8/16 Through 1954: Demon Dutchman, Ace Elmer, Game Days, HR Spree, HBD Nick, Al, Curt, Gene, Tiny, Andy, Bill, Rube, Wee Willie & Kid

1872 - SS Frederick “Gene The Kid” Steere was born in South Scituate, Rhode Island. An All-America at Brown University, where he got his nickname (he was on the small side and looked younger than his age), his major-league career consisted of 10 games with the Pirates in 1894, hitting .204. The Kid took the hint and went off to Hawaii at age 26, where Steere was a successful plantation owner and real estate developer who was deeply involved in baseball on the Islands. It had taken root there when Alexander Cartwright made it his home (he left NYC and the Knickerbockers to join the Gold Rush and kept going). Steere continued to help popularize the game Aloha Islands before returning stateside.

1872 - 1B “Wee Willie” Clark was born in Pittsburgh. He played the final two years of his five-season big league career with the Bucs, hitting .293 from 1898-99. Though he played well, he was part of the backwash when Barney Dreyfuss absorbed most of the Louisville team in 1900. Willie played a year for the minor league Milwaukee Brewers, then retired. He stayed local, dying at the age of 62 and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery.

1887 - LHP John Henry “Hank”/“Rube” Robinson was born in Floyd, Arkansas. He spent the first three years (1911-13) of his career with Pittsburgh, going 26-17/2.34 with his time split between the pen and starting. After he retired, Robinson pitched 13 consecutive seasons with Little Rock from 1916-28. During his career he won 190 games, working 3,000+ innings for the Travelers, and earned a spot in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1962.

1890 - RHP Bill Phillips of the Alleghenys (and Charleroi) became the first pro pitcher in history to allow two grand slams in the same inning while tossing against the Chicago Colts, as the Windy City won 18-5 at Recreation Park. Phillips ended 1-9 with a 7.57 ERA in his rookie season but took some notes and went on to have a seven-year career with a 70-76/4.09 line.

Bill Phillips - photo via Basball Almanac

1892 - 1B Bill Keen was born in Oglethorpe, Georgia. Keen got into six games as a Buc in 1911, going 0-for-7 with a walk, and that was his MLB career. He was one of six first basemen to get a look that season, and his was the briefest audition of the gang. Keen did have a drawerful of nicknames, with Rebel, Hammerhead, WB (William Brown) and Buster among them.

1904 - The Pirates swept the NY Giants by 7-2 and 4-1 counts at the Polo Grounds in front of 23,000 disappointed Big Apple fans. Patsy Flaherty took the opener from Christy Mathewson while Mike Lynch did the honors in the nightcap, defeating Dummy Taylor. Ginger Beaumont had five hits during the day to lead Pittsburgh while Hans Wagner chipped in with three. It was the first time that the New Yorkers had dropped a twin bill during a season that saw them dethrone the Bucs and run away with the pennant by reeling off 106 wins.

1908 - RHP Andrew Jackson “Andy” Bednar was born in Streator, Illinois. Andy pitched briefly for the Pirates in 1930-31, making five appearances with a 0-0/15.19 slash. That was his MLB career, but despite that, he was a fine pitcher in the minors, once winning 22 games for Tulsa. He died young in Texas in 1937 following a car crash while working in the oil fields.

1909 - OF Red Murray of the NY Giants saved Christy Mathewson’s bacon on a dark and stormy afternoon when, as the Pittsburgh Press described “...the ball was seen rising, rising far out over the heads of the waiting fielders. But Red Murray had his eye on the ball...the most wonderful catch ever seen at Forbes Field was pulled off, Murray getting the sphere with his bare hand after a long hard run. The inning was over and the Pirates were robbed of victory...as the game was called because of rain with the score deadlocked at 2-2. Two runners had already crossed home when Murray snagged Dots Miller’s two-out drive...as the wind whistled, the lightning flashed, the thunder crashed and the rain descended.” 1B Ham Hyatt chipped in with his third pinch-hit triple of the year, a record that wouldn't be matched until 1970 by Vic Davalillo of St. Louis.

Elmer Steele - 1911 Conlon Collection/Detroit Public Library

1911 - Elmer Steele needed just 72 pitches in downing the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers 9-0 at Washington Park. Steele surrendered no walks, had no strikeouts, and allowed just one hit, a one-out ninth inning single that just got past 2B Dots Miller. But it wasn’t all good news: Honus Wagner severely injured his ankle during the match, ended up on crutches and missed 25 of the next 26 games. During his absence, the Bucs, who were only one game off the pace at the time, stumbled and finished 16 games behind, a distant third to the NY Giants.

1913 - The Pirates jumped on the Giants’ Christy Mathewson, scoring eight times in the first three frames and then hanging on for an 8-6 win at the Polo Grounds. The “demon Dutchman” (per the Pittsburgh Press) Hans Wagner went 4-for-5 with a homer and Jim Viox added three knocks to help Babe Adams to the win with George McQuinlan credited with a four-inning save.

1913 - RHP Ernest “Tiny” Bonham was born in Ione, California. He pitched the final three years (1947-49) of his career for the Pirates, with a record of 24-22 and a 2.11 ERA. Prior to that, Tiny tossed seven seasons for the Yankees with a 21 win season and two All Star berths. In one of baseball’s saddest endings, he went to the hospital in August of his last season for an appendectomy, was discovered to have cancer and died three weeks later.

1922 - OF Gene Woodling was born in Akron, Ohio. The outfielder spent 17 years in the league, and made a stop at Pittsburgh in 1947 as a 25-year-old, getting into 22 games and batting .266. He coached for the Orioles for four years after hangin’ ‘em up, but his biggest contribution following his playing days was as a major mover in establishing a players pension fund. 

Curt Roberts - 2024 Pirates BHM

1929 - 2B Curt Roberts was born in Pineland, Texas. The first black American ballplayer for Pittsburgh (Carlos Bernier was the first black player), he played from 1954-56, hitting .223 as a Pirate. He lost his starting job at second in 1955 to Johnny O’Brien and they both lost out to a kid from Ohio named Bill Mazeroski, who would claim the position in 1956 and keep it for the next dozen years. When his baseball career ended, he worked as a security guard for the University of California, Berkeley. He died tragically at the age of 40 in Oakland, California, when he was hit by a drunk driver while changing a flat tire on his car.

