9/30 Through the 1960’s: Herman Deal; Ralph's 54; Game Stories; HBD Pat

• 1891 - RHP Leo “Pat” Bohen was born in Oakland, Iowa. He got into two major league games; one was with the Bucs in 1914, when he gave up two runs on two hits with two walks in an inning of work. Bohen at age 24 retired after the 1915 campaign, spent at Moline and Peoria, and became a machinist. 
• 1893 - The Pirates ended their season with an eight-game winning streak by topping the NY Giants by an 8-6 score to finish the year 81-48, five games behind the Boston Beaneaters. Pittsburgh’s partial owner William Chase Temple thought there should be a series between the top two teams (as his club was second) for the title, so he donated the Temple Cup to the league for a best of seven postseason championship series, to start in 1894. It lasted for four years, never being terribly popular among the players or fans, and didn’t help Temple’s Bucs at all - they never finished higher than sixth during the Cup’s existence. The winner was supposed to take ⅔ of the gate, but the first teams to play agreed beforehand on a 50-50 split, which the winning club then reneged on, causing Temple to sell his Pirate share in disgust with baseball. 

Sam Leever  - 1909 Conlon Collection/Detroit Public Library

• 1908 - The Pirates beat the Cards 7-5 at Forbes Field behind Sam Leever, who relieved starter Vic Willis, and “Wee Tommy” Leach’s home run. Pittsburgh fell behind 5-0 in the home finale, tying the game in the seventh and pushing the winning runs across in the eighth. The victory put the Bucs in a virtual tie for first with the NY Giants and 1⁄2-game ahead of Chicago. In a wild NL finish, the Cubs would take the pennant by a game over both the Pirates and Giants. 
• 1921 - RHP Phil Morrison got his only big league outing, tossing ⅔ of an inning against St. Louis in a 12-4 defeat, giving up a hit and getting a K. He’s noteworthy as one of the Pirates’ early brother acts, as he joined sib “Jughandle Johnny” Morrison, who pitched eight years for Pittsburgh, on the roster that season. 
• 1946 - 2B Billy Herman, who the Bucs wanted as a manager, was traded to Pittsburgh by Boston with OF Stan Wentzel, RHP Elmer Singleton and IF Whitey Wietelmann for three-time All Star 3B Bob Elliott and C Hank Camelli. Even Herman realized a lopsided deal when he saw one, saying "Why, they've gone and traded the whole team on me.” Elliott won the 1947 NL MVP award and led the Beaneaters to the 1948 NL pennant. Herman was announced as Bucco skipper after the deal and was inked to a two-year contract. 
• 1946 - The Bob Feller Major League All-Stars and the Satchel Paige Colored Stars opened the post-season touring circuit in Forbes Field before 4,592 fans, with the Colored All-Stars taking a 3-1 win. The big draw was a three-inning duel between Paige and Feller. Paige gave up a hit and fanned four; Feller gave up two hits and whiffed three, the aces leaving the game with the score 1-1. Ray Brown was the real star, pitching six innings of one-hit, shutout ball to top Bob Lemon, who gave up the final two Colored Stars’ runs. 
• 1949 - Ralph Kiner hit his 54th homer and 16th of September over the LF scoreboard at Forbes Field as the Pirates beat Herm Wehmeier and the Reds‚ 3-2, behind Bob Chesnes four-hitter. The monthly total eclipsed Cy Williams' 1923 NL mark (broken in 1965 by Willie Mays with 17), and 54 homers is still the Pirate standard for long balls in a season. 

Ralph Kiner - 1950 Bowman

• 1951 - Ralph Kiner hit a two-out, 425’ walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning to give the Pirates an 8-4 win over the Reds at Forbes Field. The four RBI gave him 109 on the year, his fifth straight season with 100+ runs driven home, tying the franchise record set by Pie Traynor. Bill Werle, the Pirates third pitcher, got the win. 
• 1964 - 19 Pirates were struck out in 16 innings, but the Bucs still beat the Reds 1-0 on Jerry Mays’ suicide squeeze, knocking Cincy out of the top spot in the NL. Starter Bob Veale struck out 16 in 12-1/3 innings while the Reds’ Jim Maloney K’ed 11 in eleven frames at Crosley Field. Al McBean went the final 3-⅔ IP for the victory.

9/30 From 1970 Through the 1980’s: Roberto's #3,000; Scoops TSN; Candy's #20; '79 Clincher; Game Stories; HBD Bryan

• 1972 - At Three Rivers Stadium, Roberto Clemente hit a fourth-inning double off a Jon Matlack 0-1 curve to become the 11th player in major league history (there are now 32) to reach the 3,000 hit plateau. As an added bonus, Clemente scored and his run was the game winner when Manny Sanguillen chased him home with the Pirates’ first tally. Take it with a grain of salt if someone told you they were there for the big occasion. Only 13,117 people showed up to watch the 5-0 win over the Mets on a raw Saturday afternoon. Dock Ellis took home the W and Bob Johnson worked three innings for the save; the pair combined on a two-hitter. 
• 1972 - Al Oliver was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Swat Artist.” That he was; the Bucco center fielder slashed .312/18/89 and scored 88 times on the way to his first of seven All-Star selections. 

• 1977 - John Candelaria became the first Bucco since Vern Law in 1960 to win 20 games (and it would take until 1990 for Doug Drabek to become the Pirates next) when he downed the Cubs 3-1 at TRS. Al Oliver, Kenny Macha and Frank Taveras chased home the Pittsburgh runs. Candy Man scattered seven hits to go with seven whiffs, and his only mistake was a 3-0 meatball that Steve Swisher smacked into the seats. Candelaria went all the way to become the first Puerto Rican pitcher to notch a 20-win season. He finished the year 20-5/2.34, both the best marks in the league. 
• 1978 - The Phillies clinched their third consecutive NL East title by eliminating the Pirates, 10-8, at TRS. The victory, fueled by Phil pitcher Randy Lerch’s two home runs, snapped Pittsburgh’s 24-game home winning streak. The Bucs went down fighting. They scored four times in the ninth and got the tying run to the plate twice, but Willie Stargell, who had earlier swatted a grand slam, whiffed and Phil Garner bounced out to end the rally. 
• 1979 - The Pirates clinched the NL East crown with 5-3 win over the Cubs on the last day of the season in front of 42,176 jubilant fans at TRS. Bruce Kison and Kent Tekulve got the win and save, Dave Parker had three hits, Phil Garner added an RBI, and Bill Robinson’s two-run single in the seventh was the key blow as the Bucs finished the season two games ahead of the Montreal Expos, who dropped a 2-0 decision to Steve Carlton and the Phils. Willie Stargell became the Pirates all-time RBI leader when he bombed a solo homer in the fifth to overtake Honus Wagner. Pops’ pair of RBI were numbers 1,475 and 1,476; he would finish his career with 1,540. 
• 1980 - RHP Bryan Bullington was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Ball State junior was the Bucs top pick and first selection overall in the 2002 draft. He made his debut in 2005 for the Bucs, then returned to toss some in 2007 after labrum surgery, going 0-3/5.89 in six games (three starts) as a Pirate. BB never made much headway in the show, winning just one game. After pitching for KC in 2010, he went to Japan where he tossed until a shoulder injury in 2015.

Bryan Bullington - 2003 Topps Total

• 1987 - The Pirates split a doubleheader with the Chicago Cubs at TRS. They won the opener 5-3 behind Brian Fisher as Jose Lind chased two runs home and Spanky LaValliere scored twice. They dropped the nitecap 10-8 despite Darnell Coles tying a team record by blasting three homers and driving in six runs. Pirate pitching gave up just nine hits, but six were for extra bases and they added 11 walks. 
• 1988 - President Ronald Reagan tossed out two ceremonial first pitches before the Cubs lost 10-9 to the Pirates at Wrigley. “Dutch,” a former play-by-play announcer, joined Harry Caray for an inning and a half in the WGN booth. Jose Lind and Andy Van Slyke combined for seven hits in the win, spoiling the Prez’s day. It was a wild finish; Pittsburgh and Chicago each scored five times in the eighth and ninth innings to end up with a 9-9 regulation stalemate. Andy Van Slyke drove in Rafael Belliard with the winner in the 10th. Scott Medvin claimed the W while Goose Gossage took the loss.

