9/24 Through the 1960s: Blass - 3 Zippos, Rip #20, Game Days, Grays Win & Lose Title Games, HBD Jim, Dixie, Paddy & Doc

1881 - RHP Bob “Doc” Vail was born in Linneus, Maine. He started in the New England League in 1906 and then spent the remainder of his pro career in the Virginia League from 1907-12. His big-league career was a four-game stop in Pittsburgh in 1908 where he went 1-2/6.00 with a couple of good and a couple of not-so-good appearances. He was cut from camp in 1909 with a sore arm and spent the rest of his career as a minor leaguer, pitching through the 1912.

1891 - 2B Peter “Paddy” Siglin was born in Aurelia, Iowa. Paddy was hitting .320 for Waterloo in 1914 when he was purchased by the Pirates. He was mostly stashed in the minors by the Bucs, but appeared in 23 MLB games from 1914-16, going 9-for-56 (.180) at the plate. In 1917 he took his services to the Pacific Coast League where he spent the next decade on five different squads before hanging up the spikes in 1926. Paddy did set a benchmark - in his debut on September 12th, 1914, in a doubleheader sweep of the Cubs, he became the first Bucco to have two hits and a stolen base in his first outing; three other Pirates (Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata & Austin Meadows) have since matched the feat.

1910 - OF Fred (“Dixie”/“The People's Cherce”) Walker was born in Villa Rica, Georgia. He’s often remembered as the guy who fought Jackie Robinson’s arrival in Brooklyn, though he eventually accepted him both as a ballplayer and person. However, his initial negativity was said to be part of the impetus for the Dodgers to deal him to Pittsburgh in 1948 (Brooklyn got Preacher Roe back, another pretty fair reason). He played two seasons, batting .316 in his first campaign, then posting a .282 BA with 13 pinch hits in 1949 as a bench piece. After the ‘49 season, he hung ‘em up and went on to a long career in scouting and coaching. Fred came by the “Dixie” moniker honestly, as a Georgia boy whose father Ewart was also known as Dixie. (His dad had pitched for the Senators, and his brother Harry “The Hat” Walker managed the Pirates from 1965-67.) His popularity with the Ebbets Field fans in the forties earned him the other nickname "The People's Cherce," as spelled (or at least pronounced) in Brooklynese.

1929 - C Jim Mangan was born in San Francisco. He graduated from the U of San Francisco and the Pirates signed him in 1949. Jim played briefly for the Bucs in 1952 and 1954, batting .179. Reports are that he got into a spat with Branch Rickey in 1955, and was sent down to Hollywood before being optioned to El Paso. From there he was sold off waivers to the Giants in 1956, where he got his final MLB licks (he feuded there with manager Bill Rigney, and guys that hit under the Mendoza Line don’t win many debates with their field bosses). Following his petulant baseball career, Mangan became a high school teacher, golf coach and small business owner in San Jose.

Jim Mangan - snip via Wikipedia

1939 - The Baltimore Elite Giants topped the Homestead Grays 2-0 before 10,000 fans at Yankee Stadium to claim the Negro National League Championship. Baltimore’s pitchers held the Grays to three hits while Homestead ace Roy Partlow, who had won the opening game of the Series 2-1 took the loss. He was spinning a shutout when a two-out misthrow in the seventh gifted the Giants a pair of scores. The Grays loaded the bases with two away in the eighth, but a pop-out closed out that final chance. Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard paced the Homestead hitters while Roy Campanella led the way for Baltimore’s batters. It was actually the first game of a twin bill. The two Series teams combined to face a white squad of mixed MLB/minor league players. The nightcap ended in a 1-1 tie when darkness ended the game and sent the players barnstorming.

1944 - The Pirates outlasted the Giants 6-4 at the Polo Grounds in 13 sloppy innings. Max Butcher had a 4-0 lead for the Buccos, but gave up a pair in the seventh before three errors and a walk tied it in the eighth. The Pirates put their first two runners on in the 13th but were almost stymied by a pair of nice defensive plays by the G-Men. A two-out walk loaded the bases - can’t defend against that - and pinch hitter Tommy O’Brien singled on the next pitch to plate a pair. Art Cuccurullo tossed a quiet closing frame and Rip Sewell picked up his 20th win in relief. The Pirates left 19 runners aboard and the Giants 15 as the game featured 25 hits, 19 walks (Butcher issued seven himself) and five errors.

1944 - The Homestead/Washington Grays, playing in their fifth Negro World Series game and fourth city of the championship (Birmingham, New Orleans and Pittsburgh hosted the prior matches) closed it out against the Birmingham Barons 4-2 to defend their title at Griffith Stadium, four-games-to-one. Lefty Roy “Snookie” Welmaker, who had already won Game #1, went the distance, giving up eight hits while fanning six. The 1-2-3 Gray hitters - Cool Papa Bell, Jerry Benjamin and Sam Bankhead - each had a pair of hits while Jud Wilson’s two-out, two-run single gave Homestead a 3-0 first inning lead they never relinquished.

Jud Wilson - Dick Perez card

1956 - The Pirates temporarily derailed the Brooklyn Dodgers pennant express with a 6-5 win at Forbes Field after losing a suspended game earlier in the day (they had to play the ninth, and the Bucs were already down 8-3, the final score). After a wild first inning, with both clubs scoring three times, Bob Friend settled in and the Bucs took a 5-3 lead. The Bums tied it in the eighth, but Frank Thomas came back with the game winner in the Bucco half, a two-out single that scored Bill Virdon, to cap a four-hit, three-RBI contest that included a homer. Friend went the distance to win his 17th game, dropping Brooklyn 1/2-game behind the Braves after losing three-of-four to the seventh place Buccos. But they eventually prevailed, winning the NL by a game over Milwaukee before going on to lose their second straight Subway Series to the Yankees. 

1957 - Bucco 1B Dee Fondy grounded out to end the game to become the last MLB player to swing a bat at Ebbets Field. Da’ Bums Danny McDevitt blanked the Bucs 2-0 on five hits with nine whiffs in the final major league game played in Brooklyn before the Dodgers relocated to Los Angeles, defeating Benny Daniels, who was making his MLB debut. The organist played “Until We Meet Again” and “Auld Lang Syne” as the teams left the field. Ebbets Field had been the Dodgers home ballyard for 45 years but only 6,702 fans showed up to say goodbye.

