7/1 Through the 1970s: 1-Hit Woodie, Ponder Swap, Bucs Baptize Sportsman, Duelin', Game Days, Bush Inked, HBD Gunner, Al, Red & Dutch

1891 - OF Fritz “Dutch” Sheeren was born in Kokomo, Indiana. Fritz’s family moved into the Pittsburgh area when he was young and opened a saloon; from those beginnings, Sheeren went on to Lafayette College, where he starred in baseball and football, and had a brief MLB career with the Pirates from 1914-15, hitting .265 in 15 games. He played through the 1916 season in the minors before getting on with his life’s work. It appeared he did remain a home boy; he died in Kittanning and is buried in Marienville outside the Allegheny National Forest.

1901 - The Bucs were blanked 1-0 by the Phillies at the Baker Bowl, the only time during the 139-game season when Pittsburgh was shut out, setting a 20th century NL record. Jack Chesbro tossed a four-hitter for Pittsburgh, while the Bucs banged nine hits off Red Donahue but couldn’t dent home.

1911 - The Pirates dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision to the Cardinals, in part because they lost a fight with the umpire. The rhubarbs began with a tag play at second that the Pirates figured they had made; the ump begged to differ. Infielder Bill McKechnie slammed his glove in disgust and was banished; a new rule made that action an automatic ejection. Manager Fred Clarke put in his two cents worth later about St. Louis doctoring the ball and was given the thumb too. Dots Miller later joined the gang given the heave-ho for tossing his mitt. As a result, Hans Wagner ended up playing three positions as the Pirates tried to cobble together a lineup (Clarke was a player/manager, so the Pirates had three starters kicked out, and benches were short in that era). There had been a bottle-throwing incident the day before, and Clarke told the Pittsburgh Press that he believed that had influenced the umpires, who didn’t want to risk running a gauntlet of missiles launched from the Robison Field stands again. 

1913 - RHP Frank “Red” Barrett was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Frank worked during the war years of 1944-46 and tried to make a comeback in 1950 with the Pirates, going 1-2/4.15 in five outings after being purchased from New Orleans. Red had a long professional career, lasting from 1935-50 (he won 141 games in the minors), and afterward he was a farm league player/manager through 1953. He then moved back home and opened Red Barrett’s Drive In, a gas station/diner, in Leesburg, Florida, near Orlando.

Elmer Knetzer - 1914 Cracker Jacks

1915 - It was a mixed bag for the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels against the Baltimore Terrapins at York Road Park. In the opener of a twin bill, the Pittsburgh Feds were shut out 6-0 by Jack Quinn. A little break between games did the Rebs bats a world of good and they bounced back to take the nitecap by a 13-5 tally, becoming the first big league team to score in every inning since 1894. Ed Konetchy and Jim Kelly homered to pave the road for Elmer Knetzer. It was the end of a long road trip, with the Rebels winning 11-of-18 matches after dropping 7-of-10 on a western swing (in that era, the far west was St. Louis, KC and Chicago) that opened their trek. Sadly, they were rained out in Pittsburgh upon their return and had to hop a train for four more games, splitting a set with the Chicago Whales before spending most of the summer at home, where they had 59-of-85 remaining contests booked at Exposition Park.

1916 - The Gunner, Bob Prince, was born in Los Angeles. Prince was an army brat and was always on the move; he graduated from Pittsburgh’s Schenley HS and went to Pitt, where he lettered in swimming. After gigs with WJAS and KDKA, he teamed with Rosey Rowswell in 1948 as a Bucco broadcaster and became the main announcer in 1955 when Rowswell passed away. He and partner Nellie King were let go in 1975 after a long running dispute with KDKA management. Prince returned to the booth in May, 1985, just weeks before he died of cancer.

1916 - Behind a Honus Wagner homer and Ray O’Brien’s ninth-inning single, Al Mamaux’s four-hit effort was enough to down the Cincinnati Reds and Elmer Knetzer 2-1 at Redland Field. Mamaux was pretty good with the stick, too, hitting a double and triple while scoring the winning run with two down in the ninth. Hans’ fourth-inning homer made him the oldest player, at 42 years and four months, to hit an inside the park four-bagger.

1918 - RHP Al Tate was born in Coleman, Oklahoma. Al was a minor league hurler who lost three years to WW2 and returned to baseball in 1946. The Pirates inked him then and sent him to the minors; he got two Bucco appearances (one start) and went 0-1/5.00 in his only MLB duty. He spent 1947 as a Pirates farmhand at Albany and played one more year in the Pacific Coast League before he retired.

Hal Carlson - 1921 photo George Rinhart/Getty

1920 - The Pirates played St. Louis in the Cards first game at Sportsman’s Park (also the home of the AL's St. Louis Browns; the Cards rented it off them) after the Redbirds flew the outdated Robison Field coop, which was built in 1893. The Bucs took the debut game 6-2 in 10 innings, with Hal Carlson getting the win and Babe Adams picking up the save. The Pirates 10th had a little of everything - a walk, steal, error, two singles, a pair of doubles - and they added up to a big inning to send 20,000 plus St. Louis fans home disappointed.

1921 - The Bucs sent 28-year-old RHP Elmer Ponder to the Cubs for 31-year-old OF Dave Robertson. Ponder was coming off an 11-win/2.42 campaign for Pittsburgh and Robertson posted a .300/10/75 line for Chicago in ‘20, but both were approaching the end of their MLB trails. Elmer had a 3-6/4.74 slash with the Cubs to finish the year. They traded him to the Pacific Coast League LA Angels, and he spent the next six years working in the PCL. Robertson was hot, hitting .322/6/48 for the Pirates, then held out in the spring. The Pirates released him, and he was signed by the Giants. Used mostly as a bench bat, it was his swan song in the show, and he spent the next six seasons on the farm, mostly with Norfolk of the Virginia League, serving as player/manager for four years.

1926 - The Bucs broke an eight-game losing streak by spanking the Cards at Forbes Field 7-3 as Kiki Cuyler and Pie Traynor each drove in three runs. Don Songer got the victory with Babe Adams picking up a save. In spite of that losing string, they claimed first place three weeks later before eventually fading to third with an 84-69 slate, five games out.

1926 - The Pirates signed Bullet Joe Bush, recently waived by the Washington Senators. Joe had won 107 games for three clubs from 1920-25, but the 33-year-old was in the midst of an 1-8/6.69 campaign for the Sens. The Bucs got their money’s worth as Bullet Joe went 6-6/3.01 for them the rest of the year but fell apart in ‘27 and was released in June. He would appear in just 14 more games after that and was out of the league by the summer of 1928. 

