8/26 Through the 1960s: Wally World, Piece Of Pie, Poison-ous, Chief X 3, Dirt Ball, Game Days, KC Deal, Chet - NNL ASG, HBD Jeff, Sparky & Frank

1888 - LHP Frank Allen was born in Newbern, Alabama. Allen spent six years twirling big league ball; the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels picked him up at the end of the 1914 campaign from the Brooklyn Robins, then rode him the following year when he slashed 23-13/2.51 after 37 starts and 283-1/3 IP. Allen authored the FL’s first no-hitter as a Reb against the St. Louis Terriers in 1915. He tossed for two more MLB seasons with the NL Boston Braves. Allen started out in 1909 for Mobile of the Southern Association as a 20-year old and hung ‘em up after tossing for Gadsen of the Georgia-Alabama League in 1928 as a 39-year old.

1892 - The Bucs mauled the Philadelphia Phils 11-3 at Exposition Park. Elmer “Mike” Smith, Doggie Miller and Jake Beckley led the way with a pair of hits each. Smith, usually an OF’er, was the pitcher (he appeared in 17 games, starting 13), and per the Pittsburgh Press, the “(Phils Ed) Delahanty found a package of lard in centerfield and the Phillies tried to work up a story that the ball had been greased...” The Pirates pleaded innocent, and the victory stood.

1894 - 2B Earl “Sparky” Adams was born in Zerbe, Pennsylvania. He played in Pittsburgh in 1928-29, filling in around the infield as needed and even taking some outfield innings while hitting .272 in 209 games. He was well thought of; he came from the Cubs in a trade for Kiki Cuyler. His Pirates time was in the middle of his 13-year career; he went on to have several good campaigns with the Gashouse Gang in St. Louis until a bad knee forced his retirement after the 1934 season. He got his nickname because he was a little bundle (5’4-1/2”) of energy.

1910 - It was a day for outfielders to work on their tans at Forbes Field. Babe Adams, who took the hill in spite of a stomach bug, tossed a six-hitter to top Carrick native Elmer Knetzer (who came home in 1914-15 to pitch for the Pittsburgh Rebels) and Brooklyn 4-2, both pitchers keeping the ball in the dirt. The Dodger and Pirate outfielders combined for one putout and one assist all afternoon (Pittsburgh’s Chief Wilson gloved a fly to right and the Dodgers’ LF Zack Wheat threw out Bobby Byrnes trying to stretch a double into a triple) to set the MLB record for the least pasture action for two teams in one game.

Babe Adams - 1910 Davis Co. Orange Border

1912 - In a doubleheader split against the Boston Braves at Forbes Field, Chief Wilson whacked three triples during the two contests, and would bang another three-bagger the next day. Chief had a three-game triple streak earlier in the year and a five-game string that he put together in mid-June. He finished the year with 36 triples, which is still the league high water mark. Chief caught lightning in a jar during this campaign, as he never hit more than 14 three-baggers in any other season. Pittsburgh won the opener 5-4 and dropped the evening game, 8-4.

1917 - Kansas City of the American Association sent 1B Fritz Mollwitz to the Bucs in a deal that would stretch into the next year. In February, Pittsburgh received RHP Roy Sanders as a PTBNL and sent the Blues IFs Alex McCarthy & Ike McAuley, along with 1B Ray Miller. Fritz gave the Bucs two decent years, batting .266, faded in 1919 and was sent to St. Louis for his final MLB campaign. Sanders gave Pittsburgh a solid year, going 7-9/2.60 in his final big league season. McCarthy and Miller never played in the show again, while McAuley got a final MLB hurrah in 1925 with the Chicago Cubs.

1926 - Rookie Paul Waner went 6-for-6 with two doubles and a triple as the Pirates beat the New York Giants 15-7 at Forbes Field. Pie Traynor and George Grantham each had three hits; Traynor and Johnny Rawlings added three RBI apiece. Big Poison used six different bats to collect his hits. Per Dom Forker’s “Baseball Brain Teasers,” that was because Waner had been moved up to the second spot in the lineup rather than his customary three-hole slot. Apparently he didn’t check the scorecard and was caught by surprise when he was called to the plate, so he grabbed the first stick he could reach from the bat rack. He banged out a hit, so he went with random bats the rest of the game, each producing a knock. He tried it again in the following contest, went 1-for-3, and returned to his regular twig for the rest of the season, finishing with a .336 BA.

1927 - Boston defeated the Pirates 6-4 at Braves Field. Paul Waner, who went 4-for-4 the day before, added three more consecutive raps off two Beaneater pitchers before his hitting streak was stopped at seven. He may have taken a breath between knocks after that stretch, but they did keep coming - Big Poison won the NL batting title with a .380 average and was the MVP.

Big Poison - 1927 Exhibits

1934 - SS Chet Williams of the Pittsburgh Crawfords led the East with three hits in the East-West Negro League All-Star game at Comiskey Park. The East won 1-0 in front of 30,000 fans when Jud Wilson drove in Cool Papa Bell in the eighth inning, giving Satchel Paige the Summer Classic win.

1935 - 35-year-old player-manager Pie Traynor blasted a grand slam and ended the day with five hits and six RBI as the Bucs battered the NY Giants 10-2 at the Polo Grounds. Woody Jensen and Tom Padden also homered during Ralph Birkofer’s sixth win, evening his record. It would be for all intents and purposes Pie’s last season as a dead arm finally caught up to him.

1947 - The Pirates scored four times each in the first and second innings and added seven more in the fifth (as Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press noted “The Bucs simply had their hitting clothes on...”) as they rolled over the Brooklyn Dodgers, 16-3, at Ebbets Field. Wally Westlake homered, doubled, and drove home five runs as Billy Cox and Cutley Rikard added long balls. Ralph Kiner went 5-for-5 with a walk and Frank Gustine added four hits to help Fritz Ostermueller cruise to victory. Brooklyn’s Dan Bankhead, via the Negro League Memphis Red Sox, became the first black pitcher to work an MLB game when he came on in relief of Hal Gregg. The Bucs gave him a rude welcome on the slab, scoring eight runs in his 3-1/3 frames, though he did swat a two-run homer in his first big league at-bat to help even out his rough debut.

