8/20 Through the 1960s: Big Bob Gem, Extra Extras, Batfest, Dirty Dozen, Game Days, Ump ER, No To Union, Bobby-Cozy, HBD Al, Bull & Robert

1869 - RHP Robert Gibson was born in Duncansville, Pennsylvania, near Altoona. He tossed in the show in 1890, working a game for the Chicago Colts (a shutout) and then finishing up with three more starts with the Alleghenys, doing not so well with an 0-3/17.25 line, while also playing a little outfield. He did better at forging a career after he hung up the spikes, though - the Washington & Jefferson grad worked for Allegheny County/US Magistrate as an attorney, then was appointed as a Federal judge for the Western District in 1922, and became the chief judge, a position he filled (the last year was as an appointed senior judge) until his 1949 death. He’s buried in Homewood Cemetery.

1880 - OF Lewis “Bull” Smith was born in Plum, West Virginia. He was raised in an orphanage but overcame that humble beginning to become a West Liberty and later WVU multi-sports star & grad, leaving school with a law degree. Bull played sparingly in the MLB, with his 13-game 1904 season as a member of the Pirates his longest stay, hitting .143 (he got one-game cups of coffee with the Cubs in ‘06 and the Senators in ‘11). Baseball wasn’t his only strong suit, though - he was also a halfback for the Canton Bulldogs in 1905-06, playing in the NFL’s forerunner, the Ohio League. He managed and played locally at Clarksville & Charleston after his big league days. He later became a lumberman and school teacher. Bull passed away in 1928 in Charleston.

1883 - According to Charlton’s Baseball Chronology, after the Eclipse-Pittsburgh game at Exposition Park (won by Louisville, 8-2), Allegheny OFs Billy Taylor and Mike Mansell‚ along with 2B George Creamer, were each fined $100 and suspended indefinitely for drunkenness.

1903 - The Pirates set a record for futility in the first inning of a twin bill at the Polo Grounds, committing six errors (they would boot eight balls during the game) and allowing seven runs to the NY Giants in a 13-7 loss. But they came back in the nitecap behind Deacon Phillippe, who tossed a five-hit, 4-1 winner against NY, backed by Fred Clarke’s home run and a mere two errors. The split kept the Pirates five games ahead of the G-Men in the NL pennant race.

1908 - Hall of Fame catcher Al Lopez was born in Tampa. He caught seven years (1940-46) for the Pirates, hitting .254 with a rep as one of the finest defensive catchers in baseball and earning a 1941 All-Star berth. After his playing days, Lopez found success as a manager of the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox (2,414 wins), and was elected into the Hall in 1977.

Al Lopez - 1977 TCMA

1912 - Umpires William Brennan (twisted knee) and Clarence “Brick” Owens (foul to the chest) were both out of action by the second inning and transported to St. John’s Hospital, leaving no one to call the game, but the twin bill at Forbes Field nevertheless went on. Pirates manager Fred Clarke selected 1B Ham Hyatt to decide the bases while Brooklyn skipper Bill Dahlen chose C Eddie Phelps to make the calls at the plate. The Pirates took the opener 3-2, but the Dodgers came back to run away with the nightcap 9-1 as Hyatt and Phelps passed their test of fire and also arbitrated the second match. Both of the original men in blue were pretty banged up - Brennan ended up with torn ligaments in his knee and Owens tore ligaments in his rib cage.

1913 - The Pirates traded P Howie Camnitz and 3B Bobby Byrne to the Philadelphia Phillies for third baseman Albert “Cozy” Dolan and cash. Camnitz and Byrne were at the end of their effective careers (Bryne had a strong 1914 before fading), and Dolan was traded at the end of the year, so even though a couple of big names were involved, it ended up a minor deal. Cozy was banned from baseball in 1924 as a coach after being involved with a bribe offer during a heated pennant race. He didn’t get his nickname by being cozy with the bookies, though, but rather from a namesake baseball predecessor, Patrick “Cozy” Dolan. Fortunately for league scorekeepers, there was a five-year break between Patrick’s last game and Albert’s MLB debut.

1939 - Pittsburgh dropped its 12th straight game by a 9-5 score to the Cubs in the first game of a doubleheader at Forbes Field. Bob Klinger took the loss. The streak was the longest in Bucco history (although the Alleghenys had a couple of longer runs and it’s been topped several times since) and the longest in the majors for the year. But they finally got back on the right side of the ledger by taking the second game 5-0, which was called after six innings following a 40-minute rain delay. Max Butcher claimed the win, backed by Elbie Fletcher’s two-run homer and two-hit afternoons by Johnny Rizzo and Fern Bell.

1945 - The Pirates hit two homers (Babe Dahlgren, Pete Coscarart), two triples (Lee Handley, Jim Russell) and two doubles (Tommy O’Brien, Johnny Barrett) to romp over the Brooklyn Dodgers 11-1 at Ebbets Field. The Bucs scored three times in the first inning and five more times in the ninth while Preacher Roe scattered eight hits. O’Brien and Frankie Gustine led the lumber parade with three hits each. Da Bums had two noteworthy sidebars: they committed seven errors during the game (although just two runs were unearned), and 17-year-old Dodger SS Tommy Brown became the youngest player to hit a MLB home run.

Tommy O'Brien - 1943 photo via Out Of The Ball Park 

1946 - The Pirates voted against recognizing the American Baseball Guild as their bargaining agent by a 15-3 count with 10 abstentions in a pregame Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board election. They then whipped the Brooklyn Dodgers, 10-0, at Forbes Field behind Nick Strincevich’s four-hitter. Elbie Fletcher banged a three-run homer and Jim Russell had three hits that chased four Buccos home to give Strincevich plenty of breathing room.

