The Green Weenie

Friday, June 5, 2026

6/5 Draft Picks: Steve Nicosia, Hot Rod, Jose DeLeon, Paul Wagner, Steve Cooke, Burney, Nate, Ian, El Toro, Mitch, Tuck

1973 - The Pirates selected HS catcher Steve Nicosia first (#24) in the draft. He spent eight years in the show, six as a Bucco reserve, with a Pittsburgh BA of .248. In the third round, they chose 1B Mitchell Paige, who had a couple of strong years for the Oakland Athletics.

1974 - The Bucs selected high school lefty Rod Scurry as their top pick (#11) in the draft. He battled with drug addiction during the eighties when the Pirate clubhouse was nose candy central and became the centerpiece of the Pittsburgh coke trial, and died at age 36. RHP Ed Whitson (sixth round) proved a solid pitcher, mainly for San Diego, and the Bucs also chose a couple of fringe pieces with IF Mike Edwards (7th round) and LHP Bryan Clark (10th round).

1979 - The Bucs spent their second round pick (they didn’t have a first rounder, lost when they signed Lee Lacy to a FA deal) on prep lefty Scott Fiepke, who was injured in the minors and never rose above AA ball. They had better luck in the next round with RHP Jose DeLeon, using a pick they got from the Expos as compensation for FA Duffy Dyer. RHP Mike Bielecki was their top selection in the secondary phase of the draft. Pigskin v Horsehide: Pitt’s Dan Marino was selected in the fourth round of the draft by the Kansas City Royals. For some reason, he stuck with football, as did another KC pick that same year, Stanford’s John Elway.

Jose DeLeon - 1984 Pirates photo

1989 - The Pirates picked high school SS Willie Greene first (#18) in the draft. He played nine years in the show, though not for Pittsburgh, and was a four-year starter for the Reds, ending up with a .234 lifetime BA. They also signed starting pitchers Paul Wagner and Steve Cooke to bolster the rotation, and they spent the early-to-mid 90s as part of the Pittsburgh rotation.

2000 - High school lefty Sean Burnett was the Pirates top choice (#19 - $1.65M signing bonus) in the draft. He rose quickly and was named the Carolina League's and the Pirates Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2002. He was hurt in 2005 after debuting in ‘04, but still managed to put together a nine-year MLB career. Pittsburgh signed some nice players - RHP Chris Young (third round), OF Jose Bautista (20th round), OF Nate McLouth (25th round), RHP Ian Snell (26th round) and RHP Scott Baker (36th round) in one of their better draft days.

2001 - The Pirates selected RHP John Van Benschoten of Kent State first in the draft (#8 overall) and signed him to a $2.3M bonus. LHP Zach Duke, the twentieth selection, was the only longtime Bucco (nine years, 49-75/4.60) chosen that year. Other notable players signed from that draft were Jeff Keppinger, Rajai Davis, Chris Shelton and Chris Duffy. The Pirates selected a SS out of Georgia’s Lowndes County HS, Stephen Drew, in the 11th round but couldn’t sign him; he instead went to Florida State and was drafted by Arizona in 2004. They also lost their third round pick, Stanford RHP Jeremy Guthrie, who didn’t sign and went in the first round to Cleveland the following season. The ‘01 draft was fairly shallow at the top; Joe Mauer, Mark Prior and Mark Teixeira were the big kahunas up for grabs and were gone before the Bucs got to the table.

Rajai Davis - 2003 Bowman First Year

2008 - Pedro Alvarez was drafted by the Pirates in the first round as the second pick overall of the draft. He signed on September 24th at the midnight hour as Scott Boras and the FO locked horns until the last minute (and maybe beyond) before settling on a $6.335M bonus. The big debate in town leading to the draft was whether to take El Toro, P Brian Matusz, C Buster Posey or P Aaron Crowe (they went #4, #5 and #9); Eric Hosmer was also available. El Toro played for the Bucs and Orioles through the 2018 season, banging 162 long balls. SS Jordy Mercer ($508K) was selected in the third round after SS Chase d’Arnaud while LHP Justin Wilson was snatched in the fifth round for $195,000, signing his deal just two days before the contract deadline.

2014 - The Pirates had four picks among the top 73 in the draft, starting at #24, and selected SS Cole Tucker ($1.8M), OF Connor Joe ($1.25M), and prep pitchers Mitch Keller ($1M) & Trey Supak ($1M). Jordan Luplow was added in the third round ($500K). Supak was later dealt as part of the Jason Rogers trade with the Brewers and Connor Joe was sent to the Braves for Sean Rodriguez; the Bucs got him back in ‘23 and he’s now with Seattle. Luplow was eventually moved to Cleveland and is currently playing in Mexico. Tuck was DFA’ed, played for the Rox and retired in 2025, so only Keller has remained a career Bucco.

6/5 From 1960: Super Starg, 2-Out Lightning, Stu Lauch, 4th Zero, King Clarke, Game Days, Roberto POTM; HBD Ray, Gene & Happy Jack

1874 - RHP Jack Chesbro (nee John D. Cheesbro) was born in Houghtonville, Massachusetts. The righty spent the first four years (1899-1902) of his career as a Pirate, going 70-38/2.83 with a pair of 20+ win seasons. He jumped from the NL Pirates to the AL New York Highlanders in 1903, and won 41 games in 55 appearances (41-12/1.82 with 14 consecutive wins) in 1904, a record that will never be overtaken. The Old Timers’ Committee voted him into the Hall of Fame in 1946 on the strength of that superb season. Chesbro became “Happy Jack” while working at the Middleton, NY, state mental hospital (he was playing amateur ball for the house team, The “Asylums”) after a patient noted his cheery disposition and friendly grin, per SABR’s Wayne McElreavy.

1890 - UT/PH Gene Madden was born in Elm Grove (now Wheeling), West Virginia. Gene hit .312 at Galveston in 1915, earning a Pirates contract for the next season. He played well in camp and made the Opening Day roster, but after a handful of games was told the Bucs wanted him to play regularly in the minors. Hans Wagner (manager Nixey Hallahan was ejected, leaving Honus in charge) sent him up to pinch-hit on his last day in Pittsburgh, and Madden grounded out. It would be his only MLB game and at bat. He played one more year in the bushes before joining the Marines, and after his discharge, he played for Newark and Syracuse before retiring after the 1921 season. By then, his family was growing (he ended up with seven kids) and Gene eventually opened his own business.

1895 - OF Ray Rohwer was born in Dixon, California. Ray’s MLB career lasted from 1921-22 with the Bucs as a back-up outfielder, hitting .284 over that span. Ray was a west coast kinda guy, playing college ball at the U of California at Berkeley before serving in the Army during WW1. After the Pirates, Rohwer spent nine seasons in the Pacific Coast League, playing for the Seattle Indians, Portland Beavers and Sacramento Senators, where he compiled a career .299 BA. Following his retirement, he stayed in California.

