6/9 Through 1954: Same Page, Elbie En Fuego, Fast Start, 56 Goose Eggs, Game Days; HBD Cobra, Julio, Quail, Roy & Charles

1860 - Charles Power was born in Johnstown. He was a minor league pitcher who developed a bum arm and turned briefly to umpiring. He became the sports editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1893, then was a boss for area minor leagues. He ran the Steel and Oil League in 1895, a local collection of eight teams that Hans Wagner passed through, and then stayed on when it became the Interstate League the following year until 1900. His last executive hurrah was in 1907 when he presided over the short-lived Class D Western Pennsylvania League. 

1902 - GM Roy Hamey was born in Havana, Illinois. Hamey replaced Ray Kennedy as Bucco GM following the 1946 campaign after serving as Business Manager of the Yankees. He hired Billy Meyer (a Yankee farm manager) as the Bucs' skipper and dealt for vets like Tiny Bonham, Bob Chesnes and Hank Greenberg, but the team was a second-division club for most of his tenure, and he was swapped out for Branch Rickey after the 1950 season. Hamey ran the Phillies for five years after that without much more success, and then returned to New York after the 1960 World Series, and in his three years there, the Bronx Bombers averaged 103 wins. His last gig was as interim Chief Executive of the Seattle Pilots in 1969, running operations until Bud Selig bought the team.

1903 - The Pirates streak of putting up 56 straight scoreless frames came to end when Kaiser Wilhelm gave up a fourth inning run to the Phils in a 7-3 Bucco win at Expo Park. The run of goose eggs started with two shutout frames by Ed Doheny to mercifully end a 10-2 drubbing at the hands of the Giants. Then came a streak of six straight whitewashes (a pair each spun by Sam Leever & Deacon Phillippe and one by Doheny & Wilhelm). The streak launched the team onto a 15-game winning skein, an NL title and a meeting with Boston in the World Series. The Pirates 1903 stretch still holds the MLB mark for consecutive shutouts and scoreless innings pitched, surviving a 1974 challenge that saw the Orioles tossed five straight shutouts and 54 zippo frames.

1905 - It was a wild opening frame, as attested by the Pittsburgh Press headline "Pirates Win Slugging Bee: Two Twirlers Driven Off the Rubber After One Inning." The Giants scored five runs in the top of the first off Sam Leever and the Pirates came back with six runs off Iron Man Joe McGinnity in the bottom of the frame. Deacon Phillippe of the Pirates and Christy Mathewson of NY replaced the twirlers in the second inning. It was all Pittsburgh after that, with the Bucs rolling over New York, 12-6, at Exposition Park. Fred Clarke, Ginger Beaumont, Honus Wagner, Del Howard and Tommy Leach each collected a pair of hits, while Phillippe pitched “cleverly” per the Press. To add insult to injury, the Giants were pelted with fruit as they rode along Market Street after getting into an ill-advised name-calling exchange with some Pittsburgh fans after the game.

Deacon Phillippe to the rescue - 1905 Fan Craze game card

1906 - The Phillies had an eighth inning 1-0 lead over the Pirates at the Baker Bowl. As a storm approached, the Pirates rallied in the ninth to forge ahead, and the Phils decided to give away outs‚ bean batters, toss wild pitches (the Pirates caught on and swung at them, trying to strike out on purpose) and argue almost every call in the hope of umpire Bill Klem would call the game because of the weather. Klem did cut the festivities short, all right: after seven runs crossed the plate, he declared a forfeit because of Philadelphia’s antics. The ploy almost worked as planned, though - the rain fell shortly after the game was banged.

1914 - Honus Wagner was credited (incorrectly) with his 3,000th hit off Philadelphia's Erskine Mayer in a 3-1 loss to the Phillies at the Baker Bowl. Wagner's hit, a double, came in the ninth inning. Wagner joined Cap Anson as the only members of the 3000-hit club. Hans told the Pittsburgh Press “Well, I’m glad that’s over. Sometimes I think too much newspaper talk hurts a fellow, that it acts as sort of a jinx.” It didn’t end up much of a hoodoo for the Flying Dutchman - in his 21-year career, Hans posted 3,420 hits, 643 doubles, 1,732 RBI, 1,739 runs scored, 723 stolen bases and a .328 BA. (Caveat emptor: This date was the one originally credited for the milestone hit and is still sometimes cited, but a recount by baseball archivists now date the deed to June 28th, 1914, when Hans singled off of the Reds Pete Schneider. We post both dates in the blog.)

1931 - Bill Virdon was born in Hazel Park, Michigan. The Quail came over from the Cards in 1956 and patrolled center field for 11 years (1956-66) in Pittsburgh, including the 1960 World Series season. Virdon won Rookie of the Year in 1952, the World Series in 1960 and a Gold Glove in 1962. He later coached and managed the Bucs (and later the Yankees, Astros and Expos). Bill also lent a hand at Pirates spring training until he passed away in 2021.

1931 - While defeating the local North Side Civics (a team that The Chief, Art Rooney, once played for), 16-2, four Homestead Grays' hit home runs - Oscar Charleston, Ted Page, Vic Harris (he had four hits) and Ambrose Reid; the Post Gazette wrote “extra base hits rained off the bats of the Homestead Grays.” 23-year-old righty Roy Williams barely broke a sweat during the win at Saltworks Field.

Bud Hafey - 1979 Diamond Greats

1935 - The Pirates traded 21-year-old RHP Jack Salveson to the Chicago White Sox for 22-year-old OF Bud Hafey. In this case, youth was not all that well served. Hafey played in 97 games over two years for the Bucs, batting .222, and spent one final campaign (1939) in the show with 12 more seasons served in the minors. Salveson only appeared five times as a Buc; overall, he slashed 9-9-4/3.99 after five seasons and 87 MLB outings.

1939 - IF Julio Gotay was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. He spent two seasons with the Pirates in 1963-64 and barely got a big league taste, getting just seven games under his belt (though he did hit .500) with most of his days spent in AAA Columbus. Julio spent parts of 10 seasons in the majors, mainly with the Astros and Cards, but primarily as an insurance policy infielder; only once in his career did he collect more than 250 at-bats.

