Weekly Report: 3-3 Week; Player Musical Chairs Continues, Skenes Get Brief Break, Cruz Still Out, Endy Back On IL

Summertime, summerime...

Pirates Stuff:

• It never ends...3B Nick Gonzales was removed from Friday’s game after being hit on the helmet by a heater. Nicky G seemed fine, but was yanked as a precautionary move per the club. He had a contusion but no concussion and sat out the weekend.
• Endy Rodriguez was officially placed on the 10-day IL with hip inflammation, retro to Monday (when he was recalled off the IL, ironically). IF Jack Branningan was called up. Ps Isaac Mattson and Evan Sisk were swapped out - Mattson is back in the bigs, Sisk was optioned to Indy. Branningan lasted through Saturday before he went back.

Yo-yo Wilber Dotel - 2026 photo Pirates/Los Piratas

• OF Jhostynxon Garcia was optioned back to Indy (no surprise considering how little playing time he was getting) and RHP Yohan Ramirez, the main man in the pen, was placed on paternity leave. Billy Cook was called up to replace Password; Wilber Dotel took Yohan's spot. Wilber got an outing and was returned to Indy; OF Nick Yorke and LHP Hunter Barco were called up from AAA.
• Oneil Cruz had his rehab switched from Indy to Altoona. It's a move to keep him close at hand; the Curve is home this week while Indy is at Nashville. The latest word is that his bones have mended but he's still feeling soreness in his hand.
• Indy 2B Termarr Johnson was placed on the 7-day IL with a left knee injury suffered over the weeked running out a grounder. It was later diagnosed as tears to the ACL and LCL, ending his season. 
• The Pirates had lost seven straight series until they took 2-of-3 from Boston over the weekend. Oddly, that was Pittsburgh's eighth consecutive home series win against an American League opponent, done for the first time since interleague play began in 1997.

Game Stuff:

• Paul Skenes started off the week's festivities at Miami on Tuesday. He went five although his pitch count was just 65, giving up two runs and having another pair saved when B-Rey stole a homer. That would be it; the Pirates managed four singles all night and lost the opener 2-0.
• Didn't work out much better the next night, either; Carmen Mlodzinski and the Bucs fell 8-2.
• It was Braxton Ashcraft to the rescue - he threw his first complete MLB game, an 85-pitch three-hitter w/10K, on the same day Pirate batters figured out what the piece of wood they carried was for as the Bucs rocked 'n' rolled to a 13-1 dub. Rafe Flores slugged a pair of three-run bombs (one off a position player), Jared Triolo went ​3-for-4 with a homer (it bounced off of a Miami mitt, but hey...), a walk, three RBIs & three runs scored and Jake Mangum went 3-for-4 with a single, double & triple plus HBP, plating a run while tallying three times. Nick Gonzales also went long. 

Braxton Ashcraft - 2026 image Pirates/DLC

• And it was back to PNC Park to host the Red Sox. The afternoon was wet and dreary, but the sun came out, Bubba was solid and the Bucs took an 8-4 dub, with Brandon Lowe's three-run bomb the big blast. Rafael Flores kept up his bopping too with a solo shot. 
• 38,408 fans showed up to catch Jared Jones; it was the fifth PNC Park sellout of the season. It the third-largest crowd for a game at PNC Park this year, behind only July 25 vs. the Cubs (39,105) and April 3 (Home Opener) vs. Baltimore (38,986). The team didn't put up much of a batting show for the crowd - JJ left down 1-0, and the BoSox added three more off Luke Weaver in the ninth to win 4-0 & even the series.
• It was Paul Skene's day to toss, but the Bucs pushed his outing back a couple of days 'til Wednesday to give him some extra breathing room; Lake Bachar got the ball. He spun three scoreless frames, tho Hunter Barco later gave up e three-run bomb. But the Bucs were up 7-0 by that time; Esmerlyn Valdez, Bryan Reynolds & Brandon Lowe had six hits, five runs and four RBI v the Beaneaters by then. Then it thundered, lightning'ed, galed & rained in the seventh, holding up the ballplayin' until after 6PM. It finished quietly from there and the Bucs bullpen game ended up an 8-3 dub for the good guys.
• It will be the Tigers turn to visit the North Shore this week before the Bucs start a Friday set against the Dodgers in la-la land. Monday's game will be on ESPN, the first PNC Park-ESPN pairing since 2019.

MLB Stuff: 

• Curious just how the Pirates defense rates? SABR has a list ranking the players' glovework; some of the results are kinda obvious, but a couple may surprise you.
• RHP Chris Devenski signed a minor-league deal with the Mets after he opted for free agency rather than a return trip to Indy after rehab.
• RHP Bryse Wilson, who was recently DFA'ed by the Brewers and declared for free agency, played his cards right; he re-signed an MLB deal with the Brew Crew and is back in the bullpen.
• RHP Brent Honeywell, who appeared in a couple of games for the 2024 Pirates, signed a minor league deal with the Padres.
• The D-Backs, who stashed RHP Dennis Santana in AAA after he was released by the Bucs, called him up over the weekend. 
• 1B Carlos Santana got his release from Atlanta's AAA Gwinnett squad and is now a free agent.

8/17 Through the 1960s: Alley Oop, Chris' 1st, Hank Takes Two, Trips, Rube Rhubarb, Game Days, HBD Alex, Bill, Red & Arch

1891 - 3B Arch Reilly was born in Alton, Illinois. Arch never got to bat in his MLB career, though he was used as a defensive sub during a blowout once by the 1917 Bucs, handling his only chance at the hot corner flawlessly. The Ohio State man played in the minors from 1913-17, then retired from playing to coach three different sports at Marshall College (now University).

1892 - IF John “Red” Rawlings was born in Bloomfield, Iowa. He spent the final seasons (1923-26) of his 12-year career as a Bucco, hitting .272 mainly as a bench guy. Rawlings later managed for eight years in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for the Grand Rapids Chicks (1946-50), Peoria Redwings (1951) and Rockford Peaches (1953-54). He led his teams to six playoff appearances, including a championship with the 1947 Chicks. 

