5/7 Through the 1960s: Max-Luis, Lloyd Dealt, 5th Frame Trio, Split Bill, Gus Goes Off, 3-For-1, Clark Cycle, Game Days, HBD Dave

• 1883 - Henry Oberbeck made his debut with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association. It was a brief visit as he went 2-for-9 with a double and a run scored in two games before he ended up with St. Louis, where he lasted until late June. But he did become one of the earliest guys to validate a player's contract. The Browns cut him loose, and he took them to court, seeking the full $785 owed him under his deal. The jury found in his favor (although he only got $431.12; they apparently pro-rated the amount due) and it withstood an appeal. And Chris was a player that could use the money - his 60-game career was over after 1884 and a .176 lifetime BA; he also pitched in a pinch with an 0-5/5.30 slash. He retired and worked for the Post Office until his death in 1921. 
• 1903 - For the second time in his career, Fred Clarke hit for the cycle and added a walk, sacrifice and stolen base, but the effort came up short as the Reds beat the Pirates 11-8 at the Palace of the Fans. Pittsburgh had rallied from an 8-1 deficit to tie the game in the eighth, but Cincinnati held on to take the match in 10 innings. The Pirates lost Honus Wagner to a temper tantrum after a collision at 2B with Reds IF Jack Morrissey. Hans threatened to punch an aggressive Morrissey and the pair then rolled around in the dirt for a bit before umpire Bug Holliday could restrain the combatants. The Flying Dutchman was ejected and suspended for three games for his ballyard wrasslin’. 
• 1905 - OF Dave Barbee was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. After a 1926 stop with the A’s, Barbee spent the next several years in the high minors. He smacked 41 homers in 1930 and in the following campaign hit .332 w/47 home runs. In 1932, Dave got the call to join Pittsburgh, selected by the Bucs in the Rule C draft for minor-league players (a precursor of the Rule 5 draft). He was the Pirates' starting left fielder by May but lost the job in August. In 97 Bucco games, he batted .257 with five home runs. Barbee went back to the minors and retired in 1938. 
• 1916 - Max Carey homered off Cubs rookie Jimmy Lavender in the fourth inning to give the Pirates a 1-0 win. The Cubs lost 10 decisions by a 1-0 score that year, tying the MLB record. Erv Kantlehner tossed a three-hitter to top Lavender’s five-hit effort at Weeghman (now Wrigley Field) Park. 
• 1922 - Buc rookie RF Walter Mueller hit a three-run, inside-the-park homer on the first pitch of his career off none other than the Cubs’ Hall-of-Famer Grover Alexander, the first major leaguer to homer off his first pitch. The Bucs won 11-5 at Wrigley Field with Mueller adding a double and collecting five RBI to help Hal Carlson to the win and launching the Buccos on a 12-of-14 game winning stretch. In four big league seasons, Mueller hit one more HR, another inside-the-park shot. His son Don, an OF’er for the NY Giants for a decade, had a solid MLB tenure, lasting 12 years (1948-59) with a pair of All-Star nods. 

Walter Mueller - 1924 photo United Newspictures/RMY

• 1925 - SS Glenn Wright snagged the Cards’ Jim Bottomley's ninth-inning line drive, doubled up Jimmy Cooney at second, and tagged Rogers Hornsby coming from first to complete the only unassisted triple play in franchise history. Unfortunately, it didn’t help; the Bucs lost to St. Louis 10-9 at Forbes Field after taking a 9-4 lead into the eighth inning and then allowing the Redbirds to score six times. Eddie Moore had three Bucco hits, as did Al Niehaus, but it wasn’t enough as Emil Yde, Babe Adams, and Johnny Morrison were battered during the doomsday eighth. 
• 1930 - Gus Suhr went 3-for-3 with a double, triple, two walks, three runs scored, and five RBI as the Bucs blasted the NY Giants 16-8 at Forbes Field. Steve Swetonic pitched 4-1/3 innings of shutout ball to earn the win in relief of Erv Brame. The first five Pirates in the day’s lineup took batting practice by collecting 12 hits, four walks, scoring 12 times and chasing home nine tallies. 
• 1932 - In an unusual twin bill at Forbes Field, the Pirates and Phillies played the opener and the Negro League Homestead Grays hosted the Cleveland Browns in the nightcap. The Bucs started the day off on the wrong foot, losing 5-3 despite rookie Dave Barbee’s pair of triples. The Grays made up for it; they walloped the Browns 21-3; eight of the nine Homestead starters had multiple hits. 
• 1941 - Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner was traded to the Boston Braves for pitcher Nick Strincevich, rejoining his brother Paul in Beantown, who had been released in the off-season. Afterward, he bumped around the National League, playing for four teams over four years before re-signing with Pittsburgh as an insurance policy in 1944. He retired after 1945, with 17 years and .319 BA as a Bucco in the books while on his way to the Hall of Fame, where he joined his bro again. 
• 1944 - The Bucs beat the Cubs at Wrigley 3-2‚ Chicago's 12th loss in a row‚ to spoil Charlie Grimm's return as Cubs manager. The Pirates scored twice in the ninth to tie it off Hank Wyse and won it in the 11th frame for Xavier Rescigno, who relieved Preacher Roe. Pittsburgh took the opener 6-5, and that one took 14 frames after the Cubs put up a pair to tie the game in the ninth. 

Tite Arroyo - 1957 Topps

• 1956 - RHP Max Surkont was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for RHP Luis “Tite” Arroyo. Max had come to Pittsburgh in the Danny O’Donnell deal and won 16 games in his 2+ seasons while Arroyo was a 29-year-old swingman beginning his second MLB campaign; his first earned him an All Star bid (11-8/4.19). The 34-year-old Surkont was at the end of his string and by May of the following year was finished in the big leagues while Luis pitched through 1963. His glory years were 1960-61, when he won another All-Star berth while winning 20 games and saving 36 more for the Yankees with a 2.37 ERA. He made an appearance against his old mates in the 1960 World Series.
• 1958 - Bob Skinner‚ Ted Kluszewski (who hit another in the seventh) and Frank Thomas all hit homers in the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Seals Stadium, but the show of muscle wasn’t enough as the G-Men won 8-6 scoring six runs against Bob Friend in three innings. 
• 1965 - The Pirates scored three times in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Reds 5-4 at Forbes Field. Manny Mota delivered a two-out, walk-off single that brought home Gene Freese to complete the comeback. Tommie Sisk picked up the win in relief of starter Bob Friend. 
• 1969 - Bob Veale took a shutout into the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres, a squad he was dominating with 13 whiffs. But he needed a strong finishing act from Chuck Hartenstine, who earned his fifth save under the gun by stranding Friars at second and third with an out to eke out a 2-1 win. Chuck fanned the first batter he faced and then watched Al Ferrara’s 400’ drive into center (fortunately, the game was at Forbes Field, not the bandbox at Wrigley) nestle safely into Matty Alou’s glove to save Big Bob’s third win of the campaign. The Buc runs came via a second-inning single by Veale that scored Al Oliver and a solo shot by Willie Stargell in the following frame.

