Weekly Report: Bucs Take Two Series, Endy Under The Knife, Konnor Almost Ready To Return, Game-Bucco-Minors-MLB Notes

Slowly segueing into football...

Pirates stuff:

• C Endy Rodriguez underwent surgery on the labrum around his left hip. He's expected to resume baseball activities within 7-9 months. 
• The Bucs recalled RHP Noah Murdock from Indy and RHP Khristian Curtis was optioned back to AAA. A couple of days later, they recalled LHP Evan Sisk and optioned Murdock back to Indianapolis. 
• SS Konnor Griffin started his rehab with Altoona yesterday. He's eligible to return to action on Friday.

Konnor Griffin - 2026 Topps Finest Phenoms

• Brandon Lowe is looking to become the first Pirate since Adam LaRoche in 2007 to lead the team in both home runs and RBI in his first season with the team. Other Pirates to equal that muscle-bat feat since 1946 are Reggie Sanders (2003), Brian Giles (1999), Kevin Young (1997) and Ralph Kiner (1946).
• MLB.com ranked its Top 10 Free Agents this off-season. Lowe is ranked #6, behind Jazz Chisholm at 2B. An ex-Buc, RHP Clay Holmes, is ranked next at #7.
• This year's Pirates Arizona Fall League team will be the Glendale Desert Dogs. Other clubs providing players to Glendale will be the Atlanta Braves, LA Dodgers, Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.
• The Sporting News series on Baseball's Greatest Players continued with Unsung Heroes; ol' Bucco SS Arky Vaughan made the team.
• Greensboro RHP Draven Zeigler was the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week after working five no-hit shutout frames with five K last week.
• Jim Negrych returned to Pitt baseball as an assistant coach; he had been a scout for the Cards. IF Jim was a Pitt All-America (2005-06) who was drafted by the Pirates and played in several MLB systems plus in China in his 10-year pro career, never making the show but twice earning AAA All-Star honors.

Game Stuff:

• There were plenty of runners in San Diego's Petco Park, but it turned into a 12-inning duel that the Buccos pulled out 3-2 when Nick Gonzales singled home the ghost runner, Jared Triolo. Braxton Ashcraft & Robbie Ray were the starters; the win eventually went to Kirby Yates, nailed down by Yohan Ramirez with three K's in the 12th.

Paul Skenes - 2026 Topps All-Stars Heritage

• Tuesday was a classic duel, with Paul Skenes breaking out his cape once again and San Diego's Michael King tossing like royalty. It was 0-0 with two gone in the ninth and Mason Miller on the hill for the Padres when Oneil Cruz  made the only splash of the night by homering with two gone, the first long ball Miller has given up in a year. The revamped pen used some old hands to finish with Gregory Soto the winner and Mason Montgomery getting the save.
• Bubba Chandler was strong, but bad D and worse bats wasted the sweep effort as the Bucs were bopped 3-0. They went 1-for-13 w/RISP and were shutout for a league-leading 15th time.
• After a day off, the Bucs went to Saint Louis and got bopped 4-1. They still can't hit lefties and made three errors; post-ASG hasn't been kind. It was a big day for the Cards' Quinn Matthews, though - it was the rookie's first MLB victory.
• Brandon Lowe started it off with a homer and Rafael Flores added a three-run bomb while bullpen start regulars Lake Baschar & Carm Mlodzinski were strong, giving up two hits and one earned run in 5-2/3 IP. And despite three more errors - oy vey, that left side! - the Bucs evened the set with a 6-2 win.

Braxton Ashcraft - 2026 Pirates

• Brax only gave the Bucs five frames and the bullpen was kinda meh, but homers by Esmerlyn Valdez & Jared Triolo and a lights-out ninth by Mason Montgomery gave the Pirates the series-winner, 5-4.
• The Pirates are off Monday, then host three-game sets v San Francisco & the LA Angels at PNC.

MLB Stuff: 

• RHP Trevor Williams, who started his MLB career in Pittsburgh in 2016-thru-2020, was DFA'ed by the Nats.
• LHP Caleb Ferguson, who the Pirates swapped at the '25 deadline, was DFA'ed by the Cards, the third team he's played for since being traded.
• Brent Strom, who was the Bucs pitching consultant last year, has taken the same role with Houston.

8/31 Deals: Justin, Shawon, Sid, RJ, Ray & Brunet Join; Diaz, Freeser, Juan, Mad Dog, Scrap Iron, ElRoy & Johnny Go

1953 - The Pirates sold RHP Johnny Lindell to the Phillies. His knuckler fluttered wildly that year, leading the league in walks and wild pitches. He was listed as a pitcher with the Pirates, but was often used as a pinch-hitter and hit .286, once tying a game with a three-run ninth-inning homer. The Phillies released him in May 1954 after his hybrid pitcher-outfielder role proved to be a not very strong pairing. Lindell was an odd story. He entered the league in 1941 as a pitcher, then was converted to the outfield, where he played from 1943-50, earning an All-Star berth once with the Yankees. He came back again after being reincarnated as a knuckleball pitcher after a couple of years in the minors, but only lasted until May of 1954 before being released by the Phils.

1968 - ElRoy Face was sold to the Detroit Tigers for $100K, ending 15 years with Pittsburgh. Motown wouldn’t have a roster spot for him until the next day, so the Bucs trotted him out for one last appearance, his 802nd as a Pirate. That tied an MLB record for most outings with one team while he tossed over 1,300 innings with a 100-93-186/3.46 slash, six All-Star bids and a World Series ring as a Bucco. He ended his career at age 41 with Montreal in 1969.

