5/3 Through 1964: Bill-Red, Al-Kirby, Rufflin' Feathers, Grays Open, Ray's Run Ends, Whackin' Waner, Hans Hot, Homer-Gate, Game Days; HBD Chris, Dutch & Bing

• 1882 - 2B George Strief hit a solo homer to lead off the top of the third inning against the Red Stockings during a 7-3 loss at the Bank Street Grounds in Cincinnati. It was the Alleghenys second game as a member of the then-major league American Association and Strief’s homer was the first in franchise history (caveat: the Pirates don’t officially begin its history until 1887 when the Alleghenys joined the National League, putting the club’s first five years in baseball limbo). Strief would hit five long balls, two while with Pittsburgh, in his five-year, seven-team career (he played for four different squads in 1884 in three different big leagues - the AA, Union Association and NL). 
• 1899 - OF Jack McCarthy hit a ball that went through an open gate in the Exposition Park outfield wall, and a hometown fan shut it before Louisville’s fielder could get there to give McCarthy a gift three-run homer in Pittsburgh’s 7-6 win against the Louisville Colonels. The league frowned on the helping hand and ordered a replay of the game, though it was never made up - both clubs were middle-of-the-pack finishers and the game had no influence on the standings. 
• 1903 - Longtime Pirate co-owner and big league crooner Harry “Bing” Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington. He became a minority owner during the John Galbreath era; he and Galbreath knew one another from the horsey circuit. Crosby, who held his stake from 1946-77, taped the Pirates 1960 Game Seven win against the Yankees off TV for the only nine-inning video of the classic (he was too nervous to watch in person) and also helped in the signing of Bucco great Vern Law out of high school. Bing had a long-time love of baseball, playing in high school and for a year at Gonzaga University before show biz beckoned. 
• 1909 - The Bucs whipped Chicago 9-2 at the West Side Grounds. Honus Wagner went 5-for-6 during the game, scoring three times and stealing three bases to help earn Vic Willis the victory. He was repeating what he did the day before, also going 5-for-6 in a 6-0 victory over the Cubs. The Pittsburgh Press wrote “Hans Wagner was the shining star of the game. The other Pirates followed and the slaughtery of the Cubs is something awful to record.” Chicago was strong, winning 104 games and finishing second in the National League, 6-1/2 games off the Pirate pace. 

Hans - 1909 American Caramel

• 1923 - Scout Elmer “Dutch” Gray was born in Dormont. He attended South Hills HS and after an Army stint played five years of minor league ball. Gray then went into scouting, first with the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles and then with the Cincinnati Reds (1967-1984). He inked Ken Griffey Sr., giving Griffey's brother $25 for equipment for Ken; Griffey would later say he signed for $15, as his brother made off with a ten spot. Elmer then joined the Pirates as scouting director, a role he held from 1984-1989 when he became director of operations. He remained with the Pirates in different roles through 2012. As scouting director for Pittsburgh, he helped draft Barry Bonds, Tim Wakefield, Jeff King, Moises Alou, Orlando Merced and Stan Belinda per BR Bullpen. 
• 1927 - Paul Waner went 3-for-4 with a triple, walk, three runs scored and four RBI as the Pirates outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals 11-10 at Forbes Field. Earl Smith had three hits, including two homers, to add three RBI to the pot and Glenn Wright also had three knocks and plated three times to give Ray Kremer, the Pirates fourth pitcher, the win. After the game, the festivities continued with a testimonial dinner for manager Bill McKechnie at the William Penn Hotel. The speakers for the event ran the gamut: John K. Tener (Governor of Pennsylvania and former NL president), Branch Rickey (then a Redbirds exec), and Samuel E. Watters (secretary of the Pirates) were at the head table. 
• 1928 - Ray Kremer lost his first home start of the season to the Boston Braves at Forbes Field in 11 innings, 5-4. The loss ended the MLB record streak of 22 straight home victories by the righty dating back to 1926. Kremer played for the Pirates for a decade, winning 143 games with a 3.76 ERA for two World Series clubs and claiming 15 victories or more for eight straight seasons 
• 1938 - C Chris Cannizzaro was born in Oakland, California. The good glove reserve backstop played 13 years in the majors, including a 1968 stop in Pittsburgh after a trade with Detroit. He started 18 games here and hit .241 before he was sent to SD in the off season with Tommie Sisk for Ron Davis and Bobby Klaus. In 1975, he served as player-coach for the Hawaii Islanders and a year later hung up his mitt as he was hired as the bullpen coach by the Braves, lasting until October, 1978. Cannizzaro then signed with the California Angels as a coach and for three seasons, he managed in the California League before retiring to his San Diego home in 1981. From there, he was active in local charity events and helped coach at the high school/college level. 

Josh Gibson - Helmar Art Stamps

• 1942 - Josh Gibson started the season off with a bang when his three-run homer in the eighth inning provided just enough oomph to push the Homestead Grays to a 3-2 win over the Newark Eagles at Ruppert Stadium before a record Opening Day crowd of 18,000 fans. Ray Brown did his part, too, going the distance while spinning a four-hitter. The Grays won the ‘42 Negro National League flag by nine games, but were swept in the World Series by the KC Monarchs. 
• 1947 - The Pirates traded OF Al Gionfriddo plus $100,000 to Dodgers for pitchers Kirby Higbe, Cal McLish, Hank Behrman, Dixie Howell and IF Gene Mauch. Gionfriddo was best remembered for his 1947 World Series grab of a Joe DiMaggio blast for Brooklyn and Red Barber’s call that he was going “back back back back back” for the catch, which Chris Berman of ESPN later adopted as his home run call. Some analysts believe that Branch Rickey, then the Dodgers’ GM, made the deal to send a message to the Brooklyn players about his support for Jackie Robinson by shipping some gripers to Pittsburgh, though he may have also just been housecleaning. Whatever the thinking, none of the players other than Higbe had much impact with the Pirates. 
• 1952 - The Pirates sent LHP Bill Werle to St. Louis for three-time All Star RHP Red Munger. At 33, Munger was nearing the end of the road after nine seasons. He went 0-3/7.18 in four starts (five outings), was sent to the minors for three seasons, and in 1956 returned for a last hurrah, going 3-4-1/4.04 out of the pen and as a spot starter. Werle became a full-time reliever and made 38 appearances for the Cards and BoSox, ending his big league days after the 1954 campaign. But it didn’t end his pitching career - he spent 1955-63 earning a paycheck in the PCL. 
• 1953 - Johnny Lindell, a pitcher turned outfielder turned pitcher, earned the Pirates fifth straight win by beating the Cards, 6-2. Lindell notched his first victory since 1942 when he was a Yankee reliever before he converted to the OF in 1943. In 1950, he became a bush league knuckleballer and returned to the majors in 1953 at the age of 36 as a pitcher. His knuckler was a wild child, and he led the NL in walks and wild pitches that season. Although used mainly by the Bucs as a pitcher (Lindell worked 175 IP), he also batted .286 and pinch hit 34 times, once tying a game with a three-run, ninth-inning homer. 

Hank Foiles - 1959 Topps

• 1959 - The Pirates split a twinbill with the Cardinals at Forbes Field in front of 20,860 fans. The Bucs won the opener 4-3 in 10 innings behind ElRoy Face and a little help from Redbird outfielder Gino Cimoli, who let Bill Mazeroski’s soft liner drop with the bases loaded and two outs, when, as Pittsburgh Press beat man Les Biederman wrote, he “did everything but catch it.” The nightcap featured an unassisted DP by catcher Hank Foiles - he caught a strikeout and tried to throw out a Cardinal runner on the move, but batter Bill White double swung the bat and his recoil hit the ball he missed the first time, earning an interference call as well. The real action began when player/manager Solly Hemus, who had been nicked by Pittsburgh pitcher Bennie Daniels in the first and then exchanged some words, was brushed back again in the sixth. He and Daniels charged each other and several tussles broke out - Danny Murtaugh v Hemus and Redbird pitcher Larry Jackson v Buc coach Len Levy were the main bouts during the shoving match royale. It also rained during the second game, causing a suspension in the seventh with the score knotted at 1-1. The Cards took over during the June 2nd completion date, winning 3-1 before claiming the regularly scheduled match, 3-0. 
• 1959 - Pirates coach Jimmy Dykes, who joined Danny Murtaugh’s staff at the start of the season, had a short stay; he was hired away on this day to become the manager of the Detroit Tigers. Jimmy had been a skipper before and would be a skipper again after Motown - in 21 seasons, he guided six MLB teams to 1,406 victories, although like Gene Mauch, he never did win a flag. 
• 1964 - Bob Veale was chased after getting just four outs and falling behind the Cards at Busch Stadium by a 6-1 count. But the top five of the Bucco order - Gene Alley, Dick Schofield, Bill Virdon, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell - went 9-for-19 with nine runs scored and seven RBI (five from Pops; he and Alley homered) to power the club to a 12-8 win. Not to be outdone, the bottom of the lineup, Billy Mazeroski and Jim Pagliaroni, added five hits and chased home four runs. Don Schwall staggered through 4-2/3 innings, allowing 10 runners but only two runs, for the win before ElRoy Face served three zeroes for the save.

