Weekly Report: Jared & Mason Honored; FA's/Arbs; Cutch On TV; Playoffs

Another year older...

Pirates Stuff:

• The NL Pitcher of the Month is 25-year-old Jared Jones. In five starts, he went 3-0/0.93 with 40 K in 29 innings and took a no-hitter into the seventh against the White Sox on the 10th. Not too bad for a kid who missed all of the 2025 season due to elbow surgery.
• Shoulda happened last month, too...Mason Montgomery was named the NL Reliever of the Month with 11 saves in 13 outings. He gave up three runs during the month, all in one inning after a two-out, two-strike hit, and didn't cede an earned run at all in August. He was picked up in an offseason deal and got into 70 outings, moving into the closers role in late July and slashed 6-4-18/2.88/with nine holds & 105K in 68-2/3 IP.  

Brandon Lowe - 2026 image SportsNet.Pgh

• If you're looking ahead, the only Pirate FAs are 2B Brandon Lowe and lefty reliever Gregory Soto; our sense is that they try to compete for Lowe while Soto could go either way. Guys signed are Ryan O'Hearn ('27), Luke Weaver ('27), Mitch Keller ('28), Bryan Reynolds ('30) and Konnor Griffin ('34). The big class belongs to the arb guys; there are ten of them (eight first-year & all pretty big roster pieces including Skenes, Cruz, Jones et al), so their paydays could get pricey.
• The Bucs have five guys up for All-MLB honors: Braxton Ashcraft, Nick Gonzales, Brandow Lowe, Mason Montgomery and Paul Skenes. If you're the voting kind, toss them some love at MLB All-Stars.
• Yah, we knew it all along...MLBTR's Charlie Wright covers how the Pirates FO nailed the Brandon Lowe trade. 
• The Sporting News released another All-Star group, "The Stalwarts" who displayed consistent performance. Pittsburgh was repped by Homestead Grays RHP Smokey Joe Williams, who tossed for them from 1925-32.
• Curious about how the Bucs 2026 Minor League org did? The Pirates put together the MiLB clubs year in review. Also, here's the year-end Bucs Top 30 Prospects list as ranked by MLB.

The Dynamic Duo - Seth Hernandez & Edward Florentino

• MLB Pipeline held their annual MiLB Awards Show; the Pirates didn't show so well. Their only nod came when RHP Seth Hernandez was selected to the second All-Prospect Team. In their post-season Top 100 Prospects list, Hernandez was ranked as the #9 pup and OF Edward Florentino joined him on the roster at #32.

MLB Stuff: 

• Perry Hill, 74, who was the IF coach for the Pirates/Clint Hurdle in 2019 before moving on to Miami and Seattle, was let go by the Mariners the day after manager Dan Wilson got the ax.
• RHP Jose Urquidy declared for free agency.

Playoff Stuff:

• Cutch will be a guest analyst on MLB Network Monday and Tuesday for playoff coverage...career two?
• The Padres activated RHP Joe Musgrove from the 60-day IL to the playoff roster for bullpen depth; he hasn't tossed since August.
• DH Rowdy Tellez has been added to the Braves 40 man & playoff rosters; he's mostly summered in AAA Gwinnett.
• The Guardians took RHP Colin Holderman off the playoff roster; he's having wrist surgery after a rebound 2026 campaign (6-4-1/2.73).

Bracket via MLB.com

10/5 Through the 1950s: Grays Win NLWS, Jumpers, Pud's #300, Game Days, Klinger Picked, Exhibits & Revues, RIP Oscar, HBD Onix, Sarge, Felix & Claude

1873 - Middle infielder Claude Ritchey was born in Emlenton along the Allegheny River in Venango County. He played for the Pirates for seven years (1900-06), batting .273 with 709 runs scored/675 RBI, and was the starting 2B for the 1901 pennant winners and 1903’s World Series team. The combo of his size (5’6”) and ability to drive in clutch runs gained him the nickname of "Little All Right."

1887 - IF Felix Chouinard was born in Chicago. He played infield and outfield in 88 contests for four big league years. He was with the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League for nine of those games in 1914, hitting .300. It was one of three clubs (Brooklyn and Baltimore were the others) he played for that year; he got into four games next season with the Tip Tops before joining the Navy. 

1888 - Pud Galvin won his 300th big league game against the Washington Nationals at Swampoodle Grounds, throwing a four-hitter in a 5-1 Allegheny win. He was the first player in MLB history to reach the 300 win total, finishing his career with 361 victories, with 138 of them earned with various Pittsburgh clubs. (Some credit the date of win 300 to September 4th against Indianapolis; the National Association, where Galvin won his first four victories as a member of his hometown St. Louis Brown Stockings, isn’t recognized as a true major league.)

1889 - RHP Jim Bagby Sr. was born in Marietta, Georgia. He joined the Pirates in 1923 at age 34 during his last MLB campaign, going 3-2/5.24 in 21 outings (six starts). He had a solid career at Cleveland (122-86/3.03 in seven seasons), was the first pitcher to hit a homer in a modern World Series, and was a 30-game winner (31-12) in 1920. Jim also left the Bucs with a legacy - his son, Jim Bagby Jr., who tossed for the Pirates during Big Jim’s final big league season in 1947. The pair were the first father - son tandem to pitch in the World Series as Sr. appeared for the Indians (1920) and Jr. for the Red Sox (1946). Jim Sr. was known as “Sarge,” inspired by "Sergeant Jimmy Bagby,” a character in the 1919 Broadway play “Boys Will Be Boys” that his teammates had seen.

Jim Bagby Sr (w/Indians) - 1920 Transcendental Graphics/Getty

1901 - UT Wid Conroy and C Harry Smith jumped from the American League to Pittsburgh (the date is approximate; this is when the unconfirmed signings were announced in the Pittsburgh Press). Wid, a utility player, played for a season and hit .244 before he hopped back to the junior circuit, joining the Yankees in 1903. Harry was part of the Pittsburgh catcher rotation for three years and hung around for three more seasons as a deep bench piece, hitting .202 as a Bucco.

1903 - Rain delayed the first Pirates home game of the World Series, with Pittsburgh holding a 2-1 lead after three contests at Boston’s Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds. So the teams took it easy after three straight games and headed to the Duquesne Theater, where the two clubs took in a vaudeville revue (“The Great Orpheum Show”) before rejoining combat at Exposition Park the next day. There was a SRO crowd in the house; we assume some of Beantown’s visiting “Royal Rooters” contingent of 200 fans took in the show, too.

