9/6 Through 1964: Bob's 1st Zippo, Hound Hot, Leather-Fest, Krackin' Kiki, Coop Debut, Sweep. Game Days, Groat Hurt, Wood Joins, HBD Jack, Vince, Tommy & Johnny

1892 - 2B Billy Gleason was born in Chicago. He played sparingly in the majors, spending two of his three years with Pittsburgh (1916-17) and batting .159 in 26 games before being traded to minor league Chattanooga. Billy was a career farm hand, beginning in the bushes in 1913 as an 18-year-old and still playing as late as 1934, mostly in the Eastern League.

1901 - The Pirates swept a doubleheader from the NY Giants 15-2 and 13-4 to win their ninth and 10th straight games (they played four twin bills in five days and swept all four, with three straight two-fers v New York). The Bucs pounded out 22 hits in the opener, led by Ginger Beaumont’s 5-for-6 day, with a homer, 2B and five RBI to grease the wheels for Sam Leever’s win. The Pirates rapped out 14 more hits in the six-inning nitecap (darkness-shortened), with Tommy Leach going 3-for-3 with a 2B. George Merritt got the win in his MLB debut. It was the third straight double dipper they took from the Giants in three days, outscoring NY 80-23. The sweep was part of a 26-of-30 victory roll as the Pirates bullied their way to the NL title, entering September up by 2-1/2 games before pulling away from the pack with a final 7-1/2 game pad. 
 
1903 - IF Tommy Thevenow was born in Madison, Indiana. He played five years for the Pirates from 1931 until 1935, and then came back to spend his last big league season, 1938, as a Bucco. Tommy batted .251 with 201 RBI for Pittsburgh as a good glove, so-so bat SS/3B. Tommy retired to his hometown after that campaign and ran a grocery store until he passed away at age 53.

1910 - RHP Johnny Lanning was born in Asheville, NC. He tossed for the Pirates from 1940 until 1943, went in the service and returned for the 1945-46 seasons, finishing with a Pittsburgh line 33-29/3.44. Lanning wasn’t a flame thrower; his best pitches were variations of the curve, one hard, the other soft. Lanning came from a family of Carolina tobacco farmers, reflected by his nicknames of “Tobacco Chewin’ Johnny” and “Johnny Tabaccy.” 

Our DiMag -  1941 photo Bettman/Getty

1912 - OF Vince DiMaggio was born in Martinez, California. He played center field for Pittsburgh from 1940-44 and hit .255 as a Bucco. He was named to the All-Star Game roster in 1943 and 1944, lighting it up in the ‘43 Classic with a home run, triple and single in three at-bats. Vince and his siblings, Joltin’ Joe and Dom, are the only brother trio to become All-Stars.

1912 - In his major league debut, Wilbur Cooper shut out the St Louis Cardinals, 8-0, at Robison Field. He gave up nine scattered hits with a walk and three K to earn the first of his 216 career wins. Chief Wilson had three hits and scored twice to lead a balanced, 13-hit attack against the Redbirds. Coop won a franchise-record 202 games, spun 33 whitewashes in his 13 years as a Bucco and was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame in 2026.

1921 - 1B Jack Phillips was born in Clarence, New York. Jack put nine years in the show and spent from 1949-52 with Pittsburgh, hitting .264. Following his playing days, Phillips managed in the minors from 1960-64. Jack then became baseball coach for 24 years at his alma mater, Clarkson College of Technology, retiring after the 1988 spring season. The college honored Phillips by re-naming its baseball facility "Jack Phillips Stadium at Snell Field" in 2008.

1924 - Pittsburgh took two from the St. Louis Cards by 5-1 and 12-5 scores at Forbes Field behind the pitching of Emil Yde and Jeff Pfeffer. Kiki Cuyler provided the firepower with a homer and three RBI in the opener. Cuyler had another homer and three more runs batted in in the nitecap, Pie Traynor tripled and had three RBI, Rabbit Maranville homered with two runs batted in and Glen Wright drove in two more tallies and bopped a double. Max Carey scored once in the first game and three times in the second to touch home for his 15th straight game, a franchise record. He tallied 21 runs during the span.

1935 - Brooklyn took its lumps at Forbes Field as the Pirates pounded out a 13-6 win, whacking 21 hits and scoring in every inning against the Dodgers. Woody Jensen led the parade with four hits; Tommy Thevenow, Arky Vaughan and Paul Waner each added three while Bud Hafey homered. Cy Blanton earned his 17th victory, the first of four straight double-digit win campaigns.

Woody Jensen - 1936 Goudey Wide

1942 - The Bucs took a twinbill from the Cubbies at Forbes Field the easy way, tossing a pair of shutouts to take 6-0 and 5-0 decisions from Chicago. Hank Gornicki spun a four-hitter in the lid lifter, backed by Elbie Fletcher & Bud Stewart with three hits and Vince DiMaggio & Jimmy Wasdell with two raps. Luke Hamlin scattered seven hits in the nightcap, supported by Frankie Gustine, Bob Elliott and Al Lopez with a pair of knocks (Stewart was walked four times). The attack was balanced; five different players scored while five chased home runs. 

1947 - The Pirates banged four home runs, the last from Wally Westlake in the bottom of the 10th inning, to take a 7-6 walkoff victory from the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field. Joining Wally in the long ball parade were Billy Cox, Jimmy Bloodworth and Clyde Kluttz. Rip Sewell worked eight innings in relief of starter Tiny Bonham, giving up one run on six hits to earn the win.

1948 - A lotta glove work was going on as the Pirates swept a pair from the Cardinals, winning 2-1 and 4-1 at Forbes Field. The two teams struck out just twice in the doubleheader, an MLB record (the Pirates pitchers didn’t fan a soul in the two games). They also turned 13 double plays (eight by Pittsburgh) to tie the MLB mark for a twinbill. Pittsburgh turned a then record-tying six DPs in the opener, with 2B Danny Murtaugh in on five of them to equal the mark set by Detroit's Charley O'Leary. It wasn’t all roses for Murtaugh; his 23-game hitting streak ended when he went 0-for-2 with a walk in the opener. Bob Chesnes was the recipient of the glovely play, scattering seven hits to defeat Murry Dickson, who would become a Bucco next season. The winning blow was Ralph Kiner’s two-run homer. The big guns in the nightcap were Vic Lombardi, who spun a five-hitter, and 3B Eddie Bockman, who had two hits and three RBI. 