1940 - The Pirates won for the fifth time in six games when they took the back end of a twin bill from Philadelphia by an 11-5 score at Forbes Field after losing the lidlifter, 6-1. Elbie Fletcher went 3-for-4 with a double and five RBI while Paul Waner matched him, also going 3-for-4 with a double, with two RBI and three runs. Mace Brown was the beneficiary of the batting boom. The good times didn’t last very long; the Bucs then lost 6-of-8.

1946 - The boys in blue really got under the skin of New York Giants manager Mel Ott. He was ejected from both games of a twin bill at Forbes Field for arguing calls (two different umpires tossed him), an MLB first. Ott should have read the riot act to his hitters instead, who were shut down by 2-1 and 5-1 scores by Bucco hurlers Fritz Ostermueller and Johnny Lanning.

Keep the Faith - Press Letter 1949

1949 - Peas in a pod: The Phillies beat the Pirates at Shibe Park, 4-3, in 18 innings. The intrastate rivals both had 16 hits in 68 at bats and committed three errors along with 21 assists. On the same day, The Press published a letter and sidebar from Sheriff Walter Monaghan urging a Pirates “Confidence Night” for the fans to rally in support of the team. He wrote “...as badly as most of us feel everytime we look at the standings, we should remember that the entire Pirates roster...must feel a whole lot worse.” The Pirates were 17-31 at the time and in last place; they finished 71-83, 26 games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1951 - Dave Parker was born in Calhoun City, Mississippi. The Cobra manned right field for 11 years (1973-83) for the Bucs while compiling a line of .305/166/758, earning four All-Star appearances and three Golden Glove awards. He was the 1978 National League MVP and the first professional athlete to earn one million dollars per year (not straight up but including deferred payments) after signing a five-year, $5 million contract in January 1979. Fun fact: Parker wore a gold necklace with a Star of David pendant although he wasn’t Jewish. When asked why, his explanation was simple: "My name is David, and I'm a star." The Buccos seconded that emotion by naming the Cobra to the Pirates Hall of Fame inaugural class.

1953 - The refusal of the National League owners to allow the Pirates to take down Forbes Field’s Kiner Korner after the trade of Ralph Kiner played into the Pirates’ hands in their 7-4 win over the Cards. Eddie Pellagrini belted a three-run pinch HR over the short porch in the eighth, after Dick Hall had earlier lofted a solo shot in the fourth into the same spot.

6/9 From 1955: Brant Fiver, Walkoffs, Starg & Robby Rally, Zisk Cycle, Game Days, Priester, Newman, Key & Sanchez Drafted

1958 - The Pirates stopped in Boise, Idaho while on a west coast trip and became the first MLB club to play a game in the state. The Bucs paid the visit as a nod to Vern Law, who was born in Meridian and honored during “Vern Law Day.” The Pirates were greeted by a crowd at the airport and driven to their hotel in a motorcade. The Boise Braves were a Class C club out of the Pioneer League and played to that level, losing to the big boys by a 17-6 count. 

1966 - For the second time in a week, Roberto Clemente homered over the center field wall at Forbes Field, becoming the first right handed batter to pull off that feat more than once. The blast came during a 4-2 loss to the Cards; the first was part of a 9-5 win over the Astros.

1968 - In a game that neither the Pirates nor Astros players wanted to play after Robert F Kennedy’s assassination, the league muscled up on the teams - “They told us we have a contract and we must live up to it...” explained Houston player rep Dave Giusti - and the Bucs defeated Houston, 3-1, at the Astrodome. Bob Moose spun an eight-inning four-hitter, closed out by Ronnie Kline. The Bucs’ Maury Wills, along with the ‘Stros Rusty Staub & Bob Aspromonte, refused to play. Wills was handed an undisclosed punishment by the team while both Astros players forfeited a day's pay and were traded after the season. MLB’s sole concession to the tragic event was that none of the day’s games could start until after RFK’s memorial service concluded.

1972 - Through his first 10 starts of the season, LA’s Don Sutton had slashed 8-0/1.14, but finally met his match with the Pirates. He suffered his first loss of the season when he gave up 10 hits and five runs (two earned) in seven innings to the Bucs at Dodger Stadium. Pittsburgh put up their five-spot in the opening frame. They didn’t exactly pound the righty; the runs scored on just three singles augmented by a trio of Dodger misplays. Still, the Pirates held their own with Roberto Clemente collecting three hits while Vic Davalillo and Al Oliver added a pair each. It was only a temporary burp for Sutton. Even though he lost his next three games, he was an All-Star with 19 wins and a 2.08 ERA and finished fifth in the Cy Young voting. 

1974 - Richie Zisk hit for the cycle against the San Francisco Giants during a 14-1 romp at Candlestick Park, with five RBI and four runs scored, but Willie Stargell outdid him in generating scores with two homers (one a grand slam), a double and six runs driven home. Bob Robertson also went long as Jerry Reuss cruised to victory behind the Bucs’ lumber explosion on the Bay.

Richie Zisk - 1974 Topps

1978 - Down 8-1 after five innings, the Bucs shook their lethargy and came to life to rally past the Cincinnati Reds by an 11-9 count at TRS. They were led by Willie Stargell, who had pumped up his teammates with a short mid-game speech, and Bill Robinson. The pair combined for seven hits, including four doubles, six RBI and five runs scored. Chuck Tanner made the unorthodox move of bringing in starter John Candelaria from the pen (he hadn’t pitched in relief since 1976) and coaxed four straight outs to save Grant Jackson’s win. 

1988 - The Pirates were looking hapless at TRS against Jamie Moyers and the Cubs bullpen. They went into the ninth inning down, 3-1, and were facing Goose Gossage, a decade removed from his Bucco glory days. But Darnell Coles and Sid Bream opened the frame with doubles to cut the lead to a run and cook the Goose. A groundout and walk of Denny Gonzalez by Gossage’s relief helper, Frank DiPino, left Bucs on the corners. RJ Reynolds’ grounder to third cut down Bream, off on contact, at the dish. But the slow-footed Sid flashed some baseline footwork and did a little boogaloo before allowing the tag to be applied, and it proved a key move by allowing the Pittsburgh runners to get to second and third. Barry Bonds cashed them in when he slapped a soft two-out liner into right that plated the pair to give the Pirates a walkoff win for Jim Gott.