Joe Bush - Conlon Collection/TSN

1940 - The Pirates scored once in the ninth inning to tie the game and added another in the 10th frame to nose past the Chicago Cubs 4-3 at Wrigley Field. Vince DiMaggio was the Corsairs’ hitting star, going 3-for-5 with a homer, double, two RBI and two runs scored. Mace Brown, the third Buc hurler, got the win in relief after pitching scoreless ninth and 10th frames.

1960 - Speed kills, and the Bucs proved it to LA at Forbes Field when they raced to a 4-3, 10-inning victory in front of 27,312 fans. In the extra frame, Joe Christopher was on second with two outs and the Pirates down 3-2. Roberto Clemente rolled one to SS Maury Wills and it hung up in his webbing for just a tick, but that was enough to allow the Great One to beat the throw by a whisker. Meanwhile, Christopher kept flying around the bases and slid in just ahead of Gil Hodges' toss to home to tie the game. C Johnny Roseboro jawed at ump Al Barlick, but the man in blue stuck to his call that Roseboro had missed the tag. Dick Stuart then blooped a single into short right and Frank Howard was a bit leisurely getting to the Texas Leaguer. Roberto, like Joe before him, had the pedal to the metal and the surprised Howard, seeing Clemente dashing plateward, gunned his throw up the third base line allowing Arriba to score standing up. In the clubhouse, Clemente said “My foot was sore...I didn’t want to play anymore and I tried to end the game.” Mission accomplished, Roberto. Gino Cimoli drove home two runs in regulation while Fred Green earned the win in relief of Vern Law; Law tossed 9-2/3 innings with Green getting the last out of the 10th.

1966 - Rookie Woodie Fryman one-hit the Mets at Shea Stadium on the way to a 12-0 win. Fryman faced the minimum 27 batters and came within a gnat’s eyelash of perfection. Ron Hunt, who led off the game with a single, was caught stealing by C Jim Pagliaroni and Fryman mowed down the next 26 NY hitters. Jose Pagan chipped in with three runs scored, four RBI and one of the Pirates’ four homers.

7/1 From 1970: Redbeard Slammin', 7 For Bell, Boppin', Zane Maddux, Duelin', Game Days, Young Guns, Fraze, Cutch, Hanny All-Stars, Konnor Cover

1972 - Roberto Clemente’s seventh-inning homer helped the Bucs rally to take a 2-1 lead over the Chicago Cubs at TRS. After the Cubbies answered with a pair of their own to regain their edge at 3-2, Clemente homered again in the ninth inning with Milt May aboard for a walkoff 4-3 win. Both homers came off Fergie Jenkins, who lost to Dave Giusti in relief of Bob Moose.

1978 - It was a pitcher’s duel between Jim Rooker and the Mets’ Kevin Kobel at TRS. With the score 0-0 in the bottom of the eighth, Skip Lockwood took the ball for NY. An infield knock by Manny Sanguillen and two-out walk to Duffy Dyer set up Willie Stargell, who lined a single over second to chase home the Road Runner with the game winner. Rooker got the win and Kent Tekulve came in for the save. The two combined for a four-hitter to post the 1-0 victory.

1990 - LHP John Smiley came off the DL after breaking his hand in mid-May and was understandably rusty, giving up five runs in four innings against the Giants at Candlestick Park. But his teammates picked him up with homers from Barry Bonds, Jeff King, Sid Bream and Jay Bell (three of the blasts were two-run shots) as Pittsburgh rode the longball barrage to a 9-5 win against San Francisco and stayed a game up in the National League East standings. 

1992 - Zane Smith tossed a 97-pitch, five-hit, complete-game gem in a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, walking one and fanning one (the last batter). It was the sixth of seven “Maddux'' outings of his career (complete game shutout w/fewer than 100 pitches). He had entered the contest having gone nine games without a win. St. Louis’ Mark Clark was the tough-luck loser, giving up just four knocks in his eight frames. It was the Bucs second straight shutout of the Redbirds, the only time during the campaign that Pittsburgh hurlers would put up back-to-back zeros. The pitching for both teams was brilliant; the Pirates won the series two games to one, outscoring the Cards by four-runs-to-three during the set. Gary Varsho’s single in the fourth inning plated Andy Van Slyke, who had opened the frame with a double, for the game’s only tally. The contest took just two hours and four minutes from opening pitch to the final out.

Orlando Merced - 1996 Select

1996 - During a 4-1 win over Chicago at TRS, RF Orlando Merced pulled off an unassisted DP, catching Mark Grace's liner and then beating Scott Bullett to 1B. He also started another DP, gloving a short pop and catching Doug Glanville off second with his throw to Jay Bell. Merced added a pair of hits, two RBI and a run scored to help Danny Darwin pick up the win.

2006 - The Pirates and sponsoring PNC Bank took trinkets to a new level with the “Young Guns - Doumit, Duke and Duffy” (Ryan Doumit, Zach Duke, and Chris Duffy) triple bobblehead giveaway. 37,111 fans flooded PNC Park (playing the Detroit Tigers, whose fans travel well, on a Saturday night helped the draw, too) to get theirs as the Bucs won, 9-2. Jose Bautista and Sean Casey each had three hits and Matt Capps got the win in relief of Tom Gorzelanny. One bummer: manager Jim Tracy missed the promo memo as none of the “Young Guns” played.

2012 - CF Andrew McCutchen and righty reliever Joel Hanrahan were voted to the All-Star game via the Player’s Ballot, both earning their second appearance. The game took place on 7/10 at KC’s Kaufmann Stadium and ended up in an 8-0 NL runaway. Cutch went 1-for-2 while Hanny faced one batter and K’ed him.

2014 - Down 2-0 in the ninth and held to just two hits over eight innings by Arizona’s Wade Miley, the Bucs made up for lost time at PNC Park. Neil Walker opened with a single to center, then pinch hitter Gregory Polanco dumped a knock to left. With an out, Starling Marte chased a pair of sliders, then reliever Addison Reed hung one over the plate and Marte bombed it for a two-run double off the center field wall. He scooted to third when SS Nick Ahmed's throw to the plate got away, then Andrew McCutchen was walked intentionally. Ike Davis hit for Gaby Sanchez and dropped a broken-bat jam shot into right to plate Marte as the Bucs rallied to take a 3-2 victory. Ernesto Frieri picked up his first win as a Bucco after tossing a scoreless ninth, with his bacon being saved by Josh Harrison, who threw out a runner at home from short right field.

Neal Walker - 2015 Topps

2015 - The Buccos flexed their muscles against the Tigers at Comerica Field in a 9-3 win. The Bucs banged out 21 hits, their most since 2004, and drilled four homers. Two were by Neil Walker, and three were launched in one frame by Walker, Starling Marte and Pedro Alvarez. Every Pirate starter had a knock and seven had multi-hit nights against Detroit, led by The Pittsburgh Kid and Marte with four each while Gregory Polanco added three more. AJ Burnett coasted to his seventh victory, going the distance.