1904 - The Pirates whacked 13 hits and six runs off Christy Mathewson, but it wasn’t enough as the New York Giants scored nine times against Charlie Case to win a slugfest at Exposition Park. Giants manager John “Mugsy” McGraw was at the center of a small riot. He was coaching third, and for some reason left the box and stood on the sack as a Giant runner was coming in; Hans Wagner saw the movement and thought it was 3B Tommy Leach, not McGraw, on the hot corner, zipped the ball to the bag and the overthrow plated a run for NY. Afterward, as described by the Pittsburgh Press, “Wagner made a kick and was put out of the game” by ump Johnstone. The Pirates protested to the league to no avail. Leach had three hits and Moose McCormick homered for the Pirates.

1907 - Pittsburgh defeated the Boston Doves at the South End Grounds by a 5-1 score. The Pittsburgh Press wrote that CF Wee Tommy Leach “...broke the hearts of the (Boston) locals with a great spear in the third inning of (Ginger) Beaumont’s rap with the bases full. He gathered the ball in his mitt with his arm extended while going at full speed...it seemed impossible to get the ball, and it cost the Bostons four runs.” Leach made several nice plays in the pasture on the day, and even stole home. It was the Doves' 16th consecutive loss, but they finally straightened up and flew right to take the set’s next three games.

Wee Tommy Leach - 1908 Harwell Collection/Detroit Public Library

1915 - Rube Benton pitched the Bucs to a 3-2 win over Chicago, but both the Cubs and Giants protested the win. According to the SABR Biography Project “Cincinnati placed him (Benton) on waivers in early August. The New York Giants verbally claimed him for the $3,000 waiver price, but shortly thereafter the Pittsburgh Pirates offered $4,000. The Reds accepted the Pirates' offer, prompting the Giants to file a grievance. Benton, meanwhile, reported to the Pirates and tossed a six-hitter to defeat the Cubs. One week later, the NL's Board of Directors awarded Benton to the Giants. It ruled, however, that the Pirates had acted in good faith; rather than forfeiting the August 17th game, the Board ordered that it be stricken from the record books and replayed in September. The day after the decision, Rube pitched his first game for the Giants - against the Pirates, of course! - and gave up 12 hits in four innings of a 9-7 loss.” Benton was a solid arm and pitched for 15 years with a 150-144/3.09 slate.

1929 - The Bucs scored three times in the first inning when Paul Waner doubled in Dick Bartell and Lloyd Waner, then came home on a two-out knock by Adam Comorosky, providing just enough firepower to hold off Boston at Braves Field, 3-2. Larry French got the win and Steve Swetonic closed it out for the save, but 2B George Grantham actually made the key save. With Braves on first and second and nobody out, he snared a liner and flipped it to SS Bartell, who stepped on second for out #2 and tagged the Braves’ runner from first (Boston had the hit-and-run on so everyone was movin’) for a triple play.

1943 - Pittsburgh won a twin bill from Boston‚ 8-0 and 4-3. Elbie Fletcher and Maurice Van Robays each had five hits on the day and drove in seven runs while banging out a homer, triple and four doubles in tandem. Hank Gornicki was the winner in both games at Braves Field (and both losses were suffered by Nate Andrews). He tossed a six-hit complete game in the opener and shut Boston down again for 1-2/3 frames in the nitecap. But what goes around...a few days later, on August 22nd, the Brooklyn Dodgers evened the score by beating Gornicki twice. 

1948 - The Pirates beat the Reds 4-3 at Forbes Field when Ralph Kiner took Ewell Blackwell deep with two outs in the ninth inning for the walkoff win, finishing off a 3-for-5 day at the dish. Vic Lombardi tossed a complete game for the Bucs while also going 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Ralph Kiner - 1948 Leaf/Bowman

1957 - RHP Bill Landrum was born in Columbia, South Carolina. Landrum closed for the Bucs from 1989-91, saving 56 games and putting up a 13-10/2.32 line. His big year was 1989, when he saved 26 games and had a 1.67 ERA. Bill retired after the 1993 campaign when he was 36 and transitioned to the real estate business back home in South Carolina.

1960 - Clem Labine, picked up the day before after being released by Detroit, tossed 3-2/3 innings of hitless ball with six K to save a 5-3 win for Harvey Haddix over the Phils at Forbes Field. Don Hoak’s three RBI paced the Bucco batters. Labine still had it during the Bucs stretch run, posting a line of 3-0-3/1.48 in 15 outings. Clem, one of the fifties premier backenders, stuck with Pirates for another season, with his last campaign as a Met in 1962.

1962 - Per the Pittsburgh Press, “Harvey Haddix agrees that it makes a great difference when your curveball and slider finally do what a curve and slider are supposed to do” as he notched his first win since July 3rd over the Phillies at Forbes Field, 9-1. Harvey went the distance, scattering nine hits behind a balanced attack that saw all nine Bucs reach base against Philadelphia with eight scoring and seven chasing home runs. The game was played in front of a disappointing Friday night crowd of 13,713 despite a pre-game show by Jackie Gleason and the Glea Girls (which was panned in the papers).

1965 - OF Alex Cole was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Cole put in seven years in the show, spending most of 1992 with Pittsburgh and batting .278, reaching base five times in 13 PAs in the NLCS v Atlanta. He came to the Pirates in a July trade for Tony Mitchell and the speedster was lost the following season when he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies. He then went to Minnesota and Boston, with his last MLB season being in 1996. Cole finished with a .280 BA and 148 SB in his 573-game career. Alex followed that with a year in the Marlins system, a year in Mexico and a final year in the indie leagues to end his playing days. He passed on in 2023 at the age of 58.

Alex Cole - 1993 Donruss (reverse)

1966 - The Pirates jumped out to a third-inning 7-1 lead against the Mets at Shea Stadium with Bob Veale on the hill, but it wasn’t to be. Fueled by a Hawk Taylor grand slam, his first and only, the NY nine roared back to take an 8-7 edge after six, and that’s how the game ended. It cut the Pirates lead in the NL to 1/2 game (they would finish third, three games behind LA). There were several sidebar stories: The Mets snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Bucs; The Kitten, Harvey Haddix, was the Metropolitan pitching coach; long time Buc fixture Bob Friend tossed three scoreless, one-hit innings to earn a save for NY, and Willie Stargell cranked out his 28th homer, setting a then-club record for HRs by a lefty. Bill Mazeroski and Donn Clendenon also went deep.