9/30 From 1990: '90 Clicher; Dewey Day; Clint's #1,200; Game Stories

• 1990 - Pittsburgh beat St. Louis 2-0 at Busch Stadium behind Doug Drabek's three-hitter to clinch its first NL East title since 1979. Gary Redus and Andy Van Slyke had the RBI as the Pirates finished a seven game winning streak to pull away from the Mets (the Bucs finished the year four games up). It took Drabek just 80 pitches to go the distance. It set up a Pirates-Reds NLCS; ironically, the old rivals were the only two NL teams not to win a division title in the 80s. 
• 1993 - Tim Wakefield shut out the Phillies on four hits (although he did walk six) in a 5-0 whitewashing at TRS. It was the first time Philadelphia had been shut out since 1992 (also at TRS, by Doug Drabek), a NL record-setting stretch of 174 games between blankings. Pittsburgh’s home finale victory over Philadelphia was led by Dave Clark, who homered & tripled, and Tom Foley, who had three hits including a two-bagger. 

Tim Wakefield - 1993 Score Select Rookie

• 2009 - Ryan Doumit went 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored and four RBIs in the second game of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs, an 8-3 Pittsburgh win behind Jeff Karstens. Dewey became the second Pirate catcher in the last 40 years to have at least four hits and four RBIs in the same game; Jason Kendall collected four knocks and five RBIs in a 13–1 Pirates victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on May 19th, 2000. It was a good day at Wrigley Field for the Bucs as they took the opener, too, 4-0. Charlie Morton tossed a four hitter and Jason Jaramillo doubled in two runs.  
• 2012 - The Pirates were dropped by Cincinnati 4-3 for their 82nd loss, finishing below .500 for the 20th consecutive season to extend their sad little record. The Bucs were 16 games over .500 on August 6th, but for the second consecutive year, a dog days’ collapse was in the cards. This one at PNC Park hurt, as the Reds scored twice in the ninth off closer Joel Hanrahan to steal the win in front of 32,814 fans. 
• 2015 - The Pirates stayed alive in the NL Central race by winning the lid lifter of a twin bill at PNC Park against St. Louis, 8-2, for Gerrit Cole's 19th win. The offense was generated via a grand slam by Francisco Cervelli, Neil Walker’s homer and Gregory Polanco chasing home two runs. But the Cardinals clinched the flag and a 100-win season when they won the back end, 11-1, chasing Charlie Morton in the third and getting a Jason Heyward grand slam of their own off Bobby LaFromboise. The Pirates hosted the Wild Card walk-in game for the third straight season as their consolation prize.  
• 2017 - The Pirates had been held to one hit over eight innings by Max Scherzer, AJ Cole and Enny Romero and were down 1-0 going into the ninth at Nationals Park. Washington sent Brandon Kintzler to close it out, and he got within a strike of doing it. With runners at first and second, Sean Rodriguez slapped a two-out, 3-2 sinker into left to tie the game. A walk loaded the bases and Max Moroff cleared them with a triple to open a wide safety net. Felipe Rivero mopped it up to save George Kontos’ win (Jameson Taillon tossed seven innings of four-hit ball to start the game) and the Bucs took home a 4-1 win from Washington.  

Starling Marte joins the 20/30 club - image AT&T SportsNet

• 2018 - The Pirates finished an 82-79, roller-coaster campaign with a 6-5, 10-inning win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park. The teams used 13 pitchers in a showcase of the young guys that featured four home runs, three errors and everything in between. Pablo Reyes scored on a wild pitch to win it for Michael Feliz, and Jose Osuna added a pair of doubles. The vets had a hand in it, too, as Josh Bell homered, Starling Marte went long & doubled, and Felipe Vazquez notched his 37th save. Some notable achievements: Marte became the third Pirate to have a 20 HR/30 SB season, joining Barry Bonds (four times) & Andy Van Slyke (1987-88). It was also the first time that the Bucs had two relief pitchers with at least 80 strikeouts in the same season as Vazquez punched out 89 and Richard Rodriguez, 88. Only two Pirate relievers have reached 90 Ks in a campaign (Joel Hanrahan w/100 in 2010 & Jason Grilli w/90 in 2012). And finally, Clint Hurdle got his 1,200th career victory in the show. He joined Bruce Bochy, Mike Scioscia, Buck Showalter and Terry Francona as active skippers in the 1,200 win club.

Clint Canned, Bucs Bats Take Final Day Off As Pirates Drop Finale 3-1 To Reds

Well, a little excitement before the game; Clint was let go. Tom Prince will take the reins after Hurdle declined to manage today after his release. With that determined, Willy went to the hill, gave a literal tip o' the cap to Steve Blass in the radio booth, and put up a zero, though with a walk, in the first. Ty Mahle worked a 1-2-3 inning. Aristides Aquiro banged a leadoff dinger in the second, followed by a K and DP to calm the Reds down. Pablo led off with a rap but went nowhere. Trevor bopped the first Red up in the third but nothing came of it; the Pirates again made not a peep. Cincinnati drew another walk in the fourth; the Bucs went down in order again. The Reds added another run on Brian O'Grady's solo shot in the fifth. Erik Gonzalez singled with two away for all the Pittsburgh action. A walk and two-out double put Willy in a sixth-inning jam, but he eased out to keep it at 2-0. Amir Garrett came in. A walk, wild pitch and swinging bunt knock put Bucs on the corners with a out, bringing in Sal Romano. Joey O's sac fly, pulled in at the 399' mark, cut the lead in half.

Willy had a good showing today - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Willy came out for the seventh and gave up an opening single; he once again dug down for a whiff and DP to finish a very nice outing today. Joel Kuhnel toed the rubber, and Jake Elmore singled. After a pop, it was the Bucs turn to roll into a twin killing. Ric Rod gave up the third homer of the day to Alex Blandino - he now has two MLB long balls on his resume - in the eighth. The Reds drew a walk before the bell rang. Robert Stephenson took the ball, and K-Man singled with an out. Two pop ups later, he still stood on first. Yacksel Rios got the ninth inning wave. With an out, a single and error on an infield ball put a Redleg at second. An out later, another single put Cincy's at the corners, but Rios wriggled out of the pickel. Michael Lorenzen was greeted by a Joey O rap before sitting the Bucs down.

Well, lost the game, their skipper, and had a year with internal brawls, on field wrasslin' matches, arrests, and more guys down than General Lee had in Virginia. Oh, and 69 wins, their lowest total since 57 victories in 2010 (and that season got John Russell fired). Can't wait to see what the offseason brings.

Notes:

• Melky had two hits today; he was the only Buc to reach base safely twice.
• Mahle was the surprise starter today; the scheduled Trevor Bauer was under the weather this week and pushed back to this afternoon, but apparently still felt the effect of the bug.
• The last game of the year drew an announced crowd of 23,617.
• Sheesh. Steve Baron underwent surgery today to repair a fractured lower mandible (jaw bone). He is expected be ready for spring training. Baron was hit on the face by a pickoff throw during last night's game.
• The Cards ran roughshod over the Cubs today, 9-0, to clinch the NL Central title.
• Joe Maddon also bit the dust today; the Cubs announced he wouldn't return for 2020. 

Clint Canned

Here's a release you might want to read...

Guess the suits had a change of heart, or maybe Clint was trying a backdoor move. Either way, he and Joe Maddon are gone on the same day. More later...

Willy v Trevor Bauer, Lineup & Notes

Game: It's a late start for Sunday at 3:05 with the game aired on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. It's Sunday kids day, with stuff outside the yard pregame, a free backpack for the 14-and-under fans, and baserunning after the game.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Adam Frazier 2B, Melky Cabrera RF, Jose Osuna 1B, Pablo Reyes CF, Jake Elmore RF, Jake Stallings C, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Trevor Williams P. And what's left of our 2019 Pirates...God bless Stalls, who caught 11 innings last night and starts today's day game, presumably without a backup.

Willy gets the finale - image Pirates wallpaper

Pitchers: RHP Trevor Williams (7-8/5.52) ends the campaign against RHP Trevor Bauer (2-5/6.39).  Trevor is making is 26th start; this is his third straight year with 25+ starts for the Bucs. Willy's last six trips to the hill have been workmanlike, except for one beat down delivered by the Cubs. He has been money against the Redlegs in three starts, with a slash of 2-0/1.50. Bauer hasn't done much for the Reds since they acquired him, although he has settled down some in September, going 2-2/4.10. He was chased after three innings in late August by the Bucs in his only start against them this year, giving up eight runs. (Sonny Gray was supposed to start, but had his elbow scoped a few days ago.)