5/7 From 1970: 1st Frame Fireworks, Cutch, 1st For Phil, X-Rated, Larceny, Bombers, Game Days, Rumors; HBD Alexander, Angel, Keon & Mark

• 1970 - OF/1B Mark Smith was born in Pasadena, California. He only played for the Bucs for two seasons (1997-98) with a .249 BA and 11 HR in 366 PA, but delivered one of the franchise’s memorable clutch blows when his pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the 10th won the combined no-hitter of Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon of July 12th, 1997 at TRS against Houston. 
• 1973 - The Bucs scored five runs on five solo homers in a 5-4 Pirates win over LA at Dodger Stadium, tying a ballpark record. The long balls were launched by Willie Stargell, Dave Cash, Richie Hebner, Manny Sanguillen, and Al Oliver. It was just enough to give Bob Johnson the win in relief of Luke Walker; he and Jim Rooker tossed five innings of scoreless, two-hit ball after Walker was chased. 
• 1974 - The ‘Stros beat the Pirates 2-1 at the Astrodome in one hour, 48 minutes, as Tom Griffin pitched a one-hitter to outgun Dock Ellis, who struck out 10. Willie Stargell had the Buccos lone hit; the run scored in the fourth when Houston committed three consecutive two-out errors, allowing one Bucco to plate but cutting down another when Manny Sanguillen was tossed out at home. Milt May, a Pirate the year before, hit the game-winning triple against his old mateys. 
• 1977 - In a start-to-finish slugfest, the Pirates beat the Reds, 12-10, at TRS to improve their record to 16-7. Trailing 4-0 after a half-inning of play, Willie Stargell hit his first of two home runs in the bottom of the first, a three-run shot, while Dave Parker extended his hitting streak to 18 games and Al Oliver went 2-for-4 with a home run. The two clubs clubbed 26 hits, of which 14 went for extra-bases and half of which were homers. Terry Forster won with a Kent Tekulve save. 
• 1978 - The Pirates stole eight bases off Dodger lefty Tommy John, who was notorious for a slow delivery and disdain at holding runners, and raced their way to a 6-4 win against LA at TRS. Omar Moreno, Frank Taveras and Bill Robinson each swiped a pair of sacks, while Phil Garner and even Pirates hurler Jim Rooker (he swiped three during his career) joined the parade. The City of Angels made a late run at the Bucs, scoring in the eighth on four walks - Pittsburgh pitchers helped negate the running attack by issuing eight free passes - and tightening the gap by yielding three unearned runs in the ninth until Kent Tekulve closed the book. 

Willie Stargell - 1981 Donruss First Edition

• 1981 - Still gimpy with a balky knee, 41-year-old Willie Stargell made his first appearance of the season, playing 1B against the Reds at Riverfront Stadium in the second game of a twin bill that the Pirates swept by 3-1 & 7-1 tallies behind Rick Rhoden and Buddy Solomon. Pops became just the fourth player in MLB history to play 20 years for the same team he began with (the others were Cap Anson of the Cubs, Mel Ott of the Giants, and Stan Musial of the Cards), a journey that for Willie began in 1962. The bad wheel limited him to 38 games that season and 1982 would be his big league swan song. The game wasn’t all sweetness and love, though, as Dave Parker was once again the victim of fans throwing debris at him in the pasture. The umps cleared the field and held up play for 10 minutes until a half-dozen fans were removed, with one arrest made. 
• 1989 - The media reported that the Pirates efforts to land C Alan Ashby from the Astros for OF Glenn Wilson were for naught. The Bucs were looking for help with Mike Lavalliere expected to be on ice until at least the All-Star game with a bum knee (he returned on July 4th), but the 37-year-old Ashby had business interests in Houston and as a 5 & 10 year man wouldn’t agree to a deal w/o a considerable bump in his contract. Junior Ortiz saw most of the action behind the dish in Spanky’s absence, with Dann Billardo and Tom Prince serving as his caddies. As for Ashby, he was released by Houston on May 11 to end his playing career and save GM Larry Doughty from a bright red face. 
• 1990 - OF Keon Broxton was born in Lakeland, Florida. The Pirates purchased his contract from Arizona in 2013, and he was called up in September, 2016. He got into seven games and went 0-for-2, but scored three runs and stole a base as a pinch-runner. In December, Broxton was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers along with Trey Supak for 1B/3B Jason Rogers. Rogers became redundant when the Pirates signed David Freese while Broxton featured speed and elite leather but had issues reaching base, showing decent power but with a sky-high K rate. He played in the Mexican League in ‘23 and that stint ended his pro playing career. 
• 1991 - The Pirates beat the Reds 7-2 behind Randy Tomlin but the big show was on TV. In the seventh inning, manager Jim Leyland, who didn’t realize there was a live mic in the dugout, was caught by the home audience spewing a cuss word or two at the ump while debating a call. The best programming was in the third, though, when Jay Bell didn’t run out a two-out fly by Andy Van Slyke; AVS lit into Bell, who had a string of inattentiveness during the week, and they went nose-to-nose before the cameras until Chico Lind broke up their klatch. Neither player had much to say about the ado, but apparently it was quickly bygone as they were interviewed while playing cards together after the game. 

Angel Perdomo - 2023 Topps MLB The Show

• 1994 - LHP Angel Perdomo was born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. Angel appeared in 22 games in 2020-21 for the Brewers, was DFA’ed and spent 2022 with Tampa Bay’s AAA club, was released before signing by the Bucs in 2023 as a free agent. He started out in Indy and was called up in June as the Bucs were thin on the left side in the bullpen. He’s now a free agent. 
• 1993 - The Pirates drew almost 31,000 to TRS, only to lose to Montreal, 1-0. It wasn’t as if the Bucs were shut down, stranding 11 runners while going 0-for-10 w/RISP on eight hits. Worse, they gifted Montreal its only run in the fourth frame thanks to a bopped-in-the-foot Moises Alou, who was then picked off but was granted a second life due to a screw-up on the rundown (no one covered second base), a bouncer to second and a sac fly. Randy Tomlin was the tough luck loser. 
• 2000 - OF Alexander Canario was born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. The NY Mets sold the contract of Canario, who they had DFA'ed, to the Pirates. The 24-year-old plays all three spots in the pasture (primarily the corners) and interestingly enough was getting some offseason work at first, a Bucco dark hole. He’s hit .286 in 45 MLB PAs and was a .252 hitter with some pop in AAA. Canario came up in the Giant and Cub systems and was out of options; Ji Hwan Bae was sent to Indy and Jared Jones flipped to the 60-day IL to clear roster space for him; he's now playing in Japan. 
• 2004 - OF Raul Mondesi returned to the Dominican Republic with the Pirates blessing to fight a lawsuit filed by former big leaguer Mario Guerrero. However, it turned into a smokescreen to wriggle out of his deal with the Bucs. The charade worked - he stayed away, and the Pirates, who could have iced him on the restricted list, instead decided it was better to cut him loose, which they did on the 19th by terminating his contract. On the 30th, he signed with Anaheim and finished his MLB career in Atlanta the following year. 

Phil Dumatrait - photo Mitchell Layton/Getty

• 2008 - The Pirates whipped the Giants 3-1 at PNC Park. Second-year man Phil Dumatrait won his first MLB decision while vet Barry Zito lost his seventh game in seven starts. The game’s big blow was a two-run homer in the fourth by Xavier Nady. Dumatrait was a promising 26-year-old who tossed 5-2/3 IP of two-hit, shutout ball on this day, but would be cut down by arm surgery later in the year. He came back late in 2009, was ineffective, and refused an assignment to the minors, tossing in Korea in 2010. He was with the Twins in 2011 and then retired. 
• 2013 - Andrew McCutchen recorded his second four-hit outing in six games to lead the Pirates to a 4-1 win against the Seattle Mariners at PNC Park. Garrett Jones swatted a two-run homer in the eighth inning to put it on ice for the Buccos. Starter Jeanmar Gomez got the win and Jason Grilli was credited with the save in a game that saw five Bucco pitchers cover the final four frames. 
• 2015 - The Pirates ended a five-game skid (part of a 7 games-of-8 losing streak) in a 7-2 win against Cincinnati at PNC Park. Pittsburgh had scored just five runs during their slide, dropping three walk-off losses to St. Louis and a shutout the day before. AJ Burnett got the win; the club had scored just five runs behind him in his first five starts. To add the cherry on top, AJ picked up strikeout #2,401, putting him among the top 40 whiff artists in baseball history. Andrew McCutchen broke out of a season-long slump with three hits to lead a balanced Bucco attack. 
• 2022 - The Bucs came out on fire in the second game of a twin bill as Bryan Reynolds, Yoshi Tsutsuto and Diego Castillo all homered in the first frame (it was the first time in franchise history that the Bucs banged three first-inning long balls) to give the Pirates a 4-0 lead over the Reds at GABP. The game see-sawed afterwards as Mitch Keller was hit hard, but a two-run dinger by Ben Gamel and shutdown pitching by winner Heath Humbree, Max Kranick, Chris Stratton & David Bednar closing sewed up an 8-5 win. The opener was 2-2 going into the eighth when the Pittsburgh wheels fell off. The Pirates loaded the bases with no outs for the middle of the order, but left them juiced after three straight swingin’ Ks. C Roberto Perez was then removed after a hammy pull (he was later placed on the 10-day IL), with backup Andrew Knapp already tossed for barking from the dugout,so infielder Josh VanMeter caught for the first time and the Reds took advantage, scoring seven times and winning, 9-2.