1967 - The Buccos defeated the Mets 6-5 in 14 innings in the second game of a twin bill (they lost the opener by the same 6-5 score) at Forbes Field. Manny Mota came through with a walkoff rap off rookie Tom Seaver, in his only relief appearance of the year, when he singled home Roberto Clemente to make a winner of Juan Pizarro. Six Pirates had a multi-hit game, led by Maury Wills with four knocks, posting a double, two runs scored, a run chased home and a stolen base in the nitecap.

1968 - Bob Moose spun a four-hitter over 7-2/3 IP and Ron Kline came on to get the final four outs as the Pirates dropped the Dodgers at Forbes Field, 3-0. The big blow for the Bucs was Chris Cannizzaro’s first MLB homer, a two-run shot, with the other score coming on a Freddy Patek triple and slow grounder. For Cannizzaro, it had taken seven seasons and 602 MLB at-bats before he finally launched a ball out of the yard (he would hit 17 more before retiring in 1974). He was behind the dish for the injured Jerry May. For Moose, it was his first start in 11 days; he had been out of baseball action while drilling with the Marine Corps Reserve.

1969 - The Pirates opened with five runs in the first inning, capped by a three-run Gene Alley blast. The Reds answered with four tallies of their own as Pete Rose and Bobby Tolan, the first two Cincy batters, homered off Steve Blass with Johnny Bench adding another long ball an out later. The game at Crosley Field settled down after that, with the Pirates taking an 8-5 decision as Al Oliver and Willie Stargell added dingers. Steverino gave up another home run (to Tony Perez) in the third, but hung on to claim the win with a Chuck Hartenstein save.

8/17 From 1970: Streak Snappers, GI's Lucky 13, Bombfest, Sweep, On Point, Maz #2,000, Game Days, Last Hero, HBD Chad

1971 - Bill Mazeroski recorded his 2‚000th career hit against Wade Blasingame in a 6-5 loss to Houston at TRS. Maz finished his career with 2,016 knocks, eighth on the all-time Pittsburgh hit list, tucked between a pair of pretty good woodchoppers in Willie Stargell and Arky Vaughan.

1978 - RHP Chad Qualls was born in Lomita, California. The Pirates got him at the deadline from the Yankees in 2012 for Casey McGahee as they sniffed a playoff run that never materialized; in fact, they faded badly and ended up with just 78 wins. Chad didn’t help turn the corner, tossing to a 6.59 ERA in 17 appearances and getting released after the year. Qualls kept working, though - he lasted in the majors until 2017, when he was released by the Rox.

1984 - A 20-cent commemorative stamp recognizing the 50th birthday of Roberto Clemente (it was the next day, a Sunday) was issued by the Post Office in Carolina, Puerto Rico, his birthplace. The release ceremony was held at the Roberto Clemente Sport City facility. His stamp was designed by Juan Lopez-Bonilla and shows Arriba with the Puerto Rican flag in the background.

1988 - Newly acquired Dave LaPoint went seven innings in his first Pirates start, giving up a run on three hits, to lead the Pirates to a 2-1 win over the Braves in front of 33,164 Buck Night fans at TRS. Pittsburgh got RBIs from Jose Lind and Tom Prince in the second and third innings, and it was just enough to squeeze by Tom Glavine. Jim Gott earned the save in a game that took the quick-working LaPoint and company just 2:05 to complete. LaPointe, a stretch run rental, slashed 4-2/2.77 for the Bucs before moving on to the NYY's in the off season.

1990 - In a battle of division leaders, the Bucs swept the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium by 7-1 and 4-3 tallies. In the opener, Wally Backman doubled twice and drove in two runs; Spanky LaValliere also doubled and had two RBI. Bobby Bonilla cranked a homer and scored three times as Mike York got the win in his MLB debut with help from Bob Patterson (as his reward for a seven-inning, six-hit, scoreless stint, York, who was called up from AAA Buffalo, was returned the next day, tho he was called back in September). In the nitecap, the Bucs rode three solo shots by Jay Bell, Bobby Bo and Jeff King and a two-out infield single by Bell in the eighth that plated John Cangelosi to victory. John Smiley was credited with the victory and Stan Belinda worked the last two frames to save the Bucco dub. Unfortunately, the day’s good karma didn’t carry over to the postseason as the Reds won the NLCS over the Pirates in six games.

Mike York - 1991 Topps

1993 - A trio of Bucs (Carlos Garcia, Jeff King & Al Martin) homered and drove in three runs apiece to ruin Beaver HS grad John Burkett’s return home as the Pirates romped over the Western Division’s front-running Giants at TRS 10-3. The triplet vibe carried on as Garcia and Don Slaught banged out a three-pack of hits to support winner Steve Cooke, who went eight innings.

2003 - The Pirates drew 24,092 to PNC Park for Charlie Brown bobblehead night, and the fans were treated to a 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Tike Redmond, Jack Wilson and Reggie Sanders homered for the Bucs as Josh Fogg claimed the win. Fogg helped himself by breaking the Pirates staff's 10-game streak of giving up homers. The club was playing a man short after trading 1B Randall Simon to the Cubs earlier in the day for SS Ray Sadler. 

2004 - The Bucs dispatched Arizona 7-1 at Bank One Ballpark to win for the eighth time in their last nine decisions. Ty Wigginton and Craig Wilson homered as Jose Castillo banged out a pair of doubles. Ryan Vogelsong tossed seven innings of one run, six-hit ball for the win.

2009 - Garrett Jones homered in Pittsburgh's 9–5 victory over Milwaukee at PNC Park for his 13th home run in the 40 games since his June 30th call up. He was the first rookie in eight years to hit 13+ home runs in that span, joining Albert Pujols and Adam Dunn, who did it 2001. Adam LaRoche and Ronny Cedeno also went long as the Bucs won for only the second time in 14 games. He had signed with the Pirates in the off season as a minor league free agent.

