The Green Weenie

1873 - C George “Doc” Yeager was born in Cincinnati. Doc put in six MLB seasons, mostly with the Boston Beaneaters. He spent a couple of months in Pittsburgh in 1901 after he was claimed in August following his release by the Cleveland Blues, catching and playing a little corner infield as needed (he played every position but pitcher during his career). He hit .264 while with Pittsburgh (he was a .238 lifetime batter) and was nearing the end of his big league trail, playing 40 games with the NY Giants and Baltimore Orioles in 1902 before embarking on a seven-year minor league journey.

1892 - LHP Herb Kelly was born in Mobile, Alabama. Herb spent his brief MLB career in Pittsburgh, going 1-3/2.95 in 10 outings between 1914-15. Unlike many players of that era, Herb didn’t become a wandering baseball nomad; he hung up the spikes at age 25.

1897 - After losing a game four days prior by forfeit after a disputed call, the Bucs were banged with yet another forfeiture. Down 4-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies/Quakers at the Baker Bowl, the Pirates lost a potential two-run double in the fourth frame on a disputed foul call. Manager Patsy Donovan and the ump discussed the matter between innings, and apparently Patsy was a bit too colorful and/or the Pirates were a little sluggish getting back on the field (although the claims all but a pair were in position, and they were part of the convo at home), so ump McDonald called the game in favor of the Phils. The Press noted that “The fair minded Philadelphia fans (quite a change in culture over the decades) were as indignant as the Pittsburg players and yelled ‘Play ball’ but the Phillies hurried into the clubhouse and McDonald disappeared. The Pittsburgh players remained on the field for 10 minutes afterward...” unaware or disbelieving what had just happened. The paper opined, however, that the affair “...added to the bad reputation the Pirates have acquired in the east.”

1908 - RHP Bob Klinger was born in Allenton, Missouri. He was a multi-role pitcher who could start or close, and went 62-58-9 with a 3.74 ERA in Pittsburgh from 1938-43. Klinger was in the service for two years before closing out his career with the MLB Red Sox between 1946-47. But he didn’t give up on baseball, playing in the minors through 1950. Bob was offered a manager’s job in the bushes, but instead returned home to Missouri and a steady job.

Bob Klinger - 1940 Play Ball

1925 - Kiki Cuyler hit for the cycle plus drawing a walk, driving in three runs and scoring four times as the Bucs rolled over the Philadelphia Phillies, 16-3, at Forbes Field. Every Pirate starter, including pitcher Lee Meadows, had a hit & scored and/or drove home a run.

1930 - Charlie Engel, Fred Brickell and George Grantham batted 1-2-3 for the Bucs, and the top of the order went 8-for-13 with a homer, two doubles, a walk, three RBI and 10 runs scored to propel Pittsburgh to a 12-6 win over the Brooklyn Robins at Ebbets Field. Larry French went the distance, riding the offensive support of the leadoff trio to the victory.

1937 - First baseman Gus Suhr set the Pirates and then-NL record by playing in his 822nd consecutive game, going 1-for-4 in a loss to Boston at Braves Field. The streak ended not because of an injury or slump, but rather when Suhr flew to San Francisco to attend his mother’s funeral services. His mark stood for 20 years before it was topped by Donora’s Stan “The Man” Musial of the Cards and now held by the Dodgers’ Steve Garvey at 1,207 games.

1940 - The Pirates played their first home game under the lights at Forbes Field, beating the Boston Bees, 14-2, behind Joe Bowman’s five-hitter in front of 20,319 fans. Maurice Van Robays and Frankie Gustine combined for seven RBI while six different Buccos scored twice. Night games were supposed to be an attraction for the working fans; it ended up that quite a few female fans took in the game, too. The light banks were connected to eight towers, built by the local engineers of Westinghouse. The game wasn’t a league or even ballyard debut: the first night game played at the Oakland lot was back in 1930 when the Homestead Grays and KC Monarchs played under portable lights; the first MLB night game was at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field in 1935.

1943 - Up by a run in the eighth, the Bucs’ Vince DiMaggio singled. New York Giants’ pitcher Bill Sayles’ next pitch got past his catcher, Ernie Lombardi. The slow-footed NY receiver was a bit leisurely in chasing the ball, Sayles pouted on the mound and didn’t cover home, and Vince kept on chugging to score from first on the passed ball. It ended up the winning run as the Pirates took a 9-8 victory at Forbes Field. Vince had two hits including a homer, scored twice and drove three runs home. Max Butcher got the win and Hank Gornicki earned a save.

Vince DiMaggio - TSN

1948 - In a game described by beat writer Vince Johnson of the Post-Gazette as “...a circus, except the clowns didn’t wear grease paint and weren’t even faintly amusing. An overflow crowd of 37,355 watched what was undoubtedly the silliest and longest spectacle of the season” in reporting on the Bucs 10-7 loss to the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. The umps started the day off when the crew chief overruled a balk call, leading to a lengthy on-field rhubarb and a protest by Beantown. That performance was later outdone in exasperation by a five-walk seventh inning in which Bucco hurlers gave up seven runs. Ralph Kiner and Clyde Kluttz homered for the Pirates during the interminably long (for the era) contest that lasted three hours and 12 minutes.

1951 - Gus Bell hit for the cycle to lead the Pirates to a 12-4 victory over the Phillies at Shibe Park. Bell, Rocky Nelson and Wally Westlake had three RBI apiece; Nelson and Westlake also collected three hits each. Rookie Bob Friend got the win, his first in the majors, going 6-⅓ IP with help from Murry Dickson, who closed out the game after that. Fun fact: In 2004, Gus’ grandson David (then a Phil and future Reds manager) also pulled off the feat; Gus and David are the only grandfather-grandson duo in major league history to hit for the cycle.

1953 - General Manager Branch Rickey traded future Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, the only man to lead the league in home runs for seven consecutive seasons, as the salary dump centerpiece of a huge deal with the Cubs. (After several acrimonious contract battles, the Mahatma reportedly told the slugger "We finished last with you, we can finish last without you.") At least Ralph didn’t have to travel far as the Cubs were at Forbes Field, and the trade was announced after batting practice. The players involved from Pittsburgh were Kiner, C Joe Garagiola, P Howie Pollet, and OF Catfish Metkovich, who were sent to the Cubs for C Toby Atwell, P Bob Schultz, 1B Preston Ward, 3B George Freese, OF Bob Addis, OF Gene Hermanski, and $150,000.