1966 - Roberto Clemente connected for a two-run, go-ahead homer to cap off a five-run seventh inning in Pittsburgh’s 8-6 win over the Braves at Atlanta Stadium. Bob Bailey had a two-run bomb and Gene Alley chased home two more with a double. Steve Blass worked two innings of relief (nine of his 34 appearances in ‘66 were in relief) for the win; Pete Mikkelsen got the save. The win moved them 1-1/2 games behind the Dodgers, but that’s as close as the Pirates would get, finishing three games off the pace after going 2-5 during the season’s last week.

1968 - Steve Blass tossed his third consecutive shutout, defeating the Reds 2-0 at Forbes Field. Steverino won his ninth straight victory and recorded a NL high seventh shutout on his way to an 18-6 season. The game against Gary Nolan was scoreless until the seventh when Willie Stargell led off with a homer. The Bucs added an insurance run in the eighth when Maury Wills singled, was bunted to second and came home on Mateo Alou’s two-bagger as Matty remained alive in his chase of Pete Rose for the MLB batting title, eventually finishing second (.335-to-.332) at season’s end.

9/24 From 1970: Super Soph, 10K Wins, Clobberin' Craig, Ante-lopes, Handyman Willie, Roberto Day, Game Days, SI Danny, Pedro Deal, HBD Travis, Jeff & John

1970 - Luke Walker spun a seven-hit shutout as his teammates made it easy for him with a 15-hit attack to drop the Mets 8-0 at TRS. Gene Alley was the unlikely batting hero, with three hits including a triple and four RBI. Manny Sanguillen also had three knocks and scored twice. Matty Alou, Dave Cash, Richie Hebner and Bob Robertson each added a pair of hits.

1971 - Shea Stadium hosted a Roberto Clemente Day. Clemente was gifted with a Cadillac, which he accepted, and cash, which he directed to be sent to three children’s charities in Puerto Rico. The event was put together by New York City’s Puerto Rican community, and the gifts came via donations from the “small people.” The Bucs won the game, 3-2, on their way to a division title. The Great One celebrated the day with two hits and drove in a pair of runs.

1973 - LF Willie Stargell robbed Ken Singleton of a homer in the fifth, went long himself in the sixth, and threw out Tony Scott at home in the seventh inning during a 3-0 defeat of the Expos at Jarry Park in the second half of a double dipper. Nellie Briles and Dave Giusti kept Montreal off the board, scattering eight hits for the shutout. The Bucs lost the opener 5-4 despite Willie’s 43rd dinger. Starg was a tired man after playing back-to-back twin bills - “I won’t be waking up too early tomorrow,” he told Press writer Bob Smizik - but not too tired to lead the majors in homers (44), doubles (43), RBI (119) and slugging % (.646).

1973 - Danny Murtaugh was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the story “Frenzy In the East.” The Pirates, winners of three consecutive titles, finished third behind the Mets, 2-1/2 games out. Five of the six National League East teams were separated by just five games.

1974 - IF John McDonald was born in New London, Connecticut. The “Prime Minister of Defense” spent 16 years as a glove-first player, stopping in Pittsburgh for part of 2013. He came to the Pirates on a conditional deal from the D-Backs, hit .065 in 16 games, went on the DL and when he recovered was sent to the Indians on another conditional deal as John ended up on four different rosters that season. He retired before the 2015 campaign, then joined Cleveland as a farm league coach and is now the Guardians minor league field coordinator. 

John Mc Donald - 2013 photo Justin Aller/Getty

1977 - OF Omar Moreno swiped his 50th base of the season to surpass Sonny Jackson's rookie record set with the Astros in 1966. The Antelope swiped a pair of sacks and was caught once by Cubs C George Mitterwald during a 7-3 Pirates win at Wrigley. The Padres’ first-year speedster Gene Richards matched him with 50 later on the same day and ended the campaign with 56 thefts, three more than the Bucs' outfielder, to overtake Moreno for the rookie record.

1982 - RHP Jeff Karstens was born in San Diego. He was sent to Pittsburgh by the Yankees in 2008, and the oft-injured righty worked as a multi-role pitcher for the Pirates until 2012, with most of his outings as a starter. He retired in 2015 after failing to recover from 2013 shoulder surgery. In his five Pirates years, Jeff’s slash was 23-25/4.31 in 123 appearances. After his MLB days ended in 2015, Jeff became the pitching coach for Berkeley Prep in Tampa the following year.

1983 - John Candelaria’s elbow was bothering him, but he hoped to give the Bucs five good innings against the Expos, and did he ever. He shut out Montreal on three hits, all surrendered in the first two frames, before turning the ball over to Cecilio Guante, who finished up by allowing two hits over the final four innings to nail down a 1-0 win over the Expos at Olympic Stadium. Candy did more than toss; he drove in the Bucs only run when he yanked a Bryn Smith curve into right for a single to chase home Dale Berra, who had doubled ahead of him; both hits came after two were away in the fifth. Candy and Cecilio kept the Pirates on a roll, helping the club to its 10th win in 13 games. The press couldn’t get Candelaria to comment on his big day, though; he reminded them postgame that “I stopped talking to the media two months ago...”

1983 - 1B/OF Travis Ishikawa was born in Seattle, Washington. He started the 2014 campaign with the Pirates, lost his job to Ike Davis and was DFA’ed. He was claimed by the Giants and paid them off by hitting a three-run homer to propel them into the World Series. The Pirates got him back in mid-2015 as a bench player. He bounced to-and-fro between the MLB and AAA before retiring after the 2016 campaign; he’s now a hitting coach in the San Francisco organization.

Travis Ishikawa - 2015 Topps Update

1991 - Bob Walk and the Mets’ Frank Viola both were both chased after four frames on a rainy night during the Pirates 10-8 win over New York at Shea Stadium. Andy Van Slyke and Lloyd McClendon each had three knocks to lead the Pirates 17-hit attack. Lloyd had a pair of RBIs and scored twice; Don Slaught drove home three runs and touched the plate once. The game featured three of the top five MVP finishers - Barry Bonds (2nd), teammate Bobby Bonilla (3rd) and the Mets’ Howard Johnson (5th). The Pirates were counting down; they were 13-1/2 games up on the division with a 92-59 record and had already clinched.