Notes:

• Bryan Reynolds at .314 finished with the highest batting average for a qualified MLB switch-hitting rookie since 1896.
• The Pirates starting pitcher picks out the locker room music. Willy is playing a holiday playlist, because he feels like “every day in the majors is like Christmas.”
• The Pirates close out the season today and Steve Blass will close out his broadcast career.
• The Cards and Brewers are a game apart with one to go. The possible scenarios are here.

9/29 Through the 1940s: Bro Act; Epps Outing; Game Stories; HBD Cannonball, Paul; Hunky & Robber-Winged Gus

• 1862 - LHP Ed “Cannonball” Morris was born in Brooklyn. Morris was considered by many to be the first great lefty to pitch in the majors. In 1884, Cannonball tossed a no-hitter against Pittsburgh for Columbus, and was purchased by the impressed Alleghenys five months later. The lefty pitched for the Alleghenys from 1885-89 with a 171-122/2.84 line, winning 80 games from 1885-86. He struck out over 300 batters twice with 298 another year, and threw over 550 innings in two different seasons. He also worked a year with the Pittsburgh Burghers of the Players League in 1890, his last season in the majors. Afterward, he ran a hotel/saloon on Pittsburgh’s North Side and was a deputy warden at Western Penitentiary. He remained a fan, rarely missing a Pirates game, and in 1934 he was tapped by the team to pitch an inning during the Silver Anniversary of Forbes Field. As you may have guessed, he was nicknamed "Cannonball" for the velocity of his ol’ number one. 

Cannonball - 1889 Goodwin/Old Judge

• 1866 - RHP “Rubber-Winged Gus” Weyhing was born in Louisville, Kentucky. In a 14-year career spanning over 500 appearances, he tossed one game for the Pirates in 1895. He won it before joining his hometown Louisville Colonels, his third team of the season (he tossed for nine clubs). Gus was a strong pitcher, winning 25+ games six straight seasons, but he was one of the old-timey pitchers that didn’t cope very well when the mound was moved back ten feet to 60’6” in 1893, though he did manage to hang around until 1901. He was also a colorful character - he jumped leagues twice and was an early wild child; he still leads the majors with 277 hit batsmen. 
• 1884 - 3B/OF Royal “Hunky” Shaw was born in Yakima, Washington. The Washington U alum has one MLB at-bat on his resume (he whiffed) in 1908 as a Pirate. He played pro ball until 1924, mostly in the Northwest and Nebraska Leagues. He retired and opened a sporting goods store, and became a club exec for the minor league Yakima Pippins. 
• 1900 - Busted! Per the Pittsburgh Press after a 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds “...the disgrace of being beaten...was not the most humiliating experience the Pirates had at Exposition Park, and until they clear themselves of the charge of attempting the dishonorable Philadelphia trick of tipping off the signals (ie, stealing signs) of opposing clubs, they will get little sympathy from Pittsburg’s patrons of the national game.” Reds’ shortstop Tommy Corcoran called the ump over late in the game and pointed out an advertising sign in center field that could be potentially be adjusted by a hidden Bucco with binoculars to steal the catcher’s signals. Corcoran had a nose for opposing tricksters; he also uncovered the ploy in Philadelphia that involved a vibrating electronic gizmo buried in the third base box. The Reds filed cheating charges, and though we never found the resolution of the matter, it appears the Pirates defense of “how could we have cheated if we lost” was upheld. 
• 1908 - Pittsburgh blanked the Cardinals 7-0 at Forbes Field behind Howie Camnitz in the first game of a doubleheader sweep. Camnitz had a no hitter until the ninth when Claude Osteen singled. The last-place Redbirds were blanked for a record 33rd time. The Cards broke out the lumber in the nitecap, but still lost 6-5 when Roy Thomas’ grounder brought home George Gibson in the ninth to give Vic Willis the win. 
• 1909 - RHP Harry Camnitz mopped up in the Pirates 6-1 loss to the NY Giants at Forbes Field. It was his only outing of the year (he had been purchased from the minor league McKeesport Tubers in July), but it made him part of the first brother act for the Pittsburgh Pirates to appear during the same season; he was the little bro of the team’s ace, Howie Camnitz. The Bucs added him to the roster after he picked up 27 wins with the Tubers.

Paul Geil - 1960 Topps

• 1932 - RHP Paul Giel was born in Winona, Minnesota. Paul was a two-sport star at the U of Minnesota and picked baseball over football (he was a highly touted QB) when he graduated. He spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues and made 20 appearances with the Pirates in 1959-60, going 2-0, 7.30. He retired from baseball in 1961 and embarked on a journey through the Minnesota sports scene. Giel went to work for the Vikings briefly, spent a longer stretch with local sports broadcasting and then became the AD at his alma mater. 
• 1935 - In his only major league game, C Aubrey Epps went 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI in the Bucs' 9-6 loss at Cincinnati, giving the Pirates a doubleheader split on the season’s last day. In an oddity, the touted 23-year old catcher ended up with identical career batting and fielding averages (.750) as he committed two errors in eight chances; guess that’s why it was his only game. Aubrey caught pneumonia after the season, although he did recover in time to report to 1936 camp. He couldn’t win a roster spot and spent the next six seasons in the minors. He was nicknamed “YoYo” for his proficiency with the toy, per Diamonds in the Dusk. 
• 1942 - Satchel Paige of the KC Monarchs tossed 5-2/3 innings of hitless relief against the Homestead Grays (by that time, they split dates between Pittsburgh & Washington), winning 9-5 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia to cap a four game sweep of the 1942 Negro League World Series. The series featured seven members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, three from the Monarchs (Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, and Willard Brown) and four from the Grays (Josh Gibson, Jud Wilson, Ray Brown, and Buck Leonard). Paige had actually been slated to start but showed up late at the ballpark, claiming he was tardy because of a speeding ticket he picked up on the way to the park.

9/29 From 1950: Rosey Day; Polo Grounds Finale; Teke For Two; Game Stories; HBD Ken

• 1950 - Ken Macha was born in Monroeville. The Gateway grad, a sixth round draft pick in 1972, played briefly for the Bucs (1974, 1977-78), hitting .263 as a corner utilityman. He made his name as a MLB coach and manager of the Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers. Ken is retired and now lives in Latrobe after a stint as a pre-game analyst for Root Sports. 
• 1957 - The New York Giants played their final game at the Polo Grounds before pulling up their stakes and heading west, losing to the Pirates 9-1. Bob Friend got the win; Johnny Antonelli took the loss. Roberto Clemente, Johnny Powers and Friend each had three hits; rookie Powers hit the last homer and tallied the final RBI ever at the yard. After the game, 11‚606 fans swarmed for keepsakes as both teams retreated to the center field clubhouses for safety. 

Rosey Rowswell - 1952 Topps

• 1960 - Mayor Joe Barr declared it “Rosey Rowsell Day” at his memorial dinner at the Penn Sheraton. Governor Davey Lawrence was the main speaker, and the newly-crowned NL champs, the Pirates, led by Danny Murtaugh, Bob Friend, Roy Face, Bob Skinner and more were in attendance. Though Rosey had passed on in 1955, the dinner tradition continued as a funder for his favorite charity, the Ward Home for Children in Mt. Lebanon. 
• 1968 - Ahead of Matty Alou by a razor’s edge on the season’s last day, Pete Rose went 1-for-3 to keep his average at .335 while the Pirates outfielder wore an 0-for-4 collar in a 5-4 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field, finishing the year with a BA of .332. The day before, the batting crown rivals were en fuego, combining to go 9-for-9 to set up the final day showdown. 
• 1978 - Kent Tekulve won both ends of a season-ending DH over the Phils at TRS in relief‚ 5-4 and 2-1. He pitched two innings in the opener and 1-1/3 frames in the nitecap‚ winning in the 10th. Both wins were gift wrapped; the Bucs won the opener when the relay to third on Ed Ott’s two-out, ninth-inning triple got away, and the Phils balked in the winning run in the 10th inning of the nitecap. Bruce Kison made the pitcher trivia rounds in the second game when he homered off Steve Carlton. That gave him a season natural batting cycle of a single, double, triple and homer in that order. Of course, for a hitter, a natural cycle begins with his first at-bat; with pitcher Kison, it started with a single on July 20th, with quite a few outs sprinkled in between. The twilighter drew 45,134 fans as a September run by the Bucs cut the Phils lead to 1-½ games after their 24th straight win at TRS. Pittsburgh finished two games back, but the stretch run pointed the way to 1979. 
• 1990 - Bob Walk threw a four-hit complete game, winning an 8-0 decision over St. Louis at Busch Stadium in a match of the top dog Pirates and cellar-dwelling Cards. The 6-7-8 bottom of the order batters (Sid Bream, Mike LaValliere & Chico Lind) had two hits each and scored six runs, with even Walk contributing a RBI double from the nine-hole. The win almost put Pittsburgh over the top; they would clinch the division by eliminating the NY Mets the next day. 
• 1992 - The Pirates won their sixth straight game by a 3-0 score over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field as Zane Smith, Paul Wagner (the winner), Steve Cooke and Stan Belinda combined on a two-hitter to put the Bucs nine games up in the standings. Andy Van Slyke homered and drove in a pair of runs to spark the Pirate attack. The Buccos other run came on a Carlos Garcia sac fly that scored Gary Varsho. 