2012 - James McDonald and four relievers held St. Louis to four hits at Busch Stadium to claim a 2-1 victory over the Redbirds. The two Buc runs scored in the fourth and both were gift wrapped by the Cards - one scored on a wild pitch, the other on a passed ball with an error in between.

J-Mac - 2013 Topps Opening Day

2013 - The film “Baseball’s Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories” premiered at the Strand Theater in Zelienople. The movie was written by West View native Richard Rossi. It had its initial showing in Hollywood, and after its debut, Rossi edited the film into its final version for its local viewing.

2018 - The Pirates lost a second consecutive 1-0 game to the Cubs at PNC Park, both decided by Chicago solo homers, to run their scoreless streak to 23 innings. This match was especially frustrating - the Pirates tied the MLB record held by the 1969 San Francisco Giants & 1942 Philadelphia Athletics by hitting into seven double plays in regulation, including the game-ender with runners on first and second with an out in the ninth. David Freese and Josh Bell each banged into a pair of DPs. The Cubbies and Buccos set a new nine-inning NL record by smacking into nine total twin killings. The poor fans sat through all the misery until the wee hours; the game’s start was delayed by 1:47 after waiting out a storm that rolled over the city, providing the only local thunder and lightning the rooters would see. Trevor Williams and Ivan Nova were the hard-luck losers after dancing with Cole Hamels and Jon Lester.

2024 - A couple of streaks came to an end - the Pirates beat Seattle at PNC for their second straight win after dropping ten games in a row to snap a four-series losing streak (three were sweeps), and the Mariners became the final AL team to lose a series in Pittsburgh, having swept or split their previous four sets in the Steel City. As for the game, Bailey Falter tied a career high by striking out eight in 5-2/3 IP, with homers by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Rowdy Tellez and Jared Triolo providing the muscle in a 7-2 dub; Rowdy had three RBI with a long ball & 2B.

8/16 Through 1954: Demon Dutchman, Ace Elmer, Game Days, HR Spree, HBD Nick, Al, Curt, Gene, Tiny, Andy, Bill, Rube, Wee Willie & Kid

1872 - SS Frederick “Gene The Kid” Steere was born in South Scituate, Rhode Island. An All-America at Brown University, where he got his nickname (he was on the small side and looked younger than his age), his major-league career consisted of 10 games with the Pirates in 1894, hitting .204. The Kid took the hint and went off to Hawaii at age 26, where Steere was a successful plantation owner and real estate developer who was deeply involved in baseball on the Islands. It had taken root there when Alexander Cartwright made it his home (he left NYC and the Knickerbockers to join the Gold Rush and kept going). Steere continued to help popularize the game Aloha Islands before returning stateside.

1872 - 1B “Wee Willie” Clark was born in Pittsburgh. He played the final two years of his five-season big league career with the Bucs, hitting .293 from 1898-99. Though he played well, he was part of the backwash when Barney Dreyfuss absorbed most of the Louisville team in 1900. Willie played a year for the minor league Milwaukee Brewers, then retired. He stayed local, dying at the age of 62 and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery.

1887 - LHP John Henry “Hank”/“Rube” Robinson was born in Floyd, Arkansas. He spent the first three years (1911-13) of his career with Pittsburgh, going 26-17/2.34 with his time split between the pen and starting. After he retired, Robinson pitched 13 consecutive seasons with Little Rock from 1916-28. During his career he won 190 games, working 3,000+ innings for the Travelers, and earned a spot in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1962.

1890 - RHP Bill Phillips of the Alleghenys (and Charleroi) became the first pro pitcher in history to allow two grand slams in the same inning while tossing against the Chicago Colts, as the Windy City won 18-5 at Recreation Park. Phillips ended 1-9 with a 7.57 ERA in his rookie season but took some notes and went on to have a seven-year career with a 70-76/4.09 line.

Bill Phillips - photo via Basball Almanac

1892 - 1B Bill Keen was born in Oglethorpe, Georgia. Keen got into six games as a Buc in 1911, going 0-for-7 with a walk, and that was his MLB career. He was one of six first basemen to get a look that season, and his was the briefest audition of the gang. Keen did have a drawerful of nicknames, with Rebel, Hammerhead, WB (William Brown) and Buster among them.

1904 - The Pirates swept the NY Giants by 7-2 and 4-1 counts at the Polo Grounds in front of 23,000 disappointed Big Apple fans. Patsy Flaherty took the opener from Christy Mathewson while Mike Lynch did the honors in the nightcap, defeating Dummy Taylor. Ginger Beaumont had five hits during the day to lead Pittsburgh while Hans Wagner chipped in with three. It was the first time that the New Yorkers had dropped a twin bill during a season that saw them dethrone the Bucs and run away with the pennant by reeling off 106 wins.

1908 - RHP Andrew Jackson “Andy” Bednar was born in Streator, Illinois. Andy pitched briefly for the Pirates in 1930-31, making five appearances with a 0-0/15.19 slash. That was his MLB career, but despite that, he was a fine pitcher in the minors, once winning 22 games for Tulsa. He died young in Texas in 1937 following a car crash while working in the oil fields.

1909 - OF Red Murray of the NY Giants saved Christy Mathewson’s bacon on a dark and stormy afternoon when, as the Pittsburgh Press described “...the ball was seen rising, rising far out over the heads of the waiting fielders. But Red Murray had his eye on the ball...the most wonderful catch ever seen at Forbes Field was pulled off, Murray getting the sphere with his bare hand after a long hard run. The inning was over and the Pirates were robbed of victory...as the game was called because of rain with the score deadlocked at 2-2. Two runners had already crossed home when Murray snagged Dots Miller’s two-out drive...as the wind whistled, the lightning flashed, the thunder crashed and the rain descended.” 1B Ham Hyatt chipped in with his third pinch-hit triple of the year, a record that wouldn't be matched until 1970 by Vic Davalillo of St. Louis.

