7/26: Holmes-Castillo/Park, '08 NYY Deal, Kendall Contract; Star-ling Debut, Jerry Meals Game, Game Tales; Shelty's #1, Gunner & Possum; HBD Ji-Hwan, Joaquin, Jose, Tom, Eddie & Jimmy

• 1889 - The Alleghenys defeated the Cleveland Spiders, 8-4, at Recreation Park despite giving up a three-run infield homer to ex-Allegheny Jay Faatz, whose hot shot to 3B Jim White bounced off his foot and went into the “free seats” - temporary stands - and couldn’t be dug out in time to stop Faatz from circling the bases. Fred Carroll, Ned Hanlon and Doggie Miller each had three knocks to spearhead a 16-hit Buc attack that easily carried Harry Staley to the win. Miller homered over the left field wall, and the Pittsburgh Press wrote “The crowd went wild as little George trotted over the circuit and lifted his cap at the plate. An enthusiast threw a silver dollar at him, which (Miller) accepted with a smile.” Who said there was no bonus money in early baseball? 
• 1911 - The Brooklyn Infants put as many Pirates on base as the Pirates did themselves (Brooklyn dished out eight walks, a bopped batter and error to match the Buccos 10 hits) and the result was a 12-1 romp by Pittsburgh at Forbes Field. Three of the Buc hits were triples, and Bill McKechnie’s four RBI led the pack; McKechnie would later go on to manage the Pirates for five years (1922-26). Howie Camnitz worked the first seven innings (one run, five hits, one walk, three K) to earn the win; 24-year-old Harry Gardner mopped up the final two frames. 
• 1917 - 2B Jimmy Bloodworth was born in Tallahassee, Florida. Jimmy played for 11 seasons and was a member of the 1950 NL champ “Whiz Kids” Phillies team. Like many of his era, he spent time in the Army from 1944-46. Bloodworth put in one season with the Pirates in 1947, batting .250, just about his career average, appearing in 88 games. 1951 was Bloodworth’s last season in the major leagues. He played in the minors for the following three years, managed in the bush leagues for two more years and then served as a deputy sheriff in Florida. 
• 1920 - IF Joe “Eddie” (his middle name) Bockman was born in Santa Ana, California. He had a brief four-year MLB stay, spending his last two campaigns in 1948-49 with the Pirates, playing second and third while batting .230 in 149 games. He then spent a decade as a Bucco player/coach in the minors, then served for another 30 years as a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, where he signed Bob Boone, Larry Bowa, Joe Charboneau, Buck Martinez, Ricky Jordan, Randy Lerch, Dick Ruthven, John Vukovich and Bob Walk. In 1992, he became a scout for the expansion Florida Marlins. Eddie passed away in 2011. 

Eddie Bockman - 1949 Eureka Sports Stamp

• 1921 - OF Tom Saffell was born in Etowah, Tennessee. He played for the Bucs from 1949-51, then after spending the next three seasons in the minors, returned in 1955. The speedy OF’er hit .239 for the Bucs. He was a minor celeb, though, as he was the pitcher for the 1960 syndicated TV show “Home Run Derby” that was hosted by Mark Scott. That program was said to inspire the All Star Game’s home run derby and was also part of ESPN’s Classic series. 
• 1927 - The Pirates pushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to edge the Brooklyn Robins, 6-5, at Forbes Field to remain tied with the Cubs for the National League lead. They were almost derailed by former matey Max Carey (he moved on to Brooklyn in 1926), who had three hits, three runs, and three stolen bases. But he was countered by the Waner brothers, as Lloyd had three hits and scored twice, both times driven home by Paul. Little Poison’s lumber work allowed him to take over the league lead in hits while Lee Meadows went the distance. 
• 1928 - NY Giant future Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell made his MLB debut against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds. He pitched a scoreless first inning, but the Bucs scored five times in the second to knock him out of the game, winning, 7-5, behind Burleigh Grimes. Paul Waner had three hits and two RBI to lead a balanced Bucco attack. But King Carl persisted: he left MLB after 16 years, with 253 wins under his belt and a slash of 49-21/3.07 lifetime against Pittsburgh. 
• 1942 - Utilityman Jose Martinez was born in Cardenas, Cuba. Jose was signed by the Bucs in 1960 and spent 1969-70 with the Pirates, his only stop in the show as a player, hitting .245 in 96 games. He put in 14 years on the farm before his MLB career took off as a bench boss and team administrator. Jose served as a minor league manager and major league coach for the Kansas City Royals from 1980-88 and then coached with the Chicago Cubs from 1988-94. He joined the Atlanta Braves front office in 1995 and worked for them until his death in 2014. 

Dick Groat - 1952 Topps

• 1952 - The Pirates used the power of persistence to overcome Boston at Braves Field, 6-4. Falling behind 3-0 after an inning, the Bucs, led by rookie Dick Groat’s 5-for-5 day (he broke out of an 0-for-19 funk), chipped away at the Brave lead. Pittsburgh, behind two RBI from Groat and a two-run homer by Gus Bell, climbed back into a tie in the seventh. They went ahead in the ninth inning on George Metkovich’s two-run, two-out double, set up by Clem Koshorek, who had the ball waiting on him as he went from first-to-third on a single but kicked it out of 3B Sibby Sisti’s mitt. Howie Pollet recovered from the rocky first frame (and it didn't get much easier; Boston had runners aboard in eight of the nine frames) for the win, and added three knocks to the attack. 
• 1977 - The Bucs dodged a bullet when John Candelaria took a liner just below his pitching elbow but only suffered a bruise in a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros at Three Rivers Stadium. He was replaced by Goose Gossage, who was pitching for the first time in eight days after a rib pull, and The Goose nailed down the final five outs, one a spectacular leaping catch by Dave Parker at the wall. It was Candy Man’s best season, ending at 20-5/2.34. He led the league in ERA and enjoyed his only 20-win season and sole All-Star selection. Candy’s stellar season wasn’t enough to push the Bucs to the top, though - they won 96 games, but still finished five behind the division-winning Phillies. 
• 1977 - RHP Joaquin Benoit was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The last stop in his 16-year career was with the Pirates in 2017 after a deadline deal with the Phils, getting Benoit for a minor leaguer. He was a season-ending warm body and went 0-2/7.56 in eight games as a 39-year-old. He signed with the Nats for 2018, but spent the season on the DL and was done. 
• 1979 - The Gunner was briefly united with old mate Jim Woods on the United Artists Satellite radio system for a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Three Rivers Stadium. The Possum was a regular broadcaster for the network (they featured national Thursday Night games), and it was a one-time deal for Prince. There was plenty of action to keep the pair from any dead air, but the Bucs fell short, losing, 9-7, as Dave Roberts and Joe Coleman gave up eight runs in three innings, outings that Willie Stargell and Bill Robinson homers couldn’t overcome. 

Sid Bream - 1988 Score

• 1988 - Doug Drabek carried a two-hit shutout into the ninth inning against the Cards at Busch Stadium, but was banged for a two-out homer by Willie McGee to cut the score to 2-1 and add a little drama to the affair. Jimmy Leyland yanked him for Jim Gott (“I’ve seen too many guys give up a home run like that, lose a little concentration and boom, someone else has got them” the skipper told Bob Hertzel of the Pittsburgh Press after the game). Gott added to the final theatrics by giving up a single, but closed it out by blowing a fastball past Tom Brunansky to book the victory. The Bucs scored twice in the fourth frame on a wild pitch and Sid Bream knock that scored Jose Lind & Andy Van Slyke, to snap a four-game losing streak and stay two games behind the New York Mets in the division race. Another notable feat occurred during the game: C Spanky LaValliere stole his first MLB base, one of a single-season high of three swipes in ‘88. He stole two more sacks in 1991 and those five bags were his total big league. 
• 1992 - The Braves were on a 13-game winning streak and weren’t planning on it ending. Down 4-1 in the eighth inning at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Lonnie Smith banged a three-run homer off Stan Belinda to tie the contest. But the Bucs hitters of the hour came through. Jeff King opened the ninth frame with a single, was bunted up and beat the throw home on Orlando Merced’s single. Jeff had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI on the day; Orlando, who came in as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and stayed on at 1B, went 2-for-2 with two runs chased home (King both times with two outs). Belinda sucked it up and locked it down with a 1-2-3 ninth for the win. 
• 1997 - C Jason Kendall signed a four-year/$7.2M contract extension covering his arbitration years that carried him to the 2001 campaign. It was well worth the price; the young backstop hit .317 over the life of the deal, earned two All-Star bids and his play was amply rewarded later with a club record six-year, $60M deal. 
• 1999 - IF/OF Ji-Hwan Bae was born in Daegu, South Korea. Signed by the Bucs as an international FA in 2018 for $1.25M, he caused a storm when he was suspended 30 days for domestic violence committed in 2017. But he toed the line afterwards, worked through the system and debuted in 2022. Ji-Hwin was versatile, playing some outfield and 2B (his usual spot) while batting .333 in a small sample size. He also showed some speed as he was 3-for-3 on steals, aggressive on the basepaths and could cover center. With the Pirates short of leadoff types and OF’s, Bae was called up to the big team in '23, flashed hot-and-cold on the field and is now at Indy. 