1970 - Pittsburgh picked up veteran LHP George Brunet from the Washington Senators for minor league LHP Denny Riddleberger and cash. Brunet, 35, made a dozen appearances for the Bucs with a line of 1-1/2.50, played briefly for another year for the Cards and then went on to a long career in Mexico, where “El Viejo” (the Old Man) pitched until 1989, when he was 54. Riddleberger spent parts of the next three seasons in the big leagues with a slash of 4-4/2.70.

1981 - The Pirates acquired 2B Johnny Ray and two PTBNL’s (pitchers Randy Niemann and Kevin Houston) from the Houston Astros in exchange for IF Phil Garner. Ray spent seven years in Pittsburgh, hitting .286, and was Rookie of the Year runner-up in 1982 to Steve Sax. Scrap Iron played through 1988 and hit .260 for the Astros, where he also had a seven-year run. Nieman pitched for parts of a couple of seasons for the Pirates and worked the show until 1987, having a pretty good year for the Mets in 1986. Houston never made it out of the minors.

Phil Garner - 1981 Topps

1985 - The Pirates traded former batting champion Bill Madlock to the Dodgers for PTBNL prospects RJ Reynolds, Cecil Espy and Sid Bream in a pretty solid deal for the Buccos. Madlock would last two more years in the show, retiring after the 1987 campaign at age 36. 1B Bream spent six years in Pittsburgh, four as a starter, and hit .269 in that span. Reynolds, a platoon OF, also spent six seasons with Pittsburgh and oddly enough, also hit .269. OF Espy was sent to AAA and claimed by Texas in the Rule 5 draft. He returned as a FA in 1991-92.

1997 - The Bucs became buyers instead of sellers when they obtained SS Shawon Dunston from the Cubs for future considerations to bolster the chances of the “Freak Show” team sneaking into the playoffs after Kevin Polcovich injured his ankle. Dunston hit .394 with five homers, but after an 18-game Bucco career was lost to Cleveland in free agency after the season. He was a pretty good Plan B; the Pirates had first cast their eyes toward former Pittsburgh SS Jay Bell, but the Royals wanted more in return than the FO was willing to give. 

2011 - Pittsburgh shipped OF Matt Diaz to the Braves for a PTBNL, RHP Eliecer Cardenas, who was quickly released without pitching an inning for the Bucs. Diaz hit .259 in his brief run as a Buc and spent two more bench years with Atlanta before hanging up his spikes in 2013.

2013 - The Pirates pulled off their second trade of the week, picking up 1B Justin Morneau from Minnesota for OF Alex Presley and a PTBNL (RHP Duke Welker). Justin hit .260 w/.370 OBP during the month, but his lack of power (0 HR, 4 2B, 92 PA) led the Bucs to let him walk the following year. He still had some gas in the tank, hitting .316 w/20 HR in 182 games for the Rox over the next two campaigns before retiring after the 2016 season. Presley was a depth OF’er for the next five years while Welker was reacquired by the Bucs and got into two games in 2013.

Justin Morneau - September 2013 photo Justin Aller/Getty

2017 - In a how-not-to-do-it move, RHP Juan Nicasio was placed on irrevocable waivers and claimed by the Phillies on his birthday. It was odd because Nicasio was a solid eighth-inning set-up guy (2-5-2, 22 holds, 2.86 ERA in 65 games w/60 K in 60 IP) who the Pirates let go for nothing. Nicasio was a FA after the season and unlikely to have been retained, but the Bucs, who were still hanging around in July when they could have traded him with no strings attached, kept Nicasio and then tried to slip him through trade waivers when the team faded. In some one-upmanship, Juan was claimed by the Chicago Cubs to block him from going to another contender. So the FO pulled him back and later put him on the waiver wire, saving some cash ($600K owed for September), opening up his spot to audition for 2018, and finally to reward Juan with a “better situation” that was originally foiled when Philadelphia, the NL’s worst team, claimed him but eventually rectified when the Phils dealt him to a competitive St. Louis nine.

2018 - The Pirates committed themselves to a full-scale infield youth movement (and saved a few dollars in the process) by trading vets David Freese and Adeiny Hechavarria at the playoff deadline. Freese went to the Dodgers for DSL player IF Jesus Manuel Valdez (recently released by the D-Backs) while Hechy was sold to the Yankees and last played in Mexico in 2024. Freese, who retired after the 2019 campaign, left a hole as a utility man with a good bat (.270, 32 HR in three years), versatile glove (1B-2B-3B) and locker room leader while Hechy only got into 15 games, hitting .233. Sean Rodriguez had been DFA’ed days earlier, cleansing the roster of most of its older IFs save SS Jordy Mercer and 2B Josh Harrison, who both would depart in the offseason as FA’s.

8/31 Through the 1960s: Baron's Finale, Streakin', Game Days, HBD Morris, Ramon, Ray, William, Wally, Syd, Monte, Red & Duke

1866 - C Charley “Duke” Farrell was born in Oakdale, Massachusetts. Farrell was a big (6’-1”, 208 lbs.), switch-hitting catcher who could fill in at third base/outfield, and batted .277 in 18 big league seasons, backstopping over 1,000 games and playing for seven teams in four major leagues - National, American, Players & the American Association. He stopped at Pittsburgh in 1892 but had a fairly miserable time, batting just .215. He never felt quite at home in the clubhouse or city, and was traded in the offseason for pitcher Lefty Killen. He earned the nickname Duke of Marlborough fairly early in his career as a 24-year-old playing with Boston.

1868 - RHP Phillip “Red” Ehret was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He played for Pittsburgh from 1892-94 and put up a 53-59/3.79 line in 109 starts and 15 relief appearances. Red also played some outfield and got 438 PA in that span (mostly as a pitcher), batting .201 to stay on the right side of the Mario Mendoza line. And yes, he was a redhead.