5/6 Through the 1960s: Duelin', Cliff No-No, Lennox Cycle, Game Days, 1st Tarp, Keystones; HBD Alberto, Dick, Earl, Bob, Lute & Loose

• 1883 - LHP Ed “Loose” Karger was born in San Angelo, Texas. Karger started his six-year MLB career with the Pirates in 1906, going 2-3/1.93 in six outings (two starts) before being flipped to the Cards for veteran Chappie McFarlane. Bad move by the Bucs; McFarlane was waived in August while Karger would toss a 1907 perfecto (off the books; it was only seven innings) and won 46 games as a hard-luck hurler with a career 2.79 ERA. There’s some debate over the origin of his moniker; some say it was a description of his demeanor while others claim it was because of his easy delivery on the mound. 
• 1887 - The League of Colored Baseball Clubs, a precursor to the Negro Leagues, opened its schedule with a game at Recreation Park. The NY Gorhams beat the Pittsburgh Keystones 11-8 and a pitcher named Grosa before a crowd of 1‚200. One of the Keystone stars was King Solomon "Sol" White, an infielder, manager, executive, sportswriter and one of the pioneers of the Negro leagues. He was named to the Hall of Fame in 2006. Game day was celebrated by a parade starting at Grant and Second in town that snaked to the North Side park, then considered part of Allegheny City, behind a band that performed a concert before the ballgame. Because of rainouts and small crowds, the poorly financed LCBC (formed in large part due to the efforts of Keystones owner Walter Brown) and recognized by the National Agreement as a legitimate minor league, folded quickly on May 23rd (the Keystones finished 3-4). Though the league failed, the Keystones formed again professionally in 1921-22 before disbanding in 1923. 
• 1890 - IF Lutellus "Lute" Boone was born in Hazelwood. After four years with the Yankees, the Pirates brought Lute back home in 1918 to help fill the hole left by the retired Hans Wagner. He couldn’t quite fill those shoes (he batted .198 for the Buccos) and that ended his big-league days. He continued to soldier on in the minors with 14 years in the American Association and played for four minor league pennant winners. He retired from baseball in 1936, took up residence in Brentwood and went to work for Mesta Machine Company in Homestead. 

Fred Clarke - Helmar Big League Brew

• 1906 - The Pirates became the first team to use a canvas tarp to cover the infield when it stormed after the game at North Side’s Exposition Park, a damp 5-1 loss to the Cubs. Bucco skipper Fred Clarke designed and held the patent for the tarp calling it a “diamond cover.” It worked as intended; despite the showers, the field held up and the two teams played the next day. 
• 1914 - OF Ed Lennox of the Pittsburgh Rebels recorded the only cycle ever hit during the Federal League’s existence against the Kansas City Packers in a 10-4 win at Gordon and Koppel Stadium, cracking two homers among his five knocks. A cycle with two long balls wouldn’t be duplicated again until 1937 when it was accomplished by The Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio. 
• 1921 - RHP Bob Chesnes was born in Oakland, California. As a 27-year-old back from the service, he spent three years dazzling minor league hitters before the Pirates bought his contract from the San Francisco Seals for $100,000 and four players in 1947. He went 14-6 the next season with 15 complete games and a 3.57 ERA/.275 BA (he was a former SS). But he only won 10 games in the next two seasons, the victim of a burned out arm, and was done in the MLB by 1950. 
• 1923 - C Earl Turner was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. After serving in the Army and then the minors, Earl’s MLB days were spent sipping cups of coffee in Pittsburgh in 1948 and again in 1950, hitting .240 in his 42-game career. Turner spent most of 1950-52 in the upper minors before retiring from baseball. 
• 1926 - IF Dick Cole was born in Long Beach. Cole played for Pittsburgh in 1951 and again in 1953-56, batting .253 mostly as a bench player, although he was a regular playing shortstop and the hot corner in 1954, hitting .270. Later, after a stint with the Central Scouting Bureau, Cole became a scout for the Pirates from 1970 to 1974, eventually becoming the Scouting Supervisor. 

Cliff Chambers - 5/7/1951 Jack Berger/Pgh Press 

• 1951 - Cliff Chambers pitched the second no-hitter in Pirates' history (Nick Maddox tossed the first in 1907), a 3-0 victory in the nitecap of a doubleheader at Boston’s Braves Field. He wasn’t exactly on top of his game, walking eight and uncorking a wild pitch, but was untouchable when he was in the strike zone. Warren Spahn won the opener handily for the Braves by a 6-0 tally. It was Chambers’ last win as a Bucco; he was traded to the Cards a month later with a 3-6/5.58 line. There, he went 4-0/2.76 against Pittsburgh and 11-6/3.83 in his last campaign.
• 1956 - OF Alberto Lois was born in Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic. He played briefly for the Bucs in 1978-79. He was a big-time, five-tool prospect signed as a 17-year-old by super-scout Howie Haak, but a series of nagging injuries gave him a rep as a malingerer that dogged him in the minors. Still, he got a quick look in ‘78 and was called up during the ‘79 dog days. But one night during the offseason, he drove his pickup truck into a stalled train sitting at an unlit railroad crossing. The wreck killed several of his friends and badly injured his eye, ending his career. 
• 1968 - The Bucs’ Jim Bunning and the Bravos’ Pat Jarvis hooked up in a duel at Atlanta Stadium, with Pittsburgh coming out on top by a 2-1 score as Donn Clendenon’s two-run homer in the fourth frame held up. There was some drama in the eighth when Bunning sprained his ankle (it proved minor; he didn’t miss a start) and Ronnie Kline had to come in cold, but the vet finished up coolly, giving up two hits over the final two frames to save the win for Bunning and the Bucs.