1954 - After losing 10 straight games, the Pirates took both ends of a twin bill from the Dodgers at Ebbets Field on "Back the Dodgers Day‚" winning the opener 9-6 in 12 innings and the second match by a 9-7 score. It was the Bucs first doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers since 1951. Vern Law and Jake Thies were the winning hurlers. Bob Skinner had a homer and four runs chased home in the lidlifter while Frank Thomas went long in the nightcap.

John Powers - 1958 Topps

1958 - The Pirates scored a lot of ways - on a bad throw from the outfield, a wild pitch, a sac fly, and a couple of two-out singles, but it took just one swing from Johnny Powers, who banged a solo pinch-hit homer in the eighth, to finally nail down a 7-6 win at Forbes Field against the Milwaukee Braves. Bob Friend and Bob Buhl were both chased early, and the bullpens restored order - Bob Smith (winner) and ElRoy Face (save) tossed four innings of one-run ball for the Bucs, and the Braves Humberto Robinson went 3-1/3 frames with his only miscue being the Powers blast. The Pirates had five players collect two hits - Bill Virdon, Ted Kluszewski, Billy Maz, Dick Groat and Bill Hall - and seven different Corsairs either scored, chased home runs, or did both. 

1960 - All-Star SS Dick Groat broke his wrist after being hit by a Lew Burdette pitch. The Pirate captain, second in the batting race, was sidelined until the final weekend of the season. Dick “Ducky” Schofield, his replacement, had three hits as the Bucs rallied for a 5-3 win. Ducky, a reserve infielder with a career .227 BA, hit .333 for the Pirates in 1960 to keep the club on track.

1963 - Bob Veale picked up his first MLB shutout, downing the St. Louis Cards 5-0 at Forbes Field. Veale gave up just six hits and was backed by Bill Virdon and Ducky Schofield with three hits apiece. The big blow that opened up a 2-0 game was Willie Stargell’s two-run, eighth-inning rap. It was only Big Bob’s third start of the year; he had spent until mid-August working out of the bullpen. He also finished his career as a reliever because of arm woes, but in between managed to toss 20 shutouts in seven full seasons as a Bucco starter.

1964 - The Red Sox sold RHP Wilbur Wood to the Pirates. The knuckleballer went 1-3/3.28 with the Bucs out of the bullpen in 1964-65. Pittsburgh sent Wood to the White Sox in the 1966 off season after he spent the year with AAA Columbus for Juan Pizarro. Wood saved 55 games in four years for Chicago, then was converted to starter where he won 106 games from 1971-75 and earned three All-Star berths in his dozen campaigns with the South Siders.

9/6 From 1965: Wild Womack, Brooming, #8 Retired, Hot-Hot-Hot, Game Days, Danny-4-Quail, Crowded, Lloyd Out/Pete-Jim In, HBD Mike, Frank, Derrek & Pat

1965 - The Pirates swept Cincinnati 3-1 and 4-2 at Crosley Field to close within four games of first-place Los Angeles. Seventh-inning doubles decided both games: Gene Alley's in the opener, driving in Bill Mazeroski with the go-ahead run, and Willie Stargell's bases-loaded, bases-clearing two-bagger in the nitecap. Roberto Clemente threw out Red runners during both ends of the double dip. Bob Veale went the distance to win the first game, striking out 12, and Al McBean tossed six innings in relief to claim the second match victory over the Redlegs.

1968 - The Pirates won their fourth game in a row and Steve Blass claimed his fifth straight victory with a 2-1 win over the Mets at Forbes Field. Steverino scattered four hits over nine innings, his one mistake being a Jerry Grote homer, along with seven whiffs to run his slate to 14-5. Freddie Patek manufactured the Bucs first tally when he led off in the first, laid down a two-strike bunt single, stole second, tagged to third and came home on a sac fly. The game winner was a bit more traditional as Roberto Clemente’s solo shot in the fourth inning gave Blass just enough padding to earn the dub. 

1968 - IF Pat Meares was born in Salina, Kansas. He played for the Bucs from 1999-2001, hitting .238, was injured from 2002-03, carried on the DL for the last two years of his contract and never played again. It was an awkward situation; a foul off his hand was originally misdiagnosed as a sprain but ended up as severe ligament damage. He underwent surgery but the strength didn’t return. Meares said he would rehab and play through it but wouldn’t submit to the knife again, as the Pirates requested. Charges, grievances and general bad blood marked the relationship; Meares wanted his release so that he could play for another team, but the Pirates refused as they would then lose any chance of collecting insurance they held on him (they did eventually settle on the policy for an undisclosed sum). So he ended up DL’ed and on the payroll for his final two seasons with his $15M in dead money a roadblock for the financially struggling Buccos.

1973 - The Pirates fired second-year manager Bill Virdon after a 67-69 start and brought back Danny Murtaugh for his fourth (and last) stint at the helm. The Irishman went 13-13, but carried on to win the division twice and finish runner-up in the next three years, winning 272 games.

Willie Stargell - 1975 Topps

1975 - In a game that went back-and-forth between the Pirates and the Expos at Parc Jarry, the Bucs poured it on at the end by scoring seven times in the 11th inning to seal a 12-5 win. The big blow in the opening nine was Willie Stargell’s three-run blast off Steve Rogers. In the 11th, the Pirates strung together three doubles, three singles, two walks and two Expo errors to plate seven times with Al Oliver and Bill Robinson banging out two-run raps. Manny Sanguillen had three hits and Richie Zisk chipped in two knocks and two walks. Pops had two hits and four RBI; Robinson also had a pair of raps and chased home three runners. Ken Brett was credited with the win, his only decision in six ‘75 relief outings.