1947 - The Pirates blasted a franchise record-tying seven homers in a game (it was equaled  in 1894, 2003, 2023 and 2024) against the Cardinals in a 12-7 win at Forbes Field. Ralph Kiner launched three consecutive dingers, the first of four times he would do that thing (he also tied a MLB record by going long in four consecutive at bats), while Hank Greenberg and Billy Cox blasted a pair each. For Greenberg, it was his 35th and final multi-homer game. The homers accounted for all 12 of the Buc runs. Kiner matched the MLB marks of seven HRs in four games, six in three games, five in two games, and four in consecutive at bats (he went long in his last at bat the day before) while becoming the first Pirate to homer not only three times in a single game but consecutively. Kiner, Greenberg and Cox were joined by Cardinal Whitey Kurowski, who also had a pair of homers, to set a MLB record for most players with multi homers in a game; the 10 home runs in a nine-inning game tied another record as nine long ball marks were set or equaled.

1952 - LHP Al Holland was born in Roanoke, Virginia. Holland spent 10 years in the show, starting in 1977 with the Pirates (he would return for a bit in 1985) and slash 1-3-4/3.54. He had some nice seasons closing for Philly, earning an All-Star berth and the NL Rolaids Reliever of the Year award. He took a hit when he admitted to coke use during the 1985 trials and that, along with a wrist injury, ended his career after the 1987 campaign.

1953 - Coach Nick Leyva was born in Ontario, California. He closed his career as an advisor in Pirates baseball operations after he was the Bucs first/third base coach, joining the staff in 2010 when Clint Hurdle was hired and exiting in 2020. Leyva is a former minor league player and manager who began coaching in 1978 and was the skipper of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1989-1991.

8/16 From 1955: AJ "STFU", Boss Bert, King Cobra, Frank Trio, Maz 1st, Game Days, Dock Balks, Hebner Back, Jamo & Allie Sign, HBD Connor & Rick

1956 - 19-year-old rookie Bill Mazeroski belted his first homer and had a three-hit outing (he enjoyed his first MLB three-hit game the day before) to help lead the Bucs to a 4-1 win at Connie Mack Stadium v the Phils. His two runs scored and two RBI were all that Vern Law needed for a six-hit, complete game victory.

1958 - Frank Thomas bombed three consecutive homers off three different pitchers, drove home six runs and scored four times in a 13-4 romp over the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. Dick Groat added four knocks and three tallies while Dick Stuart also went long. Bob Friend got the win with Bob Porterfield tossing the final two frames to ice the cake.

1964 - RHP Rick Reed was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He was drafted by the Bucs and played his first four seasons (1988-91) with them, going 4-7 with a 4.98 ERA while yo-yo’ing between the minors and the big leagues. He continued to bounce around the fringes of the league and spent all of 1966 in the bushes. Then the light went on at the age of 32; he won double-digit games for six of the next seven seasons with the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins while named to a pair of All-Star teams. He was briefly the pitching coach at his old school, Marshall University, but then opted for full-time retirement to raise his family.

1972 - Willie Stargell’s two-run homer brought the Bucs back for a 3-2 win at Dodger Stadium. Don Sutton had been cruising along with a 2-0 lead going into the ninth when his bubble burst. Dave Cash doubled and scored on Al Oliver’s bouncer up the middle. Pops, who was in a 1-for-21 batting funk, was flashed the green light on a 3-0 pitch and dropped it into the RC field stands for the win. Normally, the Dodgers would have sent closer Jim Brewer to the hill to face Stargell, but the lefty was out with hand problems so Walter Alston stuck with Sutton. Cash had three hits and Scoops a pair to pace the attack. Bob Miller, who danced past Dodger runners in the last two frames thanks to a pair of DP balls, got the win in relief of Nellie Briles.

Bob Miller - 1972 Topps

1975 - After being pulled from his last two starts without getting through the first inning and then refusing to pitch in relief, earning a one-day suspension, Dock Ellis called a clubhouse meeting in Cincinnati and had skipper Danny Murtaugh attend. Ellis then ripped into the Irishman and team management, earning himself an indefinite suspension and $2,000 fine. The suspension left the team short handed, but GM Joe Brown told Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Press that “We’re better off with 24 (players) than we were with 25.” The club, not too surprisingly, lost the game to the Reds, 5-3. The suspension was lifted on August 30th after he apologized to Murtaugh, and Ellis was traded to the NY Yankees in December. Ellis became the UPI “Comeback Player of the Year” in 1976 with a 17-8 record, then refused to sign his 1977 contract, blasted George Steinbrenner, and was traded again. But the Docktor eventually let bygones be bygones; he returned to the Bucs late in 1979 and retired as a Pittsburgh Pirate.

1978 - Dave Parker homered twice, was walked intentionally two more times, had five RBI and scored three times to lead the Pirates hit parade in a 13-2 spanking of the Reds at TRS. Bill Robinson added three hits, including a long ball, with three runs chased home, four other Buccos had two hits (Omar Moreno - three runs scored; Rennie Stennett, Ed Ott and Phil Garner), while reliever Grant Jackson even added a two-run triple. John Candelaria got the win.

1980 - Pittsburgh defeated Montreal 5-0 at TRS in front of 32,390 fans. Bert Blyleven was brilliant, going the distance while giving up two hits, walking one and fanning a dozen. The Pirates scored four times in the opening frame to allow Blyleven to cruise to his seventh victory.  

1982 - The Pirates purchased Richie Hebner from the Tigers, a homecoming for The Gravedigger who began his professional career with Pittsburgh and had a nine-year run with the Bucs. He hit .276 during the stretch run and 1983, then spent his final two campaigns with the Cubs. Richie’s Bucco average over 11 years was .277 with a 122 OPS+ and 128 homers.

Richie Hebner - 1983 Fleer

1989 - The Bucs took home a 5-4 win in 12 innings against Houston at the Astrodome after Bobby Bonilla hit the winning dinger off Larry Andersen. It first played out as an apparent double, but the call was changed to a home run after a quick ump’s conference; the ball had bounced off a fan’s stone hands and back into the field. John Smiley had two RBI, but wasn’t around for the final decision. The win went to Neal Heaton, with a save credited to Bill Landrum.

1992 - OF/1B Connor Joe was born in San Diego, California. Connor was a Competitive Balance pick (#39 overall) of the Bucs in 2014 from the U of San Diego. The Pirates traded him for Sean Rodriguez in 2017, and he’s played for six organizations, including a brief Bucco reunion in 2024, and is now with Seattle. 

1997 - The Pirates scored three times in the first inning and never looked back as they defeated the Florida Marlins 10-5 at Pro Player Stadium. Rookie Jose Guillen, who had been playing in High A Lynchburg the season before, homered and chased in five runs. Joe Randa collected three raps and Kevin Polcovich also went long as Francisco Cordova got the win. The two staffs used nine pitchers who gave up 19 hits and 15 walks while tossing 347 pitches.