5/6 From 1980: Ollie Slam, 1st Review Walkoff, Why They Play 9, Team Effort, OT Dub, Sid Shines, Game Days, Johnny POTM, HBD Yohan

• 1986 - 2B Johnny Ray was named the NL’s Player of the Month for April. He hit .380 during the month with 18 RBI and was leading the league with a .391 BA. Johnny was the first Pirate to be named POTM since Dave Parker in September, 1978 (John Candelaria was Pitcher of the Month in July, 1983). 
• 1988 - Sid Bream doubled his RBI count by chasing home four runs, crowned by a 12th-inning three-run homer, to propel the Buccos past the Padres 4-1 in front of 25,045 fans at TRS, many who came to be part of the Pirates pregame ceremony that honored Pittsburgh Mayor Richard S. Caliguiri, who had passed away earlier in the day; the Bucs wore RSC patches on their sleeves. With two gone in the 12th, Andy Van Slyke singled and Bobby Bonilla walked ahead of Bream, who took Mark Davis’ heater over the RF wall. He drove in the first run in the opening frame with a bad-hop single, then stranded five more runners until his homer ended the contest. But the Pirates pitchers were the evening’s heroes - Bob Walk, Jeff Robinson and winner Barry Jones limited the Friars to six hits. 
• 1992 - Jose Lind’s 16th-inning single over a drawn-in infield drove in Don Slaught, who had tripled ahead of him (actually, Ron Gant tried to make a diving catch of Slaught’s bloop, missed it, and Sluggo rumbled into third as the ball rolled to the wall while Chico’s hit was just as sketchy, dropping between a pair of Bravos who both could have hauled it in), with the winning run as the Pirates bested the Braves 4-3 at TRS in a five hour plus marathon. An inning earlier, Slaught was the goat when his throw to third on an attempted steal missed the mark, allowing the Braves to temporarily take the lead. Bob Patterson claimed the win, being the last in a chain of five relievers who worked 11-2/3 innings of near zippo ball, giving up just one unearned run. The Pirates stayed alive twice with two down, getting game-knotting hits from Cecil Espy in the ninth and Jay Bell in the 13th (his rap was an untouched pop that fell between Mark Lemke and David Justice). 
• 1994 - The Bucs proved to be a good luck charm to Chicago, ending a couple of Chi-Town losing streaks. The Cubs' 10-1 victory over the Pirates ended pitcher Anthony Young's personal 27-game losing streak and also snapped Chicago’s record 14-game winless string at Wrigley. 

Yohan Ramirez - 2026 photo Ross Franklin/AP

• 1995 - RHP Yohan Ramirez was born in Villa Mella, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was signed by the Astros in 2016 and later taken by Seattle in the 2019 Rule 5 Draft. He debuted the next year. 2022 was his change-of-address campaign; going from Seattle to Cleveland, where he was quickly DFA’ed and sold to the Pirates in July. Yohan served as a yo-yo depth piece for all three teams, whiffing 10+ per game but with big home run and walk rates in his MLB outings. His Pittsburgh numbers for the year were solid (3-1-1/3.67 in 22 games) after he was brought up in August. Y-Ram started 2023 at Indy but after a hot start was recalled in mid-April when Rob Zastrynzy was hurt. He was released in early September and since his Pittsburgh stint, he’s worked for six teams & in the Dominican League before returning to the Bucs and Indy this year. Yohan signed a minor-league deal to return here in ‘25, opted out, re-signed and was called up in early July, sticking with the big club in 2026. 
• 1999 - The Pirates were the poster boys for a balanced attack in a 13-3 romp over the St. Louis Cards at Busch Stadium. All eight position starters had hits (six had multiple knocks, led by Carlos Garcia with three raps), all eight drove in runs (Garcia again led the parade with three), and seven of them scored (Brian Giles & Kevin Young plated three times to keep trips the vibe for the night). Todd Ritchie was the fortunate run recipient and went seven innings for the win. 
• 2000 - The Pirates put up six runs in the ninth inning to rally past the Cubs at Wrigley Field by an 11-9 count. With two away in the final frame and still down a run after plating three times, Wil Cordero tripled on a 1-2 pitch to knot the score, Pat Meares doubled in the go-ahead run and Mike Benjamin’s single added the insurance tally. Brian Giles and Luis Sojo homered earlier in the contest and had five RBI between them to help counter three Cub homers. 
• 2001 - Aramis Ramirez hit the second walkoff in PNC Park history (Jason Kendall’s homer was the first on 4/22) with a single in the 11th frame after Kendall’s leadoff triple was followed by two intentional walks as the Pirates defeated the Colorado Rockies, 4-3. Ramirez, Kendall (he also homered), Brian Giles and Pat Meares each banged out two hits. Kendall did the heavy lifting at the dish for the Bucs until A-Ram’s rap, posting three RBIs and two runs scored. Joe Beimel, the Buccos fifth moundsman, spun three scoreless innings to earn the overtime victory.

Jason Kendall - 2001 Donruss

• 2014 - The Pirates won the first-ever MLB walkoff victory that was determined by review against the SF Giants at PNC Park. After reliever Tony Watson, in for Charlie Morton, left G-Men on the corners in the ninth, Starling Marte batted against starter Tim Hudson with two gone and banged a ball high off the Clemente Wall. He raced to third and headed home when the throw skipped by the base. In a bang-bang play at the dish, ump Quinn Wolcott called Marte out. Clint Hurdle challenged the decision, and the replay showed that C Buster Posey had missed the tag, giving the Bucs a 2-1 win.
• 2016 - The Pirates held on to beat the St Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, 4-2. Frankie Liriano’s 10 strikeout workday and the return of Jung Ho Kang led the charge to victory. Liriano’s outing was marred only by a two-base wild pitch, which brought home the first run and set up the other. Kang had missed almost eight months to a gruesome leg/knee injury and was making his first MLB appearance since September. He started meekly, hitting into a DP and then popping out. But then he found his mojo, homering in back-to-back at bats and plating three runs. 
• 2018 - Chad Kuhl’s prior outing featured four homers surrendered in 4-2/3 frames, but today he was in command, tossing seven innings of one-hit, eight-whiff ball against the Brewers at Miller Park as the Pirates breezed to a 9-0 win. Richard Rodriguez mopped up; he gave up a single while striking out everyone else. Adam Frazier, Josh Bell and Jordy Mercer launched solo home runs mixed among the Bucs' 13 hits. Mercer and Corey Dickerson had three hits and Frazier two to lead the batsmen in a team effort; six Pirates drove in runs and seven touched home. 
• 2024 - The Bucs started April on fire, had the bottom drop out, then began to bounce back by winning two in-a-row from the Rox. Mitch Keller kept the ball rolling with a complete game, five-hit, one-walk, one-run decision over the LA Angels at PNC Park, taking a 4-1 decision. Mitch got all the support he needed when Eddie Olivares banged a third-inning grand slam, set up by a pair of walks around an Andrew McCutchen two-bagger. It was Kell’s second career complete game; his other wire-to-wire start was almost exactly a year before (5/8).

5/5 Through 1964: Big Finish, Hangin' On, Dodgers Swept, Bean-ballin', Pete's Pandora Box, Game Days; RIP Denny, HBD Tommy, Jose, Eude & Wattie

• 1858 - Pirates field general Bill “Wattie” Watkins was born in Brantford, Ontario. In 1898, Watkins was hired as the manager of the Buccos and finished eighth (out of twelve teams) with a 72–76 record. Watkins returned for the 1899 NL battles but resigned in May after the team began the season with a 7-15 record. He was known as a strict disciplinarian in an era of free spirits. Wattie wisdom: Bill was also among the first skippers to give signs to hitters from the bench. 
• 1883 - OF Gene “Eude” Curtis was born in Bethany, West Virginia. His MLB resume consists of a 1903 stop with the Pirates, and the Western League call-up tore it up for five games, going 8-for-19 (.421) with a walk, three RBI and two runs scored. The 6’3” speedster from WVU went on to a seven-year career in the minors, playing for 13 different teams and was a farm coach from 1911-12. 
• 1891 - Talk about your bad inning at Chicago’s West Side Grounds: LF Pete Browning bunted into a triple play in the top of the sixth frame and then booted a ball to allow the game’s only run to score in the bottom half as Pittsburgh lost to the Chicago Colts, 1-0. Ed Stein, who tossed a two-hitter, took the decision over Pud Galvin, who surrendered six knocks. As the Pittsburgh Press wryly noted of the Pirate hitters: “Sluggers who don’t slug...will rarely win victories.” 
• 1894 - Beanballs go back a long way. Per the Pittsburgh Press: “In the fifth (St. Louis P Pink) Hawley acted as though he were trying to hit (Pirates SS Jack) Glasscock with a pitched ball. Two (pitches) came dangerously close to Jack’s chin and when the third went under his head the shortstop said ‘I’ll throw my bat if you do that again.’ Hawley put the fourth in the same spot and to the surprise of everyone Glasscock sailed his stick toward the pitcher’s box. Hawley got out of the way but did not run when Glasscock rushed up. The men did not come together, however, as (Pirates Captain Patsy) Donovan promptly parted them and restored order. Glasscock was fined $10 for the act.” The article went on to add that “The governor was not asked to order out the militia, but Umpire McQuaid could not have preserved order at Exposition Park had it not been for the timely assistance of Captain Donovan.” The game was as exciting as the sideshow. It was tied 5-5 in the ninth when Donovan made a diving catch in right to close the frame and save a run, then the Pirates won it in their half when Glasscock’s two-out knock scored Patsy from second to cap Donovan’s busy day.