1947 - It wasn’t a very good day for pitchers as Pittsburgh bludgeoned its way to a 16-10 win over Boston at Braves Stadium. 19 players banged out 34 hits - and oddly enough, not one of them cleared a fence. The leader of the pack was the Pirates’ Jim Russell, who went 5-for-6 with a double and triple, five RBI and three runs scored. Jimmy Bloodworth wasn’t far behind, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. The offensive onslaught wasn’t all on the hurlers; the two teams combined to commit six errors, allowing 10 unearned runs to score.

1953 - The Pirates used four Philadelphia Phillies errors to beat Robin Roberts 5-2 at Connie Mack Stadium, ending his 15-game winning streak against them. It took a little help: four of the Bucco runs were unearned gifts. The winner was 19-year-old Jim Waugh, who tossed a six-hitter. 

1961 - The Cubs and Pirates tied an NL record by playing their third straight extra-inning game at Wrigley Field. Chicago took this one 1-0 when Billy Williams singled home the winning run with two outs in the 11th, making Bob Friend a loser to Don Cardwell; both pitchers went the distance. The clubs had split the first pair; all three games went 11 innings.

1969 - Bob Veale tossed a four-hitter with one walk and 10 Ks to defeat the Houston Astros and Denny Lemaster 1-0 at Forbes Field. The big lefty allowed just one runner beyond first during the contest. The match’s only run scored in the eighth, when back-to-back Astro errors and a successful bunt set the table for Roberto Clemente’s game-winning sac fly. It also capped a four contests long complete games streak (he went the distance nine times in 34 starts) and was part of an eight-game winning streak for Veale.

8/20 From 1970: Bell Sounds, Reggie's Inning, KY Day, Gems, 70+ Swipes, Danny's #1000, Game Days, John-Willie, HBD Noah & Matt

1975 - Manager Danny Murtaugh’s 1,000th win (he finished with 1,115 dubs, all with the Buccos) went in the books after a 3-1 victory over the Giants at TRS. He became the second Pittsburgh skipper to reach that milestone, after Fred Clarke and his 1,422 dubs. The Pirates scored their runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Craig Reynold’s double and a two-run knock by Rennie Stennett. Winner Jim Rooker pitched eight innings of three-hit ball with Dave Giusti closing.

1978 - The Pirates defeated the Astros in a TRS twin bill by 7-6 and 3-1 scores. The two wins gave the Bucs a six game sweep of the ‘Stros, followed by a three-game brooming of the Braves that would take them from 9-1/2 games back in the division race to 3-1/2. The opener was sloppy; the Pirates committed three errors, opening the gates for three unearned runs, but homers by Willie Stargell and Dale Berra (his first MLB long ball) along with 14 hits (Frank Taveras had four raps and Stargell three) carried the day. Jim Rooker got the win with a Kent Tekulve save. Jerry Reuss went the distance in the second game, backed by a pair of Ed Ott homers. It was Reuss’ first win of the year in his ninth start; he had been largely ineffective and given a bullpen role for much of the summer. It was also the first time a team had swept a six game series (or even played one, per the Pittsburgh Press) in the modern era. The Bucs sizzled during the dog days, going 39-21 over the last two months of the season, but got it together too late. They fell 1-1/2 games short of the Phils in ‘78 and would have to wait for next year.

1980 - Omar Moreno stole his 70th base of the year in a 5-1 loss at the Astrodome, becoming the first player in the 20th century with three consecutive 70-steal seasons. The Antelope swiped 71 in 1978, 77 in 1979 and finished 1980 with a career-high 96 successful larcenies. He swiped 412 sacks in an eight-year Bucco stay, behind only Max Carey (688) and Hans Wagner (639) in the franchise record book, with 487 bases stolen during his career.

1981 - Pittsburgh traded John Milner to the Expos for Willie Montanez in a flip of reserve first basemen. Neither did much for their new teams, and Montanez was released after the 1982 season, ironically so that the Pirates could bring free agent Milner back for his final MLB campaign.

Jose DeLeon - 1984 Topps

1983 - Jose DeLeon took a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the third time during the season, but Cincinnati's Dan Driessen doubled with two outs to spoil the no-no. DeLeon finished with 13 strikeouts and a 4-0 two-hit victory at TRS. Jason Thompson and Tony Pena had two hits, a run and an RBI each. DeLeon went 7-3/2.83 in his rookie season, and although he never became an ace, he lasted 13 years in the show while pitching for five different clubs.

1985 - 1B Matt “The Hit Collector” Hague was born in Bellevue, Washington. The Pirates selected Hague in the ninth round of the 2008 draft out of Oklahoma State as a third baseman; he was switched to first because of Pedro Alvarez. He got his nickname because in the minors it was said all he did was hit, but in two Pittsburgh stays (2012 & 2014), he stroked just .222 and was waived to Toronto, where he played in 2015. He spent a year in Japan, then signed with the Twins organization. Matt’s now the Pirates hitting coach.

1988 - John Smiley and Jim Gott held the Astros to seven hits as the Bucs defeated Houston and Nolan Ryan by a 2-1 count at Three Rivers Stadium with the contest aired as the NBC Game of the Week. The Pirates used a two-out rally in the sixth to put up their runs. Smiley walked on five pitches and Barry Bonds singled after falling behind 1-2. In a key play, the ‘Stros Gerald Young took a shot at Smiley going to third and missed by a hair, allowing Bonds to reach second. Jose Lind’s liner to center plated them both. The win pulled the Buccos to within 3-1/2 games of the lead, but they dropped 9-of-13 matches after the victory, eventually finishing second but 15 games off the pace.

1990 - Neal Heaton went six shutout innings, giving up just three hits, as the Pirates rolled over the Astros,7-1 at Three Rivers Stadium. Neal’s reward: his 11th victory and a flip from the rotation to the bullpen, though not due to performance. Jim Leyland was trying to cut back on his innings as Heaton was pitching through a sore arm, and the move also added a third lefty to the relief corps. The hitting hero was Gary Redus with a homer and three RBI, the first tallies he had sent home in two weeks, plus a pair of runs scored. Bobby Bonilla and John Cangelosi added a pair of knocks, with Bo plating a pair of Pirates and Cangy crossing the dish twice. It was Pittsburgh’s sixth straight win as they were on a mid-August tear of taking 10-of-12 games.

