4/17 Through 1964: Joe, Hank & Arriba 1st's, Russ Signs, Eddie Joins, Roberto Bid, Wrigley Redo, Zippos, Openers & Game Days, HBD Bode

• 1902 - Tommy Leach scored the game’s only run in the third inning as Deacon Phillippe won a 1-0 duel against the Cards Stan Yerkes on Opening Day at Robison Field in front of 6,000 fans. Leach singled, went to third after a Redbirds boot and scored when St. Louis tried a tag ‘em out, throw ‘em out DP that was frustrated by the heady baserunning of Jack O’Connor, whose stop-and-go dance between bases eluded the tag. The Bucs were 103-36 that year and took the National League pennant, but there wasn’t a World Series until the following season because of bad blood between the leagues. For Phillippe, it was the first of three consecutive Season Opening wins. 
• 1903 - RHP Bob (his first name was John, but he was called by his middle name of Bode) Osborn was born in San Diego, Texas. Osborn was sold by the Cubs to the Pirates after a hot start in late April of 1931 when the Bucs were short on the hill with pitchers Ervin Brame, Remy Kremer and Steve Swetonic out of action. Osborn was a swingman, and the Bucs used him mainly out of the pen. He appeared in 27 games (64-2/3 IP), starting twice and slashing 6-1/5.01. During the off season, Osborn was traded and never played in the majors again. 
• 1908 - Sam Leever tossed a three-hit 3-0 shutout over the Cardinals at Robison Field to lead the Bucs to a series sweep. More importantly in the long run, though, was the signing of 34-year-old Honus Wagner, who had retired in March. Barney Dreyfuss made him the highest paid player in baseball (and the first to earn five figures) with a $10,000 deal after an initial $6K offer went nowhere, and The Flying Dutchman proved worth every penny. Bill James cited Wagner's 1908 campaign as the greatest single season ever for any player; the Dutchman hit .354 with 109 RBI in an era when half as many runs were scored as today. James wondered in his 2001 book Historical Baseball Abstract "if you had a Gold Glove shortstop like Wagner, who drove in 218 runs (109 x 2), what would he be worth?” Hans’ salary, btw, remained at $10K per year for nine of his final 10 seasons (Hans made $6K again for his last campaign in 1917 when he was a 43-year-old). 
• 1920 - The Bucs’ Elmer Ponder and the Cards’ Jesse Haines carried a scoreless ballgame into the 13th inning at St. Louis’ Robison Park. The Pirates finally broke the ice with three runs in what proved to be a lucky 13th, driven in by Max Carey/Billy Southworth, and Ponder finished up with an eight-hit goose egg. It was his first full big league season as Ponder was an airman in WW1 who became an aerial ace; Elmer was wounded in action and received the French Croix de la Valeur Militaire (Cross of Military Valor). He’s thought to be the first ballplayer to be awarded with a combat medal in the war. 

Charlie Grimm - 1923 photo Bain/Library of Congress

• 1923 - The Cubs opened newly remodeled Wrigley Field in front of 33,000 faithful, but the Bucs took the honors 3-2 on Charlie Grimm’s three-run, bases-loaded double in the fourth. The Pirates only had three hits, but Johnny Morrison made them stand up, working a complete game and giving up just one earned run; all three runs off his mound opponent, Tiny Osborne, were unearned. 
• 1934 - The Pirates opened the season at Sportsman Park against the Cards, and their lineup was pretty loaded: Lloyd Waner, Freddie Lindstrom, Paul Waner, Pie Traynor and Arky Vaughan, all eventual Hall of Famers, hit 1-through-5 with dependable Gus Suhr behind them. It didn’t help as Dizzy Dean tamed them, 7-1. The club finished in fifth place with a disappointing 74-76 slate. 
• 1939 - The Pirates trailed 5-2 on Opening Day before scoring four times in the eighth inning and eventually taking a 7-5 decision from the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. Gus Suhr led the way for the Pirates by collecting three RBI while Cy Blanton started and hung around long enough to earn the win, with the save by Mace Brown. Suhr and Pep Young each collected three hits. 
• 1940 - RHP Russ Bauers signed his contract on Opening Day for an undisclosed amount, with the papers guessing it was more than Pittsburgh’s original offer but less than his ‘39 salary. Even though he had turned down the Pirates opening bid, Russ was invited to camp, allowing the Pirates to see how he looked and pegging his value on how he performed after coming back from arm woes in 1939 and a winter car accident. His arm appeared OK and he got his deal, but Russ may have come back from his bout with injuries too soon. Bauers only worked 68 innings over the next two years with a 6.49 ERA and 43 walks, was sent to the minors in 1942 and then spent three years in the service. He pitched in the show just two more seasons, posting 43 innings of work in 1946 with the Cubs and a single two-inning outing for the Browns in 1950. 

Russ Bauers - 1940 Play Ball

• 1945 - The Bucs came out on the short end of the stick, losing 7-6 in 11 innings on Opening Day to the Reds in a game filled with improbabilities. With the Bucs up 2-0 in the fifth and two runners aboard, baserunner Frankie Zak called time to tie his shoe, and got it from the ump. But Reds pitcher Bucky Walters had his back to the play and delivered a pitch to Jim Russell. He knocked out of the park, but it didn’t count. (He followed with an RBI knock and later scored, so no harm done). Next, Cincy’s Dain Clay drilled a grand slam that was his only HR of the year in 700 plate appearances. Finally, the win went to forty-six-year old Hod Lisenbee, who had been out of the majors for the past nine years, after he worked two innings of hitless relief to earn the last W of his career. The next day, Pittsburgh manager Frankie Frisch presented Zak with a pair of spikes that buckled rather than laced up to commemorate his ill-timed time out. The game featured three future Hall of Fame managers - Frisch for Pittsburgh, Bill McKechnie for Cincy and Pirates C Al Lopez, who went on to a 17-year career as skipper for Cleveland and the White Sox after his playing days ended. 
• 1947 - Hank Greenberg connected on his first Pirate homer as the Bucs whupped the Cubs 7-1 at Wrigley Field. Pirate starter Preacher Roe was on cruise control and didn't allow a hit until the seventh inning. Chicago starter Hank Wyse was victimized by back-to-back boots by SS Lennie Merullo in the seventh inning, allowing the Pirates to plate six unearned runs; the Bucs only had seven hits. 
• 1951 - 25,894 hardy souls braved the snow to watch the Bucs win their Home Opener 5-4 over the Cards at Forbes Field. Murry Dickson pitched six innings and homered in the win. Wally Westlake also went long while Bill Werle tossed three shutout innings for the save. It featured the first shooting of live footage for a movie tentatively titled “Angels And The Pirates” (it hit the theaters as “Angels In the Outfield”), starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh and was released in October. 
• 1953 - The Pirates claimed 35-year-old infielder Eddie Pellagrini off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. For a giveaway, Eddie gave the Bucs a solid 1953, batting .253 in 78 games, but faded the following season when he hit .216 in his ninth and final MLB campaign. Pellagrini went on to become the baseball coach at Boston College from 1958 to 1990 and took the Eagles to three College World Series. 