1953 - RHP Larry Demery was born in Bakersfield, California, the son of Negro League outfielder/pitcher Artis Demery. He broke into the Pirate rotation a few days after turning 21 in June of 1974. Demery was mostly a long man, going 29-23-7/3.72, though he did start 46 times. An arm injury in 1977 ended his career after a four-year run with Pittsburgh. Demery came from baseball genes. His dad, Artis (aka “Artist”) Demery played during the final days of the Negro Leagues and then toiled in the minors for three years, through 1955.

6/4 From 1955: Jack Smack, Cutch Debut & Anniversary, Barry's 1st, Roberto Rockets, Game Days, Bo Booed, '24 Moves, HBD Tony

1957 - C Tony Pena was born in Monte Cristi, in the Dominican Republic. Signed in 1975 as an international FA, he spent his first seven years (1980-86) in Pittsburgh, hitting .286 and earning spots on four All-Star teams before he was traded in the 1987 preseason to the St. Louis Cards for P Mike Dunne, C Mike LaValliere and OF Andy Van Slyke. The trade caught Pena, a lifelong Pirate, by surprise; he teared up at the presser announcing the deal.

1967 - Roberto Clemente hit two homers and drove in all four runs in a 4-1 Pirate victory at Dodger Stadium. Both blasts were launched off Don Drysdale, the first long balls that he yielded on the year. Roberto and the Bucs were bombardiers against DD - the last four-baggers he had given up were against Clemente and Willie Stargell, who went back-to-back on him on September 15th, 1966. Bob Veale threw a five-hitter for the win, with the save earned by ElRoy Face.

1968 - The Bucs were on the wrong end of a record or two during a 5-0 loss at LA. Tossing his sixth consecutive shutout, Don Drysdale topped Doc White's 64-year-old mark of five shutouts, and with 54 scoreless innings, he broke Carl Hubbell's NL string of 49 goose egg frames. In his next game, Drysdale would set the MLB mark at 58-2/3 scoreless frames. Drysdale was on top of his game, tossing a three-hitter and fanning eight. Jim Bunning took the loss. Gary Kolb was the only Bucco to get past first base with a sixth inning double.

1975 - Jerry Reuss didn't give up a hit until the seventh frame, and it hurt - not the Pirates, who held on for a 2-1 win against the Reds at TRS, but Reuss, who took a Dave Conception liner off the leg and had to leave the contest. The Pirates scored on Rennie Stennett’s misplayed fly that eventually led to a run and a Richie Hebner solo shot. Cincy plated off Dave Giusti, who in 2-1/3 IP walked three batters and let one score before Ramon Hernandez came on with an out in the ninth to close the gate, albeit with some drama as he walked the bases loaded with two away before getting the final out. The Pirates had the baseball gods on their side this evening. Reuss served several smoked at ‘em balls while Giusti picked a runner off second base and Al Oliver threw out another at home to limit the damage.

Jerry Reuss - 1975 Topps

1981 - In his first game as a Cub, Bobby Bonds (Barry’s dad) lasted an inning before breaking his hand after tumbling over a loose seam at TRS. The Tim Foli ball he was chasing fell for a triple and became a big run as Foli scored and the Bucs went on to defeat the Chicago club, 5-4, in 10 innings. Lee Lacy tallied the winning run when he tripled and scored on Dale Berra’s bloop to earn a win for Kent Tekulve. Foli had four hits and was a homer shy of a cycle while Dave Parker added three more raps including a home run. The Cobra scored two runs and chased three teammates home.

1986 - Barry Bonds went 4-for-5 and banged his first MLB home run off Craig McMurtry in the fifth to lead the Bucs to a 12-3 romp over Atlanta at Fulton County Stadium. Bonds scored three times and drove in four runs to lead the Bucco barrage. RJ Reynolds had two hits including a long ball as Mike Bielecki, with help from Jim Winn, got the win. BB bopped 761 more of those long balls in his 22-year career to become the all-time MLB home run leader.

1992 - Bobby Bo returned to Three Rivers Stadium for the first time and was not exactly welcomed back with open arms. The Associated Press wrote “Bonilla was booed early, he was booed late and he booed often...” Signs in the park were of the “Bucks, Not Bucs” ilk, he was pinged by a golf ball thrown from the crowd (he then played while wearing a batting helmet in the field) and Vince LaSheid even joined in with a rendition of “Take the Money and Run.” The Pittsburgh fans' combative vibes had an effect as the team ran away with a 7-2 decision, led by Bo’s old running mate Barry Bonds, who homered and doubled.

2009 - Andrew McCutchen, called up after Nate McLouth was traded, made his MLB debut against the New York Mets in front of 20,683 fans at PNC Park during a rain day makeup match. Batting leadoff, he wasted no time, singling off Mike Pelfrey in his first at bat and going 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base in an 11-6 win. Cutch did it all on pure adrenaline; he had spent all day in planes or airport lobbies, arriving less than an hour before first pitch. In his time as a Pirate, Cutch was MVP in 2013, finished in the Top 5 three other times, was named to five straight All-Star games and earned four consecutive Silver Slugger awards.

2014 - Pittsburgh pitchers gave up one hit, a first-inning bunt single, but still managed to lose to San Diego at Petco Park by a 3-2 count. The Padre runs came on a miscommunicated shallow fly, an error and a bases loaded walk, one of nine that Pirate hurlers issued. Francisco Liriano took the loss, walking six batters with a HBP in his first four frames (he went six innings). The last time the Pirates threw a one-hitter and lost was July 25th, 1992, at Atlanta. That hit was a second inning homer by David Justice, the only tally in a 1-0 Bravo win.

Cutch - 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Starting Points

2017 - Andrew McCutchen held an anniversary party for himself eight years after making his Bucco debut, going 3-for-5 while scoring three times and banging a three-run homer to lead the Pirates to an 11-1 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field. Pittsburgh banged out 15 hits as Fran Cervelli and David Freese also collected three knocks to help make a winner of Trevor Williams, who tossed a career-high seven innings while evening his record at 3-3.