1951 - It was a down-to-the-wire twin bill: The Pirates scored eight runs in the seventh frame to overcome a 9-2 fifth inning deficit and rally past the Dodgers 12-11 at Ebbets Field in the opener of a twin set. Brooklyn loaded the bases with an out in the ninth, but Murry Dickson weathered the storm to save the win for Vernon Law. Pete Castiglione and Bill Howerton had three RBI each to lead the comeback; Pete homered twice and Bill once. The club dropped the nitecap 4-3 in 10 innings with Preacher Roe topping Ted Wilks, pitching in relief of Bob Friend.

Pete Castiglione - 1951 Topps

1956 - Bob Friend was dealing; he tossed a four-hit shutout to top the Cubs 2-0 in the first game of a twin bill at Wrigley, sparked by Roberto Clemente, who chased home the first run with a two-out double and then scored the second in the eighth inning. Fresh off the complete game victory, Friend then came on to get the last four outs to save Ronnie Kline’s victory in the nightcap, a 2-1 win, to finish the Chicago sweep. Bob Skinner doubled in the first tally in the third and came around with the game winner when a Cubbie pickoff throw missed the mark.

1965 - IF Jeff Richardson was born in Grand Island, Nebraska. Richardson spent parts of three seasons (74 games total) in the show, with six games coming in 1991 for the Bucs; he went 1-for-4 during that time with three K. He spent a decade in the minors, closing out his career in 1995 with the Pirates AAA Calgary club. Richardson managed in the Pirates farm system from 1996-1998, then took over as head coach at Louisiana Tech University in 1999. He resigned following the 2002 season to devote more time to his family and business.

1968 - The Bucs beat the Atlanta Braves for the seventh straight time as Steve Blass dodged several bullets to toss a complete game shutout, 4-0. He had only one clean inning, giving up nine hits and a pair of walks but kept the scoreboard blank. Manager Larry Shephard said of his young hurler “He went from my fifth starter (at the beginning of the year) to the top spot” after the win. The Pirates had a small-ball attack: they pushed in their runs on two sac flies, an error and an infield single. Freddie Patek, Maury Wills and Gene Alley each had two raps.

8/26 From 1970: Cole Train, Jordy Slam, Yikes Ike, 9 Straight, Buster Bop, Game Days, Giles Trade, '23 Pgh HoF, '24 To-Do, HBD Eric & Jayson

1975 - The first eight Pirates hit safely against the Braves’ Jamie Easterly and Ray Sadecki - Frank Taveras (triple), Rennie Stennett (single), Al Oliver (single), Willie Stargell (single), Richie Zisk (single), Dave Parker (single), Richie Hebner (single) and Duffy Dyer (single) - before Larry Demery flew out‚ tying the MLB record. The Bucs scored six runs in the frame on their way to an 8-2 victory at TRS. Al Oliver and Richie Zisk each collected three hits to help Demery to the win.

1977 - The Bucs rode Bruce Kison’s arm and bat to a 3-1 win over the Padres at San Diego Stadium. Buster gave up a run over seven innings, had three hits, a run scored, the game-winning RBI and a stolen base before Goose Gossage came up to earn a two-inning save. It was Kison’s first win in eight weeks and 11 starts. Frank Taveras chipped in with four hits and the insurance was provided by Dave Parker’s sixth-inning homer. Both guys had base-running blunders to atone for; Frank was thrown out trying to stretch a double and The Cobra was picked off first twice. Pittsburgh cut Philly’s NL lead to 5-1/2 games, and that’s about how it remained as Philadelphia won 101 games, five games ahead of the Bucs.

1979 - Bruce Kison tossed seven strong innings and smacked a grand slam off Bob Shirley, the first Bucco hurler since Al McBean in 1968 to launch a grannie, to lead the Bucs to a 9-2 win over San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium. He’s one of six Pirates twirlers to hit a grand salami, joining McBean, Deacon Phillippe (1910), Enrique Romo (1980), Don Robinson (1985) and Denny Neagle (1995). Bill “Mad Dog” Madlock had four knocks, a pair of RBI and two runs scored.

1982 - IF Jayson Nix was born in Dallas, Texas. The Rox took him in the first round of the 2001 draft out of Midland HS, and Nix turned into a journeyman jack-of-all-trades, playing for eight teams in seven years and stopping off in Pittsburgh in 2014 for 16 August games. Jayson hit .111 and was waived; KC picked him up, and he played his last MLB games there that season.

Larry McWilliams - 1983 Donruss

1983 - Larry McWilliams tossed a complete game five-hitter against his old teammates, the Atlanta Braves, as the Pirates romped 9-1 at TRS. The Bucs had 10 hits and were helped by a big three-run blast by Tony Pena and a couple of Bravo boots that led to three unearned scores. Pena, Jason Thompson and Johnny Ray each collected a pair of knocks to back McWilliams.

1985 - C Eric Fryer was born in Columbus. He came to Pittsburgh as part of the Eric Hinske deal in 2009 and got a couple of cups of coffee with the Bucs in 2010-11, getting into 16 games as a C, PH, & OF. He returned in 2016 when injuries cut down the Pirates catching depth, went to the St. Louis Cardinals in the following season and then retired in 2018.

1987 - The Bucs put up a three-spot against the Reds in the third inning built around John Cangelosi’s triple, but found themselves behind 5-3 going into the eighth at TRS. Andy Van Slyke tied it with two away when he singled home Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds off John Franco; they had just moved up a station thanks to a passed ball. The Pirates used the same two-out formula in the ninth when Al Pedrique’s blooper plated Johnny Ray, who had led off the frame with a double. The win went to Jeff Robinson, who came in for Brian Fisher. 

1992 - Pirates rookie Tim Wakefield defeated Tom Candiotti of the Dodgers 2-0 in the first matchup of knuckleballers in the NL since 1982 when Phil Niekro and Joe Niekro faced off in a Braves-Astros game. Wakefield scattered six hits for the victory while Jose Lind provided the offensive spark for Pittsburgh with a pair of hits, posting an RBI and a run scored.