Kevin Young - 1995 Donruss

1995 - It was Kevin Young 3, Florida 2, at TRS as KY banged out three hits, including a homer, and drove in all three runs. His big night came about to some Bucco groupthink involving Young, Jim Leyland, batting coach Milt May and Bob Walk, who tossed BP for Young, after Young went through a four-strikeout game earlier in the week. They had him get closer to the plate and to set the bat on his shoulder rather than in the air. Viola - he went 7-for-13 with three homers after the chat. Spoiler alert - it was a temporary patch; he hit .232 over the year and didn’t break out until 1997. But it worked well enough to carry Steve Parris, with bullpen help, to victory.

1998 - RHP Noah Murdock was born in Richmond, Virginia. Murdock was a 2019 seventh round draft pick out of Virginia by Kansas City. He broke out in 2024 and became a Rule 5 Pick of the A’s. Noah debuted in 2025 but got beat up (1-1/13.24) and ultimately returned to the Royals, then released at the end of the year. The Bucs signed him to a minor league deal and he posted a 2-2-1/2.89 line over three levels. Murdock was called up from Indy twice as the extra pitcher for doubleheaders without appearing and in late July was brought up for a longer look. He tossed a couple of scoreless outings before being returned to Indy.

2002 - Pirate pitching held the Cardinals hitless after a one-out single in the first at Busch Stadium in an 8-0 win. Kris Benson started and went seven frames, with an inning each from Brian Boehringer and Al Reyes. Jason Kendall had three RBI, and five Bucs chipped in with a handful of solo shots - Brian Giles, Aramis Ramirez, Rob Mackowiak, Craig Wilson and Adam Hyzdu.

2003 - Reggie Sanders joined Jeff King (who did it twice) and Jake Stenzel (1894) as the only Bucs to homer twice in one inning when he belted big flies off Jason Pearson and Esteban Yan of the Cards during a 10-run fifth inning at Busch Stadium, with his second dinger being a grand slam. His first tater was the team’s third in a row, behind Jason Kendall and Brian Gile blasts, and the four bombs in one inning was a Pirates record. It was a home run derby for the Pirates, who hit seven big boppers to tie the franchise’s single-game high water mark. Also going long were Rob Mackowiak with a pair of four-baggers and pitcher Jeff D’Amico, who dropped one in the seats while tossing a complete game three-hitter as the Bucs fired on all cylinders in a 14-0 romp.

Reggie Sanders - 2003 Spectrum SPx

2014 - Down 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth and in the throes of a seven-game losing streak, the Bucs rallied to overtake the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park by a 3-2 score. A leadoff walk to Gaby Sanchez in the eighth was followed by a ground rule double off Travis Snider’s bat. A grounder and wild pitch brought them home to tie the game. Jordy Mercer opened the ninth with a single and went to third an out later when Starling Marte’s fly dropped in. Sanchez again was the man of the hour, lofting one just deep enough to plate Mercer. Tony Watson got the win and Mark Melancon the save. The Pirates went on to finish the year on a 24-12 run to earn a wild card, falling two games short of catching the Cards for the Central title. The SF Giants, who went on to win the WS, made it a short postseason when they beat the Bucs 8-0 behind Madison Bumgarner in the win-or-go-home game.

2017 - The Pirates, at the behest of MLB, flipped their game from PNC Park to Bowman Field, a minor-league park in Williamsport, to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the “Little League Classic” during the Little League World Series tournament. 2,596 tweener ball players and their parents watched as the Buccos won a 6-3 decision from the Redbirds. Ivan Nova had a rocky outing but kept the run count down for the win, supported by some nice work from the bullpen. The first four Pirates hitters (Starling Marte, Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen & Josh Bell) went 8-for-15, scored all six runs and drove in five. It marked the sixth straight multi-hit game for Marte while J-Bell's four RBIs (two-run homer, two-run single) tied his career single-game high. It was the Pirates' first neutral site home game since 1890, when they played the NY Giants in Wheeling, West Virginia.

2024 - The Bucs were badly in need of a stopper; they had just broken out of a 10-game losing streak and were still carrying a nine-game road stretch without a win. Mitch Keller stepped up; he went seven shutout innings against the Rangers at Globe Life Field, giving up three hits, nary a walk and whiffing nine to earn his 11th win, 4-0. Kells hadn’t pocketed a victory since July 8, but was on top of his game, not allowing a Texas runner to reach second. The offense was keyed by a fourth-inning, two-out rally when Bryan De La Cruz singled in a pair of runs and Oneil Cruz brought him home with a triple. Jared Triolo drove in an insurance marker in the eighth frame.

8/19 Through the 1950s: Stu & Ralph Flex, Dream Weaver, Game Days, Byrne Trade, Red Joins, HBD Terry & Ike

1891 - SS Ike McAuley was born in Wichita. In his three years in Pittsburgh (1914-16) he had just 50 PA and hit .149, yo-yo’ing between the show and the farm. He did have a moment in the sun, though - when he made his debut, the Bucs started him at SS and played Hans Wagner at 3B. He also had stints with the Cubs and Cards. Ike spent 15 years playing pro ball, retiring after the 1927 campaign at age 35 and then scouting for the Detroit Tigers.

1901 - The Pirates chased the Cards’ 21-game winner Jack Harper in a 9-5 win at Robison Field. The Bucs used a five-run third inning to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, using four hits and a pair of Redbird errors to pile up the points. Ed Doheny got the win with help from Deacon Phillippe. Lefty Davis left the Pittsburgh attack with four hits; Hans Wagner and Kitty Bransfield added three more knocks each. The Bucco sticks were en fuego - they banged out 17 hits as “the batting fever was still hot upon them” per the Pittsburgh Press.