2018 - 3B Colin Moran became the second Pirates player to hit two grand slams in his rookie season after a two-out, bases-juiced long fly off Tyson Ross in the fifth frame as the Bucs defeated the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, 7-5. (The first Bucco rook to hit two grannies in his debut year was Wally Westlake in 1947.) Kyle Crick earned his first MLB win as one of seven Corsair hurlers to work the contest. Corey Dickerson and Elias Diaz also homered for Pittsburgh.

2019 - The Pirates put on a fireworks show a couple of days early by bashing the Chicago Cubs, 18-5, at PNC Park; the 18 runs tied the Pirates 2005 record for most tallies at PNC Park in a game. Josh Bell, a Home Run Derby contestant at the All-Star Game, vouched for that decision by banging three homers, the first Bucco lefty since Wille Stargell against the Bravos in 1971 to loft three big flies, bringing his mid-season total to 25 dingers. He also added a personal best seven RBI. Adam Frazier had five hits, including four doubles, to tie an MLB record held by several; he’s the only Pirates player beside Paul Waner to accomplish that feat (later matched by Kevin Newman in 2021). Also drilling the ball all over the yard was Colin Moran, who also bopped out five hits, including a pair of two-baggers. The Pirates collected 23 hits, the most ever by them against the Cubbies, to allow Trevor Williams to win on a day when he didn’t have his best stuff, a flaw that was neutralized by the lumber as the Bucs set season-high marks in runs (18), hits (23), doubles (seven) and homers (five).

2020 - The Pirates reported to Spring Training 2.0 at PNC Park for a proposed starting date of July 24th, with a 40-man roster to prepare for the coronavirus-shortened season and 20 more top farmhands working out at PNG Park in Altoona (formal workouts began on the 3rd). That was the Pittsburgh organization for the year; the minor league season was canceled entirely, though the Bucs, like most of MLB, paid the farm hands under contract but without a team to play for a stipend of $400/week through July 31st. Spring training and the season had been on hold since March 24th before MLB struck a deal with the Player’s Association.

Fraze - 2021 Topps ASG

2021 - Adam Frazier was pawing at the dirt during a pitching change in the fifth inning of the Brewers match at PNC; a few seconds later he was tipping his hat to the crowd who were cheering the announcement that he was on the NL All Star team for the first time (he knew already via Shelty). The 29-year-old Frazier, a two-time Gold Glove finalist who was hitting .328, was the first Pirates 2B to earn a starting spot in the Midsummer Classic since Bill Mazeroski in 1967 and the first to win his spot through fan voting since OF Andrew McCutchen in 2014, easily beating out runner-up Ozzie Albies and third-place finisher Gavin Lux. Fame is fleeting - three weeks later, he was traded to San Diego for IF Tucipita Marcano, OF Jack Suwinski and a minor league pitcher (Fraze returned as a free agent in 2025). Adam collected a hit against Milwaukee, but the team didn’t put on an All-Star show, losing 7-2.

2022 - The Pirates hosted the Brewers at PNC Park, and ouch... The Crew won 19-2, banging five homers, five doubles, and batting around not just once, but twice. Youngster Roansy Contreras, who would go on to have a pretty good campaign, was the first pitcher Milwaukee sent nine batters against. That was the second inning, and he was sent to the showers down 7-0. The eighth inning was worse. Rookie Cam Vieaux took the hill and was to bite the bullet for the bullpen...and he sure did have plenty to chew on. He faced 13 batters, and the first 10 reached base; it took him 48 pitches to get an out and 56 to close the frame, the most since Russ Ortiz of the Giants threw 62 second-inning balls to the Cards in 1999. In lieu of an MLB mercy rule, utilityman Josh VanMeter finished it up, giving up two runs on 18 final frame flings to close the book.

2026 - Konnor Griffin became the first Bucco to make the cover of Baseball Digest since Brian Giles in 2003 when he graced the July/August issue as “The Natural.” Although he missed virtually all of June with a sore arm, he came back for the month’s last home set v Cincy, hit leadoff and sent the first pitch he saw over the wall in left.

6/30 Through 1974: Smokey Smokin', Stu Streak, Forbes Opens, Hans Hot, Game Days, Nixey Axed, HBD Chan, Dave, Don, Tincan, Hal, Jovo & Davy

1880 - OF Davy Jones was born in Manikota, Minnesota. After 13-years in the show, the 34-year-old Jones spent his last two campaigns (1914-15) with the Pittsburgh Rebels, where he hit .279 before an ankle injury led to his release. Jones had spent most of his MLB time holding onto a third outfield spot in Detroit between Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford, seeing considerable time as the leadoff hitter. As one would expect, Davy scored at a good pace with those two Hall-of-Fame bats behind him, and homered in the 1909 Series against the Pirates. That he ended up skipping from Motown to the Rebels was part of his MO. Per SABR’s Mike Grahek, “During his first years in the pros he jumped so many contracts that the press nicknamed him ‘The Kangaroo.’"

1892 - The Philadelphia Phillies were the home team at Expo Park for a twin bill, and they weren’t even playing the Pirates, but the Washington Senators! The Phils were making up a pair of rain dates against the Sens while the Pirates were away playing the Cleveland Spiders (Pittsburgh won 6-5). Washington had just finished a set at Baltimore and the Phils were coming off a home series, and both teams had a mutual off day scheduled. 1,200 fans showed up at the North side yard to watch the double dipper split, with each side taking a 3-2 win.

1893 - The Pirates scored seven runs in the ninth inning at Expo Park and still lost to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms by a 22-16 count. It was the epitome of ugly baseball - 38 runs, 37 hits, 24 walks and 11 errors reflected an amateur rather than pro competition. The Pittsburgh Press wrote of the walks (although noting that the ump seemed “a little off”) that “This beats anything in that line seen in a league game...Three pitchers were used by the Pittsburgs in one inning, and this, too, had never been heard of in the league.” The first six Pirates in the batting order combined for 16 hits, with George Van Haltren banging out four knocks.

1895 -  RHP Johnny Miljus was born in Lawrenceville and went to Pitt, where he was a football and baseball star. Known as “Jovo” (short for Jovan, or John in Serbian) and “The Big Serb” (a nickname hung on him by Babe Ruth, per baseball lore), he got his start with an inning for the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League in 1915, and later joined the Bucs from 1927-28 (he fought in WW1 and was wounded in action, delaying his career), going 13-10-1/3.53. He was a multi-role hurler, and handled every chore from starting to closing. He’s best remembered for his wild pitch that allowed the New York “Murderers Row” Yankees to sweep the 1927 Series. Jovo struck out Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel in the ninth of that game and got two strikes on Tony Lazzeri. But he muscled up on the next pitch (some say it was a spitter, though Johnny never 'fessed up) and it got past C Johnny Gooch, allowing the winning run to score. Miljus played seven MLB campaigns through 1929, with his Pirates stint tucked between Brooklyn and Cleveland stops. Johnny was thought to be the first Serbian to play MLB.

