10/11: Cannonball & Rube Marks, Hans Swipes Three, Bucs Split Postseason Matches, Jerry & Burleigh Let Go, Big Deal Scuttled, Tracy Hired, HBD Shane, Ty, Wayne & Buttercup

1885 - OF Lew “Buttercup” Pessano Dickerson was born in Tyaskin, Maryland, and made a brief stop in the City. Dickerson hit .249 while playing five different positions for the Alleghenys in 1883, and during his career played in three different major leagues (The American Association, the National League and the Union Association.) His nickname "Buttercup" was given to him by his Cincinnati Reds teammates during the 1879 season, after the "Little Buttercup" character in Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta H.M.S Pinafore. No, we don’t why; Buttercup in the musical is described as a “bumboat woman.” On the other hand, Dickerson was known as a lush, league-jumper and street hustler, so maybe he was a “bumboat” ballplayer. Also, he’s sometimes referenced as the first Italian ballplayer (he’s a member of the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, a gang that apparently doesn’t check ID very well), but it ends up the “Pessano” name associated with Dickerson is actually his given middle name, bestowed to honor Doc Pessano, who delivered him, as was a custom of the era. Ed Abbaticchio is generally recognized as the first paesano in baseball (and in pro football, too; he was an all-around athlete) when he played for the Pirates from 1907-10.

1886 - Lefty Ed “Cannonball” Morris claimed his 41st win of the year by a 4-1 score against the New York Metropolitans at Recreation Park, three days after he had shut them out to open the series. His 41 wins set an Alleghenys/Pirates record and led the American Association that season (Pittsburgh joined the NL the following year), as did his 12 shutouts and 1.032 WHIP. Cannonball also worked 555-⅓ IP in 64 appearances (63 starts and one save) while posting a 2.45 ERA.

1900 - Rube Waddell punched out a National League season-high of 12 batters in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Orphans at Exposition Park. He led the senior circuit with a 2.37 ERA and was second with 130 strikeouts in 208-1/3 IP, even though his record was just 8-13. He led the league with fewest hits allowed per nine (7.5), most strikeouts per nine (5.6; no other twirler averaged four) and WHIP (1.107). Rube only pitched twice more for Pittsburgh in 1901 before being sold to the same Chicago Orphans and embarking on a Hall-of-Fame career, mostly based on stints with the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns.

1905 - With the season over, Hans Wagner took his barnstorming team of Buccos through a week-long schedule of local challengers both as a final bow after the campaign and a chance to earn a little beer money before heading home to help carry the troops through the offseason. Other players on the touring team were Claude Ritchey, Tommy Leach, Otis Clymer, Heinie Peitz, George Gibson, Deacon Phillippe, Patsy Flaherty, Otto Knabe and one or two other Pirates tagalongs. This date opened the postseason tour with a game in Homestead.

Hans - 1994 Upper Deck Diamond Legends

1909 - Honus Wagner became the first player to steal three bases in a World Series contest as Pittsburgh beat Detroit at Bennett Park 8-6 in Game Three of the Fall Classic to go up two games to one. The next player to swipe three sacks was the LA Dodgers Willie Davis, who matched the feat in 1965 (the Cards’ Lou Brock in 1967 and the Rays’ BJ Upton in 2008 also scored the hat trick). Nick Maddox struggled on the hill but went the distance for the win, buttressed by a five-run first inning outburst by the Bucs against Ed Summers; all the opening runs were unearned as Motown made three errors in the inning. It was a sloppy affair as 11 of the 14 runs were unearned; Motown had five boots and the Bucs committed a pair. Honus Wagner had three hits with three RBI, and Bobby Byrne, Tommy Leach and Bill Abstein each added two more knocks.

1912 - RHP Wayne Osborne was born in Watsonville, California. Osborne made seven MLB mound appearances; two of them were with the Bucs in 1935, giving up a run in an inning and two-thirds while also getting a call to pinch-run once. He did have a long professional career, starting right out of high school in 1931 as a teen and tossing until he was 30 with 13 campaigns in the Pacific Coast League spent with Hollywood, Mission and Portland to his credit. Old age didn’t catch up to him; his ball playing days ended when the country beckoned and he was drafted in 1943. It was a surprise call to arms by Uncle Sam - Osborne was missing a finger on his pitching hand, which he used to his advantage in mastering the curveball per Donald Wells in “Baseball’s Western Front.”

1925 - The Big Train, Walter Johnson, shut out the Pirates 4-0 on six hits at Griffith Stadium to give the Senators a three games to one lead in the World Series. Washington scored all four runs in the second inning off Emil Yde, the big blow being a three-run homer by Goose Goslin, with Joe Harris adding another long ball. Johnson was in complete control; only one Pirate runner reached second all day as the Sens moved within a victory of defending their World Championship.

1934 - It was the end of an era as the Pirates released 40-year-old RHP Burleigh Grimes, who was in the third Bucco stint of his 19-year MLB journey, slashing 48-42-5/3.26 in his five Pirates seasons The Hall of Famer was the last player to legally toss a spitter, one of 17 hurlers exempted when the pitch was outlawed in 1921. He went on to a long career as a coach, manager and scout.

1966 - The Pirates released one of baseball’s elite pinch hitters, Jerry Lynch, ending a 13-year MLB career that was spent evenly split between the Bucs and Cincinnati (he started and ended in Pittsburgh). He had 116 pinch hits during his tenure (.263 BA), which ranks him 10th all-time, and is third on the all-time pinch hit home run list (he was first when he retired) with 18. 

Richie Hebner - 1971 Pirates Photo Series

1971 - In a game that was delayed a day by rain, Brooks Robinson set a World Series record by reaching base five consecutive times (three hits, two walks) against the Pirates as Baltimore won Game 2 by an 11-3 count. Bob Johnson and Bob Moose were hit hard at Memorial Stadium - the Orioles scored nine times in the fourth and fifth frames and belted three homers during the laugher. The Bucco runs came in the eighth on one swing, Richie Hebner’s three-run shot.