1902 - In a see-saw game at Exposition Park, the NY Giants went ahead of Pittsburgh 4-3 with a ninth-inning run off Jack Chesbro on a single that went off Honus Wagner’s glove. But in the Bucco half, the Dutchman atoned when he spanked a two-out, two-strike single through the left side to score Deacon Phillippe and Ginger Beaumont to give the Bucs a 5-4 win.

Hans - 1902 photo/Carl Horner

1909 - The Pirates traded 3B Jap Barbeau, 2B Alan Storke, and cash to the Cardinals for 3B Bobby Byrne. Storke died young (he was 25-years-old) in the next year from the flu, while Barbeau lasted two more seasons. Byrne held down the hot corner for the next five seasons, hitting .277 in 590 games. He had the best hitting line of his 11-year MLB career as a Buc, playing through the 1913 season and hitting .277 while helping the Pirates to the 1909 World Series title. 

1910 - The Pirates signed RHP Urban Clarence “Red” Faber from Dubuque the day after he tossed a perfect game against Davenport. After finishing the campaign with the Dubs, he broke camp with the club in 1911, but the sidearm fastballer was sold to the minor league Minneapolis Millers in late May without appearing in a game. He had a mediocre farm season due to a sore arm, but with a big silver lining: he learned to toss the wet one to compensate. That combined with his fastball made for a deadly combo, and at Des Moines he won 41 games and led the Western League in strikeouts in 1912-13. The White Sox inked him and he threw for 20 years, winning 254 games for Chicago, the only MLB team he ever pitched for, and entered the Hall of Fame in 1964.

1936 - The Pirates had squandered a 4-1 lead after six innings - they stranded 15 runners during the afternoon to prevent a runaway - and went into the ninth frame at Forbes Field tied with the Cubs, 4-4. Bill Brubaker started the Bucs off with his third hit of the afternoon and was bunted up. Lloyd Waner was called off of the bench to pinch hit, and with first base open, was intentionally walked. Pitcher Bill Swift, who came on in relief of Jim Weaver, stepped up and stroked the first pitch into center to walkoff his own win. Chicago came into town 2-1/2 games off the lead after entering August in first place; the Pirates took 3-of-4 to knock the Cubs 4-1/2 games off the pace. Chi-town never recovered from the widened gap, finishing five games behind the New York Giants.

Frankie Frisch - 1940 Play Ball

1941 - Manager Frankie Frisch was ejected by ump Jocko Conlan and fined $50 during the second game of a twin bill when he appeared on the field with an umbrella to protest the damp playing conditions at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field and becoming the inspiration for a later Norman Rockwell painting. Da Bums won the day, winning 9-0 and 6-2 as they hung out the Pirates to dry.

1950 - The Pirates outpointed the Cubs 13-9 at Wrigley Field for their sixth win in seven games, led by Ralph Kiner’s pair of bombs and three RBI. Johnny Hopp added a homer and a pair of doubles, driving in a pair and scoring twice. Pittsburgh plated six times in the final two frames to rally for the comeback, earning Murry Dickson the win with Bill Werle finishing up.

1955 - OF Terry Harper was born in Douglasville, Georgia. The Bucs traded for the then 32-year-old Harper from the Tigers in June of 1987, and it was the last hurrah for the eight-year vet. He hit .288 here and then played out his final campaign in Japan and later coached some in the Braves organization. Terry’s now a private hitting instructor, coaches various youth teams and operates a nonprofit, International Sports Connection. His hometown even named a field after him.

1958 - The Pirates held off the Chicago Cubs 4-3 at Wrigley Field on the strength of  two-run blasts by Bill Mazeroski in the second frame and Dick Stuart in the sixth (Stu’s went 450’ and touched down on Waveland Avenue), both off starter Taylor Phillips. Curt Raydon worked six innings for the win with Bob Porterfield tossing three shutout frames to save the decision. A key factor in the victory was Roberto Clemente’s play in the field; he made a pair of highlight grabs and threw out a runner at third. The win was the Pirates’ twentieth out of twenty-eight games and kept them in second place, 6-1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Braves.

8/19 From 1970: Cutch Can Do, Kevins #400, 17 K, Long Time Comin', Candy-O, Rook Rocks, Game Days, Mad Dog POTW, Nick-Milt, Rambo-Redus, HBD Swags & Britt

1973 - Jim Rooker was a one-man wrecking crew, spinning a five hitter and going 3-for-3 at the dish (he hit .245 during the campaign, not too shabby for a hurler) as the Pirates beat San Francisco and Juan Marichal 5-0 at Three Rivers Stadium. Richie Hebner also smacked three hits. He and Al Oliver went back-to-back with long balls in the first frame to grab a quick lead for Rook, and Manny Sanguillen iced the cake with a two-run double in the sixth inning.

1973 - RHP Britt Reames was born in Seneca, South Carolina. Britt spent parts of six years in the show with his final campaign as a Bucco in 2006, getting into five games and putting up a 9.82 ERA. He became the pitching coach for Furman and moved on to his alma mater, The Citadel, where he’s a member of the Bulldogs Hall of Fame. Reames is now head coach of Oceanside (SC) Collegiate Academy.

1976 - Two red-hot Pirates led the Buccos to a 1-0 win over the Giants at Candlestick Park. John Candelaria went the distance for the win, giving up nine hits but rarely in hot water while picking up his eighth straight victory. Candy scored the game’s only run when Richie Zisk plated him in the fifth to post his eighth RBI in the past four games. Candelaria, 22, in his second season, went 10-2/2.94 from June first through August and finished the year with a 16-7/3.15 slate. Zisk, in his final Bucco year, ended the campaign with a .289/21/89 line.

1979 - The Pirates blanked the Dodgers at TRS, 2-0. Bill Madlock claimed it for the Bucs with a two-run, two-out walkoff bomb in the ninth as John Candelaria (eight IP) & game winner Kent Tekulve teamed up on a four-hit shutout. Bert Hooton went the distance for LA to take the tough loss.

