8/5 From 1975: S-Rod Returns; Maz HoF; Trick Tanner; Kontos, Bevacqua Deals; Game Stories; HBD Eric

• 1977 - Utilityman Eric Hinske was born in Menasha, Wisconsin. The 2002 AL Rookie of the Year signed with the Pirates in 2009 as a free agent for $1.5M and hit .255 with one homer before being traded to the Yankees at the deadline. His 12-year career ended in 2013, and since then he’s been a Yankee scout and hitting coach for the Cubs and Angels.

Eric Hinske - 2009 O-Pee-Chee

• 1977 - Cincinnati native Dave Parker became the first player to reach the red seats in right field at Riverfront Stadium when he homered off Fred Norman in a 12-1 win in the opener of a twin bill. Parker added another long ball and had five RBI to back Jerry Reuss’ four hitter. The match featured a one-sided ninth inning fight between Frank Taveras and Joe Hoerner after a beanball; Reds’ catcher Bill Plummer held Taveras while Hoerner slugged him. Both benches emptied, with Dave Parker and Bill Robinson trying to get to Hoerner, but order was restored. Reuss didn’t even brush anyone back in the Reds’ ninth because Sparky Anderson had taken out all his regulars. The fired-up Pirates also took the nitecap, winning 10-6. Taveras banged an inside-the-park grand slam (the first of two homers that he’d hit in the MLB), and Bill Robinson smacked a three-run shot in the win. The sweep moved the Bucs to one game behind first place Philadelphia.
• 1979 - Chuck Tanner threw out the book when he sent up lefty John Milner to bat against Phils’ southpaw Tug McGraw to hit for C Steve Nicosia, who was 4-for-4 on the day and RH. Against the book, maybe, but it worked as Milner banged a walk off grand slam on the first pitch to win it 12-8. Nicosia later said “I'm a .220 career hitter. What were my odds of going 5 for 5?" Another sidebar: Hall of Famer Steve “Lefty” Carlton had an 8-3 lead in that game and couldn’t hang on to it. Kent Tekulve got the win in a game started by Bert Blyleven. In the second match of a double dip at TRS, the Bucs prevailed 5-2, scoring four times in the fourth inning. Omar Moreno and Phil Garner each drove in a pair of runs off Dickie Noles in the frame. Don Robinson started and was chased; Enrique Romo came on for the victory with Teke closing it out. The twin wins gave the Bucs a five game sweep of their cross-state rivals; they would take 3-of-4 from them in Philly a few days later at the Vet on their road to the World Series title.
• 1980 - The Bucs traded minor league OF Rick Lancellotti and IF Luis Salazar to the San Diego Padres for IF Kurt Bevacqua and RHP Mark Lee. Bevacqua, who had played for the Pirates in 1974, got in 51 games between 1980-81 for Pittsburgh w/.200 BA, then spent four more years with San Diego, all as a deep bench piece. Lee spent most of his time in AAA, working 16 times for the Bucs in 1980-81. Salazar, who had yet to play a MLB game, was the keeper of the deal, playing for five teams over the next 13 years and retiring with a .261 BA.
• 2001 - Bill Mazeroski was inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Dave Winfield, Kirby Puckett, and Negro League star Hilton Smith. A teary Maz had a big speech written out, but instead said "I think you can flush these 12 pages down the drain," and delivered 2-1/2 minutes of thanks before leaving the podium.

Billy Maz HoF - photo Abrams/Getty

• 2005 - Hard-nosed Ty Wigginton was featured on the cover of The Sporting News in a collision at the plate for the story (and issue theme) “How’s That Feel?”
• 2010 - James McDonald only lasted six innings, but he surrendered just four hits and whiffed eight Rockies as the Bucs defeated Colorado 5-1 at PNC Park. He was backed with homers from Garrett Jones and Ronny Cedeno.
• 2016 - The Pirates had lost 4-of-5 and looked liked they were going to let another game slip through their fingers until Sean Rodriguez's walk off homer in the ninth off ex-Bucco Ross Ohlendorf gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 victory over Cincinnati at PNC Park. Righties Jameson Taillon and the Reds Anthony DeSclafani handed a 2-1 Bucco edge to the bullpens. Cincy scored in the first on three singles; the Bucs tied it with John Jaso’s double (Billy Hamilton almost pulled it in and an Oscar performance earned an out call, but a review gave JJ the hit) the key blow. The Redlegs tied it in the ninth off Tony Watson with a leadoff walk, bunt, stolen base and a sac fly. But before the Bucs could mope, S-Rod sent a 2-0 heater into the left center seats to claim the win.
• 2017 - The Pirates brought back utilityman Sean Rodriguez by sending Connor Joe to the Atlanta Braves. S-Rod missed most the year with a shoulder injury suffered in a pre-season car crash. It showed; he was hitting just .167 w/19 K in 47 PA. He was a Bucco glue man in 2015-16, playing everywhere competently, hitting .260 w/22 HR while a popular guy in the clubhouse & among fans before signing a two-year deal w/the Bravos as a FA ($5.75M in 2018). Connor Joe, 24, was a 2014 sandwich pick (39th overall) who was a man without a position (1B, 3B, OF). He was hitting .240 at Altoona. They also snapped up 32-year-old, seven-year vet RHP George Kontos from the Giants to bolster the pen, releasing RHP Jhan Marinez. Although Kontos was on revocable waivers, SF let the Pirates claim stand without working out a deal. The FO had always been high on George; he was one of the players they tried to pry from the Yankees in 2008 before settling on Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen.