11/5 From 1980: JR, Syd Hired; Frankie Comeback Player; Corey, Nate - Golden Gloves; Russ - Wilson Winner; '90 FA Parade; A-Ram Retires; RRI Goes Down

• 1985 - The Pirates hired Syd Thrift as their GM, replacing Harding Peterson (They made the official announcement via press conference two days later). Syd only lasted until 1988 after a contentious relationship with the owners, but laid the groundwork for the powerhouse early-ninety clubs. Thrift traded for Doug Drabek, Bobby Bonilla, Andy Van Slyke and Mike LaValliere, then hired Jim Leyland to stir the pot. This date is when the news of his hiring was leaked by the media; the official announcement wasn’t made until two days later. 
• 1990 - Whole lotta shakin’ going on as the following Bucs became free agents after the season: IF Wally Backman, RHP Doug Bair, SS Rafe Belliard, 1B Sid Bream, RHP Ted Power, OF Gary Redus, LHP Jerry Reuss, OF RJ Reynolds, C Don Slaught & LHP Zane Smith. Redus, Sluggo and Smith rejoined the team while the others went on their merry way: Belliard & Bream to Atlanta, Backman to Philly, Bair spent two years on minor league deals and was done, Power to Cincy, Reuss retired, and Reynolds went to Japan for three years before a final season in Mexico. 

Sluggo re-signed - 1991 Score

• 1997 - The Regional Renaissance Initiative was soundly defeated at the polls. A funding mechanism for a new stadium, its defeat cast doubts as to whether Kevin McClatchy’s Pirates team could remain in Pittsburgh. Some later political twists and turns eventually led to the selling of the team and the building of PNC Park to save the franchise for the City. 
• 2007 - The Pirates named third base coach John Russell as manager, replacing Jim Tracy. The Bucs' new skipper was the 2006 International League Manager of the Year at Scranton. He was never given much to work with, and in 2010 was fired as the Pirates manager after a 105 loss season and an overall record of 186-299, replaced by Clint Hurdle. 
• 2008 - CF Nate McLouth won his first Golden Glove award, the first Bucco to take home the trophy since SS Jay Bell in 1993. Nate the Great committed one error during the season (a wayward throw in September), getting himself on the radar not only with his leather but by his hitting line of .276 BA/26 HR/46 2B/94 RBI/113 RS/26 SB. He also made the 2008 All-Star team. 
• 2013 - LHP Francisco Liriano was named the Baseball Writer’s “Comeback Player of the Year,” the second time he took the honor, having earlier won the same recognition from The Sporting News after a 16-8/3.02/9.1K game per game campaign. 
• 2014 - C Russ Martin was named the Wilson Major League Defensive Catcher of the Year after losing the Golden Glove award to Yadier Molina the day before. Russell threw out 39% of the base-stealers who challenged him (league average - 28%), allowed just three passed balls and had a .994 fielding average. 

Russ Martin - 2014 Gypsy Queen

• 2015 - 3B Aramis Ramirez retired after 18 years in the show. A-Ram, 37, hit .283/.341/.492 with 386 home runs. He made his debut with the Pirates in 1998 and played here for parts of six years before being traded to the Chicago Cubs in a salary dump that still rankles. He returned as a stretch run rental from the Brewers in 2015, hitting .245 with six long balls. Ramirez played his first 17 seasons as a third baseman, never taking the field at another position other than DH, until September; he manned 1B for the Bucs five times in his final go-round. 
• 2018 - Corey Dickerson, who arrived in Pittsburgh with a rep as a meh gloveman only to be thrown into PNC Park’s massive left field, accepted the challenge and took home his first Golden Glove award. He ranked first among NL left fielders with a .996 fielding percentage while making one error in 263 chances and setting career highs with seven assists in 122 starts in left field. Corey posted 16 defensive runs saved and recorded 10 outs above average to join Barry Bonds and Starling Marte as Bucco LF’s to win a GG.