The leader of the Brown bunch - 1999 Pacific Crown

• 1999 - In an oddity noted by BR Bullpen, the Bucs 1-2-3 hitters against the Milwaukee Brewers at County Stadium were Adrian Brown, Emil Brown and Brant Brown. Adrian had two hits and Brant drove in a run, but the Brown bunch wasn’t strong enough to carry the day as the Pirates fell 5-2. 
• 2012 - Andrew McCutchen hit a walk-off homer to right center off Jonathan Broxton of the Cincinnati Reds with one down in the ninth inning for his 31st long ball of the season. It gave the Pirates a 2-1 win at PNC Park in front of a Saturday night crowd of 38,623. Alex Presley doubled home Chase d'Arnaud in the seventh for the Bucs first run. Kyle McPherson started the game, and Joel Hanrahan finished for the win.

Buc Slumber Company in 4-2,12-Inning Loss to Reds

It was a gray and thundering night, but Steve Blass got his ceremony in before some drizzle fell, albeit cutting his farewell speech a little short as the ground crew yanked out the tarps as soon as he threw the game's Opening Pitch. As Stevie Ray Vaughan would note, even "The Sky Is Crying" over Blass' departure. The game started about an hour late after the mop up. James Marvel was dinged for a two-out bloop double with no damage. Lucas Sims tossed a clean frame. The Reds got on the board in the second on a Tucker Barnhart two-out solo shot. Joey O singled and Kevin Kramer walk to open the Bucco half. A fly and passed ball tallied Jose; Kramer came home on Steve Baron's two-out two-bagger to put the Bucs up 2-1. He hurt himself on the bases, so now Jake Stallings is the only catcher left standing. The Cincy's answered with a double and walk to start the third. Another walk juiced the sacks with an out, but a pair of comebackers kept the plate clean. Matt Bowman spun a clean frame.

James dodged a lot of bullets but only gave up a pair - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

The Reds led off the fourth with a double that was singled home an out later, the ball deflecting off Newman's mitt into center. K-Man then snagged a liner for an unassisted DP to close the inning. With an out, Kevin Kramer lined out just beyond The Notch. Jake Elmore reached on a two-down bungle, causing no damage. Marvel gave up his fifth extra-base knock in five innings, another leadoff double, but he left him at third. The Reds are 1-for-9 so far w/RISP. It was three grounders, three outs for the Pirates. Yefrey Ramirez took over in the sixth and fanned a pair in a quiet inning. Amir Garrett retired the Bucs in order. After a leadoff single in the seventh off Ramirez, Williams Jerez was called in and gave up a double. The Reds first out was a contact play tag at home, followed by a whiff. Parker Markel was brought in to face Eugenio Suarez and walked him to jam the sacks, with the Buccos again squeaking through after a fly to right. After an opening K, Sal Romano was waved in and walked Elmore. He was caught stealing an out later to end the frame.

Markel walked the first Redleg in the eighth. A balk moved him up 90' and was followed by a free pass with two gone. Clay Holmes was dispatched to the slab and got a bouncer to sit 'em down. After an out, Romano was flipped for Kevin Gausman. He was tapped for a two-out single by K-Man,who was thrown out trying to stretch it. The Bucs have had four runners so far tonight; two have been thrown out on the bases. Keone Kela worked the ninth, and gave up a walk that never advanced. Pablo walked to open the Bucco half and Fraze doubled Reyes to third. Melky was given four wide ones to fill the bases after a three-pitch Joey O whiff. The Reds went to a five-man infield - kinda crowded there with the three Bucco runners and umps - and stayed that way as Elmore also fanned on three pitches and Erik Gonzalez popped out. Bases loaded, Pirates...well, ya know. Chris Stratton answered the 10th inning bell. He gave up a two-out walk, the Pirates seventh, and then walked another, both on full counts, before closing the lid. Raisel Iglesias tucked the Bucs away on six pitches.

Joey O was the only Buc to see the bases twice tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Alex McRae gave up a leadoff knock in the 11th. He then dished out a DP ball, and gave up another rap before the third out. RJ Alaniz climbed the hill. After Pablo lined out and Fraze flew out to the track, Joey O walked and McRae, batting for himself (Big Joe Musgrove is the only bench bat left), singled him to second. No cigar; Jake Elmore couldn't cash him in. The Reds again got an opening rap in the 12th and a bopped batter was next. He got another DP, but a two-out double made it 3-2 Cincinnati. Then he hung a two-strike curve to the pitcher Alaniz, and he singled home an insurance run. The Bucs went down 1-2-3.

Ah, September. Kinda miraculous that it took the Reds 12 innings, four hours and 27 minutes to win; they banged out 13 hits (seven for extra bases) and got eight walks, stranding 15 runners and going 3-for-18 w/RISP. The Bucs had five hits to go with five walks. One more game to go, if Clint can find nine guys in one piece to finish out the season.

Notes:

• In 12 frames, Joey O was the only Bucco to reach safely twice with a walk and a knock.
• With his third team and 26th MLB at-bat, Steven Baron collected his first big league extra-base hit and RBI tonight, but left immediately afterward with a head injury. 
• The announced attendance tonight was 21,084.
• During Steverino's ceremony, the Pirates announced they are creating a Hall of Fame, based in PNC Park, for next year and that Steve Blass will be an inductee. Not many details, so stay tuned.
• The Pirates gave out 38 grants as part of the "Field for Kids" program; a third went to Allegheny-Westmoreland county organizations, with the rest scattered around the region.
• Steve Pearce, who carved out a respectable AL career after leaving the Pirates, is on the verge of retirement.

Marvel v Lucas Sims, Lineup & Notes

Game: It's a 7:05 start and will be aired by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. It's Steve Blass big night; the first 20,000 fans get a player/broadcaster double bobblehead of Steverino with his pregame to-do starting at 6:40. Here's knocking on wood that the weather cooperates.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Pedro Reyes CF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jose Osuna 1B, Kevin Kramer RF, Jake Elmore LF, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Steven Baron C, James Marvel P. OK, down to two starters and if our count is right, three healthy bench players.

Marvel gets a last chance to impress - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP James Marvel (0-3/10.22) meets RHP Lucas Sims (2-1/4.39). Marvel's last two games have been disasters - in 7-1/3 IP, he's allowed 12 runs and given up three homers. He gets a fourth start to leave an impression. This will be his first outing against Cincinnati. Sims has been used out of the pen since being recalled in late July, so it's an opener game for the Redlegs today. He got one start in May; he lasted 7-1/3IP against the Bucs, giving up four runs. He's also seen them twice more in relief during his second tour, surrendering four runs in three frames.

Notes

• Erik Gonzalez has an 11-game hitting streak. Another lucky 11 - that's how many straight games the Bucs have won at PNC Park against the Reds.
• The wheels are turning already: the Pirates are talking about using Steven Brault some in the OF next year, ala Michael Lorenzen of the Reds, per Jason Mackey of the Post Gazette. It would add some value to his portfolio; he's hitting .341 this year, been used as a pinch hitter (4-of-7), and sports a .268 lifetime BA.
• CBS has a Bucco prospect list, and oddly, considering how the year has gone, it's primarily guys who haven't appeared in MLB yet. Most of the names should be familiar if you keep up with the minors; if not, time for an intro.
• Steve Blass will be off this game to enjoy his night with his family & friends; tomorrow will be his last broadcast (radio side) as part of the crew.