1972 - Bob Moose's wild pitch in the ninth inning allowed George Foster to score the winning run with two outs as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Bucs, 4-3, at Riverfront Stadium to capture the NLCS in the winner-take-all fifth game. The Pirates had entered the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead but couldn’t hold on. Johnny Bench's lead-off solo homer against Dave Giusti tied the game before Foster’s scamper won it. Cincy pitching was the difference. Pittsburgh led the NL with a .274 team BA, but hit just .190 during the series, scoring only 10 runs in the final four games. The Reds lost the World Series to the Oakland A’s in seven games. It was also the last game ever played by Roberto Clemente, who went 1-for-3.

1977 - IF Ty Wigginton was born in San Diego. He came over from the Mets as part of the Kris Benson deal and played for the Pirates from 2004-05, primarily at third, but hit just .237 and was fairly immobile at the hot corner. Wiggy played 12 seasons before his last game in 2013, making stops at eight different cities. Ty’s now a high school coach, following in his dad’s footsteps.

1979 - Pittsburgh pushed a run across in the ninth to knot the World Series with Baltimore at a game apiece, taking a 3-2 win at Memorial Stadium. Bill Madlock and Ed Ott drove in second inning runs while Eddie Murray homered and doubled to plate a pair. Jim Palmer and Bert Blyleven started the game and left it to the bullpens to decide. Both teams left the bases loaded in the seventh. Bill Robinson singled to start the ninth against Tippy Martinez, and Matt Alexander came in to run, only to be caught stealing. With Don Stanhouse on the mound, Bill Madlock drove one deep to center, but it was a loud out. The Bucs kept on, though, as Ed Ott hit a ground ball single, Phil Garner drew a four pitch walk, and pinch hitter Manny Sanguillen singled to right for the lead. Don Robinson got the win and Kent Tekulve the save, striking out a pair of O’s in the ninth.

1979 - LHP Shane Youman was born in New Iberia, Louisiana. Shane made 23 appearances (11 starts) in 2006-07 for Pittsburgh with a line of 3-7/5.13, and that was the only action of his MLB career. He spent the next four years pitching in the indie leagues, then another four campaigns on the mound in Korea, while spending some winters tossing for Latin clubs. He returned to pitch in Korea in 2018 at age 37, and now coaches high school players in Texas.

Shane Youman - 2007 Fleer Rookie

1983 - Pirates beatman Charley Feeney of the Post Gazette wrote that the Bucs and Giants had submitted a big late-August trade proposal for league approval, but were denied by National League President Chub Feeney because of a rules violation. Per the article, the Buccos were going to send 1B Jason Thompson, 2B Johnnie Ray, LHP Rod Scurry and OF Lee Lacy to the Bay for OF Jack Clark and lefty reliever Gary LaVelle. GM Pete Peterson was looking for a power bat to replace OF Dave Parker, who was in the walk year of his contract (The Cobra signed with the Reds after the season). The catch? The Pirates wanted two unspecified players to stay with the team until the end of the season as the Bucs were in a pennant race at the time (they ended up in second place after the smoke cleared), but that ran counter to a reg that forbid a club from keeping players on their original team after they were announced as part of a deal. The talks had begun back in June, with San Francisco seeking 2B Denny Gonzalez and C Tony Pena as part of the original package.

1992 - The Pirates kept their season alive against the Atlanta Braves at Three Rivers Stadium, scoring four times in the first inning to chase Steve Avery and then coasting behind a three-hitter by Bob Walk to a 7-1 win. Lloyd McClendon and Jeff King each had three knocks while the Bucs drilled five doubles among their 13 hits. The Pirates returned to Atlanta down three games to two in the NLCS. Deion Sanders flew to Pittsburgh for the game after playing for the Miami Dolphins that afternoon, looking to become the first player to take part in two pro games in different sports on the same day, but even in a blowout loss, Neon Deion didn’t get into the lineup for the Bravos. It was Barry Bonds' last home game as a Pittsburgh Pirate. He went 2-for-5, doubled, stole a base, scored twice and drove in a run after a first-inning ovation from the 52,929 fans. It was also the last playoff game in Pittsburgh for 21 years until the 2013 NLDS against the Cards at PNC; Walkie threw the last playoff pitch of TRS’s 30-year run as the Bucs' home.

2000 - As expected, ticket prices for the new PNC Park went up from the TRS days. The majority of $20 TRS seats jumped to $23-$25 and overall prices ranged from $9-$35, with most fees going up $2-$5. The Pirates prices were still lower than most of the new parks, and the FO cited a view closer to the action and more comfortable seating as the reason for the hike.

2005 - The Pirates hired Jim Tracy as manager, signing him to a three-year deal a week after he left the Dodgers top job after a four-year run. It was the first time in two decades that Pittsburgh went outside the organization to select its field boss, since the hiring of Jim Leyland from the White Sox. Tracy lasted two years in Pittsburgh (135-189) before being axed, then signed on as a bench coach at Colorado and replaced Clint Hurdle as skipper of the Rox in 2009. Clint returned the favor by becoming the Pirates manager in 2011. May the circle be unbroken...

10/10 Through the 1960s: Maz Leads Bucs Over NYY In '60 Game #5, Cuba & Cleveland Challenges, Deacon SI Cover Boy, Expansion Losses, HBD Gene, Myrl, Homer, Dave & Ad

1867 - RHP Addison “Ad” Gumbert was born on Frankstown Avenue in Pittsburgh’s East End. He won 123 games in nine MLB seasons and was a good enough hitter that he played 38 games in the outfield. Ad was a Buc from 1893-94, going 26-21/5.73, and even played seven games in the pasture with a .263 BA. He and his brother Billy just missed one another; Billy pitched for the Bucs in 1892, a year before Ad arrived. After he hung up the spikes, Gumbert became a popular local politico and an active community leader. He was elected sheriff of Allegheny County and later County Commissioner while also serving as chairman of several charitable and civic organizations.