1989 - Pittsburgh scored in the bottom of the ninth to tie the Mets after they had gone ahead in the top half, and then plated again in the 10th to take a 4-3 win at TRS. Gary Redus’ two-out single-and-error bouncer to short scored Rafael Belliard to knot the game. Another Met miscue led to the winner. Andy Van Slyke’s single to right was misplayed into a three-bagger, and after a pair of intentional walks, Benny Distefano’s one-out grounder ended up the walkoff at-bat when the Mets couldn’t turn two, earning Bill Landrum the win. It was a good weekend for the Pirates; they walked off the Metropolitans again, by a 6-5 count, the next night.

1999 - The Pirates beat up on the Detroit Tigers 15-3 as Brant Brown smacked out five hits, including a double and homer, scored four runs and chased home five tallies. Ed Sprague and Jose Guillen each added a bomb and three RBI at Tiger Stadium while Francisco Cordova picked up the win. It was the first time the Pirates ever played a regular season contest in that ballyard (and not a minute too soon; it dated back to 1912 in its current configuration and this was the stadium’s final season). The Pirates last previous visit to Motown was in 1909 during the Hans Wagner v Ty Cobb World Series at Bennett Park, located on the same site that eventually evolved into Tiger Stadium. 

Brant Brown - 1999 Pacific Omega

2009 - C Tony Sanchez was the Pirates first selection (#4 overall - $2.5M signing bonus) in the draft. RHP Vic Black ($717K bonus) was the second round pick and is now a Pirates coach, while IF Brock Holt, who put in a decade in the league with five teams and an All-Star nod before retiring in 2022, was chosen in the ninth round. There was a great gnashing of teeth over the Pirates' cheap ways in selecting Sanchez. It wasn’t a notably deep draft. Stephen Strasburg was taken #1 while prepster Michael Trout was the #25 overall choice. Sanchez never quite made it; he got into 51 games with the Pirates (.259 BA) with one final MLB outing with Atlanta in 2017. 2019 was his last pro season.

2015 - The Pirates chose Arizona SS Kevin Newman (#19 overall, $2.175M bonus), Texas prep 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (#32; $1.855M bonus) and UCLA SS Kevin Kramer (#62; $850K bonus) in the opening two rounds of the draft. Newman made it to the show in 2018 and became the starting SS next season; he’s now with the Angels. Young Hayes took over at third in 2019 before being moved to the Reds in '25 while Kramer last played in the Brewers system in 2021. LHP Brandon Waddell, currently tossing for the Mets, and RHP James Marvel (he was called up for four starts in 2019 and last pitched in 2023) were also members of the class who made Pittsburgh stops.

2016 - The Buccos took Wake Forest 3B Will Craig (#22 overall; $2,257,700 bonus), one of the top college sticks on the board, followed by HS pitchers lefty Nick Lodolo from California (#44; he rejected $1.75M and instead honored his commitment to TCU) and Florida’s RHP Travis MacGregor (#68; $900K bonus; he’s in the Angels system now) on the first day of the draft. Craig appeared briefly for the Bucs in 2020-21 and moved on to Korea. Other draftees: LHP Braedon Ogle (now in the indie leagues), RHP Blake Cederlind (he was called up in 2020 but had TJ surgery the next year and last pitched pro in 2023), RHP Max Kranick (TJ surgery after big team cups of coffee in 2021-22 and now with the Mets) and RHP Geoff Hartlieb, who made stops in Pgh from 2019-21 before moving on to the Mets, Boston, Colorado  and currently the Yankee systems. Lodolo was drafted seventh overall by the Reds in 2019, signed for the slot value of $5.4M+ and joined their rotation in 2022. He missed much of his first two big league seasons with back and leg injuries but is now back in the saddle. 

Quinn Priester - 2020 Topps Pro Debut

2022 - Bradenton pitchers Quinn Priester, Anthony Solometo, Jake Sweeney and Yunior Thibo combined to toss a no-hitter for Bradenton in a 3-0 win over Clearwater at LECOM Park in Low Class A Florida State League action. It was the Baby Bucs’ second no-no of the year (Indy also spun one) and a good omen for the future: RHP Priester, 21, a 2019 first rounder (#18 overall) was making his first rehab start after dealing with an oblique injury and made his MLB debut with the Bucs in 2023 and is now with the Brew Crew. LHP Solometo, 19, was the Pirates second round pick (#37 overall) from 2021 and is working out of AA Altoona between a hodge-podge of injuries.

2023 - Rich Hill went a season-high seven innings as the Pirates throttled the Mets, 14-7, at PNC Park in front of 29,429 Pride Night/fireworks fans, several of whom got into a brawl in the stands, although the two teams remained peaceful on the field. It was the most runs the Bucs scored against New York since 1992, when they plated 19 times. Hill tossed 119 pitches, the second-most he's ever thrown in a game. His high count is 120, hurled in 2006 as a 26-year-old Chicago Cubbie (he’s 43 now). The last Pirates pitcher to throw 119 or more pitches in a game was James McDonald in 2012. As for the swingers, Ke'Bryan Hayes led the pack with a five-hit night, the second of his career (2020 was his first), with two doubles, four RBI and three runs. This was his fourth 3> hit night of the month. Carlos Santana and Jack Suwinski (who had three raps and scored four times) went back-to-back as Pittsburgh pounded out 17 hits, seven for extra bases. All nine players in the Pirates’ starting batting order had a hit for the first time during the season.

Weekly Report: Braves Chop Bucs As Bats Cool Off, Pirates Spinning Wheel, Lowe Dodges Bullet, Pgh-Minors-MLB Notes

On the road again...

Pirates Stuff:

• IF Davis Wendzel (.246/9 HR) was called up from Indy while OF Jhostynxon "Password" Garcia was optioned down. RHP Chris Devenski (illness) was flipped from the 15-day to 60-day injured list.
• The Pirates wild weekend with Carmen Mlodzinski ended in a meeting of minds when he was reinstated for the road trip this week and piggybacked with Jared Jones on Thursday.
• Recently DFA'ed righty reliever Justin Lawrence was sold to the Minnesota Twins. He posted an 0-2/5.32 line this year for the Bucs.

Brandon Lowe - image Sportsnet Pgh.