Hal Smith - undated photo Conlon Collection/Getty

1902 - RHP Harold “Hal” Smith (no relation to the future catcher) was born in Creston, Iowa. Smith broke into the big leagues as a 30-year-old, and spent his four-year career (1932-35) as a Buc, although most of his twirling in the first and last year was done for the AA Kansas City Blues. He went 12-11-1 with a 3.77 ERA as a Pirate with his time split between starting and the bullpen. Hal played for the KC Blues again in 1936, then hung ‘em up.

1903 - Honus Wagner swatted four hits for a second straight game, missing the cycle by a double (The Pittsburgh Press sidebar story was “Wagner is After Batting Honors” and he did take the ‘03 NL crown with a .355 BA) as the Pirates rolled over the Brooklyn Superbas, 17-8, at the Washington Grounds. The game was never in doubt as the Bucs ran up a 13-0 lead before the Brooklynites got on the scoreboard. Fred Clarke and Ginger Beaumont also had four knocks as Pittsburgh banged out 19 hits, allowing Sam Leever to cruise to victory.

1909 -  The fans were pumped; they began lining up 6-1/2 hours before the game for tickets as an SRO crowd of 30,338 filled every nook to watch the Pirates fall to the Chicago Cubs 3-2 in the debut of Forbes Field. It was at the time the largest gathering to ever watch a baseball game. Ed Reulbach tossed a three-hitter to top Pittsburgh’s Vic Willis, who spun a four-hitter. Honus Wagner collected two knocks and scored a run in a game that was played in one hour and 50 minutes. Mayor William Magee threw out the first ball. He was in the second tier and lobbed the ball to John Morin, Director of Public Safety, on the field below. Morin then went to the mound and threw the first pitch to open the festivities. Danny Nirella and his band played, as they would for every Opening Day at Forbes Field for the next 45 years. The ball yard was one of the nation's first made completely of concrete and steel, featuring public phones, separate ladies room, ramps rather than stairs and even included a visitor’s clubhouse. FF’s firsts: the first radio broadcast in 1921, the first fan elevator installed in 1938, the first field tarps, the first pads to cushion the outfield wall in the forties and the first All-Star (1944) game played at night. It had a print shop (Banker’s Lithographing) in its interior and in the twenties, the space under the LF bleachers was used for car sales and repairs! It wasn’t exactly embraced at the beginning; it was often called "Dreyfuss' Folly" in its conceptual years. Some folly; the yard ended up as the Pirates’ home for 61 seasons. 

1909 - LHP Harry “Tincan” Kincannon was born in North Fork, West Virginia. Harry moved to the City for work, became a sandlot star and pitched for the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1930-36, being one of just three players to transition from the original indie Craws to the Negro NL. The curve-ball specialist made one All-Star appearance for the Crawfords before he was traded to the New York Black Yankees. He finished his career after the 1939 campaign.

Nixey - 1916 Holmes Bread

1917 - Pirates skipper Jimmy “Nixey” Callahan was fired after the club staggered to a 20-40 start, and Honus Wagner took over as player-manager. The Wagner-led Bucs claimed a 5-4 win over the Reds, with the Dutchman banging a two-run double. Wilbur Cooper went the distance for the win at Forbes Field. Wagner resigned after a five-game stint at the helm; he much preferred playing to filling out lineup cards, and business manager Hugo Bezdek took the reins.

1927 - Per BR Bullpen, SS Glenn Wright, on the way home from St. Louis after being beaned while batting against the Cards, was slightly injured when the train he was riding wrecked in Ohio. “Buckshot” lost two weeks to the twin traumas, not returning to the lineup until July 14th. Lee Meadows, who accompanied Wright on the trip home, escaped shaken but unscathed.

1931 - LHP Don Gross was born in Weidman, Michigan. Gross pitched from the pen for the Bucs from 1958-60, going 6-8 with a 3.82 ERA. The Pirates made one of their “whatever was I thinking of” deals when they got him from the Reds; they sent RHP Bob Purkey to Cincinnati, where he won in double figures for eight seasons and was named to three All-Star teams.  

1933 - 1B/OF Dave Roberts was born in Panama City, Panama. After a couple of years playing off the Houston Colt .45’s (Astros) bench, Roberts spent a year on the farm and joined the Bucs in 1966 via the Rule 5 draft, going 2-for-16 in his last MLB shot while spending most of the campaign at AAA Columbus. Afterwards, he played eight seasons in Japan (1967-74).

1934 - A small stone monument dedicated to Barney Dreyfuss was unveiled outside Forbes Field’s RF gates, leading to Schenley Park, on the 25th anniversary of the ballyard. The monument was later displayed in TRS and it’s now located at PNC Park, on the concourse behind home plate. The ceremony didn’t help the Bucs, who were 4-2 losers to the Cubs.

Dreyfuss Monument

1960 - Dick Stuart bombed three consecutive HRs to key an 11-6 win as the Pirates split a DH with the second place Giants at Forbes Field. Stuart had seven RBI in the nitecap and joined Ralph Kiner as the second Pirate to hit three homers in a game at Forbes Field. Joe Gibbon worked 7-2/3 innings, giving up six hits and a run after Vinegar Bend Mizell was chased by the G-Men in the second frame. The Bucs were flattened in the opener, losing by an 11-0 count.

1962 - The Pirates clobbered the Cards 17-7 at Busch Stadium. Smoky Burgess banged out two homers and a double, good for seven RBI. Roberto Clemente had a hot stick, too, going 4-for-5 with a homer, a double and five runs driven in. Dick Groat, Bob Skinner and Dick Stuart added three knocks apiece as the Pirates drilled 22 hits against St. Louis.

1965 - Post Gazette Sports Editor Al Abrams disclosed that in May, in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, the Pirates and the Braves were close to pulling the trigger on a Lee Maye for Vern Law, Donn Clendenon and Jerry Lynch swap. But the Bucs turned it around on the field and the deal (thankfully for Pittsburgh) fell through. Milwaukee sent Maye to the Houston Astros instead for Ken Johnson/Jim Beauchamp and he never developed into more than a platoon guy and off-season singer with the Five Crowns & the Hearts. Law won 17 games in ‘65 and a dozen more the next season, the often-dangled Clendenon played through the 1968 campaign for the Bucs, and Lynch retired as a Buccaneer at age 35 in 1966.

1973 - RHP Chan Ho Park was born in Kong Ju City, South Korea. He finished his 17-year MLB career in Pittsburgh in 2010 after being claimed from the New York Yankees, making 26 appearances and slashing 2-2/3.49. He tossed for two more years in Korea before retiring to focus on various children charities on behalf of his Chan Ho Park Dream Foundation.