Eddie Pellagrini - photo via Baseball Birthdays

• 1955 - Roberto Clemente, a 20-year-old rookie from Carolina, Puerto Rico, made his MLB debut in right field at Forbes Field during a double header (he patrolled center in the nightcap). In his first at bat, Clemente legged out an infield single off the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Johnny Podres, the first step on his journey to 3,000 career hits. Roberto collected two more knocks in the second game, including a double, but the Bucs lost both ends of the twinbill, 10-3 and 3-2. It was phase one of the Bucco rebuild, with guys like Roberto, Dick Groat, Bob Friend, Vern Law and ElRoy Face manning the roster, to be joined the following season by Bill Mazeroski, Bill Virdon and Bob Skinner. Roberto was wearing #13 to start the season; he didn’t get to claim his now-retired #21 until May after OF Earl Smith, who was originally issued the number, was sent to the minors. 
• 1958 - Les Biederman, the Pirates beat guy for the Pittsburgh Press, wrote that the Braves were renewing their push to pry Roberto Clemente away from the Pirates. They made an offer in the spring that GM Joe L. Brown thought was lowball, and the new lure of RHP Bob Buhl (an 18-game winner in 1957 who had several good seasons left), a reliever and a bench piece didn’t change Brown’s mind. As Biederman prophetically noted, “He’s (Clemente) on the doorstep of greatness now and there’s no telling how high he can go.” The Bucs did try the old switch-and-bait ruse by dangling Roman Mejias to Milwaukee instead of Roberto, but the Bravos wisely didn't bite. 
• 1960 - LHP Joe Gibbon made his MLB debut in the second game of a twinbill against the Reds at Forbes Field in front of 16,196 fans, coming in to mop up with the Pirates down 5-0 in the eighth. He tossed a pair of scoreless innings and the rambunctious Bucs scored six times in the ninth to give him the 6-5 win, his first big league victory. Bill Mazeroski had an RBI knock, Hal Smith banged a three-run pinch hit homer and Bob Skinner walked it off with a two-run, two-out blast off Ted Wieand after Dick Groat kept it alive with a single through the box. The Hound was mobbed at the plate by the fans (he told Les Biederman of the Press “They seemed to come from all directions and converged on home plate. They just about carried Dick Groat and me into the dugout. Or maybe I was just walking on air.”) while Reds skipper Fred Hutchinson broke several chairs after he stomped into the visitors' locker room. The Bucs won the opener, 5-0, behind Bob Friend's four-hitter; he K’ed six. Skinner, Groat, Roberto Clemente (HR & 3B) and Dick Hoak each had two hits; Dick Stuart tripled and chased home three runs. 
• 1964 - The Pirates defeated the Mets 4-3 before 48‚736 fans in the first game played at Shea Stadium, with Bob Friend going the distance to earn the win over Cuban righty Ed Bauta. In the second inning, Willie Stargell smacked the first home run ever hit at the ballyard off starter Jack Fisher for the first of Pops' four hits - he was a triple shy of the cycle - on the day. Roberto Clemente and Donn Clendenon added three raps apiece as the Bucs banged out 16 hits, but kept it interesting by stranding 13 runners.

4/17 From 1965: AJ, Smiley, RJ & Game Days, Barbato Joins, SI Wills, TRS Markers; HBD Ronny, Deolis & Andy

• 1967 - Maury Wills was the cover boy for Sports Illustrated’s “Baseball 1967” issue. In his first year as a Buc, he hit .302 with 92 runs and 29 swiped sacks after coming to town from LA in exchange for Bob Bailey and Gene Michael. 
• 1968 - The Pirates ran wild on the Houston Astros, taking a 13-4 win at Forbes Field in front of 30,799 fans. The Bucs banged out 17 hits (Maury Wills and Milt May had three, while Gene Alley, Donn Clendenon, Billy Maz and Pops had a pair; everyone in the lineup had at least one rap and either scored or drove home a run, with six doing both) and stole five bases, with Clendenon swiping home while Wills took second and third in one trip. Manny Mota even got into the act, scoring from first on a single that dropped 30’ behind third base, running through coach Alex Grammas’ “whoa” and catching ‘Stro OF’er Jim Wynn napping. Al McBean was the recipient of the runfest, going the distance despite giving up 10 hits. 
• 1973 - Coach Andy Barkett was born in Miami, Florida. The former OF/1B had a major league career of one month, spent in Pittsburgh (he did hit .305) in 2001. After a long tour of duty in the minors, Andy started coaching in the Marlins system in 2010, moved on to Detroit and then became the minor league hitting coach for the Pirates in 2016. He got the manager’s job at Indy when Dean Treanor left to become the Marlins bullpen coach in 2017, then worked with Boston for three years. He’s now a minor league hitting instructor for the Chicago White Sox. 
• 1988 - R.J. Reynolds posted the first four-hit game of his career to lead the Pirates to a 12-7 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He had lots of help: Andy Van Slyke homered twice while Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla also went deep (a 30-MPH wind blowing out helped the cause); that trio collected three hits each. AVS, Bo and RJ had three RBI apiece while Bonds, Bonilla and Van Slyke scored three times. Jeff Robinson’s win in relief of Vincente Palacios left Pittsburgh with an 8-3 mark. 

Deolis Guerra - 2015 photo Ronald Modra/Getty

• 1989 - RHP Deolis Guerra was born in San Felix, Venezuela. The Pirates signed him as a minor league free agent in the 2014 off season and he made his MLB debut with the Bucs as a 26-year-old in June of the following year. He won two games in 10 outings, averaging a K per nine but also posting a 6.48 ERA. Pittsburgh re-signed him to a minor league deal, but he was lost to the Angels via the Rule 5 draft. Guerra has tossed for five teams in his six-year career and is now pitching in Mexico after undergoing TJ surgery in ‘22. 
• 1991 - LHP John Smiley retired the last 23 Mets he faced in front of 14,792 fans at TRS while spinning a one-hit 4-0 shutout. Smiley fanned four with no walks on 111 pitches with the only hit a fly-ball single that LF Gary Varsho misread. The Pirates finally broke away from Ron Darling thanks to Jeff King’s two-run shot (he also had seven assists from 3B, several of which were hot shots); the match was a 1-0 seventh inning duel before Jeff’s bomb. The first and last runs were unearned gifts from New York as the Bucs could only muster five hits themselves. 
• 1999 - The Pirates jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first at Cinergy Field, but it took them 10 frames to finally secure a 7-6 win over the Reds. The Pirates opening frame outburst was primed by a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double by Brant Brown. Cincy chipped away at four Bucco pitchers to tie it in the seventh only to see the Bucs reclaim the game when Warren Morris’ ground ball single to right scored Abraham Nunez. Brown led Pittsburgh with three hits; the Pirates had 11 knocks and were helped by 10 Redleg walks (Pirates pitchers issued seven free passes). Jason Christiansen tossed the last two innings for the win. 
• 2000 - OF Ronny Simon was born in La Romana, Dominican Republic. The versatile player (he can also play middle IF) was signed by the Cubs in 2018, then bounced around in the Arizona, Tampa Bay and Miami systems before debuting in 2025 with the Marlins. He hit .234 in 17 games and was DFA’ed; the Pirates claimed him in June of ‘25 and called him up in mid-August after Oneil Cruz suffered a concussion. He lost time to show his stuff when in late August, he slid home to squeak out a squeeze, dislocated his shoulder and landed on the IL instead of the field. An FA after the season, he re-signed with the Bucs, made it back for a taste of camp and is now playing at Indy. 

Dave Williams - 2002 Upper Deck 40-Man

• 2002 - Lloyd McClendon gave five regulars the day off and a later bit of snit cost him Aramis Ramirez, but he still had enough firepower to eke past the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 at Miller Park. Pitcher Dave Williams blooped a two-run, two-out flare in the second to provide the bulk of the Bucco attack, then bopped Geoff Jenkins in the Brew Crew half. Ben Sheets paid it back by drilling Ramirez in the butt in the following frame, triggering A-Ram to charge the mound while flinging his helmet at Sheets, who responded by zipping his mitt at the Pirates infielder. The teams met at the mound quickly for a little jaw session before the two protagonists were ejected. The Brewers tied it up in the fourth frame thanks to a walk and error before Brant Brown’s fifth-inning homer provided the final margin. Williams went five innings for the win, with help from Mike Lincoln, Brian Boehringer, Joe Beimel, and a save by Mike Williams. The three-game brooming of the Brew Crew gave the Buccos their first road sweep since 2000. 
• 2011 - Andrew McCutchen (3-for-3 w/two walks) and Jose Tabata led off the game with back-to-back home runs off Edinson Volquez, the third time that had been done in club history. The Pirates scored four times in the opening inning and outlasted the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 at Great American Ball Park. Garrett Jones also homered and had two knocks. The Bucs went through six pitchers in the game, with Chris Resop getting the win and Joel Hanrahan closing out for the save. 
• 2013 - AJ Burnett had a no-hitter going against the Cards at PNC Park, carrying the no-no into the seventh before Carlos Beltran banged a double. It was a big day for AJ; he also went over the 2,000 mark in career strikeouts with eight whiffs and no walks. The last two innings were closed out by Mark Melancon, Tony Watson and Jason Grilli as the Bucs won 5-0 behind a balanced attack - nine different Buccos had hits, with Cutch and Neil Walker collecting a pair of knocks each. 
• 2014 - The Pirates broke open an early pitching duel with the Brew Crew when they scored nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings to blow past Milwaukee at PNC Park, 11-2. The offense was primed by four long balls off the bats of Andrew McCutchen, Josh Harrison, Gaby Sanchez and Pedro Alvarez. Edinson Volquez went seven innings to claim his first victory as a Bucco. 