Ji-Hwan Bae - 2024 Topps

• 2008 - OF Xavier Nady & LHP Damaso Marte were traded to the NY Yankees for OF Jose Tabata and RHPs Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen & Ross Ohlendorf. During their Bucco careers, Karstens tossed for five years (23-35/4.31), McCutchen made 109 appearances in four seasons (8-11/4.77) and Ohlie tossed for four years (13-27/4.61). Tabata was the key prospect; the Pirates locked him up to a long-term deal guaranteed for five years/$14.5M. Although he hit .275 over six years, injuries and lack of power were his undoing and he was shipped to LA. 
• 2011 - This was the black day of the Jerry Meals game in Atlanta, heralding the end of the Bucco's improbable pennant (and .500+ season) run. The ump blew a call at home in the 19th inning, giving the Braves a 4-3 win and starting a downward spiral of epic proportions for Pittsburgh. At 6 hours and 39 minutes, it was the longest game in club history. The Pirates filed a protest (at 2:30 in the morning) but the judgment call was upheld, even though the League Office admitted it was wrong. To add salt to the wound, Meals was born in nearby Butler. 
• 2012 - In a rookie-on-rookie match, Starling Marte homered to left center against Houston’s Dallas Keuchel, hammering the first MLB pitch he saw. Pittsburgh won the contest, 5-3, at Minute Maid Park as Garrett Jones and Clint Barmes also went long while AJ Burnett took home the victory against the ‘Stros behind the big boomers. Marte became the third Bucco to send his first major league pitch over the wall, joining Walter Mueller (1922) and Don Leppert (1961). 
• 2020 - It took three tries, but new Bucco skipper Derek Shelton won his first MLB game by a 5-1 count over the St. Louis Cardinals in Busch Stadium. Mitch Keller went five innings, giving up a run, before JT Brubaker, in his first big league outing, Michael Feliz and Nick Burdi nailed it down. Jose Osuna and Colin Moran homered while Phil Evans collected three hits. In a sidebar, with no fans in attendance due to the Covid 19 crowd ban, pitcher Derek Holland decided to soak up some sun and catch the game from the box seats, from whence he was ejected for jawing at the plate umpire. Dutch Oven became the first player given the thumb in 2020. 

Clay Holmes - 2021 photo/Pirates

• 2021 - The New York Yankees acquired RHP Clay Holmes from the Pirates in exchange for IFs Diego Castillo, 23, and Hoy Jun Park, 25. Park was playing AAA ball, went to Indy briefly and was called up on 7/31, while Castillo was in AA and assigned to Altoona; both played 2B/SS (Park also had some time in the pasture). The pair showed some pop on the farm with the sticks, and both were up-and-down, filling in as utilitymen. Park now plays in the Oakland system and Castillo is a Minnesota farmhand. Holmes straightened up and became the Yankees closer. 
• 2023 - The Pirates had lost all six series in July, were minus their skipper, Derek Shelton, for the day (suspension), starting a pitcher, Johan Oviedo, who hadn’t won since mid-May and fully committed to their young blood, starting five players with less that two moths MLB experience. But thanks to three solo homers and a steely comeback by David Bednar in the ninth frame, they took two out of three at San Diego’s Petco Park by claiming the finale, 3-2, to hand bench coach Don Kelly his first win at the helm. The Bucco blasts were provided by Ji Man Choi, Bryan Reynolds & Carlos Santana and the drama by The Renegade. Bednar came in with a two-run lead and got the first out before two walks (the first one scored; the second forced the run home), a hit batter and single made it 3-2, with the bases jammed. But it ended well as he closed it out with a pop and a whiff, and though it took 37 pitches, he notched his 20th save to clinch Oviedo’s dub. The Pirates last series win was a sweep at PNC Park in late June, also against the Friars.

7/25 Through the 1950s: Kelly Claimed, Jake Swap; Arriba Winner, Elliott 6-Pack, Josh Debut, Kiki Circuit, Carey On, Game Tales HBD Jack, Marv & John

• 1863 - John Tener was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, and moved to the City as a babe. A pitcher for the Pittsburgh Burghers in 1890 (3-11/7.21), he wisely got into politics and served as Pennsylvania’s Governor from 1911 to 1914 after a term as a State House Member (1909-11) and then moved on to become the President of the National League from 1915 to 1918. 
• 1894 - The Chicago Colts pounded out 26 hits, 12 for extra bases, and laid a 24-6 beating on Pittsburgh at the West Side Grounds. Every Colt had at least a hit and a run, and Chicago batted around in four innings. It could have been worse; the game was called after seven innings so the Pirates could catch a train back home. The Pittsburgh Press noted that the game “...resulted in the most disastrous whipping recorded in the annals of the national league of baseball,” adding that “...the Pittsburg fielders were kept busy chasing savage drives...Pittsburg’s weakness in the (pitching) box was apparent,” as it was in the 18-11 loss suffered the day before. Still, the club did finish the year at 65-65, albeit with a 5.62 team ERA, 10th ranked in the 13 team MLB. 
• 1896 - The Pirates traded 1B Jake Beckley to the New York Giants for 1B Harry Davis and $1,000. Beckley was a local favorite who would eventually enter the Hall of Fame, and the deal didn’t sit very well with the fans; Jake was in his eighth Bucco campaign and had a batting average of .300 during that time; he also posted a .323 BA as a Player’s League Pgh. Burgher in 1890. Both teams got a good year, bad year out of the players, who then went on to star for different clubs. Beckley spent seven years with Cincinnati and hit .325 for them, cementing his HoF path, while Davis spent 16 of his last 17 seasons (he played 22 years) hitting .279 for the Philadelphia Athletics. 
• 1908 - Before an SRO crowd of 30,000+ at the Polo Grounds, the Pirates' Lefty Leifield topped the New York Giants and Christy Mathewson, 7-2. Two errors in the seventh opened the door for five Pirate runs to break up what had been a pretty solid pitching duel. Pittsburgh was led by Honus Wagner, who went 5-for-5 to take over the batting lead from Mike Donlin of the Giants. After each hit, Wagner held up a finger to show the number of safeties he had to RF Donlin, according to the BR Bullpen entry. It was an interesting game - it was delayed by rain, and even though police surrounded the field during play, there was a half-hour stoppage when the yard was rushed by fans that were led by, per the Pittsburgh Press, “thick heads in the 25 cent section...,” eventually requiring the Giant players to jump in and help the gendarmes control the crowd. 

Hans - 1908 Rose Co. Post Card

• 1912 - The Pirates blew an early lead against Brooklyn, but rallied to tie the score in the eighth and then rode Howie Camnitz’s arm to a 14-inning, 8-7, win over the Superbas at Forbes Field. Camnitz gave up just two hits in six innings, and got the win when Dots Miller’s sac fly brought home Chief Wilson, who had singled and moved to third on a Honus Wagner double. 
• 1913 - Max Carey scored five runs against the Phillies without a hit, reaching first via an error and four walks, as the Bucs won, 12-2, at Forbes Field. He also stole four bases and advanced twice on wild pitches to disrupt Philly and help Claude Hendrix to the win. The Pittsburgh Press griped that “The battle was a long, drawn out affair that required two hours and 10 minutes.” 
• 1917 - 1B George “Highpockets” Kelly was claimed off waivers from the New York Giants. He got in eight games, and after the injured player he replaced (43-year-old Honus Wagner) came back, he was waived back to the Giants. Bad move; Hans retired after the season, leaving a huge hole at 1B while Kelly became a Hall-of-Fame player for NY, hitting .297 over 16 seasons. 
• 1921 - CF Marv Rackley was born in Seneca, South Carolina. Marv was bungee Bucco - the Brooklyn Dodgers sent him to Pittsburgh in 1949 for 1B Johnny Hopp. He got into 11 games and hit .314, but he complained that he was trying to play through a bum arm dating back to Dodger days, although the injury was a surprise to the Dodgers and thought to be a ploy by Rackley to get back to Brooklyn. Regardless of whether it was a bad wing or bad faith, the deal was voided and he went back to da Bums, who sold him to the Reds in the off season. He played five games for them before being sent down, and he finished his career in the upper minors, retiring after the 1955 campaign. 
• 1921 - CF Max Carey earned his pay this day. He corralled 11 flies, tying the record (it was broken in 1929) during the Pirates' 6-3 win over New York at Forbes Field. He also scored three times, going 3-for-4 with two doubles. Rabbit Maranville, batting behind him, drove home three teammates to support Babe Adams, who went the distance against the Giants for the win. 