Elmer Steele - 1911 Conlon Collection/Detroit Public Library

1911 - Elmer Steele needed just 72 pitches in downing the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers 9-0 at Washington Park. Steele surrendered no walks, had no strikeouts, and allowed just one hit, a one-out ninth inning single that just got past 2B Dots Miller. But it wasn’t all good news: Honus Wagner severely injured his ankle during the match, ended up on crutches and missed 25 of the next 26 games. During his absence, the Bucs, who were only one game off the pace at the time, stumbled and finished 16 games behind, a distant third to the NY Giants.

1913 - The Pirates jumped on the Giants’ Christy Mathewson, scoring eight times in the first three frames and then hanging on for an 8-6 win at the Polo Grounds. The “demon Dutchman” (per the Pittsburgh Press) Hans Wagner went 4-for-5 with a homer and Jim Viox added three knocks to help Babe Adams to the win with George McQuinlan credited with a four-inning save.

1913 - RHP Ernest “Tiny” Bonham was born in Ione, California. He pitched the final three years (1947-49) of his career for the Pirates, with a record of 24-22 and a 2.11 ERA. Prior to that, Tiny tossed seven seasons for the Yankees with a 21 win season and two All Star berths. In one of baseball’s saddest endings, he went to the hospital in August of his last season for an appendectomy, was discovered to have cancer and died three weeks later.

1922 - OF Gene Woodling was born in Akron, Ohio. The outfielder spent 17 years in the league, and made a stop at Pittsburgh in 1947 as a 25-year-old, getting into 22 games and batting .266. He coached for the Orioles for four years after hangin’ ‘em up, but his biggest contribution following his playing days was as a major mover in establishing a players pension fund. 

Curt Roberts - 2024 Pirates BHM

1929 - 2B Curt Roberts was born in Pineland, Texas. The first black American ballplayer for Pittsburgh (Carlos Bernier was the first black player), he played from 1954-56, hitting .223 as a Pirate. He lost his starting job at second in 1955 to Johnny O’Brien and they both lost out to a kid from Ohio named Bill Mazeroski, who would claim the position in 1956 and keep it for the next dozen years. When his baseball career ended, he worked as a security guard for the University of California, Berkeley. He died tragically at the age of 40 in Oakland, California, when he was hit by a drunk driver while changing a flat tire on his car.

1947 - The Pirates blasted a franchise record-tying seven homers in a game (it was equaled  in 1894, 2003, 2023 and 2024) against the Cardinals in a 12-7 win at Forbes Field. Ralph Kiner launched three consecutive dingers, the first of four times he would do that thing (he also tied a MLB record by going long in four consecutive at bats), while Hank Greenberg and Billy Cox blasted a pair each. For Greenberg, it was his 35th and final multi-homer game. The homers accounted for all 12 of the Buc runs. Kiner matched the MLB marks of seven HRs in four games, six in three games, five in two games, and four in consecutive at bats (he went long in his last at bat the day before) while becoming the first Pirate to homer not only three times in a single game but consecutively. Kiner, Greenberg and Cox were joined by Cardinal Whitey Kurowski, who also had a pair of homers, to set a MLB record for most players with multi homers in a game; the 10 home runs in a nine-inning game tied another record as nine long ball marks were set or equaled.

1952 - LHP Al Holland was born in Roanoke, Virginia. Holland spent 10 years in the show, starting in 1977 with the Pirates (he would return for a bit in 1985) and slash 1-3-4/3.54. He had some nice seasons closing for Philly, earning an All-Star berth and the NL Rolaids Reliever of the Year award. He took a hit when he admitted to coke use during the 1985 trials and that, along with a wrist injury, ended his career after the 1987 campaign.

1953 - Coach Nick Leyva was born in Ontario, California. He closed his career as an advisor in Pirates baseball operations after he was the Bucs first/third base coach, joining the staff in 2010 when Clint Hurdle was hired and exiting in 2020. Leyva is a former minor league player and manager who began coaching in 1978 and was the skipper of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1989-1991.

8/16 From 1955: AJ "STFU", Boss Bert, King Cobra, Frank Trio, Maz 1st, Game Days, Dock Balks, Hebner Back, Jamo & Allie Sign, HBD Connor & Rick

1956 - 19-year-old rookie Bill Mazeroski belted his first homer and had a three-hit outing (he enjoyed his first MLB three-hit game the day before) to help lead the Bucs to a 4-1 win at Connie Mack Stadium v the Phils. His two runs scored and two RBI were all that Vern Law needed for a six-hit, complete game victory.

1958 - Frank Thomas bombed three consecutive homers off three different pitchers, drove home six runs and scored four times in a 13-4 romp over the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. Dick Groat added four knocks and three tallies while Dick Stuart also went long. Bob Friend got the win with Bob Porterfield tossing the final two frames to ice the cake.

1964 - RHP Rick Reed was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He was drafted by the Bucs and played his first four seasons (1988-91) with them, going 4-7 with a 4.98 ERA while yo-yo’ing between the minors and the big leagues. He continued to bounce around the fringes of the league and spent all of 1966 in the bushes. Then the light went on at the age of 32; he won double-digit games for six of the next seven seasons with the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins while named to a pair of All-Star teams. He was briefly the pitching coach at his old school, Marshall University, but then opted for full-time retirement to raise his family.

1972 - Willie Stargell’s two-run homer brought the Bucs back for a 3-2 win at Dodger Stadium. Don Sutton had been cruising along with a 2-0 lead going into the ninth when his bubble burst. Dave Cash doubled and scored on Al Oliver’s bouncer up the middle. Pops, who was in a 1-for-21 batting funk, was flashed the green light on a 3-0 pitch and dropped it into the RC field stands for the win. Normally, the Dodgers would have sent closer Jim Brewer to the hill to face Stargell, but the lefty was out with hand problems so Walter Alston stuck with Sutton. Cash had three hits and Scoops a pair to pace the attack. Bob Miller, who danced past Dodger runners in the last two frames thanks to a pair of DP balls, got the win in relief of Nellie Briles.