1975 - 1B Derrek Lee was born in Sacramento, California. Lee was at the end of a 15-year career when the Bucs pried him from Baltimore for Aaron Baker in 2011 for the stretch run; the Pirates were just 4-½ games out of first and alive for the wild card at the deadline, then promptly did a faceplant. Derrek started on fire by hitting two homers in his first game, then broke his wrist. He did come back for 28 games in all, hitting .337. He didn’t actually retire at the end of the season, but said he was looking for the “perfect situation.” His final slice of hardball Eden never appeared: Lee spurned both Pittsburgh and the Yankees, then retired. 

1977 - Dale Berra stepped to the plate with two on and nobody out in the 11th and the plan was to bunt. But the Phils had the wheel play on and the Bucs had young Dale swing away. It paid off as his single to left was the walk-off bingo, scoring Al Oliver for a 5-4 Bucco win at TRS. Oliver had two hits, including a homer, with a walk. Winner Goose Gossage tossed two innings, set up by Kent Tekulve and Grant Jackson who put up zeroes in relief of Jerry Reuss.

1978 - The Pirates concluded a remarkable streak by winning their 21st game in 23 outings by a 4-1 score over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. It was their 11th straight victory, primed by Don Robinson’s five-hit, nine-whiff effort. The red hot finish was exciting but not quite enough, though, as the club finished the season in second, 1-1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.

Don Robinson - 1978 Topps

1978 - LHP Frank Brooks was born in Brooklyn. The Pirates picked him up from the Phils in 2003 as part of the Mike Williams deal. He worked through AA and AAA and got the call in 2004, going 0-1/4.76. His Bucco line was blown up by two bad outings of the 11 he made; in the other nine appearances he gave up just two runs. But he was waived, got in one more MLB game the following year with Atlanta and finished out his pro career in the indie leagues.

1982 - Willie Stargell had his #8 retired in front of 38‚052 fans at Three Rivers Stadium. He had earlier announced that this campaign was his last go-around, and was honored on “Willie Stargell Day.” The traffic jam for people trying to get to the event delayed both Cap’n Willie’s pre-game ceremony and the game, as did a congratulatory call from President Ronald Reagan. The 41-year-old slugger delivered a pinch single in the Pirates' 6-1 win over the Mets. Over his 21-year career with the Pirates, he hit .282 with 2,232 hits, 475 home runs & 1,540 RBI while his clubs won six NL East titles, two NL pennants and two World Series crowns. Pops was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1988 and was part of the first class of the Pirates HoF in 2022.

1990 - The Pirates completed a three-game brooming of the New York Mets at TRS with a 7-1 win to cap a stretch of six consecutive wins and extend their NL East lead to 3-1/2 games after beginning the streak 1/2 game back of NY. Rookie Randy Tomlin went wire-to-wire, spinning a three-hitter with six whiffs for his second MLB victory. A six-game losing streak a week later cut the edge to 1/2 game, but the Bucs took 11-of-14 at the end and won the title by four games.

1990 - RHP Mike York was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He started out as a rookie in 1990 for the Pirates, getting into four games with a 1-1/2.84 slash. York got a little more work with the Indians the following season after being traded for Mitch Webster and that was his MLB career. He did have a long shelf life in the minors, working on the farm from 1983-1998. But his Pirates stint was life changing. York was an alcoholic, and he got sober in Pittsburgh when the Bucs made his signing dependent on rehab with Sudden Sam McDowell, who after a lot of headbanging (Sam began by using a confrontational technique on York) finally got through to him, and the pair remain close to this day.

Mike York - 1991 Topps

1997 - Tony Womack went 4-for-4, scored three runs, drove in another and tied the club record with four stolen bases in Pittsburgh’s 13-4 win at Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field. Womack went on to lead the NL with 60 stolen bases that season. Shawon Dunston and Freddy Garcia added homers for the Bucs. The club scored three runs in the eighth and added four in the ninth to turn a squeaker into a laugher for Francisco Cordova. The Freak Show Pirates moved to within 2-1/2 games of the division-leading Houston Astros with the win over the Reds.

1998 - The Pirates snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 10th-inning walkoff homer by Jason Kendall to top the Cubs, 4-3, at TRS. Skipper Gene Lamont told Paul Meyer of the Post Gazette after the game that he had ironically told Kendall “Just don’t try to do too much. Don’t try for a home run. Just get a base hit. He doesn’t follow orders too well, I guess.” JK’s heroics were set up by Jose Guillen, who smacked a two-run homer to tie the game in the sixth. Chris Peters started with the victory going to Rich Loiselle.

2000 - The Pirates signed their third round draft pick, RHP Chris Young of Princeton, to a $1.65M contract. The 6’10” Young was an excellent college basketball center, but gave up the final two years of his Ivy League hoops career and a chance at the NBA draft when he accepted the lucrative Pittsburgh deal. Bucs GM Dave Littlefield traded him in 2002 to Montreal for RHP Matt Herges, a player they cut before camp broke. Young made his debut in 2004 and broke out in 2006-08, but a string of injuries that began in ‘08 scuttled his career; he’s now the Texas Rangers’ President of Baseball Operations.

2001 - 20,683 fans spun the turnstiles to set the Pirates season attendance record in PNC Park’s first year, eventually reaching 2,464,870 warm fannies to shatter the old 1991 mark of 2,065,302. That number has been topped just once, when they drew 2,498,596 in 2015. It didn’t help the cause much as the Buccos fell, 8-6, to the Reds and finished the year with a 62-100 record.

Lloyd McClendon - 2020 Topps Archives

2005 - Lloyd McClendon was let go as manager after posting a 336-446 (.430) record over five seasons. He was replaced by bench coach Pete Mackanin on an interim basis for the rest of the season, with Jim Tracy taking over the reins in 2006. Lloyd went on to become the manager for Seattle, then coach & acting/interim skipper for Detroit twice (he also managed the Tigers’ AAA Toledo club twice, too) while Pete later managed for the Reds and Phils.

