Negro League game was broadcast on radio when the Washington/Homestead Grays defeated their division rivals, the Baltimore Elite Giants, 7-3, at Baltimore’s Bugle Field in front of a guesstimated crowd of 6,000 fans. The Baltimore Afro-American newspaper sponsored the game, aired by WWDC in a battle between the Grays’ southpaw Roy Welmaker and the Giants’ Jonah Gaines. It ended up an easy win for Homestead; they scored four times in the first while Josh Gibson homered twice (he was also wisely intentionally walked two times) to leapfrog Baltimore into first place. The games were broadcast sporadically; Homestead/DC was carried on the airwaves next on August 13th from Griffith Stadium, a 14-inning 3-2 Grays win over the KC Monarchs in front of a crowd of 24,000. Welmaker started against Satchel Paige, with Ray Brown coming on in the ninth to finish the task and earn the victory. The Grays ended up claiming the Negro NL title, but Paige had his revenge as Homestead was swept by the Monarchs in the Negro World Series. (Thanks to Donna Halper/SABR - “August 7, 1942: First Negro League Baseball Game Is Broadcast On Radio“)

1951 - RHP Jim Sadowski was born in Lawrenceville. A nephew of the local MLB clan of Ed, Ted and Bob Sadowski, he played for Central Catholic HS. Ed signed with the Pirates in 1969 and while not as successful as his uncles, he did get into four games with Pittsburgh in 1974, going 0-1/6.00 in nine innings of work. He spent a decade toiling on the farm, playing in the Pirates, Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds systems. Jim’s now a financial consultant.

1954 - OF Steve Kemp was born in San Angelo, Texas. He played for the 1985-86 Pirates and hit .246 before being released in early ‘86. He joined the club as part of the deal that brought Tim Foli back to Pittsburgh during the 1984 off season. After a stint in the Senior Baseball League, the semi-retired Kemp has coached at the amateur level and is a regular at Tigers fantasy camps.

8/7 From 1955: Rallies, Bell Bop, Roberto Rocks, Game Days, FF Fire, Starg Signed, Josh & Buck HoF, #9 Retired, Moves & Deals, RIP Coop, Pgh HoF, HBD Michael, Ryan, Frenchy & Tyler

1958 - The Pirates signed Willie Stargell as a free agent out of Encinal HS in Alameda, California, after just three workouts. Pirate scout Bob Zuk got the 17-year old’s name on a contract for a very well spent $1,500 bonus, a bargain bin price tag for a Hall of Famer who belted 475 HR and chased home 1,540 runners in his 21-year Pirates career, both setting club records.

1962 - Forbes Field, which was plagued by a pair of fires after its closing in 1970, also had a blaze delay on this day, stopping the Pirates-Cardinals game for 26 minutes when some materials stored under the right field seats burst into flames during the seventh inning. Some 200 fans had to be moved, but the flare up was contained to the storage area and didn’t cause any damage to the stands. A fire needed to be lit under the Buccos instead of the rooters as Pittsburgh went up in smoke to the Saint Louis Cardinals, 5-0.

1966 - Roberto Clemente put on a one man show at Forbes Field with four hits, two homers and five RBI, but it wasn’t enough in a 9-7 loss to the Reds. Clemente had a chance to win the game in the ninth with two on and two out, but his flare to center was run down, ending the day’s magic for Arriba and the Buccos.

1972 - Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard were inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra, Early Wynn, Lefty Gomez, Ross Youngs and former American League president Will Harridge. Josh and Buck, who played for the Homestead Grays and were known as “the Black Babe Ruth” and “the Black Lou Gehrig,” were the fourth and fifth Black players to enter the Hall of Fame, following Jackie Robinson (1962), Roy Campanella (1969) and Satchel Paige (1971) and were the first to spend their careers entirely in the Negro League (Buck, at age 45, played 10 games for the unaffiliated Portsmouth team).

1973 - RHP Wilbur Cooper passed away at the age of 81. Wilbur tossed for 13 years (1912-24) for Pittsburgh, slashing 202-159/2.74 and winning twenty or more games four times. He’s the only pitcher to win 200+ games as a Pirate, is second in career IP with 3,199, behind only Bob Friend (3,480-1/3), and also in games started with 469, again trailing Friend (477). 

Tyler Yates - 2009 Upper Deck

1977 - RHP Tyler Yates was born in Lihue, Hawaii. He pitched for the Bucs from 2008-09 after coming over in a deal with the Braves. The reliever went 6-5-1/5.06 in 87 appearances over that span, but 2009 was his swan song as he underwent a second TJ surgery and never made it back to the show. After retiring from baseball, Tyler became a police officer in Kauai. His brother Kirby kept the family ties going, joining the Bucs via trade in 2026.

1984 - LHP Wade “Frenchy” LeBlanc was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Pirates picked up the 31-year-old, eight-year veteran long man/spot starter from Seattle in 2016 and he worked two campaigns as a long/middle man from the pen. The Bucs were his eighth team, and they took a chance on him after he rejuvenated his career in 2015 with a strong season in Japan. After impressing the FO, he signed as a FA in 2017 ($750K) with a $1.25M option for 2018. The option wasn’t picked up as the southpaw went 5-2 but with a 4.50 ERA in 2017. He signed with Seattle and had success as a member of their rotation, a return to his original roots, and closed out his stay with the St. Louis Cardinals before retiring in 2022 after 13 years in the show.