2022 - The Pirates showcased a couple of the kids in taking a 2-1 victory from the D-Backs at PNC Park. Roansy Contreras made his fourth career start, allowing one unearned run and four hits in 5-2/3 innings while striking out eight and walking two. But it wasn’t quite strong enough as Pittsburgh was held to just three hits by Arizona’s Zach Davies and were down, 1-0, in the ninth inning. They had to go through ex-Bucco closer Mark Melanchon to rally, and it took just two batters to do just that - Bryan Reynolds led off with a single and 23-year-old rookie outfielder Jack Suwinski dropped a ball over the Clemente Wall after a nine-pitch battle, raising the Jolly Roger with his first walk-off homer. Three Pirates relievers tossed hitless ball after Roansy, with Chris Stratton picking up the win in front of 19,149 sun-drenched fans.

2024 - The Bucco homestand started with some big-time player shufflin'. C Henry Davis returned to the show while RHP Ben Heller, OF Jack Suwinski and IF Liover Peguero were all recalled from Indy. UT Ji Hwan Bae went on the 10-day IL (injury undisclosed), C Grant Koch was DFA'ed, LHP Jose Hernandez was optioned back to Indy and CF Michael A. Taylor was placed on the Paternity List. The day before, C Jason Delay (knee) left the IL and was optioned to Indy while LHP Marcos Gonzales (left forearm) was moved to the 60-day IL.

2024 - Current Padres and former Pirates IF Tucupita Marcano, 24, was permanently banned from MLB after violating the league's gambling policy. It was found that he bet on Pirates games while a member of Pittsburgh’s roster (hence the lifetime curb), albeit inactive on the IL, and other big league games. The team response was "We are...fully supportive of Major League Baseball's ruling...(as) protecting the integrity of our game is paramount."

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

6/3 Draft Picks: Barry Bonds, Tony Womack, John Grabow, Mike Gonzalez, Jermaine & JJ, Quinn Priester, Jared Triolo

1985 - Barry Bonds was drafted by the Pirates in the first round (6th pick overall) of the 1985 draft and signed shortly thereafter for a $125,000 bonus. He was the Bucco prize in the Cracker Jack box; the only Pirates picks to reach the MLB from that year were OF Tommy Gregg and pitchers Brett Gideon & Bill Sampen. And if you’re wondering, BJ Surhoff, Will “The Thrill” Clark, Bobby Witt, Barry Larkin and Kurt Brown were taken ahead of Bonds. Ex-Pirates coach Joey Cora was taken #23 overall in that same draft by the San Diego Padres.

Barry Bonds - 1986 Donruss Rookies

1991 - JC catcher Jon Farrell was the Pirates first selection (#24) in the draft; he got as far as AA ball. The only noteworthy selections of the day was seventh-round pick 2B Tony Womack, who spent 13 years in MLB, five as a Buc, for whom he hit .278 while stealing 122 bases. LHP Matt Ruebel, a third rounder, pitched a couple of years for the Pirates (1996-97: 4-5-1/5.54 in 70 games) and 19th rounder RHP Marc Pisciotta tossed in three MLB campaigns. Some late prep picks made the grade, although not with Pittsburgh. 39th-round pick RHP Dustin Hermanson worked 12 big-league campaigns, 56th-rounder RHP Paul Brower lasted nine seasons and 57th-round selection RHP Paul Wilson hurled for seven years, but none of the trio signed with the Pirates.

1993 - Pittsburgh didn’t write home about this draft. They selected HS OF’er Charles Peterson first (#22/$420K bonus), who never made it to the show, followed by second round OF Jermaine Allensworth (#34/$194K bonus), who played 2-1/2 years for the Bucs, hitting .272 as a reserve. RHP Kane Davis was the only other big league contributor beyond a cup of coffee; his top season was 2001 for Colorado, when he made 57 appearances and went 2-4/4.35.

1997 - The Pirates drafted HS OF/1B JJ Davis as their top pick (#8) and signed him to a $1.675M bonus (Davis was a three-sport star and had a football scholarship in hand from USC). He played 67 MLB games, with 106 at-bats and a .179 BA. In a bit of what goes around, comes around, Paul Meyers of the Post Gazette wrote that RHP Jason Grilli was on the Pirates “hot list” of potential picks, but he went off the board before they could get him as the #4 overall selection of the Giants. They found a couple of sturdy bullpen arms later on, selecting LHPs John Grabow in the third round and Mike “Gonzo” Gonzalez in the 30th.

Jared Triolo - 2023 image Sportsnet Pgh.

2019 - Pittsburgh drafted a couple of high school kids 1-2, RHP Quinn Priester (#18 - $3.4M) and OF Sammy Siani (#37 - $2.15M), and then picked a pair of college bats next to balance the checklist on the first night: OF Matt Gorski of Indiana (#57 - $1M) and 3B Jared Triolo of Houston (#82 - $870,700). The next selection was a return to the prep ranks with OF Matt Fraizer (#95 - $525,000), taken in the third round and who is currently in the Red Sox minors. Triolo has been on the Bucs MLB roster since 2023, and Gorski is in the LA Dodgers organization. Siani is in Seattle’s system while Priester was dealt to Boston and is now with Milwaukee.

6/3 Through the 1960s: Karger-Chappie, Erv/Adam-Burwell, Roberto Busy, Josh Launch, Piet Poundin', Waner Streak Startin', Game Days, HBD Nelson

1888 - It’s a big day in baseball literature for those who read beyond the stat sheet - “Casey at the Bat”. Debates over who “Casey” was inspired by and what town “Mudville” represented continue to this day.

1906 - In a deal that didn’t pan out very well, the Pirates sent rookie LHP Ed “Loose” Karger to the St Louis Cardinals for veteran RH hurler Chappie McFarland. Karger pitched well for some bad St. Louis teams and tossed in the show through 1911, going 48-67 with a 2.79 ERA while working for four teams. (Some say Loose’s nickname represented his carefree character; others say it described his fluid delivery) Chappie was waived in August by the Pirates after six outings and pitched once more in the majors as a Brooklyn Dodger in 1906.