Edinson Volquez - 2014 Topps First Edition

• 2017 - RHP Johnny Barbato, 24, was traded by the New York Yankees to the Pirates for a PTBNL (RHP Matt Frawley). He broke camp with the Bucs, was sent to Indy in June and came back in August, pitching to a 0-1/4.08 line in 24 MLB outings. He was waived in the off season and claimed by the Tigers. Johnny later tossed in Japan for a year, was an indie league player/coach, tossed in Mexico and is now a free agent. 
• 2023 - The final score of 14-3 conjured up visions of a Steelers-Broncos clash, but it was the final count of the Bucs victory over the Rockies at Coors Field. 43-year-old Rich Hill won his first game as a Pirate with lots of help. Mark Mathias had a career-high four hits, and four other guys - Ke’Bryan Hayes (three RBI), Bryan Reynolds, Andrew McCutchen (homer) and Carlos Santana (three RBI) added a pair of raps while Ji Hwan Bae scored three times and drove home two. 
• 2025 - Three more memorial plaques were dedicated honoring the history of TRS. Located on West Robinson Street, they commemorated the spot where second base was in remembrance of Roberto Clemente’s cap tip after collecting his 3,000th hit, the pitcher’s rubber spot and a general overview placard. A marker for the home plate location was erected in 2023 in the Gold Lot and a state Historical marker was put up in 2006 on North Shore Drive noting the highlights from the stadium’s glory days. The date itself is historical - it was on the anniversary of Clemente’s first MLB hit in 1955. 
• 2025 - The Bucs claimed the series against the Nats at PNC with a 1-0 win when Andrew Heaney tossed shutout ball into the eighth to make Oneil Cruz’s leadoff homer stand up. It was the second time since 1900 that a leadoff Pirates homer led to a 1-0 win; Carlos Garcia’s opening dinger in 1993 against the Florida Marlins at Joe Robbie Stadium was the first. Heaney gave up five hits and K’ed four in 7-1/3 IP, with Ryan Borucki and Dennis Santana finishing it off. The effort was well timed; Pittsburgh only posted five hits during the day. For Heaney, it was a fitting celebration of his 10th MLB service year earned on this day after working for five teams. He finished out as a Dodger and then retired in 2025.

4/16: Brown-Bowman, Mr. Swat Debut, Babe Ball, Bailey & Cruz Duo, Dual Slams, Jose K, Amends For Arriba, Openers & Game Days; HBD Big Poison, Bash, Keone, Babe & Piggy

• 1867 - Utilityman Frank “Piggy” Ward was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He made his first big league appearance at age 16 and played in 221 games over six years in the majors; six of them were with Pittsburgh in 1891 when he went 6-for-18 with three runs scored. Piggy set a record (since tied) in June of 1893 - he reached base a record 17 times (errors & force-outs not counted) in 17 consecutive plate appearances, with eight hits, eight walks and one hit by a pitch. To top it off, his three-day spree started as an Oriole and ended as a Red. Ward's overall pro career ran from 1883 to 1906, and he didn’t last many moons beyond it. A fall off a telephone pole he was working on in 1909 left him paralyzed and he finally passed away in 1912. 
• 1903 - The Pirates started the season off right, defeating the Reds 7-1 behind a Deacon Phillippe two-hitter. Playing before 12‚000 fans at Cincinnati’s Palace of the Fans, it was the first of four straight wins over Cincy to open a season that would eventually take the Bucs to the first World Series against the Boston Americans. The team arrived with an entourage of 50 Pittsburgh rooters who came for the games and the action - one fan was said to have offered $1,000 wager on the game; there was no report on whether he found a Cincinnati taker. 
• 1903 - Hall-of-Fame RF Paul "Big Poison" Waner was born in Harrah, Oklahoma. He had a 20-year big league career, with the first 15 spent in Pittsburgh. As a Pirate, Waner compiled a line of .340/.407/.490. He was also the elder half of a legendary Bucco brother act, spending 14 years in the pasture with his baby bro “Little Poison” Lloyd, who was also Cooperstown-bound; they became the second pair of bros, behind George and Harry Wright, to enter the Hall. 
• 1908 - C Ernest “Babe” Phelps was born in Odenton, Maryland. Babe, a 10-year vet, joined former teammate Al Lopez with the Pirates in 1942 as part of the Arky Vaughan deal with Brooklyn and shared the backstop duties with Lopez, hitting .284 in 95 games. Babe was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for yet another Babe, veteran first sacker Babe Dahlgren, at the end of the year, but the 34-year-old Phelps never reported to his new club, instead retiring to end his MLB career. Babe batted .310 in the show with a .362 OBP & .472 slugging %, joining the NL All-Star Team from 1938-1940. He passed away in 1992 after being inducted into the Dodgers Hall of Fame (he played seven seasons for Brooklyn and was a fan favorite), the Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame and the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame. And yes, our Babe did get his nickname from that slightly more noted Babe: Phelps was 6’2”, 235 pounds, and bore a passing resemblance to the Bambino, who he would become tight with later in his career. Cort Vitty of SABR wryly noted that “Later in his career, as his physique matured, Phelps would also be referred to as ‘Blimp.’" 

Max Carey - 1912 American Tobacco

• 1912 - The Bucs booked the rare 5-3-7 DP at Redland Field, with LF Max “Scoops” Carey sneaking behind second base after a sac bunt to finish a twin killing after the lead runner took a wide turn. The Pirates claimed an 8-2 decision for their first victory after four defeats while handing Cincy its first loss. Marty O’Toole got the win, giving up five hits although walking seven; three DPs helped keep him out of trouble. Carey, Honus Wagner and George Gibson each had two hits. 
• 1915 - The Pirates gave 24-year-old rookie Dazzy Vance his first and only Pittsburgh start; he lost 4-2 to the Cincinnati Reds, facing 14 batters and walking five of them. They quickly sold him to the Yankees, who also gave up on him. But Dazzy was a classic late bloomer: when he was 31 and after arm surgery, he hit his stride with Brooklyn, winning double-digit games 10-of-11 years. Vance tossed until he was 44 on the road to 190 victories and a spot in the Hall of Fame. 
• 1929 - The Chicago Cubs drew their largest Opening Day crowd to date, an estimated 46,000 fans, but they didn’t help as the Cubbies lost to the Buccos 4-3 at Wrigley Field. Burleigh Grimes went the distance for the win while Pie Traynor banged out three hits and scored twice. 
• 1935 - The Reds lobbied to have their Home Opener moved up to this day (the two teams were the only NL clubs not scheduled to open on the 16th), and the league office agreed. In a classic case of being careful what you wish for, Pittsburgh clocked Cincinnati 12-6 in front of 27,400 at Crosley Field. Sam Byrd homered for the Bucs and Waite Hoyt picked up the win. The game was played on a cold, raw day that the Pittsburgh Press said was “...better suited for football than baseball.” The next day, the two teams caught a train and met again at Forbes Field for the Pirates Home Opener, and the Reds returned the favor, taking a 7-4 decision. 
• 1937 - The Pirates traded 1B/RF Earl Browne to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for LHP Joe Bowman. Bowman worked five years for the Bucs with a 33-38/4.35 record, splitting his time between starting and the pen while Browne’s last big league season was 1938. Bowman swung a good stick, too, batting .281 for the Pirates as an often-called-upon pinch hitter with 322 PA. 

Joe Bowman - 1937 photo Mears/TSN

• 1946 - 23-year-old Ralph Kiner made his MLB debut on Opening Day at St. Louis’ Sportsman Park, a 6-4 Bucco win. Ralph played center field (he was in the middle 75 times in ‘46 and then never again played the position, spending the rest of his big league days in left field) and went 1-for-4 with a walk. Mr. Swat hit .247 with a league-leading 23 long balls as a rookie. The future Hall-of-Famer led the NL in homers for a record seven straight seasons and Kiner’s 301 dingers during his eight-year Pirates career ranks second in club annals, behind Willie Stargell. 
• 1953 - The Pirates beat the Phils in a 14-12 barnburner on Opening Day at Forbes Field. The Phillies scored nine runs in the top of the fifth and the Pirates came back with six in the bottom half to tie the NL record for runs in an inning. The Bucs added five more in the sixth to pull ahead. It was a team effort; all nine members of Pittsburgh’s starting lineup had at least one hit. Cal Abrams led the pack with three knocks while Danny O’Connell had three RBI. The last of five Bucco pitchers, Murry Dickson, got the win by working four scoreless frames to stop the bleeding. 
• 1958 - The Bucs opened the season by edging the defending World Series champs, the Milwaukee Braves 4-3 at County Stadium. It took 14 innings before RC Stevens’ single chased home Dick Groat with the eventual winning tally. The game was started by Warren Spahn and Bob Friend, with the Bucs holding a 3-2 lead after scoring in the ninth frame, but the Braves tied it against ElRoy Face in their half. Rookies Ron Blackburn and Curt Raydon tossed zeroes over the final four frames, with Blackburn getting the win and Raydon the save. 
• 1962 - Roberto Clemente's three-run homer in the fifth propelled the Bucs to a 6-5 win over Chicago at Wrigley Field, redeeming himself for a first-inning error that allowed a run to plate. Diomedes Olivo was credited with the win over the Cubs in relief of starter Bob Veale. Bill Virdon had three knocks while Dick Groat, Dick Stuart and Don Hoak each chipped in a pair of hits. 