2001 - Rookie utilityman Craig Wilson tied the MLB record for pinch hit homers in a season by pounding his seventh bomb in the sixth frame during the Pirates' 7-6 win over the Cubs at PNC Park. He remained in the game and banged out two more hits. Gary Matthews Jr. also went long as reliever Mike Lincoln, the Pirates fifth pitcher, was credited with the win and Rich Loiselle earned the save against Chicago. Craig was named to the MLB All-Rookie team after the campaign.

2006 - A little bit of MLB history involving the Bucs on this day: Trevor Hoffman retired the Pirate side in order to close out a 2-1 San Diego victory at Petco Park. It was his 479th career save, surpassing Lee Smith and making the 38-year-old reliever the all-time leader in saves.

2008 - The Pirates came to a verbal agreement with Pedro Alvarez, their first round draft pick and second selection overall, for $6M after an MLB negotiating extension. Not everyone thought that was kosher - Alvarez’s agent Scott Boras claimed the deadline deal between the club and third baseman was finalized too late, the MLBPA filed a grievance that was headed for arbitration, and El Toro was placed on the restricted list by MLB until the smoke cleared. Petey finally put his John Hancock on a $6.355M MLB deal later in September.

Petey - 2008 photo Jared Wickersham/Getty

2015 - Pittsburgh won its 10,000th NL game by defeating the Colorado Rockies 5-4 at Coors Field on the strength of a two-out, three-run homer by Pedro Alvarez in the eighth inning. Joe Blanton got the win while Mark Melancon became the first Pirate reliever to notch 50 saves. The club won its sixth straight game and completed its first four-game road sweep since 1997. Starling Marte was red hot; he tied Pie Traynor’s 1928 club record for most hits (13) in four-game series. History debate: The Bucco franchise started its major league days in 1882 (they didn’t join the NL until 1887) as the Alleghenys of the American Association and based on that time frame, this was major league win #10,236 by the club. So take your pick; both are big numbers.

2018 - The Pirates thumped the Cubs 6-1 behind two-run homers from Fran Cervelli and Adam Frazier sandwiched around a two-run two-bagger by Jose Osuna. Jameson Taillon got the victory, tossing his 21st straight “quality start” game. In their last five games played against Chicago, the Bucs surrendered just one run in each game, with all the tallies coming by way of a solo shot. Quirky factoid: according to the Elias Sports Bureau, that marked the first time in MLB history that a team has held an opponent to one run in five straight games with all the runs being scored via a solo shot.

2025 - It was Paul Skene's final outing of the year, and it was a marquee matchup at GABP v the Reds’ Hunter Greene. Skenes did his part, leaving after six innings with a 2-0 lead, giving up four hits and fanning seven to set the Bucco record for K’s in a season by a righty with 216. As for the game, the attack fizzled and the pen let Cincy tie it up. Skenes had that kind of run support all year and gave up 3+ runs only six times in 32 starts with a 1.97 ERA, yet his final record was 10-10. The clubs traded runs in the 10th before Pittsburgh pulled it out, 4-3. Spencer Horwitz had three RBI, including the game winner, to give Yohan Ramirez the dub - and he made it a drama by walking the bases loaded in the 11th and then falling behind three balls/one strike with two outs before coming back to get a bouncer to third to finally call it a night.

9/23 Through 1954: Murry #20, Mr Swat's 51st, Craws NNL Champs, '25 Crown, Clarke Day, On The Case, Game Days, HBD Dennis, Moe, Rook, Dino, Lino, John, Joe & Cy

1880 - LF Cecil “Cy” Neighbors was born in Fayetteville, Missouri. Cy’s MLB career consisted of one inning in the pasture without a fielding chance for the 1908 Pirates. He was a minor league mainstay, though, batting .302 in 15 seasons on the farm (1905-20). He was a player manager for Tacoma in 1921 before settling into a post-baseball gig as a carpenter. 

1886 - According to Charlton’s Baseball Chronology and Wikipedia, Alleghenys’ pitcher Pud Galvin walked the first three Brooklyn Bridegrooms he faced, and then picked them all off for a 1-2-3 inning! Pittsburgh won the game at Washington Park by an 8-2 score. The Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette made no mention of the feat, but did note that “Galvin...showed up well. To-day he not only twirled with great effect but showed remarkably good judgment when men were on base.”

1886 - OF Joe Kelly (not to be confused with Bucco “Handsome Joe” Kelly of earlier years) was born in Weir, Kansas. He played regularly during his rookie campaign as a Pirate in 1914, hitting .222, and spent parts of five seasons in the show. Joe had a long career in minor league ball that spanned 23 seasons (1908-30), spending  the last five years as a player/manager.

1895 - OF Johnny Mokan was born in Buffalo, New York. He started his seven-year career with the Bucs in 1921-22, hitting .262 off the bench, then spent the next five campaigns with Philadelphia where he blossomed. He spent the last two years of his playing days with the local farm clubs at Buffalo and Rochester and later worked as an equipment operator for NY State.

1904 - The Pirates downed the runaway NL leaders, the NY Giants, by a 7-0 score at the Polo Grounds. Charlie Case tossed a two-hitter, and didn’t give up a knock after the second frame. His opponent wasn’t quite up to snuff; the Pittsburgh Press said that “Leon Ames...was as wild as a March hare and issued six free passes. Besides, the Pirates stung his delivery at a lively rate and practically sewed up the game in the second inning, when three free passes turned into tallies.” The New York Herald was a little less kind - "Pittsburg Plays All By Itself" was its headline.

Charlie Case - 1905 photo via Baseball Prospectus

1907 - The Pirates dropped the NY Giants 2-1 at Exposition Park. Vic Willis tossed a six-hitter with six K to outgun Hooks Wiltse. Bill Hallman had three hits and a run scored for the Bucs, Honus Wagner added two knocks and a stolen base, and Ed Abbaticchio doubled and scored. The game had a little added spice when umpire Bill Klem and Giant manager John McGraw argued during the lineup exchange, priming the pump for McGraw’s ejection in the sixth inning.