Fred Clarke - Helmar T206

1903 - The Pirates banged out 17 hits against Boston at Exposition Park to run away with a 9-0 victory while spinning Pittsburgh's fourth straight shutout behind Ed Doheny, setting a new MLB record. Fred Clarke went 5-for-5 and Ginger Beaumont 4-for-5 to lead the attack. The Buc pitchers would run their shutout streak to six games before finally yielding a run.

1951 - Buc rookie knuckler Paul “Lefty” LaPalme hurled a 8-0 shutout against Boston at Braves Field in his first major league start. It was his only win of the year, but he lasted seven MLB seasons, four with the Pirates, with a 24-45/4.42 line.

1959 - Dick Stuart banged a ball over the 457’ mark of Forbes Field center field wall, considered the longest homer hit in the ballpark’s history, flying between 475-500’ by various estimates. Dr. Strangeglove's blast came in the first off Glen Hobbie during the Pirates' 10-5 loss to Chicago, and the local papers claimed it was the first ball hit over the center field wall. That may have been true of MLB players (although Rogers Hornsby once hit the flagpole, and Roberto Clemente later hit a light tower) but Josh Gibson lore claimed that he launched balls over the fence in center at least twice during his Negro League career.

1964 - The Colt .45’s were countin’ their chickens, holding a 3-1 lead at Forbes Field with two away in the ninth and the bases empty. But there’s a reason you get 27 outs, and Pittsburgh ripped off five straight hits to stun Houston, 4-3. Jim Pagliaroni started the rally with a double, then Donn Clendenon singled off Hal Woodeshick’s glove into center to plate Pags. Ducky Schofield kept it alive, and Manny Mota’s pinch-hit single knotted the score. The Texans beckoned Gordon Jones to the mound to face Roberto Clemente, described by the Pittsburgh Press as “a man on a mission” after he had failed at a sac bunt effort in the eighth. He didn’t fail this time, lining a knock into right center to make a winner of Bob Priddy. The Bucs' first run came on Willie Stargell’s solo shot.

Pags - 1965 Topps

1965 - The Pirates jumped on the Mets for six first-inning runs, triggered by Willie Stargell’s three-run double and capped by Jim Pagliaroni’s two-out, three-run homer, to cruise to a 9-0 win at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente added three hits as Vern Law went the distance and shut down New York on two hits. The Deacon was only 3-5 after the victory though sporting a 1.95 ERA, and he finished the year strong with a line of 17-9/2.15 in his last dominant campaign.

1966 - In a 10-5 Bucs win over Houston at Forbes Field, Willie Stargell went 5-for-5 with two homers, a double and four RBI, ringing up nine straight hits in two days against the ‘Stros. Roberto Clemente put a ball in orbit off Turk Farrell, flying over the 436’ mark and landing in Plaza Field, a little league diamond tucked behind the ballyard’s right center field wall. Starter Bob Veale struck out 11 batters in his six frames of work, but Pete Mikkelsen was credited with the win in relief of Big Bob, pitching one-run ball over the final three innings.

1967 - Roberto Clemente was announced as the NL’s Player of the Month. Roberto batted .403 with 29 RBI during the month and went on to win the batting title with a .357 BA to earn an eighth straight All-Star berth.

1968 - The Bucs lost a tough one when Zoilo Versalles slid home, was called out and then a second later ruled safe as plate ump Bill Jackowski reversed himself to give the LA Dodgers a 2-1 win. The umpire said he saw the ball loose on Zoilo’s leg after the tag; catcher Jerry May claimed it was in his glove all the time. Versalles didn’t hang around for the argument but sprinted straight into the Dodger dugout after the reversal, later explaining “...the umpire not sure, he says out and I yell ‘No, no, safe.’ The ump says ‘Oh, he drop ball, you safe.’” Afterward, Larry Shepard darkly told the media that “This ballpark seems to do something to an umpire,” referring to the number of calls that seemed to go in favor of the hometown nine at Dodger Stadium. LA’s Bill Singer was probably more to blame for the loss than Jackowski as he tossed a six-hit gem against the Bucs with 12 K. Roberto Clemente was the sole Pirate who could solve him with three hits while Alvin McBean, who also tossed a six-hitter, took the hard-luck loss.

6/5 From 1970: Robby Rips, Dunne Debut, KY Grannie, Matt Sixer, Bop Fest, Game Days, Jay POTM, Jose POTW, HBD Heandog

1976 - McKeesport’s Bill Robinson hit three homers and drove home four runs, but the Pirates lost in 15 innings to the San Diego Padres at Three Rivers Stadium, 11-9. Pittsburgh scored three times in the ninth, the rally built around Dave Parker’s triple, to send the game into overtime. The Bucs had 18 hits - Robby had four, Rennie Stennett three, and Parker, Al Oliver, Willie Stargell & Frank Taveras each added a pair. Ramon Hernandez took the loss.

1987 - RHP Mike Dunne, 24, made his major league debut against the New York Mets and Dwight Gooden at Shea Stadium. Mike joined the club as part of the April 1 Tony Pena trade with St. Louis when the Pirates reportedly chose him as the pitching piece over LHP Joe McGrane. He took the loss in a so-so-opener, but the rest of the year was an eye-opener as Dunne’s line was 13–6/3.03. He finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting to Benito Santiago and won The Sporting News NL Pitching ROTY award. But after that blazing start, injuries haunted him for much of the rest of his career. He was dealt to the Seattle Mariners in ‘89, later pitching for the San Diego Padres and then the White Sox. His last big league game was in 1992 with Chicago.

1991 - LHP Andrew Heaney was born in Oklahoma City. He was a first round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2012 by Miami, and the veteran back end starter (he worked for the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers) signed with the Bucs shortly before camp in 2025. In 12 MLB campaigns, he posted a 51-62/4.44/95 ERA+ line and was plugged into the rotation. He went 5-10/5.39, was released, joined the Dodgers and retired in 2025.

1992 - With two gone in the 10th of a 4-4 game at TRS against New York, Jay Bell tripled on a 3-2 pitch by going oppo and kissing the right field line, Andy Van Slyke was worked around, and Barry Bonds was walked intentionally to fill the bases with the pitcher’s spot due up. Jimmy Leyland sent up skipper-to-be Lloyd McClendon to swing, and his liner to left off John Franco walked off a 5-4 Bucco win over their New York nemesis in front of 23,957 fans. Stan Belinda got the win in a game that Zane Smith started, and Zane was a big part of the win, with his two-run double off David Cone being the Pirates biggest hit of the night. It was a clutch dub, with Pittsburgh gaining distance from both the Cards (2-1/2 games back) and the Mets (down three games).

Zane Smith - 1992 Fleer

2001 - The Pirates snapped a lot of streaks in their 5-2 win over the Marlins at Pro Player Stadium. First, it ended a five-game losing skid with a rare win on the road, where they had the worst record in the majors (7-22 going into the game). Next, it broke a run of 17 games without a loss by the game’s starter, Florida’s Brad Penny. Finally, Kevin Young ended his six-week home run drought with a sixth-inning grand slam that gave starter and winner Jason Schmidt, followed by Jose Manzanillo and Mike Williams, who earned the save, some wriggle room to work with. One streak that stayed alive was Jason Kendall’s hitting spree, which reached 12 straight games.

