9/3 From 1970: Taylor Deal; Solly Back; Rook-100; DD-POTM; Lee, Merced & Hit Man Big Boppers; Pirates HoF; Teke Day; Game Tales; RIP Clyde & Rip; HBD Matt & Juan

• 1971 - The Pirates purchased C/OF Carl Taylor from the Kansas City Royals. It was a homecoming of sorts; Taylor played with the Pirates during the 1968-69 campaigns, hitting .315 over 148 games. His stay was considerably shorter this time around as he went 2-for-12 and during 1972’s spring training was sold back to the Royals (Carl spent five of his six MLB years with either Pittsburgh or Kansas City), where he finished his career after the 1973 season. 
• 1972 - It took the Pirates 10 innings, but they held off the San Francisco Giants at TRS by a 2-1 score. Bob Moose carried a 1-0 lead into the ninth, but Gary Maddux’s two-out knock knotted the game. Maddux was also key in the Pirates comeback; with Bob Robertson at first base, Ken Henderson tried to make a shoe-string grab of Richie Hebner’s sinking liner and missed, with the ball scooting past him. Maddux didn’t get over to back up, allowing Big Red to come all the way around with the winning run to hand Dave Giusti the win in relief. Giants reliever Jerry Johnson took it hard - on his way back to the clubhouse, “fuming and cursing” per Post Gazette beat man Charley Feeney, he kicked the water cooler, tore the thermostat off the wall, scattered the bats and splintered a stool. Giant manager Charlie Fox read the riot act to his troops after the game, no doubt frustrated after his gang had outhit the Bucs for the third straight game - they had 13 hits and stranded 13 on this day - yet were swept in the series. The Bucco room was notably more lighthearted as they had just won their sixth straight and were 12 games up in the pennant race with 29 contests to go; they took the NL East crown with an 11-game cushion. 

Juan Perez - 2007 Topps Rookie

• 1978 - LHP Juan Perez was born in Villas Rivas, Dominican Republic. Perez was signed by Boston out of high school in 1998, becoming their Minor League Pitcher of the Year and tossed for the World Futures team. He was sold to the New York Mets in 2006, waived in August and claimed by the Bucs, who called him up for September. He also got some big league time the next year, but was 0–1/8.10 and released after spending 2008 on the farm. Juan returned to work in the show from 2011-13, and finished his pro career (61 MLB outings with a line of 2-4/4.25) in the Mexican League in 2016. 
• 1978 - Dale Berra’s three-run, walk-off homer off Gene Garber in the ninth gave the Pirates a 6-3 win over the Braves at TRS after Atlanta manager Bobby Cox had intentionally walked Bill Robinson to get to Berra. Phil Garner tied the game in the seventh with a two-out, three-run bomb, the same frame that Willie Stargell collected his 2,000th hit. Kent Tekulve got the victory in relief of Bert Blyleven. The win was their 19th in 22 games and put them just two games behind the first-place Phils, a margin that held up as the Bucs fell 1-1/2 games short of Philadelphia. 
• 1979 - It took 11 tries, three months, a couple of blown saves by the bullpen, and a visit to the DL with a cranky back, but almost-37-year-old Jim Rooker finally got win #100, defeating the Phils, 7-3, in the nightcap of a twin bill at TRS. To make it more memorable, Rook took the win on his daughter Jaime Elizabeth’s first birthday. Dale Berra drove in three runs and Phil Garner two more to grease the attack before Kent Tekulve came on to earn his 25th save. The Bucs had a six-game winning streak stopped in the opener, 2-0, as Steve Carlton bested Bert Blyleven. 
• 1983 - The Braves took an early 2-0 lead against Rick Rhoden at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, built around a Chris Chambliss double, and the game stayed that way until the seventh inning. The Pirates tied the score on knocks by Bill Madlock and Johnny Ray. An intentional pass packed the sacks for Mike Easler, making his first appearance in 25 days after a thumb injury had sent him to the DL. The Hit Man returned to face ace Steve Bedrosian, taking over from Phil Niekro, and didn't waste any time by drilling a grand slam to center on the first pitch to carry the Bucs to a 6-2 victory. Jim Bibby got the win while Cecilio Guante picked up a save. 

