6/18 Through 1964: Romps & Rallies, Don Debut, The Law Won, Riddle-Robin, Sluggin' Smith, Youngs Swapped, Game Days, HBD Ron, Newt, Chipper, Ben & Pepper

1888 - SS Marty “Pepper” Berghammer was born in Elliot (now a Pittsburgh West End neighborhood). Marty had a couple of years with the Reds before joining the Pittsburgh Rebels in 1915 and batting .243 (although 83 walks and 12 plunks brought his OBP up to .371). He went to St. Paul later in the season and played a decade for them, finishing out his career in 1929 after a run as a minor league manager. He stayed local and was buried in Elliot’s St. Martin’s Cemetery.

1893 - 1B/C Ben Shaw was born in La Center, Kentucky. Ben’s MLB career was a short sip of water, lasting for four months and 23 games with the Pirates from 1917-18 while batting .184. He managed some in the late 20s-early 30s in the low levels of the farm and also played a year for the NFL champs, the Canton Bulldogs, in 1923, so Ben was more than a one-sport pony.

1890 - RHP George “Chippy” Britt (aka Brittain & Britton) was born in Macon, Georgia. He pitched for the Homestead Grays from 1926-33 and again in 1940, earning one all-star appearance; the stats on his career are wildly incomplete. He played with 16 teams from 1917 to 1945 and manned every position on days that he wasn’t on the hill. His nickname was well-deserved. Per Baseball Reference “He was known as one of black baseball's ‘four big bad men’ along with Jud Wilson, Oscar Charleston and Vic Harris, and someone once said ‘he could whip the whole ballclub.’ In Mexico City, he once was declared ‘Public Enemy Number One’ when he challenged some armed revolutionaries in the crowd.” (A gentler alternate version claims he got his nickname because he called everyone Chippy). When Britt retired, he took a job as a nightclub doorman, a point for the original attitude basis of his nickname...

1896 - 1B Newt Halliday was born in Chicago. Newt’s major league days consisted of one Bucco outing in 1916 as a 20-year-old when he got a couple of innings in at first after Honus Wagner tweaked his leg mid-game, handling four chances flawlessly, and batting once (he K’ed). It would be Newt’s sole big league moment. He joined the Navy in 1917 during the WW1 fight, and contracted tuberculosis while in training camp. He died from the disease at the age of 21, becoming one of eight big leaguers to perish while in the military during the war.

Irv Young - 1908 Conlan Collection/Detroit Public Library

1908 - The Buccos sent young righties Tom McCarthy and Harley Young to the Boston Doves for vet LHP Irv “Young Cy” Young (Harley was also a “Cy.”) Irv was supposed to bolster an already formidable pitching staff (Vic Willis, Nick Maddox, Lefty Leifield, Howie Camnitz and Sam Leever) and though he tossed well (4-3-1/2.01), he ended up a swingman and was sold to the minor league Minneapolis Millers after the season. He finished his career tossing for the White Sox in 1910-11 and toiled on the farm through 1916. The Pirate pups had a short MLB shelf life - McCarthy lasted two more seasons, and Harley Young’s final year was 1909. 

1927 - Continuing a feud that dated back to Pirate C Earl Smith's days with the Braves, Smith dropped Boston manager Dave Bancroft with a right to the kisser after they jawed in the seventh inning. Bancroft was carried off the field, and Smith drew a $500 fine and a 30-day suspension. The Pirates won 7-4 at Forbes Field. Smith went 1-for-2 before being ejected (Johnny Gooch was his replacement), with Ray Kremer earning the victory.

1932 - Minor league legend RHP Ron Necciai was born in Gallatin, Fayette County. In 1952, Necciai struck out 27 batters while throwing a 7-0 no-hitter for the Bristol Twins, followed in his next outing by a two-hit, 24 K performance. The Bucs called him up later from Class A, but the 20-year-old Necciai posted at 1-6/7.08 with 31 strikeouts in 54-2/3 IP from August 10th to September 28th, 1952, the span of his entire big league career. He went into the service in 1953, and never played again in MLB as chronic ulcers and a torn rotator cuff ended his run.

1941 - Local boxer Billy Conn fought Joe Louis at New York City's Polo Grounds in a legendary slugfest for the heavyweight championship. The Pirates and the New York Giants, playing at Forbes Field, were called into their dugouts while the 24,738 fans in attendance listened to the radio broadcast of the 56-minute bout. The game resumed after the bout, went 11 innings and was called with the score tied 2-2 at 1:10 AM. It was decided on August 3rd as part of a twin bill that NY swept, so it didn’t end up a very good night for Pittsburgh fans.

Wally Westlake - 1949 Pirates Postcard

1948 - The Pirates spoiled Robin Roberts' five-hit debut, beating the Phils' rookie 2-0 at Shibe Park behind Elmer Riddle’s five-hitter. Wally Westlake homered and Frankie Gustine singled home Ed Fitz Gerald for the Bucco runs. But Roberts was in the show to stay. He lasted 19 years, won 286 games (40 against the Pirates) and entered the Hall of Fame.

1954 - Lefty Warren Spahn, who would win 21 games during the year, took on Vern Law at Forbes Field, and the Deacon did the heavy lifting (with help from CF Dick Hall) during the Buccos 2-1 walkoff win. He tossed a three-hitter against the Braves (Spahn gave up just five raps) and drove in the game-winner with a two-out, bases-loaded blooper up the right field line after the eighth hole hitter, Hall, had been intentionally walked to get to Law. Gail Allie had driven in the duel’s first run in the eighth inning when Hall scored from second with a slide that knocked the ball from C Del Crandall’s mitt. Milwaukee came right back to knot it when Billy Bruton, on second after a walk and bunt, came all the way around on a Hank Aaron fly to the 436’ mark in right center that the busy Hall pulled in with his back to the infield, allowing the speedster Bruton to beat relay home.