5/3 From 1965: Carmelo-Cole, 17 K, Brian Bops, Zane Zips, Al Ablaze, Game Days, Bo POTM, Gunner Back; HBD Austin & Ivan

• 1968 - 1B Ivan Cruz was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. He yo-yo’ed for four seasons in the show, getting 21 at-bats with the Bucs between 1999-2000 with a .238 BA while spending most of his time at AAA Nashville. After his Bucco days, he played a bit for the St. Louis Cardinals, continuing on in the Mexican and Japanese leagues until he retired at 35 after the 2003 season. 
• 1973 - The Pirates trounced the San Francisco Giants 14-5 at Candlestick Park. The G-Men were generous to a fault, allowing six unearned runs and missing a couple of other catchable balls. Al Oliver (who was 1-for-20 coming into the contest) had a day, homering twice and plating six runs while slowpoke Milt May added to the festivities with a three-run inside-the-park-homer. Nellie Briles staggered to a complete game victory even though he was touched up for 11 hits. The clubhouse was not all fun and games afterwards - manager Bill Virdon had a spat with Richie Hebner over dogging a play in the field that carried over into a post-game locked door discussion; when it was done, Virdon told the media he didn’t want to talk about it and The Gravedigger fired a stool at the wall after he left The Quail’s office. Gene Clines, the Pirates fourth outfielder, chimed in with a beef about lack of game time (he played behind Oliver, Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente and Richie Zisk during his Pirates tenure and saw roughly 300 AB/season). Dave Cash was also in a bit of a funk, but his blues tune was triggered by committing three errors at second during the day. 
• 1985 - The Gunner, Bob Prince, returned to the booth after a 10-year absence following his dismissal by KDKA. Prince got a standing ovation from the crowd, and after he took over the mic in the fourth frame, the Pirates erupted for nine runs, earning him another O after the inning as the Bucs dropped LA, 16-2. It was a sadly short comeback as The Gunner died of cancer on June 10th. 

Gunner Returns - 1985 photo Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette

• 1986 - A skunk wandered onto the field at San Diego in the seventh inning at Jack Murphy Stadium and held up the Padres-Pirates game for several minutes. It was thought that a family of polecats lived under the stadium, feeding on peanuts and other fan debris; apparently that was one rumor that proved true. It was the Bucs who stunk out the joint early on, but they scored three times in the eighth and added the game winner in the ninth to skunk the Padres, 7-6. 
• 1988 - The Bucs got bombed at Dodger Stadium, 14-6. The game started off well, with the Pirates putting up a three-spot in the first frame, but LA answered with four tallies in their half and it quickly went downhill from there as Pittsburgh committed four errors and gave up nine unearned runs. But the last two innings belonged to bench heroes John Cangelosi and Dave Hostletler. Cangy took the hill, becoming the first position player to pitch for the Bucs since Mario Mendoza in 1977, and Dave put on the tools of ignorance for the final two frames. They may have appeared to be an odd couple as a battery - both were making their debut at their new positions, and Hostetler (6’4”) towered over Cangelosi (5’7”), but it worked as John spun two scoreless innings, giving up one hit. 
• 1990 - Bobby Bonilla was announced as the April National League Player of the Month. Bobby Bo hit .279 with seven homers, 21 RBI, 17 runs scored and 49 total bases, all but the BA leading the league for the opening month. It was back-to-back honors for Bo, who also won the September 1989 honor to go along with two other PoM awards that he earned in 1988. 

Bobby Bo - 1990 Starline

• 1991 - The Pirates defeated the Astros 1-0 in a one hour, 45 minute contest at TRS, the NL's shortest nine inning game since 1981. Zane Smith threw a complete game four-hitter while Pete Harnisch went the distance, giving up only two knocks, the crucial bop being Orlando Merced’s first MLB homer in the third inning. Zane put down 12-of-13 Astros he faced from the sixth inning on while tossing 92 pitches; Harnisch threw 89 pitches and retired the final 17 Buccos. 
• 1991 - Pittsburgh traded 1B Carmelo Martinez to Kansas City for RHP Victor Cole. Jim Leyland platooned Orlando Merced and Gary Redus at first, making Martinez a third wheel. Carmelo, 30, finished his MLB career as a Red, which picked him up in July from KC. He hit .234 for the three teams combined in his last MLB hurrah and then played in Japan, Mexico and the minors through 1995. Cole, 23, got into eight games for the Buccaneers in 1992 in his only big league stint and spent the rest of his pro career with five organizations in the minors and a season in Taiwan. 
• 1995 - OF Austin Meadows was born in Grayson, Georgia. He was selected in the first round (ninth overall) by the Pirates in 2013, foregoing Clemson for a $3,029,600 signing bonus. He bubbled among the Top 100 Prospects, but had several injuries that delayed his journey to the majors. He got his call in May of 2018 when Starling Marte was placed on the DL and was then shipped to Tampa Bay later in the year as part of the Chris Archer deal. He blossomed into an All-Star in 2019 with 33 homers at age 24, but had trouble replicating the following campaign. He moved on to the Detroit Tigers in '22, then spent most of the '23 season on the IL while battling anxiety. He's now a free agent. 
• 1998 - Turner Ward literally crashed through the right field wall at Three Rivers Stadium while running down Mike Piazza’s long fly in a 10-5 loss to the Dodgers. And yes, he hung onto the ball in a play that is still considered one of the great all-time MLB catches and an ESPN go-to clip, though he had to leave the game with bruises and some fiberglass splinters. The kid was a gamer; he crashed through the wall while LA was ahead, 9-0. Oddly enough, he was the second player to flatten the wall on this day. Dodger backup outfielder Trenidad Hubbard was shagging flies before the game, backed up to the wall to snag one, and the fence gave in, leaving him flat on his back. 

Turner Ward - 5/4/1998 photo/MLB.com

• 1999 - The Bucs scored four times in the ninth on homers by Warren Morris & Brian Giles, polished off by a two-out, walkoff single by Brant Brown to stun the Giants 9-8 at TRS. Giles had three hits (two left the yard) and five RBI while Jason Kendall went 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles. Rich Loiselle went three innings for the win after Marc Wilkins put up a pair of goose eggs in relief of Chris Peters. The Giants Jeff Kent countered, going 5-for-5 for the cycle with five RBI. 
• 2012 - The Pirates set a club mark by striking out 17 batters in nine innings during their 6-3 win over the Cards at Busch Stadium. Erik Bedard did the heavy lifting, whiffing 11 in five frames and setting a franchise record with seven consecutive K’s. Four Pirate relievers added six more sit downs in the final four innings, with Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan each notching a pair of punch outs. 
• 2014 - Despite making four errors and falling behind 5-0, the Pirates scored six times against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh and eighth innings to come all the way back for an 8-6 victory at PNC Park. Jordy Mercer’s double on an 0-2 pitch tied the game with two outs in the seventh inning and Neil Walker’s two-bagger off the top of the center field wall in the eighth frame chased home the game winners. Mark Melancon picked up the save of Bryan Morris’ win. 
• 2015 - The Bucs ended one of the most frustrating series in their history by losing their third straight extra-inning, walkoff contest to the Cardinals by a 3-2 score following a pair of 2-1 losses. The Bucs had the lead in the 12th thanks to Pedro Alvarez’s homer, but Radhames Liz gave up a tally in the St. Louis half and then a homer to Kolten Wong in the 14th to absorb the defeat. The Pirates scored just four runs in 35 innings against the Redbirds, stranding 37 runners while going 2-for-25 with RISP. The Cardinals swept a three-game series with all the victories coming in extra innings for the first time in franchise history and became the first team to do that deed since June of 1925, when the Cincinnati Reds broomed the Boston Braves thrice in overtime.