Roberto Clemente - 1962 Jay Publishing

• 1985 - Jose DeLeon tied the Bucco record for most strikeouts thrown in a game by a right-handed pitcher (Bob Moose set the mark in 1969) as he whiffed 14 Mets at TRS. He gave up four hits without a run or walk in eight innings of work. The effort fell short, though, as the Pirates went down 1-0, victims of a Ron Darling/Jesse Orosco one-hitter. John Candelaria took the loss in relief. 
• 1993 - RHP Keone Kela was born in Los Angeles. The Texas closer joined the Bucs at the 2018 deadline, coming east in return for minor league LHP Taylor Hearn and PTBNL. He quickly stepped in as the Pirates eighth inning arm, going 0-1/2.93 in 16 appearances before being shut down in mid-September with a case of dead arm. KK continued to be hounded, first by Covid 19 and then arm woes, in 2020 before moving on to San Diego the following season. After a brief stop with the Dodgers in ‘22, then signed in Japan and is now tossing in Mexico. 
• 1993 - RHP Tyler “Bash” Bashlor was born in Springfield, Georgia. After two years with the New York Mets (0-6/5.33, 48 games), he was sold to Pirates in early August and called up to the big club two weeks later. Bash featured a mid-nineties fastball and control problems. He was released in April, 2021 and spent ‘22 in the Minnesota Twins system as his last pro gig. 
• 1996 - Orlando Merced and Jay Bell both hit grand slams (the two grannies tied an MLB single-game record that not too surprisingly is shared by many) at Busch Stadium to lead the Bucs to a 13-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh banged out 20 knocks, led by Jeff King with four raps while Merced, Carlos Garcia, Al Martin and Keith Osik added three hits apiece. Zane Smith coasted to the victory and Jon Lieber mopped up the final three frames for a stress-free save. 
• 2025 - Pittsburgh took the series lead with the Nats by a 6-1 count at PNC Park. Bailey Falter went seven scoreless frames, facing the minimum 21 batters despite two hits and a walk; two DPs and a caught stealing eliminated those runners. Oneil Cruz hit a grand slam, his first MLB grannie, on the first pitch following a bit of basebrawl after Jorge Lopez hit Bryan Reynolds and headhunted Cutch back-to-back. He was ejected. Henry Davis added his first dinger of the year and posted two RBI as the Bucs rolled to victory in front of a meager cold-weather/bad ball crowd of 8,529.

4/15 Through 1964: Jackie, Hank & Chief Debuts, DPs, Howie, Rip & Game Days, Pgh Pros; HBD Mike, Wild Bill, Chaney, King, Abby & Bill

• 1871 - 3B Bill Grey (also spelled Gray) was born in Philadelphia. A utility player who yo-yoed between the majors and minors, he was picked up by the Pirates for the 1898 season as part of the Pink Hawley deal after hitting .357 for the Western League Indianapolis Hoosiers. He played one campaign here as the full-time third baseman (the only time he played one position for an entire year in the majors), getting 528 ABs but hitting just .229, and was dealt again, netting Ginger Beaumont. The Pirates were his last MLB stop; after two more minor-league seasons, he retired to his hometown. 
• 1876 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys fielded what’s often thought to be the city's first professional baseball team against the local Xanthas at North Side’s Union Park, winning 7-3. (The Alleghenys had paid players but were an independent club). They played in front of 2,000 fans despite an hour’s delay to doctor the field after some rain. The next year, the Alleghenys franchise joined the minor league International Association, but the team and league disbanded after the season. 
• 1877 - Ed Abbaticchio, considered by many to be the first Italian American to play MLB, was born in Latrobe. “Batty” was also one of the first to play both pro baseball and football, starring on the gridiron for Latrobe, arguably the first pro football team. The middle infielder played 3-1/2 of his nine big league seasons (1907-10) for Pittsburgh, hitting .253, and was a reserve for the 1909 World Series champs at age 32, a year away from his last MLB season. 
• 1886 - RHP Leonard “King” Cole was born in Toledo, Iowa. The jolly old soul spent six years in MLB, tossing 12 times for the Bucs in 1912 with a 2-2/6.43 line. The Pirates got him from the Cubs on May 30th with Solly Hofman for Tommy Leach and Lefty Leifield. He spent 1913 at Columbus and was then drafted by the Yankees. Cole had an interesting career, pitching the first Cubbie no-hitter in 1910 (seven innings, shortened by curfew) while winning 20 games, serving up Babe Ruth’s first hit while a Yankee hurler in 1914 (a double), and becoming a Ring Lardner hero in his Alibi Ike series of short stories. The King passed away not long after that, dying from TB in 1915 at age 29. He got his nickname from the Cub faithful, likely after the nursery rhyme character. 

King Cole - 1912 photo/Charles Conlan

• 1894 - OF Chaney White was born in Longview, Texas. Chaney played for 18 seasons in the Negro Leagues with one local stop, hitting .312 for the 1930 Homestead Grays. Chaney broke up Chet Brewer and Smokey Joe Williams’ legendary pitching duel when he doubled off the third base sack to plate Oscar Charleston with the game’s only run to defeat Brewer in the 12th frame. 
• 1908 - Opening Day at St. Louis’ Robison Field was a damp one (it was rescheduled from the day before, a rain out) and it showed as the Pirates and Cards combined for 10 errors. Still, it was a 0-0 duel between Pittsburgh’s Howie Camnitz and the Redbirds Johnny Lush going into the ninth when each team scored (who woulda guessed?) an unearned run. In the 10th inning, the Bucs turned a bopped batter and a botched forceout try into a pair of runs and Camitz took care of the rest to claim a 3-1 win. It was a big confidence booster for a young club; the Pirates were without Hans Wagner, who said he was retiring, but an offer two days later that doubled his salary lured him back. 
• 1921 - Pirate pitcher Moses “Chief” Yellow Horse made his major league debut against the Reds. Yellow Horse, a Pawnee, was believed by many baseball historians to be the first full-blooded American Indian to play in the big leagues. He worked the last two innings and “did not permit a single safe swat” per the Pittsburgh Press to save a win for Earl Hamilton as the Bucs beat the Reds, 3-1, at Redland Field. The Pirates won it in the eighth, filling the bases on a knock, error and swinging bunt single, and all three runners plated when Max Carey’s two-out bloop dropped. Yellow Horse spent both of his MLB seasons (1921-22) as a Pirate, and his nickname was said to have been bestowed on him by Rabbit Maranville. 
• 1926 - RHP William “Wild Bill” Pierro was born in Brooklyn (the date is debatable; Bill was deserted as an infant and raised by foster parents, the Pierros). A lanky kid, Pierro was a hot shot Bucco prospect and made it to the show in July of 1950. He featured a blazing fastball with a sidearm curve and fanned 275 batters in Class B Waco in 1949 after punching out 300 hitters in Bartlesville the previous season while compiling a 51-31/2.60 line in four minor-league seasons. He got into 12 games and made three starts for the Pirates, slashing 0-2/10.55. He lived up to his nickname, walking 28 batters in 29 IP, including six in one memorable frame. He butted heads with Branch Rickey over a variety of issues, not exactly helping his own cause, and was slated to work at the minor league complex on his control after 1951 camp broke. He was still with the big team on his 25th birthday when he was rushed to Pittsburgh’s Presbyterian Hospital with encephalitis and was in a coma for several weeks. Bill eventually recovered, but his days as an athlete were finished. He went back home to Brooklyn. 

