10/2 From 1975: Pops Wins '79 NLCS Opener; Lamont Axed; Mad Dog Title; Bucs Sold to PA; Teke, Goose Rubber Arms; HBD Victor & Marino

• 1976 - RHP Victor Santos was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Victor, although he had five years in the league, made it to the Pirates via the Rule 5 draft from KC and spent 2006 as a Bucco, slashing 5-9/5.70 in 25 games (19 starts). He spent one more year in the show, then spent most of his time in the Latin leagues, finally toeing the rubber for the last time in 2012. In his retirement, he’s become an instructor at Roberto Clemente's Baseball and Softball Academy. 

Victor Santos 2006 (photo Elsa/Getty)

• 1977 - Kent Tekulve and Rich Gossage each appeared in their 72nd games to break the existing club record for most appearances in relief during a 3-2 Bucco victory over the Cubs in the second game of a twin bill at TRS. Goose got the win while Teke picked up a blown save. Dave Parker clinched his first batting title earlier in the day, finishing with a .338 average after going 1-for-4 in the opener, a 5-1 Bucco win. For the Pirates, it was a red hot finish as they won 12-of-13 games to end the season, finishing second with 96 wins to the Phils. Teke would go on to shatter the record in 1979 by appearing in 94 outings, still the club mark. Dave Parker went 1-for-4 with a walk to finish with a .338 BA to win the NL batting title. 
• 1979 - In the opening game of the NLCS at Riverfront Stadium‚ Willie Stargell ended a tight pitching battle started by John Candelaria and Tom Seaver by bombing a three-run homer in the 11th inning off Tom Hume to give the Pirates a 5-2 victory over the Reds. Grant Jackson got the win with a Don Robinson save. The Bucs had jumped ahead in the third by a 2-0 count on a Phil Garner homer, Omar Moreno triple and Tim Foli sac fly. The Reds tied it an inning later on George Foster’s two-run shot. 
• 1981 - RHP Marino Salas was born in Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic. Salas was traded to the Pirates as part of the Salomon Torres deal with the Brewers. He began 2008 en fuego, going 2-0-2/0.77 in 14 appearances at AAA Indy and was recalled by the Pirates in May. It didn’t quite translate; in 13 appearances for the Bucs in 2008, he slashed 1-0/8.47 in 13 outings. At last check, Salas is still pitching in the Italian League. 
• 1983 - Bill Madlock, finishing the final days of the season gimpy with a calf injury, sat out the Bucs last game but managed to hang on to the batting title, finishing the year at .323 to edge out the Cards’ Lonnie Smith, who finished the campaign at .321. Though it was the the lowest BA to win a NL title since 1919, it was quite a feather in Mad Dog’s cap as he became just the eighth MLB player with four or more batting crowns since 1900 and the first in the senior circuit to pull off the feat since Roberto Clemente in 1967. 

Bill Madlock 1983 Topps/Drakes

• 1985 - The Galbreath family and Warner Communications agreed in principle to sell the Pirates to the Pittsburgh Associates, a group of 10 primarily corporate and institutional investors that kept the team afloat and in Pittsburgh, for $21.8M (the deal was finalized in March, 1986). As part of the agreement, Malcolm “Mac” Prine was named president of the Pirates during the transition and take over. Mac was the CEO of Ryan Homes, which was part of the PA, the first private-public ownership group in pro sports. He brought in Jim Leyland as manager and Syd Thrift as GM; ironically, a power struggle with Thrift led to Prine’s resignation two years later. Mac was replaced by Carl Barger, who had sharper elbows and forced Thrift to walk the plank a year later. 
• 2000 - Gene Lamont was fired as manager. He replaced Jim Leyland in 1997 and led the Bucs to a second place finish, but overall his Pittsburgh record was 295-352 (.456). His hitting coach, Lloyd McClendon, was hired to take his spot three weeks later. Lamont returned to coaching with the Red Sox and the Astros, and has been with the Tigers (he’s now their bench coach) since the 2006 season. 
• 2005 - Zach Duke, with help from Mike Gonzalez and Salomon Torres, stopped the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 at PNC Park. The Brewers finished at 81-81, and the loss prevented them from their first winning season since 1992, although it did end a long consecutive losing season streak. The Bucco tallies came on a two-run Nate McLouth homer and a solo shot by Craig Wilson. The Brew Crew did win 83 games in 2007 to finally get over the hump; it would take Pittsburgh until 2013 to do the same.