1868 - LHP Dave Anderson was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He tossed a couple of big league campaigns, finishing up his career with 13 starts for the 1890 Alleghenys with a line of 2-11/4.67. He then toiled for local minor league clubs before hanging it up after the 1891 season.

1879 - P/UT Homer Hillebrand was born in Freeport, Illinois. Homer was a Princeton grad that was good at multitasking. His MLB career was spent with the Pirates from 1905-06 & 1908, and he pitched in 18 games (11 starts) with an 8-4-1/2.51 line. He also played 26 games in the field at 1B, OF and C (even though he was a lefty), hitting .237. Homer sat out the ‘07 year to rest a sore arm that never bounced back and retired after tossing one frame in ‘08. 

1894 - RHP Myrl Brown was born in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Myrl started his career late, at age 24, following his service during WW1. He quickly became a minor league ace and in a bit of a bidding war, Barney Dreyfuss bought him from the Reading Orioles in August, 1922, for $20K (Brown kept one-third; the rest went to his team) and he got into seven games (five starts) with a line of 3-1/5.97. He won his first three starts, a feat unmatched until 2013 when Gerrit Cole won his first four outings, and even with the meh counting numbers, the Bucs liked what they had seen of him. But he showed up for camp in 1923 with a dead arm; Pittsburgh sent him to a couple of minor league teams to see if it would recover, but with no luck. He took a full year off to nurse it and came back in 1924 to work three straight 250+ IP seasons in the bushes, but never got another call back to the show. 

Myrl Brown - 1922/23 Kolbs Mother's Bread

1903 - The fourth and final home match of the Series at Exposition Park before 17,038 fans saw Deacon Phillippe start his fourth game of the ‘03 WS against Cy Young, who was making his third start. Boston won the match easily by a 7-3 count and returned home up four games to three, looking for just one more win to claim MLB’s first World Series crown. Kitty Bransfield went 3-for-4 for the Pirates while Jimmy Sebring and Phillippe added a pair of knocks during the afternoon.

1904 - In the final year without a formal October Classic (the 1903 World Series was set up by the two pennant-winning clubs, Pittsburgh and Boston, not by the leagues themselves), the Naps and Pirates opened a five-game postseason exhibition series of their own at Cleveland’s League Field. It was a natural rivalry due to the proximity of the cities, as a bragging-rights NL-AL clash with both teams finishing fourth in their league and with a bit of star power on display featuring the era’s two best hitters, Hans Wagner and Nap Lajoie (the Cleveland nine was called the Naps in Lajoie’s honor). Alas, the fans didn’t want to see meaningless fall baseball and stayed away in droves, with the Naps taking a competitive series, 2-1-2.

1925 - The World Series moved to Griffith Stadium and Washington took a two-to-one lead in games with a 4-3 win, scoring twice in the seventh off Ray Kremer when a walk and an infield single eventually came home to score. DC’s Alex Ferguson and Firpo Mayberry scattered eight hits; Max Carey had a pair of them. Pittsburgh loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but Mayberry got Clyde Barnhart on a pop to the catcher and Pie Traynor on a fly to center to close out the win. The game is famed for the Sens’ Sam Rice’s catch. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Earl Smith drove a ball to right-center field. Rice caught the ball at the fence, flipped over its top and landed in the stands, disappearing for 15 seconds or so. When Rice popped back up, the ball was in his glove and the umpire, Cy Rigler, called the batter out. The ump's explanation was that as soon as the catch was made the play was over, so it didn’t matter if Rice dropped it during his tumble or not. Rice was mum about the grab - “The ump called him out” was all he’d say - and seemed to enjoy the life-long conversation piece. After his death in 1974, a letter he penned was opened at Cooperstown, and he had written "At no time did I lose possession of the ball." The lead-up to the game was headed by President Calvin Coolidge, who met with the Pirates before the game at the White House and then attended the contest, throwing out the first pitch.

1930 - A MLB All-Star team played its first game in Cuba on a 10-day barnstorming tour, including Pirates reps OF Paul Waner, 3B Pie Traynor and P Larry French. The Cubans proved to be worthy opponents then as now, winning four of the seven games played on La Isla.

Gene Tenace - 1984 Donruss

1946 - C Gino Tennaci (Gene Tenace) was born in Russellton, Pennsylvania, in northeastern Allegheny County. Gene’s claim to fame came as an Oakland Athletic, where he played eight of his 15 MLB years. His final hurrah was in Pittsburgh, where Tenace spent his last season as a utility player and pinch-hitter, appearing in 53 games in 1983 and batting .177. He retired after being released in spring training the following year. Gino was considered a candidate to replace Chuck Tanner as manager but Chuck hung in for another season and so Tenace began his coaching odyssey with Houston, going to Toronto (twice), Boston and St. Louis before retiring in 2009.

1960 - Vernon Law was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated during its 1960 World Series coverage. He won a pair of games against the Yankees and the Cy Young Award as he finished the regular season 20-9/3.09. The Deacon went through some injury-plagued campaigns afterward and even considered retirement, but rallied to win the National League Comeback Player of the Year award in 1965, with a 17-9/2.15 slash, along with earning the Lou Gehrig Award for his contributions on and off the field. Law finished his career with a slash line of 162-147-13/3.77 with 483 outings (364 starts). 

1960 - Bill Mazeroski’s two-run double was the big blow as Harvey Haddix and Roy Face claimed a 5-2 win and three games to two World Series lead against New York at Yankee Stadium, packed with 62,753 fans. Don Hoak also chased home a pair of runs; he and Smoky Burgess each had two knocks. Pittsburgh outhit the Yankees 10-to-5 to move within a game of the crown.

1961 - The expansion draft claimed six Pirates - the Houston Colt .45s took OF Roman Mejias, P Bobby Shantz, P Jim Umbricht and C Hal Smith, while the New York Mets selected OF Joe Christopher and P Al Jackson. All but Shantz and Jackson had been members of the 1960 title team.