1927 - Paul “Big Poison'' Waner homered off the Phils’ Claude Willoughby (Glenn Wright and George Grantham also went deep), in a 11-1 romp at Forbes Field. Waner’s long ball ignited the start of his NL record 14-game streak with an extra base hit (12 doubles, five triples, three homers) that continued through June 19th; he was held to a pair of singles on the 20th.

1928 - The Pirates sent RHP Erv Brame and OF Adam Comorosky to Indianapolis of the American Association for RHP Bill Burwell. Burwell ended up an afterthought as a hurler, getting into just four games, but proved his value later on to Pittsburgh as an organization/big league coach & skipper for six years (he developed Vern Law and managed in 1947). Comorosky returned to Pittsburgh in 1929 and hit .295 over a five-year period before closing out his career with two more campaigns at Cincinnati while Brame was done as a MLB hurler.

Tony Piet - 1992 Conlon Collection/TSN

1932 - Behind 5-2, the Pirates scored three times in the bottom of the eighth and then got an inside-the-park homer from Tony Piet in the 11th to defeat the Cubs 6-5 at Forbes Field. Piet had four knocks and four RBI to prime the attack, with Pie Traynor adding three hits. The Bucs had three triples during the game, two of which got away from Chicago player-manager Rogers Hornsby, who then benched himself. Steve Swetonic went the distance for the win despite giving up 14 hits. It was the first “Knothole Gang” game ever held at Forbes Field, as the team stuffed the right field stands with local youngsters bringing the attendance up to...3,000.

1937 - Homestead Gray C Josh Gibson hit perhaps his most storied homer, reported by The Sporting News to have traveled 580’, catching the back rim at Yankee Stadium in a game against the NY Black Yankees. If accurate, which is a point of considerable debate, it would be the longest home run ever hit. Mickey Mantle’s 565’ blast in 1953 off Washington’s Chuck Stobbs at Griffith Stadium is considered the biggest blast. Its landing spot was literally measured by a tape measure, adding “tape measure homer” to baseball’s lexicon.

1961 - Roberto Clemente had a busy day during a 5-1 win over the Phils at Forbes Field. He opened the scoring with a first-inning homer, threw out a runner in the fourth and then was ejected in the eighth for beefing about a close call at first, firing his helmet over the dugout as he left the field. Don Hoak also went long and Smoky Burgess had three hits to back Bobby Shantz and ElRoy Face, who combined on a five-hitter.

Roberto Clemente - 1961 Topps

1962 - During the nitecap of a double header, Bob Skinner hit a RF roof shot at Forbes Field, the second of his career, off Houston’s Ken Johnson during a 10-3 loss. The Bucs also lost the opener 10-6, giving the Colt .45s their first DH sweep in franchise history. The opening contest featured an oddity. Roberto Clemente tagged from third on a short fly to right; the throw home flew past Houston catcher Hal Smith but went straight to pitcher Bob Tiefenauer, who was backing up the play, The ball stuck in Tiefenauer’s webbing, so the quick-thinking hurler flipped the ball and mitt to Smith in time for him to tag out The Great One.

1964 - IF Nelson Liriano was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The veteran infielder saw a lot of part-time action for the Bucs in 1995-96, getting in 219 games and hitting .277 after being claimed off waivers from Colorado. His greatest career footnote may be from the 1989 season when with Toronto, he broke up two no-hitters in the ninth inning within a six-day span, spoiling bids by first Nolan Ryan and then Kirk McCaskill. Nelson became a minor league manager and coach when he left the game, mainly with the KC organization.

1969 - The Pirates were bopped 7-3 by the Cincinnati Reds at Forbes Field, but it was a red-letter day for Roberto Clemente. The Great One drilled a game-tying three-run homer in the sixth (the Bucs quickly lost the lead in the following inning) for Roberto’s 2,417th career hit, moving him into third place on the all-time Pirate hit list ahead of Max Carey and Pie Traynor. Clemente would later pass Paul “Big Poison” Waner (2,868) and then vaulted past Honus Wagner (2,970) to claim the franchise top spot with 3,000 hits in 1972.

6/3 From 1970: Nate To Braves, Hero Jose, Rally Cappers, Smiley 1-Hitter, Mo & Robby Bang, Game Days, Bednar ROTM, HBD Brandon

1979 - The Bucs hit five home runs, two by Bill Robinson with four RBI, (Omar Moreno, Dave Parker and Lee Lacy hit the others) as the Pirates whipped the Padres, 7-0, at TRS. But the big story was Bruce Kison, an emergency starter who got the nod shortly before the game when Don Robinson couldn’t go. In fact, the start time was delayed 10 minutes so he could warm up. He got loose pretty quickly; he carried a no-hitter into the eighth when with two outs, Barry Evans, a .197 hitter, bounced a ball inside the third base line. Phil Garner, who was playing off the bag, took a couple of steps over, went for the backhand grab and had it tick off his mitt into left for a soft two-bagger. It was ruled a hit. Kison didn’t agree; he walked off the mound after the inning and shook his fist in frustration at the scorer, Dan Donovan, who was perched in the press box. The controversial (to Buster, anyway) grounder was the only hit he surrendered.

1987 - Bucco second baseman Jim Morrison had a career-high three doubles, drove in two runs and tied his personal best of four hits (4-for-4) in Pittsburgh’s 4-1 win over the Braves in front of just 5,368 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Bob Kipper started and got the win.

1988 - The Pirates put up runs in the eighth and ninth frames to edge the Montreal Expos 2-1 at TRS. John Smiley tossed a one-hit complete game with eight K, but the lone knock was a two-out triple that RJ Reynolds couldn’t corral, followed by a balk. The Bucs knotted the score in the eighth inning on a Jose Lind solo shot. Mike Lavalliere doubled with an out in the ninth; John Cangelosi ran for him and scored on Mike Diaz’s pinch-hit, walkoff knock. In other news, the Bucs swapped shortstops - Rafe Belliard came off the DL and for the second time, Al Pedrique was sent down to AAA Buffalo to clear a spot, leaving second-year infielder Felix Fermin as the backup. They switched bullpen arms, too, bringing up LHP Dave Rucker and sending down RHP Scott Medvin.