6/30 From 1975: Burney-Hanny, Perez-McWilliams, Big Three, 3-In-3, 9 Straight, 8-In-4th, Mound Gems, Cutch POTM, Game Days, HBD Cole, Drew & Delwyn

1978 - The Bucs lost both a ballgame and Dave Parker in the ninth inning at TRS. The Pirates were leading 3-2 when two errors helped the Mets to four runs. The Pirates came roaring back. Frank Taveras and Omar Moreno singled with one out, and Parker followed with a triple to cut the lead to 6-5. Bill Robinson lifted a fly to RF Joel Youngblood, and his throw home beat the tagging Cobra, who tried to run through New York catcher John Stearns, a former defensive back in college. Instead Stearns exploded into him to make the tag, ending the game and breaking Parker’s jaw & cheekbone all in one fell swoop, then spiking the ball after the play. David was Cobra-tough, though, returning 16 days after his bones were set and his jaw wired shut, first wearing a goalie's mask, then a football helmet and later a cage to protect his puss. He slumped on his return - he was on a liquid diet and lost 20 pounds - but rediscovered his stroke in time to repeat as league batting champ (.334) and was voted the Senior Circuit's MVP.

1982 - The Atlanta Braves traded LHP Larry McWilliams to the Pirates for RHP Pascual Perez and minor leaguer Carlos Rios. Both pitchers were solid starters for a spell (each won 33 games during his next three seasons) in a rare even-up deal while Rios never made the show.

1983 - Utilityman Drew Sutton was born in El Dorado, Arkansas. Drew had a dizzy but brief Bucco stay. The Pirates purchased Sutton from the Atlanta Braves on May 20th, 2012. Then Tampa Bay purchased Drew from the Bucs on the next day; the Pirates had let him go as a professional courtesy because the Rays were going to add him to their MLB roster. 18 games and a month later, Sutton was DFA’ed by Tampa and claimed by Pittsburgh. He became the stuff of local folklore when Drew hit his first career walk-off home run into PNC’s batter’s eye off the Astro’s Wesley Wright to give the Pirates a come-from-ahead win after a blown save by Joel Hanrahan. The victory gave the Pirates a share of first place. Drew left as a free agent after the year, spent one more season as a 30-year-old at AAA Pawtucket in the Boston system and then retired.

1987 - IF Cole Figueroa was born in Tallahassee, Florida. He made three brief stops in the show between 2014-16 with his last hurrah in Pittsburgh. He got into 23 games in 2016, batting .154. He read the writing on the wall; he’s now with the Tampa Bay Rays as an assistant GM, putting his Sports Management degree from Florida (he was selected to the All-SEC Academic Team) to good use for a club that appreciates its techies.

Cole Figueroa - 2016 photo day/Getty

1992 - Pittsburgh eked out a 2-0 win v St. Louis at Busch Stadium. Doug Drabek tossed a three-hit, complete game whitewash with nine strikeouts. It was the third time that Drabek went the distance on the road to a career-high 10 CGs during the season. The Bucs scored both runs in the sixth off Rheal Cormier when Cecil Espy and Chico Lind’s back-to-back two-out singles plated Lloyd McClendon and Don Slaught. Espy’s was a game-winning gift; his in-between hopper got through SS Tim Jones for a single and error to score the first run and set up the second.

1997 - Jon Lieber tossed a five-hit, 10-K, complete game 3-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at TRS, backed by homers from Kevin Young and Dale Sveum. But the most memorable part of the afternoon was Lieber’s dominance of Albert Belle, whom he whiffed four times. The 28,070 fans loved it; Belle was in the first year of an $11M contract, while the “Freak Show” Pirates had a $9M payroll for the entire team. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette headline for Bob Smizik’s game story was “Pirates Clang Belle.” Lieber also held Frank Thomas, who was making a mere $7.15M, 0-for-2, limiting the Big Hurt to a sac fly. It also launched a seven-game winning streak for the dark horse Buccos, taking them from third place to the top spot by the first week of July.

1999 - The Bucs rode an eight-run fourth frame to a 9-1 win over the Phillies at TRS. Brian Giles had a three-run homer, Al Martin had a three-run bases-clearing double and Brant Brown doubled in another pair as the Bucs banged out six hits with three walks in their big frame. Jason Schmidt cruised to victory with ninth inning help from Brad Clontz.

2006 - The hottest team in baseball, the Detroit Tigers (at the time, 54-25, and eventually World Series bound) rolled into PNC Park with a boatload of old Bucco honchos: Manager Jim Leyland and his coaches Gene Lamont, Lloyd McLendon, Andy Van Slyke, Don Slaught and Rafe Belliard. The Tigers won the opener 7-6 and took 2-of-3 games of the series. Motown also rostered a bunch of future Buccos during the visit - Brandon Inge, Craig Monroe, Jason Grilli and Wil Ledzema all appeared during the set and all eventually donned a Pirates uniform. 

Gorzo - 2007 Topps Gold

2007 - To protest the team’s small payroll and general ineptitude, a group called “Fans for Change” staged a walkout at PNC Park. Estimates ranged from a few hundred to a few thousand of the 26,959 on hand who strolled out of the park after the third inning. They picked a bad day for it, as the Bucs beat the Nats 7-2 behind Tom Gorzelanny, backed by a three-run homer by Adam LaRoche. Though the sentiment was widespread, the boycott had little effect.

2008 - The Pirates penciled a pitcher in the eight-hole for the first time in over 50 years when John Russell had Paul Maholm (.161) bat ahead of Jack Wilson (.312); Bobby Bragan had been the last Pittsburgh skipper to use the ploy during the 1957 campaign. It didn’t exactly juice the attack as the Bucs went down 4-3 to the Cincinnati Reds at GABP after Matt Capps gave up a two-run homer in the ninth to Junior. Maholm went 0-for-3; Wilson 1-for-3.

2009 - The Bucs traded LF Nyjer Morgan and LHP Sean Burnett to the Washington Nationals for RHP Joel Hanrahan and OF Lastings Milledge in a change-of-scenery swap. Hanrahan would become the major piece, eventually taking over as the Pirate closer. Burney tossed for eight more years while Morgan played into the 2014 campaign. They also shipped utilityman Eric Hinske to the New York Yankees for minor leaguers C Eric Fryer and RHP Casey Erickson. 

2013 - The Pirates won their ninth straight game 2-1 in 14 innings over the Brewers at PNC Park. The yard was packed with 35,351 fans on a Sunday afternoon, but the game was delayed in the second inning by rain for nearly 2-1/2 hours, and the bullpens took over with Milwaukee ahead, 1-0. Andrew McCutchen tied the game in the eighth when his two-out knock drove in Starling Marte. The Pirates left the bases loaded in the 13th to miss a golden chance, but Russ Martin, the last position player remaining, singled home Gaby Sanchez, who had an infield knock and stolen base to open the frame, with the game winner in the next go-around. Tony Watson got the win after three scoreless innings. He followed five other Pirate relievers, and the ensemble tossed 12 innings of two-hit, shutout ball without a walk, led by Vin Mazzaro’s perfect five-inning stint (it was the first Bucco five IP+ bullpen perfecto since Elmer Ponder did it in 1919). It was the first time in franchise history that the pen put up 12 consecutive zeros in one game.