1915 - It was “Fred Clarke Day” in Pittsburgh, and player/manager Cap suited up one last time in his only on-field appearance of his final season. He played four innings and went 1-for-2 against Dick Rudolph of the Boston Braves in an 8-4 win at Forbes Field with Wilbur Cooper on the hill. For farewell gifts, Clarke received an eight-day grandfather clock from his players and a leather binder containing the names of several thousand supporters as a keepsake.

1922 - LHP Lino Donoso was born in Havana. Donoso was a star in the Mexican League (and for a few seasons with the Negro League NY Cubans) although it didn’t quite translate in MLB. The Pirates brought him up on the strength of his 19-8/2.37 Pitcher of the Year performance in 1954 for Hollywood in the PCL; the only problem was that Lino came to Pittsburgh as a 33-year-old and was losing steam on his fastball. He worked 1955-56 as a Bucco, going 4-6/5.21 and then returned south of the border. He posted 100+ wins and was elected to the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.

1924 - OF Dino Restelli was born in St. Louis. He had just a two-year MLB career (1949, 1951) spent with the Pirates, but has a legit claim to fame: he hit a record seven home runs in his first ten games.  He, along with Jose Abreu (White Sox - 2014) and Mark Quinn (KC - 1999), are the only players since 1914 to have a pair of multi-HR outings in their first 10 career games. But his star dimmed quickly. In parts of two seasons (1949-50), he hit .242 with 13 HR and was nagged by a series of injuries. The theories as to why he fizzled seem to focus on two issues - one was fear of the Lord, instilled in him by the Reds’ Ewell Blackwell who drilled him high with a fastball as a rookie. The other was his eyesight - he wore glasses that fogged up and he would often back out of the box to wipe them clean with an ever-present red hankie (which precipitated his incident with Blackwell). After his baseball career ended in 1955, he became a San Francisco police officer briefly before another injury caused him to leave that job. But he found work in nearby San Carlos where his parents lived. There he became a civic mover and the local Mr. Baseball, coaching and working as a member of the local Parks Department.

Emil Yde - 1925 photo George Bain/Library Of Congress

1925 - The Pittsburgh Press wrote “The Phillies gave the Pirates a merry tussle in the game that clinched the pennant for the Smoky City…” as the Bucs turned six DPs and edged the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 at Forbes Field to claim the NL flag for the first time since 1909. It was the ninth straight victory for the Pirates and put the eventual World Series champs 10 games up on the second-place NY Giants. Emil Yde tossed a seven-hitter for victory #17 with late help from Tommy Sheehan who earned the save. Max Carey and Pie Traynor added a pair of knocks.

1935 - Behind the four-hit pitching of Jim Weaver and Pep Young’s three raps/seven RBI, the Bucs left the St. Louis Cardinals pennant hopes on life support, winning 12-0 over the Redbirds at Sportsman’s Park. The loss dropped the Redbirds four games behind the Cubs in the loss column with four games to go. Woody Jensen had four hits, including a pair of doubles, while Lloyd Waner and Arky Vaughan added three hits and runs apiece.

1935 - The Pittsburgh Crawfords beat the New York Cubans 3-0 to win the Negro NL Championship. Lefty curveballer Leroy Matlock, who went 18-0 during the regular season, tossed a three-hitter. He was backed by Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson and Oscar Charleston, all future Hall of Famers. Pittsburgh took the hard fought seven-game series after falling behind three-games-to-one to New York for its only undisputed Negro League title.

1942 - LHP Jim Rooker was born in Lakeview, Oregon. Rook pitched eight years (1973-80) for the Bucs with a line of 82-65-6/3.29, which he equaled in playoff time with a 3.20 ERA, including a strong start in Game #5 of the 1979 Series, a crucial match that the Pirates, down three-games-to-one, won. He was also a Pirate TV color analyst from 1981 through 1993, and worked for ESPN from 1994 to 1997. Rooker’s most memorable TV moment came when he said on air that he’d walk home from Philadelphia if the Pirates lost. They did, and he did. True to his word, he staged a cross-state charity walk after the season. Retired now, Rook Rook dipped into politics but had better luck as an author of children’s books.

Jim Rooker - 2004 Pitt-Ohio Express

1947 - Ralph Kiner hit his franchise record 51st homer (he would break that mark in 1949) against Jim Kearns of the Cards at Forbes Field in an 8-4 loss to the Redbirds. It was the only strike saw that night; he walked on four pitches in three other at-bats and was ahead 2-0 before his swat.

1951 - Murry Dickson tossed a five-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field to win his 20th game, 3-0. Gus Bell had a pair of hits and two RBI to back Dickson. Murry was the only Bucco pitcher to win more than eight games that season; the team only won 64 contests.

1952 - IF Jim Morrison was born in Pensacola, Florida. He spent half (1982-87) of his 12-year career as a Pirate, hitting .274 as a Bucco with a standout 1986 campaign, posting a line of .274/23/88 as Pittsburgh’s starting third baseman. He had his most memorable outing on June 1st, 1986, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when Jim chased home seven runs with a double, a triple and a grand slam, the only granny of his career. After he quit playing, he managed in the Phillies system for a couple of years and has been with Tampa Bay since 2006.

1952 - RHP Dennis Lamp was born in Los Angeles. He worked in Pittsburgh in 1992 as a 40-year-old, finishing out his 16-year MLB career going 1-1/5.14 in 21 appearances until his June release. At last look, Dennis works behind the seafood counter at Bristol Farms in Newport Beach. According to his store manager, "He talks sports. He sells fish. He works hard." Lamp, for his part, shrugs and says he doesn’t really need the money, but just likes to work and stay busy.

9/23 From 1955: '15 '14 & '13 Clinchers, B-2-B, Parade, Forbes Filled, Rook Roll, Al's 1st, Game Days, TSN Parker, Jim's Deal, Pud At Rest, ABS, HBD Chris & Jim

1956 - With the Dodgers leading the Pirates 8-3, 44,932 fans, the largest crowd in Forbes Field's history (with several thousand more turned away at the gates) who were lured by a prize day promotion, left early when a ninth-inning rain delay postponed the game with two outs, triggering the Sunday curfew with the Dodgers up 8-2. Brooklyn officially won the game the next day. Don Newcombe got the win in a match that saw seven Bucco hurlers take the bump.