Jeff King - 1992 Donruss

1992 - The Bucs took an early 6-2 lead thanks to a four-run third inning and held on to drop the Los Angeles Dodgers at TRS by a 6-5 score. Jeff King brought home three runs and Jerry Gleaton claimed his only Pirate victory, saved by Stan Belinda. With the win, the Pirates reclaimed first place in the National League East from the Cardinals and then held the top spot for the rest of the year, spending just eight days out of the lead.

1994 - LHP Brandon Waddell was born in Houston, Texas. A College World Series hero for Virginia, the Pirates drafted him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. The lefty toiled in the minors until 2020, looking like an ace at Altoona but not quite getting over the AAA hump. He persevered and got his call up in August of 2020 and worked his first MLB game on the 14th, picking up his first big league K. He played in Korea and China for three years and is now with the NY Mets.

1998 - Sometimes ya do play the whole city. 19-year-old rookie Aramis Ramirez was 0-for-24 when he stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs at TRS when a funny thing happened - the 17,691 rooters stood and gave the struggling rookie some love with an ovation. The vibe had its effect; A-Ram lined a two-run double off Greg McMichaels for his first hit to give the Bucs breathing room in a 3-0 win over the Mets. It wasn’t the only first; Jason Christiansen picked up his first MLB save, finishing off Jon Lieber’s win. The Pirates also announced that they signed their top pick (15th overall), LHP Clint Johnston, to a $1M contract.

2004 - The Pirates lost a 4-2 match to the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park, but not before manager Lloyd McClendon gave the fans their money’s worth. With two away in the top of the ninth inning, Mike Gonzalez buzzed former Bucco Tony Womack. Tony LaRussa barked at Gonzo from the bench, and Lloyd took exception to the chirping, charging out of the dugout after LaRussa. Two umps had to hold Lloyd back after LaRussa stepped out to meet him. Both skippers were suspended for two games and hit with undisclosed fines. The aftermath: After the smoke cleared, the cool and calm Craig Wilson gifted his manager with “The Anger Workbook” and “Getting the Best of Your Anger,” along with a Zen rock garden, per Jerry DiPaolo of the Tribune Review.

Nate McLouth - 2009 Topps Heritage

2009 - The Bucs traded OF Nate McLouth to Atlanta for OF Gorkys Hernandez, LHP Jeff Locke and RHP Charlie Morton, clearing an everyday spot for Andrew McCutchen, who was called up from the minors that day. Hernandez was later flipped (he’s made several moves and is now playing in the Latin Leagues) for Gaby Sanchez while Morton (who was sent to the Phillies in 2016 & now with the Braves) and Locke (he became a Marlin in 2017 and is now retired after a labrum injury) filled rotation spots. McLouth was a flop for the Braves and during a brief return to Pittsburgh but revived his career with Baltimore. He then signed with Washington, but a shoulder injury cost him the year and 2014 was his last season.

2011 - It took Pittsburgh 12 innings, but they eked out a 2-1 win over the Phillies at PNC Park. Jose Tabata drove in the first run on a sac fly and the second with a two-out walk off rap. With the bases empty in the 12th and two away, Xavier Paul singled, stole second, and came in on JT’s grounder through the right side. Danny Moskos got the win, his first MLB victory. He was one of five Pirate pitchers that scattered six hits to Philadelphia hitters.

2022 - Righty closer David Bednar, 27, was named the National League Reliever of the Month for May. In 12 outings, he posted a 2-1-7/1.65 line, holding opponents to a .170 BA and whiffing 21 batters with two walks in 16-1/3 IP. The Mars HS grad joined the Pirates in 2021 as part of the Joe Musgrove deal with the San Diego Padres. He was one of the underdog makes good tales of the MLB - Bednar was a 35th round draft pick in 2016 from Easton’s Lafayette College. A former Pirates product, RHP Clay Holmes, won the Junior Circuit award.

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

6/2 Draft Picks: Jeff King, Paul Maholm, Tom Gorzelanny, Ryan Doumit, Stan Belinda

1986 - The Pirates selected University of Arkansas's Jeff King, The Sporting News college player of the year, as the first overall pick in the June draft, giving him an $185K bonus. He spent eight of his 11 big league years as a Pirate, hitting .258 with 99 HR (Matt Williams and Bo Jackson were taken after him). The Bucs selected other MLB talent in OF Tom Goodwin (.268 over 14 years), SS Mike Mordecai (.244 over 12 years) and pitchers Stan Belinda (who spent his first four plus seasons as a Pirate) & Rick Reed, who started as a Pirate but blossomed as a Met and Twin in a draft that didn’t particularly stock the home club very well.

Jeff King - Panini 2013 First Overall Picks (1986)

1987 - HS outfielder Mark Merchant was the Bucs top pick and second overall in the draft, right after Ken Griffey Jr. (who was almost available to Pittsburgh; Seattle owner George Argyros was said to favor drafting a pitcher, but his evaluators talked him out of it). The Pirates signed Merchant for $165,000 three hours after drafting him, but he never played an inning in the majors after a 10-year minor league career. He was a highly touted player (he and Griffey were everyone’s 1-2 selections) but Merchant separated his shoulder during his second minor-league season and broke his ankle in the next campaign, losing both his gun and his speed. Pittsburgh’s seventh round pick, Kittanning SS Mickey Morandini, spent 11 years in MLB, mostly with Philadelphia where he was an All-Star in 1995, and OF Wes Chamberlain and SS Brian Williams also spent a few years in the majors. The Pirates actually had a worse record than the Mariners did in 1986, but the AL and NL alternated the top pick during that era and so the Pirates lost their chance to land the Donora-born Griffey, a future 13-time All-Star, MVP and Hall of Famer.

1994 - High school QB & SS Mark Farris was the Pirates first selection (#11; $820K signing bonus); he hurt his knee and left the Bucs after hitting .273 in AA to attend Texas A&M as a football player in 1999. It was a sparse draft for the Pirates; only LHP Jimmy Anderson and last round pick UT Brandon Larsen played in the majors. Farris was a pretty big big miss; another SS, 6-time All Star Nomar Garciaparra, went to the Boston Red Sox as the second pick.