Kiki Cuyler - 1925 Best Sports Photos

• 1925 - In a ho-hum 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field, Kiki Cuyler became the last Bucco basepath larcenist to steal second, third and home in a game. He was the fourth Buc to complete the circuit, joining Hans Wagner (3 times), Max Carey (twice) and Bobby Byrne. 
• 1930 - The Homestead Grays rode a five-run second frame and Vic Harris’ ninth-inning, two-out walk-off dinger to a 6-5 win over the KC Monarchs at Forbes Field. Harris' homer rolled under a tarp and allowed him plenty of time to circle the bases. It was one of three hits for him; Georges Scales added three more knocks as Lefty Williams went the distance for the win over Chet Brewer, who later was a Pirates scout. It marked the catching debut of 18-year-old Josh Gibson, who took over behind the plate after C Buck Ewing was hurt, but didn’t get a chance to bat. 
• 1931 - Larry French went the distance at Forbes Field during a 14-inning, 3-2 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the longest NL contest of the season. It wasn’t exactly a gem, as he gave up 15 hits, but it was enough to outduel Fred Heimach, who also went gate-to-gate. Pie Traynor had three hits (two 3Bs, 2B), two runs and an RBI. It was the second game of a twin bill; the Bucs took the opener, 5-2. Spades Wood not only tossed a three-hitter, but drove in a pair of runs. Traynor had two hits in that match, including a double, and scored twice. 
• 1932 - LHP Jack McMahan was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Pirates drafted him after the 1955 campaign from the New York Yankees as a Rule 5 pick, called him in from the pen 11 times (0-0/6.08) in 1956 and then shipped him, along with Curt Roberts, to Kansas City for Spook Jacobs in June. The Athletics used him as a starter and sent him back to the NYY after the campaign as part of a huge, 13-man trade. It was the only MLB season for McMahan; he spent three more years in the minors and retired, returning to Hot Springs. He kept his hand in baseball as a side gig, scouting for the Cardinals and coaching the local American Legion nine. Jack passed away in 2020. 

Max Butcher - 1942 Play Ball

• 1944 - Max Butcher tossed a six-hit goose egg at the Polo Grounds as the Bucs blasted the NY Giants‚ 15-0. Pittsburgh banged out 20 hits and posted a nine-run second inning. Bob Elliott homered and chased home six runs while Pete Coscarart and Jim Russell each added four knocks. 
• 1951 - The Pirates overcame a 4-0 deficit by scoring four times in the seventh and once again in the eighth to rally past the NY Giants, 5-4, at Forbes Field. Joe Garagiola’s homer in the seventh was the big blow, with the game winner being a bases-loaded sac fly delivered by George Strickland an inning later. Ted Wilks won after two innings of clean relief work with three whiffs. 
• 1952 - Manager Billy Meyer held a clubhouse meeting after the Bucs had dropped six games in a row (per the Pittsburgh Press, Billy told them “...to look respectable”) and apparently the low-key boot in the pants worked as Pittsburgh beat the Boston Braves, 3-2, at Forbes Field. Clem Koshorek doubled home a pair of runs and the game-winner was Jack Merson’s fourth-inning single, scoring Ralph Kiner. Murry Dickson made it hold up while scattering nine hits. It was his seventh win of the campaign - three were versus Boston and three more against the New York Giants. The pep talk afterglow didn’t have very strong legs - after the Pirates won the next day, they proceeded to lose six of the next seven on their way to a last-place, 42-win season. 
• 1956 - The Bucs blew a four-run lead by giving up eight tallies to the Cubs in the last two innings, but the Pirates answered at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente ripped an inside-the-park, ninth-inning, walk-off grand slam to rally the Bucs to a 9-8 win. His gapper ricocheted off the base of the left field light standard and then rolled along the warning track toward center field. Clemente ran through 3B coach Bobby Bragan’s stop sign (there were no outs) and as Ernie Bank’s relay reached home "He slid, missed the plate, then reached back to rest his hand on the rubber...as the crowd of 12,431 went goofy with excitement" per sportswriter Jack Hernon of the Post Gazette. It was the only walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam posted in MLB history. In the same game, Dale Long hit his 20th homer, then a club record for lefties, to break Arky Vaughan’s 1935 mark.

7/25 From 1960: Fraze Dealt; Danny 1-Hit Loser, 5 For Sid, B's Debut, Candy Faces 27, Game Tales, 1st For Good, ASG; HBD Cam, Alex, Ed & Doug

• 1960 - The Bucs regained first place when Bob Friend defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-2, at Busch Stadium behind home runs from Bill Virdon, Bob Skinner and Roberto Clemente. Pittsburgh wouldn’t relinquish the top spot for the remainder of the season (the lead was never less than three games during September) and finished seven games ahead of the Milwaukee Braves. 
• 1962 - RHP Doug Drabek was born in Victoria, Texas. He tossed six seasons (1987-92) in Pittsburgh after coming over from the NYY, posting a line of 92-62/3.02. Drabek won the Cy Young in 1990 when he went 22-6, but oddly never made an All-Star team as a Pirate. Doug spent six more seasons in MLB after he left Pittsburgh after the 1992 season but never won more than a dozen games elsewhere. After he retired, he spent time at home and helped coach Little League ball. In 2010, he returned to pro ball as a pitching coach for Arizona. 
• 1963 - Tommie Sisk pitched five innings of near perfect relief (he didn’t surrender any hits, but he walked a pair) and rode Roberto Clemente’s three-run homer to a 6-2 win over league leading Los Angeles and ace Sandy Koufax at Dodger Stadium. Smoky Burgess chipped in with a pair of RBI. Koufax had entered the game with just three losses and a 1.75 ERA. He evened things up in a September rematch, giving up one earned run with 9 K in a complete game win. 
• 1965 - The Bucs took the opener of a twin bill at Forbes Field from the Cubs, 3-2, thanks to back-up catcher Del Crandall, 35, who was called into duty in the sixth inning. He banged a two-out, 3-1 pitch that dropped over the left center fence for the win. Bill Mazeroski also homered, and Vern Law won his second game in 24 hours as the seventh Pirate pitcher, working the final 1-1/3 IP. The Cubs took the nightcap easily, 5-0, in 1:37; the Pirates had just three hits and a Roberto Clemente line-out triple play to show for their efforts as Bill Faul shut them down. 

Ed Sprague - 2000 Fleer Tradition

• 1967 - 1B/3B Ed Sprague was born in Castro Valley, California. Sprague spent one of his 11 major league campaigns in Pittsburgh, signing as a free agent in 1999 for $1.3M, and gave the club a solid season. He became the Bucco starter, hitting .267 with 22 homers and was named to the only All-Star game of his career. He left for the San Diego Padres in 2000, as 22-year-old Aramis Ramirez was on deck to man the hot corner for Pittsburgh. 2001 was Ed’s last big league year, and he later became the head coach for the U. of Pacific Tigers from 2004-15. In 2016, Sprague joined the Oakland Athletics and is their Coordinator of Instruction. 
• 1972 - The Nationals nosed out the American League, 4-3, at Atlanta Stadium in the All-Star game, kicking off an 11-game winning streak for the Senior Circuit. Manager Danny Murtaugh had a boatload of Bucs to maneuver on his roster: RHP Steve Blass, OFs Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Al Oliver plus C Manny Sanguillen. Blass went an inning and gave up a run. It was his only appearance in an All-Star Game and in effect a ghost outing as NBC couldn’t broadcast the frame he pitched due to technical issues. Sangy went 1-for-2, Pops 0-for-1 with a walk, and Scoops went 0-for-1. The Great One didn’t get into the last of his 12 All-Star games; he was voted a starter, but was injured (knee bruise). The NL had a pretty good replacement: Hank Aaron played in his stead. 
• 1977 - Bill Robinson made amends for a throwing error in the top of the eighth inning by banging a three-run homer in the bottom half of the frame as the Bucs beat Phil Niekro and the Atlanta Braves for the eighth time in nine tries, 6-3. Robinson had a couple of busy innings at Three Rivers Stadium - his leadoff double in the seventh tied the game when he scored, followed by his misfire that put the Bravos’ leadoff guy on third in a 3-3 game, although Jerry Reuss picked him up and stranded the runner. Reuss went the distance, firing a five-hitter. 
• 1982 - John Candelaria faced the minimum 27 batters in a four-hit, 86-pitch shutout win over the Atlanta Braves. Three twin killings and a caught stealing erased the four Bravo runners from the basepaths in an 8-0 whipping at Three Rivers Stadium before 22,565 fans. The middle of the Pirate lineup - Bill Madlock, Jason Thompson and Dave Parker - drove home six runs. 

