8/7 From 1970: Coles, Spurling Deals; #9 Retired; Petrina Sings; Game Stories; RIP Wilbur; HBD Tyler, Frenchy & Ryan

• 1973 - RHP Wilbur Cooper passed away at the age of 81. Wilbur tossed for 13 years (1912-24) for Pittsburgh, slashing 202-159/2.74 and winning twenty or more games four times. He’s the only pitcher to win 200+ games as a Pirate and is second in career IP with 3,199, behind only Bob Friend, & also in games pitched with 469, also trailing Friend. 
• 1977 - RHP Tyler Yates was born in Lihue, Hawaii. He pitched for the Bucs from 2008-09 after coming over in a deal with the Braves. The reliever went 6-5-1/5.06 in 87 appearances over that span, but 2009 was his swan song as he underwent a second TJ surgery and never made it back to the show. 

Tyler Yates - 2008 Topps Heritage

• 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 were 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, and is now an Oriole. 
• 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 copacetic 9-3 victory 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 spent parts of seven seasons 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. Since, he’s been with four teams, the latest being Miami. 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). 

Pedro with the game winner - 2010 Topps Pro Debut

• 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.