5/2 Through the 1940s: Twin Zippos, Start With 7, Big Bill Shows, Small Ball, 1st HR, One-Man Show, Game Days; HBD Hawk, George & Freddy

• 1877 - The Alleghenys beat the Boston Red Caps, the eventual International Association champs (the IA was arguably the first minor league ever formed) 1-0 behind do-it-all Pud Galvin. He tossed a one-hitter and bombed a homer thought to be the first ball to clear the fence at North Side’s Union Park. These Alleghenys, who began as a local independent nine, folded after the 1878 campaign, and were unrelated except by name to the 1882 club that eventually became the Pirates. 
• 1882 - The second coming of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association played their first MLB game (The AA was an alternative major league in the early days; the club would join the NL five years later) against Cincinnati at the Bank Street Grounds. The Alleghenys whipped the eventual AA champ Red Stockings by a 10-9 count, led by Charlie Morton and Jim Keenan combining to bang out seven hits. The Alleghenys’ Jack Leary and Reds’ Will White both went the distance. For Leary, who was a jack-of-all-trades (he only pitched three times in his 60 games with the Alleghenys while batting .286), it was his sole Pittsburgh win (1-0/6.75) before he moved on to Baltimore later in the season. OF Ed Swartwood, for the record, was the first batter in Allie history. Many consider this the first MLB game in Bucco franchise history except for the Pirates, which officially date its beginning to the team’s 1887 entry into the National League. 
• 1887 - Fred Carroll of the Alleghenys hit the franchise’s first National League homer (it was their second Senior Circuit game) off Detroit Wolverine pitcher Lady Baldwin as part of his cycle (also a Pirates first) at North Side’s Recreation Park in an 8-3 win. Motown had won 31 straight exhibition games plus three regular season games, and rallied after the loss to take the next two games. 

Fred Carroll - 1887 Buchner Gold Coin

• 1902 - RHP Freddy Sale was born in Chester, South Carolina. His MLB career consisted of an inning’s work in 1924 for the Pirates, giving up two hits but putting a zero on the scoreboard. He was a star at South Carolina, but got on with his life’s work without much further delay, leaving the game at age 23 after spending 1925 with Wilson in the Class B Virginia League. 
• 1908 - “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” was copyrighted/published by Von Tilzer’s York Music Company. Jack Norworth wrote the lyrics and Albert Von Tilzer composed the music. It took a while to catch on in ballyards, first gaining popularity as a Tin Pan Alley vaudeville tune. It’s thought that the first time it was played at a ballpark was in 1934, at a high-school game in Los Angeles, and then later that year during the fourth game of the 1934 World Series. Norworth's original lyrics, written on an envelope and covered with notes, are exhibited in Cooperstown. 
• 1909 - Talk about small ball! Honus Wagner stole second, third and home (it was said that he touched the plate before Cub pitcher Ed Reulbach even released the ball) while his teammates swiped three more bases, drew two walks, suffered a plunked batter, were gifted two errors, and actually banged two hits in a five-run first frame that carried the Bucs' 6-0 victory in the opener of a twin bill. They also won the second game 5-2 against the Cubs at the West Side Grounds. For the Flying Dutchman, the base-stealing triple-larceny was the fourth and final time he pulled off the feat; it still stands as the MLB record. He swiped 723 sacks during his career and led the league in larceny five times. 
• 1909 - 1B George Giles was born in Junction City, Kansas. George was a well-traveled Negro League player who was considered an excellent fielder, fleet in the field and on the bases (he was thought by some to be the equal of Cool Papa Bell on the base paths), and a solid contact hitter with a lifetime .315 BA. He had a 1932 stint with the Homestead Grays (.338) and a 1938 stop with the Pittsburgh Crawfords (.302). GG retired and eventually ran a motel/bar in Manhattan, Kansas. His son George Jr. played in the minors and grandson Brian Giles was an infielder who played for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox. 

The Prez - 5/3/1910 Press photo/Munson

• 1910 - During a Pittsburgh visit, baseball fan President William Taft took time to attend the Pirates 5-2 win over the Cubs. The team set a then-attendance record of 20,265 at Forbes Field due mainly to Big Bill's appearance, but the Pittsburgh Press headline was “Taft Was Cheered, But Thunderous Applause Greeted Honus Wagner.” Hans had just one hit though he did score twice. The victory went to Babe Adams, who was relieved by Lefty Leifield in the seventh inning. 
• 1925 - The Pirates scored seven times in the first frame and plated 14 runs through the third inning as they romped over the Cincinnati Reds 18-3 at Forbes Field. Clyde Barnhart, Pie Traynor, and Earl Smith combined to drive in 10 runs while the top of the order (Max Carey, Kiki Cuyler, and Eddie Moore) scored nine times. Every starter scored and 8-of-9 posted at least one RBI. Lee Meadows cruised, tossing a five-hitter for the victory and swatting a two-run homer. 
• 1941 - RHP Clay “Hawk” Carroll was born in Clanton, Alabama. He ended his 15-year MLB career with two 1978 Pirates outings, giving up a run in four innings at age 37 after spending most of the season at AAA Columbus. He was released after the year and retired in 1979. His heyday was with the Cincinnati Reds, where he was named Fireman of the Year in 1972 with a couple of All-Star appearances. His nickname was a nod to his competitive nature on the field. 
• 1943 - Behind hurlers Wally Hebert and Bob Klinger, the Pirates claimed a twinbill from the Cubs by 3-0 and 1-0 tallies at Forbes Field. Jim Russell was the hero of the opener; his triple drove in a run and he scored a batter later while Hebert’s six-hitter tamed the Bruins. In the second game‚ Cubs hurlers Dick Barrett and Lon Warneke combined on a one-hit loss: Vince DiMaggio's double in the fourth was the only Bucco knock. The Pirate run was unearned as Elbie Fletcher, who had walked, plated on the two-bagger when the relay to second went astray. Klinger twirled a four-hit gem of his own.

5/2 From 1950: Cruz'ing, Key Gold, Ty/Hyde, Zach & Denny's 1st's, Rallies, Frank Rolls 7, Trip Trips, Game Days; HBD Neftali & Jose

• 1953 - OF Carlos Bernier hit three consecutive triples to tie a mark held by several players (four Pirates have done the deed) in a 12-4 win over the Redlegs at Forbes Field. Bernier added a single and a stolen base to the day’s stat line. In a stretch of 11 at bats, Carlos banged four triples, two doubles, and two singles. It was a great but misleading start to his only MLB season; he finished the year hitting .213. Carlos played through 1965, mostly in the Pacific Coast League. 
• 1954 - The Bucs and Chicago Cubs split a twin bill at Wrigley as Pittsburgh lost the opener 5-3 and won the nitecap 18-10. Frank Thomas had seven straight hits on the afternoon. Bob Friend, winner of the second game, drove in three runs to win his first contest of the year and set a backhand standard: Not until Vida Blue in 1979 had anyone else allowed 10 runs in a game and still won. 
• 1954 - A sputtering drive to raise funds for a Hans Wagner statue received a shot in the arm when Beechview declared “Honus Wagner Day,” featuring a game between its American Legion club and the “Old Timers” at Alton Field with the proceeds donated to the statue fund. The effort renewed interest for the Honus memorial, and on April 30th, 1955, the Frank Vittor bronze was unveiled outside Forbes Field, made the move to TRS and is now displayed at PNC Park. 
• 1956 - Lee Walls went 5-for-5 in a losing effort against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Pirates fell by a 10-9 count in 10 innings despite Wall’s three doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. Roberto Clemente added two hits and Frank Thomas homered in the overtime loss. 
• 1985 - RHP Jose Ascanio was born in Maracay, Venezuela. He joined the Bucco system in 2009 as part of the Tom Gorzelanny/Mike Grabow deal with the Cubs and tossed that year and in 2011 for the Buccos, slashing 0-1/7.00. He was considered a potential closer, but spent all of 2010 and much of 2011 on the DL due to shoulder surgery. He never returned to the majors, but spent several years afterward playing in the Mexican and Venezuelan Leagues. 