Matt Capps - 2006 Fleer Tradition Rookie

• 1983 - RHP Matt Capps was born in Douglasville, Georgia. The closer spent five years (2005-09) in Pittsburgh, putting up a record of 19-19-67/3.61. Though he converted 27 of 32 save opportunities in 2009, his 5.80 ERA led the Pirates to non-tender him after the campaign. After stints in Washington and Minnesota, he was out of MLB since 2013, signing several minor league deals and hanging ‘em up after the 2016 campaign. He now works in the Pirates TV/radio booth. 
• 1987 - Second-year RHP Doug Drabek, 24, was named the NL Pitcher of the Month. DD went 5-0/2.79 in six August starts, his last one being his first complete game and first shutout in the majors, a 7-0, three-hit win against the Astros. He finished the year with a line of 11-12/3.88 and then broke out in 1988, starting a six-year string of 30+ starts/200+ IP. 
• 1989 - The Pirates held a pregame celebration of Kent Tekulve’s career. The righty fireman was driven onto TRS by a classic red fire engine to the strains of “Rubber Band Man.” Carl Barger, Chuck Tanner, Willie Stargell, Dave Giusti and Jim Gott were there, paying honors and bearing gifts (the opponents, the Reds, even had a gift for him), along with Teke’s wife, college coach Don Schaly and the Pirate scout who signed him, Dick Coury. The Bucs won the game against the Reds afterward, 3-1, behind Doug Drabek’s arm and an Andy Van Slyke homer. 
• 1989 - Truett "Rip" Sewell passed away in Plant City, Florida, at the age of 82. Rip was a three-time All-Star who led the NL in wins, winning %, and complete games. A workhorse (eight years w/175+ IP), he posted four 15-wins seasons (w/two 21-win campaigns), and logged 200 or more IP four years in a row. A cousin of big league brothers Joe and Luke Sewell, he was noted for the eephus pitch. The righty pitched virtually his entire career in Pittsburgh from 1938-49, starting 243 games, winning 143 (with 15 saves tossed in) while posting a 3.43 ERA. 

Rip Sewell - Baseball Heroes Deck

• 1992 - Orlando Merced drove in five runs on three hits to help the Pirates complete a three-game sweep of the Giants with a 9-3 victory at TRS. He had just begun to wear glasses after noticing night vision problems while driving home and it apparently improved more than his steering skills. Alex Cole added a personal-high four hits, tripling twice. Doug Drabek worked into the seventh for the win in a late-starting game that was delayed 42 minutes by a passing rainstorm. In other news, LHP Zane Smith said he was considering season-ending surgery for his shoulder woes, having pitched just twice since July 11th. He delayed it until November, but only appeared twice more during the campaign and missed the playoffs. 
• 2000 - Longtime Pirates coach and scout Clyde Sukeforth passed away in Waldoboro, Maine, at the age of 98. He caught for 10 years with the Reds and Dodgers and then became a Brooklyn coach (he was involved in Jackie Robinson’s recruitment), moving to Pittsburgh to join Branch Rickey in 1952, where he coached, managed in the minors (he turned down the Pirates reins in 1957, bringing on Danny Murtaugh), served as a super scout (he helped bird-dogged Roberto Clemente) until 1965, then beat the bushes as an Atlanta scout. 
• 2002 - Salomon Torres pitched his first MLB game since July 20th, 1997, and went 8-1/3 scoreless innings against the Braves He also collected his first hit since 1994 in the Pirates 3-0 win. Torres, 30, retired as an active player in 1997 and served as Montreal's pitching coach in the Dominican Summer League before he signed with Pittsburgh in January. Torres did hang ‘em up after 2008 and now runs three training complexes for minor leaguers in the Dominican Republic. 
• 2011 - Former Cub Derrek Lee hit a game-winning grand slam in the ninth inning off Carlos Marmol to give the Pirates a 7-5 victory over Chicago at Wrigley Field. Lee went 3-for-3 with five RBI while Alex Presley added three more hits. Joel Hanrahan sealed the deal with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to save the win for Chris Resop, the fourth Bucco pitcher of the day. 

Travis Snider - 2013 Topps

• 2013 - Travis Snider’s ninth-inning homer lifted the Pirates to a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park and gave Pittsburgh a two-game lead in the NL Central. It was also Pittsburgh’s 81st win and snapped a 20-year losing streak by the franchise, unmatched by any other major professional sports team in North America. It was a team effort, though - Andrew McCutchen, Justin Morneau and Marlon Byrd combined to go 7-for-10 with three RBI and three runs scored, Mark Melancon picked up the save for winner Vin Mazzaro, and Gerrit Cole, who gave up a pair of first inning runs after just three batters, came back to put up zeroes through six innings and retired the last 12-of-13 hitters he faced. Cutch’s homer was his 100th, putting him in the Bucco 100 HR/100 steal club along with Barry Bonds, Al Martin, Andy Van Slyke, Dave Parker and Paul Waner. And in a final bit of irony, the Brewers had broken their club record 12-season losing streak at PNC Park in 2005, so it was fitting the Bucs returned the favor at Miller Park. 
• 2022 - After being delayed by the Covid era - the project was first planned to become a thing in 2020 - the Pirates Hall of Fame, which included members of the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays, was unveiled at PNC Park with pre-game festivities and a postgame drone exhibition. The Steel City’s first class included Jake Beckley, Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Max Carey, Paul Waner, Lloyd Waner, Oscar Charleston, Pie Traynor, Ray Brown, Arky Vaughan, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Ralph Kiner, Bill Mazeroski, Danny Murtaugh, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Steve Blass, and Dave Parker.