1958 - Pittsburgh loves a  parade, and they threw one for their Buccos. Finishing in second place after being cellar-dwellers the year before was plenty enough reason, and a motorcade rode through town at lunchtime bearing various Pirates, coaches, suits and announcers. An estimated 75-100,000 people lined the streets, with others watching from their office windows, all the while cheering and showering their baseball heroes with roses and confetti. Lee McInerney of  the Post Gazette wrote ”Caesar, returning victorious from the Gallic Wars, couldn’t have had a sweeter reception than the one given at noon time to the Pirates.” The hour-long affair featured the players tossing baseballs to the crowd and some speechifying at the City-County building portico by team members and Mayor Dave Lawrence. The Bucs hadn't finished that high in the standings since 1944 and presaged the bedlam that would occur in town a couple of years later.

1959 - RHP Jim Winn was born in Stockton, California. A first round draft pick (14th overall) of Pittsburgh in 1981, the reliever never quite panned out, plagued by a series of injuries. He tossed from 1983-86 for the Bucs with a 7-11-4/4.47 line, then spent a couple of years in the AL to end his career, which was short-circuited by TJ surgery back in the day when it was a new and not always successful procedure. After his baseball days were done, he became a salesman.

1968 - In his Bucco debut, Al Oliver spanked his first MLB hit in the second game of a twilight doubleheader at Forbes Field, singling and scoring off Clay Carroll in the fourth inning of a 2-1, 10-inning win over the San Diego Padres. He started in right field and got into four games that season after a September call-up. Al spent a decade in Pittsburgh and collected 1,490 hits with a .296 BA here. In all, Scoops put together an 18-year, seven-team MLB run and piled up 2,743 hits, a lifetime .303 average, seven All-Star caps and a World Series ring (1971). 

Al Oliver - 1969 Pirates Picture Pack

1974 - Jim Rooker threw nine shutout frames as the Bucs beat the St. Louis Cards 1-0 in 10 innings at Busch Stadium, with Dave Giusti working the last frame for the save. The Bucs scored when pinch hitter Paul Popovich singled and was replaced by Miguel Dilone on the basepaths. He was bunted to second and came around on Richie Hebner’s single. The win moved the club to just 1/2 game behind the Cards in a see-saw pennant race that Pittsburgh eventually eked out.

1978 - Dave Parker was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Peerless Pirate.” He would win the MVP and his second batting crown (.334) despite playing with a football-like mask on his helmet after breaking his jaw in a plate collision with Mets C John Stearns in late June.

1986 - Barry Bonds hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Philadelphia’s Steve Bedrosian to give Pirates a 6-5 walkoff win at TRS. The slumping Bonds (he hit .223 in his rookie ‘86 campaign) had tried to lay one down to set up Bobby Bonilla (Jim Leyland told Bob Hertzel of the Pittsburgh Press that “I almost passed out when he tried to bunt.”) before he decided to swing away. The Bucs scored five times in the last two frames. Mike Diaz was the other hitting hero, with a two-out, two-run single in the eighth to give him three RBI on the night. Four Pirate relievers tossed 6-2/3 innings of shutout ball, with Barry Jones getting the win. To add a degree of difficulty to the contest, Leyland and pitching coach Ron Schueler were both tossed from the game in the sixth inning and in the clubhouse for the comeback as Bill Virdon took over the reins.

1986 - RHP Chris Volstad was born in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A first-rounder of the Marlins in 2005, he worked seven MLB seasons with a 37-58/5.00 line as a starter. His Bucco career was two scoreless relief innings in 2015 after serving a 2014 stint in Korea. His last 100+ IP big league season was 2012, although he lasted into 2018 with the White Sox.

Chris Volstad - 2015 photo via Signatures 4 U

1988 - Manager Jim Leyland asked for a two-year contract (he had been working season-to-season from ‘86-88) with two requirements. He wanted $250 K/year (a bit under the average manager’s salary but double his ‘88 paycheck) and that all his coaches be rehired (Rich Donnelly, Gene Lamont, Milt May, Ray Miller & Tommy Sandt). GM Syd Thrift agreed to the terms. The Pirates would hit a bump in the first year of the new deal with just 74 wins, but followed with three straight division titles and Manager of the Year honors in 1990 & ‘92 for Leyland.

1996 - Josh Gibson had a Pennsylvania Historical marker memorializing him dedicated at Ammon Field. Some of those present were the Pirates Al Gordon and Nellie Briles, City Councilman Sala Udin and old teammates Willie Pope and Hooks Tinker. Ammon Field was selected because even though Gibson was a Northsider, he played at Ammon when it was Greenlee Field. In more Bucco news, Jay Bell was named the National League’s Co-Player of the Week along with the Dodgers Hideo Nomo. Bell was in the midst of a 14-game hitting streak and it was the first time he was recognized as POTW.

2013 - For the first time in 21 years (their last playoff squad was fielded in 1992 with Jim Leyland at the helm), the Pirates earned a playoff spot with a 2-1 win over Chicago at Wrigley Field. Charlie Morton tossed seven innings of three-hit ball and was up, 1-0, on Neil Walker’s first inning homer. The Cubs tied the contest in the eighth on a ball that scooted through a drawn up infield, but the Bucs retook the lead in the ninth on Starling Marte’s two-out, two-strike homer deep into the bleachers. The drama wasn’t quite over; with two outs and Nate Schierholtz on first, Ryan Sweeney blooped a ball into right that bounced off Marlon Byrd’s mitt. Schierholtz was waved around, but an Andrew McCutchen-to-Justin Morneau-to-Russ Martin relay and tag beat his dash to the dish. Mark Melancon earned the win while Jason Grilli was credited with the save and one of the great Bucco hug-fests between he and Russ after the game-saving tag. 

2014 - The Pirates guaranteed themselves a playoff berth with a 3-2 win over Atlanta at Turner Field, but it wasn’t easy. Down 2-0 after two innings, and saved from a bigger hole thanks only to bad Brave baserunning and a bases loaded, no-out DP, Gerrit Cole belatedly found his rhythm and retired 17 straight Bravos. Andrew McCutchen scored on a delayed steal of home when the catcher’s throw to second was high in the fourth, then Travis Snider tied it with a leadoff homer in the fifth. Doubles by Cutch and Starling Marte gave the Pirates their lead in the sixth. Cole worked seven innings and struck out eight for the win, with Jared Hughes picking up a hold and Tony Watson earning the save. To earn their playoff spot, the Pirates won 15-of-18 games after being written off following a deflating sweep by the St. Louis Cardinals in early September.