Jose Ascanio - 2010 photo Marc Serota/Getty

• 1987 - Bob Walk tossed six innings of three-hit ball as the Pirates squeaked by the Giants 1-0 at Three Rivers Stadium. Logan Easley, winner John Smiley and Don Robinson with the save carried Walkie’s torch to finish up the shutout. Sid Bream scored the winner in the eighth when his two-out grounder was booted, followed by back-to-back knocks from Jim Morrison and RJ Reynolds. 
• 1988 - RHP Neftali Feliz was born in Azua, Dominican Republic. The Pirates picked him up in 2016 as a $3.9M FA, and he got into 62 games, compiling a line of 4-2-2/3.52, with 29 holds and 61 K in 53-2/3 IP. The vet signed with Milwaukee in 2017, his fourth team in the past three campaigns, after beginning his career in Texas where he spent six seasons before becoming a bullpen drifter. After a three-year minor league stint, he worked for the Phils and Dodgers in ‘21; Neffi has been tossing in the Dominican and the Mexican Leagues since then and is now a FA.
• 1992 - LHP Denny Neagle won his first MLB game with a 6-0 victory over the Houston Astros at the Astrodome, holding the ‘Stros to two hits over six frames before handing off the ball to Dennis Lamp and Roger Mason, who kept the zeros coming. Barry Bonds gave him all the help he needed, doubling home a run in the first frame and then belting a three-run homer in the seventh, both with two away. Andy Van Slyke added two hits, two runs and an RBI to the total. 
• 2006 - Zach Duke tossed a five-hitter to earn his first MLB complete game and shutout in the Pirates' 8-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Freddy Sanchez had three hits with three RBI and two runs scored while Jeromy Burnitz banged a two-run shot to lead the attack. 
• 2012 - AJ Burnett gave up 12 runs in 2-2/3 innings as the Cardinals clocked the Pirates 12-3 at Busch Stadium. AJ had shut them out two weeks earlier 2-0 at PNC Park. He allowed the most runs by a Pirate hurler in 80 years and surrendered more earned runs in under three innings since earned runs became an official stat in 1913. "I stunk," Burnett told the AP. "There is nothing more I can say.” AJ put the outing in his rear view mirror, finishing the year with 31 starting assignments and 200 innings pitched while posting 16-10/3.51 slash despite this blip. 

AJ Burnett - 2012 Topps Update

• 2014 - The Bucs rallied from a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 at PNC Park on the strength of a pair of ninth-inning home runs. Pedro Alvarez slammed a two-run shot to tie the game and Starling Marte walked it off with a two-out, two-strike solo bomb into left center to give Mark Melancon the win. The Shark was the third reliever behind starter Gerrit Cole. 
• 2016 - In one of the great Jekyll-and-Hyde outings, Tyler Glasnow tossed 36 pitches in the first inning, giving up three walks, two hits (one a moon shot by Joey Votto), two stolen bases, and three runs, then flipped the switch, tossing five shutout frames while surrendering two hits, a walk, and whiffing five on 69 pitches to earn his first MLB win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park, 12-3. Josh Harrison, a Cincy native, hit his third homer in two nights at GABP, a three-run dinger that capped a six-run fourth inning and gave Pittsburgh a 7-3 lead. The Pirates added five more runs in the seventh as they banged out 10 hits and drew eight walks to run away from the Reds. 
• 2023 - SIS Baseball, the gang that hands out the year-end Fielding Bible awards, named Pirates 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes Hayes as their MLB Defensive Player of the Month. He led all third sackers with six Defensive Runs Saved in April; no one else had more than three. They also noted that Key has compiled 50 Runs Saved since his debut in 2020, the most of any hot corner man in MLB. Hayes won the honor in 2021; Nolan Arenado took it again in 2022 for the fifth time. The honor found its wa to Steeltown in 2023 when Hayes was named the winner of the Fielding Bible Award for third basemen and also chosen as FB’s Defensive Player-of-the-Year. 
• 2025 - Oneil Cruz swiped his 33rd straight base, the longest streak in Pirates history since 1951 (the year CS became an official MLB stat), passing Tony Womack's streak of 32 in 1997. The Pirates all-time record is 37 consecutive steals by Max Carey in 1922-23. Cruz scored twice but the Bucs, off to a 12-21 start to the campaign, were dropped by San Diego at PNC Park by a 9-4 tally.

5/1 Through 1964: Streaking, Stu Shot, Dale Dealt, Petit's Dub, Slam Duet, Hart 1-Hitter, Game Days; HBD Jose, Ray, Johnny, Heinie, Bill K, George, Bill W & Tom

• 1859 - IF Tom Forster was born in New York City. He played four big league seasons for three teams, including a stop with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1884, where he hit .222. Tom had a 10-year pro career, playing his last campaign in 1891 for Hartford of the Atlantic Association at age 31. 
• 1860 - SS Bill White was born in Bridgeport, Ohio. He played five years in the big leagues for four different clubs, spending 1884 with the Alleghenys as a bench infielder and hitting .227. He played until 1889 with a reputation as a good gloveman. Bill’s last minor league season was 1894, and he later managed the Wheeling minor league clubs on three different occasions. 
• 1885 - RHP George McQuillan was born in Brooklyn. He was a decent pitcher for low-scoring teams (10 MLB years with four clubs), going 29-33-6 from 1913-15 with a 3.06 ERA for the Pirates. In 1907 he set one of the longest-lived records in MLB history when he pitched 25 innings for the Philadelphia A’s before giving up his first earned run. The mark stood for 101 years before being broken by Oakland Athletics reliever Brad Ziegler, who extended the record to 39-1/3 IP. 
• 1886 - C Bill Kelly was born in Baltimore. He came to the Pirates from minor league St. Paul in 1911, becoming their third catcher and serving as the personal caddy for Marty O’Toole. He played here through 1913, hitting .293 with 20 RBI’s in 102 games; he was known as a good hit, bad glove backstop. 

Bill Hart (Little Rock) - 1909/11 Sweet Caporal

• 1895 - Bill Hart hurled a one-hitter in a 4-1 victory over Cincinnati at Exposition Park. CF Jake Stenzel and C Joe Sugden each had a pair of knocks to lead the Pirates while SS Monte Cross made several nice running catches of short outfield flares. C Joe Sugden and CF Casey Stengel both outhit the Reds with a pair of knocks each, with Stengel driving in three runs and scoring twice. As the Pittsburgh Press noted of the Cincy club: “One hit will not win many games.” 
• 1896 - RHP Heinie Meine was born in St. Louis. The twirler spent six seasons with Pittsburgh (1929-1934), going 66-50 with a 3.95 ERA. Between 1931-33 he was a workhorse, throwing 663-2/3 frames in 96 games, going 46-30. In 1931, he led the NL in wins (19), innings pitched (284), and was fourth in ERA (2.98). He was a popular guy, known as "The Count of Luxemburg" because he ran a hometown speakeasy/tavern in the Luxembourg section of St. Louis. The watering hole in fact, was his ticket to the show. A successful pitcher in the minors, he failed a couple of big league tryouts and retired from the slab to behind the bar. Of course, baseball was a hot topic when Heine was pouring the suds, and his customers dared him to put up or shut up on the premise that he was an MLB-caliber pitcher. He finally took them up on the challenge, caught on with AA Kansas City in ’28 and next season, at 33 years old, proved himself in Pittsburgh. 
• 1917 - 2B Giovanni “Johnny” Berardino was born in Los Angeles. He made stops with the Bucs in 1950 and 1952 (.187 BA in 59 games), but his claim to fame wasn’t at the ballyard but in the back lots as he went on to become a TV soap opera star playing the role of Dr. Steve Hardy of General Hospital. 
• 1933 - The Pirates banged a pair of grand slams to back Bill Swift’s nine-hit, complete game shutout pitching and throttled the Philadelphia Phils 10-0 at the Baker Bowl. Arky Vaughan hit an inside-the-park grannie when his ball caromed wildly off the scoreboard in the third frame, then the Bucs iced the game with a five spot in the seventh, primarily fueled by Earl Grace’s grand slam over the right field wall. Vaughan and Grace became the first pair of Pirates to hit grand salamis in the same game, with Bill Madlock & Richie Hebner matching their feat in 1982. 

Pete Reiser - 1951 Bowman

• 1951 - Ex-Dodger Pete Reiser went 3-for-4 with two doubles (he also reached on an error & was walked) and Ralph Kiner added a double & homer as the Pirates beat Brooklyn 6-2 at Ebbets Field. Cliff Chambers gave up six hits, walked five, hit a batter and tossed a wild pitch but still went the distance to even his slate at 2-2 as Da Bums stranded 10 runners. The Pirates were just as wasteful on the bases - they went 3-for-16 w/RISP, hit into four DPs and had a runner picked off. 
• 1953 - The Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 at Forbes Field for their third win in a row, their longest streak since August, 1951. 22-year-old bonus baby Paul Pettit was the winner in his first MLB start. It was his only big league win, as he never recovered from arm injuries suffered the previous year on the farm, and spent most of his remaining career as a minor league outfielder. Pete Castiglione had a big day to help back Pettit with three hits, including two homers. 
• 1955 - Pirate pitching coach Ray Searage was born in Freeport, NY. The West Liberty State grad coached for the Williamsport Crosscutters in 2003-04, the Hickory Crawdads in 2005, the Altoona Curve in 2006-07 and the Indianapolis Indians in 2008-09. In 2010, he replaced Joe Kerrigan during John Russell’s final season and remained through 2019 during Clint Hurdle’s tenure. He was a reliever in his seven-year MLB career, spinning the cowhide for four different clubs, and coached for the Miami Marlins & St. Louis Cards before joining the Pirates. 
• 1957 - The Cubs sent 1B Dee Fondy and 2B Gene Baker to the Bucs for 1B Dale Long and OF Lee Walls. Fondy hit .313 and Baker .266 as Bucs while Walls and Long combined for 44 Chicago HRs in 1958. Fondy’s last season was ‘58 while Baker lasted through 1961, but as a bench piece, he only collected 119 plate appearances after starting in ‘57. Long played through 1963, but ‘58 would be his last 20-homer campaign. Walls became an All-Star with 24 bombs in ‘58, and that campaign was the last season that he posted double-digit dingers. He played 10 seasons, his last being 1964, for five clubs. 