2005 - OF Matt Lawton had reached base six straight times without scoring. As Dejan Kovacevich of the Post Gazette wrote “He took it upon himself to get the job done in the most emphatic way he could: Send it for a swim.” Matt cleared the roof in right field, the ball landed on the grassy slope and merrily bounded into the Allegheny during a 5-2 win over the Braves at PNC Park. The big blow was Rob Mackowiak’s two-run homer in the sixth frame to break a tie and put the Pirates up by a pair. Lawton and Mack led with three hits. Ollie Perez, who gave up four raps and fanned seven in seven frames, got the win with a Jose Mesa save.

2006 - Jason Bay was named the NL Player of the Month and Jose Castillo the Player of the Week. Bay banged away at a .321 clip with 12 HR and 35 RBI while Castillo hit .478 with four homers and 15 RBI and posted an impressive .366 average through May. Jason kept up the good work all season, winning his second straight All-Star berth with a .286 BA, 35 dingers and 109 RBI. Jose, not so much - he finished the year batting .253 with 14 home runs.

Starling Marte - 2015 Topps Tier One

2015 - Starling Marte went deep with three RBI/three runs scored, Neil Walker swatted a three-run homer, and Fran Cervelli matched his career-high with four hits as Pittsburgh outslugged Atlanta, 10-8, at Turner Field for their fourth straight win. Despite a 14-hit attack, the Pirates had to beat off a game Braves club that also banged out 14 hits off six Corsair pitchers. The Bucs fielders also helped the Bravos stay alive, committing four errors that led to a pair of unearned runs, but the bats overcame the gloves to allow starter Charlie Morton to run his record to 3-0 after Mark Melancon finally closed the contest for save #17.

2023 - The Pirates were on a five-game winning streak while the visiting Oakland A’s had the worst record in baseball and were on a 14-game road losing streak, but hidden vigorish quickly reared its ugly head as Pittsburgh fell behind 3-0. With the score 3-1 in the sixth, the Bucs rallied to take the lead with a single followed by four straight walks and capped with a sac fly to go up, 4-3. The A’s tied it in the eighth, but Andrew McCutchen answered in the Corsair half with a sac fly to the right field track that scored Ji Hwan Bae with what became the game-winning tally. Colin Holderman was called on to seal the deal (regular closer David Bednar was on a rest day) and gave up three straight hits, but thanks to Austin Hedges throwing out an Oakland larcenist, he escaped with his first MLB save to post Angel Perdomo’s first Pirates victory. The Buccos only had six hits, but ten Oakland walks kept the basepaths occupied. Cutch had a pair of RBI with just one official at-bat; he walked three times with a sac fly. Mark Mathias scored twice with just one knock but two free passes. The win moved the Pirates into first place in the Central Division for the next ten days. And as for the hidden vigorish - it finally kicked in as Oakland won the next two matches.

2024 - The Pirates piled up seven runs in the second-inning against the Dodgers at PNC Park, and rookie top gun Paul Skenes ran his record to 3-0 as the Bucs took a 10-6 batfest dub in front of 29,716 Wednesday night fans. The Bucs were nothing if not efficient; they only had nine hits, but stranded just four runners over the evening as Nick Gonzales continued to swing a clutch stick with four RBI to help hand James Paxton his first loss of the year. Skenes used 93 pitches in his five frames, giving up three runs on six hits with a walk and eight whiffs; it took five Pittsburgh relievers to get the final dozen outs. It was a U-turn from the previous evening’s series opener when Jared Jones and the pen won a 1-0 gem. The Pirates have taken care of their star rookie; the club had scored 10 runs+ four times so far during the year, and three were during Skenes starts.

Thursday, June 4, 2026

6/4 Draft Picks: Cobra, Dale Berra, KY, Kris Benson, Mack, Capper, Jake, Braxton Ashcraft

1970 - The Pirates selected HS pitcher John Bedard with their first pick (#13) of the draft. While Bedard never made it past A ball, the FO hit paydirt later, picking OF Dave “The Cobra” Parker in the 14th round and C Ed “Otter” Ott in the 23rd. Other teams’ selections who eventually made a stop in Pittsburgh were Phil “Scrap Iron” Garner, “Goose” Gossage, “Doc” Medich and Rick “Big Daddy” Reuschel. It was a great year for nicknames and players!

1975 - Yogi’s son Dale, a high school SS, was the Bucs first pick (#20) in the draft. They also signed RHPs Don Robinson and Ernie Camacho, who were the only other picks to play in the majors. The Caveman pitched for 15 seasons, with the first 10 as a Pirate (65-69-49/3.85), Dale spent 11 years in the show, the first eight with the Pittsburgh (.238) and Camacho was in MLB for a decade, making seven appearances as a Bucco in 1981.

1980 - SS Rick Renteria (#20) was the Bucs first selection in the draft; he ended up with 186 MLB games, mostly with Seattle and later managed. OF Joe Orsulak, picked in the sixth round, had a 14-year big league run as a reserve OF’er, and third-round RHP Tim Burke carved out an eight-year career in the bullpen with Montreal and then the New York Mets.

Kevin Young - 1992 Fleer Ultra All-Rookie Team

1990 - The Bucs picked HS righty Kurt Miller in the first round (#5) of the draft; he went on to win two games in his career. Other guys they signed who were more successful were 1B Kevin Young (seventh round), RHP Brian Shouse (13th round), RHP Rick White (15th round), 1B Mark Johnson (20th round; he was first selected in 1989) and C Keith Osik (24th round).

1996 - Clemson RHP Kris Benson was the Bucs top pick and the overall number one selection in the draft, signing for a $2M bonus. They also inked OF Tike Redman (fifth round), IF Willie Harris (28th round) and OF Rob Mackowiak (53rd round). One that got away was LHP Chris Capuano (45th round), who went to college and signed with Arizona in 1999. LHP Mike “Gonzo” Gonzalez (17th round) was also selected, but didn’t sign; the Pirates got him in the next draft.

2002 - The Pirates selected RHP Bryan Bullington with the first overall pick of the player draft, bypassing BJ Upton, Prince Fielder, Zack Greinke, Khalil Greene, Nick Swisher, Matt Cain, Cole Hamels, David Wright and Jeff Francoeur. Bullington received a $4M signing bonus after four months of negotiations but never left much of an MLB mark. RHP Matt Capps (seventh round) and OF Nyjer Morgan (33rd round) were also members of that draft class.