• Brandon Lowe fouled a ball off his knee Saturday and left the game unable to put weight on it. The next day, BC said tests were negative and the team deemed the injury timeout to be day-to-day. The Pirates were hoping he'd be back for the Tuesday homestand, but he beat their clock on Sunday and pinch hit - Brandon lloked healthy enough, banging a double.
• Yeah, they keep coming - Oneil Cruz banged up his hand sliding into home on Saturday and was out of Sumday's lineup; the Bucs believe it's another day-to-day type injury and that he'll avoid a trip to the IL.
• Konnor Griffin's injury has been updated to a flexor strain; the Bucs said that will require more recovery time without gong into specifics.
• In kinda good injury news, Joey Bart is slated to begin his rehab stint this week. it's expected to be on the long side, given the nature of the injury and Joey's relative lack of action while recovering.
• Pittsburgh has four players with at least 30 RBI going into June for the first time since RBIs became an official stat in 1920. They were: Oneil Cruz - 41, Bryan Reynolds - 38, Brandon Lowe - 37 & Ryan O'Hearn - 30).

Oneil Cruz - May 2026 photo/Pirates

• The Buccos have 14 blown saves so far this year, third most in MLB.
• The Pirates had their string of scoring at least nine runs snapped at four games (since May 30 vs. Minnesota) on Thursday. It was the first time the Bucs have plated that well since 1928 (the franchise record is six straight, set in 1901).
• Indy LH reliever Joe La Sorsa exercised his contract's upward mobility clause. The Pirates have to shop Joe to the rest of the league, and if he's offered a roster spot, the team has to trade La Sorsa to the claimant or add them to their own active roster. If no one bites, La Sorsa will remain in Pittsburgh’s minor league system. It's his second try this year as the Bucs lefty bullpen has been pretty solid, blocking him from a spot here. Joe's been on three big league rosters, posting a 1-1/5.21 line in 46 outings. He was taken by the Red Sox, who bought his contract.
• Greensboro RHP Carlson Reed was picked as the Sally League Pitcher of the Week after he tossed seven perfect frames with seven K. He was joined by teammate OF Brian Sanchez, who was chosen as the Player of the Week after hitting .444 with three homers.

Game Stuff:

• The big bats were at it in Houston; Oneil Cruz & Brandon Lowe banged three-run homers and Endy Rodriguez added a two-run shot to power the Bucs to a 10-6 win. Jake Mangum had four hits and Nick Gonzales chipped in three more as the pair scored four times. Wilber Dotel tossed three scoreless frames which played an equally large role in the dub.
• Paul Skenes again gets to meet the oppo's ace; tonight it was the AL's POTM Spencer Arrighetti. But a duel it wasn't. Henry Davis hit a grannie, Nick Gonzales homered with three RBI and the Bucs were up 9-5 with two outs in the eighth. By the time the pen collected the third out, it was 11-9 'Stros and that was the final as the bullpen gave up eight runs in the seventh and eighth frames - and no, none of it was Carmen's fault; he inexplicably was never called on.
• Jared Jones toughed out a slow opening to give the Bucs five shutout frames and a 1-0 lead. The Pirates scored four more in the sixth to add to Carmen Mlodzinski's comfort. He promptly gave up a leadoff dinger, but settled in to shut Space City out the remainder of the way to earn a four-inning save of the 5-1 series-clincher. Ryan O'Hearn homered with three RBIs to provide the muscle, Brandow Lowe banged two doubles, scoring twice, and Oneil Cruz was on base four times.

Jared Jones is back - photo/Pirates

• Mitch Keller got a rude welcome to Truist Park as he frittered an early 3-1 lead into a three run deficit by the fifth frame. The Buc bats went silent after that - they had just four hits on the night - and Atlanta took the series opener 6-3.
• The Bravos banged Braxton Ashcraft around for six runs in five innings, and like yesterday ended up a 6-3 win. Unlike yesterday, the Bucs had Bradon Lowe go down in the final frame when he fouled a ball off his knee, knocking him out of Sunday's getaway day lineup.
• Spencer Horwitz led off the series-ender with a homer and Bubba Chandler went five 0ne-hit frames, but in the seventh, an error followed by back-to-back walks left the bags filled with Bravos. A call to the pen brought out Evan Sisk, and a bases-clearing double gave Atlanta the lead and the sweep, 3-2.
• The Pirates are back home Tuesday with a three-gamer v the Dodgers and three more matches against Miami.

MLB Stuff:

• C Elias Diaz, who began his career with the Bucs (2015-19) & has been with three teams since,  just signed up with Texas.
• The Dodgers just transferred RHP Tyler Glasnow from the 15-day IL (back) to the 60-day list.
• OF Jase Bowen, who the Bucs drafted in 2019 and went to San Diego as a FA during the past off season, was called up by the Padres for his MLB debut after hitting .292 with 13 HRs for AAA El Paso.
• RHP Wilkins Ramos, who pitched for Altoona and Indy last year (he was lights out for the Curve, meh for the Tribe) and moved to the Giants as an FA in the off season was called up this week.
• RHP Bryse Wilson, who toiled here in 2021-22 (4-13/5.37) was released by the Phils, his fifth MLB squad. He found no takers in the wild and was re-signed by Philly to a minor league deal.
• The Reds sold RH reliever Kyle Nicolas to the Orioles, and the O's assigned him to AAA. The Pirates had traded him to Cincy in March for IF Tyler Callihan.

6/8 Through the 1960s: Balk-Off, Burleigh 10 Straight, Jimmy 26-Gamer, Game Days, Moose, Garber, Cricket Drafted; HBD Scott, Caveman, Jack, George & Silent Roy

1899 - 3B Jimmy Williams extended his hitting streak to 26 games in an 11-5 loss to Baltimore NL Orioles, a string that ended during the following contest against the Louisville Colonel’s Deacon Phillippe, who would join Pittsburgh the next season. Williams went on to hit .354 that campaign and put together a team-record 27-game streak in August/September.

1903 - Sam Leever shut down the Philadelphia Phillies 2-0 at Exposition Park to bring the Pirates shutout streak to six games. The Phils also lost the battle the next day 7-3 but earned a moral victory when they snapped the scoreless string, plating in the fourth frame off 26-year-old rookie righty Kaiser Wilhelm, who shook it off and cruised to a complete game victory. The Bucco staff tossed 16 shutouts, seven by Leever, and both numbers led the NL.