Frank Thomas - 1958 Topps

• 1958 - Frank Thomas banged a pair of homers in the Pirates 8-3 win over the Dodgers at the Los Angeles Coliseum. It was the Bucs sixth straight win, including three-in-a-row in LA, with Thomas tagging four dingers in the three games before the Bucs were dropped the next day. The biggest blow was delivered by winning pitcher Vern Law, who smacked a three-run homer to pull away from the Dodgers. 
• 1959 - Dick Stuart hit one of the longest shots ever launched at Forbes Field, carrying well over the scoreboard and landing in the Schenley Plaza parking lot as he caught all of an 0-2 curve off Jim Brosnan. Alas, the almost-500’ two-run, two-out drive in the ninth only made it close as the Bucs went down to the Cards 7-6. Big Stu had three hits, including a double, in the loss. 
• 1960 - The Pirates won their ninth straight game, their longest victory string since 1945, by defeating the Cincinnati Reds by a 13-2 count at Crosley Field. Roberto Clemente had a grand slam and Maz added a three-run shot to back Vern Law’s mound work. The streak would end the next day against the St. Louis Cards and ex-Bucco Ronnie Kline by a 4-3 count at Busch Stadium. 
• 1964 - Jose Lind was born in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. In six seasons with the Pirates (1987-92), the 2B hit .255 and appeared in three NLCS bouts. Chico was considered a top flight defender and won a Gold Glove in 1992. A coke addiction drove him out of the game and into several clashes with the law, but Chico came clean and now even participates in the Bucco fantasy camps.

5/1 From 1965: Tag Team, Bad Dog, Scoops, Sweep, Dock Rock, Game Days, Renegade, TSN Sangy; HBD Miguel, Andre & Jose

• 1966 - The Bucs pounded the Mets 8-0 at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente led the attack with four hits, but it was a true team effort as every starter but the pitcher reached base, seven different Buccos scored, and five drove in runs. Of the Pirates 12 hits, five went for two bases and two more were triples. Lefty Bob Veale went the distance, tossing a four-hitter while fanning nine. 
• 1971 - Manny Sanguillen was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Pirate Treasure.” The Roadrunner hit .319 with a career-high 81 RBI, made his first All-Star appearance and was also a Top Ten MVP finisher, so TSN hit paydirt choosing Manny as their cover boy. 
• 1973 - Bob Moose was working on a five-hitter against the Giants with two outs in the ninth, a runner on first and a 7-1 lead at Candlestick Park. In one of the franchises biggest meltdowns, he walked the next two batters, and Ramon Hernandez was called in. He gave up a grand slam to Chris Arnold and left the bases loaded after a double and two more walks (Bill Virdon was ejected for beefing about plate ump Doug Harvey’s strike zone) for Dave Giusti. He gave up a gapper to Barry Bonds, and when Willie Stargell couldn’t field the shot cleanly, three runs scooted home to give the G-Men a stunning 8-7 win. When asked why he stuck with Hernandez so long, Virdon said he liked the matchups but admitted “I guess I was wrong.” For the Pirates, it was their sixth straight loss, but Giusti came back the next day to fan a pair of Giants in the ninth to save a 2-1 win. 
• 1974 - Dock Ellis plunked the Reds’ Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen in the top of the first inning while Tony Perez ducked a couple of tight ones to draw a walk as Ellis tied a MLB record for consecutive beaned batters before Danny Murtaugh yanked him in a 5-3 loss to Cincy at TRS. Ellis said he was trying to counter what he saw as the Reds' intimidation of the Pirates. As Manny Sanguillen recalled later on a Twitter post: “The Reds challenged us and put comments in the newspapers. Remember Pedro Borbon bit Patterson, our teams fought. Dock had enough and said ‘Sangy, don’t give me any signs they are all going down.’ He laughed b/c he missed Tony Perez saying he was dancing the Cha-Cha!” It didn’t move the needle; the Bucs finished the season 4-8 against the Reds even as they won the National League East division with 88 victories. 

Al Oliver - 1977 Kelloggs 3-D

• 1977 - Al Oliver’s stick was double-dutch clutch on this day - he knotted the game in the ninth and then walked it off in the 10th against the Houston Astros. Down 3-2 at TRS in front of 25,371 fans, Scoops homered to lead off the final frame and send the game into extras, then singled home Omar Moreno with the game-winner in the following inning. That feat would go unmatched for 40 years until John Jaso pulled it off against the New York Mets in 2017. Goose Gossage earned a big high five too, tossing three scoreless innings of one-hit ball in relief of John Candalaria, and ditto for Pops Stargell, who bombed a pair of solo homers to keep the Bucs afloat before Scoops’ heroics sealed the deal. 
• 1980 - Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock was fined $5‚000 and suspended 15 games by National League president Chub Feeney for jabbing ump Jerry Crawford in the face with his mitt when he took the field after being called out on strikes with the bases loaded. Madlock appealed, but withdrew the protest and accepted his medicine after the NL umpires threatened their own brand of justice by promising to eject him from every game he tried to play while fighting the penalty. 
• 1991 - Bobby Bonilla scored the winning run Honus Wagner-style; he stole home in the eighth inning to break a 4-4 tie with the Reds at Riverfront, capping a successful if unintended delayed double steal. Barry Bonds was on first and broke for second, but Cincy pitcher Randy Myers caught his movement, wheeled and zipped a throw to first. Bobby Bo saw Barry trapped and dashed for home. The Redlegs first sacker froze a second when he caught sight of Bo on the go and hesitated just long enough to allow Bonds to beat his throw to second; the relay to home was a hair too late to catch a sliding Bo. The Bucs went on to win 6-4. After the game, Bonilla told Press writer Bob Hertzel “The way I figure, I only got about 900 more (steals) to go before I catch Rickey (Henderson). 
• 1994 - The Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the first-place Braves as Paul Wagner defeated Atlanta’s Tom Glavine 4-1 for his second career complete game in front of 30,614 fans at TRS. Wagner allowed three hits, losing his shutout in the ninth inning on a homer by David Justice. The Bucs scored all four runs in the sixth inning, with Wags helping himself with a two-out, two-run double. 

Paul Wagner - 1994 Leaf

• 1995 - RHP Jose Urquidy was born in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. He started his MLB career in 2019 with Houston and was a solid arm in 2021-22; in 2023, he was shelved by an arm injury, then came back only to undergo season-ending surgery in 2024. Jose got a September peek with Detroit after rehabbing and he became a FA at year’s end. The Pirates signed him to a $1.5M deal in February to build rotation depth, and he made the club as a long man when they broke camp. 
• 1996 - RHP Andre Jackson was born in Vail, Arizona. He was a 12th-round pick of the Dodgers in 2016 out of Utah with 15 MLB outings with LA from 2021-23 (0-1-4/4.15) before being DFA’ed, with his contract sold to the Bucs in June, 2023. He was stashed at Indy and called up in early August as an injury replacement for Dauri Moreta after posting a 3.38 ERA w/11 K per 9; he went 1-3/4.33 with the Bucs. After the year, he joined the Yokohama BayStars of the Japanese League, where he has not only pitched lights-out but hit the only Nippon pitcher homer of 2025. Andre’s now with the Chiba Lotte Marines.  
• 1998 - RHP Miguel Yajure was born in Cabimas, Venezuela. He was signed by the Yankees in 2015 and got into three games in 2020 before being part of the package sent to Pittsburgh for Jameson Taillon. He was assigned to the Pirates alternate camp after impressing during the spring, and was called up as the 27th man on April 21, 2021, to make his MLB starting debut against Detroit. He was banged around by Motown, but bounced back in his next outing against the Giants. He missed June and July with a forearm injury and was called back up in late September. He broke camp with the big team in 2022, but mostly worked at Indy. He was 1-1-1/8.88 in 12 Pirates appearances (four starts), with a not-very-strong six K/six BB per nine during his Bucco mound visits. The Pirates released him in the off season and he was picked up by the San Fran Giants. He later crossed the Pacific to sign with the Japanese League, then returned in ‘26 to sign with the Houston Astros organization. 
• 1999 - Brian Giles went 3-for-4 with a home run/three RBI and Kevin Young batted 2-for-4 with a homer/three runs chased home to back Todd Ritchie in Pittsburgh’s 9-3 win over Colorado at Three Rivers Stadium. Al Martin added three knocks while Scott Sauerbeck and Jason Christenson mopped up the win in front of 18,599 in a game that took 2:38 from first pitch to last. 