Matt Capps - 2004 Topps Rookie

2012 - The Pirates had pre-draft favorite RHP Mark Appel drop in their laps at the eighth spot because of perceived signability issues. Well, those issues weren’t perceived; they were real as he and agent Scott Boras turned down the Pirates' reported bonus offer of $3.8M, the biggest deal they could tender without losing a first-round draft pick the next year. Appel was the only unsigned first rounder of the draft, and was picked by Houston the following year, signing for $6.3M. He made his MLB debut in 2022 with the Phils but was later released. His pick nullified a reported pre-draft deal with OF David Dahl, who was selected 10th by the Colorado Rockies. The Pirates received a bonus pick for 2013 (which became prep OF’er Austin Meadows the following year), and used their 2012 sandwich pick (#45) to select Texas Tech OF Barrett Barnes, who signed for $1M. Fifth round choice, RHP Adrian Sampson, has played for parts of five seasons with three teams. C Jacob Stallings (7th round) and HS pick SS Max Moroff (16th round) both appeared for the Pirates before moving on. One notable “wrong sport” selection was prep star Hayden Hurst, who played two seasons in the minors, first as a pitcher and then as a first baseman, after signing for $400K as a 17th rounder. He went on to South Carolina to play football, became a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and was in the pros through 2024.

2018 - The Pirates picked South Alabama OF Travis Swaggerty, who was compared to Austin Meadows, in the first round (#10) and inked him to a $4.4M contract. Injury-bitten, Swags finally got his MLB call up in 2022 and is now playing in the New York Mets organization. At #36 in the Competitive Balance round, they selected Florida prep RHP Gunnar Hoglund and then used the second round (#51) to add Texas high school RHP Braxton Ashcraft. Hoglund turned down a reported $2M offer from the Bucs to pitch at Ole Miss while Ashcraft agreed to a $1.825M payout. Gunnar debuted with Oakland in 2025 while Braxton is now making some noise in the Buc rotation. Later in the draft, they selected RHP Michael Burrows in the 11th round, signing him for $500,000; he’s now in Houston, swapped as part of the Brandow Lowe deal, and LHP Cam Alldred, who ended up the first of the class of ‘18 to make an MLB showing (in 2022), in the 24th round. After inking a $100,000 deal, Cam now tosses in Mexico.

6/4 Through 1954: Top Guns, Gus & Kiki Cycles, Game Days, Gus Mark, Forbes Lit, Kiner Contract Dump; HBD Larry, Bob, Herb & Doc

1873 - C George “Doc” Yeager was born in Cincinnati. Doc put in six MLB seasons, mostly with the Boston Beaneaters. He spent a couple of months in Pittsburgh in 1901 after he was claimed in August following his release by the Cleveland Blues, catching and playing a little corner infield as needed (he played every position but pitcher during his career). He hit .264 while with Pittsburgh (he was a .238 lifetime batter) and was nearing the end of his big league trail, playing 40 games with the NY Giants and Baltimore Orioles in 1902 before embarking on a seven-year minor league journey.

1892 - LHP Herb Kelly was born in Mobile, Alabama. Herb spent his brief MLB career in Pittsburgh, going 1-3/2.95 in 10 outings between 1914-15. Unlike many players of that era, Herb didn’t become a wandering baseball nomad; he hung up the spikes at age 25.

1897 - After losing a game four days prior by forfeit after a disputed call, the Bucs were banged with yet another forfeiture. Down 4-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies/Quakers at the Baker Bowl, the Pirates lost a potential two-run double in the fourth frame on a disputed foul call. Manager Patsy Donovan and the ump discussed the matter between innings, and apparently Patsy was a bit too colorful and/or the Pirates were a little sluggish getting back on the field (although the claims all but a pair were in position, and they were part of the convo at home), so ump McDonald called the game in favor of the Phils. The Press noted that “The fair minded Philadelphia fans (quite a change in culture over the decades) were as indignant as the Pittsburg players and yelled ‘Play ball’ but the Phillies hurried into the clubhouse and McDonald disappeared. The Pittsburgh players remained on the field for 10 minutes afterward...” unaware or disbelieving what had just happened. The paper opined, however, that the affair “...added to the bad reputation the Pirates have acquired in the east.”

1908 - RHP Bob Klinger was born in Allenton, Missouri. He was a multi-role pitcher who could start or close, and went 62-58-9 with a 3.74 ERA in Pittsburgh from 1938-43. Klinger was in the service for two years before closing out his career with the MLB Red Sox between 1946-47. But he didn’t give up on baseball, playing in the minors through 1950. Bob was offered a manager’s job in the bushes, but instead returned home to Missouri and a steady job.

Bob Klinger - 1940 Play Ball

1925 - Kiki Cuyler hit for the cycle plus drawing a walk, driving in three runs and scoring four times as the Bucs rolled over the Philadelphia Phillies, 16-3, at Forbes Field. Every Pirate starter, including pitcher Lee Meadows, had a hit & scored and/or drove home a run.

1930 - Charlie Engel, Fred Brickell and George Grantham batted 1-2-3 for the Bucs, and the top of the order went 8-for-13 with a homer, two doubles, a walk, three RBI and 10 runs scored to propel Pittsburgh to a 12-6 win over the Brooklyn Robins at Ebbets Field. Larry French went the distance, riding the offensive support of the leadoff trio to the victory.

1937 - First baseman Gus Suhr set the Pirates and then-NL record by playing in his 822nd consecutive game, going 1-for-4 in a loss to Boston at Braves Field. The streak ended not because of an injury or slump, but rather when Suhr flew to San Francisco to attend his mother’s funeral services. His mark stood for 20 years before it was topped by Donora’s Stan “The Man” Musial of the Cards and now held by the Dodgers’ Steve Garvey at 1,207 games.

1940 - The Pirates played their first home game under the lights at Forbes Field, beating the Boston Bees, 14-2, behind Joe Bowman’s five-hitter in front of 20,319 fans. Maurice Van Robays and Frankie Gustine combined for seven RBI while six different Buccos scored twice. Night games were supposed to be an attraction for the working fans; it ended up that quite a few female fans took in the game, too. The light banks were connected to eight towers, built by the local engineers of Westinghouse. The game wasn’t a league or even ballyard debut: the first night game played at the Oakland lot was back in 1930 when the Homestead Grays and KC Monarchs played under portable lights; the first MLB night game was at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field in 1935.

1943 - Up by a run in the eighth, the Bucs’ Vince DiMaggio singled. New York Giants’ pitcher Bill Sayles’ next pitch got past his catcher, Ernie Lombardi. The slow-footed NY receiver was a bit leisurely in chasing the ball, Sayles pouted on the mound and didn’t cover home, and Vince kept on chugging to score from first on the passed ball. It ended up the winning run as the Pirates took a 9-8 victory at Forbes Field. Vince had two hits including a homer, scored twice and drove three runs home. Max Butcher got the win and Hank Gornicki earned a save.

Vince DiMaggio - TSN

1948 - In a game described by beat writer Vince Johnson of the Post-Gazette as “...a circus, except the clowns didn’t wear grease paint and weren’t even faintly amusing. An overflow crowd of 37,355 watched what was undoubtedly the silliest and longest spectacle of the season” in reporting on the Bucs 10-7 loss to the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. The umps started the day off when the crew chief overruled a balk call, leading to a lengthy on-field rhubarb and a protest by Beantown. That performance was later outdone in exasperation by a five-walk seventh inning in which Bucco hurlers gave up seven runs. Ralph Kiner and Clyde Kluttz homered for the Pirates during the interminably long (for the era) contest that lasted three hours and 12 minutes.