1960 - The Bucs were down 3-0 in the ninth inning at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with two outs and Gino Cimoli down to his last swing, behind in the count 1-2. Cimoli kept the Bucs alive when he eked out an infield hit to ignite a fast to ignite a furious comeback against the Dodgers. Hal Smith homered to cut the lead to one. Then Don Hoak singled, Maz walked and Smoky Burgess tied the game with another knock. Smith was the hero again in the 10th frame, banging a ground ball single to left off Larry Sherry that brought home Roberto Clemente to give the Bucs an in-and-out of the jaws of death 4-3 win. ElRoy Face got the win.

1961 - C Don Leppert made his MLB debut a memorable one with a homer off the first pitch he faced as a big league ballplayer against Curt Simmons in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field in the opener of a twin bill. The feat wouldn’t be duplicated by another Bucco until 2012 when Starling Marte lifted one over the wall off Houston’s Dallas Keuchel at Minute Maid Park. The Bucs dropped the nightcap of the bargain bill by a 7-3 count.

1964 - The Pirates took no prisoners against the New York Mets, winning 10-0 at Forbes Field. Willie Stargell banged two hits, including a four-bagger, and had four RBI while Donn Clendenon went 3-for-4 with an inside-the-park homer and a double to back Vern Law. The Deacon tossed a three-hit shutout with five whiffs and no walks to even his record at 5-5.

6/18 From 1965: Trevor Gem, Sheriff Charlie, 8 Straight, Giusti Start, Late Lumber, Squeakin', Dock Debut, Roberto TSN, Cox Inked, HBD JB

1966 - Roberto Clemente was a cover story (“Some Swinger”) for The Sporting News, tucked between Sandy Koufax and Juan Marichal, who were also featured (pretty good company!). The blurb was a little misleading. The actual article was written by local TSN correspondent and Pittsburgh Press beat writer Les Biederman, titled "Clemente Uses Bat to Send ‘All Well’ Message to Family." Roberto’s stick authored quite a healthy tale - The Great One won the National League's MVP Award that season, hitting .317 with 29 home runs and 119 RBIs, to beat The Left Arm Of God by 10 votes.

1968 - Dock Ellis got a win in his major league debut as the Pirates came from behind twice to beat the LA Dodgers 3-2 in 10 innings at Forbes Field. Don Drysdale and Bob Moose started the affair that was decided when Matty Alou, batting cleanup, singled home Maury Wills, who had reached on an infield single and extended his hitting streak to 15 games. The Bucs tied the game in the eighth when Willie Stargell smacked a solo shot. Dock gave up a hit and notched a K in a scoreless 10th inning for the win. It was Pittsburgh’s seventh straight victory.

1968 - Pittsburgh signed a 40-year lease with Bradenton to hold its spring training there beginning in 1969. The town promised the Pirates a stadium, motel, and field complex over 160 acres; in turn, the Bucs promised to hold spring training there, sponsor a GCL Rookie team and hold winter Instructional League competition there. The pairing worked out pretty well for both parties and continues. The ballpark and minor league complex underwent $20 million in renovations after a new 30-year lease with the city was signed in 2008, so Pirates City with its Bradenton Marauders, GCL team and instructional league will continue to soak up the Sunshine State rays for the foreseeable future.

1971 - The Pirates stormed back in the late innings to force the Montreal game into extra time and eventually took home a 9-8 Friday night victory at Three Rivers Stadium. The Pirates scored twice in the eighth on Al Oliver’s two-out single and four more times in the ninth when Bill Mazeroski singled home a run followed by back-to-back homers from Dave Cash and Richie Hebner off Mike Marshall. Cash had the walkoff winner when he singled home Gene Clines, who had led off the 11th frame with a triple off Claude Raymond, making the Bucs fourth pitcher, Dave Giusti, the winner.

1973 - Dock Ellis was in command as he led the Bucs to a 3-1 win over the Cubs at TRS. The Docktor gave up just three hits, fanned eight and mowed down the last 18 Windy City batters for the complete game decision. The win came on the heels of a 12-of-14 games losing streak that prompted manager Bill Virdon to add some extra juice to his usual pre-game meeting with the club. The Pirates outhit the Cubs 12-3 but couldn’t wring a lead from Fergie Jenkins until back-to-back homers by Richie Hebner and Bob Robertson in the sixth.

Dave Giusti - 6/19/1974 Press photo/Edwin Morgan

1974 - Dave Giusti was tapped for his first start since 1970 after an injury to Larry Demery and spun seven shutout innings in a 2-0 win against the LA Dodgers at TRS. He had made 270 straight appearances from the pen prior to this game. Later, he also got to toss the second game of a twin bill against the Montreal Expos on July 4th, also at Three Rivers, and got no decision after seven innings of two-run, seven-hit ball in a game that Bruce Kison won in relief, 3-2. Dave returned to the pen for the rest of his career after that outing. But he wasn’t just pulled out of a hat: the Pirates had converted him to a relief role after he had spent several years as a starter for the Astros and split time as a reliever/starter for the Cardinals.

1987 - OF JB Shuck was born in Westerville, Ohio. He signed with the Bucs as a free agent in January, 2019, after six seasons as mainly a bench piece in the majors. He broke camp with the team and was used as a defense-first outfielder and even pitched once, but after batting .213, he was sent to AAA Indy to serve as insurance in May. 2019 was his last MLB campaign, and his latest minor league contract with the Nats ended up in a 2020 release. 

1992  - The Pirates signed recently released 32-year-old RHP Danny Cox as a depth FA and stashed him in Buffalo. They called him up in mid-August and he pitched pretty well in 24 outings from the pen, posting a 3-1-3/3.33 line and then working two shutout appearances against the Braves in the NLCS. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays during the off season and remained with them until he hung up the spikes following the 1995 campaign.

