8/15 From 1960: Bunning Dealt; Cole Signs; Hot Jose; Bingo; Gems & Game Tales; HBD Ollie, Jarrod & Ramon

• 1964 - Pirate pitchers Tommy Sisk, Frank Bork and Alvin McBean spoiled “Ernie Banks Day” at Wrigley Field, holding Bingo hitless in a 5-4 Bucco win. Donn Clendenon had a pair of RBI (his two-out single in the ninth was the eventual game winner) while Bob Bailey and Roberto Clemente homered. McBean got the win over Lindy McDaniel. 
• 1968 - Steve Blass tossed a four-hit shutout in Pittsburgh’s 2-0 win over the Giants at Forbes Field. It was Blass’ seventh complete game and third shutout of the season. The Pirates scratched out their scores, tallying via a first inning single by Donn Clendenon and an error that brought home Willie Stargell. 1968 was Steverino’s breakout campaign as he slashed 18-6/2.12 during the year. 

Steve Blass - 1968 MLB Showdown

• 1969 - The Pirates traded RHP pitcher Jim Bunning to the Dodgers for two minor league players and cash. Bunning was nagged by injuries and was a disappointing 14-23/3.84 in two seasons with Pittsburgh. He left Pittsburgh and won just 18 more games before retiring after 1971, though he would earn a spot in Cooperstown for his work with the Tigers and Phils. IF Chuck Goggin and 1B/OF Ron Mitchell were the return. Goggin earned eight at-bats in Pittsburgh while Mitchell never made it to the show, spending 11 years in the minors. 
• 1969 - Big Bob Veale went the distance for the third straight time, scattering six hits against the Reds at Crosley Field to lead the Bucs to a 5-1 victory. The Pirates flexed their muscles in the victory, homering four times - Gene Alley went yard twice while Richie Hebner and Al Oliver also swatted long balls. Veale would add one more CG to the streak before ending the string with a six-inning outing in a win against Cincy. 
• 1970 - Jose Pagan homered twice while going 4-for-4 with five RBI as the Pirates beat the Padres, 9-3 at TRS. It was the third career two-homer game for Pagan, who homered just 52 times in 4,032 career plate appearances. Bill Mazeroski also went long and Bob Veale struck out 12 batters while tossing a complete game for the win. 
• 1974 - RHP Ramon Morel was born in Villa Gonzalez in the Dominican Republic. Ramon pitched for the Bucs from 1995-97, going 2-2/4.98. He pitched one last season for the Cubs before spending time in the minors, Japan and the Dominican League until he retired after the 2008 campaign. At last check, he’s now working for a Florida sports training academy. 

Ramon Morel - 1997 Fleer

• 1981 - LHP Oliver Perez was born in Culiacan, Mexico. Part of the Jason Bay deal, he pitched from 2003-06 for the Bucs. Ollie had a breakout 2004 campaign, when he went 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA and 239 K in 196 IP, the third most whiffs in franchise history for a single season. Control and velocity problems ruined his effectiveness, and he reinvented himself later in his career as a LOOGY. 2021 was his 16th MLB season, and after starting the year with the Cleveland Indians, he’s now twirling in the Mexican League. 
• 1984 - CF Jarrod Dyson was born in McCombs, Mississippi. A rare 50th-round draft pick (#1,475 overall) that made a career in the MLB, he played seven years for the KC Royals, a season for Seattle and two campaigns with the D-Backs. The Bucs signed him to a one-year/$2M contract in 2020 to fill the gap in center left by the Starling Marte trade. The 35-year-old Dyson featured good defense and fleet feet but an indifferent bat in 2019, with his batting line at .230/.313/.320 (66 OPS+) but with 30 swiped bases and 13 Defensive Runs Saved on the plus side of the ledger. He lasted in Pittsburgh until August (his BA was .157) before being sent to the White Sox and was picked up by his original club, the Royals, in 2021. 
• 1993 - The Bucs parlayed a couple of small-ball moves perfectly in the 11th inning and were rewarded with a 4-3, walk-off win against the Braves at TRS. Dave Clark led off by falling behind 0-2, then held his ground as he watched four off speed pitches miss the mark. Jimmy Leyland put on a hit-and-run for Don Slaught, who banged a ball through the vacated second base hole, and when the center fielder took a tumble cutting it off, Rich Donnelly waved Clark home with the winner. Donnelly’s windmill failed him in the ninth inning when Jeff King was cut down at the plate; Rich didn’t exactly have greyhounds steaming around the corner. King was the hitting hero with two hits, including a big two-run triple, as Blas Minor picked up his seventh win. 

Gerrit Cole - 2012 Bowman Top Prospect

• 2011 - On the last day to sign draftees, the Pirates and #1 pick Gerrit Cole agreed to a record $8M minor-league deal. Cole turned down an $8.5M major league contract running through 2016. His agent, Scott Boras, said the pitcher projects to earn an additional $1.4 million under this deal. "It's essentially the largest signing bonus ever given an amateur player," Pirates GM Neal Huntington told ESPN. "Sometimes, it's more advantageous for a player to take a minor league contract with a bonus that can be spread over nine months than a major league contract that would be spread out over four years." Cole Train wasn’t the only deadline signee; 23 of 33 first round picks hadn’t come to terms yet, but all except prepster RHP Tyler Beede (Toronto’s overall #21) were in the fold at the day’s end. Cole’s deal and the signing of second pick Josh Bell to a record $5M contract eventually led to the MLB adopting a bonus pool system for draft selections to limit the big paydays.