Wild Bill Pierro - 1950 Post-Gazette photo

• 1947 - In his Pirate debut, Hank Greenberg’s sixth-inning double chased home Billy Cox to give the Bucs' a 1-0 victory over the Cubs and Hank Borowy. Rip Sewell got the win by scattering five hits at Wrigley Field. The slugger was brought in from the Tigers after a contract impasse and Greenberg wasted no time cashing in for Pittsburgh, along with tutoring young slugger Ralph Kiner. 
• 1947 - Jackie Robinson broke the color line when he made his Dodgers debut in front of 26,623 fans at Ebbets Field against the Boston Braves as the first black MLB player since 1884 (Moses Fleetwood Walker). Robinson started at first base and went hitless, but went on to win the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 after batting .297 with 125 runs scored and 29 stolen bases. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1962 and had his #42 jersey number retired league-wide in 1997 on April 15th. This date is celebrated across the MLB as “Jackie Robinson Day.” 
• 1958 - The Pirates beat the Braves 4-3 in a 14-inning contest, tying the longest Opening Day game ever played in the NL, a record they would tie again in 1969. Bill Virdon chased home Hank Foiles with the game winner at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. Ron Blackburn got the win and Curt Raydon picked up the save. Roberto Clemente, Dick Groat and Bob Skinner each had three hits; Bill Virdon and RC Stevens chipped in a pair, too, as the Bucs stranded 13 runners. 
• 1960 - OF/1B Mike Diaz was born in San Francisco. He played in Pittsburgh from 1986-88, hitting .250 with 28 HR in 524 AB. Diaz was dubbed “Rambo” by Bob Walk while with the Bucs because of his resemblance to Sly Stallone, and the club even promoted a popular poster of him under that nom de guerre. He had a second career in Japan lasting for four seasons beginning in 1989. 
• 1961 - The Dodgers and Pirates tied a league record by turning nine DPs (Los Angeles 5‚ Pittsburgh 4, with Dick Groat starting three of the double dips) in a 4-1 Buc win at Memorial Coliseum. It was only the second time (July 3rd, 1929, Cubs-Reds) that nine DPs have been turned in a nine-inning National League game, with eight the result of grounders. Bob Friend was the recipient of the twin killings. Bill Virdon smacked two homers, the first to lead off the game, and Don Hoak banged a bases-loaded, two-out double to chase home the Pirate tallies. The contest had a lot of moving pieces for the 46,667 fans; it started late when the lights failed, the Tiger snapped over a call at third and was ejected, and Dick Stuart went after Charley Neal in the LA dugout.

4/15 From 1965: Delwyn Deal, Cutch Clutch, Frankie Gem, Bay Day, Robby 2HR/6 RBI, Game Days, #600 For Jim; HBD Dauri, Adeiny & Jeromy

• 1966 - Bob Gibson and the Redbird bats dominated the Bucs in a 9-2 win at Forbes Field. It was the 18th straight for the Cards in Pittsburgh, tying the major league record set by the Dodgers against the Phillies in 1945-46 for consecutive road wins against one club. But the worm finally turned as the Pirates took the series by winning the next two games of the series. 
• 1969 - RF Jeromy Burnitz was born in Westminster Hills, California. After back-to-back solid seasons, the Pirates signed the 37-year-old, 13-year veteran to a $6M free agent deal for 2006. He hit .230 with 16 HR and Pittsburgh bought out the ‘07 team option year of his deal for $700K. Jeromy retired before that campaign opened, unable to catch on with anyone else. 
• 1977 - The Pirates spoiled the St. Louis Home Opener by beating the Redbirds, 7-0, at Busch Stadium. Jim Rooker pitched a complete game for the Bucs, giving up three hits and striking out five. Dave Parker, Duffy Dyer and Rennie Stennett all homered for the Bucs. Parker, Stennett and Frank Taveras each had two knocks as part of an 11-hit attack; the efficient Bucs stranded just four runners. 
• 1978 - The Pirates snapped a five-game losing streak by whipping the Cubs, 13-10, at chilly Wrigley Field (the game was played with the temp in the lower 40s), scoring nine times in the fourth inning and hanging on. The key blow in their big frame was a Bill Robinson grand slam, his second long ball of the day. He drove in a career-best six runs to generate much of the Pittsburgh attack. The two clubs were as cold as the weather; they combined to commit six errors, issued 13 walks, plunked a pair of hitters and added a wild pitch. Jim Rooker, the starter, got the win although he gave up six runs (but just two earned) in five frames with Bruce Kison and Grant Jackson bringing it home. Dave Parker and Robinson each had three hits to pace the revved-up offense. 

Adeiny Hechavarria - 2018 image/Sports Chicago

• 1989 - SS Adeiny Hechavarria was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. The light-hitting veteran infielder was picked up in an August, 2018 minor league deal with Tampa Bay. Hechy batted .233 in 15 games, and was sold to the Yankees. He’s since spent two seasons in Japan after being released by Atlanta following the 2020 campaign. He then rejoined Atlanta’s org after his Asian tour before spending time in Mexico. the KC system and indie ball, retiring after the 2025 season. 
• 1993 - Dennis Moeller won his first MLB game and manager Jim Leyland won his 600th as the Bucs swept the Padres, 5-4, in 13 frames at Jack Murphy Stadium. The hero was Tom Prince; the catcher was scheduled to be lifted for a pinch hitter in the ninth, but trotted back from the bullpen when the two Bucs ahead of him reached and he was called on to bunt. He did successfully, setting up the tying run, and then later doubled home Carlos Garcia with the game winner. The victory capped the Bucs first four-game sweep of the Friars at SD since 1983. 
• 1996 - RHP Dauri Moreta was born in Comendador, Dominican Republic. He came to Pittsburgh in 2022 in a straight-up deal for SS Kevin Newman, having put up a line of 0-2-1/5.40 while averaging a whiff per inning, fitting the usual reliever Pirates model. The Bucs used him as a mid-inning bridge to the backend of the bullpen. “Big Bank” featured a fastball-slider combo and he showed enough to lock down a ‘24 spot until elbow surgery made him hors de combat. He now works in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers. 
• 1997 - The Pirates have taken some painful losses, but this game featured a painful win over San Diego at TRS. The Padres tied the game, 2-2, in the ninth inning on a Greg Vaughan homer off John Ericks, but the Bucs came back to load the bases with an out in their half. Tony Womack fell behind 0-2, fouled off a couple, and then was bopped in the noggin to force home Jose Guillen with the winning run. Ericks was credited with the win in relief (and a blown save, too) as starter Jon Lieber went into the eighth frame before Ricardo Rincon took over. 

Tony Womack - 1997 Select

• 2006 - It was set up to be a big day for Jason Bay at PNC Park - it was not only his bobblehead night, but before the game, he was honored with the Tip O’Neill award as Canada’s best baseball player for the second straight year. The Cubs decided the best way to recognize Bay was to pitch around him; he was walked three times and HBP once, never posting an official at bat. The Pirates foiled the strategy (though it was effective) by first scoring on a walk, steal, and two-out error then adding another tally on a Craig Wilson three-bagger/Joe Randa sac fly. It was just enough to eke out a 2-1 victory, as Zach Duke went seven strong innings for the win, giving up just a run. John Grabow, Ramon Hernandez & Mike Gonzalez, who earned the save, closed out the final two frames. 
• 2009 - The Pirates acquired IF/OF Delwyn Young from the Dodgers for PTBNL RHPs Eric Krebs and Harvey Garcia. Young played 234 games for the Pirates during the 2009-10 seasons, hitting .255 with 14 HR and 71 RBI in his last MLB stint. Neither Krebs nor Garcia made much of a dent for LA, although Garcia had a cup of coffee with Florida in 2007, appearing in eight games. 
• 2015 - Francisco Liriano returned from paternity leave and tossed a gem, but the Bucs lost a 1-0 decision to the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park. Frankie struck out seven and gave up four hits in six frames, but one of the knocks was a solo homer by former Bucco Rajai Davis that proved the game winner. Alfredo Simon and Joakim Soria only managed three K between them, but surrendered just two hits without a walk to stifle the Pirates, who had just one runner reach second. 
• 2017 - The Bucs spotted the Chicago Cubs four runs in the first inning and were down 6-2 heading into the sixth. But it’s not the start but the finish that counts - they shook the slumber from the lumber and roared back to take an 8-7 win at Wrigley Field. Fran Cervelli, Starling Marte and Josh Harrison homered to keep the Bucs around and Andrew McCutchen capped a five-run seventh frame with a two-out, three-run blast. Tony Watson kept it interesting by giving up a ninth inning dinger (Kris Bryant’s second long ball of the day) and walking the tying run aboard, but he put it to bed with a swinging whiff. Trevor Williams, in relief of Tyler Glasnow, was credited with the win and Watson the save. It was the middle match of a three-game Bucco sweep of the Cubbies.