1911 - RHP “Silent Roy” Partlow was born in Washington, Georgia. He tossed for the Homestead Grays from 1938-39/1941-44/1949 (he missed 1940 when he jumped to Veracruz in the Mexican League and then served in WW2 after the ‘44 season). Roy twirled a 7-inning no-hitter in 1942 against the Chicago American Giants and was no slouch with the stick, batting .266 as a Gray. Roy pitched everywhere - he was in the minor leagues with the Dodgers as one of the early black pioneers (he was the third black player signed by Branch Rickey), worked in Mexico, Puerto Rico, & Cuba and for three other Negro League clubs during his career. He got his nickname because of his “reticent manner.”

1928 - The Pirates traded C Johnny Gooch and 1B Joe Harris to the Brooklyn Robins for C Charlie Hargreaves. The deal turned into an end-of-the-road swap: it was the 37-year-old Harris’ last campaign and Gooch had just two more MLB seasons left in him. Hargreaves caught through 1929 and after a short stay in 1930 finished his pro career in the minors.

1929 - Burleigh Grimes won his 10th straight decision by a 9-2 count against Brooklyn at Forbes Field. In between, he also picked up a couple of saves during the streak, which began with his first start of the year on April 16th. Grimes scattered nine hits and even had a pair of RBI. George Grantham led the way with a homer and three runs pushed home.

George Brunet - 1971 Topps

1935 - LHP George Brunet was born in Houghton, Michigan. Lefty spent 15 seasons in the show, with his best years as an Angel, and made a Pittsburgh stop in 1970, near the end of his road. He got into a dozen games, one as a starter, and posted a 1-1/2.70 line as a 35-year-old. The Pirates had traded with the Senators for him on August 31st, so he was ineligible for the postseason. During the winter, the club shipped him to the Cards, along with Matty Alou, for Nelson Briles and Vic Davalillo. 1971 was his last MLB gig as he was released by the Redbirds in May, but he found a second home in Mexico, pitching there until he was 54 and serving as a baseball instructor and ambassador after finally retiring from the hill. 

1944 - At Forbes Field, the Cubs plated three runs on a very wild toss to the plate by P Art "Cookie" Cuccurullo on a bases-loaded comebacker (at the time, there was a 75’ gap between home plate and the stands) to trigger an eight-run second inning that led to an eventual 10-6 Chicago win. It was one of four Buc boots during the day, two by Cookie.

1946 - Coach Jack Lind was born in Denver. He played for Arizona State, got a cup of coffee with the Brewers, played in Japan and began managing in 1983, mostly on the Reds farm. Lind became the Pirates minor league field instructor in 1989 and then coordinator of instruction from 1990-96. Jack was promoted to the Pirates' third base coach, serving from 1997-2000 under Gene Lamont and then was a scout here between 2001-2002. He’s been out of pro ball since 2006.

1956 - It took 11 innings, but the Bucs dropped the Cards 2-0 behind Bob Friend’s six-hitter. He went the distance to win his league-high 10th game, fanning nine and walking four. He outlasted ex-Bucco Murry Dickson at Busch Stadium, getting the runs on singles by Dale Long and Frank Thomas. The win moved the Pirates into second place, ahead of St. Louis. 

Bob Friend - 1956 Topps

1957 - RHP Don “The Caveman” Robinson was born in Ashland, Kentucky. He spent the first decade of his 15 years in the show with Pittsburgh, first as a starter and then in 1984 as a reliever after a series of shoulder woes, going 65-69-43 with a 3.85 ERA. A three-time Silver Slugger awardee, his batting line was .265/6/45 as a Buc. Tom Kern in Robby’s SABR bio wrote that “...he was named ‘The Caveman”’by Giants teammate Mike Krukow for his physique (6’4”, 225 lbs.) and his ability to endure numerous surgeries and shots.”

1963 - LHP Scott Ruskin was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Ruskin was a third round pick in the 1986 draft by the Bucs out of Florida and made it to the show in 1990 after the Bucs converted him from a 1B/OF to a pitcher in 1989. He went 2-2-2/3.02 for the Bucs, then was sent to the Expos as part of the package to get Zane Smith. He finished the season strong, and then his effectiveness went downhill. His last season was 1993 with the Reds.

1965 - In the first college/high school draft ever held, the Pirates picked OF’er Doug Dickerson of Alabama’s Ensley HS first (#10) in the draft; he was out of baseball by 1970. Their first 17 selections never made the show, but they had some luck in the later rounds. RHP Bob Moose (18th round) from Export in Westmoreland County, RHP Gene Garber (20th round) and SS Freddie “The Cricket” Patek (22nd round) all carved out solid careers. They also signed undrafted Don Money, an infielder who played 16 seasons for the Phils and Brewers, hitting .261 lifetime and making four All-Star teams. On the second day, they picked Heisman Trophy winner Mike Garrett of Southern Cal; he didn’t sign, opting wisely to stick to football. He did join the Pirates very briefly in 1970, though - the Bucs almost immediately traded him to San Diego, prompting him to return to the gridiron. Locally, Pitt QB Fred Mazurek was drafted by the Twins, but the Panther CF’er signed with the Washington Redskins of the NFL instead. For the record, the Oakland A’s selected Arizona State OF’er Rick Monday, making him MLB’s first amateur draft pick. He signed for $104,000.

1965 - The Pirates won in one of the most “what are the odds” ways possible, a walkoff balk (balkoff?), at Forbes Field. Down by a run in the bottom of the ninth, Roberto Clemente tied the game with a two-out single after the Astros had gained the lead with a four-run top half. In the bottom of the 11th, Bill Virdon singled, eventually was moved to third and scored the winner on Hal Woodeshick’s two-out balk for a 7-6 victory. Willie Stargell went 3-for-4 with a homer while Joe Gibbon tossed the final two frames perfectly for the win.