Jack Glasscock - 1895 Mayo Plug Chew

• 1900 - Executive Denny McKnight passed away in Pittsburgh at age 52 and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery. He owned the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, the predecessors of the Pirates, and helped form the American Association, a major league, serving as the AA’s president until 1886. He was ousted after a rhubarb regarding the contract of Sam Barkley; some say that incident played a role in the Alleghenys jumping to the National League in 1887 with McKnight retaining ownership interests until 1890 when he returned to the business world after William Kerr & Phil Auten became co-owners. 
• 1929 - The Boston Braves played their first Sunday home game in history. Apparently they still considered it a day of rest as they lost to Pirates 7-2 before 35,000 fans. Pittsburgh moundsman Burleigh Grimes aided his own cause by starting a third-inning triple play. Five Bucs had a pair of knocks each, and the Waner brothers, Paul and Lloyd, each tripled at Braves Field. 
• 1935 - Pirate infielder Jose Pagan was born in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. After spending seven years with the San Francisco Giants, the infielder played in Pittsburgh for the next eight seasons (1965-72). He was used in every position but pitcher and center field during his time here and hit .263 as the Bucs general factotum. Pagan played four games in the 1971 World Series and doubled home Willie Stargell with the eventual winning run in the eighth inning of Game Seven. Pagán became a Pirates coach for five seasons, from 1974-78. 
• 1941 - IF Tommy Helms was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Helms spent 1976 and a bit of 1977 in Pittsburgh (.242 BA as a utilityman) as part of his 14-year MLB resume. The Pirates got him from Houston for Art Howe, sold him to Oakland a year later, got him back four months after that in the Phil Garner mega deal, then released him in June. He finished the 1977 campaign with the Boston Red Sox to conclude his major league stay. He coached and managed for the Cincinnati Reds briefly, leaving the organization after bumping heads with owner Marge Schott. 

Tommy Helms - 1977 Topps

• 1946 - The Bucs took two from the first place Brooklyn Dodgers 5-4 in 11 innings and 4-3 in a six-inning game shortened by the Sunday curfew. The game drew an overflow crowd of 37,953 as the Pirates whittled da Bums lead to two games. The SRO folk were on the field behind ropes, and the teams combined for nine ground rule doubles that ended up in the sea of unseated fans at Forbes Field. Jack Hallett won the opener and Preacher Roe took the nightcap. Roe’s relief outing with runners on the corners and two down was as perfect as you could get - with the Buc 3B playing even with the runner, C Bill Salkeld suspected a squeeze bunt. He called for a pitchout, and guessed right - the runner was steaming home and was tagged out easily. Roe got a one-pitch win when Frankie Gustine’s two-out double in the Pirates half scored Frankie Zak. Billy Cox had the hot stick, with four hits, including a pair of two baggers, and three RBI during the afternoon. 
• 1958 - The Bucs were up by 10 runs entering the final frame, but barely hung on for an 11-10 win over the Giants when pinch hitter Don Taussig popped out with the bases loaded to end the game at San Francisco's Seals Stadium. The Giants sent a record six pinch hitters to the plate in the frame, and three scored. Don Gross, the fourth pitcher of the inning, got the save for Vern Law. RC Stevens and Frank Thomas both homered and together chased home five Buccos. 
• 1960 - Things looked bleak after six innings for the Bucs at Wrigley Field with the score 7-2 Cubbies. But the Buccos put up a five spot in the seventh (Roberto Clemente’s two-run homer was the big blow) to tie it and Bill Virdon won the game with a two-out, two-on triple in the ninth as the Pirates rallied for a 9-7 win over the Cubs. The workhorses were pitchers Jim Umbricht, Fred Green and ElRoy Face, who combined to hold Chicago to one run on four hits over the final seven frames. On the attack side, the first four batters - Bob Skinner, Dick Groat, Roberto Clemente and Dick Stuart - went 10-for-20 with a homer, triple, and two doubles, scored six runs and drove in five tallies.

5/5 From 1965: Duel Dinger, Cico de Mayo, Up The Stairs, Boppin', Roberto Honked, Game Days, Bo POTM, ID Plz, Rumors, HBD Beau

• 1965 - Roberto Clemente made the front page of the Post Gazette when he told the beat gang “I wouldn’t care if they traded me. I’m unhappy here...because the team is going badly (they were 7-13) and I seem to be getting blamed for it because I’m not hitting.” The trigger for the outburst was being held out of the lineup for a game at Chicago by manager Harry Walker. Clemente had a bout of malaria in the off season and lost 20 pounds, and The Hat decided a respite would help him, with the down time giving Roberto three straight rest days because of a break in the schedule. Clemente thought he was being benched. The pair got together the next day and cleared the air during a breakfast meeting, and the time off seemed to help. Clemente was hitting .264 at the time, but after a slow week or two, he regained his strength and was batting over .300 by the end of the month, finishing the campaign with a .329 BA, tops in the league. 
• 1968 - Thanks to a three-run eighth inning, the Pirates defeated the Phils 5-2 at Connie Mack Stadium behind Luke Walker, Dave Wickersham (the winner), and Bob Moose, backed by a 12-hit attack that saw every position player but one collect a hit. Jerry May led the offense with two hits and two RBI; Roberto Clemente, Maury Wills and Manny Mota also added a pair of knocks. The game ended an unusual losing streak - Pittsburgh had dropped its first six televised games of the campaign before finally winning a broadcast contest. 
• 1972 - Dock Ellis, Rennie Stennett and Willie Stargell missed the team bus to Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. They arrived late and separate from the rest of the team, so the gate security guard asked for identification. None of the trio had any on them, but they all had their World Series rings engraved with their names and tried to use that as ID. When the guard refused to accept that as legit, Dock verbally abused the officer (“I gave him a thousand bleep-bleeps” he told the Pittsburgh Press), had a gun pulled on him (quickly holstered) to quiet him down and then was maced when the guard claimed Ellis cocked his fist at him. The guard also alleged that Ellis was drunk and had a bottle of wine with him; Dock denied that charge. They all eventually got into the clubhouse, though Dock was later hauled in front of Cincinnati Municipal Court for disturbing the peace (the charges were later dropped). GM Joe Brown said the players didn’t have team ID with them because the club had never issued any, not seeing a need for them. Needless to say, Pittsburgh quickly issued photo identification cards to all the players. To make it a perfect day, the Pirates lost the game to Cincy, 5-4, for their eighth defeat in the past 10 outings. 