1951 - Gus Bell hit for the cycle to lead the Pirates to a 12-4 victory over the Phillies at Shibe Park. Bell, Rocky Nelson and Wally Westlake had three RBI apiece; Nelson and Westlake also collected three hits each. Rookie Bob Friend got the win, his first in the majors, going 6-⅓ IP with help from Murry Dickson, who closed out the game after that. Fun fact: In 2004, Gus’ grandson David (then a Phil and future Reds manager) also pulled off the feat; Gus and David are the only grandfather-grandson duo in major league history to hit for the cycle.

1953 - General Manager Branch Rickey traded future Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, the only man to lead the league in home runs for seven consecutive seasons, as the salary dump centerpiece of a huge deal with the Cubs. (After several acrimonious contract battles, the Mahatma reportedly told the slugger "We finished last with you, we can finish last without you.") At least Ralph didn’t have to travel far as the Cubs were at Forbes Field, and the trade was announced after batting practice. The players involved from Pittsburgh were Kiner, C Joe Garagiola, P Howie Pollet, and OF Catfish Metkovich, who were sent to the Cubs for C Toby Atwell, P Bob Schultz, 1B Preston Ward, 3B George Freese, OF Bob Addis, OF Gene Hermanski, and $150,000.

1953 - RHP Larry Demery was born in Bakersfield, California, the son of Negro League outfielder/pitcher Artis Demery. He broke into the Pirate rotation a few days after turning 21 in June of 1974. Demery was mostly a long man, going 29-23-7/3.72, though he did start 46 times. An arm injury in 1977 ended his career after a four-year run with Pittsburgh. Demery came from baseball genes. His dad, Artis (aka “Artist”) Demery played during the final days of the Negro Leagues and then toiled in the minors for three years, through 1955.

6/4 From 1955: Jack Smack, Cutch Debut & Anniversary, Barry's 1st, Roberto Rockets, Game Days, Bo Booed, '24 Moves, HBD Tony

1957 - C Tony Pena was born in Monte Cristi, in the Dominican Republic. Signed in 1975 as an international FA, he spent his first seven years (1980-86) in Pittsburgh, hitting .286 and earning spots on four All-Star teams before he was traded in the 1987 preseason to the St. Louis Cards for P Mike Dunne, C Mike LaValliere and OF Andy Van Slyke. The trade caught Pena, a lifelong Pirate, by surprise; he teared up at the presser announcing the deal.

1967 - Roberto Clemente hit two homers and drove in all four runs in a 4-1 Pirate victory at Dodger Stadium. Both blasts were launched off Don Drysdale, the first long balls that he yielded on the year. Roberto and the Bucs were bombardiers against DD - the last four-baggers he had given up were against Clemente and Willie Stargell, who went back-to-back on him on September 15th, 1966. Bob Veale threw a five-hitter for the win, with the save earned by ElRoy Face.

1968 - The Bucs were on the wrong end of a record or two during a 5-0 loss at LA. Tossing his sixth consecutive shutout, Don Drysdale topped Doc White's 64-year-old mark of five shutouts, and with 54 scoreless innings, he broke Carl Hubbell's NL string of 49 goose egg frames. In his next game, Drysdale would set the MLB mark at 58-2/3 scoreless frames. Drysdale was on top of his game, tossing a three-hitter and fanning eight. Jim Bunning took the loss. Gary Kolb was the only Bucco to get past first base with a sixth inning double.

1975 - Jerry Reuss didn't give up a hit until the seventh frame, and it hurt - not the Pirates, who held on for a 2-1 win against the Reds at TRS, but Reuss, who took a Dave Conception liner off the leg and had to leave the contest. The Pirates scored on Rennie Stennett’s misplayed fly that eventually led to a run and a Richie Hebner solo shot. Cincy plated off Dave Giusti, who in 2-1/3 IP walked three batters and let one score before Ramon Hernandez came on with an out in the ninth to close the gate, albeit with some drama as he walked the bases loaded with two away before getting the final out. The Pirates had the baseball gods on their side this evening. Reuss served several smoked at ‘em balls while Giusti picked a runner off second base and Al Oliver threw out another at home to limit the damage.

Jerry Reuss - 1975 Topps

1981 - In his first game as a Cub, Bobby Bonds (Barry’s dad) lasted an inning before breaking his hand after tumbling over a loose seam at TRS. The Tim Foli ball he was chasing fell for a triple and became a big run as Foli scored and the Bucs went on to defeat the Chicago club, 5-4, in 10 innings. Lee Lacy tallied the winning run when he tripled and scored on Dale Berra’s bloop to earn a win for Kent Tekulve. Foli had four hits and was a homer shy of a cycle while Dave Parker added three more raps including a home run. The Cobra scored two runs and chased three teammates home.

1986 - Barry Bonds went 4-for-5 and banged his first MLB home run off Craig McMurtry in the fifth to lead the Bucs to a 12-3 romp over Atlanta at Fulton County Stadium. Bonds scored three times and drove in four runs to lead the Bucco barrage. RJ Reynolds had two hits including a long ball as Mike Bielecki, with help from Jim Winn, got the win. BB bopped 761 more of those long balls in his 22-year career to become the all-time MLB home run leader.

1992 - Bobby Bo returned to Three Rivers Stadium for the first time and was not exactly welcomed back with open arms. The Associated Press wrote “Bonilla was booed early, he was booed late and he booed often...” Signs in the park were of the “Bucks, Not Bucs” ilk, he was pinged by a golf ball thrown from the crowd (he then played while wearing a batting helmet in the field) and Vince LaSheid even joined in with a rendition of “Take the Money and Run.” The Pittsburgh fans' combative vibes had an effect as the team ran away with a 7-2 decision, led by Bo’s old running mate Barry Bonds, who homered and doubled.

2009 - Andrew McCutchen, called up after Nate McLouth was traded, made his MLB debut against the New York Mets in front of 20,683 fans at PNC Park during a rain day makeup match. Batting leadoff, he wasted no time, singling off Mike Pelfrey in his first at bat and going 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base in an 11-6 win. Cutch did it all on pure adrenaline; he had spent all day in planes or airport lobbies, arriving less than an hour before first pitch. In his time as a Pirate, Cutch was MVP in 2013, finished in the Top 5 three other times, was named to five straight All-Star games and earned four consecutive Silver Slugger awards.

2014 - Pittsburgh pitchers gave up one hit, a first-inning bunt single, but still managed to lose to San Diego at Petco Park by a 3-2 count. The Padre runs came on a miscommunicated shallow fly, an error and a bases loaded walk, one of nine that Pirate hurlers issued. Francisco Liriano took the loss, walking six batters with a HBP in his first four frames (he went six innings). The last time the Pirates threw a one-hitter and lost was July 25th, 1992, at Atlanta. That hit was a second inning homer by David Justice, the only tally in a 1-0 Bravo win.