2003 - The Pirates showed the Expos how to run away with a game and in the next breath, how to come back to snatch a victory in a twinbill sweep at PNC Park. They put away the opener in the middle innings, winning 7-3 behind a 13-hit, three homer assault. Jeff D’Amico worked the opening six frames for the win. The nightcap was a different story. Montreal took a 3-2 lead in the ninth on a solo shot, but the Bucs had an answer. They loaded the bases with one away, and pinch hitter Jason Kendall iced the cake by shooting a two-run double into the LF gap to give Salomon Torres, who was looking at a loss after surrendering the homer in the top half, a win instead.

2010 - The sad sack Pirates lost their 12th straight game by a 4-3 count to the almost equally inept Cleveland Indians at PNC Park. All the scoring was in the seventh inning, with the Bucs scoring on a bases-loaded double by Ryan Church to almost-but-not-quite-answer the Tribe uprising. The Pirates came back to take the next two games from the Indians, followed by a six-game losing streak. They totaled eight five-or-more-loss strings during the year.

Charlie Morton - 2013 Topps Update

2013 - After a defeat at Cincy during which Andrew McCutchen was HBP and Neil Walker was knocked down, Charlie Morton manned up and plunked the first Red to step to plate, then led the Bucs to a 4-0 win at GABP. Morton and three relievers combined on a four-hitter. The Bucs scored three times in the first, keyed by a two-run, bases-loaded knock by Pedro Alvarez.

2015 - Behind the pitching of Gerrit Cole, Arquimedes Caminero and Mark Melancon, the Bucs upended the Chicago White Sox 3-2 at US Cellular Park. The Pirates scored three times in the first inning off an Andrew McCutchen RBI single and two-run homer by Jung-Ho Kang to win their eighth in row and post their third straight series sweep. The victory was Cole’s MLB-leading 11th dub. It was also the sixth straight win by the Bucs when scoring three or fewer runs. Finally, it was a red letter day for C Francisco Cervelli. He caught his 56th consecutive scoreless inning before Chicago crossed the dish, matching Ed Phelps' behind-the-plate shutout streak of 1903.

2018 - Trevor Williams broke out of a weeks-long funk and spun a one-hit shutout with seven whiffs over seven frames as the Bucs squeaked by the Milwaukee Brewers 1-0 at PNC Park before 10,672 rooters. Francisco Cervelli showed the way with two hits and a walk; Pittsburgh’s score came thanks to a Jordy Mercer double that chased Cervy home in the seventh frame. Kyle Crick then worked a clean inning and Felipe Rivero closed out the ninth with two K’s.

2021 - The Pirates snapped a 10-game losing streak with an 11-10 win over the Tribe at PNC Park. The Pirates scored five times in the first inning and five more times in the sixth to build an 11-1 lead, then held on by a gnat’s eyelash as the bullpen turned into a raging dumpster fire - Cleveland kept coming until Richard Rodriguez’s strikeout with runners at second and third in the final frame ended the night’s assault on baseballs. Winner Chad Kuhl pitched one-run, four-hit ball for six innings, Gregory Polanco & Bryan Reynolds homered, and El Coffee, Jake Stallings & Ke’Bryan Hayes together chased home seven runs.

6/17: Cutch's First, Nate Great, Tike Takes Over, Todd Tough, Walk & Candy #100, Hebs Hot, Game Days, Neil Signs, HBD Mason, Bennie, Joe, Zeb, Bob & Pete

1861 - OF Pete Browning was born in Louisville. One of the great hitters (and terrible fielders - he was known as “The Gladiator” because of his fights with fly balls and also for his tussles with league suits and the media) of early baseball, he played 50 games for 1891 for Pittsburgh, batting .291. He wasn’t here long, but he had an influential 13-year major league career. Per Wikipedia: One of the ballers to jump to the outlaw Players League (he actually helped create it), Browning's decision to sign with Pittsburgh in 1891 helped cement the team's new nickname of "Pirates." When the PL collapsed, its members were supposed to return to their original franchises. Pittsburgh, though, signed several players who were theoretically under the control of other clubs, starting with second baseman Lou Bierbauer. Other franchises decried these acts of "piracy", and the name stuck. Browning is also remembered as the inspiration behind Hillerich & Bradsby's iconic "Louisville Slugger" (another of his nicknames) bats. He was the first player to buy bats from the company and they used the name a few years later to both recognize its roots and cash in on Pete’s fame. The Gladiator retired with a .341 lifetime BA, leading SABR to name him as an overlooked but deserving 19th Century Hall of Fame player. The fact he was an early union agitator and helped form the Players League along with his later bouts of alcoholism, all of which made his relations with the media contentious, hurt his cause.

1887 - OF Bob Coulson was born in Courtney, in New Eagle Township in Washington County, and raised in Donora. That Mon Valley community raised stars like Stan the Man Musial and Ken Griffey Sr (Junior was born there), but Bob was the first player the town contributed to the majors. He played three years for three big league teams (Cincy, Brooklyn & Pittsburgh), finishing his career at home by playing 18 games for the Federal League Rebels in 1914, hitting .203. The Penn State product spent two more seasons in the bushes with stints in Newark, Kansas City and Portland before retiring to Washington County where he became the Register of Wills, Department of Labor inspector and Assessment Officer. He passed away in 1953 and is buried in Beallsville Cemetery.

1890 - The Alleghenys were booked to play the Cleveland Spiders at Recreation Park, but a train accident delayed the Cleves, leaving some 200 fans at the park without a game. So the team split up, drafted some local players, got a gent named Howell to umpire (by the newspaper accounts, a 300-pound guy, bulk probably being a pretty good attribute for an old-timey arbiter) and played on for the cranks. It was a 2-1 finale, with Charlie Gray tossing a three-hitter to top Will Gumbert, who surrendered just five knocks. It was a slick PR move by a team that ended the year with just 23 wins and moved some home games to the road as they couldn’t draw after deep raids by the Players League had decimated its roster.