2010 - The Pirates signed top draft picks RHP Jameson Taillon and RHP Stetson Allie. Taillon was in HS and committed to Rice, but agreed to a $6.5M deal after being drafted second, just behind Bryce Harper. He went 14-10/3.20 in 2018, his only 30-start MLB season; he’s gone through two TJ and a cancer surgery already. He was traded to the Yankees in 2021 for Roansy Contreras and a package of youngsters and is now with the Blue Jays. Stetson was also a pitcher who could touch 100 in HS; the Bucs took him in the second round and reeled him in from a commitment to North Carolina for $2.25M. The club switched him from the mound to the pasture to take advantage of his bat, but neither position worked out and he ended up a man without a position. He was with the Dodger organization for five years and was released by his last club, Tampa Bay, in 2021.

Stetson Allie - 2010 photo/MLB.com

2011 - Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer to give Pittsburgh the early lead, Neil Walker hit another bomb to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, and Garrett Jones went yard in the 11th inning to account for all the Buc scoring in a 5-4 win against the Cardinals at PNC Park. Chris Resop, the fifth Pirate pitcher of the game, got the win after working a pair of scoreless innings. Longtime Buc nemesis Albert Pujols took Jeff Karstens deep in the sixth to become the first player in MLB history to hit 30 homers in each of his first 11 seasons.

2012 - AJ Burnett wasn’t at his best, but battled into the seventh to take a 10-6 win over the Dodgers at PNC Park. This contest entered Pirate folklore when Hanley Ramirez homered off Burnett in the fourth and celebrated with a bit of showboating. AJ got his revenge in the sixth when he struck Ramirez out swinging on a 3-2 pitch and famously told him to “STFD.” Garrett Jones had a pair of three-run homers, both on two-strike deliveries by Joe Blanton with Jordy Mercer and Andrew McCutchen aboard. 

2021 - The Pirates lost to the Dodgers 2-1 and set a new franchise record by dropping their 14th straight game against LA, a new mark of futility against one team. Buc pitchers allowed just five hits, but two were solo shots that sealed their fate. The Pittsburgh attack was equally inept, but they took a 1-0 lead in the seventh on a bopped batter, infield single and error. But with runners on second and third with no one away, rookie Rodolfo Castro and third base coach Joey Cora had simultaneous brain cramps and failed to tag (Castro had wandered too far down the line) on a Hoy Park liner to left; a following K and bouncer kept that big second run from crossing the dish. Setting another team mark, recently signed Yoshitoma Tsutsugo doubled as a pinch hitter in his first Buc at bat to become the 56th different player for the Pirates this season. 

2025 - Announcer Greg Brown was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Sports Hall of Fame. After working for the Pirates as a promotions/marketing factotum, he got a shot to get behind the mic in 1989 to broadcast the Bison games (they were the Pirates AAA affiliate then; Greg was also the color man for the NFL Buffalo Bills from 1990-93) until his return to Pittsburgh in 1994 as an announcer, beginning his Bucco booth gig and popularizing the “Raise the Jolly Roger” catchphrase.

8/15 Through the 1950s: Wild Finish, 4-In-A-Row Ralph, Splits, Game Days, Carey Joins, HBD Duffy, Bernie, Red, Lew & Doggie

1864 - George “Doggie” Miller was born in Brooklyn. Doggie was mostly a catcher, but also played the OF and every IF position, primarily third. In 10 seasons with the Alleghenys and Pirates (1884-1893), he hit .254 and was the epitome of a contact hitter: Doggie struck out 99 times in a Pittsburgh uniform (not counting 1884-86, which have no K stats), and never had a season where he whiffed more than he walked. Doggie was athletic for a catcher; beside playing all those other positions, he swiped 209 bases. Miller is one of three catchers to last a decade in Pittsburgh, along with George Gibson and Manny Sanguillen, and was the first player ever to spend 10 years with Pittsburgh. Doggie got his nickname because he bred dogs. In a less kindly vein, he was also called “Foghorn” and “Calliope” because of a mouth that never shut when he was on the field.

1872 - IF Lew Carr was born in Union Springs, New York. Lew’s only major league action was with the powerhouse 1901 Pirates when he got into nine games and went 7-for-28, which was pretty heady stuff for a guy who played for the amateur Morovian team in 1899 while going to Hobart College. He also was the table-setter for Hans Wagner who slid into the SS spot after Carr was injured after a beaning. Lew attended Syracuse and earned a Law degree after his playing days and stayed around to coach the school's baseball team from 1910-42. In 1952, the school's ballyard was renamed in his honor and he was selected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Known locally as “Mr. Baseball,” Carr spent his retirement years starting a little league program in Moravia and served as its commissioner until he passed away in 1954 at age 81.

1906 - LHP George “Red” Peery was born in Salt Lake City. He spent 10 games in the majors; his first was with the Pirates in 1927, when the 20-year-old tossed an inning and gave up an unearned run on a walk & boot. He retired in 1930 as a 23-year-old after working in the Texas League. 

1908 - RHP Bernie Walter was born in Dover, Tennessee. He got one MLB inning in 1930 as a Pirate, tossing a clean frame as a 22-year-old fresh out of the U of Tennessee. His main job wasn’t to challenge for a rotation spot; he spent the season as the Pirates BP pitcher.

Fred Clarke - 1910 American Caramel

1910 - In a meeting of two powerhouse rivals, the Pirates and NY Giants split a twinbill at the Polo Grounds by 2-1 scores. The first game went 11 innings before either team scored. Pittsburgh got a pair of runs off Christy Mathewson thanks to a Fred Clarke double; Lefty Leifield was nicked for a score in the bottom half but hung on for the win. The Giants scored twice in the first frame of the nightcap off Howie Camnitz, and Hooks Wiltsie made it hold up, with the only Buc run coming via a Hans Wagner double and Doggie Miller single an inning later. However, the game didn’t have much influence on the finish as the Cubs won 104 games and ran away with the pennant, leaving the usual NL suspects in their dust.

1910 - The Pirates bought the rights to OF’er Max Carey from South Bend of the Central League. The Hall-of-Famer played in Pittsburgh for 17 seasons, compiling a .287 BA and .363 OBP with 2,416 hits, 918 walks (he had over 1,000 in his career), 1,414 runs scored and 688 stolen bases. He led the NL in stolen bases 10 times and still holds the Bucco record for swipes, barely edging out Honus Wagner. They also purchased SS Alex McCarthy on the same day from the same club. He spent eight years as a Bucco good-glove utility guy, hitting just .226.