9/28 Through the 1940s: Homer In the Gloaming; Game Stories; HBD Grant, Pete, Everett, Leon, Lou, Harlan, Bill & Cy

• 1863 - RHP Bill Nelson was born in Terre Haute, Indiana. He tossed three games for the Alleghenys in September of 1884, going 1-2/4.50. His peripherals were a little bit rougher - in 26 IP, he gave up 21 runs (13 were earned), hit four batters and tossed five wild pitches. He was released at the end of the season; the Alleghenys were about to buy the Columbus roster, leaving no room for a pitching project. Little is known what happened to Bill afterward; he appears he got on with his life at home as he ended his days in 1941 back in Terre Haute. 
• 1865 - 2B Lou Bierbauer was born in Erie (some sources claim he was born in Philly, que sera, sera). The Pirates signed him in 1891, as he wasn’t on the reserved roster of his American Association club, the Philadelphia Athletics (he had skipped to the outlaw Players League Brooklyn Ward’s Wonders in 1890). His rights were decided by an arbitrator, and though the AA thought the Alleghenys’ act was “piratical,” Pittsburgh was awarded Bierbauer and a new nickname, the Pirates. From 1891-96, Bierbauer was a defensive master and hit .260 for the Pirates. 

Lou Bierbauer - 1898 Pepsin Pin

• 1883 - RHP Harlan “Cy the Third” Young was born in Portland, Indiana. The Pirates purchased Harlan’s contract from Wichita of the Western Association in 1908 and he did OK in a limited time, going 0-2/2.23 in three starts. Then it gets interesting. In Cy Young’s era, every pitcher named Young became a Cy of one stripe or another. Cy the Third, Harlan, was traded to Boston for Cy the Second (aka Young Cy), Irv Young. The association by name didn’t help Cy Two much nor Three at all. Irv did go 4-3/2.15 for Pittsburgh and lasted two more seasons with the White Sox, winning 63 games in six years. Harlan remained winless with Boston, and then bumped around in minor league ball until 1920. He retired, and though he never outdid his namesake in the baseball record books, Cy III ran a golf course and later managed apartments in Florida, living to the ripe old age of 91. 
• 1889 - OF Anna Sebastian “Pete” Compton was born in San Marcos, Texas. Compton had a six-year run in MLB, playing for five clubs, with a brief stop in Pittsburgh in 1916, going 1-for-16 in five games. Though old Pete was just a .241 hitter in the show, he was handy with the wood in the minors - he played through the 1928 season, leaving pro ball after eight straight .300+ seasons, over 2,500 hits, and a career .307 minor league BA. And no, we don’t know how Anna morphed into Pete. Guess Ma & Pa Compton were hoping for a girl. 
• 1891 - OF Everett Booe was born in Mocksville, North Carolina. His MLB days were from 1913-14; he spent his rookie campaign as a Bucco, batting .200 in 29 games before jumping to the Federal League. Booe was a speedster and did have a long playing career in the minors, stretching from 1910-30 with the last handful of seasons spent as a player/manager. After he was done, he retired with his wife to Kennedy, Texas, where he ran a lumber supply company and was active in community affairs, both civic and baseball. 
• 1893 - 1B/OF Cy Rheam was born in Pittsburgh. Cy went to Indiana Normal School (now IUP) and the utilityman got a couple of seasons in with the Pittsburgh Rebels in 1914-15, batting .201 while playing six different positions. That was the sum of Cy’s MLB career, and he apparently stayed local after his playing days. He died in the City in 1947 and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery. 
• 1902 - RHP Leon Chagnon was born in Pittsfield, New Hampshire. He worked for the Bucs from 1929-30, then again from 1932-34 after spending 1931 in the minors. Mostly called to action from the bullpen, he went 19-14-2 with a 4.61 ERA during his Pirate career. He closed out his big league stay with the Giants in 1935, then spent two years in the minors before hangin' the spikes up. 

Leon Chagnon - photo Mears/The Sporting News

• 1909 - Player/manager Fred Clarke was honored at Forbes Field before the game, when, according to Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press, “...Mayor WA (William) Magee presented him with a bag of gold coin ($600). Just as the money was being handed to Clarke, James Geary placed a wreath of evergreen on his brow and showered dozens of rosebuds all over him while the fans shouted themselves hoarse at the scene.” After all that, the Pirates went out and lost to the NY Giants 13-9, but even that was good. The Pirates clinched the pennant when the Chicago Cubs lost to the Phils 3-2 and went on to beat the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. 
• 1938 - The Bucs lost the “Homer in the Gloaming” game to the Cubs at Wrigley Field, considered one of the greatest pennant race finishes in baseball. The teams were tied for first and tied in the bottom of the ninth. The umpires ruled that the ninth inning would be the last to be played because of darkness; if it was still tied, it would become a no-contest and would be replayed the next day in its entirety. Player manager Gabby Hartnett came to bat with two out, fell behind 0-2, and then connected off Mace Brown, launching the ball into the left-center field bleachers for the walk off win and sending 34‚465 fans home in ecstasy, many of whom circled the bases with him. The Cubs won the next day (their 10th straight), the Pirates faded, and Chicago became the NL champs. The loss was so painful to manager Pie Traynor that it’s said to have contributed to his retirement after the 1939 season. 
• 1942 - LHP Grant Jackson was born in Fostoria, Ohio. Buck tossed for the Pirates from 1977-81 and made his last MLB outing as a Buc in 1982. His line here was 29-19-36/3.23, and he tossed scoreless ball in his six appearances during the 1971 NLCS/World Series campaign. After he retired, Jackson was hired as Pittsburgh's pitching coach in 1983. He held similar positions with four other organizations (Chicago Cubs, NY Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, and Baltimore Orioles) before he retired for good after the 2002 season. He got his nickname in the minors; one of his teammates thought he walked like a cowboy and so dubbed him “Buck.”  
• 1947 - Tiny Bonham tossed a two-hit whitewash as the Bucs defeated the Reds, 7-0, at Forbes Field to end a dismal season in Bill Burwell’s only game as a manager (he replaced Billy Herman, who resigned). Pittsburgh finished 62-92, 32 games out of first. Dixie Howell and Frank Gustine homered in front of 33,794 fans. The Bucs had won just 64 games the year before, but would take 83 the following season under new skipper Billy Meyer. Herman wasn’t left holding the bag; he still had a year left on his contract and pocketed $28K for 1948.

9/28 From 1950: SI Danny; Freak Show Finale; Home Field; JJ Cycle; Game Stories

• 1952 - The Post Gazette lead told the story: “The Pittsburgh Pirates wound up the clubs losingest (sic) season in modern baseball history by doing just that - losing.” The Bucs did put up a fight at Crosley Field as Gus Bell dinged a two-run homer in the ninth to tie the game briefly before the Cincinnati Reds stormed back in the ninth to claim a 3-2 win from Forrest Main. The Pirates finished the year with a 48-106 slate. Still, it was a profitable day for a couple of Pirates - in a pre-game set of contests, Brandy Davis won $100 as the fastest player while Joe Garagiola ($50) and Frank Thomas ($25) came in 1-2 in the distance-hitting event. 
• 1966 - Pittsburgh swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Phillies by 2-1 and 4-2 scores at Connie Mack Stadium. The strong mound work of Steve Blass and Bob Veale pulled the club within 1-½ games of first place LA. In the first game, Donn Clendenon homered and Manny Mota chased Matty Alou for the Bucco offense. The big blows in the nightcap were a triple by Bill Mazeroski, chasing home a run & scoring on a bad relay, and a two-out Roberto Clemente double that plated Matty Alou & came around on a single and error. It was their last hurrah; the SF Giants swept the final three-game set at Forbes Field and the Bucs finished third, three games off the pace. 