2014 - The Pirates got 6-1/3 shutout innings from five different relievers to take a 5-3 victory in 11 innings to finish out a suspended game and then a 5-0 win in the scheduled contest against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Tony Watson and Mark Melancon each worked a pair of innings in the suspended match, with Mark the Shark getting the win and rookie John Holdzkom picking up the save. The Bucs iced the game, suspended from the previous night at 3-3, on a Josh Harrison single and Tony Sanchez sac fly. The nightcap was largely the work of Francisco Liriano, who worked six shutout frames with nine K, allowing only one runner to reach second. Andrew McCutchen led a balanced attack with three hits and Jordy Mercer had a pair of knocks, including a homer and two RBI.

2016 - The Pirates losing streak reached eight games with a brutal 9-7 loss to the Cardinals at PNC Park. St. Louis jumped ahead 5-0, but the Bucs rallied to take a 6-5 lead after a four-run fourth inning. Both bullpens had some shaky moments, but the score carried over into the ninth, when with two outs and facing an 0-2 count, Matt Carpenter hit a game-tying homer off Tony Watson, who then imploded, giving up a double followed by back-to-back homers. The Pittsburgh bright spot was Jung Ho Kang, who homered twice. The Bucs dropped 5-1/2 games behind the Redbirds in the race for the final wildcard with 26 games remaining and faded out of the race.

2022 - The Pirates had been playing dismal ball since the All Star break, posting a 10-30 record, but today the youngsters showed their potential at PNC Park as the Pirates defeated the Mets, 8-2. Winner Mitch Keller threw six shutout innings while Rodolfo Castro and Oneil Cruz homered (Cruz’s shot landed in the Allegheny on a hop; he finished the night a triple shy of the cycle). Adding to the pot were Jack Suwinski, who had a pair of knocks, Ke’Bryan Hayes, who was aboard twice while making a pair of glovely fielding plays, and vets Bryan Reynolds & Kevin Newman showing the way with B-Rey reaching base four times and K-Man scoring twice. The team was still in roster flux; Newman was dealt to Cincinnati and Castro was sent to Philadelphia the next season while Cruz was injured for most of the year with a broken leg suffered on a play at home.

9/5 Thru 1974: Blass Blast, Olivo Debut, Duelin', Al's Streak, Game Days, Hopp Away, Arriba TSN, The Hat SI, HBP Chris, Maz, Darby & Lefty

1883 - LHP Paul “Lefty” Leifield was born in Trenton, Illinois. From 1906 to 1911, Leifield was part of the Pirate starting rotation, winning 15 or more games each season. In 1909, he went 19-8 as Pittsburgh won the NL pennant. Lefty was a Bucco for eight years from 1905-12, and his Pirates line was 109-84/2.38 before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. In 1918, Leifield  became a player-coach for the St. Louis Browns, coaching full-time by 1920. Lefty helped take the 1922 Browns squad to the best season in team history with 93 wins (still a game shy of the Yankees who won the flag). He also coached for the Tigers and Red Sox.

1886 - 1B/3B Jimmy “Darby” Knowles was born in Toronto, Canada. He was a true journeyman, playing for six different teams during five MLB seasons from 1884-92. His Pittsburgh stop was in 1884 for the Alleghenies; he hit .231, was released in July and claimed by Brooklyn. Jimmy had a long minor league career that ended in 1897 as a 41-year-old player/manager.

1929 - Pittsburgh banged out a homer, two doubles and four three-baggers in a 10-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Redland Field. Lloyd Waner went 3-for-4 with two triples, two runs, and two RBI. His partner in crime was winning pitcher Erv Brame, who not only went the distance but also batted 3-for-4 with a homer, double, two runs scored and two runs chased home.

1936 - Bill Mazeroski was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. The Hall-of-Fame second baseman was one of the defensive wizards of his time and will be remembered forever in Pittsburgh baseball lore for his walk-off homer in the 1960 World Series. Maz had two high school fields named in his honor, belongs to several HoF’s, his number retired, a statue & street at PNC Park dedicated to him. Billy attended Pirates camp every spring as an instructor and Bucco keeper of the torch through 2020, when he was 83. He passed away in 2026 at the age of 89.

Al Lopez - 2023 Panini Prizm

1945 - The Bucs held a Honus Wagner night at Forbes Field. The Gunner MC’ed the pre-game ceremony which included old teammates, his Carnegie Elks buddies and an appearance by Al Schacht, the “Clown Prince of Baseball.” Al Lopez got some well-deserved love, too - it was his 1,794th game behind the dish, eclipsing Gabby Hartnett’s record of games caught. The Pirates could have used Hans back in the lineup, even if he was 71-years-old, as they lost to the Brooklyn Dodgers 5-3 in 10 innings before 19,504 faithful.

1950 - The Bronx Bombers bought 1B Johnny Hopp, who was second in the NL in hitting with a .340 mark, from the Pirates for an undisclosed amount of cash. Hopp was at the end of his career, and after 1950 he played as a bench piece through the 1952 season for New York and Detroit.

1958 - Bill Virdon hit a leadoff 10th-inning walkoff homer to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 win over Milwaukee in a classic pitching duel between the Braves Carlton Willey and George “Red” Witt, who tossed a five-hitter, at Forbes Field. They were both on cruise control; nobody advanced past second for either club until Virdon’s long ball. Red ran his record to 9-2 in front of 30,319 home fans. 

1960 - At the age of 41, LHP Diomedes Olivo made his MLB debut, pitching in relief of Harvey Haddix for the Pirates. The oldest rookie in NL history other than Satchel Paige, Olivo tossed two goose eggs against Milwaukee at Forbes Field, giving up a hit to Eddie Matthews and a pair of walks. The Bucs lost 7-1, splitting a doubleheader with the Braves after chasing Warren Spahn in a 9-7 win earlier in the day. Diomedes was in the show until 1963 between the Pirates and Cardinals while his brother Chi-Chi also pitched for four years for Milwaukee/Atlanta.

Diomedes Olivo - 1980 TCMA 1960 Pirates

1960 - LHP Chris Green was born in Los Angeles. The Bucs’ 1979 fourth-round pick, his MLB stay consisted of four games with the 1984 Pirates, giving up two runs in three frames. The Kentucky pitcher was sent from 1985 spring training to AAA Hawaii. He spent 1986 in his hometown Angels system and his last pro year was in ‘87 with the Baltimore Oriole organization.