Craig Wilson - 2008 Topps 50th Anniversary

• 2001 - Craig Wilson became the first Pirate whose first hit was a pinch-hit homer when he went long against the SF Giants Kirk Rueter at PNC Park; it was one of the few highlights of the day. His dinger cut the deficit to 9-2 as the Bucs went on to absorb an 11-6 drubbing before 22,962 fans. Wilson held his mark alone until 2021 when Rodolfo Castro matched the feat against the Mets at Citi Field. His blast likewise was in the midst of a beatdown, with Pittsburgh losing, 13-2. 
• 2023 - Closer David Bednar was named a member of MLB’s Team of the Month (March/April). During that span, the Renegade slashed 2-0-9/0.69 in 13 outings with 17 K’s in 13 IP as the Pirates sprinted out of the gate to a 20-9 start and 1-1/2 game lead in the Central Division.

4/30 Through the 1960s: Juan On, 10-Run Frame, 9 In A Row, Baron' 1st Dub, Bootin' Bill, Jeem's Gems, Game Days, Hans Statue; HBD Jeff, Scrap Iron, Ray & Tony

• 1877 - Jim “Pud” Galvin of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys tossed the International Association’s first shutout, defeating Columbus, 2-0, at Union (Recreation) Park. He pitched for 15 years, was MLB's first 300-game winner (he won 365 games) and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1965. The IA disbanded after the season and the Allies folded, getting back together in 1882. 
• 1887 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys played their first NL game, defeating the defending champion Chicago White Stockings 6-2 behind Pud Galvin in front of over 9,000 fans at Recreation Park. Galvin’s mound foe was John Clarkson; both became 300 game winners. Alex McKinnon collected four hits. In pre-game ceremonies, Fred Carroll’s beloved pet monkey (the chimp was also the team mascot), which had passed on to simian heaven, was buried beneath home plate, according to local baseball lore. The team wouldn't become the Pirates until 1891, after they "pirated" the services of 2B Lou Bierbauer from the Philly A’s. 
• 1891 - C Tony Brottem was born in Halstad, Minnesota. He made a couple of pit stops in MLB, appearing in 62 games in three seasons. Most were as a Bucco in 1921, with Tony slashing .242 in 30 games. He had a long minor league career covering a dozen campaigns. He had a sad ending; he tried a comeback in 1929 and was cut after 60 games. Depressed, the 37-year-old committed suicide. 
• 1924 - At Cubs Park, Rabbit Maranville lined a triple in the 14th inning and then stole home to beat Chicago, 2-1. Johnny Morrison was the winner over Elmer Jacobs as both pitchers went the distance. The Pirates had 12 hits, led by Max Carey’s three, and drew five walks but kept shooting themselves in the foot by banging into four DPs during the day as they stranded 10 runners. 

Rabbit Maraville - 1924 photo Conlan Collection/Detroit Public Library

• 1938 - 3B Bill Brubaker set a modern MLB record by committing four errors (he also was picked off second) in a 2-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. Bill’s boots didn’t contribute to the loss as both Red runs (one off Russ Bauer and the other off Mace Brown) were earned. The outing was played in front of 10,000 fans, of which 6,300 were knotholers who got into the yard gratis to help celebrate the long overdue victory for the Redlegs; the win snapped a 20-game Bucco unbeaten streak against Cincy that dated back to May of 1937. 
• 1945 - Ray Miller was born in Takoma Park, Maryland. He spent ten years as the Pirates pitching coach (1987–96) under Jim Leyland, replacing Ron Schueler, and worked with Cy Young winner Doug Drabek. Miller also managed for Minnesota & Baltimore and tutored Mike Flanagan & Steve Stone while with the O’s. He retired from coaching in 2005 and passed away in 2021. 
• 1949 - Phil “Scrap Iron” Garner was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee. He spent five years (1977-81) with the Pirates, playing second base for the 1979 World Series club. Scrap Iron hit .267 and stole 112 bases while a Bucco. After his playing career, Garner managed the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros over 15 years and spent time as a special advisor for the Oakland A’s. He died in The Woodlands, Texas, from pancreatic cancer on April 11, 2026 at the age of 76. 
• 1953 - Frank Thomas belted his first walk-off homer, a two-run shot in the ninth against the Cubs at Forbes Field. His swat gave rookie twirler ElRoy Face his first MLB victory, 4-2. ‘53 was 24-year-old Thomas’ breakout year; he smacked 30 homers, drove in 102 runs and hit .255. It wasn’t as kind to ElRoy, who went 6-8/6.58 and didn’t join the Bucs full-time until 1955, which still allowed him plenty of time to post 100 wins and 186 saves in 15 seasons as a Pittsburgh Pirate. 

Dedication photo - 5/1/1955 Pgh. Press

• 1955 - A statue of Honus Wagner, created by Frank Vittor and paid for from donations, was unveiled outside the left field gates at Forbes Field. Among the crowd of 1,000 were Ford Frick, Warren Giles and John Galbreath. Hans was present but weak; he would pass away in December. It’s been moved twice since: first to TRS, then to PNC Park where his likeness greets fans at the main gate. 
• 1960 - Pittsburgh scored 10 times in the second inning against the Reds at Crosley Field on the way to a 12-7 win, their eighth victory in a row. Roberto Clemente, Billy Maz (who was 4-for-5) and Dick Stuart each drove home three RBI. They knocked off Cincy one more time the following day 13-2 (Clemente & Maz stayed hot; each homered and drove in four runs) before the good times ended with a 4-3, ninth-inning loss to the Cards at Busch Stadium.
• 1964 - Utility man Jeff Reboulet was born in Dayton, Ohio. Jeff had a 12-year MLB career as a jack-of-all-trades, playing every position on the diamond except pitcher. He closed out his big league run with Pittsburgh in 2003, batting .241, just about his lifetime average (.240). After living on a bench-warmers pay, Jeff turned that experience into his second career - when he retired, Reboulet co-founded Horizon Wealth Management and became a financial advisor. 
• 1967 - Juan Pizarro struck out eight batters and tossed a four-hit shutout in Pittsburgh’s 2-0 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. It would be his only shutout and complete game as a Bucco; the Pirates used him primarily from the pen and he only made nine starts here. Jerry May knocked in both of the tallies with a run-scoring single in the second and a solo shot in the fifth. 
• 1968 - The Bucs couldn’t solve the Cubs’ Bill Hands, who left the game in the eighth with a 1-0 lead, but some two-out magic after he left saved the day. Matty Alou’s double with two away off reliever Phil Regan knotted the score heading into the last frame. Chicago came right back to score a pair in the ninth off Bob Moose and Juan Pizarro before Chuck Hartenstein, who would become a Bucco next season, climbed the hill for Chicago, looking for the save. But he couldn’t put the Pirates away as a pair of walks and a pair of singles made it 3-2, jamming the sacks with one gone. Bill Stoneman took over and got a big K, but Manny Mota walked it off with a soft liner to right center that a diving Adolfo Phillips couldn’t corral. The game was played in front of just 3,710 fans at Forbes Field; it drizzled through much of the evening and the temperature was just 44 degrees.

4/30 From 1980: Tyler-Vinny, Meares Deal, April X, B-Rey's 1st, The King, Game Days, Bert Walks, Bonds POTW, TSN Bill, HBD Canaan

• 1980 - Phil Garner had his first two-homer game, good for three RBI, and Bill Robinson added another tater as the division-leading Pirates took a 5-0 victory over the Montreal Expos at TRS. Jim Bibby went the distance, tossing a six-hitter for the win. The Garner long balls were a birthday gift to himself; Scrap Iron was celebrating his 31st spin around the sun. 
• 1980 - Pitcher Bert Blyleven left the team and announced that he would retire if he wasn’t traded, citing “the non-support and lack of confidence from his manager,” unhappy that Chuck Tanner wouldn’t let him pitch deeper into games. He did finish out the year, going 8-13/3.88 with 216 IP and was granted his wish when he was sent to the Indians during the off season. 
• 1984 - Bill Madlock was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Have Bats - Will Hit.” Not quite...Mad Dog tried playing through a sore elbow and eventually had surgery in August to remove bone spurs, batting just .253 for the campaign, his worst full season average in Pittsburgh. 
• 1989 - The Pirates were in a run-scoring doldrum; they scored just six times in the last five games. They left that stretch in the rear view mirror at Candlestick Park, pounding the Giants, 11-1. The Bucs were led by Steve Carter’s three-run homer and Bobby Bonilla's four-hit day that included three doubles as Steve, Bo, Barry Bonds and RJ Reynolds combined for 10 hits, seven runs scored and seven RBI. Bob Walk went wire-to-wire, spinning a four-hitter with a pair of raps. 