Cutch - 2009 Topps Allen & Ginter Starting Points

2017 - Andrew McCutchen held an anniversary party for himself eight years after making his Bucco debut, going 3-for-5 while scoring three times and banging a three-run homer to lead the Pirates to an 11-1 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field. Pittsburgh banged out 15 hits as Fran Cervelli and David Freese also collected three knocks to help make a winner of Trevor Williams, who tossed a career-high seven innings while evening his record at 3-3.

2022 - The Pirates showcased a couple of the kids in taking a 2-1 victory from the D-Backs at PNC Park. Roansy Contreras made his fourth career start, allowing one unearned run and four hits in 5-2/3 innings while striking out eight and walking two. But it wasn’t quite strong enough as Pittsburgh was held to just three hits by Arizona’s Zach Davies and were down, 1-0, in the ninth inning. They had to go through ex-Bucco closer Mark Melanchon to rally, and it took just two batters to do just that - Bryan Reynolds led off with a single and 23-year-old rookie outfielder Jack Suwinski dropped a ball over the Clemente Wall after a nine-pitch battle, raising the Jolly Roger with his first walk-off homer. Three Pirates relievers tossed hitless ball after Roansy, with Chris Stratton picking up the win in front of 19,149 sun-drenched fans.

2024 - The Bucco homestand started with some big-time player shufflin'. C Henry Davis returned to the show while RHP Ben Heller, OF Jack Suwinski and IF Liover Peguero were all recalled from Indy. UT Ji Hwan Bae went on the 10-day IL (injury undisclosed), C Grant Koch was DFA'ed, LHP Jose Hernandez was optioned back to Indy and CF Michael A. Taylor was placed on the Paternity List. The day before, C Jason Delay (knee) left the IL and was optioned to Indy while LHP Marcos Gonzales (left forearm) was moved to the 60-day IL.

2024 - Current Padres and former Pirates IF Tucupita Marcano, 24, was permanently banned from MLB after violating the league's gambling policy. It was found that he bet on Pirates games while a member of Pittsburgh’s roster (hence the lifetime curb), albeit inactive on the IL, and other big league games. The team response was "We are...fully supportive of Major League Baseball's ruling...(as) protecting the integrity of our game is paramount."

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

6/3 Draft Picks: Barry Bonds, Tony Womack, John Grabow, Mike Gonzalez, Jermaine & JJ, Quinn Priester, Jared Triolo

1985 - Barry Bonds was drafted by the Pirates in the first round (6th pick overall) of the 1985 draft and signed shortly thereafter for a $125,000 bonus. He was the Bucco prize in the Cracker Jack box; the only Pirates picks to reach the MLB from that year were OF Tommy Gregg and pitchers Brett Gideon & Bill Sampen. And if you’re wondering, BJ Surhoff, Will “The Thrill” Clark, Bobby Witt, Barry Larkin and Kurt Brown were taken ahead of Bonds. Ex-Pirates coach Joey Cora was taken #23 overall in that same draft by the San Diego Padres.

Barry Bonds - 1986 Donruss Rookies

1991 - JC catcher Jon Farrell was the Pirates first selection (#24) in the draft; he got as far as AA ball. The only noteworthy selections of the day was seventh-round pick 2B Tony Womack, who spent 13 years in MLB, five as a Buc, for whom he hit .278 while stealing 122 bases. LHP Matt Ruebel, a third rounder, pitched a couple of years for the Pirates (1996-97: 4-5-1/5.54 in 70 games) and 19th rounder RHP Marc Pisciotta tossed in three MLB campaigns. Some late prep picks made the grade, although not with Pittsburgh. 39th-round pick RHP Dustin Hermanson worked 12 big-league campaigns, 56th-rounder RHP Paul Brower lasted nine seasons and 57th-round selection RHP Paul Wilson hurled for seven years, but none of the trio signed with the Pirates.

1993 - Pittsburgh didn’t write home about this draft. They selected HS OF’er Charles Peterson first (#22/$420K bonus), who never made it to the show, followed by second round OF Jermaine Allensworth (#34/$194K bonus), who played 2-1/2 years for the Bucs, hitting .272 as a reserve. RHP Kane Davis was the only other big league contributor beyond a cup of coffee; his top season was 2001 for Colorado, when he made 57 appearances and went 2-4/4.35.

1997 - The Pirates drafted HS OF/1B JJ Davis as their top pick (#8) and signed him to a $1.675M bonus (Davis was a three-sport star and had a football scholarship in hand from USC). He played 67 MLB games, with 106 at-bats and a .179 BA. In a bit of what goes around, comes around, Paul Meyers of the Post Gazette wrote that RHP Jason Grilli was on the Pirates “hot list” of potential picks, but he went off the board before they could get him as the #4 overall selection of the Giants. They found a couple of sturdy bullpen arms later on, selecting LHPs John Grabow in the third round and Mike “Gonzo” Gonzalez in the 30th.

Jared Triolo - 2023 image Sportsnet Pgh.

2019 - Pittsburgh drafted a couple of high school kids 1-2, RHP Quinn Priester (#18 - $3.4M) and OF Sammy Siani (#37 - $2.15M), and then picked a pair of college bats next to balance the checklist on the first night: OF Matt Gorski of Indiana (#57 - $1M) and 3B Jared Triolo of Houston (#82 - $870,700). The next selection was a return to the prep ranks with OF Matt Fraizer (#95 - $525,000), taken in the third round and who is currently in the Red Sox minors. Triolo has been on the Bucs MLB roster since 2023, and Gorski is in the LA Dodgers organization. Siani is in Seattle’s system while Priester was dealt to Boston and is now with Milwaukee.

6/3 Through the 1960s: Karger-Chappie, Erv/Adam-Burwell, Roberto Busy, Josh Launch, Piet Poundin', Waner Streak Startin', Game Days, HBD Nelson

1888 - It’s a big day in baseball literature for those who read beyond the stat sheet - “Casey at the Bat”. Debates over who “Casey” was inspired by and what town “Mudville” represented continue to this day.

1906 - In a deal that didn’t pan out very well, the Pirates sent rookie LHP Ed “Loose” Karger to the St Louis Cardinals for veteran RH hurler Chappie McFarland. Karger pitched well for some bad St. Louis teams and tossed in the show through 1911, going 48-67 with a 2.79 ERA while working for four teams. (Some say Loose’s nickname represented his carefree character; others say it described his fluid delivery) Chappie was waived in August by the Pirates after six outings and pitched once more in the majors as a Brooklyn Dodger in 1906.

1927 - Paul “Big Poison'' Waner homered off the Phils’ Claude Willoughby (Glenn Wright and George Grantham also went deep), in a 11-1 romp at Forbes Field. Waner’s long ball ignited the start of his NL record 14-game streak with an extra base hit (12 doubles, five triples, three homers) that continued through June 19th; he was held to a pair of singles on the 20th.