Cutch - 2014 Topps Pirates Patch

2015 - The Bucs defeated the Colorado Rockies 13-7 at Coors Field to clinch a postseason spot not only for the third straight year, but on the same 9/23 date, too. The Pirates jumped out to a 7-1 lead after a first inning bloop and third inning blast by Neil Walker, who ended up going 4-for-5 with career best six RBI. But Charlie Morton couldn’t stand prosperity and was yanked in the fifth after a homer cut the lead to 7-6. The Buc bullpen took over, putting up zeros until the bats put up a six spot in the ninth, keyed by Sean Rodriguez’s bases-loaded, bases-clearing double on an 0-2 pitch. Joe Blanton, one of five Buc twirlers, got the win. 

2016 - Pittsburgh rallied to defeat the Washington Nationals 6-5 in 11 innings at PNC Park on a pair of do-or-die knocks. With two gone in the ninth and down by a run, Sean Rodriguez doubled home Pedro Florimon to send the game into extras. The hit was off former Bucco closer Mark Melancon, making his first appearance versus Pittsburgh since a deadline trade, only to earn his first blown save as a Nat. With the sacks juiced and two away in the 11th, the Pirates sent up their last bench player, September call-up Jake Stallings. He fell behind 0-2, worked the count full and then singled home the winning run for his first MLB walkoff hit on just the second knock of his career. The game lasted 4:36 and featured 44 players, 17 of which pitched, leading Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle to quip "That's your snapshot of a September, expanded-roster game."

2017 - SABR held a memorial of the life of Hall of Famer Pud Galvin. The event was at Calvary Cemetery in Hazelwood (Greenfield Jimmy Smith and Crawford Bucky Williams are also interred there), where Pud’s flat stone marker was replaced by a headstone. Galvin’s resting spot was the third grave topped with a new tombstone by the SABR 19th Century Grave Baseball Marker Project. The dedication ceremony featured a remembrance of the life story of Galvin, prepared by his biographer Chip Martin, as well as a gathering of other baseball notables,  members of the Galvin family and local fans.

2020 - Adam Frazier and Ke’Bryan Hayes went long to open the game against the Cubs at PNC Park, the fifth time in franchise history that the Pirates have led off a game with back-to-back dingers. The last time the deed was done was in September of 2013 when Jose Tabata and Neil Walker lost balls to open a contest. The blasts were answered by Anthony Rizzo, who banged a ball over the fence in the Chicago first. It ended up those early shots were key; the 2-1 score held up, with Trevor Williams notching the win and Richard Rodriguez picking up the save. 

Alphonso Rivas - 2023 Pirates photo

2023 - MLB teams were 0-205 when trailing by nine runs this season and Pittsburgh has never won during its big league years starting in 1882 (0-819) when down by nine or more runs. So history was ready to dustbin the Pirates when they fell behind, 9-0, after three innings as the starter, Bailey Falter, gave up three homers and eight runs in the first two frames. Yet the Bucs, behind five RBI from Alfonso Rivas, keyed by a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double, a three-run homer off the bat of Bryan Reynolds, and four hits/three runs from Jared Triolo, came all the way back to take a 13-12 win over the Reds at GABP. The game came down to the last pitch; the Pirates almost blew a 13-9 edge over the last two innings before Carmen Mlodzinski, the sixth Buc pitcher, got the last out. He already yielded a score and had a runner on third with one down before  striking out Elly De La Cruz and coaxing a pop. It was his first MLB save and Jose Hernandez’s first MLB win. The Pirates won their fourth game in a row, plating 41 runs during that stretch.

2025 - The documentary “Clemente” made its television debut on The HISTORY Channel as part of its "Uninterrupted"series, featuring Roberto’s life story and interviews after it was released to theaters on September 12. Steve Blass, Micheal Keaton and Roberto Jr. appear in the film. 

2025 - MLB announced that the Robo-ump era was beginning next season. The ABS (Automated Balls/Strikes - the "Robo-ump") challenge system was approved for the 2026 season. It was a compromise between full ABS and human umpires. The umps will still call every pitch, but each team can appeal two calls per game to ABS, not getting charged with a challenge if the appeal is successful and losing it if overruled. There were some limitations put on timing and who can initiate a challenge (batter, pitcher, catcher, but not the manager) with teams getting one challenge per extra inning.

9/22 Through the 1950s: Danny Walkoff, Heinie's 19th, Cy's Last Dub, Red On OT, Bad Ball, Game Days, Ed Out, HBD Wally, Harry & Flaggy

1890 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys moved their home game with the New York Giants to Wheeling, West Virginia, due to attendance issues at home (they couldn’t draw flies; they went 23-113). The game at Island Grounds, home of the Wheeling Nailers, drew 1,500 fans and it remains the only major league game ever played in the state of West Virginia. According to the Wheeling Daily Register, “The game was played under some slight disadvantages, as the outfield was unkempt and unshaven, the grass being so tall that the ball, and almost the players, frequently got lost. (The Giants Mike) Tiernan knocked one into the tall grass, and while some seven or eight players were still on the hunt, he modestly crossed the home plate...” for a ninth-inning inside-the-park homer. The Alleghenys lost 8-3 and the Pittsburgh Press wrote “to be sure, the local team lost to be in keeping with its record and (team owner) Mr. McNeill may rest assured that his team will establish a world record in time (for losing).” The paper was right; they were baseball’s worst until the Cleveland Spiders of 1899 finished 20-134, bumping the Alleghenys to runner-up. It would also be the last regularly scheduled Pittsburgh home game moved to a neutral site until 2017 when the Pirates played St. Louis in Williamsport to celebrate youth baseball.