1905 - The Pirates took their show on the road, playing an exhibition at Charleroi that drew 2,500 paying Mon Valley fans along with “...spectators in trees, houses and every available nook…” per the Pittsburgh Press. After a fairly sloppy first inning that saw each team score four runs, the Bucs took control and rolled to a 10-4 victory, helped by five errors and four walks by the hosts.

1912 - The Pirates arrived in Cincinnati, but their uniforms were lost somewhere on the rails between South Bend, where the Bucs had just played an exhibition game, and the Queen City. The railroad promised to pay for spikes and gloves, and the Reds were gracious enough to lend their Pennsylvania rivals their away unis, so the contest went on although to the fans at Redland Field, it looked more like an intrasquad game than a big league contest. The Pirates started out as if it were another exhibition, falling behind 5-0 after three innings and coming up short after a furious finish, dropping a 6-5 decision. Pittsburgh won the season finale the next day for a 93-win season, but they finished second in the pennant race as the New York Giants rolled to a 103-win campaign.

Big Poison - 1927 photo Paul Thompson

1927 - Pittsburgh’s Ray Kremer and the Yankees’ Waite Hoyt, who would later join the Bucs in 1933, opened the World Series at Forbes Field. The Bucco wheels came off in the third when a pair of walks coupled with two errors and a muffed double play gave the Bronx Bombers three runs on one hit and a 4-1 lead. The Pirates kept the contest interesting - they collected nine hits, led by Big Poison Paul Waner’s 3-for-4 day - but fell short of overcoming the Yanks, 5-4.

1937 - The Pirates selected RHP Bob Klinger, 29, from the St Louis Cardinals in the Rule 5 draft after the nine-year minor league vet had won 19 games in the Pacific Coast League. He burst on the scene in ‘38 with a 12-5-1/2.99 line, and while never again quite matching that performance, he was a workmanlike 62-58-9/3.74 over six years and 209 outings (129 starts) with the Bucs. He missed the 1944-45 seasons while serving in the Navy, then spent his last two years with Boston before toiling through 1950 on the farm before retiring at age 42.

1948 - The Washington/Homestead Grays won their third Negro League World Series four games to one when they defeated the Birmingham Black Barons and their 17-year-old rookie outfielder Willie Mays 10-6 in Birmingham by scoring four runs in the 10th inning. The Grays were led by player/manager Sammy Bankhead and had Luke Easter, Buck Leonard and Wilmer Fields as their stars. It was the last WS for the Negro Leagues as they moved into the integration era.

1954 - OF/manager Oscar Charleston died in Philadelphia (some sources cite the date as October 6th) after suffering a stroke. Oscar was one of the sport’s elite black ballplayers with a career that stretched from 1915-41. He spent seven years with the Pittsburgh Crawfords, his longest stint with one club, after owner Gus Greenlee lured him from the Homestead Grays. He played in three Negro league All-Star games and won a World Series during his time (1932-38) with the Crawfords. Called the “Black Ty Cobb,”  Oscar entered the Hall of Fame in 1976. 

1957 - IF Onix Concepcion was born in Dorado, Puerto Rico. After six years with KC, he closed out his career with one at bat, a pinch hit single, for the Bucs in 1987. He was Jose Lind’s cousin, and the Pirates signed him as a free agent in ‘87, but he spent most of his time either injured or at Class AA Harrisburg. He retired afterward and is now an instructor at JROD Sports Academy.

10/5 From 1960: Bucs Top Yanks In '60, Pgh Tops SF & Cincy in NLCS Contests, Staff Shuffles, Tracy Canned, RIP Woody

1960 - Roger Maris became the seventh player to homer in his first World Series at-bat. His round-tripper off Vern Law got the Yankees off to a quick 1-0 lead, but the Pirates persevered to win Game One of the Fall Classic at Forbes Field, 6-4. Pittsburgh replied by scoring three times in the first, and a two-run homer by Bill Mazeroski in the fourth was the early game winner. The score wasn’t quite as close as it looked; the Yankees’ Elston Howard hit a two-run, ninth-inning homer off ElRoy Face to narrow the gap. The game was highlighted by a great grab by Bill Virdon and even featured some pre-game action. An unauthorized parachutist tried to drop into the ballyard, but missed by a couple of blocks and landed on the roof of the Board of Education building across from Heinz Chapel, where he was rescued by police and then arrested. The Bucco victory ended a 15-game Yankee winning streak and was Pittsburgh’s first WS win since 1925.

1970 - Johnny Bench and Tony Perez homered off Bob Moose in the first inning and the Reds beat the Pirates 3-2 to sweep the NLCS at Riverfront Stadium. After the Pirates had tied the game in the eighth, Cincinnati scored the winner after two outs when a walk, single and Bobby Tolan’s knock off reliever Joe Gibbon plated the game winner. The Pirates collected 10 hits during the contest, but shot themselves in the foot by stranding a dozen runners. Willie Stargell went 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI while Roberto Clemente, Al Oliver and Richie Hebner had two hits each. The Reds mojo wore off after thumping Pittsburgh, and they lost the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles in five games.

1971 - Richie Hebner's homer off Juan Marichal in the eighth inning gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 victory over the Giants at TRS and a 2-1 lead in the NLCS. Bob Johnson went eight innings of five-hit ball with seven strikeouts and Dave Giusti closed it for the save. The Bucs’ first tally came in the second frame on another solo blast, this one by Bob Robertson. For Hebner, the game winner was an act of redemption as his throwing error on a bunt led to SF’s only score in the sixth inning. Robertson’s homer was his fourth of the series, setting a record.

1973 - After taking over the coaching reins from Bill Virdon in September, Danny Murtaugh announced a shakeup of The Quail’s field staff for the following season, firing pitching coach Mel Wright and bullpen coach Dave Ricketts while adding Bob Skinner, fueling speculation that the Dog was being groomed as the Irishman’s eventual replacement. Danny also said that he planned to retain Don Leppert and Bill Mazeroski. Don Osborn took over the pitching chores, but Maz didn’t come back (he never took a liking to coaching but did remain as a spring instructor), with Jose Pagan instead coming aboard. Leppert ended up the sole survivor from Virdon’s '73 brain trust. 