6/8 From 1970: Braxton's 1st, "I'll Walk Home", Cutch 4-Pack, Rallies, Game Days, Roberto Mural, Reynolds, Bair, Winn, Tunnell Picks

1971 - The Bucs picked prep SS Craig Reynolds 22nd overall in the draft. He played 15 years of big league ball, mainly with the Houston Astros, and was a two-time All-Star with Seattle and then the ‘Stros. Second rounder Doug Bair (#46) spent 15 years tossing in the show, making 586 outings for seven different teams. It was slim pickings that year; they were the only two Bucco selections who saw any big league time. Both did have long careers, though not as Pirates. Reynolds got into 38 games as a Pirate and hit .225 between 1975-76 before being traded to the Mariners, while Bair got into four games in Pittsburgh in 1976 and then worked for six other clubs before closing out his big league days in 1989-90 where he first started them, with the Bucs.

1973 - The Pirates broke a five-game losing streak behind the efforts of three stalwarts - Bob Moose, Al Oliver and Willie Stargell - to drop Houston 4-1 at the Astrodome. The ‘Stros Don Wilson had been cruising early on, but in the fifth frame, he walked the bases loaded. With two outs, Scoops’ single drove in a pair and Pops’ double off the wall brought home two more runs. It was all Moose needed to work with as he scattered eight hits and K’ed six, going tape-to-tape for the win and running his career record to 8-1 against Houston.

1976 - Prep RHP Jim Parke was the Pirates first round (#21) pick; he stalled at A ball. OF Doe Boyland & LHP Mike Madden were the next two picks; they got into 92 big league games combined. The only notable selection Pittsburgh made during the draft was 17th round pick LHP Rick Honeycutt, who tossed for 21 MLB seasons and made a couple of All-Star teams.

1979 - Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Three Rivers Stadium, Willie Stargell banged a two-out, pinch-hit homer with Omar Moreno, who had singled before him, aboard to knot the score for the Pirates. The next batter, Dave Parker, went back-to-back with Pops to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead over John Curtis. Grant Jackson finished off the G-men in the ninth frame to pick up his seventh save while Enrique Romo got the win behind Don Robinson in front of a Friday night crowd of 18,227.

Jim Winn - 1985 Topps

1981 - The Pirates made Jim Winn, a RHP from Arkansas’ John Brown U, their #1 pick (#14 overall). He pitched from 1983-86 for Pittsburgh, mainly from the pen, with a 7-11-4/4.47 line. RHP Lee Tunnell was the second pick (#40 overall) and was with the Bucs from 1982-85, going 17-24-1/4.06 primarily as a starter. Bip Roberts was drafted but didn’t sign and the Pirates redrafted him the following year. He was lost in the Rule 5 draft and went on to play 12 big league seasons, most as a Padre. Three guys they drafted but couldn’t sign went on to productive MLB careers - OF Lance Johnson and RHPs Chris Boscio & Lance Bankhead.

1988 - After losing 4-of-5, the Bucs righted the ship for a night when Bob Walk took the hill against the Cubs at TRS. He worked eight innings, giving up a run on five hits, banged a base-loaded, bases-clearing double in the sixth inning (Chi-town tosser Calvin Shiraldi had walked three of the four Bucs preceding Walkie, including one - Rafe Belliard, of all people - intentionally) and jump started the Pirates engine when he singled and scored Pittsburgh’s first run in the third frame.

1989 - The Pirates sent up 16 batters and scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning against the Phils at Veterans Stadium, and TV announcer Jim Rooker said over the air “If we lose this game, I’ll walk home.” Rooker spoke too soon - Philly came back and won the contest, 15-11, and Rook made good on his promise after the season, taking a 320-mile charity hike from the Vet in Philadelphia to Pittsburgh’s TRS. It was called “Jim Rooker’s Unintentional Walk” and raised an estimated $100K for Bob Prince Charities and Children’s Hospital.

1994 - Denny Neagle tossed his first MLB complete game, evening his record at 6-6 after a 3-1 victory over the Giants at TRS. And it was a gem; he gave up four hits, fanned nine and only faced 29 batters in a game that lasted just two hours and nine minutes. The Pirates tallied early, with Orlando Merced scoring on Al Martin’s second-inning triple. Al came in on a Lance Parrish rap. They added one more run in the next frame when Andy Van Slyke tripled to lead off and plated on Brian Hunter’s sac fly for insurance against Bucco-to-be Salomon Torres. 

2002 - The Pirates walked off the Brewers 9-8 in 11 innings in front of 38,244 fans at PNC Park. Trailing 8-4 after six innings, the Bucs scored three runs in the seventh frame on a Brian Giles bomb and tied it in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Aramis Ramirez that scored Rob Mackowiak. Jack Wilson, who went 4-for-6 in the game, doubled to lead off the 11th inning and scored the game-winning run after a single by Craig Wilson. Brian Boehringer, the Bucs fifth hurler in a match that was started by Kris Benson, worked 1-1/3 innings for the victory.

Cutch - 2009 Topps Chrome Rookie

2009 - Andrew McCutchen had his first MLB four-hit day at Turner Field against the Atlanta Braves in a 7-6 loss. He tripled twice, the first Pirate to bang a pair of three baggers in a game since Tike Redman in 2003, and doubled once. The game was tied 6-6 in the seventh; thanks to strong bullpen work by both clubs, it went on to the 15th before the Bravos pulled out the win thanks to a pair of walks and an infield single against Jeff Karstens.

2010 - The Pirates were the first victims of the Nationals Stephen Strasburg, as he struck out 14, a Nat record, while winning his first MLB outing 5-2 at Nationals Park. He struck out every batter in the Pirates' lineup at least once and fanned the last seven batters he faced (another team record). Washington sent the cap he wore that night to the Hall of Fame.

2011 - The Pirates rallied twice in extra innings to defeat the Arizona D-Backs, 3-2, at PNC Park. Ex-Bucco Zach Duke started for the Snakes, and though he was touched up for nine hits, he only gave up a run. Arizona pulled ahead 2-1 in the 10th frame, but Neil Walker singled home Cutch in the Pirate half to tie it. Winner Daniel McCutchen tossed the 11th and 12th innings, and worked out of first-and-third situations in both frames; the jam in the 11th was set up with no outs, but he got a K and DP. In the bottom of the 12th, Cutch tucked a drive just inside the LF foul pole off Zach Kroenke for the walkoff win. Cutch was clutch all day, going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Tony Watson made his debut as a Pirate, striking out both batters he faced in the eighth. 