Vin Mazzaro - 2013 photo Otto Greule/Getty

2017 - The Bucs were bombed by the Giants 13-5 at PNC Park to complete a San Francisco sweep, but the G-Men couldn’t slow down Andrew McCutchen. He went 2-for-2 with a walk to close out a red-hot June. He slashed .411/.505/.689 with six homers, 23 RBI and 22 runs scored, taking the Player-of-the-Month Award for a franchise record fifth time.

2022 - Michael Perez became the third Pirate in 12 days to bang three homers in a game, joining Bryan Reynolds (6/29) and Jack Suwinski (6/19), while Oneil Cruz and Suwinski added bombs of their own at PNC Park in an 8-7 win over the Brewers; all the Bucco runs were the result of long balls. Pittsburgh carried an 8-4 lead into the ninth, but Milwaukee made a game of it by scoring a trio of runs off David Bednar, who was just coming off a couple of down days with a sore back. Yerry De Los Santos came on to close the door on the Brew Crew, stranding two runners with two away, to earn a save of JT Brubaker’s win. It was the first multi-homer game of Perez’s MLB career, his first big-league four-hit game (he went 4-for-4) and the first time this season he had collected more than one hit in a contest. The Pirates made the record book as the first MLB team to have three players smack three homers in a game in the same month.

2023 - The Brewers kept surging against the Bucs - they were up 4-0 and 7-3 during various stages of the game - but they couldn’t hold back Carlos Santana, Andrew McCutchen and Jack Suwinski as the Pirates clawed back to claim a dramatic 8-7 win at PNC Park. The threesome went 8-for-13 with a pair of homers, three doubles, a walk, five runs scored, and six more driven in, capped by Santana’s two-out, ninth-inning walkoff homer - Carlos celebrated with a fierce dance before touching the plate - to take the dub. Nick Gonzales also added a two-out, two-run double to help the sixth Bucco pitcher, Carmen Mlodzinski, to his first MLB victory in front of 29,000 plus fans.

2024 - Pittsburgh beat Atlanta 4-2 at Truist Park. Barney Falter opened and the last four frames were covered by a short-handed bullpen (Kyle Nicholas, Carmen Modlzinski and Aroldis Chapman) as the trio served goose eggs. The attack was double-pronged as Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez each homered and had two RBI to account for the Bucco runs. For Tellez, it was a fitting finish to a sizzling month. He ended May batting .177 (his BA for the month was .143) and was on the edge of being released, at least in the eyes of the media, when he caught fire in June. Rowdy hit .333 with three homers and 14 RBI in 66 ABs (he had just one long ball and eight RBI in April-May) and went from being one the season’s off-season busts to a Bucco fan fave.

1982 - UT Delwyn Young Jr. was born in Los Angeles. A touted minor-league prospect, Delwyn was a AAA All-Star and played for Team USA, but the Dodgers outfield was loaded and Young was sent to Pittsburgh for Eric Krebs & Harvey Garcia. He became the starting 2B, replacing the traded Freddy Sanchez. Delwyn began on fire but faded during the dog days, relegating him to a utility role in 2010. His bat slipped - he hit .238 following a .266 season - and he became a free agent. Young had a couple of bites, but never caught on in the majors again. 

Weekly Report: Home Split, Injury Yo-Yo's, Team Marks, Hammer O'Hearn & the Magician Esmerlyn, Braxton & Bubba Sharp, All-Era, Legacy Hall, Exes Moves

Sputter, sputter...

Pirates Stuff:

• Spencer Horwitz was removed early in Wednesday's game with left hamstring discomfort. And ouch, the next day, the Pirates placed him on the 10-day IL due to the strained left hammy; he's expected to miss "weeks, not days" per BC. IF Jack Brannigan was recalled from Altoona to fill his spot on the roster for a sec until Konnor Griffin came back. 
• Konnor Griffin (elbow strain) began his rehab at Altoona on Wednesday after missing three weeks plus of June with the injury. He homered and tripled for the Curve, returned to Pittsburgh the next day and was back on the roster on Friday. Oh, and homered on the first pitch he saw...
• Wilber Dotel (lat) began his rehab stint with Altoona on Saturday. He worked an inning, looked uncomfortable on the bump and now is in Pgh where he will be evaluated.
• Brandon Lowe became the second Pirate 2B all-time to have a 20+ HR season, joining Neil Walker (23 HR in 2014).
• Oneil Cruz isn't expected back in action until after the All-Star break.

Braxton Ashcraft - June 2026/Sportsnet.Pgh

• Ray Miller would be proud: Braxton Ashcraft is the first Pirates pitcher in the Modern Era (since 1901) to have two games with 10 or more strikeouts and no walks in the same season. He had 10 K v the M's on Wednesday and 11 against the Twins on 5/31 with no free passes. Other Pirates pitchers to do that deed during their career are Paul Skenes, Gerrit Cole and (who woulda guessed?) Bob Veale.
• Bryan Reynolds' 17-game hitting streak ended Sunday, but two walks extended his on-base streak to 33, fourth all-time for the franchise. The Bucco record is 37 straight games, set by Jay Bell in 1993.
• Seth Hernandez, who has split his time between Bradenton & Greensboro, became the first minor leaguer to post 100 K this year. It took him 14 starts-62-1/3 IP to hit the century mark.
• Bradenton RHP Levi Sterling was selected as the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week. He was recognized for his six-inning no-run, two-hit, four-K outing against Clearwater. The 19-year-old was 4-3/4.14 coming into this week.
• The Pirates opened Legacy Hall at PNC Park during this week's homestand, featuring memorabilia that the team and players collected over the years. It's located off Federal Street by the Willie Stargell statue and open for fans; it'll also be used as a Park tour starting point & as a rental facility.

Game Stuff:

• Mitch Keller gave them six good innings, yielding just a run. Don Kelly tried to get a seventh frame out of him, but Mariner/North Allegheny HS grad Cole Young banged a two-run homer off Kells, and that was all she wrote in a 3-2 loss at PNC. The Bucs had nine hits; the M's chipped in three walks and three errors, leading to nine stranded Buccos; Jake Mangum managed to get caught stealing and picked off. 
• Didn't look that great at the start; Braxton Ashcraft was tagged for three straight singles to open the game and the Bucs didn't have a knock until the fourth frame. But Brax & the bats loosened up; Ashcraft only gave up two more hits and fanned 10 in six IP while the Pirates put up a five-spot in the fourth, running away with an 11-1 decision. Ryan O'Hearn had four hits and three RBI & Endy Rodriguez also chased home three runs with two raps.