1998 - The Pirates extended their winning streak to nine games with a 4-3 win over the Arizona D-Backs at Bank One Ballpark, led offensively by unlikely hero Kevin Polcovich. His two-out, two-run single tied the game in the fifth frame, and after the Snakes had retaken the lead, he knotted it again with a sac fly in the seventh. Jason Christiansen got the win in relief of Chris Peters and Rick Loiselle picked up a one-pitch save, coaxing a quick fly to Jose Guillen in right to end it. After an off day, the Big Unit, Randy Johnson, fanned 16 Pirates to end the victory run at Houston, 3-0.

Kevin Polcovich - 1998 Upper Deck Diamond

2003 - The Pirates shipped Brian Giles to San Diego for Jason Bay, Ollie Perez, and Corey Stewart (PTBN). Pittsburgh had wanted Xavier Nady in the deal, but SD refused and threw in Bay instead. That flip worked out pretty well, as Bay ended up the NL Rookie of the Year in 2004 and the persistent Bucs finally reeled in the X-Man in a deal with the New York Mets in 2006.

2014 - Gerrit Cole pitched six no-hit innings at PNC Park, but a seventh inning St. Louis rally tied the score at 2-2. Things looked bleak when both Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez left the game with injuries soon after, but Ike Davis brightened up the room in the eighth. With Gaby Sanchez and Starling Marte aboard, he crushed a two-out, two-strike change up 442’ to lead the Pirates to a 5-2 win. Tony Watson got the victory and Mark Melancon earned a save.

2016 - Jordy Mercer capped off a five-run sixth inning with his first career grand slam off Milwaukee’s Matt Garza to give the Pirates a 5-3 win at Miller Park. The Brew Crew answered Jordy’s blast with a three-spot of their own in the bottom of the frame, but the bullpens shut the door the rest of the way. Mercer’s slam, which came the day before his 30th birthday, was the fourth of the season for the Pirates and made a winner of starter Ryan Vogelsong, who allowed two runs over 5-1/3 innings with Tony Watson notching the save. 

2017 - Gerrit Cole had no success whatsoever against the Reds in his career (he was 0-6 against them in nine outings) until he took matters into his own hands at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. Not only did he throw seven shutout innings, but he homered to do it all in a 1-0 Bucco win. Cole Train's long ball was the third of his career and the first of the year. Per Elias Sports: Cole became the only Pirates pitcher ever to homer in a 1-0 win and the first in MLB since the Rays’ Nate Karns v the Phillies (July, 2015). Cole also went 8-0 in his last nine road starts; the last Pirates pitcher to win eight straight road decisions was Don Robinson in 1982. Redlegs rookie Luis Castillo was his equal but for that one pitch, tossing a three-hitter with nine K in seven frames.

Gerrit Cole - 2017 Topps Inception

2020 - The Pirates made a waiver deal with the Phils for LHP Austin Davis, sending Philadelphia a PTBNL (24-year-old Class A RHP Joel Cesar) and cash. Davis had parts of five seasons in the show, with a 1-2/5.64 line. He averaged nearly 10 K per nine innings with a problem with long balls (11 in 58 career IP), but fit the Pirates need for pen depth and a lefty. He got into 15 games for the Bucs, slashing 0-1/4.73, and was traded at the 2021 deadline to Boston for IF Michael Chavis. The BoSox used Davis as a middle man and sometime opener starter. He then joined the Twins, then Houston, was let go by both clubs, went indie, pitched in the Padres system in 2025 and is now a free agent.

2021 - Pittsburgh scored eight times before making an out in the seventh inning, storming back for an 11-7 win over St. Louis at PNC Park, overcoming an early 7-1 hole. The seventh-inning rally started with a two-run single from Bryan Reynolds and was capped by Yoshi Tsutsugo’s two-run homer. Pittsburgh banged out 17 hits, with Michael Chavis and Colin Moran each posting four knocks (Captain Redbeard also homered) while Wilmer Difo and Gregory Polanco (two doubles) collected three hits each. Chad Kuhl, the third of five Buc hurlers, took home the win with an inning of scoreless work.

2023 - Before the game against the Cubs at PNC Park started, the Pirates held a ceremony to celebrate their 2023 Hall of Fame Class of Elroy Face, Bob Friend, Dick Groat and Kent Tekulve. They were inducted earlier that afternoon after being named to the Hall in April, bringing PHoF membership up to 23 players. Teke threw out the first pitch and Ke’Bryan homered to lead off the game, but then rookie Jordan Wicks settled in during his MLB debut and K’ed nine while Osvaldo Bido was tagged for eight runs; the Bucs ran out of comebacks and suffered a 10-6 defeat.

2024 - The Pirates began addressing some needs heading into next season. Most surprising was the announcement that Oneil Cruz was going to see time in center field, with deadline pickup Isiah Kiner-Falefa taking over at short and second-year man Nick Gonzales at second. They also outrighted Michael Taylor, who was signed to baby-sit CF in 2024 but hit just .196. The starting rotation had its core set with Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, with Bailey Falter, Luis Ortiz and some young guns ready to compete for the remaining spots. The bullpen had some backend consistency issues with David Bednar and Colin Holderman but looked solid. Henry Davis was recalled from Indy; he and Joey Bart (and possibly Endy Rodriguez) were penciled in to share the backstop duties. That left first base, now split between Rowdy Tellez and Connor Joe, and a corner OF’er to go with Cruz/Bryan Reynolds, with plenty of in-house candidates but a thin FA class. Third base was iffy, with Ke’Bryan Hayes' showing a weak bat and being injury-prone with chronic back issues.

8/25 Through the 1970s: 5-For-Roberto, Ding-Dong Bell, Wired Ump, Base Byrne-r, Game Days, Wilbur Swap, Walk Or Not, Blue Flu, HBD Junior, Euclides, Jim, Sam & Tony

1892 - 3B Norman “Tony” Boeckel was born in Los Angeles. He spent the first two years (1917, 1919) of his career as a Pirate, batting .259 in 109 games. He was hurt early in his first campaign, and got in just 65 games after returning from the Navy during the second stint as he lost the job to his 1918 replacement, Walter Barbare, and was waived to Boston. He prospered there from 1920-23, where he was the starter. But he was struck down in early 1924, dying in a car accident at age 31 in San Diego. The Yankees Bob Meusel was riding with him, but was uninjured; Boeckel became the first active MLB player to die in a car wreck.