10/10 From 1970: Bucs Edge Reds In '90 NLCS But Drop Four Others, TSN Irishman, RIP Lefty, HBD Genesis, Renegade, Shelby & Cutch

1970 - LHP Albert “Lefty” Leifield passed away at the age of 87 in Fairfax, Virginia. Leifield tossed for the Pirates from 1905-12. From 1906-11, he was a regular in the Pittsburgh rotation, winning 15 or more games each season and slashing 109-84-7/2.38 with 28 shutout victories. In 1909, he went 19-8 to help the Pirates win the National League pennant although he lost his only World Series outing that year; he was the last remaining member of that Fall Classic club. Lefty spent five more years in the majors after the Pirates traded him to the Cubs with several minor league stops, fighting a sore arm in his later years. After his playing career, Leifield coached for the Browns, Red Sox, and Tigers, also managing in the minors for seven years. Lefty then worked in the St. Louis water department before spending his last years fishing, betting on horses and taking in an occasional game at Busch Stadium.

1970 - Danny Murtaugh was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Bucs’ Secret Weapon.” His ‘70 team made the transition from Forbes Field to Three Rivers Stadium and won the National League East, only to be swept by the Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS.

1972 - Cincinnati, facing elimination, took the Pirates behind the woodshed at Riverfront Stadium, winning 7-1 to force a winner-take-all showdown for the NLCS crown. Ross Grimsley tossed a two-hitter, with both hits posted by Roberto Clemente, including a solo homer. Dock Ellis went five frames, giving up three unearned runs on a pair of two-out errors. The Big Red Machine then teed off on relievers Bob Johnson and Luke Walker to run away with the contest.

1979 - The Orioles rocked Bruce Kison for five first-inning runs (Buster got one out before being yanked) and then hung on to take the first game of the World Series, 5-4. Willie Stargell homered with a pair of RBI and Dave Parker banged out four knocks while Jim Rooker, Enrique Romo, Don Robinson and Grant Jackson pitched three-hit ball over the last 8-2/3 innings. Mike Flanagan gave up 11 hits, but went the distance for Baltimore’s win at Memorial Stadium.

Willie Stargell - Topps Patch series

1986 - Andrew McCutchen was born in Fort Meade, Florida. Cutch, a five-time All-Star and MVP selected in the first round (#11) of the 2005 draft, was the face of the team after replacing Nate McLouth during the 2009 season until he was traded after the 2017 campaign. Andrew slashed .291/203 HR/725 RBI as a Bucco and won Baseball America’s Rookie of the Year, four Silver Sluggers, a Golden Glove, two Player’s Choice Outstanding Player of the Year and the Roberto Clemente award during his Bucco tenure. In 2018, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants and then moved to the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers before returning home in ‘23. The reunion lasted through 2025 before Andrew signed with Texas and Atlanta, both of which ultimately released him. He may have clued us in on his next career move by appearing on the MLB Network during the ‘26 playoffs.

1990 - Pittsburgh stayed alive in the NLCS by edging the Reds 3-2 before a crowd of 48,221 at TRS to cut the Cincinnati margin to three games to two. Doug Drabek worked into the ninth, then Bob Patterson came on to get the last two outs to save the victory. It was a dramatic finish; Bob entered with runners on second & third and walked Chris Sabo intentionally to pack the sacks. The stratagem worked beautifully as Patterson got a roller to third from Jeff Reed to trigger an around-the-horn DP.  Andy Van Slyke and Barry Bonds each chased home a run and scored a run against Tom Browning to lead Pittsburgh’s attack. The Pirates also rewarded the field bosses by announcing that Jim Leyland’s staff of Rich Donnelly, Bruce Kimm, Gene Lamont, Ray Miller, Milt May and Tommy Sandt, would return intact for the 1991 campaign.

1990 - RHP Shelby Miller was born in Round Rock, Texas. A first round pick (19th overall) of the Cards in 2009 out of high school, he debuted in 2012. After a nice three-year run, injuries piled up on him and he underwent TJ surgery, making only 16 starts over the next five years (he opted out of the Covid-shortened 2020 season). The Cubs cut him loose in 2021 and the Pirates signed him in July as a long man option, calling him up from Indy in September for 10 games. He signed with the Yankees in 2022 and been with a half-dozen other clubs since.

1991 - Steve Avery and Alejandro Pena combined to stop the Bucs 1-0 on four hits at TRS to knot the NLCS at three games apiece in front of 57,533 fans, the largest crowd in Pirates history. Mark Lemke’s two-out, bad-hop double that bounded over 3B Steve Buechele’s shoulder in the sixth scored David Justice, who had walked & then stole second, to send Zane Smith to a tough defeat. Bobby Bonilla doubled to lead off the ninth and took third on a wild pitch with one away, but Pena got Buechele on a comebacker and caught Curtis Wilkerson looking on three pitches to save the game.

AVS - 1992 Donruss Triple Play

1992 - John Smoltz won his second NLCS game 6-4 in front of 57,164 boosters filling the seats at TRS, to put the Bucs in a 3-1 hole as Doug Drabek took the loss. The Bucs managed just six hits, with Andy Van Slyke banging out a double and triple. Drabek had a rare rough outing off the slab and Randy Tomlin was touched for a pair of runs in relief.

1994 - RHP Dave Bednar was born in Mars and is a grad of Mars Area HS. He was a late-round pick of the Padres in the 2016 draft from Lafayette College and joined the hometown nine in 2021 as part of the Joe Musgrove package. He only worked 17 innings total for San Diego, but was dominating in the spring for the Pirates, and even with an option to burn made the Opening Day roster. The Pirates slowly slid him into high leverage situations and moved him into the closer’s role when Richard Rodriguez was traded. Despite missing much of August/September of 2022 with a bad back, he earned 19 saves over the year and was selected to Team USA for the 2023 WBC. He went on to post a 39-save campaign and an All-Star berth to go with a 2.00 ERA in 66 outings. But the Renegade took a tumble in ‘24, posting a 3-8-23/5.77 slash line and losing his closer job in September as home runs and control issues plagued him. Bednar missed most of the spring and three weeks later in the season due to injuries. He came back strong in '25 and was sent to the Yankees at the deadline. He’s reclaimed his mojo, slashing 11-3-45/2.39 for New York since.