1869 - SS Monte Cross was born in Philadelphia. Monte spent 15 years in the show and was known as a good glove man. Monte launched his career in Pittsburgh in 1894-95, batting .273 and becoming a starter for the first time in ‘95. He spent his last 10 seasons at home with the Phillies and the Athletics. When his MLB career ended in 1907, Monte hung on for a while, playing minor league/semi-pro ball, then umpiring and managing, most notably for several seasons with the U of Maine Black Bears, before joining the real world as a salesman. He passed away in his hometown at age 64.

1883 - C Syd Smith was born in Smithfield, South Carolina. He spent parts of five seasons in the show, with the last two in Pittsburgh from 1914-15, getting into six games and going 3-for-12. He then managed the Pirates’ Caddo Lake Gassers, a Texas League team in a gas/oil boomtown. Before baseball, he also was the head coach at the Citadel in 1905 - for the football team.

Wally Rehg - 1913 Wilmington Evening Journal/Wiki

1888 - OF Wally Rehg was born in Summerfield, Illinois. He began his seven-year MLB career with the Pirates in 1912, going 0-for-9 in eight games. He did better with the Red Sox and later with the Braves as a bench outfielder. Known for his brash mouth, he greeted Hans Wagner in Pittsburgh by calling him “Grandpa.” He played in the minors until 1930, got a couple of movie cameos, and made cinema his second career, albeit as an Paramount Studio electrician.

1897 - RHP William Bell was born in Galveston. Bell started his career with an eight-year run with the KC Monarchs, spent part of 1932 with Homestead Grays and tossed for the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932-35 when the club won two Negro NL titles. He was nearing the end of his 12-year career at  that point, leaving the Craws for Newark where he got into just 15 games over two seasons. From there, he managed the Eagles for three years. The righty was known for finishing what he started; one stat study has him completing 75% of the games he started, and he could also help himself at the dish. He hit .235 during his career and played some outfield. Bell passed away in 1969 in El Campo, Texas, and the townsfolk named a park after him in memoriam. 

1901 - Jesse Tannehill tamed the Cubs 5-2 in the second game of a twin bill to launch Fred Clarke’s Bucs on a ten-game winning streak. They kept on keepin’ on to the end, going 29-8 to close out the season, stretching their lead from 2-1/2 games entering September to a final 7-1/2 game gap over the runner-up Phillies. The core pitching staff of the Pirates – Tannehill, Deacon Phillippe, Jack Chesbro and Sam Leever – allowed the fewest runs in the league and were in the league’s top ten with sub-3 ERAs. Five everyday players, led by Honus Wagner at .353/126 RBI, had .300+ BA’s while coming in second in the NL in runs scored, averaging 5-1/2 tallies per outing.

1907 - C Ray Berres was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was a Bucco back-up from 1937-40, a good glove guy that hit .225. After his playing days, he was the pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox from 1949-66, then again from mid-season of 1968 through 1969, primarily under manager Al Lopez. He and Lopez had an interesting history together. Berres served as Lopez’s back-up early in his career and then was later traded to the Pirates straight-up for him.

Ray Berres - 1940 Play Ball

1909 - The Pirates extended their winning streak over the Boston Doves to 18 straight games with a 7-2 victory at South End Grounds. Honus Wagner led the way with a pair of doubles, a single, stolen base, a run scored and three Buccos driven home. Vic Willis went the distance for his 19th victory. The streak ended the next day in Boston when Cliff Curtis fired a five-hit shutout to edge Babe Adams, 1-0. Pittsburgh went 20-1 against Boston that year.

1940 - LHP Ramon Hernandez was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The reliever tossed six years (1971-76) in Pittsburgh, going 23-12-39/2.51 after being signed by Howie Haak, and was a bullpen member of the Bucco division champs of 1972, 1974 and 1975 (he was a September call-up for the 1971 team). In a nine-season career, Hernandez’s line was 23–15-46/3.03.

1960 - LHP Morris Madden was born in Lauren, South Carolina. He tossed 14 of his 16 big league outings (three starts) for the Pirates in 1988-89 with a 2-2/5.03 line and was released after the ‘89 campaign. He had a long minor league career, spanning 1979-90 and collected 1,100 strikeouts over that stretch. Morris now coaches the Carolina Metros, an umbrella organization for youth traveling teams that features a strong mentoring component. 

1968 - Steve Blass got the first out against the Atlanta Braves‚ and then moved to LF. ElRoy Face, 40, was in the process of being sold to the Tigers for an estimated $100K (actually, it was a done deal, but Detroit wouldn’t have an open roster spot until September 1st), and the club sent him in for one last appearance (legend has it he was asked whether he wanted to start or relieve, and opted to make his last outing from the pen). He retired Felix Millan on one pitch, a grounder to short, to tie Walter Johnson's MLB record of 802 pitching appearances with one club. Then manager Larry Shepherd came out for Roy to get his recognition, Blass returned, and the Pirates won 8-0 at Forbes Field.

8/31 From 1970: Boppin', Coors Darma, Seven Straight, Pie Night, Game Days, A-Ram Signs, HBD Dillon, Erik & Juan

1971 - It was Pie Traynor night, and that looked like it might be the only bright spot for the Bucs. Four starters were out (Richie Hebner, Bob Robertson, Jose Pagan and Gene Alley), and the Pirates quickly fell behind the Phils, 4-0. But the bats woke up, and Pittsburgh chipped away to make it 5-3 going into the seventh when Danny Murtaugh broke out a trio of pinch hitters, and all three came through in spades. Bill Mazeroski singled batting for the pitcher, Gene Clines delivered a double with one gone to plate a pair and Manny Sanguillen put the Pirates over the top with a two-out, two-run single. The real credit belonged to relievers Bob Veale, Bruce Kison (the winner) and Bob Miller (he got the save), who together worked 6-2/3 frames and gave up just one run. 