No, it's not Matt (who he?) but Cecilio - 1983 Donruss

• 1983 - The Bucs were hanging on to a slim 4-3 lead against the Padres at TRS when Rick Rhoden filled the bases with no outs in the sixth inning. Cecilio Guante, who had been out of action since July 14th with a sore shoulder, was waved in and quelled the fire when he struck out the side. It was the key moment of a 6-3 Bucco win, as Guante tossed four shutout frames and was given a safety net in the eighth when Dave Parker, who had three hits on the night, homered. 
• 1985 - OF Alex Presley was born in Monroe, Louisiana. Picked in the eighth round of the 2006 draft, he hit .261 as a back-and-forth member of the Pirate roster between 2010-13, before he was traded to the Minnesota Twins as part of the Justin Morneau deal. He also played for the Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers before taking his final MLB bow in 2017. 
• 1986 - 8,622 fans sat through a nondescript 7-3 loss to the Giants at TRS without realizing that they were actually witnessing a bit of Bucco history: for the first time, the Killer B’s, Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla, started together for the Pirates. Bonds was at leadoff while playing centerfield and had two hits; Bo patrolled left and batted sixth in his third game back since being reacquired from the White Sox and drew a pair of walks. They played together through 1991. 
• 1987 - The Pirates ended their west coast trip on a winning note by dropping the San Diego Padres, 9-3, at Jack Murphy Stadium. The journey had started perilously, with a pair of losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers but concluded with a 6-4 slate, their first winning left coast visit since 1983. The offensive heroes were Sid Bream with three hits & five RBI, Andy Van Slyke with two knocks & three runs scored and Barry Bonds with two raps, including a homer. Brian Fischer took home the win with help from Barry Jones and Don Robinson over the final two frames.

Sid Bream - 1987 Donruss

• 1992 - Danny Jackson gave up one hit at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, but it was unfortunately a home run to David Justice as the Braves, behind Charlie Leibrandt, beat the Bucs, 1-0, for their 13th straight win. The Pirates best chance to score was in the first inning, but both Andy Van Slyke and Lloyd McClendon were caught stealing to run themselves out of the frame and allow Leibrandt to catch his wind. Pittsburgh didn’t make any noise again until the seventh frame, with Otis Nixon sprinted to the fence and pulled back AVS’s blast from over the wall. The Buccos made one final push in the ninth inning, but Barry Bonds bounced out with two down and two aboard to bring down the curtain. 
• 1992 - The Pirates made a wholesale change in pitching: Zane Smith (8-7/2.96) was placed on the DL with tendinitis, while vets Jerry Don Gleaton (1-0/4.26) and Jeff Robinson (3-1/4.46) were released, ending both of their MLB careers. The Bucs then brought up their pups - Paul Wagner, Steve Cooke and Blas Minor. None of them set the world afire as rookies, but they did make 19 credible outings among themselves and the trio were major parts of the staff in ‘93. 
• 1995 - Losing to the Atlanta Braves at TRS by a 3-1 tally in 10 innings (the Bravo rally began with two outs and the bases empty with Jim Gott on the hill; the Pirates left the bases loaded in their half) was painful enough. Adding injury to insult in the fifth inning, a collision between Dave Clark and Jacob Brumfield in right center field cost the Bucs Clark’s services until mid-September after he broke his collarbone. Brumfield suffered dizziness and a deep thigh bruise; both were taken away by ambulance after the staff spent 20 minutes stabilizing the pair. The only good news was that Jake made the catch a step before he, Clark and the wall met. 
• 1996 - LHP Cam Alldred was born in Batavia, Ohio. A 24th round draft pick in 2018 (#714 overall) by the Bucs out of the U of Cincinnati, the reliever broke out in 2021 at AA Altoona. After two solid if brief stints at Indy, he was called up to the big team in mid-May, 2022 and tossed a scoreless frame before he was returned to AAA. Cam was released and signed with the Korean League Kia Tigers in May, 2024. 

Cam Alldred - 2022 photo/Hybrid Performance

• 2011 - In their first ESPN-televised game in seven years, Pittsburgh defeated the Atlanta Braves, 3-1, behind James McDonald, who struck out nine in 5-2/3 frames, and four relievers who finished it off at Turner Field, keeping the Bucs tied for first place in the NL Central, although it was the last time for the lead in 2011. The Pirates only had five hits, but back-to-back walks turned into a pair of Bucco runs. Andrew McCutchen led the attack with a knock, walk, run and RBI. 
• 2021 - The Bucs pulled 2B Adam Frazier from the Giants’ game and announced afterward they had traded him to the San Diego Padres with cash ($1.4M) to cover his 2021 salary, the deal becoming official the next day when all the physicals were completed. Friar prospects AAA - IF/OF Tucupita Marcano, 21; AA - OF Jack Suwinski, 23, and Hi A - RH reliever Michell Miliano, 21, were the return package. Marcano was a Padres Top Ten minor-leaguer, known as a versatile defender with a spray-the-ball approach who the Bucs reportedly tried to land as part of the earlier Joe Musgrove deal. The other two were unranked lottery guys, with Suwinski having a big stick and Miliano being a project. Suwinski has flashed power but not consistency, Turcano got banned for life by baseball for gambling and Miliano is playing Frontier League ball. The Friars shipped Fraze to Seattle in the off season. In 2023 he signed with Baltimore as a FA, then moved on to KC this year. Trade Trivia: Adam was the third player since 1900 to be traded at midseason while leading MLB in hits, joining Willie McGee (1990) and Red Schoendienst (1957) per ESPN Stats & Info.

7/24 Through the 1960s: Lloyd HoF; 4 For Roberto, Josh Bomb, Chief x 3, Game Tales; Grace-ful, Hans Hunt, Walk-Off Sweep; HBD Joe, Barry, Preston & Germany

• 1893 - IF and exec Joe “Germany” Schultz Sr. was born in Pittsburgh. He spent one year (1916) of his 11-year MLB career at home, hitting .260. After retiring and managing in the Cards minor league system, Schultz became the farm system director of the Pirates in 1939. Sadly, in 1941, while on his way to one of the Pittsburgh farm clubs, he suddenly passed away at the young age of 47. His legacy carried on, as his son Joe Jr. was a Buc reserve catcher from 1939-41. 
• 1899 - The Pirates swept a pair from Philadelphia at Exposition Park, winning both games on ninth-inning walk-off bops by rookies. After the Phils scored five in the ninth in the opening contest, Jimmy Williams hit a three-run homer in the bottom half to win, 9-8. In the nitecap, Ginger Beaumont tripled with the bases loaded and two away in the last go-around to cap a 5-4 victory. In both games, the Pirates entered the final frame down by a pair of runs. The crowd of 5,200 was more than appreciative. The Pittsburgh Press noted that the hometown fans had “...showered money upon “Buttons” Williams and...carried Beaumont to the clubhouse.” 
• 1899 - A small blurb in the Pittsburgh Press sports section reported that “St. Louis, as well as Brooklyn, is after Hans Wagner, the third baseman, but the Louisville club officials now declare that he is off the market.” Louisville, at the time, was a National League club, but the notice made little impact on local fans. But it soon would prove to be good news to the Steel City rooters; Barney Dreyfuss had machinations afoot to combine the Colonels roster with the Pirates in the off season, and thanks to the virtual merger added Honus, Fred Clarke, Deacon Phillippe, Tommy Leach, Patsy Flaherty, and Claude Ritchey to Pittsburgh’s roster, creating an early 1900’s powerhouse squad. 
• 1901 - The Pirates scored in every inning while defeating the Reds, 11-2, at Exposition Park. Jesse Tannehill tossed a seven-hitter for the win. Ginger Beaumont had four hits and Claude Ritchey tripled twice as the Bucs banged out 14 hits, four for triples. The Pittsburgh Press opined that “The Reds as they are now made up should not be able to win from the Pirates in a hundred years.” 