Steve Carter - 1989 Donruss Rookie

• 1990 - Barry Bonds was selected as the NL Player of the Week. Bonds started slowly but warmed up with the weather as he went 10-for-17 (.588) in five games with three homers, six RBI and eight runs scored. He was especially hot during a three-game San Diego weekend set, going 9-for-12, generating most of his counting numbers for the week. He finished as the league MVP in his first All-Star year as he posted a slash of .301/33/114 with 104 runs, .406 OBP and 52 swipes. 
• 1996 - For the second time in his career, Jeff King hit a pair of bombs in the same inning - one a grand slam - as the Bucs took a 10-7 win over the Reds. The first baseman joined Andre Dawson and Willie McCovey as the only MLB’ers to have accomplished the feat twice. The Bucs tallied nine times in the fourth frame to spark the victory at Cinergy Field, sending Cincinnati to its eighth straight loss. 
• 1999 - Pat Meares, 30, was signed to a one year, $1.5M contract by Cam Bonifay. He broke his wrist in spring training (the Pirates misdiagnosed it as a sprain), and a week after he came off the DL was given a four-year/$15M extension. He played 240 games for the Pirates and 2001 was his last season, reaching a settlement that paid him for 2002-03 without him playing. 
• 1999 - LF Canaan Smith-Njigba was born in Dallas, Texas. A fourth-round prep pick of the Yankees in 2017, he joined the Bucs in 2021 as part of the Jameson Taillon deal. He debuted in 2022 after starting out at Indy, but only got into three games before a June wrist injury landed him on the 60-day IL after he had missed much of 2021 with a thigh injury. He came north with the team as a spare outfielder in 2023 but was sent to Indy in late April. CSN was DFA’ed later in ‘23, returned via waivers, was let go again, went to the White Sox and is now a free agent. 

Canaan Smith-Njigba - 2023 Topps Chrome

• 2008 - Pirate RF’er Xavier Nady went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks while driving in three runs during a 13-1 rout of the Mets in New York. Nady’s three RBI increased his total to 26 for the month of April. That was tops in the National League that season and the most runs chased home by a Pirate in the campaign’s first month since Willie Stargell plated 27 Buccos in 1971.
• 2019 - The Pirates carried an eight-game losing streak into Texas and were an out away from making it nine when Josh Bell’s ninth-inning two-bagger plated a pair to tie the game at 3-3. The 10th went quietly before the Buc bats boomed again, with Bryan Reynolds hitting his first big league homer and Starling Marte adding a two-run shot in the 11th to snap the streak with a 6-4 victory against the Rangers at Globe Life Stadium. Kyle Crick won, with a Felipe Vazquez save finishing a long day. Despite that icy stretch, the Pirates finished the month at 13-14, but then faded badly, costing Clint Hurdle his job. 
• 2023 - In a deal to bolster depth for both clubs, the Pirates sent C Tyler Heineman, 31, to the Toronto Blue Jays for IF Vinny Capra, 25. Though both players had previous MLB stops (six seasons/.210 BA for Tyler, Capra played in 2022/.200 BA), they were assigned to the teams’ AAA affiliates. Tyler had seen action in just three outings before the swap and Vinny made nine game appearances as a Buc. Ex-Pirate OF Jordan Luplow lost out in the deal as he was outrighted to the minors by Toronto. Jordan spent seven years in the show with six teams and has been playing in Mexico since 2024.

4/29 Through the 1980s: Robby Roars, 1st Sunday, Greenlee Opens, Bangers, Game Days, Brawlin'; HBD Tony, JVW, Phil, Lefty & Frank

• 1860 - RHP Frank (Hengstebeck) Beck was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. Frank had five MLB outings in 1884, three with the Alleghenys. All three starts were complete-game losses as he put up a 6.12 ERA, although he did have better luck as a part-time outfielder, going 4-for-12. He finished up with two more losses with the Union Association’s Baltimore Monumentals to end his big league stay. He returned to baseball’s independent leagues, where he started from, and his trail died off after his 1887 campaign with Ionia of the Northern Michigan League. 
• 1896 - LHP Ralph “Lefty” Mellix was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mellix’s family moved to Pittsburgh when he was a child and the Peabody HS grad became a semi-pro legend (he kept a day job at Westinghouse and later with the City), tossing briefly for the Homestead Grays in 1935 and part of a Gus Greenlee touring team in the 40’s. Lefty played for local and regional clubs too numerous to mention, often as a rental headliner, but his regular home was in Pittsburgh’s Hilltop, as he pitched and managed for the Beltzhoover Black Sox (later the 18th Warders), based out of McKinley Park. His playing days covered 1917-57, earning him the title of “The Granddaddy of the Sandlots.” Though records are scarce, it’s said that he was on the bump for 1500+ games and claimed nine no-hitters. After Mellix retired, the Pirates recognized him by giving him a lifetime pass and he became a historian of sorts as a dispenser of local black baseball lore. 
• 1930 - Rollie Hemsley (three hits/five RBI), George Grantham (four hits/four RBI), and Charlie Engle (four hits/three RBI) combined for 11 hits and 12 RBI while all eight starters scored to lead the Pirates to a 13-9 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Bucs rallied from an early 7-1 deficit with a seven-run sixth inning and never looked back. Ralph Erickson got the win (his only MLB victory) in relief of Ray Kremer with a Steve Swetonic save. It was a league-wide day of batting fireworks - in the seven games played, an average of 17 runs per match were scored. 

• 1932 - Greenlee Field in the Hill, home of the Pittsburgh Crawfords, opened in front of 4,000 fans. Hall of Famers Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson were the battery as the Pittsburgh Crawfords lost the opener to the New York Black Yankees, 1-0, in a pitching duel with Jesse "Mountain" Hubbard. Paige struck out 10 and allowed six hits, but Hubbard was better, surrendering just three knocks. The Allegheny County commissioners, Pittsburgh's mayor, and the city councilmen caught the opener from the field boxes. Robert Vann, attorney and Pittsburgh Courier owner, threw out the first pitch. It was the first ballfield built specifically for a black team, erected by team owner Gus Greenlee. When completely finished, the grounds sat 7,500 (there were 5,000 seats on Opening Day), with lights added in 1933. It was demolished in 1938-39 to create space for the Bedford Dwellings. 
• 1934 - Red Lucas won Pittsburgh’s first Sunday home game as the Pirates beat Cincinnati 9-5 at Forbes Field, backed by Gus Suhr’s three hits and four RBI. Both Suhr and Paul Waner, who also had three knocks, homered. 20,000 turned out for the game, including Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and former NL President/PA Governor John Tener. Because of Pennsylvania’s Blue Laws, Pittsburgh was the last major league city to play a home game on a Sunday after local referendums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia finally approved Sunday ballgames in the 1933 November elections. 
• 1938 - Sports writer Phil Musick was born; he was raised in the Garfield section of Pittsburgh. He began locally at the Greensburg Tribune-Review as sports editor. He joined the Pittsburgh Press in 1969 and moved across the street to the Post Gazette, covering the Pirates and Steelers in his columns (“Stop the Musick,” usually filled with musings under “Things I think I think...”). He later was the first sports columnist at USA Today before returning to the Press. He left there in 1987 and hosted a talk show on WTAE-Radio while teaching journalism at LaRoche College. He also had a handful of books and national freelance articles on his resume before passing away in 2010. 
• 1959 - The Giants jumped ahead of the Pirates and Ronnie Kline 2-0 at Forbes Field early on and the lead held up until the Bucs counter-punched in the seventh. Roberto Clemente opened with a triple, Smokey Burgess followed with a double, and Dick Stuart’s single knotted the score. A double play dampened the festivities a bit, but Bill Mazeroski put the cherry on top by homering off Johnny Antonelli to give Pittsburgh the lead. Kline, who fanned nine Golden Gaters, cruised to the finish line, retiring the last eight G-Men as Pittsburgh went on to take a 3-2 win. 