1910 - In the 12th inning at Washington Park, Bobby Byrne legged out a hustle double, stole third, then swiped home to beat the Brooklyn Superbas, 4-3. It was the National League's first 20th century extra-inning steal of home. The Superba’s skipper, Bill Dahlen, decided to intentionally walk the bases loaded after the steal of third (a decision that did not sit well with his pitcher, George Bell) to set up the force rather than face Fred Clarke and Hans Wagner. Bell got two strikes on John Flynn, then Byrnes took matters in his own hands and bolted home; the 0-2 pitch was wide and eluded the catcher, so Byrne’s timing was right. As for the Superba strategy, Pirates beat man Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote “...fans were calling Dahlen a dub, whereas if his plans had worked out right, they would be hailing him as a real genius and wonderful thinker.” 

1912 - The Pirates traded for 20-year-old LHP Arley Wilbur Cooper from Columbus of the American Association for a pair of PTBNL and $3,000. He was arguably Pittsburgh’s best franchise pitcher, retiring following the 1926 campaign after spending his first 13 seasons (1912-24) as a Bucco. Coop is the franchise’s all-time leader in wins with 202 while posting a 2.74 ERA, starting 369 games and appearing in 469 outings. He began his professional career in 1911 with minor league Marion, a club that was owned by newspaper publisher and future US President Warren Harding. Legend has it that Harding was the person who recommended Wilbur to the Pirates. He never made the Hall of Fame; he and Babe Adams are on the outside, looking in.

1913 - Coach Sam Narron was born in Middlesex, North Carolina. Narron spent most of his playing career in the minors as a converted OF’er turned catcher, though he appeared in parts of three seasons (1935, 1942 and 1943) with the St. Louis Cardinals, playing in 24 games and getting just 28 at bats. After his playing career ended in 1948, he became the bullpen catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers for two years, then followed GM Branch Rickey to the Pirates (and outlasted him by quite a bit) as the Buccos bullpen coach from 1951 through 1964 for managers Bill Meyer, Fred Haney, Bobby Bragan, and Danny Murtaugh. He lasted until Harry Walker became skipper and axed all of Murtaugh’s coaching staff as Sam retired.

Sam Narron - 1960 Pirates/TCMA

1926 - RHP Jim Suchecki was born in Chicago. He made MLB stops for three teams,the last being the 1952 Pirates, working 10 innings and giving up six runs on 14 hits with six K. The Pirates had purchased him from St. Louis on a “make good” basis, and after a month they returned him to the Browns after he apparently failed to make good, and it was his last MLB stint. He pitched in the pro ranks from 1943-54, with time off to serve in the Navy. After he retired from baseball, Jim worked for a refinery and later operated an employment agency.

1929 - Per The Sporting News, the fans were able to hear the calls of home plate umpire Cy Rigler, who was wired for sound, a first in major league history. Wearing a mike and metal-plated shoes, standing on a flat metal sheet, Rigler's calls were broadcast over the Polo Ground speakers as he somehow avoided electrocution. The Giants topped the Pirates 10-5 as the Bucs committed three errors and allowed six early unearned runs as the clang of their mitts resounded  throughout the Polo Grounds without any electronic assistance.

1952 - 18 year old RHP Bill “Ding Dong” Bell tossed his third no-hitter as a member of the Pirates Class D Appalachian League affiliate Bristol, winning, 4-0, in a seven inning game against Bluefield. Bell is one of two professional pitchers to toss three no-hitters in the same season. He was called up in September by the Bucs after posting an 11-3/2.09 slash, though he did have one big red flag there - in 112 IP, he had 194 whiffs, but also 113 walks. Ding Dong made it back to Pittsburgh for a short while in 1955, but his wildness continued - Bell was 0-1/4.32 in his MLB career with 14 walks in 16-2/3 IP, and that tolled his bell.

1959 - The White Sox sent 3B Bob Sagers and OF/1B Harry "Suitcase" Simpson packing to Pittsburgh in exchange for 34-year-old vet 1B Ted Kluszewski. Klu hit .297 during the rest of the season and .391 with three homers in the World Series for the Sox, playing through the 1961 campaign. Simpson retired after the season and Sagers was a career minor leaguer. Per SABR, Harry wore a size 13 shoe, and a sportswriter dubbed him “Suitcase” Simpson based on a character by that name from the comic strip “Toonerville Folks” with feet as large as suitcases.

Earl Francis - 1962 Topps

1962 - The Pirate players called off a threatened walkout in objection to a rained out game that was rescheduled as part of a Saturday doubleheader with another doubleheader already scheduled on Sunday. Bob Friend, the Pittsburgh team rep, was irked that the players weren’t consulted in the decision to reschedule the game. Friend went out and lost the opener 3-2 to St. Louis at Busch Stadium, giving up a run with two down in the ninth. The Bucs took the second game 4-0 behind Earl Francis, who tossed a three-hitter and was backed by homers off the bats of Dick Groat and Dick Stuart. They also split the next day’s twin bill.

1967 - Euclides Rojas was born in Havana. He was the Cuban National Team's all-time leader in saves before he left his homeland by raft in 1994, was rescued by the US Coast Guard, and emigrated to America. He was the Buccos bullpen coach from 2010-19, having served in the same position for the Red Sox and the Marlins. Rojas spent 2005-2010 as the Pirates Latin American Field Coordinator and also as a roving minor league instructor in 2002 with an eye on the club's Latin American program. Prior to that job, Rojas spent five seasons as a coach in the Florida Marlins organization. Now he's a player development official for MLB.

1971 - Roberto Clemente had five hits to lead the Pirates to a 13-6 romp over the Braves at Atlanta Stadium. It was Roberto’s eighth five-hit game, tying the team record with Max Carey. He wasn’t the only guy with a hot stick: Milt May, Dave Cash & Jackie Hernandez had three knocks each while Willie Stargell & Bob Robertson went long. Bob Moose got the dub in relief of Bruce Kison.