Bob Miller - 1972 Topps

1975 - After being pulled from his last two starts without getting through the first inning and then refusing to pitch in relief, earning a one-day suspension, Dock Ellis called a clubhouse meeting in Cincinnati and had skipper Danny Murtaugh attend. Ellis then ripped into the Irishman and team management, earning himself an indefinite suspension and $2,000 fine. The suspension left the team short handed, but GM Joe Brown told Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Press that “We’re better off with 24 (players) than we were with 25.” The club, not too surprisingly, lost the game to the Reds, 5-3. The suspension was lifted on August 30th after he apologized to Murtaugh, and Ellis was traded to the NY Yankees in December. Ellis became the UPI “Comeback Player of the Year” in 1976 with a 17-8 record, then refused to sign his 1977 contract, blasted George Steinbrenner, and was traded again. But the Docktor eventually let bygones be bygones; he returned to the Bucs late in 1979 and retired as a Pittsburgh Pirate.

1978 - Dave Parker homered twice, was walked intentionally two more times, had five RBI and scored three times to lead the Pirates hit parade in a 13-2 spanking of the Reds at TRS. Bill Robinson added three hits, including a long ball, with three runs chased home, four other Buccos had two hits (Omar Moreno - three runs scored; Rennie Stennett, Ed Ott and Phil Garner), while reliever Grant Jackson even added a two-run triple. John Candelaria got the win.

1980 - Pittsburgh defeated Montreal 5-0 at TRS in front of 32,390 fans. Bert Blyleven was brilliant, going the distance while giving up two hits, walking one and fanning a dozen. The Pirates scored four times in the opening frame to allow Blyleven to cruise to his seventh victory.  

1982 - The Pirates purchased Richie Hebner from the Tigers, a homecoming for The Gravedigger who began his professional career with Pittsburgh and had a nine-year run with the Bucs. He hit .276 during the stretch run and 1983, then spent his final two campaigns with the Cubs. Richie’s Bucco average over 11 years was .277 with a 122 OPS+ and 128 homers.

Richie Hebner - 1983 Fleer

1989 - The Bucs took home a 5-4 win in 12 innings against Houston at the Astrodome after Bobby Bonilla hit the winning dinger off Larry Andersen. It first played out as an apparent double, but the call was changed to a home run after a quick ump’s conference; the ball had bounced off a fan’s stone hands and back into the field. John Smiley had two RBI, but wasn’t around for the final decision. The win went to Neal Heaton, with a save credited to Bill Landrum.

1992 - OF/1B Connor Joe was born in San Diego, California. Connor was a Competitive Balance pick (#39 overall) of the Bucs in 2014 from the U of San Diego. The Pirates traded him for Sean Rodriguez in 2017, and he’s played for six organizations, including a brief Bucco reunion in 2024, and is now with Seattle. 

1997 - The Pirates scored three times in the first inning and never looked back as they defeated the Florida Marlins 10-5 at Pro Player Stadium. Rookie Jose Guillen, who had been playing in High A Lynchburg the season before, homered and chased in five runs. Joe Randa collected three raps and Kevin Polcovich also went long as Francisco Cordova got the win. The two staffs used nine pitchers who gave up 19 hits and 15 walks while tossing 347 pitches.

2010 - The Pirates signed top draft picks RHP Jameson Taillon and RHP Stetson Allie. Taillon was in HS and committed to Rice, but agreed to a $6.5M deal after being drafted second, just behind Bryce Harper. He went 14-10/3.20 in 2018, his only 30-start MLB season; he’s gone through two TJ and a cancer surgery already. He was traded to the Yankees in 2021 for Roansy Contreras and a package of youngsters and is now with the Blue Jays. Stetson was also a pitcher who could touch 100 in HS; the Bucs took him in the second round and reeled him in from a commitment to North Carolina for $2.25M. The club switched him from the mound to the pasture to take advantage of his bat, but neither position worked out and he ended up a man without a position. He was with the Dodger organization for five years and was released by his last club, Tampa Bay, in 2021.

Stetson Allie - 2010 photo/MLB.com

2011 - Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer to give Pittsburgh the early lead, Neil Walker hit another bomb to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, and Garrett Jones went yard in the 11th inning to account for all the Buc scoring in a 5-4 win against the Cardinals at PNC Park. Chris Resop, the fifth Pirate pitcher of the game, got the win after working a pair of scoreless innings. Longtime Buc nemesis Albert Pujols took Jeff Karstens deep in the sixth to become the first player in MLB history to hit 30 homers in each of his first 11 seasons.

2012 - AJ Burnett wasn’t at his best, but battled into the seventh to take a 10-6 win over the Dodgers at PNC Park. This contest entered Pirate folklore when Hanley Ramirez homered off Burnett in the fourth and celebrated with a bit of showboating. AJ got his revenge in the sixth when he struck Ramirez out swinging on a 3-2 pitch and famously told him to “STFD.” Garrett Jones had a pair of three-run homers, both on two-strike deliveries by Joe Blanton with Jordy Mercer and Andrew McCutchen aboard. 

2021 - The Pirates lost to the Dodgers 2-1 and set a new franchise record by dropping their 14th straight game against LA, a new mark of futility against one team. Buc pitchers allowed just five hits, but two were solo shots that sealed their fate. The Pittsburgh attack was equally inept, but they took a 1-0 lead in the seventh on a bopped batter, infield single and error. But with runners on second and third with no one away, rookie Rodolfo Castro and third base coach Joey Cora had simultaneous brain cramps and failed to tag (Castro had wandered too far down the line) on a Hoy Park liner to left; a following K and bouncer kept that big second run from crossing the dish. Setting another team mark, recently signed Yoshitoma Tsutsugo doubled as a pinch hitter in his first Buc at bat to become the 56th different player for the Pirates this season. 

2025 - Announcer Greg Brown was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Sports Hall of Fame. After working for the Pirates as a promotions/marketing factotum, he got a shot to get behind the mic in 1989 to broadcast the Bison games (they were the Pirates AAA affiliate then; Greg was also the color man for the NFL Buffalo Bills from 1990-93) until his return to Pittsburgh in 1994 as an announcer, beginning his Bucco booth gig and popularizing the “Raise the Jolly Roger” catchphrase.