1934 - The Bucs and the NY Giants split a twin bill at Forbes Field. The Giants took the opener, 5-4, holding on after a four-run first for the win. Lloyd Waner singled to bring his hitting streak to 22 games. Pittsburgh won a see-saw battle in the second game. NY tied it, 3-3, in the eighth; the Bucs answered in their half and won 4-3 behind Schoolboy Hoyt’s arm and Arky Vaughan’s homer. The Giants did end Little Poison’s hitting streak in the second contest, but he collected knocks in the next nine games to claim a 31-of-32 games batting roll.

Duffy Dyer - 1975 Topps

1945 - C Duffy Dyer was born in Dayton, Ohio. Dyer backed up Manny Sanguillen from 1975-78, hitting .227 as a Bucco. He caught John Candelaria's no-hitter on August 9th, 1976 and led NL catchers in fielding % in 1977. The light-hitting (.221 lifetime BA) catcher had a long career behind the dish, lasting 14 MLB campaigns. He managed in the minors after his playing days, scouted and was a MLB coach for the Brewers and Oakland A’s. In 2013, Duffy powered down to skipper the Kenosha Kingfish, a summer collegiate league club; he had managed Kenosha in the early eighties when the town was home to a Twins farm club.

1947 - Ralph Kiner hit a home run off Red Munger in his last at bat in the eighth frame during a 7-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field (it was his second dinger of the day; he also bopped a blast in the first inning). Kiner then homered in his first three at bats in his next game against the Cards Ken Burkhart, tying the record for consecutive home runs. And this time the results were better for Pittsburgh as the Pirates slugged their way to a 12-7 victory.

1950 - The Pirates surrendered six runs in the ninth inning, then scored a half dozen of their own to beat the Reds, 10-9, at Forbes Field. The Bucs put up the six spot with six singles, a walk and a big boot - a bobbled potential double play ball - with Clyde McCullough getting the walkoff knock, scoring Wally Westlake from second when his liner was deflected into no man’s land by Reds pitcher Johnny Hetki. The highlight was a fifth-inning homer by Ralph Kiner, Mr. Swat’s 33rd, to left center field off Ewell Blackwell that was estimated to travel 480’. The Bucs third twirler, Bill MacDonald, earned the win.

1951 - Ralph Kiner banged a homer and triple, scored twice and chased home four runners as the Bucs beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-0, at Forbes Field behind Bob Friend’s two-hitter (he was effectively wild with eight walks) and first career shutout. George Metkovich added three hits to the pot.

8/15 From 1960: Pagan Fiver, Blass Breakout, Game Days, Bunning Deal, Gerrit Signs, HBD Jarrad, Ollie & Ramon

1964 - Pirate pitchers Tommie Sisk, Frank Bork and Alvin McBean spoiled “Ernie Banks Day” at Wrigley Field, holding Bingo hitless in a 5-4 Bucco win. Donn Clendenon had a pair of RBI (his two-out single in the ninth inning was the eventual game winner) while Bob Bailey and Roberto Clemente homered. McBean claimed the victory over Lindy McDaniel.

1968 - Steve Blass tossed a four-hit shutout in Pittsburgh’s 2-0 win over the Giants at Forbes Field. It was Blass’ seventh complete game and third whitewash of the season (he ended up with seven zippos, a career high). The Pirates scratched out their scores, tallying via a first inning single by Donn Clendenon and an error that brought home Willie Stargell. 1968 was Steverino’s breakout campaign as he slashed 18-6/2.12 during the year, beginning a five-year run of 30+ starts as a staff mainstay.

1969 - The Pirates traded RHP pitcher Jim Bunning to the Dodgers for two minor league players and cash. Bunning was nagged by injuries and was a disappointing 14-23/3.84 in two seasons with Pittsburgh. He left Pittsburgh and won just 18 more games before retiring after 1971, though he would earn a spot in Cooperstown for his work with the Tigers and Phils. IF Chuck Goggin and 1B/OF Ron Mitchell were the return. Goggin earned eight at-bats in Pittsburgh while Mitchell never made it to the show, spending 11 years in the minors.

1969 - Big Bob Veale went the distance for the third straight time, scattering six hits against the Reds at Crosley Field to lead the Bucs to a 5-1 victory. The Pirates flexed their muscles in the victory, homering four times - Gene Alley went yard twice while Richie Hebner and Al Oliver also swatted long balls. Veale would add one more complete game to the streak before ending the string at four games after a six-inning outing in a win against Cincy.

Bob Veale - 1969 MLB Photo Stamp

1970 - Jose Pagan homered twice while going 4-for-4 with five RBI as the Pirates beat the Padres, 9-3 at TRS. It was the third career two-homer game for Pagan, who homered just 52 times in 4,032 career plate appearances. Bill Mazeroski also went long and Bob Veale struck out 12 batters while tossing a complete game and driving in three runs with a bases-loaded rap.

1974 - RHP Ramon Morel was born in Villa Gonzalez in the Dominican Republic. Ramon pitched for the Bucs from 1995-97, going 2-2/4.98. He pitched one last season for the Cubs before spending time in the minors, Japan and the Dominican League until he retired following the 2008 campaign. At last check, he’s now working for a Florida sports training academy. 

1981 - LHP Oliver Perez was born in Culiacan, Mexico. Part of the Jason Bay deal, he pitched from 2003-06 for the Bucs. Ollie had a breakout 2004 campaign, when he went 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA and 239 K in 196 IP, the third most whiffs in franchise history for a single season. Control and velocity problems ruined his effectiveness, and he reinvented himself later in his career as a LOOGY. He twirled in the Mexican League before retiring in 2023 after 20 years of MLB moundwork.

1984 - CF Jarrod Dyson was born in McCombs, Mississippi. A rare 50th-round draft pick (#1,475 overall) that made a career in the MLB, he played seven years for the KC Royals, a season for Seattle and two campaigns with the D-Backs. The Bucs signed him to a one-year/$2M contract in 2020 to fill the gap in center left by the Starling Marte trade. The 35-year-old Dyson featured good defense and fleet feet but an indifferent bat in 2019, with his batting line at .230/.313/.320 (66 OPS+) but with 30 swiped bases and 13 Defensive Runs Saved on the plus side of the ledger. He lasted in Pittsburgh until August (his BA was .157) before being sent to the White Sox and then was picked up by his original club, the Royals, in 2021. Jarrod finished the season, his last in MLB, with Toronto.

Jarrod Dyson - 2020 photo/Pirates

1993 - The Bucs parlayed a couple of small-ball moves perfectly in the 11th inning and were rewarded with a 4-3, walkoff win against the Braves at Three Rivers Stadium. Dave Clark led off by falling behind 0-2, then held his ground as he watched four off speed pitches miss the mark. Jimmy Leyland put on a hit-and-run for Don Slaught, who banged a ball through the vacated second base hole, and when the center fielder took a tumble cutting it off, Rich Donnelly waved Clark home with the winner. Donnelly’s windmill failed him in the ninth inning when Jeff King was cut down at the plate; Rich didn’t exactly have greyhounds steaming around the corner. King was the hitting hero with two hits, including a big two-run triple, as Blas Minor picked up his seventh win.