Chief Wilson - Belmar Oasis

• 1911 - The Pirates pounded the Brooklyn Superbas, 8-2, at Forbes Field behind the hot-hitting “Chief” Owen Wilson who went 4-for-4 with three triples. Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that “...Wilson came through the contest without a blot on his batting escutcheon. The Chief also played a grand fielding game and was in the battle up to his neck in all departments.” Babe Adams went the distance for the win, helping himself with three hits including a triple. 
• 1927 - OF/1B Preston Ward was born in Columbia, Missouri. Ward came to Pittsburgh as part of the Ralph Kiner deal, and was a back-up/platoon guy from 1953-56, hitting .240 in 305 games. He spent nine years in MLB, mostly serving as bench depth for five teams. 
• 1931 - The Brooklyn Dodgers banged out 21 hits during the game (Babe Herman hit for the cycle) and scored three times in the ninth, but reliever Larry French put down the rally as the Bucs hung on for an 8-7 win at Forbes Field. The Pirates had 13 knocks, seven for extra bases, and jumped out to an early 8-1 lead behind Pie Traynor’s three RBI, Eddie Phillips’ homer and Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner’s three hits/three runs scored and then outlasted the Brooklynites. 
• 1932 - C Earl Grace set an MLB mark with his 285th chance handled without an error as he added three more putouts during a 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, his first big league club, at Wrigley Field. He made 444 plays in 121 games from 1931-32 without a miscue before a bad throw ended the flawless fielding streak in September. He finished the campaign with just one error in 413 chances (.998) to set an National League record that lasted until 1946. 
• 1938 - Josh Gibson, playing for the Homestead Grays, hit the second-longest home run of his career at 538’ (reportedly measured by game officials and Monessen’s then-Mayor James Gold) at Page Park, the home yard of the minor league Monessen Indians, against the Memphis Red Sox . The drive was reported to bounce high off of a neighboring mill building. Monessen, along with MLB, the Pirates and the Gibson Foundation, marked the moment with a ceremony and Historical Marker in 2021 after a decade of research. His longest tater is a much debated 580’ shot at Yankee Stadium, and the Black Babe Ruth was said to have several 500’+ homers to his credit. 

Josh Gibson - Helmar Big League Brew

• 1956 - Honored at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon before the game, Roberto Clemente proved his plaudits were well earned by leading the Bucs to a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field. Roberto drove in four RBI on three shots to left center: a sacrifice fly, a triple off the wall, and a homer into Schenley Plaza. Ron Kline got the win with help from Howie Pollet. 
• 1964 - Barry Bonds was born in Riverside, California. The slugger, a first round pick in the 1985 draft, spent seven summers in Pittsburgh, putting up a line of .275/176/556 with two All-Star appearances before really busting out with San Francisco, where he became the all-time home run leader. Bonds ended up with seven MVPs, 14 All-Star selections, is the major’s home run leader with 762 bombs (73 in 2001) and is second only to Babe Ruth in career WAR.
• 1965 - C Joe Oliver was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Joe spent 13 years in the majors, mainly as a reserve catcher, with a 1999 stop in Pittsburgh where he hit .201 at age 34. He took a ball break after retiring, but the bug bit again and he’s been a Red Sox minors manager since 2014. 
• 1967 - With his induction into the Hall of Fame, Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner joined Paul to become the first pair of brothers to be enshrined at Cooperstown. Little Poison played for 18 seasons, collecting 2,459 hits (.319 lifetime BA). Per the Hall of Fame: “Lloyd played 1,993 major league games, 1,803 of them with the Pirates. He was known for his good eye at the plate. Only three times in the majors did he strike out more than 15 times in a season. Waner had four 200-hit seasons and led the National League in hits in 1931 but was an all-star just once, in 1938. He had very good speed and was an excellent defensive center fielder.” Also inducted was Branch Rickey, Pirates GM during the early 50’s, who put together the farm system that fed the 1960 championship squad.

7/24 From 1970: Wandy-Robby; Duelin', GI Attack, Yoslan's 1st, Benny Granny, Game Tales; 11 Straight, Arriba's Day, ASG; HBD Connor

• 1970 - 43,290 fans showed up for Roberto Clemente Day at Three Rivers Stadium. Pirate ownership showered him with gifts (cash was, at Clemente’s request, donated to various charities), and he put on a show, cracking a pair of hits and making a couple of diving grabs in the field during an 11-0 thumping of the Houston Astros. Danny Murtaugh pulled him in the eighth inning so he could get a final ovation to end his night (he also had cut his knee making a catch); Arriba’s fan salute was led by a handful of rooters who had made the trip from Puerto Rico to honor their native son. Dock Ellis tossed a four-hitter behind a 15-hit attack to make the day a complete success. 
• 1973 - The Nationals romped over the AL, 7-1, at Royals Stadium in the All-Star game. Dave Giusti pitched a clean seventh inning and Willie Stargell K’ed against Nolan Ryan in his only at bat. Bobby Bonds was the MVP and 22 future Hall of Fame players took part in the game. 
• 1979 - A baffling fourth inning call resulted in a 34 minute rhubarb during the Pirates-Reds game at TRS. With Buc runners on first and third, a 3-1 pitch to Omar Moreno was called a ball, but Johnny Bench threw to 2B ahead of the runner from 1B, Lee Lacy, who was going on the pitch. Lacy was called out by ump Dick Stello (whose back was to the plate to make the call at second) even though the runner was entitled to the sack after the walk. After questioning the out call, Lacy left the base and was tagged out again by Dave Concepcion, reigniting the argument. The Bucs protested the game, but NL president Chub Feeney upheld the call (it seems the situation was so odd that no rule actually addressed it) and the Pirates 6-5 loss was officially recorded in the books. 
• 1984 - In a see-saw game at Montreal’s Stade Olympique (Olympic Stadium), the Expos rallied behind a two-out, ninth-inning double by Tim Raines off Kent Tekulve to tie the game 4-4 and send it into overtime. The Bucs apparently weren’t in the mood for any prolonged bonus baseball as six of the first seven batters in the 10th inning banged out hits with the coup d’ grace delivered when Benny DiStefano swatted a two-out granny, his only career grand slam. The eight-run outburst carried the Pirates to a 12-5 win for Rod Scurry. Johnny Ray went 5-for-6, Dale Berra 4-for-5 with a walk, and Tony Pena had three knocks, a walk, & a homer. 

Benny DiStefano - 1985 Donruss

• 1993 - RHP Connor Overton was born in Richmond, Virginia. He made his MLB debut in August of 2021 for Toronto after having been drafted out of Old Dominion by Miami in 2014. After four scoreless outings for the Blue Jays, he was DFA’ed, claimed by the Pirates in September and four days later tossed a 1-2-3 frame in his first Bucco appearance. It made the record books; he was the 59th player used during the season by Pittsburgh, a new franchise record. Now he’s in the Cincinnati system. The righty underwent TJ surgery last May and is rehabbing. 
• 2004 - The whole Pirate gang chipped in during a 14-4 romp over the Reds at PNC Park. The Buccos had 11 batters with at least a hit and banged out six doubles as 10 different players scored and eight Pirates drove in runs. Jason Bay had three hits and three RBI while Jose Castillo scored four times to lead the attack. The Bucs scored seven times in the sixth to take control. Josh Fogg was chased early and five pitchers followed him, with John Grabow earning the win. 
• 2008 - The Bucs won their fourth contest in a row by hammering the San Diego Padres at PNC Park by a 9-1 score. Nate McLouth, Jason Bay and Xavier Nady homered while Yoslan Herrera tossed shutout ball for six innings, giving up six hits, to earn his first MLB victory. For the X-Man, it was his last Bucco blast - he was traded to the Yankees two days later. The streak had begun with a sweep of the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park; during their short winning string, the Pirates bats banged as they hit 10 home runs and outscored the ‘Stros and Friars, 34-13. 
• 2009 - Garrett Jones went deep to right against Arizona’s Yusmeiro Petit for his 10th homer of the month in a 10-3 Bucco win at Chase Field. Called up on July 1st, GI was named the NL's July Rookie of the Month. Jones became the first Bucco to hit seven home runs in his first twelve games since Dino Restelli in 1949 and the first Pirate to hit 10 home runs in a month since Jason Bay in 2006. The Bucs pounded out 16 hits (all eight starters chipped in at least a knock and there were six multi-hit efforts) and Zach Duke covered the first seven innings for the win. 