Ryan O'Hearn - June 2026/Pirates photo

• Bubba wasn't at his sharpest, but still put up 5-1/3 IPs with just a run surrendered despite five hits and three walks. The bullpen dodged a couple of figurative raindrops - Seattle stranded 11 runners - and behind Hank Davis' homer, double, two RBI and two runs scored plus a Brandon Lowe bomb, the Pirates prevailed 5-1.
• Welp. Konnor was back and at leadoff v the Reds, and welcome home - he homered on the first pitch. But Paul Skenes, a Cincy killer most days. ran into a rough second, as five straight Reds reached base and four scored. Then Paul returned to regular programming and behind back-to-backs by Marcell Ozuna and Esmerlyn Valdez, it was 4-4 after sixth.But the bats ran out of steam, the pen gave up a late blast, and the Reds took the opener 6-4.
• After some raindrops fell, the game started a lil' late, but the Reds didn't mind; they were up 2-0 early, until Brandow Lowe banged a three-run shot to take the lead. But Jared Jones couldn't get through the fifth and left a 4-4 game; the pen gave up a pair in the sixth to make it 6-4 Cincy. Pittsburgh tied it in the seventh, and in the eighth Esmerlyn the Magician Valdez put the Bucs ahead 7-6 with a solo bomb. But yah, bullpen - Gregory Soto gave up a two-out, two-strike, three-run blast to Eugenio Suarez to fall behind again 9-7, and that's how it ended.

Tyler Callihan - June 2006/Pirates 

• Tyler Callihan's three-run bomb put Mitch Keller and the Bucs up 4-0 early on. The Reds got a pair back in the fourth; the Pirates loaded the bases with no outs in their half but couldn't score, a pretty frustrating recent theme. Cincy tied it in the fifth; Ryan O'Hearn untied it with a solo shot. Pittsburgh loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh; again they scored no runs. A rain delay was followed by Ryan O putting the game away with a three-run, eighth-inning blast after Carmen Mlodzinski bent but didn't break, tossing two goose eggs, and the Pirates took a 9-4 decision. Esmerlyn Valdez also went deep.
• Not much rest for the Buccos - next up are four contests in Philly starting Monday, then a three-game set at Washington.

MLB Stuff: 

• SABR picked its Segregation Era All-Time team (1920-46), and it's loaded with Bucs, Grays and Crawfords: https://sabr.org/all-time-eras-teams/segregation-era/ 
• OF Jared Oliva was claimed by the New York Mets after being DFA'ed by the San Fran Giants.
• The Cubs claimed RHP Bryse Wilson from the Phils and placed him on the MLB roster.
• SS Tsung-Che Cheng was called up by the Boston Red Sox. He got a cup of coffee with the Bucs last year, was DFA'ed in the off-season and been with four different organizations since then.
• The Rangers have signed LHP Marco Gonzales to a minor league deal. He last pitched in the show in 2024 for the Pirates with a 1-1/4.54 line in seven starts; most of his season was spent on the IL, followed by off-season surgery.
• Tommy Pham's journey continues; he signed a minor league deal with the Phillies, his third organization of the season.
• The Mariners optioned utility guy Connor Joe to AAA Tacoma; he was hitting .179 for Seattle.
• 40-year old 1B Carlos Santana was released by the D-Backs after completing rehab. He only got into eight games for 'Zona before going on the IL in early April. He was claimed by the Braves and signed a minor league deal.
• RHP Tyler Beede, who tossed here in 2022 (2-5/5.13, 25 games) declared for free agency. His last MLB gig was briefly in Clevelend in '24.

6/29 Through the 1970s: Willie's #400, Masters Nellie & Moose, Tom Swap, Game Days, Expo Finale, Kiner Slam, HBD Tony, Rock, Whitey, Patsy & Heinie

1867 - IF Henry “Heinie” Reitz was born in Chicago. Heinie had established himself as a dependable .290 hitter over his first five years and the Pirates sent three players to Washington to get him. Father Time won this deal. The 32-year-old Reitz played just 35 games for the Bucs, hitting a career low of .262 and was traded to Milwaukee of the American Association for Harry Smith, a backup catcher. Heinie never played major league ball again after the deal and became a sad but historic footnote in baseball history when he died in 1914 at age 47, the first major league player to meet his Maker as the result of a car accident.

1876 - LHP Patsy Flaherty was born in Mansfield (now Carnegie). The Flaherty and Wagner families were neighbors and Patsy & Johannes were lifelong friends. Flaherty was a “quick-pitch” stylist and master of the pickoff (between pitching as soon as he got the ball back without a windup and his deceptive pickoff move, there’s a misty bit of baseball lore that he struck out at least two batters who swung at throws to first!) who was recommended to the Pirates twice by his bud Hans. He pitched for the Bucs in 1900 and then again from 1904-05. He went 29-19-1/2.85 in that span. When he retired after nine years of major league ball with a dead arm, he coached, managed and scouted for various clubs until 1940.

1907 - The Pirates edged the Cubs 2-1 at West Side Park when CF Tommy Leach threw out Chicago’s Harry Steinfeldt at the plate in the ninth inning. Per the Pittsburgh Press: “...the wee outfielder (Leach)...was as active as a cat all afternoon. Tommie grabbed the bounding sphere and hurled it to catcher (George) Gibson at the plate. It was a perfect throw and had ‘Steiny’ beaten by 20 feet.” 35-year-old Deacon Phillippe, in his last season as a full-time starter, was the winner over Chi-town’s Ed Reulbach, who had a 17-game victory streak.

1909 - The Pirates won the final game they played at Exposition Park by an 8–1 count from the Chicago Cubs in front of 5,543 people, moving on to Oakland and Forbes Field the next day. George Gibson banged the final big league hit in the ballpark and Lefty Leifield earned the win over Three Finger Mordecai Brown. Lefty ended the game dramatically, striking out Jim Archer. Tommy Leach and Dots Miller, with four RBI, each collected three hits, and three other Bucs had a pair of knocks. The Park was ushered out in appropriate style - “Commodore” Charles Zieg played Taps as the flag was lowered after the contest. It was a full circle finale: the Cubs launched the Expo in 1891 against the Alleghenys as the Chicago Pirates and would perform the same honors for Forbes Field against the Pirates, both opening and closing the Oakland yard.