1972 - Steve Blass pitched a career-high 11 innings but ended up with a no-decision in a 12-inning 3-2 walkoff win in the first game of a doubleheader against the Dodgers at TRS. Steverino had a rare bout of wildness (that would plague him in the following year), walking nine and bopping one, but had some glovely fielding behind him to keep the damage to a minimum. Richie Hebner sent the game into overtime with a homer in the ninth, then Manny Sanguillen delivered the game-winning rap with a two-out single in the 12th off reliever Pete Richert. Dave Cash had reached second on a throwing error and scored the winning run. The Dodgers were held to three hits in the second game by Bruce Kison, but split on the day by taking a 4-3 win with some gifts. A walk came around, another run scored on a balk and Bill Buckner homered after an error for LA’s runs.

Gary Matthews - 2002 Upper Deck Victory

1974 - OF Gary “Junior” (he’s Gary Matthews’ son) Matthews Jr. was born in San Francisco. He put in 12 big-league years with nine stops, spending 46 games in Pittsburgh in 2001 after he was taken off waivers from the Cubs. He hit .245 and was sold to the Mets in the off season. Known for defensive flair, the late bloomer made the All-Star team in 2006, joining his dad as the 14th father-son combo to appear in the Midsummer Classic. Junior played through 2010.

1974 - The Pirates swept a twin bill at San Diego Stadium, dropping the Padres by 4-1 & 10-2 scores, to vault into first place, 1/2-game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh was on a 29-11 roll, having caught fire after a basebrawl with the Reds that seemed to bond them. The Pirates won the lidlifter in 12 innings, with Jim Rooker getting the win by tossing six-hit ball over 11 frames. The Bucs won softly - their runs in the 12th came on a sac fly and a pair of bases-loaded walks. Larry Demery won the nightcap with help from Ramon Hernandez in a game that was a cliffhanger until late, when the Buccos scored nine runs in the seventh and ninth frames. The Pirates won the NL East, but were left in the dust by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.

1978 - Major League umpires staged a one-day strike, their first walk-out, to air a laundry list of grievances they had with MLB; semi-pro and amateur arbitrators were used as replacements. The umpires walked out again at the start of the 1979 season. The Major League Umpires Association authorized several disruptive events on behalf of the boys in blue, including the ill-fated mass resignation of 1999, leading the umps to decertify the MLUA and start a new unit called the World Umpires Association (now the MLB Umpires Association), recognized in 2000 by the NLRB and still the umps’ bargaining unit.

1979 - The Bucs scored twice in the ninth after two were out and no one aboard to send the game into extra innings, eventually winning 4-3 in 19 frames over the Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium. Dave Roberts pitched out of a pair of bases loaded jams to earn the win. He wriggled off the hook with the sacks juiced and no one away in the 17th inning after escaping in the 16th, when the bases were packed with two outs and he went 3-0 to opposing pitcher John D'Acquisto. The Friars stranded 26 runners, one short of the MLB record. The contest lasted six hours and twelve minutes, the longest Pirate contest until the Jerry Meals 19-inning game at Atlanta in 2011.

8/25 From 1980: Clutch Cutch, Gary Cycle, Mitch & Dunne Dealin', King-AVS & Lee Swattin', Game Days, Candy Inked, RIP Ogden

1981 - The Pirates dropped a wild 9-7 game to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Three Rivers Stadium. The Bucs rallied from 6-1 and 7-3 deficits (driven by a couple of key errors and a blown call at first), the latter lead erased on a three-run Dave Parker homer in the ninth. Sadly, Kent Tekulve was tapped for a pair in the 10th and the Pirates were out of comebacks. But the real excitement happened out of sight, in the runway between the dugouts when both teams milled about in a mid-game shoving/verbal get together. Pittsburgh’s Paschal Perez had bopped a couple of Trolley Dodgers and LA’s Reggie Smith called him out; Perez suggested they meet to discuss it, so both teams crammed into the runway in the sixth inning. Although the 145-pound Perez carried a bat to the rendezvous, no blows were exchanged as Bill Robinson had him in tow. Willie Stargell explained to Russ Franke of the Pittsburgh Press “There wasn’t any fight. We just went in there to hold the daily lottery drawing.” In better news, the Pirates signed impending FA John Candelaria to a one-year contract for 1982; he was out for the current season with a torn bicep, getting just six starts before the injury.

1982 - The Pirates blew a 5-4 lead at TRS, allowing San Diego to score twice and edge ahead in the eighth. But they tied the game in their half when Tony Pena’s grounder scored Lee Lacy and walked it off with a 7-6 ninth-inning victory when Jim Morrison singled in Enrique Romo, running for Willie Stargell, with the game winner. Kent Tekulve claimed the win. It was a dark day for the Padres; they not only lost the game but also Tony Gwynn, who broke his wrist diving for a fly ball.

1983 - Behind the 11-strikeout performance of 22-year-old rookie Jose DeLeon and clutch hits by Jim Morrison and Tony Pena, the Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak to claw back into a virtual first-place tie with Philadelphia with a 5-3 win over the Astros at TRS. Morrison came off the bench to collect two hits & two RBI, Pena also had a pair of raps, including a solo home run, & chased home two more runs while Lee Lacy was a burr under Houston’s saddle with a hit, two walks, a stolen base and a run scored. Rod Scurry came on to get the last out.

1984 - Lee Lacy had three hits and chased home three runs to help John Candelaria to his 11th win, besting the Reds at TRS, 5-3. But the big news was after the game - a postgame pyrotechnics show that drew a crowd of 21,385 went haywire when a skyrocket landed behind the home plate stands, injuring 18 and sending 11 of the group to the hospital with burns.

Mike Dunne - 1987 Topps Rookies

1987 - Mike Dunne fired his best game of the year, a two-hitter, as the Bucs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 at TRS. Johnny Ray’s first-inning RBI single that scored Andy Van Slyke, who had also singled and stole second ahead of Ray, was the game-winner. He struck out seven, allowed just one runner to reach second, and retired the last 10 batters. Ted Power was Cincy’s hard-luck loser as he only gave up four hits, two of them to the first three batters he faced. For Dunne, it was the icing on a super rookie campaign when he finished with a line of 13-6/3.03 and was named the NL Rookie Pitcher Of the Year by The Sporting News. But the righty only won 12 more games during the remainder of his five-year career while battling shoulder injuries.