Zeb Terry - 1915 via The Day Book

1891 - SS Zeb Terry was born in Denison, Texas. He was raised in California and attended Long Beach Poly HS, which has produced 19 MLB players including Tony Gwynn, Milton Bradley, Rocky Bridges and Chase Utley, before going to Stanford and then the majors. Zebelon played seven years in the show, spending the 1919 season with the Pirates. He batted .227, then spent three more pretty solid campaigns with the Chicago Cubs (.280 BA). Zeb and his wife grew tired of the travel and in 1922, Terry retired to the life of a real estate developer in Los Angeles. In 1955, he was part of Stanford’s first Sports Hall of Fame class along with guys like Ernie Nevers, Frankie Albert, Bob Mathias and Hank Luisetti.

1892 - Before 2B Cub Stricker got to play a game for the Pirates, he was traded three days after being acquired from the St. Louis Browns for Pud Galvin to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Adonis Terry. Terry did a nice job in his stay with Pittsburgh, with a line of 30-16-1/3.42 during his three-year stint; Stricker was finished after the 1893 campaign.

1910 - RHP Joe Bowman was born in Kansas City. He tossed for the Bucs from 1937-41, splitting time between starting and the pen, and posting a record of 33-38-6/4.35. Joe knew his way around a batter’s box, too, hitting .281 with 38 RBI as a Pirate and used as a pinch hitter. Bowman became the Scouting Director for Charlie Finley's Kansas City A's from 1960 to 1968. When the A's moved to Oakland in 1968, Bowman became a regional bird dog for the Braves for a short time before spending two decades scouting for the Orioles.

1932 - RHP Bennie Daniels was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He underperformed in his Pittsburgh years, going 8-16-1 with a 5.84 ERA, though his FIP was a more solid 3.98. He was traded to the Washington Senators, where he put up workmanlike numbers for five more seasons. Bennie bounced around after baseball and even served time for embezzlement, but then flew straight, working as a clerk in the VA system and later moonlighting on the autograph session circuit.

1969 - Richie Hebner was the man in a twinbill sweep at Forbes Field against the first place Chicago Cubs, driving in the game’s only run in a 1-0 victory in the opener and then plating a walk-off RBI in a 4-3 nightcap win. Bob Veale won the lidlifter with a save by Bruce Dal Canton. Steve Blass won the second game in relief, and helped himself to the dub by scoring the winning run. 

The Gravedigger - 1969 Pirates Photo Pack

1983 - The Candy Man won his 100th MLB game by a 2-1 count over the Phils at TRS. He went seven innings, giving up an unearned run on four hits with a walk and eight whiffs before his arm stiffened; Manny Sarmiento and Kent Tekulve covered the last two frames. Marvell Wynne, Mike Easler and Dave Parker each had a pair of hits, with the Cobra’s fourth inning triple being the pivot point, driving in a run before scoring the game winner. The Pirates made it interesting, losing two guys on steal attempts with another thrown out on the bases. Candelaria’s dad came in from Puerto Rico to see the game; it was only the second time he saw his son toss in the MLB, the first being during the ‘79 World Series. Candy won 177 games over 19 seasons for eight teams; 124 victories were with Pittsburgh.

1993 - Bob Walk tamed the Mets and Doc Gooden 6-2 at TRS to notch his 100th win (77 were as a Bucco). Walkie gave up six hits and went the distance for his milestone victory. The Pirates broke out of a slump to chase Gooden after three frames, with the attack led by Jeff King, who had three hits and drove four runners home. It was Walkie’s last big league campaign; he ended up with a career slash of 105-81-5/4.03 after 14 seasons.

2000 - LHP Mason Montgomery was born in Austin, Texas. Drafted by Tampa in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Texas Tech, he took his first MLB bow in 2024. Mason became a Pirate as part of the ‘25 offseason Brandon Lowe trade and broke camp with the club. His bread-and-butter is 99MPH heat. He’s another guy with huge K numbers but offset by a wild streak. In ‘26, Mason has filled multiple roles, from an opener starter to late-inning guy.

2001 - The Pirates scored at the eleventh hour with two outs and the bases empty in the ninth when Brian Giles singled and came around on Aramis Ramirez’s double to claim a 1-0 win for Todd Ritchie against the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park in front of 36,694 fans. Ritchie went the distance, giving up just four hits to the Tribe; the Pirates had just three knocks. They won the next night to run up a four-game winning streak; four-in-a-row was as good as it would get for the Buccaneers during a 100-loss campaign, Lloyd McClendon’s first at the Bucco helm.

Todd Ritchie - 2001 Upper Deck

2004 - Tike Redman broke up a pitching duel between Kris Benson and Bartolo Colon by banging homers in the seventh and eighth innings to lead the Pirates to a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Angels at PNC Park. Jack Wilson also went long between Tike’s bombs and his solo shot was the game winner. Bell, Daryl Ward and Rob Mackowiak each collected two hits. 

2004 - C Neil Walker of Pine-Richland HS signed with the Bucs for an estimated $2M. The Pirates first pick (#11 overall), he was the top rated prep catcher in the draft after hitting .657 with 13 home runs during his senior campaign. Walker inked his deal, took in the game after his presser, even getting in some batting practice swings, and the next day flew to Bradenton to begin pro play with GCL Pirates. He caught before converting to 3rd in the minors, and debuted with the Buccos in 2008. The next year he was flipped again to second base, and owned the position for the next half-dozen years in Pittsburgh, batting .272 with 93 HR.

2007 - Nate McLouth doubled twice to drive in four runs and Jack Wilson scored three times as the Bucs held off the Chicago White Sox 8-7 at PNC Park. Jose Bautista and Xavier Nady each had two hits and two RBI. Matt Capps yielded two runs in the ninth to keep it close but hung on to save Shawn Chacon’s win.