Gene Clines - 1973 Topps

• 1973 - The Pittsburgh Press floated trade rumors with San Diego, who dangled C Pat Corrales and then P Steve Arlin for OF Gene Clines, but that balloon proved leaden. Corrales called it a career after hitting .208 while Arlin lasted until ‘74, posting to a 5.51 ERA while Gene hit .263 in 107 games. He remained a Buc through 1974 (he remained open to being traded as he was buried on the bench) before he was swapped to the Mets in the off season for C Duffy Dyer. 
• 1985 - The Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 at TRS by using their eyes more than their bats as Joe Orsulak and Johnny Ray drew bases-loaded walks off Tom Niedenfuer in the eighth inning to plate the tying and winning runs. Bill Madlock went 3-for-3 with a walk while Bill Almon and Orsulak had a pair of raps. Rick Rhoden got the win over Jerry Reuss after allowing two runs in eight innings with John Candelaria pitching a clean ninth for his fifth save.
• 1987 - Behind the long ball, the Bucs defeated the Padres 10-8 at Jack Murphy Stadium. The four-baggers were smacked by the usual suspects, Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke & RJ Reynolds, with the surprising addition of Rafael Belliard, who banged his first career big fly. Rafe had two hits and three RBI, and wouldn’t hit his second and final MLB home run until a decade later in 1997. 
• 1988 - 3B Bobby Bonilla was named the National League Player of the Month after batting .341 with seven long balls and 18 RBI as the Buccos went 16-6 during April. He was the first Pirate to take home the award in two years, since Johnny Ray in April of 1986. It was Bobby Bo’s breakout year, and he made his first All-Star team with a batting line of .274 BA/24 HR/100 RBI.

 

Beau Sulser - 2022 photo TSN/Getty

• 1994 - RHP Beau Sulser was born in Escondido, California. Beau was drafted by the Bucs in 2017 from Dartmouth in the 10th round. He got the call to the show in April, 2022, and made four appearances (0-0/3.72) before being DFA’ed and claimed by Baltimore. After six outings there, he went to Korea (1-7/5.62) in 2023, was released in mid-season and re-signed with the Pirates. He declared for free agency at the end of the year to toss for a team in China. After the 2025 season, Beau joined Tampa Bay and is working in player development. 
• 1998 - Feliz Cinco de Mayo! The Pirates defeated St. Louis 5-2 at Three Rivers Stadium as Francisco Cordova became the first Mexican-born Pirate pitcher to start a game on Cinco de Mayo for the Bucs since Vicente Padilla (who didn’t factor in the decision that day) in 1992. Francisco got the win and his Veracruz amigo Ricardo Rincón picked up a hold over the Cards. Jermaine Allensworth had a pair of hits and two RBI to go with Jose Guillen’s homer. 
• 2003 - Matt Stairs homered off Houston’s Wade Miller, launching a blast that was estimated to travel 461’ to become the longest ball hit in the history of Minute Maid Park. It was Pittsburgh’s only bright spot as the ‘Stros mauled Kris Benson on the way to an 8-1 victory. Miller carried a perfect game into the sixth until it was broken up and tossed an eight inning three-hitter for the win. 
• 2019 - Jordan Lyles and Oakland’s Frankie Montas hooked up in a great pitching duel at PNC Park. The Bucs scored in the second inning by manufacturing a run off a Josh Bell two-bagger, ground out, and Colin Moran sac fly. The Pirates missed a sixth-inning golden opportunity, blowing a first-and-third, no-out set up before the A’s then tied it in the seventh with two outs when the eight hitter doubled and former Bucco farmhand Robby Grossman singled him home. Each team’s bullpen kept the zeroes coming through the 12th inning without any major uprisings. Tyler Lyons, in the second inning of his Pittsburgh debut, walked the first two batters in the 13th; they both scored and he avoided more damage when a bases loaded, one-out shot up the middle deflected off him to Jung Ho Kang, who stepped on third and threw to first for an inning-ending DP. Fernando Rodney got the first out, then sandwiched a walk between two singles, making it 3-2 with Bucs on the corners. His next pitch was hammered by Starling Marte into the left-center field bullpen, and the Bucs walked off with a 5-3 win in a game that morphed from a pitcher’s delight to a slugfest in the blink of an eye. It was Starling’s fifth walkoff long ball, one shy of the franchise mark.

Weekly Report: See-Saw Week, Tri Back, Jared Starts Rehab, Walk-&-Run-Athon, K Streak, Ashcraft/Soto Maddux

Freaky streaky this week... 

 Pirates Stuff: 

• Replenishing the staff: On Tuesday, the Bucs recalled Hunter Barco from Indy and optioned Wilber Dotel back. Wilber tossed four perfect frames on Monday, but the Pirates needed a bulk man after burning through eight pitchers v the Cards. The same day, the team reinstated Braxton Ashcraft from the Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List and optioned Cam Sanders to Indy. 
• Another day, another move: Veteran RHP Chris Devenski (he's a 10-year vet who worked for the Astros, Rays, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Angels and Mets with a line of 27-22-8/3.91) was called up from Indy, Hunter Barco was optioned back, and RHP Ryan Harbin was DFA'ed (Chris needed a 40-man spot). Spoiler: Harbin is injured, so the Bucs are rolling the dice that he gets through  and re-signs.

Tri is back - 2026 image/Pirates

• Jason Triolo (knee) stopped by the clubhouse Monday on his way to Altoona to begin step two of his rehab assignment. Tri went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer for the Curve on his Tuesday debut and must have looked 100%; they reinstated him on Saturday and optioned Nick Yorke to Indy. 
• Jared Jones (elbow) began his rehab at Bradenton on Wednesday. He went three perfect innings with five K, hitting 101 MPH. He's right on schedule; now he's on his way to AAA to continue his rehab, although it seems they have plans to flip him between Indy & Altoona starts. JJ is due to come off the IL on May 26th, so they have time to stretch him a bit before he returns to action.
• The Reds walked seven straight Buccos in the second inning on Saturday to tie an MLB record. The last time there were seven consecutive walks in an MLB frame, Pittsburgh was on the other side of the coin - it was Atlanta v Pittsburgh on 5/25/83 when Jim Bibby and Jim Winn did the honors in a 6-0 loss. That had only been done once before, back when the mark was set in 1909 by the White Sox.
• Bucco pitchers have struck out six or more batters in 72 straight games. That's the third-longest K streak since 1901.
• Seth Hernandez was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending 4/26. Seth tossed five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks with nine strikeouts. His slash entering the week is 2-0/0.53 with 32 strikeouts in 17 innings of work through four starts for Low A Bradenton.

Seth Hernandez - 2026 photo/Florida State League

• A couple of minor league guys have been put on ice - Mitch Jebb, who plays CF at Indy, broke his thumb and is expected to miss 12 weeks before being back to baseball activities and LHP Anthony Solometo, who can't put together a healthy run, is out for 12 months after labrum surgery. In better news, OF's Jhostynxon Garcia (back) and Edward Florentino (ankle) are on the mend. Garcia started a rehab stint Friday at Low-A Bradenton while Florentino finished his rehab and was sent to High-A Greensboro.

 Game Stuff: 

• The Pirates bullpen start crew was perfect into the seventh inning and had a 2-0 lead at PNC going into the ninth; Dennis Santana couldn't hold it, and the Cards final frame barrage (four hits, two homers, two walks) handed the Bucs their first back-to-back defeats this month with a 4-2 comeback rally.
• The Buc bats boomed Tuesday, with homers from Oneil Cruz, Ryan O'Hearn and Konnor Griffin, but the top-heavy but bottom-light pitching went south as the Cards ran away early and cruised to an 11-7 win at PNC.
• And a cold and drizzly night saw the fourth loss in a row, this one by a 5-4 count. 1-for-12 w/RISP, 11 stranded runners...the Pirates did everything but find a clutch hit or two. Nick Gonzales was almost a hero; his two-out, ninth inning blast was robbed. It would have been a walk off if it was a foot or two higher. 
• Paul Skenes and Isaac Mattson proved human and the Bucs dropped their fifth straight, 10-5. The Reds come to PNC next. 