1893 - OF Ira Flagstead was born in Montague, Michigan. Ira closed out his 13-year career in Pittsburgh from 1929-30, a journey that had begun with the Detroit Tigers and blossomed with the Boston Red Sox where he was a top shelf CF’er with a good stick and rifle arm. He signed with the Pirates on July 8th, 1929, fostered by both his acquaintance with Pittsburgh manager Donie Bush, whom Ira played with in Detroit, and the suspicion that Washington, which had signed him earlier, wanted to dump his contract. He hit .257 and was released in August, 1930. Ira closed out his pro ball in the Pacific Coast League in 1931. He retired to Olympia, where he grew up, and managed the local semi-pro Timber League nine. “Flaggy” (he was also known as “Pete” from his teen days) was elected to both the Red Sox and Washington State Halls of Fame. 

1894 - After tossing 12 innings in a tie contest, Phil “Red” Ehret threw a complete game four-hitter the next day to salvage a doubleheader split with the NY Giants by a 4-1 score at Exposition Park. His opponent was Les German, the same pitcher whom he had met in the draw in a redux matchup. Despite collecting nine hits, the Bucs and Tom Colcolough lost the twin bill’s opener 6-2.

1903 - Pittsburgh's 16-game winner Ed Doheny, suffering from bouts of paranoia, was escorted home by his brother. After the World Series, Doheny was committed to the Danvers Insane Asylum and at the age of 26, his major league career was over. Not only was this a tragic turn of events for Doheny, but it cost the Bucs dearly in their World Series loss to the Boston Americans as they were short of pitching for the series. He, Deacon Phillippe and Sam Leever formed the Pirate rotation, and with Leever nursing an injury, Phillippe was forced to start five of the seven games, eventually wearing down. Poor Doheny, whose mental issues were said to be triggered after he developed a dead arm during the season, never returned to normalcy. He had some violent episodes at home and was committed full-time to the Danver asylum. He was later transferred to another institution but never recovered and passed away at 43-years-old.

Ed Doheny - image via Vermont Historial Society

1908 - The Brooklyn Superbas cashed in a run in the ninth, scoring when no one covered first on a two-out grounder to the right side, but Pittsburgh and Nick Maddox prevailed 3-2 in 11 innings at Washington Park. Alan Storke tripled home Hans Wagner with the go ahead run and scored himself on a wild throw home. Maddox gave up a homer in Brooklyn’s half, but hung on for the win as the Pirates stayed alive in their late drive for the flag, which fell a game short.

1911 - Cy Young, pitching for the Boston Rustlers (no, they didn’t “rustle” players like the Pirates had “pirated” them; the moniker was a play on the name of team owner William Russell), earned his 511th and final career victory by defeating the Pirates, 1-0. Cy scattered nine hits and fanned three at Forbes Field to best Babe Adams. Although 20 games above .500 at the time, the Bucs were deep in third place, drawing just 1,208 fans. The Pirates feasted on Boston during the season: the Rustlers (they became the Braves in 1912) won only 3-of-22 against Pittsburgh, with two of the losses via shutouts thrown by the 44-year-old Cyclone.

1929 - Utilityman Harry Bright was born in Kansas City. He played for eight seasons, with the first three (1958-60) in Pittsburgh. Bright hit .237 and was traded to the expansion Washington Senators after the ‘60 season as part of the Bobby Shantz package. Harry had a long pro career, playing 20 years and in nearly 2,000 games between the show and the farm. Bright managed the PCL’s Sacramento club and in the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers & Atlanta Braves organizations, then scouted for the Expos. 

1931 - The Phillies overcame a 2-0 ninth-inning deficit to send the game to overtime, but the Pirates pushed home a run in the 13th to claim a 3-2 win at Forbes Field. Heinie Meine went the distance for the victory, tossing a four-hitter. It was his 19th win, which led all NL pitchers that season. The Bucs left 20 men on base as Philadelphia pitchers allowed 10 hits and 13 walks. Workhorse Meine logged 284 IP in 35 starts by season’s end, the top numbers in the NL.

Heinie Meine - 1933 Goudey

1932 - Rookie Hal Smith recorded a six-hit shutout in his first MLB start in a 7-0 win at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The Bucs got all the runs they would need by scoring five times in the third inning. Arky Vaughan and Adam Comorosky led the way with two RBI apiece while Paul Waner banged out three hits and scored twice. Former (and future) Pirate pitcher Burleigh Grimes took the loss.

1938 - Pittsburgh swept a twinbill from the Brooklyn Robins by 6-0 and 11-6 scores at Ebbets Field to take a 3-1/2 game lead in the race for the pennant. Jim Tobin tossed a four-hitter in the opener. Arky Vaughan had four hits, with three doubles and three RBI to go with Pep Young’s four runs driven home to power the win in the nitecap. But the 1938 NL crown would go to Chicago, which won their last 10 games while the Bucs stumbled to a 3-7 finish in a September swoon.

1949 - Danny Murtaugh had the game-winning knock to hang a 1-0 walkoff defeat on Johnny Sain and the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. The Irishman’s two-out, ninth-inning rap brought home Wally Westlake, who had singled and then stole second. It was Murtaugh’s only at bat; he was subbed into the game after manager Billy Meyer burned through a pair of pinch hitters and a pinch runner trying to squeeze out a run in the seventh. Winner Murray Dickson labored but went the distance, giving up seven hits and six walks but stranding 11 Braves.

1958 - The Pirates set a pair of wrong way records during their 3-2 and 1-0 twinbill losses to the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium. Three Phil pitchers fanned a MLB record 21 Bucs in the opener, and Jack Sanford whiffed 10 in the nitecap for a big league record 31 Ks for the day.

1959 - Utilityman Wally Backman was born in Hillsboro, Oregon. He spent one season of his 14-year career in Pittsburgh in 1990, and it was more than solid as he got into 104 games and batted .297. He came to Pittsburgh as a free agent, inking a one-year/$400K deal, and left the same way, signing a two-year/$1.3M contract with the Phils. Thanks to some personal issues, Wally has had a bumpy road coaching/managing since retiring in 1993, finishing up as an indie league skipper after the 2023 season following bench stints with the White Sox, D-Backs, Mets and in Mexico.

