7/29 From 1960: Jordan, Freddy, Jack, Ian Dealt; Giles, Clines Hot; Gems & Game Tales; RIP Bill; HBD Jack, Mike & Tommy

• 1963 - OF Tommy Gregg was born in Boone, North Carolina. A seventh-round pick of the Pirates in the 1985 draft from Wake Forest, Gregg spent the first two years of his nine-season career with the Buccos in 1987-88. He hit .217 in as a seldom-used bench guy before being shipped to the Atlanta Braves as part of the Ken Oberkfell deal. Tommy spent several seasons as a reserve for the Bravos, then made stops in Florida and Cincinnati, playing through 1997. Tommy later coached in the Kansas City and Miami systems and is now an indie league batting coach. 
• 1968 - Henry Aaron was caught red-faced thanks to some smoke and mirrors trickery by the Bucs. On a hit-and-run, Gene Alley and Bill Mazeroski decoyed Hammerin’ Hank into believing Joe Torre had hit a grounder between them; the reality was he had lifted a fly to Roberto Clemente in right. When Aaron stopped at second to try to find the ball, it was way too late; it was already on its way to first for the double play. It wasn’t one of his better days on the bases as he was also picked off first base in the Pirates 3-2 win at Forbes Field. In addition to his Emmy performance, Maz also homered to help Bob Veale to the win. Henry wasn’t the only guy with happy feet; the Bucs' Maury Wills misread a fly he thought was dropping and was doubled up off second base. 
• 1968 - RHP Mike Williams was born in Radford, Virginia. In six seasons (1998-2003), he went 15-23 and saved 140 games for Pittsburgh with a 3.78 ERA. His mark of 46 saves in 2002 set a team standard (topped in 2015 by Mark Melancon with 51), but fame is fleeting - his 12-year baseball career closed after the 2003 season following a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Candy - 1983 Fleer

• 1983 - John Candelaria and Tom Seaver exchanged four-hitters at Shea Stadium, with the Candy Man prevailing over Tom Terrific, 2-1. Two of the hits off Seaver were solo shots by Mike Easler and Tony Pena; Candelaria gave up a run in the first inning followed by goose eggs. Cecilio Guante finished up with a seven-up, seven-down performance to save the game for Candy. 
• 1971 - Gene Clines was the hero of the Pirates 8-5 win over Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. His three-run homer was the big blow in a six-run sixth inning, and the center fielder went 4-for-4 with four RBI and a pair of runs. Bob Robertson and Willie Stargell also went yard in the win that was cemented by 5-2/3 scoreless frames tossed by the Bucco bullpen. 
• 1998 - OF Jack Suwinski was born in Chicago. The Pirates got him from San Diego in 2021 as part of the Adam Frazier return. He cracked the lineup in 2022 and flexed for the Pirates with 19 homers in 372 at bats. He developed into the Pirates top power source in 2023, with his splits about even and a strong OBP, though his low BA and high K rate make his outings inconsistent. 
• 2000 - Brian Giles went 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles while Warren Morris and Emil Brown homered as the Bucs ran up a 10-2 count against the San Diego Padres at TRS. Francisco Cordova got the win as three Buc pitchers scattered six hits in front of a Saturday night crowd of 30,118. 
• 2007 - Bucco outfielder Bill Robinson passed away in Las Vegas. The local boy (he was from McKeesport and went to Elizabeth-Forward HS) spent eight years as a Pirate from 1975-82, hitting .276 with 109 homers. He played five positions as a Pirate (1B/3B, every OF spot) and while a regular for only one year, he got into 100+ games six times in his eight seasons here. 

Bill Robinson - 1981 Topps

• 2009 - 2B Freddy Sanchez was traded to the San Francisco Giants for RHP Tim Alderson. The Bucs also traded RHP Ian Snell and SS Jack Wilson to the Mariners for RHP Aaron Pribanic, RHP Brett Lorin, 1B Nathan Adcock, SS Ronny Cedeno and 1B Jeff Clement. Snell was out of baseball by 2010 while Freddy & Jack were snake-bitten by injury. Most of the new gang failed their auditions as Pirates; the only regular contributor was Cedeno, and he wore out his welcome after 2011. 
• 2014 - The Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants, 3-1, at AT&T Park behind Francisco Liriano’s 11 whiffs and homers by Travis Snider and Josh Harrison. It was the third straight game that Harrison and Snider went long. After an April-May slump that saw them fall nine games behind in the National League Central Division race and eight games below .500, the Bucs pulled within a game of first and even up in the loss column while moving into the second wild card spot. 
• 2019 - The Bucs sent RHP Jordan Lyles to the Brewers for AA RHP Cody Ponce. Lyles, a free agent signing from the off season, had a Jekyll and Hyde stay with Pittsburgh, posting a 4-1/1.97 mark in mid-May, then crashing to a 1-6/9.57 slash from that time forward. He slashed 7-1/2.45 with the Brew Crew to continue his roller coaster campaign, and is now with the KC Royals. Ponce, a second-round draft pick, played for the US Team and at one point was on the Bucs 40-man roster, but since 2022 has been tossing in Japan for the Ham Fighters.