Pirates Coaches - Topps 1974 Field Leaders

1974 - Don Sutton held Pittsburgh to four hits at TRS in the first game of the NLCS to claim a 3-0 win. It was a 1-0 duel between him and Jerry Reuss until the Dodgers added a pair of ninth inning tallies off of Dave Giusti. Willie Stargell had two of the Pirates four hits. The Dodgers reversed their usual Three Rivers trend as they had been 0-6 at the ballyard during the regular season.

1975 - Fred Norman limited the Bucs to five hits at Riverfront Stadium as Cincinnati easily took a two games to none lead in the NLCS by a 6-1 tally. Rennie Stennett and Richie Zisk had two knocks each; the only other Bucco hit was Willie Stargell’s RBI double. Jim Rooker took the loss.

1979 - The Pirates swept the NLCS, beating the Reds 7-1 at TRS behind Bert Blyleven, who went the distance (eight hits, nine whiffs) for the series clincher. Willie Stargell, who homered, doubled and had three RBI, was named Series MVP. Bill Madlock also went long for the Bucs. The blowout was an outlier; it had taken the Bucs extra innings to win the first two contests.

1984 - 3B coach Joe Lonnett, 1B coach Al Monchak and pitching coach Harvey Haddix were let go by GM Pete Peterson and manager Chuck Tanner. Lonnett, who had spent 14 years with Tanner, had raised hackles earlier in the year with criticism of some of the players, Monchak had health problems, and The Kitten was replaced by Grant Jackson. Haddix’s dismissal was a surprise, as the Pirates led the National League in ERA, but the front office felt that much of the credit belonged to Tanner, who was deeply involved in the pitching schematics. Steve Demeter and Milt Graff replaced the base coaches, with Bob Skinner and Rick Peterson remaining as holdovers.

1990 - The Reds tied the NLCS at a game apiece with a 2-1 win at Riverfront Stadium as Tom Browning bested Doug Drabek. Paul O’Neill drove in both runs for Cincinnati, with the two tallies set up by stolen bases, while Chico Lind’s solo homer was all the offense Pittsburgh could muster. Both pitchers were in command; the Reds managed five hits and the Pirates six.

Braxton Ashcraft - 2026 SportsNet.Pgh image

1999 - RHP Braxton Ashcraft was born in Waco, Texas and was drafted by the Pirates in the second round of the 2018 draft out of Robinson HS. Brax worked through the system and a series of injuries to join Pittsburgh’s Top Ten Prospect list before getting his call up in May, 2025. He got the ball as soon as he arrived, tossing three shutout frames in relief (a transition for him; he had started 69 of his 71 minor league outings) against the Arizona D-Backs and collected his first MLB strikeout. His transition to the show went pretty well as he put up a line of 4-4/2.71 while fanning a batter per frame in 26 games (69-2/3 IP), serving as a starter and bulk inning bullpen arm. He broke out in ‘26, slashing 14-6/3.65 in 28 starts and earning an All-Star spot.

2001 - Forrest “Woody” Jensen passed away in Wichita, Kansas. Woody spent his nine-year MLB career as a Pirate from 1931-39, batting .285 over that span. The left fielder was most productive in the mid-thirties, starting and hitting leadoff from 1935-37. Between being named Forrest and getting his start in the semi-pro Timber League, his nickname Woody was a natural. He was recognized in 2004 when he was selected to the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame.
 
2007 - The Pirates fired manager Jim Tracy after two years and a 135-189 (.417) record. He was replaced by John Russell, who had been Lloyd McClendon’s third base coach (2005-05) and had managed in both the Twins and Phillies systems. As part of the purge by new GM Neal Huntington, director of player development Brian Graham, scouting director Ed Creech, director of baseball operations Jon Mercurio and Tracy's entire coaching staff also lost their jobs.

10/4 Through the 1970’s: Maz's Finale, Dock Talk, Game Days, Bad Year-End/Postseason Day, RIP Jim, HBD Billy, Joe & Red

1874 - RHP Jim Gardner was born in Pittsburgh. He pitched for Pittsburgh in 1895, then again from 1897-99, with an occasional start in the field. The soft-tossing Gardner pitched for the local Pittsburgh Athletic Club and rejected offers to turn pro because he was attending law school and didn’t want to miss classes by traveling; in his first season, he struck a deal with the Bucs so that he didn’t have to go to any away games. Jim was solid from the hill with a line of 24-20/3.91 in 56 outings, but didn’t hit much, though he did play a couple of dozen games at 2B, 3B and the outfield. The Pirates released him after Jim was sapped following a bout of malaria in addition to recovering from a serious beaning during the ‘99 season. He worked his way back to the show in 1902 with the Cubs but suffered a concussion when he was thrown from a carriage by a spooked horse. He passed away young in 1905 after surgery for an abscess, blamed by some on the lingering effects of the beanball. Jim was buried in Homewood Cemetery.

1902 - The Pirates wanted to get in their last game of the year despite the rainy weather, as they were going for a record 103rd win; the Cincinnati Reds, according to the Pittsburgh Press “...wanted to go out and place a few bets on the races.” The game went on, and to show their chagrin the Reds pitched their first baseman, put a pitcher behind the plate, and player/manager Joe Kelley even stepped up to bat with a cigarette dangling from his mouth until threatened with ejection by ump Hank O’Day. Not surprisingly, Pittsburgh won easily, 11-2. Per the Press’ Ralph Davis, owner Barney Dreyfuss refunded the fans’ money after Cincy’s sad-sack showing, and when the Reds business manager came looking for his team’s share of the gate, Dreyfuss just pointed to the now empty cash drawer. The Pirates won the National League by a record 27-1/2 games and had several league-leading performances: Ginger Beaumont won the batting title with a .357 mark and had the most hits at 193, Tommy Leach led in home runs with six, Honus Wagner drove home 91 RBI/plated 105 times/stole 42 sacks, and Jack Chesbro claimed 28 wins with eight shutouts. The club scored 775 runs, which was 142 more than any other team, while the pitching staff allowed just four home runs during the season, the fewest long balls surrendered in MLB history.

1905 - Charlie Case and the Pirates lost 1-0 to the Boston Beaneaters and Chick Fraser in 13 innings at Exposition Park. Pittsburgh had six hits and baserunning blunders cost them dearly. Heinie Peitz tripled but was called out for missing first base, Steamer Flanagan slid past third and was tagged out in the ninth and later made the last out of the game in the 13th trying to steal second. It was a tough year for Case - he had his best season with a 2.57 ERA and 115 ERA+ in 24 starts/217 innings, but with only 11 wins as the Pirates scored just 66 runs when he was toeing the slab.