2011 - On the last day to sign draftees, the Pirates and #1 pick Gerrit Cole agreed to a record $8M minor-league deal. Cole turned down an $8.5M major league contract running through 2016. His agent, Scott Boras, said the pitcher projects to earn an additional $1.4 million under this deal. "It's essentially the largest signing bonus ever given an amateur player," Pirates GM Neal Huntington told ESPN. "Sometimes, it's more advantageous for a player to take a minor league contract with a bonus that can be spread over nine months than a major league contract that would be spread out over four years." Cole Train wasn’t the only deadline signee; 23 of 33 first round picks hadn’t come to terms yet, but all except prepster RHP Tyler Beede (Toronto’s overall #21 pick, once a Buc & now pitching in Mexico) were in the fold at the day’s end. Cole’s deal and the signing of second pick Josh Bell to a record $5M contract eventually led to the MLB adopting a bonus pool system for draft selections to limit the big paydays.

2015 - There weren’t many hits spread around at Citi Field, but the Bucs and Mets made them count. The Pirates jumped on top 3-0 behind long balls from Aramis Ramirez and Gregory Polanco; NY tied it up in the seventh on bombs by Juan Uribe and Michael Conforto. After that, 10 relievers put up zeroes for the two clubs for seven more innings until the 14th frame when Sean Gilmartin gave up a pair when Chris Stewart and Sean Rodriguez singled home runs. Mark Melancon made the save exciting; with two away and a runner aboard, he gave up a long Anthony Recker drive to center, but the park held it in for Andrew McCutchen and Joe Blanton took home the 5-3 victory.

8/14 Through the 1970s: Ralph Rips, Nifty Ninth, Duel, Stuffy Stuff, Hans Hot, Leach-erous, Game Days, RIP Cap, HBD Dale & Alex

1856 - 1B Alex McKinnon was born in Boston. He played briefly for the Alleghenys in 1887, which acquired him in an off season deal from Salem. Pittsburgh looked like it had a steal when he hit .340 in 48 games, but at age 30 he contracted typhoid fever and passed away three weeks later. Pittsburgh wore black crepe on their uniforms for the rest of the season in his honor.

1902 - The Pirates beat Boston 6-1 at the South End Grounds as both Tommy Leach and Claude Ritchey went 4-for-5 to back Jesse Tannehill. Leach had a monster day with two homers and a double, three runs, and three RBI. Wee Tommy, who led the NL with homers that season with six (all inside-the-park four-baggers) with five of them in a 10-day period in August.

1912 - The Pirates scored an unearned run in the 10th to beat Grover Cleveland Alexander and the Phils 2-1 behind Claude Hendrix. It was Pete's first loss to Pittsburgh, although Pittsburgh did OK against the Hall-of-Famer in the long run with a 30-35 record. The Pirates had already taken the opener of the doubleheader at Forbes Field by a 3-2 score to make it a sweep as Howie Camnitz won his 16th game. Bobby Byrnes had three hits and scored twice while Max Carey, batting behind him, added two raps and two RBI in support of Camnitz.

1913 - Honus Wagner homered, tripled, and had another home run bid taken away thanks to a great catch by Casey Stengel (who would join Pittsburgh in 1918) as the Bucs romped over the Brooklyn Superbas 13-8 at Ebbets Field. The Pirates banged out 19 hits, led by Max Carey with four knocks and Dots Miller & Mike Mitchell with three raps apiece.

1925 - Stuffy McInnis, Clyde Barnhart, and Pie Traynor combined to drive in 10 runs in the Bucs 14-6 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Forbes Field. McInnis and Max Carey scored seven times from the top of the order as Stuffy went 3-for-4 with a triple, four RBI, and three runs to help Lee Meadows cruise to victory. The Pirates had some sticks (Kiki Cuyler and Carey were among the NL’s Top 10 hitters) smokin’ in that championship season with a team BA of .307.

Stuffy McInnis - 1925 Conlon Collection/Getty

1929 - The Bucs Jesse Petty outgunned Boston’s Percy Jones to take a 1-0 victory at Braves’ Field. The Pirate run came in the fourth when a pair of walks followed by a bunt and an intentional pass set up Sparky Adams, whose sac fly would plate the only score of the day. Both pitchers went the distance, with Petty giving up five singles and Jones just three one-base raps.

1930 - 1B Dale Coogan was born in Los Angeles. Coogan put one year in the show as a Bucco in 1950, getting three months and 53 games in the majors while batting .240. But he was here long enough to set a record - Dale became the youngest Pirate to post four hits in a game when the 19-year-old went 4-for-5 against the Cards at Forbes Field on May 30. The Pirates had signed him in 1948 out of high school and he continued on in the minors through 1958. Coogan earned a doctorate from Southern Cal and his second career was as a high school teacher & administrator.

1937 - The Pirates scored five times in the ninth inning to take a 6-5 victory from the St. Louis Cardinals at Sportsman’s Park. The Bucs used five singles and two walks to fuel their rally after being held to two hits by Ray Harrell over the first eight frames. Player-manager Pie Traynor played his final game as a Pirate, coming in as a pinch runner in the ninth inning and scoring the winning run on a Paul Waner knock. Jim Weaver got the win and Jim Tobin earned the save as Pittsburgh snapped a six-game Redbird winning string.

1952 - Ralph Kiner homered twice, with the second blast being the game winner, and drove in four runs as the Bucs beat the St. Louis Cards 5-3 in 11 innings at Sportsman Park. Tony Bartirome banged three hits, Dick Groat scored twice and Murry Dickson went the distance for the win.

1960 - The second-place Cards entered the day four games behind the Bucs; they went to bed six back as the Pirates swept a twinbill 9-4 and 3-2 at Forbes Field to continue a 10-wins-in-12-games roll. Pittsburgh banged out six doubles in the opener and Rocky Nelson’s three RBI backed Vern Law’s complete game victory. It was his league-leading 17th victory. The nitecap went 11 frames; Don Hoak’s single off Lindy McDaniel brought in Bob Skinner with the game winner. Dick Stuart and Dick Groat drove in the other runs as the Buc bullpen pitched five scoreless frames, with Fred Green getting the win.

