7/22 From 1980: LaRoche to BoSox; Coles-Wilson Trade; Q Released; Cheesy Cover Boy; Game Stories; RIP Lil' Poison

• 1982 - Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner passed away at age 76. The 18-year veteran (all but one in a Bucco uniform, at least in part) batted .316 and teamed with his brother, Paul - known as ''Big Poison'' - to lead the Pirates' attack in the late 1920's and throughout the 1930's. Lloyd, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1967, had 2,459 career hits. The speedy Waner was Pittsburgh’s long-time leadoff hitter with an eagle eye at the dish. In 8,333 plate appearances, he struck out just 173 times. After retiring as a player after the 1945 campaign, Waner worked as a Pirates scout from 1946-49 before getting a day job as an inspector for Oklahoma City.
• 1987 - The Pirates turned some efficient pitching from Rick Reuschel and some shoddy Giant play into a 4-0 win over San Francisco at Candlestick Park. Both teams traded five hits, and the Bucs were nursing a slim 1-0 lead into the ninth when a single, an error, three walks (two intentional) and a wild pitch netted them three runs. Big Daddy went the distance and used up just 91 pitches to dispatch the G-Men.

Glenn Wilson - 1989 Topps Wide

• 1988 - In a swap of outfielders, Pittsburgh sent Darnell Coles to Seattle for Glenn Wilson. Wilson spent 1988-89 as a Buc, returning again for his 1993 swan song. He got into 147 games and was solid, hitting .274 with 11 HR. Coles spent 1987-88 as a Pirate, also smacking 11 homers but hitting just .230 in 108 games. GM Syd Thrift had been after Wilson for over a year, from when he was with the Phils, but couldn’t strike a deal with Philadelphia, which wanted a front-line pitcher in return.
• 1989 - The Pirates released starting SS Rey Quinones just 71 games after trading for him by sending P Mike Dunne and prospect Mark Merchant to Seattle for his services. He had held out with the Mariners and was off to a slow start before the Pirates, aware that he was considered a reclamation project owing to performance and attitude (GM Larry Doughty said the club knew that Quinones “marched to his own drummer.”) They thought that Jimmy Leyland, known as a player’s manager, could unlock Quinones’ potential, but the 25-year-old hit just .209 and made 19 errors in Pittsburgh. He had no takers on the trade market and was released; he never played in MLB again.
• 1993 - The Bucs scored four times in the ninth to rally past the Braves 8-7 at TRS. Jay Bell drove in the first run in the final frame, and with two outs, Dave Clark’s single got the Bucs within a run. The next hitter, Kevin Young, dropped a soft liner into right center, plating Lloyd McClendon and Clark, who scored all the way from first, to give Blas Minor the victory.
• 2000 - The Pirates beat the Phillies 2-1 at TRS in front of 28,485 Saturday night fans. Bronson Arroyo allowed two hits over seven shutout innings for his first major league win, with Jason Christiansen and Mike Williams (who gave up a solo shot but nailed down the save) following on. Mike Benjamin had a double & triple while Emil Brown added a pair of hits, scoring once & driving in a run.
• 2009 - The Pirates traded Adam LaRoche to the Boston Red Sox for two minor leaguers, SS Argenis Diaz and RHP Hunter Strickland. LaRoche remained in the show until 2016 when he retired, while Diaz played for Pittsburgh briefly in 2010 and Hunter, after stints with the Giants and Mariners, is now with the Nats.

Argenis Diaz - 2010 Topps Rookie Update

• 2009 - The Bucs used a season-high five home runs to hold off the Brewers 8-7 at PNC Park. Brandon Moss went long in the ninth off Mitch Stettler for his first walk off homer; Ryan Doumit added a pair of blasts while Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones each had one. Delwyn Young and Jones had three hits apiece. Paul Maholm started and was chased in the fifth after giving up all seven runs; Joel Hanrahan, John Grabow and eventual winner Matt Capps shut the gate afterward.
• 2013 - Jason Grilli was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the poster boy for Ben Reiter’s story “The Strangest But Truest Story of the Summer: The Playoff Bound Pirates and Their Sharknado Bullpen.” It was purely coincidental that Grilled Cheese was injured pitching the same day, put on the DL, and out of action until September 3rd. It was also the first time in 21 years, since Barry Bond’s 1992 appearance, that a Pirate graced the cover of SI.