2018 - Roberto Clemente had a memorial dedicated to him when artist Jeremy Raymer completed a two-story high mural of the Great One on the side of Verdetto’s Bar & Restaurant on North Side’s Madison Avenue. Raymer’s street artwork is visible to the traffic moving along northbound Route 279.

2025 - It was another Paul Skenes day, and again the Bucs scored just once for him when Jared Triolo plated Ke’Bryan Hayes. Paul was his usual superb self, going 7-2/3 IP, giving up a run on two hits with seven K before Don Kelly oddly gave him the hook at 97 pitches with two gone and no one aboard. Pittsburgh small-balled a second run in the eighth when Oneil Cruz walked, stole second, and scored on Cutch's broken bat dink into right. Braxton Ashcraft got the final four outs and the win. It was Braxton's first MLB victory, Pittsburgh's first sweep of the year and its first three game winning streak. The Pirates were 59-65 (.476) under Donnie’s first lap as big league skipper.

6/7 Draft Picks: Cutch, Pittsburgh Kid, Gravedigger, Richie Zisk, Sammy Khalifa, Bix, Steve Pearce, Jamo, Nick Kingham

1966 - The Pirates selected SS Richie Hebner first (#15 overall, $40K bonus) in the draft. He was a solid pick - The Gravedigger played 11 seasons in Pittsburgh, hitting .277 with 128 HR. They had a couple of other future Buccos emerge from the mix in 2B Dave Cash (#5), who played five seasons in Pittsburgh with a .285 BA to begin his 12-year career, and OF Gene Clines (#6) who spent the first five campaigns of his 10-year MLB stint with the Bucs, hitting .287. Pitchers Ron Schueler (#12) & Rich Hand (#38; he was choosy and was drafted three times in four years) had long big league tenures although neither signed with Pittsburgh.

1967 - HS outfielder Joe Grigas was the Pirates first (#16) selection in the draft, and never advanced past Class A ball. They had better luck with OF Richie Zisk in the third round. He spent six of his 13 big league seasons with the Pirates, hitting .299. The second half of his career was spent in the American League, where he earned a pair of All-Star berths.

1969 - Pittsburgh picked HS righty John Morlan as its first (#10) selection in the draft; he won two games over two seasons. The rest of the draft was basically a washout with OF’ers Doug Ault and John Doherty being the only Bucco picks to play 100+ MLB games; they both passed on the Pirates and found their MLB homes in future drafts.

John Morlan - 1974 Topps

1977 - HS outfielder Anthony Nicely was the Pirates first pick (#18). He never made it to the show, but two of his draft mates did - SS Wayne Tolleson (12th round), who spent 10 years in the league mostly as a reserve for Texas and the Yankees, and LHP Dennis Rasmussen (18th round), who pitched 12 seasons of MLB ball for five teams.

1982 - High school SS Sammy Khalifa was the first (#7) Pirate pick in the draft. The good glove, bad bat infielder would play 186 MLB games. They also drafted LHP Joe Magrane in the third round, but he didn’t sign with Pittsburgh, going to the Cards in 1985 as a first-rounder. Several first-rounders from that draft did stop in Pittsburgh during their career beside Khalifa - Shawon Dunston, Bob Kipper, Dale Sveum and John Russell (as skipper).

2004 - In front page news, Pine Richland HS C Neil Walker was drafted in the first round by the Pirates, 11th overall, and signed for a $1.95M bonus. The switch-hitting catcher became the first player selected out of the WPIAL in the first round since Tim Conroy from Gateway High School in 1978. In seven years as the Bucco second baseman, the Pittsburgh Kid hit .272 with 93 HRs; he had a 12-year career with six squads. SS Brian Bixler, the next selection, was the only other player to receive more than a cup of coffee at the MLB level, spending four years with the Bucs, Nats and ‘Stros.

The two #1's show off their 2015 Silver Slugger awards - photo Mark Cunningham/Getty.

2005 - Pittsburgh struck gold as Andrew McCutchen was selected in the first round (#11 overall) of the draft and was signed to a $1.9M bonus, prying the prep star away from a scholarship to Florida. After nine years with Pittsburgh, he bounced around a bit, came back home and is now a FA. Cutch made it a great draft day, even though the only other picks to make it to the show were eighth rounder Steve Pearce, who played for seven teams over 13 seasons, and fourth rounder Brent Lillibridge, who played for four clubs over six years.

2010 - Pittsburgh drafted high school ace RHP Jameson Taillon, inking the second overall pick (Byrce Harper went first and Manny Machado third) for a $6.5M bonus; he’s now with the Cubs. They also signed preppie RHP Stetson Allie in the second round for $2.5M, who fizzled as a pitcher, was converted to a 1B/OF, and is now a real estate agent. Texas prep RHP Nick Kingham was a fourth round pick who was signed to a $485,000 deal and retired in 2023. Later round guys short-circuited by injuries but who appeared in the show were pitchers Brandon Cumpton (last pitched in MLB in 2018) and Casey Sadler, who finished up in 2023. The club didn’t stint: they spent $11.9M on the draft.

6/7 Through the 1960s: Manny's 1st, Bloop & Blast, Big Bob Deals, MVR Hot, Klein Signs, Game Day, No Walk; HBD Bill, Roy, Les & Bones

1863 - SS William “Bones” Ely was born in North Girard, just outside Erie. If you’ve ever wondered who held down the shortstop position before Honus Wagner, wonder no more - Bones is the man. Ely played for the Alleghenys/Pirates from 1896-1901, and was a good glove man who hit .256 for Pittsburgh. He was released in the summer of 1901, the Bucs first pennant-winning year, at the age of 38 and his spot was taken by Hans. If you saw Ely, his nickname’s origin would be apparent - Ely was 6’1” and 155 pounds soaking wet.

1907 - Les Biederman was born in Wilkinsburg. He was the Pittsburgh Press Pirates beat reporter for 31 years (1939-69), penned “The Scoreboard” column and served as The Sporting News' Pittsburgh correspondent. Les was also president of the BBWAA and named “Sportswriter of the Year” in 1960 by a couple of national organizations. He passed on in 1981.