1928 - The Pirates sent RHP Erv Brame and OF Adam Comorosky to Indianapolis of the American Association for RHP Bill Burwell. Burwell ended up an afterthought as a hurler, getting into just four games, but proved his value later on to Pittsburgh as an organization/big league coach & skipper for six years (he developed Vern Law and managed in 1947). Comorosky returned to Pittsburgh in 1929 and hit .295 over a five-year period before closing out his career with two more campaigns at Cincinnati while Brame was done as a MLB hurler.

Tony Piet - 1992 Conlon Collection/TSN

1932 - Behind 5-2, the Pirates scored three times in the bottom of the eighth and then got an inside-the-park homer from Tony Piet in the 11th to defeat the Cubs 6-5 at Forbes Field. Piet had four knocks and four RBI to prime the attack, with Pie Traynor adding three hits. The Bucs had three triples during the game, two of which got away from Chicago player-manager Rogers Hornsby, who then benched himself. Steve Swetonic went the distance for the win despite giving up 14 hits. It was the first “Knothole Gang” game ever held at Forbes Field, as the team stuffed the right field stands with local youngsters bringing the attendance up to...3,000.

1937 - Homestead Gray C Josh Gibson hit perhaps his most storied homer, reported by The Sporting News to have traveled 580’, catching the back rim at Yankee Stadium in a game against the NY Black Yankees. If accurate, which is a point of considerable debate, it would be the longest home run ever hit. Mickey Mantle’s 565’ blast in 1953 off Washington’s Chuck Stobbs at Griffith Stadium is considered the biggest blast. Its landing spot was literally measured by a tape measure, adding “tape measure homer” to baseball’s lexicon.

1961 - Roberto Clemente had a busy day during a 5-1 win over the Phils at Forbes Field. He opened the scoring with a first-inning homer, threw out a runner in the fourth and then was ejected in the eighth for beefing about a close call at first, firing his helmet over the dugout as he left the field. Don Hoak also went long and Smoky Burgess had three hits to back Bobby Shantz and ElRoy Face, who combined on a five-hitter.

Roberto Clemente - 1961 Topps

1962 - During the nitecap of a double header, Bob Skinner hit a RF roof shot at Forbes Field, the second of his career, off Houston’s Ken Johnson during a 10-3 loss. The Bucs also lost the opener 10-6, giving the Colt .45s their first DH sweep in franchise history. The opening contest featured an oddity. Roberto Clemente tagged from third on a short fly to right; the throw home flew past Houston catcher Hal Smith but went straight to pitcher Bob Tiefenauer, who was backing up the play, The ball stuck in Tiefenauer’s webbing, so the quick-thinking hurler flipped the ball and mitt to Smith in time for him to tag out The Great One.

1964 - IF Nelson Liriano was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The veteran infielder saw a lot of part-time action for the Bucs in 1995-96, getting in 219 games and hitting .277 after being claimed off waivers from Colorado. His greatest career footnote may be from the 1989 season when with Toronto, he broke up two no-hitters in the ninth inning within a six-day span, spoiling bids by first Nolan Ryan and then Kirk McCaskill. Nelson became a minor league manager and coach when he left the game, mainly with the KC organization.

1969 - The Pirates were bopped 7-3 by the Cincinnati Reds at Forbes Field, but it was a red-letter day for Roberto Clemente. The Great One drilled a game-tying three-run homer in the sixth (the Bucs quickly lost the lead in the following inning) for Roberto’s 2,417th career hit, moving him into third place on the all-time Pirate hit list ahead of Max Carey and Pie Traynor. Clemente would later pass Paul “Big Poison” Waner (2,868) and then vaulted past Honus Wagner (2,970) to claim the franchise top spot with 3,000 hits in 1972.

6/3 From 1970: Nate To Braves, Hero Jose, Rally Cappers, Smiley 1-Hitter, Mo & Robby Bang, Game Days, Bednar ROTM, HBD Brandon

1979 - The Bucs hit five home runs, two by Bill Robinson with four RBI, (Omar Moreno, Dave Parker and Lee Lacy hit the others) as the Pirates whipped the Padres, 7-0, at TRS. But the big story was Bruce Kison, an emergency starter who got the nod shortly before the game when Don Robinson couldn’t go. In fact, the start time was delayed 10 minutes so he could warm up. He got loose pretty quickly; he carried a no-hitter into the eighth when with two outs, Barry Evans, a .197 hitter, bounced a ball inside the third base line. Phil Garner, who was playing off the bag, took a couple of steps over, went for the backhand grab and had it tick off his mitt into left for a soft two-bagger. It was ruled a hit. Kison didn’t agree; he walked off the mound after the inning and shook his fist in frustration at the scorer, Dan Donovan, who was perched in the press box. The controversial (to Buster, anyway) grounder was the only hit he surrendered.

1987 - Bucco second baseman Jim Morrison had a career-high three doubles, drove in two runs and tied his personal best of four hits (4-for-4) in Pittsburgh’s 4-1 win over the Braves in front of just 5,368 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Bob Kipper started and got the win.

1988 - The Pirates put up runs in the eighth and ninth frames to edge the Montreal Expos 2-1 at TRS. John Smiley tossed a one-hit complete game with eight K, but the lone knock was a two-out triple that RJ Reynolds couldn’t corral, followed by a balk. The Bucs knotted the score in the eighth inning on a Jose Lind solo shot. Mike Lavalliere doubled with an out in the ninth; John Cangelosi ran for him and scored on Mike Diaz’s pinch-hit, walkoff knock. In other news, the Bucs swapped shortstops - Rafe Belliard came off the DL and for the second time, Al Pedrique was sent down to AAA Buffalo to clear a spot, leaving second-year infielder Felix Fermin as the backup. They switched bullpen arms, too, bringing up LHP Dave Rucker and sending down RHP Scott Medvin.

Jeff King - 1992 Donruss

1992 - The Bucs took an early 6-2 lead thanks to a four-run third inning and held on to drop the Los Angeles Dodgers at TRS by a 6-5 score. Jeff King brought home three runs and Jerry Gleaton claimed his only Pirate victory, saved by Stan Belinda. With the win, the Pirates reclaimed first place in the National League East from the Cardinals and then held the top spot for the rest of the year, spending just eight days out of the lead.

1994 - LHP Brandon Waddell was born in Houston, Texas. A College World Series hero for Virginia, the Pirates drafted him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. The lefty toiled in the minors until 2020, looking like an ace at Altoona but not quite getting over the AAA hump. He persevered and got his call up in August of 2020 and worked his first MLB game on the 14th, picking up his first big league K. He played in Korea and China for three years and is now with the NY Mets.

1998 - Sometimes ya do play the whole city. 19-year-old rookie Aramis Ramirez was 0-for-24 when he stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs at TRS when a funny thing happened - the 17,691 rooters stood and gave the struggling rookie some love with an ovation. The vibe had its effect; A-Ram lined a two-run double off Greg McMichaels for his first hit to give the Bucs breathing room in a 3-0 win over the Mets. It wasn’t the only first; Jason Christiansen picked up his first MLB save, finishing off Jon Lieber’s win. The Pirates also announced that they signed their top pick (15th overall), LHP Clint Johnston, to a $1M contract.