Mitch Keller - 2026 image/Pirates

• A steady drizzle fell starting Friday afternoon and a rain delay pushed the start past 8 o'clock. But Kells was up to the task of stopper; he went seven strong, giving up a run, and the sticks took the pressure off in a 9-1 breakout. Henry Davis had two long balls while Marcell Ozuna & B-Rey added a bomb apiece.
• The 4PM start didn't help Carmen Mlodzinski. With two outs in the first inning, a routine fly that Oneil Cruz let drop (he & B-Rey both declined to catch it) and instead of a scoreless frame, the unplayed ball turned into a two-run double. The Bucs shrugged it off and put up an opening five-spot of their own. The next inning, Cincy walked seven straight Pirates and the Buc bats were banging (everyone had at least one RBI, which last happened in 1975, and a trio had three runs plated). It ended up 17-7 good guys, with Carmen fanning ten and Konnor Griffin posting his first big-league four-hit game.
• The Bucs ended the weekend on a sweet note, sweeping the Reds 1-0 in a game that Braxton Ashcraft and Cincy's Chase Burns left scoreless into the eighth. That's when the Pirates put up a run with two outs and the bases empty before Konnor Griffin doubled and scored on Oneil Cruz's single, beating the throw with a headfirst slide home. Gregory Soto got the win in relief, retiring the final four batters. 
• The team goes on a six-game, seven-day roadtrip to Arizona (May 5-7) and San Francisco (May 8-10) this week.

MLB Stuff:

• OF Tommy Pham, who the New York Mets DFA'ed last week after a brief call-up, went unclaimed. Rather than accept an outright assignment back to the minors, he declared for free agency.
• The Phillies walked off both ends of a rain-out doubleheader Thursday, and both wins went to RHP Chase Shugart, who worked for the Bucs last year (4-3/3.40) and was traded to the Phils during the off season.
• The Cubs ourighted Vince Velasquez back to the minors after an outing; he refused the assignment and became a FA.
• LHP Luis Peralta was waived by the Rockies and claimed by the Cards. Luis was a Bucco farmhand that was traded to the Rox for lefty reliever Jalen Beeks at the 2024 deadline.

5/4 Through the 1950s: Roman III, Lloyd Loose, Babe Bingo, Winnin' Duels, Game Days, Hans Day; HBD Ken, Smokey, Zip, Vic & Lou

• 1875 - OF Lou Gertenrich was born in Chicago. His MLB career consisted of six at-bats, half with the 1903 Pirates, where he went 0-for-3. He was somewhat of a semi-pro legend in the Windy City who played sporadically in the pros as he was a well-off businessman (his family was in the chocolates business) besides ballplayer. Lou got his day as a Bucco when the Pirates were in Chicago. Manager Fred Clarke, who was injured, had given outfielder Jimmy Sebring three days off for his wedding and being a man down, the Buccos used Gertenrich for the match. He went hitless, but did lay down a bunt and played the pasture flawlessly. Though he did stay local, he dabbled in the pro ranks off-and-on until 1913, closing his career out with the then-independent Federal League Chicago Keeleys. Afterward, he played local semi-pro ball until he passed away in 1933. 
• 1891 - 1B Vic Saier was born in Lansing, Michigan. Vic took over first base in Chicago for Frank Chance (of Tinker-to-Evans-to-Chance fame) in 1911. He had six good seasons for the Cubs before he broke his leg in 1917, missing almost all that year and then spent 1918 in a defense factory. The Bucs took a chance on him in 1919, but Saier hit only .223 in 58 games and was released, ending his MLB days. It was thought that he was unhappy that he was no longer in Chicago and it showed through his performance in Pittsburgh. 
• 1892 - OF John Edgar “Zip” Collins was born in Brooklyn. Collins started his career in Pittsburgh in 1914-15 and also played with the Boston Braves & Philadelphia Athletics during his five-year big league run. He came to Pittsburgh as a 22-year-old hotshot out of the Texas League and he hit .276 during his Pirates tenure before being sold to Boston late in the 1915 campaign. He played pro ball until 1925 and then managed in the minors until taking a variety of day jobs. Zip got his nickname because of his strong arm; he had 20 assists for the Pirates, but his 18 errors offset his rifle arm. 
• 1908 - After losing three in a row at Cincinnati’s Palace of the Fans, Vic Willis tossed a five hitter to top Billy Campbell and the Reds, 1-0. Honus Wagner tripled in the seventh and a grounder by Ed “Abby” Abbaticchio brought him home for the game’s only tally. Willis was strong all year and went on to win 23 games. 

Babe Adams - Helmar Score 5

• 1909 - The Pirates won their fourth straight game over the Cubs by beating Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown 1-0 in 11 innings at West Side Park behind Dots Miller’s RBI and Babe Adams’ shutout. It was the second time in three weeks that the Pirates defeated the hard-luck Brown by a 1-0 score in extra innings, with Howie Camnitz winning a 12-inning decision in mid-April. 
• 1913 - Pitcher Babe Adams was a one man wrecking crew at Redland Field. He threw a two-hit shutout against Cincinnati and drove home the game's sole run with the Pirates only hit, a triple, to score C Bill Kelly, who had walked ahead of Babe. The 31-year-old Adams (he pitched until he was 40) was the team ace that year, winning 21 games with a 2.15 ERA while working 313-1/3 innings. 
• 1931 - P/SS Lenora “Smokey” Mandella was born in McKeesport. She played for four different clubs in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between 1949 and 1951. She got her break when she impressed AAGPBL scouts in a tryout at Renziehausen Park and from that beginning, Mandella went on to start her baseball career with the South Bend Blue Sox. After the league dissolved (she finished 4-8 on the hill with a .127 BA between 1950-51 w/no record of her first-year stats), Smokey stayed involved with softball in the Steel Valley, coaching for 30 years. Her nickname was due to her strong arm and smokin’ hot fastball. 
• 1933 - The Brooklyn Dodgers tossed a Honus Wagner tribute day at Ebbets Field for their legendary foe. 10,000 showed up for the affair, and the Pirates didn’t spoil the day for their first-year coach, rallying for a 2-1 win behind the pitching of Heinie Meine and Tony Piet’s three hits. It was the first time Wagner appeared in Brooklyn since his playing days ended in 1917. Hans received a proclamation at City Hall, and when the crowd outside clamored for a speech, Honus told them diplomatically that “Sometimes you got me out and sometimes you didn’t” before a motorcade parade took him to the ballyard.

Hans at Ebbets Field - 5/5/1933 Pgh Press photo

• 1938 - Lloyd Waner had himself a day as the Pirates pulled away from the Dodgers to take a 9-5 win at Forbes Field. Little Poison had four hits, including a long ball & two triples, five RBI and three runs scored to lead Pittsburgh to the win. The Pirates had 12 hits on the day; eight went for extra bases as they teed off on Brooklyn’s Luke Hamlin and then eventual loser Bill Posedel. The Buccos starter, Russ Bauers, also was hit hard, but Joe Bowman came to Bauers’ rescue, taming the Brooklyn bats by tossing five innings of one-hit relief to earn the Pirates win. 
• 1951 - Pete Castiglione tripled on the second pitch that NY hurler Sal Maglie tossed and that would be the only hit The Barber surrendered in a 5-1 Giant win at the Polo Grounds. It wasn't quite a gem, as Maglie walked five, but he had the Buccos’ number - it was his seventh straight win over Pittsburgh. 
• 1955 - Sweet redemption: After going hitless and making a ninth-inning error, Roberto Clemente climbed the wall in right to take away extra bases from George Crowe with Braves on second and third to close out a 5-4 Pirates win over Milwaukee at Forbes Field. Dale Long and Gene Freese had a pair of RBI apiece while Bob Friend, with Arriba’s help, saved the game for Max Surkont. 
• 1956 - IF Ken Oberkfell was born in Highland, Illinois. Ken played 16 years in the majors and spent the second half of 1988 and the early weeks of 1989 in Pittsburgh, where he made the transition from a 100-game-per-year player to a utility bench guy. He got into 34 games as a Pirate and hit just .181 before being sent to the Giants. After he retired, Ken coached for 14 years in the Mets system before retiring to tend to the home fires. 
• 1958 - At Seals Stadium, Roman Mejias hit three homers, the first (and only) Pirate to post a three-pack of long balls since Ralph Kiner in 1952, in the opener of a twin bill with the San Francisco Giants to lead Pittsburgh to a 6-2 win; the day was a split after losing the nightcap, 4-3. Mejias, who was a 15-homer guy in AAA ball, hit just two more long flies the rest of the season. His four RBI helped Ronnie Kline to victory, with ElRoy Face coming on in the ninth for the save.