1989 - OF Gary Redus hit for the cycle in a 12-3 win over the Reds at Riverfront Stadium, scoring three times and driving in four runs as the Pirates won their fifth game in a row. Barry Bonds homered and scored three times while Andy Van Slyke banged a pair of doubles to pave the road for Jeff Robinson, who banged out three hits to help himself, and Mike Smith.

1991 - Pittsburgh blasted four homers off the bats of Cecil Espy, Jay Bell, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla to whip the SF Giants 8-3 at TRS. Bell had three hits, scored three times and had a pair of RBI while Espy added three RBI and Spanky Lavalliere collected three hits to back John Smiley’s 15th win, saved by Stan Belinda, who worked the final three frames.

1992 - Andy Van Slyke had three hits, including a homer and double, drove home four runs and scored twice as the Bucs beat LA 10-3 at Dodger Stadium. Leadoff hitter Alex Cole had three hits and scored three times as Danny Cox got the win in relief of Danny Jackson. AVS finished second in the batting title chase by hitting .324, trailing only Gary Sheffield’s .330 BA.

Andy Van Slyke - 1992 Studio Heritage

1993 - The Pirates were shut out for 10 consecutive innings, but still managed to top LA at Dodger Stadium 2-1 in 12 frames. In the first, Jay Bell’s triple and Orlando Merced’s single pushed across the Bucs first run, and they finally touched home again in the 12th when Andy Tomberlin’s roller up the middle cashed in Al Martin, who had doubled. Each side used three pitchers, with Denny Neagle’s three hitless frames earning him the win and ex-Bucco Jim Gott taking the loss. It was a frustrating game for the 33,194 Angelino faithful in the stands; the Dodgers collected 10 hits and nine walks during the match, but went 1-for-16 w/RISP, stranding 17 runners.

1996 - Jeff King swatted five hits, including a homer and double, but it was in vain as the Bucs lost a 13-9 decision to Colorado at Coors Field. Jay Bell and Nelson Liriano also went deep, but four Bucco pitchers couldn’t hold off the Rockies with Marc Wilkins taking the loss. After the game, Jim Leyland was asked about rumors that he was headed to Miami to manage after the season, and replied “You’re out of your mind.” He took the Marlins job three weeks later.

1997 - Joe Randa and Mark Smith homered in the ninth inning on back-to-back pitches for a 4-3 walkoff win over the Dodgers at TRS, giving the Bucs a DH split. Both blows came off Todd Worrell, who got the call when Eddie Williams walked the first hitter. Marc Wilkins, who worked the last two frames, claimed the win. Pittsburgh was clobbered 8-2 in the opener. The comeback kept the Freak Show Buccos alive, a game over .500 and just three games behind the Astros.

2006 - In a Skyblast concert the Buc PR department would rather forget, San Francisco punk cover band Me First & the Gimme Gimmes were booed out of PNC Park and their three-day booking canceled. They were lucky that the 32,000 fans were in a forgiving mood after a 5-3 Bucco win over the Astros before the group took the stage. East End native and band singer Spike Slawson said “It was an obscene amount of money for the work we did...We’re a punk band. Getting booed by a sports crowd makes us viable.” Viable, maybe; bookable, not so much.

2009 - Andrew McCutchen banged his first MLB walkoff homer in the ninth to beat Philadelphia and Brad Lidge 6-4 at PNC Park after Brandon Moss had tied the game moments earlier with a single and scored the winning run ahead of Cutch. It was atonement for a mistake earlier in the inning when Andrew misread a fly ball, blew the catch and allowed Philly to take a 4-3 lead. Matt Capps gave up a pair in the ninth to the Phillies to hit the rare daily double of a blown save and win.

Cutch Walkoff - 8/25/09 photo/MLB.com

2016 - Andrew McCutchen chased home all three of Pittsburgh's runs in a 10-inning 3-2 win over Milwaukee at Miller Park. He hit a solo shot off Wily Peralta in the first inning, singled home Starling Marte in the third inning and plated John Jaso with the game-winner with a two-out single during bonus ball. The Pirates used five pitchers, with Antonio Bastardo getting the win and Tony Watson finishing up to earn the save.

2020 - Coming into Chicago with a head of steam after sweeping the Brewers, the Pirates had the wind taken out of their sails when they were no-hit by Lucas Giolito at Guaranteed Rate Park. The White Sox’ Giolito walked one (in the fourth inning) and struck out 13 in the 4-0 win and survived a two-out, two-strike bullet (102.6 EV) by Josh Bell to right that Adam Engel gloved. It was the first no-hitter of the 2020 campaign and the 13th time the Buccos franchise was no-no’ed, with the last being in 2015 at the hands of the Nat’s Max Scherzer.

2023 - G. Ogden Nutting, whose investment in the Pittsburgh Pirates led his son Bob to later taking control, died at age 87. Nutting was a partner in the Pirates when he joined team owner Kevin McClatchy (the pair knew each other via the newspaper publishers’ fraternity) in taking a majority stake in the club in 1996 after McClatchy brought Nutting into his ownership group that kept the team in Pittsburgh. The financially overextended McClatchy eventually lost his ownership stake to Nutting, and Bob Nutting replaced McClatchy as the principal owner in 2007; he was Chairman of the Board and had represented the Nutting family Pirates interest since 2002.

2023 - Mitch Keller took the hill at PNC Park and twirled eight innings of four-hit, shutout ball with a walk and six whiffs to break a season-long, seven-game losing streak to the Cubs by a 2-1 tally. The Pirates started off hot out of the gate as Ke’Bryan Hayes singled and went to third on Bryan Reynold’s double. A pair of right-side grounders by Andrew McCutchen and Josh Palacios small-balled the runners home. The score stayed 2-0 until the ninth when Kells gave way to David Bednar (Mitch was at 93 pitches and had taken a shot off the leg in the eighth, soldiering on to finish the frame), then gave up a leadoff homer to Bucco nemesis, Mt. Lebanon’s Ian Happ, whose two-run, 10th inning single last night beat Pittsburgh, 5-4. That was followed by an apparent infield single, but a Bucco challenge was upheld, that runner was erased, and The Renegade cruised to his 28th save without any further dramatics in front of 24,379 rooters.