1987 - Bill Mazeroski’s #9 was retired during a copacetic 9-3 victory over the Expos at TRS in front of 24,093 fans. C Spanky Lavalliere and SS Al Pedrique celebrated by collecting three hits, two runs and a pair of RBI each. Bob Walk went six innings for the win with Bob Gideon working the last three frames for the save. The Pirates also swung a deal, trading 3B Jim Morrison to the Detroit Tigers for OF Darnell Coles and a PTBNL (LHP Morris Madden). Coles played 108 games in 1987-88, batting .230, Madden pitched 14 times for the Pirates (2-2/5.91), and Morrison was about at the end of his MLB career.

1987 - C Ryan Lavarnway was born in Burbank, California. Ryan spent parts of seven seasons of MLB ball with four different teams before he signed with the Pirates in 2018 as a depth option. He didn’t make the team out of camp and went to Indianapolis, getting the call to Pittsburgh in September after the Indy season finished. Since, he’s played for six organizations, the latest being Miami. Lavarnway got his start at Yale. He also played for the 2017/23 Israeli teams in the WBC and on their 2020 Olympic club. Ryan retired after the 2022 season and is now a roving catching coach for the Cubs, children's book author, motivational speaker and podcaster.

Jay Bell - 1996 Circa

1994 - SS Jay Bell went 5-for-6 with a pair of doubles to lead the Pirates to a 6-5 win over the Cardinals at TRS, the second five-hit game of his career. His bases-loaded single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth plated Tim Foli for the walkoff win. Carlos Garcia homered and Paul Wagner worked the ninth for the win.

1999 - C Michael Perez was born in Catano, Puerto Rico. He was a fifth-round pick of the D-Backs in the 2011 draft and traded to Tampa Bay, where he was a reserve for three years. They waived him after the 2020 campaign and the Bucs claimed the good glove, bad bat (.221 career BA) backstop. He won the caddy job behind Jake Stallings by beating out Tony Wolters in the spring. He was the backup in ‘21, and started the next season at Indy before he was called up due to injury. Despite a three-homer day that belied his Pirates BA of .145, Perez lost out to Jason Delay, was DFA’ed in July and sold to the Mets, last playing MLB in 2022.

2000 - The Pirates sent IF Luis Sojo to the Yankees for RHP Chris Spurling. It was a return home for Sojo and he lasted three more seasons as a utility guy for the Bronx Bombers. Spurling was lost to the Braves in the 2002 Rule 5 draft and went on to pitch four MLB seasons as a reliever for Detroit and Milwaukee (6-8-3/4.82).

2010 - Colorado scored three runs in the ninth to tie the game and two more in the 10th to take the lead, but the Bucs rallied at PNC Park to claim an 8-7 victory. With runners at first and second and two down in the extra frame, Pedro Alvarez took Huston Street deep for the walkoff win, giving Sean Gallagher the W even though he was tagged for two runs in his inning of work.

2013 - Petrina McCutchen, Andrew’s mom, sang the National Anthem before the Miami Marlins’ game at PNC Park. Her son responded with a 2-for-3 night including a walk and a homer. So did the team, as they won, 4-2, behind Charlie Morton, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon.

Cutch - 2013 Bowman Platinum

2015 - Pedro Alvarez’ pinch-hit single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Jung Ho Kang and gave the Bucs a 5-4 walkoff win over the Dodgers at PNC. It was his second walkoff rap of the year and the third of his career. Gregory Polanco had two hits, including a homer, as one of four Bucs with multiple knocks; the club banged out 14 knocks but stranded a dozen. The Buccos fifth pitcher, Antonio Bastardo, got the win. He fanned two and stranded two in the top of the 10th.

2021 - The Pirates recalled OF Anthony Alford, 27, from Indy, who was on fire with the bat since June 1st (.356 BA/12 HR). It was a short reunion. He broke camp with the team in 2022 but was released in late April; he caught on with Cleveland but moved on to the Korean League three weeks later and last played pro in the Mexican League in ‘24. They DFA’ed veteran IF Erik Gonzalez, 29, who they picked up in the 2018 offseason from Cleveland. In three years, he hit .236, was snake bitten with injuries and ultimately became the victim of a logjam of young IFs moving through the pipeline. He cleared waivers and was sent to Indy; he’s now playing in Mexico. They also optioned UT Phil Evans, 28, to Indy, and he’s now in Mexico. He was signed as a free agent in the winter of 2019 and batted .232 in his two years with Pittsburgh.

2022 - The inaugural class of the long time coming Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame was announced. It consisted of 19 members: Jake Beckley, Steve Blass, Ray Brown, Max Carey, Oscar Charleston, Fred Clarke, Roberto Clemente, Josh Gibson, Ralph Kiner, Buck Leonard, Bill Mazeroski, Danny Murtaugh, Dave Parker, Willie Stargell, Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan, Honus Wagner, Lloyd Waner, and Paul Waner. The team was inclusive, as promised as four of the inductees - Brown, Charleston, Gibson and Leonard - played for the Homestead Grays/Pittsburgh Crawfords. The ceremony was on September 3rd.