1983 - The Pirates traded Steve Nicosia to the Giants for Milt May and cash in a swap of backup catchers. May retired after the 1984 season and Nicosia, who was unhappy as Tony Pena’s caddy, played a bench role for three teams before giving up the tools of ignorance after the 1985 campaign.  It was a close-the-circle deal for May, who started his career in Pittsburgh in 1970 and stayed through ‘73.

Gary Redus - 1989 Topps

1988 - The Pirates swapped 1B/OF Mike Diaz, sending him to the Chicago White Sox for OF Gary Redus. Rambo ended the year with the Windy City before heading to Japan to finish his career. Redus played first and some outfield for the Bucs through 1992, hitting .255 with 24 homers, 96 RBI, 157 runs scored and 69 stolen bases, although hampered by injuries following the 1988 campaign. He spent his last two seasons with Texas before he retired.

1985 - Bill Madlock was named the NL Player of the Week after going 9-for-22 (.409) and banging out four homers; he was the first Bucco to win the award this season. Unfortunately for the team, he was pretty much a one-man show on the field as the club went 2-5 over the week.

1997 - OF Travis Swaggerty was born in Covington, Louisiana. A 2018 first rounder (#10) of the Bucs taken from the U of South Alabama, he got his first (and so far only) taste of the majors in 2022, going 1-for-9 in five games before being returned to Indy. Swags was a speedster who could steal a base and played excellent outfielder, but carried a .250 BA in five injury and illness plagued minor league campaigns. The Pirates cut him loose in midseason of 2023, and he’s now playing ball in Mexico.

1999 - Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 1-0 at Cinergy Field, as Pete Harnisch and Scott Williamson combined for a one-hitter while whiffing 13 Bucs with Harnisch surrendering just a seventh inning single to Mike Benjamin. Kris Benson pitched a dandy of his own, scattering seven hits and punching out eight. He had a shutout going until one out in the eighth, when Sean Casey, in the midst of his breakout year, homered for the game’s only run.  

2012 - The Bucs outlasted the Cards at Busch Stadium to take home a 19-inning 6-3 victory. The teams ran through 16 pitchers before it was decided on a Pedro Alvarez homer; El Toro became the first player in Pirates history to hit a home run in the 19th inning or later. Wandy Rodriguez, usually a starter, was called on to work the last two frames and notched the win after both teams swapped runs in the 17th to keep the game rolling.  It was the first Pittsburgh road win of 19 innings or more since beating San Diego in 1979, and the first time the Pirates put up three+ runs in the 19th or beyond since 1912 against the Boston Braves.

Wandy Rodriguez - 2012 Topps

2013 - Francisco Liriano, Justin Wilson and Mark Melancon teamed up to strike out 17 Padre batters in Pittsburgh's 3-1 win at Petco Park. The whiff-fest tied a club record for a nine-inning game (originally set in 2012 and matched in 2023), with Frankie doing the heavy lifting, posting 13 of the strikeouts in seven frames, while Wilson and Melancon each fanned a pair in their inning of work. The Pirates pitchers gave up six hits total, with Liriano getting his 14th victory and The Shark earning the save. Pedro Alvarez banged his 31st homer and scored twice in the 3-1 win over San Diego.

2018 - The Pirates salvaged a hard-earned four-game split against the Cubs with an 11-inning 2-1 victory at PNC Park. Jameson Taillon (he struck out eight in six innings) and Jose Quintana left it up to the bullpens to decide a 1-1 draw. Both sides ducked some bullets and blundered on the basepaths. The Bucs were especially egregious, having two runners thrown out at home and going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. After Richard Rodriguez left the bases full in the 11th, Brandon Kintzler got two easy outs before falling behind Adam Frazier 3-0; he grooved a fastball and Fraze wasn’t taking but hunting. He blasted the ball 413’, completely out of the park and onto the Riverwalk, for his second career walkoff homer. The Pirates had lost the first two games 1-0, then took the last pair by 3-1 & 2-1 tallies. Chicago set a quirky MLB record; all four of their runs came on solo homers, neatly meted out at one per game.

2022 - Kevin Newman played his 400th game as a Buc the day before, but he partied on by going 2-for-4, scoring twice (including both the first and the winning runs) and driving home a pair (the second being the game-tying tally) to lead the Corsairs to a 5-4 walkoff victory over the Reds at PNC Park. Cincy jumped ahead 3-0, with Pittsburgh knotting the score in the seventh. The Bucs gave up an unearned run in the eighth, setting up the ninth inning heroics. Bligh Madris singled, was bunted up and Newman doubled him in. An intentional walk and bopped batter juiced the sacks before a single to left by Michael Chavis ended it; his hit gave the Pirates the lead for the first time in the game. Ben Gamel added three hits to help Wil Crowe to the victory, following starter Bryse Wilson and Duane Underwood Jr. on the bump.  

2023 - After the Pirates went 1-for-14 w/RISP to lose the series opener against the Minnesota Twins, Andrew McCutchen made sure there wasn’t a repeat. His two-out, two-strike, two-run single in the sixth inning plated a pair to tie the game and his three-run, 438’ blast into the second deck of Target Field (his first long ball since June 30th) in the final frame iced the 7-4 victory. The Pirates had been no-hit for five innings by Sonny Gray, but Mitch Keller hung with him, fanning 12 Twinkies and holding the Twin Cities to two runs through six frames. It was Kell’s 10th win; he only had 12 career dubs over four years coming into the campaign. Inspired by the clutch Cutch performance, the Bucs reversed direction and batted 5-for-11 w/RISP.