2009 - Andrew McCutchen hit his first MLB homer off future teammate Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins at the Mall of America Field during an 8-2 Buc win. He added another knock to record his sixth multi-hit game in 13 starts. Andy and Adam LaRoche both went yard, the first brother combo to homer in the same game for Pittsburgh since the Waners circled the bases in 1938. Ian Snell won the contest with help from John Grabow and Steven Jackson.

2012 - Pedro Alvarez had a big day at Progressive Field, driving in six runs in a 9-5 win over the Cleveland Indians. El Toro homered twice and doubled, banging his first bomb off future teammate Jeanmar Gomez. Alex Presley also went long in a game won by Tony Watson, the second of five Pirates pitchers. It was Petey’s breakout power year as he homered 30 times; he went long twice the game before this and it was the second time this season he had back-to-back two homer games.

6/16 Through the 1960s: Bailey & Groat Signed, Max Gem, Waner Hot, 5 For Carey, Game Days, HBD KY, John, Dave, Max, Pete, Fritz, Ralph & Marr

1857 - SS Marr Phillips was born in Allegheny City (now Pittsburgh’s North Side). He played for three years and 198 MLB games, spending four of those contests as an American Association Allegheny in 1885 and batting four-for-15 after coming over from the Detroit Wolverines. He played pro ball from 1877-9, living out the rest of his days in the North Side. 

1888 - The Alleghenys swapped 3B’men with the NY Giants, picking up Elmer Cleveland in exchange for Art Whitney. Cleveland, 25, was untried and remained with Pittsburgh for just the rest of the year, hitting .222, with his big league days limited to one more go-around with Columbus in 1891. But the club didn’t have much leverage in the trade as Whitney, 30, was holding out for a new deal. An excellent glove man, he was coming off a .260 campaign, but after he left town, he had just four more MLB seasons left and batted .213 over that span. 

1889 - OF Ralph Capron was born in Minneapolis. The former Minnesota Gopher quarterback got into three big leagues games, his first with Pittsburgh in 1912 - he never got to bat - and a couple of years later pivoted and played a little football, following the career course of his older brother George, who also couldn’t decide which sport to commit to. Ralph was the first ballplayer from the U of Minnesota to reach the majors; big bro George topped out in the PCL before turning down a Barney Dreyfuss offer, deciding instead to remain on the West Coast.

1890 - 1B Fritz Mollwitz was born in Coburg, Germany and raised in Milwaukee. The sweet fielding first baseman played from 1917-19 for the Pirates, hitting .245. The Bucs sold him to the Cards in August, 1919, and that was his last MLB stop after a seven-year career. Fritz played pro ball from 1909-24 before retiring to become a Wisconsin small-town cop.

Pete Coscarart - 1945 Play Ball

1913 - IF Pete Coscarart was born in Escondido, California. He spent the last five years of his career in Pittsburgh (1942-46) after an All-Star stint at Brooklyn. Coscarart backed efforts in 1946 to form a players union and voted to strike for its acceptance, and as a result, he found himself out of the major leagues. After his career, Coscarart scouted for the Minnesota Twins (he signed Graig Nettles) and the New York Yankees. He later worked in real estate for 30 years. He joined a group that sued MLB baseball in 2001 for royalties associated with the use of their names and images, lost the case and passed away a few months later at age 89.

1916 - Boston RHP Tom Hughes tossed a no-hitter against the Bucs, striking out Honus Wagner to end the game and seal a 2-0 victory at Braves Field. The Pittsburgh Press cited Hughes’ fastball and change of pace, while noting “he has ever been a Buccaneer hoodoo.” Hard luck starter Erving Kantlehner worked his third straight game without the Pirates scoring.

1922 - RHP Max Surkont was born in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Max had been an effective pitcher for the Boston Braves, but during his Bucco years (1954-56) he sailed in rough waters. He was beset with nagging injuries and tossed for a Pirates team noted for its futility, posting a line of 16-32/4.92 in those three years. He stayed in baseball until 1963 (he spent four decades in pro hardball, with nine years toiling in the major leagues) before retiring. He opened a bar and traveled widely, lending his name and effort to a host of charitable fundraisers. Max Moment: In 1953 as a Brave, he set the MLB record for consecutive strikeouts with eight, a record that stood until 1970.

1925 - The Pirates blew a 9-4 lead, allowing the NY Giants to come back and tie the game in the ninth frame and then jump ahead by a pair in the 10th. But the Bucs answered with four runs of their own, with Glenn Wright’s two-run homer (he posted four hits on the day) the game winner, to claim a 13-11 victory at Forbes Field for Lee Meadows, despite giving up a pair of tallies in his inning of work. Vic Aldridge started and Ray Kremer was the victim of the ninth inning uprising. Max Carey collected five hits for the eighth time in his Pirates career (he and Roberto Clemente share the Pittsburgh mark, although Maxie ended up with a ninth five-spot as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers). Earl Smith added a trio of raps; three other Bucs had a pair of hits.

Max Carey - 1925 Hand Cut

1926 - Kiki Cuyler collected two hits and three RBI to lead the Bucs to a 6-3 win over Boston at Braves Field. It ran his hitting streak to 22 games, which ended the next game when he was held hitless, although drawing a walk and HBP. Vic Aldridge went wire-to-wire for the win, helping his own cause by collecting a pair of knocks and scoring twice on his own behalf.

1927 - Lee Meadows defeated Boston 6-0 behind the smokin’ bat of Paul Waner. Big Poison ran his hitting streak to 19 games, his multi-hit and RBI streak to 12 games and his extra-base hit streak to 11 games, going 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI. Meadows did his part, too, spinning a six-hitter against the overmatched Braves at Forbes Field for his ninth win.