1995 - 17-year-old SS Chad Hermansen of Nevada’s Green Valley HS was the Buc’s first selection in the draft, taken at the #10 spot. The Bucs wasted little time in signing him - he agreed to a $1.15M bonus with a $75K kitty to pay for college if the baseball thing didn’t work out. The Pirates started him out in Bradenton with the GCL rookie club, and after a couple of campaigns, he was converted to the outfield. But it didn’t help his bat - in six in-and-out MLB seasons, he hit just .195.

1998 - The Pirates picked LHP Clint Johnston of Vanderbilt first (#15; $1M signing bonus); he ended his career playing indie ball, never advancing past AA. Johnston was an OF’er/closer who the Bucs wanted to convert to full-time pitching, noting that he threw 90-94 and that “big strong left handers were hard to find” per scouting director Leland Maddux. But he ended up with elbow surgery and then suffered from ulnar nerve issues. Clint eventually went to Toronto and was converted back to the outfield, but never climbed the ladder and closed his career with three indie seasons. None of the Bucs’ first 14 picks ever played a MLB game. Later Pirates pitching picks Joe Beimel, Jeff Bennett, Dave Williams and Jon Switzer were the hometown highlights of that draft day.

Dewey - 2002 Topps Prospects

1999 - The Bucs selected RHP Bobby Bradley as their first pick (#8; $2.3M signing bonus) in the draft; he topped out with a cup of coffee in AAA after undergoing three surgeries. They had more success in the second round, choosing C Ryan Doumit (#59, $500K). They also chose LHP Brian Tallet in the middle rounds; he didn’t pitch for the Bucs but did end up with nine seasons in the show. Multi-sport all-star and catcher JR House was signed in the fifth round and got into 32 MLB games. Pittsburgh even went over the slot then; they signed 39th-round pick Patrick O'Brien, a big high school RHP, for $500‚000, but he never got past AA.

2003 - Lefties Paul Maholm (#8; $2.2M signing bonus) and Tom Gorzelanny (#45; $750K signing bonus) were the first two Pirate picks of the 2003 draft. Later selections Matt Downs, Jeremy Horst and Josh Sharpless also saw time as major league pitchers. Maholm became a rotation mainstay for several years while Gorzelanny was in and out as part of the regular staff.

6/2 Through the 1960s: Starg Twin Bombs, 150 For The Deacon, Long Five Pack, Turnin' Two, Start Of Six Shutouts, Game Days; HBD Darnell, Jeff, Gene, Tom & Rowdy Jack

1866 - C John “Peach Pie”/“Rowdy Jack” O’Connor was born in St. Louis. He served as a backstop for the Bucs from 1900-02, hitting .239 as a Bucco, but could plug in anywhere, spending considerable time in the OF and 1B during his 21-year career. He skipped to the AL’s NY Highlanders after the ‘02 season. He may be best known as the St. Louis Brown manager in 1910 who tried to steer the batting title to Nap Lajoie through a couple of different underhanded ploys, and was blackballed from MLB for his efforts. According to Charles Faber’s “Baseball Prodigies,” Jack became Peach Pie because as a teen, he played for a local semi-pro club called the Peach Pies. The “Rowdy” nickname was thanks to his aggressive, spikes-up style of play.

1869 - C/IF Tom Leahy was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Tom spent four part-time years in the show, starting with a dozen games for the Pirates in 1897, where he hit .269 splitting time between catching and third base. He caught at Holy Cross in his college days, but David Nemac, compiler of the book “Major League Ballplayers Profiles 1871-1900,” suggested that because of his average arm, he may have had more longevity if he came up as a second baseman, a better fit for his skill set. His last MLB game was in 1905 after he had gone through five teams, and he then caught on at Yale, serving as their athletic trainer for 32 years.

1890 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys committed 14 errors in a 14-1 loss to Chicago Colts at home. The Pittsburgh Press wrote of the match that “The people who witnessed the National League game at Recreation Park...left disgusted and many of them promising not to return...Indeed, there are several amateur clubs about the city that may be relied on to play better ball…” That Pittsburgh ball club finished 28-113, 66-1/2 games behind the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and 23 games behind the Cleveland Spiders, the team closest to them in the standings.

1903 - The Pirates tossed their first of an MLB record six straight shutouts as Deacon Phillippe blanked the NY Giants, 7-0. Per the Pittsburgh Press “Phillippe had speed, curves and control and he made eight of the Husky McGrawites fan the elusive atmosphere...” Hans Wagner had three hits; four other Buccos added a pair. The Buc staff threw 51 straight scoreless innings during the six-game streak, a record that still stands today. The win launched Pittsburgh on a 15-game winning streak; the Pirates won the National League with 91 victories.

Gene Michael - 1966 East Hills SC Promo

1938 - IF Gene Michael was born in Kent, Ohio. Signed by the Bucs as an amateur, ”Stick” (he was 6’2” and on the underfed side) played his 1966 rookie campaign in Pittsburgh, hitting .152 in 30 games. The Pirates sent him to the Dodgers as part of the Maury Wills deal after the season, then LA sold him to the Yankees, where he spent seven of his 10 MLB seasons, five as NY’s starting shortstop. After his playing days, he coached, managed and was an exec for the Bronx Bombers except for a two-year interlude (1986-87) when he was the Cubs skipper. He was still a member of NY’s front office when he passed away in 2017.

1943 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the ninth to send the Boston Braves to a 3-2 loss at Forbes Field. A walk, an Elbie Fletcher homer and Al Lopez triple set the stage for Frank Coleman’s flare single to become the game-winner. Wally Hebert pitched seven strong innings, giving up his two runs in the second when a pair of bunts were misplayed and a bases-loaded free pass resulted in two Brave runs. Xavier Rescigno picked up the win in relief.

1945 - The Pirates hung on to defeat the Phils 6-5 at Forbes Field; the main storyline was that the Bucs turned five DPs while Philly committed five errors. Pittsburgh scored four times in the first - only one run was earned - but quickly fell behind; they took the lead for good in the fourth, scoring twice with two outs thanks to a pair of Philadelphia boots. The bullpens took command and put up zeroes after that, with Max Butcher notching the win.

1948 - The Bucs pulled off the first triple play of the season when 1B Ed Stevens caught a shoe-top liner, stepped on first base for the second out and flipped the ball to second to trap a third Boston runner at Forbes Field. Alas, it was in vain as the Braves won handily 5-1 behind Johnny Sain’s three-hitter. Ralph Kiner’s homer was the only rain on Sain’s parade.