Rocky Nelson - 1960 Walker/Post-Gazette

1960 - Fred “Cap” Clarke passed away at the age of 87 in Winfield, Kansas at his farm called the “Little Pirates Ranch.” Clarke was the player-manager for four Pittsburgh pennants and two World Series appearances (1903, 1909) with a record of 1,422-969 (.595) and batted .299 as an outfielder in his 15 Pirates years. In his career, Cap hit over .300 11 times, stole over 30 bases seven times and led NL left fielders in fielding percentage nine times. He was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1945 and became a charter member of the Pirates HoF in 2022.

1964 - The Pirates were down 2-1 to the Cubs with two down in the ninth at Wrigley Field. The Bucs had just had Orlando McFarlane cut down at home to end the eighth inning and a leadoff single in the final frame was erased on a DP, Pittsburgh’s third of the day. Starter Bob Buhl walked Roberto Clemente to keep a Pirates pulse beating as Jerry Lynch stepped to the plate. Bob Kennedy waved in lefty Bobby Shantz to deal with Lynch and Jerry won the mano-a-mano battle, going long to give the Pirates a rally cap 3-2 win. Neither starter was involved in the final decision as Schantz took the loss and Al McBean, who worked the last two rounds, was credited with the win. It was quite a contrast in pitching - Veale gave up two runs on three hits while Buhl gave up one score despite 12 hits as the Pirates stranded 11 runners. The Cubbies avenged themselves in the second game with a 4-2 win as Lew Burdette got the better of Vern Law.

1971 - The Card's Hall of Famer Bob Gibson no-hit the Pirates 11-0 at TRS in front of 30,678 frustrated fans. Gibson walked three, struck out 10, and added three RBI. For Gibby, it was the only no-no of his illustrious career. He was 35 when he tossed it, and checked it off the last item on his to-do list, joining five 20-win seasons, eight All-Star appearances, two Cy Young awards and two seventh-game World series wins. It was the last no-hitter thrown against the Bucs until 2012; they've been held hitless eight times overall. And it was the first seen in Pittsburgh in 64 years, since Nick Maddox tossed one in 1907. The Candy Man would serve up the next one in 1976.

8/14 From 1980: B-Rey Show, Kevin Doubles Down, Clint's 400th, Bro Show, Chris' 1st, Bo Bombs, Game Days, Ax Joins, HBD Josh

1983 - An Old-Timers Game Day promo crowd of 50,062 at Olympic Stadium went home disappointed thanks to Dave Parker’s two-run, two-out single in the seventh after Montreal had just tied the score in the sixth to give the Pirates a 5-3 victory. Rick Rhoden got the win with a Kent Tekulve save. The rap gave the Pirates a three-game sweep of the Expos and was payback for the Bucs, who had been swept by Montreal at TRS the weekend prior.

1988 - The Pirates made it tough on themselves by blowing a seventh-inning 8-2 lead to the Phils at the Vet, but Andy Van Slyke’s ninth-inning homer off Steve Bedrosian nudged them past the finish line by a 9-8 count. The Phillies scored five times in the seventh off Brian Fisher & John Smiley and tied it in the eighth off Jim Gott before AVS’ game-winning bomb. The early Buc barrage was led by Barry Bonds with three knocks, with two more hits apiece by Spanky LaValliere (w/three RBI), Bobby Bonilla (who homered) and Sid Bream. Gott earned the blown save/win daily double by closing it out in the ninth.

1990 - Bobby Bonilla hit a pair of two-run homers, one in each game, as the Bucs swept a twi-light twin bill from Atlanta at TRS by 3-1 and 6-4 counts in front of 25,542 rooters. Doug Drabek won the opener, going wire-to-wire while spinning a six-hitter for his 15th win. Bobby Bo had three hits and Gary Redus scored twice in support of the righty. Zane Smith made his Bucco debut in the nightcap after being acquired from Montreal and went into the eighth to earn the victory with help from Stan Belinda and Bob Patterson. Jeff King was the big man; he stroked a two-run homer and two-run double, both with two outs (as was Bo’s dinger) to pace the attack. The win moved the Buccos into first place, the sweep snapping a five-game losing string and propelling the Bucs to victories in the next 10-of-12 games. 

1992 - 1B Josh Bell was born in Irving, Texas. A high school star who said he was committed to attending college, he was nevertheless taken in the second round of the 2011 draft out of Dallas Jesuit College Prep by the Bucs and received a record non-first-round bonus of $5M to change his mind. Many felt that offer was the straw that broke the back of unlimited draft spending and ushered in the era of pool money. Switched from the outfield to first base, Josh played in two Futures games. He got his call up in July of 2016 and in his second big-league at-bat smacked a grand-slam. By 2017 the first base gig was his although his glovework was indifferent and he saw time as a DH. He held the job in Pittsburgh through 2020, and in five seasons hit .261 with 86 homers and a 116 +OPS. In the ‘20-21 off season, he was traded to Washington for pitchers Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean. Josh rostered on several more clubs after that and is now with the Twins. 

Chris Peters - 1997 Pacific Prisms

1996 - Chris Peters checked off a few MLB boxes: he won his first game, banged out his first hit and posted his first RBI as the Bucs edged the Giants 4-3 at TRS. The Peters Township grad was helped by a Carrick kid as John Wehner had two hits, good for a run and RBI. 

2001 - The D-Backs dropped the Pirates 4-3 at Bank One Ballpark in 10 innings, but the Bucs didn’t go down without a fight. In the second inning, Kevin Young tried to score on a Craig Wilson fly and was tossed out; C Mike DiFelice straddled KY after the tag and was flipped for his efforts, resulting in some punches, dancing and Denny Bautista wrestling Spin Williams. After three minutes of pleasantries, Young and DiFelice were sent to the showers. The game featured four homers, with Jason Kendall and Brian Giles connecting for Pittsburgh (Giles’ long fly tied the game in the ninth). It wasn’t DiFelice’s first rodeo with the Pirates; he had been involved in some pleasantries before as a Card. Young took it as part of the game - “It was a play at the plate,” he told Robert Dvorchak of the Post Gazette. “It’s not going to be cookies and cream.”

2005 - Dave Williams threw 118 pitches on the way to his first career complete game and shutout (in his six-year career with 72 starts, it was the only time for either one) as the Pirates beat the Astros 8-0 at Minute Maid Park. Jose Castillo, Jason Bay and Ryan Doumit each homered while Jack Wilson added a grand slam with two outs in the 8th inning, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.

2008 - Andy and Adam LaRoche appeared together for the first time as Pirates in a 3-1 loss to the Reds, going 1-for-6 with a walk between them. They become the eighth pair of brothers to play together in franchise history and the first in 50 years since the O’Brien twins, Johnny and Eddie.