8/18 Through the 1960s: Out Of Order, Game Days, Ray & Buck NNL-ASG Dr Hardy Deal, Branch Goes, HBD Arriba, Spanky, Carl, Roger, Bernie, Burleigh & Spooks

1891 - IF Wally “Spooks” Gerber was born in Columbus, Ohio. Gerber started his 15-year career with Pittsburgh in 1914-15 as a utilityman (he was another in a long line of Hans Wagner replacements at short), batting .207. Following his playing career, Gerber was an umpire in the Mid Atlantic League and also worked as a super for the Columbus Recreation Department. Wally got his nickname because of his gaunt, ghostly build.

1893 - RHP Burleigh Grimes was born in Emerald, Wisconsin. The Hall of Famer spent five years with the Bucs (1916-17, 1928-29, 1934), beginning and ending his career in Pittsburgh with a couple years in the middle. His line was a modest 48-42/3.26 as a Pirate, but in a 19-year career with seven different clubs, Old Stubblebeard (he didn’t shave on game days, claiming the emery he used on ball irritated his face) won 269 decisions and was the last of 17 pitchers grandfathered in by a 1920 ban who was allowed to legally throw a spitball.

1893 - RHP Bernie Duffy was born in Vinson, Oklahoma. He joined the Pirates briefly in 1913 as a highly touted arm, but in three outings (two starts), the 19-year-old lasted just 11-1/3 IP and gave up 18 hits while putting up a 5.56 ERA. He spent the next several years going from farm club to farm club, and after the 1917 season did what any self-respecting Oklahoman would do: he hung up the spikes and earned his daily bread as a wildcatter in the oil fields. 

1914 - Babe Adams bested NY Giants Rube Marquard to take a 3-1 decision at Forbes Field. Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that “Adams was more than their (the Giants) master and forced them to bow to defeat.” The Babe helped his own cause by banging an inside the park homer, set up when frustrated center fielder Bob Bescher didn’t chase the ball after it got past him and allowed it to roll almost to the wall as Adams circled the bases. 

Babe Adams - Helmar Score 5 Disc

1927 - LHP Roger Bowman was born in Amsterdam, New York. He closed out his five-year MLB career with two stops in Pittsburgh in 1953 and 1955, slashing 0-7/5.66. Bowman did have a long career in the minors, working from 1946-61 and once tossing a seven-inning perfecto, and also twirled in the Cuban and Venezuelan Leagues. He was a well-rounded fellow, playing sax for area big bands in the Adirondacks, turning an art degree into an upholstery business after his ball-playing days and earning a pilot's license.

1930 - Carl Barger was born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. A corporate lawyer with Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott, he helped form and lead the Pittsburgh Associates to keep the Pirates in Pittsburgh after they were put up for sale by John Galbreath's family in 1985. He was president of the Pirates from 1987 to 1991 when he resigned to help his friend, Wayne Huinzenga, put together the Florida Marlins franchise. He died of a ruptured aorta while attending the winter meetings in 1992, before the Marlins had even played their first game. The Fish retired number 5 in his honor (though Carl was a long-time Pirates fan from his youth, Joe DiMaggio, who wore that number, was his favorite player). Fame is fleeting, though - the Marlins controversially unretired it for Logan Morrison in 2012, instead leaving a couple of practice fields named after Barger.

1931 - Paul Waner went 5-for-6 to lead Pittsburgh to a 14-5 win over the Phils at the Baker Bowl. Pie Traynor added three hits, three runs and two RBI while Eddie Phillips drove in four runs to provide the muscle to allow righty Glenn Spencer to cruise to a complete game victory.

1934 - The Great One, Roberto Clemente, was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The Hall of Famer & humanitarian compiled a lifetime .317 BA, hitting over .300 in 13 of his last 14 seasons, and collected 3,000 hits in eighteen years as a Pirate. He was a two-time World Series champ, 15-time All-Star, won 12 Golden Gloves, was an NL & WS MVP, had his number retired and since 2002 has been honored annually by a MLB special day.

1940 - Homestead Grays RHP Ray Brown worked the final two frames for the East All-Star club that shut out the West 11-0 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park in the Negro League Summer Classic. Teammate Buck Leonard added three hits, three RBI and scored twice for the ASG winners.

Buck Leonard - 1993 Ted Williams

1940 - IF Paul Popovich was born in Flemington, West Virginia. The Mountaineer (he was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2013) closed out his 11-year career with Pittsburgh, hitting .211 in 1974-75 as a bench player for two division-winning clubs. After his playing days were finished, he spent a decade as an infield coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1948 - The Bucs put up a six-spot in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs to pull away for a 7-4 win at Wrigley Field. Future manager Danny Murtaugh drove in three runs, while rookie pitcher Bob Chesne helped himself to the victory with 8-2/3 IP on the hill and two hits, a run and an RBI at bat.

1952 - The Pirates sent IF George Strickland and RHP Ted “Cork” Wilks (he was called Cork in his St. Louis days because he was the club’s late-inning “stopper”) to the Cleveland Indians for Johnny Berardino‚ minor leaguer Charlie Sipple and $50‚000. For Berardino, it was his second stint in Pittsburgh (59 games/.187 BA), a stopping off point before his more lucrative career in movies and as a soap opera star, notably playing Dr. Steve Hardy on “General Hospital.” The deal was a win for the Cleves. Strickland ended up with eight years for the Tribe as a defensive whiz, playing 734 games while hitting .233.

1956 - Manager Bobby Bragan literally shook up the lineup by sending the first six batters up in order of productivity, batting the pitcher seventh, and using the bottom pair to set up the top of the order. His lineup: Frank Thomas, Dale Long, Bill Virdon, Lee Walls, Roberto Clemente, Dick Groat, Bob Friend, Bill Mazeroski and Jack Shepard, one that Press beatman Les Biederman described as “...a batting order that defied every known law of the game.” It worked, though, as the Bucs pounded out a 9-1 victory over the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. To Bragan’s way of thinking, the old way of constructing lineups was archaic, but his method never won over the support of traditionalists or the analytic gurus, and the Designated Hitter rule has made it moot.