1986 - RHP Juan Nicasio was born in San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic. The Pirates signed the five-year vet (LA, Colorado) in 2016 to a $3M deal and inked him again in 2017 for $3.65M. After trying him out as a starter, the Pirates put him back in a bullpen role where he became an effective eighth-inning bridge arm The Bucs let him go on waivers as an apparent salary dump and lost him to the Phils with no return. He last played for Texas in 2020.

1987 - The Pirates won their seventh straight game, defeating the Atlanta Braves 7-3 at TRS. Andy Van Slyke went 3-for-3 with a homer and a walk, scored three times and drove home a pair while Al Pedrique chipped in two raps. Mike Dunne went the distance, tossing a six-hitter and earning his sixth win in the last seven decisions. It was a good day all around as earlier Doug Drabek had been named the National League Player of the Week after winning two games while giving up two runs in 16 innings the week before. DD went 9-2/3.05 from August 3rd onward (he finished 11-12/3.88) and broke out in 1988 with a slash of 15-7/3.08.

1991 - Utilityman Erik Gonzalez was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Traded to the Bucs in the 2018 off season, he played 3B-SS-2B for Cleveland over parts of three seasons with a rep as a good glove man and mediocre bat (.262 BA/79 OPS+). With Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison’s departure after the 2018 campaign, Pittsburgh was looking for an IF’er, and Gonzalez was out of options and blocked with the Indians, making for a fit. He was hurt for much of two campaigns, and after hitting .236 BA over his three years, he was DFA’ed & assigned to Indy in August of  ‘21. He’s now playing in Mexico and the DR.

Sluggo - 1991 Bowman

1991 - The Pirates rode six innings of perfect relief by Roger Mason, Bill Landrum and game winner Bob Kipper to a 3-2, 12-inning victory over San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium in a game that Randy Tomlin started. The Buc tallies came in the second on Barry Bonds’ two-run shot and a leadoff homer to left by Don Slaught off Jose Melendez in the 12th. The game-winning dinger was especially well timed as it was Sluggo’s only longball of the year. The Pirates were on a five-game roll; they lost the next day, then won 4-of-5 to build a 10-game lead in the NL East.

1992 - LHP Dillon Peters was born in Indianapolis. Drafted by Miami in 2014 despite college TJ surgery, he was traded to the Angels in 2018 and slashed 7-8/5.83 in 31 MLB outings (24 starts) between them. The Halos DFA’ed him in the summer of 2021 and the Pirates bought his rights. After three weeks or so at Indy, he was called up to join the big club’s rotation in August. Dillon was working out of the bullpen in ‘22 when a bad back landed him on the IL in June. The Pirates released him after a 6-4/4.23 line and he joined the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Japanese League in 2023, his last year in pro ball.

1994 - In one of their better international deals, the Pirates signed 16-year-old Aramis Ramirez as an amateur free agent. A-Ram was the Pirates' last significant signing from the Dominican until the Rene Gayo era began a decade later. Ramirez had a pair of stints with the Bucs to open and close his career. He spent seven years here, posting .261 BA/82 HR/349 RBI.

1999 - The Bucs provided lots of late-inning drama while topping the Rox at Coors Field in 10 innings by a 9-8 score. Kevin Young gave the Bucs an 8-4 lead with a two-out, first-pitch grand slam down the LF line in the ninth. In the bottom half, six straight runners reached off Mike Williams to make the score 8-8, but Angel Echevarria was thrown out at home by Brian Giles to keep the game knotted. The Bucs came up with four hits and a walk in the 10th, but could only tally a run to take a shaky lead. With two away for Colorado, Dante Bichette singled off Jose Silva and was waved around on Vin Castilla’s double to left center, but was cut down, Al Martin to Mike Benjamin to Keith Osik, to save the 9-8 win.

Kevin Young - 1999 Upper Deck

2008 - Milwaukee thumped the Bucs 7-0 to hand Pittsburgh its 10th loss in a row. Ricky Weeks led off with a homer at PNC Park and it went downhill from there. The big story was CC Sabathia’s one-hitter; the lone rap he surrendered was a weakly-hit fifth-inning grounder by Andy LaRoche that Sabathia tried to bare hand and dropped; the scorer, much to the chagrin of manager Ned Yost, ruled it a hit (and not unreasonably). Yost felt that CC had fired a no-hitter and even filed an unsuccessful appeal over the ruling. CC blamed himself for the controversy, telling ESPN "The ball was still rolling and I probably should have picked it up with my glove...I think if I pick it up with my glove, I get him." 

2010 - Pittsburgh won by the football score of 14-7 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The top four batters of the order (Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, Garrett Jones) went 13-for-19 with two homers, two doubles, a triple, three walks, nine runs scored and 11 RBI. It was a rare bright spot during a dismal dog-days stretch of the season. Before the romp, the Pirates had gone 9-22, scoring three runs or fewer 23 times during that spell, and rung up a 14-game road losing streak as John Russell’s final Bucco squad would finish up the year last in the NL at 57-105 to usher in the Clint Hurdle era. 

2013 - The Pirates whipped the Cardinals 7-1 at PNC Park to retake the NL Central lead behind AJ Burnett. Russ Martin had the big bop, a three-run homer, while Neil Walker added three knocks. The newly-acquired Justin Morneau showed he was eager to go; although not needed for this battle, he arrived in mid-game after flying in from Texas and started the next day.