Garrett Jones - 2009 Topps Heritage

• 2012 - LHP Wandy Rodriguez was traded by the Houston Astros with cash to the Pirates for prospects RHP Colton Cain, LHP Rudy Owens and OF Robbie Grossman as the Bucs looked to shore up their stretch run rotation. Wandy ended up injury prone, and made just 31 starts with 11 wins as a Pirate until he was released in late May of 2014. Grossman, now with the Rangers, has been a big league reserve since 2013, Owens got one MLB start and played in the minor, Dominican, Italian & Indie leagues through 2017 while Cain never made it. 
• 2013 - Francisco Liriano and Stephen Strasburg were hooked up in a 1-0 battle at Nationals Park, with the Pirates up going into the ninth inning. Both starters then turned the game over to the bullpens, and that’s when the fun started. The Bucs put up a three spot on Drew Storen, with Mike McKenry’s two-run knock being the big blow, then Washington came back to score a pair off Justin Wilson until Jason Grilli came in to quell the fire and close out the 4-2 Pirate win. The only score in the first eight frames came on a second-inning homer by Pedro Alvarez. 
• 2015 - During his last outing against Pittsburgh, Washington ace Max Scherzer had no-hit the Bucs, losing his perfect game with two outs and two strikes in the ninth. Today was a different kettle of fish; the Buccos got homers from Pedro Alvarez (453’ and one bounce into the river), Gregory Polanco (after falling behind 0-2, fouling off six straight fastballs and taking 12 pitches) and Neil Walker swatted another, marking the first time Mad Max gave up three homers in a game since 2011. The muscle flexing launched the Pirates to a 7-5 win, closed out by scoreless frames by Jared Hughes, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon in front of a full house of 38,371 at PNC Park. Scherzer had held Pittsburgh hitless for 14 straight innings until El Toro’s long ball in the second. That made it the longest hitless streak by a starting pitcher against one big-league team since the Corsairs’ Francisco Cordova threw 15 consecutive hitless innings vs. Houston in 1997. 
• 2018 - The Pirates won their 11th straight game (and 13th-of-14) by a 9-4 count over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field with Big Joe Musgrove claiming the victory. The Bucs offense was powered by the top of the lineup - Corey Dickerson, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco - who went 5-for-13 with a walk, two homers, a double, triple, seven RBI and five runs scored; Josh Bell added a long ball. The victory streak was the Pirates longest since 1996; alas, their run at 12 straight, not done since 1965, fell short as Trevor Bauer shut them out the next night, snapping a seven-game stretch of scoring six or more runs and a nine-game run of homering at least once.

7/23 Through the 1960s: Quail Back, Bob's 1-Hitter, Ralph Record, Hi Pie, Clarke Cycle, Duels, Game Tales, ASG; HBD Mack, Ed & Ginger

• 1876 - OF Ginger Beaumont was born in Rochester, Wisconsin. He played eight seasons (1899-1906) for Pittsburgh, hitting .321 with 757 runs scored and 200 stolen bases. Beaumont led the league in batting with a .357 average in 1902, and in 1903 led in at bats (613), runs (137) and hits (209) while hitting .342, helping the team to a spot in the first World Series. 
• 1899 - RHP Ed Holley was born in Benton, Kentucky. Ed was purchased in mid-season of 1934 from the Phils, where in 1932-33, he had won 34 games in 58 starts and tossed 435 IP for a weak Philly club. Alas, at age 34 the sidewinder was done, lasting 7-2/3 frames in four Pirates starts with a line of 0-3/15.43. It was his last MLB posting after four years in the show. 
• 1901 - Fred Clarke hit for the cycle as the Pirates whipped the Cincinnati Reds, 9-2, at Exposition Park behind Jack Chesbro, who struck out 11 batters. Lefty Davis, Honus Wagner and Kitty Bransfield added three hits apiece to power the 16-hit Bucco barrage. Clarke became the second Pittsburgh player to hit for the cycle (Fred Carroll in 1887 was the first) and in 1903, again against the Reds, he rode the cycle one more time to become the first NL’er to post a pair of cycles. 
• 1901 - IF Malcomb “Mack” Hillis was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mack had a 12-game major league career; 11 of those outings were with the 1928 Pirates. He went 9-for-39 with two doubles, three triples, six runs scored and seven RBI, but with Sparky Adams and Pie Traynor ahead of him, it was his last Pittsburgh and MLB campaign. Hillis started pro ball in 1922 and finally hung them up in 1934, playing mostly in the Eastern and Pacific Coast Leagues. 
• 1912 - Claude Hendrix tossed a seven-hit shutout, fanning nine, and Hans Wagner singled home Chief Wilson, who had doubled in the bottom of the ninth, to give the Bucs a hard-earned 1-0 win over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. Honus used a little trickery for his walk-off; he showed bunt, but instead hacked away. Hendrix and Braves hurler Otto Hess were in command throughout; only one runner from each squad had reached third prior to the Wilson tally. 

Emil Yde - 1926 Spaulding Champions

• 1925 - The Pirates scored twice in the ninth inning to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2, at Forbes Field to regain first place. They held the top spot for all but three days during the rest of the season and capped it with a World Series title. Jess Haines of the Redbirds and the Buccos Emil Yde “waged a brilliant slab duel” per the Pittsburgh Press. The Pirates final frame was opened by Kiki Cuyler’s triple. The Cards’ infield played in and Pie Traynor punched a double over their heads into right field. Glenn Wright followed with a single to center to walk-off the win and vault the Corsairs back into first place. 
• 1930 - Pie in the sky guy: The Pirates won the first game of a Baker Bowl twin bill against the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1, as Heinie Meine slipped past Roy “Swede” Hanson in a match decided by a ninth-inning Pie Traynor homer. The second game, twice delayed by rain, went 13 innings and ended in a 16-15 Pittsburgh victory. With darkness threatening, Traynor was again the Bucco of the hour, blasting a three-run shot that provided just enough insurance to hold off the Phils, while capping a 5-for-7 showing in the nitecap. The second game set a couple of single game records: With a deluge of eight home runs and nine doubles, the total bases mark of 83 was established. The other record was for the total number of at bats as the two clubs combined for 117 AB’s. 
• 1947 - Ralph Kiner hit his 24th and 25th long balls of the year off the Phils’ Al Jurisich, breaking the club record of 23 set by Johnny Rizzo in 1938 and tied by Kiner in his rookie year of 1946. Pittsburgh beat Philly, 6-2, at Forbes Field as Hank Greenberg also went yard. Tiny Bonham gave up 11 hits but only two runs in the complete-game win. Kiner ended the year with 51 homers, tops in the National League and tied with Johnny Mize for the Major League title. 
• 1958 - The Dodgers put up crooked numbers before the Bucs got to the plate in both ends of a twilight double bill, but the first inning jolt made no difference as the Bucs swept them, 11-3 & 6-3, at Forbes Field. Ronnie Kline gave up three runs to open the double dipper, then settled in to toss a four-hitter. Dick Stuart had four hits, including two triples, and two RBI; Roberto Clemente and Frank Thomas added three more raps, including a homer, and six more RBI while Dick Groat plated two more runs. Bob Friend did the honors in the nightcap, fanning 10 before getting ninth inning help from ElRoy Face. LA jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but Groat’s bases-filled double keyed a five-run response by the Buccos; he ended the evening with three hits and four RBI. 

Ronnie Kline - 1958 Topps

• 1965 - The Pirates backed up 34-year-old Bob Friend's one-hitter, a fourth inning infield rap by Don Landrum, with three homers (two by Jim Pagliaroni, the other by Donn Clendenon) to defeat the Cubs handily at Wrigley Field, 6-0. Five Bucs had multiple hits, led by Roberto Clemente and Manny Mota with three each as the Bucs put up single runs in six separate innings. Friend made ‘em hit his pitch; he struck out just two Cubbies and walked three, with none of the Windy City runners reaching second. It was almost a mirror image of his only other MLB one-hitter in 1955, also tossed at Wrigley and spoiled by a fourth-inning infield knock. 
• 1967 - The Bucs dropped the opener of a Forbes Field twin bill to the Astros, 8-5, despite seven hits between Maury Wills and Bill Mazeroski. But they kept swinging in the nightcap, winning a 15-2 laugher. Maz banged out two more hits and joined Roberto Clemente (with a pair) and Donn Clendenon (four RBI) in the home run parade. The Great One had three hits, along with Wills and Manny Mota, giving Tommy Sisk a big pad in his complete-game win. Manny Sanguillen, fresh from the Columbus Jets, made his MLB debut and first start, going one-for-five. 
• 1968 - Three years after taking his last MLB at bat, coach Bill Virdon was called back to duty with the Bucs due to multiple injuries, military obligations, and the Quail having more ability than the Bucs had available in the minors. Virdon got into six games (two pinch hitting, four as an OF’er) from July 17th to August 7th as a 37-year-old while still pulling coaching duties. The Quail went 3-for-6 at the dish, and this day was his return’s highlight when he banged a ninth inning, game-tying, two-run pinch hit homer off Reds closer Ted Abernathy. Unfortunately for the storyline, the Pirates eventually lost in 12 innings at Forbes Field by a 7-6 tally. 
• 1969 - After three years of low scoring games, the All-Star contest at RFK Stadium featured some offense, with the National League winning, 9-3. Bucco reps Matty Alou went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run while Roberto Clemente whiffed against Sudden Sam McDowell in his only at bat. The game was originally scheduled to be contested the prior evening but heavy rains forced its postponement to the following afternoon. It also cost the match its ceremonial opening pitcher, President Richard Nixon, who was slated for the night game formalities but spent Wednesday at the Apollo 11 splashdown as Vice President Agnew Spiro performed the day game’s honorary duties. The daylight contest was the last All-Star Game to be played earlier than Eastern prime time.