Charlie Case - 1905 Chicago Daily News

1908 - Old-timey fans remember the Cubs and Giants “Merkle” playoff game as a key moment for the 1908 pennant, but it was the Bucs that were ahead by 1/2 game on their final day when they lost to Chicago and Three Finger Mordecai before 30‚247 fans‚ the largest crowd ever at Chicago's West Side Grounds. Down 5-2 in the ninth, 2B Ed “Batty” Abbaticchio lined a ball down the line and over the fence with Honus Wagner aboard (the bases weren’t loaded, as sometimes reported for dramatic effect), but the drive was ruled foul. The Pirates argued that it was a HR, but ump Hank O'Day stood his ground and with that call went the Pirates last chance of taking the flag. There’s an urban legend that a lady in the stands was hit by the ball and later sued Batty. She claimed she was on the fair side of the seats when the blast conked her, but that tale has never been substantiated. It was a tough loss; the Bucs had won eight in a row (and 13-of-14 contests) to get a half game lead on the Cubs (who were no slugs and went 16-3 down the stretch) going into the final game. Chicago had to win the next day to clinch, and the Bruins beat the NY Giants 4-2 to finish 99-55 to Pittsburgh’s 98-56 in one of history’s hottest pennant races. The Bucs may have been a game short, but Honus Wagner had a championship season. The Dutchman led the league with a .354 batting average, 201 hits, .413 OBP, .542 slugging %, 109 RBI, 39 doubles, 19 triples, 308 total bases and 52 stolen bases. He was the NL’s runner-up with 100 runs scored and 10 homers.

1918 - RHP George “Red” Munger (he was a ginger) was born in Houston, Texas. After an eight-year run with three All-Star nods with St. Louis, Red joined the Bucs in 1952 via a deal for Bill Werle. He returned for a final bow in 1956 at age 37 after posting some strong numbers in the Pacific Coast League (1953-55) where Pittsburgh had stashed him with the Hollywood Stars (Red won 152 minor league games in 12 seasons). He went 3-7-1/4.66 for the Bucs in 40 games (17 starts) in ‘52 and ‘56. He retired in 1957 and became a Pinkerton.

1960 - RHP Joe Boever was born in Kirkwood, Missouri. He closed out a 12-year, seven-team career in 1996 in Pittsburgh where he appeared in 13 games, going 0-2-2/5.40 after being claimed off waivers from the Tigers. The palm baller retired after the campaign with 35 career wins, 49 saves and a 3.93 ERA. 

1960 - OF Billy Hatcher was born in Williams, Arizona. Billy spent the middle of his 12-year tenure with Pittsburgh in 1989 when they got him just after the deadline from Houston for Glenn Wilson. He hit .244 for the Bucs and in April of the following season was shipped to Cincinnati for Jeff Richardson. He spent a decade after his playing days coaching in the Tampa Bay organization, the Cincinnati Reds and was with the Miami Marlins as a base coach through 2021; Billy’s now retired and helps coach HS football.

Billy Hatcher - 1990 Topps

1970 - Pittsburgh fell behind in the NLCS two games to none after being held to five hits by three pitchers and losing 3-1 to the Reds at TRS. Roberto Clemente drove in Dave Cash, who had doubled, in the sixth inning for the Bucs only tally. Luke Walker took the loss. Cincy’s man of the hour, Bobby Tolan, had three hits including a homer, posting three runs and an RBI for Cincinnati.

1971 - Dock Ellis told the Post Gazette’s Charley Feeney that “I got something to say and I’m going to say it. The establishment around here, the brass as some call them, doesn’t deserve a winner,” a year after small TRS crowds led him to say the Pirates fans didn’t deserve a winner, either. He was triggered by a bed he thought was too small for him in his San Francisco hotel during the NLCS and that the charter plane carrying them to The Bay was also too small (it was near full passenger capacity, filled with the Pirates FO and the players’ wives and kids, including Dock’s). Ellis did add that manager Danny Murtaugh was “a good man” and that he wanted to remain on the team because “It is a young club. It is going to win some titles...I want to be part of it.” The Docktor won his one game during the NLCS, lasting into the sixth, but only made one short appearance in the ensuing World Series, suffering from a bum elbow that developed in September. He missed two weeks and it cost him a shot at 20 wins (he finished with 19). 

1972 - The Pirates closed out the regular season at TRS in front of 4,603 fans, scoring twice in the ninth but losing to the St Louis Cards, 4-3. The defeat was immaterial as the Pirates had already clinched the pennant, but it was notable as Hall-of-Famer Bill Mazeroski’s last regular season game. He got in as a pinch hitter and grounded out (no surprise; he finished the year batting .188) in just the 34th game he appeared in that season (Dave Cash had pushed him out of the lineup a year earlier). After the game, Mazeroski told Jeff Samuel of the Pittsburgh Press that “It happens to everyone sooner or later...I can’t do it any better than the guys we’ve got.” Maz would go 1-for-2 in the NLCS against Cincinnati before hanging up the spikes after 17 seasons as a Pirate.

1975 - Don Gullett hurled a complete game and added a homer, a single, and three RBI with the bat to lead Cincinnati to an 8-3 win over Pittsburgh in the opening game of the NLCS at Riverfront Stadium. The Pirates took an early 2-0 lead, when Dave Parker was plunked, Richie Hebner doubled him home and touched the plate after Frank Taveras’ single, all with two away. But the Reds chased Jerry Reuss and then ran up a four-run fifth inning off Larry Demery to leave the Bucs in the dust. Bob Robertson’s knock in the ninth frame chased home the Cobra with the final run.

10/4 From 1980: Bucs Top Reds & Cards, Big Finish, Game Days, JR & Syd Axed, Booth Flip, HBD Oneil, Shea & Lonnie

1987 - The Pirates finished the season by winning 27 of their final 38 games and Jim Leyland’s second edition ended the year with 80 wins after taking just 64 dubs in his first campaign at the helm. The club won the finale at TRS by scoring three times with two outs in the eighth with Mike Dunne picking up the dub after a Jeff Robinson save. Pittsburgh would win 85 games in ‘88, take some more lumps in ‘89 and then wear the Eastern Division crown from 1990-92. 