2019 - The Pirates rang up 18 hits in an 11-4 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field, giving them 15 hits or more in three straight games for the first time since 1936. Kevin Newman, Josh Bell and Jose Osuna all went deep in Pittsburgh's victory. Newman had a trio of hits, two runs chased home and plated three times while Bryan Reynolds went 3-for-6 with two doubles, three RBI and a run. Jake Stallings also had three hits with a walk and two runs scored. The Bucs were a game away from sweeping a four-game series from the Rox, scoring 37 runs in Denver’s mile high shooting gallery.

8/30 Through 1974: ElRoy 17 Straight, Grantham Grand, Pie 5, Coop's #200, Dave Cycle, Game Days, RIP Arky, HBD Kiki, Charlie & Will

1870 - RHP Will Thompson (he also played 1B and the OF) was born in Pittsburgh. He made one MLB appearance, working three frames for the 1892 Pirates. He gave up a run and took the loss. After playing at Penn, he spent time in the local minors in the New York State League at Elmira, the Pennsylvania State League at Johnstown and the Iron & Oil League for New Castle. He later served in the 1898 Spanish–American War, and lived to be 91 before passing on.

1878 - IF Charlie Starr was born in Pike County, Ohio. Charlie played three years in the show, joining the Bucs in the middle in 1908 after a couple of years at Youngstown and batted .186 in 20 games. He played for two more clubs after that in 1909, then joined Buffalo for a couple of seasons before heading south, suiting up for New Orleans, Mobile, Chattanooga and Little Rock before his last pro at-bat in 1916. He retired and became a metal worker in construction.

1898 - OF Hazen Shirley “Kiki” Cuyler was born in Harrisville, Michigan. The Hall-of-Famer spent his first seven seasons (1921-27) as a Pirate, hitting .336 with a .399 OBP. The end of his Pittsburgh era was rocky. In 1927, Cuyler was benched for nearly half the season because of a dispute with rookie manager Donie Bush. The Pirates went to the World Series, but Cuyler was on the pine, and that November, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played 11 more seasons and ended his career with a .321 BA. Per SABR, two explanations have been given for his nickname "Kiki." In one version, the players called him "Cuy" in the minors at Nashville, so when a fly ball was hit to Hazen, the shortstop would call out "Cuy" as would the second baseman, and the echoed “Cuy-Cuy” caught on with the fans. A variant says that "Kiki Cuyler" was caused by his stuttering problem and was the way Cuyler's name came out when he pronounced it. Either way, the nickname’s popularization is credited to Vol’s announcer Bob Murray.

Johnny Lindell - 1953 Topps

1916 - RHP Johnny Lindell was born in Greeley, Colorado. Johnny started as a pitcher in 1942 and ended as one in 1953, spending the eight years in between as an outfielder. After hitting below the Mendoza line in 1950, he was sent to the Hollywood Stars in the PCL where manager Fred Haney turned him into a knuckleballer. Lindell returned to the majors in 1953 at the age of 36 with the Pirates, who had Haney at their helm. His knuckleball was tough to hit but tougher to control, and Johnny led the league in walks and wild pitches with a line of 5-16/4.71. His stick recovered as he batted .286 in 91 appearances, but it was the end of his road. He was sold to Philly in late August of 1953, finished out the season there, then got five at-bats the following campaign before leaving the show after putting in 12 campaigns for four teams.

1921 - Dave Robertson hit for the cycle to lead the Bucs to an 8-2 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. He scored twice and drove in three runs. George Cutshaw and Clyde Barnhart added three knocks each as Whitey Glazner scattered seven hits for the complete game win.

1924 - Wilbur Cooper, who is the Pirates all-time pitching leader with 202 victories and 236 complete games, won his 200th career contest (he finished his MLB tour of duty with 216 wins/2.86 ERA and 3,480 innings tossed) in a 12-3, complete game decision over Cincinnati at Forbes Field. It would be Wilbur’s last Pirates campaign, finishing the year slashing 20-14/3.28 before becoming part of a six-man deal with the Cubs after the season. The 32-year-old lefty had started out with Pittsburgh in 1912 when he was just 20. Wilbur won double-digit games 10 times in that time w/four seasons with 20 or more wins and two more at 19.

1929 - Pie Traynor went 5-for-5 to lead a 21-hit attack (seven different Pirates posted multiple-hits) in a runaway 15-0 win over Chicago at Forbes Field. Heinie Meine tossed a three-hitter as Pittsburgh dominated the Cubbies from the slab and the dish. It was the Pirates' fourth win over the Cubs in three days, but the Windy City nine snapped out of it the following game by taking a 7-6 win.

George Grantham - 1929 Kashin

1930 - The Pirates swept a twinbill from Cincinnati, 5-0 and 3-2, to win their 12th game in 14 outings. The Waner brothers, Paul and Lloyd, scored all five runs in the opener with George Grantham driving them in three times. Spades Wood tossed a six-hitter for the win. Grantham was big in the second game too, with three hits, two runs and an RBI as Larry French took the win.

1951 - The Pirates rallied from an 8-1 deficit to take a 10-9 victory from the Giants at the Polo Grounds. Frank Thomas hit his first MLB homer and Ralph Kiner won it with a long ball in the ninth while Gus Bell and Pete Castiglione also went deep for the Bucs. Pittsburgh climbed back to take the lead in the eighth, only to have the Giants tie it, but the G-Men were trumped by Kiner. Murry Dickson blew the save but ultimately got the win, one of 20 he earned during the campaign.