1940 - Max Butcher tossed a complete game, two-hit shutout against a New York Giants team that boasted five .300+ hitters in their lineup, taking a 5-0 decision in the opener of a Polo Grounds double header. Elbie Fletcher went 4-for-5 with a triple to support Butcher. The Bucs also took the nitecap 5-3 with Rip Sewell earning the win after Ken Heintzelman came in to retire the last Giant. Debs Garms had three hits and three RBI in game two.

1952 - Dick Groat was signed out of Duke University as a bonus baby, reportedly for $25,000 plus $5,000 annually for the next five years. At the time of his signing, the media speculated that it was more like $75,000, and the Pirates never officially announced a figure. The backstory is that the Pirates offered Groat a contract the year before, but the All-America hoopster and infielder told them that he wanted to play out his last college season, but if the team came back with the same offer after that, he'd sign with them. He was true to his word.

Dick Groat - 1961 Bazooka

1960 - GM Dave Littlefield was born in Portland, Maine. He came from the Miami Marlins, where he was assistant GM, but he had a stormy reign in Pittsburgh with questionable deals, drafts and desertion of the Latino player market, hindered by a club that was perpetually cash poor. In September, 2007, Littlefield was canned by the Pirates and replaced on an interim basis by Brian Graham, the club's director of player development before Neal Huntington was hired. Littlefield then worked as a scout for the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers, and in 2015 became Motown’s VP of Player Development, then their special assignments scout in 2021.

1961- Pirate scouts Bob Hughes and Jerry Gardiner inked Woodrow Wilson HS grad Bob Bailey, 19, to a deal featuring a $150,000 signing bonus. He didn’t blossom into the next big thing (he never hit .300 or had 30 HR in his 17 year career) but the corner player (3B/1B/OF) did have a lengthy stay in the show, ending with a .257 BA, 189 HR and 773 RBI. Bailey played seven years with Montreal, five more seasons with the Pirates and had shorter stops in LA, Cincinnati and Boston. He picked up the nickname “Beetles” after the cartoon GI from the Gunner, Bob Prince.

1967 - RHP John Ericks was born in Tinley Park, Illinois. The big righty (6’7”, 220), a first round pick of the Cards, spent his entire 1995-97 MLB tour in Pittsburgh, slashing 8-14-14/4.78. He missed ‘93 with a shoulder injury, was released and signed with the Bucs as Ted Simmons, then Bucco GM and before that a Cardinal staffer, was aware of his potential. Ericks and his 98 MPH heater were headed toward a breakout campaign in 1997, with John going 6-of-7 in saves with a 1.93 ERA as full-time closer and eying a decent contract when he went down again with shoulder woes. Two operations later, his big league career was done.

1969 - 1B Kevin Young was born in Alpena, Mississippi. Young played 11 of his 12 seasons for the Pirates (1992-95, 1997-2003), hitting .259 with 138 HR. At the time of his retirement in 2003, he was the only player remaining who had been a member of the last winning Pirate team in 1992. KY has been part of the AT&T SportsNet gang since 2020.

6/16 From 1970: Casey At Bat, Streak Ends, 1sts, Kendall Signs, Bonus Ball, Game Days, Hit Man POTW, Roster Restock, HBD Arquimedes & Chris

1971 - Dock Ellis went from the penthouse to the outhouse as he carried a no-hitter and 4-0 lead into the sixth inning against Houston in the Astrodome when the ‘Stros erupted for five hits to tie the game. But the Bucs answered when Roberto Clemente homered with Gene Clines aboard in the next frame, and the Docktor recovered his form, giving up just two singles over the next three innings to claim a 6-4 complete game victory and justifying manager Danny Murtaugh’s faith by leaving him on the hill. Clines had four hits and Clemente a pair with three runs plated; Al Oliver banged a big triple, driving in a run and later scoring.

1971 - IF Chris Gomez was born in Los Angeles. Chris closed out his 16-year big league career in Pittsburgh, hitting .273 for the Buccos while playing all four infield positions. He was released after the campaign and then was cut by the Orioles out of camp in 2009. He retired a season later after playing nearly 1,500 MLB games and batting .262 during his tenure.

1980 - Mike Easler was named the National League Player of the Week. He hit for the cycle against the Reds on the 12th and overall went 13-for-23 (.619) with two homers in six games. It was a strong campaign for The Hit Man, who finished batting .338 w/21 HR and 74 RBI.

1986 - The Pirates were behind at Three Rivers Stadium 4-1 in the sixth inning when it rained; ump John Kibler shooed the clubs in with a pair of short delays before calling the game, giving it to the Cards. The Bucs protested as the NL had guidelines for the time required before a contest can be banged, and Kibler missed the mandated wait time badly (to his credit, he even called the league offices that night to report he had screwed up). And hey, the Pirates won the protest, a rare occurrence, with the game being picked up at that spot the next night (the 18th). It proved to be a moral victory only; the Redbirds hung on to win 4-2.

Arqy Caminaro - 2015 Topps Update Notable Newbies

1987 - RHP Arquimedes Euclides Caminero (named after Archimedes and Euclid) was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The speed demon - he’s hit 100 on the radar gun - had his contract sold to the Pirates by the Miami Marlins in 2015. In 112 appearances with the Pirates from 2015-16, he went 6-3-1/3.73 before being dealt to the Seattle Mariners. He later went to Japan, then tossed in the Mexican and Dominican leagues through 2022.

1992 - For seven innings, it was a barnburner at TRS between Philadelphia and the Pirates. The Reds took a 5-4 lead that frame on a three-run blast by Mario Duncan; the Bucs tied it up when Jay Bell put one in the seats in the Pittsburgh half. Then it settled into a drought as the pens put up zeroes. The Buccos came close in the 11th when Bell doubled with two outs with Cecil Espy aboard, but the Phils cut him down at home. In the 12th, the home nine wouldn’t be denied. A single, walk, sac bunt and intentional walk loaded the sacks for the Pirates, and Spanky Valliere’s grounder got through the right side to plate Andy Van Slyke. Bob Patterson, the sixth Buc hurler, got the win while the Phillies burned through seven pitchers.