4/14 Through the 1970s: Jim Joins, '60 Ready, '52 Pups, Bunning Marks, McBean Beauty, Game Days, Feds Open; HBD Kyle, Wild Bill & George

• 1880 - OF George Merritt was born in Paterson, NJ. He spent from 1901-03 with the Pirates as an outfielder and part-time hurler (he played 15 games in three years, with four off the hill), slashing 3-0/4.50 from the hill and hitting .213 as a bench stick. That was the extent of his MLB days. During his 1903 campaign, he left Pittsburgh and joined the hometown Jersey City Skeeters, playing with them until 1910 before finally hanging up the glove in 1915.
• 1884 - RHP Wild Bill Luhrsen was born in Buckley, Illinois. His MLB career consisted of five games (three starts) for the 1913 Pirates when the 29-year-old rookie went 3-1/2.48, with his only loss to Christy Mathewson. The Pirates bought his rights from Albany of the Sally League during the season after a rash of injuries chewed up the staff and then was sent to Columbus after the pitching returned. Wild Bill retired in 1916 and worked the semi-pro and indie circuits. 
• 1914 - The Pittsburgh Feds and the Brooklyn Tip-Tops played the first game of the short-lived Federal League. The contest was front page news in the papers, a band led a parade from town to Exposition Park, and Mayor William Magee tossed out the first pitch. Tom Seaton of the Tip Tops outdid Carrick native Elmer Knetzer of the Feds 1-0 in 10 innings. The game was played in front of an estimated 10,000 fans. The team became the Pittsburgh Rebels after Rebel Oakes took over the hot seat from Doc Gessler early in the year, and like their National League counterparts, they came in seventh with a 64-86 finish. Alpha/Omega: Knetzer tossed out not only the opening pitch of the club, but also of the Federal League itself. He also delivered the last ball of the Rebel franchise/FL on October 2nd, 1915, in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Whales, a game that gave Chi-town first place over the Rebels. The Fed folded after the season. 

Rebel Oakes - Helmar Oasis

• 1920 - The Pirates opened the season on a winning note with help from the Cards, who committed four errors leading to three unearned runs and a 5-4 Pittsburgh win in 10 innings at Robison Field. For all the miscues, the Redbirds made a thriller out of it, scoring with two outs in the ninth and putting runners at second and third before Babe Adams could coax the final out. The Bucs bounced back with a two-out run in the 10th frame when pinch hitter Fred Nicholson singled home George Cutshaw; the tally was again unearned, set up when St. Louis hurler Marv Goodwin threw away a bunt. Pittsburgh managed just seven hits, with Carson Bigbee (single, double) and Charlie Grimm (single, triple) each with a pair. Earl Hamilton saved the victory for Adams. 
• 1925 - Chicago’s WGN Radio broadcast its first ever regular season Cubs’ baseball game (Quin Ryan announced the contest from the grandstand roof) as Chicago’s Grover Alexander defeated the Pirates and Emil Yde on Opening Day 8-2. Six of the runs against Yde were unearned thanks to three Bucco boots. Old Pete not only won, but helped himself with a single, double, and home run. 
• 1937 - The Bucs bought RHP Jim “Abba Dabba” Tobin from the Yankees, who had him stashed on the Pacific Coast League Oakland Oaks roster. Tobin tossed three seasons for Pittsburgh, going 29-24-1/3.71 before being sent to Boston. He pitched in MLB through 1945 and tossed a no-hitter for Beantown in 1944. He was also a good stick; he hit .230 during his career, .275 during his Pirates stay, and was called on regularly as a pinch hitter. Abba Dabba is the only modern-era pitcher to hit three homers in one game, as he did for the Braves in 1942 (Guy Hecker, who would later manage the Alleghenys, was the only other pitcher to equal him, back in 1886). Tobin called it a day as an MLB player after the 1950 campaign. As for his nickname, the Detroit Athletic Company explained “Tobin liked to do imitations of a vaudeville magician. As part of the act, Tobin would pause in the middle of a magic trick and declare, ‘Abba Dabba, are you ready?’” 
• 1952 - In a sure sign that the Pirates expected a long year, the team brought seven rookies north with them: IF Dick Hall, OF Bobby Del Greco, P Ronnie Kline, P Jim Waugh, OF Brandy Davis, P Ed Wolfe and OF Lee Walls. IF Tony Bartirome was called up a couple of days later, and the youthfulness of the club became apparent as the year went on - the Bucs finished last with 42 wins. 

Billy Maz - 1960 Topps

• 1960 - The Pirates showed that they would be a NL force to reckon with during their Home Opener by pounding the Reds 13-0 in front of 34,064 fans. Vern Law pitched the complete game, seven-hit shutout while Roberto Clemente and Billy Maz combined to chase home nine runs. One of the Great One’s RBI was a 445’ sac fly that Vada Pinson corralled just short of the batting cage parked in center field. Fun fact from This Date In Baseball: Bill Mazeroski hit the first homer of the season at Forbes Field to open the floodgates today. He also hit the last long ball of the ballyard’s year when he went deep to beat the Yankees in Game Seven of the World Series on October 13th. 
• 1963 - Al McBean tossed Pittsburgh to a 1-0 victory over the Reds at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field on Easter for their fourth straight victory. The Bucs pushed their only run across in the fourth when Bill Virdon beat out a two-out bleeder to second that scored Bob Skinner, set up thanks to a walk and pair of infield singles off Joey Jay, with only one other runner reaching third. Cincy had 10 hits, with a walk and error thrown in by the Pirates, but stranded 12 runners, twice leaving the bases loaded and three times leaving runners at second and third. But Alvin buckled down at the end, retiring the final seven batters without a ball leaving the infield to ice the win. 
• 1968 - Jim Bunning earned his first win with Pittsburgh 3-0 at Los Angeles. It was his 40th career shutout and included his 1‚000th NL strikeout‚ making him the first pitcher since Cy Young with 1‚000 punch outs in each league. His whitewash was saved when Roberto Clemente brought back an almost two-run homer by Ron Fairly, leaping above the RF wall to snag the shot. 
• 1976 - RHP Kyle Farnsworth was born in Wichita, Kansas. Kyle spent 16 years and tossed 893 games in the MLB; a few weeks and nine outings were on the Pirates dime in 2013. The veteran was picked up off waivers from Tampa Bay and the 38-year-old did his job, giving up one run in 8-1/3 IP during their playoff run. Kyle’s last year in the show was 2014; he tossed in Mexico for a couple of years afterward while multitasking by playing semi-pro football in Florida.

4/14 From 1980: B-Rey Signs, Cutch #300, B-2-B Twice, Fort-ified, Nate Great, Game Days, Indy No-No, CBS Debut; HBD Chris & JVB

• 1980 - The Pirates got their World Series rings at the Home Opener at TRS. The rainy day (the game was delayed three times) drew 44,088 to the yard. The Bucs were cruising in the ninth when Teke, the eventual game winner, was touched up for a couple of runs to tie the match; it was untied an inning later when Bill Robinson took Bruce Sutter yard for a walkoff 5-4 Bucco win. 
• 1980 - RHP John Van Benschoten was born in San Diego. As a top draft pick in 2001 (eighth overall), the internal debate whether was to have JVB pitch (he was Kent State’s closer) or hit (he led the NCAA in HRs). The Pirates thought he had a better shot physically at pitching, and that proved to be a bad decision. In three stops at Pittsburgh (2004, 2007-08) he went 2-13/9.20 while beleaguered by an assortment of arm problems. He never tossed in the majors again. 
• 1984 - RHP Chris Leroux was born in Montreal. The reliever pitched for the Bucs from 2010-13, getting fairly regular work between 2010-11. He was injured much of 2012 and released early in the 2013 campaign, which he finished out in Japan. His Pirate line was 1-2/5.56, with his last MLB posting with the Yankees in 2014. He retired in 2017 after playing on the Canadian WBC team. 
• 1990 - The Pirates and Cubs became the first MLB teams to be aired nationally by CBS Sports, which had outbid ABC and NBC for exclusive game rights with an offer of $1.8B over four years. Their Three Rivers match was the network’s first “Saturday Game of the Week” and marked the debut of the announcing team of Brent Musberger and Tim McCarver. The Pirates didn’t provide much bang for the buck as Mike Harkey tossed a five-hitter and topped Doug Drabek 4-1. 