2014 - RHP John Axford was claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Indians. The reliever was the only MLB deadline addition made to the team from outside the organization for the 2014 stretch run. He slashed 0-1/4.09 in 13 outings, then went to the Rox. He last pitched with the Brewers in 2021.

John Axford - 2015 Topps

2015 - Gregory Polanco’s 10th inning single to center field broke a 1-1 tie and Aramis Ramirez’s sac fly added some needed insurance as the Pirates edged the Mets 3-2 at Citi Field. The Bucs used five pitchers to claim the contest - JA Happ, Jared Hughes, Antonio Bastardo, game-winner Arquimedes Caminero and Mark Melancon with the save. Polanco and Pedro Alvarez had two knocks while Neil Walker banged a homer. With the victory, Bucco skipper Clint Hurdle became the ninth manager in Pirates history to win 400 games.

2016 - One day after tying a team record by stranding 18 runners in an 8-4 loss, the Bucs cashed in at Dodger Stadium and punished LA’s Big Blue, 11-3. They still had 10 runners LOB, but the 16 hits, five walks and HBP led to plenty of plating. Josh Harrison and rookie Adam Frazier each collected four hits while Jordy Mercer, Sean Rodriguez and Jung Ho Kang homered. Chad Kuhl, with help from his friends in the pen, cruised to victory. Kuhl, in his first MLB campaign, started his sixth straight game that ended in a Bucco win.

2021 - Kevin Newman, who wasn’t even in the original lineup, drilled four doubles in a seven-inning twin bill 14-4 lidlifter win against the Brewers at PNC Park, tying a much-shared MLB record. It was the fourth time the feat’s been done in Pirates history, as Newman joined Hans Wagner (1910), Paul Waner (1932) and Adam Frazier (2019) in the record book. K-Man scored four times and drove home a pair of runs; Hoy Park had three hits and four other Buccos had a pair of knocks, including Bryan Reynolds, who homered with four RBI as the Bucs banged out a season-high 19 hits. Chasen Shreve got his first win as a Pirate. The bats quieted as they lost the nightcap 6-0, posting just four hits. It was also the debut of Neil Walker as analyst in the AT&T SportsNet booth.

2022 - Bryan Reynolds either drove in or scored every Pirates run when he homered, doubled, plated five runs for the second time this season (six is his career high), and scored three runs. But it wasn’t enough as the Bucs dropped an 8-7 decision to the Giants at Oracle Park. Pittsburgh overcame a 5-0 lead largely on B-Rey’s slugging and had a 6-5 lead in the eighth and 7-6 edge in the ninth. Both were wiped out by fielding gaffes - Oneil Cruz and Kevin Newman ran into one another to allow a pop to drop and bring home a run, and Josh VanMeter, who was just subbed in the inning before, couldn’t turn a DP ball in the ninth; the runner he allowed aboard scored on Thairo Estrada’s walkoff homer. Reynolds had three hits while Newman, Rodolfo Castro and Jason Delay each added a pair of knocks. Wil Crowe took the iron-gloved loss.

8/13 Through the 1950s: Friend Gem, Kiner #200, Scoutin', ABC Affair, Even Up, Ned's 1st, Game Days, HBD Mudcat, Vinegar Bend, Sid, Good Kid & Steve

1889 - Ned Hanlon won his managerial debut with the Alleghenys in a 9-0 thumping of the Beaneaters at Exposition Park. Pud Galvin tossed a five-hitter for the first Pittsburgh win of the season against Boston, which had taken the previous 11 matches. Galvin added a pair of hits, including a triple, and Jocko Fields and Jack Rowe contributed two knocks.

1894 - The Pirates sent LHP George Nicol and cash to Louisville for RHP Jock Menefee. Nicol was blasted as a pitcher for the Colonels but showed some promise as an outfielder, batting .351 for the two teams over the year. Still, it would be his last in MLB. He played on through 1905, but spent the last 11 campaigns in the minors. Jock was also a part-time OF’er, but only got into two games with the Pirates. He did stick around the league, and after bouncing around some, Menefee spent 1900-03 with the Chicago Orphans/Cubs with a line of 37-36/3.20.

1902 - The Bucs split a twin bill with the Boston Beaneaters at the South End Grounds. They lost the opener 8-6 when ace Jack Chesbro blew a four-run lead in the eighth, giving up six scores. Tommy Leach doubled, homered and scored three times in a losing cause. They took the nightcap 6-1 behind Deacon Phillippe. Wid Conroy had three hits, while Honus Wagner and Jesse Tannehill added a pair of knocks. The Bucs tortured Boston C Pat Moran, stealing seven bases, including second, third and home by The Flying Dutchman. Wagner became the first Pirate to steal second, third and home and pulled off the feat four times during his career. Other Pirates larcenists to swipe a three-pack were Max Carey (2), Kiki Cuyler and Bobby Byrne.

1903 - RHP Steve Swetonic was born in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County. A Pitt grad, he pitched for the Bucs from 1929-33 and in 1935 with a line of 37-36/3.81. He won 11 games in 1932 and tied for the league lead in shutouts with four. He spent his entire MLB career in Pittsburgh (he was briefly a Brave; the Bucs sold him to Boston but they returned him because of a bum wing); he then retired young at 28 because of his chronic sore arm.

1907 - C George “Good Kid” Susce was born in Pittsburgh. The local lad spent one of his eight big league seasons with the Pirates in 1939, hitting .227. After his career, Susce was a coach (mostly bullpen) for the Kansas City A's (1955-1956), Milwaukee Braves (1958-1959), Louisville Colonels (1960), Washington Senators (1961-1967), Jacksonville Suns (1968), Senators again (1969-1971), and the Texas Rangers (1972). He got his nickname as a rookie because he cheerfully did all the little housekeeping and hazing tasks that teams trot their young players through. His tradition carried on - to this day there’s a program that helps youngsters deal with social issues that’s called the George “Good Kid” Susce Foundation based in Richmond.