1959 - Branch Rickey resigned as chairman of the Pirates board of directors to become president of the Continental League, a proposed third major league. The league disbanded in 1960 without playing a single game, but it helped to accelerate the expansion of MLB. Owners who were opposed to the CL approved expansion clubs in Houston, Minnesota and New York, all potential CL cities, to draw membership away from the new league, eventually killing it.

Spanky - 1990 Topps

1960 - C Mike “Spanky” LaValliere was born in Charlotte, NC. Spanky caught for the Bucs from 1987-93, putting up a .278 BA, a Golden Glove winner and a part of three Jim Leyland-led division winning teams (1991-93). He played though the 1995 season before retiring as a White Sox. LaValliere is now an instructor and occasional TV analyst. He picked up his nickname because his AAA manager, Jim Fregosi, thought he looked like Spanky from “Our Gang.”

1966 - Oooops! 3B Jose Pagan tied the modern NL record for errors in an inning with three in the fourth frame, booting four balls overall, as Pittsburgh lost to Mets 9-5 at Shea Stadium. Jose’s bad mitt day led to six unearned runs charged to loser Woodie Fryman. And ouch, Pagan also went 0-for-4 with two whiffs.

1969 - The Pirates showed some late inning two-out lightning at Crosley Field by scoring three times in the ninth to tie the Reds 5-5 and then ringing up seven more runs in the 10th to steal a 12-5 win. The Buccos juiced the sacks with two gone, with two runners reaching on Cincy errors and another on a bunt single, before the extra-innings floodgate opened. Carl Taylor cleaned the bases with a double, a knock set up Pirates at the corners and Al Oliver’s double followed by Gene Alley’s homer added up to the seven spot. Alley had four hits during the contest while Alou and Roberto Clemente each chipped in with three. Bruce Dal Canton tossed the final three frames for the win in relief of Bob Moose.

1969 - Bucco broadcaster Bob Prince announced that he had a lucrative offer to switch booths to take Harry Caray’s place in St. Louis (Caray was in the Busch doghouse and was fired after the campaign). The Gunner didn’t sound like a man ready to move, though, as he told the Pittsburgh Press that “I wouldn’t quit a job where I’m #1 for one where I’d be #2 or #3. He stayed but his announcing teammate Jim “The Possum” Woods did accept a job there as the sidekick to Jack Buck, but left after a year because the two didn’t get along particularly well.

8/18 From 1970: Bryan Bombs, Duke Run, Dual Dale, Mad Dog, Game Days, Wilson-Hatcher, Jason Signs, HBD Yu, Austin & Justin

1974 - The Bucs completed a three game sweep of the Dodgers at TRS, winning 10-3 behind the big sticks of Bob Robertson and Richie Zisk. The pair combined to go 7-for-10 with five runs and five RBI, each collecting a homer and banging out three doubles together. Rennie Stennett and Manny Sanguillen went 6-for-9 at the top of the order and scored three runs as Larry Demery cruised to the win with help from Dave Giusti. The game concluded a 25-of-35 streak; after a pair of losses, the Bucs then won 14-of-17 as they rolled to a division title. They ran into LA again in the NLCS, dropping the best-of-five series three games to one.

1976 - Bucco bats were smokin’ against the Giants John “The Count” Montefusco and Mike Caldwell as Pittsburgh ran away with a rain-shortened 12-1 win over San Francisco at Candlestick Park. Every player in the lineup had a hit, and four different Pirates either scored or drove in two or more runs. Richie Zisk led the way with a 4-for-4 day; five of his teammates had a pair of knocks. Jim Rooker rolled to victory, giving up four hits in six innings before the rain fell.

1985 - Bill Madlock went 4-for-4 and swatted a pair of homers to lead the Pirates to a 5-0 win over the Mets at TRS. Mad Dog was on a roll; he had long balls in each of his past two games, and went on to take the National League Player of the Week honors. Winner Don Robinson went six innings and Pat Clements spun the last three, combining for a five-hit whitewash.

1987 - LHP Justin Wilson was born in Anaheim, California. A fifth round pick in 2008 from Fresno, he didn’t sign him until two days before the deadline. A starter throughout his farm career (he was involved in a pair of no-hitters at AAA Indy), he was converted to a multi-purpose pen arm in the show, making his debut in 2012. He went 9-5/2.99 during his Pirates stint (2012-14) before being traded to the Yankees for Fran Cervelli. Justin was with the Red Sox, his seventh different club, in 2025 and is a free agent this season.

Barry Jones - 1987 Donruss

1987 - The Pirates and Reds were tied 4-4 after six at Riverfront Stadium, but the Bucs featured homers, double plays and whiffs to pull away in the final three frames for a 7-4 victory. John Cangelosi gave Pittsburgh the lead in the seventh with a solo shot to center, then Barry Jones put up zippos against Cincinnati that inning and the eighth thanks to a pair of twin killings. The coup 'de gras was provided in the ninth when Barry Bonds & Bobby Bo went long and Jim Gott fanned two-of-three Redlegs to clinch the game & win for Bob Walk.  

1989 - The Pirates traded OF Glenn Wilson to the Astros for OF Billy Hatcher. Wilson had hit well (.274) for the Bucs before the deal, but flopped with Houston. Hatcher didn’t do much at the plate for Pittsburgh either (.244 BA/68 OPS+) and was traded the next April to the Reds.

1992 - C Austin Hedges was born in San Juan Capistrano, California. He was a second round draft pick of the Padres in 2011 out of Serra Catholic HS and debuted with San Diego in 2015. Hedges was part of the 2020 Mike Clevinger deal with Cleveland before the Pirates signed him in the 2022 off season (one-year/$5M). Pittsburgh had a gaping hole at catcher and he’s reputedly an excellent handler of the staff with an elite mitt, but that’s offset by a career .189 BA.  He was sent to the Texas Rangers at the deadline for international pool space after batting .180 with a 28 OPS+ for Pittsburgh. He’s back for a second gig with the Cleveland Guardians now.