• 1970 - Danny Murtaugh was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the story “The Desperate Race.” It actually wasn’t that desperate; the Bucs’ lead had grown from two games into five by the time the issue was published after winning 6-of-7 down the stretch. 
• 1997 - The Freak Show ended its run with the club’s 79th victory, 5-4, over Houston in 11 innings at the Astrodome. Jose Guillen swung the hot bat with a homer, two runs scored and three RBI to give Jason Christiansen the win, saved by Rich Loiselle. The club wouldn’t match that victory total again until 2012.
• 2009 - The Pirates won their home finale 11-1 against the Dodgers, with Andy LaRoche hitting two homers and driving in six runs. John Russell drew the ire of the 16,696 fans in attendance when he inexplicably pulled starter Zach Duke (103 pitches) with two outs in the ninth after a sac fly ruined his shutout bid. 
• 2012 - The Bucs drew 34,796 fans to PNC Park, but the star of the show was Reds pitcher Homer Bailey, who tossed a no-hitter to outduel AJ Burnett and earn a hard fought, 1-0, complete game win. Bailey walked one and fanned 10 as the Pirates were no-hit for the first time since 1971. It was the year of the no-hitter; Bailey’s was the seventh of the season, tying a modern-day MLB record. 
• 2013 - Behind a six-home-run barrage (Neil Walker-2, Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Marlon Byrd and Andrew Lambo), the Pirates won home field advantage for their wild card game against the Reds by defeating Cincinnati 8-3 at GABP. It was the first time since August, 2007, versus the Rockies at Coors Field, that Pittsburgh banged out that many long balls in a game. It was his first career multi-homer game for Walker and the first career MLB homer for Lambo. Alvarez became the first Pirate third baseman to drive in 100 runs since Aramis Ramirez chased home 110 in 2001, and his 36 homers were a club record for a third baseman. Vin Mazzaro came on in the fifth inning and was credited with the win. 

John Jaso - 2016 Topps Now

• 2016 - Although eliminated from playoff contention the day before, the Pirates still had some spunk left in them and whipped the 100-win Cubs and Jake Arrieta 8-4 at PNC Park. John Jaso led the attack by hitting for the first cycle in PNC Park history (it was the first Bucco cycle since Daryle Ward’s in 2004 and the first at home since Jason Kendall’s in 2000 at TRS) while chasing home five runs and scoring twice. Rookie Jameson Taillon spun a one-hitter through six innings and survived some occasionally shaky bullpen work to earn the win. Josh Bell, Sean Rodriguez and Eric Fryer each added two knocks with S-Rod scoring three times.

Kevin Newman Walks It Off, Leads B-Team Bucs To Fourth Straight With 6-5 Victory Over the Reds

Not a great start by Steven Brault - a couple of doubles, a walk, stolen base, throwing error, and hey, it's 2-0 before the Bucs get to bat. The Bucs went quietly to Anthony DeSclafani. Brault struck out the side in the second; the Pirates went down 1-2-3. The Reds made no noise in the third. Jake Elmore and Erik Gonzalez led off with raps and were bunted up before K-Man walked to juice the sacks. Per SOP, they left them loaded. The Redlegs walked twice and fanned three times in the fourth. Stalls singled for all the Bucco noise. A walk, two singles and throw to the wrong base gave Cincy a couple of more tallies in the fifth. The Bucs did answer this time; Erik Gonzalez and Steven singled; they both came in on Newman's three-run shot to make it a one-run game at 4-3. Clay Holmes got the sixth and gave up an opening double but kept the scoreboard clean. Kevin Kramer and Stalls opened with raps for the Pirates. That brought in Robert Stephenson. A fly moved KK to third before Gonzalez lined out swinging at a full-count ball four; 2B Jose Peraza tried to double up Stallings at first, threw the ball away, and the game was knotted as two wrongs did make a right.

Kevin was the show tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Ric Rod got the seventh; the Cincy's drew a walk and nothing else. Michael Lorenzen bopped Fraze with two outs, and after a barrage of throws to first, Fraze was caught stealing. The Reds got two knocks and walk off Frankie Liriano to take the lead in the eighth. A grounder left runners at the corners, but Frankie stopped the bleeding. The Pirates went down without a peep in their half. Yacksel Rios came on for the ninth, and left a couple of free passes aboard. Raisel Iglesias took the ball. Elmore led off with a rap and went to second on a wild pitch. Two outs later, he was at third. K-Man got a 1-1 slider that hung over the middle of the plate and bang - a walk off dinger. The B Team rallies for another win, and you can raise the Roger.

Lotta names for both teams that make you dive deep into the program. Clint is getting a good chance to assess some of the bubble guys, and players like Erik Gonzalez and Jake Elmore are making the most of it. And hey, heck of a way to end Steve Blass' TV career.

Notes:

• Newman (five RBI), Stallings, Elmore and Gonzalez all had two hits. Per Joe Block, Kevin Newman tied Al Oliver (1969) tonight for most walkoff hits (4) for a Pirates rookie, since at least 1920.
• Steven Brault had a career-high 10 strikeouts. The Pirates struck out 16 and walked eight tonight.
• The announced crowd was 18,554 tonight.
• The Blass blast starts: Bill Peduto issued a special Mayoral Proclamation to Steverino today in recognition of his six decades of service to our city.
• The MLB will experiment with robo umps in the Arizona Fall League this year, per CBS Sports.

Steven v Anthony DeSclafani, Lineup & Notes

Game: The game starts at 7:05 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Tonight is a Zambelli Fireworks night, so one way or another, the night will end with a bang.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Pablo Reyes CF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jose Osuna 1B, Kevin Kramer RF, Jake Stallings C, Jake Elmore LF, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Steven Brault P. Colin Moran, btw, has an unspecified hip injury.

Steven gets his last start - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: LHP Steven Brault (4-6/5.07) v RHP Anthony DeSclafani (9-9/3.84). Steven had a brilliant start for his return to the rotation, but with a chance to cruise into a frontrunner role for 2020, he's tossed to a 0-3/12.38 slash in his last three outings. He's only had one start against the Redlegs, shutting them out on three hits over 5-1/3 IP in May. DeSclafani has gone the opposite direction from Brault, with a 2-2/2.05 line in his last seven starts, none of which has been shorter than six frames. He hasn't had much luck against Pittsburgh, going 0-2/5.28 in three starts, so one of his trends is gonna end tonight.

Notes:

• Erik Gonzalez has a 10-game hitting streak going on.
• Connor Byrne of MLB Trade Rumors wonders where Frankie Liriano will land next year.
• This is it - the last series of the season. Cincy has lost 5-of-6, and even though the Pirates are 11-5 v the Reds, they still can't escape the cellar.
• Cutch will return to lead volunteers from November 16th-23rd in a variety of community projects around the City. If you're interested, check out the Cutch Week link.

9/27 Through the 1900’s: 16 Straight; '01 Clincher; Hans Out; HBD Doug, Marty, Willie, Alan & Joe

• 1859 - 1B/OF Joe Visner was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Joe, part of the league’s first wave of Native American players, had a good year in 1889 for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and in 1890 jumped to the Pittsburgh Burghers of the Players' League where he was the starting right fielder. He batted .267, scored 110 runs and hit 22 triples. Joe played one more big league season after that and got on with his life after three more minor league campaigns. His post-baseball life was a story in itself; he inherited 400 acres of land and moved his family there. He tired of the farm life and disappeared for long stretches; he’d ride his bike across Canada, augmenting his fur-trapping skills with handyman chores. 

Alan Storke - 1909 American Caramel

• 1884 - 1B Alan Storke was born in Auburn, New York. He was a Bucco from 1906-09 and while primarily a first baseman, he played every infield position with a .255 BA while a Pirate. He attended Harvard Law School in the off season, joining the Pirates in early June after classes ended per his understanding with Barney Dreyfuss. The 25 year-old Amherst grad sadly never got to see a degree; he died in 1910 of a lung infection stemming from the flu (or "grippe" as it was then known) during his final term at school. 
• 1890 - RHP Jim “Willie” Adams was born in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. Willie worked two seasons for the St Louis Browns before joining the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League in 1914, going 1-1-2, 3.74 in 15 outings (two starts). He yo-yo’ed between the bigs and the farm until 1922, when he suffered a heart attack that ended his baseball career. 
• 1891 - Utilityman Doug Baird was born in St. Charles, Missouri. He played for five teams in six years, starting his career in 1915-17 (in part) with Pittsburgh where he saw a lot of action (2B, 3B, LF, RF, CF) and hit .223 in 316 games. After his last MLB gig in 1920, Baird played for seven more years in the minors through the 1927 campaign. 
• 1901 - Deacon Phillippe tossed the Pirates past the Brooklyn Superbas 5-4 at Exposition Park to clinch the NL pennant, the first of three straight NL titles for the Bucs. Pittsburgh scored three times in the bottom of the eighth after Brooklyn had taken the lead in the top half of the inning. Kitty Bransfield’s single to left chased home Honus Wagner, who had doubled home a pair, with the pennant-clinching run. From August 31st to this date, the Pirates had won 26-of-30 games. It was Pittsburgh’s first NL flag and first title since the Alleghenys began playing major league ball in the American Association in 1882. 
• 1905 - LHP Marty Lang was born in Hooper, Nebraska. He had a brief MLB stay with the 1930 Pirates, getting into two games covering 1-2/3 IP and being rattled for 10 runs. Lang spent a decade in the minors, mostly in the Western league, before last toeing the slab in 1938. 