1996 - LHP Genesis Cabrera was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Pirates were the fifth team since 2019 for the pen arm when they claimed him in late June, 2025, from the Cubs. He got into nine games, posted a 4.91 ERA, and was DFA’ed in early August and was claimed by the Twins. Philly and KC both signed him up in ‘26; both released him and Cabrera has been a FA since July.

2010 - Pirates RF Roberto Clemente and Cuban/Negro Leagues Martin “El Immortal” Dihigo, who played for the Homestead Grays in 1927-28, were inducted into the inaugural class of the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame.

10/9 Through the 1960s: Deacon Tops NYY Again In '60, Hans Takes Title, Danny's 3rd Time A Charm, RIP Tiger, HBD Felix, Ray, Bob, Cricket, Jack, Arnie & Al

1865 - RHP Paul “Al” Maul was born in Philadelphia. He worked two years for the Alleghenys (1888-89), one season (1890) for the Pittsburgh Burghers, and spent 1891 as a Bucco. He went 2-8/6.24 with the Alleghenys & Pirates and 16-12/3.79 in the Players League. Al spent 10 more campaigns in the big leagues after leaving the Bucs, primarily as a Washington Senator. Maul coached at Lehigh and then spent a decade as a Philadelphia A’s scout. Although he had a cranky arm throughout his career, his cheerful, upbeat demeanor earned him the nickname “Smiling Jack.”  Maul came up as an outfielder and hit .241 over his career.

1892 - LHP Arnie Stone was born in North Creek, New York. His MLB days were in 1923-24 when he toiled for the Pirates, posting a line of 4-3/3.77 in 35 games (two starts). The 31-year-old Stone tossed for two more years in the minors before retiring back home to New York. 

1903 - LHP Jack Tising was born in High Point, Missouri. Jack was a minor-league lifer who got his big league time with the Bucs in April/May of 1936, making 10 outings (six starts) and posting a 1-3/4.21 line as a 32-year-old. The spitballer pitched from 1924-46 in the bushes (he took off 1929-31 before the itch returned) and won 167 games, appearing over 600 times before retiring at 42.

1909 - Detroit jumped on Howie Camnitz early, scoring five times in the second and third innings after Pittsburgh had taken a 2-0 lead in the opening frame, and never looked back in taking a 7-2 win over the Bucs in front of 30,915 attendees at Forbes Field to square the World Series at a game apiece. Wild Bill Donovan limited the Pirates to five hits with seven whiffs. Tommy Leach was the only Pittsburgh batter to solve him, cracking a pair of doubles; Wee Tommy drove in the first run and scored the second. Ty Cobb stole home against reliever Vic Willis in the third inning to plate the fifth Tiger tally.

Tommy Leach - 1909 The Sporting News

1911 - In a 10-inning 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs at the West Side Grounds, Honus Wagner collected a pair of hits, finishing the season with a .334 BA to win his eighth NL batting title. No one would wear that many crowns again until Tony Gwynn equaled Hans’ mark in 1997.

1944 - SS Freddie Patek was born in Seguin, Texas. Known as “The Cricket” - he was 5’5” and chirpy - Freddie played his first three seasons (1968-70; .244 BA) with Pittsburgh and then spent nine more years in the American League, mostly with KC. He was a speedy, glove-first shortstop who was blocked in Pittsburgh by Gene Alley. He played on three pennant-winning Royals squads, was chosen as an All-Star three times and led the league with 53 stolen bases in 1977.

1947 - RHP Bob Moose was born in Export. He went to Franklin Regional HS, where he threw three no-hitters and was drafted by the hometown Bucs in 1965 during the 18th round. The righty added one more to his resume in the MLB, tossing a no hitter against the Mets on September 20th, 1969. In a decade with the Pirates - he first twirled in the show at 19 - he slashed 76-71-19/3.50.  He died tragically in an auto accident while heading to a golf party celebrating his birthday in 1976, entering and departing this vale on the same date. Sparky Anderson, skipper of the rival Cincinnati Reds, upon hearing the news, summed it up aptly: “How sad. Only 29. How sad.”

1959 - RHP Ray Krawczyk was born in Sewickley. The local kid was raised in California but the hometown nine reclaimed him by drafting Ray in the first round (4th overall) of the 1981 MLB June Draft (Secondary Phase) from Oral Roberts University. He got a handful of outings with the Bucs from 1984-86, appearing in 24 games and going 0-3/8.65. He got a couple of more shots with California and Milwaukee, but he was out of baseball following the 1989 season. He’s now based out of Orange County and pushes a training device he invented, the Throw Trac.

Ray Krawczyk - 1986 Vintage Postcard

1960 - Vern Law won his second contest against the Yankees, thanks to his own two-out RBI double followed by Bill Virdon's two-run knock in the fifth inning. Roy Face retired the final eight Bronx Bombers for the save at Yankee Stadium. The 3-2 victory stopped the Buccaneer bleeding to even the Series at 2-2 after a pair of New York runaways. The game’s big play was Virdon’s leaping grab of a Bob Cerv drive at the wall (he and Roberto Clemente actually crashed into one another after meeting at the fence) in the seventh inning, saving a pair of runs.

1963 - SS Felix Fermin was born in Mao, Dominican Republic. He played for the Pirates, the team that first signed him, from 1987-88, hitting .265 in 66 games. He was traded to Cleveland and spent the next five years as their starting shortstop, ending his 10-year career with stops at Seattle and then with the Chicago Cubs. His nickname was "El Gato" because of his cat-like reactions on defense. After his playing days were finished, he went on to manage in the Dominican and Mexican Leagues.