1988 - The Pirates fired GM Syd Thrift. He and his Buc bosses weren’t often on the same page during his 1985-88 stint, but he hired Jim Leyland and laid the foundation for the early nineties playoff teams, adding Andy Van Slyke, Mike LaValliere, Doug Drabek and Jeff King while reacquiring Bobby Bonilla after Bo was lost via Rule 5. Thrift was ambitious and said to have his eye on Carl Barger’s club presidency while banging heads with Board Chairman Douglas Danforth over finances; he lost both of those battles and was replaced by Larry Doughty.

1988 - RF/3B Lonnie Chisenhall was born in Morehead City, North Carolina. The Pirates signed him to a $2.75M deal in the 2018 off season with $3M more available in bonus money based on at bats. He had spent seven years with Cleveland and was having a breakout year in 2017 when a strained calf laid him low; it continued to haunt him in 2018, as he got into just 111 games over those two years but put up a strong .272 BA/127 OPS+ line when healthy. But par for the course, he was hit by a pitch the day before the 2019 camp ended and broke a finger, then aggravated his calf during rehab. Chisenhall never played an inning for the Pirates, retiring after the season.

1990 - The Reds wasted no time jumping on the Pirates, making their first playoff appearance since claiming the Fall Classic crown in 1979, by taking a 3-0 first inning lead at Riverfront Stadium in the opener of the NLCS. But the Bucs had the last laugh, rallying their way to a 4-3 victory. Starter and winner Bob Walk settled down to toss shutout ball, handing the game off to the bullpen in the seventh (Ted Power nailed down the save). The Pirates tied the game in the fourth inning thanks to Sid Bream’s two-run homer before Andy Van Slyke drove home the winner in the seventh with a two-out, ground rule double to score Gary Redus.

Bob Walk - 1990 Topps

1992 - Tim Wakefield and three other Pirate pitchers spun a three-hitter to win a pitching battle against Bret Saberhagen and the New York Mets by a 2-0 count at Shea Stadium, ending the season with the Bucs pennant winners in the NL East, taking the pennant by nine games. Barry Bonds’ solo homer and Alex Cole’s sac fly drove in the hard-to-come-by runs.

1993 - The Pirates let go of half their broadcasting team when Jim Rooker and Kent Derdivanis didn’t have their contracts renewed. Neither had really caught on with the fans, and the Bucs said they wanted guys who would be more involved with promotions and ticket sales. Rooker, the color analyst, had worked in the booth for 13 years and Derdivanis, the #2 play-by-play voice behind Lanny Frattare, had put in four seasons. Rook caught on with ESPN from 1994-97 before he left broadcasting while Kent returned to Arizona and landed a variety of on-air gigs. Greg Brown and Bob Walk replaced them (and are still in the booth), joining holdovers Frattare and Steve Blass. There was a positive note OTD, too - SS Jay Bell won the Gold Glove Award, ending the 13-year reign of Ozzie Smith.

1994 - RHP Shea Spitzbarth was born on Staten Island. He was undrafted out of Molloy College, but showed well in the summer leagues and was signed by the Dodgers. He was dominant in the lower levels, but his AAA numbers were not so good (4-2/5.01).The Pirates selected him from LA in the 2020 minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft the light went on at Indy (3-2/1.41) as he became more of a contact than strikeout pitcher. He was rewarded with an August 3rd call up to the big team and debuted the same night. Shea moved on to Motown in 2022 and then was released by the Reds in 2023. At last look, he was a private instructor in Florida for prep players.

HBD Oneil - 2026 Pirates

1998 - SS Oneil Cruz was born in Nizao, Dominican Republic. One of the Pirates touted minor league young guns and a Top 50 MLB Prospect, he was acquired in 2017 from the Dodgers as part of the Tony Watson deal. Oneil played in three levels in 2021, breaking out at AA Altoona, promoted for an eye-popping week at AAA Indy (six games/five HRs) and then called up to Pittsburgh to start the final two games of the year. He had three hits, homered and plated three RBI for a pretty good start. Cruz was called up in June of 2022 and put in his claim on the shortstop spot, where he was a lock to be the 2023 starter after banging out 17 homers until he was felled by a broken ankle sustained via an awkward April slide, costing him most of that campaign. OC came back strong in ‘24, with a long debated shift to CF made in September. He became the full-time CF and joined the 20/30 club in ‘25. Despite injuries limiting him to 97 games in 2026, he again put up 20/30 numbers.

2010 - John Russell was fired as manager of the Pirates. He equaled a franchise record for most losses by a manager in three seasons, compiling an 186-299 record to join Fred Haney, who posted a 163-299 record from 1953-55. JR was replaced by Clint Hurdle on November 14th. JR then coached for the Baltimore Orioles through 2018 and is now AAA Tacoma’s manager in the Seattle system.

2013 - After being trounced in the opener of the NLDS by the Cards, rookie Gerrit Cole fired two-hit ball for six innings in a 7-1 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium to square the series. Pedro Alvarez and Starling Marte cracked home runs while Russell Martin added a pair of RBIs. Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a homer and a double, scoring twice and driving in a pair of runs. El Toro became the first Pirate since Willie Stargell in 1974 to go yard in back-to-back playoff games.

2015 - It went to the last day of the season, but the Pirates claimed home field advantage for the wild card game with a 4-0 win against the Reds. JA Happ went six frames giving up three hits, three walks and collecting seven K’s. Josh Harrison went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored while Pedro Alvarez crushed a homer 479’ to right center. The Pirates ended with a 98-64 record, but finished second in the NL Central behind the 100-win St Louis Cardinals and barely nosed out the 97-win Chicago Cubs in a heart-thumping pennant/postseason battle royale.

10/3 Through the 1940s: Easter In October, 10 Straight, 100 Dub Duel, Deac Wins #2 In '03 WS, Game Days, Clarke Retires, Frankie Hired, HBD Jack, Dog, Fats, Johnny & Cap

1872 - OF/player-manager Fred “Cap” Clarke was born in Winterset, Iowa. Hall-of-Famer Clarke was discovered by Barney Dreyfuss, and came to Pittsburgh with most of the Louisville team in 1900 in a ploy masterminded by Dreyfuss. He was the left fielder and manager from 1900-11, and then mostly skippered, with a couple of spot appearances, from 1912-15. His Pirate line was .299/.379/.418, he hit .300 or better 11 times, and was player/manager for four pennant winners and two World Series teams. He guided the club to 14 straight first-division finishes, 1,422 wins, and compiled a winning % of .595. Cap got his nickname in 1897 as the player/manager for Louisville back when the skipper was called captain. 