5/4 From 1960: Willie Inked, Dewey Slam, Jose Roll, Coastin', Bombs Away, Game Days, JT - POTW, TSN/SI Bonds, RIP Ray, HBD Jason

• 1965 - For Willie Stargell and Jerry Lynch, it was homer or no count. Lynch banged a pair of early solo shots and Willie added a game-tying long ball in the sixth that was followed by a three-run bomb in the ninth as the duo powered the Pirates to a 6-3 victory against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The dynamic duo had five of the Bucs 10 hits. Al McBean got the win in relief of Joe Gibbon, although he left the bases filled with Cubbies in a nail-biting ninth inning. 
• 1967 - The Bucs ran away from the Dodgers by scoring seven runs in the seventh to take a 9-3 victory over LA at Forbes Field. They literally pounded Dodger ace Don Drysdale; Roberto Clemente drilled a liner off his hand and Donn Clendenon smacked one so hard off his ankle that it bounced to first for the putout. He had to leave after six frames, battered and bruised, and the Bucs rallied for the win the next inning against a trio of LA relievers. Bill Mazeroski had three RBI while Clemente and Maury Wills collected three hits each to help Bob Veale to the win. 
• 1973 - The Pirates had their best two-day offensive output of the year while on a west coast swing when they bashed the Padres 12-6 the day after blasting the Giants, 14-5. Today’s hero was Rennie Stennett, who belted two homers and plated six runs; Bob Robertson and Richie Hebner, batting ahead of him, set the table with three hits apiece while Dave Cash added a three-run big fly. A day earlier, Al Oliver was the man of the hour at the Bay, bashing a pair of dingers and chasing home six runs with four hits while Manny Sanguillen and Milt May added three knocks. Nellie Briles and Steve Blass took advantage of the swatting to become the respective winners. 
• 1976 - OF Jason Michaels was born in Tampa, Florida. The outfielder spent 11 seasons and over 1,000 games in the show. He played in Pittsburgh in 2008 after the Bucs had claimed him from the Cleveland Indians in May and batted .228 while getting into 102 games. Houston picked him up in the off season and he spent his final three MLB campaigns as an Astro. He coached briefly in the Washington Nationals’ system and now runs a consulting business in Tampa. 

Jason Michaels - 2009 Topps

• 1980 - The Pirates bats did the talking as they ran roughshod over the Atlanta Braves by a 13-4 tally at TRS. Willie Stargell led the onslaught with three hits, including a home run, double, and three RBI, while Phil Garner, who homered, and Ed Ott, who scored three times, also added three knocks. Dave Parker chased home three runs, Bill Madlock went long and Omar Moreno swiped three sacks to keep the parade moving. Jim Bibby wasn’t at his best, giving up eight hits and walking three, but coasted behind the booming bats to go the distance. 
• 1981 - The Pirates signed 38-year-old free agent Willie Horton after the Texas Rangers had released him at the end of camp. Over an 18-year MLB career, Horton hit 325 homers and plated 1,163 runs. He spent two seasons in AAA Portland for the Bucs, hitting .302 and .275 with 39 homers, but never got a call up to Pittsburgh with Mike Easler and Lee Lacy blocking him. Willie then played briefly in the Mexican League in 1983 and retired, seven hits shy of 2,000. 
• 1982 - 1B Jason Thompson was named the National League & Sports Illustrated Player of the Week. He was 11-for-27 with five homers and 12 RBI in seven games, with a 11-game hitting streak going on. He stayed hot; JT would take the award again the following week. 1982 was his only Pirates All-Star campaign as he finished the season with a line of .284/31 HR/101 RBI. 
• 1992 - The Bucs scored 11 runs in the sixth inning after trailing 5-1 to whip the Reds at TRS by a 12-5 count. Don Slaught, Jose Lind and Cecil Espy all had a pair of raps in the frame. Andy Van Slyke led the hit parade with four knocks; Jeff King added three. It was the first time since 1942 against the Cards that the Pirates had scored 11 runs in an inning, the franchise record. Zane Smith gave up five runs in five innings; Dennis Lamp, who got the win, Bob Patterson and Stan Belinda had to finish up. The Pirates started the season on a dead sprint to go 14-3, and the win launched them on a 5-wins-in-6-games streak, starting them on their way to a 96-win division title that they won over the Nats by nine games. 
• 1992 - Barry Bonds hit the daily double, being featured on the cover of both The Sporting News (“You Thought What?”) and Sports Illustrated (“Bonds Away.”). He was a fitting selection - Bonds slashed .311/34/103 and won the MVP in his last Pirates campaign. He would be the last Pirate to grace SI’s cover until 2013, when Jason Grilli won the honor during his All-Star campaign. 

• 2005 - Jose Mesa set a record by earning his 10th save in a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park; it was the longest streak of saving every team win (the Pirates were 10-16 after the victory) to start a season. Pittsburgh fell behind 3-0, and it took them the whole game to get the lead back; they scored three times in the ninth thanks to Jason Bay and Daryl Ward homers to take a 6-3 lead. Jose was tapped for a run on a double that eventually came around, but it was a good enough performance to close out a win for Salomon Torres, who came on in relief of Mark Redman. Rob Mackowiak had three hits while Bay and David Ross each added a pair. The streak ended the next day when the Pirates beat Arizona 6-2 without Mesa’s intervention. 
• 2011 - Ryan Doumit blasted a third-inning grand slam as the Bucs put up six runs in the frame (all six were unearned; the Friars booted back-to-back balls to start the inning) on the way to a 7-4 win against San Diego at Petco Park. The other run was manufactured via two walks and a stolen base, with Neil Walker scoring when the Friars couldn’t turn a DP. Kevin Correia got the dub with help from Chris Resop, Daniel McCutchen and Jose Veras, who covered the final three frames. 
• 2021 - Jim Leyland’s pitching coach from 1987-1996, Ray Miller, passed away at the age of 76. He was noted for his straightforward pitching philosophy of “Work fast, throw strikes, change speeds,” and he helped develop 1990 Cy Young winner Doug Drabek among others during Leyland’s glory seasons. Miller was a manager for the Minnesota Twins between 1985-1986 and led the Baltimore Orioles in 1998-99; he also served as Earl Weaver’s pitching guru. Ray, btw, never made it to the show as a pitcher himself, spinning minor league ball for a decade and topping out at AAA before turning to coaching in 1974. 
• 2023 - The red hot Pirates were brought to earth after a three-game sweep by Tampa Bay, losing 4-1, 7-1 and 3-2. They did show some life today, scoring twice in the ninth and getting the tying run to second before the air left the balloon. The club also got some tough news as RHP Vince Velasquez (4-3/3.06) was pulled after three innings with elbow pain after his 19-inning scoreless streak was snapped in the second. He worked once more three weeks later before being lost for the year to UCL surgery. They had one bright spot with a red circle outing when Colin Holderman joined Juan Nicasio, Ross Ohlendorf and Jeff Robinson as a member of the Pirates Immaculate Inning club, striking out Taylor Walls, Luke Raley and Christian Bethancourt on nine pitches in the seventh frame.

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.