Bob Walk - 1991 Leaf

• 1991 - Bob Walk hit the only home run of his career, a two-out solo shot off Chicago’s Danny Jackson, in the second inning at Wrigley Field. Walk started the game but wasn’t around for the decision in Pittsburgh’s 6-4 loss to the Cubs as Stan Belinda gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the defeat. Jeff King went 3-for-4 while Bobby Bo also added a solo shot.
• 2006 - It was bad enough that the Pirates wasted three home runs (Nate McLouth, Craig Wilson and Jay Bay) and fell 11-6 to the Cubs at PNC Park in front of 34,264 fans on a Saturday night. To add injury to insult, newly acquired (it was his ninth outing as a Bucco) Sean Casey fractured his back in two places after a first base collision and didn’t return to action until May 29th. Starter Victor Santos took the loss as the bullpen behind him also floundered. 
• 2008 - The Bucs took a down-to-the-wire 6-4 win at Dodger Stadium when Nate McLouth hammered a three-run, two-out homer in the ninth off Dodger All-Star closer Takashi Saito. Matt Capps saved the win for Tyler Yates in a game started by Zach Duke. Jose Bautista banged a two-run homer to open the scoring; both Bucco long balls were swatted with two outs. 
• 2013 - The Pirates fell behind the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 before scoring 10 runs in the seventh and eighth innings to rally for a 10-6 win behind Mike McKenry’s two long balls, the first multi-homer day of his career. The PNC fans wouldn’t sit down until The Fort tipped his cap during a curtain call. Appropriately, the Pirates were dressed in throwback seventies “Lumber Company” uniforms. 

Mike McKenry - 2013 photo Mark Ribelus/USA Today

• 2014 - The Bucs and Reds combined for a GABP record 10 homers in just six innings before the game was suspended by weather with the score 7-7 as the Pirates became the third MLB team to hit three back-to-back sets of HR. Neil Walker and Gaby Sanchez hit that cycle twice in the second and sixth frames to tie a team mark from 1954 set by Toby Atwell and Jerry Lynch. Starling Marte and Travis Snider banged the other pair of consecutive dingers. The Reds were no slouches themselves, hitting four homers, three of them two-run shots and all of them with two outs. Pittsburgh won the game the next day 8-7 on Russ Martin’s two-out knock that scored Andrew McCutchen. 
• 2018 - It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but Pittsburgh slipped past Miami 1-0 at Marlin Park. Jameson Taillon and Trevor Richards started in a game that saw just 11 combined hits, and it hinged on two plays. In the fourth inning, Miami’s Justin Bour was on third when Lewis Brinson hit a gentle roller to shortstop, with Jordy Mercer playing at DP depth looking for a twin-killing. But instead of steaming home with the conceded run, Bour froze at third and died there. In the ninth, Starling Marte singled with an out and went to third on a hit-and-run. Corey Dickerson surprised everyone by bunting, and it could have been a disaster, as he popped the ball up. But good fortune carried it far enough to drop between the pitcher and second baseman, allowing Marte to score the game’s only run. It wasn’t a safety squeeze but Dickerson’s own brainstorm, even though he hadn’t laid down a bunt in a game since 2014. George Kontos got the win with Felipe Vazquez picking up the save. 
• 2022 - The Bucs avoided an arb hearing with Super-Two All-Star CF Bryan Reynolds, 27, by agreeing to a contract that covered 2022-23 with a value of $13.5M ($6.75M per season). He would still be under two more years of team control after that via arb, with the two sides reportedly exploring a longer term deal now that the settlement allowed for some breathing room (They did reach that long-term deal a year later for eight seasons/$106.75M). Reynolds joined the club in 2018 as part of the package that sent Andrew McCutchen to the SF Giants. B-Rey homered later on this day in the game against the Nats to help Roansy Contreras, in relief, to his first MLB win, 9-4. 

B-Rey - 2022 Topps Archives

• 2022 - RHPs Chase De Jong, Austin Brice and Yerry De Los Santos with C Jason Delay behind the dish combined to hurl a no-hitter against St. Paul at CHS Field, as the Class AAA Indianapolis Indians rode the no-no to a 5-0 win. It was a pretty strong crew of arms - DeJong had six years in the show with four teams, Brice also had six MLB seasons under his belt with three clubs, and all four were called up to Pittsburgh during the season. Austin & Chase are now free agents, Yerry is in the Yankees organization and Jason is now with the big league Pirates. 
• 2024 - Andrew McCutchen drilled a ball into the left field stands of Philly’s Citizens Bank Park, adding a feather to his cap with his 300th long ball. Cutch had been stuck at 299 dingers since August 22 when an injury put a stop to his year, and it was weight off his shoulders to get off the schneid (it was HR #1 of the year) as he was off to his typically slow April start. Though he would have rather cranked it out of PNC Park, he was comfortable doing it in Philadelphia, where he had spent 2019-21 as a player, becoming the 19th player in MLB history with 300 home runs, 200 steals, and 2000 hits. As for the game itself, Andrew’s ninth-inning bomb was a cherry on top as the Pirates won 9-2 behind a strong outing by Mitch Keller and a Jack Suwinski grand slam. 
• 2025 - The Pirates were coming home after being swept by the Reds, and to try to reverse the mojo, Andrew McCutchen handed out rally necklaces intertwined in black and gold. It didn’t sprinkle fairy dust at the start: Endy Rodriguez had to leave the game when Paul Skene's pitch took a hop and caught his finger; Henry Davis replaced him (Skenes & Davis became the first MLB battery consisting of Number One overall draft picks while mound foes Paul and Nats pitcher Dylan Crews were teammates at LSU, College World Series winners and the 1-2 picks in the '23 draft.) Endy got some stitches and an IL posting (Yo-yo reliever Chase Shugart was recalled). But Lady Luck at last smiled on the Bucs as the Pirates finally broke out with a 10-3 win. The 14-hit attack was a team affair: All nine starters had raps (five had multi-hit nights) and all but one drove in and/or scored runs. Surprise clean-up hitter Enmanuel Valdez and Ke'Bryan Hayes led the attack with three RBIs apiece from the 4-5 holes.

Weekly Report: Konnor Deal Finalized, 50-50 Week, Cruz Hot, City Connect Unis On Deck

Are they for real...?

Pirates Stuff:

• As leaked by the sporting media, 19-year-old SS Kevin Griffin agreed to a nine-year/$140M contract with the Pirates on Wednesday that included a $12M signing bonus less than a week after his MLB debut. The deal was the largest in club history and includes incentives that could raise the total value to $150M. Griffin was selected ninth overall in 2024 as the first high school player taken. 
• IF Enmanuel Valdez, who was DFA'ed when Konnor Griffin was called up, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Indy.
  

Oneil sporting his City Connect outfit.

• Oneil Cruz has an 11-game hitting streak going on, tying the longest such streak of his career and is the longest current active streak in MLB.
• The Pirates showed off their '26 black-and-gold City Connect unis. They'll debut the new duds on April 17 at PNC v the Rays.
• For our trivia fans, the Pirates starters' streak of homer-less frames ended Tuesday at 53-1/3 IP when Paul Skenes was touched up for a solo shot. It additionally ended a two-year losing streak along the Allegheny to the San Diego squad, and also marked the first time Skenes and Konnor Griffin played together. Whew!

Game Stuff:

• The Bucs were as sloppy as the weather on Monday and dropped the opener of a three-gamer to San Diego, 5-0. TOOTBLAN's, fielding comedy, 10 runners stranded...it wasn't a pretty show by the home nine. 
• After losing seven straight to the Friars at PNC, Paul Skenes said enough. He went 6-1/3 IP, giving up a run on two hits & two walks with six K after 87 pitches and left with a 2-1 lead. The Bucs bats went oppo field crazy, and when the smoke cleared, it was a 7-1 Tuesday dub for the boys. Ryan O'Hearn, Konnor Griffin and Henry Davis had two raps; Oneil Cruz, Nick Gonzales and Griffin chased home a pair.
• Mitch was strong again on Wednesday with six scoreless frames, but Justin Lawrence and Jose Urquidy were toasted as SD took the series 8-2. The Bucs booted three balls and went 1-for-9 w/RISP while the Padres OF made a couple of glovely plays to keep the Bucs at bay when they were trying to make it a game.
• After a day of rest, it was off to Wrigley Field for a weekend trio. On Friday, Carmen Mlodzinski dodged some bullets but got into the sixth with a shutout while Shota Imanaga was brilliant over six. In the seventh, Bryan Reynolds bopped a two-run shot off Caleb Thielbar and the Bucs took the opener, 2-0.