1992 - LHP Zane Smith’s bum wing had a domino effect on Pirates pitching. After tendinitis landed Smith on the DL for the second time, Bob Walk, who had been a spot starter working out of the bullpen, took his place in the rotation and Danny Cox, who had been fighting his own arm woes, was brought up from Buffalo to replace Walk. It worked out pretty well - Walkie and Smith won 18 games between them and Cox slashed 3-1-3/3.33 out of the pen. 

Zane Smith - 1992 Score

1995 - IF Yu-Cheng Chang was born in Taitung, China. Chang, who was in his fourth campaign with the Cleveland Guardians, was purchased by the Pirates in May, 2022, after he had been DFA’ed and injuries left the Bucs threadbare at first base. He had shown some power in 2021, playing in 89 games, but with a sky-high K rate. The strikeouts continued in ‘22 with both clubs. The Pirates DFA’ed him in June, 2022 and he was claimed by the Tampa Bay Rays. They let him go in September and Yu now plays in Taiwan.

1997 - A smattering of names usually not on the bingo card led the Bucs to a 7-2 victory over the Florida Marlins at Pro Player Stadium. Leadoff hitter Jermaine Allensworth was a triple shy of the cycle, scored twice and drove in two runs. Dale Sveum also went long, tallied twice and chased three runs home while Eddie Williams, playing both corners, delivered three knocks. Jose DeLeon went six innings for the win while Jason Christiansen, Marc Wilkins and Rich Loiselle added three hitless frames to bring it home. The game broke open late when the Bucs, aided by a couple of Fish boots, put up five runs in the final three innings.

1998 - LHP Jason Christiansen agreed to a two-year/$1.725M agreement with the Bucs, a nice boost over his current $320K deal. He almost outlasted the contract, leaving the team at the 2000 deadline when he was dealt to St. Louis. He worked through 2005 to close an 11-year MLB career.

1999 - Dale Sveum became the second Pirate (Bobby Bonilla was first) to homer from both sides of the plate during a game, the third time he accomplished the feat in his career, during a 12-6 win over the Reds at Cinergy Field. Also going deep for the Bucs were Brian Giles, Ed Sprague and Al Martin. Giles had three hits, three runs scored and three RBI in the Francisco Cordova win.

Mike Williams - 2002 Topps Total

2002 - The Bucs took a 3-2 victory from the Brewers at PNC Park as Adam Hyzdu came up clutch with a two-out RBI single in the opening frame and the eventual game-winner, a solo shot in the fourth. Bronson Arroyo went five innings for his first win of the season, though it took five arms behind him to finally put it to bed. The last Bucco twirler was Mike Williams, who earned his 35th save, besting the former record of 34 held since 1988 by Jim Gott. Williams ended the campaign with 46 saves, a mark since passed only once, by Mark Melancon in 2015 with 51.

2005 - LHP Zach Duke ran his record to 6-0, taking a 5-0 decision at Shea Stadium against the Mets. Duke allowed two hits in seven frames while whiffing five and dropping his ERA to 1.87. His six-game winning streak was the longest by a Pirates rookie since Don Robinson won seven straight in 1978. A July call up, Zachster finished the year with 8-2/1.81 slash in 14 starts.

2007 - The 2-3-4-5 hitters for the Bucs (Freddy Sanchez, Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Adam LaRoche) combined to go 10-for-17 with a homer, four doubles, three walks, six RBI and eight runs scored to lead Pittsburgh to an 11-6 romp over the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park. Paul Maholm was the recipient of the heart of the lineup’s largesse and took home the victory.

2015 - The Bucs won a game they tried hard to give away by a 9-8 count over Arizona at PNC Park. The Bucs were cruising along in the eighth with an 8-3 lead, built by Pedro Alvarez’s homer and some timely hitting, but a couple of walks let the D-Backs back in with three runs in that inning and then two errors in the ninth led to a pair of unearned runs (also ruining Mark Melancon’s 35-game streak of converted save opps) to tie the game. But the bullpen regained its mojo and behind scoreless three-inning stints turned in by Arquimedes Caminero and Joe Blanton, ground out the win. With two out in the 15th, Fran Cervelli singled and scored on Pedro Florimon’s triple off the Clemente Wall. Florimon was hitting under .100 coming into that at bat and had failed in a bunt try his last at-bat to become an unlikely hero. Blanton got the win; Cervy had four hits during the long (five hour plus) contest - and caught the next night.

Cervy - 2015 photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

2019 - The Pirates traded a home game for the second time in three years for an appearance in the Little League Classic in Williamsport. The Bucs didn’t teach the 2,500 Little Leaguers and fans at Bowman Field, the home of the Class A Williamsport Crosscutters, much about how the game should be played, surrendering three homers in a 7-1 loss to the Cubs. But they displayed some big league sportsmanship, spending hours mixing with the small fry before the game, then went through a postgame handshake line.

2021 - Roberto Clemente became the sixth person honored with a statue at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, joining Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Derek Jeter. His 39-ounce, 35” Hillerich & Bradsby U1 Louisville Slugger bat was also added to the companies’ permanent “Hold a Piece of History” exhibit; before that, the war club had been shown as part of its Walk of Fame display since 2006.

2022 - Bryan Reynolds hit homers #2,999 and 3,000 in PNC Park history (numbers 19 and 20 on the year for B-Rey, giving him three bombs in the last two games), both two-run shots, to lead the Bucs to an 8-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. JT Brubaker came up with his strongest effort of the campaign, throwing seven innings of two-hit, shutout ball with seven whiffs. Ben Gamel drove in a pair of runs, with the other RBIs courtesy of Michael Chavis and Tyler Heineman. Kevin Newman added three knocks and crossed the dish three times while playing in the 400th game of his MLB career, all with Pittsburgh. The Pirates were due; they broke a six-game losing streak with the win.