1952 - Arky Vaughan, 40, and his friend Bill Wimer drowned in California’s Lost Lake. While the two were fishing, their rowboat overturned. Wimer couldn’t swim, and both men went under when Vaughan tried to save his bud. Vaughan retired with 1,173 runs scored, 926 RBI, 118 steals, a .318 BA and .406 OBP. His .385 batting average, .491 OBP, and 1.098 OPS in 1935 are Pirate team records, and the batting average is a 20th century record for NL shortstops. Arky was a Hall-of-Famer who was included in the Ritter/Honig book “The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time” and cited by historian/statistician Bill James as the second greatest shortstop in history, behind only Honus Wagner.

1953 - The Milwaukee Braves flexed their muscles and set some records against hapless Bucco hurling in a doubleheader at Forbes Field, sweeping Pittsburgh by 19-4 and 11-5 scores. The Bravos blasted eight homers in the opener, breaking the NL one-game record of seven held by three teams, including the Pirates. They added four more in the nightcap, breaking the NL back-to-back games mark of 10 held by the 1925 Bucs. Eddie Mathews and Jim Pendleton led the onslaught with three homers each while Johnny Logan added a pair as the Post Gazette topped the day’s box scores with the headline “Cheaper By the Dozen.”

The Baron of the Bullpen - Laughlin's Great Feats

1959 - ElRoy Face notched his 17th straight victory of the year, earning a 10-inning win against Philadelphia, 7-6, at Forbes Field after Dick Stuart’s two-run double in overtime. The Bucs rallied from a five-run deficit on the strength of Danny Kravitz and Stuart homers to sweep the doubleheader. They took the opener, 2-1, behind Harvey Haddix’s arm and Bob Skinner’s two-out, ninth-inning knock that scored Dick Hoak to climb to four games from the top. Maybe they listened to NBC broadcaster Leo Durocher, who regaled some of the Buccos before the game with tales of his ‘51 Giants winning the pennant although 12-1/2 games back at one point. Face had also won the last five decisions of 1958, giving him a 22-game winning streak. He finished the year 18-1, and his 18 relief wins remains the major league record. The Baron went a month (6/11-7/12) without giving up a run, and his 22 straight wins is second only to Carl Hubbell’s 24-game streak.

1960 - The Pirates defeated Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 5-2, at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Bob Friend picked up the win with help from ElRoy Face, supported by long balls from Dick Groat and Roberto Clemente. Arriba was the only right-handed hitter beside Frank Howard to homer the opposite way in the Coliseum during the season, swatting a Koufax heater 400’.

1972 - Bob Prince turned the mic over to ex-KDKA announcer Harold Arlin, the first man to ever broadcast a live baseball game. The Gunner graced him to call a few innings in Pittsburgh while Harold’s grandson, Steve Arlin, was on the mound for San Diego. Pap didn’t have much to brag about as the Bucs won 11-0, with Manny Sanguillen and Dave Cash combining to drive in seven runs on five hits. The game’s highlight was when Roberto Clemente tied the club record for hits with a pair of knocks, equaling Honus Wagner's franchise mark of 2,970 career hits.

1972 - A Federal Court decision dismissed a $3M suit against the Pirates brought by Sportservice of Buffalo, Forbes Field’s concessionaires, claiming they had the concession rights to Three Rivers Stadium. The gist of the case was a 1946 side deal between Sportservice and Pirates president Frank McKinney. The judge ruled that since that agreement was never approved by the boards of either organization, the concession contract was terminated when Forbes Field closed.

8/30 From 1975: Cutch 20-20, GI & Freddy For 4, Paul's Debut, Comin' Back, Game Days, Hayes-Martinez & Buechele Deals, Latin HoF, Bye Rick, HBD Luis & Marlon

1977 - OF Marlon Byrd was born in Boynton Beach, Florida. The Pirates acquired the vet, along with John Buck, from the Mets for the 2013 stretch run in exchange for Dilson Herrera and Vic Black. He came through, hitting .318 with three homers during the regular season and .364 in the postseason with a big three-run homer in the Wild Card win against the Reds. He then signed with the Phils during the off season. Byrd also picked up a pair of PED suspensions, in 2012 and 2016, with the second one ending his 15-year, 11-team MLB career.

1979 - IF Luis Rivas was born in La Guaira, Venezuela. Luis played for eight years, primarily for the Twins, and finished his career in Pittsburgh in 2008, batting .218 (he had never hit under .256 in his prior stops) after signing a minor league FA deal for $525K. He did have one big week - he had his first two-homer game on May 25th and banged his first grand slam on the 31st.

1984 - Bob Hertzel of the Press reported that the Pirates were making reliever Kent Tekulve available, but the market wasn’t biting. Teke still had three years left on his contract worth $2.6M, was 37 years old and had a 3.29 ERA with just 10 saves. The Bucs couldn’t move him, but after an icy start in 1985, they dropped their price and sent him to the Phils for Al Holland in late April. 

1990 - The Pirates picked up vet OF/1B Carmelo Martinez from the Phillies for OF’s Tony Longmire, Wes Chamberlain and Julio Peguero. The deal was made of necessity; GM Larry Doughty had placed them on waivers that he believed to be recallable; he was wrong, and so worked out a deal with the Phils. Martinez lasted less than a season with the Bucs, while the young outfield prospects ended up with bench roles during their brief careers, with Chamberlain the only one with legs, lasting six years for the Phils and Reds as a part-timer.

1991 - The Rangers traded 3B Steve Buechele to the Pirates for young pitchers Kurt Miller and Hector Fajardo. Buechele, a FA, signed with the Pirates after the season, but was moved at the next deadline for Danny Jackson after hitting .248 in 453 BA and played four more seasons through 1995. Miller tossed off-and-on until 1999, appearing in 44 games for the Marlins and Cubs, while Fajardo was done in 1995 after pitching in 28 games for the Rangers.