9/22 From 1960: Pups Pop, One's Enough, Young Gun, 11 Straight, '75 & '71 Clinchers, Game Days, Cito Joins, Kevin Bids, HBD Hunter

1960 - Pittsburgh, finishing off a six-game winning streak, was an inch away from the flag as the Bucs swept a twin bill from the Cubs at Forbes Field by 3-2 and 6-1 scores. The victories, in front of 19,566 fans, extended their lead to 7-1/2 games with eight contests remaining, and they clinched later in the week. Gene Baker’s single plated Don Hoak in the 11th frame to walk off the opener, with ElRoy Face earning the win in relief of Vern Law. Wilmer “Vinegar Bend” Mizell went the distance in the nightcap. The Tiger pounced on the Cubs, swinging a hot stick during the two games. He banged out four hits, including a double and triple, touched home three times and chased home three runs.

1971 - Pittsburgh clinched the NL East with a 5-1 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium. Luke Walker and Dave Giusti teamed up to defeat ace Bob Gibson thanks to a big eighth inning. The floodgate opened when SS Ted Kubiak booted Vic Davalillo’s ball, and a walk, two hits and a sac fly later, the Bucs had turned a squeaky 2-1 lead over the Cards into a 5-1 edge. After the flag-raising victory, the Buccos eliminated the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS and dropped the Birds in seven games to claim the World Series crown.

1975 - The Pirates clocked the second place Philadelphia Phillies 11-3 at TRS in front of 13,176 on a Monday night to clinch the NL East title. Bruce Kison and Kent Tekulve did the pitching honors, while three Pirate hitters had three hits each to lead the attack - Willie Stargell (2B, two RBI, four runs, 2 walks), Dave Parker (HR, four RBI) and Richie Zisk (2B, four RBI). 

1978 - The Pirates purchased OF’er Cito Gaston from the Atlanta Braves. The 34-year-old went 1-for-2 in the last week of the season, his last MLB appearances in an 11-year MLB career before spending the next couple of campaigns in the Mexican League and later enjoying a long run as the Toronto Blue Jays manager that included a pair of World Series titles.

1991 - The Bucs won back-to-back NL East titles when they beat the Phillies 2–1 at TRS. Doug Drabek gave up seven hits and went the distance to outlast five Philadelphia pitchers. Orlando Merced walked twice and scored twice. Pittsburgh only had three hits, but seven free passes and a botched double play provided just enough gift wrapping to edge out Philadelphia. With the victory, the Pirates became the first NL team to repeat as divisional champs in 13 years.

Doug Drabek & Don Slaught celebrate - 9/22/1991 Press photo

1993 - 3B Stephen “Hunter” Owen was born in Evansville, Indiana. An Indiana State grad, he was drafted in the 25th round by the Pirates in 2016. He went through the minor league system as a guy who was versatile with a little pop, but in 2020 he didn’t land a spot on the alternate camp roster and worked at a golf course. Hunter was invited to spring training as a NRI, was assigned to Indy and got a callup in May when Gregory Polanco went down. He was DFA’ed back to Indy after going 0-for-4 in five games when Polanco returned to the lineup a week later. Owen became a Pro X tutor after serving as the head coach of Carmel HS.

1995 - Kevin McClatchy submitted his bid for the Bucs. He rounded up five investors (and kept five old ones) in a $40M deal to purchase the Pirates after his first bid had been rejected and John Rigas’ competing offer was considered too cash-poor. McClatchy had also put together a $50M credit line, and in February of 2006, the team was sold to him and remained here.

1996 - Pittsburgh beat the Cubs at TRS 11-3 for their 11th win in a row, posting the longest winning streak in the majors for the year. Jay Bell was the star with a homer and four RBI. Chicago stopped the streak the next day, eking out a 4-3 win. The Bucs still finished last with a 73-89 record, though the late season run did raise an unfulfilled “wait ‘til next year” hope among the faithful after Jim Leyland handed off the ‘97 club’s reins to Gene Lamont, the ex-White Sox skipper.

2004 - Two 23-year-old pitchers put on a show at PNC Park, with Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano edging Ollie Perez 1-0. It came down to a pair of bases loaded plays: in the fifth, with two away, Perez walked two guys around a single (and he was ahead 1-2 on both), then fell behind Zambrano 3-0. He came back to run the count full, but ultimately lost him. In the eighth, with two down, the Bucs had the bases loaded when Ty Wigginton hit a gapper off reliever Kent Merker, but Sammy Sosa, of all people, made a game-saving, diving catch in right center. Perez held the Cubbies to three hits over seven innings; Z was in more trouble during the night, but the Pirates let him off the hook by going 0-for-11 w/RISP.

Joe Randa - 2006 photo Rick Stewart/Getty

2006 - Chris Young carried a no-hitter into the ninth against the Bucs, but lost his bid to become the first San Diego Padre to toss a no-no when Joe Randa smacked a homer on a 3-1 pitch following a one-out walk to Jose Bautista. Young, who was drafted by the Pirates in 2000 before being traded for Matt Herges, still claimed an easy 6-2 win at Petco Park.

2014 - The Pirates won back-to-back 1-0 games for the first time since 1976 when Francisco Liriano, with help from Jared Hughes, John Holdzkom and Mark Melancon, made Andrew McCutchen’s sixth-inning homer off Aaron Harang stand at Atlanta’s Turner Field. The third straight 1-0 game for the Bucs (they lost 1-0 on 9/20 to the Brewers and old matey Zach Duke) was the first time that trifecta hit since 1917 when Pittsburgh lost three consecutive 1-0 games to the Cardinals.

2020 - Steven Brault put together his second straight strong September start, leaving after seven innings of two-hit work and a 2-0 lead at PNC Park v Chicago. Alas, with two away in the eighth and a Cubbie on first, Shelty brought in Sam Howard with Anthony Rizzo up to get a lefty-on-lefty matchup. The smart money lost this round as Rizzo tucked Howard’s delivery inside the RF pole to knot the score. But the Bucs had one last hurrah left; Jake Stallings took a ninth inning, 2-2 offering from Andrew Chafin and sent it into the left field bleachers for a walkoff homer and 3-2 Pirates win, one of just 19 dubs that Pittsburgh earned during the Covid-shortened campaign.

2023 - The young guns flexed as Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis and Jared Triolo went deep to help the Pirates come back to beat the Reds 7-5 at Great American Ball Park. The vets also made some noise as Ke’Bryan Hayes cleared the fence and Bryan Reynolds extended his on-base streak to 21 games. All the homers were solo shots; seven different Pirates chased home runs and seven plated. Ryan Borucki improved to 4-0 while David Bednar recorded his 37th save.