8/15 Through the 1950s: Wild Finish, 4-In-A-Row Ralph, Splits, Game Days, Carey Joins, HBD Duffy, Bernie, Red, Lew & Doggie

1864 - George “Doggie” Miller was born in Brooklyn. Doggie was mostly a catcher, but also played the OF and every IF position, primarily third. In 10 seasons with the Alleghenys and Pirates (1884-1893), he hit .254 and was the epitome of a contact hitter: Doggie struck out 99 times in a Pittsburgh uniform (not counting 1884-86, which have no K stats), and never had a season where he whiffed more than he walked. Doggie was athletic for a catcher; beside playing all those other positions, he swiped 209 bases. Miller is one of three catchers to last a decade in Pittsburgh, along with George Gibson and Manny Sanguillen, and was the first player ever to spend 10 years with Pittsburgh. Doggie got his nickname because he bred dogs. In a less kindly vein, he was also called “Foghorn” and “Calliope” because of a mouth that never shut when he was on the field.

1872 - IF Lew Carr was born in Union Springs, New York. Lew’s only major league action was with the powerhouse 1901 Pirates when he got into nine games and went 7-for-28, which was pretty heady stuff for a guy who played for the amateur Morovian team in 1899 while going to Hobart College. He also was the table-setter for Hans Wagner who slid into the SS spot after Carr was injured after a beaning. Lew attended Syracuse and earned a Law degree after his playing days and stayed around to coach the school's baseball team from 1910-42. In 1952, the school's ballyard was renamed in his honor and he was selected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Known locally as “Mr. Baseball,” Carr spent his retirement years starting a little league program in Moravia and served as its commissioner until he passed away in 1954 at age 81.

1906 - LHP George “Red” Peery was born in Salt Lake City. He spent 10 games in the majors; his first was with the Pirates in 1927, when the 20-year-old tossed an inning and gave up an unearned run on a walk & boot. He retired in 1930 as a 23-year-old after working in the Texas League. 

1908 - RHP Bernie Walter was born in Dover, Tennessee. He got one MLB inning in 1930 as a Pirate, tossing a clean frame as a 22-year-old fresh out of the U of Tennessee. His main job wasn’t to challenge for a rotation spot; he spent the season as the Pirates BP pitcher.

Fred Clarke - 1910 American Caramel

1910 - In a meeting of two powerhouse rivals, the Pirates and NY Giants split a twinbill at the Polo Grounds by 2-1 scores. The first game went 11 innings before either team scored. Pittsburgh got a pair of runs off Christy Mathewson thanks to a Fred Clarke double; Lefty Leifield was nicked for a score in the bottom half but hung on for the win. The Giants scored twice in the first frame of the nightcap off Howie Camnitz, and Hooks Wiltsie made it hold up, with the only Buc run coming via a Hans Wagner double and Doggie Miller single an inning later. However, the game didn’t have much influence on the finish as the Cubs won 104 games and ran away with the pennant, leaving the usual NL suspects in their dust.

1910 - The Pirates bought the rights to OF’er Max Carey from South Bend of the Central League. The Hall-of-Famer played in Pittsburgh for 17 seasons, compiling a .287 BA and .363 OBP with 2,416 hits, 918 walks (he had over 1,000 in his career), 1,414 runs scored and 688 stolen bases. He led the NL in stolen bases 10 times and still holds the Bucco record for swipes, barely edging out Honus Wagner. They also purchased SS Alex McCarthy on the same day from the same club. He spent eight years as a Bucco good-glove utility guy, hitting just .226.

1934 - The Bucs and the NY Giants split a twin bill at Forbes Field. The Giants took the opener, 5-4, holding on after a four-run first for the win. Lloyd Waner singled to bring his hitting streak to 22 games. Pittsburgh won a see-saw battle in the second game. NY tied it, 3-3, in the eighth; the Bucs answered in their half and won 4-3 behind Schoolboy Hoyt’s arm and Arky Vaughan’s homer. The Giants did end Little Poison’s hitting streak in the second contest, but he collected knocks in the next nine games to claim a 31-of-32 games batting roll.

Duffy Dyer - 1975 Topps

1945 - C Duffy Dyer was born in Dayton, Ohio. Dyer backed up Manny Sanguillen from 1975-78, hitting .227 as a Bucco. He caught John Candelaria's no-hitter on August 9th, 1976 and led NL catchers in fielding % in 1977. The light-hitting (.221 lifetime BA) catcher had a long career behind the dish, lasting 14 MLB campaigns. He managed in the minors after his playing days, scouted and was a MLB coach for the Brewers and Oakland A’s. In 2013, Duffy powered down to skipper the Kenosha Kingfish, a summer collegiate league club; he had managed Kenosha in the early eighties when the town was home to a Twins farm club.

1947 - Ralph Kiner hit a home run off Red Munger in his last at bat in the eighth frame during a 7-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field (it was his second dinger of the day; he also bopped a blast in the first inning). Kiner then homered in his first three at bats in his next game against the Cards Ken Burkhart, tying the record for consecutive home runs. And this time the results were better for Pittsburgh as the Pirates slugged their way to a 12-7 victory.

1950 - The Pirates surrendered six runs in the ninth inning, then scored a half dozen of their own to beat the Reds, 10-9, at Forbes Field. The Bucs put up the six spot with six singles, a walk and a big boot - a bobbled potential double play ball - with Clyde McCullough getting the walkoff knock, scoring Wally Westlake from second when his liner was deflected into no man’s land by Reds pitcher Johnny Hetki. The highlight was a fifth-inning homer by Ralph Kiner, Mr. Swat’s 33rd, to left center field off Ewell Blackwell that was estimated to travel 480’. The Bucs third twirler, Bill MacDonald, earned the win.

1951 - Ralph Kiner banged a homer and triple, scored twice and chased home four runners as the Bucs beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-0, at Forbes Field behind Bob Friend’s two-hitter (he was effectively wild with eight walks) and first career shutout. George Metkovich added three hits to the pot.