1890 - The Alleghenys closed their season by losing 10-4 to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms at Washington Park. It was the franchise’s most disastrous campaign as the club won just 23 games after being decimated by defections to the Players League. The Pittsburgh Press noted that “The Alleghenies showed themselves world-beaters yesterday by more than equaling the Louisville record of games lost… the Allies (Alleghenys) lost their 113th game.” The next season, they became the Pittsburgh Nationals/Pirates, shifted North Side yards from Recreation Park to Exposition Park, and finished with a more respectable 62-73 mark.

1903 - Deacon Phillippe, working on a day’s rest, allowed four hits in a 4-2 win over Boston Americans in the first World Series, giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead in games. Ed Phelps doubled twice and Claude Ritchey had a pair of hits to lead the Pirate attack. The contest was played at the Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds. It was a large and rowdy crowd of 18,801, which was the largest official gathering of the series, as uncounted fans scaled the fence while others crashed the gates for entry to the yard, swelling the number. The Boston police had its hands full keeping them off the playing field; several balls that looked playable ended up hits when they landed within reach of the overflow crowd that was standing just outside the foul lines and lining the outfield fence.

Deacon Phillippe - Helmar T206

1905 - C Johnny Riddle was born in Clinton, South Carolina. In parts of seven seasons (his MLB debut was in 1930 and his last at-bat in 1948), Johnny never got into more than 25 games. His swan song was in ‘48 with Pittsburgh, where he joined his younger brother, All-Star pitcher Elmer, on the roster and hit .200 in 10 games as a player/coach. He got to catch his brother and at 42 was the oldest NL player to appear in a game that year. Johnny also was part of one of the rarely seen over-40 batteries in baseball history when he caught for Fritz Ostermueller, who was 40. After that campaign, Riddle worked as a coach for the Pirates (1948–50; he only coached during his last two years), Cardinals (1952–55), Braves (1956–57), Redlegs (1958) and Phillies (1959). He picked up the nickname of “Mutt” as a youth but it was never used much during his ball-playing days.

1908 - The Pirates moved 1/2 game ahead of the Cubs and Giants with a 3-2 win over the Cardinals at Robison Field, the Bucs eighth straight victory. Nick Maddox tossed a five-hitter and drove in a run, with other RBIs coming from the bats of Tommy Leach and Honus Wagner, to beat Art Fromme. Their next game was against the Cubs, and local interest was so high that the Pittsburgh Press opened four phone lines and posted telegraphed bulletins at their office with the game’s blow-by-blows. Alas, the Bucs lost that game, 5-2, and finished second in one of the most fiercely fought NL pennant races.

1909 - In the first MLB match of 100-or-more-win teams (Pittsburgh had 108 victories, Chicago 100), the Pirates dropped the Cubs at West Side Park by a 4-1 count. Manager Fred Clarke rested some key starters for the upcoming World Series clash with Detroit, sitting not just himself (he was a player/manager) but SS Honus Wagner and C George Gibson, too. The Bucs didn’t miss a beat even without Cap, the Flying Dutchman and Mooney as Lefty Leifield was masterful, tossing a four-hitter to tame the Cubs. It was sweet vengeance; Pittsburgh had lost the 1908 NL flag to Chicago by one game and then watched the Cubs defeat the Tigers to win the October Classic.

1914 - Bob Harmon ended a disappointing season for the Bucs on a high note, tossing a two-hit 1-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Forbes Field in the home finale. Both Redleg runners were caught stealing by C Bob Schang, and Harmon faced the minimum 27 batters while topping King Lear. Wally Gerber’s triple in the seventh drove in the game’s only score.

Bob Harmon - 1916 Standard Biscuit

1915 - The Pirates ended their season with a 5-3 win over the Reds at Redland Field. Retiring manager Fred Clarke hosted his players at a banquet after the game, celebrating not only his retirement (Jimmy Callahan took the reins in 1916), but his 43rd birthday before the team scattered during the off season. The next day, he arrived back in Pittsburgh and was given a public send off in front of 500 at the Hotel Schenley. Carnegie Steel veep HP Bope served as toastmaster of the event with team owner Barney Dreyfuss and Pittsburgh Mayor Joe Armstrong among the featured speakers at the shindig.

1915 - The Federal League came down to a bang-bang finish when the Chicago Whales beat the Pittsburgh Rebels 3-0 at Weeghman Park, the future Wrigley Field. Because of various unplayed games (Chicago finished the year with one game less than Pittsburgh and two fewer than St. Louis), the standings were in flux. The Rebels, managed by “Rebel” Oakes, were a nose ahead of the pack down the stretch but dropped a twin bill to the Windy City nine at Exposition Park the day before and needed a sweep of a doubleheader in Chicago to retake first. Pittsburgh ground out the lidlifter 5-4 in 11 innings behind Al Wickman’s three RBI to stay alive, but the Whales scored three times off Elmer Knetzel in the sixth frame (he went 5-2/3 IP as the starter; he already won the first game with three innings of shutout relief work) of the finale to claim a title-clinching 3-0 victory, with the key blow a double that Oakes came within a hair of running down, but instead had glance off his glove. The Whales won the FL by .001% over the St. Louis Terriers and .004% over the Rebels, a smoking down-to-the-wire finish to what would be the Fed’s final season.

1917 - OF Frank “Fats” Kalin was born in Steubenville, Ohio. He had a seven-game MLB career, with three of those contests as a Pirate in 1940, going 0-for-3 with a pair of walks. Kalin was considered a prospect with the White Sox in early 1943 and broke camp with Chicago, but he never got much chance to show his stuff in the majors as he served in the military during World War 2, starting that season. He was 28 when he was discharged and spent the next four years in the Pirates system at Hollywood and Indianapolis. We’re not certain about the origin of his nickname, but he was 6’, 200 lbs...

1931 - LF/1B Bob Skinner was born in La Jolla, California. The “Dog” (a Bob Prince nickname derived from Skinner’s Marine Corps - the Devil Dogs - days) played for the Bucs in 1954 and then 1956-63, hitting .280. He was the starting left fielder for the 1960 World Series champs. Skinner was the Phillies manager from 1968-69, famously resigning when Richie Allen beefed about going to an exhibition game. He coached for several clubs after that, including the Pirates from 1974-1976 and again from 1979-1985. His son Joel was drafted by the Pirates and played in the show, though not in Pittsburgh, later coaching/managing in both the majors and farm for several organizations.