7/23 From 1970: A-Ram, Guillen Dumps, Darwin-Loiselle. DeLeon-Bobby Bo; Brett Wins TRS-ASG; Sangy, Banny Debuts, Rock Rolls, Rick Romp, Game Tales; Starling 16-Gamer, 9 Straight

• 1974 - TRS hosted the 45th All-Star Game, drawing 50,706 fans. The National League romped, 7-2, with Pirate lefty Ken Brett, the Bucs only All Star, credited with the win. He tossed a pair of scoreless frames, giving up a hit and a walk. It was the third time the Pirates hosted the All-Star Game (the first two were at Forbes Field in 1944 and 1959). It was the first of two times that the game was played at Three Rivers Stadium, with TRS hosting the ASG again in 1994. 
• 1977 - With some clutch two-out at-bats and a bit of legerdemain from Chuck Tanner, the Bucs scored four times in the seventh to beat Cincinnati, 5-4, at Three Rivers Stadium. Down 4-1, the Bucs cut the lead to a run on doubles by Dave Parker and Rennie Stennett around a Bill Robinson knock. Two righty pinch-hitters, Fernando Gonzalez and Jerry Hairston, reached on a walk and infield single to load the bases with two outs. Sparky Anderson saw Willie Stargell with a helmet and bat, so he kept lefty starter Frank Capilla in to instead face Jim Fregosi, who banged out a two-run single to put Pittsburgh up by a run. It was a little chicanery on Tanner’s part as unknown to Sparky, Pops had an elbow problem that was so severe that he couldn’t swing a bat; otherwise Pedro Borbon would have faced Fregosi. Grant Jackson did yeoman’s work when he squelched a bases-loaded threat left by Kent Tekulve in the eighth and then tossed a 1-2-3 ninth frame against Pete Rose, Ken Griffey and Joe Morgan to save the win for Jim Rooker. 
• 1979 - The Bucs won their ninth game in a row by a 7-1 count over the Atlanta Braves at Three Rivers Stadium in the lidlifter of a twin bill. Tim Foli went 3-for-5 with four RBI to lead the attack while Bert Blyleven tossed a four hit complete game. The Bucs pulled off the 500th triple play in MLB history in the second inning of the nitecap when Braves’ pitcher Phil Niekro bounced into a 5-4-3, Bill Madlock-to-Phil Garner-to-Willie Stargell triple killing at TRS, but he had the last laugh as he spun a two-hitter in an 8-0 Atlanta romp, ending the Bucco winning streak. 

Tim Foli - 1979 Topps

• 1982 - Pittsburgh dropped Atlanta, 6-0, at TRS as Rick Rhoden did it all. He tossed a six-hit, complete game shutout with only two Braves reaching second, banged out two hits and chased home a pair of runs. Dale Berra had a big day too, making two great plays in the field and scoring three times, one on a swipe of home as part of a double steal with Omar Moreno. 
• 1986 - The Bucs sent RHP Jose DeLeon to the Chicago White Sox for OF Bobby Bonilla. DeLeon had a long and workmanlike career while Bobby Bo earned four All-Star berths with the Pirates, hitting .284 with 114 HR and 500 RBI for the Pirates from 1986-91. The Pirates had originally signed Bonilla out of high school in 1981, but the White Sox claimed him in 1985’s Rule 5 draft after a FO braincramp. The move ended Lee Mazzilli’s three-year run with the Pirates; he was released to make roster space for Bonilla and signed with his old team, the Mets. 
• 1991 - A couple of milestones: Longtime Buc coach Jeff Banister made his MLB debut and singled off Atlanta’s Dan Petry in his only big league at bat. Banister was a Pirate lifer after being drafted in 1986 until landing the skipper job in Texas, returning to Pittsburgh's FO when that gig was up (he’s now the bench coach for Arizona). In the same game, rookie John "Rock" Wehner, now a Pirates broadcaster, went 5-for-5 to become the first 'Burgh rook since Richie Zisk in 1973 to collect five hits; he single handedly outhit the Bravos 5-to-4. The Bucs beat the Atlanta Braves handily, 12-3, at TRS; Gary Redus, who banged a grand slam, and Spanky LaValliere combined to drive in seven runs while Bobby Bonilla homered to help Doug Drabek cruise to victory. 
• 1996 - The Pirates sent RHP Danny Darwin to the Astros for minor league RHP Rich Loiselle. Loiselle spent his six-year MLB career (1996-2001) as a Pirate and claimed 29 saves in 1997 after being converted from a starter to the pen. He finished 9-18-49/4.38, going steadily downhill after fairly strong 1997-98 campaigns. The veteran Darwin won 16 more games before hangin’ the spikes up after the 1998 season, closing out 21 years with 171 wins in the show. 

Danny Darwin - 1996 Fleer

• 1999 - The Pirates swapped OF Jose Guillen and RHP Jeff Sparks to Tampa Bay for catchers Joe Oliver and Humberto Cota, scuffling for help behind the plate after Jason Kendall broke his ankle. Guillen, who had 28 homers and 154 RBI in his first two seasons, was having a down year after arriving at spring training a month late due to visa problems but proved to be an overpay. He went on to have a half dozen 20+ HR campaigns, including a 31-bomb season in 2003. 
• 2003 - The Pirates traded 3B Aramis Ramirez, OF Kenny Lofton, and cash to the Cubs for SS Jose Hernandez, RHP Matt Bruback, and 2B Bobby Hill in Dave Littlefield's darkest day of salary dumping. It was speculated that RHP Kris Benson, not Ramirez, was who the Cubs were after, but he missed his prior start and so Chicago passed on him. The Bucs also dealt Scott Sauerbeck & Mike Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox for Brandon Lyon & Anastacio Martinez. Ten days later, Gonzo was traded back to Pittsburgh with Freddy Sanchez & cash for Brandon Lyon (who had flunked his Pirates physical), Martinez & Jeff Suppan, basically making the new Rube Goldberg deal a swap of Sauerbeck & Suppan for Sanchez and causing one big headache for the traveling secretaries. 
• 2015 - 3B Aramis Ramirez, who began his career as a Bucco, was traded back to the ‘Burg by the Milwaukee Brewers along with cash for minor league reliever Yhonathan Barrios exactly 12 years after he was originally dealt away in a contract dump. A-Ram, who retired at the end of the year, filled a gap on the left side of the infield caused by injuries to Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer and also manned first base for the first time in his career after 2,100+ games at the hot corner. 
• 2018 - In between scattered rain storms, the Pirates licked Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Park by a 7-0 count for their 10th straight win, the team’s longest string since 2004. Trevor Williams tossed his first MLB shutout, a four-hitter cut short after six innings because of the wet weather. Starling Marte extended his hitting streak to 16 games with two hits and two RBI while Josh Harrison cracked a two-out, three-run homer; Marte and Josh Bell also went deep. Jordy Mercer added two hits to the pot and Gregory Polanco banged a two-out, two-run triple. The Bucs’ victory streak ended at 11 games, snapped two days later by Trevor Bauer, 4-0. 

Trevor Williams - 2018 Topps

• 2022 - Jose Quintana, who was rumored to be making his final Pittsburgh start before the trade deadline (Q lasted until August 2nd when he was dealt to the Cards), tossed seven innings of four-hit, shutout ball, and with help from Wil Crowe and David Bednar, put away the Miami Marlins, 1-0, at PNC Park. Yoshi Tsutsugo drove in the only run with a two-out single in the sixth as the Bucs stubbed their own toe repeatedly, leaving 10 runners aboard while going 1-for-11 with RISP. 
• 2023 - The Pirates had three wins to date in July, largely due to poor pitching. So they went with a bullpen game, and five Buc twirlers - Ryan Borucki, Osvaldo Bido (the winner), Jose Hernandez, Carmen Mlodzinski and David Bednar (the save) - tossed Pittsburgh’s first shutout in two months, scattering six hits and fanning a dozen LA Halos for a 3-0 victory at Angel Stadium. The Pirates ducked a couple of bullets - with the bases jammed and no outs in the fourth, a liner was turned into a DP, and in the ninth, the Angels jammed the sacks with one away, but a comebacker was converted into a 1-2-3 twin killing. The Corsairs didn’t bang the ball around much, but Bryan Reynolds had two hits, driving in a run and scoring while Endy Rodriguez hit his first MLB homer. On the other side of the pillow, Jared Triolo’s 13-game hitting streak was snapped.