1911 - Talk about pitching to contact: Pirates hurlers had the Giants beating the ball into the dirt all day as Pittsburgh fielders handled 55 total chances for a MLB record 28 assists and 27 putouts. Unfortunately, there were more than a couple that got away, as the Bucs committed seven errors (it was contagious; the Giants chipped in five boots of their own) with miscues charged to five different Pirates on their way to a 9-4 loss to New York at Forbes Field. The Pittsburgh Press lede was “The Pittsburgh Pirates were defeated by the New York Giants...in a genuine comedy of errors. The Buccaneers made as many bungles as bingles while the Giants ran a close second in the foozle column.” Both teams straightened out - John McGraw’s G-Men won the NL with 99 victories while Fred Clarke’s Pirates finished third with an 85-69 slate, 16 games in the dust. 

1926 - C Leroy “Roy” Jarvis was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The Bucs took Jarvis from Brooklyn in the 1944 Rule 5 Draft. He served in the Navy for two years, coming back for two games in 1946 and spending most of 1947 at AA Indianapolis, getting into 18 Pirates games and swatting his first and only MLB home run against the Cincinnati Reds on April 18th, but batting just .156. After that stint, he played for six organizations in the minors through 1955 before retiring at age 29. Per John Dreker of Pirates Prospects, he was given the nickname “Sweet Milk” in the minor leagues after a teammate decided he had to be “nursed” in the ways of a pro ballplayer.

1939 - The Bucs signed former All-Star/triple crown winner and future Hall-of-Famer OF Chuck Klein, who was released by Philadelphia. Klein, 34, hit .300 in 85 games for Pittsburgh and then returned to the Phils as a free agent. The Bucs released another future Hall of Famer at the end of his career, Heinie Manush, to make roster room for Klein.

Chuck Klein - 1939 Play Ball

1940 - LF Maurice Van Robays went 4-for-5 with a 2B, 3B and five RBI to lead Pittsburgh to a 10-5 win over Philadelphia at Forbes Field. Paul Waner and Arky Vaughan added three hits apiece as every Pirates starting position player had a hit plus run scored and/or RBI. Mace Brown, the starter, was chased early and gave up all the Phil scores; Johnny Lanning finished out the final 7-1/3 innings surrendering just three hits; neither Buc hurler registered a K.

1946 - An hour before the game, the Pirates voted against a walkout in support of the American Baseball Guild, which was pushing for a minimum salary of $7‚500‚ arbitration of salary disputes‚ and players sharing in 50 percent of any team sale price. The motion actually carried by a 20-16 vote, but needed a 2/3 majority. The Bucs took out their frustrations on the New York Giants, 10-5, behind a 15 hit attack. Every Pittsburgh starter, including winning pitcher Ed Bahr, reached base via hit/walk and all the boys but C Bill Salkeld either scored and/or chased runs home.

1955 - Ump Bill Hohn was born in Butler. He spent a decade calling games in the minors with a couple of part-time MLB shots, and was hired by the NL full time in 1989. He worked the 1994 All-Star Game, three NLDS sets and was the plate umpire for Hideo Nomo's 1996 no-hitter. Hohn took a hiatus from 1999-2001 when he was part of the umpire gang that resigned in an effort to get a new labor deal, and didn’t get reinstated until the 2002 season. Bill’s last campaign was in 2010; he sat out 2011 with back/neck injuries and retired in 2012. 

1964 - Bob Veale tied Babe Adam’s 1909 record with 12 K against Houston at Forbes Field, but watched the bullpen implode in the ninth inning to give the Colt .45’s a 6-3 win, with the big blows a pair of two-run raps, a single by Rusty Staub followed by John Bateman’s homer, both off Fred Green. Veale’s reaction - “I’m angry at myself for not finishing.” Veale would later shatter his record with 16 strikeouts in 1965. It was the first game of a twin bill, and Vern Law did finish the nightcap, winning 6-1 behind Bill Virdon’s three hits and a Bill Mazeroski homer.

Roberto - 1966 Kahn's Wieners

1966 - Bob Gibson K’ed four Pirates in the fourth inning - Jerry Lynch, Jim Pagliaroni, Bill Mazeroski and Don Cardwell - to tie a record held by several (Maz reached on a wild pitch third strike). Gibson had the Bucs eating out of his hand, going into the eighth with 12 K and a 1-1 score, dueling with Don Cardwell. But that was the end of his rope; the Pirates plated eight times on the way to a 9-1 victory. Roberto Clemente was the boss man with three hits, including a homer, two runs scored and three RBI to back Cardwell, who went the distance by tossing a four-hitter. The game involved a couple of streaks: it was the first time Cardwell had whipped the Redbirds since 1962, and Gibby ended Willie Stargell’s batting streak at nine straight hits, one shy of tying the NL record.

1967 - Roberto Clemente called a team meeting in New York after a twin bill loss left the Pirates six games out of first place. The Great One told Les Beiderman of the Pittsburgh Press: “I called this meeting to talk things out. If you have any gripes about the manager, about me or anybody else now speak up. We can settle it here.” The clan gathering was presumably to smooth the roiling waters between the players and manager Harry Walker, of whom Clemente said “We must stop blaming others and blame ourselves. It’s one thing not to like the manager and another not to play your best for him.” It helped in the short-term as the Pirates won 4-of-5, but not in the long run. The team finished 81-81 and in sixth place, 20-1/2 games behind St. Louis. 

1967 - Tommie Sisk spun a five-hit, complete game 3-0 shutout against the Mets at Forbes Field, backed by a bloop and a blast. The bloop was a two-run flare dropped by Manny Mota in the second and the blast was Willie Stargell’s 100th homer in the sixth, a shot that cleared the 436’ mark in right center field. Though Tommie only had one whiff, he was masterful - three of the hits were infield knocks, another a bad-hop chop and the fifth a line-hugging grounder. It was the third time that Sisk went the distance for the Bucs in eight starts.

1969 - Manny Sanguillen hit his first MLB homer and added a double to drive in three runs as the Bucs dusted the Braves 10-2 at Atlanta Stadium. Roberto Clemente stepped up, too, going  4-for-5 with a three-run homer and triple while Matty Alou chipped in with three raps. Steve Blass went tape-to-tape on the bump, dishing out a six-hitter with six whiffs.