Weekly Report: Swept By LA, Pitcher-Pong, SABR/TSN All-Time Teams, Seth & Termarr Done For Year, Jhostynxon On IL

Time flies - School starts next week in a bunch of places...

Pirates Stuff:

• CF Oneil Cruz returned from rehab and Yohan Ramirez from paternity leave on Monday. LHP Hunter Barco and OF Ronny Simon were optioned back to AAA Indy to clear active roster room and OF Johnathan Rodriguez, recently acquired by the Bucs from Baltimore while DFA'ed and assigned to Indy, was DFA'ed again to open up a 40-man spot for Cruz. He was claimed by the A's.
• 3B Nick Gonzales returned to the lineup after missing a couple of days following a Friday beaning last week. 
• Pin-the-tail-on-the-bullpen continued as RHP Antwone Kelly was called up and RHP Isaac Mattson optioned back to Indy. Then on Sunday with a looming bullpen game, Pittsburgh recalled RHP Khristian Curtis from Indy (he spun three shutout innings in Sunday's loss to LA) and optioned Kelly, who worked Saturday, back to AAA. 

Khristian Curtis - 2026 photo/Pirates

• The Pirates bought the contract of C Christian Bethancourt from the Yankees. he was in the Buc system in 2021 and currently was hitting .270 in AAA. He started his MLB days in 2013 and has rostered on six squads since.
• Endy Rodriguez (hip) is getting a second opinion this week and his situation is still in the air; surgery is a possibility. Konnor Griffin (finger) is on schedule; he's due for an early September return. Ryan O'Hearn (quad) is still on a six-to-eight week timetable.
• Rafael Flores became the first Pirate of the Modern Era (1901>) to hit two home runs in a game he didn't start.
• SABR selected its Integration Era (1947-'72) All-Time Team. Elroy Face was a first teamer as was Casey Stengel (as manager; he was a Pirate for a couple of years as a player); Roberto Clemente and Billy Maz made the second team, as did Donora's Stan "The Man" Musial; ditto Jim Bunning and Bobby Shantz, who both made quick stops in Pittsburgh. Wampum's Dick Allen (Wampum is outside New Castle) won a third-team spot.
• The Sporting News published its Baseball's Greatest Players - Supernovas issue; Ralph Kiner made the squad as did Chuck Klein, long-time Phillie who made a local stop in 1939.

Seth Done For The Year - 2026 photo/MLB

• Farm IL: Top prospect RHP Seth Hernandez was bumped up to the 60-day IL (oblique), ending his season. He finished 6-1/2.43 with 118 strikeouts over 74 innings/18 starts, mostly compiled at Hi-A Greensboro. 2B Termarr Johnson had knee surgery Thursday.
• OF Jhostynxon Garcia, recently optiond back to Indy, was placed on the 7-day IL, reason unspecified (SOP for minor league IL status).
• Bradenton's LHP Reinold Navarro, 19, was selected as the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week. He went five one-hit, shutout innings last week while fanning six and got himself promoted to Greensboro.

Game Stuff:

• Motown came a'calling to start the week; Carmen Mlodzinski got the opener. It was on ESPN, the first time PNC has appeared on that network since 2019. TV Land wasn't impressed - Carm was chased after three. The Bucs used a big frame to cut the gap to 8-5, the final score.
• Braxton Ashcraft drew the middle game while Oneil Cruz returned to the lineup. They both did good; Brax shoved again (eight IP, five hits, one run) and Cruz's two-run homer put the Pirates ahead for good as they evened the set with a 4-1 dub. 
• Paul Skenes took a couple of extra days off and was back in the saddle for the Detroit finale. It didn't help appreciably; he left with one out in the fifth and the Bucs in a 3-1 hole, giving up four hits, four walks and punching out five. Rafe Flores, subbed in for Hank Davis (HBP in the hand), homered in the seventh and again in the ninth to knot the score; Brandon Lowe followed with a walkoff shot an out later to make Mason Montgomery a 4-3 winner.

Oneil Cruz - 2026 Topps Wrecking Crew

• Pittsburgh got Thursday off as they're left-coasting at LA v the Dodgers starting Friday. Bubba Chandler got the ball and lasted four frames, leaving down 4-2. Oneill Cruz banged a two-run shot in the eighth to tie it up, and the Pirates had first & third with no outs in the 10th before Nick Gonzales K'ed (he earlier drove in the first two runs) and then loaded the bases with one down when Hank Davis banged into a DP. Gregory Soto had two outs and an 0-2 count with a runner on second before giving up the game-losing hit to Tommy Edman: LA 5, Pgh. 4. 
• Saturday afternoon saw Jared Jones take on Tarik Skubal. The Pirates jumped on Skubal for three runs in the first, then took a nap. JJ gave up a pair in four innings, Yohan Ramirez gave up two more in the next frame, and that was all she wrote as the Bucs fell 4-3.
• Can't score, can't win - LA 4, Pirates 0. The Bucs were held to two hits, the last in the second frame and Carmen got roughed up again for three runs in three innings. Oh well, pack 'em up and off to San Diego; when that set's done, it's a day off and a visit to St. Louis.

MLB Stuff

• RHP Ron Marinaccio lasted a week in Cincy. The Reds claimed him from the Pirates via waivers last week and then DFA'ed him on Monday after he gave up 10 runs in 5-1/3 IP. He cleared the wire and opted to become a FA; the Twins signed him to a minors deal over the weekend.
• OF Starling Marte, 37, was DFA'ed by KC ater batting .242 so far this year with two stolen sacks. He went unclaimed and was released. 

8/24 Through 1984: Jose No Cigar, Bert Earns Bucs 10th Straight, Out Of Order, Middle Flex, Game Days, Petty Goes, HBD Kevin, Al, Matty, Jewels & Billy

1881 - C George “Billy” (it was his middle name) Kelsey was born in Covington, Ohio. His MLB credentials consist of two games played for the Pirates in 1907 as a 25-year-old, going 2-for-5. He put together a nine season career with various farm clubs and later managed in the Texas League (player/manager for Oklahoma City) and the Western Association (Tulsa).