Charlie Hayes - 1996 Leaf

1996 - The Pirates sent 3B Charlie Hayes to the Yankees (the eighth player New York brought in during August) for a PTBNL, RHP Chris Corn. Charlie hit .286 for the Yankees and played through 2001; Corn never advanced past AA ball. Hayes’ son Ke’Bryan carried on the local legacy until he was dealt in 2025.

2002 - After marathon sessions, Bud Selig & Donald Fehr announced a new four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the MLBPA. Revenue sharing increased, random drug tests were permitted, a luxury tax was introduced, the minimum salary rose to $300K and contraction, a major bone of contention, was ruled out until at least 2006. The 30th was the drop-dead date set by the Union to wrap up negotiations and the two sides just beat the clock. 

2005 - The Milwaukee Brewers fell by a score of 6-0 to the Bucs behind Paul Maholm’s four-hitter at Miller Park, an impressive outing for the 23-year-old lefty’s first MLB start on a game day delayed due to rain. It was an oasis in an otherwise arid stretch of games that saw Pittsburgh lose 11-of-12 contests. The Bucs put up a five spot in the first inning, keyed by Jack Wilson’s base-clearing, bases-loaded double (he also later started a slick DP with a diving stop and open glove feed to Freddy Sanchez). The Bucs had the bases empty with two outs, but Doug Davis walked four of the next five batters, all on 3-2 pitches, before Wilson cashed in.

2006 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the 11th inning against the Cubs to take a last-man-standing, 10-9, victory at PNC Park. The 12,730 fans who came out for the getaway game saw lots of action, as the two teams pounded out 40 hits (20 each) and not one cleared a fence. Chicago tallied twice off Marty McLeary (who got the win), but the Bucs scored on Jose Castillo’s single to cut the lead to one. A walk later, the bases were jammed for Freddy Sanchez, and he lined a two-run, two-out single to right for the win, giving him four RBI on the night. Castillo had four knocks while Jason Bay and Xavier Nady had three hits. The win gave the Bucs a three-game sweep and their second straight walkoff win v Chicago.

Freddy Sanchez - 2006 Upper Deck

2011 - Andrew McCutchen was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal outing as he hit a ninth-inning homer against the Houston Astros in an 8-2 loss at Minute Maid Park. With that swat, he became the eighth Pirates player to ring up 20 home runs/20 stolen bases in one season, and the first since Nate McLouth, who Cutch later replaced, in 2008. Starling Marte last pulled off the honors for the Bucs in both 2018 (20 homers/33 steals) and 2019 (23 homers, 25 steals).

2013 - The Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cards, 5-0, at PNC Park behind Francisco Liriano’s two-hitter and a 3-for-4 night by Garrett Jones, who had four RBI and was a triple short of the cycle. The HR was #100 of his career. Pittsburgh moved back into a Central Division tie for first with the Redbirds in front of a sellout crowd of 38,036, ultimately finishing second to earn a wild card.

2013 - The Dominican-based Latino Baseball Hall of Fame announced its newest class at Marlins Park, and it was well-repped by ex-Pirates inductees Matty Alou (1966-70), Vic Davalillo (1971-73), Rennie Stennett (1971-79), Tony Armas (1976) and Julian Javier, Bucs farmhand from 1956-59 who was blocked by Maz and dealt to the Cards.

2014 - Neil Walker provided the day’s offense with his first-inning, three-run homer, and it was just enough to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 win over Cincinnati at PNC Park in front of 38,023 fans. Vance Worley earned the win with Justin Wilson, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon finishing up with 2-2/3 scoreless innings from the pen.

2021 - Hitting coach Rick Eckstein was let go by the Pirates. He was hired by GM Neal Huntington in November of 2018 to replace Jeff Branson and retained by Ben Cherington, but never got a lot of talent to work with, and after a couple of dismal offensive seasons by the club, lost his spot. Andy Haimes, formerly of the Brew Crew, was hired to replace him after the season (Matt Hague took his spot in 2025). Brother David was a special assistant to the GM between 2019-21 before he too departed. Rick now works for USA Baseball.

8/29 Through 1984: Robby-Rick & Bob Shows, Double The Fun, Game Days, WENS TV, RIP Big Poison, TSN Giusti, HBD Billy, Dode, Pep, Woody, Ensign & Jimmie

1883 - UT Jimmie Savage was born in Southington, Connecticut. Savage appeared in the show for three seasons, including 1914-15 when he played for the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League. Jimmie, then 30-years-old, played mostly in left but filled in at short and third base as needed. He finished his Rebel days with a .278 BA and his only MLB homer. He stayed local, dying in New Castle, but true to his family roots, Jimmie was buried in Southington.

1888 - LHP Ensign (his given name) Cottrell was born in Hoosick Falls, New York. He started his five-year career in the majors in 1911 with the Pirates after leaving Syracuse University, giving up four runs in his inning of work, and was released later in the season without any more action. He tossed his last game in 1915 for the Yankees, then went off to RPI to finish his education, becoming a self-employed civil engineer and surveyor in Syracuse.

1892 - OF/1B Roy “Woody” Wood was born in Monticello, Arkansas. Roy started his three-year career with the Pirates after playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He hit .286 in a short stint, played two years for Cleveland and then left baseball after the 1916 season to become a naval aviator in WW1. Woody went back to Fayetteville afterward, opened a dry goods store and was a mover in the town’s civic affairs before passing away at home in 1974.