Dale Long - 1955 Topps

1955 - The Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 12-3 at Forbes Field. Dale Long went 3-for-5 and had five RBI with a home run, a two-run shot during a five-run third inning. Frank Thomas also went deep while the Buccos banged out a season-high 17 hits. Roberto Clemente chipped in three knocks while five other Bucs posted a pair of raps in support of Max Surkont, who went the distance to best future Pirate Harvey Haddix.

1961 - OF Jeff Schulz was born in Evansville, Indiana. The Pirates picked him up for the 1992 campaign after he had been released by the KC Royals. He spent most of the year at AA Buffalo with a brief midsummer call up by the Bucs; he went 0-for-3 with two whiffs as a pinch hitter. His last hurrah was in 1995 when he won the right field job at KC as a replacement player, but the strike ended before the season started and so did his MLB career. The then-33-year-old returned to his day job as a real estate agent. Trivia: In 1990, Schulz ended Cal Ripken Jr.'s 95-game errorless streak at shortstop for the O’s when Cal bobbled his grounder.

1962 - Roberto Clemente just missed becoming the first right handed batter to hit a ball on Forbes Field’s right field roof, bouncing a shot off the facing a foot shy of the top. The blast was off Houston’s Turk Farrell during a 9-2 Bucco laugher over the Colt .45s. Roberto had three RBI, Dick Stuart homered, driving home a pair, and Don Hoak scored twice after hitting two triples to support the Deacon, Vern Law. For Pittsburgh, it was their seventh straight victory and 10th win in 11 games, but after the contest, they entered a tailspin. losing 7-of-8.

1962 - OF Darnell Coles was born in San Bernardino, California. He arrived here in August, 1987, as part of the Jim Morrison deal with the Tigers and left in late July of the next season, traded to the Seattle Mariners for Glenn Wilson. Darnell played outfield and some corner infield for the Bucs and hit .230 during his stay, with a highlight three-homer day against the Cubs in 1987. He carved out a 14-year MLB career with eight different clubs. Coles played in Japan for a couple of seasons and since has been the hitting coach for the Nats, Tigers, Brewers and now is on Atlanta's staff.

Vern Law - 1966 Topps

1966 - Vern Law tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout over the Mets at Shea Stadium in a 5-0 victory. It was The Deacon’s 150th Pirates win (he would finish his career with 162, sixth-most in franchise history) and he became the last Buc hurler to reach that landmark. It was also the fourth straight shutout he spun v NY. The Deac helped himself; he had two hits, including a solo homer (it was his 11th and last long ball, the franchise record for pitchers. Law also hit 35 two-baggers, another club mark for hurlers), and scored twice. Donn Clendenon also went long for the Bucs.

1967 - Maury Wills paid his first visit to Dodger Stadium since being dealt to the Pirates and made himself at home, collecting two hits, scoring twice and driving in the go-ahead run in the Bucs 5-3 victory. Roberto Clemente also had a pair of knocks and two RBI to give Steve Blass, who worked an inning in relief of Tommie Sisk, the win. The heavy lifting was done by ElRoy Face, who worked the final three frames scorelessly while fanning four.

1968 - Willie Stargell homered in both ends of a doubleheader, collecting six hits and driving in six runs in the two contests. He pushed his batting average to .300 for the first time in his career and capped a four-game home run streak. The one-man show wasn’t quite enough, though, as the Pirates split the twinbill with the Atlanta Braves at Forbes Field, winning the opener 8-4 but losing the nightcap, 10-5. Matty Alou collected two hits in each game; Ronnie Kline won the opener while Bob Moose dropped the nightcap.

6/2 From 1970: Steph-Alika, Anti-Duel, 'Pen Pals, Rally Caps, Twister, Randy & Rick Roll, Game Days, Archie Out; RIP Buster, HBD Chance

1972 - IF Chance Sanford was born in Houston, Texas and was a 27th round pick of the Buccos in the 1992 draft from San Jacinto College. Chance got into 14 Pirates games in 1998 and went 4-for-28 (.143) as a 26-year-old rookie and was released after the year. He got into five games with the Dodgers the following season and then closed out his career playing indie ball. His Pirates legacy continues, though - his son Wyatt was drafted in the second round of the ‘24 draft by the Buccos.

1987 - Rick Reuschel fired a two-hitter against the Atlanta Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, ending a six-game Pirate losing streak. Andy Van Slyke homered and made a great catch in the ninth to help secure the 4-0 victory. Rafe Belliard scored twice. Big Daddy apparently had the Bravos number: the victory was Reuschel’s ninth straight win over Atlanta.

1989 - Some dates are special; for Jeff King, June 2 was that day. He was drafted #1 overall by the Pirates OTD in 1986 and today marked his MLB debut. He pinch hit in the 11th frame at Shea Stadium against the New York Mets in a 1-1 game and doubled up the line on an 0-2 pitch from Rick Aguilera for his first hit. He scored two batters later on Glenn Wilson’s single to give the Bucs the lead. The celebration was brief as Randy Kramer couldn’t hold the lead, giving up a two-run homer to Dave Magadan in the Mets’ half to lose 3-2 and take the sheen off Jeff’s first outing.

1991 - The Pirates scored twice in the ninth inning to win their ninth straight game 5-3 over the Phils at Veterans Stadium. Barry Bonds doubled home Andy Van Slyke, who had reached on an infield knock, with two away for the lead and Mitch Webster singled BB home with the insurance tally. Barry was the Bucs hitting hero; he had three raps, including a two-run homer to give Bob Patterson, the Pirates fourth pitcher in a match Doug Drabek had started, the victory. The streak ended two days later when the Giants took a 5-3 win from the Bucs at TRS.

1992 - Randy Tomlin won his sixth game by getting the LA Dodgers to beat the ball into the dirt for a 1-0 win at TRS. The lefty got 15 of his 21 outs via the grounder, and more importantly, coaxed three Blue DP balls to allow his six-hitter to stand. The Bucs weren’t exactly lighting it up against Tom Candiotti, but with two outs in the seventh, he walked three straight Pirates (one intentionally), finally losing Dave Clark on a 3-1 pitch, to force home the game’s only run. Roger Mason cleaned it up over the final two frames to save Tomlin’s win. For Randy, it was his second victory of a six-game winning streak. He claimed 14 triumphs during the campaign, the only time in his career he reached double-digit wins for a season.