1969 - Danny Murtaugh was hired for the third time as Bucco bench boss. He replaced Alex Grammas, who was serving in Larry Shepherd's spot. For 19 of the next 22 years, Grammas coached third base and infield for Sparky Anderson’s staff, with a three-year stint as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. As for the Whistling Irishman, he would manage the Pirates between 1970-71, retire for health reasons, then take the helm for a final time from 1973-76.

1969 - Don Hoak passed away on the same day that Danny Murtaugh was named manager, a job the Tiger thought he deserved. His widow, singer Jill Corey, claimed that Hoak died of a broken heart because the Pirates had passed him over for skipper, although he actually suffered a fatal heart attack chasing after a relative’s stolen car. Hoak was a Tiger to the end.

10/9 From 1970: Wakefield & Drabek Beat Bravos In '91-92, Bucs One Away In '72, Lenny Done, HBD Starling, Derek & Jason

1971 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of the World Series at Memorial Stadium on just one hit. But the Birds came back on the strength of three homers, the killing blast delivered by Merv Rettenmund that chased home three runs, to take the lidlifter by a 5-3 count. Dave McNally tossed a three-hitter with nine whiffs to earn the win while sore-armed Dock Ellis took the loss in his only appearance of the Series.

1972 - The Pirates overcame an early 2-0 deficit and nipped the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium 3-2 to take a two-games-to-one lead in the NLCS. Manny Sanguillen homered and had a pair of RBI to back winner Bruce Kison and Dave Giusti, who earned the save.

1974 - The Bucs were eliminated from the NLCS three-games-to-one by LA as Don Sutton tossed an eight-inning one-hitter in a 12-1 thrashing at Dodger Stadium. Steve Garvey had four hits, including two homers, with four runs scored and four RBI to lead the Big Blue onslaught. Charlie Finley’s Oakland A’s then rolled over the Dodgers in five games to claim their third straight MLB crown.

1979 - The first game of the World Series, scheduled for Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, was rained out. Not only did the showers push the Fall Classic Opener back a day, but it compressed the Series schedule by eliminating a travel off-day and squeezing together five consecutive games. Mother Nature's whim gave the Buccos a bit of an advantage; Earl Weaver had planned to basically throw a three-man rotation at the Pirates due to that off day while it didn’t change Chuck Tanner’s planned starting schedule. Another Buc edge; there was no DH this year.

Jason Jaramillo - 2009 Toops Chrome

1982 - C Jason Jaramillo was born in Racine, Wisconsin. JJ came to the Pirates in the 2008 offseason after a deal for C Ronny Paulino with the Phillies, but in three years (2009-11) with Pittsburgh hit .235 and was non-tendered by the Bucs in 2012. He signed a series of minor league deals with four teams in the next two years before retiring after the 2013 season. He’s now part of Forceout, a family company that makes a protective glove to wear under a fielder’s mitt.

1986 - LHP Derek Holland was born in Newark, Ohio. Holland, an 11-year veteran known as “Dutch Oven,” was added as an NRI on a minor-league deal in 2020 and broke camp as part of the rotation. He was a free spirit (and sometimes loose cannon) who brought some experience to a fairly young staff. Holland landed him in the pen after five starts, where he was much more solid (8.20 ERA starting/4.40 relieving with a line of 1-3/6.86 overall). He moved on to Detroit the next year and then into the Toronto system before being released. Dutch Oven started 2023 in the Atlantic League before needing TJ surgery and retiring.

1988 - OF Starling Marte was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He signed as an international free agent in 2007. Starling joined the big club in 2012, the first Pirates Dominican Academy graduate to reach the majors, and won a regular OF spot in 2013. He homered on the first pitch he saw in the show off Houston’s Dallas Keuchel, the first Pirate to do so since Walter Mueller in 1922. Marte won a Gold Glove (he had 33 OF assists in 2015-16) and was named to the All-Star team in 2016. He took a big hit in 2017 when he was suspended for 80 games because of steroid use. He hit .275, but his power numbers took a nosedive. He rebounded in 2018 with a 20 HR/30 SB campaign, joining Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke in that club, followed by a strong 2019 campaign (.295/23/82 in 132 games) before he was traded to Arizona for prospects Brennan Malone and Liover Peguero in the offseason. Marte has since played for the Miami Marlins, the Oakland A’s, the New York Mets and KC Royals, his 2026 club. He was released in mid-August and now is a FA.

1990 - The Pirates fell behind three games-to-one in the NLCS by dropping a 5-3 decision to the Reds before 50,461 fans at TRS as Jose Rijo topped Bob Walk. Paul O’Neill & Chris Sabo homered for Cincinnati while Jay Bell went long for Pittsburgh with Chico Lind adding a pair of hits.

AVS - 1991 Topps Stadium Club

1991 - Doug Drabek and Bob Walk combined on a five-hitter, allowing just one runner to reach second, as the Bucs won the opening game of the NLCS 5-1 against the Atlanta Braves and Tom Glavine at Three Rivers Stadium with 57,347 attending. Andy Van Slyke had two hits, two runs, and two RBI with a homer and double; Bobby Bonilla also had two knocks, scoring and plating a run. But there was a price paid; DD injured a hammy in the sixth inning and didn’t return to action until Game #6. The Buc ace was originally slated to take three turns on the hill and the hamstring twinge cost him the seventh game start.

1992 - Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield pitched Pittsburgh to a 3-2 victory over the Braves at TRS with 56,610 rooters on hand, giving the Pirates their first win in three tries during the NLCS. Wakefield was the first rookie to start a National League playoff game since Philly's Charles Hudson in 1983 and showed well, allowing five hits in a complete game outing. The Bravo runs were solo shots by Sid Bream and Ron Gant. Gary Redus went 3-for-3 with a double, triple and walk while Don Slaught added a homer to carry the Bucs. Another TRS rookie made a debut appearance - 11-year-old Christina Aguilera from Wexford sang the National Anthem before the game.