Hans at the dish - photo Paul Thompson

• 1907 - In a game that ended a 5-5 draw, the Bucs lost Honus Wagner for the last dozen games of the season when he was hit in the hand in the first inning by the Boston Dove’s Rube Dessau and broke a bone. The contest went 11 innings at Exposition Park before darkness claimed it. The injury was moot so far as affecting the pennant chase. Although the Bucs won 91 games that season, they still finished second, 17 games behind the Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance Chicago Cubs, the winners of the 1907 World Series. 
• 1909 - The Bucs won their 16th straight game, the longest winning streak a Pirate club has ever put together. They beat the Giants 6-1 in the first game of a twinbill at Exposition Park, finally losing when they dropped the nitecap, 8-7. That powerhouse club took the NL pennant by 6-½ games over the Cubs with 110 wins and defeated the Detroit Tigers in the World Series.

9/27 From 1910 Through the 1970’s: '70 Clincher; Waner's #1,000; 7 For Ralph; Game Stories; HBD Johnny, Dicks & Dave

• 1911 - LHP Dick Lanahan was born in Washington, DC. He got into 47 games for the 1940-41 Pirates after a couple of previous pit stops in Washington with a line of 6-9-2/4.35. He appeared in 40 outings in ‘40, ninth-most in the NL. He toiled in the minors, with a military break, after his Pirates gig through the 1948 season. 

Johnny Pesky - 1967 Topps Stickers

• 1919 - IF Johnny Pesky was born in Portland, Oregon. Johnny made his name as a Red Sox player, coach, manager and announcer but in between served some time with the Bucs. From 1965-67, he was Harry “The Hat” Walker’s first-base coach. After Walker's firing in 1967, Pesky managed the Bucs' AAA Columbus Jets squad of the International League to a second-place finish before moving to the Boston booth. He then returned to the familiar role of Red Sox coach and instructor. 
• 1930 - P/OF Dick Hall was born in St. Louis. Hall came up in 1952 as a light hitting outfielder; in 1955, he was converted to the mound and pitched until 1971. In his Bucco years (1952-59) he hit .218, and was 6-13-2/4.57 on the hill. He got better; Baltimore flipped him from starter to reliever, and he tossed for nine years in two stints as a Bird with a 2.98 ERA; he even threw a scoreless frame to earn a save against Pittsburgh in the 1971 World Series at age 41 during his last campaign. He retired to the Baltimore area and became an accountant and a member of the Orioles Hall of Fame. 
• 1930 - Paul Waner kept an 11 game hitting streak alive when he smacked a homer and single in an 11-8 win over St. Louis at Sportsman’s Park. That gave Big Poison 217 knocks during the year and 1,057 hits over his first five seasons, making him one of four players - Kirby Puckett, Earle Combs and Ducky Medwick are the others - to have 1,000+ hits in their first five campaigns. Waner had staying power; he finished his career with 3,151 hits and a place in the Hall of Fame. 
• 1930 - 18 year old rookie Josh Gibson was credited with drilling what at the time was the longest home run ever hit in Yankee Stadium, a blast that was estimated to be anywhere from 460-505’, off the back wall of the LF bullpen (he was said to have landed another ball there in 1946). The Lincoln Giant’s “Broadway Connie” Rector gave up the three-run smash in the first inning of a Homestead Grays 7-3 playoff victory. A week earlier, Gibson was credited with being the first hitter to clear the 457’ mark at Forbes Field during the same series. 
• 1935 - RHP Dave Wickersham was born in Erie. The Ohio U grad had eight solid years in the AL when he came over to the Bucs from Detroit for Dennis Ribant in 1968, but he only got into 11 games for the Pirates, with a respectable line of 1-0-1/3.48, and then was sold to his original MLB city, the KC Royals, in the off season. He tossed for them for one more campaign before retiring, long enough to enter the record books as one of four players to be members of both Kansas City franchises, the Athletics (he pitched from 1960-63 for the A’s) and the Royals. 

Ralph Kiner - 1952 Wheaties

• 1952 - In the next-to-last game of the season, a 9-6 win over the Reds at Crosley Field, Ralph Kiner homered to finish the season with 37 long balls to tie Hank Sauer for the crown. It was Kiner’s record-setting seventh consecutive NL home run title. 
• 1970 - The Pirates clinched the NL East title with a 2-1 victory over the Mets at TRS in front of a record 50,469 fans. Dave Cash had two hits, a run scored and the game-winning RBI while Roberto Clemente banged out a pair of doubles to lead the offense. Dock Ellis got the win and Dave Giusti earned the save as the Pirates swept the three-game series from New York. The Pirates were broomed in the NLCS 3-0 by Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine, which in turn was beaten handily by the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.

9/27 From 1980: 3-In-A-Row; Bashin' Brian; Game Stories; HBD Pedro & Vinnie

• 1985 - IF Pedro Ciriaco was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Ciriaco got his first taste of MLB in 2010-11, batting .333 for the Pirates in 31 games after coming over in a deadline deal with Arizona. He popped in and out of the majors through 2015 and spent from 2016 on playing in the Mexican and Dominican Leagues. 
• 1986 - RHP Vin Mazzaro was born in Hackensack, New Jersey. After working 2009-12 in the AL, Vin spent a couple of years in Pittsburgh with a line of 8-2-1, 2.89 in 62 outings. Mazzaro last pitched in the show for the Giants in 2015; he worked out of the indie leagues in 2017-19. 

Vin Mazzaro - 2013 Quarry

• 1988 - In a contest that manager Jim Leyland called “...a stepping stone to the winner’s circle,” the Bucs won their 84th game (they finished with 85 victories, the most since the 1979 World Series club) to clinch second place with a 3-2 win over the Cards at TRS. The Pirates jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead on a Mike LaValliere grounder and Bobby Bonilla’s two-run, two-out single, and John Smiley and Jim Gott made it hold up. The outcome was in doubt until the ninth, when with one away, Luis Alicea lifted a fly to medium center with Jose Oquendo on third; he tagged and Andy Van Slyke’s strike nailed him at home to end the game on a dramatic note. 
• 1989 - Doug Drabek spun a four-hit shutout as the Bucs edged the Cubs and Joe Magrane 1-0. The Pirate run came in the fourth when Pittsburgh strung together three straight singles, with C Dan Bilardello bringing home Jeff King with the contest’s only run. Doug finished the year with a 2.80 ERA, his first of three sub-three ERA seasons as a Pirate. 
• 1992 - Pittsburgh won their third consecutive division crown by defeating the Mets at TRS, 4-2. Danny Jackson got the win and Stan Belinda picked up the save. Gary Redus and Jay Bell each had a pair of hits; Redus scored twice and Bell had two RBI. The club lost the NLCS to Atlanta four games to three when the Braves scored three times in the ninth inning of the seventh game to erase a 2-0 deficit, taking the crown after Sid Bream beat Barry Bond’s throw home. 
• 1998 - The Pirates ended a dismal season with a 4-1 loss to Cincinnati at Cinergy Field. They finished 69-93 thanks to a 5-25 finish to the campaign, a collapse that started back on August 28th, and finished 33 games behind the Houston Astros in the NL Central. The loss was their eighth in a row and 11th in the final 12 games. The last time the club had been at .500 was on June 14th when they were 34-34. 

Brian Giles - 2002 Flair Collection

• 2002 - The Bucs beat the Cubs‚ 13-3 as Brian Giles scored five runs and drove home six with a double & a pair of home runs. He added another bomb the next game to give him four consecutive years with 35+ homers‚ joining Alex Rodriguez‚ Sammy Sosa‚ and Rafael Palmiero in that select club. Salomon Torres got the win at Wrigley Field. Every Pirate starter, included Torres, had a hit as the Bucs banged out 19 knocks. 
• 2009 - It ain’t over until it’s over: Pittsburgh scored four times in the ninth inning off Jonathan Braxton at PNC Park after the Dodgers took a 5-2 lead in the top of the frame by scoring three times off Matt Capps. Lastings Milledge delivered the game-winning hit, a two-run single to right-center, to plate Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones. Capps, despite his miserable frame (three hits and a walk), took home the win.