Yohan Ramirez - 2025 photo Tim Vizer/Imagn Images

• Braxton Ashcraft was spectacular with nine fans in five frames while Oneil Cruz was 4-for-4 with three swiped sacks and Nick Yorke was 3-for-4, but singletons scored off Justin Lawrence and Dennis Santana out of an overworked pen left it tied 3-3 after regulation. It was Yohan Ramirez to the resue, tossing two shutout innings despite being a bit wild, and aided by a thrown-away two-out dribbler by the Cubbies Caleb Thielbar (tough coupla days for him), the Corsairs claimed a 4-3, 11-inning dub at Wrigley.
• Despite Brandon Lowe banging two homers - one a granny - and being up 5-0 and 6-1, the Bucs were walked off in the Chicago finale 7-6. Seven walks, leaky OF defense and trying to protect a lead with Justin Lawrence and Jose Urquidy proved too much to overcome; no sweep today *sigh*.
• The Pirates return to PNC for a seven-game stand - four v the Washington Nats and three against the Tampa Bay Rays.

MLB Stuff: 

• The Blues Jays called up LHP Josh Fleming, who last pitched in the bigs for Pittsburgh in 2024 (1-1-1/4.02, 25 games), used him once, DFA'ed him and then resigned him to a minor league deal.
• The Atlanta Braves have DFA'ed LHP Martin Perez, 35, who got 16 starts for the 2024 Pirates (2-5/5.20).
• The NY Mets, who recently signed OF Tommy Pham to a minor league deal, are reported to be calling him up on Monday for the LA series.

4/13 Through 1974: Stuffy Signs, Al, Vern, Babe & Game Days, Roberts Debuts, Balk-A-Mania; HBD Ricardo, Doug, Claude, Mike & Abel

• 1870 - 1B Abel Lizotte was born in Lewiston, Maine. His major league career consisted of seven games played as a Bucco in 1896 with Abel proving to be not very threatening with the stick, going 3-for-29. Lizotte was a 17-year man in the bushes, wielding the lumber a lot better on the farm with a .292 lifetime BA while playing for 10 different clubs. He also managed in the minors. 
• 1883 - C Mike Simon was born in Hayden, Indiana. He was with the Bucs from 1909-13, mainly as a reserve, and hit .244. He jumped to the outlaw Federal League in 1914 and finished his big league career there, playing two more seasons. Mike then spent his final two years in the minors. 
• 1889 - RHP Claude Hendrix was born in Olathe, Kansas. He pitched for the Bucs from 1911-13, posting a 42-30/2.71 slash. He jumped to the Federal League in 1914 where he won 45 games in two years for the Chicago Whales. When the Fed folded, he stayed in the Windy City with the Cubs and won 57 more games with them over five seasons. He got caught up in the backwash of a gambling investigation and his career ended in 1920. He passed away at age 54.
• 1914 - The Bucs dropped the Season Opener 2-1 at St. Louis’ Robinson Park as Babe Adams lost his duel to Dan Griner of the Browns, whose pitching, according to the Pittsburgh Press, was “of the airtight variety.” Redbird manager Miller Huggins, despite the win, liked the Pittsburgh lineup, saying that “Fred Clarke has a sweet baseball club this year.” Huggins was a better skipper than prognosticator as the Pirates finished in seventh with a 69-85 record. 
• 1916 - Babe Adams tossed a one-hit 4-0 gem against the Cards. The only hit was a generously ruled knock that clanged off 2B Joe Schultz's mitt. Adams won only one more game that season and was sent to the minors in August. The Pirates brought him back again in 1918 after he sat out a season, and he stuck through 1926, winning 48 games between 1919-21. Babe’s last game was on August 11th, 1926 when he was released after leading a player revolt, asking that former manager and current FO suit Fred Clarke, who had been openly critical of manager Bill McKechnie, be banned from the bench in what became known as the “ABC (Adams, Skeeter Bigbee & Max Carey were the ringleaders) Affair.” He would never play another major league game, though at age 44 his better days were in the rearview mirror. Babe worked 19 years for the Bucs, winning 194 games with a 2.76 ERA and he won three World Series games in 1909. 

Babe Adams - 1916 The Sporting News

• 1925 - 1B Stuffy McInnis was released by the Boston Braves and signed by the Bucs. He hit .368 in 59 games and played in Pittsburgh’s World Series win over Washington. He was a bench guy the following year, hitting .299 before retiring after 1927. McInnis gained his nickname as a youngster in Boston, where his spectacular fielding brought shouts of "that's the stuff, kid.” 
• 1926 - The defending world champion Pirates opened at Sportsman Park against the St. Louis Cards, which would replace them as king of the hill in ‘26, and dropped a 7-6 thriller. Vic Aldridge, winner of a pair of Series games, fell behind eventual 20-game winner Flint Rhem 6-0 after five innings. The Bucs gnawed away at the lead, cutting the deficit to a run with one out in the ninth with runners on second and third, but a pop up was followed by an at-em ball liner to end it.. 
• 1954 - Seven years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, second baseman Curt Roberts made his major league debut during the season Opener at Forbes Field and became the first African American to play for the Pirates (although Carlos Bernier, who came up in 1953 and was considered Latino rather than black, was the first black Buc). The former Kansas City Monarch tripled off Robin Roberts in the first inning as the Bucs beat the Phillies 4-2 by scoring four times in the eighth frame. Vernon Law retired all six batters he faced in relief of starter Bob Friend and picked up the win. It was the first time the Pirates had ever opened the season at Forbes Field, drawing 32,294 fans. It was their 11th straight home opener win, a streak that would end the following year. There was a little pre-game merriment as three-year-old Leslie Blair, Honus Wagner’s granddaughter, was slated to throw out the first pitch, but was struck by stage fright and never let loose the horsehide, so the umps began the game without its traditional opening. 
• 1962 - The Mets played their first Home Opener against the Bucs with only 12,447 fans at the Polo Grounds on a cold, drizzly day. It was Friday the 13th to boot, and the date cursed the home team. The Pirates scored the winning run on two eighth-inning wild pitches thrown by Ray Diavault, scoring Dick Groat, who had opened with a walk, to defeat New York 4-3. The Pirates had eight hits, with five coming from the 6-7-8 hitters (Smoky Burgess, Don Hoak & Bill Mazeroski), who accounted for two runs and three RBI from the bottom of the order. Tom Sturdivant went seven innings for the win with ElRoy Face nailing down the save. 

Bob Friend - 1963 Topps

• 1963 - The Pirates clobbered the Reds 12-4 at Crosley Field, but the big story was on the bump. The league decided to clamp down on balks and a record seven were called in the game, including a MLB record of four on Bob Friend (the mark lasted a month until the Braves’ Bob Shaw was caught five times), who was nonplussed by the calls. He admitted that he never adhered to the full stop rule because it had never been called before. An MLB record 924 balks were rung up during the season after umpires were instructed to enforce the rule as written. As for the game, Ducky Schofield, Bob Skinner and Billy Maz each had three hits; Roberto Clemente and Friend had two knocks each. Pete Rose collected his first MLB hit during the game, a triple, after an 0-for-11 start. 
• 1964 - IF Doug Strange was born in Greenville, South Carolina. He ended his nine-year MLB run off the bench in Pittsburgh, batting .173 in 90 games. He spent a couple of seasons as minor-league depth, then joined the Marlins as a scout for a couple of more years before coming over to Pittsburgh’s Baseball Operations section in 2002. He’s now a Special Assistant to the GM.
• 1966 - Vern Law won his 10th straight game by a 6-0 count over the Braves at Atlanta Stadium. The Deacon gave up four hits, no walks and fanned four, never allowing a runner to advance beyond first base. Willie Stargell had a homer and three RBI while Donn Clendenon added a two-run blow to key the attack. Law then missed a month with a pulled rib muscle, lost his next outing in May (ironically against the same club, Atlanta) and finished 12-8/4.05 on the campaign. He only had fumes left in his tank, and a groin injury led to his retirement in August of ‘67. 
• 1968 - Al McBean went the distance to claim a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants and Gaylord Perry at Candlestick Park. McBean did it all; he tossed a three-hitter and even singled in the winning run with two outs in the seventh inning. The key play was The Great One gunning down Willie Mays at third with no outs in the seventh to keep the lid on a potential rally by the G-Men. Per BR Bullpen, Mays could recall being caught going from corner-to-corner just once in his career, and it was on this day. "Roberto Clemente threw me out on a bang-bang play at third. I should have remembered what a tremendous arm he had..." later explained the sadder-but-wiser Say Hey Kid. 
• 1970 - LHP Ricardo Rincon was born in Cuitlahuac, Mexico. Rincon, who signed as a veteran of the Mexican leagues, pitched for the Pirates from 1997-98. He went 4-10-50/3.17 with 135 K in 125 IP. Rincon was part of a combined no-hitter on July 12th, 1997 when Francisco Cordova threw nine innings of hitless ball and RR pitched a clean 10th. He was traded for Brian Giles in 1998.