1964 - Roberto Clemente was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Confidant Corsair.” Though the Pirates were a disappointing 80-82, Roberto led the NL with 211 hits, a .339 BA, an All-Star selection and Golden Glove award.

1966 - Harry “The Hat” Walker’s mug graced the cover of Sports Illustrated for the story “Pittsburgh Pirates: Very Good to Excellent,” teased as “The High Price of a Pennant.” It ended up that they were just very good; they finished 92-70, three games behind the LA Dodgers.

1969 - Steve Blass and the Pirates beat the Cubs, 9-2. Blass helped his own cause with his only MLB homer, a three-run blast off Ken Holtzman, and went 4-for-5 at the dish. His kryptonite was Billy Williams, who had all four Chicago hits, including two homers. The win was Pittsburgh's first at Wrigley Field since July 5, 1968, ending a string of 13 straight losses at the Addison Street yard.

1971 - The Pirates flexed their muscles in an 8-2 win over the Expos at TRS. Rennie Stennett was a triple shy of the cycle as was Pops, who had a homer & two-bagger among his three hits. Milt May added a long ball and Richie Hebner doubled & tripled. Billy Maz celebrated his B-Day with a pinch hit rap as Bruce Kison rolled to his fifth win with Ramon Hernandez mopping up. There were a combined 20 hits and seven walks, yet the game was done in 2:20.

9/5 From 1975: B-Rey Bop, Maz Statue, Ohlie Immac, Cutch 6x20, Reggies #30, Roberto's 20th, Double Your Fun, Jerry-0, Game Days, HBD Jason, Pablo & Hot Rod

1975 - Montreal used a record 15 pinch hitters in their doubleheader split with the Pirates at Parc Jarry. The Expos claimed the opener 4-3 in 10 innings when Kent Tekulve walked in the winning run (he had a tough inning with two walks, two more intentional passes, a wild pitch and passed ball). Pittsburgh won the nitecap 5-2 behind Richie Hebner’s two RBI, Willie Randolph’s two runs scored and a Captain Willie homer. Les Expos used six pinch-hitters in the first game, though none in the decisive 10th frame, and nine in the second contest. 

1975 - C Rod Barajas was born in Ontario, California. Rod played for a dozen seasons, closing out his career in 2012 in Pittsburgh. He hit .206 in 104 games and surrendered 93 stolen sacks in 99 tries after signing a $4M free agent contract at age 36. Hot Rod was signed in ‘13 and then released by the Arizona D-Backs in camp, enjoyed a R&R year, then coached and managed for the San Diego Padres. He’s now a coach for the Texas Rangers.

1978 - Jerry Reuss extended his scoreless streak to 21-1/3 IP, the bottom four in the Bucco order generated the attack, and the Pirates won their 10th game in a row (and 22-of-25) by an 8-0 count over the Mets at TRS. Reuss tossed a complete-game four-hitter while the 5-8 hitters (Phil Garner, Manny Sanguillen, Dale Berra & Duffy Dyer) combined for seven hits, six RBI and three runs scored as the Bucs got within 1/2-game of the first place Phillies. Dan Donovan of the Pittsburgh Press called the Pirates current hot streak their “Resurrection stretch” though they still finished second to the Phils. Cherry on top: Ed Ott was named the NL Player of the Week after hitting .417.

1990 - The Pirates beat the second-place Mets 1-0 and 3-1 at TRS before 49,713 fans to open a 2-1/2 game lead over New York in the NL East. Zane Smith pitched a one-hitter in the twilight twin bill opener for the Bucs (he gave up a single to the game’s first batter, a walk in the third and fanned seven) while Neal Heaton won the nitecap with help from Bob Kipper and Ted Power. Barry Bonds drove in the first game’s only run in the ninth against John Franco by banging a deep fly over the drawn-in outfield (the bases were loaded with one out) to single home Gary Redus for the walkoff win. Jeff King homered twice in the nightcap to account for all three Bucco runs. Pittsburgh swept all five of its doubleheaders that season to help them to capture their first division crown since 1979, fending off the New York Mets by four games.

Jeff King - 1990 Topps

1991 - While presenting her Six-Year Development Plan address, Mayor Sophie Masloff said that the City would like to build a 44,000 seat baseball stadium “...so we will finish the job of securing the Pirates’ future in this City.” She planned to locate it on the North Shore, to be ready by the turn of the century, and wanted to call it Clemente Field. She may not have got all the details right, but provided the impetus, often against stiff opposition, for the eventual building of PNC Park, which was pushed through by her successor, Mayor Tom Murphy.

1992 - The Pirates held a 20th Anniversary Night to honor Roberto Clemente at TRS, with Vera and her three sons, NL Commissioner Bill White and a dozen former teammates as part of the program. During the pregame ceremony, the team announced plans to erect a statue of Arriba at the Gate A entrance of the ballyard, to be dedicated before the 1994 All Star game (Susan Wagner’s “The Great One” bronze was dedicated to kick off All-Star week on July 8, 1994). Pittsburgh Brewing started the financial ball rolling by donating $25,000 toward the estimated $400 K cost of the project. 38,143 fans attended the game, which the Pirates won over the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 behind Bob Walk’s complete-game six-hitter to cap a seven-game winning streak. Barry Bonds homered and drove in three runs while Jeff King banged out three hits.

1993 - Utilityman Pablo Reyes was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. After batting .289 at Indianapolis in 2018, he was among the first wave of call-ups. He’s one of the Swiss Army knife-type players the Pirates value, having played both middle infield positions and the outfield for the Tribe. He got his first MLB start on September 4th, one day shy of his 25th birthday, and collected two hits, including his first MLB knock. He faded in 2019, spent the next year in the Dominican League and after stints with Milwaukee, Boston and the Mets, he last played in the show with the Yankees in ‘25 and is now in the Angels system.