1992 - After two weeks at the table, the Bucs signed first-round (#23 overall) draft pick Jason Kendall to a then-club record $336K bonus and assigned him to their GCL team to start his career. The teen was plucked from San Diego’s Torrance HS and debuted with Pittsburgh in 1996. JK played nine years for the Bucs, batting .306 and earning three All Star nods.

1994 - The Pirates beat the Cardinals 7-5 in 10 innings. They made it hard on themselves by banging into a NL record-tying seven double plays at Busch Stadium, but put up a three spot in the 10th frame for the win. The Pirates even scored their last run on a DP; Carlos Garcia’s sac fly brought home Orlando Merced while Gary Varsho, who had started on first base, was thrown out trying to get to third behind the play at the plate.

Mark Smith - 6/16/1997 photo AP/Post-Gazette

1997 - It was a day for Pirates firsts: It was the Pirates first interleague road game, Mark Smith homered in the first at-bat by a Pirates Designated Hitter in franchise history, and Kevin Polcovich swatted his first career long fly (both dingers were off Scott Aldred). The result was a quick 8-0 Pirates lead, and the Bucs managed to outlast the keep-on-coming Minnesota Twins 8-6 at the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome. Kevin Young, who also homered, and Adrian Brown had three hits while Jason Kendall added a pair of doubles. Winning pitcher Jason Schmidt was the beneficiary of the eight-run, 15-hit attack while Rick Loiselle got the save.

1998 - The start and finish at Veterans Stadium was a disaster for the Pirates. Starter Jose Silva was given a 4-0 lead, but only lasted an inning as he was hit just above the wrist by Phils’ pitcher Tyler Green as he squared up to bunt in the second frame. Jose suffered a break and wouldn’t take the hill again until mid-September. Still, Esteban Loaiza (who would replace Silva in the rotation as reliever Mike Williams was called up from Indy to join the staff) and Elmer Dessens kept the Philly bats quiet and a three-run bomb by Aramis Ramirez gave the Bucs a 7-1 lead going into the ninth. But as good as Loaiza and Dessens were, well, that’s how bad Ricardo Rincon and Rick Loiselle were. Rincon allowed all four batters he faced to reach, bringing in Loiselle. He took the final inning to two-outs with two on and a 2-2 count on Mike Lieberthal, who drove the next pitch into the left field stands to give Philadelphia an 8-7 walkoff win. To add salt to the wound, the last four runs were unearned thanks to shortstop Lou Collier’s muff.

2004 - The Pirates snapped a nine-game losing streak by scoring five times in the fifth inning, capped by Daryle Ward’s two-out, three-run bomb, to drop Anaheim 5-3 at PNC Park, also snapping a 14-game losing streak against AL West clubs. Josh Fogg got the win; he was also the last starter to earn a dub before that streak started. Jose Mesa notched his 15th straight save, although he left runners at second and third before turning out the lights. 

2005 - Randy Johnson and New York shut down the Bucs pretty easily by a 6-1 score at Yankee Stadium, but Michael Restovich’s fourth inning solo shot left Pittsburgh as the only team with an extra-base hit in every game for the season, with the streak at 64 contests. The skein was stopped after 71 games on June 24th by the Cards' Jeff Suppan and Ray King.

Mike Restovich - 2005 Topps Update

2009 - The Bucs visited Minnesota and were clobbered 8-2 by the Twins in the final season of the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome. That was just one of 99 defeats for the Pirates that season but was marked by a career-ending bit of jakery by Craig Monroe. The FA was hitting .215 and struck out swinging in the eighth with Pittsburgh behind by a boatload. The ball got away and Monroe took a quite leisurely stroll to first; the fact that he was safe on a bad throw didn’t ameliorate the lack of hustle in the eyes of the FO. The 32-year-old took a seat on the pine for the next two weeks and was released July 1st; he never played again in the majors. Then as today, the MLB’s MO is to send the team a message via a bubble player.

2012 - Pedro Alvarez homered twice and Casey McGehee/Alex Presley also went long to lead the Pirates to a 9-2 win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. McGehee had four RBI and El Toro added three. AJ Burnett picked up the win with Jared Hughes and Doug Slaten mopping up.

2020 - Perhaps the Pirates fans’ most anticipated regular-season series of 2020 was lost when the New York Yankees set was canceled thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and MLB’s schedule fudging. The contest at PNC Park was slated to be Bill Mazeroski’s Gold Glove Bobblehead Night and a celebration to honor the 60th anniversary of the Pirates’ 1960 World Series championship. As an added bummer, the capricious Pittsburgh weather cooperated beautifully as it was sunny and in the low 80’s. The City’s 1960 World Series shindig was pushed back to the annual fallback date of October 13th, when the Game 7 Gang partied hardy once again to toast the Greatest Home Run in baseball history at Schenley Plaza on the lawn behind the old red brick Forbes Field wall.

2023 - The stumbling Pirates bolstered their rebuild auditions by bringing up their top gun, first round prospects. First came RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (#31 - 2020). He was followed quickly by C/OF Henry Davis (#1 - 2021), then 2B Nick Gonzales (#7 - 2020) the next week, then next was RHP Quinn Priester (#18 - 2019; traded in 2024) in mid-July. A pair of Latin players originally signed as international free agents, C Endy Rodriguez (injured), a Top 50 MLB Prospect, and IF Liover Peguero (now in the Phils system), in-and-out of the Top 100, were called up with Priester. They joined OF Andrew McCutchen (#11 - 2005), OF Connor Joe (# 39 - 2014 & since traded) and 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (#32 - 2015) as Buc first-rounders on the current roster. The other #1’s in the system were IF Temarr Johnson (#4 - 2022) who is now at Indy with RHP Tom Harrington (#36 - 2022), who’s gotten a quick peep in Pittsburgh. OF Travis Swaggerty (#10 - 2018), who has wrestled with the injury bug, was DFA’ed in July. RHP Paul Skenes was picked as the overall #1 this year, and he made the big club in 2024, pitching at an MLB elite level.