Bucs Broom Cubbies 9-5

Joe Musgrove gave up a walk and nothing else in the first. After two outs, Melky and Joey O singled off Jose Quintana. Pablo kept the parade going with a trip-trip-triple to give the Bucs an early 2-0 leg up on Chicago. Both sides went down quietly in the second. It was a 1-2-3 third for Chi-town. K-Man and Fraze opened with singles for the Bucs. An out later, Joey O doubled home a run and another crossed when the relay was muffed. The Cubs made up when Osuna was thrown out at the dish on a pretty bad send by Joey Cora, trying to score on Pablo's rap. Reyes went to second on the play and scored on Stall's knock. Moose spun a clean fourth. Erik Gonzalez led off with a leg hit, but Big Joe was swinging away and bounced into a DP and Newman fanned. David Bote dropped a fly single into center in the fifth for the Cubs first hit with no damage done. Joey O beat out an infield knock with two away, followed by a ground rule two-bagger by Pablo. That saved a run for a heartbeat; a Chicago throwaway quickly plated Osuna. Jake Elmore then singled Reyes home to make it 7-0.

Pablo had three hits tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

The sixth started out rough - a catcher's interference was followed by a 3-2 walk, and a double brought both the free runners in. An out later, a broken bat single and grounder cut the lead to 7-3. Dwayne Underwood Jr took over and Corban Joseph welcomed him with a double; he scored after a bouncer and Fraze single. Adam stole second and tallied on Melky's two-bagger to end the frame at 9-3. Chris Stratton got the seventh. A leadoff single scored off a two-out double, followed by an RBI knock. Williams Jerez took the ball and put the inning to bed with a whiff. Dillon Maples tossed a quit frame. Jerez got a whiff and a walk in the eighth before Parker Merkel got the beckon. He did the job, serving up a DP ball. James Norwood gave up a walk but kept the score 9-5. Merkel spun a strong ninth, fanning the last two Cubbies. Raise the Roger.

Baseball is a funny game; the Cubs started the Pirates on a nine-game tailspin with a sweep, and the Bucs returned the favor, with Chicago now losers of nine in a row after being broomed. Vive la différence!

Notes:

• It was as unlikely a middle of the lineup as you'll ever find, but Melky, Joey O and Pablo each had three hits (all three doubled and Pablo tripled to finish a homer shy of a cycle) and ensemble scored five times and drove home four runs. Fraze had a pair of raps and K-Man collected a knock and a walk.
• Pittsburgh finished the year 8-11 against Chicago. The Bucs only won nine games total against Milwaukee and St. Louis.
• The announced attendance was 10,592 tonight.
• Joe Musgrove finished the year slashing 11-12/4.44 w/155 K in 31 starts covering 170-1/3 IP.
• Greg Brown opined from the booth that he thinks that Bryan Reynolds will in all likelihood be shut down for the final Reds set this weekend with his sore hammy.

Big Joe v Jose Quintana, Lineup & Notes

Game: The finale begins at 7:05 and will be on AT&T SportsNet, MLB Network (out of market) and 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Adam Frazier 2B, Melky Cabrera RF, Jose Osuna 1B, Pablo Reyes CF, Jake Stallings C, Jake Elmore LF, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Joe Musgrove P. Hmmm...Redbeard sitting against a righty. B-Rey is also down after tweaking his hammy last night.

Big Joe climbs the hill tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove (10-12/4.49) closes out his campaign against RHP Jose Quintana (13-8/4.55). Big Joe has set career highs in games started, innings pitched and wins, and has developed into a sturdy mid-to-back end rotation guy. His FIP is 3.98 and his peripherals are solid, so the next step is to develop some consistency from start to start. Moose has been strong v Chicago; he's 0-1 but with a 1.08 ERA in three outings with excellent hit (9) and K (19) numbers in 16-1/3IP. Quintana had a solid season go to pot; in his last six outings, he's posted an 8.49 ERA and been chased in the third or fourth inning in his last three trips to the hill. But Q has had Pittsburgh's number; his slash is 4-0/3.38 in five starts against the Buccos this year.

Notes:

• Erik Gonzalez has a nine-game hitting streak.
• The Cubs carry an eight-game losing streak into tonight; it's their longest since 2012.
• Clint's return in 2020 seems to be his take on the situation, not necessarily that of management, per Jason Mackey of the Post Gazette. He had a sit-down with the suits after last night's game and was mum on the situation afterwards; we don't know if he spoke out of school or just too soon. There's never a "yes-or-no" answer from this management gang.
• After tonight, the Reds come to town over the weekend for the last series of the season and for Steve Blass last hurrah in the booth.

9/26 Through the 1930’s: Lefty No-No; Game Stories; HBD Bobby, Al, Bob & Joe

•  1890 - C Bob Coleman was born in Huntingburg, Indiana. The back-up catcher played for Pittsburgh from 1913-14, hitting .245 in 200 ABs. He got one more taste of the majors in 1916 with the Indians but would spend most of his innings on various farm clubs. He played until 1927 when he retired after the season at the age of 36. Bob became a minor-league lifer. He skippered for 35 seasons (20 at Evansville), and Coleman's teams won 2,496 games. Bob also coached for the Tigers and managed the Boston Braves, both for brief periods. 
• 1901 - The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 4-3 at Exposition Park, guaranteeing at least a tie for the 1901 NL pennant with Philadelphia. Jack Chesbro got the win and added an RBI. The other scores were driven in by Honus Wagner, Kitty Bransfield and Lefty Davis as the Pirates put together a four-run sixth inning for the win. They would clinch the next day to take their first ever NL flag. 

Jack Chesbro - 2014 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions

• 1906 - Lefty Leifield hurled a six-inning no-hitter against Philadelphia, winning, 8-0 in a game called because of darkness. Pittsburgh won the opener by a shutout, too, taking a 5-0 win at the Baker Bowl behind Vic Willis. 
• 1910 - LHP Joe Sullivan was born in Mason City, Illinois. Joe closed out his five-year major league career with Pittsburgh in 1941, going 4-1-1, 2.97 in 16 games (four starts). Though manager Frankie Frisch was said to like him as a guy he could use in any situation, Joe had control problems and in camp the following spring, he came down with a severe case of tonsillitis. He was sent to the farm and never made it back to the majors. Joe retired to the Pacific Northwest (he spent several years in the PCL after his MLB career) and worked in the Naval Shipyard. 
• 1911 - Announcer Al Helfer was born in Elrama, in Washington County. Al played football and basketball at W & J College, taking his first job as a sports reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette while also calling football games for the Pittsburgh Pirates (before they were the Steelers) and Pitt Panthers for WWSW. He started broadcasting Pirates games off ticker updates in 1933-34, launching a career as “Mr. Radio Baseball.” Helfer called the action for the Reds, Dodgers, Phils, Colts, A’s, and Mutual Broadcasting during his career. He was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award for Excellence in Baseball Broadcasting from the Hall of Fame posthumously in 2018; he had passed away at age 63 back in 1975. 
• 1920 - Babe Adams was pummeled 8-0 by the Reds in the season finale, but it was a nice season for the 38-year-old. He finished 17-13/2.16 and tossed 263 innings. Babe set an MLB record by walking just 18 batters in his 35 games, averaging 0.6 walks per nine innings, one free pass every 14-2/3 IP. That set a single-season control record that stood until 2005 (Jose Silva, 0.43/per nine innings in 188 IP for the Twins). 

Bobby Shantz - 1962 Topps

• 1925 - LHP Bobby Shantz was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Bobby worked 16 years in the show for seven clubs, stopping in Pittsburgh for the 1961 season. He went 6-3-2, 3.32, making 43 appearances (six starts). The little lefty was a three-time All-Star and won eight Gold Gloves before he retired to run a restaurant and bowling alley back home. 
• 1937 - The Bucs rallied to take the first game against Cincinnati 5-4, then scored twice in the first frame of the nitecap to claim a 2-1 sweep at Crosley Field. The Reds led the opener 4-0 in the eighth, but the Pirates scored three times that frame and twice more in the ninth for the victory. Jim Tobin not only went the distance, but had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. Gus Suhr doubled home Woody Jensen and Lloyd Waner to provide Bill Swift, who tossed a complete game eight-hitter, all the support he needed in the closer.