1995 - OF Jason Martin was born in Corona, California. He was an eighth-round draft pick of Houston in 2013, straight out of high school, and joined the Pirates in 2018 as part of the Gerrit Cole trade. He was called up in 2019, probably before his time; Martin only had 60 AAA & 68 AA games under his belt as a 23-year-old, mainly due to injuries, before he was promoted. He hit .250 off the bench in 20 games, rejoined Indy, and then broke camp with the Bucs in 2020. Jason spent most of the year in the minors and was in the LA Angels’ organization through 2024; he’s now a free agent.

Jason Martin - 2019 Topps Update

2000 - Manager Gene Lamont strongly denied an LA Times rumor that the Pirates and Dodgers were discussing a C Jason Kendall for C Angel Pena/RHP Mike Judd deal, saying the return was too low and that he felt that there was a good chance of Kendall working out a new contract with the Pirates. The Times was wrong and Gene was right: on November 18th, Kendall signed a six-year contract extension worth $60M and remained with the Pirates through 2004.

2003 - Reggie Sanders became just the sixth right-handed hitting Pirate to homer 30 or more times in a season with his solo homer in the seventh inning in the first game of a doubleheader at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium. Sanders joined Ralph Kiner (six times), Frank Thomas (twice), and one-timers Dick Stuart, Jeff King and Aramis Ramirez to accomplish the feat. Later, Jason Bay (2005) and Andrew McCutchen (2012) joined the club. Reggie’s long fly tied the opener against the Bravos, which the Bucs eventually lost 3-2 in 10 innings. The Pirates squared things up in the nightcap 5-3 behind Craig Wilson’s three-run homer and Jeff Reboulet’s solo shot. Reliever Mark Corey split fifty-fifty on the day, losing the first game but coming back to win the second contest.

2009 - In the seventh inning of the Pirates' 2-1 loss to St. Louis at PNC Park, Ross Ohlendorf tossed the Bucs’ second-ever “immaculate inning,” striking out the side on nine pitches. He fanned Kevin Greene, Julio Logo and Jason LaRue, all who were thrown out at first after swinging at pitches in the dirt. Jeff Robinson was the first to complete the feat for the Bucs in 1987 against the Cubs while Juan Nicasio became the third Pirate to toss an immaculate inning in 2016. In 2023, both Colin Holderman (Tampa Bay, 5/4) & Johan Oviedo (Texas, 5/24) added their names to the membership list. Ohlie’s effort - he struck out 11 overall - went for naught when Albert Pujols bopped a 10th-inning pinch-hit homer off Matt Capps.

2007 - A 1909 T206 American Tobacco baseball card of Honus Wagner was sold for an at-the-time record $2.8M to an anonymous buyer. The card is such a rarity because Wagner refused to license his image to the tobacco company, and only between 50-200 of the cards were ever printed. It was a pretty good investment vehicle; in 2022, a Hans T206 sold for $7.25M.

Billy Maz Statue - photo Pgh Murals

2010 - Bill Mazeroski’s statue was dedicated at PNC Park outside the RF gate, located on Mazeroski Way (it was the former Avenue of the Pirates, renamed in Maz’s honor in 2001) and unveiled on his 74th birthday. Pittsburgh sculptor Susan Wagner shaped the likeness of Maz on his 1960 home run trot. Susan also created the Clemente and Stargell monuments for PNC Park. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in the lineup that afternoon and the Bucs were whipped by the Nats.

2016 - Andrew McCutchen went deep for the second time in three games and for the 20th time during the campaign, joining Ralph Kiner, Frank Thomas and Willie Stargell as Pirates who hit at least 20 home runs in six consecutive seasons. It was to no avail; the St Louis Cards spanked the Pirates at PNC on Labor Day by a football-like tally of 12-6 as Adam Wainwright won the game (did he ever lose to Pittsburgh?), helping himself with two hits and three RBI.

2021 - Bryan Reynolds had four hits, including a grand slam, four RBI, three runs scored and a swiped base while Yoshi Tsutsugo homered for the seventh time in 42 at bats to set a Bucco record for long balls swatted to start a Pittsburgh career, but it wasn’t enough to save the Pirates, who were swept by the Cubs in a four-game set at Wrigley, 11-8. The Bucs burned through seven pitchers while dropping their sixth straight contest and losing for the eighth time in nine outings. Their record dropped to 48-89, after posting the MLB’s worst record (19-41) in 2020. The Cubs topped B-Rey - they banged a pair of grannies, making it the fifth game in MLB history that featured three grand slam homers.

9/4 Through The 1960s: Boppin', Bro Act, Double-0, Fred & Hans Hot, Game Days, TSN Deacon, HBD Jackrabbit & Herky-Jerky

1869 - RHP Elmer “Herky Jerky” Horton was born in Hamilton, Ohio. He made three MLB starts to fill his big league resume, two with the 1896 Pirates. He went 0-2, giving up 16 runs in 15 innings, with the second game coming after two days' rest (he also lost his final start in 1898, 12-3, as a member of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms). Herky started his pro journey in 1895 for Terre Haute and played through 1905, spending his last few seasons with New York-based teams, near his Lake Oneida home. His nickname came from his twitchy pitching delivery.

1875 - OF Jack “Jackrabbit” Gilbert was born in Rhinecliff, New York. The small and speedy (hence his moniker) Jackrabbit played three games in 1898 between the Washington Senators and New York Giants. Gilbert went to the minors where he swiped 182 bases between 1897-1900 (records are incomplete beyond that). He got one more call to the majors in 1904, appearing in 25 games for Pittsburgh as a left fielder. It wasn’t exactly the fast track to job security; the Pirates had future Hall of Famer Fred Clarke starting in left field, and Fred was also the manager of the team. Jack didn’t return (hitting .241 with three steals in six tries didn’t help his cause) and played in the minors afterward, hanging on through 1910 when the Jackrabbit was an ol’ gray hare of 34.

1890 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys snapped a 23-game losing streak and a stretch where the club lost 33-of-34 games with a 6-2 win over the Cleveland Spiders at Recreation Park. 2B Sam LaRocque had a pair of knocks and Dave Anderson notched the win. It didn’t reverse their fortunes; they dropped 20 of the last 23 games to finish 23-113. From July 3rd forward (when they had their final winning streak of the year of three in a row), they were 6-66. Local hurler Billy Gumbert (his brother Ad also pitched later for Pittsburgh) led the staff with four wins.