8/15 From 1960: Pagan Fiver, Blass Breakout, Game Days, Bunning Deal, Gerrit Signs, HBD Jarrad, Ollie & Ramon

1964 - Pirate pitchers Tommie Sisk, Frank Bork and Alvin McBean spoiled “Ernie Banks Day” at Wrigley Field, holding Bingo hitless in a 5-4 Bucco win. Donn Clendenon had a pair of RBI (his two-out single in the ninth inning was the eventual game winner) while Bob Bailey and Roberto Clemente homered. McBean claimed the victory over Lindy McDaniel.

1968 - Steve Blass tossed a four-hit shutout in Pittsburgh’s 2-0 win over the Giants at Forbes Field. It was Blass’ seventh complete game and third whitewash of the season (he ended up with seven zippos, a career high). The Pirates scratched out their scores, tallying via a first inning single by Donn Clendenon and an error that brought home Willie Stargell. 1968 was Steverino’s breakout campaign as he slashed 18-6/2.12 during the year, beginning a five-year run of 30+ starts as a staff mainstay.

1969 - The Pirates traded RHP pitcher Jim Bunning to the Dodgers for two minor league players and cash. Bunning was nagged by injuries and was a disappointing 14-23/3.84 in two seasons with Pittsburgh. He left Pittsburgh and won just 18 more games before retiring after 1971, though he would earn a spot in Cooperstown for his work with the Tigers and Phils. IF Chuck Goggin and 1B/OF Ron Mitchell were the return. Goggin earned eight at-bats in Pittsburgh while Mitchell never made it to the show, spending 11 years in the minors.

1969 - Big Bob Veale went the distance for the third straight time, scattering six hits against the Reds at Crosley Field to lead the Bucs to a 5-1 victory. The Pirates flexed their muscles in the victory, homering four times - Gene Alley went yard twice while Richie Hebner and Al Oliver also swatted long balls. Veale would add one more complete game to the streak before ending the string at four games after a six-inning outing in a win against Cincy.

Bob Veale - 1969 MLB Photo Stamp

1970 - Jose Pagan homered twice while going 4-for-4 with five RBI as the Pirates beat the Padres, 9-3 at TRS. It was the third career two-homer game for Pagan, who homered just 52 times in 4,032 career plate appearances. Bill Mazeroski also went long and Bob Veale struck out 12 batters while tossing a complete game and driving in three runs with a bases-loaded rap.

1974 - RHP Ramon Morel was born in Villa Gonzalez in the Dominican Republic. Ramon pitched for the Bucs from 1995-97, going 2-2/4.98. He pitched one last season for the Cubs before spending time in the minors, Japan and the Dominican League until he retired following the 2008 campaign. At last check, he’s now working for a Florida sports training academy. 

1981 - LHP Oliver Perez was born in Culiacan, Mexico. Part of the Jason Bay deal, he pitched from 2003-06 for the Bucs. Ollie had a breakout 2004 campaign, when he went 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA and 239 K in 196 IP, the third most whiffs in franchise history for a single season. Control and velocity problems ruined his effectiveness, and he reinvented himself later in his career as a LOOGY. He twirled in the Mexican League before retiring in 2023 after 20 years of MLB moundwork.

1984 - CF Jarrod Dyson was born in McCombs, Mississippi. A rare 50th-round draft pick (#1,475 overall) that made a career in the MLB, he played seven years for the KC Royals, a season for Seattle and two campaigns with the D-Backs. The Bucs signed him to a one-year/$2M contract in 2020 to fill the gap in center left by the Starling Marte trade. The 35-year-old Dyson featured good defense and fleet feet but an indifferent bat in 2019, with his batting line at .230/.313/.320 (66 OPS+) but with 30 swiped bases and 13 Defensive Runs Saved on the plus side of the ledger. He lasted in Pittsburgh until August (his BA was .157) before being sent to the White Sox and then was picked up by his original club, the Royals, in 2021. Jarrod finished the season, his last in MLB, with Toronto.

Jarrod Dyson - 2020 photo/Pirates

1993 - The Bucs parlayed a couple of small-ball moves perfectly in the 11th inning and were rewarded with a 4-3, walkoff win against the Braves at Three Rivers Stadium. Dave Clark led off by falling behind 0-2, then held his ground as he watched four off speed pitches miss the mark. Jimmy Leyland put on a hit-and-run for Don Slaught, who banged a ball through the vacated second base hole, and when the center fielder took a tumble cutting it off, Rich Donnelly waved Clark home with the winner. Donnelly’s windmill failed him in the ninth inning when Jeff King was cut down at the plate; Rich didn’t exactly have greyhounds steaming around the corner. King was the hitting hero with two hits, including a big two-run triple, as Blas Minor picked up his seventh win.

2011 - On the last day to sign draftees, the Pirates and #1 pick Gerrit Cole agreed to a record $8M minor-league deal. Cole turned down an $8.5M major league contract running through 2016. His agent, Scott Boras, said the pitcher projects to earn an additional $1.4 million under this deal. "It's essentially the largest signing bonus ever given an amateur player," Pirates GM Neal Huntington told ESPN. "Sometimes, it's more advantageous for a player to take a minor league contract with a bonus that can be spread over nine months than a major league contract that would be spread out over four years." Cole Train wasn’t the only deadline signee; 23 of 33 first round picks hadn’t come to terms yet, but all except prepster RHP Tyler Beede (Toronto’s overall #21 pick, once a Buc & now pitching in Mexico) were in the fold at the day’s end. Cole’s deal and the signing of second pick Josh Bell to a record $5M contract eventually led to the MLB adopting a bonus pool system for draft selections to limit the big paydays.

2015 - There weren’t many hits spread around at Citi Field, but the Bucs and Mets made them count. The Pirates jumped on top 3-0 behind long balls from Aramis Ramirez and Gregory Polanco; NY tied it up in the seventh on bombs by Juan Uribe and Michael Conforto. After that, 10 relievers put up zeroes for the two clubs for seven more innings until the 14th frame when Sean Gilmartin gave up a pair when Chris Stewart and Sean Rodriguez singled home runs. Mark Melancon made the save exciting; with two away and a runner aboard, he gave up a long Anthony Recker drive to center, but the park held it in for Andrew McCutchen and Joe Blanton took home the 5-3 victory.