2002 - After spending 36 years as a Pirates scout, starting as a regional guy and climbing to special assistant to the GM, Lenny Yochim resigned. Dave Littlefield had asked the 74-year-old to become a part-time staffer, and Lenny refused the demotion. Yochim explained to Beaver County Times beat guy John Perrotto that “My pride won’t let me take a smaller role and pay cut.” It was his last MLB job before he passed away at age 84 in his hometown, New Orleans, in 2013.

2013 - The Pirate playoff run ended with a  6-1 loss at Busch Stadium as two-run homers by David Freese and Matt Adams gave Adam Wainwright all the tallies he needed to take the fifth and deciding game of the NLDS. Gerrit Cole pitched well, but the Cards scored four times off the Bucco bullpen after he was pulled for a pinch hitter in the sixth. Pedro Alvarez singled home the lone Pirates score, giving him a MLB record for chasing home a run in each of his first six postseason contests. The Redbirds made it to the World Series, where Boston bested them.

10/8: Bucs Even '25 WS, Top LA In '74 NLCS Clash, Hans #2, Throwing Cannonballs, Game Days, Irishman MOTY, HBD Colin, Robbie, Spanky, Catfish, Danny, Donie & Coakley

1870 - RHP Tom “Coakley” Colcolough was born in Charleston. He pitched for the Pirates from 1893-95 with a line of 10-8/6.55 in 38 games, 23 as a starter. Tom spent the remainder of his career in the minors, with a brief 1899 stop with the New York Giants. When Colcolough’s baseball days were done, he returned to Charleston, where he became an alderman before passing away in 1919.

1886 - The Alleghenys’ LHP Ed “Cannonball” Morris whitewashed the New York Metropolitans 9-0 at Recreation Park. It was his 12th shutout, which is still a franchise record. Cannonball posted a record of 41-20 that year with a 2.45 ERA over 555-1/3 innings, striking out 327 batters.

1887 - Owen “Donie” Bush was born in Indianapolis. He was a hometown hero (Donie was a manager, president and part-owner of the Indy club who was known as “Mr Baseball” around town) and until 1996, the Indy ballyard was called Bush Field before a new downtown park (Victory Field) opened. After a 16 year playing career, mostly with Detroit, the infielder managed the Bucs briefly from 1927-29, taking them to a World Series in 1927 against the Yankees’ “Murderers’ Row” club (and the Pirates got murdered in four straight). But he’s probably best remembered for his feud with Hall-of-Fame OF Kiki Cuyler, whom he benched and then traded to the Cubs. Donie managed four big league clubs, three top minor league franchises and did some scouting. He was given the title "King of Baseball" (a minor league honor) during Major League Baseball's 1963 winter meetings and was an inaugural inductee of the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame. His nickname “Donie” (pronounced like Tony) was a one-off of his original nickname, Ownie.

1903 - Game Six was a rematch between Boston's Bill Dinneen and Pittsburgh's Sam Leever at Exposition Park. Both went the distance, with Boston coming out on top 6-3 to tie the best-of-nine series at three games. Ginger Beaumont went 4-for-5 with a pair of stolen bases while Jimmy Sebring and Fred Clarke added two hits for the Bucs. Boston's "Royal Rooters", 200 strong, traveled to Pittsburgh with a brass band and sang their theme song "Tessie" to distract the opposing players, especially trying to get under the skin of Buccaneer big guy Honus Wagner. Boston won three out of the four games at Pittsburgh to keep their Rooters rockin’.

Honus - 1905 National Police Gazette

1905 - Cincinnati CF Cy Seymour and Pittsburgh SS Honus Wagner faced one another in a doubleheader on the season’s final day as the pair would finish the year one-two in the race for the batting title. Seymour was well ahead going into the games and collected four hits to Hans’ two to finish as the runaway winner at .377 while The Dutchman clocked in at .363 at the end of the day. A newspaper account of the twinbill stated "...10,000 were more interested in the batting achievements of Wagner and Seymour than the games...cheer upon cheers greeted the mighty batsmen upon each appearance at the plate..." The Reds swept the Bucs at the Palace of the Fans by 3-1 and 4-1 scores.

1909 - After walking two of the first three batters and giving up a first-inning run, Babe Adams settled down and pitched the Pirates to a 4-1 win over the Detroit Tigers in the opening game of the World Series at Forbes Field. Pittsburgh only had five hits off Motown starter George Mullin, including a homer by Fred Clarke, but four different Tigers committed errors that led to three unearned runs. This series was the first head-to-head matchup of league batting winners with MLB’s biggest draws, Honus Wagner (.339) and Ty Cobb (.377), squaring off.

1917 - Danny Murtaugh was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He was a Bucco infielder from 1948-51 with a lifetime batting average of .256 and a stolen base crown in 1941 while with the Phils. The Irishman won a couple of World Series as the skipper in 1960 and 1971, managing the club from 1957–64, 1967, 1970–71, and finally in 1973–76. He guided five playoff squads and had a record of 1115-950 while at the helm. He was known as "The Whistling Irishman" (it's even the title of his biography) because he used to whistle while playing the infield.

1920 - 1B/OF George “Catfish” Metkovich was born in Angels Camp, California. George was signed by the Tigers and declared a free agent in 1940 in a wholesale release of Detroit players, the penalty for illegally restricting their movement (Johnny Sain of the Braves was another freed by this decree). That launched Catfish on a 10-year career, with a 1951-53 stop at Pittsburgh. He had a line of .276 with lots of playing time, but in May of 1953 left as part of the Ralph Kiner deal with the Cubs. George played through 1954, spent three years in the PCL, then took some minor-league managing and scouting work before retiring to open a restaurant with his brothers. He got his nickname because one day when he was fishing during training camp in Florida, he caught a catfish and accidently stepped on it; a fin penetrated his shoe and foot that had to be removed at a hospital. His manager at the time, Casey Stengel, then of the Boston Bees, spread the story and George became “Catfish” or just plain ol’ “Cat.” 