1889 - IF Jewel Winklemeyer Ens was born in St. Louis. He was with the Pirates from 1922-25, hitting .290 as a seldom used bench player/coach. Jewel then coached the Bucs from 1926-29 and 1935-39, managing the club in between from 1929-31, putting up an overall 176-167 slate while finishing second once. He also coached for the Detroit Tigers (1932), Cincinnati Reds (1933; 1941) & Boston Braves (1934), then spent eight seasons (1942–49) as manager of the Syracuse Chiefs, then the Reds' top farm club. He was elected to the International League Hall of Fame in 1950, a few months after his death. Jewel, btw, isn't a moniker - it was his given name.

1890 - OF Ralph “Matty” Mattis was born in Roxborough, Pennsylvania. Matty spent seven years in the minors as a pretty good batter with a lifetime .303 BA, but his only major league shot was in 1914 with the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels where he hit .247 in 36 games. The pasture was a crowded place to elbow into that season; the Rebels carried, at one time or another, eight OF’ers including player/manager Rebel Oakes, the team’s namesake. 

1897 - C Al Bool was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. He played three years of big league ball, with his busiest year being in 1930 with the Pirates. He got into 78 games and hit .259, then moved to Boston in the off-season. He played one more year and retired to become a Nebraska farmer.

1921 - The Pirates, in front by 7-1/2 games with 35 to go, dropped a double dipper to the Giants at the Polo Grounds before 35,000. Art Nehf won the lid lifter, 10-2, to hand Babe Adams his first loss in 10 games while Phil Douglas took the nightcap, 7-0. Manager George Gibson called a team meeting after the losses, per the Pittsburgh Press, and “...club matters were discussed, but they were discussed in a way that hurt. Errors of omission and commission were probed down to the raw flesh…” It didn’t rally the boys; they would end up blowing the title to the Giants by four games, going 14-21 over their final 35 contests.

George Grantham - 1928 Strip Card

1928 - The Pirates romped over the NY Giants 16-5 at Forbes Field. The middle of the Pittsburgh order - Paul Waner, George Grantham and Pie Traynor - pounded out seven hits, including a homer and three triples, drove in 11 runs and scored six more to rev the engine. Every Pirates position player had at least two hits as the Bucco lineup banged out 19 knocks. It made for an easy day’s work for the winning pitcher, Burleigh Grimes, who notched his 22nd dub.

1930 - The Pirates sold LHP Jesse Petty to the Cubs. He was part of the return for SS Glenn Wright (Buc manager Donie Bush was a Petty fan, having coached him in the minors), and The Silver Fox (he had prematurely graying hair) was solid in his first season, with 11 wins and a 3.77 ERA for 1929. He got off to a rough start for the Bucs in 1930 and was shipped to Chicago. He pitched a little better though not very often in the Windy City, and it ended up his last MLB campaign. Petty then pitched and managed through the mid-30s in the minors.

1956 - The Cards defeated the Pirates 6-2 at Busch Stadium in a game notable for its batting order. Manager Bobby Bragan batted the pitcher seventh, Maz eighth and Hank Foiles ninth. Mazeroski went 1-for-3 while Foiles homered. Pitcher Fred Waters went 0-for-3, undermining Bragan’s brainstorm . Bragan used the ploy next season and then it wouldn’t be repeated in Pittsburgh again until 2008 when John Russell penciled in Paul Maholm to bat eighth, ahead of Jack Wilson, in a nod to youth ball “double leadoff” lineups.

1959 - Bob Friend gave up 12 hits, but went the distance to shut out SF‚ 6-0. He struck out eight and stranded a dozen G-Men at Forbes Field, backed by a pair of Rocky Nelson homers. Nelson had three hits, three RBI and three runs scored; Dick Groat also posted a trio of raps.

Bert Blyleven - 1978 Hostess

1978 - The Pirates won their 10th game in a row by dropping the Braves 5-1 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in a matchup of future Hall-of-Famers Bert Blyleven and Phil Niekro. Bert not only pitched his way to victory, but his two-out, bases-loaded double in the seventh cleared the sacks to break a 0-0 tie. Pittsburgh dropped the next two games, then started a fresh 11-game winning streak. But in the end, the Pirates couldn’t catch up to the Phils, who won the division by 1-1/2 games over the 88-73 Buccos. The race went to the wire, with Philly clinching the crown with a 10-8 win over Pittsburgh in the campaign’s next-to-last game.

1980 - RHP Kevin Correia was born in San Diego. He signed as a FA with the Pirates and slashed 11-7/4.01 before the 2011 break and was named to the All-Star team for the first (and only) time of his career, but faded during the stretch. Correia became a long man/sixth starter in 2012 after Wandy Rodriguez was picked up at the deadline, although KC was on a five-game winning streak. He was the first Pirates' pitcher since Pascual Perez in 1981 to start a game one day after appearing in relief when he volunteered to take the hill rather than have the Pirates call up a minor-league starter in 2012, losing the start 3-1. Kevin signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Twins following that season after going 24-22/4.49 in his two Pirates campaigns, and tossed his last game in 2015 for the Philadelphia Phillies to end a 13-year MLB career.

1982 - The Bucs looked out of it, down to San Diego by a 5-1 count after six at Three Rivers Stadium, but they kept chipping away. They got a pair back in the seventh when a Padre error opened the gate, cut the lead to one in the eighth on Tony Pena & Johnny Ray doubles, and then tied it in the ninth with some flair when Bill Madlock stroked a two-out homer off Gary Lucas. The Friars stranded a pair in both the 10th and 11th frames, with SS Dale Berra making a play in the hole to save a run. The Pirates walked it off in the 11th after Lee Lacy singled, stole second, tagged to third and came in with two outs on Pena’s bouncer up the middle. Lee and Tony led the hit parade with three raps each while Kent Tekulve faced one batter in the final frame for the win.

1984 - Jose DeLeon went into the seventh inning against the Reds pitching a no-hitter, but lost it and the game when ex-Buc Dave Parker singled in a run to give Cincy the lead and eventual 2-0 win at TRS behind a three-hitter by Jeff Russell. Parker had the only Cincinnati hit.