1901 - The Buccos swept the NY Giants at the Polo Grounds by 12-6 and 10-3 scores. Their big guns carried the day: Fred Clarke collected eight hits (five runs scored, four RBI), Hans Wagner posted six raps (six RBI, two runs) and Ginger Beaumont added five knocks (four runs scored) as the Pirates collected 34 hits during the afternoon. Jesse Tannehill went the distance to claim the lidlifter; Happy Jack Chesbro won the nightcap. Pittsburgh and New York were rivals for much of the early 20th century, but this was the Pirates year - they claimed the NL flag with 90 wins to earn their first championship after finishing second in 1900, although there was no official World Series until 1903. 

Chief Wilson - Helmar Imperial Cabinet

1908 - With two outs and the Pirates-Cubs in a scoreless 10th-inning tie at Exposition Park, Chief Wilson singled to center with the bases juiced, scoring Fred Clarke with the winning run for Vic Willis, who tossed a four-hitter. Doc Gill, on first base, saw Clarke score, and pulled a u-turn toward the clubhouse before touching second (which, while lazy, was a common enough practice by the players back in the day). The Cubs' Johnny Evers then ran over and tagged second base to claim (properly) a run-preventing force out on Gill. But the lone umpire, Hank O'Day, had already left the field and Chi-town protested the game to no avail. Charley Murphy, the Cubs president, told Pirates beat man Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press that “I do not expect the protest will be allowed, but it certainly is a strong one and should prove a strong argument in favor of the double-umpire system” instead of the single arbitrator currently in use. Three weeks later on September 23rd, Evers did get a force call in roughly the same situation against the NY Giants’ Fred Merkle, and that play, which impacted the pennant race, became forever known as “Merkle’s Boner.” As fate would have it, O’Day was the umpire for that game, too.

1916 - The Pirates swept the Cards at Forbes Field behind some stellar pitching. Frank Miller threw a four-hit whitewash in the opener, winning 7-0 as the Redbirds shot themselves in the foot with four errors that led to three unearned Bucco runs. Wilbur Cooper followed by spinning his own four-hit shutout, taking a 2-0 decision. Carson Bigbee went 3-for-4 with an RBI, a double and a stolen base while Coop helped himself by driving in the other run.

1919 - Pittsburgh was up in a 1-0 pitching duel between the Bucs Babe Adams and the Cubs Speed Martin going into the ninth at Forbes Field before the bats woke up. Chicago put up three runs in the final frame (with two outs!), and the Pirates came right back with a pair, kept alive by a two-out misthrow by Chi-town that should have ended the game. The boot later allowed Fred Nicholson to tie the game on a mad dash from second to home on an infield single. In the extra frame, Possum Whitted proved the hero when he tripled on a deep fly that was lost in the sun and then scored on Walter Barbare’s squeeze. Wilbur Cooper pitched the tenth to get credit for the win.

1927 - Lloyd and Paul Waner became MLB’s first brothers to hit home runs in the same game, a feat called an “odd brother stunt” by Press writer Ed Balinger. They pulled off the feat in the same inning when Lloyd led off the fifth frame with his second home run of the season, and an out later Paul followed with his ninth dinger, both off the Reds’ Dolf Luque. Neither long ball would have counted today as each cleared the fence on a hop, then considered a home run but now a ground-rule double, as Pittsburgh defeated Cincinnati at Redland Field, 8-4. The Waners were among six Bucs to have two or more hits, with Johnny Gooch’s three hits/RBIs leading the way for Vic Aldridge’s complete game win. The dub gave the Bucs a two-game lead in the NL race, and they would go on to win the flag, only to be swept by the Yankees legendary “Murderers’ Row.” The Waners would repeat the feat in 1929 in different innings and 1938, going back-to-back.

The Waners - 1927 Press photo

1948 - With an off date during a Labor Day week home stand, the Pirates added to the Allegheny County Fair festivities by playing an exhibition against the Second Army club at the South Park Fairgrounds. Both papers passed on the game story but reported a Bucco victory.

1954 - The Pirates sent 1B Jack Phillips to the Chicago White Sox for IF Jim Baumer and cash; neither guy ever played for the club they were sent to. Baumer tread water in Pittsburgh’s farm system (he did play a handful of games for the Reds in 1960) and finished his career with a five-year stint in Japan. Phillips had hit .264 with the Bucs over four years before being dealt, but the CWS stashed him in the minors. He resurfaced in 1955 with Detroit, batting .301 in two seasons and a game (he played one last MLB contest in 1957 at the age of 35).

1964 - Bill Mazeroski and Donn Clendenon led a 16-hit Bucco attack as the Pirates downed the Houston Colt .45s 10-2 at Forbes Field. The dynamic duo went 6-for-9, combining for seven RBI and three runs scored. Bill Virdon also had three knocks, with Bob Bailey and Roberto Clemente chipping in with a pair each. Bob Veale went the distance to breeze along to his 15th victory.

1965 - Vernon Law was featured on the cover of The Sporting News. He won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award that season with a 17-9/2.15 slash in 29 games at age 35. The Deacon won 12 more games in 1966, but faded in ‘67, his final campaign, and retired to a coaching career.

1967 - The Pirates pounded out 32 hits in sweeping a Busch Stadium twinbill from the Cards by 10-8 and 9-3 scores. Manny Mota led the parade with five hits, four runs and five RBI during the day; Willie Stargell also collected five knocks. Billy Mazeroski had four hits (two doubles & a homer) and four RBI while Maury Wills added four more hits & plated three times. Dennis Ribant won the first game in relief of Bob Veale with Juan Pizarro getting the save; Steve Blass got the win in the nightcap with Pizarro collecting his second save of the day.