Kiki Cuyler - 1925 photo George Bain/Library of Congress

1925 - After a pre-game ceremony to honor Christy Matthewson, who had passed away the day before, the Bucs evened their World Series count against Washington at a game each with a 3-2 win at Forbes Field in front of 43,364 fans. The only dent against the Senators’ Stan Coveleski was a Glenn Wright homer until the bottom of the eighth when Kiki Cuyler’s two-run blast put Pittsburgh up 3-1. The DC nine pushed across a ninth-inning run to provide some late drama, but Vic Aldridge survived, going the distance for the win.

1927 - The NL Champion Pirates lost 4-3 and were swept in four games by the NY Yankees, led by their "Murderers Row" lineup featuring Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The Pirates had tied it in the seventh on RBIs from Clyde Barnhart and Paul Waner, but lost it in the ninth at the House That Ruth Built. Pirates RHP Johnny Miljus loaded the bases with no outs, then struck out Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel. But with Tony Lazzeri up, he misfired on an 0-1 delivery to allow the winning run to score, the only World Series to end on a wild pitch. It was the first ever sweep of an NL team by an AL club. The  Bambino, Babe Ruth, and Pirates rookie Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner each hit .400 during the series.

1944 - Utilityman Ed “Spanky” Kirkpatrick was born in Spokane, Washington. He played 16 years in the majors (he suited up for just three teams - the LA/California Angels, Kansas City Royals and Pirates - during his first 15 years but played for another three clubs  - Pittsburgh, Texas and Milwaukee - in his last campaign) and was a Bucco from 1974-77, batting .236 while playing the infield corners, all three outfield spots and pinch-hitting. He got his nickname while with the California Angels because he looked like Spanky of the “Little Rascals.”

1946 - The Jackie Robinson All-Stars beat the Major League All-Stars (a sort of pick-up club with Pirates Frankie Gustine, Lee Handley and Al Gionfriddo part of the lineup) 6-4 at Forbes Field. Jackie led both teams in hits, collecting three, and won the respect of a local old-timer who was at the game, Honus Wagner. Robinson would become MLB’s first black player the next year, and Post Gazette writer Al Abrams asked him if he caught much grief from the fans while a minor-leaguer or touring. Jackie replied, “No more than when I played college ball...I didn’t let it bother me. I just went about my business and made the fans like me whenever I could. The players were grand.”

Jackie's All-Star Exhibit - 10/9/1946 Al Abrams Post-Gazette

1960 - The New York nine returned home in style, ripping off six first-inning runs and burying the Bucs 10-0 at Yankee Stadium to take a two games to one lead in the World Series. Whitey Ford tossed a four-hitter and only allowed two Pirates to reach second base; no Bucco touched third. Bobby Richardson belted a grand slam (he had one regular season homer) and had six RBI. It took three Pirates pitchers (Vinegar Bend Mizell, Clem Labine and Fred Green) just to get out of the opening frame and that told the tale of the game.

1970 - It was announced that birthday boy Danny Murtaugh was selected as Manager of the Year in a poll of the current managers. He won eight votes to top the Yankees’ Ralph Houk, who had five, and the Reds Sparky Anderson, who was named on four ballots. It was an unofficial honor, but still considered prestigious because of the selection committee of peers.

1972 - The Reds scored four times in the first inning off Bob Moose (he didn’t retire a batter, giving up five straight hits) and then hung on to take a 5-3 win at TRS and knot the NLCS at a game each. Roberto Clemente, Milt May and Dave Cash each drove in runs to make it 4-3 after six innings, but Joe Morgan’s eighth inning homer took the wind out of the Pirate sails while Tom Hall retired six of the last seven batters to preserve the Cincinnati win.

1974 - The Pirates scored five times in the first inning and never looked back as they defeated Los Angeles 7-0 at Dodger Stadium. Bruce Kison and Ramon Hernandez combined on a four-hitter to cut the Pittsburgh deficit in the NLCS to two games to one and stave off elimination (for a night). Willie Stargell swatted a three-run homer and Richie Hebner added a two-run shot off Doug Rau (it was the first time the Bucs had a multi-homer inning during a postseason game) in the opening frame to get the Bucs off and running.

Willie Stargell - 1974 O-Pee-Chee

1990 - LHP Robbie Erlin was born in Oakland, California. Erlin had five years with San Diego as a starter and long man before the Pirates signed the 29-year-old to a $1.5M contract as a free agent in 2020. He made the 40-man roster as a reliever and was called up in late July by the Bucs, but was waived in early August after just two outings. Robbie was claimed by the Braves, who used him as a starter without a lot of luck; they waived him in September. He spent the 2021 campaign in Japan and last pitched in the Dodgers system in ‘23.

1990 - Cincinnati took a two-games-to-one lead in the NLCS by whipping the Bucs 6-3 at Three Rivers Stadium. Zane Smith surrendered a three-run homer to Mariano Duncan and a two-run shot to Billy Hatcher to give the Reds’ Danny Jackson and the “Nasty Boys” in the bullpen working room. Bobby Bonilla, Carmelo Martinez and Jose Lind had the Buccos' RBIs.

1995 - RHP Colin Holderman was born in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The Pirates traded for the rookie reliever by shipping DH Daniel Vogelbach to the Mets in July, 2022. Holderman slashed 4-0/2.04 in 15 outings for NY and was a strikeout per inning guy, although a bit on the wild side, averaging four walks per nine. He got into nine Bucco games (1-0/6.75, seven walks, four HBP and six K in 10-2/3 IP) before hitting the IL with a shoulder impingement, ending his 2022 campaign. Colin bounced back to claim the set-up role in ‘23, with 58 outings, a slash of 0-3-2/3.58 and an immaculate inning. His ERA sat at a sturdy 2.87 in mid-September until two brutal appearances led to a year-ending trip to the IL with a thumb injury. Colin had a 3-6/3.16 slash with 21 holds in 2024 but was more up-and-down than the numbers indicate, missing a month with a wrist sprain. He spent more time on the IL than roster in ‘25, pitched poorly, and was sent down to Indy in mid-September. Colin opted to become a free agent and signed with Cleveland for the ‘26 season.