7/22 Through the 1960s: O'Toole & Kelly Join; Willie Cycle, Five For Maz, Deacon DIY, Ginger Sixer, Game Tales; Gardens Girls; HBD Denny, RC, Jack, Larry, Elmer, Mooney & Jack

• 1857 - SS Jack Glasscock was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. He got his start as a 20-year-old for the Alleghenys of the International League and then went on to play the next 15 campaigns for five different clubs, winning the NL batting crown in 1890 before joining the Pirates in mid-1893 in a trade with St. Louis for Frank Shugart and cash. Jack hit .341 in his first Bucco go-around, but at age 36, he dipped to .281 in 1884’s offense-hot season and retired the following year, closing out his career with Louisville and Washington. He spent several more seasons in the minors and played/managed through 1901. Glasscock retired to Wheeling. 
• 1880 - C George “Mooney” Gibson was born in London, Canada. He played a dozen years for the Bucs (1905-16) as a defense-first catcher, batting .238 but tossing out 949 runners. He had a 46% throw-out rate and was durable, too, once catching 140 straight games; he was behind the dish for 1,118 Buc matches, second only to Jason Kendall. Mooney finished his career as a NY Giant. He later returned to Pittsburgh as a manager, first in 1920-22, then from 1932-34, finishing second three times with a mark of 401-330. Gibson was the first baseball player elected to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. His nickname may have been inspired by his round, moon-shaped face, though others claim he picked it up by playing on a sandlot team known as the Mooneys. 
• 1885 - LHP Elmer Knetzer was born in Carrick. He tossed for the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League from 1914-15 with a 38-26/2.73 slash, with six years in the NL sandwiched on either end of that stint. Knetzer was the first active player to jump from the NL to the FL after Brooklyn lowballed him during contract time. He went by “Pretzel” and “The Baron” - Pretzel because of the way his curveball twisted, while Baron goes unexplained. He stayed a hometown boy, and when he died in 1975, he was buried in St. Wendelin Cemetery in Carrick. 

Elmer Knetzer - 1914 Cracker Jack

• 1885 - OF Sheldon “Larry” LeJeune was born in Chicago. He played briefly for two seasons in the show, his last being in 1915 for the Pirates, hitting .161 and committing five errors in 61 chances. He came to Pittsburgh with a strong resume - he had led the Central League in batting from 1912-1915 and in homers in 1910 and 1912. Larry made the record books in 1910, when he hurled a baseball 426’ 9”, a mark that stood until minor-leaguer Don Grates broke it (434’) in 1952. 
• 1899 - The Pirates rolled over the Philadelphia Quakers by an 18-4 count at Exposition Park. OF Ginger Beaumont went 6-for-6 at leadoff and scored six times, the first MLB player to plate that often in a single contest, without hitting a ball out of the infield. Rookie second baseman Jimmy Williams drove in three runs with a pair of triples to help Jesse Tannehill cruise to the win. 
• 1908 - The Pirates scored twice in the first inning and those runs held up as they beat the Brooklyn Superbas, 2-1, at Exposition Park. As described by the Pittsburgh Press: “Howie Camnitz was on the rubber for the Pirates and pitched in faultless style, allowing only four hits and having his opponents at his mercy the whole way.” One of those hits was a bomb by Brooklyn 1B Tim Jordan, who “...laced the sphere over the right field fence...It was a terrific swat and the Superba star was cheered to the echo by the spectators.” He was the first batter to put one into the seats on the fly at the Expo since 1899; the lines were reportedly 400’ and center 450’ to the wall. 
• 1910 - Winning pitcher Deacon Phillippe hit an inside-the-park grand slam off Brooklyn’s Fred Miller as part of a 14-1 win at Washington Park as the Pirates swept the Superbas in a four game set. Mel Stottlemyre was the next MLB pitcher to hit an inside the park grannie - in 1965! Phillippe was the first Bucs hurler to empty jammed bases; there are only five other twirlers in franchise history (Al McBean, Don Robinson, Bruce Kison, Enrique Romo & Denny Neagle) with grand slams. As for the game, every starter but one had a hit and all nine scored. 

Marty O'Toole - July 22, 1911/Pgh Press

• 1911 - The Pirates paid St. Paul of the American Association $22‚500 for RHP Marty O'Toole‚ the most expensive player purchase at the time. The AA ace joined the Bucs when St. Paul’s campaign ended (His first Bucco start was on August 30th). Barney Dreyfuss spent another $5‚000 for his battery mate Bill Kelly. In 1912‚ O'Toole went 15-17/2.71, but led the NL with 159 walks and was out of Pittsburgh by 1914, winning a total of 26 games while walking 300 batters in 599-1/3 IP. Kelly was a reserve catcher, hitting .290 while playing through 1913. 
• 1932 - LHP Jack McMahan was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He pitched for one season in the show, and his 11-game stint with the Pirates in 1956 didn’t go so well. In 13-1/3 IP, the Rule 5 pick from the Yankees gave up nine runs on 18 hits with nine walks, and he was traded with Curt Roberts to the Kansas City Athletics on June 23rd for Spook Jacobs. His stay with KC went a little better (0-5/4.82), but it was his last MLB stop. He retired after the 1959 season following a minor league tour. Jack passed on in 2020 at the age of 88, and left for his legacy an endowed scholarship for Arkansas Tech. 
• 1933 - Fans were hard to come by during the depression-era 30’s, but 27,000 came out to Forbes Field to see the Bucs and Giants mix it up, the biggest local turnout since 1930. The first game was a duel between Larry French and Carl Hubbell, who exchanged six-hitters in the lidlifter, with the G-Man claiming a 1-0 win thanks to Mel Ott’s sac fly in the first inning. It was a tight game, and the fans got into it by showering ump Charlie Moran with pop bottles after he called Bucco Tony Piet out at first, changed his mind and ruled him safe, and then, as the Giant infield charged first in protest, reverted back to his original call. There were no injuries - Moran even caught a couple of the bottles (although Beans Reardon, the third base arbitrator who had nothing to do with the decision, had some debris aimed at him, too) and after a cleanup, the game went on. The heated rooters and New York nine cooled off after an hour’s rain delay and Heinie Meine tossed the Pirates to a calm 6-2 win. The contest’s pivotal blow was a two-run triple by Arky Vaughan, who then tallied thanks to a wild pitch following the three-bagger. 

RC Stevens - 1958 Topps

• 1934 - 1B RC Stevens was born in Moultrie, Georgia. The 6’5” slugger was signed out of Moultrie HS, but his one-trick stick wasn’t enough to earn him a starting spot in the show. As a backup, he hit decently, with a .260 BA and eight homers in 108 PA in 71 games from 1958-60, but he couldn’t outpace Ted Kluszewski, Dick Stuart and Rocky Nelson in the first base race. 
• 1939 - Boston committed seven errors in a 9-3 loss to the Bucs at Braves Field, allowing five unearned runs to cross the plate. It got so bad that one frustrated Bee’s fan jumped out of the stands and took a swing at Braves’ catcher Al Lopez after he dropped a popup. The Bucs did their part, too, banging out 13 hits, led by Lee Handley’s 3-for-4 effort. Chuck Klein ran his hitting streak to 21 games with a 2-for-5 performance before the Bees stopped him the next day. 
• 1939 - Girls’ baseball never caught on in Pittsburgh, but softball, both on the amateur and pro levels, was red hot here for years. The Duquesne Gardens hosted a pair of games touted as “Girls Indoor Baseball” (never mind that it was softball) on back-to-back days with the championship New York City Roverettes going against the Pittsburgh All-Stars. Pittsburgh won the opener, 2-1, behind SS Ann Giaciach, who had four hits, but was thumped in the rematch, 10-1. 
• 1963 - Utilityman Denny Gonzalez was born in Sabana Grande de Boya, Dominican Republic. He played parts of four seasons as a Buc (1984-88), hitting .206. After his playing days were over, Gonzalez scouted for the Chicago White Sox and was in charge of the Sox' Dominican Academy. He also has taken the Dominican National team reins in international play. 
• 1964 - Pittsburgh scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back as they whipped the St. Louis Cardinals, 13-2, at Busch Stadium. Bill Mazeroski knocked in five runs with a double and homer while Willie Stargell hit for the cycle with four runs scored and three more driven in. Jerry Lynch also went yard (he had hit a grand slam against the Redbirds in the game before) and added three ribbies as Bob Veale cruised to victory in his breakout (18-12/2.74) season.