John Vander Wal - 2001 Topps

• 1966 - OF/1B John Vander Wal was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He played for the Bucs in 2000-01, and in 232 games hit .290 w/35 HR and 144 RBI. The Pirates traded him at the 2001 deadline with Jason Schmidt to the Giants for Ryan Vogelsong and Armando Rios in one of GM Dave Littlefield’s early deals after replacing Cam Bonifay in mid-July. In his career, Vander Wal banged 129 pinch hits and holds the single-season record for pinch hits with 28 with the Rox in 1995. 
• 1978 - Rookie righty Don Robinson spun his second consecutive complete game victory, whipping the Giants 6-2 at TRS after taming the Mets 2-1 earlier in the week at Shea Stadium. The 21-year-old held SF and NY to 10 hits without a walk or homer while fanning 12. Donnie finished the year with a 14-6-1/3.47 line. Another notable moment was had by Mario Mendoza, who hit his first MLB homer in his fifth big league season (he would bang four dingers during his career.) 
• 1978 - RHP Tony Armas Jr. was born in Puerto Piritu, Venezuela. Tony worked 10 big league campaigns as a journeyman starter and spent 2007 as a Pirate (4-5/6.03) after inking a $3.5M deal. It proved to be his final full MLB season as the Bucs didn't pick up his 2008 option and the Mets released him the following year after one outing. Junior was the son of All-Star OF Tony Armas, who had been a hot Bucco prospect but was traded to the Oakland A’s as part of the Phil Garner deal after a cup of coffee in Pittsburgh, launching a solid 14-year MLB career. 
• 1987 - The Pirates were clocked by the Dodgers 10-2 at Three Rivers Stadium, but with a couple of interesting sidebars. Ump Fred Brocklander blew a pair of calls on the same play, and while sorting them out, the Pirate Parrot launched a feather-brained dance of indignation, ending with a nerf ball aimed at Fred. When the other umps came to Brocklander’s rescue, the Parrot jumped in his cart and exited stage right. He quickly learned that umpires are not part of the show, at least not for mascots, and was suspended for a day (he did apologize - he was a rookie Parrot and just learning the ropes). Later, coach Rick Donnelly got into a bullpen fight with a couple of fans who had sneaked into the area through an unwatched employee entrance. He tried to get them to leave peacefully, but to no avail, leading to a brief battle that ended poorly for the interlopers. They were taken away by police and charged with public intoxication. The Pirates didn’t file any additional charges; being thumped by Rick was punishment enough.

4/29 From 1990: Pups Yap, Kingly Debut, Nova Maddux, Cutch - 1,000, Movin' Up, Big Boppers, Game Days, Indy No-No; HBD Rookie & Steven

• 1990 - The Bucs beat San Diego 10-1 behind a four homer barrage at Jack Murphy Stadium to sweep the set. Barry Bonds homered & scored four times with three RBI, Jay Bell hit a three-run bomb, Bobby Bonilla banged a two-run blast, and Don Slaught added a solo shot to grease the wheels for Doug Drabek. It was the on-fire Pirates sixth consecutive win and their 10th in 11 games. They also made a housekeeping move: the rosters needed to be reduced from 27 to 25 players (a league concession was made to carry a couple of extra hands for a month after the short spring camps caused by the owner’s lockout) so C Tom Prince and RHP Mike Roesler were sent to AAA Buffalo. 
• 1992 - LHP Steven Brault was born in La Mesa, California. Drafted by the Orioles in 2013, he was sent to the Pirates as part of the Travis Snider deal. The lefty moved through the system quickly and in July of 2016 made his MLB debut. He slashed 0-3/4.86 but was in the running for a back-end rotation spot in 2017 camp, where he pitched well but lost out to Tyler Glasnow and was returned to Indy. He returned later in the year (1-0/4.67) and broke camp with the Bucs in 2018 as a long man and spot starter, becoming a regular back-end starter in 2019. Brault posted a 3.38 ERA in 10 starts in 2020, but began the 2021 campaign on ice with a lat strain. He came back in August, and the Bucs DFA’ed him after the campaign. He signed with the Cubs as a NRI - he suffered a triceps injury before camp - and never bounced back, retiring in 2023. 
• 1993 - RHP William “Rookie” Davis was born in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina. Drafted by the Yankees and given a seven-game taste by the Reds in 2017 after being part of the Aroldis Chapman deal, Rookie was signed as a FA by the Bucs in 2019. He got the call from Indy on May 25th and made his first Bucco start on June 7th against the Brewers. His dad, William Theron Davis III, gave him his handle; to differentiate the two, his pops said “Let’s just call him ‘Rookie’.” He retired after the ‘19 campaign and opened The Davis Academy, a baseball training facility. 

Rookie Davis - 2019 photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

• 2000 - For the true believers in productive outs, this was a game for you - the Pirates and Reds tied the MLB record in Cincinnati's 6-5 victory at TRS by hitting five sacrifice flies (the Redlegs also dropped a pair of successful bunts). Neither club was very clutch other than cranking out flies - the two teams combined to go 1-for-19 w/RISP during the game. Pat Meares and Warren Morris both homered in the losing effort, triggered when Cincy overcame an early Bucco lead by scoring five times in the seventh and eighth innings (with two runs plating on sac flies). 
• 2012 - Pitching for the AAA Indianapolis Indians against the Durham Bulls, lefty Justin Wilson tossed the first 7-1/3 innings of a combined no-hitter (two walks, nine K, 107 pitches), completed by Jose “Jumbo” Diaz and Doug Slaten. He was converted to the pen when he made it to the show, and worked his first Bucco game on August 20th. Wilson later tossed for the NY Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, NY Mets, went back to the Bronx Bombers, became a member of the Boston Red Sox bullpen in ‘25 and is currently a free agent. 
• 2015 - Andrew McCutchen entered the game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in an early funk with an anemic .179 BA, but left it as the newest member of the 1,000 hit club. Cutch tripled and then legged out an eighth-inning infield rap to reach 1,000 knocks in the Pirates 8-1 win over Chi-town. He became the 33rd Buccaneer to collect at least 1,000 hits and the first since Jack Wilson in 2007 to collect them all with Pittsburgh. Gerrit Cole tossed a three-hitter over six innings for the victory, and combined with three relievers to whiff 14 Cubbies. 
• 2017 - Ivan Nova tossed a 95-pitch, complete-game shutout against Miami at Marlins Park, winning 4-0. His "Maddux" (a complete game shutout under 100 pitches) was the first for a Bucco since Jeff Karstens posted one on July 15th, 2011 against the Astros. John Jaso homered, but the clinching frame was the sixth when Fish hurlers walked four straight batters (two of them battling back from 0-2 counts) to force in a pair of runs. In Ivan’s 16 Pirates starts, he had more complete games (five) than walks (four), and had yet to hit the 100-pitch mark. 

Nick Kingham - 4/29/2018 Topps Now

• 2018 - Nick Kingham had a debut to remember as he retired the first 20 batters he faced in a 5-0 win over the Cardinals at PNC Park. He gave up a two-out single to Paul DeJong in the seventh, finishing with a one-hit, nine-K outing in his first MLB game. The Elias Sports Bureau said no pitcher in the Expansion Era (since 1961) had taken a perfect game bid so far in his debut. Wayne Simpson of the Reds in 1970 and Ken Cloude of the Mariners in 1997 each set down their first 16 batters. Kingham joined Johnny Cueto as the only pitchers in the last 100 years with one hit allowed, at least nine strikeouts and zero walks in a debut. The contest itself was a scoreless duel between Nick and Luke Weaver before the Bucs broke it open with four runs in the sixth, keyed by a two-run single by Elias Diaz, who had three hits on the day. It was the Pirates fifth straight victory and gave them their earliest 17th win in franchise history. Nick, after that dazzling intro, didn’t live up to his early promise; the Pirates sold his contract to Toronto in 2019, then he tossed in Korea, Mexico and China before retiring in 2023. 
• 2020 - The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced that it canceled the 2020 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend events due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the Museum itself had been closed since March. The ceremonies have been eliminated several times before for various reasons, but this was the first year without an induction ceremony since 1961, when there were no new members elected. The 2020 class received their proper dues in 2021 during a combined September ceremony with the following group of HoF’ers. 
• 2023 - Holy moly, whatta day! The Bucs swept a split twin bill from Washington at Nationals Park by 6-3 and 16-1 counts, with warm and fuzzy vibes rockin’ the house that Pirates pups took over on this day. Drew Maggi, after 13 years on the farm, banged his first MLB hit, an RBI single, and followed by scoring after a double while knowing he was going back to Altoona the next day. Cody Bolton got his first big league whiff during his two-inning debut while posting a zero. Miguel Andujar, just called up from Indy, homered in both matches, Jack Suwinski swatted his first grand salami and Vince Velasquez tossed his 18th consecutive scoreless frame, a personal best. The Pirates were rollin’, winning their fourth straight game and 11th of their last 12 to go 20-8.