2/28 From 1920: Jack, A-Ram & Rick Sign; Clemente Cover Boy; Ticket Hike; Drug Penalties

• 1926 - The Pirates announced an increase in ticket prices: with tax included, box seats jumped to $1.75; reserved $1.50; grandstand $1.10 and bleachers remained the same at $.50. When Forbes Field closed in 1970, ticket prices ranged from $3.50-$1. 

• 1970 - Roberto Clemente was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Swan Song?” TSN needn’t have worried; the 35-year-old Arriba hit .352 and made the All Star team for the division-winning Buccos. 
• 1985 - RHP Rick Reuschel, 36, signed a free agent, minor league deal with the Bucs. Big Daddy was called up in May, won 14 games and earned the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award, all for $200K. He was far from over the hill, working from 1985-87, going 31-30 with a 3.04 ERA in 91 starts while eating 586-2/3IP and winning an All-Star berth. He was flipped in a 1987 deadline deal with the Giants, traded for pitchers Scott Medvin and Jeff Robinson. 
• 1986 - Commissioner Peter Ueberroth gave seven players who were admitted drug users, including ex-Pirates Dave Parker and Dale Berra, a choice of a year's suspension without pay or heavy fines (10% of their salary) and career-long drug testing‚ along with 100 hours of drug-related community service, as a result of the Pittsburgh Cocaine trial. Parker, then with the Reds, and Berra, with the Yankees, took the fine/testing/community service penalty. 
• 2002 - The team agreed to terms with 3B Aramis Ramirez on a back loaded, three-year contract extension through 2004 for $9.5M. The Bucs traded him to Chicago, along with Kenny Lofton, in mid-2003 for IF Bobby Hill and a minor league pitcher before the big money fell due. A-Ram finished his career with the Bucs in 2015, retiring after 18 MLB campaigns with a .283 BA, 368 HR and 1,417 RBI. 

A-Ram 2002 Donruss Diamond King

• 2006 - The team and SS Jack Wilson worked out a three-year/$20.2M contract extension through the 2009 season with an $8.4M club option for 2010. He was sent to Seattle before the 2009 deadline. Injury-bitten in his later years (he only played 90+ games once from 2008-12), he retired after the 2012 campaign.