2004 - The Pirates lost a 4-2 match to the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park, but not before manager Lloyd McClendon gave the fans their money’s worth. With two away in the top of the ninth inning, Mike Gonzalez buzzed former Bucco Tony Womack. Tony LaRussa barked at Gonzo from the bench, and Lloyd took exception to the chirping, charging out of the dugout after LaRussa. Two umps had to hold Lloyd back after LaRussa stepped out to meet him. Both skippers were suspended for two games and hit with undisclosed fines. The aftermath: After the smoke cleared, the cool and calm Craig Wilson gifted his manager with “The Anger Workbook” and “Getting the Best of Your Anger,” along with a Zen rock garden, per Jerry DiPaolo of the Tribune Review.

Nate McLouth - 2009 Topps Heritage

2009 - The Bucs traded OF Nate McLouth to Atlanta for OF Gorkys Hernandez, LHP Jeff Locke and RHP Charlie Morton, clearing an everyday spot for Andrew McCutchen, who was called up from the minors that day. Hernandez was later flipped (he’s made several moves and is now playing in the Latin Leagues) for Gaby Sanchez while Morton (who was sent to the Phillies in 2016 & now with the Braves) and Locke (he became a Marlin in 2017 and is now retired after a labrum injury) filled rotation spots. McLouth was a flop for the Braves and during a brief return to Pittsburgh but revived his career with Baltimore. He then signed with Washington, but a shoulder injury cost him the year and 2014 was his last season.

2011 - It took Pittsburgh 12 innings, but they eked out a 2-1 win over the Phillies at PNC Park. Jose Tabata drove in the first run on a sac fly and the second with a two-out walk off rap. With the bases empty in the 12th and two away, Xavier Paul singled, stole second, and came in on JT’s grounder through the right side. Danny Moskos got the win, his first MLB victory. He was one of five Pirate pitchers that scattered six hits to Philadelphia hitters.

2022 - Righty closer David Bednar, 27, was named the National League Reliever of the Month for May. In 12 outings, he posted a 2-1-7/1.65 line, holding opponents to a .170 BA and whiffing 21 batters with two walks in 16-1/3 IP. The Mars HS grad joined the Pirates in 2021 as part of the Joe Musgrove deal with the San Diego Padres. He was one of the underdog makes good tales of the MLB - Bednar was a 35th round draft pick in 2016 from Easton’s Lafayette College. A former Pirates product, RHP Clay Holmes, won the Junior Circuit award.

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

6/2 Draft Picks: Jeff King, Paul Maholm, Tom Gorzelanny, Ryan Doumit, Stan Belinda

1986 - The Pirates selected University of Arkansas's Jeff King, The Sporting News college player of the year, as the first overall pick in the June draft, giving him an $185K bonus. He spent eight of his 11 big league years as a Pirate, hitting .258 with 99 HR (Matt Williams and Bo Jackson were taken after him). The Bucs selected other MLB talent in OF Tom Goodwin (.268 over 14 years), SS Mike Mordecai (.244 over 12 years) and pitchers Stan Belinda (who spent his first four plus seasons as a Pirate) & Rick Reed, who started as a Pirate but blossomed as a Met and Twin in a draft that didn’t particularly stock the home club very well.

Jeff King - Panini 2013 First Overall Picks (1986)

1987 - HS outfielder Mark Merchant was the Bucs top pick and second overall in the draft, right after Ken Griffey Jr. (who was almost available to Pittsburgh; Seattle owner George Argyros was said to favor drafting a pitcher, but his evaluators talked him out of it). The Pirates signed Merchant for $165,000 three hours after drafting him, but he never played an inning in the majors after a 10-year minor league career. He was a highly touted player (he and Griffey were everyone’s 1-2 selections) but Merchant separated his shoulder during his second minor-league season and broke his ankle in the next campaign, losing both his gun and his speed. Pittsburgh’s seventh round pick, Kittanning SS Mickey Morandini, spent 11 years in MLB, mostly with Philadelphia where he was an All-Star in 1995, and OF Wes Chamberlain and SS Brian Williams also spent a few years in the majors. The Pirates actually had a worse record than the Mariners did in 1986, but the AL and NL alternated the top pick during that era and so the Pirates lost their chance to land the Donora-born Griffey, a future 13-time All-Star, MVP and Hall of Famer.

1994 - High school QB & SS Mark Farris was the Pirates first selection (#11; $820K signing bonus); he hurt his knee and left the Bucs after hitting .273 in AA to attend Texas A&M as a football player in 1999. It was a sparse draft for the Pirates; only LHP Jimmy Anderson and last round pick UT Brandon Larsen played in the majors. Farris was a pretty big big miss; another SS, 6-time All Star Nomar Garciaparra, went to the Boston Red Sox as the second pick.

1995 - 17-year-old SS Chad Hermansen of Nevada’s Green Valley HS was the Buc’s first selection in the draft, taken at the #10 spot. The Bucs wasted little time in signing him - he agreed to a $1.15M bonus with a $75K kitty to pay for college if the baseball thing didn’t work out. The Pirates started him out in Bradenton with the GCL rookie club, and after a couple of campaigns, he was converted to the outfield. But it didn’t help his bat - in six in-and-out MLB seasons, he hit just .195.

1998 - The Pirates picked LHP Clint Johnston of Vanderbilt first (#15; $1M signing bonus); he ended his career playing indie ball, never advancing past AA. Johnston was an OF’er/closer who the Bucs wanted to convert to full-time pitching, noting that he threw 90-94 and that “big strong left handers were hard to find” per scouting director Leland Maddux. But he ended up with elbow surgery and then suffered from ulnar nerve issues. Clint eventually went to Toronto and was converted back to the outfield, but never climbed the ladder and closed his career with three indie seasons. None of the Bucs’ first 14 picks ever played a MLB game. Later Pirates pitching picks Joe Beimel, Jeff Bennett, Dave Williams and Jon Switzer were the hometown highlights of that draft day.

Dewey - 2002 Topps Prospects

1999 - The Bucs selected RHP Bobby Bradley as their first pick (#8; $2.3M signing bonus) in the draft; he topped out with a cup of coffee in AAA after undergoing three surgeries. They had more success in the second round, choosing C Ryan Doumit (#59, $500K). They also chose LHP Brian Tallet in the middle rounds; he didn’t pitch for the Bucs but did end up with nine seasons in the show. Multi-sport all-star and catcher JR House was signed in the fifth round and got into 32 MLB games. Pittsburgh even went over the slot then; they signed 39th-round pick Patrick O'Brien, a big high school RHP, for $500‚000, but he never got past AA.

2003 - Lefties Paul Maholm (#8; $2.2M signing bonus) and Tom Gorzelanny (#45; $750K signing bonus) were the first two Pirate picks of the 2003 draft. Later selections Matt Downs, Jeremy Horst and Josh Sharpless also saw time as major league pitchers. Maholm became a rotation mainstay for several years while Gorzelanny was in and out as part of the regular staff.