6/15 Player Moves: Jim, Digger, Moose, Johnny, Ducky & Elbie Join; Ed, Robinson, Schwall, Gino, Freese & Wally Go; Rumor Mill

1939 - The Pirates picked up 1B Elbie Fletcher from the Boston Bees for IF Bill Schuster and cash. Fletcher played seven seasons for Pittsburgh (he lost three campaigns because of WW2) and hit .279 with 60 HR and 464 RBI for the Bucs. Broadway Bill Schuster was a sub who hit .234 over a five-year career, also missing three wartime years.

1943 - The Pirates traded RHP Dutch Dietz to the Phillies for RHP Johnny Podgajny. For the 31-year-old Dietz, it was his last MLB season after 3-1/2 seasons as a Bucco (13-15-4/3.51). Podgajny slashed 0-4/4.72 in 15 appearances for Pittsburgh, then was traded in the off-season with OF Johnny Wyrostek to the Cards for Preacher Roe. Johnny became a minor league arm after that, surfacing for six big-league outings in 1956 with the Indians.

1949 - The Pirates dabbled in what was basically a three-way deal. They began the day by buying Hank Sauer’s brother Ed, an outfielder, from the St. Louis Cards; before the sun set, they had sent him to the Boston Braves for C Phil Masi. Masi was solid, playing in 48 games and hitting .274, but he was sold in the off season to the Chicago White Sox. 

1951 - The Pirates received RHP Ted Wilks, IF Dick Cole, C Joe Garagiola, OF Bill Howerton and LHP Howie Pollet from St. Louis for LHP Cliff Chambers and OF/3B Wally Westlake. Pollet and Chambers ended up as washes as far as hill success went, but Westlake played six more seasons with five teams before retiring with a lifetime .272 BA. Wilks pitched creditably out of the pen for the Bucs from 1951-52 (8-10-16/3.19), Garagiola hit .262 for Pittsburgh from 1951-53 and Howerton batted .279 as a Pirate with 1952 being his last campaign.

Ted Wilks - 1952 Bowman

1954 - Les Beiderman of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that trade talks between the Bucs and Cards fizzled. The Redbirds wanted RHP Max Surkont and dangled $50,000 and a couple of minor leaguers; the Pirates Branch Rickey asked for Solly Hemus as the return, and no deal was struck. Max was 9-18/4.41 in 29 starts for Pittsburgh while bench IF Hemus hit .304.

1958 - SS Johnny O’Brien and 3B Gene Freese were traded to the Cards for IF Dick “Ducky” Schofield, who would play a key role in the Bucs 1960 NL championship as a sub for the injured Dick Groat during the stretch run. Ducky, a lifetime .227 hitter, had a .333 BA for the 1960 Buccos and hit .248 in his eight Pittsburgh seasons. Freese had a 12-year career and rejoined the Pirates from 1964-65. It was the first time Johnny and his twin brother Eddie played for different teams and was Eddie’s last campaign; Johnny was gone a year later.

1961 - Pittsburgh sent OF Gino Cimoli to the Milwaukee Braves for IF Johnny Logan. Cimoli was a bench player for the Braves, went on to start for KC in 1962-63 and was back on the pine for his last two years. Logan’s All-Star days were behind him and he spent his final three seasons with the Bucs as a reserve infielder batting .249 in 152 games. 

1961 - Former All-Star OF Walt “Moose” Moryn was sold to Pittsburgh by the Cards and closed out his career that season, hitting .200/three HR in 40 games, mostly as a pinch-hitter. He was hoped to bolster the Bucco bench for a pennant push that never happened and was released at the end of the year.

Digger O'Dell - 1967 Topps

1966 - The Atlanta Braves traded LHP Billy O'Dell to the Pirates for RHP Don Schwall in a twilight time deal. 33-year-old Digger O’Dell was effective in ‘66, making 37 appearances with a 2.78 ERA, but he faltered during the next season, his last in the majors. Schwall, 30, went 3-3 in eight starts for Atlanta, and pitched one game in 1967 to end his career.

1977 - The Pirates shipped utilityman Ed Kirkpatrick to the Rangers for infielder Jim Fregosi. Spanky finished his 16-year MLB career in 1978 after a four-year Bucco stint (.236 BA) while Fregosi hung it up after 18 years, spending his last two campaigns in Pittsburgh before being released to take over the California Angels manager’s job in June of ‘78. They also bought OF Jerry Hairston from the White Sox, releasing utilityman Tommy Helms to clear a roster spot. Hairston hit .192 and was sold to Durango of the Mexican League. After four years playing down south, he returned to the White Sox and played off-and-on until 1989.

1977 -  After a bitter front office/media feud, the Mets sent Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds for Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman and Pat Zachry. It was rumored that the Pirates were interested in dealing for Tom Terrific, but New York’s FO asked for a package featuring Bruce Kison with prospects including 20-year-old Dale Berra, who was a first-round draft pick in 1975. (Other names bandied about were Al Oliver & Jerry Reuss). 

1982 - The Pirates traded 39-year-old OF Bill Robinson to the Phillies for OF Wayne Nordhagen. Wayne was a mover: He had been sent to Philly by the Blues Jays, then traded to the Pirates by the Phils. He played one game for the Pirates before the club shipped him back to the Jays on the 25th as the PTBNL for an earlier deal for Dick Davis, who was the player Philly had sent to Toronto on the 15th before being traded to the Pirates a week later. Robby and Nordhagen had one more MLB campaign left and it was the last season for Davis.