- 1974 - Dock Ellis went gate-to-gate pitching and swung a mean stick, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored, in Pittsburgh’s 13-2 win over San Francisco at Candlestick Park. The Giants scored two runs in the first inning before the Bucs put the game away with nine runs (on three hits - the rest of the Bucco runners were aboard via free passes, HBP and boots; Giant hurler Ed Halicki walked two guys with the bases loaded) in the third. Al Oliver went 3-for-5 with five RBI and Ed Kirkpatrick added three knocks and two walks, plating three times. The Bucs had 12 hits (10 were singles) but were helped greatly by nine walks, two plunked batters and two Giants errors. And for those that think Pittsburgh is the only town with spotty attendance, the game was played in front of a crowd of 3,273.
- 1979 - Willie Stargell shared the cover of Sports Illustrated with a gang of grizzled all-stars for the feature “Golden Oldies.” Pops may have been 39 but still hit .281 with 32 long balls. He won the NLCS & World Series MVP awards, and was co-winner of the MVP award with St. Louis' Keith Hernandez. He later shared SI's "Sportsmen of the Year" award with the Steelers’ Terry Bradshaw.
- 1983 - Lee Tunnell and Ken Dayley tossed five-hitters at TRS with the Bucs coming out on top 2-0 behind a two-run blast by Bill Madlock in the third inning. Both hurlers were in complete command. Tunnell, who went the distance, faced down his only real threat in the second when he left the bases loaded with an out by whiffing the pitcher and getting a Brett Butler bouncer to escape. Lee Lacy had two hits for Pittsburgh and scored ahead of Mad Dog’s dinger. Both teams were leading their divisions at game time but would finish the year in second behind the Phils and Dodgers.
- 1988 - The Atlanta Braves sent IF Ken Oberkfell and cash to Pittsburgh Pirates for OF Tommy Gregg. Oberkfell spent a season and change with the Bucs as a seldom used reserve, batting .181 in 34 games, while Gregg played nine more years, mostly as a reserve outfielder.
- 2009 - The first and last Bucco hits left the yard, and that was enough for a 3-2 win against the Phils and future Bucco JA Happ at PNC Park. Cutch opened the game with a long ball, and Garrett Jones ended it with a two-run walkoff shot in the ninth. Denny Bautista got the win in relief of Charlie Morton, with Matt Capps earning a save.
- 1986 - SS Jordy Mercer was born in Seiling, Oklahoma. He was third-round draft choice in 2008, and the Oklahoma State product also played for Team USA. Mercer rode the pine in 2012, but saw some playing time in 2013 and won the starting job the next season, a spot he still holds. He’s been a dependable if not particularly rangy fielder with a slow-starting bat (he usually ends the year hitting .255-.260) and some occasional pop.
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| Jordy Mercer 2018 - photo Pittsburgh Pirates |
- 2008 - Pedro Alvarez was placed on the restricted list after the MLBPA filed a grievance against MLB over draft picks being signed minutes after the August 15th deadline (Petey had made a verbal agreement). On September 22nd, Álvarez and the Bucs settled on a four-year major league deal at $6.4M that resolved the complaint to everyone’s satisfaction.
- 2013 - Looking to strengthen the roster down the stretch, the Pirates pulled off a waiver deal with the NY Mets for vets OF Marlon Byrd, C John Buck and $250K for minor league IF Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later (RHP Victor Black). The deal was triggered by Starling Marte’s hand injury, which kept him out of action for three weeks (he returned September 9th) Byrd (.318, three HR, 17 RBI in 30 games) helped the Bucs to a wildcard spot (he last played in 2016 for Cleveland prior to receiving a second PED suspension) while Buck hit well in Pittsburgh (.333 in nine games) before retiring after the 2014 campaign. Dilson has bounced around (he’s back in the Mets system now) and Black, after a good showing with the Mets in 2013-14, has been injury-bitten and was last playing indie ball.
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