Lefty Leifield - 1909 Sweet Caporal/American Tobacco

1910 - Burgess “Whitey” Whitehead was born in Tarboro, North Carolina. A good glove, erratic hitting infielder, Whitey put in eight years with the Cards and Giants, winning a World Series, three NL pennants and earning an All-Star selection. After missing three seasons while in the military, he returned in 1946 for a last hurrah with the Pirates, hitting .220 at age 36 and then retiring after two more years toiling in the minors. Whitehead was elected into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and was the last surviving member of the Gas House Gang when he died in 1993 at the age of 83. Fun Fact: He hit 17 career homers; they were all in the Polo Grounds, 16 as a Giant (S/O to John Dreker of Pirates Prospects)

1915 - The Bucs and Cards split a doubleheader at Robison Field in less than ideal conditions. Today’s groundskeepers would be aghast, but the St. Louis crew used 300 gallons of gas to “bake” the infield after rain had turned it to mush. Doc Johnson of the Redbirds and the Buccos Hans Wagner both suffered minor leg injuries (they returned the next day) on the torched surface. Left fielder Max Carey, who had three assists in the two games, collected one with an unwitting helping hand from the hitter: the Cards LF Cozy Dolan's drive hit his own glove in the grass behind third base (it was common practice to leave your glove on the field between innings) and Carey took advantage of the deflection to throw Dolan out at second. Pittsburgh won the opener 8-6 by scoring four ninth-inning runs. They were led by Hans Wagner and Carey with two hits and RBIs each; Babe Adams pitched the last two frames for the win. The Cards took the nitecap 6-4, holding off the Pirates after jumping out to an early 6-0 lead.

1949 - Ralph Kiner had a feature article running in the current Saturday Evening Post and celebrated by driving in five runs with a grand slam (the fourth of his four-year career) and a double to lead the Bucs to a 7-3 win over the Reds at Forbes Field. Johnny Hopp led the hit parade with three knocks while Kiner, Pete Castiglione and Dino Restelli had a pair of raps. Vic Lombardi was given a six-run lead after two innings and coasted to the win, with a three-run dinger surrendered to Virg Stallcup his only major miscue. Kiner’s homer was his 19th of the year, tying him with Ted Williams for the MLB lead, and Ralph eventually ran away from the Splendid Splinter to take the title with 54 long flies, the Bucco record.

1952 - The Bucs stopped the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 at Forbes Field behind Howie Pollet. The game went just five frames as a thunderstorm washed away the final 12 outs. Howie and Mother Nature teamed up to pull the plug on Donora’s Stan “The Man” Musial’s 24-game hitting streak; he walked and lined out in his only two at-bats before the weather turned soggy.

Tom Sturdivant - 1962 Topps

1961 - The Pirates traded RHP Tom Cheney, 26, to the Senators for 32-year-old RHP Tom Sturdivant. Sturdivant slashed 14-7-3/3.49 for the Pirates in 65 games (23 starts) before being sold to the Tigers in 1963. Cheney lasted until 1966 with DC, and in an outlier to a journeyman career (19-29-2/3.77), set the single game MLB strikeout record, whiffing 21 Orioles batters on September 12th, 1962 in 16 innings, tossing a three-hitter in a complete game win. 

1965 - 28,589 fans got their fill of baseball at Forbes Field when the Bucs split a twilight twin bill with the Reds. The contests started at 6:05 and ended at 1:42 AM, with the Pirates taking the opener 2-1 in 16 innings and dropping the second game, 7-5. Cincy had 11 hits in the first game but went 1-for-11 w/RISP; the last of the Buccos six hits was a two-out rap by Roberto Clemente that scored Bob Bailey, making a winner of Steel City’s fourth hurler, Don Schwall. The Reds broke out of their malaise with a five-run fourth frame in game two to overcome two-hit outings by Clemente, Manny Mota and Donn Clendenon to whip Joe Gibbon.

1967 - John Wehner was born in Carrick. The Rock was drafted out of Indiana University by the Pirates in the seventh round of the 1988 draft and the infielder spent nine seasons (1991-96, 1999-2001) with the Bucs as a utilityman, hitting .250. On October 1st, 2000, Wehner hit the final home run smacked at Three Rivers Stadium. He played every position except pitcher during his career. John shares the major league record of 99 consecutive errorless games at third base with Jeff Cirillo and has a 1997 World Series ring won with the Florida Marlins under Jim Leyland. After a couple of years as a Bucco hitting coach at Altoona, he became an analyst on the Pirates’ TV team.

1968 - The Pittsburgh Press sports page lede was “M-000 000 000-se Blanks Phils” after Bob Moose twirled a two-hit, one walk, eight-K performance at Veterans Stadium to claim a 1-0 win. Both of the hits were weak, with one being a bad-hop single off Maury Wills’ mitt and the other a ball through the box that Moose couldn’t react to quickly enough. His eight whiffs were of just three Phillies - Dick Allen (four times), Johnny Briggs (twice) and pitcher Larry Jackson (two times - both on foul third strike bunts). The Buccos' only score came in the ninth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Matty Alou hit a two-hopper to seven-time Gold Glove winner Bill White at first; against the odds, it went through his wickets to allow Wills to score the game’s only run. 

Nellie Briles - 1972 Topps

1972 - Nellie Briles spun a three-hitter (all collected by Boots Day) as the Bucs romped over the Montreal Expos 9-0 at Three Rivers Stadium. Nellie got all the help he needed from Manny Sanguillen, who had four hits and scored three times, and Richie Hebner, who bopped a two-out, three-run homer. Briles even helped himself by singling in a run and then coming around to score as he ran his record to 6-2 with the complete game victory.

1977 - Pops Stargell became the first Pirates player to hit 400 career home runs when he connected in the fifth frame off Eric Rasmussen in a 9-1 win at Busch Stadium. Bill Robinson had a four-bagger and double while Phil Garner added a long ball against the Cards. Bruce Kison and Goose Gossage combined for a seven-hitter. Captain Willie finished his career with 475 bombs, far and away the most by a Bucco - Ralph Kiner is a distant second with 301.

1977 - RHP Tony McKnight was born in Texarkana, Arkansas. Tony was a first round draft pick and pitched modestly well for Houston (5-1/3.91 in nine starts) in limited work. The Pirates took a dice roll on the 24-year-old by swinging a deadline deal that sent reliever Mike Williams to the ‘Stros for him. They rolled snake eyes; Tony went 2-6/5.19 in 12 starts with a 1.572 WHIP, then ended his career with two years in the minors. He’s now a coach for the Texas A&M at Texarkana Eagles. Williams became a FA and re-signed with the Bucs in 2002.

1978 - Rennie Stennett, gimpy but game with a bum ankle, came off the bench in the eighth and tripled in Phil Garner to give the Bucs a 4-3 win over the Mets at TRS. The drive gave Grant Jackson the win with a ninth-inning save by Ed Whitson after they took over from Bert Blyleven and Kent Tekulve. Willie Stargell had three knocks, including a homer and double, and Kenny Macha added three more, one a triple, to account for half of the Pirates 12 hits.