Kevin Young - 1998 Circa Thunder

1998 - The Pirates beat the Mets 5-2 at TRS behind Chris Peter’s pitching and a bases-loaded triple by Kevin Young for their fourth straight victory, but the big story was that they earned the win in the midst of a tornado. The game was delayed nearly an hour by the gale, but Peters came back after the break in the third frame to work five innings. The Post Gazette noted that a couple of Pirates gathered up hailstones from the dugout before play resumed. The tornado touched down on nearby Mt. Washington, damaging 1,000+ structures and triggered the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s banner headline that screamed “Torn Asunder.”

2011 - Pittsburgh blew a 7-0 advantage to the Mets and lost 9-8 at Citi Field as Paul Maholm couldn’t hold the lead and left with the game tied. Jose Veras then self-destructed in the eighth, giving up a hit, four walks and a wild pitch. The Bucs wasted a homer and four RBI from Neil Walker and a four-hit day with a triple, two stolen bases and three runs scored from Xavier Nady.

2013 - The Cincinnati Reds raced to a 4-0 first inning lead against Jeanmar Gomez and the righty was yanked after the frame with forearm tightness. But the Pirate bullpen put up 10 scoreless frames, allowing just five hits, while Pedro Alvarez and Garrett Jones homered - Jones became the first Pirate to reach the Allegheny on the fly with his 463’ blast - to send the game into extra innings at PNC Park. The Pirates took it in the 11th on Travis Snider’s soft two-out liner that scored Russ Martin from second base for a walkoff 5-4 win.

2014 - The Pirates romped at Petco Park, winning 10-3 as the San Diego Padres ran through seven pitchers and 249 pitches during the longest nine-inning game in SD history at 4:04. Of the 53 men Pittsburgh sent to the plate, 26 reached base. They went 9-for-20 with RISP and still stranded 16 men, loading the bases seven different times. San Diego left 11 runners of their own on the pond, but went 1-for-10 with RISP. Jordy Mercer went 4-for-5 with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored, while Josh Harrison and Neil Walker each added three hits. Charlie Morton got the win, but the Pirates had to call on three relievers of their own to close out the contest. There were six bopped batters without a warning being issued and twelve walks combined during the game. It was only the second time during a National League game of the modern (post-1914) era that each team hit three batters in the same game. The other time it happened was on August 15, 2007, when the New York Mets played, natch, the Bucs.

2017 - You wouldn’t expect this kind of game from a Gerrit Cole - Matt Harvey match, but the Bucs and Mets exchanged big innings with the Pirates coming out on top at Citi Field, 12-7. The Pirates put up a three spot in the fourth to take the lead on Elias Diaz’s bases-loaded, three-run double. The New York nine answered in the fifth with five runs off Cole to take a 7-4 advantage. The Corsairs then responded with a seven-spot in the sixth off Harvey and reliever Paul Sewald, keyed by Diaz’s three-run homer, his first as a major leaguer, to jump ahead 11-7. Then the storm abated; the only other run to score was on Josh Harrison’s solo shot in the eighth. Josh Bell also went long in the victory, and even with the sketchy start, Cole got the win, making up for some early-season hard-luck losses. Diaz ended up with six RBI, the first six-pack by a Pirates rookie since Andrew McCutchen chased home a half-dozen teammates in 2009.

Buster - 1975 SSPC

2018 - Bruce Kison passed away of cancer at the age of 68. Kison was selected by Pittsburgh in the 14th round of the 1968 amateur draft and made his big league debut on July 4th, 1971. “Buster” was best known for winning Game 4 of the 1971 World Series, the first night game in World Series history, by tossing 6-1/3 scoreless innings of one-hit relief against Baltimore. Kison made more news when he hopped in a helicopter after the Game 7 win at Baltimore to zip home for his wedding, along with best man Bob Moose; a police escort took him from the airport to the church. He was a combative and competitive guy on the mound, once brawling with Mike Schmidt. Bruce spent nine of his 15 MLB years with the Bucs (1971-79; 81-63-6/3.49) and when he retired, he became a minor league pitching instructor for Pittsburgh in 1986, bullpen coach for Kansas City from 1992-93, the Royals pitching coach from 1994-98 and Baltimore's pitching coach in 1999. He then worked as a scout for Baltimore until a few months before his demise.

2020 - The year continued spinning on its crazy trajectory when the Bucs announced that 31-year-old RHP Chris Archer underwent surgery to relieve symptoms of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. He was done for the season (it was an abbreviated 60-game year) and with major surgery and an $11M team option in 2021, he was done as a Bucco after Neal Huntington had sent Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow and Shane Baz to Tampa for him in 2018. Archie got 33 Pittsburgh starts, winning six games while posting a 4.92 ERA. He returned to Tampa Bay for two injury ridden seasons, moved to the Twins where he was released and is now a member of the LA Dodgers baseball ops department.

2023 - The Pirates overcame a 5-0 sixth-inning deficit against the Cards at PNC Park to rally for a 7-5 win before 24,388 rooters. Roansy Contreras gave up the five spot and a pair of third inning bombs, but five relievers put a halt to any further damage. That allowed Ke'bryan Hayes to deliver a two-out, three-run blast in the seventh inning to put the Bucs ahead after Carlos Santana’s two-run double had closed the gap. Josh Palacios then smacked his first MLB homer to go back-to-back and add an insurance marker. Yohan Ramirez faced one batter in the seventh and was credited with the win; David Bednar earned the save.

2023 - The Pirates traded righty reliever Robert Stephenson (0-3/5.54 in 17 outings), sending him to the Tampa Bay Rays for Class AA-Montgomery SS Alika Williams. Stephenson, 30, an eight-year MLB vet, joined the Pirates in August, 2022 after being waived by Colorado and is now with the LA Angels. Williams, 24, was a competitive-balance pick (37th overall) of the Rays in 2020 as a golden glove but a project at the plate. He was assigned to AAA Indy and was called up to the big team in late July. Alika started as a reserve IF for Pittsburgh this year and is now with the Athletics.