Bob Skinner - 1959 Topps (reverse)

1936 - RHP Jack Lamabe was born in Farmingdale, New York. Jack tossed for seven big league seasons, making his debut as a Bucco in 1962, going 3-1-2/2.88 in 46 appearances. He,  along with Dick Stuart, was part of the Jim Pagliaroni/Don Schwall deal with Boston the next year, before following the itinerant route of a reliever by tossing for six more teams. After he hung up the spikes, he spent a decade coaching college ball at Jacksonville and LSU. Jack’s a member of the U of Vermont (his alma mater) Athletic Hall of Fame and the Jacksonville U Athletic Hall of Fame. Lamabe also picked up an odd family tree of nicknames with the Red Sox (variously Tomato, Tomato Face, the Old Tomato, ‘Mater, or Pizza Face) begun by pitcher Dick Radatz and popularized by Bosox announcer Ned Martin who had dubbed him “The Old Tomato.” Jack had a round, red face and loved to nosh on pizza, making the love apple monikers fitting references.

1937 - The Pirates swept a closing day doubleheader from the Reds at Forbes Field by 4-3 and 4-0 scores, extending their winning streak to 10 and running the Reds' losing run to 14. The Bucs finished 21-1 against Cincinnati, winning the last 17 decisions of the season. Ken Heintzelman tossed a six-hitter to take the opener in his MLB debut. Woody Jensen scored twice and Fred Schulte had a pair of RBI to lead the attack. The second game was called after seven innings with Jim Weaver and Mace Brown combining on a three-hitter (Weaver was excused after three innings so he could get an early jump on the off season). Bill Schuster and Gus Suhr each scored and drove in a run.

1939 - Frankie Frisch jumped from the Boston Braves’ broadcasting booth to Pittsburgh’s managing gig, signing for two years with the Pirates to replace Pie Traynor, who resigned. The Fordham Flash skippered the Bucs for seven seasons from 1940-46, compiling a 539-528 record but only finishing higher than fourth once (second place - 1944). Frisch had been the Cards field general prior to the Pittsburgh job and became the Cubs manager afterwards, then retired back to the mic. He was named to the Hall of Fame in 1947 as a player.

1948 - Luke Easter's grand slam capped the Homestead/Washington Grays' 19-hit assault on the Birmingham Black Barons in the fourth game of the Negro World Series, played at Pelican Stadium in New Orleans. The Grays won the contest 14-1 and shortly thereafter claimed the Championship in five games. This was the final Negro World Series‚ as the Negro National League became a casualty of MLB integration and folded its tent during the winter.

10/3 From 1970: Bucs Top Reds in NLCS, Robby Rips G-Men, Game Days, Cobra POTM, Jim Signs, Gene In, Staff Swept Out, HBD Kevin, Goose, Alex, Wil & Manny

1970 - Dock Ellis and Gary Nolan bent but refused to break at TRS until the Reds put up three runs in the 10th inning to take a 3-0 opening NLCS victory from the Pirates. Tony Perez’s double brought in the first score and the insurance runs were chased home on Lee May’s two-out two-bagger. Pittsburgh stranded nine runners, but only one Bucco reached third, and that was with two outs. Matty Alou had a tough day trying to navigate the base paths as he was picked off in the first inning and then caught stealing in the ninth, rung up as the third out for both frames.

1970 - OF Manny Martinez was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. He spent three seasons with four MLB teams, making a stop in Pittsburgh in 1998, batting .250 in 73 games. He was claimed by Montreal off waivers the following year. He then began his odyssey, playing AAA ball, followed by an indie league stint and trips to Korea, Mexico and the Dominican Leagues. Manny hung up the spikes in 2008 at age 37 after 19 seasons in pro ball. He went into coaching afterward, and is now managing the Phils’ DSL club.

1971 - 1B Bob Robertson hit three home runs, the first time ever done in a playoff game (he’s still tied for the most dingers in a postseason game), and added a double in a 9-4 NLCS win over the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. He went 4-for-5 with five RBI and four runs scored to give Dock Ellis all the run support he’d need, although The Docktor lasted only five innings (his sore elbow made him a playoff nonentity). The Pirates launched a 15-hit barrage with Roberto Clemente and Dave Cash adding three knocks to square the set.

1971 - OF Wil Cordero was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Cordero put in 14 big-league years, spending part of 2000 as a Bucco. He signed as a free agent, hit .282 w/16 HR and then was flipped at the deadline to the Cleveland Indians for OF Alex Ramirez and IF Enrique Wilson. Wil's 14-year MLB career ended in 2005.

1972 - Roberto Clemente made a ninth inning appearance in his 2,433rd game for the Bucs, tying Honus Wagner for the most regular season games played by a Pirate (Roberto played 26 additional games in the postseason, including five in '72; Hans only got into 15 playoff games) as Pittsburgh beat St. Louis 6-2 at TRS. The Bucs had the game in hand thanks to a pair of two-run, two-RBI performances by Richie Hebner who homered and Al Oliver with a double to back the twirling of winning pitcher Bob Moose, Steve Blass and Ramon Hernandez.

Alex Ramirez - 2001 Topps

1974 - OF Alex Ramirez was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He came to Pittsburgh in a deadline deal with the Indians for Wil Cordero in 2000 and that was the end of his three-year MLB career. He hit .209 and took his game to Japan. He played in the Nippon League through 2013, becoming the first non-Japanese player to collect 2,000 hits, and “Rami-Chan” is now a Japanese citizen.

1976 - The Pirates shut out the St. Louis Cardinals by identical 1-0 scores in a season-ending doubleheader at TRS that also marked the final contests (and Buc career wins #1,114 & 1,115) with Danny Murtaugh at the helm. Jim Rooker threw a seven-hitter in the opener and Jerry Reuss followed with a five-hitter in the nitecap to top John Denny & Pete Falcone, who both also went the distance. The Bucs' run in the opener came in on Dave Parker’s grounder with Omar Moreno on third in the sixth. The second game’s lone tally was more dramatic, with Tony Armas two-out, ninth-inning single scoring Miguel Dilone, who had walked and stole second. The Pirates wouldn’t win back-to-back 1-0 games again until September, 2014, when they blanked the Brewers and then the Braves. The sweep gave them 92 victories for the season, good enough for second place, nine games behind the Phils. The next twin bill the Bucs won by dual shutouts wasn’t until May 29th, 2021 at PNC Park when they whitewashed the Rockies in a pair of seven-inning games.