9/4 From 1970: Bell-Ringer, Coast Cruise, Lee Debut, Bo Bomb, 10 In-A-Row, Scoops Smokin', Bootball, Game Days

1970 - In the midst of a heated pennant race, the Bucs were ahead of the Phils 4-1 in the seventh frame when a drizzle fell. The TRS automatic tarp came halfway up and then quit. The result was that the remainder of the game was pushed back to the next night as the Cubs slid into a first place tie with the Pirates with a win over Mets. The Bucs and Steve Blass held on to take the makeup 4-3 the next night, then won the regulation contest behind rookie Fred Cambria 6-4 to move 1-1/2 games ahead of Chicago. It was Cambria’s only MLB win as an arm injury cut his career short, leading him to retire in 1973. The Bucs captured the NL East flag by five games only to be swept by the Reds in the NLCS.

1971 - The Bucs mishandled five balls, but still won 7-6 over the Montreal Expos in 11 innings at TRS. The Expos clanged their mitts four themselves as six of the game’s 13 runs were unearned. Pittsburgh won on an oddball rally. Rennie Stennett singled and went to second when Gene Clines was HBP by Mike Marshall. Marshall picked Stennett off second, and during the same at-bat, had Clines picked off first, but Ron Fairly mishandled the throw. Instead of being out, Clines ended up on second where he scored the winning run on Vic Davalillo’s knock.

1972 - Steve Blass threw a five-hit shutout for his 16th win and was followed by Bruce Kison, who also tossed a five-hitter while surrendering one run as the Bucs rolled over the Phils in a twin bill at TRS, 10-0 and 5-1. Al Oliver had four hits in the lid lifter, smacking two homers while scoring four runs and driving home six tallies. Vic Davalillo added four more raps and touched home three times. In the nightcap, Willie Stargell, who had five hits in the two games, banged a triple and homer to chase home two runs that gave him a league-leading 108 RBI. Kison helped himself with a two-run double in the seventh to give himself elbow room.

1976 - The Pirates put up three runs in the ninth, then held off the Expos 5-3 at Parc Jarry for their 10th straight win. The Bucs ninth inning was sparked by a two-run hit from Omar Moreno, who later scored on a wild pitch. Kent Tekulve gave up a score in the ninth and faced the tying run in Larry Parrish, but retired the slugger on a fly to center to pick up a save for Dave Giusti. Montreal had 13 hits, but were thwarted by four DP balls. The Bucs dropped the next match to end the streak, but stayed hot, winning eight of the next 11 games.

Doe Boyland - 1978 Topps

1978 - In his first major league at-bat, Dorian “Doe” Boyland struck out while sitting on the bench. The Pirates rookie was yanked with a 1-2 count after the Mets made a pitching change in the seventh frame, replacing Skip Lockwood with Kip Kobel. Pinch hitter Rennie Stennett took Boyland’s place in the box as Chuck Tanner played the match-up game. Rennie completed the K, charged against Boyland, by watching strike three go by during the first game of a Bucco doubleheader sweep of NY at TRS, rolling sevens in 7-4 & 7-0 wins. The victories put the Bucs one game out of first. They would finish the year in second, 1-1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.

1982 - Lee Tunnell got his first MLB start (and appearance, for that matter) as a replacement for John Candelaria, whose shoulder was tight, and took full advantage. Tunnell outpitched Fernando Valenzuela in a 1-0 win over Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium when Lee Lacy’s first inning homer stood as the game’s only score. Tunnell left in the eighth with a blister; Rod Scurry and Kent Tekulve finished up to preserve Lee’s first big league victory. It was also Willie Stargell Day in LA, with Pops being honored and gifted by the Dodgers in front of his parents as part of his unofficial retirement tour.

1990 - Led by Bobby Bonilla with a homer and five RBI, the Bucs took over first place and held on to it for the rest of the campaign after beating the Phils 11-7 at TRS. Pittsburgh only needed 10 hits to go with three walks for the 11 runs, with five of the knocks for extra bases (Carmelo Martinez joined Bo in the HR circle) and they stranded just four runners. Bob Walk was chased after two frames, but Mike York, Bill Landrum and Bob Patterson held Philly to one earned run the rest of the way, with Bob working the last three innings to save Bill’s victory.

1991 - The Pirates beat the Giants at Candlestick Park behind John Smiley, 8-3. For Smiley, it was win #17 on the way to a 20-8 campaign, and for the Bucs, it concluded a West Coast trip that saw them win 7-of-8 contests and increase their lead over St. Louis from four games up before the road trip to eight at its finish, pretty much putting to bed the race for the NL East flag. New Pittsburgh 3B Steve Buechele homered and had three RBI while Andy Van Slyke and Chico Lind each chased home another pair of runs to give Smiley plenty of elbow room.

Steve Buechele - 1991 Upper Deck

1991 - The MLB Committee For Statistical Accuracy deleted Harvey Haddix’s 12-inning perfect game from the list of perfectos while removing the asterisk from Roger Maris’ 61-homer year. In The Kitten’s case, the committee ruled that a pitcher had to “complete the game” to get credit, no matter how many innings. Haddix's terse response to the slap, according to Albert Chen of Sports Illustrated, was "It's OK; I know what I did."

1992 - Pittsburgh rallied for a 6-5 win against the LA Dodgers at TRS. Randy Tomlin allowed one unearned run in eight innings, turning over a 3-1 lead to Roger Mason in the ninth, but he and Bob Patterson, who gave up a two-out grand salami to Todd Benzinger, flipped a two-run lead into a two-run deficit. But the Bucs answered with three runs in their half off three Angelino pitchers, winning the game on Don Slaught’s pinch-hit, walkoff single that scored Orlando Merced. Andy Van Slyke stroked three doubles while Jay Bell homered to lead the attack.

2017 - Josh Bell set a NL record for the most home runs by a rookie switch-hitter with his 24th homer as the Pirates shut out the Cubs at PNC Park, 12-0. Josh had three hits and four RBI. Max Moroff also went yard with three hits/four RBI and Cutch added a solo shot while every Buc starter other than the pitcher had a multi-hit game. And the hurler held up his end from the hill - Chad Kuhl cruised to victory, giving up four hits with eight punchouts over seven frames. The shutout was the largest by the Bucs against the Cubs since a 22-0 shellacking in 1975.