1907 - IF Lemuel Floyd “Pep” Young was born in Jamestown, North Carolina. He played eight years (1933-40) for the Bucs, hitting .264 and playing mainly second, but with some shortstop and third thrown in. He was a lineup regular for four years, with the high tide of his career being in 1938, when he received some votes for the National League MVP after hitting .278 in 149 games. As fate would have it, he hurt his knee the next season, and played just 93 games over his three years (1940-41; 1945). He became Pep because he was as peppy as an Energizer Bunny. Per the Harrisburg Daily Independent,  "He is the sort of player...who is on his toes all the time, chock full of life and ginger. It was his great display of energy in the minors that earned him the nickname of 'Pep.'"

Pep Young - 1940 Play Ball

1918 - C Joe “Dode” Schultz Jr. was born in Chicago. He played for the Bucs from 1939-41, hitting .231 as a seldom used reserve and pinch hitter. His dad, Joe Sr., was also a Pirate, donning the Bucco uni in 1916. Dode went on to manage the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and replaced Billy Martin as the Tigers skipper in 1973 in addition to serving a long minor league coaching career. As for his nickname, Rory Costello of SABR wrote “As a child, Joe’s parents nicknamed him Dode, although the boy (Joe) ‘had no idea what it meant, if anything.’” The book “Detroit Tigers Lists and More” by Mark Pattison & David Raglin claims Dode is shorthand for “Dodo.” No wonder Joe feigned innocence...

1919 - SS Billy Cox was born in Newport, located in central Pennsylvania. He got a September call-up in 1941, spent four years in the service and became the starting Bucco shortstop in 1946-47, batting .280. He was traded to Brooklyn, moved to the hot corner, and played seven seasons for the Dodgers. Cox played in three World Series, where he hit .302.

1925 - The eventual World Series champ Bucs put on a batting clinic against Philly in a twin bill at the Baker Bowl, sweeping both ends, 11-2 and 13-1, while banging out 32 hits. Glenn Wright (homer/double) and Clyde Barnhart (double) each had three raps, scored twice and combined for seven RBI to pave an easy road for Emil Yde’s 15th win. In the nightcap, Ray Kremer spun a five-hitter for his 12th dub. Wright (double), Pie Traynor (two homers) and George Grantham (two doubles) totalled 11 hits, plated eight times and chased home six runs. Johnny Gooch added a pair of knocks and posted three RBI.

1953 - TV station WENS (Channel 16) kicked off its entry into the Pittsburgh market by being the first to televise a Pirate game from Forbes Field. There were two high cameras (one behind home, the other on the first base line; eventually, a third field-level camera was added) while the radio announcers, Rosey Rowswell and Bob Prince, did the play-by-play. Oh, the Bucs lost to the St. Louis Cards 5-4 in front of 3,145 that Saturday afternoon despite 2B Johnny O’Brien’s three hits. WENS chose the ballgame to start as they were heavily into sports, televising not only the Bucs but Duquesne basketball and Pittsburgh Hornet hockey. WENS (W-Entertainment, News, Sports) was an ABC affiliate and went off the air in 1957 after Channels 4 & 11 were licensed.

Rosey Rowswell - 1952 Topps

1956 - The Pirates rallied in the ninth to tie the Braves 1-1 at County Stadium, only to lose when Roy Face was tagged for a three-run, walkoff homer by Joe Adcock. But there was, despite the low score, plenty of action. In the fourth, Dick Groat asked for a clean ball to be put into play and home plate Frank Dascoli denied him. That started a heated argument, as the Bucs believed Milwaukee starter Lew Burdette was tossing a wet one (a career-long suspicion), which was the trigger for Groat’s request. Then in the eighth, Frank Thomas was rung up trying to score; that call was also disputed and ended up getting Danny Murtaugh and Ronnie Kline sent to the showers.

1959 - Bob Friend helped himself by driving in three runs with a two-out, bases-loaded double while tossing a nine-hitter against the Phils in an 11-1 romp at Forbes Field. Smoky Burgess also chased home a trio of runs with a pair of homers while Dick Groat added four hits.

1965 - Hall of Fame OF’er Paul “Big Poison” Waner died in Sarasota, Florida at age 62. Among his many marks were a .333 lifetime BA, 3,152 hits with eight 200+ hit seasons, and a 1927 MVP award. His #11 was retired by the Pirates in 2007. After his playing days, he owned a batting cage teaching establishment in Harmarville, and one of the guys he helped develop there was rookie shortstop and eventual MVP Dick Groat of Wilkinsburg. 

1970 - Dave Giusti was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Pirate Cutthroat.” He posted a line of 9-3-26/3.06 during his “cutthroat” campaign, answering the bell 66 times and working 103 innings. 

Dave Giusti - TSN Cover Boy

1978 - Despite a 36-minute rain delay, Bert Blyleven spun a five-hit, complete game shutout with eight strikeouts in a 5-0 win over the Reds at Riverfront Stadium. Willie Stargell led the attack with three hits, including a homer, and three RBI while Dave Parker & Ed Ott anted up a pair of knocks. It was Bert’s 39th whitewash; he would go on to toss 60 during his career.

1983 - The Pirates Rick Rhoden, with late help from Kent Tekulve, edged the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 at Riverfront Stadium to increase the Bucs division lead to 1-1/2 games over the Phils and Expos. Rhoden scattered six hits and fanned nine while helping himself at the dish with an RBI knock; the other run came courtesy of a Marvell Wynne homer. Teke picked up the slack by tossing two innings of one-hit ball to close it out after Rhoden left the game with a twinge in his arm.

1984 - God helps those who help themselves: RHP Don Robinson pitched two scoreless innings of relief, knocked in the go-ahead run and scored the insurance marker as the Pirates beat the Astros 4-2 at The Astrodome. Robinson broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th inning with a two-out single and touched home with an insurance run after Tony Pena followed with a double.