1978 - Dave Parker was named the NL Player of the Month, becoming the first back-to-back winner of the honor. The Cobra hit .412 with seven homers, 29 RBI and 29 runs scored and claimed the NL MVP and batting crown, posting a slash line of .334/30/117.

1979 - Pittsburgh won the second game of the NLCS 3-2 over the Reds in 10 innings at Riverfront Stadium. The Bucs nursed a 2-1 lead into the ninth, built on Tim Foli and Bill Madlock RBI. But back-to-back one-out doubles by Hector Cruz and Dave Collins off Kent Tekulve tied the match. The Pirates top of the order came right back. A leadoff single by Omar Moreno, a move-him-up bunt by Foli and a game-winning knock through the shortstop hole by Dave Parker sent Doug Bair to defeat. Don Robinson got the win in relief of Teke as the Pirates went up 2-0 in the best-of-five series.

1982 - In his last game, Willie Stargell was honored before the first pitch along with another legendary baseball man, Bob Prince. Pops was penciled in to lead off at TRS by manager Chuck Tanner. Captain Willie singled off the glove of Expos’ pitcher Steve Rogers and was pulled by Tanner, who wanted Willie to end his career with a knock and an ovation and got both his wishes. It was Pops’ first start since August 9th; he collected fewer than 100 PAs during the season and hit just .233 with three homers during his final MLB lap. The Bucs lost to Montreal 6-1 and the team ended the year with 84 wins, good for fourth place.

Willie Stargell - 2016 Stadium Club

1986 - Jim Leyland signed a deal with the Pirates called “unique” by Syd Thrift, guaranteed for a season at an estimated $100K with following team review periods to determine his status and salary. Leyland told Charley Feeney of the Post Gazette that “If I manage bad, it’s short-term; if I manage good, it’s long-term. I’m pleased with the ingredients of the contract.”

1988 - IF Phil “Goose” Gosselin was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The Bucs sent minor league RHP Frank Duncan to Arizona for utilityman Gosselin, who was hoped to take the place of Sean Rodriguez off the bench in 2017, but spent most of his time at Indianapolis. In 28 Pirates games, he played 1B-2B-3B, but hit just .150, then was released in August and claimed by the Rangers. 2022 was Goose’s last MLB campaign, and he’s now part of the Phils baseball ops analysis section.

1988 - Syd Thrift was busy on his final full shift as GM (he was fired the next day). The Bucs signed C Junior Ortiz to a 2-year/$475K contract. They also picked up LHP Bill Krueger from the LA Dodgers for minor league RHP Jim Neidlinger and inked minor league FA RHPs Dave Johnson and Bob Patterson. Ortiz caught about half the Pirates games in ‘89, then was traded to the Twins. Krueger was a late camp cut, Johnson was shortly released and Patterson missed most of the year with a bum arm, finally earning a full-time MLB gig with the Bucs in 1990.

1990 - The Bucs’ Jerry Reuss gave up one earned run but was credited with a no decision in a 6-3 loss to the Mets. It was the 41-year-old lefty’s last MLB appearance after announcing his retirement, with Jim Leyland honoring Reuss’ career with a final outing (his only start of the season). Reuss joined the four decade club (1969-90) and finished with 220 wins without a 20-win season, a stat shared only with Milt Pappas and Frank Tanana among 200-game winners.

1993 - IF/OF Kevin Kramer was born in Turlock, California. He was the Bucs second round draft selection in 2011 out of UCLA. After hitting .297 at Altoona in 2017 and .311 at Indianapolis in 2018, he was added to the 40-man roster and called up to the big club, hitting just .135. He didn’t do much better in 2019 with a BA of .167; both were 20-game auditions in September. After a good spring camp, Kramer lost the 2020 campaign to hip surgery. The Pirates traded him to Milwaukee and he was released in 2021. He then retired to run a solar power firm.

Kevin Kramer - 2019 Donruss Retro

1996 - The Pirates named Gene Lamont, who had served as the Chicago White Sox field boss from 1992-95, to replace Jim Leyland as skipper. He led the club from 1997-2000, putting up a 295-352 record, then coached for the Red Sox, Astros and Tigers. He became a Special Assistant in Kansas City. Gene returned to the ‘Burgh in May, 2025, as a special advisor to Don Kelly.

2010 - The Pirates finished the season with a 17-64 (.210) record on the road after suffering a 5-2 loss to the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium, with the defeat going to Brian Burres. The Bucs' away-from-home record equaled the MLB low water mark set by the 1963 New York Mets.

2013 - AJ Burnett was chased in a seven-run third inning that saw 11 Cardinals go to bat as St. Louis ran away with the opener of the NLDS at Busch Stadium by a 9-1 score. Adam Wainwright went seven innings and struck out nine for the Redbirds. The Pirates only mustered four hits, two by Andrew McCutchen, with Pedro Alvarez’s homer providing the lone Bucco tally.

2019 - Following Clint Hurdle’s dismissal, the Pirates fired bench coach Tom Prince, 55, who had spent 26 years with the organization as a player, manager & coach, and pitching coach Ray Searage, 64, who had joined the team in 2010 and lasted throughout the Hurdle era. They were the two longest tenured coaches and it was thought that their removal was a conscious effort by the FO to break with the old ways and inject more forward-thinking, data-driven methodology into the clubhouse culture. The staff members retained by Derek Shelton after the final tune was played were hitting coach Rick Eckstein, third base/infield coach Joey Cora, assistant pitching coach Justin Meccage, who became the team’s bullpen coach, and Heberto Andrade, assistant bullpen and pitching coach.

2022 - The Pirates opened their final home set of the year, hosting the Cards at PNC Park, and walked off with the win - literally. An Albert Pujols homer (#703) gave the Redbirds a 2-0 lead in the sixth. Pittsburgh bounced back; in the Bucs half, Jason Delay and Bryan Reynolds doubled to cut the margin in half, then Jack Suwinski tied it in the eighth with a solo blast. The first three batters drew free passes against St. Louis’  Giovanny Gallegos in the bottom of the ninth, and reliever Jo Jo Romero was waved in, just to walk Oneil Cruz on four pitches to force in Ke’Bryan Hayes for the most literal walkoff ever, well, walked off. The Bucs fifth pitcher, Yohan Ramirez, took the win with a 1-2-3 ninth, fanning two. Mitch Keller started and lasted six innings to end the night with a 3.91 ERA, a two-run plus improvement over 2021’s 6.17 mark. Oddly enough, he finished with a worse record (5-12) during this campaign than he did the year before (5-11).