Good Kid Susce - photo via Detroit Public Library

1910 - The Pirates and Brooklyn Superbas met at Washington Park for a twin bill, and the opener took 13 frames, with Pittsburgh coming out on top 3-2. All the scoring was in extra innings, with Babe Adams and “Medicine Man” Scanlon each giving up a 10th inning run. The next three frames were turned over to Deacon Phillippe and Nap Rucker. Pittsburgh pushed a pair of runs over the plate in the 13th. Tommy Leach scored when Dots Miller worked a free pass with the bases jammed (after Honus Wagner had been intentionally walked to get to him), and Mike Flynn’s sac fly brought home Fred Clarke. Brooklyn fought back; Jake Daubert’s homer cut the lead to one and with two outs and a runner on, Jack Dalton drilled a ball deep to left, but Clarke ran it down. There was a lot more action in the nitecap, but it was called because of darkness with the score tied 8-8. According to Baseball Almanac & AP, the second match may have been the most evenly played contest in baseball annals: Both teams finished the game with exactly eight runs, thirteen hits, thirty-eight at bats, five strikeouts, three walks, one hit batter, one passed ball, thirteen assists, twenty-seven putouts and two errors with two pitchers used. (The numbers are close to the Press box score but not quite so exact, so we’re not sure which scorebook was right)

1916 - The Pirates lost the opener of a twin bill against the Cards 9-8 at Robison Field. The Bucs’ sticks stayed hot and put up eight runs in the first two innings of the nitecap, and while the visiting Pirates scurried to get five innings in, the Cards began to delay in hopes of darkness riding to the rescue. St. Louis stole 11 bases, while the Bucs added three as neither side challenged the swipes, both hoping to work the clock to their advantage. The game went five frames in a 9-5 Buc win, but led to an eventual rule change. 1920 saw the genesis of today’s defensive indifference rule, as uncontested stolen bases would not be credited.

1917 - OF/3B Sid Gordon was born in Brooklyn. Sid spent 13 years in the majors as one of its better sluggers. He homered at least once in every park in which he played in three seasons, was a two-time All-Star and had twice as many walks as whiffs during his career. He joined the Bucs in the 1953 off-season as part of the six-for-one deal that sent Danny O’Donnell to the Braves. Even though he was in his late 30s, he hit .290 with a dozen HR and 50 RBI in 147 games before being sold to the NY Giants, his original club, where he finished out the ‘55 campaign and retired. Sid was elected to the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

1923 - The Bucs beat the Brooklyn Robins 5-2 at Ebbets Field. Charlie Grimm had three hits and two RBI, and Max Carey stole second, third and home to back Lee Meadow’s four-hitter. Carey ended up the National League steals leader with 51 swiped sacks on the year.

Max Carey - 2001 SP Legendary Cuts

1926 - The ABC Affair concluded with Babe Adams, Carson Bigbee and Max Carey cut loose from the club. Adams had been a World Series hero, Bigbee had over a decade’s service with the team, and Carey was a Hall of Fame player. But they crossed management by holding a team meeting to complain of an odd management dynamic - Bill McKechnie was the manager, but the owner, Barney Dreyfuss, had Fred Clarke sit on the bench every game, leaving the players befuddled as to who was in charge. After the ABC heads rolled, Clarke never sat on the bench again (and in fact severed ties with his long-time team) and Dreyfuss fired McKechnie after the season. Another dynamic may have been some old-fashioned house cleaning: Per SABR’s Stephen Rice “Adams, at age 44, was done after nearly 3,000 innings pitched for the Pirates in 18 seasons. Bigbee, a reserve outfielder, was no longer needed after 11 seasons with the team. And Carey, the team captain in his 17th year with the club, was also let go.” 

1928 - Several thousand Boy Scouts gathered at Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park and marched to Forbes Field behind a 20-piece band. The boys did a lap around the yard, then stopped at home plate where Bucco owner Barney Dreyfuss was made an honorary First Class scout of Rodef Shalom’s Troop #5 and presented with a Scout’s Manual. Then the youngsters trooped to the stands to watch the Pirates thump the Brooklyn Robins 6-1 behind Ray Kremer, who not only tossed a six-hitter to earn his merit badge but chipped in a pair of RBI.

1930 - LHP Wilmer “Vinegar Bend” Mizell was born in Vinegar Bend, Alabama (or thereabouts, anyway). The Pirates sent 2B Julian Javier to St Louis for Mizell in May of 1960, and in four months he won 13 games to help carry the Bucs to the 1960 championship. In parts of three seasons, Mizell’s Bucco line was 21-16/3.94. He was nearing the end of his career and the Pirates shipped him to the NY Mets in 1962, and he retired at season’s end. He became a politician after baseball and went on to serve in local offices and as a three-term congressman from North Carolina after he stepped off of the slab.

1930 - The Pirates won their fourth game in a row, scoring exactly eight runs in each victory, by dropping the Philadelphia Phillies 8-4 at Forbes Field. Paul Waner had three hits and a homer while pitcher Ray Kremer helped himself with his stick by also going yard.

Mudcat Grant - 1971 Topps

1935 - RHP Jim “Mudcat” Grant was born in Lacoochee, Florida. Mudcat made 50 appearances for Pittsburgh with a 7-4-7/3.41 line but never tossed in the playoffs - he was acquired too late in 1971 (September) to be eligible for the roster and was sent to Oakland before the 1972 postseason began. His nickname was bestowed on him in the minors when a teammate dubbed him Mudcat, mistakenly believing that he hailed from Mississippi, the home of the mudcat catfish. At least that’s his story; another claims that his Indians’ MLB roomie Lary Doby pinned it on him when he claimed that Grant was as “ugly as a Mississippi mudcat.” Ouch.

1950 - Pittsburgh took a twin bill from the Chicago Cubs by 7-4 and 2-0 scores at Forbes Field. The Bucs rode a six-run fifth inning to victory in the opener. Gus Bell had three hits, including two doubles, while Ralph Kiner (#200) and Danny O’Connell homered. Cliff Chambers went the distance for the win. Mel Queen was the story in the nitecap, tossing a complete game five-hitter with 11 K. Johnny Hopp went 4-for-4 and was a homer shy of the cycle.

1953 - The Pirates fell behind three times but overcame the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 at Forbes Field when Hal Rice’s eighth inning fly scored Cal Abrams with the game winner. Frank Thomas had a pair of solo homers to back Lefty LaPalme’s pitching. For the Bucs, it was a rare bright spot of the summer: the victory was their only win in a dozen game stretch.

1957 - Bob Friend was dealing as he tossed a two-hit shutout against the Phillies, winning 6-0 at Connie Mack Stadium. He was hooked up in a 2-0 duel with Warren Hacker through six innings before Bill Mazeroski chased Hacker with a two-run two-bagger in the seventh. Pittsburgh iced it in the eighth on a run-scoring error and Hank Foiles two-out RBI knock. Maz had a big day, with his two-run, second-inning homer with two gone giving Friend some early breathing room. Friend said after the game that he had fallen in love with his curve “...but now I’ve learned that the fastball is my best pitch.”

1958 - Though nicked by three-run pinch-hit homers off the bats of Rip Repulski and Bob Bowman, the Pirates nosed the Phils 10-9 at Connie Mack Stadium for their seventh straight victory. Roberto Clemente had two homers (his first ever multi-homer game), Maz added one more dinger, and Ted Kluszewski doubled and tripled to lead the Bucco attack.