8/7 From 1980: #9 Retired; Sojo, Mo Traded; Mama Cutch; Game Stories; HBD Frenchy & Ryan

• 1984 - LHP Wade “Frenchy” LeBlanc was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Pirates picked up the 31-year-old, eight-year veteran long man/spot starter from Seattle in 2016 and he worked two campaigns as a long/middle man from the pen. The Bucs are his eighth team, and they took a chance on him after he rejuvenated his career in 2015 with a strong season in Japan. After impressing the FO, he signed as a FA in 2017 ($750K) with a $1.25M option for 2018. The option wasn’t picked up as the southpaw went 5-2 but with a 4.50 ERA in 2017. He signed with Seattle and had success as a member of their rotation, a return to his original roots. 

Wade at work - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

• 1987 - The Pirates traded 3B Jim Morrison to the Detroit Tigers for OF Darnell Coles and a PTBNL (LHP Morris Madden). Cole played 108 games in 1987-88, batting .230, Madden pitched 14 times for the Pirates (2-2, 5.91), and Morrison was about at the end of his MLB career. 
• 1987 - Billy Mazeroski’s number 9 was retired during a 9-3 victory (good thing he didn’t wear #2!) over the Expos at TRS in front of 24,093 fans. C Spanky Lavalliere and SS Al Pedrique helped the party along by collecting three hits, two runs and a pair of RBI each. Bob Walk went six innings for the win. Bob Gideon, who worked the last three frames, got the save. 
• 1987 - C Ryan Lavarnway was born in Burbank, California. Ryan had parts of seven season of MLB ball with four different teams before he signed with the Pirates in 2018 as a depth option. He didn’t make the team out of camp and went to Indianapolis , getting the call to Pittsburgh in September after the Indy season finished. Lavarnway got his start at Yale and also played for the 2017 Israeli team in the WBC. 
• 1994 - SS Jay Bell went 5-for-6 with a pair of doubles to lead the Pirates to a 6-5 win over the Cardinals at TRS. His bases-loaded single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth plated Tim Foli with the winning run. Carlos Garcia homered in the Paul Wagner victory. 
• 2000 - The Pirates sent IF Luis Sojo to the Yankees for P Chris Spurling. For Sojo, a bench player, it was a return home, and he lasted three more seasons as a utility guy for the Bronx Bombers. Spurling was lost to the Braves in the 2002 Rule 5 draft and went on to pitch four MLB seasons as a reliever for Detroit and Milwaukee (6-8-3, 4.82). 

Petey - 2010 Topps

• 2010 - Colorado scored three runs in the ninth to tie the game and two more in the 10th to take the lead, but the Bucs prevailed at PNC Park to claim an 8-7 victory. With runners at first and second and two down in the extra frame, Pedro Alvarez took Huston Street deep for the walk off win, giving Sean Gallagher the W even though he gave up two runs in his inning of work. 
• 2013 - Petrina McCutchen, Andrew’s mom, sang the National Anthem before the Miami Marlins’ game at PNC Park. Her son responded with a 2-for-3 night including a walk and a homer. So did the team, as they won 4-2 behind Charlie Morton, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon.